C Magazine Vol. 10 Edition 2

Pg.24 At What PointPg.24 does The and take effects of toxicevolution masculinity over? asain representation in hollywood

C MAGAZINE

January 2022 • Volume 10, Edition 2 Dear readers, We hope to start 2022 off with a bang by presenting you with our second issue of the school year! This issue can be enjoyed while relaxing with a cup of hot cocoa in your hand or while on the treadmill as you attempt to fulfill your New Year’s resolution.

Our cover story for this issue, “RepresentASIAN” written

by Aidan Do, Olivia Hau and Milena Rodriguez, can be found on page 24 and focuses on the importance of accurate and positive Asian representation in media while also discussing the negative repercussions of stereotyping. The increasing presence of conversations surrounding diversity in the media prompts an important question: what does the future of representation in Hollywood look like? The cover art, created by Kellyn Scheel, references a variety of flowers from the movie “Crazy Rich Asians.” The “tan hua” flower that is prominently nestled in the woman’s hair signifies good luck and prosperity.

Our featured artist, senior Jasmine Kapadia, is a remarkable poet; her meticulously crafted work unveils emotions that Kapadia taps into as her pen meets paper. She urges others to push past their fear and lean into their creativity. Check out “In Her Words,” written by Evie Coulson and Natalie Hmelar, on page 34 which also features two of her amazing poems.

“Valley of Heart’s Delight,” found on page 17, examines the history of the Bay Area from its roots to present-day. Writers Reya Hadaya, Julie Huang and Jeremy Peng delve into the culture of Silicon Valley that has fueled technology and inno-

vation but has also led to competition and dominance instead of creating community.

“Everyone Belongs in the Skatepark” tackles another facet of Bay Area history: skateboarding and its evolution. On page 14, writers Jack Haney and Jasmine Tabrizi dive into the tensions in the skate community’s history, unpacking what it means to be a skater and how exclusivity barriers are being broken.

“What Does Home Mean?” explores the personal connections students have with the concept of home and gives a sneak peek into our podcast series C Pod started by Eunice Cho and Ella Rosenblum. Check out the spread on page 28 and be sure to head over to our Spotify to hear the rest! While you are listening, tune in to C Mag’s 2021 rewind playlist where the staff has compiled their favorite songs from this year in one place.

Check out “Wrap it Up!” designed by Rachel Ellisen and Isaac Hillesland, on page 46 to see why some of these songs were C Mag favorites.

We are so excited to usher in the new year with a brand new edition of C Mag; thanks for sticking with us for another issue and we’re thrilled to have three more coming at you later in 2022!

Happy reading!

Sophia Baginskis, Emma Joing, Julia Ragno and Marilyn Yin Editors-in-Chief

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES Find these stories and more at cmagazine.org

Extension of “Exhibit: The Art of Disability Culture

By Evie Coulson, Reya Hadaya and Eunchae Hong

Expensive Soles

By Olivia Hau

Taking the Bait: Unrealistic Expectations

By Caitlyn Oda

thanks to our

Sponsors

Alice Hadaya Amy Yang Brandi Walters Brian Steele Chris Hsiang Chris Markesky Cynthia Costell Dave Wolter Debbie & Pat Ellisen Don and Liz Darby Elaine Cao Eugenie Van Wynen Gloria Tapson Harry and Harriet Oda Hsun Kao Isabelle Hau Janet Ellisen Jenifer and Steve Turnbull Jeongyoung Kim Jill Randall Joanie Haney Julie Baskind Karen Wolter Kate and Todd Glassons Kristina Klausen

Illustrators Brooke Glasson, Olivia Hau, Palina Kuzmina, Carrie Lohse, Blair Migdal and Kellyn Scheel

staff

Lan Liang Laura Prentiss Lee Rosenblum Liza Baskind Marty and Joan Ragno Mary Lynn Fitton Maura McGinnity Max Rosenblum Michele Gay Nancy Warner Olivia Paula Hau Robert & Diane Threlkeld Rui Li Sung Hyun Hwang Sunmi Seol Suyan Ling and Xiaobiao Huang The Coulson Family The Novack Family The Rodriguez Family The Rosso Tabrizi Family The Stanleys The Tzeng Family William Hadaya Yon Sung

Editors-in-Chief

Creative Director

Sophia Baginskis, Emma Joing, Julia Ragno, Marilyn Yin

Brooke Glasson

Managing Editors Eunice Cho, Rachel Ellisen, Sami Lee, Emma Turnbull

Creative Adviser Jack Haney

Online Editor-in-Chief Reya Hadaya

Art Director Kellyn Scheel

Digital Design Editor Audrey Guo

Business Managers Aidan Do, Natalie Hmelar

Social Media Manager Ella Rosenblum Staff Writers Kaila Chun, Evie Coulson, Olivia Hau, Isaac Hillesland, Eunchae Hong, Julie Huang, Wendy Li, Anna Markesky, Caitlyn Oda, Jeremy Peng, McKenna Rausch, Milena Rodriguez, Mathew Signorello-Katz, Willow Steele, Jasmine Tabrizi, Brooke Threlkeld, Kylie Tzeng, Casey Walters

Cover Art by Kellyn Scheel

Table of Contents Photo by Brooke Glasson

Adviser Brian Wilson

Publication Policy

Letters to the Editors

C Magazine, an arts and culture magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Magazine Journalism class, is a designated open forum for student expression and discussion of issues of concern to its readership. C Magazine is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost.

The C Magazine staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserve the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to eicscmagazine@ gmail.com or to 50 Embarcadero Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94301.

Printing & Distribution

Advertising

C Magazine is printed 5 times a year in October, January, February, April and June by aPrintis in Pleasanton, CA. C Magazine is distributed on campus and mailed to sponsors by Palo Alto High School. All C Magazine stories are available on cmagazine.org.

The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts, providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with C Magazine, please contact business managers Aidan Do and Natalie Hmelar at businesscmagazine@gmail.com.

“

Following Bob Ross was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.”

Kellyn Scheel, C Mag Art Director

[Discovering the Joy of Painting pg. 36]

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contents culture C Mag Style

6

Snowflake Starter

11

Everyone Belongs at the Skatepark.

14

Valley of Heart’s Delight

17

Art or Crime?

20

The Gift of Giving

21

RepresentASIAN

24

What Does Home Mean?

28

arts Featured Artists: Teacher Edition

30

In Her Words

34

Discovering the Joy of Painting

36

Music From the Shadows

38

Shuffling Through the Ages #FreeBritney

41

Wrap It Up!

46

44

ARTS • 5

cmag style cmag style cmag style cmag style cmag style cmag style cmag style cmag style cmag style Design by BROOKE GLASSON · Photos by RACHEL ELLISEN and BROOKE GLASSON

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Riley Herron, 12

“

Denim has always been a classic staple in fashion.

Riley Herron, 12 CULTURE • 7

Trey Collins, 10

Tate Hardy, 10

“

Sustainable fashion is not only better quality, but better for the enviroment.

Tate Ha r d y , 1 0

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Nikie Behal, 12

CULTURE • 9

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING AN AD FOR C MAGAZINE CONTACT BusIness Manager Aidan Do: 650-575-3043 or ad39240@pausd.us

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Sn wflake T Starter 5 steps to the perfect snowflake

here’s no such thing as a white Christmas in Palo Alto—or is there? This winter, follow this step-by-step guide to master the paper snowflake and whip up a snowstorm. Then, show us what you’ve created by DMing @c__magazine on Instagram.

CULTURE • 11

②

Instructions ✂

1. Cut out the square 2. Fold in half diag- 3. Fold in half again, 4. Fold into thirds by below, or use a square onally. this time across the eyeballing the creaspiece of paper. middle of the trian- es and adjusting. gle.

5. Flip over and cut off the two extra triangles on the top.

Then, pick a design.

✂

① Cut

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C-Mag Favorites

③ Text and design by AUDREY GUO

CULTURE • 13

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Text and design by JACK HANEY and JASMINE TABRIZI • Art by BROOKE GLASSON

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kateboarding started as a surfing substitution in the 1950s, any,” Thomsen said. “There’s not much diversity. But, I think in where rickety trolley wheels were drilled onto wood planks. terms of access or equality, skaters are super open for newcomers.”

These days, skateboarding is an Olympic sport and has Overall, being a minority in the skating community is not easy, become widespread, even reaching the Paly so it is a fantastic step that the community. Skateboarding has grown in popcommunity is not only growularity, with the sport cultivating a strong, ing, but diversifying at the same “I’ve seen a lot of bonded community. time. people skating, of “I’ve seen a lot of people skating, of any “Skating as a woman has any age, any race and age, any race and gender,” Kieran Wagner, more recently come to be emlongtime skateboarder and senior at Paly, powering,” Thomsen said. “I gender. If anybody wants said. “If anybody wants to skate, they can think the image of women in to skate, they can skate.” skating has improved, so now skate.”

The skateboarding community has it’s just about getting the numKieran Wagner changed from what it once was and is now bers up there.” senior known for being more inclusive and borWith increased diversity der-free when welcoming newcomers. After comes a need for changes in the all, sticking together is a key aspect of the mindsets of skaters, something community, as it was initially a niche subthat has, for the most part, been culture. largely achieved, thus creating what many skaters believe “[The skateboarding community] to be a welcoming and open community. has always been accepting of outsiders,” Paly freshman Keshav Srinivasan, who has been skatef Paly photography teacher and formal boarding for four years now, recalls a sense of openness towards professional skater Kenna Gallagher said. new skaters from when he first started.

“It was always for the kids who really didn’t “If you’re new, they’ll [other skaters] always help you start off,” fit into the norm.”

Srinivasan said. “Then you’ll always be friends with them.”

Hailing from Santa Cruz, Gallagher’s inIt’s clear from Srinivasan’s experience that skateboarders want terest in skating grew from a longtime passion to see their peers do well and improve. Thanks to the friendliness into a profession. Sponsored by Krux trucks, of the skateboarding community, Srinivasan feels that he has exGallagher rode around Europe and competed. perienced a positive impact. The mentorship that was lent to him Today, she continues to skate casually. However, at times when he felt like giving up taught him important lessons, gender inequalities that remained with her at the like how to persevere. beginning of her career contin“The first time I went to this park called ue to follow her in the competiRengstorff in Mountain View, and I was trytive skater world. ing to drop in on the ramp for the first time, “[The skateboarding “The pay gap is a huge divithis guy came up to [me] and fully just held sion between genders,” Gallaghmy hands while going in on it,” Srinivasan community] has always er said.“I don’t know what gives said. been accepting of [men] permission to have their At the same time, however, Srinivasan has outsiders.” prize money be twice as much also noticed that some skaters feel reluctant to Kenna Gallagher [as women].” Gallagher and let beginners into the skateboarding commuother female skaters continue to nity. A cause of this issue is that skateboarders photography teacher be short-changed. Some of her were ostracized for their sport for such a long friends, X-games competitors, time, therefore instilling an instinctual need rtes u o c continue to rake in far less mono y of to find other skaters who were in the same Phot Ke ey than their male competitors. nn boat as they were. aG With all her experience, Gallagher has seen progress within the “A lot of [the] time, skaters, we’re skating community. “There was a period where there was a lot really trying to preserve skate culof homophobia in skateboarding,” Gallagher said. “I think now ture, the old culture, because it we’ve pushed beyond that in a lot of ways.” used to be a sport that you This issue was solved by an increased acceptance of LGBTQIA+ wouldn’t [be] cool if you skated,” members, leading to more of their involvement within the comSrinivasan said. munity.

Srinivasan believes this mental“There’s some beautiful queer groups of skateboarders and reity that some skaters still cling to ally inclusive skate companies,” Gallagher said. “I think everybody is what may be holding the community is starting to realize that it’s an everybody sport.” back from unbiasedly welcoming newFor senior Kat Thomsen, another female skater at Paly, the typcomers. ical pros and cons of skating exist in Palo Alto as well.

This intense connection that forms between “Whenever I go to a skate park, it’s usually one or two girls, if many individuals within the community is what

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CULTURE • 15

FAVORITE TRICK

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sold by popular clothing stores like Urban Outfitters today.

“It’s definitely film and the media that perpetuated [skate fashion],” Thomsen said. “[However], it obviously started with skaters and the very surf-vibe, skater-vibe.” Because of its unique style, Thomsen also believes that skate fashion embodies individualism, making it easy for skaters to identify one another.

“I think [skate fashion] plays a role t in the sense that it’s like a Myers co urtesy of Harry uniform,” Thomsen said.

“You can definitely make out other skaters by the stuff they wear.” The sense of individuality within skate fashion also contributes immensely to the comfort that many skaters feel towards experimenting with their styles, something Thomsen finds especially great about it.

“It embraces the funky stuff and the weirdness—that’s what’s really good about it,” Thomsen said. “Skaters can feel free to experiment with fashion however they like, and however they decide to experiment with it, skate culture will be like, ‘Yo, that’s sick.’”

Myers shares this thinking and believes that the skating community’s positive outlook on style variety allows skateboarders to try out different forms of self-expression to see what appeals to them.

“In the past, skateboarding was really such a stereotype, like you were this if you were a skateboarder, but now, you can wear whatever you want,” Myers said.

In the end, while skate fashion may vary from person to person, what stays the same across the board is the overwhelming amount of support that skaters project towards each other’s styles.

“It was my whole life, everything came from skateboarding and working at skate shops, being a part of the skateboard industry I still have these lifelong connections,” Gallagher said. One thing is clear: if a skateboard is lying around in your garage collecting dust…give it a try.

Ph o

leads to the overwhelming sense of support that many feel once they’ve been welcomed into the skating community—giving the sport its admirable reputation. Harry Myers, a senior at Paly, notes this encouragement as a memorable part of how he was welcomed into the community back when he began skating. Myers, who “In the past, has been skating for skateboarding was the past four years, ever since his mom really such a gifted him a skatestereotype, like you board for Christwere this if you were mas, recalls being a skateboarder, but nervous the first now, you can wear time he went to a skatepark. whatever you want.”

“I really, really Harry Myers practiced by myself, senior so I wouldn’t just be a complete newb at the skatepark,” Myers said.

However, when he arrived, Myers experienced an overwhelming amount of support—the polar opposite of what he had been preparing himself to face. After showing off a few of the tricks he had been practicing, Myers was applauded by all of those around him. Oftentimes, when skateboarders complete a new trick, it will grab the attention of those around the person and create a sense of celebration.

“It gets the attention of everybody [and] feels really good— when you land something, and everyone’s smacking their board on the ground or clapping,” Myers said.

Unity within the skateboarding community is also heightened by the distinct sense of style. Skate fashion, which is heavily marketed by mainstream brands today, was founded out of necessity.

People were just trying to figure out what would be the most comfortable to move around in.

Thomsen notes that over the years, media such as movies and TV transformed this seemingly niche fashion style that began on the racks of thrift stores into the modified version that exists and is

STANCE

neddie kiessling kieran wagner

manual lipslide

goofy goofy

keshav srinivasan

smith grind

regular

kenna gallagher kat thomsen harry myers

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tre (360) flips layback hack

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goofy regular regular

FAVORITE SPOT

BOARD BRAND

california avenuepalo alto burgess parkmenlo park waller street ledgessan francisco derby parksanta cruz burgess parkmenlo park soma neighborhoodsan francisco

f.a. creature passport

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t h g Heart’s Deli From apple orchards to Apple iPhones

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s a leading influence in technological advancement, Sili- tion where people are unable to observe their impact on others. con Valley possesses high standards for those a part of its This contrasts traditional in-person conversations where the back hyper-competitive, productivity-centered environment. and forth subtleties in body language and tone of voice can create However, before technology corporations dominated the Valley’s valued, long lasting bonds between participants. culture, it was one of the world’s leading agricultural paradises.

This phenomenon generates a form of individualism that stems According to historian Steve Staiger from the Palo Alto His- from young people’s growing indifference to social responsibility torical Association, the city was one of the leading fruit exporters and their prioritization of short-term rewards and instant gratificain the country. “[There were] orchards full of apricots, plums and tion. “We’ve lost the value of being an ordinary citizen, participatcherries,” Staiger said. “This area was a fruit basket.” ing in your community, earning a living and being part of a family Santa Clara Valley, previously known as the “Valley of Heart’s and a neighborhood,” Whitson said.

Delight,” attracted generations of people hoping to partake in its Staiger suggests that the shift in the collective identity of Palo prosperous opportunities. “People from San Francisco came down Alto citizens is mainly due to a change in living circumstances, and to Santa Clara Valley in the spring because of the fruit blossoms,” not a change in societal values. “[People who moved here recentStaiger said. “There were so many trees ly] are doing what people in Palo Alto where we now have houses that, if have been doing for generations: you were at a higher elevation, it trying to make a living, provide looked like snow.” for their family and enjoy life,” “[Palo Alto] will continue to evolve Social sciences teacher and Staiger said. “But today, it takes and, in some ways, be unrecognizable long-time Bay Area resident up so much more energy to Debbie Whitson notices a conhave that good life.” to people like me who grew up here.” trast between the past idyllic In the past, it was easier for Mary Sano landscape and the current, inpeople to pursue artistic and creasingly modern city. “[In the creative aspirations in Palo Alto, past], an empty lot or two would but the current high expenses of be loaded with [orchard] trees besustaining small artisanal businesses cause [the land] hadn’t been developed yet,” Whitson said. deems such explorations too difficult. By extension, people miss out While reminiscing on her childhood in Silicon Valley during on these opportunities to connect with other community members, the 1960s, Whitson experienced a significant shift in its culture. an increasingly common phenomenon in cities where large techAlthough the amount of social interactions have increased with nological corporations dominate. “It’s not ideal,” Staiger said. “It’s the usage of smartphones, the quality of these interactions have not the good life that it could be.” diminished as people now communicate in physical isolation from Drawing a comparison between Palo Alto’s past and future one another. “In the olden days, [students] all knew each other illuminates an additional aspect of Silicon Valley’s evolution: its because this was their community,” Whitson said. “Now they have demographics. In the 1970s, cities like Palo Alto and their lack a whole other community on their phone.” of diversity posed an obstacle to many citizens, including social With the growing prevalence of digital communication amongst sciences teacher Mary Sano and her family. “When I was growing young people, much of their interactions with others exist in phys- up, we were the only Asian family on the block,” Sano said. “There ical isolation. Tangible connections between a person and their was actually a petition around to not have us move in.” community have been largely replaced by a version of socializaReturning to Silicon Valley after pursuing a journalism career

CULTURE • 17

Early 20th Century

in Hawaii for 15 years, Sano noticed an increase in the region’s ethnic diversity. “Being Asian is something I really noticed when I came back,” Sano said. “There’s a greater Asian population now.”

Sano’s memories of Palo Alto consisted of engaging community activities such as flea markets and garage sales. Despite the ever-changing culture of Palo Alto, Sano’s relationships with fellow long-time residents has kept her involved in its community. “If I didn’t have those connections, I wouldn’t see that funky side of Palo Alto,” Sano said.

From apple orchards to Apple iPhones, change is a constant process in Palo Alto. As people come and go, long-time residents such as Sano, Staiger and Whitson hold a unique understanding of the town’s identity. “[Palo Alto] will continue to evolve and, in some ways, at least on the surface, be unrecognizable to people like me who grew up here,” Sano said. “I hope there’s some character that can be retained.”

Mid 20th Century

vation. The legacy they leave behind, however, has developed seemingly unattainable standards for future generations, often at the cost of their mental and physical well-being. “There’s this expectation that children will always do better than the generation before,” Child development teacher Hilary McDaniel said.

Working in an area where financial and academic success are often seen as measures of self worth and social status, McDaniel believes that glorified productivity is common among her students.

“When you are in an area where there is a lot of wealth and success, it creates a sense of pressure and desire to succeed which, in this country, is usually tied to work,” McDaniel said.

Over her 18-year career at Paly, McDaniel has observed the rising presence of Silicon Valley’s hypercompetitive environment in her classroom. “[In the past], we certainly had students who really didn’t like getting Bs in classes, but now it feels a little bit more like the end of the world for students,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel aims to mitigate Paly’s stressful culture by employing Work, work and more work flexible classroom policies such as take-home quizzes. However, she For the past several decades, feels that students often disregard her effort by prioritizing other, masses of high-achieving indi- more demanding classes. “Teachers have modified their standards viduals have moved to Silicon because we felt like the pressure was too high, but it doesn’t make Valley to join the center of a difference,” McDaniel said. “The students in my class make a inno- conscious choice to value a class that is less flexible over me and my message.”

McDaniel believes students may be underestimating the role they play in upholding Silicon Valley’s culture, suggesting that the pressure they experience may “We can be more be partially due to their compliance with proopen minded about ductivity-centered values. “Students around here need to take more responsibility for their what success looks like.” personal choices, but it’s hard for them to do Hilary McDaniel that when they’re living in this system,” McDaniel said. “How do you wake up from the matrix when you don’t even know you’re in the matrix?”

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Text and design by REYA HADAYA, JULIE HUANG and JEREMY PENG • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

Late 20th Century

McDaniel feels this toxic phenomenon creates an intellectual hierarchy in the classroom in which students who do not adhere to work-centric norms are silenced because of their perceived laziness. “Ideally, you try to create connections with those students and offer them opportunities to show their classmates that their perspectives are just as valuable,” McDaniel said.

Along with a conscious effort from students, parents and administration must also assist in combating this issue. “What it will require is a complete overhaul and rethinking of what is valuable in all of our curriculums,” McDaniel said. “I hope that parents can continue to educate themselves about the pressures of Silicon Valley and support their children.”

By offering academic flexibility in her classroom and encouraging her students to reflect on their participation in this hyper-competitive culture, McDaniel hopes to create a healthier school environment. “We can be more open minded about what success looks like,” McDaniel said. “We should spend more time focusing on doing our best and being good to ourselves, [even] when our best doesn’t look like someone else’s.”

Palo Alto has come a long way from the fruit trees that once lined its streets. Now, in the city’s relentless pursuit for academic and financial success, its people may overlook the very motivations behind their actions—whether they be personal fulfillment or community benefit. McDaniel’s insight begs an important awareness and reflection for those living in the Valley of Heart’s Delight: what they chose to value. “I do wish that teachers, counselors, students and admin could have more dialogue about what a happy, healthy life looks like,” McDaniel said. “In my

21st Century

ideal world, students would do the research and come to a conclusion on their own and decide they want to change their world.”

“We’ve lost the value of being an ordinary citizen, participating in your community, earning a living and being part of a family.”

Debbie Whitson

CULTURE • 19

Text and design by KELLYN SCHEEL

T

he concept of graffiti has brought to light a multitude of political, legislative and moral disputes regarding the limitations of the concept of graffiti has brought to light a multitude of political, legislative and moral disputes regarding the limitations of expressive art. Darryl McCray, most commonly The concept of graffiti has brought to light a multitude of political, legislative and moral disputes regarding the limitations of expressive art.

Darryl McCray, most commonly known by his tagg name “Cornbread,” is recognized as the world’s first modern graffiti artist.

Born and raised in Brewerytown, PA, McCray began his artistic journey attempting to get the attention of a girl, and “Cornbread loves Cynthia’’ was soon plastered on establishments throughout Brewerytown.

McCray’s success in his romantic efforts inspired himself and others to continue down the path that rapidly guided cities globally to modern-day graffiti.

A surge in tagging that followed McCray’s work led to the association of graffiti with vandalism. Now, graffiti is most commonly separated from criminality when it is appealing to its audience. However, many people still have strong opinions regarding the art of graffiti, no matter the appeal.

Murals are a commonly recognized form of public art that require an extensive process to ensure their legality. Yet to a passerby, the unknown legality of a public work of art may not affect their perception of the piece. Graffiti itself is only recognized as vandalism when it is determined to be unappealing or controversial.

In an interview discussing the illegality of graffiti, well known graffiti artist Apathy reveals the frustration many graffiti artists feel when audiences’ perceptions are skewed by the illegality of the art.

“It’s not so much if someone thinks of graffiti as a crime,” Apathy said. “Graffiti is a crime, so I would

20 • cmagazine.org

expect everyone to think of it as that. But if someone views it as vandalism, I would say they are less likely to open their eyes up to the art form behind the crime.”

Many artists find excitement in their work, particularly due to the illegality of the act.

The issue that arises when criminality is brought into conversation is the use of the word “criminal” to neglect the art behind the crime.

Graffiti is used frequently as a form of anonymous activism to bring light to the hostile state of the world.

The illegality of the act becomes an issue for the legitimacy of many artists when audiences use it as an excuse to neglect the importance of the implications concealed within the art.

These roadblocks have led to complicated attempts to legalize graffiti: designated graffiti walls have recently been established in large cities worldwide such as Athens, Paris and Buenos Aires, opening the doors to a newfound form of positive expression.

Some walls are established by owners of buildings who open them to the public; others offer a first-come-first-serve permit that artists can obtain for a day of painting. These walls can be difficult for many artists to navigate—platforms such as legal-walls.net, which showcases the locations of all 1,832 graffiti-safe spaces globally, and widewalls.net, which showcases the work and significance of many well-known artists, have aided many graffiti artists in legalizing their artistic expression.

The ever-evolving ways of expression through art have become increasingly controversial for communities of artists. Controversy is not always negative when it comes to artistic expression; in fact, it is often used to draw attention to the importance of the art.

As the viewers of these public works of art, we are left with a choice: to walk by unbothered and label graffiti as “vandalism” or stop and look for the messages concealed within the controversy.

THE GIFT OF

G I V I NG How can we give back to the community, especially during the holidays?

P

ackages of toys, food, books and clothes pile up as volunteers pack up gift boxes for families during the holiday season. The air buzzes with conversation between families and volunteers who have known each other for years and return each December to receive resources and connect with their second family.

Each year, the Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP) in East Palo Alto hosts food and toy distributions during the holiday season to provide families in the community with necessary resources. For LaKesha Roberts, Associate Director of EHP, it is an incredibly rewarding experience to see the beaming smiles of people receiving a traditional Christmas meal and gifts.

“Volunteering during the holidays, especially at an organization like EHP, is like volunteering at the North Pole,” Roberts

said. “It can get busy, maybe even a little overwhelming at times, but the reward is so great.”

The Ecumenical Hunger Program is an organization based in East Palo Alto that works to aid people in the community—offering support services, providing material resources like food, clothing and gifts and advocating for local issues in the community.

But beyond providing resources, EHP is also a place for people to connect with others in the community, especially because many have been attending the events for many years.

“To some, this is a second family,” Roberts said. “...We [EHP] have had families here where we’ve watched their kids grow up, even did what we could to send them off to college. We are more than just an or-

ganization.”

Participating in volunteer work allows for deeper connections to be made within the community while enacting change. There are many service opportunities in the Bay Area at various organizations like the Ecumenical Hunger Program.

Organizations like EHP provide material resources di

Text and design by BROOKE THRELKELD and EMMA TURNBULL • Art by BLAIR MIGDAL Photos by EMMA TURNBULL

CULTURE • 21

Members of Paly YCS Interact paint birdhouses for Animal Assisted Happiness.

Pictured: Mars Bau and Ines Legrand

rectly to those in need through their drives. Other organizations, like the Palo Alto Rotary, give back by supporting other organizations—donating money and providing volunteers to places like EHP. Rebecca Geraldi is the Membership Chair of the Palo Alto Rotary and a former Paly parent. Throughout her time in the group, Geraldi has worked with many local organizations, including the Environmental Volunteers located in the Baylands Nature Preserve.

“We would go into the classrooms to help bring hands-on science programs to mostly Title 1 schools, which are underprivileged kids,” Geraldi said. “These are kids in our own neighborhood.

Everybody thinks Palo Alto is wealthy, and for the most part, it is, but that doesn’t mean that everybody lives as well off as we think they do.”

During the holidays especially, many people in the Bay Area need extra support. The emphasis placed on expensive, material items during the holiday season leads some to wonder if

22 • cmagazine.org

the season of giving has become the season to think of it as a reminder of my own perof getting. sonal privilege,” Yamashita said. “[I like to] “There’s a way to find balance with reflect upon that and feel grateful but also gift-giving,” Geraldi said. “...It’s so easy remember that it’s important to give back to go out and drop money online or in a to your community.” store, but the giving of your time on behalf The act of giving back is a way to show of somebody is appreciation one of the most for one’s comtouching and munity. “It’s a meaningful gifts symbiotic relathat you can tionship,” Yagive.” mashita said.

Buying gifts “[When you] can be an effechave a comtive way to show munity that appreciation for supports you, others, but it’s it only makes important to sense for you LeKesha Roberts, Ecumenical remember that to also support Hunger Program Associate not everyone your commuDirector has access to nity.” nice gifts. For seAnother nior and student volunteer Sam Yamashita, organization known for its efforts in givreceiving gifts is a moment for her to reflect ing back to the community is Paly’s Youth on how she can find ways to help out her Community Service-Interact club (YCS). community.

YCS is similar to the Palo Alto Rotary in “I love giving and receiving gifts during that the club supports a variety of differthe holidays, but I also like ent organizations through service proj-

“Volunteering during the holidays... is like volunteering at the North Pole.”

Pictured: Tiffany He and Ava Shi

ects.

Junior Mars Bau is a participant in their YCS has recently embraced the holiday church’s holiday initiative—Operation spirit of giving by supporting the Palo Alto Christmas Child—where they pack boxes Humane Society, a local animal shelter. of gifts and essential items for families.

Junior and YCS Board Member Madelyn “As a kid, one of the things you look Castro helped forward to most lead the club’s is receiving presrecent efforts of ents, and it’s a making homereally special made gifts for the time of year, so shelter. helping some“Instead of one else experibuying a bunch ence that for the of dog toys, you first time is very can use things worthwhile,” and give them a Bau said. new life,” Castro Whether said. “We took volunteering old T-shirts, cut during the holthem up and idays or not, braided them many find that Rebecca Geraldi, Palo Alto into dog toys.” giving back to Rotary Membership Chair In addition to the community helping out cais an incredibly nine friends, there are many volunteer valuable experience and a way to connect opportunities around the holidays with others through the act of service. to give back to families “Volunteering as a whole brings people toand communities in need. gether,” Geraldi said. “It helps us all share a

“When you give your time and energy and focus on driving the change that you want, it’s really powerful.”

common goal and a common good.”

Taking the time to volunteer and help out organizations within the community allows people to work towards a greater cause.

“I can remember the first time that I volunteered at EHP,” Roberts said. “It felt like I was a part of something bigger than myself, [and] that I wasn’t doing something just because it sounded good, but [because] I was truly a part of a cause and fulfilling a mission.”

Volunteering empowers many volunteers as they are able to work for the change they want to see in their community. “[Volunteering] helped me feel like I have the ability to shape the future by supporting what I as one person can do,” Geraldi said. “...When you give your time and energy and focus on driving the change that you want, it’s really powerful.”

CULTURE • 23

representASIAN The evolution and effects of Asian representation in Hollywood

G

rowing up, junior Priya Gupta never saw anyone who looked like her embracing their culture in the media.

“So for a long period of time,” Gupta said, “I felt ashamed of my culture.”

While many of her (white) peers saw people who looked like them on TV growing up, Gupta never felt represented.

As a result of minimal Asian representation in the media, Gupta grew uncomfortable in her own skin, a phenomenon that many Asian people living in the United States have experienced.

Fifty years ago, Asian representation in the media was scarce. The movie industry consisted of predominantly white, physically abled and conventionally attractive actors, and diversity in Hollywood was greatly lacking. When “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” came out, it quickly became an iconic movie in American pop culture. However, many viewers failed to notice the white man portraying a stereotypical Japanese man.

Buck teeth. Slanted eyes. Jet-black hair. Tanned yellow skin.

Mickey Rooney, a white actor, cast as Mr. Yunioshi, a Japanese character, is one of many examples of Hollywood’s misrepresentation of Asian people. Whether it be the hyper-sexualized young Asian girl, the poor non-English speaking immigrant or the smart nerdy engineer, the media reinforces these stereotypes through movies, TV shows and even current news.

The influence of these stereotypes and the lack of positive and accurate representation made it difficult for Asian children to learn about themselves and their place in the world around them as they grew up. “I couldn’t figure out how to fit my own identity into my life when I couldn’t find people who represented me,” Gupta said.

When Paly Humanities teacher Mimi Park watches yet another movie where the only Asian character keeps their head and voice down, she finds herself disappointed at the lack of accurate representation found in the media. “Oftentimes [the]

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S

Featuring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golighty, Breakfast at Tiffany’s faced a lot of controversy over Mickey Rooney’s role as a white man portraying a stereotypical Japanese person.

1961

1993 THE JOY LUCK CLUB

Following the storyline of Amy Tan’s novel, the film depicts a group of Chinese women who come together to reflect on the cultural differences.

24 • cmagazine.org

TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE

A movie remake of the New York Times bestselling book, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, stars Lana Condor playing Lara Jean, a young women trying to find her place in society.

2018

Text and design by AIDAN DO, OLIVIA HAU and MILENA RODRIGUEZ • Art by OLIVIA HAU and KELLYN SCHEEL

“

stereotypical Asian [person] is [portrayed as] the studious model minority,” Park said.

This incorrect and harmful stereotype seen in the media gets internalized and repeated in real life. “I see [these stereotypes] more in the classroom through actions committed by students distinguishing themselves academically, [because of] stereotypes such as that Asian kids tend to be quiet and studious,” Park said.

Currently, there is an even greater gap in representation in American media between East and South Asian people. “Even though [represen-

tation] has improved, there is still such a long way to go for South Asians specifically,” Gupta said. “I don’t know many TV shows, except for maybe one or two, where I feel like I’m represented properly.”

While progress has been made, there is no one-sizefits-all solution to represent all Asians. “If you just portray [Asian people] as a subset of their culture, people are not going to think it represents them,” Gupta said. “If they’re a genuine person who has layers and problems, people are going to relate to that more.”

I couldn’t figure out how to fit my own

IDENTITY

into my life when I couldn’t find people who REPRESENTED ME.”

Priya Gupta, junior

CRAZY RICH ASIANS

In 2018, with the release of Crazy Rich Asians, Asian representation in the media took a turn. The hilariously-moving romantic comedy stars Constance Wu as Rachel Chu, a young Chinese-American woman who visits her boyfriend’s wealthy family in Singapore for the first time.

SQUID GAME

456 indebted people are taken from society to compete compete with each other in various lifethreatening situations to win a large sum of money. the increasing rise of Korean media in the United States.

NEVER HAVE I EVER

2018 2020

“Never Have I Ever” follows 15-year-old Devi Vishwakumar as she navigates the social landscape of high school, which heavily features South Asian culture and characters.

2021

CULTURE • 25

CMAG’S favorite

K -pop songs REPLAY SHINEE

CELEBRITY IU

PSYCHO RED VELVET

MOVE TAEMIN

26 • cmagazine.org

“

ROLES

The more that aren’t specifically defined...

Gupta believes that the show “Never Have I Ever” is an example of a realistic and relatable portrayal of a South Asian teenager. “[Devi (the main character) has] to deal with problems that you also have to deal with, like the divide between your culture, or your family’s culture and the culture you live in,” Gupta said. “That is more meaningful to me because I also have to deal with that.”

An improvement in representation allows for more multifaceted roles that go beyond the common stereotypes found in past movies and shows. “The roles for these [Asian actors] have increased and expanded as well,” Park said. “Before, there were more martial artist actors, but now there are more lead roles.”

Roles that don’t limit a race to stereotypical archetypes are crucial to creating a culture of accurate representation.

Junior Ajin Jeong appreciates the movie “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” which features Vietnamese-American actress Lana Condor in the lead role.

However the movie doesn’t overly focus on the character’s culture and heritage to the point that it becomes her entire character and personality. “[The movie] does touch on it, but it’s not a main part of the story,” Jeong said.

Recently, media produced in Asian countries, especially South Korea, has begun to gain traction in the United States. South Korean produced television shows and pop music, known as K-dramas and K-pop respectively, have rapidly risen in popularity.

Squid Game, a K-drama focusing on desperate indebted people competing in lethal childhood games to win money, is now the most-watched Netflix show of all time.

Although these shows are not new, it’s significant that they are now being recognized.

“K-dramas and K-pop have always been good,” Gupta

said. “I’m glad people are not being discriminatory or xenophobic towards [Korean media] because you shouldn’t just count something off just because of where it’s from.”

While the representation of Asian figures throughout the media is rising, there is still much improvement to be made. Society’s progress must continually be built upon in order to obtain accurate Asian representation. “The more roles that aren’t specifically defined...the better it is,” Park said. “That way, no one is stereotyped by race.”

Accurate representation isn’t achieved solely by eliminating specifically defined roles; it is also critical that characters’ attributes go beyond their ethnic backgrounds.

“Well done representation talks about a person not only based on the lens of their culture but based on the lens of them as a multifaceted person,” Gupta said. “[By showing] a genuine person who has layers and problems and has to solve those problems and has difficulties, people will relate to that more with the aspect of culture than without it.”

Although there have been vast improvements in Asian representation, Hollywood must continue to build upon its actions and raise awareness in order to ultimately break the stereotype barrier rather than stop at small improvements.

“We get really excited about fixing stereotypes, but when we do, we consider the problem [solved],” Park said.

“For racial stereotypes, there must be an ongoing conversation in which our society needs to discuss how to continue fixing the representation problem.”

... the better it is.

That way, no one is

STEREOTYPED

BY RACE.

”

Mimi Park, humanities teacher

CMAG’S top 5 -DRAMAS

K

1.

SQUID GAME

456 desperate indebted people are handpicked from South Korean society to play in a set of lethal childhood games.

Each player must compete through various life-threatening situations in order to win a large sum of money.

CRASH LANDING ON YOU

When a successful South Korean businesswoman accidentally lands in North Korea, she and a high-soldier must work together to ensure that the business woman survives the detection of North Korean society, while the two characters rapidly fall in love.

3.

START UP

A college dropout struggles with dreams of starting her own business. Throughout the process, she finds true love and discovers the meaning of family.

VINCENZO

When a South-Korean-born, Italian-Mafia-raised lawyer comes to Seoul for business, he becomes entangled in the high-profile case of an evil conglomerate group.

5.

2.

4.

IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY A mental health worker and a famous author battle through their own emotional wounds together in order to fall in love.

CULTURE • 27

Listen to our podcast to hear the full stories!

T A H

S E

O D

“Home is where I can be my real self and do what I really want to do.

It doesn’t necessarily need to be your actual house - if you have some sort of community that’s your real passion and you feel like the people around you are interested in the same things that you are, then you can be yourself and feel at home.”

Andy Ng, 12

W

“Home is where I am at my peak comfort level [...] I sing in the shower.”

Sebastian Chancellor, 12

“Home is more than a food or a place because you can find [those things] anywhere.

[Home] is where the people I love and trust are.”

Arundhati Parikh, 12 28 • cmagazine.org

HO

Text and design by EUNICE CHO and ELLA ROSENBLUM • Art by PALINA KUZMINA

ME

“Home” is a broad concept with specific meanings to individual people. What does home mean to you?

ME

AN

?

“Home [and the LGBTQ community] is a safe space for me. I’ve always had a hard time socializing with big groups of people, but whenever I’m with people who are in the same community, I feel really accepted and at home.”

Ryan Dyer, 9

“All of the groups I’m part of have a community where I feel like I can have fun and be myself.”

Maia Johnsson, 12

CULTURE • 29

Featured Artists: Teacher Edition A deep dive into Paly teachers’ creative outlets

M

ost students associate their teachers solely with the classes they teach and don’t think of the activities they do and numerous talents they have. At Paly, many teachers have special and impressive hobbies outside of teaching that are a significant part of their life such as cooking, refurbishing items, ceramics, painting and drawing and crafting surfboards.

Steven Ferrera: For ceramics and sculpture teacher Steven Ferrera, art is more than just a creative outlet. He has been an artist his entire life and decided to pursue the art of sculpting in college, earning his bachelor’s degree from University of California, Santa Cruz and his master’s degree from San Jose State University. Before teaching at Paly, Ferrera worked in an animation studio and ran a glass blowing studio.

Through woodworking with his dad, Fererra had his first defining introduction to art. “My dad had a really big garage woodshop,” Ferrera said. “It started out as my granddad’s....that’s where I hung out when I was a kid.”

He would go out into the woodshop to spend time with his grandfather who was often already there to escape the stress of his everyday life.

“That was his little sanctuary, and I would go hang out with him and watch him build birdhouses,” Ferrera said.

Ferrrera culminated an enjoyment of working with different tools and being able to watch his grandfather precisely create works out of wood.

“I liked the tools, opening cabinets and seeing all sorts of random tools,” Ferrera said. “They fascinated me. I wanted to know what they did.”

Ferrera’s first experience with creating wood sculptures was through birdhouses and paddle boats.

“I just liked making stuff,” Ferrera said. “I used to make paddle boats and go around the neighborhood and sell them to people even though there were no rivers or lakes around my town.”

As a young child, his parents would sign him up for summer art classes. Throughout college, Ferrera became increasingly interested in fire, glass, metal casting and foraging. His love for that type of art has continued to the present day. Ferrera has recently been crafting bronze sculptures. In the future, he would like to explore making sculptures out of concrete.

Photo of The Conduit Series by Steven Ferrera

30 • cmagazine.org

Text and design by KAILA CHUN, MCKENNA RAUSCH and CASEY WALTERS

A piece that really speaks to Ferrera that spire young artists in his classes. he has made lately is a bronze sculpture “Art—it’s part science, part magic and a painted with retro glitter flake auto paint. little mystery involved,” Ferrera said.

“What makes a piece special is if the proportions are correct, if [the art has] personality and the colors work well,” Fer- Eric Bloom: rera said.

Social sciences teacher, Eric Bloom is One of his sculptures, from his series most often seen lecturing about various named Conduits, is Ferrera’s take on how historical time periods, social justice and many Mesoamerieconomics. But what can cultures believe don’t get to see “Art—it’s part science, part many that animals with is his creative side magic and a little mystery which he explores by antlers are sacred.

“The horns are involved.” cooking food from like a conduit to the different cultures Steven Ferrera, ceramics and upcycling clothgods so they can communicate with and sculpure teacher ing and furniture. the gods,” FerreBloom has been ra said. “I like that cooking for as long whole idea of creatures being conduits.” as he can remember, but has recently foFerrera used to do much more abstract cused on perfecting his new interest in creart, but he finds that now almost all of his ating different styles of the Spanish dish, work is more representational. He believes paella. that when you’re first learning a process, it “Cooking for me is one way I use my aris more about understanding the process, tistic side, with paella specifically, because so abstract is the best way to grasp the con- I feel as if it’s this new challenge,” Bloom cepts. said.

Ferrera enjoys experimenting with new Bloom’s passion for history leads him to mediums of art, and the opportunity to in- discover eccentric and rich cultures in his-

Photo of Flying Flower by Steven Ferrera

Photo courtesy of Eric Bloom; Bloom’s Paella creation tory and try a variety of new recipes, having learned the culture behind them.

“Paella can only be made with a certain type of pan, and it includes all of these traditions for each type of paella that is made,” Bloom said. “Those little changes between the types of paella interest me because I enjoy finding the meaning and history behind simple things.”

Not only does Bloom cook food from all around the world, he also has a passion for upcycling old items and he has upcycled clothing through Sashiko, a traditional Japanese embroidery.

“Sashiko is where you take clothing you would usually throw away and turn it back into something usable and wearable again,” Bloom said. “I really do more of what’s called boro, which is kind of a junky version of it.”

While the history he discovers inspires him to create works of art, Bloom is also inspired by things he sees in his day-today life.

“When I see things I think are cool, I want to learn how to make them…I’m kind of a DIY guy,” Bloom said. “For me, it’s doing something that has value that I don’t have to pay for, that is a really cool

ARTS • 31

Ben Bolanos:

Photo of a surfboard created by Ben Bolanos idea for me.”

Another way that Bloom both saved money from and renewed an old and unusable item, was through a set of chairs he found on the side of the road. Bloom noticed the chairs were destroyed and unusable in their current conditions, so he decided to take them home and re-weave them.

“I ended up [weaving] four chairs, and although it wasn’t necessarily hard, I still [fixed] them all out of pieces that were go-

32 • cmagazine.org

ing to be thrown out,” Bloom said.

Bloom anticipates furthering his creative ways to fix antique items around his house, developing his cooking talents, and even beginning new creative hobbies.

“One thing I have been thinking about starting is painting and drawing,” Bloom said. “I’m hesitant to do it because I know that I’m not very good at it, but I remind myself that I also didn’t know how to make paella before practicing.”

Though most well known at Paly for being a sociology teacher, Ben Bolanos is also a skilled surfboard crafter. His hobby started as a necessity, and later turned into a side job he could do in his freetime.

While Bolanos did not start handcrafting surfboards until recently, he grew up surrounded by art.

“I wasn’t into handcraft arts, but I was always drawing and sketching as a kid. My mom was an artist, so she taught me all sorts of stuff; pottery, oil paintings, sketching,” Bolanos said.

Bolanos did not start crafting boards because he thought he would enjoy it, but instead to cut back on expenses.

“Part of it [the reason I started making surfboards] was to save money because boards are really expensive,” Bolanos said.

Bolanos began his journey by watching other people create boards, including YouTube videos of master shapers. He never took classes from experts and does not plan to in the future, but believes the best way to learn is by failing and learning from your mistakes.

“I would never call myself a master.

There’s still mistakes I make, which is one of the best ways to learn,” Bolanos said.

“It’s just trial and error until you get it right.”

Bolanos has broadened his horizon on what he is capable of, and is now making some of the most complex boards. “I want to make a glider,” Bolanos said. “It’s a longboard that’s usually around ten plus [feet] long, or even sometimes 11 feet or 12 feet.”

Bolanos stands out when it comes to the board making business which is dominated by white men.

“Most of the business in shaping is just men. White men. There’s about two shaper women that I know in Santa Cruz, and then there’s me,” Bolanos said. “I’m not even famous, but I don’t know of any other Latino who makes boards in California, which makes it more special to me.”

Bolanos continues to craft and sell boards in his spare time outside of teach-

ing. “It’s just a side job that happened to be a hobby of mine that I enjoy,” Bolanos said. “I’m not in it for the money, I just love the ideas and visions that I’ve made possible.”

Atkinson continued to make art as she grew up and decided to pursue her passion in college.

“I wanted to be an illustrator, but I also thought education was import“It meant a lot that ant,” Atkinson Tracey Atkinson: my [painting of my] said. “I split my Tracey Atkinson, one of time between the art spectrum and painting student was helping making art for and drawing teachers at Paly, someone else. It was a myself and is known for her artistic talent. helping others Many of her students can see little tiny painting but to make art.” her work displayed around I still loved it.”

Though her her classroom but they aren’t days are filled Student, an oil painting by Tracey Atkinson Tracey Atkinson, aware of how long art has with teaching drawing and painting classes and tak- “Sometimes I will see something somebeen a part of her life; she has I will see a color, some lines I think been creating art since she was teacher ing care of her where, will be interesting, or I will be teaching just two years old. own children, something and I’ll just get a creative spark “When I was little, my she tries to fit in from the materials and it goes from there.” mom noticed that I really liked to draw and time to make art whenever she can.

Despite the fact that Atkinson has made make a mess and she encouraged it,” At“I try to make something little every day many pieces of art, her favorite is a small kinson said. ”It just kept going from there.” even if it’s just a drawing,” Atkinson said. painting she made, portraying a student who was meaningful to her.

“It [the piece] was a student that had a rough life and it was a little tiny painting like the size of a postcard,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson showed the impact just one piece of art could have by donating the painting she created to an auction in order to raise money for children who had lost their families in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa.

“It meant a lot that my [painting of my] student was helping someone else. It was a little tiny painting but I still loved it,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson loves art because anyone can do it and appreciate it, no matter their skill level.

“You don’t have to be good at art to enjoy making art, that’s my main takeaway,” Atkinson said. “Everyone needs an outlet to express themselves so sometimes you just make it for yourself, it doesn’t matter who sees it.”

Ten, a digital illustration by Tracey Atkinson

ARTS • 33

In The process behind featured artist Jasmine Kapadia’s contest-winning Her poetry Words C

aptivated by the simple, no-rules writing style of poetry, Paly senior Jasmine Kapadia has been pursuing the literary craft ever since second grade when she was introduced to writing haikus by her teacher.

“I didn’t have to worry about grammar,” Kapadia said.

“I could just write and find my line breaks wherever I wanted to. I could, if I wanted to, write in all lowercase; that was allowed.”

Kapadia draws her inspiration from an array of sources, including visual artwork, music videos and different fashion styles, but perhaps the most influential thing to her work is her own identity. Through poetry, Kapadia has been able to express her

own identity as a mixed Asian-American woman, often finding herself writing words she didn’t even know she was thinking.

“It can be hard to form a solid concept of yourself,” Kapadia said. “For me, writing was a way to give myself a voice and give myself space to work through who I want to be, which parts of which culture I feel most connected to, or maybe if I don’t feel connected to a culture, why.”

Submitting her poems to different contests and magazines has been an incredibly rewarding experience for Kapadia, with her work being featured in an abundance of publications. However, the most meaningful of the awards she has received came not from a writing contest but rather a Good Morning America’s list of AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) inspirations.

[Previously published in Aurora Review] An email sent to Kapadia revealed she had been have u seen my body? u cracked eggs against the sycamore tree nominated by world-reasked me to pick out the shells with my teeth. take the A train at 10pm, nowned activist and Nobus across the bridge bel Peace prize winner + into the river. the water is always ice cold. crazy how we used to get Malala Yousafzai for her lost here, drown in city lights. u chase me down the sidewalk poetry collection about peanut brittle between ur teeth, stoop under the wonton stall the COVID-19 pandemic breaking ur back contorting on the doorstep. here low-life fairytales come titled “tiger balm cures all to fruition, knife worked nine inches in but the smell trails.” The pulled out six. exorcism. midwives delivering red ink + roaches, baby crawling out recognition was incredibly meaningful to Kapadia, of my throat. tear my corpse apart to see it hit the pavement

“Writing was a way to give myself a voice and give myself space to work through who I want to be.”

leftovers

spider carcasses piled at the church door to be dumped into tsap seui + such a long night.

34 • cmagazine.org

rediscovery

[Previously published in The Aurora Journal] lately when i see myself in the mirror i think i can visualize the ghosts of my hip bones jutting out of my skin. or maybe the shadows of my ribcage, dusted with sand. i study the tips of my fingers and imagine biting them off. i want somebody to sketch me, to study the wrinkles that form when i bend my wrist. i want them to draw hundreds of hand studies, all untitled. if they displayed them, would my family recognize me? would my friends? would i? sometimes i pull the bedsheets against my bare back just to feel something so flush against my body, myself within myself within myself all cocooned in white cotton. i swallow to taste the inside of my throat. it is okay to be greedy.

both as a poet and an Asian American.

“I think being an Asian American, or a minority or queer person, just being in this world...there is a burden that comes with that of representing a community,” Kapadia said. “And so I think having someone like Malala [say], ‘I see you, and I see what you’re doing, and you’re making waves.’ That was really exciting for me.”

There are a variety of writing contests and competitions available to teenagers, many of them with easy online entry.

While finding opportunities is simple, Kapadia has found that lack of confidence in their work prevents many teens from entering.

“I think, sometimes, if you’re writing, you’re like well, I’m not good enough,” Kapadia said. “Or I’m not as good as these other people, so maybe I shouldn’t submit.”

As Kapadia jots down her thoughts with pencil and paper, she often uses this time to reflect on her emotions and experiences while trying to navigate her identity. In recent years, she has continued to submit more poetry to competitions.

Kapadia understands that everyone will have their own understanding and takeaways from her poetry. “I want people to take [away] whatever they feel from it because my poems are an outlet for me,” Kapadia said. “Sometimes our emotions lie in a very dormant state, and we don’t really know how to tap into them, and sometimes words can help us do that and help us process.”

Kapadia’s advice to anyone struggling to communicate an oppressive emotion is to use poetry as an outlet. Creativity and expression have helped Kapadia understand the unexplainable.

Poetry gives her the freedom to do as she chooses, and her writing is best when it comes from the heart. Gaining the attention of readers and receiving approval and praise are only added bonuses.

Through the years, Kapadia has navigated how to write without fear of comparison and people disliking her art. While she recognizes that this is difficult for aspiring poets, Kapadia believes the realization that your writing will not always be perfect is extremely important.

“You have to make mistakes and you’re going to have to learn the basics,” Kapadia said. “But if you can get past that and if you can give yourself grace and not judge your own work, your progress will be incredible.”

“I want people to take [away] whatever they feel from it, because my poems are an outlet for me.”

Text and design by EVIE COULSON and NATALIE HMELAR • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

ARTS • 35

G

The C Magazine staff teams up with Madrono staff to try Bob Ross’s ‘Country Charm’ painting

iven C Magazine’s status as an arts and culture publication, we decided to test the artistic talents of our staff! We hosted a painting party with our fellow publication Madrono to follow one of well-known painter Bob Ross’s tutorials. To prepare for the event we purchased delicious snacks, hot chocolate, and of course, painting supplies.

Ross uses a lot of expensive supplies in his work, including oil paints, large canvases, expensive brushes and paint thinner.

Since we were working a budget, we decided to sacrifice the authentic Bob Ross materials and test out how well cheaper materials would work.

Following a Bob Ross tutorial turned out to be much more stressful than participants expected. “He clearly has so much experience under his belt, he takes a lot of shortcuts, but you don’t exactly know what they are,” junior and C Mag Art Director Kellyn Scheel said. “He just moves super fast, and then you are all confused and stressed.” Despite this, everyone left the event with a smile on their face.

For many C Mag and Madrono staff members, their paintings ended up looking nothing like Ross’s idyllic country scene.

However, Ross, who died in 1995, preached how his paintings could be used to spark individuals’ creativity no matter their artistic qualifications.

“You can do anything here—the only prerequisite is that it makes you happy,” Ross said.

If you want to recreate a Bob Ross painting yourself, there are things you can do to make sure you have the best experience possible. First, it is important to set aside a large block of time. We watched a 27 minute video but participants spent roughly two hours working on their paintings. Still, many felt rushed or did not finish their paintings. Another consideration is that much less paint will be used than you may originally think. However, having plenty of clean and dry brushes is very important. Lastly, make sure to have fun! Invite friends, family or whoever you would like to paint with.

“I’m not that great at painting but with the time crunch and the company of other people it made it more enjoyable,” senior and C Mag Creative Director Brooke Glasson said.

Music, good company and art will create a great bonding experience—one we invite you to try!

36 • cmagazine.org

Check out our video at cmagazine.org!

“This really rekindled my love for painting...from now on I will definitely try to paint more and create more art.”

Ashley Qiu, 12 To get this look, try using oil pastels

“I would rather just paint on my own and just kind of chill and relax instead of being yelled at by a screen.”

Julia Ragno, 12 For this look try using mid-qaulity acrylic paints and a paint scraper for the shack

This Painting was crafted with low-qaulity acrylic paints and a plastic butter Knife

“Painting with other people is always more fun.”

Kellyn Kellyn Scheel, Scheel, 11 11 Text by SAMANTHA LEE • Photos and design by BROOKE GLASSON, SAMANTHA LEE and KYLIE TZENG

ARTS • 37

From the

SHADOWS

Behindthecurtains,stage techniciansruntheshow

Junior and Stage Manager Katel Fong views her script as she performs a com check, making sure the other stage technicians are able to hear her directions.

I

t is 7:30 p.m. on a Friday. As the last stragglers arrive, a chime Stage Tech is an eighth period class, meaning the class takes place echoes through the theater, encouraging the audience mem- after school has ended. Despite this deviation from the other electives bers to take their seats. The lights go dark. An eerie silence Paly offers, Stage Tech fulfills CTE credit. fills the room as an actor tiptoes onto stage.

“When you look at the CTE standards, Stage Tech has performing Suddenly, a crisp beam of light arts because you have to be able to slices through the theater and ilinterpret scripts and narrative,” Paly’s luminates the actor. Behind the theater teacher, Sara Thermond, source of light sits a mysterious said. “It has visual arts, because so figure cloaked in all black, fomany of the design areas are visual. cused intently on keeping up with And it has what CTE calls production the actor moving across the stage management, which is the organizato ensure that they remain illumition of people to make a live event nated at all times. happen. So it covers a lot of different This cloaked figure is joined interests.” by more as they adjust lighting Since Stage Tech is able to sustain and sound and move backdrops many people’s interests, it continues across the stage, to attract new students to the elective. wowing During these classes, students gain a the auprofessional-level knowledge of workSaraThermond,StageTechInstructor dience. ing behind the scenes in theater.

With“It’s a lot of experience,” freshin each of Palo Alto High School’s man Rocco Ferrante said. “I feel like it is a lot more valuable, rather dazzling theater productions, there than just doing [in-class] worksheets [for other classes]. You’re getting is a talented group of students hid- the experience of doing the job, and getting help from people that ing behind the scenes. have done the job.”

f

Therewasalotofdesigning thathappenswhenyoudre doinga full on production on a stage..thatyoucandt reallyndtheequivalentof [whendoingaproductionover zoom].g

Text, photos and design by WENDY LI, CAITLYN ODA and MATHEW SIGNORELLO-KATZ • Art by CARRIE LOHSE

38 • cmagazine.org

The productions are almost entirely run by the students; Thermond takes a back seat as the students practice leadership and other skills needed in the theatre industry.

With the help of two student leads for each department, students divide the work between teams in the beginning of the year.

The roles assigned range from sound, lighting, hair and makeup, costumes, props, set design, stage management and backstage scenery moving assistant.

“I offer artistic guidance… but a lot of it just comes from [the students] working together to get things done,” Thermond said. “The older students letting the younger students know where things are, and then bringing in those adult experts to offer another opinion as well.”

As older students help the incoming one, the class slowly integrates into a community.

“I hope that I can help people who are new to Paly Theatre feel welcomed into our community, regardless of prior experience or connections,” Stage Manager Katel Fong said. “I don’t want our group to feel exclusive.”

As the stage manager, Fong connects the on-stage actors to the behind-the-stage technicians. Her responsibilities include establishing solid communication between the director and the tech elements.

“With all of the other people working tech, the [stage manager] is calling standby for every set change, every [object] flying in and out of the stage, every sound cue, every light cue,” Thermond said. “Think of them as the conductor of an orchestra.” Fong’s duties as a stage manager include creating live cues for the various technical departments, such as the sound operator and light board operator.

“I personally do it because I genuinely find it fun—I like having a very involved role in the show, and I also like organization and communication,” Fong said.

Fong began participating in Stage Tech her freshman

year, and during her junior year she eventually was offered the position as the stage manager. Being a stage manager comes with more responsibilities, reflected in the years of experience required to obtain the position.

In general, being a stage technician is not devoid of challenges. For example, due to the hectic schedules of tech week and rehearsals, technicians stay at school until 9 or 10 p.m. During tech week, rehearsals last all day; actors should have lines memorized so that technicians can run the rehearsals smoothly.

“It’s easy for the amount of tasks and the heavy time commitment to become overwhelming,” Fong said.

Another obstacle faced by those in Stage Tech was that the pandemic affected the ability to collaborate with each other. Over the course of the pandemic, Thermond was presented with a challenge when putting together productions for Paly theater over zoom.

“There was a lot of designing that happens when you’re doing a full on production on a stage... that you can’t really find the equivalent of [when doing a production over zoom],” Thermond said.

For the stage technicians, the task of managing lighting and building backdrops had to be improvised. The pandemic hindered many of these valuable experiences as people were confined to their homes.

“There’s only so much you can do about the lighting

Sophomore Rae Sox-Harris applies makeup on senior Talia Sabbag for the show “Illusion.”

ARTS • 39

f

Iwishothersunderstood theamountofpassion,time anddedicationthatgoesinto stagetech.

I want . people to respect the effort of stage technicians thesameway wedosportsplayers.g KatelFong,junior

in a person’s room in their house,” Thermond said. “And we had to come up with some workabouts for sound.”

To bring back the interactivity during the months spent online, Thermond set up Zoom lectures to help educate theater staff on design and building sets. Guest speakers from professional theater backgrounds were brought in to discuss their work and offer their expertise to students.

“We had miniature lectures prepared on all of the major areas of design and the jobs contained within,” Thermond said.

As theater students returned to in-person school in the spring, they were thrilled to begin producing shows again. One of these elaborate productions, “Illusion,” took place in the beginning of November 2021 and covered the story of a prophesying magician in a 17th century setting.

“The characters are entertaining and often relatable and beneath the laughter, the story hints at a few serious undertones,” Fong said.

The show was put on with minimal problems due to weeks of preparation refining the performance. The process of crafting a show starts 10-12 weeks before opening night, when technical roles are distributed and characters are assigned. The many hours spent together help strengthen the theater community around their central goal and create a unique environment for creative individuals.

“It’s an interesting intersection of people who enjoy the performing arts and who also enjoy visual and audio production,” Thermond said. “It lets them merge that in a collaborative setting.”

Overall, the gratifying feeling of completing a production is

unrivaled and as a stage manager, Fong enjoys the process of a production coming together.

“I enjoy the satisfaction of working really hard on something and having it pay off in the end,” Fong said.

However, many students involved in the theater program notice that the Paly community often takes theater at face value, only noticing the performances and forgetting that someone had to create a foundation for the talented actors to utilize.

“I feel as though we are held to a lower standard because we are considered an arts department, as opposed to STEM or sports,” Fong said.

Their talents are often unappreciated due to the lack of awareness surrounding the importance of their responsibilities in building the performance. Just in our Paly community, many may be unaware of what the roles of stage technicians are.

“I think that they are an integral part of theatre production and a lot of the time they are overlooked,” junior Grace Li said.

“Most of the time the media covers the actors and the directors, but not any of the stage hands, set designers.”

Stage Tech is often seen as a lesser elective, which many technicians say undermines the efforts that they put into their craft.

Although they work in the shadows, many people say their talents should be appreciated for what they contribute to the production.

“I wish others understood the amount of passion, time and dedication that goes into stage tech,” Fong said. “I want people to respect the effort of stage technicians the same way we do sports players.”

Senior and technical director Phoebe Berghout and junior Noah Boyarsky prepare costumes for the performers.

Freshman Rocco Ferrante adjusts the lights for the stage in the tech booth.

40 • cmagazine.org

Text and design by KAILA CHUN and EUNCHAE HONG • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

Shuffling Through the Ages

From old to new: the evolution of listening to music

MUSIC • 41

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n a typical morning, junior Alex Yan hastily grabs his phone from his desk as he rushes out of his house to make it to school on time. He shoves his AirPods into his ears at a CD colas he opens Spotify and shuffles his favorite album, lection and [said] which begins playing in a matter of seconds. He ‘Who’s your favorite? Who hops onto his bike and rushes to school. are you going to get today? Who can Whether listening to music on a phone, com- we swap with?’ so that’s [the] culture puter, through the radio or with vinyl, music makes that I wish would come back.” its way into everyone’s lives, including Paly history Besides the act of listening teacher Eric Bloom’s. Bloom believes that music is to music, in the past, music was something that helps him get through the day. an activity that brought people “[Music] just helps my blood go in the morn- together. Because there wasn’t ing,” Bloom said. “I’m working at my computer immediate free access to millions and just bouncing around a little bit. I like what of songs, high schoolers went to the music does for me.” great lengths to find the music Like many other people, Bloom used iTunes, they wanted.

CDs and records to listen to music before stream“When you’re in high school, the ing services existed. Even though some may con- cool thing to do [was] go rip all the musider this to be more of a hassle, Bloom recognizes sic off the internet,” Santini said. “Then the quality of listening to music in older ways. you [would] burn your CD, and you [would] make “I like the idea of the physicalness of turntables playlists for your friends.” and LPs,” Bloom said. “It’s a needle on ridges proJunior Dora Pang believes that the advantages ducing sound; it’s kind of cool.” of listening to music in older ways still hold true Instead of scrolling on a phone screen, hav- today. “There’s a difference in sound quality being something to grasp and physically hold onto tween the stuff on your phone and your vinyl,” adds to the expePang said. rience of picking Despite shiftout what music ing to streaming “I like the idea of the physicalness to listen to with services with a of turntables and LPs. It’s a needle broader variety friends. Each individual’s music of music at everyon ridges producing sound, it’s collection was one’s fingertips, kind of cool.” meticulously developing a discrafted because Eric Bloom tinct music taste music was so exis still a journey. social sciences teacher Although some pensive, so there was considerable of the physical choice involved. aspects may be Therefore, music collections were frequently full removed, music taste can still be tied to memories of gems of personality and memories. and relationships. Freshman Abbie Karel loves lis“When you have your records or your CDs, tening to music and credits her parents you’re physically going through things, and then for the formation of her music taste. you’re like, ‘oh, yeah, I remember this,’” Bloom “When I was growing up, my said. “We have friends that have 1000s of records, dad used to play a lot of music, and so it’s interesting when you go there like, oh, or my mom would always lisyeah, this and this and this, and then it’s just like, ten to 80s music,” Karel said. oh, I never played this one. This is the collectible “That’s why I like [music] a edition or whatever.” lot.”

Not only did older music formats offer exciteEven though much of the ment and conversation when choosing what to music she listens to comes play, the experience of finding new music was more from these external influcollaborative. “It was a planned activity,” elemen- ences like family and friends, tary school music teacher and Paly cheer coach social media still plays a big Lea Santini said. “I was on the cusp of cassette/ role in her music taste. “A bunch CDs, and we went to [stores] and everyone looked of songs I like now I discovered on

42 • cmagazine.org

social media,” Karel said. “I just recently discovered [a band] beWith the rise of listening to music cause of something on Tik Tok, but now I listen to all their songs.” through modern technology, many Similar to Karel, junior Damian Perez also believes that the ad- music fans agree that society has come vancements in technology have contributed to his music taste. “I to value our music less in recent years. think if it wasn’t for me having the internet on my side, I would not Some music fans feel that they do not have listened to as much music as I do now,” Perez said. really experience the music anymore, instead, Perez also credits social media for the rise of music not typically they are just listening to it. seen in mainstream media. “I think social media has affected peo“I find I’m guilty of not even knowing what the ple’s tastes, especially more pop-type stuff,” Perez said. “I’ve also covers even look like anymore,” Santini said. “[I] just play the song noticed that J-pop or K-pop has become more of a mainstream because I like it, but I think you do miss the artwork, like what type thing recently and I primarily would put that towards Tik Tok they’re putting into the album.” or Instagram to make it more popular nowadays.”

Likewise, Bloom also believes that the concept of an album has Along with the rise of finding music through social media, now- completely changed. “The album is a collection of songs put toadays, the use of streaming services gether on purpose,” Bloom said. “Evhas also risen because of their endless erything on [the album] is there for a features and easy use. One of the most “I find I’m guilty of not even reason. It’s not just like, oh, let’s just popular streaming services amongst knowing what the covers even throw these six songs together.” all age groups is Spotify. One thing He believes that because we’ve Spotify is most popular for is its pre- look like anymore.” changed the way we listen to albums, made playlists and new music discovlose the effect that the artist inLea Santini they ery capabilities. tended the album to have. “On an LP, music teacher you technically could jump around, “I feel like sometimes [the premade playlists] are helpful if you are trying but it’s just really hard, so the idea of to get into a genre,” Pang said. “For example, I wanted to start listening to something from beginning to end in the way that it was listening to folk music and I think the playlist genres from Spotify put together has some value,” Bloom said. actually have a lot of good basic recommendations.”

Even students can recognize the loss of value that happens from Perez is also a big Spotify user and loves how easy it is to use only listening to music on streaming services. “[Using streaming on different devices. “There’s just so much more versatility,” Perez services] somehow made us appreciate music less,” Karel said. said. “You could have Spotify on your computer and phone and Though there are countless ways to enjoy and listen to music, also [on] your Xbox.” each way brings a unique experience for the listener. While favorite Streaming services, like Spotify, are also liked by music lovers listening methods might change, music still has the power to bring who grew up listening to music in older ways. Bloom is one of people together. “Listening to music is also a community thing many users who take advantage of all the features that they of- rather than just a personal taste thing,” Pang said. “People talk fer. about music, people go to concerts together, that kind of stuff, it’s “They put together these daily mixes for me, and release radar a bigger thing.” so that I will occasionally listen to music that I never would listen to because it’s just what’s being released this week,” Bloom said.

Even though the rise of listening to music in new ways has exceeded the popularity of listening in old ways, some teens have shown interest in listening to music through CDs, cassettes and vinyl.

“I think the reason why I listen to vinyl is because there’s some tracks that, for some reason, they’re not on streaming services or anything like that,” Perez said. “That’s the reason why [I] mostly like vinyl, but also having that older, more mechanical feel to it.”

Similarly, Karel also thinks that using old ways of listening to music gives an entirely different experience compared to modern streaming services. “[Using a record player] just makes [listening to music] more special,” Karel said.

However, some modern music listeners think that streaming services are much more straightforward, and have never given a second thought to experiencing music in older ways.

“There’s no point in using a record player unless you want to be quirky and aesthetic,” junior Alex Yan said. “I understand, record players look super dope, and they’re retro, but I’m just a practical person.”

MUSIC • 43

FreeBritney Internationally renowned pop star Britney Spears’ journey to freedom

B

ritney Spears has had enough. On June 23, Spears addressed the L.A. Court, asking to end her conservatorship. “All I want is to own my money, for this to end and for my boyfriend to drive me in his car,” Spears said. “This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good. I deserve to have a life. [...] I’m tired of feeling alone. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does by having a child, a family, any of those things, and more.”

Following her hospitalization for a public breakdown in Feb. 2008, Spears was placed in a conservatorship under her father, Jamie Spears. The legal arrangement gave Jamie Spears the right to control Britney’s personal affairs, career and finances.

A year later, in 2009, the fan-led #FreeBritney movement was born. Supporters began to speculate that Spears was forced to perform in front of millions of fans yet was unable to make her own medical and financial decisions.

Public outrage at Britney’s lack of agency over her own life fueled millions of followers to lend their support via protests and social media. In addition, participants in the movement offered public statements

44 • cmagazine.org

of support and applied pressure to the judi- for her elderly mother. She went to court, cial system to take a closer look at Spears’s and she was declared to be the conservator conservatorship. of her mother’s affairs,” Justice Kim said.

“There are a bunch of different types “The court found that the mom could not of conservatorships, different jurisdictions take care of herself and make decisions for meaning different herself. I’ve talked governments hanto her about it, and dle [conservator- “It was fun and emotional I know she thought ships in] different that [a conservatorways,” Associate because we all felt like ship] was the best Justice to the Los Britney can finally live option.”

Angeles CaliDespite the legal her life without someone rationale fornia Court of for conserAppeal, Dorothy controlling everything she vatorship, many fans Kim said. “There does.” have voiced their are voluntary concern for Britney, conservatorships like Paly graduate and involuntary Shannon Scheel. “I conservatorships. think when people In Britney’s case, become famous at her conservatorship was voluntary.” This such a young age, there’s such a discrepanmeans that Spears initially agreed to be cy between how their lives change and how conserved. much control they have over them,” Scheel Conservatorships can sometimes be said. “Mental health 25 years ago was not beneficial, such as in cases of elderly or in the forefront in the same way as it is tosick people who may have difficulty making day, especially with women.” their own decisions.

“Conservatorships are usually reserved “A friend of mine did a conservatorship for people who are unable to take care of

Isabelle Jacobi, 11

themselves and their finances such as people with severe mental disabilities, Britney was not someone who fell into any of these categories which made it confusing as to why she was forced to enter a conservatorship,” Jacobi said.

How does this 13-year journey conclude? As of November 12, L.A. County Judge Brenda Penny ruled to discontinue Spears’s conservatorship that had been in place for almost 14 years.

The ruling has an effect onis is

very exciting to Spears herself, who can begin to make her own decisions, living a life full of freedom, but also to the many fans who played an essential role by bringing the #FreeBritney movement to social media and sparking the nation’s outrage on its importance.

“I ended up celebrating with some of my girlfriends after we heard the news,” junior and Britney fan Isabelle Jacobi said. “It was fun and emotional be-

cause we all felt like Britney can finally live her life without someone controlling everything she does.”

Senior Giada Parigi observed how the news unified her entire class when the ruling came out. “I was so happy when I found out the news,” Parigi said.. “I was in class actually… [I] announced ‘Guys, Britney is free’ and everyone started clapping.”

“I’m tired of feeling alone.

I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does by having a child, a family, any of those things and more.”

Britney Spears

?

So...what the HECK is a

conservatorship

Before Britney, most of us had probably never heard the term. As defined by the California Courts, “A conservatorship is a court case where a judge appoints a responsible person or organization (called the “conservator”) to care for another adult (called the “conservatee”) who cannot care for himself or herself or manage his or her finances.”

Text by ANNA MARKESKY and WILLOW STEELE Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

MUSIC • 45

2120212021202120212021 202120 202120 White Dress

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Wrap

C Magazine’s top picks from 2021

Lana Del Ray

“In general, I really enjoy Lana Del Rey’s music. But this song really struck me as unique when it came out earlier this year because she uses a very soft tone when she sings, which is kind of different from some of her other songs. All together, this style is still the style that I’m used to hearing when I listened to her music. So it was really nice, in a sense that it offered a very powerful story while at the same time staying true to who she is as a singer and her music style.”

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Jasmine Tabrizi, junior

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Mckenna Rausch, junior

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“Everyone, like everyone, knew the lyrics because it was a huge Tik Tok song and then also my basketball team always warmed up to it. So anytime it came on the radio or anything, it was just really funny because we would always warm up to it and it gets us really excited to play.

It makes me really excited to beat the other team and that gives me energy, and even if I'm down that day, that song just lifts my mood up so I'm excited for the game.”

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Dua Lipa (feat. DaBaby)

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Levitating

All Too Well (10 Minute Version)(Taylor’s Version) Taylor Swift

“I listened to a lot of Taylor Swift growing up. so it’s very nostalgic to listen to her re-recorded albums and hear how her voice has matured and this song is obviously super long so it’s perfect for going on drives and just screaming out the lyrics in the car.”

2 1 2 1202120 0 0 2 1 2 2 0 1 2 1 2 2 2 0 1 2 0 2 21202120212021 Emma Turnbull, senior

Text and design by RACHEL ELLISEN and ISAAC HILLESLAND Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

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VOLUME 10 ISSUE 2