Verde Volume 17 Issue 1 by Verde Magazine

Christina Hood

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From the Editors

Enabling Freedom

“

EEP THE GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE uterus.” This is what Sophia Yen, a professor at the Stanford School of Medicine, told two of our staff writers during an interview for this issue’s cover story, “Planned Parenthood” (p. 35). Facing potential defunding over recent controversy over their abortion services, Planned Parenthood’s future hangs in the balance. In this issue, we illustrate society’s pursuit of freedom through the efforts of organizations like Planned Parenthood who aim to enable marginalized communities, across the nation and within Paly, to embrace their physical, emotional and financial independence. In “Let’s talk about sex ed” (p. 40), Paly students’ experiences with sex, both positive and negative, shed light on the efficacy on the modern sex education system and how it’s evolving to encompass the new sexual health and emotional needs of today’s youth. Regarding Paly’s academic system, “Forging special paths” (p. 30) covers our school’s effort to scaffold special needs students’ independance beyond high school, particularly through the Futures program and post secondary school support systems. Widening the scope, “Breaking barriers” (p. 50) unearths the subtle prejudices against minorities in the education system at large, a problem with manifests both in Paly’s achievement gap as well as the noticeable self-segregation of our student body. Finally, in “The urinal that changed the world” (p. 66), art director Karina Chan illustrates the story of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. showing how the freedom of creative expression can change the world even when under intense criticism. As the school year begins anew, we hope that Verde’s first stories for the year will resonate with you as they did with us, offering insight into how to embrace the freedom that the new year offers and inspiration to strive for the freedoms that have yet to come. — Esmé, James, Bethany & Anna

Editors-in-Chief Esmé Ablaza Anna Lu James Wang Bethany Wong Managing Editors Elana Rebitzer Siddharth Srinivasan Features Editor Anna Nakai Profiles Editor Rachel van Gelder Perspectives Editor Gabriela Rossner Culture Editor Emilie Ma Digital Editor Kai Gallagher Multimedia Editor & Statistician Roy Zawadzki Business Managers Emma Goldsmith Natalie Maemura Art Director Karina Chan Photo Director William Dougall Staff Writers Irene Choi Josh Code Alia Cuadros-Contreras Joelle Dong Madhumita Gupta Danielle Macuil Tara Madhav Alicia Mies Gabriel Sanchez Laura Sieh Adviser Paul Kandell

VERDE MAGAZINE

@VERDEMAGAZINE Information 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 veics-1516@ 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 managers Emma Goldsmith and Natalie Maemura through our adviser at 650-329-3837 for more information. Printing & Distribution Verde is printed five times a year in October, November, February, April and May, by Folger Graphics in Hayward, California. The Paly PTSA mails Verde to every student’s home. All Verde work is available at http://verdemagazine.com

Verde

OcT 2015 Volume 17 Issue 1 26

Inside 9 The Launch 13 News

Profiles 17 20 24 26

Bursting the Bubble Urban Style New Classes Bring New Voices Williamson’s Ways

Features 28 30 35 40 45 48 50

Trigger Warning Forging New Paths Planned Parenthood Let’s Talk About Sex Ed [Un]licensed to Drink A Coach’s Dilemma Breaking Barriers

Culture 54 55 56 58 59 60 62

Do-It-Yourself Lunches Life on the Small Screen Unmasking “Unmasked” Types of Families at Paly The Great Migration The Good, the Bad and the Milk Tea PA Burgers

Perspectives 64 65 66 68 69 70

Starting Life Undecided A Socialist Quasi-festo The Urinal That Changed the World Selfie Confidence A Penny for My Thoughts The Rossner Report

On the cover Under the sruitiny of Congress after the controversy surrounding their abortion services, Planned Parenthood faces threats of defunding. In the cover story of this issue, features editor Anna Nakai and staff writer Tara Madhav explore the effects that Planned Parenthood has had on Paly’s student body and the possible repercussions of defunding their services. Art by Karina Chan

Editor’s Picks 26 30 20 A COACH’S DILEMMA

With the demolition of the gyms, the athletics department faces a host of new challenges.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX ED

A new generation of Living Skills may be just around the corner.

UNMASKING “UMASKED”

STARTING LIFE UNDECIDED

Verde reviews a student-produced documentary about mental health.

It’s ok to be uncertain about your future.

WILLIAMSON’S WAYS A look into a new English teacher’s past.

FORGING NEW PATHS

Special education programs pave the way for independent futures.

URBAN STYLE

Where old-fashioned barbers give modern haircuts, establishing long lasting bonds with their customers.

EDITORIAL SAVE THE 2008 PROMOTES CULTURE OF EDUCATION REFORM

AVE THE 2008, AN ADVOCACY group formed by retired Gunn High School teacher Marc Vincenti and current Foothill Middle College student and Gunn junior Martha Cabot, has been one of the most vocal forces in the discussion over local education reform. The group aims to “undo the worst conditions of any modern-day high school – crowded classrooms, overwork at home and in AP course loads, all-day student phone use, constant grade-reporting, and rampant cheating,” according to Vincenti. Their activism has garnered both praise and criticism from the community. At the most recent school meeting on Sept. 9, nine adults spoke in favor of the group’s efforts, while, three students questioned the effectiveness of the proposed solutions. Verde Magazine commends Save the 2008 for bringing these issues to the public’s attention. However, we believe that several of the proposed measures require greater development and several changes before being implemented in the community. Verde supports the group’s proposed smaller student to teacher ratios, and believes they would benefit students and help teachers to get to know their students better. Both Verde and Save the 2008 believe this would help to reduce stress by making teachers more approachable so students would not be so nervous about asking about missed work or extensions. Reducing class size would be an expensive venture; however, Verde believes that the pros far outweigh the cons. Money spent here would greatly benefit student health. Verde also agrees that the inclusion of advanced placement course counselling, as proposed by the group, would help with student stress and awareness about AP courses. However, we believe that these meetings should not be mandatory; rather, they should be a resource open 6

to all. These meetings should go hand in the time the homework will take to comhand with greater awareness about class plete, and examples of typical homework difficulty and more understanding about assignments. Setting a hard homework the binding nature of an AP course. cap would not work because every person The fairly straightforward task of does homework at a different rate and one creating AP course counseling presents homework could take a person one hour a stark contrast to Save the 2008’s more and another four hours. abstract plan for limiting students’ homeSimilarly, we also want to exterminate work load. We believe that it would be a the cheating culture, their proposals of much more comcreating a better plex process to Verde Magazine commends Save honor code and reduce homework cracking down the 2008 for bringing issues to load than Save on cheating are the 2008 seems to the public’s attention. However, not effective believe. Currently, we believe that several measures enough. Cheatstudents are aling is a monster lowed to choose require developmenT. more complex the class difficulty than the urge to they desire. In theory, this allows for stu- be the best—it is intertwined with peer dents to try and balance their class levels pressure, class difficulty, parental influand homework load. ence and many other intangible factors. However, this system mixes poorly Verde believes that some of the prowith course competitiveness and social posed measures, like anti-cheating slogans pressure. If students were able to get a and stricter honor codes, are well intenmore in depth look at homework load, tioned but severely limited in their potenthey could better judge which classes to tial scope. While Verde agrees that cheattake and balance their workload more suc- ing is unacceptable, we believe that Save cessfully. the 2008 should consider a plan of attack The proposed homework portal, that more directly deals with the smaller where students can log in hours spent on aspects of cheating, rather than trying their homework, is a great idea but could to tackle the larger problem all at once. be easily ineffective, with teachers either Verde thinks that the school district has not caring or students lying just to get the right idea with the restorative justice fewer assignments. This system also shares pathway and more personal punishments many similarities with schoology, which is for cheating. already in place, and would be redundant. Although Verde agrees that emphasis It is incredibly hard for a teacher to adjust on reducing student stress is beneficial, we their homework load in something like an do not think that the proposed policy of AP class, where the curriculum is largely fewer grade reports would help. Parents standardized nationally and has to pro- and students can check current grades at ceed at a certain pace. any time they want, which renders grade We think that homework loads reports insignificant. Instead of placing should not be reduced across the board, emphasis on fewer grade reports, the probut with a few classes seeing reductions posed measure should encourage teachers in homework load. We would also like to to update grades more often. see the homework better explained in the While we see fewer report cards as course catalog, with descriptions of both causing only a few problems, the most

ROAD TO OZ Save the 2008 aims to help students with a variety of toubles as they travel the path of high school. widely disliked proposal, phone restrictions proposed by Save the 2008, are far worse in our opinion. Verde believes that the handbook and teacher-specific policies are sufficient enough for regulating the usage of phones during class time. Students would never agree to keeping their phones off for the entire school day and limit their communication so severely;

which became apparent after the Gunn High School Oracle published an editorial showing student disapproval for the proposal. Additionally, the phone restriction does not seem to have a direct and fully defendable link to student wellbeing. Verde commends the drive of Save the 2008â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts. Vincentiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Cabotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dedication to the community is praisewor-

thy in its depth. Verde believes that with further discussion and subsequent development of the proposed measures, which would be molded by greater student input, Save the 2008 will be able to implement monumental change in the community in the future.

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BE GREEN

Compiled by Anna Lu

Presidential Straw Poll

Who does Paly support? Paly

Art by Karina Chan At 74 years old, liberal Bernie Sanders is the most popular presidential candidate among Palo Alto High School students.

Why Bernie? “We’ve got his unwavering support of civil rights, immigration reform, corporate tax responsibility, and increasing the minimum wage to benefit those that need it most,” senior Jenny Xin says. “But more importantly, his campaign is the best pun I’ve encountered in mainstream media in decades and I know he’ll never desert us, mainly because his name is ‘Sand-ers.’”

35 % 33 % 13 % 6%

Sanders Clinton Biden

Trump

Nation

13 % 23 % 10 % 13 %

All candidates not listed received less than 6 percent of votes. The student poll results collected for this issue are from a survey administered in Palo Alto High School English classes over the course of several days in September 2015. Eight English classes were randomly selected, and 179 responses were collected. The surveys were completed online, and responses were anonymous. With 95 percent confidence, the results for the questions related to this story are accurate within a margin of error of 5.32 percent. National statistics retrieved from Real Clear Politics presidential primary nominee results, as of Sept. 25.

TALK OF THE TOWN: HILLARY “I think the biggest thing that I’m looking at is equal rights for everyone,” senior Aiva Petriceks says. “Hilary talks a lot about working on equaling the pay for women, and as a woman who could be in the working during the next president’s term, I want to make sure I won’t be discriminated against. Also, the republican party is just a mess and Donald Trump running our country just seems like a bad TV show.”

Is Hilary Clinton’s best advantage her gender?

of Clinton’s supporters at Paly identify as female of female students supported Clinton more than any other candidate, which is much higher than her overall 33% support

Art with Non-Dominant Hand AP Art studio students draw illustrations with their dominant and non-dominant hands. by Joelle Dong

By Claire Kokontis

NON-DOMINANT

DOMINANT

By Isabelle Vincent

By Maya Kandell

e Extrem-----——-FUN HALLOWEEN PRANKS by Laura Sieh

Sure, “TP” is a classic, but it’s not scary at all. Here are a few options to effectively freak everyone out on Halloween.

1. Self-Amputation. Buying a severed finger from a dollar store store is funny but not

scary. Show your commitment to this prank by chopping a finger off and putting it in your friend’s bag. You don’t need all ten of them, after all.

2. The Corpse. So you want to get back at your teacher for that test grade. Dig up a corpse

from a graveyard. Then, break into your teacher’s home and put the corpse inside. Bonus points for dressing it up in your teacher’s clothes.

3. The Arson-o-lantern. Carve a jack-o-lantern, and fill it with newspaper for kindling. Light the kindling and throw the pumpkin at foes.

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE by Josh Code Itching to know when all of the campus demolition, construction noise and chronic headaches will finally come to an end? We’ve got the latest scoop from our very own Assistant Principal, Jerry Berkson. Seniors Alby Leng and Claire Kokontis show off their portraits of one another. Photo by William Dougall.

humorous FOUR v WAYS TO WAKE UP by William Dougall

1. DESTROY YOUR SNOOZE BUTTON!

2. ACCIDENTALLY DONATE TO CHARITY!

If you use a digital clock, promptly remove the button or simply attach thumb tacks onto the button with the pointy parts facing upwards. You’ll only make the mistake of pressing the snooze button once, maybe twice, guaranteed.

With the “SnuzNLuz” app (yes this is real) you will be penalized for hitting snooze via your personal bank account. Every time you hit snooze or neglect to turn off the alarm, money is donated to your least favorite charity. I personally have never woken up faster than when my account was linked to the Westboro Baptist Church.

3. HIRE A RESPONSIBLE VAMPIRE! We all know those weird backwards vampires that wake up early and go to sleep late. Find one of those said vampires and pay them a dollar to wake you up. Whether they shake you awake, or you wake up with a wooden stake through your heart, they will have done their job.

4. GO CAMPING Studies have shown that spending a full week in the outdoors helps reset your circadian rhythm. Getting your body on a sunset to sunrise schedule will make sure you will never over sleep for school. In fact, you will be up hours early!

PERFORMING ARTS SPRING 2016 Likely to be one of Paly’s most prominent buildings in the years following its completion, this state-of-the-art facility will include a theater that seats 582 people.

GYM COMPLEX SUMMER 2017 This 36.4 million dollar project will wrap around three sides of the already-existing pool and include brand-new additions such as a wrestling/ multi-purpose room and a yoga studio.

LIBRARY AFTER 2017 Not much is currently known about the library renovations other than that not a single brick will be moved until the new gym construction is complete. 11

LAUNCH | OCTOBER 2015

Fall Fashion by Karina Chan

Neutral Accessories When accessorizing, use neutral colors like camel or black to make your outfit look more appropriate for autumn. Neutral accessories also work well with multiple outifts, so you’ll get more bang for your buck!

Reuse Summer Elements Even though it’s no longer summer, Josh’s Hawaiian shirt can be reused in the fall as long as you stay warm with another sweater or thermal. The layers add warmth while the colors and collar adds style. Most likely you have more than enough to wear every year, you just have to rearrange them in new ways.

Take Advantage of the Fam Bam

Surprise! Your new closet actually lives in the room next to yours. Take pieces from your family members (if they let you) and you can wear “new” items without spending any money. I took this dress that’s been gathering dust since the 90s from my mom’s closet and paired it with a white sweater to repurpose it.

GUESS THE QUOTE WHO SAID IT? — MICHAEL SCOTT OF “THE OFFICE,” MR. BLACKBURN, OR MR. STERN?

“I am an early bird and a night owl, so I am wise and have worms.”

once today, I didn’t make any 2. “For 5. mistakes!”

“When you check me out, you get a nice, positive vibe.”

have burned this place 3. “Should 6. down when I had the chance.”

“This is one of those days that I really need to apologize for...”

“Let me tell you something else that you might believe.”

by Kai Gallagher 1 - Blackburn, 2 - Stern, 3 - Scott, 4 - Scott, 5-Blackburn, 6-Stern

NEWS NEWS

NEWS | OCTOBER

Dauber responds to criticism from Campanile editorial Palo Alto Unified School District board member Ken Dauber is offering office hours to address any criticisms and concerns that the community might have regarding his actions detailed in a Sept. 18 Campanile editorial that criticized his correspondence with the federal Office of Civil Rights two years ago. The Campanile’s editorial was published as a reaction to a Sept. 10 article in the Palo Alto Daily Post, which revealed that Dauber wrote letters to the OCR in May 2013 that described instances of sexual harassment at Paly, as outlined in Verde’s April 2013 “rape culture” cover package. Dauber told Verde that his May 29, 2013 request for OCR to offer the district “technical assistance” on the Title IX compliance was a reflection of his sense of responsibility to ensure that the district takes the appropriate steps to address the “rape culture” and sexual harassment detailed by Verde’s April 2013 cover package. In his response, Dauber cited the White House’s “It’s On Us” campaign, which seeks to eliminate sexual harassment in schools, as the reason for his actions. According to the The White House website, the campaign “recognizes that the solution to sexual assault begins with all of us [and] seeks to … inspire everyone to see it as his or her responsibility to do something, big or small, to prevent it.” At the heart of the Campanile editorial lies the allegation that Dauber was not as transparent as he should have been, considering his position as a public figure. The editorial stated that “Dauber acted inappropriately by contacting a federal office rather than pushing to first resolve the conflict within the district.” The Campanile editorial claimed that the issue should have been resolved within the district, much as a parent tries first to resolve issues like a child’s illicit actions within the family instead of dialing 911,

CAMPAIGNING Ken Dauber (middle) speaks with supporters during his 2014 campaign to become a Palo Alto school board member. In the coming weeks, Dauber will be available for conversations on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Palo Alto Cafe. Photo by Siddharth Srinivasan. especially because none of the students or families involved in the initial Verde story requested OCR involvement. “Their [The Campanile’s] argument is troubling because it is inconsistent with the ethos of ‘It’s On Us,’” Dauber said. “The idea that ‘illicit acts’ including rape and sexual harassment should be ‘resolved within the family’ is [related to] a long and troubling history of women being victimized by this kind of thinking.” Although the Verde staff at the time welcomed OCR analysis of administrative response to rape allegations, they cautioned that their sources should be left alone. “This will cause more trauma and it simply isn’t good for our sources at all,” said former Verde editor-in-chief Evelyn Wang, who helped oversee the publication

of the controversial article, in a May 17, 2013 story by the Palo Alto Weekly. Still, Dauber hopes that the district will seek systemic remedies such as training and education for students to recognize and report harassment and implementation of primary and bystander prevention education among district staff. In the coming weeks, he will hold weekly “office hours” on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Palo Alto Cafe. “I want to make it clear that I fully support the First Amendment rights of our students and student publications,” Dauber said. “It is my hope that … we can all begin to work together cooperatively to improve the climate in our schools for all students.” BY ANNA LU

NEWS City takes steps to prepare for El Niño With El Niño, a series of sea-surface temperature changes on the West Coast, approaching quickly on it’s way, the City of Palo Alto is taking measures to improve San Francisquito Creek water flow to reduce the risk of flooding. According to project engineer Rajeev Hada, the city is removing fallen and non-native trees. The city is also concerned about the long term risks of flooding and is in the first stage of the process to reconstruct the Newell Street Bridge in the spring of 2018. According to senior engineer Joe Teseri, the project is in the scoping period, where community members can voice their opinions about the five bridge replacement options. The bridge’s limited ability to support two-way traffic brought it to the city’s attention. Hada said that the risk of flooding has also played a major role in kickstarting the project. “Bridge projects have begun downstream,” Hada said. The bridge under the creek at highway 101 projected to increase hydraulic capacity is expected to cost $18 million and finish in 2017, according to Caltrans. Once the Newell bridge construction is finished, Hada said, the city aims to tackle the also-low-lying Pope-Chaucer bridge further upstream. BY SIDDHARTH SRINIVASAN

MODELING THE NEW DECK The new senior deck, designed by Grace Cain, will be rose-shaped and have multiple tiers. Photo by William Dougall.

Seniors to obtain new deck Administrators are planning to rebuild the senior deck next semester in memory of deceased Palo Alto High School alumnus Emily Benatar, according to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson. “They [her family and the Paly administration] wanted to honor her in someway,” Berkson said. The design will be multi-tiered and rose-shaped with more room for seating and a better space for performing than the existing deck. Grace Cain, a good friend of Benatar, created the design model, according to Berkson. To continue with the process, the district must receive quotes and approval from the district in order to move forward in the construction. Because the project is simple, the deck will be able to be built over a long break such as winter or spring break.

“Our desire it to have it done during this school year,” Berkson said. “We are close to getting a quote and district approval.” Berkson estimates the cost of the deck will be $50,000, which will be fully funded by the Benatar family. The decision of what to build in Benatar’s memory began two years ago. Originally, the family considered the construction of a lacrosse wall because Benatar, a graduate in Paly’s Class of 2011, played lacrosse, but with the gym construction planned, building a new deck was a better, more long-lasting tribute. “It came to rebuilding the deck being a good idea and a more permanent structure to honor her,” Berkson said. BY ROY ZAWADZKI

Choir, vocal groups to present diverse repertoire in “For Love of Song” The annual Palo Alto High School fall choir concert will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Grace Lutheran Church. This concert, titled “For Love of Song,” will consist of Paly’s concert choir, advanced vocal groups and four different a cappella groups singing a 14

wide range of music from a Kenyan folk song to a 14th century hymn to a classic American poem. Choir president and senior Jenny Xin believes this year’s concert will be distinct from last year’s fall concert. “This concert’s just a really great blend of music from all different cultures, languages, and styles, and all of the choirs and

groups have been taking on some challenging and really interesting pieces,” Xin said. Tickets will be $5 for students and senior citizens, $10 for adults and free for children. All proceeds will benefit the Paly choirs. BY NATALIE MAEMURA

NEWS NEWS NEWS

BY THE NUMBERS

per haircut when Terry Park began cutting hair 20 years ago page 21

REHEARSING Kelsey Lu, Nadia Leinhos, Zoe Dellaert and Emiko Elshor-Kho practice a dance for the production of “The Odyssey.” Photo by Bethany Wong.

Theater to perform “The Odyssey” Palo Alto High School’s theater department will perform at 7:30 pm on Nov. 6, 7, 12 and 13 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8 “The Odyssey” in the Haymarket Theater. According to show director Kathleen Woods, the play is a rendition of the story of mythical Greek hero Odysseus. “It’s a really great piece to be working on because it’s such a classic and yet we have this very contemporary look and feel to it,” Woods said. To get ready, the cast is analyzing the text and creating the choreography and characterizations.

“It’s going to be a great show,” said Jackson Kienitz, a junior performing as Telechamus in the play. The show boasts a good number of underclassman, which is unusual for the theater department. “It’s interesting,” Kienitz said. “They [the underclassman] are a really up-andcoming cast, so we’ll benefit from them on the cast.” To purchase tickets, students can visit www.palytheatre.com/tickets/.

percent of Paly students believe that Planned Parenthood effectively helps youth in need page 35

1992 is the last time California updated its sex ed curriculum policies page 40

BY ALICIA MIES

New College Awareness Day will focus on underclassmen College Awareness Day on Oct. 14 at Palo Alto High School will feature a new “gift of time” for the underclassmen. In previous years, this day has been focused on the seniors and preparing them for college and their college applications. According to Assistant Principal Vicki Kim, freshmen and sophomores will have “flex time” to perform any tasks they need to do, whether that be coming to school to

ask teachers questions, staying at home to catch up on homework, or performing errands. “We want students to feel empowered to use this time to their benefit,” Kim said in an email to Verde. “Our hope is that students will appreciate having this gift of time.” Juniors will be taking the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, a nationwide test from The College Board that serves as a

trial run for the official SAT. In addition, the PSAT is an opportunity for students to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. According to Kim, there will be college application and essay workshops, and even a money management seminar for seniors. BY IRENE CHOI 15

NEWS | OCTOBER 2015

NEWS

ASB promotes Homecoming changes, launches asking competition With Spirit Week just around the corner, Palo Alto High School students can look forward to a new venue for the Homecoming Dance. The dance will be held on Oct. 24 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, according to the Associated Student Body’s Facebook event. After the demolition of its two gyms, Paly lost not only its main athletic facility but also its usual location for the Homecoming dance. ASB President Will Zhou said the change of venue will be an improvement for Paly dances. “We’re definitely hoping to revolutionize the Homecoming Dance,” Zhou said. “With this being an outside venue, we have a larger budget for this dance because the district is covering the expenses of renting the venue, so we have more [money] to put into this one.” Students can purchase tickets online, at the door, at the night rally, or at the Homecoming football game on Oct. 23 for $10-15. ASB is also hosting the annual Homecoming asking competition. To enter, students can post a video of their asking to the “Homecoming 2.0” Facebook event or by emailing it to student activities director Matt Hall by Oct. 21. The most popular videos nominated by Facebook likes will be included in an online poll where students can vote for their favorite asking on Oct. 22 and 23. The first place winner will receive a $15 Chipotle gift card, second place will receive a $10 Jamba Juice gift card, and third place will receive a $5 Cold Stone gift card. BY RACHEL VAN GELDER

BRAIN MODELS AP Psychology students create models to study learn about the brain. In the Advanced Authentic Research program, students will no longer be limitd to research in the hard sciences, and will be able to perform research in fields such as neuroscience. Photo by Josh Code.

Paly offers new research program Palo Alto Unified School District’s new Advanced Authentic Research program will pair interested high schoolers with experienced mentors in various fields of study to offer students real-world research experience. Participants in the program will learn research techniques and acquire yearround, true-to-life research experience, a rare opportunity for high school students. Applications to the program were due on Sept. 25, and Dr. Jeong Choe, the AAR program director, is now sorting through the applications to select students. “[Students] have passions and we try to pick that up from application,” Choe said. “We also talk to teachers to figure out how [students] are in the classroom.” “The idea of the program is to take the already-existing passions that kids have and put them in a place where they can connect with a mentor,” Deanna Chute, a Palo Alto High School math teacher who is helping design the program, said. According to Chute, the AAR program differs from the Science Research Project class already offered at Paly in sev-

eral ways. “This program will straddle all fields of study,” Chute said. Additionally, the program will be offered at both Paly and Gunn, as opposed to the Science Research Project, which is unique to Paly. Chute said the program will have a computer interface where students will be able to record hours spent working, research progress and record time spent with their mentor. The AAR program will be offered as an eighth period class for Paly and Gunn students and will fulfill one year of career vocational education credit, a graduation requirement for all students in PAUSD high schools “I often think about the struggles that as a teacher I have watched this community go through, and to me, this is the shining light,” Chute said. “You know how you get kids connected to school? You know how you get them feeling positive? You give them something that’s important to them.” BY JOSH CODE

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015 Text by ALIA CUADROS-CONTRERAS and ANNA NAKAI Photography by WILLIAM DOUGALL

Bursting the Bubble STUDENTS GLIMPSE LIFE OUTSIDE PALO ALTO

ANIEL HALD KNEW no Chinese before he left for China to study abroad for a year. “It was a little bit of a disaster,” says Hald, a senior at Palo Alto High School says. “For the majority of the year I could not understand anything they were talking about.” Although the language barrier persisted, Hald’s immersion in a new culture led him to have new insights about Palo Alto. “Growing up in Palo Alto you’re constantly told that you have all of these privileges of being born in such a wealthy area,” Hald says. “It’s one thing to be told that

by other people and it’s another to actually sort of recognize it because you can say that over and over again and never really realize how unbelievably special that is.” Hald is only one of the many Paly students that left the Bay Area during the last year. Over the summer and throughout the past year, these students were able to step back from the bubble of Palo Alto and redefine their identity as Palo Alto residents. The events of the past year have led to residents grappling with the idea of what it means to be from Palo Alto. While New York Times articles have portrayed the spiraling stress and depression rates, and, on the whole, Palo Alto, in a negative light,

Palo Altans struggle to come to grips with their feelings about their community. Students who burst the bubble of Palo Alto witness this identity struggle first hand often return with newfound realizations about the city they have called home for most of their lives. New Perception of Palo Alto After being exposed to new cultures and perspectives, the lens through which students view Palo Alto and the world widens substantially. According to Hald, even though Paly tries to provide students with exposure to opposing views, the diverse set of people and experiences within his study 17

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015 abroad program contributed to a more pluralistic view of the world. “I think that even though Paly is very good at having these conversations and talking about both sides of an argument it still sort of becomes an echo chamber,” Hald says. “When I went to China and I got to talk to these people who came from completely different backgrounds, it helped me sort of change my views.” Anmol Nagar, a junior who went to Washington, D. C. over the summer for a leadership-based institute, experienced the different views and political inclinations of students from different parts of the country. During the program, students split into groups to talk about world issues and potential solutions to those problems. When she suggested that the group focus on the problem of access to birth control and reproductive health services, such as Planned Parenthood, she was met with backlash from more conservative students. “Another guy in the group basically responded with, ‘I don’t think we should present on that one because it goes against my and lots of people’s religious and political views,’” Nagar says. “And it was so different because, if I had said the same thing at Paly, it would have generally been positively received.” In addition to the more diverse set of viewpoints that students experience, others, such as senior Brittany Nguyen who studied abroad in France during her junior year, come back with a different view of Palo Alto culture. “In France, they’re very detached,” Nguyen says. “There’s always a certain sense of formality in their conversations that I think Americans and also specifically Palo Altans discard, so there’s an informality and a closeness in the Palo Alto community that doesn’t exist in France.” For other students, their experiences help them appreciate what Palo Alto has to offer. “We are so lucky to be able to live in such a prospering community with advanced technology and have everything we could ever want right at our fingertips,” says Joseph Kao, a Paly senior who went to Matagalpa, Nicaragua with a program called Global Glimpse last summer. “In a place like Matagalpa, there are people who can’t even go to school or afford a well furnished home. But I felt like they were some 18

PITCH PERFECT Graves practices singing the music from her summer program.

of the happiest people I’ve ever met.” After being exposed to variety of perspectives during the course of their programs, students such as senior Lana Graves, who attended a musical theater intensive in Minnesota, often find difficulties in assimilating themselves back into the restricted Palo Altan mindset and culture. “Its definitely quite a shock when you come back and you hear people talking about their calculus tests,” senior Lana Graves says. “When you’re with artsy people all day long, you don’t really get any of that. People aren’t really so focused on getting into the top colleges there. It’s all about focusing on art and creativity.” Meeting new people For junior Peter Wisowaty, who studied abroad in Spain last year, one of the most memorable parts of leaving Palo Alto

was being exposed to new people. Through the study abroad program, Wisowaty met students from around the world and built many strong friendships. “My best friend I’d say was from Iceland but I also made friends from Switzerland, Japan, Finland, Denmark, France, the US,” Wisowaty says. “There were so many cool countries, so diverse.” Hald also discovered that the different cultures on his trip allowed him to make friends with people from countries such as China, Russia and Turkey. “The majority of the people that go to Paly have grown up in the US and are all sort of on the same page,” Hald says. “Talking with the girl from Russia, we would joke about, “Oh, Russia hates America and America hates Russia, but we were still good friends and it was cool to see both sides of the countries looking at the

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015 same issues.” “The first day I was there I was really Graves, like Hald and Wisowaty, notes depressed and this student and I were both that the people completed her experience. crying and talking about it,” Diaz Magaloni Her teachers, coming from famous musi- says . cal theatre schools across the country, each brought their own unique guidance and ex- Looking ahead pertise. With a change in perspective about “You had people from all over the the world outside of Palo Alto, a myriad of place and a lot of different perspectives roads and possibilities for the future open on things and the teachers would disagree themselves to students. Although Graves with each other a lot,” says Graves. “I don’t had already settled on musical theatre bethink I would have had fore attending her nearly as good an expesummer program, the rience if I was getting it experience painted the from one school’s per- “I think that it is picture of her future spective because they pretty common for an and gave her a taste of are so different.” what she would expect Although Diaz echo chamber to develop.” in pursuing musical Magaloni, like Graves, — senior Daniel Hald theatre in college. made friends during “It was so difher time in Guatemala, ferent from any other the majority of the people she met were community I’ve been with,” says Graves. patients in the medical clinics where she “It was really inspirational. I’m absolutely acted as a translator for doctors. At night, positive that this is what I want to do now. Diaz Magaloni was also able to bond with I can totally picture it.” the Stanford students who were part of For Nagar, although she remains unthe program. When the poverty of the pa- sure of her future path, the program cetients began to sadden her, Diaz Magaloni mented her interest in government. reached out to a number of students with “This program got me further interthe same sentiments. ested in leadership and real life applications

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of learning about leadership,” says Nagar. “I definitely see myself in a career where I am able to use leadership skills to positively influence and guide people.” For Diaz Magaloni, seeing the people her mother spoke about inspired her to want to devote her life to making a difference in their lives. “I want to be one of those people that’s out there doing these things,” says Diaz Magaloni. “You get a very personal connection to the people there and that’s also one of the things that keeps impulsing you to come back.” According to Diaz Magaloni, leaving Palo Alto is essential to understanding the Palo Alto identity. Living in Palo Alto,keeps people living in a bubble where they are unable to take a break from their busy schedules and experience different aspects of life. “Being from Palo Alto means we have a lot of resources ... but at the same time sometimes we become overwhelmed,” says Diaz Magaloni. “I think the perfect remedy for that is breaking from a constant routine, it can be as simple as taking a bike ride or maybe going on trips like these and experiencing something completing new and different.” v

MEMENTOS Nguyen presents her postcard collection from her year abroad in France.

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015

URBAN RETRO BARBERSHOP GIVES

STYLE MODERN HAIRCUTS

Text by SIDDHARTH SRINIVASAN and KAI GALLAGHER Photography by WILLIAM DOUGALL

erry Parks circles the chair, glancing up at the mirror, and then back at the man’s head, before lining the trimmer up with the tip of the man’s rugged goatee. As the commentator on the television behind him roars in a touchdown celebration, Parks’ trimmer continues to hum and glide along the man’s jawline, quietly shaping a signature fade. Satisfied, the customer exits the chair and, after a hearty handshake, exits the small one-room building. This is where the jovial chuckle of barbers and charming buzz of razors mix — where the vintage barbershop meets the modvern haircut. Terry Parks, owner of Urban Styles, has come a long way since the days when he used to have his clients sit down in his own garage for their trims 20 years ago. And even now, with his garage long behind him, Parks has gone to great lengths to make his new headquarters maintain the feel of his self-described man-cave. NBA snapbacks line the rafters, civil rights and pop culture posters cover the walls, and while customers wait for their cuts, they’re welcome to sink into the couch and tune in to the Saturday afternoon football playing on the TV above. “The memorabilia is something everyone can identify with. They can walk in here and feel comfortable right off the bat because they know something about sports. Even if it’s just Stanford,” Parks says. But it’s more than just “We’re almost like bar- the setting that defines tenders, but withoutthe Urban Style’s trademark atmosphere. After all, no drinking, so it doesn’t barbershop would be complete without the familiar get too crazy.” of conversation — owner Terry Parks cadence between cutter and customer — an atmosphere the barbers are more than happy to provide. In fact, talking with anyone who happens to drop in was a major factor in Parks’ decision to make a career out of cutting hair. Parks grew up in the 70s in Portland, Oregon, where the buzz cut was out and the afro was in. So when his mother forced him into getting his afro buzzed off by a

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015

Curtis “Barrs” Walker

Vince Chent Alcaraz

Jason Murphy

Favorite Cut: Whatever pays best

Favorite Cut: Every one

Jason Murphy Favorite Cut: Pompadour

ômeetétheébarbersõ

Terry Parks

Romayn “Trigga” Ward

Sedric Salinas

Favorite Cut: Fade or Taper

Favorite Cut: Fade

Parks, owner of Urban Style, has a deep respect for the conversations of the barber shop. “You hear all about the stories. I tell my wife this is the place where guys go to tell lies. You can’t believe all the stories you hear, but you can enjoy it, you know?”

Given the nickname “Trigga” as a child for his short fuse, leaving the construction industry for becoming a barber helped him relax and develop patience. Patience helps him treat each unique customer as they would like to be treated, and as he says, “we become family”.

After graduating from St. Francis High School, Salinas worked as a dogtrainer before coming back to his roots as a hairstylist. As a six-year-old, Salinas put a “big ole bald spot” on the front of his head. Now, at 23 years old, he cuts for the San Fransisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015 barber at the local church, Parks decided it was time to buy a pair of clippers and take matters into his own hands. “I figure if someone is gonna laugh at my haircut, it’s because I cut it myself,” he says, reminiscing on the experience that ignited his career. Parks continued cutting hair during his time in the Marine Corps; it was there that cutting hair struck him as a full-time career possibility. After cutting his squadmates’ hair in the barracks, he worked his way through barber school, cutting hair on the side and building up his clientele on the way. “I’m just glad someone was willing to get their haircut for $5,” Parks jokes, as he carefully runs the trimmer down a customer’s sideburns. When Parks came down to the Bay Area, he was not keen on searching for a job, and saw an opportunity to open his own business. After visiting almost every barbershop in the Bay Area, he felt that they all had the same vibe. “As a kid when you walk in there you think, ‘Man this dude’s just gonna buzz cut me,” Parks says. With this in mind, Parks, and longtime friend and barber Curtis BARRS Walker, set out to be different — with an aim to cut whoever’s hair, however they like it cut. They dread the association barbers have with the scent of “a grandpa’s house,” emphasizing the need to preserve the charm of an old fashioned barber shop while at the same time incorporating a modern style.

FRESH FADES Jolu Wusu, Paly class of 2003, and Walker’s children sport their new cuts. Wusu first came to Urban Style last year for the customer-barber relationship.

More than Cutting Hair Urban Style is more than just a welldecorated room. Just as the conversation between barber and customer has a distinct rhythm to it, the art of the cut has a similar ebb and flow, with each barber working with the customer to make each end result the best it can be. For Sedric Salinas, the youngest of the six barbers at Urban Style, this means treating each cut exactly the same, regardless of who the customer may be. “I’ve always believed that you got to look good, to feel good, to do good,” Salinas says. When Steve Urbaniak, equipment manager for the San Francisco 49ers, came into the shop for a haircut, Salinas cut his hair with the same care and diligence that

he has with every customer. Satisfied with his haircut, Urbaniak recommended Salinas to his players, and soon after, Salinas had a job at Levi’s Stadium, cutting hair for the likes of offensive guard Daniel Kilgore and long snapper Kyle Wilson. The relationship between customer and barber is an integral part of Urban Style — with customers ranging from taking their first steps to rolling in on wheelchairs, keeping a finger on the vibe of the store is essential. Parks believes that a barber’s technique extends beyond the magic they can work with the razor; they must also be able to build lasting, familiar relationships with their customers. Some customers come in with no real need for a haircut, simply wanting to catch up with

their barbers, while others are engrossed in the book they bring with them, a signal that there isn’t a need for a conversation. “You know, we’re almost like bartenders, but without the drinking, so it doesn’t get too crazy,” Parks says. The variety of customers that walk through the doors of Urban Style keeps the barbers on their toes and ensures it’s always a positive experience for both barber and customer. After a final glance at the mirror, Paly alumnus Jolo Wusu steps off the barber’s chair and barber and customer exchange a brotherly handshake. “The vibe is always a roll of the dice, Wusu says, “but you know it will always be a good experience.” v 23

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015

NEW CLASSES brin SCOPING OUT THE TWO NEWEST PROGRAMS

ALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION HAS INTRODUCED TWO NEW PROGRAMS TO THE curriculum: KPLY Paly Radio (part of Broadcast Journalism) and Communications. Paul Hoeprich, the advisor for KPLY, and Lucy Flippu, the teacher for Communications, are in their first year of running these classes. Verde sat with the students and teachers involved to dixcuss what these programs offer. v

COMmUNICATIONS

ane Angell-Atchinson stands at the front of room 205, speaking with a loud voice and commanding his classmates’ attention. He begins to pull out a collection of knick-knacks from his backpack: a Spiderman plush, yellow car cables and a stuffed rhino. He’s giving a how-to speech on how to jump-start a car. Students watch in rapt attention as he plugs the cables in different toys with the swoop of his arm. With a grand flourish, Angell-Atchinson concludes the speech. Scattered applause follows, and English teacher Lucy Filppu continues on with her schedule for Communications, one of the two new classes added to Paly for the 2015-2016 school year. Filppu says she created Communications this year because of the lack of focus English classes and electives have on how to be good speakers and listeners. “They [the students] learn the same fundamental skills they should be learning in all English classes: reading, writing, speaking and listening,” Filppu says. “I felt like we needed a class at Paly that really focused on the speaking and listening standards. So they’re learning how to be compassionate, effective listeners.” Filppu gives her students multiple assignments that aim to improve their speechbased skills — skills that her students will presumably use in real-world situations during and after high school. “We do a lot of informal network small talk,” Filppu says. “We do impromptu speeches. Everybody’s going to give a 24

PUBLIC SPEAKING Senior Kane Angell-Atchinson gives a speech on how to jump start a car to demonstrate the articulation skills he’s learned in Communications. graduation speech and they’re going to give sales pitches. I want them to practice speaking in a lot of natural settings.” Already, students in the class feel that the lessons they’ve been learning in Communications have helped them. Andrea Yau-Chan, a junior, finds that this class is teaching her how to clearly express her thoughts to others. “The how-to speeches really helped me learn how to articulate myself.” YauChan says. According to Filppu, Communications differs from other classes at Paly because she has chosen books with specific themes that relate to how people interact with one another. “We’re going to read ‘Pygmalion,’ a play by George Bernard Shaw, but it has relevance for how men and women communicate, and how class divides us, and how we communicate in culture,” Filppu says. “I

want to look at how cultures communicate depending on where you’re from.” Senior Alexander Gouyet says Communications is unlike any other class he has taken before. “I find it hard to engage in deep conversations with people on a regular basis,” Gouyet says. “This class has allowed me to connect with people who I did not previously know.” The timing of Communication’s introduction to the Paly curriculum could not have been better. Filppu says she received many requests from students to create a class pertinent to their lives outside of high school. “I felt like a lot of kids were saying there wasn’t relevancy to what they were learning,” Filppu says. “I was a little tired of the focus on academic. Kids need to learn to hold eye contact, get off their phones and speak clearly.”

PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015

ng NEW VOICES KPLY RADIO

Text and photography by IRENE CHOI and ROY ZAWADZKI

COLLABORATION Adviser Paul Hoeprich dicusses the different music blocks that the KPLY staff plans to play in their 24/7 online radio station with staff members Saba Moussavian, Liam Noroian and Zoë Limbrick (not pictured).

PLY Paly Radio’s classroom, MAC 204 consists of a few couches and two small recording and editing suities. Senior Liam Noroian, one of eight KPLY members, sits in insulation-foamed Suite Five, where a single chair and desk sit with an amplifier, an iMac and a microphone. The silence in the sound-proofed room is disrupted by a sudden rush of noise that comes out of the speakers sitting alongside the computer. “You are listening to KPLY Paly radio,” a rush of overlaid voices both male and female announces. KPLY is Paly’s first foray into audio journalism: a 24/7 online radio station and will include music, live interviews and prerecorded shows. It is part of the broadcast journalism program and meets during first and second period at the same time as InFocus. Originally called “Radio Club,” the students, after running the club for a year,

wanted to transform the publication into a full fledged class. “At first, we were hesitant to make the class because we had so few people, in the club” senior and KPLY member Liam Noroian says. “But Mr. Hoeprich was nice enough to let us be part of his Broadcast Journalism class.” Hoeprich decided to incorporate these students in his class because of the potential Radio Club had. “Individually we all went, ‘Wow, this would be a cool thing to do,’ and I felt like they didn’t have enough guidance,” Hoeprich says. “The time was not there [available], and the infrastructure just was not there.” With the help of the Paly Media Arts boosters, the former club obtained grants for equipment like sound mixers, microphones and computers. “Those were the things that were

holding them back before,” Hoeprich says. “Passion was not. They had a lot of passion.” Even with the limited staff and the rapidly developing plans, each KPLY member works hard to fulfill the station’s potential. “Having so few people proves a challenge,” senior and KPLY member Saba Moussavian says. “Thankfully, everyone on our team is extremely committed to making this [the station] happen.” The first phase of starting up the station is creating a 24/7 music broadcast with eight blocks of different genres. This is set to go live in early October, according to Noroian. “Getting the website up and the station fully operational is the first step in the path to regular new, live content,” Noroian says. “And we’re all super psyched to see our efforts turn into a reality.” 25

Text by JOSH CODE and RACHEL VAN GELDER Photography by RACHEL VAN GELDER

Williamson’s Ways S

GETTING TO KNOW ONE OF PALY’S NEW ENGLISH TEACHERS AUNTER THROUGH THE shaded corridor between Palo Alto High School’s library and English building on any given weekday morning and, among the fervent footsteps of underclassmen rushing to class and the indistinct conversation of laid-back seniors still lingering nearby, you will spot Paly’s newest English teacher, Alanna Williamson. She stands outside her classroom wearing a bright smile and humming Broadway tunes to herself as she greets each of her American Literature students. Williamson didn’t always want to be a teacher. In fact, she grew up with dreams of performing on Broadway. She participated in competitive dance from age three to 18 and was an avid participant in Fremont High School’s theater program. Williamson’s aspirations of performing on Broadway blossomed when she found a 26

11 and English 10. home in her school’s theater program. According to Williamson, her 10th “When I started [at Fremont High School] as a freshman, I was not excited grade class will integrate a social justice because all my friends went to Homestead theme throughout the year. As for her American Literature class, and I had a really hard year,” Williamson Williamson’s 11th says. “The theater prograde students will gram really pulled me connect ideas from litout of that and the erature to the Ameriteachers really cared WHEN I’M STANDING IN FRONT can dream. Williamabout the social-emoOF MY STUDENTS IN CLASS, I’M son feels as though tional learning.” things are running Williamson says NOT AFRAID TO BE MYSELF” her teaching reflects — PALY ENGLISH TEACHER ALANNA smoothly. “American Literaher experiences pursuWILLIAMSON ture is going really well ing theater and dance. so far and I’m really She believes it has excited to read Gatsdeveloped her people skills and helped her become more confi- by with [my students],” Williamson says. dent. The classroom is Williamson’s new “However, I’m sad that it’s only a semester class and I’ll have to say goodbye in Destage, and she owns it. This year, Williamson’s class schedule cember.” Williamson says she feels welcomed includes two courses: American Literature

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PROFILES | OCTOBER 2015 and honored to be at Paly. “I have no dislikes,” Williamson says. “[Paly] feels really comfortable, and I’m really at home.” Williamson aims to create close bonds with her students, so that everyone in class feels comfortable, including herself. “When I’m standing in front of my students in class, I’m not afraid to be myself,” Williamson says. She also enjoys keeping her students engaged and interested. “When there are those times we need to be silly, that’s fun for me to do,” Williamson says. Williamson loves teaching and always has fun with her students, but it’s possible she would not have considered the profession if it weren’t for an inner ear injury that caused her to acquire a disorder called vertigo at age 19. This condition means she cannot spin her body around without feeling nauseous. Given that dancing and movement had been an integral part of Williamson’s life, her plans for the future suffered a crushing blow. The career on Broadway that had previously dwelled on Williamson’s horizon became impossible. “I feel like dance is what I most identify with,” Williamson says. “Without dance, which was a huge part of my identity, I couldn’t pursue Broadway because [in order to act] you need to be a really strong dancer.” Williamson still misses her ability to dance now, almost five years after first being diagnosed with vertigo. “There are times when I see people dancing and I’m like, ‘I can do that, but I can’t show you,’” Williamson says. “It changed everything I was really passionate about.” Though she is not pursuing a career in dance or theater anymore, Williamson still likes to watch performances. After seeing her first Broadway show, “Hedwig and the Angry Itch,” Williamson felt deeply touched. “It was like a religious experience,” Williamson says. “The show is about what it’s like to lose half your identity and then reclaim it, which is how I feel about theatre and dance.” Despite this shift in her dreams, Williamson still finds ways to stay active and do what she loves. She mimics what she loves about dance to the best of her ability. Williamson’s hobbies include yoga and

spin class at SoulCycle, an exercise bicyclebased fitness center. The workouts involve simultaneous upper body choreography and pedaling. Now that Williamson is fairly wellestablished at Paly, she has found her way back to involvement with dance and theatre. “The dance coach and the theatre teacher have been really kind and let me help out with practice,” Williamson says. Williamson is also involved with other activities at Paly, including advising the Improv Club. She enjoys connecting with her students and making sure their learning

process goes as smoothly as possible. “My students and I are all really supportive of each other. We have a collaborative relationship,” Williamson says. “They are my equals and I’m just here to guide them.” v LEFT Williamson poses in her office with a poster made for her by her first class of students at the school she taught at last year. BELOW Williamson helps her 10th grade students with an inclass passage analysis.

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 Text by ELANA REBITZER and MADHUMITA GUPTA Art by PORTIA BARRIENTOS

WHEN PROTECTION TURNS INTO CENSORSHIP

HEN PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL history teacher Steve Foug played a video about the events of Sept. 11, 2001 in class, he was unprepared for the shocked reaction it received from students. Foug had watched the video, which went into vivid detail while describing the events, at home. He was emotionally moved by the video, so he decided to show it to his students in class. However, he neglected to give the video sufficient context given that these students were old enough to remember 9/11. “I was in a rush at the end of the year,.I just played it and it was terrible,” Foug says. “Some kids could handle it, but others were visibly upset about it, and I got a response from the student body.” While most of the debates surrounding trigger warnings relate to college students, according to Foug, trigger warnings can also involve high school students and typically precede footage of wars and other trag-

edies that might hit home with students. In the past, Foug has even seen students place trigger warnings on presentations without his prompting. A few years ago, students included a warning on a presentation about suicide rates in Asia. “Seeing students [trigger warn], that reminded me to be more conscientious of it,” Foug says. “In the past it’s been kind of hit or miss.” Foug’s experience playing the 9/11 video, among others, serves as a reminder to him to place those warnings on potentially sensitive topics; however, he admits that he is not necessarily consistent about those warnings, and that it can be hard to find the line between giving appropriate context for material and being overly sensitive. “Sometimes there are things, in my judgement, that I don’t think need to be a warning, that maybe are [worthy of warning] these days,” Foug says. “Especially in recent years, you want to make sure that people are mentally prepared for it.” Rachel Price, a senior and co-editor in chief of Haven, Paly’s social justice magazine, thinks that trigger warnings are essential. “For those who have had distressing experiences and who

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 can be distressed by certain material, it is very difficult to avoid that material,” Price says. “It is our job as the promoters and platform of that material to give those people peace of mind and safety by letting them choose to view it or not.” Why Not Warn? Though trigger warnings have been given much media attention lately, very little of that attention has been in favor of warning. The arguments against trigger warnings, as summed up in a Sept. 2015 article in The Atlantic, state that issuing trigger warnings causes harm to students by shielding them from real world events. Many of these articles blame the prevalence of social me- are offending practically nobody,” Amsbaugh says. dia and a mindset of excessive political correctness as the cause Senior Ariya Momeny, co-editor-in-chief of Haven, has of trigger warnings. In an article published on Vox called “I’m a slightly different definition of the term. a liberal professor, and my liberal students “I would define it [a trigger warning] as terrify me,” The professor, who used a something that allows a reader to understand pseudonym for fear of backlash, explained that there could be an emotional issue with that he adjusted his curriculum to avoid get- You’re seeing something something that they are writing about,” Moting complaints from students. According to that might resonate with meny says. “There could be an emotional isthe anonymous professor, a student filed a sue with something that they are talking about formal complaint against his curriculum in someone beyond a level with someone who felt a certain way about that 2009, claiming that the curriculum was “one- that everyone else might topic.” sided.” Foug sees trigger warnings as being about In his classroom experience, Foug experiEnce.” an image or description of content that may agrees that sometimes it is necessary to show — steve foug upset the viewer, rather than being around an hard-to-handle content, but he also cautions uncomfortable topic in general. against teaching content to simply scare stu“Instead of seeing something that’s shockdents. ing, you’re seeing something as something that maybe might reso“There’s that level of . . . exposure. Not shock value, but ex- nate with someone beyond a level that everyone else might experiposure,” Foug says. “In seeing these things, it’s not to sensational- ence,” Foug says. ize, but it’s for an understanding of how something like that can Teachers, students and journalists all define trigger warning happen, humans treating each other like that, you have to under- sdifferently; the term itself has a case-by-case definition that can stand what the results were.” mean different things in different contexts. Because of the multifaceted meanings of the term, Foug reThe Language of Triggers frains from using the specfic term “trigger warning” in his class The term “trigger warning” itself is one fraught with politi- when he warns his students about upcoming content, but simply cal tension. To junior Sherwin Amsbaugh, trigger issues the warning. warnings only refer to topics “I don’t want to whitewash all these things they show, issues that will offend a small part of modern day history or government,” Foug says. “You have to of the population, but he see what’s being done. There is validity in seeing these images.” still believes that trigger Given the politically charged nature of discussions about trigwarnings should happen ger warnings, the term itself has taken on a meaning beyond the in a school environment. literal “warning.” However, Momeny cautions that the meaning of “I feel like a trig- trigger warnings varies from person to person. ger warning is when “I think it’s just the way that you define it and you express it someone says something to other people,” Momeny says. “Trigger warnings, in my opinion, somewhat controversial they don’t have a negative connotation, but to other people they that will offend a specific group might.” of people, but it’s a very small group of people,” Momeny also addresses trigger warnins as co-editor in chief Amsbaugh says. “In a school environment, I think teachers do of Haven “A part of journalism is that some people will be mad need to be conscientious of that kind of stuff.” with your opinion and that is something that just people have to Amsbaugh also defines political correctness in a negative light. deal with.” Momeny says. “It’s a gauge of the audience themselves. “Political correctness is similar to trigger warnings in that it is There should be trigger warnings, but I think that being too politibasically keeping all when you speak, you speak in a way that you cally correct takes away from the entire process itself.” v

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FORGING new PATHS WHEN A DISABILITY STOPS THE COLLEGE PATH

Text by TARA MADHAV Photography by WILLIAM DOUGALL Art by KARINA CHAN

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OW MUCH MONEY is that, Mark?” “Two dollars.” Erika Magagna, a Special Education instructor at Palo Alto High School, asks freshman Mark Pace to hand over the change. In doing so, Mark has completed another step his training for the smoothie business that Magagna’s class runs every fourth period. In a spacious kitchen, other students wipe down the supplies used to make the smoothies at the back of Room 409. “We work as a team,” says freshman Aarun Visuthikraisee, as he wipes some utensils. After all the dishes have been put away, the work of counting the profits begins. Sophomore Sofia Lieb pulls out a black folder — she is in charge of bookkeeping for the day. Freshman Victor Cascaval counts up the money on the calculator; freshman Grace Liang sorts the dollar 30

bills into ones, fives, 10s and 20s; and Pace counts up the change. After three weeks of training, the students are ready to begin running their smoothie business for students and staff across Paly.

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WE WORK AS A TEAM.”

— FRESHMAN AARUN VISUTHIKRAISEE

The smoothie business — which sells and makes beverages for a variety of classes, including Social Justice English and Science — is only one of the different services offered through the special education program. The Futures Program, a selection of classes that includes Functional Academics, Vocational Training and the smoothie business, is specifically designed

for students who are not aiming to go to college because of a learning, intellectual or developmental disability. It is Paly’s solution to the issue of how they can provide for students who cannot go on to college because of these needs. Not only that, but how can a student receive instruction that provides for all of his or her needs, while keeping broader future plans in mind? The Palo Alto Unified School District is a full-inclusion district, meaning that it must include all students in non-Special Education classes, as long as the student is learning in these classes. To keep this rule in practice, Paly has also hired two new teachers to adapt non-Special Education material to the needs of students who require a modified curriculum. Then, the students’ schedules combine classes that prepare them for both the year ahead and the more distant future. Sometimes, it is hard to keep both these ideas in mind. Ultimately, students with such dis

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 abilities work toward the primary goal of finding a fulfilling and meaningful place in the workforce and, at large, a comfortable life. Futures Behind Magagna, the kitchen that houses the smoothie business is dark. The bell has just rung, leaving her spacious room devoid of the students who consider this classroom “mission control” in schedules that take them across campus and into the wider Paly community. Magagna teaches Futures, a class centered around four major categories: vocational training, functional academics, community-based instruction and inclusion in general education. The student-run smoothie business, along with a lunch-order service and a weekly cafe, comprises part of the vocational training section of the curriculum. These businesses create a real-world environment to learn in, and provide students with skills needed in the workforce. “My main focus is to help students work on a specific set of soft skills that anyone would need,” Magagna says. “I need them within my teaching career, lawyers need them, in any job you need to be able to get along with your co-workers, have appropriate, professional behavior

FINISHED PRODUCT Freshman Sofia Lieb holds a berry smoothie, one of the many drinks the Futures program makes in its kitchen. and initiate tasks.” To learn these communication skills, students perform tasks such as filling smoothie orders efficiently, dealing with unsatisfied customers and developing relationships. The vocational classes also include academic components — tasks such

EXAMINING THE PROFITS Freshman Victor Cascaval and Lieb look over a worksheet they have to complete after they finish running their smoothie business.

as counting change and doubling recipes help students apply math skills to everyday life. The third component of Futures, community-based instruction, is incorporated through the lunch order business, in which students go to Town and Country and bring back lunches for teachers. “Generally, students in the Futures program are on a track to earn a Certificate of Completion,” Magagna says. “The classes that we offer, we want them to be the most meaningful to that student lifelong. A lot of times, taking Chemistry or history or Government, just the level is maybe a little bit too difficult. So we want to focus on what’s going to make them the most independent and the most successful and make them have a meaningful life after high school.” Although the academic path for special education students is well-defined, the overall process is still fraught with complications. Even with Individualized Education Plans that are meant to address the intricacies of each student’s needs, and are supported by the diversity of classes offered through the Special Education department (even beyond Futures), it can be difficult to find an educational option that accounts for all the needs of a particular student. This can create difficulties in the relationship between the parents or guardians of the students and the school district. 31

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 Issues with Transparency Emily, whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, has a son who is enrolled in the Futures program at Paly. “I find the Special Education program to be restrictive for the students that are in the Futures program,” Emily says. Her opinion stems from frustration with the fourth component of Futures, which is general education inclusion. She says the district’s policy of inclusion has not worked properly in regard to her son. “It is very hard to find information about his class [and] about the regular education class,” Emily says. “That is something that really needs improvement. The only way to find information is to call other parents and start asking, ‘What is your son or daughter doing this year? What are they taking? How is it going?’” Emily is dealing with a host of problems that arise when contemplating how to ensure that her son is prepared for a fu-

ture after high school that will not involve college. The greatest friction occurs when communication breaks down between the district and the parents of a child who cannot self-advocate. The issue with advocacy is one of the central reasons why trying to find a plan for the future is hard — how can a parent decide for a child, even if the child cannot advocate their feelings? While Emily has run into these problems with the district, she also feels that there is some positive change happening. “I think they are trying to do their best with the resources they have,” Emily says. “Even this year, [my son] has access to a lot of the other classes in the school, which is great. And next year, I hope that they keep adding on more and more classes for special education students with supports and material modifications.” Emily maintains a positive outlook for her son and for increased progress in the district. However, the issue of transparency is a topic perhaps worthy of discussion so that parents can make clear-cut decisions regarding their children. Paly offers several classes beyond the Futures Program that are meant to adapt to a Special Education student’s standard education curriculum. These courses include Academic Communications, Cognitive Planning, English Language Arts Lab, Fundamentals and Read 180. Alternative Pathways, a collection of NonCollege Prep classes, is also offered for students who cannot fulfill all graduation requirements due to a disability, as well as those who can, but are interested in pursuing a vocational path after high school.

Post-Secondary It’s a few minutes after school, and the PAUSD district office is finishing up business for the day. Amid the last-minute rush, Chiara Perry, the director of Special Education for PAUSD, stops and thinks for a heartbeat before continuing to speak in a meeting. “When our students leave school, there is no special education outside of school,” Perry says. “We want them to be a part of the learning environment just like their peers.” Every student must ultimately leave high school. While special education mainly provides education through high school, PAUSD also has programs designed to assist students beyond high school graduation. “All students who receive special education services have included in their individual education plan something called an individual transition plan,” says Celia Roddy, a special education teacher with Santa Cruz City School District. “It is meant to help the student, starting when they are 16, have and reach goals for independence in their education, employment, and living situation.” PAUSD also provides the Post-Secondary program for post high school life. Legally, a student with an IEP has a right to free education until they receive their diploma or until they reach the age of 22. The Post-Secondary program provides this free education in various ways. “They [the students] are all around the community; some of them take classes at Foothill, the adult school in Mountain View or here,” Perry says. “The instructional aide will help them with travel to that place where they are trying to go in the community.” The Post-Secondary Program not only provides services that help students find a career path, it also provides opportunities for students to socialize, which include dances. “It’s really fun for them to go out and spend time with students that are similar to them,” Perry says. The Post-Secondary Program also offers an opportunity for students called Project Search, a nine to 12 month intern-

PROGRAMS OFFERED There are a variety of classes and program available to all students with IEPs through Special Education.

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 ship at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, teo, where they did two things. They helped where students can gain experience in fields him with interview practice and then they like housekeeping and gift shop selling. tried to get him into Project Search.” After high school, the school district The Department of Rehabilitation is also provides a transition specialist with a state-supported program; however, there the Department of are other local proRehabilitation to help grams like Abilistudents find jobs. The ties United, Parents Department of ReHelping Parents and when I get a job, [Futures] habilitation provides Hope Services that housing and support will help me to focus on my provide assistance, for students who re- tasks. information and day quire those state servic—Freshman Grace liang programs for people es due to their disabiliwho cannot mainties. Maria Grosskopf tain a job. is a Palo Alto parent The range of whose son Johan went to high school in programs under the umbrella of the school Concord, California. He now works at Safe- district is quite large in measure. With the way and lives in independent housing. She Futures Program, the standard education says that the Department of Rehabilitation classes and all of the services in between, is a crucial service for those who need as- Paly has a complex infrastructure in place sistance with finding jobs and housing. for its special education students. The “They will hook you up to a local uniqueness of a child’s needs and the ultiagency that provides employment services mate goal of living a productive life interto people with disabilities,” Grosskopf sect in different ways — but in instances says. “Johan went first to a place in San Ma- similar to that of Emily, frustration arises

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when there is a lack of communication. Yet the end-goal for all parties seems to remain clear: to find a suitable path for the students’ futures. To Perry, one of the biggest goals for the future in the Special Education program is to ensure that students have a sense of belonging. “We want to make that every student feels included, that their parents feel good about [their inclusion], that any fellow student can say, ‘Hey, this student might have a disability, but they can learn just like me,” Perry says. “They can be a part of something great also.” And Liang, sitting contently after a block period of making smoothies, is already thinking of how Futures will help her after high school. “When I get a job, [Futures] will help me to focus on my tasks,” Liang says. v

WORKING TOGETHER Cascaval, Lieb and freshman Aarun Visuthikraisee each do different tasks to tally up the profits from their smoothie businesss. They each do different tasks, like counting orders, calculating money and writing down the numbers. 33

MADRONO YEARBOOK Oct. 15

Deadline for all senior portraits and baby ads to Mr. Wilson in the MAC 116

Oct. 14

Baby ad workshop drop in anytime in the MAC 102 from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! The Chans The Dougalls The Gallaghers The Guptas The Lis The lus

The maemuras the Nakais The Pynchons The van Gelders The wangs The Zawadzkis

from the verde magazine staff 34

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

Text by TARA MADHAV and ANNA NAKAI Art by KARINA CHAN and ANNA NAKAI

planned parenthood EXAMINING POLITICS, PRIVACY AND PROTECTION

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HAVE TO HIDE 13 PACKS OF BIRTH CONTROL from my parents,” says Audrey, a Palo Alto High School senior whose name has been changed to protect her identity. Audrey and her boyfriend have been sexually intimate for the past two years. Her parents don’t know about her sex life, so she hides her oral contraception from them any way she can. She tapes pills under picture frames, hides packets underneath her drawers and stores birth control at her boyfriend’s house. “I get pretty creative,” Audrey says. “My mom is Catholic, so she doesn’t believe in sex before marriage. If they [my parents]

found out, I would probably have to break up with my boyfriend, and I just would not be happy.” Despite the fact that it is difficult for Audrey to keep her sex life a secret from her parents — she needs to take the pill daily — she prefers not to use condoms as a sole method of birth control because she is afraid they will break during sex. Instead, she goes to Planned Parenthood to get more effective contraception. Two years after becoming sexually active, Audrey still frequents the Planned Parenthood in Menlo Park, going in yearly to pick up birth control pills and to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. 35

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 Audrey is just one Paly student who relies on Planned Parenthood, an organization often associated with women’s reproductive health and contraception. While Planned Parenthood does provide abortions, less than 3 percent of its operating budget goes toward abortions, while 97 percent of its funds help with general female health issues and family planning, according to Planned Parenthood’s website. These services include testing for STDs, educational programs, breast exams, primary care and contraception. The general public often overlooks these services, and Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the tense abortion debate as an abortion provider has made it a target of anti-abortion advocates’ ire. This summer, the Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion activist group, released a series of covertly filmed and edited videos that show Planned Parenthood personnel discussing the donation of fetal remains from abortions to research. This triggered a political response so robust that on Sept. 18, the United States House of Representatives voted to defund Planned Parenthood. While the United States Senate voted against defunding the organization on Sept. 24, and a shutdown was averted on Sept. 30, the issue of Planned Parenthood remains prominent in politics. If the push to defund Planned Parenthood does claim victory in the future, many teens like Audrey will be affected. According to a survey of 179 Paly students conducted by Verde Magazine, 4 percent of teens at Paly use Planned Parenthood, but 86 percent believe that Planned Parenthood effectively helps youth in need, showing the signficance that Planned Parenthood has in the reproductive health of Paly teenagers. The numbers point to how the debate that sprang from a collec-

tion of suspicious videos has a very real impact on the private lives of teens at Paly. Planned Parenthood Sarah, a senior whose name has been changed to protect her identity, started using Planned Parenthood to obtain birth control pills. Planned Parenthood was crucial for her in a time of uncertainty. “I went to Planned Parenthood because I had gone to my parents to ask them for birth control,” Sarah says. “I needed it for my period length — they were lasting 10 days — but they said that until I was sexually active, they weren’t going to put me on it, and that’s just awkward, so I went so they wouldn’t know.” Now, Sarah gets birth control from her regular doctor. “My parents actually found my birth control and surprisingly, they weren’t mad at me,” Sarah says. “They realized that if they didn’t get it for me, I would get it myself, so they kind of decided

that they’d rather be more in the loop. I got a gynecologist and I got a different set of pills, but they do the same thing.” Catherine, a junior whose name has also been changed to protect her identity, went to Planned Parenthood for many of the same reasons that Sarah originally did. “I was [sexually] active with my boyfriend, so I just wanted to be safe,” Catherine says. “It was a scary thing for me to go, but they were very nice there. I knew that if I went to a doctor’s office, I would have to tell my parents and I didn’t know how my parents would react. I wanted to stay secretive about it.” Catherine obtained a hormone-based intrauterine device from Planned Parenthood.

3% of Planned Parenthood’s budget funds abortions

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 Planned Parenthood provides confidentiality to all individuals who use its services. Before this year, when a patient went to his or her health provider using his or her parent’s insurance, the insurance company could send back an explanation of benefits to the patient’s parents. This would tell the parents why their child had gone to the doctor’s office. “That’s how parents used to find out, and that’s why [Palo Alto Medical Foundation] even said, go to Planned Parenthood, because there’s no billing,” says Nancy Brown, a researcher at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation who heads the Adolescent Interest Group for the PAMF Teen and Preteen websites. However, with the passing of California’s Senate Bill 138 earlier this year, minors can prevent their insurance companies from sending the explanation of benefits, which grants students the ability to procure confidetnial birth control from their own doctors.

Aside from confidentiality, however, Planned Parenthood’s offer of services to those who cannot afford them allows students such as Audrey, Sarah and Catherine to obtain birth control. Oral contraception costs between $160 and $600 per year. Without parents providing money, the cost of buying birth control can be daunting. “I asked my friends, ‘Oh, do you have to pay [for contraception]?’ because birth control is expensive,” Audrey says. “I did not expect — them [Planned Parenthood] to give it for free. All they asked for is a donation, which is really nice. The lack of cost and the anonymous part is really appealing.” Brown agrees that Planned Parenthood plays an important role in providing teens with reproductive health services as well as general health services; however, her one concern is that teens are unaware of the services available to them. “I think most people know they can go to Planned Parenthood, because … people are used to hearing about them,” Brown says. “But in general, I don’t think teenagers understand where to get information.” Audrey and Sarah both learned about Planned Parenthood and its services from their friends, who also used it for contraception. “It was Audrey actually that introduced me to

Planned Parenthood,” Sarah says. “I knew about it from Living Skills [health class] but I never actually considered doing it until I saw my friend do it and then I saw how easy it was, so that’s when I went.” Planned Parenthood’s additional services — the health services that make up the majority of what it provides — also deserve attention. Other students use Planned Parenthood for general health needs because its services are more convenient and often take less time to secure than a regular doctor’s appointment. However, the political debate and the potential shutdown of Planned Parenthood affects these students, such as junior Layla Solatan just as much. When Solatan registered for high school in Palo Alto after moving from a different city, the school district refused to let her enroll until she received mandatory vaccines. “I had already missed about a week of school,” Solatan says. “I couldn’t start without getting the vaccinations first and … I couldn’t go to a doctor because I would schedule an appointment and it would take a few days or something so I wouldn’t have been starting school for another couple weeks.” Because all of her other options would have taken too much time, Solatan turned to Planned Parenthood, the only local clinic that would allow walk-in vaccinations. “It was really awkward being in there [Planned Parenthood],” Solatan says. “Typically,

“i was [sexually] active with my boyfriend so i just wanted to be safe. it was a scary thing for me to go.” JUNIOR Catherine

The student poll results collected for this issue are from a survey administered in Palo Alto High School English classes over the course of several days in September 2015. Eight English classes were randomly selected, and 179 responses were collected. The surveys were completed online, and responses were anonymous. With 95 percent confidence, the results for the questions related to this story are accurate within a margin of error of 1.60 percent.

“I think it definitely [has] a very supporting role, especially for girls,” Sarah says. “It definitely reassures me and some of my friends to know that we have that alternative if we ever need to get pills or get Plan B or do anything and if we can’t get it for whatever reason, we know we can go to Planned Parenthood and get that help. I don’t think it encourages sex because the girls I know that go there would have sex whether or not they were taking the pill, but I would definitely say that it encourages safer sex.”

86% of Paly students believe that Planned Parenthood effectively helps youth in need

when you see teenagers at Planned Parenthood, people assume something and so I felt judged by that, [but] this was the one where I could go in that day and just start school the next day.” Without Planned Parenthood, Solatan would not have had access to the quick healthcare she received. The wide array of services provided by Planned Parenthood are difficult to replicate and serve an array of functions in the community. For Sarah, Planned Parenthood lends her a peace of mind.

Oct. 16, 1916 — Margaret Sanders opens her first birth control clinic, which is later named the American Birth Control League in 1921. 38

Jan. to Dec., 1942 — The American Birth Control League changes its name to Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Real Options and Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood is not the only healthcare center that focuses on reproductive health. Real Options is a collection of centers that provides pregnancy care and counseling for women who are uncertain about what choice to make considering their unborn child, but that does not offer abortions or contraception. Shirley Poitier, the director of Real Options’ Healing of Post Abortion Program, encourages teens to make informed decisions about what types of choices to make concerning their reproductive health and their pregnancies. “They have in their minds what a cutoff time is,” Poitier says. “We say, ‘You should take a deep breath, get an ultrasound, look at all of your options and we trust that you will make an informed decision. We can give you all of the information, but we trust that you will make a good decision.” Poitier also thinks that teens should make an informed decision about where exactly to receive their care. She believes that people should do thorough research

April 9, 1970 — New York legalizes abortions. Planned Parenthood offers first abortions.

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 on their options and on what Planned Parenthood offers, so as to choose the organization that better fits their individual needs. “I think that people are going where they can be best served to a place that meets their need,” says Poitier. “So why they would come to Real Options is because we are confidential and focused on helping the whole woman.” Without Planned Parenthood to rely on, teens across the country would be confronted with the issue of privacy, while those of lower income backgrounds would also lose access to their primary source of affordable primary and reproductive healthcare. “By taking away Planned Parenthood clinics and family planning clinics, there will unplanned pregnancies, there will be more abortions,” says Sophia Yen, a professor at the Stanford School of Medicine specializing in adolescent health. “There will be people dropping out of school. To me, every teenage pregnancy is a shattered dream. I don’t think any teenager meant to get pregnant during their teenage years. They were hoping for bigger, better things.”

country; however, the predominantly Republican side that aims to defund the organization argues that Planned Parenthood’s alleged selling of tissue from aborted fetuses is an action worthy of retaliation, using the videos released last summer to bolster its argument. Planned Parenthood, on the other hand, denies any wrongdoing. “We unequivocally deny that any of the allegations made against the organization are true,” says Lupe Rodriguez, director of public affairs at Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. “We are constantly audited and examined by the government and other organizations for our practices, both medical and the option that has been highlighted [in the videos], the facilitation of the donation of fetal tissue to research that our patients choose to do [has been approved by the government].” According to Rebecca Griffin, assistant director for California programs at NARAL Pro-Choice America, the negative reaction to Planned Parenthood is a continuation of the pro-life agenda. “They are using this as another opportunity to go after an institution like Planned Parenthood that is immensely popular and a place that a lot of people rely on to give

“Don’t let politics trump medicine. ... Keep the government out of the uterus.” — Professor Sophia yen, Stanford

The politicization of women’s health Thrust into the larger spotlight of the pro-life versus pro-choice debate, Planned Parenthood defends its stance by emphasizing the multitude of health services they offer to women and men all over the

July 14, 2015 — Center for Medical Progress releases covertly filmed videos in a campaign against Planned Parenthood.

Sept. 18, 2015 — The House of Representatives votes to defund Planned Parenthood.

them a grand stand on these issues,” Griffin says. “It gives them an opportunity to just keep pushing this agenda and trying to again put the pro-choice movement back on its heels, which is why it is really important that we push back.” Griffin’s points bring up the issue of the polarization of women’s health. Like many other subjects in our political sphere, reproductive health and abortion has fallen into the partisan mold of Republicans versus Democrats. However, with a multifaceted dispute as personal as contraception and abortion, there are more sides to the story than simply “pro-life” or “pro-choice.” “I see that people choose abortion because they are stressed out,” Poitier says. “They choose abortion thinking that it’s the easiest thing … I am pro people making a choice that they’re not in a position that they have to choose to end a life.” It is undeniable that Planned Parenthood plays a major role in the question of pro-choice versus pro-life. While primary health care providers are now in the picture for teens with insurance because of SB 138 — teens without insurance can still go to Planned Parenthood — Planned Parenthood has cemented its role as a confidential healthcare provider. That impact, as well as the recent storm of national news coverage of the organization, makes Planned Parenthood possibly the most well-known reproductive health provider in the country. To Yen, the solution to the debate is simple. “Don’t let politics trump medicine,” Yen says. “Leave medicine to the doctors, leave personal health decisions between a patient or doctor. Keep the government out of the uterus.” v

Sept. 24, 2015 — The United States Senate votes against defunding Planned Parenthood.

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX ED A NEW GENERATION OF LIVING SKILLS MAY BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER Text by DANIELLE MACUIL, ALICIA MIES and GABRIELA ROSSNER Photography by WILLIAM DOUGALL

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

OR MADDIE, A PALO A LTO High School junior whose name, like all other teen sources in this story, has been changed to protect her identity, having sex for the first time was an emotional experience. The act itself made her feel vulnerable, as did the fact that her relationship ended soon after. “[It affected me] in a negative way because people just saw me as easy,” Maddie says. “I became more vulnerable and I started to be very self-conscious about this thing [having sex]. It wasn’t a good situation.” Even though she had already taken Living Skills, Paly’s health course, and felt prepared physically for how to protect herself, she was unprepared for the emotional and social effects. “I think that when it [sex] is discussed in Living Skills, they only talk about the physical action,” Maddie says. “They never talk about the emotional toll that it truly takes on you.” In order to combat countless situations involving inadequate sexual education, like Maddie’s and many other teens, Assemblymember Shirley Weber from San Diego’s district introduced Assembly Bill 329, or the California Healthy Youth Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct 1. The act attempts to strengthen and diversify the sexual education requirements in public schools, which she says have not been updated since 1992. It will make comprehensive sexual education mandatory for all schools, in addition to updating instruction surrounding the discussion of HIV and AIDS, as well as mandating education on different sexualities and gender identities. The act was signed along with a related bill, Senate Bill 695, which mandates the teaching of “yes means yes” affirmative consent along with more education on sexual harassment, assault and violence.

In a new age of Internet dating and more open discussions about gender and sexuality, students nationwide find that sex ed has not kept up with current trends in teenage sexual relations and does not address new dangers that teens may be exposed to. At Paly, 42.2 percent of students felt they received an adequate sex education, while 34.3 percent did not feel Living Skills met their needs, according to a survey conducted by Verde. Living Skills falls under the California Educational Code Section 15933, which states that schools are not required to teach comprehensive sex education, but mandates that grades seven through 12 must at least teach about abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, contraceptives, different sexualities, and the Safely Surrendered Baby Law, a California law allowing parents to surrender newborn babies. Beyond that, local districts and school boards determine the curriculum. In the Palo Alto Unified School District, individual teachers are free to choose their own curriculum, as long as it abides by state and federal standards. Incorporating the emotional The struggle that educators face in regard to sex education, and that the new law attempts to combat, is ensuring that the ideas taught in the classroom are translated to real-life sexual experiences. Chris, a junior, feels that Paly’s source of sexual education, the Living Skills course, doesn’t focus enough on the emotional aspects. “It [Living Skills] only covers how to be safe, which we’ve all had drilled into our heads, and doesn’t seem to mention expressing yourself sexually in a healthy manner,” Chris says. “Healthy in that context would be knowing what you are comfortable with. It’s knowing what your limits are and not letting people try to push you out of them without your consent.” 41

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

Jake, a senior, agrees that the physical aspects of sexual education can only teach one so much about what to do in sexual situations. Although Jake learned about how he shouldn’t use certain combinations of lube and condoms, he still forgot to practice safe sex during his first time. “It’s not that I felt unprepared because Living Skills was not taught properly,” Jake says. “It’s that there is only so much you can teach a person: use a condom, scare him with STD talks and do it with ‘someone you care about.’ A day of the safe sex that we covered in Living Skills would have been sufficient and then I think it’s up to you to explore.” Paly Living Skills teacher Leticia Burton agrees that there is a limit to what Living Skills can teach students when it comes to being sexually active. Burton, who has taught the course for 15 years, recalls students who initially disliked her class, but later came back with a newfound appreciation for the course. “I think sexual exploration is a good thing; period,” Burton says. “I feel like the only thing I can do is cast seeds. Who knows where the seeds will take root and what will grow.” Burton, who teaches on average three periods of Living Skills per semester, says she adapts her curriculum every semester to modernize it. A new addition this semester is a role playing activity in which students practice setting limits with partners. 42

emotional aspects of sex. According to Joe Kocurek, the press secretary for Assemblymember Weber, the updated curriculum hopes to reflect the changes that have occurred in the past 25 years in interpersonal relationships between teens. New material that will be mandated by the bill include adolescent relationship abuse, sexual harassment and sexual trafficking. However, parents and students would continue to be able to opt-out of instruction with a written notice. “It’s intended to encourage healthy behaviors, or attitudes or relationships, rather than focusing on the mechanics of disease transmission or pregnancy,” Kocurek says. “We’re leaning towards helping people make healthy decisions about that, including pregnancy prevention. It’s beyond the ‘old fashioned’ approach to it. It’s getting more involved in what we’ve discovered about human relationships over the past Burton agrees that the Living Skills few years, including more current consex education unit focuses mostly on concerns.” Burton says that other aspects of the traception. Because she teaches minors, Burton has to be cautious to not promote course, such as discussions surrounding sex in any way when discussing the physical gender roles, also tie into sex ed because they comprise a significant part of every aspects of sex. “Technically, I can’t teach about ‘sex’ relationship. “I think that the physical stuff is easier per se, because it’s not a how-to class,” Burton says. “I can’t advocate for any particular to teach, and it’s easier for kids to engage type of sex over the other, because then it’s in, so when you start talking about the the school and the district are advocating emotional stuff, people clam up and don’t for that. At a certain point, where’s the line want to talk,” Burton says. “That makes it difficult because that stuff is so intangible between education and pornography?” and that stuff is much Burton agrees that more personal.” Living Skills could foTalk surrounding cus more on the emosexual education that tional aspects of sex, It [the new sex ed] is cover emotions are as she considers them beyond the ‘old fashioned’ relevant when many to be important. HowPaly students have sex ever, as state and fedapproach to it.” outside of commiteral curriculum do not — Joe Kocurek, ted relationships. Almandate conversations Assemblymember Weber’s though Chris, a junior, about emotional health surrounding sex, all Press Secretary feels more drawn to relationships, he finds such curriculum must that casual hookups be compiled by the comprise the majority. Chris wishes that teacher. “Oh my god, it [the emotional aspect] navigating the world of hookups or casual is huge,” Burton says. “I think that that’s sex was taught as part of sexual education. “Living Skills really only teaches you something that we could talk about more in Living Skills. Whether you’re having sex, how to be safe in a controlled environment same-sex sex or heterosexual sex, it’s a very and they don’t really understand that most kids get their sexual experience from hookintimate, very personal, vulnerable act.” Weber’s team hopes that the act will ups, which is a completely uncontrolled focus discussions around sex more on the environment,” Chris says. “I think they

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FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 should teach you how to take that uncontrolled environment and make it controlled, not just expect the environment to be controlled.” Burton has noticed the hookup culture at Paly, and she is struggling to adapt her curriculum to discuss the trend. “There probably needs to be more conversation about what that [hookup culture] means,” Burton says. “It seems like hooking up can be incredibly dangerous. Casual sex can be fun, it can be exciting, it can be exhilarating, but it can also be really painful, especially if a person isn’t really clear about why they’re doing it.” Because individual curriculum is not decided at a policy level, Kocurek is unsure whether or not ‘hookup culture’ will be a mandated topic in Living Skills classes. However, he says that discussions surrounding casual sex fall under the pro-

posed mandate of education about healthy attitudes and healthy relationships. Education for everyone Chris, a gay man, says the focus on straight sex present in the current living skills curriculum is not comprehensive enough for him. To Chris, the hyperfocus on contraceptive methods, rather than sexual exploration and healthy sexual expression, can have detrimental effects. “I feel like it [Living Skills] is very narrow-minded,” Chris says. “Queer kids are kind of hung out to dry. It’s like, ‘OK, great, that’s how you do stuff for straight people, do I get anything?’” Chris says that the Living Skills curriculum should include more information about LGBTQ sex. Sophie, a senior at Paly who expresses romantic but not sexual affection towards all genders, agrees

that Living Skills needs to have more open discussions about sex in non-straight or transgender contexts. “It [Living Skills] is very subjective due to the difference in teachers, and is very heteronormative,” Sophie says. “ They [Living Skills and conversations about sex] are both very trans-exclusive, with assumptions about heterosexual sex and genitalia, and very straight-focused, in a way that forgets non-straight sex until it gets mentioned, and then attempts to move past it as quickly as possible.” Although Living Skills includes some education about sexualities and gender, Burton acknowledges that LGBTQ issues are not discussed as much as they could be in the sex unit. She explains that she finds herself struggling to respect everyone’s views and identities when discussing topics surrounding sex and identity.

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

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There is only so much that you can teach a person. Then it’s up to you to explore.” — Jake, a paly senior

“As a teacher, I get concerned about not wanting it to appear like I’m pushing a ‘homosexual agenda,’” Burton says. “It is just being aware that in the class, there are some pretty conservative kids. It is a balance that is so complex in a classroom situation.” The California Healthy Youth Act mandates discussions surrounding sexual health and the LGBTQ community. The act, which also focuses on changing language conventions and more comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention, would require teens to engage in conversations surrounding health issues that are important for LGBTQ youth, including knowledge of health issues specific to transgender people. “It is intended to be inclusive of those students, so that they don’t have to translate in their heads what it means for them as a member of that community,” Kocurek says. “We believe that it needs to be more direct, given that there are specific concerns in those communities. They need to know that they are included in the curriculum, and that they get the information that they need.” The future of sex ed Students at Paly, for the most part, 44

want change. Living Skills is a commonly discussed and complained about subject, according to Burton. “They need to diversify,” Chris says. “In this era of society, teenagers are becoming more sexually active younger and younger, and they are doing more and more things, so if we don’t start diversifying very quickly, we’re going to see a huge spike in kids with huge psychological problems later in life.” Signed into law last week, the act will go into effect Jan. 1, 2016. School districts will be required to start developing curriculum then, although the process would most likely begin sooner, according to Kocurek. The American Civil Liberties of California, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, Equality California, Forward Together and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California all sponsor the act, according to Kocurek. The act had strong approval, with 60 organizations and 62 individuals formally registering their support. Only two organizations, the California Right to Life Committee, Inc. and the Capitol Resource Institute registered in opposition to the legislation, according to Weber’s team. Ultimately, Kocurek and Weber’s team behind the act hope to aid teenagers

in their transformative years by providing them with a more comprehensive sexual education. “There are a lot of influences on kids these days, and they need to make informed decisions,” Kocurek says. “We feel that we need to update it [sex education] so that they feel that in the end they can decide, ‘I want to have a healthy relationship.’ Ultimately, it’s empowering students to make the best decisions for themselves.” Paly students agree that they need more information from educators. While 34.3 percent of total students surveyed felt unprepared, 39.2 percent of girls and 50 percent of surveyed agender students feel that Living Skills did not meet their needs. In the end, students just want to make the best decisions too. “After that, you are on your own, as you should be,” Jake says. “The process of sexual exploration should be a personal journey equipped with the basic precautionary information.” v

The student poll results collected for this issue are from a survey administered in Palo Alto High School English classes over the course of several days in September 2015. Eight English classes were randomly selected, and 537 responses were collected. The surveys were completed online, and responses were anonymous. With 95 percent confidence, the results for the questions related to this story are accurate within a margin of error of 1.60 percent.

[UN] Licensed to DRINK DEALING WITH FAKE IDS Text by JOELLE DONG and LAURA SIEH Photography by WILLIAM DOUGALL

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

LIQUOR STORE Some Paly students use fake IDs to purchase alcohol at liquor stores such as Ernie’s. These students could face up to a year in state prison for possesing fraudulent IDs.

CRIMSON CURSIVE SIGN reading “Ernie’s Liquors” brightens the dreary parking lot at 3870 El Camino Real. Every few minutes, cars pull up and customers walk in, only to come out minutes later, bags in hand. In all their time at Palo Alto High School, most students will never set foot inside. But not Riley, a senior whose name has been changed to protect her identity, along with all other student sources. Riley holds the key to the racks of liquor that lie behind Ernie’s doors: a fake ID. 46

Riley is one of the 2.7 percent of Paly students who owns a fake ID, according to a survey of 182 students conducted by Verde. Fake ID owners, although a small demographic at Paly, provide 45.3 percent of Paly’s student drinkers with alcohol. Aiming to curb fake ID usage and underage drinking, the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control gave the Palo Alto Police Department a $41,000 grant to combat underage drinking in July. At Paly, this new development has the potential to affect a large portion of

the student body. According to Verde’s survey, 25.3 percent of Paly students participate in underage drinking. “If we want to do something fun, then we drink,” says Jamie, a senior. These students turn to fake ID owners like Riley, who are often more than willing to sell them alcohol at a premium. Riley Riley, who doesn’t even have her driver’s license, regularly uses a fake ID to purchase alcohol, tobacco and smoking paraphernalia for fellow students.

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 know Riley as a Stanford student from using a fake ID, students turned over to the East Coast who comes in to buy the police usually have a fair chance of mass quantities of alcohol for fraternity escaping substantial consequences. parties. “As long as you haven’t done it beFor Tony, a senior, Riley’s services fore, it’s usually not too serious,” says provide him with an easy source of al- Los Angeles-based DUI lawyer Jeff cohol. When he and some of his close Yeh. “If you have a lawyer, most of the friends wanted alcohol at the last min- time you can get an infraction, which ute, he turned to Riley, whom he knew doesn’t go on your permanent record, only by name. Shortly after messaging or you can get the case dismissed.” Despite the relaher, he drove her to tive lack of legal Ernie’s. ramifications for fake For Tony, just beI’m not trying to be a ID users and student ing with Riley in the drinkers, the health parking lot in front dealer. I’m Just helping of Ernie’s was nerve- people have fun or be less effects of underage drinking are detriwracking, as he was mental. According to aware of the potential stressed.” — RILEY Paul Dunn, a social consequences. worker and former Under California Penal Code 470b, ownership of a fake dean of the Menlo School, using fake ID could warrant misdemeanor charg- IDs to buy alcohol is a harmful crutch es, punishable by up to a year in prison for socializing. “Fake IDs allow teens to formalize or a $1000 fine. Those who use their fake IDs to deal alcohol, such as Riley, could the process of getting alcohol, using it to socialize and hypothetically reduce face up to three years in state prison. stress,” Dunn says. “Clearly, there’s a challenge to that model of wellness.” A mindset This challenge is delineated on the However, consequences do not deter dealers or make alcohol any less National Institute on Alcohol Abuse available. This is partly because many and Alcoholism’s website, which dePalo Alto businesses have been fairly plores how underage drinking is often lenient towards fake IDs. Riley’s clos- regarded as a normal part of growing est call happened at Ernie’s, where, up, noting its high involvement in suidespite memorizing the information on cides. PAPD hopes that the measures her fake ID, she could not provide her zipcode when asked. The cashier de- funded by the ABC grant can help comnied Riley alcohol but returned her ID bat this problem. “This has been going on for deand still sold her several lighters. This instance is indicative of a cades in every community in America,” greater lenience toward fake IDs in says PAPD Public Affairs Manager Lt. Palo Alto. According to PAPD School Zachary Perron. “It is nothing new. It Resource Officer Dujuan Green, Fake happens in high schools, and it happens IDs are not reported to the police as in colleges. By obtaining this grant, we often as they would like. In fact, zero hope to better educate employees of loarrests or citations have been made for cal restaurants, bars and stores that sell fake ID possession in the past year. If alcohol so that they know to check for caught however, Green does not advo- valid identification. Punishment is not cate for severe consequences for coop- something with which the police department is concerned.” v erative fake ID infractors. “If it was me [discovering a fake The student poll results collected for this issue are from ID], and someone came clean, I would a survey administered in Palo Alto High School English walk back in, ask the clerk nicely for a classes over the course of several days in September 2015. Eight English classes were randomly selected, and refund, contact the parent and make it 179 responses were collected. The surveys were coma teachable moment, and confiscate the pleted online, and responses were anonymous. With 95 percent confidence, the results for the questions related ID card,” Green says. to this story are accurate within a margin of error of Further reducing the deterrent of 3.03 percent.

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Riley is well known on campus for her services. She can expect four to five messages on Fridays and Saturdays from students, many of whom she barely knows. “I’m not trying to be a dealer,” Riley says. “I’m just helping people have fun or be less stressed. I like to make my customers happy.” Since obtaining her fake ID last year, Riley has begun to make a profit from this pursuit. In a single weekend, Riley can make upwards of $70, often in a single trip, which far outweighs the $110 she initially spent on the ID. “This is easy money” Riley says “I don’t have to work for it.” Managers and cashiers at local liquor, convenience, and grocery stores

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

Text by IRENE CHOI, WILLIAM DOUGALL and ELANA REBITZER Photography by WILLIAM DOUGALL

A Coach's Dilemma HOW GYM CONSTRUCTION AFFECTS ATHLETES

HIS SEASON, JUNIOR Jared Stanley has not been able to play a single home game. As a water polo player without practice facilities at Palo Alto High School, Stanley and many other athletes have had to practice late at night, often at facilities far away from Paly, as they await the new gym and pool. For Stanley, who has to be taken to his latenight practices at Gunn High School by a shuttle bus, “having to trek all over is a hassle.” The construction of the new gym is occuring at the same time as the Paly sports department undergoes a major transition. The new athletic director, Kathi Bowers, who is also a long-time Paly math teacher, has to juggle organizing transportation, 48

practice times and practice locations for their practice locations due to the lack of Paly’s athletes, who no longer have a home practice facilities at Paly. Only football and cross country are able gym or pool to practice to continue practicing in. on campus. As the Palo Alto Often, the shuttles Unified School Dis- I can’t really bike to the run into traffic when trict attempts to reform golf course, so i have to traveling from location academic policies to to location, which sereduce student stress, rely on other people. the lack of a gym and — junior emily hwang verely reduces practice and homework time for the subsequent changes students. Central Coast made to the athlete’s practice schedules is functioning as an ad- Section, the league that governs Paly sports, ditonal stressor for Paly athletes. mandates that state sports practices cannot exceed 18 hours per week, and that these New Challenges hours include transport time in the time alAccording to Bowers, seven out of lotted to practice. These rules have led to a nine fall sports have had to rely on shuttles practice time reduction for Paly sports. to transport athletes to and from school to “Their practice time is actually limited

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FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 because they go on the bus and they come to get my homework done [earlier].” Food For Thought home on the bus,” Bowers says. “They can’t Due to the complications that come practice for more than two hours, because How Coaches Are Helping with construction, Bowers suggests that that’s time allocated for the bus ride.” Though it has been difficult for many teachers and coaches alike try to be more The bus rides, although officially part athletes to adjust to this new arrangement, understanding to the athletes’ situations. of the allotted time, “I do know that when you’re on cammany feel that their can be made far longer coaches have been un- pus, it’s easier to let that [the sport] be the when subject to heavy derstanding and flexible. place where you get flexibility,” Bowers traffic, and thus can We’re grateful for the time Varsity boys water polo says. “We’re in the opposite position where greatly increase the that they give us at all the coach Aaron Johnson the teachers need to be a little more flexible time that students are pools we’re in, so it’s some- says that the construc- with the athletes.” spending at practices Bowers also encourages students to tion has made it necesthing that I have to be flex- sary for him to be more be more understanding with teachers who each day. “Even though our ible on.” aren’t as flexible, explaining that it’s their lenient to his athletes. practice time is two “I just have to job to maintain order and to ensure consis— Coach Aaron Johnson hours, it can be four make it work with what tency in the enforcement of the rules. hours, so we’re trying “The teachers make these rules in the we have,” Johnson says. various ways to alleviate that,” Bowers says. “We’re grateful for the time that they give main interest of the kids — they’re not “We have coaches trying to hold a Saturday us at all the pools we’re in, so it’s something being inflexible because they don’t care,” practice instead of a weekday practice, and that I have to be flexible on.” Bowers says. “They do it because they begive them [athletes] a day off.” Bowers and the administration have lieve that it’s the right thing.” Some players cannot even make it to tied in some freedom for the athletes in Bowers adds that students can learn to practice off of campus. Emily Hwang, a terms of how they can get to and from work with their situation, even if teachers junior golf player is just one athlete who practice, so that they don’t lose too much and coaches seem inflexible. struggles. “The world is what the world is,” Bowtime on the bus. “Sometimes it’s hard for me to get a “All the students can drive themselves ers says. “The most important thing you ride to the golf course for practice when to practice,” Bowers says. “And that’s one can learn as teenagers is learn how to play my parents are working,” Hwang says. “I example where our department is trying to the world as the world exists.” v can’t really bike to the golf course, so I be flexible.” have to rely on other people.” Relying on other people, however, is not possible for many student athletes, given that the rules in the California Educational Code don’t allow students to drive other students to practices or games. In addition to having practice times cut short, Paly must share practice facilities with other schools, like Gunn, leading to further complications. For student athletes, this may mean odd practice hours. According to Bowers, players can spend even more time away from school, unable to work on homework, especially when games are off campus. In the case of varsity water polo, which is currently practicing at Gunn High School, the Gunn athletics programs have priority to the sports facilities, which pushes Paly’s practice times to later hours. Senior Katie Francis, a fourth-year varsity water polo player, has experienced the consequences of these odd hours firsthand. “The new practice schedule for me FACILITATOR (ABOVE) New Athletic Director Kathi Bowers explains how the is 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Gunn, which is not lack of a pool and gym impact Paly athletes. nearly as convenient as it has been in the past,” Francis says. “This late practice usu- PRACTICE (LEFT) Football coach John Halas guides his players during an afterally means [that] I am up [later] and I have noon practice. Football is one of the only sports practicing on Paly campus this season.

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FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015

breaking barriers T

DISTRICT TAKES STEPS TO CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAP Text by ALIA CUADROS-CONTRERAS and DANIELLE MACUIL Photoillustrations by WILLIAM DOUGALL and ANNA LU

WO THIRD GRADERS took the same test with the same teacher. Both of the students received a C- on the test. To one student, an African American, the teacher was encouraging, assuring him that he received a good grade. But to the other, a white student, the teacher was disapproving, and said that the student could have done better. One year ago, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges published their report on Palo Alto High School. The report,

which included an investigation of the achievement gap, found that the the disparity in academic success at Paly between races had not been improving as hoped. Given the district’s minimal progress in reducing the gap highlighted in both reports, the PAUSD administration is focusing on closing the gap during the 20152016 school year by not only addressing economic disparities, but unconscious biases and racial self segregation as well. Pier Angeli LaPlace, principal at Terman Middle School and a staff member

at Palo Alto Unified School District for 26 years, has heard students share many personal experiences regarding racism and unconscious biases in classrooms. LaPlace says black and Latino students who witness these biases often realize that people have lower expectations for them than their Caucasian or Asian peers. LaPlace also acknowledges that self segregation is one of the many reasons for the achievement gap at Palo Alto High School. “Pretty consistently we have a segment of our population who are underperforming,” LaPlace says about PAUSD schools. “What people like to call the achievement

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 gap I really call an access and opportunity gap that leads to a significant gap in achievement.” Hidden Biases at Paly In a classroom, teachers often assume that black and Latino students need help with their work. This leads many students to feel that they are not held to equal standards as their peers based on their ethnicity. Ladaisha Roberts, a sophomore at Paly, says that she has experienced differences in treatment relative to her non-minority peers, and in her classes where there have been special education students with aides, the aides focus on her more than the special ed students. “They [the aides] treat me like I’m the special one and like I need extra help,” Roberts says. “They will try to give me answers, but that’s not going to help me.” The discouragement that some minority students perceive from their different treatment in classes may factor into the stark disparities in academic achievement statistics across assuran

ethnicities. According to Paly’s WASC lower lanes in science and math.” Advancement Via Individual DeterSelf-Study in 2014-2015, only 6 percent of African-American students and 21 percent mination, a program offered to students at of Latino students were enrolled in at least Paly, compromises part of Paly’s effort to one Advanced Placement course, com- improve its educational environment and pared to 60 percent of Asian students and bolster all students’ academic confidence. AVID facilitates minority achievement bealmost 50 percent of white students. cause it is an accesJunior Nadia Leinhos, who was “We don’t really affect Palo Alto. sible source for college support. the only African“They [StuAmerican student We just have a different outlook dents enrolled in in her freshman and because of where we’re from.” - Sophomore Brey Johnson AVID] could be sophomore honors choosing to have a math and science classes, says lower expectations for minor- prep,” says Elizabeth Mueller, coordinaity students in Honors lanes contribute to tor and teacher of AVID. “They could be academic disparities in Paly’s classes. Lein- choosing to take art or foods or something hos moved down a math lane her junior else like that, but the AVID students are reyear because she felt like she didn’t get sup- ally focused on their academics. They have committed to that by choosing to be in port. “I moved down one lane and nobody AVID and being in it for all four years.” batted an eye because of course you can AVID is essential for many students move down a lane; you don’t have to keep because it provides the resources and trying,” Leihnos says. “Just go back to guidance to prepare them for higher eduwhere it’s easier. That vibe that you aren’t cation. Through supplying access to vital expected to do as well is still there, and resources such as computers and teaching you can see that because most of the students a variety of study skills, the prominority kids in our school are in the gram strengthens struggling students’ self

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 assurance in their intellectual abilities. peers and to the Palo Alto community at “At home they couldn’t really help large because they are not able to particime,” says Paly class of 2015 alumna Steph- pate in the same opportunities and experianie Estrada. “At Paly, they [the counselors] ences as them. made me feel welcome, and they helped “We don’t really affect Palo Alto,” says me because I took that step and was per- sophomore AVID student Brey Johnson. sistent. So they offer it [support], but not “We go to the high school and we get treatthat many people go ed a certain way, “What people like to call the achieve- but we don’t really for it.” Estrada believes ment gap i really call an access and have the effect that pride or the fear opportunity gap that leads to a sig- on Palo Alto that of being labeled “stua wealthy person nificant gap in achievement.“ pid” are often factors would who has -Pier angeli Laplace lived there their when black or Latino Terman Principal whole life. We just students in particular fail at finding guidhave a different ance and support at Paly. The problem also outlook because of where we’re from.” arises because some students don’t know Because students surround themselves how to find the support they need. with people of similar backgrounds, they don’t experience diversity. Although many Racial Self-Segregation During lunch, many students segregate themselves by race and claim a section of the quad. For some students of color, finding people of a similar background allows them to feel a sense of belonging. “They [students] share kind of a common background with students who are like them from neighborhoods of the same race,” says Stanford University Professor of Education Sean Reardon. “They tend to segregate and some of it is that some kids just don’t feel welcome in other groups.” Minority students living in EPA may experience a feeling of disconnection to their

races and cultures are represented at Paly, self-segregation does not allow students to reap the benefits of the diversity at Paly. “We are diverse, but the diverse sections of Paly don’t interact,” Leinhos says. “It’s like the one point in the Quad where all the minority students from East Palo Alto hang out and then there’s all the Asians in this one group and all the white kids on the senior deck. The East Palo Alto kids are seen from a distance and labeled as different and too different to be interacted with.” Administration Decreasing the Gap In the 2014-2015 school year, the district launched a committee to analyze the issues addressed in the WASC report. The result was the WASC self-study report published along with the Minority Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee’s report for the Board of Education. Some of the most prominent issues regarding the achievement gap included a lack of a diverse staff, unconscious biases against minority students,

FEATURES | OCTOBER 2015 early education achievement gaps and laning. According to the 2014-2015 WASC self study report, the percentages of Latino, African American, and Asian staff members are less than 10 percent each, while the percentage of white staff members is over 70 percent. According to McGee, less diversity leads to less perspective and cultural awareness. “Diverse perspectives really enrich understanding,” McGee says. “They enhance creativity and help people learn and grow, so I think having the diversity is essential for the school.” Starting in the 2015-2016 school year, McGee says that the hiring department will be evaluated on their ability to recruit a staff that mirrors the diversity of the student population. In order to make the faculty even more accessible and supportive of all types of students, the Minority Achievement and Talent Development Advisory Committee formally announced their goal to raise awareness in the PAUSD staff regarding unconscious biases

and how they affect students. To meet “Early education is where you can this goal, PAUSD has developed training really attack the achievement gap,” says sessions for staff members devoted to PAUSD Tinsley Voluntary Transfer Proawareness of unconscious biases and the gram head Judy Argumedo. “A lot of our role they play in the students in Palo school system. “diverse perspectives really enrich Alto are so fortu“Every teacher understandings. they enhance cre- nate to go to great in this district will ativity and help people learn and preschools and spend two days in unthey come in with conscious bias train- grow,” early skills and -Max Mcgee then somebody ing with two trainers,” says McGee. “I PAUSD SUPERINTENDANT who maybe has did the first one. We not had preschool role played, we had in depth conversations, [is] trying to catch up.” we did video analysis, we shared our stories In addition to early education re… where it really starts is with dialogue.” form, the administration is attempting to In addition to providing a sup- adapt the laning system in PAUSD middle portive and diverse faculty, the ad- schools, so that students will have more ministration hopes to reduce the flexibility in switching math lanes. achievement gap by offering more “[There will be] an extra math teacher accessible early education. Ac- in each of the middle schools, so kids can cording to McGee, elementary move up into lanes and have the support schools will administer interven- they need,” McGee says. tions for students in kinAlthough the administration’s progdergarten through sec- ress in diminishing the achievement gap ond grade to ensure has been slow in the past, there are now that they are per- two detailed plans in action to improve forming at an PAUSD. appropriate “What’s great is we have a plan and a c a d e m i c this plan isn’t going to happen all of it this level. year, but we have twelve [goals] for this year and then hit [address] them all,” Argumedo says. As reflected through the many reforms and future goals to reduce the achievement gap, PAUSD is trying its best to help students of all races succeed equally. According to McGee, the achievement gap is one of the district’s top priorities. “Students who are consistently underperforming, those statistics translate into actual children, they translate into actual students,” LaPlace says. “They deserve the best of us like everybody else. They deserve our courageous investigations of our practices and protocol which despite our best intentions have led to inequities. They deserve the best of us believing in them as strongly as we believe in every other student and they deserve the best of our faith in their ability to reach their fullest potential.” v TEARING DOWN WALLS Administration has taken many steps to decrease the academic achievement gap and tear down the metaphorical walls that foster self-segregation. 53

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

DIY LUNCHES

TWO QUICK AND HEALTHY LUNCH RECIPES Text and photography by EMILIE MA

ET’S FACE IT: MOST STUDENTS PROBABLY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME IN THE MORNING TO get dressed and brush their teeth, let alone have enough time to make a lunch. Whether you slept in because you pressed the snooze button one too many times, or you didn’t go to sleep until 2 a.m., these do-it-yourself lunches, which can be made the night before, will save you precious time and energy in the morning. v

Caprese Sandwich Juicy heirloom tomatoes; Sweet mozzarella cheese; Flavorful aioli made with fresh basil — all colorfully sandwiched between two layers of fresh bread. This sandwich is simple, delicious and easy to make. Pro tip: to avoid soggy bread, wait until you’re ready to eat before you put the spread in your sandwich. Recipe by Laura Ma.

Brioche Bun Basil Leaves Heirloom tomatoes Mozzarella Cheese Mayonnaise

SOBA NOODLES An interesting take on the traditional pasta salad, soba is a slightly chewy Japanese noodle made with buckwheat flour that can turn into a refreshing salad when flavored with soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, and mixed with cucumber. Adapted from a recipe by Daniel Gritzer, seriouseats.com

Soba noodles Small cucumber Canola+sesame Oil Soy Sauce 2 small lemons 54

Text by KAI GALLAGHER and GABRIEL CULTURE | OCTOBERSANCHEZ 2015 Photography by KAI GALLAGHER

HENEVER THE BIG, BAD BLOCKbuster of the season hits, the same routine sets in: Gather the usual friends, buy tickets and sit down for the show. For the average movie goer, the surrounding crowd may as well not even be there; barring the occasional crowd-sweeping laugh at a comedy or ear-piercing scream at a horror film, the experience is identical to watching at home. Despite the seemingly endless crowds that show up for the big screen, the cozy atmosphere of the small movie theater persists. The options for the more discerning Palo Altan movie goer are refreshingly diverse. The Guild, the oldest theater in Menlo Park, caters to the arthouse crowd. For newer indie films, the Aquarius Theater just down the street from Downtown Palo Alto is reliable. Classic films have found their home on the screens of the Stanford Theatre, also located in downtown Palo Alto. Looking farther than Palo Alto, Camera 3 in San Francisco and the Blue Light in Cupertino also offer a wide variety of smaller films. But despite their varied film selections, these five theaters have something crucial in common: the communities that have sprung up around them. “[Small theaters] are great because of the friendly atmosphere and the old-style feel,” says Ashley Henderson, a retired, frequent movie goer at the Aquarius theater. “The smallness keeps it from feeling as corporate and busy”. This opinion isn’t hard to justify — even from the outside, the charming exterior makes its clear that these small theaters are set apart from the more generic identity with which larger theaters tend to portray themselves. The Guild, the oldest of Palo Alto’s theaters, has been around since 1926. Since its opening, it has en-

dured a changing movie landscape, surviving, among other things, the rise and fall of the drive-in theater, the introduction of the multiplex theater and most recently, online streaming services like Hulu and Netflix that make watching movies from the comfort of one’s own couch commonplace. It has survived, in part, because of the community it offers. It has a crowd of fans of all ages, united by their shared fondness for movies that can’t be found at any of its competitors. “We get a lot of different people. It’s everyone from college students, middle aged, elderly — There isn’t really one demographic that comes to see us,” says Sean Lortie, manager at Aquarius Theater. “It’s really just people interested in seeing foreign or independent films, which is a lot.” This unique culture really helps to create the feel of a community. The look of the small theater crammed in between a boutique and a restaurant right off a busy road is one of the many possible ways a small theater can add to the aesthetic of a commercial area. “[Small theaters] really add to a community and help to define its character,” says Kyle Moreno, a moviegoer who is a regular at small theaters. He believes that niche theaters like the Aquarius create a subculture only possible with the coziness of their respective venues. On paper, it seems as though small theaters should be grouped with newspapers and the penny as dying trends. Movies every year seem to only be getting bigger, while the niche movie is, by definition, a marginalized craft. But focusing closer, a new picture becomes clear. In the hustle and bustle of the digital age, the personal element is all too forgettable. With people yearning for a closer experience now more than ever, the small theater could be the next big thing. v 55

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

Unmasking VERDE REVIEWS DOCUMENTARY ON MENTAL HEALTH

Text and photography by EMILIE MA and NATALIE MAEMURA

HEN A GROUP of 13 high schoolers gathered under the protective shadow of a $1000 City of Palo Alto grant to create a controversial documentary, many community members anxiously awaited the end product. Hundreds of comments flooded Palo Alto Online’s article about the movie, most positive, but others angered by the issues the movie covered. DocX Films, a group of Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School students, created the documentary, “Unmasked” after the suicides of the 2014-15 school year. The main plot of the documentary consists of a real-life discussion about student mental health. The premiere 56

The integration of a fictional characon Sept. 12 sold out after only a few days, and even waitlisted current Charlotte Hor- ter to a real-life discussion of mental health nets basketball player Jeremy Lin’s mother. is confusing and unnecessary; however, as We managed to reserve two tickets to the Paly seniors, we related to Winston’s inner conflict and lack of event. courage in revealing this “ U n m a s ke d ” conflict to his friends and begins light-heartedly with a brief Having hope allows us to adult figures. The documentary history of Palo Alto start moving down the path features alumni and curand an overview of rent high school students the numerous com- to a brighter future.” panies located in — andrew baer, co-director who recount personal incidents regarding their Silicon Valley. The own difficulties with plotline takes a dark mental health. They also turn with the introduction of a fictional storyline about high give various solutions to counteract stress. The DocX Films team maintained acschool student “Winston.” Over the course of the film, Winston reveals to the audi- curacy and sensitivity by consulting with Stanford psychologist Vassir Joshi and ence the on-going struggles in his life.

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“UNMASKED”

youth support group leader and pastor Chris Sturgeon. It was relieving to hear that the team did not glorify suicide, which many community members and students were concerned about. The majority of the documentary consists of interviews of community members, alumni and current students from Paly and Gunn. These interviews were at times repetitive, which weakened the message of resolving mental health in Palo Alto’s youth. However, in doing so, “Unmasked” is able to capture vital parent feedback and highlight the issues that the Palo Alto Unified School District need to cover. Although it was restricted to a tight budget, the DocX Films team managed to shoot high-quality interviews and city scenes with perfect audio, despite the fact

that it was the team’s first film project. “Unmasked” ends abruptly on a high note when Winston takes off his mask to expose his vulnerability, suggesting he is open to receiving help. Although Winston achieved his happy ending, the truth is that reality does not always work out this perfectly. Understandably, there is no general solution to an issue this complex, but the ending left us feeling dissatisfied. According to co-directors and Paly seniors Andrew Baer and Christian Leong, “Unmasked” has three main goals: to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, to encourage conversations between students and adults and to leave viewers with a message of hope. “It doesn’t do any good to dwell on the past,” Baer says. “Having hope al-

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

PREMIERE (Left to right) Andrew Baer, Tanner Kerrins, Natalie Snyder, Leslie Garcia, Joseph Kao, Josh Yuen, Lydia Sun,Yui Sasajima, Zach Gibson and Christian Leong stand on stage during the premiere of “Unmasked” on Sept. 12 at the Palo Alto Children’s Theater. lows us to start moving down the path to a brighter future, and we truly can’t make progress unless we have hope that there’s something better for us.” Ultimately, “Unmasked” is successful — the movie opens up channels of discussion between student and adults. Although “Unmasked” does not offer tangible, policy-based solutions, the movie takes a step toward recognizing and removing the stigma that surrounds mental health. v 57

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

TYPES OF FamilIES AT PALY

Text and infographic by JOELLE DONG and LAURA SIEH

PALY’S NONTRADITIONAL FAMILY TYPES IN STATISTICS

IKKI MERKLE-RAYMOND IS A SOPHOmore at Palo Alto High School. She enjoys rowing crew, and she has an older sister and a dog. She also has two moms. This summer, a study by Pew Research Center revealed that over half of American families are, like MerkleRaymond’s, nontraditional, meaning that they do not include two heterosexual parents who are in their first marriage. Yet, at Paly, only 17.5 percent of families are nontraditional (anything other than two heterosexual married parents living together) suggesting that Paly remains far more “traditional” than the national average. However, while same-sex households, like the Merkle-Ray-

mond’s, make up 2.2 percent of Paly families, same-sex households amount to under one percent of families across America. At Paly, where same-sex families are more common than in the rest of America, Merkle-Raymond says she hasn’t experienced any prejudice, although she has been made well aware that it is not the norm. “People are surprised when they find out,” Merkle-Raymond says. “I’m just like any other kid at Paly.” While she hasn’t faced outright hostility, the unspoken preconceptions of what family means have affected her. “I kind of have to prove that we’re normal,” Merkle-Raymond says. “It’s the exact same as having a mom and a dad.” v

Of Paly STUDENTS... 5.0%

7.2%

have parents that live apart

are adopted

7.2%

2.2%

have unmarried parents

90.4%

have same-sex parents

feel that nontraditional families are accepted in Palo Alto.

8.3%

have parents that live apart

17.5% have non-traditional families.

12.2% have divorced parents

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015 Text by ROY ZAWADZKI Art by JACKSON KIENITZ

THE GREAT MIGRATION YOUNGER STUDENTS’ USE OF INSTAGRAM RISES

S OF SEPTEMBER 2015, Instagram has over 400 million active users. Last December it had 300 million active users. While Facebook remains the most popular social media site, Instagram is rapidly closing the gap, especially for the younger generation, and this is no exception for Palo Alto High School’s freshman class. In a Verde survey of 179 Paly students, over 47.4 percent of freshman claim to use Instagram most often, while only 7.89 percent use Facebook. On the other hand, 51.35 percent of seniors claim to use Facebook most often while only 5.54 percent responded with Instagram. Clearly, there is a gap between the freshman and senior classes in terms of social media usage. Freshman Shannon Zhao states that her choice is simply from preference. “Maybe it’s a generation thing, but even if I was born earlier I think I would still like Instagram better [than Facebook],” Zhao says. “Instagram has better privacy settings and is more user-friendly, with less complications.”

During freshman class elections, Zhao opted to create a Instagram campaign page when she ran for vice president instead of a Facebook one. “Because all the people that I was reaching out to had Instagram and not Facebook, I decided to make an Instagram page,” Zhao says. To senior Ren Makino, Instagram offers a less cluttered user interface than Facebook, making it simpler to view one’s past memories. “My Facebook is filled with junk like 15 posts about how Japan beat South Africa in rugby,” Makino says. “I am socially pressured to post less on Instagram [which] therefore leaves me with something nice to look back at.” Junior Lindsey Chen argues Facebook and Instagram each have their tradeoffs. “It is easier to talk to others on Facebook because of the format of the website. There are often Facebook groups for school or events,” Chen says. “Instagram only has images running down its feed and peo-

ple can share their pictures with people and have many people see it.” This image-based format could highlight our generation’s shift from information-based social media to more imagecentered social media sites. Chen uses Instagram’s popularity among artists to discover art and photography accounts. The most important part of Instagram for her is posting and sharing images on her account, which has 150,000 followers. “I enjoy Instagram over Facebook because I can communicate with a larger amount of people better on Instagram and I enjoy the feed of the people who I follow,” Chen says. “I like to discover different art and photography accounts.” As more of the younger generation like the one at Paly begins using I n s t a g r a m , t h i s image-based platform could very well replace Facebook’s coveted position as the top social media site. v

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

the good, the bad A JOURNEY THROUGH THREE MILK TEA SHOPS

T SEEMS LIKE PEARL MILK TEA HAS BEEN SWEEPING THE NAtion – or the Bay Area, at least. The public’s sudden penchant for PMT has been especially evident in Palo Alto. In the past year alone, Palo Alto residents have seen three milk tea shops spring up around town. Out of these three shops, where will one find the best pearls? The sweetest drinks? The best service? Verde reviewed all three of Palo Alto’s milk tea shops in hopes of answering these very questions. v

165 University Ave. T4 has had no trouble garnering fans and loyal patrons at lightspeed since it first opened its doors in November 2014. It is by far the most frequented (and most Snapchatted) milk tea shop in Palo Alto, and this is always evident, even during non-peak hours. If you want to try your luck and go there on a weekend evening, you’ll be lucky if the store’s line doesn’t stretch out onto the sidewalk. Even as a self-proclaimed milk tea connoisseur, it was difficult for me to distinguish T4’s classic

Text by JOSH CODE Photography by KARINA CHAN and JOSH CODE

4/5 pearls milk tea from that of Pop Tea and Gong Cha. Because T4 is the most expensive of Palo Alto’s three milk tea shops, I’d only recommend patronizing it for its more unique drinks, such as smoothies. Unfortunately, T4’s pearls definitely fall short compared to those of Gong Cha and Pop Tea. They feel more manufactured and chewy. Sadly, the quality of these pearls doesn’t really measure up to the melt-in-your-mouth consistency offered by other milk tea shops in the area. I also decided to try the Lemon Smoothie with Aloe. Right off the bat, I recognized that this drink tastes a lot like lemonade. It’s the perfect drink for the hottest of Palo Alto days. Don’t be scared to try Aloe. “Ick, they put that stuff from sunburn relief cream in their drinks?” was my initial reaction, too. I found that the topping has a smooth, refreshing texture that complements the drink’s lemon flavor.

TERRIFIC TEA Lorena Ribadeneira enjoys a Peppermint Milk Tea from T4.

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

and the milk tea POP TEA BAR

GONG CHA

456 Cambridge ave.

3.5/5 pearls

Pop Tea bar is the newest of Palo Alto’s three milk tea shops, as it opened last spring. It’s already proving itself a competitive addition to the up-and-coming collection of shops on newly renovated South California Avenue and its neighboring streets. One unique aspect of Pop Tea Bar is that its employees bring your order straight to your table. Because of this, I gave them an A+ for service on my super-arbitrary grading scale. The classic milk tea I ordered was tasty and refreshing, without straying too far from what I’d expect at any other milk tea shop in the area. Pop Tea Bar’s Happy Family Milk Tea, on the other hand, is a good choice for the more adventurous

souls in town. The drink’s contents include pearls, lychee jelly, herb jelly, pudding and red bean. What turned me off about this drink was the sweet red bean. I found that its rough texture just didn’t fit well with the drink’s other ingredients. Also, who wants to drink beans? Not me. Additionally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the pudding. It had an odd, slimy consistency — a little “off-pudding,” if you will. Pop Tea Bar drinks only come in a large size. This makes it the best local shop if your milk tea budget isn’t huge, as most drinks on the menu cost between $3 and $4. Also, a word of advice: Pop Tea drinks are very filling. Share one with a friend.

439 Waverley St.

4.5/5 pearls

Gong Cha’s location is ideal in that it’s not too busy, yet it’s still situated close to University Avenue and the rest of downtown Palo Alto. Gong Cha’s employees always greet guests with a smile and a friendly attitude. It appears as though they all get along well, laughing and joking with one another as they make drinks. This laid-back, friendly demeanor among Gong Cha’s employees makes its atmosphere more pleasant than that of your average milk tea shop. When I looked at Gong Cha’s menu, I scoured it for the most exotic-sounding

drink. To me, this was the Ice Cream Black Tea. While the tea tasted fine and pretty similar to that from T4 and Pop Tea, the addition of a gratuitous scoop of cold, sweet vanilla ice cream made this drink a home run. In my opinion, the Ice Cream Black Tea puts Gong Cha on the cutting edge of the modern milk tea game, and I’ll definitely be coming back soon despite nearly dying of embarrassment after trying to push on a “pull” door on my way out. It happens.

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

PA BURGERS

VERDE REVIEWS POPULAR BURGERS IN PALO ALTO Text and photography by EMMA GOLDSMITH and NATALIE MAEMURA

URGERS ARE THE AMERICAN INDULGENCE. MOUTH WATERINGLY DELICIOUS, A GOOD burger should have a depth of flavors and textures. Each component of a burger — the patty, bun, toppings and condiments — should come together to give you a bite of the American Dream. We went to some of the famous burger joints in Palo Alto to see how delicious they really were. Join us in our journey of reviewing some of Palo Alto’s good ole American burger . v

SLIDERBAR the untrained eye, the Sliderbar is like any other irritatingly Tweoloud sports bar. Walking towards this hamburger restaurant, could hear the roar of sports games on the numerous televisions and conversation of the diners. Somehow, it was even louder inside than it was outside and was a feat to hold a simple conversation. Even then, we had to yell. While different sports aired on widescreen televisions and adults sat at the bar drinking alcohol, we felt out of place being young high school students. We ordered the classic “Old School” slider which consisted of an “all-natural beef patty, lettuce, tomato, red onions, housemade pickles and mayo on an artisan white bun” at $4.25 per slider. After waiting 16 minutes, the waitress came with our

DDDDB mini hamburgers. We could taste the “all-natural beef ” as we bit into the burger — the meat was soft and juicy, which was nicely complimented by the bun. The burger, which was a bit too juicy, dripped copious meat juice, which was a not -soappetizing start to the meal. After eating one slider each, we satisfied by the taste, but still felt a bit hungry. Price: $$ Bun Toasty-ness: Hawaiian bun-esque (soft and chewy) Satisfactory Meat Quality: JUICY Fries: Not included

CULTURE | OCTOBER 2015

UMAMI BURGER DDDBB fter the lunch hour rush, Umami Burger’s near silence is a AInside, stark contrast to the bustling static of University Avenue. the awkward juxtaposition of books and overly large furniture lends to a quasi-intellectual feel that was initially a turnoff. We ordered the “throwback” burger, which was surprisingly good. The throwback had two 3.5 oz beef patties (on one bun), white cheddar cheese, onions, mustard, pickles and an assortment of condiments. The numerous components of the burger came together really well — the buns were toasty and the cheese was melted to perfection. The throwback was especially heavy on the mustard and pickles, so picky eaters beware — it’s an acquired taste!

The one issue we did encounter was the myriad of side sauces. Almost like “meatloaf surprise,” we had no idea what we were eating. None of the sauces particularly stood out, but bonus points for the fancy udon spoons. The fries rose above the sauce’s failure, as they were surprisingly delicious. Being thin cut fries, they were nicely crispy and were just as addictive as a bag of potato chips. Overall, the fries were a solid addition to the meal to round it out. Price: $$ Bun Toasty-ness: Passable Meat Quality: JUICY Fries: Included

KIRK'S STEAKBURGERS DDDDB he success of a good burger centers around the patty. Tcolors. Luckily, Kirk’s Steakburgers patty passes with flying Kirk’s cooks their steak cut patties on a charcoal grill which adds a distinct taste to the meat. The bun was not toasted which caused it to get soggy. The service, styled similarly to a fast food joint where you go up to the counter to order, was very efficient and fast. In addition, Kirk’s has a self-serve toppings bar that consists of lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and much more. We found it convenient because it allowed us to make our burger to out preferences. Price: $ Bun Toasty-ness: Weak

Meat Quality: Superb Fries: Not Included

PERSPECTIVES | OCTOBER 2015

Starting Life Undecided IT’S OK TO BE UNCERTAIN ABOUT YOUR FUTURE Text by ALICIA MIES Art by KARINA CHAN

“

OU’RE A BRAVE ADVENTURER WHO IS exploring the Amazon rainforest when you encounter a society — a society that idolizes those who feast on newborn human babies.” The friendly giant who is my philosophy teacher shouts this as he explains an elaborate thought experiment to his summer program class. Although I had traveled approximately 3,000 miles to attend this class in Boston, I found myself looking at the clock in agony. Three hours and 33 minutes to go. Since the age of 9, I had fantasized about saving captivated orcas or Iranian refugees through philosphical thinking. I had always imagined that philosophy would bolster my knowledge of human behavior. Instead, I found that it was more about abstract thought experiments. Because of these fantastical scenarios, I realized that philosophy wasn’t going to be my career. Now, I understand that it’s okay to not have definitive plans for the future. It’s time for Palo Alto parents and students to understand that too. During the program I read enough about Plato and the word “obligation,” to realize that philosophy was just not interesting to me. My uninspired dream of saving the world through philosophical reasoning turned into a fleeting past aspiration instead of my plans for the future. My experience is not uncommon in Palo Alto, where the suffocating air of competition and blind determination permeates the environment. In Palo Alto, my peers and adults had always lauded me for my drive — they connected knowledge of one’s life plans to ultimate success. In the past, when adults dreadfully asked me what I was interested in, I always had a wellrehearsed answer. The adult would then predictably commend me for being so young and so ambitious. Now, when I answer that I don’t know yet, my questioner hesitantly and uncomfortably assures me that I ‘still have time to find 64 64

out.’ But there’s always a pause, and that pause speaks volumes. It says that I should know my career path by now. This pause gives me and many other students anxiety and pressures us to quickly decide what we want to do with our lives. Instead of stating an interest they don’t have in any given topic, undecided students have the freedom to explore new interests. Those who are uncertain look at all subjects with an open mind and with this experimentation of such a broad range of topics, they can feel confident about their choice of career path. Seemingly insignificant things, like expecting answers when asking a student what they’re interested in or reminding students of the improbability of certain career choices contribute to the pressure on students to have definitive plans. And realistically, most people don’t know what they’re going to do in the future — shoot, most people don’t even know what they’re going to have for lunch on any given day. In Palo Alto, where it seems like freshmen are certain that they will become pediatricians or senators, it can be hard for some students to realize that the vast majority of young people in this country are also unsure about their future career plans. According to a study conducted by the University of La Verne, 50 to 70 percent of students change their majors at least once during college. Like many of these undecided students, I would love to have some mystic crystal ball predict my whole future. But the reality is is that I will never truly know what life has in store for me. And hey, maybe I’ll learn a thing or two about myself from being undecided. With newfound possibility in mind, the restrictions put on my future have disappeared. My future is now filled with choice and freedom instead of procedure. I have no idea what I’m going to do with my life, and I’m okay with that. v

Text by EMMA GOLDSMITH Art by PORTIA BARRIENTOS

PERSPECTIVES | OCTOBER 2015

A SOCIALIST QUasI-FESTO A MIXED ECONOMIC SYSYEM PROMOTES EQUALITY

HEN I FIRST CAME

to Palo Alto, I remember staring out the window of our car and wondering where all the corn fields were. My four-year-old logic led me to the conclusion that people must starve in the winter because there was obviously not enought food to go around. As I grew older, I began to realize the reason why there were no corn fields was because the value of land was much greater than where I’d moved from in Illinois. It was easy for me to see from early on that Palo Alto is a lot different than central Illinois. Palo Alto is the second wealthiest small town in the United States, according to SFGate. The huge wealth disparity between the two towns made me feel like the power the ultra-wealthy wielded was inequitable. Growing up in Palo Alto, most of us have benefited from the exposure to opportunities that all this wealth has provided. People come here with big ideas in their heads and plans to make lots of money. Success surrounds us, and it isn’t a far reach to become a part of it. But many people aren’t rubbing elbows with society’s elite or growing up in an affluent, educated area where they have access to the same opportunities. It is unjust that when the average annual income in the U.S. is $50,000, the cheapest house you can find in Palo Alto is in the million dollar range. It is wrong that people can’t go to their dream college because they cannot afford to. No one should feel powerless over their own lives because they lack money. I identify politically as a democratic socialist. I think the U.S.’s current economic system is set up for failure for many people.

The U.S. is on the fast track to a dystopian society akin to that of the Hunger Games: The Capitol vs. District 12. As I see it, capitalism is a system that doesn’t place a value on ethics and allows for the vicious cycle of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. It’s time for a change. What we need as a nation is a society that is a mixed economy — one that is both capitalist and socialist. The U.S. should be setting up a regulatory economic system that not only promotes innovation, but also equality. Before you shake your finger and accuse me of trying to ruin America, think about your understanding of socialism. If you’ve drawn a blank or hauled out your American flag to talk to me about Communist Russia, neither of these responses make you an educated citizen or a knowledgeable voter. Socialism is an economic theory referring to the idea that a society’s means of production, distribution and exchange are regulated by a committee, instead of letting the market regulate itself. Capitalism promotes innovation and entrepreneurship because the government isn’t telling the economy who, what, or how to produce goods, which is fantastic. Our nation’s success is based in innovating, forward-thinking business people. However, the top 1 percent of the

population in the U.S. will control half of our nation’s wealth by 2016, according to the Public Broadcasting Service. This is what happens when you allow industry to go unchecked. The market is focused on making money, not on the interests of people. This is why I propose a mixed economy. Obviously, the government shouldn’t control everything. I’m just saying that the U.S. needs to spend the time and money on programs that close the gap between the wealthy and poor — programs in healthcare, education and welfare. We need to combat the influence of money on elections that, due to rulings like Citizens United, allow the uber-rich to control politics and the means by which our government functions. As a nation, we need to do a better job of providing equal access to education, economic opprotunities, and to the political system. We are causing irrevocable damage by disregarding the fact that brilliant minds are born everyday, regardless of their zipcode or the money in their p a r e n t ’s pockets. v

Text and Illustration | PERSPECTIVES by KARINA CHAN OCTOBER 2015

PERSPECTIVES | OCTOBER 2015 Text by MADHUMITA GUPTA Art by KARINA CHAN

SELF(IE) CONFIDENCE

HOW THE SELFIE RECLAIMS BEAUTY STANDARDS

DON’T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE GOING anywhere to take a selfie. I don’t even need to be wearing makeup. Most of the time, I just take selfies whenever I feel like it. Taking a picture in the best possible lighting with a flattering filter can do wonders for my confidence, and I find myself feeling happier, prettier and more confident. However, many people, including the writers at the New York Times, believe that taking a selfie implies, “having narcissistic, psychopathic and Machiavellian personality traits and a high need for self-gratification.” I disagree. Rather than inciting obsessive behavior, selfies can actually be empowering for women, helping them reclaim their image and control their own reflection. The average young woman spends a little over 48 minutes every day putting on makeup, doing her hair and then taking selfies, according to the UK Daily Mail. These 48 minutes aren’t spent developing “narcissistic and Machiavellian tendencies.” In reality, selfies help young women define their own beauty and cultivate their self-confidence. Women can decide what kind of picture they want to take, be it silly, cute or sexy. Selfies push back against standard beauty norms. Female beauty standards have long been controlled by society; we contort ourselves to fit their unrealistic standards. However, if I am taking the picture, I decide what I want myself to look like. Rather than being seen through the eyes of the photographer, young women can embrace themselves and confront the world with love for their faces and bodies, promoting self-acceptance. Millions of people around the world take selfies; not all of them are raging narcissists. Although it can often be seen as an act of narcissism, selfies allow the taker to feel happier because they can decide for themselves that they look good that day. They don’t have to wait for someone else to give them a compliment; they can take the process of feeling pretty and make it self-driven. Many influential people have already started turning the notion of the narcissistic selfie on its head. Celebrities have started to post pictures of themselves with acne cream on, in 68

Lorde’s case, or sans makeup, in the case of Nicki Minaj. The mainstream media rarely showcases diverse, different and average looking girls. Selfies offer communities that people can be a part of and representation of diverse, happy girls. A example of the empowerment selfies offer is the #BlackOut movement, several days in the year when black people all over the world take selfies and post them online in an effort to criticize beauty norms and increase representation. After the events of #BlackLivesMatter, many people got together and decided to use social media to create representation for themselves. The result was that millions of black people around the world found a community of people who looked like them and understood them. Many people expressed, through Twitter, that they finally felt beautiful, empowered and comfortable in their own skin. One Tumblr user stated, “My skin is dark, my eyes are bright, my hair is thick and that’s all right.” While taking a selfie, women should feel empowered, yet they look around and make sure nobody is looking. Society doesn’t allow women to be proud of their appearance; instead we ridicule them for appreciating themselves. We have to recognize that if a person is taking a selfie, that is their business. We have no right to make judgements about their habits. It is not right to make caricatures out of selfie takers. There are few negatives in taking selfies. Prominent figures, such as Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson, claim that “endlessly photographing oneself and blasting it over social networks for others to admire implies obvious narcissism.” Narcissism, however, is an incorrect label. The selfie-taker is essentially saying, “This is my face, I have decided I like it, so I wanted to share myself with you.” Women are constantly discouraged when it comes to loving themselves. If, however, loving yourself and being self-confident is the new definition of being a narcissist, I’ll gladly accept the label and take my selfies with pride. v

PERSPECTIVES | OCTOBER 2015 Text by GABRIEL SANCHEZ Photography by WILLIAM DOUGALL

A Penny For My Thoughts IT IS COMMON CENTS TO NOT MINT PENNIES

HAT CAN YOU BUY WITH ONE This saved its taxpayers an estimated 11 million dollars annualcent? Nothing. The penny has come to have ly, according to the Canadian mint’s website. America could and no value and is now the most idiotic waste of should do the same. metal this planet has ever seen. These pieces The overwhelming number of drawbacks to the continued proof scrap have been rendered useless by infla- duction of the penny may lead people to wonder why it is still betion and have become nothing more than wishing well fodder. Be- ing produced. The main reason is sentimental value; the penny has cause of this, the modern economy has evolved past pennies and, apparently become a major part of the American identity. Howin sustaining the outdated currency, has begun to suffer losses. We ever, Americans seem to identify with so many things, like freedom should cease the minting of pennies to make America great again. and McDonalds. Do we really need to have the useless penny as a The utter worthlessness of the penny is heightened by how symbol of America too? Some people even believe that it would be much it costs to produce. In 2011, the United States spent 2.4 disrespectful to Lincoln to remove his coin from circulation, when cents worth of metal to mint each penny, the coin’s loss in value is actually more of an with nearly 5 billion pennies minted that insult to the president. year. That means that the U.S. mint spent “If Abraham Lincoln were alive today almost $120 million to create only $50 milhe would say, ‘Why is my face on a coin that lion worth of currency. When production is worth 1/26 of what a penny was worth costs are added, the penny cost the national when I was president,’” award-winning aueconomy almost $900 million in 2011, acthor John Green says. Why people see putcording to the U.S. mint. ting someone’s face on the most despicable These numbers are ridiculous! How can piece of trash to ever exist as a compliment, the American people allow their governI will never know. The penny is a disgrace ment to waste millions in tax revenue on to Lincoln as well as his legacy, and therewhat has become the infected appendix of fore a huge embarrassment to the American the American currency system? It is about people. to burst. We could be spending this money “It [The penny] plays an important role on things that actually benefit the world, in our everyday lives,” Jarden Zinc Products but instead we choose to continue a coin employee Alex said in a phone interview. that has no real value, simply because it has Jarden supplies the U.S. mint with coin been in circulation for a while. blanks for pennies. It would be more apt The penny is a coin that I have known to say that the penny plays an important only to be unbearably irritating to handle. part in the needless fumbling we do on a As a child, I used to collect pennies, and I daily basis with useless coins. The fact that had a huge jar filled with hundreds and hunpeople seem to believe that the penny has dreds of them. Over five years, I had taken some kind of significant value to America confuses me to no end, as I feel that the every penny that I had come by and put it penny is about as useless as a white crayon. in this jar. It was my prized possession, the Gabriel Sanchez making it Companies such as Jarden Zinc Products pride of my childhood. When I had finally rain (with useless change) are perpetuating the penny’s production, while filled the jar, I decided to take it to the bank and get it exchanged for currency that one could actually use. I benefiting themselves. In 2011, Jarden spent $140,000 on pro-penthought I must have at least $20 in that jar. When the bank teller ny lobbying and in the same year received a $48 million contract handed me $5.26, I thought she had to be joking. I had spent a from the U.S. mint. A company so dependant on the penny that painstaking five years collecting those pennies, and then the bank they have to pay lobbyists to convince people of its nonexistent teller shattered my dreams and told me my five years of effort were value obviously needs to diversify its services. This is all absurd. worth a mere $5.26. After that, I forever hated pennies because of The penny is the most unimportant piece of garbage that has ever disgraced the face of the earth and if the American Congress peotheir insignificant value. Our northern neighbor Canada, land of maple syrup and home ple are too idiotic to remove the penny from the currency system, of the Mounties, discontinued the penny in 2013 without issue. then I fear for the future of this great nation. v 69

PERSPECTIVES | OCTOBER 2015

THE

ROSSNER REPORT

protesters aren’t here FOR yOuR CONVENIENCE Text by GABRIELA ROSSNER Photoillustration by WILLIAM DOUGALL and KARINA CHAN

MERICA IS THE LAND

of the brave, but not necessarily the free. There are centuries of oppression entrenched in our history. But one of the aspects of being the land of the brave is that people here will fight to be free. Protests are an integral part of American history, starting with the Boston Tea Party, which is lauded as an essential show of freedom of speech. However, with the recent Black Lives Matter movement, America seems to have forgotten that protests are an essential part of democracy. Recently, when groups of oppressed people demonstrate anger with their oppressors, a strain of less-than-positive comments find their way into conversations: “If they wanted to be taken seriously, they shouldn’t have made people angry by blocking traffic.” “I just think they’re being too obnoxious about it.” And of course, there is my personal favorite: “You need to calm down. No one will take you seriously if you’re so angry.”

That’s the one that really gets me. Of course people who protest oppression are angry. They have every right to be. They have been systematically oppressed, killed; they have been held down by society. To ask them to remove their emotions from a conversation is to discredit their oppression completely. More often than not, people who criticize the actions of current protesters fail to realize that while this is just a dinner table conversation topic to some, it is an everyday life or death struggle for many. Protests against oppression are supposed to make you angry. They aren’t supposed to be convenient, or nice, or pleasant to look at, because the truth isn’t pretty. Protests interrupt the daily flow of life because the daily flow of life is wrong. To care more about personal convenience or the respectability of protesters is an attempt to ignore the true problems at hand. Even at Palo Alto High School, in the middle of the progressive Bay Area, people are less than welcoming to those who speak out. For instance, when a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest of roughly 15 students was held on the quad last year during lunch, it wasn’t met

with a community striving for change. Rather, students avoided eye contact and turned their backs to the protesters, whispering about how stupid the whole thing was. When The Paly Voice reported on the protest, one student was even quoted saying that the protests were bad and affected his education negatively by disrupting what should have been his peaceful lunch period. The rhetoric of self-interest and excuses that is implemented in response to inconvenient protests is ridiculous. If we want to live in a truly equal society, privileged people can’t rest on their behinds while everyone else marches. But of course, no one wants to be directly racist or sexist or homophobic. So instead, they make it about themselves. No matter what, protests will never be truly accepted. Even the protests led by Martin Luther King Jr, which today are viewed as historic and correct, were seen as violent and bad at the time they were happening. Whether peaceful or not, from a huge rally to a small show of solidarity, any form of protest is a threat to the system of oppression that exists. If these responses to protests are present in Palo Alto, one of the most liberal places in the world. imagine what the rest of the world believes. Everyone here is so obsessed with being a good guy to the point when people get viscerally offended if they are called racist or sexist, and yet when people are putting themselves at risk to make the world a better place, they are met with either silence or criticism. We need to incite change, not drag it down. Don’t be on the wrong side of history over a traffic jam. v

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