The Talon | Issue 5 | February 11, 2016

THE TALON NEWSMAGAZINE

LOS ALTOS HIGH SCHOOL | VOLUME XXXI ISSUE V | FEBRUARY 2016

L E T T E R

DEAR READERS, Each year, The Talon explores the world of high school through a multitude of evolving mediums. Print issues, videos, web articles, social media posts and pictures — these are the waters in which we have set sail during the past three decades, and as the world of journalism continues to grow and change, so will our annual journeys.

At the heart of this exploration is a passion for sharing information that is important and relevant to our community. The issue you are holding is our second print magazine; inside, you will find a vast array of stories that reflect the concerns, struggles and triumphs of our student body.

The largest of these pieces includes our Focus spread on teen health, which dives into detailed students’ perspectives and experiences on the mental, physical and reproductive aspects of the topic. As students continue adapting to a fast-moving world, it is important to look at core stressors and how students can build healthy habits for a happier experience during their four years here.

In the Features section, the voices of students who have struggled with and overcome family, personal and health issues shine through as a testament to our campus’ spirit. You’ll also find lighter pieces throughout that feature the eccentricities of modern teenage culture. Try your hand at an interactive board game that will walk you through the most recent pop culture phenomenons. Peruse through our columnists’ musings on college admissions and the hottest music albums, or ponder over the effects of cloud learning on the student body in our News section.

The articles in this issue are deeper, more investigative takes on what you’ll find in our newspaper print issues. As we couldn’t fit everything for this month on these pages, please check out extended content online at lahstalon.org and through our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. We hope you enjoy!

THE TALON LOS ALTOS HIGH’S STUDENT-RUN PUBLICATION VOLUME XXXI STAFF SOFIA GUO Editor-In-Chief ALICE DAI Print Managing Editor

KATHERINE YEN Print Managing Editor

JAMES SUN Web Managing Editor

CARL FAUST Media Editor

SPENCER DEMBNER News Editor

OLIVIA JERRAM Focus Editor

HANNA KHOSRAVI Opinions Editor

JESSICA KING Culture Editor

EMILY AOKI Features Editor

JOSH KIRSHENBAUM Sports Editor

CLAIRE BAI Copy/Content Editor

TEDDY CHMYZ Copy/Content Editor

COLE HANSON Copy/Content Editor

WILLIAM JOW Copy/Content Editor

ERIC THIEM Business Manager

MICHAEL MOUL Adviser

SENIOR WRITERS Chris Dadok, David Lisbonne, Emily Terada, Kevin Yen STAFF WRITERS Keith Bohrer, Paola Campos, Eli Colbert, Anisha Desai, Savita Govind, Jim Hollingworth, Akhil Jakatdar, Miranda Li, Rachel Lu, Alexis Malgesini, Booker Martin, Julia Santos, Tinomuda Tugwete, Avi Varghese, Alex Wong, Ben Zaeske PHOTOGRAPHERS Francesca Fallow, Katie Klein, Rachel Lu, Allegra Maeso, Kunal Pandit, Michael Sieffert, Kimia Shahidi, Meilin Tsao GRAPHIC ARTISTS Jim Hollingworth, Miranda Li, Skyler Maeso, Vanessa Mark, Anne Schill

SOFIA GUO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE COVER | Artwork by Carl Faust, Vanessa Mark, Anne Schill

VIDEOGRAPHERS Bobak Afshari, Matt Carpenter, Britt de Visser, Danny Nguyen, Eitan Weiner, Andrew Young

HONORARY PULITZER SUPPORTERS Sanjay Desai, Corrie Dunn and Rick Jow, Fallow Family, Elizabeth Faust, Haiyan Gao, Lisa Giannini and Simon Patience, Emily Goto, Tabitha Hanson, Gary Herbert, Su-Jane Hsieh, Quyen Nguyen, Susan Slater, Lillian Terada, Tracy Weatherby, Wendy Yang and Yusheng Bai, Danny and Tracy Young SILVER SUPPORTERS Martin Family, Zeyu Li, Puneet Pandit, Pradeep Parmar, Taya Perry, Ruth Slater, Tony Sun

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NEWS Since its inception six years ago, Common Core has become arguably the most hated educational program in the U.S. The Talon investigates local districts to see whether the reviled standards live up to their notoriety.

FEATURES Stories of Los Altos High School. Read about the personal experiences of sophomores AJ Uppal, Emily Meza Perez and Cinthya Fuentes-Garduno and junior Max Gavenman.

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CULTURE

COVER STORY

The Oscars are coming on February 28, 2016. The Talon predicts this year’s winners. Pictured: Spotlight

Exploring teen health in a technological age. Read The Talon’s coverage on mental and physical health through student perspectives and indepth articles.

21 13

OPINIONS Read up on one Talon writer’s investigation into the growing anti-vaccination trend within the Bay Area.

25 33 SPORTS

Though few know much about the team that practices in a room promising “free abuse,” wrestling has thrived in an intense environment.

E D I T O R I A L THE OPINION OF THE TALON

SCHOOL’S HUMANITIES DEPARTMENTS SHOULD PROPOSE MORE ELECTIVES The resources are available.

The benefits apply to so many students.

What are we waiting for?

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t’s no surprise that students on campus gravitate towards careers in STEM. After all, we live in the heart of Silicon Valley, where jobs in engineering and technology are promoted as both lucrative and available.

By continuing to offer limited humanities electives, the school is perpetuating an unfair bias against students hoping to pursue careers in non-STEM fields.

Our school is a ref lection of this culture: over the past 10 years, the school has added multiple STEM electives, such as ASI, Biotechnology, multiple engineering courses and multivariable calculus, just to name a few.

But the school doesn’t offer the same amount of English and social studies electives for students who want to develop equally in-depth interests in humanities. Social studies and English departments at our school should begin crafting proposals for more humanities electives, as a sizeable amount of the student body has already expressed interest in more options. Only then can all students fully explore and 3 | FEBRUARY 2016

develop their passions on campus.

In The Talon’s poll of students in all grades, 26 percent of students said they would take a humanities elective instead of an extra STEM elective or a free period.

Current student demand for new English and history electives is more than enough to fuel the development and integration of new sections. In The Talon’s poll of students in all grades, 26 percent of students said they would take a humanities elective instead of an extra STEM elective or a free period. By continuing to offer limited humanities electives, the school is perpetuating an unfair bias against students hoping to pursue careers in non-STEM fields.

The district has already expressed willingness to approve new humanities courses, provided that the courses satisfy district graduation and UC requirements. Teachers in the history and English departments have already expressed interest in teaching potential new electives, including creative writing. With these hoops all cleared, the school shouldn’t hesitate to create electives that will help foster a more open-minded campus.

Some teachers expressed concern that new electives would create less diverse classes, where students from different backgrounds won’t interact with one another as frequently as in core English and history courses.

While this concern is valid, teachers should consider that exchanging

some diversity in class demographics with cultivating student humanities passions is worth it. With more passionate humanities students, our campus will become a more balanced learning environment of diverse ideas and inspirations.

With more electives to choose from, students may have trouble fitting every desired course into their schedules. While this is certainly possible, limiting student enrollment in humanities electives to upperclassmen will alleviate most of these conf licts.

Upperclassmen often have more free periods in their schedules for extra classes. In addition, the school has handled STEM elective scheduling conflicts for years; accommodating for more humanities electives is a problem we can solve.

Local public schools similar to ours, like Paly and Gunn, currently offer numerous humanities electives for their seniors , such as Works of Shakespeare, Classical Mythology, Escape Literature, The Cold War, Creative Writing, sociology and ethnic studies.

The benefits of expanding humanities course offerings far outweigh any logistical obstacle. Local public schools similar to ours, like Paly and Gunn, currently offer numerous humanities electives for their seniors, such as Works of Shakespeare, Classical Mythology, Escape Literature, The Cold War, Creative Writing, sociology and ethnic studies. It’s time for our campus to catch up on creating more balanced and fair opportunities for everyone, not just STEM students. ◊

N E W S TECHNOLOGY AT LOS ALTOS

written by Savita Govind and Rachel Lu graphics by Jim Hollingworth written by Savita Govind and Rachel Lu | graphic by Jim Hollingworth

Over the past decade, technology has transformed learning for students and teachers. Google Apps For Education is only the latest addition to a series of technologies that are transforming the way that learning occurs in the classroom and beyond.

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wo years ago, any device usage during class time was a rarity. But with the implementation of BYOD and cloud learning, students now spend almost their entire school day on devices, and are increasingly efficient and productive in their use of technology.

“Before we started using computers [more], the teachers didn’t really know how to regulate them, so a lot of people would mess around,” junior Derek Mark said. “Now they’ve gotten used to balancing paper textbooks along with computers so it’s not as much as a distraction issue as it was before.”

The digital learning revolution has fundamentally transformed the school’s education system, and the school continues to explore additional opportunities for collaboration and individualized learning.

“Even in the last 10 years, [what we did] was much more limited… because we had two or three classrooms with a computer,” English teacher Keren Dawson-Bowman said. “It’s such as radical transformation to be able to have a device for every student and have working Wi-Fi.” One of the most significant changes has been the addition of Google Classroom, an integrated platform for creating, distributing and grading assignments. “[Classroom is] a huge change in organization and access to materials,” English teacher Margaret Bennett said. “It helps kids be more organized, which helps

them learn more effectively.”

Classroom also enables teachers to communicate efficiently and help students throughout their working process.

However, there are downsides to incorporating technology into a classroom’s daily schedule.

“It’s brought students and teachers closer [together] because they have an easy form of communication,” sophomore Alisha Mirapuri said. “You can always collaborate and ask your teacher questions even if you’re at home… it really helps the teachers and students work together in an easier environment.”

“You have to be really deliberate about when you use technology and when it’s better to use paper,” Bennett said. “I really have to think about everything that I’m doing in terms of what I want, what is [the] learning objective, and what is going to be the best way to do it… I’m probably about 85 percent technology, probably even more.”

Not all teachers use the platform, but those who do use it in a variety of different ways.

The school is also working to determine whether technology can help make work be more suited to students’ interests.

“[Classroom is] more convenient and better for communicating,” science teacher Greg Stoehr said. “Students have easy access to resources. I collect work digitally which is great as opposed to paperwork, and it’s streamlined a lot of assignments and enhanced them.”

“The big question that I have about this is... whether we’re going to be able to individualize learning more, [and] should we?”

Rosenberg said. “A lot of people think that schools need to [focus on] what the student is interested in… Some people think having digital technology will make that easier.”

In addition to Classroom, the school has added the BYOD program, updated its Wi-Fi and assigned each student a school email.

While technology has made the classroom more productive, the school also recognizes the need to deepen curricula and not merely make learning more fast-paced.

“Before BYOD and Google Classroom, things were the way they were,” Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said.

“Bringing in this technology compels some level of change. Teachers think [about] how to make it better for students and that kind of evolutionary change is easier with a device.”

“Maybe we need to slow down in a sense and instead of just doing more work, we should spend more time going into things more deeply,” Rosenberg said. “[Technological] efficiency and organization can help us do that, but that needs to be the transition we make now.” ◊ THE TALON | 4

COMMON CORE: A REPORT CARD written by Alex Wong and Avi Varghese graphics by Miranda Li

Few issues are as controversial as the Common Core educational standards — but in local communities like Los Altos, implementation is proceeding without much difficulty.

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ince its inception in 2009, Common Core has taken on an unexpected significance, becoming a political battleground, a comedic catchphrase and a scapegoat for those who take issue with either the government or the education system. While parents on social media flock to anti-Common Core tweets, and presidential candidates use frustration with the standards to fuel angry oratory, Common Core proponents maintain that their standards will push students to emphasize critical thinking over mere memorization, thus promoting career and college preparation.

with more enthusiasm than skepticism.

While some teachers were reluctant to put the time to create a new curriculum in the face of media backlash, many adapted to the standards quickly.

The Common Core is a set of standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics that dictate the requirements to which every student should be held. Science and history standards are still being developed. While standardized tests such as the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium (SBAC) exist to test Common Core skills, no particular test is required. The tests are part of a new ecosystem of curricula and evaluation that will work with states, districts and individual schools to educate and test students according to the demands of Common Core.

In schools around Santa Clara County, implementation has run smoothly. District administrators enacted the transition gradually, putting less stress on teachers for immediate change.

California Implementation

California began adopting Common Core standards in 2010. As districts were notified of the change, public schools were given one mandate: prepare students for the SBAC test in May 2015.

Otherwise, administrators had complete control. What curricula they adopted or changed and when was up to them.

In Silicon Valley, the standards were met 5 | FEBRUARY 2016

“There were two mindsets when Common Core came out,” Bullis Charter School first grade teacher Dana Kincaid said. “There were people who embraced it, and there were people who were like, ‘No way, I can’t change these things.’ I think teachers [here] are very willing to change… It was more like, ‘Okay, here’s what we got. What are we going to do?’”

Local Impacts

“Our district has been very reasonable and they’ve… given us time and money to learn and get familiar with the core standards,” English teacher Margaret Bennett said.

“My impression is that it’s really not like, ‘Here are the standards, now you need to know how to do them immediately.’”

The primary change for many LAHS students was the first round of SBAC testing in May 2015, which was taken by this year’s seniors, and by sophomores and juniors as practice. The SBAC reflected the standards’ emphasis on written explanations over multiple choice answers. “[Common Core] forces us to… make more inferences and use our critical thinking skills more rather than just memorizing answers and spitting those back up in the

test,” sophomore Alec Lefteroff said.

In mathematics, Common Core mainly creates curriculum shifts for K-5 students. Changes are not as significant in middle and high school, where many students sidestep basic standards with accelerated tracks. “[Students] have to be explaining their thinking more and creating ways to show how they have solved these problems,” Kincaid said. “[Common Core teaches] through math talks and discussions, and there are so many different strategies that come up. It’s cool to see [students] make those connections and see them explain it to each other.”

Common Core’s early focus on problem solving represents a larger shift toward real world thinking, where the struggle is not as much in knowing a formula, but knowing how to use it and apply its concepts.

“Common Core has brought home the fact that we need to do more problem solving,” Blach Intermediate School mathematics teacher Marcia Chron said. “The emphasis has been not so much on memorization of things but knowing how to use them [because] in the real world, if you’ve forgotten a formula, you can just look it up.

The greater skill to develop... is ‘Here’s my toolkit of formulas, now which one should I use for which problem?’”

For many ELA teachers at LAHS, the new standards have initiated a formalization of teaching methods that were already being used rather than changes in the curriculum.

“Most of what we were doing was already in line with Common Core,” Bennett said. “It made us look at our existing assignments and tweak them to make sure they were aligned with Common Core standards. If someone asked why we’re doing this [assignment], I could easily explain. It’s not just on a whim.”

N E W S

The standards refocus teachers’ mindsets on life skills of argument and analysis that extend beyond high school.

“How many times do we have to be able to read something, like a manual, a tax form, or a letter in the mail from the IRS, [and] you have to be able to read and figure out what argument this person is making?”

Bennett said. “Do you agree or disagree, and how are you going to persuade them?

I think it’s all real life.”

Legitimate Concerns

The successful narrative of Common Core implementation in Santa Clara County is not surprising. Schools in Silicon Valley have two advantages over other districts: teachers already accustomed to Common Core-style teaching, and district budgets that are the largest in the state.

For schools that lack funding, teachers face many problems throughout the implementation of the standards.

When Kincaid taught at a public elementary school in Arizona where 90 percent of kids were eligible for reduced-price lunches, creating new curricula was difficult.

“Not only are you explaining [your thinking] in English, but you have to be able to write it and articulate it in a clear way,” Bishop Kindergarten teacher Nicole Fiala said. “[An English Language Learner] could understand much more in their mind than they’re able to actually write out and explain... It could frustrate and deter [ELL students] from wanting to continue education or trying their best and not just giving up.”

the standards can cultivate an open mindset among teachers and students and provide essential skills not prioritized by previous standards.

Conclusion

“Common Core encourages [teachers to say], ‘There’s no right answer, [but] how did you think of this, how did you get to this place?’” Egan English teacher Cari Bruzelius said. “It’s that movement from feeling like there’s only one right answer to, ‘What do you mean there’s more than one answer?’... That’s hard, especially when ‘C’ was the right answer.”

Yet in cases of success like Silicon Valley, where teachers and administrators put in the necessary effort and have sufficient resources for implementation,

That is the reality of Common Core; it is an imperfect set of standards intended to promote applied and critical thinking across the nation. Silicon Valley is a success story for this model, where wealth and ideals have intersected to foster a microcosm of educational success. However, in districts without sufficient resources, Common Core implementation will continue to be a challenge for years to come. ◊

The Common Core is not perfect.

While its goals college and life preparedness are unassailable, significant obstacles remain in its way before underprivileged schools will be able to harness its less straightforward and more rigorous standards.

“In Arizona it was much harder,” Kincaid said. “My friend teaches in Arizona, and she doesn’t have a writing curriculum at all, so she comes up with everything on her own.”

Furthermore, SBAC testing becomes problematic for poorer schools that lack technological infrastructure to support students.

“With the SBAC being online, it’s really challenging for schools who don’t have access to working technology all the time,” Kincaid said. “If your school doesn’t have the bandwidth to hold a class on the internet at one time, how are you going to take the test?”

Common Core’s emphasis on writing and explanation also represents a steep challenge for students who are still learning English.

THE TALON | 6

N E W S POLICE-STUDENT RELATIONS

OFFICERS ON CAMPUS written by Michael Sieffert | graphic by Michael Sieffert and Vanessa Mark

Every day, thousands of officers work on school campuses as community liaisons.

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cross the country, thousands have watched a cell phone video in which a police officer pulls a female high school student out of her desk and presses her down to the ground. The officer, a school resource officer (SRO) for Spring Valley High School in South Carolina, was responding to a call for support from an administrator who reported that a student was on her phone in class.

As the national conversation over guns has grown louder, some have asked whether having guns in schools makes students safer, but many are unaware that there are already programs that put thousands of armed police officers in schools across the country.

School resource officer programs are headed by local police departments. Resource officers are police officers whose major assignments are to patrol and answer calls for their local school districts.

The school has had several resource officers, including current school resource officer Ryan Langone, who has held the post since September.

“It’s good to have that bridge between the school and the police department, especially having a good relationship with the school administration,” Langone said.

“One of the top priorities in the city of Los Altos... is child and school safety. What better way to make sure we have child and school safety than to have an officer who oversees all of the schools.”

Resource officers actually receive far more 7 | FEBRUARY 2016

SOURCE: CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

training in classroom than typical officers do, even though both may respond to calls from school campuses. While resource officers take an intensive oneweek course covering topics from ethics, to teen psychology, to sex trafficking, other officers only receive on average six hours of instruction dealing with minors.

However, SRO programs face significant opposition from groups who say their presence makes mistakes inevitable. The American Civil Liberties Union, citing a Department of Justice assessment, concluded that improperly trained SROs “can make serious mistakes… that at best cause shortterm crises and at worst jeopardize the entire program at the school.”

In addition, SROs have a lower threshold than other police officers to search students. Like a school official, SROs require only “reasonable suspicion” instead of “probable cause,” a higher standard that applies to most searches by officers.

In training, resource officers are taught different methods on how to deal with unruly students. There are a number of different

methods to try when a student is acting up, with physical force being the last resort.

“Obviously you can’t teach when [students are unruly], but it would have to take a lot for me to go hands on with a student for being disruptive in a class,” Langone said. “To actually physically take them out of their seat... it would have to take a lot more than just being disruptive in class.”

Langone says that while incidents are rare, when they do have to handle student behavior, the situations are generally settled peacefully, despite exceptions such as the Spring Valley case.

“I don’t have all of the facts so I can’t say whether it is abuse,” Langone said. “It’s hard not knowing why he was called there, why he physically had to contact her. I would have like 20 questions before I could give an answer on that because I don’t know all of the details.”

While the debate over school safety continues, 19,000 school resource officers across the country continue to go to work in their respective districts every work day. ◊

F E A T U R E S SOCIAL ISSUES

GROWING UP WITH GANGS written by Sofia Guo and Alex Wong background by Miranda Li

In collaboration with students in Elizabeth Tompkins’ English 10 class.

The crisp January air clouds with puffs of breath as one student* recounts his experiences growing up with local gang activity.

“One time I got jumped by a couple of gangsters, [or] gangbangers, like a long time ago,” the neatly dressed sophomore boy said. “I got jumped by gang members with bats and knives, because I was with my friends, and they were also gangbangers.”

It’s hard to imagine that any of this could happen to one of our students, and while the school has long moved past major issues with gangs on campus, the influence of gangs is still present in some students’ lives outside of school. The complex issue of regulating gang activity also points to a larger systemic issue of police perpetuating racial bias, which continues even in Mountain View.

Growing up in the hood The term “gang” generally refers to groups of three or more members who share an identity and are involved in criminal activity. In Mountain View, the two main Latino gangs are the Norteños and the Sureños. Conflicts between members often result from them crossing into each other’s territories. One way they identify who’s on which side is that Norteños wear red, while Sureños wear blue.

“If I go dressed like this [in blue jeans and a blue trimmed hoodie] and cross the train tracks on Rengstorff, I could get jumped for anything because that side’s [all red], and this side is all blue,” the student said.

Gangs begin recruiting members in elementary and middle school. The biggest incentive that gangs offer for young re*Name witheld at the request of the student.

cruits is a structured community.

“I never actually was part of a gang, but there was one point in time where I wanted to [be],” the student said. “But then I was like, ‘I don’t want nothin’ with [trouble] so why even bother?’ Mostly what makes you go into it is the lack of love from your parents or the lack of love from anybody else, or mostly because you feel lonely sometimes, or because you want respect.”

But this respect isn’t the kind that is taught in classrooms — it’s the kind that is achieved through violence.

“I’m just like, ‘Why you wanna [jump people]? What do you win?’” the student said. “[My friends are] like, ‘You get respect,’ and I’m like, ‘Fool, you don’t get respect like that, it’s not good respect. It’s called fear.’

Respect is earned from people... when they admire you, that’s respect.”

The clothing and racial stereotypes of gangs influence the way society and law enforcement perceive people of color who grow up in the culture. The student confirms that the stories of systemic racial injustice due to this type of profiling don’t just happen in distant communities; they also have happened to him, multiple times.

“The police sometimes just stop me for no reason,” the student said. “I got stopped behind the school in broad daylight with my friends. I was walking my bike, and the cops were like, ‘Where’s the weed?’ even though we were just going home and didn’t have any drugs.”

The problem is complicated. Police are trying to minimize crime, but their process of trying to pinpoint actual criminals can rely heavily on racial profiling. The fact is that innocent youth of color will experience constant police stops and discrimination as a result of this stereotyping.

“Back in seventh grade, I was riding my bike at night with my friend and all of a sudden cops stopped me,” the student said. “They questioned us, and my mom kept calling me, because it was already dark, and she thought something happened to me. They let us go, but they had us there for like an hour. They profiled me as a criminal, even though I was just going home with some milk for my family.”

Since then, the student has learned ways to cope with the pressures of living around gangs and avoiding police incidents, but the path has never been easy. With all the years he’s spent on the streets with his friends, he’s now especially aware of how to keep himself safe.

“When someone aggravates you or tries to do something to you, which happened last month to me, just ignore it because you have more power than them if you can defend yourself,” the student said. “Now I don’t really care about [gang-related] fight pickers. As long as they don’t touch me physically, I’m good. They can talk all they want.”

What the MVPD does about it Since 1996, the Mountain View Police Depatrment has run a gang prevention effort titled “Dreams and Futures,” where they take youth who display at-risk behavior on a two-week full-day summer program. The program includes academics, athletics and enrichment programs, such as field trips to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

“I think it’s a pretty effective effort… but you’re never going to stop all gangs,” MVPD Gang Supression team leader Sergeant Leal said. “[Some kids] are doing great with their lives. Being responsible parents, responsible human beings and everything. Then [there are] kids who decided to go the gang route, and I’ve had to testify in court and put them in prison, which is pretty darn depressing.” ◊ THE TALON | 8

F E A T U R E S

FASHION FORWARD

article and photo illustrations by

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he 1960s were a revolutionary time in women’s fashion that set itself apart from all other times. Memorable trends like cut-outs, bell-bottoms, rising hemlines and geometric prints have since re-appeared on runways and in fashion magazines, but the most striking feature of ‘60s fashion is the loose conformity to fashion “rules.” Senior Audrey Small (pictured above left) encapsulates this attitude.

“I kind of just dress the way that I feel like, and try not to care what others think as much,” Small said.

Her wardrobe is inspired by a mix of past and current trends, but her heart belongs to this era in that she has a laissez-faire attitude about personal style: She dresses the way that she feels like and tries not to care about what others think.

ashion gives people a voice, even when they are silent.

Representing not only the culture and attitude of a time period, fashion records the creativity and innovation of everyone who participates in it. Examining 2016 style at our school in contrast with school fashion from the ’60s and ’70s reveals a true representation of ‘Los Altan’ fashion across multiple decades.

The ’60s began an era of cultural evolution with growing awareness of LGBT and women’s rights, and the explosion of R&B and soul music, which, according to Time magazine, “informed everything from politics to fashion.” The ‘70s, by contrast, was characterized by growing pragmaticism in business, the popularization of folk and psychedelic rock which lead the “hippie movement” of the counterculture, and the growing disco scene.

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hysics teacher Stephen Hine is the new Tim Gunn. He has “made it work” for years in his role of being a young teacher among young students.

Although he feels most comfortable in “jeans, [a] t-shirt and maybe a polo,” he is devoted to his professional workwear style. Hine, sartorially on the cutting edge, with his ties and button-up shirts, wears these items to earn respect from fellow faculty members and students and to “separate [himself] a little more from them.” Hine recalls the classic ’70s style with his colored dress shirts and matching ties, but deviates from the past with his loose-fit trousers and close-cropped hair. Although Hine does not defy the laws of physics, he certainly has challenged the traditional idea of a teacher. He proudly holds a school Snapchat account, making him the most coiffed “snapper” at school.

THE TALON | 10

STORIES OF LOS ALTOS HIGH SCHOOL written by Anisha Desai and Tino Tugwete picture by Michael Sieffert

Emily Meza-Perez

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ophomore Emily Meza Perez carries herself with the maturity of someone far older than her — for a reason. Her life has been shaped by hardships, masked by a vibrant personality and filled with positivity to and from those around her.

A particularly difficult aspect of her life is her relationship with her father, who battles depression and is not a reliable part of her life. Despite it all, she remains resilient.

“I think one word I would use to describe myself would be empathetic,” Emily said. “I just think there are a lot of situations in my life where I’ve had to be empathetic, and I think it’s something I use to cope with difficulties. Understanding someone else’s perspective is [my coping method].”

Emily’s parents went through an eightyear separation starting when Emily was just 5 years old. During the separation, Emily lived with her sister and mother, which widened the already distant relationship she had with her father. Although she saw him regularly, the connection remained strained.

“My relationship with my dad my whole life has been kind of like that,” Emily said.

“It was hard because I wanted a dad so badly... Other people didn’t have a parent because they had no choice, but my dad had that ability and he choose to not really participate in my life.”

Emily’s parents reconciled when Emily was 13 years old, but the move did little to heal Emily’s relationship with her father, who remained distant. His inconsistency 11 | FEBRUARY 2016

has left Emily grappling with feelings of resentment and hurt.

“One thing about him is that he never expressed how he felt towards me,” Emily said. “I would say I love you, and he didn’t say anything back so I didn’t know if he cared.”

It would have been easy for Emily to shut out her father, but as she grew older, she began to understand the major toll that depression took on her father. The man she had painted as unapproachable started to reveal a more vulnerable side.

“Our relationship isn’t mended or anything, but it’s definitely at peace now, and I think that was because I saw him,” Emily said. “I saw another side of him because he went through depression.”

Emily finds comfort in surrounding herself with positive people and focusing on her passions. She has relied on her mother and her closest friends for emotional strength.

Emily’s struggle to find forgiveness and empathy are ongoing, and she hopes to mend the broken relationships in her life while enjoying those that are strong.

Her emotions are constantly shifting; but when she looks at the whole picture, she says her life is “95 percent happiness.”

“I’ve discovered I was mad for a long time because of a lot of things that happened,” Emily said. “But [it is because of] the relationship I have with my dad that I am at this point in my life. I’m happy with who I am, and I can say I have good values. I think people are in your life, the way that they are for a reason, and that’s given me strength.” ◊

Max Gavenman

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unior Max Gavenman is much like any other teenage boy: He loves quoting movies, rewatching “Blades of Glory” and listening to Aerosmith.

However, when Max was 9 years old, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Since then, the energetic 16-year-old has continued to fight against the effects of the tumor.

“In the beginning I hardly knew anything was different because I was so young... but over the years I’ve become more aware of the magnitude of the situation,” said Max. “It’s a big freakin’ deal.”

Surgeons successfully removed the first tumor, but a few years later, in the summer of his seventh grade year, the tumor regrew, and he went in for another surgery. It was located on the part of his brain that controls voluntary movement, so the surgeon was only able to remove a portion of it due to risk of mortality.

“In the hospital bed I started shaking a little bit, but the doctors thought it would go away with medication,” Max said. “Obviously it didn’t.”

The doctors later diagnosed the shaking as cerebellar tremors. No official treatment was available, but Max and his family adapted, a common theme in Max’s fight against brain tumors.

At school, Max takes all regular classes and is proud to be a part of Broken Box. He promotes the upcoming performance, “The Mental State,” with a bright smile; he plays multiple smaller

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he following spread is a collection of stories from students who you walk past every day. Each student chose to share the significant personal challenges they have faced and may currently face, whether it’s an eating disorder, a family rift or a health issue that has altered their lives for years. These stories are just a small sample of our students’ diverse experiences, but their common struggles show that everyone on campus is, in some way, connected to one another with a shared determination to overcome all types of obstacles. As we continue our lives in high school and beyond, it’s important to know that regardless of who you are or where you come from, there is always a way to overcome even life’s most challenging moments. roles and appreciates the community aspect of the club. Along with Broken Box, Max finds joy in music and viewing the positives in his life, such as family and members of the school who show him kindness, even when they don’t know it.

“My parents and siblings have been there with me every step of the way, even while they’re in college,” Max said. “I still feel their presence in my heart. They are the ones that really keep me so strong through this whole thing.”

Although Max generally remains positive, there are still moments in life where he feels the burden of his physical circumstances.

“I feel like there needs to be more to address my situation in the social aspect,” Max said. “Pretty much no one out there talks to me in the least, but it’s okay, I move past it. And to be totally honest they aren’t only the ones to blame. I’m also partially to blame…

I also don’t reach out and try my level best to [be] social.”

Despite these feelings, Max’s positivity and spirit still shine through, and he looks upon the future with hope and a good attitude. “[Dealing with my brain tumor has] given me so much life experience that I just couldn’t live without,” Max said. “One of my doctors said that all people will have to learn what I’m learning now, but I get the opportunity to learn it earlier than them, which is great. I also use the motto, ‘Keep moving forward,’ which yes, is stolen from ‘Meet the Robinsons,’ but I mean, it’s so true.” ◊

Cinthya Fuentes-Garduno

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he stigma that comes with the phrase “undocumented immigrant” has followed sophomore Cinthya Fuentes-Garduno her whole life. Even with the feelings of uncertainty and alienation accompanying her citizenship status, she looks upon her future with a remarkable sense of hope.

“I’m always looking forward to the future,” Cinthya said. “I don’t let things that are happening now affect how I look at the future because I know that things will change. Things might get better, so I always look at the ‘it might get better’ [rather than] the ‘it might get worse.’”

Cinthya was born in Mexico, but her family moved to the United States when she was 1 year old. She has lived here for the majority of her life, but she often feels frustrated by the difficulties that come with being an undocumented citizen.

“I had no choice in [where I was born], but just because of that we’re different,” Cinthya said. “A lot of people are like me and are going through this. I know for them, California… is their home. They’ve been here their entire lives, they have family, but then when you look at the government or someone who’s talking about immigration, [it feels like] no one supports us. No one is doing [anything].”

Fortunately, Cinthya is on her way to becoming a legal citizen. She recently obtained Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an immigration policy that offers undocumented immigrants who entered the country before the

age of 16 exemption from deportation, along with other benefits. She officially received DACA and employment authorization in November, but remains concerned about her future.

“I know this won’t make me a U.S. citizen, so that kind of worries me because everyone else is [one] and [so] they have benefits,” Cinthya said. “I feel like it’s not as hard for [others] as it is for me, and sometimes that frustrates me… I remember I used to be really upset because I knew that there weren’t that many opportunites for me before, or I didn’t know about those opportunities.”

Although undocumented immigrants can attain security through opportunities like DACA, they are restricted in other ways.

One particular thing Cinthya fears is that she will not be able to fulfill a longtime dream of hers: traveling. The fact that she has to renew DACA every two years is also a concern, especially with the ever shifting laws surrounding immigration policies.

“Right now [I am hopeful], but I don’t know... who’s going to determine what my life is like,” Cinthya said.

Throughout this process, Cinthya credits her perseverance to her strong sense of hope and determination. Support from her friends, family and her own personal courage help push her to continue planning for her future, however shaky it may appear.

“I know that I want to go to college and that nothing can stop me even if I’m undocumented,” Cinthya said. “I’ve learned that I don’t give up and when I want something, I get it.” ◊ THE TALON | 12

F E A T U R E S

AJ Uppal Sophomore AJ Uppal sees the world a little differently than his peers; he only has vision in one eye.

In 2014, after returning from a vacation in India halfway through his summer break, AJ realized that more than half the vision in his left eye was covered by what he describes as a black curtain.

“When I told my parents, we immediately went to an eye doctor,” AJ said. “He told me that my retina had detached... I had no idea what that meant. He told me that if we left it, the retina would eventually completely come off, and then I’d have to get a glass eye.”

His parents immediately scheduled a preventative surgery. However, it would not be able to restore his sight because the aff liction he was diagnosed with, optic nerve dysplasia, is incurable. For the two weeks leading up to the surgery, AJ had to keep his head face-down and not move at all.

“Just knowing that I would never be able to see out of it was kind of disappointing,” AJ said. “I’d have to live with one eye for the rest of my life.”

had re-detached and required a second surgery. Afterward came another agonizing three weeks of laying immobile.

AJ’s first surgery occured on July 14, 2014. While the actual retinal detachment was painless, the surgical cuts and stitches on his eye constantly irritated his eye, causing a pain that felt like “a knitting needle was being repeatedly stabbed into [his] eyeball.” AJ’s family continuously supported him, and he did his best to lower their stress.

Despite the difficulties, AJ’s ordeal ultimately taught him many lessons remaining in good spirits, even when it feels like everything’s falling apart.

“Whenever I was in pain, if I told them, they would just freak out,” AJ said. “I knew it was just as painful to them as it was to me... I would just try to manage [the pain] myself, and it would go away in like 10 minutes.”

Recovery from the surgery was one of the worst parts of his ordeal. Just like before his surgery, for another three weeks straight, 24 hours a day, AJ had to lay face-down in a massage chair without moving. His optimism was tested when three weeks post-surgery, doctors found that AJ’s retina ADVERTISEMENT

13 | FEBRUARY 2016

“I’ve learned that you should always be optimistic,” AJ said. “I lost one eye… [but] there are so many people who are going through so much more.

I’m losing an eye, but in the grand scheme of things, I could have been losing my life.”

At first, coming to terms with his disability was difficult, but AJ has learned to move past it instead of regretting what he does not have.

“I’ve just accepted it as part of me,” AJ said. “I focus on moving on. You can’t dwell on the fact that you lost an eye.

Nothing you ever think or do is ever gonna bring it back, so you don’t just waste your time and energy dwelling on that.” ◊

C O L U M N CREATIVE WRITING

OPEN “SESAME” “Sesame” is a student-run literary magazine, specializing in modern poetry and prose.

We want your stuff! Submit to thelitbag@gmail.com.

ANY WAY YOU CAN GET TO THE HOUSE

BY ELI COLBERT The temperature bottlenecked at 8:00, after chorused swallows, the room becoming freezing and burning at either ends of the hour. The aesthetic overwhelmed the critical. 72 pounds of exploded styrofoam caught fire and did not stop burning until the firemen arrived. Set into the mouths of chairs like cats in heat, like petroleum. Said one: “This is how a canyon is made.” There is gangrene in the A/C and questions: “Do cats have ankles?”, “I was just imagining Jennifer Lawrence with a dick.” There was so much horseshit in the room, you could hit it with a stick. We were talking about ourselves talking about ourselves talking.

We lunched in the chaos. Playing pingpong: the net was fraying, and it dipped in the places where we had come close to each other. We were drying up in basements, on deserted, walkable roadways. I’ve been trying to worship something wet. Icebox watermelons drilled open with long fingernails. There can be no elegy for something without architecture. Here was a big thing for our small lives. The basement was freezing. The aliens needed steam for their ship

so we gave them all we could. We rhymed our charity because it was hilarious and that’s what the situation permitted. We boiled tennis shoes, cashews, shoots of bamboo. The fire rushed downstairs, down steps. Fire descended on the house and the house descended into water and ash. The fire was a church and the water was fire. We overcame the water. ◊

UNTITLED

BY CLAIRE CHENG

i eat sorrows, just admit you got em one day jeff discovers a different reich, from his books and his looks, to the bottom of a bottle i hold to his mouth like a mother to her babe, i know what you crave, to wade into a sea of nothing, keeping time to splashes of glassy blue... dunk, breath, spit — the brain is now aborting yearning to escape never ending wait for life explained ideologically he sins, is it a predetermined fate i am artificial happy intrinsically don’t listen to them jeff i dont harass everyone wanna make love to the glass ◊ IMAGES FROM LITMAG PHOTOGRAPHER BIANCA CHAMPENOIS THE TALON | 14

Graphics by Carl Faust, Skyler Maeso, Vanessa Mark and Anne Schill | Introduction by Cole Hanson

F O C U S

TEEN HEALTH

MIND, BODY & BIRTH CONTROL

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dolescence is arguably the most important stage in our physical and mental development, but also we find it increasingly hard to take care of ourselves. In our attempts to maximize the time we have left to ourselves after a typical day at high school, we devote more and more of our time to the convenience of processed foods and digital screens. In the following spread, The Talon takes an in-depth look at our school community’s largest issues surrounding teen health, while aiming to provide a variety of solutions by students for students. ◊

THE TALON | 16

F O C U S MENTAL HEALTH

“I’M SO DEPRESSED.” written by Booker Martin and Paola Campos

blurred, and even crossed, and identifying the border between these two closely related terms is one of the first steps toward treatment.

Take a second and look up from wherever you’re reading this.

Picture yourself in your first class of the day. Look around and take note of the faces you see every day. In the average class of thirty students, six suffer from a mental illness. It might be the kid who sits right in front of you, or the kid who sits a few rows toward the back, and it might even be the kid who sits right next to you and greets you every single day.

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eenage emotions are blurry.

They flip and flop, they don’t fit snugly under generalizations; they’re not just winding roads, they’re mazes. In contrast with the relatively straightforward, quantifiable feelings of adults, it’s difficult to categorize the hormone-fuzzy emotions of the high school demographic. Most of the time, this is okay — we weave through our mental mazes, finding our way despite our wrong turns and occasional dead ends, retracing our steps and learning from mistakes. But sometimes, through a combination of chemistry and environment, these adventures take a darker turn. The line between emotion and mental illness is 17 | FEBRUARY 2016

First, some biology: As we begin to experience more and more complex emotions, neuronic activity in the brain forms certain patterns that are then associated with specific emotions. Scientists have concluded that these feelings are linked to biochemical reactions through our entire body, caused by external factors. So, for example, when we first hear a friend talking about us behind our back, a slew of difficult emotions is produced: anger, jealousy, embarrassment, disappointment.

But this developmental process isn’t the same for everyone. While it may seem that identifying these emotions is pretty straightforward, the truth is that teenagers often don’t have enough experience with their own emotions to sort out their feelings. The time from teenage to adult emotional maturity involves changing the way we think, and that can take a different amount of time for each person.

The chemical wiring of our brains just doesn’t allow us to think in the same way adults do — which could explain why we never seem to get along with our parents.

When we interpret the emotions of those around us, we’re using the same part of our brain that controls our own emotions. Adults, on the other hand, use the parts of their brains that control logic and reason, which is why we’re sometimes perceived as selfish or unempathetic.

When we interpret the emotions of those around us, we’re using the same part of our brain that controls our own emotions.

Of all lifetime cases of mental illness, 50 percent begin by age 14.

However, there’s another, more significant explanation for our behavior. Because we often don’t even know what combination of emotions we’re feeling, we can’t always predict or control our reactions. For example, when our homework loads begin increasing as we progress through each grade, we will often behave more sensitively without knowing exactly what’s bothering us.

In a similar out-of-our-control way, mental illnesses are never acquired by choice, and aren’t as easy to “fix” or get rid of as our natural emotions. Though the exact causes of most mental illnesses are unknown, science has linked them to three different factors.

In a similar out-of-control way, mental illnesses are never acquired by choice, and aren’t as easy to “fix” or get rid of as our natural emotions.

Environmental factors, such as the death of a loved one, a dramatic shift in one’s life or a form of substance abuse can induce mental illness. Mental disorders can also be traced through families, indicating that one or multiple gene malformations could play a key role in someone’s diagnosis. Certain problems with an individual’s brain and nervous system are also potential causes for mental illness.

F O C U S The ability to sort out and explain our own emotions allows us to differentiate between our natural emotions and potential mental illnesses. We begin to understand that what sets mental illness apart from our natural emotions is when one’s ability to overcome negative feelings is impaired.

Signs of mental disorders are often ignored because teenagers are branded as emotionally unstable, with shifts in overpowering emotions written off as the result of hormones and puberty. In other cases, the fault is ours because we aren’t always cautious with our choice of words to describe what we’re feeling. An adult might hear a student say they feel “depressed” after taking a difficult test, and assume they’re exaggerating sadness. Consequently, like the moral of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” the adult might stop considering how teens say they feel, and possibly ignore a teen who could be severely affected by depression.

these victims had an underlying mental illness. The average time it takes someone to intervene in a situation of mental illness is 8 to 10 years — tragically, that’s often not soon enough. The ability for anyone to distinguish between emotions and mental disorders saves lives.

Depression, for example, is a disorder that can be confusing to properly distinguish from the feeling of sadness. When things in life don’t work out, people naturally feel upset. However, this feeling should match the seriousness of the event and fade away within appropriate time. If an overwhelming feeling of sadness or hopelessness lasts longer than

two weeks and starts affecting an individual’s life, such as the quality of their work, there is a possibility that a mental illness might exist.

Emotions are weird and mental illnesses are never our choice. There are scientific causes for mental illnesses that are significantly more difficult to overcome than our natural emotions. What we choose to feel and what we have no control over are two different cases that are easy to writeoff. However, when it comes to dealing with these cases and the tolls that they take on our bodies and minds, it can become difficult to distinguish the two and properly diagnose our emotions. ◊

Despite frequent misuse in dialect, mental disorders are actually very common and entirely real; everyone feels emotions, but emotional trends that are long-lasting, extreme or unnatural are signs of mental illness. While many students never encounter mental illnesses in their high school careers, hard-hitting statistics prove the reality: 1 in every 5 teens suffers from a diagnosable mental illness. Half of those diagnosed will eventually drop out of high school. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 24, and 90 percent of

In the U.S., 10 percent of SCHIZOPHRENIA cases start between the ages of 16 and 20. This disorder typically begins during the late teens and early adult years.

Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by hallucinations, disorganized speech and lack of interest in goal-oriented activities.

BIPOLAR DISORDER is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States, affecting approximately 5.5 million Americans age 18 or older. Symptoms typically develop during the late teens and early adult years, although some people experience symptoms during childhood.

One of many eating disorders, BULIMIA is characterized by extreme overeating followed by self-induced vomiting, purging and depression. About 2.7 percent of American teens aged 1318 suffer from eating disorders including bulimia.

THE TALON | 18

F O C U S PHYSICAL HEALTH

MOTIVATION REQUIRED written by Emily Aoki, Claire Bai and Keith Bohrer

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xercise? Pff. That’s how most people react when they’re asked about that topic a week into New Year’s resolutions. Everybody likes to think that they’ll succeed in the challenges of healthier eating and hitting the gym like a macho, it’s a brand new year, right?

Unfortunately, that confidence usually disappears when a month later when they walk past the mirror and look nothing like they envisioned they would.

The media often associates exercise with finding a new sense of confidence in a chiseled, fit appearance. While it’s true that when you look good, you tend to feel better, it’s important to recognize that it’s actually more common to have a different healthy body type from what is publicized as the “perfect” figure. As long as exercise is making you happier and healthier, there is no need to feel like your routine is not effective just because you don’t end up looking like a sporting gear model.

While it’s true that when you look good you tend to feel better, it’s important to recognize that it’s actually more common to have a different healthy body type from what is publicized as the “perfect” figure.

The more important thing to keep in mind when you are exercising is how you feel, not how you look. The feelgood neurotransmitters, or endorphins, released by physical activity create what is often referred to as a “runner’s high.”

Mayo Clinic, a medical research group, 19 | FEBRUARY 2016

lists other emotional benefits of exercise as relaxation, better sleep quality, increased self-confidence and lowered symptoms of depression and anxiety.

But while the emotional and psychological impacts of exercise can significantly improve your quality of life, the physical benefits are potentially life-saving.

Especially in adolescence, when teens are still developing muscles and bones, movement is imperative to a healthier future. According to Nemours, a nonprofit children’s health organization, exercising reduces risk of diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which are becoming increasingly common among teens.

Luckily for you, The Talon has assembled some tips you need to know in order to make your exercise experience effective and easy. You’re welcome. ◊

To read extended content on teen eating and dieting, visit lahstalon.org

1

Set short term goals.

Exercising three times a week is professionally recommended and is a great way to prevent depression. Additionally, too much exercise releases excess cortisol, a hormone linked with stress and tissue breakdown.

2

Change it up.

Don’t excuse yourself from daily exercise just because you can’t get to the gym; inBe adaptable. stead, learn a few routines obstacles that youYou canwill do face at home to and hit periods keep yourself healthy. when you feel like nothing is changing. Don’t give up!

F O C U S

A person’s relationship with his or her healthcare provider is one that provides a wide range of care and support beyond just birth control. When a doctor prescribes a woman with hormonal contraception, she is asked to come back for a checkup where she can ask questions, request a different form of the medication, be checked for sexually transmitted diseases and more. Unlike pharmacists, doctors, especially gynecologists, can address these issues with tests and advice.

Do you believe teenagers should be able to purchase birth control pills without parental consent?

26.6% No

73.4%

Yes

211 students polled; ±6.4 percent error

“The science on this is clear: The [birth control] pill is one of the best-studied medicines on the market today, and it’s certainly safe enough to be available without a prescription,” vice president for research at Ibis Reproductive Health Daniel Grossman wrote in the L.A. Times.

As long as women are responsible about keeping up their reproductive health with a doctor, this legislation is a huge step for women’s rights. The need to prevent pregnancies is not a sickness to be treated by a physician, but a basic preventative care measure that women can go about getting on their own, given easy access. This availability will be especially beneficial for people in rural areas without access to local clinics, Planned Parenthoods (assuming funding continues) or free reproductive care providers.

One issue that the new California law does not address is the cost of contraception. Making contraception accessible is not the same thing as making it affordable and therefore obtainable. For the uninsured, birth control pills will cost between $20 to $50 per month.

In an ideal world, effective forms of birth control would be free and available for all financial situations. One of the closest things we have to that world is Planned Parenthood, which provides affordable healthcare, including pregnancy prevention, STD treatments, pap tests, breast exams and much more.

Planned Parenthood is a resource that is often essential to adolescent girls who either need quick or affordable contraception or do not want record of their reproductive health measures getting back to their parents.

So while pharmacist-prescribed contra-

written by Alexis Malgesini

THE PILL

Whether the new adjustment for contraception is to reduce reliance on healthcare providers or just to make pregnancy prevention more available, it is clearly making effective means of birth control more convenient for all women. However, opponents of this convenience expose legitimate disadvantages regarding overthe-counter birth control.

While research on over-the-counter pills provides valid concerns, it also lends support to the argument of many advocates who still believe the benefits of pharmacist-prescribed contraception outweigh the risks as it reduces unintended pregnancies. Many professionals also seem to be on board with the new law, citing the lack of risks associated with birth control.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

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alifornia will be following Oregon’s lead in March when a new law will enable pharmacists to directly prescribe hormonal contraceptives, making birth control accessible to women without a trip to the doctor. This new approach will not exactly be “over the counter” because pharmacists will complete a screening process before prescribing the medication this process will determine whether the pill is right for women who request it. California’s law will not pose an age restriction on the purchase of contraception, in the hope that teenage girls will have better access to this type of contraception.

ception in California will be convenient for a huge array of women, cost will remain an issue, as will the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood which supports lower income families and young people. Nonetheless, California is taking a step in a progressive direction, making fundamental preventative care more available to a wide range of people.

After all, effective birth control should not be a privilege. It should be a right. ◊ To read extended content on teen sex and relationships, visit lahstalon.org

O P I N I O N S PUBLIC

RICH, EDUCATED A

article and grap

Introduction

Why Should We Care?

os Altos is sitting in the middle of one the most important and alarming public health phenomena of this era. We live in the epicenter of a dangerous anomaly, an anomaly which is simultaneously biological, ethical and psychological. In the Bay Area and in other pockets throughout the United States, educated parents in wealthier communities are around 4.6 times less likely to vaccinate their children than parents in poorer communities.

“The [anti-vaccination] issue has two components,” Stanford professor of child health and society Paul Wise said. “One is ethical: that it’s not morally sanctioned that parents can not immunize their kids because the expect everybody else to immunize their kids. That’s just not morally acceptable as a society. There’s a technical question about when herd immunity falls below a certain level, and if you don’t mandate these things by law, it’s going to fall.”

Take Imperial County for example. Located in the most southeast corner of California, it has a median household income of $41,255. Santa Clara County, by contrast, has a median household income of $91,702, approximately 2.2 times higher than that of Imperial County. Despite the apparent financial advantages, preschool-aged children in Santa Clara County only have a feeble 88.07 percent vaccination rate to contend against the 97.39 percent that Imperial County presents.

The failure of herd immunity is particularly detrimental for those who rely on it as their only form of protection against pathogens. For example, immunocompromised children, whose immune systems are impaired and dysfunctional, cannot receive live vaccines because they rely solely on herd immunity to safeguard them from measles.

Parents’ conscious decision to not vaccinate their children is jeopardizing the health of the immunocompromised.

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To understand this in context, first take a step to understand a fundamental principle of epidemiology: herd immunity. Herd immunity is virtual protection from a pathogen that an unimmunized individual acquires when a critical mass of the population has been vaccinated against that pathogen. If, on average, over 90 to 95 percent of the population is vaccinated, an outbreak is unlikely to occur. Even if it does, the pathogen can be stopped quickly. If there were an antonym for a self-fulfilling prophecy, herd immunity would be it ― if everyone were to rely on herd immunity, there would be no herd immunity.

21 | FEBRUARY 2016

In Santa Clara County, 88.07 percent of children fall significantly below the threshold for herd immunity. In simpler terms, fewer children in our community are immunized than is considered safe.

“If you start to drop below [the threshold required to achieve herd immunity] even by a couple percentage points, it has a big effect for the whole population,” said Lauren Braun, founder of nonprofit Alma Sana Inc., which aims to raise vaccination rates in children in rural areas of third world countries. “So the fact that it’s a growing number of parents, even though most parents are still vaccinating their children, ends up putting everybody at risk.”

One of the most glaring misconceptions is that lackluster percentages of immunizations are caused by people who can’t afford vaccines. In actuality, according to Wise, money really has nothing to do with the issue.

“It’d be unusual that the standard immunization packages would not be available because of finances,” Wise said. “In theory, for immunization, because of its public health importance, there are generally ways to overcome any financial barriers.”

Programs such as Medicaid, Obamacare and other financial aid systems that target different demographics are available to most people in the United States.

Why Is This Happening?

This issue is transparent in its importance and pertinence to wealthier demographics, but the reason why our county is less vaccinated is not black and white. Dr. Tumaini Coker, Associate Natural Scientist at the RAND Corporation and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UCLA, attributes parents’ irrational decision of not vaccinating children to the power of storytelling.

“People perceive a health or developmental event and they attribute it to the vaccine rightly or wrongly so,” Coker said. “But once they have attributed it to a vaccine, it’s really hard to get around that… People make decisions more on stories than on reality. That’s human nature; stories are more convincing.”

And “horror” stories are everywhere: on social media, in the news and even down the street. Many parents, Coker says, have personal anecdotes that keep them from vaccinating their children, personal anecdotes which defy facts and scientific research but are more powerful

O P I N I O N S HEALTH

AND UNVACCINATED

phic by Miranda Li

than either as a reason not to vaccinate.

Many anti-vaccination blogs, largely run by skeptical and somewhat delusional mothers, preach the downfall of vaccines everywhere because “vaccines kill children.” Their evidence? Stories. Unscientific, subjective stories largely provided by grieving mothers looking for a scapegoat for their children’s illnesses.

The issue of devaluing objective science is further exacerbated by the extensive anti-vaccination messages that influential but not scientifically knowledgeable people spread via social media. On March 28, 2014, presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted, “Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn’t feel good and changes — AUTISM. Many such cases!” It is this kind of pseudoscientific nonsense that is broadcasted to crowds of millions (5.98 million, in the case of Donald Trump’s Twitter). It is this kind of insubstantial statement that spawns from the mouths of politicians and celebrities alike and jeopardizes the physical well-being of otherwise well-off children (not unlike those in Los Altos).

“The pro-vaxxers are not very vocal, but the reason for that is because… [it’s something] we don’t even have to have a discussion about,” Braun said. “[On the other hand], you have this quiet, small, but very, very vocal community of anti-vaxxers that’s banging a lot of pots and pans and getting louder and louder.”

However, where some parents are easily swayed, others are resolutely stubborn in their beliefs and firmly rooted in their paranoia. Such fears are rooted in something more innate than a Facebook post; it is more of a substratal instinct, approaching that of a phobia.

“It’s kind of like if you’re afraid of a spider, or if you’re afraid of falling,” Braun said. “It doesn’t matter how many times you face that spider or [if] you’re only up 10 feet; you’re still going to be scared every time.”

“Not all pediatricians agree with a legal mandate, and a lot of pediatricians say it’s a good idea to get your kid immunized, but it’s also parental decision and we respect that,” Wise said.

Another issue is the social aspect of the dilemma: Rich communities have begun to accept anti-vaccination because of the views of others in their community.

On a social scale, publicity could be effective, as positive exposure for vaccinations could appeal to the more easily swayed. Though it likely won’t affect the views of the more tenacious anti-vaxxers, media attention discrediting anti-vaccination theories could be a step in the right direction.

“Communities and neighborhoods are very important in creating health beliefs all over the world,” Wise said. “And it’s something, as a physician, you have to respect. Generators of policy have to respect that there’s heterogeneity in people’s beliefs and, almost always, parents are acting in the best interest of their own kids.”

It’s a shame that the wealthy and educated do not appreciate their access to good healthcare and timely immunization, but then again, access isn’t the issue. The issue is the media; the issue is paranoia. The issue is primeval fear. But most importantly, the issue is complex.

What Can We Do?

California has recently taken action on a governmental level: according to the bill passed by Gov. Jerry Brown on June 30, 2015, parents will no longer be able to refuse vaccination for their children based on personal belief. If children do not receive the 10 vaccines required by the bill, they cannot attend any school or child care as of July 1, 2016. Because of how recent the mandate is, the specific effects of the change are difficult to predict.

California is not the first to ban personal belief exemptions. Only 18 states still allow the philosophical exemption, although many still allow a religious exemption. Despite its unoriginality, the change is very controversial, even among medical professionals.

On a personal level, we should examine evidence and think rationally before making decisions about our health or the health of others. Confronting and convincing anti-vaccination supporters on an individual level is often unsuccessful, but letting them voice their opinions could be a step toward a solution.

“In my experience, when I’ve been more successful, I’ve been trying to get the parent to tell me their reasons [for not vaccinating],” Coker said. “When you actually try to get some parents to express their reason, often they don’t have a finite reason… they don’t really have something that’s concrete.”

The heart of the dilemma is this: the rich are not getting their children vaccinated for reasons far more trivial than the risk of infecting other children. Their decision is weakening the already-fragile herd immunity. Despite clear and definitive scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of vaccines, a growing minority of parents are still choosing not to vaccinate for an assortment of different reasons that all have the same detrimental effect.

“The science is clear,” Wise said. “The interpretation of the science is what gets complicated.” ◊ THE TALON | 22

C O L U M N COLLEGE

JIM GOES TO COLLEGE written by Jim Hollingworth graphic by Vanessa Mark

Aluminum Foil I’d like to take a moment to describe all the things I’m really good at.

I’m great at making perfectly spherical balls of aluminum foil. I’m terrific at folding socks. I can hold a decent conversation. I can draw a fully-fledged cartoon man in less than eight seconds. I’m a pretty good listener, and I have nice posture.

I called up my early-action university a few months ago and asked if I could attach pictures of my favorite perfectly spherical aluminum foil ball to my Common Application. Then I asked if it would be better to just FedEx the actual ball into the admissions office. They said, “What the hell?” and hung up.

Why don’t you care about my perfectly spherical aluminum foil ball? Do you know how long it takes to make those things? Did I mention that it was perfectly spherical?

I was rejected from my early-action school. Good ol’ fashioned, straightup, no buts about it, rejected. I woke up from an extended nap on December 15, walked in a confused haze to my laptop, checked my email, saw the result and went back to sleep.

I felt terrible. Like some bespectacled, beady-eyed admissions officers had walked up to me with a massive “REJECTED” stamp in red ink and branded my forehead.

The email tried to be honest: “We have many qualified applicants, and not all of them can be accepted into our college.”

My parents tried to be honest: “We’ll 23 | FEBRUARY 2016

be proud no matter where you go.” My friends tried to be honest: “It’s a dumb, random process. You’ll be fine, quit worrying.”

I know, I know. But it still sucks to be rejected. I felt weird for the next month, like the reality of who I was didn’t fit with my own self-image. I felt insecure ― I rewrote and rewrote my beloved essays with the vague hope that they were the deciding factor; I poured over my application looking hopefully for some damning typo I could pin the blame on.

It was a rough few weeks, and it took me a while to get over it. I never had a sunshine, cliché moment where I realized everything was going to be fine. I didn’t walk outside and smell the roses and ref lect on life and the futility of undergraduate college; I didn’t have some movie father-figure point to my chest and tell me that “my heart was in the right place” even if that place wasn’t within the walls of a prestigious university.

The thing that really got me through the process, and what will undoubtedly help with any future rejection letters, is the subconscious knowledge that I’m really good at a lot of stuff.

Because this is the unfortunate truth: colleges are never going to look at pictures of my perfectly spherical aluminum foil ball. They’re never going to rub it between their fingertips and roll it around on a flat surface, or watch it glint in the sunlight, or feel the satisfaction of throwing it perfectly into a trash can from across the room.

There are so many skills, nuances, characteristics and quirks that don’t fit in Common App boxes or 650 words. As students, we’re not really anything like our application-selves; we’re not really being accepted or denied.

Poetry, juggling, model-painting, calligraphy, cheese-tasting, mountain unicycling, knuckle-cracking, thumb-warring, foil-rolling — to see a rejection as a defining label is to belittle all the nooks and crannies of your distinct personality. ◊

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A YEAR IN FILM

88TH OSCARS WRITTEN BY SPENCER DEMBNER, HANNA KHOSRAVI, JOSH KIRSHENBAUM, ERIC THIEM, ELI COLBERT AND AKHIL JAKATDAR GRAPHICS BY ANNE SCHILL Working Film Titles, The Bureau Film Company, BBC Films, Scott Free Productions, Element Pictures, Plan B Entertainment, Pictures Groundswell Productions

BEST PICTURE WILL WIN: SPOTLIGHT COULD WIN: THE REVENANT SHOULD WIN: SPOTLIGHT

T

his year’s group of nominees for Best Picture has a little of it all.

However, no film on the list has more going for it than “Spotlight.”

Although it’s more conservative than many of the year’s other top films, the compelling screenplay and actors should prove enough to push it over the top.

“Spotlight” takes viewers through the true story of the Golden Globe’s eponymous investigative unit. Working for months, four 25 | FEBRUARY 2016

dedicated journalists manage to uncover a ness epic, “The Revenant,” which dramatizes history of child molestation and cover-ups in the story of Hugh Glass, left for dead in the the Boston Catholic Diocese that stretched Old West after being mauled by a bear. back decades and involved nearly 90 priests.

Carried by its sweeping wilderness vistas and “Spotlight” isn’t as flashy as other films Leonardo DiCaprio’s show-stopping perforin its directing choices, but many ob- mance in the title role, "The Revenant" has servers, including the New York Times, garnered critical acclaim. If Iñárritu, whose agree that “Spotlight” is a presumptive film "Birdman" won the Oscar last year, takes favorite to win Best Picture. Its key home the trophy again, he will become the strengths are its ensemble cast, featur- second person in history to win back-to-back ing strong performances from Mark Best Picture awards, and the first since 1940.

Ruffalo and Michael Keaton, among others, and its top-notch script.

Entering the awards season, “Spotlight” was viewed as the presumptive favorite. HowevHowever, if there’s another film that stands a er, with its win at the Golden Globes, “The chance of stealing the title from “Spotlight”, Revenant” is gaining momentum, making it’s certainly Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s wilder- a win at the Oscars not far out of reach. ◊

C U L T U R E

BEST ACTRESS

but as far as award season showings go, it seems like this year, the statue is Larson’s to lose. Some say Charlotte Rampling could WILL WIN: BRIE LARSON be this year’s dark horse for her portrayal of COULD WIN: SAOIRSE RONAN a woman in a broken marriage in “45 years,” SHOULD WIN: BRIE LARSON but again, it’s a long-shot. It’s Larson’s year, his year’s Best Actress category and rightfully so. ◊ presents a classically varied cast of characters: A young victim of abduction who finds her strength in the upbringing of her son, a wife who discovers a dark secret about her hus- WILL WIN: LEONARDO DICAPRIO band’s past amid planning for their 45th COULD WIN: MATT DAMON anniversary, a single-mother turned entre- SHOULD WIN: MICHAEL FASSBENDER preneur and marketing maven, a glamorous New Yorker who engages in a hushed ive men. Ten combined Oscars lesbian affair during the 1950s and a young nominations between them. Two Irish immigrant in Brooklyn torn between Oscar winners among them. The the love of her life and her homeland. field for the 2016 Oscars Best Actor in a Leading Role nominations is However, the winner is said to be quite pre- rich and filled with many deserving candidictable this year: Brie Larson is rumored to dates, as well as a familiar face. As one of the be a shoo-in for the prize. Larson stunned most illustrious awards given in the movie audiences with her performance in “Room,” industry, five brilliant actors are looking to the film adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s add another accomplishment to their dis2010 novel directed by Lenny Abraham- tinguished careers on February 28. son. Larson won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama this last January, and at The list includes Bryan Cranston, playing the age of 26, she is being lauded as 2015’s Dalton Trumbo, a famous screenwriter in breakout star. With “Room,” she has made 1950s Hollywood, Matt Damon, playing her stake as one of Hollywood’s most tal- Mark Watney, an astronaut left for dead ented young actresses. on Mars and Michael Fassbender, playing Steve Jobs, an immortalized figure in comHer performance — nuanced, subtle, and puting history. Another headlining name brave all at once — is winning her some and Oscars veteran Eddie Redmayne plays pretty solid odds at the Best Actress ti- both Einar Wegener and his female side, tle. She plays the character of 'Ma' with a Lili Elbe, in the British biographical drama, certain depth, courageously portraying a "The Danish Girl," that follows his journey woman who has been held in captivity and in transitioning from a man to a women. impregnated as a result of sexual assault by Leonardo Dicaprio, the favoured winner, her captor. Larson’s crowning achievement, plays Hugh Glass, a hunter, left for dead by however, is her depiction of the subsequent his fellow hunters after being attacked by a recovery that Ma experiences as she reac- grizzly bear. quaints herself to the real world following her release. The swift transition is the most Although both Cranston and Redmayne notable aspect of Larson’s performance. have had acclaimed acting careers, with Through this gradual on-screen progres- Redmayne winning an Oscar for "The sion, Larson shows a keen aptitude for Theory of Everything" in 2015, their newunderstanding and embracing the charac- est works cannot compare to those of the ter-development of Ma. other three candidates. Their performances were not as highly-anticipated, and the perHer only competition, although highly improbable, is Ronan for her role as the lovestruck young Eilis in “Brooklyn.” Ronan’s performance is a graceful one, and she pulls off the film’s emotional highs and lows with wit and grace. Ronan’s talent is undeniable,

T

BEST ACTOR

F

formances of Damon and DiCaprio simply garnered more media attention, thus giving them an edge in publicity.

Leonardo DiCaprio, probably the most vaunted of the candidates, searches for his first, and very elusive, Oscar award.

With his performance in "The Revenant," DiCaprio stunningly portrays an anger-fueled man searching for vengeance over those who left him to die. The struggle between morality and personal conflict is illustrated incredibly, keeping the audience at the edge of their seat throughout the action-packed drama.

Another headlining name, Matt Damon, has been nominated for his role in "The Martian" as Mark Watney, an astronaut left to die on a barren Martian landscape after he was assumed dead in an emergency evacuation. Watney’s fight for survival becomes the storyline of this intense thriller, but his witty humor and sharp innovation ease the sting of the disastrous situation.

The nominees are all deserving of the win, and Michael Fassbender’s performance in "Steve Jobs" is no exception. The movie doesn’t necessarily focus on the business aspect of Jobs’ life, but instead, his relationship with his daughter, Lisa. Angled towards the emotional side of Jobs’ life, Fassbender’s performance brought to light an unseen side of Jobs.

All five candidates are phenomenal actors who have worked hard day in and day out to produce their works, which have been rightfully recognized in their excellence through the Oscar nominations. Nevertheless, Leonardo DiCaprio is the star of the bunch, making it certain that he will take home the Best Actor award ­­­— finally. ◊ Number 9 Films, Regency Enterprises, DreamWorks Studios

STUDENT PREDICTIONS BEST PICTURE

BEST ACTRESS

41% The Revenant

BEST ACTOR

41% Jennifer Lawrence

BEST DIRECTOR

56% Leonardo DiCaprio

56% Alejandro G. Iñárritu

14% The Martian 14% The Big Short 14% Mad Max: Fury Road 9% Spotlight 4% Room 4% Brooklyn

22% George Miller

26% Brie Larson 18% Cate Blanchett 9% Charlotte Rampling 5% Saoirse Ronan

26% Matt Damon 8% Michael Fassbender 5% Eddie Redmayne 5% Bryan Cranston

4% Adam McKay

9% Lenny Abrahamson 9% Tom McCarthy

23 students polled via social media

BEST DIRECTOR

graceful, less poetically-wrought. But the charisma of Iñárritu’s photography and direction, overcomes the movie’s drawn-outness. Glass WILL WIN: GEORGE MILLER travels for days, weeks. There is a lot to see, COULD WIN: ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU and Iñárritu shows it all to us. Whether DiSHOULD WIN: ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU Caprio is catching snowflakes on his tongue irdman,” Alejandro G. with a prophetic Pawnee Indian or heaving Iñárritu’s previous feature, himself into the corpse of his horse, Iñárritu’s and a swirling, manic gift camera floats, seeing like a plume of smoke, of a movie, won him last turning organically like a head. year’s Best Director belt.

This year, the Mexican director focuses his George Miller’s "Mad Max: Fury Road" is his efforts in the frontier and in the furrowed fea- long-awaited follow-up to "Mad Max, Road tures of his star, Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCap- Warrior" and "Mad Max Beyond Thunderrio's character, Hugh Glass, his half-Pawnee dome." Fans of the decade-spanning serial son and the rest of their trapping party are entered auditoriums clutching popcorn like ambushed by indigenous warriors. One boat, boomerangs and other utensils of Miller’s a bear, and a few horses later, Glass tracks the past futures. Partial to stunt work, not comvenomous Fitzgerald, murderer of his son, to puter generated images, Miller’s action is for all intents and purposes, real. Tom Hardy, a sheet of ice in the snowy boonies. also in "The Revenant," plays a young maverwith the "The Revenant" is, without a doubt, a less ick inadvertently on the run wives of an apocalyptic fully-realized movie than was "Birdman". Less

“B

27 | FEBRUARY 2016

warlord. Despite positive reviews and a foaming-at-the-mouth fan response, people left the theater disappointed. Gone was the magic of "Road Warrior," somehow. "Fury Road" loses the hokey fun of its predecessors, and is undeserving of the Oscar it is likely to win.

McKay, McCarthy and Abrahamson, the dark horses of this race, make a strong showing. McKay’s direction pops like a glossy magazine. He lets Margot Robbie delineate esoteric real estate jargon in a bathtub, while tossing shrimp cocktails into her mouth.

There is a debt to Scorsese somewhere.

Abrahamson’s "Room" opens on a young woman and her androgynous child, born into the captivity of her mother’s predator.

"Spotlight," a frontrunner for Best Picture, features perhaps the most subtle, if assured direction of the cluster. But undeniably, "Spotlight" leans more on the performance of its ensemble cast and on the sparse writing than McCarthy’s muted supervision. ◊

Scott Free Productions, Regency Enterprises, Legendary Entertainment

C U L T U R E APPS & GAMES

MUST-DOWNLOAD APPS written by Savita Govind and Anisha Desai graphics by Anne Schill

Neko Atsume

W

hether you are a cat lover or would just like a fun app to pass the time, the quirky and compelling game Neko Atsume can be enjoyed by all users. Neko Atsume is a newly popular, free mobile game in which users have one simple objective: use food to attract stray cats.

When the cats arrive, users can watch them play or take pictures with them to add to a virtual album. As players continue to care for the cute felines, their bonds grow stronger and the cats bring rewards such as gold and silver fish, which serve as currency. Silver fish can be used to purchase enhancements for the play area like fun toys, and the gold fish can be used for premium items or expanding the area. In-app purchases can be made if one wants to quickly stock up on fish to buy the furry friends some more gifts.

Taking a peek at the app during lunch, or as a break from homework, is always enjoyable when finding out which one of the 48 types of cats paid a visit. It may seem silly, but collecting adorable kittens in Neko Atsume proves a highly addictive, entertaining way to pass time and overall makes for a must-download game for all teenagers. ◊

Heads Up!

Sleep Cycle

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W

One player holds up a device with a word on the screen as others give the player hints to help guess the word. The player has a minute to guess as many words as possible before time runs out.

The video feature simultaneously records players as they try to give hints to the guesser, creating an amusing, and often embarrassing, video of players panicking over the time limit. Users can choose from a variety of “decks” to play with, including accents and impressions, superstars, movies, animals and icons.

An interactive alarm clock, Sleep Cycle tracks sleep patterns and wakes users up during light sleep in order to leave them feeling refreshed and well-rested in the morning. Users input the 30-minute time interval in which they want to be woken up and Sleep Cycle wakes people up when they are in their lightest sleep.

reated by talk show host Ellen Degeneres, Heads Up! is a great pastime in which players can name celebrities, guess funny accents and imitate silly animals. The goal of the game is as simple as it gets: guess the word on the screen across your forehead.

To see how entertaining this addictive guessing game can be, check out a few clips from Ellen Degeneres’ show as she plays her own app with several celebrities including Tina Fey, Usher, Adam Levine and Oprah. From waiting in line with friends to needing a lunchtime source of pure entertainment, Heads Up! is an easy to play game for any and all teenagers who just need a little laugh. ◊

aking up to a blaring alarm in the morning, right in the middle of peaceful, deep sleep is a daily struggle for most high schoolers. Now, instead of trudging through the morning half-asleep, students can download Sleep Cycle to help them out.

In addition, the app tracks the quality and amount of sleep users get with helpful graphs showing sleep disturbances or uninterrupted intervals.

Through sound analysis technology, Sleep Cycle tracks movements during sleep and identifies when bodies are in different sleep states, giving helpful statistics such as how many hours they slept and a percentage ranking of the quality of their sleep. Sleep Cycle can help stressed-out and sleep-deprived teenagers manage their sleeping habits and is an absolute must-have for any student who wants to wake up feeling well-rested and relaxed. ◊

THE BEST (AND WORST)

C U L T U R E

RULES: 1. Choose your icon and place it at start.

2. Place your pencil on the wheel and spin it, moving the number of spaces the pencil stops at.

3. Each square determines positive or negative movement, or has a different instruction.

4. If the instruction does not specify your own movement, assume you move forward.

The first person to make it to 2016 wins!

written by Claire Bai and Booker Martin graphics by Vanessa Mark

6 5

If you were in her shoes, would you lick the donuts? You would, “Don’t don’t deny it.

Judge Move back.

Me”:

1 4

2 3

Watch me Whip:

You whip and nae nae flawlessly, and your Vine gets millions of views. Move across the Wormhole!

This internet body shaming challenge was one of the worst of its kind.

Move back the spaces rolled.

Adele’s return - “Hello”:

Why did Adele cross the road?

To say hello from the other sioh, a car hit her! At least she can say that she tried. Skip a turn.

Pizza Rat:

You are pizza rat. I am pizza rat. We are all pizza rat. Move ahead the spaces rolled.

Stephen Curry:

If you’re a Warriors fan, move ahead the “Bad spaces rolled. If Blood”:

not, stay where Taylor Swift’s you are. spy squad actually takes out a real Bond villain! Move ahead the spaces rolled.

START Bendgate:

#TheDress: WORMHOLE

You think the dress is white/ gold! But it’s actually blue/black; move back the spaces rolled.

Saint Kardashian:

You sit on your new Apple No more directions?

Kylie Lip iPhone 6 and it bends North’s brother isn’t Challenge: like a piece of toast.

South, he’s Saint!

You tried the Cheeky Move back the

Move ahead the spaces Mixtape: challenge, Nandos:

spaces rolled. but ended up If you’re

You drop the

rolled.

British

most fire mixtape just getting a and understand this,

of 2k15. Move up huge bruise. move forward. If you the spaces rolled.

Move back don’t, move back the the spaces spaces rolled. rolled.

65 | FEBRUARY 2016

Ariana Grande:

#squadgoals:

Zayn Malik left 1D:

Star Wars:

The Dark Side Hit the returns stron- Donald Trump: Quan: ger than ever. We need to I’m finna Will you join stop talking show ya Kylo Ren or about Donhowta HIT Rey? (Kylo = ald Trump.

THE QUAN move across EVERYONE up the spac- the bridge. moves back es rolled. a space!

Rey = have another turn.)

Juice Minions: Cleanse:

You genetically engineer your very own minion!

Move up the spaces rolled.

WORMHOLE

Your #squad is actually as Looks like #squadgoals Zayn went in the other as Taylor direction.

Swift’s!

Follow Move up him back the spaces the spaces rolled. rolled.

C U L T U R E

Can you make it to 2016?

Llama Drama:

Missy Elliot - “WTF”:

Missy Elliot returned and outshone Katy Perry at the 2015 Super Bowl! Move ahead the spaces rolled.

“Miley, what’s good?”:

Charlie Charlie:

A trans-phobic trans woman?

How ironic! Move back the spaces rolled.

Left Shark:

Carl’s Left Shark failing at the Corner: Super Bowl is all of us.

You are a EVERYONE guest on

Aux move up a

Cord: Carl’s Corner space. and now Your friend world fa hands you the mous. Move aux cord and the

car explodes! Move up. If you are Carl, you

back the spaces win.

rolled.

Justin Bieber:

JB made a comeback — his album “Purpose” is Drake actually good!

Move up the and spaces Madonna:

rolled.

We know who will be blinging Drake’s hotline!

Move forward the spaces rolled.

WORMHOLE

Apple Do Charlie Watch: The llamas escaped Nicki OWNED Charlie on You got the and you got tired Miley at the the wheel.

GOLD Apple If the pencil chasing them.

Move back. 2015 VMAs. Watch!! Hop moves, move Choose a across the the spaces it WHAT ARE person to bridge into points to. If it THOSEEEEEE!: move back the future! doesn’t, stay You just got Kanye’s the spaces where you Yeezys and people love rolled. are. you new kicks! Move up the spaces rolled.

Caitlyn Jenner:

You do a three-day juice cleanse and pass out from lack Astroof calories. logical Move back Signs: the spaces If you’re a Pisces rolled. or Aquarius, move forward. Any other sign moves back the spaces rolled.

Why You Always Lyin’?:

Why you always lying?

Mmmhnnn ohmygod, stop freaking lying!

Move back.

And his name is...:

JOHN CENAAAAA! You fight him on WWE and get crushed!

Move back the spaces rolled.

FINISH

OF 2015

You made it to 2016!

You win!

THE TALON | 26

THE P.E. BALANCE written by Ben Zaeske | photo by Katie Klein

P.E .students stretch during class. The P.E. department is planning to increase the amount of health awareness included in the curriculum in order to combat student stress.

I

n the near future, the school’s P.E. department will be adding more health-related units in the P.E. curriculum, in response to issues surrounding student stress. “[The P.E. staff ] thinks that it’s important to be well-rounded and have an introduction to all the different kinds of sports, but we also started thinking about what’s going on at Gunn and [Palo Alto] with the suicide rate and the amount of stress that our students are facing,” P.E. department coordinator Kiernan Raffo said. “[We decided that] starting at the end of February, we will be implementing a [new] wellness unit.”

The academic climate of our school and that of schools around us is only becoming increasingly stressful, and giving students the essential tools they need to live healthy and stressfree will now be becoming a part of our P.E. program through this new unit. “[The new wellness unit] is going to cover strategies that students can use to manage their stress through things like breathing and yoga,” Raffo said.

“We are implementing it for the freshmen because [the P.E. department] feels that we can cover the most bodies that way, and I think [the new unit] will really help things as far as student stress is concerned.”

The new wellness unit isn’t all the P.E. department has been thinking about adding either.

“We [have also been] talking about adding a lifetime fitness unit,” Raffo said. “[The idea behind it is to teach students] the different things they can do to be active. [We want to] give kids as many tools as possible so that later on in life they can know what to do to exercise.”

The addition of these new units represent exactly what an optimal P.E. program should be doing. While P.E. should be a way to introduce students to a variety of different sports, bringing them just slightly out of their comfort zone, it should also take on the role of teaching students how to be healthy. Part of this includes helping students deal with the stresses of high school life.

As it turns out, a P.E. class is actually the perfect place to do this, but at first thought, the connection between the P.E. program and relieving student stress might seem a bit strange. The reality is, exercise, especially regular aerobic exercise, can serve as a direct link to reducing the stresses caused by school.

Getting down to the science of it, there are two prominent types of stress — acute and chronic — both of which

are extensions of our natural “fight or f light” response. Acute stress is a more “in the moment” type reaction to events and can actually be beneficial by helping us focus on the situation at hand. On the f lipside, chronic stress can be very harmful to the body and mind and is what many students are currently dealing with.

Exercise can directly reduce the symptoms of chronic stress and sometimes even reverse its effects. This is mostly due to a benefactor of exercise: endorphins, which are a type of “feel good chemicals” that are released by your nervous system making you relax and eliciting a positive feeling. This, among many other benefits of exercise, has been proven to combine and prevent the negative effects of chronic stress from taking hold.

What it all boils down to is exercise, and this is why the new changes being brought to Los Altos High School’s P.E. program are going to be so beneficial.

The new P.E. balance is optimal, because whether you prefer to get hours of aerobic exercise through swimming and biking or the laid-back fun of recreational sports with your friends, getting exercise is something that all of us should aspire to do. The new changes to the P.E. program will be a positive force trying to instill this mindset into students, while working to combat student stress simultaneously. ◊ THE TALON | 32

ON THE MAT

S P O R T S

INSIDE THE LEAST-KNOWN WINTER SPORTS TEAM AT LAHS Written by Teddy Chmyz and Julia Santos Photos 33 | FEBRUARY 2016by Michael Sieffert

Though a sign on its door promises “Free Abuse” to all those who enter, the wrestling room provides a family environment to every wrestler on the team.

Led by their head coach Randy “Big Daddy” Jimenez, the members of the Los Altos wrestling team train for hours every day in this small, pungent space, doing their best to slam each other into the padded floors. What to an outsider may seem like random acts of brutality are actually carefully executed technical moves, all designed to pin opponents to the ground as quickly as possible.

So far, these intense training sessions seem to be paying off. While it may at times be overshadowed by other winter sports such as basketball and soccer, the wrestling team is 5-0 in league matches, took first place in the Albany High Tournament and is looking to be one of the most dominant teams in the area.

“As far as the El Camino League, I’m expecting to smash through everybody,” Jimenez said. “But that’s always my expectation. As a coach, if you don’t expect that, then you shouldn’t be a head coach. I just want to crush everybody, and these kids are doing what they need to do to get the job done, they make it happen.”

Jimenez has shaped the wrestling room into more than just a place to train. His wrestlers see it as a second home, where they can go when they need advice from someone they consider family. Jimenez establishes a personal relationship with each player on the team, even going to their houses to check in on them if they are injured or late for a tournament. This familial atmosphere spreads throughout the rest of the team.

“This is family, it really is, we are family,” co-captain junior Gino Vega said. “[Coach Jimenez] is like a father to me.”

If there are any issues between individual players, they are sure to work it out quickly in order to keep the tight-knit family atmosphere intact.

“If we ever have a problem with one of the other wrestlers, we settle it on the mat, wrestle it out and may the best man win,” co-captain senior Jason Durana said.

“And after that we forget about it, there’s no grudges or anything.”

Wrestlers earn their veteran status not by seniority, but by their ability to mentor younger teammates. The more experienced wrestlers care about helping the “green” members of the team and ensuring that everyone feels accepted enough to focus on improving their skills.

Much of the team’s success can be credited to the leadership of the veteran wrestlers, but the green wrestlers have proved to be just as passionate and willing to learn the sport.

The newer wrestlers proved their willingness and abil-

Left: Sophomore wrestlers J.J. Rosenberg and Vuk Radovanovic practice during an off-day. Above: Junior Joey Donnelly attempts an escape. The wrestling team is off to a strong start, combining experience and youth.

ity to perform at the team’s second meet of the season, against Milpitas, in early January. Going into the final match of the day, LAHS needed one point to secure the win, putting pressure on sophomore Luis Garcia to get a pin — which he did, in just 1 minute, 15 seconds.

“It was a one-point thing, and seeing someone new go out and get it just shows that it really doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the sport if you’re pushing, if you’re working hard enough, you’re going to get the result,” co-captain junior Joey Donnelly said.

For the team members, wrestling is seen as an “individual sport in a team environment.” While each player wrestles alone on the mat, the team atmosphere helps push each individual to bring their effort to another level. They are working not just for themselves, but also for everyone else on the team.

Although the team has great support and energy from within their own program, they wish they had more support from the rest of the school. Wrestling meets are free to watch, and often very exciting, but the stands are never as full as they are for basketball games.

“We need more support from our school, we really do,” Jason said. “We’re not too worried about it, but it’s kind of unfair how wrestling is looked down upon, and not appreciated as much as other sports.”

Whether the school actually looks down on the team or just doesn’t know much about it, the wrestling team has not allowed this lack of support to slow it down. They are taking an undefeated record into league finals, with the intent to win and secure first place in the league. The team also hopes to have some individuals qualify for CCS. The competition will be tough, but the wrestling team is ready for the challenge.

“I will put this team against everybody, and anybody, anytime, anywhere,” Jimenez said. ◊ THE TALON | 34