Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA ■ November 17, 2015 ■ Volume XXXI, Issue 3
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
DISTRICT NEWS
District passes math placement policy SAVITA GOVIND Staff Writer
HAITI SOLIDARITY CLUB EXPANDS TO MIDDLE COLLEGE Read about this newlyformed branch of the Haiti Solidarity club started by Middle College seniors. Features, 12
On Monday, October 12, the Mountain View Los Altos School District passed a math placement policy to maintain compliance with a new state law and respond to a complaint filed this summer by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR). Following the policy’s pas-
sage, LCCR withdrew its complaint, which raised concerns over alleged biased placement of incoming freshmen into math classes. In early October, the governor signed the California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015, a new California statute requiring all school districts to have a math placement policy. “For us, this was the first time
[we passed a math placement policy],” Associate Superintendent Brigitte Sarraf said. “Basically, what the [MVLA] policy says is that students that have completed a high school algebra course with passing grade… or have achieved a proficiency on a standardized test that has not been named yet should automatically be placed into the next level, which would
BACK ON THE COURT Boys basketball returns to defend CCS crown
Los Altos voters reject Measure A If passed, the measure would have dedicated up to $65 million to the renovation of the Hillview Community Center. News, 2
TALON FILE PHOTO
Writer Ben Zaeske proposes some suggestions for the school to consider when implementing the new homework policy. Opinions, 6
Junior Ahmad Washington high fives his team during pre-game introductions last year. This year, the team is optimistic for another successful season following last year’s win at CCS Championships.
Pushing past AsianAmerican stereotypes
Last year, varsity boys basketball made school history by winning the CCS championship for the first time and reaching regional playoffs. This year, with a significantly younger team that lost many strong players to graduation, the team still hopes to put in a strong performance. “There isn’t that much pres-
Throwback films The Talon blasts back to the past to review some of the most memorable films of the late ‘90s. Entertainment, 16
Girls basketball ready for new season Girls basketball is optimistic for a successful season after preseason conditioning. Sports, 18
UPCOMING EVENTS November 19-21
Broken Box Perfomance: Spy School November 25-27
Thanksgiving Break November 29 @ 6:30 p.m.
SPENCER DEMBNER News Editor
sure on us to repeat this year just because our team is a lot different,” shooting guard junior Tommy Andrews said. “Of course our main goal [is] to win CCS, and we will definitely have in mind this year that we are the defending champions and want to repeat.” Although its lineup for this year is strong, the team lost many of its best players to graduation, including leading scorer Daniel Rosenbaum and
AVI VARGHESE ANISHA DESAI Staff Writers
The Teen Health Van that visits Los Altos one Thursday each month can often be a daunting proposition for a new patient. The enormous, deep-blue van sits in the student
parking lot from 10 to 4 o’clock and provides free healthcare to a variety of patients between the ages of 10 and 25 around the Bay Area. The effort is made possible by funding from the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and the Children’s Health Fund. “It’s almost all gift and grant funded,”
Holiday Jazz Concert December 9 @ 7 p.m.
Concert Band & String Orchestra Winter Concert December 16-18
First Semester Finals
2 5 6
“Basketball” continues on page 19
Health Van brings needed services
December 4 @ 7 p.m.
News Editorial Opinions
starting center Patrick McColl. “We graduated six seniors last year, each one of them being a major contributor to the team,” small forward junior Adam Rosenbaum said. “We have a lot of young guys, eager to work hard and learn, and [new players] are now starting to step up as leaders. We are such a new team that in many ways it’s tough to compare us to last year’s team.”
COMMUNITY FEATURE
Parade of Lights
Features 9, 12 In-Depth 10 Entertainment 14 Sports 18
STUDENT FEATURE
Senior pursues passion for medicine Staff Writer
LinkedIn wrestles with transportation issues as it constructs a building complex in the North Bayshore area. News, 3
Read Tino Tugwete’s opinion on the importance of understanding the Asian-American student body at the school. Opinions, 7
“Math” continues on page 3
ALEXIS MALGESINI
LinkedIn continues North Bayshore project
Student feedback beneficial to developing homework policy
be Geometry or Algebra II.” The LCCR filed its complaint with the United States Department of Education on August 24, claiming the MVLA District was racially discriminating against minority groups when determining whether or not students were eligible for standard ninth-grade-level math classes, most commonly geometry.
FRANCESCA FALLOW
The Teen Health Van parks by the side of a road. The van, which parks at the school one Thursday each month, is a valuable resource, providing free health care to students who lack insurance coverage.
Dr. Seth Ammerman, who heads the van’s operations, said. “I work with them to write grants to help support it. Fortunately there are a lot of generous philanthropic individuals and foundations that help support the program.” In addition to Ammerman, the van is populated by physician’s assistant Rosa Maldonado, nurse practitioner Lisa Lestishock, registration worker John Donovan, registered dietician and fitness instructor Melinda Mount and social worker Patricia Soto-Minder, who counsels students on mental health and psychosocial issues. The variety of services is conducive to what Ammerman calls “comprehensive care”: health care that provides for the full spectrum of adolescent needs. The van’s small ecosystem is especially effective because the staff members can refer patients to their colleagues and address issues that require more than one type of expertise.
“Van” continues on page 12
After completing a couple of medical emergency classes at Foothill College, volunteer experience in the field and CPR and Basic Life Support certifications, senior Marshall Scott is on his way to becoming an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and working toward his passion: helping others. Marshall is currently a volunteer Emergency Medical Responder (EMR). The next level of certification is an EMT, followed by an Advanced Emergency Technician and finally, a paramedic. Since September, when an organization called Rock Medicine approved his application to work as an EMR, Marshall has volunteered to work at seven events through Rock Medicine, including a recent Zac Brown Band concert and a Bridge School Benefit concert. Rock Medicine is a nonprofit group that provides medical care at local events such as concerts, festivals and sporting events. Among the medical staff are doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics and volunteers.
“Medicine” continues on page 13
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