Students regularly hear the artificial calls of birds at the quad. How and why does this oddity occur? (page 8).
The new social media app has taken teenagers by storm as they wait for the daily notification that it's time to BeReal (page 16).
The school board election on Nov. 8 features in cumbents Nancy Kendzierski and Chris Severson; the political alliance of Renee Nowac, Gabe Ledeen, and Mark Woolway; and other challengers Jennifer Chen and Clayton Gardner.
The district school board acts as the legislative body for the district, meeting twice a month to make deci sions regarding the function of its four schools, such as fiscal management and equity curriculum.
To give voters a better sense of their policies, the candidates participated in a forum at Del Valle Adult Education Center on Oct. 12 to answer questions from voters on everything from budget management to teacher retention and recruitment strategies.
“I want to say thank you to every one for participating and engaging,” Ledeen said at the forum. “I think our system doesn’t work without this kind of engagement.”
Nowac, Ledeen, and Woolway shared frustration over district policies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, causing them to band together under a platform simply known as “For Better Schools” to win a majority of the five seats on the school board for the next four years. They do not officially run on a ticket together, since voters do not have to vote for their entire slate to elect one of them. However, they do share resources, advertisements, and messages.
Their website, forbetterschools.org, echoes terms like “critical thinking over ideology” and “transparency and parent involvement.” These messages represent the heart of the group’s goals.
“The current board seems to think that the more complicated or contro versial the issue or policy, the less they should be engaging with the community and the less transparent they should be,” Ledeen said in a video on the website.
While no member of the trio has children in high school, they criticized the current school board for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing impact on student learning. “What I saw in terms of a lack of leadership at the board level during COVID was a complete lack of accountability and ownership,” Woolway said. “The board was not working nearly hard enough to get kids back in school as soon as possible.”
However, according to a report by Lamorinda Weekly of a board meeting in October of 2020, “Sever son made a powerful argument for students' return to school as soon as possible.”
The “For Better Schools” trio wrote a post on the site regarding viewpoint diversity, transparency, and critical thinking as it pertains to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). On the post, they outlined policy priorities such as “critically examining ideologies that promote bias, stereotype and discrimination,” “elevat ing ethnic groups, their backgrounds, and contributions without denigrating others,” and “ensuring students receive broad exposure to different viewpoints and are evaluated in a viewpoint-neutral way.”
“Over the last several years, concepts of social justice and political viewpoints have been infused into the cur riculum of many academic subjects,” a statement from their website read. “We will work with the Superinten dent to make sure that the curriculum, course materials, and teaching practices avoid advocacy of political or
ideological perspectives as much as possible.”
The WaLamorinda Community for DEIB in Educa tion, an organization in Walnut Creek and Lamorinda promoting equity, backed Kendzierski, Severson, and Chen, citing their “strong history of supporting DEIB efforts and all students in our schools and communi ties.” It outlined certain policies made by the board under Kendzierski and Severson, such as racial equity board, ethnic studies, and the Bias Incident Report Team, that promoted equity.
The “For Better Schools” candidates have very dis tinctive backgrounds, with Woolway serving as a tech executive, Nowac working as a workplace investigator, and Ledeen turning from a Marine to a lawyer.
While none of the “For Better Schools” candidates have experience in elected positions, Woolway pos
officials, with Voter’s Edge, a California aggregator of election information, reporting that several Lamor inda school board officials and city council members endorsed the duo. Further, Steve Glazer, a Democrat representing most of Contra Costa County in the Cali fornia Senate, backed the pair.
Kendzierski worked in many local school board posts over the last two decades, from the Las Trampas Creek Council of PTAs to the Moraga Educational Foundation to the Moraga School District. She has 9 years of experience as an AUHSD board representative. Severson, an emergency medicine physician, is running for his second four year term.
Chen saw similar levels of approval from both local politicians and regional Democrats, receiving endorse ments from the mayors of Orinda, Moraga, and Lafay ette, in addition to the Democratic Party associations of Rossmoor, Lamorinda, and Contra Costa County.
Despite such endorsements, school board candidates cannot officially list a national party affiliation.
Chen, an experienced social worker, touts her proficiency in mental health as a major benefit to the school board during a time when many students need such support.
“I am a clinical social worker, which means I’m professionally trained as a creator of positive change and community collaboration,” Chen said at the forum. “I know youth and mental health and I’m a developmental expert.”
The election also marks a far more competitive race. Six years ago, both of the candidates ran unopposed. Today, seven aspirants vie for school board.
Clayton Gardner is another candi date for the board. He did not attend the forum.
Many community members established strong stances in favor of certain candi dates.
sesses political involvement in the Donald Trump administration, in which he acted as a leader in the Treasury Department as part of the former president’s 2016 transition team.
Ledeen possesses connections to the larger rightwing establishment as well. He moderated an event for the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization best known for connections to the six members of the Republican-appointed majority in the Supreme Court. Additionally, he clerked for conservative judge A. Ray mond Randolph.
By state law, candidates must disclose campaign donations online. According to the group’s funding transparency statement, notable donors to “For Bet ter Schools” include Silicon Valley entrepreneur David Sacks, author of the book “The Diversity Myth” op posing “multiculturalism” in education, and and Ginni Thomas, another vocal skeptic of the 2020 elec tion and the wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
“[Thomas] donated $250,” Woolway said dur ing the forum. “$250 doesn’t go very far these days.”
“I assume [Thomas] donated simply because she’s an old friend of my family and wanted to show support,” Ledeen said in a statement on the website.
The incumbents, Kendzierski and Severson, received more support from their fellow local
“[For Better Schools] candidates are ready to step up and do everything they can to restore our school environment to that which existed in our community for so many years,” local sports coach and financial ad visor Bill Fraser, also the “For Better Schools” treasurer, wrote in a letter to the editor in Lamorinda Weekly.
“AEA (Acalanes Education Association) has not officially endorsed any candidates for the AUHSD School Board election. That said, we do support our incumbents, Nancy Kendzierski and Chris Severson. We think they have been doing a great job on the board supporting all students and staff,” AEA president Lori Tewksbury said. “We also support Campolindo parent Jennifer Chen. Many of our members have worked with her on various District committees and appreciate her work on behalf of students and staff in the Dis trict.”
The decades–long infamous athletic rivalry between Miramonte and Campolindo began at Campolindo's founding (page 14).The Fake Birds of Miramonte:
This year, students who leave trash at their tables after brunch and lunch face the consequences of cautioned off and restricted use of tables.
After both Associate Princi pals, Daniel Caravalho and Jami Greer, as well as School Cam pus Supervisor John Fowley and Custodian Edmond Woo, told students, especially freshmen, to clean up their trash with numer ous warnings, students continu ously failed to do so. “We cau tioned it off for one day, and then we cautioned it off for two days, and the trash was still there. So then, [Mr. Campopiano and Ms. Greer] decided it was going to be a week to caution them off,” Fowley said.
Along with cautioning off the tables, staff brought the fresh men students into the gym to reprimand them. “In the gym, they talked about how if we left trash, there would be bigger con sequences. I learned to not leave trash at the table,” freshman Zara San Gabriel said.
Leaving trash, as Associate Principal Jami Greer notes, re flects negatively on the school’s reputation. “For example, you have volleyball games after school, and most people go right by those tables. You also have the football and waterpolo games, and so, if people passing through campus see trash, we look like
Students from Advanced Drama performed their fall play “A Midsum mer Night’s Dream.”
The play took place in the Mira monte theater 7 p.m. Oct. 27 and 28 and 2 p.m. Oct. 29. “The play is about royals, actors, lovers, and fairies who are up to mischief in the woods prior to a royal wedding.
A love triangle, mis taken identity, a ri diculous play within a play, and magic en sue during this one whimsical night,” Drama and stage craft teacher Heather Cousins said. Cous ins chose William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for this year’s fall play because it presents both acting challenges and allows for creativity with the set design and costumes.
ing to try something new, and it allows for fun tech elements and choices from the actors,” senior and Advanced Dra ma student Ella Bradley said. Along side the actors’ preparations, the stage craft class constructed set designs and costumes.
The play is about royals, actors, lovers, and fairies who are up to mischief in the woods the night prior to a royal wedding A love triangle, mistaken indentity, a ridiculous play within a play, and magic ensue during this one whimsical night.”
“I play Helena, one of the lovers, who is desperately in love with Deme trius. I am excited for this play because we have never done a full-scale Shake speare show in my time at Miramonte, and it’s definitely a challenge. It’s excit
“Stagecraft’s role in the upcoming play is to create the sensory world that the story is taking place in. Acting is only a fraction of what brings the show to life; it’s a symbiotic relation ship. Without all the crews of stagecraft, the show wouldn’t be the same. A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a fantasy land with the most lush and whimsical world. Every single aspect of this play is unbelievably de tailed. The highlight for my costume crew this year is going to be dressing the fairies,” senior and head of stage crew Lily Namdaran said. The actors and stagecraft crew alike were excited for their work to be displayed in the play. “There is something for everyone in Shakespeare’s funniest comedy,” Cousins said.
trash,” Greer said.
Maintaining a clean campus by picking up trash improves the school’s atmosphere. “Picking up trash and leaving a clean environment encourages further mindfulness in further parts of the campus. Taking that mindful approach to cleanliness and respecting your environment will permeate throughout different parts of your life,” Greer said.
Greer notices that the freshmen are coming in, not being mindful, and not realizing that there are con sequences to their actions at school. Meanwhile, she sees that the upper classmen appreciate a clean campus because they want the campus to re flect the high standards of the school. Greer believes that the freshmen have not learned the importance of that yet.
Fowley believes that facing con sequences for their lunch litter is a learning experience for most fresh men. “We’re hoping that people will learn from that. Since then, I’ve no ticed that the tables are a lot better and we hope that is going to contin ue on for the rest of the school year,” Fowley said.
Greer and Fowley both push for students to take responsibility and pick up their own trash. “[Staff] have got a lot of work to do and I don’t think it’s fair that people’s trash should be part of our cleanup after lunch and brunch,” Fowley said. If students fail to take responsibility, staff will continue the consequences in shutting down tables and patrol ling the area.
Orinda residents attended the 28th annual Middle Eastern Festival at the St. John’s Orthodox Church to learn about and enjoy Middle Eastern culture and customs.
St. Jo1hn’s held the festival Sept. 24 and 25. The itinerary included outdoor booths, live music by local musician Rami Kaileh, a bridal preparation cer emony, traditional dancers, and a variety of Middle Eastern foods. By inviting the community to enjoy Middle Eastern foods and celebrations, St. John’s clergy and parishioners continued the tradi tion of sharing Middle Eastern culture with Orinda. “Most of our parishioners are from the Middle East. We have good food and we love to eat. We love to hear good music, and many of us love to dance. So this is the time where we do that, and we share it with our neigh bors. And, we welcome the immediate neighboring Lamorinda area to be part of it,” St. John’s Church priest Nicholas Borghzol said.
Notably, the festival incorporated an indoor display of specific Middle East ern cultures, such as Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. Each cultural exhibit featured a poster and items unique to the culture. “The displays were great because they gave people the chance to learn about
specific Middle Eastern regions in an engaging way. They were a fun means of connecting the community to specific cultures,” junior Selma Ahmed said.
St. John’s members spent over three months planning the festival, which acted as a fundraiser for the church. “I try to motivate people to donate or come and help. It’s all about helping, lending a hand to the group preparing and setting it up; it’s low key preparation for three months,” Borghzol said.
The festival highlighted the parishio ners’ collaborative and community-ori ented efforts, flaunting a diverse spread of booths containing clothing, handi crafts, and food. Participants ate from a variety of stands, including shawarma, awwami, and Arabic coffee stands. “I learned about a lot of different types of desserts that come from the Middle East, like kanafeh,” junior Antong Cao said.
By exploring different food stands, cultural exhibitions, and traditional cus toms, participants experienced different aspects of the Middle Eastern commu nity. “This festival is a great way for the Middle Eastern community in Orinda to connect and express pride in their culture, and it’s also a great opportunity for people who aren’t Middle Eastern to better understand Middle Eastern cul ture,” Cao said.
Freshmen’s continual failure to pick up lunchtime trash at tables resulted in restricted use of seating areas. Administration hopes to see a change in behavior and increased cleanliness from the students
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You wake up on November 8th. It’s Election Day: time to cast your ballot to help determine the future of your commu nity, state, and country. Yet, the most important decision you make won’t be for president, governor, or senator. It will be for school board, when you elect the people who will determine the academic pathway of every student in the district. Although national and statewide campaigns attract far more media atten tion, school board elections grant voters the best opportunity to make their mark on the community. Thus, voters should increase participation and awareness in school board elections.
Unfortunately, many voters, attracted to the polls by polar izing figures like former president Donald Trump, only vote in presidential elections. While 66% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2020 presidential election, the New York Times pegs local turnout across the US at a dismal 27%. But, participation in local elections grants voters the most power. First, fewer people can vote in a particular school board election. There are fewer than 110,000 people eligible to vote for the AUHSD school board, compared to about 246 million in presidential elections. This means each vote in the district election boasts over 2000 times the influence of a national ballot. Each vote in the smaller election wields significantly more power. Second, the results of the local election have a far more direct impact on the lives of voters. While a change in the Oval Office inflicts less immediate change upon Americans, an ideological shift in the school board could spell major changes for students and the larger community instantly.
This means each vote in the district election boasts over 2000 times the influence of a national ballot.”
side of a major issue. In our district, the "For Better Schools" coalition of Renee Nowac, Gabe Ledeen, and Mark Woolway, all political newcomers, stand in great opposition to incumbent candidates Chris Severson and Nancy Kendzierski. The conflict stems from the For Better Schools alliance’s opposition to dis trict policies affirmed by Severson and Kendzierski throughout the pandemic on COVID-19 and equity education. According to their website, with a victory, Nowac, Ledeen, and Woolway would “assume responsibility for prolonged school closures” and “make sure that the curriculum, course materials, and teaching practices avoid advocacy of political or ideological perspective.”
On the other hand, Severson and Kendzierski would maintain policies on everything from fiscal management to mental health to diversity initiatives. So, when Lamorinda voters go to the ballot box, they won’t just select people to sit at meetings. Voters will determine the direction that local education goes for the foreseeable future.
They won't just select people to sit at meetings. Voters will determine the direction that local education goes for the forseeable future.”
All politics are valuable to know, and all elections are crucial to vote in. Nonetheless, school board elections are by far the most important due to their greater magnitude and narrower scope.
0 that voters must place increased attention on local school board elections.
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Indeed, across the United States, battles for the future of education are taking place. Proponents of education reform recognize the power of local election; rather than looking to traditional arenas of political strife, such as state legislatures, courts, and the Capitol, they zeroed in on school boards. Ac cording to TIME Magazine, politicians on both sides of the political spectrum have lofty goals in local education policy, from COVID-19 response to educational programming on gender identity and race. Evidently, local school boards now act as im portant legislators for social issues significant nationally. As the Brookings Institution puts it, “[School board elections] are high stakes contests in which a small number of votes is decisive.” For example, the Carroll Independent School District in Texas saw a major overhaul to its policies after the winners of a 2021 election banned “harmful books'' and abandoned diversity initiatives. While the number of voters in school board elections may be small, the power it gives its victors is mighty.
These disputes recently arrived in Lamorinda as well, with two rival factions of candidates preparing to compete in the up coming election. Although school board candidates run unaffili ated with parties or other contenders, clashes between two dif ferent ideologies often take place, forcing each candidate to one
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“Photo: Casey Scheiner
The word democracy traces its roots to the Greek words “demos,” meaning people, and “kratos,” meaning power. Unfortunately, this etymology cannot apply to modern American democracy, for today’s political system does not listen to the entire populace. It neglects its next generation in the decision making process. The teenage demographic faces many major issues addressed in elections. A trip to the ballot box could not only help them solve these problems, but teach them important lessons and boost civic participation. Thus, to strengthen the liberal principles which the United States attempts to adhere to, politicians must take ac tion to lower the voting age to 16.
An opportunity to vote grants teenagers the chance to weigh in on the major social issues affecting them most. Recently, Miramonte administrators gave students a general presenta tion on topics including the usage of the Wellness Center for mental health struggles, school shooting protocols, and tools on campus to combat bigotry. In that single 20 minute presenta tion, administrators emphasized many social issues troubling students. Evidently, problems like gun violence, mental health, and prejudice do not only apply to adults. Since adolescents also suffer from high gun violence, poor mental health, and social injustice, they too should receive the opportunity to make their imprint on the legislation tackling these matters.
“I especially care about voter issues like abortion rights, LGBTQ education, and gun con trol,” senior Michelle Giovinazzo, who will be 17 years old on Election Day, said.
Furthermore, voting and education can build on one another to make smarter, more curi ous students and voters. In AP World, European, and United States History classes, the cur riculum largely centers around the birth and spread of liberal democracy. These classes would leave a far greater impact on students if teens could experience the magic of the ballot for themselves. If students witnessed for themselves the power of voting, the magnitude of major historical events promoting this value, such as the American Revolution or the women’s suf frage movement, could hold so much more meaning.
“Being able to participate in the democratic process itself may help younger people under stand the significance and importance of voting and its impacts,” U.S History teacher Matt Sweeney said. Clearly, voting can function as a powerful supplementary activity to students’ social science studies. Our generation will soon bear the responsibility of making the deci sions that will determine the future of the world as a whole. Learning crucial civics lessons at a younger age through voting can mold the next generation of Americans into the involved, educated, and passionate leaders society needs.
Lastly, an earlier voting age can foster civic participation to last a lifetime. By the time Americans cast their first ballot, they have a lot on their plate, whether it’s undergoing the col lege application process or perhaps leaving home for future opportunities. At age 16, students often have less going on and can ask parents and teachers for help in the process. After their community helps develop a voting routine, they continue to go to the polls in November long after their high school days are over. Indeed, research from the American Political Science Review found that voting at a younger age facilitates the habit of filling out a ballot for life.
Many critics of such a plan may argue that members of this age group lack the knowledge necessary to appropriately participate in a democracy. Yet, gatekeeping the right to provide input on important political affairs only to “extremely informed” individuals threatens to dis mantle the equal rights valued by Americans. This would mark a departure from democracy in
favor of a system known as noocracy, where only the “wise” can vote. Plus, contrary to critics’ belief, teenagers tend to have their finger on the pulse of significant na tional affairs. The National Opinion Research Center found that 9 in 10 Americans aged 13-17 recently engaged in civic action for a cause they cared about, suggesting teens clearly possess both the knowledge and passion necessary to vote.
To properly prepare students for their first trip to the polls, schools can provide information on the candidates and help ensure that students make informed deci sions. “Voting is not as simple as showing up at the polls and filling out a ballot,” Sweeney said. “It is imperative to be informed before voting. This means knowing who the candidates are, their stances on issues important to the voter, as well as their platform.” In this regard, school could serve as a helpful platform to form a more knowledgeable voter base by educating students on the upcoming election and fos tering programs that encourage civic participation.
The United States symbolizes democracy on a global level, but our system re mains imperfect. By expanding the voter franchise to include teenagers, who remain extremely interested in and affected by political affairs, the U.S. can reaffirm its commitment to democracy and prepare members of the next generation for the important lives they will lead and civic responsibilities they will take on.
The United States continues to exclude teenagers from its political systems by denying them represen tation. Given the major problems that teens today face, they deserve a voice in the democratic process
“ Teens clearly possess both the knowledge and passion necessary to vote.”
Problems like gun violence, mental health, and prejudice do not only apply to adults.”
Peer tutoring offers academic services to students in need of support. However, getting tutoring is an inconvenient process that prevents students from fully taking advantage of this valuable resource
JARRET ZUNDELAfter a long day of school and extracurricular activities, many students come home to convoluted math worksheets and free response essays for English. If a concept isn’t clicking, there are always YouTube tutorials and Khan Academy videos. But for many students who spend grueling, frustrating hours not understanding a concept, the best help often comes from humanto-human interaction. In 2018, Miramonte established peer tutoring to help students attain the academic support they need. “It was established with the idea that students deserve equitable access to the curriculum,” peer tutoring coordinator and English 1 teacher Colleen Williams said.
During Wednesday and Friday academy sessions, peer tutors report to specific classrooms to which they are assigned. There’s no doubt that peer tutoring leaves a positive impact on the school community. “Our data shows that when teachers tag students for academy, grades go up. I’m assuming peer tutoring has a role to play in that,” Williams said. Besides being effective, Miramonte peer tutoring is also enjoyable for many students. “The peer tutors in the classrooms I go to during academy are all really nice and willing to help. Overall, I think peer tutoring is great for students,” junior Kaylin Chang said. However, for both students and those at the forefront of the program, it is clear that Miramonte peer tutoring should be offered with increased flexibility. In addition, Miramonte peer tutoring needs to be more widely advertised and accessible.
For one, peer tutoring is only available twice per week during academy. “It’s hard to have two academy times per week during which I have to both give and get help. Obligations to peer tutor during academy cut into the peer tutor’s ability to get help from teachers for their own classes,” junior and AP Calculus AB peer tutor Antong Cao said. In order to give more scheduling flexibility to both tutors and tutees, peer tutoring should be made available outside of the academy sessions: before school, during school, and after school. It should be also available online through applications like Zoom so that students can efficiently receive tutoring in the most convenient way. Ultimately, the tutor and tutee should be able to decide when and how to meet.
to aid teachers in providing for their students. Guo’s predicament reflects one way the inability of students to independently request peer tutoring only further places the burden of helping students on teachers. For other students, requesting peer tutoring from teachers is intimidating. “You might be afraid of being judged,” Chang said.
know best when they’re struggling,” Williams said.
Miramonte can learn from Stuyvesant High School, a New York City public school ranked No. 3 in New York state and No. 36 in the nation, according to U.S. News. Stuyvesant’s Honor Society, ARISTA, not only offers peer tutoring services to Stuyvesant students, but students across New York City. Marilyn Shi, vice president of ARISTA, accredits the success of Stuyvesant’s peer tutoring program to its accessibility, flexibility, and publicity. “At Stuyvesant, oneon-one peer tutoring sessions are extremely flexible, as date, time, duration, and setting of the sessions are up to the pair’s discretion,” Shi said. Stuyvesant students can request peer tutoring on the ARISTA website at any time, which matches them with student tutors who have received high grades in the given subject. After a tutor and a tutee connect through the website, they can decide when to meet, whether to meet before, during, or after school, whether to meet online or in-person, and for how long to meet. “Miramonte’s 55-minute academy sessions on set days may not always provide enough time for in-depth tutoring, especially if students are seeking support for an upcoming test or a project with an urgent deadline,” Shi said. She urges Miramonte to adopt an online platform like that of Stuyvesant through which tutors and tutees can connect. She also suggests the use of video calling applications like Zoom, which would allow for students to easily get help at all times of the day. “Online tutoring can be just as effective as in-person methods, with added convenience,” Shi said. “If Miramonte’s goal is to provide academic support for all students, why not expand the options?” Besides running an online platform, ARISTA hosts annual information sessions about peer tutoring in first year classrooms. If teachers, administration, Leadership, and peer tutoring coordinators raised awareness of peer tutoring services at Miramonte, students would make greater use of this resource.
ARISTA website offers one-on-one peer tutoring services to students in need of support.
Furthermore, requesting peer tutoring should be a more straightforward and effortless process. There is no way for students to proactively request the help of peer tutors directly. Only teachers and counselors can request peer tutors on a student’s behalf. This means that students who need extra help must either wait for their teachers to notice their poor performance and decide to assign them a peer tutor, or directly ask their teachers for the help of a peer tutor.
For junior Nicole Guo, requesting the help of a peer tutor from a teacher is not worth the hassle when she could simply request the help of the teacher. “If you have to ask a teacher to request a peer tutor, well at that point, isn’t it more convenient just to ask the teacher directly?” Guo said. Peer tutoring is supposed
Efforts in the past helped peer tutoring become more accessible. For instance, Williams encourages teachers to advertise tutoring services to students. “Last year, I tried to introduce a Google Form through which students could request peer tutoring. I asked teachers to put it on their Canvas homepages. But it didn’t have a ton of success,” Williams said. Williams accounts this to a lack of publicity. “It just wasn’t advertised very successfully,” Williams said. “It’s tough. Advertising peer tutoring is another thing for teachers to think about, and I think we ask a lot of teachers already.” Struggling students need a way to get the help of peer tutors without having to go through their teachers. “Putting the power in the students’ hands would be so helpful, because students
If there’s one thing Stuyvesant and Miramonte have in common, it’s a high level of rigor. “At a school as rigorous as Stuyvesant, it’s no wonder that peer tutoring is very popular among students,” Shi said. Stuyvesant peer tutors are highly dedicated. According to Shi, many Stuyvesant peer tutors “go above and beyond their peer-tutoring requirements, citing that their motivation comes from the sense of fulfillment they find through helping their peers.” Miramonte peer tutors are also passionate about their work. According to a survey shown in peer tutor training, 93.5 percent of tutors report that they enjoy tutoring all or most of the time, and 97.8 percent of tutors feel that they are, in some capacity, making a difference. With this kind of dedication, it won’t be difficult for Miramonte peer tutoring to reach its full potential.
Peer tutoring is meant to provide students with the academic support they need. Miramonte must provide wider-access to peer tutoring and further advertise opportunities to receive peer tutoring. Students should not have to wait until Wednesday or Friday to ask for help.
Photo: Jarret Zundel
PRO: SOHANN RENAC
As many sophomores brace for their first standardized test in years, parents and students are left wondering whether the PSAT is worth the effort in the first place. However, this sudden sentiment of doubt is completely unwarranted as the PSAT remains the most ef ficient way for students to prepare for future standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT.
The PSAT introduces students to university admissions testing, specifically by familiar izing students with the SAT testing style. Despite being a regular multiple-choice format, the exam challenges students by giving them little time on certain questions; for instance, the PSAT only gives students 35 minutes to finish the 44 writing and language questions asked on the exam. Moreover, the preliminary exam also prompts students to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses across the test’s 3 sections: Math, Writing and Language, and Reading and gives them a range of where they might place on the SAT itself.
“The PSAT is great practice for students who are going to take the SAT. Taking the PSAT gives students a baseline score so they can determine if they’d like to prepare for and take the SAT exam,” private college counselor Cyndy Gifford-Palermo said.
Although the PSAT is not submitted to colleges, good scores on the PSAT can be rewarded through numerous awards and scholarships that students can list to strengthen their college applications. The College Board is specifically partnered with the National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC), a nationwide scholarship competition that awards scholarships based on academic performance to high school juniors. According to the NMSC’s student guide, the program is sponsored by over 340 corporations, universities, and other organizations that provide the necessary funding for these awards.
“The National Merit Scholarship Competition identifies top test-takers nationwide and eventually identifies about 7,500 students who will receive some kind of merit aid that initially is identified by their PSAT score,” counselor Ellen Conners said.
Following the exam, college applicants are not required to submit their PSAT score to the universities they’re applying to. This element removes the stigma surrounding standard ized tests like the SAT and ACT. According to a survey in 2015, 76% of New York school psychologists stated that their students experienced greater amounts of anxiety during state tests rather than local assessments mainly due to their family’s expectations and the impor tance of the exam itself. But with many universities and colleges removing these standard ized tests from their admission factors, students no longer need to worry about this.
“I think that while it can be stressful or hard to prepare for, it’s a good way to prepare for all tests, including the SAT. It is generally good for improving test taking skills and general knowledge,” sophomore and PSAT test-taker Thomas Giovinazzo said.
Despite the test’s potentially anxiety-inducing atmosphere, the PSAT remains a great way for students to prepare and learn for their upcoming academic endeavors. Furthermore, with the college admission process growing increasingly competitive across the United States, students should make the most of their school’s offerings to strengthen their chances of landing their university of choice.
Although the PSAT is an effective way to study for the SAT, it supports racial and economic bias in academics, can cost students a lot of money in addition to SAT costs, and is not transferable to college admissions. The PSAT contributes to a much larger problem regarding socioeconomic bias causing the SAT’s decreasing usefulness in the college admissions system.
The PSAT and SAT put children of color and low-income students at a disadvan tage. According to College Board, students with a family income of more than $110,244 scored an average of 1161 while students with a family income of less than $51,591 scored an average of 914. Additionally, in 2018 the combined SAT score for Asian and White students had an average of over 1100, while all other groups averaged below 1000. Many different factors could contribute to this score gap. In 2021, the median household income for Asian and White families in the U.S. was $89,708.5, while the median for Black families was $48,297. Wealthier students are able to afford private tutoring and test preparation courses, giving them an unfair advantage over lower income students.
Over 1,700 colleges are now test-optional, approximately 32% of all colleges in the U.S, many citing the bias standardized testing intro duces as the reason. An additional 44 colleges are test-blind, meaning that those colleges do not accept SAT and ACT scores. The decline in testrequired schools reduces the need for standardized tests such as the PSAT and challenges their conducibility to university admissions.
In addition, the PSAT and SAT are administered by the private company “College Board,” which is the group responsible for the many expenses included with the SAT. “The College Board is running a racket where they charge students for test prep materials, charge students to take the exams, and charge students to send their scores,” Private Col lege Counselor Cyndy Gifford-Palermo said. These fees can be a huge inconvenience for families, along with hiring expensive tutors and buying test prep material.
Because of the discrimination the SAT promotes and expensive fees, the SAT Suite is becoming outdated system as many universities remove SAT requirements on their ap plications, eliminating the need for the PSAT.
Every year, a handful of students receive their class sched ule, disappointed to find themselves enrolled in a combined language class once again. Older students sign up for their respective languages expecting to learn material pertinent to their level’s curriculum and often face the realization that they learn the same lessons from the year prior. Newer students, on the other hand, will find themselves in an accelerated and challenging situation, learning two years’ worth of curriculum. Combining language classes is a practice in the district that Miramonte continues every year due to the lack of signups for certain courses. This year, Mandarin 1 and 2, Mandarin 4 and 5, and French 4 and 5 are combined. While some students do benefit from extra review or engaging in academic challenges, combined lan guage classes continuously fail to teach students the education appropriate for both levels. There fore, the district must have the existing foreign language teachers co-teach the appropriate level of curricula for each course.
Two years of a foreign language are required to graduate from Miramonte, and three years are highly recommended. While many students skip level 1 because they have prior knowledge from middle school or another outside school, that still leaves them to take levels 3, 4, and 5. Thus, it is likely students will at one point enroll in a combined level class. Learning a foreign lan guage is already a challenging task itself. Having to essentially retake the class rather than advanc ing to the next level disengages students and prevents them from improving their language skills.
For lower-level combination classes like Mandarin 1 and 2, teachers tend to skip over the Mandarin 1 lessons and teach the entire class Mandarin 2’s curricula out of convenience. “I don’t like it because I feel like the lower level students might not be getting the reinforcement they need to be able to suc ceed in the higher levels,” junior Lanie Trani said. Mandarin
1 students aren’t receiving the proper education concerning rudimentary skills and a necessary introduction to the lan guage. Instead, they are strewn in a class with students who have some prior knowledge of the language, creating an over whelming atmosphere for less advanced students.
“When I was in Mandarin 1, there were times where it was difficult to keep up with the more fluent speakers in my class because they already had previous knowledge of the lan guage,” junior and Mandarin 3 student, Nolan Walker said. “For example, a kid in Mandarin 2 would read aloud their an swer and I honestly had no clue what they said. I understood maybe two or three of the words.”
The only way students can thrive in combined classes is
ing up with a solid lesson plan is trying to accommodate all students’ needs and considering the differences of each level,” Mandarin teacher Sabrina Wun said. Wun teaches at both Miramonte and Campolindo.
“Since we don’t have enough students to do two separate periods, maybe we could potentially get two teachers to coteach the combined class,” sophomore Jack Quinnild said. In some of the language classes, there are multiple teachers in the classroom at the same time. If one of the other teach ers besides the primary teacher helped co-teach a split class, both teachers could satisfy the needs of all students and could contribute to making the content for each level, level-appro priate.
The other two languages offered at Mira monte, Latin and Spanish, have no combined classes, and students who are taking those languages say they benefit from the seperated class structure. “None of the Latin classes are combined, which is super beneficial for learn ing. I can’t imagine the difficulty of learning AP material as a level four student. In Latin, we can focus on lessons specific to our level which deepens our understanding and well-prepares us for success,” senior and AP Latin student Ricky Davis said.
if their teacher is adequately prepared and able to accommo date all learning levels effectively. With the teacher shortage, both of the Mandarin teachers teaching multiple levels at two schools, and the French teacher teaching both French and Spanish, finding a way to accommodate all learning styles is undeniably challenging for teachers.
“It’s difficult to teach combo classes because part of com
This simple fix acts as a more efficient ap proach to the combined language class prob lem. Not only will teachers effectively address the learning needs of students who progress at different academic levels, but the district won’t have to stress about hiring teachers. Teachers will have more time to strategically plan out their lessons and not worry about not covering all of the ma terial required by the end of the year. Ultimately, having the teachers that already teach within the district co-teach will solve the problems that Miramonte’s language department currently faces regarding the combined levels for French and Mandarin. Thus, the district must consider “co-teaching” as a solution to the combined language class issue.
After four tumultuous years of high school, many se niors look forward to leaving their mark on the school through the revered tradition of publishing their senior quotes, wills, and predictions in the yearbook. However, the increasing controversy over these traditions led many school yearbooks, including Miramonte’s La Mirada, to abandon these sections. In a controversial decision, Princi pal Ben Campopiano announced on Sept. 1, 2022 that La
The school used similar justification in removing senior quotes. Previously, the two senior yearbook editors vetted every quote, will, and prediction. They flagged potentially harmful submissions and passed the rest on to Promes si, who reviewed the submissions again before sending them to administrators for further scrutinization. Then, Promessi sent the yearbook to the publisher, Herff Jones, whose Digital Imaging Department prepared the book for printing. While working on each individual page, the de partment may catch potentially offensive images and text, requesting further review by the school.
There are many cheaper alternative methods to censor published inappropriate content. Jaclyn Holman, Herff Jones San Francisco area representative, recommends cen soring harmful content by covering it with stickers, using pen to black it out, or ripping out the pages. In the Cam polindo senior quotes incident, the yearbook staff recalled all yearbooks to redact the offensive quote by blacking it out. But, recalling yearbooks will never thoroughly resolve the issue.
“Even though they were able to take it back and black it out, the damage was done,” Promessi said. The conse quences of the inappropriate quote and its publication exemplified the need to remove other student submission sections in the future.
The decision to remove Senior Wills and Senior Predic tions did not involve yearbook student staff. After consult ing the publisher and other yearbook advisors in the area over the summer, Promessi sought to remove those sec tions. At the start of this school year, Promessi approached Campopiano and Associate Principal Jami Greer, a former yearbook advisor, to discuss removal.
California’s Education Code prohibits “prior restraint of material prepared for official school publications” and obliges the school to provide immediate justification “prior to a limitation of pupil expression” deemed obscene, libel ous, or slanderous. But, Promessi, Campopiano, and Greer did not announce nor justify their decision to cut wills and predictions to the La Mirada staff prior to Campopiano’s email announcement to the entire senior class.
“I want to make it very clear that the [yearbook] staff had zero part to play in these decisions,” Promessi said. When Yearbook removed senior quotes last year, the yearbook editors received backlash from the student body. This year, Promessi and the admin team hoped to redirect students’ criticism from the editors to themselves.
“It is essential for a publication to stay relevant, ontrend, and most importantly, publish responsible and re spectable content that reflects the high standards of our school and community,” Campopiano said in the email justifying the decision to cut the wills and prediction sec tions. The decision was a cautionary one prompted only by the possibility of harmful language slipping through the staff vetting process and into publication, not by a specific incident of inappropriate content.
“The problem is that [the wills and predictions] are written in student longhand, where we have no idea what they mean or what they say,” Campopiano said. Accord ing to California Education Code, section 48907, it is the yearbook advisor’s responsibility to prevent the publishing of libelous, slanderous, and obscene language. However, this is far more difficult than it sounds.
“The only way I can guarantee that I’m not printing anything that falls into those categories is to control what’s written in the book and to not accept contributions from outside,” yearbook advisor Rebecca Promessi said.
The district’s most recent incident with inappropriate submissions happened in 2021 with Campolindo’s senior quotes section. An offensive quote targeting a specific student evaded the vetting process and got published in the yearbook. After distribution, that student notified the school, and the family pursued a lawsuit. Campolindo and Miramonte removed senior quotes after the incident at Campolindo. According to Promessi, the incident played no part in Miramonte’s decision to remove senior quotes. Her decision, although not public at the time, came be fore the unfolding of the senior quotes incident at Cam polindo.
Miramonte chose to remove wills and predictions be cause yearbook and school staff cannot catch all offensive student submissions, even with a thorough vetting process.
In 2021, Herff Jones caught a discriminatory quote that slipped past the student editors, Promessi, and the admin team. “I found out what [the quote] meant, and I was mortified. It was a very misogynistic quote, and I was so close to publishing it,” Promessi said.
“I’m pretty sad that we won’t have senior wills or predic tions. I wish I could say I was surprised they got removed, but after quotes got taken away, pretty much anything could’ve been next. I am still excited for the yearbook, but it won’t be the same,” senior Tahra Minowada said.
While the decision to cut senior wills and predictions was ultimately based upon a handful of students’ poor choices, their actions affect and reflect on the school and
In his email, Campopiano stated a full $85,000 reprint of the yearbook would be necessary if that or any other offensive material was published. However, the Education Code does not explicitly mandate a reprint to remedy the issue, only stating that the advisor must maintain profes sional journalistic standards.
community as a whole. “We have an amazing student body, and I would say that all—or the vast majority—of students treat each other with respect and don’t even think about putting something slanderous in the yearbook. And when it happens, it can be so harmful to a kid or to a group of kids that it’s too much of a risk,” Campopiano said.
Mirada will no longer publish the Senior Wills and Senior Predictions sections.After considering many factors, Yearbook Advisor Rebecca Promessi and Principal Ben Campopiano made the difficult decision to omit senior wills and predictions from all future Miramonte yearbooks
Birds aren’t real. That is, many of the bird sounds heard on campus are produced by a speaker, not chirping birds. Most students and staff passing through the quad hear the abundant bird calls of crows, pigeons, and hawks. Upon closer listening, one may notice a strange pattern in the calls with four loud and distinct bird screeches. During the school year, these four sounds occur in the same se quential order, playing one immediately after another, and at regular intervals throughout the day.
“Initially, I thought the bird noises were real. When my friends pointed out the speak ers, I was surprised because I couldn’t think of why the school would invest in bird noises,” freshman Annie Strickler said. Strickler is among many students con fused about the bird noises. According to a poll conducted on The Mirador’s Instagram account, 49% of respon dents were unaware of the bird-repellent speakers.
The sounds play from a speaker propped up on top of the cafeteria, the BirdXPeller Pro, which is sold for $253 by the company, BirdX, and on Amazon.com for $136. Principal Ben Campopiano purchased the speaker in 2021 after multiple incidents of birds releasing toxins on students.
According to the company’s website, their speak
ers provide a “safe and humane” method to discourage pigeons, starlings, sparrows, and gulls from causing mischief. These pest birds often clog pipes with their nests. Their waste is acidic; it erodes most building ma terials and can cause severe damage. Additionally, the abundance of birds and their cravings for human food can create chaos when birds fight for students’ lunches.
Senior Megan Chui was a victim of such chaos. “My friend and I were sitting at a table, and a crow jumped
away.
“After the use of the speaker, I rarely ever see [the birds] at lunch anymore and droppings seem to occur less,” junior Matthew Chan said.
Reviews on the company’s website state customers use the speakers in a wide variety of outdoor settings: recreational and community centers, business estab lishments, and even suburban homes. The bird-repel lent speakers are an alternative to traps and chemical sprays which can be costly and harmful to both the birds and the environment.
off the roof and hit my friend in the back with an audible thump then fell a little farther, hit my back, and fell to the grass,” Chui said.
The customizable BirdXPeller Pro can project the sounds and cries of predatory birds attacking smaller birds as well. These sounds warn pest birds in the area to stay
“Trapping can be challenging because once a bird is trapped someone has to quickly relocate that animal. Chemicals on the other hand can wreak havoc on non-target species. If it is a chemical that is intended to poison the birds themselves, the issue then lies with larger preda tory animals that are now ingesting the poisoned birds and getting poisoned themselves,” AP Environmental Sci ence and Earth and Space Science teacher Jyllian Smith said. The eco-friendly solution to nuisance birds provides students protectionfrom mischievious birds at school.
When students are on the quad and hear the cries of birds on campus, they can sit comfortably without wor rying about bird thieves stealing lunches or being the next bird-dropping victim.
During lunchtime, as students flit from table to table, asking questions about an upcoming test or complimenting each others’ outfits, they spend their 30-minute lunch break socializing and bonding with each other. However, while students enjoy a shady quad filled with picnic tables desig nated for their activities, teachers, up until now, did not have this luxury.
The new staff lunch seating area will lie in the area outside the staff copy room and room 334, which the administra tion chose because of its proximity to the teachers’ lounge and the fact that it is, as of right now, just an empty dirt patch. To prepare the area, the dis trict’s ground team first installed a weed barrier over the dirt, then spread decomposed granite over it to create a cleaner look. The plan is to fill the area with picnic tables, chairs, and umbrellas for staff to use, but the tables are currently back or dered and will take three months to arrive. However, the most important part of the new seat ing area is its impact on the teachers. “We wanted
to create this space to help build community and to provide a comfortable outdoor lunch and meeting space for them,” Principal Ben Campopiano said.
tend. Additionally, the teachers organize an off-campus event just for themselves at least once every semester for a chance to build staff camaraderie and talk to other teachers whom they don’t work with on a daily basis.
“They are a good op portunity to be removed from school and to talk about our lives outside of school,” math and science teacher Katie Watson said.
However, compared to students’ daily lunches, these staff lunches and events do not happen very often. So, to increase the frequency of staff lunch es, math teacher Valerie Peterson recently started a tradition called Lawn Chair Lunches. Every two weeks, staff gather outside the teacher’s lounge— which, coincidentally, is where the new seating area will be—with their folding chairs and lunches to eat and chat with each other. Soon, instead of lugging out lawn chairs every two weeks, teachers will sit in the brand new seating area and meet far more often, if not daily.
Even before the creation of their designated lunch area, staff members meet up nearly every month out side the crafts classroom for a barbeque cookout, grill ing hot dogs and encouraging all the teachers to at
“For many of us [teachers], this job consists of teaching a certain subject five periods a day, but it’s also so much more than that because some staff members are like fam ily,” special education teacher Pete Clauson said.
Students and staff often hear strange sounds eminating from the cafeteria. The Mirador un covers the origins of the fake bird noises and the rationale behind the principal’s purchase
Stepping into artist Lara Horoupian’s home studio, Laratelier, is like witnessing a vibrant paint stroke come to life on a brand new canvas.
The wall of the studio showcases framed works of both old and recent paintings, many of which belong to Horoupian, a professional artist. Sculptures vary in style, from wiry fig ures mimicing surrealist artist Alberto Giacommeti to hyper-realistic canyons modeled after national parks. Mira monte students created much of this work and have attended the studio since its opening a decade ago.
Laratelier offers summer programs and five-day intensives. When it comes to teaching, Emphasizing art as a path of expression, Horoupian encourages students to experiment with differ ent mediums and inspirations. “I want students to feel comfortable, to feel like they are here to express their emotions. Along with my guidance, there’s always a subject or artist to be inspired by. I haven’t repeated a subject in ten years!”
Horoupian said.
Laratelier aims to foster a positive atmosphere where students uplift one another. “Kids always make good com ments and reinforce each other,” Horou pian said. “If a student is hesitant about the piece, you see another student stand up and say, ‘This is amazing!’”
Next spring, Laratelier will commemorate a decade of artwork by presenting a showcase spotlighting Horoupian’s veteran students, including senior Malina Andrews, who is preparing a college art portfolio featuring several of her pieces created at the studio.
“I started taking Ms. Horoupian’s class at the end of fourth grade. It’s been eight to nine years now and I’ve loved every second of it,” Andrews said. “I kept coming
back because Ms. Horoupian is an amazing teacher. I feel like I’ve learned so much from her about life and about art, and it’s just been so fun.”
Andrews attends Laratelier nearly every week, where Horoupian witnesses her art journey grow. “[Malina has]
shades and color schemes,” Andrews said. “I like to add my own twist to it.”
Andrews’ favorite projects include painting her own rendition of the Mona Lisa and creating family life sketches that resonate with her background and culture.
After tiring school days, students find Laratelier projects to be a great outlet for creativity.
“Walking into class refreshes my zest for art,” junior Corinna O’Brien said. “There’s a sense of welcome with the paint on the tables and the music playing in the background.”
“I love having a space where I can express my art,” sophomore Lilia Maharbiz said. “I highly recommend it for artists looking for a space to try new things through different themes.”
Although Andrews won’t be attend ing art school, she promises to keep creating after high school.
“I am planning to minor in art and will definitely keep art as a part of my life,” Andrews said. “I’m definitely confident in my skills with traditional art, so I think that no matter what I’ll keep drawing and painting, but I might try out digital art alongside that if I find time to.”
Both Andrews and her teacher Horoupian have a hopeful message for those who are shy about their artwork.
done so many different projects, and she’s such an inspir ing student,” Horoupian said. “After a long week of school with hard classes; she comes here to express herself. You see her work and you think it’s a professional artist [with] her colors, her composition.”
Students experiment with a myriad of art forms, includ ing painting on paper, canvas, wood, and rock and using acrylics, pastel, and watercolor. “I love trying out different
“Ms. Lara emphasizes that everyone can do art and become better at it with practice,” Andrews said. “You can become a really amazing artist in the class. She teaches you but also lets you guide your own progress and gives you the creative freedom to express yourself.”
As Andrews wraps up her senior year and looks forward to college, the wonder and solace that art provides contin ues to illuminate her life.
“There is this magic in art that is unlimited,” Horoupian said. “Nobody would know until they discover it.”
As author Brandon Mull once said, “Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others.” The past cannot be changed, but the future holds infinite possibilities. Here’s what Miramonte upperclassmen have to say about regrets.
Regret 1: I got stuck on past failures.
“A lot of us are so concentrated on each individual homework grade, a couple of percentages. We should instead focus on the bigger picture: how we’re going to fix our lives, do better on the next test. You can’t change the past. You can’t wallow in sadness.” — junior Nicole Guo
Regret 2: I believed rumors.
“Buying into rumors is one of my biggest regrets from high school. I heard things about people I’d never even met before and assumed they were true. When I finally met those same people, I realized how untrue my perception of them was, which frustrated me because I missed out on so many opportunities to meet new people.” — senior Alexa Gutu
Regret 3: I wasn’t involved in the com munity.
“I don’t regret that I started my own club, Art and Community Service Club, that I am passionate about!” — senior Allison Tam
“One thing I don’t regret is making my own club at Miramonte. When I started the Miramonte Keyboard Club, I never imag ined that I would be building keyboards for staff all across the school. I also got to meet many new people who share my same inter ests.” — senior Alex Ryan
Regret 5: I didn’t put in enough effort.
“I regret that I didn’t try hard enough dur ing my first year of high school, on Zoom, which was highly unhelpful for the rest of my years.” — junior Evan Mishkin
“I regret not putting nearly as much ef fort as I could have in the beginning of high school. Freshman year is a time to develop and find study habits that work the best for you.” — senior Michelle Zhou
Regret 6: I didn’t make sleep a priority.
“I don’t regret sleeping through COVID year. I caught up on sleep. I feel like I wasn’t the only one who did it.” — senior Dorian Byrd
“I regret not sleeping more. Sleeping is more important than studying. If you don’t sleep, it’s like you wasted all the studying that you did.” — junior Antong Cao
Regret 7: I didn’t live in the moment.
“There’s so much emphasis and pressure on
take academic AP and honors courses, especially at our high school. I wish I could have taken classes where I could further explore my interest in the arts, rather than simply brush it to the side.” — senior Nilab Ahmed
“One thing I don’t regret is devoting my time to studio art and art in general as a hobby. Though Miramonte doesn’t particularly emphasize the arts, I think it’s important to not just take classes because they look good, but to choose ones you’re genuinely interested in.” — senior
“I regret not going to see a concert of one of my favorite groups, TXT, during the summer of 2022. Being a K-pop band, it’s not like they come to the U.S. often. I was too caught up in studying and extracur riculars. The hard work may pay off, but I’ll never again be sixteen and in the audience of a TXT concert.” — junior Kaylin Chang
Artist Lara Horoupian is in her tenth year of teaching lessons at her studio, Laratelier. Her art student, senior Malina Andrews, assembles her college art portfolio before graduating Miramonte“Photography is an art form where I can express my creativity,” junior Leo Ding said.
In the modern-day digital world, the cliche “a picture is worth a thousand words” consistently proves itself to be true. With one simple click of a button, anyone can cap ture memories instantaneously. But with the right equip ment and favorable conditions, photography can become a seasoned form of art with endless possibilities. WL Pro ductions—a student-run sports photography media ac count—demonstrates the potential of mastering that art through action shots, hype videos, and candid portraits.
Sophomore Wyatt Johnson and junior Leo Ding take sports photography to the next level through WL Productions. The duo’s knack for photography is shown through their many snapshots, which circulate on social media. “WL is a way for the football team to further ex tend their reach on social media, and WL provides media not only to the team, but also Yearbook and Leadership at Miramonte,” Ding said.
Johnson and Ding began photographing sports events at the start of this year’s football season. Their pictures immediately gained substantial popularity, and ever since, the two have worked hard to document school sports events. “I think it’s important to showcase all the incred ibly hard work that these players put in. Having been on the football team in the past, I know how hard and stren uous it is to be on the team, and the dedication it takes,” Johnson said.
A major aspect of WL Productions’ success is the bond and partnership that Johnson and Ding share. The pair developed a productive dynamic in which each contrib
utes their strong suits:. “Although we work together on many aspects of WL, our individual skill sets vary, there fore resulting in both of us serving different roles. I focus on filming a lot of the varsity team and editing content, while Wyatt does a lot of photos and does the posts on the account,” Ding said. “I think our strong partnership and friendship has played a huge role in developing WL.”
Ultimately, Johnson and Ding transformed photogra phy into a form of art that embodies a deeper meaning. WL Productions captures crucial moments of students’ athletic careers and freezes them into inspiring images. The professional yet imaginative photos reflect upon Johnson and Ding’s personal style and long-standing love for the art. “I’ve had a camera since I was very little, and ever since it has been fun taking it around on vacations and capturing different landscapes and people. Photog raphy is an art form where I can express my creativity,” Ding said.
Additionally, WL Productions allows the duo to ex perience the social aspect of football from the sidelines. “I think my favorite part of WL Productions is working with Leo and getting to be connected with the team on a deeper level. I tend to think our photography is more than just the photography aspect itself, [it’s] also getting to experience the comradery and brotherhood that foot ball offers,” Johnson said.
As the year progresses, WL Productions will continue to produce captivating, professional sports photography. Johnson and Ding are just getting started. “Our biggest hope is to continue to photograph the football team and to grow our account. We’re not sure where the end goal is, except that we’re happy to be supporting Mats sports teams,” Ding said.
During the peak of football season, many students take their late night post-game cele brations—or consolations—to Nation’s Giant Hamburgers. The comforting smell of sizzling bacon wafts in the warm air as a sea of familiar smiling faces enhances the welcoming atmo sphere of Orinda’s beloved Nation’s. Laugh ter rings throughout the cheerful storefront while many highschoolers enjoy food under the neon lights of the town’s nostalgic burger joint.
Ever since its founding in 1952, Nation’s Giant Hamburgers not only served as a place for locals of all ages to enjoy a delicious yet af fordable meal, but also became home to cher ished memories amongst many students and alumni. “I went to Nation’s with friends after sporting events, like after Miramonte football games or after we went to the nearby driving range to hit golf balls,” Miramonte alumni Ethan Elkind ‘94 said. “It was the only spot in Orinda where you could get a late night, inexpensive meal. We’d often run into friends there.”
However, Nation’s Hamburgers wasn’t always the pop ular eatery that it is today. In 1952, Nation’s founder, Russ Harvey, purchased a hot dog stand at the highly trafficked intersection of San Pablo Dam Road and San Pablo Av enue, just a few miles north of Orinda. A few weeks fol lowing, he introduced hamburgers to the menu, placing a
strong emphasis on serving large quantities. This marked the transition to a restaurant under the name “Harvey’s Giant Hamburgers.” Dale Power, a local teenager who was hired as the restaurant’s janitor in 1961, worked at the eatery throughout high school and college. Soon, in 1970, Power bought his first restaurant in Oakland’s Jack London Square District. He named it Nation’s, suggesting that they served the best hamburgers in the country. Sub sequently, the two men partnered under a brand name, and Harvey renamed his restaurant to Nation’s.
Over time, more options were added to the menu, including award-winning pies, breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections. “What I like most about Nation’s is the great variety of food,” Nation’s Hamburgers patron junior Nick Blair said. “Whether it’s break fast, lunch, or dinner, I can always rely on the Nation’s to provide me with the best food lo cally.”
Eventually, Harvey retired, and Power passed the presidency to Grant Power, his son. As of today, Nation’s has 28 locations with the majority of them located in the Bay Area.
Additionally, the Orinda location that made 76 Moraga Way its home since 1978 is now relocating to a considerably larger new space on the other side of the street. “I like the new place because it’s a lot bigger and nicer, but losing the old place is a little sad,” Blair adds.
As Nation’s 70th birthday nears, Har vey and Power’s establishment proves to be the epitome of hometown comfort amongst many of its clientele. “I mainly ate at the Orinda Nation’s. I just have fond memo ries of enjoying a late-night greasy meal there with some of my best friends, and running into others from high school there,” Elkind shares.
To this day, the post Friday night lights gather ing at Nation’s Hamburgers means only one thing: a full stomach and a happy heart.
sits the Chabot Space and Science Center, where visitors immerse themselves in exhibits, hands-on activities, and planetarium shows. Students of all ages visit this science center to learn about space or participate in STEM-related camps, but there are six high school ers who spend more time at the facility than most.
a group of students who volunteer or work year-round at the Oakland-based science center. High school students can apply for the program in both the fall and spring, and those accepted into the program immediately begin train ing to become official volunteers. “The program provides high school students with an opportunity for hands-on, fun community service work while giv ing them a chance to develop their job skills, increase their STEM knowledge, and enhance public speaking,” Amanda Truitt, the center’s Youth Development Coordinator, said.
Galaxy Explorers at Chabot, including seniors Alex Aoki and Megan Chui. While all of the students can earn vol unteer hours at the center, a select few can become paid workers after spend ing several months in the program. “I discovered Galaxy Explorers through online searches and given how much I enjoyed it as a kid, it seemed obvious that I should apply. After half a year as a volunteer, I applied to be a paid intern. I had to send a cover letter to my boss and interview for the position,” Aoki said.
The Galaxy Explorers program offers several special ized opportunities for volunteers to focus on, which in
“My favorite opportunities are the museum explainer floor shifts and the Astronomy and Media special interest teams, where I’ve gotten to engage in fun projects like cre ating instructional videos and learning how to use online telescopes. On the Media team, I’ve made funny TikToks
with fellow GEs [Galaxy Explorers], which has been sur
Aside from their monthly projects, Galaxy Explorers also have opportunities to plan special events at the sci ence center. Chui cited the center’s annual Bubblefest as her favorite event, where nearly every scientific activity and exhibit becomes related to bubbles for an entire weekend. Aoki enjoyed preparing the Chabot overnight event, in which Galaxy Explorers and paid interns stayed at the cen ter overnight and watch the launch of Artemis 1, NASA’s first test flight for its new Space Launch System. “Unfortunately, the launch was canceled, but I still had a blast making posters, singing karaoke, and playing games,” Aoki said.
Chui strongly encourages stu dents interested in the program to apply for this long-term op portunity. “There are different ap plication cycles that occur multiple times a year, and since the museum just reopened and is looking to expand its exhibits, Chabot could really use more student volunteers to keep the museum running. The volunteer-to-staff ratio is really high, showing how important vol unteers are,” Chui said. There are two application cycles in the fall and spring seasons of each year, and the next application cycle will
With its state-of-the-art observatory deck, full-dome planetarium, and numerous exhibits that feature astro nauts and planets galore, the Chabot Space and Science Center is fit for explorers of all ages. Feel free to stop by the center, and say hello to Miramonte’s own Galaxy Ex plorers hard at work.
The Buddy Club continues its second year at Miramonte. Founded and led by junior Clara Grenning, the Buddy Club focuses on strengthening connections with students in the Special Education class. With meet ings that range from ice cream socials to relay races on the track, Buddy Club is a growing group that spreads inclusive ness and positivity around campus.
On Sept. 7 during Miramonte’s Club Day, Grenning attracted students of all grades to join Buddy Club. She gathered a total of 51 people, including returning and new members. “I am super excited to be part of Buddy Club for my sec ond year because it’s a great opportunity to meet new people, and I always have a fun time participating in their club meetings,” junior Callie Barber said.
With an array of people in her club, Grenning strives to make Buddy Club even more successful. “Something we are going to do differently from last year is we are going to pair students up with the Special Education students to com plete projects, so it is more intermixed,” Grenning said. Projects include arts and crafts, hands-on cooking lessons, friendly games of soccer, and races.
Grenning believes the club will become a more comfortable and inclusive environment for all by coupling members with Special Ed students for every activity
“My favorite meeting last year was the Thanksgivingthemed meeting, when I wrote a word I am thankful for on a paper cut-out turkey,” sophomore and student in Special Ed class Colin White said
Grenning was inspired by her older sister Lily to create
a club that is inclusive to the Special Ed class. “I created Buddy Club because I have a sister with Down Syndrome. During Covid it was very isolating for people with special needs to maintain connections with people, so I felt inspired to start a club to help restore and create friendships. Many
can tell friendships are being started and built! My students love connecting with their peers and creating those connec tions they might not elsewhere,” Special Education teacher Anthony Ohlson said.
Along with their involvement with Buddy Club, Ohl son’s class also collaborates with other schools in sporting competi tions around the Bay Area. Special Education classes from Miramonte, Acalanes, Freedom High School, and Ignacio Valley all come to gether to Acalanes High School to play against each other in friendly competitions of soccer, basketball and track. The schools are currently playing soccer in teams of eleven which consist of five special educa tion students and six athletes. When playing, the students get to experi ence the close bond of a sports team. “They love competing and playing with their peers. My students enjoy playing in an actual game and being on a team because not a lot of them are on Miramonte High School sports teams, so this is a great way for them to feel included” Ohlson said.
students in the Special Ed class hang out with their same peers everyday and I think it is important for them to inter act with other students,” Grenning said.
Last year, the club received positive feedback from the Special Education class and hopes to get the same response this year. “I love how included and happy everyone feels. Ev ery club member has a great time when we meet, and you
Spreading more awareness about the events and activities that take place in the Special Education class could help Miramonte become a more inclusive environment. “More outreach from the whole community in coming to support these events is a big part of making the Special Education class feel more included,” Ohlson said.
Buddy Club offers a wide array of opportunities to share experiences with the Special Education class and is a re warding way to form friendships and foster inclusivity on campus.
Seniors describe their experience as Galaxy Explorers, volunteering as educators and teaching children about engineering, space, and the natural world at the Chabot Space and Science Center
The girls water polo team remains undefeated at the halfway point of the their season. Similar to the boys team, the girls also traveled to a tournament in Santa Clara, go ing 3-0 and beating their opponents with a combined score of 38-13, proving once again that they are the #1 team in Northern California. Unfortunately, in Southern Califor nia, the girls water polo season is in the spring. With the top water polo teams in the nation located in Southern California, the Mats must continue to beat the same teams over and over again by sizable scores. The Mats beat rival Campolindo by a score of 16-8, a colossal win. UCLA commit Dania Innis ‘23 and USC commit Meghan McAnich ‘23 continue to prove why they play at the next level with their scoring ability. Ally Lurie ‘23 uses her shot blocking ability to help goalie Petra Cherry ‘23 keep the opponent’s balls out of the net. While currently on the injured list, Natalie Stryker ‘24 and Harvard University commit Lucy Berkman ‘23 still help the team through their leadership qualities to keep their team motivated. Ro salie Hassett ‘24 is another tremendous player for the Lady Mats. Hassett competed in Greece this past summer while representing the 16U Girls National Team. An enormous feat, Hassett contributes through all parts of the game: passing, shooting, and defense. The girls look to keep their perfect record all the way through the rest of their season as they hope to win another NCS Championship.
rating. The talented receiving group includes Ethan Conley ‘23, Jimmy Foster ‘23, JD Pearce ‘24, and John Williams ‘23, all high impact players. Against Mt. Eden High, Middle bury College commit Cooper Bohlig ‘23 came back from injuries and demonstrated his sheer athletic ability. Catching three receptions for 114 yards with a 68 yard touchdown to seal the game, Palmer Rhodes ‘24, Jackson Davenport ‘23, and Andrew Davenport ‘25 all are heavily incorporated within the offensive and defensive line. Although the OLine and D-Line aren’t scoring touchdowns or getting all of the publicity, these players play the most integral position on the field. As the run game is going to be crucial for the Mats this season, the team is going to have to look at the boys up front to help as Bennett Destino ‘23 and Thomas Wilson ‘23 fight through the defensive line. If the Mats can find a way to play some solid defense, this team will prove unstoppable
Bell ‘24 keeps on chugging as she also leads the team in 1600m, 2 mile, and 3 mile for Miramonte. Even though the Mats are clearly one of the most talented teams on campus, they also like to have a bit of fun during their practices. On Oct. 1, the cross country team put on their annual Cross Country Olympic Competition. All seven teams dressed up as their chosen nation and competed in running events like the 400m and 800m, but also did some team building exercises such as knockout, dodgeball, and even wheelbarrow racing. Under captains Ricky Davis ‘23, Gabbi Decareau ‘24, Eloise Anagnost ‘23, Jason Wagner ‘24, Casey Scheiner ‘24, and Grace Bell ‘24, the cross country team are continuing their winning ways while also having a good time.
The girls volleyball team sits at 13-7 at the midway mark of their season. The team competed in a tournament with solid competition, winning three straight games before a suffering devastating loss to Foothill High School in their final game. The number three ranked Mats have yet to defeat number one ranked Campolindo whom they lost to in the beginning of the season. However, the Mats won big against the number two ranked team in the Diablo Foothill league against Northgate High School, by a score of 3-0. A big contributor to this win is Amber Chu ‘23, who boasts 64 kills on the season, making three kills per set, an exceptional statistic. On the serving side, Kaylin Ishizu ‘23 performs extremely well; she boasts four aces and 24 assists on the year. With Ishizu’s power and spin rate on the ball, the Mats are also looking to band behind their star, Chu, to get the team out of tough situations. Captain Annika Blas-Cedeno ‘23 also helps out the team with her incredible 45 kills and 79 receptions on the year. Kaitlyn Roach ‘23 also boasts 13 blocks on the season. Not only are the seniors dominating, but the junior class is also heavily involved behind the lead of Nicole Tuszynski ‘24. While leading the team in receptions (170) and digs (77), the Mats hope to keep rallies alive through the tough back row to hopefully get some big wins as they come into a tough league section of their season.
Midway through the season, the Mats football team sits at 6-2. With a loss to tough opponent Oakdale High School, the Mats proved that they can go far into the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs. With a very difficult league schedule ahead, the 41 man roster looks to win some big matchups. Quarterback and UCLA commit Luke Duncan ‘23 started off his senior season hot. Throw ing a total of 1,244 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first five games, he earned himself a well-deserved 125 QBR
At the halfway point, the boys water polo team sits at a record of 14-11. The Mats stand alone atop the Diablo Foothill Athletic League rankings going 6-0 in league play. With big wins against rivals Campolindo High School (10-8) and Acalanes High School (16-8), the boys seem to be the most dominant team in Lamorinda. However, the polo team competed in a tournament in Southern Cali fornia, where they played against some of the top teams in the country. Losses to Newport Harbor and Huntington Beach gave the Mats an opportunity to fix their weak nesses going into league play. Currently ranked #8 in the nation, the Mats are looking for their underclassmen to get heavily involved. Griff Tunney ‘25, Patrick Stice ‘25, and Brock Bliss ‘26 may not be scoring the most goals on the team; however, they play important roles in assisting these playmakers by efficient passes and ball handling. The dynamic sibling duo of Charlie Engs ‘23 and Henry Engs ‘24 continue to dominate the league. The most impressive aspect of the Mats team is their junior class. Grant Kurtz ‘24, Oliver Sherwood ‘24, and Henry Engs ‘24 lead the team in goals scored, while Charlie Engs ‘23 balances out the team, leading in assists and steals. The Mats polo team looks forward to going deep into the NCS playoffs and look to add to their 30 NCS championship titles.
Girls tennis started off the half of the season strong with a record of 18-5. The team beat rival Campolindo by a dominating score of 6-3 and also beat Acalanes with another blowout score of 6-3. Top performances include Soleil Skjorshammer ‘24 and Caitlin Chan ‘26, who con tribute to the team as the #1 and #2 singles players. With their accurate ball placement and tough serves, these girls are tough challenges and difficult for opponents to beat. Even with their fantastic start to their season, the Mats are still mature enough to look back at their mistakes in their three losses. “I think we need to work on our versatility. To be a great team, we have to be talented in both singles and doubles matches. We have to be making sure players are flexible enough to where we can put anyone in tough situations,” captain Lauren Anthony ‘23 said. Winning the league championship was a huge accomplishment supplied by the many talented seniors including Grace Liu ‘23, Emma Moltyaner ‘23, Lily Lincoln ‘23, and Elena Sullivan ‘23. The Mats can use this opportunity to make it far into NCS once again if they can keep up with their success.
The cross country team keeps on chugging as they continue to outperform high school after high school in the NCS with the star of the show being Asher Patel ‘24. Patel has gotten lots of attention from college recruit ers and Patel continues to top the 1600m, 2 mile, and 3 mile events. Beating the second place runner by almost a minute in the 2 mile and 3 mile, there’s no stopping Patel as he continues his domination. On the girls side, Grace
At the halfway point of the girls golf season, the Lady Mats sit at 12-2, including a regional tournament in the beginning of their season. The Mats did a fantas tic job against Campolindo High School, beating them twice in their two matchups. With a big match at Orin da Country Club, the Mats took down the Acalanes Dons in a stroke for stroke win. Twins Courtney Sche ingart ‘23 and Katherine Scheingart ‘23 continue their domination within the Diablo Athletic League, staying uncontested at the top. The team has shown consistency time and time again, as Paige Sovacool ‘26, stepped in as a freshman to help the 5-man team. The Lady Mats hope to continue their playoff wishes going into their North Coast Section playoffs.
JESSICA YOUN
As the fall progresses and high schoolers grow de pendent on Friday Night Lights for a guaranteed source of after-school entertainment, football reminds students of its inherent importance to the community. From showing support and spirit at weekly games to anxiously keeping up with Fantasy Football rankings, students never fail to demonstrate their perpetual sup port for the game. Thus, it only seems fitting that many high school football players from all across Lamorin da fill their weekends with the sport they have come to love so much. Moraga-Orinda-Lafayette Football League (MOL) is a youth flag football league for third through eighth graders run by volunteer coaches and referees. MOL employs high schoolers with exciting,
entertaining weekend jobs as referees. Tasks assigned to referees include arriving early to help assemble the field’s set-up, assuming positions along the field, enjoy ing donuts and Chick-Fil-A, and cleaning up the as sembled field and equipment. Additionally, referees are given the chance to serve as role models for the young MOL players whether it’s inspiring them to continue pursuing football or becoming referees themselves. “The kids see us as the next level of football and come to our games Friday night. This gives them a more personal connection to the game and shows them what they can achieve,” Jackson George ‘24 said. Ultimately, referees get the best of both worlds: compensation for assisting with their favorite hobby. “I love football and I like to be around it as much as I can,” Nick Blair ‘24 said. Passed down through generations for over 50 years,
MOL is a long-standing and significant tradition among both aspiring football players and ex-player ref erees. The community’s football legacy depends on high schoolers shouldering the roles they once looked up to. “Growing up we would always go to the games and that really showed us what real football was. This was very important because it gave us examples of what we needed to do to be on their [high school] level,” George said. Furthermore, it gives ex-players an opportunity to stay connected to an essential aspect of their own youth while inspiring the next generation. “My favorite part is being able to give back to MOL. It’s one of my favor ite childhood memories and being able to be a part of it still is really special,” junior varsity football captain, Mitch Reichenbach ‘25, said. MOL is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
For more than 30 years, announcers Steve Harwood, Scott Butler, and Bill Cosden actively participated in Miramonte athletics through announcing. The three an nouncers play a crucial role in creating the best experience for Miramonte students in a number of sports, ranging from varsity football to competi tive cheer.
Harwood started his announc ing career at the Sleepy Hollow Swim and Tennis Club swim meets. For Harwood, his passion for announcing only progressed from there.
Harwood has announced a wide variety of sports throughout his career. He announced football, rugby, and wheelchair basketball at Solano College for a total of 15 years. At Miramonte, Harwood announces basketball, baseball, water polo, volleyball, competitive cheer, and wrestling. Always look ing forward to the intense work, Harwood makes the best of his time as an announcer. “There are many aspects of announcing that have made the experience reward ing, including the opportunity to contribute to the event, to make it special for all the participants, and seeing how players rise up to meet the challenges they face,” Harwood said.
With lots of announcing experience, Harwood always surrounded himself with sports, whether through an nouncing, coaching, or playing. “I played hockey, baseball, basketball, and football growing up. I was pretty average in all of these but had fun. In college, on a whim, I took
up fencing, and ended up being on an NCAA champion ship team, being captain of an Ivy League Champion ship team, and being named First Team All-American,” Harwood said.
25 years ago, Harwood recruited then-Miramonte par ent, Bill Cosden. Growing up, sports always played a large part in Cosden’s life as well. He valued each moment on
part in announcing the College Rugby Championships and International and Professional Rugby Matches for three years. From there, Cosden continued to announce a variety of high school sports alongside Harwood. In 2010, a third sports announcer launched his career: Scott Butler.
“Since moving to Orinda in 2009, I partnered with The Voice of Orinda, Steve Harwood, on numerous events including triathlons, the Orinda 4th of July Parade, car shows, associa tion commemorations, and fundrais ers,” Butler said. Butler plays a notable part in announcing boys and girls high school football and basketball games at Mountain View, Miramonte, and Carondelet.
As a Piedmont High School student, Butler was heavily involved in sports. He participated on the basketball and track team and remembers facing Mira monte, which was a rival school.
Many players and students agree that the announcers positively contribute to the game experience. “The announc ers bring more energy to the game and make it more lively,” Preston Rguem ‘25 said. Luke Holden ‘25, a fan who frequently attends football games, feels the same.
the field during game day or at a regular weekday practice. “Playing sports has been a valued and important part of my life, throughout,” Cosden said.
After announcing at Miramonte with Harwood, Cosden’s journey took off. Soon enough, climbing to the top of the announcing pyramid, Cosden took a significant
“The announcers make the games much more fun and engaging. I enjoy the on-the-field interviews with the coaches during halftime as well as the play-by-play narrations after every play,” Holden said.
“The challenge in succeeding made me appreciate some of the great Miramonte coaches like Floyd Burnsed, Vince Dell’Aquila, and Kelly Sopak. There has not been a time in my life when sports have not been a part of my life. I’ve loved it all,” Harwood said.
The flagfootball
league for Moraga, Orinda, and Lafayette youth creates lasting connections and fun competition, bringing Lamorinda students closer together and creating new community bonds
Ever since Campolindo’s founding in 1962, Mira monte engaged in a bitter athletic rivalry with their next-town rivals, the Cougars. This 60-year his tory between both schools shaped both athletic programs and their alumni into what they are to day and captivated fans from all across the bay area for more than half a century.
Following Campolindo’s establishment in 1962, Miramonte athletics quickly integrated their cross-town counterparts into the schedules of their football, basketball, and wrestling teams by 1967. At first, the Matadors largely dominated Campolindo in all aspects, defeating the Cougars across most sports without much of a struggle. Mi ramonte’s athletic investment in football and water polo really paid off as both squads constantly found themselves at the top of the leaderboard season af ter season. Most notably, Miramonte continued its extended dominance over football by winning back to back Foothill Athletic League Championships in 1972 and 1973, defeating Antioch High School in the 1973 “Turkey Bowl” as the #1 team in the East Bay. However, as time went on, Campolindo progressively leveled the playing field in sports such as baseball, soccer, and basketball, prompting the start of truly competitive games between both schools.
To add to that, Campolindo quickly made up for its early losses by defeating Miramonte on several occasions across multiple sports within the 1980s-2010s era. Firstly, Campolindo established it self as a rival in the eyes of Miramonte athletes follow ing their consistent string of victories in water polo, baseball, and football during the 1980s and 1990s. This sudden jump in performance caused the Mirador and other student press organizations to commonly refer to the Cougars as “archrivals” in their newspapers and articles. Moving over to the 2000s, Miramonte’s performances were much less satisfactory. From the middle to the end of the 2010s, Campolindo defeated Miramonte a combined ten times from 2005 to 2010 in baseball while, at the same time, going undefeated against Miramonte in soccer as well. However, the start of the millennium wasn’t only marked by de feat as Miramonte’s 2008-2009 water polo team was named the “ESPN RISE Magazine Boys’ Team of the Year ‘’ across all sports, giving seven water polo play ers of that class the chance of being recruited. Led by
League MVP and USC commit Stephen Siri ‘09, Mi ramonte assembled a truly historic lineup composed of seven committed players that played with one another since age twelve, according to the Lamorinda Weekly.
of the sport, you know both sides are going to compete at their best.” Campolindo athletic director Raymond Meadows said. Another important factor in the rivalry is that both schools usually face off at the end of the regular season, making games crucial for qualifi cation to NCS and ultimately CIF. According to MaxPreps, Miramonte’s water polo, football, soccer, and basketball teams all play the Cougars in the very last part of the season. All of these elements, according to spectators, make games between both schools much more interesting and compelling to watch. “I think it’s amazing to have a rivalry like this because it makes the games mean so much more. The energy at these games can really get you going, and overall they are the most fun games to play and watch” Miramonte baseball player Casey Yung ‘25 said.
The team proceeded to win NCS for the 5th year in a row and sent players to UC Berkeley, Pepperdine Uni versity, UCLA, Claremont McKenna University, Santa Clara University, and USC.
In terms of popularity, the rivalry hasn’t only been limited to the Lamorinda area. Spectator networks such as “49ers Cal-Hi Sports” and “Simply Basketball” air and recap many of the annual clashes, spreading the rivalry’s competitiveness across the bay. In addi tion, many parents from both schools attend and film the games, later posting them on social media such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. The rivalry’s popularity also produces higher in-person audiences at Campolindo and Miramonte stadiums, sometimes outnumbering the attendance of special games like homecoming.
“I love this crosstown rivalry. It spans generations and it brings out the best in our athletes. The commu nities come out to support the athletes and regardless
Due to the proximity between both schools, op posing athletes from Campolindo and Miramonte often tend to be teammates on other independent athletic clubs and teams. For instance, clubs like Bay Area Ballplayers, Lamorinda Soccer Club, Cal Magic Soccer Club, and Flight Elite respectively all include multi-school player bodies, causing hun dreds of friendships to form between Miramonte and Campolindo athletes. These instances existed since the formation of both schools and have last ed through generations. “I will say that back in the day, as a Campolindo player, the Miramonte athletes were also my friends [...] I attended Tom Blackwood’s basketball camp at Miramonte, and a bunch of Miramonte girls attended Campo’s summer camps, so we all loved playing together. I used to sneak into the Miramonte gym because a friend had a key, so it was a second home. [...] We [also] started the first Orinda/Moraga girls’ club soccer team which was half Miramonte, half Campolindo soccer players.” Mira monte science teacher and Campolindo alumna Riki Sorenson said.
As time passes on, the competitive culture between Miramonte and Campolindo has continued within the Lamorinda community. With students of both schools playing alongside each other in extracurricular clubs and teams for more than 50 years, the excite ment of this annual clash continues to live on through its athletes and teams. But the most important com ponent of this rivalry is not the competition, not the reputation, but rather the brotherhood, sisterhood, and school spirit that the rivalry brings to all fans, athletes, and school staff.
letes, participated in matchups against other European na tions, like Norway, Sweden, and Portugal.
This experience wasn’t solely for competitive basketball though, as Robinson and his teammates encountered a va riety of new cultures. “I met a lot of people, experienced a whole lot of new languages, and learned about different currencies. It was really cool,” Robinson said.
Along with the unique experience, Robinson signifi cantly improved his basketball skills. All of his Miramonte teammates noticed the impact his time with the Great Britain National Team made on the basketball court. “Marcus playing overseas affected his game in a lot of posi tive ways, some of which being his confidence which just grew from playing lots of good competition. The overseas experience also gave him a lot of experience playing on a big stage so I think it should translate well into his game now,” teammate Koleton Fenton ‘24 said.
However, challenges came across while competing in ternationally. All of the foreign places the team visited affected the language barrier between teams. “All of the games were good, but different because it was weird play ing against other people that didn’t speak English,” Rob inson said.
Provided with a new opportunity, Robinson could fi nally display his skill set, gaining him the attention of many well-known D1 colleges. “Yeah, I’m talking to five schools right now, like UCSB, San Jose State, USF, UCI, and Saint Mary’s,” Robinson said.
As the new season starts in just under a month, Robin son gets a chance to display his international talent against seasonal opponents. Robinson will also fill the large lead
ership role left behind by his many former senior team mates. “Marcus is prepared to assume a huge leadership role on this year’s club. Our players are hungry, coachable, and a joy to be around. They are ready to forge an iden tity based upon defensive tenacity. It all officially begins in less than five weeks,” boys varsity basketball coach Chris Lavdiotis said.
The historic back and forth Miramonte and Campolindo rivalry continues to produce enter taining games, fierce team spirit, and jawdropping results across all sports, year in and year out
Applying to college can be a stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be as stressful as some make it out to be! Here are some tips and advice for the younglings out there from two seniors in The Mirador who are currently knee-deep in college applications.
We don’t mean filling out the college application as a freshman, but rather trying new activities and engaging in extracurriculars. Colleges love seeing you do the things you love for as long as possible. For in stance, participating in a club for all four years of high school looks much better than starting your own club as a senior. Duration is a critical factor. When you’re a junior, start preparing to fill out those applications. If you have spare time over the summer after your ju nior year, take advantage and start early on your essays. Many colleges don’t change their supplemental essays from year-to-year, so using previous years’ prompts is a great place to start. Getting a head start on your essays over the summer is an especially good idea. Stephanie Brady is a big believer in starting early because, “it re duces stress and pressure once school starts.”
Delve deep into your activities. If you’re in a club, run for president or other leadership positions! If you play a sport, aim to become a team captain! These posi tions can demonstrate to colleges that you can drive change and add something valuable to their campus. “I think that having official leadership roles shows colleges that you have skills to be successful at their school and actively contribute there. Being a captain or a leader also gives you the chance to learn how to deal with difficult situations and provides the opportunity to show colleges you can handle adversity. I think if you want to gain a leadership position, it’s important not only to step up and help out where you can, but also learn from leaders who you respect,” senior Petra Cherry said. Also, try and build your “hook” around one thing. Having an extracurricular activity that stands out, like running a non-profit organization or having a YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers, will give admission officers something to remember you by.
3.
Be sure to interact with your local community. The simplest way to do this is by volunteering. Are you interested in finance?
Teach financial literacy to local students! Do you like com puter science? Give free coding classes to students who can’t afford them! There are many different opportunities out there for students with all kinds of interests. Do something you love
building skills. It’s been awesome to see the tangible effects,” senior Ryan Kaelle said.
4. Don’t be Afraid to Try Something Bold
We know it may sound daunting to start your own nonprof it, your own tutoring business, or do research with a renowned college professor, but it may not be as far-fetched as you may think. If it’s something that interests you, try it! Devote time to it, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Reach out and email professors or others that you may have a connection with. Some may offer you a chance to work in their lab or even an internship! “Do what you enjoy, even if it is strange. Engage in activities that don’t just boost your resume but engage in activities that you are passionate about,” Kaelle said.
There are hundreds of competitions worldwide, ranging from local to national to international. We encourage you to participate in a competi tion in a field you’re interested in. Try to look for the competition online by doing a quick Google search or asking your counselors in the College and Career Center for ideas. For instance, you can compete in American Mathematics Competition (AMC) if you’re interested in math, For Inspira tion and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics if you’re interested in engi neering, or the Wharton Investment Competition if you’re interested in business or finance. If you earn any awards, it will be a great addition to your applications to show that you’re going above and beyond.
Your GPA and class rigor is still one of the most critical aspects of your college applications. Try taking as many rigorous courses as possible starting freshman year, but make sure you’re in terested in your classes. If you hate science, then don’t take AP Physics! And remember, even if you get a low grade, don’t overly stress about it! Colleges will take note of upward trends and im provements on your transcripts.
and commit to it! “I think that volunteering is very important for the community and can be a strong topic for essays if it is meaningful to you. I personally volunteered at Habitat for Humanity and built houses for the underprivileged. I got to apply what I was passionate about by using my power tool and
Although every student is different, these tips should give you some general advice on the direction you take. Remember: start early, and be bold in trying something new! It’s cliche, but we promise you’ll end up exactly where you’re meant to be. Good luck on your college endeavors!
able
MCDONALD’S: 7.5/10
Describing word: Displeasing The expected number one seed in our competition put up a surprisingly underwhelming and honestly disappointing performance. Upon picking up a Mcdonald’s fry, it appeared soggy and flopped over like an inflatable mannequin.The fry dipped with ketchup saw some improvement but still could use some help. Might this have been a bad batch? McDonald’s may have caught an unlucky break here and been given a disappointing rating.
IN-N-OUT: 7.3/10
Describing word: Sub-Par Overall, not a bad fry.The salt levels were on point, but the flavor seemed to be missing that special kick we experienced with Chick-Fil-A.When the sauce was added to the equation, like many others on the list, the rating saw almost a whole 1.0 point boost.
all?
NATION'S GIANT HAMBURGERS: 6.4/10
Describing word: Underwhelming
The lackluster, saltless fry from nations underperformed as its size and stability were the only factors that con-tributed to its higher ranking than Burger King.We noticed that every nation’s fry in the bag stayed consis-tent in size and shape.There were no outliers, no soggy runts, and no overly large standouts.
BURGER KING: 6.2/10
Describing word:Bland Coming in as a fairly un known fry,we had our fair share of doubts going into this taste test.As expected, the fry was relatively tasteless and desperately needed a dip into a ketchup packet.Even with sauce,this fry was easily forgettable and failed to leave a lasting impression in our mouths and our minds.
CHICK-FIL-A: 8.9/10
Describing word:VersatileWe came in with high ex pectations,and Chick-Fil-A certainly delivered.They are in a league of its own with its waffle fry Right as the fry touched the taste buds,it was an explosion of flavor in the mouth.We didn’t really need the sauce,but of course,the famous Chick-Fil-A sauce can only help.This fry was definitely the most well-salted and best-cooked out of them all.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that the Lamorinda area is home to many tasty fast-food restaurants. It is safe to say there is no shortage of french fries, however, the quality of some of these fry destinations may be questionable. After reviewing and reflecting on our collected data, we feel confident in our list.We hope our efforts will provide valuable insight for those Friday afternoons when the student body craves these tasty snacks.
It’s that time of the day again: it’s time to Be Real. The newest social media craze rapidly took flight with over 7.4 million installations to date. Due to generated momentum from TikTok, users worldwide praise the deviance from the airbrushed, retouched, and background-warped photographs that are society’s social media norm.
So, how does BeReal work? Users receive a request to submit an image of what they’re up to once every day, and they have two minutes to respond. The software utilizes both the front and back cameras to take pictures, allowing viewers to see not only what the others are doing but also where they are. The time constraint places restrictions on users’ ability to stage and ma nipulate photos, promoting a more “realistic” perspective.
“I think it’s because of how casual the app is most of the time, people can post funny pictures rather than posed and set-up shots like you see on Instagram,” frequent BeReal user and junior Eli Leal-Schuman said.
By straying away from the toxicity of so cial media in our society–validation from likes, self-comparison, and filtering – BeReal’s goals of providing friends a glimpse into each other’s authentic lives are credited with its growing popularity. It effectively removes the pressure to take the perfect shot and instead encourages candid, haphazard insights into someone’s day. “I like using BeReal because it’s a fun way to see what my friends are up to,” Ellie Belshaw, senior and BeReal user, mentions. “It’s different from other social media platforms that I use because
you have to post your bereal in order to see other people’s posts, which I like.”
Additionally, BeReal lacks the constant streams of content and deceptive algorithms found in common platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, which can worsen mental health and encourage addiction. Numerous stud ies show that social media is detrimental to teen’s impulse control and ability to appreciate delayed gratification. Jessica Griffin, PsyD, a psychiatry and pediatrics associate professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, provides her insights when it comes to the negative mental influences of TikTok.
“Although we don’t yet have longitudinal re search, there is no question that TikTok affects the brain, and children’s brains are still develop ing into their early to mid-20s,” Griffin stated on Verywell Health. By diverging from the end less lineage of addictive social media platforms, BeReal offers not only realistic perspectives into its users’ lives, but also is a “healthier” alterna tive to the compulsive apps that many teens are familiar with.
However, frequent users aren’t the only ones to recognize BeReal’s massive growth and suc cess. Many social media giants such as Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok also recently began to adopt the app’s features as well. Both Instagram and Snapchat developed a dual camera, cloning what many users think is BeReal’s most distinc tive feature. Additionally, TikTok launched what they call “TikTok Now,” allowing users to in stantly take a picture and capture a random mo ment of their day. Both features almost identical to that of BeReal’s convey the app’s ultimate prosperity – flattery through imitation.
