Verde Volume 13 Issue 4 by Verde Magazine

Race and Education: addressing RACE AND EDUCATION:the elephant in theAddressing room the elephant in the classroom

p. 64

INDEX

NEWS

Briefing

Compiled by MELISSA WEN and SHARON TSENG

THE LAUNCH

Short Features

Compiled by CAROLINE EBINGER

PROFILES

Being a mayor and a team player

She’ll fix your little red wagon

Singing out

18 20

by SAVANNAH CORDOVA

by SPENCER CARLSON by KATY ABBOTT

Logging out: Doug Bertain by ANGLEA XU

PERSPECTIVES

VOLUME 13 • EDITION 4 PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL Water everywhere, but not a drop to spare

by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

CULTURE Lady looks like a dude looks like a lady

44 46 49

Thinking outside the (Asian) box

A whole ‘nother ball game

56 58 60 62

Meme gusta by TIN NGUYEN

Board no more by SPENCER CARLSON

by EVELYN WANG

by HANAKO GALLAGHER and HOLLIE KOOL by ALLEN WU

Food for thought by JAMIE ALLENDORF

Not just for chicks anymore by BENJAMIN MAY

Taking a bite out of Tava by ANGELA XU

A not-so-sick place to get sick

Raising the bar, slowing the pace

Check all that apply

Our Constitution is colorblind

Mind the gap

by HOLLIE KOOL

by NOAM SHEMTOV

by MELISSA WEN

FEATURES

An ocean away byJESSICA JIN

AP Facebook

by KATY ABBOTT and SHARON TSENG

Hospital gowns and princess crowns by ELISA REROLLE

28 30 32

A community for those in crisis

34 36 38

Magical connection

ADHD and me by LISIE SABBAG

Getting art credited by JACQUELINE WOO

by ANA CARANO by JESSICA JIN

COVER

by SAVANNAH CORDOVA and EVELYN WANG by NOAM SHEMTOV and HENRY TUCHER

THE WATCH Mission: Murals

Avant garde art

Framed and fabulous

Bike boulevard

76 78

by ELIZABETH SILVA

by SHARON COHEN by EMILY HAIN

by SHARON COHEN

Man on fire

by MARGOT RICHARD

<<<< FROM TOP TO BOTTOM She’ll fix your little red wagon (pg. 15), A.D.H.D. and me (pg. 34), A community for those in crisis (pg. 38) april 2012

View Verde on your iPad We are one of the first high school publications in the nation to offer a tablet magazine, and we are very excited about this experiment. We are new to this medium and would love to receive feedback on our pilot issues — please send feedback to verdetablet@ gmail.com. Enjoy!

These editions now available on the iPad:

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verdeexcerpts “I’m not grading you as a person; I’m grading your skills at a certain window in time. This is to help students choose the most appropriate level classes and colleges for their ability.” Julia Taylor, English teacher “She’ll fix your little red wagon”

Page 15

“I think it’s one of those well-kept secrets in this community. It’s more common than we think.” Paige Johnson, Guidance Counselor “Working away”

Page 28 COMING SOON Four steps to read Verde for FREE on the iPad: 1. Download the free Adobe Content Viewer application from the iTunes App Store. 2. Launch the app, click “Sign in” in the upper-left corner and enter the following login details: Username: verdetablet@gmail.com Password: verdetablet 3. The available issues of Verde will display on your screen. Simply click the appropriate button to begin downloading the issue you want to read. 4. You will be able to view the issue after the first few pages have downloaded. If you close the app or the iPad goes to sleep, the download will be paused. 4

verde magazine

“This year, 2012, is the year of infrastructure in Palo Alto.” Yiaway Yeh, Mayor of Palo Alto “Being a mayor and team player”

Page 30

“I will wear seven-and-a-half and sometimes even eight-inch heels, trying to get myself to the average height of a woman ... If I’m standing next to a drag queen, she’s gonna look like a queen, and I’m gonna look like a girl.”” trixxie carr, “faux” drag queen “Lady looks like a dude looks like a lady”

Page 49

about the cover cover art by DIANA CONNOLLY

Race and Education: addressing RACE AND EDUCATION:the elephant in theAddressing room the elephant in the classroom

p. 64

Race is an issue that many are hesitant to discuss even though we are all aware of its impact on our lives, especially when it comes to the achievement gap. We chose to translate the popular expression “the elephant in the room” to the classroom in order to broach this sensitive topic. Read more on p. 64.

verde F

volume 13 edition 4 april 2012 Frequency: 4 of 5

from the editors

or our last issue as Editors-in-Chief, we chose to address race and education. Having just finished the application process, we noticed plenty of discussion and debate among our peers about race when it came to applying to college. This idea led us to also consider the Achievement Gap at Palo Alto High School. While this has been a longstanding issue for the district, we wanted to reconsider it in light of the significant changes made to the Focus on Success classes and the graduation requirements. Henrey Tucher and Noam Shemtov discuss The Achievement Gap in “Mind the Gap” (p. 64) and the issue of race in college applications is discussed further in detail by Evelyn Wang and Savannah Cordova in “Check all that apply” (p. 66). Throughout the last issue, we have continued to pursue our experiment with the Apple iPad. We have continued to publish our magazine on the tablet and to slowly integrate multimedia into the new platform. In the near future the staff will travel to a National Scholastic Journalism Convention in Seattle. We will be presenting our tablet process, from research to publication, in the hopes of gaining additional support in the pursuit of multimedia platform usage in scholastic journalism. Lastly, while we will miss our time as Editors-in-Chief of Verde magazine, we are excited to watch a new editorial team in action for the last issue of the year. Working with this year’s staff has been an amazing and enlightening experience. — Emily, Scott & Maytal

letters to the editors

volume 13 edition 3 “Keeping the fun in fungus” The story was a very accurate description of the fair, the work that goes into putting it on and the quotations of the people interviewed. It was clear that it was carefully written. — Phil Carpenter

“New ice cream shop owner reverses decision to freeze out Teen Arts Council” The Teen Arts Council has never had a relationship with Rick’s Rather Rich Ice Cream ... the article states there were rumors that Rick’s would stop donating ice cream to the Teen Arts Council, which are erroneous ... Rick’s has never donated ice cream to the Teen Arts council and could not, therefore, stop donating to the TAC ... Believe it or not, we’d love to keep Rick’s Rather Rich Ice Cream a friend of ours. — Teen Arts Council Executive Board “Raising graduation requirements is not the answer” I was very disappointed in your staff verdict piece entitled “Raising graduation requirements is not the answer”. I have included a copy of the PowerPoint presentation to the board on 1/31 that you reference that includes my notes for the meeting. In this presentation there is considerable mention of Alternative Graduation Requirements for students who, for whatever reason, cannot or do not wish to attend a CSU/UC or any four (continued on next page)

Staff List

Editors-in-Chief Emily Kellison-Linn Scott Kleckner Maytal Mark

Managing Editors Caroline Ebinger Allen Wu News Editors Sharon Tseng Melissa Wen Business Managers Camille Couchon Elizabeth Silva Art Director Diana Connolly Photo Director Charu Srivastava

Staff Katy Abbott Jamie Allendorf Ana Carano Spencer Carlson Christina Chen Sharon Cohen Savannah Cordova Haley Farmer Hanako Gallagher Emily Hain Jessica Jin Hollie Kool Benjamin May Tin Nguyen Elisa Rerolle Margot Richard Lisie Sabbag Noam Shemtov Henry Tucher Evelyn Wang Jacqueline Woo Angela Xu

Palo Alto Unified School District 25 Churchill Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306-1099 Publication Policy Verde, a feature magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Magazine Journalism class, is a designated open forum for student expression and the 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 editor but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to verdeds-10-11@googlegroups.com or to 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301. All Verde stories are posted online — and available for commenting — at http://palyvoice.com/verde. 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 the Verde business managers Elizabeth Silva and Camille Couchon by e-mail at verde.biz.paly@gmail.com or call 650-329-3837 for more information. Printing & Distribution Services Verde is printed five times a year in October, December, February, April and June. Editions that are mailed home are printed by Fricke-Parks Press in Fremont, Calif. and editions distributed on-campus are printed by mBrosia in Pleasanton, Calif. The Paly PTSA mails Verde to every student’s home. All Verde work is archived — and available for commenting at http://palyvoice.com/verde.

april 2012

[ OPINION ]

staffverdict

Living Skills class should redirect curriculum

he Palo Alto Unified School District plans to remove taking a CPR and first aid class as a graduation requirement, beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. Current seniors will be unaffected by this decision, but students graduating in subsequent years will not have to complete the course outside of school. However, the material will be added to the curriculum of Living Skills, a required class. Verde supports integration of CPR and first aid training into school time, as it is important that young adults are taught basic lifesaving skills, and extracurricular lessons are generally more expensive and inconvenient for all parties involved. Teaching the subject as part of a class saves students the hassle of finding free hours and uses Living Skills time more efficiently. However, Verde believes that the district can go further in modifying the Living Skills curriculum. While topics

Living Skills should teach concrete and useful skills such as managing taxes or registering to vote. as how to “establish and sustain healthy, rewarding interpersonal relationships” or how to “manage life crises”, as written in the course description, are important, they should not dominate the majority of the syllabus. In addition to these topics, Living Skills should teach concrete and useful skills such as managing taxes or register-

ing to vote; knowledge and information that teenagers will be grateful for after they graduate. Verde understands the time constraints of semester courses but perhaps the current curriculum could be altered to make room for practical lessons. It is not the responsibility of an educational institute to develop basic moral values in its students, and English and social studies classes cover deeper exploration of ethics in more scholarly fashion. Many teenagers consider units like anger management awkward and boring, and are unlikely to pay attention as a result. As a requisite course, Living Skills occupies a unique niche within the high school experience and wields huge potential to help prepare students for adult life. It should not be a class that students take only with the utmost reluctance, or one in which they would rather complete homework for other subjects than pay attention — it should teach not empty advice, but skills for living.

letters to the editors (continued from previous page)

year college. Your editorial fails to acknowledge this, or the fact that students could CHOOSE alternative graduation requirements. Your editorial suggests there is little benefit for these students. I disagree for two reasons. First, at present, there are many students who do not take college preparatory classes who have no idea what they will do after high school. Many say, “I am going to a JC” and then flounder when they arrive because they haven’t prepared themselves for college level work or thought about their goals. This proposal will force important conversations with students and caring adults about their post-secondary plans and how to use their high school years well. Second, I strongly believe, and I believe you do as well, that taking college preparatory courses is the best, optimal coursework for ANY student. I would be surprised if any of you

verde magazine

volume 13 edition 3 have chosen a different set of coursework for yourselves or will choose this for any children you have. This should be our standard, default curriculum because it gives students the maximum number of options after graduation. Finally, these graduation requirement changes are, in and of themselves, far from enough to address the disparities in student achievement, which is what I believe you are trying to say in the poorly worded sentence, “However, Verde does not believe these changes will not be enough, especially when coupled with the rest of Skelly’s proposal.” Helping every student reach their full potential involves many steps and changing graduation expectations is only one part of the puzzle. But I continue to believe that the proposed changes will help some students use their high school years more productively. — Kevin Skelly, District Superintendent

NEWS THE LATEST AND GREATEST

Enrollment dilemma gives pause The Palo Alto Unified School District Board of Education plans to revisit enrollment projections and postpone major decisions on enrollment growth until May, said Supt. Kevin Skelly. Due to the uncertainty of enrollment rates for next year, plans for a new elementary school either at the Garland or the Greendell sites will not presently be pursued but will be reconsidered in May, according to Skelly. “We just want to buy ourselves time because [building the school] is a very big decision,” Skelly said. In the meantime, construction at both Duveneck and Fairmeadow Elementary School will be completed in the near future, allowing room for 180 more students, according to notes from the Feb. 28 school board meeting. According to Skelly, there soon will be over-enrollment problems at the middle schools. “Middle schools are a challenge for us,” Skelly said. “We think that we are going to have some issues there fairly soon.” Despite planned construction for ad-

ditional space by 2015, the three middle schools combined will only have capacity for 2,900 students. According to Skelly, the new space may not be sufficient. To increase room for incoming students over the next few years, the district has considered a few possible projects on its 27 acres at Cubberly Community Center. However, that is also on hold for further reconsideration until 2019 due to the $7 million profited from renting out the land to Palo Alto, according to the Feb. 28 School Board meeting. “We gain a lot of revenue for renting that out to the city and we are dependent on that revenue to hire teachers and fund the school district,” Skelly said. Currently, there is less concern regarding high schools. This year, Palo Alto High School has a population of 1,916 students. In the next decade, both Gunn High School and Paly will each have a total student enrollment of 2,300. “High schools we are not worried about,” Skelly said.

hollie kool

Board members have yet to decide how to solve growing enrollment problems

The Greendell site, which currently is rented out, could be used in the future as another PAUSD elementary school. According to assistant principal Kathleen Laurence, the media arts building and math and social studies building that are being constructed on Paly campus should add enough classrooms for incoming students. According to the Feb. 28 study session by the board, the district expects 130 new students in 2016 from housing projects on Stanford University campus. text by hollie kool

Decile ranking system to be discarded Palo Alto High School will no longer use the decile system to rank students starting next year. The decile system categorizes students by their unweighted GPA range and determines what decile — each 10 percent of students — they belong to. The highest decile indicates that the student is in the top 10 percent of his or her grade. Paly has no plans of ranking students whatsoever starting next year, according to Michael Milliken, Palo Alto Unified School District director of secondary education. “This issue was initiated when our superintendent had a

conversation with an Ivy League recruiting coordinator who suggested that the decile ranks might hurt students who weren’t ranked at the top, especially in high achieving schools like Paly and Gunn,” Milliken said. Milliken added that the decile system, while benefiting the top performing students, is detrimental to students who rank lower. According to Milliken, the change would not impact students, particularly those using the Common Application, which asks applicants about class rank. text by katy abbott

april 2012

[ NEWS ]

Not In Our School Week says yes to tolerance Palo Alto High School’s seventh annual Not In Our School Week is scheduled for the week of April 16 - 20. Not In Our School Week is a time in which students traditionally engage in games and activities meant to symbolically drive negative behaviors away from Paly. This year, clubs that were not involved in previous years, including Christian club, will help plan and conduct the activities. “One of the events will be stereotype chain breaking,” said senior Jean Yang, a member of Christian club. The schedule is being organized by teacher Magdalena text by allen wu Rivera and senior Meira Heckman.

Annual film festival rolls around

The 7th annual Greenlight Earth Day Film Festival will feature locally produced films by videographers in the county on April 19th to celebrate Earth Day, according to the festival’s website. Senior Sarah Miller, a finalist in last year’s competition, encourages student to participate. “Anyone interested in film should enter this festival because it isn’t very much work and it’s a great way to get your work out there,” Miller said. text by tin nguyen

Three of Palo Alto High School’s student journalism publications a combined won four Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Awards at March awards ceremony in New York. According to Campanile advisor Esther Wojcicki, it is the first time in the history of Columbia Scholastic Press Association that a school has won four Gold Crowns. The Viking won a Gold Crown for print news and another for digital news. “We were just really proud of our publication and Paly publications in general,” said Viking editor-in-chief Emy Kelty. “We were all so excited we just jumped up.” The Paly Voice also won a Gold Crown, an award for excellence in digital

By the

NUMBERS

verde magazine

journalism. “We have a unique approach and good content, but we’re also an aggregator of content for all the other publications at Paly.” Voice editor-in-chief Jeffrey Lu said, “The Voice is a one stop hub for Paly journalism.” Although The Campanile does not have its own online page, it was given the CSPA award for digital news publication as well. “It is important to note that Campanile could not have won that without the infrastructure offered by Voice,” Wojcicki wrote in an email. The CSPA judges high school and middle school student publications all over the nation. text by jamie allendorf

0/300

Score received on the Chemistry 1A final by students who cheated p. 30-31

melissa wen

Publications crowned four times, break record

Viking editor-in-chief Emy Kelty poses with the Gold Crown awards won for both print news and digital news by Viking at the March awards ceremony in New York.

868

Likes the Paly Memes Facebook page currently has p. 44-45

Briefs from The Paly Voice

Printz Award-winning authors Daniel Handler, Maggie Stiefvater, and John Corey Whaley are to visit the school library on April 25 to sign books and talk to students. Read the full story, by Zoe Greene at http://palyvoice.com/node/30291

Junior Meha Bakshi qualified at the State Qualifying tournament and will represent the Palo Alto High School Speech and Debate team at the state tournament April 27-29. Read the full story, by Matt Ersted at http://palyvoice.com/node/30435

hanako gallagher

Debate team gets shot at victory at states

noam shemtov

Award winning authors booked, soon to arrive

Holocaust play postponed a year

(from left to right): Juliet Newman, Yun-Hsuan Jan, Flora Leu, and Ester Leung, the art students responsible for the new office mural, sharpen their skills in art class.

Art students plan to decorate office with whimsical mural A mural painted by four students in Steven Ferrera’s Art Spectrum class is expected to arrive in front of assistantprincipal Jerry Berkson’s office sometime in late May. Plans for the mural are being drawn up now by its creators, sophomores Yun-Hsuan Jan and Ester Leung and freshmen Juliet Newman and Flora Leu. A preliminary mock-up drawing of the mural is due at the end of spring break. The mural, according to current plans, will depict a fantastical forest in vibrant colors.

Number of years Julia Sing has been Paly’s auditor p. 18-19

“I think it will look really nice where it’s going,” Newman said. “Hopefully it will add some color to the quad.” According to Ferrera, the decision to paint the mural was random, sparked by a thought from principal Phil Winston that a mural would look nice on the wall. “We were chosen because our ‘impeccable taste,” Newman said. “I’m really excited to see the whole thing happen, hopefully it turns out the way we planned.” text by noam shemtov

Out of every 100 Paly students are diagnosed with ADHD p. 34-35

Malcolm White wants viewers of his play to learn a moral lesson. “Until the human race has learned how to stop despising people who are different I don’t see how any of us can be truly safe,” he said. Due to financial difficulties, the premiere of the play “My Name is Richard Rozen” will take place next year at a different location than planned. According to writer, director and starring actor Malcolm White, the play was originally scheduled to premiere this April. He has raised $13,000 through donations from various organizations and the play needs to raise an additional $26,000 to be able to perform. According to White, the Jewish Community Center has already been booked during the new play premiere time for next year, so the play has been moved to the Menlo Atherton Performing Arts Center. The play’s plot focuses on the life of Holocaust survivor Richard Rozen. “I hope it will remind them of the horror that we may have forgotten happened during the second world war,” White said. text by angela xu

Families turned away from Ronald McDonald house each day

p. 38-39

april 2012

THELAUNCH THE SHORT STUFF

Compiled, written, and photographed by CAROLINE EBINGER

Photograph by Launch Photo Contest Winner, junior Lauren Maltz

Spring hike

ven after Spring Break, Paly students need a rest from school, homework, and extracurriculars. To recover from the shock of school, exercise and fresh air relieve stress and improve concentration, putting you back in the fourth quarter zone.

V “The venue presents a great opportunity to create a unique Prom, especially considering the multiple floors of the Design Center. ... As part of the ASB I know that it is making a huge effort to make this prom a very special one.”

isit Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve, the number two wildflower destination in the Peninsula, according to Red Tricyle (www. redtri.com). It is also perfect for your dog, who can wander off-leash in most of the preserve. This is my dog, Scout, enjoying the fresh air.

Prom Let’s talk about...

with ASB President Uma Veerappan

Chit-

Chat In honor of Earth Day, April 22.

<<< Chase Callahan, junior “Laziness. ... There is a small group of people who care, but people are genergally apathetic.”

What is Paly’s biggest environmental problem? 10

verde magazine

Will Conner, sophomore “We use too many zip-lock baggies.” >>> <<< Jeffrey Ling, junior “People litter a lot.”

Post-it Art

Paly students’ representations of Prom outfits ... on Mars.

From left to right by: junior Fiona Mason, senior Arun Varma, sophomore Caroline Moeser, and sophomore Jack Krasnow.

Photographed by JACQUELINE WOO

Would you rather...

Harry Halsted, freshman Tiffany Tsung, senior

... go to Prom with Peeta or Gale from The Hunger Games?

Tiffany said: Harry said: Peeta

Gale

Jeremy Lin

... drive a Toyota Plug-in Prius or a Nissan Leaf ?

Prius

Leaf

... be gossiped about or never talked about at all?

Gossip

... be free of awkward or embarassing moments?

Embarassing

... hang out with Jeremy Lin or James Franco?

Maddy Jones, freshman “We put the wrong stuff in the wrong bin a lot and don’t really pay attention.” >>>

Photo Contest L

ast edition, The Launch hosted a photo contest to find a photo for its banner. The winner was junior Lauren Maltz with runner up sophomore Kristina Savvateeva. We are continuing this contest for next edition, so email your photographs to launchphotos@gmail. com by May 20, 2012.

Photograph by Savvateeva

e one of the first five Paly students to find the hidden Verde V-Man somewhere in this issue and come to room 213 to claim your prize!

Gabe Landa, senior “Everyone drives and ... there’s a concentration of emissions.” >>> Compiled and photographed by EMILY HAIN and JACQUELINE WOO

april 2012

[ PROFILES ]

Being a mayor and a team player Palo Alto mayor Yiaway Yeh talks politics, Peace Corps, and plans for the city Text by Savannah Cordova Photography by Hanako Gallagher

verde magazine

he heart of Palo Alto is located at 250 Hamilton Avenue, taking up an entire tree-lined block between Ramona and Bryant. City Hall towers above the surrounding trees, a shining embodiment of the prestige and professionalism that we associate with government. The building itself is slightly intimidating, but the lobby gives off a warm light that reassures me as I push open the door and step inside. Mayor Yeh meets me downstairs in person, explaining that he needs to specially reboot the elevators, since they automatically shut down at six o’clock — “We’re energy efficient,” he later informs me. Once settled in his office, I immediately ask him my most pressing question: how does he pronounce his name? He smiles patiently and tells me it’s yah-way yay. Then he launches into tales of his youth in Palo Alto, his JLS and Gunn years, and his early experiences with local activism. “When my parents moved my older brother and me into Palo Alto, I was starting in seventh grade,” Yeh says. “JLS was the only middle school open at that point, so it was everyone together in that age group and it was a whole lot of people. I came from a really small elementary school, so what I learned pretty quickly was ... it can be overwhelming.” Tree-planting was Yeh’s way of getting involved in the city from a young age. “On Saturday mornings — which was early for me, I was twelve years old and Saturday morning at nine AM was really early for me — but it was this really fun event to go out and meet other youth and also work with other adults who were just committed to this concept of building a tree canopy for the community.”

Yeh is very community-based, a characteristic shaped by the two years he spent volunteering for the Peace Corps. “I think of it as one of the highlights of what I’ve been able to experience,” Yeh says. “A particular highlight was just learning about a different culture and humility that comes with that.” According to Yeh, his Palo Alto upbringing made him motivated and eager to work, but his time in his village of service in Burkina Faso taught him how to work productively with people and become more confident about what to pursue next. “I think part of the reason I loved Peace Corps so much was that it really helped me along that whole ‘on a journey’ aspect of figuring out what was in my heart. That includes public service now...The main lesson that I came back from Peace Corps with was that I really wanted to be immersed within the community,” Yeh says. Of course, Yeh now has proficient experience with direct involvement in government and — mayor YIAWAY YEH its decisions. He began at Gunn as part of student government. “Senior year I was co-student body president,” Yeh says. “That’s when I found out about city government...and then didn’t think about it until years later, but had been exposed to that both in the school board sense and the city government sense.” He also has years of banking and legislative background, among other jobs, all of which prepared him for the position of mayor. As an aide to assemblymember Rich Gordon, Yeh learned about the range of the government’s responsibilites.

Simply listening to citizens, he claims, is one of its most important roles. “More often than not, when people contact the government it’s because they are not happy with something that’s going on,” Yeh says. “They have a concern. They want to raise an issue to the government’s attention. And I understand that.” When deciding whether or not to campaign for City Council, Yeh notes that the availability of seats at the time was a major influence on him. “In 2007, there were four wide open seats. No incumbents were running — anyone, basically, could be running for the seats and not have to have previously served on City Council,” Yeh says. “I thought, ‘This is a great opportunity, just to run.’” As the youngest mayor Palo Alto’s had in several decades, Yeh knows he has expectations to meet. He says there is an assumption about his awareness of technology; indeed, his 2007 run for office was chronicled on the YouTube channel yehforpaloalto (which still has videos on it, for any curious viewers). And though it’s been five years since then, Yeh’s vision for the future of Palo Alto are is no less bright today. One of his focuses for 2012 is a series of athletic events called the Mayor’s Challenge. “It’s a sports challenge that’s designed to bring neighbors together... sometimes life gets busy, and it’s hard to walk over and get to know your next door neighbor,” Yeh says. “But the reality is that a lot of times neighbors are going to rely on each other, if there’s an emergency like an earthquake, or even just something like, ‘Hey, I have to work on this project and I really could use an extra hand.’”

“This year, 2012, is the year of infrastructure in Palo Alto. It’s really all about the physical assets ... the streets and the parks and the public safety buildings.”

Yeh also plans to implement change in the basic structures of the city. “This year, 2012, is the year of infrastructure in Palo Alto. It’s really all about the physical assets,” Yeh says. “When I was growing up I know I benefited from all the investments that the city and the community had made — the streets and the parks and the public safety buildings ... we just have to think about how as a city we’re going to be smart with our limited resources to build for the future.” Leaving City Hall I feel contented and refreshed, unusual for the end of a lengthy interview. But Yeh is a comforting presence; he’s composed and articulate, yet an easy conversationalist. As mayor he’s been incredibly effective, a team player beyond compare. His name may be hard to pronounce, but it could not be more fitting to describe his aptitude as mayor. In short: yay for Yeh! v april 2012

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verde magazine

She’ll fix your litte red wagon

Julia Taylor’s twisting and turning journey to Palo Alto Text by SPENCER CARLSON Photography by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

aybe you’ve been in one of her classes. If not, ask around, because the likelihood that someone you know has received her famed “come-toJesus” talk1 is very high. English teacher Julia Taylor is well known on the Palo Alto High School campus, both for her energetic and unique in-class presence and her reputation as a hard grader. Few students, however, know the story of Taylor’s indirect journey from rural Pennsylvania to Paly. Rural Childhood Taylor grew up in a small Pennsylvania town. She describes her hometown as “Titusville, Penn.: town of 7,000 white people and 14 churches,” and says that being from a small town has its positives and negatives. On the plus side, Taylor didn’t grow up in fear of violent crime. “We could leave doors and windows unlocked and feel safe — that was cool,” she says. Taylor’s childhood was influenced by the fact that because her town was so small, everyone knew each other. “This made it a bit difficult to get away with anything — someone your mother knew always saw what you were up to,” she says. She also characterizes Titusville as homogeneous. “Overall, I found the town lacking in diversity [and] with no opportunities for growth, either personally or professionally, so I ‘lit out for the territory’ once I finished college,” she says. After a childhood in a small town, she was ready to try out city life. Only later would she find true happiness in the balance between city and rural — the suburbs. College & Early Adulthood She went on to graduate with a double degree in English and communications from Allegheny College in Mead-

“IT’S GONNA BE FABOO!” English teacher Julia Taylor says as she prances about the classroom

1. The “come-to-Jesus” talk is a name Taylor gives to the speeches she often gives when she feels that a class or an individual has completely missed the point of an assignment. april 2012

[ PROFILES ]

Famous Taylorisms ...holy flippin’ Toledo! ...hell in a handbasket! ...[don’t cheat or] you’ll be weeping and I’ll be handing you Kleenex ...it’s gonna be faboo! ...what’s-her-bucket ...ringing any ding-dong-bells? ...I’m giving you the hairy eyeball ...if you can do that, then you go on with your bad self ...dazzle me with your array! ...traipsing off into the hinterlands ...cuckoo for cocoa puffs ...one hour or seven, crap is crap ...for criminy sakes alive! ...do that, and I’ll have to give you the “come-to-Jesus talk” ...this can be tricky territory ...I am the Lorax; I speak for the trees!

ville, Penn. In doing so, she became the first person in her family to graduate from college. She then worked in the media for a few years, but she found herself unfulfilled. “I had a bit of a quarter-life crisis and hated everything I tried: radio, newspaper, then TV,” she says. “It didn’t work for me at all and I had a hard time imagining myself doing that kind of work for 30 years. I wanted to do something community-oriented. Something I could feel proud of. So I decided to go back to college.” She decided to go to California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo and get her teaching credential. “I had relatives out here at the time and I had been spending my college summer and winter breaks in SLO,” she says. “When I graduated, I moved out here permanently. I got a checking account and a driver’s license and traded in my Pennsylvania persona.”

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While at Cal Poly, she took some extra English classes so that she would feel more prepared to teach. “[I also took] some experimental classes in this newfangled thingamajig called the Internet and programs like Hypercard, PageMaker and QuarkExpress,” she says. “Time not so well-spent. Those programs no longer exist.” After graduating from Cal Poly, Taylor joined the Peace Corps to satisfy her desire to give back to the world. “[I] was assigned to Poland — not exactly a hardcore third world country like Zimbabwe, but it was still a challenge to live in foreign culture for two years,” she says. “Toughest job you’ll ever love, right? I agree and would do it again in a heartbeat.” After teaching English in Poland for those two years with the Peace Corps, she moved to San Francisco. “I set up shop in the big city and was excited to give it a whirl, so it came

as quite a shock to me that I ended up not liking city life very much,” Taylor says. “It was often cold and foggy, and I didn’t enjoy the constant press of huge crowds or the grittier aspects of the city and the nightmare that is public transportation and parking.” After two unpleasant years in the city, she decided it was time for a change and moved to Marin County. “It was 15 to 20 degrees warmer with actual sunshine, great hiking trails, and plenty of open space,” she says. “Yay!” Taylor’s move away from the city prompted her to realize that she preferred rural life. “I guess I’m a small town girl at heart,” she says. Paly Life After teaching in San Francisco public schools for six years, Taylor decided it was time to move on. “I needed a change and a challenge,”

“I never drank coffee until I came to Paly. I now drink both coffee and Diet Coke for the caffeine when I stay up late to get work done. It’s a vice, but I see it as a small one in the scope of vices.”

“You know that part when the mother bird goes ‘boot’ and the baby bird goes out of the nest? That’s right now. Fly, my pretty, fly!” Taylor says. “I applied to only top performing high schools in the Bay Area because I wanted to take my knowledge and teaching to the next level. I went through the rigorous hiring process [at Paly] and made it!” Taylor enjoys teaching students who actually do their homework at Paly. “I chose to work at a high performing high school for a reason: I wanted to run a high performing class,” she says. “In order to get in and make it through four years at a highly competitive college, students need to have the skills.” Taylor’s grading is often a subject of some controversy among students, but she stands behind her policy. “My grades are designed to let students honestly know where they stand in that trajectory,” she says. “I’m not grading you as a person; I’m grading your skills at a certain window in time. This is to help students choose the most appropriate level classes and colleges for their ability.”

Taylor explains that teaching at Paly challenges her as well as her students. “I feel intellectually challenged and invigorated by the students here,” she says. “They keep me on my toes academically. I did not ever have to pull an all-nighter in either college I attended, but I have had to here at Paly a number of times.” The high level of rigor she incorporates in her classes doesn’t stop her from having a little fun, though. Taylor is known for her odd sayings, which include “three sheets of crazy,” “giving you the hairy eyeball,” and “I’ll fix your little red wagon.” She uses the sayings to add some spice to her teaching. “I like to keep things zippy and colorful in the classroom,” Taylor says. “Plus that hairy eyeball keeps potential wayward students at attention!” There are some parts about Paly that Taylor isn’t so fond of, though. “[One] thing that concerns me is the frenzy for certain colleges,” she says.

“Students should feel comfortable simply trying their best and wherever their skills are, their grades should reflect this, and they should apply to colleges and universities that fit their skills.” Taylor’s vision does not match the reality, though. “What I see instead is rampant cheating, system manipulation, grade inflation, and over-scheduling that leads to stress and all manner of issues,” she says. Taylor wants students to calm down and focus on learning as best they can rather than how their grades compare. “I wish students could relax, just do their work to the best of their ability on their own — no tutoring, no jam-packing the sports and activities in — and let the chips fall where they may. Only 10 percent of the Fortune 500 CEOs went to fancy colleges. That means 90 percent went to average run-of-the-mill schools and still managed to turn out fine. You will find your way as well.” v april 2012

[ PROFILES ]

Singing out Auditor watches students mature through the years Text by KATY ABBOTT Photography by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

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AT WORK Julia Sing leans out of her office in the Tower Building to help students.

ulia Sing leans out of her window and waits patiently to answer the questions of the students lined up outside her office, her face lighting up in a smile as someone else comes to pay her a visit. Some girls check their hair in the mirror opposite Sing’s office as they wait for their friend, at the front of the line, to finish with their query. Others clomp down the hall, passing Sing’s office as they make a break for the exit, the doors clanging as they leave the Tower Building. Sometimes, once Sing has finished with everyone, silence pervades. But Sing’s work is not done. As the Paly auditor, she plays an interesting and rewarding role — which mirrors her complex life. Sing has seen many things, from the Cultural Revolution in China to a technical revolution in Silicon Valley. But along with other lessons from her past, she has come to realize that being a part of a community and finding a place to belong is what matters most to her. Origins of the auditor Born in China in 1959, Sing grew up during the Cultural Revolution, which took place from 1966 to 1969, a time in which the Chairman of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong, encouraged widespread persecution and eradication of bourgeois and capitalist ideas. “You couldn’t tell anyone your true feelings,” Sing says. “It was a totally different world, especially for families like us with Western ties. They treated us as spies.” Her parents didn’t want Sing and her sisters to suffer like they had in oppressive China. By the time she was 15, her family decided to immigrate to the United States in search of more opportunities. “My father’s family all lived in the United States, and he really felt that there was a brighter future for us,” Sing says. Despite the move, Sing still found

her opportunities limited; her new high school in the Bay Area was violent, making her afraid to walk across the campus on her own. And the area that she lived in was not at all affluent, unlike Palo Alto. “The very first apartment we lived in was Richmond, [Calif.],” Sing remembers. “Most residents were low income families.” But her experiences at home and in school didn’t stop Sing from pursuing her dreams.

Originally a volunteer in the Gunn High School Student Activities Office, Sing soon found that she enjoyed the interaction with students. When she found a job opening at Paly, in 2006, she took the opportunity and became the new auditor. She quickly grew to love working with the Paly administration, and gained a reputation as a jack-of-all-trades, doing whatever odd jobs needed doing.

An auditor’s responsibilities “The main part of my job responsibilA technological revolution ity is to keep track of accounts, either Sing went on to payables or receivables — attend UC Berkeley, transactions between the majoring in comstudents and ASB,” Sing puter science. After says. graduating, Sing However, Sing has done became a computer a lot more for Paly than programmer. She just handling payments to worked at Hewlettand from ASB. She is the Packard and then one responsible for Paly’s International Busiwebstore and for comput— auditor JULIA SING ness Machines Corerizing the bookkeeping poration during the 1980s and the 1990s, system, which helps to promote transparexperiencing firsthand the technological ency and reliability. revolution sweeping Silicon Valley. Sing also distributes lockers, makes sure While at HP and IBM, Sing special- AP registration and Prom ticket sales run ized in programming using compilers. smoothly, and does anything else the As a ‘development engineer’, she helped administration thinks she can handle. write the programs that translated codes Throughout the year she will provide entered by a user into commands that parking permits for both the fresh-faced made a computer perform various actions, sophomores anxiously clutching the key such as printing a paper or opening a new to their new car and the more experiapplication. Later, Sing moved to Silicon enced senior drivers. Graphics, Inc., the company that manuSing’s responsibilities have profactured the computers used to animate vided her with opportunities that the movie Jurassic Park (1993). she doesn’t think would be easy to “It was very exciting for me,” Sing says. find elsewhere. “I can relate to young people when they “My favorite part is seeing stugraduate from college and have to make a dents grow up because you can see living on their own. In the corporate en- the transformation in them with vironment they are allowed to thrive on their intellectual level and maturitheir talents and learn from each other.” ty level,” she says. “And I think just being here and being part of that Career evolution growth is a good memory for me.” Sing amassed 20 years of experience, but she refused to let one job define her. Growth and transformation After the terrorist attack on the World Junior Andrew Solway is Trade Center, on Sept. 11, 2001 she de- one of the many students cided she needed to take some time to who Sing has witnessed, and examine her life. touched, over the years. “I decided to spend more time with my “I met her my freshman growing kids,” Sing says. “That’s when I year when I went to get a started to volunteer in the community.” locker,” Solway says.

“My favorite part is seeing students grow up.”

“I’ll never forget what she said to me. She told me that she watches everyone grow up throughout the years.” According to Sing, there are a number of rewards to her job, like being able to say that she knew Jeremy Lin all throughout high school, or knowing that she is teaching a new generation of citizens how to handle money responsibly. Sing appreciates the unique challenges of her job. “When I started here there were 1400 students or so, and now we’re up to 1900, so being able to accommodate the volume is the kind of challenge that I like in this school,” she says. Throughout all of the changes at Paly, Sing has a responsibility to the school and to its students. And she is up for the challenge. Her preparedness results partly comes from experiences such as the cultural change that resulted from immigrating to the United States as a teenager, or the knowledge she gained as a programmer in one of the most exciting times Silicon Valley has every witnessed. No matter what, as she finishes another year as Paly’s auditor, Sing can say that it has been worth it just to see the transformation and growth of both the school and the students. “It’s very rewarding,” Sing says. “I love it.” v

april 2012

[ PROFILE ]

Logging out: Doug Bertain Tech guru retiring after 25 years on campus Text and Art by ANGELA XU

he clamor of the Robotics Team fills the room as each member works on their own separate projects. Suddenly, Doug Bertain enters the room through the back door. Work stops and all eyes and ears are on him as he begins to give a pep talk to the team. Only Bertian’s voice is heard in the room as the members silenty watch as he speaks in the center of the room. Bertain speaks with a concerned face, telling the team to start learning from each other so he can be sure that the team can function as well as they can without him next year. For the past 25 years Bertain has been a teacher at Palo Alto High School, but that will all end with his retirement this year. Bertain first arrived at Paly in 1987 as a woodshop and auto shop teacher. Bertain stopped teaching auto after deciding that he wanted to try out a “cleaner” career technology class. Bertain began to teach an architectural and engineering drawing class in 1993. As the technological world began to grow, Bertain introduced the first computers to the school campus. His unofficial role of leading Paly

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toward modern technology became increasingly important when a networking system, which connects computers to the Internet was introduced to Paly. Bertain started connecting Paly with a networking device in 1995 when he first ran a network line to the math building, after that the network line expanded all across campus. While installing the system, Bertain started a Cisco Networking Certification class, teaching students how to operate an internet router. For five to six years, along with his students, Bertain ran the network on the school campus as the network managers. In 1996, Bertain became interested in starting a robotics team. At that time, only the first robotics team in the West Coast was known. After researching for information about starting and operating a fully functioning robotics team, Bertain founded Paly’s

Doug Bertain holds a piece of a milk crate destined to become part of a robot

LAST FEW LESSONS Bertain teaches the rookies the skills that they will have to be able to perform next year without him. first robotics team in 1996. During its first year, 16 students joined. Bertain had no idea that he started a class that will inspire future engineers. “I bet every one of them when they walked through that door...thought they were going to be a doctor or lawyer because that’s what everybody is in Palo Alto,” Bertain says.“But every one of them majored in engineering when they went to college. All 16 — they were the first robotics team.” To many members of the robotics team, Bertain is a reliable guide to help them achieve their maximum potential. “I wouldn’t be were I am now, being the animation captain on the robotics team, without his help.” junior Alex Gomez says. “He’s given me good advice on how to keep doing things, get things done.” Not only do the members look up to Bertain as a guide, many also think of him as a mentor. “He’s Doug. [I] kind of think [of ] him as an old martial arts kung fu master, [like] the old guy in “Karate Kid”. That’s exactly what he’s like,” sophomore Gabe Salmon says, refrencing the 1984 American martial arts film about becoming

stronger with the help of a mentor. Instead of insisting that the team call him by the traditional male teacher’s title, Bertain lets them refer to him by his first name because he feels that his role in

“He’s Doug. [I] kind of think [of] him as an old martial arts kung fu master.” — SOPHOMORE GABE SALMON

robotics is not as the boss, but more as a partner with the students. “He prefers to be called Doug,” senior Kfir Dolev says. “I think that’s a good habit because it personalizes the relationship between students and the teacher.” According to Bertain, it is essential for him and the robotics team to feel like they

are working as an unified group because he and his students are all together in the same situation. Trying to figure out how to build a new robot. After 25 years, Bertain will soon leave Paly for retirement. His presence and help in this school will be missed by his students and the people he helps out for technical diffiulties. “Over the years, people come in to him for advice,” coworker and auto teacher Doyle Knight says. “I think he’s going to be missed. He does a lot of extra stuff for the school.” Even though Bertain is retiring this year, students can still expect to see him next year helping the robotics team and making sure that they can function well without him. “Next year I’ll be back for at least a couple weeks to get everything going,” Bertain says. According to Bertain, no matter how far away he may be from the school grounds and how long he does not appear at competetions, students can still reach him. “I’m not falling off the planet,” Bertain says. “Now, with Internet, you can get a hold of anyone pretty quickly, so if they have any questions, I’ll always be there.” v april 2012

[ PERSPECTIVES ]

A not-so-sick place to get What to do when heading to the hospital Text by HOLLIE KOOL Art by HOLLIE KOOL and DIANA CONNOLLY

sharp pain shoots up my Valentines Day, weighing a little bit less arm and a cool blast of from the loss of my appendix, and in a bifluid rushes into my vein. zarre, dreamlike daze. Besides an overpowering sleepiness, I A forest of vine-like tubes, squawking machines, and feel quite healthy. I almost forget the fact that I have woken up from a two-hour howling babies surround me. This jungle isn’t like the Amazon. surgery, and that my last words were, “I’m feeling woozy.” No, replace the canopy After my viof exotic flowers with a tal signs are at a drab cotton curtain with normal level, I am airplanes on it, the rare carted away on animals with doctors my gurney while I and nurses, the gleammumble about my ing sun beams with the surgery. I am unbright fluorescent light aware of passersby bulbs, and the soothing staring as I am still sound of the rain forunder the spell of est with “Elmo’s World” the anesthesia. I blaring in the backreach my destinaground. Welcome to the tion of Room 5 Stanford Emergency in the Short Stay department on a MonUnit, and manage day night at 11 p.m. to communicate to Fast forward to 5 my brother to upp.m. the next day, Tues— sophomore SASHA HARRISON date my Facebook day, Feb 14. I groggily status immediately wake up to doctors, parbefore I drift off. I ents, and nurses inspecting me. Everything is blurry and the sur- have priorities. If that doesn’t sound like a sensory rounding figures and voices are distorted and muffled. Seconds at a time, the spin- overload, then I don’t know what is. After ning world that is in slow motion starts my 40-hour ordeal at the Lucille Packard to become familiar. There is an uncom- Children’s hospital with appendicitis, I fortable pressure on my abdomen, and wish I had known the tricks of the trade my eyes feel permanently crossed. That is before my unexpected emergency. I couldn’t have predicted that I would the unpleasant state I found myself in at the Lucille Packard Children’s hospital on only get six hours of sleep within a span of

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“I was so sick of not being able to move around... I really wanted to just go outside and breathe”

62 hours, wouldn’t eat or drink anything for 39 hours, that I would be the first person to stay in the new Short Stay Unit over night, or that I wouldn’t remember two hours of my life. Although my stint in the Emergency Department and Children’s hospital was dramatic, it was fairly short compared to what many patients have to tolerate. Palo Alto High School junior Henry Hinton and freshman Sasha Harrison both know the discomfort I went through to a whole new degree. Hinton had to endure two weeks at the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital and the El Camino Hospital for migraine headaches and malnutrition because of nausea. Harrison was at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital for 12 days to be monitored for a heart condition. The following are some tips from the three of us if you find yourself heading to the hospital:

Bring entertainment There is nothing worse than ending up in my situation where you are in the same room throughout the entire night. Harrison was in an even worse predicament. “The worst part was that after like three days I was so sick of not being able to move around very much. I really wanted to just go outside and breathe in the fresh air, but instead I had to sit on my bed.” Even with a computer, I was bored to tears. But hey, episodes of “The Walking Dead” and our good friend Facebook aren’t bad company. “I kept up with all my school work, watched a lot of movies, and made like 6 friendship bracelets,” Harrison says. “Also, the ward I was in had group activities and stuff so that helped to pass the time. My dad and I played scrabble everyday and my friends came to visit me too. If you have one, a laptop is great to bring because you can watch TV online.” Wear comfortable clothing Let’s be honest; it’s a hospital full of sick people. No one cares if you look like you just got out of bed. As long as you are not bleeding, there will be no judgment. Ultimately, you want to be comfortable, so don’t wear skinny jeans. “If you ever find yourself going to the hospital, bring like four pairs of PJs so you can just lounge around in them all day.” Harrison says. Unless you would like to sport the ever-so-fashionable hospital gown your entire stay, be sure to have

multiple sets of pajamas and fresh clothing to relax in. Even if you look like a mess, you won’t feel like one. Don’t be afraid of an IV “Don’t freak out at first or get really nervous,” Harrison says. “It’s way easier on yourself if you stay calm.” My biggest fear was not, in fact, to have to get my appendix removed. To be honest, the idea of a needle going into my arm and having a tube attached to me filling me with fluids was a more dire situation. Just relax; it’s quick, easy, and not too painful Homework Even though staying at the hospital is a great excuse to not do homework, it is no fun to fall behind. Contact teachers when possible and stay on top of it. “My school [was] in the hospital, down the hall from where I was staying.” Hinton says. Harrison was even able to take tests. “The hospital had a teacher that helped me if I needed it and proctored tests so I stayed caught up.” Harrison says. “I emailed my teachers and they sent me the assignments.”

napping during the day to sleep more soundly at night. Bring food “Get snacks from home if possible. Hospital food is not the greatest.” Hinton says. Some uncomfortable, painful, or distressing ailment will be the cause of your hospital stay. Either way, you too will have to live through the ear-splitting cacophony of noises and the endless waiting. And for this, Verde readers, I want you to learn from all of our irritating and grueling experiences. The best part about my situation is that I can’t lose my appendix twice. v

Wear earplugs It is difficult to describe how many simultaneous, annoying noises there are. And, you don’t always get to choose who your roommate is. If you want to get any sleep, better bring ear protection. However, if you are staying for a longer period of time, Hinton suggests refraining from

april 2012

[ PERSPECTIVES ]

Raising the bar, slowing the pace Why “No Child Left Behind” does not fulfill the American Dream of education

Text and Art by NOAM SHEMTOV

hether you spend your school days hunkered down over meticulous notes or over the anarchy symbol you have carved into your desk, you have been marginalized by a metrics based education reform. This is the term I will use to denote the ascription of a value by No Child Left Behind to every marginal activity we perform in school, gauging individual successes and intelligence in a calculated, one-dimensional manner. The “Beforemath” When George W. Bush exhorted the pitch for “No Child Left Behind”, the idealist in each of us was enamored with the idea of a world in which the United States reigned supreme as the quintessential land of educational opportunity. Desperate to cling to this idealized perception of our nation’s education, we blinded ourselves to the implications of “No Child” and hopped onto the ideological bandwagon. The premise that every child would be presented the opportunity to give account to himself and thus catapult to success, and not “against all odds” seemed too superfluously attractive to let down. So it would be: our school systems would stand proud once again, a paradigm of education according to which the rest of the world would identify itself-yeah, take that, rest of the world! Well, here we are, hindered by the demands of a goal-oriented ideology and resentful of our respective alma maters. And what’s more we are lagging further behind in global education. The Aftermath No Child Left Behind addresses academic progress with several clauses, mandating that schools reach “proficiency” on two levels by regulated tests. One of these required that by they year of 2013-

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14, schools reach a level of proficiency in regulated state tests. Should it fall short, said school would be subject corrective measures from outside, including potential administrative and governance changes. According to a report by Stanford University, nearly half of the school principals and superintendents consider this federal legislation as aimed at undermining public schools. I could not agree more. Public schools are forced to adhere to standards, periodically verify progress, and thus enforcing organization by threat. The detriment brought about by all this is an end result of schools racing to raise their success rates through endsoriented educating, as opposed to allowing the freedom for students to pursue education and intellectuality more or less as they please. The schools don’t have a choice, either; without this they are at the mercy of government intervention, better a watered down education than none at all, right?

The Rant Here is where it becomes tricky, in attempts to avoid an astringent critique of our education system, I have strayed into the murky waters of politics and ideology. But in the cracks between my supposed wit lies a very real political truth, that we are the casualties of a metrics-based value system. Now those of you who just drove home from the math class you overzealously take at Stanford may find yourself

lost in such empirical waters, but have no fear: incapacitated though you may be in a portable setting, you are safe where you are. Now my intent is neither to berate the school system, nor to belittle those whose talents manifest themselves in a metric environment. On the contrary, I salute you. Those of you on the other side of that line, however, you I can sympathize with. Cultivating a vacuum in which the rift students with students a penchant for pedantic behavior and those without paints the picture that pedantic tendencies and an overwhelming desire to “come out on top” by predetermined means are the essential qualities of intelligence which, of course they are not. So as this gap grows, so does that of our achievements, uninspired and disillusioned, those students whose fascinations lie beyond the offered curriculum are left in the shadow of a calculated pragmaticism. The Cop-Out Solution What do we do? On a global scale, nothing, I say. There isn’t much we, as students can do to get in the way of a nation-wide epidemic. On a personal level, however, I suggest you find comfort in the little things. Read a book every once in a while, write something just for you, or spend twenty minutes a day learning French instead of going on Facebook. It may not much, but the best we can do is only hope that through it change will come. The “Thank You, and Good Night” So, while attempting to resist a vacuously Gouldian rant on the value of true intelligence and it’s correlation to this and that, I will leave you with general disappointment in an end-based educational methodology at the hand of poor politics, and if I’ve done my job, an overwhelming desire for change. v

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Thank you to all those who have supported Verde by responding to the PTSA call for donations in the beginning of the school year.

april 2012

[ PERSPECTIVES ]

Universities should increase diversity without looking at the race of individual applicants Text and photo illustration by MELISSA WEN

don’t think I am the only student who is slightly obsessed with college admissions. The pursuit of happiness? Overrated. I have spent the past few years of life stuck in a caffeine-induced stupor, caught in the cruel embrace of schoolwork and a web of extracurricular activities, all in the pursuit of getting into college. However, recently I have stepped back from my personal crusade and glanced at the bigger picture of higher education. This picture has become a topic of contention with the recent debate over California’s Proposition 209, passed in 1996. Otherwise known as the California Civil Rights Initiative, it prohibits the consideration in admissions of sex, race or ethnicity by state institutions, including public universities. Recently, a group of students and civil rights groups have launched a campaign to challenge the constitutionality of the proposition, in the hopes of allowing race -conscious admissions. The

DECISIONS, DECISIONS Colorblindness is an ideal that ought to be pursued in college admissions.

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same issue has come up before in the 2003 Supreme Court case Gruter v. Bollinger in which racial preferences were deemed constitutional at the University of Michigan’s law school, due to increasing diversity being a compelling interest. Although I agree that diversity is a worthy goal, I believe it can be best achieved by improving the educational resources of minority students, and I support Prop 209 in its principle that Californian public institutions ought to be color-blind. “If you’re going to award a racial preference that means that you’re discriminating against someone else,” says Ralph Kasarda, lawyer for Prop 209 sponsor Ward Connerly. “It seems very destructive to our society when we pit racial groups against each other.” I agree with Kasarda’s stance that racial preferences are inherently unfair. Race-conscious admissions uniquely disadvantage certain minorities. For example, although Asian-Americans historically lack the privileges of Caucasians, because so many apply to UCs, they receive no preferences. Although diversity aims to promote tolerance, promoting diversity through preferential means risks provoking resentment among racial groups. Prop 209 forces universities to promote diversity through means that

(and that’s how it should be)

do not come at such a cost. For example, by reaching out to students from lowincome families, families with less experience in higher education, and those from schools that don’t traditionally send students to four-year universities, UC admissions can help a broader range of students without looking at the race of individual applicants. Opponents of Prop 209 argue that race-conscious admissions level the playing field by recognizing the structural inequality that puts minorities at a disadvantage. However, universities should not assume that all students of color are similarly disadvantaged. Instead they should recognize the unique disadvantages of individual students without looking at race. Furthermore, introducing racial preferences at the college admissions level does not address the root cause of the deficit in diversity. Efforts ought to be made to increase diversity in the upper academic ranks of the K-12 system. Endeavors such as the Headstart program, which provides education services to children from low-income families, should be expanded, and more effort should be made to ensure that minority students excel academically. School funding ought to allow for more money to go to less financially privileged schools. High schools and middle schools can also increase diversity in programs that

“If you’re going to award a racial preference, that means that you’re discriminating against someone else.” — Pacific Legal Foundation lawyer RALPH KASARDA encourage academic success. For example, Paly’s speech and debate team this year implemented the Diversity Initiative, which works to recruit more students of color. College campuses will eventually reflect the results of successful promotion of academic achievement in students of all races, ethnicities and genders. In addition, Kasarda points out the difficulty in considering race without resorting to racial quotas, numerical requirements for admitting members of a certain race, which have been ruled unconstitutional. “At what point do you say you have enough diversity?” Kasarda says. Advocates of the propositions repeal say that the racial makeups of UCs should better reflect that of the state population. However, trying to achieve a certain percentage of certain races on campus is in principle no different than implementing quotas. When a university tries to increase

the population of a certain race without using a quota, it has no clear line that determines when enough diversity has been achieved. Yet by establishing a clear line at which diversity is sufficient, it essentially establishes a quota. By promoting diversity through means other than raceconscious admissions, universities avoid descending down this slippery slope. I recognize that race matters in our society, and that, as lovely as a color-blind society may seem, in reality most human beings do not see each other through color manipulating lenses, rose-tinted or otherwise. However, preferring one race over another only furthers discrimination. We can recognize race by improving the resources that minorities can use to achieve academically and become qualified to enter top universities, so that racial preferences would not be necessary in the first place. Prop 209 promotes this goal, a piece of idealism that we could all use more of. v april 2011

[ FEATURES ]

An ocean away Growing up with one – or both – parents away from home Text and art by JESSICA JIN

or the majority of each year, there is an ocean between senior Jason Liang and his father. Liang’s father spends the majority of the year in Hangzhou, China, while his mother stays home in Palo Alto to care for Jason and his two younger siblings. Like a growing number of students at Palo Alto High School, Liang has a parent who works far away from home. According to Paly Guidance Counselor Paige Johnson, the number of students in this situation seems to have increased in recent years, as the struggling U.S. economy has prompted parents to seek employment wherever they can find it, even if that means working half a world away. The result is a group of students who receive less parental care than do their peers, a group with widely divergent views on their situation. “I don’t know if I would say that my dad lives far away,” Liang says. “Home’s still here. He’s just on super-extended business trips.” According to Liang, the family remains close to his father since Dad phones home every night. Furthermore, Liang says, his family situation has called on him to become more accountable, and perhaps mature more quickly than we would have otherwise. “It’s definitely called me to be more responsible,” Liang says. ‘I’ve pretty much had to step in as a surrogate adult to take care of my siblings because they’re nine and two years old. But the joy it brings far outweighs the time it requires.”

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Other students, however, do not always view extended parental absence as optimistically as Liang does. Junior Emma Beckstrom, whose father’s work often requires him to fly away on international business trips, says that long periods of separation between parents and children often cause strain. Three years ago, when her father had to live in Washington, D.C, for a year, Beckstrom felt that he misunderstood her, and their relationship began to crumble. “I felt like he didn’t know or understand me or my daily life and routines and would try to come home every so often and discipline or just try to parent me, like restricting me from doing things I was so used to doing when it was just my mom, my brother and me at home,” Beckstrom says. “This made me so angry with him.” While the distance estranged her from her father, Beckstrom says it brought her closer to her mother. Having grown accustomed to this lifestyle over the years, she now notes having to make considerably more compromises when her father is home. “It’s made my mom and I a lot closer,” Beckstrom says. “Now that my brother has moved out it’s just me and her most of the time. When the boys are home it’s so different: we have family dinners, eat more meat, watch less chick flicks in the living room and have to make more trade-offs. We’re so used to being able to do things our way, to work with our schedules and our desires, wants, and needs. We have to be less

My dad may not know my teachers’ names, what time I wake up for school every day...but he makes an effort to know what really matters in the long run.” –junior EMMA BECKSTROM selfish and more selfless when they are home.” Still, according to Beckstrom’s mother, Patrice, Beckstrom receives strong familial support from relatives in Santa Cruz, since Beckstrom and her brother share close ties to the extended family there. Beclstrpm, her brother Elliott, and her mother often visit on weekends and enjoy swimming or surfing at the beach. Also, according to Beckstrom’s mom, Beckstrom and her brother would have received similar parenting had both been home, since she and her husband approach parenting in a similar manner. “We’re on the same page when it comes to parenting,” she says. “We share the same values.” As time went on, Beckstrom grew more accepting of her family situation, and developed a deeper appreciation for and closer relationship with her father. “My dad may not know my teachers’ names, what time I wake up for school every day, how late my curfew is, or who my favorite musical artist is, but he makes an effort to know what really matters in the long run,” she says. “Also, I feel very fortunate and thankful that my dad lives such a chaotic lifestyle. He makes so many sacrifices for our family that we appreciate so much. And we get to travel all over the world with him when he’s on business.” But what if not one, but two parents worked away from home? What if a student were left to grow up alone? It happens, more often than one would expect.

“I think it’s one of those well-kept secrets in this community,” Johnson says. “It’s more common than we think.” Among the students in this rarelyspoken-of situation is Bryan, a senior whose name has been changed to protect his identity. For the past six months, Bryan has been living on his own because his parents, who are divorced, both work far away from where he lives. Instead of having his parents cook for him, he now buys his own food. He often struggles with transportation, and on several occasions, he has found it difficult to turn to others for help. Yet he cites the experience as not overly trying and, in some ways, beneficial. “The experience hasn’t been that difficult,” he says. “It has helped me grow more independent.” That he was always a self-reliant person to begin with, he says, helped him in this regard. In addition, his experience opened his eyes to the value and importance of small kindnesses. Friends who know about his situation have helped him out by inviting him over for dinner and driving him to various destinations. His friend’s mom, who lives nearby, checks on him regularly to ask if he needs anything. In his college essay, Bryan wrote about the little things people do for others and how they matter. “I wrote about how we don’t always know what other people are going through,” he says. “My situation has shown me that the little things things we do for other people help build a bigger foundation for their lives.” v

OCEAN An illustration of the vast waters separating certain Paly students from their parents

april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

Facebook groups for classes offer study help, but promote cheating Text by KATY ABBOTT and SHARON TSENG Photography by CHARU SRIVASTAVA and Photo Illustrations by KATY ABBOTT

ommand-Shift-three. A potentially dangerous combination. With it all your Internet interactions can be unknowingly captured. For example, that horrendous picture on Facebook. Or that politically incorrect comment. Or that thoughtless response to a request for some of the answers to a difficult semester final. There is always the possibility that someone, somewhere has taken a screenshot before you erased the evidence. And if that screenshot happens to prove that a certain commenter on a Facebook group shared answers to a test, then it can have a not-so-benign impact on someone’s grade. Facebook groups exist for many classes at Palo Alto High School from AP classes to Beginning Journalism. At first glance, they appear to be a fairly innocuous student aid: offering homework help, suggestions for essays, or advice on how to handle coursework. But as helpful as they may be, they sometimes also facilitate cheating. Facebook groups are a new phenomenon that have already begun to change the way that students interact in and out of their classes. While some groups consist of only 10 or so people, other groups are pushing 200. Interactions on these Facebook groups leave indelible evidence of cheating. After all, these groups are

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void of any real authority to keep students’ integrity in check, thus providing an ideal environment for students tempted to cheat. There have already been incidents at Paly in which students succumbed to this temptation, violating the school’s Academic Honesty Policy.

Psychology Facebook groups: one with Mattes as a member, and one without.

Trying to cheat chemistry Last semester, some answers to Chemistry 1A teacher Kelli Hagen’s final made their way through Facebook the night before one of the classes took the test. According to Lucy, a sophomore AP Psychology shares answers Melinda Mattes, an AP Psychology member of the Chemistry 1A Facebook teacher at Paly, dealt with one such issue group, another sophomore began sharing involving students sharing information answers, and other students took advanabout a test on Facebook earlier this year. tage of the opportunity. Lucy, like other “Students were discussing an exam students in this article, remains anonymous in order to [on the Facebook group] protect her idenand somebody asked tity. a question that led to “A ton of some very specific anpeople were askswers,” Mattes says. ing him questions However, Mattes and he was replydid not pursue any puning with answers to ishment and instead the questions like, employed a different ‘Oh, will this be solution: she joined the on the test?’” Lucy Facebook group herself. says. “He’d be like, “I think there’s a ‘No, there were a lot of value to adding an few questions on instructor to the group,” — teacher MELINDA MATTES this. I remember she says. “I can get inthere was a couple formation out. The problem is that there’s no way to really of questions that asked this.’” The day after this incident, Hagen regulate without having an instructor in informed the class that she had received the group.” Nonetheless, there are now two AP screenshots of the Facebook group from

“Academic integrity is an issue where Facebook groups can be a trap.”

Featured above, from left to right: junior Yasna Haghdoost, junior Julia Lee, senior Luke Fisher, sophomore Jared Filseth, and sophomore Travis Chen.

a student with clear evidence of cheating, displayed in the screenshot, and everyone implicated in the screenshots would receive a zero on their final, a 300-point test. In addition, Hagen changed the test and made it more difficult. Sophomore Daniel, who received a zero on the final, was shocked to find that his interactions in the Facebook group qualified as cheating. “I had no idea that I was going to get caught,” he says. “I didn’t think at the time that it was cheating. I wasn’t asking, ‘What’s the answer to number six?’ I was asking, ‘Were there a lot of this type of problem?’” Hagen called in the people who had cheated and told them they had received zeros, and the students then talked to assistant principal Jerry Berkson about why they cheated and the punishments. After the Chemistry incident, many students have become more wary about using Facebook groups for help in classes. “After the Hagen thing, I was actually going to take myself off the group,” Lucy says. A nationwide trend Paly is not the only school where students have cheated using Facebook groups, or where teachers have had to modify aspects of their course as a result. In 2008, Chris Avenir, a student at Ry-

erson University in Toronto, was nearly es of their actions. expelled for running a Facebook group for “I think that Facebook groups can be a Chemistry class that shared homework incredibly useful as a great form of collabanswers, according to The Toronto Star. oration. [But] there’s also a temptation to And in 2011, cheat and have inapHarvard Unipropriate discussions. versity students Academic integrity is enrolled in the a issue where Faceclass Life Scibook groups can be a ences 1b were trap,” Mattes says. accused of usDaniel, one of ing the Facethe students who rebook group ceived a zero on the LS1b to cheat chemistry final, says on lecture quizhe didn’t anticipate zes, according — sophomore DANIEL the consequences that to The Harvard he faced for cheating. Crimson. The curriculum was changed His grade dropped 13 percent because he because of the accusations. received a zero on the final. In his opinJack Bungarden, who teaches AP ion, the punishment was unfair, especially United States History at Paly, has no because he does not think many people proof that anyone has ever cheated via the realize that sharing answers on Facebook APUSH Facebook group. However, he qualifies as cheating. suspects that students use the Facebook “There’s no leeway,” Daniel says. “If group to share the essay topic for tests, you cheat, you get a zero on whatever you and has been forced to change his test did. I think that [the punishment] should policy as a result to ensure that students be proportional to what you do.” do not find out what the topic is in adDaniel’s opinion contradicts Paly’s vance. Academic Honesty Policy. According to Mattes, along with other teachers, Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, the does not see anything inherently wrong punishment fit the crime. with students using Facebook groups for “It’s standard that if you cheat, you classes However, she wonders whether get a zero,” Berkson says. “It’s pretty cut students realize the potential consequenc- and dry.” v

“I had no idea that I was going to get caught. I didn’t think that it was cheating.”

april 2012

Hospital gowns and princess crowns

Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital plans a sea-themed prom Text by ELISA REROLLE Art by DIANA CONNOLLY

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air? Check. Make-up? Done. Cute dress? On. Arianna, whose name has been changed for patient confidentiality reasons, was all ready for her senior year prom when she started feeling sick again. That night, when she should have been dancing the night away with her friends, she ended up in the emergency room. Her date went to prom without her. According to Kathy Ho, a Palo Alto Unified School District teacher at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital school, Arianna had been a “regular customer” at the schooling facilities provided by the hospital for its younger patients: a student who came back to the hospital regularly because of chronic need of treatment. LPCH school is part of the PAUSD and aims to maintain the patients’ level of education as they undergo treatment, often for very serious ailments. The school also tries to keep as natural an atomosphere as possible for the children who attend. “One of the missions of our school is to provide as normal a childhood experience as possible for kids who are in a really traumatic period in their lives,” Ho says. “One of the things we realized the kids were missing out on is prom. We have a lot of kids that are very, very sick and it’s really the last opportunity that they’ll have to have something like that.” So, seven years ago, the hospital school planned its first hospital prom, Ariana’s story having set the planning into motion. She was able to attend her first prom, only this time, it was held on the third level of LPCH, among the white

boards and IVs of the hospital school classrooms. In first years, prom was held upstairs in the classrooms, but it soon outgrew the locale and in 2008 , was moved to the cafeteria. “It got to be a really big thing,” Ho says. “There were people that weren’t even students here. They were just people in the hospital, who wanted to come, so we ended up moving it downstairs [to the cafeteria].” Setting Up But with a bigger space came the need for more planning. Because the cafeteria is needed daily, the hospital is only able to clear it out at 2:30 p.m. on the day of, and prom begins promptly at 6 p.m., so all the decorations must be put up in the three and a half hours allotted. “It is hectic and it is hard,” Ho says. “We are definitely decorating until 5:59 p.m.” Teachers rely on a lot of outside volunteer help to make the cafeteria unrecognizable to the students who eat there every day. Last year, Dreamworks Studios stepped in to help with designing and building the decor of the prom: “Passport to Adventure.” The hallways leading to the cafeteria were transformed into a walkway of flags and monuments of all countries. Attendees had to go through ‘customs.’ Masks used during the filming of the Dreamworks movie Madagascar could be found hanging on walls around the cafeteria. Party and Play But prom planning goes beyond just a DJ and a dancefloor. Special considerations must be made for those who cannot

freely move around. “Not all of our kids are ambulatory,” Ho says. “Some of them are in wheelchairs, some of them have IV poles, not all the kids can dance, so we thought, ‘We want to have something else for the younger kids and for the kids who can’t get up and dance.” Dreamworks artists helped decorate the backdrop of carnival game booths placed at the back of the cafeteria, and every year a casino company comes to lead card games. And huddled around the tables and dance floor are highschoolers and fourth graders alike. There is no minimum age for attending hospital prom. “A lot of our kids who are younger are never going to get the opportunity to go to a prom,” Ho says. “They’re sick and this is their chance to do it.” And the age differences don’t seem to bother attendees. “Cute little kindergartener boys show up in their tuxes and they’re the most adorable thing in the world,” Palo Alto High School junior Lindsay Sapigao, who has attended hospital prom twice. Getting Invited The only way to make it onto the invite list is to have attended hospital school at least once during the school year, and these invitations are coveted. One patient who knew of hospital prom chose to sign up for school while visiting for a day-long treatment to ensure that her name made the list. Another patient from Arizona purposefully schedules her check-up appointment for weekend of hospital prom, so as to be in town and able to attend, according to Ho. “We’ve had kids who have had heart

transplants and just a week later they’ll come to prom,” Ho says. “They are dressed in a prom dress and they might have nurses following them along, but you can just tell, looking at their faces, that they’re really forgetting about treatment, forgetting that they’ve been on their beds for the past two months; now is their chance to just be a kid.” The positive response from the attendees makes the huge amounts of time and resources that go into planning this massive party worth it. “It’s really nice to have everyone that’s been in the school that year come together and realize that there are fun things that are out there. We really wanted to have them forget the fact that they were sick, about the fact that they were in that hospital.” This year, hospital prom will take place on June 1, from 6-9 p.m. in the LPCH cafeteria. Approximately 200 attendees will arrive to surf the fun wave with its “Mysteries of the Deep” theme. And every prom and opportunity to have fun counts. “We’ve had kids die the summer after prom, some pretty close to when prom was,” Ho says. “And so being able to put on something like prom and giving them the experience of having that kind of fun, it just makes it worth it.” v

april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

A “I D H D “ and M e

f I don’t have my prescription on me, but I have my drugs, it’s a felony, Calvin says. He sways back and forth as he talks, and his heavily lidded eyes wander, never resting on one thing for more than a second. He fidgets, twisting to finally looking me in the eye, and reiterates:

”

My prescribed daily dose is a felony.

Text by LISIE SABBAG Photo Illustration by HALEY FARMER and SPENCER CARLSON

34 verde magazine

A Lucrative Buisness Calvin, whose real name is being withheld to protect his identity, is one of the many students currently diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and one of the hundreds across America diagnosed in 2002 when ADHD became mainstream, eventually heading to epidemic proportions. But he is one of the few on campus who has taken advantage of his situation. Being given so much Adderall, the limit of what can legally be prescribed, Calvin has taken his highly in demand prescription drugs and made a business out of it, selling it to fellow students. “Around finals I made $1,500 between winter break and finals,” he says. Adderall is the stimulant medication Calvin takes to deal with his ADHD. His insurance pays for it, so Calvin refills his prescription at the pharmacy as often as possible. His doctors are supposed to keep track of daily regulations, and stop signing for refills when a patient is taking more than is healthy. But Calvin says that’s not the case. He gets his prescription refilled enough to serve not just him, but a whole community. “When I was in 6th grade I used to sell it exclusively to friends,” Calvin says. “When I came to high school upperclassmen started to buy from me … and recently it’s the Foothill students who buy from me. All the time.” Glen Elliot is the chief psychiatrist and medical director at the Children’s Health Council centered in Palo Alto, says Adderall’s effects on someone without ADHD, who is only taking it once in a while to cram for tests like most of Calvin’s customers, “is not apt to be harmful to anyone, but also not apt to be helpful for someone without ADHD” Calvin says their reaction to the drug is much similar to his own. “People who take it once in a while get to the same point I am when I take it,” he says. “But I feel like they have a hyper focus to it, just because they’re not used to being in that state.” Calvin realizes the risks are high, especially for him with the amount that he sells. He has already been caught by his parents, but he takes precautions like not freely giving out his real name, and persists in his lucrative business. “It’s worth it to sell,” Calvin says. “But I know that at some point someone is going to have to be made an example of … and I’m just trying to make sure that someone is not me.”

Students take advantage o

All about ADHD Taking Control Whether we see it or not, ADHD and the drugs used to I’m pretty clean-cut,” says Abby, a senior whose real name treat it take an active role behind the scenes at Paly. Adderall has is being withheld to protect her identity, says. “Except when it become a constant of living at Paly, relied on by many kinds of comes to Ritalin.” students, from people who say they need it just to simply focus Unlike her friends, who started to party hard the minute to those who want it for that better quiz grade. they hit high school, Abby says she likes to stay away from Many students have felt that fuzzy, out of focus feeling durdrugs and alcohol, even in social situations. ing a boring lecture or while doing homework, but for these stu“I just like to be in control,” she says. “At my first high dents, it is more than that. ADHD makes the simplest tasks just school party I saw how ridiculous every one was being, and I that much harder, and according to the latest Verde survey, just was just like ‘Nope. That’s not for you, honey.’” under 15 percent of Paly students are diagnosed with it. But during her sophomore year, right around finals time, Junior Julia Rubinov describes her ADHD as “just really Abby decided to break her own rules and take some of her frustrating”. friend’s Ritalin. Ritalin, “It feels like there are 5 different people in your head all “Right now, this is like Adderall, is a stimthinking of different things,” she says. whats important, ulant to help improve ADHD is a neurologically based learning disorder that concentration. And in the last ten years has become one of the most well-known and if Ritalin is what like Adderall, when the makes it happen, dosage is decreased or childhood psychological problems. ADHD can be characterokay, I’ll do it.” ized by four symptoms: hyperactivity, impulsivity, distractibility completely cut off, the and inattentiveness. The different types of ADHD like attention —Abby user goes through a deficit/ hyperactivity disorder are differentiated by which charwithdrawal. acteristic is predominant. “After 42 hours without any I start to get twitchy,” she says. For that 15 percent diagnosed, focus isn’t something they can “I’ve made myself need it.” just turn on or off. Elliot says many people experience ADHD Now, two years later, Abby buys 560 mg of Ritalin from symptoms all the time, especially when faced with something her dealer every Sunday, enough to keep her wired on 80 mg boring like physa day, seven days a week. She has never been diagnosed with ics homework, but “It feels like there are ADHD or any learning disability. She has held a 4.3 grade they’re mild in 5 different people in point average all year, but can hardly keep her weight at 100 comparison to what your head all thinking pounds because of the medication’s side effects. people actually di“I stop eating and sleeping, but it’s totally worth it” she agnosed have to of different things.” says. “Some people don’t quite understand that if I can get —junior Julia Rubinov through deal with. Paly with my 4.0, I’ll have time to sleep or do whatever “All of us lose later. Right now, this is what’s important, and if Ritalin is what things occasionally,” Elliot says, speaking for himself and the makes it happen, okay, I’ll do it.” non-ADHD diagnosed community. “But few teenagers lose While Abby thinks the trade-off is fine, her loved ones their smart phone on a weekly basis or “always” forget to turn in don’t. She has told only a few people about her habit, but after homework they slaved over the night before. We look for a patmonths of concern for her fading friend, a classmate made it tern, not only in the moment, but also over time.” her business to find out exactly what was going on. When these symptoms reach an extreme, doctors turn to “I guess I wasn’t being very careful, because medication to help students keep up. she just found that stuff in my bag,” Abby says. “If the amount of effort required from others grows too “I was scared out of my ... mind. She was all great or the child is beginning to fail in various areas ... then it ‘If you don’t control this, I’m going to tell may be time to consider using medications,” Elliot says. He says your parents.’” areas where those with ADHD tend to slip up are in school, peer All Abby could think about was and home relationships and their self esteem. whether any colleges would accept her if Though Adderall is not a magic pill that will allow people she were to get caught with illegal prescripto get everything done, it does allow people to handle ADHD tion drugs, and this made her realize she really symptoms like disorganization and distractabiliy much more was out of control. easily. “I can’t see myself stopping until at least But like any other medication, Adderall has side effects. after I’m out of school,” Abby says. “Which These include a lessened appetite, headaches, anxiety, headaches, is scary because I’ve always been proud of insomnia and a whole host of other undesireable symptoms. myself for staying in control of my body and Many find that that the cons to taking Adderall outweigh the not smoking or drinking.” pros, and opt out. Abby recently decided to cut down “We tried this so many times with different pills and patchher daily intake to 40 mg a day. Her grades es,” 2011 Paly alumna, Carolyn Burt says. She spent most of her have dropped 7 percent, she has gained five days at Paly struggling with her ADHD “Often times I did not pounds, and is slowly taking control again. know what I was even on, and eventually we decided it would be “It’s hard to give up the benefits of best to not be on any at all.” Ritalin,” she says. “But its definitely for the better. ” v

e of A.D.H.D. medications, for better or worse 35 april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

GETTING ART

CREDITED

Text and Photography by JACQUELINE WOO

Teacher aims to give art students credits they deserve

Elani Gitterman

enior Allen Lee stares intently at the blank paper in front of him. He prepares to draw an elderly dog, first sketching an outline. He sits in a room with drawings and paintings covering the walls, while the tables and counters are filled with sculptures. This is the Palo Alto High School art room — every year, hundreds of students come here to explore art and take one of the many art classes. Lee is one of many Paly students who wanted to take Painting and Drawing 3, an art class taught by Kate McKenzie, but was unable to because the class does not offer Career Tech Education credits, more commonly known as CTE credits. CTE credits are necessary to graduate Paly and can be fulfilled by certain taking art, computer, or other career-related classes. Paly students are required to have at least 10 credits, which would equal a year’s worth of taking classes. Because Lee had not yet completed his Career Tech Ed credits his senior year, he had to take another class that offered CTE

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credits rather than taking Painting and Drawing 3. McKenzie has been taking steps to get Painting and Drawing 3 the CTE credits she believes her students deserve. “What I would like to do is to allow students who are very serious about art CTE credit so they can take four years of art,” McKenzie says. This group of students consists of those who have been studying art for many years and want to become professional artists like Lee. As of now, there are no 2D Visual Art classes that develop art skills and offer CTE. One art class that does, however, is the 3D visual art class ceramics. Although students have this option, many do not take this class because they prefer painting over sculpting, according to Lee. Many students are limited in their schedule and cannot take drawing and painting because of the required CTE credits necessary to graduate from Paly and to attend UCs or CSUs. Lee can relate to this predicament.

Paly teacher Kate McKenzie watches over student Jessica Palmer as Palmer sketches.

e Jessica Palmer “I had to take two years of language to meet graduation requirements for UCs and CSUs and one more recommended year, which limited my electives space,” Lee says. “Personally, it is extremely difficult juggling schoolwork, art outside school, and extra curriculars.” Lee says that having an art class with state CTE credits would lessen his workload since it would fulfill his 10 CTE credits. He could spend time doing what he loves rather than spending his electives space on an extra class like language just to fulfill graduation requirements. McKenzie is motivated to get CTE credits because the class already fulfills the majority of the state requirements needed to give credit. “The state has an art class that they define as Career-Tech and it’s a portfolio development class. The third year class [Painting and Drawing 3] is also a portfolio development class,” McKenzie says. According to McKenzie, Painting and Drawing 3 fits the same standards as the state class in terms of the specific requirements. Elani Gitterman, a junior who wants to take this class, has reasons why the class deserves UC and CSU CTE credit. “Compared to other classes that do get credit, Art and Painting 3 has just as much work so it would be just as deserving” Gitterman says. McKenzie says she has followed a long, sometimes tedious process towards get-

“I felt as if I had to fight hard for those students [who love art].” — art teacher KATE MCKENZIE

ting the class approved for CTE credit. She first correlated the class to the 11 state standards for CTE credit, changing aspects of the class to make room for what she would be required to cover. She then had to make a presentation of the projects she has her students do and relate them to the state requirements to showcase to the district board. The presentation addressed all the standards of the state that Paint and Drawing 3 already fulfills. It also included student work. She presented this to the Palo Alto School District Steering Committee in charge of class credits, which she believes was initially taken aback by the quality of the artwork.

Fortunately, the district approved her proposal, so McKenzie has now moved on to appealing to the state. “The district has approved it, but I can’t give the class CT [CTE] credits until the state approves it, and they’re [the district] trying to get approval from the state right now,” McKenzie says. With high hopes, McKenzie will continue to push for CTE credits for the Painting and Drawing class. Her goal is to have the credits available for the class next year. “I felt as if I had to fight hard for those students [who wanted to approach art professionally,” McKenzie says. v april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

A community for those in crisis Planned renovations of the Ronald McDonald House will open its doors to more patients at Lucille Packard Text and Photography by ANA CARANO

ou should probably wear sunglasses while walking into the Ronald McDonald House. It’s not the sunlight that streams into the hallway which is so bright, but instead the small play area it illuminates. The entire space is daubed with primary colors, from the red, yellow, and blue lightpost to the the green of the wooden painted train tracks. Hanging from the ceiling is a set of c auter-

wauling figures, all yellow and pink and purple. This opening hallway, although small, reflects the philosophy of the Ronald McDonald house, one branch of an international organization founded

by McDonald’s Restaurant that houses, for a nominal cost, families of patients receiving long-term hospital treatment. The House provides a valuable residential alternative to some families, who otherwise would have to stay for days to months at a time in far away and expensive hotels. The catch: currently, the House only has 47 guest rooms, so 30 to 40 families are turned away daily. “There has not been one day this house is not filled,” volunteer Janine Piazza says. When bigger is better However, the House is looking to expand by constructing an new building on the grounds. This development, which has been planned for the past six years, was approved on February 13 of this year. After securing a building permit, the House hopes to complete construction by 2014. Renovations will add a new meditation garden bridging the twobuildings and feature a section that can be closed off for patients with extreme immune system issues. The

HOPING FOR HEALTHY AND HAPPY The Ronald McDonald House uses volunteers and a lively setting to brighten the lives of its residents, whose families are patients at the Lucille Packard Hospital.

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SEE THE SUN The Ronald McDonald House offers many opportunities for children to play, including this playset located in the backyard

“It was kind of amazing to have them gather around, and celebrate life instead of focusing on being sick.” —Ronald McDonald House volunteer ZILLAH GLORY House is adopting other smaller changes from other branches. A new teen program is currently being planned with the Teen Arts Council. Along with the teens of the House, the Council is tentatively planning on helping design, paint, and build the new teen center, according to Gunn sophomore and Teen Arts Council member Sivan Spector. In the end, the House’s ultimate goal of these renovations is expansion instead of change. Location, Location, Location The organization tries to offer more than just living space in many way,s especially its dedication to design. Throughout the first floor are spaces to live and work, including a computer lab that lends out cameras and allows families to communicate with their friends back home. “Just walking through the house there’s art everywhere and there’s play everywhere,” volunteer and Gunn se-

nior Fiona Flynn says. “I would feel like it would be a huge comfort to not only have your own room but all the things you would have in your home life that you can’t be at right now.” Common areas are exhaustively decorated with colorful paintings and cheerful photos of recovering patients. Additionally, each room has some vestige of nature, from a potted plant to a fishbowl, and televisions are only found in the brightly colored common rooms to prevent isolation. These common rooms also allow interaction between families, one way the House tries to build a sense of community. “Families can support each other with large family areas,” Piazza says. “That’s all I see, families talking.” It takes a village The House also focuses on community service. “[Volunteerism] really brings a sense

of community into the house,” Lyons says. One volunteer is Paly sophomore Carly King, who, with the Teen Arts Council, performs plays for the patients. “I got to spend an hour reading with a two-year-old” King says. ” [Spending time with her] was one of the most adorable and heart-warming things I’ve ever seen.” Flynn was also impressed. “They have cooking classes, art classes, which I think is really important because if you’re a kid you’re not going to school, you’re not with your friends,” Flynn says. “Anything that combats kids’ boredom just gives the place a really positive and upbeat feel.” Now, with renovations, more people can experience the place witnessed by volunteer Zillah Glory, the director of the Teen Arts Council. “It was kind of amazing to have them gather around, and celebrate life instead of focusing on being sick.” v april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

g a M

n o i t c e n n o C l a c i

Text by JESSICA JIN Photography by CHARU SRINAVASTA

Friends of the Magical Bridge Playground group seeks to provide equal recreation access

ENVISIONING CHANGE Olenka Villarreal, right, with her daughter, Ava, gazing out from the Magical Bridge in Mitchell Park

ith deep-set eyes and an intense gaze, nine-yearold Ava Villarreal looks to the winding wooden slides and raised platforms in Mitchell Park, but these structures were not built for her. Villarreal, who has an undiagnosed developmental disability, trips on a platform, on which illustrated tiles explain the history and function of Adobe Creek. Her mother Olenka Villarreal, vice president of Friends of Palo Alto Parks, hurries to her side and helps her up. She pulls her daughter onto her lap before rising and stepping onto a bridge that crosses that same creek, calling her daughter to follow. To most eyes, that bridge, which spans Adobe Creek in Mitchell Park, appears

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a dilapidated, wooden structure; serving a utilitarian purpose at best. Paint peels from the arching handrails, and the boards creak slightly as people make their way across. But Villarreal envisions the bridge as a “magical” connection between those with and without a variety of special needs, including wheel-chair usage, autism, sensory issues, and other developmental challenges. Villarreal and the organization she founded, Friends of the Magical Bridge, are developing a “100 percent universally-accessible playground,” to be built beneath the dense canopy on the bridge’s other end. “We aim to create a magical, whimsical place, a place where people come from all over to play,” Villarreal says. Accessible play structures are a rar-

ity in the area. According to Villarreal, not a single playground in the Bay Area is fully ADA compliant. The inexpensive sand and wood chips that most recognize as hallmarks of the childhood play experience are inaccessible surfaces to wheelchairs, and those who struggle with mobility often trip and fall on them. If Villarreal wished to take her daughter to a place that was ADA compliant, she would have to drive to Fremont or Danville. Villarreal proposed the Magical Bridge project in 2007, after discovering the difficulties Ava, and thousands of other children and parents with disabilities in the city, face. To provide Ava’s needed recreation, Villarreal drives to Cupertino and pays for an $85, 45-minute swinging session each week.

Inspired by her own journey and the plight of families like her own, Villarreal is determined to provide equal play access to the disabled community, which she calls the “forgotten group” of Palo Alto. “We’ve been at it for about two years, and during that time we’ve really been good about getting the word out, letting the city know that we really need a playground like this,” Villarreal says. “In the last six months, the city has really taken a strong leadership role, in that they’ve given our project $300,000 that wasn’t there before.” Recently, the city assigned Royston Hanamoto Alley & Abbey, an architecture firm, to the project, and the Friends are now designing a facility that provides for the interests of people of all genera-

tions and accommodates for the needs of people with mental, physical, and developmental special needs. Though the project has faced little direct opposition, some denizens of the area did vocalize concerns regarding the design of the playground and how it will impact bike paths in the park. “Our primary access should be planned to be safe and convenient just as the access that is being planned for those who will come by car less frequently from other places,” community member Penny Ellson says. Many of the future path users will be elementary and middle schoolers, she notes, and it’s important to make the path safe for and appealing to them. Ellson is in full support of the concept, of the playground, however, and appreciates that in Palo Alto, community involvement is encouraged and the design process involves taking into account the views of Palo Alto citizens. “I hope that designers and project supporters and other park users will engage with each other to ensure that this new public space serves us all,”she says. Among those in Palo Alto who would likely take advantage of the park is Connie Luo. At 18, Luo, who has Smith-Magenis Syndrome, is too old to benefit directly from the park’s structures. But Charlene Liao, her mother, believes Luo may be able to benefit from the playground by serving as a baby-sitter for the other kids. “Connie likes to think of herself as a child, but we want her to start thinking of herself as an adult,” Liao says. According to Liao, the Palo Alto community has welcomed her daughter in unexpected and touching ways. On one occasion when Liao took Luo tricycling to Safeway, she forgot the lock at home. Intending to encourage her independence, she told Luo to go buy the yogurts herself while she watched the tricycle, supplying her daughter with enough money for two yogurts. But Luo emerged with four bright containers of creamy yogurt. Turns out, the cashier had paid for the extra two with his own employee discounts. “People are very kind and accommodating to her,” Liao says. “But I still want to teach her to purchase only what her

money can buy,” she adds, laughing. Still, Liao notes that disabled people are often kept indoors, and the responsibility of caring for then falls almost exclusively on their families. As an example, she cites her personal experiences with her daughter, whose leg braces inconvenience transportation to the YMCA, and whose recreational needs often requires Liao or her husband, who both work fulltime, to take Luo to Mountain View or Cupertino. “We give up if it’s too far,” Liao says. “It’s inconvenient, especially if both parents are working.” The park will change that. It will help disabled people feel welcome outside of their homes, Liao says. “It will help people be aware that our community is a very diverse community and we value the perspectives from people with disabilities,” Liao says. “That we welcome them in broad daylight in our parks, our life.” But the park won’t be a place exclusively for disabled people; it will be a place where people of all abilities can meet and play. Because of this, it will serve another function as well. “It will allow them to be more openminded, and when they come across people who are different, they are going to respond favorably and know that they can smile at somebody or talk to them or playing with them,” Villarreal says. “Just because they’re [disabled], doesn’t mean they should be avoided.” The Magical Playground group is currently in the midst of finalizing its envisioned floorplan, but it plans on including safe, secure swings, which are crucial to development, and slightly adjusted slides and other familiar play structures. PAUSD Special Education Director Holly Wade has high hopes for the playground and its potential to change the face of Palo Alto. “Here’s an opportunity to make this community one where everyone is [recognized] for their individuality, for their talents and personal qualities,” Wade says. “We tend to marginalize people with disabilities, but really, we can learn a lot about ourselves by working with people with disabilities.” v april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to spare Lower than expected rainfall prompts water conservation Text, Photography and Art by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

very morning, my 75 year old grandmother, Lalit Saraya, pulls herself out of bed at 5:30 a.m. The rising sun streams through her open window, casting a mellow glow in the whole room. Still drowsy, she heads into the kitchen and pushes a button to switch on the water pump. With a sputter, the pump comes to life as a whirring sound reverberates through the tiny kitchen. She turns on the electric kettle to brew a fresh pot of red label tea. She hopes the power will not go out today. “No power, then no pump, and no water,” granny Saraya says. In New Delhi, India, households that receive municipal water supply need to pump water in the morning and evening to assure that adequate water reaches their overhead storage tanks. “In the morning if we don’t pump, the water will finish,” my grandmother says.

In Palo Alto Seven thousand seven hundred miles away, the San Francisquito creek in Palo Alto gushes towards the Bay. Despite the influx in rain recently, we have received less rainfall than previous years. The reservoirs are 42 percent full from the heavy rains last year, so we will not have any water restrictions this summer, according to Teresa Alvarado, spokeswoman of the Santa Claraa Water District. However, she says if we continue to have low rainfall successively, it could become a problem. Many Palo Alto residents cannot envision a day without abundant water running through their pipes. “Sometimes, problems aren’t real for folks until they experience it for themselves,” Palo Alto High School principal Phil Winston says. Paly graduate Ava Dordi agrees. “A lot of people here take water for granted,” Dordi says. “People take long

showers without realizing how much water they are wasting.” Palo Alto receives its water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), according to Palo Alto Utilities representative Renee Ruiz. SFPUC stores its water at the Hetch Hetchy reservoir and has been granted a filtration exemption from the state. In other words, the source, the Tulomine river, is so clean that the SFPUC is not even required to filter the water in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.

RAINY DAYS Seniors Uma Veerapan and Tanvi Varma review for a test on one of the few rainy days this year.

WATER THIS 1 billion 42

without people living g water clean drinkin

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900

children d ie from wa te born dise ases ever y r day

1000

to grow liters needed of wheat one kilogram

“Sometimes problems aren’t real for folks until they experience it for themselves.” — Principal PHIL WINSTON Around the world

The World Bank reports that 80 countries now have water shortages that threaten health and economies, while 40 percent of the world does not have access to clean water. Often water is not potable even if it is available in bountiful amounts. “I lived in Angola, Africa for six years,” junior Jacob Sinton says. “The water always had a brownish tint. Angola has a lot of clean water... but quite frequently, a lot of stuff was washed in the rivers: clothes, pots. There wasn’t really a water shortage, but [the water] wasn’t always clean.” When visiting the Philippines, junior Evangelina Din lives in an affluent gated community and always has plenty of water. However, Din says, “We

try to preserve as much water as we can. Everyone takes baths in the same way there...we fill up water in a bucket and pour it on ourselves with mugs. We have showers, but we don’t use them as they waste more water.” Efforts to conserve water More organizations have become involved in water conservation recently. In 2007, the Palo Alto Rotary Club participated in a water harvesting project in India. The goal of the project was to create structures to collect the rain during the monsoon months and store it for the rest of the year. “The villagers would build dams and ponds,” club member Geoff Ziman says. “The water circulated from the pond to their wells underground. It would get purified in the soil and then they could drink it”. Even though the club members did not assist in the water project directly, they provided financial aid for materials like bricks and mortar. The Rotary Club plans to continue funding wells, water harvesting projects and more, in countries that have water shortages. In the future In the New Deli down the street, Saraya judiciously uses her water, making sure to save enough for the whole day. While global organizations are giving aid to countries with water shortages, such as India, it is important for everyone to conserve water. Even though we will not have water restrictions this summer, water conservation makes sense in case of a not-sounlikely drought in the future (based on the low amount of rain received this year). Check out some simple ways to save water everyday. After all, water is the essence of life. v

DROPS OF WISDOM Do not leave water running while washing dishes. Saves 200-500 gallons a month. Fix all leaks. Saves 400 gallons a month.

Water plants during early morning or dusk. Saves 300 gallons each time. Do not water plants in the rain. Saves up to 300 gallons each time. Turn off tap while brushing or shaving. Saves 90 gallons each month.

Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012 Source: World Water Council, 2010

350

liters con sumed ev er y per person in North A day merica

200

med every liters consu n in Europe day per perso

liters con sumed e ver day per pe rson in A y frica april 2012

[CULTURE]

MEME GUSTA New Facebook page uses memes to battle stress Art and text by TIN NGUYEN

ilence and darkness; not a a [English teacher Julia] Taylor World sound to be heard and not Classics essay on Oedipus that everyone a sight to be seen. As senior was putting off until the last minute,” Heather Gaya recalls, the only Gaya says. “We were all sitting around light came from a dimly lit feeling completely confused about the escomputer in her pitch-black room. say, so someone decided to post the meme The first English essay of the se- as a joke and it grew in popularity.” mester loomed malevolently and she Since Feb. 12, the increasingly popwas clueless as to how to start it. Gaya ular Paly Memes page, devoted to hustruggled against the forces of sleep and confusion alike until she logged into Facebook, saw a post from a classmate, featuring Patrick the Star nailing a wooden cock to his head, captioned, “Paper due in 12 hours, I have no idea what I’m doing.” Over the course of the — junior CHRISTINA CHEN following hours, that picture — the synthesis of late night Facebook morous pictures and captions cenetered and Internet memes — had garnered around memes, or a picture or phrase that 178 likes and given countless students has grown in popularity through the inlike Gaya a good laugh amid overbearing ternet, relevant to student life, on Facestress and work. book has served as a comprehensive store“Someone adapted it [the picture] house of similar images. for the Paly Memes page as a tribute to “I’ve been making memes ever since

they came into being on Facebook and Tumblr,” Gaya says. “I’ve written about five or six memes so far, mostly about small irritations that happened earlier in the day.” Although the page began with submissions mostly from its own administrators, the page now mostly runs itself through the humorous postings of contributors of all grades. Today, the Facebook page is liked by 835 people. “When we published the first few memes, we knew it had potential,” says a page admin, who chooses to remain anonymous to emphasize that the page is a product of the student community and not a single individual. “It got a lot of likes, so we stepped back and let it run itself.” The page was inspired by college meme pages at Stanford University, UC Berkeley and elsewhere. Paly’s meme page was founded independently in their spirit and many schools in the area were soon to

“It brings attention to the little things in our daily lives.”

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follow suit. er people can relate to without having to “Gunn happened five hours after- explain a gigantic backstory,” Gaya says. ward and Los Altos set one up a day after “It’s nice to know that other people have that,” another admin says. “There’s a bit of the same sorts of experiences as I do, and friendly rivalry.” making memes is an easy way to share However far they such experiences.” spread, school meme The Facebook pages have brought page allows posters out the abundance and readers alike to of humor lurking in notice the subtler joys school, ultimately in school life, bringbringing laughs and ing students together. preventing rage faces. “It’s awesome “Paly has a lack because it brings atof an outlet of funtention to the little ny things to laugh things in our daily about,” an admin says. lives and makes them “The page is a good hilarious,” says junior outlet for students to Christina Chen, who cope by making fun of visits and enjoys the — PALY MEMES ADMINISTRATOR things and bringing page occasionally depeople together.” spite not having subSince taking on a more passive role in mitted a meme. the page, the admins have stopped postEven the school administration acing memes and begun to only regulate the knowledges the addictive nature of the page by deleting offensive posts in order page. to keep the page tasteful. “People have too much time nowa“As an anonymous page, we try to days,” principal Phil Winston says. “We keep it unoffensive,” an admin says. really need to give them more homework.” While assistant principal Jerry BerkOf course, not all are completely satson approves of the harmlessness of the isfied with all of the page’s contents. page, he also acknowledges the potential “There are some that are really good,” for libel or bullying. junior Michelle Lam says. “But there are “Looks like good, some that aren’t funny clean fun,” Berkson or entertaining to says. “But when you read.” make it personal, In addition, other that’s when you run students criticize Paly into a problem.” Meme’s relative unHowever, Berkfaithfulness to its own son also admits that moniker. the school adminis“I don’t undertration has no jurisstand the popularity diction over the Faceof [the page],” says sebook page. nior Matthew Miller. “If something “Half of the jokes happens outside of aren’t even memes school, there’s noth- — PALY MEMES ADMINISTRATOR and it only updates ing we can do about once around every it,” Berkson says. three days; it was a As a result of the lack of offensive one time thing.” material, many students of all grades find Whether you believe in its humor or the page relaxing and entertaining, both not, users say its charming take on school to read and to submit. imbues a sense of delight into school days, “I enjoy making memes because they begging the question: Y U NO WRITE express small frustrations or joys that oth- YOUR OWN MEMES? v

“When we published the first few memes, we knew it had potential.”

“The page is a good outlet for students to cope by making fun of things.”

VERDE’S GUIDE TO MEMES

Some popular memes, their meaning, and where they come from:

TROLL FACE The infamous troll face reached fame in 4chan, a popular imageboard; it now is a sign of intentionally angering others or creating mischief.

Y U NO GUY Originating in a Japanese manga, this image was first used as a meme on Tumblr. The caption always follows the format “(noun), Y U NO (verb).”

ME GUSTA Meaning “I like it” in Spanish, the face acompanies disturbing or awkward events. It spread in popularity on Reddit, a social news site.

april 2012

[ CULTURE ]

Board no more

Five board games to make rainy weekends less boring Text and Photography by SPENCER CARLSON

ith all of these rainy days, students often find themselves confined to the indoors on weekends. When hours of studying begin to blur together, students can take breaks and play games to intersperse some fun with the monotony of homework.

Spot it

Strategy: 1 Luck Factor: 2 Quickness: 5 Suggested Age: 6+ Number of players: 2-8 Length: 1+ minutes Similar Games: Blink Spot it is a lighting-paced game that children who are sick of losing to their parents in family games of Monopoly ought to try. With a single deck of cards, players can play several distinct games that all involve frantically attempting to match colorful symbols on circular cards before others do. One round can be completed in less than a minute, but this game can be played for a half an hour or more before participants become bored.

Bananagrams

Strategy: 2 Luck Factor: 3 Quickness: 4 Suggested Age: 7+ Number of players: 2-8 Length: 10-15 minutes Similar Games: Scrabble, Boggle Love portable word games, but don’t have an iPhone to play “Words With Friends”? Bananagrams is the game for you. A twist on classic games like Scrabble, Bananagrams incorporates a time crunch to get players thinking quickly in the race to get to the bottom of the draw pile. Each player creates a crossword with the tiles he or she draws. The first player to play all of his or her tiles, wins. The beauty of Bananagrams is its simplicity, which allows players to elect to play with whatever contrived set of rules they choose.

Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Board Game Strategy: 3 Luck Factor: 3 Quickness: 1 Suggested Age: 12+ Number of players: 2-6 Length: 60-90 minutes Similar Games: Clue, Monopoly

In this complex board game, players take sides in the fight between Heroes and Zombies to determine who will rule the post-apocalyptic land. Players learn the strengths and weaknesses of their characters, and master the many steps of each turn, which can include fighting zombies, collecting weapons, and moving around the board. Zombies and heroes seek each other out to destroy each other before the other side grows too powerful. The game even comes with its very own creepy soundtrack CD. The winner is decided based on whether enough zombies are killed before the sun goes down.

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Settlers of Catan

Strategy: 5 Luck Factor: 2 Quickness: 1 Suggested Age: 10+ Number of Players: 3-4 Length: 1-2 hours Similar Games: Risk, your APUSH homework This game is a fierce struggle for resources in which players race to develop a network of settlements while overrunning those of other players. Don’t play it with anyone you really love, because this game will seriously endanger your relationships. Highly intelligent and competitive players will love postulating about their opponents’ weaknesses in Settlers of Catan, and if they get bored, they can try one of the many expansion packs that add additional levels of complexity to the game.

What’s your favorite board game? “Sorry was pretty cool. I would say Sorry.”

--senior Gabriel Landa

“Monopoly. It teaches you good economic values.”

-- sophomore Jonathan Mackris

“Go ... it’s the hardest board game.”

--junior Jeffrey Yen

Cards Against Humanity

Strategy: 1 Luck Factor: 2 Quickness: 2 Suggested Age: 17+ Number of Players: 4-20+ Length: 30-90 minutes Similar Games: Apples to Apples Imagine Apples to Apples, but highly innappropriate. That is Cards Against Humanity. This game poses a question in the form of a sentence with one word blanked out, and allows each player to answer with any of his or her 10 cards. Then, the “Card Czar” determines the most wickedly hilarious combination and reads it aloud. Unlike other gag games of this type, it does not get old after five minutes. Just a warning, though: this game is “recommended for people 17+” for a reason. It can be incredibly offensive and should only be played by those who can take an inappropriate joke in stride. v

“Labyrinth ... it’s really fun and it’s not common in America.”

--junior Claire Marchon

“[Cranium] Conga ... it’s a lot like charades, but you also use Play-Doh.”

-- junior Helen Cane

april 2012

DRUM LESSONS

Roger Kidd 650.450.3469 rogkidd@gmail.com

verde magazine

L y d a L

E D U D

like a

ady

like a

The Bay Area’s female drag queens take gender-bending to a whole new level

or that rare but oh-so-fierce breed of guy who aches to unleash his inner diva, drag has always been the perfect pinnacle from which to let his freak flag fly. The process is simple: enter a boy, and (with a little help from glitter, padding, and nine inch platform heels) emerge a gorgeous demigoddess ready to lipsync her way to stage (and world) domination. But for every lucky boy strutting the path to queendom, there is a girl left floundering in the outskirts of boring, stifling, Normalville, USA, because convention states that to be a drag queen, you have to have the (padded) hips of Beyonce but the jawline of Superman. But fear not, ladies! As it turns out, anyone who wants to be a drag queen, can, be they man, woman, or unrestricted by the gender binary, and three lovely Bay Area-based faux drag queens —Monique Jenkinson (a.k.a. Fauxnique), Maryam Rostami (a.k.a. Mona G. Hawd) and trixxie carr (the

1st eyes and lips: Molly Coudreaux 2nd eyes: Michelle Blioux Boots: Emi Stanley

Text by EVELYN WANG Photography by JACQUELINE WOO and as credited

lowercase is an intentional stylistic decision) — have sashayed here to enlighten us further about a performance art form where fabulousness in selfexpression takes precedence over all else. Faux drag, also known as bio drag, female female impersonating, and female impersonator impersonating, is the art of drag queens as performed by a woman. The drag culture has become an essential and widely praised aspect of LGBTQQ culture and performance art communities all around the world, captivating pop culture with reality TV shows such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and events such as april 2012

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, r i a

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comparative bodily bulk, and misinformed preconceptions can add more glare than glamor to the traditionally male-dominated calling. “I remember a man came up to me once and he had been tipping every drag queen a lot,” carr says. “Then he made it a point to come up to me and go, ‘I’m not tipping you because you’re a woman.’ I was like ‘Touché, but thank you for paying my friends tonight.’” Faux queens, with bodies smaller and slenderer than their male counterparts, can also experience some costume trouble. carr, at 5 feet 1 inch, initially felt she had to overcompensate for her small stature. “I will wear 7.5 and sometimes even 8 inch heels, trying to get myself to the average height of a woman, because that way I don’t look like an eenie teenie Tinkerbell,” carr says. “If I’m standing next to a drag queen, she’s gonna look like a queen, and I’m gonna look like a girl. I don’t fight it so much anymore, but I used to kind of work harder to look a little bit bigger. Now I just try to look really really fierce.” Fierce as a faux queen may be, she can, and will, face discrimination from a public that suffers from misinformation. When I first pitched this story to the Verde staff, the overwhelming response was “A woman dressing up as a man dressing up as a woman? What’s the point?” “I don’t feel anymore like I’m dressing up as a man dressing up as a woman,”

.” n e

h u e h t r e e gg r th i b tte e “Interh be R T national Drag R “ e IE CA Day”, held in early Like the drag th TRIXX showsMarch. performed by male xi

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drag queens, faux drag acts can range anywhere from monologues to skits to musical numbers to lip-synced and panto-mimed political commentary. “It’s self expression,” carr says. “I think for me, and for most of the drag queens I know, there’s a freedom of expression that comes with building a character or wearing a mask, even if it’s a real mask. It’s you. It’s just another layer of you.” Sometimes, it can be a real drag The term “faux” itself is somewhat troublesome for the female drag queens who feel it puts them on a different level from the queens born biologically male. “I don’t normally say I’m faux,” Rostami says. “That’s because I’m real. Really real. There’s nothing faux about me.” Dubious terminology, however, is the least of the faux queens’ problems. Rude audience members, a lack of

Such criticism and discrimination is rare in the drag culture itself, because it is so tightly knit and supportive. “We place far too much importance on who’s wearing what, when, and why, and far too little importance on why communities are keeping together the way that they are,” carr says. “Why is the drag community so tight and why are the people in it so in love with each other? I have

That’s ‘cause I’m

REAL.

carr says. “I’m dressing up as a hyperpersona. Anyone who reduces it to appendages and anatomy probably doesn’t understand what this [drag] is to me and my people. It’s far deeper than that.” verde magazine

faux.

“I don’t normally say I’m

Maryam Rostami, courtesy of Cailin Holmes

Really real.” — MARYAM ROSTAMI

found a lot of love in that community and a lot of respect and that will always trump someone saying, ‘Why are you dressing up as a man dressing up as a woman?’” Jenkinson attributes the confusion

more mainstream venues, such as the De Young Museum and the SF Design Center. All of the tickets tend range upward of $75 but such is the price to pay to make an alternative art form more accepted by the highbrow crowd.

often experienced upon first encountering drag queens to a lack of exposure. “People really criticize before they know,” Jenkinson says. “Many people come up to me and say, ‘I was not sure about what you did until I saw you perform, and now I get it. I get that this drag queen is not dressed as a woman, but dressed as a drag queen.’ It’s the same for men and women, and when I explain it in that way, people start to understand.” It is, however, difficult to increase exposure when most drag shows take place at nightclubs and bars, due to drag’s underground nature and beginnings. I myself was unable to attend the ladies’ nightclub and bar performances because those venues do not admit under-21s, a problem the faux queens in Bay Area are trying hard to work around. “We’re really making an effort in San Francisco to bridge the gap between theater and drag so that people can see drag performances that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to see without going out to a nightclub,” carr says. All three queens have performed at

Taking the high femme road Because of, or perhaps in spite of, the misconceptions and discrimination surrounding female drag queens, some of them initially struggled with their own portrayal of drag. “When I first started doing it I did try to look male-ish,” carr says. “Eventually I was just like ‘People know i’m a faux queen, and there’s other amazing faux queens that are around me, like obviously not a big deal.” Jenkinson debunks the stereotype that all female drag queens are attempting to act male underneath their hyperfeminine stage persona. “There’s the idea that drag is always about passing,” Jenkinson says. “I’m not interested in the idea of passing. It kind of comes down to do I have an authentic right to participate in this community or in this form? Does it have to be a gay man participating in this form? No. I’m enough in that community that it’s really separate.” And having cast off the female-tomale-to-female restriction and misconception, faux queens are free to focus on more important aspects of their drag, such as political and cultural satire and performance art. Feminism is featured prominently in the political commentary of many faux queens. “I’m coming from a place of feminism,” Jenkinson says. “Many of my closest dearest friends are men who dress up in drag as women. An earlier generation of feminists actually thought that dressing up in drag was the equivalent of blackface. I don’t agree with that.”

of the fun. “It is guerilla style, it is DIY: do it yourself,” carr says. “ The way that every drag club I’ve known and that I’ve loved started with just a group of people who didn’t know where they were gonna perform. So they were like ‘Okay, we’re gonna pick a spot. We’re gonna pick a date. Everybody get ready: This is our stage, this is our show.’ Find like minds, make your own drag show. “ Outside of that, the only things necessary are talent, practice, and a natural inclination to dominate the stage. “I’ll say this: closely watch the queens you admire, and start dreaming,” Rostami says. “It’s a gorgeous and very supportive community we have in the Bay Area, and you will be able to find what you’re looking for and how best to show yourself to the world.” Of course, performing drag does take a lot of time commitment and the competition can be tough. But if you truly enjoy flaunting your inner Wonder Woman, the benefits far outweigh the costs. “Yes, it’s competitive,” Rostami admits. “But can you imagine being part of a fabulous world where glitter has more currency than gold, where fake lashes can bat your entire person into ecstasy, and where someone can give your battered heart an iota of hope in a dreary world? Just for one moment?” v

Drag-It-Yourself So now that we have a better understanding of faux queen culture and the challenges within, what next? What is the best way to summon your inner queen? How does one even begin? What if you have no connections whatsoever? That, according to carr, is just part

Monique Jenkinson, courtesy of Fontaine Weyman

april 2012

Thinking outside the (Asian) box New Asian fusion restaurant rolls into Town and Country Text and photography by HOLLIE KOOL and HANAKO GALLAGHER

s the sleek glass door opens, the smell of sizzling meats and steaming veggies wafts outside. Music blasts throughout the brightly lit room, the shiny wood floor gleaming on the way to place an order. One long wooden table runs down the center, surrounded by barstools upon which customers enjoy their cuisine. Asian Box, a new restaurant which opened in Town and Country Shopping Center on March 2, offers quick and healthy Asianinspired cuisine with a fusion of spices, sauces, vegetables and meats. The standard “box,” served in a compostable container, comes with the customer’s choice of rice, noodles, or veggie salad; a meat or tofu; and several different toppings and sauces. All of the dishes at Asian Box are gluten-free, organic, locally grown, and homemade. Although at first this premise may sound similar to that of other Town and Country restaurants, including Korean BBQ and Sushi House, both of which offer portable Asian cuisine, Asian Box CEO Frank Klein explains how his restaurant, which he created with business partner Chad Newton, sets itself apart. “There is a difference in creating fresh, wholesome, healthy food with a chef who used to work with world famous chef, Charles Phan, from Slanted Door,” Klein says. Grace Nguyen, who previously worked for Phan, is the executive chef at Asian Box. An experienced restaurateur, Klein recognized an opportunity for business in Palo Alto in fast casual dining. “This food is universal. I think we appeal to almost everyone, from kids your age who like healthy, quick, flavorful food, to a sophisticated palate ... to moms who want to give their kids healthy food, to people that don’t want to spend a ton of money and would rather pick up something quick.” We decided to explore this new healthy and fast addition to Paly’s gamut of meal options at Town and Country. Asian Box: Modern Asian cuisine made for takeout and people on the go. Price range: $10 or less Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Student specials? Yes!

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Box 1 ($7.25): Chicken, Asian Vegetable Salad, spiced vegetables, all eight Box Toppers, Tamarind Vinaigrette

Hot Box It ($0.50) For spicy food lovers, there is an option to “Hot Box It” with a homemade spicy red sauce made with fresh red chili peppers. Although our tolerance for fire is low, this option has a nice kick and adds yet another layer of spice.

Ju Th an jer pi ni

es,

Box 1 The chicken box is a perfect combination of salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy. Although we were doubtful that so many ingredients could make harmonious flavors, it was surprisingly scrumptious. Box Toppers are a variety of toppings to add to the box, including herbs, vegetables, lime, peanuts, shallots, oil, jalapeño, and bean sprouts — we added all of them. If you are looking for a exciting meal abundant with vibrant and varied textures and flavors, order this box. The grilled chicken is well cooked and tender, not greasy, and has a crunchy outside with a delicious coating that boasts a six-spice blend. It tastes fresh off the grill, has a slight burnt flavor, but also a sweet coating. The spiced vegetables are soft, sweet, and peppery tasting. The vegetable salad is a mixture of finely shredded cabbage, lettuce, Jungle Jerky ($2.75) and carrots that acts as a base to the meal. It pleasantly adds to the box This beef snack comes in a plastic bag with a few pieces because it is light, crunchy, and fresh, and left us wanting more. With and is surprisingly soft and tender compared to some light flavors and healthy ingredients, this addicting combination of tastes jerky, and tastes like it is soaked in teriyaki sauce. The is just enough to be filling, but not stuffing. pieces are fairly large, relatively thin, and it is nice to nibble on throughout the day. Box 2 ($6.95): Coconut curry tofu, rice noodles, steamed vegetables, all Box Toppers, Tamarind Vinaigrette, Asian Street Dust ($0.25 more)

Box 2 As a vegetarian option, we ordered the coconut curry tofu. This box lacked as many bold and distinguished flavors as the chicken box, but we highly recommend the tofu. It is infused with a creamy coconut curry with hints of peanut. It is tough, and resembles meat, yet has soaked up the rich curry like a sponge. The rice noodles in a mushroom broth are slick and plain. We wished we had chosen a more flavorful sauce on the box like the peanut sauce or sriracha in lieu of the Tamarind Vinaigrette which is very light and simple. Also, we preferred the spicy steamed vegetables because the regular steamed vegetables were boring and did not add much flavor or texture to the box. This box was a blander choice with less texture and depth, so if you get the tofu, order other bold flavors to complement it.

Asian Street Dust ($0.25) Despite the creative title that sounds like an exciting addition to the box, Asian Street Dust seems to be a simple spice blend sprinkled over the top of the food. To be honest, it really did nothing for the meal and would maybe serve more of a purpose as a spice rub for a meat or added into a curry.

Spring Rolls (2/$3.25) Asian Box offers two traditional fresh spring rolls — tofu and shrimp — wrapped in transparent, thin, sticky rice paper. Both are filled with crunchy carrots, lettuce, mint and other herbs and are topped with a sweet vinaigrette with a slight bit of spice. We recommend them as satisfyingly delicious, healthy, one-bite snack.

april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

Student Special Asian Box has put great effort in catering to the Paly crowd. Just for us, it constructed a take-out window on the side of the restaurant to make ordering and picking food up more efficient. We had high expectations for the cheaper student special considering the high caliber of the other food. Yet, upon opening the box, much more basic contents greeted us. The Jungle Box is very simple, composed of three types of meat — chicken, beef and pork — and rice covered in a thick, plain sauce. Unlike the other food we have tried, the rice was slightly too salty and spicy for us without a drink. The Garden Box is slightly more disappointing. The vegetables were undercooked and so was the rice. A sweet citrus sauce soaks the rice. It is a filling meal, but lacks in flavor and varied texture. Don’t judge Asian Box based on the student special. Some flavor and quality is sacrificed for a cheaper price. Fortunately, there is very little wait time and decent portion sizes. It is still a hearty lunchtime meal, just lacking some of the pizazz and distinguishing features of the traditional menu. Student Special - $4.99 without drink - $5.99 with drink - Jungle Box: chicken, pork, beef, brown rice - Garden Box: veggies, brown rice

Final Thoughts Asian Box’s reasonable pricing and customizable menu make it a convenient place for anyone to eat. There is a moderate wait time of five to seven minutes as food is made to order, and although the food boasts a light and healthy style, the portion sizes are generous. Although the numerous options help the restaurant cater to almost every person’s preferences, the expansive choices can be overwhelming for a first time orderer. However, the cashier was helpful in recommending toppings and sauces. The prices are comparable to surrounding takeout restaurants, but in our opinion, Asian Box provides a wider range of textures, toppings, and depth. What specifically distinguishes Asian Box from other local restaurants is its combined ability to make portable food that is healthy and eco-friendly, and it offers significantly higher quality for a similar price range. All meats are organic and locally grown and the sauces are homemade. It is a convenient place to try a different style of Asian food. Don’t worry about the plethora of choices; with their fresh ingredients and multitude of spices and flavorings, you can trust that basically any combination will be tasty. Compared to other fast Asian food places, the cuisine at Asian Box is lighter and less greasy, with a more varied blend of spices. It tastes healthy while retaining the natural richness of the food. v

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april 2012

[ FEATURES ]

A whole ‘nother ball game

Fantasy sports let players step into the shoes of a team manager or owner. Text by ALLEN WU Art by DIANA CONNOLLY

ome of the changes in the competitive world are incredibly high-profile, like Peyton Manning replacing Tim Tebow as the Broncos’ quarterback in a 5-year, $96 million contract. Other exchanges go unnoticed for some time. Palo Alto High School graduate Jeremy Lin was acquired by the New York Knicks in Dec. 2011 but only recently captured international attention, generating a surge of “Linsanity” as he lead the team onto a seven game winning streak. The drama and excitement of managing teams is not exclusive to those who can afford to throw around huge sums of money, however. In the realm of fantasy sports, anyone can become a manager. Fantasy sports are a class of electronic games that revolve around the results of real sports matches. Fans of the hobby range from casual participants to intense, die-hard enthusiasts and from the elderly to students here at Paly. “There are probably a few leagues in each grade,” sophomore Frankie Comey says, estimating the popularity of fantasy football at Paly. “Not even just guys, I’ve heard some girls are starting up a league next year,” For those who are unfamiliar, understanding how the game works can be somewhat difficult at first. Anyone can

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choose to set up a fantasy league, which is the pool of players who compete against each other. Within each league each participant is termed an owner and chooses to draft various sports players onto their virtual teams. Owners then score points based on how well their chosen players perform in real games. Criteria for earning points differs depending on the sport and the position of the player; for example, in fantasy football quarterbacks gain points by scoring touchdowns. Just as in the real world, owners can trade players amongst each other and choose which of their players to “use” in weekly games based on various strategic factors. For example, if a player is not expected to do well in a game due to an injury, it would not be sensible to use that person in the next game. “The strategy is to build a wellrounded team,” Young explains. “For example, not just all scorers or all point

guards. Versatility is key.” Because participants can often be seen tracking their scores on computers or smart phones, a common misconception of fantasy sports is that they are a recent innovation, a product of the Internet. In actuality the concept of competing based on sports figures’ performances has been around since World War 2. However, for some decades afterward, the games did not gain widespread popularity or serious organization un-

Play fantasy sports at... Yahoo: ( http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy )

ESPN: ( http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/welcome ) Fox Sports: ( http://msn.foxsports.com/fantasy ) NFL: ( http://www.nfl.com/fantasy ) [Football Only]

til a sportswriter by the name of Daniel Okrent popularized what would come to be known as Rotisserie baseball. The name comes from La Rotisserie Francaise, the French restaurant where he and his friends regularly gathered to play. Because of his profession, other journalists were exposed to the game and fantasy sports rapidly expanded. Of the conventional fantasy sports, football is generally the most well-known, although baseball is the oldest. Interestingly, there are also variants such as fantasy golf and fantasy basketball. More bizarre are the fantasy games for activities or concepts that are not even related to sports; apparently fantasy Congress, fantasy Crusades, and even fantasy religious fanaticism are all real games. Because real game results are typically required for scoring, fantasy sports are usually only played when the actual sport is in season. Determined weekly and at the end of each season, the owner with the most points is deemed the winner. Reminiscent of day trading on the stock market, there also exists an offshoot of traditional leagues known as daily fantasy. Instead of following teams for entire seasons, participants choose to track a given team or player for a single day. This system typically appeals to those seeking more immediate gratification for

their time. One advantage of daily fantasy is that it minimizes the consequences of unforeseen accidents. When an athlete is injured, he cripples an owner’s score for only one day. Strategy in daily fantasy is distinctly different. Seasoned players consider everything from breaking news to hourly weather updates when making decisions. Daily fantasy sites must also walk a fine line to avoid being classified as illegal gambling activities. In the past, all fantasy sport games struggled with this stigma, but in recent years conventional leagues have successfully moved away from such connotations. Daily fantasy games are more likely to involve monetary wagers, but many long-term leagues collect buy-in fees as well and award the collected money to the winner, but that’s not necessarily the only reward for winning. “Half of it is bragging rights,” Comey says. “Being able to rub it in your friend’s face when you stomp them in fantasy that week is pretty sweet.” Many websites host fantasy sports, and the biggest ones include

ESPN, Yahoo, and NFL.com. One advantage of playing on the more popular websites is that players can compete in huge, public leagues but otherwise the differences are fairly negligible. Quite a few Paly students play, citing various ways that they enjoy fantasy sports. For some, the points add another dimension to the pleasure of watching sports games. Players gain a personal connection to the action, whether they are watching from home or the stadium. “It keeps me watching the games and I get to know more about the players and league by playing,” sophomore Connor Scheel says. Others immerse themselves more fully in the premise of acting as owners of teams, with the power to make the decisions that will carry a team to fame and glory. “Fantasy Football is just so exciting, because the results are sometimes so unexpected,” sophomore John Young says. “When you play it, it feels like you own a great team. Fantasy Football is great entertainment, you have to try to see. The game will speak for itself.” v april 2012

[ CULTURE ]

A student’s guide to free food and secret menus Text, photography, and art by JAMIE ALLENDORF

unch at Paly usually begins with a mass exodus of half the student body to Town & Country Shopping Center. These ravenous, starving teens are in search of one simple thing: food — the only thing that keeps them awake and energized until seventh period. But now you can get the same great foods for less, thanks to a new movement in the food industry. Many restaurants are taking part in the new trend of secret menus. Self-proclaimed food aficionados and moochers, take heed of this knowledge and set forth on your everlasting quest for delicious (and sometimes free) food by following these simple rules.

Not-so-secret social media Another way to use social media to your advantage is to look for companies that give out “secret” words. Sprinkles Cupcakes has been posting “secret” words on its Facebook page and offering free samples to the first fifty customers who come in with the word. Not only does this give you an excuse to update your status, but you also get a free cupcake as well. But be sure to get there early because these freebies run out really quick. “You have to be in sync with what’s going with social networks,” sophomore Hannah Wilson says, “or else you won’t get there in time.”

Bakeries such as Mayfield Bakery at Town and Country offer free day-old bread after 9 p.m. What better way to spend a Friday night then hanging out with friends and scoring some free bread?

Happy birthday Birthdays are a time reserved for cake. Lots and lots of cake. To keep this tradition going, Sprinkles Cupcakes has created a new Birthday Club campaign. To become a member you can log onto ilovesprinkles.com and sign up to receive a free cupcake every year on your birthday. Baskin Robbins offers a special birthday offer if you sign up for their birthday club on the Baskin Robbins website. Five days before your birthday they’ll “Like” us on Facebook send you an e-mail that you can redeem The first step in this noble quest is for a free scoop of delicious ice cream, as the obvious: your social network. Bakeries well as a discount on your birthday cake. and restaurants alike are turning to sites If your in a real ice cream fix you can also such as Facebook to boost their revenue. head on over to Cold Stone Creamery Companies now offer online coupons in and grab a free ice cream creation after exchange for a “like” on Facebook. By you sign up. “liking” a company you will not only reHowever, if you’re looking for a ceive a free reward, but sometimes you more substantial meal before you pig — sophomore HANNAH WILSON out on sweets you can opt for a dinner might get discounts in the future. Kara’s Cupcakes at Town & Country at Buca di Beppo. By signing up for the does exactly this. After liking on Face- Day old, same great taste eClub online you can get a free birthday book you are entitled to one free cupcake, Who said day old bread is no good? desert, — that is, if you still have room which would be $3.50 if you paid. That’s Well, if you’re paying for it, it might not in your tummy after eating the entire right, a mouth-watering cupcake for free, be, but if you get it for free, does it really margherita pizza by yourself. And no, the just by a simple click of your mouse. matter? We all know food tastes better pizza was not an individual portion. when you don’t have to spend a penny.

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“You have to be in sync with what’s going on with social networks .”

Insider deals The final stride in this epic journey is to experience what little know of and few dare to attempt. Ordering off of secret menus. Most of us know about Jamba Juice and their liquid fruit replicas of such fantastic treats as Sour Patch and Starburst, but did you know that they have a Tootsie Roll flavor? Or apple pie? Well, they do, and they’re not the only ones with top secret menu items. Chipotle has a secret menu that is limited only by the available items in their kitchen at that time. So let you imagination run wild — have some nachos or a burrito that uses a quesadilla as a tortilla, ask for a single taco, or whatever makes you and your growling stomach happy. Last, but definitely not least, a secret, insiders’ menu to In-N-Out Burger, the holy grail of all fast food restaurants. You can find most of their secret menu items on their website, including all things “animal style,” extra spread and grilled onions. I highly recommend going with the animal fries. They’re amazing. However, one item has managed to elude the website menus, a delicacy so top secret yours truly didn’t even know what it was: the Flying Dutchman. The Dutchman consists of two slices

of American cheese squeezed between two patties, with no bun. If you use the tricks you’ve learned you’ll be able to navigate through any hungry situation. From grabbing luch at T&C to midnight runs to In-N-Out, you’ll be able to impress friends and family alike with your new and improved food finding skills. v

LET THEM EAT CUPCAKES Kara’s Cupcakes offers customers a free cupcake for “liking” on Facebook. april 2012

[ CULTURE ]

Not just for chicks anymore Top movies intended for girls work for guys, too

Text by BENJAMIN MAY Art by DIANA CONNOLLY

ine, I admit it — I watch “chick flicks.” Maybe my love of these movies reveal something about me living vicariously through the lives of these characters, but it’s definitely something weird. I don’t know why I watch chick flicks, but that’s the case and I have to deal. You should too. Here are some top-notch chick flicks that men will enjoy and which have received high marks from the ladies as well. Have fun!

“This movie also shows the height of Lohan’s career, which is a good jumping-off point to see where she is now.”

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HIGH SCHOOL She’s the Man (2006)

Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum Premise: Viola (Amanda Bynes) wants to join the boys soccer team, as the girls soccer program is canceled. However, the boys soccer team doesn’t allow girls as they apparently aren’t good enough. (This is seen by Viola.) So, Viola decides to dress up as her fraternal twin brother, Sebastian, and makes the team at her brother’s school. (Her twin brother secretly left for a music tour in London.) Viola has a crush on Duke (Channing Tatum), her boarding roommate, and things get confusing when a girl that Duke likes actually likes Viola (who is in disguise) and Sebastian comes back from London early. Verdict: She’s the Man is entertaining and comedic. There is some crude, slapstick humor that I felt was jammed into some random scenes, but still tolerable. This movie has a ridiculous plot, but hey, that’s why we watch chick flicks, right? Personally, Bynes is irritating just because she is Amanda Bynes. (She just has this “I’m better than you” attitude that is not appealing.) She’s no Emma Stone, but it’s a chick or teen flick. Few people actually care about the acting as it is a chick flick... If you do, The Notebook would be better. However, She’s the Man is still worth watching for a couple laughs.

Mean Girls (2004)

Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams Premise: Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) has to deal with the pressures and quirks of high school as her family moved from South Africa. Her parents are zoologists and Cady Heron has been homeschooled up until this point. Heron meets two loyal friends who force her to hang out with the most popular girls in school, dubbed the “Plastics.” The plan is to destroy the Plastics as the majority of the school dislikes the group, but Heron switches between her two friend groups, creating drama for all. Oh boy. Verdict: This movie is possibly one of my favorite movies, not just pertaining to the chick flick genre. Mean Girls is relatable to both guys and gals. Even though Mean Girls has a rather cliché storyline, the jokes make up for this by far. This movie relates to the insane high school clique drama quite well and The Plastics show the drama perfectly. This movie also shows the height of Lohan’s career, which is a good jumping-off point to see where she is now. Plus, Amy Poehler AND Tina Fey are in this. Fey wrote the screenplay as well. Need I say more? Actually, yes. Poehler and Fey are very strong in this movie, despite being supporting actresses, and even carry the movie at times.

“This movie has a ridiculous plot, but hey, that’s why we watch chick flicks, right?”

YOUNG LOVE 27 Dresses (2008)

Katherine Heigl, James Marsden Premise: Jane (played by Heigl) has been a bridesmaid — yup, 27 times — and somehow enjoys being the wedding planner as well for all of these events. She is secretly in love with her employer, which is kind of weird because he is a good amount older, but whatever. Kevin (played by James Marsden), a journalist for a local newspaper, finds out that Jane has 27 dresses from all of the weddings and wants to publish his findings in a local newspaper so that he can be the “next big thing.” (Like that’s a big deal.) Kevin has a crush on Jane, and tries to win her heart. You know the deal. Verdict: 27 Dresses has a cute charm that is hard to ignore. The movie had enough jokes for me to enjoy it. The real question is why she is such a push-over when Jane was working on the first 27 weddings. Who actually likes working on stuff like this and not getting anything for yourself ? And why would you need 27 dresses? (Nevermind. I guess I wouldn’t know.) At least 27 Dresses is somewhat believable, considering what this movie runs on. 27 Dresses is worth 111 minutes in my book.

The Notebook (2004)

James Garner, Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowland Premise: An old man ( James Garner) is telling a young woman (Gena Rowland) a story about young love. The story switches between storytelling and the vivid portrayal of Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) and Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling). Calhoun is a poor man who falls in love with Hamilton, a wealthy lady. Of course, social norms and parental disapproval put a strain on their relationship. Classic love story. Verdict: The Notebook is well worth watching. Underneath the “chick flick” layer lies a heart-felt, sincere story that is an emotional roller coaster. You may be screaming at McAdams “WHY ARE YOU WITH HIM? OMG NOAH IS SOOOO MUCH BETTER,” which is due to the rather poor decisions Allie Hamilton makes. If you’re a sucker for true love, give The Notebook a try. This chick flick is under the Drama category, and may make you cry. Tissues are advised. v

“And none for Gretchen Wieners, bye.” — MEAN GIRLS (2004) April 2012

[ CULTURE ]

Taking a bite out of Tava Local restaurant re-invents Indian cuisine Text and Art by ANGELA XU

unchtime, hoards of Paly students spill out of their classrooms and being theit march across campus towards Town and Country. Laughter and bits of conversations follow their fast strides. The lunchtime rush is a struggle that many students must face daily, sometimes forcing us to choose between great tasting food and getting back to class on time. Fortunately, Tava Indian Restaurant, newly opened in Town and Country, solves this dilemma by offering a fast and portable lunch for all Paly students. By offering a special discount for Paly sutdents, appropriately dubbed “the Paly special”, Tava has made life easier for everyone without a prep after lunch. Ever since

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their opening day on Feb. 27. Tava, using the Paly Special, seems determined to change how we view Indian food. After realizing that many people haven’t tried Indian food for fear of its spiciness, the owners of Tava decided to make their main dishes more mild and offer more heat if asked. “It’s because a lot of people think that it’s too spicy, or it takes too long, or they don’t even know what it’s about.” Hasnain Zaidi, manager of Tava says. Tava’s menu was born off the goals of being portable and healthy. Instead of taking a traditional approach to Indian food, they decided to modernize and make a more portable type of Indian food that people could easily pick up and go. These were the main ideas behind the Paly special, consisting of a burroti, or a bowl with a free soft drink for $6.00. The Paly special is aimed to preserve as much lunchtime as possible for students by making the wait in the lunch line only two minutes long and offering soft drinks in the restaurant. “Your lunch break is precious we don’t want you spending your lunch break

CHOWING DOWN: Eveli Mayfield sinks her teeth into a Tava burroti

THE BURROTI

The brainchild of Tava’s ingenious idea of combining the function of a burrito with the taste of Indian cuisine.

waiting in line for food,” Zaidi says. “We want you to eat your food and enjoy your food and hang out with your friends, so our goal is to get you in and out as quickly as possible.” The mix of rice, sauce and salty meat, bland malabari roti, an Indian flatbread wrap, is a very different from authentic Indian food. However, it is a good example of Americanized Indian food. Something that people can grab and go in a short time without having to sacrifice flavor. Tava makes food with a pleasant amount of spice in it, but it isn’t so spicy that it becomes unbearable to eat. However, for those of us who enjoy some spiciness to our food, Tava also offers its own suace, called Tava Lava, made with habenero peppers. For people who are more comfortable with a less fiery portion, they can order a mild sauce made up of salty yogurt and chopped watery cucumbers. Ever since its opening, the amount of time needed to wait in lines is getting closer to their goal of two minutes. While the customers wait in line, one of Tava’s very friendly managers can be seen start-

ing conversations behind the counter with Tava’s mango lassi drink is filling. them. People waiting in the back of the Made up of mainly yogurt and mango line can pass the time listening to Tava’s it’s gentlly sweet and doesn’t empower excellent selection of background music the taste buds with an overdose of sugar. I including “Boheis a a welcome alternate mian Rhapsody”. drink compared to the With an eatsweetness of fruit juices ing utensil, eating and many other soft from the bowl is drinks. The drink itself very clean but a tastes mainly of yogurt person needs two and the mango can only hands to eat it. be found in the lingering The burroti can aftertaste. Ordering the be eaten and carmango lassi along with ried with only one the Paly special costs hand but due to $7.00. — tava manager HASNAIN ZAIDI having a thick diThe items on Tava’s ameter it is hard to menu are mostly made in bite into a burroti Tava’s kitchen. The meats without leaving are all slow roasted, the with the surrounding area clean of rice rice only contains natural ingredients and and sauce. Tava makes good use of garbanzo beans By offering a free soft drink to go and lentils in their menu. Overall, Tava’s with a burroti or bowl, Tava saves students food is healthy, and tasty. time from going to CVS to buy a drink to Tava’s goal is not only aimed to fill go with their lunch. our stomachs with good food, but it also The Paly special advertised at $6.00. aims to fill our hearts with satisfaction. However, bring an extra 50 cents to cover “We want to do something that makes the price of an added tax. people happy.” Zaidi says. v

“We want you to eat your food and enjoy your food.”

april 2012

[ COVER ]

Check all that apply How application fabrications are sweeping the nation Text by SAVANNAH CORDOVA and EVELYN WANG Photo illustration by HALEY FARMER

e are constantly lying — to our parents, to our teachers, to our friends, and to ourselves. We bluff our way through the day, saying we’re fine when we’re not, just trying to save face and keep from bothering anyone. Lying is something to which we’re accustomed, but it can have life-changing repercussions. This is especially true when it comes to college applications. It’s been rumored that when deciding between two applicants who are indistinguishable but for racial identity, college admissions officers tend to favor the minority contender. This is a matter of controversy, in the Paly community and beyond. But even more controversial is the fact that some students have begun trying to work the system to their advantage, by stretching the truth or outright lying about who they are and what they do. Most prominent in Palo Alto is Asian American and Pacific Islander students not marking their races on college apps. Katie Tran-Lam, director of communications and marketing for the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, is involved in providing scholarships and other services to students who are disadvantaged by the stereotypes that plague these “model minorities.” “Many people mistakenly assume that all Asian Americans and Pacific Is-

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landers are high-achieving academically and are financially well off,” Tran-Lam says, “whereas the truth of the matter is, if you look at data, there are many Asian American and Pacific Islander students who have some of the lowest educational achievement rates in the country.”

decision of which rases to mark on their college applications. Half-Asian, half-white Paly junior Elani Gitterman says, “Given the option of choosing both, I would choose both.” “I don’t believe in that trend [of people lying on apps], so I would not be affected by that rumor ... I would tell the truth,” Gitterman says. Junior Chandler Mok has a slightly different take on the subject of college apps. “I’d rather just put white, because I know more about my white heritage than my Asian heritage,” Mok says According to Sandra Cernobori, Palo Alto High School college advisor, the phenomenon of racial nondisclosure is fairly common. “I think this applies to all students who struggle with this question, whether — Paly senior DAVID LIM they are multi-racial, multi-ethnic...” Cernobori says. “Students might not feel like it’s anybody else’s business. Some other In fact, despite popular belief, plenty students might be worried they would of model minority students are lacking in be discriminated against based on their funding or other qualifications that will responses. And some fall into more than help them get into college. one category and find the options limit“There are Asian Americans and Pa- ing.” cific Islander students who don’t have acSuch limitations, as well as colleges’ cess to opportunities, who have historical tendency not to confirm applicants’ ethbarriers that have kept them from being nicities, make lying all the more tempting. able to pursue higher education, Tran- “It’s easy to lie about ethnicity because Lam says. “And that’s something that we colleges rarely do ethnic background are trying to work on and make sure that checks before accepting applicants. For a those voices are heard.” federal grant or program, [students] have Some multi-racial students face the to supply documentation, but otherwise

“I was truthful. ... What’s the point of lying? It’s like giving up a part of your identity.”

no,” Cernobori says. Plus there’s the Facebook factor of being able to edit privacy settings, effcectively hiding pictures and personal information that would reveal the ugly truth. According to a recently conducted survey at Paly, twelve percent of students would lie about their race on their college apps if they knew it would give them an advantage. Fifteen percent of students know someone who’s lied on a college app, and multiple students have provided testimony concerning their decisions. One anonymous Paly senior checked only white on his college applications, despite his partly Asian background. His reasoning? “Since my grades aren’t up to par with all of the other Asians, I decided that white was a better option.” Another senior, David Lim, took a the route of putting both white and Asian on his applications. “I was truthful... what’s the point of lying? It’s like giving up part of your idenity. Plus, for me, say-

DISHONESTY OR STRATEGY?

ing that I’m both actually helps me more than just Chinese or just white,” Lim says. In 2008, the ethnicity dispute wormed its way into a Supreme Court case, Fisher v. University of Texas. According to the official blog of Supreme Court of the United States, it could rewrite the precedent for affirmative action in college acceptance, previously deemed legal by the case of Grutter v. Bollinger. The case in question involved Abigail Fisher and Rachel Michalewicz, both Caucasian females who were denied admission to the University of Texas and subsequently sued the school. They claimed that the rejections violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights, and although Michalewicz has since dropped from the case, the conflict has risen to the Supreme Court and poses a threat to affirmative action as it currently exists. But is that necessarily a problem? In the Grutter v. Bollinger case, most judges held fast to the opinion that affirmative

action will no longer be needed in 25 years. Perhaps manipulating the system via race is a temporary tactic, since the policy that it’s based on could be null and void in just a couple of decades. “Private colleges might be looking to increase diversity, but that’s one of the many agendas that they’re looking to, in terms of their institutional priorities,” Cernobori says. “These are the areas they want to grow and target in their marketing and their outreach ... but when it’s making decisions, they still have a bigger picture.” If it’s the bigger picture that matters, then most of us at Paly have no reason to worry. We’re renowned for our academics, athletics, and alumni. Race plays such a small part in our day-to-day lives that it shouldn’t have any significant role in our futures. And it’s safe to say that with so much stress and uncertainty over this issue, it’s the system at fault, not us. v

Lying to colleges about your race could help you, but it may not be worth the risk. april 2012

[ COVER ]

Verde takes a closer look at the achievement gap Text by HENRY TUCHER and NOAM SHEMTOV Art by HALEY FARMER and CHARU SRIVASTAVA

ifty-five percent – that is the gap between Palo Alto High School’s black and white students in terms of proficiency on the math portion of the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). This statistic, however, is not representative of the achievement gap; it’s just a statistic. What’s the problem? The achievement gap is the difference in academic performance between white and minority students, particularly black and hispanic students. Although Paly consistently ranks highly in overall performance, on average, its minority students are not performing at this same standard of excellence. Paly’s SARC (School Accountability Report Card) shows that in 2011, only 15 percent of the black students who graduated had completed the A-G courses required for

UC and CSU admission. In addition, although 98 percent of white students and 99 percent of asian students had completed Algebra I by the end of their freshman year, of their black and hispanic counterparts, only 55 and 74 percent respectively had completed that level of Math. The achievement gap is a problem in schools across the state, but PAUSD has a severe case of academic disparity. The district ranks 147th in California in regards to the proficiency of PAUSD’s hispanic and black students in Algebra II. On the other hand, PAUSD’s asian and white students are ranked third in the state for their proficiency in Algebra II. Many students and teachers intent on “closing the gap” are trying to make a difference. One of such students is Paly Senior, Tremaine Kirkman, who is involved in the district discussions about the achievement gap. “[The achievement gap] is a really serious problem, and while I think we are pointed

CLOSING THE GAP Focus on Success students get a head-start on homework.

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in the right direction on the school level, there is more we could be doing as a district,” Kirkman says. Title 1 and No Child Left Behind Ten years ago, President Bush sat down at a high school in Hamilton, Ohio, and signed an act that supports standardsbased education reform. The No Child Left Behind Act has led to increased federal funding of education by $12 billion within the first five years of its passing, but the act has not had entirely positive results. Because of the act, there is a considerable danger that the PAUSD district will lose federal funding. How could Paly, ranked 83rd in the nation in the US News and World Report and known for sending students to top-tier universities and national math and science competitions, be in danger of losing federal funding? The answer is this: the provisions of the No

PALY STUDENTS ARE HARD AT WORK Students in their French 3H class focus diligently on their studies. Child Left Behind Act required that counties set forth goals by which 100% of their students would be proficient in a statewide standardized test. If this goal is not met, then it is possible that the district will lose federal funding. “If, by 2020, not all students have reached 100% proficiency in the California Star Test, then Paly will be regarded as a ‘failing school,’ which is most respects it isn’t,” Wilmot says. Even though private investments make up a large part of Paly’s budget, these donations are not enough to keep the school running if it were to lose federal support. “The act puts a lot of pressure on teachers to account for what they’re doing,” Maria Rao, a Focus on Success and

Math teacher, says. “Everyone – parents, students, and teachers – needs to get involved to make a significant change”. A-G Requirements With the intention of mending the bifurcation of our student’s education, the school system proposed a controversial change in graduation requirements, to mirror those of eligibility to California’s state universities. These changes were contested by Paly’s math department with a strongly opposed letter, calling the changes “well-intended” but predicting “devastating consequences.” Others, though have reacted favorably to these pending changes, “There is a lot more we could be doing on the district

PALY’S PROFICIENCY Percent of students considered proficient in CAHSEE Math, by race. The triangular point show the district’s goal for school-wide preformance.

level” Kirkman says on the issue. “Right now, though they are considering aligning A-G requirements, and we (student representatives) are strong supporters of this alignment.” Kirkman says, and adds that students are more likely to succeed if more is expected of them and that on the school-level there is enough support in place to make these changes. Paly principal Phil Winston agrees. “I wish it was that easy, it is complicated. Yes I believe we are doing good work in this area [supporting kids to achieve the A-G standard]. Motivation is the most difficult area to tackle”, Winston says, who is optimistic about the school’s ability to meet the A-G standards should they be implemented. A report by the district shows that an average of 89% of white and asian students are currently meeting A-G standards. This number is mirrored by a mere 15% of black A-G graduates. An Early Start According to Kirkman, the Achievement Gap is not just a transitional issue. “The main thing we could do is look at elementary levels and early education and focus on putting support in for students” Kirkman says in regards to the district’s shortcomings in addressing the gap. Winson agrees, and claims that the district has been making efforts to provide support in the earlier grades. “In the educational system there are red lights or warning signals. The district has made a massive effort to provide support and interventions to struggling students at the earlier grade levels” april 2012

[ COVER ]

“We have the will power to fix this problem, but it takes a lot of time and effort.” — SEAN spokesperson TREMAINE KIRKMAN Winston says. Barron Park elementary provides a program that allows students the organizational and other support they need in the formative years of their early education. Paly librarian Rachel Kellerman describes the program as “a wonderful opportunity that will no doubt have a positive impact. She is not the only optimist. Winston, too predicts that support at earlier grade levels will yield positive results with time. Wilmot’s district statistics have displayed some growth in proficiency among Black students, around 11% since 2009, in the English Language Arts section of the CAHSEE. Hispanic students’ success rates, however, have fallen from previous years and mathematic proficiency has seen a decrease across the board. Even with support at earlier junctions in students’ educations, Wilmot predicts that current goals will be difficult to reach. Focus on Success In order to meet the goal of 100% proficiency among its students, Paly aims to help its struggling students more directly. Focus on Success, a class period where students do their homework or receive tutoring, is intended to be that direct help. “It’s all about providing students with the support they need, the resources and capacity for self-advocacy that will help them achieve at the same level. I think that Focus on Success is a great way to achieve that,” Kellerman says, claiming to have observed Focus on Success as a catalyst for positive change over the years.

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Math and Focus on Success teachers Kathy Bowers and Rao also express enthusiasm and hope for the cause. “It’s all about getting the students to buy into it; a lot of them come into the class having been shown time and time again that they are failures” Bowers says. “Once we can get them to see results they often times take their education into their own hands”. Rao agrees, and claims that motivation to succeed comes after students are shown their ability to do so. “I think it’s all about showing struggling students that they have the resources they need to achieve, so that they can seize the opportunity for themselves,” Rao says. “They all want to be performing at the same level as their peers”. For these teachers, teaching Focus on Success has been gratifying because it has shown them that failing students are often truly interested in succeeding. Kirkman agrees, though tentatively, “improvement of study skills is important, and it definitely helps with that, but the district on a whole needs to make steps in the same direction”, Kirkman says. Winston claims that the Focus classes have a visible influence on students’ performances. “Relationships have a major impact on a student’s education and performance,” he says. Despite the Focus on Success program’s success, the achievement gap hasn’t been eradicated. PAUSD superintendent Focus on Success may not be the key to achieving 100% proficiency on the California Star Test, but Kellerman, Bowers, Rao and Winston will all vow for its positive effect on the performance of minority and struggling students. Looking Forward With programs like Focus on Success and teachers and students passionate about making a difference to close the achievement gap, Paly may, indeed, meet its goal. The Focus On Success program is evidence that with the right support, students from all backgrounds can perform in school. “There is a lot of work to do, but we have the resources and will power to close this gap. The district is in our corner, but it takes a lot of time and effort to solve such a big problem” Kirkman. v

april 2012

[ THE WATCH ]

Mission Murals Text and photography by ELIZABETH SILVA

he Mission District in San Francisco is largely influenced by the Latino culture. Along 24th street you can find restaurants from all over Latin America serving delicious food. In addition to its food, Mission District is known for its vibrant murals. Through art, muralists tell stories of the struggles of the migration of Latin Americans. Some murals even tell the ancient Aztec legends.

The first murals were painted in the 1970’s, but more murals are still being added. Balmy Alley is concentrated with murals on garage doors and fences. The first mural on this street was painted by the Mujeres Muralistas —women muralists. Along 24th Street there are other murals painted on the walls of buildings. The 24th Street Mini- Park, it has a sculpture of the Quetzalcoatl Aztec God, a feathered serpent with a ceramic mosaic design.

“Un Pasado Que Aun Vive” by Joel Bergner (2004). (Top mural) This mural shows the frightening memories and issues from the 1980 civil war in El Salvador. The Salvadoran mother and wife is holding a letter she has received from her husband who worked and lived in California. (He expresses his pain of being away from her and their son). This is common among many latin fami-

“La Llorona” by Juana Alicia (Left)has many messages and tells a Mexican myth about a woman who drowns her children for the man she loves, but who leaves her for another woman. She commits suicide and in order to enter Heaven she must find her children. The Aztec goddess of water Chalchiuhtlicue is at the center of the mural. Water issues from different countries are also shown, such as floods that have destroyed homes because of government dam projects and price raises in water causing water accessibility to be far more difficult for developing countries. It also shows the U.S border representing immigration conflicts.

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A mural on St. Peter’s Church walls “500 Años de Resistencia” by Isaias Mata shows the Spanish conquistador armies headed towards the indigenous people. The mural also honors famous people such as Padre Miguel Hidalgo, Martin Luther King, Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.

SAT II Math Class Aiming high 700’s or 800 for the 6/2 SAT II: Math? Consider taking this advanced class:

“Those We Love We Remember” by group “The Hope Project” led by Edythe Boone This mural was painted by children ages six to sixteen years old coping with aids. Only a few of the children did not have Aids but most did. Two of the children were orphaned because both of their parents had passed away from Aids. The mural is a memorial to their families and to anyone dealing with Aids. This project was put together as a grief workshop for the children, to help them with the end of their own life or of their family; it was also created to give them a voice.

Subject: SAT II - Math Day/Time: Friday, 4:00 - 6:00 pm Dates: 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27 Location: Palo Alto High School Fees: $399

Your current quiz result determines next session’s teaching content.

“Naya Bihana”— A New Dawn, by Martin Travers (2002) shows women representing their community and struggling countries and thier desire of wanting power back and their resources that other countries have taken while they have nothing.

Up to 16 students per class. Private 1-on-1 tutoring is also available. To learn more about us, please go to www.acceptedprep.com. Call 650-308-6328 today! april 2012

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www.menloswim.com

[ THE WATCH ]

Avant-garde art Paly students explore unconventional medias to express themText and art by SHARON COHEN

Courtesy of Alex Lenail

aly’s strong art program includes many art forms; such as drawing and painting, ceramics, photography, and even glass blowing. Some Paly students, though, move outside the limits of traditional art, by exploring other media. These students share their art, and their inspiration for these creative mediums.

Courtesy ofYael Palmon

LIGHT PAINTING (SYMPHONY)

FASHION DESIGN

experimenting with a more unorthodox form of photography: light painting. This consists of moving a lightsource while keeping the shutter of a camera open. After a few tries, Alex Lenail realized the potential the medium had. “I started waving one flashlight around and came out with some really cool stuff. I didn’t even realize how far this could go,” Lenail says. He and Thorne focus on producing original images, but also look to other sources for inspiration, such as other artists’ photographs.

At first, Yael Palmon started fashion design by accident. “In third grade, my mom accidently signed me up for this fashion design class. I went, and I just fell in love with it,” she says. Since then, Palmon participated in several fashion design programs, including a Rhode Island School of Design pre-college program.

ALEX LENAIL AND BRADFORD THORNE For the past few months, Alex Lenail and Bradford Thorne have been

YAEL PALMON

What started as a form of entertainment developed into a creative medium for Rachel Cui, with her fingernails serving as a canvas. “I used to have a lot of free time, and I thought nail art was really cool. It’s really fun to do when I’m bored,” Cui says. Cui first came up with the idea by seeing friends who painted their nails in creative ways. Now, she finds design inspiration in several different places. “I go on Youtube and watch videos, and sometimes I just start and end up with something cool.”

Courtesy of Rachel Cui

NAIL ART RACHEL CUI

april 2012

[ THE WATCH ]

Framed and fabulous

Art students share talents and techniques used in their work Text, Art and Photography by EMILY HAIN

rom Art Spectrum to Advanced Sculpture, Palo Alto High School students explore new art interests through the various art courses offered at Paly. Using different mediums and techniques, students create unique pieces of art that showcase their skills and express their thoughts. Before school, at lunch and throughout the day, these artists are hard at work, painting profiles, crafting collages and throwing clay on pottery wheels. Verde asked a selection of Paly students about their artwork and the techniques they use to create their masterpieces.

Daniel Armitano Senior, Advanced Sculpture Clay, dirt

“I rolled out a big coil of clay and put it inside of a bucket and then from those I put the big coil in there [the bucket] and then I covered around it with dirt and then put it on the wheel. The inside is pottery and the outside is dirt.”

Zararose Kinge Freshman, Art Spectrum Paint, newspaper, sand “I was trying to express anger through my piece. I used a lot of sand and paint. I took a knife and cut up the background to add more expression. I used a lot of [newspaper] articles. I wanted to use the obituaries, but she [art teacher Kate McKenzie] said no, so I had to use the comics. It was supposed to be on censorship and how government is always hurting the little guy, which is basically our community.”

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Remi Wolf

Cheyenne Woodward

“In this piece we were supposed to use a lot of mark making so on the statue I used a lot of mark making to create shadows and also in the flying pigs. We used chalk pastels for this project. I used a combination of analogous and complementary [colors]. I was trying to combine seriousness with playfulness.”

“This one is about the emotional barrier that drug addiction can cause. I started with chalk pastel, which I sort of used as a wash for the background, and now I’m using colored pencil and water color and I’m trying to create a sort of veil affect, almost translucent with the color.”

Sophomore, Painting and Drawing Chalk pastel

Daniel Nguyen

Sophomore, Ceramics and Sculpture Clay “The technique I used to make it was raku. What you do is you take slabs of clay and you stack them on top of each other to make a vessel. After you fire it and it becomes hard, you put a glaze on it. My favorite thing to do is blowing glass, but throwing clay on the wheel is pretty fun, too.”

Senior, AP Studio Art Chalk pastel, pencils, water color

Art Terms Mark Making: Using art tools such as paintbrsuhes or pencils to create small visible marks and lines in pieces to provide texture. Analogous colors: Colors located next to each other on the color wheel such as red, orange and yellow. Complementary colors: Colors located across form eachother on the color wheel, such as red and green. Raku: A type of Japanese pottery in which the pieces are removed from the kiln while still hot and left outside to cool.

april 2012

[ THE WATCH ]

Bike boulevard Palo Alto resident uses bike barrier as a creative way to celebrate culture Text and photography by SHARON COHEN

TREE ORNAMENTS A sign celebrating the beginning of spring, (top), and a hanging ornament dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts (bottom)

wo friends bike home project. after a long day at Palo HOW IT STARTED Alto High School, pedRight before Halloween, Debs put aling side by side along up her first installation at the bike barrier, Bryant Street, desig- thinking it would be a one time thing that nated Bike Boulevard. would catch people’s attention. They talk of the past “I had tenweek, not paying tatively joined this much attention to neighborhood prethe outside world. paredness group, so But one sight I decided that this on the street grabs would be a very good their attention: way to introduce myhanging Girl Scout self to the commubadges, a sign nity, get everybody commemorating looking at this. This the organization’s is a place that is dark, 100th anniversary, and we can brighten and green lights enit up,” Debs says. veloping the trees Debs soon realof the Lowell bike ized that this idea barrier, . The decocould also provide a rations were just in— CATHERINE DEBS, service to the comstalled, and the two munity, after seeing friends admire the accidents caused by new theme as they wonder who the mys- cyclists speeding right past the intersecterious tree-artist is. tion of Bryant and Lowell, where the barMany Paly students pass by the bike rier is located. barrier every day, yet only a handful of “I’m always complaining because people know who continues to liven it for the people on bikes don’t slow down. I’ve different occasions. Catherine Debs, who seen a couple of serious accidents on this lives next to the barrier, is bringing the street,” she says. community together through this creative Working with several partners, in-

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“We will celebrate any holiday. We like to pertain things to our community. ”

cluding a graphic designer and a lighting Debs’ contributions to the neighborhood. In another arexpert, Debs started ticle on Palo Alto to put up new decoPatch, “The Flamrations for every ing Trees of Bryoccasion she could ant Street”, Lisen think of. Stromberg praised “We started celthe artistic element ebrating Halloween. of Debs’ project. At that point, we Paly students, just started rolling,” as well, have exDebs says. “We had pressed approval of a big sign that said the bike barrier’s ‘Slow Down, Turkey’ installations. Sophwith a turkey on a biomore Alvina Zou cycle for Thanksgiv— SOPHOMORE ALVINA ZOU looks forward to ing.Then we moved seeing what decorainto Christmas, and tions are coming up, we just kept going and enjoys the surprise of finding new after that.” themes with every occasion. “You can’t miss them [the trees]. REACTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY They’re so pretty and the best part about Debs puts up the installation to benbiking home. The themes are always really efit the community, so her favorite part of suprising,” says Zou. the project is seeing the reactions of passer-bys who enjoy the decorations. “I’ve gotten the most wonderful let- FUTURE PLANS Months after starting the project, ters from people. It’s really fun because it’s Debs still has many plans for the barrier. such a nice way to give something, and I She also hopes for community involvejust think it lights up the street,” she says. ment, and wants to take ideas for the bike Debs’ efforts have definitely been nobarrier from the public. ticed by the city’s community. A Palo Alto “We will celebrate any holiday,” Debs Online article, “In Old Palo Alto, somesays. “We like to pertain things to our thing to talk about”, recently featured

“They’re so pretty and the best part about biking home. ”

community. Now we are thinking that we should put up a bulletin board somewhere, where people can post ideas.” But despite the joy that this experience has given Debs, she does not plan to continue it after this year. “We’re carrying on until school gets out,” she says. “After that, we welcome anybody who wants to help.” Hopefully, someone will continue the legacy that Debs’ idea has left. v

april 2012

[ THE WATCH ]

Man on fire

Ceramics teacher brings enlightenment and a new media of art

Text by MARGOT RICHARD Art by CHARU SRIVASTAVA

n a landscape of crystal glass and tables stocked with wood sculptures, the world surrounding Palo Alto High School’s ceramics teacher, David Camner, in his classroom is adorned with surrealism and craftsmanship. Camner started Paly’s glass blowing program, which allows students to express themselves through hot molten glass. Camner continues to introduce new materials to create art. “I call the program a fiery arts pro-

GLASS WORKS

gram,” Camner says. “We do ceramics, we do glass, we pour bronze. But most of it has to do with fire.” This “fired up” sculpture and ceramics teacher has proven that hard work and discipline can make glowing masterpieces. Camner grew up in an artistic family in Denver, Colorado, where he spent the first 12 years of his life before moving out to Castro Valley, California. At Camner’s high school, art became his favorite subject and he has pursued it ever since. He started to take art seriously in college and attended Rhode Island School of Design for his graduate work with an aspiration for art. Later on he discovered his interest in teaching. In addition to his refined skills, Camner’s interest in art also changed his life philosophies. He was willing to share his own concept on what components make up an artist: “Hard work is the first thing. Anyone can be a good artist if they work hard. I don’t believe in talent, I believe in hard work.” Camner finds fulfillment in his job through the students he teaches and the feedback given from former students. “The best thing is when they come back a few years later or email you and they Camner works with his craft. [former students] remember you,” Camner says. “They say ‘Thank you’

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for doing what you do. For me, that’s the most fulfilling thing about this job.” Camner’s current students also admire his attitude towards his job. “[Mr. Camner] is the best teacher at this school and I love coming to this class everyday,” Jeremy Tholaslay, senior and student of

“I don’t believe in talent, I believe in hard work.” — DAVID CAMNER Camner says. “He has a well structured program.” “I think Mr. Camner is a great teacher. He loves what he does and he helps out the students as much as he possibly can,” says Matthew Bishop, a sophomore and another student of Camner. To a certain extent his students find a haven in Camner’s classroom, a place for artistic flexibility. With his extensive and successful teaching and career, Camner is respected and admired by his students. Camner’s zeal towards art is truly inspiring and noteworthy. “I think of [art] as another language … it can be really rewarding for kids to make things and express themselves without verbal explanation. And to me it is a beautiful way of doing [art]. The value of making something and having pride.” v

SENIOR PORTRAIT SPOKESMODELS!

april 2012

Palo Alto Unified School District Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301

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