Verde Volume 18 Issue 4

V. DIORIO’S DILEMMA

When a campus leader took on the “good ole’ boy’s club” pg. 15

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VERDE MAGAZINE WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH VERDE? visit verde magazine.com

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April 2017 Volume 18 Issue 4

Editors-in-Chief Danielle Macuil Tara Madhav Alicia Mies Managing & Profiles Editor Josh Code Design & Digital Editor Laura Sieh Features Editor Madhumita Gupta Culture Editor Gabriel Sánchez Perspectives Editor Alia Cuadros-Contreras News & Launch Editors Emma Cockerell Frances Zhuang Michelle Li Stephanie Lee Art Directors Vivian Nguyen Aishah Maas Annie Zhou Photo Director James Poe Business Managers Irene Choi Deepali Sastry Digital Archivist Riya Matta Statistician Thomas Chapman Staff Writers Allison Cheng Ashley Hitchings Ashley Wang Amira Garewal Angela Liu Asia Gardias Daniel Logan Eoin O’Kramer Julie Cornfield Megan Chai Noga Hurwitz Olivia Brown Rebecca Yao Riya Sinha Saurin Holdheim Stephanie Yu Tamar Sarig Adviser Paul Kandell

Publication Policy Verde, a feature magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Magazine Journalism class, is a designated open forum for student expression and discussion of issues of concern to its readership. Verde is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost.

Letters to the Editors The staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to veics-1617@gmail.com or to 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301. Verde can also be contacted through social media, preferably Facebook. All Verde stories are posted online and available for commenting at verdemagazine.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 Irene Choi and Deepali Sastry through our adviser at 650-329-3837 for more information.

Printing & Distribution Verde is printed five times a year in October, November, February, April and May, by Folger Graphics in Hayward, California. The Paly PTSA mails Verde to every student’s home. All Verde work is at verdemagazine.com.

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In this issue Inside

6 Editorials 8 Launch 13 News

Features 15 19 22 24 26

COVER: Revisiting OCR Print Journalism Fake News The Cost of Prom Wilderness Therapy

Profiles

MOTORIZED DESK KIDS pg. 42

Staff writers Asia Gardias and Anglea Liu talk to two new famed faces on campus

ON THE COVER

pg. 15

Staff writer Emma Cockerell snapped this picture of Palo Alto High School Principal Kim Diorio at her desk. Verde’s cover story reflects on the past four years of the Office of Civil Rights’ investigation into on campus cases of sexual assault and harassment and Diorio’s role as assistant primcipal in the process.

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30 34 38 40 41 45 46

Transgender Students Kitayama Farm Institute for the Future Mr. Blackburn Motorized Desk Kids Senior Polls World Record Holders

Culture 48 50 52 54 55 56 58 60 62 64

Podcasts Vegan Ice Cream Backyard Brew Mochi Bar Tea Time Beauty and the Beast Prom Penny Pinchers B8ta Blue Apron Green Smoothies

Perspectives

65 66 68 70

Fashion to Advocate No More Garbage Having a Common Name Gabe Gets Serious

Facebook: /verdemagazine Instagram: @verdemag Issuu.com: /verdemagazine

Photo by Stephanie Lee

VEGAN ICE CREAM

Photo by James Poe

pg. 60

FLOWER FARMS

pg. 34

BACKYARD BREW pg. 41

Staff writers Stephanie Lee and Frances Zhuang review California Avenue’s newest trending outdoor café

Photo by Michelle Li

FROM THE EDITORS

Ending a chapter We almost tell ourselves that the pain is worth it if we can just have that final, sublime feeling of joy that, yes, we made it through the hard times.

For the past four years, Palo Alto High School has experienced its fair share of pain with multiple cases of sexual harassment coming to light.

In this issue’s cover story, “Case 09-13-5901,” staff writers Ashley Hitchings, Noga Hurwitz and Tara Madhav examine the role Principal Kim Diorio played in the larger narrative of various cases of sexual assault and harassment on campus, as we look at the recently released Office of Civil Rights’ investigation’s report.

Although the report does not immediately solve problems of sexual harassment and assault on campus, it marks the beginning of a hopeful era of safety for students at Paly. With the conclusion of the OCR investigation, we look forward to a school administration that will provide a safety net for student survivors.

There are others ways in which we pursue our safety and well-being. In the article “A Cure in the Wilderness,” staff writers Olivia Brown, Irene Choi and Julie Cornfield delve into the experiences of students who attend wilderness therapy camps for a better life free of drug addiction. In “Across the Gender Spectrum,” staff writers Allison Cheng and Stephanie Lee look at members of the Palo Alto transgender com-

munity who are following their own paths to who they really want to be.

We hope that through compassion our community will become a place where anyone feels welcome and cared for. Yet, the administration is not the only one who must strive for this level of acceptance. Paly students, you must be the ones to appreciate and respect each other, for quirks, talents and everything that makes each of us unique.

We are grateful for the opportunity to make a change through journalism and to help student voices be heard.

As outgoing editors-in-chief, we will cherish the memories we made putting together the 72 pages in each issue of Verde this year, and we want to express our gratitude to you — our readers. This year we analyzed national issues in tumultuous times, dived headfirst into sensitive stories and reviewed new restaurants and cafés, and so much more, with you. You are what makes our late nights worth it. We are confident in the abilities of our new editor team and staff as a whole. Thank you to Mr. Kandell, our staff and our readers for always helping and encouraging us, and good luck on your future endeavours.

—Danielle, Tara & Alicia

EDITORIALS

OCR report provides a needed support system

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OUR YEARS AGO, AROUND the very time you’re reading this issue of Verde, a story of rape culture arrived in the hands of Palo Alto High School students. The release of the fourth issue of Verde’s 14th volume was a bulletin on the wall that spoke frankly about sexual assault and harassment in our town.

Four years later, after tens of thousands of people read “You can’t tell me I wasn’t raped,” the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has released its report on an investigation into Palo Alto Unified School District’s procedures around dealing with instances of sexual harassment.

With the release of the OCR investigation on March 16, Paly and other PAUSD schools have a thorough and exact tool with which they can properly deal with cases of sexual harassment.

The report is, by any terms, an unflinching indictment of PAUSD’s mishandling of eight cases. The principal complaint is that PAUSD provided inconsistent procedures for reporting complaints of sexual harassment.

Reading it elicits feelings of confusion and perhaps even anger as to why cases outlined in the report were handled as they were.

But ultimately, going forward, the OCR investigation must be commended as providing a constructive answer to the past four years. We hope that you, the reader of this editorial, will feel em-

powered by the publication of the report as it will provide you with a clear process for reporting cases of sexual harassment — a mechanism that others before you, regretfully, didn’t have.

We support the school district’s efforts to implement the coming training sessions on sexual harassment and to create a consistent procedure for reporting incidents of sexual harassment. More so, Verde stands strong in its support for the continued address of issues concerning sexual assault.

Finally, we want to express our deep gratitude to the Volume 14 Verde staff who worked incredibly hard to bring stories of injustice to the public, and left a lasting impact. The entire staff who worked on this story exemplifies what investigative, conscious, and effective journalism should be, and their efforts in reducing incidents of sexual assault is a model to every

student journalist who believes in the power of reporting.

Verde hopes that progress in dealing with these issues will continue long after this report has been published, much as the effects of the rape culture cover package continue to live on four years later.

Editorials are written by Verde’s staff, and require more than 50 percent of the whole staff’s approval.

Art by Aishah Maas

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INCE THE PALO ALTO Unified School District administration learned of a 2000-instructional-minute deficit, students have been given a voice in the process to develop a new bell schedule for the upcoming school year. Principal Kim Diorio and the other administrators deserve to be commended for their efforts to take into account student views and prioritize the well-being of the student population.

A group of 23 students, parents and teachers have met on a regular basis to participate in the Bell Schedule Review Committee. After monthly meetings, full day retreats and in-depth research, three bell schedule options were presented to students through an online survey sent out through Schoology on March 14. With the survey results, the committee made its recommendation late last month to keep C days with some tweeks to come.

Even after the schedule for next school year is decided, the BSRC will most likely still hold meetings and continue including students in discussions, according to BSRC sophomore member Vivian Feng.

We look forward to the new schedule regardless of the final decision, and applaud the administration’s attempts to allow for more student representation to on issues that will directly affect them.

According to David Foster, Paly sophomore and member of the BSRC, student members of the committee feel grateful for the opportunity to represent the student voice in a decision that will affect the community for years to come. With the online survey,

even students who are not on the committee were able to voice their opinions.

“The good thing about the surveys is that we got 72 percent of the student population to respond,” Foster says. “That’s a way to get them involved. Students have a lot of ideas about the bell schedule, because it affects them everyday.”

In contrast, during the meetings discussing the reporting of weighted GPAs, less than 2 percent of the Paly and Gunn student population were present to advocate for their views, according to Diorio. Although we commend the adminitration’s recent inclusion of student opinions in deciding on a new bell schdule, we hope to see more student input in all aspects of campus life.

With this new potential to make a difference, Verde believes that students should not sit back and let the chance pass. Instead, we encourage students to take the initiative to participate in committees and discussions that will allow us to legitimize the student voice and help the admin make the best choice for the student populace.

Art by Aishah Maas

Administration deserves commendation for encouraging student input

HOW TO GET READY FOR PROM 1

Fake your own death. If all else fails, this is a surefire way to score some pity from your prospective date. If you're convicing enough, the subject of your affections might even give YOU flowers as they mourn. Power move.

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"Accidentally" hit your love interests' car in the parking lot. As you exchange insurance, you can gaze into their eyes and get down on one knee. Whenever they look at the dent in the bumper of their mom's BMW, they'll think of you. Awww!

3

Write an original love poem in another language and read it to woo your date on the quad. Best case scenario, they tell you you're super romantic. Worst case scenario, everyone thinks you're having a stroke.

4

Pull the fire alarm and ask your date as the whole school congregates on the football field. This way, you will have a large audience for your extravagant proposal. Extra points for a fire-related pun on your asking sign.

Text by JOSH CODE

Art by EOIN O'KRAMER

VERBATIM: Inspirational advice from one grade to the next

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URING EVERY STUDENT'S time in high school, he or she experiences various misfortunes as well as joys, and learns from the process. History tends to repeat itself. Similarly, high schoolers have a tendency to repeat each others' mistakes. In order to prevent this, Verde asked Paly students to draw from their experiences to give advice to the Vikings in the grades below them.

Future Paly students can use these tips to avoid the same mistakes.

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Art by EOIN O'KRAMER

"Don't worry. People are nicer than you think." — GABBY ROSENBERG, freshman

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Reporting by SAURIN HOLDHEIM

ASB ANSWERS What can we expect at the upcoming ASB volleyball tournament?

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This year's tournament will be similar to years past, and will hopefully be as successful. It's a tradition worth continuing because I think it's a great way to alleviate some stress come finals time. ... I know that there are some really good volleyball players at our school, and it should be interesting to see how they all perform on the quad.”

Kasra Orumchian, Sports Commissioner

Signs you are an #SSS 1

Your Instagram bio is completely up to date with your hometown and college (‘21).

2

You were a burden on your AP Pysch Language Development Project group and you forgot what a noun is.

3

Instead of finishing your homework, you need to take the Buzzfeed quiz to find out what your dessert choice implies about your soulmate.

4

Any class becomes blended when you want it to be …

Art by EOIN O'KRAMER

Text by DEEPALI SASTRY

"Do your best and man- "Despite all the stress, re- "Get out more and live a little.”

— DAVID ANWYL, senior member to stay driven." age your time wisely."

— TEJAS SHETE, sophomore

— ALIX BARRY, junior

Reporting by STEPHANIE YU

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HOW TO GET READY FOR PROM

Other ways to spend prom money ($135)

S PROM SEASON nears, it is imperative to prepare for and prevent the potential mishaps that may occur. From runny makeup to hunger, Verde has compiled tips on how to get ready for Prom to avoid these disasters.

Liquid Glue For all the ladies out there, we all know how frustrating it is when we smudge the make-up that we put our blood, sweat and tears in to. To prevent this, drop by your local drugstore and pick up some liquid glue. Carefully paint a thin layer of liquid glue over your pampered face and let it dry. This foolproof plan will leave you looking on fleek on your special night (and many nights after that depending on the strength of the glue).

Edible Jewelry Hungry? No problem — we’ve got you covered. Instead of wasting energy that should be spent on dancing on walking to the food area, why not carry food on you? Discreetly carry around scrumptious treats by adorning yourself with candy jewelry. Depending on how fancy you want to look, bring with you an assortment of candy necklaces, rings and bracelets. This simple tip will leave you looking in style and eating in style.

Text by MICHELLE LI Art by EOIN O'KRAMER

TEACHER OPINION: PRINT VS. DIGITAL

The future of journalism remains unclear. As an extension of the print journalism feature on page 19, Verde interviewed teachers on which platforms they prefer.

19 burritos 8 pet hamsters 13 soccer balls 2 camping tents 125 doughnuts 1 Ikea bed frame 42 gallons of milk 31,245 ladybugs

Text by AMIRA GAREWAL Art by EOIN O'KRAMER

"I prefer printed. It’s easier on my eyes since it’s hard when you’re scrolling and hunting through something digital and clunky. I recently bought a digital [set of] workout [instructions] and I actually printed it so I could carry it with me."

— MISCHA STEMPEL, math teacher

"I prefer reading on paper because to me it causes less eye strain when I’m reading for long periods of time. I buy used books to reduce waste without eliminating print material completely."

— JOSHUA KNOWLES-HINRICHS, English teacher

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Text by ASHLEY WANG Art by EOIN O'KRAMER

SPRING TREATS

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RELAXATION PLAYLIST

by ASIA GARDIAS

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O ONE CAN avoid stress, especially as AP tests near. When your pencils become dull and your highlighters create streaks of black, take a break from studying and listen to this playlist. Filled with a variety of artists and genres, this playlist can help relax anyone.

Text and cupcakes by REBECCA YAO Photo by EMMA COCKERELL

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PRING IS HERE! This change of season brings sweetness and freshness… in the form of bunny cupcakes!

You’ll Need: h A batch of your favorite cupcake recipe, mini or regular h Cream cheese frosting h A piping bag or a plastic bag h Candy melts h Parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet h Food coloring h Optional: Pink sprinkles and a grass piping tip Steps: 1. In the microwave, melt a handful of candy melts in 30 second increments until melted, stirring in between.

2. Make a small cut in the corner of a tape-reinforced plastic bag or a piping bag.

3. On the parchment paper or silicone baking sheet, pipe pairs of bunny ear shapes, squeezing the bag with more pressure to create wider ears.

Act quickly or the candy melts will begin to harden! You can add a little bit of oil to soften the candy melts, which will give you a bit more time to create your bunny ears. Make more pairs of ears than you need, just in case things don't go according to plan!

4. Melt some more candy melts in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring until melted.

5. Add some food coloring to dye the candy melts pink, and place them into a new piping bag or plastic bag.

6. Pipe pink “inner-ears” on top of the already-piped outer ears. Let them set.

7. Cut a large chunk of the corner off a tape-reinforced plastic bag or a piping bag. Fill the piping bag with uncolored (or chocolate) cream cheese frosting.

8. Pipe two dollops of frosting, one on top of the other, on either a mini or regular cupcake.

9. Add the ears. The nose can either be made of candy melts or of sprinkles, and you may pipe grass with optional frosting tips.

10. Your cupcakes are finished (and adorable). For best results, enjoy them outside with friends.

by REBECCA YAO Hearts Photos by JAMES POE

PATRICK WATSON Seasick Dream JACK JOHNSON Ribs LORDE Brown Eyes LADY GAGA Sunset Lover PETIT BISCUIT Who Says JOHN MAYER Fireflies OWL CITY

Roses CARLY RAE JEPSEN Red House JIMI HENDRIX The General DISPATCH

Spotify playlist link: https://play.spotify.com/user/ palyverde/playlist/6SCteawpS0nV90X0oqv9dc

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news Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo to renovate

I DISCUSSING Superintendent Max McGee reviews potential weighted GPA decisions for the future. Photo by Stephanie Lee.

Final weighted GPA decision

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HE PALO ALTO Unified School District Board of Education plans to vote on April 18 to either approve or reject Superintendent Max McGee’s recommendation for updating the district’s GPA reporting policy.

The new proposal would standardize GPA reporting across both high schools, requiring that schools report both cumulative weighted and cumulative unweighted GPAs on all student transcripts beginning in the 2018-2019 school year, according to McGee. The weighting process would follow the UC system’s guidelines, meaning that all UC-designated honors and AP classes would receive a weight and freshman grades would not be included in the calculation.

The recommendation comes after a months-long process of dialogue between district administrators, teachers, parents and students. Ultimately, McGee reached a decision that he hopes will address some problems with the former GPA reporting system.

“It [the proposed policy] will benefit students in that some students will be able to get merit scholarships, and some will get scholarships at a higher level than in the past,” McGee said, referring to colleges that set a GPA cutoff for students seeking scholarships. He also believes that reporting weighted GPAs will encourage students to challenge

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themselves by taking more rigorous courses without fear of damaging their grades.

Despite the beneficial changes that McGee anticipates under the new policy, he acknowledges that reporting weighted GPAs has some potential downsides as well.

“I have no doubt it will add to the competitive nature of the schools,” McGee said, adding that he worries that student stress will increase in response.

School board member Jennifer DiBrienza said she will likely vote in favor of McGee’s recommendation. Though initially opposed to reporting a weighted GPA because of concerns over student stress, DiBrienza said that discussions with students and parents have helped her see the benefits of this policy.

“As there is no direct data that [tells] us that reporting [weighted GPA] will increase stress,” DiBrienza stated, “I am in support of reporting as Dr. McGee recommends, while listening closely to the educators who work most closely with our students.”

Both DiBrienza and McGee believe that if the decision is approved by the school board, the district should monitor its effects on student life and make adjustments to the policy if they become necessary for the wellbeing of Palo Alto students.

by TAMAR SARIG

F YOU WANT to see Sequoia the bald eagle in her “natural” home at the Junior Museum and Zoo, you’ve got 11 months before JMZ begins renovation.

Originally, the JMZ decided to raise funds for renovation starting in 2013 because the staff and the community acknowledged that a new facility would be needed to maintain the JMZ’s growing program.

“It’s been on everybody’s radar screen for a long time that the Junior Museum’s program has outgrown its facility,” said JMZ’s executive director, John Aikin.

The renovation plans also include updates similar to those in other local museums and zoos. JMZ received $25 million for renovating its ground.

During the construction, community members can still explore exhibits and interact with animals. Due to safety concerns, the outdoor animals will not be able to stay in an area where the public can see them.

However, the JMZ has set up video cameras so that visitors can essentially keep in touch with certain animals during the construction.

Interested visitors can also visit the JMZ’s temporary facility during the construction, located at Cubberley Community Center (4000 Middlefield Rd), which features mainly indoor animals.

by ALLISON CHENG

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Castilleja expansion efforts garner opposition

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PPOSITION IS RIPPLING through Palo Alto against Castilleja School, Palo Alto’s private girls’ school, as Castilleja continues to push to expand their campus.

The expansion claims to alleviate traffic by redirecting Castilleja traffic and parking to their new underground garage. Nonetheless, this has left a number of Palo Alto residents skeptical, given the school’s location between Bryant and Embarcadero, a congestion hotspot.

“I live right across the street from the back of Castilleja, so yes the traffic now is already kind of a pain when I’m trying to get to school and my parents are trying to get to work,” said Jordan Quigley, a Palo Alto High School senior. “I know that my parents are against the expansion because it will just create more traffic that is already a problem now.”

A public scoping meeting, conducted by the Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission, allowed public commentary on the Environmental Impact Report for Castilleja’s multi-year expansion project plan. It is currently in the process of attaining the city’s approval.

In addition, with the majority of Castilleja students coming from outside of Palo Alto, an estimated additional 30 percent increase of students and parents commuting in and out of neighboring residential areas paired with construction noise and traffic has left residents opposing the expansion.

Castilleja’s first step in its expansion began in June 2016, when the school filed for a new Conditional Use Permit to the Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission.

If the new CUP is approved for Castilleja, the school would be allowed to enroll an additional 25-27 students each year for a maximum student body of 540, which is 102 more than the school’s

NOTICE OF EXPANSION A small, but noticeable, sign stands tall on Castilleja’s campus, notifying community members of its future expansion. Photo by Angela Liu.

current population, Castilleja Head of School Nanci Kauffman told Palo Alto Online.

Castilleja was fined $256,000 in 2013 for exceeding its original CUP, which was issued in 2000 and placed a cap on enrollment of 415 students on the school.

Along with the student influx, Castilleja’s CUP states that it would grant “construction of an underground parking garage,” paired with the “creation of a below-grade swimming pool and bike pavilion.”

by ANGELA LIU

Paly gym to complete in early May

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FTER TWO YEARS of construction, Palo Alto High School’s new gymnasium — the Peery Family Center — is expected to be finished in early May, but will not officially open until fall 2017.

Paly Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, overseer of the gym construction, said that the project is on track and has only faced minor setbacks due to weather conditions. According to Berkson, the project costs an estimated $44 million and is expected to be a beautiful building.

The athletics building will include a dance room, weight room, storage, locker rooms and two gymnasiums.

The school also plans for a wave of renovations over the summer.

Another project will begin the day after the school year ends. Furniture and supplies from the library will be moved into the portables and a temporary library will be set up in the student center.

“The library is an 18-month project, followed by the science adons, and hopefully then we won’t have construction for a while,” Berkson said.

Additionally, the school will move the world language and special education departments to the 300s building.

by AMIRA GAREWAL

SLOWLY BUILDING The Paly gym, or the Peery Family Center, is wrapping up its final touches and is expected to be completed in early May. Photo

by Amira Garewal

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Permits for Southgate parking program to be implemented

ALO ALTO CITY Council is moving forward with the Southgate residential parking program by sending out ballots to citizen inquiring whether they would prefer implementation of the program after a year of previous inspection into the community’s overcrowded streets.

The RPP aims to limit parking by non-residents as the neighborhood is a magnet for free, convenient parking for people attending Palo Alto High School, Stanford University or working on California Avenue.

The details have not been set but if the program is similar to previous ones, residents will receive one free permit in the form of a hangtag for their cars but a second will cost $50. The council previously set up similar programs in the Downtown neighborhood and are looking to implement similar programs in the Mayfield and Evergreen Park neighborhoods.

If implemented, Paly and Stanford students — two large contributors to the congestion — will not have access to any parking permits.

Residents says another contributing factor to the congestion are the narrow streets which have a smaller width than typical, two-lane, urban roads.

CROWDED TRAFFIC The morning traffic of the arrives and quickly fills the available parking spots in and around Paly. This large traffic hub creates a congested intersection and increases rates of accidents/ Photo by Asia Gardias.

Dave Schnedler, a Southgate property owner since 1988, has seen the amount of traffic in the neighborhood drastically increase due to factors like a population increase, a larger student body at Paly and other contributing factors. With such a high demand for a parking spot, Schnedler has found it difficult to sometimes even maneuver around the narrow streets.

“We used to park the cars alternate to each other so you could weave through them,” Schnedler says, “Now they’re parked across from each other.”

Southgate’s parking program has not come for a vote before the council; however, other governmental bodies have been review-

ing and progressing the program since July, 2016. The review of the program began after a May 9th vote in 2016 which directed City Council Staff to begin the implementation.

“We should be thinking of neighborhoods as neighborhoods, not parking lots,” city council member Eric Filseth says. “That doesn’t necessarily mean zero nonresident cars — they are public streets, after all — just that there’s a threshold where you start worrying.”

All of the details have not yet been hashed out and the kickoff date has not yet been set, but city council is still working on the issue.

by ASIA GARDIAS

Proposed bill to exempt teachers from income tax awaiting vote

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BILL PROPOSED in the California state legislature exempts teachers from state income tax in order to attract new teachers and retain old ones in their jobs.

The bill, formally known as Senate Bill 807, will be voted on. Statewide polls are being held to better gauge public opinion on the matter.

California in recent years has had a shortage of teachers, coming in last out of the 50 states in teacher to student ratio, according to California Teachers Association.

Additionally, about a third of the current teaching workforce is nearing

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the age of retirement, and the state has a desperate need to attract new teachers.

“I think it would be a great idea,” said junior Raj Lele. “Teachers around here don’t usually earn enough money to live where they work, and that is something that this bill could help.”

However, the bill has come under fire from many directions, some argue that this favoritism towards teachers is highly political, and others argue that the bill won’t be enough to accomplish its goa.

“I think that it would be great in a lot of ways, but I’m not sure that it is something that could ever actually pass,” said Paly economics teacher Eric Bloom.

Other teachers have even greater reservations.

“The bill would give a greater benefit to teachers in affluent school districts compared to teachers in less wealthy school districts because their income tax is proportional to their salaries in addition to the fact that they are in a higher tax bracket to begin with,” said David Baker, a math teacher at Paly. “Therefore, teachers would be even more attracted to top performing schools where they would receive an extra boost in salary.”

by DANIEL LOGAN

Case 09-13-5901

OCR REPORT HERALDS NEW ERA ON CAMPUS Text by ASHLEY HITCHINGS, NOGA HURWITZ and TARA MADHAV Art by EOIN O’KRAMER

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ORMER PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIpal Phil Winston was many things. He was a colorful presence on campus. A jokester. A gregarious guy beloved by parents and students alike. In fact, he even took a lax attitude towards streaking, considering it a student tradition. Due to Winston’s casual demeanor, it was common to hear students call him “Chill Phil,” instead of the formal “Mr. Winston” when they saw him around campus.

But there was another side to “Chill Phil.” He made inappropriate remarks to students about their clothes, relationships and even — in an incident cited in a 2013 formal notice of “unprofessional conduct” — “asked if [a student’s] boobs hurt when [she] was running naked through the quad.” Winston had an attitude and ego that carried over into his relationship with faculty, especially female staff members, and reflected the leniency of his adherence to proper workplace behavior.

In June 2013, after three years of aggregating 25 complaints of sexual harassment made by faculty members against Winston, one of Paly’s assistant principals — identified as current principal Kim Diorio by the Palo Alto Weekly and Verde Magazine — was faced with the harrowing choice of whether or not to come forward with the complaints that Winston had played a direct role in cultivating a “sexually hostile environment” at Palo Alto High School.

On one hand, Diorio was concerned for women and girls on campus, and wanted to confront the hostile environment.

On the other hand, she feared retaliation against both her and her colleagues. Not only was Winston her direct superior, but the misogynistic environment she saw at Paly was prominent at the District Office in the form of, as one staff member put it, a “good ole’ boys club,” according to redacted documents published by the Palo Alto Weekly.

To her knowledge, Diorio had no obligation to report the complaints, she wrote in her letter to Bowers. Even so, she felt a duty to take action. She grappled with the idea of confronting Winston directly, but ultimately decided not to, afraid of making the situation worse. Instead, she scheduled a confidential meeting with Palo Alto Unified School District’s Title IX coordinator at the time, Charles Young. Young’s job was to deal with everything related to Title IX, a federal education law that states that no person should be discriminated against on the basis of gender.

Ultimately, Diorio did voice her allegations against Winston. ston. In particular, it condemns Diorio for not discharging “her In her letter to Bowers a week following her meeting, she stated, responsibility to take immediate and appropriate steps to address “[coming forward was the] most difficult professional decision and them when they were reported to her,” given her position as a high conversation that I’ve had during my time with the District.” level District employee.

Soon after, citing health reasons, Winston resigned. Around “Under the law, that staff member had an obligation to report the same time as a nation-wide dialogue about sexual assault [them],” Dauber says. “The law is what it is but I am not unloomed over the community and the release of Verde’s “You Can’t sympathetic to that employee saying that she … feared retaliation.

Tell Me I Wasn’t Raped” cover package, an Office of Civil Rights We shouldn’t downplay the very real fear people have of retaliation investigation was launched into whether the district, by improperwhen they report things like this.” ly applying procedures for reporting sexual assault, had Ultimately, the OCR report should also helped cultivate the sexually hostile be viewed as not just a formal examenvironment described in Diorio’s letination of the district, or a criticism ter. of some far-removed administration.

“We shouldn’t downplay The OCR, a sub-agency of the It is a story of the complexity of our the very real fear people U.S. Department of Education, works culture, one in which stigmas control to investigate and eliminate discrimthe narrative, victims are pushed into have of retaliation when ination in educational institutions. silence and a culture of shame simthey report things like this” Sexual harassment and assault, forms mers underneath the reports, facts — MICHELE DAUBER, Stanford law professor of sex discrimination, fall under the and redactions. Diorio’s story is one office’s jurisdiction, as, according to of many.

Michele Dauber, a Stanford professor of In a school with a history of law and Title IX expert, “It could really leaving the suffering in silence, Dioimpact your ability to get an education, depending on how severe rio says she is striving to guide Paly into a new age of transparency it is, how pervasive, how extensive [it] is.” and efficacy.

Early this year, the OCR released the findings of its investiga“My only regret is that I did not come forward sooner,” writes tion. In it are eight cases of reported assault or harassment, all criti- Diorio in her 2013 letter to Bowers. cally examined to determine whether the district mishandled them.

The 23-page report unequivocally states that the process in Where it all began which these cases were addressed by the district was broken. It The story of the OCR investigation in PAUSD began almost also criticizes the redacted assistant principal, Diorio, as having four years ago to this day on April 8, 2013. That’s when Verde improperly withheld three years worth of allegations against Win- released “You Can’t Tell Me I Wasn’t Raped,” a cover story which

OCR’s 8 Investigations* 1

3

A Paly student reported an alleged off-campus assault to the school. In response, the school assisted her in filing a police report, provided her with a list of counseling resources and excused her temporarily from school. OCR said the district failed to follow proper procedure.

Two students reported to a school counselor and an assistant principal that over the weekend a male student locked a female student in a bathroom at a student’s house party over the weekend and told her he would not let her out unless she performed oral sex on him. OCR said the district failed to follow proper procedure. *https://www.pausd.org/sites/default/files/pdn-news/ attachments/PAUSD-OCRFindings-3-8-17.pdf

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In June 2013, Paly’s then-assistant principal met with the district’s then-Title IX coordinator and voices concerns about the inappropriate conduct of the then-principal. She disclosed allegations, collected over three years, from 25 staff members who shared reports accusing the principal of inappropriate behavior. In August, the principal is reassigned within the district. OCR said the district and former assistant principal failed to follow proper procedure.

A Paly teacher was accused of socializing with a student several times while she was still in high school, although he maintained he did not have a sexual relationship with her. The student’s ex-boyfriend, also a former Paly student, later sent a letter to the principal alleging that the teacher engaged in “grooming” while the girl was still in high school. OCR said the district failed to follow proper procedure.

Former principal, Phil Winston.

Photo: Palo Alto Online

Former English teacher, Kevin Sharp. Photo: Palo Alto Online

detailed narratives of Paly students who had survived sexual assault, and identified a largely unrecognized rape culture, an environment in which incidents of sexual harassment and assault are considered normal or acceptable because of norms and values, on campus.

The impact of the cover story would prove to last well beyond the days Verde spent in the spotlight, and would eventually catalyze a four-year long investigation by the OCR into cases of sexual harassment within PAUSD. Dauber was one of the first voices who called upon the school board to conduct an internal investigation of the handling of sexual harassment cases. Dauber’s efforts grew out of her long-standing concern and activism in connection with the district’s response to a 2013 case of “disability bullying” at Terman Middle School.

“Right as the community was wrestling with this issue, the Verde article came out and I said ‘Oh my God, it’s the same exact thing,” Dauber told Verde. “The standards [for Title IX] are not different depending on whether it’s sex or race or disability. It’s the same. You have to investigate promptly and equitably and take steps to stop the hostile environment.”

“On one hand I was proud of our student press who really understood the impact that this story could have,” Diorio says. “At the same time I was so disheartened ... and thinking ‘Wow. How do we talk about this and how do we do more to address what’s happening?’”

Now, four years later, the OCR report provides answers to these questions.

“There was part of me that feels very relieved that we have some closure to their investigation and the resolution agreement provides us with an action plan for moving forward.” Diorio says.

“But the findings itself were in some way difficult for me to digest, because I know so many of the personal stories and shared experi-

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In December 2015, a teacher told an assistant principal at Gunn that a classified employee and the student were dating, and that there was a “hazy line between students and staff with someone like [the classified employee].” An outside investigator concluded that the two were not in a romantic relationship.

However, two staff members knew the student and employee had driven together in the student’s car on multiple occasions.

Preliminary reports suggest the district appeared to have handled this correctly.

On June 16, 2016, a male science teacher at Paly asked a female freshman student to come to his classroom after school.

When she arrived the teacher allegedly put his hands under the student’s clothes, touched her breasts and took one of her hands and placed it on his clothed groin area. The student notified her parents and the teacher was arrested. OCR said the district failed to follow proper procedure.

ences of the different people who are involved in the [OCR] investigation.”

District defiance After Diorio came forward with the staff allegations and the OCR investigation began on June 23, 2013, the superintendent and board responded with staunch resistance to components of the investigation. In 2014, the board passed a resolution condemning the OCR for methods used when conducting investigations.

According to Diorio, a lack of knowledge on the intentions of the OCR ignited opposing opinions.

“I don’t have enough information for why that decision was made in 2014 and why the board took action the way they did,” Diorio says. “I think because we were one of the first public secondary school districts to be investigated by them [OCR].”

A pervasive fear of the unknown permeated the board at that time, according to Diorio, as members had to deal with an unfamiliar query from an unfamiliar source. Eventually, however, the board would accept the OCR and its findings, passing a resolution early this year reversing its 2014 criticism.

What lies ahead Four years later, although the OCR investigation has come to a close, the community’s work is only just beginning. According to Diorio and Supt. Max McGee, in addition to classroom lessons on sexual harassment, additional measures will be taken to expand the discussion, as dictated by the agreements with the OCR. To destigmatize the topic and empower students, PAUSD is planning assemblies with dynamic speakers to educate students

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A female Gunn student broke up with her boyfriend. Following the breakup, the male student allegedly began stalking her, waiting for and following her between classes and to her home. One day, the male student followed her as she walked home from school and grabbed her by the hair, pulled her head down and hit her with his other hand. Subsequently, the male student was arrested by the Palo Alto Police Department and placed temporarily in juvenile hall and the female student was issued a restraining order against him. OCR said the district failed to follow proper procedure.

On Jan. 14, 2016, the district learned that a teacher at a Ohlone Elementary School was criminally charged with sexual abuse of a minor for conduct that was alleged to have occurred in 2003 when the teacher was not an employee of the district. The district immediately placed the teacher on administrative leave and provided counseling resources to the school community. OCR has a concern about the district’s handling of the case but the investigation is ongoing.

Former science teacher, Ronnie Farrell. Photo: Palo Alto Police Dept.

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and staff on complex issues inckuding sexual harassment and assault. Annual student surveys will help administrators get a sense of school climate, and this information will be monitored and tracked by the OCR to ensure progress. Revised Title IX policies and procedures will apper in the Student Handbook and classrooms to help students understand them.

These are steps in the right direction, according to students who have formerly dealt with assault and harassment.

“Never talking about it creates a barrier between victims and those who couldn’t imagine what it’s like,” says Kristie, an assault survivor and current student whose name has been changed to protect her identity. “When we begin talking about sexual assault, it removes the stigma around it.”

The OCR and the district also are working to create an anonymous reporting tool to encourage students and staff to speak out without fear of retaliation and with confidence that action will be taken. Diorio says these efforts are meant to open lines of communication between students and the administration, as well as combat the stigma that silences so many victims of sexual harassment.

“If you feel you’re being treated in a way that doesn’t make you feel welcome or doesn’t make you feel safe, then we want you to report that to us,” Diorio says. “We want to know about it. The challenge is, we can’t fix something if we don’t know it’s an issue. So how do we create a mechanism where students feel they can report something in confidence and then know the school will take action and follow through?”

Perhaps most crucial to adapting the school to the OCR inves-

tigation is ensuring that faculty know how to properly handle cases of sexual harassment and can promptly and equitably report such cases to the school district.

“I don’t think anyone failed to respond or didn’t respond timely enough because they didn’t care,” Diorio says. “I think it was more of not really knowing what the next steps should be.”

Case closed?

Moving forward, despite the conclusion of the OCR investigation, many people are still left with unresolved questions.

“Is it just a net bad coincidence?” Dauber says of the multiple cases explored by the OCR. “I am concerned because I don’t understand what is going on in the culture of our community that has made a space for that kind of thing. That’s a high number for such a small district.”

Another major unresolved question is how the district ultimately will view Diorio’s decision to withhold the 25 complaints until her moment of truth. According to social sciences teacher Eric Bloom, the report’s allegation does not negatively affect his judgment of Diorio’s abilities.

“I am actually more confident in her ability to lead this campus after having read the findings of this report,” Bloom says. “Diorio now has the experience and evidence to bring about change and challenge the misogynistic mindset of women having to be less sensitive.”

McGee also commends Diorio for setting clear guidelines as to what actions are and are not appropriate.

“There’s a saying that … you deserve what you tolerate,” McGee says. “If you have adults saying ‘This is just kids being kids’... [and] pass it off as just something trivial, you’re really opening the door to tolerating other behaviors which just lead to more inappropriate actions. I think she [Diorio] has made it very clear [which] actions by students and adults just aren’t going to be tolerated.”

Diorio, along with the rest of the PAUSD faculty, is now tasked with ensuring the most efficient mechanisms are put in place so sexual harassment is dealt with promptly and equitably.

“We are here to accept all, protect all and we’re proud of it — that needs to be what our culture’s all about ,” McGee says. “We still have more to do [but]… I think our culture shifted from ‘this is something I have to do’ to ‘this is something worth doing.’”

Diorio says she knows how difficult it is to come forward — now, she says she is leading the effort to make sure students don’t face the same fear of retaliation that she did.

“Four years later we are a different school and we are at a different place and different point in time and that’s the good news,” Diorio says. “We’ve learned a lot from our past mistakes and failures and I think we’re better now at supporting kids and supporting staff members — supporting people who have these experiences or are afraid to come forward.” v LOOKING TO THE PAST Principal Kim Diorio looks at Volume 14 Issue 5 of Verde, which featured the story “You Can’t Tell Me I Wasn’t Raped,” a story about rape culture on campus. “I know he [Mr. Kandell] worked a lot with the editors at the time and the students involved in that story to make sure they were framing this in a way to talk about the truths of a few students experiencing and also showing there are ways to get support if this story is a trigger for anyone else,” Diorio says. The story triggered a four year Office of Civil Rights investigation into instances of sexual assault and harassment on campus. Photo by James Poe.

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HARD AT WORK Dave Price (right) and co-worker confer about the day’s best news stories. As a longtime journalist and the founder of two successful Palo Alto newspapers, Price seems to have a natural instinct for determining which events will make the most captivating stories. “Local news is really interesting. It’s as dramatic as anything that happens in Washington,” Price says. Photo by James Poe.

Text by ASIA GARDIAS, EOIN O’KRAMER and FRANCES ZHUANG

Obsolete or on the rise?

THE FUTURE OF PRINT JOURNALISM IN THE BAY

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HE ICE CUBES IN A JUMBO cup of soda have all melted. Police dispatch scanners accompany television broadcasts, squeaking out a static-filled report once in awhile, informing the Palo Alto Daily Post staff of what move law enforcement might make next. All the while, Dave Price, co-founder and owner of the Palo Alto Daily Post, holds court in his swivel chair, assessing which events will create the biggest stories of the day with the help of his co-workers.

For the Post, print business is booming, as evidenced by Price’s statement that the papers are consistently grabbed out of the box and the publications’ advertisers are highly satisfied, despite the technocentric atmosphere of the town.

“This is the most wired town in the world,” Price says. “You go into coffee shops,

yet you see people reading a printed newspa“Readers’ habits have changed substanper. That’s not supposed to be happening.” tially,” Dong says. “They say people’s attenIn contrast, Jocelyn Dong, the editor of tion spans are shorter than [a] goldfish[‘s] the Palo Alto Weekly, now because we’re getting says that the longused to instant feedback term future of daily We have a crying with all the games and or weekly print jourproducts that we use.” need for local news nalism is uncertain.

Based on the WeekThe Weekly’s print coverage, which is ly’s statistics, the model readership has demedia consumption dying very rapidly.” of clined from around is undoubtedly chang— Dave Price, co-founder and pub40,000 to less than ing. In an increasingly lisher of the Palo Alto Daily Post 34,000 in the past 15 digitized society, inaccuyears, according to rate reporting has made Dong. However, online viewership is a dif- its mark on the online sphere, creating the ferent story, having increased over 200 per- “fake news” phenomenon discussed on page cent between 2007 and 2016, according to 22. Print journalism now plays an increasBill Johnson, the founder and CEO of Em- ingly important role in guaranteeing the acbarcadero Media, which owns the Weekly, curacy of the public’s information, accordin addition to other local publications. ing to Price.

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“One of the realities of print journalism is that we communicate things to people they don’t want to hear,” Price says. “If you’re only writing happy stuff that makes people smile, you’re not doing your job.

You have to print what really is going on and tell the truth.”

In response to readers’ changing demands and the riskiness of limiting themselves to print, the Weekly launched a new digital platform at the beginning of March called the Six Fifty, which is geared toward producing lifestyle content that appeals to younger audiences. Nick Bastone, the editor of the Six Fifty, has a view of print journalism that differs from that of Price.

“I think they [print newspapers] will probably disappear,” Bastone says. “There’s no value to saving a newspaper; it becomes a hassle. It might take some time, but as the older generation fades, the affinity for holding a physical newspaper might go away.”

Two local publications have chosen drastically different directions, with one staying faithful to print and another shifting to the Internet. Will one ap-

MULTIMEDIA REPORTING Jocelyn Dong gestures as she sits outside the Weekly’s newsroom, discussing new ways to use their digital platform and keep readers engaged. The Weekly has been online since 1994, and the staff resist the urge to dive headfirst into every new journalistic invention. “What you see is a very forward thinking strategy, to move into the digital space thoughtfully,” Dong says. Photo by Frances Zhuang.

proach eventually win out over time, or will each publication carve out its own niche?

He says he never found it a profitable process and watched companies who made the transition fail before his eyes.

Print Journalism is Here to Stay “The big newspapers have cut their After delivering his previous point throats because they’ve taught everyone to about the irony of the pervasiveness of print go online if you want to read the Chronpublications in Silicon icle,” Price says.

Valley, Price laughs “You don’t go heartily while sitting As the older generabuy a copy or in the only conference subscribe to it tion fades, the affinity room the company has. anymore, and for holding a physical Despite their humble they hardly get headquarters, the Post is any money for newspaper might go one of Palo Alto’s mostthat [encouragread and financially away.” ing readers to go — Nick Bastone, editor of the Six Fifty successful newspapers, online]. It’s hard according to Price. to see the future “This is a profitable business,” Price for media companies who have done that.” says. “We’ve had growth every year and we haven’t seen any decline in sales. I can re- Transition to the World Wide Web member 10, 15 years ago people said ‘You’ll In a new market, publications rethink be a laughing-stock in the newspaper busi- their product in order to remain profitness for not being online.’ Print’s going to able and ensure solid, local news coverage. be around for a long time, based on the fact Changes ranging from the financial chalthat our papers are grabbed out of the boxes lenges posed by digitization to the changes every day. ” in readers’ demands all pose challenges to Despite being based in editors. the heart of the world’s “The rise of things like online advertistechnology industry, ing takes away things that newspapers used surrounded by cut- to be supported by, so we’re scrambling to ting edge innovation, figure out what the model of journalism is Price has decided to now,” Dong says. keep his business The Weekly has been online since unplugged, and the 1994; however, the publication has had to decision has paid off. adapt drastically in response to changes in Although many of consumers’ demands. his competitors have According to Dong, the apparent reswitched from print cent shortening of people’s attention spans to digital platforms, has had recent consequences especially in he never felt the regard to the echo-chamber phenomenon. need to, despite the “I think there’s also a danger in digexternal pressure. ital, and that’s the echo-chamber effect, and that’s people only reading things that appeal to them and not being exposed to a diversity of opinions, or just different facts — not alternate facts — just different facts,” Dong says.

While print journalism may not abolish echo chambers, Dong and Anna Medina, the Editorial Assistant at the Weekly, agree that it can at least mitigate the problem that occurs online.

“Being able to pick up your Kindle is different than curling up with a newspaper,” Dong says. “Again with the

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A NEW ERA OF JOURNALISM Anna Medina, an editorial assistant at the Weekly, suggests a new approach to media outside the Weekly’s newsroom. She discusses the importance of print news in response to today’s politics and echo-chamber epidemic. “I think that it’s good that ... journalism is being forced to decide how to move forward,” Medina says. Photo by Frances Zhuang.

Local News: The Unsung Hero Although local newspapers may not cover exciting, national-level events, Price “Bell could happen anywhere in the says that they play a vital, if not more im- United States because we have so many portant, role in maintaining government places where there was once a daily or accountability. weekly newspaper and now there’s no loFor example, a massive corruption cal coverage at all,” Price says. “We have a scandal erupted in Bell, a southern Cali- crying need in journalism for local news fornia suburb, after the Los Angeles Times coverage, which is dying very rapidly. The acquired the town’s ironic thing is that the LA news outlets.

Times won a Pulitzer for reBell’s report- Can we continue porting on a situation that ers, now part of our mission of they caused.” the LA Times, lost While providing ... trust- journalism interest in covering news in the town, has found a worthy journalso distracted by nahome online, tional events that ism? Or are we Price does not not a single report- going to move tobelieve it will last. er showed up to “Local news, wards cat videos?” by definition, is lothe town’s council — Jocelyn Dong, editor of the meetings. The city cal — so if everyone in Palo Alto Weekly council rapidly Palo Alto were to click on took advantage of a page that we published, this, paying themselves outlandish sums that number of clicks wouldn’t even matter including salaries close to a million dollars to an advertising agency,” Price says. “You a year. After a few years, LA Times report- couldn’t even make enough money to buy ers stumbled upon the story and wrote an the coffee in your office.” exposé that led to criminal charges against By contrast, the Weekly has seen conofficials. tinuous increases in online traffic since Price emphasizes the importance of a 2007, according to statistics from Johnson. healthy local paper and warns of the danThough the Post and Weekly have difgers of underestimating the press. ferent strategies, both must stay on their

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toes to remain relevant in the future.

“We’re all trying to decide what we’re about right now,” Dong says. “Can we continue our mission of providing ... thoughtful, trustworthy journalism?

Or are we going to move towards cat videos?” v Art by EOIN O’KRAMER

echo chamber, you’ll at least see articles that you disagree with [in print]. That is more needed than ever, right now, just to cross the divides.”

Medina has also observed the same issue in regards to digital media, especially in tandem with the recent election.

“People tend to want to seek out viewpoints which confirm what they already believe,” Medina says. “You’re not eating your broccoli and carrots, so to speak, of information. ... You find that you don’t have a well-balanced diet of news.”

Regarding a well-balanced diet of news, Price says that local publications can satisfy the need in addition to upholding more dramatic obligations, such as shedding light on community occurrences and occasional wrongdoings.

“In community journalism, one of our jobs is when something is wrong is to shine a big, bright spotlight on it to tell people things are wrong,” Price says.

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Verbatim: fake news

PALY PERSPECTIVES ON MEDIA CREDIBILITY Text by JOSH CODE and TAMAR SARIG Photos by TAMAR SARIG

What do you think about the “fake news”* phenomenon? *news content that is either altered or fabricated so that it does not reflect the truth

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I think it’s all just a giant publicity stunt ... like, for example, Donald Trump saying CNN is fake news.

He just wants people to see his name in the media.”

— Oscar “It brings a lot of attention.” — Jon

juniors Jon Semba (left) and Oscar Scherer

“ senior Candace Wang

There’s a saying that everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. Fake news allows you to choose which facts you believe and which ones you don’t, and ... that’s not what facts are.” — Candace

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One of the main purposes of the news is to inform people, to have discussion. When you have fake news, it shows that people aren’t looking for actual information; they’re looking for ideas that reflect what they already see.” — Jonathan senior Jonathan Zwiebel

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How do you feel about President Trump’s comments on the media?

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Trump is making these claims just because they [the media] are writing true things about him that he just doesn’t like.” — Maia

sophomore Maia Lagna

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I agree that it [the media] is untrustworthy and dangerous, but I don’t agree that all of it is. There are things that you really need to know, and the news is the one way to know about it.” — Mayerly

senior Mayerly Short

Which changes would you like to see in media coverage?

“ Rachel Kellerman, librarian

“

I think it’s unfortunate that our news cycle is so immediate, that there’s this pressure on journalists to tweet, to post, immediately. ... So I hope that we, as consumers, can respect the process more, and allow our media to develop stories.” — Rachel Kellerman

I want to see a lot more conservatives in media, because CNN and Buzzfeed are just really hyper-liberal sources. They don’t do a good job of presenting the other side, and arguably they’re just now pushing a liberal agenda.” — Varun junior Varun Dutta

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A Million Bucks IS PROM WORTH IT?

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YES OPEN AND MOUTHS bears a hefty price tag. Professionally done agape, a crowd of onlookers gasps hair and make up, brand new shoes, tickets as Hillary Duff descends the stairs and a fairy tale gown can easily rack up over into the ballroom, dressed in an a thousand dollars. According to a survey by effusively brilliant white ball gown. Out Visa in 2015, the average American girl spent of blind jealousy, one bystander exclaims, $596 on a Prom night.

“Hate her, love her dress.”

“I don’t like the fact that there are As depicted in the 2004 movie “A Cin- these pressures to spend a lot of money ... but derella Story,” Prom is every girl’s chance to I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t play into feel like a princess. Adorned with meticu- it,” Hornik says. lously done hair, makeup, a beautiful dress Despite being excited for Prom, Horniand killer heels, girls are provided with ke recognizes the privilege in her ability to the opportunity to feel unique, stunning splurge for this special occasion. and confident on this “There is a big special night. Unforgap between the peoThere are pressures to tunately, obtaining ple who can afford a an undefined level of look perfect and look like super-expensive dress, “flawlessness” often a different you for prom, and those who don’t evolves from being a even know if they can because you want to desire to feeling more buy a ticket,” Hornik like a responsibility. says. “I think that shock everyone ” — DARROW HORNIK, junior “There are that’s something that pressures to look needs to be addressed perfect and for us to have that spelook like a different you for cial night and still feel like a princess like they Prom, because you want to do in Cinderella story.” shock everyone,” Palo Alto Like Hornik, senior Taylor Duncan, who High School junior Darrow says she comes from a family of more limited Hornik says. “I feel like that’s means, is aware of the staggering costs that kind of the expectation — many believe prom necessitates. Duncan’s to walk into the room and Junior Prom experience provides her with inshock other people.” sight regarding the expenses — she splurged For many, on hair and shoes, and payed $210 for a dress this confidence that she will “probably never wear again.”

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Text by STEPHANIE YU and NOGA HURWITZ Art by AISHAH MAAS

“Last year, I kind of regretted it, even not like buying the groceries. … it’s a little though I loved my dress,” Duncan says. “It bit of a frivolous expense.” was just so much money for one night. But The financial burden is limited not … it was the only dress that stood out to only to the female students, who have me and made me feel different from every- been stereotypically established as extravaone else. ” gant spenders, but also to the male student Junior Lia Straight expresses an oppos- body. Though their expenses have been hising opinion — she fears that failing to con- torically overlooked, boys are subject to the form in appearance and instead electing to pressure of exhibiting “gentlemanly” behavhave a more innovative style of dress may ior by covering the expenses of their date’s lead to negative consequences. tickets.

“I think there’s defi“I’ll probably nitely a lot of pressure to buy the ticket for The stigma is that the pick a dress that is cut a me and my prom certain way or looks a cer- guy ... should spend date,” says junior tain way, because I notice Nicholas Zhao. money for the date” [that] here at Paly, we value “The stigma is —NICHOLAS ZHAO, junior a kind of a look,” Straight that the guy is the says. “When you try to pick one who should a dress or look at dresses that are outside of be spending the money for the date.” that, you know you’re gonna stand out, and Senior Andrew Ho communicates simthat’s not necessarily a good thing.” ilar thoughts, having already incorporated Like many of her peers, Straight has the price of his date’s ticket into his budget devoted a large sum of money to the oc- estimation. casion of Prom — her calculations surpass “A prom ticket is $125,” Ho says. “It’s $400 when taking into account the cost of pretty expensive. And on top of that, if I her ticket, dress, shoes, hair and makeup want to be a chivalrous guy … it costs twice expenses. the amount.”

“It gives me a lot of financial pressure, Despite the fact that Paly provides especially [pressure] on my family, because prom scholarships, only individuals who we’re not a family that just has $400 to qualify for free-and-reduced lunch qualify spend at any given time without having an for the scholarships. Consequently, expenexcellent reason,” Straight says. “Prom is sive tickets remain a burden for many.

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The Cost of Prom When considering the costs, is Prom worth it? Some students, like Duncan, challenge the validity of breaking the bank.

“I do think Prom is super-overrated though,” Duncan says. “It’s literally just a dance … where people over-dress. It’s not that special.”

Others, like Straight, treasure the symbolic importance and implied coming-ofage value associated with attending Prom rather than the tangible experience.

“What I value most out of Prom is the ritual, not necessarily actually going there,” Straight says. “Even though it’s very hard for us to pay for my Prom, we’re going to do it anyways, because it’s my transition into adulthood.”

Still others shed light on the nostalgic as well as customary significance of attending prom, believing that the Prom experience in itself is enough to justify the cost.

“Prom is four hours. … I’m paying over $100 an hour to have a good amount of fun,” Ho says. “I think it’s a little bit pricey, but I think the memories I will create … will be justified for the amount I spend.”

Junior Jihi Kundu adds to this sentiment.

“I know prom is the one of the greatest high school traditions ever to be made, so I feel it should be that one thing that juniors and seniors remember,” Kundu says. v

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Hope in the Wilderness INSIDE THERAPY PROGRAMS AND THE LIVES OF THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND THEM

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Text by JULIE CORNFIELD, IRENE CHOI and OLIVIA BROWN

E’D BEEN EXPERIMENTING with cocaine. He wasn’t living at home anymore and he was ignoring every frantic voicemail his father left him. He was apathetic and devoid of motivation.

Mark — a Palo Alto High School senior whose name has been changed to protect his identity, as with the names of all students in this story — spent the summer before junior year sliding deeper and deeper into his drug addiction.

By the time school started back up again, Mark was hooked, forcing his family to seek help.

After 12 days in a mental hospital, Mark was taken to Elements Wilderness Program in Huntington, Utah, where he would spend the next eight weeks surrounded by nature, detaching himself from the substances he had depended on for so long.

Wilderness therapy programs like the one that Mark attended are a non-traditional response to health issues like addiction, misbe-

Art by Vivian Nguyen

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april 2017

havior and mental health. This comprehensive approach to addressing such issues, however, requires significant amounts of funding, often coming straight from families’ pockets in the form of hefty tuitions. While scholarships do exist, some programs can cost as much as $400 per day, and many insurance policies only cover the therapeutic component of these treatments. Yet, as the health care policy in our country is revised, the limited coverage that exists currently for wilderness therapy is becoming further constrained.

As such, adolescents suffering from various challenges, including addictions like Mark’s, will be forced to navigate the road to recovery with minimal financial help.

Life at rehabilitation Mark is just one of a handful of Paly students who have spent time at some form of wilderness rehab.

Eliot had been acting defiantly towards his

parents, exhibiting manipulative behavior on top of recreational marijuana use. The situation became so extreme that his parents searched for outside help. He was sound asleep when two bulky strangers appeared in his room, telling him that they were going take him somewhere.

“It was shocking,” Eliot says. “I had no idea what was going to happen. I didn’t really know what to think at that moment.

It definitely was a little bit scary… Waking up to two people in your room taking you somewhere.”

Being taken from your house with parental consent is colloquially called, as described by Mark and Eliot, “being gooned.”

Mark says these “goons” or “mountain men” are usually ex-military or ex-police force; they aren’t allowed to carry guns, but they often bring handcuffs with them to escort teens to their future rehabilitation center, whether it be boarding school or wilderness camp.

In contrast to Mark and Eliot, former Paly student, John, chose to go to wilderness therapy out of his own volition. At the end of his junior year, John was overwhelmed by the presence of drugs and alcohol in his life, so he opted to escape Paly’s drug culture. John decided to attend New Summit Academy in Costa Rica, where he is currently enrolled.

“It’s just in a different location, and it’s totally new,” John says. “I’m only able to visit [home] once every three months, and I’m gone for a full 12 months.”

New Summit blends therapy and boarding school to create a program that doubles as rehabilitation and curriculum-based education. As such, John spends a majority of his time in the classroom, but ventures off campus once a month on trips trekking through the jungle and kayaking along the gulf.

At Elements Wilderness Program, similar expeditions, like daily hikes and rock climbing, were incorporated into Mark’s regimented schedules, in addition to adult and group-led therapy sessions.

When he first arrived at wilderness therapy, Mark was stripped of his possessions and received clothing, a backpack and a sleeping bag in return. His daily routine transformed into one starkly different to that of people living in urban civilization.

The price to pay The life-altering experiences described

by Mark, Eliot and John don’t come without a price. According to Rochelle Bochner, founder of The Sky’s the Limit Fund, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships for these programs, wilderness therapy is typically very costly. As reported by rehabcenter.net, one usually needs a private health insurance plan to cover the expenses of wilderness therapy, usually an average of 30 days before expenses must come out-ofpocket from the participant’s family.

“Wilderness therapy can be as much as $400 to $500 a day, depending on the program,” Bochner says. “And the average length of stay is from eight to 12 weeks, so it’s like staying at the Ritz It definitely was a little Carleton without bit scary... waking up all the plush amenities.” to two people in your With the room taking you somecurrent administration’s talk of where.” cutting parts of — ELIOT, junior the Affordable Care Act, the ability for families to afford sending their children to wilderness programs is threatened. Bochner herself is unsure about the future of her program, and how people will continue to pay for the wilderness camps she believes are essential for recovery for numerous teens across the country.

While it’s logical for these programs to impose large tuitions, many families simply do not have the means to cover these expenses. In such cases, programs like the Sky’s the Limit Fund provide a grant to prospective participants, and wilderness therapy programs match that grant with an equal reduction in tuition. Yet even with aid, families are forced to make sacrifices to compensate for the lack of help from insurance companies.

“We [the Sky’s the Limit] have had families who have mortgaged their homes, sold their cars,” Bochner says. “We had one dad who didn’t have a car and he was getting himself to and from work on his bike and he sold his bike just to get some extra cash to help supplement his daughter going to treatment.”

As for those who can’t afford at all to go to wilderness therapy, they miss the opportunity to get valuable help like Mark had in his time at therapy camp. Mark reflects on

what could’ve happened if he hadn’t been able to go to rehab or wilderness therapy.

“I would honestly probably either be in jail or a failure,” Mark says. “I would’ve dropped out of school — I would’ve had to choose a completely different path for my life which would’ve been a lot harder than what it [his life] is now.”

Destigmatizing detoxification According to the Journal of American Medical Association, 50 percent of people with a severe mental condition also suffer from a substance abuse problem. While Mark and John said they did not suffer from any severe mental conditions, there is still a conceivable connection between mental health and addiction — and according to Bochner, treating kids’ mental conditions is just as important as treating their addictions.

Though Bochner says mental wellness is increasingly emphasized, the connection between wilderness camp and mental health still isn’t apparent to everyone. As a result, students like John felt apprehensive about how their peers would view them if

they attend wilderness therapy. tic process, according to Bochner.

“At first I kind of felt ashamed to be “We need to get them out of their engoing,” John says. “I felt like, ‘Oh, this vironments,” Bochner says. “And that’s why isn’t normal. But it’s nothing to really be wilderness therapy has been so successful. It ashamed about. It’s something I’ll look takes kids out of their environment, it enback on for the rest of my life as some of ables them to identify what they’re doing, my best years.” why they’re going In contrast, and what changEliot reflects how es they need to be he didn’t experimade ... They have At first I kind of felt ence the stigma ‘aha moments.’” ashamed to be going. surrounding wilThough their derness therapy. experiences differ, But it’s nothing to be Instead of feeling Mark, Eliot and ashamed about.” ashamed or emJohn say that the — JOHN, former Paly student barrassed, Eliot has various programs turned to advocacy. and their serene en“I don’t think vironment allowed it’s a thing to be for introspection embarrassed about, necessarily,” Eliot says. and deep examination of what led them to “It is what you make of it. I’m pretty open wilderness camp in the first place. about talking about it, because it made me “I grew a lot smarter; I try not to not a better person and I like being a good per- do the stupid things that got me sent away,” son.”

Mark says. “I got a lot of self-awareness and Instead of viewing wilderness camps self-discovery with all my past issues. It negatively, communities should learn to see helped me gain a lot of insight on how to wilderness programs as a needed therapeu- prevent future situations.” v

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Across the Gender Spectrum

Text by ALLISON CHENG and STEPHANIE LEE

THE VOICES OF TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS

IN THOUGHT Thao Nguyen, a transgender woman, remembers her experiences as she sits outside Peet’s Coffee and Tea in Town and Country Shopping Center. Nguyen, a Palo Alto High School alumnus, transitioned from male to female in college. Photo by Stephanie Lee.

H

AND-CUT CARDBOARD signs taped onto sturdy wire stand on Melissa Michelson’s lawn. A professor of political science at Menlo College, Michelson researches about and advocates for transgender individuals’ rights.

Her efforts to resist President Donald Trump’s actions have translated into her sons’ handmade signs. They read, “We are all immigrants,” “Black Lives Matter,” and “No Ban No Wall.”

The impact of Trump’s actions has traveled across the nation from a federal level to the Palo Alto community, specifically impacting Britney, a transgender

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Palo Alto Unified School District fourth grader who transitioned from male to female, as well as Thao Nguyen, a transgender Palo Alto High School graduate who transitioned from male to female.

On Feb. 22, 2017, Trump rescinded former president Barack Obama’s bathroom law, which mandated federally funded schools to allow students to use the bathroom of their identified gender.

Instead, the Trump administration will allow states to decide whether students should be allowed to use the restrooms of the genders they identify with.

Michelson, who has two sons in the PAUSD, states that forcing transgender

people to use the bathrooms of their birth gender makes them victims.

“It’s really disappointing. … Bad things are going to happen where there aren’t any local protections,” she says.

“There’s a lot of bullying and violence that goes along with being openly transgender and forcing [transgender people] to not use the right bathroom opens them up to being victims.”

Although California will not be impacted by this law, other states will.

Because of this, Verde met with some transgender individuals and their family members. They spoke about their personal stories on their transitions and about

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the impacts of their child’s transition.

Jillian and Britney As with many people, the changes for Britney started in her early years.

Britney, a PAUSD grade schooler, has looked up to her sister Kerry since she was two. Britney, whose name along with Jillian and Kerry’s has been changed to protect their identities, was young when she began to understand her gender. Because of this, as Britney tells her story, Jillian helps fill in some events that Britney can’t remember well.

Bold most important Britney was born a male, but identiwords in here.” fies as a girl. However, when she was two — JOSH CODE, fisherman and still identified as a boy, she would try on her sister’s dresses. Jillian and her husband didn’t think much of it because they thought little kids always experimented IN THOUGHT Melissa Michelson gestures as she speaks about the impacts of Trump’s bathoom with dress up and other games. However, letter. Michelson is an author of books about the LGBTQ community and is currently a professor one day Britney said something to her fa- of political sciences at Menlo College. Photo by Stephanie Lee. ther that Jillian never forgot.

“When she was two, she said, ‘I’m choose, she would identify as a girl. name was still on official documents, sad, I wish I were a woman,’” Jillian says.

“But if there weren’t, I’d be like, I’m such as grades and attendance forms, “And my husband neither, or I’m trans- because Britney’s family hadn’t legally said, ‘Why do you Britney changed her name yet.

I didn’t feel like a boy, gender,” wish you were a womsays.

The school district was supportive of an?’ And then she said, I felt like a girl.”

Jillian says the Britney. Jillian went to the PAUSD Dis‘I wanna wear beautidifference for Brit- trict Office and talked to a woman in the — BRITNEY, student ful clothes and I would ney was that the way welcome center about changing Britney’s like to grow a baby in my belly.’”

Britney talked about being a girl was dif- name and gender, who was very helpful.

Jillian says she and her husband just ferent than how other girls talked about “It was amazing,” Jillian says. “The want Britney to be happy. They paid at- being girls. Her kindergarten teacher ob- woman in the welcome center was like ‘I tention to Britney for a while, and she served the difference in identity and talk- haven’t done that yet, but I know there’s a would dress in girls’ clothes, such as ed to Jillian about it. form, let’s go find it together.’” nightgowns and dresses.

“Her kindergarten teacher said ...

Jillian filled out the form, and the “In preschool she still wore basket- Britney in class would talk about ... birth- woman uploaded the changes to a comball shorts and t-shirts from the girls’ de- ing a baby and creating puter. Ever since partment,” Jillian says. a life, and the teacher I would always be then, anything offiAs Britney grew up, she began to said it was different cial printed out from vacillate between identifying as a boy or a than any of the other like, ‘What should her school has Britgirl. Over the course of kindergarten and girls,” Jillian says.

I say? This isn’t go- ney’s name instead of first grade, she would wear both dresses When Britney her birth name. and shorts and she grew her hair long. was in second grade, ing to make sense to Prior to her proPeople weren’t sure of her gender. When she decided to change them.’ noun change, when kids at school called Britney a boy, she her pronouns. Jilshe was still in kin— BRITNEY, student corrected them with the “she” pronoun. lian emailed Britney’s dergarten, Britney In other instances, Britney would cor- teacher after winter break, to see if the had several issues with which bathroom rected her peers with the “he” pronoun. teacher would be willing to try a pro- to use. She dressed like a girl, but still Once Jillian read a book on trans- noun change. The teacher obliged, and identified as a boy. Still, using the boys’ gender individuals, it clicked for her: she during class, Britney introduced herself bathroom made her uncomfortable. realized Britney was transgender. as a girl. According to Britney, every“So I was still really scared whenever “This doesn’t make sense. I didn’t feel thing went smoothly.

I had to use the bathroom,” Britney says. like a boy, I felt like a girl,” Britney says.

Another issue, however, was Brit- “The first time I ever did that [use the Jillian says Britney is more nonbi- ney’s name. Britney changed her name in boys’ bathroom], they [boys] were like, nary, but Britney says that if she had to the beginning of third grade. Her birth ‘This is the boys’ bathroom.’ I always give

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this long explanation, like a kindergart- starkly contrasted from the media depicener telling another kindergartner this? tions of transgender people as “trapped It just doesn’t make that much sense. I and disgusting,” she says. would always be like, ‘What should I say?

Nguyen worked to support herself This isn’t going to make sense to them.’ throughout her transition.

And then I could get in trouble. They “It was pretty hard [having to pay could tell their teacher, so I was always re- for everything myself,” Nguyen says. ally worried.”

“Other students Jillian refers to her worry about their Men and women are test grades, and I daughter’s experiences with bathrooms when worried about, ‘Am more similar than she talks about Trump’s I going to be in you think.” bathroom letter. school, am I going — THAO NGUYEN, software engineer “I am livid about to be homeless a year this,” Jillian says. “I from now?’” thank God that we live in California, but Nguyen’s transition also involved I think of all the [Britneys] in all those realizations regarding the way society other states, who either are now forced to treats individuals of different genders. use the bathroom that makes them un“I used to be a competitive video comfortable, or put themselves at risk, game player. At video game tournaments, and the message it sends.” people treated me very differently,” she The message, according to Jillian, is says. “They treated me as much less of a that it is not okay for transgender people competitor.” to be who they are. Additionally, the isCurrently, as a software engineer at sue is one of equity and safety.

Square in San Francisco, Nguyen notices “You get protections if you live in differences in the way women and men the right states,” Jillian says. “You are at are assessed. “Women in tech are evalurisk if you don’t live in the right states.” ated on the basis of their personality, and However, despite everything that’s men are evaluated on the basis of their happened, Jillian is optimistic. skills,” Nguyen says.

“One of the good things about Trump On a national level, Nguyen feels winning is that it got people involved who that President Donald Trump’s letter has haven’t been involved in a long time,” she a bad social and institutional impact in says. “People are mad and involved, so in the places it would impact, even though that sense, I’d say it’s the silver lining.” she says it won’t affect her.

“It doesn’t affect me,” she says. “But Thao Nguyen I also think like if I was a kid there growWe met Thao Nguyen at Peet’s Cof- ing up and I couldn’t use the bathroom fee and Tea in Town and Country, direct- I wanted to use. … It’s such a clear mesly across the street from her alma mater, sage that society doesn’t like you.”

Palo Alto High School, where she graduEven in California, she recognizes ated in 2012. the harmful messages received by transBorn male, Thao transitioned to a gender individuals. woman in her earlier years of college at “Right now in California, those mesBrown University. Although her transi- sages exist just like all the time,” Nguyen tion is recent, she always knew that the says. “But this is like a very institutiontransition was bound to happen from the alized, federal message that people just time she was young. hate you.”

“As a kid, you kind of know before On a personal level, her experience you have a word for it,” Nguyen says. of transitioning has revealed to her that “You kind of have a vague feeling of, ‘Oh, there really is no significant difference I feel this very odd desire to be this gen- between genders. der or that gender.”

“I thought I would have felt a differThis feeling of uncertainty contin- ence, but now I realize men and women ued until her sophomore year at Paly. are more similar than you think,” NguyNguyen read a book portraying a trans- en says. “For me, there was no defining gender woman as a normal person, which line.” v

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Glossary of terms ­— transgender Sex The classification of a person as male or female. A person’s sex, however, is actually a combination of bodily characteristics including: chromosomes, hormones, internal and external reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics.

Gender Identity A person’s internal, deeply held sense of their gender. For transgender people, their own internal gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. For some people, their gender identity does not fit neatly into one of those two choices.

Gender Expression External manifestations of gender, expressed through a person’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics.

Typically, transgender people seek to align their gender expression with their gender identity, rather than the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transgender (adj.)

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. A transgender identity is not dependent upon physical appearance or medical procedures.

Non-binary and/or genderqueer Terms used by some people who experience their gender identity and/or gender expression as falling outside the categories of man and woman.

Source: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

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Text by MICHELLE LI and REBECCA YAO

Family-Owned Farm

THE KITAYAMA FLOWER GROWING LEGACY

A

S FRESH MORNING FOG seeps into the dark soil of his Watsonville farm, Robert Kitayama weaves his way around flower-filled delivery trucks and heads towards dozens of massive greenhouses holding seedlings, buds and blooming flowers.

These enclosed acres of colorful flowers, ranging from snapdragons to lilies, mark years of familial hard work, dating back as far as World War II. Warm, humid air cascades outwards as Robert pulls the greenhouse doors aside.

“After WWII, my grandpa and his brothers didn’t have any work because they were in internment camps because we’re Japanese,” says Grace Kitayama,

Palo Alto High School junior and daughter rowed money and land. The risk that they of Robert Kitayama. “They mostly didn’t took would prove to bring great rewards, as have college educations, so they worked for their farm began to grow and prosper. a flower grower and then “They [Kitayathey started their own ma Brothers] had 50 We live in Palo Alto acres in Union city farm selling carnations.”

Founded in 1948 and Menlo Park and before it was a city,”

by Grace’s grandfather Robert says. “They nobody’s a farmer. put up greenhouses and three great uncles, the farm approaches Everyone is a soft- and by the mid-60s. its 70th anniversary.

They were the biggest ware engineer.”

Through the 70 years of carnation growers in —ROBERT KITAYAMA, President of Kiit’s existence, the Kitayathe west.” tayama Brothers ma farm has grown and Along with havexpanded in ways the ing a substantial presoriginal Kitayama brothers had never imag- ence in the city’s agricultural areas, the Kiined. Personal ambitions would lead tayamas have had a strong political impact the Kitayama brothers to start as well. Robert’s cousin, Tom Kitayama, their own flower grow- made history as part of a group that created ing business with the developing community in Union City. the help of bor“Union City wasn’t a town then, and my uncle Tom was part of a group that created the community there,” Robert says.

“He became the mayor of Union City, and he was the first Asian American mayor in the United States.”

Following the demand for carnations, Kitayama’s father Ray and his uncle Kee decided to expand the family farm to Colorado and Watsonville.

“In 1966, my father, Ray, decided to move to Colorado,” Robert says. “At that time, Colorado grew 20 percent of all carnations in the US, so I grew up in Colorado.”

“In the late 60s, my uncle, Kee, moved to Watsonville, and he started growing the location that I now manage.

By the 70s, we were growing in Union City, Colorado and Watsonville.”

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Passing the Business Down Originally, Robert did not plan to enter the family business. “I was going to do anything but farming because it’s really hard work,” he says. “And as a kid, to work in the greenhouse, it’s hot and dirty and

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profiles long hours. So I said I would do anything but that.”

However, he still felt compelled to help run the family business, particularly in the farm’s sales aspect. As president, Robert’s typical work includes meetings and phone calls, just like a lot of other working Silicon Valley employees. “It’s probably not that much different,” he says. “I mean it’s a farm, it’s like business. You spend a lot of time planning or evaluating.”

Although he doesn’t grow flowers himself, Robert loves the flower industry and its uniqueness.

“We grow a product that I think is unique and gives people a lot of pleasure,” he says. “There aren’t many flower growers around, and it’s very challenging. Our family’s been growing flowers for almost 80 years, [so] it’s like carrying on a big family tradition.”

After years of farming, his generation is now the one that runs the expanding family farm.

“Now, it’s actually me and I have two brothers and a cousin who work in the business so it’s still a family,” Robert says.

The Farm Today “Twenty years ago in Watsonville, I’m guessing, there were around 60 flower farms, now there are around 10,” Robert says.

The cause of this can be traced back to flower imports from South America.

Originally specializing in roses, a popular import from Southern American countries, the Kitayama Brothers’ had to change up their focus crop.

“We had to get out of roses,” Robert says. “Now most of the roses come from Colombia and Ecuador, so we are now growing mainly lilies, gerbera daisies, snapdragons, liz hamptons, gardenias, calla lilies. Those are our main crops.”

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Despite competition from foreign flower imports, the Kitayama farm has found great success in local markets.

“I think we’re the biggest flower farm near SF, so we like to promote locals,” Kitayama says. “We sell more than 50 percent into the San Francisco area, and then we grow right on Monterey bay.”

Being a Farmer in Silicon Valley “I love it. It’s unique,” Robert says.

“We live in Palo Alto and Menlo Park and nobody’s a farmer. Everyone is a software engineer.”

To him, the distinctive nature of the agricultural industry makes it all the more enjoyable.

“In California, agriculture is probably [ranked] one or two as far as industries, and everybody needs to eat so it’s very interesting that you can’t find a farmer in your area,” Robert says.

“Again, I’m not out there in the ground, digging the soil, but I am very fortunate to be able to do this. It’s hard work.”

Grace says that there are both benefits and disadvantages to being part of a farm-owning family.

“I don’t get to see my dad as much because he works so far away, so that’s not great,” Grace says. “But other than that, I honestly think that it’s brought me and my extended family closer,

TOP Grace Kitayama poses with a bouquet of lilies and gerbera daisies from the Kitayama Brothers’ Farm. Photo by James Poe. MIDDLERobert Kitayama explains the development of a Gerbara bud with the help of hand gestures. Photo by Rebecca Yao. BOTTOM Jimmy, the head grower, motions towards the opening of the greenhouse that houses lisianthus flowers. Photo by Michelle Li.

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which has helped. [And] we always get a lot of free, fresh flowers, which is fun.”

Future of the Farm In recent years, weather and a lack of labor have been the biggest challenges to owning a farm. However, Robert is optimistic about the future of the farm.

“I feel that as long as the water stays in good quality that what we do will still be in demand,” Robert says. “There’s less and less production, there’s not many greenhouses around, and I think things like local and proximity of market will still be important as long as we’re growing things that people want, that are in demand.”

“Who I can convince to keep doing this, that’s another question,” Robert laughs. “I don’t think Grace and [her cousins] are very interested, to be honest. But this is the kind of business that you really BRIGHT AND COLORFUL Dozens of freshly picked gerberas, ranging from red to white, are transhave to love. So, If I have to hire outsiders ported out of their greenhouse homes on a tractor into the shipping factory. Photo by Michelle Li. to run the business, I will, because it’s more important that someone who works will However, Grace doesn’t see herself “It’s a great profession, but, sometimes do a good job rather working on the people romanticize it,” Robert says. “Evthan having the same farm. “My genera- eryone wants to be organic and run a nice name.” tion — me and my little organic farm, but… I mean only do it Grace, her sister cousins — we’re not if you love it because it’s going to be what and her cousins have really that interested you’re doing seven days a week.” helped out on the farm in the family busiHe references the passion that his faoccasionally over the ness, and my dad is ther, one of original founders of the Kitayasummer. “I don’t know trying to get us in- ma Brothers farm, had for growing.

—ROBERT KITAYAMA, President of how to grow a flower, Kitayama Brothers terested, but none of “My father loved growing flowers and but I know how to box us are,” she says. he was like ‘Oh goody, I get to do what I it, grade it (tell if it’s good or not) and ship In Robert’s eyes, flower farming is a love everyday,’” Robert says. “So that’s what it, which is important too,” she says. profession that requires great care and love. you need.” v

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Do it if you love it because it’s going to be what you’re doing seven days a week.”

TIMELINE

1948

Kitayama brothers begin building their family business.

Photos courtesy of Kitayam Brothers’ Farm

1995

Kitayama Brothers is the largest flower grower in the US.

KB purchases the G.E. Moore flower compay and merges their companies.

Run by a new generation, KB has diversified their crops to grow over 20 flowers.

2007

2017

2010

Opens up two new stores in San Jose, CA and Hayward, CA.

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PAIR AND SHARE. Community experts banter and brainstorm about what the future holds in store for their institutions. Photo courtesy of IFTF.

Art by Annie Zhou

Text by ASHLEY HITCHINGS and ASHLEY WANG

FORECASTING THE FUTURE

LOCAL THINK TANK EXPLORES THE UNKNOWN

G

IZMOS AND GADGETS hang floor-to-ceiling, towering over displays of genetically modified fluorescent fish, test tubes and drones. Forget Trader Joe’s — this is Trader Gene’s: a quaint pharmacy-like shop that sells “46 and We” biological compatibility tests and pills that change your sex for a day. Well, it’s a possible scenario of the future, at least.

Housed in a sunset-orange building on the corner of Hamilton Avenue and Emerson Street, the Institute for the Future is a non-profit think tank that works to provide organizations with foresight for their changing industries. With a team of professionals in the social sciences, public policy, technology and design, IFTF scouts

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april 2017

out and researches the newest innovations, “Our goal is to get everyone thinking or “signals,” from around the globe. These about the future and to be more proacsignals are then developed into maps of al- tive rather than reactionary,” says program ternative scenarios, 10-year forecasts, and manager Andrew Keller. ultimately, a deeper unBuilding upon a derstanding of how preslarge database of inforOur goal is to be ent-day decisions trigger mation, the institute long-term consequences. utilizes community surproactive rather Displays like Trader veys, expert gatherings Gene’s, for example, ex- than reactionary.” and interviews to iden— ANDREW KELLER, program plore the consequences tify trends in areas such manager of knowing too much. In as politics, cuisine, agria futuristic world of beculture, education and ing able to identify every health issue you’re journalism. After almost 50 years of doing possibly at risk for, there emerges an idea of this type of research in Middletown, Con“prehab,” or checking yourself into a rehab necticut, IFTF moved its headquarters to facility before even experiencing any actual Palo Alto in 2014 with the hopes of becomproblems. ing more cognizant to the public. Quirky

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profiles indoor displays are just one manifestation ing earns you currency called “edublocks” of this, acting as a means to immerse vis- which are tracked and traded through a itors into potential scenarios of what the platform known as “The Ledger.” These future may hold in store. edublocks are not only traded in exchange “The easiest way to get someone to for services, but also indicate skill levels that imagine what the future looks like it to vi- employers analyze when looking to hire. sualize it through art and storytelling,” says Players are also able to employ “posexecutive producer Jean Hagan. itive imagination” and “shadow imaginaOther efforts consist of hosting events tion” cards, allowing people from around such as book talks, conferences and gallery the world to input what benefits and contours. sequences they think “Part of our might result from a mission is we want futuristic scenario like We’re going into this to engage with this. Kind of like sci-fi future together. How the public more,” role-playing.

Keller says.

Other projects can we make it better?”

— SUZANNE FORCHHEIMER, engageBut despite include collaborations ment manager efforts to increase with the city of Palo outreach, big comAlto. In order to draw panies remain IFTF’s main audience. In more attention to the constantly develop2016, for example, they partnered with the ing world, the two groups have held urban ACT Foundation to help them gather in- interventions in which artists gather and resight on the future of test-taking. vitalize dilapidated alleyways with artwork, “They understood that in the future, LED lights and interactive displays. their testing metric may go away, so they “Artists are futurists,” Hagan says. “Art came to us to help them think about that is a vision of what could be. There has to be long-term future,” Hagan says. creativity about the future.”

Learning is Earning, the brainchild But IFTF isn’t doing all of this research of their operations, is a simulation game to predict the future. No one can. And in which players navigate life in the year they’re not planning on developing any ap2026. In this imaginary world (which may plications for consumerism either. Instead, be more realistic than we realize), learn- their tangled spider web of scenarios is

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meant to guide companies in plotting out long-term plans. This means determining how companies can adapt to, utilize or even avoid potential scenarios that may arise from the rapid advancement of technology.

“A lot of people feel organizations and government steer where things are going and feel powerless to change, like a little piece in a big puzzle,” says Susanne Forchheimer, IFTF engagement manager. “Being aware is the most important thing. Change happens when even single individuals take action. We provide them with the tools to really think about the future.”

Aiding companies while empowering individuals to forge a better future – that is the mission of the Institute.

“We’re going into this future together,” says Forchheimer. “How can we make it better?” v

THE FUTURE OF SHOPPING. Trader Gene’s, a mock-up of the grocery store chain Trader Joe’s, is an IFTF display that simulates what an in-store shopping experience could evolve into in a few years. Photo by James Poe. DEEP IN THOUGHT. Art director Robin Bogott writes a reminder to herself af the end of a long work-day. As an artist for the Institute, she is one of the principal faces in charge of the graphic elements featured with every IFTF publication. Photo by Ashley Hitchings.

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Text by GABRIEL SÁNCHEZ and MEGAN CHAI

Art by Annie Zhou

A Lesson Well Learnt

DUI CHANGES PALY TEACHER’S LIFE OUTLOOK

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“

FLIPPED MY CAR UPSIDE DOwn — took out three hundred feet of fence,” says Grant Blackburn, calmly sitting at his desk in the Palo Alto High School History building, a very different place from where he was 18 years ago when he dazedly staggered out of his wrecked car and was arrested for a DUI. “I was stumbling down the hill like a zombie.

It was awful,” Blackburn says.

Blackburn, now a veteran social studies teacher at Palo Alto High School was not injured, but he did have to spend an unpleasant night in jail. “They forced me to take my shoes off, and they asked me, ‘Do you have a crack pipe in your shoe?’” Blackburn says. He was confused at first, wondering why they would ask such a strange question. “I realized what was happening, was that they were treating me like a criminal, because now I am one. That was a scary realization,” Blackburn says.

Once out on bail, Blackburn had to get his life back in order. He pled guilty to driving under the influence and had his licence revoked.

“It forced me to postpone my career for a year, because I couldn’t drive to class; I couldn’t drive to work; I couldn’t drive to student teaching; I couldn’t do any of those things,” Blackburn says. “I had to look at myself in the mirror and decide that it was a stupid idea to drink and drive, so I had to change a lot of decision

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making that I was going through up until into tears because I was that close to being that point.” dead,” Blackburn says. “The car flipped Although he did not end up in prison [over] and when it landed, it landed on the since he had no previous criminal record, [passenger side] first and completely crumhe had to explain to his employers that he pled it. Luckily for me, the side that I was on has a criminal record and the price of his didn’t get crumpled, so I could step out of car insurance quadrupled. the car.” If there had been another passenger The accident not only caused immedi- in the car, the person undoubtedly would ate repercussions, not have surbut has led to vived the car I broke down into tears beproblems later on crash he says. cause I was that close to being in his life. “I went Despite through a peri- dead,” the severity od of time where of the cir— GRANT BLACKBURN, social studies teacher it [the DUI] afcumstances fected my mental of the accihealth,” Blackburn says. “I wasn’t sure what dent and the lasting consequences that afwas going to happen in my life after that fected his life, he sees the overall experience point, I wasn’t sure whether or not I was optimistically. “I … look at it as such a posgoing to get a job, I wasn’t sure financially itive experience now because I’ve had some how this was going to affect me. I knew the time between now and then,” Blackburn immediate effects, but those were a lot of says. “So, with time comes perspective. I unknowns that I had to deal with.” wasn’t as traumatized as I once was.”

He recalls the day after the accident Since the accident, Blackburn says he when he went to the tow yard to retrieve has changed many aspects of his life. Not his car, but did not even realize how bad- only has it changed his life, but he now tells ly his car was damaged until he saw this story to his students to try and keep the remnants from the others from repeating his mistake. He also crash. “I broke down no longer drinks and drives and is far more vigilant about making sure he has a way of getting home if he does drink, whether that be a taxi, an Uber or his wife. “You don’t realize it when you just think ‘Oh, one beer, no big deal, anybody can do that,’” Blackburn says. “But then that starts that chain reaction of bad decision making that leads to the point where you’re flipping cars upside down and almost ending dead. Yeah, it was a sobering moment to say the least.” v

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Turning the Tables FROM DESK TO TRANSPORT Text and photos by ANGELA LIU and ASIA GARDIAS

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WO STUDENTS ARE HUNCHED OVER IN desks, their legs bent at bizarre angles in the cramped leg room — the sight is nothing new. Instead of being inside a classroom, however, they’re in the middle of a park path, with motors where a backpack should have been placed.

Sophomore Peter Martin inserts his key into the first of his four switches in his desk — the only one which currently works.

The lights have blown out, the horn broke, the third doesn’t connect to anything, but the ignition switch still starts the desk. After a wave to begin, Martin begins the race at a speed of 30 mph. His vehicle races over the grass and onto the concrete, harshly stopping at the finish line and sacrificing a bit of his tires, which erode at the brutal stop.

Sophomore Nathan Kim, with his sweatshirt wrapped around his neck as to not get it caught in his motor, starts his engine, too, and races around the track of the local park. After reaching the finish line both are eager to know who was faster.

Martin wins by three seconds but neither is surprised as both of them know the ins-and-outs of their motorized desks.

Kim and Martin are known to Palo Alto High School as the “the kids with the driving desks” yet to each other as guys with a knack for building things. This year, they found themselves in Paly’s spotlight after they followed the Spirit Week sophomore float in their desks, which were dressed up as firetrucks to match the theme.

Finding the Framework The first day Kim and Martin walked into their shared auto shop class, they were both overwhelmed. For a pair of boys on a high from their industrial tech classes as middle schoolers, being surrounded by car skeletons transcended their time in the shop from a class into an adventure.

“The famous story? We go to our desks and we were super excited for class,” Kim says, “We were pretending to drive in our desks, and then, we were like, ‘what if we actually did this?’”

“Most of it was his idea, I just piggybacked along for the ride,” Martin says.

Once they had decided their project, they took it step-by-step, using the intellectual and physical tools passed down from their fathers. Martin’s father collected his tools working as a surgeon while Kim’s father’s tools came from building prototypes of sports

equipment, creating an environment where the two were able to learn from an early age.

The two settled down in Martin’s garage for the project which was a garage-turned-workspace fully equipped with machinery, a bathroom, a sink and a shower.

The Nuts and Bolts The materials for the motorized desks were first purchased online, but the rest came from creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Kim and Martin would ‘dumpster dive’ to find cost-effective resources.

“A lot of it [goods found in dumpsters] is broken, but every once in awhile you might find something that’s cool, that does work out sometimes. We got lucky this time,” Martin says, crediting the Stanford campus as the ideal place to find high quality once-loved electronics of engineering students.

The colleges’ end-of-year waste makes up a large portion of their motorized desks, with the desks themselves coming from Paly’s very own dumpsters after getting the thumbs-up from the janitors.

“Most of it [the desk] is just a small simple go-kart frame, with some generic electronics from an electric scooter,” Kim says. “We

just modified the steering a bit and added a desk on top to com- the throttle-lever hook ups because the first few broke, and then plete the work.”

I had issues with getting enough clearance where I could still turn They set a goal to finish before the end but the lever wouldn’t hit the desks,” Kim says. of the school year so that on the last day, A solution was found during a quick stop they could pridefully roll up onto camat his local bike shop, where Kim found a large pus. metal hoop able to be repurposed as the steer“We were pre“Every weekend I was going over there ing wheel for his desk cart. tending to drive [Martin’s garage] in the morning to work “I used half [of the hoop] as the steering on the project, and finished like a week bewheel,” Kim says. “It turned out to be the perin our desks, and fore the last day of school,” Kim says. fect diameter.” then, we were Their personal dead-lines and hard work did pay off in the end, with their diliJust Roll With It like, ‘What if gence being rewarded with a sweet ride.

Since having built the motorized desks, we actually did the pair has gotten many inquiries about when When Screws Come Loose the cutting-edge, innovate piece of technology this?’”

Initially, the two thought their vehicles straight from Silicon Valley would come on the — NATHAN KIM, Sophomore would come out to be identical. Through market. screw-ups, they quickly learned minor “I’ve had one guy come up to me and tweaks here-and-there would make each of ask me how much I wanted for it,” says Marthem one of a kind. tin, who’s enjoyed the attention, even cruising For Kim, working with a small desk base that left a tight space through a drive-thru at a nearby Jack-in-the-Box. “I’ve had other for steering was the cause for his headaches. people whip out their phones and pull up Snapchat and record us While Martin’s desk was larger driving down the street.” and able to accommodate foot Any prospective buyers will have to wait for now, as Kim and pedals and a traditional round Martin are not considering manufacturing desks for sale. steering wheel, a glance at “It’s one-of-a-kind, so if you sell them, it takes away from the Kim’s reveals a semi-circle specialness,” Kim says. contraption wired with They are, however, willing to allow a few, select individuals to hand brakes. take the desks for a spin.

“I went “We want to give a shoutout to Mr. [Kevin] Duffy because through four he’s been talking us up in class and mentioning how his dream is to or five itera- ride a desk go cart,” Kim says. “If Mr. Duffy would like to ride the tions of go-carts, he is okay to.”

Building the Future The two are unsatisfied with the current state of their desks and hope to always keep improving them.

“The issue with the desks, like while it’s cool it’s not very practical because it’s wide,” Kim says, “It’s also electric so it has a fairly limited range, and you have to re-charge the batteries and it takes like 10 hours.”

Kim and Martin envision a sleeker, faster, more upgraded version of the desks.

Being engineers at heart, Kim and Martin already have another project in line — old-school motorcycles.

“We wanted something that would be smaller,” Kim says about the motocycles. “They will have a longer range, and be gas-powered so we wouldn’t have to be bothered about charging.”

Martin grins at the mention of their future endevors.

“And they will look cooler,” Martin says.

While others may seem flabbergasted by their inventions, the two have found their place creating fully, functioning vehicle from scratch.

“It [the first time riding the desk] was satisfying, and it went really fast,” Kim says. “We looked kind of ridiculous inside of them, but they’re really fun to drive.” v

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April 2017

Painting a Picture of the past

Text by THOMAS CHAPMAN and ASHLEY HITCHINGS

A CONVERSATION WITH PALY’S BEST ARTIST OF 1999

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PPROXIMATELY 18 YEARS AGO, WHILE MANY CURRENT Palo Alto High School seniors were in their cradles, the members of the class of 1999 were donning their graduation caps. As we say farewell to the class of 2017, Verde traveled back in time to get a glimpse of student life with former Best Artist, Sylvana Kolaczkowska. v

V: In what areas do you

think you have changed

the most since high schoo

l?

SK: I was more introvert ed in high school. I also had a long attention spa which I sometimes fear n, I have lost. I blame the internet. And parenthood Otherwise, I don’t know . that I have changed in essentials. My character formed early. But I do lik e myself far more than I did back then. And I tak myself less seriously, thank e God.

Photo by Madrono

V: When you were in hig h school, what professio n/field did you think you would go into? Does it hav e anything to do with you r senior poll nomination?

SK: The poll nomination was “best artist” but what I really loved was drawing people, real or imagi nary —trying to separa te them from their surroundings and understa nd them better as indivi emotional lives of others duals. That interest in the has played an enormous role in my intellectual an painting and drawing hav d professional pursuits, eve e not. I took art classes thr n if oughout college, but I wa either a historian or a jou s always fairly set upon bei rnalist. I ended up doing ng var iations of both in academ and each brought me gre ia and the NGO sector, at satisfaction. We’ll see what is next.

Photo by Sylvana Kolaczkowska

Following her nomination as best artist, Sylvana Kolaczkowska, class of ‘99, went on to major in political science at U.C. Berkeley before earning a masters in Russia, East V:What do you think the merits of senior polls are Europe and Central Asia ? What kind of impact do you think they have?

Have you ever look back studies at Harvard Uniand reflected on them? versity. In the 18 years SK: It was nice to win som since her graduation, Koething, of course, and val idating. I had a wonderf school so I never had an laczkowska has held poul group of friends in hig y complexes about popu h larity, but it was still a ple my artwork and I had bee sitions relating to foreign asant surprise to discover n noticed by a broader cir that cle of my peers. Polls are recognize when a classm affairs, working as a globa lighthearted, silly way ate has a special talent or to personality trait. The on feel a little anachronistic al policy research assises about physical appear to me, but I suppose it’s ance all in good fun. The impo is not to take any of it ser tant, serving as managing rtant (perhaps obvious) thi iously, as it is all about per ng ception/visibility. There artists in my graduating editor of Harvard’s Jourwere a number of talent class; I just happened to ed do a lot of my sketching nal of Cold War Studin plain sight. ies and being director of Freedom House’s Nations in Transit publication before wher current job as a independent political verdemagazine.

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Art by ANNIE ZHOU

LOCAL WORLD RECORD HOLDERS

Text by EMMA COCKERELL and THOMAS CHAPMAN

BAY AREA RESIDENTS’ MIND-BLOWING FEATS

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HE GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS FRANCHISE HAS CAPTURED THE IMAGINATIONS OF INDIVIDUALS all over, its vibrant pages choc-full of incredible human feats and natural wonders. Record holders, having completed awe-inspiring endeavors, can say something about themselves that no one else in the world can, and it is for this reason that children and adults alike yearn for the coveted title.

CEOs and academic figureheads of the Bay Area often take the world stage — but lesser known are the record holders who reside among esteemed professors and venture capitalists, their achievements also unmatched. Verde interviewed three local record holders — people who performed the longest handshake, carved the smallest toothpick sculpture and set the fastest 10 kilometer ergometer piece — all of whom were innovative in their record setting methods, and whose achievements stand testament to the fact that anyone, not just extremely talented individuals, has the power to obtain a world record.

A FRIENDLY GESTURE Kevin Whittaker, a San Francisco resident and Palo Alto-based attorney, strides into Palo Alto High School’s photo studio with an air of confidence, his well-fitted suit pressed clean and his hair neatly gelled. The Vegas restaurant and clothing company owner set the record for the longest handshake in 2008, fulfilling his

childhood dream of being featured in to break a record requiring athletic the Guinness Book of World Records. stamina or innate skill, so he decided As a child, Whittaker wistfully to do just what the DJs had suggestflipped through pages of the wide- ed: shake hands. ly-read book, hoping to someday “I knew I’d never break the reachieve the fame that he associated with cord in the 100 yard dash or running record holders. The seemingly unattain- the mile but [the DJs] mentioned able lingered in the back of his mind the world’s longest handshape was throughout high school and college. eight and a half hours and I thought I The decision to move forward with could do that,” Whittaker says. breaking a record Energized came mid-way by the more rethrough Whittak- It was a pretty short alistic prospects er’s successful caof achieving a moment in time that reer as an attorney, record, Whitwhen he stumbled were able to capitalize taker contacted upon a radio show his high school on.” in which DJs were friend Cory — KEVIN WHITTAKER, lawyer discussing a boy Jens, who had who had worn the most number of grown up in the same rural Iowa town shirts on the David Letterman show. as him and leaped at Whittaker’s proHe went on to brainstorm which re- posal. The pair speedily received the cords were the easiest records to break. go-ahead from the Guinness AssociWhittaker acknowledged that he ation and contacted journalists from might not have the talent nor capacity the San Francisco Chronicle to monitor the event.

Whittaker staged the event at San LEFT Kevin Whittaker, a San Francsico Francisco’s ferry building, a bustling resident who set the record for “lonepicenter of tourist and commercial gest handshake,” poses in the Palo activity. He welcomed onlookers Alto High School photo studio. Photo

by Emma Cockerell. and drew posters “announcing their RIGHT Steven Backman, who works prominence,” elated to finally be with toothpicks to make intricate achieving their dream. scupltures like this pufferfish, has Excitement waned, however, as worked with toothpicks since age five.

Courtesy of toothpickart.com. arms grew sore and the sun dipped

“

below the horizon. In an effort to alleviate blade. discomfort, Whittaker and Jens decided to Backman’s work switch off on who would perform the actu- has been featured in al shaking motion, and the record was bro- San Mateo’s maker ken at 10p.m. in the lobby of a Hyatt hotel, faire and purchased by which the pair had taken shelter in from clients for up to $1000. the cold. Neither record setter anticipat- Over the years, the scope ed the overwhelming response that would of his projects expanded come the following week. miniscule sculptures to “The [San Francisco] Chronicle ran large recreations using their article on Tuesday, and within 24 thousands of toothhours the Associated Press picked it up so picks. a version of that article got published in alBackman began most every major news publication in the his lifelong journey world,” Whittaker says. “I have 300 copies working with toothpicks at of newspapers in languages like Russian age five, fascinated by the idea o f and Thai and all these high school class- making recognizable art from a medium mates started calling me.” normally used to pick teeth. He went on Apart from the unexpected global to major in Industrial Design, continuing fame that came with setting the record, to teach himself the nuances of toothWhittaker was also interviewed on one of pick-sculpture building. While Backman Howard Stern’s television shows and flown has a day job, he often works for up ten out to New York City by the Wall Street hours at a time, digital distractions mutJournal for a “shake-off.” ed and his focus College students directed solely toI was always taught from Los Angeles broke wards his projects.

Whittaker’s record a few to never take no for an Backman demonths after the initial cided to attempt record setting, and an answer.” breaking the record —STEVEN BACKMAN, artist Australian man with the 15 years into his “most number of records toothpick endeavbroken” was quick to claim the record from ors. The path to success wasn’t without its the college students. Despite the coveted struggles — an impatient person, Backman title’s short-lived nature, Whittaker regards smashed one of his figures as a second gradthe event with fond memories. er, injuring his hand.

“I think it’s a good story, something Over many years of failed experimento do on a Monday afternoon,” Whittaker tation, he learned to persevere, stopping at says. “It wasn’t a true feat of some great ath- nothing to achieve his father’s wish: that he letic accomplishment or letting your finger- achieve a world record. nails grow for seven years — it was a pretty “I was always taught to never take no short moment in time that we will able to for an answer,” Backman says. “I needed to capitalize on.” have a ‘yes’ attitude and I never gave up on Whittaker encourages aspiring record my dream.” holders to give their dreams a shot — students can plan the events to act as fundrais- ROWING PRODIGY ers for the cause of their choice.

Even closer to home is Gordon “Trey” “There are a lot of records that are Holterman, a senior at Sacred Heart definitely attainable, even if you don’t have Prepatory, who set the record for fastany crazy special skill that nobody else has,” est ten kilometers erged by people ages Whittaker says.

15 to 16. Holterman initially started rowing three years ago, with the intenTOOTHPICK SCULPTOR tion of building his body up for the Steven Backman, a San Francisco na- basketball season and quitting rowtive, holds the record for creating the small- ing soon thereafter. est toothpick sculpture, a replica of the Holterman set the record for the Empire State Building built from a single greatest distance rowed on a rowing toothpick and created with glue and a razor machine in 30 minutes by accident

“

during a routine exercise with his teammates.

“I knew it was a fast score — I had almost beaten my 5k so I knew I had done pretty darn well,” Holterman says. “Then a kid on my team just quickly looked it up and said ‘Trey you broke the world record!’”

After having his record broken by a teammate shortly thereafter, Holterman trained with vigor and once again claimed the record. He relishes opportunities to excel by putting in hard work, and believes that though rowing is a lesser-known sport, it was just the right facet for Holterman to channel his energy into.

“I think it’s interesting because it’s a sport that not that many people are competing in, but to try to be the best in anything is very cool,” Holterman says. “I wanted to prove to myself that if I wanted to do a sport that is lesser-known and much less recognized, I was going to try to be the best in it.”

Looking into the future, Holterman is going to continue to pursue rowing in college, and hopes to break even more records.

“I’m definitely going to keep going for new records since there’s no higher goal to set than being the best in the world,” Holterman says. “It always keeps me focused and determined.” v

Unsung Audio Heros HIDDEN GEM PODCASTS TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY Text by DANIEL LOGAN and RIYA MATTA Art by ANNIE ZHAO

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HILE SCREENS ARE A MEDIUM OF ENTERTAINMENT THAT ARE CONSUMING OF ALL attention, audio-based media provides opportunities for entertainment on the move. According to fortune magazine, the release of the widely successful serial podcast in 2015 began a movement of advertisers towards this new form of information and entertainment. With this newfound opportunity, many new podcasts have been created, and some of these wonders have yet to be discovered by the majority of potential listeners. Here are reviews of three of these hidden treasures. We highly reccomend all three, with a special emphasis on Revisionist History. v

Genre: Culture/Politics Recommended for: History junkies Best for: Nerding out Featured Episodes: Carlos Doesn’t Remember Where to find it: revisionisthistory.com “Revisionist History,” by critically acclaimed former writer for the New York Times and nonfiction writer Malcolm Gladwell, covers a wide range of topics from college admissions to basketball statistics to the failures of modern satire. Currently, only one season of 10 episodes, approximately 40 minutes apiece, Gladwell’s coverage of college admissions is particularly wellthought-out and lenthy, taking up three of the episodes. In first episode in the subseries, Carlos Doesn’t Remember, one can be moved close to tears hearing the struggles that Carlos has faced in the inner city of Los Angeles, and of a system that excels at keeping people like him down.

But, despite most of his environment holding him back, Gladwell tells the story of a boy named Carlos who manages to escape the inner city and protects his younger sister against all the odds.

But, what the podcast really covers are the cases where the odds do play out, and a majority of smart, hardworking, poor kids like Carlos never make it out of the inner cities to reach their full potential.

We do warn that Gladwell is a highly left wing, politically outspoken man, and his biases as such do show in his podcasts across the board. That having been said, the production, theory, and execution of the podcasts are masterful, and Gladwell’s style rings true to every episode, turning even some of the dullest topics into a fascinating listen.

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culture

Genre: Comedy Recommended for: Quirky humour enthusiasts Best for: Unwinding Featured episode: Spaghettageddon Where to find it: Youtube “My Brother, My Brother, and Me” is a weekly comedy advice podcast featuring three brothers — Griffin, Travis and Justin McElroy — who have absolutely no business giving advice. In each hourlong episode, the brothers alternate between answering questions submitted by listeners, such as “How do I convince my wife to get a pet tarantula?” and absurd questions from Yahoo! Answers, such as “According to the Bible, is vanity over one’s potato salad a sin?” The answers to these questions usually prompt long, humourous discussion, which often stray from the original topic and involve one or all of them launching into a story about their childhood.

While the brothers would do well to spend less time laughing at their own jokes, this podcast is comedy gold and will always leave you with a smile on your face. Even in the most somber of times, you will not be able to resist laughing at their goofy advice and ridiculous banter.

Genre: Interview Recommended for: Everyone!

Best for: Long Road Trips Featured episode: How to Not be Evil Where to find it: Youtube, Podcast Apps

“The Tim Ferriss Show” has it all, from advanced venture marketing to metaphysics. Ferriss brings in his guests for in depth interviews on topics that they are experts. In the featured episode, Ferriss brings in Phil Zimbardo, the Stanford emeritus and psychologist behind the Stanford Prison Experiment.

For those unfamiliar, the experiment is notorious for showing psychologists just how quickly smart, mild-mannered people can turn into savages when they are put into a position of power. The podcast gets dark to match the material that is being discussed, and we would not recommend this podcast to someone who dislikes coverage of the unfavorable side of humanity.

All in all, the podcast is well-done, but sometimes the listener doesn’t fully know what to expect going in, as sometimes the coverage will be on a cheery or neutral topic, and other times it will dip into a deeper, darker topic as it does in the Zimbardo interview.

v

SERVICE WITH A SMILE Scoop Microcreamery employee since January and senior Avery Pearson smiles amid the shop’s large selection of ice cream which includes vegan flavors. “The vegan flavors are really popular,” Pearson says. “My favorite is the Strawberry Balsamic Sorbet.”

DiscoveringVegan Ice Cream

NON-DAIRY ALTERNATIVES TO A CLASSIC Text by DEEPALI SASTRY and MICHELLE LI Photos by JAMES POE

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S SUMMER SLOWLY DRIFTS CLOSER, THE SEARCH FOR ICE CREAM BECOMES ESSENTIAL. FOR those who enter into Scoop Microcreamery, nestled between other shops on the busy University Avenue, the buttery sweet scent of fresh waffle cones wafts from the inside of the small store to the outside street. Slightly down the street from Scoop sits Creamistry, famous for its liquid nitrogen ice cream, approximately 70 flavors and a mesmerizing ice cream-making process. In Town and Country, an impressive array of ice cream lines the counter of Tin Pot Creamery, displaying flavors ranging from Salted Butterscotch to Earl Grey.

One of the commonalities among these Palo Alto ice cream shops is their large selection of vegan ice cream. An increase in the consumption of dairy alternatives since 2015 reflects the growing vegan popluation in the United States. Verde went out to uncover the sans-dairy flavors many local ice cream shops have created while producing quality, but affordable, vegan ice cream. v

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culture

v

Tin Pot Creamery

855 El Camino Real #121, Palo Alto Vegan Mint Truffle $3.5 0

From the first bite, the dark chocolate established itself and intensified with every bite after. Once the chocolate richness melted away, we were left with hints of mint.

Because of its ingredient limitations, this rich ice cream’s texture closely resembled a sorbet as it was less creamy and more icy. Regardless of its consistency, the cocoa truffle vegan ice cream served justice to the coveted taste of chocolate and proved to be a vegan ice cream-lover’s alternative to mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Scoop Microcreamery 203 University Ave, Palo Alto Chili Mango Sorbet $6.4 0

A bold mixture of bright orange and strawberry pink adorned one of Scoop’s famous warm waffle cones. The strawberry chunks embedded into the tangy mango base created a refreshing bite quickly replaced by a hint of chili powder. Complementing the tanginess of the mangoes and the natural sweetness of the strawberry, the chilli powder added a surprising kick to a common sorbet.

Creamistry

164 University Ave, Palo Alto Chocolate ice cream with $8.1 0 a vegan coconut base The mesmerizing view of cloudy nitrogen spilling out of the mixing container was enough to convince us to shuffle through the doors of Creamistry. The vegan chocolate ice cream was created using a coconut base, as opposed to the other dairy base options. Delivered in a compact scoop, the ice cream appeared to have a light fudge-like hue. Its smooth texture almost resembled that of a chocolate mousse, which added to the overall smoothness of each bite. A little bit on the sweeter and more pricey end, Creamistry produces an ice cream that will satisfy any chocolate craving with a texture unlike any other ice cream.

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Chilling out with

Backyard Brew

Text by STEPHANIE LEE and FRANCES ZHUANG

INSIDE PALO ALTO’S NEWEST OUTDOOR CAFÉ

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LTHOUGH THE SKY IS A and drew his inspiration for the coffee shop little overcast, the glass-colored from his time in high school. sidewalk of California Avenue “I knew what it [Palo Alto] was like glistens as we pass by the su- and what it became, and my goal was to permarkets and office buildings. Squeezed design a place to help people decompress,” between a yellow insurance building and Khalil says. “There’s not much place to dewhite walls is an alleyway, with Backyard compress in Palo Alto. That’s why I don’t Brew’s logo of a steaming cup of coffee sand- have any clocks. I want to make sure you wiched between three come here and you enlines of text: “Backyard joy yourself.”

I always say that if Brew Espresso and Tea: Adil Ahsan, a selfCome Chill With Us.” dubbed and you’re not doing any- a fellow consultant The little cofmember of the feeshop at 444 Califor- thing, at least you’re class of 2009, helps nia Avenue is literally Khalil ensure that his not being mean. in the backyard of Palo business runs smooth— Adil Ahsan, consultant and helper Alto's shopping disly. Ahsan says Backat Backyard Brew trict. Soft music flows yard Brew provides a from a stereo as we arrive, immediately friendly place within Silicon Valley, an iscreating a relaxed and creative atmosphere. land of tranquility in a sea of increasingly The entire coffeeshop is outdoors, with hostile national sentiments. the coffee bar and register under nothing “It’s difficult to tackle a giant problem but a simple roof to the right, and tables like the national climate, so it’s not someand chairs covered in sharpie scrawls un- thing we’ll affect today, tomorrow, or even der a canopy to the left. Water fountains a year from now, but I think this place is in filled with succulents are placed randomly for the long haul,” Ahsan says. “I always say through the setting. that if you’re not doing anything, at least Ryan Khalil, the founder of Backyard you’re not being mean. We’re doing a one Brew, Palo Alto High School Class of 2009, up: we want to provide a space for being

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friendly and tolerant here. If we can change even one person’s day, then that’s great.”

Backyard Brew's emphasis on friendliness and love is evident, not only from its customer service, but also from the quality of its food and drink. Many of the available offerings are reminiscent of snacks a grandmother would offer her grandchildren after a long day of school, and elicit content feelings after consumption. v Alfajor ($3): 4/5 stars The minute our teeth sank into the soft crust of the cookie, a powdery sweet taste seeped into our mouth. Shreds of dry coconut added a little extra crunch in the filling. The filling itself was a crumbly sort of powder, the kind that melted on our tongues effortlessly.

The cookie part had a soft texture, like a firm cake. Although it wasn't as flavorful as the filling, the coating was a lovely accompaniment to the center. We gave the alfajor four stars because it was rather pricey for a small macaron.

Halva bar ($3): 4.5/5 stars The second dessert we unwrapped was the halva bar. It looked like a rectangular

WORKING HARD Ryan Khalil, the owner of Backyard Brew, wipes his hands after fixing a customer’s drink. Khalil is a 2009 Palo Alto High School graduate and created Backyard Brew so people would have a place to decompress from the high stresses of work. Photo by Frances Zhuang.

sweetness was a bit overwhelming.

ALFAJOR Crumbly with a cake-like texture, this Peruvian macaroon-like pastry received 4/5 stars from us. Photo by Stephanie Lee.

slice of pie more than anything; the top was very crusty and flaky like a pie crust, and the bottom was very sticky and dense.

Unpeeling the halva bar from the paper, we took a bite and felt the crust crunch underneath our teeth. The bottom was very sticky, sugary sweet, and chewy — however, the bar made us thirsty because it was so sweet. Still, we were literally licking our fingers in the end. The taste and texture were reminiscent of brown sugar and caramel due to the stickiness and flavor from the bar. Because of its decadent quality and sharp contrast in both texture and flavor, we give it 4.5 stars. However, some of the

Silver Jasmine Loose Leaf Tea ($5): 5/5 stars The presentation of the tea leaves made the drink a treat for both the eyes and taste buds: six vials nestled in the dark velvet lining of a black chest. The French press itself was no disappointment; it added to the aesthetic of the creative, earthy atmosphere.

The tea was faintly sweet but very pleasant. The jasmine flavor itself was not only strong but also prominent. There was a very fresh and crisp edge to the tea, something we’d rarely tasted before in other teas.

Bedouin Brew: ($2) 4/5 stars While discussing the origins of Backyard Brew and their motif of love, Khalil mentions this drink as an example of the love they pour into their products.

“The Bedouin Brew is a recipe passed down to me from my grandmother,” Khalil says. “I get here at 5 a.m. to start the preparation for that. That’s what I’m talking about when I say I want to prepare everything with love.”

The coffee came in a small paper cup, sending fragrant spirals of steam up into the sky. The sweetness of the cinnamon and the warmth of the cardamom made the drink taste like Christmas, and the taste

faded until we were left with just a smidge of bitterness on the tongue.

Although the drink was generously spiced (and highly caffeinated, as Khalil warned) the small portion size allowed us to enjoy the flavors while preventing the brew from overpowering the sweets.

Y U No Have Caffeine: ($3) 3.5/5 stars The name of this drink, which references the “Y U No” meme, had us giggling.

The decaffeinated coffee was aromatic, giving off sweet smells and those reminiscent of roasting nuts with a caramel-like aftertaste, derived from the clove and cardamom that Khalil brews it with. Thankfully, Thankfully, the coffee was softly bitter, rather than astringent.

HALVA BAR This sticky square was a favorful punch to the taste buds, worth a 4.5/5 stars.

Photo by Stephanie Lee.

EXPLORING A TRENDY BAY AREA FOOD CRAZE Text by IRENE CHOI and SAURIN HOLDHEIM Art by EOIN O’KRAMER

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EXT TO THE KOMBUCHA DISPLAY, THE MOCHI BAR IN WHOLE FOODS CAN BE EASILY OVERLOOKED. Its pastel, minimalistic sign simply reads “Self-Serve Mochi Ice Cream,” but inside the freezer box sit neat rows of colorful spheres of mochi, ice cream-filled Japanese rice cakes. The display advertises a variety of flavors, from matcha to raspberry white chocolate. Since Whole Foods opened its first mochi bar earlier this year in Texas, more bars have been opening in other locations. Priced at $2 per mochi or $20 per dozen, the trendy treats are quite expensive. Verde took a trip to a Whole Foods in Santa Clara to check out the hype. v

Chocolate Vanilla

Pistachio

Guava

Most of the flavor of every mochi at the Whole Foods bar came from the ice cream filling as opposed to the mochi itself, which resulted in this combination of chocolate mochi and vanilla ice cream tasting virtually identical to the full-on vanilla option. The treat itself was not bad, the mochi adding to the dessert in texture if not taste, but overall was a complete letdown due to the total absence of chocolate flavor.

The Whole Foods mochi bar redeems itself from past mishaps with the pistachio flavored mochi. Upon first bite, nutty ice cream and little chunks of real pistachio flooded my mouth. Overall, the flavor is fantastic, the soft and chewy outside perfectly complementing the strong taste of the pistachio ice cream within. Of the 13 flavors offered, this is one of the relatively few mochi worth returning for.

While we appreciated the interesting flavors such as lychee and passion fruit, this particular choice was poorly executed. Even guava-lovers may find the flavor in mochi form strange on the palate, a better idea in theory than in reality. What is normally a tropical, citrus-y flavor tasted too milky in the form of ice cream.

i $2 per moch en $20 per doz

YUM To the left, a young couple carefully selects their favorite flavors of mochi from Santa Clara Whole Food’s mochi bar. Photos by Alice On.

Tea Time!

Text by RIYA SINHA and REBECCA YAO Photos by EMMA COCKERELL Art by AANIKA AKKARAJU

LOCAL TEA ROOM NEARS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

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HE AIR IS WARM AND heavy with the scent of aromatic teas. Darkly varnished shelves are adorned with teapots in every color, shape and size, and pastel flower pots resting upon lacy doilies are carved with sayings like “Be Happy,” and “Live Love Laugh.”

The brightly lit tea room is painted a cheerful green, and atop a far mantle sit vibrant paintings and open books. Music plays in the background as people chatter and sip tea poured from the hollows of a tea-cozy wrapped teapot. This little hole in the wall is the perfect place to sip tea in peace amid the hustle and bustle of downtown Palo Alto.

Tea Time, located at 542 Ramona Street, is Palo Alto’s only Victorian-era inspired tea room, and has been open for at least 20 years.

“It’s really unique because it’s a tea room where people can sit down and enjoy the experience,” says Melissa Carleton, a Palo Alto High School junior who is also employed at Tea Time. “With Tea Time you can really just relax and have a good conversation over a pot of tea. It’s supposed to be like a real Victorian tea room, and it’s the only one in Palo Alto like that.”

Tim Phan, the manager of Tea Time, sees it as the shop’s personal mission to ed-

ucate people in Palo Alto about tea. He helped to renovate the menu and the overall ambience of Tea Time ten years ago, and has had a large part in creating the tea room as it stands today.

“I think [that] in California and the United States in general, we don’t have traditional English tea here, and our vision is to bring tea to people,” Phan says. “[We have] English High Tea for people who really want to relive or experience English high tea.”

After being seated at a windowside table surrounded by cushioned chairs, we ordered two pots of tea and a sampling of tea sandwiches and pastries. The tea and their complements make their appearances snugly wrapped in floral-patterned tea-cozies and carefully lined up. A little white pot filled with sugar cubes rests nearby, and milk and cream are also offered.

The peppermint tea is strong and fresh, instantly making us feel more awake. Per recommendation of our server, we order the peach tea, which is sweeter and perfectly complementary to the blueberry scones and strawberry crumpets. The Devonshire cream and lemon curd, accompaniments to the scone, are presented in a porcelain saucer.

The scone and tea combo is $11.99, as is the crumpet and tea combo. We also try the ly-

- $18.99 Tea Time Trio

TEA FOR THREE A blueberry scone, a fresh salad and a cup of warm tomato soup are plated side by side, accompanied by a pot of tea and a flower for garnish.

Crumpet and Tea - $11.99

CRUMPET AND CREAM A delicious and buttery crumpet topped with sliced strawberries.

chee tea, which has a strong floral undertone.

Although it is a tea room, other foods such as sandwiches, salads and soups are offered there as well. We also tried the $18.99 Tea Time Trio, where you get your choice of soup and a scone to pair with a mixed greens salad and a pot of tea. The tomato soup is both creamy and not too acidic, while the mixed side salad is not overdressed, and comes topped with slivered almonds and tomatoes. The crumpets and scones are fresh, and the bread perfectly melts in your mouth.

Though these portions are quite expensive for their size, the food is delicious and well worth the extra dollars.

“It’s our mission to be a combination of healthy and delicious,” Phan says, “And also presentation [is valued], so people come in and always have a high tea, and [when] they say ‘wow,’ you know that’s how beautiful and thoughtfully we prepare our product.”

The tea room experience is about more than just tea; the conversations that happen over tea, and those between servers and customers, are just as important to the experience. “[My favorite part is] probably just talking with people,” Carleton says. “I love getting to know different people and I love to see people enjoying their tea, it makes me really happy.”

Phan also emphasizes the importance of customer satisfaction. “[T]hat gives me joy everyday, to see my customers happy,” he says with a smile. v

DISNEY CLASSIC SPAWNS TWO SPINOFFS Art by EOIN O’KRAMER

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Text by SAURIN HOLDHEIM and EOIN O’KRAMER

HIS YEAR, DISNEY HAS CONTINUED ITS TREND OF REMAKING CLASSICS AS LIVE-ACTION FILMS with Beauty and the Beast, the tale of how the beautiful Belle discovers a kind prince hidden within a monstrous beast.

However, unlike previous recent remakes, this movie was released in tandem with the Palo Alto High School theater program’s own adaptation of the same story. Verde viewed both to see who did the age-old story more justice; Disney or Paly. v

THE NEW MOVIE Disney’s 2017 live-action interpretation of “Beauty and The Beast” features a fantastical array of colorful characters and set pieces, beautiful costume and location designs, and a fair amount of deviations from the original source material. The film is directed by Bill Condon and stars Emma Watson (Belle), Dan Stevens (The Beast), Luke Evans (Gaston) alongside many returning characters such as Cogsworth (Ian McKellen) and Lumiere (Ewan McGregor). The movie also adds a new side character, a piano named Maestro Cadenza (Stanley Tucci) whose blandness and insignificance to the plot may not resonate well with the average viewer.

There are a good number of deviations from the original 1991 “Beauty and the Beast,” which is to be expected and hoped for in big-budget Disney extravaganzas such as this. Yet none of the added material feels warranted enough to have been added, and in the grand scheme of things, these new features don’t make much of a difference in the overall flow and feel of the film.

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Some of these aforementioned variations include a side plot revolving around both Belle and the Beast’s parents, and the cause of death of both of their mothers, perhaps as a way to construct more similarities between these star-crossed lovers (the movie actually surprisingly references “Romeo and Juliet”), or perhaps as a way to extend the runtime of the film to be about 20 minutes longer than the original.

However, while there are certainly some less interesting scenes in the new film story-wise, Condon’s “Beauty and the Beast” never fails to impress on the visual end, with fantastic Computer Generated Imagery for the non-human characters, and great makeup on Stevens’ portrayal of the Beast. Because of this, the movie is always a delight for the eyes.

One of the best-looking and overall best scenes in the movie is the widely known “Be Our Guest” song, an almost completely animated and CGI-based scene, with the exception of Belle watching along and offering the occasional gesture.

With all of the above taken into consideration, while Condon’s “Beauty and The Beast” may fall-short on story and meaningful additions, its bright and colorful visuals will delight younger viewers, and fans of the old film will certainly find some enjoyment in this interpretation and extension of the franchise.

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THE CAMPUS PLAY Paly Theater’s production of “Beauty and the Beast,” featuring Belle (Alia Cuadros-Contreras) and The Beast (Jackson Kienitz) was obviously unable to match Disney’s movie budget of $160 million, yet it actually made for an overall more enjoyable viewing experience. While the movie relies heavily on vibrant and beautiful animations to retain the viewer’s interest, Paly’s production placed more focus on story and character development than on dazzling effects, a choice that worked very well.

That being said, the Paly set was not low quality by any standards. The costumes, even that of the Beast, were believable. By far the most believable costume was that of Chip (played by Ally Feitzinger), which showed Feitzinger’s displaced head emerging from a teacup, her body seemingly nonexistent.

Many student actors also adopted French accents due to France being the setting of the tale, and managed to do so realistically while providing comic relief to complement some more serious topics explored in the play.

A notable example of a well maintained accent was that of Gil Weissman (Lumiere), who used it to provide for great humor, whilst also singing dancing, and performing stunts along with his fellow actors.

Unfortunately, there were a few technical difficulties during opening night of the play; in the beginning of Act II, when the Beast battled a pack of wolves, the fire alarm was triggered due to the excessive output of the smoke machines. It is unclear why the smoke was necessary, as its biggest effect was to irritate the eyes of those sitting in the front rows, particularly after a similar situation occurred during rehearsal.

According to Kathleen Woods, head of the theater program, who addressed the crowd shortly after the alarm’s sound was disabled, the department had incorrectly believed the issue had already been resolved. After a wait of about 20 minutes, the fire department was able to fully reset the alarms, and the play resumed.

Upon the resumption of the play, actors faced malfunctioning micro-

phones. However, the cast and crew channeled the spirit of “the show must go on,” giving their all despite iffy mics, until the issue was resolved.

While these technical issues were glaring, they were understandable as this was the largest scale performance to date in the new Performing Arts Center, and they did not detract very much from the overall experience; by the time the musical had ended, all thoughts of malfunction had been replaced by appreciation of the dramatic ending.

Among the best scenes was when Belle and the Beast began to truly develop a bond, looking past their differences and antagonisms as Belle read the story of King Arthur aloud to her captor. Belle’s deep love of books and the stories they contain allowed her to look past the calloused surface of the Beast, and connect with the self-conscious prince inside, helping him overcome his embarrassment at being unable to read. A believable connection was forged between the two characters in this moment, and it seemed less forced than the arc the movie took.

The excellent storytelling of this play, combined with the passionate performances and amazing voices of the actors made Paly’s first musical in the PAC a smashing success.

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Text by ALIA COUADROS-CONTRERAS and ANGELA LIU

A Penny For Prom A GUIDE TO SECONDHAND SHOPS IN SAN FRANCISCO

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ITH PROM FAST APPROACHING, THE QUEST TO FIND THE PERFECT DRESS commences. Although an exciting occasion, nightmares of twinning and a fortune in receipts can make prom dress shopping stressful and overwhelming. However, there is an alternative option to the most popular trends and department stores -- vintage designs and thrift stores. To help out, Verde has reviewed a selection of thrift and vintage stores in San Francisco. Shop on! v

1. Relic Vintage Upon opening the glass doors, you are greeted by 1950’s-style swing music bouncing through the store, evoking images of teens dressed in leather jackets and poodle skirts.

The long, velvet couches and antique, wooden furniture complete the transportation to another era. Urged on by the entrancing atmosphere, you approach the spinning racks of dresses seemingly plucked from your grandmother’s teenage collection.

As the dresses are organized by color and length, Relic Vintage is the perfect place for someone with a specific idea in mind. From short, pink cocktail dresses to long, blue ball gowns, this store has it all.

Once you are weighed down by a pile of dresses, a store assistant will lead you to a curtained changing room and help you into your dress.

To complete the princess experience, the store assistant will bring you matching shoes, bustiers and hoop skirts to fit your specific gown. In your complete outfit, you are guided out of the dressing room and into a $15.99 hallway lined with mirrors. Gazing at your reflection, you are transported.

Overall, the customer service and quality of dresses is superb. Relic Vintage is a definite must for dress-seeking prom goers.

Art by VIVIAN NGYUEN AND EOIN O’KRAMER

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$20

2. Thrift Town

An obtrusive sign with “Thrift Town” painted in red letters lends an easy eye to a passerby in the colourful Mission district of San Francisco, Haight Street’s lesser known cousin of the Bay Area’s thrift scene.

A step into Thrift Town gives way to high ceilings and an open layout, lending itself to a vast, albeit a tad overwhelming selection of clothing. The business exists as a chain across California, New Mexico and Texas, boasting a claim of receiving 4,000 new items being delivered to the location daily.

Among the racks of worn-in flannels and faded jeans, a humble size of prom dresses can be found hanging along the side of the store neatly divided into an inclusive selection of sizes 2 through 20.

Nineties slinky and sequined dresses, over-adorned satin numbers reminiscent of the eighties, timeless chiffon maxis, along with repurposable bridesmaid dresses all can be purchased for less than $20 and some under $10. The dresses are close to prime condition, with smooth zippers, intact hanger straps and no visible stains or tears, with many of them even sporting pricey brand.

Tried and true, Thrift Town embodies the classic thrifting genre: inexpensive and containing an abundance of clothing that could need some weeding through.

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3. Mission Thrift A glass wall encasing vintage dolls and stuffed toys to the left, along with gingerly coordinated mannequins to the right, all posed in front of gauzy floral backdrops greets customers from the exterior of Mission Thrift. Taped onto one of the glass panels, a flier proudly announces that $9.99 half of the store’s proceeds go towards the American Civil Liberties Union, with a scrawled message underneath welcoming ethnic and LGBT minorities.

The nature of both prom dresses and clothes Mission Thrift has to offer give off a much more selective impression, selling carefully curated merchandise much more hip than the likes of a local Goodwill.

Rather than a lineup of decaded styles, delicate Victorian lace pieces channeling a petticoated princess juxtaposed with contemporary designs seen on the previous season’s prom runway, make up the majority of the dresses.

Unfortunately, a lack of clearly distinguishable size labels creates a setback for customers guessing the size of the gowns and making a lot of trips to the dressing rooms.

The changing rooms themselves present an interesting set up: a set of short, swingy doors don’t give off a very safe feeling, with one wrong move risking your exposure to the rest of the store and the single cashier sat right next to the changing room.

If you wan’t something smaller and more selective, Mission Thrift is where to go!

LOCATIONS 1. Relic Vintage: 1605 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117 2. Thrift Town: 2101 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

LOCATIONS 3. Mission Thrift : 2330 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110 4. Decades of Fashion: 1653 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117

4. Decades of Fashion Rows of floor length velvet ball gowns, taffetta draped hoop skirts, and polka-dotted party dresses line the endless racks. Bejeweled head dresses and feathered hats resting on manequin heads line both sides of the store. Acutely pointed heels, shiny leather dress shoes, and beaded sandals rest in glass cases near the front counter.

Strolling through the eye catching displays of clothing, one can literally walk through ten decades of fashion – from the 1880s through the 1980s.

Although it may be overwhelming to sort through the seemingly endless options, the variety in styles ensures everyone will find a perfect, unique fit. Essentially timeless in style, these dresses can be worn well after prom, making them well worth the price.

According to the store’s owner Cicely Hansen, Decades of Fashion is the perfect place to shop for a prom dress, as every dress is one of a kind. Not only will you avoid twinning, but you will be wearing a dress with a story. Whether your chosen gown was made by a 1950s Hollywood designer or worn by a Victorian era socialite, your prom dress will have a rich history. $10.99 Further, Hansen herself will help customers pair dresses with accessories including shoes, hand held purses, and shawls. It’s safe to say that, if you shop at Decades of Fashion, you will attend prom in style and stand out with your unique gown.

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FAM3ILY FUN On a rainy day, customers Sheila, Kevin and Brian Neilinger explore a variety of innovative products in the b8ta store in downtown.

The Copenhagen Wheel displayed behind them transforms a typical bicycle into an electric hybrid simply by attaching the device to the back wheel.

T out of the

box

516 Bryant Street

Text by AMIRA GAREWAL and MEGAN CHAI Photos by JAMES POE

HROUGH CLEAR GLASS windows, children laugh as they press an array of buttons and screens. Rows and rows lined with new and innovative tech gadgets entice curious families into the inno store.

The b8ta store’s location in downtown Palo Alto provides easy access to local startups, although they also feature tech products from international companies.

“There’s a projector, the XGIMI Aurora, which is from Japan — it’s a fully thrown 3D projector that’s the size of [a] lunchbox,” says Jake Cardin, a b8ta product tester. “Click and Grow has been with us from the beginning, and they’re from Estonia. So we definitely get quite an eclectic group.” b8ta’s philosophy of displaying products out of the box allows customers to test out showcased gadgets. From high-tech wearables to devices that advance your lifestyle at home, b8ta provides an array of tech gadgets that attracts people of all ages.

Here are a few of Verde’s favorite products from b8ta. v

petcube

$99

The Petcube is an interactive camera that allows you to watch, play with and talk to your pet from your smartphone. Watch your pet and talk to it with the 2-way audio system whenever you are not at home. You can even play with your pet with the built-in laser.

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Juicero

$399

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RELonch $500

With just a push of a button, Juicero gives you fresh, organic juice that you can get at home. Juicero uses technology to cold-press “Juicero Packs” that come in a variety of flavors containing organic prewashed and chopped produce. This means there is no need to prepare the ingredients or clean up! Additionally, the Juicero App allows users to manage Juicero Pack deliveries, check the expiration dates of their Juicero Packs and know the nutritional facts about the juices they drink.

CLICK & GRoW

$59.95

Who ever said you needed a green thumb to have a garden? The Smart Herb Garden is a self-automated planter that anyone can use to have an indoor garden.

The special technology in will water and fertilize your plants for you. Simply plug in the device, put in the plant cartridges, add water to the tank and let the Smart Herb Garden take care of the gardening.

BooSTED Board

We all love taking beautiful photographs. However, picking up a DSLR camera can be overwhelming, and often takes weeks to fully understand. Relonch is a unique camera that has no screen, no settings and no zoom. Instead, the clean and simple design simplifies the photo-taking process. All photographs are automatically sent to a Relonch, a Palo Alto start-up, where they are professionally edited using artificial intelligence. The next day all photos are sent to your phone, and you pay $1 per one full quality edited photo that you want to keep. The $500 cost of the camera goes towards credits for edited images.

FLoSSTIME Are you looking for a fast and exciting form of transportation to get to school or work everyday? This fully electric skateboard can zoom past traffic jams and up steep San Francisco streets up to 22 miles per hour. Its water resistant electronics, sturdy bamboo board and wireless remote control are sure to improve your transportation experience.

This board has been a longtime favorite of employee Jake Cardin. “I’ve always been a skate rat at heart,” Cardin says. “I’ve followed this company for a long time, even before I worked at b8ta. I signed up on b8ta, found out that we actually carry the product, so it’s definitely one of my favorites.”

$1599

$39.99

Have you ever been torn between flossing your teeth or not because removing the floss from its container was just too difficult of a task? Fear no more — with only the press of a button, Flosstime dispenses the perfect length of floss and rewards you with a smile. Dispensers are available in the shape of a frog, fish or crab.

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Blue Apron HOME DINING REVOLUTIONIZED Text by STEPHANIE YU, EMMA COCKERELL and ALLISON CHENG Photos by EMMA COCKERELL Art by AISHAH MAAS

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HILDREN ALL HEAR THEIR parents complain about having to make dinner — the laborious chore seems to be universally reviled by hard-working parents tired after a long day’s work. This is where ingredient-delivery services like Blue Apron come in. The company, designed to expedite the home meal process by shipping customers recipe cards and pre-portioned ingredients, aims to make cooking hassle-free, all the while providing organic, non-GMO ingredients. To see whether the weekly subscription service lives up to the hype, Verde decided to order and cook one of Blue Apron’s three-meal packages.

The box arrived on time, with insulated packaging and ice to keep the ingredients fresh. The ingredients were neatly divided into clearly labeled bags. Though the dishes initially looked daunting, recipe sheets provided easy-to-follow instructions, and the end products looked no worse than the photos on the recipe sheets. For families looking for some stay-at-home bonding and a unique culinary adventure, Blue Apron provides just the right experience. v

Oaxaca Cheese and Plantain Tortas

HOME COOKING SIMPLIFIED Blue Apron, a weekly meal service, caters to all busy families who are looking for an easy alternative to home-cooked meals.

No 62%

Yes 38%

Percentage of Paly students who use a food delivery service

Blue Apron Sunbasket Hello Fresh Plated The Purple Carrot Other

55.60% 18.50% 11.10% 7.40% 4.10% 3.30%

Distribution of food delivery services used by Paly students

Poll results were collected with a survey administered in Palo Alto High School English classes over the course of several days in March 2017. Sixteen English classes were randomly selcted, and 386 response collected. With 95 percent confidence, the results are accurate within a margin of error of 5.32 percent.

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his salad consisted of a standard romaine lettuce base, and was tossed with diced tangelo (a hybrid of tangerine and pomelo) and radish slices before being drizzled with leftover shallot marinating liquid. With an abundance of colors and tastes, the salad garnered our highest rating of 5/5.

The tangelo pieces left a lasting impression both in regards to appearance and to taste — warm orange hues added to the largely monochromatic color scheme, and the juicy pulp of the fruit permeated the leaves with a sweet aroma. The muted undertones of the shallot sauce — composed of sugar, salt, red wine vinegar and olive oil — extended the shallot motif, creating layers of flavor beneath the fragrance of the tangelo.

From the soft flesh of the tangelo to the crisp lettuce, the variety of textures provided a diverse experience. Although a fairly uncomplicated side to make, the salad’s harmony of flavors and brilliant use of the tangelo elevated the dish.

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SWEET AND SALTY Tortas incorporate fried plaintains with oaxacan cheese to provide a unique combination of flavors and textures.

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The tortas were composed of a blend of native Oaxacan ingredients sandwiched between two crispy, airy pieces of bread.

The crunchy texture of the bread proved to be a pleasant contrast to the creamy Oaxacan cheese and gooey fried plantains. Marinated shallots and diced peppers provided a kick of sourness, balancing the rest of the savory dish and representing a noteworthy blend of flavors.

The assembly process, which consisted of laying shallots, fried plantains and hand-cut slices of cheese onto the base of the sandwich, was relatively simple. However, when pan-frying the sandwich, the instructions required us to use the lid of a small pan to compress the sandwich. This led to the bread soaking in far too much oil.

Spinach Risotto

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arnaroli rice took the stage in the Spinach Risotto dish, which featured a creamy blend of sauteéd spinach and crispy fried leek. The dish was proportioned so that each element was present in equal amounts in each bite, providing for a diverse combination of textures. Sprinkled atop the rice and spinach, the fried leek and chopped almonds added bright overtones to the bland color scheme of the dish.

All of the steps required to prepare the Spinach Risotto were common techniques for preparing a rice dish, except for that of the fried leek. Even after cooking the leeks eight minutes (compared to the “four to six minutes” in the directions), the leek still did not become crispy or turn golden brown as expected, and we were left with a flavorful but soggy version of cooked leek that resembled thinly sliced cooked cabbage. Aside from this slight downside, the dish was flavorful and could be easily-recreated.

Mushroom and Barley Ramen

RICE RE-ENVISIONED Fried leek and chopped almonds added an element of crunchiness to the creamy risotto and spinach.

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he Mushroom and Barley Ramen required an elaborate cooking process. Although the cook time was estimated by Blue Apron to be 30-40 minutes, we ultimately spent at least an hour washing and preparing the food.

The finished product, however, was a work of artistry. The deliberate arrangement of the cabbage leaves, mushrooms and egg along the edge of the bowl created a resemblance to the compositions of professional Japanese chefs.

Unfortunately, the taste of the ramen was unable to parallel its external appearance. For starters, the cabbage leaves were bland. The broth — a fragrant concoction of garlic, ginger, scallions, mushroom paste miso paste, smoked dulse seaweed and soy sauce — was pleasant enough but failed to saturate the noodles, leaving them moderately flavorless.The taste might have been somewhat salvaged, however, had we reduced the amount of time spent capturing the aesthetic and eaten the ramen before it cooled to a lukewarm state.

AN ORIENTAL EXPERIENCE Surrounded by a bed of purple cabbage leaves and mushrooms, an intricate mass of ramen noodles floats atop a seaweed and miso broth.

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Text and photos by OLIVIA BROWN

Green Smoothies GO GREEN WITH NUTRITIOUS SMOOTHIES

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RUIT AND VEGETABLES ARE UNDENIABLY HEALTHY INGREDIENTS THAT ARE CRUCIAL IN many dishes. Green smoothies provide a fun, unique alternative to getting your daily dose of greens. When you’re not in the mood for a salad or a snack of carrot sticks, green smoothies are the perfect option. They are very easy to personalize and create an assortment of flavors with, whether you’re opting for a fruity taste or a bitter tinge of kale.

After testing out an insane number of green smoothies, Verde has compiled two of my favorite recipes, which can both be created in under ten minutes. v

ENERGIZING GREEN SMOOTHIE - ⅔ cup almond milk (unsweetened) - ¾ cup ice - 1 ½ cups kale (chopped, packed) - 1 stalk celery (diced) - 1 Gala apple (cut into chunks) - Honey (to taste) This smoothie has a refreshing, bittersweet taste. The bitter taste is taken from the kale, and is sweetened by the honey and apple. The texture of the smoothe is thick.

Source: Blendtech

FRUITY GREEN SMOOTHIE - 2 cups kale - 1 cups almond milk - 1 cup blueberries

- 1 cup bananas This has a sweet, fruity taste, the texture being creamy and smooth. The kale doesn’t dominate, but instead accentuates the flavors of the fruit.

Source: Self created GREEN SMOOTHIES Sophomore Isa Cossio drinks a green smoothie during lunch. Smoothies are a great power drink for anyone too busy to sit down for a meal. This smoothie is from Calafia at Town and Country. Photo by Emma Cockerell.

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This energizing green smoothie has a refreshing, bittersweet taste. The bitter taste comes from the kale, but is sweetened by the honey and apple. The texture of the smoothe is thick. This will make you feel energized and cleansed. If you’re leaning towards a smoothie more dominated with a bitter taste and less sugar, this is the perfect smoothie.

Source: Blendtech

perspectives

“Feminist” Fashion

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Text by RIYA SINHA

PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR CLOTHES ARE

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HEN DONALD TRUMP called Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman” during the final 2016 presidential debate, it was as if vendors around America had won the lottery. Within hours, mugs, T-shirts, pins and hats were on sale, demanding the money of any person ready to feel “empowered.”

While some of the brands promoting this type of merchandise were donating the proceeds to actual women’s rights organizations, others were just trying to make money off of the latest political trend of the day.

It’s nothing new for the fashion business to capitalize on every trend they see, but when it comes to social issues, it undermines the cause and disempowers marginalized communities.

“Fashion has the ability to play a major role in social issues,” says Palo Alto High School junior Darrow Hornik, who is deeply interested in fashion. “I think that businesses and designers that do make and sell these pieces should donate the profits to an organization that supports the issues for which they are speaking up. Especially in today’s political and social climate, it is gravely important that the organizations ... are receiving donations.”

Treating feminism, LGBTQ+ rights and anti-racism as mainly fashion trends will ultimately only hurt us. There needs to be tangible solutions and progress towards equality, instead of the commercialization of important social issues. However, I still see my peers at Paly wearing shirts that say “Raise boys and girls the same way” and “This is What a Feminist Looks Like,” looking informed but not contributing anything to the movements.

Many popular teen brands like Forever 21 and Brandy Melville make outfits about trending social issues, and make money off of it. To combat this, we need to make concious decisions about where we shop and what brands we associate with.

One of the most recent examples of protest was seen just before the Los Angeles

Pride Parade. When the organizers of the event announced they would be rebranding the event to be more like a music festival than a parade, there was backlash accusing LA pride of commercializing the event instead of appreciating LGBTQ+ community. #NotOurPride trended on social media, and finally the organizers reversed their stances and made the parade similar to the years before. This shows the power of the people, and is an example of how consumers can stay morally aware, which I think everyone should do.

If these social clothing brands want to actually help, they should be donating their profits to organizations such as Planned Parenthood, ACLU or The Black Lives Matter charity, which all work to help the marginalized communities that are supposedly supported by the phrases on the merchandise.

“I personally love that the [fashion] industry is recognizing current issues, and is willing to take a public stance on it … but honestly, I feel like they could do a lot more,” says Paly sophomore Alicia Kao, who has been interested in fashion since shestarted high school. “Actions would better impact society and would directly affect the lives of more people, instead of fashion designers remaining in their ‘privileged bubble.’”

If we commercialize crucial social issues, we risk only talking about those issues when they surface on mainstream media instead of making plans to move forward with greater momentum.

With the way the world is going right now, it seems that feminism and Art by Vivian Nguyen

other social issues are just words for whoever has the most feminist merchandise — someone who has the money to spend on social trends.

In the book “We Were Once Feminists”, author Andi Zeisler, a creative director of the feminist non-profit company, Bitch Media, discusses the same issue of commercializing serious social issues.

“Consumer or celebrity feminism is a label that can be put on and taken of when it’s convenient,” Zeisler explains in her book.

Many brands have already started to see the issue in commercialization, and I commend them for taking a stand. Recently, Dior launched it’s “We Should All Be Feminists” t-shirt on the runway, up for $750. After receiving slight backlash for making feminism seem like a fashion trend, Dior announced it would be donating all the proceeds from this T-shirt to Rihanna’s charity. Other smaller brands, like stores on Etsy and Feminist Collective donate either all or a significant amount of their money to Planned Parenthood and other charities.

Especially with the new Trump administration everyone should try to stay away from brands that promote social issues just to make extra money. Consumer inactivism is just as dangerous as commercial inactivism.

Make sure your money is going towards helping the cause that you actually care about. v

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Goodbye Garbage

MY ATTEMPT AT A WEEK WITHOUT TRASH Text by JULIE CORNFIELD Photos by JAMES POE

W

ITH THE DECLINE of the drought and the increasingly idyllic weather, basking in the beauty of our surroundings is effortless. As the grass turns greener and weather gets better, there seems to be virtually no reason to pass up a picnic at the Foothills or a chance to hike the Dish. However, I’ve found that in taking advantage of our picturesque surroundings, we seem to be taking advantage of nature in the classical sense — stealing without giving back. Furthermore, we leave hints of our existence everywhere we go — wrappers from our picnics or plastic water bottles from our hikes — and we resume our lives without an afterthought.

With that in mind, I decided I was done mindlessly contributing to the litter that plagues our cityscape and ultimately fills our ever-growing landfills — I wanted to change my lifestyle to increase my sustainability. Though such tremendous modification is difficult, it is our duty as global citizens to think creatively about how we can contribute to environmental efforts. By cooperating and changing our lifestyles incrementally, our community can work towards sustainability. We just need to stop talking and start doing.

According to Palo Alto’s Chief Sustainability Officer Gil Friend, there are plenty of ways to decrease one’s carbon footprint.

“What everybody can do is experiment, and say ‘what’s one thing I can do in my life that can contribute to the environment and maybe make me happier?’” he says. “For example, I don’t drive, I eat relatively low on the food chain, I monitor my use of electricity and

not only do I recycle but I minimize my purchase of waste-creating products.”

Friend stresses the significance of collaboration when it comes to sustainability.

“Pretty much everything you do involves engaging other people. ... Bring ideas to your family, say, ‘I want to experiment with this or could we try that,’” he says. “I would encourage you to think two-dimensionally: ‘what are the things I can do by myself, and what can I do to work with others?’”

Reflecting on that advice, I steeled myself to “experiment” as Friend had recommended, and I decided to take on the Zero Waste Challenge, wherein I planned to spend a week without producing any trash. Disclaimer: it’s really hard.

The Zero Waste Challenge first appeared on my radar in January, when I came across a Buzzfeed video on my Facebook feed about going trash free. It followed the experience of Auri Jackson, a millenial living in Los Angeles who dedicated a week of her life to living without trash. She went so far as to build a huge compost bin complete with slimy earthworms in her apartment. By the end of the week Jackson had collected only a handful of trash, proving that with some determination, it is possible to go about our daily lives without destroying the

environment in the process.

Jackson made going Zero Waste seem simple, so the guilty environmentalist inside me was dying to give it a try. But even just brainstorming foods that don’t come with excessive packaging was a draining experience. And then there were all of my hygiene products — how would I buy new shampoo? And what could I possibly use to pick up after my dogs? Beginning my endeavor was daunting, but still I ventured to the grocery store, reusable bags in hand. When I discovered there was no way to procure pasta or bread or even berries without the plastic packaging, I was disheartened. So I tried the levers in the grains aisle, attempting to fill my containers with unidentifiable seeds, and in the process I managed to spill my jar brimming with quinoa all across the floor.

I could have toughed it out and attempted to subsist upon fruits and vegetables alone, but I was too intimidated by the prospect of having to listen to my stomach growl for a straight week. So I left the store, giving up on my dream of reducing my ecological impact to zero.

As someone who claims to “love nature” and “care about global warming,” I felt I had made a poor atttempt at trying to help save the world from the imminent doom that is climate change and pollution.

But looking through the lens of Friend's philosophy, my failure to complete the Zero Waste Challenge doesn’t mean that I fail at sustainability itself. As Friend suggests, we must think innovatively in our efforts to make our practices more environmentally friendly. v

perspectives

Arti Miglani

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BRE# 01150085 Direct: (650) 804-6942 Amiglani@apr.com www.ArtiMiglani.com

– Long time Palo Alto resident – Offers top notch service for buyers and sellers – Skilled negotiator – Tech savvy marketing specialist – Former hospitality Chairperson at Palo Alto High wSchool

“

It is rare to find a person who excels in every aspect of her job. [Her] energy, passion, intelligence and skills are a rare mix.”

— Aditya and Florence, former clients

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Art by Vivian Nguyen

Text by ASHLEY WANG

Struggles of being an Ashley

EXPERIENCES OF HAVING A COMMON NAME

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F YOU’RE ANYTHING LIKE ME, ably hundreds of them living in this immethen you’ve learned to resist the itch diate area. of human instinct to turn around Trying to come up with a professionwhenever someone yells your name al sounding social media username is even from behind.Because “Ashley!” could mean more frustrating. All I want is something Ashley Smith or Ashley Johnson or Ashley simple and easy to remember. Not too Jones; reducing the chance of someone ac- much to ask for, right? Nope, can’t have tually calling “Ashley Wang” to a rather im- ashleywang@gmail.com, wangashley@ probable scenario. gmail.com, or ashleyrwang@gmail.com, Well, that’s just how it is when your so Google was grateful enough to suggest first name is on every “Most Common Baby aw3684652@gmail.com. Thanks.

Names” list on the Internet. But it’s even Oh, and having a common name apworse when you have a parently means that common last name, too. in danger of beIt was funny, but it you’re Sharing a surname ing identified by emlike Wang with 100 mil- also gets old.” ployers as a criminal.

— MAYA REBITZER, Paly junior lion others in the world As Paul Strauss of means people just assume the Chicago Lawyers you happen to be related to some random Committee told NBC Chicago, “There is friend of theirs. No, Emily Wang is not my a significant risk that they’re going to get a cousin, nor do I know which Emily Wang background check that has nothing to do you are referring to because there are prob- with them that shows a criminal record that

“

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doesn’t exist. And it is going to harm them when they are trying to get employment.”

That’s fantastic. I’ve always wanted to put “shoplifting” on my resume. Though in all seriousness, the expectations that come with having a common name suck.

A couple of words strung together by the arbitrary whims of your parents shouldn’t have any real impact on your life, yet they can be the cause of excessively needless comparisons between you and others with the same name.

I first realized this a couple of years ago while competing at a local judo tournament. In the second round, I was matched up with a girl from my own club – also named Ashley. As we prepared to step onto the mat, nerves tightening unbearably in our throats and butterflies flittering about in our stomachs, our coach, too jovial to fit into this suspenseful situation, made a strange remark.

perspectives

“Let’s see who the better Ashley is,” he jokingly said.

That was the point where I completely lost my focus. While the gym was already filled with an atmosphere of stifling high tension, that statement put even more emphasis on not only placing well in the

tournament, but the personal aspect of having to do better than the other Ashley. And it’s never a good thing when competition gets personal.

But why did it have to get personal?

If it were anyone else, did my performance have to be marred with that high of an expectation? Because if we didn’t have the same name, we wouldn’t even have a single thread of connection between us. We would just be ordinary competitors.

Paly Maya Rebitzer, one of the eleven Mayas that attend Paly and one of the six Mayas on the track and field team, has also experienced a sense of competition with her counterparts, though in a more humorous way. Because of the improbable number of Mayas, a competition for the title of “Alpha

v

Maya” was started. In addition to a feigned rivalry on the track, even little details like having the “best seat” on the bus were turned into jokes.

“It was funny,” Rebitzer says. “But it also gets old.”

While sharing a common name with many others may create connections where there would ordinarily be none, Rebitzer doesn’t think that this is always a bad thing.

In fact, her first conversation with her now closest friend, Maya Akkaraju, was about their same name.

“I’m sure we would have the same level of friendship if we didn’t have the same name,” Rebitzer says. “But it was just such an easy thing to bond over.”

So maybe having a common name isn’t the worst thing ever. Yeah, it’s annoying when every single normal email address is taken, but it is an admittedly good conversation opener when you meet someone with the same name as you.

And the next time someone calls “Ashley!” I won’t feel so stripped of my identity. v

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Gabe Gets Serious

Text by GABRIEL SÁNCHEZ

Our Place In Space EXPLORATION ENCOURAGES UNITY

Art by Vivian Nguyen

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ANKIND HAS LOOKED TO THE STARS FOR spent less than 0.5 percent of the federal budget on NASA for 2017. answers since ancient times. The Babylonians are the This is compared to the height of NASA spending in 1966 being first recorded people to have done so and their stud- over 5 percent of the federal budget. The situation seems like it will ies of the sky created the basis for all future scientific only get worse with Trump’s proposed “America First” budget which study. Today, we continue this tradition with our pursuit of space ex- is currently threatening further cuts to the American space program. ploration and the advancement of our technological supremacy over This decrease in funding threatens American supremacy in the the great obstacles that the physical world presents us with. However, realm of space exploration and, if continued, could seriously set back this tradition is now in peril due to proposed cuts to NASA in the planned expeditions such as the mission to Mars which is set to ocfederal budget proposal made by president Trump. It is integral for cur sometime in the 2030s' according to NASA's website. human pride and national unity to continue to fund our journey These kinds of cuts not only threaten American unity, but also to the very outer reaches of human capabilities, especially with the demonstrate our government's lack of support for the sciences and current, stark divisions in American society. betrays the progress that has been made to better understand the Nothing has captured the human imagination in the modern world in which we live. age quite like space travel. It has inspired countless science fiction If more were invested into our space program, it would display novels and has been the basis for our nation's reverence for technologmany childhood dreams of becomical pursuits and allow us to resume It is manned missions like the ing an astronaut. But these whimsical impressive manned space missions moon landing that demonstrate fantasies have over time become realsooner, which could help revive ity, with the most memorable examAmerican pride and unity in a time the great extent of human scienple of this being the moon landing of division and lack of direction. It tific accomplishment and man’s in 1969. It was Neil Armstrong’s first is manned missions like the moon steps on a foreign world that marked indomitable spirit of discovery. landing that demonstrate the great America’s victory in the space race extent of human scientific accomover the Soviet Union. Over 600 million people watched the moon plishment and man’s indomitable spirit of discovery. The significance landing live, according to the Nixon Library, and ever since it has of these symbolic missions cannot be overstated and the importance been a mark of American pride that we sent the first man to the of their impact is one of the few issues that is not divided along party moon. lines. It is the nearly universal approval of the importance of continWhat have we done since then? The answer is a lot. We’ve sent ued space exploration that should make it a no-brainer investment rovers to Mars and satellites all the way to the edge of our solar for politicians. system, yet recently we have failed to achieve anything outside the “This is the greatest week in the history of the world since Crereaches of our atmosphere that has inspired nearly as much pride and ation,” Richard Nixon said in 1969 to the crew of Apollo 11 after unity in Americans like the moon landing. they returned from the moon. If we can achieve anything nearly as One reason for this is that, since 1966, NASA funding has been significant as that in the near future, it would do much to ease the on the decline. According to the NASA website the US government tension in our divided society. v

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