C Magazine Vol. 2 Edition 5

C

TheCampanileA&EMagazine

FINDING A BALANCE

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FROM THE EDITORS Dear Readers, We are very excited to bring you the fourth edition of The C Magazine! In this edition, readers will get the opportunity to read about C Mag’s artist of the month, Ross Cardillo, who uses his creativity and passion to create rap music and digital designs. Ready for the holidays? We are! Check out the “Festive Films” article and “The Coffee Junkie’s Guide to Becoming a Caffeine Connoisseur” to get more into the holiday season. Have you ever wondered about your horoscope? Well, wonder no more, take a look at the “Horoscopes Decoded” article to see what the stars have in store for you. Are you a fan of Lululemon? If so, check out “Lululemon Co-Founder Blames Women’s Bodies” to learn more about the controversy currently surrounding the company.

We would like to thank every member of the C Mag staff, as well as our advisor, Esther Wojcicki, for making the fourth edition of The C Magazine possible. We would especially like to thank you, our readers, for supporting The C Magazine this semester. We cannot wait to bring you guys more editions next semester and we hope you are as excited as we are. Furthermore, from all of us at The C Magazine, happy holidays! We hope you enjoy winter break, and we look forward to bringing you the latest in arts and entertainment in the coming semester. HAPPY HOLIDAYS enjoy! :) -Caroline Moley, Sophia Moss and Samantha Newell Editors-in-Chief

crow’s nest HOURS: MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 10am - 6pm SUNDAY 11-5 WEBSITE: crowsnesthmb.com PHONE: 650-726-2000

MEET. NEST. SHOP

CLOTHING ACCESSORIES BODY & BATH

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

ADVISOR

Esther Wojcicki

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

CONTENTS 12

December 2013

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COVER STORY

FINDING A BALANCE

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Western, Eastern, Holistic Medicine? Maybe it is time for us to integrate them all.

FOOD

THE COFFEE JUNKIE’S GUIDE TO BECOMING A CAFFEINE CONNOISSEUR

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Do you love coffee? Well, so do we!

Check out our favorite holiday blends.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE CMAG TRIES THE JUICE

LULULEMON CONTROCLEANSE 08 See what VERSY 18 Read more about happened to two C Mag the offensive comments made EDITORS’ LETTER 02 members who tried the juice by Chip Wilson.

LA URBANA 04 Craving cleanse.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 19 AARON SLIPPER 10 The Looking for the perfect gift?

Mexican food? Check out La Urbana, a restaurant that most interesting man at Paly. We got you! takes Mexican cuisine to a FESTIVE FILMS 12 Find out FINALS STUDY TIPS 20 whole new level.

C Mag’s top six favorite holi- Don’t stress, we have some day movies.

Cover Photo by Bella Graves

tips!

HOROSCOPES 21 Ever wondered about horoscopes? See what the stars have in store for you.

AoM: ROSS CARDILLO 22 Learn more about unique Paly artist Ross Cardillo. *Thank you Dave Vort for providing the juice!

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The C Magazine

The La Urbana building during construction.

LA URBANA Text by Kallee Bareket-Shavit

Photos by Eric Wolfinger

The challenge to bring Mexican culture to different communities has inspired Juan Garduño to open a new restaurant in San Francisco. La Urbana has not only become known for the intricate details of its restaurant, but, most importantly, for the unique flavors of the dishes featured on its menu and for the culture that it brings to the hungry stomachs of the Bay Area.

I

n the Bay Area one can find almost any type of cuisine.

A new take on Mexican Cuisine has become distinct in San Francisco for the authenticity of its food that challenges Americanized versions of the same cuisine.

This cuisine has been adopted by one restaurant, La Urbana, which incorporates a cantina-like theme into each dish. The restaurant has a contemporary architecture shown through its 04

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elaborate design.

La Urbana is one of few restaurants in the Bay Area that has developed a new interpretation of Mexican food. La Urbana uses vibrant colors, flavors and locally grown products and incorporates them with the authentic qualities of Mexican culture through La Urbana’s menu caters to any customer’s tastes; a person with an incredible sweet-tooth may enjoy the “Dos Leches” dish, which consists of an olive cake,

white chocolate, mini yogurt and rasberries, while a meatlover may devour “Costillas de Aes,” a Braised short ribs dish. On the other hand a vegetarian may find satisfaction from “Verduras con Frijoles,” which includes black beans, squash, bell peppers and a lime crema.

Juan Garduño, designer, architect and one of three partners of La Urbana, believes that his unique and bold new restaurant will become a huge success because it brings life to the unique

parts of Mexican culture.

Garduño, a Palo Alto High School parent of Junior Fabo Garduño and Ian Garduño, developed his first restaurant, Café O’, 14 years ago.

His passion then became his career, which led to the founding of his architecture company, Garduños Arquitectos in 1994.

His dream to represent the cultural aspects of Mexico through both food and architecture has helped him build a career in both

the food and art world.

Garduños Arquitectos once consisted of Café O’ alone, however it now includes multiple restaurants and other buildings throughout both Mexico and the United States.

Showing the undiscovered contemporary Mexican cuisine to the world became his mission.

“I love food and I love architecture,” Garduño said.

“I [created Garduños Arquitectos] for me.”

The contrasting colors of the wooden cabinets, elabo-

rate furniture and detailed tiles that cover the floors of La Urbana take your breath away. Everywhere you look there is a hidden treasure or intriguing design that you didn’t notice the first time.

The natural sunlight that pours in through large windows bring another aspect of beauty to the already ineffable design of La Urbana.

It highlights the artistry of the furniture and the vibrant colors of each dish being served.

Garduño and the La Urbana team hope to bring

as much culture into their restaurant as possible. They searched through towns in Mexico for traditional and simple furniture. The La Urbana team became determined to find any objects from Mexico that represent its culture. They were able to bring contemporary Mexican artists together to work on the furniture and create pieces of art for La Urbana.

The interior design, food and friendly staff provided

by La Urbana is reason enough to reserve a table.

Since La Urbana’s open-

ing, Garduño’s hope to bring people with a passion for bold tastes and deep admiration for the beauty of Mexican culture together has succeeded.

“People enjoy [La Urbana] very much,” Garduño said. “It is the reason why it has prospered in both Mexico and the United States.”

La Urbana is located at 661 Divisadero Street, San Francisco. You can find out more about their food, team, availability and history of La Urbana at www.laurbanasf. com

Garduño is a partner of La Urbana, along with Alessandra Bonisoli and Eduardo Rallo

La Urbana post-construction — ready for customers

The famous La Urbana bar, which caters to o a long list of creative drinks

FOOD La Urbana at night.

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the coffee Junkie’s guide to becoming a caffeine connoisseur

By Samantha Newell Photo by Creative Commons

It seems as though the day after Halloween, Starbucks was already serving their traditional Holiday lattes, but sometimes these festive drinks can be a hit or miss. So, to stop you from possibly wasting your money and to ensure you a deliciously festive BEVERAGE, Cmag is showing our lovely readers how to make your very own coffee drinks from the comfort of your own home, from the basic coffee drinks, to the more advanced.

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PRO TIPS:

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c Make sure you do not reuse your milk! Milk can be steamed once. You cannot re-steam it. If you do re-steam it, you will not get good foam, it will be watery and thin and possibly burned. Secondly, adding new milk to the previously steamed milk will kill the new milk. Trust us, fresh, ice cold milk is the key. c Clean your steam wand whenever you use it to froth milk. Leaving crusty milk on the wand depletes the quality of the espresso and your machine. c Heat your cup up in the microwave or let your cup sit with hot water in it for 30 seconds. It will keep the coffee at its optimal temperature and allow the aroma to fully develop. c Make sure you do not apply too much or too little pressure when you are tamping your espresso!

What you need: c 3/4 cup milk- 1 cup milk c 1 or 2 espresso shot(s), depending on how strong you want your drink to be c flavored syrup (optional)

How to make a latte with an espresso machine: 1. Tamp (or press) 7-8 grams for one shot or 14-16 grams for two shots of ground espresso into the portafilter. Lock the portafilter into the group head of the espresso machine. Choose the singleshot option if you tamped 7-8 grams into the portafilter or choose the two-shot option if you tamped 14-16 grams into the portafilter.

2. Fill a metal pitcher with milk and begin frothing. w Nonfat milk is the easiest milk to make foam with, but it lacks a creamy taste. w 2% milk produces nice foam, while adding a creamy taste to your coffee drink. w Whole milk is the hardest milk to foam, but delivers the tastiest latte, due to its high fat content.

3. Insert the steam wand diagonally into the milk so it is resting just below the surface of the milk. Make sure you are creating rotational flow in the steam pitcher. This creates small, light bubbles, necessary for frothy milk and a proper latte.

4. When the pitcher is warm to the touch, raise the steam pitcher so the steam wand is lower in the pitcher. This ceases the frothing and continues to heat the milk.

5. Once the pitcher is too hot to touch, you have perfect milk. Turn off the steaming wand and remove the pitcher.

6. If you would like your latte flavored (i.e. vanilla, caramel, etc.), pour the syrup into your cup. It’s all personal preference, so if you like your lattes sweet, add a shot of syrup. If you don’t like sweet, add less than a shot or none at all.

7. Next, pour your espresso shot(s) into the cup. Make sure you do not let your espresso shot(s) sit longer than 10 seconds without adding milk! This could ruin the shot(s).

THE CHAI TEA LATTE

What you need: c 2 individual tea bags c 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon c 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger c 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice c 1 cup water c 1 cup milk c 1/4 cup packed brown sugar c 2 tablespoons refrigerated French vanilla nondairy creamer c Whipped topping and ground nutmeg (optional) Directions: 1. Place the tea bags, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in the coffee filter of a drip coffee maker. Add water and brew.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, brown sugar and creamer. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through and sugar is dissolved.

3. Pour milk mixture into mugs; stir in tea. Add a dollop of whipped topping and sprinkle it with nutmeg.

THE PUMPKIN CHAI TEA LATTE

What you need: c 3 tea bags of chai tea c 3/4 cup of hot water c 1/4 pumpkin puree c 2 cups of milk of choice c 1 teaspoon vanilla extract c 20-25 drop of liquid stevia or maple syrup or honey to taste (start with about

1/4 cup) c Whipped cream and cinnamon to top.

Directions: 1. In hot water, brew the tea bags for 6 minutes. Remove and blend tea with the pumpkin puree (using a blender is best for making sure there are no lumps in the mixture).

2. Divide between two cups.

3. In a small saucepan, add milk of choice, vanilla and sweetener. Heat until almost boiling, froth (if desired) and split between two mugs.

4. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon and serve.

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THE LATTE

8. Tap the metal pitcher of milk onto the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles resting in your milk. This creates a smoother milk.

10. Lastly, add your steamed milk to the cup.

How to make a latte without an espresso machine: 1. Brew some very strong coffee or espresso.

2. Heat up 1 cup of milk over the stove top (medium heat), stirring with a whisk.

Put some muscle into it! You are aiming for frothy milk.

3. Pour your coffee or espresso into a cup (make sure you leave room for your steamed milk).

4. Keeping the foam in the saucepan, gently pour the milk into your cup of coffee/espresso.

5. Add flavored syrup if you would like.

And voilà!

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For beginners:

for experts: THE CAPPUCCINO

The only difference between a cappuccino and a latte is that a cappuccino is made in 1/3 proportions. This means it is 1/3 espresso, 1/3 “steamed” milk, and 1/3 “frothed” milk (i.e. foam), while a latte is only one or two shots of espresso and steamed milk. Repeat the same steps as stated in the latte directions, except when you begin steaming the milk, bring your steaming wand to the surface of the milk, while still holding it diagonally to make frothed milk. Indeed, making foamy milk sounds easy, but mastering this technique is incredibly difficult.

THE ESPRESSO

What you need: c Ground espresso beans (7-8 grams for each shot) Directions: 1.The freshness of your beans is extremely important. The closer it is to the roast date, the better, no more than three weeks after the roast date.

2. Grind your espresso beans. A good espresso grind should be about the consistency of sugar.

3. Pack the grinds into a portafilter of the espresso machine using a tamper using about 30 pounds of pressure.

4. Turn on your espresso machine and put a cup under the brew basket. It should take 20 to 25 seconds to create one or two ounces respectively. If you made the espresso correctly, you should see crema (hazel brown cream) appear at the surface of the coffee when it is finished.

With practice, these drinks will come with ease! Good luck and enjoy! c

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C

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MAG 1

Cucumber

RECIPES FOR THE COMMITTED SEVEN-DAY JUICERS

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For Your Early Morning Breakfasts: Morning Glory:

a 2 Apples a 1 Cucumber a 1 cup Blueberries a 2 cups of Grapes a 2 Kale Leaves a 1” Ginger

Jolt Juice:

a 2 Apples a 1 Orange a 1 Cucumber a 1/4 Lemon Peeled a 4 Kale Leaves

1/4

Lemon peeled

Kale Leaves

Ginger

Text by Samantha Newell & Pauline Na Design by Samantha Newell Photos by Creative Commons

Carrot Sliced

Beet Sliced

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1”

1

Granny Smith Apple

TRIES A JUICE CLEANSE 5

Mint Leaves

For Your Mid-Day Meal: Mean Green:

a 1 Granny Smith Apple a 1 Cucumber a 4 Stalks of Celery a 4-6 Kale Leaves a 1/4 Lemon Peeled a 1” Ginger

Bruschetta Tang

a 2 Tomatoes a 1-2 Garlic Cloves Peeled a 1 Bunch of Basil (20 Leaves) a 1/4 Lemon Peeled

The ingredients to the left are what was used in the juice blended for a weekend. Juice all of them up and voilà! A delicious beverage perfect with any meal and full of nutrients!

For Your Unhindering Crave for Dessert: Green Machine:

a 4 Kale Leaves a 2 Apples a 2 Cups Spinach a 1/2 Cucumber a 2 Celery Stalks a 1 Med. Carrot a 1” Ginger

Sunset Passion:

a 1 Beet Sliced a 1 Cucumber a 1 Carrot a 1 Granny Smith Apple a 4 Kale Leaves a 1/4 Lemon Peeled a 1/4 Lime Peeled

Despite the controversy over whether or not it is truly healthy for you, the juice cleanse has become a trending form of detox that The C Magazine needed to try for themselves. For all who do not know, a juice cleanse is a multi-day cleansing option meant to restore balance in the body.

Those who choose to participate endure a restricted juice-only diet; that is, juice that is consisting of freshly juiced vegetables and fruit.

A juice cleanse can range from a weekend (for those looking to take a break from solid foods) to several months (for those die-hard health freaks). Either way, a juice cleanse is not meant for foodies looking to lose instant weight, but rather to kickstart your revived commitment to healthy living.

There are hundreds of juice recipes for DIYers and people who wish to not spend the $200 dollars on juice from juicing companies, such as Urban Remedies. But for one weekend, and one weekend only, two C Magazine members decided to journey on uncharted seas and make their own juice from scratch to endure a weekend of detoxification—and there was surely only room for one successful juicer.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Sam’s Juice Cleanse Experience Five minutes and I was already out.

With one single sip, I sat the cup of off-purple juice down onto my kitchen table and decided there is no way I would be able to continue with such a burdening task. Many beginning juicers go for a five day juice cleanse. But for me, two days sound like the epitome of a fiery, burning hell. Then again it’s simply all about perspective.

From my perspective, a five day juice cleanse seems like an unearthly task, nearly impossible to complete. Then again, I’m the

kind of person who has an unhealthy love for food. The kind of person who finds her daily happiness in every meals she eats. Eating food is, in all honesty, what makes my day. And with the holidays coming around and the thought of perfectly cooked and crisped turkey, mounds of buttery mashed potatoes and a waterfall of gravy being poured on my plate of potatoes, there is no way I would have been able to keep the thought of solid, wholesome food out of my mind. You see, for me, drinking a juice full of celery, beets, carrots, mango, spinach and kale is like attempting to climb Mt. Everest in a day— a task that simply cannot be done.

I know many people will say that I should have just sucked it up and pushed through the pain to get to victory. But, sorry folks, the juice cleanse is not for me.

If you are the type of person who cherishes a delicious meal, the juice cleanse is not something I would recommend.

Pauline’s Juice Cleanse Experience

I don’t know about you guys, but the first time I heard about a juice cleanse, I cringed at even the thought of not eating solid foods for days on end. Who in their right mind would willingly put themselves through that? Well, apparently, I am not in my right mind since after mulling it over with myself for a while, I decided that it was something I genuinely wanted to try. All you need to do is type “juice cleanse review” into your browser and thousands of reviews raving about its effectiveness will immediately pop up. After reading about multiple peoples’ experiences with the juice cleanse, I decided that I would give it a go and if I absolutely couldn’t handle not eating, I would just throw the towel in early, so, no harm done. Read all about my firsthand experience with the dreaded cleanse.

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Add some citrus hints in your drinks to bring out the sweetness of your juice! A squirt or two of fresh lemon in a juice containing beets, and the sweetness of that juicy vegetable is instantly heightened.

Day 1:

Right off the bat, I made a rookie mistake, I poured my juice into a clear glass and decided that it was a good idea to smell it. It was not. The juice had a brownish, purple tint to it and to the naked eye, there were obvious chunks of pulp swirling around in my cup. Eventually, I worked up the nerve to take my first sip. I expected the worst, but what I got instead was a pleasant surprise.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say the juice was particularly delicious, it was nowhere near as bad as I had anticipated. The first thing I tasted was banana and a hint of apple. The thing that stopped me from actually enjoying the juice was the aftertaste. After the sweetness of the banana and apple started to fade, you were left with nothing but the taste of beet and celery. After taking a few more delicate sips, I decided that my

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best option was to just chug the whole glass, so that’s exactly what I did. A few hours after finishing my juice, I was feeling more energetic than I ever had after eating a heavy breakfast. Lunch went even better than breakfast, I knew what to expect of the juice, there were no surprises. By dinner I had practically mastered the art of drinking juice. Pour it into an opaque cup, drink through a straw and whatever you do, do not smell the juice. If you can’t see or smell it, you can’t psyche yourself out. Overall, I was feeling quite optimistic about me being able to get through the next day without having a complete mental breakdown.

Day 2:

Breakfast was admittedly harder than the previous day. The juice looked nastier, smelled nastier and, as expected, tasted far worse. But I followed

my self-discovered tips and got through my breakfast glass without any trouble.

In contrast to the day before, my hours following breakfast were quite volatile.

One hour I would be bouncing off the walls, and the next I would be just about ready to pass out on the floor. I took an afternoon nap after my lunch juice, but by dinner time I was starving. I hastily drank my juice along with a large glass of water and actually felt pretty satisfied.

By dinner time, my body had for the most part adjusted to this new way of eating. I was no longer having cravings for Chipotle and nachos, getting lightheaded, or dreading drinking my juice.

All in all, I honestly think I could have continued with the juice cleanse for another day or two. If you’re looking for a quick total body detox, this is something I would definitely recommend trying out!

AARON SLIPPER

By Riya Varma Photo by Bella Graves

MATH GENIUS, MUSICAL PRODIGY, THEATRE STAR. You’ve definitely seen him around campus. He’s been starring in Palo Alto High School’s theatrical performances since he was an underclassmen. This senior plays the piano, violin, viola and has been composing music since he was six years old. Math is his passion, and according to him, also an art. Not only is he extremely charming and hilariously witty, but he is also an artist in everything he does. Let’s face it, he is the most interesting person at Paly.

Q: What do you do in your free time?

A: I study math, I practice piano, violin, viola, read economics

on the internet or sing and of course, I’m an avid theatre person.

Q: What are your plans for after high school?

A: I plan to major in math but I will not give up my artsy subjects which I pursue.

Q: So do you think you’ll do theatre in college?

A: Yes, most emphatically. Though I probably won’t major in it.

Q: Where are you planning to go to college?

A: I suppose I’ll sound like a real prick [for] saying my first

choice would be Princeton, if it accepts me, because it has a wonderful theatre and music department and the best math department in the world.

Q: How long have you been musically active for?

A: I started piano [at] age five, was composing by age six, and started violin [at age] six. I started taking up the viola only around five years ago in addition to violin.

Q: Who is your role model?

A: Galois, Newton, Poincare and Weyl. All mathematicians.

Q: Who is your favorite musical artist?

A: Perelman Heifetz, Menuhin and Zuckerman. For piano,

Lupu Perahia, Horowitz Rubinstein and Barenboim. But this is just scratching the surface.

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?

A: In music, I have written a whole string quartet and violin

concerto. In Math, I managed to discover for myself the poisson summation formula and proved the functional identity of the Riemann zeta function and of the Jacobi theta function.

Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

A: Drinking a cocktail on the beach

[laughs] but I think doing any kind of math, enjoying music, enjoying life generally, enjoying theatre.

CULTURE

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festive films I

Text by Emma Low and Carmelle Bareket-Shavit Photos from Creative Commons

t’s that time of year again, the Christmas tree lots are up, 96.5 is playing holiday music, and the weather is just cold enough to spark the craving for some hot chocolate and holiday-themed movie night with your friends. So to help feed your cravings and get you into the season, the C magazine has put together a list of the 6 best holiday flicks.

Miracle On 34th Street This 1947 film (remade in 1994) focuses on the story of a department store Santa Claus (Edmund Gwenn) who believes he is the real Santa Claus. While most of New York City argues that he is insane and should be locked away in an insane asylum, one lawyer and his daughter fight to prove his innocence.

Miracle on 34th Street is a holiday classic that allows people of all ages to remember the value of imagination.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Elf

This Christmas comedy (2003) is about a man named Buddy (Will Ferrell) who was raised as an elf in Santa’s workshop. This story of an elf contrasts the erfection and happiness that is associated with the myth of Santa Claus, and the unfriendly environment of humanity. Will Ferrell plays a childlike elf who is fascinated by the real world, however gets into trouble with the people he meets along his adventures. For a silly and laugh out loud movie to watch on Christmas, Elf is the perfect film.

The Fiddler On The Roof Serving as an alternative to the many Christmas-based holiday movies, The Fiddler on the Roof is a must see for the Hanukkah holiday. Though this movie was made in 1971, it will never lose its meaning. The message is that although times change and people grow older, the most important aspects of our lives will remain the same. Through many ups and downs we discover that a person must celebrate all of the joyous occasions of their lives. The Fiddler on the Roof is the perfect movie for the holidays, because it brings all families together.

It’s a Wonderful Life In a story of “what if ”, It’s a Wonderful Life shows how everyone is connected, and how the holidays can bring everyone together. Although this movie came out in 1946, it is still broadcasted on television every Christmas, serving as an annual tradition. The story is about a man named George (James Stewart), who is contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve. Luckily, a guardian angel intervenes by pretending he is drowning in the river George was about to plunge into. The guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), uses George’s heroism to show him that he has always put his loved ones ahead of himself, and reveals to him what life would be like without his existence.

Love Actually

Love Actually is a romantic-comedy revolving around the lives of several couples and their journeys together over the Christmas holiday. Although each relationship seems completely separate, all the couples end up coming together in the end. The relationships range from long-term marriages to high school crushes. Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley and Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thomas Sangster and Olivia Olson, Hugh Grant and Martine McCutcheon and finally Colin Firth and Lucia Moniz play the five couples. This is a perfect movie to watch over the holidays because it brings the feelings of friendship, love and holiday cheer. Just like the movie says, “Christmas is all around.”

White Christmas White Christmas is a timeless movie about love and family. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the plot revolves around a successful war-buddy singing duo and a sister singing duo who want to make it big. In an effort to save Phil (Danny Kaye) and Bob’s (Bing Crosby) beloved war general from losing his Vermont inn, the two singing pairs put on a Christmas show. This movie is perfect for the holidays because it promotes love, hope, respect and most of all, snow!

CULTURE

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COVER STORY

Text by Caroline Moley Design by Sophia Moss & Samantha Newell Photos by Sophia Moss, Bella Graves & Creative Commons

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COVER STORY

FINDING A bALANCE

Western, Eastern, Holistic Medicine? Most of us think of these types of medicine as separate, but what if one could combine all three of these healing methods to create the ultimate cure?

It’s all about finding a balance.

In today’s American society, the topic of how to treat mental illness in adolescents has become a heated topic. Many are asking the question, what is the most effective method?

Today, the most common and socially acceptable way to treat teens who suffer from psychiatric disorders is prescription medication.

According to practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Margo Thienemann, the most common mental disorders teens are receiving medication for are ADHD, anxiety and depression. At Paly, psychiatric disorders are prevalent; therefore, many Paly students take prescription medication in order treat their psychiatric disorders. In the past, mental illness was swept under the rug, no one talked about it.

However, today, awareness of mental illness is rapidly growing and treating it has become an important topic.

“Awareness of mental illness has grown. Stigma associated with disorders of anxiety and depression has lessened,” Dr. Thienemann said.

At Paly, students do not feel ashamed about having disorders like ADHD,

anxiety and depression.

Since prescription pills have become routine in so many Paly student’s lives, it is not uncommon to hear students discuss how many pills they are on or why they are on them.

“No one seems to be embarrassed or ashamed about taking pills like Adderall, it is almost normal to take them,” an anonymous Paly student said.

It is fortunate that Paly is such an accepting environment where students do not feel ashamed for taking medication. For teenagers with disorders such as ADHD, anxiety and depression, it is incredibly important for them to understand the disorder they have so that they can know what they need to do in order to treat it. Today, prescription pills are the number one source of relief for teens suffering from mental disorders. However, prescription medication can have negative effects on teens who are too reliant on them.

“Some people do use prescription drugs inappropriately and can become addicted. Taking medicine which is unneeded puts people at risk for side effects when they don't need the benefit,” Dr.

Thieneman said. “All medications have side effects. For example, Ritalin and Adderall may cause stomach aches, headaches, poor appetite, growth suppression, tics, mood symptoms, anxiety.”

It is very natural for teens to want to find the fastest and easiest solution to their problems and, in the case of mental disorders like ADHD, anxiety and depression, prescription pills are the fastest and easiest solution. Therefore, many teens rely solely on prescription pills to cure their disorders while forgetting that there are a number of techniques and methods that along with prescription pills can lead to even greater relief. In a time where the world is more accepting of mental illness than ever before, teens should start to explore all their options.

“I suffer from ADHD and anxiety and most of the time I just take my pills to solve the problem. I do rely on them a lot and don’t really use any other techniques,” an anonymous Paly student said. “I have heard people talk about people being too reliant on pills, which makes me a little nervous to take them. But to be honest pills are the easiest method and I

have not been introduced to other methods.”

There is no question to whether or not prescription medication helps teens —indeed it does— but it shouldn’t be the only method that teens use to ease their mental disorders.

There are multiple forms of therapy that along with prescription medication have helped many people who suffer from ADHD, anxiety and depression.

“Non-medication ‘talk’ therapies for anxiety and depression in teens have been developed that are scientifically proven to help. They include Cognitive Behavior Therapy for anxiety and depression, Interpersonal Therapy for Adolescents for depression and Dialectical Behavior Therapy for trouble with emotion regulation problems, which can lead to behaviors such as cutting,” Dr. Thienemann said.

Another form of therapy that is completely safe and has been known to help people with a variety of mental disorders is acupuncture. Many Paly students are unfamiliar with acupuncture, a healing art that originated in China COVER STORY

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The C Magazine conducted an anonymous survey from a sample of 208 Paly students:

32% of Paly students suffer from either ADHD, an anxiety disorder or depression

in China around 4,000 years ago.

“Today sterilized disposable needles are used to stimulate selected acupuncture points in order to precisely balance and regulate the functions of the body,” licensed acupuncturist and registered nurse, Colleen Murphy said. “Employing several different diagnostic techniques, the acupuncturist determines the cause of the problem and then selects from more than 1,000 acupuncture points to bring forth the body’s own intrinsic healing energies.”

Murphy believes that the key to relieving mental illnesses, like ADHD, anxiety and depression, is to get to the root of problem by creating a balance within the body, “Acupuncture addresses the root of the problem, thereby seeking to achieve a more lasting and balanced state of health for the individual,” Murphy said. “Contrast this with suppressing or disguising symptoms using drugs or other artificial means. This balance

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Paly students have never had an experience with acupuncture

17%

of Paly students have visited a psychiatrist

then allows the individual to maintain an optimum level of physical, mental and spiritual health without undue outside assistance.”

Murphy studied western style medicine as a nurse and then studied eastern style medicine as an acupuncturist. With a knowledge of both forms, Murphy believes that the two forms of medicine should be combined so that people can receive the most affective results.

“It is the time of global medicine when east and west come together to create the best results,” Murphy said.

“Just as communication is global, medicine should be too.”

Acupuncture is not the only alternative to the answer of how to treat mental illness; some people with mental disorders have turned to holistic psychiatry, also known as integrative psychiatry, in order to relieve their symptoms. Similar to acupuncture, a majority of Paly students have never heard of or been exposed to holistic medicine.

According to Dr. Suruchi Chandra, who specializes in

91%

of Paly students know someone who takes prescription medication for ADHD, anxiety and depression

holistic psychiatry, there are many differences between holistic psychiatry and conventional psychiatry.

“In holistic psychiatry we look for the underlying causes to psychiatric symptoms and address issues in the whole body, not just the central nervous system. For example, there is increasing evidence for the connection between gastrointestinal health and psychiatric conditions,” Dr. Chandra said. “Holistic treatment approaches are usually more gentle, incorporating herbs, supplements and lifestyle modification, such as diet, meditation and exercise.”

Dr. Chandra believes that prescription medication and conventional psychiatry do help people with psychiatric issues like ADHD, anxiety and depression; however, she thinks the flaws of both prescription medication and conventional psychiatry is that they only cover up the symptoms of mental disorders without addressing the prime causes. Therefore, Dr. Chandra switched from a being a conventional psychiatrist to a being a holistic psychiatrist because, in her opinion holistic psychiatry does not just hide the symptoms, but it focuses on the root of the problem.

“Many of my patients had debilitating symptoms

that required medications for years. When they came off the medications, symptoms often came back because we had not looked at and addressed the underlying causes.

And while conventional approaches often helped reduce symptoms, I did not often see patients experience optimal health and wellness with just medications and or talk therapy,” Dr. Chandra said. “I was especially concerned about the long term use of psychiatric medications in childhood and adolescence, when the nervous system is still developing.”

Many teens with psychiatric issues have found prescription medication to prove successful, which is fantastic. However, it is also essential that teens explore other safe and credible methods of relief so that they can have access to numerous tools to help them battle disorders such as ADHD, anxiety and depression. Prescription pills, conventional psychiatry, acupuncture and holistic psychiatry have all brought immense relief to many people with psychiatric disorders.

Therefore, people should not limit themselves to one method. Instead people should realize that various methods of relief can coexist, thus, people should explore and test all their options to find the perfect balance.

“I have heard people talk about people being too reliant on pills, which makes me a little nervous to take them, but to be honest, pills are the easiest method and I have not been introduced to other methods.�

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Lululemon Co-Founder Blames Womens’ Bodies

Text by Olivia Vort Photo by Creative Commons

A

re your lululemon yoga pants wearing thin in certain areas? It may just be because of your fat thighs rubbing together and putting unnecessary pressure on the material.

At least that is essentially what Lululemon’s co-founder, Chip Wilson, let all his buyers know in November. Wilson suggested that his clothing wasn’t suited for some womens’ body shapes, specifically larger women, creating a world-wide controversy when many customers reacted strongly.

During an interview on Bloomberg TV’s “Street Smart,” Wilson was asked about recent complaints about the sheerness of the material and problems with pilling.

“Frankly some women’s bodies just don’t actually work for [Lululemon products],” Wilson said.

Even though the interviewer looked at him in shock, he continued, “They don’t work for some women’s bodies; it’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure there is over a period of time [and] how much they use it.”

Lululemon was forced to recall a line of popular yoga pants in June of 2013 because women were complaining that when they bent over, especially in the downward-dog yoga position, their pants became see -through. Since the June recall, Lululemon has been attempting to make a come

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back after such bad publicity, but Wilson’s comment only diminished their popularity even further.

Within a week of Wilson’s comment, a petition appeared on the Lululemon Facebook page demanding Wilson make a video apologizing for his offensive comments. Wilson released a video in which he appeared monotonously explaining how “sad” he was that his behavior caused bad publicity for the business and how disappointed he was that his employees have had to deal with the backlash resulting from his comments. However, he never once apologized for offending his customers.

In a 2005 interview with the Calgary Herald Newspaper, Wilson said plus sizes take 30% more fabric to create, which means, were he to offer plus sizes, he would have to charge higher prices for them. He asserted, that rather than offending women by charging them more, he would simply not offer plus sizes.

The fact of the matter is that the plus size market generates $19.4 billion in women’s clothing sales per year, according to figures from the New Product Development Group. That is 18% of the women’s clothing market.

Lululemon is still very

The C Magazine conducted a random survey consisting of a selection of 200 Paly Students:

Students who wear Lululemon

Students who wear Lucy

Students who wear yoga pants to school and to exercise

Students who wear other brands

Students who wear Gap

Students who will never buy from Lululemon ever again

Students who will still buy from Lululemon, but will also look for alternative brands

Students who wear Athleta

popular, regardless of Wilson’s attitude towards a certain type of customer.

His comment is most offensive because he is saying that Lululemon is a company that is only targeted towards the women who have a thigh gap, which is a feature typically found on thin women.

Wilson’s loyal customers provided feedback on pants that they have purchased from a company that they love, but instead of pledging to offer a product that meets the client’s needs, Wilson arrogantly responds by telling complaining customers that they should not purchase Lululemon pants all together.

Not only is it rude for a CEO to blame the wearer rather than the product, but it is also bad for business.

While some women may retaliate by not shopping at Lululemon, many women won’t be taking it to such a level of anger and will continue to buy Lululemon products.

Lululemon clothing is marketed mainly towards yoga, but it’s doubtful that Wilson ever learned how to incorporate the five principles of yoga in his everyday life: relaxation, exercise, breathing, diet and meditation.

It would be a good idea for Wilson to relax his ego, exercise better common sense, breathe some modesty and go on a strict diet of high quality business standards, before he blurts his opinions on national television.

By Maggie Zheng Your Shawty: Girlfriends come with all sorts of personalities; whether it be a globetrotter or an orchestra geek, a tall soccer player or a petite intellectual. No matter what kind of person she is, your girlfriend is ultimately a woman, and that means she is the more complicated gender to shop for. Your gift could be easily disliked if it is simply one notch away from your girl’s discriminative bubble of things she likes. However, one gift you can always resort to are bouquets of joy because they can never go wrong; not only are flowers romantic, but they can seem like a very grand gesture (esp. if presented to your significant other in a public milieu such as Union Square, followed by a kiss as the Christmas lights twinkle in the backdrop—wowza, a Broadway scene right there!) The safest type of flower are roses and peonies, of course. For a more exotic girl who prefers to stay out of the norm, present her with beautiful birds of paradise! For the cheapskates out there who don’t want to squander their money on flowers that will wither in a few days, silk flowers prove the best. And, one could always opt for the perfect prelude to a steamy night...the classic “D**k in a box” trick (please refer back to Justin Timberlake’s SNL skit).

Mommy: For those who are spoiled and do not appreciate their mother’s cooking, this is your chance to give a subtle hint for tastier meals, rather than stale casseroles and burnt pizzas. Help your mother channel her inner housewife by presenting her with a cookbook or cooking utensils. On the flipside, for a housewife who is constantly stressed out, the best gift would be a spa certificate. These power-women rarely reserve time to relax in the midst of handling armfuls of screaming toddlers and house chores, so giving them the opportunity to elope into a zen world of serenity and peace would be much appreciated.

Brother: It’s one of those things that parents give to their children as a gag gift to film and upload onto Jimmy Kimmel’s annual “I Gave my Kid Horrible Presents” video compilation: socks. However, you must not be joking when you hand a box full of this glorious clothing article to your brother, because after all, your brother probably does not expect much from you anyway. For further customization, choose from the plethora of patterns and materials of socks. Trust me, you’d be surprised to find how many interesting socks there are out on the market…

Daddy: No matter how old they are, dads all share a universal wish: the chance to go on a familyouting without their rebellious teenagers who are embarrassed to go out in public with them.

So, show your dads some love by running errands or doing typical dad activities such as going on bike rides or rock-climbing with them.

Be proud of it, too!

Sister: You know what they say, a sister is a best friend for life. This means that you better start cementing a close relationship so that in the future when you’re broke, she cannot say no when you try borrowing money from her. If you want your annoying little sister (or older sister, for that matter) to stop stealing your beloved clothes whenever you are not looking, this is your chance to buy her a closet of her own by giving her a gift card to her favorite store. As to which stores are best? That is up to your intuition.

Your Boo: The key to your boyfriend’s heart is undoubtedly food. Go to the nearest drugstore and grab all of the hot cheetos and greasy finger foods off the shelves and shove them all into a basket from your mother’s cleaning closet.

Though you may or may not be mistaken as a caveman while doing that, you can still gracefully tie a cute girly ribbon around the basket to give it the finale touch. Ta-da! Your boyfriend is bound to love you even more after this.

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Finals Study Tips

Text by Pauline Na Photo by Maggie Zheng

With dreaded finals fast approaching, there are only a set amount of days to make sure you’re prepared for those big tests. Whether it be science, math, history or english, we all could use a little help when it comes to hunkering down and getting our study on. Here are a few tips to get you on the right track towards bumping up those borderline grades!

1.

Power down

Whether you like to admit or not, we all

work best when we don’t have anything to distract us. So exit out of that Netflix window (yeah you), stop playing Candy Crush and turn off those pesky electronic devices. For those who study best with music, don’t fret, I haven’t forgotten about you.

Create a playlist that you can study to. Nothing too loud or distracting. Make sure the playlist is extensive enough that you don’t fine yourself tiring out of it quickly. Now, you can simply press play and step away while your personalized study playlist keeps you focused on the task at hand.

Tip: The most effective types of music for keeping you focused while studying are classical, jazz and instrumental.

2.

When it comes to finals, you should never be hesitant to ask a teacher, friend or family member for help. Forming a study group will benefit both you and others in it. If you are having trouble remembering or understanding a concept, you should ask. Your teacher will be glad that you are asking rather than ignoring the fact that you don’t know some material. If you don’t ask for help, the only person it will affect is you, and not in a good way.

3.

Tip: Use studying tools that will be effective for you. For ex-

ample, if you are more of a visual learner, make a power point or diagram.

4.

5.

Study in chunks

We’ve all done it: pulled all-nighters to cram for that big exam. While this may work for unit tests, quizzes, etc. it would be ill-advised to try it for finals. With three days of continual testing, you wouldn’t be getting any sleep and as a result, you would most likely be unable to perform to the best of your ability when test time comes around. My advice to you? Start studying ahead of time. Studying 30-50 minutes a day, a week or two before finals will be incredibly beneficial. Whether it be working on a study guide, making yourself some flash cards or reading through notes, anything you can do will help in the long run.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Motivate yourself

I hate to say it, but the only way you’ll be able to effectively study for finals is if you want to. In the end, no one can force you or feed you all the information. So, if you’re having trouble finding the right motivation, set some goals for yourself. For example, if you get a tricky problem right, reward yourself with some sort of treat such as a snack. If you’ve been studying for a consecutive half hour, take a 5-10 min. break and check your phone. If you have memorized all your flashcards, go out and do something you enjoy such as running, yoga, etc. Each person will have something unique to themselves that serves as their best mode of motivation, so make sure you figure out what that is!

Switch it up

This may seem weird to some, but studying is most effective when you switch up your surroundings every so often. For example, if you usually do work in your room, try moving out to the dining table, library, a local coffee shop or a friends house. Why, you ask? Your room is where you go to sleep, it’s where you wind down and relax. Thus, whenever you try to do work in there, both your body and mind will naturally begin to get tired. Tired is not something you want to be feeling when you are trying to get your study on. Also, there are an infinite number of distractions in your room (a.k.a. your bed and your computer) so removing yourself from that environment will help you get more work done.

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HOROSCOPES DECODED Text by Talia Brown Photo by Creative Commons

For some people, horoscopes are just entertaining page fillers in the back of a magazine that sometimes provide eerily on-point predictions of your life. But for others, horoscopes are an imperative aspect of their belief system. The C Magazine met with Paly Senior and budding astrologist, Amanda Aldridge to gain insight on this fascinating perspective.

“Basically, when you look up your horoscope online you’re just looking at your Sun sign, but you have three bigger signs that represent who you are – your Sun sign, your Moon sign, and your Ascendant sign,” Aldridge said. “If you ever go on your horoscope and feel ‘Hey this is not me, this didn’t happen,’ that’s because you have two other signs that influence what is happening in your day and in your life.”

Your Moon sign is determined by the sign of the zodiac where the moon is located during the time and date of your birth. The Moon sign expresses your emotional state; it describes your inner-self and reveals your hidden instincts. In astrology, the moon sign is associated with the subconscious. This is the piece of you that responds to feelings, habit and instinct. Forecasts based on the moon sign tend to predict circumstances in your private life. Because the Moon sign targets one’s experiences directly, most individuals are bound to resonate deeper than those of the Sun sign alone.

“Your ascendant sign is who people see you as when they meet you – your outward self,” Aldridge said.

The Ascendant sign describes your temperament, perspective on the world, and public persona; it is the side of one’s character that is most willingly shown to the outside world.

Readings based on Ascendant signs are the most descriptive and accurate regarding the circum-

stances of your life and immediate future. This is typically the point of your horoscope at which your mind gets blown.

“If you really want to go in-depth, there are degrees to each sign,” Aldridge laughs. “For example, in my Moon Sign I’m a Cancer and when I go ‘in degrees’ it starts to also describe physical features. The first time I did this I was like ‘Holy crap, what the heck; this is me, this is creepy.’ It helps to have someone walk you through it at first.”

When you research your signs make sure you are aware of the exact minute you were born; even the discrepancy of a minute can alter your entire finding. Additionally, you also need to know where you were born, because the location of the moon and sun are dependent on time zones.

And of course you will need to know your actual birthday in order to discover the correct Sun sign and begin the process.

Aldridge also mentioned how our everyday prejudices can affect our view on Astrology.

“You may not agree with other people’s astrological description because you don’t really see them for who they are.” Aldridge said.

Many view astrology as a fun way to trip themselves out, but it can truly guide people towards a better life in a time of need or during a phase of confusion.

The C Magazine did some research to find the best online calculators for finding your moon, sun, and ascendant sign. After much deliberation we decided on http://www.alabe.com/freechart/.

But, your best bet to an accurate reading is to meet with a professional astrologer which we have plenty of locally. So, whether you are looking for fun or insight into your unconscious mind, all you need to do is grab your computer and get calculating!

“Horoscopes give you insight to who you are and your life path,” –Amanda Aldridge

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Artist of the Month:

By Nikki Freyermuth Photo provided by Ross Cardillo

Ross Cardillo

In the midst of Paly’s 2000+ students, Ross Cardillo is far from the ordinary. Instead of playing the piano, guitar or drums, he writes and produces raps under the stage name DGA (Dopest Gringo Alive) that are intertwined with a variation of genres and sounds for a truly mindblowing effect.

Not only does he create musical art, he also spends a fair amount of time working with visuals and graphic design. He uses multiple applications including InDesign, PhotoShop and Illustrator for graphic design. These various computer applications allow one to take different images and combine them while transforming and editing them.

The possibilities are almost endless which allows an artist to really stretch their imagination. For producing his music, Cardillo uses a software called Logic and also often samples tunes from Garageband.

“Musically I make hip hop, rap and produce some,” Cardillo said. “Visually, I make digital art where I use a lot of techniques similar to how I make music, where I sample lots of images and mix them together to create a new image.”

Cardillo uses this methodology of mixing together different genres and images to create a kind of staple style weaving separate pieces of art. The end product is then an interesting new track or image that has sampled many different things.

“My friend [Finn Mayer] is also really into rapping. [He] goes to middle college so I’ve met a lot of musicians and people from middle college through him and have worked with or will work with them soon.”

Cardillo began his hobby of rapping in 7th grade and has continued to develop raps all throughout high school. For the past couple years he has been working with a few friends who go by the stage

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names Soul Cousin (Finn Mayer) and Underbelly (Timmy Linetsky).

“[I took] band classes in middle school, which is where I really started enjoying jazz music and that’s one of the points where I started broadening my taste in music,” Cardillo said. “That’s influenced me a lot in how to make music and what to listen to. Now I listen to pretty much every style of music and am influenced by all of it.”

When using a mixture of all types of music and appreciating every genre, you can hear a variation of sounds and melodies in Cardillo’s musical creations that you can’t find in many old school hip hop songs.

Modern hip hop has a different tone to it, which is what Cardillo is trying to capture while combining beats but still sticking to traditional style.

In most of his tracks you can find inspiration from the current style of Das Racist’s beats, the authenticity and passion shown with Brother Ali, Mos Def and Common, the musical experiments of RJD2 and a splash of Simon and Garfunkel along with other jazzy tunes that come together to create Cardillo’s desired style of music.

Cardillo combines his love for music and graphic designs by creating his own album covers along with other visuals for his possible rapping and production career in the future.

“Graphic design wise I really like graffiti and hip hop art.” Cardillo said. “I could just say I like Banksy and stuff but basically I just like artists who like to criticize the norms of society.”

Cardillo mentioned Banksy, a European street artist whose main goal is to highlight and criticize social norms such as war, economic issues and more with dark humor and graffiti in order to make

Finn Mayer (Left), Ross Cardillo (Middle), Timmy Linetsky (Right).

“

new school, old school, opera, erotic - ross cardillo

”

Want to hear Cardillo’s upcoming EP? Check out his website for his most recent work.

people take a second glance and think about what they are brushing off as nothing.

Creating art that gives a compelling message is a common mission for many artists. The ones that speak out the most are those that take risks and attract a lot of attention due to controversial topics that others are too afraid to shine light upon .

“[Modern rappers are] just really really irreverent about everything and I feel like at this stage and how old hip hop [and art] is, you kind of have to be irreverent in order to say anything interesting,” Cardillo said.

Other than a slim chance of a gap year, Cardillo is planning on going to a four year college in the hopes of studying the music industry and possibly design. He hopes to learn about self-promotion in order to create a life of his own while incorporating his talents with rapping, producing and graphic design. His multitude of talents broadens his artistic side and allows room for a creative and innovative mind.

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