Verde Volume 14 Issue 6 by Verde Magazine

INDEX SHORT STUFF The Launch News Senior Section Letters to the Editors

Charu Srivastava

7 12 15 68

PERSPECTIVES When ADD Starts to Add Up Condoms Unleashed Snark Attack!

22 21 70

FEATURES The Ultimate Sport Danger Language Finding Sober Ground Ada’s Café Course Smart Paly Rocks Palo Alto’s Elusive Curfew

24 26 29 32 34 36 40

Soo Song

CULTURE Umami Burger Review When the Moon Hits your Eye Sugar Fix Riding in Style Palo Alto’s Hidden Treasures Photo Essay: Powder puff

44 46 48 50 53 56

COVER Equality Isn’t Up for Debate Women of the Valley

59 65

Charu Srivastava

CAROL LARSON Shares her experiences as a woman in the corporate world of Silicon Valley. Read more about Larson and women like her on p. 64. RIDING AROUND Clark Vineyard steps behind of the wheel of one of his ecclectic collection of vehicles. Read furhter on p. 50.

EDITORIALS WHEN BATTLING RAPE CULTURE, SURVIVORS’ SAFETY SHOULD BE FIRST PRIORITY

ast issue, Verde published a cover package on rape culture. A more proactive action would be to change the way we eduIn writing about this particular topic, we aimed to encour- cate teenagers about rape. If schools and parents don’t responsibly age productive conversation about rape. That included, teach their children about rape, children will have to learn about it as we asked in our editor’s note, focusing on the issue of on their own via their peers or the media, much of which perpeturape at hand and not on the identities of the individuals ates rape culture. In educating students about rape, schools and involved. An overwhelming majority of you listened and respected parents will be making an active effort to combat rape culture and our request to not speculate. Most of you engaged in open discus- making it much harder for students to remain ignorant of rape’s sion about consent and responsibility without feeling the need to ethical and legal consequences. Verde proposes the following acname names. This is exactly what we wanted, and we thank you for tions to provide a comprehensive and healthy education about your sensitivity and thoughtfulness in discussing this issue. rape. But some of you did not take our request to heart. Some of you openly and publicly discussed our sources’ identities — con1. Sex education should include discussion about consent: flating stories, making assumptions, and According to California Education often getting facts wrong. Code 51933, HIV/AIDS prevention is We repeat: naming names is not our the only mandatory sex education topic. goal. Speculation and misidentification The main concern in Sex education itself is not mandatory. could lead to false accusations, which any investigation should be However, currently, if a school should damages the lives of both alleged victims on the survivors’ emotion- decide to provide sex education, it must and perpetrators. Any speculation is irreal health, not the justice teach about STDs, STD prevention, the sponsible and likely to be inaccurate. This value of abstinence, contraception, and system. extends beyond the Verde cover story. California’s newborn abandonment law. Spreading or creating gossip about an alNowhere are the terms “consent,” “sexleged rape survivor or perpetrator creates ual assault,” or “rape” mentioned. There a hostile environment for people who may already be experiencing is one section mandating schools to “provide pupils with skills for trauma and trying to recover. making and implementing responsible decisions about sexuality,” Some of this speculation may be well-intentioned. However, but the wording is vague enough that consent may never appear in if you want to bring justice to a rape survivor, public identification the curriculum at all. is not the solution. We understand your anger. We understand your Palo Alto High School’s semester-long Living Skills classes do disgust. We understand you want an immediate response. Yet, say- teach about consent and rape culture. Verde commends the Living ing a friend of a friend is one of the unnamed girls in the article Skills teachers for their thoughtfulness and foresight, and request or calling for an open, transparent, and public investigation into the California Education Code be revised so consent and rape are a rape case — especially one in which the survivor has explicitly mandatory topics of sex education, including the ethical and leindicated she does not want to pursue prosecution — goes against gal definitions of consent and the ethical and legal implications your very aim. and consequences of rape. Furthermore, schools should teach the The main concern in any investigation should be on the sur- right way to respond to a rape survivor, including providing antivivors’ emotional health, not the justice system. Schools have a bullying and sensitivity training. number of legal obligations in dealing with sexual assault cases, Parents should also discuss these topics with their children. In and Verde believes these legal obligations should be met. How- addition to telling their children not to feel pressured into having ever, they must be met with discretion and sensitivity, and, ulti- sex, parents should also teach their children not to pressure othmately, with the rape survivors’ well-being as the top priority. Jus- ers into having sex with them. Instead of only teaching kids pretice should not be pursued at a victim’s expense. If you truly want ventative measures, parents should teach them not to rape. Some to help a rape survivor, then please respect his or her wishes and students remain ignorant of the definition of rape and may not be privacy. Don’t add more trauma to the hurt and pain you wanted aware of their actions’ harmful consequences. It is every parent’s to stop. duty to remedy this ignorance.

Charu Srivastava

@VERDEMAGAZINE 2. Teen drinking is an important concern and should be seen as such: Many cases of date rape are tied to alcohol consumption, and drinking-related safety concerns should not be ignored. Addressing alcoholrelated safety is not victim-blaming. Rape is never a rape survivor’s fault. Nor is it his or her responsibility to make sure he or she is not raped. It is, however, everyone’s responsibility to not compromise someone else’s safety, including not raping someone while under the influence of alcohol. Thus, it is vital that drinking be addressed in discussions about rape. For such discussion to be truly productive, parents and teachers should stop preaching abstinence from alcohol as an end-all, be-all solution to teen drinking. In conversations with teens about alcohol, they should discuss individual limits and the safety concerns that come with drinking. Teens should also take initiative and be aware of drinking’s consequences. This means knowing their personal limits and being responsible for not crossing these limits for themselves or others. Just knowing that alcohol inhibits judgement is not enough. They need to care that it does and take caution accordingly. 3. School policies should not perpetuate rape culture: Earlier this April, a middle school in Petaluma banned girls from wearing leggings because they would be “too distracting for the boys.” Far from being an isolated incident, this was just one of many school efforts, from all around the country, which unintentionally upheld rape culture in

a well-meant attempt to create a conducive learning environment. Telling girls they cannot wear a certain article of clothing because it will “distract boys” upholds the old-fashioned and sexist idea that boys cannot control their sexual urges. Worse, it upholds the oft-cited defense of rapists that the victim was “asking for it” with her revealing clothing. Enforcing a school dress code is acceptable, but justifying it with “distracting boys” as a reason is not. Because schools play such a large role in the socialization of students, Verde urges school administrations to reconsider their school policies and revise those that perpetuate rape culture. These changes won’t eliminate rape culture. They won’t even come close. Rape culture is the result of centuries of socialization and will take societal reprogramming on a massive scale to eradicate. It has been pushed too far under the rug to be swept away in a single stroke. However, through a gradual implementation of these measures and an environment of overwhelming support for survivors, we hope to start addressing rape culture. RAPE CULTURE Read last issue’s cover package on Palyvoice.com or Verdemagazine. com. Responses to last issue’s cover package on p. 68.

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 the 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-13-14@googlegroups. com or to 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301. All Verde stories are posted online and available for commenting at http://verdemagazine. com Advertising The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Verde, please contact the Verde business manager Elisa Rerolle at 650-329-3837 for more information. Printing & Distribution Services Verde is printed six times a year in October, December, February, April, and May, by Fricke-Parks Press in Fremont, Calif. The Paly PTSA mails Verde to every student’s home. All Verde work is available at http://verdemagazine.com

COMMENT ON STORIES AT verdemagazine.com • Let us know what you think of our magazine. • Discuss topics with other readers. • Critique our coverage of events and news. • Help us serve the community with up-to-date facts and insights.

FROM THE EDITORS

t’s approaching fast — moving forward to the steady march of high heels up the stairs and through the halls of the corporate world. Women are set to play a key role in the global economy in the coming decade, estimated to populate the world workforce in the billions. As they ascend in the professional ranks, women will voice the decisions of tommorrow. We feel strongly that the issues women are poised to face in the coming decade are relevant to both genders. Our cover package deals with the sexism that clings to the fabric our work culture, focusing on issues ranging from fair pay to equal opportunity in extracurricular activities. Sharon Tseng’s “Equality isn’t up for Debate” (p. 59) examines the latent chauvinism of Palo Alto High School’s extracurriculars. Ana Carano, Cassiel Moroney and Soo Song’s piece, “Women of the Valley” (p. 65) takes a look at women’s place in the Silicon Valley work environment. Melissa Wen’s “Finding Sober Ground,” (p. 29) offers the poignent story of redemption of two substance-dependant teens. Verde also takes an ambient look at Paly’s growing culture of music in this issue in Jacqueline Woo and Paul Promthong’s feature, “Paly Rocks” (p. 36) and Jamie Allendorf and Benjamin May’s profile on student artist and renaissance man Ross Cardillo in “Danger Language” (p. 27). For a savory read, check out Katy Abott and Katherine Price’s review of a toddler of a restaurant in, “When the Moon Hits Your Eye” (p. 46). Finally, to our outgoing senior staff, an enormous thank you for your hard work and dedication to making Verde great. To our forerunners, Ana Carano, Sharon Tseng and Evelyn Wang: your presence on the staff will be sorely missed and we will continue aspiring to the high precedent that you set this year. We welcome the coming year’s editorial staff and look forward to working with such a talented group. Have a great summer, Paly! – Hollie & Noam

THE COVER

THE STAFF Volume 14 Issue 6 April 2013

Illustration by Diana Connolly This issue’s cover image, inspired by the art of Roy Lichtenstein, depicts the challenges that women face in the workforce. The central figure, set against a corporate backdrop, is ready to take the world by storm. However, we can’t help but see her as a weak, fetishized image of feminine strength despite her true assertiveness, indicting our culture’s hidden misogyny. Verde hopes to call forth reconsideration of attitudes towards sex and gender that are far past their expiration date.

Adviser Paul Kandell Editors-in-chief Hollie Kool Noam Shemtov Managing Editor Jamie Allendorf Design Editor Daniela Ivey Section Editors Samantha Dewees, Features & Profiles Will Queen, Perspectives Cassiel Moroney, Technology Alyssa Takahashi, The Launch Sharon Cohen, Culture News Editor Bryan Wong Business Manager Angela Xu

Art Diana Connolly, Art Director Hanako Gallagher, Illustrator Photo Director Charu Srivastava Staff Writers Katy Abott Ana Carano Savannah Cordova Katie Ebinger Olivia Koyama Benjamin May Leah Medoff Paul Phromthong Katherine Price Elisa Rerolle Lisie Sabbag Soo Song Sharon Tseng Evelyn Wang Melissa Wen Jacqueline Woo

THE LAUNCH

May 2013

Compiled by JAMIE ALLENDORF and DANIELA IVEY Photo by JAMIE ALLENDORF

THE

Launch

The Strokes “Comedown Machine” (Released March 2013) The Strokes try so hard to redefine what they are that they lose sight of what made them great to begin with: simple, feral rock and roll. It was one thing when they were borrowing from The Cars on their last album, “Angles,” but taking from A-Ha on the third track, “One Way Trigger,” is cheesy. Coupled with Casablancas’s halfhearted attempts at falsetto, the album generally sounds sloppy and his deep drawl is sorely missed. Despite this, the throwback to the 1940s in the last track “Call it Fate, Call it Karma” is stunning. Generally, the record is relaxed, with the exception of the track “All The Time.” But even as they attempt to recreate their early success, they fail to bring the same emotion, leaving the album lacking in their characteristic frantic urgency. Jake Bugg “Jake Bugg” (Released April 2013) Jake Bugg is the love child of Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys and Johnny Cash and was no doubt born in the wrong decade. His debut’s scratchy ferocity is reminiscent of a bygone era. The second track, “Two Fingers,” is bittersweet and heartbreaking. Bugg croons about his troubles as a teen living in Clifton, a suburb of Bristol, England. At only 19, he sings “I seen it all/I swear to God I seen it all/nothing shocks me anymore after tonight,” in “Seen it All”. This album is utterly flawless in the way that it makes you want to stay up all night and listen to it over and over.

Verbatim: What is the best concert you’ve ever been to? Photography and Reporting by OLIVIA KOYAMA 8

“Miranda Lambert ‘cause there is a little bit of country in all of us.”

— freshman Ariya Momenty

“I went to NSSN. When I saw Jack White we were able to get him to encore by singing Seven Nation Army.” — sophomore Lexi Livingston

Text by JAMIE ALLEDNORF Photos Courtesty of CREATIVE COMMONS

Phoenix “Bankrupt!” (Released April 2013) Overall, the album feels tired; not forced, but struggling. The brilliance of “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”, their last album, set a high bar. Frankly, “Bankrupt!” falls short, but only because it drowns lead singer Thomas Mars’ voice in synth. The only song where the band feels cohesive is the opening track, “Entertainment”. Its quirky, Asian undertones are enticing, even curious. The track is exuberant and melts perfectly with Mars’ voice into a wonderfully fun dance single. On the fourth track, “Trying to Be Cool,” the band again employs an Asian inspired synth-pop track. The album is a let down, but a few tracks come shining through.

Vampire Weekend “Modern Vampires of the City” (Released May 2013) In their third studio album, Vampire Weekend lets go of its odd and quirky past and embraces a slower paced approach. The first half of the album lacks the infectious guitar hooks and signature range of lead singer Ezra Koenig that have been dominant in the band’s past two albums. “Step”, however, is a sweet, melodic track with the band’s lyrical wit. The eighth track, “Finger Back”, showcases the staccato vocals and guitar of traditional Vampire Weekend and creates a fun, fast-paced and exciting track. Altogether, the album is unhurried, not as entertaining as previous albums, but still worth a listen.

“My favorite concert was a rapper named George Watsky.”

— sophomore Rachel Berry

“Green Day. The lights, sounds, and all the technical aspects were amazing” — junior Briana Billups

“Swedish House Mafia because it was really good, clean, wholesome experience.” — senior Eric Wang

What type of summer are you?

Text by SHARON COHEN Photography by SHARON COHEN and ALYSSA TAKAHASHI In case you didn’t know, summer is a-comin’, so pull out your tanning lotion! Or would you rather not expose your precious skin to the hot summer sun? You could do something more exciting, like jump off a cliff into the deep blue sea. If you are torn between these options, or want to know what other things you could do during your precious months off, take this handy quiz below and figure out what kind of summer fits you.

Question 1 Would you rather...

A. Head down to Half Moon Bay in your shorts, iPhone in hand ready to take Instas of yourself with the artsy beach as a background. B. Take a barista training course, where you can learn the perfect way to foam milk and how to look like a Brooklyner. C. Train for an upcoming Ironman race, spending all day breathing hard and hydrating.

Question 2

Which of these would you like to eat? A. Fraiche with berries and granola! Like, seriously, what else could you choose? You’re on that froyo hype and it’s basically an addiction. B. Some strange food that you can’t pronounce. Pop it into your mouth, and don’t even bother to ask what is inside (you probably don’t want to know). Maybe it’s a turtle that’s been fed lion-meat for its entire life? Might as well eat it — everything tastes like chicken anyway. C. A protein-shake. You’re not hardcore unless you live hardcore.

Question 3

Who are you hanging out with this summer? A. Your besties, duh! Sometimes you fight about silly things, but you love them, and how could you ever spend a summer without those gals? B. A wrinkled man with a thin white mustache that probably doesn’t speak English, but can train you to catch a fish from a river with your bare hands. Imagine how impressed everyone will be when you come back home speaking a rare tongue and breaking things with your face. C. The trainer. You’ll be pumping iron while listening to the sweet music of their voice pounding in your ear.

Results

A’s = 0 points B’s = 5 points C’s = 10 points

0-9: Classic Teen Summer

Congrats! This summer, you’ll work up a tan that will take at least a few weeks to fade, and have memories from what is sure to be the best summer ever. Remember to post lots of pictures on all your favorite social networking sites!

10-19: The “Cultured” Adventure

This summer, you will either travel to the far-off corners of the world, or have your own diverse experiences right here on the Golden Coast. You’ll probably have a hard time adjusting to the sedentary, conventional lifestyle of Palo Alto, but at least you’ll have some unique stories to tell the rest of us. Good luck on your adventure, make sure to stay safe, and don’t forget your English.

20-30: Ninety Day Fitness Challenge

You’ll spend the summer of 2013 lifting, running, and weighing yourself in preparation for next year. Whether your are training for a fall sport, or bulking up for fun, stay healthy, and remember: you’re not better than us.

SUMMER CONCERTS By Leah Medoff

MONDAY

TUESDAY

SUNDAY

1 The XX @ the Greek Theater

2 Sting @ America’s Cup Pavillion

June

4 Juicy J @ the Filmore

5 The Boxer Rebellion @ The Filmore

8 Anamanguchi @ Brick and Morter Music Hall

9 The Beach Boys @ Mountain Winery

14 Pitbull and Kesha @ Shoreline

15 Dispatch and Guster @ Fox Theater

16 Fall Out Boy @ Fox Theater

19 Charles Unger @ Les Joulins

22 23 Vans Warped Tour Never Shout @ Shoreline Never @ Ventura

26 Barenaked Ladies @ Mountain Winery

27 Old Crow Medicine Show @ Cascade Theater

29 Streetlight Manifesto @ The Catylist

30 Rockstar Mayhem Festival @ Shoreline

Photo: Peter Neill, CC Generic License 2.0

2 Beyonce @ HP Pavillion

3 Bernadette Peters @ Davies Symphony Hall

4 San Francisco Symphony @ Shoreline

5 Ziggy Marley @ Mountain Winery

6 Fleetwood Mack @ Power Balance Pavillion

7 Clay Walker @ Alameda County Fairgrounds

9 The Go- GG’s @ Mountain Wineryn

12 New Kids on the Block @ HP Pavillion

15 The B-52’s @ The Filmore

16 Creedence Clearwater @ Mountain Windery

17 Wiz Khalifa @ Shoreline

20 Multiple Vesuses @ Santa Cruz

25 Weezer @ America’s Cup Pavillion

26 Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z @ Candlestick Park

July

Photo: Marrhew Harrison, CC Generic Liscense 2.0

30 One Direction @ HP Pavilliom

31 One Direction @ Oracle Arena

1 The Dirty Heads @ The Filmore

2 Kenny Loggins @ Mountain Winery

4 Bob Dylan @ Shoreline

9 Outside Lands

10 Outside Lands

11 Outside Lands

13 Jonas Brothers @ America’s Cup Pavillion

22 Toad the Wet Sprocket @ Mountain Winery

24 Yeah Yeah Yeah’s @ Los Angelos State Historic Park

29 Alt-J @ Fox Theater

30 Lil Wayne @ Sleep Train Pavillion

August August

Photo: Eva Renaldi, CC Generic Liscense 2.0

26 Black Sabbath @ Shoreline

27 Taylor Swift @ Sleep Train Arena

By LEAH MEDOFF

SATURDAY

Summer Concerts 2013

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

NEWS Drafting Phil Winston aims to work wih the school board and adminsitration to improve on current school rules.

Administration rewriting rules for upcoming school year

The Palo Alto Unified School District changes in district guidelines the Paly staff and Palo Alto High School administration and the school board were prompted to will be redrafting the academic honesty poli- amend the attendance policy such that it cies, attendance and homework policies this will keep students from cutting class withsummer. Principal Phil Winston says he out dropping or suspending them. A recent hopes paly will adopt the new policies at the amendment to the Paly attendance policy is start off the coming school year. that students can no longer be dropped from According to Winston, district staff has classes after a certain number of cuts. been trying to make revisions in the academ“We want students in class everyday,” ic honesty policy, but they hope to finalize Winston said. “It’s [difficult] for teachers the policies over when students don’t come the summer. One to class every time. ... Last of the changes in month we were given permisWe want students in sion to work on interim atthe policy is that it class every day. It’s tendance guidelines and now covers online pla[difficult] for teachers we have a group of teachers giarism. when students don’t working on that too.” “The academic honesty guidelines The changes are planned come to class every were out of date to be implemented at the betime.” and didn’t consider ginning of the school year, — Principal the digital world we but Winston says that there is Phil Winston live in now,” Wina possibility that amendments ston said. “I don’t won’t be made this summer. see this as fixing a Winston hopes that the poliproblem, but rather catching up with reality.” cies will be applied to both Paly and Gunn Even though specific changes have yet High School in the near future. to be determined, Winston does have a spe“The district will work to create fidelcific goal in mind. ity between the schools next year,” Winston “The academic honesty policy is going said. “We want the district to develop a unito be a lot more clear,” he said. “There will form policy for both schools.” be increased clarity around interventions.” Text by Samantha Dewees According to Winston, due to recent Photo courtesy of The Paly Voice

Link Crew: biggest group yet Link Crew, the Palo Alto High School upperclassmen leadership program that helps freshmen adjust to high school life, has a record number of recruits for this year — more than 100 upcoming juniors and seniors. According to Student Activities Director Matt Hall, the abundance of Link Crew members for 2013-2014 could be the result of better advertising or simply wordof-mouth. “I think we started publicity a bit earlier and did a slightly better job of it than last year,” Hall says. “Students heard about the Link Crew 2013 experience and wanted to join in. In essence, the word on the street, so to speak, is slowly changing toward the idea that Link Crew is an experience worth having as an upperclassman.” Hall also hypothesizes that the classes of 2014 and 2015 might just be especially volunteer-oriented. “This year in particular, we have a large number of first-time class of 2015 members,” Hall says. Link Crew is a program at Paly that is designed to help incoming freshmen adjust to high school life. At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, these volunteers will assist with freshman orientation and various activities throughout the year. Link Crew leaders will continue to maintain relations with the incoming freshmen to help them acclimate to Paly by serving as positive role models and teaching good study skills. Text by Savannah Cordova

Practicing Palo Altans run on the track in the shadows of the newly constructed sports bleachers

Paly to benefit from current and future constructions The Palo Alto High School campus will see some new additions on the coming academic year. Paly students will soon be able to enjoy the Math and Social Science Building and the Media Arts Center, and the gym and science additions will begin construction following academic year. According to Assistant Principal Kim Diorio, the New Media Arts and the Math and Social Science buildings are currently running on schedule and have no projected delay. “We’re projected to finish the buildings by October and anticipated move-in will be in January,” Diorio said. “Everything is going the way it should be. In fact the Math and Social Science Building is projected to being completed a bit earlier than the Me-

By the

NUMBERS

dia Center.” According to Diorio, the campus track will also undergo minor changes over the summer. “Renovation work has already started on the track — they [the workers] are already setting up ornamental fences and the track resurfacing is set for mid-June,” Diorio said. “It [track resurfacing] will probably be finished by the second week in August, so before football season starts.” The Tower Building will also be renovated. Diorio says the tower building will have new windows by the beginning of the next school year. “We’re popping out all the windows in the Tower Building and putting in new ones because its getting so old,” Diorio said. Diorio says that there are plans for fur-

The number of vehicles Clark Vineyard owns PAGE 50

ther on-campus constructions and renovations. New gym and science additions are expected to start during the next academic year, after the completion of on-going campus work. The portables are expected to remain stationary, and plans have been laid down to turn two of them into biology classrooms. Other portables will be used as swing spaces and storage to facilitate a smooth transition into the new buildings. Even further campus renovations are in discussion. “We plan on discussing plans for the library next year,” Diorio said. “We pushed that back because there is simply too much happening on campus right now.” Text and photo by Angela Xu

% 4 1

of engineers are female in the United States PAGE 59

Journalism adviser, English teacher Austin leaves for Harker A journalism and Advanced Placement English teacher is preparing to leave Palo Alto High School at the end of the academic school year to teach at Harker School in San Jose. Ellen Austin will continue teaching journalism and co-advising one of the school’s publications, according to Austin. Austin currently teaches AP English, advises Viking Magazine and assists with InFocus. Her leave will cause holes in the teaching staff, but the administration has already chosen a new adviser for Viking. “[Sports Literature and Broadcast Journalism teacher Mike] McNulty is going to be the adviser for Viking,” instructional supervisor of the English Depart-

ment Shirley Tokheim said. “We’re still working out details for InFocus.” Austin, who has been with the Paly staff for six years, says she does not believe the publications will be affected by her absence. “The editors [of Viking] and their new leadership team are doing a great job, and I’m very confident that next year will be outstandingly awesome,” Austin said. “I’m very grateful for all that I’ve learned at Paly. The Viking and Infocus staffs have been incredible and I’ve loved teaching English here.” Text by Cassiel Moroney Photo courtesy of Ellen Austin Accreditations to Asha Mathat

Counseling department racks up awards

Two members of Palo Alto High School’s administration have recently been recognized for achievements in their respective departments. Suzanne Brown has been awarded theCalifornia School Employee’s Association Chapter 301’s Classified Employee of the Year. Brown works in Paly’s guidance office and manages the processing of transcripts during the college application process. Three other PAUSD employees were recognized along with Brown “I’m very honored to have received this award. So many other people could have qualified for this, and I feel very privi-

% 3 3

of people in the legal profession are female PAGE 59

leged to have been selected,” Brown said. Sandra Cernobori, one of Paly’s two college counselors, was featured as Counselor of the Month (of May) on collegeadmissionbook.com. Her interview features her college admissions tips and anecdotes from her time on the job. The website is national, and provides extra support for students beginning the college application process. “It’s not a formal award or anything, but the fact that she [collegeadmissionbook.com.] asked me I thought was nice. I was flattered,” Cernobori said. Text and photo by Hanako Gallagher and Elisa Rerolle

People going to the Ultimate HS State Championships from Paly PAGE 24-25

Top Left: Sandra Cernobori works at her desk in the College Career Center Bottom Right: Suzanne Brown poses with her award for California’s Classified Employee of the Year

0 5 , 42

Yearly cases of chlamydia in teens aged 15 to 19 PAGE 21

The

SENIOR Section

Text by ELISA REROLLE Photography by ELISA REROLLE and CHARU SRIVASTAVA Design by ELISA REROLLE and JACQUELINE WOO

high school

PartingWords: What is your favorite high school memory?

Warning: cliched pearls of wisdom ahead. Proceed accordingly. • • • • • • • •

•

You will remember memories much longer than grades. Take a ridiculously challenging class at least once, just to see how far you can (A)push yourself. Study for the SAT, no matter how many other people tell you otherwise. Cut strategically (if at all) Befriend a teacher — we promise they are cool and human, too. Get a minimum wage job, if only to learn the value of money. Junior and (first semester) senior year are the most stressful, but they’re also the most fun. Coffee in the afternoon is a bad idea, unless you want to pull an all-nighter, in which case: caffeinate away! APUSH or USH — you won’t regret either decision (see point number 2).

Be safe. And just remember that these four years are not the best of your life. But they can be fun. Peace out, The Class of 2013

“

CCS with the soccer team. We didn’t have a single win my junior year, and then we came back with almost the exact same team and we went from no wins to CCS quarter-finals.

— Paul Stefanski

“

I think for the moment, it’s probably performing on stage for the final time, doing Parrot Sketch [from Monty Python] for theater.

— Rebecca Ackroyd

“

#WINNING

“

Tips for

Can it be something that hasn’t happened yet? It’s going to be Senior Cut Day, probably.

— Emily Rosenthal

— Alex Francis

“

Last summer, Paly choir went to Italy, and I met a lot of great people and we became really great friends because of that summer.

— Keturah Beaumont-Grant

My favorite high school memory is Spirit Week because we all have spirit, our entire class comes together, and we go for it. And it’s spectacular!

— Elise Nolen

“

Probably winning league championships with my swim team this year.

“

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CONDOMS

U N L E A S H E D

WELVE-YEAR-OLD? CHECK. STD HOT spot? Check. Mailing address? Check. Condoms their on their way. These are the necessary steps to get mail-order condoms at TeenSource.org, a website launched in 2001 and developed by the California Family Health Council. It received national coverage when, just this month, it began providing confidential mail-order condoms free of charge to any resident of California between the ages of 12 and 19 in areas with a high percentage of sexually transmitted diseases among teens, deemed STD hot spots. These include Fresno and San Diego counties, Alameda, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Kern County and selected areas of San Francisco. “If you’re having sex, protect yourself and your partner by using a condom every time. Enter your info below to find out how you can get free condoms near you” state instructions printed on the site. This effort was instigated by a recent rise in STDs among California teens. According to the web page, there were 42,504 cases of chlamydia in teens aged 15 to 19 in California in 2011, as well as nearly 5,000 cases of gonorrhea. The project involves a two-pronged strategy, with an individual home mailing system and condom access sites where clinics receive regular shipments of condoms to give to teens. This increase in the availability of condoms for teens plays an important role in the sexual health of California youth. While pregnancy rates may be down, STDs are on the rise, indicating that youth don’t understand that condoms are the only form of protection that prevent STDs. As a state, we have begun making

birth control methods more available to teens: the pill, Plan B, and other forms of pregnancy prevention that do not protect against STDs. The most feared outcome of unprotected sex used to be pregnancy. Recent laws lowering the minimum age to purchase Plan B, along with a rise in the use of the pill by teens, show that this outcome is being addressed with preventative as well as after-the-fact measures, diluting the fear. However, the simultaneous rise of STDs creates a new fear. Teens, freed from the threat of unwanted pregnancy, are now less concerned about using physical protection. As a response to this fear, the actions taken by TeenSource.org should be the first of many promoting, not pregnancy prevention, but STD prevention. Since the California sponsored program began, backlash from parents and others say it is an infringement on parenting and lifestyle rights, and a misuse of taxpayer’s money. The program currently runs on a $5,000 annual budget supported by federal tax dollars. Arguments from parents go further to claim that their children don’t even know what condoms are, saying this step is opening a door to sex, drugs, and general corruption. They maintain that they know what forms of protection are best. “Abstinence is an even better way [form of protection] because it works every time it’s practiced,” commented a California pastor in The Christian Post. This comment does not, however, address the statistics. Parents need to face the fact that if they are not going to provide protection to their sexually active children, the state will. v

Text by DANIELA IVEY Photo Illustrations by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

PERSPECTIVES

WHEN A.D.D. STARTS TO ADD UP IT’S ABOUT TIME TO REIGN IN THE ATTENTION DEFECIT EPIDEMIC Text by WILL QUEEN Photography by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

T SEEMS LIKE EVERYone has ADD or ADHD nowadays. According to the Center for Disease Control, 8.4 percent of children aged three to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, which amounts to about 5.2 million children, a lot more than the estimated 1.4 million to 2.3 million listed as living with ADD or ADHD in 1999. These conditions are challenges for those who have them, and awareness of the disorders is well deserved. There is no doubt of that. But the number of people who have been diagnosed is concerning. There is no biological reason for the rise in diagnoses. Some claim there has been a rise in diagnoses due to increased awareness of the disorder, while others claim that parents are getting their young kids diagnosed and on medications such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall when they don’t need it, which will do nothing positive for a growing generation. There is also the argument that students are seeking out the medications due to the intense state of focus they induce, which can be useful in the high-stress life of college or even high school. On many campuses, these drugs are not hard to come by. In February, the New York Times ran a story about Richard Fee, a successful college student who hung himself in 2011 due

to his growing addiction to Adderall. Prior to his addiction, Fee was a promising student at Greensboro College in North Carolina. He planned to become a doctor, and his tenacity and ambition caused his downfall, coupled with lax medical care and prescription procedures. Although he had never seriously exhibited symptoms of ADD or ADHD, his doctors failed to notice that he was taking multiple times the suggested monthly dose. His death came after an attempt by Fee at a sudden withdrawal, which he was unable to cope without. So, is society just nurturing a condition that had not previously received the attention it deserved, or are we creating a generation in which many children are becoming dependant on medication that they physically need? The issue of giving medication only to people who really need it is incredibly difficult to resolve. The system is purely subjective and open to abuse. Part of the problem may be that many children are diagnosed at a very young age, before they are able to independently handle their own learning. In fact, the brain is still developing until age seven.

Some of the symptoms that the CDC lists for ADHD state that sufferers do “Often does not give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities, often has trouble keeping attention on tasks or play activities, Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.” Such is applicable to most preteen children. American society needs to remember this when assessing their young child’s propensity to achieve. Parents may see ADD as all-encompassing, go-to answer for why their child isn’t doing well in school. If a kid is six years old, it’s too early to tell if a child has ADD or ADHD. Shouldn’t we wait until a kid is doing rigorous, sophisticated work to determine whether or not they have a learning disability? As a whole, the presence of ADHD medication in our society needs to be taken way more seriously than it currently is. Just because drugs such as Adderall and Ritalin are sold at pharmacies does not mean that they are safe. They are still controlled substances. Medication should be given sparingly and with the utmost caution. For the sake of the children, the epidemic of legal, addictive drugs needs to be stopped. And parents, if your kid is having a little trouble focusing, be a little hesitant before putting him on the meds. v

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Photo by JAMIE ALLENDORF

ULTIMATE FRISBEE ROSS CARDILLO STUDENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE ADA’S CAFE COURSE SMART PALY ROCKS CLUB PALO ALTO CURFEW

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THE ULTIMATE SP

ULTIMATE TEAM WHIPS ONTO CENTER STAGE Text by KATIE EBINGER Photography by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

ENIOR ALLEN ZHENG STRETCHES his arm to throw a disc to an open teammate as junior Ghenki Okumoto counts away Zheng’s time: “Stall one. Stall two. Stall three…” Okumoto reaches his arms out in an attempt to block Zheng’s pass. After a few seconds’ struggle, Zheng manages to hit his target teammate and the scrimmage rapidly continues from the break in play. In a game to three, the 10 team members present play against each other for the remaining hour of practice. Zheng and Okumoto are both members of the Palo Alto High School ultimate team, which was founded last year by a group of graduating seniors with a passion for the sport. “Eventually, we got to the point where we were looking for a bigger challenge than simply playing against each other,” Paly 2012 graduate Greg Dunn and ultimate team founder says. “So we made a team.” The Paly Ultimate team is a school club and functions as part of the Bay Area Disc League. It is not a schoolsanctioned sport, but rather a club, according senior team captain Alvin Kim. The team was able to form because Chris Farina, a new psychology teacher, brought his passion for ultimate to Paly last year. “I had coached at the schools that I had taught at before,” Farina says. “When I came to Paly, I was looking for a group of students who played ultimate and were interested in playing more competitively.” Farina has extensive experience with the game of Ultimate

as he competed at the collegiate level and currently plays for Mischief, a club team based in San Francisco. Mischief made it to the Triple Crown Tour, where the highest level teams in North America compete. Equipped with a coach and an official team, students can compete at a higher level now than in previous years. The ultimate team competes in local tournaments against other high school and practices twice a week to prepare for the five tournaments in the six-weeklong spring season, according to Kim. “Our practices focus mainly on team skills for games, rather than on individual skills … or general fitness,” Farina says. “This is because ultimate is a new sport for most players, so I think it’s more important for them to get a feel for the game and each other.” Practices vary in structure, but often involve drills for the first half and a scrimmage for the second. “A typical practice consists of a couple of drills then usually a scrimmage,” Okumoto says. “We try to apply what we learned from the drills into our scrimmages.” Even though the official season is over, the team continues to practice for the state championship, which is May 18PRACTICING Ghenki Okumoto straddles in at attempt to block Allen Zheng’s throw during an ultimate practice on the Paly football field.

19in San Luis Obispo. Nine teams will be “It creates a level of trust between competing, including Paly, which will be the teams,” senior Josh Arfin says. “Playfielding 11 players. ers don’t want to be the guy who calls “On Saturday it’s pool play first and a game in their own favor so it causes then Sunday it’s the championship bracket both sides to have more respect for each round,” Kim says. other.” In addition to official practices, the Senior Kevin Lavelle agrees that the team plays informally during their freeSOTG adds an element of trust to the time. game. “Usually we play on the quad during “You can settle any disputes beour preps …because we enjoy throwing tween players amongst yourselves, rather around,” Zheng says. “It’s less for practice than have a third party,” Lavelle says. “It than just to hang out and do something means most people are really respectful we enjoy.” of others and are more open than [they] Kim adds to this sentiment noting would otherwise be.” the team’s love of the game. The team has grown significantly “Even if we don’t have an official in size this year, welcoming many addipractice, we still love to play,” Kim says. tions. For Kim, the excitement of ultimate “The biggest difference in my mind stems from its unique blend of sports. is that [the team is] a lot bigger,” Zheng “It merges the fluency of soccer, the says. “Last year’s team fielded eight playexplosion of basketball, and the [tactics] ers or so per tournament max… whereof football,” Kim says. as this year we’ve had 14 plus at some Okumoto says that despite common tournaments.” perception, ultimate is a challenging sport. Despite the influx in players this “Ultimate is a really physically deyear, the team still remains largely novice manding sport that requires not only the in play compared to clubs that have been use of your body but the use of your established for 10 years or more, accordmind as well,” Okumoto says. ing to Farina. While the sport requires athleticism “For a team that’s only been comand competitiveness, the atmosphere peting for two years, we’re really good,” among Paly students remains easygoing. Farina says. “It’s a pretty good sign that “The vibe is one of the best things with the time the guys put in we can beat about the team,” Zheng says. “People some [higher level teams].” v aren’t competitive with each other at all, every good play gets praise, and nobody means it when they make fun of someone for messing up a throw, catch, whatever.” Okumoto agrees that despite going to the state tournament this 1. Pass the disc into the endzone year, the team remains laid back, to earn a point. playing for enjoyment as much as competition. 2. A player cannot run with the fris“I would say we have a bee. To advance the play, one must very fun team,” Okumoto pass the frisbee down the feild. says. “A lot of us like to mess around a lot, but when 3. One has 10 “stall counts” to pass we have serious practice, or away the frisbee. take part in the game, we usually get a lot more fo4. Any incomplete pass results in a cused.” turnover. The laidback, sportsmanlike vibe is perpetuated by the Spirit of the Game [SOTG] guidelines, published by USA Ultimate, which emphasize “the golden rule” and “[having] fun,” among others.

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DANGER LANGUAGE Junior ross cardillo Pursues career in Music Industry Text by JAMIE ALLENDORF and BENJAMIN MAY Photography by JAMIE ALLENDORF Art by BENJAMIN MAY

n less than five seconds, Ross Cardillo transforms into DGA (Dopest Gringo Alive). Before his transformation, he was a composed Palo Alto High School junior, but as he pulls out his notebook and reads from the cluttered collection of doodles and notes, words flow effortlessly through him. He bends prose and meter to fit his needs and rhymes lyrics on command. After Cardillo ends his personal concert, he returns to his original state.

The Message

Cardillo started rapping in the eighth grade when he was a student at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School. His friends had begun to experiment with freestyle rap and Cardillo joined in, quickly realizing his passion for the art form. Since then, he has experimented and developed his skills. “I just want to say things that I actually agree with,” Cardillo says. “[You] don’t say things just because it’s the thing that you say if you’re a rapper. It’s [my music] like that and social commentary and it can get kind of far out kind of stuff, more abstract thoughts about the universe and stars and weather; just life in general.” Cardillo has performed at the Electronic Music Festival at the Midpeninsula Community Media Center. He has also become greatly involved with writing his own lyrics. “[Writing is] the thing that I’ve enjoyed most in my life and it’s the most confidence I’ve ever had is in doing lyrics because I feel pretty confident and good at it.” Cardillo focuses on creating a positive influence for his listeners. Although he enjoys creating lyrics, he is most proud of its hidden messages and strays as far as possible from mainstream music. He has little regard for flagrant or obscene words. “There are a lot of rappers that are just regenerating the same old messages that are just as bad as they ever were, but I don’t think I am the only one who is trying not to do that,” Cardillo says. He continues, “I think there’s a

lot of good artists, or people who are kind of harsh and offensive to a lot of people, if you listen to the details of what they are saying, actually have good messages, they’re just harsh about it.”

Cardillo’s individuality comes through in his lyrics. Often infused with satire, Cardillo uses his lyrics to express his views on what he sees around him. He also finds time to write lyrics for his friends and fellow performers. “I try to spend more time on just music and writing,” Cardillo says. “And also I have friends who produce a lot, so I am often writing for things that they produce.” Cardillo’s meter is a key part of his unique sound. While others find poly rhythms difficult, Cardillo finds that the flow comes while writing. “It always has rhythm when I write it, that’s just how I write it,” Cardillo says. “If I’m planning on doing it in four-four time, or five-four time, or threefour time, and plan out, I’ll literally mark the syllables and when I’m supposed to hit.” Even with balancing high school and his enthusiasm for producing, he finds solitude in art and graphic design on Photoshop. Being selftaught, he takes extreme liberties with his art. “I like merging lots of [images], kind of like what I do with music, I sample lots of things and put them together,” Cardillo says. “Kind of like a collage, but they can end up not very recognizable.” Cardillo releases his art on DeviantArt, a popular user-based image site. He also includes these designs in his Bandcamp banner, his albums and EPs released through multiple channels. Even with these free multimedia platforms, he still finds it difficult to become more recognizable. “I put up stuff nonchalantly

s Cardillo Art by Ros

The Method

ing, through photoshop most thrill art ds fin lo dil Car s Ros pe an esca ough music. but he still grounds himself thr a so known as DGA) aspires to be hopes & and dreams cardillo (al HE also performs as a rap artist. t producer when he grows up, bu

on YouTube and on Soundcloud,” Cardillo says. “More recently, I’ve tried to put up my stuff that had lyrics on Bandcamp; my friends and I have been trying to form something. We’re still just spending a lot of time trying to make a bulk of stuff so it’s hard to get into promoting it when you don’t even have ten really solid tracks.” Even with this outlook, he finds the platforms simply as a way to immortalize his work. Currently, he posts his music on Bandcamp.

Future Plans

When Cardillo discusses his possible career in the music industry he is serious and determined. Unlike many high schoolers, life after college seems more concrete for Cardillo, than most high schoolers. “I’m just going to try to make money doing exactly what I want to do [produce],” Cardillo says. “I’m going to be careful not to bend what I’m interested in, the sound that I am interested in, to [make] money.” v

cardillo creates multimedia album covers Artistic endeavors In his free time, ross effects. he also uses this to promote g through Photoshop, using filter and layerin rms. tfo pla his work on deviantart as well as other

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Art by Ross

Cardillo’s greatest rap influences come from groups such as Brother Ali, Das Racist and Jurassic 5, but he also takes inspiration from all aspects of his life. His diverse music taste has continually been a large influence. “I listen to everything, from Simon & Garfunkel to opera, to hard core rap,” Cardillo says. Some of his style is influenced in traditional Mexican and Hindi musical sounds as well. Despite his wide range of musical taste, Cardillo has chosen to focus mainly on rap. Cardillo strives to make his music distinctive and strays from “mainstream rap,” instead creating his own sound and style. His music also is influenced by monster movies from the 1950s, often referencing them in his songs.

Cardillo

Influences

Text and photo illustrations by MELISSA WEN

STUDENTS SEEK HELP FOR DRUG ABUSE PROBLEMS Text and Photo Illustrations by MELISSA WEN

HEY TOOK HER IN the middle of the night. Two big “bodyguard kind of people” took her, ready with strong arms and a plane ticket to Colorado. They took her to the middle of nowhere, where she was stripped of piercings, jewelry, and all else but basic clothes and a sleeping bag. Everything they allowed her to keep, she tied up in a tarp. “I was drinking a lot, I was smoking a lot,” says Mandy, a Palo Alto High School senior whose name has been changed, like those of all students mentioned in this story, to protect her identity. “I was definitely drinking way too much.” Frequently high and barely aware of her surroundings, Mandy had asked

her parents for help. They didn’t offer the help she asked for, though; instead, they shipped her to the Open Sky Wilderness Therapy Program in Colorado, where she lived in a tent with several other girls and two adults, called wilderness guides. Aside from food, clothing and tents, she had nothing. Hikes, therapy, and self-reflection made up her new daily routine “It was hard work but it was probably the best two and a half months of my life,” Mandy says. “I made lifelong friends there. The people there just provide you with immense amounts of support.” For many Paly teenagers, according to Adolescent Counseling Services (ACS) counselor Jennifer Jones, dabbling in drugs is just part of growing 50

up, a reckless tug on the boundaries of youth before the quickening fall of adulthood. But for students like Mandy, experimentation turns into an ugly habit, requiring difficult recovery and challenging the line between weekend fun and a persistent problem. “Social drinking is not, obviously, uncommon in high school,” Jones says. “[If] students start over-using or abusing drugs and alcohol, it typically is a way of coping or managing stress or escaping.” According to Jones, ACS has a separate substance abuse treatment facility off campus, to which students may be referred depending on the severity of their problem — getting caught with drugs on campus entails an automatic referral to ACS in addition to a

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three-day suspension. There, students undergo an intense program of individual, group and family therapy. Paly’s on-campus counselors are also trained to help students with drug problems, although kids usually don’t come specifically for that issue. “We usually find out after we start working with them for other reasons that there’s substance abuse going on,” Jones says. “Some students are very open about it too. They’ll tell me, ‘I smoke pot because it makes me happy. It makes me forget about all this stuff and I don’t want to give it up.’” In situations like these, Jones validates the students’ feelings and tries to encourage healthier ways of coping with stress. “We’re not necessarily responding by ‘Oh you shouldn’t do that,” she says. “It’s more exploring, helping the student come to an awareness of why. What do they get out of it? What are the pros and cons?” Initially, Mandy didn’t consider why she used drugs. “I was just doing it because I thought it was fun,” she says. “I didn’t even realize — It was more like f---- it, why not get drunk?” At Open Sky Therapy, Mandy talked with others about issues ranging from anxiety and eating disorders to the substance abuse that she struggled with. Through the support she received,

Mandy realized that her drug problems were a response to depression. “I was anxious, not happy with my life situation,” she says. “I wasn’t addicted to the drug physically. I needed an escape. I needed something to take me away from what I was feeling.” For two and half months she backpacked through the Colorado wilderness, working through emotional

"Some students are very open about it too. They'll tell me 'I smoke pot because it makes me happy." — Jennifer Jones, Adolescent Counseling Services counselor issues, learning to love herself, and cultivating close friendships. Her rehabilitation didn’t end in Colorado, though. Afterwards Mandy was sent to Oakley School, an aftercare program in Utah with about 60 students. She describes it as ineffective. “If they [the students] are just not given any chance to do drugs of course they’re not going to do drugs, but as soon as they graduate they all go home and do all the drugs that they were doing,” she says. Although Mandy had only smoked

marijuana, she says her classmates had used harder drugs, like methamphetamines. She watched some of them steal Mucinex, an over-the-counter medicine designed to drain mucus, and take it for a makeshift high. “No way, I would never do that,” she says. “I just did not agree with the way the school did things, so I’m just like I’m out of here.” Mandy ran away from the school after four months. According to Joyce Kart, a psychotherapist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, wilderness programs are effective partially because of their ability to create isolation. “They [the adolescents in the program] learn to fend for themselves in a way that they’ll hopefully build a sense of self-confidence and really understanding themselves better because they don’t have the usual ways of distracting themselves of getting away from their feelings,” Kart says. Kart doesn’t personally treat students for drug abuse, but encounters up to two teen patients a week who need help with the issue, and refers them to entities that specialize in directing kids to the appropriate therapy program, such as the Bodin Group in Los Altos, which researches these therapies extensively. According to Bodin, around 500 different therapy programs, including

HIGHS TO OPEN SKIES Wilderness programs such as Open Sky Therapy in Colorado provide a temptation-free recovery place for students in need of help. According to expert Douglas Bodin, chief executive officer of The Bodin Group, this type of therapy has been around for about 30 years.

emotional growth boarding schools, exist in the United States. Even similar therapies vary in their techniques; Bodin describes Open Sky Therapy, in which students camp out a different spot each night, as nomadic. “Different models are right for different kids,” he says. “There is no one right answer.” He says that Mandy’s experience of wilderness therapy followed by a stay at boarding school is common among Bodin Group clients, but explains that the Oakley School she attended is less strict than most. “Their philosophy is to give you some room,” he says. Bodin says that he rarely sees kids struggling only with drug addiction, as substance abuse is usually coupled with other issues such as depression, anxiety, and undiagnosed learning disorders. He names marijuana as the most commonly abused substance. Although the Palo Alto Medical Foundation does not specialize in substance abuse, Kart says they do have a program called the Alcohol and Drug Use Group, a free resource for adults and older teenagers to talk to specialists about concerns regarding their own or loved one’s substance abuse “The group is very supportive because they’ve all dealt with this in some way,” Kart says. “It may not be group therapy but it’s therapeutic.”

Brian, a Paly student, attends this group as part of his drug rehabilitation. He agreed to start after his parents threatened to send him to a wilderness rehabilitation program, wanting to solve his problems without leaving Palo Alto. He also allows his parents to drug test him by sending his urine to a Stanford lab. Brian’s excessive alcohol and

"I started drinking socially. Socially becomes more and more frequent. I think it's fairly common." — Brian, Paly student marijuana use began his freshman year with an active weekend social life. “I started drinking socially,” he says. “Socially becomes more and more frequent. I think it’s fairly common. It’s more common than people would think.” He became sober as a sophomore, but relapsed this year and is trying again. Brian attributes the relapse to a lack of motivation to abstain. Like Mandy, he initially felt flippant about his drug use. “There was no reason I should be sober,” he says. “It was like, what’s the

harm?” Currently, Brian stays sober to become a better athlete. Last year he started a new sport, and he now works with a sports psychologist to help him stay serious about athletics. In addition, his parents offer him independence as a way of positive reinforcement. “They treat me like I’m 18,” he says. “I get freedom and then they expect me not to screw up with it.” For Mandy, freedom has not been as much of a reward. After she ran away from Oakley School, her parents disowned her, leaving her to live mostly on her own, before in a basement by herself, and now with her mother who offers no financial support. Despite the challenge of working to support herself, she says life is better than it was. “There’s always going to be a struggle,” she says. “It’s always going to be better, too.” Going forward, Mandy hopes to achieve a balanced take on substance use, saying that she believes anything is fine in moderation. Looking around at other Paly students, she does not see anyone with as bad of a drug habit as she did. But sometimes she does wonder. “I see the kids that smoke a lot, the kids that smoke on a daily basis,” she says. “[And] I’m like, are you happy? Because I know that I smoked because I wasn’t happy.” v

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AIDING THE COMMUNITY WITH ADA’S CAFE PALO ALTO PARENT KATHLEEN FOLEY-HUGHES BRINGS ADA’S CAFE, AN ORGANIZATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, TO THE BAY AREA Text by SAMANTHA DEWEES and BRYAN WONG Photography by SAMANTHA DEWEES

Terman was willing to help, and offered Foley-Hughes a space HE LIGHTS BRIGHTEN OVERHEAD on campus where she could build a food service for the school as Kathleen Foley-Hughes steps onto the platform staff and faculty. There, Foley-Hughes helped teach disabled stuand accepts the microphone to make a speech. She dents useful skills such as handling money, preparing food and thanks her family and friends for supporting her on her mission to better the Palo Alto community. working with others as a team. The Terman Tasty Treats Cafe was a huge success and was enormously popular with the school’s Foley-Hughes stands among five other Local Heroes who have received awards this year for outstanding achievement and con- staff, leading Foley-Hughes to bring her program to Gunn when tributions to the Bay Area community. For Foley-Hughes, this her son Charlie graduated. “We renovated the [Gunn] teachers lounge,” Foley-Hughes achievement was the creation of Ada’s Cafe, a nonprofit organizasays. “We also got students engaged. We had non-disabled stution intended to provide work experience and life skills for people dents working with disabled students.” with mental disabilities. Foley-Hughes values this connection between disabled and Foley-Hughes founded Ada’s Cafe, which was named after the Americans with Disabilities Act, in 2008. The Cafe evolved non-disabled students, as she feels this would not necessarily hapfrom two school-affiliated programs formed to integrate special pen without an organization such as the Cafe. “I saw this amazing interaction needs students into school life: the between groups of people who norTerman Tasty Treats Cafe and the mally don’t get to interact,” she says. Gunn Gourmet Cafe, held at Terman “I started to ask the question, The Gunn Gourmet Cafe Middle School and Henry M. Gunn gained popularity, and Foley-Hughes High School, respectively. Over the what’s the non-academic path decided that she wanted to expand past few years, the organization exfor a student who isn’t going her organization to a larger scale. panded to become a catering service, to college but still wants to “I realized, ‘gosh, this would be and will open as a full-time Cafe at learn?” great to take into the community’,” the new Mitchell Park Community — Kathleen Foley-Hughes, Foley-Hughes says. Center early this summer. As a result, Foley-Hughes Foley-Hughes was inspired to founder of Ada’s Café formed Ada’s Cafe, which is now an create the Cafe by her experience as official vendor of the city of Palo a parent of a special needs child. Her Alto. She welcomes anyone with or without disabilities to help son, Charlie had been in the special education program since he in fostering an inclusive and valuable organization by employing was in kindergarten, and Foley-Hughes, aware that he would not attend college, wanted to provide him and other special educa- people with mental disabilities and offering internships for nontion students with skills and experiences for success in their future disabled high school students. “Our mission is to create good food, to hire adults with dislives. “I started to ask the question, ‘what’s the path for a student abilities, and to involve [non-disabled] students,” Foley-Hughes says. who isn’t going to college but still wants to learn?’” Foley-Hughes Sophomore Samantha Williams began working at Ada’s Cafe says. “I wanted to create something that was on campus so that earlier this year. She was particularly drawn to the organization students in special education could be a part of their community because it is a restaurant. and learn things that might be applicable to their future lives.”

CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY Kathleen Foley-Hughes speaks with a co-worker after receiving her Local Heroes award at the Midpeninsula Community Media Center for excellence in the community for Ada’s Café on May 11, 2013. “I thought it would be really good for me, especially because to understand it,” Williams says. “Being around the people that I want to be a chef,” Williams says. work there, I feel like I’ve become a more understanding person.” Williams was also interested in the organization because she Williams feels that if more people became involved in orgahas had personal experience with disabilities. She explains that she nizations like Ada’s, any sense of superiority towards those with has an emotional disability has had special needs would dissolve. friends with disabilities. “If everyone had a chance “I want to be normal, I want to work in a place like this, people people to treat me normally,” Wil“Being around the people that would be more understanding of liams says. “Being able to work in disabilities and not bully people work there, I feel like I’ve an environment where people have about it,” she says. become a more understanding a wide range of disabilities wanting Within the next few months, person.” to help the community, I think that’s Ada’s Cafe will be open and runreally great.” — sophomore Samantha Williams ning as a restaurant from 7 a.m. to 9 Like Hughes, Williams values p.m. at the Mitchell Park Community the relationships she has formed Center Mondays through Thursdays. with the Ada’s employees, and feels that more people should be Foley-Hughes is excited to expand her organization and spread exposed to organizations such as this. the word throughout the community. “I think Ada’s Cafe is a really good place for people who not “People who work there are so excited to work,” Foleyonly have disabilities, but for people who understand it and want Hughes says. “They want to work there.” v

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Course Smart

LETTING STUDENTS ACCESS TEXTBOOKS ONLINE Text by PAUL PHROMTHONG Art by DIANA CONNOLLY

VER THE YEARS THERE HAVE been an array of campaigns to find viable alternatives to traditional printed textbooks. Supporters of these projects highlight that print textbooks are expensive, aren’t environmentally friendly, and are heavy and difficult to carry around. Successful websites like Valorebooks.com have worked to solve these problems by offering students the ability to rent their textbooks instead of buying them. But a company called CourseSmart is taking an alternative route by providing students with eBook versions of their texts. The real question is, will CourseSmart succeed, or will it fail in providing students with easier access? According to www.Coursesmart.com, CourseSmart’s main goal is to make things simpler and more organized for both students and teachers. “CourseSmart started out with the simple goal of providing instructors in college and higher education a better textbook evaluation service,” says the overview. “We knew that for instructors, getting textbooks for evaluation was a tedious and time consuming task. They’d contact the publisher directly, then wait days for a book to ship or wait for the publisher sales representative to deliver it in person.” Eventually, CourseSmart changed its inefficient process by building a library of eTextbooks and digital course materials so that the teachers could access the materials instantly, anytime, anywhere. By 2008, students wanted in on the action as well. “To satisfy the student demand for our digital products, help them save money on course materials and give them the same eTextbook benefits that we introduced to instructors, we launched our digital rental service which lets students rent eTextbooks and online course materials at savings up to 60% compared to buying new print textbooks,” CourseSmart says. According to the site, the average price of print textbooks today are around $61 whereas the average

price of eTextbooks provided by CourseSmart are about $20 to $30. Just as CourseSmart has promised, millions of people in the United States, including students, have used their digital products. With expansion into the United Kingdom, Africa, and the Middle East, the program continues to grow globally. In education, technology should help, not hinder a student. It’s difficult enough to learn without having to deal with technological annoyances. When issues concerning the technology itself come into the fold, the user is presented with a very difficult obstacle that they most likely would rather avoid. While there are many people who feel as though CourseSmart is a technological advance, there are still many people who have problems with it and prefer the traditional style of reading and buying physical textbooks to study for their classes. One of the problems people have with CourseSmart is the overall display. CourseSmart doesn’t individually format each textbook page and instead displays static images of each page from your book, almost like reading a PDF file rather than an actual ebook. The application does not allow the kind of text-to-screen refitting that the Kindle provides with their books, which can make CourseSmart feel less ideal to it’s users. However, as the years go by and as CourseSmart fixes the issues, the company believes it will eventually become a more attractive alternative to traditionally printed textbooks. As it stands, there is still a large split between those who believe in using digital eBooks and those who believe in buying textbooks the old-fashioned way. At this moment in time, there’s no saying how far CourseSmart will go, as it all depends on whether the users choose to go down the path of the traditional or the new. v

“A friend once noted that I was eloquent in critiquing the moribund superstitions of our age, but less forthcoming in stating my own creed. At the time, I found myself at a loss to proffer one. Later, I experienced an epiphany while looking at The Third of May by Goya, which, as a foil to Walter Pater’s quote, communicates my idea.”

— a message from Stephen Johnson of Pocketscholar Press

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CULTURE

PALY

ROCKS

Passing down the passion for music through group performance.

Text by JACQUELINE WOO and PAUL PHROMTHONG Photography by JACQUELINE WOO, PAUL PHROMTHONG, MATT HALL and CHARU SRIVASTAVA Illustration by DIANA CONNOLLY

GROUP OF STUDENTS STEPS up to the senior deck. It’s the start of lunch and classmates begin to fill the quad. The group dubbed “Paly Rocks Club” prepares to show the entire school its musical capabilities. As a crowd gathers in front of them, lawn chairs turning to face the stage and lunch groups forming circles on the grass, singer An-

drew Solway steps up to begin the first song. Friends join one another on the sideline, as Solway receives a round of applause for his performance while sharing something he loves—music that is different and exciting. “Going on stage is always exciting,” senior Solway says. “[Sharing something I love is always an adventure. At the same time there’s a fair amount of improvisation involved when we solo. It makes each show we do different and exciting.” The club reinvigorates classic songs in front of audiences that may sound typical at first but go off in an unexpected direction. There are many factors that go on behind the scenes that remain unnoticed by the public eyes as they watch Paly Rocks on stage. The club is known for its laid-back rehearsals and constant jam sessions, which are instrumental in shaping the club’s live performances and give the young musicians the opportunity to share their passion for music with one another.

JAMMING Paly Rock members Gabe Galang and Corbin Dodd freestyle during their weekly practice.

PERFORMING Paly Rocks performs in front of their peers during Not In Our School Week.

Despite the relaxed atmosphere at the rehearsals, the musicians take their craft very seriously and it shows through their flawless and energetic performances. Paly Rocks was founded last year by former senior Respect Zhou, who created the club in 2012, but had to leave throughout the year. This year however, under the leadership of seniors Andrew Solway and Benjamin May, the club has revamped its previous image of a circle of guitars to incorporate the current 22 members with an diverse variety of instruments and positions. The main goal of Paly Rocks, according to Solway, is to provide student musicians with the opportunity to play music in a low-pressure environment. “[We like to just be] ourselves and jam and have a good and time,” Solway says. “To share our love for music with everyone in school. That’s what I hope to get across: that it’s fun.” Junior Mostyn Griffith, a guitarist and vocalist, says the rea-

son he decided to join was so he could further pursue his love for music. “I play rhythm guitar so I help everyone else. I keep the rhythm together, like not really showing off but keeping it in the back,” Griffith says. Patrick Stormer, a drummer, wanted to join the club because of his love for “hitting things,” according to Stormer. This musical affection has been molded through inspirations by bigger names. “My inspirations are [musician] Marilyn Manson, [vocalist] Anthony Kiedis, [musician] Kim Deal, and [club president] Andrew Solway because they are absolutely wonderful beautiful people and amazing musicians.” Stormer is also inspired by his drum teacher Roger Kidd (a musician unassociated with Paly), and believes that drums are a crucial tool when it comes to keeping the band in sync. “The drums do more than just help keep the time,” says

Stormer. “They add accent and make a song more solid.” This role has made Stormer feel a part of the eclectic ambiance of Paly Rocks community. Another important function of a proper rock band is the bass and guitar players — and this is exactly what Paly Rocks has in order to achieve an active support in the kind of music they play. Without band members Beau Edwards, Shyon Lewis-Steck, Edward Kwiatkowski, Gabe Galang and Ben Cook, the club argues that their music would simply feel empty, and almost incomplete. No one agrees with this more than Galang, who is a lead guitarist of Paly Rocks and joined the club to reach his goal of improving his techniques and song writing ability. Galang, after joining, has found that Paly Rocks fosters support for individuality and empowerement. “I believe that without the bass and guitar in song, it feels empty because each part plays a part in a role,” Galang says. “It’s like a body; the bass are the lungs that push the notes like air,

[while] the guitar is like the backbone since it holds the song together and provides structure.” In the process of building the structure of the group, Galang has found that he is now closer to reaching his goal. “The way I play lead is mainly used as a hook to draw attention from the audience to me and the band,” Galang says. “I try to make the song memorable with the solos, riffs, and licks that I play while keeping the melody steady and readable.” When it comes to musical inspirations, Galang has many. “Chuck Berry, Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones, [are among a few],” Galang says. However among his idols, Andrew Solway is at the top of his list. “The Boss-man’s [Solway] skills really inspire me to be a better musician,” Galang says. “I can honestly say he’s the best out of all of us.” Shyon Lewis-Steck, one of the other guitarists, says that one

PERFORMING Paly Rocks performs in front of their peers during Not In Our School Week.

of the unique aspects of the bass is that it brings the rhythm of the drums to the guitar and keeps the entire rhythm of the song in check. He also believes that his instrument is capable of so much more than people would expect, being an expressive instrument of itself. If given the chance, Lewis-Steck would like to explore a different kind of instrument: the mandolin. “I personally think it’s one of the greatest instrumented ever created,” he says. It is this kind of creativity and dedication to the wide spectrum of music that helps build Paly Rocks into what it is. Solway heavily participates by role-changing constantly to fit the band’s needs instrumentally. He holds several positions in the club: he sings, plays the piano, and is also a talented guitarist. “I play the keyboard, I sing sometimes, I play the guitar sometimes, whatever the group needs. I play the keys and sing the most,” Solway says. “By playing the piano, I hope to contribute rhythm and to be a good backbone to the group.” Despite the range in personal inspirations, Solway says the

groups’ goals are to create music in a low pressure environment. By interacting musically and growing as a group, the club is driven to improve and meet new precedents. “The purpose of the club is to perform in front of our peers,” Solway says. “Next year, some things we would like to do include playing in benefit concerts, performing more in quad, and raising money to buy equipment. [All the while,] increasing involvement.” The members have all conquered their initial nerves of performing in front of their fellow students and now continue to strive to share their passion. At this point, the club is proving to be successful in offering young musicians the opportunity to do what they love most, and hopes to continue rocking out on the quad. As the group finishes their final piece, the afternoon drags on. As members slowly begin leaving, the others keep playing in hopes of tuning their inner expressions. v

TOGETHER AS ONE Paly Rocks members Shyon Lewis-Steck, Gabe Galang, Andrew Solway and Beau Edwards (left to right) play the guitar, a key instrument in the music group.

C U R F E W AND FAR BETWEEN For those who cruise PA in the late hours of the night Text by SAVANNAH CORDOVA and WILL QUEEN Art by DIANA CONNOLLY

T’S JUST AFTER

a misty Tuesday morning on the streets of our fair city. Lamppost lights flicker and a horn blares in the distance, only to be silenced a few moments later as though someone’s hit the snooze button on a townwide alarm. Hard to believe that here, in this haven of peaceful suburbia, it’s even necessary to impose a time regulation upon teenagers who go out at night — however, that’s the truth of the matter. In order to curb both latenight juvenile-committed crimes and crimes committed against juveniles, Palo Alto has a curfew of 1 a.m. on weekends and 11 p.m. on weekdays for minors. This has been in effect for almost two decades now, according to an article on Palo Alto Online dated July 20, 1994. The curfew is occasionally mentioned and often ridiculed, but rarely discussed in earnest around these parts. Some students aren’t even aware of its existence. Some know about it and simply can’t bring themselves to care. All in all, most students aren’t particularly concerned. This lack of stringency combined with the fact that it hasn’t been revised in 19 years makes the Palo Alto curfew even more elusive and mysterious. Does this lack of modification mean the curfew’s doing its job effectively? Does it really obstruct young hooligans from traversing Palo Alto in the middle of the cold dark night? Not really. “The curfew has no effect on what people do whatsoever,” sophomore

midnight,

Alex Murray says. “People still go out at night regardless [of the curfew].” Indeed, a Verde-conducted survey of nearly 100 Palo Alto kids about whether they adhere to the curfew indicates that less than 10 percent of students actively obey it. The remaining students are split between not complying and not knowing about it at all. 45 percent of those surveyed selected the multiple choice option “There’s a curfew?,” confirming that for all the students who defy it, there are just as many who have no idea what it is. More than half of those surveyed also had a somewhat skewed meaning attributed to the Palo Alto curfew; only 43.5 percent believe it requires being inside a house by the designated time, as is the intended effect. In fact, it doesn’t seem to matter much what kids are doing so long as they’re not in immediate danger. Palo Alto Police Chief Dennis Burns clarifies that the curfew is first and foremost a safety measure. “The goal would never be to arrest anybody for being out late…that [they] were safe would be our greatest concern,” Burns says. This might

sound familiar to Palo Alto minors who have been caught out after hours but let off with a warning or a call home. According to Burns, police officers rarely take students into custody, so long as they have a destination in mind. “If you’re en route from your friend’s house to another friend’s house, we certainly wouldn’t stop you for anything like that. It’s really just to ensure that everybody’s safe and not in harm’s way,” Burns says. And in actuality, minors who do not acknowledge the curfew are not Palo Alto’s biggest after-hours problem. With underage drinking and illegal drug use abound — not to mention the fact that Yogurtland closes way too early on weeknights — the curfew is hardly a top priority. Unless it becomes more strictly enforced or its specifications change, it would appear that the general sentiment toward the Palo Alto curfew will remain one of disdain and disinterest for quite awhile. v

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The Kools The Caranos The Medoffs The Xus The Cordovas The Shemtovs The Srivastavas The Pirrottas The Jangs The Dewees

— Verde

CULTURE

photo by Charu Srivastava

UMAMI BURGER REVIEW TERRONE REVIEW ICE CREAM FOR SUMMER

44 46 48

UNIQUE VEHICLES TREASURES OF PALO ALTO PHOTO ESSAY: POWDERPUFF

53 56

EWmami

This March, Umami Burger, a burger joint named after one of the five basic flavors, opened a new branch on 452 University Ave. The Palo Alto branch is one of the chain’s many restaurants dotting California and Florida. Verde investigates what makes special.

Umami Burger

TRUFFLE ROYALE, 15.00 You would think a burger joint whose name basically means “meaty fla-

vor” would be able to pull off a simple burger, but the crown jewel “Truffle burger supreme” of Umami Burger couldn’t have been less pleasing. The copious amounts of truffle drowned out any tidbits of meaty tastiness that might once have been there, leaving a homogeneous mass of truffle-imbued mush. Let’s be clear though: each ingredient is perfectly delectable, and could even be the cherry on top of any other burger. But like doesn’t compliment like, and the truffle taste doesn’t reach its full potential unless paired with contrasting tastes. Umami Burger needs to chill out with the truffle, and let the burger step into the limelight.

ALL NIGHTER, 15.00 Taken individually, the components of the All Nighter, Umami Burger’s Palo

Alto special, ranged from decent to delicious. However, due to Umami Burger’s tendency to add sweetness to everything, it ended up tasting overwhelmingly the same. The gravy was undetectable, being the same brand of sweet as the rest of the burger. The addition of hash browns were an intriguing attempt to add variety, but their sogginess and lack of salty flavor failed to counterbalance the juicy burger and soft brisket.

EARTH BURGER, 12.00 Umami Burger offers non-meat option, the Earth Burger. The burger’s

mushroom and edamame patty is topped with a ricotta spread that replaces the conventional American cheddar. The venture was admirable, and the flavorful patty dodged the dryness that plagues most veggie burgers. However, with the ricotta and the mushroom and the onions that garnished the burger, there were just too many sour flavors.

FRIED PICKLES, THIN FRIES

cozy accoutrements

make Uma-

mi Burger the perfect place to get some work done while chow-

ing down

6.00 TRUFFLE’em, 5.50

Umami Burger’s starters are mostly variations on the typical sides found at any burger joint. The fries were undercooked and underwhelming, and sorely needed crisp. Adding melted truffle cheese just made them soggier: while the idea of truffle flavor was promising, the whole thing needed salt to really zing. The sweet potato fries had a grainy texture and, oddly, too much cinnamon, making the whole thing sweet instead of salty. Essentially, all the fries needed salt, which the special “Umami Ketchup” failed to provide. It was just another heaping of sweet flavor in appetizers that hardly needed it. The fried pickles were just pickles coated with a thin, tasteless batter.

Written by ANA CARANO and LISIE SABBAG Design and photography by LISIE SABBAG

snappy service

Umami burger employees provide against a backdrop of Stanford inspired book cases.

U MAMB I ANCE The surroundings of Umami Burger are too bland to suit a burger joint. Umami Burger chose to make their main decoration rows

of classic books, from Shakespeare folios to the collected stories of Sherlock Holmes. However, the books are all glued together. Why are they here? Who associates burgers with classic literature? Only T.J. Eckleburg knows. The scrawled over posters which hang on the pale gray walls have misguided aspirations of grandeur. On one, Steve Jobsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2005 Stanford commencement speech overlays generic redwood pictures. Another involves fragments of cliched poetry. At 7ish, the restaurant was full, with large groups occupying the tables. Some individual diners ate while working. While people were talking, the atmosphere was far from noisy, as if a mousy librarian was around the corner hushing any rambunctious diners. Service was friendly and obliging, distinctly un-librarian esque, which was a plus. It seems the normal rambunctious, homey style of a burger joint is lost in an attempt for sophistication, leaving a restaurant parading as a library. V

NEW ITALIAN RESTAURANT TERRONE ON CALIFORNIA AVENUE DREAMS BIG BUT STUMBLES IN EXECUTION

ARCHING TO THE POUNDING rhythm of its own tune, Terrone — a new restaurant at 448 S. California Ave., Palo Alto — oozes cutting-edge ambition with its monochromatic tiling and sleek decor, making one thing clear: this is no homey Italian restaurant dishing up a healthy serving of Parmesan cheese and congeniality. Determined not to be typecast in the style of Buca di Beppo, it covets the role of the slick newcomer, and its high prices and contemporary design certainly make it a contender. Its staff already has its sleeves rolled up for battle, armed with smiles and a nonstop dedication to diners that extends even to the minute details of how to time the arrival of a pizza with pasta or appetizers. Meanwhile, Maico Campilongo, one of three owners along with brother Franco Campilongo and chef Krystryan D’Angelo, greets customers with a stream of hugs that, intentional or not, make everyone who enters the restaurant feel like family. Yet, and perhaps not surprisingly for a restaurant that opened in February of this year, Terrone misses some of its cues, leading to an unbalanced dining experience that makes each course feel like a meal at a completely different restaurant. Although the servers have good intentions, their checkups are sometimes so regular as to make one feel smothered, and their unfamiliarity with the menu would make any diner hesitate. When we asked one waiter for recommendations, he seemed caught off guard and we fumbled through an uncomfortable exchange before finally deciding on the burrata cheese ($10), an appetizer of grilled eggplant, cherry tomatoes, basil, olive oil and crostini topped with fresh cheese made from a mixture of mozzarella and

cream. The presentation is far more inspired than the food itself. Plated with a flower of eggplant slices, it features a pile of unappetizingly cold and stringy coagulated clumps of under seasoned cheese and none of the runny, creamy mozzarella that is a hallmark of fine burrata. On the other hand, the fava bean and broccoli rabé with pepperoncino calabrese ($10), another appetizer, rises to the challenge in a way that the burrata simply can’t compete with. Moderately spiced with pepper and chili oil, it offers a distinctly Asianinspired twist that, while at odds with Terrone’s goal to impart tastes of Naples, is still delicious. The grilled romaine salad with avocado and cherry tomato ($10) makes its way back to Italy, and with good timing. The grill imbues a slightly smoky flavor that pairs well with the lemon dressing — although we do wish there had been more of the salad. A main course pasta dish seemed in order, so we ordered the much-recommended scialatielli ($17) — a dish of thick, long spaghetti with mushrooms, olive oil, and rosemary — flaunts an unreasonable price given the small portion of pasta served. The mushrooms infuse the homemade noodles with complex fungal undertones, but their density is slightly off-putting, leading to an overly spongy, rubbery bite. Of course, a visit to Terrone isn’t about the appetizers, salads or any of the menu’s other distractions: it’s about the pizza. Clearly visible even from the street is its Italian-shipped woodfired pizza oven, its fiery innards flickering faintly. Equally impressive is its designation as a certified Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana pizzeria, bestowed upon it by the VPN and the Italian

Text by KATY ABBOTT and KATHERINE PRICE Photography by KATY ABBOTT

MARGHERITA The margherita pizza ($14) features a crust made with Caputo flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and plenty of fior di latte mozzarella.

government for its dedication to Neapolitan pizza making. “We follow the same rules that used to be followed 300 or 400 years ago in Naples with the modern yeast and the Caputo flour, and the way we work,” Campilongo says about the designation. So of course, the pizza seemed like the perfect opportunity for Terrone to strut its stuff. Terrone’s crust is consistently the highlight of any of its pizza; the thin, lightly charcoaled dough screams complex, yeasty flavors. From there, however, it becomes largely a hit or miss experience that made enjoyable dining overly dependent on an ability to decipher the minimalist menu. The Quattro Stagione ($16), a pizza divided into four quadrants with prosciutto, artichoke, olive and mushroom adorning each quarter respectively, is nothing special. The blandness of the San Marzano tomato sauce quickly faded in our memory, while the toppings are scarce — who knew mushrooms were such an endangered species? Perhaps that is for the best, because on the other end of the garnish spectrum, the sauceless Tricolore ($18) makes the prospect of abundant toppings a cause for alarm. Its appeal to deconstructivism lost on us, we stared, bewildered, at the pile of arugula, cherry tomatoes, and cold buffalo mozzarella that sat in the middle of our pizza, an island surrounded by a sea of crust. The safest bet, a margherita pizza ($14), plays it simple, relying on an age-old tradition of velvety tomatoes and creamy cheese. As well-executed as it was, it also served as a reminder that the restaurant’s ability to deliver on the classics sometimes gets lost in translation when it comes to the more high-concept dishes. This sentiment is echoed in the dessert menu, which Terrone

executes admirably, relying on tried-and-true Italian favorites. Under a fervent belief that a genuine Italian restaurant can be judged by the quality of its gelato and tiramisu, we felt it was time to let Terrone blow us away. And finally, three acts in, it really did. The tiramisu ($8) has exactly the creamy, consistent texture that we had looked for in the burrata, with a subtle but developed hint of rum and a light, not-too-sweet flavor. Characteristic of its name, which in Italian means “pick-me-up,” the tiramisu was the kind of ending that made amends for any previous disappointments. The vanilla gelato affogato al caffe ($8), fresh coffee poured over two scoops of vanilla gelato, evenhandedly manages the demands of the competing flavors, resulting in a sophisticated and satisfying take on coffee ice cream. The true winner, however, is the caramel gelato with sea salt and olive oil ($8). As rich as the caramel is, the olive oil manages to balance out the sweet intensity. Kingdoms could be conquered on the strength of Terrone’s gelato alone, and the verdict on the sea salt’s presence is in, making it official: from here on out, any unsalted caramels should be rounded up and promptly punished. Our appreciation for the dessert was similarly mirrored by fellow diners; because of its popularity, the restaurant is known to run out. Three-month-old Terrone is a toddler of a restaurant, the kind that, despite its dreams of adulthood, still sometimes trips over itself and lacks judgment. Its desire to be adventurous is a stumbling block, but if you trust your gut and order the classics, Terrone will deliver. Beneath the edgy exterior and sparsely described menu lies an inexperienced but ambitious new addition to California Avenue’s diverse and vibrant dining scene. V

Sugar F

CULTURE

FROZEN TREATS HELP FIGHT TH Text by HANAKO GALLAGHER and ALYSSA TAKAHASHI Photography by ALYSSA TAKAHASHI Design by HANAKO GALLAGHER

S SUMMER APPROACHES, YOU may be tempted to reach for your standard pint of mint chocolate chip from Trader Joe’s. Instead, try one of these three variations on the classic frozen treat. We sampled flavors from across the board. Whether you’re looking for something rich, decadent, authentic, light, or fresh, read on for your chilled prescription. As you walk into GELATO CLASSICO on Emerson in downtown Palo Alto, it is alive with the energized chatter of children and families. This busy shop has a large array of extravagant gelatos, ranging from dark chocolate to creme brulee. Be wary though; it comes at a steep price. If you go to this traditional Italian joint, stick to what it knows best. The spumoni, an adventurous mix of chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, almond, fig, cherry and orange lends a new ice cream experience with every complex, different bite.

Fix

UBE

HE SUMMER HEAT FRAICHE’s modern and relaxed vibe welcomes all sorts of dessert enthusiasts, not just those on the “fro yo health benefit” craze. The Olallieberry Pie combo from the menu includes plain frozen yogurt, olallieberry puree, and graham crackers. It nicely combines the tartness of the natural yogurt with the sweetness and texture of the jam. The pomegranate-flavored and regular yogurts also provide the same simple taste without being boring. If you are looking for something filling, pack on the toppings. Or, simply order the natural yogurt if you want a lighter, more refreshing treat.

With its yellow and cream striped walls, shiny red seating, and infamous 3-D cow mural, stepping into RICK’S ICE CREAM in midtown Palo Alto feels like entering a 50s diner. The fixture has been satisfying the Bay Area’s sugar cravings for 57 years. This welcoming mom and pop shop flaunts 48 flavors, best-sellers being salty caramel, ube (a purple yam), and industrial chocolate. The salted caramel maintains an exciting flavor and texture balance. While ordering at Fraiche is all about the toppings, every ice cream at Rick’s holds its own, unadulterated. The three available toppings — mini M&Ms, rainbow sprinkles, mini gummy bears — are plenty to compliment the ice cream. v

Gelato Classico 435 Emerson St Palo Alto, CA 94301

Fraiche Yogurt 200 Hamilton Ave Palo Alto, CA 94301

INDUSTRIAL CHOCOLATE

ROSE

SALTY CARAMEL

Rick’s Ice Cream 3946 Middlefield Rd Palo Alto, CA 94303 49

Riding in STYLE

EXPLORING PALO ALTAN MODES OF TRANSPORTATION Text by OLIVIA KOYMA Photography by OLIVIA KOYAMA and CHARU SRIVASTAVA

OM KABAT IS USED TO POINTED fingers and gawked mouths as he rides down the streets of Palo Alto. Kabat knows he’s asking for it though, with his quirkily shaped contraptions. From spliced parts of scavenged bikes, skateboards, roller blades and more, he not only fixes, but enhances and builds new vehicles. Kabat does not sell his creations, but simply finds enjoyment in making a fully functional, original invention. “I used to look at antiques a lot,” Kabat says. “ But after I biked across the country and became much more interested in bikes.” Kabat begins the process of building a bike by dumpster diving at Stanford University. It takes Kabat about a week to finish most bikes, a majority of the time spent thinking and engineering the bike design. “Once there were some Stanford music students that were carving up bikes to make musical instruments,” Kabat says. “They were just going to throw away the old pieces, so I offered to take it off their hands.” The complicated designs combining skateboards, bikes, skis, and scooters all come to life through an experimental process without blueprints or rulers. “I can usually make do with using cardboard cutout [of parts] as measurements,” Kabat says. In contrast with Kabat’s obscure bikes, the purple curtains and silver hubcaps of a Hearse catches the eyes of many in the Palo Alto community. “You could call the hearse an impulse buy,” says Clark Vineyard, a Palo Alto High School Alumnus and current car mechanic, “I was like a kid in a candy store. I bought it on Craigslist just an hour after making an initial phone call.” Originally abandoned in a self-storage yard in Campbell, the hearse was a rusty gray color in need of a lot of work. “I look at my hearses as having performed their grim duty for years and now retired to the next, more relaxed phase in their lives,” Vineyard says

regarding its unknown past as a hearse. “Though they [continue] to carry their mystique with them.” Vineyard’s interest in automobile engineering began when he was just 14. Vineyard, who has worked in several restoration shops, fondly remembers Auto Shop at Paly with Teacher Doyle. “While I threw away most of my other high school work,” Vineyard says, “I admit I do still look at my Auto notes from time to time when restoring a car.” Vineyard acknowledges that most of the money spent in the restoration business is in returning the cars to their original factory condition, but this type of restoration is not always possible. “I spend enough money on a car to make it worth it for the buyer to spend,” Vineyard, “But the cars are getting more and more rare. Sometimes there have [already] been too many changes made by [a previous owner] that I just enjoy the car in its new form.” Of the 12 different cars he owns, four surround his house: a black matte chevy, a 1964 Cadillac with zebra print seats, the Hearse, and a tan 1963 Cadillac. Having eccentric-looking cars is enjoyable, but Vineyard still believes a cooperating car is key. “The 1964 Cadillac is my favorite,” Vineyard says. “It is a loud, fun, statement car that is extraordinarily reliable.” Although finding enough space to park all his cars can be a challenge, the inconveniences are overlooked. “People love the nostalgia and react well to seeing classic cars driving around,” Vineyard says. “The attention and appreciation from people when I drive is a big payoff.” v

eorge Hoffman Class of 1997

Congrats Paly Football 2012

Katie Zhang Class of 2014

In Honor of Paly Rocks

Celebrating The Viking 2012-2013

The Way Family Sally & Bill Mary 2012 Frank 2015

PAVERS for PALY

Commemor Garden C

Joan Whit Class of 2

The Media Arts Boosters is sponsoring a wonderful opportunity for you to leave a legacy Purchase a Paly Sidewalk Paver to honor your Student, Teacher, Class, Program or Club. Your personalized, engraved paver will be installed in front of the new Media Arts building, slated to open next school year.

Bill Carv Class of 2

Send in this pledge form to ensure your paver space. We will contact you later with payment details. ACT NOW THIS IS A LIMITED TIME OPPORTUNITY!!

In Honor of Anime Club

In Honor GSA

FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS:

1. Provide your order information: Name: _________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________

Justin Wong Class of 2016

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What’s in a home? AN INQUIRY INTO PALO ALTO’S GEMS Text and Photography by MELISSA WEN

S A CITY GAL OF THE 21st CENTURY, I HAVE ALWAYS been jealous of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her little house on the prairie. Of course, I know that I’m lucky to live in fancy Silicon Valley, with computers and education and oodles of frozen yogurt at my fingertips. But how can a modern suburb compare to the grit and sunshine of barely settled America, the beautiful uncertainty and untouched loveliness of a pioneer’s world? I couldn’t find any time machines on eBay, though, so I guess I’ll play explorer with the only prairie I’ve got. What tucked-away adventures does Palo Alto hold?

EL PALO ALTO One hundred feet tall and 90 inches in diameter, the El Palo Alto Redwood has lived in the park of the same name for more than 1,000 years. It’s identifiable among the other redwoods by its sheer height as well as an aged metal sign on a large boulder. For a dose of reverence, try leaning your hands on the trunk and looking up through its ladder of branches. Or, read the signs scattered along the park’s path for an outdoor history lesson. Did you know that the earliest recorded explorers of Palo Alto camped out here in 1769? Next to the tree a curved bridge extends over San Francisquito creek, water rippling on one side and standing still as glass on the other. Lean on the rail for a rest during your morning jog, or stop by just at sunset for some visual poetry. Standing in the peach-grey glow of a fading sky, you’ll hear birds toss their vocal flutters against the soft rumble of engines speeding in the distance.

BARRON PARK DONKEYS Take a stroll down the bike path in Barron Park to find Palo Alto’s four-legged movie star: Perry the donkey, after which the famous donkey in Shrek was modeled (albeit with shorter legs and longer ears, according to handler Bob Frost). Now around 18 years old, he spends long spring afternoons chasing around his best friend Miner 49er (nicknamed Niner), who has been Perry’s donkey companion since 1998, the year Mickey, Barron Park’s original donkey, passed away. Both Perry and Niner welcome a steady stream of fans. Meet them at Bol Park on a Sunday morning, where they venture out every week from 10- a.m. to 11 a.m. Or, visit their corral to pat their big furry heads, and maybe watch one of them dip his neck through the fence in entreaty of a treat. According to Frost, you might be able to help serve dinner if you stop by at feeding time, although he warns against slipping the donkeys extra food. “He’s getting pretty tubby,” Frost says with a glance at Niner, who is clawing at the ground for an afternoon snack.

BORONDA LAKE AT FOOTHILLS PARK I visited this island just off the coast of Boronda Lake for the first time at a third grade birthday party. Now that I am a couple feet taller the landscape no longer seems particularly vast; stepping foot on the island, though, still feels like entering a self-contained universe. This miniature Eden offers delights along every sloping path, from one half-blown dandelion and two swinging pink flowers among a bed of green branches, to a single rustic bench etched with tender pairings of initials and plus signs (A+L, whomever you are, I hope the strength of your love exceeds that of your wood carving ability). The multitude of tall grasses and trees make the center of the island a perfectly private picnic spot, so bring some friends, maybe, for an evening to remember. Or, venture out on a tall rock and watch ducks stroll across the incandescent water until you shed whatever it is that you would like to forget. It’s easy to lose the rest of the world while here — just watch out for poison oak.

PALO ALTO CAFE Marbled apricot walls, polished wooden tables under perpetually dim light, crescendo of a soft-rock ballad to the rustling of newspapers — after a year-long affair with the Palo Alto Cafe, I have its details memorized. Yet even now I’m not sure what’s most alluring. I do love the abundance of seating, enough that I never feel guilty lingering for hours over a $5 purchase. Then again I’m also enamored with the fruit smoothies ($4.95), especially the creamy Hawaiian Gulp and sweetly sour Berry Rush. The bagels and coffee aren’t bad either — what they lack in glamor, they make up for in generosity. In addition to the above perks, it could be the cozy, cracked couches in the corner, familiar faces behind the counter, and pleasantly tart raspberry Italian sodas that bring me back to the Palo Alto Café every Sunday. Or it could be this. As a college-bound senior, I have spent the past few months waiting like a sprinter, bags half-packed, to become a pioneer and find my place in the big, bad world. But here in this café, every cup of coffee has me stalling, sipping the simple, splendid, indefinite taste of home and wondering if maybe I’ve arrived already after all. v

Ling Lau

劉琳

Active Community Member and Successful Realtor with Alain Pinel Realtors 650-543-1055

llau@apr.com

POWDERPUFF Text and Photography by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

WHISTLE BLOWS and in a flash, 14 girls charge at each other. Junior Keri Gee dashes across the lacrosse field, a football tucked under her arm and two freshman girls at her heel. As Gee steps over the final yard line, the sidelines erupt into a roaring cheer. Powderpuff, an annual three-day championship, is a lunchtime female flag football competition and a long-time tradition at Palo Alto High School. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tournament started with an upsetting freshman victory over the seniors, while the juniors defeated the sophomores on day two. The final showdown of juniors vs freshman culminated with a junior win. v LEFT Freshman Siggi Bengston pulls off Junior Keri Geeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s belt during the final game. ABOVE Sophomores Maddie Kinnaman and Adrianna Rohas take their positions. TOP RIGHT Senior Nina Kelty sprints past the freshman team. RIGHT Sophomore Jane Schoenberger scores during the third play against the juniors. BELOW The crowd watches as the freshmen score against the seniors in the last play. BOTTOM LEFT Juniors and sophomores high-five at the end of the match.

Photo by SOO SONG

COVER

EQUALITY ISN’T UP FOR DEBATE WOMEN OF THE VALLEY

59 65 19

equality isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t up for

DEBATE a look into the gender discrimination in paly extracurriculars

Text by Sharon Tseng Photography by Charu srivastava & Sharon tseng Design by Lisie Sabbag 59

he ingredients in Palo Alto High School director of speech and debate Jennie Savage bitchcakes are simple: flour, eggs, a large dose of female assertiveness and a pinch of male chauvinism. Before we delve further into the realm of debate and bitchcakes, let’s take a detour to robotics, still exploring high school emerging sexism. Although bitchcakes are not awarded in robotics, all the ingredients are present. At robotics competitions and other events I attend with my all-girls robotics team, which is not affiliated with Paly but from 20 different high schools around the Bay Area, people commonly praise us for combating sexism and persisting as female engineers. Partially because I spend most of robotics surrounded by my female teammates and the generally supportive robotics community and because our team is relatively successful, the sexism I experience is always subtle though, a comment or action that doesn’t sit right but that I can easily ignore. Like robotics, many high school extracurricular activities mirror and prepare high schoolers for the professional workplace of their choice. Unfortunately, they frequently also display the conflicts and discrimination of the workplace. In examining Palo Alto High School’s robotics and debate teams, I found latent sexism that later could blossom into the very issues women struggle with in the working environment. Paly’s robotics team, like many other robotics teams, is run predominantly by males. During a recent regional robotics competition at UC Davis, 25 boys and five girls attended. Of the leadership team, two positions out of 10 are occupied by females - public relations and treasurer, positions not related to the technical aspects of robotics.

According to head coach of the Paly robotics team Chris Kuszmaul, many girls have expressed concern to him or left the team because they did not feel comfortable in the almost exclusively male environment. “Part of it is momentum,” he says. “If there’s a group of boys in a room, no matter what’s going on there, it’s going to be hard to have girls feel welcome going in. Internal affairs captain David Najork, a junior, says this has been an improvement from previous years where denigrating, hostile comments were made toward girls, usually in a joking matter. Over the years, the Paly robotics team has attempted to tackle its own gender divide by being more welcoming and encouraging team members to participate in all parts of robotics. Freshman Jenny Xin, who joined the robotics team this year, found the environment a little unsettling though not blatantly sexist. “There were a lot of males on the team but it’s still a very welcoming community,” she says. Team leaders this year are especially proud of their student-made Code of Conduct, which among common rules such as “get here on time,” include “do not make hate speech based on gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. This includes jokes.” With concrete policies and classroom discipline consequences, team members have been much more respectful. According to a 2011 report by the U.S. Department of Commerce, women make up 48 percent of the workforce but only 24 percent of the STEM workforce. In 2009, only 14 percent of engineers were female. Kuszmaul points to high school robotics as an example of female disinterest in STEM fields. “If you don’t have girls doing robotics or computer science in high school, it’s hard to believe that they will suddenly start

doing it in college,” he says. In a different world, one of rhetoric and argumentation, Savage faces a similar problem. While females make up over 50 percent of her novice debaters this year, most of her upperclassmen female debaters choose to debate on the local rather than national circuit. Paly’s debate team of about 55 students participates exclusively in LincolnDouglas debate, which tries to balance philosophical and empirical argumentation. Three-fourths of the team compete on the national circuit, where sexism is much more prominent. The national judges consist mainly of male coaches in their early to mid 20s who debated in high school or college. On the local circuit, where most of the girls can be found, judges are mainly parents of debaters. “I think we need to ask the question that way,” Savage says. “Not just ‘How many girl debaters do you have’ but ‘Do they compete on the national circuit?’ And the answer is no because it’s really, really sexist.” Currently, about a fourth of Paly debaters on the national circuit are female. Girls become discouraged on the national level because of the hostile environment and because judges are less likely to vote for them. In the past 27 years of the Lincoln Douglas Debate Tournament of Champions, an extremely prestigious high school debate tournament, only a fourth of the winners have been females. A key cause of this gender divide lies in perceptual dominance, a technique in which debaters present themselves, regardless of the actual substance of the argument, in a way that makes them appear to be winning. “Everything that you do in life is about being perceptually dominant,” Savage says. “Whether it’s about making a transaction or making a negotiation, trying to get your

“ They only both e r to ca ll you a bit ch T h at ’ s it. So I know if m y g ir ls a r e g e t t i n g i t ’s b ecause the y’re g iv ing t he old boys a r u n Paly d ir ec tor 60

way, trying to convince your parents, you want to be the perceptually dominant person in a negotiation… It can be everything from body language to tone of voice to how you move your hands.” Although perceptual dominance usually wins the favor of judges, females are penalized for demonstrating too much confidence. “If [girls are] as assertive as the boys are, they’re called bitches,” Savage says. “They’re seen as aggressive rather than assertive.” This creates a catch-22 where girls can either compete like the boys and get voted down because they are seen as too aggressive, or choose to debate atypically. “They can capitulate and say ‘Alright, I’m not going to be as assertive during cross-examination’ or ‘I’m not going to run the style of cross-examination that the boys are doing’ and they get voted down because they can’t play the game the way that the boys do,” Savage says. While it is widely acknowledged that male debaters are disproportionately represented, rarely are females voted down to purposefully exclude women from debate. “People throw around the word sexism, but sexism is a very unintentional, subconscious thing in the context of debate,” says former Paly debater and current Paly debate coach Alex Carter, who also judges debate on the national circuit. “The problem persists, but not necessarily because of hostility on the part of the community.” Carter actively checks himself for unconsciously judging female debaters by harsher standards for not being feminine. “Being cognizant of this double-standard is a good first step to reducing sexism in debate,” Carter says. “As a judge or even an observer, when I am taken aback by something a female debater does, I think ‘Would I react the same way if a guy did that?’ This kind of self-checking is impor-

yo u beat t h e m . ca l l e d b i t che s, f or thei r m one y.”

ELECTRIC FEEL Members of Paly’s robotics team fix the wiring on their robot in preperation for a demonstration at Jordan Middle School

— J enni e savag e , of s p ee c h a nd de b ate 61

“ Ju st b e cause the is s u e of s exi sm is not im m e d iat e ly o b v i ous to you, doe s n’ t m e an i t ’s not th e re.”

— Alex Carter , PALY DEBATE COACH

tant if we want to make progress.” Carter, as a self-described “tall white dude with a deep voice,” initially did not even realize he was benefiting from the discrimination. Only after years of debating and discussion with female debaters did he become aware of the issue. “That’s what people don’t realize,” Carter says. “Just because the issue of sexism is not immediately obvious to you, doesn’t mean it’s not there.” Savage sees the double-standard clearly among female and male debaters in the way the debate community as a whole, including the debaters, coaches and judges, view debating styles. “Boys don’t get called dicks, really,” she says. “They get called ballers. If a guy’s being a jerk in a round, ‘Oh he’s awesome, he’s a baller.’ [If] a girl is showing that same amount or even less aggressiveness or witty sarcasm or intellectual sarcasm, she gets called a bitch in a derogatory way.” To survive on the national circuit as a female requires more than just great debate skills. In addition to intellectual prowess, successful female debaters require resilience, grit and a substantial amount of tolerance for high school boys. “There isn’t a nurturing environment,” Savage says. “If you want to go on the national level, well you better really toughen your skin and you better find joy in having your colleagues be at least 90 percent high school boys because the girls aren’t out there anymore.” Savage first began her debate career with policy debate as a high school freshman in Montgomery, Ala. Savage also participated in many other activities such as track and cheerleading but loved the intellectual aspect of debate. “It was a way for me to be competitive and a strong woman and not be a shrink-

ing violet or try to play being a cheerleader only,” Savage says. Her passion for debate led to her interest in public policy and work on Capitol Hill as a researcher for the Children’s Defense Fund and in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative director. She excelled at debate, often earning awards for public speaking at competitions. Although she was called a bitch, at that time she didn’t mind, as the alternative meant being passively nice. “In the southern culture, if you’re a woman, you can either be sweet or you can be a bitch,” Savage says. “There’s no in between. I wasn’t interested in being sweet. I’m a kind person but I’m not a sweet person.” And when she became a coach 10 years ago, the discrimination continued. “If there’s a woman in the back of the room judging, she’s called a ‘mommy judge’ because automatically, the contestants assume that she’s a woman so she doesn’t belong here,” Savage says. “She’s not a coach, she couldn’t have done debate or made it on the national level because there are so few women who are successful on the national level.” She considered quitting after the sexism she witnessed and experienced but eventually stayed, partially to help women remain in the national circuit. “There have been times when I’ve wanted to throw my hands up and say ‘Forget it, I’m not competing on the national circuit anymore’,” Savage says. “I can’t take it as a coach.” She instead learned to find happiness in interacting with students. “I can’t be doing this for accolades from my colleagues on the debate circuit or I can’t be doing it and think that the boy debaters are going to respect me for being an

intellectual force because they’re not,” she says. “I have to do it for the sheer joy of working with [the students] at Paly and for the community that I get to create here.” These different perceptions of the two genders persists past just high school. “It’s absolutely true among adults as well,” says Natalie Rasgon, Stanford University professor of psychiatry. “There is a double-standard where women who are assertive and efficient sometimes are perceived as arrogant and demanding.” In an experiment by Stanford professor Frank Flynn in the early 2000s, his graduate business students read a Harvard business case study on entrepreneur Heidi Roizen. Half of the students received a copy in which Heidi’s name was changed to

CAPTION CAPTION CAPTION FUN

Howard throughout. While students found Heidi and Howard equally competent, they rated Heidi as much more aggressive and were less likely to want to work with her compared to Howard. “It’s all about how people perceive what you try to communicate,” Rasgon says. Savage has worked to bring the issue of sexism in debate to light and combat this issue. “[She has] definitely helped change how people approach the idea of women in debate however and particularly the role of sexism in debate,” says senior debater Ben Hawthorne. “I think she brings that issue to the forefront for a lot of members of the Paly team while I think on a lot of

teams, it would just slip under the radar.” According to Hawthorne, Savage encourages those on the Paly debate team interested in feminism by giving them books or articles. She also makes sure to hire both female and male coaches so role models of both genders are available for her debaters. “We can’t change how other programs are run, but if we set a good example showing that debate doesn’t have to be an ‘old boy’s club,’ then that is definitely a form of progress,” Carter says. However, change within the Paly team is only the first step toward progress. “As a team, no one would ever say we are ‘sexist,’ but that’s not really the issue,” Carter says. “The important thing is that the broader debate community can some-

PASSING ON THE KNOWLEDGE Paly director of speech and debate Jennie Savage emphasizes a point about anthropocentrism during a debate practice

times be a harsh place for women, and as long as we are aware of that and work toward maintaining a supportive team environment, we can minimize the harmful effects of sexism on our own debaters.” As suggested by many in the debate community, the way to alter these gender perceptions is simply more participation by female debaters. This would increase the chances of female debate successes and the number of females who stay in debate, leading to more women coaches and judges and a decrease in sexism. To bring further attention to the issue, Savage started the bitchcakes. “People don’t call you a bitch because you’re a bad debater,” Savage says. “They only bother to call you a bitch because you

LOUD AND PROUD Paly debate coach Nadia Arid (left) and Jennie Savage (right) pose with a bitchcake at a debate practice

“ I kn o w we’ v e got m o r e b itch e s i n t he pi peli n e. We’ v e got s ome s uper st r ong wo men .” — Jennie savage 64

beat them. That’s it. So I know that if my girls are getting called bitches, it’s because they’re giving the old boys a run for their money.” If a competitor is overheard calling a female debater a bitch, Savage makes her a bitchcake: a celebratory cake with a large B and asterisk iced on it in green. Similarly, if a Paly male debater challenges someone who calls another a bitch and points out their sexism, he gets a bitchcake as well. Although several female Paly debaters have received a bitchcake, no males have yet. Still, Savage says many Paly male debaters have stood up vocally for female debaters. “I know we’ve got more bitches in the pipeline,” Savage says. “We’ve got some super strong women, some really tenacious women.” The purpose of the bitchcakes is not only to expose inherent flaws in debate but also to honor confident, successful female debaters. “I’d be worried if they weren’t because

I didn’t want to be the kind of woman that they didn’t feel intellectually vexed by. And that’s one of the things I really want to instill in my team too.” Savage recalls an important memory from the night of her high school graduation she will never forget. She remembers two popular boys coming up to her and saying, “you know, I just wanted to tell you that I thought it was really, really cool that you did debate and I wish I had done it. But I saw the hell you went through being teased for being on the debate team and I wasn’t strong enough to go through that. I just couldn’t. But I always looked at you and thought that I wish that I could do that because I think that what she’s doing is really cool.” These small moments of appreciation, as subtle as the negative incidences, help fuel the slow but sure movement toward equality. If I can open people’s eyes through high school robotics, I am hopeful that we are moving faster in the right direction. v

Women of the

Valley FOUR WOMEN ASCEND THE LADDER IN MALE-DOMINATED SILICON VALLEY Text by ANA CARANO, SOO SONG and CASSIEL MORONEY Photography by SOO SONG

nn Lewnes recalls, at age 25, being offered a promotion at a previous company — but with a salary significantly less than that of her male predecessor. She had two options: avoid an awkward confrontation, or challenge the figure. She chose the latter. “I came in and I said I understood his individual salary was such and such,” she says. “I said I really deserved that salary... They gave it to me. If I hadn’t [asked], it probably wouldn’t have happened at that time.” Lewnes, who is now the Chief Marketing Officer at Adobe, says she learned a key lesson from this past experience: to always speak up for herself. “No one is ever going to represent you,” she says. “You’re the one who’s in charge of your career.”

The Four Women Lewnes’ story brings up the contradiction between innovation and inequality that exists even in the Silicon Valley. As the young face of the future, the Valley is a symbol for the progressive high-tech industry of the South Bay. And, it is our home. But such an innovative culture still has fewer women working in tech jobs than men and for less pay. According to a 2011 report by Measure of America, a non-partisan and non-profit initiative of the Social Science Research Council, women only earn 49 cents on a man’s dollar. To explore this issue and gain a broader perspective, Verde has tapped into the stories of four women who have found success working in the Valley. As Adobe’s senior vice president and Chief Marketing Officer, Ann Lewnes controls international marketing and company outreach. Carol Larson is Chief Executive Officer and president of the Packard foundation in Los Altos, which works to improve education, expand reproductive health and curb climate change. Soo Been Kim, who recently graduated from Wellesley College, currently works in business development at Youtube. Lauren Barley, after working in various marketing positions, is now a

senior researcher for the Harvard Business School. She studies Silicon Valley companies to create test cases for business students. Each of these women have lived outside the Valley, and all agree that the excitement of working here is worth its caveats. “The second I got here, I knew I was going to stay here,” Lewnes says. “Companies here have such an impact on global economy, on culture and anything. I can’t imagine working in another industry.”

A Mostly Male Meritocracy

COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT Carol Larson is CEO of the Packard Foundation, Ann Lewnes is Chief Marketing Officer at Adobe Corporation and Lauren Barley is a senior researcher for Harvard Business School.

Lewnes finds that the results-oriented culture of Silicon Valley overcomes the prejudice that might otherwise haunt companies. According to Lewnes, anyone who works hard and creates a good product will be treated with respect. “I never really felt prejudice against my gender,” Lewnes says. “My ability to demonstrate results always was more important than whether I was a woman or not.” A focus on delivering results didn’t work quite as well for Barley. “I was pretty results-oriented and I’m pretty driven when I want things,” she says. “And in one company, I think this was seen as being too abrasive, and there were peers who were men that weren’t seen as abrasive.” But looking back, Barley admits that there is a “fine line” and that the Valley today is a much different world. Larsen feels the same, saying that huge strides have been made for gender equality in the workplace. “It’s an exciting time for women, because of where the world is,” she says. “And especially here, where we have good education, good examples, good quality of life.” Kim adds that, in instances when she was one of few, she has never felt disadvantaged for being a woman. “They were a very supportive team,” she says of her male coworkers. “They wanted to have more women, they just had more male candidates. There was ... extra appreciation for the fact that I was different.”

This is Just the Beginning Even if Silicon Valley culture is welcoming to women, statistically speaking, the number of women in the industry is still disproportionately low. Barley mostly encounters men in her research of Silicon Valley companies, which is consistent with Kim’s experience as one of few women working for the ‘tech’ part of Google. Kim is often the only woman on creative teams that require mastery of computer science, although she encounters more women in teams that require less technical knowledge. Lewnes is an executive in a field where, according to the 2011 UC Davis Study of California Women Business Leaders, fewer than one in 28 executives are female. Few women pursue the tech jobs that are most popular in Silicon Valley, such as software development for Hewlett Packard or web engineering for Google. In a May 1 story, National Public Radio reported that only 18 percent of all Computer Science majors are women. “Women are less inclined to apply for jobs that require technical skills,” Kim says. “It definitely has to start in school...There’s this notion that [technology is] this thing that only 30 people know know how to do, and so whenever I tutored or TA’d for an intro to computer science class the responses I got at the end of class were like ‘Oh my god, I didn’t know it was like this,’ or ‘Oh, I didn’t know that it was like fun,’ or ‘I didn’t know I could do this.’”

ley. One such example is the CLUB, which attempts to help change the leadership ratios in the Silicon Valley by providing empowerment and inspiration for aspiring women leaders. The organization hosts various forums and events to establish a sense of community among Silicon Valley women, and is joined by other organizations such as Change the Ratio, a website for open discussions on the gender gap in tech, and Girls Who Code, a nonprofit that aims to educate and equip high school girls to pursue jobs in technology.

Taking Charge Besides networking, Lewnes cites decisiveness and strong communication skills as the keys to success. “You have to work really well with people and through people,” she says. Lewnes adds that strong writing and verbal skills can’t hurt, but that it ultimately comes down to the individual’s actions and accomplishments. “You have to set a course for yourself,” she says. “You determine what kind of person you want to be.” v

Joining the Club To close the gender gap and bring women into the tech industry, all four women agree that support is critical. Such help can come either through professional networks or relationships with family and friends. “It’s important to have good relationships,” Larson says. “You need grounding.” And while these connections may take some work and investment, Lewnes agrees that they are worthwhile. “When I was younger I really didn’t want to have a network,” Lewnes says. “It seemed like an additional layer of responsibility that I didn’t want to have.” However, she soon realized that this mindset was impractical. “Your network is so important while you’re working,” she says. “People are how you do things and get things done. Especially, as you’re moving up the ladder, it’s important to have a network inside your company as well as outside your company.” The importance of connections has led to a surge of clubs and associations of women working in Silicon Val-

FRESH NEW FACE Soo Been Kim works in new business development at Youtube. Photos courtesy of Soo Been Kim.

RA P E a

com piled by LISIE SABBAG

Ge nd er

r oles

co m m un i t y

di scussi o n

Verde chose to publish the “Rape Culture” cover package from last issue to start what we saw as much-needed discourse in the Paly community. We were heartened when students, parents and teachers in the Bay Area started talking about the causes of rape culture and the issues of consent. After 8,000 views on The Paly Voice, 15,000 on the Issuu Verde Magazine and 3,400 in print, the story has had a greater impact than we could have imagined. Gathered here is a selection of comments taken from social media and news outlets that we felt were representative of the conversation as a whole.

and

As a woman, though, I do feel girls need to find a way to express their power potential over boys/men other than dressing so provocatively. ... I’m not saying the girls deserve it, I just wish they could respect themselves more than objectifying themselves. Probably not a very popular view but I think the girls do have some responsibility about putting themselves in a poor position. Ultimately, the only thing we are a victim of is our own choices. — “Felicity”, Los Altos on Palo Alto Online

C U LT U RE

r ap e

cul t ur e

Sexual assault and sexual exploitation is not being clearly defined for our young people. When the brutality and violence often associated with rape isn’t present this can sometimes cause a person to second guess whether they were just victimized or not. Young girls (and boys) need to know that they do not need to be coerced into giving it up freely. ... I’ve talked to many young girls who truly believe that if a boy takes them out they are obligated to have sex with them. —Paullette Creel Segovia, Antioch Calif., on Mercury News

As it turns out, boys WILL be boys. Back in my day (mid-1960s in the southern U.S.) everyone understood you were not supposed to “do it” before marriage. Although many went ahead and did it anyway, at least that rule gave girls an automatic “out” if they chose to say no . These days, unfortunately, girls have no “outs” and i find that sad. ... . They need good legitimate excuses to say “no”. — “Well...”, Baron Park on Palo Alto Online

Prevention through education and awareness Discussions of respect for others must begin in very early childhood, at home. Education about sexual activity & behaviors must begin at home, prepuberty. Older kids are usually too embarrassed or reticent to speak about & freely question their parents about “sex”. —Anonymous on Palo Alto Online Nothing is more powerful than peers teaching peers about this topic. It’s beyond time for us to push back against society’s awful complacency about rape. — B. Cranmer, Granite Bay High School Ursus adviser on The Paly Voice Anyone surprised that a Steubenville-type alleged sexual assault could have happened in the weathly community of Saratoga shouldn’t be. It’s not unusual even in highly educated Palo Alto, one student reporter learned. — Vlae Kershner, Sfgate director

Just as this culture demeans women by reducing them to be sex objects (just look at the socalled “beauty” magazines in our supermarkets), men are reduced to slobbering, sex-crazed perverts. All things considered, women get the shorter end of the stick in this equation by a long shot, but I think that most people don’t consider what these attitudes imply about men as well. — Teacher, Palo Alto on Palo Alto Online

READ AND COMMENT ON THE ORIGIONAL RAPE CULTURE PACKAGE ONLINE AT PALYVOICE.COM D i s a g r eements Really? So goofing on classmates that choose to post scantily clad photos to Facebook or wherever is “slut shaming” and verboten? I’m all for equal & fair treatment and I’m frankly startled by the poll numbers of college guys who apparently are totally in favor of consequence free rape. You just sound silly though when you take issue with making fun of people who are by definition clamoring for attention by posting scantily clad photos of themselves on the internet. — “Poster Arthur” on The Paly Voice

Isn’t it a bit much to say that we live in a “rape culture”? (Leave it to some entitled richies from Palo Alto to promote this notion. ...) I would like to see a legitimate, unbiased study on the percentage of American women who have been suffered from rape—by which I mean, Dude, as much as you may think girls deserve to be chastised for dressing how- crucially,a sexual experience that ever they like, slut shaming contributes to rape culture by putting the burden on occurred while they were conscious, women to avoid rape by dressing conservatively. sober, resistant, and demonstrably — “Kyle Delaney” on The Paly Voice resistant. — “Shwartzrl”, on Salon

P e r s o n a l I was a victim of date rape, twice. What I would really love to see is a serious conversation about honorable behavior. So much is focused on responsible behavior (informed consent and protected sex, etc.) that everyone has forgotten that men (and women) who had control over their (sexual) urges were considered stronger and more powerful than those who didn’t. Chivalry is important and it’s high time for that code to be resurrected and modernized for today’s world. — “Another Paly Parent” on KQED’s Forum

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Did I report it? No. Did I do a rape kit? No. Does that mean I wasn’t raped? No!!!! So Susan [previous poster], unless you’ve been in my shoes or those of other women who have been raped. Your statement “It must be confirmed by a rape kit test, or it is not rape” has no merit in my eyes. ... It has impacted my entire adult life. — Anonymous, Leland on Palo Alto Online

accross

In a bold and powerful series ... the students of Palo Alto High have made a dialogue for and by teenagers about the state of rape culture and contemporary adolescence –and they’ve given a lesson to parents and educators alike. It’s a fascinating work, and a model for exactly what far more high schools and colleges across the country should be doing right now. Confront the problem. Examine it. Talk about it. — Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon

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My Paly High kids are very relieved that this topic of discussion has come out. They have two close friends that have been victimized via sexual assault ... The girls also felt at fault due to the drinking but neither had been intoxicated before. ... I’d venture to guess this is frequently how teens become intoxicated - by accident. ... It’s a terrible shame that their peers blame them for the sexual assaults. —Anonymous, Community Center on Palo Alto Online

country

It’s called slut-shaming, and it’s how teens often respond when learning that a classmate has been raped. In the adult world, it’s known as blaming the victim. Awash in a sexualized popular culture, teenage girls who are socialized to act and appear sexually enticing find their quest for popularity and fun sometimes morphing instantly into horror. But with a gulf of confusion among teens separating “yes” and “no,” consent and resistance, it’s often hard to tell the difference between sex and sexual assault. So while victims may be hurt and reeling, they also feel confused — and responsible. And their peers, too often, offer no sympathy, because the impact of sex — especially forced sex — is lost on them. — Sharon Noguchi, San Jose Mercury News

If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, you don’t have to keep quiet. Get help by calling RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE or the local YWCA of Silicon Valley’s crisis hotline 650.493.7273 69

Text by KATY ABBOTT Photography by CHARU SRIVASTAVA and KATY ABBOTT

HELICOPTER PARENTS, HOVER NO MORE

HEN THE WIND STARTS whipping up dirt and debris and the sound of whiny engines and chopping propellers fills the air, take your belongings and run. The helicopter parents have come out in full-force, armed for battle, and they mean business. It’s impossible to navigate high school without encountering the abrasive blades of a helicopter parent. They’re the ones calling the teachers to discuss a little “grade adjustment” because their darling angel’s report card didn’t quite meet their expectations, believing that if they just argue a bit harder, all will be right in the world. On the Internet, stories abound concerning the extreme lengths parents are willing to go for their kids. After a certain point, the tales all seem to blend together. Stalking a child’s college campus? Oh, sure. I’ve heard that one before. GPS trackers on kids? No surprise there. These parents are primarily criticized in web articles and newspapers by their fellow guardians and teachers, who disdain their hovering presence. But their ill effects extend to a greater segment of the population, spawning a generation of youth, like me, who resent the kids whose parents come to bat for them on a daily basis. We deride those who exist in a sea of college and test prep tutors and can’t make a decision without mommy dearest coming to the rescue. Some of this exasperation comes from a deep-seated sense of jealousy. We crave what we don’t have, and the thought of a little extra pampering has its merits. Equal, however, are the bitter frustrations at the inequality of life. My indignation stems less from envy than from a sense of grave injustice. I’m fine with handling situations sans Mom and Dad; I just don’t want anyone else to coast without consequences. And even though I know in my heart of hearts that it’s the parents’ fault, it’s far easier to make my peers the scapegoats. Of course, if you go through my phone you’ll find the thoughtful, essay-length text messages from my mother about the importance of going to bed on time, making me every bit as culpable. I confess! Sometimes my parents hover. It’s a fundamental characteristic of parenthood, along with a tendency to effortlessly embarrass one’s children and blindly love their artwork. But while there’s nothing inherently wrong with parents coddling their children from time to time, it’s become a behavior that’s overly indulged. Part of the reason for helicopter parenting’s dominance is that the style, at its core, represents a struggle between our real selves and the people we long to be. We’ve spent our entire lives hear-

ing about our impending freedom. But such independence can be scary: What if I can’t figure out how to get along with a roommate, or feed myself ? What if I’m the one who breaks the washing machine, flooding my entire dorm and earning the moniker “raging waters”? Relying on our parents seems so much more natural, requiring no conscious effort on our part, and we’re so used to viewing them as the ultimate authority that it’s easier not to change. When my mother praises the clay snowman I made in first grade, holding it up as an example of my creativity, I cringe a little. But it’s hard to imagine a life without those compliments. They’ve supported me through skinned knees and tears, and to leave them in the lurch seems almost disloyal. And even if we do break free, the alternatives we face are not exactly comforting. In our society, trying isn’t respected; only the product counts. Second place is tossed out without a second glance, while the success stories, even those propped up by their parents, get the glory. Every list we publish ranking the world’s most wealthy, every book we buy about “The Key to Success” or some other meaningless title — they all reinforce this disparity. It’s hard to want independence with such dismal prospects. Under the surface, however, helicopter parenting’s effects are far worse than even the most embarrassing laundry catastrophe. As a 2013 study in the Journal of Child and Family Studies revealed, such over-involved parenting can lead to depression by depriving children of the opportunity to problem-solve and confront their own issues. Each time parents steps in and resolve a predicament, their children lose an opportunity to practice a skill crucial to real-world success. And as the trend of over-intensive parenting gains steam, we forget that there was ever another way to be. Of course, parenting isn’t a black-andwhite affair, and a clean break isn’t always the solution. It’s just as easy to run away from a helicopter as it is to get mangled by the blades, but running away never solves any problems. Soon we’ll be the ones with our own helicopters, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ever return to the launchpad. It’s a matter of walking the fine line between too little and too much, and just like flying a helicopter, it’s a balancing act. V

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