C Magazine Vol. 3 Edition 5

C

TheCampanileA&EMagazine

Interracial couples at Paly

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Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, We are very proud to bring you the fifth edition of C Magazine! We have worked very hard to bring you this edition and we are extremely thankful that you, our readers, keep reading and enjoying C Magazine. On this welcoming note, we would like to introduce our newest members of the crew: Ahana Ganguly, Tara Madhav, Chelsea McIntosh, Reilly Filter, Rima Parekh, and Jenny Zhuge.

Looking around campus, we see many teenagers linking arms, embracing and kissing. Of course, these are normal occurrences among hormonally-raging and swooning teenagers who’re eager to give love a chance and a toss in their high school years. But a closer look reveals that while some couples share the same racial background and cultural upbringing, others couldn’t be more contrasting.

In this edition, we delve into the topic of biracial couples at Palo Alto High School. Years ago, Verde magazine had already covered this aspect, but we’d like to reintroduce it with a modern and current update; compared to a few years ago, the number of biracial and multiethnic couples has dramatically increased. C Magazine was fortunate enough to interview some of these lovebirds at Paly and write about how their races and cultural backgrounds affect their relationship. Readers will also get some inside scoop on a few of Palo Alto’s best weekend study cafe’s and an April fools guide to some tricky treats.

We hope you enjoy this edition of C Magazine and a relaxing spring break!

Maggie Zheng & Olivia Vort Editors-in-Chief

Editors-in-Chief Olivia Vort Maggie Zheng Business Managers & Creative Directors Carmelle Bareket-Shavit Kallee Bareket-Shavit TEXT EDITOR Frida Schaefer Bastian Maya Benatar Design Editor Clara de Martel PHOTO EDITOR Emma Low STAFF WRITERS Clara Chiu Katie Douty Reilly Filter Ahana Ganguly Maya Kandell Tara Madhav Larkin McDermott Chelsea McIntosh Huda Navaid Rima Parekh Emma Scott Katya Sigal Charlee Stefanski Teddie Stewart Alex Weinstein Jenny Zhuge ADVISOR Esther Wojcicki

Corrections:

Letters to the Editors

On Page 2, in the letter from the editors, Theodosia Stewart’s name is incorrectly spelled as Theodocia.

C Magazine welcomes letters to the editor.

Letters must be signed and the staff reserves the right to edit submissions. Send letters to: magazine2014@googlegroups dot com.

On Page 9, “to” is accidently omitted from the lyrics that junior Russell Star-Lack composed. The lyrics should be “This is only supposed to take a semester [...]” instead of “This is only supposed take a semester [...]”

Get in touch with C Magazine by following us on Facebook. Simply scan the QR code below.

On Page 13, IVSN is incorrectly spelled as ISVN. On Page 19, Teddie Stewart’s name is incorrectly spelled as Teddy Stewart.

On Page 25, boba store T4 is incorrectly spelled as Tea4.

C Magazine

Food

4 5

Sunday Homework Café: Come explore the different coffee shops and foodie niches around the area. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite!

Table of Contents

April Fools Food: This April1st, ditch the old toilet and saran wrap trick and adopt new methods of pranking your friends and enemies. . . using food!

Culture

6

The Feminine Innuendo: Have you ever wondered why certain everyday necessities are associated with different genders?

Clara Chiu came to an epiphany when she saw that guys rarely sport the unisex Hunters rainboots during the wet season.

7

In God Some of Us Trust: Ahana Ganguly raises a well-founded argument in this piece, where she fights for equality on the American penny.

8-9

POM: Sophia Adeyemo: Sophomore Sophia Adeyemo is unbelievably talented in photography, and she has a story to tell.

10

Random Acts of Kindness: A kind reminder that the expression and action of being caring to others is crucial to human interaction.

11

Feminism: Girls stalking their exes and shaming the guys’ new girlfriends are natural and highly common occurences, but why do we do this? And why is it wrong? Teddie Stewart explains.

12-13

Conservative Paly: As a politically blue sea of waving rainbow flags and hipster liberals, California’s Bay Area is undoutedly democratic. But what about denizens of the other end of the spectrum?

14-15

Drinking Age in Different Countries: How does the age that people can legally drink in the United States compare to those of other countries? The statistics are presented and the findings are interesting.

16-18

Biracial Couples: This edition’s cover story focuses on the multiethnical relationships between Paly students coming from different racial backgrounds and cultural upbringings.

A garden can be rented and cultivated at the Midtown Community Organic Gardens, shown here. (Photo: Emma Low)

Arts & Entertainment

20 21

Community Gardens in Palo Alto: Ever knew you could rent a plot of public land and proceed to grow whatever you wanted (except cannabis) on it? Now you do.

March Playlist: Don’t be fooled by the title, because this does not remotely have anything to do with marching bands, mariachi bands, or the sort.

22 23 24 25 26 27

How to Pack for Coachella: Katie Douty’s sense of humor is blaring loud and funny in this piece, where she shares exclusive tips on preparing and surviving Coachella.

7 Chakras: If you feel off or low in energy your problem might be that your chakras are unaligned. Learn more about what you can do.

Creative Ways to Ask People to Prom: Don’t be boring (and rude!) and ask with a text. Step up your promposal game!

Workout Places in Palo Alto: Workout buffs can refer to this piece to see which place gets the best review from fitness veteran Chelsea McIntosh.

Jon Stewart: Political intellectuals will forever miss our favorite politics broadcaster (aside from the already gone Stephen Colbert.)

Which Kardashian are You? Are you sexy Kim K? Or perhaps petite and tolerant Kourtney? Or, maybe, you are the doppelganger of the youngest and most rambunctious Khloe?

Food

Sunday Homework Cafes

Text by Olivia Vort and Frida Schaefer-Bastian Design by Olivia Vort and Carmelle Bareket-Sahvit

Pampelmousse

Soy Latte ($3.45) Cappucino ($2.80) Coffee Cake Muffin ($2.65) House Granola and Yogurt ($5.95) Trendy and stylish breakfast cafe with French inspired pastries and breakfast.

2401 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063 Hours: Monday-Saturday 7:00am- 6:00pm Sunday : 8:00am – 5:00pm

Bean Scene

Nutella Banana Crepe ($5.45) Contemporary spot for a cup of hot chocolate and a delicious crepe. Bean Scene is the perfect spot to do some homework on a sunny day!

500 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041 Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:00am-6:00pm Saturday: 8:30am-4:30pm Sunday: 9:00am-4:00pm

La PanotiQ

One of the pastry glasses at Pampelmousse

Opera Cake ($5.00) Family-owned bakery and cafe serving French style pastries and drinks.

331 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041 Hours: Monday-Sunday: 7am-10pm 4 food

Red Rock Coffee Company

The red walls set a hip atmosphere for where art and live music are served with coffee and snacks.

201 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041 Hours: Monday-Thursday: 7:00am-10:00pm Friday: 7:00am-11:00pm Saturday: 8:00am-11:00pm Sunday: 8:00am-8:00pm

Dana Street Cafe

Banana mocha with mexican chocolate ($3.35) A relaxed cafe with specialty and housemade blends along with light eats. There is also free wifi and live jazz.

744 W Dana St, Mountain View, CA 94041 Hours: Monday-Thursday: 6:30am-10:00pm Friday: 6:30am-11:00pm Saturday: 8:00am-11:00pm Sunday: 8:00am-5:00pm

Cafe Alana

Cinnamon Apples ($2.95) A cozy Victorian style house with a garden and patio.

1020 Main St, Redwood City, CA 94063 Hours: Monday- Friday: 7:00am-2:00pm Saturday-Sunday: 8:00am-2:00pm

April Fool’s Food Hamburger cookies

Text and design by Maya Benatar and Jennifer Zhuge

For Friends: Jello drink

Ingredients: (3 ounce) box red Jell-O 2 clear plastic cups (10 oz. size or larger) 2 flexible plastic straws Directions: 1. Prepare the the Jell-O following directions on the box; pour the liquid into the cups.

2. Stick a straw in each cup, and place cups in refrigerator to set overnight.

For f ri

end s

ends

f ri For

ends

f ri For

Chicken not-pie

Ingredients: 1 (4 1/2 inch ) aluminum foil potpie tin 1 refrigerated pie crust Aluminum foil 1 egg 2 tablespoons water 1 (3-4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding 1 yellow and 2 orange Starburst candies 1 green chewy Jolly Rancher 1 banana 1-2 dried apple rings Directions: 1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pie crust and pie top in pie tin. Crimp the dough with the fork and poke a few holes in the crust.

2. Beat the egg with the water and brush the mixture over the dough.

3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes and cool completely.

4. Prepare pudding according package instructions and refrigerate.

5. Cut Starburst and Jolly Ranchers into quarters. Cut apple rings into 1/2 inch wide pieces. Peel and slice bananas into 1/4 inch thick pieces.

6. Spoon 2/3 cup of pudding in to pie crust.

7. Add the filling elements and piecrust top. Serve!

(makes 24 burgers) Ingredients: 24 green “Rips” candies 24 red “Rips” candies (red and green come in the same package) ½ teaspoon water 48 vanilla wafers 24 york mint patties 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 24 orange starburst Directions: 1. Place 24 wafers on a large plate face up and place a peppermint patty on each one.

2. Add one green “Rips” on top 3. Chop starburst in half the long way (so you have two thin squares) and flatten them with the back of the spoon (cheese).

4. Place starburst pieces on top of “Rips”.

5. Paint the top of the remaining wafers with a little bit of water and sprinkling on sesame seeds.

6. Place finished “top buns” on top of starburst cheese and serve.

For fo es

Deviled eggs with mustard

For Foes:

The orignal toothpaste Oreos

1.

2.

3.

4.

Ingrdients: Oreos Tube of toothpaste Directions: Open the oreas and use a knife to scrape out the filling replace the filling with toothpaste Put the oreo cookies back to make them Look like regular oreos Good as “new”!

1.

For fo es

2.

3.

4.

5.

Ingredients: Hard-boiled egg Mustard Sugar Butter Chili powder Chives Directions: In a bowl, mix mustard, sugar, and butter To the consistency of normal deviled egg filling Split the egg in half Scoop out the yolk with a spoon Fill in your batter in the hole Top with chives and chili powder

Food 5

culture

boots and bros

Text and design by Clara Chiu and Frida Schaefer Bastian Illustration by Maggie Zheng

T

his one goes out to all you guys out there. As girls, we admit that we may see things from a different perspective than you, but nevertheless, we wish to share what we’ve observed about guys not wearing, using, or doing something practical or fun simply because of a social stigma that stands behind it.

Have you ever noticed that there are many products, events, and concessions that boys have strayed away from because of the feminine connotation that these things have obtained over time?

First we asked ourselves the question: Why is it that almost no guys wear rain boots on rainy days at school?

The best explanation we could come up with is that rain boots have been labeled as “feminine,” making them less appealing in the eyes of males. This label has impacted their reputation for boys because, in general, boys don’t wish to be associated with the words “feminine” and “girly.”

When a girl does something that is considered masculine, guys often think that it’s cool because it allows them to relate to that girl more easily. Meanwhile, if a guy does something “girly” they are often made fun of by their male peers for being immasculine.

Aside from the rainboots dilemma, we’ve also noticed this assignment of gender roles in other places. Like many other girls, we

6 Culture

love Starbucks, and sometimes when we go (which is quite frequently), we bring our guy friends. They usually order a black coffee or an iced tea, while we love the chai latte. One time, we had just received our drinks and were sipping them with great enjoyment. The guys then moved in to “try” our chais and ended up drinking the rest.

When we asked them why they didn’t just order one for themselves, they responded by saying, “It’s just not a manly drink.”

Lastly, we’ve noticed that it is completely acceptable for a group of girls to go to a stereotypically masculine event, like a sports game together, but it is not particularly socially acceptable for a group of boys to go to a stereotypically female event like a play, musical, or an art exhibit together.

Why has our culture created the stigma that certain forms of arts and entertainment are reserved for girls? (Like joining C Mag— cough, cough.) Everyone enjoys watching a play and following an interesting storyline, so why give them a specific gender affiliation?

We finally realized the problem. Things that should be gender neutral only became gender-affiliated when we as a community made them that way. Coming to this realization, however, is not enough. Once made aware of these stigmas, we must be careful not to perpetuate them ourselves (not even with this article).

Now here’s the part that will blow your

mind. Because we, as a community, created these stigmas, we have the power to reverse them with our attitude and behavior. We have a hard time believing that the creator of rain boots said, “Only girls should keep their feet dry, so only girls can wear this product.” Rain boots are for anyone with feet and anyone who doesn’t want them to get wet. Same goes for the inventors of chai lattes and writers of musicals.

Let’s be clear. This story is not meant to be yet another cliché wear-whatever-expresses-you-and-be-yourself-and-confident-with-what-you-wear story. It’s much larger than that. It’s about breaking the gender stereotypes that go along with everyday objects that serve practical purposes or events that can be enjoyable for either gender.

Guys and girls should notice how our society has put restrictions on both genders, and realize that we are the generation that can break these gender barriers and wear, drink, and enjoy whatever we want. Although it may be easier to just go along with the status quo, question what it is that you’re doing, and, if you don’t like it, change it.

It is with our whole hearts that we encourage all of you to take action. If you’re a girl, take your best guy friend to Starbucks and encourage him to order the chai he so badly wants but is too afraid to get. Go to a musical, guys, and while you’re at it, wear those new rain boots. C

Text and Design by Ahana Ganguly Art by Maya Kandell

O

ur country prides itself on freedom of religion, yet our national motto is “In God We Trust”.

This motto should be removed from our currency; it discriminates against atheists, agnostics, and polytheists, it is unconstitutional, and it projects an inaccurate message about American culture.

According to the United States Department of the Treasury, the slogan was originally instituted in 1864 because of the increased religious enthusiasm during the Civil War, and has been in place ever since.

The slogan “In God We Trust” was instituted as the nation’s motto 150 years ago.

Now, nonbelievers and religiously unaffiliated individuals make up about a third of the population of the United States (according to a 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center), and the “we” in the motto is as noninclusive as ever. In effect, millions of citizens are given the message that they are considered outsiders every time they use money. Clearly, citing a specific religion on our currency would be considered inappropriate; for example, if the motto read “In Jesus We Trust,” the outcry would be overwhelming. Why, then, is it acceptable to exclude a huge chunk of our population in the same manner?

Currency is a medium of trade, and through trade with countless different individuals, organizations, and even countries, a country’s currency comes to represent its culture and people. The motto “In God We Trust” is misrepresenting a large number of

United States citizens — many don’t believe in a god. This message of inequality is not one we would like to convey. Instead, we should convey a message of equality and freedom, a principle that has been fundamental to the United States since day one.

The motto is unconstitutional, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation agrees; Co-President Dan Barker makes the point that our government is prohibited from endorsing religion over nonreligion, and that the motto violates this principle. It is made clear in the Constitution that the United States is a secular nation and that church and state should be kept separate, but with “In God We Trust” emblazoned on our currency, we contradict ourselves.

Some say that it would hurt believers and religious people if the motto was removed, but this is untrue. Believers can continue their practices without it being announced on our currency, and atheists, agnostics and polytheists can use money without feeling excluded or victimized.

Others say the motto should be kept because the United States was founded on Christian principles and with God in mind, but times have changed: a significant part of the population is not religious, and not all Americans agree with Christian principles.

“In God We Trust” should be removed and perhaps replaced with the original, more inclusive “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “out of many, one.” America should promote equality, not an outdated message that misrepresents a large portion of the population.

We should convey a message of equality and freedom, a principle that has been fundamental to the United States since day one.

Atheists do not believe in the existence of a god or gods.

Agnostics believe that the existence of a greater power cannot be proved or disproved.

Polytheists believe in the existence of multiple gods.

culture 7

Person of the month:

I

n today’s society, social media has the power to highlight talented artists. The number of followers and likes an artist has and receives can determine their popularity, and for Palo Alto High School (Paly) sophomore Sophia Adeyemo, social media is a clear indicator of her success as a photographer.

She is known as “16seconds” on her Instagram and website, where she receives acclamation for her artistry. What began as a creative interest has evolved into a passion for conceptual portrait photography (a type of photography staged to represent an idea).

Adeyemo’s love for photography has flourished, along with her skills with the camera.

“I love photographing humans and find them to be fascinating and full of character. I also love capturing the beauty of people and making them have an appreciation for themselves,” Adeyemo said.

Adeyemo was inspired to take pictures by a close friend who had developed an interest in photography. Adeyemo has been well supported and encouraged by her family and several friends. Her family has helped with

8 culture

expenses and the launch of a website in order for her to gain more popularity and recognition.

“I started taking pictures with my iPhone, and then I hinted to my family that I really wanted a camera. So my grandparents saved up and bought me a Nikon D3200 for Christmas when I was 14,” Adeyemo said.

With the help of her mother, Adeyemo created her website called www.16seconds. com. The website displays a variety of photoshoots she’s had with clients, as well as the prices for some of the different packages she has to offer. Her current clients consist of students at Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School.

“My models are my peers. Sometimes kids contact me, some are close friends and sometimes I ask someone whom I think would be interesting to photograph, ” Adeyemo said.

Sophomore model Maggie Renteria has had a positive experience and truly enjoyed working with Adeyemo.

“I think that she is incredibly talented and that she doesn’t give herself enough credit for what she does,” Renteria said. “She is re-

Text by Reilly Filter Design by Charlee Stefanski Photos by Sophia Adeyemo

ally creative and always comes up with these cool themes and styles that turn out looking super cool.”

When shooting, Adeyemo tends to work with an idea based off of one of her favorite magazines or photographers. When taking both conceptual and traditional pictures, she edits the original images using Photoshop Cs4.

Adeyemo shares photos on her photography Instagram account, as well as on her recently launched website. As of March 2015, Adeyemo has around 8,000 followers on Instagram, several of whom have reposted her artwork for their followers to view.

After receiving recognition from a number of Instagram users, her popularity has only increased.

In addition to photos of her models, she also posts self portraits. In order to photograph herself, Adeyemo sets her camera on

a tripod and uses a wireless camera remote to take the shot. Her skillfulness and creativity play a large role in her success.

“My inspiration honestly comes from my personal experiences,” Adeyemo said. “I also like to track many fashion and portrait photographers, as well as mixed media photographers.”

One of Adeyemo’s favorite artists is Chris Schoonover, an American fashion and portrait photographer based in New York. He has inspired much of her artistry and has influenced her photographic trends.

Adeyemo likes to take conceptual portraits, several of which are inspired by photography posted on Tumblr, fashion blogs and magazines.

“Portrait photography is fascinating to me, I think because people themselves are so fascinating,” Adeyemo said. “What came through a person’s eyes in one second is now permanent. You set up a moment where your connection with your subject creates something that’s kind of unpredictable.

You’re going in a certain direction but there’s always this element of surprise.”

Adeyemo has been invited to participate in a charity gallery at Gunn High School, where students from the Gunn photography club will be auctioning prints of their photos to benefit blind children in Tibet. Her popularity as a photographer is rapidly increasing, and the gallery is further validation that her artwork has become truly ap-

preciable.

Besides photography, Adeyemo occasionally paints and draws. She is currently enrolled in the painting and drawing course at Paly, where she is constantly motivated to become a better artist by her classmates’ talent. Although she enjoys several art forms, she remains most dedicated to photography.

Fortunately for Adeyemo, what began as a creative interest evolved into a potential career. The unique photos on Instagram have led several individuals to become interested in working with her. Adeyemo’s career in photography is only just beginning, and the Paly community can expect great things from her. C

Go to Sophia Adeyemo’s website 16seconds.com!

culture 9

Text by Rima Parekh Design by Maya Kandell

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Spruce up someone’s day and your community by doing something simple yet kind for others by spreading positive feelings.

I

n a community, such as Palo Alto, filled with intelligent and high-achieving individuals, it is easy for high schoolers to feel incompetent compared to their peers, causing many to lose confidence in themselves and resulting in lower self-esteem. However, it is important to remember that attending a top college and being successful is not the only way to gain fulfillment and happiness.

By performing random acts of kindness, everyone can help lighten the mood at Palo Alto High School (Paly) in order to create a warm atmosphere in where students are happy with themselves and the people around them. Though it may sound cliché, any small gestures in life are the parts that really matter.

Sophomore Elena Willow believes in the importance of listening to others and acknowledging others’ feelings.

“When I notice that someone actually listens to me and acknowledges what I’m saying, it makes my day so much better because we often spend countless hours on our phones

[or] staring into some device, and we mindlessly talk about ourselves 24/7 that we forget how important it is to listen to people around us. Personally, when someone takes the time to listen and think about what I’m saying, it makes me happy inside to know that somebody actually cares,” Willow said.

Sophomore Lindsay Chen also shares how someone has made her feel special. One night after hanging out with a group of friends, “it was dark and I was going to go home and everyone biked, but I had to walk but [one of my friends] stayed behind and walked with me for two miles which really made my day,” Chen said.

Junior Diana Cowie aprreciates when someone just smiles.

“It’s not so much about materialistic things. I think most people agree that a smile can make your day.”

C Magazine suggests that everyone tries to complete at least one of the random acts of kindness below in order to make our school community an even more accepting and loving place.

SMILE

ASK SOMEONE ABOUT THEIR DAY

Although very simple, a smile can go a long way. By smiling you can acknowledge people in the halls and between classes, whether you know them or not. At first it may seem awkward and uncomfortable to just smile at random people, but it’s a great way to spread good vibes and positive energy.

Similar to laughing, smiling is contagious; if you smile, others will follow suit!

In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives we forget to reach out to people who matter to us. If a friend or family memberhas been on your mind lately, call them! Even something as a simple as a text saying “I am thinking about you. Would love to catch up!” is enough to show someone you care. No one has ever been unappreciative of a good friend who checks up on how you feel.

SHARE

GIVE GENUINE COMPLIMENTS

We all have that friend who, when asked to share their cookie, will give you a measly crumb. At first, sharing your favorite food or lending your good pencil to someone may be hard, but when you do so, you’ll be surprised how rewarding it is. Doing something good for others is therapeutic, and knowing that you did something kind to someone else will make you and others happy, guaranteed. Remember, sharing is caring.

Often times people will notice things they like about others but will never come around to saying them. Try to go out of your way to say something nice to at least one person every day. It’s important to make sure that whatever you say is true.

It is obvious when someone says something authentic versus something that is forced. Even better, try to compliment someone on their personality or actions rather than on their physical features.

10 culture

need different relationships in someones life. People relationship that is needed one person can fill every only person, because no can’t expect to be someones her kind of different. “You and maybe your ex needed areIjust havedifferent a friendthan whoyou, have a friend who calls ity are not better; they callsthey herself a feminist.

She herself a feminist.

She believes person whenamong in realbelievesbetter, in equality in equality among all figure out what makes thisgenall genders and generally ders and generally all femfocusideas. on trying all We feminist But, to inist ideas.

But, when she found from whenyou. she found out her ex out her ex was dating someone doesn’t takesomeone anythingnew, away was dating new, she instantly turned they found someone else,into she instantly turned into a a Regina George. right forGeorge. someone and Regina When we, ashear girls, hear about just because you weren’t When girls about our ex’s new girlfriend, atheir hardexes concept to grasp butfirst new girl, the the first thing the majority of us think continue This thing the infinitely. majority of us is to do is find the new chick on social judge, than cycle think to do the is find herwill on media, and thoroughly analyze a we aremedia, the firstand person social thor-to picture of her to reassure ourhave to analyze stick together!

If of oughly a picture selves that our has not their butex girls... we upgradher tofault, reassure themselves ed. media the perfect all boys really thatSocial theirbecause ex has isits downresource for us to stalk another you should now turn is on graded.

Social media the and learn about them while with theresource guy. I’mfor notone saying perfect developing biased opinions forget this all starts andwith personthat to stalk another nothing to prove them up in about our girl hate,while thattrue. we learn them Girls will search for the worst guy?

We canbiased get caught developing opinions picture of their new girl” on the girl; what about the with nothing to“ex’s prove othon any form of social media is our first instinct to hate erwise.

Girls will search for and laugh, for example, about dating your ex-bae? the worse picture of Why theirhow her eyebrows are unfortunate. know justgirl” because they are “ex’s new on any form Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, on a girl you don’t of social media andreally laugh, SnapChat, even Spotify So, why would you hate(for for example, about how herthose ofis us who care about peoples a never are ending cycle. eyebrows unfortunate. music taste, which everyone them the most.

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Your Ex’s New Girl

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Do you think social media is a valid way to find out about someone?

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to sit around a computer and look through posts, pictures, music and likes to try and justify our replacement. Some girls are dedicated enough to scroll through their replacement’s Facebook page and snicker at the stupidity of her posts all the way back in 2009.

Why do girls hate each other?

Think about that for a second. We as girls can seek out other girls’ insecurities by simply thinking of our own, because chances are they are all the same. This gives us all an advantage towards sabotage of the new chica. This cruelty is a never ending cycle.

So, why would you hate on a girl you don’t really know just because she is dating your ex-bae? Why is our first instinct to hate on the girl; what about the ex?

We can all get caught up in our girl hatred, and forget that this all starts with the guy. I’m not saying you should now turn on all boys because everything is their fault, but girls...we have to stick together! If we judge the girls first, then

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Teddie Stewart

the cycle will continue infinitely.

This is a hard concept to grasp but just because you weren’t right for someone and they found someone else, does not make her the bad guy.

We focus on comparing ourselves to them, when in reality they aren’t you and you aren’t them; they are different from you, and maybe your ex needed her kind of different.

So, don’t put other girls down to rationalize why he broke up with you. Every moment you take stalking your ex’s new relationship on Facebook, is a moment wasted. When you do this you are only prolonging negative energy and promoting girl hatred.

When you find yourself in a mix of all an consuming stalk session, take a step back and remember that she is just a person, and your ex is just a person. Let it go and release yourself from the worries that come with feeling inferior and remember to move on because, honestly, life is too short to be hung up on some guy. C

Have you ever stalked your ex’s new boyfriend/ girlfriend via social media?

w 't kno I don

I don’t know

No

Yes

Yes

No

culture

11

Being Conservative at Palo Alto High School

Text and Design by Clara de Martel and Kallee Bareket-Shavit Illustration by Maya Kandell

D

uring the 2012 presidential elections, Palo Alto High School (Paly) senior Kate Bredenberg came face-to-face with Paly’s liberal bias: She had put a Republican Party elephant sticker on the back of her car, and for several weeks in a row, her car was defaced with vulgar insults attacking her political views and challenging her freedom of expression.

Bredenberg’s experience with discrimination is extreme, yet some other conservative students at Paly have felt a similar marginalization. Some even go so far as to claim that certain teachers do not hide their own liber-

12 culture

al beliefs, criticizing the opinions of students who express conservative views and perpetuating anti-Republican sentiments. However, other conservative students believe that Paly is a generally inclusive environment for political expression of any sort.

According to a Santa Clara County government website, as of last June, 15 percent of Palo Alto’s registered voters were Republican compared to 52 percent Democratic.

Although the vast majority of Paly students are not eligible to vote, they are exposed to the political views of their parents at home, which may explain why Paly’s environment reflects the community’s liberal mindset.

The president of the Paly Democrats club, senior Emma Chiu, feels that “Paly is definitely a liberal school, especially when it comes to social liberalism.” Before the 2012 election, The Paly Voice published an editorial endorsing incumbent President Barack Obama over challenger Mitt Romney.

Surrounded by adults with certain political views and beliefs, high school students are susceptible to falling in line with the opinions of these influential individuals — their teachers and particularly their parents.

Bredenberg and fellow senior Jack Stephenson both say that their parents’ conservativism shaped their political views. Paly junior

other students or that it was justified as it was within the context of political arguments.

Senior Danielle Williams has been criticized in the past but claims that “it [was] usually just rude comments, or stupid immature insults on social media.”

Stephenson feels his conservatism has led people to make prejudiced judgements and comments about him.

“I’ve had rumors spread about me being

have felt discouragement from teachers in the past, mainly in middle school.”

Junior Alfredo Gonzalez said he called out one of his teachers for preaching socialism to her students because he believes it is “inappropriate and unprofessional for her to tell a class of impressionable kids her political views.”

This isn’t a universal view. Dulik, for his part, said that “overall, the Paly faculty has

“I’ve had rumors spread about me being a racist [and] misogynist based on my political views,” - Jack Stephenson, senior

Owen Dulik, on the other hand, took a different path than his parents.

“I started out as a Democrat as a little kid because that’s what my parents were. But I didn’t know what it meant or why I identified as such,” Dulik said. Dulik was exposed to conservative ideals through his older brother and has developed his own opinions by watching political shows and engaging in debates with other students.

Although the six conservative students interviewed by C Magazine for this article said that they had been criticized at Paly for their political convictions, most of them felt that the criticism was mostly due to ignorance of

a racist [and] misogynist based on my political views, however anybody that knows me knows that I feel very strongly for the disenfranchised and often speak up for feminism and racial equality,” Stephenson said.

Dulik, however, believes that his political views are accepted in Paly’s environment.

“Everybody that I’ve talked to has been very respectful and kind regardless of their political ideologies,” Dulik said.

Nevertheless, Bredenberg’s personal experiences with intolerance towards Republicans reveals that Paly may not be a completely accepting environment. Aside from her car being vandalized, Bredenberg has also been verbally attacked on Facebook multiple times.

“People [told] me I was racist and an idiot for supporting Romney instead of Obama,” Bredenberg said.

Additionally, during her sophomore year, Bredenberg was promoting the Republican club that she had created with a few friends when another student came by and made disrespectful comments while throwing Skittles at them.

According to some conservative students, they have not only encountered the responses of biased peers, but also from some of their teachers. A Paly junior who wanted to remain anonymous feels he has been discriminated against by teachers.

“In 9th and 10th grade I would write essays reflecting my conservative beliefs … I would always receive incomparable grades. I strongly suspect the reason for that was my [political] views, not the quality of my writing,” the student said. “That kind of forced me to censor myself; now I rarely write essays reflective of my true values.”

Similarly, Stephenson said, “I have never shied from sharing my personal views but

been very respectful.”

Mr. Bloom, economics teacher, said teachers “are not allowed to campaign... [but] our free speech rights don’t end at the school gates.” It’s acceptable, he said, for teachers to make their views known.

He recommends that students who may feel alienated by their teachers approach them and explain their point of view.

Senior Lexi Livingston, a liberal student at Paly, was surprised that students may face discrimination for their beliefs.

“Everyone has a right to their political views, whether I agree with them or not,” Livingston said.

Despite their experiences with narrow-mindedness, all of the students interviewed ultimately feel that they can share their views and stand up for their political beliefs around their peers.

“I am proud of what I believe...if someone doesn’t stand for what they believe, then it doesn’t really matter,” Gonzalez said. C

Republican NPP & Other

Democrat

Parties of Palo Alto’s registered voters as of last June according to Santa Clara County government website.

culture 13

Take a Turn(t) Around the World TEXT BY LARKIN MCDERMOTT AND KATYA SIGAL DESIGN BY LARKIN MCDERMOTT AND KATYA SIGAL AND ALEX WEINSTEIN ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAGGIE ZHENG AND MAYA KANDELL

18/19 18

d ite Un

om

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ny Germa

Ire lan

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d ng Ki

Canada

Explore drinking ages around the world and hear what some Paly students had to say about the United States drinking age.

18

ce Fran

USA

in Spa

M or oc

Mexico

None

Drinking in a bar is the most expensive way to drink, causing most sensible people to drink less because they cannot afford to spend money on large amounts of expensive alcohol. But people under the age of 21 cannot buy this expensive alcohol in bars due to being underage. This makes them buy the cheapest alcohol and drink it in bulk so there is no evidence to be found later, because the act is technically forbidden. This leads to more accidents and a stupider drinking habits for teens.

-Kristen Carey, senior 14 culture

18 zi

18

l

Egypt

Br a

18 Argentina

“I think it’s silly because in Germany you see way less binge drinking and drinking of people in college because they have been exposed to it their whole life and they don’t use it as a tool to become wasted.”

-Thorin Haussecker, sophomore

co

18

Ital y

21

18 21

“America definitely has a higher drinking age than other countries, which I personally don’t think is a good thing. There is the common argument that its ludicrous that one can die for their country in war, but can’t drink a beer.”

-Aiva Petriceks, junior

Russia

18

18

21

el Isra

China

Ira

18

18

Cambo

18

dia

ca

Nearly 9 million youths, ages 12 to 20, in the U.S. report they have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days.

-The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility

None Illegal

alia str Au

Af ri

n sta ani

So uth

h Afg

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key Tur

nce

“I think it’s good to have [the drinking age] because it makes sure that when you are drinking you are fully responsible” -Anonymous freshmen

18 18 “I think [the drinking age] is way too old.

It doesn’t make sense that we can drive, vote, and even go to war before we can drink. I get that its safer for kids not to be drinking, but most kids end up drinking before they’re 21 anyway, and it’s certainly more dangerous for people to be sneaking around to drink” -Paul Mewes, senior

“Underage drinking accounts for 17.5% of consumer spending for alcohol, so the 21 year old drinking age hasn’t done all too much to prevent underage consumption. Some might argue its medically irresponsible to allow 18 year olds to drink, and like I said before, an 18 year old is much less developed, however, I believe the choice should lie with the individual” -Kevin Bowers, junior

culture

15

cover story

Lucy Fox (‘15) and Anthony Liu (‘15)

Interracial Relationships: Love is Love, No Matter the Color Text by Huda Navaid Photos by Emma Low

A

Design by Maggie Zheng, Clara de Martel, and Olivia Vort

s I walk towards seniors Tira Oskoui and her boyfriend Alex Hwang, I notice that the afternoon sunlight hits the pair spectacularly. It dances across Oskoui’s impeccably smooth blonde hair and twinkles in Hwang’s eyes. I am taken aback by how utterly picture-perfect the couple in front of me seems. One thing about this couple that stands out is that they comprise an interracial relationship. Oskoui’s mother is Irani and her father is caucasian and Hwang has Chinese parents. They are one of many interracial couples that can be found on Palo Alto High School’s (Paly) campus. C-Magazine set out to discover how a romantic relationship is affected by a difference in race between two partners, and how these couples feel they are being received by the Paly community.

16 cover

“I don’t think it influences us on the daily but we have cool stories that we can tell each other about our families,” Oskoui said. “I guess because we come from different backgrounds it makes things more interesting.”

“Yeah I agree,” Hwang said. “It just makes things more interesting to talk about. I especially like to hear about Tira’s Persian background. It’s exciting how much she likes talking about it.”

The experience of today’s interracial couples on campus marks a change from seven years ago, when Verde published an article about a similar topic. According to that article, not many interracial couples openly existed across campus, and those who did, dealt with difficulties due to their differences in race.

Now, interviews and a voluntary survey by C-Magazine distributed to Paly sophomores,

juniors and seniors via Facebook, found that most interracial couples who responded said that race doesn’t affect their relationship in any way, especially in Asian-Caucasian couples. Those who did feel an impact tended to be Latino and Caucasian. At the same time, some students whose parents are of different races said they did observe an impact in their families. Interracial couples at Paly are part of a rapidly growing nationwide trend, and some experts predict that by 2050 most Americans will be of mixed race.

Senior couple Kylie Wilson and Andrew Wilson (not related) are one of many interracial couples on campus. Kylie, who is of Chinese descent, and her Caucasian boyfriend Andrew have been dating for two and a half years. The two are happy together and are not affected by their difference in race.

“I don’t even notice that we’re different races,” Andrew said. “I don’t notice anything.

I just see us as [she’s] Kylie and I’m Andrew.”

Chinese senior Anna Zhang and her Caucasian college boyfriend Dashiel Grutsky share similar sentiments about whether the difference in cultures between them has been difficult to navigate.

“I don’t think it influences our relationship at all,” said Zhang in a Facebook chat. “Other than that he gets to eat Chinese food more than he used to.”

“Yeah,” Grutsky replied. “But I don’t think

The Asian-Caucasian couples that C-Magazine interviewed all said that the parents on both sides never commented on the difference in race. Huerta and Furman, however, have found that their parents do react to the fact that they are of different races. Huerta said his mother thinks “it’s funny” that Furman is white. Furman said her parents take note of their different races and sometimes describe Huerto as “exotic.”

“Both my parents are very European so I guess they’re not used to the idea that he’s Colombian,” Furman said. “In a way, it impacts them more than it impacts me.”

Still, the two find that, although people may occasionally make ignorant comments regarding their difference of race, nobody has ever been scathingly mean towards them for it.

While most students interviewed don’t feel any impact of race in their own romantic relationships, some students whose parents are of different races do say it affects their own identity.

Junior Sylvia Targ, who is half Taiwanese and half European, said, “Both of my parents have unique cultures that are different, and so I feel like I get exposed to a larger vari-

Kylie Wilson (‘15) and Andrew Wilson(‘15) that is a downside.”

Neither couple reported having been stared at or commented on for their interracial relationship. In this way, they are like the dozens of interracial couples at Paly who say race is no big deal in their relationship. In the C-Magazine survey, 54 out of the 79 respondents stated that they were currently in an interracial relationship. Of those 54 respondents, 49 said that being interracial did not affect their relationship in a significant way, and 40 respondents said that their relationship would not be significantly affected had both partners been of the same race.

The general sentiments from Asian-Caucasian couples that their relationships are not impacted by their difference in race, do not always carry over to Latino-Caucasian couples. Senior Ricardo Huerta, who is Colombian, and junior Talya Furman, who is Caucasian, have had a different experience when it comes to things like people staring at them because they are interracial.

“It happens,” Furman said. “All the time. Everywhere we go when we’re walking in Palo Alto.”

Huerta agreed. “I feel like it’s a lot less common [to have Hispanic-Caucasian couples]” he said. “Culturally in Palo Alto, it’s a lot more common to see Asian and White [couples] because we live in a large Asian population.”

“One day down the road, more than half of our population will become biracial.”

- Emma Chiu, senior

Lucy Fox (‘15) and Alex Hwang (‘15)

ety of traditions and customs than someone with homogeneously race parents might.”

Senior Harry Halsted, whose mother immigrated from Mexico and whose father is Caucasian, said the experience of having interracial parents has had a positive impact on his life.

“It’s pretty sick, not gonna lie,” he grinned.

“As a kid, I noticed that my parents were different in looks, but the older I got, the fewer things I noticed.”

Targ and Halsted both have had experiences, however, where people have responded negatively and ignorantly towards their mixed race.

“Once someone told me I was a mistake,” Targ said.

Halsted described a memorable experience from years ago.

“Looking back on it, it’s funny, but now not so much,” he said. “I went to preschool and I appeared white, and my mom was there and they thought my mom was the babysitter.”

cover 17

Esmé Ablaza (‘16) and Charlie Badger (‘16) giggle together.

Targ, however, believes that the perks of being interracial definitely outweigh any downsides.

“I have two parents who tell me totally different things to do in terms of customs [and] decisions,” Targ said. “So, I’m left completely on my own to make my own decisions because [they] kind of cancel out.”

One of the most common positive impacts of race that students describe is on food.

Targ said her family eats “a lot of interesting fusion food.”

Huerta, whose girlfriend is Jewish, said he gets to eat a lot more Jewish food now. Another couple, juniors Charlie Badger, who is Caucasian, and Esmé Ablaza, who is Filipino and Latina, described Badger’s first experience eating a quesadilla.

“I hadn’t eaten a quesadilla before...” Badger began.

“And my mom made him a quesadilla,” Ablaza broke in.

Badger grinned and said, “It was good.”

Paly’s interracial couples are a microcosm of a trend sweeping across America. According to a 2012 PEW Research Center study on the rise of interracial marriages within the United States, about 15% of all new marriages in the U.S. in 2010 were interracial. Meanwhile, the Census Bureau reported that in 2010, San Francisco ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in its proportion of Asian-Caucasian married couples. And, a 2014 study conducted

by National Geographic, predicted that by 2050 the average American will be of “mixed race.”

Talya Furman (‘16) and Ricardo Huerta (‘15) Senior Emma Chiu, who is half-Chinese and half-Caucasian, echos this prediction for the future of interracial marriages.

“I definitely think that the rate of interracial marriages in the U.S. will increase,” Chiu said. “One day down the road, more than half of our population will become biracial.”

For Tira and Alex, the news could not be better. “I know that in the past, not even so long ago, being in a biracial relationship was a

radical concept,” Oskoui said. “Now, at least, in our community and from my experience, it seems like it’s hardly noticed. I hope that in the future, the whole world will realize and really internalize that love is love, no matter skin color, religion, or sexuality.”

And from the looks of it, couples, like Tira and Alex, will most certainly have their fair share of happily-ever-afters both today and in the future. C

culture 18

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Blaine '07

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A&E

Community gardens In Palo Alto Text and Design By Emma Low

I

t is mid-winter in sunny Palo Alto and the weather forecast reads 74° F. For some, the unlikelihood of snow days may come as a disappointment, but for others, this weather brings the opportunity to utilize the various community gardens located throughout town.

Community gardens are just what their names suggest: plots of land set aside for neighbors to create gardens together.

Perhaps their own backyards are shaded by trees and don’t receive adequate lighting, or maybe they seek company of fellow greenthumbs in their cultivating — either way, these gardens provide a place for people of all backgrounds to meet fellow Palo Altans while growing what they please.

The City of Palo Alto has three public community gardens: The Main Garden, the Eleanor Pardee Garden and the Johnson Park Garden (see right for locations).

Depending on the size of the plot one wishes to maintain, costs range from $50-600 a year with a refundable initial deposit of $100. The gardens run on a waitlist system, and due to increasing popularity the status of available space is limited.

In addition to public gardens, there are also private, non-profit and neighborhood gardens in various locations around the city.

The benefits of these organizations are numerous; they allow a person to have access to local and organic crops without going to the grocery store. People involved with these gardens also are able to meet others they may not have anything in common with, besides their shared love for gardening.

At the Almost Eden community garden (on the corner of East Meadow and Middlefield), the Urban Ministries church partners with the homeless and underprivileged and contributes to food banks. This organization sets itself apart from other public gardens with its inspiring missions that draws the community together. The collaboration and

20 culture

thoughtfulness seen at this location is a common thread throughout all community gardens.

Locations Main Garden

Behind the main library, near Newell & Hopkins

Eleanor Pardee Garden

Channing Ave. & Centter Dr.

Johnson Park Garden

Corner of Hawthorne & Kipling

Ventura Community Garden

At Ventura Community Center, directely behind Keys Middle School near El Camino & East Meadow

Midtown Community Organic Garden Behind Baskin Robbins, Midtown Shopping Center parking lot near Middlefield

Almost Eden

Corner of East Meadow & Middlefield

Marching Through (A playlist intended to get everyone through the month) Text by Tara Madhad and Emma Scott Design by Kallee Bareket-Shavit and Photo by Emma Low

Morning w

One to Another - The Charlatans All the Rage Back Home - Interpol Shuffle - Bombay Bicycle Club Trojans - Atlas Genius Angel (RAC Remix) Mr. Little Jeans I Would Do Anything For You - Foster the People

Afternoon Combat Baby - Metric

Night

After the Disco - Broken Bells

Echoes - The Rapture

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear

Standing In The Way of Control - Gossip

Sleep Alone (Live from the Artists Den: 2012) - Two Door Cinema Club

Riot Rhythm - Sleigh Bells

Drop the Game - Flume and Chet Faker Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Only You - Ellie Goulding Bad Habit - The Kooks Fever - The Black Keys Entertainment 21

How To Prepare For

T

COACHELLA

Text & Design by Katie Douty Illustrations by Maggie Zheng

his April, I will be embarking on a magical journey to Coachella, one of the most famous music festivals in the world. This will be my first time attending this event and I am admittedly oblivious to what lies ahead. Knowing that there are many others struggling with the daunting prospect of attending this highly anticipated affair, I am here to share my plans of how I will mentally and physically brace myself for this adventure of a lifetime. As this is such a legendary festival, it is crucial that one knows the proper “Coachillin” wwwetiquette. By following these simple tips, I can guarantee that you will appear a veteran of the worshipped expedition that is Coachella.

1

My motto for music festival fashion is: the bigger the flower crown, the better the experience. In order to be Coachella royalty, weave together the most exotic and ostentatious flowers to create a headpiece that surpasses your everyday hipster’s dollar store daisy headband.

2

Coachella is the time to really show off your hipster side, but you can’t do that without knowing every fact about each artist on the lineup. In order to ensure that you will be able to answer any question asked by a fellow hipster, make Quizlet flashcards and a Spotify playlist for each artist. If you don’t know facts such as “each of the ACDC members’ favorite classic novels” or the “number of hairs on Drake’s head,” you will be shunned.

3

Because thousands of people travel from all over the world to attend this event, you will have to swim through crowds in order to keep up with your friends or get to the front of the stage. This will be much easier if you complete drills such as weaving through the swarms of anxious teens at Cheese House during lunch. Unless you want to get trampled, don’t be afraid to pull some hair and use your elbows.

22 Entertainment

4

A picture is worth a thousand words, so you will definitely want to take as many photos as possible while you’re there. However, it won’t be easy to look your best after dancing for hours on end, so practice working your fiercest poses in sweaty conditions by running five miles then having a photoshoot with your friends directly afterwards. In order to get the best results, you’ll want to have a ready list of flaw concealing Instagram effects.

5

Everyone knows that watermelon is a delicacy to hungry “Coachillers,” which is why maintaining a steady diet of watermelon for breakfast, lunch and dinner is essential towards the preparation of your digestive system.

6

In order to reassure your parents of your good judgment, practice saying no to drugs by performing a skit with them. Remember to be confident with your choices at an event like Coachella–hipsters can smell fear.

7

As soon as the sun sets, the light shows will begin, meaning hazardous, vision-impairing, colorful strobe lights. Prior to the festival, stare into a strobe light for 30 minutes without blinking. Note that eye vessels may erupt and your cornea may melt, but this is normal so don’t be alarmed.

8

Make sure everybody knows you are at Coachella from the moment you leave until the moment you drag your neon pink, fuzzy leg warmers home. I recommend Snapchat stories, Instagram posts and a new profile picture on Facebook. If you’re flying as a means of transportation, posting a picture of the wing of the plane will be a helpful update to others.

9

The torturous heat of Palm Springs will be painful to endure without experience, so preheat your room to 105 degrees fahrenheit and sway in it for three hours in order to understand what it will really be like. It will also help to wear a bikini top or lace bralette rather than an actual shirt, the former being one of the popular fashion trends at the festival.

10

For all you heavy lifters (read: hot male hunks), be prepared for people (read: screaming and skimpily-dressed white girls) to ask to sit on your shoulders so they can get the best view of the stage as possible. This can quickly become exhausting and even painful, so build up your strength by having your middle-aged dad sit on your shoulders for 45 minutes without either party showing any signs of discomfort.

Top photo by Cairo Kim Bottom left photo by Clara Chiu Bottom right photo by Katie Douty

Chakras D Text by Teddie Stewart Illustrations by Maya Kandell

o you ever feel that your life is out of balance? Maybe your chakras are the problem. Webster Dictionary defines chakras are each of the centers of spiritual power in the human body. Chakras are intangible; they are feelings and connections your body makes within itself in order to become aligned.

Chakras, which are Sanskrit for wheel or disk, are used in yoga, meditation, and religion.

Try to visualize a spinning wheel that connects matter and consciousness within your body. Chakras refer to this wheel of energy, which aligns the base of your spine to the crown of your head.

If your chakras are blocked it can stunt the flow of positive energy throughout your body, which can lead to illness and unrest. Fortunately, it is possible to realign your chakras.

The most important thing to understand about chakras is what each one represents.

The first chakra, known as “the root,� represents the human feeling of being grounded and is located at the base of the spine, at the end of the tail bone. If you are highly dependent on external circumstances, have an eating/bone/immune disorder, or believe money equals security, then your root chakra may be blocked. If you want to open your root chakra, there are a series of yoga poses that you can perform such as: Pavanamuktasana (knee to chest pose), Janu Sirsasana (head to knee Pose), Padmasana (lotus flexion), and Malasana (squatting pose). The original way to realign your chakra is to place a red crystal (like garnet, red

jasper, black tourmaline, or bloodstone) at the base of your spine.Then, lay down and focus on that specific part of your body in deep meditation.

The second chakra is the Sacral, which emphasizes your ability to hold meaningful relationships and connects to your self-confidence. It is located two inches below your navel. You can tell that this chakra is closed if you are having problems with your sense of sexuality or well being. To fix this try pelvic thrusts or cobra yoga pose. You can also place a gemstone, such

place Citrine, or Yellow Calcite stones on your stomach.

The fourth chakra, the heart, allows you to give and receive love, as well as to connect your body and mind with your spirit.

This chakra is located behind the breastbone. Feelings of paranoia, fear or unworthiness occur when this chakra is out of balance. There are also physical effects such as insomnia, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. Open your heart chakra by doing bikram yoga or allowing yourself to love.

Placing Rose Quartz, Kunzite, or Watermelon tourmaline in the middle of your breast plates to relax.

The fifth chakra, the throat,

as Carnelian Agate or Tigers Eye, below your navel.

Solar Plexus is the third chakra and it possesses the ability to make you confident and in-control. It is located on the upper half of your stomach. If clogging of this chakra occurs, it could lead to struggles with self-esteem, and depression.

Helpful remedies are Kundalini yoga (boat pose) and dancing.

When you dance and allow the music to enter you, it releases all self doubt. In order to meditate your way to self-confidence,

source of your communication.

It holds your ability for self expression and truth. When your Throat chakra is misaligned, you may feel timid, or inexpressive. When you are able to center this chakra, your artistic inspiration and public speaking skills will develop. In order to get to this point, you can try shoulder stands, singing, chanting or placing a gemstone, such as Aquamarine or Azurite, on the V collarbone of your lower neck.

The most famous chakra is

the sixth chakra, known as the Third Eye. With this chakra, you are able to see beyond your own perspective and into that of others around you. This helps to connect you with the spiritual world as well as with your past lives. If this chakra is out of balance, you may feel unassertive, or receive headaches, dizziness, blindness or eye strain. With the centering of this chakra comes the honor of being your own master. It will decrease any fears of death and attachment to materialistic things. The movement of bending forward, such as in childs pose will help strengthen your Third Eye chakra. A method of seeing past your own world is to place an Amethyst on your forehead.

Last but not least, is the seventh chakra: the Crown.

This is the center for spirituality, enlightenment, thought and energy. In this chakra, life animates the physical body, allowing you to create a stronger connection with God. Your soul comes through the Crown chakra when you are born and leaves this chakra when you die. When it is unbalanced, you may feel frustrated or destructive. The realignment requires simple exercises such as meditation, and cardio. To feel a sense of spirituality within yourself, you can place a Clear Quartz Crystal, or Amethyst stone right above the center of your head.

To get your chakras professionally realigned, you can visit these therapeutic clinics in San Francisco: -399 Arguello Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118 a Naturopathic/ Holistic shop: Vibrant Reiki -1069 York St San Francisco, CA 94110 a Naturopathic/Holistic shop: Tanya Corona - Ascension Reiki and Crystal Therapy -1801 Bush St Ste 207 San Francisco, CA 94109 a Naturopathic/ Holistic/Counseling and Mental Health shop: Margaretta Vonw.

culture 23

Ideas for the

Perfect Promposal Text and dwesign by Alex Weinstein and Larkin McDermott Illustrations by Maggie Zheng Looking for a great way to ask someone to prom this year? Check out this list of amazing promposals that will certainly score you a date for the big night!

Funny

• Arrange a flash mob.

• Make a height indicator taller than them: “You must be this tall to say no to prom with me.”

• Use a donkey (stuffed or real): “Lemme take yo ‘ass’ to prom.”

• Hold sports balls with a sign reading “I finally grew some balls to ask you to Prom.”

• Use a Vineyard Vines logo/present: “‘Whale’ you go to prom with me?”

Original

• Write a songw • Make a scavenger hunt • Create a puzzle with a photo of you holding a sign that reads “Prom?”

• Fill a room with balloons • Create a sign with a pun from your favorite movie 24 Entertainment

Romantic

• Go into a photo booth with your bae, hold up a sign in the 2nd photo and catch the reaction!

• Put a message in a bottle with a loving note • Wrap yourself in strings of light and ask them to “light up prom” with you.

• Spell “Prom?” in candles or rose petals, etc.

• Give them jewelry with a sweet note.

Food

• Pizza: “I know this is cheesy but… Prom?”

• Wings: “I’ve never asked someone to Prom before so I’m just gonna ‘wing’ it…

Prom?”

• Donuts: “I ‘donut’ wanna go with anyone else to Prom.”

• Baked goods that say “P-R-O-M-?”

• Tacos: “Lets ‘taco’ bout Prom.”

Palo Alto Workout Studios

Text and photos by Chelsea McIntosh

Behind every corner in Palo Alto, there always seems to be another workout studio offering new ways to maintain both a healthy body and soul. Navigating this scene can be a daunting task. No need to fear; these four workout studios are C Magazine’s top picks.

CoreStudio Located in Midtown, Core Studio offers a targeted workout similar to pilates called Core SPX and indoor cycling. During Core SPX a Megaformer is used to perform the individual exercises that constitute a full body workout. A strong core promotes a healthy back, good posture and balance.

Each class usually consists of 11 people, and you can make reservations for classes online. Pricing packages include monthly passes that offer 1-4 classes ranging from $79-$199. Monthly unlimited classes cost $299. Visit corestudiospx.com for more information.

YogaSource Only a 12 minute drive from Palo Alto High

School, YogaSource offers a wide range of practice. The classes promote self-confidence and a strong body and mind .The most advanced classes include Bikram, Power Yoga, Hour of Power, and Hot Pilates. Each sessioncosts $18 for drop-ins; other pricing options include $75 for 5 classes, $140 for 10 classes, and $180 for monthly unlimited access. Visit yogasource.com for more information.

TheBarMethod Located in Town & Country Village, the Bar Method

utilizes a combination of disciplines, such as ballet, yoga and pilates, to help tone and strengthen various muscle groups. Hour-long classes are offered ten times a day, between 6am to 7pm. Barre can be modified to many different levels of intensity and are suitable for any skill level. Students drawn to TheBarMethod can take advantage of the discounted $145 monthly membership compared to the usual $275 payment. Classes can also be purchased in packages of 5 ($125) or 10 ($230). Visit barmethod.com for more information.

SoulCycle SoulCycle, an indoor cycling studio at Stanford

Shopping Center, offers a vigorous, 45 minute full body workout on a stationary bike. The studio provides shoes specifically designed for spinning and a locker where you can store your belongings.

Hand weights are placed by each seat, for 10 minutes of arm toning. SoulCycle creates a welcoming and positive ambiance through the motivating music. The first ride costs $20; some of the packages include 5 classes for $145, 10 classes for $280, and 20 classes for $540. Check out www. soul-cycle.com to sign up for your first class!

Entertainment 25

JON STEWART: AMERICA’S NEWS ANCHOR

The politial commentator intends to retire before the end of 2015 after 16 years, leaving behind a distinguished and varied career in the world of politics, television and quick-witted satire Text and Design by Tara Madhav

T

Photo from Creative Commons (Peabody Awards, Albert Ferreira)

he sharp, gray haired, native New Jerseyan Jon Stewart, is threat to the nation’s well-being.” This signifies a true crisis for the one of the most influential figures in American politics and future of political cooperation, and it can come down to comedihas made a career critiquing and questioning huge-name ans like Stewart, who are not afraid to express their honest opinions. politicians.

Stewart covers everything from the corrupt Bob McDonnell to the With his pitch-perfect Jersey accent and the infamous “ahh-yup” “freedom-loving” Ted Cruz, and while he may seem more blue than of his deep-throated Mitch McConnell impression Stewart has been red politically, nobody can escape his all-seeing eyes. giving the American people their daily dosage of news through comStewart provides an alternative to other news sources like Fox edy on The Daily Show for 16 years. For those who do not watch his News or CNN, whose news segments may be too long, too irreleshow or lack knowledge of his influence, Stewart is a biting, witty, vant or too uninteresting for a busy high school student. Sophomore politically aware, mainly liberal, touching yet tough “reporter,” re- Mary McNamara agrees that Stewart offers an easily digestible, acporting on everything he finds wrong with America. cessible and intellectual program for youth to learn from.

On Feb. 10, Stewart announced that he would step down from his post before the end of 2015. Immediately, news outlets such as the New York Times published reflections on his work, predictions on who might replace him, and what a monumental task that would be to take on.

Why do people care so much about his departure? When Stewart took over The Daily Show from Craig Kilborn in 1999, the genre of political comedy was new: The Daily Show and Politically Incorrect “Jon Stewart, as well as other political comedians such as Stephen — hosted by the sardonic Bill Maher — were the only shows of their Colbert and John Oliver, have found a way to encourage politically type on television and they both ran on Comedy Central. Today, on active and informed youth,” McNamara said. “One can almost be screen political satirists are much more common: Larry Wilmore completely up to date on current events through watching political (The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore), John Oliver (Last Week comedies.”

Tonight with John Oliver), Maher (Real Time with Bill Maher) At Palo Alto High School, Stewart especially resonates and, formerly, Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report) all host with people because of the liberal tendencies of many — or hosted — their own comedic news programs. Three students. Senior Emma Chiu, president of the Demof these “anchors” started as correspondents on the Daily ocrats club (Paly Democrats), agrees that for her and Show. One could argue that Stewart planted the seeds for other youth, Stewart has been an informative and enone of the most popular forms of television entertainment tertaining source. today.

“Stewart made learning about news and politics en“...[Stewart] sort of pioneered political satire, and he is probjoyable. This has been especially true for young people, ably the best at what he does,” said sophomore Madhumita including myself and fellow members of the Paly DemoGupta. “People know him more than they know Colbert crats Club,” Chiu said. “Although he has influenced political or Bill Maher.” discourse between conservatives and liberals, I think one But more importantly, Stewart is a of the most important aspects of his work was to distinct voice in American political expose just how flawed our current political discourse. Even though his views system is.” may err on the liberal side, Stewart Stewart has offered more to the American is not afraid to take pot shots at eientertainment industry than many of his ther party. That is important, espemore serious fellow newsmen on television. cially in a time when it seems that As he prepares to leave, questions are arising America could not be more split as to who will succeed him and what he concerning government issues. will do next. Most likely, Stewart will not The Pew Research Center released completely leave the realm of television a report last June titled “Politiand movies — the movie he directed this cal Polarization in the American past year, Rosewater, was moderately Public”, which found that Amersuccessful and one can only hope it will icans are extremely divided along lead to more ventures and projects. But party lines. For example, according one thing among all this uncertainty is to the report, 27% of Democrats see the without question: There will not be another Grand Old Party (GOP) as “a threat Jon Stewart for a long time. to the nation’s well-being” and 36% Jon Stewart at the 2004 Peabody awards, with The Daily “I’m sad to see him go, because I feel like he was of Republicans see Democrats as “a Show’s award for their coverage of the 2004 election cycle. actually the best at what he did,” Gupta said. C CC - PEABODY AWARDS, ALBERT FERREIRA

“Stewart made learning about news and politics enjoyable.”

- Emma Chiu, senior

26 Entertainment

Which Kardashian are you?

Text by Maya Benatar and Emma Scott Design by Emma Scott Illustrations by Jenny Zhuge

Are you...

t rela

hip! more of a “fling” or relations

Would you rather... live in Miami or L.A.?

ionship type of person?

L.A

.b

! ng

ab y!

ki ma

laughing

F your idol/BFF or your #1 BF

Are you... easy going or easily offended?

nemisis?

#1 Nemesis easy going

ended easily off You love being the center of attention and are a mommy’s girl. You would rather be in front of the camera than behind it and do NOT appreciate being joked about. You are irresistible to boys and have very high standards. Family is the most important thing to you but your career comes in as a close second.

Are you... making the jokes or laughing at them?

Is Kris Jenner...

Miami

Kim

flin g

Clubbing

Do you... start trends or follow them?

Do you like... calling the shots in your relationships?

I wear the pants!

Khloe

Would you rather... spend your friday night taking cute selfies or hitten’ the club?

fol low t

Nope !

You are loud and proud! You care less about what people think of you and more about where the party is. Boys do NOT run your world and you have very high standards.

If they don’t treat you like a princess they’re not your man. Your priorities are sisters, friends, and partying and no one comes between you and what you want.

Scott

You are a lord in a world of peasants. You don’t follow trends, you set them. Once you have your eye on someone you won’t stop for anything (including their mother) until they’re yours, but once you have them it’s tough for you to settle down. Partying is your number one talent but is one that often gets you into trouble. Life should be lived to fullest and you do just that.

he m

Kourtney You’re the more rational friend in your group and the one who usually says “maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” You’re not the loudest of the bunch, but you’re incredibly sassy on the inside. You always look out for your friends and tell them the truth even if it’s not what they want to hear. Bad boys are your kryptonite and once you’re in, you’re in deep.

Entertainment 27