Verde Volume 24 Issue 5

VERDE MAGAZINE

June 2023 Volume 24 Issue 5

Editors-in-Chief

Austin Eng

Asha Kulkarni

Anna Van Riesen

Nadia Soberg

Managing Editors

Felicia Buchholz

ON THE COVER

Palo Alto High School senior Madelyn Castro kneels as she holds up her iPhone to take a photo of the Tower Building before the sun sets. Castro, along with the rest of the Paly Class of 2023, will soon say goodbye to this iconic Paly landmark as she graduates. Taking a photo allows her to capture the moment forever. (Photo: Austin Eng)

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 verdemagazine1@gmail. com or 50 Embarcadero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Advertising

The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Verde, please contact business managers Felicia Buchholz and Anna Van Riesen at verdebusiness5@gmail.com.

Printing & distribution

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

Anna Ghereghlou

Features Editor

Lizzy Williams

Profiles Editors

Lia Cardwell

Otto Kiss Meyerfreund

Culture Editors

Divya Gandhi

Cate Graney

Perspectives Editor

Vit Do

News Editor

Alma Bendavid

Sports Editors

Nadav Sternheim

Otto Kiss Meyerfreund

Launch Editor

Ella Hwang

Design Editor

Esther Xu

Photo Director

Rahul Shetty

Copy Editors

Lia Cardwell

Lizzy Williams

Business Managers

Felicia Buchholz

Anna Van Riesen

Social Media Managers

Austin Eng

Anna Ghereghlou

Ajin Jeong

Art Director

Palina Kuzmina

Staff Writers

Alexis Chiu

Bella Daly

Ashray Gupta

Annum Hashmi

Ajin Jeong

Meena Narayanaswami

Jonas Pao

Ashmita Rajmohan

Andy Robinson

Yash Shetty

Nadav Sternheim

Gopala Varadarajan

Allegra West

Miya Whiteley

Melody Xu

Andrew Xue

Adviser

Paul Kandell

In this issue

FROM THE EDITORS

MEMORIES TO KEEP

At Palo Alto High School, May is a month of finality. Though the days are growing longer, the time we have until we say goodbye to our fellow classmates, mentors and friends grows ever shorter. Whether it’s taking end-of-year tests, signing yearbooks or using this print issue as a sun shade during the graduation ceremony, the Paly community must confront the closing of an important chapter of their lives. At the same time, we must make sure to keep the memories we have made along the way.

This year’s fifth and final issue explores the many ways that members of the Paly community remember important milestones in their lives.

Two perspectives of graduating seniors reflect on memories from their four years at Paly. In “On my way,” staff writer Melody Xu reflects on her decision to persevere through her time at Paly, even when she felt that high school was not for her. Staff writer Meena Narayanaswami’s “Five first days” details her high school journey through each of her first days of high school, reflecting on the lessons she has learned as she prepares to enter her first day of college.

Students aren’t the only Vikings hitting milestones: Paly’s only Japanese teacher, Teruko Kamikihara, will be retiring this summer after a 22-year career. Launch Editor Ella Hwang and Culture Ed-

itor Divya Gandhi delve into Kamikihara’s unique teaching style and the impact she has had on her students in “Sayonara to Sensei.”

As for us, we all experienced milestones this cycle. In Verde, senior editors stepped down from their positions, passing the torch onto the sophomores and juniors (us) who took their places. Stepping into the roles of our former editors is a daunting task and we are immensely grateful for their support.

To our seniors: Thank you. We’ll miss you.

And to our staff and readers: We look forward to reaching many more milestones with you in the issues to come.

the verdicts

Admin handled shooter threat well

“For instance, … the understanding of what shelter-in-place was as opposed to lockdown, people were confused about that.”

Verde commends the Palo Alto High School administration for its handling of the April 25 shooter threat, which led to an hour-long shelter-in-place. However, communication between administration, teachers and students on- and off-campus should be more clear going forward.

The shelter-in-place was announced through a schoolwide announcement soon after the discovery of the shooter threat posted on a classroom door, and teachers were instructed to close their classroom windows and doors and continue teaching.

According to senior Vedanth Padmanabhan, while communication from Paly was limited, they successfully implemented the shelter-in-place without prompting a disruptive, panicked response from students.

“Admins’ primary job is to protect you, not to make you not worry,” Padmanabhan said. “As a student, I think that knowing too much can harm you more than knowing too little, because if students knew too much, they might be tempted to leave school or disobey the lockdown.”

History and Social Sciences teacher Mary Sano agrees that the shelter-in-place itself was sufficient to keep students safe without disrupting the learning environment within each classroom.

“At the moment, it seemed like answers did not come immediately because there were so many things to consider,” Sano said. “In hindsight I think it [the shelter-in-place] was the best possible situation given this unprecedented situation.”

However, Sano said that communication between administrators and teachers could be improved. “I think that communication [wise] there were things that could have been clearer,” Sano said.

George Pinckney, the Palo Alto Unified School District Public Information Officer, said a lockdown drill that occurred March 10th may have led teachers to confuse the difference between a shelter-in-place and a lockdown and that administration is actively working to improve communication for future situations.

“The lockdown drill was practiced in early March at Palo Alto High School, but we’re trying to make sure teachers understand the differences in the shelter in place, which is where you continue what you’re doing,” Pinckney said. “We have also discussed making second and possibly third announcements to clarify because in some cases, students were acw2wtive within the classes so they may have been discussing class work or class projects.”

Students who were in classrooms without speakers — such as P.E. or dance — were less informed of the threat. To prevent future situations similar to this, Pinckney said that the district will improve the quality and number of speakers throughout the school.

“Our safety preparedness officer Mr. (Mike) Jacobs has already started revisiting and updating speakers around the campus on the outside baseball field as well as near the small gym,” Pinckney said. “We will also focus on making sure the announcements are made more than once if we have to use another shelter in place.”

Safety of staff and students should be the No. 1 priority, and Verde commends administrative attempts to improve communication.

Sano said she shares this sentiment. “There are things [general protocols] in place, which is why things worked,” Sano said. “But we can always make things better.”

We agree. v

It seemed like answers did not come immediately because there were so many things to consider.”

— MARY SANO, history teacher

FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO COMMUNICATION NEEDED

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER THREAT — Images from over a decade of Verde Magazine’s coverage of gun violence and threats.

Organize intramural sports leagues

INCREASE ACCESS TO PHYSICAL RECREATION AND COMMUNITY

Join an official high school team, or don’t play at all. For many Palo Alto High School students looking to play a sport at school, those are the two options. But what if there was a third choice?

Verde urges Paly’s Associated Student Body to organize intramural sports, which would allow students who want to play various sports — ranging from basketball to pickleball — to exercise, compete and have fun in a low-stakes environment.

Some students have already formed intramural teams and begun competing informally. Senior Ivan Ijzerman and his friends created a league called “Eight O’Clock Ball,” where Paly students come together to casually play basketball.

Ijzerman said that Eight O’Clock Ball has increased his interest in basketball.

“I’m not much of a basketball player, but getting out there and playing with my friends definitely got me more into the sport,” Ijzerman said. “I know that people who are not able to play on, say, Paly’s team are still playing out with us and having a good time.”

With ASB-endorsed intramural sports, students could find such community in an environment that is less daunting than Paly’s official varsity and junior varsity teams. They could try a new sport that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to play, without the pressure and commitment that comes with being a student athlete.

“It’s super fun to be able to play a sport where there’s no money or risk involved because it’s not like you’re competing for a club or high school team,” Ijzerman said. “There’s no consequences if you lose or win, but the games do definitely get competitive at times.” However, Eight O’Clock Ball currently runs into problems with securing courts to play on.

“In recent months, we haven’t been playing as actively as we used to because we don’t have access to public facilities like the gym. … the hoops are always up and we are forced to play outside on the tennis court because it has lights,” senior and Eight O’Clock Ball member Max Schrage said. “We really have a lack of access to places where we can entertain our hobby.”

While students can and should keep playing sports independently, ASB should embrace the benefits that intramural sports offer by providing the resources needed to host a league.

“Right now, Eight O’Clock Ball is focused mainly just on one group of friends, and I think ASB-run intramural sports can bring together people who weren’t friends before,” Ijzerman said.

ASB-run intramural sports would provide the Paly student body with a fun, healthy way to socialize and gain new experiences, and Verde suggests that such a program be put in place. v

Art by PALINA KUZMINA

“

It’s super fun to be able to play a sport where there’s no money or risk involved.”

— IVAN IJZERMAN, senior

VERDOODLE: PARENTS USING VERDE MAGAZINE FOR SHADE DURING GRADUATION

ASB ANSWERS

What is the role of the new ASB position of class representative?

“The purpose of the new class representative position is for students who want to be a part of ASB and organize events for the entire school in their grade, but who do not have the capacity to take the ASB class. Essentially, students just come to two meetings a month to discuss class issues and events, and help plan.”

WITH RISING SENIOR CLASS PRESIDENT BELLA NGUYEN

Photo courtesy of Bella Nguyen

GUESS

WHO?

FACULTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION PHOTOS

STUDENT SHOWER THOUGHTS

Humans are the only creatures who pay to live on Earth.

answers on page 36

thank you

Palo Alto High School students thank teachers that positively impacted their year.

How did people just come up with the alphabet?

Thank you so much for your class Sensei, you made it so fun.

Is spice tolerance just another form of addiction?

Answers above come from a survey taken by 66 students.

To: Mr. Bungarden

From: Nicholas Balboa

Iribarren

To: Kamikihara Sensei

From: Aiden Chen

Thank you for making hours and hours of studying every week bearable.

Text and design by ELLA HWANG

District considers use of AI in classrooms

THE PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT is creating an ad hoc committee to consider adopting artificial intelligence, specifically Chat GPT, as a learning tool to enhance efficiency in classrooms.

In a recent update, district superintendent Don Austin explained that the committee will explore the implications of AI in classrooms. Chat GPT, a language model

developed by OpenAI, has become widely used for its ability to synthesize information, answer questions and generate text.

Due to these capabilities, teachers have since implemented measures that prevent students from using the AI on assessments. Mary Sano, the Social Sciences Department leader at Palo Alto High School, said her world history classes used secured browsers and school-issued laptops to

“Youth Art” exhibit opens for public

prevent the usage of Chat GPT on one writing assessment this year.

“It [Chat GPT] seems like it really would impact students’ readiness, especially if they’re just being handed the information rather than reading, processing and trying to make sense of something themselves,” Sano said.

While acknowledging concerns about the possibility of students cheating through the use of AI, the superintendent noted that potentially disruptive technology should not necessarily be banned outright and emphasized the importance of educating teachers and students about its benefits in addition to its drawbacks.

Sano said that she believes Chat GPT can be useful and increase the efficiency of certain tasks, specifically, adjusting the reading level of primary documents to make them more accessible to students.

“There are students who read at different levels, and sometimes, in social studies classes in particular, when we read primary documents, those are challenging,” Sano said. “It’s very time consuming for a teacher to go through and change to change the words so that its more accessible to a struggling reader.”

by LIA CARDWELL

APPRAISING AI — Palo Alto School District School Board President, Jennifer DiBrienza speaks at the school board meeting on May 9. A superintendent’s update summarized the district’s respose regarding AI tools such as Chat GPT. “History has shown that similar forms of technology have often experienced initial resistance prior to becoming widely adopted,” superintendent Don Austin wrote. PhotoAlma Bendavid.

GALLERY WALK — The “Youth Art” exhibit returns to the Palo Alto Arts Center with the theme: “How Does Art Sustain You?” Julie Perkins, a grandmother observing the exhibit, said that art sustains by shining a positive light on the negativity of the world. “I think art gives us joy,” Perkins said. “I think in the world right now there isn’t always a lot of things to be joyful about.”

Photo: Cate Graney.

Edited and designed by ALMA BENDAVID

District welcomes electric buses

TWO NEW ALL-ELECTRIC school buses will begin service fot the Palo Alto Unified School District at the start of the 2023-24 school year to promote sustainable transportation.

The buses arrived on April 14, according to an April 21 Superintendent’s Update. They are currently in the process of being certified and tested.

Carolyn Chow, PAUSD’s Chief Busi-

ness Officer, said the buses were purchased through an environmental grant that PAUSD applied for in March 2021.

“We applied for grants to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that would give us a grant to purchase two electric buses,” Chow said. “Then we would take two of our higher-polluting diesel buses out of commission.”

Before the buses will start to be used next fall, there will be a pilot period during which drivers will need to be trained and the battery life of the buses will need to be determined.

“The performance of the bus, the range of the bus and the frequency of charging are all things we’re going to learn as we get the buses into operation and really start using them and testing them,” Chow said.

AS STUDENTS WALK across the quad and around the huge and unignorable renovation site, everyone is angsty to know when the Tower Building renovation will end and the quad will reopen. According to Assistant Principal, Jerry Berkson the renovation will rebuild all of the inside of the building, help to fix up the electrical lines, and add air conditioning.

“With modernization, you have electrical issues where someone turns on the microwave, we have to turn off three computers,” Berkson said.

As of right now, the construction is a month a a half ahead of schedule.

“There’s always little problems that you need to fix,” Berkson said. “So we can take care of all that before moving everything in.”

EMBRACING ELECTRIC — PAUSD’s new electric buses patiently await their first rides next fall. The buses will need to pass through a trial to ensure safety and determine their battery life. “We are going to be looking at the distance and the amount of time we can drive the bus before we have to put it back on the charger,” Chow said. “So it’ll be a learning experience.” Photo: Lizzy Williams.

Students can also look forward to the modern features that the buses have.

“We’re excited that it has all the latest safety features, and it has air conditioning,” Chow said.

Text by ALMA BENDAVID Graphics by ESTHER XU

by LIZZY WILLIAMS

District provides new safety program

ANEW COMMUNITY safety internship program will be offered by Palo Alto School District this summer and will give students Career Technological Experience credits.

The program will consist of hands-on risk management experience, first aid experience, and emergency preparedness training. Students will aging the added bonus of receiving First Aid, CPR, AED and stop the bleed certificates.

According to Safety, Security and Disaster Preparedness Manager, Mike Jacobs, the program aims to strengthen the security in PAUSD schools in addition to helping students acquire their ten mandatory CTE credits.

“The program is designed as an ongo-

ing function of our district,” Jacobs said.

“Through developing site specific teams members will serve as an added layer of safety to our district.”

The program will kick off June 13 for high school students and will continue until July 20. In the future this opportunity will be extended to middle school students and PAUSD employees.

“School safety is a responsibility that belongs to everyone and we need everyone’s help,” Jacobs said. “So, it’s really focused on bringing everybody into the conversation and getting everyone involved.”

by VIT DO

Violent police incident at Menlo Atherton causes protest

Palo Alto to open new history muesum

PLANS

ARE BEING MADE

to build a new Palo Alto History museum by the end of 2024, according to the president of the museum’s board of directors.

On April 17, City Council made the final agreements in a deal which allows a private Palo Alto board of directors to build the museum in the unused Roth Building near City Hall.

Rich Green, president of the museum’s board, said that construction will start in July and take around one year to complete. Exhibits will be installed

mid-2024 after over two decades of work on the project.

“We’ve had some bumps along the way but overall our efforts have been extremely successful,” Green said.

According to Green, Palo Alto needs a history museum for people can understand and love the place they live in.

“History museums have a huge responsibility to acquire, preserve, curate, and display key artifacts that tell stories of people and events,” Green said.

by OTTO KISS MEYERFREUND

Multivariable calculus to be offered next

MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS will be offered after school next year at Palo Alto High School following numerous statements in school board meetings and an open letter to the Board of Education co-signed by over 400 people.

Multivariable Calculus, an advanced math class that comes after BC calculus, is currently not offered at Palo Alto High School nor Henry M. Gunn High School. Historically, students have taken this class at Foothill College, but recent changes to state-dual enrollment laws have made it harder for high school students to enroll.

Paly sophomore Aleksey Valouev attended a board meeting to express his desires for multivariable calculus.

“I am disappointed. Like so many others, my family came to this district in search of better education, better resources, better policies,” Valouev said. “And yet, we lag behind our neighbors in a subject we once prided ourselves in excelling in: math.”

An email fron superintendent Don Austin later announced that Paly would offer a high-schooler-only Multivariable calculus class at, resolving most of the requests from and issues expressed in the open letter.

by ASHRAY GUPTA , JONAS PAO and RAHUL SHETTY

OPENING SOON — Ready to be remodeled, the Roth building stands next to Heritage Park prepared to become Palo Alto’s history museum. “Palo Alto has created the modern world and this museum will tell those stories with interactive exhibits surrounding wonderful artefacts,” said Rich Green, president of the museum’s board of directors. Photo: Otto Kiss Meyerfreund

RALLYING FOR REFORM — Students from Menlo Atherton High gathered together outside their high school on May 3, walking for over an hour along several main roads advocating against police brutality after a police pinned a student to the ground at a bus stop in front of the school. Teacher Anne Olson, who was at the protest, stresses her ideas on the significance. “Protesting is also important because it reminds us that we have the collective power to enact change,” Olson said. Photo: Celine Chien, republished from the M-A Chronicle.

Text by OTTO KISS MEYERFREUND and NADAV STERNHEIM

TOMMY BUTLER: THE IRONMAN

Last April, Palo Alto High School senior Tommy Butler completed the 2023 Ironman Texas Triathlon with a time of 14 hours, 30 minutes, and 56 seconds. Verde spoke with Butler, who was the youngest male athelete competing in the event, about his experience training for and completing the race.

What made you decide to take on the challenge?

I’m always the kind of guy who wants to have big goals, big aspirations. After my football season ended, I saw a video of someone doing it [an Ironman], and it looked like something I’d want to do.

What motivated you to keep going during your training and the race?

It’s mostly mental … you just got to be disciplined. ... I trained every day, except for Sundays. That’s the Lord’s day, and I worshipped. [I was] just training every day ... until I got injured, and I could no longer train for the run, so I was only able to get up to eight miles. That’s the longest I ever ran before my actual marathon. I had Compartment Syndrome in my calves due to a fast, heavy increase in running. The doctors told me I shouldn’t

do the Ironman, and I didn’t listen to them. ... When the marathon day came, I actually hadn’t run for over two months.

How did it feel to cross the finish line?

It felt amazing. I was actually the youngest competitor on the course, out of every single athlete. It was a really surreal moment. I was actually not sure if I was even going to be able to finish. I thought it could be a huge waste of time, effort, and money. When I started my swim, I was comfortable that I was going to be able to finish ... but that marathon, since I hadn’t been training, was really just a blessing from God, that I was able to even keep up a running pace. because I didn’t really walk much of the marathon at all.

FINISH — Senior Hillary Studdert and freshman

Amaya Bharadwaj rush for the finish line in the girls 800 meter dash. Palo Alto High School track and field Head Coach Michael Davidson said he was proud of how his team performed throughout the season. “We’ve had a few ups and downs with some unexpected injuries throughout the season,” Davidson said. “We have a good crew that has qualified through to the league championships.“ Photo by Nadav Stern

TRIATHLONIST An Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile running marathon. “All that hard work paid off, [and] I got really emotional,” Butler said. Photo by Nadav Sternheim

PHOTO

heim

MURAL WITH A MISSION

SOCIAL JUSTICE ARTWORK HONORS DELEGATE

AMID THUNDEROUS applause, students pull a tarp off of the wall to reveal a vibrant mural of green, red and gold.

The mural, which hangs in front of Palo Alto High School’s math and social science building, was a project spearheaded by students in the campus’ Social Justice Pathway, a program in which students’ English and History classes are rooted in themes of social change and project-based learning. It depicts Kimberly Teehee, the Cherokee Nation’s appointed delegate to the United States House of Representatives.

The significance of the role to the Cherokee Nation dates back to 1835, when the United States government used the Treaty of New Echota to push Cherokee residents from their homeland in Georgia to a reservation in Oklahoma. Thousands died of disease and starvation along the way, which came to be known as the Trail of Tears.

As part of the treaty, the Cherokee Nation was guaranteed a delegate to represent it in the House of Representatives. However, no delegate was ever seated. For this reason, the Cherokee Nation has campaigned for a delegate since 2019 for a delegate to represent it in Congress.

“It [my seating] would send a huge mes-

sage to everyone … that the United States honors its treaty rights,” Teehee said. “We [Native Americans] have too few champions as it is, and having another seat at the table only helps all of Indian country, not just the Cherokee Nation.”

Teehee has decades of experience advocating for Native American communities, notably as the first Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs under former president Barack Obama. While the Democratic-controlled House Rules Committee held a hearing in 2022 in which members of Congress expressed interest in seating a delegate, the House has yet to call a simple-majority vote on whether she may be seated, four years after she was appointed.

For decades the Cherokee Nation has been stricken with generational poverty and climate change has hurt crop yields, as well as an ongoing opioid crisis. As a delegate, Teehee would be able to promote legislation addressing these issues and manage com-

munications between the Cherokee Nation and the federal government, though she would be unable to vote on the final passage of legislation — similar to the roles of delegates from U.S. territories.

Teehee said that initially, she was surprised to hear that high school students in California were interested in her campaign.

“I was kind of in awe of students that would want to learn about our history … without any kind of expectation of getting credit [for school],” Teehee said. “They became passionate about something that benefits the Cherokee Nation, and I just found that really remarkable.”

Teehee said she believes that the mural and the media attention it will receive will the decisions of policymakers in Washington, D.C. In addition to the mural, members of Paly’s Social Justice Pathway designed and wrote postcards urging local congresspeople to fight for Teehee’s seating.

“California happens to be the home of some very important members of Congress.” Teehee said. “Having young people present their voice and attach it to this very important issue will resonate with the members of your own congressional districts, as well as across the country.” v

Text by ANDY ROBINSON and LIZZY WILLIAMS

Photo by LIZZY WILLIAMS

“They became passionate about something that benefits the Cherokee Nation, and I just found that really remarkable.”

— KIMBERLY TEEHEE, Cherokee delegate designee

Having young people present their voice and attach it to this very important issue will resonate ... across the country.”

— KIMBERLY TEEHEE, Cherokee delegate designee

“

WHY NOT NOW? — volved in the mural’s creation chose to include the words “Why not now?” on the project due to their significance to Teehee’s campaign and the circumstances that led to her waiting years to be seated. “The treaty of New Echota happened 200 years ago, and we still haven’t seated a designee for the Cherokee Nation 200 years later,” senior art lead Kellyn Scheel said. “Why not now? Now’s as good a time as any to do it.”

Seven stars were used in the mural because of the number’s significance as a sacred number in Cherokee culture. Additionally, the iconography of stars served as inspiration for the mural’s title. “There is a disconnect between our understanding of other cultural and ethnic groups in our society,” Paly senior and project manager Megha Madhabhushi said. “We all live under the same moon. We all live under the same stars. We are all united. So we should be united through knowledge as well.”

POWERFUL PORTRAIT — The pop-art style of the portrait of Teehee is inspired by the art of the famous “Hope” poster of Barack Obama, designed by Shepard Fairey. “All of his [Fairey’s] designs have a lot of significance in the poses of the politicians or the people he paints,” Scheel said. “It also was a picture from when she spoke after being elected delegate designee, so it was right after she was chosen by the Cherokee Nation to represent them in their fight for a seat in Congress.”

BEFORE DAWN

EXPLORING PALO ALTO’S EARLY MORNINGS

Text by OTTO KISS MEYERFREUND and RAHUL SHETTY

Photos by RAHUL SHETTY

IN PALO ALTO, the early morning hours are the quietest time of day. When exploring the city before dawn, don’t be surprised to encounter deserted streets, solely illuminated by streetlight.

Amid the morning silence, some business owners like Victor Marku start the day earlier than most. Though 2:30 a.m. is not a typical time to start work, Marku, the co-owner of Douce France Cafe, uses this time to get a head start prepping baked goods for the shop.

“There’s a process,” Marku said. “You have to take the croissants that you are gonna bake, you have to get them to rise in a warmer temperature and that usually takes. … If it’s cold, three hours, and if it’s hot, 45 minutes to 1 hour.”

Verde traveled around Palo Alto to capture the city before dawn. v

DOWNTOWN DREAM (top left) The outdoor area of the Crepevine restaurant on university avenue is illuminated by the sunrise. The restaurant opens at 8 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

COFFEE CONVOS (bottom far left) — A Peet’s Coffee worker makes conversation with some early morning coffee grabbers in Town and Country Village. Peet’s opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m.

DOUCE DELIGHT (bottom left) —The sign of popular Town and Country Cafe Douce France as the owner bakes his morning treats. Douce France opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m.

GARBAGE GRAB (bottom right) — A garbage truck enters a service road to collect trash at University Avenue during the early morning.

LINGERING LIGHTS (bottom far right) — University Avenue with its lights still turned on even with the sunrise coming soon.

AFTER DARK

EXPLORING PALO ALTO'S NIGHTTIME ACTIVITIES

FOR THE MAJORITY of Palo Alto High School students and teachers, the day ends between 3:30 and 4:10 p.m. — but for many that is just the beginning. Evenings and nights provide opportunities to engage with favorite activities, enjoy a meal with friends or simply go for a walk.

Apart from the thriving nighttime life, Paly hosts a multitude of after school activities for both students and adults. One of these is the Palo Alto Adult School's woodshop class, which has been held at Paly for decades. Instructor Francis Cho said she appreciates the flexibility that the adult school offers.

“Evening classes are amazing,” Cho said. “It just makes it so much more accessible for everybody. There are daytime classes too, but for people with jobs, evening classes are easier." v

Text by YASH SHETTY and GOPALA VARADARAJAN

LATE NIGHT LACROSSE (top left) — The Palo Alto Ducks have been playing men’s lacrosse since 1965, according to team member Wade Higgins. After Palo Alto High School history teacher D.J. Shelton joined the team, the Ducks began renting Paly’s lacrosse field on Thursday nights. Photo: Gopala Varadarajan

EVENING WOODWORKING (bottom left) — Palo Alto Adult School Woodshop instructor Francis Cho measures a piece of wood during the class' Thursday night session. Photo: Yash Shetty

EATING ICE CREAM (top right) — After patiently waiting in a lengthy queue, Palo Alto downtown visitors enjoy a cool treat from Salt & Straw.

Photo: Gopala Varadarajan

BOISTEROUS BUSKING (bottom right) — A local musician displays his vocal talent busking on a Saturday night in downtown Palo Alto.

Photo: Gopala Varadarajan

course confusion DISTRICT CHANGES TO CLASSES EXPLAINED

ALAWSUIT? NO MORE offcampus courses in your GPA? Being able to skip high school classes? Multivariable calculus canceled? What in the world is going on in the Palo Alto Unified School District?

A parent lawsuit filed in 2021 claimed that PAUSD violated the California Math Placement Act of 2015. The district allegedly “intentionally and systematically targets talented math students and denies them earned opportunities to be exceptional,” according to Palo Alto Online.

Judge Carrie Zepeda ruled in favor of the parents on Feb. 6, according to

Palo Alto Online. Zepeda also ruled that PAUSD had 30 days to submit a new math placement policy to the board. As of early May, the district has yet to submit the new policy.

According to Palo Alto High School senior and PAUSD school board representative Johannah Seah, the lawsuit led to, but did not directly cause, closer examination of other policies.

“These [the math lawsuit and other class policies] are all connected because … they’re now looking at other policies as well, and the other policy that they’re looking at is off-campus courses,” Seah said.

Following a closer examination of state

law, PAUSD changed its policies around what can appear on a transcript and be weighted into the student’s GPA.

“Courses off campus will transfer as a credit/no credit onto the Paly transcript and only fully WASC [Western Association of Schools and Colleges] accredited institutions with UCOP lists, which is a UC list of approved classes, will be accepted,” Paly Assistant Principal Michelle Steingart said.

Calculus conundrum

The closer examination of the policies also affects Multivariable Calculus, a course previously offered by Foothill College as dual-enrollment for students who had completed Advanced Placement Calculus BC. According to Seah, multivariable calculus is a single credit course, meaning it is designated for colleges only and therefore cannot be on high school transcripts.

In protest, a group of students drafted an open letter with signatures from over 380 students and parents. It was addressed by Superintendent Don Austin in a press conference on April 28, according to The Paly Voice. In response, according to an email sent to The Campanile by Austin, an in-person Multivariable Calculus class will be taught by a Foothill College instructor on Paly campus after school for the 202324 fall semester.

New policy to challenge courses

As of March of 2023, according to the PAUSD Policies and Regulations, students will be able to test out of a course through a combination of written and oral tests and lab demonstration. According to policy 6155 AR, challenging weighted courses such as Honors and AP, Physical Education, and Living Skills are not allowed; this policy is designed for students to demonstrate mastery of a course in order to move on to the courses in later sequential order, such as math. Phew! So many changes! Did you catch all of them? v

“These [the math lawsuit and other class policies] are all connected. ”

— JOHANNAH SEAH, PAUSD school board representative

Text by ALEXIS CHIU and MIYA WHITELEY Art by POLINA VAN HULSEN

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MAY FETE FESTIVITIES

CITY GATHERS FOR ANNUAL SPRING PARADE

AS YOUNG CHILDREN, STUDENTS AND OTHER

Palo Alto community members march down University Avenue, the onlookers on the sidewalk clap and cheer. Even as the rain begins dotting the ground, they wave happily, following the band at the head of the parade.

Held on May 6, the 99th May Fete Children’s parade attracted many Palo Alto citizens and groups. Annually hosted by the city of Palo Alto, the May Fete parade is one of the most popular events in the city, encouraging organizations to showcase themselves and uniting individuals to create a sense of community.

“The may fete parade is a really nice and fun way that the Paly [Palo Alto High School] dance team ends the season,” senior dance team captain Theresa Hart said. “It also is fun to be with the band again as a Paly performing community.” v

Benefits of Bilingualism

STUDENTS SHARE MULTILINGUAL EXPERIENCES

BEING BILINGUAL IS A SKILL WHICH HAS become increasingly important in today’s globalized world. Yet, less than 20 percent of people across the country speak a language other than English, according to the United States Census Bureau. Students who speak multiple languages gain a competitive edge in the job market, expand their cultural understanding and improve their cognitive abilities in areas such as problem-solving and multitasking, according to research by Pennsylvania State University.

The Palo Alto School Unified District established a Spanish immersion program in 1995 and a Mandarin immersion program in 2008, which are still being offered today at Escondido and Ohlone elementary schools, respectively. According to census data, these languages are the top two most popular second languages in the country. To better understand the long term impacts of bilingual education, Verde asked alumni of PAUSD immersion programs and other bilingual students to share their experiences. v

Simrun Rao

“My grandparents don’t know English very well, but my parents decided to teach me Hindi, and I spent a few years in India, so that helped me with my Hindi skills and communicating with my grandparents. It [speaking Hindi] also helps me when I go to a grocery store that’s specific to my culture or on holidays like Diwali.” Photo courtesy of Simrun Rao.

Aditya Romfh

“In Escondido, they had a lot of teachers from so many different countries. So we were kind of exposed to each of their cultures, because they would have their separate celebrations ... There’s so many ways to say things in Spanish, and it’s like I knew each of the nuances and so I feel like that kind of helped a lot [learning Spanish].” Photo: Alma Bendavid

Calvin Wong

“I think being bilingual is definitely a super useful thing. When I was little, I didn’t get exposed too much to the language, and being in a program that did have me speak Chinese almost for the whole day was really useful. I think it really helped me be much closer to my culture, especially because I’ve never actually been to China.” Photo courtesy of Calvin Wong.

Paly sophomore and Escondido alumnus

Paly senior and Ohlone alumnus

Paly alumna and Hindi speaker

Simrun Rao

Text by ASHMITA RAJMOHAN and MELODY XU

A VOICE FOR

SENIOR CELEBRATES SCHOOL’S WAR HEROES

ON A WALKWAY ALONG the edge of the Tower Building, a bronze plaque lies on the dirt under a green hedge. “This plaque is dedicated as a memorial to those students of Palo Alto High School who gave their lives while serving their country in World War II,” it reads.

Palo Alto High School senior Harvey Vostrejs said he was painting a set for the Paly Theatre program when the plaque piqued his interest.

“I saw this plaque and I was kind of staring at it and staring at these names and it kind of hit me, like ‘Who are these people?’” Vostrejs said. “It was covered in dirt, trash. It looked forgotten, and it made me really, really sad. These were people, here, who were like us, and they don’t deserve to be forgotten like that.”

Since the beginning of his junior year, Vostrejs has been developing the book “Paly Heroes,” a compilation of the life stories of over 80 veterans from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The book is available online as a Google Doc, and in physical form with one printed copy in the Paly library.

“I basically compiled all of the information that I could find on these people to protect their stories and make sure that they’re told,” Vostrejs said.

The writing process began with long hours in the upstairs section of the school library, where archives of Paly yearbooks are kept.

“Out of curiosity, I was like, ‘I’m gon-

na come up here and look at these old yearbooks and find the people who were on the plaques,’” Vostrejs said. “And once I found the pictures of them in the yearbooks, it’s hard to explain, but it hit me like ‘Oh my God, this isn’t just a name, it’s a person.’” Vostrejs said that this type of research was right up his alley.

“I went through pretty much every yearbook we have from those eras,” Vostrejs said. “I came before school, after school, during my prep and the lunches and I was just always here, poring through those yearbooks.”

That was only the first step of the research, Vostrejs said. He moved on to the National Archives, reaching out to and interviewing past veterans, Paly alumni, and family members of those being profiled to continue collecting information.

“I would find siblings in the yearbooks and I went onto Ancestry.com, but most of the direct family members were dead and those who were alive, it was basically impossible to track them down,” Vostrejs said. “I had two family members that reached out to me … and they sent me information and chatted with me about it and shared their stories. I’m hoping as this book gets out there that more families will reach out.”

Eric Bloom, Vostrejs’ Social Justice Pathway teacher, said that Vostrejs is an archivist at heart.

“He loves to understand what has happened in the past by looking at the way it was reported on,” Bloom said. “He has that research mindset of, ‘How can I find the documents to explain these people?’ That’s

a very historian-like approach in the sense of saying, ‘There has to be a record. There has to be something there.’”

Vostrejs said that though the process was lengthy and arduous at times, he enjoyed exercising his research skills.

“I really do like researching, but this pushed me to my limits because I had to go into the [older] parts of the web,” he said. “I spent probably hundreds of hours doing it but I never felt burdened by it, like, it was really fun.”

Up next, Vostrejs said he is filing a Public Records Act request to get further information about the book’s subjects and update the project as it is a “living document” in order to encompass new findings and correct errors.

Darla Secor, a historian and archivist at the Palo Alto Historical Association, says that Vostrejs’ book is a great resource.

“It’s very important because, as far as I know, no one else has done this with all of the veterans,” Secor said. “I’m sure there’s been write ups about certain ones, but to have a complete list and all that information in one place is amazing.”

Bloom agrees.

“There’s future value,” Bloom said. “If someone wants to learn about [the people profiled in the book], they could look at the copy in the library and find out what was going on. Then the next archivist could use Harvey’s book.”

Vostrejs said that the book is intentionally intended for an online format rather than distribution in print form, and not just because printing copies is expensive.

“Since it’s a living document … there was already new information in the last two weeks,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to publish it when it’s constantly being updated. I’d like people to be able to access it online and know it exists.” v

I basically compiled all of the information that I could find on these people to protect their stories and make sure that they’re told.”

— HARVEY VOSTREJS, senior

FINAL PRODUCT — Palo Alto High School senior Harvey Vostrejs poses for a photo holding a physical edition of his research project, “Paly Heroes.” “It was something to do with my time and it had an impact,” Vostrejs said. “I could see it having an impact.” Photo: Melody Xu

from the

UNCONVENTIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS

THE SUN RISES over the mountaintops, Palo Alto High School junior Avery Reller remembers joining a bustling community of students and teachers to get to work on the farm. At the Mountain School, Reller’s days are filled with the rhythms of nature — harvesting vegetables from the fertile soil, feeding and caring for the animals, and cutting down trees to provide firewood for the long winter months ahead.

The Mountain School — a 418 acre hilltop farm in Vershire, Vermont — is a semester-long program founded in 1963 for 45 high school juniors who, according to its website, learn to “understand the world and your place in it in a new way.”

This unconventional education experience is just one of the many options that Paly students can participate in for a semester.

The Mountain School

Although Reller took the same classes during her semester at the Mountain School and at Paly, she emphasized environmental education as the main difference.

“We had a class that was all just about agriculture and sustainable agriculture and environmental justice called farm seminar,” Reller said. “It was an open conversation about climate change, sustainability, kind of everything.”

Reller added that her classes had an environmental aspect, which connected back to the surroundings in Vermont.

“In our environmental studies class, we would go outside and learn how to identify different types of trees or walk to a stream and identify specific characteristics of the Vermont outdoor environment we had been learning about,” Reller said. “We learned about sustainable agriculture, environmental justice and a lot of climate change issues in the world and specifically present in Vermont.”

By focusing on the environment, Reller said the Mountain School shifted her perspective on education and instilled a passion for the environment.

“I think most people, by the end of it [the semester] definitely had more of a passion for wanting to be outside more and being in the environment and caring about it more and being more conscious of their choices and day-to-day environmental interactions,” Reller said.

Aside from gaining a passion for the environment, Reller discovered a preference for hands-on learning through her experience.

“Everything we did we did it outside or doing something super interactive, and it made me learn that I really liked that for myself,” Reller said.

Although learning at the Mountain School was a transformative experience, Reller said that there were some drawbacks.

“I think it’s hard being in such a contained space,” Reller said. “It doesn’t really feel like you have as much freedom because you’re kind of constrained to your dorm a lot of the time and just seeing the same people [makes] your routine so constant and it can feel really repetitive.”

To attend the Mountain School, students go through an application process that involves answering questions about their interests. Tuition for a semester is a hefty $36,975, although the Mountain School’s website states that 40 percent of their

to the

students are offered scholarships.

Reller heard about the opportunity from her sister’s friend and attended the Mountain School for the fall 2022 session. Reller said she recognizes the significant cost as a barrier to participating for some students.

“The program is definitely not super accessible to average high schoolers,” Reller said. “There’s pretty good scholarship opportunities but I’m sure it’s very competitive and hard to obtain.”

The Island School

ANOTHER SEMESTER STUDY away program, the Island School, is set on the island of South Eleuthera in the Bahamas, and is a 100-day program designed for high school sophomores and juniors.

Senior Paige Henry attended the Island School in the spring session of 2022 and said she would recommend the program.

“I learned about taking care of our planet and sustainability, how everyone contributes in a community-based environment and learning how to get along with all types of people and personalities,” Henry said.

Tuition, including room and board, for a semester session runs about $36,450, while a summer session costs $16,850 — according to its website.

Henry said that although the program’s cost is sizable, there are benefits not found elsewhere.

According to their website, one in four students receive tuition assistance where the average assistance is roughly three quarters of the entire cost.

“It is definitely an expensive program, but the experience you get in that type of environment is life changing,” Henry said. “All the curriculum is hands-on, project-based learning.”

Every Thursday, students research an environmental topic they chose at the beginning of the semester. Henry researched stone crabs and sharks.

“We would go out on a boat and scuba all day, and collect data on stone crab claw removal methods and illegal shark finning,” Henry said.

Following its motto, “Be where your feet are,” the Island

School took students’ phones and all other electronics and the students lived without Internet connection.

“I only had a 15-minute phone call [off of a landline] a week to make to my family, which was difficult to adjust to since I am extremely family-oriented,” Henry said.

Although Henry had many wonderful experiences at the Island School, there were some complications.

“I was well-prepared from an academic perspective to go to the Island School, but a few of my classes did not transfer back to Paly,” Henry said. “I had to take two single-semester courses online to make up for the time away from Paly.”

The Island School also came with challenges that Henry had to overcome as a part of the program.

“It was early morning wake-ups, lots of exercise and hands on work,” Henry said. “There were four expeditions, one being a 48-hour solo on the beach, which I never thought I would be able to do.”

Although the program was only a semester, Henry affirms that the memories and the friends she made during her time there were everlasting.

“They [the connections formed] were extremely real and very strong since we didn’t have any phones or internet,” Henry said. “We were forced to connect and get close and [the other students] all became family so quickly.” v

Text by DIVYA GANDHI and ELLA HWANG

SAYONARA

JAPANESE TEACHER TO RETIRE AT END OF YEAR

POINTING TO HIRAGANA characters on the whiteboard, Palo Alto High School Japanese teacher Teruko Kamikihara sings an upbeat song about Japanese grammar to her students. Colorful posters featuring various animated films cover the classroom walls, filling the room with color and character. Hhowever, the spirited decor is not the only thing making Kamikihara’s class so lively; she herself brings a vibrant and welcoming energy to the classroom.

For 22 years, Kamikihara, Palo Alto High School’s only Japanese teacher, has energized her students through singing, dancing and cooking. At the end of this school year, she is retiring in order to travel and relax.

Paly Spanish teacher Kevin Duffy, who has known Kamikihara for as long as she’s been teaching, said he admires the effort she puts into her job.

“She is one of the hardest-working people that I know,” Duffy said. “She’s incredibly dedicated to her teaching and to her students.”

Kamikihara has worked for the Palo Alto Unified School District since 1996, first as a volunteer at Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School and eventually as a Japanese teacher at both Paly and Henry M. Gunn High School.

She said her passion for teaching started at a young age, and came partly from a desire to carry on her family legacy — both of her parents were teachers during her childhood in Japan.

Many students — including Palo Alto High School senior

HUGGING THE MEMORIES — Palo Alto High School’s Japanese teacher Teruko Kamikihara hugs one of her many “Doraemon” plushies. “[Paly] students are friendly and respect each other,” Kamikihara said. “Especially my students. They are really good students.”

TO SENSEI

Kyle Park — prefer Kamikihara’s creative style to more “traditional” teaching.

“Some of my fondest memories in Sensei’s class are the songs she would sing to get us to remember specific grammatical points,” said Park, who is in her Advanced Placement Japanese class. “Her supportive and cheerful teaching style ... helped myself and others learn such a complex language so effectively.”

Kamikihara ensures that every student in her class is celebrated. On each student’s birthday, the whole class sings for them, and they can pick a small gift of Japanese candy or soda that Kamikihara buys with her own money.

“I know them [students] from freshman to senior,” Kamikihara said. “They grow up, so every year we celebrate each person’s birthday. That, I enjoy.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kamikihara used to cook and share meals with her class, and take AP students to the

restaurant Sushi House after their AP exam.

According to Kamikihara, a student who decided to continue with Japanese in college once came up to her and told her how the grammar songs kept popping into her head. This is the effect that Kamikihara hopes to inspire in her classes.

“I hope they [the students] remember it [the songs and activities], and at the time, enjoy,” she said.

Her retirement brings mixed emotions to both herself and her students.

“I am 50 percent happy looking forward to my retirement, and 50 percent for [thinking] I [will] miss all my colleagues and students,” Kamikihara said.

The other Paly language teachers have

all been able to form strong friendships with her and are sad to see her go.

“When someone who’s been working a long, long, long time reaches their retirement, you’re sad that they’re leaving, but you’re also happy because you want them to be able to enjoy themselves and do some fun things,” Duffy said.

Many students feel the same way. “Knowing that [future students] won’t be taught by her for as long as we were is a sad realization,” Park said. “On the other hand, I am excited for her, as she has been one of the happiest, if not the happiest, teacher I have ever had, and I know that she will make the most of retirement!” v

Photo by RAHUL SHETTY

“

She is one of the hardest working people that I know... she’s incredibly dedicated to her teaching and to her students.”

— KEVIN DUFFY, Spanish teacher

ON WEDNESDAYS WE HAVE DOGS

THERAPY DOGS GREET STUDENTS

AT LUNCHTIME

AS THE LUNCH BELL rings, students stream into Palo Alto High School’s grassy central quad. Sitting on the side in a shady corner, a small white maltipoo and a gentle old golden retriever sit with their owners, ready to socialize with students. They are part of Palo Alto High School’s Therapy Dog Program. Every Wednesday at lunch, the program brings certified therapy dogs to the school, giving students the opportunity to interact with the dogs and enjoy the calming effects they provide. The Therapy Dog Program was started by Volunteer Coordinator Beth Martin and her black labrador, Annabelle, in 2012.

“We started out coming to the finals study program and the program expanded to the Wednesday lunchtime sessions,” Martin said.

Mary Ellen Bena, who coordinated evening study sessions during finals week at the time, was the first to invite the dogs to campus, according to Martin.

“[Bena] thought it would be a nice stress reliever to bring therapy dogs to campus during dinner,” Martin said.

Over the years, the program has attracted dog owners other than Martin to volunteer. According to Paly parent and volunteer Julie Tomz, the program is just as adored by dog owners as it is by students.

“We probably would never talk to

Text by FELICIA BUCHHOLZ and ALLEGRA WEST

GOLDEN DOG — Students pet Bailey, one of the therapy dogs working to help relax students outside of the 100’s building facing the quad. Beth Martin, the Palo Alto High School Volunteer Coordinator explains how to become therapy dog certified. “To become a therapy dog you have to go through a certification process but it’s a much different kind of training and not as intense as for a service dog.”

Photos by RAHUL SHETTY

(top) — Dogs, students and dog owners interact outside the 100’s building with the dogs, an activity for students to release stress and anxiety.“I decided to start the program because I was already working at Paly and I had this amazing dog,” Beth Martin, the Paly Volunteer Coordinator said. ANIMAL ACTION (bottom) — Bailey, the golden retriever, stares at the camera with a small smile as students pet her. “We were going to other places ... but I thought the students at Paly would also benefit from having Annabelle and other dogs like her on campus,” Martin said.

[students] except for the fact that the dogs are here, and [they] came over to say hi,” Tomz said. “So it [provides] really fun interactions for us to have.”

According to a 2012 article from Frontiers in Psychology, interacting with therapy dogs has been shown to reduce stress levels and anxiety. Petting a dog has been found to decrease cortisol, a stress hormone, and increase oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and relaxation.

Martin says she has witnessed firsthand the positive impact that the program has on the students.

“Seeing the students’ reactions to the dogs during Wednesday lunch is very gratifying,” Martin said.“Students stop by to pet

Dog Debut:

the dogs and some students come and stay for the entire lunch.”

Students have also expressed their appreciation for the program.

“I see students light up when they see the dogs,” junior Annalise Klenow said. “I think we should be cultivating that type of joy as much as possible around campus.”

The Therapy Dog Program is a unique and valuable part of Paly’s mental wellness, and has helped build a community from scratch.

“I definitely think having the therapy dogs around positively impacts mental health,” Klenow said. “It gives students a moment to stop and experience a moment of warmth and pure joy.” v

Name: Bailey

Age: 6

Quote: “Woof woof, woof woof! Bark!”

Name: Corky

Age: 14

Quote: “Bark, bark grr.”

If you are interested in having your dog become a certified therapy dog for Paly, contact Beth Martin at bmartin@pausd.org.

MANY PETS

Text, art and photos by MEENA NARAYANASWAMI and MIYA WHITELEY

THE BAY AREA’S LONGEST RUNNING OPEN MIC

ANTICIPATORY SILENCE

fills the crowded room as dozens of guests standing or sitting at tables turn their gaze forward, focus on the figure behind a microphone stand, and wait. After a few short moments, the silence is broken by the melodic instrumental introduction to Adele’s “Easy On Me,” and soon, it’s complemented by the strong, clear vocals of Mika Buggy, an 18-year-old Mountain View resident.

Every Monday night from 6–9 p.m., the second floor of downtown Mountain View’s Red Rock Coffee is transformed from a casual chat and study space to an open mic venue complete with keyboards, microphones and a sound system. The event is the longest running open mic in the Bay Area according to Palo Alto Online and welcomes performers of all backgrounds and ages.

“It [the open mic event] really isn’t just to come to perform, it’s also to support other people who are performing because there’s a lot of collaborations that happen

and people will get up on stage spontaneously to play with each other, so that’s pretty cool,” open mic host Ashley Markowicz said. “That’s the whole spirit of the open mic, what we want to do is promote community and collaboration and creative partnerships.”

One way that this open mic stands out from others is its lottery-based nightly lineup. Performers are called up at random and are given five minutes to perform.

“We’ve tried a lot of different systems in the past and this one just seems to be the best as far as getting enough people on stage and getting a variety of people on stage,” Markowicz said.

Performers of all mediums are welcome at Red Rock, but the most common include musicians and comedians, according to Markowicz.

“There’s regulars that come in every week,” Buggy said. “Everyone knows each other. I made a lot of my friends here. It’s kind of just the vibe, just so calming and relaxing. v

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE (LEFT)

— Mika Buggy, an 18-year-old Mountain View resident and regular performer at the Red Rock Coffee open mic, sings Adele’s “Easy On Me.” “I hope people keep coming back here [to Red Rock],” Buggy said. “It’s just a great place to start doing music.”

A CAPTIVATED CROWD (MIDDLE) —

The Red Rock Coffee open mic audience, filled with both performers and spectators, applauds enthusiastically after each five minute performance. “I’ve been to a few other open mics too, but this one [Red Rock] attracts a lot of crowd,” said Vineet Katta, a Santa Clara resident and Red Rock open mic performer. “It’s fun to play here, too.”

MAGNETIC MUSIC (RIGHT) — A Red Rock Coffee open mic performer sings animatedly with an accompanying band. “If you want to try performing and you want a really low key space to try, definitely this is the space for you,” Nueva School junior and open mic performer Aura Mukherjee said.

Vintage VEHICLES

HIGHLIGHTING LOCAL ANTIQUE AUTOMOBILES

WHILE MANY Palo Altans buy new cars as the years pass, some prefer to preserve vehicles made

decades ago. For many of these antique automible oweners, the elegant frames, leather seats and intricate details of these machines speak to a time when crafts-

manship and artistry were as important as functionality. Verde went around Palo Alto to document these iconic vintage vehicles. v

Photos by GOPALA VARADARAJAN

CLASSIC CORVETTE (left) — A 1961 Corvette Convertible sits parked among the sea of newer cars in downtown Palo Alto.

BLUE BUG (top right) — Volkswagen bugs, first made in 1945, are a more common vintage vehicle around Palo Alto High School.

RUSTIC ROADSTER (middle right) — The BMW 1600 was made from 1962 to 1977. This orange model stands out from its neighbors.

MAJESTIC MERCEDES (bottom right) — This 1970s Mercedes-Benz is parked just a block from Palo Alto High School.

Text by CATE GRANEY and GOPALA VARADARAJAN

HE&C

TEA +POT

seeks to provide through her food and beverages.

According to Karsten Tse, a culinary consultant for HE&C, the restaurant defines itself by the quality of its ingredients.

“She aims towards a healthier side, so less MSG products, more fresh fruit products,” Tse said.

HOTPOT

MODERN TWIST ON TRADITIONAL CHINESE

SHRIMP, BEEF, TOFU, cabbage and many more ingredients simmer as customers savor their way through their meals. Dining in stylish yellow chairs and surrounded by leafy green walls, the customers of downtown Palo Alto’s newest hotpot phenomenon HE&C Tea + Pot enjoy the restaurant’s combination of traditional Chinese hotpot and boba tea.

On March 8, HE&C opened its doors on Emerson Street. Owner Vivan Fung, a Palo Alto resident of 10 years, said she opened the restaurant with the goal of introducing a new side of Chinese cuisine. According to Fung, HE&C stands for Health, Energy and Connection, the core tenets of her restaurant that she

According to Tse, HE&C decided to serve customers with individual pots in order to adapt to American cultural expectations.

“[In] traditional Chinese hotpot, you share one huge pot together, and we all cook together,” Tse said. “But I know it’s not American culture to actually double dip in a lot of things.”

One of Tse’s favorite components of HE&C’s hotpots was an ingredient introduced after the restaurant’s inception.

“Originally…they were focused on their veggie pot and the soup base,” Tse said. “After I came along, they changed the program and introduced American Wagyu [beef] to pair up with the hotpot. It actually pairs really well.”

Ultimately, Tse said he feels that those at HE&C are driven by their commitment to quality in every hotpot.

“We [at HE&C] put our hearts into it,” Tse said. “Everything

is [made] by trying to do as many homemade items as possible.”

Hotpot Thoughts

We ordered two hotpots, the Prime Beef Rib-eye ($28.99, left) and Seafood Combo ($26.99, center), alongside a fish cake appetizer ($6.59, top right) with a sweet and tangy sauce. The presentation of the food was beautiful. Both soups featured a medley of various vegetables, tofu and fish cake served in intricate ornamental blue pots. The beef pot included a platter of thinly sliced raw beef intended to be cooked in the steaming soup (bottom right).

Unfortunately, the taste of the soup broth was quite mild; none of the flavors particularly jumped out, and the textures blended together. While the seafood and the beef were both of exceptionally high quality, the flavors were not as rich and varied as they could have been.

A key feature of HE&C’s menu is its drink selection. We ordered the restaurant’s best-selling Mango Sago ($6.99, top right), a mango puree mixed with coconut milk and tiny translucent tapioca pearls. Fitting with the general theme of the meal, the drink avoided strong flavors, instead featuring a calm fruity flavor. While the sago had the texture of juice pulp, the rest of the drink texture was smooth. We found it enjoyable, though a bit too plain for our taste.

Ultimately, the meal proved to be too expensive for budget-minded students, totaling almost $100. Even accounting for the high-quality ingredients, it was more expensive than we’d like. However, the food lived up to our expectations in both quality and presentation. If you’re looking for a high-end, beautifully plated meal, HE&C is a great option. v

“ We [at HE&C] put our hearts into it [our food] ... Everything is [made] by trying to do as much homemade items as possible.”

— KARSTEN TSE, culinary consultant

BELLADALYandESTHERXU

Textby

ArtbyESTHERXU

THE PROS AND CONS OF SOCIAL COMMERCE

I“WAS LIKE, ‘DAMN, what the hell did I just do?’”

Palo Alto High School economics teacher Grant Blackburn described his reaction as he recalled his impulsive purchase of a pack of floor protection furniture pads through Facebook.

He had been scrolling through social media with no intention of making any purchases, but once an advertisement for the product entered his feed, impulsivity took over and the purchase was made.

According to Accenture, a company specializing in technology services, social commerce is predicted to grow three times as fast as traditional e-commerce by 2025.

As the use of social media platforms to advertise and sell products or services to customers grows, the social commerce market has become increasingly important for small businesses, but also presents risks of scams and impulsive purchases.

From small student-run businesses on TikTok and Instagram to major clothing brands such as Shein or H&M, social media has become increasingly important to business promotion and sales for many companies, according to Palo Alto High School senior Lara Lew Strass.

Strass says social commerce has helped her start her own jewelry business online.

“People can now buy items directly through TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram checkout, which has opened doors for small businesses to compete with large businesses,” Strass said. “Businesses no longer need physical locations; rather, they can be completely run and advertised from home, making the

business space much more accessible for teens to start in.”

The social commerce market has been integrated into numerous social media platforms in the last few years, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

By 2021, the global social commerce market was estimated by Later, a social media management site, to be worth $89.4 billion USD and set to reach $604.5 billion by 2027.

According to Insider Intelligence, a market research company, Generation Z’s familiarity with influencers and social media is a large contributor to this growing social commerce trend.

“Social media has really helped me in creating a business because it is super simple to share my products with others,” Strass said. “By having a social media platform for a business I can get the attention of people outside of just who I interact with every day, and am able to advertise to a larger group.”

According to Venture Source, a news site specializing in transformative tech, various small companies and brands such as CeraVe and The Pink Stuff have skyrocketed thanks to viral trends such as #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, in addition to tapping into Gen Z’s high spending power and brand loyalty.

Through the increased accessibility and personalization offered by social media platforms, these companies can now reach customers in places where they may have been overshadowed before by larger, more well-known brands such as Amazon, H&M or Nike. Salem Coyle, a Paly sophomore, supports the increased opportunities that social media gives to

smaller brands.

“I think social media is really good for growing smaller brands online who otherwise couldn’t get that traction and didn’t have that sort of presence,” Coyle said. “Instagram really hones in on what you want to see … it could pull up ads till you see something like ‘Oh this is cool,’ and you look at that.”

However, while social commerce gives smaller brands increased access to consumers, concerns also exist over the legitimacy, reliability and efficiency of unknown companies. In addition to the risks of scams and delayed shipping dates, CNBC News also reported an increase in spontaneous purchases as a result of shopping through social media platforms.

“When we use social media, are we really thinking rationally?” Blackburn said. “No, we’re just scrolling and all of our endorphins are going … That’s the part that makes it really scary for me, because I can be impulsive. I worry about commerce on social media for that reason.”

Taking into consideration the increased risks of fraud and thoughtless spending through social commerce, it is important to think about what exactly is being bought. Before buying from less-known brands, it’s recommended to research their reliability online, check a variety of reviews and also consider the impulsivity of purchases.“While I’m saying you should be cautious, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do any commerce over social media,” Blackburn said. “You just have to be careful, and the likelihood of you being careful is lower on social media than if you’re searching on the web and doing your research the way you should be doing it.” v

“When we use social media, are we really thinking rationally? No, we’re just scrolling and all of our endorphins are going.”

— GRANT BLACKBURN, Palo Alto High School Economics teacher

“ I think social media is really good for growing smaller brands online who otherwise couldn’t get that traction and didn’t have that sort of presence.”

— SALEM COYLE, Palo Alto High School sophomore

THE MARIO

UNIVERSAL’S LATEST BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE BRINGS

GOOD VERSUS EVIL; triumph versus defeat; David versus Goliath. Universal Pictures’ latest blockbuster movie, “The Super Mario Bros.,” tells these

quintessential themes in a classic setting: the Mushroom Kingdom.

“The Super Mario Bros.” is the latest addition to a recent surge in video game adaptation, including the “Sonic the Hedgehog” movie franchise and “The Last of Us” television series. As of April 7, ‘Bbros’ it was tracked as the “biggest movie opening of 2023,” according to Time Magazine.

Building off the classic Super Mario series — a compilation of various video games that rose to popularity in the 1980s and 1990s — the film follows Mario (Chris Pratt) and his trusty brother Luigi (Charlie Day) as they journey through the Mushroom Kingdom to save Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) from the clutches of the villainous turtle, Bowser (Jack Black).

Going into the theater expecting a typical children’s film, the movie surpassed Palo Alto High School junior Mae Cornwell’s expectations.

“It [the Mario movie] was actually really funny,” Cornwell said. “It was more intricate than I thought it would be.”

While the plot of “Super Mario Bros.” is not super complex, there is still much to appreciate about the film.

Stunning visuals are one of the movie’s big-

gest strengths. The animation — done by Illumination Studios Paris — is vibrant, colorful and detailed, bringing the familiar world of Mario to life in a way that is both faithful to the games and unique to the movie.

As a movie geared toward younger audiences, the action scenes strike the perfect balance between action and simplicity. The final fight scene is particularly impressive, with Mario and Luigi engaging in a thrilling standoff with Bowser and his army of Koopa Troopas. Indeed, the engrossing animation adds a unique element of drama. “[Watching the movie] really made me want to join the [animation design] team because it was so well done,” senior Everett Hentz said. “The art was really good; the adrenaline was there.”

Easter Eggs

One of the main attractions of the movie are “Easter eggs” — minor references to past installments of the game franchise that may be overlooked by casual viewers, but are exciting additions for long-term fans. By including elements like the antique shop from 2011’s Super Mario 3D Land and the Music Box from 1988’s Super Mario Bros. 3 to the pixelated hammer from 1981’s Donkey Kong, the “Super Mario Bros.” movie falls back on its greatest strength: its fanbase.

“I found the music to be nostalgic,” junior Morris Tang said. “I liked the music and just some throwbacks to the games, like them [Mario and Luigi] being plumbers.”

References to the Mario video game series were also a highlight for Cornwell.

“There [were] a lot of times where they were going down the little Mario Kart runs, like in [the game], and they used the same design thing that [is] used when you choose the little cart thing in the [game],” Cornwell said. “I thought that was really funny.”

Text

POPULAR VIDEO GAME TO MOVIE THEATERS MADNESS

Conversely, Tang acknowledges that Easter eggs, while exciting for enthusiastic fans, can potentially isolate new viewers.

“If you’re a massive Super Mario fan, then yeah [I would recommend watching the movie],” Tang said. “But if you’re a casual [fan], you play it once in a while, then probably not.”

While some elements may be lost on casual viewers, in our experience as people that are relatively new to the franchise, the overall viewing experience is left relatively intact. Because the Easter eggs are not the explicit focus of most scenes, viewers will not be confused by them.

As with any movie that is based on a pre existing form of media, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was tasked with striking a balance between integrating the past and creating its own narrative. Senior Everett Hentz appreciated this contemporary take on the classic series.

“[The] Movie is better; it’s just more newer,” Hentz said. “The game is kind of old, a little bit old school. The movie is just better.”

Concerns

While the animation and Easter eggs are exciting features, one of the movie’s few weaknesses is the plot, which is relatively straightforward and predictable. Tang was similarly unimpressed by the storyline and writing.

“I felt that the movie was…a little bit scripted…it did not feel real,” Tang said. “Jack Black being Bowser made it worse because I know Jack Black [as] being really funny. But for me, his jokes sounded really scripted.”

While the movie primarily takes place in the Mushroom Kingdom, the beginning and ultimate fight scene are set in an animated Brooklyn. The transition from the Kingdom, which most fans of the game are

familiar with, to a real life city, was slightly confusing and off putting, especially given that no justification was ever given for the choice of location. Beyond a simple plot and the seemingly random inclusion of Brooklyn lies an intricately constructed film. Overall, whether you are a lifetime Mario fan, a fan of lighthearted comedies or just looking for a way to spend your Friday night, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has something for you to enjoy. v

Movie for the ears

LIVE ORCHESTRA CONDUCTS FILM EXPERIENCE

THE CONDUCTOR RAISES

her arms and a hush falls across the theater. A second passes, she takes a breath and with a swift downward movement of her baton, the symphony springs into action as the Disney movie opening song, “When You Wish Upon A Star” begins.

However, it is not the synthetic tune familiar to those who have watched Disney movies in theaters; instead, the classical sound of a symphony vibrates through the concert hall in sync with the movie on screen.

Symphony San Jose, like many other symphonies and orchestras, accompanies movies by performing film soundtracks live.

On April 30, Symphony San Jose performed two live film orchestra concerts to the movie “Coco,” a Disney movie about a young musician named Miguel who travels to the Land of the Dead.

According to Robert Massey, the general director of Symphony San Jose, performing film soundtracks that have been reinterpreted for orchestras helps draw more people into listening to classical music.

“By taking some of their favorite movies and thus favorite film scores and bringing them to life in a real concert setting, we move the soundtrack from the background to the foreground and let people see and hear for themselves just

how awesome symphonic music can be,” Massey said.

However, film orchestras face the unique challenge of synchronizing with the motion on the screen. Contrasting to traditional orchestra concerts where the conductor is in control, during film orchestras, the conductor and orchestra must follow the motions on screen throughout the performance.

“The conductor has a screen that shows cue markings in the way of visual streamers and dots that indicate tempo and bars,” Massey said. “The conductor and the orchestra are also on a ‘click track’ which is like a big metronome that gives everyone the beat in real time [through earpieces they wear during performances].”

This technology allows orchestras to perfectly complement the film, allowing the audience to enjoy it in a new way.

“For me, this [kind of performance] makes a movie similar to the experience of going to a concert for one of my favorite artists,” Film Composition teacher Alanna Williamson said. “There are a lot of movies with soundtracks I absolutely love, so getting to see them performed live is really fulfilling.”

According to Williamson, music, like cinematography and acting, is one of the many technical elements in movies that enhance the audience’s experience.

“Music is often designed to give the audience an emotional response,” Williamson said. “So when you hear it live, the effect is even greater.”

Band and orchestra students in the Palo Alto Unified School District are also able to experience accompanying films through their annual seventh-andeighth-grade SoCal music tours. During the tours, they visit a recording studio in Disneyland and play parts of famous Disney movie soundtracks.

“It was awesome to see how they synced our playing with the movie afterward,” said Orion Knudson-Criales, a senior who went on the SoCal music tours in middle school.

By preparing soundtracks for different movies as a part of their film series, Symphony San Jose hopes to continue emphasizing the importance of music and making classical music more approachable.

“Today, we take the soundtrack for granted,” Massey said. “Even if most of us don’t pay much attention to it, if it were missing, the movie wouldn’t be the same.” v

“Music is often designed to give the audience an emotional response. So when you hear it live, the effect is even greater.”

— ALANNA WILLIAMSON,

Palo Alto High School Film Composition teacher

SPLENDID STAGE — Conductor Susie Seiter spreads her arms in preparation for the show. “We ... let people see and hear for themselves just how awesome symphonic music can be,” Robert Massey, the general director of Symphony San Jose, said.

Photo: Esther Xu

Text by MEENA NARAYANASWAMI

Art by CHARLOTTE ANTHONY

fivE

HIGH SCHOOL LESSONS TO TAKE INTO COLLEGE

AWW, HOW CUTE.

From my seat among the cluster of seniors sitting on the Palo Alto High School Quad during lunch, I can see a trio of freshmen walking towards the edge of the grass. I don’t know them, but everything about them screams freshman: the giddy smiles at the lunches they bought from Town and Country, their eyes darting around in awe, the way they look just a little smaller than everyone else, even though they’re probably taller than me. But above all else, what stands out most about freshmen is the way that they’re excited by everything that I have grown used to about Paly. The intense spikeball games on the Quad, rushed Peet’s trips to after a late night and journalists armed with stacks of magazines no longer surprise me; they’re just a part of my daily life.

But it took me many years to feel so comfortable; when I walked on campus on the first day of freshman year, I had never felt smaller. It’s terrifying that in a few short months, I will be a freshman again, trying to navigate a new place. But through the challenges of the last four years, and four first days of school, I have gained wisdom that I am confident will get me through (at least) the first day of college.

The first first day

I’ve never been a morning person, but on the first day of school I always find myself waking up long before my alarm — nervous, but excited. The first day of freshman year, though, was far more nerves than excitement. I’d spent the last three years at an all-girls school with 200 students, and now, I was walking into my first day of high school at a public, co-ed school with 2,000 students.

As I waited outside my Advisory classroom for the first bell, I watched my classmates break off into clusters of jittery small talk, not seeing a single familiar face. Time passed and I was still standing alone, my heart started to beat faster and my face heated up. I went from just feeling awkward, to feeling out of place, and I started to nitpick at my outfit and my hair and my makeup.

“Hi, I’m Anna. Are you also in Ms. Kolb’s Advisory?”

I looked up to another student smiling at me, snapping out of the nervous spiral I was hurtling down just a moment ago.

Lesson one: Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

All it took was one introduction for me to feel infinitely better. I was lucky enough to have someone approach me that day, but I

first days

learned, in the future, putting myself out there for the sake of having someone to share a new experience with was worth it.

Second time’s the charm?

The first day of sophomore year was both safer and scarier than the previous. While I had grown more comfortable with dayto-day Paly life and my place in it, I never imagined that my first day of school would be a YouTube livestream in the midst of a global pandemic. And, furthermore, that I would be asked to be part of that video and record a short clip about my summer project. I had recorded the 90-second video over and over for the perfect take and waited anxiously until finally, my face filled the screen. Trying not to cringe at the sound of my own voice, I focused on reading students’ comments — mostly a stream of emojis and jokes unrelated to the video itself. But among those inane comments, one stood out: I’ve never seen any of these people in my life. The comment was gone in a matter of moments, but it stuck with me long after.

Going into my second year, I finally felt like I got over the learning curve, and I knew more than just a few people and I wasn’t in an entirely foreign environment. But that comment brought all my newfound confidence and comfort crumbling down and I felt like the meek, overly anxious freshman I was a year ago.

Lesson two: it’s okay for things not to go your way

Nothing had actually changed. The comment didn’t end my friendships or erase the knowledge and experience I had gained over the last year, but it made me feel like it did. But in a school of 2,000 people, of course there would be more who didn’t know me than those who did and that was okay.

Junior year — for real this time

After more than a year of doing school from home and no regular face-to-face interaction, I was overjoyed to be starting in-person school again, and on top of that, I was going to be going to Prom and doing other upperclassman things. To be honest, I didn’t even really know what that entailed, but it didn’t matter — I was excited.

But the bubbly anticipation I felt before junior year dissipated quickly as I went from class to class that first day. The cold air of the AP Statistics classroom felt like a literal shock that snapped me back into reality and out of the summery weather and carefree attitude I had gotten used to. I had made the decision to load up my schedule with as many difficult classes as possible, because though exciting, junior year came with a pressure to always pick the most rigorous option. I told myself that I would be fine, I didn’t need a prep, the amount of APs I was taking wasn’t too many and I would have the time to balance my workload, out of school commitments

and social life, right?

Wrong.

Unable to focus because of how cold I was, my mind began to wander. I did some mental math and added up the number of hours I could expect to be doing homework each week and the answer was way too many. If I could barely focus and make it through introductory periods, how was I possibly going to make it through an entire year of back-to-back, content-dense classes?

Lesson three: know when to give yourself a break

Unsurprisingly, I made it through barely two weeks of AP Statistics before embarrassedly walking up to my teacher before class and silently handing him a drop slip. Even with a free period, I still found myself with a never ending list of assignments, but I learned that to achieve more, sometimes you have to do less.

The final first day

The first day of senior year was, surprisingly enough, not an emotional one. After all the ups and downs of the past three years — freshman year nerves, sophomore year uncertainty, junior year excitement — it felt like there was nothing senior year could throw at me that I hadn’t already seen.

Lesson four: take time to enjoy yourself

Though relaxation and “going with the flow” have never come easily to me and throughout high school, I had spent much of my time focused on achieving my academic and extracurricular goals and moving from one activity to the next, never really taking the time to appreciate the small moments. But that first day I did not find myself focused on the year ahead of me or trying to imagine what the year would bring, and just enjoyed the traditions I had long anticipated being part of, like wearing camouflage pants, decorating my car and of course, sitting with the massive group of seniors on the Quad at lunch, watching anxious freshmen pass by.

Freshman again

And though I am most certainly not the same girl I was when I started at Paly four years ago, some things will never change. I am positive the night before my first day of college will be a sleepless one, that I’ll try on at least 20 outfits before picking one and that no matter how many pep talks I give myself, my heart will race at every interaction.

But I am also equally positive that I will push myself to introduce myself to other students instead of panicking because I don’t recognize anyone, to accept that trying new things doesn’t always go well, to allow myself to change my goals, and above all, to appreciate each and every success, failure and anxiety-inducing moment. Because the best memories I have of the last four years are the ones that scared me the most. v

Lessons Learned

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS REFLECTIONS

AUG. 1: I OPEN MY inbox to discover a lengthy email from my college counselor, filled with deadlines and tasks that will haunt me for the next few months. I quickly close the tab and go on with my day, trying to avoid the one thing I cannot seem to get my mind off of — college application season.

This was the beginning of my senior year. I was terrified of what was to come, mostly because of the stigma associated with college applications. I knew the next few months would push me to think critically about myself, although it was impossible to realize just how much I would learn along the way — and from writing about a car accident no less.

The most important question I kept returning to was: How could I tie an in visible string through the themes of the last four years to create an essay that would represent me?

When I started on my Common Ap plication essay, I had zero clue where to be gin, beyond the stereotypically “basic” top ics like a pivotal moment in a sports game or a family tragedy.

I had to set aside a large chunk of time just to sit with my thoughts. I considered why I was drawn to classes like Advanced Placement U.S. History or AP Psychol ogy and what specifically about the hu manities field appealed to me. I thought about why I had dedicated so much of my life to dance, passion projects and volun teering.

To find out more about myself, I start ed bouncing ideas off of those who know me best. I considered my activities and groups I have been involved with to deter

mine whether there was an angle I could take that would tell a story but also represent something more meaningful.

I also thought about major life events, which was how I came to the idea I ended up using. My essay was centered around a car accident that happened almost exactly a year ago. I used this event as a hook, and went from there, discussing my immediate response and what that illustrated about my character, and then connected that to what I have done outside the classroom. This was the first time I had truly spent time reflecting on my life and how who I am as a person has been shaped by all of my experiences. I began to see threads connecting the different aspects of the past years of my life, which was something I could not see before this. Reflecting on my life also shaped my

maybe a small school could expand the scope of my opportunities, as it would allow for more individualized attention from professors. Additionally, I became more open to the idea of a school in a rural area once I realized the location of a school is what you make of it, and for me, a school is much more defined by its people and the environment they create than the physical landscape.

All it took for me to reevaluate my values was one virtual webinar in late fall. Everything the admissions officer said seemed to fit what I was looking for: academics, community involvement and many students with the same major as me. Most of all, I loved the sense of community I felt at the school. As far as I could tell, the school was built for me.

Whether the school is actually a good match, I will have to wait and see in the fall. But I am grateful for the college application process because it taught me to keep an open mind regarding my future, and allowed me to better understand how everything I’ve done fits together. Above all, I

How could I tie an invisible string through the themes of the last four years to create an essay that would represent me?

“

OVERCOMING MY FEARS OF THE FUTURE H

AVE YOU STARTED driving yet?”

As a 16-year-old, this is a common question I’m faced with after I tell people my age. Usually, I politely reply with “no,” which is often followed by awkward small talk about school and the person’s own license test. Yet, the

I pleased. Movies I watched often portrayed high school as an age of freedom, where you can take yourself to the mall or go on late night drives with the windows down. Marking the beginning of adulthood, driving is a common rite of passage and one of the first indicators of independence. It grants a sense of autonomy and allows

my adolescence isn’t permanent, and that adulthood is a landmark inching closer and closer from a once-distant horizon. For the past few years, the pandemic has stunted my perception of time. Everything has been moving so fast that I cannot believe I am eligible to wield the massive, metal contraption known as a car.

One intimidating aspect about being on the road is the uncertainty. Getting in the driver’s seat means taking control and constantly being alert to make quick decisions based on your surroundings.

with adolescence.

ing at a snail speed down the narrow dirt path, I anxiously got off the road as soon as I could. This experience still remains the only time I’ve ever driven. While my outlandish descriptions of the road may seem dramatic, ever since I was in preschool, I biked to school. Living in a very bikeable city, I never was reliant on cars growing up, though I looked forward to my romanticized expectations of getting a car. This contributed to my fears concerning the license process and driving in general.

Driving Playlist

Freaking Out the Neighbourhood By Mac Demarco

Just like growing up, it’s uncharted territory. While new opportunities to travel and explore open up with the ability to drive, it can be both overwhelming and unfamiliar.

A similar uncertainty lies in the future. Seemingly infinite choices are possible, yet you never know which of the ones you make will be fruitful, and which will leave you in regret for years to come.

On the road, you are overwhelmed from juggling the flurry of coded highway signs, changing lanes and the menacing truck next to you.

I can still recall the first time I drove — a golf cart. As I learned how to use the brakes and steering wheel, I couldn’t bring myself to push the accelerator. This wasn’t like the bumper cars of my childhood; I could actually feel the roar of the engine shake the cart and the crunch of the gravel beneath me.

Slowly pressing the pedal and mov-

If there’s one thing I hate more than anything, it’s good things coming to an end — most significantly, my childhood. Although I’m not a senior yet, I still yearn back for the easier times.

Despite the pressure to pass through that threshold right now, I’ll overcome this challenge on my own time. I’ve learned that when dealing with high expectations and an ever-intimidating future, realizing that it is okay to slow down and do things at your own pace is the first step toward your goals.

I’m still in no rush to obtain my permit and I’m coming to terms with my fears of growing up. Hopefully driving will be just like that: With experience, I’ll get more comfortable behind the wheel and feel more in control.

At first, I may encounter obstacles that require me to slow down, change direction or even pull to a full stop, but with practice I’ll learn to navigate and overcome challenges in my way. v

2

1 You Belong With Me By Taylor Swift

3 Kiss Me By Sixpence

5

6

Swing Lynn By Harmless

4 Lovefool By The Cardigans

None The Richer Money By The Drums

listen to the full playlist here!

My childhood romanticization of the freedoms that come with a license did not account for the other burdens that come

This wasn’t like bumper cars; I could feel the roar of the engine shake the cart.

REFLECTION ON MY HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

H“IGH SCHOOL IS JUST NOT FOR ME.”

On my way On my way On my way

I have said this over and over again these past four years, whether jokingly to my friends when cramming for math tests together or out of fatigue to my mom on the long drives from taking the ACT.

However, now that time is running out on my high school career, I can’t help but reflect on my time at Palo Alto High School on a deeper level.

An imperfect transition into freshman year is somewhat of a rite of passage for everybody. For me, the process felt complicated in a way that is hard to articulate — I was dealing with a personal loss and felt generally removed from life, and in turn, school.

My parents and I weighed some options: I could apply to local private schools, boarding schools farther away or move to a suburb of Seattle that my family was familiar with.

I ultimately chose to stick it through because the problem was my relationship with high school in general rather than one school in particular. Also, I was simply intimidated by the risk.

That spring, the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order came just as I reached a low point. When I retreated into my home on March 13, 2020, I felt oddly liberated.

That summer in quarantine, I started running 5Ks every day at noon and practicing the flute again. I also poured energy into developing a charity business where I sold handmade string bracelets and donated all the proceeds to the World Food Program.

When my sophomore school year started virtually, I perfected my sleep schedule (9 p.m. to 6 a.m., which I marvel at now) and took on a slate of virtual extracurricular commitments.

My mental health and productivity peaked after being granted freedom with my time, so I learned that I don’t work well under the strict structure of a typical high school schedule. This was affirmed with the return to school in junior year: I battled unreasonably high academic expectations of myself while developing extreme test anxiety that would regularly make me become blank and emotional during tests.

I found that opening up to my teachers was immensely helpful; they all lent their ears and wanted to help. I also learned to

accept defeat where it was necessary. I dropped an Advanced Place ment class in the second semester, and while this was a major blow that I still think about somewhat bitterly, it taught me about learn ing my limits.

The beacon of light in my junior year was finally becoming involved in Paly journalism. Verde was the class on my schedule that I actually looked forward to, and writing and designing stories was my creative outlet. Serving as co-editor-in-chief starting in the spring of my junior year will always be one of my favorite parts of high school.

As for senior year? Not only have I balanced academics with soaking in major “lasts” with my

Text by MELODY XU Art by DAVID TOMZ