Issue 3

Raven Report Sequoia High School

Volume IX, Issue 3

1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062

November 13, 2015

Housing situations challenge but don’t define students

By CARMEN VESCIA Executive Editor

Photo by Benjy Jude

Junior Nova Mitchell spends afternoons in AVID, one of Sequoia’s efforts to close the achievement gap. In AVID, students learn skills to help them succeed in college.

Academic programs support school in stepping over achievement gap

By BENJY JUDE Staff Reporter Why does one student go to a community college when another goes to UCLA? The achievement gap is one reason.

For the first time this year, Sequoia is working with Equal Opportunity Schools (EOS), an organization that advocates for better representation of non-white students of low socio-economic status in Inter-

national Baccalaureate (IB) and Advance Placement (AP) classes and detects the students that can be in more rigorous courses. EOS works to minimize the achievement gap by encouraging diversity in upper-level classes and preparing students for college.

The achievement gap is a term to describe the imbalance in successful lower-income students and high-income students of different races; it’s usually measured using high school

graduates and dropouts, GPAs, and standardized-test results.

“It’s so important that everybody be able to reach their potential,” Theory of Knowledge and English teacher Lisa Gleaton said. “Every student that walks in has amazing potential, but there are barriers that come up in the way and we have to get rid of them.”

The IB Program’s mission for all schools, including Sequoia,

See GAP, page 2

Some nights she finishes her homework in the bathroom—the only room with a door to separate it from the studio where she lives with her family of six.

Some mornings she wakes up at 6 a.m. to study before the long bus ride to school.

She works anywhere from 16 to 30 hours a week and gives all but around $30 to her parents for rent and other necessities. For junior Karolina Soto, it’s a balancing act.

“It’s not always all easy,” Soto said. “It’s not that I don’t want to have 100 percent focus on school, it’s not that I don’t want to hang out with my friends, it’s not that I want to be tired in class all the time, it’s not that I don’t want to bring my friends over to my house, but it’s just situations prevent me from doing stuff like that.”

Soto has lived in studio apartments for the last 14 years. Bedrooms, kitchen and living room all blend into one and make finding private time and space a challenge, but an

even more daunting issue is that of rising rent. Soto began working at Safeway this fall to contribute.

History teacher, AVID teacher and Key Club adviser Teresa Yeager, a close friend of the Soto family, helped her balance academics, clubs— Soto is president of Key Club and an active member of the DREAM Club—and work hours when it became overwhelming.

“She looked frazzled every time I saw her,” Yeager said.

“When we finally talked, it was about: why are you working so much? Not: why are you working? Because I would never want to question a student wanting to help their family.”

As housing prices skyrocket in the Bay Area, many Sequoia families, like the Sotos, feel the effects. Mayela Ramirez and the Parent Center strive to offer what support they can.

“Rent is expensive, [but] unfortunately we don’t have money to support every single family, but we [offer]

See LIVING, page 7

Modern grading method abolishes check-box mentality

By PHILIP TYSON Staff Reporter This year, for juniors enrolled in IB History of the Americas, only seven assessments—four pass/fail Essential Knowledge (EK) quizzes and three essays—determine a student’s first semester grade.

“We’ve lowered the amount we expect you to know well, and we’re finetuning what we want you to be proficient at,” history teacher Teresa Yeager said. “We want you to really go in-depth and understand something at a totally different level, so we’re not just focused on check[ing] off [a] box.”

EK quizzes test students on Identifications (IDs), which include the who, what, when, where and significance for a

person, idea or event in history. In order they needed to improve,” history teacher to pass, students have to get 100 percent Lydia Cuffman said. “[This grading sysof each ID correct. However, the quizzes tem] is fairer because if at the end of the can be retaken outside of class within a semester you can do it, you should get month of the first atcredit for that. If you tempt. didn’t know how to Essays, on the other “At some point we have stopped do it [at first], that’s hand, are graded on holding your hand a little bit, okay because it’s my a 15-point scale and [but] that doesn’t mean we’re not job to teach you how cannot be retaken. To here to help ... Use your teachers as to do it.” receive an ‘A’ for the resources. Ask questions.”

The overarching semester, a student has idea of this system —Teresa Yeager, to eventually pass all 4 is improvement. If

History teacher EK quizzes and get a someone gets a 7 out score of 12 on two out of 15 points on the of the three essays. first essay, but by the “The normal, standard grading sys- end of the semester receives a 13, the tem was broken, and it wasn’t giving student shows that he or she has learned students very good information about the skills needed to answer the essay what skills they already had and where prompt effectively. Vice versa, if some-

Feature:

Special Feature:

IB students who smoke pot

It’s not all in our heads: examining mental health

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one gets 12s on the first 2 essays, but does relatively worse on the last one, the student might not be eligible for an ‘A’ because he or she does not grow.

Some juniors and their parents are worried about whether the new grading policy is going to be effective in helping students learn and succeed.

“There are some students who are really upset. Part of it’s coming from fear of the unknown, fear of something totally different than what they’re used to. I think it also comes from [the fact that they]’re pretty used to being told what to do and how to do it at every moment,” Yeager said. “I’ve noticed that there are a few brave students who are asking questions for clarification, and I

See GRADING, page 2

By the numbers

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percent of Sequoia students reported having suicidal thoughts according to the Needs Assessment Survey.

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Feature

November 13, 2015

From racing through halls to racing up mountains

By MACKENZIE CLARKE

Staff Reporter

The thought of running 14 miles up a mountain while freezing and holding a 35-pound bucket of rocks, crawling around in the mud, and pushing the human body to its limits probably sounds hellish to most, but multiple members of Sequoia staff have shown themselves willing to tackle these tasks.

“It is like a really intense recess with the climbing and jumping.

I love to be outdoors, and I love to have these challenges to look forward to,” IB English and band teacher Jane Woodman said.

Her most recent challenge, the Spartan Race World Championship, took place Oct. 3 in Squaw Valley on the very same ground as the 1960 Winter Olympics.

While not competing for prize money, Woodman still faced the same 14-mile run up a 9050-foot high mountain and over 30 obstacles including climbing walls, barbed wire crawls and tire drags alongside some of the world’s most elite athletes.

This rigorous course is not the only achievement Woodman has bragging rights to.

Beginning at a very early age, Woodman built obstacle courses in preschool for her classmates to run at lunch. Fast forward into adulthood, and her love for obstacle courses exploded onto a larger scale. Beginning with smaller 5ks and finally working

Photo courtesy of Jane Woodman

Jane Woodman has competed in multiple Spartan races, in which competitors run up mountains, climb over walls, crawl under barbed wire and and jump over fire. up to a marathon, Woodman’s with other parts of myself that I list of accomplishments goes on. don’t always get to experience.”

The adrenaline-drawing exFor Woodman, the experience is about having fun and creating perience of pushing the human body to its limits doesn’t stop at a way to balance herself in life.

Woodman; sev“At the eral other staff end I al- “It is like a really intense recess ways feel with the climbing and jumping. members share the passion for like I’ve ac- I love to be outdoors, and I love a challenge. complished to have these challenges to look Administrasomething, tive Vice-PrinI’ve stuck forward to,” —Jane Woodman, English cipal Michael it out to and band teacher Kuliga turned the end,” his passion for Wo o d m a n said. “It’s almost like I’ve been backpacking and mountaineerremoved from my normal exis- ing into an extensive repertoire tence, and it feels great to engage of feats such as the half Ironman

GAP

from page 1 is to have every student take at least one IB class,” science teacher Jessica Magallanes said in an email interview.

Last year, Sequoia applied for and was granted an IB Equity Grant. The funding goes toward increasing diversity within Sequoia’s IB program and supporting students.

Students know the IB program as a very difficult but beneficial program.

“The level of work that you’re doing prepares you for college,” senior Genaro Solorio said. “If you’re successful in IB, you know you’ll be successful in any college.”

Because 47 percent of Sequoia students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and 64 percent have parents with, at most, a high school diploma, many programs work to help lower the achievement gap, and it has worked to some degree.

“We really want to encourage students

to push and challenge themselves in a rigorous curriculum,” said Teresa Yeager, the coordinator for Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID).

Last year in the Sequoia Union High School District, around 79 percent of white graduates completed A-G requirements, while only 43 percent of Hispanics completed the requirements.

This is an improvement from just three years ago, when 70 percent of white graduates completed the requirements and 29 percent of Hispanic graduates did so. Similarly, socio-economically disadvantaged graduates went from 27 percent to to 37 percent completing them in the last three years.

“I think Sequoia is ahead of most schools in that we are actively working to close the achievement gap,” Magallanes said.

In the lead-up to the SUHSD Board of Trustees election last week, there was much discussion of the achievement gap amongst candidates.

This discussion is a stepping stone to closing the achievement gap.

Printing and web hosting funded by

triathlon, the Tough Mudder obstacle course, and the Death Ride, a 129-mile bike tour of the California Alps.

“It started with being an athlete in high school,” said Kuliga, who was a wrestler. “Doing things that involve physical discomfort provides a mental challenge to keep going, which I think is an important analog for how to approach difficult situations in the rest of your life.”

Kuliga, Instructional Vice Principal Sophia Olliver and several other staff members plan to participate in the 2015 Urbanathlon, an 11.2 mile obstan-

GRADING from page 1

want more students to do that.”

The three IB teachers have already noticed major development in students’ understanding.

“The level of analysis and ability to connect concepts—I’m already seeing that it’s much stronger across the board,” Cuffman said. “We’re having conversations about ‘how does this historical concept connect to this one?’

Not ‘why did I get nine points and not ten?’”

While some find the grading system very stressful, others think it’s a much better policy than those in other classes.

“I don’t like the grading system. I don’t think that it’s fair that you have to get every single thing right to pass the test,” junior Rosey Morearty said. “There should be some deadline for getting sections of the homework done because there’s so many people that save the entire thing for the last night and are completely panicking. I don’t want that for my friends.”

The issue that Morearty brings up is one that pervades school in general: procrastination.

“I can relate; I suffer from pro-

cle course race including stair climbs, hurdles, and extreme monkey bars held in San Francisco on Nov. 22.

The process of training for these assorted arduous events has proven to be an obstacle within itself for staff. Woodman, who has free periods in the middle of the day, found a way to fit in the extra effort of training into her hectic schedule.

“Twice a week I would go to Edgewood Park during my prep to run and be back working again by 7th period,” Woodman said.

“I had to train for the monkey bar part of an obstacle course, and it was Ms. Olliver who actually told me about a school with monkey bars on their playground that were tall enough for an adult. I trained on them when there weren’t kids on campus.”

For Kuliga, finding a way to fit in 10-15 hours of training a week means making the 25-mile bike ride commute to Sequoia four days a week, running and weightlifting before school, and longer, more intense runs on weekends. Like Woodman, Kuliga values the reward of exercise over the actual achievement.

“I don’t do it for the accomplishment,” Kuliga said. “I know that I’ll never be the fastest, but I’m also not the slowest, so it’s really about the doing and not so much the have-dones for me. It’s one of the few times that I can be totally in the moment, and totally focused on one single goal.”

crastination,” junior Jackie Pereda said. “For some it’s not incredibly easy to just be like, ‘OK, I’m going to do homework early’ one day because people get distracted easily and just don’t feel like doing homework right after school.”

Concerns aside, an obvious benefit to learning under this system is preparation for college, where mostly only assessments make up grades.

“It’s good that [we] don’t have forced homework. You’re able to decide what you need to do for yourself,” junior Ed van Bruggen said. “It will prepare you better for college because [your professors] are not going to tell you what you need to complete by when. It will make you rely on yourself more.”

This does not, however, mean that students have to go through it alone. Teachers emphasize that students should come talk to them when needing advice.

“At some point we have stopped holding your hand a little bit, [but] that doesn’t mean we’re not here to help. I’m in my room all the time and tell students ‘I’m here,’” Yeager said. “The students who’ve taken advantage of checking in are feeling a little more confident. Use your teachers as resources. Ask questions.”

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Feature

November 13, 2015

‘High’ achievers defy classic stoner stereotypes perience with students coming into class under the influence.

Page Editor In the state of California, marijuana is a controlled substance only permitted Inhale, exhale, close your reddening for medical use by adults 18 and oldeyes and feel the world spin. You look er. down at your hands and the world is On campus, using or possessing conmoving in frame-by frame snapshots. trolled substances is a CA Education Twenty minutes pass and you look at a Code violation, and Sequoia staff is reclock and it’s only been five. You doze quired to report it to the administration. off in a warm, sleepy haze, right next to Repercussions can range from suspenthe half-finished chow mein you ordered sion to expulsion. to fulfill munchies cravings.

When Sheehan suspects students are Tomorrow, you take the IB history high, before reporting them, she takes exam. them aside and tries to get to the bottom At Sequoia, the International Bacof why they’re using. calaureate program seeks to produce A common reason she hears is stress students who can think globally, across relief, which is particularly relevant to cultural barriers and beyond the classkids taking challenging higher level room. A subset of these open-minded, Photo by Mars Svec-Burdick classes. inquisitive students also habitually think Despite school and state laws, teenage smoker culture survives under the table.

“The problem is that it’s a drug-inoutside California’s substance laws.

The blunt truth is, even among the Jay said. “You have to know what your eats it in brownie form every day of the duced stress relief, and I think that’s a best and brightest, some dabble in can- schedule is, and plan ahead. It forces me week. Arguably the most diehard stoner really bad way to deal with it. I think that there are a lot of nabis use. Because smoking weed is like to be responsible.”

I talked to, you’d never other stress relievers we fight club—no one talks openly about According to the National Institute guess it from looking at it—I sat down with a handful of these on Drug Abuse, regularly using marijua- her extracurriculars and “If you’re going to experiment, can foster, like yoga and Sheehan juniors and seniors to get a peek inside na can tamper with short term memory course load. don’t be that guy who goes into meditation,” their kushy lifestyle. and impair judgement. Long term, it can “If I’m constantly the wrong environment high.” said.

Jessica Magallanes, Names and details have been changed correspond to trouble with higher-order stressed to the point —John, senior who teaches biology and to protect the dabblers. thinking, specifically problem-solving where I can’t get anyIB Environmental SysMeet Jay, a junior who spends two skills. Physically, it can also result in thing done, it helps me hours a day, six days a week, at sports breathing problems. take a time out,” Mary said. “It takes tems and Societies, explained to me the practice. Five of those days, he’s also in Jay disagrees. away a lot of anxiety and stress, and lets effects that cannabis has on brain chemIB classes, being an efficient and orga“It depends how much I smoke, but me have a good time and relax when I istry.

When marijuana is ingested, the nized student. Precisely every Friday I’m usually even able to do homework. have a lot of stuff looming.” night, Saturday night, If I go ham, I’ll be spacey for She explained that when rigorous IB chemical compound tetrahydrocannaband Sunday morning, The blunt truth is, even a while, but I make sure it projects demand her full attention, she’s inol (THC) is released into the brain. among the best and he says he does “massive doesn’t overlap with prac- completely able to back off from her THC then causes dopamine, the brain’s bong rips in this place brightest, some dabble tice or classes. Weed only habits. She always hits the books before natural ‘happy chemical,’ to flow freely, at more increased rates than it would called the ganja grove.” in cannabis use. affects your life negatively she hits the bong.

Every Monday night, if you’re an idiot with it,” Teachers, the first witnesses when under normal circumstances such as a he uses a vaporizer to get his fix before Jay said. drug side effects leak into the classroom, sports victory, while eating good food, bed.

Mary, a junior who’s in five IB classes, take it more seriously. Kate Sheehan, or in response to sexual stimulation.

“Smoking is chill, part of my routine,” is another athlete who smokes weed or who teaches photography, has some exSee CANNABIS, page 8

By MARS SVEC-BURDICK

The jargon: what you need to know for election season With Election Day a short year away for the 2016 presidential race, candidates are gearing up their campaigns. Whether you want to keep up with the news or simply stop blindly nodding like a fool whenever your father brings up politics at the dinner table, this list of jargon will help you to navigate the oncoming storm of politicians.

Caucus

Lobbying Republican party

Characterized by the color red and an elephant, Republicans roam on the “right” end of the political spectrum.

Commonly known as the GOP (Grand Old Party), Republicans are labeled as conservative, often identifying as pro-religion, pro-business and pro-military. Republicans place emphasis on personal responsibility, viewing government as a burden and an obstacle to freedom.

Primaries Bipartisan

Cooperation and agreement in legislation between different parties.

You’ll be lucky if you get a glance of this in your lifetime.

America’s least trusted profession. But lobbying is actually defined as a “citizen’s right to speak freely, to impact decisions, and petition the government ” by the National Conference of State Legislatures, and can be as simple as petitioning the government.

Lobbying can be beneficial, including causes such as AIDS prevention and poverty relief. But lobbying draws its bad reputation from its for-profit side, filled with corruption and abuse.

Primaries are similar to caucuses: voting to select a presidential nominee. But there are three different types. A closed primary requires voters to vote only for their affiliated party and cannot vote for independents. Open primaries allow voters to vote for either party, but only candidates in one party. Blanket primaries allow voters to vote for any candidate, instead of candidates in a certain party.

Meetings between party members often to decide candidates or discuss policy.

They are alternatives to another form of presidential nomination, primaries. The Iowa Caucus is important to presidential elections because they are the first to hold a statewide event where citizens vote on the candidate they support. Presidential candidates can then determine the effectiveness of their campaign and can indicate to a party the most popular contender.

Democratic party

The Democratic party is represented by the color blue and a donkey. They are typically liberal, on the “left” end of the political spectrum. Democrats believe government is a tool, that its active role will benefit a society, generally favoring anti-discrimination laws, business and environmental regulation, higher minimum wage and higher taxes for the rich.

—COMPILED BY MADDIE PEI

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Special

It’s not all in our heads

it’s time to acknowledge mental

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10%

of youth with a major depressive episode received treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

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of Sequoia students attempted suicide in the last 12 months

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It gets better different

What happened?’ I would freak out and lie about HE NUMBER ONE LIE I’ve heard regarding how I had a rash and needed a Band-Aid to cover it to depression: “it gets better.” This may be some old stop from itching. wive’s tale we need to make ourselves feel better, but My best friend noticed the cuts and told me if I did it again she here’s the truth: with mental illness things don’t get betwould tell my parents. I stopped for a little while, but my junior year I ter, they get different. started cutting again. All three years of high school I began to miss school I don’t remember a definitive starting point of having more frequently because I was ‘sick,’ but in reality I just didn’t want to depression, but once I learned the term ‘depression’ in get out of bed. The more I missed school, the more seventh grade, something clicked, and I thought ‘hey this could be I know therapy won’t change my stressed I was and the sadder I felt.

Throughout this time I knew me’. life; it won’t make it perfect, but I When I was in middle school, am different now, stronger. I never I needed to get help. I knew I my parents both got full-time jobs thought I would be able to share needed to tell someone. I tried to for the first time in my life, and my my story like this; I was so afraid get help but was discouraged by the lack of accessibility to combrother went to high school, and I of judgement. pletely confidential counseling would stay at home alone and feel without needing consent from a teacher or increasingly lonely. I began to try and lose weight as I felt parent, and without filling out a form. so insecure about my body; I was taller than every boy Then in December of my junior year, I and girl in my class. Sometimes when I was feeling parhad a physical and decided to tell the doctor. ticularly bad I would hold a knife to my wrist and will The doctor persuaded me to tell my family, myself to cut. I thought I was a coward because I didn’t. and after that I started therapy.

When I started high school I had a lot of trouble adI’ve been going to therapy for ten months justing to the change. That’s one thing that is incredibly now. Things have gotten different. I’ve learned to hard with depression and anxiety—it’s very hard to let untwist my thinking and to communicate better and go and move on. My closest friends from middle school to power through my homework even when I feel reeither went to a different school or found different friend ally sad. I’ve stopped cutting. groups. I would eat lunch in my biology class and do But things have also been incredibly hard. I’ve had to homework so I wouldn’t look like I didn’t have friends. I be the most vulnerable I’ve ever been. Cried the hardest and continued to eat less and manage what I ate to try and be longest. I’ve had to acknowledge painful things in the past ‘skinny’ and often didn’t feel hungry due to stress. It was and try to piece it together. hard being at school, pretending to be happy seemed like Depression feels like riding a wave sometimes. It’s a lot of a natural instinct at this point but I would look back and up and down. I know therapy won’t change my life; it won’t think ‘was I really smiling and laughing or just faking it?’ make it perfect, but I am different now, stronger. I never I found a solid group of friends second semester of thought I would be able to share my story like this; I freshman year, but I was still sad. My sophomore year I was so afraid of judgement. But now I realize this began to cut. is a part of the new me, the one who is not afraid This part always stands out to people, but self-harm to start the conversation, and I urge you to start is just a mal-adaptive coping skill, and as I didn’t tell talking too. anyone what I was going through, I felt it was a way of dealing with my pain. People would notice the marks on my arm or the Band-Aids and would ask ‘are you ok?

— BY ABIGAIL WANG Image by Emma O’Hara

Community programs offer support network The first piece of advice: get help.

But that can prove more difficult than it seems, with the lack of awareness of where to get help and what types are available. At Sequoia, teachers and experts are available to talk to students.

The Teen Resource Center (TRC) offers counseling five days a week and is completely free. Therapy can be conducted in Spanish or Tongan.

“My job is to meet with [students] and assess what is going on, listen and see what I can do to support and sometimes that’s just one meeting to make them feel better in that moment, and sometimes there’s longer term needs,” TRC therapist Laurie Karzen said.

Karzen believes the stigma surrounding mental health issues can be erased.

“Therapy or counseling is just talking to someone about what is going on in your life. We don’t have any magic wands, we aren’t attaching electrodes to anyone’s heads,” Karzen said, “it’s just regular human interaction that allows people to let go of what’s going on inside and [have someone knowledgeable] reflect back suggestions for shifting that.”

Besides the TRC, some teachers are doing things to acknowledge the bad days that everyone has. Teacher Jane Woodman has a “vegetable garden” policy for students who are having a bad day.

Students can sit in the “garden”—the corner with couches and pillows—and they will not be called on.

“I’m attempting to acknowledge that we all have days where we just can’t make

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of Sequoia contemplate 20

it happen. It’s sort of honoring our humanity and giving students a chance to take a period off, if they need to just be.”

Woodman tries acknowledge when school gets more stressful.

“It’s silly, but having a stuffed animal for Individual Oral Commentaries and other little things like that can be really helpful. Sometimes students need more than that, of course, but it’s a good start to have these little nuggets of humanity and humor to acknowledge that students are humans dealing with a lot of things.”

Students can also help promote mental health recognition by joining the Youth Advisory Board (YAB). Every year the YAB puts out a survey asking about sexual activity, alcohol consumption, drug use and mental health.

Depression and anxiet visual attempts to repre like. The three images re tal health. The flames su exterior signs of depressi creeping up in each ima

Mental healt overhaul of the e som

Greet each student at the d the beginning of class—thi guaranteed one-on-one int each student and can serve check-in to gauge where ea student is at that day.

Include the Teen the walking tour orientation so tha exactly where and

These are al

Feature

l illness % 8

5 For the third year in a row, depression and suicide have been ranked the top issues students want to see addressed at Sequoia, based on the Youth Advisory Board Needs Assessment Survey.

Mental health is barely talked about due to stigma and lack of awareness. The Raven Report has compiled important statistics, personal stories and interviews with mental If you are struggling with health professionals to start the conversation.

mental health, call South County Mental Health Youth Team: 1-800-686-0101 Suicide Prevention: of students rated suicide and depression 650-579-0350 the top issue to address at Sequoia Ayuda en Español: Image from Felipe Perucho for the Noun Project Layout by Glenn Billman 1-800-303-7432

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a students edsuicide in 015

Medicated and mighty: treatment should be valued

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without being reminded, and I really opened up to my HE ONLY THING I REMEMBER about fifth grade is that I therapist. I’m proud to say that I haven’t missed a pill was always scared. Not like your average 10-year-old might be scared; I was in months, and I’m completely honest when I go to terrified. Whenever I was outside of school, I clung to my parents as if my therapy each week. life depended on it, and sometimes even that wasn’t enough to keep The reason it took me so long to start actually domy fear at bay. I began to have vivid, violent nightmares ing these things is the huge stigma surrounding mental that made me afraid to sleep at night. But behealth and the treatment it requires. This stigma is often ing awake wasn’t any better. worse for teenagers because of the culture of judgment I was diagnosed with general anxiety that is perpetuated on high school campuses. disorder when I was 11 years old. I was When people get the flu, we don’t look down on given a prescription for Prozac, and them for going to the doctor. Just like physical illness, I began to attend therapy sessions mental illness doesn’t just go away if you ignore it; in weekly. fact, it usually gets much worse.

This was extremely difficult for It is my belief that seeking help for mental illness is me to cope with, because like most one of the hardest things to do, and doing so should people, I had a negative perception be praised, not ridiculed. According to the Substance of both therapy and medication Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in and the people who needed them. I 2014 only 38 percent of youth who experienced a mathought that taking medicine made jor depressive episode sought and received treatment for me weak, like I needed some sort of depression. (A depressive episode is defined as a period crutch to handle day-to-day life. I of two or more weeks when a person experiences a dethought that going to therapy made pressed mood or loss of interest in daily activities in adme a freak. I used to lie to my pardition to at least four more symptoms of depression.) ents about taking my medicine, and This is because our society has not yet realized that I’d hide the pills in my bedroom so anxiety and depression— along with countless other they wouldn’t find out I wasn’t taking mental illnesses—are just like any physical illness that them. I’d tell my therapist I was happy a person might suffer from: they and doing great when I need proper treatment and care to really wasn’t, hoping that As much as I wanted to not need doing so would get me out medicine and therapy, ignoring get better. As much as I wanted to the problem just made it worse. not need medicine and therapy, lyof going.

It wasn’t until junior year, Choosing to confront my issues and ing to myself and ignoring the probwhen I was diagnosed taking care of myself was the best lem just made it worse. Choosing to confront my issues and taking care with depression, that decision I’ve ever made. of myself was the best decision I’ve I really started taking ever made. I don’t know where I would be right now these things seriously. I knew that ty are impossible to describe. This if I hadn’t started taking my treatment seriously, and I I wasn’t living life the way I wanted esent what it can feel like and look don’t want other people to feel the need to ignore their to, and I became endlessly frustrated epresent the different stages of menillnesses because of the way society views them. with myself for wasting so many years urrounding the image represent the when I could have been getting better. ion and anxiety and the dark ‘water’ I started taking my medication regularly — BY EMILY DUCKER age reflects on how it feels internally.

How to help a friend

According to Lauren Karzen, a therapist at the Teen Resource Center

their level of 1) Assess stress or sadness.

“The first thing is reflect that back to your friend and say, ‘You seem really down, is something going on? How can I support you?’”

but don’t be a 2) Listen, therapist.

“It’s not our job to fix it [or] to hold the heaviness of having of friend who’s depressed. That’s too much, that’s why therapists exist.”

they are hurting 3) Ifthemselves or plan to:

“Let them know that they need to tell someone: come into the TRC and talk about it, any school staff, there’s a host of crisis lines.”

they refuse to seek 4) Ifhelp:

“Don’t feel bad if you’re the person who has to do that [for them], because we respect confidentiality, it’s part of being a good friend; we have to share.”

Staff Editorial

th is often seen as a huge scary thing that is near impossible to fix. Addressing it doesn’t necessarily require humongous projects or the complete entire way our school is run. There are lots of little things that teachers, administrators and students can do to make a big difference. Here are me of our suggestions—which some teachers are already doing—that we feel should be baseline policies for all teachers to follow.

door at is allows for teraction with e as a quick ach

Resource Center in of campus at freshman at new students know d what it is.

Ask why students are absent before making them feel guilty about missing class. We understand the importance of being present in class, but students are sometimes not in a good state to learn.

Throughout the year, ask students to evaluate and share their concerns with you to ensure that your classroom environment promotes learning and wellness. At the beginning of the year, establish that you’re there to help students with issues in and out of school.

Have fliers in each classroom with explicitly laid out steps students can take to access help if they’re having a hard time.

ll things that teachers can do individually, but they will work so much better if administrators enforce them as policies throughout the school so that students can expect some consistency between all of their classes. For more easy solutions, visit www.ravenreport.org.

6 Overinvolved parents undermine good intentions

By RIO POPPER Staff Reporter Having supportive parents is all well and good, but when parents become emotionally codependent and lower their child’s self-esteem, they have crossed the line into a non-supportive zone— ‘Helicopter Parenting’ —and need to step back.

In school, parents can stress about their students’ learning more than students do.

“It is the student’s job to learn,” Chemistry teacher Te Ton-Tho said.

“It is the teacher’s job to teach, and, yes, the parent’s job to support, but it is the student’s job to learn.”

Research supports this.

“When children aren’t given the space to struggle through things on their own, they don’t learn to problem-solve very well. They don’t learn to be confident in their own abilities.

The other problem with never having to struggle is that you never experience failure and can develop an overwhelming fear of failure and of disappointing others,” Chris Meno, a psychologist at Indiana University said in a 2013 article in The Indiana University Newsroom. “Both the low self-confidence and the fear of failure can lead to depression or anxiety.”

Some students can’t avoid their parents at school. “[My mom] doesn’t always want me to come to her for help first,” said sophomore Sunaina Butler, whose mother works at Sequoia. “My mom has been a component of me being my own person.”

Though Butler’s mom is often around, Butler does not view her as a helicopter parent, because they maintain open communication.

“I feel pretty comfortable telling [my mother]: ‘mom, that’s not okay, leave’, or saying: ‘actually I need your support right now,’” Butler said.

Outside of the academic environment, it’s common to hear that parents constantly violate kids’ privacy by unintended reading unintended electronic content. According to the New York Post in a 2014 article, 60 percent of parents believe they should have total control over what their kids do online.

Psychologists disagree.

“You create greater danger than what’s out there online when you try to control every single aspect of a teenager’s life—track[ing] where they are and take[ing] their phones and read[ing] their texts,” said Yalda Uhls, a developmental psychologist and media researcher for the University of California, Los Angeles, in a 2014 article in the New York Post.

“It doesn’t build an honest, trustful relationship between the parent and child.”

Opinion

November 13, 2015

Male athletes leap over dance stigma

By ALEX VICK Staff Reporter Dance is thought to be such a “girls’ thing” to the point that guys are too afraid of discrimination to try it.

Why is it that guys who play football are encouraged and celebrated but guys who dance are not? The two are more alike than you think. Both require top physical form, footwork and timing, and lots of practice. So why aren’t they treated with the same respect?

I have danced for nearly six years now, and every single time someone asks me if I play any sports, I say that I dance. They give me a strange look, like they’re wondering why exactly I chose to do dance.

Even today people ask me this question, and the reason is that I wanted to do something outside of the typical guy’s comfort zone.

“A lot of people have this image that a dancer means a little girl prancing around in a tutu. They don’t understand the athleticism that it entails. I love when the community sees the amazing work that you all put in,” said Deanna Fredrickson, a director from Dance Mode Studio in San Carlos, where I’ve been attending classes for six years. “They see boys and girls doing flips, hip hop, breaking and showing incredible flexibility.”

Photo by Alex Vick

Freshman dancer Tyler Madsen is one of 13 male dancers in Dance PE. No one should think that dance is something to do for laughs. This shows in the 2007 Disney movie, “The Game Plan”, where Maddison Pettis teaches Dwayne Johnson, a pro football player, that dance is every bit as hard and maybe harder than football.

This has a ring of truth to it, as many dancers come back from lessons or offstage sweaty and sore, and possibly with multiple injuries.

That’s all well and good, but here at Sequoia, the maximum number of boys that Taylor White, the PE-dance teacher has ever taught at one time was 10.

Right now, only 13 boys are in Dance

PE. The lack of boys was obvious at the Homecoming pep rally and football game, where only two or three males performed in each dance number. This is proof that there needs to be more boys out there doing dance, whether inside Sequoia, or outside.

Upperclassmen are aware of this, but freshman in PE-1 must take a dance unit during the year, which hopefully will inspire more boys to learn dance.

To all guys at Sequoia: never be afraid of stereotypes or discrimination. Guys can do whatever girls do. If you are a guy who wants to join dance, do it. You won’t regret it. Dance is for everyone.

Our nation should holster its weapons forever

By NICHOLAS ABRAHAM ganizations such as ISIS to prevent deaths of innocent and LEA BLIX people, why shouldn’t our Staff Reporters government take action by restricting guns and preventing deaths even closer to home?

These incidents have become so common that many schools, including ours, have lockdown drills. Students shouldn’t have to go through As you’re reading this, a this every year. School should child in the United States be a safe environment, not a could be dying from a gun- place where this type of masshot. There have been over sacre is anticipated.

300 mass shootings so far in Pro-gun senior Juventino 2015, 45 of which have taken Vargas presented his views on place in schools. gun control to us. He does These stats come from believe in some gun regulawww.shootingtracker.com, tion, such as tighter backbecause yes, there are enough ground checks, but he claims mass shootings in America that guns are necessary to an to need an entire website to average American citizen. keep track of them. Because “If we had more guns on of the frequency of these acts campuses throughout the of violence, we have become United States, I think we desensitized to their sever- would have more protection ity. But just because a shoot- [not more violence],” Vargas ing has never happened here, said. “If we take guns away doesn’t mean it’s not happen- from law-abiding citizens, ing somewhere else right now, criminals will still have them.” or that it couldn’t happen at While it is true that our own school. criminals will have access to There are likely Sequoia weapons on the black marstudents with access to guns. ket, outlawing guns would To put things in perspec- still make it much harder for tive, thousands more lives them to find. The easiest way have been taken from mass to acquire illegal guns is still shootings in the past decade via purchases made through than from terrorist attacks, licensed dealers, which can including 9/11. If the US then be sold to or fall into is taking extensive military criminal hands. action against terrorist orSome gun advocates cite

Cart00n by Leigh Alley

Guns are easily accessible in the United States. the Second Amendment in the U.S. Bill of Rights, which protects citizens’ right to bear arms. However, the Second Amendment no longer stands as a viable argument against gun control, because it was written 300 years ago.

The Constitution was made to be changed. We changed it by abolishing slavery, and by giving women the right to vote. What’s keeping us from getting rid of guns?

The United States would not be the first country to put in place new gun restrictions. In 1996, a huge massacre took place in Port Arthur, Australia. Conservative Prime Minister John Howard took

action 12 days later by imposing new laws banning rapidfire rifles and shotguns. One third of the nation’s gun supply was destroyed. The results were a drop in homicides by firearm of 59 percent.

These tragedies are so preventable: we just need to restrict access to these incredibly dangerous weapons.

It’s crucial that everyone in our community and beyond stops turning a blind eye to the gun control debate and starts seeing reason. Guns are a bomb waiting to go off.

Turning the safety on isn’t enough, it’s time that we retire these instruments of destruction for good.

Most popular fantasy sport

7

Feature

November 13, 2015

Fantasy sports: road to fame, glory and bragging rights Top fantasy sports

By TREVOR CROWELL and ZACK ROSENBLATT

1 Most popular

Top fantasy sports Top fantasy websites Top fantasy sports Top fantasy sports Top fantasy sports Top fantasy sports

34%

of playing,” Bene said. “You can trash-talk other people, and when you beat someone else in a game, it’s pretty cool because they Sports Editor and Page Editor Top fantasy sports have nothing to say back to you.”

3 This can contribute to minor conflicts.

The commencement of the fantasy female 1 female 34% “There are never any physical punches sports season draws groups of people tofemale female Most popular female 66% thrown, but definitely verbal abuse,” Shea female gether to have their draft. It leads to hours Top fantasy sports fantasy sport male 2 said. “There are a lot of insults hurled, and of trash talking. Online leagues provide 1 34% basically anything is fair game to trash talk fans a medium to manage a team and po56.8 million Most popular female an opponent about.” tentially lead that team to the splendor of 32 players in the Trash talk is not usually excessively mawinning a championship. fantasy sport United States 66% licious, but fans often playfully smack-talk “If you are in a league with someone, male 3 you can talk about fantasy for your entire male their opponents to spice up the action.

66% “Fantasy sports is all about the pride and life,” senior Kyle Shea said. “You rant forPlayers' average annual male male male the bragging rights, and with that comes male ever. You get into heated conversations. male spending (age 18+) players in the the ability to talk a lot of trash,” Drogin Feelings can get hurt. It’s a good time.”

56.8 million said. “It is never meant to be mean-spiritIn these year-round virtual sports United players in the States ed; it keeps fantasy sports exciting.” leagues, members draft professional athUnited States and Canada In some cases, desire to earn fantasy letes to create a team. The team manager and Canada points has even led some fans to turn their will then trade or cut players depending on

by Claire Bugos Players' average annual Players' average annual Players' averageGraphic annual backs on their hometown teams that they their real life success. The individual perspending (age 18+) spending 18+) spending (age 18+) (age Grande. “I also wanted to introduce new would usually root for. formance of the players during the season Paul Garcia said. “ I love the teams I root for, but fantasy is converted into points and then totaled Some also use fantasy leagues as a way sports to other people that don’t necessarfootball is almost like a competetive outlet ily understand them.” by a host website or by the “league com- to stay in touch with old friends.

Players' average annual for washed-up athletes like me. There are Gambling controversy surrounds the missioner,” who also establishes the pointsplayers “IPlayers' don’t always have an opportunity to Players' average annual in the average Players' averageannual annual some situations where my fantasy football world of fantasy.

The 2006 Unlawful Insystem and coordinates the league. talk to or see a lot of my friends from high spending (age 18+) spending (age 18+) United States spending (age 18+) ternet Gambling Enforcement Act banned interests actually supersede the outcomes “Fantasy sports is a forum to interact school and college. spending Our lives are(age busy, and18+) with your friends and a different way to and we live in different parts of the country,” nearly all forms of online betting, but of actual NFL contests,” Uhalde said.

Canada Fantasy sports take up a significant watch and appreciate sports,” Student Ac- English teacher Jason Drogin said. “Get- many fantasy sports remain unregulated.

According to the amount of time, but student athletes who tivities Director Corey Uhalde said, an ting together in person avid fantasy sports participant. or on the phone to draft “Fantasy sports is all about the FSTA, the average participate still find their priority with the fantasy teams that they personally represent.

According to the Fantasy Sports Trade is a good way to ensure pride and the bragging rights, and American “The nice thing about fantasy is that it’s sports player over the Association (FSTA), in the United States we stay in touch.” with that comes the ability to talk not something that you have to do all the age of 18 spends $465 and Canada alone, around 56.8 million Operating virtual a lot of trash.” time,” Di Grande said. “With a real sport, annually on leaguepeople (roughly 16 percent of the popula- teams isn’t taken lightly. tion) participate in fantasy sports.

“It’s supposed to be —Jason Drogin, related costs, betting, you have to go to practices and you have to “It’s actually pretty educational and fun, and we all have a

English teacher single-player challenge go to games, but with fantasy you can just do it whenever.” games and materials. you get more out of it than any other good time doing it, but Whether their motivation comes from “Betting on fantasy game that you might play on the internet,” there is also that compesophomore Zach Bene said. tition factor,” freshman Kyle Spottiswood teams ups the stakes and makes everything a desire to earn obtain money, earn bragmore interesting and the people playing ging rights or for pure enjoyment, fans For team managers, constantly viewing said. updates for their players and teams has beFantasy has even led to the creation of a get more involved,” Garcia said. “It makes return to checking scouting reports and the games more competitive and it’s almost working on the ins and outs of running a come an everyday routine.

Fantasy Sports Club at Sequoia.

“I check my fantasy team around 5 to “I play a lot of fantasy sports and I am like you get everyday adrenaline from it, sports team season after season.

“It’s not like a computer game that you 10 times on an average day, but on game in a lot of fantasy leagues, so I thought knowing you have money on the line.”

Aside from cash, many players find play for five minutes and then get bored,” day, I’m checking for updates 24/7, and I it would be fun to try and get people Garcia said. “It is an entire season of playfeel like I have to be watching sports and more involved,” said freshman and Fan- something equally or more important.

“Obviously bragging rights are big part ing and using strategy to win games.” looking at my players’ stats,” sophomore tasy Sports Club co-founder Dominic Di-

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LIVING from page 1

support with some food with some clothes or just listen to the people when they have some problems and we can give some advice or refer [them],” Ramirez said.

Soto wants to move, especially because she describes her neighborhood as both distant and dangerous, but finances prevent it.

“It’s kind of the same in the whole Bay Area. The prices are high, and my dad can’t afford the deposit, so I’d say that’s what’s keeping us there,” Soto said. “I’m always like ‘when are we ever going to leave?’ and it’s always the same answer: ‘when you grow older and you can buy a house.’”

And that’s exactly what Soto intends to do after hopefully following in her sisters’ footsteps and attending a 4-year university.

Her two sisters both received fullride scholarships and now live most of the year at college.

“If I can prevent them from paying for my college education that would be a big accomplishment and after that just get a job

so I can buy them a house be- remain unaware of this diversity. cause that’s been my goal since Other factors, such as being unI was little: actually buy them a documented, make finding relihouse and have my own room, able and affordable housing even my own bed for once,” Soto said. more difficult for some families.

According to the US Census “Sometimes you may not Bureau’s report from 2010, the have certain sensitivity about average family size in Redwood situations because you’ve never City is 2.7 people, but Soto is had to think about it,” Yeager just one of the Sequoia stusaid. “It’s important to not dents who lives in feel guilty about your a small home own blessing or with a large circumstances, median family or and one of rent in Redwood City even in the ways to prices have risen a home think about with mulit ‘yes maybe in the past year tiple famiI have some Data from Zillow lies. things easier “Their cirthan other people, cumstances are difso what am I going to do ficult, but she’s not unique to with that?’ And it doesn’t necesthat situation,” AVID and ELD sarily mean starting a canned teacher Jane Slater said. She is food drive. It just might mean also the DREAM Club adviser, that I’m going to be sensitive to has taught all the Soto sisters and the fact that for some people this knows their family well. “Cer- might be harder.” tainly they’re a really good exAccording to Soto, insensitivample of how strong and resilient ity regarding this diversity can be people can be.” painful.

Despite how prevalent situ“I guess [some people] don’t ations like the Sotos’ are, many value what they have all the time

$4,200

16.1%

because it’s just so normal for them, and it’s not like you can blame them for that, but it just feels weird. I sometimes feel like I’m trying too hard,” Soto said.

“Let’s say [you] gets a D or something and somebody’s bragging over there that they got an A, and you’re like, ‘shut up.’ It’s kind of like that feeling.”

The school attempts to provide assistance for students who struggle to find a place for work at home with teacher office hours and after-school SAFE tutorials. The local library also offers homework resources.

“I’m pretty impressed by the resilience of students, the fact that they come to school every day and get their work done; that you’re walking down the hallway in the school and you can’t tell the difference between someone who lives with eight people or six people in one room sharing an apartment with several families and someone whose family has their own apartment or home,” Slater said. “I think it would be good if people were aware of just how wide that range is.”

Sequoia High School

Raven Report 2015-2016

Executive Editors

Glenn Billman, Claire Bugos Carmen Vescia

Opinion Editor Abigail Wang

Entertainment Editor Emily Ducker

Sports Editor Trevor Crowell

Copy Editor Philip Tyson

Page Editors

Zack Rosenblatt Mars Svec-Burdick

Staff Reporters

Nicholas Abraham, Leigh Alley, Lea Blix, Xavi Boluña, Beatrice Bugos, Brighid Bugos, Mackenzie Clarke, Matthew Eisenberg, Zoey Fletcher, Aviva Futornick, Addison Holman, Benjy Jude, Maddie Pei, Maddie Reynolds, Rio Popper, Alex Vick

Adviser Kim Vinh

November 13, 2015

8

Sports

Getting bolder by climbing boulders

By MADDIE REYNOLDS Staff Reporter Arms and legs clutching the rock wall, sweat forming along his brow, senior Philip Matena and juniors Xavi Boluña and Thomas Greenhill all know the exhilarating physical and mental thrill of indoor and outdoor rock climbing.

“It’s one of the best feelings in the world,” Matena said. “That feeling of just being able to hang off the wall and have the air behind you I think is really indescribable.”

Boluña got his first taste of the sport at a young age.

“In elementary school, I first started backpacking, so around the climbs focus more on the moves and beginning of middle school is when I techniques used rather than the desprobably started rock climbing,” Bo- tination itself. This differs from topluña said. “The reason why my family roping because the rope is already and I wanted to learn rock climbing is fixed into the wall or cliff.

Despite the varying forms of the because if you backpack, then if you casually come up against a mountain, sport, rock climbing requires both mental and physical prowess and then you can just scale over it.”

Rock climbing is known for it’s preparation. With a rope, falls can variety. There is, of course, indoor still cause serious injury, even on more basic climbs. climbing, which can “The worst be done at almost “That feeling of just being able to fall I think I can any specialized gym hang off the wall and have the air remember [was] and county fair in behind you I think is really indein Dallas, and I America. The walls scribable.” you can find in gyms —senior Philip Matena was just doing a complicated usually range from move on a boul40-60 feet, double the height than that of a football goal- der problem,” Greenhill said. “I just post. Top-roping is one of the more wasn’t expecting to fall, so when I did popular forms of rock climbing be- it really knocked the wind out of me.”

Preparedness is key in rock climbcause there is a partner “belaying” or holding onto the rope to prevent falls ing as evidenced by Matena’s workout from being too serious. Lead or sports routine consisting of pull ups, to help

Graphic by Maddie Reynolds using Canva

build arm and back strength, biking to help with cardio strength, and hangboarding to improve finger strength.

Anaerobic and cardiovascular workouts are popular among experienced climbers, as it challenges strength in the arms and legs. Along with these physical preparations, climbers also need the appropriate gear for whatever climb they’re doing.

“For smaller stuff like bouldering, all you need is general climbing shoes and a chalk bag, and maybe a crash pad,” Boluña said.

If you’re considering rock climbing for health or for recreational fun, Matena’s advice is simple: “Just try it and see if you like it. If you do, start small and prepare yourself, and always go with a friend until you know what you’re capable of. There’s gonna be plenty of time for climbing mountains; just make sure you can handle a boulder first.”

CANNABIS from page 3

These unnatural levels of dopamine are also what becomes addictive for about ten percent of regular smokers, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“While smoking marijuana is legal [for medical use], it is still is only legal for a certain age group, when you have a totally mature brain. If you are a student who is an adolescent and still developing, there’s a lot of fogginess that will be left over, even if you aren’t smoking before class,” Magallanes said.

Smoking marijuana is not unheard of; even President Barack Obama admited to smoking in his youth.

Despite potential dangers of adolescent use, students still smoke.

John, a senior IB diploma candidate, has been smoking weekly since freshman year.

He described the euphoric escape that it provides for him, and explained that it makes him feel more present.

“There’s such a stigma surrounding pot, and it’s unwarranted and unjust. A lot of it comes from the idea that you’ll become a couch potato when you start smoking. But I can hit a joint in the morning and still be studying in the evening,” John said.

Overall, he embodies a “Work Hard, Toke Hard” mentality.

However, he acknowledges the dangers.

“You need to be careful with pot,” John said. “If you’re going to experiment, don’t be that guy who goes into the wrong environment high.”

Strong relationship sets sisters up for success

By MADDIE PEI Staff Reporter She watches the ball, waiting for the right moment to hit. Her parents and sisters are in the stands, watching andcheering her on. She spikes the ball into the opponent’s court. Her sisters from the stands next to their parents, dressed in head-to-toe purple, her mom even in purple eyeshadow.

Senior Kara Herbert, sophomore Jada Herbert and freshman Nyah Herbert spent their one and only volleyball season together this year at Sequoia.

“Playing with your sisters anytime is really cool. No one really knows how hard it is,” Nyah said. “It’s good to know that there’s people in your family that understand it’s not easy.”

The Herberts have been playing volleyball since each of them were in fourth grade. Kara started playing first when she was in fourth grade, and Jada and Nyah followed in her footsteps. Jada and Kara played varsity this year, while Nyah played junior varsity.

“Them being sisters really brings the team together. It adds another element of sportsmanship. Their bond makes everyone else want to bond with them,” said sophomore Katie Uthman, friend and teammate of the three Herberts.

Neither the Herbert’s parents nor the

Photo courtesy of Jada Herbert

Sophmore Jada Herbert, freshman Nyah Herbert and senior Kara Herbert spent their only volleyball season together this year. three sisters older siblings have played volleyball in the past, so the sisters rely on each other to provide feedback.

“Jada and Kara are a lot harder on each other than others on the team,” Varsity coach Dustyn Woropay said.

“They’re each other’s harshest critics.”

Over the years, their parents have become more involved in the world of volleyball, attending the sisters’ games as well as games at Stanford University.

Now, they actively cheer during their

daughters’ volleyball games. The Herberts’ parents also dress up in matching purple outfits.

“You always hear Ms. Herbert and Mr. Herbert in the stands,” Uthman said. “They treat everyone on the team like they’re their daughters, too.”

Their parents also had to coordinate driving schedules in the past, as the Herberts played club volleyball in different locations all around the peninsula. Kara, Jada and Nyah only played on the same

club team for one year.

Years of practice have paid off, settin them up to play for Sequoia’s team, where last year Jada and Kara joined for the first time on the varsity team. While their skills on the court are important, so is their relationship with each other. “[Kara and I] are not shy [about] telling Nyah what she needs to work on,” Jada said. “It’s easier to hear from her sisters than from a coach or a parent.”

The Herberts’ relationship, at least with volleyball, focuses on encouragement and advice. Nyah feels heavily influenced by her sisters, inspired by the success and support. “[Advice] helps [Nyah] be a better player. I think she respects what we have to say because we’ve been playing for so long. She knows we only want the best for her,” Kara said.

Nyah feels comforted knowing members of her family understand the difficulty of the sport.

“When they see I’m getting down on myself, they say, ‘hey, it’s alright, Nyah, you got this, keep it up,’” Nyah said. “It may not work at the time, but when I look back on it, it really helps a lot.”

The Herberts constantly encourage each other, in the form of constructive criticism or words of reassurance.

“They’re family in every sense of the word,” Woropay said. “They support each other and look out for each other.”