Carlmont Highlander Newsmagazine Volume 12 Issue 5

Musicians of

Carlmont

IN THIS ISSUE: Hollywood versus the patriarchy

Read it on pg 6 Spring into the kitchen

Read it on pg 42 April 2021 | scotscoop.com @scotscoop

Highlander Staff Highlander Editor-in-Chief

Faculty Adviser

Emma O’Connor

Justin Raisner

Scot Scoop Editor-in-Chief

Editors

Natalie Doud

Chelsea Chang Amber Chia Erin Kee Raina Lahiri Anika Marino Isabelle Nunes Allison Raisner Claire Tseng Pavel Turovski

ScotCenter Editor-in-Chief Bella Reeves

Social Media Editor-in-Chief Maddy Ting

Managing Editors Rachel McCrea Auva Soheili

Elise Hsu Zachary Khouri Cambell Kirk Khalid Kishawi Maya Kornyeyeva Hanna Kryhina Preston Kwok Kaylene Lin Kasey Liu Sean Liuli Sabrina Lo Ethan Man Niamh Marren Ayal Meyers

Miles Ozorio Erwan Pal Mari Ramirez Ava Richards Julia Roseborough Leela Shailan Cali Shohet David Su Kat Tsvirkunova Anna Wilkinson Ruya Yaman Edward Yeretnov Kai Yoshida Payton Zolck

Highlander is a newsmagazine dedicated to providing Carlmont students, staff, and 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 designs. 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 direction of the editorial staff. This issue’s editorial was written by Elise Hsu. The back cover was created

by Emma O’Connor. Graphics on the front cover were created by Rachel McCrea and Emma O’Connor.

Carlmont High School 1400 Alameda de las Pulgas

Features 4

Eating disorders

6

Hollywood versus the patriarchy

8

Closing the global gap in entertainment

10

Community members hold up the weight of the world

12

Poetry lets students fly

14

Mask fashion

16

Earth day every day

18

Beauty in everywhere we go

Scotlight

Staff Writers Adila Azizali Josh Barde Joshua Baxter Anita Beroza Mira Bhatt Audrey Boyce Brianna Cheng Jessica Conley Eoin Cunningham Kiana George Leanna Gower Phoebe Gulsen Jack Hansen Elle Horst

In this issue . . .

19

The power of music

Sports 26

Sharing the field

28

CCS pivots around COVID-19

Campus 29

How should I study for the AP exams?

30

A guide to finding an internship

Opinion 32

Applying to colleges during distance learning

33

Editorial: The AAPI community deserves better

34

Learn to appreciate your safety schools

36

Give Earth another chance

37

College should be free

Fun 38

Reduce, reuse, recycle for Earth Day

40

Quiz: What Disney+ show should you watch

41

The best Joe has to offer

42

Spring into the kitchen

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, Welcome to issue five of Highlander newsmagazine! While spring is normally accompanied by the flowers starting to bloom and the sun starting to show itself a bit more, this year we have the pleasure of also welcoming the rolling out of the vaccine to all individuals over the age of 16. While we don’t discuss the vaccine in this issue, we do cover other important things that happen during the spring, such as college admissions. As seniors, we know this is a stressful time for students who are deciding what they wish to pursue after graduation.We hope that this issue will give seniors a little peace of mind as we all prepare for the next stage of our lives.

For this issue, we chose to devote our center spread to six of the hundreds of talented musicians in the Carlmont community: Arianna Behrendt, Emily Kim, Dani Courtney, Snehal Pandey, Javin Zipkin, and Jack Peacock. Just as each person has their own unique relationship with music, so do each of these students and alumni experience their art in diverse ways. From singers and songwriters to members of Carlmont’s symphonic band, jazz ensemble, and orchestra, we’re thrilled to share their stories with you.

This is also the first issue of the school year that we’ll be delivering to students in person. We’ll still be sending out copies to students who have not opted in to in-person learning, but we can’t wait to deliver the Highlander to Carlmont classrooms for the first time in over a year. As always, you can contribute content to the publication by emailing our team at highlanderscotscoop@ gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Highlander newsmagazine.

On the Cover

Eating Disorders:

Helena Fu

a rising epidemic within the pandemic Elle Horst

working out for extended periods when she wasn’t the weight she desired. She hardly ate during the day. Her weight began to drop to unhealthy levels. But she couldn’t stop.

This girl’s story isn’t unique or unusual. In fact, millions of adolescents nationwide have turned to extreme measures to cope with COVID-19.

Over the pandemic, the number of eating disorders in teenagers has risen exponentially.

“I feel like all of this [...] is the perfect storm,” said Dr. Sara Buckelew, the director of the UCSF Eating Disorders Program, in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. “There’s isolation, there’s social media, there’s difference in family dynamics, there’s loss of peer groups, there’s so much.”

For some, eating disorders are also a way to assert control over their increasingly turbulent lives.

“COVID-19 has brought about so much uncertainty,” said Theresa Chestnut, a therapist who specializes in eating

disorders. “This can be a huge trigger for people.”

This was the case for Alessia Simpson*, a Bay Area junior at Washington High School. After her school and sports ceased, she felt helpless and stuck.

“I had no sense of purpose or motivation,” Simpson said. “I was in a really dark place and had nothing to hold on to, so I started to focus on being healthier. I saw all of these healthy meal plans and workouts, and so I started trying them. It gave me something to work for.”

However, it got out of hand, and her health seriously declined. Simpson’s condition quickly worsened, and she became hospitalized.

“I got to the point where I was working out really excessively and hardly eating anything. My heart rate became dangerously low, and I had to be hospitalized and closely monitored for a long time,” Simpson said.

Simpson’s experience is anything but unique. According to National Public Radio (NPR), hotline calls to the Na-

She had finished her third quarter of her sophomore year, and everything was on track. Her grades were good, and she had things to look forward to.

There was a driver’s license to get, birthdays to celebrate, and fun times with friends to have. She felt in control and happy. Everything was falling into place. Until it wasn’t.

COVID-19 hit, and it hit hard. All of her plans were crushed, and she quickly spiraled. She felt alone and helpless.

Feeling completely out of control and unhappy, she needed something to have power over and hold on to. To her, the natural choice was her body.

It started slowly. After reading about juicing and fasted workouts, she tried them, becoming pleased when they redeemed results. She had a new purpose and was beginning to feel OK. But it soon spiraled out of control.

It became an obsession. She constantly weighed herself, refusing to eat and 4 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

tional Eating Disorders Association have increased 70%-80% in the past year.

“The rise in the number of calls from parents seeking therapy for their child that started showing symptoms of an eating disorder, or kids who were just hospitalized for the first time for an eating disorder and needed to find a therapist has been staggering,” said Chestnut. “Pre COVID-19, I would get four or five calls or inquiries a month. Now I get four to five inquiries a week.”

Chestnut’s practice isn’t the only establishment that’s seen a rise in demand.

UCSF has seen its number of hospitalized patients double, and psychotherapists and clinicians have seen unprecedented increases in their clientele. Many treatment centers and other programs are completely booked with extensive waitlists.

“I have my own practice, which has been full with a waitlist that is months long, and my associates are also full,” Chestnut said. “In addition, all of the treatment centers specializing in the treatment of eating disorders have waitlists going into the summer.”

The rise in eating disorders is only continuing to worsen as the pandemic stretches on. With the lack of available resources and in-person help, many disorders will continue to worsen and remain unchecked, severely hurting the health of those affected. It is vital to remain aware and check in with family and friends during this time and remain aware of possible indicators.

“It is so important to be in tune with how your family and friends are doing at this time,” Chestnut said. “We are at a time when many people are reaching their breaking points. Things to watch for that might indicate eating disorders are people beginning to fixate on ‘getting healthy’ or beginning to restrict categories of food, eating in secret, becoming more isolative, increased exercise or obsession with food and weight, and large quantities of food missing at home.”

*Simpson’s name has been changed in accordance with Carlmont Media’s anonymous sourcing policy due to the personal nature of the content.

By the numbers: 70-80%

increase in calls to the National Eating Disorders Association

58%

increase in requests for services at a therapist’s office

70%

of patients recieving treatment for eating disorders before the pandemic reported an increase of symptoms

35.8%

decrease in in-person outpatient psychotherapy

Resources: National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Available Mon-Thurs 9:00 am – 9:00 EST and Friday, 9:00 am EST – 5:00 pm EST (800) 931-2237 Text “NEDA” to 741-741 to be connected to a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Available Mon-Fri 10:00 am – 6:00 pm EST (800) 950-NAMI (6264) Text “NAMI” to 741-741 to be connected to a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line

Source: International Journal of Eating Disorders

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 5

Hollywood VERSUS THE PATRIARCHY

bella reeves The stereotypical female character in media has tainted my views on true feminism and what others may consider forward-thinking. During the pandemic, I binge-watched countless shows and movies. Using my self-made rating method, which integrates the Bechdel Test rating system, I analyzed how accurately women are portrayed within the scripts and scenes of shows and movies.

The Bechdel Test, or “Bechdel Rule,” is the method in which one judges a show or movie using three criteria: “(1) it has to have at least two women in it, who (2) talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man.” Movies that don’t pass the Bechdel Test include “WALL-E,” “Ratatouille,” “Fight Club,” and many others.

Before we rate any shows using my new method, we must first understand what qualifies as accurate women representation in the media.

Despite the large social advances made since the early 1900s, subtle sexism is still very prevalent in the United States, especially in the shows we watch.

For example, the phrase “you’re not like most girls,” is the coined compliment used to flatter the female lead; although they are suggesting she is unique, it implies she’s more masculine than feminine, and further dismisses the importance of her gender.

Growing up, girls are introduced to the world of Disney princesses and

taught to believe that their happily ever after is finding Prince Charming. We must be mindful of these stereotypes in the shows we watch as they directly impact our society’s behavior.

In a 2017 poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, it was found that most Americans agree that women face more pressure than men to be great parents and appear physically attractive, while men feel they have to financially support their loved ones and have a successful career.

In some action movies, the female lead has no interesting qualities other than her model figure and beautiful face.

Movies such as “The Princess Bride” or “Mission: Impossible III,” present actresses Robin Wright and Keri Russell as none other than a glorified damsel in distress, a seemingly helpless, beautiful girl whimpering for her male counterpart to save the day. Despite this, Wright and Russell have successfully conveyed strong female characters in “House of Cards” and “The Americans.”

In contrast to overly-emotional female characters that carry no redeeming qualities other than their ability to scream for help, the iconic callous career woman with zero emotion is another stereotypical female character portrayed in the shows we watch. Movies such as “The Devil Wears Prada” teach our society that women can’t have it all, that the career-focused woman sacrifices all other walks of life, especially love, to achieve her dreams.

As we’ve discussed the major female stereotypes in the shows we watch, we will now acknowledge the shows and movies that I believe portray women accurately and artistically.

While some may believe that the stereotypes I’ve listed above add to the cheesiness and humor of movies, I strongly disagree. Movies and shows such as “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Jane the Virgin,” include realistic female-leads who not only have an established career, but are intelligent, charismatic, and have a healthy love life as well.

The reason these two productions are beautifully done, in terms of writing and accurate women representation, is solely due to the subtlety of feminist undertones in the script and how they are portrayed. The movie “Crazy Rich Asians,” with female lead Constance Wu alongside Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, and Michelle Yeoh, is what we should call a movie movement. The importance of tone in movie production is critical; it is done perfectly in this film. The tone of female empowerment is carried throughout the entire story, whether it be the women-led households or the new generation of immigrants, “‘Crazy Rich Asians’ is a Tribute to the Power of Single Mothers and Independent Women,” as the headline of a /Film article states.

Rather than being a part of the dialogue, the movie portrays the women to be more realistic. Another film critique

6 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

article stated in its headline. “‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Uplifts Women As Resilient, Complex and Resolutely Human,” and I couldn’t agree more.

The CW show “Jane the Virgin,” takes the telenovela theme for a spin.

The main character portrayed by actress Gina Rodriguez, Jane Villanueva, is a smart, independent young woman, battling the complications of being accidentally artificially inseminated.

While keeping the telenovela theme alive, the show also runs feminist ideals within the show as well, introducing and redefining cliché masculinity and feminity. The Villanueva household of three amazing, Latina women depicts a beautiful matriarchy that introduces topics such as body positivity, prochoice, and immigration reform.

Furthermore, shows that we should consider accurate women representation are shows with multiple themes that aren’t centered around the female lead’s feminism. Feminism should be within the portrayal of characters and the script, rather than being its main theme.

Modifying the Bechdel Test, I believe we should add a fourth criterion: the accuracy of how the woman is portrayed.

Integrating my own rating system into the Bechdel Test would allow audience members to fully understand how femininity is portrayed on the silver screen. Not only should every movie pass the Bechdel Test, but it should also portray females with more realistic expectations.

As we continue on into the future of show and movie production, it is important to remind ourselves that while female stereotypes are representative of the culture of hit films such as “The Wolf of Wall Street,” where all the women are trophy wives, or “How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days,” in which the protagonist leaves her job to be with a man, we need to reform the film world and introduce more modern themes, where the female character can win more than just a wedding ring.

Jane the Virgin 5/5 Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES POC cast Includes themes other than feminsism

the queen’s gambit 5/5 Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES Coming-of-age story Strong female lead

the half of it 5/5 Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES Amazing female perspective Beautiful coming-of-age story

crazy rich asians 4.5/5 Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES Strong female lead No toxic masculinity

riverdale 3.5/5 Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES Accuracy of female portrayal wavers Female diversity treated as non-event

fate: the winx saga 2.5/5

Does it pass the Bechdel Test? YES Lack of diverse cast Too obvious feminism

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 7

Closing the global gap in entertainment Viewers look for entertainment abroad as foreign productions gradually restart Brianna Cheng With the slowdown of the American film industry, plenty of consumers are turning towards international media, where the industry has not been as affected by the global pandemic. Some of the most popular shows being imported into the U.S. have been Asian dramas, particularly Korean and Chinese.

One of the biggest proponents of this cross-cultural exchange is Netflix.

According to CNN, Netflix has announced a push towards global content in 2021 to capture additional international users. What that means for users in the U.S. is that there will be an influx

Brianna Cheng

of international content, especially from Asia, where some of the most populous countries exist. According to the Wall Street Journal, Netflix has invested $500 million into the Korean film industry alone. With Korean content becoming more accessible to American audiences, people will be able to connect with a whole new culture from the comfort of their home.

The Chinese film industry has also been slowly working its way into the American market. Actors such as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee brought Chinese culture into the Hollywood mainstream, albeit in stereotypical roles such as kung-fu artists or mystical wisemen. In turn, Hollywood productions have been incorporating Chinese production companies and actors into their franchises, as investments from abroad come rolling in. However, Chinese content itself has never been able to cross the ocean. Limited distribution, spotty subtitling, and differences in culture have made it difficult for Americans to access such content; a lot of the most popular dramas are historical or fantasy, relying on the audience’s knowledge of the culture. Thus, Chinese dramas have been limited in popularity to mainland China, and a few other asian countries.

The rise of Korean dramas is only a fraction of the larger importation of Korean culture to the international stage, also known as the Hallyu wave. This wave, starting around the 1980s, has only recently been gaining the attention of major news outlets, with the debut of Korean boy band BTS in America in 2017, and Parasite’s iconic Oscar Best Picture win in 2019. Some notable TV shows to come out of the Hallyu wave include Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016), Descendants of the Sun (2016), and Crash Landing on You

(2020).

However, there are signs that this is starting to shift. According to an analysis by Carnegie Mellon University’s Arts Management and Technology Laboratory, the Chinese entertainment industry is expected to shift towards TV shows, as they require less time and preparation to be devoted towards production and distribution; TV shows can be consumed at home, instead of movie theaters which are subject to lockdowns.

Japanese news site Nikkei reported that Chinese Netflix equivalent iQiyi was making moves to expand their international reach at the beginning of the year, partnering with other Asian media companies. This comes at an opportune time, as the app had just hit 100 million paid subscribers last year, comparable to Netflix’s 150 million around the same time. Especially during the pandemic where people are searching for new, highly-produced content with engaging stories, a push towards the west during this time might lead to a real foothold for Chinese media.

Now more than ever, it’s important to get exposure to different stories and cultures. There are clearly reservations about engaging with global content, especially from countries where the government has a tight hold on the media. However, the benefits outweigh any “brain-washing” risks. Consuming entertainment does not mean accepting everything their news says is true, and seeing how people are represented in other countries can help us gain a better understanding of where those types of people fit into our own society. If eating Asian cuisine and learning Asian languages have already been normalized within our society, why not broaden our understanding of the world beyond the U.S. through entertainment? With the recent rise of anti-Asian sentiments, it’s more imperative to break down those barriers and showcase a new kind of representation, where Asians are a norm in society.

8 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is one of the best Korean dramas available on Netflix, hands down. It follows the story of a self-sacrificing psychiatric caretaker, Moon Gang-tae. His brother, Sang-tae, is autistic and suffers from the trauma of seeing his mother’s muder, leading to Gang-tae’s almost-patronizing care over him. When they move back to their hometown, Gang-tae reconnects with Ko Mun-yeong, a famous children’s book author who he knew as a child. Together, the three unravel the secrets of their childhood and work through the emotional trauma to move forward.

The acting and cinematography were the highlights of the show.

Everyone, from the main cast to the supporting characters, was able to inhabit their characters and adapt to the emotion of the scene, switching on a dime from emotionally-charged dialogue to humorous banter. The portrayals are relatable and realistic, with Gang-tae struggling to balance caring for his brother and his own self-identity, and Mun-yeong conflicted with feelings of isolation from childhood emotional abuse and her own disorders. The show incorporates various styles of filming, from second-person perspective, stop-motion sequences, and animation in live-action footage. Each episode is connected with a certain fairy tale, through its themes and the plot.

It incorporates well-known fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast, lesser known ones such as Bluebeard, and even features tales especially created for the show, “written” by Mun-yeong. The five stories from Mun-yeong are even available to purchase, a clever addition to the drama. The plot itself does fall into some Korean drama tropes, with a love triangle and and was a bit of a let down at the climax, but the character growth more than makes up for those pitfalls. Even though the drama is marketed as a romance, the emotional healing and family bonds stay at the forefront of the drama, creating an extraordinary complex look into mental health for a piece of entertainment.

Available on Netflix.

Brianna Cheng

Brianna Cheng

Skate Into Love

Skate into Love is a light-hearted romantic comedy (rom-com), a perfect distraction from the stress and boredom of distance learning. Tang Xue, a former speed skating racer, crosses paths with her former elementary school classmate, ice hockey “god” Li Yu Bing, at university. The two must overcome misunderstandings from their pasts and meddling classmates in the present, but they work together to reach their shared dream of skating.

The show is full of rom-com tropes, but avoids becoming stale by putting a unique spin on it through the focus on ice sports.

The characters are particularly well-written, for a rom-com. Tang Xue is a strong female protagonist, who doesn’t fall into the trap of “acting masculine because she likes sports.” Her actress showcases her headstrong attitude and caring nature without making the character annoyingly overbearing. At times, the dialogue can be a bit cheesy, and the story does drag a bit to fill the 40 episodes, but it’s not so much as to distract from the overall experience.

There are an abundance of side characters and romances, but each character is more developed than the simple one-dimensional “quirky” or “feminine” friend from most rom-coms; both Tang Xue and Yu Bing’s friends have their own motivations and character growths that are clearly shown, although it does get a bit confusing to untangle all the relationships. All in all, it’s a good introduction into Chinese dramas, and a refreshing reminder of when life was normal.

Available on Viki, a free ad-based streaming platform for Asian dramas.

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 9

Community members hold up the

weight of the world

10 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

Julia Roseborough There’s a new president in office. The global COVID-19 pandemic is worsening. Riots are breaking out on the streets.

Climate disruptions grow. Millions of deaths are occurring due to the pandemic. These are just some of the many significant news stories that have come out over the past year. While these things may seem a rather big picture, the minor problems remained to be prominent.

In the last 12 months, motivation has been lacking for many, teen suicide rates have skyrocketed, children and adults have taken school online, and people are essentially isolated from all other humans in many places. These problems may seem minuscule in comparison to the worldwide ones; however, the effects they are having on the everyday life of many is far from negligible.

One’s ability to separate the small and large scale problems without letting the weight of everything in the world sit on their shoulders may be one of the greatest strengths or weaknesses people can maintain during this time. The key many have found to this is balance: acknowledging what is happening but not letting it absorb you entirely.

Many find different ways to cope with the scenario, including Carlmont English teacher Erik Migdail.

“Sometimes, it’s important to compartmentalize different realms of your life. I’ve been able to create a better boundary between my work life and my personal life,” Migdail said. “In the final analysis, it’s just one life in one world that I’m living. Time is a subjective experience, and though this all seems interminable, it will terminate.”

Migdail’s view has allowed him to maintain certain tools to handle his lifestyle during the pandemic as best he can. He finds the big picture scenario by

recognizing that nothing is truly infinite, and bad things often find a way to blow over.

Ava Bozic, a junior, has found herself rather disrupted by all the occurrences in the world. The effects they’ve had on her personal life and the outside world have caused her to recognize the significance of events that had not previously been as greatly acknowledged.

“The events in the outside world definitely have disrupted both my mental state and day-to-day life. Some things that have happened are really unfortunate and cruel, and it’s sad to see certain narratives continue,” Bozic said.

Many young students find themselves feeling conflicted, as the vast amount of occurrences in the past year have brought both negatives and positives.

“I have felt simultaneously motivated and unmotivated, and I think at times it was really wonderful to see many people coming together, yet events that followed show the lack of care among so many people. I would say I’ve slowly grown more pessimistic, but as progress continues, inspiration may rise again,” Bozic said.

Many small and large movements over the past year have displayed this controversial feeling. With every little victory seems to follow a battle, many of which the entire world is facing. Some people have taken this battle into their own hands as they strive to find ways to best use their actions during these difficult times.

“I have taken action for the rights of others and learned that I can make a difference. In my own home, watching my family’s world as they knew it suddenly come to a halt inspired me to aid in making it as positive of an experience as possible,” Margaret Starace, a Carlmont parent, said.

As people strive to find the hope left

in the world, it is essential to understand that the light at the end of the tunnel will not cease to exist, and there will be progress.

“Don’t think about what you’ve lost, but try and figure out what the positive aspects are and what this experience has meant. What have you learned about yourself and your resilience that can carry you through and serve you in good stead,” Migdail said.

Rather than taking it as a defeat, Migdail views the time lost as a lesson and something to grow from. When taken a look at, the idea stands that when the outside world is uncontrollable, the most significant thing one can do is find ways to control themselves better.

The fact is thata pandemic will occur on estimate every 300 years. It just so happens that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has shifted into a new presidency, an uprising of movements, and various other impactful actions.

“This is not the first catastrophe humanity has faced, as our entire history is marked by catastrophe and disaster. And we have always found ways to grow and prevail, and ways to do better through every setback,” Migdail said. “Be a part of helping humanity heal and to grow and to do better.”

If nothing else, the past year has shown that with the good comes the bad. In a famous quote by Mark Twain, it is suggested that without this balance, life and joy and everything in between would cease to occur as it does in today’s world.

“What is joy without sorrow? What is success without failure? What is a win without a loss? What is health without illness? You have to experience each if you are to appreciate the other. There is always going to be suffering. It’s how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you,” Twain said.

Julia Roseborough

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 11

Poetry lets students

why does it always end up this way

By Maddie Ceasar

Photo by Hanna Kryhina, Art By Claire Tseng

i don’t know what to say to make you want to stay i don’t know how to make you pick up the phone and not speak the words where i end up alone i don’t know who you have become and why our love has turned so numb i don’t know what to do to stop our hearts from breaking in two

12 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

27 split ends

By Rain He

Hanna Kryhina

the sun reahes for the dark side of Uranus sitting at an angle, turned away, cureless but I know my place day and night are kept seperate, even if fondness makes heartache

“Day and night are kept separate, even if fondness makes heartache,” writes Rain He, a Carlmont alum who is currently a second-year student at the University of California, Riverside.

Poetry’s place is not only in literary arts magazines and English classes; it is “I started writing poetry when I needalso a viable creative outlet for students ed to. It was mainly a venting mecharoutine and consistently submits her during distance learning and beyond. nism,” He said. “In the beginning, I don’t work to All That’s Lit to Print, a literary Kelly Dunn teaches seventh-grade think you could even call it poetry; it arts magazine published by Carlmont English at Pacific Collegiate School in was like a [stream of consciousness.] seniors Ava Richards and Lauren Chong.

Santa Cruz.

Eventually, my random thoughts got dis- Still, she encourages students to look at “Understanding poetry helps us unpoetry from a different perspective and derstand ourselves and the world around tilled [...] into an emotion and became poetry.” stresses that in poetry, “rules are guideus,” Dunn said. “Poetry and other art Though both poets started writing to lines, they’re not the law.” forms represent who we are as people; express their emotions, Ceasar discov“By the looks of it, I should have no they are just as much a part of our culered that poetry was crucial in her life. tangency to writing poetry at all. Some ture as any other aspect of communicaNot only did it allow her to put into people think that only a certain type of tion and community.” people are entitled to writing poetry, and To honor poets and their role in shap- words how she was feeling, but it also helped her build confidence and develop I think that’s totally wrong. [...] I think if ing our culture and communities, the resilience. Eventually, she had proof of we can broaden our own definitions of Academy of American Poets established her recovery when she published a book what we can do and what we can enjoy, National Poetry Month. This year, April a lot of people would find that poetry is marks the 25th anniversary of the annual of her poems.

“My book, ‘The Stages of Falling,’ right for them,” He said. poetry celebration. The Academy hopes was a goal I created for myself. If I was He continued: “My university offers that readers and writers will find comto get through high school, it would be this class called “Poetry for Physicists,” fort, connection, and resilience through a physical representation that I made it so that should tell you that you should the art. out,” Ceasar said. “I now see my poems broaden your horizons [...] All subjects Maddie Ceasar, a sophomore at as valuable and am no longer afraid to are interconnected, and everything we American University in Washington, take up space with my story.” deem as a field of study is interdisciplinD.C., found precisely what National PoCeasar noticed the impact of sharing ary [...] What keeps me coming back to etry Month’s founders had hoped for. As her work and continues to write poetpoetry is this idea that your lived experishe began high school, Ceasar struggled ry to help others. For example, Ceasar ence can be told as art.” with mental health issues, chronic pain, writes about “invisible” illnesses and Everyone should try writing poetry, and bullying as she was coming to terms LGBTQ+ discrimination. Ceasar’s goal He says. Even if it isn’t for you, poetry with her sexuality. is to help others feel less alone. She dehas helped many articulate themselves in “I found that through writing, I scribes her writing as “what I needed to a way they never imagined, and there are could openly express how I was feeling hear growing up” and hopes that readers many poems readers can enjoy. Dunn rewithout the backlash of those around experiencing similar problems to those minds us that even though National Pome,” Ceasar said. “Poetry has helped me etry Month is the perfect time to study work through experiences in my life that that she triumphed over will see that “it does get better.” poets, students can appreciate poetry at I have been too scared to confront and Some writers have an explicit conany time throughout the year. talk openly about. I find that writing “Honoring the authors and artists things down helps me sort out the spiral- nection to poetry in their daily lives, like Ceasar, who majors in film and media among us is always going to be importing that happens in my head.” ant. Just like any other celebratory or Finding similar comfort in poetry, He arts and minors in creative writing.

Despite her different focus of study, He, memorial month, it gives us a chance to began writing to organize her thoughts. who is majoring in bioengineering, also pause and reflect,” Dunn said. “Poetry is She explains that at first, her poetry was around us all the time, whether we see or simple, but it became more sophisticated enjoys writing poetry.

He writes poetry as part of her notice it or not.” over time.

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 13

MASK Maya Kornyeyeva

Six billion dollars.

That’s the projected worth of the United States mask market in 2021.

Etsy, Carolyn and In hindsight, it seems painfully obviEmma Wang, the founders ous how this product skyrocketed to its of CE Scrunchies, were able to current value. Over the past year, masks hop onto the mask trend after noticing have become a staple in every household, the huge demand for masks in March of transforming into one of the simplest 2020. ways to protect against the coronavirus.

The initial goal for their business was And at first, that is all they seemed to be. to make handmade scrunchies and other “I think that it’s really Fast forward a few months after the products to help fund the purchase of nice to be able to give back to pandemic hit, and suddenly masks are textbooks and desks for schools in Tanthe community because we are all not only a safeguard but also a way of zania. Since the start of CE Scrunchies in this together. Every time we donate personal expression. Large fashion comin 2018, Carolyn and Emma Wang have panies and small individual retailers beaided numerous causes with their variety a mask, more people are going to wear protection, and our city is going to gan offering a wide range of designs for of products. become a safer and safer place,” Emma everyday wear, accelerating the adoption “When we created our organization, Wang said. of reusable masks over standard-grade our primary goal was to support differLike CE Scrunchies, larger corpodisposable ones. ent communities. I think when COVID rations like Adidas, Uniqlo, and Gap To put this upswing in perspective, hit, we saw mask making as an extenaccepted the challenge of creating a new one can look at Etsy, an e-commerce sion of our brand, which is ‘Handmade product line focused on masks. They did platform focused on selling individual Helping A Hand.’ We want to continue so at record speeds, launching design handmade products. Between April and helping those around us, and making after design until their shops and online June of 2020, 29 million masks were sold masks was something that could have a stores were filled with masks of all colon Etsy, with a mask-related search being direct impact,” Emma Wang said. ors, shapes, and sizes. made every 11 seconds. During these According to the Wangs, a majority, “You’re going to see people wanting to three months, Etsy earned close to $350 if not all of their profit, was going into make bolder and bolder fashion statemillion in mask-related gross merchanmaking more masks to donate to nearby ments with their masks [...] You’re going dise sales. nursing homes, schools, neighbors, and to see people wanting to try out the Similar to the small businesses on essential workers.

14 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

Emma Wang

seemed to do little to protect themselves and those around them. Others integrated well into the rolling wave of mask fashion, flaunting extreme and unique masks that caught every eye.

“In January when Billie Eilish walked the Grammys’ red carpet in a bespoke black and gold Gucci face mask, it was generally interpreted as a continuation of her cool style quirk,” said Priya Elan in his article about celebrity mask fashion in The Guardian.

Similar to the way influencers normalized stylish masks, every American, and in reality every person on the globe, adopted to view masks as no longer just a ‘face covering.’

Whether it be the increase of matching masks and outfits, or the inclusion of more embroidered messages and technological features that improved safety and reusability, the trend towards fashionable masks has surely rocked American society.

“Now that we are seeing that masks are here for the long term, I think people are more conscious of what mask they’re wearing, both in terms of what is sustainable and good, but also in what they like to wear,” Carolyn Wang said. “Masks are worn now because it’s part of our culture and our outfit. It isn’t just something stacked on top.”

newest technology, whether it’s premium in the United States this past year,” Yip filtration or other features to help them said. “Other countries in Asia already stay safe,” said Jeff Shulman, a profeshad a reusable mask culture prior to sor of marketing at the University of the pandemic, and it’s interesting how Washington’s Foster School of Business. the West decided that since the mask is “So rather than just the cloth masks or something that is going to stay, it needs just the standard medical-looking masks, to become super fashionable, trendy, and you’ll see someone offering [more adprofitable.” vanced] technology.”

Yip also comments on the rise Besides containing new safety of ineffective but “fashionable” features, masks also became a ready masks hidden among the mulbillboard on which to flaunt political and titude of products presented social statements. Among other messagto the American public. es, the terms “Black Lives Matter” and “It is a little problemat“Vote” were most often embroidered, ic when there are stores stamped, or even Sharpie’d onto the selling silk masks cloth. or see-through “Fashion is a really good way for masks, and people self-expression. I think a lot of people choose those over lean towards fashion when they want the cotton masks to define who they are as a person and because they seem where they stand, and masks can help more attractive. In amplify that message,” said Vivian Yip, a reality, you are actujunior in the fashion design program at ally going to become a Parsons School of Design. spreader if you purchase a That said, the United States seems to mask like that,” Yip said.

Art have arrived late to the game in terms Celebrities didn’t help By Ma ya of mask production and stylization. the misinformaKor nye According to Yip, masks were already an tion around yev a integral part of fashion in many counmask safety: tries even before COVID-19. many wore “Mask fashion is extremely interestmasks ing because it only seemed to happen that APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 15

Kat Tsvirkunova

campuses to the national media and convinced Pete McCloskey, a conservative Republican Congressman, to join him as co-chair. They appointed a young activist, Denis Hayes, to coordinate the campus teach-ins. They also chose April 22, a weekday between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize student participation.

Hayes assembled a national team of 85 people to support activities around the country, and the campaign quickly grew to include a diverse variety of associations, religious groups, and others.

They named it Earth Day, which drew national media coverage and quickly gained traction around the world. Earth History Day prompted 20 million Americans, 10% of the country’s population at the Gaylord Nelson, a Wisconsin junior time, to take to the streets, parks, and senator, had long been worried about the auditoriums to protest the effects of 150 country’s failing climate. years of industrial development, which Nelson was inspired by student anhad left an increasing legacy of severe ti-war demonstrations organized in the human health consequences. late 1960s and decided to combine the Thousands of colleges and universities momentum of student anti-war protests organized protests against the deteriorawith a growing public awareness of air tion of the environment, and there were and water pollution. Nelson pitched massive coast-to-coast rallies in cities, the concept for a teach-in on college towns, and communities.

Similarly, groups that had been fighting individually against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife united on Earth Day around these shared common values.

The first Earth Day in 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, business and labor leaders.

By the end of the year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency had been established, as well as the passage of other groundbreaking environmental legislation, such as the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Clean Air Act. Two years later, Congress passed the Clean Water Act. Another year after that, Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and, soon after, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. These laws have protected millions of men, women, and children from disease and death and have protected hundreds of species from extinction.

As 1990 approached, a group of environmental leaders approached Denis Hayes to organize a major campaign for the planet. This time, Earth Day went global, mobilizing 200 million people in ov at v 141 countries and lifting environmental o ng E issues onto the world stage. Earth Day a lin 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efo P By forts worldwide and helped pave the way t Ar for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, a major conference that aimed to reconcile worldwide economic development with the protection of the environment. It also prompted 16 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

Earth Day every day

President Bill Clinton to award Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to civilians in the United States, for his role as the founder of Earth Day. With the millennium unfolding, Hayes decided to lead a new initiative, this time focusing on global warming and the drive for renewable energy.

Earth Day 2000 built both global and local conversations, using the power of the Internet to rally activists around the world while also featuring a drum chain that traveled from village to village in Gabon, Africa, touching hundreds of millions of people.

Today, Earth Day is widely known as the world’s largest secular celebration, observed annually by more than a billion people as a day of action to transform human behavior and improve global, national, and local policy.

Carlmont’s Green Team Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the commemoration of the birth of the modern environmental movement that started in 1970.

This year is the 51st anniversary of Earth Day with the theme “Restore Our Earth.”

This theme is based on a new theory that challenges the notion that saving the world is limited to reducing or adapting to the effects of climate change and other environmental destruction.

The theme encourages natural system processes and new green technologies to be studied by scientists, non-governmental entities, corporations, and governments around the world in order to preserve the world’s habitats and forests, sustain and rebuild soils, enhance agricultural methods, restore wildlife populations, and rid the world’s oceans

Kat N guye

n

What do you think is the most important aspect of Earth Day? “I think the most important aspect of Earth Day is to celebrate the work that we have accomplished in sustaining a healthy environment while reminding the world that the fight is far from over. Earth Day serves as a yearly checkin on how the Earth is feeling, and we bring awareness on how to move forward sustainably,” Nguyen said.

What is your favorite way to celebrate Earth Day? “My favorite way to celebrate Earth Day is by participating in environmentally-friendly activities like picking up trash and cooking sustainable food. I also like expanding my knowledge of various environmental topics. Last year, I tuned into Earth Day Live and learned a few low-carbon vegan recipes, the importance of conserving animal species, and heard from several guest speakers on how to take climate action. Earth Day always provides valuable insights into every niche of the environmental issues we face and how to carry my learnings forward to achieve a sustainable future,” Nguyen said.

What is the best way someone can spend Earth Day and spread awareness about environmental issues?

“The best way someone can spend Earth Day is by planning to attend an event, like beach cleanups, tree planting, or even something virtual on the Earth Day Network. To spread awareness about environmental issues, it is important to set an example for others while accepting people’s unique circumstances. It takes time for people to learn, grow, and ultimately change, but these small changes most certainly create a positive difference in the world,” Nguyen said.

of plastics.

Similarly, the Green Team at Carlmont High School aims to raise awareness about the health of our planet by promoting green initiatives at Carlmont and the surrounding community. The club has been around for five years and was founded by Carlmont alumni Celine Yang, Risako Nozaki, and Kristin Ma. In the current distance-learning environment, the club has been meeting virtually every Wednesday to educate its members on a monthly topic and to introduce new challenges that members can study at home. The club has also been hosting speakers from local organizations and universities as well as planning projects and activities that members can safely participate in.

As co-president of the Green Team, Kat Nguyen says that the Green Team will be hosting weekly challenges for Earth Month on environmental-themed topics, many of which members have already covered over the past few months during their meetings. The club will have a leaderboard to engage members in a point system that lets them compete for rewards. Those who participate will be eligible for various prizes from sustainable brands, such as Acure, Dr. Bronners, Everyone, and more.

On Earth Day specifically, Green Team plans to put a trivia game on their Instagram story, reflect on their club’s yearly accomplishments, and hopefully post an Instagram Reel made by club members.

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 17

Beauty in everywhere we go

Leela Stuepfert

From golden eagles in the air, to mountain lions on the ground, to humpback whales in the ocean, the Bay Area is home to an array of wildlife. Students annually set out to venture through the numerous ecosystems that share the same geographical area.

“What isn’t there to love about nature?” Ziad Kedkad, a former student at Carlmont, said. “Beaches and forests are perfect.

Lakes and mountains are awesome.”

By developing a deeper connection to outdoor environments, students have experienced a sense of being a part of something bigger than themselves.

“What I especially like about the parks in San Francisco is that they tie industrial development in with nature and it’s almost like we grow as a society in conjunction with greenery surrounding us,” Greta Dooley, a former student at San Mateo high school, said.

Serving as a uniting force, the joy and respect those share for nature has sparked prosocial behavior among students who have chosen to work together.

“Any trail behind Carlmont is great. There is a whole community of people that come together to ride bikes, hang out and enjoy nature at its finest,” Jacob Got, a senior at Carlmont, said.

“Nature has taught me how quickly erosion can occur and how to help prevent it. I go with crews just to fix up trails [and] plant new trees and flowers.”

Among the benefits of spending time outside, having something pleasant to focus on such as trees and greenery can direct one’s mind from negative thinking.

“It’s relieving to be able to sit outside and enjoy the sunlight while marveling at the greenery and pretty views around me,” Dooley said. “It helps take my mind off stress in my life. I wish everyone realized how incredible nature was to not just admire but to use as a resource for mental health and relieving oneself of stress.”

Nature renews us, allowing us to both feel and think better.

While alleviating feelings of isolation, hiking has been an activity that opens the door to creativity and peacefulness.

“I began hiking at the beginning of quarantine when I was stressed out about school, frustrated with my personal performance in my sport and recovering from an ugly falling out with someone that caused a lot of emotional distress,” Chris Donatelli, a senior at Sacred Heart, said. “Hiking acted like a form of meditation that allowed me to find peace with everything going on.”

Nature has served as a healthy escape from the hustle and bustle of urban Bay Area life. While providing one with solitude and pristine scenery it is a resource that is free and many individuals can access it by just walking outside their door.

“My favorite locations are Russian Ridge preserve, Filoli, and the Muir Woods,” Donatelli said. “Going to these areas provide vast detailed landscapes to get lost in as opposed to the suburban monotony I am used to.”

Experiencing the beauty of nature increases positivity, especially during the pandemic.

“Spending time outside has taught me to remind myself to put things into perspective,” Valentina Baehrle, a Carlmont alumna, said. “Looking at nature grounds will remind you how vast and beautiful this world truly is.”

Leela Stuepfert

18 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

The Power of

MUSIC

Music is an integral part of many people’s lives. For dedicated musicians, it can be an escape, a craft to perfect, or a creative outlet. At Carlmont, many students take part in the musical programs offered or compose their own pieces. As they practice more, their love for music grows. Eventually, it can become something they can’t imagine life without. Here are six Carlmont students and alumni who have taken their love of music to another level.

Words by Jack Hansen and Ruya Yaman Design by Allison Raisner

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 19

Dani Courtney

M

any musicians seek fame, working for their big debuts and reaching out to record labels just to get their name out there. Dani Courtney is not one of these musicians.

All her life, Courtney has been surrounded by music: “It’s very important to me because it runs in my family, and it keeps a lot of my family members connected,” Courtney said. “Our dad used to be a professional musician, so he used to sing to us in the bath, and he would just serenade us all the time, so I don’t really think there was a time when we didn’t have music.”

Courtney began taking music lessons when she was very young, beginning with piano and exploring instruments such as viola and standup bass down the line. However, guitar was the one instrument that really clicked with Courtney, so she began to take it to Camp Newman, a camp that she has been attending every summer since she was a kid. “[Camp Newman] is very supportive so they’ll take any kid with a vague interest in guitar and throw them in headfirst, which is kind of scary, but it really helps you learn,” Courtney said. “The first year I took my guitar to camp, I couldn’t even sing and play at the same time, and by the end I [had] all these songs down because there’s so many other players around you, and you have so many opportunities to play that you improve rapidly. It’s kind of insane.”

Aside from her experiences as a songleader at her camp, Courtney also writes her own songs.

Often, these songs come to her randomly, and she writes and records the drafts in mere hours. However, as it is for many musicians, quarantine has taken away any possible muse for her songs.

“I write way less in quarantine,” Courtney said.

“I wrote two songs and only one of them is good. I used to write way more when I had people around, because the inspiration came from the people and then quarantine was like, ‘just kidding, you can’t hang out with anyone.’”

Courtney did produce one of her first songs, “Pickle,” during quarantine. Working with her brother, Lucas Courtney, they took advantage of the extra time they had to record, produce, and release the song on all streaming platforms.

Before the release of “Pickle,” Courtney had

mainly uploaded voice memos of her songs to SoundCloud, where her close friends and family could listen. However, this leap towards publicizing her music made many question whether she would look into pursuing a career in it.

“People ask me all the time if I’m going to study music in college and they’re like ‘you could be famous’ but I don’t want to be, at least not from music, and I don’t know why because music has always been one of my favorite hobbies,” Courtney said. “I write my songs because they’re in my brain, but I don’t have any real drive to be like Shawn Mendes or something.

People always tell me, like, ‘You should post your music on TikTok, you’ll blow up!’ and I feel like that’s not really the goal here.”

Nonetheless, Courtney still enjoys music in her day-to-day life, whether that takes place in the form of listening to her personal favorites, performing with her choir, playing with her family, or songleading at camp.

“I feel like music is one of the coolest, most human things that exists,” Courtney said. “A lot of the stuff we do is like, ‘oh, animals do that too, we just do it more advanced,’ but there’s nothing else quite like music, and I think it’s really cool and super unique.”

Dani Courtney

20 HIGHLANDER SCOTLIGHT

Snehal Pandey

E

very musician has their own story behind why they love music so much and what it means to them.

For Snehal Pandey, a Carlmont alumna and student at Berklee College of Music, music has shaped and influenced who she is in many different ways.

“Music to me is just the best way for me to really express myself and be creative,” Pandey said. “As time went on, I became really passionate about it and it was all I wanted to do.”

Starting with piano lessons in her youth, Pandey began to learn and perform classical repertoire. Later on, she joined choir in middle school, which she immediately took a liking for. However, her entire perception of music changed when she sat in the audience of one of Carlmont’s choir concerts and took in their performance.

“Chamber choir performed a piece called ‘Jai Ho,’ and the energy was so different from what I knew,” Pandey said. “Middle school choir is you just stand there, sing, and make sure to smile, but high school choir was like people were dancing and vibing and I was like, ‘wow, that’s crazy.’ So, with that inspiration, I was like ‘one day I want to compose some type of choir vocals, but maybe introduce some kind of Indian or Middle Eastern aspect or something that ties more into my roots.’ So when I joined the choir program I started some arrangements in the later part of my freshman year.”

Not only was Pandey soon arranging for Carlmont’s choirs, but she even started her own acapella group, “Monty’s Pitches,” to incorporate more contemporary and pop music into the choral program. By her senior year, Pandey was in five different choirs at Carlmont, and her arrangements were regularly being performed by her classmates.

Pandey’s growing dedication and love for the craft raised questions about whether she would eventually want to major in music, and even seek it out as a career. Sure enough, Pandey got accepted into multiple prestigious conservatories, and chose to study at Berklee, where she is a piano principal with a double major in Film Scoring/Composition and Music Production/ Engineering. Pandey has continued to grow as a musician at Berklee, and become the musical director of Treble Threat, an all-female

acapella group.

“When I joined it was kind of chill.

There wasn’t really a drive for getting our stuff out there, or competing, or anything like that. So when I started arranging for the group, we started to have more of a drive to go to more gigs and perform more. The ICCAs (International Championship of Collegiate Acapella) were a really big thing for us and I think my favorite musical memories were when we were on that stage and we performed our set, and we won second place,” Pandey said. “Treble Threat has never placed before, not even the top five. And not only did we get second place but I also won an arranging award and that was when I was like ‘Wow, I can really do this now, my hard work has paid off.’ ” However, even with her ever-growing success at Berklee, Pandey credits a big part of her push to pursue music to Genevieve Tep, Carlmont’s choral director. Pandey stated that Tep has always encouraged her to put herself out there, and allowed her to arrange for the choirs, and helped her every step of the way with choosing whether or not to pursue music in college.

“She’s opened a lot of doors for me, and the opportunities she’s given me through choir have really allowed me to grow as a musician,” Pandey said. “I could not be where I am without her. Absolutely.”

Snehal Pandey

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 21

Arianna Behrendt

A

s with countless other aspects of life, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected musicians. They’re unable to play with the groups they belong to. It’s taken away the togetherness of an ensemble, and musicians have had to adapt to the Anastasia Chernyavsky circumstances.

For Arianna Behrendt, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced her to focus on different parts of her practice. Behrendt is a violinist in the Carlmont Symphony Orchestra and the Golden State Youth Orchestra. She recognizes that many of her teachers have changed how they approach music as a result of the pandemic.

“It tilted the way that teachers view music and how they decide to teach it to the class. [Brian] Switzer, he is very much focused on notes and rhythms rather than the musicality portion of it. I think now, more technical things are brought in and there’s an emphasis on accuracy of notes and rhythms,” Behrendt said.

Even though teachers had to adapt their teaching style to account for distance learning, they still try to develop their students’ music as much as possible. Behrendt says that her teachers have given her a different view of music.

“The way they see music is through the eyes of their students, rather than themselves [...] They share with us what they’ve learned and their own experiences,” Behrendt said.

In sharing their experiences, teachers are able to pass on more wisdom than just the technical parts of instruments.

Good teachers can also pass on their love of music to the next generation of musicians.

Although teachers play an important role in students’ musical experience, other musicians are just as important. Throughout her musical career, Behrendt has built memories with her ensembles. She’s played in Carnegie Hall and in Latvia with some of her former orchestras.

Like many other musicians, Behrendt cannot imagine life without music. She’s been around it her entire life through her parents, who are both music teachers, and her own playing.

Behrendt has played violin since she was a toddler and recently joined choir. It’s an art that she’s been around her entire life, impacting her greatly.

“I’ve lived around music for my entire life. I don’t really know life without it [...] It develops your more creative side,” Behrendt said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed musicians’ lives dramatically. In an age of isolation, musicians had to find a way to maintain their love for a discipline that’s typically done together. Even without playing together, people still have their own individual love for music.

“It’s kind of an escape from reality. It’s an art form where you can express yourself and also let go. In a way it’s also kind of sporty because you’re practicing and perfecting and constantly looking to better yourself as a musician. It’s an escape, but it’s also hard work, and I enjoy it,” Behrendt said.

22 HIGHLANDER SCOTLIGHT

Emily Kim

E

mily Kim, a senior, sees playing the violin as almost as basic of a need as eating or drinking. After years of practice, the thought of not playing has become inconceivable to her.

Kim is the concertmaster of the Carlmont Symphony Orchestra; that role serves as the leader of the first violin section and the conductor’s assistant. In addition to the Carlmont Symphony Orchestra, Kim plays for the Peninsula Youth Orchestra (PYO) and the California All-State Orchestra.

She’s also worked with a private teacher since she started playing.

Kim started playing violin when she was around five years old, following in the footsteps of one of her friends.

“I had this friend who was two years older than me. She played the violin and was everything I wanted to be in life. I just decided that what she did was cool and I wanted to do it too,” Kim said.

As she got older, Kim joined the Ralson Orchestra in sixth grade and later made it into the Carlmont Symphony Orchestra. Throughout her years of experience, she’s enjoyed perfecting her craft.

“For me, it’s something that I get to work on to perfect. That’s why I like it a lot. It’s an area of my life that I have control over; there’s always room to improve,” Kim said.

When distance learning started, music classes had to adapt to the circum-

stances. This meant online classes and the usage of apps such as Soundtrap for students to record their music. When recording, students became much more aware of their music.

“I hear my mistakes a lot more. When you’re recording yourself, there’s nothing you can overlook. You hear every little detail and it gets really difficult not to nitpick,” Kim said.

In addition to the individual changes for distance learning, musicians like Kim lose the group experience that music can provide. Groups like PYO sometimes traveled and performed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trips like those can create memories and bring the orchestra closer together.

“I recently went on tour with PYO to Finland and Estonia.

Emily Kim We had a lot of great memories there. We got to play in this amazing rock church in Finland,” Kim said.

Although Kim and many other musicians cannot practice in person, they are still driven by their love for music.

“In the end, music is a very individualized and solitary discipline. I like practicing; I enjoy it a lot, perfecting each little bit,” Kim said.

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 23

Javin Zipkin

F

or many, music means performing pieces with peers, listening to personalized playlists, and enjoying the subtle melodies in the world around them.

However, for Javin Zipkin, music entails so much

more.

Zipkin has been composing music for over 3 years now, from simple melodic motifs to elaborate pieces, often with several movements.

“Music is really best for expressing yourself in an unconventional way,” Zipkin said. “It’s a way to connect senses that you don’t think should be connected.” Zipkin is a strong believer in conveying complex emotions through his compositions, and uses his music as a creative outlet to express whatever he is feeling at the moment.

Surprisingly, Zipkin has never studied music theory, or had anyone teach him the basics of composition. The first time he explored going past solely performing music dates back to his experience in eighth-grade band.

“My band teacher, who’s probably the best teacher I’ve ever had, was telling me that it was her last year there [...] she was going to move to a different school,” Zipkin said. “I thought that it would be the coolest thing ever if we surprised her at our last concert by playing music that she didn’t put in the concert. So, I made an arrangement of all of our favorite songs from the past four years in band.”

When Zipkin presented this arrangement to the rest of his bandmates, and eventually his departing teacher, he got an incredible amount of support. Encouraged with the fruits of his labors, as well as his newfound knowledge of musical notation software, Zipkin went about composing his own pieces.

While Zipkin currently plays trumpet for Carlmont’s symphonic band, he draws inspiration from many external musicians that reflect in his own works.

“Right now, the person who is [a huge influence] for me is Herman Beeftink,” Zipkin said.“He composes this really cool stuff for flutes and piano, and basically whenever I’m writing

music, I try to use elements of his style. He uses very simple stuff, makes it sound really good, and always paints a picture in my mind, so I guess he’s my biggest inspiration right now.”

Zipkin’s musical inspirations definitely do influence his compositions, giving many of his pieces a medieval sound and telling stories through his harmonies and musical motifs.

Above all else, Zipkin aims to convey intense emotion and connect with his audience through his music.

“It’s so corny, but if you’re able to feel the music so much that it’s almost like you’re seeing it or touching it, that’s when you know it’s good,” Zipkin said.

Javin Zipkin

24 HIGHLANDER SCOTLIGHT

Jack Peacock

F

or some, jazz can seem like a bunch of seemingly random notes played together. However, behind each solo is months of experience and rigorous practice. For Jack Peacock, who plays tenor saxophone, each note in every song he plays has years of practice and Brian Switzer listening experience.

Peacock’s saxophone journey started in fifth grade. Since then, he has played for the Tierra Linda Band and Jazz Band, the Carlmont Concert Band, and currently plays in the Carlmont Jazz Ensemble. Along the way, he’s also played in summer programs and with his private teacher.

In jazz, one must develop listening skills in addition to playing one’s instrument. To be able to improvise, one must be familiar with the patterns of the music.

“One big thing is jazz is improvisation. If you haven’t heard jazz music, if you haven’t heard people improvise it’s pretty tough to say ‘go improvise and see what you can do,’” Peacock said.

He also transcribes the music that he listens to, which helps him know the music even better. Transcription is the process of listening to a song and then writing down the notes. One of Peacock’s biggest transcribing projects was transcribing Dexter Gordan’s “Go!”, a 37-minute-long album.

Peacock has also played gigs outside of school. One of the most memorable was one that he played with his private teacher’s band in one of the San Carlos Music in the Park concerts.

“My teacher asked me, ‘hey, can you come sit in on this gig?’

I was a little taken aback, but I got on the stage and he had this packet [...] There’s a bunch of sets and it has the song and the key it’s in. They would start the song, and my teacher basically said figure out the parts and come in when you’re confident,” Peacock said.

The packet contained only the most basic details of the song: the title and the key. It didn’t have things like the tempo and the melody. However, Peacock was able to pick up the parts, giving him an unforgettable experience.

“He [Peacock’s teacher] just said, ‘listen, and when you think you have a part, step on the mic and play it with me. It was pretty liberating. And sometimes there would be a solo, which is improvisation, or with some of the older songs, the crowd wants you to play the solo that was on the actual recording. It’s a really cool experience because it’s completely improvised and there’s no safety net,” Peacock said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, musicians haven’t been able to practice together like they used to be able to.

Once music can return to normal, Peacock will be able to experience more of the things he loves about jazz.

“As a jazz musician, I think the biggest part is that feeling of liberation that is sheer improvisation. It’s a way to just forget about things and be in the moment and see what happens,” Peacock said.

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 25

SHARING THE

FIELD

Pavel Turovski

Joshua Baxter One year after the COVID-19 outbreak changed the sports world forever, California high school athletics are finally beginning their seasons. However, each of the three sports seasons had to condense into two shortened, overlapping seasons.

As a result, many sports are playing simultaneously, meaning that sharing fields and other athletic venue times for practices could be problematic.

For instance, teams that typically play in the fall are just now getting their seasons underway. These sports will have to share field space with both winter and spring, such as soccer and lacrosse.

“This impacts everybody, but we’re just happy to be able to play. So far, we’ve been able to practice like we normally have in previous years,” Eric Rado, head coach of varsity football, said. “We just get creative with our coaching staff, so the kids get the maximum benefit out of the situation.”

As a result of sharing athletic facilities, many sports must shorten the time they are allowed to practice. According to Patrick Smith, the athletic director at Carlmont, teams might have to shorten practices to an hour or an hour and a half, rather than the usual two hours.

“We’ll try to work it out so teams get some time every day, but it’s going to be less than they’re usually used to,” Smith said.

Teams may also have to plan some off-days of practice

or find an unconventional practice location somewhere on campus. For example, both the baseball and softball fields have grass areas that another team may use for their practice, provided that the two respective teams are not practicing.

“We’ll look at every area we can to get people out there,” Smith said.

While every team will get a chance to practice and play a season, the priority is on spring sports, which didn’t get an entire season due to the outbreak of COVID-19 last year. Because of this, fall and winter sports will have significantly shortened seasons, while spring sports will get closer to an entire season.

However, this also means that some teams may have to work their practices around other sports games since everything is overlapping.

“If we’re hosting a soccer game, whose game times are 4:30 and 6 p.m., they end around 7:30 p.m. Usually, they start their warmups around 3:45, so a chunk of the field could be used from 3:45 to 7:30, which cuts into the amount of time that you can get out there,” Smith said.

To make matters stranger, water polo, typically a fall sport, will start a few weeks after swimming. As the swim season has already begun, water polo, who began their season on March 15, had to work around the swimmers and only use the pool for practice before school and at night.

Even so, working around swimmers’ schedules is nothing new for water polo. Even during their regular season, the water polo team shares the pool with the Otter Swim Club, coached

26 HIGHLANDER SPORTS

by varsity swim coach Fred Farley. “[Farley] also coaches the Otters, and he rents out the pool during that time, but we’re in a coaches’ group text, so we’ve been pretty good at being able to figure things out. If water polo is in season, swim will move to the morning and later time, or swim is in season, meaning that water polo will take the morning and later times,” Justine Hedlund, head coach of varsity boys water polo, said.

Still, these sports’ overlap has forced people to adjust to strange times and work with the change.

“The players are so motivated because none of us expected the pandemic to last this long. We started morning practices in July and thought it would just be a few months, but it’s been seven months of practice three days a week at 6:30 a.m.,” Hedlund said.

Aside from sharing practice locations, teams may also lose some players to other sports. While students were initially allowed to play two different sports concurrently, new mandates prevent this. Students may have to choose between sports such as water polo and lacrosse. In previous years, students would’ve been able to play both of these sports as they take part in two different seasons.

Another change from earlier this year is that the pod system will no longer be necessary. Rather than splitting a team into multiple pods with specific amounts of people, every individual team will act as a pod, with coaches keeping junior varsity (JV) and varsity separate.

However, with limited space and time, coaches may have to adjust to splitting the field between JV and varsity. This means they may have to compensate one another for different periods on different days so that every team gets a chance to practice.

Sharing the field among JV and varsity teams is nothing new, but this year they will have shorter times on practice spaces.

Hopefully, keeping teams separate will reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 as well as reduce the spread. If JV and varsity split up and one level has contact with COVID-19, the hope is that the other team will still be able to get out and practice.

“We’ll try not to mix JV and varsity because if one kid gets it, and those teams have been mixing regularly, we have to shut down both teams. If one team is on one half of the field and the other team is on the other half of the field, if a varsity player gets it, the JV team can still go on,” Smith said.

Pavel Turovski

“This impacts everybody, but we’re just happy to play.”

- Eric Rado, varsity football coach

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 27

CCS pivots around COVID-19 Preston Kwok As reopening continues, COVID-19 presents challenges for those involved in organizing sporting events.

The Central Coast Section (CCS) is a part of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). CCS is responsible for governing and organizing high school athletic playoffs from San Francisco to King City. However, all of these responsibilities came to a halt when COVID-19 spread across the Bay Area in March.

COVID-19 was a major unknown to those working at CCS. The current CCS commissioner, David Grissom, was appointed to the position during the beginning of COVID-19’s spread in the Bay Area. The position as a commissioner came with more responsibilities than anticipated.

“Schools were shut down originally, which really meant that sports couldn’t happen. We also knew very little about COVID at the time,” Grissom said.

Whenever high schools become eligible to compete in the CCS playoff, lots of planning goes into preparing for a particular sport’s playoffs. There are many moving parts that the CCS needs to be aware of for a playoff to run smoothly and succeed.

“Quite a bit of work goes into the playoffs for each sport. From creating the criteria for individuals or teams to qualify for the playoffs, to the creation of each of the divisions, to securing the sites, to hiring of staff [and] officials,” Grissom said.

However, with COVID-19 halting all plans for playoffs in the past year, many employees were laid off. Despite the profound change in the number of

Pavel Turovski

employees and the work given on any particular day, the limited staff still keep themselves busy by constantly monitoring the spread of COVID-19 throughout multiple counties.

“From ongoing conversations with six county health departments, to the creation of sports schedules, to on-going management with our leagues and assisting them with their needs, to eligibility.

The second thing we have been centered on is CCS playoffs. This is an area where we continue to monitor if it will be needed but we still have to plan for it either way,” Grissom said.

With the recent news that the spread of COVID-19 has been slowing down, CIF has begun permitting sporting events to be held. On cifstate.org, under their COVID-19 guidelines, they state that counties in the purple tier can allow sports such as running, golf, and tennis.

The red tier allows sports such as baseball and softball. The orange tier consists of sports like football, water polo and soccer. Lastly, the yellow tier includes sports such

as basketball, volleyball, and wrestling.

While some sports may be opening up, CCS has mandated certain regulations for specific sports. For example, some may require a weekly COVID-19 test. “[A] COVID test is required as long as the numbers with COVID lie between seven [to] 14 per 100,000. All sports also have to have their parents sign a waiver so that there is an acknowledgment that there are inherent risks with playing sports. Finally, the amount of spectators at any event will be quite small,” Grissom said.

With sports opening up and CCS preparing for possible playoffs this season, students are feeling a sense of relief that certain sports are becoming available.

Dylan Murphy, a junior on the track team, feared that with the track season being canceled last year, he would not be able to show colleges his skills. However, with the track season opening, he is excited to see what is in store for him.

“I’m happy that this is happening and I’m ready to take any precautions needed to be able to participate this season,” Murphy said.

28 HIGHLANDER SPORTS

How should I study for the AP exams?

Phoebe Gulsen Advanced Placement® (AP) exams are college-level exams on specific subjects taken in high school and are administered by the College Board. Carlmont students will take these tests in May and June. Many colleges and universities look at students’ AP test scores while reviewing their applications, and a high enough score will earn a student college credit. It is important to create a study plan and set yourself up for success. As long as you study and devote yourself to understanding the material, the AP Test will not appear as daunting. Remember to take care of yourself and take breaks during study sessions. Keep your physical and mental health as the top priority. Reach out to friends for support, and don’t be afraid to ask your AP teachers for advice. Here are a few tips from students and teachers about the best ways to study!

Tip #1: Make a study schedule

It is helpful to make a personal schedule during the weeks you are studying to maintain motivation. Setting goals and dates for studying help with organization and confidence. “Make a plan and start studying early. AP tests approach faster than you think, so the earlier you start studying, the more prepared and less stressed you’ll be by the time of your test,” Kasey Parks, a junior, said.

Tip #2: Find someone to study with When preparing for large tests, some students find it hard to study alone and benefit from having someone to review with. Having a study partner to talk through difficult concepts and review points can hold you accountable for staying on track for the AP test.

Tip #3: Review chapter outlines

Going back to your completed course material work is helpful, as it gives you an overview of all the topics and chapters you studied throughout the year. When reviewing outlines, you can also see what topics you need more review on or you don’t remember. This can work as an indicator to study those chapters more and devote extra time to them.

Tip #4: Use College Board resources

Since the College Board administers the AP Tests, there is no better way to study than to use the practice material on their website. “The College Board website has an abundance of review materials and video lectures. There are many, if not all, previous AP Exams online as well for reference. Those are great to practice with.” AP United States History teacher David Gomez said.

Tip #5: Use outside resources The AP Tests have been administered for many years, and several companies have created great study material just for you! Using free online resources and books are great review tools that are specifically designed to prepare you for the AP test. “Use a diverse array of resources like Crash Course videos on YouTube or the AP Review Book, as each one fills a different gap in your understanding of the subject as a whole,” Skyler Campbell, a senior, said.

Good luck on your AP tests!

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 29

A Guide to Finding an Internship Niamh Marren “It is really hard for me to find an internship that is offered to high school students and connects well with my future interests,” Sofie Hai, a junior, said.

This is one of the many common phrases said by students wanting to expand their extracurricular activities.

High school students often find themselves having difficulty finding internships that connect with their professional career interests and are informative.

As the accessibility for young students to pursue their own specialized interests grows, the importance and benefits of high school internships increases.

Internships are an excellent way for students to explore different careers.

Students often decide whether or not they want to pursue a particular career based on their experiences with their internships.

Alec Perkins, a junior who works for Integrated Personalized Medicine, is exposed to many different career fields through his internship.

“The internship allows me to experience and work with a large variety of skills related to my career interests, and this exposure is the best method that I have found to narrow down what career path I want to follow in the future,” Perkins said.

Having some level of professional experience as a high school student can make one stand out when applying for colleges and gives multiple op-

30 HIGHLANDER FEATURE

portunities to experience learning from outside of school.

Sohie Pal, a junior, has been working for the Aspiring Scholars Directed Research Program since the summer and has been able to conduct her own research with the help of other students and her advisor.

“I am able to learn and conduct high-level scientific research. I have been paired up with a Ph.D. student from Stanford University who helps me brainstorm ideas as well as overlooks my research. I also learn from my advisor, which is a huge benefit for me as it helps me learn far more complex topics that I might not have been able to learn through school,” Pal said.

Being exposed to an actual business environment and working with fellow interns at different professional levels helps students develop their professional aptitude and provides endless opportunities.

Nina Rasor, who has been working as the College and Career Assistant at Carlmont High School for six years, suggests internships as a learning opportunity for high school students.

“Having an opportunity to be involved in an internship not only teaches students about the specific career but also teaches responsibility. Students need to arrive at the internship ready to learn, ready to follow directions, and willing to be part of a team,” Rasor said.

Although internships are vital for learning new skills, high school students often

find challenges when looking for them, especially amid a pandemic.

A quick web search can make the job of finding internships that connect with student’s career interests easier. The more time researching to find the best fit, the more benefit and learning experience one will get from their internship.

“Rather than just applying because of the name, spend time researching internships that align with what you want to do. A lot of times, smaller internships can be more beneficial due to the more personalized experience,” Pal said.

Often, calling local companies about available internships will allow students to introduce themselves and give them a chance for a professional experience.

“Students are encouraged to look for internships. That search can be done by calling local companies that have careers that interest you. Creating a short script before calling might just get you in the door,” Rasor said.

Rasor advises starting by introducing oneself as a Carlmont student and then informing the company that you are interested in an internship because you are curious about what the company offers.

Take advantage of the classes you take through high school that might pertain to that specific field and include that in your call.

If finding an available internship online is difficult, there are many great resources at Carlmont. Many companies are in contact with Carlmont about available internships.

Although limited due to COVID-19, many emails are sent to inform students about available internships.

Often, looking for internships during the summer is the most beneficial.

Understanding the time commitment of internships can be challenging when one is busy focused on school and other activities. During the summer, one is not as overwhelmed, allowing for taking advantage of everything it has to offer.

“I recommend looking for internships right before summer so that if you get the internship you have the most amount of time to dedicate to learning through the internship. Capitalizing on the extra free time provides the best outcome,” Perkins said.

Although they may be hard to find, internships provide students with endless opportunities to grow and learn in a professional work environment. They also encourage students to pursue a particular career, making internships more beneficial. The only way to know if you will get an internship is to ask.

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APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 31

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Applying to colleges during distance learning Erwan Pal With the adoption of online learning, many students are struggling to diversify their college portfolios as many things have been canceled due to the pandemic.

Online learning has many advantages in students’ eyes, but many are also experiencing disadvantages, as their plans on how to broaden their portfolio for college have been thwarted.

“COVID-19 and online learning has greatly affected my college applications because it has made taking the SAT borderline impossible with all the cancellations,” said Aman Chetan, a junior.

Many students relied heavily upon the SAT to show off their academic capabilities and diversify themselves when applying to colleges. Due to online learning and COVID-19, the test has been repeatedly canceled, giving students a hard time figuring out what they should do next. Colleges have realized this inconvenience and have adapted their application system to help students.

“Due to COVID-19, I did not need to submit any SAT scores to any of the colleges I applied to, which is good as I was unable to take the SAT because it kept getting canceled,” said Sabrina Jackson, a senior.

As restrictions are being eased, College Board has announced that it is providing SAT opportunities on March 13, May 8, and June 5 as of now. As the pandemic evolves, they will monitor these dates and will see if test dates need to be canceled.

With the increase of staying at home and online school, many students are feeling the issues of mental health. According to High Focus Centers, online school can affect teens and adolescents by an increase in anxiety, experiencing difficulty concentrating or staying focused while at home, and students may find it challenging to receive the extra education support they need to succeed.

“Spending time with my friends and going to sports practice after school was always a big stress reliever, so without those opportunities, it’s been harder to relax under all the pressure of college decisions and senior year. I also tell myself that it’s okay to take a personal day now and then to avoid getting overly stressed or exhausted,” Jackson said.

For many juniors and seniors, the need to retain information to do well in their classes, and on their AP tests, is significant.

“Online learning has affected the classes and courses that I am taking because it is tough to learn new material.

I can do well on tests, but I forget everything the next day. This is bad because

for the AP test, I need to remember most things, but I can’t,” Chetan said.

Despite all this, many students also feel advantages during online school.

Distance learning can help kids manage their time better and allow for a more comfortable learning environment.

“I am more comfortable doing my school work online as I can manage my time better by not wasting time commuting to school and allowing myself to create a schedule that revolves around school,” said Talin Negandhi, a sophomore.

Teachers recognize that many students are under pressure and stress due to these unprecedented times and have adapted their learning plans to best suit students. “ I’d say I’ve gained an advantage from distance learning because teachers seem to have more sympathy for students and challenging courses are a little bit easier due to the softer grading policies,” Chetan said.

Given the circumstances, colleges have to adapt their applications and their requirements. Students can diversify themselves in less ways than they could before. To combat this, grades are the most important thing. As other ways to stand out have been challenged, grades will always stay important, and in this situation, they are the most important.

Erwan Pal

32 HIGHLANDER OPINION

Editorial: The AAPI community deserves better

On March 17, 2020, CBS correspondent Weijia Jiang tweeted that a White House official discussing COVID-19 called it the “Kung-Flu,” a derogatory term mocking the virus’s inception in China. While some replies to her tweet were sympathetic, many accused her of making it up due to the official’s anonymity. Later that year, former President Donald Trump used the same term at one of his rallies.

The U.S. has always had a problem with anti-Asian racism. It was there when the Chinese Exclusion Act was ratified in 1882. It remained when Filipinos and Japanese immigrants were sent to concentration camps and internment camps, respectively, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is still here today, with members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community facing xenophobia related to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report from Stop AAPI Hate, 3975 acts of anti-Asian discrimination were reported between March 19, 2020, and

Feb. 28, 2021.

On March 16, 2021, almost exactly a year after Jiang’s tweet, shootings at three different massage parlors in Georgia left eight people dead. According to Al Jazeera, all three massage parlors were Asian-owned businesses, and six of the victims were Asian women.

According to Chosun Ilbo, a witness claimed the shooter said he was planning to “kill all Asians.” However, the shooter asserted that his crimes were not racially motivated, blaming them on a desire to curb his sex addiction. Given the circumstances of these shootings, this motive is still racist; it perpetuates the hypersexualization of Asian women by painting them as temptations to be eliminated.

Taking on anti-AAPI discrimination has to be a team effort; there is a lot of room for the U.S. to improve in this area.

We can start by dispelling the model minority myth, which depicts AAPI as “favored minorities,” invalidating the racism they face. We also need to study

the past with a focus on anti-AAPI discrimination’s influence on key points in American history. Finally, we have to call out racism when we see it; change can only be made if we acknowledge there is a problem.

The AAPI community’s struggles have been in the dark for too long, and it’s time to push them into the spotlight.

- This editorial was written by Elise Hsu and also published on Scot Scoop.

Scan to read Amber Chia’s article on AAPI hate.

Amber Chia

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 33

Learn to appreciate

YOUR SAFETY SCHOOLS Zachary Khouri “Have you received a word back from any colleges yet?”

After months of hearing this question come out of everyone’s lips, the class of 2021 may finally have a definite answer.

However, the journey has been far from a typical one.

Between the incredible increase in college applications for schools nationwide, including a 28% growth in applications reported by both UC Berkeley and UCLA, as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, applying to college has provoked high stress for seniors of all backgrounds.

Colleges have managed to innovate the application process despite pandemic isolation, such as by conducting interviews through Zoom, taking into account the financial and academic toll induced by quarantine, and shift-

ing the status of SAT and ACT scores from required to optional. Many have come to suspect that the last of those three changes will continue beyond the pandemic.

In fact, according to the New York Times, waiving test scores was the main reason why top schools across the nation, such as Cornell, Swarthmore, and Penn State, evaluated an unprecedented number of applications this year.

Smaller schools, on the other hand, failed to experience the same trend.

Instead, these institutions, which had already been struggling financially due to the pandemic, saw a decrease in applications.

For most of us, the schools we must now decide between may not be what we expected. It’s no surprise that a rise in applications causes a drop in acceptances.

Regardless of how these unexpected

developments have shaped the process, students will still have to confirm which colleges they will be attending within one month.

We seniors have many scales to balance in the coming weeks, including affordability, opportunity, and location.

Hopefully, you applied to safety schools in case you didn’t get into your top choice. If that is the case, I implore you to start researching those safety schools and learn to appreciate those institutions’ numerous opportunities.

Unfortunately, safety schools have a reputation for not being as worthwhile as their more prestigious counterparts, but it’s time to put it into perspective.

If a school has a 10% acceptance rate, 90% of applicants face rejection. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they are inherently less intelligent or unworthy of attending one of these prestigious institutions; it merely reveals that the road to

34 HIGHLANDER OPINION

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

college is far from an easy one.

Being rejected from a top school is not the end of the world. It could be true what they say, that wherever you end up is where you’re supposed to go. Or, just like with all things in life, when you get thrown off track, you have to learn to pick yourself back up and look at the bright side.

Additionally, numerous applicants choose their safety schools not because their dream institutions rejected them but because they did not want to take on debt. Nonetheless, attending a safety school should not make you feel like you’re lesser than those who were financially able to go to top universities.

According to a study presented by the American Sociological Association, the difference in incomes between students who attended competitive over non-competitive schools 10 years after graduation may not be as vast as people believe. Furthermore, one can more ac-

curately attribute the disparity between their incomes due to their socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, the college one attends is not always a precursor to one’s success.

Ultimately, even though many declare that where you go to college will define the rest of your life, it comes down to what you make of it.

If you’re a standout applicant at these safety schools, I recommend that you apply for your safety’s honor program, explore the career opportunities they offer, and learn more about their location.

Build connections with staff at these institutions and seek friendships with all of the exciting people you’ll meet there.

Take advantage of every chance you get to develop your knowledge. Since only 6.7% of the world has a college degree, it’s already an immense privilege to obtain higher education in the first place.

Rather than harping on what could’ve been, focus on what could be. Learn-

ing to love your safety schools can be the best next step to a successful and rewarding college experience.

Furthermore, you can always transfer out if you find out that the school is not the best fit for you or if the programs are unsatisfactory. According to the Princeton Review, roughly 1 in 3 students transfer institutions before earning a degree.

Not getting into your dream college isn’t a sign of failure, but giving up on the work ethic and passions you have devoted yourself to throughout your high school experience would be.

Rejection provides a chance for you to explore the other paths available, including those smaller schools, as mentioned previously, which can still offer you a suitable education.

Most of all, don’t forget to take a moment to pat yourself on the back. You’ve made it to the final stretch before the next phase of your life.

APRIL 2021 HIGHLANDER 35

Audrey Boyce A copy of The New York Times lays on your kitchen table, the word “aliens” spread across the front page.

This word catches your attention and draws you into NASA’s fascinating plans and exhibitions. However, beside this fascination with other planets is a darker reality regarding Earth.

Scientists say that Earth has roughly seven years before climate change becomes irreversible. According to The New York Times Climate Clock, the U.S. is just short of 30 million deaths due to the coronavirus, and despite the ongoing public health crisis, over $2 billion were spent launching Perseverance, a space rover aimed for Mars.

This begs the question of why we use limited public research funding on applied science programs in the space industry rather than focusing on the immediate threat of our dying planet.

NASA sent Perseverance to Mars with the intention of searching for evidence of past or present life forms on Mars.

The landing occurred on Feb. 18, 2021, while millions sat glued to their screens watching it descend onto the mysterious planet.

Nobody watched the newly made drones that are planting a billion trees per year, or the satellites that can spot methane leaks, or the pumps that are cooling down coral reefs at a rapid rate.

The future of humanity need not rest on the slim hope for the habitability of Mars, which would once again allow humans to infest another planet to just, what, ruin again? Maybe let’s not add “planetary destruction” into the daunting, seemingly unstoppable cycle of human behavior.

Preservation of Earth, not the infestation of Mars, should be the focal point now. Although the words “greenhouse gases,” “fossil fuels,” and “sea-level rise” may not be as stimulating as the thought of the existence of extraterrestrial creatures in our universe, our ability to focus on those words may determine whether or not our great-grandchildren will be able to live a life similar to the lives we live.

It is always easier to choose denial or to choose ignorance of any topics that don’t yet directly affect us; however, we 36 HIGHLANDER OPINION

have a shot of saving the planet we currently inhabit, so why not take it?

Space exploration has led to many discoveries throughout history that have benefitted the greater good and advanced technology—including firefighting equipment, artificial limbs, solar cells, and many more.

While space research undoubtedly has benefits, the discoveries that come with space exploration are not directed.

The problems facing our planet’s survival are different from the challenges of sending a rover to Mars, but the underlying science and engineering skills are the same.

NASA scientists trained in studying the geology of Mars could be redirected to carbon capture projects on Earth. Scientists studying the combustion of rock-

et fuel could be studying carbon-free jet fuels. The engineers of the rover going to Mars could design a better solar-powered car for our planet.

With the current state of our dying planet, it is necessary that our government invests our taxpayer dollars into applied science related to human health and climate change, not rocket ships. It is essential that we use our high level of technology to evaluate our planet’s current needs rather than investing in what is most appealing to the public.

Give Earth another chance

College should be free.

Anna Wilkinson After a year of the pandemic, OneClass reported that more than 56% of college students could no longer afford tuition. But this is not just a current issue. For decades, many students haven’t been able to pay for college. Due to the effects of student debt, it poses a question: Should college be free?

We are repeatedly told that college is the most crucial part of life, whether it is because you are finally an adult or because it starts your solo career. A lot of students are always stressed about getting into a good college. Then we are told by adults that “It doesn’t matter where you go because you will still be getting the same education.” But then moments later, they say they prefer we go to one of the best. But some people don’t have a choice.

A survey from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics found that over half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 support eliminating tuition for families that make up to $125,000 at public colleges and universities. They also support making community college tuition-free for all income levels for an estimated $47 billion cost.

A widely argued topic is the stance on whether or not to go to community college. There has been a generational shame towards the students who go to community colleges, even though you are still getting the same education.

Community colleges are one of the only ways for people who can’t afford a university to get an education.

President Joe Biden’s plan for education beyond high school talks briefly about this, saying that roughly six in 10 jobs require some education beyond a high school diploma.

And, because technology continues to change, American workers – whether they have an industry-recognized credential, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a Ph.D. – will need opportunities to continue to learn and grow their skills for career success and increased wages

in the 21st-century economy.

Biden said he would invest in community colleges and training to improve student success and grow a stronger, more prosperous, and inclusive middle class. Even with this new course of action, it doesn’t eliminate the underlying factor: You shouldn’t have to spend more money on what society considers a better education.

For example, universities are tens of thousands of dollars while community colleges in California are free. It is considered more socially acceptable to go to a university because the two-year degree community college offers only gets you halfway to a bachelor’s degree.

According to ValuePenguin, public colleges’ average total cost is around $25,290 per year for in-state. For out-ofstate schools, the annual average price is $40,940. If someone is interested in going to a private school, possibly for religious reasons or to focus on a specific major, the average is around $50,900.

Even if someone can pay for a university, many people continue to pay off student debts after graduating. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, among the 2018 graduates, 69% took out loans and graduated with an average of $29,800 in debt.

EdSource explains that If there were an establishment of free college tuition, the benefits would be similar to those of the Works Progress Administration initiative after the Great Depression. That program created work for young unemployed men and offered skills, training around 8 million unskilled workers.

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Reduce, reuse, recycle for Sabrina Lo Earth Day is a worldwide celebration advocating environmental protection every year on April 22. With human modernization, the planet’s condition has significantly deteriorated, including disasters such as global warming, pollution, animal extinction, and so much more. So, lets celebrate Earth Day with some green crafts to promote a cleaner and healthier future.

Toilet Paper Pencil Holder

Materials: - empty toilet paper roll - small piece of cardboard - colored paper - small rocks or dried beans - other decorating materials you may need

If you have a lot of empty toilet paper rolls, this is a great craft for you! Here is how to turn them into organized pen holders for your desk.

1.

Cut a circle piece of cardboard to cover one side of the toilet paper roll, and glue it to one of the end’s of the roll.

2.

Glue colored paper to the outside of the toilet paper roll, and decorate however you’d like!

3.

Put some dried beans or pebbles in the container to keep it from falling over, then put your writing utensils in it.

All photos by Sabrina Lo 38 HIGHLANDER FUN

Plastic Bottle Planter

Materials: - wider-mouthed plastic bottle - acrylic paint of choice - plant (real or fake) - dirt (if using real plant) - other decorating materials you may need

Making recycled planters is a great way to upcycle old plastic containers you may have lying around.

Having plants in the house is also good for the environment. Here is a fun way to spice your plants up a bit.

1.

Thoroughly clean your plastic container, then paint it any color of your choice.

3.

2.

Fill your planter 2/3 full with dirt (if you are using a real plant,) and then place your plant in the container.

Decorate the container! Get creative and add anything that you think looks cool.

Drink Carrier Utensil Holder

Materials: - paper drink carrier - colored paper - glue or tape - drawing utensils - other decorating materials you may need

Have you ever gotten a drink carrier from a restaurant and didn’t know what to do with it? Don’t throw it away; make it into a utensil holder for your table or to take on a picnic!

1.

Measure and cut paper to the size of the carrier’s sides, then glue or tape the paper onto all sides of the carrier.

3.

2.

Load up your utensil holder with forks, spoons, knives, napkins, and anything else you may need while dining.

Decorate the carrier! Draw, add stickers, ribbons, or whatever else you think looks good.

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Which Disney+ show should you watch?

QUIZ

David Su At Disney’s 2020 investor day, the entertainment company unveiled over 50 new series and shorts. This content is set to be added to their streaming service Disney+ in late 2020 and throughout 2021. It’s hard to know where to start, so here’s a quick flowchart to help you pick out which new release you might be interested in watching!

PICK A STUDIO

PIXAR

STAR WARS

Animated

Documentary Animated?

No

MARVEL

Avengers Assemble!

Next Gen

Yes!

The Bad Batch Obi-Wan Kenobi OR

Ahsoka

Inside Pixar

Cars

Moonknight

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier OR

40 HIGHLANDER FUN

Anita Beroza Almond Ring Danish The quality of this danish is frankly subpar. It’s reasonably tasty but kind of stiff and dry. Furthermore, the size at which this danish is baked is abominable. It’s far too large to eat in one sitting: the serving size is ⅛ of the full danish. Why bother? Trader Joe’s is selling an oversized danish that can’t be comfortably broken up. Just sell smaller danishes. Extremely disappointing.

Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks I usually am not a fan of a salty and sweet combo in my savory snacks, especially with pretzels. These are a wonderful exception. They’re delicious; you cannot have enough in your mouth at once. The combination of honey wheat and salt somehow works; it’s magic.

Anita Beroza

Dark Chocolate Cherries I dislike dark chocolate. That being said, these are pretty tasty. The cherries are nice and tart and have an appropriate amount of chocolate on top of them. If you like dark chocolate, you’ll enjoy these. However, they can get surprisingly messy, as the chocolate is very crumbly, making them less transportable and less effective as an on-the-go snack than they seem at first glance.

Raisin Rosemary Crisps These are top-tier. They’re incredibly versatile, able to go with other sweet or savory snacks without breaking a sweat. They went surprisingly well with the instant ramen. The raisins bring a nice variety of texture, and you can eat far more than the serving size without getting tired of them.

Anita Beroza

Chicken Ramen Soup This is the first instant ramen I’ve ever had, and it’s alright. It has a pretty solid flavor, but it’s nothing special. The noodles are delicious, and the preparation instructions are easy to follow. The broth is too salty, though.

Anita Beroza

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Spring into the kitchen jessica conley Spring should be a relaxing time, but with AP tests and finals, it can be particularly stressful. Take a much-needed study break and hop into the kitchen to make these simple spring recipes.

Glazed lemon pound cake Makes 8 slices

350°F

70 minutes

Ingredients Lemon Loaf •

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

•

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

•

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

•

1/4 teaspoon salt

•

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

•

1 cup granulated sugar

•

3 large eggs

•

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

•

1 teaspoon lemon extract*

•

Zest of 1 large lemon *use 1 and 1/2 lemons if you don’t have lemon extract

•

2 tablespoons lemon juice

•

1/3 cup buttermilk or sour cream

Lemon Icing •

1 cup powdered sugar; add more until desired consistency is reached

•

1 tablespoon lemon juice

•

1 tablespoon milk

Reward yourself and your family by making a lemon pound cake! Enjoy for breakfast, or with lunch, or dinner.

Instructions Lemon Loaf 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy - this will take at least 3 minutes.

4. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla extract, optional lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

5. With the mixer on low speed, mix in about 1/2 of the flour mixture followed by about 1/2 of the buttermilk. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

6. Repeat the process with the rest of the flour mixture and buttermilk.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. It will be done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top feels firm to the touch. If after about 30-40 minutes the top is browning too much, tent a piece of aluminum foil over top and continue baking.

8. Cool the loaf fully before icing (otherwise, the icing will melt through the cake and run off the sides).

Lemon Icing 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk until smooth. Add in more powdered sugar or milk as needed for desired consistency.

2. Remove the cooled loaf from the pan and drizzle or pour over top.

42 HIGHLANDER FUN

Deviled eggs 50 minutes

16 eggs

Still have eggs leftover from Easter? Hardboil them and get right to making some deviled eggs! They make a great snack, perfect for grabbing during a quick study break.

Ingredients •

8 hard-boiled eggs

•

3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise

•

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

•

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

•

2 tablespoons finely diced red onion (optional)

•

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

•

Instructions 1. Remove shells from hard-boiled eggs and slice in half lengthwise.

Carefully remove the yolks, and transfer to a bowl.

2. Using a fork, mash the yolks. Add mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne pepper, onion, salt, and black pepper to taste.

3. Spoon filling into a zip-top bag, cut off a corner tip, then pipe into the egg white halves. Garnish with paprika if you like.

4. Chill and serve.

Garnish: paprika (optional)

Thumbprint Cookies Makes 46 cookies

350°F

45 minutes

Ingredients •

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

•

2/3 cup granulated sugar plus 3 tablespoons for rolling the cookies

•

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

•

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

•

1/4 teaspoon salt

•

2 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

•

1/2 cup raspberry jam

Traditionally baked around Christmastime, thumbprint cookies will give you a sense of comfort during your chaotic spring schedule. With apricots and raspberries in season, they make an even better spring recipe! Once you make the shortbread base, the options for fillings are endless, with raspberry, apricot, or strawberry jams typically used.

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.

2. The bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 1-2 minutes or until well combined. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined, then mix in the flour. The mixture will be a little crumbly at first but it will come together as you continue mixing it.

3. Using a one-tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring tablespoon, measure out the cookie dough, roll into balls, roll each one in granulated sugar (optional), then place on the prepared baking sheets.

4. Use your thumb (or the handle of a large wooden spoon) to press an indentation into each ball of cookie dough. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of jam into the indentation in each one.

5. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set and the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Photographer Profile: Kayla Lunde I started out as a photographer with the urge to capture the beautiful nature around me. Now, my photography has now evolved to encompass more than just nature. I’m excited to improve with more experience and learn from others.

Photos by Kayla Lunde