Issue 1: September 24, 2025 by The Campanile

The Campanile

DIPLOMA DIVIDE

During its Aug. 10 meeting, the board of education heard a proposal from Assistant Superintendent of Innovation and Agility Jeong Choe to give students the chance to earn an Advanced Diploma beginning with the 2026-27 shcool year. Choe said this specialized diploma would be a way to o"er an opportunity for students to challenge themselves and gain recognition for their academic achievements. If approved, the program would expand on the AP Capstone program o"ered at Paly, which requires the completion of AP Seminar, AP Research and four additional AP classes with students having to score a three or higher on the AP tests for those classes.

Choe said the Advanced Diploma would be a good way to promote PAUSD values.

“ #is College Board program emphasizes that students build skills in research, collaboration and communication, which are skills that we celebrate in PAUSD.”

Choe's said in her presentation that to receive the Advanced Diploma, students would also need to complete an internship, participate in the Stanford Great Minds speaker series, either be a National Merit Scholar or have a qualifying ACT or SAT score, and create an oral defense portfolio in addition to the requirement of the AP Capstone.

But the program has its critics, including teachers who say they weren’t consulted about the program before it was made public and who see the idea of an Advanced Diploma as a direct contradiction to the district’s pledge to focus on student mental health.

AP Seminar and AP Research teacher Lucy Filppu said students in the AP Capstone program already have ways to shine through original research, peer mentorship and college-level portfolios, making the Advanced Diploma program an unneeded addition to an already thriving program.

“We already help students stand out with the existing AP Capstone program and all the other APs we o"er,” Filppu said. “Creating even more advancement seems unnecessary and against our commitment to balance and student mental health.”

Students have also expressed concerns about the outside-of-school requirements.

Senior and AP research student Dylan Chen, who also serves as a PAUSD Student Board Representative, said these requirements make an Advanced Diploma less accessible for students who lack the connections and resources to meet these requirements. He thinks it could especially negatively a"ect rst-generation college students and low-income students.

“First generation students join and excel at the (AP Capstone) pathway because the pathway has excellent support systems such as the peer mentorship program,” Chen said. “Adding the new diploma will create higher expectations, more competition and make a rigorous program even more di cult for disadvantaged rst generation students who need more support.”

Superintendent Don Austin, though, said parts of the Advanced Diploma criteria, such as the internship requirement, are still tentative,

allowing the Board of Education to make adjustments and increase accessibility if that is the way they want to move forward.

“(Some students) have advantages we can't replicate for all students,” Austin said. “(#ey) can easily get internships due to connections, while other students might really have a hard time with it. We don't want the access to an internship to be a barrier, so we're still thinking that one through.”

Senior and AP Seminar student Cole Baker said he is concerned students will feel pressure to participate in the program, even if it might not be the right pathway for them.

#is diploma forces everyone into this kind of rat race, which I think will (a"ect) the mental health of students,” Baker said. “I think a lot of people are going to feel forced, like, ‘I need to do this now,’ because everyone around them is doing it, even though it might not even give them any value.”

AP Seminar teacher Corbin Dodd, who graduated from Paly in 2014, said the Advanced Diploma o"ering could potentially negatively a"ect students' self-esteem.

for at least a decade. I could see something similar happening with the Advanced Diploma, where essentially we would have a two-tiered system where students in the non-Advanced Diploma would believe they're not as smart as the students in the Advanced Diploma track.”

But Choe said any program designed to advance students has the potential to increase pressure on students.

“If implemented thoughtfully, with students’ wellness in mind, the Advanced Diploma could instead validate and celebrate the ongoing e"orts of students who are already engaged in rigorous coursework and want to continue challenging themselves,” Choe said.

Junior and AP Seminar student Juliet Frick agrees and said recognizing students' achievements through a program like the Advanced Diploma could be a good way to reward hard-working students.

“Anyone who puts in that much work and that much e"ort and that much extra time, I feel like they deserve to win an award for that,” Frick said. “If I did have time in my schedule to do that, or to qualify for that, it's denitely something that I would consider doing."

Ultimately, Filppu said student achievement will continue whether or not an Advanced Diploma is approved by the board.

“When I was a student here, I dropped down a math lane, and that really impacted my sense of how good I was at math,” Dodd said. “ #at stayed with me

“I’m not sure where student balance ts into the Advanced Diploma initiative,” Filppu said. “But, I am con dent high achieving students will continue to thrive and be recognized.”

Leilani Chen Sta Writer

“It shows how the district is succumbing to parents in this district, and I think it’s a stupid addition. It's just another thing kids will go for, but have no real impact on anything in the future.”

— Paul Wang ('27)

"It's good to recognize students' achievements. #e one issue I have with the Advanced Diploma Program is the recognition actually happens at the very end of senior year, meaning that this recognition doesn't always give students the opportunity to show it to others."

“Advanced Diploma is a good opportunity for students who want it. If you're passionate about research and what this award entails, then just go for it. If you're not, then don't do it. It's not something you have to do.”

— Joy Tan ('26)

“While I like that it's probably in some aspect giving recognition to students who are really high achieving, I worry about certain students feeling that they need to strive for that, and that they’ll feel pressured, possibly by parents, or by peers.”

“I think that Palo Alto is already competitive enough. And I think that adding this advanced diploma will just add to the social and academic pressure of going to Paly.”

— Alon Milman ('28)

— Oscar Varodayan ('28)

— Motoko Iwata ('26)

ETHAN CHAN / THE CAMPANILE

New phone policy takes e ect

In an e ort to comply with California

Assembly Bill 3216, Palo Alto High School has introduced a new schoolwide cellphone policy. Supporters say this policy will minimize distractions, build a culture of learning and increase engagement and social interactions in the classroom.

AB 3216, more commonly known as the Phone Free School Act, requires all California school districts, charter schools and county education o ces to develop policies that limit or prohibit the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026.

Formulated through student, parent and teacher input, Paly’s policy requires students to place their phones in a designated holder before the start of class and leave them there until the class ends. Students are not permitted to take their phones on break during the class period.

Principal Brent Kline said he’s seen the classroom phone ban have a positive e ect on students so far.

“It’s been magni cent,” Kline said.

“It’s a game changer. I think, just from my perspective, I see more engagement. I see people there right in the moment. ey’re paying attention. ey’re not distracted. It’s different. It’s better. We should’ve done this a long time ago.” e use of cell phones at school has become a contentious issue, largely due to their potential to distract students during class. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted during the fall of 2024, 68% of U.S adults say they support a ban on middle and high school students using cellphones during class. e same survey says 98% of U.S adults who support the ban say they do so because they believe phones are a distraction in the classroom.

For Kline, the new policy has brought more structure to the classroom too.

“It makes a more consistent experience,” Kline said. “Now all students know that this is what you do, it has really changed the way teachers run their classes, because they don’t have to monitor it as much as they did in the past, because it’s an expectation that we all do. So here’s more room to devote to you as students, to devote to what we’re going to do to share knowledge with kids on this day. I think it’s making life in classrooms more doable and more engaging and a higher level of participation.”

English and Advancement Via Individual Determination teacher Lizzie DeKraai agrees and said she appreciates the structure around the policy.

“I am glad that it is schoolwide,” DeKraai said. “I have been taking phones or collecting phones for four years now, and I always tell students and parents that the research is clear, that even having your phone on your desk impacts your ability to learn and retain information. So I’m glad that I’m not the only teacher doing it and that it’s a school wide policy.”

Spanish teacher Kevin Du y said the new policy has made teaching easier for him.

“I think that having to check your phone before class starts and not having access to it until class is over means that students are focusing more on our lessons and also on each other,” Du y said.

However, Sunny Liu, Director of Research at Stanford Social Media Lab, said the current evidence regarding the e ectiveness of cell phone bans in the classroom remains inconclusive. “ e study evidence so far is actually mixed,” Liu said. “Some studies nd, actually, when without phones, especially smartphones, student learnings and grades improved. Some studies actually don’t nd any evidence, so there’s no ‘yes’ answer or ‘no’ answer to that question. I think it’s really fundamentally based on what type of students, what type of schools, what type of policies, and all those combined together and what some impact they might have.”

Liu said from a research standpoint he does look forward to the implementation of these policies, though.

“I’m actually really excited to nd out whether these policies work,” Liu said. “For whom (does) it work better? How long does it take for students to feel comfortable without their phones? I think these are questions that we hope research can help answer.”

But regardless of current research, Du y said the policy has been successful so far, in large part due to students.

“So far so good,” Du y said. “ e students have really been like, ‘ is is what the policy is,’ and they have been very good about following it.” is doesn’t mean all students are excited about the policy. Sophomore Helen Li falls into this category.

“Most of my teachers already had a phone policy in place before the school wide mandate,” Li said. “And it really doesn’t matter too much because it’s not like they’re

taking our phones away for the whole day.

We still get it during our free time.”

Li said students can nd loopholes in the current system, which undermines its intended purpose.

“It hasn’t been very useful,” she said. A lot of my teachers don’t check whether everyone’s phone is in the pocket before class, so some people just don’t put it in.”

Kline said the policy is dependent on student cooperation.

“You’ll nd a way to get around something,” Kline said. “But I think we can only expect the best, and if there are things that we need to learn from and adjust in terms of how students are aligning with this expectation, we just have to take it as it comes.”

Students are responding to the policy di erently. Senior An Nguyen said it shouldn’t have been necessary at all.

“I think that the school wide phone policy is stupid,” Nguyen said. “If (students) fail their class because they’re constantly on their phone, I believe that’s kind of their fault, not necessarily the teacher’s fault. So I don’t see why banning it for everyone is a good solution to this, because it’s an important self control skill to learn.”

For junior Arman Basu it’s the extent of the policy’s restrictions that are the problem.

“I don’t really like it,” Basu said. “ e reason is because it’s one thing to not allow phones in the regular class setting, but I don’t like how they’ve completely banned it in PRIME, study hall and Advisory, where I think you should be allowed to use your phone, at least for that.” at said, Senior Joseph Sun said the current cell phone policy is both fair and reasonable.

“Of course (it’s a fair policy). It’s not like they’re taking all the phones and putting them in a box and then giving them back to students at the end of the day,” Sun said. “It’s only for the class period and I think that a lot of teachers were already doing this last year so it’s really not that big of a di erence.”

Even though research on this matter remains inconclusive, Liu said building strong digital habits early is important.

“I think more importantly for high school, middle school, even elementary school students, is to teach them how to develop better habits with those devices,” Liu said. “It’s hard, but I think that fundamentally, it’s really just like how you learn English or math. And then I think that learning how to engage, better engage with technologies is an important skill that students should have.”

While the new phone policy is a good rst step in his opinion, Kline said continuing to gure out ways to make students more engaged in class is equally important.

“I think that in order for students to be engaged in the classroom, students should be involved in experiences in the classroom,” Kline said. “Students should be allowed to have options to show their learning … Just taking the cell phone and putting it into a little cubby is not the answer. I think that we need to look at ways that we have unknown barriers in our school, not just our classroom, that might inhibit this level of engagement that we’re looking for.” Liu also has doubts over whether the phone policy will achieve all of its stated goals. But she remains optimistic.

“I’m not sure that getting rid of phones will be a silver bullet to solve all those issues,” Liu said. “But I think that they also have great potential to make the classrooms work better … Teachers have such a hard job to teach, so if we can support teachers, support students, I think let’s try it and see how it works (and then think about) how we’ll make it work better.”

Dashel Chun Sta Writer

Teacher reinstated to Fletcher after DA drops charges

Peter Colombo, a teacher who is suing Palo Alto Uni ed School District for what he says is a mishandling of an allegation that he sexually assaulted a former student more than 20 years ago, is now teaching physical education at Fletcher Middle School.

While Colombo and his lawyer, Evan Nelson, declined to comment for this story, Colombo has repeatedly said the accusations against him are false. Nelson is quoted in the Palo Alto Weekly as saying, “We encourage (the district and Superintendent Don Austin) to correct the record and clear Mr. Colombo’s name as energetically as they maligned it previously, so that the school community’s concerns can be assuaged.”

In 2021, Colombo, a physical education teacher at Greene Middle School at the time, was charged in a sexual assault case regarding a female student who was in his class during the 2001-2002 school year. Following this, the district put Colombo on unpaid leave.

However, in April 2023, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Ofce dropped all charges against Colombo citing insu cient evidence, and Colombo was reinstated as a district employee but relegated to a job that didn’t involve direct contact with students.

Despite the dropped charges, Karen Ceresnak, a 47-year-old mother of three children including a seventh grader at Fletcher, said she is concerned by Colombo’s return to the classroom.

“I feel powerless the way that the school is treating my 12-year-old child,” Ceresnak said. “I’m just frustrated at the way the school is handling it and the way the district has handled it from the beginning.”

Ceresnak said her child feels uncomfortable at Fletcher and unheard by the adults in the district.

“I want all three of (my kids) to know that if they tell me that they’re uncomfortable in a situation, I will always take them seriously and ght for them,” Ceresnak said. “I will never tell them to suck it up, or this is just what you have to deal with. I want to teach them that it’s when you don’t feel comfortable that you need to say something.”

After Cesernak’s seventh grader learned she was in Colombo’s class, she attempted to switch out and cut class. However, Cesernak said her daughter was threatened with punishments if she tried to skip class.

“I emailed (Principal Melissa Howell) and told her that my child was threatened with detention,” Cesernak said. “ e leadership on this has been

horrible. If there was a master class on how not to handle this situation, this would be it.”

During the board meeting, Tracy Lee, a parent of a Fletcher student, said she was concerned by the school board’s lack of accountability. “( e board has) made a public promise to prioritize students’ well-being as well as mental health,” Lee said to the board. “Right now, that promise is being broken. By moving forward with this placement, you are sending a message to the students and parents that their fears don’t matter. So, we ask you to step up and urge and follow and keep your promise.”

Howell declined a Campanile interview request.

Colombo’s lawsuit against the district is scheduled to be heard in San Jose in January of 2026.

Superintendent Don Austin did not respond to an interview request for this story.

Kira Tzeng Sta Writer

Sophomore Tyler Verbeek puts his phone away at the start of class. Spanish Teacher Kevin Du y says the policy has been successful so far. “So far so good,” Du y said. “ e students have really been like, ‘ is is what the policy is,’ and they have been very good about following it.”

Does Zuck Suck?

In response to an Aug. 10 New York Times article which detailed the disruption Mark Zuckerberg has caused in Crescent Park, Palo Alto residents are voicing a range of opinions on the Meta CEO’s impact in the neighborhood, from frustration to appreciation.

According to the Times article, Zuckerberg has been buying properties on Hamilton Avenue and Edgewood Drive for more than a decade, now owning 11 homes valued at over $110 million. Although the city rejected his 2016 proposal to build a single compound out of his properties, he has gradually converted his houses into a compound-like property, seemingly bypassing the city’s rules, largely by expanding underground basements.

Construction and surveillance cause disruptions

Palo Alto resident Michael Wagner, who has lived in Crescent Park for 35 years, said some neighbors have been disrupted by ongoing heavy construction activity for the past eight years.

“Our whole street has been full of cars: worker cars, trucks, the people with the Meta badges,” Wagner said. “ ey park up and down the street, so that’s very invasive.” Wagner said the in ux of workers has strained the neighborhood’s sense of community, pointing to the decline of block party attendance.

Other residents, like Bonnie Stein who has lived in Crescent Park since the early 1960s, said Zuckerberg is no di erent from other neighbors. Despite questioning his property accumulation, Stein said she has not personally felt any disruption from his surveillance, including constant guards investigating and walking around his property and nearby houses.

“I just know that he has his people protecting his property, and (they) are here all the time,” Stein said. “I have no opinion.”

Some neighbors disagree with the New York Times portrayal

While some residents echo Wagner’s frustrations, others strongly disagree with e New York Times’ portrayal of the neighbors’ opinion. Longtime Palo Alto resident Rosine Ferber said her experience with Zuckerberg has been positive.

“We were quite upset about what we (read), because we had a completely di erent experience,” Ferber said. “ e opposite, in fact. A very nice experience. We found him to be cordial and always thoughtful.”

Ferber said she has received gifts following Zuckerberg’s parties hosted at his properties, and she praised his security team for their helpfulness, including $nding lost pets for neighbors.

Many other perspectives were expressed by the neighbors, including some noting that Zuckerberg is rarely in Crescent Park and others criticizing his use of tall hedges to obscure his homes in a neighborhood known for visible architecture admired from the sidewalks.

One neighbor said Zuckerberg has made adjustments when concerns were raised, such as replacing gas-powered security vehicles with electric-powered ones to address exhaust from idling vehicles.

“He has these security people that are just amazing,” Ferber said. “ ey’re making sure they know the neighbors, and they help whenever they can, so I was very upset to hear (about the New York Times article).”

Some community members have also had neighborly interactions with Zuckerberg in Palo Alto. Junior Nava Schwarzbach said she was shocked to meet Zuckerberg on the street one day while fundraising through a lemonade stand a couple blocks away from his properties in Crescent Park.

“(I was) doing a lemonade stand for youth in the foster care system … and Mark Zuckerberg and his wife walked up,” Schwarzbach said. “It’s weird to see one

of the world’s few billionaires just walking around his neighborhood with his wife like any other normal person.”

Schwarzbach said she also appreciated receiving a generous donation from Zuckerberg to her cause.

City laws, zoning rules create a private school controversy

Palo Alto City Council Member and former mayor Greer Stone said the city is aware of the residents’ concerns, but current zoning laws do not restrict how many adjacent properties one person can own.

“My focus is on neighborhood impacts and equal enforcement,” Stone said in an email to e Campanile. “Currently, buying multiple homes is legal; the City’s role is to ensure uses and construction comply with code and minimize disruption. However, I’m currently working on a legislative $x that should address the accumulation of properties issue.”

In the email, Stone also said the Architectural Review Board recommended rejecting Zuckerberg’s 2016 plan, calling it

incompatible with neighborhood standards. Since then, Zuckerberg has pursued individual projects on each property.

Wagner said his theory is that Zuckerberg’s intention is to house extended family members in Crescent Park, and questioned why Zuckerberg chose Crescent Park over larger-lot areas. Neighbors worry continued accumulation of properties could change the feel of the neighborhood over time.

“ e endgame would be to stop buying homes and move out of the neighborhood into a compound in the Woodside or Los Altos Hills area where all of the wealthy people have their compounds so he doesn’t negatively impact the neighborhood like he has already,” Wagner said.

Wagner said he was bothered by the fact that the city was hesitant to take action

after he met with the mayor, the director of planning and the city attorney.

One resident of 14 years who agreed to be interviewed only anonymously to prevent personal backlash said she thinks the community has lost potential neighbors and families as a result of Zuckerberg’s property growth. However, she said she has not been impacted by the surveillance.

e New York Times article said Zuckerberg had been running a private school for his children and others on one of his Crescent Park properties. Stone said the school was shut down because it did not receive the Conditional Use Permit required to run an educational facility in residential R-1 zones.

“City sta determined the operation met the de$nition of a private educational facility in a residential zone without the required

approvals; per public reporting, that use has been abated/relocated,” Stone said.

City o cials say they will continue negotiations with Zuckerberg Looking forward, the neighbors and city o cials hope to maintain communication with Zuckerberg to ensure the complaints will continue to be addressed, and Stone said the city is reviewing its rules to prevent similar property disputes.

“We continually evaluate whether our rules are working,” Stone said. “I’m currently working on some legislative changes to prevent similar issues from happening across the city. ese changes have been in the works prior to the recent publicity.” Zuckerberg and his representatives did not respond to interview requests.

Dalia Saal News & Opinion Editor

Freshman class of 2029 elects Ho as president, Zheng as vice president

ASB announced on Aug. 26 that the freshman class had elected Makena Ho as president and Cherise Zheng as vice president. Ho said she decided to run for class president because of her leadership experience. She served on Greene Middle School’s student council for three years, including as the president last year. Ho said she wants to create more opportunities for freshmen to connect with one another.

“I really want to make Paly a fun place for students,” Ho said. “I want to have more events and get everybody into the school spirit, because it’s a big thing here.”

Zheng said she ran for vice president with the goal of making a large impact on the Class of 2029.

“My goal is to make everyone feel connected to one another,” Zheng said. “I want to make Spirit Week and other rallies really fun.” Ho also said campaigning gave her a chance to connect with new classmates.

“During my campaign, I was working on opening up to new people,” Ho said. “But then (it was) also about talking to the people that I (already knew).” Zheng agreed and said campaigning pushed her to meet more of her peers.

“I opened up to a lot of people and went out of my comfort zone,” Zheng said. is year, Ho said she is looking forward to getting to know more students and learning about what they want from their ASB while planning events.

“I’m really excited for spirit week and our rallies and chants,” Ho said.

Many freshmen are looking forward to participating in the events and activities planned by the new ASB leaders. Freshman Marcus Valdez said that he has enjoyed school events such as the shaved ice social, and is looking forward to future events organized by ASB.

“I hope our ninth-grade ASB can achieve their goals,” Valdez said. “ ey can help our community become stronger and more united.”

Isabella Li Sta Writer

From fashion to fades

The buzz of clippers ﬁlls the air as Gunn High School senior Reza Nasser leans in, carefully shaping a fade. His client, a classmate from AP Spanish, laughs mid-conversation, trusting Nasser’s steady hand. Cutting hair is more than just a hobby for Nasser — it’s a way to

learn, connect and get closer to his entrepreneurial dreams. Barbering is not Nasser’s ﬁrst business.

But his actual ﬁrst venture was B&R Kicks, a reselling business he started his freshman year to address shortages in aﬀordable fashion.

By the beginning of junior year, B&R Kicks gained widespread recognition in the Gunn community. “A lot of people at school want certain shoes or clothes but don’t know where to get them or don’t want to deal with overpriced sites,” Nasser said. “I can connect

them to items they’re looking for at a reasonably fair price.” Nasser sells an array of popular brands, which include Stussy, BAPE, Chrome Hearts and Essentials.

During his sophomore year, Nasser started the haircutting business named Fa-

dez by Reza. e business oﬀers aﬀordable cuts, including fades, tapers and line-ups.

With over 1,400 Instagram followers and 100 unique customers, Nasser said his favorite part about the job is meeting new people.

“It’s fun to talk with so many people because I get to learn their stories during the cut,” Nasser said. “I think it’s more valuable than just making money.”

Nasser said he is excited to continue growing his businesses with clients from both Gunn and Paly.

“It’s been good so far, so I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing and try to grow,” Nasser said. He said he pursues business because of the independence and responsibility it gives him.

“Since elementary school, I’ve been obsessed with creating something on my own,” Nasser said. “ at’s why I would always experiment and try new hobbies.”

Nasser said a big inspiration in his ventures is his parents, who have supported him throughout his journey.

“I watched my parents work so hard, so I wanted to follow their example,” Nasser said. “It was great because they never doubted me, even when I had bad days.”

Despite his determination, Nasser said the beginning of his journey as an entrepreneur was marked with hesitancy and risk.

“I was using my own money, not loans or anyone else’s,” Nasser said. “At ﬁrst, it was hard to get customers since I didn’t have reviews or experience. It was discouraging at times, but I reminded myself that a lot of big businesses start small, and that I just needed to stay consistent.”

Nasser said students who aspire to be entrepreneurs should stay courageous.

“For me, the hardest part was credibility,” Nasser said. “As a teenager, people don’t always take you seriously. I had to prove myself by being professional, showing up on time and delivering quality, whether it was sneakers or haircuts.”

Nasser also said he would recommend students interested in entrepreneurship to take chances.

“If you want to start something, just go for it,” Nasser said. “Don’t wait for a miracle to happen or wait until you’re older. Just put in work and consistency and results will come for sure.”

New admin wants to learn Paly way

When Michael Stieren introduced himself on InFocus at the start of the year, he wasn’t just the new assistant principal on camera. He was a newcomer eager to discover what he calls “the Paly way.”

Before coming to Paly, Stieren worked at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara as an assistant principal, something Principal Brent Kline said is valuable to Stieren’s current role.

“His background as an assistant principal and district-level special education leader brings valuable expertise that will strengthen both our admin team and the entire Paly community,” Kline said in an email to e Campanile.

Stieren said what he looks forward to the most is learning the unique parts of Paly while discovering the best ways to make an impact.

“I’ve been at three diﬀerent high schools,” Stieren said. “I think my job is really to learn the Paly way, to immerse myself into the Palo Alto community, get to know students, get to know the families, get to know the culture of the school.”

He also said an essential part of his learning process involves talking to students about the history of Paly.

“It’s the subtle conversations out in a parking lot or passing between classes where somebody tells me something that happened here 25 years ago,” Stieren said. “ at’s really going to help me know and understand this place, and the better I know and understand it, the better I can support the people who come to school here, the people who work here.”

Reﬂecting on what excites him the most about working with Paly students, Stieren points to the school’s

reputation of academic rigor and support for students who go above and beyond in their extracurriculars.

“I really like to hear from kids about the things that they like to do outside of school,” Stieren said. “Obviously, you have to take the math classes and the science classes, and you’re all looking to apply to elite colleges. at’s great and wonderful, but that’s just a small fraction of who you are as a person.”

More speciﬁcally, Stieren said niche programs at Paly, including glassblowing and the award-winning journalism program, set the school apart from others.

“(It is important to see) who is involved in those activities, learning from them about why they’re interested in it, why it’s a good thing and how you can either preserve it or make it better,” Stieren said.

Sophomore and ASB president Katie Kim said she is impressed with Stieren’s positivity.

“From what I have seen, he is really approachable and genuinely interested in connecting with students. Because of him, I have high hopes for this year’s school community,” Kim said.

Stieren, originally from the San Mateo/Burlingame area, attended UC Santa Barbara for his undergraduate degree and got his start in education when he answered a random job posting for a fourth-grade tutor. At the time, Stieren didn’t realize he would tutor a student with autism.

“I ended up working with that kid for two years, and that spring-boarded me into becoming a paraeducator in the Santa Barbara school district,” Stieren said. “I was a teacher there for a little while before moving into administration.”

After working in administration, Stieren said he realized his heart belonged in a high school setting.

“High schools are like small cities, and the students are always doing really interesting things, whether it’s

athletics, theater productions, choir performances or auto class,” Stieren said.

Stieren has only just begun working at Paly, Kline said he is already making an impact.

already been impressed by his curiosity and

CAMPANILE

assisstant

Michael Stieren shares his experiences as an educator and excitement for his new role at Paly.

schools are like small cities, and the students are always doing really interesting things, whether it’s athletics, theater productions,

ALEX ISAYAMA/THE CAMPANILE

Gunn senior Reza Nasser cuts a classmate’s hair in his backyard. Nasser started his business, Fadez by Reza, during his sophomore year, and encourages other aspiring entrepreneurs to start taking risks early. “If you want to start something, just go for it,” Nasser said. “Don’t wait for a miracle to happen or wait until you’re older. Just put in work and consistency and results will come for sure.”

Alex Isayama Lifestyle, Sci/Tech Editor

Mirai Matsuzawa News/Opinion Editor

Lifestyle

Performing in the Shadows

Sophomore Isa Felch takes the stage at the dance team’s end-of-year showcase. With a shift of music, lights ash, illuminating half her body in dark blue and the other half in uorescent pink. As the tempo changes, the lights switch colors again, making Felch’s performance come alive as the audience is mesmerized by the technical elements of the performance such as sound, light and staging.

is showcase encompasses all of the dance team’s halftime shows throughout the year, with additional artistic elements unavailable at sporting events. It also includes original pieces from their competition season.

Felch said she thinks students should attend because the showcase is very di erent from the halftime performances they are used to seeing from the dance team.

“We get to do lighting cues and a bunch of di erent stu ,” Felch said. “We do a bunch more like turns and stu that we don’t really do on the football eld. It makes for a much more interesting show.” Arts events typically do not receive as much recog-

nition from the student body as they deserve. Student attendance at various arts events such as the dance showcase, theater, and choir concerts is lacking.

Additionally, choir and theater student Jonathan Mazor-Hoo en said choir concerts feature a lot of diverse performances.

“Usually there’s a theme for each one, and it’s pretty loose because it’s hard to do theming with choral music,” Mazor-Hoo en said. “A lot of it originates from big artists from the church, who then pass on their music and their style to the next generation of composers.

at’s usually when we just do like hardcore European style, like Italian and English, but we also mix in other international songs, like an African song every year or something of that nature. (We also add) a song in a completely di erent language that isn’t our usual repertoire.”

Dance coach Alanna Williamson said the showcase also struggles to draw in a large student audience.

“People de nitely come to the Friday (football) games,” Williamson said. “We typically have packed stands. For the showcase, it feels like we’re pulling

ngers to get more people to come. I think that’s for a number of factors. It’s hard to do stu at close to the end of the year. People are tired from AP testing. ey want to be done with school. But I also think our student body is so academically focused that it becomes tunnel vision, and I don’t see lots of student-to-student support for extracurricular activities.”

Mazor-Hoo en said his extracurricular activities also receive less attendance than sporting events, but many still have appreciation for choir.

“If you look at something like football games, of course you’re going to see less turnout to a show than our homecoming night,” Mazor-Hoo en said. “It’s important to mention that there is a good amount of the student body who come to shows, even just to see their friends or just because they want to see the show. And I think it’s very commendable.”

Both the dance showcase and choir concerts show skill and creativity behind performances. Felch said most people who attend her showcase come speci cally to support us.

“Obviously, when you’re there at a basketball or football game, you’re there to watch the football game, for the football game vibes and not necessarily to see us dance at halftime,” Felch said. “When you go to the end-of-year showcase, you’re showing interest in the dance team.”

Mazor-Hoo en said choir concerts attract audiences

who appreciate classical music and vocal techniques.

“It’s something that’s very antiquated that takes so much time and care and love to get good at and is just not really mainstream media.” Mazor-Ho en said. “ at’s the struggle with loving something so antiquated, is that you have to accept that you will never, no matter how good you are, compete with ‘Family Guy’ or YouTube Shorts. I’m never gonna be like TikTok when it comes to audience retention because the art form I choose demands as much from the audience as it does from the singers or actors.” Williamson said she doesn’t think many students attend the showcase unless they have a friend performing.

“I would say zero students are coming just because,” Williamson said. “I think it’s mostly family. I would say it’s probably about 75% family of the dancers, extended family of the dancers and 25% student body. It’s less kids than it is family members, typically.”

Ultimately, Williamson said she hopes more students will attend the showcase in the future.

“We want people to show we’ve worked all year,” Williamson said. “We’ve won nationals three years in a row. Dance thrives o of audience energy. at makes us know we’re doing good and want to perform. ”

Zoya Prabhakar

Digital Managing Editor

ZOYA PRABHAKAR / THE CAMPANILE

Varsity dance team members (from left) Orly Schube, Keira Mok and Lenox Hancock rehearse in preparation for a halftime show. Dance, along with other perfomance-based groups, often feel underappreciated when it comes to people attending their showcase events. Dance coach Alana Williamson said, “We want people to show we’ve worked all year. We’ve won nationals three years in a row. Dance thrives o of audience energy. at makes us know we’re doing good and want to perform.”

Toe-tally essential?

As sophomore Ella Renazco-Sperling rushes through her morning routine, she is relieved to slip on ﬂip-ﬂops before bounding out the door.

Often running late, Renazco-Sperling said the convenience, breathability and comfort of her Rainbow Flirty Braidy sandals makes them her go-to choice.

Many students, including RenazcoSperling, have noticed a recent surge of ﬂip-ﬂops around campus.

“I remember my freshman year, I only noticed the upperclassmen wearing opentoe shoes, and even then, it was only a couple of them,” Renazco-Sperling said. “But this year, I’ve noticed all grades wearing open-toe shoes, and a big majority of people wearing them.”

Sophomore Ela Aba said wearing opentoe shoes was previously considered odd in social settings across all grade levels.

“I think at one point it was kind of unacceptable because it would be weird to see other people’s toes and feet, because people would think it’s unhygienic,” Aba said. “I don’t think it’s less acceptable for underclassmen because anyone should be able to wear whatever they want.”

As popular culture and TikTok trends evolve from previous stigmas surrounding foot fetishes and having one’s “dogs out,” students seem to be embracing open-toed footwear. Renazco-Sperling said she is grateful for this shift.

“I thought (ﬂip ﬂops) were comfortable, but I didn’t actually wear them outside of summertime, just because people would say things about it,” Renazco-Sperling said.

“I enjoy wearing flip-flops because they’re really easy to put on in the morning. I’m honestly always late, so it’s helpful for me to easily slip them on. !ey don’t feel confined at all. I don’t get blisters or anything from them like I do with my other shoes.”

English teacher Shirley Tokhiem said she was unaware of teenagers’ stigmas, and mostly wears shoes, but has occasionally been barefoot while teaching.

“I would imagine that (students) would think it was rare, walking around without shoes on, but I don’t do it very often,” Tokheim said. “It’s not a practice. I have shoes on because I am at work.”

Chemistry teacher Samuel Howles-Banerji said he understands students’ incentives to wear flip-flops, but also acknowledges the dangers of flip-flops during chemistry labs and enforces that rule.

“If things splash, you want it on shoes and not on skin,” Howles-Banerji said. “ !e other thing is, if glass breaks and you have open-toed shoes, there’s the chance that it gets caught between the shoe and the foot.”

Junior Hannah Hill said she sometimes struggles to remember this rule on lab days.

“I forgot that I had a chem lab and wore ﬂip-ﬂops that day,” Hill said. “So, at lunch I had to switch shoes with (my sister).”

On the other hand, junior Maria Uribe Estrada said she has never forgotten to wear closed-toe shoes, thanks to frequent reminders from her teacher.

“Mr. HB (Howles-Banerji) reminds us when we have a lab throughout the week, so thankfully I usually remember to wear close-toed shoes when I’m getting ready in the morning,” Uribe Estrada said. “But if I didn’t, I know my friends would lend me their shoes at the last minute.”

Despite potential restrictions or social stigmas, Tokheim said ﬂip-ﬂops remain the purest form of footwear.

“About 15 years ago, there was a lot written about the value of being able to use all of the muscles in your feet to feel the ground, and it helps with balance,” Tokheim said. “It helps with just being connected to the Earth. And it’s the way our bodies were meant to be.”

Zoya Prabhakar Digital Managing Editor

Sydney Sweeney American Eagle ad causes controversy

Sophomore Ela Aba is sitting in her room, scrolling on her phone when she comes across a video calling out actress Sydney Sweeney for her American Eagle ad.

In July, American Eagle released a series of advertisements featuring Sweeney modeling the company’s jeans. !e most controversial ad was later removed. In it, Sweeney lies on the ﬂoor buttoning up her jeans while a voiceover says, “Jeans are passed down from parents to oﬀspring” ending with, “My jeans are blue.”

Her other American Eagle ads drew criticism too, including one shot hovering over her bottom as she says the jeans “make your butt look fantastic,” and another focusing on her chest as she says, “Hey! Eyes up here!” !ese ads were met with criticism for two main reasons, Aba said.

“Saying she has great genes and she is white and blonde. It sounded like she was promoting eugenics,” Aba said.

Junior Hannah Niebuhr said she thought these ads crossed a line.

!e ad is deﬁnitely oversexualized. It was really weird, and it was deﬁnitely not empowering,” Niebuhr said.

Aba also said while Sweeney has the freedom to make her own choices, she should consider her inﬂuence on young audiences.

“Sydney Sweeney is an adult, but she doesn’t need to sexualize herself in a jean ad where a lot of young girls shop,” Aba said. Sweeney has yet to comment speciﬁcally on the American Eagle ads, but in an Aug. 20 Wall Street Journal interview, she discussed the controversy surrounding her limited-edition Dr. Squatch soap, made from her bathwater.

“It was mainly girls making comments about it, which I thought was really interesting,” Sweeney said, “ !ey all loved the idea of Jacob Elordi’s bathwater”, referring to her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi, who released a bathwater candle in early 2024.

But Aba said Sweeney should not use Elordi’s actions as justiﬁcation.

“I don’t think it was OK he did it either,” Aba said.“It’s kind of gross either way. It’s promoting fetish content online, which is something that no one needs regardless of age and maturity.”

Former Gender Studies and U.S. history teacher Jaclyn Edwards said sexualization in advertising has long been an issue, pointing to 19th-century fashion designed to accentuate women’s bodies.

“It’s pretty universal and generational that people are going to be inﬂuenced by what they see,” Edwards said.

But Edwards said the Sweeny’s American Eagle campaign is especially harmful in today’s world of rapid information and short attention spans.

“I think it’s harmful only because of the way in which we receive infor-

mation today, which is quick and instantaneous,” Edwards said.“If people are willing to take the time to do the follow up OK.” Edwards added that if consumers aren’t willing to dig a little deeper and do more research, ads can be more harmful than just a business decision.

Niebuhr also said the American Eagle ads can negatively affect already self-conscious teenagers. !ey definitely affect teenagers who are struggling already,” Niebuhr said.

“With body images, especially, you have to be more careful.” Edwards said that while media sexualization has always existed, young women, especially, should continue to challenge expectations and assert their own identities.

!e sexualization of women has always been there,” Edwards said. “ !e question is whether women want to be more than just objects of desire. I’d like to think that women are interested in doing some self-discovery and get to know more about themselves.”

Alana Chun Staﬀ Writer

ARTBYEDENYOO

A rack of colorful flip-flops sits on display at Fleet Feet in Menlo Park. Many students say they’ve recently embraced flip-flops as a convenient and comfortable everyday choice, despite past social stigmas. “I enjoy wearing flip-flops because they’re really easy to put on in the morning. I’m honestly always late, so it’s helpful for me to easily slip them on,” said sophomore Ella Renazco-Sperling.

Students start small, build up habits for greener future

n Saturday afternoon, senior Emma Gee stops by a Sprouts Farmers Market to buy fresh produce and berries. When the cashier at the checkout oﬀers her a plastic bag, she instead pulls out her own bag.

Gee said she has always cared about building eco-friendly habits, including using reusable bags and water bottles and turning oﬀ the lights when leaving a room.

“I help the environment by using my own bags instead of plastic bags at the grocery store because it helps reduce waste,” Gee said.

And while Gee is already doing her part, the rest of the state will have to follow suit starting in January of 2026. at’s when California SB 1053 goes into eﬀect and will prohibit most grocery stores, retail stores with pharmacies, convenience stores, food marts and liquor stores from giving customers single-use plastic carryout bags.

AP Environmental Science teacher Nicole Loomis, reducing waste like this as well as recycling consistently helps conserve environmental resources.

“Recycling speciﬁcally means that we don’t have to dig things out of the ground as much so it helps protect habitats and reduce pollution,” Loomis said. Loomis said another environmentally harmful practice is food waste.

“If you waste food, you are utilizing those resources for nothing, and then when they end up in landﬁll, you’re producing a bunch of methane, which all of those have contributed to climate change,” Loomis said.

Food waste accounts for an estimated 58% of the methane escaping from municipal solid waste landﬁlls. It contributes more methane emissions to landﬁlls than any other substance because of its rapid rate of decomposition.

While some students protect the environment through small, everyday habits, others raise awareness in an attempt to instill those actions in Paly.

Senior Nathan Lee said he founded the Paly Environmental Club to get young people involved in volunteering.

“I created it last year with a couple friends,” Lee said. “We were in AP environment science and learned a lot. I do work with scouting and grassroots ecology, did an Eagle Project rebuilding garden beds and built strong

relations with local environmental groups. I thought it was a great opportunity, especially with climate change being so important, to create a club to talk about it and teach others, learning important things about climate change and how we can mitigate it.”

e club recently participated in service events with Grassroots Ecology, a local nonproﬁt dedicated to caring for public lands and waters. Lee said he has noticed changes in students’ perspectives after participating in environmental service work.

“When we talk about these things, you can tell they’re a little bit more mindful,” Lee said.

“When they deal with their trash, they think about it for a little bit.’”

And Lee said he and his club can do even more.

“We’re planning to do more stuﬀ relating to Paly, trash and waste, because we know that all of our waste, whether it’s compost (or) recycling, all goes to the trash,” Lee said.

Despite student awareness programs, Loomis said the Paly campus still has a long way to go.

“Last year, as Zero Waste champions, a role that different teachers take on each year to carry out projects improving waste management on campus, our APES students made sure every classroom had clearly labeled recycling and compost bins,” Loomis said. “Many students helped raise awareness through events and memes, but we didn’t see a significant difference.”

Still, Loomis said it’s important to consistently take action.

“I think it takes time, and the important thing is to carry these habits forward, actually do them and care enough to follow through,” Loomis said. “So it

would be nice to see people put quite a small amount of energy into just separating, especially the food waste. ” Loomis also said she hopes teaching students environmental science will create a ripple eﬀect in the community and inspire small changes.

“I think climate change is the major challenge that’s facing us right now,” Loomis said. “So anything you can do to help reduce it is good, which means burn less fossil fuels.”

And Lee further said the key to ﬁghting climate change is understanding it. e important thing is understanding the severity of climate change and that it’s our generation’s problem, because if we don’t ﬁx it, it’s on us,” Lee said. “If people understand the issue, they can think, ‘ is is serious. What can I do to help?’” Lee also said he encourages students to create more ecofriendly habits.

“I’d say start small,” Lee said. “When you start something, you don’t want to go immediately to the master step, where you do everything, because that’s just not reasonable. No one’s going to be able to start and do everything perfectly, because you’d rather start small and build the habits. Like turning oﬀ the water if you’re not using it for a couple seconds. Start small, and you can build up and up.”

Grace Kim

Male cheerleaders challenge stereotypes at Paly and beyond

The track is rm beneath sophomore Carmine Unga’s sneakers as he jogs condently into formation, back to the football eld, eyes xed intently on the crowd in the stands. To his left, the school band blares over the steady beat of drums while the crowd chatters away. He claps his hands to the rhythm and joins in as the cheer begins, his voice blending with the rest of the team. Feet stomp in unison as the energy spreads into the bleachers.

For a moment, the rush of spirit, energy and teamwork drowns out everything — until it’s impossible to forget that he’s the only guy

For Unga, Palo Alto High School’s sole male cheerleader, every game is a mix of adrenaline and attention, the kind that comes with stepping into a role long seen as reserved for women.

“I joined mostly because of my friends and the environment,” Unga ey were the ones who really encouraged me, and I liked being around them.”

Cheer has traditionally been about building spirit and connection, but who makes up the teams has changed over time. Once an all-male activity, cheerleading became female-dominated after

World War II, when many men left for military service and women stepped into the role, according to e Atlantic.

Today, the sport remains overwhelmingly associated with women, with male ath letes making up less than 3% of high school cheerleaders nationwide, Statista reports.

Regardless of these numbers, senior and varsity cheer captain Lasaides Voorhees said Unga has been a welcome addition to the team.

“Carmine just jumped in, and he’s been a great adjustment to our team,” Voorhees said. “He’s brought so many laughs and enjoyment to our team.”

From the stands, students have also taken notice. Junior Jasper Zhang said he was surprised at rst when he saw Unga on the eld.

“I didn’t expect to see a male cheerleader, as cheerleaders are mostly female, but he really t in and did well,” Zhang said.

Cheerleading is often viewed as a feminine activity — a stereotype that dis courages boys from participating.

Sports psychologist Tess M. Kilwein wrote in an August article that male cheerleaders today challenge outdated ideals of masculinity but still face scrutiny focused on gender.

Critics, she said, often “cling to the stereotype that men in cheerleading should exist only to lift women into the air, never to occupy center stage themselves.”

at stereotype has played out on the national stage. In August, when the Minnesota Vikings posted their cheerlead ing roster, which included two male cheerleaders, the comment section quickly lled with o ensive remarks and accusations of the team pushing a “woke” agenda.

“I’m not a Vikings fan no more,” one commenter wrote. “I just lost all my respect for the Vikings,” another added.

Despite the stigma, Voorhees said she would encourage other boys interested in cheer to give it a shot.

“I would tell them absolutely (try out) because it’s a great, rewarding experience,” Vorhees said. “Cheers has brought in so many friends. It’s an amazing community.”

Nationally, more boys are beginning to take that advice. Over the past decade, college cheerleading teams have seen a 25% increase in male members, according to Zipdo, a web site that tracks education and career data.

As participation grows, schools across the country are seeing boys try out for cheerleading in greater numbers — a shift Paly has now experienced with Unga.

Unga said his advice to others is simple.

“Just try out to see if you like it or not,” Unga said. “Don’t be nervous and just have fun with it.”

Writer

Game plan for social change

Junior Ella Hoy pushes through a tough basketball practice, and as sweat drips down her forehead and the fatigue of her long day kicks in, the thought of her upcoming rivalry game against Gunn keeps her motivated.

When she nally nishes her practice, she scrolls through Instagram to discover that while the boys basketball team received a post promoting their upcoming game. e girls team got no such spotlight.

is pattern is not uncommon in the world of women’s sports. A 2023 study by the Wasserman Sports Agency found that although women’s sports in the U.S. account for nearly half of all competitions across every level, they receive only 15% of total coverage.

“Paly’s sports Instagram page was only advertising the boys varsity basketball game against Gunn, and that made me really upset,” Hoy said. “How else are people going to know about the girls game?”

Senior track athlete Lilia Kuzmicheva agrees. She said she thinks more consistent promotion on Instagram could help boost attendance for girls sports.

“I see posts about ag football like a few days before, but people know about football games months in advance,” Kuzmicheva said. “ ey should be more committed to posting about it for every game.” Hoy also said the lack of excitement at girls sports games contributes to smaller crowds.

“Everyone has pretty busy schedules as teenagers in school, and people make time to go to football games because they know their friends will be there. e crowd will be hype, and it’s going to be a fun environment,” Hoy said. “But with sports that don’t have a history of big turnouts, people don’t think it’s as fun or worth it to go.”

Athletic Director Scott Davis also said making games feel special adds appeal for students who are attending.

“When you can make the game an event, it tends to help with attendance,” Davis said. “Give people another reason to attend. Have them see the game, enjoy it, and then nd a personal reason to attend. It might be knowing someone

who is playing, liking what they see, or simply being there to support the team.”

Senior Lilia Kuzmicheva agreed and said her favorite part about attending sports games is the coordinated themes and sense of community.

“During football games, there’s a theme like white out or green out that motivates people because you can dress up and that makes it more fun,” Kuzmicheva said.

Along with having more fans to support her team at games, Hoy said having a female athlete to look up to would have had a meaningful impact on her athletic development.

“At the time (when I rst started playing the sport), I did not know about any female athletes, especially in basketball,” Hoy said. “I only discovered that there was a WNBA a few years later. I de nitely thought my role models while I was playing as a child were male basketball players.”

A lack of female role models is common for female athletes. According to a study by RunRepeat, only 38% of women name a female athlete as a sports idol, while 98% of men name male athletes.

In the future, Davis said he wants to prioritize up-andcoming sports for long-term development.

“We want to grow some of the newer sports ... to increase the exposure to the student body so we can grow their rosters and eld more teams,” Davis said.

Despite existing barriers, womens sports are on the rise.

e 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship broke the world record for attendance at any women’s sporting event, setting a new standard for visibility and showing how support for womens athletics can grow.

Davis said he also encourages female athletes to inform their classmates about their games to maintain momentum. He said, “If you are a female student-athlete, spreading the word in class, with your friends, classmates to come out and watch goes a long way.”

Amaya Bharadwaj Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Manager

PHILIP SHEN/ THE CAMPANILE

Christopher Lee Sta

Chang takes the lead

Beads of sweat drip down foreheads as girls shuﬄe from the baseline to the net and back, sneakers squeaking on newly painted courts. Behind them, head coach Andy Chang calls out, “High knees! Let’s go!”

After coaching for 28 years, girls and boys head tennis coach Andy Harader stepped down this year due to health reasons and age. Chang, the previous JV tennis coach, has become the new head coach for both the boys and girls teams.

Chang said his connection to the sport goes back decades and is rooted in his own experience as a player who was raised locally.

“I grew up in the Bay Area, and I played varsity for four years in high school,” Chang said. “I ﬁnished varsity team captain, and in college, I played some club tennis. I previously coached at Girls’ Middle School and then Notre Dame High School.”

Before coaching, Chang said he built a career in marketing, but he eventually realized he belonged in a diﬀerent environment.

“I realized my true passion was teaching,” Chang said. “Whether it was tennis or marketing, helping others improve is what I enjoyed most.”

Reﬂecting on the start of the season, Athletic Director Scott Davis said Chang’s short time on the team has been impressive.

“Coach Andy showed right away that he is dedicated and passionate not only for tennis, but more importantly, the student-athletes at Paly and their wellbeing and success,” Davis said. “He has great ideas that will help strengthen the tennis program and the entire athletic program.”

Junior and varsity player Tess Li said she has already felt Chang’s support.

“I remember there was a match I lost pretty badly,” Li said. “I thought he was going to be mad, but he was very encouraging and gave me constructive criticism. !at’s what made me think, ‘Yeah, he’s a good coach.’ He cares a lot and is very professional.”

Former Athletic Director Jennifer Crane, who hired Chang as JV coach a year ago, said his steady presence made him stand out in the hiring process.

“Paly athletes are competitive, motivated and curious,” Crane said. “ !ey respond well to coaches who listen and collaborate with them. Andy’s calm, thoughtful style allows players to grow while still feeling like their voices matter. !at kind of partnership is a great ﬁt for our athletes.”

While drills and match play are important, Chang said tennis should ultimately teach more than just technique.

“ !ere’s a lot of great life skills that they can learn,” Chang said. “ !ey develop communication skills and social skills and also learn to deal with losses and stay positive.”

While Chang hopes the team can move back to the upper league, he said his coaching style isn’t centered on scoreboards and rankings.

“Even if they don’t perform well, I want them to still feel positive and able to keep going,” Chang said. “I told them not to really focus on winning or losing but more so improving and developing their skill set.”

Senior captain Veronica Qiu said she has already noticed Chang’s commitment in the way he runs practices.

“He’s very energetic and organized and always seems to put the team’s needs ﬁrst,” Qiu said. “He’s very dedicated to our team and helping us improve as players. During practices, he’s much more organized with drills, lineups and matches.”

Davis said that dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“I think his knowledge and passion will help lead the program to a lot of success,” Davis said. “ !eir culture

will go far beyond wins and losses. It will create an environment where the student-athletes will get so much more out of the program when they are done.”

Chang said he values the principles Harader previously set while running the team, but he also aims to put his own spin on the program.

“Like Andy, I took as many of those trying out as I could, put them on the courts and trained them,” Chang said. “I give them a lot of time and a lot of opportunities, but all I ask for in return is their commitment to the team and their attendance to practice.”

As a result of his new work, Chang said he is already seeing the program grow.

“ !is year we had a record number of tryouts,” Chang said. “We unfortunately had to cut about 15 girls, but I think it really shows the strength of the program.”

Chang said he has also focused on streamlining the path of playing tennis in Palo Alto public schools by ensuring there are opportunities for aspiring middle school tennis players to gain exposure to the team early on. Over the summer, he ran the Paly Summer Tennis Camp for middle schoolers and rising freshmen, with high school members helping coach.

“It was a great way to spread awareness about the program and leadership experience for the high school players,” Chang said.

During the school year, Chang also has clinics to provide additional opportunities to learn.

As the crowd roars during basketball games, most eyes are locked on the players and coaches. However, behind every smooth substitution, the precise stat sheet and each organized huddle there’s someone working quietly in the background — the team manager. !eir impact may not show up on the scoreboard, but without them, the game wouldn’t run nearly as seamlessly.

For last season’s boys varsity team, that responsibility fell to Yaash Singh who has since graduated. He said it was a way to get involved in basketball without playing.

“I became the student manager of the boys varsity team my junior year because I used to play basketball when I was younger and had a lot of friends on the team,” Singh said. Singh said role gave him a new perspective on the sport he once played.

“I never saw a side of basketball as a player until I became a manager,” Singh said. “I witnessed how coaches make choices, how minor details can impact a game’s result and how each team member must collaborate to win.”

According to Singh, what stood out the most was being woven into the fabric of the team.

“ !e most rewarding part of being a team manager was feeling a part of something bigger than myself,” Singh said. “Whether we won or lost, we all felt the emotions together like a family.”

Singh also said his experience shaped his future.

“My role as the manager showed me how skills learned off the court can open new opportunities, whether in coaching, sports medicine or other different careers in athletics,” Singh said. “I definitely do see myself staying involved with sports. I am going to study kinesiology in college in hopes of becoming a team doctor one day.”

Singh also said team management oﬀered him connection and direction.

“My role as the manager showed me how skills learned oﬀ the court can open new opportunities, whether in coaching, sports medicine or other different careers in athletics,” Singh said.

“We hold group clinics which are open to anyone,” Chang said. “ !ere, some middle schoolers who are aspiring high school players come and hit with us as well.”

Qiu said she has also noticed a shift in how practices are structured this year.

“One big change is that we’re practicing as one big team, JV and varsity together,” Qiu said.

Although it might be diﬀerent from the team’s previous practice format, Chang said he hopes it will strengthen the cross-team connection.

“We want players to be able to mingle a bit more,” Chang said.

“Before, I think there was quite a separation between JV and varsity, and the divide wasn’t very conclusive to a team environment. By putting the teams together during practices, it breaks down that barrier.”

For Chang, the shift toward more structured practices comes from his ﬁrst impressions of the program as a parent.

“I was ﬁrst introduced to the Paly tennis program overall when my son tried out for JV three years ago,” Chang said. “I watched what the coaches were doing, and it was very laid back, and it was just match play. !ere were no drills. !ere was no identiﬁcation of what players needed to work on or things that really helped them improve. So, I thought initially, as a parent, the program could be a lot better.”

And Qiu said she feels like she’s being pushed harder this season.

“His drills challenge me every day,” Qiu said. “ !ey’ve deﬁnitely forced me to become more active mentally on the court — and physically, too.”

Lee said she has noticed this too.

“It does feel diﬀerent this year,” junior and returning varsity player Jaslynn Lee said. “I don’t know if it’s because of the way practice is planned or if it’s because the seniors from last year are gone, or if it’s the mixing of the two teams, or a new coach.”

Despite the shift, Qiu said she appreciates Chang’s energy and eﬀorts.

“If you have issues, you can always talk to him,” Qiu said. “ !ere were a lot of changes, so I think it’s going to take returning players a little time to get used to his coaching style, but I know a lot of girls and their parents who are very, very, happy with his enthusiasm.” Lee agrees.

“It’s still early in the season, but the change could be good. I hope that this year, we’ll be able to be better and stronger as a team, and we’ll be able to feel the connection and be as close as the team was last year,” Lee said. While practices are packed with drills and match play, Chang says his favorite moments are during van rides to away games.

“Sometimes the girls sing songs, play music and gossip,” Chang said. “It’s just really welcoming and fun to be part of that.”

For him, those small moments matter just as much as wins and losses. He said, “I can’t wait to see what’s in store for these players.”

For the junior varsity team, Albert Xu, now a junior, said he found his way into the role through an unexpected turn.

“Originally my mom pushed me to go tryout for the basketball team, so after being the ﬁrst one cut, the coach oﬀered for me to go work as the manager,” Xu said.

Instead of walking away from the sport, Xu embraced the chance to support the team in a diﬀerent way and said he has loved it ever since. Xu said he knows the team respects and acknowledges the hard work he puts into the job.

“I think the team values and recognizes what I do because I feel very appreciated by all the players and coaches,” Xu said. “I really feel like everyone includes me as part of the community. An example of this was last year, when both the coaches and players treated me like another coach, which I found incredibly meaningful and validating.”

Unlike Singh, Xu said his role was mainly focused on the technical side of basketball rather than on community and team connection.

“When the game starts, I need to record running statistics of the game, which includes points scored by the player and how many fouls each player has, as well as which side gets the possession,” Xu said. “Basically, my role as the game book is to make sure that the referees and clock worker have the correct information.”

He said that responsibility also gave him a seat at the table during postgame talks.

“At the end of the game, I go into the locker rooms with the team for the post-game talk, and I usually ﬁnish totaling the stats for the game while this is happening,” Xu said.

Xu said the position requires commitment and oﬀers a chance to learn about the inner workings of a team.

“If you are willing to commit your time and enjoy the process of learning the logistics behind team-based sport games, then team management is a great position to try,” Xu said.

was always available when any member of the team was in need of any type of assistance,” Laris said. “He is one of the biggest reasons games and even practices ﬂowed as well as they did.” Ultimately, Singh said being a manager taught him the value of unseen contributions.

“I now know that you do not have to be on the court to make an impact on the team or help it be successful,” Singh said. “Each role is important, and doing work for the team behind the scenes is just as important as

ing up points.”

rack-

Coach Andy Chang chats with JV tennis player Zara Bellubbi. “If you have issues you can always talk to him,” senior varsity captain Veronica Qiu said. “I know a lot of girls and their parents who are very, very happy with his enthusiasm.” Chang takes over this from previous head coach Andy Harader who was on the job for 28 years,

CINDY LIANG/THE CAMPANILE

Cindy Liang Print Managing Editor

Kane Do Staﬀ Writer

ART

A New Era

When senior Ava Knapp lined up for her rst cross country meet this season, she realized something was missing.

Knapp is one of many student athletes adjusting to a new season after the class of 2025 graduated last spring. e loss of seniors has reshaped rosters and game plans of nearly every varsity sport. Many teams relied heavily on their seniors last year, and players and coaches say their departures have forced adjustments on and o the eld.

“ roughout high school, you always kind of look up to the seniors, as they’re the most experienced,” Knapp said. “So when they’re gone, it’s kind of hard to ll the gap.”

Cross country isn’t the only sport that has experienced this. Varsity football head coach David DeGeronimo said 18 seniors graduated from the team last year, all of whom played key roles.

“ is year, you’ll see that I have more tight ends than fullbacks, so you’ll see a lot of change in personnel,” DeGeronimo said. “But it doesn’t necessarily change the scheme of the plan.”

Despite this, DeGeronimo said he was optimistic.

“It just kind of took away some other formations that require two backs in the back eld,” DeGeronimo said. “ at’s where we’re at, but I see what our personality dictates to be the best approach, and that’s what I do. So we’ll see a lot of what we call 11 personnel: one tight end, one back.”

e boys varsity basketball team faces a similar challenge after losing 10 seniors, many of whom were four-year players. Head coach Je LaMere said because of this his team is still nding its footing.

“Most of them played signi cant minutes, so we lost most of our scoring and rebounding,” LaMere said. “It completely changes everything, so there are a lot of opportunities for the new players.”

e graduation of guard Jorell Clark, who averaged 25 points a game, is particularly a ecting the team because many o ensive sets were built around his ability to score or draw defenders.

“We certainly are going to need to play a di erent way and try to nd out what our strengths are, and we’re still a long way from that,” LaMere said. “We are a team that’s needing to nd itself, and it’s a very exciting time for all programs.”

However, varsity lacrosse head coach Ed Hattler said his team is approaching the transition di erently.

Football

Sealing the win with a 35-yard eld goal with nine seconds left in the game, Mountain View beat the varsity football team 46-43, marking the team’s second loss of the season.

With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, junior quarterback Justin Fung ran for a touchdown and senior wide receiver Kacey Washington converted a two-point attempt to give the Vikings a 44-43 lead. But that just wasn’t enough.

Despite the result, Washington said the team can come out on top in close games later in the season.

“You hate to lose that one,” Washington said. “I think we de nitely played well enough to win. I feel con dent that we can edge out some games on the line (in the future).”

“It’s a big challenge for this team and for every team when we graduate people,” Hattler said. “We did lose a lot of guys who were three year starters. We have guys that have the potential to ll those slots and be a better team than we were last year too.”

Even in face of this obstacle, Hattler remains hopeful.

“We have some players that are playing year-round lacrosse and playing lacrosse outside of season, working on their game,” Hattler said. “So we’re going to have to see what steps that they take, how much their game improves. ose things will determine the success that we have on the eld.”

e cross country team also experienced heavy senior losses, with 25 graduates last spring. Head coach Michael Davidson said the team has a new chemistry and is nding a new identity.

e team has a little bit of a di erent composition of personalities,” Davidson said. “ ere are some people who have come back, who haven’t been here for a year or two.”

Davidson said he thinks the team has not lost anything but rather has to learn to adapt in the wake of the absence of older in uence.

“Every year, you have to adapt a little bit because of the change in personalities,” Davidson said. “ ose seniors left a good mark about what it takes and hard work. ey set good examples about what it takes to be successful.”

Davison said this year’s team still needs to nd its own chemistry and its own identity.

“It’s just a matter of helping the younger ones gure out how to lead and how to do what they need to do and follow the other’s examples,” Davidson said. “It’s a little more chemistry that needs to develop, spending time together, getting to know each other as friends, people, then as runners.”

Ultimately, sophomore Olivia Momnessin said the older runners served as mentors to her and left a strong legacy.

“( e seniors) taught me things about my form, they would teach me about the meets, and how to run them,” Mommessin said. “It feels like a part of the team is missing.”

And even though the team was missing key players, Fung said the o ense performed well.

“I think our o ense played a hell of a game,” Fung said. “We didn’t have our starting receiver, but I think a lot of people stepped up on o ense.”

Seconding his teammate, Washington said the offense found its rhythm early and kept it going.

“I think we moved the ball,” Washington said. “Every run I felt like we gained yards, every pass I felt like something was there. e O-line blocked.”

Fung also said the game was an important learning opportunity for the relatively young roster.

“For most of these kids, it’s their rst varsity game,” Fung said. “Everyone played well. (We) couldn’t come through at the end, but a lot of good things happened.”

Junior Justin Fung runs to the endzone.

Like Fung’s football team and many other Paly sports teams, cross country has been guring out how to deal with the graduation of last year’s seniors.

“It’s just a matter of helping the younger ones gure how to lead and how to do what they need to do and follow the other’s examples,” Davidson said.

Moving forward, head coach David DeGeronimo said the team’s youth means gaining experience is crucial to future success.

“(We want) to get these guys as much varsity experience as they can because they are a talented group,” DeGeronimo said. “We just have to get better every single week, learn the defense and keep ring on all cylinders on o ense.”

Also, DeGeronimo said he wants his players to focus internally and not get distracted by outside criticism.

“I just told the guys: stay together,” DeGeronimo said. “You’re gonna hear a lot of noise out there. ere’s some negativity out there, and that typically happens when you lose, especially like that. We just have to stay together, get back to work and improve every week.”

“We

Looking ahead, Fung said the team hopes to reset after this loss.

have to ush it (and) forget about it,” Fung said. “ ere’s a lot of positives that came out of this game, and I think we just have to stick together, (not) point ngers, and just come back better next week.”

Writer

Prompting Pollution

Each day, about 2.5 billion prompts are submitted to ChatGPT, with it quadrupling its weekly annually. And with higher use of arti cial intelligence and large language models such as ChatGPT, increasing amounts of energy and water are needed to sustain them.

Water is vital for LLMs for various reasons.

LLMs use large data centers which require vast supplies of water for cooling. On top of that, they also need water for training AI and prompt responses.

Jenna Mu, a junior at e Kehillah School and member of Palo Alto’s Student Climate Coalition, said the use of generative AI models and the resources required for their operations disproportionately a ects disadvantaged populations.

e large data centers that help run AI are often being put in areas that were historically redlined and in usually lower income communities,” Mu said. “ All of the processing wastes energy, and this can deplete water from communities who really need it.”

Despite this, Mu said AI has the potential to make up for these environmental e ects.

“AI is an incredible tool for researching possible sustainable energy and scienti c innovation in general that would be really bene cial to combating climate change,” Mu said.

But Mu said AI and LLM’s are currently doing more harm than good for the environment.

“As it is currently being used right now and currently being trained and run, there is really just a disproportionate impact on just energy use, water usage and basically all the kinds of tangible things that it takes to run a large language learning model,” Mu said. “It’s really hitting hard currently, at this very moment, communities who are already disproportionately impacted by climate change.”

Despite the harms, senior and President of the AI Club, David Wu said the bene ts AI and LLMs provide for innovation cannot be ignored.

“I would see it more as a tool for progress,”

Wu said. “I think that there’s a lot of bene cial applications of AI, for example, in the medical space, in the legal space. People are developing ways of making it more energy e%cient.”

Wu also said AI and LLMs can be helpful tools for learning.

“In Silicon Valley and in industry in general, there’s a lot of ways to use AI to increase productivity,” Wu said. “So, you know, humans don’t have to do a lot of basic tasks, and instead, can move on to, you know, higher level or creative tasks.”

However, Mu said she hopes high school students will be more considerate with their use of AI and LLMs because of the consequences that they can have.

“It’s really good to be conscious of AI use, especially for things such as schoolwork, where it’s something like, for example, you have a math assignment that you want to nish, but you don’t really want to look in the textbook to gure it out,” Mu said.

Senior Dylan Liao, who has used AI to help organize his work, agrees. He said learning about the environmental e ects of AI and LLM has made him rethink how he should use it.

“It changes the way you look at it,” Liao said. “I didn’t realize it uses that much water, but if it uses that much water, then maybe I’ll look into using other sources, or maybe just trying to nd sites like Reddit or like Quora, to answer my questions instead of using AI.”

Ultimately, Wu said he hopes governments restrict locations where data centers can be built.

“When you’re building the data center, you want to make sure that it doesn’t limit the local community’s access to water and electricity,” Wu said. “I think that this is something that maybe we could have some regulation (around) to make sure that we’re not harming the communities around them when we build data.”

Naveen Narayanaswami Sports Editor

Mercury lingers beneath the surface of California’s water

Beneath the beauty of the San Francisco Bay, a silent toxin has in ltrated the complex ecosystem: mercury.

Mercury’s e ects are everywhere in the food chain. e toxin has detrimental impacts across the entire ecosystem, from marine life to land animals. A study by the San Francisco Estuary’s Regional Monitoring Program found high mercury concentrations in the South Bay caused lowered hatchability in the eggs of double-crested cormorants and Forster’s terns. Richard Looker, a senior resource control engineer for the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, said mercury is most detrimental to sh-eating birds.

ey tend to have a problem with their shells being thinned by the presence of the mercury,” Looker said. “A higher amount has (caused) failed-tohatch problems in certain species of birds.”

While mercury poisoning is prominent throughout the Bay, Cormorant eggs from the South Bay — speci cally in the Don Edwards area — can contain high mercury concentrations , and Tern eggs have been documented to have readings even higher. Embryo mortality can occur below the readings documented, and according to the same study, high levels of mercury are concerning for birds who call the Bay their home.

However, more than just the eggs are a ected.

Researchers noticed a 40% decrease in reproduction for the Common Loon when their mercury levels increased past a certain threshold. In a study on Mercury bioaccumulation and risk to three waterbird species, 48% of breeding terns’ blood mercury levels exceeded this threshold.

AP Environmental Science teacher Nicole Loomis said mercury can also a ect animals’ cognitive and neuromuscular abilities.

“It could impair their movements,” Loomis said. “It could impair their reaction time. (It) might prevent them from being able to survive, as well.”

As one of the strongest toxins found in the Bay, Loomis said mercury can also be detrimental to human health.

“If we’re eating sh that has mercury, then that’s going to lead to things like cognitive decline (in humans),” Loomis said. Mercury — and speci cally its organic form methylmercury —, is a fat soluble substance. e brain and nerves in a human body are about 60% fat, making it easy for mercury to penetrate them. Combined with its high absorption rate, methylmercury poisoning damages neurons and leads to rapid cognitive decline. Loomis said humans are especially vulnerable to the toxin due to the body’s inability to remove mercury.

“It will just build up over your life,” Loomis said. “So it’s really important that kids do not eat mercury. at amount of mercury will have a much bigger impact on them. In terms of adults, there’s recommendations … don’t eat carnivorous sh more than once a week.”

And Looker said some demographics should be especially cautious when it comes to mercury contamination.

“If the mother who’s providing breastmilk has too much mercury in her system, it is going to be delivered to the baby in the proteins,” Looker said. “ e breastmilk and the developing children who are breastfeeding are going to be vulnerable to neurological e ects.”

Looker also said mercury is prevalent in the Bay Area water system due to abandoned mercury mines once used to process gold.

“A bunch of mercury came down the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems, historically, and lled San Francisco Bay with mercury,” Looker said. “We’re still dealing with that.”

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, California currently has between 550 and 2000 abandoned mercury mines.

Although much of the mercury found in the Bay is there as a result of mining and other historical practices, Looker said atmospheric deposition also leads to increased levels. Mercury can be released by fossil fuel combustion in Asia, sending it into the atmosphere, where it is carried by wind across the ocean to California.

“When it reaches California, there’s a chemical transformation that happens,” Looker said. “ e mercury changes chemical form, making it more likely to come down in precipitation.”

Senior and sher Alessio Dorigo said he takes precautions when shing in the Bay, including avoiding consuming the sh, because of his concerns about mercury contamination.. e sh that you do catch there, which are sharks and big rays, accumulate a lot of mercury because they feed on the bottom of the oor and they live a really long time,” Dorigo said. “Over time, the mercury builds up in their bodies and is just not safe to eat. As far as shing and catch and release goes, it’s pretty safe, but … I wouldn’t eat it very often.”

Dorigo said awareness is a key factor in reducing harm from mercury poisoning.

“I think there are good resources that can tell you how much mercury you (can) ingest,” Dorigo said. “Every time I go shing there, I see a sign and it says, ‘Eat this, and do not eat this.’”

Although mercury pollution has plagued the Bay for decades, it is not an issue that is easily solved, Loomis said, especially once it enters the water system.

“Mercury just likes to stick to sediments,” Loomis said. “It’s heavy. It sinks. It’s dense, so it’s very hard to get rid of (and) very expensive.”

Loomis did say, though, that mercury levels will eventually lower with time.

“ e big tides come in and go out, so some will be taken away every year,” Loomis said. “But it takes a lot of time, and there are some sources that are still going in. Over time, it will clean itself, but it will take hundreds of years.”

In the meantime, Loomis said there are ways to safely consume sh from the Bay.

“Eating vegetarian sh is better. Eating short lived sh is better,” Loomis said. “Eating long-lived predatory sh is a problem, not just in the Bay, but pretty much everywhere.”

In some cases, completely eliminating the risk is the best option. Senior and Environmental Service Club co-founder Nathan Lee said.

“ e predators at the very top are the ones that can have (high mercury levels),” Lee said. “So, share the information. Maybe avoid sh if you’re a pregnant woman, and especially (don’t give it to) young kids.”

Looker said there is no magic or new innovations coming to cure the Bay anytime soon.

“ e trick is really just working through time to try to reduce the inputs to San Francisco Bay,” Looker said. “ e hope is that eventually, with reduced amounts in the sediments, there would be less available for incorporation into the food web, and sh (mercury) levels will come down.”

Eden Yoo Sta Writer

ART BY GABRIEL ANDRADE & ANGELIKA

Instead of being performative, just be you

People often feel pressure to chase approval. at chase can be taken to extremes, with some going above and beyond to receive validation through performative tactics.

Performative males are generally known as men who adopt fashion, hobbies and tastes not out of genuine interest but to pander or “perform” to progressive culture, women

or social media trends. While they may not care about these things, performative males often align their music taste, hobbies, possessions and style with what they think a “woke” society values.

e perfect example? Labubu Longbottoms, a ctional, self-proclaimed “ nal boss” of performative behavior. His daily routine as a 6-foot-3 caricature demonstrates this lifestyle.

Each morning, Mr. Longbottoms wakes up so the world can witness his cultural brilliance. Baggy jeans, vintage thrifted hoodie, matcha in hand, wired headphones blasting Beabadoobee. He has a canvas tote bag strapped to his shoulder, carrying his favorite feminist literature. And, of course, a not-so-trademarked, exclusive 24-karat Labubu gleams on his waistband.

His friends tell him he’s over the top. ey poke at his style, his music taste, his vibe. Most of the time, he can’t even hear them over Clairo playing in his ears. But when he does, their disapproval just sounds to him like an advanced coping mechanism. So, he shrugs, sips his matcha and nonchalantly walks away. If the last two paragraphs sounded like complete gibberish, good on you. Unfortunately, that’s how Mr. Longbottoms likes it: Every playlist, tote bag and latte curated to maximize performance.

But somewhere behind the vintage hoodies and baggy jeans, Mr. Longbottoms is still a human being with quirks and passions that make up his authentic self. Genuine connection comes from that self — yet more often than not, authenticity is buried under a blanket of expectations. Genuine conversations are turned into trivial competitions: Who sips their matcha latte more aesthetically? Who can quote feminist literature without having read it?

is constant competition is exhausting. It kills authenticity and fuels future therapy bills. Of course, this isn’t to say you can never order a matcha or wear a vintage hoodie. Tote bags and feminist literature books aren’t inherently for posers. If you drink matcha because you like it, that’s great. But if you’re drinking it to signal your inner softness to a stranger across a cafe, maybe it’s time for a new go-to.

On the ip side, some will automatically assume anyone drinking matcha must be a poser. Because, in their minds, why would anyone simply enjoy their ca eine in the form of green foam that tastes like grass?

at’s the catch: performative culture kills authenticity from both sides. e Labubu Longbottoms out there are faking it, while the genuine guys are mistaken for faking it. It’s impossible to tell who truly loves Laufey or who just memorized her entire discography to quote at a feminist tea party.

Performative culture obviously re ects a constant longing for acceptance. At its extremes, the Labubu Longbottoms of the world are more parody than reality. But the point remains: when people contort themselves into molds just to appeal to others, they risk losing their authenticity. And while we can always laugh at what we see on social media, it still stands as a reminder of how easy it is to slip into the black hole of conformity rather than lean into what actually makes us unique. So the next time you order a matcha, throw on a vintage hoodie or blast your favorite indie playlist, do it for yourself. Or don’t. Because that’s authenticity. at’s real life. And it’s far easier to live as yourself than to play as a moral philosopher or an indie pop icon just to impress strangers.

Jonathan Gu Sta Writer

New phone policy signi cantly improves class performance

In the rst few weeks of freshman year, a buzzing sound followed me throughout the school day. To most of my peers, the occasional noti cation or the errant phone call wasn’t a big deal. But coming from a middle school that strictly banned phone use, I wasn’t used to pulling out my phone in classrooms at all — even to upload a photo of classwork or take a picture of a science experiment.

Although the 2023 Palo Alto High Student Handbook prohibited cell phone use during instructional time, teachers were not required to collect students’ phones, with many nding it more di%cult to regulate phone use during work periods or just before the end of class. e absence of a strict phone policy seemed like just another change to get used to, just another freedom that came automatically with high school. It could make students more independent, forcing us to manage our time e ectively and resist the temptation to check our texts or scroll in class. But a lack of set rules on phone use in classrooms could also cause distractions for students and place the burden on teachers to enforce their own classroom policies. As I navigated through high school, I began to realize that our lenient phone policy was a problem which was a ecting our learning and our presence at school.

In September 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act.

e law requires every California school district to establish a cell phone policy by July 1, 2026.

Paly’s new phone policy went into e ect in August for the 2025-26 school year, requiring teachers to collect phones at the beginning of class and also setting consequences for students who don’t follow the policy. On the rst o ense, students must email their parents. On the second o ense, a student’s phone is con scated for the day. On the third, a parent or guardian must pick up the con scated phone.

Although some may view the policy as strict or unnecessary, this new approach will increase concentration and academic performance.

A 2024 Pew Research Center study found that 72% of U.S. high school teachers think cell phones are a major distraction in their classrooms, though 71% report their schools have a cell phone policy. Even with a phone policy prohibiting students from using phones in class, without e ective prevention or deterrence, students can still check their phones with little to no consequences.

Research also shows restrictions on phone use can improve student performance. According to data published this year by the National Center for Education Statistics, 53% of school administrators reported cell phone use negatively a ected students’ academic performance.

Opponents of the policy argue that students should have access to their phones in case of emergencies. However, the negative impact of cell phones on student concentration and performance from day to day should outweigh the bene t of having immediate access to their phones if and

when there is an emergency. Besides, there are always protocols in place to keep students safe during emergencies regardless of whether or not they have access to their phones.

Paly’s policy simply requires students to place their phones into an organizer. As of May 2025, more than 1,000 school districts across 20 states require students to lock their phones inside magnetically sealed pouches, according to Yonder, the company that created these pouches. Once closed, the pouches require a special magnet to open, making it di%cult for schools to ensure that all students are able to access their phones quickly in the case of an emergency.

In comparison to other ways of enforcing the Phone-Free School Act, requiring students to put their phones into a phone holder for the length of the class period is reasonable — students are able to focus on their classwork while still in reach of their phones in the rare event that an emergency does occur.

While the shift may feel jarring for many students, this stricter rule around cellphone use will reduce distractions, improve classroom participation and ultimately boost academic performance.

With some clari cation to address concerns that arise, Paly’s new phone policy will become more e ective in its goal of ensuring concentration in classrooms, setting a standard that will undoubtedly bene t future classes. In a few years, the buzz of phone noti cations during class may become even more of an exception to the norm.

Demonizing school administrators needs to stop

“What is he doing here?” my friend said, pointing accusingly at the gure.

“I hate that dude,” my other friend chimed in. A collective groan spread as students threw sidelong glances at each other — all joining in on the cruel joke

Even before I’d ever stepped foot onto Paly, I’d heard all about our so-called horrid principal. So, when I began one of my rst journalism projects, a short video package about the renovation of the Tower Building, I went into each interview swarmed with biases and preconceptions I hadn’t recognized. My partners later informed me that I had been “grilling” one of my interviewees — a teacher — and trying to get them to say something bad about the administration.

Here were some of those questions:

1. How well has the admin communicated the project’s details and timeline? How easy is it to nd information about the project?

2. What is your opinion about the project’s delays?

3. Is there anything they should have done di erently? Are there any changes you would personally make to the project?

e video was meant to be informative and educational. I knew this interviewee had virtually no connections to the construction, so why would I ask about communication and project details?

On their own, the other two questions might not raise eyebrows, but taken together in succession with the rst question, it was obvious I was implicitly asking the interviewee to say the admin had screwed up. ankfully, the video was never broadcasted. As I re ect on the mishaps of my early forays into journalism, what stands out most of all is the environment of ambient hostility — from the locker rooms to the lunch tables — that led to decisions I now regret.

It’s not only unfair to peers, especially impressionable new students, it also unfairly portrays certain administrative sta whose work is essential to the daily function of our school.

I’m sure my experience is not unique. Obviously, all leaders make mistakes, and our school’s leadership is no exception. Yet there is a perceived right answer whenever someone brings up the topic of the admin. You can see this yourself — ask your friends how they feel about our admin; there’s a good chance there will be a negative consensus. e tendency to excessively scapegoat or vilify those

in power is universal, born out of herd mentality and feelings of powerlessness and dissatisfaction. Simply put, when we have a problem, we look to blame the biggest, easiest target — whoever appears to have the most power.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t criticize leadership when they make poor decisions, or even good ones. In fact, a constant presence of some dissatisfaction is a sign of healthy discourse.

Most of the time, these are only unserious, running jokes among friends. Everyone is entitled to opinions, jokes and harsh criticism. What they are not entitled to is forcefully pushing that opinion onto others, especially when they do so without giving them a chance to taste the unpoisoned well rst.

Normalizing, and even enforcing, this kind of thinking sows an atmosphere of distrust within the Paly community, and teaches younger kids to demonize authority without considering the facts themselves.

Coming from another district, this intensely negative peer pressure led me to have unfounded attitudes

toward administrators, pushing me to make decisions I now regret.

Palo Alto High School cannot be an us versus them. Having your voice heard and making change requires productive dialogue, which relies on cooperation and collaboration. Ultimately, choosing blind resentment is like cheating on a test: you’re really only cheating yourself. If this is you, then hear this: stop punching a brick wall. Take responsibility for your own education and well-being. If you want something to change, write or talk to sta or student leadership. I’m sure they, as the responsible leaders we hold them accountable to be, will take upfront criticism over furtive-glances and behindthe-back whispering any day.

If I could give freshman-me one piece of advice, I’d say: everyone has a lot of opinions about Paly, from the teachers to the administrators. Try to take them lightly, so that your decisions — and mistakes — will be your own, not those of others making choices for you, through you.

Ethan Chan Lifestyle & Sci/Tech Editor

ART BY CHARLOTTE LIU

Isabella Li Sta Writer

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MIRAI MATSUZAWA

A bridge over troubled waters

As the last note of the piece rang in the air and the elderly residents of the assisted living center burst into applause, a frail woman approached the piano. is family friend of mine su ers from dementia and on some days cannot remember who her daughter or grandchild are. Yet, without sheet music, she sat down and played Beethoven’s “Für Elise” almost awlessly. at moment was one of the rst times I realized the extraordinary, almost magical power music holds.

Four years ago, I picked up the cello for the rst time. I immediately fell in love, entranced by the deep, soothing sound and the feeling of bow meeting string. at love has stayed with me ever since.

Melanie Ambler, a Stanford Medical School student who has done research on the e ect of music on the brain, said music causes the release of chemicals in the brain that are correlated with m ood.

“I think music has such a profound e ect on us because it engages the brain in unique ways,” Ambler said. “When we listen to or play music, our brains release chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin that are connected with joy and reward. at’s why music can give us chills or lift our mood so quickly.”

A 2020 AARP survey found childhood exposure to music produced lasting bene ts. Sixty-eight percent of those introduced to music as children rated their ability to learn new things as excellent or very good, compared to 50% of those who never were exposed to music growing up.

Ambler also said music and memory are tightly linked.

“As a Fulbright Fellow in France, I studied patients with amnesia and looked at whether they could still recognize new music and artworks,” Ambler said. “I found that even when certain kinds of memory are impaired, music can often remain a stimulus that allows for people to develop a sense of familiarity.”

Harvard Medical School has reported that listening to and performing music reactivates areas of the brain tied to memory, reasoning, speech, emotion and reward. Other studies have shown health bene ts as well. University of Helsinki researchers found stroke patients who listened to music improved verbal memory and attention more than those in a control group or who listened to audiobooks. ey also reported less depression. e same survey by the AARP found that respondents who currently go to musical performances versus those who either do not currently or have never gone to a musical performance rated their ability to remember names,

Alex’s advice:

If I could give advice to my freshman self, I would tell him three things.

1. Don’t compare yourself to others.

2. Don’t stay in your shell.

3. Success is better together. Coming into freshman year, I was obsessed with hearing seniors’ stories. By then, I had heard of worldclass musicians bound for Stanford, math prodigies going to MIT and athletic standouts committed to Duke. When I saw that I didn’t t in any of those images, it crushed me. I tried piano. I tried Science Olympiad. I tried soccer. But every time I tried to be like these seniors, I fell short. So there I was as a freshman, feeling defeated and aimless when I should have been ambitious and hungry. Looking back, that was the start of my rst big lesson: Don’t compare yourself to others. At face value, comparison seems harmless. After all, how can measuring myself against others be bad? But the truth is, it keeps you from appreciating your own strengths. Accepting that there will always be someone smarter, stronger or more talented leaves a bitter taste, but it’s necessary. I’ve found that if you don’t accept it, life will eventually force you to, often in ways that will break you down.

I learned this the hard way. During my sophomore year I looked up to a friend of mine from my robotics

make decisions, solve problems, focus and learn new things as much higher. In addition, 69% of respondents who currently go to musical performances rated their brain health as excellent or very good, compared to 58% for those who have gone in the past and 52% who have never attended one. For high school students, music can be bene cial not only for happiness and mental health, but it can also help academics by improving many areas crucial to success in school. According to a Johns Hopkins Medicine article, “Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.”

For me, listening to music, whether classical or rock or anything in between, has a positive e ect on my well-being. Although I don’t listen to music while studying or trying to focus, as many people do, when I listen for fun, it always makes my day a little brighter. However, I have found an even better method of reducing stress is actually playing music; something about being able to produce sound that is pleasing to the ear reduces the stress and pressures of the outside world.

While listening to and playing music is bene cial to neurological health and well-being, it also connects with us emotionally. Music can express emotion and convey messages that people could never express in words.

For Scott Krijnen, the director of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, playing music when he was younger gave him an outlet to express himself when he struggled to do so himself.

“When I was young, I would have strong feelings, (but) I wouldn’t know how to express them, and I learned how to do it through playing my cello,” Krijnen said. “It gave me a voice that I understood, and it allowed me to process.”

While listening to music on Spotify or Apple Music may be more convenient, listening to live music actually has more bene ts and is so much more enjoyable. ere’s also something about seeing and feeling the energy of live music that no soundtrack can replicate.

When I went to see the San Francisco Symphony perform Tchaikovsky at the Stanford Frost Amphitheater, I could feel the energy of the performers as they played their hearts out for the audience. at, and the thunderous applause at the end of each piece, was an experience no recording could ever give me.

As Krijnen put it: “Live music is multi-faceted; the sound goes through your body. ere’s no sound system in the world that goes through your body. And it’s not just hitting your eardrums. It’s washing through you. You feel it in your chest cavity.”

And although AI may eventually create “perfect” music, it can never replicate a live performance. Live music is communal by nature. Few people sit in circles with their friends playing Spotify, but countless people attend concerts with friends and family.

Both playing and listening to music reach a part of our souls and minds that is so fundamental to who we are as humans. And in this age when AI and technology are becoming an indisputably essential part of all of our lives, when people are questioning what’s real and what’s not, sometimes we need to remind ourselves what makes us human.

Krijnen agrees and said music is a human quality that has existed since the dawn of human time.

“Since the history of our species, we’ve had song, we’ve had dance, we’ve had rhythm,” Krijnen said. “It’s been part of ritual. It’s been part of ceremony. It’s been part of the biggest parts of our lives.”

And not only is music good for our mental health, it can help build community and make connections that could last a lifetime. Since discovering my love of playing cello, I have also discovered that while playing music by myself is enjoyable, playing music with others is so much more ful lling. rough music, I’ve made so many friends that are so important to me, and were it not for us playing music together, I would have never even met them.

Like me, Katie Gilchrist, an orchestra and band teacher at Paly, said her experience playing music with others means more to her than simply the music.

“I remember band being by far my favorite class in high school because of the community that it built,” Gilchrist said. “You get to be a part of something way bigger than yourself.”

Paly orchestra and band teacher Michael Veizades agrees.

“It is kind of like a sports team where you get to work together but in a di erent setting,” Veizades said. “We get to rely on each other, and it’s really a way that you can build community and relationships with other students, and that’s really powerful.”

Most importantly, playing music helps us connect with others; music performance is a gift, both to the audience and the performers. Whenever I play music for others, although the concert is supposed to be for the audience, it impacts us, the performers, as much, if not more, than the audience.

Music can also help us connect with people we would usually never interact with. In high school, where our extracurriculars and class choices surround us with like-minded people who are similar to ourselves, most of the time we are trapped in an echo chamber, having our thoughts and actions re ected back to us by those who are around us.

In our current political climate, where one of our society’s main a%ictions is our dividedness, we need to learn to bridge our di erences. is starts with empathy, and learning about someone’s music — and therefore them as a person — is a very strong rst step towards healing our country and our world.

Music is the perfect pathway to bridging divides, as it is devoid of the things and ideas that divide our society. When I play music with others, I don’t need to know what politicians they support, what god, if any, they pray to, or anything else about them. e only thing I need to know and that matters is the fact they are musicians, I am a musician, and we are in the same room working together to make the best music that we can.

Music can also bring people together and bridge divides. In this day and age, where peoples’ views on political and social issues are so polarized, we need more than ever to be able to overcome our di erences and come together. Because music is such a nonpartisan thing that everybody of all backgrounds, political stripes and economic status can relate to and enjoy, it’s the perfect vehicle for bridging our di erences. Not just at this moment, but through time, music has always been a way for people to connect with each other without the distractions of the outside world.

As Krijnen put it, sharing space with music with others has always been a special thing.

“If you look at the history of the world, there’s been di erent places where (humans) share space, and I think one of the most common ones, cross culturally, is music assembly,” Krijnen said. “(Any place) we’re together in music is a place that is not divided by religion, divided by anything else. We just share space, and we make music.”

And ultimately, Krijnen said for him, playing music for others and helping them through music is one of his favorite things about playing music.

“When you’re on stage, and you’re a musician, you’re not just a person anymore; you’re part of a community, and so your roots go deeper,” Krijnen said. “I know that not everybody has a place that they feel welcomed, and so if I can give that to somebody, there’s no better feeling.”

So I exhort you: Play music with others when possible. Listen to it live when you can, and always remember that music has been, is, and will always be a part of us.

Lucas Lai Sports Editor

what I wish I knew as a freshman

team who also held a high-ranking ASB position. ey encouraged me to run for ASB, and I was excited to follow in their footsteps. But when I didn’t make the cut, I was devastated. I thought I wasn’t good enough and kept criticizing myself for overstepping. After that, I never ran again. Looking back, the real mistake wasn’t failing — it was obsessing over someone else’s path instead of creating my own. By senior year, I realized you should compare yourself to yourself. I started to ask myself: Am I growing? Am I con dent, kinder and more capable than before? is mindset made me more appreciative of my progress and pursue my own path. e second lesson I learned was to step outside your shell. As a freshman, I wanted only structure and comfort. With three older siblings who succeeded by following the standard path, I felt pressured to do the same: load up on APs and

pursue résumé-worthy extracurriculars. But it’s more important to pursue activities that are actually meaningful, not just impressive on paper. Once I embraced that, my life became far more enjoyable. Late into my junior year, I leaned into my passion for social justice and humanitarian work. I discovered that only because I pushed beyond my comfort zone. Paly o ers so many amazing opportunities — 40+ clubs, an award-winning and nationally-recognized journalism program and unique courses like glassblowing. But none of it matters unless you’re willing to take a chance and try something new.

e nal lesson I learned was that success feels better when it’s shared.

At rst, I thought success was individual: work hard, get good grades, stay focused. But I didn’t realize how important it is to have people to lean on. My favorite high school experiences weren’t just my awards or wins. ey were late nights with my robotics team, carb-loading with cross country teammates or cramming for physics with friends. ese moments have helped me realize how much easier challenges can be when you’re not facing them alone. Even teachers and mentors matter — in fact, they can be just as important as your friends. When I talk with my graduated friends, they say the same thing: What they remember the most from high school isn’t the grades or accolades but the people they shared those moments with. High school can be overwhelming, and you shouldn’t face it alone. So if I could talk to my freshman self, I’d keep it simple: Make your own path. Take risks. And don’t do it alone. ose lessons got me through Paly, and they will be something I’ll carry into college and beyond.

Alex Isayama Lifestyle & Sci/Tech Editor

Playing with the freshman orchestra, Arnav Kamath brings music to life, something research has shown boosts both memory and mood. “When we listen to or play music, our brains release chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin that are connected with joy and reward,” Stanford Medical School student Melanie Ambler said.

LUCAS LAI / THE CAMPANILE

Advanced Diploma rewards privileged, harms the rest

The district’s proposed program risks fueling inequity and pressure, undermining student well-being and contradicting past e orts to reduce stress and close the achievement gap

Palo Alto Uni ed School District Board administra-

tors publicly introduced the concept of an Advanced Diploma program to the Board of Education at its Aug. 10 meeting, scheduling its implementation for the 2026-2027 school year if approved.

To receive the Advanced Diploma, students would need to complete an internship, participate in the Great Minds speaker series, be a National Merit Scholar or have a qualifying SAT or ACT score, create an oral defense portfolio and complete the AP Capstone requirements, which include AP Seminar, AP Research and passing scores on four additional AP exams.

e Campanile thinks PAUSD should not move forward with this plan and instead focus on addressing mental health issues, promoting life balance and lessening the achievement gap in our schools.

e Advanced Diploma program will create unnecessary stress for students. While e Campanile thinks PAUSD should allow students to pursue rigorous classes in subjects they are passionate about, the Advanced Diploma is not the solution. In a community that so deeply values academic achievement, offering a diploma labeled “advanced” creates pressure for all students and parents to participate, even if it’s not the right choice for them. It creates the illusion that the diploma is essential for success, and those who do not pursue it will feel behind, ultimately increasing pressure in the community and harming student well-being.

More concerning is the district’s plan to begin academically separating students starting in fourth grade. Research shows early academic tracking often locks students into paths too soon, reinforcing inequities and harming lower-tracked students. Early laning can also create social divides, as students are separated from peers in classes. Students not in the advanced tracks may feel inferior, even though tracking is often tied more to family support and expectations than ability, especially at a young age. We recognize the value of laning when it allows students to challenge themselves academically, but beginning the practice at such a young age risks serious consequences.

e Campanile also has concerns that the Advanced Diploma will widen the achievement gap that already exists in our district. To qualify for the Advanced Diploma, students must have qualifying SAT or ACT scores and complete internships — requirements that advantage a$uent students who have greater access to test prep, academic support and connections. And research shows

In

that higher income students are signi cantly more likely to receive high scores on standardized tests as a result of having more academic support and access to test prep, making this requirement inherently inequitable.

e program would also undermine the current AP Capstone experience. If students take the Capstone classes primarily for an award, the dynamic in the classes shifts to learning for recognition rather than passion. AP Capstone already provides rigor and allows students to explore topics deeply. We should keep it that way rather than crowd the program with students pursuing recognition over genuine interest. On top of this, no teachers were consulted in creating the program. AP Capstone teachers have invested signi cant e ort in making their pathway accessible to rstgeneration and low-income students through support programs like AVID and peer mentorship initiatives. ese programs are successful, and implementing the Advanced Diploma could jeopardize this progress by overcrowding AP Capstone

classes with already well-resourced students. As with many initiatives in the past, the district administration’s failure to consult teachers in the planning shows little regard for the experts we already have in the classroom.

An Advanced Diploma program also contradicts previous board decisions. In recent years, the board de-laned classes such as Biology Honors and cut advanced courses like Multivariable Calculus — moves that the community largely opposed — citing issues of equity and student mental health. Now, this sudden push for rigor contradicts that reasoning and worsens the very issues that de-laning changes were meant to solve.

Part of the push for the program seems to be to appease the parents of high achieving students who want more recognition for their children. But students who complete AP Capstone, score well on standardized tests and secure internships are already recognized by colleges, schools and society. And if the diploma’s purpose is to impress colleges, it fails, since students receive AP scores the

July after they graduate, when postgraduation plans are already set. Supporters of the program, including Superintendent Don Austin and Assistant Superintendent of Agility and Innovation Jeong Choe, did say the nal criteria for the Advanced Diploma are not completely set and see the diploma as another way to recognize hard-working students. But the Advanced Diploma appears to be a solution in search of a problem, driven by a small group of parents and administrators without teacher or student input.

Ultimately, e Campanile thinks the Advanced Diploma is unnecessary, harmful to student mental health and likely to widen the existing achievement gap while adding to the pressure and competition already felt by PAUSD students.

e future of PAUSD should not be de ned by who can collect the most awards but by how well we care for the needs of every student in the district. e Advanced Diploma fails that test, and we urge the board to leave it behind.

reinstating Columbo, district failed the trust test

After working various non-classroom jobs in the Palo Alto Uni ed School District, Peter Colombo has been assigned to teach physical education at Fletcher Middle School for the 2025-2026 school year. In 2022, Colombo was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a former student during the 2001-2002 school year. In 2023, the Santa Clara District Attorney’s o ce dropped the charges against him due to inadequate evidence. Neither Columbo nor his attorney responded to requests for an interview, but both have repeatedly said the charges against him are false. After his arrest, PAUSD rst placed Colombo on unpaid leave. When charges against him were dropped, the district did not assign Colombo a teaching role.

In 2024, Colombo sued PAUSD for $20 million over false imprisonment, lack of due process, defamation and disability discrimination. at case will be heard in January 2026.

After learning of Colombo’s reinstatement at Fletcher, parents there began a petition urging Superintendent Don Austin and the Board of Education to remove him from the classroom. After the district did not change its decision, stu-

dents at Fletcher walked out of school and parents organized a protest outside the school to oppose Colombo’s reinstatement.

Despite parent and student concern about Colombo’s return, e Campanile recognizes the di culty in easily reassigning or terminating him due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between PAUSD and the Palo Alto Educators Association. We also acknowledge Colombo’s ongoing lawsuit restricts PAUSD’s ability to publicly comment on the reasoning behind its decision to reinstate him.

While this situation is di cult to navigate, e Campanile thinks district o cials could have handled it much more professionally, and we urge PAUSD to continue to take steps to restore positive relations with parents and students.

Students should never be forced into situations where they feel vulnerable in classes they are required to take to graduate.

If PAUSD truly believes in the PAUSD Promise, which names mental health and wellness as one of ve district priorities, they should listen to students who say they feel unsafe with any teacher.

In a community that prides itself on excellence in public education, ful lling promises to students

and parents is the bare minimum the community should expect from its school system.

e Campanile also thinks PAUSD should be more proactive in communicating with the community. According to a Palo Alto Online story, Colombo has a history of criminal charges and convictions since his hiring in 1988, including a misdemeanor DUI and hit-and-run in 1990.

In 2007, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing placed Colombo on probation for four years, citing his DUI. In 2010, the CTC suspended Colombo for consuming alcohol. Despite the suspension for alcohol abuse, Colombo remained a tenured teacher in the district.

Based on this history, it would have been in the district’s best intereste to communicate his reinstatement to a teaching position at Fletcher in an open and timely manner, not seemingly hiding it in the hopes that no one would notice Going forward, we also urge PAUSD to be more proactive in investigating student and parent complaints about teachers.

While we do recognize that state law or union contracts may limit or prevent some disciplinary action against teachers, we also think in situations where that is the case, the district should provide extra administrative supervision in the classrooms of teachers who have documented problems. Accountability starts with putting students rst, and so far the district gets a failing grade in this respect.

The Campanile

LIST BY ALANA CHUN AND LEILANI CHEN ART BY LEILANI CHEN

ART BY IVY LEE