Verde Volume 23 Issue 4

V. WATCHING WAR FROM AFAR Support local refugees, pg. 6 Ukrainian reflections, pg. 14 Speaking out, pg. 18 VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 1

2 APRIL 2022

VERDE MAGAZINE April 2022 Volume 23 Issue 4 Editors-in-Chief Paisley Annes Sebastian Bonnard Akhil Joondeph (hybrid) Emily Yao (digital)

ON THE COVER Okana and Svyatoslav Stus sing and speak out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine at a recent rally in Redwood City. Editor-in-Chief Sebastian Bonnard captures in this image the fear, solidarity and hope the local Ukrainian community is experiencing as the future of their families and homeland remains uncertain.

Publication Policy Verde Magazine, a news and features 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 Rd Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Advertising The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Verde, please contact business managers Andrew Xue and Kieran Zajac at verdebusiness5@gmail.com.

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

Managing Editors Jerry Fang Merwa Marof Features Editors Sadie Ibbotson-Brown Dominique Lashley Profiles Editor Sasha Boudtchenko Culture Editor Anya Mondragon Perspectives Editor Meena Narayanaswami Editorials Editors Andy Robinson Ashmita Rajmohan News Editors Bella Daly Jonas Pao Launch Editors Aanya Kumar Olivia Milne Design Editor Sofia Antebi

Copy Editors Sasha Boudtchenko Sadie Ibbotson-Brown Multimedia Managers Alexis Chiu Melody Xu Business Managers Andrew Xue Kieran Zajac Social media Managers Ajin Jeong Allegra West Photography Director Ines Legrand Art Director Blair Migdal Webmaster Annum Hashmi Staff Writers Carlota Blanco Palina Kuzmina Ines Legrand Yash Shetty Miya Whiteley Gopala Varadarajan Esther Xu Adviser Paul Kandell

Statisticians Jerry Fang Allegra West

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 3

In this issue Foreword

Editorials 6 Launch 8 News 10

Obituaries

Ernesto Cruz Radu Toma

12 13

Features

Ukrainian community reacts Protesting Ukrainian war Active shooter drill Minority mental health Eating disorders Early Childhood Development Teaching the Holcaust Book Banning

14 18 20 22 24 26 28 30

Profiles

AP Research projects Behind the dog Jasmine Kapadia Addison Lee

32 34 36 37

Culture

Sweet Maple Louise Nevelson’s ‘Mirage’ ‘The Batman’ Wildseed Unsent messages

UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY REACTS pg. 14

38 40 42 44 46

Perspectives

Rice Eastern Orthodox Easter Indie bookstores Legalizing drugs

49 50 52 54

PROTESTING UKRAINIAN WAR pg. 18 4 APRIL 2022

ADDISON LEE pg. 37

WILDSEED pg. 44

AP RESEARCH pg. 32

BEHIND THE DOG pg. 34

ECD pg. 26

FROM THE EDITORS

GRIEF AND GRATITUDE “Let’s just skip the news and acknowledge that the world is a terrible place,” our adviser, Paul Kandell, told us at the beginning of one of our most recent Verde class periods, suggesting we forego our daily habit of listening to the news summary on National Public Radio. With the effects of strife and loss, past and present, abroad and close by, the world is a bit of a downer — to put it lightly. But as journalists, we have the unique power not only to tell the stories of the grieving, but to comfort them with our coverage.

We were inspired, not to turn off the depressing nature of the news, but to find our way to be useful in the face of it. This issue centers around tragedy — and our ways of coping with it.

Our cover story, “Eyes on Ukraine,” explores how members of our local community are responding to atrocities in Ukraine. Editor-in-Chief Sebastian Bonnard and staff writer Carlota Blanco capture the grief, hope and angst felt by Ukrainian-Americans, activists and the broader community during this time of strife.

In our editorial, “Support local refugees,” our staff takes a stance in support of those displaced by wars abroad, advocating for action from our readers. We hope our unified call-to-action will inspire you to join us in supporting such a dire cause.

Beyond present conflicts, past tragedies continue to haunt many community members, evoking generations of trauma that contribute to unique experiences and perspectives. In “Teaching the Holocaust,” Editorials Editor Andy Robinson and Business Manager Kieran Zajac examine how recent antisemitic hate crimes have led some in the Jew-

ish community to re-evaluate how Jewish history and the Holocaust are taught in schools.

Tragedy and grief is not just felt in the effects of distant wars. The recent passing of two school icons, Ernesto Cruz and Radu Toma, compelled us to include obituaries in our magazine for the first time in recent issues. Managing Editor Merwa Marof, Social Media Manager Ajin Jeong, Design Editor Sofia Antebi and staff writer Gopala Varadarajan capture the spirits of Cruz and Toma in “Commemorating campus legends.”

Many are working however to mitigate the effects of adversity on all members of our community. In “Opening doors to support,” Perspectives Editor Meena Narayanaswami and Multimedia Manager Alexis Chiu investigate the ways in which racial minorities are uniquely affected by mental health struggles, and discuss the ways in which some are amending their practices to serve the unique psychological needs of all.

Though this issue may not be our most uplifting selection of works, it encapsulates the goals of us as editors — to amplify the voices of the silenced and to comfort the afflicted. A hallmark of our time leading Verde has been increasing our equity and reporting on underrepresented communities, telling their stories and using our power as journalists to inspire change. And as we leave you, our readers, with this final issue under our leadership, we hope you feel both comforted and moved by the stories highlighted within this magazine’s pages.

—PAISLEY, SEBASTIAN, AKHIL, EMILY

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the verdicts

Art by ESTHER XU

Support local refugees CONTRIBUTE DONATIONS, TIME AND EFFORT

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VER 2 MILLION refugees will leave Afghanistan this calendar year, with 50% expected to be children, according to projections from the United Nations Refugee Agency. More than 76,000 refugees have arrived so far in the United States by Feb. 19, as reported by the Department of Homeland Security. A continent away, close to 3 million refugees have fled Ukraine as Russian shelling has made many major Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.

As sociopolitical conflicts ensue in their respective homelands, millions of displaced people are seeking safety in the United States. For these refugees, restarting their lives in a foreign country can be a formidable task.

As crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine rage on, we urge the Palo Alto community to learn more about the current situation, and support refugees through financial or physical contributions to re-settlement organizations.

Contributions One of the easiest ways to help refugees is to donate to

6 APRIL 2022

volunteer organizations that help with the co-executive director of Refugee & Immigrant Transitions. resettlement process.

According to Pak, the best way to Len Lehman leads an Afghan Sponsor Circle in the Bay Area, a group of vol- support Ukrainian refugees right now is unteers who are matched with an Afghan through community-organized efforts, like the Facebook family and help setgroup “Accotle them into AmerThis is naturally a place modation, Help ican life. & Shelter for “This [the Bay that many Afghan refuUkraine” that was Area] is naturally a recently created place that many ... gees ... request for settlefor Ukrainian refrequest,” Lehman ment ... it’s also one of the ugees to connect said. “It’s also one of with potential the most expensive most expensive.” volunteer helpers places in the world — LEN LEHMAN, Afghan Sponsor Circle leader in other countries to live.” and receive access By donating to organizations like the Sponsor Circle, you to shelter, jobs and support. can help monetarily support refugees in Research such an expensive locale.

If you do not have the means to donate Your dollar can also enable the creation of community help centers. For Sedique money or time to supporting refugees right Popal, president of the board of directors now, we urge you to spend a few minutes at Noor Islamic and Cultural Community educating yourself on the current situation.

“We [Bay Area residents] live in a very Center, donations to his organization will allow them to create a center to provide comfortable place, and it’s easy for us to refugee families with childcare and food, as just not want to hear about the suffering that’s taking place elsewhere in the world in well as create care packages. many places,” Lehman said. “But we need to [hear about it] … especially those who Volunteering Volunteering to teach, babysit or care are now within our borders and are trying for children of refugees is another way to to be resettled.” v help them adjust to life in the U.S. Many refugees come to the country Scan the QR code below to access a list with little education, technological skills of resources to learn more, donate, and or understanding of English, proficiencies volunteer necessary for almost every job. Teaching these skills would allow them to access greater financial security in America.

The Ukrainian refugee situation differs from that of Afghanistan in one critical way: its legality.

“We’re not going to see the masses of people from Ukraine … like folks might imagine, because the legal pathways here are very restricted,” said Jane Pak, the

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

Editorial cartoon: climate change

Schoolwide advisory changes CONTINUE LISTENING TO STUDENT COMMITTEE

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HE STUDENT ADVISORY levels with different requirements is not a Committee seeks to improve simple task and the heads of the Advisory the Advisory curriculum based program, with input from the SAC, have on student and teacher feed- adequately accommodated students’ needs back, according to through the Ann Deggelman, We hope to see the matetransition back who runs the group. to in-person The Palo Alto High rial presented in a more school.

School committee engaging format.

H o w e v e r, meets monthly to the current Addiscuss feedback that visory model they collect from still has room their peers and teachers, in addition to the for improvement. For one, the curriculum results of the voluntary annual form filled is often unengaging, which student and out by students across all grade levels. The adult members of the committee acknowlform includes reflections on personal advi- edge. sory experiences, and facilitates suggestions According to Megha Madhabhushi, to improve the curriculum. junior and member of the SAC, students We commend the committee’s and would like to see fewer slideshow lessons administration’s efforts to listen to student during Advisory periods. and teacher voices and reform the Advisory “Something like an interactive partner model. Finding balance between four grade activity where you plan each other’s day

makes the period more fun and actually helps students understand the lesson more,” Madhubhashi said.

We understand that the information in advisory slideshows is essential, but hope to see the material presented in a more engaging format.

Madhabhushi and the committee also hope to see Advisory used in new ways that would foster greater community wellbeing.

“We want to add to the current curriculum … mental health break days and bonding days to increase Advisory connectivity through games held inside classrooms, or even on the Quad,” Madhabhushi said.

We commend the SAC for their nuanced suggestions, and stand by their goals.

We hope to see Advisory lessons taught in ways that can be more engaging and interactive with students, and see Advisory periods used to cultivate community and connection within each Advisory class. v

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 7

launch ASB ANSWERS

WITH MICAIAH ACOSTA

What makes an ideal ASB candidate in your opinion?

How is the student body reacting to the new mask-optional policy?

An ideal ASB candidate is someone who not only is confident in their abilities, but is also open to change and improvement. I think it is crucial to have flexibility because there are a lot of moving parts to everything and one minor thing could change it all.

Being able to communicate and be a team-player is essential, as in ASB you will find yourself working with others a lot. ASB officers are more collaborative than not, and not knowing how to work with others may cause setbacks.

I feel like the student body has been very respectful of others’ choices when it comes to masking. While some may not agree with the update and others do, the amount of respect people have for each other and their decisions is significant. I personally have not heard of any problems that the masking policy update has created for people, so in my eyes, so far so good. ­Photo: Olivia Milne

CREATIVE ATTENTION: ART AND COMMUNITY RESTORATION The Palo Alto Art Center is holding an exhibition featuring art based on the theme of protecting one’s well-being and identity in an everchanging world. The exhibit will be on display until May 21, and features 18 local artists. Intrigued by the unique theme, we talked to the artists’ teams about their work.

CALEDONIA CURRY (“SWOON”) —

“Swoon,” or artist Caledonia Curry, is displaying her work “Memento Mori 2,” focused on Curry’s late mother and her battle with cancer. The piece features three figures, representing Curry, her mother and her child.

Curry said she is an advocate for street art, preferring it over classical painting.

“I studied art very traditionally, and

working outside [of traditional art spaces] was a way to make something in a space that I felt was my own,” Curry said.

“A city wall was mine more than a classical oil painting was mine.”

Curry reflected on the lessons she has learned throughout her career.

“I’m developing new life objectives I never knew I had, about expanding consciousness and creating cultural healing through art,” Curry said.

where, having to create your own world to fit into,” Hernandez said.

In the center of the quilt, the phrase “Siempre Pienso en el Ayer” is stitched in Spanish, meaning “Always Thinking About Yesterday”.

Hernandez included this lyric as an ode to the music his mother listened to during his childhood.

“It’s about relearning my language while owning it and seeing it in a different way,” Hernandez said.

­Photos: Merwa Marof Text by Merwa Marof and Olivia Milne

“MEMENTO MORI 2”

ALEXANDER HERNANDEZ — “ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT YESTERSAY”

Mexican-American artist Alexander Hernandez’s work, “Always Thinking About Yesterday,” is made of various American and Mexican fabrics, stitched into a quilt to convey the experience of being a first generation immigrant.

“I use patchwork as a way to talk about intersectional identities and never feeling like you belong any-

8 APRIL 2022

Photos by OLIVIA MILNE

UPCOMING EVENTS 4/20

Paly YCS Service Day

4/29

Deadline for dropping a class

4/29

Paly Choirs Spring Concert

4/30

Paly Spring Dance Show

5/7

May Fete Parade

5/9

Paly Jazz Concert

FLOWERS BLOOMING ON CAMPUS THIS SPRING PEAR BLOSSOM

Text and design by AANYA KUMAR and OLIVIA MILNE

HOW ARE YOU CELEBRATING EARTH DAY? “I’m going to walk to school on Earth Day so I don’t emit CO2 into the atmosphere on a day where we celebrate and try to preserve our earth.” ­­— Neela Rao, senior

“I’ll probably eat more veggies instead of any meat whatsoever and remember to water my plants to care for them.” ­— Declan Baker, freshman “Everyday, I try my best to recycle and compost correctly, but my elderly neighbors have some trouble, so my plan is to go over to my neighbors house and help them sort their waste.” ­— Trey Collins, sophomore

ACE OF HEARTS’ REDBUD

TEXAS RANGER

“I’m going to play some music with my friends on the Quad to raise awareness about Earth Day and the environment by getting students to come outside.” ­— Phela Durosinmi, junior “I’m gonna paint in nature because it’s something I love to do. It grounds me and helps me appreciate my surroundings more in the beautiful world we live in.” ­— Stella Donahue, senior

Art: Blair Midgal

BUSH GERMANDER

Art: Reese Ford

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 9

news Campus notes: Seniors begin elimination Palo Alto High School seniors are participating in the annual gradewide tag game, Senior Elimination.

“It [Senior Elimination] is something that a lot of people really look forward to their senior year,” Senior Class President Mathew Signorello-Katz said. “Especially after having school online, being able to do this in-person with the whole grade has excited a lot of the people and created a sense of class spirit, even though of course, you have people against each other.”

by BELLA DALY ksdfasdfadsf

Bill could decrypt police radio Police departments across the state, including in Palo Alto, would be required to decrypt their radio messages under a new bill proposed by state Sen. Josh Becker.

“We are losing our right to know … and this country has been based on the public’s right to know about what’s going on in their government,” Palo Alto Online Columnist Diana Diamond said.

by MELODY XU Music students to attend festival Palo Alto High School’s band and orchestra will be competing in the California Music Education Association spring music festival on April 8-22, 2022.

“COVID definitely had an impact on how we played last year,” orchestra member and sophomore Alyssa Lin said. “Online was so much harder to play as a group and it wasn’t very interesting but we recently heard that we would have the opportunity to play at CMEA. I’m really excited.”

by JONAS PAO

10 APRIL 2022

STUDIOUS STUDENT — Senior Noah Adesnik finishes up his Living Skills notes after watching a documentary about happiness. The summer school Living Skills class will only be offered online to rising seniors. “Living Skills is a class that is not offered at many high schools in the country, and it's a good opportunity to learn important skills,” Adesnik said. Photo: Jonas Pao

District scales back summer classes

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UMMER ONLINE LIVING SKILLS and Economics courses will be offered to rising seniors by Palo Alto Unified School District, but the pandemic-born Kickstart Summer Program, designed to decrease student class size, will be discontinued, according to PAUSD board member Jesse Ladomirak in the March 8 meeting.

Both of these realities are due to limited staffing, mainly as a result of the pandemic. These staffing issues are restricting the number of Living Skills and Economics summer school classes, and forcing the school board to end its successful Kickstart Summer Program, which had the fortunate

effect of decreasing student class load, according to the school board.

“We do have staffing issues,” Superintendent Don Austin said. “Last year, we expanded summer school, because we wanted to reduce the number of students sitting in classrooms. ... What happened practically, is we had to hire teachers from outside of the school district because we could not staff our own teachers.”

This model was deemed impractical for PAUSD, but the district will still continue with other classes available for sign up on April 1.

by ALLEGRA WEST

California Avenue will stay car free

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ALIFORNIA AVENUE WILL remain car-free until December 2023, according to a Palo Alto City Council 5-2 vote in late February.

For the street’s multitude of restaurants, the outdoor seating made possible

by California Avenue’s car closure helped boost business.

“I think it’s a great idea because it’s kind of like a European environment,” Kali Greek Kitchen employee Matt Hosur

said. “Also, California Avenue is not needed for traffic; it’s a dead end if you continue.”

The council also voiced unanimous support for major improvements to the promenade, citing Santa Barbara’s innovative State Street as its main inspiration.

The Council will hold a future meeting to formally approve specific improvements to the street.

by MELODY XU

Homework policy to be revisited

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ALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL District’s Board of Education plans on revisiting the homework policy for seven-period days, following a survey taken by secondary school students.

While the majority of the results were positive, homework being assigned on seven-period days was a noticeable problem; according to the survey, 66 percent of secondary school students have been assigned homework due on a seven-period day, a clear violation of the school's policy.

“I have had some teachers assign homework on a seven-period day,” Palo Alto High School sophomore Watson Koegler said. “It is frustrating because it is hard to prepare for and usually takes a lot of time out of the weekend.”

Board of Education President Kenneth Dauber echoed these sentiments during the Feb. 22 meeting.

“It’s disappointing to see that students are reporting some level of non-compliance with aspects around homework being due on seven-period days,” Dauber said.

The results have prompted a request for more data, as well as an inquiry into which classes are the source of this problem.

“Because of the survey, the staff is aware that there is more work to be done and they are committed to continuing to work toward full compliance with Board policy,” Board of Education Vice President Jennifer DiBrienza said. “The staff has indicated that they are interested in looking more closely at the data to see if there is a particular school, department, grade level, or teachers who still need support in aligning with the directive.”

by YASH SHETTY

Local student polyglot wins $60,000

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PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL student who speaks nine languages is $60,000 richer after finishing eighth in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2022, held in Washington D.C. last week.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search, an 80-year-old science competition that looks for students who have done outstanding STEM research, generally gets 2,000 applications and awards $1.8 million to winners of the competition according to the competition’s press release.

“For the first time in two years, we have been able to gather in-person to celebrate the next generation of scientific leaders," said President and CEO of Society for Science Maya Ajmera in a press release.

Senior Neil Rathi analyzed similarities between languages using artificial intelligence for

a year and a half.

“It was really exciting,” Rathi said. “I had never really considered applying for this competition because it’s very STEM-focused and I like doing a lot of humanities and STEM. One thing that’s really important to me is the fact that it shows that they’re able to recognize that there is a value in the humanities and STEM and their connection together and bridging that gap.”

While winning this award was a great milestone for Rathi, he said he is still looking forward.

“In the future, I’m considering doing more research in linguistics,” Rathi said. “One very probable career path [for myself ] is going into academia and being a professor, and so I want to continue doing this kind of work."

by JONAS PAO Photo: Yash Shetty

Board discusses Cubberly renovation Under a plan authorized at the Board of Education meeting on March 8, the Palo Alto Unified School District will conduct four projects at the Cubberly Community Center.

Safety improvements will be made to the Greendale, a preschool and elementary school inside of Cubberly, and Cubberley parking lot, according to Director of Facilities and Construction Eric Holm.

Furthermore, the Cubberly pavilion will be upgraded, according to information provided by the Palo Alto Board Meeting website.

Because the electrical capacity is insufficient in provide power to all classrooms, the electrical infrastructure at Cubberly will be renovated, according to the school board.

Finally, a $171,000 portable restroom will be purchased and incorporated it into Cubberley infrastructure.

“To solve our bathroom facility need at Cubberley ... we looked at remodeling the building and putting in restrooms,” Holm said. “We felt given the unusual nature of the site and the uncertain future long term, that the best thing to do would be [to] bring in a portable building that we would purchase and place down.”

by CARLOTA BLANCO

CONVERTING CUBBERLY — Construction workers build a sidewalk to Greendale School, an elemetary school in Cubberly, one of many renovations.

"We proposed $1.5 million for the temp [temporary] campus,” Director of Facilities and Construction Eric Holm said.

Photo: Jonas Pao

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 11

Text by GOPALA VARADARAJAN and SOFIA ANTEBI

COMMEMORATING ERNESTO CRUZ’S IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY

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XUBERANT. Energetic. Optimistic. Palo Alto High School history teacher John Bungarden used these words to describe Campus Supervisor Ernesto Cruz, who passed away on Mar. 19. From ensuring students’ safety in his trusty golf cart to beaming his smile as they passed, Cruz will be remembered as a beloved campus supervisor and pillar of the Paly community.

“Ernesto was one of the most genuinely kind people on the Paly campus,” Senior Class President Mathew Signorello-Katz said. “He went out of his way to make everyone’s day just a little

bit better.” on the soccer field, he became the friend Cruz grew up playing soccer in the of countless Paly students and staff, if not streets of El Salvador, his birthplace, but everyone. was forced to move to the Bay Area during “It always just made my day to know the Salvadoran Civil War. After tirelessly that I could rely and count on seeing this working to improve his super friendly guy English at the San Franevery day at school,” cisco Community Col- More than any job junior Elizabeth Fetlege, Cruz was hired in ter said. title, Ernesto was a 2004 as a Paly campus As campus susupervisor and later as friend, a friend to the pervisor, Cruz also the girl’s varsity soccer provided assistance students, the faculty, coach. to students in addi“I was one of the the Palo Alto commu- tion to his amiable only two freshmen on character. nity. I think that evthe team, but I still feel “I was driving like he really listened eryone can be a little around by myself when I was talking,” and I got stuck in a more like Ernesto.” senior Katherine Thombush … and Ernessen said. “He always — MATHEW SIGNORELLA-KATZ, to thankfully found senior class president me, and he offered made time for me and was really respectful … to get in my car and I always really apprecipull it out safely,” juated that.” nior Anna Markesky said.

As a soccer coach, Cruz was moStudents and teachers alike said they tivated not by the goal of winning feel a void on campus without Cruz’s exunumerous games, but by making berant presence. a genuine difference in the lives “There’s an emptiness not seeing him of the players he coached. and not talking to him,” sociology teacher “That’s my passion, to Benjamin Bolanos said. “It’s a big loss for have a kid who nobody wants us; you can definitely feel it.” and give them hope [to] Signorello-Katz said the best way for start enjoying the game,” the community to honor Cruz’s life is to inCruz said in an interview ternalize his kind and gracious spirit. with Verde Magazine last “More than any job title, Ernesto was a year. friend, a friend to the students, the faculty, Not only did Cruz the Palo Alto community,” Signorello-Katz form strong relation- said. “I think that everyone can be a little ships with his athletes more like Ernesto.” v

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12 APRIL 2022

That’s my passion, to have a kid who nobody wants and give them hope [to] start enjoying the game.”

— ERNESTO CRUZ, in an interview with Verde Magazine last year

obituaries

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CAMPUS LEGENDS Text by AJIN JEONG and MERWA MAROF

LOOKING BACK ON RADU TOMA’S PALY LEGACY

theless supported and cared about them.

“Although his class was rigorous, the lessons I’ve learned from him I’ll never forget,” freshman Aleksey Valouev, who was in Toma’s Algebra 2 and Trigonometry class in eighth grade, said. “Beyond just teaching math, he has taught me valuable lessons in work ethic and perseverance, which have had a huge impact on my life today. His lighthearted, yet professional personality RILLIANT, HILARIOUS and and manner of teaching had a lasting imdeeply humane. That is how Palo pact on all of his students.”

Alto High School math teacher Toma’s love for teaching was apparent Scott Friedland describes Radu in his constant encouragement during his Calin Toma, the long-time math teacher lessons. who retired last year and who passed away “You could see by the way he taught Feb. 13. his class that he loved his students more “He was a true leader — thoughtful, than anything else,” senior Sam Duong, insightful and commitwho was in Toma’s ted to making things Algebra 2 and Trigobetter,” Friedland said. He was a true leader nometry class during “Paly was made a much — thoughtful, insighthis sophomore year, better place by his pressaid. “He was someence. And he will be ful and committed to one who made sure missed.” making things better.” that every student A supportive inwas learning.”

— SCOTT FRIEDLAND, math teacher structor, mentor and His support exfriend to many within tended beyond his the Paly community, Toma made a lasting math class; Duong appreciated Toma’s efimpact on much of the Paly community. fort to alleviate stress on students.

Born in Brasov, Romania in 1961, “He was well aware of the pressures Toma graduated from the University of Bu- students felt being surrounded by other charest with a bachelor’s degree in Mathe- overachieving students and made sure he matics in 1985 and moved to California, was fostering an environment that didn’t where he received a master’s degree in add to the pressure,” Duong said.

Mathematics Education at California State University, East Bay, in 1994. He became A friend, a family member an associate professor at Cañada College in For others such as math teacher Na1998, where he taught mathematics. talie Docktor, Toma was like family.

Toma spent 27 years at Paly. He was Docktor met Toma in 1994, when a math teacher from 1994 until his retire- he was first hired at the Paly math dement in 2021 and the instructional super- partment. Since then, she developed a visor for the Math Department from 2007 close relationship with Toma, walking to 2016. during their breaks and eating lunch Toma is survived by his daughter, together.

Emma Toma, who attended Paly.

“He was a very dynamic guy,” Docktor said. “I became very close A teacher, a supporter friends. We knew each other before eiMany of Toma’s students remember ther of us were married and had kids.” his strict teaching style, but agree he noneDocktor described the Math De-

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Art by BLAIR MIGDAL

partment as a family for its members.

“We would get together at Christmas, the beginning of the year, end of the year parties, and all of our kids would come,” Docktor said. “So our kids kind of grew up together too. Radu was a part of the math department family.”

Docktor remembered Toma’s passion for adventures through sports and traveling. Toma had traveled to over 80 countries, and was excited to add even more countries to the list.

Toma will be missed by his family, colleagues and students alike.

“He was my friend.

He was my colleague.

He was someone I could go to with any issue I had about teaching,” Docktor said. “Radu was just a really great guy.

He was there for all of us, and he had a good perspective on life. I’m gonna miss him.” v

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 13

Text by SEBASTIAN BONNARD and CARLOTA BLANCO

Photos by EMILY YAO and SEBASTIAN BONNARD

EYES ON UKRAINE LOCAL UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY REACTS TO WAR

PROTESTING FOR PEACE — Protestors at a rally in Redwood City pose for a group photo. Diana Lutska, who is Ukrainian and can be seen holding the wooden sign, spoke at the gathering. “This will change the course of history,” Lutska said. “And I think that we should all try to make an impact. We can just talk to our friends, talk to our family, inform people of the actual news, not the fake news that Russia is spreading. We need to spread awareness and support Ukrainians support Ukraine. You can send money, speak out. “ Photo: Sebastian Bonnard

14 APRIL 2022

“I

DIDN’T GO OUTSIDE, apart from school. I was just stuck in the news. The whole time.”

Palo Alto High School senior Dmytro Krayilo takes a short, sharp breath as he recounts his whereabouts on Feb. 24, the day he learned that Russia was invading his homeland Ukraine.

“I found out at 7:40 p.m. It was on a Wednesday. I was finishing up homework, and I was going to go to the gym,” Krayilo said. “I found out and … for a solid four days I couldn’t do any homework.”

On the eve of the invasion, a high-precision missile struck an airfield in Ivano-Frankivsk, as confirmed by The Guardian. Videos of the attack were soon widely circulated on social media, and became the first of countless that Krayilo would watch. He said he felt an instant fear for his aunt, who lives in Ivano-Frankivsk, but also for what was in store for the future of his homeland.

“I wasn’t sure whether the city was getting bombed or … what was happening,” Krayilo said. “That was worrying.”

Contextualizing the confict After a decade of tension following conflicts in Crimea and the Donbas, Russia invaded Ukraine, a Eastern-European country of 44 million, on Feb. 24 –– an invasion labeled a “special military operation” by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Soon after, high-powered missiles struck Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa and other cities as Russian troops cascaded into Ukraine from the Russian and Belarussian borders. With the world stunned by the escalation that brought war to Europe for the first time in 70 years, many looked for answers for the brazen invasion that many experts regard as an act of Russian irredentism.

“It’s about Ukraine attempting to transition to liberal democratic values when Putin wants the states around Russia to be autocratic,” Kathryn Stoner, a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and political science professor at Stanford, said. “Putin is pulling down an iron curtain in Europe again.”

Ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukrainians have valued their sovereignty and democracy,

resisting Kremlin influence and growing increasingly pro-West.

“Ukraine continues to look to the west for its future, not to Russia,” Stoner said. “That also includes a pretty robust … democracy in Ukraine, and there’s a demonstration effect.”

Spearheaded by defiant President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and with martial law prohibiting males of ages 18-60 from leaving the country, Ukrainians have volunteered to defend their country en masse.

“They’ve [Ukrainian government] handed out thousands of AK-47s in Kyiv alone for, basically, local self-defense,” Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said. “The Ukrainians are resisting fiercely, and with determination.”

The images of missile-battered cities and fleeing Ukrainians sparked protests around the globe, reaching the Bay Area with demonstrations in Palo Alto, San Francisco and San Jose.

For Ukrainians in Silicon Valley, the conflict in their home country has affected them beyond rising commodity prices: fearing for loved ones as well as Ukraine’s independence, the uncertainty of the war takes its toll.

Looking at

“

the map, and what's been taken, Russia has already lost the war. They can't win. They can at most get the dead cities that have been bombed into ashes."

Dymtro Krayilo While visiting family in western Ukraine in April 2021, Krayilo attended school in Lviv for eight months when the borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though he returned to Palo Alto in January of 2021, all of his extended family still lives in Ukraine.

Krayilo speaks of the air raid sirens that pierce Lviv every time a fighter jet takes off from Belarus or Russia; as a result, three of his former classmates have volunteered to join the Ukrainian military.

“They are serving in the outposts to control people coming in and out of the

— DYMTRO KRAYILO, Ukrainian senior

city. So they didn’t go full-on fight[ing],” Krayilo said. “If the war ends up going to Lviv, they are going to be there with guns.”

Like many Ukrainians, Krayilo said he believes NATO should do more to help the Ukrainian resistance but understands their limitations.

“Yesterday alone, a maternity hospital was bombed,” Krayilo said. “They [Russian army] just killed the next generation of the people of a nation.”

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 15

“

I​​ hope that Russian citizens are able to step up. And I also think it's worth noting that the majority of Russian citizens are very much against this and it’s just instigated by Putin.”

— MADISON ABBASSI, Ukrainian-American senior

“

Madison Abbassi For many Ukrainian-Americans like senior Madison Abbassi, maintaining optimism has been difficult. However, Ukraine’s president has provided hope by staying in Ukraine and leading his country’s resistance to the Russian invasion.

“Zelensky is incredible,” Abbassi said. “He had the opportunity to leave Ukraine but said, ‘I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.’ He’s been the perfect symbol of resistance.”

To Abbassi and her family, the con-

flict between the two countries was unexpected, since ethnic Russians and Ukrainians often live alongside each other in Ukraine — 18% of the Ukrainian population is ethnically Russian, according to the CIA. “There’s a very unique relationship between Russia and Ukraine,” Abbassi said. “It’s very much like sisters and brothers, cousins, wives and husbands.”

Hungary, and Austria, where they have some friends,” Shinsky said. “Not everybody has this opportunity.”

Despite a united front, fear of Russia’s manpower has made Ukrainians uncertain of where Putin will stop.

“I know that nobody wants World War III, but I’m afraid we are already in it,” Shinsky said. “I don’t see Putin stopping at Ukraine.”

Natalie Shinsky Paly grandmother Natalie Shinsky, who was born in Donetsk –– a territory now controlled by Russian separatists –– said she was surprised by Putin’s invasion. “[Though] members of my immediate family since who have been in the US since Putin’s invasion of Donetsk in 2014 were worried, my distant relatives in Kyiv were pretty calm, and believed that Putin was just bluffing,” Shinsky said.

Shinsky said though her family has been fortunate to escape Ukraine earlier this year, many others have not been so lucky.

“Thanks God, they were able to escape from Kyiv first to the Mukachevo, [a] small town on the West border of Ukraine with Hungary, then to

Jeannet Kiessling Paly parent Jeannet Kiessling has helped the underprivileged in Ukraine for the last 10 years. As president of kleine herzen, a German nonprofit, Kiessling has

Glory to Ukraine and its people! My older sister … told me today with tears in her voice, that she didn’t know she loves Ukraine that much. Putin’s invasions really united Ukrainians as a nation.”

— NATALIE SHINSKY, Ukrainian-born American

16 APRIL 2022

CHAMPIONING CHANGE — Olena Tomkiv, a volunteer and social media lead for Nova Ukraine, speaks at a rally in Redwood City. She, like many Ukrainians, implores Americans to take a more active stance in supporting the Ukrainian resistance. “America is about immigrants, America builds on people coming from all over the world and fighting for freedoms,” Tomkiv said. “And I feel like today, America stands by the Liberty, but kind of from afar.” Photo: Sebastian Bonnard

helped fund and organize the education and housing of Ukrainian orphans.

“Before the war, we were helping orphans, street children, refugees, because the war has been going on for many since the 2014 invasion of the Donbas,” Kiessling said. “And when the recent war started, we had to let go of our long-term programs and help children more urgently in Ukraine.”

The sudden outbreak of war forced orphans in Kyiv to hide in cellars during Russian raids, according to Kiessling.

With the help of SafeUkraine, an organization dedicated to helping Ukrainian refugees, the children were able to evacuate after a week of hiding.

“At that time they heard sirens upon sirens, got on the train, and made it to Austria with their guardians,” Kiessling said.

To mobilize help from the local community, Kiessling organized a collaboration between kleine herzen and

Neighbors Abroad, the latter of which she is vice president. The two organizations have since been raising funds to provide food and necessities to Ukrainians in Odessa and Kyiv.

“As we saw the war unfold, we were completely shocked and immediately wanted to start this partnership, which has to the day brought in $54,000,” Kiessling said.

Nova Ukraine and Hromada Nova Ukraine, a non-profit based in Palo Alto and created by a group of Silicon Valley expatriates in 2014, provides humanitarian aid to those in Ukraine.

Since the start of the war, Nova Ukraine has quickly gathered donations to send emergency supplies to their distribution center in Lviv.

“We collect money here, buy medical supplies, and as a tech company, we try to do it smart,” social media lead Olena Tomkiv said. “We have a group of

volunteers that go across Ukraine and they deliver these medical supplies directly to affected areas.”

Hromada, a nonprofit that publishes a monthly, eponymous Ukrainian newspaper, has a network of distributors in the U.S. and Ukraine to provide relief funded by donations, according to co-founder Nataliya Anon.

“Since the [war] started, we really figured out that our charitable component is the most important now,” Anon said.

Though humanitarian support benefits many Ukrainians, Anon said she would like to see more urgency in U.S.’s political response.

“Please remember that Ukrainians cannot win this war alone,” Anon said.

“All Ukrainians and the U.S. should be shouting, demanding, chanting, pleading for [safe] Ukrainians skies because they are indiscriminately bombing Ukrainian children and civilians, and there’s no place for that in our day and time.” v

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 17

Text by INES LEGRAND

Photos by SEBASTIAN BONNARD

COMING TOGETHER COMMUNITY GATHERS IN SUPPORT UKRAINE

A

WELCOME WIND sweeps the plaza, hoisting a Ukrainian flag tied to a young boy’s neck into the air. People of all nationalities fixate on the young boy, the speaker standing before them. As he finishes the final words of his ode, a hopeful chant breaks out from the onlookers.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, local Ukrainians and supporters came together at a rally in Redwood City on March 20 to show support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people. We captured this moment in a collection of photos. v

18 APRIL 2022

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VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 19

Text by JONAS PAO and ESTHER XU

HOW READY ARE WE FOR AN ACTIVE SHOOTER THREAT?

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ALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL sophomore Kyle Chang’s memories of his middle school active shooter drills — often dubbed “code red” drills — mainly revolve around huddling in a dark and dusty corner of a classroom with the rest of his peers.

“It starts with the announcement,” Chang said.

The classroom speaker projects the voice of an administrator notifying students that the drill is commencing.

The students start to follow the standard procedure: barricading doors, turning off lights and hiding away from the door. Everyone moves with intent as if a potential threat, with firearms, has just entered the school campus. But few students are taking the exercise seriously.

“Everyone’s supposed to be trying to keep quiet, but there is a lot of whispering and people are talking to each other trying to keep busy,” Chang said. “There are candy wrappers flying around and people are making jokes and laughing.

No one is really taking it seriously.”

“Code red” drills have been implemented at the Palo Alto Unified School District since 2013 in response to national gun violence at schools. These drills continued until pandemic shelter-inplace policies began, and students tran-

20 APRIL 2022

sitioned to distanced learning. to worry about,” Kramer said. “But it According to Education Week’s still is a possibility. It’s always something school shooting tracker, there have been that’s kind of nestled in the back of your 18 school shootings nationally in 2022 mind.” thus far. On top of these tragedies, there Some students conclude that fear of has been conversations about the effec- shootings has decreased further due to tiveness of active shooter drills, especially the coronavirus pandemic. due to minimal evidence supporting the “The [anti-gun] movement is fueled benefits of the drill, said Megan Carolan, by gun violence,” junior Alex Yan said. vice president of research at the Institute “Every time a mass shooting happens the for Child Success. movement gets bigger. COVID obviousAs a result, the California Board of ly stopped the mass gathering of people, Education, by Senate Bill 541, is cur- so the number of mass shootings went rently investigating the effectiveness down… and the movement has lost a lot of school drills, with a focus on active of its momentum.” shooter drills, to determine the best way Sophomore Mihir Menon said he to conduct them and how often. believes this decrease in the publicity of Paly conducts a “code red” drill twice potential mass shootings is an issue. a year, according to the 2021 self-study “If school shootings stopped hapreport submitted to the Western Associ- pening as much, then I would say, it [the ation of Schools lack of publicity and Colleges, and towards shootthe California It’s uncomfortable to have ings] is a good State Department to imagine dying in a ‘code thing,” Menon of Education, said. “But they’re but has not com- red’ drill every time you still happening, pleted a drill this have to do them.” and there’s less school year. coverage and — JOHANNAH SEAH, ASB President less Paly adminlegislation. istrators were not I would say it’s a available for comment about the absence problem because the problems still exist, of this drill at the time of publication. and we should still go at it with the same Henry M. Gunn High School, how- effort.” ever, had the drill in late February, just seven months after school started.

Paly prevention According to Campus Supervisor Student concerns Carl Hubenthal, PAUSD is currently For many students, the fear of guns, working hard to mitigate anything that while present, is still a distant threat. One might compel someone to take armed such student is Henry M. Gunn High action.

School junior Paul Kramer, the executive “I think a lot of the prevention [of director for Institute for Youth in Policy. school shootings] has to go on with mak“The chance of me getting hurt in ing the campus a place where students any way, shape or form, by a gun is so feel safe and welcome,” Hubenthal said. incredibly low, I have many other things “Making sure that if we have students

Art by ESTHER XU

behind with your respective representative, just by sending them that email. Encouraging people to send emails with an email template, locally, you can actually start a pretty major movement, and maybe even get a meeting with [California district 18’s congressional representative] Anna Eshoo.”

Kramer’s organization, the Institute for Youth in Policy, works to increase conversation and political discourse to solve many issues, ranging from gun violence to political divisions.

“We need young people who care to really get involved with movements that they feel they can contribute to because if we had enough passionate people in the nonpartisanship space, movements could quadruple in terms of impact,” Kramer said. “Same thing goes for the gun rights movement. Get involved. Get involved at the local level.” v

OF PALY STUDENTS

:

beliEve AMERICAN gun laws should be more strict

SAID THEY TAKE LO CKDOWN DRILLS SERIOUSLY

ld ou sh gun aly st k p ain hin ag Y t ty s HE afe eat ID T e s thr SA prov im

D RIE OR HE S W ER T LES FT IC RE S A DEM Y A ING AN HE OOT S P ID T SH IRU SA OUT NAV AB CORO

who are agitated or upset, they have somebody to talk to, and they feel comfortable coming up to somebody and a member of the staff… and that they can defuse the situation before it gets so far out of hand that [violence] becomes an answer in their mind.”

PAUSD has invested over a million dollars into their mental health programs, according to the March 22 board meeting, and are hoping to use this money to help all students who need support.

“Our wellness centers at the high school have been active since 2016 ... the work that is done there is really amazing,” PAUSD Mental Health and Wellness Specialist Genavae Dixon said. “We have two wellness coordinators, one at each high school, we have wellness outreach workers, one at each high school as well, that put on a variety of activities … making sure that wellness is integrated into the fabric of what we do at our high schools.”

Besides addressing the root causes of gun violence through mental health support, students like Kramer, who worked for a presidential candidate and collaborated with in-office legislators, feel that students should take a stand to push for policies that they care about, such as laws that limit the threat of guns. One example of something students can do to take a stand on this issue is to send emails to politicians pushing for legislative change.

“What happens is, [politicians] have a person on the computer, seeing this email and say ‘oh, gun issues, Great.

That’s one voter who cares about gun issues,’” Kramer said. “They [politicians] enter that into a spreadsheet. I’ve seen the spreadsheets, every office does this. So effectively, you can leave your mark

Data presented is from an opt-i n survey by Verde Magazine of 236 Palo Alto High School students and was collected from March 18 to March 22, 2022 through a digit al form published on Schoology pages and Verde social media. Responses were anon ymous and all questions were optional.

OPENING DOORS TO Text by MEENA NARAYANASWAMI and ALEXIS CHIU

EXPLORING MENTAL HEALTH BARRIERS IN MINORITY CULTURES

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ANY MAY THINK seeking mental health treatment is straightforward. At Palo Alto High School, students have access to the Wellness Center, where all they have to do to get support is open the door and walk in. However, for many, accessing support is not that simple.

For minorities, barriers like the longstanding stigma surrounding mental health treatment prevent them from receiving the help they need, according to Allcove Youth Advisory Group member and Palo Alto High School senior Jeremy Peng.

“Especially [within] more vulnerable populations where mental health is a risk, if you have mental health [struggles], you’re separated and no one will talk to you,” Peng said.

Yifang Wang, Paly’s Asian Americans for Community Involvement therapist, hypothesizes that immigrant and refugee parents may not see mental health struggles as worth addressing because they do not seem serious compared to the challenges of being an immigrant.

“They [parents] would use their experiences, for example, somewhere as a refugee and came to this country without any resources, so the only way they can survive is to be really tough,” Wang said.

“They have some good learning from their own experiences, but there’s always room to grow to be able to understand

22 APRIL 2022

the younger generation better.” friends who have experienced racial disCruz Norte, a Native American and crimination at Paly and they feel that Mexican Paly student, shared his experi- the administration has handled it poorence with how mental health is perceived ly,” Blair said. “That included not any in his community. follow-up for emotional counseling or “It [mental health] is viewed as checking in for mental health.” something you can’t really talk about beIn addition to other barriers, cause they’re trying to hide it and it’s just deep-rooted inequality in the medical weird and embarrassing and you don’t field can create difficulties for minorities want to be different,” Norte said. “It’s who access treatment, according to Shah. hard breaking away from what you’ve “Most of what we get trained with known for so long.” in medical school and in residence is According to Ripal Shah, a psychi- based on the average patient and the avatrist and Clinical Assistant Professor at erage patient in the United States and Stanford’s Race and Mental Health Lab, Europe is white, Caucasian,” Shah said. even those who can personally overcome “So we’re operating our doses and drugs the stigma around seeking treatment many times on the metabolism of a Caumay struggle with actually accessing it casian person.” due to a lack of mental health literacy.

Though there is greater awareness “Knowing where surrounding the to look, having access, need for more dihaving assistance with If you have mental versity in the medgetting help — someical field, according health [struggles], times in minority to Duy Nguyen, the communities, there’s you’re separated and program managnot very many who er at the Palo Alto no one will talk to you.” Allcove site, this would be able to help in that domain as eas— JEREMY PENG, senior change is fairly reily as in the majority cent and much more culture,” Shah said. research is needed For some students, like senior Ash- to adequately address the lack of inforley Qiu, the accessibility of mental health mation around the health of minorities. support through Wellness Center helped “In terms of different cultures, peoto overcome these barriers. ple from different countries, the youth “If not for the services that the Well- whose parents are from different counness Center provides and encourages stu- tries, the field of psychology isn’t as dedents to seek out, it would be less com- veloped, so they don’t quite understand mon or more difficult for people who are it,” Nguyen said. ethnic minorities to go seek out that help According to Shah, even genetic because it’s not part of their tradition,” slight differences negatively impact miQiu said. nority mental health.

Despite the availability of these re“Vitamin D deficiency can cause sources, not all students have had posi- quite a bit of mental health disturbance,” tive experiences with the services provid- Shah said. “I often check labs, particulared by Paly. ly for minority patients, because the risk Carter Blair, a member of Paly’s of Vitamin D deficiency in ethnic miBlack Student Union, shared some of norities can be much, much higher than the negative experiences other Black stu- it is in Caucasians.” dents faced at Paly.

Peng described the efforts of All“I’ve heard many stories from my cove, an organization with centers in the

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O SUPPORT

Art by POLINA VAN HULSEN

Bay Area that focuses on bringing lowcost mental health support to youth, to destigmatize mental health so that all teens can feel comfortable at Allcove.

“In minority populations especially, a lot of families feel it [mental illness] is shameful, or that they should hide it, or that it doesn’t exist, it’s just a phase and it will move on without any help,” Peng said. “Our job is to help convince the parents that our service is safe for your child.”

Nguyen elaborated on the goals of Allcove and their focus on minorities.

“If you look at the statistics, minorities and people of color are less likely to engage in mental health services,” Nguyen said. “It has gotten better over the years, but there is still that stigma and it is a struggle that we [Allcove] are continuing to work on breaking down.”

Though organizations like Allcove are working to help minorities access mental health care, Blair acknowledged the work that still needs to be done, especially at Paly.

“I think that it’s important to keep in mind all of the things that have happened in the past few years that have specifically affected the Black community,” Blair said. “Maybe the mental health of the Black community, specifically at Paly, is being affected by these things.”

Nyguen elaborated on the importance of knowledge in combating stigma.

“There’s still a lack of understanding around what mental health services are,” Nyguen said. “I think there’s still a lot of terms being thrown out like, ‘This person’s crazy.’”

Shah said she believes community leaders are a crucial part of this change.

“I think a lot of the future is going to lie in religious leaders and community leaders,” Shah said. “People will need to feel more comfortable knowing that it [seeking mental health treatment] is an option, knowing that their priest or their aunt or uncle won’t criticize them for seeking mental health care.” v

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 23

EXAMINING EAT

Text by YASH SHETTY and ANNUM HASHMI

PANDEMIC EXACERBATES HEALTH CRISIS

further exacerbated by images and videos on social media, especially during the recovery portion of an eating disorder.

“It has been hard to recover in a world where we’re constantly surrounded by these people who like to edit their images in order to look perfect,” Emma said. “There are these people who post what they eat in a E’RE TOLD FROM A day and they’re clearly not eating enough.” young age that you can Janice Bremis, who founded and is the only be beautiful if you executive director for the Eating Disorder look a certain way,” said Research Center, has witnessed the same Emma — a Palo Alto High School stuphenomenon as Emma both in her persondent with anorexia whose name has been al life and with the people she works with. changed to respect her privacy. “If you “There’s this whole glorification of a just start dieting, some people get adbody type that doesn’t even really exist in dicted to essentially the feeling of being real life,” Bremis said. “[Content] creators hungry and losing weight and it’s someare portraying their bodies as a natural thing that you can’t stop.” body type when it really isn’t. I see people According to recent data from the all the time striving to get that perfect body, Centers for Disease and Control Preand it’s so toxic because that ideal body type vention, there has been a large uptick does not exist [naturally].” in hospitalizations in 2022 due to eatEmma said that COVID-19, and the ing disorders. The prevalence of these subsequent quarantine period, only worseating disorders is present here in Palo ened this Alto; a 2022 glorification opt-in survey on social conducted by media — as Verde of 226 There’s this whole glocreators ofPalo Alto High ten used the rification of a body School stupandemic dents found type that doesn’t even to justify an that 22.6% of increase in really exist in real life.” respondents fitness rhetsaid they have — JANICE BREMIS, founder of EDRC oric. an eating dis“ T h e re order. was all this Emma has information dealt with her going around about like, ‘Oh, how to avoid eating disorder for two years, and largely the Quarantine-15’ and everybody was docredits her diagnosis to body image presing these small eating workouts,” Emma sures placed on her by dance. said. “There was this culture of ‘Oh because “I felt like I didn’t really meet the we’re at home, we’re all going to get fat standards of what somebody my age and look awful,’ so you need to start doideally would look like,” Emma said. ing something to compensate. And it was “There’s so much pressure that dance in that kind of environment that my eating studios and teachers put on dancers to disorder worsened.” look a certain way. We’re told from a In addition to external pressures, being young age that you can only be beautiful isolated for long periods of time may also if you look a certain way.” have contributed to worsening disordered For Emma, these pressures were

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24 APRIL 2022

TING DISORDERS

features

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Art by REESE FORD

eating. about the signs of an eating disorder and “A lack of social connection can be how to help those who actually have them.” really bad,” AP Psychology teacher ChrisOne way to avoid making hurtful topher Farina said. “And so that may be a comments is using ‘person-centered lanstressor that then feeds into the develop- guage’ in conversations. In his AP Psycholment of an eating disorder.” ogy class, Farina teaches this method to But while alleviating students from this help in the recovery process as it aims to isolation may not be a feasible response, ad- separate people from their disorders. dressing the harmful consequences of social “It is important to be conscientious media is a viable of psychosolution. logical disorBremis and ders and not her organization joke around I felt like I didn’t really have started a about them,” meet the standards of social media camFarina said. paign to combat “People often what somebody my age misinformathrow around ideally would look like.” tion led by high ‘Oh, you’re so school students OCD,’ which

— EMMA, student like Lynbrook kind of makes High School juit casual, but nior Sahana Nayalso there are ak. Nayak and her constituents are working people that really, really struggle with that to mitigate the controllable effects of body and that’s a big issue for them. We [in AP image misinformation on social media Psychology] talk about using person-centhrough education and campaigning. tered language, so rather than saying ‘someThey have called for increased moni- body is obsessive compulsive’, ‘saying that toring of material on social media websites, they are a person with OCD.”’ as well as platforms to take accountability Bremis said she and her team will confor the harms they have spread. tinue to work on combating the causes and “We’ve been campaigning that they effects of eating disorders, and hope that need to take some responsibility,” Nayak their message will reach people of all ages. said. “Obviously, they can’t fix everything.

“It’s important for doctors and families But, I think they need to take some kind to start screening better for eating disorders of action. There are a lot of celebrities because right now there is very little coverand influencers who do promotions with age available,” Bremis said. “If by the end of weight loss pills which are definitely part of my career, I have helped and improved the the problem. Companies can start by just treatment of eating disorders and reduced blocking certain promotions that promote suffering by even 1%, I will be incredibly unhealthy living.” happy.” v Along with companies taking action, Emma said she believes there are certain beResources: haviors people can practice to best support National Eating Disorder Hotline those with eating disorders.

(800) 931-2237 “I think a big thing is just not comPaly Wellness Center menting on someone else’s body,” Emma paly.net/wellness said. “All of those seemingly harmless comments play into this diet culture of ‘You Eating Disorders Research Center don’t deserve to eat this.’ I think we should edrcsv.org also focus on just increasing awareness

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Text by ANYA MONDRAGON and SOFIA ANTEBI

Photos by SOFIA ANTEBI

Funding the future

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT OBTAINS NEWFOUND FINANCIAL SECURITY

S

TEPPING ONTO a small yellow school bus on a Thursday afternoon, Early Childhood Development students eagerly discuss their plans for the day’s visit to Greendale Preschool from Palo Alto High School. But there is a cloud of uncertainty hovering over the students, even as they look forward to seeing their five-year-old buddies.

In recent months, there has been concern over the potential discontinuation of Palo Alto Unified School District financial

support for transportation, which is ECD’s largest expense by far, according to the program’s teacher Hilary McDaniel.

“Transportation is vital,” ECD senior Ruthie Roach said. “There is no way for us to get there [to the schools] without buses.”

However, this uncertainty has come to an end, as McDaniel confirmed on March 22 that transportation will be fully covered by the district for the foreseeable future.

“I’m very relieved and excited,” McDaniel wrote in an email. “Thank you to [Assistant Principal Jerry] Mr. Berkson and district staff.”

Paly’s ECD pathway, taught exclusively by McDaniel, allows students to earn Dual En-

rollment credit and visit a local preschool by bus twice a week as a part of the early childhood development curriculum.

According to McDaniel, one of the main goals of the pathway is to expose students to teaching young children as a profession. McDaniel is acutely conscious that in a female-dominated industry, there is an uphill battle for gaining adequate recognition and support.

“I want to set good examples for my students about how to value their work and ask for proper compensation for their work,” McDaniel said. “I’m training people to go into the early childhood field, which is drastically underpaid, and I have to be a role model for my students.”

The ECD class, including senior Hailene Stitt, has devoted time outside of school for fundraisers and raising awareness for the program.

“Now I think we’re going to be able to focus more on curriculum and the kids instead of brainstorming, fundraising and

BUS BENEFITS (left) — ECD students disembark at Paly after a trip to Greendale preschool.

READING ALOUD (above) — ECD teacher Hilary McDaniel reads a picture book.

“There are so many benefits for the Paly students and preschool students,” senior Ruthie Roach said.

26 APRIL 2022

figuring out fundraising events,” Stitt said.

needed for working with young children.

“I’m so excited and incredibly happy especially for Ms. McDaniel because now she has less to worry about for next year,” Stitt said. “The class was so happy and grateful that we received the funding.”

Looking forward Over the course of the school year, the ECD students organize three main fundraising events, host a week-long summer camp and sell gradua- The class was so haption leis.

The classes impact py and grateful that “When a com“Young Fives” munity relies on that we recieved the fundpreschool teacher Bar[teachers volunteerbara Carlson said she ing.” ing their time] to has only praise for keep things going, it — HAILENE STITT, senior Paly’s ECD program, does eventually put which allows Paly stua certain amount of dents to visit her prepressure on teachers to perhaps provide an school twice a week. She was part of a simunrealistic level of service,” McDaniel said. ilar program when she was in high school, Now that there is no concern about and in hindsight sees it as her inspiration covering the costs of transportation, the for becoming a teacher. profits from their fundraising will go to“The kids adore the teenagers and I wards other expenses which include arts have seen them [ECD students] make a and crafts supplies, books, color printing, real difference,” Carlson said. “I’ve been inlaminating and other essential materials volved with the Paly program for a number

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90 By the numbers 20

students are registered for an ECD class next year different preschool classrooms visited by bus during the year

14 3

of years and I’ve seen how the program has grown, the senior students are fabulous.”

When leading the kids through their afternoon activities and play, the ECD students are learning as well.

“It definitely had a huge impact on my life and my thoughts about what I want to do in the future,” senior Anisha Gandhi said. “I know now that I want to continue working with kids because I’ve learned that I really enjoy that.”

The pathway offers the chance to get a head start on the teaching profession. According to McDaniel, most ECD students take the class for Dual Enrollment college credit from Foothills College. Students who qualify can apply to receive a California child development teaching permit.

Many of the students, including Roach and senior Mikaela Fedder, are considering pursuing careers in teaching.

“It’s a really good class if you like hands-on activities,” Fedder said. “It also opens up an opportunity for a career.” v ECD students who qualify to apply for CA child development teaching permit fundraisers for this school year

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 27

Text by ANDY ROBINSON

Art by BLAIR MIGDAL

TEACHING THE H RISING ANTISEMITISM PROMPTS REFLECTION ON JEWISH HISTORY CURRICULUM

the world and notably in the United States.

According to hate crime statistics collected by the FBI in 2020, 54.9% of all U.S. hate crimes targeted Jewish Americans despite Jews only comprising roughly 2% of the U.S population.

“Into the later decades of the 20th century, American Jews believed that antisemitism had been licked, that people had learned the lessons they had to learn from the Holocaust … but it's clear from the last five years, that that was not the case,” Stanford University American studies professor Ari Kelman said.

Given these findings, it is clear among many American Jews that this rise in antisemitism warrants significant reflection AS I SHOCKED?” said and a need for education to combat it. longtime Palo Alto resiCurrently, there is no standardized dent Charlotte Falla. “No. curriculum for Jewish history in Palo Alto Just surprised to see them Unified School District classrooms. Howin this day and age in Palo Alto.” ever, English classes across grade levels It was late Feburary when the Goyim often teach literature related to the HoloDefense League, a white nationalist group, caust, and World History teaches the Hodistributed antisemitic flyers across Palo locaust during the World War II unit in its Alto neighborhoods, including that of Fal- ninth-grade curriculum. The Paly Ethnic la, a congregant of the Etz Chayim syna- Studies course does not currently teach the gogue. After noting that the flyers falsely Holocaust or Jewish history, according to claimed that COVID-19 was a conspiracy Ethnic Studies teacher Justin Cronin. instituted by the Jewish people, and that Palo Alto High School junior Ella the Biden administration is controlled by Rosenblum, a Jewish and East Asian stua Jewish cabal, Falla said she notified fellow dent, said she is worried the current PAUSD Palo Altans on Nexcurriculum could leave tdoor as well as the American Jews bestudents with an inantisemitism-fightcomplete understanding Anti-Defamation lieved that antiseming of struggles facing League.

Jewish Americans. tism had been licked But the flyers “We learned did not stop at Palo ... but it's clear from about the Holocaust, Alto — communi- the last five years, that [how] it was so horrities across the Bay ble,” Rosenblum said.

Area had discovered that was not the case.” “But now it's like, similar flyers in the ‘Jews are fine now, — ARI KELMAN, Stanford University surrounding weeks.

American Studies professor right?’”

According to Laurie Other local Jewish Balch, a lay-leader at community members Etz Chayim, the flyers are far from a “one- agreed that in an era of rising antisemitism, off phenomenon” for many in the Jewish school curriculums should make space for community. Rather, they are indicative of a Jewish voices and stories. recent dramatic rise in antisemitism around “I think that because antisemitism

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28 APRIL 2022

doesn't look like homophobia or racism … it is easy, to exclude Jews, to exclude antisemitism from considerations,” Kelman said. “Jews ought to have a place at that table.”

To address these concerns, David Cohen, a Paly English teacher who is Jewish, said he believes that increasing awareness of anti-Jewish hate and teaching students a more complete history of the Holocaust could be acomplished by noting the commonalities between the Holocaust and other genocides.

“They ... have in common a certain sequence of events that starts with isolating and shunning people and then setting their interests and their humanity outside the main group,” Cohen said. “And then once they're dehumanized ... it becomes possible to ... systematically kill people.”

Cohen said that Paly students learn about the Holocaust through literature often taught in English classes, such as “Night” by Elie Wiesel, but noted that this book is not taught every year.

HOLOCAUST

“My hope is that my decision [to not “What I do … is to hopefully teach you teach “Night” every year] doesn't leave my [students] the foundational critical thinking students without any Holocaust educa- that breeds deep skepticism and respect for tion,” Cohen said. “My assumption, per- evidence, for facts, for nuance and for comhaps faulty, is that it's covered in history passion,” Filppu said.” classes as well, and so that what I decide to However, with Ethnic Studies, a course do in my sections of English 10A is not the that will focus on the history of racial and single deciding factor.” ethnic minorities present in California — English teacher Lucy including Jewish Filppu says she typically Americans — being teaches “Night” every year We learned about mandated for high and recounts its impact on the Holocaust, school students in her students, particularCalifornia starting ly when combined with [how] it was so horfor the Class of 2030, other interactive teaching rible. But now it's many hope that the methods such as inviting course will spur new a Holocaust survivor to like, 'Jews are fine discussions surroundspeak to the class or show- now, right?’" ing Jewish history. ing an emotional film.

But according to — ELLA ROSENBLUM, junior Cronin, the effect of Filppu said that the AP Seminar curriculum this new mandated she teaches might provide students better curriculum on Jewish history teachings, resources when confronting misinforma- the length of the course and the mandated tion surrounding the Holocaust and the grade are all undetermined.

Jewish people.

Ultimately, Cohen said he believes that

“

an in-depth Holocaust education is critical to reducing the misinformation that fuels antisemitism.

“If it [a rudimentary education on Jewish history] were enough … if just showing just images were enough, then I think we would have seen deep, more sharp decreases in hate and antisemitism,” Cohen said. “When we reach a point where [once taught properly] difficult history and unpleasant facts are seen as a threat, then it's hard to assume the best intentions on the part of people doing it.” v Additional reporting by KIERAN ZAJAC ANTISEMITISM ON THE RISE — A dictionary is open to the word "anti-Semite," which is defined as "a person who is hostile to Jews."

Above the dictionary is a candle holder for the Jewish holiday of Shabbat, symbolizing the longetivty of Judiasm despite centuries of antisemitism. “It might have been in remission, but it was not eradicated,” Stanford American studies professor Ari Kelman said. Photo: Andy Robinson

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 29

Text by PALINA KUZMINA and MIYA WHITELEY

Art by ARIANA CAO and PALINA KUZMINA

BANNING BOOKS, censoring identities

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EFFECTS OF RESTRICTING EDUCATION

N FLORIDA, the state’s House of Representatives passed a bill Feb. 24, that banned “classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity” in Florida’s primary schools. In Tennessee, a school board unanimously voted in January to ban Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel “Maus” from being taught. “Maus” tells the story of

30 APRIL 2022

Spiegelman’s parents as they lived through the Holocaust, depicting Jewish people as mice and Nazis as cats. It was banned for containing “objectionable language” and “disturbing imagery.”

Since January 2021, 15 states have imposed bans on critical race theory, the idea that race is a social construct and racism is baked into the makeup of our society, from being taught in schools.

The topic of educational censorship has been long discussed, with these recent events bringing it once again to the forefront of our nation’s mind, and when topics that cover representation and diversity in classrooms are banned, many are concerned for what that means

for the future of teaching and well-being of students .

“There’s a universal idea that everybody wants visibility,” said Gender Studies and US History teacher Jaclyn Edwards. “You want to see an image of yourself in some capacity or way. You don’t want to be hidden. You don’t want to be not talked about because you want to see yourself in the images or the stories or in the lessons.”

The increasing impositions on what can and cannot be taught in schools is far-reaching “Whether it’s gender, it’s about race, is that anytime you have lawmakers making bans on this out of concern… that people will become more aware or more educated about it, in my opinion, is problematic,” Edwards said.

Book banning is one of the more common ways to censor education and has been a topic of debate for much of literature’s history. A famous example is Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Published in 1852, the book was a scathing critique of the institution of slavery, and deeply affected the American public. “[‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ is] important as a historical artifact that shifted the debate” AP US History teacher John Bungarden said. “Most people in the North knew about slavery, [but] for most of them,

features

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slavery was not an everyday reality. They teacher librarians, according to Thomas. with the intent of censoring identities didn’t see it, they didn’t have to deal with “In reality, we have never gotten to they’re uncomfortable with, they inadits consequences. And with the book, it that point as far as I know,” Thomas said. vertently harm the learning environment. was a crazy reality for a lot of northern- “The ALA [American Library Associa“I really think the school system ers.” tion] maintains, and I feel, that we’re all along with the congressional system for Following its publication, the book pretty good self-regulators. Like, if you’re certain states is moving backwards,” juwas banned in the American south due reading something that makes you real- nior Payton Anderson said. “Schools are to being labeled as abolitionist propa- ly uncomfortable, a lot of times you just supposed to be a place where people can ganda. Just as “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was stop. Not every book is for every person, feel welcome and feel like they can be once banned because southerners were but every person themselves… where afraid it would infringe on their practice should have access they can learn When certain books of slavery and expose people to new ab- to any book.” about themselves olitionist ideas, many parents are afraid Book banning are targeted, because of and whatever they of their children developing ideas aside in the education to.” their politics, or because wantSome from their own through the books they system is a topic students read at school. that requires great of the ideas of the peobelieve that educa“People ban books because they’re nuance to discuss. censorship is ple that they represent, tional afraid of ideas. … Parents are attempt- There are many stepping into daning to protect their children from ideas books that would be that’s when the banning gerous territory. they’re afraid of, that have to do with the inappropriate to be “With over becomes worrisome.”

LGBTQ … that have to do with Critical available in a school censorship, banRace Theory, which gets absolutely mis- library, but it be— DAVID COHEN, English teacher ning books and characterized.” Bungarden said. comes problematic with banning cerPalo Alto High School librarian when parents seek tain things that Sima Thomas said that most of the books to ban books that states think you banned or challenged are books that contain ideas they don’t like while using shouldn’t be taught… they’re [parents “force us to face hard truths.” “inappropriate content” as a scapegoat. and local government] kind of deciding “Some of the main themes that cause “There are millions of books out for people what they should believe,” a book to be challenged are LQBTQ+ there,” English teacher David Cohen Anderson said. “And that’s just crossing themes and racial issues that are depict- said. “Some of them are inappropriate a boundary that shouldn’t be crossed.” v ed,” Thomas said. for school use. But when certain books As far as banned books in the Paly are targeted, because of their politics, or library, Thomas said there have been because of the ideas or the people that none to her knowledge. However, Paly they represent. That’s when the banning does have a history of challenged books, becomes worrisome.” which is when a book is requested to be And when these books are targeted banned. and banned in order to suppress converAccording to Thomas, a comic book sation, it can have greater consequences

by Neil Gaiman titled “The Sandman” throughout the school’s community. was requested to be removed from the “The even broader effects on stulibrary by a concerned dents can be that parent around 10 those who already Not every book is years ago. The book might feel marginwas accused of be- for every person, but alized or underreping inappropriate for resented in school, every person should high schoolers, and in curriculum in has also been listed as have access to any communities feel one of the most comeven further marbook.” monly banned books ginalized.” Cohen — SIMA THOMAS, librarian by the American Lisaid. “These laws brary Association. can also have the When challengeffect of suppressing a book, the complainant is asked to ing even conversations about these topfill out a form explaining who they are, ics. When teachers are afraid that even what book they want removed from the opening the discussion could subject library and why. The complaining party them to retaliation or punishment.” would then meet with the principal and When parents want to ban books

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VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 31

Text by ALLEGRA WEST and MELODY XU

RESEARCH REVEAL STUDENTS PRESENT YEAR-LONG AP PROJECTS

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ECTURE, ASSIGNMENT, TEST. Most Palo Alto High School courses follow this structure, giving students the traditional education experience.

Advanced Placement Research, however, is as chooseyour-own-adventure as a course can get. AP Researchers, fresh out of AP Seminar (a communications and leadership class) begin preparing for their central project the summer before the class starts.

Vienna Liu

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Students choose a topic they are passionate about pursuing and dive into a research project on the topic over the course of the academic year.

With AP exam season coming up, most AP Researchers at Paly are concluding their projects and tying up the loose ends. We talked with three students to find out more about their research explorations. v

When senior Vienna Liu went through a nine-month injury recovery process two years ago, it sparked an interest in injury prevention, leading her to her AP Research project topic.

Liu’s research focuses on sports injuries in female athletes at Paly — specifically, the role of integrating strength training into practices as a preventative measure against them.

“It [strength training] is mainly a mode of using your body in a different way than your sport usually does,” Liu said. “Just moving your body in a different way, that prevents the repetitive motions of things so you don’t have the continuous motion over and over that would cause different microtraumas on your body.”

Her mixed methodology — using both qualitative and quantitative data — included interviewing coaches of female sports at Paly about notable injury trends and surveying 68 of the school’s female athletes.

Liu found that some sports, such as soccer, did not im-

plement strength training while basketball did.

Liu also analyzed how teams focused specifically on preventing certain injuries with their training, such as ACL injury prevention.

“I asked them [the coaches] what kind of injuries that they noticed and when,” Liu said. “I thought that it was very important that a lot of the injuries occur in the beginning [of the season], which means coming back … the rapid acceleration in training definitely had a factor in how an individual got injured.”

After analyzing her data, Liu described results as “expected” for her hypothesis that strength training serves as a preventative measure for injuries.

“Toward the end of my paper, I discussed the necessity for a program that would educate female athletes on intervention, specifically, just because I think that because there are many … facets that make females a lot more susceptible to specifically overuse injuries to the body over time,” Liu said.

Going into the final few months of AP Research, Liu reflected on her enjoyment of the class.

“I’ve really liked this project because … you really have to manage your own time and manage the course of what you’re doing really well,” Liu said. “It [AP Research] allows you to explore what you’re interested specifically in and I’ve learned a lot about research. It’s also opened my eyes to the idea of doing some research in college.”

profiles

v

Photo illustrations by ALLEGRA WEST and MELODY XU (photos) and BLAIR MIGDAL (art)

JEREMY YUN Senior Jeremy Yun’s project is focused on all things audio.

“I’m looking at something called binaural beats,” Yun said. “You play a frequency in one ear, and you play a frequency that’s really close — but not quite — in the other ear. … What binaural beats are supposed to do is by stimulating your auditory brain signals, that can entrain or have it synchronize with your audio, and that is supposed to force your brain into a different state to help you focus better.”

Inspiration for the topic struck around two years ago, when Yun stumbled across existing research about binaural beats and found the subject intriguing.

“I read something about how people with ADHD use … binaural beats to help them focus,” Yun said. “I thought it was a bit hocus-pocus, but

there was actually a lot of research. I want to quantify what specifically it [binaural beats] does affect, and how much.”

Besides cutting his sample size in half due to unforeseen time concerns, the process went smoothly. Yun’s testing setup involved an experiment in which Paly participants took a game-like test six times.

Through a pair of headsets, participants listened to multiple different audios in the background while taking the simulated test. Yun then compared the performance between which audio was playing.

“The thing I’m measuring is something called response inhibition, which is when you see a stimulus and you force yourself not to react to it,” Yun said. “I’ve seen some pretty promising results, where certain frequencies tend to have a lot better performance, especially with the control [experiment] where they don’t hear anything.”

eVA SALVATIERRA Senior Eva Salvatierra entered AP Research curious to research the extent of sexual messages portrayed to young people in media.

“I realized that the way that [media companies] were using sexual activity and characters were, more to establish tropes and to establish stereotypes, rather than try to kind of debunk them … especially within Latin American communities,” Salvatierra said.

Her research included watching TV shows from the 2000s and measuring the frequency of certain buzzwords using content analysis and sexual behavior variables.

“I hypothesized that TV shows would use sex as a way to kind of create tension and conflict,” Salvatierra said. “I thought that there may be some positive messages in a couple of the shows, more of an educational view, but I also felt there would be a strong use of sticking to tropes and stereotypes.”

A common theme in television, Salvatierra said, is the trope of virginity.

“There are three main virginity myths,” Salvatierra said. “There’s the maintenance script, where it’s like, try to maintain your virginity, keep it as long as possible; the management script, where it’s like managing, losing your virginity … carefully and safely; and then there’s an urgency script, which is like trying to get your child to have sex as fast as possible to [achieve] higher social status.”

Salvatierra noted AP Research’s excellence for gearing up for college courses.

“It’s a class where you really have to be passionate about what you’re looking into ... and to really challenge yourself,” Salvatierra said.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 33

Text by BELLA DALY and PALINA KUZMINA

Photos by PALINA KUZMINA

BEHIND THE DOG

DO DOGS REFLECT THEIR OWNERS' NATURE?

THE ONE WITH OCEAN EYES — Instagram-famous dog, Lambert, pauses to look at the camera during an outdoor escapade with his playmates at the Mitchell Park dog park. Lambert has over 14, 000followers on his Instagram account.

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HE WARM SUN beats down on the park and the crisp air fills with the sound of dogs barking and people laughing. The dogs travel in a pack, tackling each other — the chase for the ball has begun.

For many, dogs are an integral part of living in Palo Alto. According to an anonymous opt-in survey by Verde Magazine of 236 Palo Alto High School students, 40.9% said that they own a dog. A popular destination spot for many dog owners is the Mitchell Park dog park. The park is a great place for residents to walk their dogs, as well as build new connections. According to Palo Alto High School parent Allen Vugrincic, the dog park creates a community for the owners as well as the dogs.

“Especially with COVID … it’s social for them [the dogs] and it's social for us [the owners],” Vugrincic said. “We didn't know each other before the dog park, but now it's like we hang out every day because we spend so much time here.”

Intrigued by the ubiquity of dogs in Palo Alto, we surveyed dog owners on the degree to which their dogs reflect their personalities. Here is what we found. v

34 APRIL 2022

Lambert, the Alaskan husky been possible otherwise.

Palo Altan Rachel Salata said her Alas“I'd always wanted a husky … and had kan husky, Lambert, always matches her the pandemic not happened, I most cerenergy. tainly would have been working in an office “It's becoming clearer and clearer the and would not have had the time to be able longer we have him … I think he's very to be at home and be a good dog parent,” much a reflection of me,” Salata said. “As Salata said. much as I try to be low energy, I need to be Salata also enjoys sharing her relationactive and to go out and have adventures ship with Lambert through social media and do fun things and and has gained a large get exercise [like Lam- The longer I have following of 14.4k on bert].” her Instagram account Salata recalled a him, the more I'm like, @lambert.the.husky. moment she shared oh my gosh, we're “It's a fun, crewith Lambert on her ative outlet,” Salata most recent trip to two peas in a pod.” said. “And I try to just Lake Tahoe.

— RACHEL SALATA, attorney capture what he brings “There was a litinto our life with all of tle bit of snow and the humor and silli[Lambert was] running around through the ness and sweetness, and just kind of share mountains and playing by the lake,” Salata that with people.” said. “And there was this moment where we Although Salata has only had were sitting by the lake. And we had this Lambert for a little over a year, she said she quiet moment where [Lambert] just leaned cherishes the bond she has built with him, on me. And it was this gratitude moment. and appreciates the similarities they share.

And he was so happy.”

“The longer I have him, the more I'm like, Salata adopted Lambert during the oh my gosh, we're two peas in a pod,” Salapandemic and said this would not have ta said.

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profiles

THE CURIOUS ONE — Border collie, Fern rushes to retrieve her tennis ball to her owner Elan Winker during playtime in the park.

Buzz, the lab/terrier mutt Palo Alto High School parent Vivian Martin said she feels her mutt, Buzz, complements her family’s emotions.

“He takes joy in the same things that we do," Martin said. “I think he sort of mirrors our life in a way.”

Martin said she remembers when Buzz was a puppy and would cuddle up with her and her family on the couch.

“When he was little, he used to sit in our laps and when he sleeps, he sleeps in the shape of a croissant,” Martin said.

A pleasant memory Martin recalled of Buzz is her daily greeting when she returns from work. “[Buzz] sits on the edge of our couch and waits for us to come home,” Martin said. “And when we come in, he stands up on the couch and he wags his tail crazily — just such a nice way for us to come in because he's so happy to see us.”

Martin said that Buzz’s unconditional love always cheers her and her family up.

“He makes me smile, he makes our kids smile, and if you have a bad day … you didn't get a good grade on a test, Buzz doesn't care; he just wants you anyway,” Martin said.

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Fern, the border collie Elan Winkler, a Palo Alto resident, said that she enjoys the company of her Border Collie, Fern, as they have similar personalities.

“She's a little reserved, she's quiet, she loves people, she especially loves kids,” Winkler said. “So I think she does [reflect me].”

Winkler described her experience adopting Fern.

“Fern and her littermates were found abandoned in a field when they were about six weeks old,” Winkler said. “And this family took her and one of her littermates and kept them for about six years. And then they had two children and decided two dogs and two kids were too much. So they gave her up.”

Winkler said Fern is very curious, and enjoys exploring language and toys. “[Fern is] incredibly smart, she knows a ton of vocabulary, loves to play with her ball,” Winkler said “We have at home what we call her big red ball, with ropes coming out of it. She'll let you take it."

THE CHEERER-UPPER — Accountant and dog owner Vivian Martin said she feels that her dog Buzz always has a way of cheering her up.

He takes joy in the same things we do. I think he sort of mirrors our life in a way."

— VIVIAN MARTIN, accountant

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 35

Text by ANNUM HASHMI and KIERAN ZAJAC

Photo by INES LEGRAND

Returning to her roots

5 QUESTIONS WITH PALY POET JASMINE KAPADIA

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ATELY WHEN I SEE MYSELF in the mirror i think i can visualize the ghosts of my hip bones jutting out of my skin. or maybe the shadows of my ribcage, dusted with sand. i study the tips of my fingers and imagine biting them off. i want somebody to sketch, to study the wrinkles that form when i bend my wrist. i want them to draw hundreds of hand studies, all untitled if they displayed them, would my family recognize me? would my friends? would i?”

These are the first few lines from senior Jasmine Kapadia’s poem “rediscovery” previously published in The Aurora Journal.

Kapadia is a senior at Palo Alto High School and is a prolific poet, being a 2021 Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate and having her poems featured in various publications. Her work was even awarded a gold medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and was featured on ABC News. Kapadia’s work is largely inspired by her identity as an Asian American. We spoke with her about her poetry journey and here is what she had to say. v 1. How long have you been doing poetry and how did you initially get started?

“I started writing poetry in second grade. My teacher was really into creative writing and she had this mini haiku unit, and so she had us all write haikus.

If she liked them, she would pin them up on the wall. And I as a little attenPROLIFIC POET — Senior Jasmine Kapadia poses with a smile. As an Asian American, Kapadia’s cultural identity is a central part of her poetry. “For me, poetry has always been about finding my voice,” Kapadia said.

36 APRIL 2022

tion-seeking second grader was like, oh, I get validation if I write a good poem, so I just kept writing haikus. And then from there [I] extended to different types of poetry like free verse.”

2. Have you seen any major shifts at different times that affected your poetry experience?

“In eighth grade being introduced to slam poetry and wanting to explore more POC writers and poets has been really informative and adding my own personal identity in my poetry rather than making a second thought or writing about things that I can’t relate to.”

3. How does your identity as an Asian American influence your poetry?

“I think my poetry is always tied to my diasporic roots. I think because I am mixed Asian American, Chinese and Indian, my culture has always been a way for me to find a voice within those two cultures. And because it coincided with the pandemic, it’s just basically heightened that so if I’m talking about my identity, it also comes from a place of reclamation.”

4. Do you see a purpose to your poetry such as creative expression, leisure or advocacy?

“When you write about your identity, then your poetry or your writing kind of just becomes advocacy because you’re actually talking about it. That’s something I’ve found especially with COVID and writing about Asian American hate.

That’s been really interesting just seeing how much my words have just become like almost social change” 5. Do you have any suggestions or tips for Paly students who want to get into poetry?

“People feel like they can’t understand poetry or that they aren’t meant for poetry or they wouldn’t know where to start with it when in reality it actually is quite accessible. If you listen to [artists like] Lorde or Mitski or if you listen to mainstream pop music, that is a form of poetry, it’s just sort of sung.”

profiles Text by AANYA KUMAR

Photo by EMILY YAO

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Art by BLAIR MIDGAL

THE Chess Champ on A ADDISON LEE BECOMES NATIONAL MASTER

S HIS HAND GLIDES chess Lee said. one’s chess skills. pieces across the board, Palo Alto As he has advanced as a chess player, “I played 35 tournaments, which is High School senior Addison Lee Lee said it has been harder to increase his 35 weekends,” Lee said. “Every year has vividly recalls the moment he ranking due to the challenging competi- 52 weekends, I’m dedicating 35 of them became a national master. Lee said he was tion. to solely chess, and other people are not, nervous at the beginning of the game, but “From 2000 to 2200 … getting those which makes sense, because it’s crazy to fopersevered through the 200 rating points was cus so much on 64 squares.” stress. After his 27th extremely hard, espeThe greatest lesson Lee said he has move, he slapped the I think chess teaches cially for me, because learned from chess is perseverance. chess clock in celebra- you a lot about never I wasn’t asking the “I think chess teaches you a lot about tion –– checkmate. right questions, like just never giving up,” Lee said. “Back in “It was one of the giving up.” how else could I im- Washington … I ended up losing a game best feelings of my life, prove,” Lee said. because of time and pressure. … I kept on — ADDISON LEE, senior I ran out of the tournaBeing a national working hard, never gave up. Took the loss ment hall even though master, Lee has de- to the chin and never looked back. And I I was supposed to shake hands with my op- veloped strategies to deal with the pressures ended up winning the Washington Mosponent,” Lee said. of facing many tough opponents. cow Chess Championship in eighth grade.”

At 15 years old, Lee became a nation“A great way to feel less pressure is to Lee said he hopes to continue his joural chess master. National masters are high do tactics,” Lee said. “You do a [chess] puz- ney with chess in the future by teaching ranking chess players, some of the best in zle and then get your mind into this ‘chess chess to others. the country. form,’ which is basically like warming up “In college, I want to start a chess club To be ranked this high, players must in sports.” or just volunteer and work at a nearby chess acquire at least 2,200 rating points over the Lee said he believes having a strong club,” Lee said. “It’s really great to see kids course of their chess careers. At each game, passion for the game and dedicating hours wanting to be like me, and I think that’s they can either gain or lose rating points to practicing is important to improving pretty inspiring.” v based on the outcome.

When Lee was in elementary school living in Washington, his parents wanted him to find a passion to pursue. He tried many different activities but was most intrigued by the chessboard, despite not being a stereotypical adolescent game. While many may dislike chess as it is intricate and mentally exhausting, Lee was attracted to chess for that very reason.

“What fascinates me is its complexity, for sure, because everything is equal at the start, but then either player wins, or the game ends in a draw,” Lee said. “There’s just so much complexity in between that. That’s what makes it pretty special to me.”

To become a national master, Lee took a year off school in ninth grade to dedicate himself to chess and gain the points he needed.

“I attended about 40 tournaments that year and improved my rating by over 200 points. It was a great experience and CHECKMATE­ — Addison Lee switfly moves the rook across the board as he plays himself in a round something I wouldn’t trade for anything,” of chess. “I was replaying one of my best games through memory and it felt great,” Lee said.

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Text and photos by ANDREW XUE and ALLEGRA WEST

Sweet Maple

VIETNAMESE-KOREAN STYLE FUSION OPENS LOCATION IN PALO ALTO

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NE AFTER ANOTHER, people race to line up behind each other as a line begins to stretch around the corner of University Avenue and High Street.

Originally established in San Francisco, Sweet Maple is one of many restaurants that are a part of owner Steven Choi’s vision to expand East Asian comfort cuisine across the Bay Area. In 2020, Choi’s plans of branching out to Palo Alto, Cupertino, Santa Monica, Walnut Creek and Mountain View were delayed due to the pandemic. After two years of waiting, Palo Alto’s Sweet Maple finally opened its doors on Jan. 5 in the space formerly occupied by Amber Dhara.

Though unified by their Asian influences, each of Choi’s restaurants is unique due to its name, the variety of cuisine and type of meal. For Sweet Maple, Head Chef Nick Yoon and Co-Manager Suhkanya Hassan blended together a fusion of Korean, Thai, Japanese and American style foods in hopes of creating a brunch-forward menu that they said they believe their customers will enjoy.

“I go with what I like first and what I ate growing up with my family in Thailand,” Hassan said. “In general, the head chefs and the manager would come up with menu items that reflect their cultures and incorporate food from their homelands.”

Along with its distinct combination of cuisine, Sweet Maple’s modern design and energetic environment help promote an up-

38 APRIL 2022

scale, yet easygoing atmosphere.

“I wouldn’t say we are high-end, but we try to take the quality of our food, beverages and decorations to another level,” Hassan said. “It’s a little fancy but not to the point where it scares customers away.”

According to Hassan, Sweet Maple aims to attract a different demographic than his other businesses.

“Unlike our other restaurants which sell a lot more alcohol, our Palo Alto restaurant replaces that with beverages such as the ube or matcha latte to attract younger customers,” Hassan said.

“We want more students to treat our location more casually and invite their friends to hang out.”

After two long years of quarantine, Hassan explains her primary goal after the pandemic is to reconnect the community by creating a neighborhood restaurant that serves and attracts customers of all ages and cultures; the sight of local or frequent customers always brings Hassan joy.

“I am really happy that we finally decided to open this location after two years,” Hassan said. “I believe that a lot of customers have really given us their support and have given us a chance to make our vision a reality.”

Intrigued by Sweet Maple’s unique menu, we sampled a selection of Yoon and Hassan’s dishes. v

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MATCHA MOFFLE - $15 (TOP) — Externally crunchy and internally chewy, this rich mochi and waffle combination is a must-try for a filling brunch. The combination of powdered sugar, sliced strawberries and foamed matcha topping this waffle was a delicious mixture of sweet and creamy that was subtle enough not to be overwhelming and yet still satisfied our sweet tooth.

MILLIONAIRE’S BACON - $10 (BELOW) — This bacon is, according to Hassan, Sweet Maple’s signature dish. Glazed with maple brown sugar and cayenne pepper, the bacon packed a sweet and spicy punch with every bite. The bacon was cooked to crisp perfection, maintaining a jerky-like texture without sacrificing the meat’s juiciness and tenderness.

CHICKEN CROFFLE - $20 (LEFT) — Sandwiched between an orange slice and a crunchy, fresh croissant waffle and sprinkled with powdered sugar, the Chicken Croffle brings together the worlds of sweet and savory. The candied walnuts, assortment of fruits and maple syrup on the side worked in synchronization with the crispy chicken to create a surprisingly pleasant and unique flavor.

KITCHEN KRAZE (CENTER) — Chef Yoon adds the finishing touches to a potato and asparagas dish by drizzling a creamy glaze over it. “We have steps for preparing food,” Yoon said.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 39

Art by BLAIR MIGDAL

a

master mirage

of

Text by DOMINIQUE LASHLEY

NEW PACE EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS PIONEERING UKRAINIAN SCULPTURE ARTIST 40 APRIL 2022

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RAGMENTS OF LEATHER, sandpaper and wood are carefully pieced together in each collage that lines the Pace gallery walls. A fondness for black is felt in almost every piece, from the use of abstracted black shapes to the matte black paint coating a collection of wall reliefs. Dark and dramatic, these works highlight the power of form — every shred of metal, wood and foil is expertly arranged to convey movement, harmony and conflict.

These are the creations of the late Louise Nevelson (1899 – 1988), a prominent sculpture artist of the 20th century whose work paved the way for the modern feminist art movement. While Nevelson was best known for her colos-

sal monochromatic sculptures, the newly opened “Mirage” exhibit at the Palo Alto Pace gallery, located at 229 Hamilton Avenue, also features her rarely seen multimedia collages.

“This show is about exposing the public to a selection of exquisite examples of her collage practice,” A Pace gallery representative said in an email to Verde.

“As she once said: ‘I’ve come to recognize that the way I think is collage.’”

“Mirage” is the first exhibit to showcase Nevelson’s work in Palo Alto since 2016. The first piece on display is a black installation placed directly in the center of the room, composed of wheels, bicycle chains and shards. The piece, titled “Gold Music II,” displays several of Nev-

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elson’s signature techniques — the use of everyday household items, a monochrome palette and a cubism-inspired geometric composition.

“This idea of color as mirage is central to all of Nevelson’s practice, but no more palpable than in her collage works,” the Pace representative wrote.

Further into the exhibit, the viewer finds more pieces incorporating an even wider variety of materials. One that especially stands out is a panel layered with what appears to be an old wooden bedpost and pieces of discarded newspaper.

“The show is about how her collages extend our sense of Nevelson’s ability to locate beauty within the material world A STRONG SCULPTOR— Pace gallery’s new exhibit, “Mirage,” features Nevelson’s black itself by imbuing fragments of everyday sculptural reliefs with her rarely-seen experimental multimedia collages. Photo: Anushe Irani existence with a new kind of vivacity,” the Pace representative wrote.

Nevelson drew much inspiration Sue La Fetra said. “But for a woman to from the urban landscape of New York take on something that’s so physical, like City and was known for incorporating making these big sculptures, it was just unconventional materials into her work, a huge, wonderful thing for the women’s often using discarded items from off the movement because it showed that women streets to create massive installations. can do that kind of work, too.”

“I admire her curiosity for materiAccording to the Nevelson Chapel als and processes; she experimented with Organization, Nevelson didn’t consider everything,” Palo Alto High School AP herself a feminist and preferred her work Studio Art: 2D Design teacher Steven to stand alone from her gender. However, Ferrera said. “Her career ran through so she is now widely regarded as a key figure many big movements: Cubism, surreal- of the feminist art movement. Her bold ism, modernism… she explored them creations helped pave the way for other all.” female artists to Nevelson imIn the art dictionary, she enter traditionally migrated to the masculine fields.

United States from was probably the defini“The monuPereiaslav-Khmelmentality of her tion of perseverance.” nytskyi, Ruswork as a woman sia (modern-day was just unheard — STEVEN FERRERA, AP Studio Art teacher Ukraine) in 1905. of,” La Fetra said.

Due to her gender, “She showed that her work was initially dismissed by crit- women could do big sculptures, bronze ics of the time. However, she remained casting and all this stuff that is not usualdedicated to her artistic pursuits and ly considered feminine.” eventually gained recognition for her “She was a woman in a field that was striking sculptural creations in the 1959 all men, so she was definitely blazing a “Sixteen Americans” show at the Muse- trail,” Ferrera said. “In the art dictionary, um of Modern Art. By the end of her ca- she’s probably the definition of perseverreer, Nevelson was a widely accomplished ance.” v artist known for powerful sculptures that transcended gender norms.

CREATIVE COLLAGES — Nevelson “The box that women were put in at used various media, including paper, the time was that they were expected to cardboard and foil, to create “Untitled” do things that didn’t require any physi(1957, top) and “Untitled” (1970, bottom), currently on display. Photo: Anushe Irani cal effort, things like little paintings and drawings,” Paly AP Art History teacher

“

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 41

Text by SADIE IBBOTSON-BROWN

VICES AND ‘THE BATMAN’ REIMAGINES A DARKER BRUCE WAYNE

42 APRIL 2022

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HE TRAIN STATION looks just like a Gotham subway should: covered in grime, dirt and of course, rain. (It’s always raining in Gotham.) As a beaten-up train screeches to a halt, people come swarming out of its doors — most notably, a group of ruffians clad in Joker-esque face paint, following a poor, unsuspecting citizen who’s just trying to get home.

As the eerie musical score picks up its pace, the gang converges on the innocent man, fists raised to commit the senseless violence that every superhero movie thug lives for — that is, until something moves in the shadows, and we see him at last: the Batman, clad in shadowy black from head to toe, materializing from the darkness as his deep voice echoes in the distance: “They think I’m in the shadows. But I am the shadows.”

So begins “The Batman,” director Matt Reeves’s latest take on the story of the famous caped crusader.

The film follows the familiar journey of Bruce Wayne, billionaire by day and winged vigilante by night. The villain he’s up against this time is the scheming Riddler, a gas mask-wearing killer who is murdering Gotham’s highest-ranking officials one by one, leaving clues for Batman at each crime scene.

It’s a race against time to discover both the Riddler’s identity and motive, and Batman and his allies face new obstacles around every corner.

With political commentary, sweeping cinematography and a chilling musical score, “The Batman” shows us a side of Bruce Wayne that we haven’t seen before: not the charming, suave playboy we’ve come to

know from the likes of Christian Bale’s portrayal from 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” but instead, a brooding, beaten-down character who reminds us that all Batman is, really, is a man.

A new hero?

After years of watching Batman grace our cinema scenes, we’ve come to expect something from the character and of the films that accompany him: a dark, joyless man from a dark, joyless city, and “The Batman” certainly delivers on this front while still showcasing a new layer of depth to Bruce Wayne that is unique to this particular film.

Palo Alto High School senior Colleen Wang found that this iteration of Batman was a new and interesting take on the character.

“It’s a pretty refreshing take on Batman that was different than my expectations,” Wang said. “This shows more of his smart and investigative side. Batman is usually this city vigilante, and compared to the previous DC movies where he’s doing crazy and unreal stuff like killing Superman, this definitely feels like a breath of fresh air.”

It’s this rawness and vulnerability that has always set Batman apart from his superpowered counterparts, and in “The Batman,” the character’s antihero status is put on full display. Robert Pattinson, who plays the titular role, is accompanied by a thundering musical motif that audibly references Darth Vader’s “Imperial March” from the Star Wars films, alluding to the character’s darker side and leading the viewer to question Batman’s true goodness.

Junior James Yi feels that Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman did a good job of displaying the uncertainty as to Batman’s true moral code.

“It’s kind of different from the normal superhero movie because instead of saving people like a ‘hero,’ he acts as a kind of antihero and just beats up the bad guy,” Yi said. “The actors did their jobs really well in portraying the emotions that the characters really had. Bruce Wayne got zero sleep and

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Art by KATIE WU

VENGEANCE was kind of crazy and the actor [Pattinson] reflected that.”

Capes and commentary Christopher Nolan’s (2008) “The Dark Knight,” which stars Christian Bale and Heath Ledger as Batman and the Joker, is often touted and critically regarded as the best Batman film, and has multiple parallels to the 2022 film.

Both the Riddler and the Joker use social media to release disturbing videos of them taunting their victims, which are aired on live news channels to terrorize the public.

This use of social media to perpetuate violence is particularly disturbing in light of the multitude of crimes that have been inspired by the Joker character featured in “The Dark Knight.” Social media is still used today as a tool for extremist movements to gather a following and organize violence, a clear parallel to the Riddler’s following in “The Batman”.

What makes the Riddler such an unsettling villain is not his real identity — which is, in the end, irrelevant to the plot of the film — but the fact that his identity doesn’t matter. He could have been any civilian of Gotham, any man off the street, a point that he reinforces by inciting violence in so many others.

Yi says that Reeves’ comparison of the Riddler and Batman’s similar backgrounds gave new depth to the commentary made in the film.

“The political aspect of it was interesting, because it gives a commentary of the attention different people get because of their socioeconomic status,” Yi said. “The Riddler and Batman are both orphans, and throughout the movie you see Batman going through the pain of solving his parents’ murder, but in the interogation scene you see that his conditions weren’t that bad compared to the Riddler who also grew up poor and without parents.”

Similarly, the Riddler’s obsession with truth and distrust of Gotham’s government and billionaires is a sentiment that morphs

into a critique of capitalism and a harsh spotlight on the inequities that make up Gotham’s very core. He is willing to do anything in his power to dismantle the lives of those in charge, and expose the intricate conspiracy that connects the mafia to Gotham’s police force. Through his sadistic killings and mocking clues, he reveals the motivation behind all of it — money — and displays the unjust lengths these people are willing to go to to get it.

This undoubtedly serves as a direct parallel to how deeply ingrained money is to our own society, and comments on how it can affect decision making and can influence choosing whether to do the right thing.

its gritty, slimy glory, and shown for what it is. The city is built on inequality, corrupt systems, and for much of the film, seems like a pretty terrible place to live — and yet, some people still rise up against injustice, no matter how hopeless it may seem.

Whether these heroes (or antiheroes) are motivated by vengeance or love, it doesn’t matter — there is still hope for Gotham City, and “The Batman” makes sure we know it. v

Starting anew Overall, “The Batman” reads more like a brooding detective flick than a brawling, knock-out superhero film. The caped crusader solves mysteries, untangles riddles and goes on a wild goose chase across Gotham, showcasing a smarter, more insightful side of the dark knight.

Furthermore, supporting characters like Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) and James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) accompany Batman on his quest, and bring a small sense of levity to the otherwise brutally dark film by providing us with heroes that aren’t as sullen and speechless as our main character tends to be.

While the film tends to drag a little toward the end (it does go on for three hours, after all), it’s an interesting take on the character and makes up for any plot inconsistencies with its beautiful cinematography and haunting music.

However, when all is said and done, the star of “The Batman” isn’t Batman himself. Instead, it’s Gotham City, spotlighted in all

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Text by CARLOTA BLANCO and AJIN JEONG

Photos by AJIN JEONG

WILDSEED NEW RESTAURANT ELEVATES PLANT-BASED DIET

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EAFY PLANTS HANG OVER “We start with dishes that we like to wooden tables and comfortable cook,” Morgan said. “It’s actually a little couch seats surround the dim- easier to make vegan [Mediterranean] ly-lit restaurant, creating a relaxed, food because Mediterranean diets rustic ambiance, and a renovated bar area have a lot of vegetables and good fats brightens the room with luminous blue in their daily diet.” tiles and colorful drinks. The cozy and For students like junior Morcomfortable appearance translates to the gan Greenlaw, who has been vegecustomer ambiance — friends, families and tarian since third grade and vegan couples warmly consince eighth verse, diverting their plantWe wanted to prove grade, conversations at times based restauto the menu, which is that we could make rants like Wildentirely plant-based; seed allow them vegan restaurants rethey ask each other to choose from a and employees for ally fun.” wide variety of opsuggestions, instigattions.

— ALEJANDRO MORGAN, ing delightful conver“I’m very excitexecutive chef sation everywhere. ed,” Greenlaw said.

Vegan restaurant Wildseed, Town and “It’s rare that I go to a restaurant and there Country Village’s newest addition, opened are so many different options that are on March 10. This is the restaurant’s second plant-based. A lot of young people know location, with their first in San Francisco. the benefits of plant-based eating, so they The restaurants are owned by Back of the will go there and get delicious food and also House — a restaurant ownership group in get inspiration for how you can make an the Bay Area founded by Adriano Paganini. effort [to go vegan].”

In bringing Wildseed to Palo Alto, PaAlthough the dishes may be pricey for ganini said he hopes to accommodate a va- the average high school student, the food riety of plant-based diets that have recently combinations and vegan substitutes apgained popularity as a way to promote well- peared unique and exciting. v ness and the environment — and do so in a way that appeals to all types of eaters.

“There’s this label to vegan food sometimes, that it’s boring and bland,” Executive Chef Alejandro Morgan said. “We want to prove that that’s not real. We wanted to prove that we could make vegan restaurants really fun, and really good and modern.”

Morgan said he drew inspiration from many different cuisines as he developed Wildseed’s menu, but emphasized Mediterranean flavors.

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Ensalada Andalusia $17 Large pieces of butter ​​ lettuce were layered on top of each other, topped with chicories, toasted almonds, coconut bacon, delicious black ash cashew cheese, sweety drop peppers, smoked paprika and an agave and sherry vinaigrette to create this salad. This dish included a variety of vegan substitutes; though the cashew cheese tasted similar to dairy cheese, other toppings like the coconut bacon did not replicate the texture or taste of real bacon.

Probiotic bowl $17 This hearty bowl consisted of warm forbidden rice, kimchi, tamari marinated mushrooms, purple yam, black beans, fresh avocado, and a green goddess sauce. Especially notable were the tamari marinated mushrooms, which extracted a delicious juice with every bite.

SETTING UP FOR OPENING DAY — Two employees prepare drinks in the new bar area before the grand opening of Wildseed. “It’s a vegan restaurant but everybody is welcome,” bartender Raphael Bello said. “We teach a lot of people new ingredients and new techniques.”

Warm chocolate cake $10 This moist and gooey cake, made of beet and chaga, was accompanied by half a banana, coco nibs and a chocolate gelato made of oat milk. The fudgy texture and complex chocolate flavor resembled that of a non-vegan cake, and though the banana paired well with the accompanying flavors it seemed out of place.

Mezze plate $23

Passion tea $8 & Telegraph hill $10

This plate includes hummus, baba ganoush, marinated feta, a bowl of parsley tabouli salad with green falafel, pomegranate-tomato and seeded flatbread. The hummus was uniquely spiced, the baba ganoush had a strong smoky flavor and the marinated feta was seasoned with mediterranean spices.

The bread was flavorful but tough to chew.

The Passion tea was a mix of hibiscus-infused tea, passionfruit and lemonade.The Telegraph hill was a refreshing mix of kombucha, blackberry preserves, lemon and ginger. Both had the perfect amount of sweetness to complement our meals, but half of the cup was filled with ice, making us question the high price.

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UNSENT Text by MELODY XU

Art by BLAIR MIGDAL and MELODY XU

MESSAGES

STUDENTS SHARE THEIR UNSPOKEN DIALOGUE

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OW MANY TIMES have you wanted to say something, but held your tongue? Have you ever wanted a chance to verbalize a thought after the moment had passed?

The Unsent Project (https://theunsentproject.com) is a digital archive of “unsent messages to first loves” submitted anonymously by internet users all over the world.

Created by Nevadan artist Rora Blue in 2015 with the intention of displaying what color people see love in, The Unsent Project website holds over 500,000 messages that can be sorted by recipient first names or colors.

“The term ‘first love’ is open to interpretation and messages have been submitted to lovers, best friends, exes, parents, siblings, and even pets,” the website reads.

Verde recreated the project on the Palo Alto High School campus through an anonymous form with broader guidelines: Submit any message to someone else on campus, indicate the recipient’s first initial and then choose the color you associate with the message.

The form results come together in this artistic collection of unsent messages between students on campus; it can be seen as a reflection of what goes unsaid among the student body.

Sixteen of over 50 responses are displayed here, unedited and in their original form as submitted, while the rest can be found digitally on verdemagazine.com. v

46 APRIL 2022

TO: S

TO: E

I’m sorry I haven’t told you how I feel.

I forgive ya dude just i you to acknowledge w did

TO: _

TO: D

I love so you much and I wish we weren’t growing apart as friends

Don’t worry. It’s not li next test will kill you.

i need what you

ike the .

TO: M

TO: A

TO: E

I have had a crush on you all year

you are just the most genuinely amazing person I know

Hello, we went to the same summer camp a long long time ago and although we weren't close then (and now), it was comforting to see your familiar face when I first came to Paly. Hope you're doing well. :)

TO: P

TO: G

TO: A

You make my day better and I love being with you. You make make me happiest and I never laugh more than when I'wm with you

I really admire your intelligence and dedication to all your hobbies. You will go far in life and I hope to watch every step along the way.

It would be good to forgive you but you really don't deserve it. So for everything I'm just going to let it go.

Hope you have a good life.

TO: S

TO: E

Just figured you should know there are lots of people who care about you and want to see you succeed.

That’s all.

I'm already starting to regret breaking up but I know it's the right decision for both of us, even if you don't see that right now. I love you so much.

TO: EVERYONE I’m sorry if I’ve ever judged you or ignored you. I’m trying my best :)

TO: G

TO: S

TO: A

i hope you're okay, and i hope you will be happy someday

i wish i was nicer to you

I miss u every day bro.

VERDEMAGAZINE.COM 47

Earthwise welcomes Plays Monk (Ben Goldberg, Scott Amendola, Todd Sickafoose)

Who: Rising 8th and 9th graders When: August 1-5, 2022 from 9am - 3pm Where: Palo Alto High School’s Media Arts Center Cost: $550, includes snacks and catered lunch *Financial aid available if needed

May 13

April 28

Bring this for a Two-for-One or Half-off

Thank you to Verde’s dinner sponsors!

VICTORIA THORP

BRAD JOONDEPH

AMY YANG

JASON & MARIA CHOW ZAJAC

NEALI ARMSTRONG

CAROL WEST

MARK & ALICIA ROBINSON

ELENA CHIU

DEEPA LALLA

COURTNEY ZHANG SUN KIM

48 APRIL 2022

LISA CHAMBERLAIN

KARIN & MATTHIEU BONNARD

perspectives Text by ALEXIS CHIU

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Art by MEYA GAO

Essential grain RICE: THE ELEMENT THAT BRIDGES CULTURES

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N CHINESE, IF YOU SAY YOU’RE GOING TO EAT in a certain someone’s Instagram bio. Several years prior, I recalled dinner, in a literal translation, you say that you are going to seeing someone labeled “rice enthusiast.” In these desperate times, eat rice — or 饭. Rice is an essential part of Chinese culture he seemed like my lord and savior. and growing up, rice made an appearance at every meal I ate.

I spoke with junior Jonathan Chen, seemingly the only person Only recently did I notice that it was a staple for many other cul- who mirrored my enthusiasm. Chen has been a self-proclaimed tures as well, even if, in their dishes, the rice was almost unrecog- “rice enthusiast” for the past four years. When asked about the orinizable to me. gins of this label, he simply stated that it was beI always ate rice with a spoon, occa- Rice cooked in differcause he had previously seen rice as something sionally with chopsticks or a fork, but never only Asians ate, but he no longer feels this ent manners and with that without utensils — until very recently. Sitway. ting at an Indian restaurant with my friends, different spices cre“Rice is a part of many different cuisines I was eager to try something new and fortuand many different cultures,” Chen said. “It’s ate entirely different nately my friend was willing to share some a common food that we all know and we can of her culture with us. We ordered chicken dishes, but they are maybe make dishes using the same food but biryani, a dish served in a small metal bowl with different recipes across different cultures. bound together by a filled with basmati rice tinged yellow from So that we unite and connect as people.” a variety of spices, and succulent pieces of common grain.

Most of us have something in common roasted chicken.

— we all eat rice. Something so mundane as Once I got a portion on my plate, I was a grain, has such power to unite a community. instructed to keep my left hand clean and It’s almost comforting to try new foods and find handle food only with my right. Watching my friend carefully, I similarities between them and the food of my own culture. In such made a quarter-sized mound of rice, picked it up with four of my polarizing times like these where many try to break communities fingers and then, using my thumb, pushed it into my mouth. apart, it’s good to know that there’s something that can bring us My first attempt was quite laughable — only a few grains of together at the same dinner table. v rice actually arrived in my mouth.

Despite this challenge, I had tried something that many people do on a daily basis and this feeling of curiosity of other cultures only expanded. I felt refreshed after eating the same grain I had consumed my prior 17 years of existence in a new way. Previously, my friends’ and my consumption of the same grain was different in the way that we used to eat it. Now that I had the ability to eat rice in the same way as her, I felt closer to her.

Deep down, I realized, we are all the same, but there are small exterior differences that can cause rifts between people. Rice cooked in different manners and with different spices create entirely different dishes, but they are bound together by a common grain.

In my adventures scavenging the Palo Alto High School student population, hoping that one person would say anything of value about rice, I received many rather dry responses such as, “Yeah, I eat it like three times a week,” “Rice is rice,” or “That’s also a track and field acronym.” In these deep, dark moments of borderline despair, I remember something I saw

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Text by SASHA BOUDTCHENKO

Art by SOPHIE PAN

pascha MODERN CONFLICT BRINGS NEW MEANING TO ORTHODOX EASTER

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HE SOUR STENCH OF HOT mence the night before, beginning earlier in vinegar fills the warm kitchen as my the evening of Easter Eve when families bring mom gently lifts a bright blue egg food such as homemade kulichi — sweetbreads atop a wooden spoon out of a dark topped with icing and sprinkles — and baskets of pool of colored water in a saucepan. She carefully dyed eggs to the church to be blessed. places it on a paper towel by the stovetop with A few hours after the blessing of the food, the rest of the batch. we gather again even later in the evening for the Every year, I enjoy helping my mom with Easter service. While I haven’t been able to atthe process of dyeing eggs for Orthodox Easter, tend this service during the pandemic, I recall which we call Pascha (pahsthe sweet, warm scent of ha) in Russian. Like many incense lingering in the air, traditional Easter foods, the I watch my mom play the sound of delicate hymns eggs are a symbol of resur- the news for hours a flowing past our ears and rection and are traditionally the immense attention I had dyed a red color to sym- day, desperate to stay on the flame of my candle, bolize the blood of Christ. informed on everycautiously watching it as However, it is common for people shuffled past. many people, includ- thing that is taking After the service my ing my family, to place. family gathers to feast, ofdye eggs in other ten at my grandma’s house. colors as well, We arrive to a table packed such as blue, pink or purple — this with food such as olivye and Russian vinaigrette twist on tradition adds more fes- salads, pickled cabbage, a spread of cheeses and tive and secular colors to the deli meats, bread accompanied with butter and holiday. salmon roe, pascha (a sweet cottage cheese and Growing up in the United raisin dessert), the blessed kulichi and dyed hardStates, I’ve placed great value boiled eggs. The pascha, kulichi and colorful eggs on traditions that connect me are special foods we eat only for Easter, as they to my Russian culture — it was are symbolic of the resurrection that the holiday the first community I was a part celebrates. of, providing me with a sense of This midnight meal is always festive as we familiarity, comfort and belonging. indulge in food that had been forbidden to many Every year, Easter traditions be- family members over the Great Lent, share fun gin with the Great Lent — known stories and play an egg-cracking game in which as the Velikiy Post since it is one of competitors attempt to crack the other’s egg with the most important fasts of the year their own.

— during which one abstains from conAs conversations die down and the festivities suming animal products and by-prod- come to an end in the late hours of the night, we ucts, such as meat and dairy. While I did help clean up the table and leave to go home. not fast when I was younger, my mom Although I know I won’t get much sleep, the holand grandma were always careful about iday is much too important for me to care. what they ate when they participated.

For the majority of my life, I have come This fast lasts about seven weeks and is to cherish these annual festivities in late April broken on Easter. through which I find comfort and connection.

Easter celebrations, however, com- This year, however, with the current war in

50 APRIL 2022

Ukraine, I expect Easter will carry more with my great-grandparents, I have family weight than years prior. that moved from Ukraine many years ago While I originally sat down to write and some more distant family that has rethis story as a way to shed light on the less- cently found themselves amid the current er-known Orthodox Easter, with the recent terrors. escalation of war in Ukraine, I feel that it is I watch my mom play the news for a topic that must be addressed. The war has hours a day, desperate to stay informed, definitely already had and my grandma an impact on me, and Once again the holiwears two hair ties will have an impact on on her finger, one my family’s Easter this day will be celebrated yellow one blue, to year. show her allegiance to under circumstances It is important to the country. She has note that Orthodox I never could have been informing stuEaster is celebrated by imagined. dent publications on many Slavic cultures, her perspective and including many Ukraidonating money to nians, which is what adds so much more support refugees. weight to the holiday. This means that while When Ukraine was first attacked, I my traditions will be close to unbothered spoke to a relative of mine, who I see althis year, the very same traditions of those most every holiday, over the phone. With a in Ukraine who have gone through great voice full of pain and worry, she informed pains will not be the same. This unsettling me about her father and brother who were realization has left me wondering what Eas- in Ukraine at the time. Like many other ter will be like this year.

Ukrainian citizens, they too will be sacriMy grandma is from Ukraine, my ficing their usual celebratory traditions this mom spent summers there in her childhood year.

MIDNIGHT FEAST — An impressive, candlelit tray of my grandma’s kulichi is set on the table. These sweet breads, often containing nuts or dried fruit, are enjoyed at the end of our post-Easter service meal. Photo: Natalie ShinskyBjorde

For the entirety of my life, Easter has been a source of light and celebration every spring, filled with cherished childhood memories and traditions I hold dear.

During the pandemic, Easter was still a source of happiness and provided some sense of familiarity and normalcy, even despite the accommodations to traditions that were made. Once again the holiday will be celebrated under circumstances I never could have imagined.

The truth is, I don’t know how Easter will feel like this year. Amid all this uncertainty, I know that in a few weeks, with a cloud of uncertainty and worry looming over me, I will find myself back in my kitchen with my mom, dipping eggs into hot, dark water to compose our colorful basket again. v

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SUPPORT INDIE THE VALUE OF LOCAL BOOK-BUYING

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Text and art by MIYA WHITE

LEY

OR 9-YEAR-OLD ME, a perfect afternoon looked like this: Walking to the sweet shop to get stickysweet ice cream with my grandparents, and then heading to Linden Tree Books, an independently owned children’s bookstore in Los Altos. I would browse the aisles, drag my fingers across spines and flip open covers to read summaries, trying to get a feel for my next read. My grandma would buy a book for me and a book for my sister, and as soon as we got home I would be glued between the couch and the pages of my new book.

This store became one of my favorite places and a source of many happy memories. My birthday and Christmas presents from my grandma would come wrapped in the store’s signature green and orange wrapping paper and I spent so much time there with her that the store started to feel like an extension of my grandma’s home. One day, after I had helped a dad find a book for his daughter, Linden Tree’s owner at the time came up to me and told me to come back when I was a teen and get a job at her store.

The store owners have since changed, but I did in fact go back. Last summer I started working at Linden Tree and my job has been a way for me to stay connected to

BOOKSTORES and give back to the store that was such a won’t put in the effort to travel to their lo- don’t remember ever being lost in a bookbig part of my childhood. Since then, my cal bookstore is due to the “one click buy” store because some kind and chatty booklove for bookstores has only grown and ev- in which Amazon will deliver any book you seller was always there to help. ery time I go to work, slice open a card- want to your doorstep in as little as a day.

Indie bookstores are also just fun to board box and see the myriad titles and I was guilty of this purbe inside of. They smell enticing covers staring back at me, I’m re- chase method for a short nice, like books, and are minded of and can appreciate the fact that time as well, but it is Being inside an indie charmingly decorated to reading is still a widely loved activity, espe- important to realize that bookstore is almost fulfill the romanticized cially by children. buying books from rich image you probably have In the beginning months of the pan- corporations like Ama- like stepping into of them in your head. demic, small businesses all over the world zon have negative eco- another world.

Isn’t it every romantic’s suffered and many were forced to close nomic and environmendream to bump into the –– independently owned bookstores being tal impacts. Why should love of their life while no exception. According to the American we give more money to a corporation that browsing the aisles of a cute bookstore? Or Booksellers Association, 35 independent already makes $830,000 a minute, accord- be the mysterious-yet-alluring stranger albookstores had closed from the start of the ing to CNBC, when we could be support- ways with their nose in a book? Being inpandemic to October of 2020 –– approxi- ing local businesses and spending money side a bookstore is almost like stepping into mately one a week. within our community? another world, or a place outside of time, Luckily, the independent bookIndie bookstores, including Linden where the only thing that matters is what store community as a whole survived the Tree, put a lot of effort into being active new story you will pick up. I always look worst of the pandemic and is actually far- in the community through hosting author forward to going to work, and seeing the ing much better than it did in preceding visits, partnering with local schools and colorfully packed shelves, warm glowing years. For myself and people all across the putting on other literature-related events. lights and festive decorations for whatever globe, the pandemic offered free time that When “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” holiday is next at Linden Tree make enterreignited our love for reading, and people came out, I went to a midnight release party ing the building such a happy and calming began buying more hosted at Linden Tree. experience. books. According to Since starting my The store was packed Buying from your local indie bookPublisher’s Weekly, the with fans in costume, store is fun, easy and beneficial to your sale of print books in- job, my love for and I had the time of community. It means no shipping, reduccreased from 2019 to bookstores has only my life playing themed ing your environmental impact and even if 2020 and again from games and trivia. the store does not have the book you are 2020 to 2021. This grown.

Visiting a book- looking for, most are more than happy to was largely due to the store also lets you meet order it for you. The Bay Area has many record number of online orders and more your local booksellers and store owners –– phenomenal independent bookstores, so and more people coming to realize support- experts filled with bookish knowledge who next time you need a new book, visit one ing their local bookstores was a good idea. will give you amazing recommendations or and make a memorable experience out of The biggest reason why some people assist with anything else you might need. I it. v

ALL DRUGS SHOULD BE

Text and art by YASH SHETTY

FENTANYL CRISIS HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEMS WITH

J

UST HEAR ME OUT. Reading that Statista, making it the perfect substance for repeat it?” title probably brought some questions dealers to supply a low-cost, high-impact The United States has been down this to your mind: Aren’t drugs bad, they fix. The powerful nature of these synthet- road before. During prohibition, alcohol kill people right? Why would we legal- ic drugs makes them so dangerous — even consumption was barely affected, instead, ize, wouldn’t an incremental taking place underground where quality that get more error in dosage could no longer be regulated. This led to people hooked 64% of the 100,000 overdose can easily be increased deaths from alcohol poisoning on drugs? This well as the emergence of criminal syndeaths recorded last year were fatal.It is fair asdicates, seems stupid, are who capitalized on the demand for you on drugs? caused directly by fentanyl or to say that our the then illegal substance.

And while I can drug Sound familiar? its chemically similar analogs. current assure you the policy is not It should — it’s happening right now. answer to the working. Ac- The war on drugs has been a catastrophic last question is no, the other two are slight- cording to US News, 64% of the 100,000 failure, the likes of which we have never ly more complicated. Yes, drugs kill people, overdose deaths recorded last year were seen. After 50 years of ‘fighting drugs’ — but often not in the way most think. caused directly by fentanyl or its chemically and $1 trillion dollars later, according to Before I continue, make a guess about similar analogs. This number has shot up CNBC — all we have to show for it is marwhich illicit drug causes the most overdose by 457% over the last decade, with fentan- ginally lower drug use, an astronomically deaths in the United States. What are you yl only accounting for 14% of overdoses in large prison population, further marginalthinking about? Heroin? Cocaine? Oxycon- 2010, according to the ized communities, tin?

CDC. the creation of What if I told you that the actual culThe rapid increase Buyers cannot determine drug cartels, oh, prit is none of those? in fentanyl deaths is don’t forget the purity of their drugs and Over the past couple of decades, the only a natural sympabout the rapidly drug industry has been revolutionized for tom of our current until after they have rising number of the worst by cheap, potent and dangerous drug policy, as the overdose deaths. consumed them. synthetic drugs. The most well-known — criminalization of The illegality and the answer to my previous question drug use has not reof drugs forces il— is fentanyl, a synthetically produced moved the demand for illicit substances, licit substance manufacturing, production substance that has become increasingly but rather pushed it to the black market. and refinement outside of the scope of our prevalent in the illicit drug market. Acregulatory framework and into the hands of cording to the Centers for Disease Control Black markets cartels and drug gangs. Because there is no fentanyl is roughly 50 times more potent What’s that old adage, “those who do FDA or other body overseeing the producthan heroin, but 31% cheaper according to not remember the past are condemned to tion of drugs, buyers cannot determine the

$1 Trillion Amount spent on war on drugs (CNBC)

54 APRIL 2022

64% Percentage of total overdose deaths in the United States from fentanyl (CDC)

100k DEATHS

Number of deaths from overdoses in the United States in 2021 (CDC)

LEGAL

DRUG POLICY purity of their drugs until after they have consumed them — making every hit a de facto game of Russian roulette.

But guess what, it gets worse. Not only are buyers kept completely in the dark regarding the quality of their drugs, they are also left vulnerable by the government — at the mercy of their dealers — because any complaint to law enforcement implicates them as well.

Legalizing drugs would transition the informal, black market drug economy into a formal one overseen by the government.

States like California have already instituted stand-alone government branches to oversee the legal cannabis market, which provides consumers with safer products and protects them against tainted sales, as each one is trackable and thus sellers are held accountable.

In addition to safety, a formal drug economy would have even more major benefits than just improved quality and safety. Legalization allows the government to collect taxes on sold products, which could be as much as $107 billion annually, according to the Cato Institute.

Right now, every cent used to purchase illicit drugs goes into the pockets of drug dealers, which can then be reinvested in buying drugs, creating a vicious cycle of dangerous drug use and distribution.

But through a regulated economy, the federal government would reclaim these funds, effectively breaking this cycle.

Moreover, this market also acts as a job creator, further transitioning drug dealers to the legal economy, as well as allowing even more tax revenue for the government.

This tax revenue has been used in states like Connecticut to fund addiction prevention programs and fight against social inequities, meaning that each dollar spent on drugs — in these legal markets — goes

to creating safer communities all around America.

Considerations Obviously no policy — including legalization — is perfect. There are very real concerns that should be addressed and weighed prior to actual implementation.

The most significant argument against legalization is the impact on drug use.

While there is contradictory evidence favoring both sides, I believe even if use increases, the policy has holistic benefits.

Ask yourself this: What is the worst outcome of drug use?

In my opinion, the answer is easy — death.

The potency and danger of fentanyl requires a safe and regulated market for distribution — something that is impossible under our current system. Most importantly, even if drug use does increase post-legalization, it will be safer. Nick Werle and Ernesto Zedillo of the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, put it perfectly when they wrote, “people are less likely to overdose or contract diseases consuming pharmaceutical-grade opioids than injecting substances bought on the street.”

History has proved that prohibitionist policy does not dramatically decrease use, but instead forces that use to occur under unsafe circumstances. The only way to create these safe circumstances is through a legal and regulated market. And while I am in no way condoning drug use, addiction does not make you any less deserving of protection and safety.

Legalizing all illicit drugs would represent a long-overdue change in the United States’ drug policy. If we don’t do anything, we will watch as continuously climbing fentanyl deaths render this change increasingly necessary with each passing year. We must act, and we must act now if we want to mitigate the damages occurring every day in communities all around the country. v

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