verde
palo alto high school volume 10 edition 2
in a heartbeat stories of lives on the edge
index ::Paly Original::
15
Fashion’s Fresh Face by Jessica Linebarger
::Campus:: Shop-a-holics 20 Bike by Lynn Chang the Band 23 Making by Sydney Lundgren up the Pieces 27 Picking by Sophie Cornfield Over Language Barriers 32 Leaping by Vrinda Khanna We Can Believe In: 36 Change The New Facebook
37 42
by Evan Hahn The College Crunch by Megan Mitchell The Costly Hurdle by Melanie Maemura
::Cover::
56 61 66 71
The Heart of the Matter by Asha Albuquerque Because Learning Never Stops by Whitney Drazovich Lyme War by Caroline Wang Make A Wish, Live Your Dream by Amanda Young
::Viewpoint::
30 35 76
Serve America, Serve the World by Aaron Lerner A Close Up by Tim Qin From the Bottom of My Senioritis-Infected Heart by Mary Minno
::Verde Short:: ::Spectrum::
44 46 49 52
Reflecting on Race by Silvia Mariboli Youth Leading Youth by Maddy Mihran Prop 8 Debate: Rights vs. Religion by Shoshana Gould Gamer’s Exile by Natalie Lin
2 verde magazine
31 41 48
Paly Speaks by Sydney Lundgren 10 Questions by Sydney Lundgren Post-it Art by Paly Students
::True Life::
78
I’m (kind of) a heathen by Ryan Flanagan
Karen Gould, MA Marriage and Family Therapist Adults, Couples, Teens, Women’s Groups Ongoing Support Groups for Women: La Femme Tuesday mornings, 10:30-11:50 Feeling isolated? Anxious? Unsure of your goals? Gain support and wisdom from other women in a warm and safe environment.
Writing Got You Reeling? I can help.
Writing for SAT essays, high school, college — life! Planning & refining college application essays Understanding & appreciating literature
Chapter Two Tuesday evenings, 7:15-8:30 Separated? Divorcing? Nervous about your future? Learn how to move forward in your life with strength, confidence and meaning.
Anne Knight 2 degrees, English, Harvard 7 yrs. teaching, 5 at Harvard 18 yrs. marketing communications 2 yrs. magazine journalist (Horizon, Look) 2 sons, recent college grads
1040 Noel Dr, Suite 209, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (650) 324 - 4429 Lic# MFC24117
(650) 852-0810 www.knightwrite.net knightwrite@comcast.net
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Letters to the editors volume 10 edition 1 “I’m McLovin’ McCain”
“I respect the fact that you decided to write this article. But your views prompt several questions. What do you mean when you say, “He couldn’t even commit to a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote?” How is John McCain going to stimulate and stabilize the economy? The majority of our allies choose to support Barack Obama. If he is such a threat to America, why would our allies choose to support him over John McCain?” — Ryan Pfeiderer “I appreciate your opinion, but could you try to argue from an objective lens? Sure Barack Obama has his flaws, but actually look at his legislative record, and you’ll notice that the percentage of votes he abstained from in both his Illinois state and US senate is typical. — Jon Shan
“Yes on Proposition 4”
“While it was admirable of Verde to provide both sides of the argument about Proposition 4, it was irresponsible to include this article as printed in the magazine. Most of the opinion takes women to task for their decision to abort babies with disabilities, and has nothing to do with why Proposition 4 would supposedly protect minors. ” — Lauren Miller
“Coming From Communism”
“Things like “China’s billions of people” when refering to the 1960s and saying that grandparents were “not fans of the government” really detract from the overall quality of the piece. This reads more like something out of an English essay about family history.” — Jim Shen
“Backbacks, begone!”
“This was a selfish way to address the problem by the administration. My backpack still occasionally gives me back pain, and I remember it being worse in middle school. Students should not be obligated to haul around 25 pounds of books — this is where e-textbooks come in handy.” — Alex Huerta These comments were submitted online at http://voice.paly.net. Verde also accepts feedback via e-mail at: verdeeds0809@googlegroups.com
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verdeexcerpts “He knows he will die younger than most people and it scares him.”
page 59
Amanda Stockwell, LPCH school junior “The Heart of the Matter”
“She has set a great example for the new generation of modelling. Without a doubt Yuko will be known in the fashion industry, and then I can say, ‘Hey, I modelled for her.’”
page 17
sophomore Grace Borchers “Fashion’s Fresh Face”
“The day he was able to leave his bed was like a dream.”
page 62
Thayer Gershon, LPCH teacher “‘Because Learning Never Stops’”
“The change has just begun, the fight has just begun, and it’s our duty to come together in the pursuit of justice and equality.”
page 51
Jessie Belfer, Gunn senior “Prop. 8 Debate: Rights vs. Religion”
“It feels different to ride a bike that was made for you by you. It’s like wearing a custom-tailored suit.”
page 20
junior Julian Pitt “Bike Shop-a-holic”
verde
volume 10 edition 2 december 2008 Staff List Editors-in-Chief Sara Connolly Emily Hamilton Managing Editors Shoshana Gould Mary Minno Megan Mitchell Design Editors Jackie McElaney (Layout) Tim Qin (Graphics) Business Managers Lynn Chang Claire Heritier-Kerby
from the editors
A
s the holidays are fast approaching, many turn their thoughts to Friday night ice skating, frantic gift shopping, and helping others in need. However, some of those who need our help the most often go unnoticed. In this edition, Verde tells the stories of people in the Paly community struggling with life-threatening illnesses (pg. 55). In addition to these touching stories, Verde explores the effects of the recent economic crisis on Paly students’ college plans. “The College Crash” (pg. 37) investigates students’ perceptions of the costs of public versus private universities, particularly in relation to the economic crash. As Verde discovered, students’ beliefs about college tuitions may be drastically different from reality. In “The Costly Hurdle,” (pg. 42) Verde uncovers the mysteries of the college application waiver fees, which are becoming increasingly critical during this time of financial turmoil. Verde also looks into the recent passing of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California (pg. 49). In particular, we focused on the debate about Mormons’ role in the proposition’s passing. Finally, this issue also features an alternative form of punishment, called restorative justice, that is beginning to be used in schools’ disciplinary systems throughout the country (pg. 27). As issues with Paly’s current punitive system are arising, some members of the community are starting to consider restorative justice as an alternative. So as the temperature drops, we encourage you to grab a cup of hot chocolate and this edition of Verde and bundle up by the fire with family and friends. We hope you have an excellent break! — Sara & Emily
Photographer Julia Singleton Artist Emily Wang Staff Asha Albuquerque Sophie Cornfield Whitney Drazovich Ryan Flanagan Vrinda Khanna Natalie Lin Jessica Linebarger Silvia Maraboli Caroline Wang Amanda Young
Distribution Manager Aaron Lerner Copy Editors Melanie Maemura Maddy Mihran Short Features Editor Sydney Lundgren
Adviser Paul Kandell
Verde Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-329-3837 pkandell@pausd.org Letters to the Editor Verde, a feature magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Magazine Journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. Verde is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes signed letters to the editor but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to verdeeds0809@googlegroups. com Advertising The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Verde, please contact the Verde business managers Lynn Chang and Claire Kerby by e-mail at verde.biz.paly@gmail. com or call 650-329-3837 for more information. Printing & Distribution Services Verde is printed five times a year in October, December, February, April and June by Fricke-Parks Press in Fremont, California. The Paly PTSA mails Verde to every student’s home.
verde magazine 5
[editorial]
staff verdict Renovations will improve Paly campus but district must take several precautions
I
n June, Palo Alto voters approved a bond measure to grant $378 million to Palo Alto Unified School District schools. With approximately $100 million reserved for Paly, the district plans to construct additional classrooms and remodel the library and theater to support the growing student body. Since then, the school board members along with Paly teachers and administrators have been working to conceptualize a plan for the school’s new facilities. At the Dec. 9 PAUSD Board of Education meeting, members reviewed a progress report for development of plans. Verde applauds the vision for Paly, but urges the committee to plan the construction so that the current student interests, in addition to those of future students, are preserved. The district must ensure that there are enough available facilities during renovation so the The projects will minimize interference education of with the learning of students at Paly. In addition, these plans will the students only be holistically successful if during the the administration chooses to utilize the new forums to increase construction communication with students. must not be In addition to keeping the historic Haymarket Theater, the sacrificed for district plans to construct a new auditorium adjacent to the current the future of building. The new theater will the school facilitate performances in a state-ofthe-art center, a great improvement from the current facility. Verde believes that communication between different parts of the Paly community is crucial to the function of our school, and therefore encourages the administration to use the new theater as a venue for collaboration and discussion. The Haymarket Theater is currently only large enough to accommodate one grade of students at a time. Building a new performing arts center that could 500-600 students would greatly improve Paly’s issues with communication, which will be especially prevalent with the growing number of students. The new plan also features a plaza located outside of the student center. Situated in the center of the quad, the plaza will have space for the entire student body and could serve as a central meeting place for rallies, speeches, and even graduation. Verde believes that the current deck area does not provide an adequate location for group gatherings and looks to the new plaza for a 6 verde magazine
greater opportunity to unify Paly. Verde also commends the plan for introducing a building for media arts. This building will hold necessary resources for journalism, yearbook, and video production classes. Currently, the media arts classrooms are spread throughout the school, and this building will create unity among the classes. While Verde anticipates the many outstanding additions to Paly’s campus, the staff feels that, to be wholly effective, the changes must be executed and pursued with the goals of unity, studentlearning priority, and communication in mind. It is important to remember that students still need to have adequate facilities during the construction of the new structures. Although most buildings are not going to be torn down, some, including the library, will be completely redone. The board must keep in mind that the education of the students during the construction must not be sacrificed for the future of the school. In addition, Verde believes that the construction of the new campus must be cost-efficient. Money is coming in to the project from many different sources including the district, PTA and fundraising. Verde hopes that the district will make sure that all the funding is set in stone before the construction begins and take extra precautions to spend the money wisely. Getting caught financially half way through a construction project and leaving a building only partly finished would undoubtedly be worse than not renovating at all. Finally, Verde urges the district to construct buildings that fit with Paly’s unique style of architecture. Upon completion, the new buildings will become prominent pieces of the campus, and should complement and enhance the original structures. Although many of the buildings will have two stories, Verde hopes the general environment on campus will be left undisturbed. In every construction project, the original Paly spirit, embodied by buildings such as the Haymarket Theater and the Tower building, should remain intact. After all, it’s the little things that make Paly such a special campus, and the new buildings should reflect that. As a school that prides itself on providing cutting-edge and well-rounded education, Paly can only continue to remain a top high school if it is constantly remodeling and recreating the learning environment. Nonetheless, the district needs keep in mind that the interests of students attending Paly during the construction must be preserved. Verde is excited at the prospects of a new, better version of Paly, but urges caution and care in the planning and implementation of these developments. — Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Verde staff
[photo essay]
“Who’s That Blind Man?” A performance that sparks the question: what are you blind to?
T
he cast sat quietly in the seats of the audience while two characters acted on stage, practicing the original production of “Who’s That Blind Man,” written and directed by Paly seniors Joerelle and Jovan Bennett. The cast of 18, including extras, spent hours practicing at Wall of Faith Ministries in East Palo Alto. The Bennetts’ father, Pastor C. D. Bennett, is both the founder and pastor of the church and also plays Pastor Bryant in the production. The performance features the full Bennett family including Tameeka Bennett, Latrice Bennett, and Joshua Bennett, along with other members of their family church. The play took place in the Haymarket theater at the end of November and early December. With the separate stories of three different characters, the play explores serious topics including depression, abuse and neglect. From beginning to end, viewers begin to see how abuse and depression can be disguised and hidden and what really might be going on behind the scenes of someone’s life. At the end of the play, the cast poses a question to the audience: “Who’s that blind man?” Using this metaphor, the cast shows that we
text by julia singleton photography by julia singleton
are all blind to pain in someone’s life, such as the abuse and depression exemplified in the play. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention reports that one suicide occurs every 18 minutes; according to the play, the question society needs to ask is who wasn’t there to help them? “Who is that blind man?” They asked “Could it be you?” The three main characters of the story, Keisha, Jeremiah, and Taylor, are neglected by their families, peers, and teachers. The performance shows that preventing suicide and depression from happening can be as simple as listening to the people in your life and watching out for a change of behavior or a cry for help. Taylor hides her emotions right up until her final straw when her parents did not come to her final theater performance, but if her parents had listened what she was asking them for they may have realized that their daughter needed them. There are signs of mood, behavior, and character changes such as keeping to one’s self, losing train of thought, and participating in fewer activities. “Who’s That Blind Man” teaches us that sometimes, we are just all too wrapped up in our own lives to notice the pain in someone else’s, and it’s time we stop and listen. v
Left: Demetrius Hill, Whitney Genvro, and Joshua Bennett rehearse the first scene about Jeremiah’s home life on the stage in Wall of Faith Ministries.
verde magazine 7
Top left: Kalisha Robi, playing Keisha sings a solo in the scene of the neighborhood church service that Jeremiah attends. Top Middle: Seniors Timothy James and Jovan Bennett set up the stage for the final performance. Bottom Middle: Latrice Bennett (left) plays Taylor alongside Antoinette Smith (right) who plays her mother Tina. Top Right: Jeremiah cringes away from his father. Bottom Right: Antoinette Smith (left) and Marlon Hines (right) play the mother and father of Taylor Banks, and discuss how their dreams for their daughter. Bottom Left: The advertisement for the production, with portraits by Paly graduate Alton Sun. Middle: The first scene set up at the Haymarket theater.
8 verde magazine
[photo essay]
Top: Demetrius Hill (right), a senior from Sacred Heart Preparatory, plays Jeremiah, who is abused by his father, played by Joshua Bennett (left). Middle: Timothy James plays Malik, one of Jeremiah’s friends. Right Middle: Jovan Bennett watches intently as he directs the actors how to portray the story in order to help the audience understand the lives of the characters. Bottom Right: The lighting for the production was controlled by members of the cast and senior Anna Stang. Bottom Left: Jamario Williams, the father of Jeremiah, is played by Joshua Bennett.
verde magazine 9
verdenews
by the numbers
12
Number of doctors junior Tucker Wolf saw before receiving a correct diagnosis for Lyme Disease
170,000
Number of children’s wishes granted by the Make-A-Wish foundation since 1928
PAYC: Like the Earth? Let’s party! The Palo Alto Youth Council is planning an environmental awareness fair at Mitchell Park for later in the school year. “Last year and this year, we decided to pick one big topic and focus our year’s events around that,” Paly sophomore and youth council member Chirag Krishna says. “This year, the focus is on the environment.” “We hope to have various companies, organizations, and clubs contribute to the process,” Krishna says. “It will ideally be open to the community.” To fundraise the event, the council will hold a band night on Jan. 31, featuring two Paly bands, Furious George and Corner Street Light, and one from Gunn called Day Breakers, according to Krishna. Along with the environmentally-themed year, the council plans to hold a teen service event where volunteers can receive community service hours. PAYC is comprised of 11 students from Paly, five from Gunn High School, and three from Castilleja School. They focus on issues that affect teens in the community and hold community-wide forums to address the topics. Past topics included sleep deprivation, stress, and underage drinking. v — text by vrinda khanna
Dance Dance Revolution Redux Paly’s Associated Student Body is celebrating Principal Jacquie McEvoy’s approval last week of a short video about appropriate dance moves for students, according to Spirit Commissioner Lucy McComas. ASB has played a major role in the Site Council’s and Parent Teacher Student Association’s search to find a solution to promote a friendlier-style of dancing since last year. “We are working with ASB to better dancing behavior so everyone will enjoy the dances,” Site Council PTSA Liason Member Mary Dimit says. v — text by melanie maemura 10 verde magazine
55
Number of English as a Second Language students attending Paly for the 08-09 school year
147
Number of English as a Second Language students attending Gunn for the 08-09 school year
10,000
Proposed number of admission spots to be cut from the CSU system for the 09-10 school year
132
Proposed budget cut from the CSU and UC systems, in millions of dollars
1592
Number of applications Paly’s College and Career Center processed as of Dec. 10, 2007 for the 07-08 school year
1910
Number of applications Paly’s College and Career Center has processed as of Dec. 10, 2008 for the 08-09 school year
1 2
6
3
3 2
4 4 7
1
5
Another theater, with a box office and a green room. A two-story media arts building for journalism, video production and photography classrooms. Lecture halls for the social studies building. A mezzanine for the inside of the library, with an archway facing the quad. A raised stage for concerts and graduation.
5
8
6
With portables demolished, room for permanent classrooms.
7
A gym to hold the increasing number of P.E. students.
8
Turf and other amenities for the El Camino field.
Paly 2.0 Early renderings of possible improvements to the school show one vision of Paly’s future
Extensive renovations to begin in 2009 The grand scheme for Palo Alto High School construction officially kicked off Dec. 9 when the district’s Board of Education approved its first set of construction plans. Improvements to athletic fields are estimated to begin in late spring. Plans for additional renovations are currently being finalized. With money from the Measure A bond, interest from bond funds, PAUSD’s building project funds and planned maintenance funds, athletic field modernizations will include synthetic turf on the El Camino soccer grounds and a new set of football stadium bleachers seating 2,000 people, according to the Paly Fields Project document approved by board members. Also approved were plans to construct new backstops, batting cages, scoreboards, and dugouts for the baseball and softball fields. Other possible projects included in the renovations will give as yet unfunded lighting and striping for soccer and lacrosse to the El Camino field. According to the board’s fields project document, the budget grazes just under $8 million to complete athletic field construction. “We are really looking forward to these new fields and what it means for students and our athletic program,” Assistant Principal Todd Feinberg says. According to Principal Jacquie McEvoy, new athletic fields are urgent because of sports teams and because space for Physical Education classes are currently “maxed out.” The district’s master plan, which includes an expansive modernization of Paly and Gunn campus buildings, was also reviewed
at a recent school board meeting. With plans to modernize Paly’s library, weight room, gym, and classrooms, construction may be completed within five years, according to the Bond Project Summary. Additional classrooms will accomodate expected student population growth. The bond that funds the master plan could possibly cover costs for more air-conditioned classrooms, architectural updates to the Tower Building, and an additional theater. The new theater is a significant part of the master plan, according to parent representative Stu Berman. According to Berman, the most vocal group thus far has been supporters of the construction to the new theater. He adds that parent committees wish to have a larger space for musical performances and special programs, which is currently not possible with the Haymarket Theater. McEvoy anticipates these substantial architectural projects to be an exciting and occasionally stressful experience. “It’s like remodeling a plane while it’s still flying,” she says. McEvoy does not think the master plan will cause significant disruption to the learning environment at Paly, but says that temporary changes could include more portables and teacher-shared classrooms. McEvoy describes the Measure A bond funds as a beneficial opportunity for the high school’s out-dated architecture. “Paly is getting the biggest chunk of money out of the district, but that is because we are the oldest,” McEvoy says. “At some point, a complete renovation needs to happen.” v — text by megan mitchell verde magazine 11
In the mix tObama expresses possible Stanford love With President-Elect Barack Obama appointing cabinet members, speculations have surfaced regarding the nomination for Secretary of Education. Linda DarlingHammond, a Stanford University professor, is among the candidates considered for the position. She recently worked with Obama on creating his educational program, which entails training thousands of new teachers each year, according to a Dec. 2 article from The New York Times. Former Stanford physics professor, Steven Chu, will act as Obama’s energy secretary, according to a Dec. 11 Daily Post article. v — text by jackie mcelaney
Red Cross Club volunteers with veterans q
— United States Congress image
Residents at the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital are enjoying a brighter holiday season thanks to student volunteers who showed up on Dec. 3. Paly’s Red Cross Club joined other youth groups in the local Red Cross chapter at the hospital’s 33rd Annual Christmas Craft Making Event. The clubs worked to help veterans put together holiday crafts. v — text by silvia maraboli
— photo by julia singleton
tMake-A-Wish Club acts as genie for kids Paly’s Make-A-Wish Club will hold a benefit concert and dance on Jan. 9 at Club Illusions in Palo Alto. The concert will feature various Paly bands, including Corner Street Light and Middlefield. Red Bull Energy Drink will sponser the event. All proceeds will go toward the $7,500 the club needs to sponsor a wish for the Make-AWish Foundation, an organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. The wish recipient will be decided once the club raises the money to sponsor the wish, according to co-president sophomore Tony Panayides. The event will last from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tickets will be $10 in advance either at the auditor’s office or through Talia Moyal and Tony Panayides, the two presidents of the Make-A-Wish club. Tickets will be $15 at the door. v — text by amanda young — photo by julia singleton
Sexy talk temporarily sinks Carlmont newspaper Carlmont High School is re-launching its student newspaper, the Scots Express, after a censorship dust-up that followed the publication of a story called “Jack Dooley – a beautiful man.” In the article, Carlmont junior Jack Dooley describes his physical appearance: “I embody sexy. I am that word. That word is me. I am sexy.” The Carlmont administration states that the reason behind the termination of 12 verde magazine
the paper is that students need a full-time advisor, but the newspaper staff says the content of the article was the true reason. The school’s Web site states, “We believe that a teacher-adviser is critically needed to support students in producing the newspaper and to ensure students are taught the principles, ethics and professional practices of journalism.” But Dooley, the author of the story in question, still believes the content of his story
was behind the suspension of the paper. “[The administration] called me into the office and yelled at me and [Editor-in-Chief ] Alex [Zhang] for being obscene and then shut down the paper,” Dooley says. Zhang says he encouraged the article to be written but has since been working with the administration to revive the paper. “The principal has been very supportive of us,” Zhang says. v — text by ryan flanagan
[news]
Pencil donations planned for students in Tanzania Members of Paly’s Global Literacy Pencil Project. Dernehl asks for regular wooden Club have begun fundraising for The Pencil Project, which raises money and pencils to be donated instead of mechanical ones, as the lack of lead refills in Tanzania collects pencils for students in Tanzania. Senior Liza Dernehl founded The can be a potential problem. At the end of the project, the club will Pencil Project last summer after visiting Tanzania. Dernehl’s experience of seeing donate the pencils and money to multiple schools around Tanhow many students zanian cities Arusha were affected by a and Moshi, includlack of simple school ing The Bible Baptist supplies encouraged Academy, according her to form the club. to Martignetti. Along “My family and I with the schools, The saw students begging Pencil Project will for pencils so they team up with Amani could go to school,” Kids and Mkombozi, Dernehl says. “Their organizations in Taneducation should not zania that help get be hindered due to a children off the danlack of pencils.” gerous streets, and “School is not place them in stable government-funded homes, allowing chilin Tanzania,” says dren to receive a good junior Sarah Mareducation. tignetti, GLC’s presiDue to expensive dent. “The average Junior Sarah shipping costs, the family earns $400 a Pencil Pal year, but school costs Martignetti plans to help collect money and pencils pencils for Tanzanian students. collected from The $150 each year.” Pencil Project will be She says that since families must pay for the expensive sent to Tanzania through David Bygot, schooling in Tanzania, they are left with a National Geographic tour guide from a limited budget for school supplies, such Arizona. Martignetti started the Global Literacy as pencils. The project’s main source of funding Club last school year after learning about will come from door-to-door fundraising. the the international illiteracy problem. According to co-vice president Aaron Martignetti says each club member has committed to raising his or her own ideal Ebert, the club’s purpose is to promote literacy around the world. Last year the amount of money. The club also plans to hold a Pencil club ran a book drive, where they donated Day in January, when Paly students will 1,300 books to a library in Africa through bring pencils to school to donate to the the Africa Library Project. The Pencil The Pencil Project. Tanzanian students Project is hoping to fund Paly’s Sadie view pencils as prized possessions, since Hawkins dance in March. v — text by caroline wang school supplies are so rare. — photo by julia singleton Donations are vital in running The For more information, visit http://www.amanikids.org. To get involved with The Pencil Project, attend the monthly Global Literacy Club meeting in the Social Studies Research Center. The date will be announced on InFocus.
VERDE VAULT YOUR LINK TO PALY HISTORY
FALL 1999
In Verde’s premier edition, then-staff writer Sarah Magnuski wrote a feature describing the unity found at Paly:
A
deafening roar fills the air at Palo Alto High School. Over 800 students have packed the school’s dingy green and white amphitheater and are sitting in the traditional class areas - the seniors are up front, closest to the stage, with the sophomores to their right and the juniors to their left. The freshmen sit behind the seniors, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the action. On stage, cheerleaders with green and white ribbons in their hair lead the crowd with, “What about, what about, what about our color shout?” but can barely be heard for the screaming kids below them. “GREEN GREEN GREEN GREEN AND A WHITE WHITE WHITE WHITE WHITE!” Everyone visible, including faculty, is dressed in some type of Spirit Week class theme, ranging from babies to senior citizens, and it’s all in the name of school Spirit. It’s a pretty scene - a student body unitied and joyfully screaming “green & white” for a common cause, but the reality during the rest of the year is different. Spirit Week is the only time of the year when students really go crazy in the name of school spirit. And that’s exactly what Paly is trying to change.
verde magazine 13
Verde Loves Its Sponsors! V
V Cheryl Alburquerque Barb Mitchell Fred Mitchell Betsy Minno Louise Singleton
V THANK YOU
Accept our hearty good wishes For a season of calm and cheer May holiday joy reign in your heart And gladden the coming year
Think Cheese House for all your holiday catering and gift needs!
Paly students: in addition to accepting cash and credit card, we are
now accepting house accounts to pay for your daily lunch at the Cheese House! parents, for more info contact Sarah at: sarah@theVCH.com
[paly original]
Fashion’s Fresh Face A Paly student follows her drea ms of fashion design
r arge b e n i al on jessic ia singlet y b text y by jul h grap o t o h
p
verde magazine 15
Design Diva Yuko displays an array of designs from the portfolio she created for the fashion construction class she took at the
I
t is 3 a.m. and Yuko Kanai hunches over her sewing machine. Her back hurts from sitting for hours and, wearing her pajamas, she is ready for bed. Fabrics and designs are scattered all over her room. On top of all the mess, she is under extreme pressure to meet an exhibition deadline for her college-level sewing class, so sleep must wait. For about a year, Yuko, a Paly senior, has been designing and sewing outfits for herself to suit her own personal style. She also makes outfits for her friends so they, too, can feel unique in the clothes they wear. Yuko’s creativity, enthusiasm, and determination have led her to discover and develop her passion for clothng design. While Yuko did not begin designing clothes until her junior year in high school, her initial interest in fashion started at an early age. “I first became interested in fashion in seventh grade when I became more conscious of what I was wearing, but I never did anything about it until 11th grade when I had to choose a creative project in Humanities class,” Yuko says. According to Yuko, the Humanities project required each student to start a new hobby or pick up an old one for a period of about one semester. She was required to catalog the experience in a journal. Yuko chose to embark on her long-time dream of designing and sewing clothing. “I borrowed my neighbor’s sewing machine because I did not have one of my own, and made my first pieces,” Yuko says. 16 verde magazine
She decided to explore her creativity with fashion by experimenting with original fabrics and designs. “Although the silhouettes are basically conventional, I like to make them a little more exaggerated,” Yuko says. “I like to think that the designs themselves are different because of my choice of material and shape.” Yuko encountered difficulties when dealing with her unique fabric choice for her first design. Her lack of sewing experience at this point also contributed to the difficulies she encountered when constructing her first piece, an A-line black dress made out of a material similar to latex. “The material was difficult to manipulate because it was basically fabric with rubber coating,” Yuko says. Yuko overcame the obstacles and delivered a complete and original dress. She continued to pursue her passion by purchasing a sewing machine and enrolling in fashion design classes. She completed a pre-college fashion construction class at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where she earned the Most Outstanding Student Award. “Before taking this course I was unsure about whether I would pursue a career in fashion design, but after receiving the award I knew that I had to go into the industry,” Yuko says. Yuko’s success inspired her to display her designs for the public to see. Although she has never entered her designs in competitions,
[paly original]
Left Yuko pins a design on a pink mannequin. Middle She shows off a collage of magazine and newspaper clippings, as well as images she printed offline. Right Yuko makes her first hat, a black beanie made of elastic strips and latex-like material.
she showed several pieces in a Paly fashion show hosted by the Model Citizen Club in May. The runway featured pieces from local boutiques such as Vian Hunter and In Her Shoes, as well as studentdesigned pieces, like Yuko’s. Paly sophomore Grace Borchers modeled three of Yuko’s outfits at the Model Citizen show, consisting of a voluminous pink dress, a black A-line dress, and a short, floral skirt with a matching blouse. “Wearing Yuko’s designs was a pleasure,” Borchers says. “I was so happy to model unique designs, and I was comfortable wearing them.” Borchers later modeled the same three outfits during a photo shoot with photographer and Paly graduate Alton Sun. The creative shoot was held at a demolition zone, so in addition to Yuko’s designs Borchers sported a construction hat. “Modeling Yuko’s designs, and shooting with Alton was so much fun,” Borchers says. “We got along great because modeling, designing, and photography are the three main elements you need to get the word out [about fashion].” According to Borchers, Yuko’s unique design style has made a significant impact on her attitudes toward fashion. Borchers expects to see Yuko in the fashion industry in the future. “I have always been into the fashion industry, but Yuko’s designs have given me a totally different perspective,” Borchers says. “She has set a great example for the new generation of modeling. Without a
doubt, Yuko will be known in the fashion industry and then I can say ‘Hey, I modeled for her.’” Borchers admiries Yuko’s designs for their interesting shapes and colors. Her innovative design style is influenced by the world around her. She uses her surroundings to inspire her creative thoughts and give her insight as to what would make a fun and sophisticated design. “I draw inspiration from the human body and romance,” Yuko says. “I take the shapes and textures of the human body as inspiration for the silhouette and the rest of the design is based on cute details.” To compliment her creative designs, she enjoys choosing her fabrics from a varied selection. “I really like going to Discount Fabrics in San Francisco because of their loose environment and selection,” Yuko says. “The items they have are also usually within my budget.” Regardless of the discounts, the costs for Yuko’s materials can be pricy, making fashion design an expensive hobby. While Yuko’s parents usually help finance her passion, she spends most of her babysitting money on fabrics and other materials to make her garments. Not only does she make her own clothing but she also makes her own patterns, which contribute to a lot of the expense. While Yuko’s collection may seem unconventional, consisting of modern fabrics paired with classic structures, she is sure to stand by her designs and wear them with pride. verde magazine 17
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I take the shapes and textures of the hu man body as inspiration for the silhouette and the rest of the design is based on cute details.
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“Some of the pieces are more wearable, whereas the others are not so ready-to-wear,” Yuko says. “But so far, I have worn everything I have made. I have one dress that is made of pink tulle and is quite poofy, so I can’t wear it on just any day. I had my friend Grace Borchers wear it for the Model Citizens fashion show and I wore it out to the Gay Pride Festival in San Francisco.” Yuko has had great success unleashing her creative freedom but, she says her parents do not always agree with her choices. Although they accept her priorities now, they have different expectations for her future. “Though my parents would rather I went to a traditional fouryear institution right after high school, they are not against the idea of me going to design school after that,” Yuko says. “My brother went to Juilliard to study music after attending Stanford so I would be following a similar path.” Yuko’s brother Naoya Kanai, a 23-year-old former Paly student is proud of Yuko’s admiration, but he recognizes that the differences between him and his sister make it difficult for him to promise the same success that he had, for her. “In a general sense, I feel that she should try to gain a broad educational and social experience during college while continuing to pursue her focused interests in depth,” Naoya says. “But we are not the same person, and this is just a reflection on my individual experience.” Regardless of what Yuko decides to do with her life after high school, Naoya is simply proud of her determination. Like Borchers, Naoya has high hopes for a successful future for his sister. “I am simply happy that she’s found a great expressive medium and creative outlet,” Naoya says. “I hope that she continues to 18 verde magazine
challenge herself and I hope that it helps her develop as an artist, professional, student, and person.” Not only has Naoya influenced Yuko’s aspirations for a bright future after Paly, but he has also had a lot to do with her choices during high school. “My brother was the one who suggested the prospect of me attending the Pre-College program at AAU,” Kanai says. “If it weren’t for him, I doubt I would have found my way like this.” Yuko and Naoya hope that their experiences and success both academically and personally set a good example for their 13-year-old sister, Yoko Kanai. “I don’t think I am a role model for my sister in the sense that she has the same aspirations,” Yuko says. “However, I hope that this shows her that she can do whatever she wants without having to worry about my parents.” Yuko also hopes that Yoko will follow her dreams while getting the most out of her academic opportunities. Along with designing and sewing, Yuko dedicates hours a week to her passion of clothing design, maintains high grades, and balances volunteer work. “It is really hard to find time to concentrate on my projects because I usually have a heavy workload academically,” Yuko says. “It doesn’t help that I hate to work little-by-little. I have to have a large hunk of time to work on my projects.” Although Yuko’s work is both extraneous and time-consuming, the reward of a job well done is enough motivation to make her further her passion. “I am proud of the fact that I found something that I want to do for the rest of my life,” Yuko says. “A lot of people struggle with that.” v
Paly junior Julian Pitt works on his fifth bicycle in his home bike shop. Turn page for story verde magazine 19
Bike Shop-a-holic Cycling enthusiast helps to expand the biking community by influencing his peers text by lynn chang photography by julia singleton
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alking down the Pitt family’s long driveway, one may see four shiny bikes of different colors and styles all lined up in a row, leaning up against their fence. A close look into the garage shows junior Julian Pitt holding a white cloth and rubbing it against the frame of a yellow and orange bike frame. The handlebars sit atop a white table, while the front tire is on the floor. Chains hang down from the contraption that is holding up the frame. Tools and pieces lay scattered around the garage. With a bit more time and effort, the bike will soon be finished and take its place next to the other bikes. Pitt is one many Paly students who build bikes to create a commodity that is unique and customized. Below, these students share their inspirations, work, and dreams. The Enthusiast Pitt started building his own bikes freshman year, when he built his first full frame-up. Pitt has since built two mountain bikes, a single-speed mountain bike, and a fixed-gear bike. He is currently work on his fifth bike, a carbon-fiber road bike. He enjoys the feeling of riding a bike he built himself. “It’s like wearing a custom-tailored suit,” Pitt says. “It might take longer and can be more expensive than a factory one, but it feels that much better. I know that each part will be what I want, so the final product has far fewer compromises, and it feels right for me.” As with any individual project, it is important to plan things
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out ahead of time. “Before buying anything, I make sure that there’s a purpose for the current project, because it’s easy to get carried away, spending money and wasting time,” Pitt says. “I plan out most of the parts before I start building, and I use a spreadsheet to keep track of each component and the finances.” Even with all this planning, problems can arise, one of which can be seen in Pitt’s pink bike. “When I ordered it, the frame was suppose to be red, but when I opened the box I got this [pink frame],” Pitt says. Because it was a used frame, he was unable to return it. Used also means cheaper, which Pitt says is important for bike builders. Building a bike can either cost thousands of dollars or be very cheap depending on how much the builder is willing to spend on the pieces. Pitt tries to save money when buying the components and strives to find a balance between quality and price. He ended up turning the pink frame into a very good mountain bike anyway. The Friend Paly junior Josh Newby has been helping his dad, a bicycle enthusiast, build bikes since third grade, however he didn’t start building bikes on his own until sophomore year when began to help him. “My inspiration for building bikes originally came from my dad’s bikes, and my friend Julian Pitt,” Newby says. “He [Pitt] has
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Above Junior Josh Newby doing tricks on his custom bicycle, featuring some of his original parts been building bikes for a long time, and all of his bikes intrigued and inspired me.” After years of observing his dad, Newby knows how much the time required to build a bike can vary. How long it takes to build a bike relies mostly on whether or not all the components have been bought. It can take up to a few months if some pieces are hard to find or if builders don’t yet have the money to buy the pieces. It can take as short as one day to build a bike if they have all the components because assembly generally doesn’t take very long, but that certainly doesn’t mean assembly should be done quickly. Newby stresses the importance of spending appropriate time for the assembly and building process, because small mistakes can amount to big injuries later on. “You might botch the brakes and cruise through a red light,” Newby says. “In my case I was rushing to assemble my fixed gear, and I wasn’t careful so I got my finger sucked in between the chain and the sprocket, and I got the tip of my finger crunched off and I had to spend the afternoon in the E.R.” Like many others who build bikes, Newby rides his to school. He is in favor of fewer cars on the road and alternative transportation, and he has also found that bike riding helps his athletic career. “I run on the Paly cross country team, and I see bikes as a really valuable form of cross training that builds fitness and stamina in my running,” Newby says. Newby also enjoys the design aspect of building a bike. He sketches out his ideas and uses a bike template on Flash to experiment
with different color schemes and components. He has a sleek black bike that has a checkered pattern on part of the frame that makes it unique, and shiny white tire rims. “Bikes are fun to build because they are a form of artistic expression,” Newby says. “The paint job, color scheme, and the design of the bike is individual and unique.” Building a bike can be very costly, and most people can’t afford to continue to make more bikes without some sacrifice. “I love riding the bikes that I build,” Newby says. “I either ride them, or sell them to pay for the construction of a new bike. It’s a sad cycle.” The Club Upon arrival at Paly for his junior year, Pitt felt there was a gap in the variety of clubs at Paly. Pitt, along with friends and fellow bikers, juniors Michael Zhao and Evan Gitterman, started a Paly bike club earlier this year to strengthen the biking community at Paly. “We hope to be able to organize rides in the future, mountain and road, as well as help each other with maintenance, buying bikes and parts, etcetera,” Zhao says. Zhao knows the ins and outs of how and where to buy good parts at cheap prices. He hopes he can share his tips with others in the club. “My inspiration [for building bikes] came from saving money but [my hobby] eventually grew on me,” Zhao says. “I’m pretty much addicted to bike parts now. I study them harder than math.” verde magazine 21
Left Gitterman sitting on top of his bike. Right Pitt doing a trick on his bike in his free time He has built many bikes and uses them for daily commuting. “I’ve built a dirt jumping hardtail, Kona Stuff brand, which I later turned into an all mountain full suspension bike that I recently disassembled for parts,” Zhao says. “I also restored an old, run-down road bike which I use for daily commuting as well as road riding. Most recently, I built another dirt jumping bike out of all the parts from the all mountain bike.” Fellow bike club founder Gitterman started building bikes because at the height of 6’1”, his mountain bike was too small for him. In addition, he liked the feel of riding his road bike because it was light, unlike his heavy mountain bike. “Since I didn’t want to ride my road bike to school but still wanted a fast and light bike, I decided to build a fixed gear,” Gitterman says. “It took a while to get all the parts, but now that it’s working, my rides to school and around town are a lot more fun.” Chris Llewellyn and John Xia Chris Llewllyn and John Xia, also members of the Paly bike club, got the ideas to build a bike from watching a show. Llewellyn and Xia, decided to construct a bamboo bicycle after seeing it on a TV show. “We chopped up a broken bike frame to get to the steel tubing, 22 verde magazine
which we inserted into the bamboo to get the bamboo frame,” Xia says. Not only is the frame made of bamboo, but it is also laminated with hemp and a fiber gloss. It is a fixed gear and is fully functional, but Llewellyn and Xia only ride it every now and then, because it doesn’t work very well. “We made the pedals too low, which makes them scrape against the ground even with the slightest of turns,” Llewellyn says. In the future, Llewellyn and Xia want to make another bamboo bike, and ensure that this time they assemble it more carefully and have better joints. They also plan on making a bamboo Unicycle. The Community Pitt, Zhao and Gitterman all encourage students who feel they may be interested to check out the Paly bike club. “With the increasing popularity of building and riding custom bikes, the Paly bike club is a great way to meet, build, and ride with other people of similar interests,” Gitterman says. v Paly Bike Club The bike club hosts a weekly road ride every Saturday at ten in the morning. The meeting point is the senior deck on the Paly quad. All are welcome. For more information search Paly Bike Club on Facebook.
Making the Band:
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The story behind Corner Street Light text by sydney lundgren images by julia singleton
Charlie (left) and Freddy (right) Avis relax on the front porch of their house verde magazine 23
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is fingers move effortlessly up and down his black and red electric guitar. No music sheet is in front of him. No teacher is by his side. Paly freshman Freddy Avis sits by himself in faded blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt, illuminated by the glow of his iMac behind him. A few moments later, Paly senior Charlie Avis swiftly runs down the basement stairs, battered drumsticks clutched tightly in his left hand. The brothers soon become engrossed in the music, working to find melodies that fit together. Hopeful smiles light up their faces as they attempt to create a new hit song for their band, Corner Street Light. Music has been an integral part of the brothers’ lives since they were young. Fleetwood Mac’s soft beats could usually be heard in the Avis household as Freddy and Charlie groggily stumbled downstairs in the morning. The Police greeted the boys when they burst through their bright yellow door after school. The gentle melodies of U2 gently eased Freddy and Charlie into a calm sleep at night. “My dad liked rock music so I grew up listening to lots of different bands,” Freddy says. “I started singing along and built up my voice and it helped me learn how to play better.” Given the love of music in the Avis household, Charlie came up with the idea to form a band while he was in the third grade. “Our band was named Slip on Shoes,” Charlie says. “Back then, we weren’t that serious about it even though we played at small shows at school and at parent parties.” The boys’ parents, Anne and Greg, encouraged their sons to pursue their musical interest, despite their young ages. They did everything they could to support Corner Street Light, providing the boys with musical equipment and lessons. “We wanted to nurture their love of music, but it was really up to Charlie and Freddy to make it work,” Anne says. Starting in first grade, Freddy would come home from school and start playing around with different strings on the guitar, not caring if he was playing the right chords. During guitar lessons, Freddy would fidget in his seat, not wanting to read the music sheets his teacher placed in front of him. However, once his teacher played for him, Freddy could absorb the sound of the music and play the same chords back perfectly, without even looking at the note sheet. Freddy also began to learn to master the piano by playing by ear and matching his teacher’s chords. “There was something different that struck me about Freddy from the first time I heard him sing and play,” Rick Hansen, the Avis brother’s current music teacher, says. Today, Freddy possesses the same enthusiasm he 24 verde magazine
ays w l a ave h e se to o “W l c ry e v e w n . . . bee her t o st h eac sically be a vis are b s.” ddy A e r F d — frien
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“We k now w hat each o th capab le of a er is nd know each o we style o ther’s f play.” — Cha
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had when he was a little kid. As soon as he scribbles down the last answer to his math homework, Freddy grabs his shiny electric guitar from his bedside table and plays along to one of his favorite artists, Wolfmother. “The way he has learned is the purest way and the best way to learn,” Hansen says. “It is great to learn from reading notes but it is his ability to learn from other musicians that makes him such a great musician.” While practicing, Freddy occasionally stops to write down an idea for a lyric or play a few notes on the piano, seeing what melodies will blend with his guitar. “I listen to other artists because it helps us come up with ideas for our own songs,” Freddy says. “I always take bits and pieces from different songs and see how they work with what we want to do.” Downstairs in the basement, Charlie slips on his earphones and blasts Wolfmother as well. His face is thoughtful as he concentrates on imitating the drumming beat perfectly, tenaciously starting over if he misses a beat. “We obviously have different ideas and different talents but we both have learned the same way,” Charlie says. “We have both taken the same amount of lessons, both have learned by playing, and both don’t use music sheets to remember any of our songs.” When the two brothers sit down to record a song together, they do not waste their time fighting, as many siblings have a tendency to do. They seem to effortlessly work off each other, giving one another various ideas on how to create the best possible melody. “The band wouldn’t be where it is now without my brother,” Freddy says. “It helps that we have always been very close to each other and that we are basically like best friends.” Corner Street Light’s success comes from the strong brother bond that the two Avis brothers have with one another. One can tell that their musical chemistry is electrifying as Charlie’s steady drum beats and Freddy’s rhythmical guitar notes fit together in unison. “We know what each other is capable of and know each other’s style of play,” Charlie says. “He’ll play something and then I play something, and it just flows.” The most rewarding moment for both brothers was in early September, when they sat nervously next to each other as they waited for Corner Street Light’s debut CD to appear on iTunes. “Going up on iTunes was pretty amazing,” Freddy says. “I checked the new customer reviews basically every 30 minutes for three weeks straight.” Since the CD went up online, the reaction from Paly students has been overwhelmingly positive. The brother’s peers are lured in by the band’s distinct raw sound, a combination of Coldplay’s and John Mayer’s soft rock and the blaring, vibrational sounds of WolfMother and Shinedown. verde magazine 25
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While the overall rhythm and beat of the music is impressive given the brothers’ young age, it is Freddy’s sophisticated voice that continues to astound listeners. Whenever Freddy sings the band’s most popular song live, “Should Have, Could Have,” gasps of amazement can be heard around the crowded room. “It is astonishing that Freddy’s voice is so mature for his age even though he has never taken music lessons consistently,” Hansen says. In addition to Freddy’s strong voice, the level of creativity in the songs has also made the band popular. “Godmother,” a song about broken relationships, has a universal and empathetic theme that allows people to emotionally connect to the band. In “Politicians,” Charlie and Freddy sarcastically criticize the current corruption and public uneasiness associated with America’s government. But what most invokes emotional and intellectual thoughts is “Embrace the Dark,” a mixture of simple yet powerful lyrics depicting the impact of September 11th on America. “He’s a very talented lyric writer and people have been struck by his lyrics,” Hansen says. “People have been struck by “Godmother” because it seems like such an intensely personal subject for a 14-yearold.” Considering the impact of Corner Street Light on the Paly community, the band’s future looks promising. The brothers already have six songs recorded and hope that they will be able to release their second album as soon as possible. Freddy’s goal is to concentrate more on the lyrics this time, as well as to continue to improve his vocal abilities. “The six new songs are pretty meaningful to me because they all focus on bad experiences I have grown from,” Freddy says. “I hope these songs can show that we are really are professional, legit, and real.” The two brothers both hope that their next album will invoke universal themes that will be recognized and embraced by their own generation. “I know that both Charlie and Freddy have put a lot of time into their next album,” Peter Johnson, Paly senior and part time band member, says. “They have come such a long way and it is great how they keep recording songs that sound even more professional.” Besides challenging themselves to improve, Freddy worries about living apart from his brother next year. “I’ve been telling Charlie that he has to go to Stanford so we can continue to make music,” Freddy says. “I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else except for Charlie.” Both brothers are confident that no matter where Charlie attends school next fall, their bond will continue to thrive. “We have always supported each other from the beginning,” Charlie says. “For me, the most important thing is that we have are best friends and always will be.” v 26 verde magazine
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PICKING up the PIECES Schools turn to restorative justice as an alternative form of punishment
text by sophie cornfield art by emily wang
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hen faced with a student who has broken Palo Alto High School rules the school administration has two options: let the student off with virtually no punishment or tarnish his or her record with suspension. Paly Principal Jacqueline McEvoy finds that suspending students is difficult, but says that sometimes it is the only way to handle disciplinary issues. “Sometimes they [students] make mistakes and need to be accountable for their behavior,” McEvoy says. “That's what a suspension is all about. It's a really tough decision to make and I always feel badly about it, but it's part of my job as principal.” This predicament has lead to the question of what if there was a more moderate, learning-based way to punish students? That is where restorative justice comes in. According to Prison Fellowship International, restorative justice allows all parties involved
in a conflict to discuss the issue and fix it together. Once the conflicts is resolved, counselors help reintegrate the victims and the offenders into society as “whole people.” As flaws in the current system make their way into the lime light, Palo Alto community members are advocating that Paly follow the lead of schools in states such as Vermont, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that have already incorporated restorative justice as a form of punishment. Sarah Kubertz, a school social worker for the Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative for Milwaukee public schools says that the public schools of Milwaukee turned to restorative justice hoping that they could find a new, innovative way to deal with disobedient students. “We had an alarmingly high suspension rate,” Kubertz says. “Hopefully restorative justice will reduce those rates and also be a verde magazine 27
“It provides an option for people who are already taking responsiblity for their actions and might allow them to avoid more serious involvement.” — Derek Miodownik, Restorative justice administrator for the Vermont Department of Corrections
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better way to teach remorse.” Restorative justice aims to facilitate change through community engagement, as a way of repairing the community after acts of hate have taken place. Many schools operating under the restorative justice program do so by using “the circle,” a form of community discussion that is derived from Native American traditions, according to Prison Fellowship International. Depending on the model implemented, the circle may include justice system personnel, the victim, the victim’s family, the offender, the offender’s family, witnesses, community representatives and anyone who is concerned about the crimes. In most talking circles a “talking piece” is used to give people the chance to speak. Kubertz sees the restorative justice program as a step in the right direction. “I have not heard any negative responses to the program,” Kubertz says. “Solutions to conflicts have lasted longer, agreements hold and students are even requesting help resolving issues using the circle. In fact, teachers cannot wait until they too can refer students to the program.” Restorative Justice at Hamilton Middle School in Madison, Wisc., is effective according to current student Avi Bernard-Donals. Bernard-Donals says that once a problem arises, the victim files a harassment form. Hamilton Middle School then allows the student who filed the compliant to chose conflict resolution in one of three settings: with a teacher, with the offender, or with a teacher and the offender. Although Bernard-Donals also sees the system as effective, he observes some issues within the current system. “I like it because it doesn’t result in any big punishment,” Bernard-Donals says. “But the problem is people don’t file forms because they are scared that it might cause problems.” Paly parent Ellen Kreitzberg, a criminal justice attorney, thinks restorative justice would be beneficial to the Paly community. “Restorative justice heals the victims and perpetrators of the crimes,” Kreitzberg says. “Traditional punishments likes suspension and expulsion do nothing to make the community whole. Restorative justice works to make things right again.” Jerry, a Paly student whose name has been withheld, was suspended for hazing freshmen earlier this year. He agrees that his
suspension did little to teach him regret; Jerry says he devoted more energy to fears regarding college acceptance than he did thinking about harm he might have caused. “I don't even think I hit anybody, so I don't think I caused any harm,” Jerry says. “I was just worried that this was going to effect my college acceptance.” According to Derek Miodownik, the Restorative Justice Administrator for the Vermont Department of Corrections, restorative justice would have been more helpful for students like Jerry, as the program allows students who cannot become aware of the harm of their actions and to see the situation in a new light. “Restorative justice allows students to reflect further and see how they affect their community.” Miodownik says. The Paly administration stands by their decision to suspend Jerry. McEvoy believes the current method of suspension gives students an equally compelling an opportunity to rethink their actions. “Suspension does give students a chance to step out of the situation and see how their actions affect their life,” McEvoy says. “It also gives parents an opportunity to work with their children to correct what is wrong.” Junior Madeline Saal agrees with McEvoy that students suspension does deter students from breaking the rule. “I don’t think that kids necessarily go home and think about what they’ve done, but it definitely gives them incentive not to screw up because it goes on your record,” says Saal. Franklin, an anonymous student who was expelled for committing acts of violence against a younger student earlier this school year, feels that his punishment caused him to learn from his mistake. “I feel that my actions deserved the punishment I received because what was happening needed to be stopped,” Franklin says. “Now hopefully anyone thinking about doing something like that in the future will look at what happened to me and decide not to [commit similar crimes]. I learned a lot from the punishment about how stupid and immature what I did was, and all the suffering I’ve brought upon myself just makes it seem so dumb.” Franklin says he would support the inclusion of restorative justice in Paly’s disciplinary system. “Of course I would have been interested in anything that would lessen my punish-
[campus] ment in any way because I love Paly and that’s where I belong,” Franklin says. “But I messed up and have to face what I did.” Miodownik believes that situations like Franklin’s would be ideal candidates for the restorative justice program. While restorative justice wouldn’t eliminate traditional punishment implemented by the district, it might possibly lessen punishments, and learning achieved through the counseling would help unify Paly in a manner that is often hard to attain. “Traditional punishment and restorative justice compliment each other,” Miodownik says. “It provides an option for people who are already taking responsibility for their actions and might allow them to avoid more serious involvement. However, it is by no means a replacement [for traditional punishment].” McEvoy blames the lack of a communal atmosphere at Paly for student’s unawareness of the rules on the campus She says she has felt limited by the inability to gather all Paly students in a single location. “Imagine trying to get all of Paly together for something as simple as an assembly,” McEvoy says. “Right now we have to rely on individual teachers to let kids know the rules.” Jerry agrees with this assessment. Prior being suspended, he had been unaware of the rules regarding his behavior and was shocked by the punishment. Jerry believes that Paly regulations had not been explained to him. “The administration never told us that this type of behavior was going to warrant a suspension,” Jerry says. Similar to such programs as Everytown, a four day retreat that discusses prejudice, and Team, a yearlong bonding experience for freshmen, restorative justice would allow for Paly to build a community on a smaller scale and ultimately provide for a more comfortable environment in the school. Miodownik feels that the integration of restorative justice into the punitive system would encourage the community atmosphere that Paly is seeking. “We have absolutely seen favorable results both with the individuals and, over time, in the general culture of the environment,” Miodownik says. “People just become more considerate.” While restorative justice officials say that it promotes a more comfortable school environment, authorities on the issue remain divided when it comes to the difficulty of implementation.
Professor Fred Luskin, who is in charge of the Forgiveness Program at Stanford University, sees this endeavor as difficult. “Forgiveness makes people more healthy both physically and emotionally, but you cannot force people to forgive,” Luskin says. “I don’t think you could just come in with restorative justice and expect people to be agreeable. Sometimes the victim is too hurt or the offender does not feel wrong or is ashamed. You would have to change the culture of Paly, go into classes and explain the we are moving towards healing and thinking about our actions.” Miodownik, on the other hand, doesn’t think adding a restorative justice component to Paly’s current disciplinary system would pose too great a challenge. “In my opinion, it is not too difficult [to integrate restorative justice],” Miodownik says. “Essentially, restorative justice simply means placing more emphasis on the impact of the offending behavior. It is not so much a punishment, but a way to solve a conflict.” Steve Core, a representative of the International Institute of Restorative Programs, agrees that restorative justice would be beneficial to the Paly community, but thinks preemptive programs would be more effective. “Restorative programs pro-actively engage the community and builds connections so that the tools are already there if a problem does arise,” Core says. “Restorative justice is under the restorative programs umbrella.” Core also believes that the inclusion of such punishments could be easily achieved. “Having it officially added to a school’s disciplinary system is not a complicated thing to do,” Core says. “What it typically entails is talking about what it does to the people involved and the entire community when students do something that is not okay.” Both McEvoy and Palo Alto Unified School District Assistant Superintendent, Scott Laurence have expressed interest in the program. “I am always interested in new ideas, but I wouldn’t make a commitment until we talk about how it would look.” Laurence says, “We would need lots of research and many conversations.” McEvoy agrees with Laurence’s assessment. “Anytime you can pair up a punishment and a learning experience it is a good thing,” she says. “The issue is the motivation and drive necessary to implement such a program.” v
“Forgiveness makes people more healthy both physically and emotionally, but you cannot force people to forgive.” — Fred Luskin, director of the Forgiveness Center at Stanford University
verde magazine 29
[viewpoint]
Serve America, Serve the World Why the United States should have mandatory national service text by aaron lerner art by emily wang
P
resident-elect Barack Obama has many great goals for his presidency, and his aspiration to expand the AmeriCorps and Peace Corps would be a significant advance. It is amazing that Obama will try to increase our national community service programs. According to Obama’s Web site, “Obama and Biden will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year, and will establish a new tax credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.” Despite the fact that these goals may increase community and national service among young people, the government should require that all high school graduates complete one year of community, foreign or military service before they go to a college or work. This will truly increase community service among American youth. As of now, many countries, including Israel, Nigeria, Switzerland and Germany require national or community service from their youth. If the United States could follow these countries in national service, it would be a better and more united country. Requiring national service would help foster patriotism among young people, make high school graduates more employable, and increase community service and social action. To understand national service, we need to study examples of how it works abroad. In Israel, national service is known in Hebrew as “Sherut Leumi.” It is an alternative national service program for youth who don’t want to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, according to the Nefesh B’Nefesh guide to Sherut Leumi. The youth who volunteer often work in places involving special education, internal security, disadvantaged youth and immigrant assistance. The volunteers receive a number of benefits, including apartment housing, a stipend, discounts at various businesses, weekend getaways, and special grants available after the service is finished. In Nigeria, according to a Time Magazine article published Sept. 2007, pharmaceutical and polytechnic college 30 verde magazine
graduates are required to work in rural communities. Without this program, Nigeria would not be able to provide many of its social services. Although our country should not have and does not need a military draft, the United States should have a national service system similar to countries such as Israel and Nigeria. After high school, recent graduates should be required to register with the federal government for at least one year of national service. If the graduates do not sign up, then any admission or job offer they receive would be denied until they complete their year of service. First, the graduates would apply to various agencies they would like to work with. The volunteers would then be admitted to their top choice agencies based on their interview preferences, skills, the needs of the various agencies and how well they did in school. They could either volunteer nationally or internationally, or opt for military service for one year. During their time serving, based on their effort and how well they do, the young adults would have similar benefits to what volunteers in Israel have — weekend getaways, monthly stipends, college scholarships and educational opportunities, in addition to many other benefits. Federal taxes would have to be raised to fund this, but it would be worth the cost. After a year of either military or community service, the graduates would then go to the college they were previously admitted to or any job offer they received at the end of their senior year. The volunteers wouldn’t be allowed to work or attend college if they did not complete their year of service. Not only would national service strengthen the U.S. and give teens good life skills, but it would also improve patriotism and give America a positive image in the world. A lot can be done within one year of service, and requiring national service would allow every teen in this country to contribute to the world in one way or another. It will only improve this nation. v
[paly speaks]
Who is your ideal New Year’s kiss? tAnna Seestone freshman
NICK FORLENZA
u Josh Davis senior
u
p
“Nick Forlenza”
Keyanna Campbell freshman
“Bon Qui Qui. Don’t interrupt ... rude.”
u Michael Rizza
senior
“Blake Lively.”
“Ludacris, he is inspiring to youth.”
Claire u Skrabutenas junior
“Robert Pattinson because he’s gorgeous.”
verde magazine 31
Leaping over Language Barriers International students share their experiences about moving to the United States and getting accustomed to the Paly and Gunn school systems
P
alo Alto High School senior Amin Ronaghi vividly remembers his first biology test at Paly as a freshman. He waited nervously for his teacher to pass out the test and, like most other students in the class, hoped he would do well. When Ronaghi looked over the multiple choice test, his reaction was the same as that of other students who did not understand the material. However, it was not lack of preparation that caused Ronaghi to earn a D; he says he received a poor grade because he had never taken a multiple choice test before in his life. “I had no idea what multiple choice tests were,” Ronaghi says. “Most of tests [I had taken before] were free-response, where you just write what you know and if you are on the right direction you will get partial credit.” Ronaghi moved to the United States from Sweden and started attending Paly during the second semester of his freshman year. Because he was unaccustomed to American styles of tests, Ronaghi found it difficult to adapt to the new curriculum. Ronaghi initially received B’s and C’s in most of his classes because he was not used to the testing style. “The only class I did really well in was Mr. [David] Rapaport’s freshman history class because his tests were structured like free responses,” Ronaghi says. “I didn’t start out well in other classes.” 32 verde magazine
text by vrinda khanna photography and photo manipulation by julia singleton
It took Ronaghi a year to improve his grades from B’s and C’s to A’s and B’s. He did not take any special classes to help develop his English speaking and writing skills because there are no such classes at Paly. He is one of many Paly students who speak English as a second language and who find the curriculum difficult to comprehend. Gunn High School offers an English as a second language program to meet the needs of international students with limited English proficiency. To determine whether a student gets placed into the program, called English Language Learners, all students entering a PAUSD school take the “home language survey.” One of the questions on the survey asks if another language is spoken at home. If the student answers “no”, then he or she is classified as EO, English Only, and is placed in the mainstream classroom. If the student answers “yes” then he or she must take the Initial Language Assessment. The district has 30 calendar days to give the student the English proficiency test. If the student scores above a certain mark, then he or she is classified as Initial Fluent English Proficient, and is placed in the mainstream classroom. If not, then the student is classified as an English Learner who is not proficient is English. If the student is classified as an EL, then the district must give the
[campus]
Runners, take your mark Paly seniors Caroline Lucas-Conwell, Yvonne Lin, Daniel Zeugfang, and Amin Ronaghi leap over their “language barriers” without taking any special English classes after moving to America from their respective countries.
student’s parents a ELL program option form or a waiver to remove their child from the program. Senior Daniel Zeugfang scored proficiently on the California English Language Development Test when he moved from Thailand at the beginning of his sophomore year, and was assigned to Paly. His two brothers, currently a junior and a sophomore, were classified as ELs and were assigned to Gunn to take advantage of the ELL program. “When our family took the test, I was the first to take it and the only one to pass,” Zeugfang says. “I was able to attend Paly without any problems.” However, Zeugfang’s brothers were allowed to attend Paly after asking to change their enrollment from Gunn to Paly because of the difficulties that would ensue with the three brothers attending two different schools. Although Zeugfang passed the CELDT, he did not think that he spoke English very well, resulting in only a basic understanding of the material taught in his classes at Paly. “When I arrived in the United States I knew how to speak English, but my skills were not very sufficient,” Zeugfang says. “I often had to ask the teacher to repeat what he or she said, and often asked my friends what the teacher meant.”
Paly senior Yvonne Lin had some of the same experiences as Zeugfang, even though she was used to the English-based curriculum after moving from Taiwan and completing sixth grade. Lin attended Egan Middle School for seventh and eighth grade. In seventh grade, Lin took her English and World History classes in Egan’s English as a Second Language program, but took mainstream science and other classes. In eighth grade she took all regular classes, but still didn’t feel completely comfortable with English when she made the transition to high school. “I wasn’t very fluent in English when I arrived at Paly,” Lin says. “During freshman year, I usually didn’t volunteer to speak in class. I remember getting a C- on my first English essay. It was really upsetting.” Another Paly senior, Caroline Lucas-Conwell, had previous English education in France before moving to Palo Alto in 2005 as a freshman, but still had trouble getting used to the Paly curriculum. “My mom is American so she taught me how to [speak English],” Lucas-Conwell says. “In France, schools started teaching us a second language during first grade so that is when I actually learned ‘proper’ English. Just having everything in English at Paly was difficult to get used to, even in English class, because I wasn’t used to so much English exposure.” verde magazine 33
Home Language Survey
Do you speak another language at home?
Yes
No
Passes the English Proficiency Test Yes Classified as English Learner ELL Option: Form for parents to put student into program
Waiver: Does not enter program, attend Paly or Gunn
Assigned to school with ELL program
Placed into Mainstream Classroom
Classified as English Only
No Classified as Initial Fluent English Proficient Placed into Mainstream Classroom
Mother tongue The process of placing students entering PAUSD schools into the right classroom environment is partly dependent on the language spoken at each student’s home
Rick Jacobs, the head ELL teacher at Gunn, believes that students lacking proficiency in English would have a better opportunity to succeed in school if they are in an ESL program. “EL students would do much better at Gunn,” Jacobs says. “In some cases, parents think that they want their children to go to Paly, even though their student needs to be in the EL program [offered at Gunn].” According to Jacobs, some parents of EL children don’t understand that the easiest way to acquire a second language is to have it taught in an organized way, such as through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. “Some parents think that the best way to teach [a second language] is to put their children straight in the mainstream,” Jacobs says. “Most of the parents get it, though.” EL students attend Paly instead of Gunn for various reasons. According to current PAUSD statistical reports shared by the Gunn EL Office, there are 34 ELs attending Paly for the 2008-2009 school year and 147 ELs attending Gunn. According to the report, if all of the ELs attended the schools they lived the closest to, 126 students would attend Gunn and 55 ELs would attend Paly. Paly doesn’t have an English as a second language program to help EL students who would rather attend Paly than Gunn because of 34 verde magazine
Placed into Mainstream Classroom
the cost of implementing the program in both high schools. According to Jacobs, in the mid-1970s PAUSD decided to implement ESL programs in one out of the two high schools and in one of the three middle schools to save money. Currently, there is an ESL program at Gunn and at JLS middle school. “The district is saving money by not having an ESL program at each school,” Jacobs says. An ESL program would be beneficial to the 34 EL students who currently attend Paly, and those who will attend Paly in the future. According to Jacobs, a proposal was submitted mid-December by an EL district employee to PAUSD to add EL programs at Paly, Terman, and Jordan. If more ESL programs were implemented in Palo Alto schools, more EL students would be able to go to the schools that they want to and would receive the same services to help improve their English. In addition, the state requires each school to offer EL services if there are 25 or more EL students attending the school, according to Jacobs. “PAUSD is in compliance with this requirement only by moving identified EL students to the schools in the district that have the programs,” Jacobs says. The sooner a program is established to help students with English difficulties, the sooner they will be able to adapt to the curriculum and perform well throughout their American education. v
[campus]
A Close Up Students to become a part of United States history by attending Barack Obama’s inauguration text by tim qin art by emily wang
W
ith January just around the corner, the most anticipated event of the year is almost here: the inauguration of America’s first AfricanAmerican president, Barack Obama. Millions worldwide will be watching this historic event on television, but only a few thousand will be able to witness the inauguration at the actual venue. In just one month, senior Jenna Lose, along with 15 other Paly students, will embark on a trip to Washington, D.C. to witness Obama’s historic inauguration. After nearly a year of supporting Obama, Lose is excited to witness live the beginning of Obama’s presidency. This will be made possible by Close Up, a nonprofit organization that exists to educate and inspire young people to participate in democracy. “I was hoping all [election] day that he would win, and finding out that he did was awesome,” Lose says. “I can’t wait until I get go to his inauguration.” History teacher Jaclyn Edwards is coordinating the upcoming trip. She has been organizing the annual trip to Washington, D.C. with former Paly history teacher Maureen McCory for the past seven years, but Edwards took up the job herself after McCory left in 2006. Students will leave for Washington, D.C. the third week of January, and they will stay there for seven days and six nights, participating in a variety of events. The trip focuses on teaching high school
students about the political process and the history of the United States. Students will form discussion groups to debate about current events ranging from the war in Iraq to global warming. Students stay four to a room, two students from Paly and two students from another part of nation. “The reason for this trip is to let students discover something new,” Edwards says. “In fact, last year we stayed at a hotel predominately with students from [primarily Republican] states.” Paly senior Lucas Matze, who also went last year, found that his two roommates were more conservative than friends he usually hangs out with, but believed his open-mindedness helped alleviate tension. “I think that as long as both people are friendly, politics isn’t so much a barrier to friendship,” Matze says. Students are encouraged to go out of their comfort zones as every experience is new. “Every trip is unique in terms of what the students bring to it,” Edwards says. “There are always surprises.” Even though both Matze and Lose enjoyed the trip last year, they acknowledge that this year’s trip is much more anticipated. “I am excited because it is going to be a completely different trip than last year, and I think that the focus will be much different as well,” Lose says. “I’m dying to go back.” v verde magazine 35
[viewpoint]
Change We Can Believe in: The New Facebook text by evan hahn of the paly voice
T
here are so many reasons why the new Facebook is better than the old one, despite the millions of people demanding a return of the old. To convince those of you who are still not ready for the inevitable, glorious wave of change, I have compiled a list of my personal nerdgasms about the new Facebook. Nerdgasm #1: Removal of Profile Clutter You know you hate it when your friend (or YOU) have 800 applications installed and they eat up your profile. Even then, the stacks and stacks of minimized applications made getting to the only thing you care about – the Wall – an uphill battle. The new Facebook has fixed this problem and now the Wall is right there for you. Nerdgasm #2: Less page reloading AJAX is a programming thing that makes it so that the user doesn’t have to reload the page every time they click something. AJAX is best demonstrated with Facebook’s chat feature – you do not see the page reload every time you send a message or one comes in. More things about the new Facebook have AJAX built in, so that you don’t need to reload the page every time you scroll through people’s photos. Nerdgasm #3: Tabs! As a human being using technology, I love tabs. They prevent me from having to see information I don’t want to see. If I want to see someone’s Wall, I can see their Wall. I don’t want to have to see all of their photos, their Information, their Jetman, etc. This also applies to the News Feed. Before, there were separate pages for each of the tabs. These pages all did relatively the same thing but did them on pretty different pages. Tabs have cleaned them up considerably. Nerdgasm #4: Status Updates on News Feed The News Feed’s Status Updates tab (see above) is one of my many News-Feed-related nerdgasms. Twitter (http://www.twitter. com) is a Web site that is 100 percent status updates, but a bit more customizable and better. This new Facebook looks just like Twitter and more people use it. And status updates used to be hard to get to, but now they’re easy to reach. Nerdgasm #5: Live Feed My second News Feed-gasm springs from the Live Feed. Many people, myself included, joke that Facebook is the ultimate tool for
36 verde magazine
a stalker. The Live Feed is true to that message, but is scaled to stalk everyone you know, and then some. Nerdgasm #6: More/Less About Something/Someone on News Feed As a better reincarnation of an old feature briefly run on Facebook, the News Feed’s ability to see more or less about a person, or more or less about a type of story, with just two clicks. It is pathetic, the sweeping effect this little feature has on me. Nerdgasm #7: Removal of the Almost-Useless Sidebar The left sidebar on the old Facebook showed your applications and that was it. This was a horrible choice. If it also did something else (like Chat), okay. But now the chat bar on the bottom combines Chat with applications, and the bar on the top does everything else. The removal of this fairly inefficient sidebar helps the entire world because it leaves more horizontal space for the things you want. Nerdgasm #8: It ... It’s Beautiful Even with its reduced clutter, and almost-cheatingly cool tabs, and the sleekness of Live Feed, and AJAX ... the new Facebook is so beautiful. Everything is divided, with cleverly shaded lines and boxes and tabs. And links and flashiness on everything. And everybody hated the little notch on the top-right of the old page. Everyone noticed this, right? Nerdgasm #9: Wall: Improving Stalking When I hear some nasty rumor about somebody I know, I used to attack both their Wall and their Mini-Feed to find out whether it was actually true, and they have cheated on their significant other. The new Wall combines the old Wall and the mini-feed, which helps me to find out what shady activity this person has been doing. Nerdgasm #10: Photos Killing, like, 8 Birds with 1 Stone If I clicked “View Photos of [your name here]” (in order to stalk), I would see photos of you that you added, and photos of you that other people added. I never understood why this was. Why would you care who uploaded it? The new Photos solves this problem, and adds the person’s photo albums, so you can see everything photorelated about a person. Stalk it up! All of these things combine to tell me one thing: THE NEW FACEBOOK IS AWESOME. DO NOT FIGHT IT.
[campus]
The college
text by megan mitchell art by emily wang photography by julia singleton
I
’m sitting between two fellow seniors in my fifth period class, and as we discuss our college plans, I realize that although these friends have lived similar pasts, they face substantially different futures. Although both have equally upstanding grade point averages and numerous extracurricular accomplishments, they face nearly opposite realities towards whether or not they can even hope to attend the college of their dreams. Due to the financial slump, one feels he has better odds of admission; the other feels she has lost her chance. To my left is Paly senior Will Brandin, a student in an optimal situation during our country’s declining economy. Unlike many students around the nation who verde magazine 37
are feeling the devastating effects from the economic breakdown, including parents’ unemployment and home foreclosures, Brandin is resting peacefully with the fact that his family has kept enough college savings for him to personally decide where he wants to spend the next four years of his life. He even considers the nation’s circumstances to be beneficial. “I think because of the economic crash, more people will be applying to public schools, so private schools may become easier for me to get into,” Brandin says. Despite the various factors that go into college selection, one of the most valued aspects has always been the student’s freedom to decide where he or she would like to attend school. However, since the United States is experiencing an economic crisis which echoes The Great Depression, the student to my right, along with thousands of other high school seniors, feels that she has lost the opportunity she once anticipated. She explains that since her family has been unfavorably affected by the economic collapse, she, unlike her older sister who attends a private institution, has been restricted to applying to certain schools that her family feels they can realistically afford at this time. “I can’t apply to any out-of-states or private colleges because they are too expensive,” senior Miki Kenrick says. “I think it will also be harder to get financial aid now because so many people will want it.” Of the 2,500 high school seniors surveyed by Merit Aid, an academic achievement Web site, 57 percent of the students say that they are “now considering a less prestigious college due to affordability.” Due to the economic crunch, 17- and 18-year-olds are now searching for “financial-safety schools,” which will help guarantee an affordable education beyond secondary school. Senior McKinley Siegfried is one Paly student who feels that taking extra precautions may be necessary. “I am thinking that the best way to go may be to attend one of my safety schools if they offer to give me free money or a scholarship of some kind,” Siegfried says. 38 verde magazine
Verde Surveyed just under half of the senior class to see how college plans are changing. In response to the financial crisis:
41 %
of students have greater financial needs for college
37%
of students anticipate NEEDING more FINANCIAL aid
22%
of students have applied to more public schools because they think it will save them money
27%
of students think private schools are always more expensive than public schools
The class of 2009 holds the largest-ever number of high school graduates according to The Wall Street Journal, and the recent economic breakdown leads many to believe that private institutions have higher costs. However, this perspective may be too generalized; several private institutions are guaranteeing extensive financial aid for the upcoming school year while public schools, such as the University of California and the California State University, are being forced to raise tuition and reduce admission rates. Public schools are largely dependent on funds from the state, which, in California’s case, could soon lead to less funding for the schools. According to California’s Budget Special Session, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing a $132 million cut from UC and CSU funding. This could have direct effects on the financial assistance offered from these campuses. According to Katherine Chi, the director at college counseling center Admissions Academy in Palo Alto, public universities will have to adjust their fiscal plans due to the financial crisis. “I believe that admissions to public universities will be more selective, mainly because more families will be applying, increasing the size of the applicant pool,” Chi says. “However, will that increase be statistically significant? Hard to say.” But with California’s unpromising financial circumstances, the chance of acceptance into public schools could be substantially lessened as a skyrocketing number of applicants is expected. Charles B. Road, the chancellor of the CSU system, announced the elimination of 10,000 admission spots for the 2009-2010 school year, according to The Sacramento Bee. This change will apply to all CSU campuses The UC is also being pressured to find a way to cope with the economic crash. Their proposal: a 10 percent increase in tuition fees for the 2009-2010 school year, according to KTLA news. California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi believes that at the proposed rate of increases in UC tuition, “UC is fast becoming as costly as private schools,” according to KCBS. With a possible increase of about $800 in next year’s
[campus] tuition, following last year’s $700 rise, the cost for the UC is dramatically affecting family finances. Because of the increase in UC tuition costs, Chi does not believe that a child’s enrollment in a public school will necessarily help the family financially more than enrollment in a private university would. “I do think that more families will apply to public universities both in and out of state because of the seeming affordability,” Chi says. “But with a strong financial aid package or scholarships, private colleges might actually end up being more affordable.” Due to the trouble families are experiencing, private colleges throughout the nation are making extensive efforts to accommodate qualified students regardless of their economic status. According to The Wall Street Journal, Cornell University has switched its student loans into grant money — aid that doesn’t need to be repaid. Both Dartmouth University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology no longer charge annual tuition for families that earn less than $75,000 throughout the fiscal year. Stanford University’s aid system is completely need-blind, which means that a student’s acceptance into Stanford has no correlation with their family’s financial ability to pay for enrollment, according to Karen Cooper, the university’s director of financial aid. Stanford offers no meritbased scholarships, except for student athletes; therefore, Cooper emphasizes that Stanford will commit to an eligible student’s enrollment in the school with help from their “tremendous financial aid program.” Stanford, using its $17 billion endowment towards financial aid, assists 75 percent of its student body with some type of financial aid annually. This year, the university will be handling approximately $97 million for financial assistance, according to Cooper. Cooper agrees with Chi that families should not stereotype private schools as unaffordable during difficult financial times. She believes that oftentimes, UC and CSU students can come out with less money once four years worth of living
Above Paly senior use the college and career center resources to find the most affordable and optimal options for their post-secondary school plans.
“With a strong financial aid package or scholarships, private college might actually end up being more affordable.” — Katherine Chi, director at Admissions Academy verde magazine 39
[campus]
“My parents are trying to convince me to not worry about the economy; I can’t help but want to do my part.” – McKinley Siegfried, Paly senior
costs and other miscellaneous expenses are covered. “You can get through Stanford without borrowing money,” Cooper says. “At UCs, kids are borrowing upwards of $20,000.” Regardless of whether a student wishes to attend a private or public school, Cooper emphasizes a student’s open-mindedness when considering colleges. “We have more work to do to get the word out so people understand that college is an option early on [regardless of financial status],” Cooper says. “I worry about those students who say that college isn’t an option for them because they can’t afford it.” Cooper feels strongly that a hard-working student should be able to attend an acclaimed institution despite being unable to afford it by themselves. “We look for students who do something extraordinary with circumstances they were given,” she says. “We feel it is our responsibility to make Stanford accessible to students from all walks of life.” Despite major efforts from all types of universities, some high schools seniors still feel that the financial crisis will burden their options for college. Senior Tess Dalke says that the financial breakdown was the reason for her decision to attend a community college. “My parents will have more money to pay for my living expenses if I attend a cheaper school,” Dalke says. “With the new crunch on money, the remaining option for us is community college.” According to McKinley Siegfried, who is also reconsidering her plans, her family’s decent financial status does not stop her from feeling a responsibility towards conserving money. “My parents are trying to convince me to not worry about the 40 verde magazine
economy; I can’t help but want to do my part,” she says. “I have a little brother so I really want to help make sure he has the same opportunities I have had.” In addition to high school seniors, college undergraduates are also finding that the economic situation has the potential to affect their life drastically. John Smith, a Paly graduate of 2006, is now enrolled in Cal Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo, a CSU, and is at the cusp of immediate change. “If the economy keeps flipping over itself and plummets, then I’m sure I’ll see a decrease in the amount of money I get [through financial aid],” Smith says. “I already have no room for error because I don’t get enough financial aid to spend extra money. I’m one of the kids that gets top priority since my family makes close to no money, but I’m sure other kids will have less opportunity to get financial aid if it [the economy] stays this way.” On the other side of the spectrum, Siegfried feels hesitant to apply for financial aid because she feels that people in Smith’s economic situation should receive priority. “There are a lot of people out there that need that money more than I do and I wouldn’t want to rob anyone of their chances of going to college,” she says. Although the country has experienced some immediate changes since the financial collapse, professionals urge prospective college students to keep an open mind towards their college choices. “Apply to private and public schools, pursue financial aid, explore scholarships,” Chi says. “In the spring, when you have the full array of options and information in front of you, you should be well-equipped to make the right decision.” v
[10 questions]
Earl Hansen Paly Football coach Earl Hansen reflects on the 2008 football season and reminisces about high school. He enlightens Verde on drive-in movies, football practices, and “car cruising.” What has been your biggest challenge this year? To keep this team focused. Every team I’ve had is different. This team was very confident and loved playing the game, just didn’t want to focus at practice. What are your coaching tactics? What we want to do is get better every day. The coaches and I meet daily. We talk about everything like who’s playing well and who’s not. We like to be really dynamic so things are always moving and always changing. If you think you’re locked into your position, you’re probably not. Do you act differently at home than you do at football practice? I’m not telling you. Well, I definitely act different at football. In football, there are certain goals we need to accomplish every week and we complete it to my satisfaction. I’m more relaxed at home because I am not the boss. What is something that no one knows about you? I love The Rolling Stones and I like to golf. It’s one more thing to frustrate me because it doesn’t come easy and it’s another four letter-word. I hope to hit the Alabama golf trail. What were your football practices in high school? They wouldn’t let you drink any water during practice. You had to run extra if you stopped by the water fountain to drink. They would give us salt tabs during practice to keep from passing out. Guys still collapsed at times though. I didn’t but I was so thirsty that I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. Afterwards, we would always go get an ice cream slush for 25 cents. It’s funny how everything we did at football practice has been proved wrong. What were you like as a kid in high school? How can I frame this? I was one of the jocks. I usually played three sports and worked all the time. I also had pretty much had one girlfriend all the time. What did you do on the weekends in high school? I loved going to drive-in movies. We were just crazy kids so it was hilarious when we would go. We had a huge group of people but we didn’t all want to pay so three people would sit in my car and 15 people would hop over the fence. The people in the car would pay and we would all split the cost. What kind of car did you have in high school? It was a ford that cost me 50 bucks and I could fill up the tank for four bucks. We would cruise El Camino looking for hot girls except I had a girlfriend so that never worked out. What are some of your future goals? I’ve done a couple of my goals already. It was one of my goals to coach football and improve Paly’s athletic programs. I want some grand-babies, but my son is a little slow on the uptake. How long have you had your signature mustache? Longer than you’ve been alive. I shaved it once when I got married, but I had to grow it back because she didn’t like the way I looked. v verde magazine 41
application fees satenvelopes score reports transcript requests application fees envelopes The Costly Hurdle postage stamps ap score reports scholarships counselors test registration stamps credit card
text by melanie maemura art by emily wang
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enior Echo Li has been staring at the computer screen for four hours on the eve of the University of California Application deadline. During the last few hours, she has felt a flood of emotions: panic, stress, fear, and now relief. Her application is finally filled out and she is on to the last step of the application: the payment section. She selects six UC schools and discovers her balance due is $360. She gasps and pauses in disbelief, but punches in her parents’ credit card number, realizing she has no other choice. For Li, this large fee is one of many she has had to pay during her college application process. At first, the initial costs seemed modest, but to her dismay the overall expense quickly began to mount far more steeply than she had expected. There were the SAT score reports, the AP score reports, and then worst of the all, the college application fees. Only midway into the college application process, she has already spent over $500 and expects to have spent over $1,000 by the end of the entire process. As students like Li begin their college application process, a small group of students on campus face extreme financial obstacles long before it is time to pay the exorbitant tuition fees, but some are unable to receive the help they need. For these students, the application fees represent a hurdle that creates a series of difficult questions: Do I really need to apply to this school? To how many schools can I really afford to apply? Which colleges can I leave out? According to Paly college counselor Sandra Cernobori, many students are quick to dismiss waivers for application expenses assuming that they are not eligible or simply unaware of the waivers that exist. In a recent survey conducted by Verde, only 3 percent of the 250 seniors surveyed have received a waiver for the fees and 6 percent are unsure whether they qualify. “The majority of Paly students and their families are able to pay 42 verde magazine
these fees,” Cernobori says. “But if paying these expenses affects a student’s family dramatically, that student should come to the College & Career Center and talk to us.” Students are automatically eligible for application waivers from the College Board and the National Association for College Admission Counseling if they qualify for the free lunch program, according to Cernobori. Beyond this, Cernobori admits the criteria for eligibility are complicated and murky. She believes the list of students who qualify for the free lunch program is not an accurate determination since it does not include students who might be eligible but did not apply for the free lunch service at the beginning of the school year. Even more problematic, this list is confidential district material and not open to counselors. Since the CCC has no comprehensive financial information about each student, counselors must wait for students to come to the office seeking application waivers. Cernobori believes as a result these unaware students may have been discouraged and could have cut down their college lists unnecessarily. “I'm sure that there are students who could be getting these waivers,” she says. “I wish we [the CCC] could reach out to them, but there is really no way without any sort of financial information about students.” Even so, in order to receive waivers, which mostly come from other organizations, students must make an effort early in the application process. “I went to the CCC for waivers early in the year,” senior Kimberly Reed says. “They helped me. It wouldn’t have been a really major problem [if I had to pay them], but it made a big difference for me and my family.” The College Board offers only four waivers for application fees, but to even receive these waivers a student must first register for the SAT Program fee-waiver test, which covers the basic test fees for the
[campus]
SAT Reasoning Test and the SAT Subject Test, according to its Web “It’s a really convenient system,” Cernobori says. “I’ve shown site. Students typically apply for this waiver during their junior year, students how to navigate the system. It’s really helpful and quick.” according to Cernobori. While Cernobori has helped dozens of students navigate the “If you don't sign up for the SAT Program fee-waiver test, you complicated system of application waivers, she regrets that there are cannot receive the four waivers of college application fees even if you other Paly students who are unaware of the help that's available. need the waivers,” Cernobori says. “The college application process is very expensive,” Cernobori Another national waiver program is the NACAC. Cernobori says. “The costs add up very quickly and many students do not realize and fellow college counselor Meri Gyves assist students by helping this. While most students at Paly have no significant struggle, there them fill out requests to other organizations and providing waivers are definitely students on campus for whom it is a burden.” for transcript requests. The concern of If the NACAC accepts counselors in the CCC the request form, the has led them to set up organization then provides a series of meetings. fee waivers to the student. During these meetings, Not all colleges accept college and guidance application fee waivers counselors discuss from the College Board and brainstorm ways and NACAC. While most of helping students colleges and universities put in a difficult follow the general financial position when — Sandra Cernobori, Paly college counselor guidelines for determining they want to attend fee waiver recipients, some school dances, freely individual and state institutions, including the schools in the UC participate in school sports, register for AP tests, and pursue other system, do not accept such waivers, according to Cernbori. Instead, academic and extracurricular activities. They hope to present their they have their own system of waiving their application fee. ideas to the district in the near future. In UC and California State University Applications, students “Right now, there is the CCC and its services, the auditor and may indicate whether they are interested in an application fee waiver. guidance counselor who give waivers for dances, and ASB [Associated If a student checks yes, both systems then go on to seek further Student Body] who awards an annual scholarship to a student,” information about family income, family size, and other statistics. Cernobori says. “There is no consolidated organization that can After filling out the information, a student may immediately see really help students. No student’s prospects should be hampered by whether he or she is eligible. financial issues. We’re really trying to work on it.” v
No student’s prospects should ever be hampered .” by financial issues
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Reflecting on Race A deeper look into the turmoil behind Palo Alto Police Chief Lynne Johnson’s controversial statements
text by silvia maraboli photography by julia singleton
“I
was not as articulate as I should have been,” wrote Palo since 1972, when former Police Chief Jim Zurcher first introduced Alto Police Chief Lynne Johnson in an Oct. 31 apology diversity training to his force, according to a Palo Alto Online article. Now, as the situation has gone awry, people ranging from East letter to the public. However, many in the local community believe Johnson’s Palo Alto residents to members of the Stanford and Paly communities response to the uproar surrounding her comments was too little, too are wondering how the city can come together to repair the damage. “As community leaders, we could not allow such a statement to late. Johnson, who is scheduled to retire Dec. 19, wrote the go unchallenged,” says Sharifa Wilson, an African-American resident aforementioned letter in an attempt to rectify her polarizing of East Palo Alto who played an integral role in helping organize comments made during a town hall meeting on Oct. 30. the rally. “I was insulted at the thought that every African-American who comes into Palo Alto would be subject “When our officers are [in the field] and to questioning by the police, including me.” they see an African-American in a congenial Letitia Burton, an African-American way we want them [the officers] to find teacher at Paly, decided to participate in the out who they [the African-Americans] are,” Nov. 9 rally for both individual reasons and Johnson said at the meeting, to support fellow residents. Whether or not Johnson meant the “I chose to march in order to show words as they sounded is unclear. However, my support for students and the East Palo the local community reaction was swift and Alto community,” Burton says. “The rally furious. hopefully helped people find a voice and Palo Alto City Council members such as helped them to express their dissatisfaction Mayor Larry Klein called Johnson’s statement and frustration in a peaceful way.” “unacceptable, unconstitutional and un- —Sharifa Wilson, one of the main organizers of the November 9 rally American,” according to Palo Alto Online. Burton has experienced personal discrimination from salespeople while in To protest against the chief ’s statements, a department store at Stanford Shopping members of the African American Leadership Summit, with the help of the nonprofit organization One East Palo Center, which intensified her desire to partake in the rally Paly sophomore Kevin Ward, another participant in the rally, Alto, led a 300-person cross-town rally that made the news across the Bay Area. Despite some of the public’s perceptions of the PAPD, the agreed that Johnson’s recent statement called attention to some city has fought against the perception that its practices were racist previous unpleasant experiences with the PAPD.
“As community leaders, we could not allow such a statement to go unchallenged.”
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[spectrum]
“Whether or not [Johnson] intended to be racist will remain a mystery, but it led people to make connections between their own personal experiences with Palo Alto police that may not have been very pleasant,” Ward says. Other members of the local community, however, considered Johnson’s words to be a misstatement and vehemently stood up for her. On a Palo Alto Online blog, hundreds of people, mostly residents of Palo Alto, have expressed their contempt towards the reactions of people offended by Johnson’s statements. One anonymous poster said: “Racism still exists, but not in this particular case.” Another community member added a more blatant comment: “The crime here will continue and the intelligent people of this town will continue to be aware and leery of the descriptions given of the criminals. I for one will not think twice about political correctness when it comes to my safety or the safety of my family.” Will, a Paly student whose name has been changed, also does not see eye to eye with those who spoke out against Johnson’s statement. “What she said was completely not racial profiling,” Will says. “If the description of the men committing these robberies was that they were black males wearing do-rags, then police should be searching for black men who are wearing do-rags. That is their [the police’s] job.” While reading various comments posted on Palo Alto Online and hearing people discuss their own— sometimes bitter — experiences with the PAPD, some wonder what exactly can be classified as racial profiling. Jane Slater, chair of the English Language Development
Department at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, who teaches mostly minority students, believes that Johnson did, in fact, use racial profiling tactics. “One would think that in a situation like Palo Alto’s where there have been several robberies, Johnson would tell her force to take into account the height, age, etc. of the suspects, as well as race, in order to find them,” Slater says. “However, since Johnson told police to stop black men and ‘engage them in a consensual discussion’, then the police would be stopping a lot of men. If the suspects were described as white men wearing baseball caps, would police officers really go around stopping all white men wearing baseball caps?” Slater also believes that Caucasian people cannot fairly comprehend concepts from a minority person’s point of view. “It is also hard for people who are not of color to understand that the experience of being treated as ‘the other’ and being ‘profiled’ by police, as well as most other figures of authority, is not uncommon,” Slater says. “They [Caucasians] tend to underestimate how common these experiences are and tend to want to downplay them.” According to Slater, her students have come to believe that they will be stopped by police without doing anything wrong. With Johnson’s last day on the job just around the corner, the dilemma still lies as an open wound in the community that the incoming police chief will have to deal with. “I think it’s unfortunate that her career had to end on such a bad note,” Slater says, “but racial profiling is obviously an ongoing problem in the department which needs to be resolved one way or another.” v verde magazine 45
Youth Leading Youth Members of Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s student advisory board tackle national issues from a youth perspective
text by maddy mihran photography by julia singleton
O
n a cold November night, 30 high school students crowd into a small workroom in downtown Palo Alto and take their seats. Discussion about the recent presidential election and state propositions fills the room. Behind them, the back wall is entirely covered with plaques commemorating the person they are advising: Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. Every two weeks, these students gather at her local office to represent and discuss the opinions of the younger generation in the Bay Area. Congresswoman Eshoo established the student advisory board in 1993 to give students a political voice and “to keep her informed on the ideas and opinions of her student constituents,” according to her Web site. The board is comprised of junior and senior high school students who reside in California’s 14th Congressional District, which lies between San Francisco and San Jose. The two branches of the board — one representing San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and the other representing Santa Cruz county — meet to analyze issues they deem as most pertinent to students. The first couple meetings of the year are designated to brainstorming topic ideas for their final report, which will encapsulate their opinions and suggestions on the chosen topic. In previous years, members have selected issues ranging from alternative energy to gun control. Each spring, the board presents its report to Congresswoman Eshoo. Eventually, the report is sent to the Library of Congress. To give meetings more structure, two members are elected into
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the positions of chair and vice chair. Their responsibilities lie in supervising the meetings, in addition to writing the introduction and conclusion to the report. The remaining 28 members are divided into multiple committees, each of which has its own head. These committees concentrate on one specific area of the broader topic and author a portion of the report. Each member is also responsible for preparing a two minute speech for Congresswoman Eshoo that summarizes his or her ideas and opinions on the sub-topic. Paly senior Lucas Matze is one of two technology officers on the Santa Clara County branch of the board, which he joined in October after becoming interested last spring. As a technology officer, he prepares powerpoint presentations for the group and supervises technological aspects of the final report, such as pie charts and graphs. He commends Congresswoman Eshoo for giving high school students an outlet where they can express their political opinions and concerns. “It’s an impressive organization and it’s unique that Congresswoman Eshoo listens to her student constituents,” Matze says. Although board members often have differing opinions, Matze says that the diversity within the group ultimately enables them to make more informed decisions. “Sometimes it takes some effort to reach a group consensus, but people bounce ideas off each other and it ends up working out in the end,” Matze says. “It’s just great to be able to come together and meet a whole range of people.”
[spectrum] “The fact that students can’t vote is just more motivation for them to find ways to get their voice heard, especially if they feel strongly about an issue.” — Lucas Matze, board member
Listen and Learn Board members listen as their peers exchange ideas about a possible topic for their report, which will be presented to Congresswoman Eshoo next May.
Aiming to collect supporting data for their report, board members administer numerous polls that survey their peers on a variety of subjects. “Since there are so many different issues out there, we need to get a good sense of who we’re representing [by polling the students],” Matze says. Although high school students under the age of 18 do not have the privilege of voting, Matze says it is still important for them to find other media through which they can express their political opinions. “The fact that students can’t vote is just more motivation for them to find ways to get their voice heard, especially if they feel strongly about an issue,” Matze says. “And with all the technology available today, there’s so many ways to do that.” Paly junior Christopher Tran also joined the board this year. “I wanted to participate because today’s youth comprises a good part of our nation’s population and should be able to have input on issues which would affect us and our communities,” Tran says. He anticipates that students will play a larger role in politics as the younger generation continues to grow. “As more and more of today’s youth become eligible to vote, our influence in elections like the recent one would increase drastically... [and] politicians like Anna Eshoo would benefit from the input of students,” Tran says. “They represent the next generation of Americans.” Many students on the board have an extensive dedication to poli-
tics as their career. In college, Matze plans to major in business and is very interested in entering into a career involving government afterwards. “If I could be anything in the world, I would want to be a Congressman,” Matze says. “And the skills I’m learning as a member of the board would definitely help me in that career.” While Tran is not planning on entering into a career in politics, he says that the board will provide him with a broader knowledge of how to approach difficult issues. “The board won’t help me much toward my top career choice but it would give me valuable knowledge and experience for life in general,” Tran says. “I hope to expand my view on different issues as well as enrich my knowledge over the political process and different political issues.” Through his participation as a member of the board, Matze hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the governmental process and learn ways in which he can make the difference he would like to see in the world. “I want to get a good insight into how government runs and how we can change the world we live in — not just as a representative, but as a citizen as well,” Matze says. “This generation is really wonderful — and that’s not to say that previous generations weren’t — but I think we’re especially giving and this program helps to develop that mind set.” v
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grace harris, sophomore
hannah kramer,freshman
anabel homnack, sophomore
hannah ohlson, lara cutkosky, sophomores
49 verde magazine tom marks, senior
aaron ebert, junior
[post-it art]
[spectrum]
Local members of the Mormon Church feel unfairly blamed for the passing of Prop. 8 text by shoshana gould photography by julia singleton
P
aly senior Chris Gallagher pauses mid-sentence, thinking of what he will say next. He wrings his hands and shifts in his seat. The recent passing of California’s Proposition 8, which bans the right of homosexual couples to marry, has put Gallagher, a practicing Mormon, in an awkward position on what many refer to as a new civil rights movement. “I am for gay rights and for equal rights for everyone, but I also believe that [heterosexual] marriage is sacred,” Gallagher says. “It makes it really hard for me. I think a lot of Mormons feel that way.” Because of the large amount of donations for the “Yes on 8” campaign that came from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “No on 8” supporters have recently lashed out at church members, labelling them as hateful and homophobic. Individuals from the Mormon faith donated an estimated 70 percent of the total contributions to the “Yes on 8” campaign, according to an October article published in the San Francisco Chronicle. Since the ban passed, the Mormon Church has been subjected
to numerous attacks nationwide. Gay rights activists remonstrated against members of the church in Salt Lake City and New York City during November, according to a Nov. 7 Associated Press story. In addition, protesters are encouraging a boycott of the Sundance Film Festival, according to a Nov. 19 Entertainment Weekly article. Sundance, the largest festival for independent film makers, has been held in Utah, where the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are located. The protest will be a way to rebel against Mormons who donated money towards “Yes on 8.” Prop. 8 was an extremely important issue to many Mormons, as preserving traditional marriage and maintaining the integrity of family is a crucial part of their religious practice, according the official LDS Web site. The site states that “marriage between a man and a woman is central to the plan of salvation. Strong families serve as the fundamental institution for transmitting to future generations the moral strengths, traditions, and values that sustain civilization.” The Mormon Church believes that children have a stronger verde magazine 49
“After I found out that Prop. 8 passed, I was devastated. To know that our rights had been stripped from us by a simple majority of voters in a state that is often considered one of the most progressive in the United States, was extremely hard to come to terms with.” — Gunn senior and GSA President Jessie Belfer
Gunn GSA President Jessie Belfer does not blame one group for the passing of Prop. 8. sense of identity when marriage is between a man and a woman. The site says that “marriage and family are vital instruments for rearing children and teaching them to become responsible adults. When marriage is undermined by gender confusion and by distortions of its God-given meaning, the rising generation of children and youth will find it increasingly difficult to develop their natural identity as a man or a woman.” Despite the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage, officials promote respect and love towards everyone, despite their sexuality, according to the official LDS Web site. The church says that while “members decide their own appropriate level of involvement in protecting marriage between a man and a woman, they should approach this issue with respect for others, understanding, honesty, and civility.” At the same time, donations raised from members of the Mormon Church largely contributed to the ban against gay marriage. A Nov. 14 article from The New York Times, describes the “extraordinary role Mormons played in helping to pass it [Prop 8] with money, institutional support and dedicated volunteers.” While Gallagher agrees that many Mormons did donate a substantial amount of money, he stresses that individuals’ contributions were not funded by the church. “The church itself did not make any donations,” Gallagher says. “Any campaigning or donations were made by church members who acted based on their own beliefs.” Mormons, who represent 2 percent of California’s population, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, were not the only religious group who was in general support of the proposition. Evangelical and Protestant Catholics (18 percent) and Orthodox 50 verde magazine
Jews (1 percent), also support traditional marriage, as do some nonreligious California residents. Members of the Palo Alto community were actively involved in both sides of the campaign, placing signs and bumper stickers that showed their support. An online database run through the San Francisco Chronicle provides information on all Prop 8 donors, including how much they donated, where they reside, and their current occupations. The records show that at least one Paly teacher and one Paly family donated money in support of “Yes on 8”. When asked, both declined to comment. Paly parent Amy Rao says she donated between $3,000 and $3,500 opposing the proposition. Rao has been a continuous supporter of gay and civil rights. “I’ve just been one of those supporters who has been continuously fighting for gay rights,” Rao says. “We just have to keep fighting. It’s unfortunate [that Prop 8 passed].” Rao has noticed the recent strong criticism of Mormons. “I haven’t been surprised,” she says. “I think they are trying to take rights away from people. There’s no reason to do that. It’s not what this country was founded upon.” Paly senior Abraham Wilson, a practicing Mormon, argues that by supporting “Yes on 8,” Mormons are not taking people’s rights away. “By not condoning gay marriage, we do not think we are limiting their rights,” Wilson says. “We see marriage as a blessing here on earth, but this blessing is not extended to everyone.” Not all Mormons supported “Yes on 8.” Palo Alto’s most wellknown Mormons, football star Steve Young and his wife Barbara,
[spectrum] “There has a been a mutual lack of respect. In issues like these, people are really intense. Because of people’s lack of understanding, people think we are homophobic. It [the sanctity of marriage] means a lot to us [Mormons].” —Paly senior Chris Gallagher
Senior Chris Gallagher notices a misunderstanding between supporters and opponents of Prop. 8. publicly opposed the proposition. Official “No on 8” signs were displayed outside their home. Records show that Barbara donated close to $50,000 opposing the proposition. While she has become a recent political activist, Steve released a press statement stating that his political opinions are private. Gallagher does not know anyone who gave money to the campaign, nor did he chose not to donate any of his own time or money. “I did consider donating my time, but it’s too hard for me,” he says. “Especially if I were to talk to someone who is against ‘Yes on 8’. I really empathize with their situation.” Gallagher says supporters of both sides of the issue have been misunderstood. “There has a been a mutual lack of respect,” he says. “In issues like these, people are really intense. Because of people’s lack of understanding, people think we are homophobic. It [the sanctity of marriage] means a lot to us [Mormons].” Gunn senior Jessie Belfer has been actively involved for months in the fight to preserve equal rights. As Gunn’s Gay Straight Alliance President, Belfer gave $100 of her own money and collected donations for “No on 8.” “As the president of the GSA, and as someone who is directly affected by Prop. 8, the proposition is very significant to me,” Belfer says. “Immediately after I found out that Prop. 8 passed, I felt devastated. To know that our rights had been stripped from us by a simple majority of voters in a state that is often considered one of the most progressive in the United States was extremely hard to come to terms with.” Despite the proposition passing, Belfer remains hopeful that
one day homosexuals will be given the right to marry. “After thinking about how far we have come in the past 50 years and recalling Barack Obama’s inspirational acceptance speech, my feelings changed from anger and devastation to excitement and hope,” she says. “I realized that the passage of Prop. 8 was not the end, but instead the beginning of a new civil rights movement in which we will play a major role. The change has just begun, the fight has just begun, a new civil rights movement has just begun, and it is our duty to come together in the pursuit of justice and equality. It will not be easy, and there will be many obstacles along the way, but I know that we are capable of creating great change in our society.” Belfer does not blame members of the Mormon Church for the passing of Prop. 8. “Although [members of the] Mormon Church contributed significantly to the “Yes on 8” campaign, it is not okay to single out members of the Mormon faith as being responsible for the outcome of the vote,” Belfer says. “Instead of blaming one group, we must understand that the true fault lies in the gross disparity between California voters’ interpretation of civil rights and the role of government in marriage. People need to understand that marriage equality is not an issue of religious beliefs or irrational fears, but rather a simple question of human rights. It is our job to be the generation that instills this essential change in our country.” Although Wilson was satisfied that Prop. 8 passed, he doubts that the fight regarding gay marriage is over. “I was content that it passed,” Wilson says. “But it seems to me that with such fervent passions on either side, it won’t be long before a similar bill [opposing Prop. 8] is put forward to be voted by the people.” v verde magazine 51
Gamer’s Exile One student breaks away from his game addiction after therapeutic experience in Hawaii text by natalie lin art by tess dalke
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s Paly senior Seyfane Labidi remembers, the sun set slowly of identity and purpose, to teach better relationship skills and a sense while he picked feverishly at the leafy greens stuck stubbornly of community, and to effectively transition the student back home in the ground. Students all around him reached for plump and to school, according to the program’s Web site. papayas hanging from the trees. It was dinner time at Pacific Quest, Though many therapy programs similar to Pacific Quest have and participants in the camp were scattering to pick fruits and been harshly criticized for their methods, Seyfane’s parents felt that vegetables. “It’s my day today,” Seyfane thought. “I have the role of this would be a good way to put their son back on track. Many the chef, and I am going to make an awesome meal.” After wiping his students who have attended wilderness and other residential therapy grungy hands on his gray sweatpants, he started shuffling toward the camps have had traumatic experiences because of them, but Wathik outside kitchen. Verdant plants and leaves surrounded him — there says he was sure to research Pacific Quest well. Despite the drastic were no cars, no houses. measures he was about to take, Seyfane’s father felt it was the right This was part of a typical day at Pacific Quest, a two-month choice. In hindsight, the family feels lucky that the program had such camp to cure what Seyfane calls his addiction to computer games. a positive effect. “We chose Hawaii because it is a Runescape, the computer game that very interesting place to go,” Wathik says. Seyfane has been playing since seventh “I didn’t care how much I “Pacific Quest did not impose hard work, grade, had begun to consume his life. “Before the camp [Pacific Quest] played, all I wanted to do was like hiking. It offered a different approach. I played a lot of video games,” Seyfane We believed he would be able to flourish get on and play.” says. “I would always neglect my there and take care of himself.” —Seyfane Labidi, Paly senior At 5 a.m. on March 17, 2008, two studies because I always wanted to strangers came into Seyfane’s room to play video games.” He played for around three hours each day, purposely ignoring escort him to the Pacific Quest camp. “There were two guys, ex-cops, his homework and studies. His grades soon began to fall. I think,” Seyfane says. “It wasn’t that bad because they were pretty “I was aware [about how much time I took playing games],” chill. They weren’t mean or anything like that.” Seyfane says. “But at the time I didn’t care how much time I played, Before departing from San Francisco, Seyfane was informed all I wanted to do was get on and play.” about what lay ahead for him. Before winter break of 2007, Seyfane started skipping school to “Obviously, it was hard for us to see Seyfane leave for a prolonged play Runescape. His parents urged him to stop playing the game in period of time, knowing that we would have little contact with him such an addictive way, but he refused their advice. until his return,” Wathik says. “But we knew it was the only solution “We tried to talk to him many times,” says Wathik Labidi, for a better future.” Seyfane’s father. “We knew that he had to stop.” By 8 a.m. Seyfane was on a plane to Hawaii. Because Seyfane’s obsession with the game continued, his “I was pretty mad at my parents,” Seyfane said. “It sort of parents searched for a program that would help their son refocus his sucked.” priorities. Seyfane was at Pacific Quest for 60 days, isolated from any town “He needed to have a break, to be exposed to something else,” by at least five miles. Wathik says. “He needed to get away to experience a different “When I arrived at the camp, I was shocked,” Seyfane says. “I environment.” saw a couple of kids walking around the camp. They had their hoods After considering several options, Seyfane’s parents believed that up and looked weird, which kind of freaked me out.” Pacific Quest, introduced to the family by an educational consultant, With the camp located in the mountains of the Big Island, the was the best possible choice. participants would have no chance of running away. Pacific Quest welcomes teens who have trouble extricating As Seyfane became acclimated with Pacific Quest, he was provided themselves from game-playing and also helps depressed, troubled, with two pairs of camp clothes, sweatpants and gray T-shirts, for the and angry teens. The program serves to strengthen the students’ sense next two months. Because there was no washing machine present,
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Seyfane washed his camp clothes once a week the “old-fashioned” way. Marney Sullivan, the admissions director of Pacific Quest, says Pacific Quest has a sustainability model rather than a survival model. “Many years ago, the program directors used to work at a hardcore wilderness boot camp in the desert of Idaho,” Sullivan says. “After their experiences, they decided to create this program in Hawaii, where there are less harsh and more gentler elements. Pacific Quest was made for students to sustain a healthy life and help learn about themselves.” The first week at Pacific Quest is called Kuliana, the initial phase of the program. During the first seven to ten days, students are given the responsibility to take care of themselves. They are also given journals to write in, according to Sullivan. “The journal helped with boredom,” Seyfane says. “I would doodle in it and play Tic-Tac-Toe with the other campers. It provided me with something to do.” The next week is called Ohana, the second phase of the camp. This week signifies the joining of Pacific Quest, where the students are separated into small and closely monitored groups. The groups invest in taking personal responsibility, creating goals, and challenging themselves during the rest of the program. Each student at the campus is responsible for an important role in health and hygiene, menu planning, food preparation, cooking, dishes, laundry, and cleaning up, according to Sullivan. During the fifth week, the final phase called Vision Quest is initiated. Vision Quest is when each student is isolated and responsible for taking care of themselves for two or three days, Sullivan says. As the students work their way through the program, they are responsible for all the farming and camp duties. The eight-acre organic farm provided by Pacific Quest helps students master and learn the basics of gardening. The ways of gardening also serve as a metaphor for the students to learn and develop their own health and growth, according to Sullivan. “Most people in their first months don’t have much liberty,” Seyfane says. “The supervisors always kept an eye on them to make sure they don’t run away.” Even if a student wanted to run away, it would be unsensible. He or she would either get lost in the jungle or have no air ticket to get off the island. Still a couple years ago, one child tried to hide out in the jungle during his stay at the camp, Sullivan says.
“I can understand why students would want to run away,” Sullivan says. “It is difficult emotionally.” A typical day at Pacific Quest is an easy, structured one — based on independence and personal growth. In the morning, the students stretch and do yoga. Then, students are assigned to different jobs in the garden. They make all their meals and hand-pick ingredients from the camp’s garden. In the afternoon, students write in their journals, have alone time, paint, or work with a counselor on their individual goals. “Students sleep and wake up with the sun,” Sullivan says. Despite being absent from Paly for two months, Seyfane was not far behind in his schoolwork because his parents sent school work from Paly, according to Seyfane. While Seyfane was at Pacific Quest, he would study for a couple of hours a day. However, when his junior year ended, his summer was cut short with summer school. When Seyfane came back to Palo Alto, his family noticed an alteration in his demeanor. “I was so happy to have him back,” Wathik says. “He was looking good and very lively. He managed to turn around his grades very quickly and very efficiently.” Wathik did not just see a studious student bloom before him, but also felt an improvement in his relationship with his son. “The relationship of trust is greater now,” he says. “Now I can see that I am connected to [my son’s] future. Before this experience I was worried [about his future]. But now I am much less worried because he is making better decisions.” Seyfane’s parents are proud of their son’s change in attitude and path that he is now taking. “It is evident that he is ready to jump into adulthood,” Wathik says. “He is now committed to the right thing. The experience was really worthwhile because we can see that he took advantage of it, and also because we are now much closer with Seyfane than ever before.” Now 16 years old, Seyfane is a mature and focused student. Before Pacific Quest, he threw away his studies for games. But now, he thanks the camp for helping to develop and redirect his priorities, according to Seyfane. “[Pacific Quest] got me away from the game,” Seyfane says. “I don’t play any games, and I don’t have much of any interest in them. When I was playing the game, I was slowly beginning to diminish my chances of going to college. But after the camp, I’m now more dedicated than ever to pursue a higher education. Life is good.” v verde magazine 53
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In a Heartbeat T
hough there are many in the Palo Alto High School community who have suffered from serious illnesses, their stories often go untold. From the teen girl dealing with her brother’s heart condition to the mom spearheading a campaign for Lyme disease awareness, individuals around us are profoundly affected by the medical dilemmas that are so foreign to most of us. Through reading the stories of these courageous people, we can hopefully learn to appreciate something we tend to take for granted: our health. It was with this intention that Verde chose this topic for our cover package, “In a Heartbeat,” the title of which comes from one of “The Heart of the Matter”’s many poignant quotes. “The Heart of the Matter,” on page 56, tells the story of Shawn and Amanda Stockwell, the brother-sister duo who have stuck together through the rocky road that is a heart defect. “Lyme War,” on page 66, depicts the journey of Paly mom Kris Newby and her struggle with Lyme disease. Also included in this cover package are “Because Learning Never Stops,” which highlights the PAUSD hospital school, and “Make a Wish, Live a Dream,” which explores the impact of the Make-A-Wish Foundation on members of our community. Apparent in all of these stories is a strong sense of courage, will, and strength that can only be described as admirable. Life-threatening illnesses can come suddenly and hit hard, both physically and emotionally. But those who can withstand the hand they are dealt, those who fight through hardship, whether survivors or martyrs, are all heroes. We hope you enjoy these stories of lives on the edge. v verde magazine 55
The Heart of the Matter Two Siblings, Two Hearts, One Rhythm
text by asha albuquerque photography courtesy of trista stockwell
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laska native Amanda Stockwell, 17, and her brother Shawn don’t exactly have a normal sibling relationship. They are seven years apart in age yet they listen to the same type of music, make YouTube videos together, and are close enough to finish each other’s sentences. But even more unusual is that, for the past 32 months, most of their time talking and playing video games has taken place at Stanford’s Ronald McDonald house or at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. But once upon a time, Amanda didn’t have to spend so much time surrounded by medical equipment. Instead, her brother would mysteriously disappear from her life for months at a time. She knew he was different. She knew he was sick. But what she could not predict was how her life would change because of it. On July 31, 2008, Amanda boarded a flight back home to Palo Alto after visiting her native town of Eagle Ridge, Alaska. “That was the longest flight of my life,” Amanda says. “It was like a ticking clock. It was horrible.” While Amanda counted down the seconds of the four-hour flight, Shawn lay in an operating room in Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Her thoughts were consumed with worry over her younger brother as he received what her family had awaited for so long; Shawn was finally getting a new heart.
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“Nothing would compare to Shawn. There’s nothing that I would choose over Shawn.” — Amanda Stockwell, former Paly student
The Diagnosis Shawn was born on August 10, 1998, in Anchorage. His seemingly perfect delivery was scarred by pediatric cardiologist Scott Wellmann’s diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Unlike most infants, Shawn began life with only two chambers in his heart instead of four. The right side of his heart had to do the double duty of transporting blood to the lungs and oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Amanda and Shawn’s parents Trista and George Stockwell knew nothing about hypoplastic heart syndrome until after Shawn was born. “The nurse taking care of Shawn suggested that we take pictures of his chest because we may never see it without scars again,” Trista recalls. She wouldn’t be able to hold her son without intravenus drips and breathing tubes for nearly a month. Wellmann gave them three options. The first option was the compassionate choice of medications to make Shawn comfortable and allow him to pass away. The second was adding Shawn’s name
to a list of patients awaiting heart transplants. The third choice was a series of heart surgeries over a number of years. For the Stockwell’s the only choice was the third as days-old Shawn was in too critical of a condition for a transplant to be a viable option. Because Alaska did not have the specialized hospitals or experienced-enough surgeons for the care Shawn needed, he was transferred to Portland, Ore., for the first of a series of heart surgeries. The news of Shawn’s condition was devastating to the entire family. Trista recorded in her diary soon after Shawn’s diagnosis, “In shock, George and I went and threw some things together and went back to Providence. On the way back into the hospital, I passed a couple just leaving the hospital with their new baby. The father was carefully carrying his new baby, so tiny, in her new car seat. The mom was in a wheelchair with bouquets of flowers and balloons that read ‘Congratulations’. I wanted to grab them by the shoulders and ask them if they had any idea how lucky they were. I was so jealous of them.”
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“The defect and complications were too much for me to comprehend at that time. I couldn’t have put it into words if I tried,” Trista says. For Amanda, seven years old at the time, Shawn’s condition was even more confusing. “For the first three months of Shawn’s life I had no idea who he was or why he was in another state,” Amanda says. “I remember growing up with Shawn leaving all the time and I had no idea why. I had no idea how serious it was. A 7-year-old doesn’t know what hypoplastic left heart syndrome is.” But since then, the greater understanding of Shawn’s condition has not made dealing with it any easier. “Now that I’m older, I know how critical [his condition] is and how close Shawn was to death so many times,” Amanda says.
Trista gave her daughter the choice of staying behind in Alaska. But for the Amanda, the only option was to be with Shawn where he needed her most, in California. On April 14, 2006, the day of the move, Amanda had no idea that her family’s stay in California would end up lasting close to three years as they waited for Shawn’s heart. “When I knew Shawn was leaving, I was going to leave to,” Amanda says. A normal teenage life, one without the dreary hospital visits and the anxiety of Shawn’s potential death was not an option. She had three days to pack, say goodbye to her friends, and leave the small Alaskan town of Eagle River that had been her home her entire life. “Nothing would ever compare to Shawn,” she says. “There’s nothing that I would choose over Shawn.”
Waiting, Wishing, Wanting, Hoping The Stockwells took life day-by-day as they hoped for Shawn to reach his first birthday, his first Christmas, his first Easter. But Shawn surpassed nearly all of their initial hopes. After going through more than 40 successful heart surgeries in seven years, he was approved for a heart transplant at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto. Unfortunately, the Stockwells had no idea when or even if a heart of the right size would become available. However, they understood that a move to California was necessary as Lucile Packard rules state that a heart transplant recipient must live within two hours of the hospital. A flight down from Alaska would not reach Palo Alto in time if a heart became available, so the family reconciled itself to the fact that Shawn would have to stay in the Ronald McDonald house.
Amanda Meets Paly Even though she knew the move was important, the transition was far from easy. Amanda started freshman year at Paly in September 2006. She felt little enthusiasm about starting at a new school and missed her friends in Alaska whom she had known since preschool. Amanda started freshman year not wanting to make any friends because she knew that she would eventually be back home and she remembered how hard it was to say goodbye her friends in Alaska. She did not want to go through that again. “When I first came to Paly, everyone thought I was stuck up and really closed away, but I didn’t mean it like that,” Amanda says. Going through so much with Shawn’s health, gave Amanda limited time or energy for a social life.
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“ Shawn sits with older sister Amanda and younger sister Haley in front of Stanford’s Ronald McDonald House
Now that I’m older, I know how critical [his condition] was and how close Shawn was to death so many times. — Amanda Stockwell, former Paly student
“The whole time at school I was worried about Shawn, but I think my teachers at Paly handled it really well,” she says. Paly history teacher, Adam Yonkers was particularly helpful. “Mr. Yonkers understood so much,” Amanda says. “He was always there if I needed anyone to talk to.” Sophomore year, Amanda decided to be more outgoing but to keep Shawn’s condition to herself. “I [decided that] I wasn’t going to tell anyone that I come home to the Ronald McDonald house with Shawn,” she says. “For half of sophomore year, no one knew anything about Shawn.” Paly represented Amanda’s “one and only chance to escape hospital life.” As much as possible, she craved a normal high school environment. “I didn’t want to be different,” she says. However, around January, a news crew came to interview Amanda at school for a story on the changes she was going through with the move from Alaska and her brother’s condition. After that, everyone knew. Current junior Christy Barry met Amanda during freshman year math class. She liked Amanda’s unique personality and they immediately got along. Barry learned about Shawn’s condition soon after the news crew arrived. “I had never met someone who had gone through the issues Amanda goes through every day with her brother,” Barry says. Amanda is fiercely protective of Shawn. She also sees children with disabilities in a different light than do most teenagers. “Kids will point to Shawn and will be like, ‘Why is he wearing a mask?’” she says. Amanda tends to get angry easily at anyone making
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fun of Shawn and consequentially, “[she doesn’t] think he’ll ever have a bully in his life because of the sister he has.” “I Contain Recycled Parts” On July 31, 2008, after two years, four months and 17 days of living at Stanford, the Stockwells received a call that a heart in Los Angeles was available. The notification marked the end of the longest wait in any Ronald McDonald house across the country. For the Stockwell family, the news was bittersweet. On one hand, they felt hope and enthusiasm about Shawn getting a new heart and therefore, a new chance at life. However, they had already received a similar call in December 2007. That time, Shawn’s parents had said their prayers and hopes and loves for Shawn as he went into the operating room. But it was not long before the doctors rushed him back out, saying that the heart was not a perfect fit for Shawn and the transplant would not be possible. This time, the Stockwells hoped the transplant would be a success, but they were also frantic with worry that Shawn would not come out of the surgery alive. According to Shawn’s doctor, the heart was a perfect fit and it immediately started beating once implanted in Shawn’s chest. The first thing Shawn asked when he woke up from the operation was, “Where is Amanda?” She came as soon as possible and was thrilled at the changes in Shawn after the transplant. Prior to the transplant, Shawn’s skin was often blue due to the 72 percent oxygen capacity of his blood. Afterwards, his echocardiogram — a type of xray of the heart — showed a perfect, beating, four-chamber heart. “It was beautiful to see [the changes in Shawn]” Amanda says. “It was Shawn but he was pink and warm.” verde magazine 59
The knowledge that the organ that gave Shawn a new chance at life resulted from another child’s death was the hardest part of the process for the Stockwells. The donor actually saved the lives of six children. The family knows exactly who the donor is, unusual in most organ donation situations and plan to write the donor family a letter in a year. Amanda is a strong supporter of organ donation. “It’s the most beautiful and unselfish thing anyone can do,” she says. If Shawn ever needed an organ that she could provide, she would give it up “in a heartbeat.”
can have a negative effect on Shawn’s life because it becomes a reality that he might not make it. “He knows that he will die younger than most people and that scares him,” Amanda says. “He knows what he wants to be buried with, what song he wants played at his funeral, what he’s going to wear, and where he’s going to be buried.” Although the news of his condition is sometimes negative, Shawn always wants to know what is going to happen and does not want to be mollycoddled in spite of his youth. “If you lie to him, he will never trust you again,” Amanda says.
What Lies Ahead Although most of the post-transplant battle against rejection by Shawn’s body is over, Shawn still has had to fight side effects of seizures and kidney problems. The scariest part for him is the seizures. It starts with vomiting, followed by a foaming mouth, and slipping consciousness. The seizures also make Amanda’s home life particularily terrifying, and often give her panic attacks.
Home With a Heart After Shawn’s transplant in August, the Stockwells have always hoped that they would be home in Alaska with Shawn by this Christmas. Fortunately that dream has become reality and Shawn will be flying home on December 23 for the first time in three years. However, recent news from Shawn’s December 2 neurology appointment has marred Trista’s happiness. She writes on her webpage on Shawn’s health,
“I remember growing up with Shawn leaving all the time and I had no idea why. I had no idea how serious it was. A 7-year-old doesn’t know what hypoplastic left heart syndrome is.” — Amanda Stockwell, former Paly student
“Last time he had seizures, he walked into my room and said, ‘Amanda, you know I love you, right?’” Amanda says. “An hour later, he woke up having a seizure. Shawn’s eyes were rolling back and his mouth was foaming.” Trista called the paramedics, who rushed to get Shawn to the hospital in time. However in recent weeks, Shawn’s health has significantly improved. Just Believing Throughout all this waiting and close calls in Shawn’s health, Amanda has become increasingly more pessimistic. Since the age of 13, Amanda has been an atheist, primarily because of Shawn’s condition. “If there was a God out there, so powerful and wonderful, then he would never do such a hurtful and terrible thing to some child that does not deserve it,” Amanda says. “The hardest part was when I prayed for Shawn’s health every single day and nothing ever changed.” Despite Amanda’s pessimism, Shawn’s positive attitude balances out the sibling duo. “Shawn is the only thing that I believe in at this point,” Amanda admits. Her strong-willed 10-year-old brother approaches each day with courage and determination amid the blatant reality that he might not wake up the next day alive. “If he wanted to give up, he would have gave up a long time ago,” she says. But sometimes, even Shawn has had doubts about his life and his future. According to Amanda, watching kids with life-threatening illnesses all around him 60 verde magazine
“I was so wrapped up in the excitement of going home and how well Shawn is doing. When the neurologist showed me Shawn’s MRI and I saw the white spots on his brain that are larger than quarter and the doctor told me that the damage to Shawn’s brain is permanent and he will be on anti-seizure medications the rest of his life, I was stunned. Chances are Shawn will never be able to see correctly again... and his ability to coordinate movements will always be affected. I felt blindsided. I wanted to throw up and throw things, and cry.” Shawn still can return home to Alaska but he will come back to Lucile Packard for annual neurology check-ups. Shawn is extremely excited about returning home. “I want to see my room, my dog, play in my backyard,” he says. Amanda does not think that she will be in Alaska permanently. She plans on graduating a year early at the end of junior year. She wants to go to the University of San Francisco and eventually enter medical school. Since she was 13, Amanda has amassed a large vocabulary on medical terms due to her concerns about Shawn’s health. “I see that the surgeons saved Shawn’s life and I would do anything to save a life,” Amanda says. Amanda and Shawn’s relationship is no ordinary sibling relationship. If anything, Shawn’s heart condition has only brought them closer together. “I can’t go a day without seeing Shawn,” Amanda says. No matter how bad the future seems, their relationship is rock solid. “I don’t know what I would do without Shawn. I would die without him.” v
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Junior Ori Shadmon studies at the school’s high school classroom. Shadmon is not currently hospitalized, and plans on returning to Gunn this fall.
Stanford Hospital and PAUSD provide unique educational opportunities for patients
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text by whitney drazovich photography by julia singleton
n the intensive care unit at Stanford Hospital, 17-year-old Gunn High School junior Ori Shadmon lay motionless. Connected to a vent, he was unable to move or speak. Palo Alto Unified School District teacher Thayer Gershon walked into the room “I asked him directly if he wanted to try something and he lit up,” Gershon recalls. “His eyes sparkled.” Gershon picked up a history book and started reciting the lessons to her student. Although Shadmon was hospitalized and fighting for his life, he was still determined to not fall behind in his studies. A few weeks earlier, doctors had estimated that Shadmon had a 1 or 2 percent chance of survival. However, as he became stronger, Shadmon while still hospitalized, was able to take and pass his SAT subject tests and CAHSEE. verde magazine 61
The school program at the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital is on an individual basis for each student. “If a kid has an interest, we will find a way to teach it to them,” a unique collaboration between PAUSD and the hospital, according to the organization’s information packet. The LPCH school was es- Gershon says. Ho, who is also the current president of the Association for the tablished in 1924 as part of the Stanford Convalescent Home, the old Stanford hospital, because doctors and nurses did not want long-term Education of Children with Medical Needs, recognizes the strength patients to fall behind in their education. In 1988, the school moved of the program. “We, here at Stanford, are by far the best hospital school in counto the new Lucille Packard Hospital where it resides today. The school provides kindergarten through 12th grade classes, ac- try,” Ho says. One of the major distinction of the schooling given in this procording to the program’s Web site. It currently has 50-60 students, according to Gershon, the program’s high school teacher for history gram is that it is very individualized. Teachers work completely oneand government. Students can be enrolled in the school for different on-one with the students. “What is important to know about the school is that the set-up periods of time, spanning from a few days to several years. This immense variation occurs due to the different treatment plans, and it is more like a free period,” Shadmon says. “Students work on what causes teachers to become very flexible with each student’s situation. they need to work on, and there’s no set schedule.” Shadmon started going to the school during the middle of the “We play it totally day-by-day because we never know who is 2007-2008 school year. He was admitted after his body contracted an going to come in,” Gershon says. If the patient’s health and treatment program permits, the stu- infection due to a kidney transplant that had weakened his immune dent can physically come into the hospital’s classrooms, otherwise, system. He was in intensive care for three-and-a-half months. During bedside tutoring is offered. Students are organized into primary, mid- this entire time, however, he continued his education. “The first day he was able to leave his bed was almost like a dle school and high school groups, although each student receives dream,” Gershon says. “Here was a young man individual instruction. The faculty consists of that no one thought would survive and with seven teachers, all of whom are accredited and “The environment the help of five adults and many machines he employed by PAUSD. at LPCH’s program got out of bed and wanted to see the classTwo school sessions are held each day in room.” the morning from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and is much more calm. Shadmon is a Palo Alto resident and is in the afternoon from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. If students are unable to attend the class, the There is no suffocating now able to live at home. For the time being, he is still enrolled in the hospital school, but teachers go to their bedsides, according to Gerpressure from being is hoping to be able to return to Gunn this shon. around people.” coming fall. David Berry, an aide for the high school Although Shadmon says that his grades program, sees how the program helps students — Teague McCanna, a junior at the LPCH did not change when he entered the school, of all kinds. high school he admits that the different teaching style did “The bedside children usually receive more help him. homework since they are not in class with us,” “I think that the one-on-one system at the hospital school is Berry says. “But, they [the bedside students] hopefully receive about beneficial because all students are at different points, even if they are the same amount of learning.” According to the hospital’s information packet, students in the in the same grade,” Shadmon says. Like Shadmon, 17-year-old Teague McCanna, a student curschool come from all over the world, including Guam, Russia, Vietrently enrolled in the hospital school, also enjoys the benefits of the nam and Alaska. The LPCH is world-renowned for its treatment of blood disor- individualized lessons. “When I started coming here, my grades were very low, but after ders, cystic fibrosis, organ transplants and cancer, attracting patients two months I have started getting solid Bs and As,” he says. from many countries. McCanna not only attributes his success the different teaching Kathy Ho, the program’s high school English and math teacher, explains that the student body is diverse because “families shop style. McCanna started attending the school at the beginning of the around for a hospital that will provide the best treatment for the dis2007 school year. He was admitted to the hospital due to panic atorder [child’s serious and often life-threatening].” The varied student body consists not only of the patients them- tacks brought on by social anxiety. Right before McCanna left for the LPCH program, he was havselves, but also the siblings of patients whose families are staying in the area, according to Gershon. In addition, children of hospitalized ing at least one panic attack a day, and many times even more, he patients are eligible for enrollment in the school. Pregnant teenage says. “The environment at LPCH’s school is much more controlled mothers are also in attendance. To provide for these diverse students, the school offers a basic and calm,” McCanna says. “There isn’t any of the suffocating pressure academic curriculum in English, mathematics, reading, language arts from being around people.” McCanna is not currently hospitalized, but his treatment plan and writing, history, social studies, and non-lab sciences. Electives, such as foods, theater, computers, and psychology are also available. requires him to go to the hospital several days a week. He originally The different academic options are often developed by the teachers came from a public high school in Oceana, Calif., but did not enverde magazine
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Ori Shadmon, a junior at the LPCH school, studies before school in the morning.
counter any challenges upon attending the LPCH program. Gershon agrees that the staff tries to give students a normal high “The transition was not hard at all, and I like it better here; I get school experience. better grades,” he says. “We do everything that a normal high school would; we even McCanna says that he plans on graduating from the program have a prom at the end of the year,” Gershon says. at the end of this school year and enrolling in a local community Although the school strives to be normal academically, the social college. environment differs greatly. For some students, such as Shadmon, the Due to their treatment plans, students like McCanna are the school offers a place to be with kids going through the same thing prime candidates for schooling here. Missing too many school days that he is. often hinders the students greatly. “The hospital school makes people feel like they are not alone, “Many schools just cannot support kids that aren’t on their site that there are more kids in the somewhat same boat as they are; there full time,” Gershon says. “They often bump isn’t really anything to dislike,” Shadmon them into ‘independent study’ programs, says. “The day he was able which are the worst for this population beTeachers also recognize this socializacause it isolates them even more than their tion difference. to leave his bed was a medical issues.” “Everyone is accepted here; there is no dream.” Initially, the LPCH teachers try to contime for any cliques or drama,” Berry says. tact the student’s original school and coor“Some students only have one hand, and — Thayer Gershon, PAUSD teacher at the LPCH others do not have any hands, but it does dinate their curriculum. school not matter.” “If they [the students] are here longterm, the school they are coming from will The only downside is that the student just say ‘You pick it up,’” Gershon says. body changes frequently. The school has no problem providing for each students needs. “Many [students] are either not very open, or are there for a day Like a normal high school, the program offers standardized tests, or two, so it’s hard,” Shadmon says. such as the SATs, exit exams and AP tests. Students can also graduate Many of the students in the program look forward to a brighter from the school. future. “There are not only two [PAUSD] high schools in Palo Alto; in “I, like many students, plan to graduate from high school and reality, there are three,” Ho says. move on to do bigger and better things in life,” Shadmon says. v verde magazine 63
The Journalism Protection Act becomes law Jan. 1, 2009 Verde thanks all those who promoted SB 1370 on it’s journey from idea to law, including:
protecting California’s students and their work by protecting their teachers • • • • • • •
Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), the bill’s legislative sponsor, and Adam Keigwin, Yee’s highly effective communications director California Newspaper Publishers Association, whose legislative counsel Jim Ewert provided crucial leadership in lobbying for the bill. The Palo Weekly and Palo Alto Daily News are CNPA members. Former Garden Grove journalism adviser Jan Ewell, who initiated and nurtured the project California Scholastic Journalism Initiative director Steve O’Donoghue, a major supporter Californians Aware general counsel and founder Terry Franke, who helped negotiate the bill’s language Our local legislators Assemblymember Ira Ruskin and Sen. Leland Yee, who voted for the bill Support also came from California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, California School Employees Association, California State Student Association, Associated Students of the University of California (Davis), California School Employees Association, California State University Employees Union, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), State Employees Trades Council, Council of University of California Faculty Associations, Service Employees International Union, California Faculty Association, California Nurses Association, American Civil Liberties Union, and California Labor Federation.
LYME WAR A Paly mother’s documentary delivers a strong message over controversial Lyme disease
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text by caroline wang photography by julia singleton and courtesy of kris newby art by emily wang
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ris Newby, the mother of Palo Alto High School junior Josh Newby, says she had all the symptoms of early Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and chronic fatigue — simultaneously. She could not read or write and had become sensitive to light and sound. She was getting lost while navigating in her own neighborhood, and she had tested positive on Stanford’s Lyme screening test, twice. She and her husband had similar symptoms, yet even with all the evidence pointing to a diagnosis of Lyme, the infectious disease doctors told her and her husband that they had a psychosomatic illness, saying that the pain was “all in their heads.” Thus began a year-long, $60,000 medical odyssey that would take her to 10 doctors and inspire her to launch a revolutionary campaign with her own documentary, Under Our Skin, directed by Andy Abrahams, against the medical establishment. This year the documentary won two 2008 FREDDIE awards, or International Health and Medical Media Awards. “The FREDDIE is like the Oscars of health care,” she says. Lyme disease is an infectious disease, transmitted through a tick bite of an infected tick. Chronic Lyme disease is believed by some to develop after Lyme, where the infection stays in the body and
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develops into more critical symptoms. It is the center of a controversial debate between some doctors who do not believe in the existence of the disease, and other doctors who think the disease exists and suffering patients who doctors leave untreated or misdiagnose, often as psychiatric patients. Financial interests and reputations of physicians are at risk, while other physicians have lost their licenses for treating Lyme patients. Patients left untreated have died, while other patients have lost the ability to walk and think clearly, including numerous other symptoms. According to Newby, the disease is spreading and becoming more prevalent. Even President George W. Bush was treated for Lyme disease in 2006, according to The Washington Post. Statistics from the Center of Disease Control show that there were 27,444 Lyme disease cases in the United States in 2007. However, Newby believes that the actual amount of cases is 10 times this number because the CDC only considers patients that have passed both the ELISA test and Western Blot test, which according to Newby, are both often inaccurate. Newby believes that the severity of Lyme remains unknown to many people because the disease does not receive enough media coverage. She says that from 2006 to 2007, patients diagnosed with Lyme went up 37 percent. However, this news received very little media coverage. “If [the number of ] AIDS [patients] went up by 40 percent, it would be all over the front pages,” Newby says. “It’s like the new AIDS, and similar to AIDS, it suppresses the immune system.” Newby’s personal experience with Lyme disease as well as her extensive research of the political side of Lyme has led her to produce the documentary Under Our Skin, released in May, 2008. “I decided that creating a film would be the best way to raise awareness about this under-diagnosed and misunderstood disease,” she says. Newby says that some doctors did not believe that Lyme was a problem in the Bay Area. She remembers attending a meeting at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, where physician Eugene Shapiro spoke to 100 future doctors. “Shapiro is the person everyone listens to for knowledge of children’s Lyme disease,” she says. “He basically made fun of Chronic Lyme disease the whole time and claimed that no child has ever had late-stage Lyme. He implied that in a case he was reviewing, the mother probably had Munchausen Byproxy, where the mother poisons her child for attention.” Newby says she knew Shapiro’s statements were inaccurate. After all, she knew Tucker Wolf, who had been on the same soccer team as her son. Wolf, now a Paly junior, began developing symptoms of Lyme disease in elementary school.
Tucker’s Story In the fifth grade, Tucker Wolf, felt severe fatigue, and his doctor diagnosed him with migraines. By the end of sixth grade, his list of symptoms grew to muscle pain, severe headaches, cognitive problems, immune system deficiency, and continued fatigue, all of which became so severe that Wolf could no longer come to school. He missed all of seventh grade, came to school part-time during eighth grade, but only attended school for the first month of ninth grade before he had to drop out. “There was a time when walking up stairs was hard,” Wolf says pointing to his upper leg where he used to feel the pain. Along with physical pain, it also became harder for his brain to process information properly. “It’s hard to describe,” Wolf says. “It’s like reading a textbook at two in the morning. You know all the words, but after you read a paragraph, you don’t understand anything that you just read.” As the pain increased, Wolf received a range of diagnoses including chronic fatigue, migraines, and a thyroid problem, all of which were inaccurate. Three years and 12 doctors later, Wolf finally received the proper diagnosis of Lyme disease. Wolf was one of the patients who had never heard of Lyme before developing the symptoms. Cheryl Koopman, associate research professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, says that infected ticks bite and leave behind the spirochetes borrelia burgdorferi. Newby says that spirochetes, bacteria that also cause syphilis, A Local Issue People walking at the Dish in the Stanford Foothills. Wolf believes he received tick bite infection at the Dish. verde magazine 67
Living With Lyme Kris Newby, the senior producer of Under Our Skin —photo courtesy of kris newby
enter the bloodstream and spread throughout the body. She says doctors often look for a “bulls-eye” rash, a red spot at the site of the tick bite, to diagnose patients with Lyme disease. However, the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society states that fewer than 50 percent of patients recall ever having a rash. Wolf never had a “bulls-eye” rash. In fact, he never had any sort of rash and does not even remember receiving a tick bite. He can only theorize that a tick bit him when he visited the Dish in the Stanford Foothills in the third grade. The Debate Most of the medical community follows the Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines, which states that Lyme disease can be treated within a few weeks with antibiotics, that it does not continue to develop into other symptoms and that Chronic Lyme is being overdiagnosed. “The disease is very receptive to antibiotics,” says Eugene Shapiro, professor of pediatrics at Yale University. He says that with antibiotics, patients are quickly cured. According to the article “A Critical Appraisal of ‘Chronic Lyme Disease’” in The New England Journal of Medicine, Chronic Lyme is
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“When you get to see the people, you know they can’t be lying.” — kris newby
a misnomer. The article says that it does not exist and has nothing to do with Lyme disease. The doctors who wrote the article believe that there can be postLyme disease symptoms (PLDS), but that there is not enough evidence to show that these symptoms are related to the Lyme infection. They believe that prolonged antibiotic treatment “can cause considerable harm to patients.” In the article, Shapiro and other doctors recommend physicians tell patients that there is no medication to cure the condition. Shapiro believes that PLDS are more of a psychological issue, which explains how doctors diagnosed Newby as having psychosomatic symptoms. He says that physicians can recommend more exercise or mild antidepressants to help patients sleep. On the other side of the debate are the ILADS and patients such as Wolf and Newby who claim that the infection remains in the body, meaning antibiotic treatment is required for several months or years. “There’s a lot of politics involved and ego and money,” Koopman says. “People are afraid to do research and diagnose patients.” Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal began an investigation into the IDSA after discovering flaws in the 2006 IDSA Lyme disease guidelines. He found undisclosed financial interests
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held by IDSA panelists and evidence that the IDSA ignored conflicting medical opinion that Chronic Lyme exists. According to Newby, some panelists were doctors who have patents associated with Lyme disease, and therefore they financially benefit from drug companies and testing companies that test for Lyme. Insurance companies act according to these guidelines, which give them a reason to refuse payment of expensive long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme patients. Newby’s documentary, Under Our Skin, tells the story of physician Joe Jemsek. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in North Carolina sued him for $100 million for treating Lyme patients with extensive antibiotics and allowing the patients to pay for treatment using insurance. He later lost his license. Newby says that insurance companies want to get rid of these doctors who cost them so much money. Fixing the Problem Despite the risks of losing their license and the advice of the IDSA guidelines, some doctors still treat PLDS patients with antibiotics. Wolf respects the doctors who are willing to go against the IDSA guidelines and prescribe patients with antibiotics. “It’s tough for Lyme patients to get recognized, but I can imagine it being tougher for doctors to get respect,” Wolf says. He believes that his years of misdiagnosis can be attributed to lack of research for Lyme disease. According to Koopman , the strict guidelines have also made it more difficult for researchers to gain funding as well as find patients to test on who fit the strict criteria and definition of a Lyme patient. “It’s extremely hard to get government funding because of the definition of Lyme disease,” Koopman says. “[Researchers] have trouble finding enough people, based on the inaccurate definition. The problem is it’s a circular argument.” Shapiro claims that IDSA guidelines are supported by research evidence. However, Koopman find fautls in many of these trials. “A lot of the studies have been on small samples and you need
large samples,” Koopman says. “Some tests take people who have already been sick for seven years, where antibiotics will have no effect. In science you don’t prove anything, and that’s part of the problem. You give the best case you can.” Newby’s Story Newby has become extremely knowledgable of Lyme disease and the politics involved after extensive research. However, three years ago, Newby was just another clueless, ill patient. She fell sick, but had never heard of Lyme disease. Newby and her husband soon developed similar symptoms after returning from a family trip to Martha’s Vineyard on the East Coast. She says that the first doctor the she and her husband visited told them that they had a virus and a month later when they were still sick, told them that it was another infectious disease. Because of the severity of her symptoms, Newby knew that she did not just have any common infection. At first, she developed two huge rashes, shaped like parentheses, one around each knee. She also suffered from flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, blurry vision, a meningitis neck, gut pain, and crushing fatigue. “It was like having arthritis, Alzheimer’s and chronic fatigue, all at the same time,” she says. However, due to the season, she doubted that it was the flu. “How could you get the flu in the summer?” she says. With doctors unable to solve the problem, Newby began to investigate for herself. Through her research, Newby predicted that she had Lyme disease. Evidence included her family’s recent trip to Martha’s Vineyard, an area infested with Lyme. The disease would also explain the rash and how both she and her husband had the same symptoms. However, even with all the evidence she had collected, doctors still refused to diagnose the Newbys with Lyme disease, claiming that the probability that they had Lyme was too small. Although more prevalent in the northeast, Newby says Lyme disease has been reported in all 50 states. According to Newby, Stanford’s doctors tested her and her husband using the ELISA test, which verifies if antibodies have formed to fight the borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. However, the ELISA is only 65 percent sensitive and due to the test’s common false positives, Newby and her husband received different results. She says that she tested positive while her husband tested negative.
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“Antibody tests are indirect tests so some of the sickest people test negative,” she says. Newby believes that doctors should have followed procedure and continued her testing with the Western Blot test, but instead, the Stanford doctors interpreted the tests as false and told the Newbys to find a new doctor. “They fired us as patients,” Newby says. The infection soon developed into much more serious symptoms. The Newbys, who both lived healthy and athletic lifestyles, began having trouble doing routine things they had done repeatedly in the past. She says they sometimes lost their sense of time, place and purpose. According to Newby, on her husband’s weekly biking trips, he would sometimes stop at a stop sign and not know where he was or what he was doing. Newby herself began to have trouble figuring out the difference between the red and green light while driving and at one point, even found herself driving on the wrong side of the road. She also recalls exiting her car with the engine still running. At the grocery market, Newby remembers leaving her shopping cart in one aisle and forgetting where it was. Even though she worked as a writer, she suddenly found herself unable to read, due to trouble remembering the previous paragraph. In her office, she had trouble staying organized. Doctors continued to refuse diagnosis of Lyme disease and in-
stead diagnosed Newby as menopausal and her husband as having psychosomatic problems, claiming that the symptoms were “all in their heads.” Newby’s difficult, personal experience was the main motivation for her film. She knows that seeing actual suffering patients will raise awareness for the Chronic Lyme issue. “When you get to see the people, you know they can’t be lying,” Newby says. Under Our Skin has been shown nationwide and in other countries. The documentary was even shown to the U.S. Congress, and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. “Copies were given to all members of Congress during a congressional Lyme briefing, and a 20-minute clip was shown,” she says. “As a result, Lyme hearings will supposedly take place in the spring. General awareness is hard to quantify, but since [the film’s] release at Tribeca [Film Festival] in May, there have been well over 100 community screenings across the nation.” Under Our Skin has raised awareness for Lyme disease. “It’s raised the profile of the disease in the popular media,” she says. “This year there have been more TV and newspaper articles on Lyme than in the last five years combined.” However, despite the success of the film, Newby knows what she is up against. “As long as the doctors have Harvard behind their names, how can soccer moms like me go against that?” she says. v
Want to join the Verde family?
We have a few spots open for second semester! If you’ve completed beginning journalism successfully and would like to continue your journalism career, come to room 213 and we’ll be happy to talk with you about your possibilities as a staff writer.
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Make A Wish
Live Your Dream
text by amanda young art by emily wang
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hen a 7-year-old boy, dying of leukemia, dreamt of becoming a police officer, he had no idea that he would inspire a real officer, Frank Shankwitz, to start a small nonprofit wish-granting organization, Make-A-Wish Memorial. It started with one wish and a $15 donation. Now, after granting over 170,000 wishes in the past 28 years, this organization, currently known as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, stands as the largest wish-granting association in the nation with many big-name sponsors and individual donors. Fairy godmothers and genies may not exist in the real world, but this foundation strives to create magic in the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions by turning their dreams into reality. “Kids with severe medical conditions go through a lot, from therapy to frequent visits to the hospital,” says Elaine Kauffman, the public affairs director at the Make-A-Wish Foundation office in San Francisco. “Once a child knows that he or she will get a wish, the prospect of the wish really uplifts them. The ill child has something special to look forward to, and after the wish is granted, he or she has a great memory to look back on.” Children’s wishes fall into four categories: a wish to do something, a wish to go somewhere, a wish to meet someone, or a wish to have something. Wishes are funded by various donors, ranging from generous individuals to fundraisers. Over the years, the foundation has received increasingly more volunteers and donations as its goals continue to inspire more people. “The support has grown over the years as people see that the
work we do transforms the lives of sick children,” Kauffman says. “By donating, people get a wonderful and magical feeling that catches on, encouraging more people to support our foundation.” Student support has especially grown since the founding of the establishment. Students can help the foundation through the Kids for Wish Kids branch of the organization. Through the program, students can start student clubs, host events, and fundraise through fraternities and sororities. “It is amazing what kids can do,” Kauffman says. “They get so motivated to help out other kids.” Inspired by the foundation’s goals, Paly sophomores Talia Moyal and Tony Panayides started a Make-A-Wish Club at Paly. According to Moyal, this club will only become an official chapter once it raises $7,500 to sponsor a wish for a child in the Bay Area. The Paly club raised money through a coin drive during spirit week, and it will continue to fundraise through a benefit concert in the winter and a fashion show in the spring. After the club funds one wish, it will start from scratch and raise money for a second wish. “We both wanted to give back to the community,” Moyal says. “This was a great way to get involved.” Panayides also had a special reason for wanting to create the club. “My cousin had leukemia, but she died before she got to make her wish,” Panayides says. “My cousin’s experience has made me want to help other kids get their wishes.” Panayides is one of many Paly students who have been touched by the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission. These are the magical stories of three different Paly students’ experiences with this miracleworking foundation. v verde magazine 71
“I wished to go to the World Cup”
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ore than 70,000 people crowded the stadium of the World Cup championship game in Germany, shrieking and yelling at the top of their lungs. Paly junior John Anderton’s ears rang from the blaring noise as he gazed in awe at the best soccer players in the world, his role models, running onto the glistening field. Flags waved, and with every play, the crowd went wild with emotion. In the middle of the mad chaos, Anderton soaked in the excitement of living his dream. Because of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Anderton was able to achieve his dream of seeing the World Cup. The foundation raised Anderton’s spirits during one of the hardest periods of his life: when cancer prevented him from playing the sport he has loved since he was young. “My dad got me really into soccer when I was really little,” Anderton says. “From then on, it was my favorite sport.”
— photography courtesy of mark anderton Living a Wish John Anderton tries on a soccer jersey sent from the foundation. 72 verde magazine
However, illness interfered with his passion. When Anderton was 14 years old, a doctor diagnosed him with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer in which tumors are found in bone or soft tissue. The cancer prevented Anderton from playing soccer for about a year, leaving him disheartened and despondent. “I cried a lot when it hit me that I couldn’t play,” Anderton says. “All I wanted to do was go back to the time before I had cancer. But Anderton had to face reality. He had begun his cancer treatment when a social worker at his hospital nominated him for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Anderton met with representatives from the organization with only one wish in mind: to attend the World Cup. “At first, I did not know if I would be able to go to the World Cup because tickets are incredibly hard to get,” Anderton says. “When the foundation told me that they finally got tickets for the Germany game, I was ecstatic. I was jumping around everywhere from excitement.” In the days leading up to the World Cup match, Anderton dreamed of the moment when he would be standing inside the stadium, cheering for his favorite team, Argentina. “I was just so excited that I would get to see the biggest soccer event in the world,” Anderton says. “Thinking about the World Cup motivated me to get through chemotherapy. Whenever I wasn’t feeling great, I would just think about the game that I would get to see.” Gail Kaiser, Anderton’s mom, greatly appreciates the distraction that the World Cup gave Anderton during his chemotherapy. “Chemotherapy is such a long and nasty treatment,” Kaiser says. “During the treatment, John [Anderton] could distract himself by thinking about the World Cup and dreaming about going there.”
After almost six months of treatment, the day finally arrived when Anderton and his family flew to Germany to see the quarterfinal game between Germany and Argentina. In addition to the World Cup tickets, the foundation paid for the five star hotel, the flight, and the train tickets. For Anderton and his family, the experience of seeing the game was priceless. “I’d always watched the players on television,” Anderton says. “But actually seeing the players in real life was incredible.” Anderton also loved being able to watch the game with hundreds of soccer fanatics. “The fans had huge energy and enthusiasm,” Kaiser says. “It made the experience so much more thrilling and exciting for John [Anderton].” Anderton’s battle with cancer was extremely tough mentally and physically, but going to the World Cup gave him strength to keep fighting. “Thinking about my wish kept me going,” Anderton says. “Even during chemotherapy and other treatment, it kept me happy.” Kaiser is very thankful for the hope that the Make-A-Wish Foundation gave her son during a difficult time in his life. “Wishes make you feel like people care about you,” Kaiser says. “It is a great contrast to feeling victimized by disease and inferior to others because you cannot do many things.” Anderton thanks the Make-A-Wish Foundation for helping him endure his treatments. It has been three years since Anderton conquered cancer, and now Anderton plays on the Paly Varsity Soccer team and on a Stanford club team. He dreams of the day when he can watch the World Cup again. “I really want to go back,” Anderton says. “It was the best experience of my life.” v
[cover] “My brother wished to go to Disney World”
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friends be concerned for his well-being, so he always kept his spirits high,” Paly junior Natalie Gauthier, DJ’s sister, says. “He always had a smile on his face.” While DJ went through cyber-knife radiation surgery and a second cycle of chemotherapy, doctors quickly contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation to ensure that DJ would get to make a wish. “We wanted DJ to be strong enough to fully enjoy his wish,” says Cathy Gauthier, DJ’s mother. “The wish was meant to give DJ one last push.” In the end, DJ wished for a trip to the theme parks in Orlando, FL. The foundation flew the Gauthier family out to Orlando, where the family stayed in the Give Kids The World — photography courtesy of natalie gauthier village, a resort for children with special Family Time Lexi, Dana, DJ, Cathy, Natalie, and Christy needs. Gauthier pose with Pluto and Mickey Mouse at the Give Every morning, Kids The World village in Orlando, FL on their vacation. Give Kids The World of the Gauthier household on July 25, would leave a present in DJ’s room. After 2005, when DJ Gauthier, a mere seven getting dressed, he and his family breakfasted years old, was diagnosed with Medulla at a restaurant resembling a gingerbread Blastoma, a cancerous brain tumor. Doctors house. Shortly after, a car took them to quickly removed the golf-ball sized tumor whichever park DJ wanted to go to: Sea from the back of his brain, but its removal World, Universal Studios, or Disney World. marked the beginning of two years of According to Cathy, DJ loved the special radiation, chemotherapy, and various herbal treatment while in the parks. treatments. In 2006, after chemotherapy and “We were all given special passes to cut chemical infusions, DJ seemed to be getting to the front of the line,” Cathy says. “Many better. However, doctors then conducted an [ill] kids wouldn’t be able to last all day if MRI scan and found a spot on the X-ray, they had to wait in line.” confirming the recurrence of cancer and DJ especially loved the rides. Natalie the start of a new round of treatment. The and her sisters chased him around the treatment and disease took a toll on DJ’s park to keep up with him. health, but he tried to maintain a smile on “When DJ was riding the rides, he his face the entire time. forgot that he was sick,” Natalie says. “It kept “He never wanted to let his family or his spirits high.” isney World claims to be the happiest place on earth, with its myriad of rides, friendly characters, and extravagant parades. For one family, this magical place not only brought joy, but strengthened the family’s bonds in the face of illness. This illness knocked on the door
— photography courtesy of natalie gauthier Sibling Love Natalie Gauthier embraces her brother as they take a break after riding roller-coasters in Disney World. The Make-A-Wish Foundation also gave DJ a chance to build fond memories with his family. The Orlando trip brought the whole family together to treasure the short time that they had left with DJ. The family was able to escape from the stresses of life to enjoy this invaluable trip. The Make-A-Wish Foundation gave DJ a chance to forget about his illness and live a normal life. This trip also gave him and his family time to enjoy one another’s company and be a typical family. “DJ enjoyed the trip because we were all together,” Natalie says. “Family was always incrediblyl important to him.” When DJ passed away on July 22, 2007, at nine years old, the family was left with wonderful memories, including many from this magical Orlando trip. “The trip was definitely a high point in our memories of him,” Cathy says. When Natalie thinks about the trip, she remembers the huge grin that he had on his face the entire time. The foundation gave Natalie something that no money can buy: a chance to escape the real world and appreciate her brother’s company at the happiest place on earth. “Seeing him smile and laugh and just be a kid was the greatest gift of all,” Natalie says. v verde magazine 73
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“My friend wished for a computer”
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at the glass half full.” Shortly after Gourdin began treatments, the Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted Gourdin and asked him whether he wanted a wish. Gourdin deliberated over his choice for weeks, considering all of the possibilities. Joanne Weiss, Gourdin’s mother, remembers the significance of this planning process. “The planning part of the wish process rejuvenates sick kids,” Weiss says. “These kids don’t usually get to think far into the future, but this process lets them dream about the possibilities.” After a few weeks of thinking, Gourdin realized that he wanted to wish for something that would last him a long time, so he asked for a computer to play — photography courtesy of Joanne Weiss video games with his new friends. With Friends Bowen Doxsee, Ethan Sheldon, and MiAlmost every day chael Gourdin take a break from playing video games. after school, Doxsee, diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, an Sheldon, and Neidhardt would bike to the aggressive cancer of the liver system. Paly Lucille Packard Hospital to play video games, junior Bowen Doxsee remembers the day such as Halo, Half Life 2, and Fabel, with when he found out that his classmate had the Gourdin. Video games brought the boys together because it united them under one deadly disease. Doxsee told a friend, Ethan Sheldon, interest. “Video games were a common hobby,” about Gourdin’s illness. The two boys did not know Gourdin very well, but decided to visit Weiss says. “All of the boys could relate to him in the hospital. them.” “We just thought that it would be good The video games bonded the boys, to see him,” Sheldon says. “He enjoyed any and helped them forget about the realities of disease and immerse themselves into the kind of company.” The boys soon became inseparable. virtual reality of video games. Doxsee thinks the video games helped Doxsee and Sheldon, along with their classmate Max Neidhardt, consistently Gourdin endure tough times. “The games entertained him,” Doxsee visited Gourdin in the hospital to keep his spirits high. says. “They kept his mind off what he was “Whenever he was around me, he tried to going through.” Weiss remembers how special the keep a positive attitude,” Sheldon says. “His computer and the boys’ friendship was to treatments were extremely difficult for Gourdin. him, but he always attempted to look he sound of guns and car crashes filled the Lucille Packard Hospital room. Three boys sat in silence, concentrating on the screen in front of them as they frantically tapped keys and pressed buttons. They were determined to defeat the enemy. But one of the boys, Michael Gourdin, had an opponent far greater to bear: cancer, his unyielding nemesis. In sixth grade, Gourdin was
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“After [Gourdin] got sick, I saw how great it was for him to dive into a world of video games and escape,” Weiss says. “Michael looked forward to [his new friend’s] visits every day.” The boys’ friendship was cut short on April 10, 2005, when Gourdin passed away. “When he passed away, I was shocked,” Sheldon says. “I didn’t really understand it.” Gourdin’s mother says the boys’ friendship was invaluable to her son because of its authenticity and simplicity. “Even though Michael [Gourdin] developed wonderful relationships with doctors, nurses, teachers, and kids in the hospital, these relationships all revolved around illness,” Weiss says. “His friendship with the boys made him feel normal, and like a real person.” Cancer was Gourdin’s toughest enemy, but his friends made the battle much easier. The Make-A-Wish Foundation brought the boys together with a common passion for video games to cherish a short but precious friendship. “Whenever I think about Michael [Gourdin], I think about the opportunities we had for a great friendship,” Doxsee says. “I don’t get sad or depressed; I just think about the good times that we had together.” v
[forecast]
A Vision for Voice The Paly Voice will debut a new version of the site in late January, redesigned to address a growing media focus in a cutting-edge forum.
Voice Staff (Clockwise from top) Junior Evan Hahn, Junior Patricia Ho, Senior Dan Schwartz text by whitney drazovich photography courtesy of the paly voice
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he Paly Voice, Paly’s online news Web site, is undergoing a major redesign, which will most likely be revealed in early 2009, after Winter Break. “The world of online journalism is ever-changing, and our site needs to mirror, and to some extent, hopefully lead that development,” says Dan Schwartz, one of the publication’s editors-in-chief. Schwartz designed the layout for the new site using Photoshop. According to Schwartz, there will be various updates to the site. “We’ll be adding a lot of features, in addition to a complete redesign of the site’s layout,” Schwartz says. Voice’s upgrade will include a new search engine called a “CoNoS,” or Content Notification System, which will allow users to select various types of Voice stories based on their interest and be notified by e-mail once those stories are published, according to Schwartz. There will also be a greater emphasis on InFocus video and multimedia presentations, including video, podcasts and soundslides. The new layout will “have a lot more images, less text, and the same number of, or more, links to stories,” Schwartz says. The home of the site will point visitors to more stories and will show viewers the most recent, most viewed, and most commented-on stories.
The Voice staff has been working on the site since last summer, Schwartz says. In creating the redesign, they were supported by other Paly students, including Voice staffers seniors Phil Martin, SeungYeon Choi and Connie Yang and juniors Patricia Ho and Evan Hahn as well as Stanford graduate students. InFocus staffers Eric Vicenti, Josh Davis and Jess Brooks also contributed. The Voice staff attributes the site’s upcoming changes to the large number of hard-working individuals who helped in the process. “A main reason we are upgrading this year is because this school year is the first time we have had the technical manpower to do it,” Schwartz says. “We have an amazing tech staff that is motivated and ready to help Voice charge full speed into the journalistic future.” “[The team] designed an application called Voice Video,” Ho says. “Right now, we’re trying to expand our multimedia on Voice.” The goal is to have the new site up for Beta testing by this year’s Winter Break. If the process is successful, the site will be open to the public in late January. Ho is hopeful that the new site will receive a positive response. “It looks super professional, clean, and easy to use, which I think is really important for readers who just want to browse the site,” Ho says. v verde magazine 75
From the Bottom of My Senioritis-Infected Heart Britney Spears taught me life’s most important lesson
text by mary minno art by emily wang
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ne of main reasons I love the beautiful month of December is its ability to push everyone past what should have been their breaking point. Just as you’re starting to give up hope that anything out of the ordinary will ever happen, December sneaks up on you. It is a month filled with reports of pirate attacks on cruise ships and annoying-but-somewhat-addicting holiday songs. December shells out just enough hope for all of us to hold on just a little bit longer for the possibility of relaxation over winter break. I think that most almost-second-semester seniors will agree with me that this whole 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. ‘school thing’ is getting old. I’ve been doing the same seven period-long day for almost three -and-a-half years and I’m bored. I can already tell this December is going to be the longest one thus far. This is the time when we, the seniors of 2009, are so close yet so far away from freedom. It is within all of our reaches and the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel is starting to shine on us. That light represents the freedom from the restraints of childhood that we’re all sick of. The feeling of being so close is enough for us to be tempted to forget reality, run towards independence and embrace senioritis. 76 verde magazine
Today I walked into Psych and immediately heard members of the Paly Class of ’09 discussing how little sensory neurons matter when could be partying instead. Partying during the school day. Now there’s an idea that’s sure to stir up chaotic administrative action against student freedom in order to prevent underage Americans from engaging in illegal activity. But, can anyone really blame students for being tempted with the thought? The students of America have been surrounded by people in the media who teach us that once you’ve done enough productive things it’s probably okay to cut a few corners ’cause most everything will work out in the long run. Those high school students who enjoy pushing the limits are the ones that might be more infected with senioritis than the rest; they are the ones who need to take extra precautions not to test their luck. The problem is, sometimes these teens can get so wrapped up in their adrenaline-pumping fun that it prevents them from knowing how far is too far. Sometimes they take an extra inch and it’s that one inch that can be life-changing. Take our favorite All-American role model Britney Spears.
[viewpoint]
“Britney’s also taught us that even after one hits rock-bottom, we can still recover; like Britney, every one of us has a lot more to achieve and accomplish in our lives, so don’t let silly decisions ruin your chances.”
Ms. Spears entered our lives over 10 years ago as everyone’s favorite 16-year-old Southern bell; we all went to sleep dreaming of attending the Teen Choice Awards with Justin like she did and having her eccentric wardrobe. We would blast “(You Drive Me) Crazy” when we were playing dress up with our girlfriends and felt inspired when Britney stood up and sang “I’m so fed up with people telling me to be someone else but me” in “Overprotected.” She knew what we were going through. She was like, oh so totally cool and most definitely understood us. And then heartbreak hit. Millions of young Americans were crushed when their Pop Princess entered a catastrophic series of one fiasco after another. What messy stunt exactly marks Britney’s downfall? I would say that since her 55-hour Vegas wedding five years ago, we have seen Brit make embarrassing headlines weekly. From her escapades with K-Fed, barefoot gas station pit stops, and the infamous hair-shaving incident at the tattoo parlor, Britney’s shocking choices kept all of us intrigued. But not to worry boys and girls: Brit’s new album ‘Circus’ was just released, and she’s going back on tour. She seems to be back on her feet. That’s what a comeback is all about, right?
But Britney had to go through hell and back to get to this point. Taking one, two or three inches too many caught up to her and led her to the rock-bottom Britney that infatuated the media and America. She lost everything before realizing that living by the rules of her prerogative wouldn’t grant her the freedom she desired. So, what exactly has she taught us? Britney’s taught us that taking advantage of freedom will catch up to you. She also taught us that even if someone reaches his or her dreams, it’s very easy for the tides to turn, support to change into disapproval and ultimately to find oneselves miles away from the original goals. Britney’s also taught us that even after one hits rock-bottom, we can still recover; like Britney, every one of us has a lot more to achieve and accomplish in our lives, so don’t let silly decisions ruin your chances. I personally know that I don’t want to continue crossing my fingers that my luck won’t ever run out. Trust me, everyone’s luck runs out eventually. I’m going to make sure I don’t take things too far or get too caught up in the moment. I’m not going to abuse my senior status. But to be honest, I can’t wait to read the headlines of those who do. v verde magazine 77
[true life]
True Life: I’m (kind of) a heathen text by ryan flanagan photography by julia singleton
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y mother has always stressed that I have been raised secularly, not godlessly. Her side of the family is Jewish, and my father grew up Catholic, so my parents decided that they would simply let my sister and me choose a religion for ourselves. “You’re lucky,” my mom would say. “You weren’t indoctrinated with anything. You can find faith on your own.” Although the upcoming winter holidays represent a chance to return to faith for many students, this time of the year has always been different for me. Families sing Christmas carols and light Hanukkah candles, dust off their crosses and bring the menorah out of storage. But while I celebrate the holidays, God is absent from my festivities. Growing up without any religious affiliation has sent me on a journey to find a faith of my own. When I was younger, I felt blessed for my secular upbringing. I would boast about my lack of religious affiliation, bragging that I got to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. It was great. We decorated a huge Christmas tree every year, and there was always a menorah on our mantle. My entire extended family would get together at my grandma’s house to exchange gifts, play dreidel, and bake gingerbread cookies for Santa Claus. What did it matter if I had no idea that Jesus had anything to do with Christmas? The best part of having no religion was never going to church or temple. I grinned smugly when friends complained about enduring sermons every Sunday, or while watching others struggle through Hebrew homework in preparation for Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies. Silently, I thanked my parents for saving me from the seemingly annoying aspects of religion. But by the time I started high school, I began to realize that religion isn’t just some time-consuming chore. Religion is a path towards having faith, something in which I was completely lacking. I wasn’t even sure if I believed in God. Suddenly, it felt like there was a gigantic hole in my life. How had I not realized that something was missing? I grew increasingly uneasy with my lack of beliefs. Atheism was not remotely appealing to me; I found it depressing. The idea that people just ceased to exist when they died scared the living daylights out
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of me. But frightened as I was, I couldn’t help having doubts about the afterlife. Only one solution seemed open to me: I needed to find a religion that I could have faith in. Of course, my quest for a viable religion was more difficult than I expected. After being raised without a specific belief system, it was difficult for me to believe in Hell, that Jesus was the messiah or that Mohammed was a prophet. Christianity and Islam were out. Judaism didn’t feel right either. I briefly toyed with Buddhism, but I treasured material possessions far too much to really buy into it. Scientology flat out scared me. Every religion I researched felt wrong to me, and every time I checked one off my list, I became more and more frustrated. I needed someone to blame for my crisis of faith, and my parents bore the brunt of my anger. How could they have allowed this to happen to me? Didn’t they understand that you couldn’t just choose to believe in something? As far as I could see, the only way to truly accept what seemed like arbitrary beliefs was to grow up with those ideas. Children don’t question things the way adults do, and at 14, I had already reached my expiration date. The world had gotten to me, and I was too mistrusting to fully give myself over to faith. By the time I realized this, the fall months were coming to a close. The holidays were fast approaching, and my unsuccessful quest for religion had made the festivities seem far less appealing. But as family members began arriving, religion slipped to the back of my mind. I felt rejuvenated with every old tradition we revived. Ironically, during one of the most religious times of the year, I had completely forgotten about my crisis of faith. Although my search for religion is far from over, I realize that the holidays are about more than God and faith, or even the number of gifts you receive; they are about being with your family. And my search for a higher power? I’m still looking. Nowadays, I’m agnostic; I’m open to the idea of God, but not entirely convinced by it. There is one thing I do know. This year, I’ll make sure to appreciate the holidays in my own way: spending time with friends and family and enjoying lots of good food. v
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