The Nueva Current | November 2024

The Student Newspaper of The Nueva School San Mateo, California

Facing the Vote

America will choose between very different futures tomorrow. What questions remain for Nueva and its voting population?

N

ueva’s first presidential election had been an upset. Donald Trump’s win in 2016 was without precedent in recent history, a political outsider overcoming a massive polling deficit on a platform far outside of orthodoxy.

Located in the solidly Democratic Bay Area, the consensus view on campus had been that Hillary Clinton was a president-in-waiting.

“People were looking at Nate Silver’s model and were shocked at Trump having even a one-in-three chance,” said Upper School Math teacher Liam McDonald ’19, who was then a sophomore. “I think that election really broke students’ sense of certainty about politics.”

The day after Trump’s election, many students returned to campus still shocked by the surprise outcome the night before. The business-as-usual plan for that day had been disrupted.

“We got very little done,” McDonald recalled. “In a lot of my classes, we just talked about the election.”

Eight years later, the country has been through two tumultuous presidencies, increasing polarization, the overturning of century-old legal and political precedents, all without mentioning a global pandemic and American involvement in new wars in Europe and the Middle East.

The 2024 race gives America a choice between starkly different candidates. But closer to home, school administration and of-age voters in the senior class will have to make difficult decisions on how to engage with what promises to be a highly contentious election.

I. Senior Voters

19 seniors in the Class of 2025 are eligible to vote in the Nov. 5 general election. Among them, there is a palpable

awareness of this election’s prominence as a historical event.

“I’m excited because it’s my first time voting, but also because this is an election that a lot of people have been anticipating. People are calling it one of the most important elections of our history,” said Margot S. ’25, who turned 18 in September.

Carly B. ’25, who plans to vote for Harris, values the opportunity to uphold the principles behind voting and voice what she stands for regardless of her influence over the result.

“I’m very excited to get to vote for a woman for my first time voting,” Carly said. “My family and I are very pro-voting. Even if we’re in California and everything is probably going to go Democrat, I think it’s an important part of being active in our community.”

In 2020, President Joe Biden earned

a 5 million vote margin over Trump in California. The assumption of a similar landslide win for Harris in the state can lead to the conclusion that, under the Electoral College system, individual Bay Area voters possess virtually no power over the presidential contest.

A lack of influence on the result is indeed a source of apathy for some of the seniors who are headed to the ballot box.

“California is going blue [Democratic], so I don’t really care about voting for president,” said San Francisco voter Jackson L. ’25.

Swain M. ’25 will complete his ballot too, but echoed Jackson's view.

“Voting in the presidential election doesn’t really do anything in the Bay Area,” he said.

Continued on Page 10

By Jackson H. Staff Writer & Gabriel B. Features Editor

Putting the Brakes on Parking

City of San Mateo will begin enforcing 2-hour parking in Feb. 2025

By Anvi M. Staff Writer

Anumber of students still rely on driving to get themselves to school on time—even if they aren’t supposed to. However, a new roadblock has recently been put in their path.

A month ago, signs were placed on sidewalks throughout Bay Meadows announcing that parking enforcement would begin in Feb. 2025. Vehicles parked on Derby Ave, Landing Ave, Kyne St., 28th Ave, Paddock Way, and Baze Road must abide by the restored two-hour parking restriction Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Vehicles that overstay the two-hour restriction risk being cited by the San Mateo Police Department.

The sign noted that the parking enforcement had been eased during the pandemic but has since been gradually re-implemented.

The Nueva Student & Family Handbook clearly states their policy around student driving: “Students may not park on campus without explicit permission from the Dean of Students,” the student driving guidelines state on pages 42–43. “Students may not park in the Bay Meadows neighborhood surrounding the school.”

The restriction stems from the school’s agreement with the city: “As part of the Bay Meadows development,

Nueva has made a commitment to being a public transit-oriented community.”

To encourage public transit, Nueva provides San Mateo campus students and staff with a GoPass, allowing them to ride the Caltrain to school for free, and 80% of Upper School students do use it daily. Despite this, several students end up driving themselves to school and park in Bay Meadows.

Some drivers don’t have another option; the Caltrain station is not within an accessible distance and the Caltrain station’s parking lots are $80 per month. For others, it is simply too inefficient for them to make the commute on the train every morning.

“It feels like the agreement for students not to park in the neighborhood is kind of outdated,” said Lara M. '25. “[Nobody driving] is not realistic for how we get here, especially because we have students commuting from so many different areas.”

However, the parking ban seemed to be inevitable. When first discussing building the Upper School in the neighborhood, the school had agreed with the City of San Mateo and the Bay Meadows development that students would respect their transit-friendly community goal of limiting the amount of personal transit. With amenities from Whole Foods to the Caltrain Station all within walking distance, Bay Meadows

Pan-demonium in the City

The steel drum band returns to SF Jazz this winter

By Ethan H. Sports Editor

As tired or potentially caffeinated students start their Monday mornings during block 1, a harmonious sound can be heard emanating from behind the school and across the parking lot: the steel drum band. Clinging, clanging, and banging away on well-tuned oil drums, they are preparing and rehearsing for their winter concert.

Unlike their concert last December at the Guild Theatre, the band will return to the San Francisco Jazz Center on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Middle School band will open the show before the 24-person Upper School band takes the stage.

The Calypso performers will be accompanied by Ellie L. ’26, teachers Morgan Snyder, Zubin “Lord Hydrator” Mobedshahi, Jim Munzenrider, Matt Germano, and

Briefing

By Alvin Y. News Editor

was inherently designed to limit patron’s personal transit time.

“We assured the city that we would be a school with students who rode the train or were dropped off and that we would minimally impact the neighborhood. It’s part of why they were willing to grant us the permits to build and operate,” said Liza Raynal, Upper School Division Head. “We’ve always needed to be mindful of our impact and want to be good neighbors. I’m proud of the very high percentage of students and faculty who ride Caltrain and have a minimal commuting carbon footprint.”

Nueva also provides a temporary solution in the form of parking spaces; with explicit permission, those who have extenuating circumstances can park in one of the spaces in the garage reserved for students. The difficulty with this is the fact that there is a limited amount of parking spaces reserved for this purpose, so Nueva also offers shuttle services in certain areas and recommends being dropped off by an adult or carpooling with peers.

As the new parking restrictions go into effect, students will need to adapt their commuting plans to the school’s commitment to sustainable transportation and their agreement with the city.

Jason Muscat, as well as singer David Rudder and steel pannist Robert Greenidge.

“[Rudder] is known as the Bob Marley of Calypso, and the two are some of the greatest artists to ever come out of Trinidad. In my opinion,

they're really the best at what they do,” said Munzenrider, the band’s director. “It would be like having Steph Curry come and play with the basketball team.”

Tickets are limited and can be purchased at sfjazz.org for $40–60.

Hurricane Milton Blasts Florida Coast Reeling from the category four Hurricane Helene, Florida braced for a category five Hurricane Milton, their second major hurricane in two weeks. The hurricane made landfall in Siesta Keys as a category three hurricane, leaving more than three million residents in Florida without power, and causing confirmed 27 deaths and counting. Additionally, according to the National Weather Service, the hurricane had caused a suspected 41 tornadoes, with more possible once all damage surveys are completed. The total losses could reach as high as 34 billion dollars, meaning Hurricane Milton could go down in history as one of the costliest hurricanes in American history. Scientists believe that the increasing temperatures of coastal waters caused the hurricane to become stronger, as it had grown from a category one storm to category five within 24 hours from the Gulf of Mexico’s recordhigh water temperatures.

SpaceX Historic Launch

SpaceX completed the fifth test launch of the Starship, the newest next-generation rocket larger than the Statue of Liberty and can carry 550,000 pounds in orbit. The ship is divided into two sections: one being the lower boost engine with 33 boosters and the other being the upper Starship stage, carrying possible astronauts and crew. However, what makes the launch special is the landing of rocket boosters. Known for the first landing of the rocket boosters, SpaceX took a different approach with the Oct. 13 launch: using mechanical arms to “catch” the rocket midair. Nicknamed “Chopsticks,” the arms successfully secured the booster after extending itself from the control tower. In the future, NASA hopes to use the starships as the main source of transportation in the Artemis program, intending to reestablish human presence on the moon. However, SpaceX founder Elon Musk sees the starship as a method of human colonization on Mars.

Port Strikes Threaten Rising Consumer Costs

Approximately 45,000 dockworkers in the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) on both East and Gulf Coast ports walked out from their jobs with the intent of raising their $39/hour wages by nearly 77 percent and to ban the use of automated cranes, gates, and container movements that threaten their jobs. The last time both East and Gulf Coast workers went on strike was in 1977, which lasted for over seven weeks. The ports affected by the protests handle more than one million containers per month—or over 50 percent of total US imports—and roughly two billion dollars worth of goods including car parts and perishable goods, meaning a prolonged protest of several weeks would have caused inflation and layoffs of manufacturers affected by the closure of the ports. Eventually, the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) reopened ports with a tentative wage increase of 24 dollars over the next three years. If no new deal which the ILA is pleased with is reached by Jan. 15, the possibility of a second strike still exists.

Risky Parking A picture of some the parking spots outside of Nueva which will be banned by the enforced time limit. PHOTO BY ANVI MATHUR

Practice Makes Perfect The band prepares for the Jazz Concert inside the portables. PHOTO BY ETHAN H.

A ban on legacy admissions, albeit tenuous, challenges long-held traditions in elite universities California Ends Legacy Admissions in Private Colleges

By Anwen C. Staff Writer

In early October, California banned legacy admissions in private universities—the practice of granting preferential admission to individuals whose parents or guardians either previously attended the same institution, or possess close connections to faculty or administration. The ban will come into effect next year, during the 2025 college admissions season.

“Everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work,” said Governor Gavin Newsom in a press release. “The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we’re opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly.”

California isn’t new to setting restrictions on colleges’ legacy admissions policies: since 1998, the public University of California (UC) system has eliminated its legacy preference system. Several states, including Virginia, Colorado, and Illinois, have passed similar laws targeting public colleges. It’s only now that state governments are turning their attention towards private education institutions.

Before October, private universities in California were required to report the number of legacy applicants they admitted—and the figures testify to how widespread the practice is. Legacy students account for a notable portion of the student body: 14% of Stanford’s and USC’s 2024 admitted class reported legacy status, while 13% of those admitted to Santa Clara University had similar connections.

Legacy status, to college admissions boards, is considered a “hook.” Like athletic recruitment, gender or ethnic diversity, or faculty connections, a hook is an attractive feature of a student’s application. However, what’s unique about a legacy hook is that it signals an opportunity to attract funding.

“The thing we hide a lot in this process—and why politicians say the process should be more equitable and fair—is that these institutions are businesses,” college counselor Phil Moreno says, “[Colleges] have to pay the bills, right? Sometimes,

when you're looking for that money…it comes from your most engaged donors and alumni. That's what legacy is.”

Despite the economic benefits of admitting legacy students, Moreno believes that not all colleges view legacy status the same way. “Legacy is perceived as a double-edged sword,” Moreno said. “Sometimes a legacy connection is a good thing. Sometimes it isn’t a good thing, because the question is, does this student really want our institution, or are they only applying because of their legacy connection?”

However, most elite California colleges oppose the ban, arguing that it could hinder fundraising efforts and represents an overreach of state power into the private sector. In reality, though, the law takes a relatively soft approach to enforcement.

Schools that violate the ban face no monetary penalty—only the public listing of their names on the Department of Justice’s website.

Acknowledging History, Hoping for Peace

Professor Frank Tipton speaks on roots of Israel-Palestine conflict

By Emily F. Staff Writer

Frank Tipton, a teacher at Dana Hall School in Boston who has taught South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) studies for 25 years, spoke at the Upper School in a special assembly on Oct. 28 about Israel and Palestine. The assembly was intended to provide historical information and context about the ongoing conflict between the two countries. His talk also reviewed the concepts of radical curiosity in a non-biased manner and was intended to spark more informed dialogue between community members.

Upper School Division Head Liza Raynal hoped that Tipton could provide an opportunity for civil discourse and “hope for peace” by explaining the complexity of the region’s geopolitical history.

“As a campus, we have many different perspectives. There was a void around information,” Raynal said.

Tipton framed his 75-minute talk on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a historical perspective. He asked the audience to be mindful of those affected by the ongoing conflict, which escalated on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel.

In recent weeks, the military action has expanded into a regional conflict involving neighboring Middle Eastern nations including Lebanon and Iran.

“What I'm attempting to do today is provide some basic information about this place and the people who live in it,” Tipton said. He opened his presentation by sharing goals he hoped the talk would achieve: to step back from the war, learn about two peoples, practice civil discourse, and repair and build hope.

He further organized the history lecture into four sections: The Formative Years, The Surprise, The Peace So Close, and The Hardening, and left time between each part for listeners to talk to the people around them and ask questions.

Tipton explained how while people tend to take sides in conflicts they are not involved with, he doesn’t believe that is what those involved need.

“It's important in the middle of a terrible war to have an understanding of the perspectives and identities of the people at the heart of the issue,” he said.

If there was one thing that Tipton hoped people would take away from the assembly, it was the “ability to recognize and value”

“[The law] has no teeth,” Moreno says, citing the disproportionate amount of media coverage on the subject, “I think the media [has] got it wrong. It's not a “ban”—it's a legacy “shaming.’”

For both colleges and students, legacy admissions have long been a somewhat taboo topic. Recent admissions scandals, such as the 2019 Varsity Blues case—in which wealthy parents bribed administrators of prestigious schools and falsified their children’s records—have fueled broader concerns about how wealth and influence can shape college admissions. But Moreno says that the renewed attention on legacy preferences also stems from something else entirely: the Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action.

“If the federal government is going to say that you cannot use [race] to influence your enrollment, that specifically targets students of color,” Moreno says. On the other hand, 75% of students who qualify

for legacy are not people of color. “This is one way that politicians could do something similar with another population [in the name of] fairness.” A legacy ban, then, serves as a counterpoint to anti-affirmative action policies.

If a lack of funding is the issue, legacy admissions aren’t the only option. Moreno suggests that increased state funding could reduce colleges’ reliance on legacy preferences to drive alumni donations. An increase in Cal Grant funding, which has stayed stagnant for over twenty years, could be especially beneficial.

What’s the strategy now for students looking to capitalize on their legacy status while they still can? Moreno weighs in: “What we advise is, if it's important for the college to know that information, then you should report it. Then the college may consider it based on their own institutional priorities.”

the perspectives of those ethnically or closely tied to

“People who are living in or are directly experiencing this situation need compassion, validity, and to be seen,” Tipton said.

Tipton also provided a wide variety of resources to the Upper School. These included the novel Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Khalil Shikaki, and Shai Feldman, along with a hotline that provides background on the conflict.

His speech drew mixed responses from students, both positive and moments of critique alike.

“The presentation allowed me to view

a lot of the context with more nuance and has changed the way I approach talking with other people and discussing the issue,” Dashiell H. ’27 said.

Others felt the talk did not represent the culture and feelings of both sides in a balanced way.

“I noticed that the poem by the Palestinian author was all about how they would rise up, and the Israeli poem was all about how they are oppressing. Israel, while in controversy, is also a place noted for human rights and technological innovation,” Aaron B. ’27 said. “At the end of the day, it's about peace. I support peace. I think everybody supports peace.”

Stanford Under Pressure?

Stanford, one of the country’s most prestigious universities, also has one of the highest admittance rates for legacy students. IMAGE BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY.

Speaking for Peace Frank Tipson spoke to the Upper School students and faculty in an hour-long special assembly. PHOTO BY THE NUEVA CURRENT.

Israel and Palestine.

California Local Elections

Read more about races in Districts 11, 16, 15, the SF Mayoral election,

and the Senate race

By

O

n Nov. 5, 2024, Californians will vote on its leaders for four years. Read more of The Current’s digest of California’s Senate race, the main congressional races for House seats, and the San Francisco mayoral election.

Senate (All California)

California’s Senate seat has been historically Democratic since 1992. With Diane Feinstein's passing, the race for the seat will likely determine California’s Senate representation for decades to come.

The two candidates to fill the late Senator Feinstein’s seat are Democratic Representative Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey. Only 3,500 votes separated them in the nonpartisan primary on March 5. However, in the primary, around 25 percent of the vote went to other Democratic candidates such as Katie Porter and Barbara Lee. In the general election, Schiff is favored as Democratic voters unite around him.

Schiff, a congressman from Burbank, Calif., has a platform centered around accessibility and equity. He plans to emphasize reducing the cost of living in California, universal background checks for firearms, a pivot to renewable energy, abortion rights, and support for immigrants.

Schiff has already acted on a majority of his promises. As a lead co-sponsor for the Green New Deal and Civilian Climate Corps, Schiff has made a major change in environmental action and is willing to execute on made promises.

Garvey, a former professional Major League baseball player who is running for a Senate seat for the first time, is a moderate Republican in comparison to others in his party. Sharing the same sentiments as Schiff on affordability, accessibility, and sustainability, Garvey wants— although slower than Schiff—a transition to renewable energy while supporting systems that pave the way for immigrants in America to receive their citizenship and background checks on firearms.

Garvey still stands by the more conservative agenda of most Republicans, such as an audit—a formal investigation—of money towards solving homelessness to ensure it is being used correctly, lowering taxes for the middle class, and securing borders.

House, District 11 (Most of San Francisco)

In District 11, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is expected to win decisively against Republican challenger Bruce Lou. In this March's non-partisan primary election, she won 73% of the vote.

Pelosi, a member of the House of Representatives since 1987, has focused her campaign on gun control, healthcare access, and environmental efforts. Even after her tenure as Speaker, she has proven her capability to fulfill her campaign promises, especially in recent discussions around the social spending package for affordable housing.

Pelosi negotiated a final allocation of $150 billion, significantly higher than the initial $40 billion proposed. As Speaker, Pelosi also participated in the COVID-19 response, securing economic relief for small businesses and residents, which helped the city recover from the pandemic faster.

Her challenger, Bruce Lou, is a Bay Area native who graduated from UC Berkeley in 2018 (and is a former Jeopardy! winner). Like Pelosi, Lou plans to fight the rising cost of living in District 11 and has proposed an Affordable

By

the Numbers

By Ellie L. Culture Editor

Housing Act to streamline permitting and convert vacant commercial properties into affordable housing.

He has stated that he plans to increase police funding, toughen prosecutions, and target drug cartels that have caused a spike in San Francisco’s fentanyl crisis.

He also advocates for accountability measures for politicians, like voter-decided salaries, stricter financial disclosures, and cracking down on insider trading which Pelosi has been often accused of. Lou believes in salary reductions for politicians during economic downturns, and jail time for corruption.

San Francisco Mayor

The mayoral race in San Francisco is heating up, with candidates under pressure to address the city's recent challenges: homelessness, crime, and the rising drug epidemic.

In recent polls, incumbent mayor London Breed seems likely to win at least half of the vote, but under the ranked-choice voting system, she will have to battle either philanthropist Daniel Lurie or former City Supervisor Mark Farrell in the final roundup of votes, both of whom would have around a fifty-fifty chance against her.

Breed’s time in office has been marked by frustration. Critics argue her indecision on major issues resulted in no progress for a city recovering from the pandemic. A recent survey from the San Francisco Controller showed that 64% of residents don’t want her back.

Her supporters argue that the city’s problems were beyond her control and that no mayor could have stopped the rising wave of issues in recent years. Regardless, Breed will have to prove she can deliver real change for the city in the final stretch of the election.

Daniel Lurie, Philanthropist and heir to the Levi’s fortune is the runner-up, spending over 13 million dollars on advertising and voter outreach. His campaign addresses homelessness through nonprofit collaborations, affordable housing, and job creation.

However, his absence of political experience has become a targeting point for his opponents, and many San Franciscans feel that he is disconnected from the city and its residents.

The former interim mayor Mark Farrell has made public safety the centerpiece of his campaign. He promises to put more police on the streets and have stricter enforcement of laws. He leverages his stint as mayor in 2018, but critics often say his policies are short-term fixes, and risk worsening the city’s challenges in the future.

Aaron Peskin, a progressive member of the Board of Supervisors had a surge in popularity in the last two weeks, nearly bringing him level with Lurie and Farrell. He has years of political experience, and he focuses on affordable housing and tenant protection.

House, District 15 (San Mateo, Redwood City, Millbrae, South SF, Daily City, San Carlos)

In District 15, incumbent Democratic representative Kevin Mullin is very likely to defeat Republican Anna Cheng Kramer after winning 75% of the vote in the March nonpartisan primary.

Mullin has experience being a part of the House of Representatives since 2012 but was only elected as a representative of District 15 in 2022. Mullin advocates policies including raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy, funding childcare programs, and gun control measures such as background

dumplings made at the dumpling party with pork, chives, chicken, mushrooms, and more on Oct. 23

checks and a ban on assault weapons.

In Congress, Mullin introduced the Weatherization Resilience and Adaption Programs (WRAP) Act which would provide financial assistance to low-income households to help them adapt their properties to be more resilient to climate change. Mullins also proposed the Prevent Homelessness Act to help with shortterm rent and utilities relief for those at risk of losing housing.

Kramer is relatively inexperienced in the political world compared to Mullin, in her first campaign since being the Chairwoman of North Fair Oaks. Her policies focus on reducing taxes, emphasizing math and sciences within schools, securing borders, and transitioning to clean energy through market-based policies.

Using her private sector background as Chief Operating Officer of the Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition, Kramer hopes to create a Community Housing Initiative, encouraging the development of housing with shared bathrooms, connected units, and common areas, which she says will help keep families together.

The mayoral race in San Francisco is heating up, with candidates under pressure to address the city's recent challenges: homelessness, crime, and the rising drug epidemic.

House, District 16 (Pacifica, HMB, Woodside, Menlo Park, Stanford, Mountain View)

The most tense and dramatic races this cycle has been in California’s 16th district, including significant parts of the South Bay. The candidates are Assemblymember Evan Low and former San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo, both of whom are Democrats.

After the initial primary result led to a tie for second place between Low and another Democrat, Joe Simitian, a recount sponsored by Liccardo donors gave Low a five-vote win over Simitian. Despite winning the recount, Low had opposed Liccardo’s secretive involvement in it. This would initiate the tension between the two candidates which would begin to heat up as the time until the election slowly shortened.

Low has accused Liccardo of abusing campaign finance rules, filing a complaint to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which stated that Liccardo was “engaging in a scheme to circumvent campaign contribution limits and illegally coordinate with a newly formed Super PAC.”

performers at Coffeehouse on Oct. 4

Super PACs, a committee that can allow candidates to receive unlimited money from multiple groups and persons, are legal if they do not contribute directly to candidates. However, Low had accused that Liccardo’s campaign had found a way to bypass monetary contribution limits, allowing for direct unlimited funding in favor of Liccardo, which is inherently illegal.

Low has also received two FEC complaints about campaign finance violations. The first alleged improper use of a nonprofit as a method of campaigning, and the second argued he had funneled money from his state legislative account to his federal campaign account for advertising, a serious transgression. Roughly over $42,000 from the FEC’s limit of $3,300, Low, although not directly mentioning his campaign, utilized news outlet Sing Tao Daily’s radio station to remind residents of his assembly districts on how “[he] has fought for you.”

The conflict further intensified between both candidates before the Oct. 2 debate on NBC Bay Area. Liccardo had to reschedule the debate due to a late-emerging case of laryngitis, which Low accused of being faked to delay the debate. Liccardo’s campaign then released a doctor’s note that detailed his laryngitis, disproving Low’s campaign’s accusations.

Liccardo and his campaign looking to build on his lengthy list of accomplishments as a focus on creating housing out of vacant buildings, building rapid low-cost residences for the homeless, improving gun control, supporting reproductive healthcare access, and lowering the cost of living by targeting electricity bills through renewable-energy and grocery prices.

As the mayor of San Jose, The city reduced roughly 36% of emissions from 2008 to 2021. Liccardo provided lower costs for roughly 95% greenhouse gas-free electricity spread among one million residents and thousands of businesses.

Liccardo also boosted the minimum wage to $17.55 per hour, one of the highest in the country. During his time leading California’s Big City Mayor Coalition, he has secured “unprecedented statewide funding” to support the homeless population and provide faster pandemic response, which led to an 11% reduction in street homelessness in 2022.

Low likewise supports traditional Democratic policies, running a campaign centered around restoring Roe v. Wade, providing more housing options and resources for local leaders to help the homeless population, restricting assault weapons, and supporting the shift to renewable energy.

Low has also sponsored numerous laws in the state legislature. Low coauthored California’s Proposition One, which protects a woman’s right to abortion in the state, while also helping pass AB 1887 which prohibited discrimination towards sexual orientation and gender identity.

15:28 minutes and seconds of time it took for Ryan F.'26 to run the 5k at a recent

Alvin Y. News Editor & Callum S. Staff Writer

Meet the Candidates A collage of California's Senatorial debate (Back), District 16 debate (Bottom left and right), and the San Francisco Mayoral election (Center). PHOTOS BY DAMIAN DOVARGANES, AP PHOTO (SENATORIAL DEBATE), CAMILLE COHEN, KQED/POOL (DISTRICT 16 DEBATE), BETH LABERGE (MAYORAL DEBATE)

jumpscares in the StuCo Haunted House on Oct. 29

Pop Culture Report Card

By Neel G. Staff Writer

With the release of his 6th studio album, Chromokopia, Tyler, the Creator establishes himself as a musical genius. His most personal album yet, he explores his turbulent family relationships, identity, sexuality, and social commentary on the music industry and public. Daniel Caesar, Doechii, and Childish Gambino offered excellent vocals and features, but I was disappointed that Frank Ocean was not a collaborator. Overall, Chromakopia experimented with new sounds while staying true to the typical Tyler, the Creator experience, making it a remarkable addition to his discography.

After 50 seasons, SNL still remains a pillar in late night TV and comedy. In the second episode, Ariana Grande was an excellent choice to continue the SNL legacy. Her witty and subtly hilarious delivery shone in her monologue and all her viral skits, particularly “Bridesmaid Speech” and “Charades with Mom.” But I can’t give all the credit to Grande; I found myself endlessly cackling at the performances of cast members like Ego Nwodim and the reputed Kenan Thompson. My favorite segments were the caricatures of the election: Maya Rudolph’s flawless impression of Kamala Harris paired perfectly with the comedic renditions of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. However, I was disappointed that host Jean Smart and musical guest Jelly Roll were chosen for their first, most anticipat ed episode back. Smart’s co medic abilities were mediocre, and Jelly Roll was an irrelevant and unexciting musical guest—especially compared to the iconic performers, Stevie Nicks and Billie Eilish, who followed in subsequent episodes.

Victoria's Secret returns to the runway C

As soon as Victoria Secret’s (VS) first fashion show in six years was released on YouTube, it was all the rave amongst Gen Z and fashion critics alike. Many young women took to social media to express the power legendary models like Kate Moss and Adriana Lima still hold for teenage girls. Adding to their influence, the new aim for diversity was a success. Unlike many other fashion brands, they dressed plus-sized models in a flattering way. The show focused on celebrating womens’ bodies and fashion icons like Cher, Bella Hadid, and Anok Yai. Still, the fashion brand lost its grand legacy. What had made the show so sensational were the big blowouts, dramatic wings, VS stars like Gisele Bündchen and Heidi Klum, and musical guests like Rihanna or Ariana Grande—all of which were missing this year. Lisa, Tyla, and Cher’s performances all fell short on wow factor. And, one of the only VS pillars present, Adriana Lima, was styled horribly. Yes, Victoria’s Secret finally returned to the runway—but at what cost?

Beyoncé’s P. Diddy conspiracy theories

In "Intermezzo," Sally Rooney strikes a Tender Chord

Rooney explores intimacy and miscommunication under a new lens of loss

By Josie B. Editor-in-Chief

Inclassical music, an intermezzo is a short, often light, and entertaining piece that provides a pause or transition between main musical acts. It can serve as a tonal shift in a concert or recital, momentarily lifting the audience's mood before returning to the weightier compositions.

Sally Rooney’s highly anticipated fourth novel, “Intermezzo,” is far from light or short. However, as its title implies, the novel delivers a meditative shift in Rooney’s style.

Readers familiar with Rooney’s previous works, such as “Normal People” and “Conversations with Friends,” will find that many aspects of her newest novel blend seamlessly into her body of work. Rooney again examines intimate relationships of different levels, many of them unpolished and undefined.

“Intermezzo” follows two brothers who have recently lost their father. The brothers have little in common:

Peter, a 32-year-old lawyer, is charming and charismatic, while his decade-younger brother Ivan, 22, a chess prodigy, is socially awkward and unsure of himself.

As they grieve, Peter and Ivan struggle to connect due to their differences and instead seek solace in romance and sex. However, these relationships quickly become just as chaotic and nonsensical as their relationship to each other.

Peter’s connection with his first love, Sylvia, is complicated by Sylvia’s incurable chronic pain from an accident, which led to the end of their partnership years ago. As he mourns his father, he also grieves for the future he and Sylvia could have had together. Sexual desire pushes Peter toward Naomi, a 23-year-old student.

Meanwhile, Ivan fails to connect meaningfully with his peers until he meets 36-year-old divorcee Margaret at a local chess tournament. The pair begin to see each other secretly while Margaret fears how her family and friends will react to the age difference between her and Ivan.

Rooney has become known for her straightforward, blank prose (such as her

The Franchise: Style With No Substance

HBO's satire fails misses the mark in overambitious leaps

By Ellie L. Culture Editor

Afteryears of Marvel movies dominating at the box office, the recent influx of movies have earned the audiences’ ire and exhaustion. Whether it’s the oversaturation of the market, the lack of creative plots, or that many of these movies are simply bad, the Marvel machine has seemingly stalled.

Enter The Franchise, an HBO comedy that gives Marvel the satirical treatment in a short first season. Each episode follows the cast and crew behind fictional, B-list Tecto: Eye of the Storm (think the Dr. Strange movies and then aim lower), as they deal with all kinds of obstacles.

From the start, The Franchise is a frenzy of motion. There are claustrophobic Moss Men tripping in the green screen covered set. There are swarms of workers moving. There are barked directions over the loud bickering of co-stars. It’s immediately difficult to keep track of who’s who, and even more strenuous to register any of the funny, biting lines expected of the satire.

As the legal case of sexual misconduct of Sean Combs (known as P. Diddy) continues to unfold, the internet has decided to focus its attention on Beyoncé, for supposedly instrumenting the murder of deceased singers Aaliyah, Left Eye, and Michael Jackson. Netizens have claimed that recurrently mention Beyoncé award ceremony speeches to “protect” themselves from her since she is targeting those viewed as her competition, further invalidating her talent and the influence she holds. However, I applaud the skepticism our culture is growing for the corrupt celebrity industry that we worship, and holding people with immense power and wealth accountable.

The three-minute opening scene perfectly encapsulates the show as a whole: a storm of whimsical but scattered characters, throwaway funny lines that are hard to appreciate, and mayhem that disguises some of the show’s best dismantling of superhero movies. The show tries to do too much, putting forth a magnificent front that lacks any real material, and is just plain jarring.

The show is filled out by an ensemble chock-full with wacky individuals: Dan, an assistant director with the weight of the whole movie on his shoulders; Anita, a producer just trying to finish the show; Eric, an artistic and sensitive director; squabbling Peter and Adam, actors in perpetual contest with each other; and several over-

absence of quotation marks), but the style of her latest novel is more varied. As she alternates between each brother's point of view, Rooney makes minor adjustments to her writing style and language.

Her relaxed, stream-of-consciousness approach allows readers to slip into each brother's mind and experience their perspective on a deeper level. Readers get a front-row seat to the brothers attempts at communication and can see why and how they fall short—a perspective that feels almost like being in on an inside joke. By the end of “Intermezzo,” romantic relationships take a back seat to the central bond between the two brothers. Rooney’s focus is clear: the real story lies in their struggle to connect, a journey that unfolds right up to the novel’s final pages.

And just as in classical music, where an intermezzo gives listeners space to pause and consider, Rooney’s “Intermezzo” is a pause and shift in her career. The novel may not be anything remarkably new or different from her past work, but it elegantly expands on her past explorations of modern love.

assistants who epitomize the film industry’s propensity to stomp all over the little people who keep things running.

Everything about the show seems great on paper, if not a little all over the place, but in practice, it simply cannot choose what it wants to be.

When the show allows them to have some breathing room, the cast has fantastic group chemistry and it becomes a workplace comedy with an edge of the sinister. Other times, the commentary of all the pitfalls of the film industry—its competitive nature, the constant churning out of content, the decline of creativity—is razor sharp, as Tecto: Eye of the Storm limps to the finish line. Even the hints of family drama behind the characters can be heart wrenching at the right times.

But when shoved together, every aspect of the show tends to fall apart, fragmenting into stolen moments in an otherwise, reasonably boring show.

How can the juicy dynamic between a stone cold producer and wearied assistant director be interesting if the show immediately switches to a catfight between the two actors? How can a stab at satirizing Marvel’s inconsistent treatment of heroines be fully appreciated if the backstory is suddenly given to a dead staff member? How can any substance be found in the show, if

it is completely buried under a flashy veneer?

At the very least, there sure is style in this show. The super suits are garishly perfect. Hugh Grant’s bitter one liners never fail. And it’s admirable how even the silly Moss Men become a symbol of labor exploitation.

At times, even the constant influx of sound seems like an excellent storytelling device. It immerses audiences so deeply in the chaos of the movie set, that the noise fades into a background buzz, allowing the little details to be revealed: the cutting edge of resentment in an assistant’s voice, a snide allusion to AI written storylines, a cheap rip-off of Thor’s hammer, the kaleidoscopic flecks of iridescence that sparkle on the Tecto’s silver suit. But in the end, the show is just that: small gems of humor, raw emotion, and commentary that glint for a moment, before disappearing into the mess of the show. No matter how much these little pieces shine, they cannot save the repetitive storylines or muddled tone.

The Franchise is consumed by the same issues that plague Marvel movies: the chaos, the formulaic plots, and characters that might work well together—but are simply not interesting enough to care about, by themselves. Even with its few moments of clarity, the show is swallowed by its faults, and reduced to the exact same thing it tries to satirize.

worked

Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia A-

SNL premieres 50th season B+

PHOTO BY SNL

PHOTO BY VARIETY

PHOTO BY COSMOPOTLITAN

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I was worried. But this isn’t a new phenomenon. -ification of Modern Music

By Senya S. Staff Writer

H

ave you ever listened to a song and only liked a specific catchy bit, but been underwhelmed with the rest of it only to realize it was a TikTok song? Well, this has happened to me more times than I can admit, and even in songs that I’m not positive are TikTok songs have felt like this.

It’s no secret that TikTok has had a huge influence on the consumption of music. On TikTok, short clips of songs are turned into trends which go viral through dances, like the dance to Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go,” or to Doja Cat’s “Say So.” The platform has over a billion—mostly young—users worldwide and its influence on popular culture is undeniable.

But it’s not just TikTok. Instagram and YouTube have created Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. In order to compete with TikTok, both platforms have altered their algorithms to favor short form content posted on them. Their user bases are comparable to TikTok, sometimes even surpassing it: there are over 700 million Instagram Reels users, and over two billion YouTube Shorts users.

With these massive user bases, the influence of short form video is undeniable. Countless songs have spread through short form video, making their way into mainstream culture. For example, the “Brat Summer” TikTok trend inspired by Charli XCX’s sixth studio album “Brat”, was co-opted by Kamala Harris’ campaign team on X (formerly known on Twitter).

Over the past few years, the pressure on musicians to promote their music on social media has grown—whether to gain populari-

ty or maintain their existing fanbase. According to a 2022 article from The Washington Post, record labels are pressuring their musical artists to go viral on TikTok. Artists such as Halsey, Charli XCX, and Florence + The Machine have publicly expressed frustration over being coerced by their record labels to post TikToks.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Halsey said, "I refuse to create content just for social media. That's not art."

Regardless of this pushback, musical artists remain stuck with this responsibility. To achieve virality, the songs themselves are manufactured for short form content. That one catchy bit of a song on the radio? Yeah, those choruses and bridges were made to go viral.

TikToks are short, so songs that go viral on TikTok are repetitive, have a catchy hook and can pair well with a dance—all in order to appeal to the algorithm. But when most popular songs follow this formula in hopes of going viral, an expectation of quick and catchy music is created. In turn, musicians are incentivized to create songs that fit this construct. This prompts a vicious cycle where musicians are trying to chase the algorithm instead of focusing on creating what they want.

Of course, there are still some songs which differ from this formula but still go viral on TikTok, like “My Love Mine All Mine” by Mitski. But songs like these still contain elements suited towards TikTok virality and are created in spite of, not in tandem with, a system that incentivises catchy music.

I’ve also seen this impact albums. Songs

Culture Corner

feel much more stand-alone, and since a whole song can no longer keep anyone’s attention, how can a full album do so?

This deemphasizes the power of the album as a storytell ing tool.

Even in my life, as someone who doesn’t consume much short form video and does not have a TikTok account, I frequent ly discover that songs I enjoy were popularized through short form video, such as “Stick Season” by folk pop artist Noah Kahan, and many songs by the hypnotic pop band TV Girl.

However, all of this isn’t actually as new as it seems. Technology has always impacted the music industry, often changing the length and sound of music produced.

In the early-20th century, vinyl records, and subsequently, the advent of bulk record production, were popularized. Musicians adapted to the limitations of recorded music. Needles in the earliest record players were prone to skipping, which severely limited their playable dynamic range. In turn, jazz musicians adapted their music by using muted trumpets and damped drums that they knew would sound on the records. This created a completely new sound.

Additionally, the vinyl itself had a limited

length, with the popular “78” records only having three to five minutes of playtime per side. So, musicians again adapted their music and shortened their songs in order to ensure the record didn’t have to be flipped in the middle of a song. When “long play” records were later introduced in the 1950s, the concept of an “album” was created based on how many minutes each side of this longer record could play. Ultimately, physical media lengthened to the 74-minute CD which artists from the era adapted to by bloating their albums with filler songs. Now, short form media has imploded in the other direction, reducing music down to its most atomic form.

As much as I want to hate this wave of music, I can’t. I have no plans to download TikTok. But I still love the music it has impacted, and that’s okay.

We’ve rounded up the best of culture to watch, listen, eat, and do right now

Watch: Smile2

“Smile 2” is a mystery horror that follows the popular film “Smile”. The story follows a pop star who starts undergoing terrifying encounters with a strange presence. Recently released on Oct. 18, this film is perfect for spooky fall evenings with its creepy theme and sudden jumpscares. It's scarier and much more horrifying than the first of the series, but is a great movie that will have you on the edge of your seat, excited but frightened to see what happens next.

Listen: Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers’ music embodies the essence of fall. Her calming and yearning tone matches perfectly with watching the leaves fade orange and float off trees. Her poignant lyrics embrace the change of summer to fall, and her music doesn’t disappoint on a windy cold night. Her most popular albums include “Stranger in the Alps”, and “Punisher”, well-liked for containing some of her best songs, “Motion Sickness”, “I Know the End”, and “Scott Street”. These albums and songs are calm and satisfying to listen to, and a must for a perfect fall playlist.

Do: Ice Skating

As the leaves fall off trees and the temperature drops, ice skating is a must-do. There are multiple locations around the Bay Area, including the Union Square Ice Rink, San Mateo on Ice, and Winter Lodge. Ice skating brings the perfect mix of activity and tranquility, exhilaration alongside peace (if you manage to stay up). When you’re sitting inside with nothing to do, you can put on your ice skates and glide your way into fall.

By Lexie S. Staff Writer

Eat: Crumbl Cookies

Crumbl cookies’ appetizing cookies, and weekly-rotating menu are just a few of the things that make this franchise popular. Located all around the Bay Area, you can visit the shops in Foster City, Mountain View, and San Jose to get their unique flavors of cookies. Getting into the fall mood, there are several distinctive spooky themed flavors of cookies, including a deliciously Chocolate Dirt Cake Cookie, Blue Monster with Chips Ahoy, Pumpkin Cake Cookie and Snickerdoodles.

PHOTO BY WINTER LODGE

PHOTO BY PARAMOUNT PICTURES

PHOTO BY DEAD OCEANS LABELS

PHOTO BY CRUMBL COOKIES

Dosa Express: from the fields of South India to the heart of San Mateo

Located on the outskirts of downtown, the new restaurant offers a unique culinary experience

By Neel G. Staff Writer

When I walked in, I was immediately hit with the home-y, fermented smell of fresh dosas and aroma of a variety of chilled chutneys. It looked like more of a hole-in-the-wall before entering, but instead I found a vast space decorated with exquisite Indian murals depicting holy cows in nature. And, the noise of chatting families and sizzling dosas only added to the consuming expe rience I found myself in.

And after I was seat ed, I was met with a friendly face asking what I would like to order today. It was the face of Ashok Nadikattu, who manages the restaurant his brother Rahul Nadikattu owns. The two brothers, who are “prac tically best friends” as Ashok put it, are responsible for Dosa Express—the hottest new South Indian restaurant in the area.

and chutneys. However, their extensive menu offers other foods for breakfast through dinner that are worth exploring.

While other Indian restaurants offer Westernized versions of meals, Dosa Express cooks authentic, unique dishes that are hard to find elsewhere.

Dosa Express is their second restaurant. The first, Ruchulu, was located in San Jose and solely owned by Rahul. But they decided to begin Dosa Express in January of this year, launching it in late September.

Dosa Express specializes in making dosas, an Indian savory crepe often paired with spiced potatoes, sambar (a rich, earthy, tangy, spicy vegetable stew),

This includes off-the-menu items. For those willing to try new flavors, the cornpaneer dosa impeccably balances spicy, tart, and salty in one beautiful stuffed circle. It pairs perfectly with the Chikku Lassi, a fruity and very distinctly earthy tasting shake made from sapota fruit. Even as someone who has grown up eating Indian food every day of my life, this was the first time I tried this unique beverage, but it surely won’t be the last.

The Nadikattu brothers are influenced by their childhood life in order to deliver such foods. They grew up in Andhra Pradesh, a highly agricultural state where they were raised next to fields and farms,supplying fresh farm to table food. They moved to San Jose to complete their Masters in computer science before starting Dosa Express.

“We grew up with the same recipes and techniques that we serve and use now,” Ashok explained. “South Indians are very traditionalist, so the restaurant allows us to pass down the dishes that we hold so close to our heart.”

Their tastiest authentic dishes include medu vada, a savory donut-shaped breakfast food or appetizer made from deep fried

lentils and rice flour. They aren’t like the soggy and flavorless ones I have tried before; before sinking your teeth into the tender middle, you can hear the satisfying crunch of the crust. And when you dip it into some hot sambar, the flavors just flawlessly melt together on your tongue. And for the main dish, I recommend one of two dosas: If you're looking for a slightly thicker, more savory and spicy dosa, I would go with the mysore masala dosa. But if you're in the mood for a crispy, thin, and saltier one, the rava masala dosa is a must-try. To balance out the rush of savory and spicy dosas, order their badam milk, a sweet almond milk topped with cardamom and saffron that is the newest addition to their menu.

The restaurant is exceptional, but the two brothers know they couldn’t have done it alone. Their staff doesn’t just cook meals and serve guests; they’re the glue of the restaurant, who’ve been working with Rahul Nadikattu for five to seven years to serve families who often turn into regulars.

“Dosa Express isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a community.”

Coming Together Through Coffeehouse

“Our staff is basically part of our family,” remarked [ashok]. “Dosa Express isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a community.”

For the team, San Mateo was an ideal spot. Due to the city’s safety and cultural melting pot, the brothers are ecstatic to continue their business here. Next to San Mateo High and right off of downtown, they hope to attract customers in the heart of the city.

“I meet so many different types of people. We aim to host a space where we can expose people from different cultures and backgrounds to Indian food,” noted [ashok]. “We are excited to grow our community in San Mateo.”

Before heading out, end the meal on a sweet note. Gulab jamun, a popular Indian dessert of fried dough balls soaked in a warm, sweet rosy syrup, was my personal favorite. Usually, I find it overwhelmingly sugary and not rosy at all, but that wasn’t the case here; the flavors shined through beautifully. If you want to opt for a chilled option, their rasmalai, or spongy patties soaked in a milky syrup with hints of cardamom and saffron, is also an excellent choice. Both desserts melt in your mouth, leaving you with a delicious, almost flower-y after-taste.

As their business grows, they hope to branch out and start new restaurants elsewhere in the bay.

“Dosa Express began because of a random decision to start a new restaurant,” said Ashok. “But this journey has been amazing, and we are committed to continue serving the Bay Area with authentic South Indian food.”

Biannual showcase unites school community with performing arts showcase

By Senna H. Staff Writer

It was the first warm coffeehouse in two years, the product of early October in California. The bright, cloudless sky kept the temporary stage, set up in front of the 1100s, and Rosenberg lawn well-illuminated. An easy calm settled over the crowd as students set up to perform to their peers, parents, teachers, and for some, their grandparents visiting campus for a Grandparents & Special Friends event.

For some students, this was their first time seeing their classmates onstage. Coffeehouse, the biannual creative and performing arts showcase, gave them a chance to get to know community members better, and to see them in a context outside of the classroom.

“[My favorite part is] getting to see everyone come together in the community through music, seeing everyone’s talent,” said arts rep Chloe M. ’25.

As the sun dipped lower into the sky and people spread across the lawn in a semicircle, students grabbed rich hot chocolate and plates of hors d'oeuvres from a long table on the left of the stage.

Cup of hot chocolate in hand, Stella C. ’27 swayed her head to the sounds of guitar as she spoke about her experiences attending the event.

“You get to hear the voices and the talent of people in your school who you don't think to hear from,” she said. “It's so nice, it's so surprising and it's always so beautiful.”

Her sentiment reflects that of many other attendees. Lila P. ’26 emphasized the audience’s support for all of the performers that come on stage to share their passions and art.

“I like the supportive atmosphere and how everyone gets to cheer on person after person and see all these incredible artists who are also our classmates and friends,” Lila said.

Framed by fairy lights and their peers’ encouragement, performers give their hearts out to the people in front of them. From guitar solos to dance showcases, the event is open to everyone, of all levels of performing arts.

Talinn H. ’25 performed both solo and as part of the dance team, and is part of the a cappella group Nueva Notes.

“My favorite thing about Coffeehouse is what an inclusive space it is,” Talinn said. “We have students in all different grades and faculty with such a diverse range of musical knowledge, experience, and interests all

have this platform to share with our large community, and everybody is so excited and so supportive of everybody else.”

These words ring true, as Coffeehouse saw a blend of performers this year, ranging from freshmen and seniors to even teachers, such as Morgan Snyder. Snyder, who is the Upper School I-Lab design engineer and teacher as well as a veteran performer, sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with security guard Jonathan Piper and math

teacher Ihmar Aldana.

“It's so much fun to show my students a part of myself that I don't always bring to school, because music is a super important part of my life. [It’s] vulnerable. It’s hard,” Snyder said. “Music is a human right. It's a universal right for us all to be able to perform.”

The next coffeehouse will be on Mar. 7 in the WRC.

Jamming Out Jonathan Piper, Morgan Snyder, and Ihmar Aldana perform "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough."

PHOTO BY RACHEL F.

PHOTOS BY NEEL GUPTA

Get to Know the In-House Substitute Teacher

Q&A with Rusty Shabe, who has held the official title of

since joining the Upper School in 2023

By Niam K. Staff Writer

CouldyousharemoreaboutyourroleatNueva?

Anytime there is a need for a substitute, and other teachers are unable to cover, I’m the one who goes in. I have a background in teaching English in particular as well as a background in teaching fine arts. A lot of times, the English department and the art teachers will request to have me cover because I can actually facilitate a class, which makes me feel good because I do love teaching both English and fine arts.

WhenyouarethesubstituteteacherforEnglish andfinearts,doyoustillgoalongwiththelesson planstheteachersgiveyou?

Yes, because the whole point of having a substitute teacher is to not interrupt the flow of the class, so that the students are able to continue working on whatever it is that they were working on before. The idea is, even if it’s not my area of understanding, if they give me lesson plans they’re written in a way that I can enact them. Sometimes I’ve gotten lesson plans and I’m like: “I don’t know what the heck this means,” and I’ll have to email them really quick to just double check. By having someone who's already within the community be the substitute, it causes less of an interruption for the students

What brought you to Nueva?

I had a friend who had worked at Nueva Middle School, and she told me: “I think you’d really like it, see if there's any positions

there.” I did an interview at the Lower School, but they didn't have a position for me at that time. Then, six months later, I got an email from [Upper School English Teacher and Teacher Mentor] Allen [Frost] who said, “Hey, we heard about you from [Middle School Division Head] Karen Tiegel, and you would fit what we need. Do you want to come and interview and see what’s up?” And that’s how I ended up here.

Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood

“In-House substitute Teacher”

WheredidyouworkbeforecomingtoNueva?

I was a lead teacher at Synapse School [a middle school in North Fair Oaks, California], then I was at a charter school, and then I was at a different independent private school that was a 6th through 12th grade school.

What are the main differences between teachinghighschoolersatNuevaandyourprevious experiencewithmiddleschoolers?

The energy is very different. High schoolers have had more time to bake, as I like to say, and so you’re more mellowed out than middle schoolers. If it’s a work period, I can sit back and do check-ins every once in a while and ask “hey, are you actually doing your work?” or “Did you finish your work?” There’s freedom for me, especially as a substitute, to let you have room to breathe.

What'syourfavoritepartofteachingandyour role here at Nueva?

The best part is working with the students, for sure. I think that’s the biggest reason why people become teachers. We like working with students and helping them develop their own thought process. One thing I really like about Nueva is that no matter what classroom I step into, I can use my teaching background to help students who have questions. Even if I’m in Multi-

variable Calculus—which is a class I never took even in college—I can just ask them, “Why didn’t that work? Do you know why it didn’t work? What haven’t you tried?” Being able to watch the students interact, help each other, and then figure something out is really rewarding.

OutsideofNueva,whatdoyouliketodoinyour freetime?Doyouhaveanyhobbies?

I really love K-Pop. In my free time, I’m frequently catching up on whatever new releases are going on in K-Pop. I also really love art, which is one of the reasons why I love teaching it. I do a lot of painting, drawing, and sketching, and I also do a lot of my own writing as well.

Whatareyourfavoritethingstoeatordonear campus?Anyrecommendations?

My favorite coffee shop is Kaizen & Coffee on El Camino Real in San Mateo—it’s walkable from [the Upper School]. I’ve seen a couple of students and faculty there already. I also really like Sweet Moment, [a dessert cafe] in downtown San Mateo proper. They have really good boba and desserts. Also, there is a cool record shop [Captain Video] just down on State Street. I really love vinyl and I’m building a collection, so I love just going through their used vinyls and picking out really random albums to buy—if they’re only $5 and have a cool cover, why not?

Ninth grade representative acquires discount codes for students and faculty at various eateries

By Lexie S. Staff Writer

K

nowing students love to visit local eateries after school to socialize, study, and snack, Evan W. ’28 walked into 25 different local businesses and left with eight discounts for students and faculty.

As a part of his campaign for Student Council, Freshman Representative Evan W. ’28 obtained discounts for Upper School students at many of these businesses.

Eight businesses currently offer discounts ranging from 20% off the total order to free appetizers to students and faculty who show their Nueva ID cards. All in close proximity to Nueva, these local businesses hope to draw in more customers by offering discounts to everyone at the San Mateo campus.

Evan took inspiration from a similar effort at the Menlo School, who recently obtained several discounts for their students and faculty. However, Evan wanted to obtain even more discounts than Menlo, and aimed for 10.

“I know that it makes people happy to see that 10%, 20% off, or even just the coupons,” Evan said. “I knew that I had some really good competition so I wanted to do something to stand out.”

At the beginning of the school year, Evan ran against three other candidates for the new-to-Nueva

Freshman Representative role on the promise of the discounts. However, regardless of whether he won or lost, he would’ve still tried to acquire the discounts.

“I would’ve kept going for them, because as a new student you really want to get to know as many people as you can, and having people come up to me [about the discount posters] has been a really good way of getting to know people early on in high

“Having people come up to me [about the discount posters] has been a really good way of getting to know people early on in high school,” Evan said.

school,” Evan said.

Many students have approached Evan and expressed gratitude for the discounts, which allow them to visit these businesses more frequently and enjoy time in Bay Meadows.

“I’m very grateful he took the initiative to do something before he was even elected, and I think this is great for the community,” said Mira H. ’25. “It does a great job at integrating Nueva with the

surrounding community.”

At eight businesses out of his goal of 10, Evan is hoping for at least two more discount codes. He aims to have a wider range of food and drink choices available. Currently, his goal is to acquire discounts at drink oriented shops, which he believes are among the most popular after school spots.

Although many businesses haven’t responded to Evan, he is still determined to fulfill his goal.

“I have ten businesses that still haven’t responded to me, so I’m just going to keep going in and picking on them until they give me an answer,” Evan said.

When questioned if the discounts were for students only, Evan reached out to these businesses to clarify the terms of their agreements. All eight businesses confirmed they were for anyone who had a Nueva ID card, and there’s even a 10% off for families who come with someone with a Nueva ID card at Subway.

Evan is pleased that students are using these discounts, and is eager to uphold relations between the Upper School and the partnering businesses.

“I want everyone on campus to know that if they want to ask me questions for me to forward over to the store managers, that they should come up to me,” Evan said.

Check out these seven businesses offering a free item or discount to the Upper School community 10% off your order at Shake Shack and Super Duper Burger 20% off your order at Humphrey Slocombe, Subway, and Haagen Dazs.

with your purchase at Tacos El Grullense and The Refuge.

PHOTO BY SHAKE SHACK

PHOTO BY HAAGEN-DAZS

PHOTO BY TACOS EL GRULLENSE/ VIA YELP

Teachers, Now Turned Students, in the Classroom

Three teachers take Upper School electives to enhance their learning while collaborating with students

Veena Krishnan, Upper School Math Teacher

For Krishnan, who has taken a full year Advanced Probability, Differential Equations, and Infectious Diseases over the past three years, attending classes was one of the rare opportunities at the Upper School where she could be a “fly on the wall” among the students.

“When I’m

taking a class, I get to be in conversation at a table with [students] and observe student interactions.”

Matthew Hesby, Upper School Computer Science Teacher

This year, Hesby is taking Intro to Computer Aided Design (CAD), an elective taught by Upper School I-Lab Engineer Rob Zomber, with a simple goal in mind: to create 3D-printed board game pieces.

As a participant in online board game chat forums, Hesby has connected with other board game enthusiasts, including one who is working on creating a physical version of a game called Estates.

When this individual sought someone to create pieces for the game, Hesby decided to take Intro to CAD to learn design with CAD software and use the 3D printers in the Upper School’s Innovation Lab (I-Lab) and one he owns.

“I thought that taking this class would let me be able to create things on my own,” Hesby said. “[Rob’s] goal is to teach students how to make large, interconnected mechanical structures. With board games, it’s even simpler—just small shapes. So, getting what I want from the class has been pretty straightforward.”

Although it’s been over a decade since

Morgan Snyder, Upper School I-Lab Design Engineer & Design Thinking Teacher

After spending a summer living on a farm in Peru and years learning Spanish as a second language, Snyder enrolled in Spanish 3, taught by Upper School Spanish teacher William Cheng, at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.

However, she dropped out after a month due to differences between her hands-on learning style and the course’s emphasis on online quizzes. Snyder feels this experience gave her more admiration for how well students adapt to different teachers.

“It helped me acknowledge that students in a class where the teaching style doesn’t perfectly work for them learn to double down and find what they need to do okay,” Snyder said.

She believes this experience reinforced the importance of incorporating diverse activities into her Intro to Programming course.

“Learning to program is more or less like learning a new language,” Snyder said. “Taking [Spanish 3] made me more attuned to how there’s a variety of ways

“When I’m teaching a class, I have to make sure that you guys are learning the concepts and work one-on-one with students who may be struggling,” Krishnan said. “Whereas when I’m taking a class, I get to be in conversation at a table with [students] and observe student interactions.”

In these math courses led by Upper School Math teacher Kathy Paur, Veena observed Paur’s approach to teaching advanced topics. For example, Paur frequently wrote solved example problems on the board before allowing students to work independently. Impressed by this method’s effectiveness, Veena incorporated it into her own classes.

“Being in her class let me see what kind of teaching pedagogies she’s using,

Hesby was in college, he still sees himself as “a student of pedagogy.”

“I have a lot of appreciation and joy in the process of learning, especially learning by doing. I teach myself lots of stuff, like how to program and how to play lots of board games,” Hesby said.

Taking Intro to CAD has helped him build new skills and interact with students.

“There were a number of times where I got stuck on something and would ask students for help, or vice versa,” Hesby said. “It’s cool getting to interact with students in that way.”

This isn’t the first time Hesby has taken

students get to the ‘aha!’ moments. I now do mid-semester surveys to see which of the things I’ve been doing as a teacher futhers the learning of my students…and I then adjust the mix of

Taking [Spanish 3] made me more attuned to how there’s a variety of ways students get to the ‘aha!’ moments.

activities based on their feedback.”

Nonetheless, having also completed several years in Jazz Band and Intro to Fabrication, Snyder is a regular participant in Upper School courses.

As a trumpet player in the Jazz Band, Snyder practices with students under the guidance of Lower and Upper School music teacher Jim Munzenrider. They prepare for various performances, such as lunch performances to the school community.

“I love to just drop in and play music with them,” Snyder said.

In the 2021-2022 school year, which was also her first year teaching at the Upper School, Snyder also took Intro-

and how students responded to them,” Krishnan said.

Veena also often collaborated with students on problem sets and partner projects, including some she had previously taught. Krishnan feels that this has allowed her to be more empathetic with students.

“It made me realize that there’s so much that goes into being a student. You’re constantly thinking about things and problem solving,” Krishnan said. “So, [taking courses] not only made me a better teacher, but also a better citizen in the community.”

At the beginning of this year, Krishnan also enrolled in the Steel Drums elective, taught by Lower and Upper School Music Teacher teacher Jim Morrison.

an Upper School class. Two years ago, he took Linear Algebra to better assist his Intro to Machine Learning students with their open-ended projects. For example, in one project in the Spring semester, his students create feed-forward neural networks, a type of artificial neural network where each layer transforms the next through a combination of linear transformations and non-linear activation functions.

“In feed-forward neural networks, we explore what it means to represent something in multi-dimensional space, and what sorts of things we can do to keep them while keeping it within a linear framework,” said

By Natalie L. Managing Editor

However, having come in with no music experience, she realized that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the skill level of the class.

“I would play the first line [of music] and then the next two lines would go by before I could play them,” Krishnan said with a laugh. “Jim is an awesome teacher, but his players have been with him so many years that they pick it up far quicker than me.”

Even though Krishnan ultimately dropped the course after a month, she feels inspired to pursue Steel Drums outside of school, and hopes to do this as her Quest this year. She also has a “long list” of classes she hopes to take in the future, including Linear Algebra, economics classes, and art classes.

“I have a lot of appreciation and joy in the process of learning, especially learning by doing"

Hesby. “It is helpful to talk through these projects using linear arithmetic.”

Hesby reflects on times where he’s found the material in Intro to CAD and Linear Algebra challenging, and feels that this has given him a direct perspective of how Upper School students “navigate the process of learning.”

Hesby reflects on moments when he found the course material challenging, and believes that this experience has provided him with a firsthand understanding of how Upper School students “navigate the process” of learning.

“It’s a very different experience [than teaching]. As a student, I need to understand new concepts well enough to do things with it,” Hesby said. “I’ve gotten a better appreciation of this process of learning by doing, and how difficult and time consuming that can be.”

and building moving mechanisms.”

The skills she gained from the course were “directly applicable” to teaching her 9th grade Design with Impact class.

“It was super critical for me getting to know the shop from a student perspective,” Synder said. “I come from a programming background, so while I had some experience building things out of lumber, I had no experience designing

Snyder feels that interacting with other students across all her classes has been very enjoyable, especially highlighting Daniel

her

class.

“I wasn’t the strongest student, so it’s interesting being someone who isn’t at the top of the tier and navigating that dynamic,” she said. “Daniel was incredibly strong; he had experience with mechanisms and was always suggesting things and sending me extra resources.”

On the Grind Snyder uses an electric grinder for her project in Intro to Fabrication in 2021. IMAGE BY MORGAN SNYDER. duction to Fabrication alongside Upper School Chemistry Teacher Paul Hick and Upper School Computer Science teacher Wes Chao.

R. ’25 from

Intro to Fabrication

3D Creations Hesby made a "doodad" to practice creating extrusions at an angle (left) and a board game piece for the boardgame Estates (right). DESIGNS BY MATTHEW HESBY.

Continued from Page 1

In the eyes of a number of senior voters, local elections and propositions offer more voting power and personal impact than the presidential contest.

“A local election has much more bearing on your life than the federal elections,” Daniel R. ’25 said. “Being able to vote on ballot measures in the state feels a lot more hopeful, and better than just voting for someone for federal office.”

Leo S. ’25 followed a similar logic in his voting approach.

“I was focusing a lot on the propositions specifically in California because I think that will have the biggest effect on me directly,” he said.

While unmoved by the presidential campaigns, Jackson is closely attuned to the San Francisco ballot measures, California propositions, and San Francisco’s races for mayor and district supervisor. He planned to vote yes on state propositions to fund education (Prop. 2) and healthcare (Prop. 35), but wanted to be more informed about rent control (Prop. 33) before coming to a decision.

Greater interest in local elections and a corresponding desire to vote informed runs into the challenge of researching and parsing through information on lesserknown candidates and ballot initiatives. The voter guide mailed with the ballot does supply candidate statements as well as pro, con, and rebuttal arguments for state and local propositions.

“When you get into the nitty gritty— on my ballot, there was stuff for Santa Clara county—I was like: Whoa, I don’t know anything about this,” Margot said.

For the San Francisco mayoral election, Swain said if he remained undecided he would likely abstain from filling out his selection, while still voting on propositions. He lists inequality, housing discrimination, transit, and substance abuse as the most important local issues to him.

“I don’t know enough about the candidates’ preferences from what they say their policies are and what they actually are,” Swain said.

Jackson seeks out information from his parents and other adults, but also receives unsolicited opinions when “spammed” with campaign advertisements. He does research to quality control the messages circulating around him.

“It’s really about me trying to figure out which opinions I really want to take into account and which ones I don’t, because there’s so much,” Jackson said. “People are just willing to do whatever they can to make it known what they believe about a certain proposition or candidate.”

Although a vote for president or even local office may not hold much sway, senior voters are still invested in the outcomes, both in terms of the winning candidate and the process of the election itself.

Carly anxiously senses that “saving democracy” is at stake in the presidential election, and it is a cause she lays behind

FACING THE VOTE

America will choose between very different futures tomorrow. What questions for Nueva and its voting-age population?

her vote for Harris.

Swain shares the worry over the health of American politics and how the election will reflect upon it.

“I'm concerned about people, once again, claiming that the election lacked integrity,” he said. “I'm concerned that people are going to be spreading more demagoguery and fear tactics surrounding our democracy.”

The student voters do not want a replay of the 2020 election aftermath to Trump’s defeat. Leo and others alluded to unfounded denials of Biden’s victory in 2020, and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021 to attempt to stop the certification of the results.

As for election day itself, the ideal is a smooth and peaceful operation.

“Other than the outcome, making sure that voting is safe—here I think it’ll probably be pretty safe, but in other places in the country just from what’s happened in the past,” Leo said.

In that vein, Daniel considers the “rule of law” a high priority for the election. In general, he wishes there was an alternative to vitriolic, heated culture enveloping the presidential race.

“A lot of people are saying very hateful things on both sides,” Daniel commented. “I wish there was a little bit more civility.”

An “all-or-nothing” election climate is at once bothersome to Daniel and indicative of the divide between Trump and Harris over key issues on the table, such as individual rights and freedoms, border control, healthcare, and foreign policy.

"A local election has much more bearing on your life than the federal elections," Daniel R. '25 said.

While the value they place on their own votes may vary between the national and regional context, the senior voters each have visions and concerns for the election outcomes and process that motivate them to get out to the polls.

Per the Census Bureau, 18 to 24-yearolds recorded the lowest voter turnout of any age group in 2020, at 51% nationally compared to 67% overall. For all their

By Jackson H. Staff Writer & Gabriel B. Features Editor

different attitudes toward voting, the 19 seniors’ participation as first-time eligible voters exceeds the national norm.

II. State of the Race

On Nov. 5, over 240 million Americans will be eligible to vote in what polling indicates will be the closest election since at least 2000.

A victory for either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris would be history-making. Harris would be the first woman and woman of color to hold the office. Trump would be the second president ever to serve non-consecutive terms—the first being Grover Cleveland in 1892—and the only convicted felon ever to become president.

Harris, since taking the reins from President Biden in July, has turned the race on its head. Biden’s underwater polling had given Trump a sizable lead, but Harris’ fast-moving campaign brought in $1 billion in three months and generated enthusiasm among disaffected Democratic voting blocs, such as young voters and people of color.

"We’re going to acknowledge the moment,” said history teacher Chelsea Denlow. "We’re all going to be in a space of the unknown and uncomfortable together."

Throughout October, however, Harris’ already tight polling lead has narrowed further to a dead heat, with the race within two points in all seven major battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Election night watchers may focus in particular on Pennsylvania, the largest and closest of the battleground states. Whichever candidate wins there will likely be the next President.

A key question on election night will be the extent of polling error. Trump has historically been underestimated by polls in both 2016 and 2020. A similar error this year would likely yield a decisive victory for the Republicans.

But in the eyes of most forecasters, the race is essentially fifty-fifty. Very few political experts claim to know the result, though betting markets and poll aggregators started showing a Trump advantage in October for the first time since Harris won the Democratic nomination.

No matter the winner, it remains an open question of how long it will take for the results to be known.

Since the pandemic, more voters have been voting early or by mail and counting has begun to stretch across multiple days. It took four days for Biden’s win to be confirmed in 2020.

And if Harris were to win, the battle could be further drawn out by litigation from Trump’s campaign. After refusing to acknowledge his loss for the past four years, Republicans are already prepared to contest this year. “Another January 6th” has been a frequent fear for commentators as well as senior voters.

III. Finding a "Nueva Way" for 2024 Nueva is no stranger to dealing with major geopolitical events. But a highly unpredictable contest, often described the most important in recent history, very different beast. Furthermore, preparing for “the day after” is made more complex by the high likelihood a winner will not known on election night.

An assembly on Nov. 6 will consist of an audio presentation on “What Democracy Means to Me” made by Director of Equity and Inclusion Shawn Taylor and breakout “What Now?” mini-WoW sessions investigating specific questions in the aftermath of the election.

“I’m optimistic that the school is tackling this head on and that we’re going to acknowledge the moment,” history teacher Chelsea Denlow. “We’re all going to be in a space of the unknown and uncomfortable together.”

Aside from the special programming, Wednesday will be a typical school day, and teachers may or may not choose incorporate the previous night’s returns.

“I would expect a history class that day to discuss the election, but a physics class would do physics,” Upper School Division Head Liza Raynal said. “But we’re not trying to put a bubble around us and pretend the election doesn’t exist, and teachers will lean into their expertise.”

Denlow’s American History class, one example, has kept an open discussion forum on Canvas this semester for asking and answering questions about the election.

Across the 11th grade history classes, a new project on the Constitution’s relevance to modern issues has also been created to coincide with the final weeks election season.

Similarly, in debate coach Les Phillips’ American Government elective, students are writing election prediction papers, determining who will win a given swing state by drawing from polls, the state’s voting history, and other factors.

Denlow and the History department have additionally taken the lead on two iterations of Civics WoWs (Wednesdays of Wonder) on Oct. 2 and Oct. 23 respectively.

The WoWs included purely political

questions remain

2024 with highly described as history, is a “the by not be consist Shawn specific election. moment,” said “We’re unknown programming, day, to returns. that physics School “But around their class, as discussion asking classes, been weeks of Phillips’ students papers, swing state’s department two (Wednesdays political sessions on campaign finance or American populism, but there were also interdisciplinary offerings connecting the election to poetry, statistics, or climate change.

“We decided rather than have the whole school sit through an assembly to talk about the election, that we’d do something very Nueva: to have faculty lean on their expertise and get at civic education from many different angles,” Denlow said.

The workshops held value for senior voters such as Margot, both as a student and a voter.

“Especially the ones with [civic] themes are getting us into that voting mindset. I think it’s good that they’re non-partisan because it’s allowing us to get our own opinions.”

While the Civics WoWs are a new creation, election programming such as “What Now” sessions has existed in past cycles at the Upper School, both online in 2020 and in-person after the 2022 midterms.

While the school is borrowing from past cycles, Raynal believes that the way Nueva is handling this election season is more informed by the present cultural mood than the past.

“This moment is informing us more than those elections are,” Raynal said. “We are in the most polarized world that I can remember, and you all have grown up as thinkers without a remembered experience of a different version of politics.”

Countering the polarized attitudes that are driving the 2024 election is part of Nueva’s broader theme this year of civil discourse.

“Our hope is to provide you with avenues to figure out what you believe and ways in which to express beliefs while listening across differences,” Raynal said. “So while we are thinking about civil discourse because of the election, we’re also thinking about it for larger reasons of preparing students to be in the world.”

In describing her vision for civil discourse, Raynal often refers to the E.E. Ford Foundation’s framework for schools encouraging ideological pluralism.

framework’s second

Nonpartisanship,” encourages schools to refrain from directly participating in partisan activity.

That commitment is further mandated by Nueva’s position as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, meaning it is prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for elected office.

However, neutral civic engagement initiatives have been permitted and platformed on campus. Students have led voter pre-registration drives, wrote over 1000 get-out-the-vote postcards, and may be excused from attendance on Election Day in order to volunteer as poll workers.

“It’s not because I want every person to become a poll worker, but I do want them to know that we care about the ways in which they engage in their communities,” Raynal said.

That community engagement has stretched off-campus as well. Numerous students have volunteered on local campaigns, such as the heated battle between Sam Liccardo and Evan Low for the 16th congressional district, or on the presidential race through phone banking or postcarding.

Students and faculty are all engaged in different capacities, but the community as a whole has Election Day circled on the calendar.

When the calls are announced on election night, it will open up a barrage of material for discussion and reflection. The way the community handles the result will be hard to control, but will serve as an opportunity for testing the school’s vision for civil discourse.

“I'm not feeling very excited to vote, though I think I will.”

Swain M. '25

“The candidates are total opposites on which rights to keep and which to take away.”

Margot S. '25

“I wish there were more choices than just the two parties in the United States.”

Daniel R. '25

Rewinding the Californian clock a decade

Community

leaders reflect on Proposition 36, an upcoming measure to reform state-wide

criminal justice

By Kayla L. Opinion Editor

Charged with the same mission—to improve public safety—Californian political leaders, advocacy organizations, and even distraught Nextdoor users are divided on an upcoming policy approach aimed to solve it.

On this year’s Election Day, California voters will have a hot button state proposition on their ballots: Proposition 36. If approved, the proposal would invoke the three strikes rule for petty crime in California—defined as $950 or less of stolen goods or drugs—and make a third misdemeanor a chargeable felony. There would be significantly more Californians incarcerated in state extended-stay prisons. Prop. 36 also offers a new treatmentmandated felony option for drug dealers.

Older voters may feel déjà vu while voting this year; the proposed measure is an antithesis to the decade-old Proposition 47, which significantly reduced the severity of crime response in California. While Prop. 47 was successful in its goal of reducing mass incarceration, decreasing prison costs, and decreasing drug offenses, proponents of Prop. 36 say that it has caused homelessness, drug trafficking, and theft to skyrocket.

The state of California had the highest shoplifting rates in 2023 than in any year since 2000. Moreover, San Mateo County is one of four California counties that account for over 90% of the statewide rise in retail theft since 2019, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The county alone saw a 41% increase in retail theft incidents, or commercial burglary and shoplifting.

In an exclusive interview,

Redwood City mayor Jeff Gee pointed to the theft that has become commonplace at Sequoia Station, a shopping center that includes a Safeway, CVS, and other small shops. While meeting with constituents about public safety, he has encountered parents who fear the danger shoplifters may pose to their children.

“People just don't feel safe in our city going to the grocery store,” Gee said. “You should feel safe.”

Beyond theft, proponents of Prop. 36 say that the measure would curb the fentanyl crisis. By imposing harsher penalties on fentanyl dealers—including murder charges in the case that they repeatedly sell illegal drugs and their drugs kill someone— they believe they will hold drug traffickers accountable for damage in communities.

One of Prop. 36’s proponents is Matt Capelouto, whose daughter Alexandra died of fentanyl poisoning in 2019. Capelouto began his organization Stop Drug Homicide to advocate for better accountability for drug dealers, and they are currently rallying behind Prop. 36 because it includes Alexandra’s Law. The law would require the court to read an advisory statement about the dangers of drugs to dealers being charged for the first time.

“I see it being equally preventative as punitive because the goal is to make that person think twice about being involved in the drug trade knowing that they can face a murder charge,” Capelouto said in an exclusive interview. “It's only if they disregard that warning, and somebody dies as a result of their continued actions that they can be held with murder or or charged with murder.”

Prop. 36 will also impose a brand-new treatment-mandated

felony system, in which drug addicts and users are able to plead guilty to their crimes and receive alternative forms of punishment.

“Under the current system, things have gotten far worse because there's nothing to get [drug addicts] the help they need,” Capelouto said.

In an op-ed published in The Voice of San Francisco, activism coalition Moms Against Drugs Addiction and Deaths voiced their support for how Prop. 36 strikes a balance between compassion and accountability.

“It offers hope for those trapped in the cycle of addiction while providing a balanced approach to public safety,” they wrote. “[Prop. 36] could mean the difference between life and death, providing essential support even when they’re unable to seek it themselves.”

However, opponents of Prop. 36 worry that taking steps to revert back to California’s tough-oncrime stance is the wrong move.

Johanna Rasmussen, Chair of the Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Commission in San Mateo County, is especially concerned about the potential harm Prop. 36 may have on disadvantaged youth around the Bay Area.

In Rasmussen’s job, she has worked with many youth who have committed acts of “survival stealing,” where impoverished or homeless youth are forced to steal basic necessities like soap or toothpaste. She emphasized that they are stealing out of necessity rather than desire.

“They don't have anybody,” she said in an exclusive interview. “I've had one of the kids tell me, ‘Ms. Johanna, I don't want to rob people. I don't want to hurt people, but I'm hungry. How am I going to get food?’”

What’s the Tea about Measure T?

Rasmussen acknowledges a spike in larger organized theft, in which thieves may steal a whole shelf from a store like Walgreens, then resell their goods. However, from her work, she has learned that the ringleaders of organized retail theft are primarily adults who employ vulnerable youth living in extreme poverty, the Child Protective Services (CPS) system, or homelessness.

Rasmussen also pointed to studies that indicate that theft spiked not after Prop. 47’s implementation— but the pandemic, which drove a 28% spike in shoplifting. Given the context of heightened poverty postpandemic, Rasmussen cautions Prop. 36 voters against misplaced blame.

“When we want to get tough on crime, do we really want to get tough on vulnerable children? Kids who don't have parents?” Rasmussen said. “It's a systematic failure somewhere else. Prop 36 isn't going to suddenly give them parents. It isn't suddenly going to fix their financial situation.”

She also warns against the popular notion that shoplifters aren’t being prosecuted. Recently, Rasmussen met two 15 year old men with cognitive disabilities. They were parentless, in the CPS system, and went into Walgreens to steal personal hygiene items. Later, the district attorney charged them with conspiracy to commit commercial burglary, a federal crime and what Rasmussen called “an excessive charge” for teenagers.

These teenagers were not just vulnerable because of their age, but their race; while Black and Hispanic youth account for 78% of San Mateo County’s Juvenile Hall population, only 39.4% of all San Mateo County students are Black or Hispanic.

Tina Doede, president of the League of Women Voters (LWV) North and Central San Mateo County chapter, concurred in an exclusive interview that disproportionate incarceration rates

for people of color is “not really acceptable.” LWV is a national collective known for its detailed investigations before releasing formal voting recommendations and has publicly opposed Prop. 36.

Their opposition to Prop. 36 is in part because of its potential to raise costs for taxpayers without significantly improving public safety. Incarceration is extremely expensive; according to the California Legislature, it costs about $106,000 annually to incarcerate an inmate in a California prison.

Capelouto, while acknowledging the steep price of incarceration, provided a preemptive rebuttal.

“To those worried about the price, I say: how dare they put a value on the lives of those who have been killed by fentanyl?” he asked. “How much money are we losing because they will never contribute to our economy—ever?”

Doede also independently questions the opportunity cost Prop. 36 would impose on shoplifters, whom she does not consider a significant threat to public safety.

“It's a huge waste of human potential. That person would potentially be able to come out and contribute to society,” Doede said.

Bay Area community members are divided on Prop. 36., in which every Nextdoor post about personal experience with car break-ins or Amazon package theft incites a backand-forth chain of debate between users.

While Mayor Gee is supportive of Prop. 36, he encourages all community members to “do their homework” before Election Day and to consider future generations as he often does as a community leader.

“I'm not worried only about 2024. I'm worried about 2034, 2054, 2064,” he said. “I always try to figure out what the impacts may be years from now, and I try to find the balance point.”

Contentious policy aimed at increasing housing height and density in certain areas dividesSan Mateo residents

By Josie B. Editor-in-Chief

In the past few months, walking around San Mateo has become almost impossible without seeing one letter: “T.”

Measure T, which will be on the City of San Mateo ballot this November, allows for increases in the height and density of residential buildings in 10 zones to meet State of California housing unit mandates. Lawn signs supporting and condemning the measure have dotted San Mateo neighborhoods and debate has exploded in online forums.

Taso Zografos, the CEO of a silicon value software company called Streetline, was one of many San Mateo residents who took to forums such as Nextdoor and Facebook to share their concerns about the measure.

“Selling of false promises that T will deliver 'affordable housing' exploits those who are less fortunate for the benefit of the rich and powerful who can

buy political influence,” wrote Zografos. “This is the ultimate betrayal of justice, a shameless display of greed.”

On the other hand, many residents and council members have spoken out in support of the measure. District 5 Council Member Adam Loraine grew up in San Mateo and has joined activism efforts to advocate for Measure T. For him, the measure is about creating housing for all.

“Housing in San Mateo is too expensive for too many,”

Lorraine said. “We need a plan for balanced future growth that increases affordable housing for a sustainable future.”

While Lorraine said those against the measure have valid concerns “about growth in San Mateo and T being too large and more than necessary,” he believes that San Mateo has been underbuilding housing for years and needs to catch up.

The contention surrounding housing standards has been a long time in the making. It dates

back to another long-contested measure called Measure Y, which narrowly passed in 2020 with 50.05% voter support. Measure Y currently ensures a five-story cap on residential and commercial buildings.

If Measure T passes, 75% of the city will still follow the current development limits from Measure Y as plans for specified growth and change in the city are primarily focused within ten study areas designated as “Residential Very Low.” Many of the zones

overlap with El Camino Real, and most are on the edges of the district.

The Measure T proposal was created because of San Mateo’s General Plan 2040, which committed San Mateo lawmakers to promoting affordable housing and housing development in San Mateo, including an increase in building density and height limits.

San Mateo has consistently failed to meet low-income housing targets set by the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), a state mandate that determines the number of new homes an area must plan for in order to accommodate residents; last year, the county met only 29% of its low-income RHNA targets.

Sign Off Signs supporting and condeming Measure T have sprung up throughout San Mateo County. PHOTOS BY JOSIE B.

Policy Over Gender: Trump Should Look Beyond Harris’s Femininity

Kamala Harris shouldn’t need to defend her gender

By Alexis C. Staff Writer

The 2024 presidential election has become a petty fight, ultimately, between a woman and a man who openly disrespects women, often undermining their autonomy over health decisions and reducing them to crude stereotypes. But, it shouldn’t be.

Harris’ name on the ballot this November is inspiring and empowering to me. She is only the second woman to win the Democratic bid with the possibility of becoming the first female president of the United States. She is also Black and Asian American. To a young, Asian American woman such as myself, Harris is a role model for pursuing leadership in a space where diversity and intersectionality have historically lacked.

Donald Trump’s campaign has seized upon Harris’ multiple identities by flagrantly reducing this election’s focus to her gender. Time and time again, Trump has called Harris dumb, which is perpetuating outdated and misogynistic stereotypes that women are less intelligent than men. “Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way,” Trump said at a rally in Wisconsin. Later, he said she was “dumber than hell.”

His language is unseemly and distasteful to all women. Even Nikki Haley, a candidate in the Republican Party primaries, made a public remark about Trump’s language on conservative talk show Fox and Friends.

“Donald Trump and JD Vance need to change the way they speak about women. You don’t need to call Kamala dumb,” Haley said.

She’s right: calling Harris unintelligent is an insult to her gender, pulling on sexist biases against intelligent women. Even if Trump doesn’t hold sexist beliefs or believe that women are dumb, would he call a male opponent dumb in the same way?

No, he wouldn’t.

Trump certainly wouldn’t call a male opponent a b—, which he has reportedly called Harris, in private, on multiple occasions. His running mate, JD Vance, called out certain Democrats as, “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives,” aiming his attention at Harris’ lack of biological children.

In August, Trump re posted a photo of Harris with Hillary Clinton on Truth Social, his so cial media platform.

The caption, a crude joke, implied that Harris exchanged sexual

acts in order to climb up the political ladder.

This seems to be the theme for Donald Trump: he attempts to disparage Harris by criticizing her gender and femininity. And not only is this detrimental to his campaign—polls as of Oct. 27 show Harris with a twelve percentage point advantage in likely female voters—but Trump making such comments is completely unnecessary.

When Trump continually brings up Harris’ womanhood, he isn’t just making digs at his presidential opponent. He’s arguing that women aren’t suited to be presidents.

Trump has chosen to belittle Harris, rather than use his time towards the numerous issues this election. Out of all the contentious debates on the table, I wish Trump would explain his policies or share

Policies, Please The heart of the election should be the issues on the table. PHOTO BY REBECCA WRIGHT/CNN/ CARLOS BARRIA/REUTERS

When Trump continually brings up Harris’ womanhood, he isn’t just making digs at his presidential opponent. He’s arguing that women aren’t suited to be presidents.

his specific criticism of Harris’—rather than descend to the level of attacking his opponent’s womanhood.

Moreover, Harris shouldn’t need to defend her own gender. In an ideal world, I hope that women would be addressed and regarded the same as their male counterparts—that we can have a woman take center stage without causing a sexist uproar. I hope that voters won’t worry about decisions made during “that time of the month” or that women are “too emotional.”

I am optimistic for a point in time where gender isn’t the checkbox on our mental ballot.

Harris is an inspiring figure for the intersectionality of women and people of color. She brings her intelligence, leadership, experience, and perspective as a woman to this election—but Donald Trump only sees the latter.

It's Time For The Youth To Take Back Their Knowledge

Wake up. Read the news.

By Ellie L. Culture Editor

This summer, I went to New York for a journalism camp during the week of primary elections. I was surrounded by “I Voted!” stickers and campaign ad-covered billboards, random New Yorkers espousing political rhetoric and conspiracy theories—as well as over a hundred student journalists discussing the presidential debate. Yes, it was that disastrous debate between President Biden and Mr. Trump.

It was overwhelming, to say the least. It wasn’t just hectic; I also lacked recent context for the breaking political news. Though I have always liked to think of myself as someone who keeps up with the news, I had been subconsciously ignoring election coverage. I had scrolled past the Biden fundraising ads and news of Trump’s convictions. I had disregarded all polls.

I had mistakenly thought that turning a blind eye towards the news would preserve whatever semblance of hope I had left.

But, surrounded by peers engaged in political discussion, I quickly realized that the news I’d been ignoring held a significance that far outweighed my moment of oblivion. This year, there seems to be a new disaster everyday. The election is in dead heat. Gun violence shows no sign of stopping. Women’s rights are being stripped away, while the broader systems of support for mental health are failing. Oh, and the government is constantly on the verge of a shutdown.

Hearing about this news is depressing. The sheer scale bewilders me. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t important, or that it

can be ignored. It is because of the bad news, in fact, that I believe news is so valuable.

We, the youth, need to know about corruption in our city council, the misogynistic language politicians use, and the missile strikes in the Middle East—if only so we can stay up to date and take some form of informed action.

Political news holds a special significance in the media. It transcends headlines, because politics have a real impact on how we live, often in subtle ways we don’t even notice. For instance, ballot propositions, a staple of California political culture, can sneak past even when they address housing laws or ban same-sex marriage.

Staying uninformed about these measures won’t stop them from changing our lives irreparably. But in keeping up with the news and gaining knowledge about the actual details of major political events, there is the opportunity for us to take some kind of stand.

Let’s discuss the elephant in the room: Yes, most high schoolers can’t cast a vote. Instead, supporting a senatorial candidate might simply look like a conversation with a parent, or friend. Preventing an oppressive bill might look like volunteering to go doorto-door or writing opinions online.

No matter what, the news provides the knowledge helpful to knowing which bill to support, or what candidate to disavow. Even as teenagers, our voices, especially as a collective, have power.

After all, opinions are the first step towards action, the first venture outside of political oblivion, and into confronting the real world. As crazy and terrible as it is, we cannot remain oblivious to the horrors of American politics, even if we try. Politics are inevitable. It’s a cliché and tired rhetoric to claim that it’s up to us to change the

world—but in a sense, it is true. We are coming of age in an increasingly fractured world, and it is up to our generation to go out there and make change. How can we do that if we don’t know which rights are under attack, or the impact of an assassination attempt upon voter demographics, or the legal implications of yet another, oppressive Supreme Court decision?

I used to feel powerless. But I now know the simple act of reading the news and knowing what is happening in the world can truly empower us, as America edges onto the precipice of disaster.

Of course, I should also note that I am certainly not a political junkie, and most teenagers simply aren’t. Every single article and perspective does not need to be read. The details of a gubernatorial election across the country is not automatically a must-watch.

No one needs to be ultra-educated or

super knowledgeable on a topic to have an opinion, but there is no doubt that getting more information and perspective from the news can’t hurt. The more knowledge, the more nuanced an opinion gets.

And in our times, some basic political literacy is necessary. Know the impact of wars in other countries upon our own. Know when politicians are almost assassinated. Watch their promises carefully, and have the background to scrutinize their actions.

The news on American politics will probably be demoralizing. Opinions might fail to sway other people. And the worst of the worst might manifest in multiple possibilities—the draconian Supreme Court could bring our nation’s law backwards again, a diplomatic mission could fall through, and our democracy could shatter to pieces.

But it is still our duty to be watching, and there is always something to gain from that.

Headlines Hell Sometimes, the sheer amount of bad news is overwhelming. But we still must confront it. ILLUSTRATION BY SENYA S.

Student Standoff

The state of California recently banned legacy admissions at private universities for the 2026 application cycle. Two student perspectives on this decision.

A Perspective on Legacy Admission from a “Non-Legacy Kid”

The importance that our society and workforce places on college prestige means that legacy admissions perpetuate economic inequality

By Hilde K. Guest Writer

While both my parents attended universities that helped them grow as people and learners, neither are “top” schools I am interested in attending. This has nothing to do with the caliber of the schools— just that I don’t believe I would grow as a learner, nor enjoy attending either school. I acknowledge that one’s self-worth should not be rooted in where you go to collegeuniversity and that our society and the Bay Area place too much emphasis on it.

However, the advantage students have with a legacy status in college admissions is incredibly unfair, and I am glad it's being abolished.

Legacy admission perpetuates a society where it's hard for average families to break into the top bracket of success. Top schools are well-resourced, have vast alumni networks, and hold a lot of prestige just in their names, making it easier for students and alumni to get high-paying jobs over equally qualified applicants.

I’ve learned about the bias associated with colleges from my father’s experience. After growing up in Oklahoma, he received a full ride to attend a state university where he was Student Body President and spent a semester studying in Russia. Although he held leadership positions and was a top student during college, he told me and my siblings that he felt passed over for jobs to someone who had gone to a better-known school. My father instilled in us that if we want a good job, the first

step is going to a selective, well-known university.

Although I cannot attest to the truth of his claims, this narrative has been reinforced for me by many other interactions. Once, when I wore a Columbia University sweatshirt to Safeway, an alum checking out her groceries nearby me struck up a conversation. When I asked her if she liked Columbia, she responded that she did, primarily because her degree had helped her land jobs years after graduation, even when she didn’t think she was qualified.

Another time, my mom told me about how an elementary school I applied to for kKindergarten asked all parents where they went to college. The admissions team used it as a parameter to measure future success. If the parents had attended an Ivy League University or a Top T20 school, the applicant was more likely to be accepted as they would be more likely to matriculate to a “higher quality” college. I didn’t end up getting into this school. While my rejection might have been due to other factors, my mom’s perspective on this situation showed that she feels that her college education influences my ability to do well academically.

Not having legacy admissions means that a greater diversity of people throughout the U.S. can have more equal access to high-quality education and connections. While working hard and social mobility is not always directly correlated—as there

are many barriers including race, sex, and more that prohibit opportunities—legacy admission is a significant form of institutional oppression that can be abolished.

Ideally, where you went to school should not be individually considered to help you get a job, but unfortunately, right now it still is. Within this current atmosphere, it is important to abolish legacy admissions as it perpetuates an unfair society where affluent people at the top don’t have to work as hard as the average household because they know that opportunities will be given to them. The rich continue to get richer while others have no means of accessing the same connections and job opportunities. Without legacy admissions, more high-quality applicants will have a fighting chance of getting into these schools.

People should be evaluated based on the merit of their work and how much they would add to a classroom, not on whether their parents went to a certain school.

A Policy with Great Intent, but No Teeth

California’s ban on legacy admissions may be ineffective due to weak penalties for colleges and Stanford’s lack of commitment to comply

By Natalie L. Managing Editor

My lack of a parental college legacy to a university I’m applying to has, at least perceptually, placed me in the minority at the Upper School. As a result, conversations with my family and college counselors about this topic have often made me feel like I’m a step behind my peers who have a legacy at competitive schools.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has promised students like me, along with those facing far, far greater disadvantages due to socioeconomic and academic barriers, a solution for making college admissions more equitable.

The bill, AB 1780, passed by Governor Newsom on Sep. 30, makes California the fifth state in the nation to ban admission preferences to students that are relatives of alumni and donors in private and public universities.

In theory, this bill addresses a disparity in opportunity at California private universities that currently give preferential treatment to legacy admits.

I do see this bill as a substantial step in the right direction. However, my concern lies in this bill’s fine print.

At Stanford University, ranked as the fourth best university in the country by US News with a regular admission rate of 4%, legacy admits made up 13.6% of the freshman class in 2023. The same year, legacy admits made up 14.5% of the freshman class at the University of Southern California, 7% at Claremont McKenna, and a staggering 38% at Santa Clara University.

I agree that these percentages highlight a significant advantage for those born into prestigious families—an advantage that often favors those who need it the least. I do see this bill as a substantial step in the right direction.

However, my concern lies in this bill’s fine print. The final version of the bill has completely removed the original provisions proposed by Assemblymember Philip Ting, a Democrat from San Francisco and the bill’s author, following pushback by the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.

These provisions would have mandated that colleges pay a civil penalty equal to the amount of Cal Grant funds they received if they continued to use legacy status as a factor in admissions. Being that Cal Grant funds are the state’s main substitute to cover tuition for low-income students on financial aid, this would have been a multi-million dollar incentive for colleges to end

legacy admissions. Now, however, the only consequence schools would face is being listed on what is essentially a “wall of shame” maintained by the Department of Justice. Aside from vague statements from outside legal groups suggesting they might take legal action against universities that appear on this list, there are no actual repercussions. The universities themselves also seem uncertain about the need to comply with this law.

For instance, when asked if Stanford plans to adhere to the new legislation, a spokesperson stopped short of affirming their compliance, saying “Stanford will be continuing to review its admissions policies.”

And thus, I’m left completely skeptical that any real changes will be made to achieve academic equity between those with and without legacy status in California’s private universities.

ART BY GREY L.

Hilde K. Natalie L.

The Nueva Current Volume 8

Masthead

Josie B. ’25

Editor-in-Chief

Natalie L. ’25

Managing Editor

Alvin Y. ’26

News Editor

Gabriel B. ’25

Features Editor

Ellie L. ’26

Culture Editor

Kayla L. ’26

Opinion Editor

Ethan H. ’25

Sports Editor

LiAnn Yim Faculty Advisor

Staff

Anwen C. ’26

Alexis C. ’27

Emily F. ’27

Jordan F. ’27

Neel G. ’27

Jackson H. ’26

Senna H. ’26

Niam K. ’26

Anvi M. ’28

Natalia R. ’28

Senya S. ’26

Callum S. ’27

Alexandra S. ’28

The Nueva Current strives to provide informative and impactful articles for our community. Our issues cover stories related to our school, the Bay Area, California, and other relevant spheres. We are dedicated to helping readers understand the ways in which we can all make a difference in the world around us.

The opinions expressed in The Nueva Current belong solely to the writers and are not a reflection or representation of the opinions of the school or administrators.

The Nueva Current is distributed to current and alumni members of The Nueva School community. Press run is 600 copies, printed by FolgerGraphics. Fonts used in Volume 8: Very Vogue, Seriously Nostalgic, Awesome Font, Glamour Absolute, and ITC Galliard Std.

The Nueva Current is a member of the NSPA and CSPA. NSPA Pacemaker Finalist 2020, 2022, 2023. Pacemaker Winner 2022. Gold Crown winner 2023.

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, SUBMISSIONS

We welcome your voices. We accept photographs, letters to the editors, articles, illustrations, and other pieces of work. Please email us at thenuevacurrent@nuevaschool. org.

STAY CONNECTED

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Stop Looking Down At Your Screen

My personal experience with screen addiction, despite living in a strict screen-time household

By Niam K. Staff Writer

Growing up, I was always the kid with the strict phone regulations. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve had to call my mom at a sleepover to ask for just a few more minutes to play games with my friends. This has continued to the present day—yes, I am a junior who can only use Instagram for 15 minutes every day.

I used to resent my mom because of this. But as I have grown up, I have realized the value these restrictions have given me. Like any teenager, with these limits imposed, I had to find ways to compensate.

One way was through reading. I was always an avid reader, and at a young age, my parents bought me a Kindle because we went to the bookstore so much. My mom often talks about how reading is “therapy” for me and how it is essential to my well-being.

Despite my mom’s relentless screen time limits, I found myself slipping into a deep phone addiction.

My rapidly increasing screen time started replacing my old hobbies, especially reading. I now wasted hours and hours at a time looking at a screen.

I have recently found myself slipping back into my old phone addiction habits, which has prompted me to reflect on my screen usage. I have noticed that me and my friends have normalized being on our phones even when we hang out together.

The worst part about this is that we don’t even realize when we do it. Multiple times in the past week, my friends have exchanged Reels on Instagram with each other while we’re all sitting at the same table.

People often consider the “screen time ep-

Civic Engagement

People often denote “screen time epidemic” as the smoking of our generation. While this may be extreme, I think it is important for us to take time and think about how much we are using our phones.

idemic” as the smoking of our generation. While this may be extreme, I think it is important for us to take time and think about how much we are using our phones. Now, this isn’t to say I’m against screens and “wasting time” on screens. I believe that, like everything, screen time in moderation can be a tool to relieve stress and reward yourself after hard work.

However, in many cases among young people, phones can cause us to miss out on building long-lasting relationships and experiencing true face-to-face connection with each other.

I encourage everyone reading this to reflect on your screen time averages and think of ways to use your phone less in the future. Don’t be like me and lose your favorite hobbies because of your phone. We need to look up, people.

is More Necessary Than Ever

Staying informed is critical to the health of our democracy

By The Editorial Board

Tomorrow, Nueva’s Upper School will face its second-ever election while school is actually in session (everyone was on Zoom during the 2020 election).

The 2024 election is a historic moment not only for our country and our local communities but also for our school. How we approach this election can shape the experiences of future Nueva students. How will Nueva students approach civil engagement? How will they discuss their political beliefs not just in the classroom but in college, in summer internships and future workplaces? Will they want to vote?

As the editors of this paper, we want to encourage our classmates to think about these questions. Too often, we see students embracing and sharing jokes or online memes about political candidates but not necessarily taking the time to learn about and interact with policy changes that will affect them.

Earlier in our journalism class this year, we went around the campus in pairs and asked other students for their opinions on

the presidential debate. Many students hadn’t watched the debate at all. Others told us that they had either only watched highlight reels of the debate, interacted with it via social media, or seen jokes or memes about it. This wasn’t everyone, of course, but it doesn’t change the reality that too often it's easier to turn to social media to give us quick bites of easily consumable information rather than seek out the facts and full context for ourselves.

In this issue of The Nueva Current, our centerfold article discusses the 2024 presidential election and how our community, specifically the seniors of voting age in our community, is approaching it this year. We encourage you to take the time to read this article, learn about the state of the race, learn about your voting-age classmates, and think for yourself how you might take the step to be more civically engaged in your own life.

Meanwhile, the news and features

sections include stories that dive into local and regional elections and voting. Take advantage of our reporting and research to learn more about unique Californian candidates, ballot propositions, and what’s exactly at stake tomorrow.

In our opinion section, Culture Editor Ellie Lin ’26 writes about her personal experiences in realizing she needed to actively keep up with political news, rather than avoid it subconsciously. She encourages students to read the news healthily and seek out more than one perspective.

In understanding politics, there are often many news sources to wade through. Reading about politics is not always an easy or enjoyable process, but being informed is the first step towards making positive change in our communities. We hope that our student reporting may support you in being better informed, more confident, and more hopeful as we head into tomorrow.

PHOTO BY ELA K.

Mixing it Up, Cubed

From cylinders to pentagons, three students find joy in solving Rubik’s Cubes

By Alexis C. Staff Writer & Natalie L.Managing Editor

R

ubik’s Cubes, 3D puzzles in the shape of a cube, have intrigued, challenged, and frustrated people since its invention in 1976. However for Conner C. ’25, Max R. ’25, and Ravi K. ’28, they delight in solving the puzzle.

For Conner, his passion began in sixth grade after a friend introduced him to the Rubik’s Cube. His hobby evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[I did it] between every single class. So probably 5 hours a day,” Conner said, recalling this habit from 2020. “I would go and do homework just to beg my mom to buy another cube. I’ve pared it back a bit now.”

enjoy solving big cubes a lot more, and also I don't give up as easily when learning new algorithm sets,” Ravi said.

There’s also a world of compet itive cubing—the world record for solving a three by three cube stands at 3.13 seconds. These competitions, open to anyone interested, offer a community of excited puzzle solvers.

Beyond the standard three by cube, Rubik’s puzzles come in all shapes and sizes; from pyramids, dodecahedrons, and cubes all the way from two by two to seven by seven.

“I have a lot more patience now than I did 5 years ago, so I

CONNOR C.

Advice Column

From drama to stress, we've got advice for you!

By Ellie L. Culture Editor

“When I was a kid, I didn’t care that I wasn't good. I just wanted to be in a group of people who were also as nerdy as I was,” Conner said.

“It’s a very cool space because it's like going to conventions or a concert, but instead you watch people who are better than you solve things faster than you. It's a very interesting experience.”

Despite an increase in schoolwork and commitment, Max has found ways to get back into the habit of cubing by choosing to solve Rubik’s Cubes for his Freshman year quest.

“I decided, after having not done cubing for two to three

Backpack Bonanza

years, to go back and see how much I had lost, if I was gonna be rusty,” Max said. “Pretty quickly, I actually got, not only, back to the same level, but started getting better.”

For Conner, Max, and Ravi, the world of Rubik’s Cubes offers connection and community, and they’re excited to improve and continue solving.

“I would go and do homework just to beg my mom to buy another cube.”

By Anwen C. Staff Writer

Seniors take part in the senior backpack tradition

“I liked watching the show as a kid… it was a funny team, and now I see on social media all these clips of Ninjago. I kind of rediscovered the comedy of Ninjago through that.”

“[The show] has multiple different characters—so me and my friends decided to get matching backpacks. These are subtle, but fun.”

“My grandparents are Trump supporters. It’s really hard to reconcile their often hateful rhetoric with the loving memories I have with them. We might lose our democracy because of hate like this. I know that their memory issues make all my arguments and attempts to convince them useless, but I still always get baited. I just miss when my grandparents didn’t love Trump and considered other sources besides their Facebook.”

Stressed Student

Political differences can be truly difficult to reconcile with family members, especially in our current age of political polarization. You aren’t wrong to be upset or for trying to advocate for your beliefs.

That being said, I understand that your love for your grandparents clearly outweighs the struggles you’re currently having. That doesn’t mean you must hide your opinions or tolerate hateful comments and misinformation. But let this love steer your next steps.

Remember that your grand-

parents grew up with different norms than you, and that their upbringing likely strongly influences their beliefs. As such, arguing with them about their political views can be counterproductive and frustrating. Instead, try starting a gentler conversation with them about their beliefs, and just listen. There may be a thread of something you can relate to—r there may not be. It may be an infuriating experience but also hopefully an illuminating one. Hold whatever insights you gain from the conversation close as you continue to interact with them.Cherish the time you spend with them—you can talk about other things. I guarantee that some peace will be gained from that time. Healthy discourse about politics is often good—but given the fact that it’s your grandparents, and that you’re already likely hearing a lot about politics, just enjoy the time that you have with them, and that you have the opportunity to hear a perspective different from your own. Ultimately, demonstrating openness to listening to and engaging with others rather than shutting them out simply because we disagree with them, is a crucial step to discourse, compromise, and positive change.

The “senior backpack” tradition is a year-long effort where seniors carry backpacks of their favorite, nostalgic childhood characters. It’s a way to remind themselves of their elementary school days, and in doing so, celebrate how far they’ve come in academia!

Chloe: “We wanted to have matching backpacks for senior year. Originally, we were gonna do Sonic and Tails, but we couldn't find a Tails backpack… then we found these, and they’re sparkly. It’s like connecting to my inner child.”

“I watched the show Sonic Boom, and my favorite character was Tails.”

Silvia: “ I also watched Sonic growing up, but specifically the weird one—Sonic Underground—where they're all siblings instead, and they all go on a journey to find their mom…”

Charlotte: “We knew we wanted to get matching backpacks, so we found these of the same make and model…”

“I was really obsessed with Dora as a kid. I would watch it all the time…people said I looked like Dora, and I had this Dora costume that I would wear randomly…So this is like connecting to my roots.”

Ellie's Advice:

Leah T. '25

Ninjago

Silvia G. '25 and Chloe M. '25 Sonic the Hedgehog

Charlotte S. '25, Josie B. '25, and Vivi L. '25

Dora The Explorer, Peppa Pig, My Little Pony

Puzzles Galore Connor C. '25 owns dozens of Rubix Cubes, including a cylindrical barrel cube (top) and a dodecahedron-shaped puzzle called"The Megaminx". PHOTOS BY

'25

By Anwen C. Staff Writer

By Senya S. Staff Writer

WNBA Expands West with Golden State Valkyries’ Debut in San Francisco

Record-breaking ticket sales, a historic coaching hire, and a fierce roster build mark the Bay Area’s latest team

By Callum S. Staff Writer

T

he WNBA is poised for a historic expansion following the announcement of a new franchise set to take the court in San Francisco. Scheduled for full integration in 2025, the Golden State Valkyries will become the league's 13th team, adding a significant milestone to the WNBA’s continued growth.

The Valkyries will play their home games in Chase Center, sharing the arena with the Golden State Warriors. They will have no problem filling out the stands though, as they already have 17,000 season ticket deposits—the most for any professional women's sports team.

The team will participate in the WN-

BA’s expansion draft, where each of the league’s 12 current teams can protect six out of the 12 players on their roster. The Valkyries will be able to steal one unprotected player from each team. In addition to the expansion draft, they’ll also have access to free agency and picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Leading the team will be newly selected head coach Natalie Nakase, who has experience coaching in five different professional basketball leagues, and three different countries. She was also a key piece of the Las Vegas Aces team who won back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023. With Nakase bringing her champi-

Cross Country Team Thrives in

Southern California

Runners bond at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic and Disneyland

By Alexis C. Staff Writer

Nineteen cross country athletes piled into a van together, ready to head to Irvine, California for the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic. At over seven hours, the athletes found ways to make the arduous drive bearable.

“I will always argue in favor of the long van rides as team bonding experiences,” said Natalie S. ’25. “You're trapped in a van with your teammates, so you have to decide on music and snacks.”

This is one of the farthest meets that Nueva’s cross country team attends, and for all the student-athletes, the trip was an experience to bond and support each other.

After an afternoon full of cheering on her teammates in earlier races, Lila P. ’26 recalled how those moments became inspirational.

“I’d be cheering my teammates on, and we’d say, ‘Pass someone here,’‘Push hard here,’ and you’d see your teammates pass the person,” Lila said. “Once I got to run the course, I got to that spot where I’d been cheering them on and I could picture them passing someone there or pushing hard on the downhill. I felt like

onship experience to the Bay Area, she has

become the first Asian-American woman to be the head coach of a WNBA team.

The implementation of the Valkyries comes as the WNBA experiences unprecedented growth in viewership. This year's finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx attracted an average of 1.3 million viewers, the most in almost 20 years. Overall viewership is up 170% since last season and is projected to rise even more this coming season.

The addition of the Golden State Valkyries is part of a larger expansion plan by the WNBA. A team will be coming to Toronto the following year in 2026, with plans to have 16 teams in the league by 2028. With the Valkyries set to debut in May, all eyes will be on them as fans eagerly anticipate next season’s tip-off.

The Valkyries set to debut in May, all eyes will be on them as fans eagerly anticipate next season’s tip-off.

A Racket Revolution

“Beyond success, the biggest thing for me was just a culture shift. I was trying to get the girls to be just a little bit louder, a little more extroverted.”

that really helped me race.”

The day after watching many team members, including runner-up Ryan F. ’26, break personal records, the team celebrated at Disneyland for a day. Though the group split up to visit attractions, the team all raced on Davy Crockett’s Canoes together and took group photos throughout the day.

“We often talk about how, as runners, we don’t get nice action shots like volleyball players or basketball players.

So seeing a bunch of silly pictures of my teammates was really nice,” Natalie said.

Since Woodbridge, the cross country has grown even closer together. Though each athlete strives for personal goals, there is a clear feeling of community.

Since the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, the team took home first through third in both girls and boys varsity and JV races on Oct. 22 at the PSAL Bay Division Meet 2.

The team is excited to push harder and grow alongside each other for the rest of the season.

Girls tennis coaching change inspires hope for even more future success

With consistently strong performances from both the doubles and singles players, the girls tennis team has aims of winning a fourth consecutive league championship this fall. But despite this, the team had to overcome a significant challenge early on in the season. Head coach of the past several years, Dave Tyler, stepped down from his position, leaving a void that needed to be quickly filled.

Quick to fill the coaching gap were Gerald Sargeant, who mainly coaches the varsity team, Fernanda Acosta, and I-Lab teacher Dan Norgan, who both coach JV.

All three coaches came into the season with certain goals in mind. One of Norgan’s focuses was mentality, while Sargeant emphasized the importance of high energy.

“Beyond success, the biggest thing for me was just a culture shift. I was trying to get the girls to be just a little bit louder, a little more extroverted,” said Sargeant, who previously coached at Castilleja. “Especially in doubles, it’s all about energy,

By Ethan H. Sports Editor

right? So for our doubles players, I'm encouraging them to always high-five their teammate, always be loud, and always be encouraging after every point.”

Even after just one season, varsity player Maya S. ’25 has noticed the difference it has made for her and the team.

“Gerald has genuinely gone above and beyond for us,” Maya said. “His attitude towards the game and towards the team is really amazing. He brings really great energy that I think is very helpful, and I feel like I have improved so much more this season than I did last year.”

Norgan has hopes of bringing in more students to the team over the next few years, investing in building a robust program and developmental system for the long term.

“That’s a big goal of mine as well,” Sargeant said. “I know that Nueva is known for its academics, but I want to shift that narrative so we’re also known to be very good at athletics.”

Courtside Coaching Jordan F. ’27 and Kayla L. ’26 check in with their tennis coach. PHOTO BY DIANE MAZZONI

Rise of the Valkyries Coach Natalie Nakase during a press conference. PHOTO BY SWISH APPEAL

SoCal Sweep After a long drive south, the XC team competed in the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in Irvine. PHOTO BY ROBERT LOPEZ

Faculty and Staff Serve Up Support Keeping score and setting the scene for volleyball

By Jordan F. Staff Writer

As the volleyball team plays their matches, a dedicated group of individuals quietly ensures that every point is accounted for and that the games run smoothly. These scorekeepers help the team with their love for the sport and commitment to helping the studentathletes.

At the start of the school year, the scorekeeping positions, typically filled by volunteers, were facing some minor setbacks due to a shortage of sign-ups.

However, because Upper school calculus and statistics teacher Ihmar Aldana consistently attended the girls volleyball games to support them, he stepped in to fill the gap.

“We need assistance with all the sports, but volleyball is a sport I play outside of Nueva, so that's why I'm especially interested in helping out,” Aldana explained. “Since Brett reached out needing help with the scoreboard, and I already watched the games anyway, it made sense for me to just help out while I'm here.”

Aldana relates to the volleyball players, because growing up in Guam, volleyball was a big part of the culture and his childhood.

“I would always go to the beach back home, and every single day people would play volleyball by the beach, so I thought I’d try it out and get into it,” Aldana shared.

Watching the volleyball games has helped Aldana empathize with his students by observing their dedication and time commitment to athletics.

“What always stands out to me is being

able to see students in a different light. I get to know and see them as a volleyball player and not a math student,” Aldana said. “In my beginning years, I would always say, ‘Why aren’t you doing your math homework?’ But then you see the other things they excel in and the effort it takes in practice and training. It helped me become more understanding and flexible as a teacher because I get to see things kids are passionate about.”

Along with Aldana, Assistant Director of Communications Rachel Freeman also has a background in volleyball. Her experience as a coach and a former player fueled her motivation to keep score.

As Freeman works the scorebook, she tracks the score, substitutions, yellow or red cards, and rotations; With all the work needed to be done, Freeman shared the importance of the scorebook.

“There was a game where there was a big mistake that delayed the game by around 7-10 minutes, but at the end of the day if the score sheet is right you can figure out how to un-do everything.” said Freeman. “What people may not realize is that volleyball has a very specific order that the players have to move in, and that can only be successfully done if you have a scorebook that can track all that. It's far beyond tallying points. You're tracking the whole game, you're tracking movements, you’re tracking when players go in and out of the game. With the exception of a long rally, I am always doing something.”

stepped up to help as the libero tracker, who tracks when the libero—a defensive player on the team who is not allowed to rotate to the front line—exits and reenters the court.

As a lover of volleyball as “the only real team sport,” Ghosh wanted to find a way to interact with students outside of the classroom to branch out and be more visible to students.

“What makes my job fun is getting to know students,” Ghosh said. “It is nice for me to know that students who do well in history, English, or math can also do well in athletics, and I enjoy the fact they are trying to be more well-rounded.”

scorekeeping would accomplish that. Similarly, for Freeman, these games not only charge her love for volleyball but also help her connect with the community and fellow faculty, allowing her to have fun with others.

Seeing how hard students and teachers work, Ghosh aspired to do more for the community and felt that helping with the middle school math competitions and

Girls Volleyball Team Sports A New Color

For

Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the team incorporated pink into their uniforms

By Natalia R. Staff Writer

Blue and white are Nueva’s colors.

The gym, the jerseys, the mascot, the merch: they’re all blue and white. But on Thursday, Oct. 17 during a home game against University Prep Academy, the girls volleyball team arrived with a new color in their palette: pink.

This was the team’s ‘Dig Pink’ match. Each time there was a dig in the game, those in attendance were asked to donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Players and spectators were also encouraged to wear pink in support of breast cancer awareness month.

Approximately 13% of the female population in the U.S. will get diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common cancer in the country. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s mission is to prevent and treat breast cancer by funding research.

“It was so cool to see all the people supporting a good cause,” said Emma Z. ’25, one of the captains on the team.

With pink ribbons fluttering in their ponytails, the Mavericks played an intense two-hour game, but ultimately lost in the fifth set 15–17.

“The energy picked up significantly

Along with scorekeeping, further tracking assistance was also needed. Fellow associate math teacher Jayant Ghosh also in the fifth set because of the good and long rallies,” said Upper School math teacher Ihmar Aldana, who helps keep score at home volleyball games. “Everyone thought Nueva was going to win, but one opposing player was able to save the ball and their

“It's been really fun to get to know other colleagues by sitting at the score table with them. We all just randomly volunteered so I'm sitting with Ihmar, I'm sitting with Jay, who I am getting to know better because of it. It's just a fun place to watch the game from,” Freeman said. As the volleyball scorekeeping comes to an end with the last home game, the commitment of the volunteers not only ensured the smooth operation of the games but also strengthened connections within the Nueva community, with teamwork both on and off the court.

defense carried them through.”

By the end of the match, the fundraiser had successfully garnered donations and pledges from the community.

In Action Siana Kapoor ’25 seeks a point for her team with a spike during the Dig Pink game against University Prep. PHOTO BY DIANE MAZZONI

Cheerful Scoring Ihmar Aldana and Rachel Freeman smile as they converse with the referee and take count of the score. PHOTO BY ANJALI M.

A Quest to the NBA

Alumnus’ junior and senior year Quest project led to current job in the NBA

By Ethan H. Sports Editor

It was April 2, and in the same manner as a lottery draft pick, Jeremy Dumalig ’20 got the call. Starting in June, he would be a Basketball Operations Assistant for the Brooklyn Nets.

It felt like a full circle moment: Dumalig’s journey in sports analytics started with a Nueva Quest project and a 10th-grade data analytics elective. For a midterm assignment, he analyzed a data set of every shot Kobe Bryant took in his career, tracking shot location, shot type, opponent, and outcome.

In the summer as a rising junior Dumalig attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Moneyball Academy program, where he solidified his love for sports analytics and decided to pursue it for his 11th and 12th grade Quest project: Using Python, he created an interactive roster builder where users could experiment with the NBA salary cap.

“A lot of it was back-end function work, and this was the project that confirmed and validated that I wanted to work in sports analytics as a career,” Dumalig said. “It also put me on a path to start doing essentially a bunch of Quest projects throughout the entirety of college.”

After graduation, Dumalig attended the University of Chicago. From the beginning, he knew how he would focus his studies: triple-majoring in statistics, economics, and data science.

“I love the work. I'm a workaholic,” Dumalig said. “But, I probably went to 50 professional basketball games in my four years of college since I always operated under the philosophy that if it matters enough to me, I’d always find the time.”

On June 2, the day after his graduation, Dumalig drove from Chicago to New York. Shortly after, he began his work, contributing to various departments in the Nets organization.

Dumalig expressed gratitude to his Nueva computer science teachers Jen Selby and Carl Shan, former Athletics Director Chris Wade, basketball coach Barry Treseler, and freshman advisor Hillary Freeman for encouraging his interests. He also credits Nueva’s approach to teaching and learning for his success.

“One of the biggest things I took away from Quest was taking initiative of my own work. I remember that during 9th-grade Quest, which I did not do

Full Time for Bay FC's First Regular Season

The team's debut brings out eager fans and delivers a competitive showing

By Gabriel B. Features Editor

Luki D. ’25 watched the bursts of fireworks light up the Saturday night San Jose sky, then joined with the 18,000 voices of the capacity crowd at PayPal Park to welcome Bay FC onto the field for the team’s inaugural home opener.

The Bay Area has not had a professional women’s sports team since FC Gold Pride, which folded in 2010 after just two seasons. Now, Bay FC has competed for a full regular season in the 14-team National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

The roster is a patchwork of collegiate draft picks, players selected from other NWSL teams in a special expansion draft, international signings, and free agent additions. Despite starting from scratch, the team entered November ranked eighth in the standings with one fixture left to play, in position to claim a playoff spot.

A season ticket holder, Luki has attended all but one of the team’s home games since that March 30 opener. The commitment was a family consensus from the get-go after Bay FC was established in April 2023.

A lifetime of experience of playing soccer and cheering for the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), together with prior NWSL fandom, naturally brought Deitchman to follow Bay FC.

“We found out we were getting a team here, and we immediately were like: this is our team now, we need to support,” they said.

Julia C. ’27, another experienced soccer player, has been a longtime supporter of Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes, who call PayPal Park home too. She was more than willing to extend her loyalty to the new women’s squad.

“There’s always been the Quakes, but to have a female team with people

you can look up to has been really nice,” she said.

about basketball, I had reached out to connect with an alum and it felt very unnatural and uncomfortable for me,” Dumalig recalled. “I wouldn't say that I took it for granted, but I didn't know how much gaining that experience early would have helped me until I got to college. And calling my teachers by their first names helped me get better at speaking to people in a formal setting, and that’s something that still helps me now.”

She takes inspiration from Emily Menges and Caprice Dydasco, two of Bay FC’s defenders. Julia plays defender herself, and identifies with Dydasco as an Asian American athlete. She also admires how they express themselves on the field.

“It’s not just about playing your best, it’s also about having fun while you’re playing, and that’s something they really embody,” Julia said.

The first time she saw Bay FC live, Chen witnessed a thriller against Seattle Reign FC. Down 1–0 at the half, the hosts rallied to take the lead at the 60 minute mark. The Reign answered back and equalized at 2–2. In the 87th minute, Bay FC set up its attack, and from the top left corner of the box midfielder Joelle Anderson fired off a shot—it redirected off a Seattle Defender and into the back of the net for the match-winner.

“The stands just went crazy,” Julia said. “That was really cool—to see just how hyped everyone gets for a goal.”

Beyond the game action, Julia and Luki have enjoyed the stadium for its feel and the available activities. A smaller, homey venue, PayPal Park sits next to San José Mineta International Airport and includes a grassy recreational area and food truck court outside the seating bowl. Julia returned to celebrate her birthday with friends, and Luki has appreciated the Pride Night and other theme nights.

The fan atmosphere there stands out from games they have each gone to.

“I think the environment is shockingly very supportive and spirited given that it’s their first season, but I think the support is only going to grow as more people become aware of it,” Julia said.

Luki characterized the fanbase as already “very unified behind our team,” and advocated that the product on the

field fully deserves present and future fans’ attention.

“I feel like a lot of people who either have a very surface level interest in sports or no interest in sports just don’t realize how much there is in women’s sports.” they said. “These leagues are just as competitive and high-level soccer, and are really cool to watch.”

Luki has loved seeing Bay FC find their footing throughout the season, and now down the stretch the club has played its way into consequential matches.

In the Oct. 19 home finale, Bay FC triumphed over North Carolina Courage, 1–0, thanks to a late goal from USWNT veteran and Menlo Park native Abby Dahlkemper. Carrying a 10–1–14 record, the team headed into the last game of the regular season on Nov. 2 on the verge of securing a spot in the NWSL playoffs, which begin Nov. 9.

Grand Entrance Left: Fiery fanfare signals the team's emergence from the locker room PHOTO BY JULIA C.

Celebration Right: The final whistle blows and the crowd applauds a home victory PHOTO BY LUKI D.

Ready for Matchday Top: Luki, joined by Ash J.'27, in the bleachers during pregame at PayPal Park . PHOTO BY LUKI D.

Net Positive Dumalig is in his first year as Basketball Operations Assistant for the Brooklyn Nets. PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEREMY DUMALIG