Verde Volume 24 Issue 1

TRAILBLAZER

Kate Nelson, pg. 26

Lara Saslow, pg. 32

Rachel Chang, pg. 38

VERDE MAGAZINE

September 2022 Volume 24 Issue 1

Editors-in-Chief

Meena Narayanaswami Jonas Pao Yash Shetty

Melody Xu

Managing Editors

Ajin Jeong

Business Manager

Andrew Xue

Social Media Managers

Ajin Jeong

Allegra West

Photography Director

ON THE COVER

Freshman Kate Nelson lays on the Palo Alto High School track captured in a photo by Photo Director Ines Legrand during sunset. Arms crossed, and with a determined ex pression on her face, Nelson looks at her reflection in a mirror. Nelson’s Continuous Glucose Monitor can be seen on the back of her arm, an outward sign of her day-to-day routine with Type 1 diabetes. The setting and her choice of attire make it clear that she is a runner.

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 pro viding they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Verde, please contact business manager Andrew Xue at ver debusiness5@gmail.com.

Printing & distribution

Verde is printed five times a year in September, November, Febru ary, April and May by Folger Graphics in Hayward, California. The Paly Parent Teacher Student Association mails Verde to every stu dent’s home. All Verde work is available at verdemagazine.com

Andrew Xue

Features Editors

Alexis Chiu Miya Whiteley

Culture Editors

Bella Daly Annum Hashmi

Perspectives Editor

Andy Robinson

News Editor

Gopala Varadarajan

Launch Editor

Allegra West

Design Editor

Esther Xu

Digital Director

Ashmita Rajmohan

Copy Editors

Alexis Chiu

Bella Daly

Ines Legrand

Art Director

Palina Kuzmina

Staff Writers

Felicia Buchholz

Matthew Choi

Austin Eng Anna Ghereghlou

Ashray Gupta Asha Kulkarni

Nadia Soberg

Nadav Sternheim

Anna Van Riesen

Adviser

Paul Kandell

Features

Drought

Profiles

Tyler Wong 24

Kate Nelson 26

Cal Currier 30

Lara Saslow 32

School board candidates 34

Music producers 36 Rachel Chang 38

Culture

BeReal 40

Never I Have Ever 42

SomiSomi

FROM THE EDITORS

TRAILBLAZER

What does it mean to pave your own path?

Palo Alto High School freshman Kate Nelson does it every day — whether literally, at cross country practice, or figuratively, by managing her daily routine with Type 1 diabetes. Nelson’s journey is detailed by Managing Editor Ajin Jeong and staff writer Asha Kulkarni in our cover story “Trailblazer.”

Senior Rachel Chang is a trailblazer in her own right, forming new paths within ultimate frisbee. In “The Ultimate Game,” Pho to Director Ines Legrand and Digital Director Ashmita Rajmohan profile Chang’s journey to the international frisbee stage.

Freshman Lara Saslow’s defiance of stereotypes by playing football is the definition of trailblazing. In “The new normal,” staff writer Nadav Sternheim explores how Saslow’s love of kicking put her at the center of a nationwide discussion.

Beyond profiling some of Paly’s trailblazers, the stories in this issue represent some of the most compelling topics on our collec tive conscience.

Staff writer Anna Van Riesen and Features Editor Miya White

ley detail efforts to prevent a recent outbreak from stereotyping the people affected in “Managing Monkeypox.”

Kulkarni and Art Director Palina Kuzmina’s “Polio in Palo Alto” digs deep into the Paly Journalism Archives to report on our town’s past with polio, and specifically the parallels between the historic outbreak and our current world.

In “Too Good to BeReal,” Culture Editor Annum Hashmi and staff writer Austin Eng explore how an app aimed at mini mizing social media problems may actually perpetuate those same issues. On the cover, we took inspiration from the twisted perspec tive of BeReals — where one photo is taken forward and the other backward — to capture Nelson with a full-body mirror as she lays on the track.

When our newsroom doors reopened in August, we welcomed in a new class of Verde staff. It’s been a pleasure getting to know each other as journalists and as people while doing what

As you explore this issue, we hope that you’re inspired by Paly’s trailblazers. See you back here in November.

JONAS, YASH,

ARYA STEAKHOUSE pg. 47

RACHEL CHANG pg. 38

CAT ALLERGY pg. 48

TYLER WONG pg. 24

the verdicts Replace Study Hall with PRIME; fairly compensate teachers

Art by MIYA WHITELEY

SCHOOL SHOULD PROVIDE A MORE PRODUCTIVE PERIOD

ANEW INSTRUCTIONAL pe riod called Study Hall now takes place during the Advisory block once a week at Palo Alto High School, for grade levels not in Advisory. To allow for the most productive use of time for both students and teachers, a second PRIME should be implemented instead of Study Hall and teachers should be fairly compensated for the extra working hours.

Study Hall replaced last year’s “extend ed lunch,” which did not have any guide lines about how or where students spent their time.

“Both Paly and Gunn implement ed Study Hall to occur simultaneously to Advisory this year to assure the safety of our students during a time of the school day where we are responsible for students, and for attendance purposes that relate to

required state instructional minutes,” Assis tant Principal Michelle Steingart said in an email to Verde.

While we understand that Study Hall was implemented to meet instructional minute requirements and concerns about student safety prompted by last year’s “ex tended lunch,” implementing another PRIME period instead would be more pro ductive for students.

During the Study Hall period, stu dents stay with their Advisory classmates and move to another classroom supervised by another teacher to focus on classwork.

In the Study Hall environment, students are with teachers they may not currently have, and are thus not able to take full advantage of having a period free to get help with classwork or access resources that are only in certain classrooms.

“Personally, I’m not a fan of Study Hall,” sophomore Kennedy Do said. “Study Hall is meant for you to have time to work on homework or just study for other things, but it tends to be really inefficient.”

We believe the period would be more effective if students it was a second PRIME — a 50-minute period in which students go to a pre-selected teacher of their choice to ask questions or catch up on work.

“PRIME is definitely more productive because you have a teacher that you want to go to rather than a filler teacher every time,” junior Zach Szeto said.

Although some teachers may not be available for PRIME, as they are teaching Advisory at the same time, Paly should cre ate a system that allows students to select a teacher from those available.

“It [more PRIME periods] are a good thing for the kids who use them,” social sciences teacher Mary Sano said. “I find it super useful to have a chance to sit with kids one-on-one and talk or get kids caught up. Another PRIME period in which we’re working with a bunch of kids, helping them get caught up, is the objective.” This additional structured time would also help reduce the number of out side school hours teachers allocate to help ing students, benefitting both the staff and students.

Additionally, while Advisory teach ers receive extra pay for their time prepar ing for and teaching the class, Study Hall teachers do not.

Though Study Hall teachers do not have the extra re sponsibilities of Advisory teachers, they are still required to spend additional time su pervising students and should be paid for this time.

While Study Hall is the current format for Advisory’s counterpart, Steingart said that the format is open to change based on students’ wants and needs.

“The format was chosen as it was the most straightforward plan to implement for the short term,” Steingart said. “If there is a format that would better serve our stu dents and is doable with the resources we have during Study Hall time, it is likely the format will change over time.”

Though we understand the schedule will likely stay the same for the current school year, we urge the Paly administra tion to institute a second PRIME during the week and pay current Study Hall teach ers for their supervision time.

v

“ I find it super useful to have a chance to sit with kids one-on-one and talk or get kids caught up.”

MARY SANO, social science teacher

NEW PERIOD— Palo Alto High School seniors Dalia Antebi and Victoria Senderzon focus on schoolwork in Study Hall. “PRIME would be better cause then you could choose where you go and talk to teachers,” Senderzon said. Photo: Ines Legrand

Thanks, in advance, for the computers

TECHNOLOGY ACCESS IS NEEDED FOR JOURNALISM EQUITY

WE COMMEND THE Palo Alto High School adminis tration for its promise to replenish the journalism program’s Apple desktops and laptops; however, we hope that going forward, lap tops and desktops are replaced in a more organized manner that does not leave the program without a critical resource during the school year.

The Paly administration has requested approval but has yet to order Macbooks and iMacs, assistant principal Erik Olah stated in an email to Verde on Sept. 21.

We appreciate the effort put into pro viding journalism students with laptops and desktops, as they are imperative for both beginning journalism classes and Paly publications.

The program previously had access to both Macbooks and iMacs; however the 20 Macbooks the program had last year were removed over the summer, allowing the program no opportunity to adjust. While the iMac lab remains, the desktops are slow to the point that they are largely unused.

The journalism curriculum relies on iMacs to run Adobe Creative Cloud pro grams to teach design and photography principles. Publications use Adobe pro grams to design pages for newspapers and magazines, as well as create and edit photos and art.

As a result, journalism students — es pecially those who are part of Paly’s eight print publications — must have access to computers that can run these applications.

“I use my Macbook every day for jour nalism,” C Magazine staff writer and junior Saachi Nagar said. “If I were to forget it, I wouldn’t be able to get any work done.”

For students who do not have easy access to a computer that can run Adobe software, the lack of classroom Macbooks and iMacs is particularly impactful. If those who do not have a personal Apple comput er cannot do the appropriate work for their

publications, an equity problem is created within the entire program.

“We exited the pandemic stage of dis tanced learning with the ability to provide laptops for all of our students,” journalism advisor Brian Wilson said. “Many [students] had laptops already, but not all of them.”

This year, the pro gram has lacked Mac books and updated iMacs for a month and a half so far, and students who do not have their own Apple

computers will remain at a disadvantage until the new technology arrives.

“I don’t want to diminish the urgen cy,” Wilson said. “We need these things [Macbooks and iMacs].”

We would like to see these con cerns addressed and we thank the administration for their efforts to re place the laptops and desktops required for journalism to function and stay equitable. v

Editorial cartoon: summer work

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

“ I use my Macbook every day for journalism. If I were to forget it, I wouldn’t be able to get any work done.”

SAACHI NAGAR, junior

launch

ASB ANSWERS

WITH FRESHMAN PRESIDENT DAVID WU

What Spirit Week event are you looking forward to?

I am most excited to see the [class] float[s] since it is really amazing to see the entire process, from designing and ordering, to building and creating a fi nal product.

What Spirit Week event are you most excited to plan?

Especially the dance and the float is really important in Paly tradition and we’re excited to do those this year.

What do you plan to accomplish this year as freshman president?

I really want to make the transition to high school as much fun as possible for everyone, and also introduce ev eryone to Paly culture, for example, Spirit Week. And I’m also going to try to increase interaction between students in the different grades, and increase student input to ASB by in corporating student feedback when making decisions and deciding on plans.

INSIDE THE OFFICE OF CAITLIN DREWES:

We went into the office of history teacher Caitlin Drew es. Here’s what we found:

A gift depicting John Dewey that Drewes got from a beloved student in 2015.

An art collage of Martin Luther King Jr. that one of Drewes’s children did.

A painting of the story of a fish wedding that she purchased from a night market in Kolk ata, India while serving in the Peace Corps.

UPCOMING EVENTS

10/1 10/2 10/6 10/10 10/13 10/21

Homecoming

Paly choir’s evening concert Football game vs. Los Gatos

Staff Development Day

Paly jazz and orchestra concert

Last day to lane down

ASB’s fall playlist

Monkeys Spinning Monkeys

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT FALL?

“The sports, they are fun. Fall sports are better than spring sports.”

MALCOLM PHILLIPS, freshman

“I would say the leaves because it’s really pretty like the orange and red. And it’s just really nice when you walk around and then the leaves are falling down. It’s really aesthetic and calming.”

HANNAH HUANG, junior

Sofia

by Kevin Macleod, Kevin by Clairo

Under Pressure

... ... by Queen, David Bowie

Super Freaky Girl

“Halloween, and its close to Christmas, and I like Christmas.”

HIRAM GARCIA, sophomore

“The pumpkin spice flavored items.”

Love Me

by Lil Wayne, Drake, Future

INTERVIEW WITH THE BANANAGRAMS CLUB:

Meeting with the Bananagram Club’s co-president, senior Maya Quinlan.

What happens at the meetings? What led you to found this club?

QUINLAN: We mostly play Bananagrams and eat banana-themed snacks. We’re thinking about adding more [banana] themes. And then having just a bunch of themed [days] with anagram games where you can only do words starting themes, things like that.

THERESA HART, senior

QUINLAN: I first played Bananagrams last summer at camp and I thought it was really fun. I was like, it might be funny if we made a club out of this game.

When and where do you meet?

QUINLAN: We meet every Friday [in Room 219].

9 by Nicki Minaj

Text and design by ALLEGRA WEST

Photos by ALLEGRA WEST

news

Church reserves parking spots for unhoused shelters

ALOCAL CHURCH IN Palo Alto plans to continue its “safe-parking” program despite nearby residents’ safety complaints.

The First Congregational Church, located at 1985 Louis Road, first reserved four parking spaces to be occupied by un housed people in July, in partnership with nonprofit organization Move Mountain View.

Reverend Eileen Altman said when the church first informed nearby residents of its plan to implement the “safe-parking” spots, most residents were in support of the program, but some neighbors vehemently opposed it.

“One is safety concerns, sort of fear that the people who would be parking in our parking lot would somehow pose a danger to them,” Altman said.

However, people must apply to park in the allocated spots, which Altman said helps filter out potential safety problems.

“The goal is to help move these folks into a more safer and better permanent housing situation,” Altman said. “In the meantime, … having a safe and predict able place to park every night with access to a bathroom is good for them and it’s also good for the community.”

by ALLEGRA WEST

City to build shelter for unhoused

THE CITY OF PALO ALTO will start the construction of a housing unit for unhoused people after re ceiving a grant of $26.6 million from the state of California Project Homekey pro gram.

The program is part of the Depart ment of Housing and Community Devel opment, which allows cities to buy housing units, motels and hotels to provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

to create the leadership and the public will to make these kinds of projects happen.”

The shelter will be located by the Bay lands at 1237 San Antonio Road, formerly the Los Altos Water Treatment Plant. Con struction of the facility is required to finish within 12 months.

CHURCH CHARITY — Palo Alto’s First Congre gational Church and nonprofit Move Mountain View collaborated to reserve parking spots for unhoused people. “It’s important for them [the unhoused] to have a place where they can live their lives,” Move Mountain View Director Dave Arnone said. “Making them outlaws on the street where they’re always at risk of hav ing to move is kind of disruptive to [their] lives, and cruel.”

Photo: Allegra West

According to Angie Evans, former executive director of nonprofit community organization Palo Alto Forward, Project Homekey’s funding was a key factor in constructing more housing for the home less across the Bay Area.

“Cities like Palo Alto are really rely ing on federal dollars to create more inter im and emergency shelter options,” Evans said. “When the state stepped up with that Homekey funding, it made it way easier ...

The facility will be operated in part nership with LifeMoves, a private company dedicated to providing temporary housing, case management and support services to the unhoused in Silicon Valley.

“Interim housing options, what they do is they get folks off the street, into the stability that will allow them the space to get out of crisis,” Evans said. “They have somewhere safe to sleep at night. They have somewhere to go to the bathroom, to fill up their water bottle, to make their dinner. They have a home for that period of time while they’re there.”

by NADIA SOBERG

PROPOSING A PLAN — Housing units, such as Project Homekey’s, help both the unhoused and surrounding communities, providing a pathway to permanent housing. “By building places like HomeKey, it allows people to kind of feel that sense of privacy and dignity and [have] their own little unit,” said Michelle L. Covert, Housing and Homelessness Concerns Coordinator for Santa Clara County. Graphic courtesy of City of Palo Alto

Seniors unhappy with Paly SAT score release date

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL will host the SAT on Oct. 27 for seniors, and scores will be released on Nov. 15, after submission deadlines for Early Decision and Early Action Ap plication this year.

According to Assistant Principal LaDonna Butler, the administration only considered hosting an SAT at Paly after requests from parents.

“The test isn’t offered, or was not initially offered to meet the Early Deci sion testing,” Butler said. “The PTA ap proached me and asked if we could host [the SAT] last year because there were

several students who were in need of tak ing the exam for scholarships or to im prove their score for admissions.”

Senior Evie Barclay, who initially considered signing up for the Paly SAT, said she decided that the late score release date did not make the process worth it. However, Barclay said she understands why many seniors may want a chance to take it or improve their scores.

“It’s frustrating for those who were hoping to submit Early Decision or Ear ly Action,” Barclay said. “That said, I’d much rather, in theory, have the oppor tunity to take the test once more to im

prove my score before sending in Regular Decision than not having the opportuni ty at all.”

Although Paly has added one test date this year in response to accessibility concerns, Butler explained that Paly may not do so in the future.

“After this year, I’m looking for what the need is, but if there are several facil ities to offer the SAT [nearby], I don’t know that we need to open [the SAT] and have it available,” Butler said. “I’m just excited to be able to do it for those that need it.”

by AUSTIN ENG

Adult school celebrates 100

THE PALO ALTO ADULT School kicked off this school year by cele brating its 100-year anniversary at the Palo Alto High School Centennial Pla za on Sept. 11.

The Centennial Celebration honored all past and present adult students, as well as the staff that have enabled the school to serve Palo Alto for the past century.

“Before, I was just a housewife, took care of the kids, took care of the husband,” Palo Alto resident Kit Low said. But now, Low said she also occupies her time with adult school.

District supports potential ‘egg wars’ penalization

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL

District Superintendent Don Austin will show full support for the Palo Alto High School administration and local law enforcement for a crackdown on “egg wars” if it occurs, according his statement at the Sept. 13 Board of Education meeting.

“Egg wars” is an unsanctioned event that usually occurs during Spirit Week, which is slated to happen from Sept. 26 to 30, where Paly seniors and juniors throw eggs at each other in local neighborhoods.

“Egg wars” often causes property dam age according to Associated Student Body Director Steven Gallagher, who said Paly had to pay “thousands of dollars in damag es” as a result of the event, in a Paly Voice article published last year.

“Our team will fully support any steps taken by the Paly administration to deter the destruction of our community,” Austin said. “This is not a debate.”

by JONAS PAO

Palo Alto Adult School Principal Tom Keating said, “It’s a place to come and hang out with other people that have similar in terests.”

Over the years, the adult school has evolved from teaching classes in core sub jects and languages to offering a wide vari ety of educational and recreational courses.

Various adult school classes present ed at the celebration, including Japanese drumming, a woodworking exhibit and unique cuisine stands.

“You get to offer what you really care about,” Keating said. “That’s why I want to be a part of this. I care about it.”

by FELICIA BUCHHOLZ

EGG WARS CRACKDOWN — Palo Alto Unified School District Superintendent Don Austin speaks at the Sept. 13 Board of Education meeting, where he addressed “egg wars,” the unofficial event where Palo Alto High School seniors and juniors throw eggs at each other. “They are told and believe that it [‘egg wars’] is their right,” Austin said. “This is not a feeling held by students or groups in other schools or communities.” Photo: PAUSD productions

Guidance system frustrates students

STUDENTS ARE NOW assigned guidance counselors based on their surname in hopes of further efficien cy, according to the Palo Alto High School Guidance Office’s new policy this year.

Previously, each counselor handled one grade level, but Assistant Principal Mi chelle Steingart said a structural change was sorely needed.

“The [previous] model is imbalanced; there is so much more for counselors to handle in junior and senior year,” Steingart said. “From the college and career process to the academic struggles that can come from access to more rigorous courses, …

spreading this across all of our counselors will allow us to better serve our students.”

Steingart also cited the long-term con nection that alpha-sort systems build be tween families and counselors as an added benefit.

Approximately 75% of all Paly stu dents have a new counselor this year, ac cording to Steingart. However, as the counselor-to-student ratio is still almost 1 to 400, many students say that it has re mained difficult for them to connect with their counselor.

This change was especially frustrat ing to upperclassmen, many of whom had

bonded with their previous counselor over time.

“I’m sure it doesn’t matter which coun selor you get, because they’re all great,” se nior Josh Kaplan said. “[But] keeping it consistent for kids throughout high school would have been great too.”

According to school administration, the alpha-sort system will remain for the foreseeable future.

“Changes like this need to be in place for at least two to four years before we can evaluate the effectiveness,” Steingart said.

by ANNA VAN RIESEN

85.7%39.7%

Data presented is from a poll posted on the Verde Magazine website and an opt-in survey by Verde of 226 Palo Alto High School students that col lected responses from Sept. 7 to Sept. 14 through a digital form published on Schoology pages and Verde social media. Responses were anonymous and all questions were optional.

District searches for alternative to lockdown drills

AMID MENTAL HEALTH con cerns, the Palo Alto Unified School District has halted all lockdown drills and plans to implement a new form of preparation for an active shooter situa tion.

“We’re not going to practice ‘Code Reds,’ called lockdown drills, with students anymore because of the triggering aspects of it, the anxiety it can create,” Palo Alto High School Assistant Principal Erik Olah said.

Some students claim that the issue isn’t the drills but the need for drills that are causing stress.

“The point is not to keep the students

happy but instead to be prepared,” junior Maxwell Zhang said.

The last drill was practiced school-wide before the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the majority of the student body without ‘Code Red’ preparation.

Instead of continuing lockdown drills, the school district has opted to take a more preventative approach.

“It’s just kind of looking at identifying some of the patterns and some of the pre vious incidents and what to notice about some individuals,” Olah said. “So the train ing with students is not going to happen anymore, but with the staff, they will still happen.”

No official statement has gone out to students about the changes, but Olah said that the Paly administration plans on releasing an announcement in the future. In the meantime, staff have been trained to respond to situations that might occur, and students are expected to use prior experi ence, according to Olah.

“The lockdown is the same as it’s been before,” Olah said. “I would also say to stu dents, if you hear about something happen ing on the other side of campus, it’s fine to run off campus.”

by ASHRAY GUPTA and GOPALA VARADARAJAN

Don’t know who their guidance counselor is with the alpha-sort system

Students answer survey about guidance system and lockdown drills

Believe that Paly should do more to prepare for active shooter threats

Local game store opening offers new recreation space

GAMELANDIA, A TACTILE game store and play space, will hold a grand opening with food and open play rooms on Oct. 2. at 290 California Ave.

The space, which was previously family planning store Blossom Birth, will now have a retail section from fami ly-friendly to adult games, a game rental library and game rooms that can be used for group events.

Co-owners Lisa Joyce and Berry Hatfield created their vision after mov ing to the Bay Area from Brooklyn, New York and realizing that there weren’t many spaces where people could meet friends and play the games they loved.

“We’re a real mom-and-pop opera tion,” Joyce said. “We have a lot of peo ple on Cal Ave. say that it’s exciting to have something like this here.”

The store will offer instructional classes for anyone interested in learning how to play select games. The owners said they are focusing on building a space of inclusivity and lowering the barrier to entry for many games.

“We want it to be fun,” Joyce said. “We want people to feel like they can come here no matter what level of gam er they are and no matter what age they are.”

Gamelandia employee and Palo Alto High School class of 2020 alumnus Juno Wolfe will be working as a Dungeons and Dragons master and guide for new learners.

“We’ll teach you how to DM [be a dungeon master], teach you how to play any of these games we have,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe began learning Dungeons and Dragons as well as board games during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she lacked access to nearby game stores that she could visit with her friends.

“The closest game store that me and my friends could go to was in Redwood City,” Wolfe said. “I definitely would have been here [Gamelandia]. You can literally walk from Paly.”

Joyce said she also hopes that Gamelandia will become a place where not only young people can feel welcome, but also all others in the community.

“We’re excited to have people feel like this is their spot, have regular events here and really make a claim and have ownership,” Joyce said.

Joyce said that Gamelandia differs from other game stores because it tries to highlight the often-overlooked artistic element of games.

“There is so much imagery and care put into the different visuals of so many of these games,” Joyce said. “We wanted the space to feel very artistic and balance the more strategy and rational games with a really beautiful, creative vibe.”

To create this ambiance, the couple commissioned two muralists to paint the game rooms that people can rent or play games in. With more spaces to play and appreciate the games, Joyce said she hopes more people can be social with others and have fun.

“Play is really important for us,” Joyce said. “It really helps with stress and helps us connect with people.”

by MIYA WHITELEY and INES LEGRAND

GROUNDBREAKING GAME SPACES — Gamelandia co-owner Lisa Joyce helps a customer with their purchase. She is always ready to help make a choice among the variety of games. “We have games where they involve screens if you want to have that component,” Joyce said. “But for the most part, this is just tactile play with people that you’re in the same room with, whether at home or here.” Photo: Ines Legrand

DROUGHT

IN A STATE OF EXAMINING THE LOCAL EFFECTS OF CALIFORNIA’S WATER CRISIS

AS PALO ALTO HIGH school students walk along the path dividing the two halves of the Quad, they are met with patchy, albeit green, grass on one side and almost completely dry grass on the other. Brown lawns, drought-resistant crops and water reg ulation laws in resi dential areas are part of telltale signs of the worsening drought in California.

Water levels have dropped from 20 million acre-feet in 2020 to a current capacity of only 33 percent, according to The State Water Project. Around 80 percent of California’s water is used for agriculture according to the California Department of Water Resources. This is particularly damaging for local farm ers like Rye Muller, who said he decided to farm 50 fewer acres this year — a 10 percent cut from what he would in the average year.

“We rely on the reservoir [which] released no water, so we were relying on natural flows which are at basically noth ing now,” Muller said. “So we are decid ing right now, how much to cut back go ing into the fall.”

While Muller is trying to predict future water supply, he also underscored the importance of rain.

“If it doesn’t rain, there’s going to

continue to be lower and lower amounts of water in our creek [and] in our watershed,” Muller said.

Muller also feels that this drought is worse than he has seen before.

“I was still a young guy but I feel like this drought is different because … the reservoir from previous years [was] way more at a high er capacity, where as now, if it doesn’t rain, there’s going to continue to be lower and lower amounts of water in our creek [and] in our water shed,” Muller said.

While farmers have been hoping for rainfall, they have also taken matters into their own hands.

“We’re doing more cover crops and mulch ing, [and] more com post than ever,” Muller said.

Mulching is a technique to preserve water, where wood chips are used on top of the soil to cover crops, which helps en hance and protect the soil. However, these ef forts, while effective, come at the expense of farming profits.

“Farmers have to spend more mon

ey getting water, either by drilling into the groundwater or getting it trucked in,” AP Environmental Science teacher Nicole Loomis said. “So food potentially becomes more expensive.”

John Burkhold, a dentist and bee keeper, has also felt the increased price of water in his own residential home.

“Last five, six years, it’s been affecting us because we didn’t water more,” Burk hold said. “Five, six years ago, wa ter bills were really high and that was a concern, and we sort of cut back and make sure we weren’t planting other water-thirsty new plantings. We cut back watering on our lawn.”

Beyond the price-based regulation of water, Palo Alto is also attempting to mitigate the harms of drought.

“ But I think another dry year and we’re gonna be making more drastic conservation.”

RYE MULLER, local farmer

“Farmers have to spend more money getting water ... so food potentially becomes more expensive.”

NICOLE LOOMIS, AP Environmental science teacher

“The City is developing a One Water Plan, an integrated water resources plan that will address how the City can mitigate the impact of future uncertainties such as severe multi-year drought, changes in cli mate, water demand, and regulations,” City Sustainability Programs Adminis trator Linda Grand said. “This plan will be a 20year adaptable roadmap for implementation of prioritized water supply and conservation portfo lio alternatives.”

Additionally, the city has recently implement ed a watering schedule, forcing odd addresses to water use only Mondays and Thursdays and even addresses to water use only Tues day and Friday.

This is all to make sure that non-res idential groups use water responsibly, Grand said.

“The city does not allow wasteful wa ter practices such as broken irrigation sys

tems,” Grand said. “City staff investigate water waste reports and educate commu nity members about drought regulations.”

While imperfect, farmers like Muller are grateful for the city’s efforts.

“They can’t make it rain more, unfortunately, which is ultimately what would be the biggest relief to us,” Muller said. “But there are programs that’ll help fund faster drought relief.”

Right now, only time will tell the effectiveness of a concerted city and farmer plan, and whether rainfall will pick up in the coming years.

“Assessing whether or not we’re going to be able to carry crops through this fall is where we’re at,” Muller said. “We’ve had enough water to get through this summer, but another dry year and we’re going to be making more drastic conservation.” v

Drought in numbers

portion of state water supply used for agricul ture, according to the California Department of Water Resources

TWO HALVES Palo Alto High School seniors Isaac Kirby (left) and Drew Nagesh (right) on the Quad during 7th period. “If one person lim its their usage of water, it won’t make a difference, but if more and more people do so, then over time there will be a big impact, and we should all do our part,” Kirby said. Photo: Ines Legrand

“They can’t make it rain more ... but there are programs that’ll help fund faster drought relief.”

RYE MULLER, local farmer

current capacity of state water levels, accord ing to the State Water Project

Text by ANDY ROBINSON and NADIA SOBERG

EXPERIENCING

NAVIGATING COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

POST-SCOTUS DECISION

SUNNY OR SNOWY? Urban or rural? Close to home or the further the better? These are all factors stu dents have traditionally considered when applying for colleges. But in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case on June 24, students are also grappling with its implications on their college experience.

Following the ruling, states are now allowed to determine their

own restrictions regarding the right to an abortion. As of September, 12 states, al most all Republican-controlled, have com pletely banned abortions and an additional nine have attempted to ban abortion, but had the request blocked by courts. Some states where abortion remains legal have implemented strict bans on abortions during the early stages of pregnancy.

The ruling has gar nered polarizing respons es, and the right to an abortion remains vulner able across the country. Meanwhile, students are heading off to college.

In California, a state where the pro-choice movement holds an over whelming majority according to the Public Policy Institute of California, students have their right to an abortion protected. Many, like Palo Alto High School senior and Palo Alto Unified School District Board Repre sentative for the Associated Student Body

Johannah Seah, are concerned about mov ing for college to a state where this is not the case.

“I think it [the overturning of Roe v. Wade] just made me kind of scared,” Seah said. “I've already understood that the world is not a place that's welcoming for me, but it's definite ly not easy to have to reckon with the future where I always have the possibility of being as saulted, and then hav ing no right to decide what to do after that.”

Seah said she in tentionally will not be applying to college in states where abortion is, or potentially will be, restricted.

“I've always been wary,” Seah said. “Obviously California isn't the perfect uto pia, but it's definitely better than any other state where abortion is banned.”

Many seniors, even those for whom abortion access may not be a top concern, are worried about the precedent set by the ruling and say they will not be attending college in states restricting abortion rights.

“I wasn't going to apply to all those [colleges] in those states, just because con servative states already had a lot of laws that I disagreed with,” senior Felix Blanch said. “So in that way, it [the new legislation] didn't affect much, but it really did reaffirm my choice not to do that.”

Others, such as senior Kylie Tzeng, are still willing to apply in states that have restricted abortion, and believe that there are more important considerations when choosing colleges.

“If it was my dream school in a state where they banned it [abortion], versus a random school in a state where it's open, I would pick my dream school,” Tzeng said.

The question remains whether ap plication rates to schools in states where abortion is banned or restricted will see changes, particularly at more selective

“ I always have the possibility of being assaulted, and then having no right to decide what to do after that."

— JOHANNAH SEAH, senior

ROE REVERSAL

institutions. Cathren Cohen, a legal schol ar at the UCLA Center on Reproductive Health, Law and Policy, said a large portion of students will likely factor the new restric tions into their college planning.

“There's already a pretty high rate of unplanned pregnancy among college stu dents relative to other populations, and so I think it's definitely something that folks are going to be think ing about when they choose their schools,” Cohen said.

The impact of the decision is greater for some. Higher income students may be able to afford to travel to a state where abortion is accessible, but this is not an option for all.

“The impact of this decision are folks who are low-income, people who are im migrants, especially undocumented immi grants who really can't travel freely often and just people who don't have the resourc es to go to another state to get abortion care,” Cohen said.

In many Republican states where low-income students have less reproduc tive freedom, legis latures have moved to severely restrict or ban access to abor tion since the Roe decision, while other states have passed leg islation to ensure that the right to abortion is protected, accord ing to The New York Times. In January, a California law will go into effect requiring all UCs and CSUs to provide abortion pills at their student health centers.

According to research published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, an estimat ed 322 to 519 CSU and UC students seek medication abortions each month. About 62% of California’s public college students

are over 30 minutes away from the nearest abortion facility.

“Students aren't going to have to rely on cars,” Cohen said. “They often don't have public transit, which could be incon sistent. [Instead] they can just go on cam pus, … where they get all of their other health care. I think that's really powerful in getting rid of that stigma over what is a pretty common medical procedure.”

Although abortion rights in California remain protected for the foreseeable future, some students say they are concerned about future Supreme Court rulings. In his concurring opinion to overturn Roe vs. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas directly challenged the validity of the Griswold, Lawrence and Obergefell rulings, which legalized con traception, same sex activity and same-sex marriage, respectively. If these rulings were to be overturned, many students, according to Cohen, may consider these rights as they navigate their college applications.

“These kinds of attacks [on abortion and LGBTQ rights] often go hand-inhand,” Cohen said. Ultimately, Cohen said she believes that the effect of the overturning of Roe will be widespread, not only for college students seeking abortions, but for a broad segment of the public seeking reproductive care.

“To see how quickly people have been denied, not just abortions, but all sorts of other reproductive health care [shows] the really large chilling effect on the medical profession in general,” Cohen said. “That's what I'm thinking of.”

ABORTION LEGALITY

Total number of U.S. college students split by in-state access to abortion

Top 100 U.S. universities split by in-state access to abortion

Data sourced from The New York Times's updating abortion tracker on Sept. 13 for every state and student data from the Education Data Initiative, which sources from the US Census and National Center for Education Statistics. The top 100 universities are sourced from the US News & World Report.

“ I definitely expect in particular people who can get pregnant to be thinking about this."

— CATHREN COHEN, UCLA Center on Reproductive Health, Law & Policy

“ If it was my dream school in a state where they banned it [abor tion], ... I would pick my dream school.”

— KYLIE TZENG, senior

Polio in Palo Alto

REVEALING STORY OF EPIDEMIC 70 YEARS AGO

IN THE SUMMER OF 1952, polio swept through Valerie McCullough’s Houston suburb. A doctor and two children on her block caught the dis ease; no one knew who would be next.

One night, McCullough’s father came home with a bottle of Listerine and three bus tickets.

“We said, ‘Dad, what’s that for?”’ Mc Cullough said. “He said, ‘You’ve got to take the bus back to California.’”

McCullough was going into her senior year of high school. She thought she’d be living in Texas forever. But instead, she gar gled the Listerine, “to kill the germs,” and climbed on a Greyhound bus headed to Palo Alto.

“It was the longest ride I could ever imagine,” McCullough said.

McCullough graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1953, going on to have a career in journalism and raise three chil dren, believing that the threat of polio was behind her.

But this summer, McCullough heard news that shocked her: Health officials in New York confirmed that the polio virus had been detected in the city’s sewage sys tem, and those unvaccinated for the disease could be at serious risk. It had been decades since the epidemics in the late 50s that paralyzed over 50,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the CDC, but Mc Cullough’s memories of the epidemic are still clear.

While Palo Alto was largely able to evade widespread devastation from polio in the 50s, a search through the Paly Journal ism Archive, the school’s 100 plus year da tabase of student journalism work, revealed that the disease still affected Paly students in irreversible ways.

Polio spreads through human contact, and most people who catch it remain as

ymptomatic, though are highly contagious. Many crowded public places were closed during the summer months of the 1952 epidemic, including swimming pools and movie theaters in Palo Alto. Parents were worried that their children would become the 1-2% of polio patients that became paralyzed, often permanently, according to the World Health Organization.

McCullough, having witnessed the toll polio took on Texas, felt lucky to live in Northern California. She played tennis at courts that would have been closed in her old town and served as the editor-in-chief of the Campanile.

But according to a 1956 Campanile article, there were 20 polio cases that year in Palo Alto alone. Signs of the disease were

STORY BRAINSTORMING — 1954 Campanile Editor-in-Chief Valerie McCullough and staffers plan an issue in a Paly classroom. “We in Palo Alto ought to count our blessings because our city was not one of those plagued by polio,” McCullough wrote in an editorial. Currently, McCullough is a staff writer for the Loveland Reporter-Herald in Colorado. Photo: Paly Journalism Archives

SCHOOL PORTRAIT — Senior Valerie Mc Cullough smiles at the camera for the 1953 Ma drono yearbook. “Palo Alto High School was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she said. “70 years after ... I’m still grateful for my educa tion here.” Photo: Paly Journalism Archives

all around McCullough: One of her friends had contracted polio in 1948, and had to use crutches to walk before eventually un dergoing spinal fusion surgery.

“It [the surgery] was a reminder of what polio could do,” McCullough said.

Bob Spears, a 1963 alumnus of the now-defunct Cubberley High School also witnessed the disease’s effects. His mother and father both contracted paralytic polio in August 1949; his father lost the use of his lower jaw muscles, and his mother lost the use of her right hand.

“She would pull a casserole dish out of the oven and it would crash on the floor be cause she didn’t remember she was missing those muscles,” Spears said. “It took both of them a while to adjust to their new normal life.”

During the polio epidemic, the “new normal” was an environment of uncer tainty. Spears said he can still picture the quarantine sign that was placed on his front door when his parents were in the hospital. As a four-year-old, he couldn’t read what was written on it, but he knew exactly what it meant: isolation.

Families left casseroles on Spear’s front porch, but he was not allowed to pick up the food until after they had left. One day

he saw his friend and their father dropping off food, and went out onto the porch to meet them.

“I don’t remember a fear of polio, per se,” Spears said. “What I remember is the fear on that man’s face. Holding onto his

son to make sure he didn’t run up to say hello to me.”

Carol Clifford Mitchell, a graduate of the Paly Class of 1953, remembers see ing footage of children in newsreels whose lungs and throat had been paralyzed by po lio using iron lungs to breathe.

“I felt lucky that I wasn’t there in the iron lungs,” Mitchell said. “They looked very lonely.”

Other Paly students felt a similar sense of empathy towards polio patients, which motivated them to take action. Stu dents started to fundraise for the March of Dimes, an effort to fund care for polio vic tims and research toward a vaccine.

“The bills for a severe case of polio may range from $2,500 a year up to $10,000 if the patient is in an iron lung,” a 1956 Cam panile article said. “Aside from combatting the suffering caused by the disease itself, the necessity of the March of Dimes is empha sized in view of what such expenses could do to the ordinary family budget.”

Mitchell and other Paly students went door-to-door on Halloween requesting money for the March of Dimes instead of candy. Paly students raised over $300 in 1951, according to a January issue of the Campanile.

Five years later, the need for polio care remained. Out of the 238 people in Santa Clara County who had polio, 176 of them

THE SPEARS FAMILY — 4-year-old Bob Spears (second from left) poses with his family in front of his Palo Alto home in 1949. A few months later, both Spears’ parents contracted polio. His mother lost use of her right hand and his father lost the use of his lower jaw muscles and Spears witnessed a drastic change in them. “I ran into the kitchen and there was a strange man … leaning over in the kitchen chair and drooling on the floor,” he said. “I did not recognize it was my father because he had lost so much weight and he looked so much older.”

Photo: Larry Spears

JOURNALISTS AT WORK — Campanile staffers revise their stories at the copy table in 1953. Valerie McCullough served as editor-in-chief that year, as a senior. “When I came back [from Texas] they asked if I’d be editor and that was so exciting,” McCullough said. “I still write for a newspaper in Col orado.” Photo: Paly Journalism Archives

received help from the March of Dimes, ac cording to a 1956 Campanile article. Part of the reason why the drive was so successful, according to Mitchell, was the attitude toward polio at the time.

“We had a lot of experience with the effects of polio,” she said. “There was a gen eral belief in the reality of the disease and how it would affect so many people.”

Polio brought the Paly community to gether in other ways.

The Junior Red Cross, which Mitchell chaired in 1952, visited the hospital every week to see two Paly students who had con tracted polio, according to the 1951 Ma drono.

“We were all affected,” Mitchell said. “It was something we all shared.”

When students became eligible to re ceive Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine in March of 1957, many leapt at the chance. A May issue of the Campanile, in that same year, reported that a total of 724 students and 240 adults were inoculated in March and April.

“It wasn’t like now, with COVID,” Mitchell said. “There wasn’t any hesitancy. I think everybody wanted a chance to avoid polio.”

Witnessing anti-vaccination beliefs during the coronavirus pandemic was con fusing and unsettling for both Mitchell and McCullough.

“I don’t know why people resist the vaccine,” Mitchell said. “I guess they hav en’t been frightened like we have.”

Only time will tell if the resurgence of polio will be enough to persuade the unvac cinated to receive the vaccine, but Mitchell and McCullough are choosing to follow science, content that the shot in their arm will protect them against the incurable dis ease.

Part of the reason why neither of them contracted polio was the willingness of the community around them to receive the vaccine.

“We in Palo Alto ought to count our blessings because our city was not one of those plagued by polio,” McCullough wrote in a 1953 Campanile editorial. “You cannot imagine, until you have had the ex perience, how completely helpless a city is against such an epidemic.”

JUNIOR RED CROSS — The Junior Red Cross members pose for a photo for the 1951 Madrono. Every week that year, the JRC visited the hospital to see two Palo Alto High School students who had contracted polio, including the classmate of Carol Clifford Mitchell, who chaired the JRC in 1952. “I remem ber she [my classmate] had to use crutches,” Mitchell said. “I think it’s phenomenal that she lived for quite a long time.” Photo: Paly Journalism Archives

Managing

Monkeypox

DISEASE ECHOES AIDS/HIV STIGMATIZATION

BLISTER-LIKE LESIONS and a painful rash appearing across the body are some of the tell-tale signs of a monkeypox infection. Other symptoms include fevers, muscle soreness and exhaustion. Global outbreaks this summer brought the virus into the pub lic eye, and although cases are currently declining, discrimina tory associations with racial and LGBTQ+ groups have remained.

Monkeypox is a broad term, much like the phrase “coronavi rus.” First coined in 1958 by Dutch scientists studying monkeys in captivity, it describes a virus in the same family as variola or small pox, with slightly less severe symptoms.

Although the virus is commonly known as “monkeypox,” authorities like Santa Clara County Public Health Of ficer Dr. Sara Cody discourage the use of the term and suggest “MPX” (pro nounced “EM-pox”) instead. As the first human cases were recorded in Africa, the phrase “monkeypox” has an association of the disease with Black people, accord ing to The New York Times. “Monkey pox” also incorrectly implies the disease originated in monkeys, while the first cases actually occurred in rats or rodents.

The disease has remained endemic in 10 African countries since the first human

case, which was recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970. A low infec tion rate in the Americas and Europe meant it remained obscure to most of the Western world until cases began popping up glob ally this summer. At the time of publica tion, the CDC has reported over 23,496 confirmed cases in the United States.

Over 54% of Santa Clara Coun ty’s 167 cases affected Hispanic individu als, over 95% were male and over 67% were gay, accord ing to the county’s public health website.

Although MPX vaccine eligibili ty is currently being emphasized for gay and bisexual men, Cody emphasizes the importance of understanding the facts.

“It’s a virus; it could actually affect anybody with an infectious rash who has a lot of skin-onskin contact with somebody else,” Cody said. “In the United States and California and Santa Clara County, it was first introduced into a social network primarily of men and trans men who

have sex with other men, and so most of the cases are among men [who] identify as gay.”

Comparison to AIDS/HIV

Public misconceptions about how MPX spreads echo reactions to the AIDS/ HIV crisis of the 1980s and ‘90s.

Dr. Catherine James, who has worked with the San Francisco Health Network for 20 years, was a medical student at Ward 86 — the first dedicated AIDS/HIV clinic in America — at the height of the crisis, and went on to serve as director of the Maxine Hall community health center for over a decade.

According to James, the association between AIDS/HIV and queerness de terred many people, especially people of color, from seeking treatment at specialized clinics.

“A lot of my Black or Latino patients who came to get care for HIV at Maxine Hall came there because Ward 86 was known to be ‘the HIV clinic’ … and people didn’t want to be seen as having HIV,” James said. “We have to be care ful we don’t fall into that same trap of stigma [with MPX]”.

The association between queerness and

“ We have to be careful we don’t fall into that same trap of stigma [with MPX].”

— DR. CATHERINE JAMES, San Francisco Health Network

“ The way people responded to COVID and MPX labeled entire marginalized commu nities with a disease they aren’t responsible for.”

— CONNOR, anonymous Paly student

Out of Santa Clara County’s 167 confirmed and probable cases...

57.5% are Hispanic or Latinx

95.8% are male

67.1% are gay, lesbian or same gender-loving

Data represented is sourced from Santa Clara County’s Public Health website and is updated as of Sept. 15.

MPX has not been missed by the Palo Alto High School community, and many recognize the danger of that association.

“It’s true that gay people are dispro portionally affected by monkeypox, but it forms an image that gay people are the face of the disease,” said Connor, a gay Paly student whose name has been changed to protect his identity.

Connor, who is Asian American, also pointed out parallels with the COVID-19 pandemic response.

“The way people responded to COVID and MPX labeled entire mar ginalized communities with a disease they aren’t responsible for, which isn’t fair,” Connor said.

Connor echoed James’ concerns that stigma could contribute to low-case re porting, even for those with symptoms.

“Because of that label, people will be scared to report cases, and people are still scared to be perceived as gay,” Connor said.

In an anonymous survey of 226 students conducted by Verde Magazine, 59% of students said that they would feel scared to let others know if they had con tracted MPX.

Fortunately, contracting MPX shouldn’t be a cause of severe concern to high schoolers at this time, according to Cody. In fact, zero cases have been report ed for people aged 17 and under in Santa Clara County, and cases are overall in de cline. However, Cody said young people

KEY TO GIVING BACK

JUNIOR PÂTISSIER

BAKES PIES AND FUNDRAISES

AS THE CLINKING OF A whisk and bowl echoes through out Palo Alto High School sophomore Tyler Wong’s kitch en, the sweet smell of crushed graham crackers and squeezed limes wafts through the air. Wong is preparing the ingredients for his popular pies — starting each one from scratch.

Though many students love baking in their free time, Wong has turned his hobby into a fundraising project and business.

Wong first began baking for his friends and family when he was in the sixth grade, after watching baking contests such as the Food Network’s “Kids Baking Champion ship.”

“I often brought baked goods like cakes and ice cream for my classmates at school, which they’re always happy about,” Wong said.

In August 2020, Wong started baking his famous key lime pies from scratch using his secret recipe.

“My mom suggested that I help do something to fundraise money for people less fortunate that were heavily affected by

COVID,” Wong said.

Wong started off baking only three to six key lime pies a week, donating his pies to be sold at Ada’s Cafe, a local nonprofit that supports people with disabilities.

“I felt like it was a great organization to support,” Wong said. “Besides providing jobs and teaching them [people with disabilities] and supporting them along the way, they [Ada’s Cafe] also donate to larger nonprofits.”

Within two months, he jumped from baking up to 12 pies a week to baking up to 30.

“That [increas ing the amount of pies] really allowed me to fundraise at a larger scale, and help my community more, along with doing something I really enjoy doing,” Wong said.

Wong also started his own business called Ty’s Pies where he now sells his pies

for $30.

“I sell the pies directly to customers through a form that I send out on Face book, my Instagram and Nextdoor to reach my neighbors,” Wong said.

Wong donates two-thirds of the profit from these direct orders to the Ecumenical Hunger Program.

“The wonderful service they bring to everyone is something I haven’t seen in a lot of places,” he said.

Wong says he has raised $7,000 for the EHP in two years as a coronavirus project, and plans to take his business even further.

“I hope to expand to other restaurants and to some new varieties,” Wong said. “I’m creating some more pies to add to the menu, and they will release sometime soon.”

Although baking pies requires eight hours per week, Wong tries to find time for it outside of his schoolwork, photography and basketball.

“It [fundraising] makes me feel good,” Wong said. “My baking is a great way to show love for the community and help the community and support the community for all it’s given me and to continue to give to other people.” v

“ My baking is a great way to show love for the community and help the community and support the community for all it’s given me and to continue to give to other people.”

— TYLER WONG, junior

SCOOP AND SPREAD — Palo Alto High School junior Tyler Wong fills pie crusts with key lime cream, all made from scratch. These pies are then donated or used to fundraise for the Ecumental Hunger Program. “I often think of how this money [donated funds] would go, what they do with this money,” Wong said. “With EHP, they use money to get food ... for people that can’t afford it.” Photo: Ajin Jeong

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FRESHMAN ATHLETE RUNS THROUGH MEDICAL CHALLENGE

SNEAKERS CRUNCHING ON the Baylands’ gravel path, Palo Alto High School freshman Kate Nelson moves with the even stride of an experienced runner. Nelson, who runs cross country and track, finishes her jog without a change in her breathing.

But with longer runs, Nelson says, she is often left breathless despite attempting to pace herself. Although some despise that feeling during exercise, Nelson enjoys running because of the feeling of accom plishment after she finishes her race, espe cially when motivated by her friends.

“As soon as I get home [after a run], I usually lay in bed and I’m like, ‘Why do I do this?’” Nelson said. “And then I get up, and I go, ‘All my friends do it. … Let’s do it.’”

Nelson is one of the few Paly students with Type 1 diabetes, which she was diag nosed with at two years old. A combina tion of advanced technology, passion and

support from the people around her has allowed Nelson to thrive as a runner, and a Paly freshman, managing her condition to blaze her own trail.

Nelson’s enthusiasm for running is palpable even without her friends by her side. She smiles as she jogs back down the path, putting two white patches (one on each of her triceps) into view.

These devices are the only outward sign of a condition that decades ago would have made the athletic success Nel son has achieved impos sible.

The first device — a Continuous Glu cose Monitor — fastens to her arm 24/7 and sends a needle into her skin to mon itor her blood glucose levels. The CGM is in a “closed-loop system” with the insulin pump, the second device. When the CGM finds that her blood glucose level is too high, it signals for the insulin pump to administer insulin, allowing her body to absorb the glucose. Conversely, when the CGM finds that her glucose level is too low, it beeps, prompt ing her to consume sugar and thus increase her body’s glucose levels.

Because strenuous activity uses up

7 a.m. — Morning

Although Kate Nelson’s Continuous Glu cose Monitor and insulin pump interact with each other to keep her in a safe glucose range overnight, she can wake up with an abnormal blood glucose level. If her blood sugar is low, she eats breakfast right away, but if her blood sugar is higher, then she waits for it to go down.

glucose in the body more quickly, Nelson must plan ahead before running, and occa sionally sit out on activities when her blood sugar is low.

“Growing up, I was like, ‘I’m gonna do everything everyone else does,’” Nelson said.

But that changed after Nelson stopped playing tag on the Ohlone Elementary School playground and started to par ticipate in organized sports, especially swimming, alongside her friends.

“Once I started doing more intense physical activity, I had to come to terms with the fact that it is dif ferent for me,” she said.

When Nelson’s blood sugar is low enough, it could lead to dizziness, sluggish ness and, depending on the severity, pass ing out.

Despite the challenges that diabetes poses for running, Nelson continues to im prove her records with each race with the freshman cross country team.

“I’m not one of the standouts,” she said. “But I’m definitely better than when I started.”

With cross country practice and meets five to seven days a week, Nelson works on pacing herself and improving her time.

“This sport is something that I really enjoy doing,” she said. “And even though it’s a hassle, it’s worth it.”

10:35 a.m. — Brunch

Between breakfast and lunch, Nelson checks her blood glucose levels to make sure it is in a good range for lunch. If it is too high, she doses insulin on her insulin pump to lower it. If it is too low, she picks up brunch from the Student Center and eats it while talking to her friends to get it back up.

“This sport is some thing that I really enjoy doing, and even though it’s a hassle, it’s worth it.”

— KATE NELSON, freshman

“Now, as Kate manages her condition independently, I worry about the decisions she is making for herself.”

— DANA NELSON, mother of Kate Nelson

ON THE MOVE — Palo Alto High School fresh man Kate Nelson runs at the Baylands. She ad justs her insulin pump settings to account for a drop in her glucose. “Once I started doing more intense physical activity, I had to come to terms with the fact that it is different for me,” she said.

Managing her blood sugar during ath letics is not the only challenge Nelson faces; as a freshman, Nelson has had to transition into high school, taking elevated courses like French 2 and World History — her fa vorite subject — all while trying to balance schoolwork, athletics and free time.

Especially because of the indepen dence that comes when entering high school, Nelson’s parents constantly worry about the day-to-day management as well as the long-term effects of diabetes.

“When Kate was much younger, I was worried about each decision I made for her day-to-day care of diabetes,” her mother Dana Nelson said. “Now, as Kate manages her condition independently, I worry about the decisions she is making for herself.”

In addition to transitioning into high school, Nelson’s life became more compli cated when she and others with diabetes were recently thrust into the political spot light.

When insulin was first discovered in 1923, the inventors sold the patent to the University of Toronto for $1 USD in hopes of saving more lives. But by 2016, the aver age cost of insulin per month reached $450, according to The New York Times, leading many patients with diabetes to skip doses or go without treatment. A Democratic House committee accused pharmaceutical companies of raising their insulin prices at the same time to maintain a monopoly.

On Aug. 7, the Senate voted on a bill that would cap the price of all insulin pre scriptions to $35 a month. But 43 Republican senators voted to block the bill, capping the price only for those with Medicare. The

12:20 p.m. — Lunch

For lunch, Nelson picks up a Caesar salad from Trader Joe’s. Buying lunch helps her better track her carb intake which is con verted to glucose in her body. Nelson also makes sure to change the settings on her insulin pump to exercise mode to accommodate the expected change in her glucose levels.

6:30 p.m. — Evening

After practice, Nelson walks her dog Um pire, who was her service dog in middle school. Then, she completes her homework.

Though Nelson’s schedule is full with class es, cross country and homework as she ad justs to high school life, she is still trying to find more interests while continuing to read as much as she did over the summer.

10 p.m. — Sleep

Every 10 days, Nelson has to change her CGM and every three days she needs to change her insulin pump. Once she falls asleep, her CGM and insulin pump contin ue to manage her blood glucose levels until the morning.

Photos by AJIN JEONG

QUICK LOOK BACK — Palo Alto High School freshman Kate Nelson smiles turning backward, displaying her Continuous Glucose Monitor. Though the CGM was not accurate and difficult to use when Nelson first had to use the medi cal device, technology has long improved since then. “Although it’s definitely come a long way from where it was, I’d say what I would find most convenient for the future is something that bet ter helps balance activity,” she said.

co-pay will be the same for people with private insurance. In an anonymous opt-in survey by Verde Magazine of 226 Palo Alto High School students, 75.7% of respon dents disagreed with the senators’ decision.

For those still burdened with high drug costs, a nonprofit created by a group of large U.S. hospitals announced in March that they would release a cheaper form of insulin in 2024, according to the Washington Post.

Though Nelson views lower-cost insu lin as a good thing, she wonders if it is eth ical to sell the lifesaving hormone at all.

“I rely on insulin to function like a normal human being,” she said. “So it’s just disappoint ing and frustrating that there’s a price on that.”

Because Nelson has private insurance, her parents only have to pay a copay of $50. But if she were not cov ered by insurance, in sulin would cost about $1,000 per month.

“I’m just hoping it all works itself out,” Nel son said. “And that stuff’s [insulin] affordable.”

say what I would find most convenient for the future is something that better helps balance activity.”

Her mother also hopes that technolo gy continues to develop for medical equip ment.

“I hope innovation and development of tools to manage Type 1 diabetes contin ues to expand to improve the lives of peo ple with Type 1 diabetes,” Nelson’s mother said.

In fact, Nelson helps in the process to develop new medical equipment by partic ipating in numerous studies at Stanford, which has allowed her to connect with oth er people with diabetes.

“It’s always real ly interesting to meet people and hear how they handle it, especially when they’re from different walks of life,” Nelson said.

— KATE NELSON, freshman

As a trailblazer of sorts, Nelson witnessed development of new med ical equipment, which continues to improve; when Nelson was first diagnosed, CGMs were not accurate and were difficult to use. To accu rately measure her glucose levels as a fourth grader, Nelson had to prick her finger to draw blood. Since then, CGM accuracy has increased and the “closed-loop system” has been implement ed.

“I’ve gotten to see up front how much it [di abetes treatment] has improved, especially because I’ve had it for over 10 years,” Nel son said. “Although it’s definitely come a long way from where it was, I’d

Though she be lieves much about Type 1 diabetes has been destigmatized, Nelson sometimes faces confusion and misunder standings when she talks about her medical condition.

“A lot of times people assume it’s Type 2 and that’s from lack of activity or mak ing poor health choices,” Nelson said. “I’m like, ‘I make good choices. I’m healthy. It’s just that my pancreas decided to not work.’”

Nelson recognizes that she will likely have more awkward conversations in the future, but she has grown more comfort able in informing against people’s mistaken beliefs.

“I’d rather be a little uncomfortable and have them know the correct informa tion than have them go around thinking something is true that is not,” Nelson said.

After all, Nelson is just a teenager in high school and is still navigating through the beginning of her life. She knows she wants to continue to run, but she is leaving the rest of her future wide open.

“We’re trying to keep it achievable,” Nelson said. “And then figure it out from there.” v

“ I’d rather be a little uncomfortable and have them know the correct information than have them go around thinking something is true that is not.”

456 Cambridge Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-473-6511 popteabarcafe@gmail. com

Sun-Mon: 10am-7pm

ATLANTIC VOYAGE

JUNIOR MAKES

HISTORY WITH SAILING TRIP

Text by ASHRAY GUPTA and ASHMITA RAJMOHAN

IDID NOT REALIZE how bored I was going to be,” Palo Alto High School junior Cal Currier remarked about his history-making journey. “I could not even fathom that I would go through five books in two days.”

Currier is the youngest person in his tory to complete a solo transatlantic sailing trip from west to east. If that was not im pressive enough, he had only begun sailing seven months before setting out on his own at the age of 16.

“I was motivated by a love for adven ture,” Currier said. “I wanted to do some thing really fun.”

Currier comes from a family of ardent sailors. His maternal grandfather complet ed two transatlantic trips with a crew him

self. The early exposure Currier gained to the sport made his groundbreaking voyage seem feasible to him.

He originally thought up the idea with family members over Thanksgiving break.

“I was with my older brother and my dad, and we were driving in the car,” Curri er said. “We were like, ‘What should we do this summer?’ I forgot who came up with the idea, but I locked onto it and started pursuing it with regularity.”

While he received support from his parents and brother from the start, his grandfather was initially hesitant, despite having completed the journey himself.

“This didn’t fit into his idea of what someone should do when they just start ed sailing seven months ago,” Currier said.

“He’s been sailing since he was four years old, constantly every day until he was 19. Only then did he attempt a transatlantic with seven other people. That’s how you’re supposed to do it. That’s the New England way.”

Eventually, however, Currier’s grand father began helping him prepare, though Currier said neither he nor his grandfather believed he would complete the journey.

“I thought it was just going to be fun to prepare to do it,” Currier said “And then if it did not happen, do it next time.”

As time passed, however, Currier’s hard work in training began to pay off, and his ambitious goal seemed within reach though there was never any real pressure to attempt the trip if he did not feel ready.

PENCHANT FOR ADVENTURE — Palo Alto High School junior Cal Currier gets ready to set sail on his historic journey. “I was motivated by a love for adventure,” Currier said. "I wanted to do something really fun." Photo courtesy of Cal Currier.

“The goal was to get ready to do it and learn the process,” Currier said. “It was about the journey, not the destination.”

Before setting off, Currier and his dad spent time plan ning for possible chal lenges Currier might face while sailing.

“The worst thing that could happen is I get dismasted, and then I need to float out in the ocean,” Currier said. “The regularity of tankers was such that even if I fell off the side, I still had a high chance of survival.”

After months of training, Currier embarked on his solo journey, starting on the east coast, and arriving in Europe as planned eighteen days later, only stopping for resupplying at the midpoint islands called the Azores.

Despite Currier and his family’s efforts to account for any possible challenges, Cur rier did not anticipate how much boredom he would endure while conquering the seas.

However, looking back now, Currier said there was a benefit to the solitude.

“I’ve grown less self conscious be cause when you’re alone there’s no one to compare yourself to,” Currier said.

In hindsight, Currier said the months of prepara tion for the trip and the trip itself helped him forge a distinct identity for himself separate from his family and recommends others embark on their own solo jour ney.

“I think that everybody needs a little time by themselves … away from organiza tion,” Currier said. “Everybody needs their time in the wild.” v

READY TO SAIL — Currier's boat stands ready as he prepares his transatlantic jour ney. “We bought the boat for the trip and then sold it afterwards, so we broke even,” Currier said. Photo courtesy of Cal Currier.

“ I think that everybody needs a little time by themselves ... away from organization. Everybody needs their time in the wild."

— CAL CURRIER, junior

A SPECIAL BOND Palo Alto High School junior Cal Currier poses with his grandfather before his transatlantic journey. “He [Currier's grandfather] originally did not want me to do it, but he helped me along the way,” Currier said. Photo courtesy of Cal Currier

THE NEW NORMAL

PALY’S LATEST FEMALE FOOTBALL PLAYER

IT’S DIFFICULT TO PICK OUT

Palo Alto High School freshman Lara Saslow from the sea of white football helmets lined up on the sideline lis tening to the coach. But once the whistle blows to end practice and the players begin to jog back to the locker room, she takes off her helmet and her long, brown hair spills out. Then, the stark difference between her and the rest of the Paly junior varsity foot ball team becomes clear — she’s the only girl.

But it’s not until you speak to Saslow that you realize she’s not out of place. Rath er, she’s exactly where she belongs.

When Saslow joined the JV team in August, she became the only girl to lace up her cleats for a Paly football team this year. However, her actions are just part of a much larger movement occurring in locker rooms and football fields all over America.

In the 50 years since Title IX made it illegal for high school sports to discriminate based on gender, there has been a long-term trend of women joining previously allboys football teams, and Saslow is part of it.

One of the movement’s biggest break throughs occurred during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when Vanderbilt soc cer-goalie-turned-kicker Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power 5 football game.

And while we have yet to see a wom an make a National Football League roster, changes are also being made off the field at the professional level, with female coaches and referees becoming a common occur rence at NFL games.

Saslow doesn’t spend too much time concerned with the broad view, however.

Her ultimate goal is not to make a political statement, nor to call attention to herself. It’s also not to help inspire generations of future female Paly athletes who are consid ering joining the football team — although there is no doubt that she will.

Rather, Saslow just wants to work hard, kick field goals and win games.

After finishing middle school, Saslow said she wanted to try out a new sport.

“I found out about football because of my friends,” Saslow said. “But then I just really enjoyed kicking.”

Saslow quickly discovered that kicking field goals was something she could practice easily and often, so she spent the summer training every day.

It was then that she decided she want ed to join the Paly football team once she started high school. Saslow’s family sup ported her desire to kick for the team, with their main concern being for her physical safety.

“Realistically, Lara is on the small er end of the scale,” Scott Saslow, Lara Saslow’s father, said. “I think the concern was 100% safety related, not like, ‘Oh, you’re gonna get teased’ or, ‘The boys won’t accept you.’”

However, Lara Saslow’s family took comfort in the fact that there has been an increase in protection for youth football players, including improvements in the technology of Paly’s helmets.

With the added consideration that Lara Saslow would be mainly kicking and therefore would be less susceptible to fre quent hits, the family agreed that it would be okay for her to play on the team.

Scott Saslow said that following the

family’s approval, his first reaction was to see if the coaches would be open to letting a girl on the football team.

“I reached out to the coaches over the summer … and they were amazing,” Scott Saslow said. “They wrote right back and were so encouraging. … I was really im pressed that the coaching staff were open to it and were really supportive.”

JV football head coach Jason Fung said that when he received Scott Saslow’s email, he was open to the idea of coaching Lara Saslow.

“[The team] is open to everyone,” Fung said. “The hard part is making the decision to play.”

When she first joined the team, Lara Saslow said that she was nervous about be ing the only girl on the team and the chal

“

At first, the team obviously noticed that I was a girl and different. I think now they’re used to that and just treat me the same as the guys.”

— LARA SASLOW, freshman

Photo by INES LEGRAND

lenges that might come with it.

“At first, the team obviously noticed that I was a girl and different,” Lara Saslow said. “I think now they’re used to that and just treat me the same as the guys.”

According to Fung, Lara Saslow didn’t have any problems building relationships with her teammates.

“She has friends on the team, she likes it, she comes to prac tice and she’s involved,” Fung said. “She hasn’t quit yet, that’s a big one. There’s kids that have already quit, so she knows what it takes.”

Lara Saslow said that the coaches have been encouraging and supportive so far.

“The coaches were great, they definite ly want me to succeed and they’ve helped me a lot,” Lara Saslow said. “The whole way through, they’ve treated me the same as everyone else.”

“ I don’t believe she’s doing it on behalf of female rights or a social cause. I think that’s a great side benefit, but my sense is she’s just an independent kid and she’s not afraid of challenges. ”

So far, Lara Saslow hasn’t kicked in a game.

When asked if she will soon, Fung explained that it’s up to her consistency in practice, and wheth er she can be relied upon to make a field goal in a game.

Lara Saslow may have to wait another

year or two to play under the Friday night lights with the varsity squad — she hopes to play all four years of high school — but until then, she is content with working hard to earn her spot on the JV team.

But according to her father, Lara Saslow isn’t deterred by the difficulties of being a female player in a predominantly male sport.

“I don’t believe she’s doing it on behalf of female rights or for a social cause,” Scott Saslow said. “That’s a great side benefit, but my sense is she’s just an independent kid and she’s not afraid of challenges.”

GRIDIRON GIRL — Palo Alto High School freshman Lara Saslow poses after practice.

“Girls wanting to do it [football] should defi nitely go for it,” Saslow said.

— SCOTT SASLOW, father

THE CANDIDATES

Text by GOPAlA VARADARAJAN

Art by PALINA KUZMINA

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE UPCOMING LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL Dis trict’s school board election will be held on Nov. 8, and will fill two open seats. In cumbent Shounak Dharap will be running

Shounak Dharap

Incumbent and future PAUSD parent Shounak Dharap, who has served a four-year term on the board, is prioritizing similar issues as his previous campaign, stating that they are still prevalent.

“I ran the first time around really emphasizing mental health, really emphasizing equity, really empha sizing good governance,” Dharap said. “Since that time, we’ve set a lot of things in motion in the district that were sort of part of my campaign promises.”

Dharap said that the COVID-19 pandemic dramatical ly affected the school board’s ability to make progress, leaving him unfulfilled.

“I really feel an obligation to run again, because there are all these great things that are set in motion, but haven’t been seen to comple tion,” Dharap said. “It’s really important for me to be able to be on the board to make sure that

along with Shana Segal, Ingrid Campos and Nicole Chiu-Wang.

Verde spoke with each candidate to learn more about their campaigns. v

those things are followed through.”

If elected, Dharap believes that his under standing of the relationships between the board and the community, along with his experience as a lawyer, will allow for better communication.

“A lot of decisions about budget, about funding, about initiatives, about pro grams, are very, very difficult deci sions, because there are so many perspectives on them,” Dharap said. “I have learned to become comfortable with listening to all those perspectives.”

After four years on the board, Dharap said he is excited to have a chance to serve again.

“It has been a real pleasure to be able to talk to so many members of the community, so many students to see how my decisions have affected them,” Dharap said. “It’s extremely meaningful for me as an alumni, and as a parent advocate who’s going to be in this district very soon.”

Shana Segal

Former teacher, Henry M. Gunn High School alumni and Palo Alto parent Shana Segal plans on strengthening communication, among other goals, if elected to the school board.

“I’m running because my first goal is to build back a collabo rative community,” Segal said. “Until we have built back this trust and mutual respect, I feel like the other pieces can’t come into play.”

Segal said that having more aides in classrooms can help fix differentiated learning, a heavily problematic area in her opinion.

“In order for kids to love learning, they need to be supported, engaged and challenged,” Segal said. “One way to accomplish that goal is

through differentiated instruction.”

Other key concerns that Segal plans to ad dress are diversity, equity and inclusion.

“One way to help students who are strug gling and to close the achievement gap is to have after-school programs starting in the kindergarten level, at every school, and at every grade for kids who are behind in reading or writing,” Segal said.

Segal said her experience with teaching and parenting PAUSD elementary schoolers makes her a strong candidate.

“I felt like I wanted to wait until I had two children in school to have had years of experience seeing what’s working,” Se gal said. “I love public schools. That’s been my passion.”

Ingrid Campos

Former businesswoman Ingrid Campos’ ex periences with her children’s education in Palo Alto motivated her to join the school board race with plans to promote American greatness and family values.

“I’m running because I want to build a bridge, a communication bridge between the school board, the students, the community and the parents,” Campos said.

While many of the other can didates have clearly stated their agendas, Campos said that she will tackle issues as they come.

“I don’t know about con crete plans, but I know I’m going to give it my best shot,” Campos said. “Making outright statements like that? I would nev er make those kinds of statements. I’m not a politician. I’m a realist. I’m a mother.”

Being a member of the California Feder ation of Republican Women and a more con servative candidate, some of Campos’ biggest priorities are advancing liberty and American greatness in schools.

“We’re the only country in the world who has a constitution," Campos said. "We have constitutional rights that we take for granted.” (Editors’ note: Verde’s research found 193 coun

Nicole Chiu-Wang

PAUSD parent of two Nicole Chiu-Wang is running on a platform focused on improving student wellness, early childhood education, empowering students and equity.

“I have for decades, basically since I was in college, been really passion ate about equity,” Chiu-Wang said. “I want to be a part of the positive impact that we can have on equity in our schools.”

Chiu-Wang believes that equity issues can be resolved by improving preschool resources.

“It would be a net new ex pense,” Chiu-Wang said. “But it’s an investment because we do spend money now working on equity opportunity gap issues that potentially could be alleviated with early childhood education.”

Mental health support is another area that Chiu-Wang plans to address.

“We need to make sure that our staffing of

tries with constitutions around the world. Cam pos clarified that she believes the American Constitution is the only constitution that was drafted to combine social, political, and eco nomic principles in the governing of law).

Campos, being a PAUSD mother of two, said she found parent gatherings and meetings helpful in defining her goals and hearing peo ple’s opinions about the district.

“Some parents … are not happy with the readily available and acces sible and openly public LGBTQ books that are starting to pop up in the library,” Campos said. Other topics, such as men tal health or equity, are not a priority for Campos, as she be lieves that there are bigger issues to address. Campos singled out the dis trict’s handling of mental health, saying that it was overemphasized.

“Nobody trusts the [school wellness] coun selors,” Campos said. “Peer counseling is prob ably more effective, or talking to their friends.”

Campos said that her hard work will help her represent the community and its values.

“The foundations that are set today are go ing to really set the foundations for the future.” Campos said. “Our children are our future … I would be honored to serve on the school board."

Student Recognition

mental health professionals is diverse and repre sentative of the community,” Chiu-Wang said. Though her children are younger, attend ing elementary school and preschool, ChiuWang feels that she can still make accurate assessments on PAUSD issues as a whole.

“I’m forming all these relation ships and making it a point to speak to parents and students and stakeholders … to be able to get a sense of the bigger picture of what’s happening,” Chiu-Wang said.

Chiu-Wang, who had a career in law and ran a fashion technology startup, also said she believes her personal background will provide useful insight as a board member.

“As a biracial Asian American, I feel my whole life I’ve been acting as a bridge, forming bridges between communities,” Chiu-Wang said. “I think that’s what we need here in Palo Alto.”

11.9% 20.6% 6.9% 13.8% 71.6%

have heard of none of the candidates

Data presented is from an opt-in survey by Verde Mag azine of 226 Palo Alto High School students and was col lected from Sept. 7 to Sept. 14 through a digital form pub lished on Schoology pages and Verde social media. Responses were anonymous and all ques tions were optional.

have heard of Shounak Dharap

How well do Paly stu dents know the candi dates?

have heard of Shana Segal

have heard of Ingrid Campos

have heard of Nicole Chiu-Wang

Bay Area Beats

NEW AND UPCOMING PALY MUSIC PRODUCERS

ICAN’T LEAVE BECAUSE I PUT you first,” Palo Alto High School se nior Caleb Chan softly croons in his most popular song “Put U First,” which recently hit 100,000 streams on Spotify.

Chan — known musically as DeCC Official — is a producer and composer.

Michael Najar, audio production and choral teacher, said being a music producer can mean many different things.

“In music and audio production we dabble in all of those [music producing] realms,” Najar said. “They [Paly audio

production students] are the artist some times, they’re the producer sometimes and then they are the engineer or mixing artists sometimes.”

Some of Paly’s student producers have taken the next step in their musical career: publishing their work.

DeCC Official

Chan comes up with the theme of his songs with personal anecdotes from his life. For example, in one of his songs titled “Escape Room,” he used the idea of people trapped in a relationship and used an es

cape room to examine the parallels between the two.

Chan has grown his style of music through influence of other artists and cre ators; one particular artist he is inspired by and looks up to is singer and songwriter Charlie Puth.

“I was at a class at Berklee School of Music and he [Puth] came and I got to see him produce live,” Chan said. “That was re ally inspirational for me just to see people can just do this.”

Chan started out his music career playing the guitar in fifth grade, and then

MIXING MUSIC — Palo Alto High School senior Anirudh Bharadwaj edits his lastest song on his computer, one of Palo Alto High School’s few music producers. “Having already seen the music industry from the inside and exploring future pathways, music is certainly in the near future,” Bharadwaj said. Photo illustration: Austin Eng (photo) and Allegra West (art)

in eighth grade started releasing music on SoundCloud with his friends.

“Even then, I already knew I real ly wanted to take it [music] somewhere,” Chan said. “Not just for fun, obviously it was really fun, but in my head, I wanted to take it somewhere.”

Chan started recording himself sing ing, then was intro duced to music editing software, and combined his voice and guitar to create songs.

“Once I start ed finding my own sound, I really liked to sing more and my songs are more meaningful,” Chan said. “I feel like as a songwriter, it’s helped me be more emotionally aware of things, of people and their experiences.”

Looking forward, Chan plans on ap plying for the Berklee School of Music. Pursuing music has benefited Chan’s life, adding a sense of purpose and direction to his daily routine.

“It gives me less time to waste,” Chan said. “I feel like just before I just hop on YouTube or video games or something like that. But now I just get on to music and … I’m making something that [will] influence my career rather than just [my] temporary enjoyment.”

NRDH Official

Senior Anirudh Bharadwaj, or NRDH, took his passion for music beyond playing a traditional instrument, to producing music of his own.

Bharadwaj’s musical journey began eight years ago when he started playing the piano and guitar.

“I always wanted to take what I al ready knew and make new stuff from it,” Bharadwaj said. “On a trip to India, I was on a road trip with my cousins when they exposed me to electronic music, and since then, I’ve been down the music production route.”

Bharadwaj has produced music that has been played on online radios and You Tube videos of mainstream artists such as Martin Garrix, Oliver Heldens and Don

Diablo.

“I primarily produce electronic music for my own projects, but when I produce for others it can range from pop to R&B to rap,” Bharadwaj said. “My tastes are al ways changing but I’d say the two people I consistently look up to are Coldplay and Kendrick Lamar.”

Before his songs can be made, Bharadwaj creates a sample, or a basis set of sounds that will drive his pro duction process, typically by utiliz ing physical and digital instruments.

He then finish es the sample using musical elements such as mixing that help the different sounds meld to gether cohesively.

“I usually always have a vision for how I want the track to progress,” Bharadwaj said. “For example, if I’m going for more of a show tune, then I’ll intentionally build

[the sample] off of specific elements but if I want it to be a banger, I’ll use distortion to create more aggressive sounds.”

Bharadwaj found success with his “newcomer” track or debut release, “Ain’t Even Trying.” This became the third most played newcomer track at parties, radios and clubs the week of Feb. 11, 2021 when it was launched according to 1001Track lists.

Though already accomplished as a producer, Bharadwaj aims to better himself going forward.

“I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way, but you can never ease up,” Bharadwaj said. “I regularly reach out for feedback and I regu larly strive to constantly improve, and that’s what usually pushes me to make better mu sic.”

Bharadwaj hopes to continue produc ing music in college.

“I believe that anyone who wants to make music should, and nowadays most of the tools to do so are very accessible,” Bha radwaj said. “I’m living my dream working with artists I look up to, and I hope to have a global impact with my music to make people happy around the world.” v

“ I’m living my dream working with artists I look up to everyday, and I hope to have a global impact with my music to make people happy around the world.”

— ANIRUDH BHARADWAJ, senior

SIX MAGICAL STRINGS — Softly strumming his strings, Palo Alto High School senior Caleb Chan sings into the microphone. “It’s a software you can make music on. And so I started exploring that want to start making my own music and to this day, I still use FL Studio, so it’s pretty cool,” Chan said. Photo illustration: Yash Shetty (photo) and Allegra West (art)

ULTIMATE GAME

SENIOR PLAYS ON US NATIONAL FRISBEE TEAM

PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL

senior Rachel Chang frantically scans the grass for her next possi ble frisbee throw, as the shouts of her French opponents surround her. Spot ting her teammate in the endzone by their distinctive red, white and blue USA jersey, Chang slings the disc over in a long fore hand, scoring a point. Ready to continue playing, Chang resets her position and pre pares herself for the next play, but suddenly, her teammates start to rush the field.

“Our coaches hadn’t told us that it was the deciding point,” Chang said. “After I threw it, and we scored, I was numb be cause I didn’t know we’d won at that point.”

In the final clip of the game’s video, we see Chang’s assist to the final point, bringing a win for her team, the USA U-20 women’s national team for ultimate frisbee. The USA vs France match was the championship game in the European Ulti mate Federation 2022 European Youth Ultimate Championships, taking place in Wroclaw, Poland this August.

The national team

Chang is an avid player of ultimate frisbee, a non-contact team sport where

two teams try to score by catching a frisbee in the end zones through a series of passes. Most recently, Chang joined the USA U-20 national team. She first applied for the team in January and after being selected, along with 100 other women from across the country, she went to tryouts in Seattle in March.

“That was just a weekend of playing six hours on both days,” Chang said. “It was intense.”

In April, Chang was notified that she was accepted to form a team of 24 wom en. In a team ranging from 15-20 years old, Chang was one of the younger players. Despite the wide age gap, Chang said she enjoyed playing with everyone on the team.

“Honestly, it was like the best expe rience of my life,” Chang said. “Everyone on the team was super nice and really welcom ing.”

At the beginning of August, Chang and the rest of the team trav eled to Wroclaw to com pete in her first international tournament. Chang said that competing with other teams from all over the world involved interesting interactions, especially within ultimate frisbee traditions like the “spirit circle.”

“A really big part of frisbee is a spirit

circle where we talk about really good plays that we saw from the other team and how we felt the other team dealt with fairness and body contact,” Chang said. “It was just really cool to talk to other countries about that.”

Playing locally

Chang decided to join Heartbreak, an all-girls ultimate frisbee team, after being a part of cross country and track and field in eighth grade and feeling stressed out with meets.

“That team is the reason why I kept playing frisbee,” Chang said. “The girls on that team were really nice and set an exam ple for the kind of player that I wanted to be.”

After starting high school, Chang left Heartbreak and joined local youth team Gunn Control. The team is considered “open,” meaning people of any gender identity can join.

“It was definitely a kind of culture shock,” Chang said. “Gunn [Control] is mostly guys. The year I joined, the seniors kind of just kept to themselves, so it wasn’t as welcoming of a community as I had ex perienced at Heartbreak.”

Though Chang had to adjust to a dif ferent community with Gunn Control, she said her love of ultimate frisbee pushed her to continue with the team.

As she and her peers aged into be ing the seniors on the team, Chang said the team grew into a very welcoming and supportive environment. Other than the

“ If you’re playing in a club, it’s really just because you love it, not because you’re gonna get anything out of it besides the community.”

— RACHEL CHANG, senior

transition challenge from going to an allgirls team to an “open” team, Chang said she also has to deal with issues with playing against men.

“Since I’m playing with guys a lot of the time with Gunn, I’ve had to learn how to use my body to prevent people from go ing through me,” Chang said. “That’s kind of scary because they’re often a lot bigger than me.”

Beyond the sport

Ultimate frisbee is an unconventional sport, which has both positive and negative implications for players like Chang.

“It’s hard to get really high-level com petition close to you in the female division,” Chang said. “It’s frustrating that I have to play against guys to feel like I’m improving sometimes.”

The small size of the sport has also translated into a lack of acknowledgment compared to other sports and international competitions, most recently in the decision for ultimate frisbee to not be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to World Flying Disc Federation President Robert Rauch.

“I think it’s frustrating that we’re [fris bee] not getting the acknowledgment at the international level,” Chang said. “But I also don’t think that’s the only way for our sport to get recognition as a ‘real sport.’”

Chang said she believes a lot of the le gitimacy of the sport comes from the com munity that is formed within the sport and the attitude that many players already hold.

To continue with the ultimate frisbee community, Chang said she will likely play in college, though most likely not pursue the sport as a career.

Post-college, Chang said that she would like to continue with frisbee recre ationally.

“I would definitely be interested in finding a community where I can give back to the people who got me interested in fris bee so I’d like to coach a team or help run a youth program,” Chang said.

Chang said one of the reasons that she is drawn to continue to participate in the frisbee community later in life is due to the transparent motivation of most players.

“If you’re playing in a club, it’s really just because you love it,” Chang said. “Not because you’re gonna get anything out of it besides the community.”

v

FLYING FRISBEES — Palo Alto High School senior Rachel Chang prepares to throw a frisbee. “I feel like the fact that it’s kind of niche really lends itself to making the sport feel more welcoming,” Chang said.

“At the youth level, based on the fact that you can’t get a scholarship for frisbee even if you’re really good, high-lev el people are not going to be competitive with each other for the sake of getting awards and money.”

Photo: Ines Legrand

Too good to BeReal

STRIVES TO

AS A DING SOUNDS FROM her pocket, Palo Alto High School junior Katya Oks pulls out her phone at brunch to see a notification displayed across her screen — “Time to BeReal” — and ignores it. It’s only later when she’s on the Quad during lunch that she opens the notifi cation.

Oks fixes the front strands of her hair into the perfect position before she takes a photo of herself, then the cam era flips quickly to capture her friends sitting with her, just in time for it to be marked “1 hr late.”

Co-founders Alex Barreyat and Kévin Perreau started the social media app, BeReal, in 2020 with the goal of creating a more “casual Insta gram,” according to their website. Since then, BeReal has be come increasingly popular, accumulating 21.6 million users as of July 2022, in cluding 28% of Paly students according to an opt-in survey by Verde Magazine of 226 students.

Unlike other apps, BeReal aims to reverse the pressure of posting by providing a less curated platform for social media interactions. However, for some students, it perpetuates the same harm ful effects as other apps.

At a random time every day, BeReal notifies its users and allows a two min ute time window for them to take a pho to with the front and back lens in quick succession. The goal is to make users

capture what they are doing at any given moment.

AP Psychology teacher Christopher Farina described how BeReal offers a new approach of displaying a more gen uine version of someone compared to other social media platforms.

“The whole premise of it [BeReal] is that it’s designed to be less curated and more spontaneous,” Farina said. “[It’s] supposed to present a more authentic idea of what people are actually doing at any given moment.”

However, there is an option of post ing after the two minute time frame, which can undermine the efforts to cre ate a less curated and more casual version of other social media apps.

“People can still stage these dai ly photos if they want to and at the end of day, it’s possible to end up with the same problem again,” senior Ar chie Webber said.

Although its website claims BeReal is a “way to discover who your friends really are,” it does just the opposite for students like sophomore Gabriel Chakmakchi.

“It wasn’t BeReal’s intention to feed into the negative aspect of social media, but it makes people compete to make it seem like their lives are perfect every second of the day,” Chakmakchi said. “Won’t people get tired of constantly having to seem like they have their life together all the time?”

Farina echoed this view and said that posting everyday could potentially be harmful to teenagers.

“You could definitely see there being some kind of pressure because people, even with something like BeReal, might still feel the expectation to post some thing that’s worthwhile of being posted,” Farina said.

Webber explained his loss of interest in the app due to the app not completely getting rid of the “fake” aspect of social media.

“I got the app in January and used it for a few weeks and then no longer saw the point,” Webber said. “I no longer felt [that] it [was] worth it and I didn’t get much enjoyment from it.”

Farina emphasized the short period of popularity for social media apps such as BeReal.

“I think all apps have a relatively short lifespan these days,” Farina said. “Just in the time period that you guys have been going through high school, you’ve seen a shift from Facebook to Instagram to TikTok to BeReal and these things come and go relatively quickly. I think it remains to be seen how long it’s going to be popular.”

The true test lies in the stability of the app’s popularity going forward.

Will people start using the app as intended, or will it turn over in a couple months and become another social media fad?

“People will get tired of having to curate a version of themselves every sin gle day instead of the occasional Insta gram post,” Chakmakchi said. “It’s ei ther we all be real, or the one fake person ruins it for all of us.” v

“Won’t people get tired of constantly having to seem like they have their life together all the time?”

— GABRIEL CHAKMAKCHI, sophomore

SCHOOL SPIRIT (TOP LEFT) — Palo Alto High School junior Sirisha Mitra dresses in green for a Paly football game. “With all the different ways people can manipu late the authenticity of their post, I think the app loses its purpose,” Mitra said. Photo: Sirisha Mitra

SELFIE SMILES (BOTTOM) — Junior Katya Oks smiles for a selfie. “BeReal is creating a social pressure to always look good, productive or like you’re having a super active social life,” Oks said. Photo: Katya Oks

TRAIN TRAVEL (TOP RIGHT) — Senior Arati Periyannan rides the Boston train with friends. “I don’t like the whole ‘be real’ aspect of it because a lot of people are fake,” Periyannan said. Photo: Arati Periyannan

Art by CHARLIE WANG

Never Have

I Ever... Never Have I Ever...

SAME NERDS, NEW DRAMA

DEVI VISHWAKUMAR is a mess. From a tearful, drunk conversation with a raccoon (she thought it was her dead dad) to starting a nuclear war (in Model UN, but still), the protagonist of Netflix’s comingof-age comedy-drama “Never Have I Ever” has been through a lot, and this year is no exception.

The third season of the show, released on Netflix on Aug. 10, follows Devi (Maitreyi Ra makrishnan) as she walks away from the grief of her father’s death and into her junior year.

After two seasons of hardcore crushing on Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet), they’ve finally made it official but a picture-perfect relationship doesn’t guarantee a picture-perfect life, and Devi must face the unexpected chal lenge of her insecure inner critic.

This season maintains the show’s trademark charm, albeit with a few outdated (and slight ly cringe-worthy) one-liners. Replicating the ev er-changing culture of modern teens is never easy, but “Never Have I Ever” makes up for its short comings with some truly meaningful moments, especially between Devi and her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan). The chemistry between Ramakrishnan and Jagannathan brings a com plicated relationship to the screen, illuminat ing the gritty process of growing up through grief in a multicultural household. Overall, the show’s pep and its snappy tone remain hit or miss; some will enjoy it thoroughly, while oth ers do not.

As the first mainstream American coming of age series to focus on a South Asian family, age-old topics like grief, popularity and romance are viewed through a lens not commonly high lighted in Western media. This unique perspective drew in viewers like Palo Alto High School junior

Anushka Junnarkar, who is Indian Amer ican.

“This is the first American show I’ve seen that doesn’t just have the Indian per son as a side character or walking stereo type,” Junnarkar said. “When I heard … it was co-created by an Indian person [Min dy Kaling], I was re ally excited to see if it would portray my culture well, or just fit into all the other stereotypes I see.”

Negative Indian stereotypes are plen tiful in Western me dia (both adult and childrens’) according to Junnarkar. Pop ular shows like “The Simpsons,” “The Big Bang Theory” and even Disney Channel’s “Jessie” all feature characters that mock and misrepresent Indian accents and culture. Junior Sirisha Mitra, a first-generation In dian-American, said the harm of this in accurate representation isn’t always clear, especially to children.

“As a kid, the [jokes] didn’t stand out, because they were supposed to be ‘funny,’” Mitra said. “I always knew it wasn’t accu rate, but eventually those little things add up and change how you see yourself.”

So what does real, positive represen tation look like, beyond surface-level side characters? According to Junnarkar, “Never Have I Ever” portrays Indian culture in “a new, more honest and realistic light.” Devi’s

cousin Kamala, a doctorate student raised in India, struggles to balance her dreams with her family’s expectations — one of which is marrying a man she’s never met.

“They show how she’s torn between her family and her dreams, but they don’t demonize Indian families or the tra dition of arranged marriage,” Junnark ar said.

Unlike so much of American media, the show explores cultural tensions as human issues. Differences are meant to illus trate, not to embarrass, and the characters, no matter how flawed they may be, are meant to be empathized with, not derided.

At its core, that is what “Never Have I Ever” brings to the table: not a picture-per fect fantasy, but a real, messy portrait of real, messy teens.

Or at least some of them. The series does not portray the experience of everyone in the South Asian diaspora, but accord ing to junior Shanna Deivanayagam, we shouldn’t expect it to.

“One show couldn’t ever cover a whole subcontinent with so many religions, lan guages, people and cultures,” Deivanayag am said. “That’s why one ‘Indian’ show isn’t enough. [Never Have I Ever] is a good start, and so I hope its success will mean more TV like it in the future.”

TOP TRACKS

by Prinze George

by Nick Ward

by

Babe

“They show how she’s torn between her family and her dreams, but they don’t demonize Indian families.”

— ANUSHKA JUNNARKAR, junior

PALO ALTO WELCOMES SOFT SERVE CHAIN

IT’S 9 P.M., AND THE decorative lights along University Avenue glow softly, illuminating a line of people gathered before a storefront. In the store, clustered groups of customers eagerly watch as the staff rush to decorate their pic turesque desserts.

A SomiSomi store opened downtown Palo Alto in mid-August, offering locals the brand’s signature Ko rean ah-boong — soft serve in fish-shaped waffle cones — and freshly made drinks.

“I was so excit ed because I’d been to the one [SomiSomi] in Cupertino a bunch of times before, but it was too far to go to frequently,” senior Lauren Levine said. “I love that it [the new SomiSomi] is so close and I go there with friends all the time.”

Customers can choose four different styles of ah-boong to experience: classic, upside-down, soft serve in a cup and cold brew float. Along with traditional Japanese taiyaki, different combinations of soft serve flavors and fillings for the waffle cones are also available to customers.

With a total of 30 locations across California, Texas, Nevada, Hawaii, Arizona and Washington, SomiSomi continues to expand in new locations like Palo Alto.

“We’re always looking for vibrant locations that have a strong potential for high

impact and visibility, as well as accessibil ity,” Marketing Director Nobi Nakanishi said. “The long, storied history of Univer sity Avenue, along with the care that the community puts into architectural preser vation, made this a unique project for the company.”

While careful research and selection of prospective sites helped boost SomiSomi’s business and popular ity, social media has also contributed to its current success.

“Instagram pop ularity helped cat apult the brand to the consciousness of the larger food and dessert community,” Nakanishi said. “We are planning to keep pushing east and share our taste of South ern California with the rest of the country.”

Soon after SomiSomi’s debut, posting pictures of ah-boong quickly became an Instagram trend. This spotlight and acces sibility allowed for the brand’s recognition to soar quickly from the early stages and become a hot topic, attracting many younger customers as a result.

“I was honestly so excited for it [Somi Somi],” junior Emma Wang said. “I’ve been to the one in the West Valley Fair shopping mall. It sucked so bad having to go that far to get freshly-made taiyaki.”

According to Nakanishi, the enthusiasm from local and Asian-American com

munities has helped create the immediate turnout that SomiSomi experiences at ev ery new location.

“From day one, we can have lines that snake around the building because we’re so well known via word of mouth, social media, etcetera,” Nakanishi said. “We’re eternally grateful for the loyalty of our fans and the support of everyone who gives us a chance because we are an Asian-owned business.”

We’re always looking for vibrant locations that have a strong po tential for high impact and visibility, as well as accessibility.”

— NOBI NAKANISHI, Marketing Director

TASTY TREATS — SomiSomi staff begin to prepare orders for customers after opening. “We’re really focused on continuing our mission to share and spread happiness,” Marketing Director Nobi Nakanishi said. “We hope that people understand our vision, energy and intent long before they step into a store and taste our delicious products for the first time.”

Style: Upside-down ah-boong Flavor: Cookies ‘n cream soft serve, nutella filling

Style: Soft serve in a cup

Flavor: Pink guava soft serve

Toppings: Matcha powder, strawberry, coconut flakes $3.95

Toppings: Macaron, rainbow sprinkles, oreo crumbs $6.45

Style: Classic ah-boongFlavor: Milk soft serve, custard filling

Toppings: Macaron, fruity pebbles,graham crackers $6.45

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ARYA STEAKHOUSE

COUPLE BRINGS PERSIAN CUISINE TO TOWN

STEPPING INTO Arya Steakhouse is like being whisked from down town Palo Alto to the Middle East.

Walls are lined with delicate ceram ic teapots and plates, colorful, ornate rugs hang above the neatly set tables, and the sweet sound of Persian music fills the air.

The family-run restaurant, which opened on University Avenue on Aug. 9, serves authentic Persian food seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Owners and partners Fera and Mike Hashemi originally opened Arya Steak house in Cupertino in 2007, followed by a second location in Redwood City in 2012.

When the restaurant leases ended right before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Hashemis decided to close down the two previous locations and find a new, final home.

“Palo Alto was a great choice because it was in the center of Cupertino and Redwood City,” Fera Hashemi said. “We figured it’s a meeting place for us and our guests.”

Though there are many other restau

rants in downtown, Fera Hashemi said that the restaurant has found its niche.

“I feel like University was so universal because it had every type of cuisine, but there was never Persian food, and there weren’t steaks,” Fera Hashemi said. “So for us, it checks all the boxes to introduce something different to Palo Alto.”

The Hashemis’ cultural roots and love of Persian cuisine brought them together and inspired Arya Steakhouse.

Mike Hashemi grew up in Iran, where he learned how to cook traditional Persian food from spending time with his moth er. After leaving Iran during the Iraq War, he traveled through Europe before finally moving to the United States with a wealth of cooking knowledge and experience.

While working in a Persian restaurant in Orange County, he met Fera Hashemi, who had been living in the U.S. since im migrating from Afghanistan at the age of six.

“I was the assistant manager, and he came in to help for the grand opening,” Fera Hashemi said. “We met the first night

there, and we’ve been together ever since.”

Although Arya Steakhouse is based around Persian culture, Fera Hashemi doesn’t want to limit the restaurant to just one cuisine. The menu is entirely halal and includes vegan, vegetarian and seafood op tions, but it is also diverse in its types of food.

“There’s something on the menu for everyone, whether you want a burger, or whether you want a tomahawk, or whether you just want a kebab,” Fera Hashemi said.

Fera and Mike are not the only Hash emis involved in the business.

Their eldest daughter is in charge of the dessert menu and their middle son worked at the restaurant six days a week before he moved to Orange County. Fera Hashemi also plans for her youngest daughter to be gin helping out soon.

Fera Hashemi said that the response to Arya Steakhouse so far has been positive.

“We filled a void,” Fera Hashemi said. “There wasn’t a fine dining Persian restau rant in Palo Alto, and that’s one of the big gest reasons we chose to call it home.”

Art by

DINING WITH THE HASHEMIS — Mike and Fera Hashemi, owners of Arya Steakhouse, stand in their lux ury room at Downtown Palo Alto. “There wasn’t a fine dining Persian restaurant in Palo Alto [before], and that’s one of the biggest reasons we chose to call it home,” Fera Hashemi said. Photo: Nadav Sternheim

and photos by ANDREW XUE

THE GREAT CAT-ASTROPHE MY EXPERIENCE LIVING WITH DAILY ALLERGIES

IT STARTS WITH A TINGLE in my nose, the same feeling you get when you are about to sneeze. I choose to ignore it, but minutes later, as the cir culation of air in my nose stops, I can’t help but feel an incoming waterfall. Sprinting to the bathroom to grab tissues, I realize upon looking in the mirror that my eyes have be come watery, and my nose resembles Ru dolph the Red Nose Reindeer’s.

This disastrous moment has occurred almost every morning, afternoon and eve ning thanks to my recently discovered al lergies to my recently adopted cat, Leo.

According to an anonymous opt-in survey by Verde of 226 Palo Alto High School students collected from Sept. 7 to Sept. 14, nearly 73% of respondents indi cated that they would not get a pet they were allergic to and 90% of students do not live with a pet they are allergic to. I, on the other hand, have had the lovely opportu nity to see Leo every day for the last three months.

It makes sense that most people who have pet allergies would never choose to

live with a pet they were allergic to. After all, dealing with sneezes and a runny nose while you eat, shower and do homework is simply not ideal. However, not only have I grown used to it, but I also don’t think the experience is as bad as it seems.

7 a.m.

While most high school students are woken up by the shrill ring of an alarm, or maybe a knock on the door from their par ents, I am awoken by a series of disruptive noises and the aggressive shuffling of my blankets, followed by tiny, yet surprisingly powerful, paws poking my leg.

At the young age of four months old, Leo has already developed the power to push my bedroom door open to wake me up. After slipping through the tiny open ing he makes in the doorway, Leo climbs the sides of my bed frame, causing a huge ruckus that aids him in his journey to get

my attention. He immediately starts grab bing and poking at my blanket causing a great disturbance to my sleep; the combi nation of a sudden runny nose from my al lergic reaction and several pokes to my leg is, in my opinion, a wonderful way to start the day.

But it gets even better. The bathroom is normally the one place most people can expect to go at least a few minutes with out interruption, but by the time I’m out of bed and headed towards the bathroom, my cat is already there, waiting, as if he knew what my next move was going to be. There is nothing I can do to push him out so I let him stay there, staring at me while I commence my morning routine. He watches me when I brush my teeth, while I shower even while I poop — nothing is “TMI” for Leo.

10 a.m.

On mornings where I have a 5th peri od prep, aside from getting whatever extra sleep Leo lets me have, I tend to spend the extra minutes of my morning petting my cat as I get ready for school. I know coming into close proximity with Leo is terrible for my allergies, but I simply can’t resist giving him a belly rub after he flops over right in front of me. Think of me like a lactose in tolerant individual who can’t resist giving in to their ice cream cravings — except re place the ice cream cravings with the urge to pet my cat.

However, soon enough, petting my cat becomes my biggest regret. As I leave my house, the fading dopamine turns into dread, as I anticipate the incoming sneezes and runny-nose; by the time I sit at my desk in 6th period math, I cannot stop sniffling. My allergies are thankfully masked by the voice of my teachers, but during a recent quiz we had, my constant

He watches me when I brush my teeth, while I shower, even while

I poop — nothing is “TMI” for Leo.

sniffling broke the absolute silence of our class and attracted awkward glances from those around me as I tried my best to look undisturbed. And even though students ar en’t allowed to get up and move during tests or quizzes, I can’t help but notice that, with every sneeze, there are people around me who scoot a couple of inches in their chair, in the opposite direction.

5 p.m.

By the time I bike home, the thoughts of my cat and the consequential allergic reactions have already slipped out of my mind, so I am always shocked to see him perched up on the cat tree as I walk in. Leo seems undisturbed by my entrance so I waddle over — approaching slowly and making no sudden movements — as I at tempt to pet him. As I reach out my hand, he flinches, hops down from his tree and darts away. Why does he do that? Even after spending countless weeks in the presence of Leo, I still cannot comprehend how he can be so affectionate at some times, while so cold at others.

Hours later, I head to the kitchen to make myself dinner and there he is, his head tilted whilst his gaze captures my ev ery move.

Ugh, it’s you again. I can’t help but re call that just hours ago, my cat thought I was a monster and tried to escape my grasp. I fling my hands to shoo him away, but in stead of fleeing like last time, he creeps clos er, like an explorer ready to venture through a jungle of ingredients. His first target is the eggs. The snow-white outer shell seems ir

resistible to Leo, as he relentlessly pushes the eggs back and forth in an attempt to keep up with what he thinks is a rolling, circular toy. Next thing I know, while I am fran tically prevent ing the eggs from falling onto our kitchen floor, Leo finds his way onto our stovetop and into the cooking pan.

After secur ing the eggs in a place where my cat can’t reach, I pick up the pan, dump Leo out and head towards the sink to wash off any remnants of cat fur that could have stuck to the pan.

Before I can even take three steps, I hear a thunderous crash followed by tiny clinks and the sound of my cat running away. I know exactly what happened. I turn around to find the plate I was going to use, shattered into thousands of pieces, and the culprit has already escaped the scene. Great. Another one of Leo’s messes that I now have to clean up.

Dusk

To this day, my family has yet to drop Leo off at a local shelter. And we never will.

My mom loves Leo so much that her bed has turned into his playground. My brother was the one who initially wanted a cat and can’t seem to stop taking pictures of him. And my dad has recently come to appreci ate Leo’s company whenever they sit in the living room and watch sports on the TV.

When I think about it, in less than 4 months, Leo has made my family happier than I can ever recall, and ultimately, that is all I could ever ask for; the affection and warmth he spreads throughout my family will always hold a special place in my heart and is easily worth the trade-off of my aller gic reactions. I can’t believe that I am saying this but, despite the pain you cause in my life, thank you, Leo. v

CHICKEN CRAZE (FAR LEFT) — Aside from the daily meals Leo gets, it’s also a common occurrence for our cat to join us at the dinner table and in the kitchen. He loves feasting on anything my mom cooks; one of his favorites is chicken.

NOONTIME NAPS (BOTTOM LEFT) — Because Leo doesn’t really do anything on a day to day basis, much of his time is spent napping on my mom’s bed, even though he has his own shelter.

CAT PATROL (TOP RIGHT) — One of Leo’s favorite spots in the house is the cat tree. From the highest position, he is able to watch over the living room, monitoring each of my family-mem ber’s activities.

CAR CRASH 101

A NEW DRIVER’S RESPONSE TO AN ACCIDENT

Y“OU GOOD TO GO?” I heard Ed Sheeran ask, and I in stinctively reached to turn up “Everything Has Changed” by him and Taylor Swift. It’s ironic that this song was playing on the day that everything changed for me, at 17-and-a-half years old, although not in the way Taylor intended. I heard her sing “I know something” just seconds before the loud crunching of metal pierced the air.

I thought over the preceding moments. I had started through the two-way intersection at Forest and Seneca streets where I did not have a stop sign. I noticed a car approaching from my left. She’s going to stop, I told myself repeatedly. Unfortunately she did not. Instead, she plowed straight ahead at full speed, and within seconds crashed into the left side of my car.

What happened next challenged me to trust myself and my story, remain calm and collected, and respond in a mature manner. Through my mistakes (and success es), I learned how to respond to a car acci dent. If you ever find yourself in a situation similar to mine, here are four steps you should follow. And if you don’t believe me, take my advice any way because the In surance Information Institute essentially says to follow the same steps.

1. Remain calm and assess injuries

Right after the crash, I pulled off to the side of the road and took a little bit of time to pull myself together.

This was also when I as sessed my physical wellbeing. If you feel any severe injuries, you should call 911 im mediately. Reassess throughout the day and go to the doctor if needed. If there are pas sengers in the car, check in with them and see if they are alright.

2. Exchange information

When you’re ready, it’s time to get out of the car and face the other driver. The interaction will likely not be the most pleasant of conversations, but I can almost guarantee it is one you will always remember.

If you’re someone like me who did not know where to locate their registration, this is a great time to call your parents or guard ians. I was terrified to call my dad, as I worried that he would be mad at me for totaling the car. He was not. He was just happy to hear that I was ok. At the end of the day, a car is replaceable, but a human being is not. Remind yourself of this and make the call.

Do not, under any circumstances, jump to blame or accuse the other driver of fault. Treat them like you would treat any hu man being — with respect and decency. Take photos of their li cense and registration, as well as any damage to your car and theirs. These photos will be very important so make sure to save them to favorites.

If you have friends like mine, you may end up with a photo of you crying in your totaled car. Favorite that one too, just for the heck of it.

3. Call 911

Once the police arrive, you are in for a treat. They will first ask each driver (and passengers) if they are okay, and then to describe what happened. Try to tell it exactly as you remember, and please tell the truth.

Before the police officer leaves, they will most likely ask if you want an accident report filed. They may scare you with talk of one point being docked, and the accident being put on your permanent record, but this is an important step in case the other driver sues for damages or medical injuries. Learn from my mistake, and have the report written.

4. Trust the process

My final advice is to get back to driving as soon as you can. The process will be hard and it may even make you wish you had never learned to drive. However, once you get through it, things will get better — at least it did for me.

Depending on the severity of the accident, you may have some trauma and it may be hard — the first time I got behind the wheel again, I cried.

But, the more I’ve gotten back into it, the easier it has become. And it will get easier for you, too, at least I can hope. And ideally if you’re like me, you can find your love of driving again because it truly is a beautiful thing. v

Text by MATTHEW CHOI

Art by ESTHER XU

NAVIGATING WITH CONFIDENCE

SELF-DEFENSE IN PE CAN EMPOWER STUDENTS

IMAGINE SOMEONE attempting to steal your personal belongings from you.

With no one around to alert the perpe trator or help you prevent your belongings from being stolen, your lack of self-defense knowledge forces you to succumb to this vulnerable situation. Either you lose your smartphone, wallet and computer, some of your most valuable possessions, or you use self-defense skills that can otherwise pre vent the same occurrence in the future.

hair pulls.

I also recommend that each class should consist of video demonstrations, coach enactments and student pair practice to master each of the basic techniques, sim ilar to how the current PE wrestling unit is run.

Additional benefits

Along with the benefits of increased safety for the student body, a PE self-de fense unit could also improve students’ self

knowing that they can protect themselves within any environment in the future.

Since self-defense provides physical protection for life, practitioners will ideally experience enhanced self-worth and a bet ter sense of safety after their training.

I urge the school to think about which everlasting values and life skills they can instill in themselves from a self-defense unit. By implementing a self-defense unit, students will kill two birds with one stone: They will be able to protect themselves and become more confident. v

Wouldyougeta

BIG BUTTS, CHEUGYNESS, MONEY AND UNATTAINABLE IMAGES

HAS ANYONE noticed that Kim Kardashian’s butt has gotten smaller recently? Because I have.

A little backstory for those who don’t know: Since their hit real ity TV show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” aired in 2007, the Kardashian’s bodies have been frequent ly featured in celebrity magazines. This brought in “new curvaceous body ideas” according to a CNN Health article titled “The history of the ‘ideal’ woman and where that has left us.”

for certain women with a specific genetic makeup.

Although simply loving your curves seemed attainable for many, what was cap tivating about this new body image por trayed in the media was the almost unnatu ral hip-to-waist ratio.

This led some to seek out surgery to gain a body shape similar to the Kardashian sisters, more specifically, Bra zilian butt lifts — more com monly known as BBLs.

According to a 2017 report...

This enhancement doesn’t come without risk, however.

Art by ARIANA CAO one to two out of 6,000 BBLs resulted in death.

The BBL has the highest death rate of all cosmetic procedures, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. According to a 2017 report by the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation, one to two out of 6,000 BBLs resulted in death.

The Kardashian clan have proudly showed off their unnaturally pro portioned waists and be hinds to the world ever since.

Their rise in pop ularity shifted the then-current “ideal body shape” of the 90s from the skinny “heroin chic” to the curvy Kim Kardashian look; out were the washboard abs and thigh gaps that had once ruled Tumblr, and in were the large behinds and a small waists.

The “heroin chic” body was only attainable

Despite the risk, people are still seeking butt enhancements. According to Business Insider, from 2015 to 2019, the percentage of BBLs performed increased by 90.3% with over 40,000 BBLs completed in 2019.

The surgery also became more acces sible to the average American: The average cost of a BBL dropped from $5,507 in 2018 to mere $3,329 in 2020, according to the same Business Insider report.

So, why are the Kardashian’s butts now getting smaller?

I have a theory that the rich and fa mous like to have things that are unattain able for the average person in order to feel unique and better than the average human. When they have something that many of the average people attain, they change be cause they feel ordinary.

They can use their connections, and massive sums of money, to quickly obtain

things that may cost the average person’s their entire savings.

I think celebrities and other afflu ent people feel that too many people are spending massive amounts of their income to attain something that could be easily obtained by affluent people and need to con stantly be hopping from one unobtainable thing to the next.

How were the Kar dashians going to cope with normies (like us) having the same body type as them?

Let me tell you the story of the Gucci belt.

Have you ever heard of the word cheu gy? According to The New York Times, cheu gy describes “someone who is out of date or trying too hard.”

a body scan with her 327 million Insta gram followers showing that her body fat percentage had gone down from 25% to 18.8% in the past year alone.

Personally, I think that her butt has gotten smaller, not that I spend a lot of

The simple rise and fall of the Gucci belt shows how something once unattainable and unknown by the gen eral public can become attainable for the average person and therefore fall out of favor — or cheugy.

Dubbed by Hallie Cain on TikTok in 2021, she lists the Gucci belt as one of these items of clothing that can make someone cheugy. So how did a simple lux ury designer belt become synonymous with minion memes, pumpkin spice lattes and home decor found at Target? Simply put, too many “ordinary” people had the ability to purchase it.

Most of the people during this time with enough extra money to spend on an almost $500 belt were these “girlboss mil lennials.”

The simple rise and fall of the Gucci belt shows how something once unattain able and unknown by the general public can become attainable for the average per son and therefore fall out of favor — or cheugy.

Back to Kim Kardashian and her (now deflating) butt.

On Aug. 3, Kim Kardashian shared

deny the existence of and then obtain the next ideally unat tainable thing that they see.

Us lowly “peasants” shouldn’t drain our bank accounts to purchase some thing that celebrities will only temporar ily have.

They will never allow them selves to have too many similari ties with us and you will always be wast ing money on things you can’t grasp. Save your money and ignore them.

OPTING OUT

HIGH SCHOOL LIFE WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

“

HEY, CAN I GET YOUR

Instagram?” Like most people, this is a question that I have become accustomed to being asked from time to time. However, my re sponse is a bit different than most.

“Sorry, I don’t have social media.”

“Oh, good for you! That’s great.”

At this point, I’m used to how this con versation plays out, but I still find people’s responses fascinating. Sometimes, it’s al most as if it had never occurred to them previously that they, too, could opt out of social media.

I’ve never had a social media account of my own. Moreover, I didn’t get a cell phone until the summer before 9th grade. Grant ed, I got a laptop of my own for school pur poses in 6th grade that I used throughout middle school to communicate with friends and family.

I frequently hear people saying that they “had to” get a phone early on for the purpose of communicating with their parents — while it may be the easiest and most convenient way for many people, I’m here to say that there are, in fact, oth er ways. Sure, a cell phone may have been convenient at times, but, for me, it was by no means essential.

When I eventually did get a cell phone, the summer before 9th grade, there was little discussion about whether or not I would be getting social media. Not only had my

sister set the precedent by opting out her self, but I had no interest in it. I had made it all the way through middle school with out it, and still managed to make friends and have fun. Why would high school be any different?

Besides, by that point, I had already seen enough. I had watched my peers obsessing over things like Snapchat streaks, and seen how social media preyed on their insecu rities.

I’ve had friends of mine tell me about receiving porn from strangers on Snap chat and not know ing what to do. I’ve seen the effect of social media as a highlight reel — when a friend was struggling emo tionally, seeing others seemingly having a great time only made things worse, even though they were fully aware that Insta gram only shows the good times.

Last year, slides presenting Meta’s own research were leaked, revealing the impacts of Instagram on teen mental health, par ticularly for teen girls, making national news and sparking outrage among parents and policymakers. As a re sult, in October 2021, the whistleblower who leaked these documents testified before Congress.

Meta’s own slides revealed their findings that Instagram makes body image issues worse for one in three teen girls.

Another presentation from Meta indi cated that among teens reporting suicidal thoughts, 13% of British users and 6% of American users linked their desire to kill themselves to Instagram.

However, almost a year later, social me

dia companies have done little to nothing, by way of policy changes, to address these issues and improve their platforms. Never theless, the number of social media users of all ages continues to grow. And I do not have a single friend who, having reflected on these findings, decided to part ways with their Instagram account.

According to Common Sense Media’s 2021 Census, 84% of U.S. teens use social media. On average, teens spend about an hour and a half on social media each day.

Just as I did in middle school, I con tinue to see firsthand the negative effects on my peers. Sitting in class or at lunch, students stare blankly at their phones, opting to doomscroll on Ins tagram instead of having meaningful social interaction with their peers.

It’s abundantly clear that social media is negatively affecting teens. Based on how my peers react to my not having social me dia — including sometimes even express ing to me that they wish they could get off social media too - I think we’re all well aware of its negative impacts. So why are teens continuing to use it?

To be fair, I see the rationale behind my peers’ decision to get social media; — not only is it an easy way to connect and communicate with others, it’s common for extracurricular and school organizations, such as clubs and sports teams, to advertise events and opportunities on social media. For these reasons, many of my peers view social media as essential.

When I ask friends of mine, the answer is usually along the same lines: fear of miss ing out. Not infrequently, friends of mine will view posts from a party or event that they weren’t invited to, leaving them feeling

Instagram makes body image issues worse for one in three teen girls.

I had seen how social media preyed on their insecurities.

hurt and excluded.

People who do have social media often ask me if I feel like I’m missing out because I don’t have it. And, on some level, I am.

I miss out on social events that are large ly advertised on social media. I miss out on inside jokes or viral videos that circulate on social media.

Despite all of this, I choose not to participate in social media culture.

I don’t want to be a part of something which appears to be harming a great num ber of my peers.

I see a lot of problems with the culture that social media has created for people my age, a culture that emphasizes appearances, exacerbates insecurities and revolves around using the internet for social connection and fulfillment.

I appreciate the argument that it is pos sible to have a social media account and navigate the platform with seemingly no issues. And yes, I could choose to do that.

However, I believe it is more impactful to instead be an example of a person successfully navigating teen life entirely with out it.

It’s not lost on me that publicly sharing

my perspective probably won’t per suade many to reconsider their social media accounts — after all, even Meta’s own research wasn’t able to do that.

Unfortunately, that’s just how per vasive it has become in the lives of teens. It is embedded in our culture, how we communicate and how we operate.

While I understand that social me dia can be useful in many ways, there has got to be a better way than using a platform that is causing so much damage.

I encourage my peers to think about how social media is af fecting not only themselves, but our generation and society as a whole. We cannot ignore the issues it is causing. We cannot wait for companies to hold themselves accountable.

And once we’ve reckoned with all of that, is opting in really worth it? v

I choose not to participate in social media culture.

Palo Alto Unified School District

Palo Alto High School

Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301

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