Verde Volume 21 Issue 4

MASKED MILESTONES A hard goodbye made harder

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JUNE 2020

VERDE MAGAZINE June 2020 Volume 21 Issue 4

Editors-in-Chief Avery Hanna Laura Malagrino Myra Xu Antonia Mou (digital) Ishani Raha (digital)

ON THE COVER Palo Alto High School senior Elijah Steiner stares out from behind a mask, his drawn-in cap and gown a ghostly reminder of what could have been. With an abrupt ending to the school year and an indefinite shelter in place, Paly students face a plethora of uncertainties surrounding their future. Using a telephoto lens and abiding by social distancing guidelines, Photo Director Zoë Wong-VanHaren effectively captures the reality of graduation during COVID-19 from a distance and Art Director Samantha Ho highlights what has been lost.

Publication Policy

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

Letters to the Editors

The staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to verde.eics@gmail.com or 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301. All Verde stories are online and available for commenting at verdemagazine.com .

Advertising

The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience.For more information about advertising withVerde, please contact business managers Michelle Kim and Ryan Seto at verdebusiness5@gmail.com.

Managing Editors Allison Chang Katherine Cheng Features Editors Mia Baldonado Tim Hung Profiles Editor Andie Tetzlaff Culture Editor Tara Kothari Perspectives Editor Ryan Seto Editorials Editor Michelle Kim News Editor Paisley Annes Launch Editor Sofia Antebi Design Editor Kylie Mies Copy Editors Naomi Boneh Andie Tetzlaff

Art Director Samantha Ho Photo Director Zoë Wong-VanHaren Multimedia Manager Naomi Boneh Social Media Manager Antonia Mou Business Managers Michelle Kim Ryan Seto Staff Writers Kayla Brand Miles Breen Ben Cohen Alex Feng Emma Donelly-Higgins Kobi Johnsson Audrey Kernick Rachel Lit Kate Milne Prahalad Mitra Sasha Poor Jay Renaker Abe Tow Jasmine Venet Gian-Paolo von Ruden Zoë Wong-VanHaren Adviser Paul Kandell

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.

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In this issue Foreword

6 Editorials 7 Launch 8 News

Features 10 13 14 16

Building community Restaurant reactions Distance learning Taking home an IEP

Profiles 18 20 22 23 26

Returning home Essential employees CX Apparel Recruitment rescheduled On the frontlines

Culture

PANDEMIC PRODUCE

pg. 28

28 31 32 34 36

Pandemic produce Miss Anthropocene Reeling theaters The unintentional gap Money Heist

Perspectives 38 39 41 42 44 46

DISTANCE LEARNING 4

JUNE 2020

pg. 14

Family and quarantine After quarantine Pressure to be productive The last day Halt to a hard year Letter from the outgoing editors

ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES pg. 20

THE LAST DAY pg. 42

ON THE FRONTLINES pg. 26

RECRUITMENT RESCHEDULED pg. 23

GROUPS GIVING BACK pg. 10

FROM THE EDITORS

Verde from a distance Faces framed in little boxes stare out in the harsh glow of the computer screen. It’s quiet — the little microphones in the corner cut across with a red slash. The new Verde Magazine classroom on Zoom starkly contrasts the bustling, bubbly environment of the past.

Although it took some adjusting, our staff quickly adapted to this virtual environment, conducting over-the-phone interviews, taking photos from a distance with a telephoto lens and designing their stories from their kitchen tables, beds and couches, rather than in the usual lab setting. We are incredibly grateful that this magazine was able to come to fruition through their dedication and flexibility.

As newly appointed editors-in-chief, we are learning to navigate circumstances unlike any in our history — a task we accomplished through experimentation, countless Zoom calls and many organizational spreadsheets.

Because our April issue was canceled, this is our fourth and final issue of the year. For this edition, instead of the usual 64 pages, we reduced the page count to 48 to maintain the quality of the magazine while adjusting to the constantly changing conditions.

Beyond just a print issue, we expanded our digital work with increased breaking news coverage and a new series of Verde Vlogs.

We owe this issue to the work of our staff, to our journalism

adviser’s endless support, to Adobe for making the district software license available from home and to Folger Graphics whose mailing services allowed us to send this magazine directly to your home.

There are a few stories in particular that embody the spirit of this issue.

Profiles Editor Andie Tetzlaff and Culture Editor Tara Kothari examined the effects of COVID-19 on the local farmers’ market in “Pandemic produce,” where business has been booming during the pandemic.

Beyond the economic implications of the shelter-in-place order, the coronavirus has also stripped seniors of their final semester of high school. Staff writers Kate Milne and Rachel Lit reflect on their unexpected last day of school in their perspective “Last day of high school.”

Finally, staff writer Emma Donelly-Higgins places the spotlight on an often-overlooked group of students — those with Individual Education Programs — in “Taking home an IEP,” exposing the challenges of distance learning for special education students.

We couldn’t be prouder of the end result that we’ve created, and are excited to embark with you, our readers, upon this new chapter of Verde.

–– AVERY, MYRA, LAURA, ISHANI, ANTONIA

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the verdicts

The Verdict editorial section expresses the collective opinion of the Verde Magazine staff.

Helping essential workers in our community

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HOUGH STAYING SAFE through social distancing is our primary priority, community solidarity and support is equally important during this time of crisis. The combined impact of our contributions to essential workers — even in small ways — will make a difference.

Verde Magazine encourages everyone to aid the local community as much as possible with the following steps.

Wear a mask According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many individuals who carry COVID-19 do not experience symptoms but can still transmit it to those around them before developing classic symptoms of illness.

Thus, Palo Alto now requires by law that individuals wear cloth face coverings in public when they are within 6 feet of others — such as in grocery stores and pharmacies.

By wearing a mask and limiting close interaction, we can ensure that essential workers who risk their lives for us every day, such as doctors, store clerks and those involved in transportation, stay healthy.

Support local restaurants The shelter-in-place order in California has temporarily closed all nonessential businesses.

Unfortunately, local restaurants are suffering in particular from a harsh drop in orders and revenue, leaving them at risk of closing down permanently.

While there is a valid concern that ordering food increases the risk of coming into contact with the novel coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom has provided guidelines for takeout and delivery regarding safe disposal and individual packaging so that consumers are protected from the virus.

Both buying takeout and publicizing

Art by Michelle Kim

restaurant donation pages aids employees at risk of losing their jobs as detailed in the “Restaurant reactions” feature on page 13.

Donate and volunteer Several organizations such as the Ecumenical Hunger Program and Donate Essentials take donations from local residents and distribute masks, toilet paper and disinfectant — which are crucial materials for the medical workers, families in need and the homeless who receive them.

Students in the Bay Area can also pitch in by volunteering to tutor their peers online, helping make masks or organizing food drives as they shelter in place.

In these challenging times, we thank everyone who has already taken initiative to help others and urge those who can to contribute their time and resources for the benefit of the Palo Alto community. v Scan the QR code on the right to be directed to the City of Palo Alto’s “Volunteer and Donation” page with a full list of programs and donation opportunities.

Despite challenges, teachers continue to support students

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N MARCH 13, the Palo Alto Unified School District announced the cancellation of school for just three weeks; days later, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a statewide shelter-in-place order.

As the district transitioned to online education over the course of a mere month, most teachers at Palo Alto High School took this sizable hurdle in stride.

“They’ve been really helpful in terms of having online office hours and being ... quick to reply to any questions,” junior Trisha Razdan says.

This empathy and patience, as well as flexible deadlines, have helped ease struggles as students make their way through this challenging time.

Senior Ella Ball is also thankful for her teachers’ clear communication about expectations regarding student accountability

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JUNE 2020

online. are able to collaborate safely at home.

“All my teachers have been ... good With no shortage of grace and effort, about laying out expectations and answer- Paly teachers and administration have ing ... questions about them,” Ball says. worked hard to provide us with an effective Other steps highlighting concern for alternative to synchronous in-person classes students’ wellbeing so that this time does not include the workload waste.

All my teachers have go toWithout limit of three hours this hard per class every week been ... good about work put forth on their and the adaptation of Paly students would laying out expecta- part, certain class formats likely be struggling to to match in-class tions and answering meet their academic goals learning and cater to and further their learning ... questions about specific educational during this semester. requirements.

Though the current them.”

— ELLA BALL, senior system of online learning For instance, science teachers relyis not yet perfect and tening on hands-on labs are utilizing online sions still exist between members of the Paly presentations and interactive simulations community, we should remember to show to cover content, while music teachers are gratitude to the teachers who act with stutaking advantage of Zoom so that students dents’ best interests at heart. v

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LAUNCH QUARANTINE TRENDS The shelter in place has left many bored in their homes. Palo Alto High School students are among those participating in trends from Youtube workouts to Dalgona coffee sprouted from social media fads.

Text by SOFIA ANTEBI

What time do you wake up?

1 p.m. or later

6 a.m. or earlier

5.3% 11 a.m.–12 p.m.

3.5%

22.8%

7–8a.m.

22.8%

Facetime Photoshoots

“It was something new and different to do while Facetiming and I got some good pics out of it,” sophomore Camila Urteaga said. “It was a fun experience but it was hard not being able to see the pictures right after I took them.”

45.6% 9–10 a.m.

At-Home Haircuts

“I think quarantine is the perfect time to try new things and go out of your comfort zone,” freshman Caroline Zhang said. “I cut off around four inches. I’m glad I did it and I like how it turned out.”

Verde Magazine collected statistics from 57 Palo Alto High School students following Sofia Antebi on Instagram in the month of May .

Stream in quarantine: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Close to everyone’s hearts, it’s back on Netflix

Spice Cabinet Challenge

“[It] was made by my friend partly as a joke to the other challenges on the internet,” junior Andrew Pham said. ”In a way, it brought us together as the quarantine started.”

Gossip Girl

It’s a classic, packed with Upper-East Side drama

Outer banks

Adventure that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat

brooklyn Nine-Nine

A lighthearted sitcom following an NYPD precinct

Art in Isolation

One Punch Man

Action-packed, hilarious, satirical superhero story

In all the craziness of the pandemic, many are compelled to create. The Palo Alto Teen Arts Council aims to document this point in history with an artistic lens, while also providing comfort by giving teens a platform to share their art.

LE CÉLERI (left) — A pop-art inspired painting depicts central figure in awe and exclamations in different languages. Painting by Renee Vetter CLOUDY DAY (center) — A biker crosses an empty, rain-soaked street. Photo by Rein Vaska REACHING UP (right) — Hands emerge from orange terrain clipped from National Geographic magazines. Collage by Phoebe Berghout

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news Students adapt to grading changes

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he Palo Alto Unified School District’s shift to a credit/ no-credit grading system has provoked varied responses from the Palo Alto High School community.

Paly students and parents have mixed feelings over the grading switch, and question whether the change was the right decision.

Nonetheless, some juniors like Karlene Salas find solace in the relaxed atmosphere of the credit/no-credit system.

“For me, it [credit/no-credit grading] was a relief because I was stressed out about everything,” Salas said.

Additional sources of anxiety for Salas and for others include concern about college applications, as Verde profiles editor Andie Tetzlaff discusses in her perspective “Halt to a hard year” on page 44. During their junior year, students are expected to take standardized tests and finish with solid grades going into the college applications.

“It’s slightly discouraging because some people either want to raise their overall GPA or just worked hard at the beginning of this semester so it could feel like that all went to waste,” junior Trisha Razdan said.

In addition to grades, the cancellations of standardized tests like the SAT and ACT as well as the reimagined AP tests have further complicated the admissions process and frustrated students. According to an update from the College Board, 91% of respondents indicated they wanted their hard work to pay off by taking AP tests online.

by MILES BREEN

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JUNE 2020

NEW ASB, NEW DIRECTOR — Greer Stone (right) will take the position of Palo Alto High School’s student activities director, replacing Matt Hall (left), starting next year. “The student activities director position speaks to my passions, because it provides me an opportunity to work with students in creating a school environment that promotes community and celebrates diversity,” Stone said. Photos: Palo Alto Unified School District

Gunn teacher announced as new student activities director

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REER STONE WILL replace Matt Hall as Palo Alto High School’s student activities director at the start of the 2020-2021 school year, according to an announcement made by the Palo Alto Unified School District on May 13.

Stone is a Paly alumnus and worked as a World and U.S. History teacher at Henry M. Gunn High School and Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School. Stone is a former practicing attorney and is actively involved in the local community through the Santa Clara County Humans Rights Commission, the Santa Clara County Justice Review Committee and the Palo Alto Midtown Residents Association.

“I believe this eclectic mix of experiences will have prepared me for the multifaceted responsibilities of the student activities director position,” Stone said. “I have so many fond memories of student activities when I was a student here, and I’m eager to continue Paly’s greatest traditions while further developing their potential.”

Hall is leaving the position of student activities director after nine years of teaching and advising at Paly. He will be taking

the position of Japanese teacher at Gunn due to the retirement of Yuki Hikada, the current Gunn Japanese teacher.

“Throughout those nine years of Paly, I’ve always had my eye on returning to what I enjoy most, which is being a Japanese teacher,” Hall said.

As the Palo Alto Board of Education is discussing changes to next year’s schedule, Stone noted the importance of acknowledging the pandemic when dealing with student activities next year.

“It goes without saying that the greatest challenge for next year will be creating a sense of normalcy for students while dealing with the reality of a COVID-19 world,” Stone said.

While the change may seem significant, Hall explained that the role of student activities director is one of a mentor to ASB rather than the leader.

“You’ve ultimately got to decide together with the students what the best way forward is because it’s not ‘Matt Hall’ government, it’s not ‘Greer Stone’ government, it’s student government,” Hall said.

by GIAN-PAOLO VON RUDEN

Multiple teachers announce their departure

S BLENDED LEARNING — The Palo Alto Unified School board is considering a blended learning schedule for secondary schools in the district. “We wouldn’t be able to have 100 percent of our students on campus at the same time and still abide by social distancing guidelines,” said Associate Superintendent Sharon Ofek. Photo: Sharon Ofek

District administration drafts re-opening plans for fall

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HE PALO ALTO UNIFIED School District administration released a draft of possible schedules for when the schools reopen in the fall.

The school board is creating plans for three different ways of reopening the schools: full distance learning mode, blended or modified format, and reopening with no restrictions.

A draft of the remote learning schedule for secondary schools has been released, and consists of students attending scheduled Zoom classes from 8:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, students have independent work time and can attend virtual clubs.

The secondary school’s blended schedule splits the student body in two, with half attending Monday and Tuesday and the

others attending Thursday and Friday. On days when the students are not on campus, they will distance learn, and all students will distance learn on Wednesdays.

A proposed blended learning schedule has also been released for the elementary schools.

The elementary schools’ proposed schedule splits the student body into two groups, with one group attending school in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Under this arrangement, all elementary students would attend school Monday–Friday with room cleanings in between each group.

If in-person learning takes place in the fall, the distrcit plans to take essential actions to keep the students and staff safe.

by PAISLEY ANNES

taff from multiple departments have announced their plans to retire from Palo Alto High School following the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

The faculty members leaving their positions include Japanese teacher and student activities director Matt Hall, science teacher Michelle Steingart, journalism adviser Esther Wojcicki, guidance counselor Susan Schultz, theater director Kaye Woods and living skills teacher Letita Burton.

Among those who are leaving, Hall and Steingart plan to change jobs in the district, with Hall moving to Henry M. Gunn High School, and Steingart acting as vice principal at Paly. Hall plans to work at Gunn as a Japanese teacher, replacing teacher Yuki Hikada.

Wojcicki plans to retire after a long run as a celebrated educator.

Working for 36 years as a journalism adviser at Paly, Wojcicki has won numerous awards and written multiple books throughout her long and successful career.

Verde has also profiled Woods, Shultz and Burton. The articles can be found at www.verdemagazine. com.

by GIAN-PAOLO VON RUDEN

Milk Pail Market reopens amid pandemic

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HE MILK PAIL MARKET, the once beloved grocery store, has reopened for drive-thru at their warehouse located in Mountain View.

While the “thanks for 45 years” sign was hung outside the store front just last year, the Rammussen family’s grocery store is open for business once again.

The reopened market has modified their business to ensure that their custom-

ers are kept safe by having customers drive by the store to pick up their groceries.

Customers can make their way through the drive-thru, and choose from the selection of specially-curated boxes full of fresh produce, or the “essentials,” like european cheeses, jams and their famous croissants.

Despite the shelter-in-place order, Milk Pail Market has a steady stream of customers. Unfortunately, the high de-

mand of their products is hard to keep up with, leaving the market with many empty shelves.

While everyone is stuck at home, many people have turned to their kitchens to find comfort. And the Milk Pail Market has reopened to fill that need.

by SOFIA ANTEBI

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Building community

Art by SAMANTHA HO

NEIGHBORS COME TOGETHER

Even during a pandemic, Palo Alto residents are finding ways to reach out to one another. They are making masks, decorating their streets with art and games and organizing food drives for those in need. They are finding ways to spread positivity and stay connected, albeit from a distance.

Masks from scratch

Text by KYLIE MIES

MASK OF HOPE SEWS AND SNIPS

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HE RECOMMENDATION of “Masks Strongly Advised” stunned Americans in shelter in place. Foreign to most Americans, masks are believed to belong in hospitals and construction. In Taiwan, however, masks have been a staple precautionary item to slow the spread of disease for decades.

The Taiwanese American community of Palo Alto recognized and understood the importance of masks from the onset of the

FABRIC SNIP — Alexis Chiu, a Palo Alto High School freshman cuts cloth in her home. “Our family donates fabric and I help to cut the fabric for the masks.” Photo by Elena Chiu

10 JUNE 2020

pandemic, thus, sparking the creation of at doorsteps, and masks for donation are a new organization, Mask of Hope. Mask picked up at houses. of Hope aims to make and distribute face The involvement of middle school and masks to people of need in the Bay Area. high school students has been an importAs of April 24, Mask of Hope has do- ant part of the Mask of Hope program. It nated 722 cloth masks and 2,885 single-use is a bonding experience with the students masks to groups in and their parents and need, including the ela way to give back to The most rewarding derly, local stores and their communities essential workers. part is recognizing the from the safety of “Our group starttheir homes. fabrics that I cut and ed with a few parents “It is my belief and students from seeing that they are go- that the cloth masks Greene Middle School that Masks of Hope ing to help someone.” and now has grown — ALEXIS CHIU, freshman are making are exto almost 30 contribtremely helpful in utors,” Olivia Chen, these times when we a Greene parent and one of the original need protection from a virus,” Julian Chen, members of Mask of Hope, said.

Olivia Chen’s son and student at Green The trying times of quarantine and Middle School, said. “The mask making Chen’s advertising on social media grew also serves as a welcome distraction from Mask of Hope’s membership and made the quarantine.” it into a community effort that anybody The whole organization made by just could participate in. a few parents and children has created so “We have people donating money to much good in the community with just cover materials that are becoming hard fabric and thread. to procure like thread, fabric and elastic,” “The most rewarding part is recognizChen said. “Some are helping to cut fabric ing the fabrics that I cut and seeing that because they can’t sew.” they are going to help The distribution of materials is com- someone,” Palo Alto High pletely contactless. Bags filled with sew- School freshman Alexis ing materials and fabric are dropped off Chiu said. v

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features v

Grassroots giving

Text by JAY RENAKER

ARTWORK AND GAMES AND BEARS, OH MY!

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VEN AS DAUNTING phras- treat or a drawing, on their doorsteps. said. es like “social distancing” and “A few kids have started doing quaranGupta has also seen a variety of other “shelter-in-place” appear again tine Boos — just a little gesture that shows activities on her walks around the neighand again in news outlets and the kids that their friends are thinking of borhood including a chalk maze, hopscotch on social media, Palo Alto residents find them,” Bertelsen said. and even someone playing his saxophone ways to spread positivity. Setting up tedAddison Elementary School has been from his garage. Her daughters, Anisha dy bear hunts and creating small works of encouraging its students to spread positivi- and Divya Gandhi, have made their own art around their houses are just two of the ty by posting signs to show off their school contribution to the community’s positive many ways that families pride. atmosphere by painting stones and placing are spreading hope in Palo Alto mom them outside their house. the community during It seemed like a fun Charu Gupta is also People passing by regularly stop to this unprecedented, thing to do just to put participating in the point out the colorful rocks to their chilisolating time. community fun, dren. The Gandhis were even asked to paint Inspired by Mi- a smile on our neigheven though she personalized rocks for a neighbor who adchael Rosen’s book bors’ faces.” doesn’t have teddy mired their work.

“We’re Going on a Bear — CHARU GUPTA, Palo Alto resident bears. After finding “Kids like to find things, so it’s alHunt,” teddy bears have out about the hunt most a game to try and spot popped up in windows from a friend’s Facebook post, she imme- the painted rocks,” Aniall around the world as communities look diately pulled out some bunny toys and sha and Divya wrote in a for ways to entertain and divert young chil- placed them in easily visible windows. shared email. “[We] hope dren. Kids can go outdoors and test their “It seemed like a fun thing to do to just that our neighbors feel scavenger hunting skills in the form of this put a smile on our neighbors’ faces,” Gupta happier.” v family friendly, socially distanced game.

“It gave a fun purpose to our walks,” Palo Alto resident Angela Harris said. “We kept count on how many we spotted and it was good to see new ones on our walks through the neighborhood.”

When Addison Elementary School mom Lisa Bertelsen goes out with her kids for walks around the block, she frequently sees bears from the teddy hunt.

“It makes us feel less isolated,” Bertelsen said. “Every once in a while I remind them [her kids] that the grownups who live in these houses are bringing out their stuffies as a way of showing children that they understand how hard it is to stay home and that they care. So it creates a shared sense of purpose and solidarity.”

Another way that Addison students are creating community during this time is by reviving a tradition that usually occurs BEARS IN A ROW — Teddy bears have been cropping up in windows around the world, as a kind of scavenger hunt for younger children. “We kept count of how many we spotted and it was around Halloween. Students “Boo” their good to see new ones on our walks – kind of like a scavenger hunt,” Harris said. Photo by Jay friends by leaving a surprise gift, such as a Renaker

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Service organizations

Text by MIA BALDONADO

COMMUNITY GROUPS CONTINUE TO HELP

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T IS ALL TOO EASY to stay isolated during the coronavirus epidemic, but there are endless opportunities to get involved with the community during these unprecedented times. For those that have the means, supporting big organizations that help others is one of the best ways to aid people.

Due to the crisis, service organizations are more important than ever. Although the virus has impacted everyone across the world, it affects certain demographics disproportionately, including doctors, essential workers, undocumented immigrants and those who have been laid off from their jobs. Service organizations such as the Ecumenical Hunger Program and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula have been putting in their all to help these communities FOOD DRIVE — Palo Alto High School juniors organized a food drive to donate to the EHP. “We’re going to go around to people’s doorsteps and pick up food off their doorsteps, and then bring it in any way they can. to the Ecumenical Hunger Program.” Photo by Catherine Reller EHP’s mission is to provide assistance to families and individuals experiencing “We get kind of stuck in like a bubLike EHP, BGCP has been allowing economic and personal hardship. During ble of Palo Alto,” Reller said. “I can’t speak limited numbers of volunteers to help out, the pandemic specifically, EHP has done for everyone but it hasn’t really affected our including students who are regular volunthis by giving food and other essentials community as much, but in communities teers or have pitched in recently. Kimi Lilto those in need. To maintain social dis- that are really close to ours people are being lios, a junior, began working with BGCP tancing, the organization has been mostly affected by it greatly and I think it’s import- soon after the coronavirus started affecting serving people in cars, ant to help out and communities. with vehicles entergive back.”

“It’s even harder for people who had ing through one gate Now it’s more importAnother ser- already struggled in the past,” Lillios said. of the EHP property ant than ever that we vice organization “The fact that there’s this organization that’s and exiting out the that is at work is the providing free meals and giving out free waother. EHP Executive stay united as a comBGCP, whose goal ter — I thought it was a really worthy cause Director Lisa Preston munity.” is to provide low-in- that I wanted to help out in any way that said this help extends — KIMI LILLIOS, junior come youth with the I could.” beyond economic resources and opporTo help out the less fortunate during support, as people are tunities they need this time, the best course of action is to struggling with feelings of anxiety, confu- to succeed. In such a critical time for this donate, according to Preston. Volunteering sion and distress. community, BGCP Chief Executive Direc- — although it’s helpful — is limited due “We’re doing our best to keep people tor Peter Fortenbaugh said that the orga- to social distancing guidelines, and donatknowing that we care — that we’re here to nization has been taking action by serving ing is something that everyone can do from support them,” Preston said. “A smile does and distributing food, and supporting stu- their homes. wonders for people when they’re discour- dents and their academic relationships with “We can’t do this work without others aged. Having someone to give service with teachers and peers. supporting us, and we’re a smile is always a blessing.”

“It’s a great position to be in, that we’re very grateful for those Paly students have been finding ways able to help others and be whole through- that give their donations to get involved with EHP. Three members out this process,” Fortenbaugh said. “We and their time to help of the Social Justice pathway, including have tremendous appreciation for all the make EHP successful,” junior Catherine Reller, helped organize a volunteers who have stepped up to partner Preston said. “All I can food drive for the organization. with us.” say is thank you.” v

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12 JUNE 2020

Restaurant Reactions

Text by SOFIA ANTEBI, MICHELLE KIM and JASMINE VENET

HOW LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE STAYING AFLOAT

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OLORFUL, EMPTY storefronts and a silent atmosphere make downtown Palo Alto more reminiscent of a ghost town than the bustling street it once was; the onset of the coronavirus pandemic has put countless local businesses in danger of permanent closure.

Bay Area restaurants are using a variety of methods to adapt, such as offering takeout and delivery or setting up GoFundMe pages.

Art by Lauren Yan

Verde interviewed three Palo Alto restaurants to gain insight into how businesses are coping with the unique impacts resulting from COVID-19.

Jing-Jing Jing-Jing Szechwan & Hunan Gourmet, a Chinese restaurant operating in downtown Palo Alto since 1986, is currently facing difficulties caused by the abrupt decline in business during California’s shelter-in-place order.

The family restaurant’s manager, Betty Tsai, opened a GoFundMe page on April 13 and has since raised a total of $5,000.

These donations go towards paying employees and maintaining the restaurant while in-person dining remains prohibited in California.

Tsai also organized a fundraiser called the Love and Support Package, in which customers can choose to donate meals — provided by Jing-Jing — to local medical workers.

“My family has four generations of doctors, and I know the stress that [medical professionals] deal with daily,” Ethan Huang, Tsai’s son and Henry M. Gunn High School student, says.

In addition to the fundraiser, Jing-Jing remains open for takeout and delivery to local residents.

Coupa Cafe Amidst the global pandemic, Coupa Cafe turned to selling items such as groceries, gloves and toilet paper.

Like other restaurants, Coupa Cafe’s revenue fell by 90% after the shelter-

in-place order, according to Co-Founder Jean Paul Coupal. Half of their locations are closed, and the chain cafe has transitioned to a reduced schedule with minimal staff.

To increase revenue, they opened Coupa Grocery, making essential items available for curbside pickup. Orders rapidly poured in, and their selection quickly expanded to over 200 items.

By selling items already in stock, Coupa Cafe can support employees as well as the restaurant supply chain, which has been shaken in current circumstances.

“They’re sitting there with all these products and they’re ready to do anything for business, but they can’t sell it and meanwhile you have like a line outside the door at Whole Foods,” Coupal says.

Dohatsuten Dohatsuten Ramen and Tapas, a Japanese restaurant located on San Antonio Road, has managed to adapt to the new environment because of the support of their customers.

According to owner Seiko Alba, when the shelter-in-place order was instated, sales decreased to a low of 25%.

After learning about these low numbers, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, two regulars at Dohatsuten, decided to reach out to the restaurant. “[Zuckerberg] said he would like to see if there is a way we could work together to both support my business and help our community through this difficult time,” Alba says.

Zuckerberg and Chan provided Dohatsuten with the funding to start a lunch donation program, which provides free meals to healthcare workers and people in shelters all around the community.

“Since then almost every day we’ve been delivering meals to health care workers and shelters,” Alba says. “Because of the funds, I am able to bring most of my kitchen staff back to prepare donated meals.” v

VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 13

Text by SASHA POOR Additional reporting by NAOMI BONEH and ANTONIA MOU

Art by SAMANTHA HO

Distance learning CONTINUED EDUCATION DURING A PANDEMIC

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S WE JOIN a Zoom meeting, we can see our classmates who have logged in, only about half of the actual class. Instead of using projectors and whiteboards, teachers share their screens or post scanned images of problem solutions.

This is the new learning style that students in the Palo Alto Unified School District, and around the world, have had to adjust to due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the year coming to an end, students are finishing coursework online, meeting with teachers through Zoom and potentially missing out on some of the content from their classes because of rearranged Advance Placement tests or issues with technology.

Student opinions Teachers have arranged optional synchronous learning through Zoom lessons, office hours and Schoology discussion boards. However, some teachers are providing minimal support for students, causing

increased stress during this uncertain time.

Since this occurrence, PAUSD has Palo Alto High School senior Ashley changed security measures on Zoom calls, Xu said that she is no longer in contact recommending waiting rooms and passwith about half of her words, and restrictteachers. She said many ing calls to PAUSD are not giving feedback I hope students realize members. on submitted assignSome of Paly’s they’re fully capable ments, while the more classes that involve engaged teachers are as- of at least getting some hands-on learning, signing overwhelming like visual and perinformation on their amounts of work. forming arts courses The Palo Alto Uni- own.” and Early Child— DANIEL NGUYEN, Paly math teacher fied School District has hood Development, also had to adapt to have been hit particnew technology with improved online se- ularly hard by the switch to distance learncurity measures. Junior Hyunah Roh’s U.S. ing. Sophie Pardehpoosh, a sophomore in History class was Zoom-bombed, a trend Early Childhood Development, has found where an outsider inputs a random Zoom that the style of the class has changed sigMeeting ID and enters the meeting. nificantly. They are no longer able to inter“I felt insecure about joining Zooms act with preschoolers, which had previousafterward because I realized that anyone ly been a major part of the class. can join and see me and other students on Zander Leong, a junior taking Adtheir screens if there is no entrance pass- vanced Painting and Drawing at Paly, said word to the meeting,” Roh said. that the class had to switch units to make sure students could complete the assignments from home.

“We were in the middle of oil painting and we had to stop that,” Leong said.

“Now we’re doing [Adobe] Photoshop stuff. It’s like a different experience, but it’s still just as valuable.”

Although many students have not had the same positive experiences with their online classes, they understand that this is a difficult time for everyone.

“I think my teachers are great and they try so hard to maintain the level of education during the school year despite not being able to congregate,” Xu said.

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Teacher approaches Teachers who instruct AP classes have had to rearrange their curricula, while others are taking advantage of this time to assign special projects or to allow students to have more choice over how they learn.

14 JUNE 2020

features v

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FROM PAINTING TO PHOTOSHOP — Junior Zander Leong works on his art assignment in Photoshop. Leong is in Advanced Painting and Drawing, and was working on oil paintings before the school closure. “Some [classes] are more an in-person experience,” Leong said. “You kind of lose out on that experience.” Photo by Alyssa Leong

Daniel Nguyen, a Paly math teacher, had incorporated technology into his lectures before the shelter-in-place order, but many others did not have this advantage.

“I was able to generally do a good, smooth transition but technology can be hard to adapt,” Nguyen said. “Especially to adapt when we don’t have a collegial environment where teachers can just run into each other and say ‘How do you do this?’ or ‘How do you do that?’ That lack of, like, organic help makes it hard to develop.”

Nguyen has designed his online lessons and assignments to focus on participation and completion rather than correctness, to reduce students’ stress.

“I think it’s just worth the understanding that students aren’t absolutely required to learn the material this year …” Nguyen said. “So making sure that that fact is factored into the determination of what’s required and not required, I think, helps

students be less stressed.”

The sudden change has not only been hard on students, but on teachers as well.

“I did not become a high school teacher so I could spend my day in front of a computer,” Paly Social Studies teacher Eric Bloom said.

Future takeaways During the school closure, both teachers and students have been forced to come up with innovative ways to learn. Though these new ideas are the result of a global tragedy, the Paly community may incorporate them into future courses.

As PAUSD considers the possibility of mandatory or optional distance learning in the fall, Xu said that increased teacher training in technology would provide better footing for the uncertainty of the school format in the future.

“I think that if our teachers were bet-

ter equipped with Zoom and Schoology, problems such as missing lectures and giving assignments on a reasonable basis could be resolved,” Xu said.

Teachers have also said that this time has taught the district the significance of communication between all members of the school community.

“The takeaway is the importance of that one-on-one communication, or the face-to-face communication,” Bloom said.

One thing that Nguyen says one thing students can gain from this period is the knowledge that they can take charge of their own learning.

“It’s hard when you don’t have to come in to still have a motivation to learn, but I hope students realize they’re fully capable of at least getting some information on their own,” Nguyen said. “And the more of an independent learner can be, the more successful they can be.” v

VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 15

Text by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS

Art by MEGAN ANDREWS

Taking home an iep SCHOOL CLOSURES HIT SPECIAL ED HARD

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ARAH STARTS EACH DAY AT 8 A.M. by putting on her teacher hat for an hour. She works with her elementary-aged child — who has an Individualized Education Program and requires a one-on-one aide at school — to complete the curriculum she has set for the day. They plow diligently through a series of online worksheets and activities, with Sarah — whose name, as with all of the parents mentioned in this story, has been changed to protect the identity of her child — taking note of her child’s successes.

When 9 a.m. rolls around, she switches over to her professional work until 5 p.m. This is the new normal for Sarah, who has almost entirely opted her child out of Palo Alto Unified School District learning for the duration of the shelter-in-place order. For her child, learning in a group online just isn’t viable.

“I don’t think that, on the screen with the teacher and 18 kids together … he’s able to learn,” Sarah says.

While this specific experience may be unique to Sarah and her child, many parents of children with IEPs across the school district have also found the transition to online learning challenging, and the services provided inadequate. As one parent put it, this may be a “lost semester” for some students, who will have to pick up where they left off — or even further back before the pandemic began, if they have regressed — once the schools open again.

Service cutbacks For the portion of students with IEPs who receive services such as speech and behavioral therapy at school, the beginning of Phase III of the district’s online learning plan meant attending shorter, virtual versions of these sessions.

Audrey, the parent of a high schooler with an IEP, says that her child has not received any of their accommodations during this period of online learning. Audrey contacted the principal of the school many times but has yet to receive a response, she says.

“I feel like if they [PAUSD and the high school] cared, they would already be … reaching out to the students with special needs … and they’re not,” Audrey says.

“When you reach out to the principal, or you reach out to the case manager and you get nothing, it’s kind of like nobody really cares.”

Various PAUSD and Palo Alto High School administrators declined to comment on the state of Special Education at this time. Paly Special Education teacher Christina Dias provided a written statement.

“Special Ed [Education] is following

16 JUNE 2020

the same requirements that General Ed [Education] is doing and we are in alignment with them,” Dias, referring to the reduced service minutes, stated in an email.

Although most parents report that they are still receiving services, the reduced minutes have had an impact on some students.

“It’s hard to argue because you know, they [services providers such as therapists] are not there, so they can’t provide the minutes,” says Kate, the parent of two children who have IEPs. “But it’s difficult because they’re not getting the overall support that they really do need to survive.”

Digital barrier The concept of digital learning itself also poses a problem to some students with IEPs. “For Special Ed, there are different obstacles … the executive function and the occupational skills aspects are, I think, even more exposed in this situation,” Kate says.

“If you’ve got motor planning issues, fine motor issues, it’s the typing that becomes

features v the barrier to doing your assignment.”

“I think right now we’re just trying to maintain where we were Eva is the parent of a middle schooler who has an IEP and in March without too much regression,” Kate says. who participates in the FUTURES Program, an alternative pathAccording to Dias, regression is not a particular concern for way for some students in Special Education. students in Special Education.

The program accounts for students with a wide range of disabilities. However, with such a diverse group of students, Eva says, Missing teacher’s aides the video assignments do not work for everyone.

“He [Audrey’s child] is expected to do everything that all the “For some kids it’s just completely irrelevant,” she says. “I other students are expected to do. There’s nothing different because know several parents of kids like my son whose kids are maybe less he’s in Special Ed [Education],” Audrey says. “So usually he has able to sit opposite to a computer — they’re accommodations for different things, as well just not bothering.” as the support [Special Education] class, in The Community Advisory Committee We’re trying to just which the teacher would help him and the for Special Education in Palo Alto recognizes would help him with all of his assignkind of keep it togeth- aide that individual instruction is essential to the ments, and that’s all gone.” educational opportunities of some students in er without too many Teacher’s aides can play critical roles in Special Education. the educational careers of students with IEPs. extreme things hap“In this unprecedented time when it is Since online learning began, however, aides difficult for almost every family, there are defi- pening.” have been unable to talk one-on-one with — KATE, parent students because they do not have the same nitely unique vulnerabilities for many of our Special Education students in terms of regrescredentials as teachers. sion and trauma,” CAC District Advisory Co-Chair Kimberly Eng “I think it’s such … a wasted resource for some of their chilLee stated in an email. dren,” Eva says. “And I think my son could benefit from some of The CAC has been attending weekly meetings with PAUSD his familiar aides who know his IEP goals [and] have worked with Special Education directors and communicating with members of him on his IEP goals.”

Palo Alto’s Parent Teacher Association. They have also sent out According to Dias, aides are available at the request of stusurveys and additional resources to dents and parents, and continue to work under the supervision of the families of students in teachers.

Special Education.

After parents voiced their concerns about the limits on the “For the most part, services that aides can provide at the May 12 Board of Education there seems to be contact meeting, Superintendent Don Austin said that the district would and support for our Sec- be waiving some of these barriers. ondary FUTURES kids.

“Our CSEA [California School Employees Association] assoThis two-way communi- ciation is not asking for less to do; they’re asking for the opposite,” cation builds trust and en- Austin says. “They’re asking to be invited to all meetings, to pargagement during times of ticipate, to be those resources … [it’s] definitely part of our plan.” crisis, and identifies student At the same meeting, Board Member Melissa Baten Caswell baseline and family capacity noted that online summer school could be an opportunity to put for distance learning,” Eng into place some of these changes.

Lee stated.

“It’s some additional adults who know how to work with kids with special needs,” Baten Caswell says. “How can we use them in Regression a way that maybe helps us be more productive with these kids?”

The regression of students’ academic and social skills is of con- Parent perspective cern to some parents with children For working parents like Sarah, teaching a child with high who have IEPs. Although Eva some- needs while also working for eight hours a day can be stressful. times feels like giving up on formal “It sounds nice that I don’t need to commute [to work] anylearning for the rest of the semester, she more, but my commute hour’s now filled with the one hour teachknows that it is too much of a risk to take. ing for my son, so my brain has no moment to take a break,” she “With kids like my son, it is often two says. “Now I just don’t have the energy to do anything else.” steps forward, one step back,” Eva says. “So Around the world, people are taking up all sorts of new hobwhen you’ve made those strides forward, it’s bies to pass the time at home, but this is not always true for parents very hard to just let it go and say we’ll catch up who have to dedicate most of their time and energy to supporting in the fall because you may regress so much that … the their children with their learning. six months of work that he’s lost may take you two years “I am not bored and I’m not getting anything done. I’m not to get back.” learning a language. I’m not baking bread … I’m not gardening,” Kate also worries about regression in her children, es- Kate says. “We’re trying to just kind of keep it together without too pecially in social skills. many extreme things happening.” v

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VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 17

Text by KYLIE MIES and JAY RENAKER Art by XIAOHAN LI

RETURNING HARROWING END TO YEAR ABROAD

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ED-EYE FLIGHTS and globs of hand sanitizer, sleep deprivation and globetrotting travel plans.

These have been the experiences of exchange students trying to make their way home when their study abroad programs were cut short as a result of the novel coronavirus. After Palo Alto High School closed its doors, seniors Vanessa Zenelhoxa and Marco Simeone were informed that they would be returning home two months early. Verde reached out to these seniors and documented their travel experiences from Palo Alto to Italy.

ed Zenelhoxa’s study abroad experience, coordinated the travel plans of hundreds of students from around the country.

Zenelhoxa and others from her area would meet in San Francisco and fly to Chicago to meet up with the larger AFS group before departing for their respective countries.

“I was very worried about it [flying],” Zenelhoxa said. “I was worried about getting corona — which I didn’t.”

Due to mounting travel reVanessa Zenelhoxa strictions, the airport terminal For Vanessa Zenelhoxa, along with hundreds of oth- in San Francisco was practically er Palo Alto High School students, her time at Paly end- empty. Clutching masks and ed abruptly with the announcement of campus closure on hand sanitizer, the AFS stuMarch 13. In anticipation of Paly soon being shut down, dents felt the giddy rush that Zenelhoxa, an Italian exchange student who has been at- burgeons in large groups of tending Paly for her senior year, skipped the second half of teens with minimal supervithe day to visit San Francisco. She consequently missed the sion. frenetic buzz that went around campus when the decision “In the airport, we were was officially made. singing the Italian “Everything happened national anthem so fast that I didn’t even real- I really felt free, I felt and a lot of people ize it,” Zenelhoxa said. were just standing no one was judging She was at home and looking at us with her host family when me. It’s something that like, ‘Oh, they’re she heard that Paly had I really appreciate, beItalian, maybe closed down for the foreseethey have corona,’” able future. Four days later, cause here [Italy] it’s so Zenelhoxa said. she received an email from different. I’ll miss that Once the stuher exchange program saying dents landed in Rome, that she was going back to It- a lot.” the increase in protocols — VANESSA ZENELHOXA, senior aly. surrounding virus safety The moment Zenelhoxa was immediately apparent told her host mom Amy Hald that she had to leave was an to Zenelhoxa. While she was traveling emotional one. in the U.S., she frequently saw people “She was like, you know, that bedroom will always be who were being cavalier about social disyour bedroom in our house and you always be like a daugh- tancing. In Italy, she noticed that everyone ter for us,” Zenelhoxa said. wore masks and were much more serious about On March 26, Zenelhoxa left for the airport. adhering to health guidelines.

The United States branch of the American Field Service, When she arrived at her home in Reggio Emilia, the international youth exchange program that had facilitat- Zenelhoxa self-quarantined for two weeks in her bedroom.

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18 JUNE 2020

profiles v

HOME She used that time to study for exams she will have to take Despite a check in with airport safety control, Simeone to resume her education in Italy — – her fifth and final finally reunited with his family after eight months. year of upper secondary education, roughly equiva“I couldn’t hug them as soon as I saw them because of lent to the last year of high school in the United the necessary precautions we had to respect especially at States. the airport,” Simeone said. “But once at home, after a long When not cramming for tests, Zenel- shower, I could hug them. It was certainly an emotional mohoxa has taken the time to reflect on her ment.” experiences in Palo Alto.

After having his education at Paly cut short, Simeone “I really felt free, I felt no one was subject to the uncertainties of online school in Italy. was judging me,” Zenelhoxa said.

“In Italy, I was reinstated with my classmates in my “It’s something that I really ap- original class,” Simeone said. “There’s no difference between preciate, because here the regular learning at school [Italy] it’s so different. and the learning from home.

I’m really grateful I’ll miss that a lot.”

Teachers have been assigning and making us take the same about the way this Marco Simeone number of tests they’re used Although the journey developed, to, so it doesn’t change much news of school shut- and even if it lasted but the location.” ting down was an Simeone says that living unusual experience two months less than in America was the greatest for every Paly stu- what was planned, I experience of his life. He is dent, it was especialnow able to point out the ly strange for senior couldn’t be happier. ” comparisons between the — MARCO SIMEONE, senior Marco Simeone, American and Italian school who was completsystems. ing his senior year of “I think that the eduhigh school in Palo Alto, over cation system in the U.S. helps the students a bit more in 6,000 miles away from his order to help them achieve whatever they want to do by hometown of Martina Fran- not rushing their process,” Simeone said. “In Italy, we are ca, Italy. Two weeks after the more helped by our parents and our connections than by the school closures in Santa Clara school system.”

County were announced, SimeSimeone learned many life long lessons from his exone traveled from San Jose to New change program at Paly, and the reality of attending school York City for a layover, then took an- in America far exceeded his expectations at the beginning of other flight to Rome, and from there the year. returned to his hometown by bus. The “Experiencing a different lifestyle makes you underentire trip was a two-day event and along stand how other people live, makes you clear your mind of the way he was met with various precautions all the prejudices you might have concerning something or instilled by the coronavirus outbreak. someone and makes you think twice before acting in a cer“At the airport in Italy, our temperature was tain way,” Simeone said. “I’m really grateful about the way checked and we were asked by a policeman about our this journey developed, and even if it lasted two months less plans once we would have gotten home,” Simeone said. than what was planned, I couldn’t be happier.” v

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VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 19

Essential employees

During quarantine, most Palo Alto High School students stay at home and are kept occupied with homework, hobbies and online extracurriculars. However, some students continue to go to work on top of that, including Paly students Kayla Stitt and Ilene Trach.

Although the two of them may work in very different settings, they both have had to shift and adapt to new protocols and environments in various ways.

KAYLA & COFFEE

Text by MIA BALDONADO

CHANGES IN WORK AT PHILZ

“I

F ANYONE HAS a problem flexibility of online school has made her with their drink, we just have daily routine manageable. to have them toss it and then “I’m working a lot more — I’m workredo the entire thing because ing at 25 hours a week versus the 14 to 18 I we can’t touch it again after they’ve touched was working during the school week,” Stitt it,” Palo Alto High School senior Kayla says. “But honestly it [school work] is easier Stitt says. “That’s the protocol.” to manage since there’s less homework and Stitt is one of many students who more time to do it.” works an afterschool job. She has been Stitt has also observed that the coronaworking at Philz Coffee since last July to virus has generally changed the interactions help pay for college next year. between the staff and customers in a couple Due to the new protocol and shelter- of ways. in-place orders, Stitt now has to change “They [customers] will stand way furseveral different work habits. She wears ther apart from the table than they need gloves 24/7, keeps a and I can’t hear them,” mask on throughout says. “And then They [customers] will Stitt the entire work day other people are way and adjusted to a new stand way further too close and I’m like, system in which cus‘Whoa, that’s way too apart from the table tomers are limited to close.’” placing mobile orders than they need and I Since customers to avoid a crowded are no longer filling can’t hear them. And shop and maintain the shop with its usuthen other people are social distancing. al, busy ambiance, the Another aspect are pracway too close and I’m employees that has changed is tically quarantined the size of the staff. like, ‘Whoa, that’s way together during the Only half of the team day with minimal custoo close.’” was allowed to coninteractions.

— KAYLA STITT, senior tomer tinue working, as the Despite this, the atdemand for employees has diminished as mosphere in Philz stays positive, as the a result of the restricted hours the coffee coffee shop provides a place for Stitt and shop is open. other employees to leave their houses and “We had to get retrained on how to hang out. work during the coronavirus,” Stitt says.

“We’re bringing new baked goods in “We get paid the same, but tips are a lot every day for each other to try,” Stitt says. higher.”

“We’re getting close — it kind of feels like Despite a busier work schedule, the a family.” v

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STITT’S ON STAFF — Paly senior Kayla Stitt continues to serve as an essential worker during the shelter-in-place orders with a cheerful attitude. “It [the atmosphere] is very positive,” Stitt says. “I think everyone is very happy to see each other happy to get out of the houses... It’s nice to see other people and hang out with each other.” Photo by Kayla Stitt Art by Selena Cao

CHINATOWN CAFE

Art by Selena Cao

LIFE IN A FAMILY OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS Text by JASMINE VENET

P

ULLING OUT OF her driveway at 10 a.m., Palo Alto High School junior Ilene Trach gets comfortable, preparing herself for the hourlong commute to work and the day ahead of her. Once she steps foot into the store, business begins as usual. She starts making boba and smoothies, the sound of blenders filling her ears until the late hours of the night.

Yet, this is not a typical work day for Trach. The high pitch hum of the blenders seem to pierce through the empty kitchen, devoid of employees. The chairs and tables on the second floor lie still, not having moved from their spot in over a month. The usually bustling streets of Chinatown are quiet and the weight of the mask on Trach’s face is unfamiliar, a constant reminder of this new way of life under COVID-19.

Ever since the shelter-in-place order was announced in mid-March, Trach’s workdays have been significantly altered.

Trach works at Sweetheart Cafe, her fam-

SAFETY FIRST — Paly junior Ilene Trach wears a mask at all times while she works in the kitchen making drinks with her sister Angel. As the situation with COVID-19 escalated, Trach’s parents decided it was better for her and her sister to remain at home rather than go to work. “They just want us to stay safe and stay home,” Trach says. Photo by Angel Trach

ily’s business, located in Chinatown, San Francisco.

The usual employees have been on paid leave for weeks, leaving it up to Trach and her family to make sure business runs smoothly.

“Typically, there’s also other employees that work here … But Trach has never been on the rethen with corona, we don’t have employees anymore,” Trach says. “It’s just us, our ceiving end of such hate. “[My parents] would tell stories about family, so it really depends on us to keep it how people would just walk in and do all going and keep working.”

Sweetheart Cafe, like many other this racist stuff, but you can’t really stop businesses across the nation, had to im- them,” Trach says. “But I’ve personally nevplement safety precautions quickly to help er experienced that.”

According to Trach, people have not minimize the spread of the virus, while also keeping their business afloat. In addition to gone any further than yelling. No situation having all their employees go on paid leave, has yet to escalate to violence.

Due to the the cafe is not allowing current situation, customers into the estabbusiness at the cafe lishment without a mask My favorite part [of has been slower and has created an onworking] is spendthan usual, and line store for customers ing more time with once Paly entered to place orders virtually.

Phase III of the Despite these remy parents because school’s closure afcent adjustments, Trach maintains a positive they’re not home a lot.” ter Spring Break, — ILENE TRACH, junior Trach’s parents deoutlook on the unusucided it was best al situation. With their employees gone, Trach now spends all her for her and her sister to stay home as much time working alongside her sister and her as possible.

Although she goes to work much less parents.

“My favorite part [of working] is now for her own safety, Trach believes that spending more time with my parents be- someday, business will return to how it cause they’re not home a lot,” Trach says. once was before COVID-19.

“I think right now it’s a temporary “So that’s an opportunity to spend more thing,” Trach says. “I don’t know how long, time with them.”

Being an Asian business in China- maybe a year, maybe half a year, a few town, Trach’s family has experienced their months. But I think business will just go fair share of racism while at work, although back to how it used to be.” v

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Abstract work with concrete goals

Text by ZOË WONG-VANHAREN Art by EDWARD ZHANG

CX APPAREL’S PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS CHARITY

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BLACK BOX LOGO is print- nonprofit food bank, providing meals to ed on a crisp white T-shirt with families in need. bold Chinese characters that “Especially in a time like the coronaviwrite out “抽象” (chōu xiàng) rus, where a lot of families are either out of — the Mandarin word for abstract. This is jobs or parents are working and they can’t a shirt — and a concept — that went from access grocery stores, we think that supa simple lunchtime idea to a physical prod- porting a charity that addresses this issue is uct in under two weeks. really important to The brand idea sur- Especially in a time like us,” Lin said. faced on the day schools the coronavirus ... we Although they in Santa Clara County have just begun, all were announced to close think that supporting a three teens say that due to the COVID-19 charity that addresses they have learned pandemic. That day at quite a bit from this issue is really imlunch, juniors Edward their endeavor. Lin, Zhang and Joyce Lin de- portant to us.” who is in charge of — JOYCE LIN, junior finances, cided that, in response realized to the current state of that keeping track affairs, they wanted to give back to their of business transactions was not as easy as community. she expected.

Zhang, participates in Youth Commu“I actually asked my mom to help me nity Service-Interact, was drawn to the idea download a free trial of QuickBooks, which of combining his artistic talent with com- is an accounting software, and it was a realmunity service. Inspired by Lin’s trendy ly good learning experience to learn how to style, he suggested that they create a cloth- use accounting software that is used in a lot ing label. of professional businesses,” Lin said.

“I’ve always wanted to somehow sign Huang noted that T-shirts, be able to sell them – and take the biggest surprise for that money and donate to charity,” Zhang him came from trying said. to advertise the product.

CX Apparel has pledged their prof“I feel like what I’ve its to the Ecumenical Hunger Program in learned is that it really East Palo Alto, which was running low on helps to have connecfunds and in danger of closing. EHP is a tions,” Huang said. “For

22 JUNE 2020

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promoting our Instagram, having people put it [the clothes] on their story — you’d think that like people wouldn’t click on it, but ... it actually really does bring a lot of people to our page.”

Even after the crisis of the pandemic subsides, the three intend to continue the business.

“I think we’re still going to continue donating because I feel like each dollar still has such an impact in that community,” Zhang said.

Although Lin, Zhang and Huang have not been able to meet in person, they have found it relatively easy to run the business remotely. The rising seniors are optimistic that even after graduating from high school, the business can continue.

On April 18, CX Apparel donated $100 to the Ecumenical Hunger Program, making their first contribution to the community. Their most recent galaxy-themed merchandise collection was released the next day, on April 19. As more orders for the galaxy apparel come in, they hope to continue their donations to organizations in need, and intend to support the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation in addition to the Ecumenical Hunger Program.

“I feel like you can never give too much back, you know?” Zhang said. v

profiles v Text by RYAN SETO and KATHERINE CHENG

Recruitment Rescheduled CORONAVIRUS CANCELLATIONS HURT PALY ATHLETES’ CHANCES OF RECRUITMENT

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PITCHING PERFECT — Callum Olsen stares down the plate as he delivers a pitch to an opposing batter from Cupertino High School. Photo by Jenna Hickey

HEN DRIVING PAST appointed, these athletes are focused on Palo Alto High School using this time to improve and train for on a typical spring after- future competitions. noon, it is common to see To examine the impact of COVID-19 the athletic facilities filled with action. The on the recruitment of Paly athletes, Verde softball and baseball fields ring with the Magazine dove into two spring sports that cracks of bats, and on the lacrosse field, have been adversely affected: track and athletes run up and down tossing the small field and baseball. rubber ball. Members of the track and field team can be found circling the track, doing Track and field reps on the long jump pit and high jump First, national invitationals and meets mat, or throwing shot put and discus. In were postponed. Then, canceled. Local the pool, cheers and invitationals were splashes from swim- I was really disapcalled off soon after. mers ring out.

Still, many Paly track pointed because my But now, the and field athletes refields are ghostly quiet last three years have mained optimistic as and the pool is covevents were struck been building [and] ered. Athletes have not from their calenbeen allowed to use leading up to this.” dars, their positiv— DAVID EVANS, junior ity buoyed by their the facilities for over two months as a result league meets that reof the campus shutdown due to the novel mained scheduled. coronavirus.

Eventually, those meets too, along In high schools nationwide, athletes with practices, were canceled. Tracks were have had their spring sports seasons cut fenced off and the shelter-in-place order short, allowing fewer opportunities for forced athletes to find alternative ways to them to showcase their skills to college get their workouts in, running at parks or coaches. Although nearly an entire season nature trails or through city blocks. has been stripped away, leaving many disWhile most athletes can still train, dis-

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Art by SELENA CAO

appointment persists as they reflect on the abrupt ending to their season.

“I was really disappointed because my last three years have been building [and] leading up to this and to have that get destroyed is really hard,” junior track and field athlete David Evans said. “I was in really good shape and I was ready to hit the times I had set for myself.”

Athletes looking to participate in college track have also had crucial recruiting opportunities stripped away. Unlike other sports such as basketball and football, where coaches fly to big-name tournaments to watch top athletes play, runners need to record remarkable times at meets to get their foot in the door with college scouts.

With meets being canceled this year, athletes no longer have the chance to officially hit their target times. Though not ideal, students like Evans must find other ways to demonstrate their growth and showcase their speed.

“If hitting the times means doing it unofficially in a time trial, so be it,” Evans said. “But I get to show colleges that I can do it, even if an unofficial time doesn’t have as much pull as an official time.”

With track resuming looking more

VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 23

and more unlikely by the day, Evans has changed up his workouts and begun preparing for cross country in the fall.

“I’ve switched back to more of a base training routine where I’m pushing more mileage since I probably won’t have a track season,” Evans said. “Building up a good base and endurance is really important, and I still want to run these times, but I’m just going to have to do it later.”

While uncertainty stemming from the novel coronavirus has left athletic schedules in flux, Evans is determined to be prepared to step back on the track, whenever that day comes.

“This is my chance to improve and get my times up so I’m ready when I finally get the chance to race,” Evans said.

Baseball Before the cancellation of school and all related activities, including athletics, Paly’s baseball team was on track for another successful year. They were nearly undefeated, with the only loss coming in a close game against Valley Christian High School, one of the best teams in the state.

However, with the cancellation of the baseball season, players were stripped of a promising season and, for some, their last chance of recruitment.

Junior Callum Olsen is a pitcher on Paly’s baseball team and aims to play col-

24 JUNE 2020

lege baseball, although he has yet to com- really important season because it’s junior mit. For Olsen, this season was his final year, you’re starting to do applications,” opportunity to show off his skills to col- Olsen said. “I think we just kind of got leges. screwed ... Now everything is up in the Due to the coronavirus, the chances air.” of high school players playing at the colAlthough the high school season is lege level are much slimmer, even for those important, participating in summer basewho have already committed. ball is also considered necessary for recruitCollege athletes who lost their se- ment. nior season in the wake of the virus will “I think summer ball in terms of reretain eligibility next cruiting is more year, which decreases important than the It [the pandemic] has the number of offers high school seagoing out to current also opened up an opson,” Olsen said. “At high schoolers and also tournaments during portunity for me to decreases the amount summer ball, scouts of playing time for train way more than I are specifically goincoming student athing to those tournaever would have had letes. ments, whereas in “The MLB [Ma- the chance to.” high school you’ll — CALLUM OLSEN, junior occasionally get a jor League Baseball] draft this year was scout at your game.” shortened by 25 rounds, which means Since the shelter-in-place order is ina lot less college guys are going into the definite, Olsen and other baseball players MLB,” Olsen said. “There’s gonna be a lot across the country are unsure of whether of guys sticking around instead of mov- or not these summer baseball camps will ing on.” be open.

While underclassmen have more “They canceled the Cape Cod time to showcase their skills, Olsen and League, which is like a super big college other juniors who are looking to be re- summer league,” Olsen said. “If they cancruited are missing out on crucial oppor- cel college baseball, there’s a 99% chance tunities to play. that we’re getting canceled too.”

“I’d say for all those juniors it was a Although the recruitment process itself has come to a halt, the cancelation of school allows Olsen to continue honing his craft and perfecting his pitching, which school had prevented him from doing.

“I’ve been working out with this private pitching coach I have in Campbell,” Olsen said. “Every day, there’s me and one other guy going, then it can be anywhere from three to five hours that we’re there each day. So if anything, my training has gotten better, [because of ] just a lot more time on my hands.”

Because of this increase in practice time, Olsen remains optimistic about his chances of recruitment.

“It [the pandemic] has kind of screwed me for recruiting during summer ball, but it also has opened up an opportunity for me to train way more than I ever would have had the chance to,” Olsen said. “I’ve gotten exponentially better being able to play and go see my pitching coach every single day.” v

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VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 25

Text by KATE MILNE

ON THE

HEALTH OFFICIALS COMBAT COVID-19’S IMPACT

A

CROSS THE COUNTRY, doctors and public health workers are overcoming the challenges of the novel coronavirus, and in some cases risking their health to serve their communities. Verde reached out to some of these professionals in the area and beyond to find out how their work has been impacted, what lessons they’ve learned, and how others can help out. v

“Core agencies are designated by your respective county to provide all kinds of services: rent, housing, food, utilities, and advocacy,” Bruce said.

The core agency for San Mateo is Samaritan House, the core agency for Santa Clara is Sacred Heart, and the core agency in East Palo Alto is the Ecuminical Hunger Program.

Mike Lynn: Face to face with COVID-19 Janine Bruce: Finding solutions to pressing issues As an emergency medicine doctor in a trauma hospital in Janine Bruce, a doctor of public health and senior research Oakland, California, Mike Lynn specializes in dealing with high scientist at the Stanford School of Medicine, wears many hats. She stress situations. Treating people who come in for a wide variety teaches Stanford residents and explores ways to provide services for of reasons, Lynn has to be ready for anything when the ambulance underprivileged communities. pulls up. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, these emergency “When coronavirus hit, we reached out not only to our com- room situations have an additional layer of risk associated with munity partners but a wide range of partners like schools, food them. community agencies, preschools, to ask ‘What are you seeing and “A lot of times we don’t know what they have; that’s the defihearing?’” Bruce said. “Folks were wornition of emergency medicine,” Lynn ried about shelter in place and while said. “Right now with the COVID-19 It’s really encouraging to staying home how they were going to virus it’s complicated because most pay their rent and how they were going see such great collaboration people don’t present with the textto afford food.” book fever and cough.” and continued desire across To help provide resources such as The population that Lynn serves food and legal assistance to those seeking community partner agencies is having a hard time dealing with the protection from eviction, Bruce reached virus as well as the shelter-in-place to want to continue to work out to organizations in the surroundorders. ing areas and was met with an over- together.”

“The peo— JANINE BRUCE, doctor of public health ple that we whelmingly supportive response to the community coalition meetings that are care for are held every couple of weeks. These meetings, intended to mobilize mostly people who are disenfranchised and connect community partners, have started up again due to from the health care system and don’t COVID-19 and were last held during the economic recession of have a lot of access to care,” Lynn 2008. said. “These are folks that are having “We’ve used virtual platforms like Zoom to bring people to- a hard time sheltering in place. They gether,” Bruce said. “Now we have 20 different agencies that par- are people who are dishwashers and ticipate. Word has spread, it’s largely updating one another on street cleaners and care for housewhat kind of needs we are seeing in the community, how things are holds and a lot of them have lost evolving. It’s really encouraging to see such great collaboration and their jobs.” continued desire across community partner agencies that want to Among those disproportioncontinue to work together.” ately affected are the homeless.

Bruce thinks that the best way to give back is to donate to “One of the hardest things is organizations that provide crucial services. to figure out where to send people

“

FLYER POWER — Janine Bruce (left) poses as she picks up boxes of informational flyers. The libraries volunteered to print them as a show of support. “We’re going to have to continue to work together to figure out how to help families long after shelter in place is lifted,” Bruce said. Photo by Janine Bruce MASK ON — Mike Lynn (middle) dons full coverage protective gear. He is optimistic about the future and what it may bring. “Hopefully we as a society can become closer rather than farther away as we weather this pandemic,” Lynn said. Photo by Jenny Lynn

26 JUNE 2020

frontlines after we’ve seen them,” Lynn said. “A lot of people are homeless and you don’t want to send them back out to the street, especially if you think they may have the virus.”

Lynn believes that many lessons can be learned from this health crisis.

“I think many of these things are going to create long term changes for personal protective equipment and being much more diligent about wearing this in all situations,” Lynn said. “Hopefully we learn a lot from this pandemic, are better prepared with equipment and different types of rooms where we can isolate people, and hopefully much better prepared for testing as well.”

Katie Plax: Helping often forgotten youth Katie Plax is the division chief of adolescent medicine in the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as well as the medical director of The Supporting Positive Opportunities with Teens Youth Center, fondly referred to as The SPOT. The center, located in St. Louis,

provides health and social service resources for foster children. Due to the instigation of the shelter-in-place order in the city, the everyday services and space typically offered to youth between the ages of 13 to 24 are no longer available. Because of this, Plax worries about teens who will soon age out of the system potentially being left homeless.

“I have a very special place in my heart for youth in foster care,” Plax said. “No one ever thinks about them. Imagine if you’re a young person and you’re not living with your family and you don’t necessarily have a network of adults in your life, and you’re turning 21 and aging out of foster care in a global pandemic.

While many challenges have arisen during the shelter in place, heartwarming moments make Plax’s hard work worthwhile.

“My patients have expressed so much gratitude, it’s really quite remarkable,” Plax said. “The other day, when one young person I saw was done with his visit, he came back two minutes later with this big bag of homemade masks that she [his grandma] had made that were all Star Wars themed. There have been these unexpected moments like that that are very gratifying.”

Plax encourages those who want to help foster children, or anyone else struggling during this time, to consider donating everyday goods that she knows would make a world of difference for the kids she works with. Items like shampoo, lotion, deodorant, menstrual hygiene supplies and more are in high demand. And even simpler than that, Plax urges community members everywhere to show compassion for one another.

“There’s one other thing that doesn’t cost money, which is kindness,” Plax said. “Being as kind as you can to people that you come into contact with — people need that when they’re really stressed out. A little kind word or a little encouragement, anybody could do that.”

Local resources like The SPOT include the Mobile Adolescent Health Services Program — Teen Van run by Stanford Children’s Health.

This group provides medical services and support to homeless and underserved youth.

Also, The Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Community Center works with young people located in San Jose to “... be the community’s premier resource hub and a recognized leader in promoting health, strength, diversity and inclusiveness.”

FOSTERING COMPASSION — Katie Plax (right) has noticed a change in her patients. Foster youth face many challenges and the pandemic caused additional problems. “A lot more distress, worries about housing, food, family members,” Plax said. Photo by Katie Plax

VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 27

Pandemic

Text by ANDIE TETZLAFF and TARA KOTHARI

Photos by ZOË WONG-VANHAREN

ORGANIC STRAWBERRIES — Hidden behind a protective veil of plastic, a vendor sells a massive box of fresh strawberries to a consumer.

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culture v

Produce WHILE OTHER STORES AND BUSINESSES CLOSE, FARMERS’ MARKET REMAINS OPEN

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T’S 8 A.M. ON APRIL 19, a shining Sunday morning. Local consumers are just starting to wake up to head over to the California Avenue farmers’ market, whereas farmers and vendors from the Central Valley have been awake since the crack of dawn, preparing for the busy day ahead.

However, their routines have changed these last couple of months as they now carry with them their hand sanitizer, masks and gloves. Duct tape and chalk markings line the floor, signs advocating for safety measures are scattered across the scene and people are careful to avoid the other shoppers. While the farmers’ market is still happening, it’s different.

Every Sunday on California Avenue in Palo Alto, a local farmers’ market takes place. Stands selling products ranging from the crunchiest apples to the sweetest honey to the richest rotisserie chicken are stationed up and down the closed-off street, practicing appropriate social distancing.

Even though the spread of COVID-19 has put most of the world on hold, essential businesses, like farmers’ markets, remain open.

What’s new?

With the rise of COVID-19, many people have had to change their daily routines to adapt to the “new normal.”

The market is still open for business every Sunday, but changes have been implemented to ensure the safety of both the sellers and consumers.

A common protocol among all of the stand owners is that customers cannot pick out their food themselves in order to reduce the risk of exposure. Many farmers have put up signs with the text, “No mask,

no service,” a safeguard to prevent disease motes health in multiple forms.

According to Victoria, a weekly custransmission during the pandemic.

Additionally, the farmers’ market has tomer at the market, she continues to taken steps to comply with the shelter-in- attend, to support the local farmers and place rules, including social distancing. Up to take advantage of the high-quality, orand down California Avenue, markings ganic produce available. She explains that spaced six feet apart can be seen on the while some things have changed in order ground to help guide visitors to keep a safe to maintain health precautions, she returns every week to get the same, exceptional distance when standing in lines.

In the middle of the market is the in- food.

Multiple vendors say that since the beformation booth. Here, Jesse Garcia, one of the Palo Alto farmers’ market managers, ginning of the shelter-in-place order, busisits wearing a mask, next to a massive bot- ness has increased.

“Business has soared like it hasn’t since tle of hand sanitizer and answers questions from passersby. He plays a key role in es- at least 2015 because we have high in-detablishing and implementing the rules and mand products,” Capay Farms employee precautions to create a safe environment Dustin said.

Trinity Murchie, a marketing director where vendors can still sell their fresh proand employee at the farmers’ market, exduce.

“Since the farmers’ market is in an plains the economic consequences of such an influx. open space “We’re all hitand we arting our Christen’t bordered We spend our entire days mas numbers and by the walls working, growing food to going beyond of a store, that,” Murchie we have the make sure ... you can get orsaid. “We endfreedom to ganic, local, good food and ed up selling out really space and it’s beautiful people out,” that’s our pride.”

—GUNTHER GETTELFINGER, sales representative for the weekend, Garcia said. but then we don’t “We’ve made have anything to sure to put at least 10 feet between each stand because sustain the customers next weekend. So a we’re all about the safety of the vendors and lot of us are scrambling and trying to figure out how to accommodate people.” consumers.”

Another employee at the farmers’ market, sales representative Gunther GettelfinBehind the business Seeing as the farmers’ market is an es- ger, explains how the increase in purchases sential business, Palo Alto residents should by consumers has already impacted the not be surprised by the fact that it is still sheep dairy company that he works for.

“We’re already out of all meat for the open to the public. Providing people with fresh, organic produce, the market pro- entire spring and summer, because people

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VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 29

were coming in and instead of buying one pound of ground lamb for the weekend, they were buying ten pounds of ground lamb at a time,” Gettelfinger said.

Even though things may be salutary at the moment for many local farmers and vendors, the consequences will likely continue to be felt in the future.

According to Murchie, some of the many benefits of getting produce from the market is that it is safer, healthier and easier to regulate than a grocery store in times like these.

“By the time you see the shelf at Safeway, that item has been handled 10 to 30 times, whereas this [farmers’ market produce] has only been handled by about three different people,” Murchie said.

Everyone at the farmers’ market is not only motivated by the safer atmosphere, but also by the desire to support small, local businesses.

“We’re coming to the market because not only is it a farmer’s lifeblood, it [the farmers’ market] is the lowest risk grocery store that there is around,” Murchie said.

“I’m also helping the farmer get the little bit of money that he makes every year.”

Farmers and vendors continue to come out and sell their products not only because it is their job, but also to continue to provide for the people around them.

For many customers, the farmers’ market is, and will always be, their main way of obtaining high-quality produce.

“There was a sticker that I saw on a truck one time and it said, ‘If you love people, you feed them good food,’” Gettelfinger said. “We spend our entire days working, growing food to make sure ... you can get organic, local, good food and that’s our pride.” v

LONG LINES (TOP) — Wearing masks and keeping a distance of at least six feet, consumers at the farmers’ market wait in line to purchase their produce.

GO ORGANIC (BOTTOM LEFT) — Farmers’ market vendors Trinity Murchie (left) and Gunther Gettelfinger (center) continue to sell their produce at the market. “It’s a complete honor to be able to help people to get the safe healthy food they need,” Murchie said.

SOUR STRIPS (BOTTOM RIGHT) — A vendor poses next to a sign exclaiming “Please buy what you touch.” This helps prevent disease transmission at the market, keeping everyone safe.

Art by Samantha Ho

culture v Text by AUDREY KERNICK Art by SAMANTHA HO

Is This the Sound of the End of the World?

WHAT “MISS ANTHROPOCENE” PROPHESIZES

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ON FEB. 21, GRIMES released an album about the world ending. A month later, the world ended.

“Miss Anthropocene” is the fifth studio album from writer and producer Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes. Boucher, who has been writing, producing and performing as Grimes since around 2010, has never identified with genres. Each album is distinct and unique, creating little worlds of their own.

While Grimes’s last album was an exploration of pop, full of bubbly instrumentals and melancholy lyrics about heartbreak and yearning, “Miss Anthropocene” is unabashedly dark and grungy. Although the idea of a concept album written in the perspective of climate change personified was initially polarizing, “Miss Anthropocene” stands out as an incredibly rich and layered piece of work. Dissecting the world we live in, the album is crawling with sludgy, industrial tracks, some alluring and some agonized.

The viscous journey into “Miss Anthropocene” begins with “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth.” Released in November 2019, “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth” was the second official single.

The song is slow and haunting, Grimes’s crooning fully submerging the track in murky woe.

Following “So Heavy I Fell Through the Earth” is “Darkseid,” an eerie and

brash song. Falling somewhere between a throbbing in one’s temples and fear of an imminent threat, “Darkseid” leaves skin prickling.

“Delete Forever,” another single, is one of the stand out tracks on the album.

Rather than distorted sounds and synths, the song opens with a strong acoustic guitar riff. An ode to the death of friends, “Delete Forever” is the waving of a white flag, surrendering to agony. While holding its head high, “Delete Forever” sheds a tear for those lost.

The song “4ÆM” is a beast of its own, marrying mystery and flashing mania. The songs’ slow silky verses build up into a chorus spilling with energy, akin to speeding through a tunnel, fast paced and loud. The juxtaposition between these two elements is what makes the song work. A high always needs a low, and “4ÆM” achieves this seamlessly.

“My Name is Dark” is as bitter as it is cold. Angry and raw, the song has a score to set, damage to inflict, a world to burn. Between feral screams and wailing lyrics, “My Name is Dark” toes the line of distortion, ferocious and unforgiving.

Promising chaos, the song is vehemently ruthless.

“You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around” is a sobering song about suicide. Melodic and strangely sweet, the song is a kiss goodbye, the forfeit of another day. “You’ll Miss Me When I’m Not Around” is repentful and burns with remorse all while giving a soft squeeze, just

one last glance before disappearing into the crowd.

“Before the Fever” is an acceptance of the end of time. Slow and sad, Grimes begs to be danced until the end of the night during the end of the world, another goodbye.

As a whole, “Miss Anthropocene” is an incredible album with a collection of unparalleled tracks. Each song evokes its own set of feelings in listeners, and the journey through the album is as thought-provoking as it is emotional.

Given the general theme of the end of the world, “Miss Anthropocene” feels that much more relevant during this global pandemic. With expressions of fear and an uncertain future, the album speaks to the state of the world today. Lyrics like “Unrest is in the soul” and “Is this the sound of the end of the world” hold a different significance than they did three months ago.

The bonus track “We Appreciate Power,” which is devoted to A.I., is a song giddy about the reign of artificial life forms. When thinking about how fragile we are, susceptible to illness and disease, one calls into question how sustainable human life really is. Maybe the future of our planet does require a change in traditional human life, and maybe “Miss Anthropocene” isn’t that far off from our reality. Whatever the future may hold, “Miss Anthropocene” stands as an incredible album, and quite possibly, an important warning. v

VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 31

REELING THEATERS

Text and photos by TIM HUNG

CORONAVIRUS AND THE SILVER SCREEN

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HE WHIFF OF STALE So while it may seem like six-feet social The culprit certainly wasn’t lackluspopcorn and $6 Coca-Colas, distancing is responsible for threatening a ter movies. 2017’s lineup included “Spithe sensation of spine-kick- fatal blow to an otherwise healthy industry, der-Man: Homecoming,” “Wonder Woming and immersive surround in reality, the industry has been on a down- an” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and chatter — uncherished experiences ward trend for decades.

2019 was a landturned fond memories of a lost era. In “There are fewer mark year for film There are fewer and our current uncertain commercial cross- and fewer reasons to — including the roads, one historic business looks poised go to the theater now- fewer reasons to go to movies “Joker,” “Parto go under: your local movie theater. adays, regardless of the and “Avengthe theater nowadays." asite,” Due to the coronavirus outbreak, cine- whole corona situaers: Endgame.”

— ADAM HASHMI, junior mas across the U.S. have been forced to shut tion,” Palo Alto High For the year their doors. In an attempt to stay afloat, School senior Adam Hashmi said. “Corona- 2019, specifically, the culprit is clear: Netflix. many theaters have turned to selling curb- virus might just be an unexpected catalyst.”

While the National Association of side popcorn to-go, mirroring the struggles To start, even though a few block- Theater Owners has insisted the rise of of shuttered restaurants across the nation. busters are killing it at the theaters, fewer streaming only stimulates more theatriIt is hard to imagine a world with- people are going to the movies overall. Ac- cal moviegoing, 2019 was a year without out the silver screen, cording to Statista.com, precedent in regards to the caliber of digespecially with box of- It is hard to imagine the number of tickets ital features. Netflix received the most fice records being brosold in North Ameri- Oscar nominations of any company (24) ken left and right. In a world without the ca has been in steady for films like directorial legend Martin 2019, “Joker” became silver screen. decline. An average Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and emerging the highest-grossing 18 million fewer tick- talent Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story”.

R-rated film and “Avengers: Endgame” ets have been sold each year since 2002 “Why pay so much to go to the theater nearly doubled the previous record for — a marked decline of nearly 2% per when the newest, best films can be seen on-dethe highest-grossing opening week- year. And the two lowest-selling years of mand, right in our homes?” Hashmi said. end — 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War.” the last two decades? 2017 and 2019.

Along with taking away crucial talent from the traditional movie industry, through which theaters earn their cut of the distribution, streaming services can provide much cheaper options — $6 per month for thousands of films as opposed to $10 for one viewing.

But that’s not to say movie tickets were always this expensive.

According to The Numbers, ticket prices today are 109% higher than they were in 1995 — far outpacing inflation. Furthermore, the theatrical window — the periTEMPORARILY CLOSED — From outside its padlocked doors, downtown Palo Alto's Aquarius Theatre is a somber sight. With only one auditorium, the cozy theater is best known for showing independent and foreign flicks. od of time between

32 JUNE 2020

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culture v

a movie’s release in theaters and when it is made available for home viewing or streaming — has decreased from five to six months in 1980 to three months as of 2019.

The skyrocketing price of tickets coupled with the shrinking theatrical window has made audiences more hesitant towards paying a premium for the big screen and more patient to wait to watch their films at home.

“I waited a few months to see ‘Little Women’ on Amazon,” Hashmi said. “It cost just a fraction of a movie ticket and I even popped my own one-dollar popcorn.”

Verde's movie picks With self-quarantine upon us, Verde decided to offer some movie suggestions — streamable ones, for obvious reasons — that are available on Netflix.

To start, a classic: Sergio Leone’s 1966 spaghetti western, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” This fable stars Clint Eastwood as ‘The Good,’ Lee Van Cleef as ‘The Bad’ and Eli Wallach as ‘The Ugly.’ It’s easy to chalk up each character to their on-screen

monikers, but, as human morality often is, the truth is much more complex.

Next, we suggest Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver.” This 1976 neo-noir psychological thriller presents the viewer with the rare opportunity to experience life through the eyes of a lonely, hubristic man who has yet to find any meaning in his life. Travis Bickle, brilliantly played by Robert De Niro, serves as our existentialist vessel in exploring the gritty, grimy streets of New York City.

“There Will Be Blood” is a 2007 historical drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. In one of his best performances to date, Daniel Day-Lewis plays Daniel Plainview, a ruthless and ambitious oil prospector. Set during the 20th-century oil boom, the film follows Plainview as his lust for success drives him towards self-destruction, culminating in one of the deepest gut-punch endings in cinematic history.

“Her” is a 2013 science-fiction romantic drama directed by Spike Jonze.

Left heartbroken after his marriage ends, Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix, becomes fascinated with a new operating

AN EMPTY PALACE — Designed and built in the 1920s as a movie palace styled in neoclassical Persian and Moorish architecture, Downtown Palo Alto's Stanford Theater is an iconic Palo Alto landmark. It is best known for showing silent films and black-and-white classics from the Golden Age of Hollywood.

system which reportedly develops a personality. At its core, “Her” is a love story — one that depicts the blossom and decay of a relationship not between two people, but between a person and a program.

The highly stylized 2017 slice-of-life drama, “The Florida Project,” directed by Sean Baker, stars William Dafoe and an astonishing child cast fronted by the then 7-year-old Brooklyn Prince. This tender and authentic tale of American children living in poverty glistens with youthful joy, as the camera never strays far from the childrens’ cherubic point of view.

But like the vast majority of moving and enduring stories, “The Florida Project” slowly and painfully reveals itself to be a tragedy — a tragedy coated with the pastel-pink veneer of Disney World magic. v

VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 33

Text by RACHEL LIT

Art by SAMANTHA HO

the unintentional gap

PANDEMIC CHANGES POST-GRAD PLANS

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HE CORONAVIRUS RUINED EVERYTHING.” a little idea that I never actively pursued because I’m the type of Palo Alto High School senior Elijah Stein- person who needs a lot of structure when I have a lot of free time, er is one of many who show their frustration for and it almost seemed like a hassle to try and find a program that the numerous life-altering changes created by would potentially interest me,” she said. “But now that coronavirus COVID-19. More specifically, he shares the sentiments of several has become a big deal, I’ve started to think about it much more high school seniors who have been struggling to picture their fu- actively. I would say coronavirus played a large part in my potential tures and iron out their post-high school plans in light of the rap- decision to take a gap year.” idly changing situation. Gap years had been gradually increasing in Meyer recently committed to Wake Forest University, a pripopularity since well before the viral outbreak, with more students vate school located in North Carolina. Though Wake Forest has interested in taking them along with a more supportive culture not officially canceled an in-person fall quarter, Meyer explains surrounding a break in education. But with no guarantee of an that this looming possibility is one of the main reasons she started in-person start to freshman year, travel restricthinking more about taking next year off. tions in place in several countries including “I am going to attend a private school South Africa, Peru and Japan, and for many I would say the coronaand I don’t think it’s fair or right for my an unsatisfying culmination of high school, virus played a large part parents to be spending so much money for the idea of taking a gap year has changed in me to be taking online classes at home at 2020: they’ve become a possibility for those in my decision to take a my kitchen table,” she said. “I think a lot who never considered them and a foiled plan gap year.” of what you’re paying for is the experience — KAITLIN MEYER, senior while you’re at college, and I wouldn’t necfor others who wished to go abroad.

In this story, Verde Magazine explores essarily have all the same resources taking these aspects of the gap year culture shift and more through online courses as I would if I were actually on campus.” the lenses of three Paly seniors, along with the specific impact The process of actually choosing a school in the first place COVID-19 has had in determining their future plans. amidst the pandemic had also proven to be strenuous for Meyer, who was expecting to have time over spring break to attend admit Fall quarter fall through weekends and visit campuses in person.

According to the New York Times, an estimated 60,000 stu“It [the coronavirus] really turned everything upside down, dents postpone college every year to pursue a gap year, yet this since I was going to do more college visits before deciding where number seems to be drastically increasing due to the coronavirus I was going to go to college,” Meyer said. “So it was stressful and pandemic. A recent survey conducted by the Art & Sciences Group confusing to make that choice, and same goes for deciding about shows that nearly one in six students will “likely revise their plans a gap year.” of attending a four-year college in the fall.” The survey also indiPlanning for the future poses an incredibly challenging feat for cates that 35% of current high school seniors who have decided to students like Meyer, who said that she isn’t certain she will settle change their post-high school plans due to COVID-19 report on a gap year yet, as she wants to wait and see how the coronavirus that they are most likely to take a gap year. situation continues to develop. But after having discussions with Senior Kaitlin Meyer is one of those one- her family, the possibility seems more likely to become a reality. in-six students who are now on the fence “I have had conversations with my family, and again, it goes about going straight to a four-year uni- back to the financial aspect of it all,” Meyer said. “In regards to versity at the start of this upcoming what I would do, I really don’t know at this point; it is very, very school year. Though she thought difficult to make plans because I know they’ll just be turned on about it at the beginning of her their head. Like at this point, there’s so much uncertainty, and it’s college process, Meyer did just not worth the stress or anxiety to worry about something that’s not seriously consider tak- out of my hands.” ing a gap year until more recently, specifically not Altered itineraries until the consequences Similar to Meyer, senior Elijah Steiner is interested in the idea of the coronavirus start- of embarking on a gap year. In fact, Steiner has been planning on ed to unfold in early taking one for nearly three years as part of his Baha’i faith, despite March. travel complications due to COVID-19.

“It [a gap year] was “In my faith, there is something called a year of service where

“

culture v we take a year and dedicate it to serving the greater community,” Steiner said. “My two options were to serve in the Santa Clara community or serve in Haifa, Israel. Both experiences would have pushed me to grow because I would have to be self-sufficient doing meaningful work with great people.”

In light of the coronavirus, the program in Israel that Steiner was planning to attend has postponed participant acceptances and start dates until November 2020, in large part due to the fact that many attendees are international students, causing greater concern of spreading the virus. Because the program requires 12 months of service, Steiner would have to take not just one, but two years off of school to attend, making the decision much more challenging than anticipated.

“I just don’t know if I’m going to do the year of service before college or after college, and I don’t know if I can move the service in Israel to the summer instead … everything is just very up in the air right now, but I’m keeping my options open,” he said.

Luckily, Steiner has many relatives and family friends who have had experience with service learning opportunities and are willing to help him work through this difficult decision.

“I’ve been having consultations with my family a lot, getting a lot of expert advice from friends,” Steiner said. “It’s been just tough to know what I’m supposed to do right now because there’s a lot of options — good options — but I don’t know what to choose in this moment.”

Travel restrictions While national statistics seem to show an increase in seniors taking gap years this year, many students remain hesitant to do so due to the virus’ restrictions on travel. According to the Gap Year Association National Alumni Survey, 85% of gap year participants in 2015 were motivated to take the time off of school because they “wanted to travel, see the world, and experience other cultures.”

With opportunities abroad still risky and up in the air going into summer and fall, some students formerly interested in these aspects might not think a gap year without travel is worth their time.

Ena Zou is one such senior from Paly, worried that due to travel restrictions and a general uncertainty of returning to life as we knew it, taking a gap year during the pandemic wouldn’t fulfill her aspirations of world exploration. Though previously hoping to take a gap year to get outside the “Palo Alto bubble,” Zou ultimately decided not to because of the limitations caused by the coronavirus.

“I started to change my mind … around the end of March, when school closed,” Zou said. “Everything was escalating so quickly and there was just way too much uncertainty for someone who wants to travel … it didn’t seem right to place so much emphasis on an entire year of my life, especially if I was stuck at home, unsatisfied.”

As she weighed the pros and cons of taking a year off, Zou had many long conversations with her dad regarding the situation. He encouraged her to instead take a year off after receiving her undergraduate degree, helping her settle on starting school in the fall, regardless of whether it will be in person or online.

“Personally for me, I like having a schedule, hence why I don’t appreciate all the uncertainty in the air around being able to travel

or not,” she said. “So that’s why I ultimately decided school is the best option. I knew that even if it were to be online, there’d be some structure to my life, rather than just sitting at home [on a gap year], pondering about what I could be doing instead.”

Though her choice has been made, Zou describes the decision as troublesome and hard to process. For most seniors, the abrupt ending of their time at Paly on March 13 was unexpected, to say the least, and upsetting in many ways.

“This is not at all what I imagined senior year being like, especially when it came to things like figuring out my gap year,” Zou said. “I pictured myself choosing between different programs, not choosing between whether or not to take one [a gap year] at all. It’s just disappointing that things I wanted to do, the gap year included, are being taken away … I can say for sure I would almost 100% be taking a gap year and traveling if corona weren’t a thing.” v Editor’s note: Staff writer Rachel Lit is a graduating senior planning on taking a gap year starting in the fall of 2020.

1 in 6 students will likely

revise their plans of attending a fouryear college

35% of students who

changed their post-graduate plans are taking gap years *Statistics are courtesy of a survey conducted by the Arts & Sciences group in March 2020

VERDEMAGAZINE.cOM 35

MONEy

SPANISH CRIME SHOW CAPTIVATES AUDIENCE

A

N ODDBALL GROUP of criminals are led by a shy but brilliantly intelligent man known as El Professor (Álvaro Morte), The Professor, as they plan and execute extraordinarily complex robberies in the center of Madrid, Spain. This is “Money Heist” — known to its Spanish audience as “La casa de papel,” The Paper House — a subversive Spanish thriller that just released its fourth season to Netflix viewers this April.

But “Money Heist” is much more than a crime thriller; it covers topics such as gender roles, patriarchy, sexuality and government corruption, and has produced symbols of resistance that are now used by activists all over the world. This is the binge-worthy show you have been searching for to occupy you during the long COVID-19 shelter in place, and you might even consider it educational.

Growing movement “Money Heist: The Phenomenon,” a recent behind-thescenes documentary about the show, discusses the unprecedented global response of viewers. The show’s Salvador Dalí masks, red jumpsuits and catchy “Bella Ciao” tune — an Italian protest folk song reimagined for the series — have been seen in protests across the world.

In October 2018, students in Rome donned masks and jumpsuits to protest the country’s new financial reform which, they argued, would jeopardize education, according to Getty Images. In Iraq, activists dressed in these outfits performed a tweaked version of “Bella Ciao” in an anti-government music video in November 2019, The Manila Times reported. According to the documentary, the outfits have also been used in political protests in Lebanon, Iraq, France and Chile.

What sways the audience away from viewing the characters as criminals and rather as a symbol of resistance against government corruption is not just their charming personalities, but also how they commit their crimes: They steal the money from a mint, and therefore no private businesses or people lose out, and they do their best to share it with the public, all while minimizing harm to hostages.

The show brings out the inner rebel in people, inspiring viewers to constantly question the system.

Exploring gender roles Gender is always a topic of discussion in “Money Heist.”

The show does not shy away from patriarchal figures in denial of their existence; rather, it presents them in all their sexist 36

HEIST

glory, only to analyze their being detail by detail with the help of some savvy feminist characters.

Berlín (Andrés de Fonollosa), the designated leader inside the mint, repeatedly rapes and psychologically tortures a female hostage throughout the heist. However, Berlín is one of the audience’s favorite characters.

“There’s nothing better than a villain who also provokes feelings of empathy,” Álex Pina, “Money Heist” creator, executive producer and screenwriter says in “Money Heist: The Phenomenon.” “He’s a misogynist, a narcissist and a psychopath in many ways, but we could have a character like that in the series and the audience could freely decide whose side they’re on.”

Although the show lacks female representation, the few women included are complex and strong. Nairobi (Alba Flores), for instance, is a dedicated leader and a compassionate person. She is always ready to call Berlín out on his sexism in support of herself and the other female characters.

“Berlín is not in an able condition, so from now on I am in charge myself. Let the matriarchy begin,” Nairobi says in a particularly moving moment of the show.

The show’s Spanish take on love and friendship is also refreshingly affectionate compared to the often stiff portrayals of American cultural norms.

“For a long time, there was an unwritten rule that action films were inane and superficial and very dramatic, or emotional films were boring. So what we did was mix those two concepts,” Pina says.

Global language “Money Heist” also serves as a reminder of the value of foreign cinema. English speakers too often close their minds to the somewhat obscure ‘foreign language’ category, and in doing so miss out on the opportunity to better understand other places and cultures.

Not only did the show win an Emmy for Best Drama Series in 2018, but it was also IMDb’s second most popular TV show in the world for a time, according to the documentary. Everywhere, people feel a connection to this series.

It’s not that the plot of “Money Heist” is particularly relatable — how many people rob a mint on the daily? It’s that people see themselves in the characters, who are the heart and soul of the production. Whether you identify more with Helsinki (Darko Perić), a loveable sweetheart; or with Nairobi, a driven leader; or even with Berlín, a cunning manipulator, this show is for everyone, including you. v WHEN THE MASK COMES OFF — Nairobi (right) is a strong, feminist character. Like the others in her gang, she wears a plastic mask based on the artist Salvador Dalí and a red jumpsuit (left) in the show “Money Heist.”

Text by EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS Art by SELENA CAO

Text by RYAN SETO

Art by SAMANTHA HO and SYDNEY PANG

Family and quarantine T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE EXTRA FAMILY TIME

WO MONTHS AGO I expected the month of we’ve created. When I put up one finger to indicate how May to be full of late nights spent studying for many years I think The Civil War lasted my brothers burst APs and weekends spent procrastinating on sum- out laughing, calling me an idiot. mer job applications. However, those late nights Through Palo Alto’s high-pressure culture, students are have turned out to be filled with ultra-competitive games of programmed to focus on attaining a high level of academic “Super Smash Bros” and “Halo” with my brothers. and athletic success so that we can go to a prestigious colIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, my brothers lege. At this time — without the pandemic — I would be were forced to travel home from college and we all had to too caught up in school and extracurriculars to spend quality make the transition to online learning. Subsequently, my time with my family, but now that school and extracurricufamily is in contact with each other a lot lars are not as time consuming due to all more than we’re used to and the shelter in of the cancellations, I’ve had to find ways When I really think place only increased the amount of time to get along with my family. we spend together. Initially, I wasn’t excit- about it, I only have so So while I complain about missing ed at the prospect of sharing a bathroom my friends and everything that has been much time with them taken away from all of us in the last couple with my brothers or about the arguments that I thought would ensue. Though it’s [my family]. of months, there is still a bright side to not always easy, I‘ve come to realize that these dark times: I can spend more time I should put more of an effort into buildwith my family than ever before. ing relationships that will remain strong throughout adultBy next year, my oldest brother will either be searchhood. ing for jobs or on his way to graduate school, while my secI, and many other students, tend to put up a new front ond brother will be across the country in college. We’ll have when we get home. Whether it’s a toned-down or more ener- different spring breaks and various time frames for winter getic version of ourselves, we don’t act the same way around break so our family reunions will be left to those short overour family as we do around our friends. laps.

Through Jackbox games like “Drawful” and In the blink of an eye I’ll be living in a dorm in “Fakin’ It,” my family and I have been getting to who knows where. After that, I’ll most likely move know each other on a more personal level. “Drawon with my own career and live in a different city, ful” is essentially “Picitonary”, but with witty capstate or even country than my family. So when tions and some guessing involved. Similar I really think about it, I only have so much to games like “Mafia” time left with them. The day will come and “The Resiswhen hometance,” “Fakin’ cooked meals It” relies on deand “Fakin’ ception and fait” with my miliarity of your family will opponents — just be a attributes that memory. So make a friendwhile quaranly, but competitive tine is incongame. venient in As we sketch exso many astremely ugly drawings pects, I’m doand write even stupiding my best to er captions, laughter take advantage cuts through the of the time I have to room when we see bond with my famthe atrocities that ily. v

38 JUNE 2020

perspectives v Text by PAISLEY ANNES

M

Art by XIAOHAN LI

After Quarantine WHEN LIFE GOES BACK TO NORMAL

Y EYES WERE GLUED to indefinite end, I can not help but dream the thin, red, ticking hand of the final day of quarantine more and of the clock as I waited for more. the bell to ring. I was sitting It is the small things that I miss. The in my third period English class, stomach things that I did not fully appreciate until rumbling, ready to head off to lunch. they were gone, like taking the time to pet “Corona canceled school for the next dogs on the street. When I go on my daily four weeks!” shouted a girl from the back walk and cross paths with energetic, joyof the class. ful, fluffy, little dogs, it pains me to walk To be honest, I was excited. I, like across the street, and not be able to come most high school students, was drowning close enough to even ask if I can pet them. in piles of homework and tests, and I just When COVID-19 is a thing of the wanted an escape. past, I will never take Upon heargoing to the beach ing the news, I with my friends, The haunting memorushed through eating at restaurants ry of a pandemic will the crowds of stuor watching movies dents to meet my in a theater for always be in the back friends. I walked granted. of our minds. past the pale pink After quarpetals that coated antine, I will be the cherry blosable to actually som trees, through the library covered in see my friends, and I mean more than the colorful and captivating student art, just their head and shoulders trapped and I did not even take a second look at the within a 2-inch box on a black screen. picturesque quad that was covered with stu- A rectangular neon green outline will dents discussing the recent turn of events. not define who is speaking and a 40-minI sat down in a shady spot on the grass, ute timer will not determine how long we my friends already grouped in a circle chat- can chat. ting about the strange world we live in. But But following this experience, venper usual, lunch passed by in the blink of an turing out of the house will not be the eye, not giving me time to take in the last same as before. The haunting memory of time I would be seeing any of my friends a pandemic will always be in the back of — or anyone outside of my family — for our minds. months.

When sitting down at a restauI hurried off to my last two classes, rant, I will be thinking about who barely paying attention to a word the teach- sat there last. Were they sick? Did ers were saying, and left school for what I they contract an incredibly inthought would be four short weeks. fectious virus that could spread However, as the pandemic progressed, across the entire world? How those four weeks turned into the rest of the do I know that the people sitschool year, and the rest of the school year ting next to me do not have seems to be slowly turning into the rest of the virus? Maybe I should 2020. As the end of the shelter-in-place or- scoot my chair 6 feet away der moves further and further away with an from them. Just in case.

The world will not return back to normal at the flip of a switch. Although the rules that confine people to their homes and keep restaurants closed will slowly be lifted, the society we will live in will be a far cry from what it once was.

It is hard to remember a time before the shelter-in-place order, before leaving your house was considered a dangerous endeavor. But I think we all must remember there will be an end to this, leaving everyone with a greater appreciation for what was once taken away. v

More Water Polo 650polo.org

Mayfield 650 Water Polo would like to congratulate Paly water polo seniors Sophie Anderson, Al Lee, Chesnie Cheung, and Ellie Walsh!

40 JUNE 2020

Pressure to be productive

Text and art by MICHELLE KIM

THE UNCEASING DEMAND FOR ACHIEVEMENT

I

N THE ABSENCE OF ONLINE taking advantage of my spare time. assignments or a personal project to In turn, I resolve to fill my summer occupy my time, even casually scroll- with classes and projects and unconsciousing through social media makes me ly pressure people around me to pick up a feel anxious; I can never chase away the lin- new activity; thus the cycle continues. gering sense of guilt for wasting free time.

Aside from the influence of digital Unfortunately, this is a common sen- platforms, parents may also be a source of timent among young people of this gener- unwanted stress. ation. Although it has drastically affected “I don’t always share my personal day-to-day life, COVID-19 has changed struggles with my parents, so they add to little with regard to the that pressure without academic and extracur- I don’t always share meaning to,” junior ricular standards we are Emily Cheng says. my struggles, ... so expected to maintain.

“They remember my productive moments [my parents] add to The problem in a more positive Students in Palo that pressure without light, so ... they push Alto are well-acquaint- meaning to." me ... [when I am] — EMILY CHENG, junior not studying as well ed with the competitive academic and as I should.” work culture encompassing the Bay Area.

Having a family who scolds constantAs detailed in an October Verde article, ly when an assignment goes unfinished or Palo Alto High School students take pride when their child is not doing enough to in being the most stressed out due to the boost their college resume wears students notion that overworking oneself should be down and only strengthens the culture of celebrated. competition among students.

Trying to fulfill this twisted sense of Though we should always be trying accomplishment ultimately causes us to our best, we cannot possibly deliver our sacrifice our well-being, and yet this harm- maximum effort forever without risk of ful mindset is ingrained in our experiences burnout — and our best certainly shouldn’t as we navigate the global pandemic. be expected of us in the middle of a global As the world shut down due to health pandemic. concerns, cancellations of competitions and summer camps caused disappointment Digital education and panic for millions of students; a subseOver the course of the shelter-in-place quent rush to replace these vacancies with order in California beginning on March more classes or projects ensued.

17, Bay Area students have had to rebuild What really drives our subconscious their lives online and at home. need to always remain occupied?

The sudden switch to online learning is neither as flexible nor as relaxing as it Direct influences may first seem.

Now more than ever, social media is “At first, I felt less a primary mode of communication and stressed because I personentertainment for teens, and exposure to ally like having more huge amounts of content on the daily cre- flexibility over my ates a vicious feedback loop of pressure to study time — but continuously begin new activities. without any strucWhen I see other teens learning a new ture or routine at language or starting a business online, I get all, [digital learning] the impression that I am the only one not is slowly becoming

“

almost harder than going to school in person,” Cheng says.

In addition, the lack of clear communication between teachers has resulted in a pileup of work.

When my calendar lists five Zoom meetings and 20 assignments due in one day, I inevitably wonder if teachers understand that this is a transitional period for everyone — they are sending a message that we should cram busy work into our spare time rather than prioritize our physical and mental health.

Relieving stress Consistent breaks are necessary to cope with this pressure to be productive.

For me, painting, sewing, playing an instrument, watching Netflix, baking, going on a walk or even sleeping all day seem like perfectly valid ways to pass time as they make me happier.

This should not be a time for anybody to be required to do any activity, nor is it a time to limit ourselves from trying something new.

Though COVID-19 has had devastating consequences for many, we can still appreciate the opportunities it has given us to combat the culture of hyperproductivity and cut ourselves some much-needed slack. v

the last day M

FINAL MOMENTS ON CAMPUS

Text by RACHEL LIT

Y FINAL MOMENTS at Palo Alto High School there, I was too caught up in writing Verde’s breaking news story should have consisted of yearbook signings and on the official school closure announcement to really be able to sunny, quad-side spikeball tournaments; a day process what had just happened. with no pants, a grade-wide trip to the beach and To be completely honest, I don’t remember much else about green grad caps. From the smallest interactions with classmates to that day. I wasn’t able to go to lacrosse practice because of the the most memorable senior-year milestones, that last, bittersweet cough, missing what turned out to be the last time the team would stretch of high school leading up to the biggest transition of my life be together in person. Peers were already talking about obscure would grant me closure — enough to say goodbye to the people hobbies they wanted to take up during their time off; some even I’m closest to and the place I’ve called home for the past four years. celebrating the cancelation of work they were procrastinating on.

Instead, on March 13, two-and-a-half months earlier than My closest friends had our first Zoom call that night, the beginning planned, I took a 20 minute physics quiz before being shunted of my newfound virtual social life. off to the nurse’s office, and got sent home by 9 a.m. What started In no way am I an outwardly emotional person, which has off as a normal, tedious, TGIF school day would fatefully — and proven to be very confusing for me during this time of grief and abruptly — turn into my last. uncertainty. Regardless, I’m extremely nostalgic and sentimental, My morning routine that Friday was the same as always: grog- so reflecting on the fact that I’m missing my fourth quarter of segily scrambling out of bed at 7:50 a.m. and absentmindedly driv- nior year has, at times, physically hurt. I’m constantly torn between ing to school, one hand on the wheel feeling angry at the world, content and one holding a piece of toast for with this strange sense of freedom What started off as a norbreakfast. As always, I was greeted by that’s come with so much time on my mal, tedious, TGIF school an energetic Mr. Hu, the student teachhands, and just pure sadness. This exer in my physics class, in the doorway perience is something I can’t wrap my day would fatefully — and of room 1701, before sitting next to my head around. abruptly — turn into my last. best friend, Zoe. I wish more than anything to be For obvious reasons (on top of the with the class of 2020 right now, to fact that we’ve been out of school for the past few months), I don’t have danced our hearts out at Prom together, to take four years remember what my quiz was on or really how the rest of the class worth of paperwork and toss it in the air alongside each other, to went. But the next thing I knew, Mr. Lupoli was asking me to go to wear my uncomfortably warm camo pants one last time. Yet simulthe nurse’s office to seek “professional medical attention.” taneously, I don’t know if I could actually go back to Paly after all Yes, I’d been coughing. Nobody knew where it came from, this. I’m in this weird limbo stage between high school and college, but it was clear I wasn’t actually sick as I’d been healthy in every unable to really move forwards or backwards. other aspect. Though gone now, the cough had persisted for over So, I try to reminisce instead of wish. two months — it wasn’t until that week that people started to care.

I miss driving a car with all seven seats filled, stereo blasting It was my first trip to the nurse’s office in my entire time at throwbacks, to go on our next midnight adventure after beating Paly, so at the very least, it was one more thing to check off my Gatos in basketball. I remember the chaotic joy surrounding spirit bucket list before graduating. Mrs. Kleckner, the nurse, checked week; lost voices, spray paint-stained hands, best-dressed titles and my temperature as I coated my hands in hand sanitizer. After being too many Shrek jokes. I treasure the small moments; intramural asked a few questions, I was told it was just a “residual cough,” that volleyball games, late night production shenanigans and surI did not have a fever and that I wasn’t contagious. Yet campus rounding myself with those I love. security was called to collect my things from the classroom before Not being able to have those “lasts” I’ve been looking forescorting me out to the parking lot. ward to is heartbreaking to say the least, but it doesn’t destroy Half laughing, half shocked, I called my mom as I turned the memories I’ve already made. I It doesn’t make me forget the onto El Camino Real, explaining why I was com- people I’ve come to lean on as we’ve grown up together, both ing home. By throughout high school, the time I got and now, this. v

42 JUNE 2020

CAMO CRAZE (left and right) — Members of the class of 2020 sport their army green attire and perform their spirit dance on the last day of spirit week in November. Photos by Amy Liu and Kimi Lillios

ROMAN ROYALTY (far right) — Sporting bedsheet togas, the senior class participates in spirit week cheers in November. Photo by Kimi Lillios

Text by KATE MILNE

P

ULLING INTO THE PARKING LOT on the morning senior make my heart hurt. I love Paly, and I always will. But even of March 13, nothing felt out of the ordinary. I was almost when I biked to Paly to sit on the quad that day school was canlate, an unfortunate second semester habit. Little did I celed to think about all the time I had spent there on the grass, it know, it would be my last day of high school. already didn’t feel like I belonged on campus anymore.

As the bell rang for lunch, the news broke: school was canThe campus that used to make my heart race due to its comceled starting the following Monday. In a matter of seconds, the plexity, bustling student body and seemingly non-navigable maze entire student body knew about this development, and the unprec- of buildings now feels small. I wish I could go back for one more edented announcement didn’t feel real. Although our swim meet perfect mid-spring day, stand on the pavement in a tight circle with that afternoon had been canceled, our coach insisted that we still my friends by the deck at brunch, attend my third period prep come for pizza on the pool deck, and I book club at Peet’s and even get one am glad he did because it ended up being more sunburn during swim practice.

The campus that used to our last gathering of the sort.

I want to race in relays with my I licked my greasy fingers on my teammates, cheer for them behind make my heart race due to walk into Verde, my next class, during the blocks, and dance and sing in the its complex, bustling stuwhich I half-heartedly listened to everylocker room after practice. I want to one digest the situation while helping blow one more bubble ring off the dent body, and seemingly my friend make a TikTok, which now bottom of the pool, eat one more non-navigable maze of serves as evidence of my unorthodox last mid-practice snickers bar. I even day of high school. miss the typically dreaded 100 100s, buildings now feels small.

My last Palo Alto High School swim an annual practice during which we practice happened the next day. I stood on deck as it began to rain, swim six miles. I want to enjoy one more Oscars Band Tribute watching with watery eyes as my teammates did flips off the diving Band Tribute Band live performance, get coffee after school with board and played frisbee in the pool. I will cherish that memory of my friends or get a book recommended to me by librarian Ms. my team, along with the countless others I have made with them Thomas. over the course of the last 3.5 years. I loved being one of their I want to yell “Hi!” to my younger sister across campus once captains and am grateful for all the lessons the role has taught me. more or see her walking with her friends, knowing that she is A couple of weeks later, the team got together on Zoom for growing up to be someone truly remarkable. While I know she no a digital senior night. Instead of standing on the blocks holding longer needs me to show her the way, I will miss little things like roses and proudly announcing to the spectators where we were singing along to the radio as we drive to school together. going to college next year, we shared stories with each other from What I want most now is a yearbook chock-full of signatures our bedrooms. Everyone cried. It didn’t feel right to be apart on and smiley faces from friends and teachers as a tangible memory to a night that senior members had looked forward to since we were look at when I’m older. While I don’t know if I’ll end up getting freshmen. that — maybe I’ll have to wait for our December graduation cerAll the traditions, potential friendships, memories and per- emony — I do know that the countless memories and friendships sonal growth I am missing out on every day as a fourth quarter I’ve made at Paly will stay with me for a long time. v

ABOUT THE AUTHORS (left and top left) — Seniors Kate Milne and Rachel Lit became close friends through Verde. Photo by Rachel Lit

SKO VIKES (right) — Paly students support the boys varsity basketball team on the road to CCS. Photo by Karen Hickey

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Text by ANDIE TETZLAFF

Art by XIAOHAN LI

HALT TO A HARD YEAR JUNIOR CLASS VEXED BY SCHOOL CLOSURES

S

ECOND SEMESTER JUNIOR year is a time that most ing its campus for four weeks. It came as a shock to me, realizing high schoolers dread, yet acknowledge is essential for their that it would be the last time I would see many of my friends and futures. Imagine this: It’s March, you’ve just taken your classmates.

SAT and are prepared to dive into Advanced Placement At first, my twin sister and I felt stuck and a little unmotitest prep. You spend every brunch at Peet’s Coffee chugging your vated. But we kept pushing through the year, keeping up with usual caffeinated drink in a desperate attempt to regain lost ener- our online learning and researching potential colleges. This was gy. You’re excited about spring break, a week packed with college still our second semester junior year, even though it looked a little visits at universities that have caught your eye. If you’re an athlete, different than expected. We decided to quit living in the past — you’re using this year to show off your athletic skills, hoping to hoping for schools to reopen and events to be rescheduled — and draw the attention of college scouts. As summer approaches, you’ll decided to make the most of the present. start your common app essays and the college application process.

Online learning, for now, is the new normal, and with it Like many other juniors, this was my plan for second semes- comes a couple of hardships. Most students have to learn the mater. However, with the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and the terials on their own, and sure, you can schedule zoom meetings consequent school closures and shelter-in-place orders, intricate- with teachers for help, but you don’t get that same in-class experily-planned junior years have been thrown off course, ence. Though at times I struggle to actually learn anything events have been postponed indefinitely and sumwithout the in-class support of my teachers, it’s all mer programs have been canceled. we have at the moment.

Now, everything has moved online.

Even as someone who tends to complain While some may think of this as a relief — about school a lot, the current state of our with many accommodations granted to us lives under the shelter-in-place has taught me due to the unfortunate circumstances — it to stop taking my education for granted. My isn’t. This is an incredibly important time of schooling is something that has always been our high school careers, and we don’t get to an afterthought — a mandatory part of my experience it to the fullest. For many juniors, this daily routine — but I never stop to think about year is crucial for uncovering hidden interests. Perthe joy that it actually brings me. When I think sonally, I discovered a hidden passion for psychology about it, there are many aspects of school that I miss. One and astronomy, but have now lost opportunities to major aspect that I’ll miss are the current seniors. These very sefully connect with these subjects as well as the teachers niors, many of which I’ve grown to love and admire, are leaving who introduced me to them. the Paly community. I’m sad that I wasn’t able to give them a Going into this school year, I was ready to commit proper goodbye. myself to academics and success. When I was a three The novel coronavirus has done a lot of damage in the sport athlete during my first two years of high school, world, taking the lives of many, many people every day I found minimal time to focus on schoolwork, limitand it is very important to continue to comply with the ing my ability to reach my academic goals. This was Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulations, to my year to step up my game and prove to colleges help slow the spread of the deadly respiratory virus. Alwhat I am truly capable of — keeping in mind though college admissions are an incredibly stressful that they value an upwards trajectory. To fully subject right now, it is important to remember the accomplish this, I ended up quitting basketball, bigger picture in this global pandemic. a sport that I truly loved, in order to open up a People everywhere are facing extreme large amount of free time dedicated to studyhardships during this time, making it ing for my upcoming SAT in March, even more important to support one blissfully unaware of what would come another. I am thankful to be a part of next. an incredibly supportive community at When my SAT was canceled the Paly and part of a junior class known day before my test date, I felt a loss of for being a tight-knit group of ambihope. This was the first part of my jutious and spirited students. We’re all nior year that did not go according to going through this together and we’ll HITTING THE BOOKS — My twin sister, Jenna, studplan. Then, on March 13, an announce- ies for her AP exams, which took place from May 11 all make it out of this as more mature, ment revealed that Paly would be clos- through May 22. Photo by Andie Tetzlaff appreciative and genuine people. v

44 JUNE 2020

HAPPY GRADUATION EVAN KANDELL! From the Verde Staff

We’re Fun and French!

Left Bank Brasserie Menlo Park, California (650) 473-6543

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R Letter from g n i o g out the ^editors

TAKING BACK OUR CHANCE TO SAY FAREWELL Text by RACHEL LIT, ALEX FENG and EMMA DONELLY-HIGGINS

46 JUNE 2020

IGHT AS WE WERE in the process of selecting Verde Magazine’s newest leadership team and putting together what was supposed to be the last issue we would work on as editors-in-chief before we passed the torch over to the next generation, everything was put on hold. A pandemic took over the world, school ended abruptly and our time in MAC 105 came to a screeching halt. We suddenly canceled the next print edition, and had to figure out how to organize a fragmented staff over Zoom and publish breaking news without in-person instruction, while continuing to uphold Verde’s journalistic integrity in our culminating weeks as editors.

A few months later, we are all safe at home, finishing up schoolwork, and we seniors are looking forward to the (small and socially distanced) graduation celebrations ahead. Though we missed our chance to say goodbye in the form of an editor letter in March, we still wanted to give this publication a proper send-off. Producing the past four issues of Verde has been the crowning achievement of our time in high school; more than being bonded over production dinners, we’ve learned how to keep moving forward even when we don’t have the answers — something we’re grateful for now more than ever.

A year ago, we suddenly became editors. While we expected the transition to be daunting, we were unprepared for the rapid shift in perspective and approach that comes with going from students to quasi-teachers in a matter of days. With 26

perspectives v new staffers and only 11 returning mem- itself as a constant. But our ability to keep at the start of every class and our unassigned bers, we were truly in for the most thrilling, moving forward proved that we could find assigned seating chart — even sitting on the stressful and unpredictable journey. It was a a way and gave us the confidence that we cushioned ottomans in our adviser’s freezing memorable year, to say the least. would be capable of doing so again. We cold office — made Verde one of the most Though this job on paper had clear cut leaned heavily on these experiences as we comforting and unforgetful parts of our dairesponsibilities — leading class, managing adapted pandemic news coverage, robust ly routines. logistics, exporting the final print pages leadership selection processes and this final This publication has the capability to and, of course, editing stories — the novel issue (although full credit bring people together like situations we encountered throughout the for this goes to our succesno other high school class What we’ll miss year required more creative and much less sors) to online platforms can. Ultimately, what we’ll straightforward approaches. And the truth and remote work. Beyond most is having 36 miss most is having 36 is, we weren’t always sure how to handle Verde, our takeaways also misfits in the same lovable misfits in lovable these challenges. guided our personal reacroom, all of whom we’ve In November, coverage of an exciting tions to the coronavirus’s the same room. been able to create relabreaking news story became a kerfuffle with impact on our home and tionships with in the most campus supervisors. Unsure of the extent school lives, and provided strength for us to unexpected, life-changing ways. of our own press protections and confront- — you guessed it — keep pushing forward.

To our 2019-2020 staff: Thank you for ed with a situation challenging these rights, We couldn’t be prouder of the way sitting shotgun with us on this extraordiwe educated ourselves Verde has handled each nary, wild ride. We’re incredibly grateful to through calls with the and every challenge have gotten to know each and every one of We’ve learned Student Press Law Centhrown its way. Watching you as you came to embrace your roles as ter and careful readings of how to keep the magazine’s 100th is- true journalists. Cheers to all the hard work state press law. What we come to life this year you’ve accomplished — hopefully we can moving forward sue thought would end as just was an honor in itself, celebrate in person with Trader Joe’s yogurt another editorial exploded even when we and witnessing our staff cups soon. into publicity that gave grow — both cohesiveTo the staff taking the baton: We’re don’t have the other student journalists ly bonded through late waiting avidly for the ambitious stories the opportunity to learn answers. nights in the lab as well you’ll tell. And we’re equally envious and from our experiences. as individually improved excited for the new frontiers you’ll have a Similarly, a comment questioning the in their journalistic skills — is something chance to explore, and the wisdom you’ll veracity of a news story transformed into a we will appreciate for years to come. gain along the way — just remember to chance for us to push our frontiers. Verde’s There are a million lessons, practical share your lessons generously. first fact-checking story on the Salvation and conceptual, that we’ve learned from our To the future of Verde: Keep pushing Army’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ time on staff, from the how-to’s of student boundaries. Advocate for the community, community furthered our confidence be- leadership to the importance of empathetic but don’t forget to advocate for yourselves hind our work. community connections. At the same time, too. Regardless of the opposition you might Each step was initially unsteady and we find ourselves reminiscing about the receive, stand up for the challenging stories racked with nerves, and doubt established small things. Ringing the turtle-shaped bell worth telling. v

SPIRITED STAFF — The Verde Magazine Fall 2019 staff poses (bottom) in their costumes for Spirit Week Generations Day, where seniors dressed as senior citizens and juniors dressed as business professionals. Then-editors-in-chief Alex Feng, Emma Donelly-Higgins and Rachel Lit showed off their cooking skills (top left) on the same day, after they had made surprise pancakes for the staff. Art by Samantha Ho

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