C Magazine Vol. 9 Edition 3

C MAGAZINE ARTS & CULTURE

MARCH 2021

GOING PUBLIC P.24

C MAGAZINE March 2021 • Volume 9, Edition 3

Dear readers, Welcome to the third issue of C Magazine, the one-stop shop for arts, culture and music on the minds of Paly teens.

While hope is on the horizon with vaccine distributions and school reopenings, there is certainly still a long road ahead of us, so we hope this issue can brighten your spirits and help you push through the home stretch.

The cover story of this issue “Going Public,” written

by Samantha Feldmeier, Audrey Guo and Casey Walters, highlights a handful of local art installations and reveals the bigger messages and meanings behind the works of art you have likely seen yourself. Not only can you read about the artists’ inspirations and processes, but the bike route on page 24 takes you zipping through the city in a loop that passes all the installations mentioned in their story and more! Get to know our beautiful city even better or revisit the sites with newfound wisdom, all while enjoying a breath of fresh air.

On the cover, our Creative Direcctor Sam Mutz captured a serene photograph of “Bliss in the Moment,” a memorial of cycling advocate William “Bill” Bliss located on the bike path connecting Byxbee Park and Shoreline Park.

Our featured artist is none other than the incomparable Faustine Wang. The profile on page 6, written by Faith Chow and Colleen Wang, details Wang’s miraculous hybrid of art with her other passions. She has surely surpassed the basics learned in Art Spectrum, and has even advanced to creating her own video game “Bounce Battle” and founding

a service-oriented art club, Artruism.

On page 39, writers Reya Hadaya, Sukhman Sahota and Libby Spier take a deep dive into the profound impact history and the narrative of our education curriculum have on our views of the world. Through incredibly insightful interviews of students, historians, teachers and activists alike, this story is sure to leave you with a lasting impression and reformed perspective of the world around us, both on a global and local scale.

Lastly, if you are looking for some quick and mellow reads, check out “Feeling Good” on page 18 where staff writer Emily Cheng highlights some of her favorite go-to comfort films and reviews some movies that had been on her “watch next” list for just a tad too long. Another fun insight into the mind of Paly students can be found on page 46 where Emily Cheng and Sukhman Sahota compile submitted song recommendations for 5 categories ranging from classic oldies to last-minute study jams.

If you are interested in any of the aforementioned features or just want to leisurely peruse some visually pleasing designs, you are certainly in the right place. So join us on this 48-page journey as you stay safe and stay sane.

Happy Reading, Alexa Gwyn, Kimi Lillios and Atticus Scherer Editors-in-Chief

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES find these stories and more at cmagazine.org

Quarantine Made Me Buy It

By Jack Haney

Testing Take-Out

By Eunice Cho

Safe Bay Area Day Trips

By Sophia Baginskis

thanks to our

sponsors Alison Mutz Ann Polanski Anne & Billy Spier April Scazzola Betsy Koester Casey Ragno Chris Lillios & Jinny Rhee Christine Hmelar Cindy Wu Daily Essentials David Scherer David Wolter Deb Whitman Debbie Ellisen Debra Cen Donna Do Doug Wolter Elaine Cao Emma Stefanutti Erica & Daniel Galles Gloria Tapson Harry & Harriet Oda Hershminder Sahota Hong Liu Hong Liu & Max Cheng Janet Bloed Jasleen Sahota Jenifer Turnbull Jennifer Mutz Jennifer Wu Jennifer & Don Ragno Jessica Gao John Ragno Julien Chow Kar Yee Fransham

Karen Townsend Karen Wolter Kate Glasson Kathy Mach Lisa Maund Liz Brooks Mahin & Houshang Behrouz Marjan LaRue Mark McAuley Marty Ragno Mathew Signorello-Katz Max Cheng Melina Lillios Michael Romano Michelle Vonderhaar Michelle Yin Mojo Trials Moon & Hwa Rhee Nana & Dzed Baginskis Nancy Warner Olivia Han Palo Alto Education Palo Alto Humane Society Pat Ellisen Phyllis Mutz Queenie Huang Shantel & David Ferdman Stan & Rochelle Ferdman Theresa McCann Tony Lillios Tony Lin Vi Richert Victor Wang Wendy Gwyn William Hadaya

staff Editors-in-Chief

Creative Director

Alexa Gwyn, Kimi Lillios, Atticus Scherer

Sam Mutz

Managing Editors Leslie Aboytes, Faith Chow, Ellie Rowell, Libby Spier

Creative Adviser Sukhman Sahota

Online Editor-in-Chief Dunya Mostaghimi

Graphics Editor Samantha Feldmeier

Social Media Managers Eunice Cho, Sophia Baginskis

Business Managers Bridget Packer, Rachael Vonderhaar

Staff Writers Owen Bittinger, Emily Cheng, Aidan Do, Rachel Ellisen, Erik Feng, Brooke Glasson, Audrey Guo, Reya Hadaya, Jack Haney, Natalie Hmelar, Emma Joing, Colin Lai, Samantha Lee, Megha Madhabhushi, Caitlyn Oda, Julia Ragno, Ella Rosenblum, Kellyn Scheel, Emma Turnbull, Casey Walters, Colleen Wang, Marilyn Yin Illustrators

Cover

Angela Bi, Samantha Feldmeier, Audrey Guo, Aaron Kim, Kimi Lillios, Sam Mutz, Kellyn Scheel, Faustine Wang

Sam Mutz Table of Contents Photo by Alexa Gwyn

Adviser Brian Wilson

Publication Policy

Letters to the Editors

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

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

Printing & Distribution C Magazine is printed 5 times a year in November, December, February, April and May by Folger Graphics in Hayward, CA and mailed to every student’s home by the Paly Parent Teacher Student Association. All C Magazine stories are available on cmagazine.org.

Advertising The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts, providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience.

For more information about advertising with C Magazine, please contact business managers Bridget Packer and Rachael Vonderhaar at businesscmagazine@gmail.com.

contents arts Featured Artist

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Fashion Forward

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Spill the Ink

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Feeling Good

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culture The World Beyond

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The Great Outdoors

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Going Public

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Living Simply

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Adoption Craze

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Period Piece Fashion

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Getting Things Done

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Antithesis to Aesthetic

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The Hidden Aftermath

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music Love is Everywhere pg. 15

Road to Success

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Student Playlists

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t s i t r a d e r u t a e f

E N I T FAUS G N A W Faustine Wang combines her many passions of art, technology and service to make lasting impacts on the world

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he video game opens with a screen of a cute kangaroo in a grassy field. The simple, blocky art style is paired with a light and energetic tune playing in the background as you navigate through the simple interface. Scrolling through the list of animal characters, a customized placard accompanies each animation, detailing information about themselves, such as names and special moves. After making a selection, your chosen character is transported to an open field with floating platforms and stands in front of an opponent. Then, the game immediately begins. You effortlessly shuffle and jump using the arrow keys with the objective to jump on the other player’s character. The losing character disappears and the winner’s animal is enlarged and celebrated with triumphant graphics.

This is the indie game “Bounce Battle,” created by senior Faustine Wang in mid-August.

Wang began developing her artistic abilities as a toddler with markers and scratch paper always in hand, making doodles. As she grew older, art became an increasingly important outlet. “I’ve seen it as a source for me to document my imaginations and create something out of my daydreaming,” Wang said.

Having grown up in the heart of Silicon Valley, Wang has been immersed in the world of technology her whole life and more recently developed a fascination with the connection between art and game design. She especially admires how video games allow users to closely interact with art and directly affect how it looks.

“I’ve seen YouTube channels that

are dedicated to just video game art,” Wang said. “A video game needs to focus on functionality in addition to having it look good, so you have to be conscious of everything.”

But prior to the summer entering senior year, Wang did not have a lot of coding experience. Taking AP Computer Science Principles helped her learn the basics of coding, which enabled her to pursue making a video game.

However, Wang still had to supplement her coding experience outside of class. She watched tutorials online, which helped further develop her C# skills—the coding language used by the game engine Unity.

Wang spent about four months coding the game, but there were still many bugs left in the code that she had to fix. She constantly needed to review and make iterations to her

Text and design by FAITH CHOW and COLLEEN WANG • Art by FAUSTINE WANG

work, parallel to her experience with interest, such as psychology and cogniartwork. “You see this iterative pro- tive science, to create her own unique cess in a lot of creative processes in art path in life. too,” Wang said.

“Cognitive science is an interdisAlthough this is Wang’s first ani- ciplinary [field] between psycholomated project, gy and computer she hopes to use science, and I feel “I’ve seen [art] as like it encapsulates this experience as a practice opmy interests a lot,” a source for me portunity to enWang said. “While to document my hance her coding I study at university and artistic skills. these things, imaginations and about “Right now, they can really procreate something vide me with more it’s like a practice project,” insight and materiout of my Wang said. “[It als for me to do art.” daydreaming.” is] a step toward Beyond a medithe other [video um to express her games] I want to make.” creativity, Wang uses art’s ability to Through this project, Wang was build and support communities. able to combine her love for art and Wang collaborated with her friends video game design. In the future, she to found Artruism, a service-oriented plans to continue merging her fields of Paly club that fundraises for different

causes through commissioning art. In addition to the communal impacts, Wang also wants Artruism to be a welcoming platform and organization for student artists.

“People who share their passions come together to do art,” Wang said.

“Part of my nonprofit’s mission is to build a community of artists in addition to promoting our different causes.”

Whether she is combining her fascination for computer science, service or other artists in her own artistic pursuits, Wang always strives to use her art for good and help others understand and share her passion for art.

“Sometimes there’s a misconception about how art is not useful in a way,” Wang said. “But [my art projects] represent the value that I put on art and help share that with other people.”

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One of Wang’s most recent pieces entitled “Wisdom” is a Renaissance-inspired oil painting that illustrates two hands reaching towards an apple with an eye and has walnuts scattered throughout the background. For Wang, it symbolizes the nuance of knowledge and wisdom.

the idea that true wisdom “ I explore is difficult to obtain even in an abundance of knowledge. The apple represents wisdom and the walnuts represent the knowledge.”

“Wisdom”

Wang’s grayscale drawing “Eureka” portrays a human figure with a lightbulb for a head with small figures polishing the glass. Wang includes optical illusions such as impossible triangles and staircases—a nod to Maurits Cornelis Escher’s art which is known to incorporate similarly mind-boggling imagery.

to play with optical illusions “I wanted and also depict the monotony of a

modern corporate lifestyle, looking at perceptions of the world and of one’s personal life.”

“Eureka”

At the beginning of the pandemic, students were all dealing with the ensuing disorder of the world. Wang turned her energy to creating an oil painting called “Serenity,” which depicts a figure with a wide-brimmed hat floating on a wooden raft in a pond filled with majestic aquatic creatures.

I wanted to depict a calmness “within chaos, alluding to Taoist beliefs about circularity.”

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“Serenity”

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FASHION

Forward Fashion plays an important part in our creative expression, but clothing that also sustains our planet’s resources is becoming increasingly essential

Oddli’s unique flair shines through in this eclectic photoshoot modeling the brand’s patchwork shorts

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n average, it takes 1800 gallons of water to make a single pair of jeans. The fashion industry contributes to our earth’s dried up water sources and pollutes our rivers and streams—all the while, 85% of all textiles get thrown into the dump each year.

While fashion to the average person is a way to unleash creativity and communicate a narrative to others about our identity, to many designers, having a minimal environmental impact is becoming equally as important.

Oddli is an LA-based company whose mission is to create beautiful clothing items that are CCO of sustainably manufactured. With the formation of Oddli in 2020, Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Jensen Neff was able to combine her love for fashion with her passion for renewable living. While at Stanford University, she met Ellie Chen and

the two soon bonded over their shared interest in sustainable fashion. What started as the two women’s senior capstone project quickly became a real company, and Oddli was born.

“Our [love for sustainability] came from growing up in the natural world and believing in it so much,” Neff said.

When researching the gaps in the fashion industry and brainstorming the type of clothing she wanted to make, Neff was drawn to deadstock. This material is the excess fabric typically thrown away if a clothing company Jensen Neff, does not use it.

Oddli Clothing “[We had the] challenge of, how can we take this 14 million pounds of material that has been thrown away every day, and get over the roadblock of it’s non-uniformity,” Neff said.

Partners Neff and Chen were able to

“Our [love for sustainability] came from just growing up in the natural world and believing in it so much.”

Text by EMMA JOING and RACHAEL VONDERHAAR Design by EMMA JOING • Photos courtesy of JENSEN NEFF and ANUSHKA SARKAR

overcome this challenge by deciding that their first clothing line would be patchwork apparel that was made from patches of different fabrics. This way, no deadstock would go to waste and each clothing item would be completely unique.

Neff also found throughout the development of Oddli that sustainability was not as straightforward of a process as simply using recycled materials. She discovered that there is a lack of regulation in the clothing industry, leading to issues such as seamstresses being paid below minimum wage.

“Because the industry is so under regulated, it has had to be me and [Chen] creating the regulation ourselves, even if it costs us more,” Neff said. “The industry doesn’t demand it and people are just getting away with unethical stuff.”

But it is this commitment to sustainability in every step of Oddli’s development that has led to the company’s success. Neff emphasizes that Oddli will continue to grow and bring even more to the world of sustainable fashion in the future.

“I think that patchwork was a great first step, but we’re excited to expand because there are so many issues in the fashion industry and each of them are opportunities to tackle,” Neff said.

Not only are full-fledged companies like Oddli finding ways to create a more sustainable fashion industry, but students at Paly are also taking big steps in the right direction.

Senior Anusha Sarkar started designing her own clothing when she was younger in a sketch book that was always filled with ideas, many of which she never thought would go beyond the page. Over the years, her passion for fashion only grew stronger.

“Fashion is the expression of emotion, Sarkar said. “[It’s] the harmony between creativity and construction technique.”

In the summer of 2019, Sarkar attended a Fiber Science and Apparel Design course at Cornell University. There, she was inspired to use her creativity in her designs toward helping create a better

world through fashion, and through creating her own clothing line. After studying several vendors, she decided on a sustainable apparel mill in Louisiana, obtained her first bolts of material and got to work.

Although her brand, Scout, was only launched in the Summer of 2020, Sarkar hopes to grow her company to raise awareness about the treatment of our world. Sarkar aims to help others feel as though they have left their mark on the world while expressing themselves through a community that works together for a better toAnusha morrow.

Like Neff, Sarkar understands the various layers of what it means to be a renewable fashion source.

“To me, sustainability isn’t just about having a ‘sustainable garment,’ but it also extends to the workforce and how the

Scout’s first clothing line was a collection of sweatshirts; the frost grey sweatshirt is shown here

people in the factories are treated,” Sarkar said. “Sustainability is also relevant when sourcing materials, where they are coming from and how that contributes to the world’s carbon footprint. The ultimate goal of sustainability and sustainable fashion is to preserve the world we live in today.”

It all breaks down to the idea that we have been living as if we don’t plan on seeing another day on our planet. We have been taking resources without replenishing or giving back to our environment. So next Sarkar, senior time you go out to buy a brand new pair of jeans, think about what goes into that piece of clothing and consider buying it from a renewable clothing brand to do your part in contributing to a more sustainable future.

“The ultimate goal of sustainability and sustainable fashion is to preserve the world we live in today.”

Jensen Neff carefully chooses fabric from bolts of deadstock to use in Oddli’s patchwork line

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Spill the nk Finding cheaper alternatives to trendy stationery in a product-packed world

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crolling through endless posts of journaling spreads with “It is unnecessary to buy so many things and have them sitting flawless lighting and perfect handwriting, finding creators around.” that aren’t using mainstream stationery is almost impossiHowever, much of the fun behind journaling as an art form is ble. With the repeated display of select pens, markers and washi in finding new supplies to use to enhance creative spread ideas. tapes from pricey stationery brands—including Zebra, Tombow Yau suggests artists find a balance between buying products to and Sarasa—wanting to buy those same supplies is often an in- align with trends and using products that actually enhance their evitable feeling. However, despite the exclusive promotion of creativity. specific products appearing to be harmless, the effects of statio“It is important to buy with a purpose,” Yau said. “If you nery consumerism last long after are going to buy something, you the ink has dried. should make sure you have a Paly junior Hannah Yau need for it, otherwise it can get was inspired to start journalout of control.” ing because of its presence on Another way to limit imher social media feeds. “I have pulse purchases is finding dif“It is important to buy seen people on YouTube and ferent ways to use supplies you with a purpose. If you Instagram with journaling acalready own, such as blending counts, and one [influencer] is inks from water-based markers are going to buy someAmanda Rach Lee,” Yau said. to create a new color or recy“I saw her videos and I thought cling scraps of paper. thing, you should make I might try bullet journaling, Like Yau, Christy Du, a Paly so I ended up joining the bulsophomore and artist, watched sure you have a need for let journaling club [at Paly] in YouTubers to get an idea of sophomore year.” In February what equipment to use when it, otherwise it can get of 2020, Yau combined her she first started making her art. love for Korean-pop music with The videos compared the qualout of control.” her newfound hobby of bullet ity of cheaper materials com-Hannah Yau journaling and started a K-pop pared to their more expensive journaling Instagram account. counterparts. After a few years The impact of social media of testing out products herself, has influenced Yau’s journaling Du found she prefers Muji pens experience beyond motivating her start but also the stationery over other brands because of their quality. products she utilizes. “As I have seen people journal on Insta“If you buy one Muji pen, then you can use it for five years, gram, I noticed that I will see stickers or some kind of stationery but if you buy a cheaper pen, it doesn’t last as long,” Du said. that other people will use and I think ‘maybe I should go buy High quality products can certainly enable artists to create that so I can use it,’” Yau said. beautiful art pieces, but ultimately creating art comes from the Being constantly bombarded with new products often makes artist’s passion and the technique they channel into their work artists feel obligated to conform their art to standards that are and not the price tag of a product. constructed in our consumerist society rather than allowing Letting your art control what supplies you use and not vice their art to remain unique to their own style. To mitigate this versa is how journalers and artists can keep their work unique tendency, Yau suggests journalers remind themselves of the cre- amongst an online community that is steadily growing. “It is ative ways they can use the supplies they already own. “There tough [when there is] pressure to buy all the stationery products seems to be so many things [influencers] do not use, which is that you see,” Yau said. “But you can still create, and you can one reason why I do not have much [stationery],” Yau said. still journal with limited supplies—with whatever you have.”

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Text and design by DUNYA MOSTAGHIMI and CAITLYN ODA Art by KIMI LILLIOS

Zebra Mildliners + Daiso highlighters Possibly the most popular stationery product on the market, Zebra pen mildliners are a double ended highlighter with a chisel and a bullet tip. Sold in packs of 5 or as an entire set, the highlighters grew in popularity among the studyblr and journaling communities due to their aesthetic minimalistic packaging and muted colors that differ greatly from the normal selection of neon pastel hues typical for highlighters. Daiso Highlighters, although offered in a smaller color range selection, offer a chisel tip similar to the Zebra pen, and their more opaque ink bleeds less through most paper types than Zebra pens.

Tombow Dual Brush Pens + Crayola Super Tip marker

Coming in a large selection of colors, the Tombow Dual Brush pen is a double ended art marker with a flexible brush tip and fine tip. These brush pens are popular in the journaling community as they create beautiful faux calligraphy headings—a hallmark of excellence, but they run a high price and are often difficult for beginners to use because of the flexibility of the brush tip. A more affordable alternative that also comes in a wide array of colors is the Crayola Super Tip marker. Although without the fine tip end, Super Tips have a less flexible tip that is easier to handle but still can create thick downstrokes and thin upstrokes needed for faux calligraphy. Super Tips also fare as mildliners and coloring book markers.

Sarasa clip pens + Muji pens The Sarasa clip pens are popular among the journaling community for their water-based ink flow and the pigment payoff of different colors. Their unique ink formula allows for streak free writing over white-out and less bleeding when highlighted over. Similarly, Muji pens offer a wide range of colors and pen tip sizes. Known for their minimalistic packaging and name brand stickers, these pens have a relatively long lifespan and create limited ink bleedthrough onto the next page compared to the Sarasa clip.

The Sarasa clip pens run for around $4, with collaboration exclusive designs selling for higher, while their cheaper counterpart retails for only $1.50.

FEELING Grab a blanket, GOOD lay back and relax C urled up in my pajamas with the lights off, the world seems to fade away around me. For one and a half hours, I’m not stuck indoors during a pandemic but flying through the Japanese countryside in a grinning cat bus.

With even the homebodies feeling antsy from being cooped up so long, comfort movies are a much-needed escape. There’s something for everyone, whether it be belly-aching comedy or a magical quest with unlikely heroes and wizards.

Here are some of my personal favorites as well as some new ones I’ve watched recently.

LITTLE FOREST

KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE dir. Hayao Miyazaki | Adventure/Family

This movie moves slowly, and there’s very little drama compared to most movies. It embraces you gently with beautiful rural landscapes, mouthwatering cooking scenes and flawed relationships.

It not only tells the story of a young woman rediscovering her roots, but it also explores how food is closely tied to love and intimacy.

On yet another level, it acknowledges the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and follows the main character, Hye-won, as she comes to terms with her mother through bittersweet flashbacks.

It’s a quiet movie, but there’s a depth to it that both touches me and puts my mind at ease.

I’m a sucker for Studio Ghibli films—they’re whimsical, immersive and their subtleties can be appreciated by everyone.

13-year-old Kiki’s journey is a relatable one.

Eager to start her witch training, she eventually becomes depressed from overworking and loses her magic, a feeling that anyone who has experienced burnout can understand.

The quaint oceanside town and the bakery Kiki stays at makes for a cozy backdrop as she navigates her coming of age.

With charm and sensitivity, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” tells a story of self-identity and purpose that will resonate with people of all ages.

go-tos

dir. Soon-rye Yim | Drama

JULIE AND THE PHANTOMS PAN’S LABYRINTH dir. Guillermo del Toro | Dark Fantasy

I had listened to the soundtrack multiple times even before watching the show, which made it all the more exciting when I could match the stories with the music.

The show doesn’t shy away from dealing with subjects like loss and sexual orientation, and the chemistry of the cast both on and offscreen makes the characters feel like real friends.

Director Kenny Ortega’s touch gives it a distinctly “Disney” feel, but with grief and a ghost band in the mix, it’s equal parts funny and vulnerable.

Rocking out alongside the actors to the eclectic soundtrack is just a bonus. From Hollywood-style performances to heartfelt acoustic ballads, they have it all.

Dark fantasy seems anything but comforting, but the seamless blend of violent reality and breathtaking fantasy kept my attention effortlessly.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” feels a little like a Grimm fairy tale, and it does a beautiful job of intertwining opposing elements: beauty and war, innocence and evil, the magical and the real.

Contrasted with her stepfather’s sadism, Ofelia’s idealism is a somber reminder of the extent of human cruelty.

I’m not too familiar with del Toro’s work, but his use of symbolism and storytelling in this film made for a truly spellbinding watch.

Text and design by EMILY CHENG • Art by ANGELA BI

firsts

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dir. Kenny Ortega | Musical

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It is important to remember love comes in many different forms

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Photos by RACHEL ELLISEN, BROOKE GLASSON and ALEXA GWYN Design by RACHEL ELLISEN and BROOKE GLASSON • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

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Addie Harris & Acordia

Katie Yen & Meredith Glasson

“I love spending time with my friends because they make

my days so much brighter” -- Katie Yen 16

“Everyone deserves to be loved” -- Elif Turgut

Elif Turgut & Annika Diekgers

<3

“I love my car because it is cute, takes me where I want to go and is with me all the time”

-- Aidan Duggan

Aidan Duggan & The Bimmer

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With a rise in astrology and manifestation, students examine how these ancient practices do or don’t play a role in their lives

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itting down at his desk, an array of crystals in his palm, junior Siddhant Amberkar dreads his upcoming math test.

Amberkar believes the crystals aren’t magic, but that they essentially magnify the energy you place into your life.

“You cannot carelessly ask for [what you want], it has to be a conscious effort and then it’s reciprocated,” Amberkar said.

“[Crystals] amplify the energy you put in. You put in what you [want to] get out, it’s not like a wish.”

Everyone has different ways they cope with stress and different things they believe in. Whether it be crystals, manifesting, religion, astrology or your community, many people believe that somewhere to turn for guidance is fundamental to their wellness.

Fire Sign (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius): known to be passionate, spontaneous, competitive, confident and enthusiastic

Water Sign (Pieces, Cancer and Virgo): known to be intuitive, nurturesous, refreshing, mysterious and sensitive

Earth Sign (Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn): known to be grounded, dependable, loyal, reliable and practical

Air Sign (Aquarius, Gemini and Libra): known to be powerful, creative, understanding, friendly and adventurous

Amberkar was born into a family that imagining they already have something practiced Hinduism, so both astrology desirable will attract the item or objective and spirituality have always been pres- to them. ent in his life. “Before a few years ago, I Especially during this pandemic, manwouldn’t have given more thought to how ifestation has made frequent appearances I could be an active follower of Hindu- on social media platforms such as TikTok ism,” Amberkar said. “I followed what my and Instagram. These posts explain how parents would do and all of those prac- to use journals and affirmations to mantices.” ifest anything.

It wasn’t until recently when AmberThe practice of manifesting and cryskar decided to learn more about these tals seem to promise anything you ask for, practices on his own. “The past two years, which is likely why teens are so interestI’ve thought actively ed in the practices. about how I can be Sophomore Melo“What appeals to me in a Hindu,” Amberdy Xu accredits this kar said. “This has particular about astrology rise in popularity helped guide me into of manifesting to is its individualistic meditation practices “a sense of control approach to a higher with crystals.” or understanding For Amberkar, of your life.” power/state of being.” holding his crystals The idea of during school promanifesting things Mathew Signorello-Katz, junior vides energy that imsuch as wealth proves his academic and happiness has life. “I believe that you get energy from roots that go as far back into history as the Earth, but [crystals] definitely have ancient civilizations and religions such as radiating energy,” Amberkar said. “If you Buddhism and Vedic Hinduism. Buddha focus and give the crystals attention, you said in the Dhammapada scriptures that, realize they influence and help you.”

“All that we are is a result of what we have Amberkar uses crystals to practice thought. The mind is everything. What manifestation, but manifestation is prac- we think, we become.” ticed in many different forms. ManifestaThere are many people who do not tion is the concept that a person can speak believe in using crystals or manifesting, or write something into existence. People among those is junior Lily Lochhead. She who believe in manifestation believe that is a member of the Church of Latter-day

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Saints, commonly known as Mormons, and believes praying is a similar practice that can achieve the same goal.

“When people are manifesting, it’s like praying and asking the Holy Spirit,” Lochhead said. “I believe the Holy Spirit is what guides our spirit and consciousness to do the right things.”

While Lochhead is guided by her religion, other teens find solace in astrology. Memes about how ‘Mercury is in retrograde’ and other references to the alignment of the stars and planets have become more popular on social media, spiking Gen Z’s interest in astrological alignment.

According to a Pew Research Center study conducted in 2017, around 29% of Americans believe in astrology. Among the other 71% is junior Damon Schultz.

Despite having experienced an accurate astrological prediction, Schultz has never believed in astrology. The prediction said that Schultz would have something lucky happen to him that day and he did have a lucky day. “The correct prediction didn’t change my beliefs about astrology because it could just be a coincidence,” Schultz said.

Schultz is an atheist and doesn’t believe in any higher powers. In times of uncertainty, he relies on friends and family for guidance. “If it doesn’t really matter which way to go, I flip a coin,” Schultz said.

Text and design by SOPHIA BAGINSKIS, ELLA ROSENBLUM and MARILYN YIN • Art by AARON KIM

27-year-old Elena Sakopoulos used to agree with Schultz and did not believe in astrology. After research and conversations with astrology believers, she changed her mind and recently turned her interest in astrology into her full-time profession. “I’ve been a part of this new generation of people who were looking for answers and just not able to find them through traditional sources,” Sakopoulos said.

While teens who are recently finding astrology may only look at birth charts or sun signs, there is a lot more to explore.

Sakopoulous examines astrological occurrences with the lens of current events to make sense of the world around her.

“We’re going through really big shifts, astrologically,” Sakopoulous said. “At the very end of last year, we had a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn which is setting up a new 200-year cycle of being more individualized to more collective-oriented.” She hopes that as a world we grow to be more collective as opposed to self-

ish, and she believes that the conjunction can help to achieve unity.

Astrology has roots in Ancient Hinduism and is mentioned in “The Vedas,” a collection of religious texts that form the foundation of Hindu theology. Belief in karma is a large part of Vedic belief, and Vedas say that a person’s karma is directly related to the position of the planets and stars. In Ancient India, rulers would often employ astrologers to provide them better insight as to how they could best run their kingdoms.

While some people believe that some of the tenets of modern religion clash with the practice of astrology, others have discovered a state of coexistence, combining their exploration and love for their faith with a vivid sense of curiosity for astrology. Mathew Signorello-Katz grew up in a home with Catholic and Jewish influences and believes that astrology and religion fall into two separate categories.

“Personally, I see the relationship between astrology and modern religion to be extraordinarily complicated,” Signorello-Katz

said. “What appeals to me in particular about astrology is its individualistic approach to a higher power or state of being.”

Signorello-Katz notices the framework in a religious context is very different from astrological practice. “From my personal

29%

of Americans believe in astrology according to a study by the Pew Research Center

experience, modern religion often seems to operate upon the principles of broad, theoretical dogma, which doesn’t always provide specific answers to questions or decisions I may have to make,” Signorello-Katz said. “Occasionally I find that consulting astrology can make a decision-making process slightly easier, even if it may be solely a placebo effect.”

Similar to Signorello-Katz’s concept of astrology aiding decision-making, junior Izzy Ramirez has grown up believing in astrology but recently has become more invested in the practice of it.

“Astrology has made me more selfaware and it has made me understand people more,” Ramirez said. “It feels better to know just why someone could be a certain way.”

Although she may not believe all the nuances of astrology, it has provided positive stability for her. “Even if astrology is completely made up, it is something I can depend on to make things make sense and that is a huge relief and it puts my mind at ease.”

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The great outDoors Students find sanctuary in spending time doing their favorite outdoor activity and exploring California’s natural wonders

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rom the crowded cities to the mellow mountains, California is known as a land of opportunity. Surrounded by many diverse regions and climates, this large state has been exploited for resources as far back as its admission to the union. Today, California is known for its bright city lights and a hub of fame and fortune. It has become easy to turn a blind eye to the awe of the natural land as we often get caught up in the chaos of our day-to-day lives. Many Paly students who enjoy the outdoors recognize the benefits that spending time in nature has on their mental and physical health and how they in turn view the world around them.

Desolation Wilderness Northstar California Resort Mount Shasta Highway 1 Castle Rock State Park Coastal Bike Loop

Text and design by BROOKE GLASSON, NATALIE HMELAR and JULIA RAGNO • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

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ALDEN BACKSTRAND

CATHERINE RELLER

After spending several weeks bound to A trip to the snow serves as an escape for the confines of her bedroom walls, soph- senior Catherine Reller. From a young omore Alden Backstrand’s mind wan- age, Reller has been encouraged by her dered far into the great outdoors. For as dad to enjoy all the benefits the outdoors long as she can remember, Backstrand has to offer. “It is a really good time to has been hiking with her family and be- reflect on yourself and figure out what gan to develop her love for backpacking you want without all of the chaos hapat age nine. For countpening at home,” Relless years, Backstrand ler said. She has gone “Mentally, it’s a would go backpacking backcountry skiing on place where just an overnight trip near with friends at summer being in nature camp and it was there Mount Shasta and regthat she made treasured calms yourself” ularly skis at Squaw memories. Due to the Valley which overlooks pandemic, Backstrand Lake Tahoe. “I will alReed Schulman, boulderer ways remember this could not make her way back to camp, but she powder day I spent with was able to create her own backpack- my dad when all of the roads closed and ing group with a few friends from camp. we were alone on the mountain,” Reller Over the summer, Backstrand and her said. With the soft snow absorbing all of friends backpacked at Desolation Wil- the sound waves around them, the silent derness in Lake Tahoe where they put outdoors made Reller and her dad feel all of their camp skills to the test and de- like the only people in the world. stressed from life’s chaos. “It cleansed my mind and soul,” Backstrand said. “I felt NATALIA COSSIO the mountains within me.”

NICOLO DEFENDI-CHO For sophomore Nicolo Defendi-Cho, there is never a trail too hard to conquer with his mountain bike. Defendi-Cho discovered mountain biking from watching countless Youtube videos and knew he had to try it out. Now, mountain biking is one of the most prominent parts of his life. Defendi-Cho enjoys biking during the summer because he has the opportunity to go five times a week. During the school year he goes at least three to four times a week when he can. Defendi-Cho looks forward to Hucksgiving, a mountain biking event held at Carlmont High School every year just before Thanksgiving. “A bunch of people get together and we all ride the jumps and it’s really fun,” Defendi-Cho said. He also enjoys biking in Lake Tahoe and all over Santa Cruz as well. “You really feel at ease in nature,” Defendi-Cho said. “Mountain biking helps you immerse [yourself] in the woods and it feels like you’re part of it as you run along through them.”

REED SCHULMAN Being the only person for miles, climbing a boulder deep in the lush California wilderness is reasonably daunting to some, but to Paly sophomore Reed Schulman, it’s just what the doctor ordered. “Mentally, it’s a place where just being in nature calms yourself,” Schulman said. It was not until three years ago that Schulman picked up bouldering—a type of rock climbing that does not require ropes or harnesses. Schulman was able to climb crags, which are essentially rugged rock faces, multiple days a week because of the endless amount of free time that came with the pandemic. One of Schulman’s favorite crags is at Castle Rock State Park in the Santa Cruz mountains. The reward received from hard work when bouldering is what helps Schulman keep a clear head amidst all the craziness. “Popping out on the boulder after working at it for sometimes weeks at a time,” Schulman said. “That’s a pretty good feeling.”

ELIZABETH FETTER

One summer morning, junior Natalia Cossio began her day expecting to go on From swimming more than 20 hours a a small hike. But soon the buildings grew week to not being able to swim at all was sparse and Cossio found herself on a 30 a big switch for sophomore Elizabeth mile hike from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz. Fetter. At the beginning of quarantine, As she walked along the Pacific Coast running kept Fetter busy, but she often Highway with her sister and her sister’s found herself getting injured. In order boyfriend, they shared to maintain consistent memories that will she decided “I felt the mountains exercise last a lifetime. From to try cycling, and she within me” a young age, Cossio picked it up quite easily. has had an infatuation “I went from 30 to 50 with the outdoors as 80 to 130 [miles] in a Alden Backstrand, backpacker to her parents encourspan of a couple weeks,” aged her to go outside.

Fetter said. Whether it is Because of their influence, her love for a short ride through Portola Valley or the outdoors has grown exponential- her most treacherous ride to the Santa ly over the years. “I prefer Santa Cruz Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Fetter is able to Mountains apart from local reserves experience scenic landscapes while also such as Arastradero or Foothills because getting a solid workout in. “It’s just a it is still close but not as boring,” Cossio nice time to be by yourself and it’s not as explains. “Spending time outside helps physically taxing [on your body],” Fetter me exercise and boost my mood with said. Fetter, a multiple sport athlete, can nature as a double benefit and an added make just about any sport or activity look layer of beauty.” easy.

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Going Public

A deeper dive into the stories behind Palo Alto public art installations alo Alto is home to over three hundred displays of public art.

They are located in a variety of locations—parks, tunnels and buildings—each with its own story to tell.

Elise DeMarzo, the Palo Alto Public Art Program Director, has grown to love public art after a decade of working for the city. Her job is to commission artists for spaces that could benefit from an installation.

“We don’t shop for artists, we really just try to find the right artist for the job,” DeMarzo said.

After they propose a project, DeMarzo and the Public Art Commission interview applicants and choose the best fit. The hired artist is then given guidelines for their site. Take for example an art installation at a new public safety building associated with reporting crimes, it should convey a sense of calm. Or in a place with a lot of kids, DeMarzo might propose a flashier, more interactive piece.

To fit these guidelines, sculptor Roger Stoller tries to understand his audience first and does so by engaging directly with the community. “[Locals] know the city in a way I’ll never

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know,” Stoller said. “I realized it was to all of our advantage to create a public piece together rather than by myself.”

This collaborative process is what sets public art apart. Unlike painters in an art gallery, public artists must consider both the community and their own voice in order to create something meaningful. And that meaning must be transparent to the public, Stoller said.

“Why make it so hard for people? It’s public art, they’re not going to a museum,” Stoller said. “Let’s figure out what they can relate to.”

Konstantin Dimopoulos, creator of “The Blue Trees,” often invites passersby to paint with him.

“We had people come in who had never been to an art gallery before,” Dimopoulos said. “But I remember one lady said to me [while] we were coloring the trees, ‘This is the first time I’ve felt like an artist.’”

Putting art out in the open for everyone to see is what “going public” means for our community. But the impact of these public works go beyond Palo Alto. They show us we can work together toward something beautiful—a universal truth we all can stand for.

Text by SAMANTHA FELDMEIER, AUDREY GUO and CASEY WALTERS Art and design by SAMANTHA FELDMEIER and AUDREY GUO • Photos by SAM MUTZ

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Ready for more?

Scan & look for Going Public.25

The Year of the Ocean California Avenue

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hen artist Morgan Bricca painted her first mural, she did it with house paints from her condo garage and lots of free time. She had just quit her job working in IT after it left her feeling unsatisfied with her life. Bricca said she didn’t want to work for anyone else anymore.

“I was reading a book by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi about finding flow and realized painting the mural was the first time I’d forgotten to eat lunch in my whole life,” Bricca said.

Twenty years later, Bricca has painted over 75 public murals in the Bay Area and written a book on how to do it. She has also restored old works like that of Greg Brown (“Lady Watering” on Waverley Street) and other artists. Among these was the California Avenue pedestrian underpass.

Restoring the 180-foot underpass was no easy feat. Artist Oscar Carillo’s original work on the tunnel had been stained by years of water damage, vandalism and dust.

Yet even without the help of other artists, Bricca managed to complete the entire proj-

ect in a week.

“It’s funny because I’ve been painting by myself all these years and people are always talking to me in plural,” Bricca said. “People always say, ‘Oh, are you guys all fixing this up?’ [They] just can’t imagine that it’s just me there.”

She started by restoring bits and pieces, which soon escalated into a complete transformation.

While going through the tunnel, passersby took notice.

“People were so sweet,” Bricca said. “They talked about their [favorite elements] in the mural and what they liked best.”

At one point, a woman approached Bricca with a request. Over dinner, her son had suggested that she paint the tunnel floor.

“It just felt like the perfect pitch,” Bricca said.

She ended up painting nearly 50 floor elements: sand dollars, shells and hidden messages about bike safety. As you go through, look closely for words written in the kelp.

“I can’t believe I’m painting. I love it every day,” Bricca said. “I love the physicality. I love the scale. Right now it feels like I was born to do it.”

The Blue Trees City Hall

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ows of trees guard the front of Palo Alto City Hall. Though they’ve since faded from the rain, just a few months ago their trunks were bright blue.

An artist named Konstantin Dimopoulos is responsible for this installation. As a former sociologist, most of his artwork deals with social issues such as homelessness or domestic violence.

This project on deforestation, fittingly titled “The Blue Trees,” has reached 84 sites in 33 countries across the world.

“Somebody described it in Denver as ‘electric blue,’” Dimopoulos said. “It almost looks like it’s got some element to it that glows.”

The pigment itself is non-toxic and washable; in fact, Dimopoulos encourages people to wash it off when they need to. But the message of these trees is more permanent.

“Everywhere we do it, we get a reaction,” Dimopoulos said. “Often it’s a positive, but often people are worried: ‘Why are you coloring the trees?’”

Dimopoulos noticed that people living

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in cities tend to ignore deforestation. But by painting urban forests blue, a color rare in nature, he could get people to pay attention. Dimopoulos said that when people start asking questions, it puts pressure on the government and public to find solutions.

“Deforestation isn’t happening in Palo Alto,” Dimopoulos said. “It’s happening thousands of miles from Palo Alto, but it will affect people who live here.”

Dimopoulos hopes governments will recognize deforestation as universal—a problem that goes beyond the Amazon rainforest.

“I remember when I started painting and somebody said to me, ‘You can’t start where Van Gogh finished. You have to start where Van Gogh started,’” Dimopoulos said. “So we all have to start at the beginning, not at the end of it.”

He encourages people to act and put their ideas out there.

“Don’t worry if they don’t succeed, because often the first one doesn’t,” Dimopoulos said. “And then just keep going, keep trying.”

Bliss in the Moment Bay Trail

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ames Moore was a high school sophomore living in Caruthers, Calif. when he had his first “visceral connection with creativity,” as he put it.

“I just happened to look down and I saw this piece of sawed-off branch,” Moore said. “It had some old bark, it had been out there for quite a while and I could see that there was a face in there.”

The face, clear as day, was more than his imagination. He was “seeing it so vividly that it felt real,” Moore said.

So Moore grabbed a carpenter’s chisel and hammer, carving away until a face emerged.

“It was like a stream of consciousness. [That experience] forever changed how I see the world,” Moore said. “And so that was the beginning.”

Over 30 years since then, Moore has moved from carving wood to Muscat grapevines to sculpting abstract, almost maquette-like figures out of metal. His goal is for people to feel like the work says something about them. But as a self-described optimist, Moore said that just making his audience feel good is enough.

“Bliss in the Moment” celebrates the life of cycling advocate William “Bill” Bliss. Commis-

sioned in 2011, this life-sized cyclist is situated on the 500-mile Bay Trail that Bliss had first pushed for.

“It’s essentially capturing that feeling that one has at the end of a long, really challenging journey,” Moore said. “It’s stopping for a moment and taking it all in.”

With Elise DeMarzo’s guidance, Moore and Bliss’ family worked together to create something that felt less like a memorial and more representative of who Bliss was.

An odometer on the handlebars, for example, reads “20,136”—the number of miles Bliss rode during his year-long, worldwide Odyssey Tour in 2000.

Moore has experienced firsthand the impact of grand displays of art and strives to replicate that for others.

“When I [first] had the opportunity to walk into museums I felt like I was in church,” Moore said. “And then when I came across public art I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, wouldn’t that be cool to be able to do that? To add something beautiful, something interesting, to an otherwise kind of banal city area?’”

Today, Moore continues to do just that.

Cloud Forest Mitchell Park Library

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t first glance, this steel sculpture appears to stop at the window, its metal lace casting a detailed reflection. However, look closer and it’s actually a 30-foot long sculpture visible both inside and outside the Mitchell Park Library.

“My spirit is more artistic,” said artist Roger Stoller. After 15 years as an industrial designer, Stoller realized he was just not satisfied with his job and its constraints, and decided to make a change. Stoller enrolled in classes at San Jose State University where he pursued his artistic talents and found his love for metalwork.

One of Stoller’s early public pieces is located at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. After being hired by the city, Stolled designed and sculpted “Cloud Forest” where it still stands today.

“That was earlier in my career when I was still bending over backwards to make it,” Stoller said. “I was more concerned about doing great art than how much I made on that particular

job.”

When designing this sculpture, Stoller wanted to do something to communicate the special relationship that occurs in Northern California between the redwoods and the sea. These special trees, only grown naturally along the Northern California and Southern Oregon coast, are nurtured by the mist from the sea. This creates a unique environment where redwoods thrive.

Stoller knew these spectacular trees had to be incorporated into the message of his sculpture. “I had this image of entering the library through a redwood forest of stainless steel,” Stoller said. “A seed of a person comes into the library, wanting to learn, and it grows and becomes the trunk and the branches and the needles.”

Stoller hopes that this library will be a place where community members come together. “It’s the job of the library to reach out to the community,” Stoller said.

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LIVING SIMPLY

The younger generation’s take on a minimalist lifestyle amidst an increasingly materialistic world

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ophomore Bennett Hardy does not believe in following a set of rules about how to live, but rather tries to simplify life in order to live more intentionally. He believes that minimalism is about being able to focus on your life, not on material things.

“Our lives are just so short. Why do we always focus so much on the little things? Why don’t we just focus on our lives?” Hardy said.

Hardy, like all minimalist, has his own unique way of adopting the lifestyle, which fulfills his personal goals of living more intentionally. Everybody has different reasons for adopting the minimalist lifestyle and different ways of executing it, but Hardy feels that many people miscategorize minimalism as a suffocating, rigid lifestyle. “[People] think you’re just getting rid of everything and that there’s nothing in your room or you can’t have certain things,” Hardy said. “That’s not what [minimalism] is about, it’s just simplifying your life.”

Diana Lim, a teen who actively shares her minimalist lifestyle on her blog (minimalistteen.com), defines the movement as a way to live “a happier, healthier and more deliberate life.”

Upon entering high school, Lim realized that she was caught up in an unhealthy cycle of shopping and comparing herself to other people. “I was not con-

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tent with what I had, even after I would buy things,” Lim said. “I just always wanted more.”

After discovering minimalism, Lim started placing less value in keeping up with the trends and instead focused on herself. “I realized that the source of my joy was not in my things,” Lim said. “[With minimalism] I could focus on the things in my life that I care about more than just physical items.”

The first step Lim took after realizing the benefits of a minimalistic lifestyle was purging 90% of her possessions. She had a “packing party” where she put everything she owned into boxes and packed it Bennett Hardy up. Over the course of a week, she only unpacked the items she needed to use, and then donated the untouched items at the end of the week.

After taking the first step to get rid of unnecessary items, Lim felt more free from the negative consumerist culture many are influenced by. However, that is not to say she shies away from buying any products or clothes; instead she more seriously considers the long-term sustainability. “My principle is that I want clothing that is more timeless and will remain stylish

“Our lives are just so short. Why do we always focus so much on the little things?”

Text and design by EUNICE CHO and SAMANTHA LEE • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

after the trend passes,” Lim said.

Since making these lifestyle changes, Lim has found more time to do things she genuinely enjoys. “Before I was a minimalist, a lot of my time was devoted to thinking about stuff I wanted, or what I was going to do with my closet full of out-of-fashion clothing,” Lim said. “Now that I’ve become a minimalist, I don’t think about that anymore, so I can devote my time towards more deliberate activities, like using technology to make the world a better place, or meditation in the morning.”

Not only did Lim make changes regarding her current possessions, but she also changed her mindset when it comes to encountering material items. “For my birthday, I started gifting and asking for things that are not physical gifts and instead asked for experiences,” Lim said. “I would ask for concert tickets or go get brunch with a friend or something like that. That way, I wouldn’t be stuck with a bunch of physical gifts that I didn’t actually want.”

Lim’s happiness in her decision to cherish memories more than physical items shows how much of an impact minimalism has made on her life.

“The fact that I have no regrets is a testament to how changing my lifestyle so drastically opened my eyes to how I used to place a lot more importance on physical things,” Lim said.

While Lim took drastic steps in order to adopt a minimalist lifestyle, she recognizes that not everyone can do the same. “Everybody has their own interpretation of minimalism and there’s a huge spectrum of how it is expressed,” Lim said. “At the end of the day, it’s really just about clearing up your life in order to be more focused on the things that make you happier, and living your life more deliberately,” Lim said.

There are many different ways to

“At the end of the day, it’s really just about clearing up your life in order to be more focused on the things that make you happier, and living your life more deliberately.”

Diana Lim

adopt a minimalist lifestyle, because there are countless interpretations of what is considered “minimal” or “sustainable.” Because some people choose to take drastic steps in order to become minimalists, the lifestyle is clouded by many stereotypes and an inaccurate perception of what sustainable living really is. To some, it may be wearing the same simple outfit to school every day, while to others, it means splurging on items that they really want while refraining from following all the trends.

There is no doubt that there are flaws in consumerist culture, and it is important to realize that there are many ways to reduce its negative impacts without having to be extreme and live with no material possessions.

The three main factors of the minimalist lifestyle are consciously buying less, keeping things you love and focusing on yourself. Everything else is up to you and can be done in any way that suits you the best.

“In the [minimalist] journey, it’s less about depriving yourself and less about trying to own as few things as possible,” Lim said. “It’s more about making sure that everything you own adds value to your life.”

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ADOPTION

CRAZE

An insight into the sudden surge of pet adoptions during COVID

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othing compares to the feeling of cuddling with an animal companion that supplies unconditional affection. That connection has brought many people comfort and companionship during quarantine, leading to the 55% increase of pet adoptions worldwide.

Leonor Delgado, an education manager at the Palo Alto Humane Society, has experienced firsthand the rapid increase in prospective adopters.

“The Palo Alto Humane Society has gotten to the point where people wait weeks to adopt dogs or cats,” Delgado said.

The surge has left shelters with the number of available animals dwindling while the number of people on the waitlist continues to rise. Shelters around the world are working together to tackle this issue. Places with an excess of animals— who would normally be abandoned or euthanized—are redistributing their animals to combat the shortages.

“I have contact with rescuers all over the country and all over the world, and [other shelters] are sending the animals who would’ve been doomed to other places,” Delgado said.

This collaboration has allowed locals like Paly math teacher Steve Marsheck to finally adopted a puppy.

“The dog was originally from Mexico, but was taken up to the US by the rescue agency,” Marsheck said. “We adopted it in the US just like any other dog.”

Though animal shortages are being supplemented from other countries, people are still being waitlisted.

Sophomore Michelle Pan was waitlisted while trying to get her German Shep-

herd, Kylo, and was only able to adopt and separation from friends continues to him because of a last minute cancella- become a major problem. Pets provide us tion. with company and friendship in a time “We weren’t expecting to get our dog when people desperately crave it. so early,” Pan said. “My brother and I Sophomore Z Malik has found comwere very excited to meet [Kylo].” fort in the loving connection he shares COVID-19 has also changed inter- with his emotional support dog. “You actions during the pet adoption process. can see that they’re intricate enough to Shelters are adapting to coronavirus reg- understand [your] emotions and yet they ulations and enforcing social still love you,” Malik said. distancing protocols However, while animals when meeting a have immense potential to potential owner. support people, pet own“An animal is a way “ B e f o r e ers also need to make of support, and in terms COVID, the sure their animals are of physiology effect, petshelter was being well cared for. ting and cuddling with open for visits, There are potential animals lowers blood and if somecomplications of pets adpressure and makes one was interopted during quarantine, people feel better.” ested in getting to such as the development Leanor Delgado, Palo Alto know a specific animal of separation anxiety. BeHumane Society or animals better, they fore the pandemic, people were allowed supervised would leave their houses to visiting time with that ango to work and attend school, imal or animals,” Delgado said. Now, forcing animals to learn how to be alone. adoptions happen on a more individual Now that people are home with pets basis and much communication happens 24/7, experts are concerned that it may online, sometimes making it harder to adversely affect the pet’s mental health connect with potential animals. when people return to normal life.

But despite all the struggles of adopt“Some people are suggesting that you ing, for many the wait is worth it. The can introduce your pets to other people, monotonous way of life is driving people maintain social distance and use different to the eventfulness of pet ownership and people to walk the dog,” Delgado said. the mental health benefits that come with The pandemic has taken its toll on it. both animals and humans alike, but the “An animal is a way of support, and relationship between pet and owner conin terms of physiology effect, petting and tinues to strengthen over quarantine with cuddling with animals lowers blood pres- every passing moment. sure and makes people feel better,” Del“It’s like having a baby that can move gado said. and bite,” Marsheck said. “But it’s also As we push through the mandated wonderful to snuggle or take a nap with social isolation, student’s mental health them.”

Bean

Kylo

Fry

Vivian Cerny, sophomore

Michelle Pan, sophomore

Vivian Cerny, sophomore

Winston

Sammy

Banny

Z Malik, sophomore

Mr. Marsheck, math teacher

Grace Li, sophomore

Nova

Buddha

Wally

Mr. Wilson, journalism teacher

Kellyn Scheel, sophomore

Jules Irulegui, sophomore

Text and design by MEGHA MADHABHUSHI and CAITLYN ODA

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Period Piece

Fashion

The release of period pieces, like Bridgerton, has sparked a trend of period fashion with a modern twist

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eatrice Kinskey, a junior at Paly, is a superfan of Bridgerton. She binged the show in 48 hours, and is an expert on all things period fashion. Kinskey has watched many period pieces in the past, and particularly loves the Regency Era when Bridgerton is set.

After watching the show, she immediately converted her style to mimic its elegant fashion, through beautifully detailed corsets and extravagant puffy skirts. Kinskey is not the only one inspired by the period fashion featured in Beatrice Bridgerton; period fashion is a surging trend following the release of period TV shows and movies.

Bridgerton focuses on a young woman growing up during the Regency Era, in the year 1813.

A significant element of the show is the fashion; the Regency Era is known for its stunning royal style, complete with ballgowns and corsets. The costumes

featured in the show are especially feminine with lace, frills and pastel colors.

“I loved the fashion, I think it was super interesting to see that much color,” Kinskey said.

As period pieces rise in popularity, style trends in everyday life mirror the styles exhibited in these shows. Tate Hardy, a fashion enthusiast and freshman at Paly, knows all too well how teens constantly search for new styles and follow popular trends.

“Most of what people wear is really impacted by Kinskey, junior the shows that come out, movies and how other people are dressing,” Hardy said.

Following the release of Bridgerton, clothing items that resemble the Regency Era, like corsets and bustier tops, immediately trended on social media apps like TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest. Viewers of the show craved to be a part of the royal glamour showcased in Bridgerton, and echoing the style is the easiest way to do so.

“After I saw [Bridgerton], I was like, ‘oh, I want to be a princess so bad,’” Kinskey said. “My first impulse was to make myself a princess, so of course I bought corsets and a big puffy skirt.”

Kinskey wasn’t the only one that splurged on new items for her closet just after her Bridgerton binge. “I had a few corsets before, but I ordered another one after I watched [Bridgerton] that was more

“After I saw Bridgerton, I was like, ‘oh, I want to be a princess so bad.’”

Lace up corsets reached peak popularity in the Mid19th Century 32

Text and design by RACHEL ELLISEN and EMMA TURNBULL • Art by KELLYN SCHEEL

Hoop skirts were invented in 1846 and unlike previous shaping undergarments, were worn by all social classes

old timey with lace, like the ones that they had in the show,” Hardy said. “I really liked the elegant, frilly style they had and I really want to get back into that, like the big poofy ballgowns.”

Every show has some sort of influence on its viewers, but what is unique about period pieces is that the viewers did not live through that time and those fashion trends, so they tend to resurface in a new generation. Junior Elizabeth Wong is another fan of period pieces, some of her favorites being classic Jane Austen adaptations like Pride and Prejudice.

“Period shows are so cool because I get to watch them as a form of escapism,” Wong said. “It’s kind of like escaping to another realm when I watch shows that are dated back.”

A key difference in the revival of these old fashion trends is the reasoning behind the style. The storyline of Bridgerton follows a young debutante as she tries to find a husband in an upper class society, which involves dressing in lavish attire and attending balls. However, the meaning behind wearing corsets and other attire like that has changed now.

“I feel like now when women wear corsets, it’s [more] for themselves and for their own image of themselves, rather than for what [others] want,” Hardy said.

Like all trends, this return of period fashion will likely die down. However, upcoming fashion will most likely continue this elegant, royal style and adapt as it becomes more popular.

“These shows are going to influence fashion trends, not just for me, but for our entire generation,” Wong said. “Even over the past year, I’ve seen a lot of people try to bring back vintage trends, which I think is super cool. So I hope that these shows stimulate that more, and influence vintage clothing to be brought back to our generation.”

“These shows are going to influence fashion trends, not just for me, but for our entire generation.”

Elizabeth Wong, junior 33

II

GETTING THINGS DI INE Students cope with the newfound time and flexibility of online school as they try to stay motivated

E

very day, junior Eva Salvatierra starts her day as the sun barely peaks over the mountains. She gets up at 6:00, drinks her coffee, does a core workout and wraps up with a hearty breakfast just before the clock strikes 7:00. Half an hour later after eating, she ties her shoes and embarks on a second workout of either running, biking or strength training.. By 9:00, she is showered, dressed and ready to start a long day of Zoom school. On days with an extra 40 minutes in the morning, Salvatierra takes extra time to water her plants, scroll through social media or even meditate before online school begins.

Now, not all of us wake up and do our mornings exactly like Salvatierra. Some of us may be like Paly freshman Harrison Dike. He gets up five minutes before his class, alarm

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clock blaring, and rolls straight out of bed body and no work ethic to push them, and onto the computer. For his first class students have started to fall behind. The of the day, he dons an all too common mindless scrolling on TikTok, the out-ofonline school outfit consisting of PJs, un- whack sleep schedules and the feeling that der eye bags and messy tangled hair. On you’ve somehow done nothing all day yet a lucky day, he might have enough time haven’t relaxed at all are just a few norms to shove a lukewarm Eggo waffle in his seeping into the daily lives of many. mouth.

While adjusting As distance to online school, it learning and quarbecame a tempting antine still have no option for students end in sight, these to take all classes trying times have on the couch. With prompted strikthe opportunity to Eva Salvatierra, junior do school with the ing changes in our productivity levels. least amount of Some have seen surges in productivity: movement and effort, taking advantage of waking up early and getting work done ef- this is not at all uncommon yet harmful all ficiently and consistently—whether it be the same. The lack of socializing has been for our educational, physical or mental damaging, and students see classwork and goals. attending class all day on computers to be Others have seen online worse than its in-person counterpart. school and quarantine “From being at my house all day and to be straightfor- sitting in Zooms makes me so bored,” ward; with no- Dike said. “It’s like my motivation has completely gone down all around.”

The motivation issue may very well be the source of hundreds of students’ struggling grades. What once were simple tasks have now become agonizing ones.

In physical school, students eat with friends, enjoy free time and appreciate it, especially since many are preoccupied by sports and other extracurriculars. However, stuck at home, we often see ourselves neglect the time given for these activities. BeText and design by OWEN BITTINGER and JACK HANEY • Art by SAM MUTZ

“Start your day by moving your body and getting fresh air.”

productivity tips “I try to take 30 minute breaks per assignment, which helps me get through them all.”

Harrison Dike, freshman “My biggest tip to anybody out there is to set a schedule.”

Alex Gao, sophomore

“It’s helpful to read before going to bed rather than falling asleep on a computer screen. I wake up in such a good mood, and I’m definitely more ready to begin the day.”

Eva Salvatierra, junior

fore quarantine, senior Claire Shimazaki dents who have been able to thrive. Paly used to pass the time with her acoustic junior Eva Salvatierra and sophomore guitar and drawing to help her destress Alex Gao are prime examples of this type and to feel a sense of tranquility in times of student. Salvatierra and Gao have not of commotion. only been able to stay productive, but in“I just haven’t been playing the guitar crease their productivity by maintaining a that much, I feel [online school] kind of good mindset and schedule. screwed my other interests,” ShimazaGao has found that working toward a ki said. “I haven’t good headspace is done any drawing, an excellent way to music or anything improve producrecently really extivity, even if the cept for working path to get there and school.” is different from With poor prothe average high ductivity comes schooler. poorer quality of “Sometimes work. “One day when I run, I think I forgot about an about math probassignment, and lems, but most of Claire Shimazaki, senior the other times I then that led to two days, and then just don’t think one more day and then it all fell apart,” about anything at all,” Gao said. “That Dike said. “It just made it tougher. I just helps me because my mind gets a rest and can’t work during online school.”

I feel fresh after I run.”

Even though many students have found For many students, the hard part of it hard to work with the transition to on- increasing productivity is finding the moline learning and the daunting presence tivation to make the efficient use of time. of COVID-19, there are still some stu- But with a full day of online learning

“I find playing the guitar to be really relaxing. It helps free your mind when you feel really unmotivated to do things.”

and extracurricular activities, exhaustion creeps in right as that clock hits 3:05 p.m.

Gao has been able to combat this fatigue by utilizing the few breaks he gets throughout the day for a full 30 minutes to an hour of meditation to relax. “On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I have a prep period so I can run then,” Gao said. “By the time school is dismissed, I have done my exercise for the day.”

If waking up before the sun rises to run seems like a death wish, but you are still looking to increase productivity so you can get to bed before three in the morning, there is still hope. Even with low motivation, Dike found when he set small goals, he was able to do his classwork and manage his extracurriculars just by having clear intentions. “There were a few weeks where I wanted to be really productive and it went really well,” Dike said.

As the dilemma of online school continues on, it is worth noting that it is normal to not be as productive compared to life pre-pandemic. The world has drastically changed and impacted us in different ways. Productivity affects us all in one way or another, and what’s important is that you carry on.

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Antithesis Instagram users have switched from posting strictly curated photos to more casual content

to Aesthetic

O

ver the past couple months, Palo Alto students, and teenagers alike, have been taking a new approach to one of the biggest social media platforms— Instagram. This app has been known to have a culture of pressuring users to present “picture-perfect” versions of themselves.

Some of the common unwritten social rules include don’t post frequently, make sure all your photos are cohesive and keep captions brief. However, some students have started showing uniqueness by posting more casually and using the app without following the social norms.

Up until recently, many Paly students have felt restricted while using Instagram. The social media app’s social pressures have caused students to be more aware of their posting habits and activities on Instagram.

Senior Tessa Ehrlich first became aware of these “rules” when she joined the app in middle school. “A friend of mine told me that people only post once a week max,” Ehrlich said. “I was annoyed because I had all these photos I thought were so cool but had nowhere to put, and I wanted all my friends to see them. But to avoid seeming annoying, I listened to her and posted maybe once a week.”

Ehrlich’s experience is a very common one; because all her peers were following these “rules,” Ehrlich had to align with the norms of Instagram, creating even more pressure.

Fellow senior Jeremy Huang also felt affected by the pressures of the app. “For the first week I had Instagram, I posted whatever I wanted,” Huang said. “Later, I felt pressured to not do that anymore, so I started to post

only when I had a ‘real’ event to post about.”

While many people felt the expectations to post a specific type of content, senior Sydney Pang describes the pressure she felt to edit her posts on popular editing applications, such as VSCO, to maintain an aesthetically pleasing feed. “I vividly remember going through the VSCO C4 filter phase that was pretty common at the time,” Pang said. “My oversaturated photos sought to match those I saw on the accounts of influencers I followed.”

Many Palo Alto teens have started to ignore these unwritten rules to share strictly “aes-

Text and design by LESLIE ABOYTES and AIDAN DO Art by SAM MUTZ • Photos by TESSA EHRLICH and SYDNEY PANG

thetic” photos on social media and return to said. “For a while, posting felt so restrictive, so posting more authentic and candid pictures. I just let go and decided to post random phoEhrlich made this switch at the start of 2020 tos I took.” after finding her passion for photography.

Posting casually has not only positively “I started posting more casually because changed Instagram’s culture, but it also has I never really liked posting myself,” Ehrlich had a great impact on the users like junior said. “I found there to Cate Dyer. “I post be too much pressure what makes me hapto look perfect, and py without stressing I would stress myself what others will think out not wanting anyabout it,” Dyer said. one who saw the post “I don’t feel presto think I looked ugly, sured to take and pick so I quit that and the ‘perfect’ photo started using Instaanymore.” gram to share things I Without the presCate Dyer, junior found joy and beauty sure to pick “the perin.” fect photo,” users are able to happily enjoy the Pang also started to post more casually app while showing their true personalities on once she found the source of her social me- the social media platform. The positive effects dia stress. “I realized that there wasn’t really of casual posting have challenged the uses of a point to having social media if I didn’t feel traditional posting. comfortable posting whatever I wanted,” Pang By breaking free from social media’s norms, these unwritten rules are losing their power as fewer people adhere to them. Because posting casually serves as a small form of rebellion, users feel a greater sense of freedom when posting. Instagrammers are finally able to express their unique personalities, creativity and exciting daily adventures.

However, not everyone must start posting random photos to feel free on Instagram.

Whether a user chooses to post casually or follow the norm, the app is a place for self-expression and creativity.

“Everyone should use Instagram in the way they really want to,” Ehrlich said. “Instagram should be a happy place, where you can go and look and see your friends’ awesome weekend in Yosemite, their new eye makeup look that they tried, a selfie with their dog, pictures with their sister at the beach or whatever else brings them joy.”

"I don't feel pressured to take and pick the perfect photo anymore."

37

IF INTERESTED IN BEING AN ARTIST OR PHOTOGRAPHER FOR

C MAGAZINE contact our Creative Director: Sam Mutz sm22600@pausd.us 38

the hidden aftermath

Dark aspects of the past are often deliberately or unconsciously covered up, giving the world an incomplete and biased perspective of history

Text by REYA HADAYA, SUKHMAN SAHOTA and LIBBY SPIER Design by SUKHMAN SAHOTA • Illustrations by SAM MUTZ and SUKHMAN SAHOTA

39

H

istory is written from the eyes of the conquerors. The absence of historical events and perspectives in history textbooks has created a scattered and bent understanding of history for the average student. The lack of diverse perspectives and historical events can be detrimental to those who have never heard the other side of the story.

History curricula help create a personalized depiction of what has happened throughout time. But what we see is a fragmented picture of our history, generating a biased understanding of the authentic story.

Analyzing every bit of history for elementary, middle and high school students can be an extremely challenging process.

Charles C. Mann, an award-winning journalist and science author of ‘1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus’ and ‘1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created’, understands just how difficult it is to create a textbook.

“History textbooks are the product of large groups of people. They must cover huge swaths of history and be written in a way that children can understand,” Mann

which authorize which books can be used what to teach and what to exclude have in Texas classrooms. Very often, those po- legitimate consequences. litical bodies don’t like things that they see The portrayal of historical events in as critical of their area or their country,” textbooks can either provide an accurate Mann said, “Instead, they like to focus on and diverse point of view or it can gloriprogress, rather than problems.” fy and uphold the white narrative of U.S. Covering a massive amount "IF WE DID NOT HAVE A TIME of history inevSPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO itably leads to the omission and CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS neglect of imOF BLACK AMERICANS AND THEIR portant and critHISTORY, THEN OUR COUNTRY ical history that would benefit WOULD NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE SUCH students’ underACCOMPLISHMENTS." standing. “UnNOELLE BURWELL, fortunately, what is left out often co-president of Black Scholar Society reflects the biases of the historian, their beliefs about what is History. “If you start the story of a group important and not important [and] their of people with the institution of slavery, understanding of the kind of story they it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as are telling,” Mann said. the Founding Fathers, or the coming over Many history teachers make difficult on the Mayflower or Westward Expandecisions to compress their designated sion,” Cronin said. “You’re talking about section of history into 180-day courses. a story of a people who begin as chattel.”

Justin Cronin, a Paly History and EthNoelle Burwell, Paly senior and the nic Studies teacher, makes those critical co-president of the Black Scholars Unitdecisions to keep his ed Club, recognizes the lack of diverse students interested and viewpoints throughout history curricula, "THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN informed. particularly for those who are a part of “History is the one non-white ethnic or cultural groups.

WE PICK UP THESE STORIES, WE that gets longer “A lot of what our current history ALSO PICK UP THEIR NARRATIVE subject every day that pass- revolves around doesn’t really focus on FRAMEWORK, USUALLY es by,” Cronin said. the struggles and obstacles that minority “When you’re talking groups or underrepresented groups have WITHOUT KNOWING IT." about a finite amount faced,” Burwell said.

CHARLES C. MANN, of time to teach stuIf minority groups are highlighted as journalist and science author dents about United an integral part of history, the stories and States history, any time experiences of people of all intersecting said. “This is a recipe, in most hands, for you add something new, you have to fol- identities are recognized. “That would glib generalization. But even the best such low that with the questions ‘What am I be my goal,” Burwell said. “To present a survey by the best historians would have getting rid of ? How does that change the holistic perspective of American history.” to leave out some important stuff.” narrative? Does it change it enough in a In some states, the teaching of history positive way or am I losing something by has become a tactic that is used by polit- having this piece removed?’” ical groups to sway the younger generaEven though leaving out aspects of tion’s political views. history is unavoidable, the “History textbooks are supervised choices on by political bodies in states like Texas,

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“THIS WAS THEIR COUNTRY, TOO, BUT THEY WERE TOLD THEY DIDN'T BELONG.” Steve Staiger, Historian

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"BELIEVE THAT THE HISTORY OF BLACK AMERICANS, ALONG WITH THE HISTORY OF MANY OTHER MARGINALIZED ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS IN OUR COUNTRY, SHOULD BE CELEBRATED EVERY DAY." Noelle Burwell, co-president of Black Scholar Society Black history “Black History Month takes place during February and the concept of the month is to spend time celebrating, appreciating and sharing Black history,” Burwell said.

While the increased attention of Black history and the influential roles that Black Americans have played throughout history is a step in the right direction, many

the reality of it seems unrealistic. That makes this month even more important to listen to and learn from the history of Black Americans.

“I believe that if we did not have a time specifically dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of Black Americans and their history, then our country would never acknowledge such accomplishments,” Burwell said.

This recognition of Black history is “IF CURRICULA WERE MORE fundamental for the understanding of DIVERSE, WE WOULDN’T NEED world history, and A BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WE that change in what WOULDN’T NEED AN INDIGENOUS students learn starts in the classroom. “UlPEOPLES MONTH, WE WOULDN’T timately, if curricula NEED AN ASIAN-AMERICAN were more diverse, we wouldn’t need a HISTORY MONTH.“ History Month, Justin Cronin, Paly History and Black we wouldn’t need an Ethnic Studies teacher Indigenous Peoples Month, we wouldn’t think it is not enough. need an Asian American History Month,” “Although I think that the month is Cronin said. necessary, I am not content with simply One of the most evident ways people having a month to reflect on Black histo- notice the effects of not fully explaining ry,” Burwell said. “The history of Black historical events is the well-known story Americans, along with the history of of women’s suffrage, particularly Black many other marginalized ethnic and ra- women’s right to vote. “In the case of cial groups in our country, should be cele- Black women and their right to vote, many brated every day.” writers—overwhelmingly white writers— While a completely integrated history simply believed that the fact that 15-20% curriculum would be ideal, at this point, of the nation’s women didn’t win the right

42

to vote was not especially important,” Mann said. “After all, they may have said to themselves, ‘80% of US women did gain voting rights—a profound change— and that’s the main story.’”

Once again, the unconscious bias that the writers hold makes its way into textbooks and feeds people’s ignorance. “In a way, historians that fail to mention how Black women didn’t get to vote then reinforce the narrative that U.S. citizens of African descent are somehow not as important as everyone else,” Mann said.

The lack of diverse perspectives can influence students who are learning about groups of people that are not represented. “The problem is that when we pick up these stories, we also pick up their narrative framework, usually without knowing it,” Mann said.

Modern-day anti-Semitism Although in history classes we learn about the modern world, an unfinished and often disregarded story is modern-day anti-Semitism.

Seth Brysk, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), is dedicated to exposing and putting an end to anti-Semitism and all discrimination.

In history classes, students are taught about the Holocaust, but fail to learn that even though the Holocaust ended, the persecution of Jews did not. For this reason, modern-day anti-Semitism is often overlooked.

“There is a popular misconception about anti-Semitism, which is that it has largely disappeared because the horrors of the Holocaust ended,” Brysk said.

“There’s much more to anti-Semitism than just the Holocaust, similar to how the civil rights movement and the end of Jim Crow laws didn’t eliminate [anti-Black] racism.”

From anti-Semitic jokes told in school hallways to white supremacists saluting the Nazi party, modern-day anti-Semitism exists everywhere. “During the [Unite The Right], Charlottesville Tiki Torch March, a couple of years ago, the marchers started by saying ‘You will not replace us,’ but changed the chant to ‘Jews will not replace us,’” Brysk said.

“Jews, as opposed to other groups that are targeted, are more broadly successful in society,” Brysk said. “Having Jews in leadership positions in politics and business creates the impression that, if Jews are successful, then perhaps they’re not being discriminated against.”

The reality is far darker than this illusion. “In all the years that ADL has been tracking hate crime in the United States, Jews are the most targeted religious group and are more targeted than all other religious groups combined,” Brysk said.

For the past two decades, the ADL has conducted attitudinal surveys that measure people’s perspectives on and hatred towards Jews. “Every year, around 12% of the American adult population hold deeply anti-Semitic views,” Brysk said.

Twelve percent of the United States adult population is over 25 million people.

There is a general lack of awareness of anti-Semitism across all groups of people, including the Jewish population. “When I talk about the prevalence of hatred and attacks against Jews, many audiences, including Jewish audiences, tend to be surprised to hear those facts,” Brysk said.

Many students were never taught the history of anti-Semitism or the aftermath of the Holocaust. The ADL was founded to fight this issue that so few people acknowledged.

“It certainly was in the minds of the people who founded ADL to both stop

the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all,” Brysk said. “They understood that even though there was rampant discrimination against Jews in this country, this was a fight that required all of us to fight against all forms of hate.”

camps,” Staiger said. “The government took special care in making sure that their rights were disrupted.”

These Americans were robbed of their rights and privileges. “This was their country, too, but they were told they didn’t belong,” Staiger said.

In Palo Alto, many non-Japanese residents took care of people’s properties, homes, and businesses until they returned.

“Many [non-Japanese] people in local communities were shocked and upset because these people were their neighbors,” Staiger said.

Palo Alto’s forgotten history Steve Staiger, Palo Alto Historical Association’s lead historian, recounts his first impression of Palo Alto’s culture. “When I moved to Palo Alto, it was surprising how few of the people in this town knew much about its history,” Staiger said.

“EVERY YEAR, AROUND 12% Any community OF THE AMERICAN ADULT member should know the history of their POPULATION HOLD DEEPLY ANTIcommunity. “LearnSEMITIC VIEWS.“ ing your local history Seth Brysk, helps you understand why things look the Regional Director of ADL way they do,” Staiger said. “Whether you’re in Palo Alto or “They were truly Americans in all Walnut Creek, just two generations ago, senses of the word,” Staiger said. “These these places were very different.” were people whose only problem was that After the attack on Pearl Harbor, a na- they were of Japanese ancestry.” val base in Honolulu, the United States In a liberal town like Palo Alto, we begovernment decided to round up Jap- lieve ourselves to be saints in respecting all anese and Japanese Americans on the minority groups, but the narrative we tell West Coast and send them to internment ourselves fails to include our own town’s camps. discrimination against Japanese Ameri“At the start of World War II, they cans. “Overall, it was one of the great emwent out and rounded up a bunch of Ital- barrassments of US history,” Staiger said. ians and Italian Americans, German and It is imperative to recognize and speak German Americans and Japanese and up about the biases in the reporting of Japanese Americans who were suspected history and the ways in which people fall of being disloyal to America,” Staiger back on this incomplete and harmful narsaid. rative. “It’s important that we understand To sway public opinion of per- other people’s perspectives. It’s about beceived-enemies, widespread propaganda ing comfortable with being uncomfortdehumanized and vilified Japanese people able because, otherwise, we won’t have and, to a lesser extent, Germans and Ital- those conversations,” Cronin said. ians. “I have seen numerous propaganda While the future of racial prejudice posters from the WWII era with very neg- in American is unknown, one thing is for ative attitudes directed towards Germans certain. “History is important. If we look and Japanese [people],” Staiger said. at contemporary issues, a lot of times, Japanese Americans faced a doomed they can be linked to the past and contexfate, unlike their European counterparts. tualized,” Cronin said. “We can under“Only for the Japanese did they round up stand what has not worked in the past and three-year-olds and young families and try to figure out what will work to move sent them off to essentially concentration through and past some of these issues.”

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Road to

Success Students discover and develop their musical passions while adjusting to quarantine

O

ver 23 million creators pub- still do some in person socially distanced lish their work on Spotify and ensembles, which is more true to the SoundCloud, hoping to be dis- spirit [of music],” Kuhn said. covered by and become the “next big Unlike Buendia and Kuhn, sophothing.” Paly students only make up a tiny more Justin Gu began his career in music fraction of the artists seeking a career in playing piano when he was very young, the cutthroat music industry. but not because he wanted to. “The only Senior Marina Buendia has had a reason why I play piano is because I was passion for muforced to,” Gu sic her whole said. “I still don’t “Quarantine definitely life and plans on really want to making a career inspired me, just because play piano.” in the music in- I’m alone with my Gu moved dustry, starting from the piano with attending thoughts more, which is to the trumpet Berklee Col- when it’s easiest for me in elementalege of Music ry school and in the fall. Like to write music.” moved to the Marina Buendia French horn in other aspiring artists, Buendia middle school had the chance to focus more on music after his cousin recommended it to him. during COVID and online school. “It’s But as Gu transitioned to high school, he been way easier with online school just stopped playing in band. “It just started because I have all my equipment with me to get repetitive and boring, because I at all times,” Buendia said. don’t like performing under pressure,” Beyond logistics, Buendia’s songwrit- Gu said. ing has also benefited. “[Quarantine] However, Gu still enjoyed music and definitely inspired me, just because I’m still wanted to play for fun even after alone with my thoughts more, which is leaving band, so Gu pursued music at when it’s easiest for me to write music,” his church where he led worship. He also Buendia said. picked up guitar after his youth group Sophomore Atticus Kuhn has been leader taught him. “It just seemed to fit playing viola in the school’s orchestra for my idea of what I wanted to do with mufive years, ever since he fell in love with sic,” Gu said. the sound of the viola. “I enjoy the expeSince learning the guitar, Gu rience of playing with other people in an doesn’t worry about practicing ensemble setting,” Kuhn said. repeatedly and he found guitar During the pandemic, Kuhn has not to be a nice balance between been able to attend school orchestra in- musicality and relaxation for person; instead, each individual mem- himself. “I like it when it’s ber of the orchetra records themselves casual, because I don’t like playing and they are stitched together in preparing for big concerts or post to bring concerts to life. Outside of anything,” Gu said. “I do my school, however, it’s a different story. “I homework and then whenev-

Text by ERIK FENG and COLIN LAI • Art and design by ELLIE ROWELL

44

er I feel like it, I just play guitar for fun.”

Although music plays different roles in the students’ lives today, one thing is certain, it heavily influences many of our daily lives—whether it be in our professional life as in the case of Buendia and Kuhn, our personal life like Gu’s or simply jamming out to a song on the radio.

No matter what your relationship is with music, like air is vital to human bodies, music is the oxygen for our soul.

As we each have listened to a variety of music in school and at home, music has nurtured our minds for as long as we can remember.

High school is a key time to discover your passions and strengths as well as your struggles and dislikes. Students who find the time to balance their school and musical life are able to rule out whether they want to pursue music as a career or follow a different path.

Music fosters bonds between listeners across the globe, and not only enriches our lives, but defines our character and is a means to express oneself.

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STUDENT Student-submitted songs for playlists ranging from oldie classics to study jams

3 a.m. Existential Crisis

Paly Recommendations

1. Nobody - Mitski

1. Home - Cavetown

2. Early Sunsets Over Monroeville - My

2. Future Me Hates Me - The Beths

Chemical Romance

3. Condemned - Zach Bryan

3. As the World Caves In - Matt Maltese

4. Fields - Giveon

4. Easy - Commodores

5. Dsco - Sweet Trip

5. Jubilee Line - Wilbur

6. Locket - Crumb

6. Carry Me Out - Mitski

7. Shimmer - Fuel

7. Your Ocean - Hoppipolla

8. Creep - Radiohead

8. July - Beach Bunny

9. Movie - JUNNY

9. Darken - ZUTOMAYO

10. Try - Colbie Caillat

10. Beauty and the Beast - Stevie Nicks

11. Egg - The Garden

11. Use Somebody - King of Leon 12. Runing Out of Time - Rexy 13. New Slang - The Shins 14. 27 / 7 / 365 - Surfaces

12. The Balcony Scene - Pierce the Veil

Use this QR code to access our Spotify playlists (cmagazine)

PLAYLISTS Text by EMILY CHENG and SUKHMAN SAHOTA • Design and illustrations by SUKHMAN SAHOTA

Grandparents' Kitchen

Zodiac Inducing

1. Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

1. Scorpio Rising - Soccer Mommy

2. One Step Ahead - Aretha Franklin

2. Dat $tick - Rich Brian

3. My Way - Frank Sinatra

3. Virgo - Victor Internet

4. Highway to Hell - AC/DC

4. Lost in a crowd - MINO

5. Can’t Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley

5. andata - Ryuichi Sakamoto

6. The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke - Queen

6. SIREN - P1Harmony

7. White Love - SPEED

7. Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks

8. The Golden Road - Grateful Dead

8. Ditch - Gus Dapperton

9. Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers

9. Gold on the Ceiling - The Black Keys

Cramming For a Test 1. Deep End - Jaden

6. Hayloft - Mother Mother

2. Just - Radiohead

7. 911 / Mr. Lonely - Tyler, The Creater,

3. Instagram - DEAN

Frank Ocean, Steve Lacy

4. Tadow - Masego, FKJ

8. Crying Over You - HONNE, BEKA

5. Flume - Bon Iver

9. Story of My Life - One Direction

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO ROAD PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94301

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