Carlmont Highlander December 2016

The Highlander December 2016 Vol VIII Issue III

Carlmont High School — Belmont, California

www.scotscoop.com

Twitter: @scotscoopnews

Mascots incite racial tension Megan Tao

CBS MINNESOTA

Carl Monty strides onto the football field.

Screamin’ Scots erupt into cheers, “Scots, Scots, Scots!”

A student dressed in a kilt plays the bagpipes.

All is well, and no one sees anything wrong with an entire student body culturally appropriating the Scottish figure.

With the rise in controversy over the appropriateness of Native American mascots, few have stopped to question whether having other race-related mascots like the Scots or the Celtics is just as bad as having a Native American mascot.

Barbara Munson (Oneida), a member of the Oneida Tribe and the chairperson for the Wisconsin Indian Education Association “Indian” Mascot and Logo Taskforce, believes that one of the reasons why people aren’t questioning the appropriating of European mascots is because European immigrants make up the majority of the U.S. population.

“A lot of the people who make up the mainstream of America right now are Scottish people, English people, and Irish people. A lot of the immigrant population makes up the mainstream now and the Native Americans, which were 100 percent of the population at the time of contact, are now less than 2 percent of the population in the Americas,” said Munson.

Not only is there a lack of discussion about European mascots, but it also seems that this negativity towards racial mascots is only directed at mascots that represent a minority, specifically Native Americans.

“Race-based Indian team brands stereotype 565 different cultural groups all of whom are Indians here in the United States, so it’s a huge racial stereotype. It is a racial issue, not a cultural issue; in fact, part of the problem is that it’s not a cultural issue,” said Munson.

According to SFGate, in 2001, the Sequoia Union High School District board decided to retire the Cherokee mascot and image of Sequoia High School, but still keep the official title as the Sequoia Cherokees.

“I think that it was changed for racial reasons.

Some people thought that it was racist to be portraying Cherokees as the school mascot. It’s like the controversy with the Washington Redskins,” said Sequoia High School senior Kierstin Ikeda.

The Native American mascot controversy seems to be dealing with the idea that it’s not politically right to culturally appropriate a race because they’re human beings that are a part of one culture and are being generalized to fit the overall Native American race.

“It is a problem that this is all generalized and [people are] taking different cultures that represent different language groups, different cultural traditions, and dif -

GETTY IMAGES

See ETHNIC MASCOTS page 3

IZZY MITCHELL

INSIDE THIS ISSUE CAMPUS NEWS FEATURES HOLIDAYS LIFESTYLE SPORTS OPINION PARENTING

2 3 4-5 6-7 8 9 10-11 12

The secularism of Christmas

2016: The worst of them all

Reflecting on Obama’s legacy LAST PLACE

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2 CAMPUS

December 2016

Christmas without Christ

Traditional holidays become more secular Jackson Monge According to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, “The Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, ensuring that there is no prohibition on the free exercise of religion.”

The First Amendment has seen a lot of controversy and various interpretations in modern times. In the recent years, issues have been raised about the role of religion in places such as school or the workplace.

To avoid lawsuits over promoting religion, many schools avoid Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa altogether.

Carlmont principal Ralph Crame said, “We are always sensitive to the many religions represented here at Carlmont. The events that happen in the quad at lunch are ASB events…[who] consider everything when sponsoring events such as selfies with Santa.” Proponents on both sides of the argument have engaged in heated debates over the legitimacy of allowing religious holidays in school.

Christmas, ironically, seems to have become more and more secular. According to a Gallup poll, 93 percent of Americans exchange gifts, 92 percent spend time with family, and 88 percent put up a Christmas tree.

One contributing factor is that some see Christmas as more about being with family and the virtues of selfless giving, rather than the birth of Jesus.

According to Baptist News, some share this opinion, including Preacher Mike McKinney, who said: “It is simply not right to sing ‘Silent Night’...It is not right to honor the birth of Christ the Lord and to celebrate the arrival of Santa Claus the jolly old elf within the context of the same holiday.”

While the more radical baptist preachers are appalled at this modern revelation, perhaps a more secular Christmas could be a way to be more welcoming to others.

“Yes, I do believe that Christmas has become more secular,” said freshman Diane Ji, a member of the Carlmont Christian Club.

“It’s now more centered around giving gifts than celebrating the birth of Jesus. Nowadays when people think of Christmas, it’s about presents and Christmas trees, but [less] about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

I feel people should recognize its religious [roots], but celebrate it in whichever way they want to.”

In agreement with Ji, Christmas has been becoming more secular. According to statistics from ABC News in July of 2016, 83 percent of Americans are Christian, and yet Gallup polls consistently show that about 94 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas.

CNN quoted one atheist named Hemant Mehta in Chicago, who celebrates Christmas: “Christians don’t own December.

Even if Christmas as a Christian holiday didn’t exist right now, I think there would be plenty of reason that it makes sense to take a couple weeks off at the end of the year when everyone kind of needs a break from work. [Christmas] is a nice way to just relax and spend time with your family.

If it coincides with the majority’s religious holiday, great.”

Some students echo similar feelings.

Sol Mitnick, a junior at Carlmont, believes that Christmas has changed to be slightly more of an inclusive holiday. “Christmas may have gotten more secular; Santa has moved from Saint Nicholas to a figure who represents joy and presents on Christmas. I think it is now more about being together with family, at least from what I’ve observed from others. Even so, I still think Christmas retains some religious meaning as the birth of Jesus, so it is not a wholly secular holiday.”

More recently, the debate over the Starbucks cups has angered quite a few people.

For the second year in a row, Starbucks has faced scrutiny due to its seasonal cup for

the winter holidays. This is because some believed that Starbuck’s cups set the Christian aspects of Christmas aside, in favor of a more secular representation of it; it didn’t represent Christmas. While it may seem like a simple dispute over recognizing a holiday, in actuality it is a much deeper problem.

With Christmas becoming more secular, some view it as a challenge or threat to their way of life.

This can be seen in Bill O’Reilly’s 2004 segment named ‘Christmas Under Siege’ as it states: “All over the country, Christmas is taking flak. In Denver, no religious floats at all were permitted at the holiday parade there.”

Despite what O’Reilly says, a more secular Christmas could be a good solution for some people. This allows people of different beliefs and viewpoints to find a feeling of togetherness.

“Christmas has become more secular because people have needed to accommodate for other religions and beliefs,” said junior Kiran Boone. “And if people don’t hold Christian beliefs, they don’t want them to mix, so they keep the fun of [Christmas] around. Expanding it to include other [festivities] and not exclude others is a good thing because everyone can celebrate a

ESTELLA LIPPI

holiday. It can be somewhat destructive to some of the original values, though overall it brings different people together who can celebrate a common holiday.”

Looking at Christmas past and present, it becomes clearer that the debate over its place in society won’t be solved anytime soon. However, both sides must come to realize that as Christmas becomes more and more secular, it could become available to more people.

In the many years to come, Christmas will begin to meander its way into new territories, beyond its religious roots. In the future, this will raise more issues in addition to the ones that people are divided over now.

John Linneball Tutoring john@johnlinneball.com (415) 986-7355

2043 Ralston Ave. Belmont, CA 94002 650.595.2644

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NEWS 3

December 2016

America’s opioid problem explodes Addiction to perscription drugs skyrockets Nate Godwin Each day, an average of 78 Americans die from a drug overdose.

In 2014, more Americans died from drug overdoses than any year on record since 1999. The number of deaths from overdoses involving opioids has quadrupled according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“You don’t really hear a lot about the problem, but then you see the statistics for the U.S., and it shows that we really need to do something,” said junior Josh Camerino.

Prescription painkillers have been the driving factor behind the spike in opioid addictions and deaths.

It’s no coincidence that the amount of prescription opioids sold since 1999 has also quadrupled. Opioids are very strong medications that relieve pain by reducing the intensity of pain signals reaching the brain and affect the brain areas that control emotion.

Common opioids include

Vicodin, OxyContin, and Percocet.

However, it was not until the early 1990s that the idea of “opiophobia” existed in the medical community.

Doctors were hesitant to prescribe painkillers to patients, even those who were in extreme pain from a terminal illness or operation.

In 1992, however, this all changed after the government attempted to advise the medical community that opioids were not addictive.

After this, large pharmaceutical companies began attempting to expand the sale of their drugs. These heavy painkillers had previously been primarily prescribed to patients in extreme pain and near death.

Purdue, the company that makes OxyContin, began to market the drug in 1995.

A report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) in 2003 said, “The GAO and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have expressed concern that Purdue’s aggressive

from ETHNIC MASCOTS page 1 rent cultures that represent different language groups, different cultural traditions, and different family structures. The mascot is a generalization, a stereotype, and it portrays inaccuracies,” said Munson.

Mascots are supposed to be a representative figure for the student body, and some people are making the case that a mascot that represents one race can’t represent an entire student body made up of a variety of ethnicities.

“The mascot is supposed to be a defining figure at school. I think it’s supposed to represent the school as a whole and represent positivity, happiness, and energy,” said Jake Stulbarg, a junior.

“I think that it’s good that schools are trying to change their mascots because having [a Native American mascot] can be related to cultural appropriation.”

Even though Stulbarg was able to identify the negative implications of having a Native American mascot, he was at a loss for words when asked about the appropriateness of our own mascot Carl Monty, who is a Scottish figure.

“I think the Scots is an appropriate mascot, but I don’t know why,” said Stulbarg.

The Scots figure is a particular European mascot that does not generalize multiple cultures under one race a the Native American mascot, but it still stereotypes Scottish culture.

For example, Carl Monty wears a traditional Scottish outfit complete with a kilt and sash.

On the other hand, the NBA basketball team the Boston Celtics generalize many cultures under its leprechaun mascot.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Celtic is a group of Indo-European languages now largely confined to Brittany, Wales, Ireland, and the Scottish Highlands.

The Celtic group represents more than just the Irish leprechaun mascot that the Boston Celtics team confines it to because the Celtics don’t only pertain to Ireland, but to England and Scotland as well.

It seems that the issues behind Native American mascots that make people question their appropriateness are similar to the issues behind European mascots, but people are neglecting to question European mascots because it fits with the mainstream of America.

Carl Monty is a beloved mascot at school, but maybe he isn’t so different from the Sequoia Cherokee that Sequoia students worked to get rid of.

marketing of OxyContin focused on promoting the drug to treat a wide range of conditions to physicians who may not have been adequately trained in pain management.”

By 2001 OxyContin was the most prescribed brand name narcotic for moderate to severe pain.

The spike in sales were a result of Purdue’s intense marketing of the drug.

The GAO’s report continued, “from the outset, Purdue promoted the drug to physicians for non-cancer pain conditions that can be caused by arthritis, injuries, and chronic diseases.”

Prior to that report, in 2000, reports of abuse and illicit use of OxyContin began to surface.

When prescriptions ran out or it became too expensive, addicts looked for other ways to get their drug.

Often times, they turned to heroin.

Since 2002, the CDC has recorded a 286 percent increase in heroin overdose deaths. In many parts of

CONNOR LIN AND ESTELLA LIPPI

the United States, communities and families are being destroyed by heroin addiction.

The CDC found that 45 percent of heroin users were also addicted to painkillers.

The heroin and opioid epidemics are the result of over-prescription and loose regulation: two things a patient would hope are not associated with their drug.

To compensate for their actions, Purdue paid a $600 million settlement in 2007 for misbranding. In 2016 they again paid $24 million in a settlement.

Purdue is not the only company guilty of wrongdoing.

Cephalon paid $444 million in 2008. Many other

large pharma companies are also under investigation or in lawsuits.

However, this has done little to curb the problem as the prescriptions and abuse of these drugs has only increased.

“Opioids are not inherently bad. When used as prescribed by a doctor they can improve someone’s life.

However, knowing how addictive they can be and how much they are abused by people in the U.S. shows a need for greater oversight in how the drugs are being prescribed,” said junior Zane VanArsdel.

In November 2016, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy stepped in and issued a letter to the medical community to combat the

epidemic. On Nov. 17, the TurnTheTide campaign began to stop the epidemic.

Murthy outlined a plan for fighting the campaign emphasizing education about pain and addiction, better screening for patients to prevent opioid addictions, and for the medical community to change how it views addiction.

A letter was also released in which Murthy called medical practitioners to action.

Murthy’s letter said, “as clinicians, we have the unique power to help end this epidemic. As cynical as times may seem, the public still looks to our profession for hope during difficult moments. This is one of those times.”

Trump stocks conservative Cabinet Justin Som

sions before a 1986 court hearing.

AP European History teacher Gregory Schoenstein bePresident-elect Donald Trump will begin his four year lieves that the public should maintain a cautious view of presidency at the White House on Jan. 20 of the new year. Trump’s Cabinet picks while still being open-minded.

Like other presidents, Trump will also have established a “The [Cabinet members] are people Trump is going to new quadrennial Cabinet by that time. rely on for their respective fields,” said Schoenstein. “These In November 2016, Trump announced his plans for people are always going to be partisan. However, if they are electing his Cabinet staff. After gaining heavy disapprov- more extreme than usual, it’s going to really impact their al from the media as a result of decisions. These people are bechoosing conservative “Trump ing trusted to make decisions as “While there are widespread Loyalists,” the President-elect anwere Trump.” allegations against the appointees, if they nounced that he would be open to Trump’s presidency is also set we must remember that we are choosing former “rivals,” includto appoint a new Supreme Court ing people who had went against all part of a system. It is our duty justice in place of the late AntoTrump during his presidential nin Scalia. to follow the system, and not be campaign, such as Mitt Romney.

Although Obama attempted In an interview with ABC to fill the position with lower violent, as some would believe. news, Communications Director circuit Justice Merrick Garland, of Trump’s transition team, Jason he was denied in March 2016 beKim Rivera Miller, said, “I think the Presidentcause of the “Thurmond Rule,” Senior elect is going to select the people which stated that a justice could that he thinks will do the best job.” not be nominated in the months However, despite showing open-mindedness to ac- leading up to a new president’s inauguration. cepting people outside of his inner political circle, Trump During Trump’s term, two other Supreme Court posihas received criticism for two of his other Cabinet picks. tions are set to open.

His Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, and chief strategist, “It’s already a conservative court,” said Schoenstein on Stephen Bannon, have been depicted as being prejudiced the current state of the Supreme Court. “By functionality, I against minorities. think that the [Supreme Court] is supposed to take a long “While there are widespread allegations against the ap- term point of view. Appointees should be philosophically pointees, we must remember that we are all part of a sys- conservative, but not necessarily politically conservative.” tem,” said senior Kim Rivera. “It is our duty to follow the During his campaign, Trump gained many votes by system, and not be violent, as some would believe. Instead, promising to deport at least 7 million illegal immigrants. we have to be more vigilant in advocating for ourselves, so However, since becoming president-elect, that number has we will have strong support [in the future].” dropped to 3 million.

Bannon is accused of being misogynistic and antiTrump declared that he changed his mind to only deSemitic for being the chairman of the right-wing website, port illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

Breitbart News. Likewise, Sessions is having trouble shrug“I think that the deportation of illegal immigrants who ging off allegations of racism that appeared when he ap- are criminals is okay,” said freshman Albert Li. “But [for plied to be a federal judge in 1986. immigrants who came to America as children], it’s not “I am not a racist, I am not insensitive to blacks. I have their fault that their parents brought them. Deportation is supported civil rights activity in my state. I have done my reasonable, but without careful consideration, it is neither job with integrity, equality, and fairness for all,” said Ses- fathomable nor optimal.”

4 FEATURES

December 2016

Black Friday steals from Thanksgiving Brooke Chang Pie is cooling down, presents are waiting, and snow is falling.

Press pause on the holidays; it’s time to shop.

After having prepared Thanksgiving dinner for days, many choose to end the festivities early in order to make it to their favorite stores and save money on Black Friday sales items.

Black Friday sales often begin on the evening of Thanksgiving Thursday and have been known to attract mile-long lines as shoppers wait patiently to get into a store.

However, when the crowds finally enter the stores, manners stay outside.

Fights over sweaters and even full-out brawls over a pair of shoes are not uncommon sights in Black Friday sales rooms.

Many believe that these fights are often due to the way the deals are portrayed in advertisements, as if they can only be applied to a sale in the early hours of the morning.

Eleventh-grader Casey Felton said, “Black Friday is a huge chance for companies to bait people into their stores. They tell people that they’re saving lots of money on this great deal by waking up early or going during Thanksgiving, but the deal doesn’t even exist. People get excited because they deceive themselves by believing the ads and then

ISABEL MITCHELL

Customers run to the stores after their Thanksgiving meal to get the most of the sales that are offered on black friday, taking time away from celebration. leave their families on a holiday for no valid reason.”

In the midst of the sales and the fights on Black Friday, many shoppers forget what Thanksgiving and the holiday season stand for in American culture.

“My family always gets together on Thanksgiving to celebrate and give thanks for everything and everyone that we love,” said Natalia Chavez, a junior. “Sometimes, my cousins will leave in the middle of the

dinner to go shopping. That doesn’t really make me feel like family is important to them.”

The reasoning behind the broken up family celebrations is simply that people will go shopping that early, as long as there are deals.

According to CNN, Wal-Mart CEO Bill Simon said, “We are a service industry. If the traffic on Black Friday in the past years is any indication, people clearly want to shop on Thursday evening and we’ll provide that for

each of the customers that are willing to do so.”

Leaving family gatherings to go Black Friday shopping may not always be worth it.

The seemingly low prices and high discounts are an illusion.

According to The Guardian, to get the most successful deals on Black Friday, shoppers should know the original price before the sale.

Many Carlmont students find that the idea of having Black Friday sales and all the fights that

Procrastination holds people back Hanalei Pham

Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Tomorrow.

It’s easy to push something off, saying that you’ll do it later, in favor of something more fun or interesting.

But then, things don’t get done. Assignments and projects are left incomplete.

Deadlines creep up. Then, you pull an allnighter to make up for all the time you spent surfing the web and playing video games.

Andrew Luna, a junior, said, “I procrastinate a lot. Snapchat Discover is the worst thing ever. Literally, I go on my phone and three hours later, I look up from the video of how to cook a square pancake, and I realize that I have two essays and a history outline due tomorrow. Then I spend the next two hours, still on Snapchat Discover, while stressing over the homework due.”

Many people hold the belief that, excluding a few long, stressful nights, procrastination is a relatively benign habit. However, procrastination proves to be much more harmful that it appears on the surface.

Dianne Tice and William Baumeister of Case Western Reserve University conducted a study of college students, tracking their academic performance, stress, and general health. They found that by the end of the semester, procrastinators had higher stress, more illness, and lower grades.

There are many contesting ideas about why people procrastinate. One of the main ideas is that procrastination is a problem of self-regulation and self-discipline, especially in today’s instant gratification culture.

“I think the basic notion of procrastination as self-regulation failure is pretty clear,” says Timothy Pychyl of Carleton

University. “You know what you ought to do and you’re not able to bring yourself to do it. It’s that gap between intention and action.”

According to the New York Times, over 80 percent of college students suffer from procrastination, and roughly 20 percent of adults report being chronic procrastinators. Given the propensity for people to procrastinate, it seems unlikely that that behavior will ever change.

Luna said, “On Thursdays, I normally don’t sleep until four in the morning.

Generally, I have the most homework on Thursdays, but I never start it immediately, around 1 a.m. I have my scheduled mental breakdown when I finally get myself to actually work.”

However, despite the negatives of procrastination, some people believe that procrastination can be used to a person’s advantage.

For example, Adam Grant, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who taught himself to procrastinate, argues that procrastination promotes creativity, giving people time to gain a new perspective and come up with new, innovative ideas. Professor Jihae Shin of the University of Wisconsin conducted a study that showed that when coming up with new business ideas, the procrastinator’s ideas were 28 percent more creative than the non-procrastinators.

Innovation and efficiency are not mutually exclusive. Stanford philosopher John Perry wrote a book “The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging, and Postponing” in which he argued that people can use “structured procrastination” so that even when they are wasting time, they are still doing some-

they bring during Thanksgiving and the day after brings a sense of irony to the holiday season.

“I find it ironic and hypocritical that Americans emphasize how the holidays are a time to give thanks and kindness. Yet, on Black Friday, people all over America go crazy and fight for deals that only serve their selfish needs,” said freshman Rachel.

Amir Chatman.

Other students believe that Black Friday should not even be compared to the holidays because of the vast differences between the meanings of the events in American culture.

“Black Friday shouldn’t be considered part of the holidays because it enforces a violent mindset and propels selfishness as well as self-satisfaction,” said senior Jonathan Li. “The holidays, on the other hand, are completely different and encourage the spread of kindness.”

Despite the many people that believe that Black Friday undermines the holiday spirit, some still believe that people should choose whichever option is more important to them.

Felton said, “People camping out in front of the store instead of being with their families are tricking themselves out of fun holiday time. If getting a discounted price is more important to you, then do what you want to do. It’s your free time and no one has the right to decide what you do with it.”

PROCRASTINATION STATISTICS

The amount of procrastination has quadrupled in the past

30 years

One in five people have

been found to procrastinate to a point that jeopardized their career, and even their health

DESALES UNIVERSITY

thing productive.

“I’ll get bored of an assignment after a while, so I switch off, spending some time on one assignment and then another and then coming back to the first. It makes doing homework a little less monotonous. I get to take breaks while still getting things done,” said junior Phoebe Zhang.

Some scientists and researchers oppose this point of view, saying that it confuses pondering and prioritizing with true procrastination. According to an article published by the Association for Psychological Science, “If progress on a task can take

Procrastination can eventually lead to anxiety and depression SARAH TOCATLIAN

many forms, procrastination is the absence of progress.”

However, the fact remains that pressing pause on assignments isn’t always bad and letting ideas sit temporarily on the side can be beneficial. By capitalizing on the virtues of procrastination, people can boost their creativity as well as productivity.

“My goal isn’t to do everything as soon as possible. I know that there are benefits to giving yourself time to think. But that there are dangers to waiting too long to begin an assignment. It’s about finding the right balance,” said junior Edison Bai.

FEATURES 5

December 2016

Income prioritized above family time Sophie Penn What typically comes to mind when one thinks of the holidays is going home, spending time with family and friends, and taking a break from school and work.

However, for many, it simply means another day at work, and making a little more money than usual.

According to USA Today, a quarter of Americans were working on Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2014.

There is an assumption that because students get time off school for the holidays, everyone else gets a day or two off as well.

Unfortunately, America can’t stop running for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas Eve, or a New Year’s party.

While locally owned businesses are likely to be closed during any given holiday, chain companies tend to remain open, meaning that some employees feel pressure to be able to work on those days.

Lorenzo’s, a family owned sandwich shop across from the Carlmont shopping center, has the luxury of being able to choose their own hours. They are typically closed for a full day or more during holidays.

However, a chain store that is managed by a company does not get a say in the hours they are open, or days they are closed.

Jen Dirstine, a senior, is currently working at Jamba Juice at the Carlmont Shopping Center.

“My boss told me he wanted me to work on Thanksgiving because so many people were requesting it off, so I had to fill out a request just to guarantee I wouldn’t have to,” said Dirstine.

Some Carlmont students, such as junior Michelle Tenin, are working extra shifts right before holidays to make up for the day or two they will miss to spend time with family.

“I’m picking up some extra shifts at [Trader Joe’s] to cover for the fact that I’m not working on Thanksgiving. Also, I feel

bad because I know that the store is going to be completely packed the day before and they need all the help they can get,” said Tenin.

Stores are often extremely busy in the days leading up to the holidays. This means that for many working high school students, the holidays bring a dilemma of balancing work with celebration.

Some young college students go to school out of state and can’t afford or don’t want to go home for the holidays. For people like this, working on holidays is a great way to make a little extra money.

Willmar Juarez is a college student at CSM and Cañada College, as well as a barista at the Starbucks in Redwood City.

“My family doesn’t celebrate [Christmas] as much as we used to. I grew up in Guatemala, so the whole family would get together.

Over here I don’t have that family. It’s just like another day in my house, so I would rather spend it working and getting money than being in my house reminiscing about how we used to celebrate it,” said Juarez.

Young adults and teens often struggle to balance work with family time during holiday seasons.

Many stores are flooded during the holidays, and it’s easy for people to forget that these stores require workers during this time.

“During holiday season, a lot of people are rushed.

People will come up to us and be very impatient sometimes. It’s not that they’re disrespectful, but customers aren’t always aware of their tone and how they present themselves to us,” said Tenin.

Customers can get caught up in the holiday rush and forget that employees who work holidays deal with long hours and hard work.

At times, employees work holidays because they need to for pay.

Although holidays are a time for happiness, family, and celebration, this time of year brings stress to many young workers as they try to balance holiday cheer with their scheduled hours.

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Reflecting on Obama’s Presidency Celine Yang Obamacare. LGTBQ+ rights. Gun control. Immigration. The war on terrorism.

These are just several of the phrases that describe Barack Obama’s legacy, and they can be summed up as “progressive.”

However, it’s undeniable that Clinton and Trump have an effect on how Obama’s legacy will be perceived. History didn’t go quite the way that many in this “bubble” expected it to, leading to fears that much of what Obama did might not stay.

Government teacher Kristine Weisman said, “A lot of that legacy will disappear due to Trump and the Republican-dominated government, who will undo a lot of what Obama did.”

On the contrary, Obama adopted a more optimistic tone. According to The New Yorker, he said that he had accomplished “70 or 75 percent” of what he set out to do, and “maybe 15 percent of that gets rolled back, 20 percent, but there’s a lot of stuff that still sticks.”

Despite the transition from the Democratic to the Republican majority, a focal part of Obama’s legacy is his image.

This president marketed to the younger generation more than previous presidents. He starred in a BuzzFeed video titled “Things Everybody Does But Doesn’t Talk About” in which he used a selfie stick, made faces to himself in the mirror, and sarcastically said, “Thanks, Obama.”

Even after the election, Obama retained his trademark level-headedness. The image that he crafted was uniquely open and tried to reach an audience beyond the liberals.

This is visible in the many speeches that Obama gave, such as his speech in Selma, after the Sandy Hook tragedies, and in New Hampshire where he gave his famous “Yes, we can” speech.

It was this image — the mix of his background and personable character — that appealed to people.

Another defining aspect of Obama’s presidency is the fact that he was the first African-American president, especially significant during a time of racial strife and the Black Lives Matter movement. For BSU member Rosie Asmar, an 11th-grader, having a president like Obama was inspirational.

Asmar said, “When I was little, I always wanted my dad to be president, but he couldn’t since he wasn’t born here.

[Obama] and my dad are so similar — he was a great president to grow up with, and every black kid who was alive during his presidency has some sort of a personal connection with him.”

Another defining piece of his presidency was the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage — Obama had shifted between multiple viewpoints on the matter, but ultimately supported it.

Senior Chesirae Barbano said, “I will remember him as someone who enforced a culture that is welcoming, especially since [same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights] are issues I hold dear to my heart.”

Barbano also noted the way Obama approached his role as president. “People joke about how he takes long pauses when he’s speaking to choose his words, but I think that just shows how he has the knowledge to choose words that he knows will have an impact,” she said.

Whether citizens agree with his policies or not, it’s undeniable that many connected with Obama in various ways. For Barbano, she felt that he was aligned with her ideals, while Asmar saw in him her father, as well as her community that’s been a focal part of the race controversy.

Others remember him from his speeches.

This is perhaps one of the hallmarks of Obama’s legacy. People disagreed about whether he was progressive enough, but they ultimately saw someone who felt accessible, grieved with the people during Sandy Hook, and spoke out about the racial divide.

Citizens will remember Obama as inherently being Obama. The words that come to senior Ethan Miller’s mind when he thinks of Obama: “Honorable, charismatic, relatable, and a great American.”

IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS...

2008 Obama

elected

2008 Yes, we can

speech

2009

DREAM act re-introduced

2010

Obamacare passed

2011 Osama bin Laden killed

2012

Sandy Hook Elementary school

shooting

2015

Legalization of

marijuana

2016 End of

last term SARAH TOCATLIAN

6

‘Tis the season

to be spending

Your time for holiday shopping is running out Estella Lippi Countless holiday movies have stressed the fact that Christmas is the holiday of giving, not receiving. However, not too many have mentioned a limit to the giving.

A Pew Research Center study done last year found that 86 percent of Americans “buy gifts for friends or family as part of celebrating the holiday.”

Adrienne Chin is a senior who goes outside the box, so her friends are excited to receive her gifts. “The reason I do it is to show people that I care about them. I enjoy being creative when making gifts, I try to remember what they’ve said they wanted and what they said they’ve liked throughout the year,” Chin said.

However, all this extra effort comes at a cost. Studies done

by Forbes suggest that “for every $10 you give in gifts, as much as $3 gets lost because the recipient would not have paid as much as you.”

While this seems like it goes against the true meaning of the holiday spirit, it is valid, and sometimes gift givers will go over the top just to ‘wow’ their receiver.

Chin added, “I think after the first year I gave someone a really big gift, there was a pressure to top it the next year. I don’t think people expect me to top their gift from last year, but I expect myself to top it so the pressure increases anyway.”

Some students who don’t give presents to their friends don’t feel this obligation at all. The holidays are not strictly about gift giving. Many students agree not to exchange gifts and spend time with each other during winter break instead.

Christian Lopez, a junior, feels that there is “no pressure to give gifts because none of [his] friends give gifts.

There shouldn’t be that much of a money pressure because you have the option to make gifts.”

Making gifts is another good alternative for students with budgets.

These gifts can include paintings, photos, or any other do-it-yourself item that can be just as good as a store bought gift.

However according to a study done by PBS, “Eighty-five percent of Americans who will exchange gifts this year say they would rather buy a gift than make one.”

Lopez said, “I personally don’t make gifts because it’s a lot of

statista.com

work and you have to put a lot of thought into it. I don’t think that what I would be able to make would be as good as something I could buy in a store.”

If money is an issue, there are options that you can do with your friends to relieve some of the holiday pressure.

Group gift exchanges such as Secret Santa and White Elephant are great ways to show appreciation to friends so that everyone gets a gift, but without worrying about getting one for each of your friends.

Sophomore Tatum McGuffin said, “Secret Santa with friends or family is a really great way of giving gifts, but you should lay down some rules. Everyone pulls a name out of a hat so everyone gets a gift, but you won’t have to buy gifts for everyone, bringing the cost down. Also, when my friends and I do it, we put what the person wants on the name card so there’s less stress to find a gift.”

According to Pew Research Center, “Fewer than half of U.S. adults (45 percent) say they are looking forward ‘a lot’ to giving and receiving gifts.”

Tia Papapietro, a freshmen, said, “The holiday has become too commercial; it used to be much easier to buy gifts than it is now. Today, things are so expensive and the things that kids and adults want these days are very expensive.”

In the paper Surprise and the Value of Gifts: Why Christmas Is Not a Deadweight Loss, Wharton marketing professor Barbara Mellers explains that “[Christmas] wasn’t always this way. The tradition of gift giving started in the Victorian era. Gifts were simple and modest expressions of kindness or charity. Gradually, the tradition transformed into the buying frenzy of today fueled, in part, by the firms and merchants who stood to benefit.

Many Americans now view the holiday tradition as out of control.”

However, the benefits of giving gifts can outweigh the stress and cost. McGuffin said, “Gifts can cost a lot at times, however, giving feels really good internally. There is an enormous amount of satisfaction when you see the expression on the face of someone you’ve given a gift to. You also gain satisfacton when finding the right gift to give to that person; it brings more emotional happiness.”

The feeling of getting something you never thought anyone would have remembered is a very great feeling as well because it shows that people care and are listening.

McGuffin said, “When someone actually remembers what you want for Christmas, it brings you so much joy -- especially if it was an inside joke or something really funny your friends joked about getting. It makes the holiday season even better, and I believe that it strengthens your relationship and bond with the person.”

7

84 million

people will visit retail stores on Christmas Eve 70% of people will buy gifts online this year The average American will spend around $700 during the holidays

8 LIFESTYLE

December 2016

From turkey to tofurkey

Modern dietary needs affect the traditional holiday plate Adriana Ramirez Does this have meat in it?

Does it have any dairy products?

Is this gluten free?

As the questions pile up, so do the different food orders that come in during the holidays.

According to Food Manufacturing, the majority of U.S. households have someone with dietary restrictions, whether that is vegetarianism, veganism, a glutenfree diet, or a religious diet. As a result, the traditional plate of turkey and mashed potatoes that have been the face of the holidays is changing.

“The first Thanksgiving that you don’t eat turkey is going to be hard because it’s very traditional and it’s something you’ve grown up with. You have to be prepared for a family member to [make a comment] like, ‘Why aren’t you eating turkey?’” said English teacher Cindy Shusterman.

For families who only have a few people with specific diets, there are variations on the plates that are passed around at the dinner table. Julia Griesbach, a junior, is the only vegetarian in her family, and for the holidays, she already has a set plan.

“The rest of my family eats meat, which I totally support because they have their own beliefs,

and I respect that. Normally, we make two parts of [our meal]. This Thanksgiving, we had the meat dish but then we also had the vegetarian side dishes,” she said.

For other families, it’s easier to prepare a meal when everybody is on the same diet. Ben Schnapp, a senior, and his family don’t have to make extra dishes.

“My parents chose my diet; [I have been a] pescetarian my entire life. Since my parents are vegetarian too, it’s pretty easy because we just get tofu alternatives for [the food plates]. I can imagine for other people without vegetarian parents it would be pretty hard though,” Schnapp said.

A survey done by The Harris Poll found that there are more adults with restrictions on certain foods – such as lactose, dairy, sugar, or fish – than those with no restrictions at all.

This changes not only people’s lifestyles, but also how the food industry works.

During the holidays, stores have to sell more than just regular turkey or regular milk; they also have to sell variations of foods to appeal to those with restrictions.

For some, it might be easy to obtain certain items, but for others, it’s not as simple.

“I think in general, it’s pretty easy to be a vegetarian on Thanksgiving. I think it would be much

SOURCES: WASHINGTON POST, PETA

harder to be vegan though because that just adds so many more elements. [For example], as a vegetarian, you can eat any kind of dessert, but if you’re vegan, you can’t eat [most] desserts,” said Griesbach.

Being on a vegan diet signifies not eating any animal products, including eggs and dairy. It then becomes harder for people to share food plates with others.

“I’ve been a vegan for only six months. For Thanksgiving, my grandmother cooked dinner for the family. I had to go with my mom and dad to the grocery store and get some food for dinner; I just made that for myself,” saidDakota Diehl, a junior.

For whichever dietary restriction, one purpose during the holidays is to enjoy the food.

“I actually love eating the food around the holidays, especially for Thanksgiving; I love all the sides. Being from the South, the sides are always a big deal, such as mashed potatoes and dressing. We would also have mac and cheese and green bean casserole; all the sides are good,” said Shusterman.

“My family was always really awesome about getting a Tofurkey for me; they are delicious.”

Dietary restrictions can impose difficulties, but a few changes to the plate won’t ultimately hurt the spirit of holidays.

ESTELLA LIPPI

Holiday festivities bring joy and calories Rachel Borshchenko

Winter brings holiday spirit, time spent with family, and most of all: calories.

While many associate the later months of the year with various religious holidays, Thanksgiving, visiting family, and the New Year, eating with family is a big part of the winter season.

In a study conducted by New England Journal of Medicine, Americans gain an average of 1.3 pounds during the ChristmasNew Year holiday season.

Meanwhile, an investigation from The Tampere University of Technology in Finland noted that their studies showed only half the weight gained was eventually lost.

The association of the holidays with food could be the reason why many Americans put on weight during this time of year.

Tyrese Lopez, a junior who frequently spends the holidays

with her family, said, “ I definitely give myself more slack with what I eat during the holidays and care a lot less. It’s unlike my normal diet, where I usually watch what I eat and make sure it’s not too much.

I definitely think that usually the holiday food can be fattening, and having such large quantities of food can lead to people eating a lot more. ” Many become stressed during the holidays due to the pressures of buying gifts, making meals, and staying with family.

When people are stressed, cortisol is released in the brain, which actually causes weight gain, according to a study done by the University of New Mexico.

“During times of stress, we tend to forgo healthy eating and give up exercise. This is unfortunate, as both are great ways of handling stress. Physical activity is a great stress reliever, as well as a way to keep our weight in check.

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If you attend a [holiday] party with music, be sure to hit the dance floor,” said Deborah Balfanz, PhD, who teaches a weight management class at Stanford.

In addition, being surrounded by family and food makes it hard for many to refuse eating. The emotional and sentimental associations many people have with specific foods make them hard to pass up.

“I’m usually with my whole family at a party and I get too caught up in all the fun that’s happening. I think that the holidays are a time to enjoy your family’s company, and your focus shouldn’t be on what you eat,” said Lopez.

Exercise may also be neglected due to travel and family responsibilities, and this sedentary period of time further contributes to weight gain.

“I usually end up drinking a lot more coffee during the holidays,

probably because of the weather.

In general, I usually have a pretty healthy diet, but I obviously also eat a lot more during Thanksgiving and Christmas time with family,” said Sophia Gunning, a junior.

Though the holidays seem to be what’s to blame for people’s weight gain, some feel as though the pounds come purely from the excess food that tempts people before and after their festivities.

Brian Wansink, co-author of a study on weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, said, “To me, [the spikes in weight gain] suggest that the holidays themselves aren’t the problem— it’s more the ramping up beforehand and all the Halloween candy or Thanksgiving leftovers or Christmas cookies you’re eating afterward.”

Although the holidays may be centered around food, experts still insist that there are some ways in

which Americans can resist gaining that weight.

Julia Renee Zumpano, registered dietician, said, “Even though it’s hard to resist temptations all around you, there are simple steps you can take that can keep the extra holiday pounds off.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, increasing fruit and vegetable intake is a large key to staying healthy. Also, the clinic suggests eating before holiday parties in order to limit the consumption of fattening food, and socializing away from food can be helpful to reduce temptations. Lastly, being more active can also help, as consuming more calories is nearly inevitable.

As Americans pile on the pounds throughout the wintertime, the holidays are, for the most part, still focused in rest and spending time with loved ones, with food playing a smaller role in a larger occasion.

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SPORTS 9

December 2016

Equipment costs more for boys teams Nicole del Cardayre

Touchdown.

The crowd goes wild as the varsity boys football team reels in another win.

A week goes by and varsity girls basketball plays their first game. The stands are quiet; only a few spectators come.

“Girls teams work just as hard as boys teams, yet we don’t get treated equally,” said junior Tyrese Lopez, a player on the girls varsity basketball team.

“Why should boys sports teams receive more funding?

What makes them more special?” said Lopez.

Patrick Smith, Carlmont’s athletic director, stated that the answer to this question is not that simple.

“The short answer is yes and no. Yes, boys sports receive more funding than girls sports. That being said, it has a lot to do with the sports that are played by boys and girls and the necessary equipment to play those sports,” said Smith.

Carlmont’s sports program offers volleyball, cross country, water polo, soccer, tennis, track, lacrosse, softball, baseball, basketball, badminton, and swimming to both boys and girls.

Carlmont strives to provide its teams with the appropriate and safest equipment that will allow them to succeed.

According to Smith, there is equal funding throughout these teams, as the equipment for both genders is very similar.

“It makes me feel guilty and selfish that my team receives more funding. It shows that I am given more opportunity simply because I am a boy, which should not be the case,” said Eric Swanson, a junior on varsity lacrosse.

Football specifically requires very expensive equipment, as each helmet can cost up to $300, and shoulder pads can cost $200. Carlmont’s JV and varsity football teams are very large, which increases their spending budget.

“I don’t think funding per se would have a significant impact on a team, as long as that team has the necessary equipment to play the game. The equipment needs to be in good condition so that the game can be played to the highest level and in the safest manner,” said Smith.

A team’s performance and moral can be significantly influenced by the amount of funding they receive.

“Athletes need to feel good about themselves to play at a high level. Budget can be a heavy factor influencing each team and individual sports player’s performance and moral,” said Smith.

Carlmont has a designated sports budget of $5,600 that they give to the sports teams each year. In addition, Carlmont’s ASB has a budget of $5,000 that they give to the sports teams. On top of that, Carlmont’s booster club helps to fundraise money for Carlmont’s sports teams.

The district also gives a budget of $60,000 regarding transportation and the payment of coaches.

The problem with equal funding between boys and girls originates from the higher percentage of male athletes.

All sports at Carlmont have co-ed opportunities, however certain sports are primarily male dominated which results with them having more funding.

“Encouragement for girls sports needs to start at a

NICOLE DEL CARDAYRE

Boys (right) require far more equipment than girls in lacrosse, a unisex sport (left). young age. Communities and schools should be supporting girls sports as much as boys no matter the age. School is where we all learn the standards by which we should live in society,” said Swanson.

This budget epidemic is not only relevant at Carlmont.

Throughout the country, there is a difference in the spending on teams.

At Hudson High School in Massachusetts, their publication The Big Red stated that girls sports between July 2013 and March 2014, girls sports received $17,933.67 while boys teams were given $46,815.93.

According to Black Enterprise, the average WNBA player in 2012 was reported to make $72,000 a year while the average NBA player made a minimum salary around $525,000 a year.

“It’s annoying knowing that the guys teams get more funding than we do. However, knowing that it’s because of the equipment needed, I understand why the boys receive more than the girls,” said Lopez.

HELPING MAKE YOUR Harsh coaching pushes some athletes to quit DREAMS COME TRUE. However, the one sport that does not fit into this equation is lacrosse. Boys lacrosse requires an extensive amount of body pads along with sticks and helmets. Girls lacrosse is much simpler; it only requires protective eyewear and sticks.

Mackenzie O’Connell

“What the heck are you doing? You are playing terrible. Sit the bench,” screams the coach from the sideline, exasperated and hungry for a win.

Athletes are drenched in sweat, panting as they play the sport they love as hard as they can. Yet some players feel as if their best effort is not appreciated by their mentors, resulting in a hesitation to continue the season.

Student athletes have actually quit the sports they love due to the behavior of coaches on the sideline in practices and games. The drive for victories and amount of playing time has affected the amount of students who decide to participate during the sports seasons.

Tyrese Lopez, a junior on the varsity basketball team, struggled to determine if she was going to play the season due to the competitive nature, but decided to play in order to bond with her teammates.

Lopez said, “I didn’t want to play because the coaching staff saw the game as

more of a competition than a fun game. I play basketball for fun and not for college.”

According to Why Kids Quit Sports, a Changing the Game Project website, 70 percent of children quit a sport they love by the age of 13. Many are afraid to make mistakes and feel disrespected by coaches.

In the 2014 George Washington study, children listed the top five characteristics of a great coach, and “respect and encouragement” came in at No. 1.

Head varsity soccer coach Tina Smith said, “I build that trust with [my players] and make sure I get to know them by reaching out. It makes a difference because they reciprocate [the trust] in the two hours I’m with them. I don’t hide things; I’m honest.

When they need to work with the ball, I say so, but not until I develop a relationship.”

Coaches can influence young athletes to enjoy sports and to keep playing. Some stay enthusiastic about the sports, but other coaches seem to discourage their athletes.

The coaches begin to take the athlete’s sense of comfort in the sport, as the athlete does not feel good enough.

Retired 11th-grade varsity soccer player Mackenzie Webb said, “It no longer felt like I was there to have fun, but like I had to be there. They started to split up our team by having us compete for playing time and certain positions. They took away aspects of the sport that I initially loved.”

Although all athletes want playing time, it is a fact that the best and most developed players are put in during the games to earn points against the opponent. In result, some of the less developed players have a harder time developing their talent during games.

Though players learn new techniques during practice, some are unable to perfect their new skills on the field.

Many Scots feel invested in their team due to relationships with teammates, but they wish their coaches were more involved in their overall team bonding rather than constant desires to win.

Lopez said, “My motivations for this season are my teammates and the connections we form as a team. I’m more motivated to do well to not let my teammates down.”

The influence that a coach has on an athlete is seen as an essential factor in their overall effort and performance level.

Coaches assist players to reach their full potential by supporting them physically and mentally during the entire season.

In an article on Topend Sports by Dr. Patrick J. Cohn, Cohn emphasizes the importance of the mental mindset in a sport and that a coach’s job is to motivate players to achieve full potential.

“Mental Game Coaching is the segment of sports psychology that concentrates specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are keeping them from performing up to their peak potential. It’s important to grow confidence in athletes who have doubts, develop coping skills to deal with setbacks and errors, and find the right zone of intensity for your sport,” said Cohn.

Developing the mental and physical aspects of an athlete could improve the overall passion for the Scots’ players.

Lopez said, “I know that everyone is relying on each other to have a good season.”

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10 OPINION The Meredith Mindset Anya Meredith

“And I believe that good journalism... can make our world a better place.”

-Christiane Amanpour

Jokes that are not OK

I’mgoing to shoot myself. retarded. triggered.

To some people, these are a joke, to some they’re real issues.

For the people who think these are a joke: they’re not.

Suicide is a real issue.

Mental illness is a real issue.

Anxiety is a real issue.

But you already knew that, you just don’t care.

Phrases like these seem to have been ingrained in daily life which shows that even though people know that it’s wrong to joke about mental illness or physical illness, they don’t care.

It’s hard for people to understand the importance of words if they don’t feel affected by them.

However, phrases like these have real meaning.

According to Kansas University Scholar Works, “Negative humor is a means of expressing hostility, aggression, or sexual drives in a socially acceptable manner.”

So basically, when you make insensitive jokes, you are making light of serious issues.

Now, we all know that this is a common issue. People make jokes everyday that are offensive; that’s not what’s surprising.

What’s surprising is that people don’t care that they’re being offensive.

I’m going to be blunt: When you make jokes about mental illness, suicide, sexual orientation, race, gender, etc., you are sending a clear message that these issues are unimportant to you.

It doesn’t count when you say, “That’s so gay. But– you know, not like that.”

Because you do mean like that.

When someone makes a joke about issues that are sensitive to me, it feels like they’re saying, “Your problems are a joke.”

It makes me feel like issues that I have are blown out of proportion or insufficient.

It is important to remember that the things we say have an impact.Therefore, it is crucial that people think before they make jokes.

Not only can rude jokes have an influence on the way people think about their problems, but inappropriate jokes also can be a trigger for some people.

People who struggle with suicide and depression might be affected when people joke that they “want to kill themselves.”

It must be difficult to hear people joke about something that is not at all a joke to you and for people to joke about something that you struggle with everyday.

I think that now, more than ever, people need to think before they make jokes.

Not only do people demean others’ problems, but according to the website Quartz, “In order to find something funny, we’re necessarily laughing at the expense of some individual or group to whom we feel superior.”

I think our new president exemplifies the idea that people degrade others to feel superior to them.

I am nervous that the line between appropriate and inappropriate jokes is going to be blurred throughout the next four years because of our president.

We’ve heard Trump completely cross this line from calling immigrants from Mexico “rapists and criminals” to saying crude remarks about women, like when he discussed how he could “grab them by their p****” because he was a celebrity.

Hearing the president of the United States talk about people and humiliate them will have a social impact on the American people.

This kind of language is going to become normalized, and, thus, crude jokes will also become a more accepted part of our culture.

I urge the people of my generation reading this to not stoop down to this level of humor.

There are other ways to be funny.

The harsh reality is that if you have to rely on offending others to be funny, you really aren’t all that funny.

December 2016

The Bay Area bubble bursts

A privileged society reports liberal news Skylar Weiss The Bay Area is a wonderful place with open mindsets and more flexible standards. People who live here seem to have ideas that are more socially just than those of people in the rest of the country.

Thus, when Donald Trump recently became our nation’s president-elect, a dismayed sentiment seemed to wash over the Bay Area.

A number of us had turned our backs to the silent cries of blue-collar voters who, hungry for change, ultimately turned to Trump. In the end, these sidelined voters made a powerful contribution to his victory, yet we never saw it coming.

Bay Area citizens really have been living in a political bubble.

During the election, we failed to consider the ample amount of people whose priorities differ from ours; other than his bigoted and monstrous qualities, Trump has ideas that cater to the wants and needs of people in other parts of the nation.

Trump’s victory should serve as a wake-up call to the Bay Area, or in other words, the popping of our so-called bubble. In a nation where morals vary, education fluctuates, and upbringings differ, our residents cannot suppress a candidate by simply deeming him or her unqualified, and more of us can now admit to our previous ignorance to differing opinions across the country.

In short, when it comes to crucial public concerns like politics, we need to further educate ourselves on how America stands as a whole.

In order to do this, however, another bubble must be popped when it comes to how we view politics and similar subjects on a larger scale. Clickbait and fake news in the media have trapped people in a bubble, resulting in citizens who become oblivious to valuable facts that tie into various matters that we face as a country.

For instance, one theory resonating with many, including Trump opposers, is that Trump owes his victory to fake news that wrapped citizens in misconceptions. This may have influenced their choices for president.

According to the New York Times, Facebook was accused of swaying citizens to vote for Trump, as the social network hosted several links to fake stories that were in

THE

his favor. For example, one story spread the idea that Pope Francis had endorsed Trump. About a week after the election, Facebook updated its policies in order to clearly present its dissociation with websites displaying misleading or illegal content.

Google was also thrown into the spotlight when popular searches brought viewers to a statistic claiming that Trump had won the popular vote. To combat recent scrutiny after the election, the search engine stated that it will continue to ban websites giving false information.

People should find it alarming that two of our most prominent internet resources have the ability to alter the public’s view of the truth, especially when it applies to electing the leader of the country.

The Huffington Post recently published an article titled “Bernie Sanders Could Replace President Trump With Little-Known Loophole.” It uses a far-fetched headline to draw gullible readers, skillfully illustrating the public’s vulnerability to believe unjustified claims made by any publication. The article then goes on to address the fact that our public is misinformed, as politically-biased stories are feeding people the news that they want to hear.

When choosing the media sources from which they get their news, citizens can subconsciously generate their own political bubbles. Readers have easy access to a wide array of politically slanted stories that appear to be neutral; it is through these stories that some people are soaking up the facts they want to hear instead of understanding the entire picture.

In addition, one’s peers on social media may contribute to his or her bubble. For example, a substantial amount of Bay Area citizens have Facebook friends that share liberal posts since those are generally condoned in this area. As social media becomes more and more crowded with similar stories, the other perspective seems to become harder to find.

When brought these challenges, users of the media must ensure that their news sources are completely credible.

When it comes to the internet, almost anything can be published, including false facts that convince people to vote for a presidential candidate.

We may be liberal and accepting here, but now it is time to pop another bubble and become better informed.

HIGHLANDER

Editor-in-Chief Avery Adams

ScotCenter Editor-in-Chief Estella Lippi

Scot Scoop Editor-in-Chief Megan Tao

Faculty Adviser Justin Raisner

Editors Jill Albertson Rachel Borshchenko Jordan Hanlon Connor Lin Mona Murhamer Sarah Tocatlian Skylar Weiss

Staff Writers Lily Bakour Rachel Borschchenko Brooke Chang Nicole del Cardayre Nate Godwin Leea Ivanel Estella Lippi Anya Meredith Isabel Mitchell Jackson Monge Mackenzie O’Connell Sophie Penn Hanalei Pham Justin Som Megan Tao Skylar Weiss Celine Yang Adriana Ramirez

The Highlander is a newspaper dedicated to providing Carlmont students, staff, and the community with high-quality news, features, and opinion articles. We want to keep our readers informed on important issues ranging from events at Carlmont to international news, and want to engage them with unique stories and images. The Highlander is a publication completely run by the students of the journalism classes at Carlmont High School. Story ideas are generated by the students and the published content is up to the discretion of the editorial staff. This month’s editorial cartoon and editorial were drawn and written by Jordan Hanlon.

OPINION 11

December 2016

Editorial

Chew on this: Aggressive veganism Telling others what to eat is unnecessary and rude Once you’re a parent, you can tell people what to eat.

But one look at social media, and you can see thousands of teens pushing their eating agendas on others.

“Don’t eat meat!”

“How would you feel if you were killed for someone else’s dinner?”

These are aggressive vegans.

Vegans or vegetarians are people that choose to not eat meat or anything that are products of animals. Aggressive vegans voice their habits and judge people who do eat meat.

The last few years have launched the rise of veganism due to its trend on social media. Many accounts, like VeganCommunity on Instagram, supposedly promote healthy living.

Nowadays, people post their food on social media before picking up their fork. #VeganLife and #Vegan are now common hashtags that are seen throughout social media.

These are people promoting their “good” and “healthy” eating habits for everyone to see, but in reality what a person is eating is their own business. It’s not common to see a picture of a cheeseburger on Twitter with #CarnivoreLife because no one cares.

There are also many reasons that people decide to be vegetarian or even vegan. Some claim that it is a way to cleanse the body, or a fight for animals’ rights. Either way, it’s a choice.

Some vegans are seen as aggressive because they do not factor in that everyone’s body is different. While veganism may be a healthy choice for one person, another may not be able to function without meat in their body.

No one wants to be told what to eat. Vegans telling others to stop eating meat is not going to stop anyone. If anything, these aggressive vegans cause “normal” vegans who do not promote their eating choices, to be viewed poorly by society.

According to Nursing Degree, a health website, becoming vegan discards the amount of saturated fats in your diet. It also encourages the eater to consume more fiber, potassium, magnesium and the largest concern of people considering veganism: an increase in carbohydrates.

Nursing Degree also claims that “carbohydrates provide

JORDAN HANLON

energy for your body. When you don’t have enough carbohydrates, your body will burn muscle tissue.”

Although true, what ever happened to moderation?

Our bodies need different amounts of all types of food, vitamins and minerals. Too much of anything is considered bad for you.

Moderation is something that allows humans to avoid excessive consumption. The concept is eating a little bit of everything in order to get the amount of protein, calcium, fiber, sugar, carbohydrates, etc.

One of the most common concerns with veganism is the fear of consuming too many carbs, since what you can eat is limited. Sure, carbs are needed to maintain a healthy diet, but over time, eating too many carbs can cause high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and many other health problems.

Much like how eating too many carbs can cause health problems, eating too much of anything can also cause health problems. According to health website Live Science, our bodies are not meant to consume just one type of food.

All of our bodily functions need a variety of different things to run properly, which includes consuming many different vitamins and minerals.

It’s similar to the concept that every person’s metabolism is unique, and some are faster than others. While eating fruits and vegetables may make one person feel better when they’re sick, eating french fries and grilled cheese may make another person feel better.

There should not be judgement and arguments on what’s good for your body and what’s bad for it because, ultimately, no one’s body is the same.

2016 earns reputation of

Leea Ivanel

‘Worst Year Ever’

This year, 2016, dubbed as “the worst year on Earth” by many, is about to come to an end, and all I have to say is, “Thank God.” Well, not quite– I actually have a lot more to say than that.

The truth is, 2016 started off as a horrible year for me. As the clock struck 12 on New Year’s Eve, instead of celebrating with my friends and family, I was alone in my room playing Skyrim as my uncle went into surgery for what we soon found out to be stage four cancer.

The year didn’t get much better from there, either – if anything, it only got worse.

First, our cat died. Then, one of the chicks in the nest outside of our kitchen window was brutally massacred by a crow before I could properly smack it with a broom.

Next, everyone in my family got some mysterious disease – my mother has managed to end up in the emergency room five times already, and every time they just tell her she’s fine.

After everything that had happened, it quickly became a joke in my family that the year was cursed from the beginning, and

that the curse wouldn’t break until the next New Year’s Eve. However, a couple of months into this year, I found out that it wasn’t just me and my family who were experiencing this pattern of back luck. As it turns out, people from all over the world were as well.

Social media, from Twitter to Facebook to Tumblr, was filled with a constant stream of ranting and complaining, as well as cheap and often cynical jokes about the state of the world, all wrapped in a blanket of, “When will this hellish year end?”

And let’s be honest, this year has been a bad joke for the entire world.

2016 got off on the wrong foot with Brexit, and then proceeded to fall on its face with wars all over the world, terror attacks in Europe and the Middle East, the Pulse gay nightclub shooting, North Korea declaring war on the United States and Twitter starting a meme marathon about it, Turkey having a coup, as well as forming an alliance with Russia, as well as many, many other examples.

2016 was not done with us just yet however, and in the last 53 days of the year we, in my opinion, got a racist, sexist, Islamophobic pumpkin elected president of the

most powerful country in the world.

For the most part, everything that could have gotten worse actually got worse.

Therefore, I think we can all agree that 2016 has, at least on a global scale, been the very definition of a “terrible year.” The only thing that’s left is for the world to set itself on fire before New Year’s Eve comes.

However– and forgive the hypocrisy– we shouldn’t spend a lot of time complaining about the trainwreck this year has been or crying on each others’ shoulders– we need to make the best of what we have and to move on.

Like it or not, 2016 happened, and the reality is that we cannot change that. However, we can change how we feel about it and how we will approach 2017.

While 2016 was the worst year of my life, I have managed to be happier, more at peace, and feel more free than I ever have my whole life. I have managed to live through things this year that I was once convinced would kill me, and I actually got better because of them, not worse.

If I, probably one of the most pessimistic, cynical, and negative people at this school, can manage to be alright at the end of this year despite everything that has hap-

pened, so can you.

2016 has taught me that at the end of the day, things can be all right. It might take time, effort, and massive amounts of patience, but if we just keep striving to make the best out of what we have we can keep living.

Thus, I encourage all of you who do think this has been the worst year to think about any good it brought and any positive change it made in either your life or someone else’s, and to let go of all the bad things that have happened.

In fact, a study led by Michigan State University showed that remembering and concentrating on positive memories combined with fake-smiling leads to a more productive and happy state of being, showing just how much a change in the way you hold yourself and what you focus on can help.

I also encourage you to find whatever makes you happy and hang on to it, because even when it seems like the whole is falling apart, you need to keep yourself together.

After all, 2016 is going to be over in just a few weeks, and we will all have a fresh new year to look forward to.

Parents pull the strings on children

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Excessive parenting styles prevent child development Lily Bakour

Technology: it is changing parenting in many ways, especially in supervising their children.

On the news, stories of parents crying about their lost child are seen time and time again.

A couple clicks on a phone screen allows parents to track a child’s location to find out exactly what they are doing on their cell phones and computers.

Katie Wong, a sophomore who is tracked by Find My iPhone, said, “I know my parents want to protect me, but looking where I am and then texting me about it makes me uncomfortable. I wish they could trust me.”

According to Wong, being tracked keeps her from taking any risks because she knows that lying is not an option. However, she believes that it is unnecessary to have this app when a child can instead communicate with their parents.

Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Washington-based Family Online Safety Institute, tracks his daughter to keep her off her phone.

He explains that if he wants to see where she is, he can simply look on his phone, instead of distracting her while driving or being worried about her whereabouts.

However, Balkam does not think that tracking a child without their knowledge is the best thing to do.

“The problem with that is that trust just breaks down between parent and child. Without trust and mutual respect, things get a lot more difficult,” he said.

Apps such as mSPY enable parents to secretly observe their child’s texts, calls, location, Instagram profiles, and more.

Some may say that this is a helpful tool to keep their child on track, while others agree that this is an invasion of privacy and practices untrustworthy morals with their children.

A helicopter parent is one who closely monitors and shifts a child’s day to day experiences and problems in order to keep their child away from harm.

Leadership teacher Jim Kelly said, “As a father of two children, I understand why parents do it. I think a lot of it is based on fear; you’re afraid for your child, and you want the best for them. With so much access to technology now, it’s really hard for a parent to not do it. However, I truly have faith in the self-development of a child. As an educator who believes in experiential education, I think learning from doing is important. A child simply must learn from their mistakes and failures.”

According to the Pew Research Center, about 16 percent of parents follow their child’s location, and 94 percent closely monitor their usage of electronics.

Barbara Greenberg, a family clinical psychologist and expert on teen behavior, said, “[Tracking] really gives the message, ‘I don’t trust you at all.’”

Greenberg says parenting should involve allowing the child to make mistakes, and that tracking them stops this area of growth.

Freshmen Alice Godwin said, “I think that it’s very easy for helicopter parents to think they are protecting their child, when in fact, they are not allowing them to find their limits. I’ve seen parents be overprotective, and then when their child is given freedom, they don’t know how to control themselves.”

However, parents are not only tracking their child’s location, but also many other aspects in their life as well.

Micromanaging a child’s life includes telling them what after school activities to participate in, which classes to take, and how to spend their free time.

Carlmont alumni, Gigi Vlahos, said, “My friends who were always told what to do by their parents were still somewhat prepared for college, but they had to learn a lot more about how to manage their responsibilities for themselves. It definitely took them a while to find their interests compared to other students, which is a huge downside to helicopter-parenting a child.”

However, a parent might be worried about the probability of their child getting off track and feel the need to lead them to what is best for them.

Kelly said, “Parents feel like they know what’s best for their child. It’s hard to draw the line between monitoring too much and too little in regards to putting their child on the right path.”

According to Kelly, a “checklist” of what a child needs to do in order to succeed is growing from decade to decade, putting more and more pressure on students to be involved socially, academically, athletically, and more. This causes parents to hover around their children and force them to continue sports or classes they are uninterested in.

When it comes to physically and emotionally tracking a child, parents must acknowledge the pros and cons of both before doing so.

“Every parent and child have their own connection, but I think that it is important to keep clear communication between them so that everyone feels comfortable and happy in the relationship,” said Wong.

48% of parents say

they have looked through the phone call records or messages on their child’s cellphone.

60%

of parents say that they check their teen’s social media profile.

16% of

parents use monitoring tools on their teen’s cellphone to track his or her location.

61% of parents

say they have checked which websites their teen has visited.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CONNOR LIN STATISTICS FROM PEW RESEARCH CENTER