C Magazine Vol. 2 Edition 7

C

TheCampanileA&EMagazine

NEW PATHWAYS AT PALY 10

FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, Welcome to the sixth edition of The C Magazine! We are ecstatic about this edition and we are very thankful for you, our readers. In this edition, readers will get the opportunity to peek at the new Paly social justice and sport programs that will give students the chance to immerse themselves in either the sports or social justice world during their high school education in “New Pathways at Paly.” Readers will also be able to take a moment to remember a wonderful 50 years of the iconic Beatles who are celebrating their 50th anniversary. Are you on the look out for some healthy snack ideas? No worries! We’ve got you. Check out “Not so Naughty” to get some healthy snack ideas that will satisfy all your cravings. Looking for concerts to attend? Take a look at “Upcoming Concerts” to see what shows are coming up and when. It is always important to give back, so learn more about stores that give back and donate most of their profits to charities in order to create a better world in “Stores that Give Back.”

As always, we would like to thank our fantastic advisor, Esther Wojcicki, who has continued to support The C Magazine. We would also like to thank our amazing staff for putting together this edition of The C Magazine and we would like to welcome four new writers to The C Magazine, Clara de Martel, Maya Benatar, Frida Schaefer-Bastian and Shiri Arnon. And last but not least, we would like to thank you, our readers, for supporting and reading The C Magazine, it means everything to us! We hope you enjoy this edition of The C Magazine. Stay classy Paly!

-Caroline Moley, Sophia Moss and Samantha Newell Editors-in-Chief

STAFF LIST

Caroline Moley Sophia Moss Samantha Newell

CREATIVE DIRECTORS Riya Varma Nikki Freyermuth

TEXT EDITOR Pauline Na

PHOTO EDITOR Bella Graves

AD MANAGERS

Carmelle Bareket-Shavit Kallee Bareket-Shavit

STAFF WRITERS

Maggie Zheng Emma Low Olivia Vort Talia Brown Clara de Martel Frida Schaefer-Bastian Maya Benatar Shiri Arnon

ADVISOR

Esther Wojcicki

Palo Alto High School 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto High School, CA 94303

FEBRUARY 2014

CONTENTS

20 16

06

COVER STORY

NEW SOCIAL JUSTICE PATHWAYS AT PALY

10

Learn more about the social justice and sport programs that will be coming to Paly.

CULTURE

GAP YEAR EXPERIENCES REVEALED

16

Did you know you don’t just have to go straight to college? Check out Gap Year Experiences Revealed.

22

Upcoming Concerts 06 Looking to attend some conBeatles 50th certs? We’ve got you. Check Anniversary 04 It has out some of the upcoming been 50 years since one of shows. the most iconic bands ever Santouka Ramen 07 Are started! Take a look back at craving great Japanese food? all The Beatles have done.

Take a look at C Mag’s review of Santouka Ramen.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Not So Naughty 08 Are you looking to be healthy but not sure what to eat?

We’ve got some ideas.

AoM: Sarah Bramlett 22 This Paly Senior truly has artistic talent! Learn more about the world of Sarah Bramlett.

Stores that Give Back 20 Did you know that your purchase could actually help someone? Well, at some stores it can!

03

The C Magazine

50 THE

BEATLES

Text by Clara de Martel Design by Riya Varma Photos by Creative Commons

Fun Facts • •

• • •

• • •

04

None of The Beatles could read music.

The BBC banned “I Am The Walrus” due to the lyrics “pornographic priestesses” and “let your knickers down.”

There is a heated international debate over whether the “the” in The Beatles should be capitalized.

Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey.

The tune for the song “Yesterday” came to Paul McCartney in a dream and was originally going to be called “Scrambled Eggs.”

The vultures in the Disney movie, “The Jungle Book” are modeled after The Beatles.

Paul McCartney was an outspoken advocate for the legalization of marijuana.

The Beatles wrote and recorded a total of 213 songs.

ENTERTAINMENT

50 years ago on February 9th, 1964, The Beatles performed “All My Lovin’” for the first time in America. More than 73 million Americans watched the Ed Sullivan Show that night as the fab four—Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison—invaded the U.S. with their timeless music. 50 years later, people from around the world are still celebrating The Beatles. CBS dedicated a time slot on February 9th, 2014 to “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles.” It featured a concert including performances from stars such as Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran and others.

The show wasn’t complete without the reuniting of the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as they performed McCartney’s new single “Queenie Eye.”

The Lesser-Known Beatles Songs: 1. “Soldier of Love” (Live at the BBC) 2. “Martha My Dear” (The White Album) 3. “For No One” (Revolver) 4. “Honey Pie” (The White Album) 5. “Good Day, Sunshine” (Revolver) 6. “Hey Bulldog” (Yellow Submarine)

‘57 ‘58 ‘59 ‘60 ‘61 ‘62 ‘64 ‘70 ‘80 ‘01

“

Stu Sutcliffe fills the position of bass guitarist.

Pete Best becomes the band drummer and they change the band name to The Beatles.

Stu SutMarch Jan. 10 The group cliffe quits Epstein gets “I Want to officially the band. the band Hold Your dissolves. a record Hand” The contract. sells more Beatles than 1 milsign Brian August lion units Epstein as John, Paul, and is No. manager. and George 1 on the fire Pete Billboard and hire charts.

Ringo Starr.

Well, I wasn’t in America but I do remember them being there and seeing them on the tv and hearing all the screaming. You couldn’t turn the TV on without them being on. Their music made people happy because you could dance to it and it was so different from anything else on the radio.

“

- Barbara Crabb (Grandparent of a Paly student)

“

Nov. 26 The Beatles release their first No. 1 single “Please Please Me.”

Feb. 9 The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show and Beatlemania sweeps the nation.

“

Dec. 8 John Lennon is shot by a deranged fan and dies.

Nov. 9 George Harrison dies of throat cancer.

Feb. 3 The Beatles are No.1 on the billboard album charts for the 132nd time.

The Beatles were among the most innovative and creative music ensembles in the history of popular music.

- Jonathan Berger, Chair of Stanford University’s Music Department

“

George Harrison joins the band.

“

As teenagers, Paul McCartney joins John Lennon’s band, Quarry Men.

I remember watching them on the Ed Sullivan Show. I thought their music was fresh and innovative, and that they were kind of cute.

- Carol Swenson (Grandparent of a Paly student)

ENTERTAINMENT

05

Upcoming Concerts Text & Design by Nikki Freyermuth

Mar 5, 2014

G-Eazy

Apr 17, 2014

Queens of the Stone Age

The Fillmore–San Francisco

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium–San Francisco

Mar 7, 2014

Apr 17, 2014

Datsik

Empire of the Sun

Mar 26, 2014

Apr 17, 2014

Fox Theater–Oakland

The Independent–San Francisco

Mar 29, 2014

Apr 18, 2014

The Regency Ballroom–San Francisco

Lorde

John Legend

Fox Theater–Oakland

Foxygen

Disclosure

Gallo Center for the Arts–Modesto

Greek Theatre–Berkeley

Apr 3, 2014

Apr 19, 2014

Fitz and The Tantrums

Ellie Goulding

Fox Theater–Oakland

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium–San Francisco

Apr 4, 2014

Apr 19, 2014

Fox Theater–Oakland

Fox Theater–Oakland

Apr 9, 2014

Apr 23, 2014

The Fillmore–San Francisco

Uptown Theatre Napa–Napa

Apr 10, 2014

Apr 28, 2014

The Neighbourhood Haim

Schoolboy Q

Broken Bells

Los Lonely Boys

Franz Ferdinand

The Regency Ballroom–San Francisco

Fox Theater Oakland–Oakland

Apr 10, 2014

May 2, 2014

Bastille

Bro Safari

The Warfield–San Francisco

The Regency Ballroom–San Francisco

Apr 12, 2014

May 20, 2014

Chromeo

The Independent–San Francisco

06 ENTERTAINMENT

Cage The Elephant and Foals Fox Theater–Oakland

Santouka Ramen

By Maggie Zheng

One of the best Japanese ramen in the Bay Area, according to food blog Bourdain Disciple, can be found at Santouka Ramen. We ask ourselves: is it really that great?

I

f you are satisfied with the instant ramen-in-a-bag on aisle 5 of your grocery store, you will be flabbergasted when you try real ramen...flabbergasted!

Japanese food rookies, gather up!

After several grueling months of scavenging the Bay Area for the best American version of ramen, which fuels the entire city of Tokyo, I have finally found my deity-ina-bowl. This noodle shrine that I worship can be found at Santouka Ramen, a modest ramen kiosk located in Mitsuwa market (a Japanese grocery market in San Jose.)

Santouka is best known for their Tokusen Toroniku Ramen (perhaps notoriously because of its lipidabundancy), which is Santouka’s signature ramen containing the meat from a pig’s cheeks. As you can probably guess, the meat from that part of a pig is especially tender. With the Toroniku choice, foodies may choose their ramen soup from a variety of selections, ranging from Shio (salt) to Spicy Miso (soybean paste).

Being that I am a Japanese food maven (or at least I like to think that I am), I have made multiple 30-minute trips to Santouka, and always making sure to grab some mochi ice cream donuts (yes, donuts!) from the Mochi Cream store in Mitsuwa on the way.

Tonkotsu, the classic ramen soup base, is a milky pork bone broth.

According to Santouka, it takes them “about 20 hours to simmer the pork bones before [they add their] vegetables, dried fish, kelp and other special ingredients.” Just making this broth would require a long day of sweat, so I hope that alone discourages you from making your own ramen at home rather than venturing to Santouka.

At Santouka, their tonkotsu soup base is paired with soybean paste, soy sauce or even salt to make the different ramen options which in-

cludes but are not limited to Miso, Shoyu and Shio, respectively.

The Shio soup base was the first type of ramen I tried. For those of you with high thresholds of gustation (in other words, you require a gallon of salt for it to be “slightly salty”), you will not be disappointed. The Shio soup base is quite salty on its own, but has the perfect amount of salinity when paired with the egg ramen noodles and other condiments such as bamboo shoots, cloud ear fungus, cha-shu meat and a topping of chopped green onions.

Spicy miso had to be my favorite, for it is not the extreme fanningair-at-tongue kind of heat, yet it brings just the right amount of zing to the overall dish. The spicy miso soup base offsets the greasy (but good!) finger-lickin’ oiliness of the Tonkatsu meat perfectly.

Miso...the box-standard symbol of Japanese cuisine—well, at least to us Americans, anyway—was highly-anticipated but led to a disappointing halt in applause.

The Miso base at Santouka tastes very flat and dull. Now, you may think: why would Miso taste flat while Shio, a plain salt, doesn’t?

The reason is that Miso muddles the flavors while Shio brings them out.

A good analogy would be an oil painting; while the Shio acts like a clear protective varnish over the painting (the ramen and condiments), the Miso acts like a savage stroke of black paint running across the painting, ruining the whole masterpiece. In other words, the Miso soup base muddles the flavors, instead of clarifying and accentuating them like the Shio does.

The final conclusion? Skip the miso but try out the Shio and Spicy Miso (especially the latter). Though some may think a trip to San Jose is kind of far, try these noodles and I promise you will thank me later.

Still-hot noodles lifted from their bath in Tonkotsu broth (top); pickled ume plum analogous to a cherry on top (bottom).

675 Saratoga Ave San Jose, CA 95129 (408) 446-1101 FOOD

07

Not So Naughty

By Carmelle Bareket-Shavit

So you are home for school and looking for a snack but don’t want to get chunky, however, you end up breaking into the girl scout cookies anyways. Don’t worry we have all been there, however, the next time you are hungry check out these healthy snack ideas that are both tasty and nutritious.

Infused Ice Cubes

Ants on a Log First invented in the ‘50s, Ants on a Log has remained a popular and healthy snack for people of all ages. Pertaining to the original recipe, the crisp, cool celery is the base for rich peanut butter and is topped off with sweet raisins.

But recently, almond butter has been declared a more nutritious alternative to peanut butter. This snack is perfect for trying to slim down—eating celery actually burns calories due to the large amount of water and the considerable amount of chewing required.

The idea of drinking plain old water was recently reinvented by a new trend. One unique way to spruce up your water is by infusing your ice cubes with a little extra something. By adding pieces of lemon, leaves of mint, halves of raspberries or even slices of cucumbers to ice cubes, an even more refreshing taste is added to your H2O. Adding a burst of flavor to your water makes it so yummy that you’ll never want another unhealthy soda lining the walls of the supermarket again. It is quick, healthy and completely homemade.

Instructions: 1. Place desired add-in to your ice tray.

2. Fill tray with water.

3. Freeze overnight.

Instructions: 1. Clean and cut the celery.

2. Scoop spoonfuls of almond butter on top of the celery.

3. Neatly place raisins in a straight line on top of the almond butter.

Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Instructions: 1. Cut 1-2 bananas and freeze for two hours.

2. Place frozen bananas in a blender and purée until smooth.

3. Add in peanut butter or nutella (if you’re feeling a little adventurous).

4. For a soft-serve ice cream you can immediately eat it, but for hard ice cream put it back in the freezer for a 1-2 hours.

08 FOOD

Ice cream, which always seems to be guilt-inducing, is now finally guilt free with the invention of banana peanut butter ice cream. No ice cream machine necessary, just a blender, a freezer, bananas and peanut butter.

Frozen Grapes

Perfect Parfait

On an extremely hot day, the only form of relief is an energizing snack. While regular old grapes are always tasty, freezing those grapes makes them even more heavenly. Pop these grapes into the freezer and voilà, a frozen snack that is much healthier (and tastier) than ice cream!

Instructions: 1. Place grapes in freezer for around an hour.

For a special breakfast or a refreshing afternoon snack, a yogurt parfait is very nutritious. The possibilities are endless: you can use raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries or even all of the above for the perfect parfait.

Simply layer greek yogurt, granola and the fruit of your choice alternatively.

Instructions: 1. In a tall glass, place a few heaping spoonfuls of nonfat greek yogurt at the bottom.

2. Next, pour granola over the yogurt.

3. Place as much fruit as desired over the granola.

Guilty Pleasures

Strawberry Fudge

For those of you who love desserts but can never properly bake them, fear not. Even though “Strawberry Fudge” gives off the idea of being moderately healthy (because of the strawberry), do not be fooled. It’s still fudge, so there is absolutely nothing healthy or organic about this recipe, which consists of only artificial strawberry frosting and delicious white chocolate chips. To make these heavenly, pink and sugary squares, just mix strawberry frosting and melted white chocolate chips together in a large bowl and place it in the fridge.

Instructions 1. Pour melted white chocolate in a bowl with strawberry frosting.

2. Mix the two ingredients until the combination is light pink.

3. Pour the batter into a greased 9X9 pan.

4. Place the pan in the fridge for half an hour.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Truffles

Delicious chocolate cream cheese truffles are another no-bake dessert. These decadent little desserts are a cheap and easy way to end those late night chocolate cravings. Although this recipe takes a little more effort and consideration, the end product is completely worth the wait.

Instructions 1. Using an electric mixer, mix together a standard package of cream cheese and a melted chocolate chips.

2. Roll the batter into little balls on a baking sheet covered in wax paper.

3. Put the pan in the fridge for an hour.

4. Take the truffles out, dip each and every one of them into yet another bowl of melted chocolate.

5. Decorate them and watch them disappear: everyone will love this simple and delicious recipe.

FOOD 09

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COVER STORY

Text & Design by Frida Schaefer Bastian & Maya Benatar Photos by Margo Wixsom & Connor Harden

“D

o what you love, love what you do.” This Life is Good mantra represents every student’s goal—to have their education help them reach a point where they are prepared and have the opportunity to work in a profession they genuinely love. Unfortunately, preparation for such an ideal future rarely starts until college. The common question educators face is, how can students begin to explore their interests and prepare for the real world much earlier on?

Teachers at Palo Alto High School have decided to try and achieve this by exposing students to new career pathways, or groups of courses related to particular professions. The themes being offered are sports and social justice, beginning next year.

After months of preparations by the teachers

involved, both pathways were passed by the school board Tuesday, January 28th.

These new options will take students through high school on a different course of classes, exposing them to real-world internships by senior year. With the sports and social justice pathways at Paly, students won’t have to wait until college to take relevant classes that prepare them for careers.

Both the sports and social justice pathways will focus heavily on immersing students in real-world situations and teaching them important skills that set them apart from other students. With the number of college applicants constantly increasing, what really sets students apart is their interest in a certain field.

COVER STORY

11

All About Sports The sports pathway was created by Theresa McDermott, Mike McNulty, Lucy Filppu and Mary Riordan and will be run by them as well.

“We looked at Paly and we thought there is such a sporting culture here. And there are so many students—more than 50% of the students are involved in Paly sports—and we thought that’s a great hook,” McDermott said.

Considering both the huge role sports play in the lives of so many Paly students and the over 470 billion dollar industry that careers in athletics make up today, the sports pathway seems like a relevant choice for many of the Paly students who are interested in following a career in athletics.

“The sports pathway is for kids who are considering a career in sports law, marketing, being an agent or a scout for talent, medicine, kinesiology, physical therapy, coaching and of course, athletic talent,” Filppu said.

This program leaves plenty of room for variation, with only one prerequisite called Getting Into the Game, a semester class that will be taught by Ms. Riordan that will count for five career tech ed credits.

Getting Into the Game will focus on the sports industry and potential sportsrelated career paths, while giving students an early look on how to build a resume and get an internship in that field.

“The whole purpose of the class is sort of a personalized exploration,” Riordan said. “As students, they will think about what they might want to do career-wise connected with sports and see what their personality fit would be.”

Subsequently, Ms. Filppu will be teaching a class called Business Communications and Leadership, which

will count as a regular English class and meet the A-G requirements. The class will focus on teaching students how to write a business plan, build a resume, give speeches and concentrate on important social skills that will prepare them for the business world.

“I want to teach all [students] how to write a business plan, give a speech [and give] a firm handshake,” Filppu said. “A lot of kids get some of that because of their family, but not everybody.”

The unique thing about the sports pathway is that it is very flexible, meaning that all of the offered courses are also available as single classes for people who do not want to take the full route, but are interested in one specific class.

“There are possibilities for different classes too. For example, instead of taking stats, you would take sports stats, instead of taking just plain physics you would take sports physics,” McNulty said.

The idea is to offer a diverse selection of classes that all come together to serve the common goal of preparing students for a career in sports.

“The sports pathway is designed for students who want a real-world working/ internship experience before they go to college,” Filppu said. “Kids going to fouryear schools—good four-year schools— can have that sports pathway focus and that will, we think, help them be attractive to colleges. It’s for a kid who wants that angle.”

The sports pathway will give students the opportunity to work as an intern, exploring the field of sports and ultimately finding their passion.

“We are hoping to show students the connection between their educational choices and their future income and profession,” McDermott said.

“We are hoping to show students the connection between their educational choices and their future income and profession”

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COVER STORY

Creating Social Justice The sports pathway is not the only pathway that will make its debut in the Paly curriculum next fall; the Social Justice pathway will also be added to the mix, described by Filppu as a program “for kids who actually want to go into the community by Senior year and make a real change.”

The social justice pathway will be lead by Eric Bloom and Erin Angell. Both teachers were inspired to make this pathway an option for Paly students after their visit to Brookline High School in Massachusetts, which runs a very successful School Within a School program.

Almost every central aspect of Paly’s social justice pathway is modeled after the democratic classroom setting being taught in Brookline.

“The teacher helps organize, but not lead. They kind of help by special virtue that teachers have to try to help people move along to the goal,” Angell said. “But the goal is something that is determined by the students.”

As a whole, Paly’s social justice pathway is going to be less lenient compared to the sport’s pathway in terms of prerequisites, seeing as it starts Sophomore year and continues all the way through Senior year. It is more of an actual path you decide to take and follow early on, rather than a set of classes with a similar theme.

“You’re very democratic. The teachers ultimately are like first-name basis, it’s a school within a school and you’re really activists for social justice,” Filppu said.

The social justice pathway will have a more intimate feel, with a total of 60 students, all with the same two teachers, working closely with one another. Students will have the same 30 kids in their English class as in their History class; the two groups merging for events like guest speakers and field trips.

Eric Bloom will teach History and Erin Angell will teach English, working together to incorporate the theme of social justice into their lessons.

“It is an integrated curriculum, meaning that the English and History curriculum is moving along simultaneously,” Bloom said.

The teachers will move up grade levels with their students, so that ultimately the students will have the same teachers and classes for three years to create a united community.

Students will be able to take either English 10 or 10A and either English 11 or 11A. When they reach their Junior year, students can select English electives that will connect to the pathway. Their Senior year, students may still choose to take AP English or regular English electives, and will still be required to take Econ. Students will not be able to take AP US History their Junior year, but instead will select similar electives with the theme of social justice.

“The social justice pathway will require its students to stand out among their peers; demonstrating problem solving, building capacity in others and adding value to their communities—every college wants that kind of applicant,” Bloom said.

In addition, participants will start planning a project based on a topic that they are fascinated by during their Junior year, and they will execute that project their Senior year.

“We start to, as teachers, teach you the curriculum that will help you execute that project,” Angell explained.

By senior year, these students will be actively working in the community to try to make a difference by organizing and implementing things like a tutoring program in East Palo Alto, a college assistance program in Cambodia, or a prenatal program for pregnant teens.

The current Freshmen class will be the first to be able to participate in the social justice pathway. To be automatically enrolled in the social justice pathway, students must select English and History classes with an “SJ” in parentheses next to their titles when they are selecting classes for their Sophomore year.

Both of these new pathways will build a community and incorporate active learning, while helping their participants stand out among college applicants. These programs do not only provide a unique way of learning, but they also build new friendships and spark creativity amongst students.

According to Filppu, “both programs are strongly internship based” and will introduce students to the working-world by giving them the chance to participate in hands-on work experiences. The sports and social justice pathways are both great opportunities for students that are interested in getting out of their seats and taking their first step towards doing what they love.

COVER STORY

13

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A DECADE OF FACEBOOK O

n February 4th, Facebook had its ten year anniversary. They featured a link so each of their users could view a 60 second video clip composed of highlights of their posts since they joined Facebook. The video was unfortunately just a moving slideshow of 10 moments that were supposed to be their most liked pictures, but were really just randomly chosen. The weak reception of the video speaks loudly about Facebook’s loss in popularity among the teenage demographic, at least here at Paly.

In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg and co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Eduardo Saverin launched Facebook. Within one year, Facebook reached one million users and by September 20, 2005, thefacebook.com officially dropped the “the” in its name and became just Facebook. Within another year Facebook reached 6 million users and by April 2006 Facebook Mobile was introduced.

By July 10, 2008, Facebook

By Olivia Vort Pictures by Creative Commons

Video launched, and the company reached 58 million users.

Both Facebook Chat and the iPhone application were announced and after two more years, Facebook was still immensely growing. With the introduction of the like button, new Facebook groups, profiles and video calling, Facebook became the new MySpace. Just when everyone thought that Facebook couldn’t possibly come up with anything new, they introduced the timeline, a way for people to share the story of their entire lives.

Finally, by its 10 year anniversary, Facebook acquired Instagram and had more than 100 million Facebook mobile users each month and more than one billion active on Facebook itself.

The original Facebook was modeled off of a book that colleges gave out to their freshmen. The book had pictures and shared a brief bio about each student. This was a way of introducing the whole class to each other so that people would know who was who.

Mark Zuckerberg’s big idea

was to expand on this and allow for networking and a new way to interact.

Facebook’s popularity among teens has slowly declined over the years. Many are complaining that its size, privacy risks and annoying posts create a social burden.

According to U.S. investment bank, Piper Jaffray, only 23 percent of American teens now deem Facebook the most important form of social media, which is down 42 percent from last year. Out of 90 students at Palo Alto High School, 73 percent of students who had a Facebook two years ago say that they are less interested in it now.

Many clicked the link to the 10 year anniversary video, but many saw it as uninteresting.

“After clicking the link I was so unimpressed with the video I didn’t even bother clicking share,” Junior Kate Bredenberg said. A lot has changed over 10 years, including the teenage infatuation with Facebook. It seems like Facebook has become solely

for checking out people you don’t know in order to see what they look like,“otherwise there’s just no need for Facebook other than people using messenger when they need help with homework from a classmate they don’t know very well,” said Junior Becca Tse. “Pictures are on Instagram now and people use Twitter to express their feelings, not Facebook status.’”

It’s a statement of the times we are currently in: technology and communities like Facebook, which practically invented the idea of social media, are no longer the dominant force. However, the world is dynamic and Facebook, having recently gone public on May 18th 2012, has the money and minds to continue to reinvent itself.

They hire the brightest developers and hackers that money can buy, so it’s only a matter of time before we see the next creation coming from the mind of Zuckerberg. When that happens, you should be the first to Tweet about it!

CULTURE

15

Oh, The Places You’ll Go, The People You’ll Meet

GAP YEARS

Text & Photos by Olivia Vort Design by Samantha Newell

COVER STORY 1616 CULTURE

* an inside look at the journeys of "gappers”

A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LIFESTYLE

Many high school graduates face immense pressures because of the high expectations thrust upon them when it comes to choosing the right college, major and career path. For many, moving away to college is as much about leaving home as it is about focusing on your studies and pursuing a successful career path. If you feel overwhelmed and not completely sure about whether or not college is the right direction for you, or you want to experience the world before taking that next big step, then a gap year may be the right choice.

A gap year allows you to live away from home, gain experience and mature before diving into four years of college. A successful gap year is not only rewarding, but it also gives you the opportunity to acquire knowledge that cannot be measured by test scores. Most students who return from a gap year excel in the classroom because they return with experience, strength and a renewed sense of purpose and commitment for what career they want to pursue.

Although not as popular in the United States, taking a gap year is common in countries throughout Europe. It’s not only something that is popular and typical, it is encouraged. A gap year can take many forms; some students take the time to explore a career they are thinking about committing to, while others take the year to give back to their community or a cause that they are deeply dedicated to through service. Some students take the year off to evaluate their life and try to get a better understanding of the direction they want follow. For whatever reason you may choose, taking a gap year allows you to experience a lifestyle you have never been immersed in before.

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17

“

Tom Zhao (Paly Class of 2013): During my gap year, I did the same program as Charlie [Dulik] and went to Bolivia and Peru. The one piece of advice I have for kids who are considering a gap year, is to take a gap year but make sure you have something to keep yourself occupied for the entire year. I had the time of my life first semester and while I'm having a good time now, my life lacks structure and I wish I'd had something planned for the whole year.

“

GAP YEARS REVEALED

Isabel Benatar

“

Charlie Dulik (Class of 2013): Taking time off before college was probably the best decision I could have ever made. I applied ED to my college, which has a well-established February-start program, and on my app I said I would be happy to start in either September or February, without putting too much thought into the matter.

When I was accepted starting in February, for the first time I really started to think about what that would mean.

I spent the bulk of my gap semester traveling in India, yet the scariest part of the whole process was being the one person doing something differently than the rest of my friends and peers. I could not

18

CULTURE

be more ecstatic or thankful that I had the opportunity to get off the hamster wheel of schoolwork for a little bit, to have time to live in the moment rather than be constantly looking towards the future and to have an extended adventure in a foreign country.

I’m more appreciative of things around me, I’m more patient—not solely because of my experiences abroad, but because I got to step back from the “go go go” mentality Palo Alto kids are in all their lives and just enjoy where I’m at.

I was in India with a program called Where There Be Dragons, which I could not recommend enough. I lived for two months in

Varanasi, one of the most ancient cities in the world and the most sacred city in Hinduism. I studied Hindu ascetics from a guru, attempted (with little success) to learn Hindi, volunteered, traveled, met people, stayed with a homestay and more.

I got really into Indian politics, and have continued my learning about that even after returning to the States. I think Dragons, which takes kids around to many amazing locations, differs from many other gap year programs because it offers full cultural immersion.

I stayed with an Indian family, had friends in my city and totally adapted to a foreign lifestyle. Dragons was there to open any doors I

a gap year! You absolutely will not regret it, whatever you do will be an amazing, incredible experience you can only do at this moment in your life. Take the leap. It will pay off.

“

Isabel Benatar (Class of 2013):

I spent the first two months of my gap year traveling around Southeast Asia with a group of

“

“

wanted to explore, but not to shelter me from the realities, both the beautiful and the harsh ones, of modern India.

Taking a gap year isn’t for everyone. Going abroad isn’t for everyone. If you are considering taking a gap year, and the only thing holding you back is not wanting to be different from everyone else—take

14 people, ages 18-22. That was through a program called Pacific Discovery, which I highly recommend. Those two months were definitely some of the best times of my life, and I made incredible friends. I’ve been home from that trip since November 20th, and right now I’m working at my dad’s company, UserTesting. I’m getting really great work experience and learning more about what I might be interested in studying at Northwestern University (I got in early decision during my Senior year and deferred a year in May).

So far, I think gap years should become a norm, if not a requirement. This is the only time in my life that I’m not tied down to a career or a family, and I think every young person should take advantage of this unique time.

My next plan is to live with a family in Santiago, Chile for two months (March and April). I’ll hopefully be teaching English at their local K-12 school. Although this opportunity came about last minute, I would still recommend that future gap-yearers plan their entire year out ahead of time, because I ended up with more down time at home than I had wanted because I didn’t have specific plans after my Southeast Asia trip.

Also, I know some schools like Middlebury College have the option of a late start. There were two Middlebury “Febs” (February starters) in my group in Asia, and Charlie Dulik (my year) just left for Middlebury on February 4th.

Also, I think a huge part of what is making my year great is the fact that I’m already into school. I don’t think a gap year should necessarily be used as a reason to put off applying to college. Obviously, if you have other reasons to delay applying, that’s a different story, but I definitely recommend applying and then deferring, because then you can fully take advantage of your year instead of stressing about applications.

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Stores That

GIVE BACK

Clough climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, which inspired him to create his company Stone + Cloth.

Creative Commons

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Text & Design by Kallee Bareket-Shavit and Emma Low the climb, Benson revealed to Clough that

he world is a big place, and because of this, many people are blind to inequality between different countries. As people shop, they tend to lose touch with the stores and where the clothes come from.

Thankfully, there are brands that form personal connections and know the impor-

he did not have enough money to put his child through school. Clough was used to the amount of opportunities that children in the United States receive and the unfairness of the situation surprised him. When Clough returned from his trip, he took advantage of his passion for design to create bags, backpacks and other school related

“The people that make the most progress are the ones who aren’t scared to make mistakes.” —Matthew Clough tance of giving back to those less fortunate.

To name a few: Stone + Cloth, In Her Shoes and TOMS. Based in Los Angeles, Stone + Cloth differentiates itself from other companies that simply donate funds in the form of handouts. Governments are sometimes criticized for programs that “give away” donations to those in need, without giving them a chance to better themselves independently. Stone + Cloth believes in a different method of social reform. In other words, they give a handup instead of a handout in the form of education. The company’s goal is to encourage literacy and financial security in African countries.

The business was founded when Matthew Clough, who previously worked for TOMS (another company dedicated to giving back), reached his goal of climbing to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro with the assistance of a local porter, named Benson. During

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products to emphasize the value of education, hence the company’s motto, “carry an education.” A portion of the profits made from selling the products are donated to the Knock Foundation, which supports tuition, school lunches and school supplies for underprivileged children in African countries. Clough’s first design was a backpack, named The Benson, inspired by the one that he brought along on his trip to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Prices for Stone + Cloth range from around $25 to $138, depending on the product. The company’s inspiring goals to help provide education encourages customers to purchase their trendy and practical items from the online store, stoneandcloth.com. The store has five products for sale: The Benson, The Lucas, a totepack, an iPad case and a utility case.

Each of the carefully designed bags are beautifully made using bold colors and

convenient pockets with lots of space for everyday use. Their merchandise is both stylish and perfect for holding everyday supplies. Products from Stone + Cloth are great reminders of how fortunate people are to live in privileged communities and how easy and fun it can be to donate to a great cause.

The Stone + Cloth website emphasizes the effects of education worldwide with statistics. For example, approximately one billion people cannot read or write their own name, and over 130 million children do not have access to basic education. According to the store’s website, “a secondary school graduate is seven times more likely to secure paid employment over those who leave early.” These statistics might be shocking to those who live in developed countries, yet they are there to spread awareness and encourage people to donate to worthy causes like Stone + Cloth.

Anyone can make a difference by donating to a charity that can change a stranger’s life. Although the issues that “plague” Palo Alto are not comparable to those of the poverty stricken developing countries, the choices people make, like buying from stores that give back like Stone + Cloth, will make a difference.

Kallee Bareket-Shavit

I

n Her Shoes, a boutique located in Town and Country, also donates to meaningful causes. This store donates 100% of its profit to the “Global Fund for Women,” which is the largest charity supporting women’s rights.

This organization has three main goals: zero violence, economic and political empowerment and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The boutique’s owner, and long-time Global Fund for Women member, Pam Rosekrans, founded In Her Shoes in 2006, aspiring to raise awareness of the cause in Palo Alto. Rosekrans donates all of the store’s profits because she believes in the charity’s message. This boutique offers a

Kallee Bareket-Shavit

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ot only does TOMS sell popular products that meet the demands of many customers both male and female, but the company also believes in helping people in need all across the world through their One for One program.

By teaming up with Shoe Giving Partners, programs that currently help people around the world, TOMS has donated shoes to 60 countries and supported many clinics and hospitals in 13 different countries that teach residents how to give professional eye care to those in need. These Giving Partners incorporate TOMS’ One for One shoe donations into their daily schedules that vary from health checkups to vocational training. For every TOMS purchase, they will

Emma Low

wide range of shoes, bags and clothing.

In Her Shoes and stores alike are making it possible to do good by simply shopping.

It brings awareness to the incredible things our actions can do. This

boutique demonstrates that it is possible to better the community and the world by doing things that seem to only benefit oneself, such as shopping.

By learning more about these stores, anyone can make a difference.

help one person in need by giving them shoes as well as the opportunity to improve their eyesight.

Many people across the world cannot afford shoes. TOMS believes that by donating shoes along with the guidance of 75 different Giving Partners, people in need may achieve better health, education and gain confidence. According to David Evans in his book, The Impact of Distributing School Uniforms on Children’s Education in Kenya, when children who cannot afford shoes on their own are given shoes to wear with their school uniform, school attendance can raise by 62%. Children can go to school without the risk of cutting their feet and catching infections.

TOMS has designed a pair of unisex canvas shoes with a thick sole for donations. It comes in various colors since TOMS hopes to stay up to speed with the various trends that exist in the different countries. TOMS also donates new products such as winter boots and sports shoes through their One for One program. TOMS states that they are open to critiques of their program.

Without feedback, they are not as able to improve their canvas shoe to better meet the needs of the people. The company contributes to the growing idea of products that create a better tomorrow.

Along with donating shoes, TOMS also

donates with the goal of improving eyesight.

According to the TOMS website, of the 285 million visually impaired around the world, 80% of their eyesights can be improved.

TOMS promises that with every purchase of a pair of TOMS’ glasses, they will donate to an organization with the goal in mind of helping people regain their eyesight by funding the hospitals or clinics that provide prescription glasses, surgery or other medical treatment. As a result, TOMS concludes that with the help of the One for One program, 150,000 people across the world have regained their eyesight so far.

By getting involved through shopping at these mentioned stores, people around the world have more opportunities to both better their health and better their chances for brighter futures. Find out more about “One for One” at the TOMS’ website: www.toms. com/our-movement/l Although One for One is only one mission amongst many other programs around the world, it offers endless opportunities.

Stores donate to organizations keen on providing for the greater good are the key to the future. Although only some stores currently donate to good causes publicly, more and more stores are getting involved. Whatever the mission may be, getting involved makes a difference, whether as an individual or a business. Simply buying an item from a store like TOMS, Stone + Cloth or In Her Shoes can really make a difference.

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Artist of the Month:

Sarah Bramlett

By Riya Varma & Shiri Arnon Artwork by Sarah Bramlett

H

uddled over, with her face inches away from the table, Palo Alto High School Senior, Sarah Bramlett creates beautifully intricate designs with a pen clenched in her hand.

The second she backs up to view her work, people passing by stop and stare in awe of the black ink which contrasts beautifully with the bright white paper. Apart from artists who find their passion under pressure from parents or by force in art classes, Bramlett simply loves art and has cultivated her artistic drive by herself with a pen and paper.

“It’s really been just a life long thing. Even when I was five in kindergarten I would do finger painting; I just always enjoyed it,” Bramlett explained, “My favorite parts of school were always arts and crafts and I just kept building on it and I think that’s what made it grow.”

Having had no formal artistic instruction outside of school, Bramlett harbors an incredible natural artistic talent which she utilizes whenever possible. Her free time is spent exploring her creativity in sketchbooks and her class time is spent doodling in notebooks with a black pen.

Bramlett finds her inspiration in science and the large-

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scale scientific questions that remain unanswered. Just as some artists find their drive in religious and spiritual beliefs, Bramlett uses science and her curiosity about life and its meaning as a base from which to explore her artistic imagination.

“I have a lot of questions like, ‘is there any meaning to life’ and ‘what’s the point’ so I feel like with me personally, that kind of wonder that people experience in their god or in their connection through divinity, I feel with science,” Bramlett said.

Though spirituality and science are usually regarded as opposing beliefs, Bramlett believes strongly in both. She manages to incorporate both of these aspects of herself into her art and strives to find ways to reconcile the two and find science in her spirituality. “[My spirituality and science theme] started out as a thesis that ‘yeah, science and spirituality can go together’ but then my concentration turned into a question; how can I reconcile those two parts of myself?” Bramlett said.

In striving to find a balance between these two differing ideals, Bramlett often depicts scientific subjects, such

as the solar system and the human brain, with spiritual settings of nature and the role of man in the universe.

Along with her AP Studio Art course, Bramlett dabbles in other interests at school, such as taking Astrology and Humanities. She explores her vast curiosity in these classes, and believes that it influences her artwork.

Bramlett’s artwork is mainly constructed of either oil paints, ink or charcoal. According to Bramlett, her style is “imaginative, illustrative, and quirky.” This is evident in her pieces, with wild geometric shapes that overtake the paper and the intense ink designs on a white background drawn solely in black. However, the pieces that do incorporate color are equally as intense. Her use of light, shadows and colors symbolize spirituality in her pieces. Each piece Bramlett makes is uniquely and beautifully crafted

and the immense amount of effort she puts into her art is evident to all, including her AP Studio Art teacher, Kate McKenzie.

“I really appreciate the depth of [Bramlett]’s work as she explores creativity and spirituality and how they’re interconnected,” McKenzie said.

Many people share the same opinion as McKenzie regarding Bramlett’s talent. During class periods, when Bramlett is hard at work, it is extremely common to see passers by stop in front of the art classroom and take in the evident artistic genius of her pieces.

For the future, Bramlett does not plan to attend an art college. However, art will always be something that she is passionate about, she plans to study art in college, possibly minoring in visual art.

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