Verde Volume 20 Issue 4

V. A FINE LINE Pushing the envelope or crossing a boundary? pg. 19 VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 1

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2 APRIL 2019

VERDE MAGAZINE April 2019 Volume 20 Issue 4

Editors-in-Chief Ashley Hitchings Bridget Li Angela Liu Asia Gardias (Digital)

ON THE COVER pg. 20 In this issue, Photo Director Lucia Amieva-Wang captures senior Rebecca Cheng’s controversial painting “The Puppet Master,” which was removed from its display at the PAUSD district office for its inclusion of racial slurs. Our decision to print the painting in its entirety on the cover was driven

by AP Style guidelines. See our editor’s note on pg. 19 for more information.

Letters to the Editors The staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to verde.eics@gmail.com or 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301. All Verde stories are online and available for commenting at verdemagazine.com Advertising The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Verde, please contact business managers Courtney Kernick and Abe Tow at verdebusiness5@gmail.com.

Photo Director Lucia Amieva-Wang

Managing Editors Allison Cheng Kaitlyn Ho

Multimedia Editor Zakir Ahmad

Features Editors Riya Matta Riya Sinha

Social Media Editor Jasmine Venet

Profiles Editors Zoe Stanton-Savitz Jenny Tseng

Business Managers Courtney Kernick Abe Tow

Culture Editor Warren Wagner

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

Design Editor Ella Thomsen

Perspectives Editor Gila Winefeld News Editors Emma Donelly-Higgins Alex Feng Launch Editors Abby Cummings Zoe Wong-VanHaren Editorials Editor Maraleis Sinton Copy Editor Sasha Poor Adviser Paul Kandell

Art Director Yue Shi Lead Illustrator Hannah Li Staff Writers Kayla Brand Katherine Cheng Ben Cohen Rohin Ghosh Devony Hof Kobi Johnsson Rachel Lit Kate Milne Prahalad Mitra Myra Xu

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

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 3

In this issue Foreword

6 Editorials 8 Launch 13 News

Features 16 19 24 26 29 31

Parents Overseas Art Censorship Student Center Palo Alto Sustainibility Community Garden Dyslexia

Profiles

DRAWING A FINE LINE

pg. 19 Paly students push the boundaries of artistic expression

MULTIMEDIA

verdemagazine.com Visit our website to view an extended video interview with ASB student board representative Caroline Furrier, and more exclusive multimedia elements.

4 APRIL 2019

34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50

Student Coaches Cory Booker Chloe Japić Substitute Teachers Lucy Volino Princess Project Jessica Lee Badminton Olympians Elena Kadvany

Culture

53 54 56 58 60 62

WeChat Delivery Service Tuba Restaurant Russian Doll Alex Daw Sex Education Billie Eilish

Perspectives

65 66 67 68 69 70

In the Whites Evolving Perspectives Cul-de-sac Tribute Youth Activism Bisexual Erasure Gila Games

TURKISH FOOD AT TUBA

pg. 54

VERSES UNVEILED

pg. 58

A STELLAR START pg. 42

GOLD, GLORY, GIVING BACK pg. 48

JESSICA LEE pg. 46

FROM THE EDITORS

State of the arts “Art is either revolution or plagiarism.” — Paul Gauguin

For senior Rebecca Cheng’s “The Puppet Master,” it was its removal — not its message on racial injustice — which sparked the discourse. The striking self-portrait, which confronts the overlooking of Asian-American discrimination, was removed from the PAUSD district office for its inclusion of racial slurs. In our cover story “Drawing a Fine Line,” staff writers Kaitlyn Ho, Sasha Poor and Kobi Johnsson investigate the discordance between student artistic expression and administrative restraint, tracing the creative dead-ends of several Paly artists.

On our cover, Photo Director Lucia Amieva-Wang captures Cheng and her controversial piece, which includes the slur “ch-nk.” Its inclusion on the cover was not a decision Verde made lightly — our consideration process included in-class discussion, hours of editorial deliberation, consultation of AP Style guidelines and conversations with professional journalists, including associates of the Asian American Journalists Association and the Northwestern-Medill School of Journalism. Ultimately, through an anonymous staff vote, an overwhelming majority of Verdites voted in favor of leaving Cheng’s art as is.

Among the nuances we wrestled with was the preservation of Cheng’s creative intent. While we recognize the slur’s racist usage and degrading history, as well as its offensive and potentially triggering nature, we believe that its inclusion is essential to the crux of “Drawing a Fine Line” and its exploration of censorship. As student journalists, we acknowledge this decision may cause discomfort and criticism; however, it is also our role to provoke inquiry and spark discussion. With this issue of Verde, we hope our peers are encouraged to think in more critical and insightful ways.

And while as outgoing editors-in-chief we may not be able to paint the shades of racial conflict, our time on Verde — the deliriously fruitful late-nights, the InDesign wrangling and wordsmithing, the magic of seeing hours of work in print, the gradual digital media expansions — is our way of confronting what we cannot accept.

Because this is who we are, these 72 pages of previously unspoken truths: some peculiar, some uneasy, and all written with a faith in veracity and a hunger for progress. We are incredibly grateful for the voice Verde has granted us and excited to see future generations of Verdites continue this legacy.

—Ashley, Angela, Bridget & Asia

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 5

verdict Legislative action needed to help boost CAASPP attendance

P

ALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL prides itself on being an academically high-achieving school and regularly places well above state averages in various performance tests. However, there is one notable exception to this trend: Paly’s rate of attendance for CAASPP testing, a standardized test intended to evaluate all California public high school students to inform education policy and the apportionment of state funds.

As Paly’s attendance rate is among the lowest in the state, Verde believes that the state’s standardized testing policies must be reformed. It’s unfortunate that Paly students don’t all take the test of their pwn volition, but the CAASPP in its current form doesn’t give students enough personal incentive to attend.

In the 2018 CAASPP, Paly fell far below the statewide average attendance rate.

Across California, less than 1 percent of students opted out using parental exemptions, but at Paly, that rate was 51 percent. After factoring in the students that missed some of the test without proper

exemption, the California Department of Education reports that only 14 percent of Paly juniors completed the test last year.

These latest figures are the lowest in a three-year decline in Paly’s attendance since CAASPP was rolled out in 2015.

Gunn High School had similarly low rates, but that trend is slowly reversing after the Gunn administration instated a raffle for free prom tickets for those who took the test. While Verde applauds the similar raffle incentive program Paly instituted this year, we believe that more serious change is needed to create an effective standardized testing procedure.

Assembly Bill 751 presents a more concrete solution. We recognize that a standardized data set is necessary to guide school policy, and A.B. 751 allows school districts to instead provide this data via the SAT or ACT, covering the cost just as they currently do with CAASPP. The bill was introduced last year and sailed through the Assembly and Senate with unanimous approval before being vetoed by former Gov. Jerry Brown.

But it’s been reintroduced

this year, and passing the legislation to let school districts administer these private exams would let the state track performance of schools through a test that many students already take.

In districts that adopt this measure, lower-income students would be able to take an important step toward higher education by taking the SAT or ACT once without having to bear their exorbitant prices. Meanwhile, in communities like Palo Alto where the vast majority of students apply to four-year colleges required these tests, the government would likely have little problems with attendance.

Verde has criticized private testing companies like College Board and Kaplan in the past, and we stand by those statements. However, while the SAT and ACT aren’t perfect, we support A.B. 751 becuase it offers a better alternative for students and the state than the CAASPP. The A.B. 751 would accomplish the same goals of the CAASPP while also smoothing the college process and solving Paly’s attendance issues. Thus, we urge California’s legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom to enact this legislation. v

E SHI

Art by YU

Art by YUE SHI Art by YUE SHI

6 APRIL 2019

Admin must make changes to excused absence policy

W

HEN STUDENTS AT Palo Alto High School return from an excused absence, the make-up expectations vary widely between classes and their work loads are compounded by makeup assignments. While students are responsible for their own education, it shouldn’t mean being flooded with work due to sick days, religious holidays or other excused absences.

We believes teachers and administration should adopt a universally excused absence policy where students are exempt from non-essential in-class and homework assignments.

Although most teachers are willing to help students reintegrate into class, the sudden workload and lack of standardization between make-up policies can cause unnecessary stress and may force students to choose between health and pursuing academic goals.

For example, w h e n junior Max Rosenblum took a w e e k off school to recover from his eye surgery, he chose to take math outside of Paly instead of struggling to make up his many missed assignments and compromise his mental health.

Junior Theo Lim-Jisra also faced a similar

situation after missing school due to the flu.

“When you’re sick, you’re incapacitated,” Lim-Jisra says. “It was really hard to bounce back [after the flu]. They [teachers] didn’t give [me] double time or anything. It was really just ‘ASAP.’” Both students say they sent check-in emails to their teachers and attended tutorial to catch up, but finding time to make up missing assignments was difficult.

“If you’re out of school due to something you can’t control then I feel like a little bit more understanding is necessary,” Lim-Jisra says.

In order to further reduce pressure on students, teachers should post class material on Schoology in addition to marking non-essential work as optional. This way, students will have the tools to more easily make up any assignments.

For Lim-Jisra, these changes would significantly lessen the stress of absences.

“I would definitely feel more confident in balancing my time and it would be a much easier integration back into school after days of being gone [if those changes were made],” he says.

Advanced Placement English Language teacher Kindel Launer also believes that Paly’s current make-up policy needs reform. According to Launer, a new and more lenient late policy is compatible regardless of a class’s subject of study.

“I don’t see why teaching should be different for any content area,” Launer

says. “I don’t think that [a lenient make-up policy] should impact the efficiency of the learning.”

While Tutorial and the Academic Resource Center are very beneficial resources to make up work, they don’t provide students time to recover. Thus, Verde commends the many teachers who are more than willing to help students get back on their feet after missing school. We also recognize that students, not just teachers, must maintain open communication about timelines for assignments and what tools teachers can provide to their students to make the process as seamless as possible.

“We [administration] recognize that Paly comes with some high expectations and academic pressures, but more important than anything is our students’ personal and emotional health,” says Assistant Principal John Christiansen.

Thus, Verde believes that Paly’s excused absence policy must be updated in order to reflect this intention by exempting students returning from absences from non-essential coursework, giving them the time and support needed to catch up with their peers. v

Art by YUE SHI

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

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 7

launch Reporting by SASHA POOR

EIGHT QUESTIONS WITH LIBRARIAN SIMA THOMAS If you were an animal, what would you be?

Would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?

A dolphin

Fly

What is your favorite book?

The God of Small Things

If you had to give up one food forever, what would it be?

Apple pie

VERDE’S PRE-PROM PLAYLIST Compiled by ELLA THOMSEN 1. Baila Baila Baila by Ozuna 2. Uproar by Lil Wayne, Swizz Beatz 3. Sucker by Jonas Brothers 4. Crazy in Love by Beyonce 5. Loca by Shakira 6. Desperado by Rihanna 7. Miss Independent by Ne-yo 8. Girl on Fire - Inferno Version

by Alicia Keys 9. Keys by Nicki Minaj 10. La Temperatura by Maluma, Eli Palacios

8 APRIL 2019

If you could learn any language ever, what would it be?

Winter or summer?

German

Summer

What is something you could never give up?

Coffee

If you could spend a day with any fictional character, who would it be?

Harry Potter

L VE IT!

Compiled by KAYLA BRAND

“I do choir; it [the choir] is called iSing ...

I get to learn the music and the teachers are great. The music we sing is wonderful, and we get to go on tour everywhere. We went to Germany last year, Austria and the Czech Republic.”

— Giada Parigi, freshman “I have tried a lot of different types of water bottles ... but this one is super insulated, so it keeps the water really warm. Fun fact: I prefer warm to hot water ... I just think it is really great to carry around, especially if you have tea or honey water.” ­­— Ally Chang, sophomore

ASB ANSWERS

ELIMINATION STRATEGIES Art by YUE SHI Concept by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

1

DEFEND

– Play it safe.

Keep your eyes open and stay aware of who’s around you before you drop your guard. If there’s a senior near you, don’t let go of your ball.

WITH PALY SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE CAROLINE FURRIER Any comments on the ASB elections?

I’m pretty sure we’re going to have a special election for one or two of the positions. It’s basically when there is a vacant position and no one runs, so they hold a second week for people to fill in their applications.

You’ve been a part of ASB for four years now. What are some of your key takeaways?

My favorite part of ASB is that really you can take on whatever you want. We set goals for every week — like different events we want to hold — so if someone has an idea that they want to present, [they] can really make it happen and execute on it. Throughout my four years on ASB, I’ve seen some really great events come up that students really enjoyed, and doing things that make students happy is another one of my favorite parts of ASB.

Any advice for younger students?

Get involved in any way you can. If you can’t be on ASB, sign up for committees and get your voice heard because admin really does want to listen to us … So if you have an idea, act on it and bring it to ASB or join ASB. It’s really fun and it’s important to make a difference in the community.

Reporting by MYRA XU Photo by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

2

CONCEAL – Play it smart

and figure out who your assasin is by throwing them off with the set-up to the right.

Deploy a decoy beach ball so that your assasin will tag you without realizing your actual ball is hidden.

3

ATTACK

– Stake out your target, follow if you must. Strike when your target least expects it.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 9

CLIMATE VISION CLUB not done yet - will place later today

10 APRIL 2019

Promised by Prom! No Problem!

650-494-1935 847 Emerson Street Palo Alto, CA 94301

Tues, Wed, Fri 9am-5pm Thursday 9am-6pm Saturday 10am-3pm Closed Sun Mon

jefuniracamp.com (650)291-2888

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 11

12 APRIL 2019

news

Search to fill vacated positions underway KELLERMAN TO RETIRE, CHRISTIANSEN RESIGNS

A

SSISTANT PRINCIPAL JOHN Christiansen and Librarian Rachel Kellerman are to leave at the end of the school year with Christiansen's replacement to be announced when students return from spring break — and Kellerman's already on staff.

The news of the two departures came in as part of the agenda for a Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education meeting last month.

The hiring process for a new Assistant Principal will include multiple rounds of interviews with a panel of students, teachers and administrators, according to Principal Adam Paulson.

Rachel Kellerman Kellerman has been a librarian at Paly for the past 11 years and occupied various other positions within the district for the past 27 years. She played significant roles in recent projects such as the Paly library renovation, the Paly Journalism Archives and this year’s centennial celebrations.

“We visited a lot of libraries, we've talked to a lot of students and to try and make it work in the space we had,” she said.

“We fought for really good furniture and we fought for all that square footage that we had and we're still fighting cause we still don’t have heat and hot water. I'm just hoping that kids will continue to enjoy this [library] when you use it, so that's a really nice legacy.”

Despite no longer being a district employee, Kellerman intends to continue supporting the journalism archive and local organizations as a volunteer.

“It [the journalism archive] is a never-ending project,” she said. “I think it’s [the journalism archives] really important.

It’s a really unique collection of student voices and I don’t know of anything like it anywhere else.”

FOND MEMORIES Paly librarian Rachel Kellerman and Paly Asst. Principal plan to retire and relocate to Southern California respectively. “I think one of my keys to success as an administrator at Paly has been to look at existing problems in innovative ways and find creative, win-win solutions,” Christiansen wrote in an email. Photos by Alex Feng and Emma Donelly-Higgins

As a parting message, Kellerman said she hopes students continue to read and to be responsible consumers of media.

“I think at two pieces of advice for students and the one is to reclaim their inner life, and one way to do that is through reading,” she said. “If we don't read, we don't build empathy for others. Number two is to be really, really, really smart consumers of information. Be part of that truth telling in fact finding, and just don't give into hoaxes and social media that is meant to actually harm you.”

According to Kellerman, Librarian Sima Thomas will take over full time as librarian.

John Christiansen Christiansen said that he plans to relocate to Southern California to “settle down and start our [his] family” and continue working as a school administrator at a high school in Southern California.

“I am not going anywhere anytime soon,” he wrote in an email. “I will work at Paly until July. I wanted to give our admin team enough notice to find another good candidate to replace me for the 2019-20 school year.”

Before taking the job as Paly assistant principal, Christiansen worked as a counselor at Henry M. Gunn High School for one year, before transfering to Paly. During his tenure with Paly, Christiansen was involved in developing new discipline and attendance programs which significantly increased attendance rates compared to last year, he stated.

“I have absolutely loved my time here at Paly,” he wrote. “I would have to say that Spirit week is my favorite. The most demanding and highest pressure, but also the most fun.”

by ALEX FENG, EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS and ASIA GARDIAS

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 13

Fletcher hosts LGBTQ+ info forum

C

ITING A NEED TO spread awareness of LGBTQ+ issues, a Palo Alto Unified School District librarian says she will continue initiatives like the March LGBTQ+ Parent Education Forum.

Fletcher Middle School librarian Kristen Lee partnered with Outlet, a branch of Adolescent Counseling Services dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth to put on the event. Program Director Ryan Fouts and Education Director Diana Hernandez first presented about LGBTQ+ terminology and how parents can best support a child who comes out. This was followed by parent speakers and audience generated questions.

“There's an issue with our incoming parents who are not really as aware of how we are doing things in our area and it's up to us to educate them,” Lee said. “We want to be supportive and educate [them] because we're teachers.”

She hopes to continue to expand the informational resources available through partnerships with Paly Librarian Rachel Kellerman’s LGBTQ+ LibGuide and continued educational events throughout the district and encourages teachers to take simple steps to be more inclusive of queer students.

“At the beginning of the year you give out index cards and you say tell me your name … your preferred pronoun and then if that changes during the year please give that to me and the teachers will all honor that,” she said.

Lee’s interest in LGBTQ+ education began last June, when she noticed flyers hung at Palo Alto libraries on Father’s Day calling books with LGBTQ+ representation “poison” that fathers should protect their children from.

“It seems like there was a need [for this event],” Lee said. “You can't just be one and done… let's make it a yearly thing.”

by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS

14 APRIL 2019

OUT WITH THE OLD This April, Oren's Hummus will be moving into the space previously occupied

by Fast Tony's Chicken. “I’m very excited... it’s a healthy and fast option that’s unique,” Freshman David Gormley said. Photo by Alex Feng.

Oren's to open store at T&C CHAIN LOOKS TO PROVIDE FAST, QUALITY FOOD

A

UTHENTIC ISRAELI EATERY Oren’s Hummus will be opening a new outpost at Town and Country this April adding to a chain of four existing Bay Area stores.

“Our history in Palo Alto is really how Oren’s Hummus was born,” said Brooke Secor, public relations spokesperson.

The restaurant will serve items such as hummus bowls, pita sandwiches, salads and a plethora of dips and sides from 11 a.m to 9 p.m seven days a week.

According to Secor, the Town and Country location will be the chain’s very first Oren's Hummus Express. Although

the store have not yet created a student menu like many other Town and Country restaurants, they plan to sell popular items that students can grab and go.

“The menu is reduced to the greatest hits: hummus bowls, rice bowls, pitas and an express plate,” Secor said.

Oren’s plans to bring an efficient and hearty option to the Town and Country dining scene, stating that they are focused on maintaining a “hospitality connection” while reducing wait time.

by KATE MILNE

All-girls Scouts BSA troop looks to recruit

L

OCAL ALL-GIRLS SCOUTS BSA Troop 4014 is looking for more members to reach the minimum membership required to officially register the troop.

The National Executive Board of Scouts BSA announced that girls age 11 to 17 would be able to join the Scouts program starting Feb. 1 2019. According to a press release, the decision to open the program to girls stemmed from the fact that program values: “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent. . . are relevant and important values for both young

men and women.”

“We need five girls in order to fully register the troop. We have four now,” troop leader Walter Underwood said.

The girls have been learning about first aid, hiking, and camping for the past month, Underwood said, adding that the girls and boys participate in the same activities. The only difference between Troop 4014 and other more established troops has been the age difference — most of the members on Troop 4014 are 11.

by RIYA SINHA

Students rally for climate change and Green New Deal

S MONETARY MITIGATION Members of the Board of Education, Parent Teacher Association, district staff, local families and university students call for Stanford to fully mitigate the costs associated wth their proposed expansion. “We need to persuade the applicant, in this case Stanford University, that it is not only the right thing to do but it is in their own self interest to help with our schools,” said Joe Simitian, Paly alumnus and former state senator. Photo by Jasmine Venet

Stanford expansion protest COMMUNITY CALLS FOR FULL COST MITIGATION

M

EMBERS OF THE Board of Education and Palo Alto Unified School District families are calling for Stanford to fully mitigate expenses incurred by the district as a result of its new proposed expansion plan.

In its General Use Permit application, Stanford proposes to build 550 tax-exempt rental apartments which would add roughly 275 PAUSD students.

“We are happy to welcome any and all students and to educate them but we want to be able to continue to provide the same level of excellent education and support as we currently provide,” said Meb Steiner, president of Classified School Employees Association and aid in Paly’s Special Education department. “That will not be possible if there is a shortfall in our

budget and less money per pupil, so we are asking Stanford to fully mitigate the impact of their expansion.”

Paly alumnus and current state senator Joe Simitian and Superintendent Don Austin echoed this sentiment.

“While we totally support Stanford's growth plan, we just want to make sure that it doesn't occur to the detriment of our school district,” Austin said.

The full mitigation requested by the district includes contributions to new student education and help with financing a new elementary school.

by RACHEL LIT and ALEX FENG Additional reporting by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS

TUDENTS AND community members participated in a protest to raise awareness against climate change and support the Green New Deal last month in the Palo Alto downtown area and outside Palo Alto High School.

The March 15 rally was organized by Castilleja Middle Schooler Julia Zeitlin. Starting at 10:30 a.m., dozens of community members congregated at the intersection of Emerson and Kingsley to make posters, eat donuts and discuss climate change.

Zeitlin then addressed the crowd and encouraged them to follow her downtown.

“I know that there are a lot of political leaders who are not seeing this as a main concern, but I want, as their constituents, to tell them that we, Palo Alto, care about this issue,” Zeitlin said.

Later, a group of Palo Alto High School students met outside the student center before walking to the corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road.

The group was joined by the Raging Grannies, who led chants and songs, and Reverend Eileen Altman of the First Congregationalist Church of Palo Alto.

by ZOE WONG-VANHAREN and ALEX FENG Additional reporting by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS

Student rep. explains appointment reform in lieu of editorial

C

AROLINE FURRIER, SCHOOL board representative for Palo Alto High School, is promoting the Associated Student Body's plans to reform the way students select their board representatives.

Furrier spoke to Verde Magazine — the full transcript can be found online — in response to the Februrary editorial “ASB

School Board Representative should be elected,” which suggested that a representative voted in by the student body would create more “legitimacy, transparency and independence to the student body’s voice.”

“I understand where Verde comes from having it as an elected position to get the most student representation,” Furrier said. “I have a few concerns with how that

would play out. I do think that popular vote on this campus is exactly in its name — a popular vote — which may not always bring the qualifications which are needed for the board position.”

by ASIA GARDIAS

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 15

Text and design by JENNY TSENG Additional reporting by ROHIN GHOSH Art by HANNAH LI

HALF A WORLD AWAY

THE NEW PALO ALTO NUCLEAR FAMILY 16 APRIL 2019

features

v

“In China, the score is all they care about, but here it’s different elements that piece together one person.”

— BYRON ZHANG, senior

I

N HIGH SCHOOL, JERRY YANG (CLASS OF 2018) only saw his mom once a year — 365 days of holidays, milestones and stories condensed into a few short weeks. When Yang moved to Palo Alto his freshman year with his dad, his mom stayed in China, where she teaches elementary school. For four years, during the long stretches between his mom’s visits, Yang says he kept in contact with his mom through the popular Chinese messaging app WeChat.

The family’s decision to live separately reflects the growing number of Palo Alto families who have a parent working overseas — especially among Asian-American families who seek greater educational opportunities for their children.

This desire for a better and new education system is reflected in the wave of Asian families who moved to Palo Alto in the last decade. According to the Census Bureau, the Asian population in Palo Alto increased by 75 percent from 2000 to 2010, the biggest increase in any one racial group in Palo Alto for that time period.

Through students are faced with the daunting task of adapting to American culture, the American education system, with its emphasis on hands-on application of knowledge and broad exposure to topics, has become an incentive for families to immigrate to America.

Systems of schooling The education system in China is based heavily on standardized tests, which determine the middle and high schools Chinese students will attend as well as their college or university.

As the sole determiner of academic worth and success, the sheer volume of tests — especially the “gaokao,” the notoriously difficult college entrance exam in China — stands in stark contrast to the holistic review prioritized by American colleges.

“The college application system here takes into account personality and what you do, your extracurriculars — [it] looks at you like a person rather than a test score,” says senior Byron

Zhang, who moved to Palo Alto during sixth grade with his mom and older sister. Meanwhile, his dad worked as a realtor in China.

“In China, the score is all they care about, but here it’s different elements that piece together one person,” Zhang says.

The emphasis on tests, especially for those who dislike standardized assessments or feel they do not accurately predict academic ability, is part of the reason why Zhang’s family immigrated to America, he says.

“It’s not necessarily that China’s education is bad for us,” Zhang says. “But we didn’t perform well on standardized tests back in China … [and] that’s all China looks for in college admissions so they [my parents] thought that here … we will be happier.”

Here, though, he also needs to study hard and the course load is not necessarily less than that in China, he says.

“We might even learn more here than in China — right here there are a lot of options for electives, but in China you have seven subjects that are mandatory,” Zhang says.

However, the rigidly structured Chinese education system allows students to form deeper connections with one another in a way the U.S. education system does not, according to Yang. In China, students remain in the same classroom all day with a rotation of teachers, often learning together for years with the same group of peers.

“Since everyone’s in an isolated environment like one tiny class, it’s easier to establish a deeper relationship [in China] compared to here [U.S.] because everyone’s just constantly moving around,” Yang says.

Consequently, when Yang moved to Palo Alto at the start of his freshman year, he says he was overwhelmed by the sudden change in social climate.

“The entire social role here — it’s completely different,” Yang says. “The only constant is the people in lunch … Everyone knew each other from like a really young age … so it’s hard to break into the social structure that’s pre-established.”

Bridging the gap Though assimilating into the American social structure initially proved difficult for Yang, he found that at home, his relationship with his dad grew stronger in the new environment.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 17

29%

of Asian-American families live in multigenerational families

75%

increase of Asian population in Palo Alto from 2000 to 2010

20%

more likely to be raised in a household with two married parents

Statistics gathered from Pew Research Center, U.S. Census

18 APRIL 2019

“We [Yang and his dad] hang out every weekend, every other weekend and go out hiking or something like that,” Yang says.

During the FIFA World Cup, Yang and his dad, who both enjoy watching soccer, would make food before watching the games and chatting together. As Yang’s relationship with his dad strengthened, though, he says his relationship with his mom waned.

“My relationship with my mom is kind of stagnated,” Yang says. “We still don’t talk as much as we’d like to, but we get to be at least on the same level — we treat each other as adults now.”

The price of an American education High school and college are already cultural markers of the transition from childhood to adulthood — yet in many Asian-American households in Palo Alto, this journey and independence simply occurs a few years earlier.

According to the Pew Research Center, almost 30 percent of Asian-American families live in multi-generational families. For the families of Yang and Zhang however, this does not hold true.

“If I was sick [in China], sometimes my aunts will [sic] come and take care of me,” Zhang says. His family used to live a block away from all of their extended family. “Grocery wise, my grandparents would always take care of it when I was in China,” Zhang says.

As Zhang settled down in Palo Alto without extended family, he says he felt the loss of a close support system.

“It’s also a lot quieter here,” Zhang says. “All my family — like my aunts, uncles, grandparents — are all in China. But here is just my mom, sometimes my dad and my sister. When we first came here we felt … like it was difficult for us to reach to get help because we don’t know anyone in here. It’s like a complete[ly] new environment.”

Despite the culture shock and distance between his family members, Zhang ultimately feels his family’s decision to move to the US was the right choice.

His time in Palo Alto has given him more exposure to different fields to explore and demonstrated that school is not just for studying, he says. For example, Zhang cites his involvement in student journalism as unique to his experience in the U.S. “I wouldn’t be in Campy [on The Campanile newspaper staff] if I was in China studying every single day,” Zhang says. “For me, it was definitely worth it because I’m having a good time.”

Zhang says it isn’t just him who is satisfied with the move.

“For my parents too ... they’re happy their kids are going to college in the U.S.,” Zhang says. v

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DRAWING

Text by KAITLYN HO, SASHA POOR, KOBI JOHNSSON

Photos by LUCIA AMIEVA WANG Design by ELLA THOMSEN

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EDITORS’ NOTE: While we recognize that racial slurs such as “ch-nk” represent the institutionalized oppression and systematic disenfranchisement of minority groups, we believe that its use is essential to the of discussion of purposefully provocative art in “Drawing a Fine Line.” According to AP Style guidelines, ethnic slurs should only be used when they are “essential to the story.” By including it both in the story and its cover, we hope to depict senior Rebecca Cheng’s art and message as she intended to convey it.

For more information, refer to our letter from the editors on page 5.

YOUNG ARTISTS BATTLE WITH BATTLE WITH THE CONCEPT OF CENSORSHIP THIS DESIGN IT FOR THE FIRST TIME

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IPS PURSED, traditional qipao dress on and fingers clenched, a Chinese woman stands rigidly in front of an American flag, demanding the attention of anyone who passes. While her figure is riveting, a quick glance down reveals the painting’s main component — tendrils of eerily-twisted red yarn linking the woman’s tense fingers to two additional canvases. One simply reads “sinophobia” — a word used to describe anti-Chinese sentiment — while the other bears stereotypes about people of Asian descent — the most alarming being the slur “ch-nk,” etched and angry across the bottom of the painting.

This haunting self-portrait is the work of Palo Alto High School senior Rebecca Cheng, who, alongside other AP Studio Art students, had the opportunity to display a piece of her work in the district office.

According to Cheng, she painted “The Puppet Master,” one of her most prized and delicate creations, intending to make a statement about the general acts of racism she and other Asian-Americans face daily.

She knew the piece was provoking, but she never anticipated that the Palo Alto Unified School District would remove her work for potentially offensive content.

“It was taken down because they [the

20 APRIL 2019

district] felt like it was not a safe place for everybody to look at that work,” says Paly art teacher Kate McKenzie. “It was so bold in its statement that they were afraid that it would really offend some people.”

At first, McKenzie says, she was told by district Art Coordinator Li Ezzell that Cheng would need to provide an accompanying artist’s statement and declare the message behind her vivid piece. But when McKenzie returned to post the statement, she found that Cheng’s painting was gone.

Ezzell, who was tasked with deciding the painting’s future in the district office, personally took the work off the wall. According to Ezzell, his ultimate decision to remove the painting was not a simple one.

“I know she [Cheng] is exploring an idea and she is not trying to offend anyone. I don’t want her to stop doing that,” Ezzell says. “People who are not artists or art teachers don’t always have the same response ... They can misunderstand what someone intends, so [he would] rather err on the side of caution.”

Though Ezzell voices his support for student artists like Cheng whose pieces spark provoking discussion, he says certain school settings may not be the most appropriate forums.

“I wouldn’t have minded if it was in

the context of a museum or a high school art class, but I was concerned that in the context of a district office — which the public comes to not expecting to see potentially controversial art — that some people may be upset,” Ezzell says. “I ended up self-censoring even though normally I would not do that.”

Though Cheng initially created “The Puppet Master” to spread awareness about racism against Asian Americans, the removal of the piece prompted her to take a stance on a different issue in our community — student censorship.

“The district office censored this painting by taking it down without notification,” Cheng wrote soon after the incident on her Instagram story. “This is a self-portrait that is supposed to speak to both personal experience and societal issues. It is supposed to be jarring and blunt.”

According to the PAUSD website, one of the district’s policies is to create “an orderly, caring, and nurturing educational and social environment in which all students can feel safe and take pride in their school and their achievements” — a philosophy Ezzell’s action sought to uphold.

As a young artist pushing the envelope, however, Cheng says she feels this policy contradicts her own experience.

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PASSIONATE PAINTER Senior Rebecca Cheng works on her new painting during tutorial. She is an Advanced Placement Studio Art student.

“Not only do I feel disrespected, but I feel like my voice is being purposefully muted,” Cheng says. “I am disappointed.”

Insensitive inspirations Cheng’s censored piece not only reflects hours of painting but also highlights a solemn issue she says is often overlooked in America — one that has affected her personally.

It was in elementary school when Cheng first began to notice the hurtful comments cast her way, which she says ranged from jabs at her school lunches to insults about her East Asian features. But the most jarring incident she remembers was in middle school, when a stranger stopped her and her mother outside a market to cast insults about their eye sizes, joke about eating dogs and yell “ching chang chong” in their faces.

“It was the most someone has confronted me,” Cheng says. “It was pretty aggressive. I was really young at the time.”

As she grew older, her exposure to hurtful comments increased even as her skin grew thicker. In an effort to draw awareness to the severity of the issue, Cheng decided to focus her AP portfolio on the underrepresentation of Asian Americans and the prevalence of racism against the community.

“People don’t think that Asian Americans experience any racism, so it was definitely something I wanted to bring to life,” Cheng says.

Double standards Similar to Cheng, junior Max Rosenblum also found himself at odds with school standards when creating social commentary art in video production class. In his surrealist film, Rosenblum integrated symbolism to represent mental health issues, using a

olent,” Rosenblum says. “I was also told it would reflect badly on the program and might get us shut down.”

Per PAUSD Board Policy 5131, district guidelines stipulate that “all students have the right to be educated in a positive learning environment free from disruptions.”

While Rosenblum says he understands that lines need to be drawn in school, he also points out differing standards across different art forms.

"PEOPLE DON'T THINK THAT ASIAN AMERICANS EXPERIENCE ANY RACISM, SO IT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING I WANTED TO BRING TO LIFE."

— REBECCA CHENG, student artist

teddy bear to represent the main character’s anxiety. When the protagonist eventually stands up to his anxiety, he stabs the teddy bear with a knife. Ultimately, his teacher deemed this graphic scene as crossing the line of inappropriate content. Due to this scene, the video wasn’t allowed to be submitted for a grade, says Rosenblum.

“I was told that the video was too vi-

“The way censorship works in this district is that you can basically have strippers in Paly Theater productions,” he says.

“Then, you can’t even have a kitchen knife in the films. We even read books with explicit subject matter and language, and when we make films about it, it’s not okay.”

Rosenblum says he understands the concern over showing potentially violent

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HUES OF HATE Rebecca Cheng displays "The Puppet Master," a piece she ism against Asian Americans.

content in school and agrees that some form of censorship in schools should exist to protect students from gruesome images and offensive language. However, he also believes censorship in PAUSD is too strict.

“The school should allow things that the majority of high schoolers encounter in our day-to-day lives or is regularly seen in mainstream movies,” Rosenblum says. “I don’t see why schools should be censoring

ing fake glass. She says she has had videos on Instagram removed and age-restricted because of their content.

These limitations prevent Donnelly’s most controversial ASMR videos from reaching her nearly 50,000-person Instagram audience. Even when they are simply age restricted, her viewership is heavily impacted, as fewer people take the time to log in to watch the video, according to

"ART IS OFFENSIVE, AND IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT ARTISTS DO WORK." ­— KATE MCKENZIE, Paly art teacher

that, as we will be seeing it anyways.”

Social censorship While Cheng and Rosenblum experienced censorship within Paly, other students feel its impact outside of school. Junior Eve Donnelly, who describes herself as a “social media creator,” creates ASMR-style content, including videos of her drinking fake bleach, cutting up a plush toy and eat-

22 APRIL 2019

Donnelly.

“That decreases your [number of ] viewers, which is, as a creator, disappointing,” Donnelly says. “Especially when you work really hard on something and you really like it and then it gets taken down or restricted.”

She has also been “shadowbanned,” or temporarily prohibited from posting.

created to highlight rac-

When this occurs, Instagram does not notify the owner, who must discover on their own what prevents them from publishing content.

According to Donnelly, her strong views on expression have garnered criticism, with people personally contacting her to say they disagree with the content she creates.

She considers her work to be ironic, but some viewers do not see the humor in her videos and view them as unproductively offensive.

“As long as you are not nonconsensually harming someone else, I think literally anything goes,” Donnelly says. “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it, but I do think you should have the freedom to do it.”

Donnelly acknowledges that she has unconventional views on what content should be restricted, but sees the increasing prevalence of censorship as a reflection of broader social trends.

“I think that as a society, we’re getting more sensitive,” Donnelly says. “I am all for [the] majority of PC [politically correct] culture. It’s just that I do think it gets taken too far sometimes and then at that point we’re just taking away people’s freedom of speech or their freedom to post art.”

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AVID ASMR ARTIST Junior Eve Donnelly films her newest ASMR video for her Instagram account, on which she has over 40,000 followers.

Where is the line?

From jarring portrayals of racial strife to mental illness, controversial subjects of artistic pieces often lead to increased scrutiny. And while the content may be appropriate for other environments, students face increased resistance in what they can display in a high school climate.

Even beyond her own art, however, Cheng stands steadfast against censorship, regardless of the content.

“I don’t think art should be censored in any way. It’s a form of expression and for people to have their voice heard,” Cheng says. “I don’t think it’s good to be limiting that.”

Alexander Nemerov, the arts and humanities department chair at Stanford University, takes a different stance on the issue.

“If there is some oversight from an administrator or teacher, I would not necessarily call it censorship,” Nemerov stated. “I might call it dialogue, [a] conversation, in which both parties can learn as they come together to talk about the art in question.”

However, Nemerov says that if an art piece was inappropriately removed, he would advocate on the student’s behalf because student expression plays an essential

role in the overall a person’s development.

“Learning how to express yourself takes a lifetime, even if we all have moments of extraordinary clarity, where we say — or paint — exactly what we feel, even when we are very young,” Nemerov says.

“Student expression is important because it is part of a lifelong process.”

Jody Maxmin, an associate professor of art and art history at Stanford, also supports broader protections for student expression.

According to Maxmin, only art that incites hate should be censored.

“The only justification for censoring student art is when it endorses hate, bigotry, bullying and other forms of prejudice and violence,” Maxmin stated.

And though some may regard certain topics as too provocative, others believe the right to express messages through the arts is etched into first amendment rights.

“Student expression is all-important.

You are, after all, the future of the country and of the world,” Maxmin says. “Once young people alert us to the folly of our ways and dissatisfaction with the status quo, there is no limit to what we can achieve.”

Mackenzie also says that controversial art bears broader societal implications.

Regardless of their respective media and varying motivations, when most artists decide to share their creations, they have one primary purpose in mind — to appeal to emotions and share a specific idea.

“Art is offensive, and it is one of the reasons artists do work,” McKenzie says. “It shocks people into thinking and sometimes changing their minds.”

But art does not need to be outwardly flashy nor dominate a room to be impactful; according to Nemerov, student artists can still convey poignant messages that fall within conventional school guidelines.

“Much of the most powerful art is subtle,” Nemerov says. “It does not seem to offend or challenge our most cherished ideas and assumptions. It rather works by slow and quiet degrees. The measure of its power is that it does not need us. Art is slow, art takes time; that is its provocation.”

For Cheng, however, what she values most about art is its ability to express a message of personal importance — even if it means straying from the comfortable.

“Just go for it,” Cheng says. “Why not?

If it’s something that’s close to you and is important to you, I don’t think other people’s opinions should inhibit that.” v

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Text by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG and RACHEL LIT Photos by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

BEFORE SCHOOL HOURS STUDENT CENTER OPENS ITS DOORS EARLY

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T IS 7:15 A.M. when the first light on campus flickers on.

The only sounds audible are the chirping of morning birds and the jingling of Travis Fenech’s keys as he approaches Palo Alto High School’s Student Center. Once the fluorescent lights turn on, Fenech makes his daily rotation around the building, stopping at each door to unlock it, peek his head out into the morning air, slide the lock block into position and move on to the next.

“I think this [the Student Center] with the lights was kind of a big beacon for people,” says Fenech, a student aid and Site Council member.

Golden hour For three weeks now, Paly’s Student Center has been open bright and early for those who arrive at school before first period.

Although the Site Council only rolled out the early opening initiative this semester, they have been been discussing, planning and advocating for it for well over a year, according to Principal Adam Paulson.

“Our hope was to serve breakfast for anyone who needed it,” Paulson stated in an email. “This issue is more complex than just offering food, though. Our Site Council heard about the need and

24 APRIL 2019

offered to fund the supervision part.”

While the Student Center has yet to begin serving breakfast, Fenech and campus supervisor Norma Hymes have assumed the responsibility of morning supervision.

“When they [Site Council] said they wanted someone to open it [Student Center] early, I said, ‘Well I’m already here at six, so I’d be happy to come open it because I’m just sitting waiting for school to start anyways,’” Fenech says.

As of now, Fenech takes on the morning supervision shift and then switches with Hymes when the bell rings at 8:20 a.m. According to Fenech, students usually start filing in at 7:30 a.m., filling the tables and couches quietly and quickly.

Siblings Destinee and and Skylar Reynolds, a sophomore and freshman respectively, are two of the many students taking advantage of this new change on campus.

“It’s very helpful to us because our mom works early so we are here [at school] early,” Destinee says. “Because it’s [the Student Center] open, we are not out in the cold.”

Whether students are on campus due to buses operating on an early schedule, zero period Physical Education or parents commuting early to work, the Student Center is quickly becoming a dependable space open to students even as the sun is only rising.

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I think this [the Student Center] with the lights on was a big beacon for people.”

— TRAVIS FENECH, Site Council member

EARLY BIRD (LEFT) A student settles into their seat in the Student Center on a Wednesday morning. Now open at 7:15 a.m., the Student Center will act as a consistent space for students to relax before first period begins. SUPER-VISING (RIGHT) Travis Fenech, a Paly student aid and Site Council member, poses for a photo from his usual spot at the front of the Student Center. Fenech commutes from San Jose, arriving to campus well before school begins, which prompted him to volunteer to supervise the Student Center.

Work and play Unlike the library or Media Arts Center, the Student Center does not have many strict rules regarding eating or talking, making it a uniquely relaxing place for students to hang out, Fenech says.

“It’s like a community place,” Fenech says. “I liken it to having the quad or a place where people kind of sit at … I just think it’s important in general. It’s nice for you guys [Paly students to] have a place to go where you don’t have to worry about rules.”

Those involved with this initiative have noticed that a community space such as the Student Center goes beyond merely providing an area for students to unwind — this open space can impact the wellbeing of students and how they feel on campus.

Angelina Michael, Paly alumus and current Wellness Outreach Worker, says the opening of the Student Center not only helps students escape the morning cold, but provides mental health benefits.

“I definitely think that creating that consistency is really good for you guys [Paly students],” Michael says. “Especially when everything else is all over the place for you.”

Future efforts In addition to opening the Student Center early, Fenech says

the Site Council has discussed serving food as well as providing homework help before school hours. However, these efforts have stalled, as Paulson says offering breakfast requires specific adherence to district guidelines.

“We do offer two meals on campus and have to prioritize those since a majority of our students eat during brunch and lunch,” Paulson states in an email.

In the meantime, Fenech and Vallen Queen, the assistant principal’s secretary, seek to convince Mayfield Bakery to donate leftover pastries to serve in the morning.

“I think teenagers are always hungry and I think that having a warm place to go in the morning is important,” Queen says.

“Those two things have always just inspired me to have something for the kids.”

Three years ago, Queen had organized for breakfast foods to be donated and served in the tower building, but this proved hard to maintain on her own. Known throughout campus, Queen has made it a point to always have snacks for students and she continues to push for this with the earlier opening of the Student Center.

“I would feel really good if when I retired in a few years, I could say that I don’t think there’s ever going to be a hungry kid in the morning at Paly,” Queen says. v

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Text by ZOË WONG-VANHAREN, ABE TOW and KATHERINE CHENG

Photos and art by ZOË WONG-VANHAREN

PALO ALTO GOES GREEN LOCAL COMMUNITY CHOOSES SUSTAINABILITY

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OCAL FARMERS SELL fresh produce and fruit, among other locally grown goods; musicians busk along the street, serenading strangers with live tunes; residents stroll between booths which offer everything from fresh-off-the-vine vegetables to knife sharpening services.

Palo Alto’s pop-up weekend farmers’ markets are hubs for members of the community.

Palo Alto High School freshman Natalia Cossio is a frequent visitor and long

time shopper at the California Ave farmers’ market, and her family has bought the majority of their groceries here for many years.

“My family comes every week,” she says. “You bring your own bags … Everyone knows each other and you just see people from Palo Alto.”

For Cossio, the sense of community is an added perk to the market.

“It’s a lot more sustainable than buying things from like, halfway across the world, or even just across the country,” Cossio says. “It comes from pretty close by and you

know a lot of the vendors too, so it’s just keeping things local.”

Choosing local food also preserves small, non-commercial farmland while reducing “food miles” — the distance food travels until it reaches the consumer.

With the increasing awareness about global warming and climate change in the Bay Area, Palo Alto residents have turned to different ways to be more “green” for their environment. From renewable energy sources to raising backyard chickens, here are some ways Palo Alto community members are reducing their ecological footprint and making an environmental impact. v “Green” houses For some, being environmentally friendly means small steps, not a goal which regulates their life. For others, however, being green is a lifestyle. For Palo Alto resident Sven Thesen, the latter is true.

Thesen’s home is a certified platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a zero net-energy house just blocks away from Paly. When building the strucCLEAN COOKING Sven Thesen puts a kettle on his induction stove. Thesen is the owner of a zero net-energy house. “I want to get the knowledge out to not be afraid,” Thesen says.

“Big picture, the lights work, the stove works, it’s comfortable, I’m in a T-shirt and it’s midMarch.”

26 APRIL 2019

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“Many chickens are abused by the [farms] and put in really small cages.”

Raising chickens has also yielded other perks; building the coop with her brother and dad led to family bonding, and selling fresh eggs to her neighbors and friends provides Berndt with a source of income. Most of all, Berndt hopes to continue a longstanding family legacy.

“I’ve looked up to them [her grandparents] my whole life because it’s extraordinary how much they’ve succeeded from farming,” Berndt says, “and it really inspired me to be like them.’’

Sustainable students Berndt is one of a handful of students who have taken sustainability to the next level. Many of her peers at Paly, pulled together by their love of sustainability, have organized on-campus clubs. The Environmental Clubs Organization — comprised of Roots, Climate Vision and Zero Waste — frequently collaborate to bring eco-friendly activities to the school’s student body.

Evan Baldonado, the senior behind Paly’s No Straw November challenge, is an active member in all three organizations.

ture in 2010, the Thesens’ main goal was Raising chickens is her way of helping for it to run on solely renewable energy and the environment. They serve as efficient create zero waste in the process. composters of food scraps, and letting her “It’s a passive “chickens live a good house, which means life” subverts cruel tacthat it doesn’t affect tics used by industrial [The goal is] to make the environment in egg farms.

Paly more sustainany way,” Thesen “You’re not supsays. porting commercial able, more environUsing severfarms and abuse that’s mentally aware.” al solar panels inhappening to chick— GALILEO DEFENDI-CHO, senior ens,” stalled on the roof, Berndt says. the house’s electricity comes entirely from the sun. The passive house design THE APPLE STAND Freshman Natalia Cossio hands money to junior Max Valasek as he weighs uses the positioning of the sun during the a brown paper bag of apples on an electric scale. Cossio’s family are frequent shoppers at the winter as solar power for heating. In the California Ave farmers’ market and have gotten to know the vendors over time. “I know there summer, it reflects the sun with its white are a few Paly students who work at stands here,” Cossio says. roof, keeping the house cool even without air conditioning.

Their house also includes new water-saving technology such as toilets and water heaters, helping them save water as well as electricity.

“

Look at all those chickens Raising cattle and tending to a farm are hardly feasible endeavors in suburban life, but members of the local community have found other ways to live sustainably.

Inspired by her grandparents, who are farmers in central California, sophomore Gretchen Berndt has raised chickens in her backyard for the last three years.

“Since I lived in Palo Alto, I couldn’t have an orchard, but I thought chickens seemed really cool,” Berndt says.

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“During the month of November, those who are able to are encouraged not to use single-use, non-compostable straws,” Baldonado says.

The challenge was one of Baldonado’s ways to involve the greater public with the ECO clubs’ work. “[The goal is] to make Paly more sustainable, more environmentally aware,” says senior Galileo Defendi-Cho, a member of Roots Club.

Sophomore Anya Lassila is a member of the Climate Vision Club, and believes that her peers in the club are representatives for student activism, encouraging their peers to increase their awareness.

“We’re focused on education and action with representatives,” she says.

According to Lassila, there are many ways to reduce a carbon footprint.

“To me, sustainability with our climate is changing our behavior to make sure we and other organisms can live on the planet for as long as possible,” Lassila says.

“I try to minimize my trash as much as possible, bike or take public transportation whenever I can.”

Many students, both in and out of clubs, practice sustainable habits. “[I’ve started] tying bags or snack bar wrappers in knots before throwing them away,” junior Anna Tomz says. “This prevents them from blowing away easily when they’re at the dump, and that can help with pollution and keeping the environment clean.”

Tomz’s dedication is a testament to how all around Palo Alto, people from all demographics are making an effort to lead a cleaner life.

Top Tips Be mindful of your waste Do you try to buy foods that aren’t wrapped in plastic? Next time you shop for fresh produce at a supermarket, try avoiding those green plastic bags.

Just put your vegetables straight in the cart — you’ll be washing them later anyway.

The three Rs This one might be a no-brainer, but it’s still a good reminder. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Think about how many materialistic objects we consume as a country, a state and a city. Instead of throwing away old clothes, you can donate them to Goodwill.

Invest in solar panels Although the initial cost may be expensive, solar panels can save a lot of money in the long term. Especially here in sunny California, using the sun, a renewable energy source, as a generator of your electricity can be better for your financial plan and for the Earth.

Think about transportation Do you drive? Consider the carbon footprint of your transportation choices. If you’re going somewhere near, maybe swap the drive for a short walk.

If it’s nice out, choose to ride your bike wherever you’re traveling.

Go electric Looking for a new car? Try an electric car or a hybrid. These renewable energy electric vehicles are not only green but super efficient (and you can drive in the carpool lane).

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IDYLLIC GARLIC (ABOVE) Yanling Wang holds up garlic she just dug up. She was inspired to get her plot when she visited California and saw the gardens. “California has great weather,” says Yanling Wang. “The soil is very good.”

Text by DEVONY HOF and KATE MILNE Photos by DEVONY HOF Art by HANNAH LI

Growing Community

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FINDING JOY IN HORTICULTURE

USH PLANTS SPREAD OUT like a green ocean across the plot of land sheltered by the Rinconada Library and Community Art Center. Dotted with vibrant flowers, berries, bushes and the occasional scarecrow, the open space is a place for Palo Altans to meet new people and take advantage of the city’s undeveloped land.

Offering plots at around $0.80 per foot with an initial deposit of about $200, the Rinconada Community Garden teems with fruits and vegetables that flourish

thanks to the labor and love of local gardeners. Paths unfold like a labrynth, and each plot labelled with a little sign.

The gardens seem to reflect their owners’ personalities. Some are neatly arranged, every type of vegetable labeled and confined to the plot lines; others let their plants grow in a wild manner, flowers and vines winding together in green tangles that spill out of their allotted spaces and into the walkways.

Verde explored the garden and interviewed some of the caretakers of what

seems like one of the last spots in Palo Alto where there is no cement on the ground, only dirt and mulch.

Finding your roots (Plot 11A) Sporting a bright pink jacket and even brighter smile, former Palo Alto High School parent Yanling Wang roots around in the dark soil with a shovel to dig up small spring garlic bulbs that she insisted on giving us to bring home to our families.

Her face lights up as she talks about what the garden community means to her.

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“People grow all of these things,” she Sheila attributes her affinity for garsays. “When people touch the soil, it makes dening to her family’s roots. them happy.”

“I guess I come from a gardening famWang has grown a large variety of ily — my parents had a garden,” she says. fruits and vegetables since she first bought “It’s in my blood.” her plot three years ago, ranging from swiss For her family, gardening was not only chard to blackberries to a tree that brings a hobby but an obligation. Sheila says that up memories from her childhood. when she was growing up in wartime En“When I was a young child, my grand- gland, her family owned a victory garden, a mother let me eat leaves from this very spe- vegetable garden planted at an individual’s cial tree. When I came here, I couldn’t find home to increase food production during it,” Wang explains. “I found it in a nursery, the World Wars. so I planted it here right away.”

“To grow your own vegetables was Like Wang, many community gar- considered almost a civic duty,” Sheila says. deners grow unusual plants they can’t buy Now, Sheila uses her space at the garelsewhere. den to carry on this family tradition by “[I’ve] met all different people from growing crops for herself and close friends. all different backgrounds [at the garden,]” She makes jam with her own raspberries Wang says. “They all and tends to some of the grow their favorite shared plots, remainvegetables … They When people touch ing an active member grow something we of the gardening comcannot find from the the soil it makes them munity. market. They grow happy.”

“There’s always for their memories … something to do here,” — YANLING WANG, gardener family memories [and] she says. traditions.”

With seeds and knowledge alike shared Green thumbs up (Plot C17-18) between gardeners, Wang says she has obHair swinging in front of her face, Elserved the selflessness the community gar- len Brown bends double and pulls fistfulls den fosters. of bright green weeds from her family’s “The neighbors help each other around plots. here,” Wang says. “It is such a joy to share.”

According to Ellen, the Brown family Wang shares the produce she grows involvement at the Rinconada Communiwith everyone she knows, including us. She ty Garden has enabled them to forge close says she even sent veggies to her son’s teach- friendships with many other gardeners. She ers when he went to Paly. says her husband is the one most invested The produce she doesn’t generously in their shared gardening space, and tells gift to others becomes a part of Wang’s dai- us about how he has grown to know other ly meals. gardeners.

“I eat most of what I grow,” says Wang.

“It’s a nice community of people,” “I never waste anything.”

Brown says.

The relationships he has made are more From the family tree (Plot 9A) than just cordial, she says — the friends Sheila M. delicately hangs a pot of will even check on one another during hard bright red flowers to a pole that casts shade times. over the leafy artichokes below. Complete “People have gotten sick, he [her huswith a border of abalone shells and wind- band] has visited them in the hospital,” says ing blue and yellow stepping stones, Sheila’s Brown. “They’ll water each other’s plots.” garden is her own little world — one she Like Wang and Sheila, Brown valhas curated for 15 years. ues being able to incorporate homegrown As she takes us on a tour through the produce into her family’s diet, especially raspberries, zucchinis and other assorted during the summer when all their produce fruits and vegetables that occupy Plot 9A, comes from their plot.

Sheila, who grew up in Britain, points out “The food tastes better when you’ve her prized red currants, “a very British grown it,” Brown says. “It’s great, you feel thing” rarely found in American markets. like you’re eating healthy.” v

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30 APRIL 2019

BERRY BUSY (ABOVE) Sheila M. searches for twine under an arch whose lattice structure supports marionberry vines. “It [the marrionberry vine] looks like hell right now,” Sheila says. “But it has these delicious blackberry-like fruits.”

HAIL KALE (BELOW) Ellen Brown and her husband grow a variety of plants, including this purple kale. “I came to pick kale for dinner,” says Brown, who incorporates many of their homegrown vegetables and leaves into meals.

features

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Reframing Dyslexia DISTRICT PLANS NEW SUPPORTS Text by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS and KAYLA BRAND Photos by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS and ALLISON CHENG

“I

JUST GENERALLY THOUGHT I WAS STUPID .… I would take shorter spelling tests. We would get 15 questions and I would have five and I would get all of those wrong — literally all of them,” says Julia, a Palo Alto High School junior whose name, like others in this story, has been changed to protect her identity.

Although Julia says she always knew she had dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, she didn’t realize the severity of her learning disabilities until fourth grade when she qualified for an Individualized Education Program — a plan that can provide students with learning disabilities with educational interventions — with some help from her mom, who already had two other children with learning differences.

“By the time I went into middle school, I was pretty close to being average [academically],” she says. “But then it started really affecting my math skills, and then I would be in special education math classes.”

Although Palo Alto Unified School District has more funding and support for students with dyslexia than most, Julia says it has not always provided adequate resources to fully support her and other students. While she is incredibly grateful for her district-provided case manager, who helps her select things like classes and future colleges, she has not always felt so well resourced.

“I had to go to speech impediment classes because they didn’t have anything for how bad my dyslexia was,” Julia says. “They didn’t have any programs designed for people who had as severe dyslexia as me as that young an age.”

Improving horizons According to Yolanda Conaway, the Assistant Superintendent for Strategic Initiatives, the district has plans to improve the educational accommodations given to students like Julia.

In November 2017, district educators, administrators, staff specialists and parent representatives formed the PAUSD Dyslexia Workgroup to review the

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 31

needs of students with dyslexia and comply with AB 1369, a new state law requiring schools to better support these students.

“The workgroup was really intended to make sure that we have a multidisciplinary group of people on the team and that we got parents feedback as well,” Conaway says. “This is a really good opportunity to hear the voices of the community.”

In January 2018, the group presented the 2018-2019 Dyslexia Guidelines Implementation Plan, or The Dyslexia Plan, to the Board of Education. The plan proposes an estimated total of $192,000 to $212,000 of district funding be spent on initiatives such as staff trainings and universal dyslexia screening for elementary school students.

The plan lists four priorities — shared awareness, universal early screening, response development and other interventions — with a focus on early identification and intervention.

“Early readers tend to better across the board so the earlier we can get kids [reading] ... the better outcomes overall,” Conaway says.

Over the past year, the workgroup has refined the plan and trained every PAUSD teacher in identifying and supporting students with dyslexia.

“We’re basically waiting for approval to move to the next phase of that,” Conaway says. “It’s probably not as quickly as one person dedicated to it would have done, but we certainly are moving at a steady pace.”

Although some support for students with dyslexia are available across the district, the underachieving students are often those who have not yet been officially diagnosed. Furthermore, Emmett, a senior with dyslexia, says it would cost approximately $15,000 to test for the types of diagnoses

32 APRIL 2019

a learning disability that the Mayo Clinic defines as “a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words”.

“It’s nice to know that you aren’t alone,” says Sarah, a senior with dyslexia.

“Especially at Paly, I feel like kids are very open about it.”

Sarah says she was diagnosed in eighth grade after years of showing markers of dyslexia, such as having difficulty with writing and consistently moving down math lanes.

“I got really frustrated so I went to the the district accepts to qualify him for ac- office and I asked if I could get tested in commodations, which his family cannot eighth grade and that was when … I found out,” she says. afford.

Once she was placed on a 504 Plan, “I was able to get that for totally free but only in my junior year because it takes which provides accommodations for students identified with a disability, she says forever for it to go through,” he says.

For families whose children the district she has received only support from the dischooses not to test, private testing may not trict. However, she believes if her symptoms be an option to due excessive financial pres- were recognized earlier, she could have had more academic success. sures.

“If you read my writing and stuff and do the math it was very obvious that there Accommodations was something missing and I think that if Currently, most students who are diagI had help earlier on I could have stayed in nosed with dyslexia receive various accomhigher lanes,” Sarah says. modations ranging from extended testing Emmett moved to the district for time to extra reading supports, such as an freshman year and says he only received aid to read material aloud. his diagnoses of dyslexia, ADHD and dys“Accommodations do not change acgraphia at the end of his junior year. ademic standards or expectations, but they “It’s an extremely late diagnosis … it’s make it possible for students with dyslexnice to know now,” he ia to demonstrate their says. learning without being Getting more Baten Caswell hindered by their diskids reading is a says she would like to abilities,” stated Kimsee more focus on stuberly Eng Lee, chair of game-changer.” dents like Sarah and the Community Ad— KIMBERLY ENG LEE, CAC Chair Emmett in the Dysvisory Committee for lexia Plan.

Special Education.

“We should be testing for this at every However, despite existing measures, level — this is not just early intervention,” Board of Education Trustee Melissa Baten Baten Caswell says.

Caswell says she has witnessed numerous

Baten Caswell supports these inifamilies of students with dyslexia leave the tiatives, noting the efforts to universally district for more specialized private schools. screen students for dyslexia at a young age.

“We’re [PAUSD and other Santa Clara “[So hopefully] we’ll have less kids goCounty School districts] all spending a lot ing into Special Ed because we’d be able to of money on it, but we’re not having the put them into general reading supports,” kind of results that we would like to have,” she says. she says.

However, some community members have expressed concerns over the plan’s Dyslexia defined heavy focus on early childhood identificaAccording to the 2018-2019 Dyslextion and interventions but lack of proceia Guidelines Implementation Plan, one dure for older students. in five students has some form of dyslexia,

“

features “Given the number of students first to be a large part of it. According to her, identified during middle and high school, the plan will not focus on in-depth teacher the plans do not clearly address how sec- training for supporting students with dysondary students will receive adequate in- lexia but will instead provide information struction time or coordinated accommoda- on identifying students with dyslexia and tions,” Eng Lee stated. finding them outside support.

However, after attending the March “Our responsibility is to ensure that 13 board meeting, Eng Lee says the com- we make sure that everyone knows what mittee notes community concerns and is dyslexia is, understands the warning signs now working to include older students in [dyslexia identification] … and what can the plan. teachers do to accommodate students in “There were big the classroom, but also wins for dyslexia at the to understand the Board Meeting,” she It’s nice to know that referral process for stated. identification and just you aren’t alone.”

Conaway says dekind of just training — SARAH, senior spite the focus on early across the district,” interventions, older stuRita Rodriguez, Addents with dyslexia will still benefit from dison Elementary Psychologist and workthe plan. group member says.

“The awareness alone makes people “I think in middle and high school, it’s pay attention and when educators are pay- really important for them [teachers] … to ing attention they are able to see signs of pay attention to it [markers of dyslexia] bethings that concern them,” she says. cause I’ve seen kids that have this problem Julia adds that the plan is especially be taught strategies, and then be successful pertinent to students with dyslexia who in high school,” Baten Caswell said. “We remain undiagnosed and lack supports be- just have to be providing this [supports]. cause of a lack of widespread parent aware- Just telling people, ‘Oh, yeah, we’ll put you ness of learning disabilities. on an IEP,’ doesn’t really solve the prob“I think there does need to be a plan lem.” put in place for kids whose parents have refused to get them diagnosed, whose kids Unique thinkers are just now developing because school is Eng Lee says the plan could improve getting harder,” she says. “Just to make it with a deeper focus on the many strengths more even and more fair for kids who are of students with dyslexia to acknowledge having a harder time in school based off of that dyslexia is not just a complication. learning disabilities.”

“I’d love to see effort demonstrating Priority 1 of the plan addresses com- and building the strengths/assets of dysmunity and parent education, stating strat- lexic people among students, teachers and egies such as informational meetings about parents,” Eng Lee stated. “So often, dyspossible general education interventions lexic students are endowed with significant and education about ways parents can in- right-brained skills that get overlooked beform teachers if they suspect their child has cause of their difficulty reading, spelling or a learning disability. demonstrating comprehension. Many don’t According to Conaway, the two parent feel good about themselves, or about school education forums generated a lot of parent and learning.” interest in helping the dyslexia workgroup.

Though Julia says she initially strug“The parents that came were actually gled with adverse social reactions to her pretty knowledgeable about that [dyslex- dyslexia, this prompted her to reflect on her ia],” she says. “We had to address the needs different learning style. of everyone who came in so it was just “Having ADHD to me is like a blesstalking about what is dyslexia and how we ing in and of itself because like I think so go about identifying it, and then how we go differently than everyone else,” she says. about intervening to meet the needs.” “[The] majority of famous athletes have seAlthough the board has not been pre- vere ADHD. w” sented with an update on the plan, Baten Julia also says she is grateful to her IEP Caswell says she expects teacher training case manager for helps her to select classes

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v

and identify colleges with the best services for students with learning disabilities.

“My case manager is the nicest woman ever, helps me through everything .…

That’s not something that you will find at other schools necessarily because it’s just above and beyond,” she says.

Eng Lee says she is confident the plan will be an improvement for the district and many students with dyslexia.

“That the Board is asking for a dyslexia update is a very good sign,” she wrote. “Getting more kids reading is a game-changer.”

According to Conaway and Rodriguez, the workgroup will continue to refine the plan until it is presented to the board again.

“We’ve been very fortunate that we’ve gotten pretty much universal support from the board as well as from the community,” Conaway says. v

Mental health implications According to Lee, mental health challenges are common for students with special needs.

“Unfortunately, while one in four people will suffer from mental health issues like anxiety each year, people who have learning disabilities are more likely to be affected,” Eng Lee said.

Julia, for example, says the mental health implications of her dyslexia caused her to drop her math class this semester.

“It was just something that was physically making me depressed to think ‘Wow, I’m this stupid,’” she says.

Baten Caswell proposes more focus on social emotional learning to address this trend.

“We need to work on kindness and respect and understanding that people not just [sic] learn in different ways, but they do things in different ways and that’s okay,” she says.

For Sarah, on the other hand, being diagnosed with dyslexia actually boosted her self-confidence.

“It was a little bit comforting knowing [I had dyslexia] ‘cause I felt teachers kind of made me feel dumb in middle school a little bit, so it made me feel like it was something real,” she says.

The 2018-2019 implementation plan does address mental health concerns, stating “Dyslexia can affect a child’s self-image and create stress related to academic problems and feelings of inadequacy.”

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 33

FROM

STUDENT TO COACH Text by BEN COHEN and PRAHALAD MITRA

TEENS MENTOR YOUNG ATHLETES

T

HE SHRILL SCREECH of a whistle resounds through the Greene Middle School gym, signaling a timeout. Palo Alto High School senior Bernie Koen and sophomore Ilai Beth gather their team into a huddle after four straight failed shot attempts. Koen and Beth calmly refocus the team, using a clipboard to draw up their next play. They go on to beat the opposing team, 48-25.

This is an example of just one of the many situations student coaches have to handle every single game.

Koen started coaching middle school basketball teams two years ago at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School. This year, he and Beth both coach for Greene Middle School. As it is Beth’s first year coaching, he says he grapples with not only the novelty of the experience, but also the new perspective he has gained as a coach.

“The most interesting part about being a student coach is being on the other side,” Beth says. “I have played on countless basketball teams throughout my childhood, but it’s a completely different experience when I’m the one coaching the kids.”

Beth and Koen both describe coaching as a demanding but also gratifying job.

“I found the experiences to be challenging … because it can be hard to be in charge of coaching a bunch of younger kids,” Koen says. “But seeing them do things right and coaching them and seeing them improve day after day is really meaningful and rewarding.”

Though coaching sixth graders can at times prove challenging, the duo always tries to project a positive attitude.

“I know that if I come and I bring my

best self, it will wear off on the kids and it will help our entire practice go as well as possible,” Koen says.

Since becoming a coach, Beth’s priorities have shifted from when he played basketball.

“The main goal is to make sure the kids are learning and having fun. It’s not all about winning,” Beth says.

This ideology is common among student coaches. Senior Zoe Sid, who first started coaching in the beginning of April 2018, teaches preschoolers soccer and she shares the same values. Her favorite part about coaching is watching kids progress and become better players.

“When a kid learns a new skill and then they get really good at it, their face just lights up ... It’s really exciting to see them become a better athlete and become better at that skill and just develop over the times you’ve coached them,” Sid says.

To Sid, coaching seemed like a logical thing to do — she had played soccer before and enjoys working with children. As a volunteer for an organization called Kidz Love Soccer, her job is to gage whether preschoolers are interested in playing soccer while teaching them basic soccer skills.

To do this she plays a variety of games with the kids which range from the “Numbers Game” to “Ghost Busters” to “Buffalo,” which all help teach these basic soccer skills.

Sid’s enthusiasm for coaching is apparent to anyone who watches.

Hands cupped around her mouth and head pointed towards the sky, Sid shouts, “Buffaloes, are you ready?” The response is a chorus of excited screams. v

PLANNING PLAYS (TOP) Bernie Koen and Ilai Beth coach Greene Middle School basketball and draw up plays for their team to practice. Photo by Ben Cohen. GAME DAY (MIDDLE) Bernie Koen and Ilai Beth walk down the halls of Greene Middle School to their game. Photo by Ben Cohen.

CLEAN UP (BOTTOM) Zoe Sid holds open a bag for the preschoolers so that they can put away their cones after a long soccer practice. Photo by Prahalad Mitra.

34 APRIL 2019

Serving Palo Alto for 78 years!

410 California Avenue, Palo Alto thecobblery.com

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 35

Text by RACHEL LIT

Art by SUYE SHEN

A CONVERSATION WITH

CORY BOOKER

INTRODUCING THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

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HO PUTS MILK in their baba ganoush? I need to talk to these people.” Cory Booker, the vegan junior senator from New Jersey, is full of jokes as he crosses his legs in his seat, a plate of Mediterranean Wraps take-out in hand.

It’s a Saturday afternoon and I’m lounging in my sweats, eating falafel with a 2020 presidential candidate and having casual conversation about everything from the proper sweetness level of chocolate cupcakes to the stickers on my computer. Booker and my dad have been close friends ever since attending Stanford together, and on a recent visit to the Bay Area, the long-time family friend came over for lunch at my house and graciously allowed me to ask him some questions for Verde.

I came to this interview prepared to focus on Booker’s beliefs, gain a better sense of his connections to Silicon Valley and understand the reasoning behind his political initiatives. And while my short time with him accomplished these goals, I was also able to discover more about Booker’s personality. Although he’s a distinguished public figure who influences progressive policy in Washington and the lives of his community back home in Newark, New Jersey, his peaceful presence and humorous personality remind me that he’s also just Cory.

The conspiracy of love V: You are well known for your mantra of the “conspiracy of love.”

How did you come up with this and why do you stand by this value?

C: I think we as a nation are founded on ideals of love — patriotism is love of country, you can’t love your country unless you love your fellow countrymen and women. So much of this idea that actions remain in the moment is not true … People who stood up for us and for the call of patriotism sacrificed and made contributions to this country — that resonates out to where we are today. So you may not know it, but those small actions of patriotic love, when joined together, they sort of overwhelm the world and can change the world as a whole.

V: How has this view shaped your attitude toward a polarized America?

C: I think that a lot of the reason [why] I’m running for president has to do with the fact that we need a revival of grace in our coun-

36 APRIL 2019

try. We need to reignite ideals of empathy for each other even if we vote different[ly] or have different political parties — we are still one America with one destiny. I think we need to start getting back to that idea that we need each other to be successful. That doesn’t mean we always have to agree or have a “kumbaya” type moment, but this idea that we all have dignity, we all have worth, we all have value ... at the end of the day, we’re all in this together and I think we need to affirm that in our politics and behavior towards each other.

“We need to reignite ideals of empathy for each other even if we vote different[ly].”

— CORY BOOKER, junior senator from New Jersey

School safety & gun control V: High schools all over the country are struggling with gun safety. Paly last year was put in a real lockdown due to a phone threat of someone coming to campus with a weapon. What do you believe can be done to help prevent school-specific gun violence?

C: These things are all interconnected. The safety of kids in schools [is] related to the safety of people in movie theaters and churches and synagogues — we have a gun problem in America. They are too easy to get access to by people that have harmful intentions. I think, in general, we need to have common sense universal background checks and other safeties that close the loopholes that allow people who shouldn’t own guns to purchase them.

V: How can students and teachers best educate themselves and become better advocates for school safety?

C: I think there are a lot of times for early detection. People are struggling often in schools with mental health and other challenges and we need to have that kind of environment that supports folks. Folks might need some help or might be struggling or might be falling into the shadows of a community. ... There should be more of a … therapeutic community, almost, to recognize when those problems are occurring [and] early interventions that could

profiles prevent those types of problems from manifesting within a school community. But overall, I think we as a nation need to own up to the fact that the ease at which we are getting guns allows people with ill-intent to do horrible things.

Back on campus V: Do you have any favorite memories from your time at Stanford?

C: I mean, a lot. They were two of the five best years of my life.

From playing football to just some of the friendships I had. ...

Those kinds of friendships, those bonds, they so enrich your life — they’re life long friendships, which is really incredible.

V: Where did you like to spend time with your friends? Go out to eat?

C: The coffee house on campus I loved. I still remember walking in there and there’s this two-woman band that’s playing there. It was kind of crowded, so I was like “Who’s this?” “Oh it’s the Indigo Girls,” and I’m like “Oh, the Indigo Girls, they’re really good,” and within six months they’ve blown up. But back then it was just a little thing in the Stanford coffee house. I loved Max’s Opera Cafe. ... The [Palo Alto] Creamery was good. Is Fresh Choice still there? I used to love the cornbread and mush it into the soup. I like that place Togo’s … And I used to get a chicken fajita pita all the time at Jack in the Box, but I’m a vegan now so I don’t do Jack in the Box. Technology: the light and the dark V: Silicon Valley is famous for its technology and innovation. What role should those things play in national politics? Is Silicon Valley doing its part?

C: Technology can be a powerful force, helping to democratize access to information, to opportunity, to capital ... It can really be a powerful force in the lives of everybody, especially when it comes to issues of inequality and justice. It can really help on those issues, but there’s a dark side too. Technology can aggravate disadvantages in our country, it could invade our privacy and undermine our security, and I think that we need to be aware of the light as well as the darkness of it all. Silicon Valley, as well as Washington, should be taking steps to make sure we’re seeing growth of the light and diminishment, if not elimination, of the dark.

Youth at the forefront V: Verde is a high school publication, read by students and families, many of whom will be able to vote in the next presidential election.

How do you think high school students can make a difference? Do you have any advice for us?

C: I think that from uprisings in Soweto to the Civil Rights Movement to even the Tiananmen Square protest, you see young people are at the center of all great social movements for change.

The Parkland students have been showing this

v

recently, and probably some of the students from your high school.

So the reality is not to say “How can I one day?” — it’s “Right now, what can I do today that makes a difference?” You shouldn’t let your inability to do everything undermine your ability to do something. I think that you should recognize that you’re powerful and that you can make a difference, that your voice matters, you should try to get out there and get engaged as much as possible.

“You shouldn’t let your inability to do everything undermine your ability to do something.”

— CORY BOOKER, junior senator from New Jersey

As our interview comes to a close, Booker grabs my phone and says jokingly: “Hi, this is Cory Anthony Booker. The interview is now over.

I’m going to stop this [recording]. If you’re listening and you’re a 17-to-18-year-old, please, please vote for me.” v

RISE CORY 202

0

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 37

´ JAPIC

ON THE PITCH

COMMITTED SOCCER STAR HAS BIG GOALS Text by PRAHALAD MITRA and ZOË WONG-VANHAREN

T

HE WIND WHIPS AROUND HER HAIR, flapping per nice… They just got this $3 million soccer complex that only through her red jersey. Palo Alto High School junior the soccer players can use,” she says. “They only have a women’s Chloe Japić sprints down the field at De Anza Commu- team — there’s no men’s team.” nity College, glancing occasionally over her shoulder at From there, she hopes to one day play on the U.S. national the opponents behind her as she approaches their goal. Face to face team. with a player from La Roca Futbol Club, Japić slides toward the “Playing professionally would be like a dream come true,” ball, throwing her legs across the turf as the two players collide and Japić says. “I have dreamt about playing pro since I was a kid. send the ball flying off to the left.

However, when you get A typical weekend for Japić is older, you realize it’s not not unlike this one — since joining When things get hard, you have to kind that simple. There are a lot the California Thorns Football Club of push through and keep working ... of things that play into it.” last summer, Japić has played one to two games per weekend against I think that’s one of the hardest things Putting in the work other travel teams, often in states all From dribbling at in sports, and I think that directly reacross the West Coast. the courts and gliding Japić is one of few remarkable flects on to how life is sometimes.” across the pool to setting soccer players who made it onto the volleyballs and swinging ­ — CHLOE JAPIC, junior Paly varsity girl’s soccer team during golf clubs, Japić has been her freshman year. Her prowess on a sports buff since kinderthe field has taken her all the way to Bosnia, where garten — but it was soccer she was most enamored by. she reconnected with her family’s roots and “I played a lot of sports growing up and just for some reason, played on the Bosnian national soccer team. soccer has always appealed to me more,” Japić says. “Just kind of Back at Paly, she juggles academics with [because of ] the teamwork involved ... the creativity and the finathletics and recently committed to Baylor nessers of the game.”

University in February, despite only being a juAfter all, Japić is no stranger to hard work. Since fully comnior. mitting to soccer in seventh grade, she devoted herself to improv“The environment they [Baylor] ing in every way she can, setting ever-higher goals for herself. have there is really cool.

“Every time I go to trainings, [I try to] just be a betAll the facilities are suter player,” she says.

Japić plays with the Thorns almost year-round, with a break in July and a pause in the winter when she plays for the Paly team. However, even during those four weeks of summer, Japić says she constantly keeps in shape, always ready for the coming season.

38 APRIL 2019

“

EYES ON THE PRIZE Junior Chloe Japić sprints towards the unguarded ball at the DeAnza College soccer fields in a game against Utah’s La Roca Futbol Club. “We [her team] played a team from Arizona yesterday ... We travel every other weekend” she says. Photo by Zoë Wong-VanHaren

Aspiring to play soccer professionally has also affected Japić’s life off the field. Although she loves to train hard and compete, she struggles to find a balance of her two lives that doesn’t feel overwhelming.

“I’ve had to sacrifice some of my social life for soccer,” she says. “But that’s how it is if you want to get to the next level.”

Her social life frequently conflicts with the times when she is on the pitch, but there are also other aspects that make hanging out with friends difficult. Specifically, getting an adequate amount of sleep often prevents her from going out with friends.

“If my friends invited me to do stuff the night before a game or if I had some social event, I would typically miss it to make sure I would be well-rested for the game the next day,” Japić says.

Family ties Although she works hard, Japić credits much of her soccer success to her parents, who she says have supported her endlessly throughout her journey.

“My dad played soccer growing up... He knows what sports A BIG COMMITMENT Junior Chloe Japić looks off camera as she poses are like,” she says. “He really pushes me and he’s given me the in her Baylor University T-shirt. “I’m really excited because they just got mentality I have today.” this $3 million soccer complex that only soccer players can use,” Japić Always striving to do better and aiming higher, Japić says she says. Photo by Asia Gardias does not interpret her parents’ high standards as unreachable, but rather as challenges to take on. She says she is incredibly thankful Having a robust support system has also helped her realize the for her parents’ support and the way that they have given her the valuable lessons she has adapted from soccer. opportunity to pursue her dreams.

“I’ve learned communication,” Japić says, “I’ve learned team“I think if I’d give anyone credit, I’d give my parents the work, cooperation. I’ve learned hard work.” most,” she says.

But most of all, she credits her ability to persevere to the game.

“The biggest thing I think [I learned was] when things get hard, you have to kind of push through and keep working,” she says. “I think that’s one of the hardest things in sports, and I think that directly reflects on to how life is sometimes.” v

“I’ve had to sacrifice some of my social life for soccer, but that’s how it is if you want to get to the next level.”

— CHLOE JAPIC, junior

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 39

Text by ABE TOW and JASMINE VENET

Photos by JASMINE VENET

NO SUBstitutes FOR THESE SUBS A LOOK INTO THE WORLD OF SUBSTITUTES

S

UBSTITUTES. We’ve all had them — some are more eccentric than others, but each is unique in their own way.

With teachers frequently away at conferences or meetings, it seems as though the demand for substitute teachers is higher than ever, and in Palo Alto High School’s time of need, our dedicated substitute teachers are always ready to answer the call.

According to Jenny Gardiner, the main office receptionist in charge of coordinating substitutes, there has been a dramatic drop in substitute teachers over the past couple years, with full

time teachers temporarily watching over other classes or regularly doubling up on classes.

In light of these recent shortages, substitute teachers have been hard at work. Yet many students know little about them. Who are they? Where do they come from? What lives do they lead outside the walls of Paly?

To find out more about the lives of these temporary teachers, Verde interviewed several substitutes, each one offering a glimpse into their personalities both outside and inside the classroom. v

Cynthia Costell A

s Cynthia Costell takes a seat, she leans back and puts her feet on the desk. Joking about getting ready for her big interview, she makes sure to say goodbye to every student before they walk out the doors of the Spanish class she is substituting for that day.

Costell has been a teacher at Palo Alto Unified School District since 1964, when she began as a full-time Spanish teacher at Fletcher Middle School.

In 2001, Costell decided to become a substitute teacher instead of retiring in order to support her family and carry on her passion.

The most difficult parts of her transition were the loss of classroom authority, as well as lower pay, decreased health benefits and lack of union representation as a sub, Costell says.

According to Costell, substitute teachers are often not granted the same respect as other teachers and may not be well-versed in the subject they are supervising. However, Costell, who primarily substitutes for foreign language classes, is anything but under qualified.

The veteran sub speaks English, German, Spanish, French and Czech and has traveled the world, teaching English to students in the Czech Republic and visiting every Spanish speaking country in the world, apart from Uruguay. She even once “snuck” into Cuba illegally, which she described as “just a kick.”

“I think it’s in my blood,” Costell says. “My mom was a French teacher and one of my grandparents was a teacher.”

For Costell, the most challenging part of being a substitute teacher is not dealing with the occasional disruptive student, but rather the end of the day, when she has to go home knowing she will not be able to continue teaching the students she has just grown close to.

“It’s always kind of nostalgic to walk out of a classroom, especially if it’s a school that I know pretty well and kind of say ‘Well, hope to see you again,’” Costell says.

40 APRIL 2019

Mason Hersey L

ike many other substitutes at Paly, Mason Hersey did not originally begin his professional career frequenting the halls of a high school. Rather, he says he spent the majority of his life in the film industry, working first as a camera assistant and then as a camera operator for various features and commercials.

When his time in the film industry came to an end, Hersey and his wife decided to move their family to Palo Alto. From there, his wife recommended he start substituting for various schools in the area, Hersey says. This is how, 12 years ago with no prior teaching experience whatsoever, Hersey began his journey as a substitute.

Hersey’s ability to teach seems to come naturally ­— he approaches all his classes with a sense of humor, usually already familiar with a couple of kids in his classes. In fact, Hersey says one of his favorite parts of substituting is watching former students develop over time.

“I find being a substitute teacher really interesting because you get to see the kids when they come in ninth grade, when they’re really just out of eighth grade and you get to see them develop from eighth grade to 12th grade, which I find fascinating,” Hersey says.

Katherine Talbot P

aly parent, proud dog owner and substitute teacher Katherine Talbot has been teaching high school classes since 1997 and has been a substitute teacher for about five years.

Before becoming a sub, Talbot used to be a science teacher and still loves to substitute for science classes; now, though, her favorite class to sub for is history.

“In science, the questions seem to be fairly black and white and there’s not a lot of opinion that goes into it,” Talbot says. “But in history you can have these fabulous, complex discussions.”

As a seasoned substitute, her secret to success has always been to treat her students with respect.

“Treat the kids like grown ups because [they] are,” Talbot says.

“Treat everybody with respect and don’t ever assume that you know what’s going on.”

Talbot loves teaching, so for her, one of the biggest challenges of substitute teaching is when a class is too well-prepared, and all she has to do is watch the kids work on Schoology. She particularly enjoys leading class discussions and interacting with students.

After many years as a substitute, Talbot has grown to appreciate how organized both Paly students and teachers are, making her job easier and more enjoyable.

“The teachers leave just awesome lesson plans so that things are very well-prepared and the students are well-prepared,” Talbot says. “So if you’re going to do a job, this is about the best job you can do.”

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 41

STELLAR

STUDENT BRIDGES THE GAP WITH SCIENCE

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S SHE GATHERS A GROUP of second graders onto the colorful rug, Palo Alto High School Senior Lucy Volino smiles while prompting each of them to introduce their name and favorite ice cream flavor before reciting the names of everyone before them.

Keeping elementary schoolers excited about math is no easy feat, especially on a Friday afternoon, but Volino makes it look easy as the rambunctious kids cling onto her every word.

While the kids stumble over the names of the other volunteers, each one repeats “Lucy” without hesitation, a testament to the impact Volino has had on the lives of kids who attend Buddies4Math, an after-school program which inspired the creation of her science program, Stellar.

Stellar is a science program for at-risk youth who attend Mariano Castro Elementary School in Mountain View and need extra help with homework or after school supervision. Each Tuesday, kids who stay after school with the local YMCA program conduct hands-on activities that help them develop a strong foundation in the physical sciences. As the founder and program

42 APRIL 2019

head, Volino plans curriculum, coordinates volunteers and leads Stellar sessions every week.

“Stellar has been a way for students to get more enjoyment out of science,” Volino says.

One of the things that frustrates me most is seeing inequality persist in ... both the educational system and the world as a whole.”

— LUCY VOLINO, senior

Volino began planning this science education program when she was just a sophomore. Her vision for the program was inspired by her volunteer work at Buddies4Math, a similar after-school education enrichment program she has volunteered with since seventh grade.

Through Buddies4Math, Volino says she saw a vast disparity in access to learning resources between Palo Alto elementary schools and Mariano Castro elementary school, prompting her to start a program of her own. After hearing about the lack of exposure to science for elementary school students and reflecting on her own positive experience with science, she went forward with Stellar.

“One of the things that frustrates me most is seeing inequality persist in various forms in both the educational system and the world as a whole,” Volino says. “Stellar allows me to play a small part in lessening that inequality.”

The evolution of Stellar After some encouragement from her former science teacher Alicia Szebert, Volino reached out to Beyond the Bell, an organization that runs after-school educational programs including Buddies4Math. However, when they stopped communicating with her after a few months, she ultimately connected with the Palo Alto YMCA, which agreed to work alongside Volino to implement Stellar.

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Text by ABBY CUMMINGS and COURTNEY KERNICK

“If students are excited about learning and excited about what they can do with science, it [the achievement gap] will improve” — LUCY VOLINO, senior IN HER ELEMENT (LEFT) Volino passes out playing cards for an adding activity during Buddies4Math. Her experience volunteering at Buddies4Math was very helpful in the process of transforming Stellar from an idea to a reality. “Without having done Buddies4Math before, I wouldn’t have been as comfortable going to the school and talking with the administrators to start the program,” Volino says. CHECKING WORK (MIDDLE) Volino checks the addition of one of the students. “They [the kids] are sometimes recommended by their teachers to join the program ... so they can get extra academic tutoring,” Volino says. ADDING IT UP (RIGHT) Under Volino’s guidance, a firth grader completes multiple addition problems.

Once Volino was ready to launch Stellar, she says she faced the challenge of finding consistently committed volunteers.

“I want people who are familiar with the kids and familiar with the program so that we have a really strong group of people to work with the kids,” Volino says.

Luckily, Volino was able to connect with volunteers from Khan Lab School, a local independent school, and even some from Paly through word of mouth.

Senior Anna Oft has volunteered at Stellar since its inception and says she enjoys working with Volino and watching the kids grow.

“All of the elementary schoolers like it a lot and you can tell they [the kids] are excited,” Oft says. “You can tell that Lucy really cares about the kids and their learning by the way she works with them and interacts with other volunteers.”

Through experiencing Stellar’s ups and downs, Volino says she has learned both practical skills like grant pitch writing and communication skills she’ll carry with her to college and beyond.

“I have gotten to better understand how becoming familiar with a community

and a set of people in a place can be really valuable,” Volino says.

Catalyzing growth Volino creates Stellar’s curriculum each semester and bases it on Next Generation Science Standards — California’s public school science curriculum guidelines. Each week’s activities are planned months in advance so she has time to order all the necessary supplies using grant money. Then, each weekend, she puts together the materials for the week ahead.

“Luckily we live in the Bay Area — there are a lot of companies and people that are giving out money to individuals who are working in education or just service projects in general,” Volino says.

Just recently, Volino put together an activity that taught the elementary schoolers about the solar system by painting styrofoam balls to build a model of it.

She says the kids responded especially well to this activity, as it gave them the chance to combine learning science in an upbeat, fun environment — the epitome of Stellar’s program goals.

According to Volino, by teaching

science in a way that is enjoyable to the kids, Stellar helps instill a passion for science from a young age. By doing so, the program helps bridge the very prominent achievement gap in the education system.

“Any way schools or other organizations help encourage passion for STEM … is really important, because a lot of times it takes both teachers and students to improve the achievement gap,” Volino says. “If students are excited about learning and excited about what they can do with science, it will improve.”

The next phase As of now, the future of Stellar is uncertain as Volino, the program’s leader from its humble beginnings, will graduate this year. However, Volino plans to pass her position onto one of the many dedicated volunteers.

“I hope that Stellar will continue to be a sustainable resource for the community to foster a larger number of students who are passionate about learning, passionate about science and passionate about what they themselves can achieve in STEM,” Volino says. v

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Text by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG and MYRA XU Photos by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

THE PRINCESS PROJECT

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OWS AND ROWS OF PROM DRESSES, organized by color and size, form a runway of fabric leading toward the dressing rooms. From there, a white fur carpet decorates the path to the accessories table — a raised platform with a picturesque vanity adorned with hanging lights.

What otherwise would have been an empty building in a strip mall in Cupertino — with concrete floors, grey walls and red steel pipes running along the ceiling — is transformed into a dazzling showcase of dresses.

“It looks kind of like there are dresses flying through the air,” says Maria Insalaco, secretary of the Princess Project Silicon Valley.

Started 15 years ago by a group of women who saw a need in their own community, the Princess Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing prom dresses to high schoolers who cannot otherwise afford them. The team has since expanded to include chapters in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Sonoma and San Diego, and will soon come to Los Angeles. Last year, the organization was able to provide free service to 1,200 girls and has 1,500 sign-ups so far this year.

March magic Run entirely by volunteers determined to give students the full prom experience, Princess Project organizes dress giveaways annually in the month of March.

“We set this whole thing up every year, and then we pack it all away,” says Shirley McFaden, a longtime Princess Project volunteer.

While 75 percent of the 7,000 dresses are donated by local sponsors and partnerships with large companies such as Trudy’s Brides & Special Occasion and Azazie, the organization also welcomes individual donations. Donated dresses that are too casual for prom are sold as fundraisers for the next year’s stock.

To receive a dress from the Princess Project, students book an appointment online and sign up for one of the giveaway dates. When they arrive on site, they are asked only to provide a school-issued student ID. “We don’t want to put any hurdles on coming here,” Insalaco says. “Folks shouldn’t feel like they have to have a special reason or special paperwork to get in. We trust them, and if they think that prom is prohibitive or hard to afford, they’re welcome here ... We have plenty of dresses here and we’re happy to share.”

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NONPROFIT FASHIONS THE PERFECT NIGHT

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ALL SHAPES AND SIZES Visitors won’t find generic stock prom photos or torso silhouettes decorating the building. According to its website, the organization believes that “Body-oriented graphics and artwork … inadvertently convey an idealized body size, style and look … We celebrate the beauty and diversity of teens everywhere, in every size.”

From Hayward to Gilroy Browsing through the donated dresses at the March 7 open house are Martha and Elizabeth Cabrera, who are both involved in reaching out to students at their schools in East Side Union High School District.

As the community liason at Oak Grove High School, Cabrera makes sure to inform her students about the services of the Princess Project which is consitently met with excitement. According to Cabrera, many of her students attend the giveaways in groups and come back encouraging their classmates to make an appointment.

“We have a lot of students that can’t afford a dress … It’s expensive,” Cabrera says. “It’s important that these students are not

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FINDING THE PERFECT DRESS Volunteer Nicola Lore excitedly picks out a red prom dress for a teen waiting in the dressing room. On a Wednesday night, two girls arrive in search for a prom dress without prior notice and are immediately helped by Lore, their ‘fairy godmother’ for the night.

missing the experience of being a high schooler because they don’t have the economic situation where they can afford a dress.”

A dream come true Volunteers, who call themselves “fairy godmothers,” take groups of no more than three girls at a time into the maze of options to search for the perfect look. Volunteers are all out of high school to ensure the confidentiality of the participants.

“We want to make sure they’re not running into someone, as a volunteer, that they might go to school with,” Insasco says.

This year’s President, Kristen Hahn, explains that the nonprofit aims to provide an unforgettable experience for teens.

“I think back now about my prom, and I had an amazing experience,” Hahn says. “You want to ensure it’s available to all girls … As much as you give, you get 10 times back. ” According to Hahn, his experience includes the uplifting environment as well, and the messages written with black markers on the mirrors in and outside the dressing rooms reflect the Princess Project’s mission of promoting self-confidence. “I am strong,” one reads.

“No matter how they identify themselves, we accept everyone from every race, every religion, every part of anywhere,” Hahn says. “We just want everyone to feel welcome and more importantly, safe and beautiful here.” v

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JESSICA LEE

exploring the art around us Text by RIYA SINHA and ELLA THOMSEN Photo by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

46 APRIL 2019

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ROM AFAR, THE PAINTING LOOKS LIKE a colorful ocean with a sea turtle crawling onto the sand, but upon closer inspection it becomes clear that what at first glance appears to be the ocean is instead a sea of plastic. Palo Alto High School senior Jessica Lee’s newest piece may seem jarring at first, but its message is clear: Humans are wreaking havoc on the environment.

Lee’s newest artistic pursuit involves pursuing fabric and textile design, and recently many of her themes have revolved around environmental conservation as she looks to spread more meaningful messages and define what she stands for in the world.

“I try to include stories because I think that’s what’s most important about art,” Lee says.

Lee has been pursuing art in one form or another since the age of four. Relative to older artists her art career has been short, but already Lee has experimented with numerous media to relay various messages.

But while art has always been a big part of Lee’s life, it wasn’t until sophomore year that she decided she wanted to pursue it as a career.

“I think a big part of it [deciding to pursue a career in art] is the people around me, especially [art teacher] Ms. [Kate] Mackenzie and outside teachers,” Lee says.

Sketching the blueprints Lee’s artistic roots can be traced back to her childhood in China, where she started art classes at a studio in Beijing.

“It was a free experience and I really liked that instead of just focusing on sketching a still life,” Lee says.

“That’s what really got me started.”

Before moving to the United States in eighth grade, Lee also lived in Shanghai for several years, all while studying at different art studios. According to Lee, studios in China focus more on teaching young artists technical skills, such as how to proportionally draw a face, while American studios emphasize creativity. Despite this contrast, Lee says her experience growing up abroad has positively influenced her artistic perspective.

“If you’re always in one place, it is hard for you to reach out to the world and look at it from a different standpoint,” Lee says.

An artistic enclave Although Silicon Valley is known as a technological capital, it also offers a vibrant art community, Lee says.

She says she discovered this after entering Paly and immersing herself in the art classes offered.

“They’re [Paly art teachers] very supportive and they

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didn’t push me to do what they wanted me to do,” Lee says. “It was just like, ‘You just have to keep doing it and someday you’ll find that other people are going to appreciate your art.’”

There is only one thing Lee would change about the art program at Paly, and she acknowledges that it is ambitious — the timing.

“I would rather work three days without sleeping, without eating and just do — JESSICA LEE, senior a piece,” Lee says. “I think that 90 minutes is really not enough.”

Lee says that when she gets into a project she can work on her creation for hours. About once a week, she will stay up until 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. working on her art.

“It makes me really happy when I do that,” Lee says.

“I don’t feel tired at all when I’m doing that for some reason.”

Despite her passion, Lee says that throughout her travels and time in Palo Alto she has encountered detractors who do not understand her desire to pursue art as a career. However, Lee says her family has continuously encouraged and supported her ambitions.

“I think no matter how others see my art, my parents have always told me, ‘Hey just keep going and you’ll get somewhere someday,’” Lee says.

“Certainly this has kept me going when I felt down or lost confidence in creating art.”

“I try to include stories because I think that is what is most important about art.”

Drawing conclusions Lee is not sure what exactly her future holds, but one thing is certain: She wants to attend art school. After participating in pre-collegiate art programs at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Maryland Institute College of Art over the past two summers, she fell in love with the art communities of students so deeply immersed in their craft.

While she hasn’t yet found a specific form of art she would like to pursue, she is sure of what she personally would like to gain from her art.

“I’ll never have a finite answer,” Lee says. “But something that hopefully makes me happy and the people around me happy.” v

BY THE BRUSH Palo Alto High School senior Jessica Lee presents one of her most recent paintings that depicts a sea turtle swimming out of a sea of plastic. Many of her most recent art pieces have contained messages about the state of the environment. “Right now I’m working on like environmental conservation,” Lee says. “I think that’s a big part of me now”

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 47

, how three olympians are establishing a new culture for badminton Text by ALEX FENG and ZAKIR AHMAD Photos by ALEX FENG

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SMASHING CEILINGS Olympian Howard Bach prepares for a jump smash.

“I was pretty much the executer,” Bach says. “Our job was very simple: what goes up must come down.”

48 APRIL 2019

OWARD BACH IS USED Ben Lee have won their own share of interto explaining himself whenev- national tournaments, with Lee recruited to er people ask what he does for coach the 2012 Olympic team after his rea living. He’s used to the raised tirement. eyebrows, the disbelief. This has become an All three have had the opportunity to expected part of his life as a professional bad- pursue their dreams and achieve at the highminton player in the U.S. est level of badminton. Still, they are not “If anything, it satisfied with [badminton] is related sitting back and to the backyard bar- They all knew I was the admiring the beque cookouts and gleam of their a Corona in your left weaker link, and I knew I accolades; they hand,” Bach says. hope to use While badminton was up against legends.” their unique players are virtually experiences to — HOWARD BACH, Olympian unknown in the U.S., pave the way many players from for future genAsian and European erations to gain countries have reached high levels of fame. exposure to the underrated sport, reap its Bach’s partner for much of his career, Tony benefits and enjoy success competing on the Gunawan, found success in Indonesia before largest international stages. immigrating to America.

“Tony was big, he was like a Michael Going for gold Jordan in Indonesia,” Bach says. “He’s one As Bach stepped on the court with of the few that actually won the Olympic Gunawan in the championship round of gold medal, in 2000 Sydney, and he won the the 2005 World Championships, he found World Championships twice.” himself on the court with three Indonesian Despite the sport’s domestic reputa- superstars — their opposition included Gution, the U.S. has not been completely ab- nawan’s partner from the 2000 Olympics sent from the world stage. Bach, the men’s where he won gold. doubles World Champion in 2005 and “They all knew I was the weaker link, three-time Olympian, is one of three highly and I knew I was up against legends,” Bach accomplished coaches at Synergy Badminton says.

Academy in Menlo Park. Fellow coaches and Bach and Gunawan set a goal to make Olympians Raju Rai and Synergy founder it to the quarterfinals, where no U.S. team

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profiles gone before. As the 13th seed in the tour- all your fellow Olympians … You just feel nament, everyone was shocked when they proud to represent something that’s bigger walked home with the gold. than yourself.”

Olympic glory After Beijing, Rai turned to coaching.

Rai still remembers the day his friends As a player, Rai was constantly under presfound out he played badminton. The day af- sure to produce results. As a coach, Rai saw ter he’d had won his first national champion- the sport from a different perspective, and ship, the local paper ran a story calling him loved it more as a result. the “birdie man,” which his teacher had cut “When you win it’s a good feeling, but out and pasted on the board. when you help someone else win — oh man, “In my teenage years, I was very ashamed that’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Rai to be a badminton player just because its a says. “You helped them get there, you besport that gets clowned on or made fun of,” lieved in them and then you helped build Rai says. “You only get respect if you’re good their self-confidence. It’s just a different level in baseball, basketball or football.” of joy.”

The constant pressure to win forced Rai to the brink of quitting many times. Rai, Giving back who won multiple Junior National ChampiSynergy Badminton Academy, first onships, only fully committed to badminton founded by Lee in 2012, was intended under pressure from his father after being cut to serve as an outlet to both casual and from his high school basketball team. From competitive players. there, Rai was selected to train at the Olym“My vision when I foundpic Training Center in Colorado Springs, ed Synergy really was multiwhere he met Bach and set Olympic qualifi- fold,” Lee says. “One is to cation as his goal. train elite athletes. Two is to Just two years before the 2008 Olym- bring awareness to the masses pics, when Rai was ranked 37th in the world, for badminton and of tragedy struck. Rai had been experiencing course provide a nice place tendonitis but relied on quick fixes instead for the community to of proper rehabilitation. While training play.” abroad in Germany, In order to overuse during his inpromote badmintense training sessions When you win, it’s a ton, Synergy hosts would put his career free high school clinin jeopardy. good feeling, but when ics, adult classes and “It was just one opens their courts in movement to the net you help someone else the evenings for peofor a kill shot and it ple to play with their just snapped,” Rai win, it’s the greatest friends. says. “Oh, I knew On the competsomething was veryw feeling in the world.” itive front, Synergy wrong.” aspires to take U.S. — RAJU RAI, Olympian The tear in his badminton to new cartilage caused Rai heights globally. With to lose all his sponthe international exsors and nearly all hope of qualifying for the perience of Lee, Bach and Rai, the club aims Olympics. to produce America’s first Olympic gold med“I’ve been training my whole life for this al in badminton. moment and now it’s being taken away from Synergy player and 2024 Olympic hopeme,” Rai remembers thinking. “I came so far ful Bo Zhao says that the combination of the and I didn’t want to give up on it.” past success of Synergy’s coaches and the proRai managed to qualify for the Olym- fessional training they provide has opened the pics, but had to fund all travel and tourna- door for talented players to pursue a competiment expenses himself. Upon arriving in Bei- tive career in badminton. jing, Rai felt a rush of relief and pride.

“They’re building this culture where top “You see all these people behind you,” players feel that there is a path for them,” Zhao Rai says. “You see your country, you see says. “They can feel like this is the bridge that

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will help us get to that level … We’re training like professionals.”

While players like Bach are certainly trailblazers in the sport, Synergy hopes to achieve more than just replicating past success. Winning a medal at the Olympics, something Lee, Bach and Rai fell short of, would be a major breakthrough in American badminton.

“You can be a champion as long as you have the right mentality,” Bach says. “I don’t tell them to be Howard, I tell them to be better than Howard.” v

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LOVE FOR THE GAME Olympian Raju Rai lunges towards the net for a kill. “There’s just so many things you can do in the sport of badminton,” Rai says. “It just doesn’t have to be on the court. Now when I tell my story, they see the love and passion that I have for badminton.”

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Text by RIYA SINHA and ZOE STANTON-SAVITZ

Photo by ZOE STANTON-SAVITZ Art by YUE SHi

The Weekly’s Wonder LOCAL JOURNALIST UNCOVERS THE TRUTH

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ORN-OUT MAGAZINE pages and employee-of-the-month certificates line her cubicle walls, all displaying her smiling face and bolded name: Elena Kadvany.

“I’m not used to being on this side,” she laughs nervously at the beginning of our interview. As she discusses her passion for uncovering the truth, however she becomes more self-assured, her dedication coming through her purposeful words.

Located on the second floor of the Embarcadero Media building, Kadvany’s Palo Alto Weekly office is nestled at the heart of the local hub where journalists work to deliver a variety of local stories, whether they be food reviews or breaking news.

Kadvany is one of three primary journalists at the Weekly and specializes in education reporting. Since joining in 2013, she has become one of the most prolific local reporters of the Peninsula.

50 APRIL 2019

Collegiate beginnings element to it, so that can be intense.”

Kadvany’s interest in journalism tracWhile Kadvany loves covering educaes back to her youth. She says she always tion, she’s also an avid food writer. She says knew she was good at writing, but fiction that she found an unfulfilled need for food was never her forte. It wasn’t until she first reviews at the Weekly, so she suggested to walked into her introduction to journalism her editors to start Peninsula Foodist, her class at New York University that she dis- food blog. covered reporting was her calling.

“I like being able to do both,” Kadva“I wanted to do something that had ny says. “The Weekly is very traditional, the a real-world impact, so journalism seemed voices are … just the tone of the news writlike an obvious route to go,” Kadvany says. ing. The food feature is more descriptive.

“I totally fell in love with it.” you are allowed to have more of a voice and While the journalism class proved to sort of writerly touches.” be extremely challenging, she immersed herself in her work on the college paper.

Justice in journalism During her sophomore year, she transThe variety of stories Kadvany writes ferred to the University of Southern Cal- are a testament to the freedom and indeifornia where she continued to explore pendence the Weekly provides her. While different mediums of journalism such as she often reports on anonymous tips or edidocumentary and radio through intern- tor suggestions, she says she also pitches her ships, all the while getting more drawn to own ideas, her favorites bejournalism. ing those that re“I just really flect broader comimmersed mymunity issues. self in the role “I’ve written I wanted to do someof journalism,” about undocuthing with real-world Kadvany says. mented students “It was both the [and] mental impact.” writing as a craft health is a big one — ELENA KADVANY, reporter and reporting that has local imand talking to portance as well,” people and purKadvany says. suing stories that … would affect the comThough she recognizes the struggles munity I was writing about.” the journalism industry faces both nationally and locally, Kadvany is determined Progressive Palo Alto to prove the worth of ethical reporting Working at the Weekly is Kadvany’s through her journalistic endeavors. first full-time newsroom job. She started “It’s really sad and harmful that newsas an editorial assistant, working her way papers are sort of dying, especially at the up to digital assistant and finally a local level,” she says. “Government agencies reporter. or elected officials fail to be transparent. In “The education beat is obvious- some way, local journalists fill a role of sort ly really important to this com- of shining a light on what’s going on in and munity,” Kadvany says. “A lot of informing the public. And that’s really critthe issues have the people ical.” v

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VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 51

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The Weee! in WeChat A NEW DIMENSION OF THE MESSAGING APP

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Text and photos by YUE SHI and JENNY TSENG

ith just a few taps of a finger, WeChat users can have a steaming hot meal and fresh groceries delivered straight to their doorstep.

After selecting the desired delivery date and choosing from a wide variety of products ranging from authentic Asian desserts to fresh-out-of-the-ocean seafood, customers are able to place the order and enjoy the meal as soon as the next day.

WeChat, China’s most popular mobile app, is a multipurpose messaging app developed by Tencent that aims to connect its users with their friends and family abroad. Beyond its primary messaging function, WeChat supports independent “mini-programs” that expand their services. “Weee!”, which claims to be “the largest Chi-

nese American online grocery store,” is one of them.

From commercial farms to local restaurants, Weee! is open to collaborating with any suppliers to bring its over 1,500,000 registered users the freshest and most unique food.

In order to evaluate the practicality and quality of the foods supplied by Weee!, Verde sampled foods from two categories: Asian specialty and fresh produce.

Overall, both categories surpassed our expectations — the fresh produce was worthwhile and the taste of the Asian specialty foods was certainly above average. Coupled with the user-friendly ordering experience and free shipping, Weee! is a great alternative to the hustle of grocery shopping. v

Egg tarts (3.5/5)

Nai Huang Bao (4.5/5)

Lay’s tomato-flavored chips (5/5)

These perfectly bite-sized egg tarts have the appetizing appearance of the pastries found at traditional Hong Kong bakeries but lack their delicate egg custard and flaky crusts. Instead, the crust is dense and cakey, leaving a sheen of oil on the fingertips. However, the custard, though slightly thick, does have a pleasantly faint egg flavor that does not overpower the palate.

Each “nai huang,” or custard, bun showcases a light, fluffy exterior encasing a soft, golden center of custard. Though the bun and its filling are perfect complements to each other, the custard was on the bland side and would have benefitted from more sugar. However, this dessert is very affordable: for just under three dollars, WeChat users can enjoy more than 30 bite-sized buns.

From cucumber to hot pot, Lay’s Chips sold in China are famous for their funky flavors, and these tomato chicken-flavored chips are no exception. Coated with intense tomato seasoning, the chips are able to retain moisture while packing a pungent umami flavor. Without a doubt, these chips are an enriching experience for anyone’s taste buds that cannot be found in American stores.

Trader Joe’s vs. WeChat We selected the highest-rated Muscat grapes from WeChat to battle against Trader Joe’s seedless red grapes. According to Weee!, the Muscat grapes are imported from Chile. Every Muscat grape seems to offer a different flavor: some are extremely sweet while some are sour, but all presented as a special treat with a distinctive “musky” floral perfume. Though our opinions on them vary due to personal preferences, the Muscat grapes were a special treat with distinctive “musky” floral perfume.

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Text by ALLISON CHENG and KATE MILNE Photos by ABBY CUMMINGS

TURKISH FOOD AT TUBA AUTHENTIC EATERY BRINGS BOLD FLAVORS DOWNTOWN

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HE WARM WINTER SUN streams through floor-to-ceiling windows boasting “TUBA” in red-and-blue lettering and illuminates the white brick walls. Fairy lights dangle over patrons quietly chatting over coffee and pita bread. Rustic floor tiles and a gallery wall of framed quotes and photos top off the ambience and establish Tuba as a charming location that successfully combines the best of both cafes and restaurants.

Offering a quiet spot to sip a cup of coffee or to enjoy a bigger meal for a reasonable price, Tuba does it all. Calming music plays over the loudspeakers as customers drift in hungry and exit satisfied.

Located at 535 Bryant Street, Tuba inhabits the space formerly occupied by Tuts Bakery & Café. This cozy spot is the third Tuba location in the Bay Area, following the original two locations in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The restaurant brings an abundance of fresh flavors to the table through its wide selection of dishes, which range from soups and wraps to traditional Turkish pastries.

These items can be enjoyed by customers for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

“Tuba’s food melds the best of all Mediterranean cultures,” its website states. “Inspired by Romanesque Mediterranean villas ... Tuba is a delightful mix of exotic cultures, inspired in the homes, hearths and taverns of the rugged land of Turkey.”

Verde sampled some of Tuba’s menu favorites. Here are our thoughts. v

RIP AND DIP (LEFT) The falafel plate features falafel, a fresh and lightly dressed salad and excellent hummus topped with olives, ideal for dipping pita. Priced at just under $15, the falafel plate is a good deal for the quantity and serving size.

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SIMPLE AND HOMEY (RIGHT TOP) The interior design of Tuba restaurant is minimalistic and produces a calming atmosphere where patrons can enjoy their food and each other’s company.

FINGER FOOD (RIGHT MIDDLE) The adana kebab is packed full of flavor and is served with vegetables and rice. The dipping sauce provided is an excellent contribution to the plate, providing a refreshing contrast to the fragrant meat kebab.

UNIQUE TO TUBA (RIGHT BOTTOM) Offered in both an original and chocolate flavor, Tuba’s baklava squares are crumbly and decadent. The pistachio slivers sprinkled atop add texture and flavor to the sweet layers of dough and honey.

Kofte wrap ($11.95) The kofte wrap features bite-sized beef patties, lettuce, tomato and onion wrapped in lavash bread, served warm from the oven. A side salad, comprised of mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes glazed with a balsamic dressing and tzatziki sauce, provides refreshing notes to balance the hearty and spicy flavors of the beef.

Although the wrap becomes messy to eat toward its last bites, it comes wrapped in tinfoil and holds together relatively well. The price of the dish is reasonable in relation to the portion size, and it is filling and flavorful without being overwhelmingly heavy.

Falafel plate ($14.95) This plate came with four medium-sized falafels, as well as a salad similar to the one included with the kofte wrap. The falafel is crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, has a mouth-watering smell and is incredibly flavorful. Each falafel is drizzled with a creamy sauce that has a relatively thick consistency, which works well to help hold together the crumbly texture of the chickpea-based appetizer. Paired with the hummus and olives, the falafel plate makes for a great appetizer for a small group — or a particularly hungry individual.

Mercimek Çorbası soup ($7) This red lentil soup was full of spicy, rich flavors with main ingredients such as tomato, onion, mint, garlic and cumin. Listed on Tuba’s menu as the “best in town,” this soup left us scraping our bowls long after it was gone. A must-have when eating at Tuba, customers should make sure to pair it with some pita for dipping.

Adana kebab ($18) This kebab plate featured a long stick of spicy beef and lamb and was served alongside heaps of roasted veggies that included carrots, eggplant, tomatoes and onions, as well as pepperoncinis that were left untouched by our group due to their clumpy appearance and cold temperature. The meat and dipping sauce were a hit, however, and were especially appealing paired with a piece of pita.

Chocolate and original baklava ($2) For both variations of the dish, the delicate filo dough layers were covered in honey, sprinkled with tiny pistachio pieces and doused with chocolate syrup. The melt-in-your-mouth quality of this dessert with a twist left us with just one complaint — that the slices were not three times as large.

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Russian Text by SASHA POOR and KATHERINE CHENG

Art by HANNAH LI

NETFLIX’S WITTY REVIVAL OF A CLASSIC TROPE

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HE RUSH OF RUNNING water plays over a thumping beat as the camera cuts to a close-up of a woman staring directly through the screen. The title flashes in large, red letters: “Russian Doll.” As she turns off the faucet, the camera pans to reveal a dim bathroom adorned with a gold mirror; before it, she stands alone. The viewer becomes incredibly familiar with this scene, as it is where software engineer and birthday girl Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne), the main character, returns every time she is reincarnated.

Comedy series “Russian Doll” relies on your typical “Groundhog Day”

trope — one where the main character is forced to repeat a day until they resolve an issue or right a wrong. From “Happy Death Day” to “Before I Fall,” many films and TV shows have adopted this archetype over the last few years. Now “Russian Doll” is the most recent to join their ranks.

Stale story Released by Netflix on Feb. 1, “Russian Doll” is yet another streaming service original that has recently leapt to popularity. The eight-episode series received positive feedback from critics, with online news outlet Vox praising the show’s unconventional casting and its placement of men in traditionally female roles.

While this version is a little darker than “Groundhog Day,” with Nadia dying at the end of every day, rather than just going to sleep, the premise is the same — she is doomed to continue in this cycle, reliving her birthday party The camera pans to and the night that reveal a dim bathroom follows, until she fixes some issue adorned with a gold with herself — mirror; before it, she perhaps lingering trauma from stands alone. her childhood or simply figuring out what caused the loop.

Despite this slight twist, however, much of the plot is repetitive and lacks originality, particularly because

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of Nadia’s excessive number of incarnations. The audience expects that Nadia will be reincarnated many times throughout the show’s eight episodes, and the story is not very innovative. Although the writers attempt to keep the audience’s attention by teasing viewers with clues to the reason behind the time loop, after a few leads do not pan out, it is easy to lose interest in these hints.

Daft deaths Regardless of the lackluster story, the show has quite a few good jokes, and we found ourselves laughing despite the repeatedly grim plot of death. Nadia is crude and direct, leading to entertaining interactions between her and the other characters.

As she grows increasingly frustrated with her predicament, Nadia becomes more unhinged and insensitive to others, resulting in dark yet humorous scenes.

At one point, Nadia becomes so angry at her friend, who she believes gave her a cigarette laced with drugs, that she takes a raw chicken and throws it on the floor, at which point the viewer does not know whether to be scared or entertained. In another reincarnation, she trips over an open cellar door in the middle of an argument on the phone, falling to her death. She immediately returns to the same place, only to fall into the same cellar. Although she dies, she instantly comes back to life, allowing the viewer to laugh at Nadia’s clumsiness.

A cracked doll The show also contains more emotional scenes which allow the audience to sympathize with Nadia. She is usually tough,

Doll brushing off her situation with crude jokes and messing around because she knows the day will just start over. But certain scenes offer a rare glimpse behind her steely exterior.

For example, while searching for the reason behind her time loop, she visits a Yeshiva school — a Jewish educational institution. When Nadia first meets the secretary, she is aggressive but becomes more solemn and subdued as they talk. She then asks what the prayer is for protecting someone in danger, and the secretary tells it to her, giving the translation “angels are all around us.” Their exchange reveals a crack in Nadia’s facade, portraying her genuine worry about the outcome of this time loop and whether she will actually get out of it alive.

Other shots depict Nadia’s brief moments of happiness, particularly when interacting with her cat, Oatmeal. Whenever she sees the cat, her face lights up and her worries drift away. Oatmeal burrows into her lap as Nadia looks into the distance.

Despite her morbid circumstances, Nadia still manages to find joy in simple pleasures.

Lyonne depicts Nadia’s rough sentimentality perfectly. She switches seamlessly between a gruff, almost rude persona and that of a caring woman trying to make it through the night. She is obviously intelligent, but does drugs in her spare time and regularly uses profanity. This complex, candid character offers a refreshingly real depiction of hardship. Lyonne’s acting prowess also allows the tone of the show to switch in mere seconds, shifting from a touching scene where she spends the night with a homeless man to one where she sardonically reappears in the bathroom, complaining about her new death.

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Recurring tunes Each time Nadia reappears at the party, the same upbeat song plays, repeating to create a starker contrast with the dark reality of her situation. The show also uses sudden, loud grating sounds that startle the audience when a scene is about to change or something important is about to happen. This audio contrast keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next change to signal an important moment.

Despite its dark motifs, Russian Doll is an entertaining watch, incorporating a wide variety of jokes without missing the authenticity that some comedies lack.

While Russian Doll’s plot may be monotonous at times, the show effectively combines wonderful humor with more serious themes of fear and vulnerability, keeping the audience hungry for more.

Though a second season has not been confirmed, the show was pitched as a three-season series, so it is likely that fans of the show will see Nadia before her mirror yet again. v

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Photos by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

Text by DEVONY HOF and WARREN WAGNER

VERSES UNVEILeD

WEAVING ANGER, DESPAIR AND HOPE INTO LYRICS

“I

WANT MY MOM” was the song that ignited Palo Alto High School senior Alex Daw’s passion for composing and performing rap. Through its verses, Daw travels from a furious monologue to dismal pleas and back again, his visceral words reinforced by the shifting pace and tone of his beat.

But the journey that is “I Want My Mom” isn’t the fullest extent of Daw’s range. In another song, “Dake Ave,” Daw takes up a bold tone, spitting out lines confidently and quickly as if challenging the listener to keep up. According to Daw, his raw, emotional music has been influenced by years of hip-hop and poetry.

“It [rap] was something I always listened to,” Daw says. “I love that rap is all about following the rhythm and making sure you’re with it.”

Daw started writing poetry when he was younger and his transformation to rap emerged during a difficult time in his life when he set his poem “I Want My Mom” to a beat.

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“Last year was the first time I truly went full-head into writing a song cause it was when my mom caught cancer,” Daw says. “I needed to do something with that anger and something with that sadness and stuff as she was struggling through it and I was like ‘I’ll just write this’ and I found a beat that went along with it and I was like ‘I love this.’”

Daw recently began performing his own rap compositions at local Teen Arts Council Open Mics, including “I Want My Mom” and “Dake Ave,” among others.

“I knew that the space [Open Mic] was nonjudgmental so I felt okay to say what I truly felt,” stated Daw. “It [the response] was very positive and it motivated me to write more.”

Rap has become a way for Daw to discuss personal struggles as well as political issues. Daw says he takes inspiration from artists like Kendrick Lamar, preferring to cover hard-hitting issues like problems with race and police violence in the United States in his lyrics.

“Rap is more of like ‘Yo here’s a situation, use it, think about it,’” explains Daw. “Because it’s so spoken, it’s more poetry …

You don’t have to make things a hook …

That’s why I feel like it can hit deeper.”

In response to accusations that rap is too violent, Daw explains why rappers confront serious subject matters in such a candid way.

“A lot of them [rappers] are just telling their own stories,” Daw says. “This is a story, this is their life and they’re retelling it in a different way … For some you have to put that violence in because it’s real.”

Daw says that when working on slower-paced songs, he writes his lyrics and then finds a beat that fits. Conversely, his faster songs are driven by an established beat and words are found to match. But it’s in the former style of song where he feels he can express his beliefs most bluntly.

“You can just have a full two minute beat and just talk,” Daw says. “Just literally put your own feelings, your own problems, or the world’s problems, in them.” v

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wa SEX E D U C AT I O N Text by RIYA MATTA and EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS Art by HANNAH LI

NETFLIX COMEDY REDEFINES TEEN SEXUALITY

“N

O, IT’S MY VAGINA.” In a school assembly hall, students of all genders stand up one by one, each proclaiming to be the subject of a revenge porn incident. A teen cries for help as he realizes the effects of taking a whole bottle of Viagra. A girl discovers masturbation and her perception of sex is flipped. These are just a few scenes from “Sex Education,” a Netflix Original series released January.

The quirky British show created by Laurie Nunn centers around Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), a 16-year-old preparatory school student in the idyllic English countryside. He lives with his mother, Dr. Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson), a divorced sex therapist whose profession proves to be the bane of Otis’s existence. He is mortified by his mother’s job, by the erotic art and phallic objects that decorate their home and by her perceived lack of boundaries and unsolicited advice.

Despite — or perhaps as a direct result of — his mother’s openness on the topic, Otis has yet to experience his own sexual awakening. Though it seems to him and his best friend, Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa), that everyone around them is “either thinking about shagging, about to shag or actually shagging,” Otis is unable to masturbate and has anxiety surrounding his body and sex.

However, despite his lack of firsthand sexual experience, Otis inadvertently picks up a significant amount of knowledge on the subject and a knack for counseling his peers on their

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culture own sexual dilemmas. When rebel and deemed school slut Maeve Wiley (Emma Mackey) recognizes his unlikely gift, the two form a student sex counseling business.

Unlike other mainstream teen dramas, “Sex Education” transcends stereotypes by openly discussing taboo subjects such as masturbation, abortion, sexuality, gender expression, discrimination and body shaming.

The show’s biggest draw, however, is its set of diverse, multifaceted and hilariously relatable characters. Eric, Otis’s openly gay black best friend, is one of the strongest and best-developed characters in the show. Coming from a devout Ghanian-Nigerian Christian family, Eric undergoes his own journey of sexual development and self-discovery as he tries to balance who he is and who he wants to be with his family’s expectations for his manhood. Unlike many representations of families of color which adhere to the “strict immigrant parents” trope, the show offers an intricate, nuanced and realistic portrayal of Eric’s relationship with his family — their struggle to accept his sexuality, though partly stemming from religious and cultural beliefs, is largely rooted in genuine concern for Eric’s safety and well-being rather than a rejection of his identity.

A far cry from the stereotypical “gay best friend,” Eric is just one of the many characters who transcend norms. The two most popular boys in school, for example, are Jackson, a black, well-mannered star athlete with interracial lesbian parents, and Anwar, an openly gay fashionista of South Asian descent who embodies the “mean girl” queen bee trope.

Not only does the show portray diverse queer characters with unusual sophistication and sensitivity, “Sex Education” also explores dimensions of gender expression in unexpected ways. Take Otis and Eric’s relationship; not only are they a rare example of a feminine gay boy and straight boy in a close and unapologetic friendship, Otis also breaks gender barriers himself. Every year, the

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two dress up in denim skirts, heels and wigs to attend a concert on Eric’s birthday. The show then flips the situation, presenting Ola Nyman (Patricia Allison), a girl who wears a suit to the school dances and appears stereotypically butch despite her clear attraction to men. Otis’s and Ola’s clothes have nothing to do with gender or sexuality; they are comfortable in their respective identities.

There’s also Otis’s new best friend and business partner, Maeve — or, as her peers have taken to calling her, “cock-biter.” Maeve represents the patriarchal double standard placed on girls­­­­­. Women who have sex are often considered “sluts,” whereas men who do the same are generally praised.

The show also juxtaposes Maeve’s situation with that of nerdy band girl Lily Iglehart (Tanya Reynolds), who spends her free time writing erotic comic books about extraterrestrial creatures. These female characters subvert sexist stigmas and offer realistic, diverse examples of the attitudes and behaviors of girls regarding sex and intimacy; more storylines including dynamic characters like Maeve and Lily are desperately needed across the board.

This refreshingly unique, brutally honest manner of storytelling is what makes “Sex Education” a true gem, especially in the world of young adult television. A cleverly relatable pastiche of humiliating sexual encounters, unlikely romances, teen angst, friendship and oddly alluring Swedish plumbers, “Sex Education” seamlessly balances the explicit with the innocent. Its writers understand that teenagers are multifaceted human beings with distinct challenges, feelings and fears whose sexual experiences are markedly different than those of adults — and takes great care to portray them as such. For teenagers, adults and parents alike, “Sex Education’s” sweet, sincere and smutty 20-minute glances into the world of teenage angst send the very simple message that we should all be unabashedly and unapologetically ourselves and that perhaps the kids are really alright. v

“She touched my eyebrows and now I have an erection.”

- Otis Milburn

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Text by GILA WINEFELD and MYRA XU

BILLIE

POP FAD GOES FROM RAD TO SAD

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HE WORLD SUCKS and fame is trash.” These are the words of teen pop phenomenon Billie Eilish in a recent interview with music news YouTube channel 3voor12.

Reclining on a couch in an oversized black sweatshirt, beanie and thick chain necklaces — all signature elements of the artist’s eccentric, intentionally contradictory style — Eilish appears very much in her element as she discusses her music.

Still, the interview quickly takes a turn into what feels almost like a therapy session.

Eilish is both jarringly defeatist and brutally honest as she speaks about how the toll of the music industry, fame and the world at large caused her to grow up too fast. Referring to the lyrics of her Feb. 26 single “when the party’s over,” Eilish quips that she does indeed “know too much already.”

And it’s perhaps by this token that Eilish has managed to attract such a devoted following of teens, including those at Palo Alto High School, many of whom relate to the artist in age and angst.

For example, junior Gracia Hmelar first discovered Eilish at a free, 40-person concert at an Apple store in San Francisco two years ago. Last summer, after Eilish’s popularity had skyrocketed, Hmelar saw her again — this time in a huge crowd at Outside Lands Music Festival.

“Her music is … a lot sadder now,” Hmelar says. “It's a reflection of what she's gone through from getting famous so quickly. The tune is really upbeat but then you're like, ‘Oh, this is really depressing actually.’”

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Though just 17 years old, Eilish seems to have lived a lifetime. She rarely appears happy in photos and frequently sings, talks and tweets about depression and what she perceives to be the lack of meaning in life.

She’s part of a vanguard of popular artists who use their platforms — which inevitably reach millions of teens — to expand the conversation surrounding mental health.

Still, some worry that Eilish has not carried out this conversation with enough tact to prove constructive, and has instead contributed to the romanticization of mental illness and death in pop music.

After last year’s release of “lovely,” Eilish’s collaboration with singer-songwriter Khalid, The Daily Telegraph accused Eilish of promoting so-called “misery music” and called the resurgence of emo lyrics “deeply concerning.” The song, which was featured on the soundtrack of “13 Reasons Why,” the controversial Netflix drama about teen suicide, leaves little room for resolution or hope. “Isn't it lovely, all alone? / Heart made of glass, my mind of stone,” Eilish sings over fading sounds of a violin, pulling at the heartstrings.

Sophomore Rachel Owens, however, disagrees with The Telegraph’s criticism, saying Eilish’s music is a net positive since it gives mental health a platform.

“Just by … putting that media out into the world, she [Eilish] is reducing the stigma around mental illnesses such as depression,” Owens says. “People know that they’re not alone because they hear someone else in the mainstream media talking about it and singing about it. It helps peo-

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Art by HANNAH LI

EIlISH ple to understand and express what they’re feeling when they themselves might not be able to.”

through songs like “wish you were gay” that Eilish hopes to connect viscerally with her young and diverse audience.

When we all fall asleep, where do we go?

There is no doubt that Eilish’s hits push the envelope of the pop genre further each year. Among her more recent releases is “bury a friend,” a haunting single written from the perspective of the monster under her bed — a personification of the anxiety, depression and evil thoughts that reside in her head. The music video, created in a sinister monochromatic theme, is the stuff of nightmares; Eilish literally embodies a monster while gloved hands tug at her face, hair and shirt and inject her back with syringes. Still, the song is effortlessly catchy. A muffled, rumbling beat layers over Eilish’s melodic but lethargic voice, mimicking a monster prepared to pounce. The verses are interrupted periodically by screams — a chilling reminder that this is not your typical lighthearted pop song.

Eilish likewise subverts expectations in “wish you were gay,” another pre-released song from her March debut album titled “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” The song begins acoustic, carried by Eilish’s voice — soft and trembling, like it’s about to crumble. The heavy beats come in for the refrain as Eilish sings, “I just wanna make you feel okay / But all you do is look the other way.” As she laments an unrequited love, she hopes it was because of the man’s sexual orientation and not because of her personally. It’s

Don’t smile at me Similar to “wish you were gay” and “bury a friend” in its melancholic sound but lighter lyrically is “ocean eyes.” A dreamy, lullaby-like ballad, it’s essential to any chill, sad song playlist. Like all of her later work, Eilish wrote and produced the song with her older brother, Finneas O’Connell.

Although initially released in 2015 via SoundCloud, “ocean eyes” is featured on Eilish’s hugely successful 2017 EP “don’t smile at me.” From start to finish, this EP embodies Eilish’s ambition as a rising pop sensation. The opening track, “COPYCAT,” exudes confidence, evident in the all-caps title and lyrics like “I don't belong to anyone, but everybody knows my name.” The song was written in response to imitations of Eilish’s mannerisms. Despite Eilish’s soft and soothing voice, she conveys a threatening message to warn the person they’ve crossed the line.

One of the most masterful songs on the album is “bellyache.” This time Eilish assumes the persona of a psychopath who’s killed her friends and dumped their bodies in the “back of the car.” While “ocean eyes” earned Eilish comparisons to indie-pop darlings Lana Del Rey and Lorde, “bellyache” breaks new ground — an impressive feat for a young female singer. It’s avant-garde songs like this one that cement Eilish as a mature young artist unapologetic in her vision, quickly reaching new heights. v

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perspectives Text by ZOE STANTON-SAVITZ

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Art by HANNAH LI

GUNN HIGH’S PROBLEMATIC SPRING MUSICAL

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“There are some doubts,” Goel says.

SAW GUNN HIGH SCHOOL’S rendition of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “People are really thinking about the ques“In the Heights” performed in March. tion of ‘should we be doing this musical?’

Although the actors were immense- and ‘how can we do this musical really well ly talented and the show was beautifully and really deeply?’”

Shelby defends his decision to cast staged and sung, something seemed off.

The musical explores the stories of im- white and Asian actors as characters of Latmigrants from the Dominican Republic, inx descent by citing Lin-Manuel Miranda, Puerto Rico and Cuba, among other Latin who stated in an interview with BroadAmerican countries. However, according way World that he understands colorblind Gunn senior Arman Moleshi, who plays casting for these roles in less diverse high Usnavi, the show’s lead, while Gunn’s cast schools, like Gunn.

“When I see a school production with was comprised of 60 students, only three not a lot of Latino students doing it [“In were Hispanic.

“Heights” is one musical where race the Heights”], I know they’re learning is obviously at the forefront of the plot. So things about Latino culture that go beyond when Gunn, a school with an eight percent what they’re fed in the media every day,” Hispanic population chose to perform it, I Miranda said.

Moleshi also says that the Gunn was taken aback.

The school’s demographic should have cast intended to celebrate Latinx culture been the first clue to Gunn to choose a through their rendition.

“There’s a difference between a differmore appropriate musical. Even Moleshi himself says that there “weren’t enough au- ent ethnicity playing a certain character’s role and a misrepresentaditionees who were tion of culture,” he says. of the ethnicities” of But does respecting the characters in the Unintentionally, the a culture require mimickshow. actors are inherenting it? I don’t think so.

The show’s direcly appropriating Unintentionally, the actor, Jim Shelby, says tors are inherently approhe originally wanted Latinx culture by priating Latinx culture by to do “Fiddler on the imitating it. imitating it.

Roof,” another idenRegardless of Mirantity-centric musical, da’s words, Shelby and but was not able to Gunn theater are inadverobtain the rights. As Shelby tently perpetuating an age-old Hollywood puts it, “Heights” was their “plan B.” It seems to me that perhaps this was a and Broadway tradition of white-washing.

From Broadway to blockbusters, quick, ill-advised decision, without enough white-washing — the practice of casting thought of Gunn’s lack of diversity.

Student director Swati Goel concedes white actors in non-white roles — has exthat within Gunn theater, people were ap- isted since the beginning of performance.

Over time, white-washing has beprehensive about doing “Heights.”

come a more nuanced issue. Many viewers agree that Mickey Rooney’s infamously racist portrayal of the bumbling Japanese neighbor, Mr. Yunioshi, in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is deeply offensive, but few critics blinked when the Egyptian Rami Malek portrayed the ethnically Indian Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

As a thespian of 11 years, where I draw the line is if the story is heavily reliant on the race of the characters. For example, in 2013, Gunn performed “Legally Blonde the Musical” and cast Elle Woods, a classically white character, as an actor of Asian descent. Because “Legally Blonde” doesn’t have to do with race, this is justified.

On the other hand, the story of “Heights” specifically focuses on the strife of Latinx immigrants, and the music incorporates R&B and salsa, homages to the culture. Even the lyrics of many of the songs are in Spanish. Because the plot revolves around race, the race of the actors matters.

So, while perhaps not ill-intentioned, Gunn’s “In the Heights” strikes me as problematic. High school theater, meant to train young actors before they study theater in college and beyond, should not perpetuate the already prevalent culture of white-washing.

Furthermore, actors who are not Hispanic may not be able to play these characters with authenticity because they can’t understand the same kind of discrimination.

I urge schools like Gunn to think about the larger issue of representation.

White-washing will continue as long as it is normalized in high schools and beyond. As the curtain falls on Gunn’s production of “In The Heights,” I hope it likewise begins to fall on the practices of white-washing and cultural appropriation. v

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Text by RIYA MATTA

Art by YUE SHI

evolving perspectives GROWING UP IN A CONSERVATIVE HOUSEHOLD

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ND THAT’S WHY WOMEN get raped.”

I was around 12 years old, sitting outside at a restaurant in Santana Row with my parents when a woman in high heels and a black mini skirt walked past. My parents nodded in agreement.

There was nothing particularly distinctive about that evening but I remember it vividly — my repugnant words seared into my brain by shame and guilt.

I was raised in a South Asian Hindu family by two educated professionals who are by no means stereotypical Indian parents — in my house, religion was taught instead of forced, my brother and I were encouraged to play sports and we have been largely free to discover our own paths in life.

But as comparatively progressive as my upbringing was, there are aspects of our culture that are simply too deeply ingrained for even the most liberal of Indians to completely escape. It’s no wonder that I once

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thought Muslims were terrorists or that demn this manner of thinking and find women get raped because of the clothes these views and comments abhorrent. On they wear. Raised in a culture that clings to the other, I’m inclined to understand — ancient traditions, where homophobia, rac- I know how it feels to grow up with one ism, classism, sectionalism and sexism run worldview, only to have it entirely flipped rampant, I never saw anything wrong with as you age. this kind of thinking — In no way do I it wasn’t prejudice, just condone Hart’s old As we grow, develop plain truth. jokes or Gabbard’s Now, as an 18-year as people and gain former stance, and I old high schooler in the life experience, our understand that I am largely liberal bubble not a member of the of Palo Alto, my plain views, priorities and affected groups and truths are different. My values inevitably it is therefore not my political and moral edplace to forgive them. ucation occurred large- change.

But as someone who ly outside my home carries immense guilt — namely influenced by the internet, my and is vastly repentant for the set of beliefs peers and social media. I know now that I held when I simply didn’t know better, I terrorism is not tied to any one religion can’t help but feel that the public crucifixand women are not assaulted because of ion of people for their old views sets a dantheir choice of clothing. I consider myself gerous precedent. to be relatively “woke,” and self-identify as As we grow, develop as people and a social justice warrior. But much like my gain life experience, our views, priorities parents, I find myself unable to shake traces and values inevitably change. Gabbard, for of internalized homophobia, racism example, has since apologized for her stance and sexism. on LGBTQ+ issues multiple times and exWith the all-too-familiar pat- plained that her views have changed since tern of celebrities and politicians gaining exposure outside her socially concoming under fire for inflammatory servative home. past remarks, I find myself questionIn reducing individuals to their past ing the evolution of my own values. mistakes, even ones they’ve apologized and Every week, it seems, there is a new tried to make amends for, we neglect the controversy about a public figure fact that we can grow and evolve as people whose old problematic tweets, posts and atone for our wrongs — once we are or comments resurface, and outrage guilty in the court of public opinion, there’s ensues. Recently, actor and comedi- no going back. an Kevin Hart stepped down from None of us are ever completely innohosting this year’s Academy Awards cent. Like others, I’ve made mistakes, said following public outcry at de- things I shouldn’t have and believed things cade-old tweets and routines. Before I wish I hadn’t. I know that I can’t change that, Congresswoman Tulsi Gab- the past — I can’t unthink my prejudiced bard was the subject of controversy thoughts, or unsay my hurtful words. I can for her previous views on same-sex only look to the future, and continuously marriage and the promotion of con- work to educate and improve myself, learn version therapy. from my past mistakes to prevent making On one hand, I want to con- new ones. v

perspectives

CUL-DE-SAC TRIBUTE

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Text and photo by ABBY CUMMINGS

MY TIME ON THE COURT COMES FULL CIRCLE

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FOUR- AND SIX- YEARold crouch down beside me, nervously whispering to each other and peeking their heads out from behind the windows of my gold Toyota Minivan. Every few minutes they report back, telling me if the person who’s “it” still has their foot on the can and how I should attempt to run out from my hiding spot and kick it.

“Kick the Can” is a tradition I’ve had with my neighbors since I was little. An offshoot of the better-known Capture the Flag, the game is not only about avoiding “jail” or kicking the can to free inmates and win the game, but also about the race to the two most prized hiding spots: one a dimly lit trash area and the other behind our family’s minivan, nicknamed “Sharebear” after our beloved home on Sharon Court.

Our years of Kick the Can, pick-up basketball tournaments with our free and cracked hoops, homemade pizza cook-offs and Thanksgiving football games

have all helped me become the person that I am today. I couldn’t have asked for better role models or more incredible people to be surrounded by than those in my small, transformative cul-de-sac community.

Growing up, I couldn’t get enough of my neighbors. I hoped I would one day be

Growing up, I couldn’t get enough of my neighbors. just like the two teenage girls who babysat me for hours on end and who, in their spare time, raked piles of fall leaves for me to jump out of.

Because of them, I now consider an essential part of my identity being an older sister and someone that the young kids in my life can look up to and admire, a skill that I continue to develop and use in so many aspects of my life. By experiencing both perspectives — looking up to my neighbors as a kid and now being an adult

figure in my community I’ve seen how we can learn just as much from kids as we can from adults.

From being inspired by the perseverance of seven-year-old Stephanie, who persisted in learning English after moving from Switzerland, to seeing how to properly treat animals through my older neighbors’ passion for raising chickens, the connections I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned on my street are things I could never forget.

As I reflect on being raised in such a tight-knit, camaraderie-filled community, I feel grateful for what I’ve been given. I can only hope that other people have the opportunity to share the same experience as I did, and make an effort to get to know the people who have been right in front of them all along. v A TYPICAL SUNDAY AFTERNOON My little sister and youngest neighbors sit on my front porch, indulging in chocolate cupcakes after a day of carving pumpkins for Halloween.

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Photo by LUCIA AMIEVA-WANG

Text by ROHIN GHOSH

Why I Stand Up and Fight MY STORY AS A YOUNG ACTIVIST

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With every student who takes action ... the youth activist wave only gets stronger.

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ARCH 14, 2018, 10 a.m.

— over a million high school students walked out of class, protesting decades of political inaction on the pressing crisis of gun violence.

Marching to the corner of Embarcadero and El Camino Road, I joined hundreds of Palo Alto High School students — and over a million youth across the nation — in demanding an end to policies that enable gun violence.

Students across America, including myself, were fed up with living with the threat of gun violence in our schools and communities. Our worst fears were realized in Parkland, Florida, when 17 students like us were gunned down by a shooter who took advantage of our nation’s weak gun laws.

Students like me felt an urge to send a message, to collectively say, “Enough is enough!”

And then, on March 14, we did. Student protesters walking out of class showed the world that the youth of America, no matter our backgrounds, were ready to stand up and fight for what we believed in.

The walkout was not the beginning of my activism, but it certainly gave me and many others the strength and purpose to organize students into action.

Though I’d been involved in political activism

since eighth grade, when I volunteered for Democratic presidential and congressionalcampaigns and participated in early protests against President Donald Trump, I noticed these protests were largely adult-led but the #NeverAgain walkouts for gun control were almost entirely organized by students.

As a young activist, this gave me a sense of hope and strength knowing that there were large numbers of students ready to join me in pushing change.

To those who opposed our objectives, the student-led protests stood as a warning that we would not go down without a fight.

Almost exactly one year later, on March 15, 2019, students across 123 countries marched to demand action to address the crisis of climate change.

I led Paly students in a rally to demand our elected officials push policies to put the brakes on global warming on the same corner where I walked out for gun control a year earlier Drawing inspiration from other young activists around the world who are taking action to address the defining crisis of our generation — activists like those behind the Sunrise movement, who publicly called out complacent elected officials — I was determined to lead my fellow Paly students and join these activists in taking a stand for our futures and the future of our planet.

Youth activist energy has always been a driving force for change, from the anti-war movements of the 1960s to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Now, with new energy and urgency, student activists like me are fighting for gun control and the future of our planet.

We know that when we fight together, we are a force for change, a force to be reckoned with.

Our ranks are growing with more and more students becoming passionate activists for what they believe in and we are only getting started in the fight for justice. And with every student who takes action, the youth activist wave only grows stronger. v

perspectives Text by WARREN WAGNER

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Art by YUE SHI

STANDING UP AGAINST BI ERASURE

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RIDE IS THE WORD most often associated lesbians. It also found that bi men were less than half as with LGBTQ+ movements and communities likely as bi women to be open about their sexuality. around the world. The magnificence of the And while studies from Pew Research and the Wilword is in how it succinctly captures the feeling liams Institute both conclude that bi people make up nearthat no matter who you are, you can be yourself without ly half of all LGBTQ+ individuals, it certainly doesn’t feel feeling ashamed of your lifestyle. that way. Before I recognized my own bisexuality, the lack While the motto of pride is embraced by much of of bi visibility in pop culture and my surrounding commuthe LGBTQ+ community, our society still makes it hard nities added extra doubt to the already uncertain process of for many groups to feel proud of their identities. One of grappling with my identity. these is the bisexual community.

When bi people feel that society won’t accept them, Too often, bi individuals (who are attracted to two they become less likely to seek special care and support. or more genders) are illegitimized According to LGBTQ+ advocacy for either not being “gay enough” The beauty of queergroup Human Rights Campaign, or not being “straight enough.”

39 percent of bi men and 33 perThis erasure of bi identity mani- ness is the rejection of cent of bi women surveyed reported fests itself in forms ranging from the binary “either-or” not disclosing their sexuality to any jokes to more serious harassment. medical provider. That’s far higher Dispelling the myths about bi way of thinking, so than the 13 percent of gay men and people is the first step to combat- when some put bi people 10 percent of lesbians who said the ting bi erasure. The main misconsame. ceptions I’ve encountered in my into straight or gay boxHRC also reports that bisexulife are different iterations of the es, they perpetuate this als experience higher rates of anxiidea that bisexuality isn’t a genuine ety, depression and mental illnesses rigid philosophy. orientation. than gays and lesbians, who already I’ve heard that bi people are suffer from higher rates of mental just going through a phase, and that bisexuality is just a health issues than straight people. stage on the journey to homosexuality or heterosexuality.

To me, part of the beauty of queerness is the rejection Less blatant, but still damaging, is the practice of of the binary “either-or” way of thinking when it comes to calling bi people “gay” when they’re in a same-sex re- gender and sexuality. When allies of the homosexual comlationship. Statements like this are often not intended munity try to put bi people into “straight” or “gay” boxes, to undermine bisexuality, but that’s the implicit message they perpetuate this rigid philosophy. that’s sent to me and other bi individuals.

Society must grant bi people the respect they deserve Both of these phenomena I’ve seen occur in the rel- in order to solve the unique health challenges faced by our atively progressive, tolerant Palo Alto, which shows how community and reject this archaic black-and-white view of pervasive bi erasure still is. sexuality.

Before coming out as bi, I’d met several openly gay As high schoolers, we can set the tone of society and men and women and some openly bi women, but never bring along social change as we age. It’s our responsibility an openly bisexual man. And it appears I’m not the only to spread the understanding that all sexuality is a spectrum, one who’s had that experience. According to a 2017 Pew including homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality and Research Center survey, only 28 percent of bi people re- everything in between and beyond. To do that, bi people ported being out to the most important people in their and allies must continue to speak up, and once the rest of lives, while that rate was over 70 percent for gays and the world starts listening, I can truly have pride. v

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THE GILA GAMES

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Art by YUE SHI

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

CLASSICAL OR MODERN LITERATURE?

RNEST HEMINGWAY, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens. What do these classic authors have in common?

AP Literature students don’t read their genius works.

Unfortunately, many English teachers at Palo Alto High School have elected to focus on modern, more progressive authors in lieu of classic luminaries. I fear students aren’t learning about the roots of literature because teachers deprive them of studying undeniably valuable texts when they trade them for contemporary authors.

Novels considered classic literature, such as those by renowned authors like Dickens and Steinbeck, are beautifully written and flawlessly stand the test of time — which is why they are studied so heavily. This is more than I can say about most of the progressive texts students read in AP Literature, which may be relevant in theme and history but do not necessarily carry the same literary weight.

While I commend teachers for trying to diversify reading lists by adding female authors or writers of color, this shouldn’t be at the expense of the curriculum

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ERHAPS THE BEST time travelers are Palo Alto High School’s AP Literature teachers, who manage to fit 395 years — of American and British literature, that is — into less than eight months. This breadth is commendable, and all English teachers at Paly should strive toward diversifying the texts they assign — both in chronology and in authors’ racial and gender identities — by incorporating more contemporary works to remain relevant to students.

This isn’t to say we shouldn’t read classical literature, which has largely shaped how we think, speak and write today. Born into a Russian-speaking family, I grew up reading and idolizing Pushkin, Tolstoy and other classical Russian authors who lived in the tattered, finely printed books that lined my mom’s shelves.

It’s precisely because of this that I believe literature classes should push students to read books that perhaps can’t be found on their parents’ bookshelves — to think about non-traditional texts they may never otherwise read. Almost everyone knows the story of “Jane Eyre,” for instance, but neither I nor many of my classmates had heard of Nella Larsen’s “Passing” — a novelistic tour de force examining biracial identity that was reintroduced into the Paly AP Literature curriculum this year — before reading it in class.

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itself. In fact, there is diversity in classic literature that teachers can use. Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” or Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre,” for instance, are written by women and feature female protagonists, and novels like Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” are written by non-Anglo-Saxon authors.

Understanding classic literature is especially important because many of these works are referenced in more progressive texts. For example, how are students expected to identify Kate Chopin’s Shakespearean references in “The Awakening” if never exposed to “Hamlet?”

In college, students will be expected to know classic authors.

Only with prior experience analyzing these texts can students succeed when they are required to write difficult theses about classic novels beyond high school.

In the STEM-focused Silicon Valley, literary skills are already being taught ineffectively. Moving away from classical literature is a step back for students who should be well-versed in the humanities, even if that means understanding Melville’s convoluted white whale metaphor and decoding Shakespeare’s confusing verses. v Guest perspective by ZOE STANTON-SAVITZ

It’s through broadening the scope of our reading habits that we bring in fresh perspectives, learn about our complex human history and develop empathy. At the same time, we read selfishly.

We want a novel to reflect us completely in its pages, to tear down the roofs of our souls and make us peer intently inside.

And let’s face it: Most works that we consider canonical American and British literature are written by white men about white men and shy away from once-taboo topics like sexuality and race that are highly relevant today. While the themes of classics are everlasting, their ability to represent a diverse class of English students is limited. Modern novels are often inherently more relatable to us — in their themes, characters, diction and even pace — and thus provide a more accessible, seamless reading experience.

After all, as Oscar Wilde once wrote, “it is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors.”

As writers and audiences alike diversify, so should our literature curriculum. v Column by GILA WINEFELD

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