Verde Volume 20 Issue 5

V. This is me Exploring External & Internal Identities Faces, pg. 20 Voices, pg. 26 VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 1

585

2 MAY 2019

VERDE MAGAZINE May 2019 Volume 20 Issue 5

Editors-in-Chief Emma Donelly-Higgins Alex Feng Rachel Lit

ON THE COVER pg. 20 Staff writer Lucia Amieva-Wang frames freshman Isa Morabia, a multiracial student, with the sentence: “Every person has their passions, their fears, and their joys. Every person has something to say, and it’s our place to give them a voice.” Written in multiple languages, the cover represents on a larger scale how one’s appearance is only a fraction of their story. This intertwinement of external and internal identities is explored through the cover stories “Other (Multiracial)” and “Bilingual by Luck” which come together into a package that exemplify how individuals perceive themselves on the inside – voices, the words we speak – versus how they may be perceived by others – faces, self-image and racial alignment.

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 verde.eics@gmail.com or 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301. All Verde stories are 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 business managers Courtney Kernick and Abe Tow at verdebusiness5@gmail.com.

Managing Editors Kate Milne Abe Tow Jasmine Venet (Digital) Features Editor Sasha Poor Profiles Editor Prahalad Mitra Culture Editor Kobi Johnsson Perspectives Editor Ben Cohen Editorials Editor Rohin Ghosh News Editor Myra Xu Launch Editor Katherine Cheng Photo and Design Editor Zoë Wong-VanHaren Business Managers Courtney Kernick Abe Tow

Social Media Manager Antonia Mou Art Director Yue Shi Lead Illustrator Hannah Li Staff Writers Zakir Ahmad Lucia Amieva-Wang Allison Cheng Abby Cummings Asia Gardias Ashley Hitchings Kaitlyn Ho Devony Hof Bridget Li Hannah Li Angela Liu Riya Matta Zoe Stanton-Savitz Riya Sinha Maraleis Sinton Ella Thomsen Jenny Tseng Warren Wagner Gila Winefeld Adviser Paul Kandell

STEM Columnist and Statistician Kayla Brand

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 available at verdemagazine.com

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 3

In this issue Foreword

6 Editorials 8 Launch 13 News

Features

16 California Avenue: Past and Present 18 By the Numbers 20 Other (Multiracial) 26 Bilingual by Luck 29 Admissions: Impossible rofiles P 34 Culinary Colors 36 The Other Side of Embarcadero 39 A Different Education 41 Honks for Yonks 44 Love Thy Neighbor

OTHER (MULTIRACIAL) pg. 20 BILINGUAL BY LUCK pg. 26

ulture C 46 Khalid 48 Mademoiselle Colette 50 Pho Banh Mi 53 The Milk Pail 57 Blackfest 58 In The Zone 60 Avengers Endgame 62 So Fresh So Clean So 2019

Perspectives

64 Love Your-Selfie 65 Could You Repeat That?

66 Dear Paly, Reflecting on High School 67 Journeying Through Journaling 68 Sizing Us Up 70 The Gila Games

4 MAY 2019

IN THE ZONE pg. 58

THE MILK PAIL pg. 53

PHO BANH MI pg. 50

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR pg. 44

ADMISSIONS IMPOSSIBLE pg. 29

FROM THE EDITORS

THE INTEGRITY OF IDENTITY

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HE ADOLESCENT YEARS are the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Parallel to growth spurts is a similar growth in experience and maturity; these formative years and how they forge the foundation of one’s lifelong identity are the focus of this edition of Verde.

In “Other (Multiracial),” staff writers Lucia Amieva-Wang, Ashley Hitchings, Jenny Tseng and Ella Thomsen explore how students straddling multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds have defined their identities — and how their experiences have in turn shaped their own definitions of race. While many multiracial individuals are born into cross-cultural worlds, those with multilingual families can also struggle to find a place within more than one community. Written by staff writers Gila Winefeld and Angela Liu, “Bilingual by Luck” delves into this phenomenon, profiling individuals who both fully embrace their dual worlds as well as those who have not quite found their ideal connection to their family’s histories.

As the Bay Area has shifted to accept various forms of cultural diversity, the push and pull between other aspects of contemporary lifestyle and traditional practices has also become more apparent.

Staff writers Asia Gardias and Abby Cummings peer into a microcosm of this transition in the closing of a beloved Eastern European market. “The Milk Pail” uncovers the hardships of upholding

heritage in a more modern-day, progressive environment.

For some immigrants, this upholding of heritage comes in the form of sharing their home cultures with others. In “Pho Banh Mi,” staff writers Jenny Tseng and Ashley Hitchings explain how restaurant owner Jade Luong opens her new establishment, not only to accomplish a childhood dream, but also to provide a location for individuals to experience camaraderie over a bowl of pho and a banh mi.

Whereas the previous stories explore identity through the lens of culture, “Admissions: Impossible” looks into identity shaped by a shared experience. Staff writers Riya Matta and Bridget Li break down the college admissions pressure at Palo Alto High School amid the Operation Varsity Blues scandal: both the ethical temptations the pressure offers as well as the potential it can unlock.

As new editors-in-chief, we are thrilled to be continuing Verde’s history of high-quality, hard-hitting journalism. At the same time, we aim to continue developing our magazine’s identity — one that connects aspects of our community through authentic storytelling. We are incredibly excited to see where this next year takes us and we couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of a publication with such a strong sense-of-self.

—Alex, Rachel, Emma

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 5

the verdicts

The Verdict editorial section consists of the collective opinion of the Verde staff.

Administration must work with student press

A

S A MAGAZINE THAT focuses on school issues, our staff often finds it necessary to reach out to the administration of Palo Alto High School and the Palo Alto Unified School District to attain information, often in a hurry. However, over the past year, we have found that administrators evade, postpone or do not answer our questions.

Many times, our staff members have sent emails to administrators, only to receive a reply from an assistant or no reply at all, while previous administrators went out of their way to speak to students.

This experience is not only limited to Verde Magazine staffers.

Student journalists from The Paly Voice and The Campanile and other Paly publications have also had difficulty reaching the administration for their reporting.

“We would have a lot of trouble contacting certain administrators and we would have to chase them down for a bit,” former Editor-in-Chief Ethan Nissim said. “It would take a really long time and we would often end up having a bunch of people sit down with them at once wherever we could get them and just doing three to four interviews right then.”

The difficulty faced by journalists in interviewing administrators is also exemplified by our attempts to contact the administration regarding this editorial. We emailed Principal Adam Paulson and each of the assistant principals asking for interviews.

While three of the assistant principals did not respond, Assistant Principal Berkson and Paulson both replied the same day.

Art by Yue Shi

“Are the journalists gone yet?”

6 MAY 2019

Berkson was unavailable and Paulson asked us to schedule the interview with his assistant, stating “I will make time for you.” However, his assistant was out of the office. Verde then wrote to Paulson again, asking to schedule the interview directly with him.

Six days later at the end of our production cycle, we had received no response from either Paulson or his assistant.

Another issue student journalists have faced is the 24-hour policy which was enacted first semester. Many staff members have been told that administrators will not respond to their emails within 24 hours of receiving them. When it comes to breaking news stories, this policy delays our publication and prevents us from doing our jobs.

When emails do receive replies, administrators usually ask for our questions in advance. Although it may not be immediately evident, this policy can also have a detrimental effect.

If we have to stick to only the questions we have prepared, we lose the opportunity to ask follow-up questions or follow a lead we had not previously known about. Sending the questions in advance also allows administrators to prepare answers ahead of time.

This policy also does not establish an explicit climate of trust and transparency.

We have also noticed that administrators are more likely to accept interviews about topics not directly related to themselves or that are not controversial.

However, they are less likely to respond when the story regards a controversial subject that may not paint the administration in the most positive light.

We recognize that, in such a large high school, it can be difficult for administrators to find the time to participate in interviews.

We commend the administrators for providing robust interviews when they do make time for them.

For example, recently, Paulson gave us a lengthy interview for stories regarding changes to the bell schedule and the hiring of new administrators. Berkson is also generally prompt to reply to journalists’ emails. The administration has also become more accommodating throughout the year but serious problems still linger.

As student journalists, we try to adhere to the National Student Press Association’s Code of Ethics for High School Journalists, the seven principles of which are listed on the Verde Magazine Website.Three of those are “Be Honest,” “Be Fair” and “Be Accountable.” To succeed in all of these endeavors, the ability to speak openly with administrators is vital. We attempt to get opinions from all sides of issues and facts from those who are directly involved in the topics we report on. An inaccessible administration prevents us from succesfully doing this.

Therefore, we ask that administrators reconsider their attitudes regarding student journalists. We believe we all have the same goals to keep the student body informed, and we must work together to provide students and the community with the highest quality information possible. v

Verdoodles: Where are the tissues?

Art by YUE SHI and ZOË WONG-VANHAREN

Progress in AP Lang alignment must continue

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HIS SCHOOL YEAR was the in all English courses, including AP Lang. first that Palo Alto High School These efforts include weekly meetings beoffered Advanced Placement tween teachers and summer planning sesEnglish Language and Compo- sions. The current AP Lang team developed sition, which attracted over 400 students. a plan detailing major assignments and Despite an overall positive start, many stu- class grading policies last year when they dents say they would like to see more align- submitted a plan for approval by the Colment of curriculum and class policies across lege Board according to Paly English Inthe course. structional Leader, Shirley Tokheim.

With that in mind, ongoing efforts to The English Department has made coordinate AP Lang class practices, grading progress towards improved coordination policies and curriculum should continue between different teachers in recent years and the district must and alignment is a take steps to support major goal of the Enteachers’ efforts to coor- You can’t really plan glish department and dinate their teaching. the Palo Alto Unified very well if all you Differences among School District as a teachers in their prac- have are half-hour whole. tices are inherent to any “It [alignment] is blocks.” subject and are often a value of the English — SHIRLEY TOKHEIM, English beneficial, making classDepartment and me teacher and Instructional Leader es more interesting and personally,” Tokheim dynamic and better fitting to a teacher’s in- says. dividual style.

Tokheim also pointed out, however, AP Lang also has multiple versions that teachers’ ability to plan and coordiwhich are taught in different ways. How- nate assignments and policies is limited by ever, drastic differences among teachers in several factors. grading policies and how they teach can be “The district used to pay teachers for detrimental to students’ perception of fair- three days spent planning their course over ness. the summer,” Tokheim says. “Now, teachVerde recognizes that the English De- ers are not paid for the time they spend partment is making a concerted effort to- planning over the summer.” wards better coordination between teachers The fact that teachers have to use their

“

own, unpaid time to plan their course hinders their ability to coordinate their teaching.

In addition, Tokheim says the new Paly bell schedule fragments the time dedicated to Professional Learning Community meetings, where teachers can plan and adjust their lesson plans, assignments and grading practices and coordinate these with others teaching the same course.

“We used to get hour-long PLC meetings but they’ve been broken up into 30-minute blocks,” Tokheim says. “You can’t really plan very well if all you have are half-hour blocks.”

In addition to PLC meetings being shortened, they have also been made optional this semester and for the foreseeable future, along with department meetings due to a disagreement between the district and the teachers’ union.

Verde applauds the ongoing efforts of the AP Lang teachers to coordinate their coursework and practices but there is still a long way to go.

The district must allot more time for teachers to collaboratively plan their curriculum and class procedures and pay teachers for the time they spend doing so.

In the meantime, teachers should continue the important work they are doing to coordinate how they teach and ensure classes are optimally aligned. v

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 7

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launch 51 102 SPIKEBALL: BY THE NUMBERS

20 2

teams who competed STUDENT participants

NETS USED in tournament DIVISIONS: ADVANCED AND BEGINNEr

Photo by Allison Cheng A SPIKE IN NUMBERS Students play spikeball on the Quad during 3rd period. Paly Spikeball Club organized a tournament, which saw great turnout.

“It’s a fun way to spend time with people as well as an outlet for my competitiveness,” says sophomore Trisha Razdan, one of over 100 students who competed in the tournament.

CLUB CHECK-IN: GLASSBLOWING

Verde met with Glassblowing Club president senior Sydney Liu to discuss the club’s first year and future goals.

Overall, how was the year for the club?

I would consider the club to be very successful this year. We had over 150 people sign up, and I really hope that we gave them all a memorable experience. Our main goal with this club was to give everyone the opportunity to learn how to glassblow because it’s such a unique experience that Paly students are lucky to have.

As a new club, what have you learned that you can carry forward for the next years?

Due to the huge number of people who signed up for the club this year, I had to sacrifice a lot of my lunches to run the club. Thankfully, I had a couple friends helping me out, and I definitely couldn’t have run the club without them. I’ve passed on the Glassblowing Club to three juniors for next year, and I know they’ve learned from my mistakes. Running a club takes a lot of trial and error, and I really hope the challenges that we faced this year will be resolved in the next years.

10 MAY 2019

ASB ANSWERS

OREN’S HUMMUS EXPRESS

student deals $7.50 Photo by Myra Xu

WITH AVANTIKA SINGH (CURRENT SOPHOMORE VICE PRESIDENT & INCOMING JUNIOR PRESIDENT) What are you most excited for next year?

I know that lots of people aren’t into dances and at the moment that’s one of the only forms of class bonding or social events that we go to.

Next year, I’m really excited to implement more class bondings and social events that cater to the entire grade, instead of a select few.

Going into your third year as a part of ASB, what has been your favorite event that you organized?

- Green or Yellow Falafel Pita Sandwich - Cabbage Pita Sandwich -Sabich Pita Sandwich - Classic Hummus Bowl

AUNTHETIC AND AFFORDABLE Oren’s Hummus Express opened in early May, replacing Fast Tony’s Chicken at 855 El Camino Real. The new restaurant hosts four student deals for Paly students. “We want to be known for welcoming everyone and being able to feed everybody great quality food at a reasonable price,” says Vice President Alisa Jenkins.

HOW TO: STUDY FOR FINALS

1. plan know when each of your finals will be, make a schedule, and follow it.

2. find an ideal setting study in a quiet area, without distractions (put your phone away!)

We are currently in the process of organizing World Fest and I know it is a personal goal I had in mind for the last two years, so I am very excited to see that vision come to life.

3. study smart

Is ASB planning any special events for students before and during finals week?

4. TAKE A BREAK

As the school year comes to a close, ASB has been planning some exciting events... we started out the month by getting the volleyball net up and spikeball nets out on the quad. Along with that, we [had] two more big events...

Quadchella, our last quadcert of the year... [was] during lunch from May 13-16.

Photo by Katherine Cheng

handwrite your notes, organize group study sessions, redo tests and homework problems

reward yourself with 10 minute breaks, eat healthy snacks

5. stay calm reward yourself with 10 minute breaks

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 11

Summer Camp Schedule

12 MAY 2019

news

Guidance department moves to library

COUNSELORS LOOK AHEAD TO NEWER SPACE

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HE GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT to have to learn to navigate.” is starting off the month of June In addition to this, Hamilton voices by moving into the remodeled concerns about spacing. library building to be closer to students.

“The waiting area is inadequate, the Although guidance staff members say they offices are small - having two parents and will miss the old space — a subdivided a student could be a tight squeeze, and the historic chamber in the Tower Building, lighting gives a dark and dreary feel more almost all look forward to what the new akin to a NYC subway than a counseling facilities will offer. office,” he says.

“I think the renovation is beautiful Guidance counselor Susan Shultz and I am looking forward to being in a agrees, explaining that there are accomospace with better climate control, better dations that need to be made. privacy — our offices have ceilings — and “We’re much more separated [in the fewer spider webs,” states James Hamil- new building]. … So there’s just going to ton, guidance counselor for the class of be some logistics we have to work out,” 2019. she said.

Benefits of the new facility will inShultz has advised countless students clude a college representative visit room from her office in the tower building for with a collapsable over two decades, and wall, a staff kitchen, has very mixed feelshorter bathroom "Services rendered are ings about the move. lines, and a single “I’ve been in this what matter, and we location students building forever - for can go to for every- will continue to pro20 plus years and this thing from college vide top-notch coun- is a beautiful, special, and career guidance and incredible buildto chatting confiden- seling to any and all ing,” she said. “I’ll tially with a counselget teary eyed here. in need.” or.

My heart and soul — JAMES HAMILTON, “We are moving will always be in this guidance counselor as one unit to the building. I undernew library,” said stand, for the most Ann Deggelman, Teacher Advisor Co-co- part, the need to have to move into someordinator, though there are still rooming thing newer and probably better equipped details yet to be confirmed. Many guid- for us.” ance staffers say they anticipate that it will Although these facilitative changes be easier for students to visit due to their will take time getting used to, the staff closer proximity. still agrees that their services are always of As a result of the move, adjustments utmost priority. are to be made among the branches of the “All in all there are pros and cons,” Guidance Department.

Hamilton says, “Services rendered are “One thing that we need to figure out what matter, and we will continue to prois connecting Wellness with Counseling,” vide top-notch counseling to any and all Hamilton notes. “Our departments work in need.”

Text by MYRA XU closely with another and not being in the and KAYLA BRAND same building is something we are going

“

A CHANGE IN SETTING The Guidance office is kicking off the summer by moving into Paly's newly renovated library in an attempt to make the department's services more accessible to students. According to Derek Moore, PAUSD's Chief Technology Officer, "Everyone's very optimistic [about the move]," he said. Photo by Kayla Brand

*Details of room arrangements are not finalized and may change. Details of current plan provided by TA Program Co-coordinator, Ann Deggelman

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 13

Community reflects on year one with Supt. Don Austin

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YEAR INTO Don Austin’s tenure as superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District, his proposal for a new student leadership group is drawing praise from student leaders.

“I was very pleased when I learned about his student advisory panel proposal,” senior class President David Foster said. “If students are able to provide tangible ideas to the district and hopefully the Paly Administration, we could get a lot done.”

Austin has met with members of Palo Alto High School’s Associated Student Body to discuss ideas.

According to Austin in an interview with the Paly Voice, the purpose of the advisory panel is to “create a direct student-to-superintendent channel” to keep him informed when making decisions.

Throughout the year, Austin followed through on other projects, such as combating the e-cigarette problem that persists at Palo Alto and Henry Gunn high schools by using vaping sensors, and expanding the Greendell Elementary school program.

Greendell Elementary School is home to the Young Fives, Transitional Kindergarten, and Special Education Preschool programs. Austin plans on keeping classes at Greendell, and in addition, expand the programs to other schools such as Duveneck and Barron Park elementary schools.

by MYRA XU

14 MAY 2019

COMING TOGETHER Juana Briones Elementary School parents — both non-Voluntary Transfer Program and VTP participants — discuss the May 14 Board of Education meeting. "We are concerned that the district has hastily put together this plan and has not taken the time to thoroughly and thoughtfully consider all of the ramifications that this decision will have on both VTP and nonVTP families," an outspoken Juana Briones VTP parent said. Photo by Asia Gardias

VTP students consolidated to fewer elementary schools

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HE DECISION TO consolidate Palo Alto Unified School District Voluntary Transfer Program students to fewer schools is facing back push from elementary schools who will be phased out of the program.

As of this fall, no new VTP families will be enrolled at Palo Verde, Barron Park, Juana Briones and Lucille M. Nixon elementary schools, as part of a plan to reduce racial isolation and extensive busing times these students may face.

Families have been asked to transfer to Duveneck, Addison, Walter Hays, El Carmelo, Fairmeadow or Escondido elementary schools. These schools will only receive an average of “two to three” more VTP students per class, explained PAUSD Director of Academic Supports Judy Argumedo.

According to Argumedo, these changes come after a report from the Minority Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee, of which she was a member. Through surveys, interviews and focus groups they determined that racial isolation and extreme daily travel times via school busses from East Palo Alto to South Palo Alto schools had negative implications for students.

At the May 14 Board of Education meeting, 13 community members — most of which were Juana Briones and Barron Park parents — spoke in open forum against the decision to phase VTP students out of these schools.

“Juana Briones is a close community, the people are diverse and the PTA united in their support of teachers and staff.

They feel like my family,” Gabriella Segura, a PAUSD parent of 18 years, said to the board. “When I chose the VTP program for my family I knew how long the bus ride was, but I chose this as the best option for my family. … Why didn’t the district even speak to us that this was being investigated?”

The changes made were announced only via a short letter to impacted VTP families. Initially, families were told busses to the schools being phased out would not be running within two years of the changes.

However, Argumedo said the district now has plans to reevaluate the situation after the first two years of the change to determine whether or not to continue busing.

by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

ALTERNATING

2

1

2

FRIDAY

1

4

3

4

3

6

5

6

5

Advisory / Tutorial

7

Advisory / Tutorial

7

OUT WITH THE OLD Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, Palo Alto High School will implement a new bell schedule consisting of alternating Mondays between odd and even days every week, while other days of the week remain fixed as either an odd or even day.

New schedule for next year MONDAYS TO ROTATE INSTEAD OF WHOLE WEEK

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FTER TWO YEARS OF debate and unforseen changes, Palo Alto High School is implementing a new bell schedule that consists of fixed Odd or Even days of the week while alternating Mondays.

“According to our surveys, all stakeholders wanted more consistency [in our schedule],” Principal Adam Paulson said.

To incorporate student opinions into the creation of the new schedule, Paulson had students and parents fill out a survey earlier the 2018-19 school year, regarding class start times.

Despite this effort, senior class President David Foster, who was a member of the Innovative Schedule Committee, says there was not enough student input in the process.

“Anyone can do research, anyone can send a survey to the student body, but the place where students should have a voice is at the end,” Foster said.

According to Foster, students are the ones who will be most affected by the schedule, and thus have a unique perspective into the parts that matter most.

“When people don’t pay attention to something that really does matter to students, it is frustrating,” Foster says.

Last year, the ISC was formed to develop a new bell schedule based on the preferences of students, parents and teachers. After a schedule was created and confirmed, the state auditor rejected it due to conflicts with instructional minutes requirements, forcing Paulson to quickly adopt a new schedule. This sudden change led to frustration among students, who felt as though their choices were not incorporated into the decision.

Foster thought the schedule the ISC had come up with integrated student preferences as well as consistency. “If you actually look at the schedule we came up with … these things are so different,” Foster said. “It was really consistent, if you look. Classes were a bit shorter, and then of course you had your late start.”

Paulson acknowledges this.

“There are going to be pros and cons.

You can never please 100% of the people.

From a student’s perspective those Mondays might take a little getting used to, but using scheduled emails as reminders [is one way] to help. … You guys are resilient, you’ll figure it out."

Text by SASHA POOR Additional reporting by MYRA XU

School prepares to welcome largest ever freshman class

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S THE 2018-2019 school year comes to a halt, the administration is readying Palo Alto High School for its largest freshman class on record, which is comprised of 589 students, according to Karla Larson from the Guidance office.

Although the number of students is a striking increase from previous years, Principal Adam Paulson says that no major changes are predicted to occur as a result.

The most notable effect is that Paly will be unable to accept as many transfer students, Paulson explained.

“Right now we’re running really high [in numbers of students] and we take them [transfer students] in a case-by-case basis,” Paulson said.

“We will have to be a little more stringent this next year because we just can’t accommodate everybody.”

Aside from having a stricter transfer student policy, Paulson says, another predicted challenge with the larger class size is gathering all 589 students for grade-level seminars since buildings like the Performing Arts Center has a capacity of 584 people.

However, class size and courses offered are expected to stay consistent, according to Paulson.

“We [administrators] always allocate the right amount of sections for students so, for instance, with more coming in we’ll have more sections of various classes,” Paulson said.

“Class size shouldn’t change or anything, just sections for subjects will increase.”

No future classes are expected to be as big as the one matriculating to Paly in the 2019-2020 school year.

by ABBY CUMMINGS

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 15

CALIFORNIA AVENUE:

RESIDENTS REFLECT ON STREET AND COMMUNITY CHANGES

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OFT MUSIC FLOWS out from street corners as excited high schoolers flood California Avenue. Some file into Kirk’s Burgers to get the signature shake and burger, some into music shops to take lessons and others just take a stroll down the eclectic street. According to Jon Kinyon, this scene was not uncommon in his adolescent days in the 1980s.

“I think it’s different from downtown Kinyon comes from a family that has resided for multiple generations in the way that it’s smaller and has more in Palo Alto. For him, the street rep- individual businesses,” she says. resents a significant part of his childhood, as it was a popular meeting place A chronicle of California Ave California Ave did not begin as a part for him and his friends in high school.

Georgia Luehrs, a junior at Palo Alto of the city itself. Rather, it existed as the heart of the town High School who of Mayfield until lives within walking I’m glad that the street the town was estabdistance of California Ave says she has still evokes those [famil- lished as a part of Palo Alto in 1925. always appreciated iar] memories for Palo Once a busliving near such a tling hub of brewlively street. As a Alto’s long-time citieries, saloons and child, she frequentbanks, today’s ed the farmers’ mar- zens,” — RORY LYNAGH-SHANNON, California Ave ket every weekend CAL AVE EMPLOYEE mainly consists of with her family, restaurants. Rory buying local vegetables and snacks. She still greatly enjoys the Lynagh-Shannon who works at Summit diverse eating and shopping that California Bicycles, a family-owned sporting goods Ave offers. shop on California Ave, says he often serves older customers who reminisce about the tight-knit community that California Ave once had.

“

Text by KATHERINE CHENG and RIYA SINHA

1853

1868

1886

The community of Mayfield is

Mayfield Brewery opens

Leland Stanford meets with

established, located between

on California Avenue.

Mayfielders and urges May-

present-day California Ave-

field to be a “dry” town, but

nue and El Camino Real.

Mayfielders vote no, so he forms the city of Palo Alto.

16 MAY 2019

features

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PAST AND PRESENT “I’ve spoken to a lot of residents who remember orchards, the old movie theater, the pharmacy and even an empty lot where you could go to get your bicycles fixed long ago … I’m glad that the street still evokes those [familiar] memories for Palo Alto’s long-time citizens,” Lynagh-Shannon says.

Kinyon agrees that California Ave was a unique place for citizens to create deep relationships with other Palo Altans.

“We knew the store owners. There was Monet’s Pet Shop, [where] everyone brought their pets there and everyone knew Mr. Monet ... We’re friendly with a lot of the people at Terun and Italico [now], but it used to be a safe place for us to be out and about as kids,” Kinyon says. For Kinyon, as time has passed, he has lost this connection with many of the store owners on California Ave. California Ave’s saloons and shops characterized the street as an inclusive and inviting area for all and a central meeting point, that made Palo Alto more homey.

With diverse restaurants and a wide variety

of stores, California Ave remains a unique part of Palo Alto culture.

The current California Ave Today’s California Ave may not look the same, but the block still shares much of the unique character as it did years ago.

Reminiscent of the past, California Ave still hosts the weekly Palo Alto farmers’ market on sunday mornings and houses many diverse restaurants. Local “mom & pop” stores, however, have been overtaken by chain restaurants, giving it more of a University Avenue feel, according to Kinyon.

“It [Palo Alto] is a wealthier place, it’s much more segregated socioeconomically … they redid all of Cal Ave, they put pieces of glass on the sidewalk and took out trees,” Kinyon says.

Lisa Lowy, who graduated from Paly in 1988, has also seen a shift in California Avenue. But as she grew older, Lowy noticed

the several changes happening to California Ave. “It’s definitely different… They changed the types of stores that were there,” she says.

Though the differences can be seen clearly in the changes of California Ave Lowy says that such changes can be seen all over Palo Alto, not just on one of it’s main streets. To her, change has resulted in less of a homey feel.

“Everything has to be fancy,” she says.

“What’s not great about it [is] you’re losing a lot of that neighborhood feel.”

Though the changes in design and different storefronts have resulted in a less “small town” feel, Lowy and Luehrs still appreciate and cherish their hometown.

“I still love being here,” Lowy says.

“I’m just said that it’s changed as much as it has.” v

Photo by RIYA SINHA

1904

1925

Present Day

The town of Mayfield falls

The town of Mayfield con-

California Avenue has devel-

on hard times as people

tinues to be plagued with

oped into a street that boasts

choose to live in the richer

problems and makes an effort

several “mom & pop” stores,

city of Palo Alto.

to be annexed by Palo Alto.

14 pieces of public art and a

The motion passes in1925.

year round farmers market.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 17

BY THE NUMBERS

VIKINGS COMPARED TO AMERICAN TEENS Text by ASIA GARDIAS, KAYLA BRAND and COURTNEY KERNICK

A

DATA-DRIVEN REPORT — the Pew Research survey released on Feb. 20 — accentuates the underlying facets of modern American teen life. Verde surveyed and interviewed Palo Alto High School students and teachers to expand on this narrative about Generation Z through the lens of our local community. While it is not possible to encompass every story, these results provide a sweeping comparison of Palo Alto High School teens to the nation’s other 42 million. v

Q: HOW MUCH, IF AT ALL, DO YOU THINK EACH OF THE FOLLOWING IS A PROBLEM AMONG PEOPLE YOUR AGE IN YOUR COMMUNITY?

PALY 93% 6%

Major problem

Minor problem Not a problem

Anxiety and depression

70% 26% 4%

1% 38%

51% Drug addiction

59%

U.S.

3%

35% 13%

31%

45%

61% 7% 7% 51%

Drinking alcohol

Gangs

38% 29%

12% 41%

16% 33%

55%

47%

39%

34% Poverty

47% 13%

“

I think that anxiety and depression have become a bit more normalized so more people are willing to come out and accept this is something that they have to cope with … this community, especially Paly, has been working a lot to make it not so much a label but just something that you’re dealing with.”

“

— Nura Mostaghmi, senior

There is some research to point to the idea that depression and anxiety are on the rise worldwide, especially in developed countries, but for me, it still begs the question: Is it because we’re more aware of it, is it because culturally we’re more willing to talk about it or is that we’re actually causing more of it?” ­— Melinda Mattes, Psychology teacher

The statistics about Paly students were collected from 124 students in English classes (four Advanced Placement English Language and Composition, two English 10A, one English 9A, one World Literature). The survey was conducted in April 2019 through a digital form. The responses were anonymous and students were provided with the option to opt-out for any reason. Questions asked of students for this story aligned with those given in the Pew Research survey. Due to rounding, percents may not add up to 100 percent.

18 MAY 2019

features

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Q: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING COMES CLOSEST TO WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO AFTER YOU FINISH HIGH SCHOOL? Plan to Attend a 4-year college

95%

PALY

= Female

95%

= Male U.S.

“

68%

51%

“

I mean obviously you want it [the percentages of men and women attending college nationally] to be exactly the same but I think it’s close enough that I think it is an achievement. It is just sad that both numbers are so low.”

— Max Saparov, junior

I think that’s a new push we’re going toward. ... Women are no longer expected to get a Mrs. degree and stay at home. They’re actually going to use their degree for future goodness.”

— Alicia Kao, senior

Q: HOW MUCH PRESSURE, IF ANY, DO YOU PERSONALLY FEEL TO ...

PALY A LOT

68%

U.S.

SOME NOT TOO NONE MUCH AT ALL 29%

3%

0%

A LOT

Get good grades?

SOME

NOT TOO NONE AT ALL MUCH

61%

27%

8%

4%

29%

45%

21%

5%

Fit in socially?

28%

39%

19%

14%

31%

40%

24%

5%

Be involved in extracurricular activities?

21%

39%

25%

14%

48%

Help your family financially?

13%

21%

23%

42%

2%

15%

34%

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 19

OTHER (MULTIRACIAL)

Jeanpaul Ditto (18) Turkish, Ecuadorian and Italian

20 MAY 2019

cover — FACES

v

WHAT GOES INTO AN IDENTITY? HOW DO WE DEFINE RACE? WHICH BOX DO WE CHECK? Text by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG, ASHLEY HITCHINGS, JENNY TSENG and ELLA THOMSEN Photos by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

Combined ethnicities making a racial mystery. ­ — JP DITTO, 18

Labels can’t tell the whole story. ­ — JULIET ABLAZA, 17

Okasan [mother] loves us with our curls.

— KENZO MORABIA, 18

A

LIFETIME OF CULTURAL EXPERIENCES condensed into just six words. Five years ago, National Geographic asked thousands of multiethnic Americans for six words to describe their identity. Drawing inspiration from a global conversation, Verde asked mixed-race students at Palo Alto High School to share their own six-word stories.

A hub for immigrants, entrepreneurs and idealists, Palo Alto is a melting pot in nearly every sense of the term, and multiracial students are the physical embodiment of this cultural fusion. Silicon Valley’s rapidly transforming demographics are a precursor to what will eventually occur within the world at large.

California is home to America’s largest multiracial population and the proportion of students who identify as such has steadily increased over the last five years, reaching 9.2 percent in 2018, according to the California Department of Education.

Within our own community, 10 percent of Palo Alto Unified School District students identify as multiracial based on the 2016-17 demographic report. To quantify diversity, the report asks students to divide themselves among five racial categories: Black, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Caucasian and “Other (multiracial).” Identity, however, is not quantifiable. Reducing oneself to a mere checkbox obscures the remarkable and oftentimes confusing narratives that arise from complex cultural overlaps.

In this photo-essay, Verde explores the untold stories of how race and culture have defined multiethnic individuals at Paly, and how they in turn have come to define themselves, free from the restraints of a single statistic.

Christina (mother) Mexican and Ashkenazi Jew Juliet Ablaza (18) Mexican, Filipina and Ashkenazi Jew

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 21

“I’M ‘WHITE PASSING’ SO IT’S HARD TO IDENTIFY WITH THE OTHER SIDE.”

C

KC FLORANT, SENIOR

Andrea (16) and Jenna (16) Tetzlaff Ecuadorian and German

A racial mystery man With a mop of dirty-blonde, corkscrew locks, bright green eyes and olive skin, senior Jeanpaul Ditto’s features defy ethnic stereotypes. Part Turkish, Ecuadorian and Italian, Ditto’s multiracial heritage manifests itself in physical ambiguity.

“I’m a racial mystery man,” Ditto says. “Literally all the time people go up to me and they’ll be like, ‘What ethnicity are you? …

You don’t look white but you don’t look like anything else. You’re just weird.’”

Most of the time, this works in his favor: when strangers are unable to place his identity, they are also unable to confine him to racial stereotypes.

“I feel like … I’m wearing an invisible cloak that hides my races and protects me from discrimination,” Ditto says.

For his parents, however, it’s a different story. Sitting beside his brother on a family drive through Spokane, Washington, a fiveyear-old Ditto watched from the back seat as his father was pulled over and questioned by a police officer.

“My dad is this Hispanic-looking Ecuadorian dude that has curly dark hair, and me and my brother were little blonde kids,” Ditto says. “The cop… asked us who the man is driving the car. He thought that we were getting abducted because we just didn’t look like what my dad did.”

While Ditto’s divergence from strict racial categories has largely

22 MAY 2019

shielded him from discrimination, he says it has also weakened his allegiance to his respective countries of origin. Growing up in the United States, distanced from Turkish and Ecuadorian culture, he feels like he doesn’t quite belong to either.

“I’ll always just be a mix,” Ditto says. “More American than one or the other.”

“Not really Mexican” In senior Juliet Ablaza’s household, Christmas is synonymous with tamale-making, and trips to the Philippines prompt tales of her father’s youth.

“A lot of my identity comes from just spending time with my family,” Juliet says.

Surrounded by relatives, the synergy of these two rich cultures is an unquestionable reality. Yet, beyond the haven of her home, Juliet has felt people are less willing to accept her multiculturalism.

“I used to think that each part of my identity invalidated the other parts, so I felt like I didn’t really belong anywhere,” Juliet says.

In moments of doubt, Juliet found herself turning to her mother, Christina, for guidance, drawing solace from the stories her mother told about growing up Mexican and Eastern European in San Carlos decades earlier. “‘Listen, you are so valid,’” Juliet recalls her mother saying. “‘Since you’ve grown up part of these multiple amazing cultures,

cover — FACES

v

KC Florant (18) Caribbean and Scandinavian

you should own that because it makes you unique and that doesn’t mean that you should be excluded from your different categories.’”

Despite facing a multitude of questions surrounding her multiracial identity, Juliet expresses that in these moments of doubt and conversation she has come to the realization that there is not a singular feature that defines a Mexican or Filipino person.

“The fractions are misleading,” Juliet says. “People’s experiences are much more complex than just a pie chart.”

Token black/white friend Sunset-hued socks peek out above vibrant blue, red and orange checkered high-top Vans. Swiveling back and forth in his seat, senior KC Florant, who is white and black — or “whack,” as he says — pushes his shoes against the ground as he discusses the interplay between the two parts of his racial identity. He gestures down toward his feet.

“The joke was made the other day that like, ‘Oh, that’s his white side coming out,’” Florant says.

As a student at Ohlone Elementary School surrounded primarily by white and Indian peers, the Caribbean-Scandinavian Florant grew up in what he calls a “bubble.” Florant’s exploration of his heritage began in middle school, when he gained more exposure to the stories and cultures of the two parts of his identity.

“I met more black people and learned more about that culture

and developed a deeper connection to that part of me — that community only grew with age,” Florant says. “The identity question was a lot bigger because I was exposed to the question.”

Over time, his interests changed naturally, and Florant became more interested in things stereotypically associated with black culture, like hip hop. Even as he became more aware of the African-American culture around him, he says he still struggled to connect with the black community.

“I’m ‘white passing’ and so it’s hard to identify with the other side because a lot of people are like, ‘well, you’re not black.’”

In middle school, Florant says he spent a lot of time convincing others that he was “actually black” — sometimes even showing pictures of his dad to prove his race. Now, in his different friend groups, Florant often finds himself as the token black or white person and inadvertently plays up the different sides of his identity.

“You want to be a part of both cultures, you want to be accepted,” Florant says. “So sometimes in order to feel accepted, I would do things that were kind of like outlandish or overcompensate.”

For now, Florant says forming his racial identity is an ongoing process.

“I am still exploring both communities but have come to peace with the fact that I am mixed,” he says. “I don’t have to relate with everything from one culture or another, but rather explore and experience being a part of both.”

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 23

Code-switching in spaces Since her days on the playground, senior Masako Perez has felt like a cultural outsider. As early as elementary school, Perez’s Japanese, Guatemalan and Indigenous ethnic background brought race to the forefront of her social interactions — peers invalidated her Latina heritage because she didn’t speak Spanish and doubted her Japanese roots on the basis of her last name.

“It was a struggle because most people are friends with people who they can identify with, but when you don’t look like anybody or don’t have the same story … they don’t try to identify with you,” Perez says.

Over time, Perez says she’s managed to bridge these divides, often through “code-switching,” or modifying her behavior in various settings to accommodate different cultural norms.

“Especially being from East Palo Alto and coming to school here, I have to be able to act appropriately by not bringing attention to myself in either place, yet both communities are so very different,” she says. “It’s made me have to struggle with my identity and who I get to be in certain areas.”

With her father’s side, she speaks in Spanish and avoids mentioning her Japanese heritage.

When spending time with her mother’s relatives, especially her grandmother who “was not particularly happy that my mom married… a very dark Latino man,” Perez avoids the topic of race entirely.

“Even though both sides of the family don’t really agree… I think the love that they [her parents] have and raised us with — honestly, it takes a lot of strength to be able to take criticism and still be able to raise their children in a loving way,” she says.

Despite the cultural conflicts that sometimes arise within her personal and family life, Perez remarks that her multi ethnic upbringing has given her an uncommon vantage point.

“Being mixed gives you the knowledge that you can be two things at once — you’re not just Asian, you’re not just Latina,” Perez says. “I don’t mind being in limbo as long as I’m learning about myself.”

Does race constitute a home?

“We like to call ourselves mutts,” says senior Kenzo Morabia in reference to himself and his sister Isa, a freshman at Paly.

“Back when we were younger, we didn’t really know what to call ourselves,” Isa interjects. “And we struggled with that. We didn’t really know what we were either.”

Born to a Japanese mother and a Lebanese-Italian father, the siblings have gained exposure to a myriad of cultural influences during their stints living in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Mumbai and Palo Alto.

24 MAY 2019

“BEING MIXED GIVES YOU THE KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN BE TWO THINGS AT ONCE.” MASAKO PEREZ, SENIOR

Masako Perez (18) Japanese, Indigenous and Guatemalan

cover — FACES

Isa Morabia (14) Japanese, Lebanese and Italian

“We like to explore, and I think indulging in a variety of cultures really ties back to our multiracial background because there’s constantly something we’d like to explore in part of our heritage,” Kenzo says.

Learning about the intricacies of each aspect of their background has made it difficult to identify with any culture in particular. For many years, Isa and Kenzo’s lack of cultural tethers served as a source of isolation.

“I try to call myself Japanese but at the same time I don’t look it, and I can’t quite call myself American, besides a passport,” Kenzo says. “So it’s hard calling a place home and truly gaining ourselves a nationality.”

Though this cultural confusion was once overwhelming, after years of introspection, traveling and gaining exposure to a multitude of new places and cultures, Kenzo and Isa began to treasure their differences.

“When we were younger, we didn’t really appreciate the diversity that was handed to us, but after experiencing so many … people, you really appreciate being different,” Kenzo says. “There’s a beauty to that as well.”

Looking beyond race “Me and Obama, we’re half-half,” history teacher Justin Cronin says. “Half African-American and half white.”

Raised by an Irish mother and surrounded by white relatives, Cronin calls himself a “quasi-outcast.”

v

Kenzo Morabia (18) Japanese, Lebanese and Italian

“I [grew] up trying to formulate where I belong and being the black sheep of the family,” Cronin says.

Because his mom had little understanding of what it meant to be a man of color, Cronin says he had no guiding figures to help him navigate his identity. Now, as a biracial father raising African-American and white children, Cronin serves as the mentor he never had — especially for his eight-year-old son, who has darker skin than his sister.

Already, classmates have made pointed comments about his son’s skin color — something that Cronin says is inherently part of kids’ tendency to seek out differences.

“He had a friend who basically told him… that if we went back to slavery, he would buy my son to make sure he was not mistreated,” Cronin says.

Though Cronin knew the remark wasn’t meant to be racist, he recognized the importance of addressing the comment’s implications, especially because later in his son’s life, he will hear similar comments “for a much different reason.”

“I try to talk to him in small pieces, you never know how much he’ll remember,” Cronin says.

Though he acknowledges that as a nation we have a long way to go, Cronin envisions his kids — and students at Paly — inheriting a future that is less discriminatory.

“Every generation gets a little better,” Cronin says. “My hope is that other people share their experiences and are able to find the commonality in the human experience in it all.” v

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 25

BILINGUAL

BY LUCK Text by GILA WINEFELD and ANGELA LIU Additional reporting and photos by MYRA XU Art by ANGELA LIU

T

STUDENTS BRIDGE CULTURES

HE NAMES of junior Miranda Jimenez and her two younger brothers — Xavier and Sebastian — hide a duality of language. Their parents wanted their children to have names that could be pronounced both in English, with its staccato short vowel sounds, and Spanish, with the rolling “r’s” and drawn out “a’s.”

And just like her name, Jimenez straddles two worlds. Although her parents were born and raised in the United States, her paternal grandparents hail from Mexico; Jimenez’s dad, who is a near-native Spanish speaker, encouraged her to learn the language growing up through songs and stories. Still, maintaining roots that are displaced two generations in the family does not come easily, explains Jimenez, who currently takes Spanish 3 at Palo Alto High School.

“A lot of my friends are like, ‘Miranda, you’re Mexican, you should know more Spanish,’” Jimenez says. “And that’s a joke, but I wish I did know more Spanish. I feel like I should know more just because of my dad and my grandparents. I feel like I had the resources.”

For three Palo Alto High School students with different cultural backgrounds— a freshman, a junior and a senior — though their words vary, their search to integrate an identity that is inherently part American and part foreign through language is universal.

Their stories reflect the larger population of Paly students with immigrant families; while some read, write and speak their parents’ native language with complete fluency, others know only enough to ask for directions. Experiences with language also tend to fluc-

26 MAY 2019

THROUGH LANGUAGE

tuate throughout life: many students who were once reluctant to learn their parents’ language strive to reclaim it as they grow older and gain an appreciation for their heritage.

“When I was little I didn’t really appreciate my culture,” Jimenez says. “And maybe that’s one of the reasons I don’t know as much Spanish today. I thought it was weird — I wanted to fit in.

But now I’ve grown to appreciate the language and the culture … but I still haven’t connected as much because of how I was when I was younger.”

For seniors — many of whom will be leaving their physical roots and moving several hours away for college in a mere couple months — the worry of losing touch with a culture and language now displaced even further is particularly acute.

“All of us will naturally gravitate towards finding communities that we’re comfortable with in college,” says Paly Sociology teacher Benjamin Bolaños. “And so the question for children becomes, how much do you assimilate? How much of the native tongue and how much of the language and the culture and the customs do you keep as a Chinese-American or Japanese-American or Latino?”

Cultural connections “Jo kar na hai karo” — literally meaning “do whatever you want to do” in Hindi — is an ironic response senior Ujwal Srivastava often receives from his mother, Ashini Srivastava, when she doesn’t agree with a decision he’s about to make. At the same time, English analogues of the phrase are also heard routinely around the Srivastava household. In their home, Hindi and English rhyth-

cover —features VOICES

mically bounce off each other. From dining table discussions to playful conversation, a complete sentence frequently starts in one language and ends in the other.

“They just slip off out of our tongues so easily — we don’t even realize when we’re switching between languages,” Ashini says.

“Sometimes subconsciously you start thinking in two languages … and I think it somehow improves your expression when you read, when you write and when you speak.”

This fluid “Hinglish,” equal parts Indian and American, mirrors the Srivastavas themselves — a first-generation family in Palo Alto originally from North India, they embrace their Indian roots while simultaneously welcoming American culture.

“The thing I appreciate most about how they [my parents] balanced the cultures is that they never told me one or the other was right or they never forced me into one,” Ujwal says. “At the end of the day they were very open. … They never were like, ‘Oh, you need to be more American’ or ‘You’re being too American, stay with your cultural values.’ I think it just naturally came about that I found a balance of both worlds.”

But as much as the Srivastava family has been able to integrate both languages, considering the meaning of “first-generation” compels Ujwal to pause before responding — it’s a bit more nuanced than that. Although Ujwal was born in Palo Alto, at age four his family returned to North India. Ujwal credits his native-like fluency in Hindi to the colloquial slang and cultural understanding he picked up from these five years of living in the heart of New Delhi — components he says cannot be taught in a classroom. In

v v

turn, his fluency in the language provides him with a sort of frontrow seat into India and its culture.

“Understanding the language is a lens into understanding the culture of a place,” he says. “It [being bilingual] has given me a lot more appreciation for both Indian and American cultures, because [for] a lot of the things — to understand the values and how people view things in that society — being comfortable with the language is a great way to do that and I would almost say it’s a prerequisite to doing that.”

With his permanent move back to Palo Alto in third grade, however, most of his formal education in Hindi ended. Still, in the absence of workbooks and lectures, both Ujwal and his sister began to pick up the pieces through their own means: vibrant music, cuisine, Bollywood cinema and pop-culture entertainment.

Ashini says she was initially dissatisfied with her children’s lack of more explicit Hindi practice. She recalls that years before becoming a mother, she decided that her children were to grow up speaking Hindi in the household, regardless of whether they lived in India. But as Ujwal grew steadily more preoccupied with schoolwork, she says she came to realize that he was staying in touch with Hindi and Indian culture — just in his own way.

“It gets hard for the kids because they are trying — especially if they’ve lived away from the country — they are trying to get back and reorient themselves and relearn some of the cultural things,” Ashini says. “And if they’re trying to keep up with schoolwork and if that’s too much of an added work burden on them, at some point they would resent it.”

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 27

Jimenez’s father, on the other hand, has a slightly different take on bilingual parenting. Although his own parents tried to speak English extensively to him when he was growing up, wanting him to assimilate into American culture, when raising his own family he strongly encouraged his children to learn Spanish. He also enrolled Jimenez’s younger brothers in Palo Alto Unified School District’s Spanish Dual Immersion Program at Escondido Elementary School; as a result, there’s a disparity in Spanish fluency among her family, Jimenez says.

“I think he [my dad] realized that that [Spanish immersion] was the only way to keep it going,” she says. “And … they [my grandparents] will talk to my brothers in Spanish but it’s kind of awkward because I’m not really good at Spanish and it’s hard for me to talk to them, which is sad.”

Despite the differences in the languages they speak and their fluency in them, both Jimenez and Ujwal agree that language is a powerful force in shaping identity. For Ujwal, bilingualism strengthens the link between his two worlds, Indian and American.

“Being Indian-American is a huge part of my identity. It basically is my identity,” he says.

Though Ujwal can’t quite remember who he first heard it from, he grins, recalling a quote that he says resonates with him.

He delivers it with an astute confidence: “I’m 100 percent Indian and 100 percent American. If you can’t do the math it’s not my problem.”

Tongue-tied Freshman Maya Hoofien doesn’t go to synagogue. She was born in Seattle, Washington — nearly 7,000 miles away from her parents’ homeland, Israel. She has almost no friends her age who speak Hebrew, and she describes her exposure to the language as almost entirely “confined” to her blood relatives. And yet, in order to communicate with her extended family — all of whom live in Israel — Hoofien has no choice but to maintain fluency in Hebrew, a language and piece of a culture she has ultimately grown to cherish. Still, she says, despite Hebrew technically being her first language, maintaining it while being the “first American kid” in her family is a constant, conscious choice.

“It’s hard choosing — actively choosing — to be different,” she says. “There was kind of a switch in me maybe a year or two ago: I decided I want to put effort into this, I want to speak it … and read it more quickly and fluently. It was hard to do that, but I decided to and now it makes me very happy. I’ll catch myself just completely being able to talk about whatever I want to with my grandparents on the phone and it brings me so much joy that I don’t have to fight for it, that it’s there. It’s my language, a part of my culture, and I can speak it.”

This “switch” to reclaim a deeper connection with language and culture came only after years of struggling to understand how her Jewish and American identities fit together.

In Israel, cultural differences that manifested themselves in language singled her out as an outsider.

“It’s like you can’t win, because I’m not Israeli there and I’m not American here,” Hoofien says. “There I’m the American granddaughter and here I’m the Israeli girl.”

Here, Hoofien says, it is often easier to hide her background in favor of fitting in — her last name is Dutch rather than Jewish,

28 MAY 2019

and she sometimes chooses to speak to her parents in English when in front of others.

“It’s so easy to pull away from it,” she says. “I look like I could be from anywhere in Europe. And so it’s easy to want to … pass for not being what I am and not to bring it up. Like that my mom’s name is Orit and that she’s from Jerusalem — not mentioning those things is so easy. And it’s even easier to sit there and not have someone have a list of things about you going through their head before they’ve met you.”

With fitting in, however, comes a pang of guilt and a compelling pull to connect back to her roots, Hoofien says. Combine this with the fact that Paly offers no Hebrew courses, and finding harmony between her two lingual worlds — English and Hebrew — becomes difficult. Hoofien recalls a time when her mom reprimanded her after finding out that she had participated in a Secret Santa with her friends as an illustration of this precarious balance.

“She was like, ‘You’re forgetting your culture!’” Hoofien says.

“And I was like, I bought my friend two lip balms, that’s a little excessive. … I care about my culture a lot. But being Jewish and Israeli culturally but not being a part of the religion is a very difficult line to draw because there are elements that I just can’t associate with … so one of the biggest things for me is the language.”

Bolaños explains that for bilingual students like Hoofien, deciding which language and culture to associate with is often not an independent choice. Instead, their identities are cast and molded by the worlds around them.

“You’ve got to code-talk,” Bolaños says. “People who are not bilingual or bicultural don’t understand that you play different roles with different communities because you have to.” v

features

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ADMISSIONS: IMPOSSIBLE A DIVE INTO PALY’S ELITE COLLEGE CULTURE Text by RIYA MATTA and BRIDGET LI Art by HANNAH LI Photos by ZOË WONG-VANHAREN Design by BEN COHEN

“I

DID WHAT I HAD TO DO,” SAYS JAKE, a former high school athlete whose name has been changed to protect his identity.

Six days a week, every week, for four years, Jake spent hours at practice, pushing his body to its limits. When he wasn’t practicing, he used the time to study in order to maintain a stellar academic record, one Jake says far surpassed that of his more athletically-gifted peers. But when it came time for college recruitment, Jake found that, despite his dedication and grueling schedule, he had come up short. In a moment of desperation, he says, he submitted a falsified athletic profile to coaches during the college recruitment process his senior year of high school.

Jake was just one of the many Bay Area teenagers caught up in the competition of elite college admissions. As many local students set elite college attendance as a personal necessity, the number of applications to such institutions has continued to rise, tightening competition and lowering admissions rates. During this past application cycle, for example, the admissions rates of Yale University, the University of Southern California and the University of California, Berkeley hit record lows.

Meanwhile, building a qualified applicant profile grows increasingly complex. In addition to rising standardized test scores, a well-prepared candidate is often more than academically strong.

According to the College Board, under “holistic admissions” practices, materials such as extracurricular lists, essays and letters of recommendation also determine an applicant’s leadership qualities and intellectual curiosity, among other criteria. But as exemplified in the March college admissions scandal — known as Operation Varsity Blues — the intensifying competition can lead hopeful students and parents to turn to bribes instead of books.

Of the 33 parents who have been charged in the scandal, 13 hail from the Bay Area and two are Palo Alto High School parents, according to the official affidavit from the Department of Justice — a jarring catalog of the wealth, privilege and culture of elite college admissions nationwide and locally. In this story, Verde explores the implications of the increasing pressure surrounding elite college admissions on Paly’s campus.

Cutthroat competition According to Allison Wu (Class of 2018), a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, the emphasis on attending an elite college is a dominant — and stressful — pres

FIRST IN THE FAMILY Senior Gerzain Gutierrez will be a first-generation student at Stanford University in the fall.

Gutierrez relied mainly on free resources like the College and Career Center and Khan Academy to prepare for college applications. “A lot of people didn’t even expect me to even apply to a school like Stanford,” Gutierrez says.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 29

“Because I had legacy, I couldn’t express anxiety with the [admissions] decision even though I was [anxious].”

— NICHOLAS PADMANABHAN, senior

LESSONS IN LEGACY Senior Nicholas Padmanabhan displays two of his acceptance letters. Padmanabhan will be attending Princeton University in the fall, following the footsteps of both of his parents. “I think if they [his parents] hadn’t gone to an elite school like Princeton that the expectations would not be there,” Padmanabhan says.

ence at Paly. Wu describes it as “ingrained in the culture,” so much so that even in retrospect, she admits she would have “still [wanted] to go to one [an elite school]” despite now acknowledging that colleges provide “comparable” educational experiences regardless of rank.

“At Paly, the end goal is to go to an elite college or to go to college,” she says.

“We have the college map from Campy [The Campanile newspaper], we have college day [May 1], you put the college on your [graduation] cap.”

While college-centric traditions perpetuate this emphasis, Wu also points to the status associated with attending an elite college as a contributing factor.

“It definitely should not create superiority or a sense of superiority, and it does,” Wu says. “I saw that a lot, I think.”

As a longtime teacher advisor and history teacher, Adam Yonkers shares Wu’s belief that, in Paly’s high pressure environment, humility and sensitivity to the feelings of others in the admissions process should be prioritized.

30 MAY 2019

“I hesitate with my students to make it [their college admission] super exciting because there might be someone across the room thinking ‘Oh, I got denied,’” Yonkers says.

According to senior Nicholas Padmanabhan, it is the normalization of elite college attendance which fuels this culture.

“The historical precedent of that [elite college acceptances] creates a really competitive atmosphere,” Padmanabhan says.

“We’re in a bubble — it’s not the norm.”

The context of the surrounding Palo Alto community also explains why many students not only pursue an elite higher education but expect access to one, says junior Harriet Baldwin.

“Palo Alto, in general, is definitely [a] very affluent community,” Baldwin says.

“Since you [Paly students] have grown up in this place of privilege … you assume that you will continue that in college and that you’ll get into these top-rated schools.”

Wu says it is this obsession over elite universities that often leads students to make academic decisions for the sake of

improving their admissions prospects and not exploring a genuine interest.

“People take honors classes and AP [Advanced Placement] classes because they think it’ll increase their chances of getting into a better school,” Wu says. “I don’t think people learn for the passion of actually learning the material, but for what it’ll look like on their college application.”

Pressure for perfection While many students challenge themselves and engage in activities for the sake of gaining admission to elite colleges, some take it a step further — crossing the murky line between simply boosting admissions qualifications and blatant unethicality. For Jake, straddling that line was a delicate but fruitful endeavor.

Jake, who currently attends an Ivy League institution, says he was a dedicated athlete and diligent student, but was simply not physically gifted enough for recruitment. Although he set his sights on recruitment to elite institutions, when the recruiting process began junior year, their

coaches were not contacting him. A sense of desperation set in, and he adopted an intense training regimen — but to no avail.

Then, his anxiety reached a fever pitch.

“Maybe I overworked myself or anxiety, but I never got the results [I needed],” Jake says. “By October, when people were committing, I pretty much just reached my peak and snapped.”

Though Jake acknowledges what he did was wrong, he says he feels that his actions were, in some sense, justified by his hard work — unlike the kind of cheating that allegedly occurred in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal by parents such as actress Lori Loughlin, whose daughters were both fraudulently recruited at USC. “Not excusing what I did, but I don’t think it’s the same level of cheating as those parents [involved in the scandal] or what Aunt Becky [Loughlin] did with her daughters,” he says.

Like many parents involved in the scandal, Jake says, his placed a significant amount of pressure on him, which, combined with his own desire for success, led to his decision to lie about his score.

“I have actual goals and ambition,”

Jake says. “I did what I had to do.”

Furthermore, Jake says he sees little disparity between his actions and other more common means of admission.

“I just don’t see how what I did is that different … from legacy kids automatically getting into these amazing colleges or paying a [lot] for test prep and college counseling,” he says. “You use the resources you have to give yourself an edge in the competition and that’s what I did.”

Fuel to the fire For those without the advantage of athletic recruitment, Wu says she believes her peers engaged in extracurriculars and pandered to their teacher advisors, who write a summative letter of recommendation to colleges, for the same purpose. This competitive drive not only intensified an already stressful process but also led to interpersonal strains, she says.

“There’s that lingering tension between you and your classmates or you and the people who applied to the same school,” Wu says. “You think that they’re going to ‘take your spot’ at that school when it doesn’t actually work that way.”

College Pressure by the Numbers* 96% of students report planning on attending a 4-year college after graduation

64% of students report feeling peer pressure to attend an elite college

According to Yonkers, it is this practice of searching for a perfect algorithm for getting into college that contributes to Paly’s pressure-cooker atmosphere.

“Everyone is looking for that secret sauce — what it is that gets you into a school,” Yonkers says. “There’s this notion with Paly students that they’re competing for a limited number of spots at colleges which causes this culture of sabotage and cannibalism.”

While the intense and competitive nature of Paly’s admissions culture is stifling to some, for others, like senior Gerzain Gutierrez, it can be life-changing.

Gutierrez is one of only a few members of his family living in the U.S. and will be the first to attend college — he is off to Stanford University in the fall. Most of his family lives in Mexico and entered the workforce directly after high school, a path that Gutierrez himself always thought he would follow.

“When I was little I thought that was what I would do — just go to work after school because that’s just what people in my family did,” Gutierrez says.

After starting high school at Paly, how-

20% of students report feeling disadvantaged in the admissions process because of their socioeconomic status

17% of students report feeling like they’ve compromised their ethical standards for the sake of college admissions

28% of students report hiring private college counseling

46% of students report feeling familial pressure to attend an elite college

*These statistics regarding Paly students were collected via an April survey of 124 students in various English classes (four AP Language and Composition, two English 10A, one English 9A, one World Literature). The survey was conducted online, the responses were anonymous and students were provided with the option to opt-out for any reason.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 31

ever, Gutierrez says it was the high-achieving, college-obsessed atmosphere that made the once abstract prospect of higher education a reality.

“When I started my freshman year, everyone was already talking about college,” Gutierrez says. “I feel like … people are frowned upon if they don’t go to college after Paly, which definitely pushed me to work harder and think about going to college because I never thought I would when I was little.”

Pay to play But while Gutierrez shared the ambitions of his college-oriented peers, the costly college prep resources many of them were able to utilize were neither practical nor realistic for him.

“My mom just couldn’t afford it [private college counseling and test prep],” Gutierrez says. “I used Khan Academy for the SAT … but I felt like if I’d had a tutor,

maybe I could have gotten a higher score.”

Outside of standardized testing, however, Gutierrez said his socioeconomic status rarely made him feel disadvantaged in the application process, due in large part to the availability of resources such as fee waivers and counseling at Paly, specifically the College and Career Center.

“There’s a lot of resources at Paly that help people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged to succeed,” Gutierrez says.

“You have to look, obviously, but there are people who want to help you and who will help you if you find them.”

Baldwin, who will be applying to college next school year, has had a similarly positive experience. After attending her first meeting with the C&CC, which is mandatory for all Paly juniors, she opted to abstain from paid college counseling, following in the footsteps of her brother.

“In general, it’s possible to get just as good of an experience preparing for college

“We shouldn’t be focusing on comparing ourselves to others, rather finding one [college] that fits for us.”

— EVAN BALDONADO, senior

32 MAY 2019

applications without paying for it as it is to get that experience with paying for it,” she says, adding that Paly’s admissions culture often creates “unnecessary stress.”

According to Baldwin, the C&CC not only engaged her brother in the application process but also recommended that he apply to the college he now attends, yielding an important lesson in college selection.

“There’s a school for everybody out there, and it’s not always going to be the most prestigious or the most difficult to get into school for everybody,” she says. “A lot of people don’t realize that, and [they think] that they all have to get into the difficult schools to get into to because it proves something about themselves to the world or to themselves.”

Senior Evan Baldonado, who also exclusively used the C&CC, echoes these sentiments. Like Baldwin, Baldonado says he tries to actively avoid the competitive atmosphere that the “whole rat race of college admissions” creates, adding that campus culture often drives students to prioritize college brand name over fit.

“People can sometimes think that … the only good school is the one that ranks highest on the rankings,” Baldonado says.

“But if you actually take it apart, you can see that there are a lot of good schools and that we shouldn’t be focusing on comparing ourselves to others, rather finding one [college] that fits for us.”

Money or merit?

Chemistry teacher Ashwini Avadhani’s classroom is like any other high school science lab, with laminate countertops and a whiteboard scrawled with upcoming deadlines. But above it are perhaps more pressing reminders — a towering row of college

pennants, heavyweight names like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Berkeley tacked side-by-side, crawling urgently across the classroom walls.

The most recent Princeton University addition was a gift from Padmanabhan, who will be attending the Ivy League university in the fall.

Princeton is one of many elite colleges which practices legacy admissions, granting preferential treatment to those with family ties to the university. Padmanabhan’s parents both attended Princeton, and he says that this is what compelled him to apply in the early admission round, when he believed his legacy would prove most helpful.

But legacy also put Padmanabhan’s admissions prospects in the limelight. According to Padmanabhan, he has never explicitly told his peers about his parents attending Princeton — yet, somehow, it “got out.”

This only intensified the college admissions-related stress, he says.

“Because I had legacy, I couldn’t express anxiety with the [admissions] decision even though I was [anxious],” he says. “I felt like I couldn’t, because legacy definitely does give you a boost.”

Beyond limiting his peer-to-peer interactions, Padmanabhan says it also led to judgments about how qualified he was as

an applicant. He compares this experience to that of underrepresented minorities — whose ethnic backgrounds may be favorably considered under certain holistic admissions practices — and recruited athletes.

“That [judgment] sometimes happens with athletes — [that] you got in because you’re an underrepresented minority or something like that,” he says. “Being a legacy applicant, it does have a feeling of diminishing your application or your accomplishments even though it’s something you can’t control.”

This judgment and undermining of qualifications is a feeling with which Gutierrez is all too familiar. As a first-generation applicant and underrepresented minority, it seemed like his deviation from the stereotypical mold of an elite-college admit was apparent to all his peers.

“I think a lot of people didn’t even expect me to even apply to a school like Stanford,” Gutierrez says. “I don’t like how people are surprised that I got in — like, why are you surprised that I got in? What is different about me than some Indian dude or Asian dude?”

Four more years Despite the weighty reputation of the university that Gutierrez will be attending,

If you hired private college couseling, at what point did you start?*

for him, his goal has remained constant — his college education is an invaluable tool, he says, that will allow him to provide his mother and his family with a better life in the same way that she did for him.

“I always dreamed big — I shot my shot and it went in. So I think people should dream big, especially people like me who think there’s no way to get out of the hood,” Gutierrez says. “But there’s always a way.”

For Wu, however, her admission to an elite college has prompted her to reconsider how her undergraduate education has shaped her sense of self.

“After you get into the elite college, you feel special in some sort of way. But then after coming here … everyone here is at the top of their class, and once you get here you’re not going to be at the top of your class anymore,” Wu says.

It is this distinction between prestige and true educational value that leads Wu to emphasize the importance of self-determination rather than external validation.

“An elite college doesn’t really change much about the trajectory of your future,” Wu says. “You still carry a lot of stress — your life isn’t better because you go to a certain school … I’m sure my life would be similar if I went to a different college, and my friendships would be similar.” v

1.96% | middle school 15.69% | 9th Grade 19.61% |10th Grade 50.98% |11th Grade 11.76% |12th grade

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 33

Culinary Colors Text by ZAKIR AHMAD and ZOE STANTON-SAVITZ

STUDENTS IN SCHOOL AND IN THE KITCHEN

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SUGARY SWEET SMELL WAFTS through the room as Palo Alto High School junior Lavender Ledgerwood, with a steady hand and a determined look in her eyes, whips egg whites to the perfect consistency. This is Ledgerwood in her element “I didn’t decide this was the path I wanted to go down in life until middle school,” Ledgerwood says. “But I’ve always been in the kitchen working, trying to figure things out.”

Ledgerwood was inspired by I’ve always been in her grandmothers, both of whom have taught her aspects of baking. the kitchen work“My paternal grandmother, ing, trying to figure whenever I was down at her house on holidays, she’d ask me to help things out.”

— LAVENDER LEDGERWOOD, junior bake the pumpkin pie or make the cranberry sauce and I’d always be so happy and intrigued to go to the kitchen with her,” Ledgerwood says. “I even have a lot of recipes from her that she’s given me over the past couple of years.”

From her maternal grandmother, Ledgerwood says she has learned not to follow every rule in a cookbook.

“She doesn’t follow the recipes exactly per se,” Ledgerwood says. “She takes something like brownies and peanut butter cookies and tries to figure out a way to put them together.”

Ledgerwood and her dad always make dinners for their family. They plan each meal for the week ahead of time and start preparing the food from the moment they get home from school and work, respectively.

“I bake everything in my house,” Ledgerwood says.

“I think I like baking because I’m very precise and I want things done a certain way.”

“

WHIPPING IT UP (ABOVE) Senior Nishant Patwardhan separates eggs while preparing to make a souffle. He enjoys experimenting with food.“Just find a recipe and just try it.” Photo by Zakir Ahmad

Nishant’s Chocolate Souffle Recipe: Ingredients: • 1/3 Cup Sugar • • • •

5 oz Bittersweet (not unsweetened) Chocolate, chopped 3 Large Egg Yolks 6 Large Egg Whites Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream (for garnish)

See verdemagazine.com/student-chefs for more details.

34 MAY 2019

r

Baking is not the only creative art Ledgerwood has pursued. She has been acting at the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre since elementary school and continues to do so.

“Theatre has increased my confidence in me and my work,” Ledgerwood says. “When I make something, it’s easier to put it forward for people’s judgement. And there’s the creativity of it. Creativity is something really big that you have to have especially with baking and pastry.”

After finding Paly’s cooking classes unsuited for Every family has her level, Ledgerwood starta least a bit of that ed taking classes at Mission food culture. It’s just College. She has completed a course in chocolates and really up to you to confections, and is currenthave the motivation ly learning about baking and pastries. Ledgerwood to learn.” hopes to attend the Culi— NISHANT PATWARDHAN, senior nary Institute of America before opening her own bakery.

For Ledgerwood, the culinary arts is a career path, but some Paly students use it as a way to bolster their other passions and connect with those around them.

This past Valentine’s Day, senior Nishant Patwardhan made his parents a five course meal. For his promposal, Patwardhan made his date a container of raspberry chocolate ice cream. Both creations were completely homemade, with recipes Patwardhan had created himself.

Patwardhan hopes to continue this hobby in college, making treats for people in his dorm.

“I don’t really want to have to eat cafeteria food every day for four years, so being able to cook would be very, very nice,” Patwardhan says. “And then cooking for people is always fun.”

While most students see cooking as a foreign experience, it is one of Patwardhan’s main hobbies. Ever since he was young, Patwardhan has been helping his mom, a trained chef, in the kitchen.

Patwardhan has also brought his heritage into

“

PRACTICALLY PERFECTIONIST (ABOVE) Junior Lavender Ledgerwood sets blueberries and blackberries on her egg tartlets. “I like baking because I’m very precise and I want things done a certain way.” Photo by Zoë Wong-VanHaren

his cooking, combining Indian food culture into Western desserts. For his dad’s birthday, Patwardhan adapted rasmalai, an Indian sweet made from saffron milk and cottage cheese, into a cake.

“Every family has at least a bit of that food culture,” Patwardhan says. “It’s just really up to you to have the motivation to learn.”

Creating something for the first time can seem daunting, but Patwardhan has learned to dive in head first.

“Find something that you want to make, want to eat,” Patwardhan says. “Just find a recipe and just try it.” v SWEET SOUFFLE (TOP) Patwardhan’s chocolate creation adorned with raspberries has only five ingredients. He loves baking, and this is one of his easier recipes. “It’s just really up to you to have the motivation to learn.” Photo by Zakir Ahmad BERRIES GALORE (LEFT) Ledgerwood’s simple fruit tartlet looks like a blooming red flower. “I’ve always been in the kitchen working, trying to figure things out. Photo by Zoë Wong-VanHaren

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 35

Photos by YUE SHI Art by HANNAH LI

The Other Side Of Text by ALLISON CHENG and YUE SHI

MEETING TOWN AND COUNTRY’S FAMILIAR FACES

F

OR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, Town and Country Village has offered Palo Alto High School students fresh lunches and convenient services. Walking around Paly, it is common to overhear a conversation between two students discussing great deals offered by a store or a price increase from a popular restaurant. Because of this, it’s safe to say that Town and Country and the people working there have influenced Paly students’ unique, open-campus high school experience; equally, our student body has shaped the culture of Town and Country. From making business decisions intended to attract Paly students to greeting students who come through their doors every day, many store owners say they certainly enjoy the student-centric atmosphere during school hours.

“Paly students visit Mayfield before school, during lunch and after school for coffee drinks, pastries, sandwiches, salads and countless essential grab-and-go items,” says Karey Walker, a public relations spokesperson for the Bacchus Management Group, which owns and operates Town and Country’s Mayfield Bakery. “We love being the go-to spot for students.”

Similar to Mayfield, many Town and Country businesses have become an integral aspect of the Paly experience. Through inquiries with employees from students’ favorite restaurants like the Village Cheese House and Asian Box, Verde sought out to explore the long-established relationship between Paly and Town and Country. Here is what we found. v

F

IVE MINUTES AFTER the bell rings, Paly students quickly line up in front of the small sliding window, a trademark of Asian Box. Scattered throughout the outdoor seating area, they enjoy the much-loved Paly Special: the Jungle Box. Asian Box cashier Alex Chavarria hands out each box with a heartwarming smile.

“Every time they get a Jungle Box and I see a smile on their face, it makes me feel good that they are enjoying the Asian Box product,” Chavarria says.

According to Chavarria, instead of serving meals through the main doors, he meets most Paly students through the little window on the side of the building. Except for where they order, Paly students are similar to other customers, leaving a positive impression on Asian Box employees, he says.

“I remember them [the Paly students] being very polite and young, but they always know what they like,” Chavarria says.

36 MAY 2019

Although their popular student deal creates a high lunch demand, Asian Box employees have gotten used to the fastpaced nature of their job.

“The customers come in to order and leave within 10 minutes, as compared to other jobs I’ve had, where customers can stay for 30, 40 minutes or even five hours sometimes,” Chavarria says.

Additionally, Chavarria has discovered that students pick up information much faster than other customers.

“When I explain how our policies are, they tend to soak up that information quickly, whereas older customers may need me to explain two to three times,” Chavarria says.

Regarding policy changes, Paly students have recently noticed that the price of the Jungle Box has increased from $5 to $7. He explains that the rise in price may be a result of the increasing cost of living, despite that it tops how much many high school students are willing to spend.

“Having Paly students coming for lunch is a much-appreciated business,” Chavarria says, “Everyone seemed happy and enjoying their food.”

profiles

v

EMBARCADERO F

ROM THE AFFORDABLE $2 bread and dip to the large variety of sandwiches, the Village Cheese House is loved by Paly students. The quick grab-and-go restaurant offers online ordering, making it an efficient and popular choice among Paly students. As we walked up to the ordering counter, we were greeted

by Junior Gonzalez, a familiar face recognized by many students as the store cashier.

“I interact with Paly students every day,” Gonzalez says. “I like talking to the students, and they always tell me how their day was. It’s almost like being friends and bonding with them.”

This personal connection allows the relationship between the Village Cheese House employees and Paly students to con-

T

HE CLOSEST Town and Country business to the crosswalk is home to free samples, affordable lunches and myriad vibrantly packaged snacks. Trader Joe’s workers, donning in colorful Hawaiian shirts, are always eager to help, and the rustic-yet-quirky feel of the grocery store keeps Paly students coming back for new and old favorites alike.

At the all-too-familiar sample station, Trader Joe’s employee Dean Bernheim tells us about his experience serving the Palo Alto community, as well as how he ended up as a familiar face at Trader Joe’s.

“Sometimes it [working here] is crazy, especially during the lunch break,” he says.

“We affectionately refer to it [the Paly student crowd] as ‘the horde.’”

Bernheim knows that during lunch, as well as at other times throughout the day, some students will pop into Trader Joe’s and walk out with just a sample in hand. However, he does not seem to mind.

tinue growing for generations.

“They [student customers] always bring their families,” Gonzalez says. “There are customers who came when they were in high school, and now they are 30. We always welcome them back.”

Since employees from the Village Cheese House know Paly students on a personal level, they trust their regulars and even stand up for them.

“There is this one kid that always comes here to eat. He is a regular; he comes here every day.” One day he almost got into a fight, and we defended him to prevent the fight from happening,” Gonzales says. “I remember thinking, ‘Why are you picking on this kid?’ because he always comes in, and I know him from being friendly and nice.”

“Some people say ‘Oh, they don’t buy anything,’” he says. “But I say, ‘Yes they do, and so what? Their parents also buy things.’”

Bernheim’s consistent presence behind the glass of the sample station might lead customers to think that he has been in this industry for decades. However, after years in high technology, Bernheim landed at Trader Joe’s for “a sort of post-retirement job.”

He explains the stark contrasts between his job at Trader Joe’s and his previous career in tech, emphasizing that the opportunity to interact with the local community is one of the main benefits of his job now.

“Interacting with the public in general — that’s the reason I’m not retired now,” Bernheim says. “It’s kind of nice because I’m old, so I like that interaction with young people to see what’s happening and how things are changing.”

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 37

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38 MAY 2019

profiles Text by DEVONY HOF and KOBI JOHNSSON

v

Photo by KOBI JOHNSSON Art by DEVONY HOF

A Different Education

HOMESCHOOLERS REFLECT ON THEIR EXPERIENCES

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RADES. CLUBS. Prom. Class schedules. Sports. Spirit rallies.

All these things are hallmarks of the high school experience.

But many teens in the Bay Area attain their education without these supplements. According to a 2016 survey conducted by the National Center of Education, about 3 percent of students reported being homeschooled, a percentage, which, when applied to Palo Alto, suggests about 400 students in the city. The term homeschooling encompasses many forms of teaching, from parent teachers to so-called “unschooling” to outsourced private tutoring. Some students start homeschooling to avoid stresses and burdens associated with public school, while others do so to pursue a particular career. To learn more about homeschooling in Palo Alto and the Bay Area we interviewed three local homeschooled students. Here is what we found. v Winnifred Blair Before starting at Menlo-Atherton High School as a freshman, Winnifred Blair was homeschooled, along with her five siblings. Blair described her form of homeschooling as “unschooling,” in which, according to the online education site Time4Learning, the student’s parents do not play traditional teacher roles but rather allow “student’s interests and curiosities to drive the path of learning” as opposed to a designated curriculum.

Blair’s nontraditional education consisted of staying at grade level in math and being proficient in reading - all for the purpose of fulfilling her mother’s expectation of being a “capable and beneficial member of society.”

“I think that homeschooling is really good if a traditional school environment does not work,” Blair states in email. “It [homeschooling] is also good, I’ve found,

for people with really specific interests that it, and had given up on being overly worcan be better accommodated.” ried about the new things that kept on getAccording to Blair, her mother thought ting thrown at me.” that going to public school or homeschool As her thirteen-year-old younger sister would not make a difference to her edu- begins to decide whether or not she will atcation at the elementary level. This assess- tend a public high school as she did, Blair ment, combined with a younger sister’s reflects on the two learning environments health problems at the time, contributed to she has experienced. her parents’ decision to homeschool their “Basically I believe it’s a person to perchildren. son decision for which one [formal or ho“We always had the option to go to meschooling] would be better,” Blair states. school,” Blair states. “If any of us had ever “And in my case, they happened to be the shown a strong interest in it at any point, same.” we would have immediately been enrolled … There was never a question of if I was Maddie Page capable of going to school.”

Former Palo Alto High School student Before she entered the eighth grade, Maddie Page began homeschooling the seBlair and her mother began discussing the mester of this school year to better accomsteps she would need to take to attend uni- modate her interest in tennis. versity. They agreed that going to a public “I didn’t really want to deal with Paly’s high school would be the best option to stress anymore because I play a lot of tennis prepare her for this. and I’m trying to play Division 1 in col“My mother was concerned about lege,” Page says. “I didn’t really get much how the first semester/year [of high school] time to play or sleep and I just wasn’t very would go, but I did fine,” Blair states. “It happy.” was relatively terrifying because everyone While Page found freshman year manhad more of an idea ageable, sophoof what was hap- Homeschooling is really more year made pening.” balancing tennis I n t e g r a t i n g good if a traditional school and schoolwork into the public environment does not increasingly difschool system after ficult. According having been ho- work.” to Page, this is— WINNIFRED BLAIR, former homeschooler meschooled for 10 sue was further years made Blair compounded by feel disadvantaged Paly’s lack of proin the areas of essay writing and math. vided accommodations for serious student “It is a bit easier to fall behind in sub- athletes. jects [in homeschooling] if you don’t have a “I know a lot of my friends get out at specific interest in them,” Blair states.

12 or don’t have to do PE so they can get By the end of the semester, however, a public education and play tennis,” Page Blair stated that she felt ready to confront says. “Since I’ve been homeschooled I’ve any new challenges that came her way. gotten a lot better. It was just really frus“I loved my first set of finals,” she stat- trating because when I was at Paly I knew I ed. “... I had mostly figured out how to do wasn’t playing at my full potential.”

“

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 39

Page reached a turning point during fall of sophomore year when she lost a tournament with only a few points to spare.

“That whole week I had so many tests,” Page says. “I was like ‘maybe if I had an hour more of sleep or an hour more of practice’ … it was just so frustrating and I was like how many more of these am I going to have in the future?”

At the start of the spring semester, Page made the independent decision to start homeschooling.

Like Blair, Page’s form of homeschooling doesn’t involve parents taking on a teaching role. Instead, she takes courses online at Laurel Springs, a K-12 online private school, which provides Page with much more flexibility.

“If you have a really busy day and don’t do school you don’t get penalized,” Page says. “It’s sort of at your own pace.”

While Laurel Springs doesn’t offer specialized classes, such as glass blowing and broadcast journalsim, that Paly does, and there are fewer opportunities for social interaction, Page prefers her new form of schooling.

“I actually feel like it’s a great education,” Page says. “I was afraid that I was going to be a little lonely but I don’t feel that way at all.”

Marshall Williams Marshall Williams’ stint in public school only lasted for a week of first grade before his parents decided to pull him and his sister out of school. After being taught by his mother for the duration of elementary school, he decided to enroll in The Potter’s School, an online academy, in sixth grade.

“The Potter’s School … is like a middle school and a high school combined,” Williams says. “I can take classes just like any normal school. For example, the first history class I had was U.S. History Through Film.”

Williams continued at The Potter’s School throughout middle school until he moved to Palo Alto the summer before ninth grade. He then had to decide

40 MAY 2019

H WILLIAMS AT WORK Homeschooled senior Marshall Williams gets to explore many different subjects in his education. “If you like academic rigor, it’s a lot easier to pile it on,” he says.

on whether he wished to continue homeschooling or attend Paly. After thinking it over, Williams chose to stay at The Potter’s School for high school.

“I didn’t go to Paly because … I’m already used to the [homeschooling] system, and I like it, and it works well for me,” Williams says. “With homeschooling, you have a lot more freedom in how you plan your day, because my classes are on a weekly schedule.”

A main concern that Williams had was over college-preparedness, and its non-traditional schooling would leave him as prepared for college as a public school would.

“I thought about that long and hard … but my whole system is set up pretty much like a college schedule,” Williams says. “I manage my own time and stuff like that. And so I’ve learned that, for example, since I don’t have classes today, I could sleep all day, but I have homework to do.”

Williams continued with homeschooling for the rest of high school, and believes it really paid off when he discovered his passion for mechanical and aerospace engineering. The wide selection of classes of-

fered at The Potter’s School allowed him to indulge his passions, and helped him gain unique experiences that he never would have had if he stayed in public school.

“I’ve taken mechanical engineering classes, I’ve taken Computer Aided Drafting classes, … I’m currently in electrical engineering,” Williams says. “I could pursue them [my interests] here [The Potter’s School]. And then last year, I had an internship at a machine shop. I was able to have an internship, learning engineering stuff in the middle of the school year while I was in school, and that was just huge for me.”

Williams, who will be attending Georgia Tech for aerospace engineering in the fall, has had no regrets attending The Potter’s School, and believes that it is this flexibility that allows self-motivated students to indulge in their interests.

“I can take electrical engineering, Japanese, French. I can take piano, guitar, mandolin,” Williams says. “If you like academic rigor, it’s a lot easier to pile it on. You can add more classes more easily. … If you have decent time management, then you could really benefit from it.”

Honks forYonks profiles

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social studies teacher outlines his plans for europe in the 2019-2020 school year Text by ANGELA LIU and DEVONY HOF Photo by ZOE WONG-VANHAREN Art by ANGELA LIU

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DAM YONKERS, a Palo Alto High School government, world history, contemporary world history and foreign policy teacher of 12 years will take a leave of absence for the 2019-2020 school year to live abroad with his wife and three children. There, he plans on either continuing teaching, working as an educational consultant or participating in a fellowship program. “I’m still an employee,” Yonkers says, “I’m excited to come back.” v V: What are your plans for next year?

Y: I’ve always thought of myself as a teacher, [and] what’s super cool is that you can teach abroad. … My hope is that I can use my EU citizenship — because I’m a dual citizen of Ireland — to basically get visas for my family and then move our family to some place in Europe where they can study at an American school, learn different languages, you know, experience different cultures.

V: What is your destination?

Y: There’s two places that we’re weighing right now and we just don’t know if we’re going to get the paperwork done. One of them is Switzerland — Lugano, Switzerland — which is the American school. The other one is the British school in Amsterdam. … They have [the kids] been admitted, but we are still kind of waiting for my kids’ paperwork in terms of Switzerland and Ireland.The big issue is Brexit. Brexit’s really gumming up the system in Ireland, especially because there’s so many English people who are trying to get out of English nationality or dual citizenships so they can remain in the EU. … Nevertheless I’ve put my paperwork in there.

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they’ll come away with a really cool experience and they’ll look back at it and be like, I’m so glad you did that mom and dad.

V: What do you hope to learn and bring back to Paly?

V: Why did you make this big decision to move to another country next year?

Y: My dad made a decision to move our family to West Africa. …

This is after John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King — all of these figures had been assassinated and he felt like he was going to leave his law practice. … [He] signed up for the Peace Corps. So the deal with the Peace Corps is that you’re basically sent where they need you. And so we were sent to Benin and he became the Peace Corps director and we lived there. The reason I tell you that is that has probably changed the narrative of my life. … being exposed to different cultures and learning a different language and seeing different things. … I want to give that back to my kids. I have three children. One’s three, one six and one’s eight.

V: Why are you leaving now?

Y: My oldest is eight, before middle school. … Sometimes you get into middle school and life kind of takes over. … We can travel with them [the kids] more easily and my oldest is still young enough that this will make a big impression.

V: What do you hope your kids take away from this trip abroad?

Y: Number one would be an expanded worldview. … Palo Alto is just a bubble and there’s this whole other world out there. …

Number two, I would like them to become more multicultural…

It’s [Switzerland] a little bit of a melting pot and it’s also situated in a way that’s like right in the center of Europe so we can experience a lot of different cultures. Amsterdam is also a really cosmopolitan city.

V: Are you concerned about the kids’ adjustment?

Y: Yes, I am. We’re asking a lot out of our kids, having them be adaptable, assimilating into culture. I think all of that is putting a lot of responsibility on them. But adults are more set in their ways then kids are. It will be hard. It will be challenging. But I think

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Y: I’m a foreign policy teacher and Switzerland has a very interesting geopolitical approach to issues.

They’re very neutral famously. … I would like to take back some of what I’m teaching about back here because I teach about world history, I teach about current events. In Amsterdam, foreign policy wise, that’s where the Hague is. … the International Criminal Court. As Brexit happens we’re also going to be in there in an interesting time. That’s going to be testing the fabric and the unity of the EU. … I really feel like it’s important that in order for us to be more effective in terms of foreign policy, we need to be able to triangulate our policies with an understanding of where other people are coming from. And a lot of times we haven’t made really good decisions based on, I feel, just ignorance.

We haven’t really understood where the Europeans are coming from or whatever country where we’re dealing with. … This is part of me wanting to be a lifelong learner.

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CREED IN COMMUNITY (TOP LEFT) First Palo Alto United Methodist Church organizes a wide range of events aiming to serve the diversity of its community. Photo by Bridget Li FAITH FIRST (TOP RIGHT) Pastor Debra Murray speaks about the intersection between social justice and Christianity. Photo by Bridget Li PACKS A PUNCH (BOTTOM LEFT) SEEDS Program Director Caryn Cranston assembles “life packs,” which provide homeless youth with toiletries and clothing. Photo by Megan Chai RAISED WITH PRIDE (BOTTOM RIGHT) The Palo Alto United Methodist Church pride flags adorn its Hamilton Avenue location. Photo by Bridget Li

44 MAY 2019

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Text by WARREN WAGNER and BRIDGET LI Art by HANNAH LI

LOCAL METHODISTS COMMIT TO INCLUSION

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N FEBRUARY, United Methodist Church delegates worldwide voted to defeat the One Church Plan, which would allow individual churches to decide to permit LGBTQ marriages and clergy. The conference delegates then subsequently passed the Traditional Plan, which not only preserves UMC’s current theological restrictions on homosexuality and LGBTQ clergy but also strengthens their enforcement.

The 2016 Book of Discipline, UMC’s guide of governing principles, states that “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”

Despite what many progressive Methodist communities see as a loss, First Palo Alto UMC, located on Hamilton Avenue, has only recommitted to its status as an all-inclusive congregation.

Planting hope Paramount to this effort is the church’s SEEDS program, which provides assistance to homeless LGBTQ youth with the goal of providing a safe space to store items and access career resources. SEEDS Program Director Caryn Cranston says she started the initiative in 2016 by simply distributing Subway food coupons to homeless youth.

It has since grown to provide hygiene products, clothing and more.

“It [SEEDS] is primarily a street outreach program intending to get what we call life-saving supplies to kids living on the streets,” Cranston says. “Over time, the goal is to build enough of a relationship that the kids feel they can come back to the church to gain access to the internet and build [career] services and opportunities.”

Cranston, an LGBTQ member of First Palo Alto, says that the General Conference decision just renewed confidence in the mission of SEEDS.

don’t want it to be,” Cranston says. “So it’s a Conflict in conference After the February General Con- matter of staying in it, knowing that it [this ference, where the Traditional Plan was debate] ultimately may lead to the split, passed, the Wall Street Journal and Nation- which is heartbreaking on one level.” al Public Radio reported on several progressive churches threatening to separate from Unconditionally united Through its defiance, First Palo Alto UMC, possibly creating a schism.

First Palo Alto Pastor Debra Murray has not only upheld its identity as a reconcredits the unique social justice-oriented ciling congregation — one which welcomes leadership of UMC’s Western Jurisdiction, regardless of sexual orientation or gender especially that of Bishop Minerva Carcaño, identity — but also invigorated it, accordfor offering churches the autonomy to up- ing to Murray.

“This particular place is affirming that hold the congregation’s values.

“Bishop Carcaño has always led the we are not changing, that we are going to forefront, and saying. … this [sexuality] is be more eager in going out and letting peoa gift of God,” Murray says. “[It] does not ple know that this is a place you can come,” say anything about gender with regard to Murray says.

SEEDS is one way the congregation is our social principles … She’s always at the forefront of ‘This is a social justice, it is an making its commitment to community service and LGBTQ allyequity issue.’” more “actionable Despite these con“This [sexuality] ship and visible,” she says. flicting principles, Mur“Pastor Deboray maintains that the is a gift of God.” rah wants to be more jurisdiction’s intention — DEBRA MURRAY, pastor intentional about beis to remain united with ing out in the comthe broader UMC orgamunity, that we are not just welcoming, nization.

“Our bishop has maintained that we but inclusive, which is kind of one of the want to remain one church — you don’t things I’ve been learning about,” Cranston want to leave,” Murray says. “This is our says. “And how to do that in a way that is demonstrated through our action and faith church.”

Cranston also noted that the decision in action versus just saying it.”

Although the discussion was only reeffected her own faith.

“Personally, it’s affected because I’m cently renewed, Murray says the heart of part of the LGBT community. So I’m mad, the reconciliatory spirit which fuels it has right, and I’m upset. And I’m sad,” she says. always laid in the crux of theology, which “And I’m trying to figure out how to be fundamentally intersects with social justice.

“It’s this doctrine of love. We see from in the church and be the church in a new the Old Testament to the New Testament way.”

But Cranston still advocates remaining about a God that so loves the world,” Murin UMC to champion progressive princi- ray says. “About a God that says that regardless of what has happened in your life, ples.

“If we all just walk away, then it what you’ve done in your life, ‘I love you, I [UMC] gets to become the thing that we will never stop loving you.’” v

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d i l a Kh THE EVOLUTION OF A YOUNG ARTIST’S MUSIC Text by ABBY CUMMINGS and ELLA THOMSEN Art by HANNAH LI

Album #2: Free Spirit

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HALID ROBINSON, known as Khalid in the music industry, has made a name for himself in the last four years as a writer and producer of his original music.

At just 17 years old, Khalid compiled his first album, “American Teen,” while still in high school. The songs featured in this debut album rapidly gained popularity, but it wasn’t until socialite Kylie Jenner posted a video of her dancing to “Location” on Snapchat account that Khalid was propelled head-first into the world of fame.

On April 5, two months after his 21st birthday, Khalid released his second album, “Free Spirit.” Though the general style of his music in his newest album is very similar to his first, there has been a noticeable shift in the topics he grapples with in his music: he has started to delve into deeper topics such as heartbreak and insecurities, but the notes and beats in his music have stayed constant.

“I was so naive and young when I wrote ‘American Teen.’ I thought I knew everything, but I knew nothing at all,” Khalid told Billboard before the release of his album. “I’m at the point of understanding that I still know nothing at all on ‘Free Spirit.’ I feel like the music right now that I’m writing is very self-reflective.”

46 MAY 2019

Man behind the the music Khalid’s music has always had a very reflective nature; growing up, he says his music was an outlet for him to express feelings about constantly uprooting his life and moving around for his mothers’ job.

According to USA Today, Khalid’s mother, Linda Wolfe, always dreamed of being a singer. Instead, she joined the army to make a better salary, knowing she could not single-handedly raise Khalid amid the instability of a singing career. Her musical talents have not gone unnoticed, though, and Khalid attributes much of his current success to listening to his mother’s voice.

In an article written by Variety Magazine, Khalid revealed that it was only when he and his mom made their final move to El Paso, Texas that he finally broke out of his shell and started uploading his recorded lyrics and melodies onto SoundCloud. The vice president of the talent scouting division for Right Hand/RCA Records listened to and signed with Khalid in 2016, shortly after the release of “Location.”

Since then, the evolution of Khalid’s music has been subtle, but noticeable to his long-time followers. Junior Olivia Ramberg-Gomez says she has been listening to Khalid since he first

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EP #1: Sun City started producing, and even attended a small concert of his in San Francisco.

“I think when he first started, his music was much more teenlike if that makes sense, especially because he was a lot younger when his first song came out,” Ramberg-Gomez says. “Now, I think his music still has some of the same youthfulness, but also has a new style to it.”

Opinions on the piece Khalid’s “Free Spirit” album has topped the charts this year, helping him earn his first number one rank on Billboard’s top 200 chart.

“Free Spirit” contains mostly slow-paced songs, but also a few that are more upbeat including “Talk,” “Better” and “Hundred.”

Two songs feature collaboration between Khalid and other wellknown artists: “Don’t Pretend,” created with singer-rapper SAFE and “Outta My Head,” created with John Mayer.

Out of the 17-song soundtrack, there are certainly a few standouts such as “Talk” and “Twenty One” that feaure faster tempos, hard-hitting beats and catchy lyric. However, the songs that make up the album generally lack distinction from one another. Almost

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Album #1: American Teen the entirety of the album has a slow-paced tempo and overlaid recordings of Khalid’s voice with similar background drumming beats. These aspects of Khalid’s music set him apart from other artists of his generation, but they make his album feel less interesting to listen to, regardless of the fact that the lyrics show personal growth. This is unlike his first album, “American Teen,” which contained a variety of different messages and melodies throughout, rather than safe and similar sounding ones that are heard in “Free Spirit.”

Khalid sings about relationships throughout the album, but also of heartbreak and maturity. In “Talk” and “Right Back” Khalid explores a difficult aspect of young love — defining a relationship. “Hundred” explains Khalid’s experience with fame and how it changed his life — specifically, the impact it had on previous friendships.

“This album is the culmination of all of the growth and experiences I have gathered over the past two remarkable years.” Khalid said in an interview with Rolling Stone before the launch of his second album. “I have been in the studio pouring my soul and spirit to create a body of work that I hope speaks to each and every one of you.” v

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GOLDEN STOREFRONT (TOP) With a classical French exterior, the Palo Alto location epitomizes the Parisian pastry experience. The patisserie opened Oct. 2017. Photo by Courtney Kernick SAVORY SANDWICHES (MIDDLE) The delicious chicken sandwich sits on a plate, ready to be eaten. Photo by Courtney Kernick WONDEROUS WINDOWS (BOTTOM MIDDLE)) The stylistic large windows allow sunlight to radiate through the room, illuminating Mademoiselle Colette’s French decor.

Photo by Kaitlyn Ho SMILING SERVER (BOTTOM RIGHT) Employee Ariana Sandoval places a chicken sandwich on a wooden cart, preparing it for the next customer. Photo by Kaitlyn Ho

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PASTRY HEAVEN Employee Arlon Taruc uses tongs to pick up a pastry. For Taruc, the exceptional customer service is a important part of the job. “We have really good pastries but if the experience is not good than they would not come back,” Taruc says. Photo by Bridget Leonard

Text by KAITLYN HO and COURTNEY KERNICK

PATISSERIE TO OPEN THIRD LOCATION IN JUNE

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iTH LIGHT luminescing through large windows, soft pop playing gently in the background and organic pastries neatly arranged behind a glass divider, Mademoiselle Colette, a small locally owned patisserie at 499 Lytton Avenue, gives off a distinct French aura.

Mademoiselle Colette currently has two locations — one in Palo Alto and the other in Menlo Park — and the restaurant’s owners are in the process of expanding into a third location, says Delphia Rodriguez, the manager of the Palo Alto shop. The new patisserie is set to open in downtown Redwood City this June.

The popularity of the distinctive and authentic French pastries have propelled the owners to open a new location which shares the same mission. “[We want people to] have a little taste and experience of France without getting out their [the customer’s] passport,” Rodriguez says.

To this end, the patisserie boasts pastry chefs from France who start preparing the pastries at midnight and finish at 6 a.m. so

they can be delivered to the shops fresh every morning.

“They use all fresh ingredients. Everything is organic so you’re getting good quality and you can really taste it,” Rodriguez says. “Some of these products I have never seen anywhere else — like I don’t know anywhere else I could get a kouign amann.”

The shop’s location behind University Avenue allows for a quiet neighborhood experience, which adds to the relaxing European atmosphere. Paired with an enthusiastic staff, genuine pastries delivered daily and immaculate decor, Mademoiselle Colette provides an escape from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley.

“We’re more local and we get to really know our customers … we’re like a family here, ” Rodriguez says.

Here are some highlights from our recent visit to Mademoiselle Colette’s Palo Alto location. v French Favorites Chicken Baguette ($13): With an authentic French baguette, lightly seasoned chicken, fresh organic arugula and sundried

tomatoes, this sandwich’s perfect combination of spices and flavors makes for a satisfying lunch.

Salmon Baguette ($13): This dish, which features smoked salmon and fresh greens sandwiched between two crisp pieces of bread, serves as a great summer meal.

The sandwich’s delicious flavors make it a timeless classic.

Lemon Brioche ($5.25): This pastry, with a sweet and continuous undertone of lemon, manages to balance the density of butter with the fluffiness of air pockets. Its intricate and flakey pastry layers will undoubtedly satisfy your palate.

Mini Tart ($2.80): Although it’s small in size, this delightful pastry is mighty in flavor. The combination of a flaky outer shell lightly dusted in powdered sugar with slightly sweet vanilla custard and raspberry puree in the middle, makes the mini tart an original twist on a classic dessert.

Chai Latte ($4): The small iced Chai Latte is very milky and sweet with just a hint of spice. This light and refreshing drink is perfect for a warm summer day — it’s even paired with a polka-dotted paper straw!

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Pho Banh Mi NEW EATERY ELEVATES VIETNAMESE CLASSICS Text by ASHLEY HITCHINGS and JENNY TSENG

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HEN I WAS LITTLE, I didn’t have money to eat pho and banh mi, it was so expensive,” restaurant owner Jade Luong says. “I had the dream to become a person who could sell pho and banh mi for all.”

Pho Banh Mi, a new Vietnamese restaurant that soft-opened in March at 405 University Ave., is the manifestation of Luong’s childhood aspirations.

With floor-to-ceiling windows that illuminate the eatery’s sleek furnishings, wood-paneled walls and succulent-lined countertops, the restaurant exudes rustic chic charm.

Amid the modern decor, elements from Luong’s past make subtle yet sentimental cameos — bowls of ginger and auspicious tangerines populate empty nooks, and a model bicycle with stray wheels is mounted to the wall.

“This bike reminds me to work hard,” Luong says. “The symbol for the wheel is [that it’s] turning like a clock

SERVICE WITH A SMILE Restaurant owner Jade Luong serves Pho Banh Mi’s Golden Peach iced tea to a customer. Brimming with fruit wedges, star-shaped lychee jellies and popping boba, the beverage caters to boba lovers. Photo by Lucia-Amieva Wang

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CRUNCH (LEFT) A quintessential Vietnamese side dish, the Lemongrass Beef Rolls offer a fresh, herby zip to the palate. Photo by Zoë Wong-VanHaren SLURP (RIGHT) Fine rice noodles, tender beef slices and flavorful chives simmer in a generous bowl of pho.

Photo by Lucia Amieva-Wang

— turning slowly and starting slowly to become successful.”

Luong’s day begins before dawn: at 4 a.m. each morning, she arrives at Pho Banh Mi to start cooking the day’s batch of broth. Six to eight hours later, the fragrant smell of chicken and beef stock greets customers arriving for the lunch rush.

After the restaurant opens for the day, Luong travels to Green Bakery & Cafe in Los Altos, another Vietnamese-inspired venture she opened two years ago, and checks in with the staff.

On some days, Luong says, she will make more than one trip between the restaurants to ensure that everything is running smoothly.

“She had a vision about family cooking here,” Pho Banh Mi co-owner Son Vo says. “She doesn’t cook overnight. She prepares the soup and everything in the morning so it’s fresh when it comes out of the kitchen.”

The menu is a reflection of Luong’s roots — featuring comforting Vietnamese classics, every meal is something she would cook for herself at home, and the collection of recipes is passed from the previous generation of Luong’s family.

In many ways, Pho Banh Mi itself is an extention of this homey mentality.

Luong describes it as an untraditional

family-run business. Though the small staff is unrelated, their 10-plus hours a day working together contribute to a tight-knit community.

“We look a family, we work like a family,” Luong says as she gestures with a smile to the servers and cooks in the bustling kitchen.

It is this ethos of warm camaraderie and earnest striving that’s gained the restaurant regulars just weeks since its opening. However, Luong notes that the duo is still incorporating feedback from customers to perfect their dishes before the restaurant’s hard opening.

“I want to bring food and pho to the people here,” Luong says. “But more importantly I want people to come here and tell me what kind of food they like to eat.”

Below are Verde’s takes on some of their trademark offerings. v Pho Special ($15.95)

Namesake aside, it’s no wonder pho is the signature offering of Pho Banh Mi. Between satisfying spoonfuls of aromatic broth, slurps of infinitesimally thin rice noodles and bites of tender beef, the Pho Special exemplifies what a noodle soup should be.

Simmered together for eight hours, the subtle flavors of the broth complement

“ She prepares everything in the morning so it’s fresh when it comes out. ” — SON VO, Pho Banh Mi co-owner

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the smoky sweetness of the filet mignon, brisket and steak slices. Perfectly sized beef balls are a savory and chewy addition to this heartily sized bowl of steaming pho.

Pho Seafood ($15.95) For culinary mavericks, the Pho Seafood offers a tangier alternative to its classic counterpart.

Chewy bites of squid, boiled shrimp, shucked mussels and fish fillet swim in a fragrant broth seasoned with scallions, lime and a hint of spice. The ample helping of thin rice noodles absorb the piquant flavoring of the soup despite their delicate structure, providing sweetness with a fragrant kick.

“ WE LOOK LIKE A FAMILY, — JADE LUONG, Pho Banh Mi co-owner

Lemongrass Beef Rolls ($10.95) With tufts of lettuce and colorful herbs poking out from around thin slices of beef, bundles of vermicelli noodles and apple slices, the Lemongrass Beef Rolls offer a refreshing accompaniment to the savory bowls of pho. Despite the smorgasbord of ingredients in each rice noodle-wrapped bundle, the rolls are relatively bland unless dipped in the accompanying fish sauce vinaigrette. The uneven distribution of lemongrass in the rolls also contributes to their overall grassy flavor.

Grilled Pork Banh Mi ($9.95)

A staple of Vietnamese street food, the Grilled Pork Banh Mi fuses cultural and culinary influences alike in a tempting convergence of flavors and textures. Pillowy slices of french baguette envelop finely sliced slivers of pickled carrot, daikon, cucumber and jalapeno in this elevated sandwich.

Succulent morsels of juicy pork complement each crisp bite of the fresh vegetables. Smeared across each of the banh mi’s crunchy bookends is the restaurant’s signature house mayo, which incorporates a unifying element of creaminess.

RELISH (LEFT) Crunchy crust surrounds a fluffy interior in a classic banh mi sandwich packed with veggies, lemongrass tofu and house mayo. Photo by Zoë Wong-VanHaren SQUAD (RIGHT) Few in number but replete with zest, the Pho Banh Mi team assembles in their cozy kitchen post-lunch rush. Photo by Lucia Amieva-Wang

52 MAY 2019

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WE WORK LIKE A FAMILY.”

L I A P K L I M E TH “THE END OF AN ERA” FOR STAPLE GROCER, THE MILK PAIL

Text by ASIA GARDIAS and ABBY CUMMINGS Additional reporting by ROHIN GHOSH Photos by ASIA GARDIAS

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WHAT’S TO EAT? Milk Pail owner Steve Rasmussen grabs a slice of pear to eat while discussing items sold in the store. The most popular item the store sells — a package of frozen croissants. “Croissants are ... the most popular,” Rasmussen says. “The one [product] that contributes most to the store revenue is produce generically.”

T THE MILK PAIL Market, a customer is transported to an authentic European market — a warmly lit open space, with sun-damaged party pennants flying overhead and competitively priced produce housed in plastic crates. As the San Antonio shopping centerstore prepares to close its doors for good, community members are mourning the pending loss of a piece of local culture.

When we went to the market, we caught up with owner Steve Rasmussen and customer Kate Disney. Disney has shopped at the store since moving to Mountain View in 1985, so her reverence for the store is evident in their conversation.

“We come here like three or four times a week,” Disney — a self-described “brand-loyal” customer — says. “We’re constantly buying more and more. …

When we heard it was closing, it felt like a tragedy — like what are we going to eat?”

When Rasmussen announced the store was being sold to next door developers — meaning closure — in a March Facebook post, many long-time customers paralleled Disney’s disappointment in the comments and online community forums: over 500 Facebook users shared the original post and over 300 commented.

The grocery store spawned from

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PRODUCING BARGAINS (left and right) Customers pick out produce to purchase.

Apples are the most popular fruit sold at the Milk Pail.

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CHECKING OUT Former store managers and daughter of owner Kai Rasmussen works the checkout. Rasmussen ran the business from 2014 to 2017. “I’m personally excited for what’s gonna happen next, in my life,” Rasmussen says. “For me, there’s other things that I want to pursue, so I think for my sister and I both it’s a natural endpoint.”

54 MAY 2019

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and an upcoming metropolis; between immigrants’ retaining cultures and the lack of a home-grown one; between the aspirations of a father and his children — between the past and the future.

humble beginnings. Rasmussen says the business began in the late 1950s selling drive-thru milk sourced from small-scale farmers — at two-cents-a-gallon cheaper than other businesses to help them compete against big dairy plants in Silicon Valley. He had worked at Brentwood Farms, Milk Pail’s predecessor, bottling milk since the age of 11, so when he heard the location went bankrupt, Rasmussen bought it from court, expanded its product offering and created The Milk Pail.

“Out of the blue, I heard that it [Brentwood Farms] put chains on the doors: they went bankrupt, they couldn’t pay their bills. I said to my dad, ‘That’s crazy — they did so much business,’” Rasmussen says. “So within about 10 days, I had reopened it. … That’s how it all started.”

After many years of operation, but notwithstanding changing currents, the community staple — known for its flaky croissants, extravagant cheese selection and arguably the freshest produce in the Bay Area — will close on June 30.

The story about the closing of the beloved Milk Pail market is full of juxtapositions — between the grocery preferences of the Baby Boomers and Millennials; between the once-been industry suburbs

ficient to generate the revenues we once enjoyed,” Steve says.

While the silver lining for enduring the construction was supposed to be an increase in customers from the apartments, he says the reality was different.

Building up Rasmussen sits on a lustrous bench Cultural change — one of four, none of which are occupied While Steve sits on the bench for an — across the street from his shop. Over- hour, only two cars pass the road conhead, scarlet lettering reads “Icon The- necting the apartments and the Milk Pail ater” while Billboard Top 100 hits blare — one of which is from the restaurant defrom covert speakers. livery service, waiter.com.

Sitting underneath newly built tower“So waiter.com is bringing lunches ing apartment developments, Rasmussen for those Facebook employees,” Rasmusexplains the difficulties his business faced sen says, pointing up to the Facebook during the development of surrounding office complex next to the store. “We met plots. with waiter.com, but we decided that …

“We survived this construction for ... we weren’t staffed well enough. ... We three and a half years,” Rasmussen says. could have done something, but we didn’t “It’s because of … the legacy customers have enough prepared food skill, energy — the octogenarians — who shop here: or personnel.” when the earth movers got in their way, While previous customers traveled to they wouldn’t move out of the way. Our the Milk Pail themselves, it was apparent customers are very determined.” that incoming younger populations were Kai, one of Rasmussen’s daughters choosing alternatives to purchasing their who was also the store manager for two- groceries in person. Steve says two cusand-a-half years, expressed a similar sen- tomers from the apartments invited him timent about construction struggles. to visit after having purchased two cheese “Before all this [the platters from his developments] had been store, so he took the built, this was just a big opportunity to sur“When we heard it vey the newcomers parking lot that we took full advantage of,” she says. was closing, it felt about their shopping “It was really advantageous preferences. like a tragedy — because pretty much an “They bought unlimited amount of peotwo big cheese plates like what are we ple can come shop. That’s two weeks ago from going to eat?” why it was insanely crowdus and we were invited all the time before.” ed in to the third or Besides space around fourth floor,” he says.

— KATE DISNEY, Milk Pail Customer the store becoming more “I had a chance to limited, the family had to talk a little bit about fight to renew their parking lot license the Milk Pail. I asked the 40 people who and deal with the reconstruction of the were in this office apartment, ‘How many sidewalk that connected to their front of you have shopped at the Milk Pail more entrance, which Steve says led to a dip in than three or four times?’ It was 40 people sales.

— three people raise their hands. So we “We knew that we would have issues don’t get that [younger] population comwith the amount of congestion, … we ing in.” knew that in another 15 or 20 years, the The Milk Pail, stocked with specialty parking license that we have for the cor- products, doesn’t seem to appeal as much ner was going expire, … and we also knew to Silicon Valley’s newer populations; the that the parking on the corner is insuf- cultural composite desiring European,

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Middle Eastern and Asian delicacies has declined, slowing the number of customers coming through the doors, Rasmussen says.

“Over the years, we would have farmers who would come in… with Asian specialties or Indian specialties,” Steve says.

“We would add them to our produce line. … so it became kind of a partnership.”

In addition to fewer customers with exotic palates, more convenient meal options have formed in the area, lowering the need for Milk Pail’s products. For immigrant families who purchase specularity products as a connection to their heritage, the closing of the Milk Pail further detatches them from their culture.

For Vil and Anastasia Nagimov — first-generation Russian immigrants who regularly shop at Milk Pail — the closing marks the end of an opportunity to delight in Russian cuisine.

“We really like the store because we can buy foods from our home country,” Anastaisa says. “We don’t want the store to close.”

A family’s future “We had a 73-year-old woman named Helen who had a voice box because she had been treated for cancer,” Steve says, recalling a former employee. “She was too old and nobody wanted [to hire]

her. I said, ‘I want you — let’s give you a try.’ … So she started working for us. …

One day somebody came in and was very depressed, so Helen took her aside … and had a long chat with her. Later in the day, before Helen went home, this woman who came back with a three page letter that she hand delivered to Helen.”

The Milk Pail provides more than a shopping experience. Moments like those of Helen with the customer built unparalleled community connections. The store’s closing comes as a great loss to those who have supported it for years. Earlier this year, after the death of former store manager James Liu and a buyout by surrounding developments, Steve met with staff to let them know of the store’s closing.

“At the end of our meeting up at our

“It’s been such a fixture in my life that it’ll be hard to see it disappear. ”

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— KAI RASMUSSEN, Former manager and owner’s daughter

LOCALLY SOURCED As customers walk from the Milk Pail parking lot, they pass next to the fruit section, with colorful pennants above.

56 MAY 2019

warehouse, [Milk Pail employee] Alba said she almost started crying,” Rasmussen says. “It’s because when we close, it’s way different than when a Safeway closes.”

While customers repeatedly expressed wishes for the store to continue in some capacity, Rasmussen says he doesn’t currently plan to continue running Milk Pail. Neither of his daughters — Kai and Erica — say they see themselves continuing the family business with higher education and life plans awaiting them. Still, Kai has thrown around the idea of a cheese food truck, and the family has considered options for relocation.

“I would say ‘never say never,’” Kai says. “But at this time, I don’t think it would be happening anytime soon.”

On a bright Saturday morning, Steve, Kai and Erica meet to have their photo taken in front of the cow mural which extends across the wall facing their parking lot. Steve jokes that they had never had their photo taken together in the store before, and he wanted to get one — “for the memories.”

“I guess the biggest emotion is feeling bittersweet.” Kai says, muffled by the noises of grocery carts and adjacent traffic. “Having been involved for the last seven years, but then also growing up in this business; it’s been such a fixture in my life that it’ll be hard to see it disappear.” v

GOODBYES Customer Kate Disney speaks with the Milk Pail owner about reasons for closing. Disney says she and her husband both adore shopping at the market. “When I first introduced my husband to this place, he was like ‘oh my gosh this place is amazing.’”

BLACKFEST

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Text by JASMINE VENET Photos by JANA PHILLIPS

STANFORD SHOWCASES BLACK STUDENT TALENT

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EAVING THROUGH the throng of people packed together on the large field, music blaring over the speakers, fueling the energetic crowd, it’s easy to understand why Blackfest gathers so much attention.

Every year, Levin Field on Stanford University’s campus transforms into Blackfest, a free of charge festival organized by the Black Family Gathering Committee.

Blackfest serves to put the spotlight on black artists and creators, both local and mainstream. From small booths selling locally made jewelry to Stanford students performing on stage alongside artists like Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean, the festival allows for a diverse, and often underrepresented, group of people to come together and showcase their talents.

also celebrating their heritage.

“For me personally, it represents not only taking back space, but supporting our young artists, and to me that’s celebrating our own, that’s showing that black lives matter,” Jay says. “They don’t just matter when we’re getting killed and dying, they matter also while we’re alive, and I think Blackfest contributes to that.”

Gebre also remarks how Blackfest’s transformation into a festival has brought in a diverse crowd, people from all over the bay coming to watch and audition for an opportunity to perform on stage.

Fresh new faces Back to its roots Every year, the festival features severAlthough now famous in the Bay Area, al student performers and one professionBlackfest originally started out as a family al hip-hop or rhytm and blues artist. This picnic organized by the BFGC: only recent- year, student artists like Gebre, Jay, Gabriel ly have they started to include live music, Townsell and the Greek community Nu transforming into more of a Sigma Alphas performed festival. before headliner, Lil “It represents Yet, Stanford student not only taking Yachty. artist and Blackfest performer Having done a couDawit Gebre, aka Gebreezy, back space, but ple smaller scale perforsays that the event’s original and only one on a supporting our mances community feel still remains stage as big as Blackfest’s, for him.

Gebre says performing at young artists.”

— KALY JAY, the festival is a really spe“It does have that con- Stanford student artist cial opportunity. cert appeal, but I felt probably a little more of a sense of “It’s surreal having all community despite that because in addi- those people paying attention to you, givtion to it being just a big concert, a lot of ing you their time, vibing to your music, black people come to Stanford’s campus,” especially when you spent a lot of time on Gebre says. “It’s a good compromise.” your stuff,” Gebre says.

Kaly Jay, another Stanford student Many Stanford students and local artartist, remarks how the events concert-like ists try out to perform at Blackfest, only atmosphere is a way for black artists to ex- three or four getting chosen every year. hibit their music for a large audience, while Gebre and Jay both decided to audi-

tion for Blackfest for similar reasons: for the experience of performing in front of a crowd of people from all over the Bay, especially members of the black community.

The experience of a lifetime “When you can bring [music festivals] to the community level and make it free, that’s amazing, you know, that’s accessibility right there,” Jay says.

“Music is healing when it’s done right and I think Blackfest was a testament to that. You saw all those people there jamming out to the same music in unison, no drama, no hate.”

Blackfest is a prime example of accessible music bringing the community together with music.

“For me, I feel at home on stage and just being able to do what I love to do… just perform our music to folks who were hearing it for the first time…and they were rocking with us,” Jay says. “That was beautiful.” v

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Text by KATE MILNE and ZOË WONG-VANHAREN Photos by ZOË WONG-VANHAREN

BODY ARTIST PROVIDES TOP-NOTCH SERVICE

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FRIENDLY BELL chimes as a young woman dressed in workout clothes strolls into Fatty Zone, a Mountain View smoke shop that doubles as a clothing store and, most famously, a piercing parlor. She walks through the main room of the store that is dedicated to retail and is organized into sections: the ‘glass gallery’ of marijuana accessories lies to the left, while artfully designed skateboard decks and low-slung glass cases of body jewelry are on display straight ahead. In a corner

is a doorway, beyond which resides the space that puts Fatty Zone on the map.

She reaches Mark Herman, the Zone’s main body piercer, and explains her predicament: As she washed her face that morning, her nose stud had fallen out.

At first, she was worried about the new piercing closing up, however, after visiting the Zone for an impromptu session with Herman, she was on her way with her piercing reset and her mind at ease.

It is his problem solving, careful planning and attention to detail that has earned

Herman a respected reputaion throughout the Bay Area, and he is often the de facto referral for Paly students looking to get pierced.

One of these students is Palo Alto High School sophomore Alli Miller, who has several piercings including standard lobes, seconds, thirds, a cartilage and plans for more. After getting pierced at various locations like Claire’s, an accesories chain that offers ear piercing services, her own home and Fatty Zone, Miller plans to return to the Fatty Zone for any additional piercings she may get in the future.

“He [Herman] is super easy to talk to and very reassuring,” she says. “[He] takes his time and makes sure that you are comfortable, whereas at a piercing salon they tend to try and rush through as many customers as fast as they can.”

Jack of all trades At first glance, one might be intimidated by Herman’s tall stature, tattoos and, of course, piercings. His friendliness, however, welcomes customers and quickly puts them at ease.

Although Herman has a wide variety of passions and skills ranging from medical assisting to running, he says he has always come back to piercing as both a profession and an obsession.

“I love body art,” he says. “I’m covered head-to-toe in tattoos, but I’m also a martial arts instructor, a lifelong martial artist [and] I run marathons.”

His love for piercings started when he was young. He grew up in the punkrock community going to concerts and skating, so it isn’t suprising when Herman says piercing developed into a passion before becoming a profession.

“I got my tongue pierced when people weren’t doing things like that,” he says. “I remember I showed up to Santa Clara High

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HERMAN’S HABITS (OPPOSITE PAGE) Mark Herman sits where his customers do when he pierces them. He is proud of his attention to detail and high quality services, and knows that this passion is more important than any piece of jewelry. “It’s not about money, I like to come to work, I like to make people happy,” he says.

FIRST RULE OF THE ZONE (RIGHT) A small sign reading “This is a piercing gun - free establishment” is placed high on a window in Fatty Zone. Herman pierces with a needle and a white clip to make sure the piercing is precise and lined up correctly.

GETTING SET UP (BOTTOM) Herman attaches a clip to the lobe of Kate Milne’s ear and prepeares to pierce it. He uses extreme care when adjusting the planned location for the piercing as he knows the result of the jewelry can change someone’s day. “When a little kid comes in here, scared, tripping out, I pierce their ears and then all of a sudden they’re smiling.”

School in 1992 or ’93 with a tongue piercing and it was like, the craziest thing ever.”

Now that piercings are more mainstream then they were when Herman was in high school, there is more opportunity for him to make a living and financially support his son through college by doing what he loves.

“I’ve been very lucky; I’ve created a life for myself as an artist,” he says.

His friends, who are the owners of the shop, have allowed him to return despite going abroad to Europe as a touring musician for several years. Herman’s attention to detail, both in the care he takes in piercing a client and in keeping his parlor spotless, is what seems to keeps customers coming back for more, no matter how long he may be gone for.

“I’ve had such a good relationship with my clients for so many years,” Herman says. “If I take off for three months, the day I come back to work I’m busy— it’s like I never left.”

Committed customers As he embarks on his 22nd year working at Fatty Zone, Herman explains how some of his customers have come full circle and brought their children to get pierced at the same place they did.

“A lot of my clients I meet when they’re 13,” he says. “I pierce their ears, [when they’re] 15, I give them a cartilage, [at] 17, I pierce their nose. They take off to college, then I haven’t seen them for a long time then they pop back up [and say]… ‘We had a baby, she’s 5 now — we’d like to get her ears pierced.’”

These long-term relationships are something special to Fatty Zone, and the reasons customers bring their children in to the store also includes his strict piercing morals.

He will sometimes even turn cus- She had gone in to get second piercings, antomers away because he knows that other set next to the ones she already had. the piercing isn’t meant for them.

“She [the piercing lady] was incapable “They [customers] show up, they bring of doing her one job because my piercings in this picture of this ear that they took off were totally off on either side,” she says. “At of Pinterest, and it doesn’t look like their the end of the day I left with four holes in ear” he says. “You can either pull this off my ears – two of which healed closed – when half-ass and take their money, or you can all I came in for was two double piercings.” be straight up and say, ‘Hey, this isn’t your However, his well-meaning and ear… This is not going to look good.’” unfiltered professional opinions are In comparison to the consideration recieved differently by customers.

Herman puts into “Sometimes peoeach client’s needs ple really appreciate at the Zone, stu- “I’ve been very lucky; the honesty,” he says. dents who have I’ve created a life for “And then sometimes gotten their ears people look at you like pierced at com- myself as an artist” you just screwed their day.”

— MARK HERMAN, mercial locations Nevertheless, HerFatty Zone body artist often experience man knows that while avoidable issues money is fleeting, the such as infection that cause frusteration. legacy his work leaves behind will last, and Junior Sanaz Ebrahimi says that her he plans to continue to provide high qualexperience getting her ears pierced at a ity services to those who seek them out. location known for their inexperienced “Money comes and goes,” he says, “but piercers was tumultuous and unpleasant. [not] your name and your work ethic.” v

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Text by PRAHALAD MITRA and ZAKIR AHMAD Art by HANNAH LI

ENDGAME THE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE FOR AN EPIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

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N MAY 2008, “IRON MAN” hit theaters. It was the first of 22 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and kicked off what would become a multibillion-dollar franchise. After 11 years of Hulk smashing, shield bashing and box office cashing, the heroes assembled for the last time in “Avengers: Endgame,” perhaps the most anticipated movie of all time. How the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, along with the cast members, were able to pull off such a monumental task is a testament to Marvel’s consistency in making great movies.

Every single installment of the MCU’s 22 movies has topped the box office on opening

took film hare h t the c that fact o grow ents e h t T mom ch ime the t s makes v ie mu o r acte in the m gful. later meanin e mor

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weekend. Some movies like “Infinity War,” which made $257,700,000 domestically on opening weekend, and “Black Panther,” which made $202,000,000, especially stand out. It is even more impressive when one considers how risky these projects are; Marvel is creating movies for an audience that is very protective of their favorite characters.

The most recent, and final, addition to the Avengers saga follows the heroes as they face the aftermath of the movie’s prequel, “Avengers: Infinity War.” “Infinity War” ended on a cliffhanger after Thanos, an evil warlord, uses the Infinity Stones to snap half of the universe out of existence. The title, “Endgame,” is a reference to chess.

In a chess match, the endgame is the stage where most of the pieces have been taken off of the board. This is why the Russo brothers decided that it was an apropriate name. After the events in “Infinity War,” only a small band of heroes, including the six original Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye), is left to figure out how to bring their hero friends and the rest of the universe back to life.

Based on the general response to “Infinity War,” Marvel knew how excited viewers would be to see “Endgame” and therefore decided to only include scenes from the beginning of the movie and from

previous films in their trailer. This move was successful in building suspense because it kept the audience in the dark for the many plot twists to come. At the same time, the trailers for the movie gave viewers just enough of a taste of what was to come to capture their interest.

By the time “Endgame” was released on April 26, the hype surrounding it was at an all-time high. Long-time fans and theorists were predicting what was going to happen, and opening-weekend tickets sold out weeks before the release date.

After viewing it, we agreed that these high expectations were met, and even exceeded, in classic Marvel fashion.

While the characters attempt to traverse a post “Infinity War” landscape, Marvel spends a considerable amount of time advancing story arcs, which is rare for an action movie. The fact that the film took the time to develop the characters makes moments later in the movie much more meaningful. Competing egos, as well as grief from the previous events, create interesting interactions and shifts in dynamics within the original band of Avengers. “Infinity War” is one of the rare action movies that not only provides audiences with overthe-top, epic action scenes, but also with heart-warming and emotional moments.

One of the major triumphs of the film

is the stunning visual effects. In some movies, like the “Incredible Hulk,” the special effects were unrealistic, and as a result, it took away from the enjoyability of the film. In “Endgame,” however, the computer generated and live-action elements blend together seamlessly, and the camera angles fully immerse the audience into the extremely well-choreographed action.

Apart from progressing the story of “Infinity War,” “Endgame” pays homage to events and themes from past movies. The movie includes countless easter eggs and callbacks to previous Marvel installments, which create many special and nostalgic The movie includes moments for longtime fans. It also in- countless easter eggs cluded what might be and callbacks to previous the last Stan Lee cameo. Many scenes and Marvel installments. lines only make sense to fans who have watched the previous loose ends are tied up — Marvel movies, so while it is not necessary the complete opposite of the for people to have seen the installments pri- open-ended conclusion to “Inor to “Endgame,” it would definitely make finity War.” While Marvel’s heroes will most likely continue to make appearthe experience more enjoyable.

The movie starts out a lot slower than ances on the big screen, “Endgame” will “Infinity War,” which is appropriate consid- definitely be regarded as the end of an era. ering the events that transpired in the previ- Fans can expect to see many different heous movie. “Endgame” spends a significant roes emerge and take the place of the old amount of time showing the after-effects of ones, symbolizing the new generation pickthe snap on both the heroes and the rest ing up where the previous one left off.

The movie runs for three hours, which of the world. Doing this makes a lot more sense than if the movie just jumped straight is long even by Marvel standards. Due to into the action. Fans do not have to wor- this, we definitely recommend going to the ry, however, because the movie is still jam- bathroom and getting enough food before packed with the intense action Marvel has the movie, so as to not miss any of the action-packed adventure. Even though it is beecome known for.

One of the best aspects of the movie a long film, once the lights dim and the is that it leaves the viewer with a sense of theme music swells, the three hours will fly closure. Character arcs are completed and by in a snap. v

Directors: Anthony Russo Joe Russo

Studio:

Marvel Studios

Run Time: 3hrs 2min

Global Box Office: $2.5 Billion

Budget:

$356 Million

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Text by ALLISON CHENG, KAITLYN HO and RIYA SINHA

So Fresh So Clean So 2019 SENIORS REMINISCE ON THE PAST FOUR YEARS

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ROM THE SPIRIT WEEK THEMED truffula trees inspired by the Lorax to the jungle of Jurassic Park, the class of 2019 has always approached life with passion and purpose. As we get ready to throw our graduation caps in the air and celebrate our last moments with our childhood friends, we reminisce on the past and look forward to our bright futures. Here are some seniors’ reflections and words of advice from their time at Palo Alto High School. Stay fresh, Class of 2019! v

NO PANTS NO PROBLEM (TOP LEFT) Seniors Aisha Kothari-Saura and Bridget Leonard pose for a photo during Paly’s unofficial “no pants day.” Photo by Kaitlyn Ho. FUN IN THE SUN (TOP MIDDLE) Seniors Nishant Patwardhan, Lucas Washburn, and Miles Schulman hydrate and relax after enjoying a spikeball game. Photo by Kaitlyn Ho. FRIENDS FOREVER (TOP RIGHT) Seniors Eric Solway, Josh Singh and Rohan Maheshwaran pose for a photo after discussing their favorite moments at Paly. Photo by Riya Sinha.

JUMPING FOR JOY (BOTTOM LEFT) Senior JP Ditto does a flip during the senior’s spirit dance, Photo by David Hickey.

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What do you wish you knew as a freshman?

“Try a lot more clubs because then you have a wider base to decide from. If you join during junior year, it looks like you’re just doing it for college, but if you do it earlier, you’ll also have a stronger progression.”

— ANTONY GEORGIADIS “Have fun. You’re never going to get high school again.”

— CAROLINE FURRIER

“Chill out a bit. Try to have some fun before senior year. I didn’t really have as much fun until senior year. As long as you manage your time and get all your studies done, you can still do extracurriculars and everything, and you don’t have to worry so much about school because you’re going to be fine anyway. ... Hit the Wellness Center as often as possible. You’ll stay well.”

— NISHANT PATWARDHAN

Who would you like to see in 10 years?

“I want to see myself in 10 years because I’m truly iconic.”

“I would like to see Emily Tsoi. I actually just came from glassblowing with her, — BO FANG and I really enjoy how she sticks with ev“I hope to see people who stood with me erything she starts — even when things through high school and see the teachers knock her down. I can’t wait to see where that brings her in life.” that shaped me into the person I am.”

— BRIDGET LEONARD

— DUANE ROSITAS

“I’d like to see some younger teachers and “My friends. Hopefully they didn’t forget see what they look like.” about me.”

— LUCAS WASHBURN

— ISABEL HADLEY

What do you want the Class of 2019 to be remembered for?

“Class of 2019 should be remembered for working hard and playing hard because @postPalyplans.”

“I want the class of 2019 to be remembered for the amount of minorities that made it lit.”

“Fancy Friday, dapping up, and the Primal Scream, which is screaming before finals to let out your angst.”

“We’re a very diverse but well-connected grade. We have a lot of spirit. In all our various pursuits, we go above and beyond.”

“We sent it every day of every week.”

“The rivalry we had with the juniors.”

— SHANNON ZHAO

— KEVIN COX

“I always thought we were children at heart.”

— SYDNEY SCHWAN — ERIC SOLWAY

— JORDAN PARKER

“Our senior prank.”

— DAVID FOSTER — ROHAN MAHESHWARAN — AIDEN CHANG

What have you discovered about yourself during your time at Paly?

“I changed a lot, especially during senior year. Well, I guess it is more of a realization, but AP Lang was when I realized that I’m not fully literate. Sometimes when we read in class, I just move my eyes back and forth and pretend I understand what the author is saying, but I don’t.”

— ROBERT VETTER

“It [Paly] taught me a lot of lessons... It taught me to be a more open person. Paly has made me more bold because the teachers and students always encourage me to be a better person.”

— ISAIAH SCHOENBERGER

“Turns out I’m actually dumb.”

— ANNIE TSUI

“Something I’ve discovered about myself is how tough I can be, and how strong I am in certain siutations.”

— LESLIE SANTOS

“I became more organized and in charge of what I wanted to do.”

— PAMELA RIVERA

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Text by WARREN WAGNER

Love Your-Selfie

PHOTO FOCUS IS PLEASANT, NOT OBNOXIOUS

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ORDES OF SELFIE seekers destroy popular sunflower farm.” “Instagrammers are killing this field of poppies.”

“Instagram-hungry crowds are destroying the [wildflower] super bloom.”

As California experienced a heavenly “super bloom” of wildflowers this spring, journalists and concerned baby-boomers alike leapt to deride young people for their excessive photoshoots in the fields of flowers. This produced headlines like those seen above (published by The Weather Network, Vice News and the Los Angeles Times, respectively), and even resulted in the Independent dubbing the Instagram users as California’s “most invasive species.”

But despite sentiments that young people are just too self-centered, there’s good reason that Generation Z is hooked on the made-for-Instagram photoshoot with friends.

Most often, taking pictures with friends can just be a good excuse for a wonderful afternoon out. While there’s nothing wrong with just going to an aesthetic park for the sake of enjoying it, the more fun you’re having, the more important it feels to document said excursion.

And yes, we all have stories of when we went to the Museum of Modern Art and rolled our eyes at the kids who spent five minutes posing in front of a sculpture, but at the end of the day, they’re just enjoying

64 MAY 2019

art like everybody else. So really, who are we to judge?

But widespread love for the photoshoot goes even deeper than this. In my opinion, one of the best parts about trying new things is getting the opportunity to share them with other people. Being able to share memories from adventurous activities and explorative expeditions with hundreds of your friends online can have a positive influence on everyone, even if you’re just the one scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed.

I’ve felt the impact on the followers firsthand: my friends and I eventually gave in and went to Half Moon Bay to lounge in the aforementioned ‘super bloom,’ but I was only inspired to do so after seeing some cute photos of other people in that very same location on Instagram.

And in general, my time browsing social media as a follower isn’t as soul-crushingly empty as some media narratives describe it as. I’ve personally heard people both online and in real life discuss how the scroll through various timelines is inherently shallow and how it represents the vanity of modern youth — I think they’re overthinking it.

I find a simple joy in seeing pictures of friends out and about, having fun. As long as people don’t place excessive value on crafting or judging Instagram posts, the experience of surfing

through your peers’ posts is one of plain and uncomplicated pleasure.

Even the most basic content — the standard prom and Spirit Week photos — provides plenty of value beyond just adding another image to reside in your endless feed. In particular, they contribute to the ever-expanding but charming presence of personal, online nostalgia.

Of course, comforting trips down memory lane are nothing new, but the insistence of Facebook and Snapchat on notifying you of a few-years-old picture to look back on has made bite-sized bouts of nostalgia more accessible than ever. There are plenty of happenings that I made no particular effort to memorialize as they were occurring, but are worth reminiscing about nonetheless. Making even a small post about an event ensures that every once in a while, social media sites will remind me of the fun times I had that day.

As most of us have begun to live lives that are so fundamentally intertwined with the Internet, social media has been subjected to a vast dose of criticism, and not without reason. But indulging and posting some photos — whether they’re selfies, sports shots, commemorative landscapes or classic group pictures — doesn’t make anyone self-absorbed or superficial. And really, I would say that little is more human than the want to share your experiences with the world. v

perspectives Text by KOBI JOHNSSON

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Art by HANNAH LI

Could You Repeat That?

HOW TO IMPROVE CLASS COMMUNICATION

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E’VE ALL BEEN in a class formulate their thoughts under pressure where, despite our best ef- and don’t want to be seen as inarticulate. forts, we end up missing the An anonymous response form would explanation for an import- be a simple, elegant solution to the probant topic or the answer to a specific ques- lem of teen anxiety causing student-teacher tion. As students, it has become normal to communication problems. This way, stuhave to lean over to the person sitting next dents might feel more comfortable in asking to you and ask him or her to repeat what for the teacher to review a topic at the bethe teacher just ginning of the next class said. Students, because they could fill out however, aren’t Students don’t want an anonymous response professionals; form without drawing to come across as unsometimes their attention to themselves. e x p l a n a t i o n s focused or not caring With a form that don’t clear up enough. was open year-round, a everything. As a student could simply inresult, the choice put their period, explain of cutting your losses or asking a classmate what they need further clarification for and is simply picking your poison. More often submit the form. This would allow many than not, the lesson has moved on, and be- students who are uncomfortable asking the cause of your attempt to catch up, you’re teacher directly to still be able to ask their suddenly out of the loop on multiple topics. questions and have the concept reviewed As students, we are supposed to go quickly at the beginning of the next period. to school to learn and solve problems A possible way for teachers to rethat we are presented. This process, how- view the information would be to take ever, doesn’t always go smoothly — this the first five minutes of class to go over is where student-teacher communication any form responses that they received, becomes key. For many students, the prob- and then quickly explain the topics lem is the concept of going up and asking that students requested be reviewed. a teacher for help. Many feel uncomfortThis would be beneficial to both stuable approaching a teacher with questions. dents and teachers: students would have a Perhaps students don’t want to come way of asking for help without worrying across as unfocused or not caring enough to pay attention during class. Maybe they struggle to

about how it will affect their standing, and teachers would gain insight into what should be emphasized and explained in more detail.

The forms would also serve as a bridge for learning to approach authority figures.

Being able to talk and ask questions to a boss or higher up is an incredibly useful skill, and one that many people, myself included, are born without. For students that are more shy, having the option of asking anonymously would help them grow more accustomed to asking higher-ups for help, and would create an easier transition to the workforce, where frequent communication with superiors becomes expected.

Having a form like this would also help with student’s perception of teachers willingness to help. Every teacher I have had has been kind, understanding and has been willing to help me out, but approaching them to ask for assistance still feels nerve-wracking. Explaining this system during the first week, while first impressions are still being formed, would demonstrate to many students that their teachers are making a sincere effort to help them out, which every teacher is willing to do.

A student’s job is to learn material, and a teacher’s job is to teach that material. In this sense, teachers and students are similar to partners in group projects. Sure, you can just do your part and leave your partner in the dark, but the end product will always be better when both partners give, and in turn receive, a little bit of feedback. v

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Dear Paly,

Text by MARALEIS SINTON Art by HANNAH LI

REFLECTING ON HIGH SCHOOL

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I, MY NAME IS Maraleis Sinton. You may know me from math class, the track team or that one theater performance I did freshman year. But regardless of whether you consider yourself to be an acquaintance or one of my closest friends, I’m here to share what I’ve taken away from my time at Palo Alto High School, recognize how I’ve grown in the last four years, appreciate the friendships I’ve created, and most of all, find value in the adversities I’ve faced.

This isn’t a sob story, nor is it me preaching optimism. This is just a part of my story that I hope will resonate with you in one way or another.

I was the theater kid, the runner, the student activist — all activities which might precieve me as a more outgoing, social person. But what you may not know about me is my struggle with social anxiety. In my junior year and even during first semester this year, I often found myself in the library or the Math Resource Center eating lunch with only my homework to keep me company. I was tired, and honestly scared, of having to navigate Paly’s daunting social arena. There were many moments where getting out of bed was difficult and coming to school to face over 2,000 teenagers seemed almost impossible and I constantly felt dissociated from the student community.

There were times when I felt lost. Correction: very lost.

So how did I overcome my social anxiety? While meeting new people still makes me want to run to the nearest door, I realized that my fears weren’t going to disappear overnight. Instead, I learned that rising above my anxiety would require persistence and, more importantly, my own initiative to step outside of my comfort zone.

Slowly, I learned to creep beyond the walls I had

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built around myself. I joined the YMCA’s model legislative and court program, Youth and Government, where I learned to value the process of governance and collaborating with others; I started working at Philz Coffee, where I find myself engaging in small talk as one of the main responsibilities of my job; and I began asking friends from class to study with me after school. Here, between the uproar of hundreds of delegates and one too many mint mojito coffees, the feeling of uncertainty that I had familiarized myself with began to dwindle.

From my time in each of these places over the last two years, I’ve connected with fellow high school students across the state, met my best friend and made memories that I will think fondly of as I head off to college.

All this being said, my advice to you is to take advantage of every opportunity that heads your way; challenge yourself because you never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet.

And so, this fall, when I move in to my dorm room and begin building new friendships, I won’t stand by and just observe. This time, when that feeling — the one telling me to find the nearest exit — rises, I’ll be the one to introduce myself first, ask my roommate to grab a coffee and continue pushing myself further than I once believed I could. v

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JOURNEYING EXPLORING HONESTY AND VULNERABILITY THROUGH ONLINE JOURNALING Text by ZOË WONG-VANHAREN

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N THE FALL OF 2017, first semester finals loomed ahead and I was incredibly stressed. The bags under my eyes slowly worsened along with my mental health, and I was constantly on the verge of dozing off. My weekly counselor check-ins were always a short-lived escape and didn’t quite seem to solve my problems. Worst of all, I was distancing myself from the people and activities that made me happy for what seemed to be no good reason.

I thought I would eventually get better if I just let it be, but the state of my mental health refused to change. I spent every day alone, avoiding people I knew and missing out on their bubbly personalities. Being around others made me feel worse, like their pity was a smothering blanket on a hot day.

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place: I had no idea what would make me feel better, but I wasn’t exactly trying either.

My first ever journal entry was named “jasper told me to write.” I wrote it on a Google document that I shared with a friend who had suggested I try writing as a coping mechanism. Little did I know, this step would be the beginning of my recovery.

At first, my journaling consisted exclusively of poetry, and I soon fell in love with Your journal brings out the feeling of writing was always looking the best and worst but an and for new ways to underhonest you.” stand how my brain — AIDEN CHANG, senior was working.

As my journals ventured into deeper waters, I discovered the idea of bullet journaling.

The bullet journal method – or ‘bujo’, as many call it – was created by Ryder Carroll. It is designed to be a personalized mesh of planning, organizing, and self-reflection. Every entry can consist of anything from simple shopping lists to daring life goals. Bullet journalers often like to add stickers, photos or other visual aids to their notebooks. Without the advantage of a physical notebook, I realized that my Google Docs could incorporate different elements that notebooks would never be able to have. Embedded links were easily

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identified with an underline; song lyrics, conversations or books were characterized by their italics. Most important to me, however, was the ability to share everything.

The ability to show my friends what my thoughts were at any given point in time became incredibly powerful.

When I started, my journal was like a constant therapy session. I used my journal to explore my ideas at a deeper level, almost like I was thinking out loud.

Before journaling I was a very closed off person who found it difficult to tell others what I was feeling. Conversations about how I was doing always began and ended with “I’m okay,” and as a result, nobody ever knew for sure what was going through my head. However, my very first document shared with Jasper proffered him a window into how I was feeling. Instead of having uncomfortable conversations about my mental health, Jasper could read my journal to see if I needed any support.

Once I had shared it with all of my friends, I found it easier to open up about my emotions with them because I didn’t have to have those awkward conversations at all. But it wasn’t all so perfect.

“On one hand, it [your journal] makes it easier to tell people what you’re thinking in a way that’s more vulnerable but also more thought-out than in a conversation,” my friend Madeline Rose told me. “But there’s the big risk of using it as a crutch to avoid actually having those, in my opinion essential, real life conversations.”

As Rose noted, I found myself shying away from any conversation, barely talking to others about what was going on in my life because I assumed they already knew, that they’d already read my journal.

After a series of arguments with my friends, another issue surfaced. When I journaled about how I was feeling about our arguments, I wasn’t being straight-up with my friends, which was what they wanted from me. I couldn’t bring myself to talk to them face-to-face, instead relying on this alternative mechanism to tell them what was going on.

“I think your journal brings out the best and worse but an honest you,” my friend Aiden Chang told me.

Overall, journaling has changed my life. And although it might not be for everyone, the experiences I’ve had, for better or for worse, are ones that I felt were worth sharing.

And who knows, if you see yourself in a similar situation to my own, maybe sit down and journal sometime. v

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SIZING US UP THE VIEWS FROM OUR EXTREME HEIGHTS

Short

even harder to find clothes that fit. Sometimes I can get away with a larger size, but if it already runs big, it just looks like a sack and the sleeves hang past my hands.

Text by SASHA POOR On the plus side, it’s a lot easier to EING ELBOWED IN the face. make clothes shorter than it is to make Having to ask strangers to get them longer. I can easily get my sleeves and something from the top shelf of pants tailored, while taller people may be a grocery store. Always wearing left with uncomfortable clothing. I have cuffed jeans — and not as a fashion state- also never been told that I can’t wear heels ment. These are all things that I, a short because I’ll be too tall, and they offer an person, have to deal with regularly. easy solution to my dilemma. While tall But being short isn’t all bad. I can curl people have few options to change their up and sleep comfortably on planes, and height, I can just slip a pair of heels on and I have a huge advantage when it comes to grow a few inches. I can also cut some costs Hide-and-Seek games. by buying kids’ clothes and shoes.

If you have ever been on the highway Overall, my life is like sitting in the next to an 18-wheeler, front of the movie you understand how I theater: nobody wants There are inconvefeel when I stand next it but someone gets to anyone slightly taller niences associated stuck with it, and you than average — like a always end up having with any height, but little kid looking up just to crane your neck to to see their faces tower- I have come to love see anything. ing over me. at my the benefits that come heightRegardless, When I was youngof five feet flat, er, there wasn’t as much with my own.

I have accepted my of a gap between my fate as a short person, height and those of my friends. In middle and I have come to embrace it. Usually, the school, I was still on the shorter end, but benefits outweigh the negatives. only a few people were much taller than I People are polite and let me to the front was. of the crowd at concerts. They also tend to Moving into high school, however, think I am younger than I am, which leads I stopped growing while everybody else them to be much nicer to me as opposed to continued. I stayed the height of your av- if they thought I was a teenager; sometimes erage seventh grader even as a 17-year-old I even get waved through the metal detecapproaching adulthood. Sometimes, I sud- tor at airports instead of going through the denly notice that I still seem like a child X-ray machine. compared to some of my teachers, while I can fit on any bed, in any shower or my peers are already the same height as (or under any blanket without a struggle, and I taller than) most adults. can weave through crowds when others get Shopping for clothes is also difficult stuck in the crush of bodies. when everything is made for someone at There are inconveniences associated least six inches taller than me. Especially with any height, but I have come to love considering my most recent struggle with the benefits that come with my own. So finding a prom dress, it seems like every next time you go to use my head as an armitem of clothing is taller than I am. With rest, remember: studies show that I’ll live oversized clothing becoming a trend, it’s longer than you. v

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Art by HANNAH LI

Tall

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I

’M IN LINE school desks built for those with much at the DMV, shorter dimensions has become a challenge. a dull situa- In addition, my feet always seem to extend tion that no off the end of beds, I am constantly bumpone wants to find ing my head on low doorways and everythemselves in, one seems to feel the need to comment on when I hear a voice my height, no matter how long I’ve known behind me. “Six- them. six.” I turn around Incessant questions like “Do you play to see who the two basketball?” or “How is the weather up Text by ABE TOW numbers were in- there?” and comments like “Wow you’re so tended for, and I spot a man a few spots tall” and “You are like a giant” are said with behind me in line who asks: “Are you six friendly intentions and do not exactly hurt foot six?” After I respond that I am closer or make me feel self-conscious, but having to six-four, he asks if I play basketball, and the same cookie cutter conversation with then if I play volleyball, the two most ste- every new person I meet gets tiring. reotypically tall sports.

People do not approach a short person This is a situation that all vertically to ask them how short they are, because gifted people are familsocietal norms have iar with: nearly every deemed that rude, As I have grown tallnew person you meet but for some reason it feels the need to com- er, the problems assois perfectly acceptable ment on your height. it is in reference ciated with height have when While it is true that to someone tall.

I play basketball and grown too, and I have In a recent volleyball, not all tall tweet, seven-foot-tall grown tired of people choose to just former NBA player because of their height. growing.

Dirk Nowitzki wrote I have always been “Not that it bothers on the tall side, and my dad is six-foot-four, me cuz I heard it too many times but is so I always expected to be tall. Growing up, it cool for parents to point at me and tell I looked forward to having an impressive their kids: look how tall he is???? Can I run y-axis. around pointing at people telling them how It was not until about eighth grade small they are??” when the growth spurts ramped up and I For someone so impressively tall, bestarted growing fast that I realized some of ing treated as a freakish novelty must be a the hidden hardships relentless experience. that came with my While my height In short, while being height. is not at the same levAt first it was ex- tall does have its draw- el as Nowitzki, this is citing to reach milesituation that all tall backs, I love being tall apeople stones and to mark the encounter. doorway in my house and the weather up Despite the inwith ever climbing tick conveniences, I am here is in fact quite marks representing proud of my height my height, but now nice and I like being tall: that I have passed my I can reach items that dad and can dunk a basketball, my height many cannot, I can see over others, I’m checklist is complete and I hope I stop easy to find in large crowds of people, I can growing. As I have grown taller, the prob- quickly bound over stairs and it serves as lems associated with height have grown too, a significant advantage in many sports and and I have grown tired of growing. physical activities.

While I generally love being tall, with In short, while being tall does have great height often comes great inconve- its drawbacks and the constant bombardnience. Fitting into seats of cars or airplanes ment of questions and comments about my has become increasingly uncomfortable, height does get tiring, I love being tall and and even trying to fit my knees under the the weather up here is in fact quite nice. v

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 69

THE GILA GAMES

Art by YUE SHI

The Rules: A staff writer chooses their stance on an issue, Gila takes the opposite stance and the t wo battle it out on this page!

SHOULD TEACHERS SHARE POLITICAL VIEWS?

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Y LIVING SKILLS CLASS junior year remains one of the single most entertaining and engaging classes I’ve taken at Palo Alto High School. Not that I found learning about various types of birth control or giving a third-grade-esque presentation about myself particularly enthralling, but almost every day we had fascinating discussions about various social and political issues — from abortion to xenophobia. Most members of our class participated, including our teacher, whose outspokenness and willingness to share her personal opinions I found refreshing.

During one of these discussions, one usually vocal student remained silent. When I asked him why he didn’t participate, he responded that he needed the class to graduate and was worried he may not receive the grade he needed because he often expressed views that were contrary to those of our teacher.

At first, I dismissed his comment — after all, no teacher I knew of would fail a student because they had differing opinions. I thought it was fascinating

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HAT I REMEMBER most from the day after the 2016 presidential election is my first period class.

Instead of awkwardly pushing through the usual daily routine, the teacher asked us to sit in a circle and invited us to share our gut reactions to the election results.

What still strikes me is how upfront the invitation was, and how openly people shared their perspectives — including the teacher.

These kinds of respectful discussions are especially crucial now, and Palo Alto High School teachers should be able to participate in them rather than shy away out of fear of being biased.

The belief that teachers should maintain neutrality to avoid influencing the impressionable minds of their teenage students is a long-held one. But times are changing. Amid increasing political polarization, remaining informed and articulating opinions becomes the norm, while neutrality can become equated to apathy.

Excluding teachers from the debate is unrepresentative and prevents students from both gaining a full perspective and developing the courage to express their own views.

After all, teachers are people too, with personal biases and opinions about current events. What, then, is the point of maintaining a pretense of neutrality? If the answer is to protect

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and humanizing to have a teacher passionately share their beliefs with students. But I soon realized that it didn’t matter whether she would actually fail him. It didn’t matter that I thought her views were interesting. What mattered was that there were students in the class who didn’t feel comfortable voicing opinions that deviated from those of the teacher.

Teachers occupy a unique position of power over high schoolers, whose identities, beliefs and opinions are often still developing. When teachers express their political beliefs to students, they risk abusing their power — however inadvertently this may be. Teachers control things that are of great consequence to high schoolers, and so when they share opinions in the classroom, they unwittingly create an environment that inherently quells dissent and silences the voices of students with diverging viewpoints.

In our increasingly polarized political climate, candid discourse in school is of vital importance. In the classroom, however, a teacher’s role should be to foster that discourse, to encourage the exchange of ideas and to ensure that their classroom is a safe space for everyone by maintaining neutrality. v Guest perspective by RIYA MATTA

us, I believe we should reconsider our policy. Eventually — especially upon leaving the left-leaning Bay Area — students will be confronted with views which will often differ from their own, and they alone will be left to navigate challenging debates.

Of course, there’s a fine line between gently sharing views and indoctrination, but by high school, most should have enough poise to not be swayed by a single opinion. If teachers treat students like intellectually mature adults, sharing and dissecting their own biases, they will better prepare students for life beyond Paly.

Perhaps even more crucial is life within high school — a transformative time when many students find identities outside their homes and form views on the world around them. Sometimes, however, innocent, ill-informed debates between friends turn into echo chambers as students yield to a popular opinion to avoid confrontation. To make these debates more meaningful and productive, it’s crucial for students to be exposed to the opinions of adults that are not part of one’s own inner circle. v Column by GILA WINEFELD

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