Verde Volume 10 Issue 5 by Verde Magazine

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palo alto high school volume 10 edition 5

Take a Bow Paly students discover their passions for the performing arts

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verde

palo alto high school volume 10 edition 5

28 ::Campus::

::Verde Short::

18 Palo Alto: A Literary Haven

16 Post-it Art

20 24 38

41 44

by Asha Albuquerque Let’s Be Honest by Emily James and Kailey Flather Yours, Swine and Ours by Vrinda Khanna A Need for Speed by Mary Minno The Pursuit of Happ-E-Ness by Emily Hamilton and Liza Dernehl Capturing the Moment by Lynn Chang

26 47 54 67

::Spectrum::

14 35 48 52

Palo Alto Gets Engaged by Aaron Lerner A Stem of Possibilities by Sara Connolly Fight for the Write by Jessica Linebarger Men among Mommies by Maddy Mihran

::Calender::

by Paly Students Paly’s Cool Cars by Whitney Drazovich and Silvia Maraboli Llamas, Chickens and Goats Oh My by Natalie Lin Inside the Office of Arne Lim by Sara Connolly 10 Questions by Natalie Lin Paly Speaks by Whitney Drazovich and Silvia Maraboli

::Cover::

28 Fringe Foray by Sarah Jacobs 30 From Behind the Curtain 32

::Photo Essay::

50 Bay to Breakers

by Julia Singleton

::Senior Section::

55 Seniors Speak Out

::Viewpoint::

40 70

Dawn of the Dogs by Sophie Cornfield Don’t Fear the Chair by Ryan Flanagan

by Claire Heritier-Kerby Songwriting 101 by Ally Messick

60 61 62 64

by Shoshana Gould and Megan Mitchell A Senior Epiphany by Melanie Maemura Life Lessons in Spain by Caitlin Watson The Road Less Traveled by Ally Messick Easing the Transition by Jackie McElaney

68 Summer 2009

by Sydney Lundgren

verde magazine 3

verdecartoon art by harry nordlinger

verdeexcerpts “Online, a perpertrator has the option of remaining anonymous, thus the bullying is more psychologically damaging to the victim”

Page 20

Emmanuel Frank “Let’s Be Honest”

“I take images that are spur of the moment. I want to be able to tell a story with my pictures”

Page 44

senior Julia Benton “Capturing the Moment”

“Almost all of ADHD medications are stimulants and equivalent to speed. These medications are serous.”

Page 38 Swine flu was a prevalent costume at this year’s Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. (pg. 50) For more Swine flu reading, see “Yours, Swine and Ours.” (pg. 42)

corrections In the last issue of Verde (volume 10 issue 9), we mistakenly reported that Maddie Saal was running for ASB Sports Commissioner, when in fact, she ran for ASB Treasurer. We would also like to give credit to the Verde writer, Sophie Cornfield, who wrote “A Force to be Reckoned with.”

verdecover 4 verde magazine

by tim qin

Psychologist Barbara Paul-Bloom “A Need for Speed”

“Palo Alto is awfully sheltered. Just because the swine flu is not directly affecting us here, it doesn’t mean we should not be aware of it and its effects on others.”

Page 24

sophomore Kristina Guzman “Yours, Swine, and Ours”

“I make it a point to spend all my time out on the street interacting with both troops and Iraqis, which is by far where the most interesting stories are. Sadly, bombs aimed at troops do not have a reporter shield, so if they get hit, I get it.”

Page 48

Class of 1999, Heath Druzin “Fight to Write”

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volume 10 edition 5 june 2009 Staff List Editors-in-Chief Caroline Wang Amanda Young

nk st”

Managing Editors Sophie Cornfield Whitney Drazovich

e a s”

Design Editors Jackie McElaney Tim Qin Business Managers Lynn Chang Claire Heritier-Kerby

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from the editors

t’s been a year of new beginnings. We’ve had a new turf football field, Mayfield lunch boxes, and required Prom buses. Paly has also had many accomplishments this year; the boys’ soccer team won the CCS championship and Avi Arfin won the Debate State Championship. This issue of Verde is another new beginning as well. It is our first issue as the new editors-in-chief. Besides celebrating a great year, this issue also marks the end of Verde’s 10th anniversary. After 10 years of publishing Paly news, we hope to continue providing an outlet for the diverse voices in the Paly community and making a meaningful contribution to our school. Our cover package (pg. 27) focuses on different aspects of the performing arts at Paly. We looked into the production of “Young Americans,” the role of techies, and the process of writing a song. In this issue, we also cover the increase in Ecstasy use at Paly dances, partly due to the new Breathalyzing policy, in “Pursuit of Happ-E-ness” (pg. 41). In addition, we cover abuse of ADD/ADHD medication in “A Need for Speed” (pg. 38). Other articles in ths issue include “Let’s be Honest” (pg. 20), which explores the problems of cyber-bullying through the Facebook application Honesty Box. “A Stem of Possibilities” focuses on the local effects of President Obama’s new policy that lifts restriction on embryonic stem cell research. To celebrate the Class of 2009 and triumphs at Paly, we also present the Senior Section (pg. 55), which is filled with of reflections, surveys, and advice for graduates. To help you plan an exciting summer, do not miss the entertainment calendar (pg. 68). Congratulations Paly on finishing the school year. We hope you enjoy reading this issue and have a fun-filled summer! — Caroline and Amanda

Short Features Editors Natalie Lin Silvia Maraboli Photographer Julia Singleton

Artist Emily Wang Staff Asha Albuquerque Sara Connolly Liza Dernehl Ryan Flanagan Kailey Flather Shoshana Gould Emily Hamilton Sarah Jacobs Emily James Vrinda Khanna Aaron Lerner Jessica Linebarger Sydney Lundgren Melanie Maemura Ally Messick Maddy Mihran Mary Minno Megan Mitchell 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 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

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Dinner Sponsors! Fiser Gould Lerner Lin McConnell Minno Park Tranowski Yang

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[editorial]

staff verdict New ASB must improve communication with students and the administration

n the recent ASB elections, a majority of candidates emphasized vague promises of “getting your voices heard” and “instituting change”. But what do these words actually mean and why have none of the candidates proposed an active solution to the problem of communication between the school and students? Last year, Verde published an editorial criticizing Principal Jaqueline McEvoy’s relationship with ASB and with the student body as a whole. A year later, we return to the issue after a series of events, such as the new prom bus policy, and highlight the school-student communication problems once again. Verde believes that the communication problems cannot continue any longer and we endorse a policy of weekly meetings between ASB and the administration in order for the students to take part in the decision making process. In addition, we believe that ASB must also improve communication with the student body as a whole. Occasionally, news of ASB’s semester projects and plans for dances appears in the school media. However, this is not sufficient, and we believe that ASB should establish a policy of biweekly meetings with class representatives to inform the school of ASB’s plans. We do not condemn all of McEvoy’s decisions, but we do recognize that the administration must establish and preserve a mechanism for compromise. The heart of any egalitarian and democratic system is transparency and equal participation, something that is hindered by the current administration. Thus, Verde endorses a policy for expanding student and administration discussion and cooperation. Although ASB attempted to establish a policy of weekly meetings ASB needs to with McEvoy in the past year, these play an active meetings gradually fell through and according to Becky Byler, senior class role in the vice-president, these meetings lasted administration’s for only a few weeks. Now, McEvoy only meets with ASB in order to inform decision making the students of the administration’s process and stay decisions and not to actually dicuss the issue at hand. Verde criticizes the true to campaign administration’s policy of neglecting promises . the opinions of ASB and the student body in the decision-making process. We believe that communication between these two bodies should be a two-way channel and that ASB needs to play an active role in discussing and deciding school decisions and policies. According to Allye Mullins, Director of Student Activities, every time a school decision is made that directly affects the student body, some students have different opinions from those of the administration. Currently, there is no mechanism or process to resolve these differing opinions and the administration can easily overrule any and all of ASB’s desires for change. The Paly administration should balance its priorities with students’

art by emily wang interests and concerns. Time and time again, the administration has ignored the concerns of ASB and the class representatives. With the recent conflict over McEvoy’s decision to require chartered buses in order to attend prom, the school ignored ASB’s protests and the circulated petition with over 450 signatures. The purpose of ASB is to provide a vehicle for relaying students’ interests and concerns to the administration. When those in charge ignore students’ pleas for change, the chain of communication is broken, and an ineffective ASB is equally detrimental as the lack of an ASB. In addition to improved communication between ASB and the administration, Verde also advocates improved communication between ASB and the student body as a whole, especially after the deterioration of the fourth period representation system. Although the fourth period system proved infeasible due to lack of interest and limited time in the period, we believe that ASB should re-implement a system of class representatives starting next fall. Mullins believes that the class representative system was started too late in the past year, as it took time to select representatives for each grade and establish a time for lunch meetings. Representatives were selected after spirit week and lack of interest soon proved to be the system’s downfall. However, we believe that by implementing the representation system early next year, ASB can ensure that a class representation system quickly gains momentum and serves as an additional medium for communication with the student body. Another school year has passed with communication conflicts between ASB and the administration. For the upcoming year, Paly must amend the current ineffective student-school relationship and establish a mechanism for compromise. v Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Verde staff verde magazine 7

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verde news u

by the numbers

Percent of Paly surveyed prom goers who used ectasy before prom according to a Verde survey

42 220000 0000 66,552 ,552 83 83 38:1 38:1 1.7 1.7 Percent of teens who have been harrassed via cyber communications

news photography by whitney drazovich

“Hasta la vista” to small classes q As California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attempts to rescue California’s from a $21.3 billion budget deficit, Palo Alto is forced to do the same. Ann Deggelman, Paly’s co-coordinator of the teacher-advisor program, acknowledged the air of uncertainty that surrounds the state’s situation. “We don’t know yet if it will affect us [Paly], but statewide it could mean increased class sizes and teacher layoffs,” Deggelman said. The state’s deficit grew by $6 billion after California voters rejected five of the six state budget propositions in a special election on Tuesday, May 19. This was Schwarzenegger’s third attempt to reform California’s budget, and each attempt has been met with opposition by voters. Some of the rejected propositions would have provided funding for some of California’s educational and social programs. Moving forward, Schwarzenegger said he plans to balance the budget by making cuts across the board. Palo Alto is currently $10 million in debt, which has increased after Schwarzeneger announced that he will likely borrow $2.5 million from the taxrevenue generated in Palo Alto, according to city council member Pat Burt. In response to the deficit, the Palo Alto city council has decided to remove three positions from the Police Department’s staff. Due to these cuts, public records will be available less frequently and officers will spend less time in each high school. Additionally, the placement of volunteers within the police department will be suspended. As Palo Alto tries to reform its budget California does as well. In a concession statement he gave on May 19, Schwarzenegger promised to continue the process of reforming the state’s budget despite the voters’ unenthusiasm about the propositions. “I will keep working toward it because we cannot allow this harmful and out-of-control budget process to continue,” Schwarzenegger said. — text by maddy mihran 10 verde magazine

Dollar production cost of the Fringe festival

Identified cases of swine flu in the US

Percent of dog owners who consider themselves to be his or her dog’s parent

Ratio of stay- athome moms to stay-at-home dads in the US

Million tickets sold to the Fringe festival in Scotland this summer

Prom theft causes confused admins q unless someone turns it in.” However, two students who also declared their possessions stolen found their items later on during the dance, according to Berkson. “Two came back and said they found it [their items] all over the place,” he said. Berkson is struggling to find a place to start searching for the perpetrators. “I don’t even know who it was,” Berkson said. “Normally, we have a lead.” In addition, Berkson was told of the thefts after many students had left the prom, making it difficult for him to locate the culprits.“I was notified after four buses left,” he said. Atkinson recognizes the difficulty that the administration is experiencing. “I have gone to the administration but they can not do much when they don’t have any solid leads about who might have done it,” she said. While the perpetrators remain unknown, Berkson hopes to increase awareness for next year. “I would remind people to check stuff into the coatroom,” he said. “It’s a shame because Prom went smoothly but this leaves a bad taste in people’s Wanted Paly senior Kristen Atkinson mouths.” — text and photo by sara connolly has still not found her stolen iPhone The administration has yet to find the culprits of several thefts that occurred at the Palo Alto High School Prom on April 25 in San Francisco. According to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, three or four students reported that various electronic devices were stolen from their tables during the event. Among the stolen items were phones and cameras. Paly senior Kirsten Atkinson was one student affected by the theft. While she said that a few students had their items returned to them, she still has yet to find her stolen iPhone. “It’s gone and that’s that,” Atkinson said. “There is no way to actually find it

[news] All hail Kennedy q

The announcement of a new edition of the textbook used for Paly's AP US History course would not usually spark excitement, but coming from the mouth of David M. Kennedy it caused quite a stir. According to David M. Kennedy, one of the authors of the book, the recent revision was one of the most comprehensive changes to the text in nearly 30 years. These changes are largely in response to growing concern in the historical community that students are not exposed to the global context of US History. "Students need to understand that US history did not happen within a vaccuum," Kennedy said. Paly will continue to use the 12th edition of American Pageant. — text by ryan flanagan

Not just novels: new English class breaks the mold q

Starting the 2009-2010 school year, the English department will offer a new elective called “Reading Between the Lines,” based on expository reading and writing. The semester-long course will be available to juniors and seniors to help prepare students for the literacy demands of college. The class will cover primarily expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing. Students who take the course will read contemporary essays, newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, reports, biographies, and other nonfiction texts as opposed to the more traditional novels usually read by Paly English classes. According to Trinity Klein, the English Department’s instructional

supervisor, the decision to offer the course was made last year because the University of California and California State University systems agreed to recognize the course. According to Klein, the UCs and CSUs usually approve only traditional types of English classes based on fiction writing rather than rhetoric. However the low scores on placement tests of incoming college freshmen compelled the establishment of the course. Many of these freshmen had to enter remedial classes due to their lack of proficiency in expository writing and reading, according to Klein. There are currently 50 students who have decided to take the new course, so the group will be broken up into two periods. Erin Angell, a

Getting Ready English teacher Erin Angell plans to teach new course Paly English teacher, will teach both periods, according to Klein. Klein thinks the course will be a great addition to Paly’s curriculum. “I think the course has something to offer for everyone,” Klein said. — text by sarah jacobs verde magazine 11

Gonna miss Mullins q

Palo Alto High School’s Student Activities Director Allison Mullins will work as a physical education teacher at local elementary schools next school year. Mullins, who has worked for Paly for three years, will be joining PAUSD’s elementary travel team, a group of teachers who go around district elementary schools to teach physical education.“It [Teaching physical education] has been what I wanted to do,” Mullins said. She will be working at Addison, Fair Meadow, Hoover, and Walter Hays. Even so, Mullins says she will always remember her time at Paly. “I love every aspect of working with the students at Paly,” Mullins said. — text by tim qin

New math book makes kids not hate math q District administrators are praising Everyday Mathematics, a newly purchased program that they say will spark early interest in children in the hopes that they will develop an affinity for the subject and take high-lane math classes in high school. The innovative lessons, created by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project, focus on real-life problem solving, a balance between class and selfdirected learning, emphasis on communication, priority on school-family cooperation, and appropriate use of technology. The Palo Alto Unified School District plans to use the curriculum in PreKindergarten through 5th grade classes. School board members who debated the programs merits before adopting it April 29, say the program is expected to inspire students to take more years of math in high school and college. Although PAUSD is not currently using the system, adminstrators plan to in the future. “I think we have a really good math program in this district and this is just one tool in making our system even better,” Superintendent Kevin Skelly says. — text by jessica lineberger

Smoggy skies looming over Silicon Valley q Santa Clara County received an “F” grade for high ozone days and particle pollution, on a test conducted by the American Lung Association. The county had also failed the test in 2007 and 2008. In Santa Clara, there were 33 “orange particle” days in the past year in which air pollution was hazardous for sensitive groups. Fortunately, nearby counties of Marin and Sonoma received “A” grades on the test, indicating the possibility of air improvement in Santa Clara. — text by asha albuquerque

Wanna get into shape? Call Tim Wusu q A 2001 Paly alum who spent time playing in the National Football League will offer an intensive week-long camp to help people improve balance and core strength. Timi Wusu, a former Stanford two-sport athelete, trainer andNFL player plans to hold the camp on the Paly football field from 10 am to noon June 15-19. The camp is open to anyone looking to improve his or her athletic abilities and expand his or her training. “It is something anyone can do whether they are a theater guy or a soccer buff,” Wusu said. “I just want them to have fun.” Wusu plans to incorporate Brazilian martial arts, dancing and tumbling. He also plans to teach each participant how to do a hand stand. The cost is $300. Contact Wusu at wusutraining@gmail.com to enroll. — text by sophie cornfield

City Web site to get needed extreme-site makeover The City Council approved a 69-point plan to completely refurbish Palo Alto’s official Web site on Monday, April 18. The plan was submitted by a committee of 12 volunteers who started meeting in October 2008 to discuss plans to revamp the site, mostly because of its difficulty to use, according to committee member Sheri Furman. “The Web site is an example of “form over function” -- that is, 12 verde magazine

it looks ‘cool’ but is hard to use,” Furman says. “It’s very difficult to find what one is looking for, even using the search function.” According to Furman, the most important changes that have to be made are improving the readability, navigation, search and overall organization. These improvements are part of the ‘bucket one’ changes, that would be highly visible and

could be accomplished at virtually no cost. The rest require additional effort, which will be analyzed and presented to the City Council in the fall. Staff should be able to start implementing the “bucket one” changes by July, although they will discuss a specific schedule at their next meeting the first week of June. — text by vrinda khanna

California colleges’ costs are crazy q Graduating seniors reactions to the University of California’s decision to increase tuition by about 10 percent vary from a financial standpoint. “It makes me upset that I have to take out loans because of the way the government has spent its money,” Paly senior Ariel Arsac-Ellison says. Yet some, like Paly senior Ian Dunbar, do not think the increase will greatly affect their ability to pay for college. “It doesn’t have much of an effect on me since I already knew I couldn’t afford most private schools,” Dunbar says. According to the UC Website the increase in university wide student fees will produce about $152 million, of which about one third will be set

aside to provide additional financial aid to students. The remaining revenue will be used to address state budget reductions, mandatory cost increases, student support services and mental health services. The increase in tuition was a last possible resort and it is part of a series of actions the University of California has taken to address ongoing cuts in state funding. These include freezing senior manger’s salaries, reorganizing and downsizing the UC office of the President, and implementing more hiring freezes at the campuses. This year, the university has improved its financial aid program by providing aid to UC students with household incomes under $60,000 per year. These students will have their fees fully covered by scholarships or grants. In addition, there will be increased state and UC grant funds, such as Cal Grants being creased by $27 million in 209 to 2010 and UC grants being increased by $39 million due to the university setting aside 33 percent of all undergraduate fee increase revenue for student grants. Paly college counselor Sandra Cernobori also says that there are enough resources to help students through college. “It depends on the student and we would not rule the UC’s out just based on the cost,” Cernobori says. “There is more to choosing a college than just tuition.” — text by sydney lundgren

Debate team competes for good causeq Palo Alto High School’s Debate Team from travel expenses to tournament plans for another fundraiser next year fees. Students from nine local schools to support the Bay Area Urban Debate League after successfully raising participated in this Lincoln-Douglas round robin tournament. $3,500 at a debate The high schools tournament hosted by participating ranged Paly on May. from College Preparatory The Bay Area School to Mountain View Urban Debate League High School. is part of a nationwide “[The tournment] was movement that seeks to a huge success,” Arfin said establish and maintain and attributes the success competitive debate to donations from several leagues in traditionally companies. under-resourced public Sponsors included school districts in the Paly junior Whole Foods, Crystal United States according All smiles Avi Arfin took part in the Instruments, Tesla Motors, to www.baudl.org. Krefeld’s Awards, Letter According to junior debate for fundraising. Perfect, Hoge, Fenton, Avi Arfin, who debated at the tournament, the money will be Jones, Apple, Peet’s, Baja Fresh, and Cal — text by tim qin used to pay for team expenses ranging Debate Institute.

[news]

Verde Vault YOUR LINK TO PALY HISTORY

Spring 2000

Verde staff of 2000 interviewed Paly’s alum James Franco on his new found stardom and journey towards success. The cover story of the Summer 2000 edition began with the following:

alo Alto High School’s class of 96s James “Ted” Franco has begun to leave his mark on the world of acting, rocketing to instant stardom in NBC’s hit series Freaks and Geeks. In addition to his NBC residence as the Trans-Am-driving Daniel on the critically acclaimed show. He also costared with actress Drew Barrymore in 20th Century Fox’s hit Never Been Kissed. His most recent staring role in Whatever it Takes is a modern day adaption of Cyrano de Bergerac that opened March 24, 2000. Franco stars opposite Marla Sokoloff. Franco’s 21 year ride to stardom has not been easy. Life for Franco began to take shape when he entered UCLA as an English major at eighteen. Midway into his freshman year at UCLA, Franco decided to drop out of college and study at a local acting academy. Franco’s acting dream was interrupted when his financial situation worsened - he became offically homeless when he ran out of money and counldn’t land any acting jobs. “I’d travel from friend to friend ... sleep in my car, sleep under the docks.” v

verde magazine 13

[spectrum]

Palo Alto Gets Engaged Palo Alto citizens speak up to become engaged in city affairs

t is 6:30 PM on a quiet Monday eve- including more people in committees and ning, as the Palo Alto Youth Council commissions on an ongoing basis, and to gathers for one of its weekly meetings. help people get involved to find ways to be They are inside the teen lounge in the Mitch- involved in city processes.” ell Park Community Center. Inside the teen According to Bacchetti, 10 organizations lounge, the youth council discusses the latest proposed that the council have civic engagepiece of business: the issue about how newer ment as a priority for 2009. It was a priority members should be involved in the council. in 2008, but the organizations did not feel it The way the teens conduct their meeting was properly addressed. proves that teens can be properly involved “My organization, Palo Altans for Govin community politics. However, not only ernment Effectiveness, was started back teens are getting more involved in city politics. Palo Alto is now getting involved more and more in city affairs. Palo Alto will soon be going through some dramatic changes, as the city council begins to focus on its new goals for 2009. One of these goals is called “civic engagement for the common good,” according to council member Greg Schmid. Civics means engagement in government, and coming together to improve community participation in citys affairs. Civic engagement has been something on the city’s agenda since 2008. Some in the community feel that citizens are not actively Civics in Practice Palo Alto Youth Council engaged enough in the city’s affairs and members practice civic engagement in their worry that citizens believe that partici- meetings. pation in city politics is a waste of time, an issue that Human Relations Commission about five years ago to help the council back member Ray Bacchetti has actively taken then get over some difficulties in cooperating upon himself. with each other,” Bacchetti says. “Since then, “My goal is to revive the notion of en- there were to be a lot of things that seemed gagement in Palo Alto,” Bacchetti says. to not be working as well as they could, as This is also a goal of the Palo Alto city people would just see issues in Palo Alto as a council. The city council has taken a strong win or lose situation.” interest in civic engagement. Bacchetti’s organization believes in pro“It seems that a lot of people participate moting a program called Civil Engagement in city activities sporadically,” Schmid says. for the Common Good. “The city was resting “The goal is to make city activities more ac- on its laurels, and we believe that bringing cessible to a wider range of people, such as more people together will help the city [citi14 verde magazine

text by aaron lerner photography by julia singleton zens] think more about [their] future.” Projects include a Palo Alto leadership lecture series to help people see leadership that will promote unity in Palo Alto, according to Bachetti. Also, Bachetti hopes to have community conversations in small groups with the city council in order to get citizen’s ideas more out in people’s minds. According to Bachetti, he hopes to get the words “civic“ and “engagement” linked into one meaning, and take on a new definition. “I feel civic engagement means the spirit of community engagement, which is very important,” Bachetti says. Bachetti says the common good, or the essence of comunity cooperation, is created every time people work together to achieve common goals. Bachetti’s organization recently submitted a proposal to the city council with recommendations on how to improve meeting conducition. Bechetti hopes that the ideas in the proposal will improve the sense of community in meetings. “Within this proposal, we gave ideas of how to train people in committees, use conflict resolution methods to structure meetings so that people would work out minor issues before hand in order to prevent meaningless conflict at meetings, and to help mediate conflicts rather then have them drive people apart,” Bachetti says. Bachetti says that the common good is extremely important for improving civic engagement. “The concept of the common good doesn’t seem very well practiced and felt in Palo Alto, and my hope is that we can build it together,” Bachetti says. Bacchetti and his organization are still motivated to change many things in Palo

Alto, which they see as a good community that could always use improvement. “There are many issue-oriented opportunities that we see could benefit from civic engagement for the common good,” Bacchetti says. “There are the public building safety codes, local housing developments, the Palo Alto-Stanford relationship, and the comprehensive plan for the city.” Bacchetti says Palo Alto understands the concept when it comes to public schools, and cites other achievements of the community where civic engagement for the common good was a success, including the building of the opportunity center. “Despite these successes, there is much the city could work on in terms of the common good. These include improving leadership between non-profits and the city, and just bringing people together across lines created by politics,” Bachetti says. “Currently, there is a citizens advising group to the city council, and the police department is engaged in building more community relationships.” Bachetti says his organization is open minded regarding the plan, and is always looking for new input. “We [Palo Altans for Government Effectiveness} wanted to have many people’s ideas in mind when the Civic Engagement for the Common Good plan was adopted,” Bachetti says. Bachetti already cites the library bond issue as a civic engagement success in the way the campaign mobilized citizens to get the bond passed under one common goal. “The library bond issue was an example of Palo Alto finding the common good,” Bachetti says. Council member Greg Schmid hopes that engagement will improve the way the city can run itself in a general sense. “If we have more public participation, we can have more staff and consultants to look at individual items,” Schmid says. “But as of now there is not much participation of the public in the larger visions of the city in the future, which is by far the most important question in which citizens should be engaged.” Overall, Bacchetti feels that the way citizens work together is important so that people will be able to see some value in their participation as citizens in the city’s affairs. “Our goal is to find ways to make a good community even better,” Bacchetti says. v verde magazine 15

[post-it]

What is Paly? Students use Post-its to draw the first thing that comes to mind. layout by tim qin

4 2 1

6 11

10 7 12 9 8

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Artists 1. Freshman Sierra Mieko Temple 2. Senior Garrett Morton 3. Sophomore Elise Oh 4. Sophomore Manon van Kaenel 5. Sophomore Ava Dordi 6. Sophomore Perla de Anda 7. Senior Garrett Moss 8. Junior Oana Enache 9. Freshman William Hall 10. Junior Alice Liang 11. Sophomore Caitlin Dazey 12. Senior Mira Parekh

re re m h

Thank You For An Amazing Year! V

~Verde

V V

Lee OptometricsX Paly student/family/faculty discount 20% off for eyewear and professional services (not to be combined with insurance plans)

Palo Alto: A Literary Heaven Exploring the Lives of Local Writers

The Face Behind the Words Palo Alto writers Meg Waite Clayton, Harriet Scott Chessman, Keith Raffel, and Maud Carol Markson take pride in their writing. text and photography by asha albuquerque and courtesy of keith raffel

ne sunny July afternoon at Stanford Tresidder Memorial The Roots of the Inspiration Raffel, father of Paly junior Helena Raffel and author of Dot Union, Palo Alto writer Meg Waite Clayton felt depressed. Her first novel, The Language of Light, had suffered poor Dead, was never one of those kids who always knew what he wanted sales and she had no idea how to begin a second novel. to be when he grew up. Suffering from what he calls “career ADHD,” “I was feeling run-down and dry as I had a little pity party for he never planned on working in Silicon Valley. However, he ended myself out in the sun,” Clayton recalls. up returning to his hometown of Palo Alto and working in a start-up Then suddenly, as she turned her head, a woman with a long company for nearly two decades. One day, Raffel realized he had outblond braid sticking out of a Stanford baseball grown the homogenized realm of corporate cap walked across the patio, and within mo- “I usually have a line that America. Inspired by a mystery writing class ments, Clayton had envisioned the heart of won’t get out of my head based with UC extension, Raffel had an idea him with the drive to write. the character who she would soon call Linda. and just keeps haunting that provided “I had this image of a successful Silicon By the end of the day, and seven pages worth Valley executive who comes home in the of writing later, she had largely shaped the me.” middle of the day to find his dead maid lyroots of The Wednesday Sisters. Clayton wist- —Palo Alto writer Maud Carol Markson says. ing in his bed,” Raffel says. fully remembers that if she had succumbed to Markson also had a similar burst of enlightenment that inspired her sadness that day, she might never have written another novel. Fortunately, Clayton kept on writing and within time, she realized that her writing. “I usually have a line that won’t get out of my head and just no matter how many rejections she received, she could never stop. Writers like Clayton deviate from a common path of life in Sili- keeps haunting me,” Markson says. “With my first book, When We con Valley. In this time of fear and economic-driven uncertainty, local Ge Home, I was struck by the line ‘in my family we are all disposwriters and Paly parents Clayton, Keith Raffel, Harriet Scott Chess- able.’ man and Maud Carol Markson provide an opportunity for escape With her latest book, Markson drew inspiration from the line “my mother named me after birds.” With that thought, she started to and a chance for a thoughtful, insightful literary experience. 18 verde magazine

[spectrum] wonder who the mother was, what personality she had, and what she wanted to name the children. Permanent Press will publish Markson’s novel Looking After Pigeon this July. Harriet Scott Chessman believes that the roots of her career as a writer originated in a move to England when she was seven. “It was a watershed,” Chessman says. “I never had been out of my comfort zone and the move was a great awakening.” From then on, she was able to traverse through life with a “double vision.” She learned to view situations both as an insider and as an outsider. Chessman believes that her ability to observe and perceive situations is the heart of her strength as a writer. A Little Bit of Me Raffel felt bored with the traditional private investigator archetype favored by most mystery writers. He wanted to try something different. Freed of the profit-driven environment that had enveloped him at work, Raffel wrote the narrative of Ian Michaels, a man who in some ways, bares startling similarities to Raffel himself. “I try to write about someone living a regular, middle-class life who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances and rises to the occasion,” Raffel says. Like Raffel, Clayton, also puts a part of herself into the characters she creates. “You bring your own emotional core to the words and as you imagine other lives you bring parts of yourself to the characters,” Clayton says. Clayton’s novel, The Wednesday Sisters, is set in Palo Alto and is partly inspired by her experiences with a writing group. The opening scene of the story, which describes Frankie’s move to Palo Alto, parallels Clayton’s own experiences with frequent moves throughout her childhood. “Frankie resembles me in that I was often shy and nervous about making friends after a move,” Clayton says. The Freedom of the Lifestyle Writers tend to have considerable freedom and flexibility in their day-to-day life. But this bonus comes hand in hand with the obligation of being self-directed and motivated. Clayton gives herself a deadline of reaching either 2,000 words or 2 pm. She turned to writing after a successful career in law and for her, the change was beneficial. As a writer, Clayton was able to spend more time with her kids, current Paly junior Nick and Paly 2008 graduate Chris. “I do it [write novels] because I love it,” Clayton says. “I feel so blessed to live out my dream of being a writer every day.” Dealing with Rejection The road to a published work is loaded with disappointment and regret. As a result, many writers must learn how to cope with rejection. For Markson, nearly a decade passed between the publishing of her two novels. “I just stopped sending my stuff in,” she says. “I didn’t want any more disappointment.” Chessman agrees that the road to publishing is a hard one. “I could wallpaper my living room with all the rejection letters I’ve received,” Chessman says. However, Chessman inspired her friend Markson to return to

The Art of the Craft (clockwise from left): Meg Waite Clayton’s writing journal, Looking after Pigeon by Maud Carol Markson, Dot Dead by Keith Raffel, The Wednesday Sisters by Clayton, and When We Get Home by Markson. submitting her work and consequently Markson now believes that the key to dealing with rejection letters is to not take it personally. “I get my sense of self from other aspects of my life,” she says. “I tell myself that they [the publishers] are not rejecting me.” A Writer’s Perspective on the Economy Raffel believies that the current economic situation will not negatively impact mystery writers and could perhaps exert a positive influence. “I think that more people are turning to mystery and romance novels as a means of escape,” Raffel says. However, Raffel also acknowledges the effects of the declining publishing industry and decreasing number of independent bookstores because of the economy. Markson believes that the publishing industry is changing and becoming more market-driven and that the industry is increasingly affected by competition with other forms of media. “There are so many outlets for entertainment and information with the Internet, Facebook, and other sources,” Markson says. Fortunately, writers are largely protected from most of the problems that are affecting the business sphere. My Favorite Things For Raffel, the real thrill in writing lies in the first draft. “The joy of writing is entering another world,” Raffel says. “You get to be somebody you’re not and look through the world with your character’s eyes”. Meanwhile, Clayton believes that revision is her favorite part of the process. “I would compare writing a first draft to going to a party where I don’t know anyone,” Clayton says. “But revision is like sitting with a group of friends and having a good gab.” While all writers hope to entertain the reader, Raffel has an additional motive and purpose behind his work. “I aim to be like Mary Poppins with ‘a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down,’” he says. “I try to show that despite living in Silicon Valley, there are more important things to life than stock options and going rich; things like family, religion, and friendship.” v verde magazine 19

Let’s be

H nest

An in-depth look at Facebook’s most controversial application text by emily james and kailey flather photography by kailey flather

essica, a former Palo Alto High School student, was having a tough year. After being sexually assaulted by a member of the Paly community, she says she could no longer bear to stay at school and left Paly in favor of a less emotionally strenuous environment. With her parents constantly fighting and her family life rapidly disintegrating, she already had more issues than she could manage. Unfortunately for Jessica, who asked that her name not be used, this was precisely when she began receiving the Honesty Box messages. Honesty Box is a Facebook feature that enables its users to post anonymous comments in other users’ Honesty Boxes, causing much of the drama that was once solely spread through vicious whispers. But for Jessica, Honesty Box is the Facebook application that almost ended her life. “After I changed [schools], I got a lot of Honesty Box messages from people telling me that they were so glad I had left because 20 verde magazine

nobody likes me,” Jessica says. “I felt like the whole world was against me and in all honesty I contemplated suicide. When I got those messages telling me that nobody liked me that almost pushed me over the edge. One even [said] that they hoped that I would die.” Unfortunately, cases like Jessica’s are not uncommon in affluent communities like Palo Alto because of the wide accessiblity of the Internet. However, while access to the Internet is more common in wealthy communities, cyber-bullying is not exclusive to cities like Palo Alto. A recent survey conducted by iSAFE Inc., an organization dedicated to internet safety education, says that more than 40 percent of teens nationwide have been bullied or harassed by means of “cyber” communication including, but not limited to, text messages, social networking sites, email, instant messenger, and of course, Honesty Box.

[campus]

Bullying among teens has always existed, but the national media coverage surrounding cyber-bullying indicates that online harassment is a much more serious problem. “Online, a perpetrator has the option of remaining anonymous, thus the bullying is more psychologically damaging to the victim,” adolescent psychiatrist Emmanuel Frank, M.D. says. “This type of anonymous harassment is much more distressing, because if the victim does not know where the attacks are coming from, the result will be a heightened sense of paranoia. A bully can make it seem as though multiple people are involved in the attack, resulting in the victim believing that he or she is a school-wide pariah, with more enemies than friends.” Cases like Jessica’s make it clear that this type of anonymous bullying has a presence at Paly. The number of incidents involving Honesty Box is unknown, but talking to Paly students about the subject proves that these occurrences are far from isolated. Throughout the 2008/2009 school year, only a few cyberbullying cases involving Honesty Box have been highly publicized. Over the course of the academic year, there have been several Facebook groups inspired by the television show “Gossip Girl.” An estimated five online Gossip Girl-style forums have surfaced, three of them surrounding the junior class. The latest Gossip Girl Web site took the form of a Facebook profile, where anyone from the class of 2010 could submit Honesty Boxes regarding any gossip that they had heard. The creators would then post the Honesty Box comments on a blog along with their own anecdotes. Although feelings were hurt and rumors were spread, the creators of Gossip Girl insist that the blog

with freedom. But that still doesn’t justify anonymous bullying.” According to stopcyber-bullying.com, anonymous postings directed at another person fits the definition of cyber-bullying. However, there is a gray area surrounding the intentions of the creators of the Gossip Girl blog. “We honestly weren’t trying to be mean,” Alexa says. “We just thought it would be interesting to make a Gossip Girl for Paly. We never said anything bad about anyone.” The creators of Gossip Girl may not have made negative comments, but Anne, a sophomore, is living proof that Honesty Box messages don’t have to be negative to be offensive. Last year, Anne received a barrage of sexually suggestive Honesty Box comments. “I got a lot of messages,” she says. “Some were mean, but some were just really sexual and creepy. Those ones made me feel even worse than the mean ones. They made me feel like I wasn’t good for anything [except sex.]” The messages sent to Anne ranged from overtly sexual, “can you send me some nudes,” to quietly offensive, “I heard you’re easy, and that’s why I’m so interested in you.” If Anne had experienced the sexual advances in person at school, the perpetrator could face serious punishment by the administration. However, the administration will never know who sent Anne the messages, because Facebook cannot disclose the senders of Honesty Box messages unless there is a direct threat of violence involved. “I actually think it’s better that I can’t find out who sent me those. If I knew, I would feel uncomfortable every time I saw them,” Anne says. Although Anne’s experience rings as a cautionary tale regarding

was primarily for humor. “We were laughing the entire time,” says Alexa, an anonymous Paly junior and a creator of one of the blogs. “It’s not our fault some people took it too far.” But how far is too far? The current Paly administration says that if cyber-bullying were to take place again this year, the perpetrators would be punished. “The punishment for cyber-bullying within our jurisdiction could range from a phone call home to a suspension,” Paly Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson says. Although cyber-bullying is a relatively new dilemma for the school administrators, guidance counselor Selene Sengares was not surprised when she learned that online attacks took place at Paly. “I’m not at all shocked [by cyber-bullying],” Sengares says. “After working here for 15 years, I’ve learned that bullies associate anonymity

Honesty Box, her story brings hope to those who have been anonymously bullied and harassed. “If other people have been cyber-bullied they should just not let it affect the way they live their lives,” Anne says. Jessica is also recovering from her harrowing experience with Honesty Box. Slowly but surely, she is moving past her demons. “Just because you cant be held responsible does not mean that you should go and say the meanest thing you can think of. You never know what is going on in the other person’s life and you never know, your words could do serious damage,” she says. Jessica and Anne’s advice heeds to Honesty Box victims and perpetrators. “I hope that people consider before they send hateful messages,” Jessica says. “People should strive to be the bigger person, to send people messages to lift them up rather than tear them down. Try and make someone’s day rather than ruin it.” v verde magazine 21

text by whitney drazovich and silvia maraboli photography by silvia maraboli

Stefano Maggi Car’s nick name: Isabella Model: Volkswagen Bug Year: 1964 Mileage: 1,001 Miles Top Speed: 90, anything above that is very dangerous, according to Maggi. Favorite Feature: Custom air suspensions Fun Fact: Paly senior Stefano Maggi built most of the features on the car himself. In this restoration, Maggi added custom disk brakes, air suspension, black and gray interior, and the car’s signature “electric blue” which he painted himself. According to Maggi, the transformed car is currently worth about $20,000. v

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[short] Jenner fox Car’s nick name: Big Ivan Model: Volkswagen Eurovan Year: It’s been around longer than Paly junior Fox can remember. Mileage: The meter currently says 1,583, but according to Fox, the speedial malfunctions a lot. Favorite feature: The rise-up bed in the car’s ceiling Fun facts: Fox’s family takes the supersized van on the road with them for camping trips. “It’s been to Utah about four times, Tahoe, and a bunch of other places,” Fox says. “Several of our family friends have the exact same van, so we’ve done some big family camping trips before.” Fox, a guitarist and vocalist for the band Furious George, takes advantage of the van’s roomy interior by using it to transfer his band’s instruments and speakers to and from gigs. v

Kailey

Flather Car’s nick name: The Suburban Skraper Model: Gem Golfcart Year: 2002 Mileage: 1969 Favorite feature: It is easy to ghost ride. Fun facts: Not only is Paly junior Kailey Flather’s golfcart small and easy to drive, it is also environmentally friendly because it’s electric powered. The car is also able to go from 0 to 26 miles in approximately 10.5 seconds, according to Flather. While she uses the golfcart mostly to cruise around Palo Alto, Flather occassionally drives it to school as well. Flather also claims she can beat Paly campus supervisor Mary Puorro in a race any day. Up for a challenge, Mary? v

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Yours, swine and ours Paly students with ties to Mexico respond to Paly’s overreactions and blasé attitudes toward swine flu text by vrinda khanna art by lisa ke

alo Alto High School sophomore Kristina Guzman passes the English building on her way to her fourth period class, and sees a sight that causes her to flush with anger. Two boys stand next to the building talking about contracting swine flu, and both of them are wearing white masks that cover their mouths and noses. Guzman believes that the accessories only demonstrate the students’ overreactions to the dangers of the flu. “I got mixed messages from Paly students,” Guzman says. “[The masks] made me irritated, because I found out the only reason why the students were wearing them was to cancel school.” Although the 6,764 identified cases in the United States have been much milder and have caused 73 fewer deaths than the 4,541 cases in Mexico, according to the World Health Organization’s Web site, many people are overreacting to the outbreaks as high-level threats or just a means to get out of school. While several Paly students have made fun of swine flu, students like Guzman believe that the H1N1 flu is not an issue to be made fun of. Because she is from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where serious precautions have been put in place to avoid swine flu, she is offended that people are wearing the masks for a reason other than safety. Even though there have not been any identified cases of swine flu in Palo Alto, 12 Bay Area schools have been closed and reopened since the swine flu first spread into the United States. The current totals for Santa Clara County are 14 confirmed cases and 17 probable cases, according to the Santa Clara Valley Public

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Health Department Web site. The number of confirmed cases of the flu continue to increase around the world on a daily basis. The dangers and proximity of swine flu have closed down schools in the Bay Area, but the severity of swine flu in most Mexican states has stopped almost all economic activity, especially in Mexico’s bustling capital, Mexico City. Two verified cases of the flu were identified in Puerto Vallarta, Guzman’s hometown, and caused many businesses to close, though they reopened on May 13. The schools remained closed until May 18 as a precaution, though the fear of contracting swine flu in the area has not ceased. “So far there have been no cases in my old school, Colegio Americano de Puerto Vallarta,” Guzman says. “But my friends are annoyed because they are getting all this extra vacation which they don’t want, because it shortens their summer break.” Colegio Americano de Puerto Vallarta sophomore Taylor Belisle, one of Guzman’s friends, was strongly affected by the town’s precautions because all of the businesses that did not sell necessities, were closed. “Everything was closed down for the week we had off school, which was horrible because everything was shut down,” Belisle says. “I pretty much played Monopoly every single day.” Belisle and his classmates continue to be affected by the town’s precautions, even though the school has reopened. “Since we’ve been in school we had to add an hour more to our classes because of the ‘vacation,’” Belisle says.

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Students in Puerto Vallarta and in other schools in Mexico have missed and are missing school not because they want to, but because they have to. Paly senior Binui Morales’s family also lives in Mexico and has felt swine flu’s effects in Mexico City within the school system and in other aspects of their daily lives. “Swine flu affected us in our daily routine in that the children could not go to their classes,” Herlinda Jarvio, Morales’s aunt, says in Spanish. “Also, the businesses that were closed were mainly movies, theaters, and stadiums.” It is not surprising that Mexico City has faced many difficulties in dealing with the sickness, as the H1N1 virus originated in Mexico City and so far has had the most deaths in the country. Mexico has had 4,541 cases and 80 deaths due to swine flu as of May 27, according to the World Health Organization’s Web site. Even though Morales’s family is much closer to the source of swine flu than Guzman’s, Morales does not feel as strongly about Paly students’ reactions to the virus. “I don’t really feel that people make fun of it,” Morales says. “It’s mostly a news thing and not a thing that people here are really worried about.” Morales herself was unaware of swine flu’s effects in Mexico and the United States until it became a big problem. “I really didn’t know about swine flu until I was flipping the channel and saw a clip of it on the Spanish news, and when my family was talking about it,” Morales says.

Although Morales is not as struck with the seriousness of the virus at Paly or in her hometown, her aunt and the rest of her family continue to be affected by it because of the safety measures. “Even today we have to wear masks, and all the personnel of the schools also use masks and gloves,” Jarvio says. Even though using gloves, masks, and other methods to protect spreading the virus has been a hindrance in the schools, María de los Angeles Morales Vicente, another aunt of Morales, acknowledges that swine flu precautions have helped promote sanitation as a whole. “Now in the schools the children have masks and antibacterial gel and at least it is good to think that they promote sanitary habits that many people do not have, like washing hands and covering the mouth when sneezing,” Vicente states in Spanish in an email correspondence. “I hope that this also serves to prevent the spread of many other illnesses.” Although there have been 2,223 more identified cases of swine flu in the United States than in Mexico, the latter has experienced many more economic and health problems which are not very apparent to all of Paly’s community. As Mexico increases its sanitation and attempts to slows the spread of swine flu, Guzman believes that Paly students need to be aware that the virus is a much larger issue outside of the Palo Alto community. “Palo Alto is awfully sheltered,” Guzman says. “Just because the swine flu is not directly affecting us here, it doesn’t mean we should not be aware of it and its effects on others.” v verde magazine 25

[short]

Llamas, Chickens and Goats text by natalie lin photography by natalie lin and Oh My! courtesy of kathie laurence

The Shelter Paly junior Sophie Biffar’s sturdy homemade shed for their llamas and goats

Being Silly Biffars’ white pygmy goat, Jewel

Home Sweet Home The wide pasture where the Biffar’s llamas and goats live

An Alert Animal Biffar’s furry white llama, Puzu.

Curious Laurence’s furry chinchilla peeks out from the cage. An Unhappy Llama Biffar pets her family’s chocolate brown llama, Mocha.

A Lone Goat Biffar’s black pygmy goat, Jasper walks around the pasture.

In A Line Laurence’s goats explore the area.

alo Alto High School junior Sophie Biffar and Paly teacher Kathie Laurence both have unusual pets. Biffar owns two llamas named Mocha and Puzu and two pygmy goats named Jasper and Jewel. The Biffars have the llamas stay in their neighbor’s backyard in the hills of Los Altos. The family received the llamas from a breeder who owned a llama farm with 300 llamas. Once a year the family goes to goat festivals held in Sonoma County Harvest Fair, where Biffar’s younger sister takes the goats to competitive shows. “The fair is filled with people who are obsessed with goats,” Biffar says. “It’s a very different environment.” Along with the contests, some breeders take this chance to show off their animals. Laurence shares her home with some chickens, when she has 26 verde magazine

Traveling Laurence’s curious chinchilla explores the floor.

them, four goats, one dog, and one cat. Laurence’s chickens are manageable pets who live in the backyard with the goats. Sadly, her chickens are difficult to protect from their predators. “They come and go depending on the coyotes,” Laurence says. She used to own a chinchilla, but the furry pet was given away to a different family because of the lack of attention it was receiving. Laurence owns four goats: a small black pygmy goat named Erin, a tan Nubian goat named Deer, a black Nubian goat named Ankles, and a white goat named Baby whom she rescued from the pound. She keeps the goats outside in the back of her property, where they help her manage her garden by eating the weeds. Laurence’s love for animals runs in the family. Her cousin owns animals such as a herd of water buffalo, a herd of bison, emus, and zonkeys. v

[cover]

s summer approaches and Palo Alto High School students finalize their vacation plans, Paly’s theater troupe prepares for a once in a lifetime opportunity. They received a prestigious invite to perform their original production, “Young Americans”, at the Edingburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. In “Fringe Foray”, Verde looks into the process of producing and writing this play and the other aspects of creating this production, such as designing the set and the costumes. Verde also looks into other aspects of the performing arts. “From Behind the Curtain” highlights the dedication that techies demonstrate in building sets and props that bring theatre to life. In “Song-writing 101,” members of two Paly bands describe the process of writing a song. These students go beyond playing cover songs and write their own music and lyrics. These students demonstrate creativity and use their imaginations to pursue their passions in the performing arts. “Dream On” Paly, and “Rock And Roll All Nite”. verde magazine 27

FRINGE FORAY Paly thespians eagerly anticipate travelling to Scotland to perform their original production “Young Americans” text by sarah jacobs photography by julia singleton

Rocking Out Senior Alex Nee performs a song in a “Young Americans” rehearsal 28 verde magazine

n August 3, 2009, Palo Alto High School Junior Mark Olson will be making his first trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, home of bagpipe players and kilt wearers. But instead of donning a tartan skirt, Olson will be sheathed in a bubble-gum pink spandex gown, and instead of playing bagpipes, he will be belting out a riff of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” Olson’s vampish introduction to Scotland is part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the largest international arts festival in the world that celebrates theater, drama, comedy, and music. Olson is one of a group of 34 Paly students that was nominated to the American High School Theater Festival and picked in a competitive selection process to perform at the Fringe in front of an international audience. The students wrote, choreographed, and scored the production themselves. Paly junior Hannah Crown says this is the reason why the troupe’s experiences in Scotland will be so unique. “What is so amazing is that we are taking this original piece and presenting it on an international stage,” Crown says. “It’s unbelievably exciting.” The Paly troupe is one of just 50 schools from across the United States, and the first ever in Paly history to be invited to perform at the annual festival. Paly sophomore Samuel Bellows says the troupe is ecstatic to be performing at this level of theater. “The magnitude of this [the Fringe] is amazing,” says Bellows. “If you want to see Chinese acrobatics, Korean martial arts, basically anything theater, the Fringe is the place to go. Not only do we get to see it, but we get to be part of it. It’s magical.” Last year, the performers at the Fringe performed more than 30,000 shows and viewers bought about 1.7 million tickets. The Fringe is “theater heaven,” according to Woods, who attended the festival in 2006 with a theater group from Saratoga High School. Titled “Young Americans,” the production they will perform is a tribute to the relationship between rock music and six decades of American teenagers. The story is designed to chronicle each decade from the 1950s to the 2000s and the musicians that made them great. Along with Olson, who plays “Mark,” a boy who idolizes Madonna and is teased for dressing like her, the play tells the stories of countless other teens throughout the last 60 years. The Paly troupe thought of the idea for the play with the help of Paly theater teacher Kathleen Woods and of Prince Gomolvilas, a playwright who agreed to help the students through the writing process. The production presents the students’ own views with a liberal helping of attitude. Although the play is based off of monologues rather than a more generic plot, it still manages to affect the audience. Throughout the play, the mood is vibrant, colorful, and often quirky. From a 60s-inspired ode to LSD, to a 90s-style punk song about aspiring female punk stars, the students’ work draws in the audience with creative stories and humorous anecdotes

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Like a Virgin In a monologue, Mark Olson speaks to his character’s idol, Madonna, played by Emily Barry

Hippy Zach Freier-Harrision and Ali Forbidden Fruit Marc Leclerc and others rehearse a scene in which a rockstar is Dwight rehearse a song in 60’s garb besieged by his adoring female fans centered around teenagers. The feel of the production is distinctly hopeful, and highlights the resilience and independence of American teenagers. Crown says she is excited to share the group’s original ideas with people from all over the world. “I want others to see this unique perspective, our perspective,” Crown says. The students knew they wanted to create their own original production that would involve music, acting, and dancing in order to take advantage of the broad range of talents within the troupe, according to Zoe Levine Sporer, who wrote much of the music for the production. She says that in order to delegate the task of writing the production, Woods and the students divided the writing into different decades and groups of students received the scoring, choreography, or playwriting for each decade. Although making the production involved a great deal of work, and the troupe has been meeting every weekend for several hours since the summer and every day after school as the Scotland performance approaches, it is clear the students love what they are doing. Olson’s face is taught with effort as he rehearses his scene, and the others look on attentively. The energy and excitement is almost tangible. “I really like playing this character,” Olson says. “It’s so high energy and it’s just really fun to be ridiculous on stage.” Levine Sporer shares his enthusiasm. “Once you enter the theater community you start to love it,” she says. However, as with any production, there were several challenges in creating “Young Americans.” According to Crown, one of the most important, yet difficult, factors of creating the production was for each actor to project his or her own character. “Everyone has to personalize his or her character and make it special,” Crown says. Crown is an actor and a singer, and is also one of the troupe’s three costume designers. So for Crown, this process also involves making sure that the characters’ costumes reflect their personalities. In order to make the costumes realistic, Crown says the costume designers had to do a great deal of research into the styles and trends of the time

periods. In one scene, Marc Leclerc stomps on stage clad in black leather leggings, a white, form-fitting shirt with the words “Bite Me” in red letters, and, to cap it all off, an enormous white mullet wig. The actors themselves also had to research to get a better feeling for the characters they are to represent and the genres of the songs they will perform. Woods heavily stresses the importance of the actors’ characters. “You need to come on stage with a very specific character who is very compelling,” says Woods. Another challenge is financing the trip. Woods says it will cost about $ 20,000 in production costs, which includes the money necessary for scenery, props, costumes, publicity, and other related costs. “We have done so much fundraising,” says Crown. “Everyone in the group has worked so incredibly hard.” Crown and the rest of the Troupe have sold concessions at Stanford athletic events and held an alumni letter writing campaign. An anonymous donor also contributed, and the profits from the Paly Play in a Day and the workshop performances of Young Americans will help to pay for the trip. Despite these fundraising efforts, the students and their families will end up paying for most of the individual cost for each student — about $ 6000, according to Crown. Nevertheless, Woods says the students are all eager for the opportunity to perform the play they have created. “What I’m most excited about is that the students were able to come together to do something like this,” says Woods. “I can’t wait.” The students have already performed three “workshop performances” at Paly on May 22, 23, and 29 so the school could see the play before the troupe leaves for Scotland. On May 22, the troupe performed with another group from San Marin High School that will also attend the Fringe Festival to perform their own production, “Charlie Cox Runs With Scissors.” Olson and the rest of the troupe eagerly look forward to the next time they will perform — on an international stage for thousands of onlookers. v verde magazine 29

From behind the curtain A look at Haymarket’s techies text by claire heritier-kerby photography by julia singleton

utside of the workshop, a team of students darts around with hammers and electric drills, piecing together 4x4s and other pieces of wood. Inside the building students wear safety glasses while cutting wood into specific sizes. Students are strewn about the concrete outside the workshop, figuring out how to best make their stage. The incessant buzzing of power tools is deafening. The smell of sawdust is inescapable. At the center of the mess stands a blond girl. Every few minutes, someone comes up to her asking for help or directions, and she is always happy to oblige. Palo Alto High School senior Anna Stang, set designer and master carpenter, is in charge of all this “organized chaos”. Stang leads the students, commonly called techies, who work in technical theater. This includes all “behind the scenes work”: sets, lights, costume, makeup, sound and backstage crew. Techies may not seem to be the stars of the shows, but they greatly contribute. Techies toil behind the curtain, faithfully building everything needed of them, and along the way, find a passion. Senior and techie Daniel Rahamim explains. “It’s a passion. Tech is a passion,” says Rahamim. “It’s a ‘You enjoy going to work’ type of thing.”

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[cover] this stuff later on.” Stang hopes to clarify to people what exactly techies are. This feeling of continuity resonates with Stang, who hopes to “Tech is figuring out how to build things [as] cheaply and as lightly as possible,” Stang says. “Basically we build everything or we continue working in technical theater at University of California, Santa Cruz, where she is majoring in technical theater. At Santa do the research needed to rent it.” The technical theater class officially meets every Monday to Cruz, Stang looks forward to a more structured build schedule: “They [UC Santa Cruz] do 9-14 shows [a year],” Anna says. “So work under the supervision of drama teacher Kathleen Woods, but Stang and her peers work almost every day unofficially after school to that probably makes things a lot crazier.” After UC Santa Cruz, Stang hopes to move onto graduate school prepare for upcoming performances. Paly sophomore Susannah Cai and junior Nick Gaya are set to and work scenic design on Broadway or Cirque du Soleil. “I went on a backstage tour with my theater group and I saw that take over the head tech positions next year, and are currently training there really was a lot of design to be done.” under Stang to prepare for the shift of power. Rahamim works tech under the official title of sound designer “You get to learn how to operate sound and lights,” Cai says. and engineer. Rahamim works mainly on the Haymarket’s balcony, “Things you wouldn’t if you didn’t [take tech].” According to Gaya, when students sign up for the technical where a switchboard is positioned above a banister, which permits him a full view of the stage. theater class, they are then required to work “During shows [I work] a lot of adjusting 50 hours of tech a semester. But techies often sound levels for clarity,” Rahamim says. “The go above and beyond, working as much as it best part [of tech] is when you find the needs to finish a set before a performance. perfect sound.” “During productions we’ll work One of the most interesting relationships everyday until five,” says Stang. “But we’ve which go on during pre-show construction is actually been cutting back on hours since last the relationship between tech and actors. year.” “Techies and actors have a love/hate As opening night approaches they relationship,” Huerta says. “Techies make sometimes work longer hours. fun of actors and get exasperated with them “I didn’t go anywhere all of spring when they mess something up, and actors break,” Stang says. “I was here [at school]. yell at techies whenever they’re frustrated, Until the opening day, I was painting.” but in the end we’re all like family.” The amount of time each techie works “It’s a passion. Techies also have the reputation of being is also a result of where they are on the “tech Tech is a passion.” unrecognized for their work by audiences, hierarchy”. Paly junior Alex Huerta explains —Senior Daniel Rahamim something which doesn’t bother Stang. that “head techies” such as Stang can work “I realize that we’re underrecognized a more than 200 hours a semester. lot,” Stang says. “On one hand I’m happy to “Some techs come in whenever they have recognition [for my] work, but I don’t like,” Huerta says. “I logged about 120 hours really want that. [The point is] you’re not working on Fiddler [on the Roof ], which is supposed to know how much we do, see the about the norm for a committed techie.” work. We’re in the program, and at the end Many of these “committed techies’”began [of each performance the actors] clap to the working backstage before they even stepped booth. I feel like actors know how much we on the Paly campus. Stang started working as do. Generally they notice.” a techie in fifth grade. Others, such as senior Actor and senior Marc Leclerc provides Tom Marks, used tech as a way to branch more light on the matter. into other fields, such as acting. “[Techies] are vital,” Leclerc says. “We “I was at children’s theater [as a techie] Break a leg (top) Senior Daniel Raha[the actors] are on stage, we’re out in the front, for a while,” Marks says. “Then I was an mim on the soundboard; (bottom) a actor-slash-techie.” view from the booth; (left) senior Anna but they [techies] never get the recognition that I think they deserve. Especially Anna Cai began tech when she discovered her Stang works the lights from her com[Stang]. She is amazing. So often she’s here background in woodshop could be of use to puter system on weekends, she’s here on her holidays, productions. “In 6th grade we did woodshop,” Cai says. “[At Paly] I thought, building sets.” But no matter the title they are given, techies feel the same ‘Oh, maybe I could do something.’” Many techies enjoy the tangible results that working tech fondness for their craft. “Our ‘work’ is what we love to do,” Rahamim says. “For me [the allows. “I love learning to put stuff together,” says Marks. “I love the passion is] working with people, hearing the right sounds [during shows.]” freedom [tech allows] at Paly. It’s student run, with student ideas.” Stang reflects the same sentiments. Marks also enjoys how much freedom the technical theater “Tech to me is organized chaos,” Stang says. “Organized in that students are given at Paly. “It’s great how we get to learn and do this stuff ourselves,” Marks we all know it. It’s absolutely crazy, but that’s what makes it fun. It’s says. “It doesn’t just end in high school theater. People go on to do the amount of work you put in that makes it work.” v verde magazine 31

Song Writing 101 Two Paly bands dish on how to write a song

text by ally messick photography by julia singleton

Two Paly bands dish about what it takes to write a song

Street light Piano Prerequisite Late Notice band member Evan Gitterman, values the piano as an essential part of the song writing process.

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t’s hard to describe the feeling that passes through you when you hear a good song for the first time; a song has the power to transport you to a more peaceful place or conjure up past regrets. To attain a “hit” song, it is necessary to have a perfect combination of lyrics and melody. But how does a musician accomplish this difficult task? Whether it be techno, jazz, or soft rock, it seems that no two musicians compose a song using the same method. Members of two Paly bands, Late Notice and Furious George, give their tips on how to write a song.

Late Notice 1) Let it Be

Matt Segall, a Paly junior and saxophone player, says that composing is not something he can duplicate or force. “For me writing stems out of playing, listening to music and inspiration,” Segall says. “The song flows naturally from that. I can’t say to myself ,‘I’m going to sit down and write a song.’ That’s not how I do it.” Segall says.

2) A Lesson in Improv

Segall learned how to improvise, which is when jazz musicians add their own additions to the melody as they play, in 6th grade. The concept of improvising proved to be essential when Matt started composing his own songs. “Sometimes when I’m improvising on the saxophone I end up composing different licks [musical phrases] that I incorporate into one of my own songs later,” Segall says. Usually while Segall improvises on the saxophone, little pieces of his future songs develop. Segall compares composing a song to an author writing a novel; the notes flow from him in a stream of conciseness. “Sometimes I feel that I am just the medium that nature dictates it’s music through,” he says.

3) More Than a Feeling

Fellow band member Evan Gitterman stresses that the first part of writing a song is getting a feel for the type of song he wants to compose. He believes that it is important to have a general idea of the song’s speed, main instrument, and style before writing. Sometimes the mood of the song is inspired by lyrics he has already written. “Sometimes if I have a really good idea for words or music, that will lead me to the style of the song I want to compose,” he says.

4) Day N Night

Gitterman, who composes many different genres of music, including techno, will spend hours at the computer or piano deciding what back-tracks best compliment the tune. Getting the construction of the melody can be the hardest process, as it is the main component of the song. Once Gitterman has a main idea of the melody, he then experiments with how the melody, tune, background sounds, and lyrics all fit together. Finally, Gitterman records and writes down the song as a whole.

5) The Long and Winding Road

Both musicians, spend a lot of time determining what different sounds work best in their song. As they gain experience, they find that the process of writing a song has become much easier. “Before, I would constantly try to play something, scratch it out, write something down on paper, and then end up scratching it out again,” Segall says. “Now, I feel that I am in more control for the direction that the song is going in.”

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Furious George

1) Back to Basics

Shawn Barry, a Paly junior and member of Furious George, composes songs for his band, which is pop and rock based. While writing a song, Barry must figure out the basic elements: key tempo and mood.

2) The Balancing Act

The next step is experimenting with chord progression, which he explains is the key factor in achieving the song’s mood. Chord progression is the series of musical chords that are involved into the harmony. “When it comes to chord progression I try to avoid clichés, but not be too weird,” Barry says. “Sometimes I just go all out and am really edgy and jazzy,” he says. “It depends on how I’m feeling.”

3) Mellow Mood

Barry likes to determine the mood he wants to evoke before he starts composing. Usually the melody will emerge from the mood and what he has already created on the guitar. The melody is the most important part of the song for Barry. Sometimes the whole quality of the song can depend on how creative the melody is. Barry notes that a creative melody should be expressive, varied and colorful. An expressive melody, in his opinion, is more important than a good chord progression or amazing metaphorical lyrics. “Melody is what everyone wants to hear,” he says.

4) Just Beat It

Barry tries to give his songs different and complex rhythms, and avoids simple straight forward strumming patterns. But he explains that it is not always ideal to be completely original, as sometimes basic patterns are necessary for the context of a certain song. “A lot of really good songs have simple strumming patterns,” Barry says.

5) These Words The art of patience Shawn Berry experiments on the guitar to find the right cord progressions and beats for his songs.

Your Turn: Quotes From the Experts

Barry starts focusing on writing lyrics once he has created all the components of the song. “Sometimes I have an idea that I really want to write about, and sometimes I just have to think something up, which usually takes a long time,” he says. “All of my songs are about real parts of my life but sometimes I pick obscure things and it takes a really long time to make good lyrics.”

• “Write a little bit everyday, even if it’s not good,” Barry says. “Eventually you will get better at songwriting and you will start to like the majority of your stuff.”

• “It’s important not to get too frustrated. Being a • “Start with a chord progression you really like ,” Barry says. “Write about something you care about musician is pretty much trial and error,” Segall and make your song a piece of art that you have a says. “If you keep it at it, a good melody will come personal connection to. If you take it seriously, you to you. If you’re just learning an instrument don’t are going to have a better end product.” expect to be able to write a good song right away. It takes time.” 34 verde magazine

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text by sara connolly art by diana connolly

remont resident Don Reed sat in the bleachers at his son’s college football game, unaware that the match would change his life forever. Surrounded by his wife and other relatives, Reed cheered for his son Roman, who tackled an opposing player. Then, Roman’s entire family watched in shock as he fell to the ground during the tackle and landed in such a way that he injured his spinal cord. “It was the worst moment in our family’s life,” Reed says as he remembers his reaction to his son’s fall in 1994. “I heard the sound of his neck breaking.” The injury left Roman fully paralyzed, and Reed recalls the difficulty in coming to terms with his son’s condition. “It’s indescribable how you feel when your child is diagnosed with paralysis, no matter how brave he is,” Reed says. “The pain of that continues to this day.” Reed says that the doctors gave the family no hope for Roman’s recovery and offered no cure for his paralysis. Frustrated by the lack of potential treatments for his son, Reed began searching for ways he could help researchers discover new cures for people like Roman. “I went to a scientist’s conference,” Reed

says. “I could barely understand what they were talking about, but I said to one scientist, ‘I can’t help you on the science, but what do you need?’ And he said, ‘Money.’” This inspired Reed to create the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act, named after his son, in 1999. The act provided $1 million annually for five years to spinal cord injury research, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Web site. In addition, in 2004, Reed joined the Americans for Cures Foundation, an organization that supports research on stem cells, which are capable of becoming many other types of cells. Knowing stem cells’ potential to cure his son, Reed supported stem cell research at a time when the U.S. government did not. However, on March 9, President Barack Obama lifted a ban on funding for embryonic stem cell research, and Reed is now excited about the future of the field. Obama’s policy is giving patients hope for a cure in addition to increasing research opportunities for Bay Area researchers and Paly students. Paly senior Martha Georgis is one student who is benefitting from Obama’s order. Earlier this year, she worked with a Stanford surgeon to investigate stem cell

A Stem of Possibilities

Obama’s new policy for stem cell research brings hope to patients and opportunitites to students

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There may be more opportunities for students at Paly to participate in stem cell research in the future. — Senior Martha Georgis

therapy for spinal cord injury. “He [my mentor] was trying to determine whether implanting stem cells into a site distal to the site of injury would improve the recovery better rather than implanting the cells directly at the site of injury,” she says. Joining the field was relatively easy for Georgis, and she foresees other students doing the same in upcoming years. “I believe researchers will take full advantage of Obama’s new policy,” Georgis says. “There may be more opportunities for students at Paly to participate in stem cell research in the future.”

Stanford Professor of Pathology and Developmental Biology Irving Weissman shares this belief. “We expect to see lots of potential places to apply to do research, which we would have done under CIRM,” Weissman says. “Many people are coming into stem cell research from adjacent fields because they know funding is possible.” However, finding positions in stem cell research was not always a smooth process. Former president George W. Bush and his supporters did not approve of embryonic 36 verde magazine

stem cell research because they believed that human embryos should be valued as life, as Bush explained in his speech on Aug. 9, 2001. “I ... believe that human life is a sacred gift from our creator,” he said. “I worry about a culture that devalues life, and believe as your president I have an important obligation to foster and encourage respect for life in America and throughout the world.” With this reasoning, Bush stated that federal funding would be allowed for 60 already existing embryonic stem cell lines, but that federal funds for new lines would be prohibited. In addition, he emphasized other options for stem cell research. “Great scientific progress can be made through aggressive federal funding of research on umbilical cord, placenta, adult and animal stem cells, which do not involve the same moral dilemma,” he said. Despite this, embryonic stem cells are the only type of stem cell that can develop into any part of the human body, presenting a unique opportunity for therapies. When scientists are able to use stem cells to create tissue for any organ, many disease treatments become possible. In addition to limiting the discovery of many cures, the absence of federal funding ultimately had detrimental effects on the number of investigators in the field and the efficiency of research, according to Stanford Assistant Professor of Medicine and Radiology Joseph Wu. “With a lack of federal funding, you certainly lose a generation of young investigators that get turned off because of frequent grant rejections,” Wu says. “In addition, the primary investigators had to write more grants to sustain the lab. Because of the low pay line, creativity was also stifled.” Additionally, federal funds could only be applied to federally approved research, while private funds needed to be used solely for non-federal projects. “[That made] it very labor intensive and

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cost more money,” Wu says. “The lift of the ban on stem cell research allows us much more flexibility in terms of studying human embryonic stem cell research.” Obama is now bringing hope to researchers and patients alike with his new policies for stem cell research and research in general. According to Wu, Obama has not only lifted Bush’s ban, but he has also increased the amount of funding going to all types of scientific research. Many scientists and patients throughout the country are anticipating the effects of Obama’s executive order, as the world strives to find cures for health issues such as Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and spinal cord injury. Weissman recognizes the health benefits of Obama’s policy as it allows scientists to develop cells that can be safely transplanted into a human. “This is opening up this line of research in the U.S., as was already happening in California,” Weissman says. “The kinds [of conditions] are much healthier and better for research.” Los Altos resident Jaqueline Hantgan, director of public relations at the Americans for Cures Foundation, is one who could benefit from progress in stem cell research. Her father had a terrible fall in 2001, causing him to have a partial spinal cord injury. Currently, he can only walk with a walker and has trouble with everyday activities. “It’s devastating,” Hantgan says. “It’s a person at the prime of his life. … To find himself not being able to tie his own shoes and having trouble cutting food is horrendous.” Like Reed, Hantgan was left even more frustrated by Bush’s ban, as a hope for her father’s cure seemed barred. “When there’s potential, and you say, ‘No, this cannot be [researched] because the embryo might be life,’ it’s frustrating,” Hantgan says. “Why would we not want people to get well?” To the delight of Hantgan and Reed, scientists across the country will soon begin

searching for ways to improve health care, a process that has already begun in California. According to Weissman, California created the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine during Bush’s ban, an effort that provided state funding for stem cell research. Scientists in the area expect this funding to give California researchers an advantage in acquiring federal funding. “California researchers are uniquely qualified to apply for federal funds because they have been working for three years already and are a lot farther along than researchers in other states,” Weissman says. According to Wu, this makes California a prime place for stem cell research. “I think it is going to be a hotbed in the Bay Area because there will be more funding, more researchers coming here, and more young investigators staying in the academic field,” Wu says. Georgis believes this increased activity will be beneficial. “I believe it [Obama’s policy] is great,” she says. “There is definitely more research to be done in applying stem cell research to common medical procedures.” Weissman is also enthusiastic about the possibility of future cures. “Patients for whom therapies will be developed now that the ban is lifted [will benefit the most],” Weissman says. As the father of one such patient, Reed realizes that it is not about who finds the cure but that the cure itself is found. “We’re all in this together,” Reed says. “The victory in stem cell research is a win in a wondrous battle where there are no losers. This is the first war in history where people aren’t falling down, victims on a battlefield. In this war, people will be standing up and getting better.” Although the details of the potential of stem cells are still abstract, Reed’s hope remains strong. “It’s going to be like nothing that we’ve ever known,” Reed says. “It’s going to be wonderful.” v

This is the first war in history where people aren’t falling down, victims on a battlefield. In this war, people will be standing up and getting better. — Don Reed Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Cures Foundation

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a need for

speed

Teenage abuse of prescription drugs has increased steadily over the years. Some Paly students recreationally use ADHD medicine to get high or to finish school work. text by mary minno artwork by natalie lin

minute after taking the Adderall, Matt, a 2008 Palo Alto High School graduate, sat back in his chair and waited for the drug to hit him. An hour later, he frantically pounded his thoughts into the keyboard for his Psych essay. Four hours after taking the pill, Matt still sat on his chair, pouring all of his energy into the keyboard. Eight hours after taking the pill, Matt finally went to sleep. The time: 6 a.m.

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Matt, whose name has been changed for privacy purposes, says the adrenaline rush Adderall, prescribed to patients with AttentionDeficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, gave him reminded him of the time he did speed, a street name for Amphetamine. Most ADHD medicines are in fact made from the key ingredients in speed. “Everything was so fast paced,” Matt says. “I was wired. I just had to keep doing something. The best part was the next day I felt totally fine.” Matt says it took his body a full day to feel the hangover that comes from missing a night of sleep. “Two days after I took the pill, I totally crashed,” Matt says. “I slept for hours.” Art Tuckman, the vice president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, says an adrenaline-rush, such as the one Matt felt, is common among people without ADHD who take the medicine. “People without ADHD will feel revved up and less tired on ADHD medication,” Tuckman says. “They may have better concentration on it. The stimulants don’t need to be taken every day to see the effects.”’ In 2008, over one out of every five high school seniors reported having abused a prescription medicine within the past year, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Matt is one of many Paly students who has taken ADHD medication without a prescription from a doctor in order to use recreationally or to improve concentration. Teenage prescription drug abuse has been rising steadily for the past few years, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Web site. The Web site also states its concern for teenagers who “view abusing prescription drugs as safer than illegal [drugs].” According to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Web site, ADHD medicine is commonly used by students to get high, stay awake, study, party, lose weight or mix in with alcohol to enhance the effects. The Web site also cites a graph, compiled by IMS Health, that shows that the number of prescriptions for ADHD medicine has increased by over 500% since 1991. Tuckman says that these statistics may be due to the overdiagnosing of ADHD. Susan, a 2008 Paly graduate whose name has been changed for privacy purposes, says she often abuses Adderall and Concerta, both prescripbed for ADHD, at the prestigious university she attends. “I don’t think I have ADHD,” Susan says. “I have trouble concentrating, but it’s out of boredom. I have taken [the medicine] to write papers though; I have also snorted Adderall to get high.” Susan says she does not have a problem getting the drug because so many of her friends have prescriptions. “It’s really common among students,” Susan says. “It’s cheap and accessible. Plus no one really judges you for doing it.” Susan is a classic example of a student who is unaware of the

trouble he or she could face for taking a prescription medicine not prescribed to him or her, according to Tuckman. Tuckman feels that most students are like Susan and do not understand the real danger giving their prescription medicine out to friends. “[Selling ADHD medicine] is extremely risky, mostly legally but also medically,” Tuckman says. “Some people have conditions, such as anxiety or bipolar disorder, that can be made worse by taking ADHD medicine.” Barbara Paul-Bloom, a Palo Alto psychologist, says that when ADHD medicine is abused, the abuser is more likely to overdose on the drug and create life-threatening results. “Almost all of the ADHD medications are stimulants and equivalent to speed,” Paul-Bloom says. “They can be very damaging and have a disastrous effect on the adrenal glands long term. [These medications] are a serious thing.” Susan says that one time, under the influence of Concerta, she experienced temporarily petrifying results. “Sometimes, if you take a higher dosage of the medicine, it’s too much for your brain to handle,” Susan says. “I remember taking too much and having to hold my head because my thoughts were traveling so fast my brain actually hurt. I was shaky, couldn’t focus, and was really irritable.” Barb, a Paly senior whose name has also been changed for privacy purposes, suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder and feels as though students who abuse ADD/ADHD medicine are being unjust to those who truly have the disease. “Taking these drugs if you aren’t diagnosed with ADD is like cheating,” Barb says. “If your doctor tells you that you have ADD then [take the medicine]. Otherwise, it’s unfair.” She says she originally felt a stigma associated with being diagnosed with ADD but learned that without her medicine, she truly could not do well in school. “Every person with ADD that I have met, including myself, does not enjoy taking their ADD medicine and usually only takes them when they have to,” Barb says. “I personally hate what my meds do to me socially, so I only take them on days I really have to.” Tuckman says that the social side effects of ADHD medicine are much worse when someone without ADHD takes the medicine. “Depending on how much [ADHD medicine someone] takes, they may feel their heart racing and have a spike in blood pressure,” Tuckman says. “If the person has a tendency towards bipolar disorder it can make them irritable and if they have a tendency towards seizures, they may have a seizure.” Tuckman says it is extremely dangerous for someone without ADHD to take the medicine; he endorses the medicine for patients with ADHD, but strongly disapproves of illegal consumption of ADHD medicine. v

Prescriptions for ADD/ADHD medicine have increased by over 500% since 1991 according to IMS Health.

verde magazine 39

[viewpoint]

Dawn of the Dogs Pampered pooches reflect the changes in American society text and photography by sophie cornfield

remember a time when my dad refused to consider getting a figures report only 110,233 children. But dogs don’t dominant dog, saying that a dog was just another hassle to deal with in our without a fight. Environmentalists and dog lovers butt heads over already hectic house. Nine years and two dogs later, Georgie, our the rights of owners to let their dogs off of their leashes in city parks. demonic fur ball of a canine, has weaseled her way into our hearts − Channeling their inner MLK, dog owners are willing to go to jail and even our beds. for the rights of their furry little friends. As these dog lovers see it, But Georgie’s luxurious lifestyle is in no way unique. Since limiting their dogs to leashes makes it almost impossible to enjoy the the 1970s, the role of the dog in the American family has evolved parks they have come to call home. Groups such as the Ocean Beach dramatically. A dog is no longer simply a trusty backyard Fido, but a Dog organization whip out stirring Thomas Jefferson quotes about sister, brother or even a child. According to Michael Schaffer, author liberty and apply them to the dog restrictions in the city. of One Nation Under Dog, 83 percent of American dog owners refer Like Homer Simpson’s regular trips to Moe’s Tavern or the gang to themselves as their dog’s parent. In fact, the America Pet Product of Friends’ time spent at Central Perks, the regular dog owners’ time Association reports that $43 billion are grossed annually through at Fort Funston offers refuge from everyday responsibilities. In an the sale of pet products. And the monster continues to grow! The age of deteriorating social establishments and increasing interactions pet business predicts at least seven percent growth through Facebook, email and Skype, the almost each year until 2011. With pet hotels installing cult-like world of dog parks and doggie birthdays web cams, bars offering “yappy hours” and vets offer a sense of community that many people in prescribing anti-depressants, a person’s got to the technology age crave. wonder: How did this happen? But dog owners are no strangers to the web. According to Dog Fancy Magazine, Palo Alto The truth could not be scarier. Websites like www. is home to more than 11,000 dogs. That’s almost Dogster.com, which offers everything you could a dog per every six people. The city boasts a wide ever need for a dog. array of high-end dog kennels and daycares and Like pretty much everything these days, it all even a pet bakery. Many restaurants and hotels comes back to changing generational roles. Now accommodate dogs, and the city offers three offthat the baby boomers are anything but babies, leash dog parks. their own little babies have headed off to college. Not only are Palo Alto dogs ridiculously Cue the fur babies. The newly minted empty spoiled, but they also receive better healthcare nesters turn to their pups to quell their maternal than a lot of people do. According to Dog Fancy instincts. Magazine, nearly 75 percent of dogs receive Long gone are the days of 20 year-old preventative care, while nearly that many dogs are housewives with a billion little children. Instead, spayed or neutered. (Not that I am suggesting we women and men alike pursue careers, hold off start sterilizing humans − then dogs might actually on having children until they have climbed the take over.) Many Palo Altans are willing to do just ranks at work. This shift prompted the coinage of about anything for the health of their pets. Robin the phrase DIPPies, Double Income, Pampered Press, a passionate dog owner and doggie foster Devil Dog Although my Pets. According to Schaffer, households with no mother, rescued an abused Bishon Frise. She did dog might be a pain, she has children purchased 70 percent of dog products all she could do to nurse him back to health. After become an important part of sold in 2007. attending a battery of doctors, Charlie was treated our family. Our community’s treatment of dogs speaks for a yeast infection, glaucoma, and fur loss. He volumes about our society as a whole. Dogs’ was even swaddled, not your average animal care. increasingly important role attests to our evolving While Palo Alto itself might seem like dog heaven, PA’s proximity gender and generational roles and the ridiculously huge pet industry to San Francisco only sweetens the deal. Dogs rule that city. City enforces the idea that consumerism is king. All I ask is that you officials estimate there are 120,000 dogs within the city, while census remember: a dog is a dog. v 40 verde magazine

the pursuit of

[campus]

Some students’ newfound interest in ecstasy begs the question: what’s the need to be intoxicated? text by liza dernehl and emily hamilton art by harry nordlinger

happ-E-ness Y

ou wouldn’t know from his sleek black tux, silk tie and shiny dress shoes that David, a Palo Alto High School senior whose real name has been withheld, is not the average Prom-goer. He arrives at the Paly parking lot with his classmates, exhales into a Breathalyzer — which lets him pass with a “zero” — boards the bus, and walks into the San Francisco Galleria an hour later, feeling smug. Paly students are there to celebrate the near-close of another school year, and the buzzing energy is almost tangible. And while some depend on the food being tasty and the DJ playing good songs to have fun, David says the two Blue Pumas in his pocket assure that he will enjoy his Prom. From their hiding place in his pocket, the pills promise him a night of “elated bliss.” verde magazine 41

And he’s not the only one with this hidden agenda. In fact, David represents the newest challenge the Paly administration faces on it’s mission to prohibit under-aged drinking and drug use at school functions. This tug-of-war between teens and adults has been prevalent for decades, but it seems to have entered a new chapter as thrillseeking students have found a new drug of choice: ecstasy. Verde conducted a post-Prom survey of 200 randomly-selected students which confirms this shift in drug preference, revealing that 8 percent of upperclassmen who attended Prom this year consumed ecstasy before or during the dance. The survey also indicates that zero percent of attendees consumed alcohol before or during this year’s Prom, contrasting with the several alcohol-related suspensions at last year’s Prom. Undoubtedly the culture of Paly dances has changed over the past year, largely due to the newly instated dance policy which requires that every dance attendee be Breathalyzed upon entry to the event. Some students who formerly consumed alcohol before or during school dances still seem determined, obsessed even, with dancing under the influence. For many teens, having “fun” has become defined by the illegal consumption of mind-altering substances. “It [drugs and alcohol] enhances the experience,” says Tony, who used ecstasy when he attended Paly’s Prom as a guest this year and whose name has also been withheld. Tony says that Paly’s policy of Breathalyzing, a test which only detects alcohol consumption, was a major factor in his decision to use the drug. “If there weren’t Breathalyzers I probably would not have used ecstasy,” Tony says. “Having the Breathalyzer makes people seek the alternative.” David also blames the Breathalyzer policy for the prevalence of ecstasy use, or “thizzing,” at school dances this year. “A lot more people got into a lot harder drugs because of the Breathalyzing,” David says. “A lot of kids that would never thizz or do any other type of drugs started to thizz because it was the only other option for getting high before a dance.” Ecstasy—known medically as MDMA, or methylenedioxymethamphetamine—in particular has gained a reputation as a club drug ever since rapper Mac Dre popularized it in the 90s with his “Thizzle Dance.” Tony acknowledges the drug’s reputation as a club drug. “It [ecstasy] enhances the way music sounds, so it’s ideal to take it in a club atmosphere,” says Tony, who brought the pills into Prom hidden in a coat pocket and slyly swallowed one over dinner. David, on the other hand, popped his Blue Pumas in the bathroom, figuring that this method would be more discreet. But both boys said they were relieved that the Paly administration did not pat them down upon entrance to Prom. “A lot of people took it that night,” Tony says. “We were all kin-

42 verde magazine

“A lot of kids that would never thizz or do any other type of drugs started to thizz because it is the only other option for getting high before a dance.”

da freaking out, but it seemed like the administration was completely blind to what was going on.” Paly Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson attended Prom this year, and claims he was not aware of any drug use. “I was kind of looking for people [who were using drugs],” Berkson says. “But the symptoms of ecstasy ... I mean people might have been hugging anyway or staring at the lights anyway. It’s not an easy one to detect.” Now, Berkson suspects that ecstasy use at Prom may have been more prevalent than he’d expected, although he says no one was caught for drug or alcohol use at the dance this year. “I’m assuming, just because there’s all this talk about ecstasy, that some people did — David, do ecstasy [at the Prom],” Paly senior Berkson says, frustrated by students’ persistence in defying the administration and continuing to consume illegal substances. “If we have ecstasy tests people would want to do something else,” he says. “So it’s a little cat and mouse game that the administration and the kids play.” It isn’t impossible to understand the lure of a drug like ecstasy, a substance that Promises what humans constantly try to attain: happiness. But adults in the Paly community worry about the preoccupation with intoxication that some Paly students exhibit. Paly Guidance Counselor Susan Shultz sees students’ need to use drugs or alcohol to have fun as an unfortunate part of today’s society. “It is very sad, on so many different levels,” Shultz says. “I think the important thing to look at is why they want to do that. I have no idea why.” Ecstasy users who decided to ‘thizz’ at Prom or other dances cite the Breathalyzers as their main reason for choosing to do so, but, as Shultz points out, the real concern is why students feel the need to get

[campus]

a substance-induced high at all. “It’s not an easy question to answer,” Shultz says. “I think a lot of it is stress. This [Paly] is an absolutely wonderful school, but we know that there’s a lot of academic stress and other kinds of stress. So I think a lot of times that’s why people turn to things like that [drugs and alcohol].” Berkson believes that the thrill of defying authority is part of students’ motivation for using drugs and alcohol. “I think the reason is just the game, the game of beating the man,” Berkson says. “I think that’s a big part of it.” But Berkson worries about the extremes to which Paly students will be willing to go to win this “game.” While he does not condone use of alcohol and more traditionally common drugs such as marijuana, he says that ecstasy is even worse. “Ecstasy is not just having a few drinks and it’s not just getting high,” Berkson says. “Ecstasy ... you do it once and you can be brain damaged. It’s stupid.” The National Institute of Drug Abuse confirms Berkson’s concerns about the drug. According to the NIDA Web site, MDMA use can cause depression, insomnia, anxiety, heart disease and, in some cases, even death. However, these health concerns do not seem to discourage ecstasy users from thizzing. The University of Michigan’s 2008 Monitoring the Future Survey refers to this phenomenon as “generational forgetting.” Since the surge of MDMA use in the 90s, general use of the drug has been falling, and consequently, today’s teens are unfamiliar with the drug’s risks. This trend is evident in the national survey data, which indicates that teens’ general disapproval of ecstasy use is also falling. Because of this, the survey investigators do not rule out the possibility of an ecstasy rebound, despite data that indicates use of the drug is “holding steady” or even declining among high school students. And despite the health risks, ecstasy use does not seem to be on the decline at Paly. — Susan Shultz, Rather, it appears to be quickly Paly guidance counselor

“It [drug use] is very sad. I think the important thing to look at is why they want to do that. I have no idea why.”

becoming the replacement for alcohol. “Last year if someone was thizzing at a dance, people would be like, ‘Oh wow, that’s a hard-core drug,’” David says. “But this year it’s just a pill. It’s not even a big deal anymore just because so many people do it and that’s because of the Breathalyzers.” But Shultz doesn’t see the Breathalyzers as the real reason for teen drug use. “To me it doesn’t have anything to do with the drinking or the Breathalyzing,” Shultz says. “People are going to do what they want to do. I think they need to look seriously at what’s going on with them that they have to resort to that.” But MDMA users can hardly seem to put into words why exactly they do it. David claims the appeal is in the feeling the drug provides. “It [ecstasy] is the best feeling you can imagine,” David says. “In your stomach in your body ... you can do whatever you want and that’s the appeal. Once you’ve had that feeling, it’s tough to say you won’t do it again.” But as Berkson and Shultz point out, this mindset is not ecstasyspecific. Many teens seem hooked into a mindset that illegal substances are the only way to have fun, to the point where the question, “Why not just do things sober?” seems almost offensive to them. “Why not do things inebriated?” Tony responds. Bethany, a Paly graduate of 2008 who chose to use ecstasy at her senior Prom, claims that going to a dance intoxicated is necessary to enjoy the experience. “Palo Alto High School dances are not the most exciting events,” Bethany says. “It’s just not fun enough to go sober.” Even though ecstasy users comprise a minority of the student body, Shultz still sees any use of the drug as a problem. “If a few people are trying ecstasy at the Prom, it’s a huge concern,” Shultz says. “It’s not the norm, but it doesn’t mean we’re not concerned, especially about something like ecstasy. We’re very concerned.” As the saying goes, if the administration creates a better mousetrap, nature will breed better mice. But what will bring this struggle to an end? Since there were no suspensions for drug use at Prom this year, Berkson does not feel that there is any action the administration can take as of now. “I think there’s only so much we can do,” Berkson says. However, he says that shutting down dances and Prom altogether may be a necessary course of action in the future. “If we found that it was a problem and too many people were on drugs it [not having dances and Prom] could happen,” he says. “I would love for kids not to take ecstasy. It’s like playing Russian Roulette with that stuff.” v

verde magazine 43

You’ve seen her photos all over Paly, but who is Julia Benton? Julia Benton shares her journey in finding photography text by lynn chang photography courtesy of julia benton

“C

lick.” Walking around campus, Julia Benton holds her camera in her hand. She wears a pair of long blue pants and a simple graphic T-shirt. Her camera hangs from one shoulder, like it does most days, while her messenger bag hangs from her other. Pulled back in a ponytail, her hair reveals her glasses. As she looks around, something catches her eye. It is a student with a shirt perfect for The Campanile collage. She raises her camera to eye level. She moves back a little and bends her knees to get the perfect angle. Looking through the lens she positions it just perfectly to catch the light, then turns the lens to focus. She stands completely still for a moment before pushing down the button. “I really enjoy photography, and I love taking pictures every day,” Benton says. “It’s really become a habit for me to always have my camera.” Her work has been showcased all over campus but you might not know who she is. Julia Benton is a senior here at Palo Alto High School who has excelled in the field of photography and brought her talents to Paly publications and exhibits Benton discovered her love for photography just before entering Paly. Her eighth grade class had taken a summer graduation trip to Spain, and Benton had decided to take her camera with her to have pictures to show her friends and family back home. In Spain, she discovered that she really enjoyed being able to document her trip and had a passion for travel photography. She loved seeing the amazing buildings and people and wanted to take images of them back with her. She captured the culture and the different types of the people who lived there. After the successful trip, she entered Beginning Photography as a freshman. Not only did she gain the basics, but she also learned valuable techniques from Paly photography teacher Margo Wixsom. “One of my favorite teachers is Mrs. Wixsom,” Benton says. “She really helped to inspire me and was always there to support me 44 verde magazine

in my photography.” Wixsom was impressed by Benton’s photography and found her to be a very talented new photographer. “I had Julia in Beginning Photo and she was an outstanding student as a freshman,” Wixsom says. “Her ability to compose images and work out technical ideas is extraordinary. In her travels she started taking her camera everywhere and has assembled a near-professional portfolio of images as she explores cultures from around the world through her lens and frames.” During her freshman year, Benton entered the Palo Alto Weekly photo contest and received third place. She puts her heart into every photo and loves knowing that other people enjoyed her photos as much as she did. Benton’s photos have also won numerous awards over the years from local Palo Alto Unified School District contests to the Annual Bluecoat Invitational Exhibition photo contest. Benton has entered the Palo Alto Weekly photo contest all four years of high school, and placed every time. This year, she won first place as well as honorable mention in the youth section of the contest. As a sophomore, Benton became a teacher assistant for Wixsom. Being a teacher assistant allowed Benton to learn to work in the dark room, develop film, and to continue to experiment with photography. She enjoys working with film because she likes experimenting in the dark room. Benton also enrolled in Beginning Journalism, which exposed her to the photo possibilities in journalism. By junior year, Benton had applied and been selected to be the photographer for Paly’s newspaper, The Campanile. From the work she did on The Campanile, she was introduced to photojournalism, and learned more about that specific genre and style of photography needed in the field of journalism. “I found out that I really enjoyed photo journalism,” Benton says. “I like being able to take pictures that have a lot of meaning and tell a story.”

[paly original]

verde magazine 45

[paly original] The Campanile staff greatly values Benton as an i m p o r t a n t part of the newspaper. “She is very dedicated to her work,” says Kevin Harvey, former editor-in-chief of The Campanile. “She has an eye for artistic value and understands photography at a level unseen by others.” Not only is she a major photographer for The Campanile, but she also takes care of graphics. “She’s one of the biggest creative forces behind Campy,” says Annie Vought, former feature editor of The Campanile. As well as taking pictures for The Campanile, Benton started taking pictures independently every day to help herself improve. She says she assigns herself projects every day, such as taking pictures in the style of another photographer. She enrolled in independent study for Advanced Photography in her junior year, because AP Photography was not yet offered at Paly, and again assigned herself photography projects. Benton paved the way for the formation of the AP Photography class, first by creating her own Independent Study class, but also by being the first Play photography student to submit her work into the AP Art Studio placement test in the category of 2-D. “It’s been my pleasure to work with Julia for the past two years as an Independent Study student in Advanced Photography and AP Art Studio,” Wixsom says. “She is an exceptional student in so many ways. Julia researched the new standards for AP Art Studio that included photography as a medium last year and then compiled a college-level portfolio that earned a five out of five in just six months.” During the summer before her senior year, Benton attended a summer program at Corien College of Art and Design, in Washington D.C. The program was specifically for photojournalism. She recieved daily assignments and was told to use the city as her subject. “It [The program] was really fun,” Benton says. “We got to go all around the city and take pictures and got the opportunity to see professionals at work. Benton enjoyed the experience so much that she applied to the college, was accepted, and is now enrolled to enter the class of 2013 at Corien College of Art and Design. She plans to earn her Bachelors of Fine Art degree in photojournalism, which she and her family are very excited for. Benton says her family has always been supportive of her photography, and that her mother, who is a graphic designer, has 46 verde magazine

been really helpful especially with mounting her photos for contest and exhibits, such as the ones in the Academic Resource Center. Her work is in the ARC as part of her own personal gallery. She was offered the opportunity to have her art shown by Noel Beitler, the main staff member in the ARC. Her work had been shown in previous years in the ARC. “I saw people’s photos up on the ARC wall, and thought, ‘I want one too’,” Benton says. “So I showed the ARC people my work, and got my photos put up.” Now in her senior year, Benton is still the photographer and the former graphics editor for The Campanile. Benton enjoys creating images that incorporate color, lines, and shapes. Her favorite things to shoot are portraits, architecture, and travel photography. She enjoys using a digital camera for photojournalism, but also loves experimenting with a film camera. “I take images that are spur of the moment,” Benton says. “I want to be able to tell a story with my pictures.” She looks for inspiration in everyday life and also from other photographers. Her favorite photographer is Henri Cartier Bresson, also known as the father of photojournalism. He inspires her to constantly take pictures and practice so that she can be as great of a photographer as he is. “He is such a great photographer, and is extremely talented,” Benton says. “His photos always turn out really well, and he captures fleeting moments, which is what I want to do with my photography.” Benton is looking forward to a future full of photography, and so are her supporters. “I have no doubt that she will be a famous artist or journalist one day and I look forward to her return to Paly as a guest speaker,” Wixsom says. V

All the pictures featured in this article are from Julia Benton’s art portfolio.

[short]

Inside the Arne Lim office of... Math teacher Arne Lim allowed Verde an exclusive look into his office. Here he describes his favorite items: text and photography by sara connolly

1. Communist Cola Lim purchased this Leninade drink from the Village Cheese House several years ago. It says “this party wants you” on the back. 2. Marvin the Martian A former student gave this salt and pepper shaker to Lim because he reminded the student of Marvin the Martian. “Maybe it’s because I lecture in a Marvin the Martian voice.”

4 1 3

2 3. Sesame Street Hero Lim says he had to have this statue after he saw it at Paly. “Ernie’s my idol. He’s one of two Muppets characters with a built-in smile.” 4. Conics Cage Lim uses this “birdcage” to illustrate conics to his geometry classes. “This is just one of the beauties in here [my office].” verde magazine 47

Fight to Write Paly graduate reports the war from the Iraqi balltefield text by jessica linebarger w photography courtesy of heath druzin

eath Druzin spends 10 weeks at a time alone, away from family, friends, everything familiar, and disconnected from everything he loves. He has to be alert all of the time, fearing for his life each time he steps outside. Following a group of soldiers, he records their lives, reporting their struggles and their successes. Heath Druzin, Class of ’99, experiences the hardships of war firsthand while working in Iraq for Stars and Stripes, a daily, independent newspaper that covers U.S. military issues. Druzin has been working in Iraq, reporting, taking photographs, and transmitting his stories via satellite modem since September 2008. The opportunity to tell the stories of Iraqi and American soldiers has broadened his perspective. “I am here to paint as accurate a picture as I can,” Druzin says, according to an interview conducted by e-mail from Forward Operating Base Justice, a U.S. military base in Baghdad. “I owe that to the troops I write about and the readers who rely on me to give them an account of what is happening in a war that has been costly in lives and money.” Since high school, Druzin has worked to develop his journalistic abilities in order to secure his dream job. At Palo Alto High School, he wrote for The Campanile and was an active participant in his English classes. He expresses gratitude to the adviser of The Campanile, Esther Wojcicki, and his freshman English teacher, Mike McNulty. “Woj [Wojcicki] and Mac [McNulty] instilled in me a stubborn, life-long love of reporting that, for better or worse, has not been 48 verde magazine

lessened by the implosion of print journalism,” Druzin says. Building off what he learned in high school, he continued to pursue journalism in college. Druzin attended University of California at Davis, where he worked on the daily student newspaper, The Aggie, for all four years. “I didn’t study journalism, but working at The Aggie offered me very hands-on, sink-or-swim education in deadlines, interview techniques, and nasty letters to the editor,” Druzin says. Out of college, Druzin tried finding jobs at publications across the country. After receiving numerous rejections, he was offered a job as the county government reporter with the The Union in Grass Valley. However, his work there was short-lived and after only a few months, he transferred to The Advocate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in an attempt to find the publication that was right for him. Druzin spent a year and a half working for The Advocate before he transferred again to The Statesman in Boise, Idaho. The publication covers state government issues, which challenged Druzin to write within a new genre. He spent three years working for The Statesman before he secured his current job at Stars and Stripes. Although he did not consider himself to be a political person, he enjoyed the experience of working at a new publication and further developing his journalistic talents. He works as a downrange reporter, meaning that he covers solely the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While he has been working in Iraq

[spectrum] “I have seen both the mental and physical devastation that Iraqis and Americans are dealing with. There are a lot of days that end with the question, ‘how can people do that to each other?’ rattling around in my brain.” —Heath Druzin, Class of ’99

for almost a year, he will most likely report from Afghanistan as early as August 2009. Druzin recognizes the great opportunity to learn more about journalism while reporting from a war-torn country. “Not a lot of people get to see war first-hand,” Druzin says. “I have a much better appreciation for the costs of war. I have seen both the mental and physical devastation that Iraqis and Americans are dealing with. There are a lot of days that end with the question, ‘how can people do that to each other?’ rattling around in my brain.” Although at times he may feel uneasy with what he is reporting, Druzin takes the job as a blessing and tries to make the most of his opportunities. He appreciates his editors for trusting him to write about topics that interest him and letting him find his own stories. He expresses gratitude for all that he is learning, still recognizing that reporting from an unfamiliar place can be difficult at times, especially when the subject matter is not always clear. “Iraq is firmly in between war and peace right now and where it goes from here is still a big question,” Druzin says. “Stories I come across tend to run the spectrum from dark gray to light gray. There are few stories of certain triumph and few of clear, pending disaster.” Although he must focus on the task at hand, Druzin says he is constantly alert and takes necessary precautions to protect himself from danger. According to Druzin, he tries to embed himself in the story, which requires following the soldiers no matter the safety risk. “I make it a point to spend almost all my time out on the street

interacting with both troops and Iraqis, which is where by far the most interesting stories are,” Druzin says. “Sadly, bombs aimed at troops do not have a reporter shield, so if they get hit, I get hit.” Not only does Druzin perpetually look out for his physiological well being, he also must work to stay emotionally sound. “The downside is that the job can bring crushing loneliness at times,” Druzin says. “I spend eight to 10 weeks at a time in Iraq, living out of a backpack and moving to a different part of the country every couple of weeks.” The job calls for Druzin to be away from his home in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where the Middle East Bureau is located. Reporting from Iraq also means that he has to be away from his family. He rarely shares a phone conversation with his parents and two younger brothers over crackly reception. “I have put them [my family] through a lot with this job, but I think they understand,” Druzin says. “They know I am doing exactly what I want to do, but I think they will be very relieved when I am done.” Although Druzin expectantly encounters hardships while reporting from Iraq, he still feels that he is doing what he is meant to do and is proud of how far he has come. “I am still learning everyday,” Druzin says. “ I have learned more in this job about hope, fear, death, and compassion than I ever would in a classroom.” v verde magazine 49

Bay to Breakers More than just a race

text by julia singleton photography by julia singleton

n May 17, runners in Bay to Breakers in San Francisco filled the roads for the annual 12k run. The race focuses on bringing the community together and having fun while promoting fitness to locals who participate. For the 98th consecutive year, participants dressed up in extravagant costumes and enjoyed the scenic route. Nudity and drinking were big aspects of the race in past years, but this year there were new rules that restricted both. Even still, participants found exciting ways to participate by dressing as their favorite animals or people, and according to ING, the sponsoring corporation, very few people broke these rules. Some participants mocked commercial characters, movies, and even H1N1 (also known as Swine Flu), and runners could be seen wearing everything from 60s to futuristic clothing. Over 60,000 people ran in the race, making this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay to Breakers the place to be. v

50 verde magazine

[photo essay]

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Men Among Mommies Palo Alto dads challenge stereotypical gender roles by becoming stay-at-home parents text by maddy mihran art by emily wang

s Palo Alto High School junior Kelly Jenks arrives at her club soccer practice in Redwood City, she sees droves of cars filled with moms dropping off her teammates. However, in the front seat of her car, Kelly’s dad, David, turns the steering wheel. “Most of my teammates’ moms drop them off, or they drive themselves to the practices” Kelly says. “But there are definitely more moms than dads that tend to do it.” While this responsibility is typically assigned to moms, dropping off his daughter at soccer tournaments is just one part of David’s duties as a stay-at-home dad. In the past six years, the number of stay-at-home dads in the United States has increased by 53 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. However, stay-at-home mothers continue to outnumber their male counterparts by about 38 to 1: there were 5.6 million stay-at-home moms and 143,000 stay-at-home dads in 2006. Paly Sociology and Psychology teacher Kathie Laurence attributes this rapid growth in the number of stay-at-home dads to society’s increasing willingness to accept atypical social behavior. “There’s now a recognition that just because men didn’t physically give birth to their children, it doesn’t mean they don’t care,” Laurence says. Coupled with the fact that women are now able to bring home paychecks and men are sometimes given paternity leave, Laurence connects the increase in stay-at-home dads to a more educated society. “Especially in this area, there is a level of education that lends itself to more equal 52 verde magazine

gender roles,” Laurence says. Kelly’s father, David Jenks, is a member of a small but growing group of fathers who challenge traditional gender roles by becoming stay-at-home dads. David became a stay-at-home dad when Kelly was four years old and his youngest child, current Paly freshman Peyton Jenks, was two years old. After having their kids in day care for a couple of years, David and his wife decided they wanted to play more active roles in their childrens’ lives.

“It was such a unique thing to be able to be with my kids so much. It was this wonderful opportunity that a lot of dads don’t get, and I’m really glad that I got the chance to experience it.” — David Jenks, stay-at-home dad to Paly junior Kelly Jenks

“It seemed like we were missing out on some great experiences,” David says. “And there were a couple of situations where I thought, ‘I would have handled that differently [than the day care did.]’” Eventually, David and his wife concluded that it would be easiest for him to take on the role of the stay-at-home parent because he was already working from home. Now that both his children are in high school, David

can balance the demands of their schedules with some work on the side. However, when his children were younger, he was a full-time stay-at-home dad. “I did the same things that moms did, but I probably just had a different approach than the moms in terms of the way I played with them,” David says. Kelly agrees that her childhood would not have been much different had her mom been the stay-at-home parent. “I don’t really think there’s a difference [between having a stay-at-home dad and a stay-at-home mom],” Kelly says. “They both do similar things and it’s a similar role; it’s just a different person at home.” She thinks that society is beginning to become more accepting of people who are choosing to do things in a non-traditional way. “I do notice that some people are surprised when they hear I have a stayat-home dad, but I think that’s gradually changing,” Kelly says. Steve Turnbull, who has two children enrolled in Duveneck Elementary School and one in preschool, became a full-time stay-athome dad five years ago. Before he took on that role, both he and his wife worked fulltime. When they were expecting their third child, they came to the resolution that one parent needed to be at home with the kids during the day. “At some point, we realized that it [having two working parents with three kids] would be more than we could handle,” Turnbull says. “We were starting to come to terms with the logistics of all the after-school activities. ... We realized that we would have

[spectrum] to either hire a really expensive nanny or do it ourselves.” Because Steve’s wife had a steadier job at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, the couple decided that Steve should be the one to stay home. To make the transition easier, he started working part-time at a technology company, which allowed him to stay at home with his kids during the day. “I would come home to take care of the kids after work and then try and get some more work done in the evening,” Turnbull says. When it came time to become a full-time stay-at-home dad, he says it was not difficult to adjust to the different lifestyle. “Before I made the switch [to becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad], I was trying to do both things — the job and the family — so when I did make the switch, it actually became easier because I was able to focus on just the family,” Turnbull says. One challenge that he encountered as a stay-at-home dad was finding other dads who could relate to his lifestyle. “For the moms, it seems very easy to find other moms to socialize with who have kids in the same grade or, better, who are friends with their kids,” Turnbull says. “Moms can often get together and let their kids play. For the dads, while there are a few of us, there aren’t enough in each grade to make dad-based socializing workable.” David also found the social aspect of being a stay-at-home dad to be challenging “Sometimes I felt a little isolated because there weren’t that many dads doing the same thing as me, which made it a little hard.” David says. “I think it’s different for moms because it’s obviously more traditional for them to be in that role and they have more resources available to them.” In retrospect, David says he is glad he took the opportunity to spend extra time with his kids at home. “It has its challenges, but there are many big rewards as well, and

the rewards far outweigh everything else,” David says. “It was such a unique thing to be able to be with my kids so much. It was this wonderful opportunity that a lot of dads don’t get, and I’m really glad that I got the chance to experience it.” Kelly is also grateful that she was able to spend so much time with her dad. “The best part is that he’s always there for me and is always involved in all my activities and driving me to [sports] practices and tournaments,” Kelly says. “I’ve gotten really close to him.” Turnbull also believes that a major benefit of being a stay-at-home dad is the amount of interaction that he gets to have with his children. “You really get to know your kids, which is great,” Turnbull says. “You see them everyday and you watch them grow as they progress though school.” He says that all this time he spends with his kids gives him the chance to relive some of his own childhood memories. “You almost get to be a kid again because you get to see all these activities that you did as a kid,” Turnbull says. “It’s pretty fun.” In the future, Turnbull plans to remain

either a part-time or full-time stay-at-home dad. “Even as our kids get older, I don’t think we’ll ever go back to a two-income family because we’re always going to need someone to be there for the kids,” Turnbull says. “I could envision having a part-time job or being self-employed, but I doubt I’ll go back to a full-time desk job.” Overall, Turnbull is happy with his choice to become a stay-at-home dad. “I’ve enjoyed it more than I expected,” Turnbull says. “It’s definitely been a positive experience.” v

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[short]

10 Questions for

Ellen Austin interview and photography by natalie lin What was working for Oprah like? I didn’t work for Oprah, I worked for a photographer who photographed her. I met Oprah more than once. It was interesting to see a celebrity become a celebrity. How was living in Minnesota different from living in Palo Alto? It is much colder than Palo Alto. I miss the thunderstorms and tornados. I watch the movie Twister to get the mid-Western catastrophe. I also miss the mid-Western smiles. Where else have you lived? I lived in Vienna for two and a half years in the ‘80s. We’ve heard that you had some martial arts experience. Can you tell us about that? You are probably confusing martial arts with the acrobatics that led to a broken wrist. I did study karate. I did fencing, and it was fun because I had a crazy Hungarian fencing master who taught me in Hungarian, German and French. How is Viking’s production food? Fabulous. It’s better than anybody else’s. We have great snacks such as bagels and cream cheese. We also have homemade pasta and pizza and lots of chocolate. We go through two to three bags of Hersheys chocolate treats a night. What is the story about your broken wrist? I was teaching Of Mice and Men to my students and was explaining Skinner’s behavioralist theory of reinforcement. I was pretending to be a lab rat and was showing how it worked using an orange and pretending to be shocked. While I was doing this, I catapulted backward into a podium and crashed into a wall and broke my wrist. While I waited for the ambulence to come, I told my kids to do that night’s homework. If you could sum up yourself in one adjective, what would it be and why? Curious because there are so many things to learn about and so many questions to ask. If I had 100 years, it would still be too short. Did you almost get arrested in Europe for taking an unauthorized picture of a pope? No. You must be confused with what happened in South Africa. I was taking a picture of a minister who had a congregation with a million people. He was concerned with what I was going to do with the picture. He told me, “If you use it in a wrong way, I will find you and kill you,” and then his bodyguards escorted me out. What is your favorite male actor and why? Matt Damon because he is great. I love his accent and his smile. Tell us about your prom story. I did not go to senior prom, but I made it up eight years later. I went to a formal Viennese ball in a royal palace under a crystal chandelier with a symphony playing. And I ballroom danced.

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[senior section]

SENIORS SPEAK OUT

s we are writing this, Paly’s Class of 2009 has eight school days left — 15 until we officially graduate. Our days of eating lunches at Town and Country, watching Mary zoom through the quad on her golf cart, and sitting through 50-minute classes are numbered. In just a couple of months, the 401 students who have dominated Paly’s social hierarchy for the past 1,460 days will arrive in new places around the world, becoming fresh meat once again. Together, we’ve filtered through half a dozen or so administrative big shots, suffered the repercussions of overdone Freshman Friday pranks, and patiently waited in the newly established line to blow into a Breathalyzer before entering this year’s dances. With substantial help from others, members from the Class of 2009 are responsible for the creation of Paly’s first lacrosse team, first male quartet singing group, and the first high school sports magazine in the nation. We’ve had quite a few firsts, but we’ve also been witnesses to many of Paly’s lasts. We are the last Paly class to know what it’s like to arrive at Prom in style, and the last group of graduates to flip our tassels prior to any rebirth of the campus. No class younger than us knows what it’s like to have your math teacher as your track coach, to go to states for football and basketball, and to be innocent bystanders to the herbology movement. The past four years at Paly have been a transforming period — for the school and the students. Just like any high school experience, change is inevitable. So to the rest of you, there is faith that you can recycle some old traditions, and keep some of Paly’s past in the present as you move forward to a new realm of possibilities. When we first walked through the halls as freshmen, the expectations were unfathomable. Since then, some of us have grown into completely new people, and others have stayed just the same. Either way, the grounds of Paly have been uprooted and refertilized right before our eyes. To the Class of 2009, whatever each of you decides to do, we know that you will do it big. After all, we have successfully survived eight semester report cards, four spring breaks, and one senior prom. That is something that should make us all immensely proud. Congratulations to all, and to all a future bright!

– shoshana gould and megan mitchell, senior section editors

Inside:

In addition to guest senior reflections and a senior survey, this section also features pieces that address our high school seniors past, present and future: My Senior Epiphany (page 60), Beyond Assimilation (page 61), The Road Less Traveled (page 62), and Easing the Transition (page 64). verde magazine 55

On accomplishing greatness

aly, Paly, Paly, where do I begin? This experience has been pretty solid overall. I was a part of a community that truly cares about education. I will not fully appreciate it until it's gone. For all you children out there who like to party and hang out with the cool kids: You are going to have a big reality check once you graduate. Be somebody and have big dreams. Don't settle for just passing by. The real world is a trip and you have to grow up real quick. So enjoy these four years at Paly. I've changed so much from freshman to senior year and now that I look back on it, I wouldn't change one thing. Paly has taught me to always stay positive and always keep it in motion. Be yourself, kids, and try hard in school. It will come back to haunt you if you're not on point. Yeah, I made some mistakes, Paly, but I learned from them and what doesn't kill me always makes me stronger. On that note, I'm GONE! Stay positive, Paly, and I'll see you at the TOP. Big shout out to Mr. Friedland, Mr. Hanmer, Ms. Camm, Ms. Loomis, Ms. Whitson, and Mr. Vericat for being solid teachers. I also want to give a big thanks to Coach Diepenbrock for really teaching me life lessons and expecting nothing but the best from me. Mom n’ Dad... I MADE IT.

Nick Robinson

SPLASH

On spending a semester abroad

year ago, Paly meant something very different to me than it does now. This probably has something to do with me moving to another country for a few months, and coming back to find that the school and town I thought I knew so well had changed — or maybe it was me who had changed. Before, I could be heard complaining of how boring Palo Alto was. As soon as I knew that I was moving, I tried to make my summer the best it could be; who knew how bad Greece could turn out to be. I left early in the morning after spending the previous 48 hours with my best friends. My first impression of my private international school was, “Wow, this is it?” The American Community Schools of Athens is a bunch of plain buildings, and, worst of all, gated. It was hard not being able to grab my non-fat chai from Douce France before school; instead I was monitored by guards to ensure that all the embassy kids stayed safe. At a small private school, there are 60 kids in your grade, a social hierarchy, and ridiculous amounts of gossip. When I say that “Mean Girls” has nothing on the ACS cafeteria map of cliques, I am not exaggerating. Unlike Paly, people at ACS aren’t too concerned with college. Instead, it is all about having a good time. Coming back to Palo Alto in December, I wasn’t ready to deal with the anxiety and competition in every class. Despite the fun I had in Greece, I came back to enjoy second semester the way it was meant to be enjoyed — with crazy road trips, the ultimate dance-athon at prom, and the bittersweet moment of turning 18. Now those days in Athens are just a distant memory, and soon these of Palo Alto will be too.

PEACE OUT 56 verde magazine

Arianna

Governatori

[senior section]

On realizing what matters most

y reflections of Paly aren’t calm or endearing — they’re boiling over the edge with frustration. But there are three big things that Paly did get right: 1) Mr. Hanmer. You know how we’re supposed to have a teacher that we “feel comfortable talking to” and no one does? Well, I didn’t either — until I met Mr Hanmer. It will be Paly’s loss when he leaves. 2) Study skills is my favorite class and home at school. I cut other classes just to spend time there. Amazing. 3) And lastly, Camp Everytown completely changed not only my outlook on social equality but also my faith in humanity (namely high school students). The amount of growth I saw in my peers (who I now consider friends) was amazing and definitely the highlight of this year. Paly hasn’t taught me much, but I have learned one thing: getting the grades doesn’t mean you’re smart and it’s not a measure of intelligence as it is one of obedience. Are you willing to sacrifice sleep for classes that you never cared about anyway? My answer is no, and that doesn’t mean I’m stupid, it means I care about what I care about and I rarely care about anything else. I respect my peers who put in long hours, but let me tell ya’, I couldn’t be happier with the college I’m going to next year.

Karin Zander

DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT

On finding a new place to call home

Sai Boddupalli

n eighth grade, when my parents told me that we were headed for Palo Alto, I was taken aback. To add on to the seemingly impossible task of entering a gigantic public school after attending private schools for all my life, I would be doing so in a foreign place, 45 minutes away from my friends. I attended tours of Paly, welcome-to-thedistrict nights, and freshman orientation, but still felt lost. Standing on the Quad after orientation and seeing students catch up showed me that I was indeed an outsider looking in. During the first weeks of school, I would put on my iPod and quietly walk to class by myself. However, one night, I received a call from my World History teacher, Mr. {Mike] McGovern, asking if I would like to be in his Black Death reenactment. I agreed, thinking that it would be fun to do something after school rather than just going home. I quickly learned more about the students in the reenactment and about Paly itself. By the time the reenactment finished, some of the people in Black Death were my best friends, and I knew where I was in the Paly community — literally and figuratively. Although that extracurricular was three and a half years ago, I am still in touch with every cast member. The experience let me into the world of Paly. Reenactments were taken away when Mr. McGovern moved, but there are still many aspects of Paly that separate it from other schools. As a firm believer that high school should be a time of trial and error Paly provided tools to help me find out who I wanted to be as well as a safety net of amazing staff that has never given up me. For this, I am grateful, and I wouldn’t trade my experience here for anything else.

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QUESTIONS FOR THE ELITE Verde surveyed a random pool of seniors and asked them a variety of questions about their time at Paly. To ensure that their answers were truthful, their responses are anonymous.

Failed senior prank ideas Forking the quad Painting the deck A building-size poster of Oliver Davies Sending a stripper to the principalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office Putting a bunch of rubber duckies in the pool

Best part about 4th quarter senior year The sunshine Three-week Eurotrip Parties on school nights Having multiple preps Having time to relax a bit Not starting homework until 10 p.m. Getting your yearbook before everyone else Not doing one single homework assignment

Best excuse for missing your curfew Car broke down I lost my car keys Long line at In-N-Out I was driving my drunk friend home My friend broke up with her boyfriend and was hysterical

Best thing about prom this year My date The venue The pictures Everyone was dancing The chocolate fountain The amazingly awkward circus performer

What youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re least looking forward to about the fall Workload The freshman 15 Communal bathrooms Having to do my own laundry Being away from people who are important to me 58 verde magazine

L Al

[senior section]

Your ideal baccalaureate speaker Andy Samberg because he talks like a boss Zac Efron because it would be nice to have my future husband be there Ira Glass because he is AMAZING, and the only reason I would ever go to Chicago Senator [Ron] Wyden because he used to play basketball at Paly and is really successful Borat because he’s living the American Dream and for once Baccalaurate wouldn’t be boring Lance Armstrong because he’s a role model in an otherwise depressing world of celebrity athletes

Senior you want to see at our 10-year reunion Karl Gillspie to see if he is a millionaire Ryan Apple just to see where life takes him Nick Robinson to see how many illegitmate kids he has Garrett Morton because by then he’ll have a Pulitzer Michael Bloch because he says he’ll play rugby for Cal Lizzie Henehan because she’s changed five times in the past four years and I want to know who she ends up being Alex Nee — I think there’s a pretty even chance that he’ll turn out as either a fanatic hippie or the next Brad Pitt

Moment you felt like a stereotypical senior Every single day Wearing sunglasses in class Calling in my own cuts almost every single day Taking this survey when I should be writing an essay Laying in the quad during 7th and doing absolutely nothing In March, when all people talk about is what colleges accepted them

What you’re most looking forward to about the fall Freedom No parents Moving out New stage of life Getting away from PA Getting out of California More diverse student body Hot boys (since Paly is lacking) Exciting classes with excited classmates

Best concert you went to this year 3oh!3 Britney The Roots Coldplay Disturbed Ben Harper Bridge School Benefit Paly Band Pops Concert verde magazine 59

A Senior Epiphany How I came to reject great expectations and enjoy the moment text by melanie maemura art by emily wang

have always idealized senior year as a magical time when I would suddenly be free from tests, school work, and all the burdens of high school. Long ago, when I was a tiny freshman, I viewed the senior class with deep, unwavering awe and veneration. Whenever I walked down the halls and saw a senior headed my way, I would instinctively hurry to the side. To me, the composure, authority, and dignified calm of the senior class were admirable and even inspirational qualities. But now that I really am a senior, I have realized that my previous perception of senior year is radically different from reality. It all began one day after school in freshman year. As I was walking home, I heard the sound of loud rap music approaching, interrupting my thoughts. Just as I turned to look over my shoulder, I saw an empty soda can flying toward me, nearly missing my head. As the car passed, I could hear the voices of the passengers boastfully shouting “Class of 2005, baby!” from their dingy mini-van. This “Freshman Friday” incident led me to begin thinking about what kind of senior I wanted be. I knew right off the bat that I would not assert my senior superiority through hazing. After much pondering, I decided that I would be having the time of my life during my senior year. I imagined my senior self chatting with some friends on the Quad after school and driving to the beach on the weekends. During the tumultuous times of junior year and college applications, these self-concocted images of a fun-filled second semester of senior year were a beacon of hope. I kept reassuring myself that once I submitted all my applications, I would be making up for all the fun I had missed out on earlier. Now fast-forward to the realities of second semester of senior year: instead of lounging on the Quad or cruising around Palo Alto, I spent much of second semester just like I spent all of the other three years, doing homework and studying for tests not because of any intrinsic desire to learn, but because of the possibility of rescindment. I couldn’t understand the seriousness of the issue when we first learned about it in junior year advisory. But now, as a senior, I’ve realized that four gruesome years at Paly are not worth sacrificing for a few weeks of lazy bliss. 60 verde magazine

Even before I was a freshman, I expected to have evolved into a mature adult by graduation with a clear vision for the future. Instead, I feel shocked, excited, nervous, and totally confused. While I would like to leave Palo Alto as soon as possible, I can’t help but feel apprehensive about the idea of leaving home, and I am sporadically reminded of how much I will miss Paly and home. Just the other day, in a lively discussion about dormitory selection with my friends, I suddenly realized that we will soon have to make new friends and move on, and I instantly felt gloomy. It seems these days that the most mundane things serve as catalysts for an emotional breakdown. Green pompoms, pine trees, Mary whizzing around in her golf cart, and even the AP proctor’s jokes cause me to experience a rush of contradictory emotions. Though you won’t be seeing me lounging on the quad during class, I’ve realized that my high school experience shouldn’t be defined by these expectations that were never met. Yes, my senior year did not play out as I had imagined, but my four years at Paly have given me hundreds of memories that I will fondly look back on all my life: Spirit Week, Senior Cut Day, and Prom just to name a few. The more I look back, the more apparent my good memories of high school become. The free hot dogs and jump houses on field days, the time during PE class when we jumped into the pool with our clothes on, the rainy track practices, the lunch study cram sessions in the ARC, and all the long hours of production at the computer lab. I can’t help but sheepishly smile when I recall all of these incidents. And it is the collective bunch of all these memories that have helped shape my identity. During these precious concluding moments at Paly, I’ve learned that my expectations were trivial, and that I must simply enjoy the moment and appreciate my whirlwind of emotions. Now as I am about to embark on a new journey that will surely be more chaotic than high school, I now know what I must do: walk blithely into the future free from self-concocted images and expectations. I really did have lots of fun this semester, though it came in a totally different and unexpected form. v

[senior section]

Life Lessons in Spain What living abroad has taught me about myself text by caitlin watson photography courtesy of caitlin watson

live in a land of ten o’clock dinner times, obsessively neat mothers and nude beaches, where watching fútbol and taking siestas (long afternoon naps) are universally accepted as daily and necessary activities. It’s my senior year of high school, and I am a participant in the intercultural study abroad program, American Fields Services, so during this year, I have lived with a host family in a small fishing village near Barcelona, Spain and studied at a local public school. So, I’ve missed out on being a Paly senior; what’s more, I’ve spent a year without the people I love most: my incredible family and friends. But there is no way on earth that I can compare that loss to what I have learned, suffered, gained and lived through during this mind-blowing year.

education, my diligent Paly ways have melted away. I rarely do my homework (if I have any at all) and I start studying for tests a day before the exam (each exam is worth 30-50% of our grade). If you know me at all, and my previous study habits, this is very worrisome behavior. To say the least, there is definitely lack of academic rigor. But I love it; I love the fact that I don’t have to be stressed and continually worry about school and college. There were times during my junior year when I honestly felt incapable of talking about anything besides my classes, my homework and all the things I had to get done. I understood Calculus (kind of ) and damn, did I know my U.S. History, but sometimes I forgot how to just ... be.

La Adaptación To be honest, the day I left California, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I went into the year abroad with an optimistic attitude, a decent control of Spanish and little else. A year later, I’d say that that’s the way to do it, because there is really no way of predicting or preparing for the roller-coaster experience of studying abroad. For example, I originally chose Spain to learn Spanish, right? Well, I ended up in a province where the natives don’t even consider themselves to be Spanish and speak a whole different language: Catalan. Everyone knows how to speak Spanish, but it’s just a question of whether they feel like using it. For most of the first few weeks, I felt like a socially inept, mute five-year-old. I could barely understand Catalan and whenever I tried to say something in Spanish, it would come out all wrong. My first house party was far from successful. I remained silent for two hours until I tried to point out that a girl had just come in late, but instead I said that she was mentally retarded. To make things worse, someone informed me that her boyfriend had just died in a motorcycle accident, and that I should try to be more careful of what I say. Being foreign and alone made me feel like a kind of raw, liberated skeleton of my former self. It was me, but me without my language, cultural references, my sarcasm, my friends, and the life I’d built around me. I had never felt so defenseless but at the same time, so free in my life.

Freedom and Mirrors (an unfolding) The best gift that I have been given this year is time: the time that I now have to breathe, get to know myself, enjoy silly things and find a balance. Not only do I have more time for myself, but I also have more time to be with my host family. Here, family meals are sacred; so, nearly every day I spend two to three hours cooking, eating, conversing and cleaning up with my host family. Our lunch and dinner interactions consist of flamenco butt-shaking contests, debates about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and philosophical discussions about Karl Marx. Spending a year abroad has not only exposed me to new perspectives, but it has also compelled me to open up and change myself in a way that would have been impossible if I had stayed at home. For instance, observing my insane, brilliant and silly host family has taught me about la convivencia, which is the act of living together and giving unconditionally for each other; and it is slowly making me a more generous and spontaneous person. The most important lesson that I have learned from observing my insane, brilliant and silly host family daily is la convivencia, the act of living together and giving for each other. Their influence has led me to stop constantly thinking about myself, and become a more generous and spontaneous person (I hope.) As a student and as a human being, this multi-dimensional challenge in adaptation has been utterly transforming. It has helped me to see myself, what I am capable of and what kind of life I would like to lead with much clearer eyes. And yes, I do think and dream in Spanish: it’s sweet. v

Oh, Spanish work habits Under my Spanish public school’s rather laid-back approach to

verde magazine 61

The Road Less Traveled When pursuing your passion is perceived as failure text by ally messick art by emily wang

remember sitting on the Paly bleachers four years ago, in 2005, waiting for my sister’s name to be called by the principal. My patience starting to wane as the announcer called what seemed to be the never-ending Chens, followed by the also abundant Goldens. Why, why did Messick have to be in the middle of the alphabet? When my older sister, Megan, graduated from high school, I felt the range of emotions that a younger sibling is supposed to feel. Pride overcame me as she walked down the aisle in a white gown with her fellow students. But I also felt some confusion; my sister had decided to not attend a four-year college, but to instead work and live in Santa Cruz. This concept was as foreign to me as Spanish paella, for even at my young age of nine, my Palo Alto breeding had already taught me that attending a four year college after high school was the next step to becoming a successful adult. My sister was not the first one in my family to defy the Palo Alto norm. My eldest brother, Robert, also took on a full-time job immediately after high school. He was a gifted youth, born with an unquenchable thirst for everything technology-related. Deftly restoring hard drives and monitors at a young age and deciphering the workings of a computer in middle school, my brother surprised my whole family with his self-taught talent. However, like many gifted kids, he never seemed to enjoy the classroom. Claiming he wasn’t being challenged enough, or that his teachers just didn’t know what they were talking about, he passed the California High School Proficiency Exam his junior year and hasn’t looked back. Robert immediately got a job with Electronic Arts games working on video games and then dabbled in other software-related jobs. Soon, Robert became the technology coordinator of the Loma Prieta School District shortly after he turned 18. While most kids 62 verde magazine

his age were just beginning college, he already had a complete vision for improving the education system through technology. But still, even with his success, his decision was considered a waste of talent. Comments like, “I don’t understand why he didn’t go college. He could have done so well,” could be heard penetrating the walls of my bedroom from my parent’s room down the hall. And although I tried explaining to them that college is not for everyone, I think I was trying to convince myself more than my parents. Growing up in Palo Alto, I often felt ashamed of my siblings’ decisions to not attend college. I dreaded the question from my friends’ parents: “Do you have any brothers and sisters?” because it immediately led to, “Where do they go to college?” One day, I found myself reflexively answering, “Harvard and Yale.” “Oh how nice,” the parent said, tacitly nodding. When I did tell the truth, I was surprised by how genuinely harsh some of my peers were. Even in 5th grade, fellow classmates responded with comments like, “They don’t go to college? I thought you said they were smart.” It was probably then when I started to associate college with intelligence and success. An essential part of growing up in Palo Alto is applying and attending a four-year college. Princeton, Harvard and Stanford logos can be seen branded on children’s sweatshirts from Duveneck to JLS. It makes sense that there would be a lot of pressure to attend college in a city where the average annual income for a family in 2007 was over $153,197. Many Palo Alto parents attended prestigious schools and expect their children to follow in their footsteps. Paly and Gunn give their students the best resources in order to ensure success and acceptance into college. Parents clamor for the best SAT courses and tutors. Elsewhere in the country, it may seem

[senior section]

ridiculous to hire a counselor to help you get into college, but here in Palo Alto, it is quite common. Recently, I started to question the belief that college is the best option for everyone. If we look at some of the Silicon Valley gurus that we boast about living in walking distance to, like Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Larry Ellison, and Steve Jobs, it may be surprising to learn that they all, in fact, did not attend college. Even the wealthiest American, Bill Gates, dropped out of college his freshman year. If you already have a self-taught skill, like my brother, college may simply be a waste of time. While college can get you more degrees and achievements, these honors are not everyone’s first priority. It’s also important to keep in mind that the Internet has greatly changed the world since our parents went to college. Many universities now have course lectures available for free on the Internet. Such as MIT and Harvard, which have many courses available through iTunes. It really is becoming possible to receive a quality education without attending a school. My sister, Megan, realized it did not make sense for her to start college while she was still so uncertain about her future goals. She just didn’t feel the urgency to go to college or start a career. Instead, she chose to gain work experience and discover what life was like in the “real world”. She was able to develop new passions that she may not have had discovered if she went to college, like rock climbing and volunteering with seals. When Megan did decide to attend college this year, she was more focused and prepared for what awaited her. Last year, my youngest sibling Josh, graduated from Gunn with a passion for theater. He auditioned for the Foothill conservatory program, and was accepted. When the programs ends, in two years, he may transfer to another acting school or try to book acting jobs with his new experience and connections. When he graduated, I felt

no doubt or shame in his decision, like I had felt when my other siblings had graduated. I instead felt pride that he was taking the initiative to follow his passion. After being bombarded by a night of rigorous homework, I cannot help but feel a little jealous when my brother bursts into the room excited from the work he is doing at Foothill. He is a living example of the saying “Love what you’re doing and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” I truly believe that a person should savor their years after high school. We are only young once and I’ve learned that someone’s happiness is more important than the name of the college he attends, no matter how prestigious it may be. If you find yourself saying that someone who attends community college or joins the army “failed,” it may be time you question what living in Palo Alto has brainwashed you to believe. Attending a university after high school is not plausible or ideal for every student. And as I clamor for college counselors, it is because I have personally decided that a university is the best option for me. As graduation approaches, and seniors are waving their Ivy League acceptance letters like flags of success, the student body should welcome individuals who choose to take the road less traveled. Some people want to backpack through Europe, join the army, volunteer, or finally start living their life free from the stressful atmosphere of school. I have now reached the point where I am no longer confused or ashamed of my siblings’ choices to not attend a university. Instead, I stand proud that they had the courage to follow their bliss. My siblings are all examples of people who found success after high school without attending a four-year college. What I have learned from my brother and sister will not be tested on the SAT nor will it be covered in any AP class, but it will be something I take with me as I continue to make decisions about my future. v verde magazine 63

Easing the Transition text by jackie mcelaney art by emily wang

Justin Brock

Class of ‘05

University of California Santa Cruz On transfering after freshman year. “My freshman year was a bit of a culture shock moving to an area devoid of everything you take for granted here in PA [Palo Alto]. To put it mildly, we had one stop light, a Wingshack and gas station with a Walmart 20 minutes up the road. UCSC was a needed change and took very little adaption.”

Geng Wang

Class of ‘08

University of California Santa Barbara On how Paly prepared him academically for college. “[Paly] made me used to working hard and to stay focused. Especially in a place like Santa Barbara where the distractions are everywhere, I can still get my work done well because of Paly’s ridiculous academic standards.”

Robbie Heeger

Class of ‘08

University of Southern California

On living with a roomate. “You literally start from square one — you might email back and forth once or twice before the perennial move-in day, but there are certain barriers that can’t be broken through email when your roommate is a Taiwanese-Canadian business major who’s conceptions of American culture are an outdated PC version of NBA 2003 and R. Kelly’s ‘Ignition Remix.’”

Christina Chon

Class of ‘07

University of California San Diego

On what she wished she had known when she graduated. “[I wish I had known] how much I was going to miss my family, friends, and just everything about home in general. I definitely wish I had spent more time with everyone around me.” 64 verde magazine

t is that time of year again. Seniors are planning their summer trips, and getting ready to say their final farewells to the classmates they have known for what seems like forever. They are anxious for those lazy summer days, knowing that soon they will be embarking on a journey of self-discovery, independence and change, and beginning the rest of their lives. Seems scary? Then what better way to ease the transition than to hear from the experts, to get the insight into how past seniors reacted to such big changes, how they coped with the “unbearable” roommate or their newfound independence. Well here’s some of what they said. v

[senior section] Mohammed Abid Class of ‘08 Kristen Witte

Class of ‘08

Stanford University

Bucknell University

On his last days of high school “You only go through high school once, and there’s been so many times in college that I’ve recalled high school events with nostalgia. Enjoy every minute of high school and don’t be in a rush to go to college.”

On advice for seniors “GET INVOLVED! Join a club, student government, or a sports team. Audition for a cappella groups, plays, dance performances, anything! I suggest intramural sports because they’re great (dodgeball was my favorite). It really is the best way to meet people on campus and you’ll be so much happier and feel so much more comfortbale if you know people outside of your freshman hall.”

Brooke Flohr Class of ‘08 Cornell University

On finding what works for her “I am currently majoring in government, which is a subject that was not readily available in high school and I am really falling in love with it. That is a great thing about college. Try new things and something will just fit. Just remember to make your own decisions. This is your life and your major that will be a part of you forever.”

verde magazine 65

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[paly speaks]

What kind of car would you be? “Green convertible buggie because it’s so cute and bubbly.”

“Tesla because they’re sexy.”

Philip Macquitty, junioru

Helen Gonzalez, junioru

t Destinee Kindle, sophomore

“Mini van because I’d have a lot of friends.”

“A Bugatti because they’re fast and it’s luxury.”

tWilliam Lee, sophomore

Zachary StantonSavitz, sophomoreu

“A hamster ball because they are round.”

“A Mini Cooper because they are cute, fast and easy to park.” Noemi Wyss, junioru

interviews and photography by silvia maraboli verde magazine 67

SUMMER 2009 This summer’s hottest concerts and movies calendar by sydney lundgren art by emily wang

June

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday 3

Friday Land of the Lost (Will Ferrel)

Imagine That (Eddie Murphey)

SF Comedy Showcase Punch Line Comedy Club San Fransisco $12

95.7 FM’s The Wolf’s Guitars and Stars 8 p.m. The Fillmore $12.50

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel)

Yanni Voices Tour 8 p.m. Oracle Arena $77 to $300

Wild 94.9 FM’s “The Bomb” 6 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $25.50 to $95.50

The Warfield: 982 Market Street, San Francisco Oracle Arena: 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland HP Pavillion: 525 W Santa Clara Street, San Jose Save Mart Center: 2650 E Shaw Ave 68 verde magazine

Great American Food and Music Fesitival Noon Shoreline Amphitheatre $21.50

Shoreline Amphitheatre: 1 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View Mountain Winery: 14831 Pierce Road, Saratoga

Live 105 FM’s BFD noon shoreline amphitheatre $18.75 to $49.50

Year One (Jack Black, Micheal Cera, Olivia Wilde) The Proposal (Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds)

Locations The Fillmore: 1805 Geary Boulvard, San Francisco

Saturday

Xavier Rudd 9 p.m. The Fillmore $25

Sunday

Monday

Coldplay 7:30 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $35 to $97.50

August

Wednesday

Sunday

Tuesday

Monday

The Beach Boys 7:30 p.m. Mountain Winery $45 to $ 69.50

Toby Keith and Trace Adkins 7:30 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $37 to $74

Jewel 8 p.m. The Warfield $43 to $59.50

Jonas Brothers 7 p.m. HP Pavillion $28 to $86.50

Beyonce 7:30 p.m. Oracle Arena $19.75 to $129.25

Thursday

Old 97â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 9 pm The Fillmore $25

24 Slightly Stoopid Snoop Dog, 6 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $35 to $97.50

Crue Fest 2 5:30 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheeatre $35 to $97.50

Wednesday

Phish 7 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $35 to $97.50 Depache Mode 7:30 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $35 to $97.50

Thursday

July

Rock Star Mayhem Festival, 2:15 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $35 to $97.50

No Doubt and Paramore 7:30 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre,

Friday

Vans Warped Tour 11 a.m. Shoreline Amphitheatr $35 to $97.50

SF Symphony 8 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $37 to $97.50

Saturday

Green Day and Franz Fernand 7:30 p.m. HP Pavilion, $25 to $49.50.

Dave Matthews Band 7 p.m. Save Mart Center $65

Bruno (Sacha Baron Cohen)

Tuesday

Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince (Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint)

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosours (Ray Romano, John Leguizamo)

[calendar]

Friday

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra (Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans)

Post Grad (Alexis Bledel, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett)

Ziggy Marley and Melody Makers 7:30 p.m. Mountain Winery $45, $55

Bandslam (Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell)

The Fray and Jackâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mannequin 7 p.m. Shoreline Amphitheatre $35 to $97.50

Outside Lands Golden Gate Park $225.50, $595.00 (August 28 to August 29)

verde magazine 69

[viewpoint]

Don’t Fear

the Chair

Why does having good hair seem to be so hard for those with y-chromosomes?

efore I begin, I should warn you that I have many pet peeves when it comes to boys and hair. And I will admit, the tone of this opinion piece may sound a bit harsh, even accusatory. But at times like these, a little tough love is necessary. To be fair, I do not blame you boys for your questionable hair choices. I mean, take a look at current role models. Athletes such as Steve Nash and Tim Lincecum should be shunned for their, at best, tacky hair decisions. The entire Boston Celtics basketball team should be arrested and forced to undergo massive facial hair makeovers. Paul Pierce is a crime against all that is holy in the world of hair. Many musicians fall into this category as well: the Pete Weintzs of the world should be tied to salon chairs and met with pairs of scissors and gallons of shampoo. What today’s boys need are good role models. You need guidance, so I’ll try my best to give you some. First of all, I understand that the 70s shag is back in style. Fine. But if you are a guy and you need to tuck your hair behind your ears, that’s a red flag that your hair is too long. Messy hair can work, but the androgynous look does not. Yes, boys, there is such a thing as getting a haircut, and it’s a guaranteed pain-free process. Trust me. Another major hair no-no: faux-hawks, mo-hawks, or just any hairstyle ending in “hawk.” Do the world a favor and leave your hair where it naturally falls. You aren’t a rooster. And along those lines: no buzzing something off and leaving spare patches of hair behind. If you want an even buzz, go all the way. Just don’t leave tiger stripes on the sides of your head. Ew. Big hair don’t. Also, you do not need to shave your name on the back of your head: people will remember it. Here’s another tip: emo is out. That is, assuming emo was ever in. People want to see your eyes, so keep your tortured soul on the inside where it belongs. Flat-ironed bangs are pretentious, boring, and gross. Do you guys really want to be compared to Zac Efron? I think not. Comb that hair back so we can see your handsome faces. Trimmed bangs are fine, but anything longer is a problem. Bangs past the eyebrows that require the not-so-hot “head flip” don’t just 70 verde magazine

text by ryan flanagan art by harry nordlinger

look bad: they could also lead to some serious neck injuries. The misuse of hair product can ruin even the best of haircuts. Visible hair gel and the spiky-look? Give me a break. You aren’t a Pokémon cartoon character. Nobody wants to stroke sticky, icky, hard-as-rock thorns. The stegosaurus look is not ok. Hair that is so stiff that it doesn’t move in a breeze is a definite do not. The boy-band hairspray fad died with the end of the 90s, and we hope that it is never coming back. Emphasis on never coming back. Finally, the facial hair thing. I am personally not a fan. I understand that you can finally grow a beard and want to show it off, but unfortunately, you are still in high school. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but you cannot pull off a beard. Facial hair cardinal sins include: partial beards, soul patches, the oh-sodisgusting mountain man beard, and the now infamous “line beard” that starts at the ears. If you must have facial hair, the only semiacceptable look would be the scruffy 5 o’clock shadow. One caveat: although men can rock the 5 o’clock shadow, boys cannot. So please, just wait until your 20s—I know you can. For now, don’t forget: razors were invented for a reason. To summarize: in a perfect world, guys would realize that polished, trimmed and well cared-for hair is always the way to go. That doesn’t mean all of you need to go to a salon and ask for the cookie cutter ideal haircut. You can still be an individual. If you’re an edgier type of guy, a well-groomed shag or acceptable dye job can work. For the more refined man, a classic crew-cut is the perfect hairstyle. And for those of the metro-sexual persuasion who need a bevy of hair products, remember hair icons such as Cary Grant: less is more. You can apply gel and spray; just be stingy and don’t go overboard. Having good hair and maintaining your personal style is all about balance. You absolutely do not have to sacrifice your identity to have great hair. Remember, gentlemen: revamping your hair is not about trying to impress the ladies. It’s about making yourself presentable. Not only will you be happier, but your mother will be ecstatic. Take pride in your appearance, which includes your crowning feature: the hair on your head. Don’t be a hair-brain; just tame the mane. v

Palo Alto Unified School District Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301

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