Issue 8

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The Campanile

Vol. XCV, No.8

50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301 • www.palycampanile.org

Monday, April 29, 2013

ASB Vice President elected Bowen Gerould Staff Writer

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Paly’s win not only allowed the team to advance to Nationals but also stopped Mira Loma’s eight-year winning streak.

fter a hard-fought battle against junior Sam Kelley, junior Kate Marinkovich was elected Associated Student Body (ASB) vice president for the 2013-2014 school year on Friday April 12.

Marinkovich, who is currently the junior class vice president as well as president of the Best Buddies Club, a Link Crew leader and the Opinion Editor for the Paly Voice, looks to continue her contributions to the school in whatever way she can.

Initially in search of a more significant role in ASB during her senior year, Marinkovich ran for ASB President.

However she fell short against junior Parker Devine, leading to her decision to run for ASB Vice President.

Some of Marinkovich’s main goals for next year are to make ASB more accessible to students and improve its relationship with the student body.

“I want students to know what ASB does and can do for them and have ASB known as a positive force on campus,” Marinkovich said.

She also wants to build on the success of current ASB Vice President Soo Song and implement her own system of organizing and coordinating clubs, which is the main job of the ASB vice president.

“I want to formulate a system where every club can thrive,” Marinkovich said.

Although involved in many scholastic governmental leadership roles, Marinkovich does not see herself pursuing a career in politics or government; however, she hopes the leadership experience she obtains at

See SCIOLY, A3

See ELECTION, A3

Science Olympiad team qualifies for Nationals Daniel Tachna-Fram Staff Writer

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or the first time in its history, Paly’s Science Olympiad team (Scioly) is on its way to nationals. The group of 15 students began their journey last November and has been working together continuously since then.

Paly’s first victory came when they beat out 30 other schools at the regional tournament. From there, the team went on to the Northern California State Tournament, which they have never won, and had to take on national powerhouse and the team’s biggest rival Mira Loma High School.

“Our goal for the past two years has been to beat Mira Loma and go to Nationals,” junior logistics president Grace Lin said.

Early on in the competition, it did not seem as if Paly would be able to pull off the upset.

“As we checked in on each event as they finished, it didn’t seem like we

were doing well enough,” Lin said.

“A couple events that we were relying on to win first weren’t doing too well, or so we thought.”

As the competition dragged on, it became clear that it was going to come down to Paly and Mira Loma.

“I was tracking the rankings, and we were super close to Mira Loma the whole time, so the energy was crazy,” Lin said. “It all came down to how badly we failed the events we didn’t place in, and how badly they failed in the events they didn’t place in.”

In the end Paly performed just well enough to eke out a one point win.

Senior engineering president Jeffrey Ling had been on the team ever since sophomore year, losing to Mira Loma by one place two years in a row.

“Getting second place in the last few years at states was frustrating, since it seemed as if we couldn’t overcome the dominance of Mira Loma High School,” Ling said.

“When I found out that we won this year, I was incredibly happy and almost in disbelief. We had finally achieved what had seemed

Publication editors announced Charlie Dulik Editor-in-Chief

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aly’s publications have selected their editors-inchief for the 2013-14 school year. Caroline Moley, Sophia Moss and Sam Newell are the new editors of C Magazine. The Viking will be led by Pippa Raffel and Josh Stern. The Voice chose Noa Braun, Allison Cowie and Callie Walker. Verde’s new editors are Hollie Kool and Noam

Shemtov. Jessica Feinberg will stay on as editor-in-chief of Agora.

“Through a four week selection process, we are proud to choose Pippa Raffel and Josh Stern as the new editors-in-chief,” 201213 Viking editor-in-chief Nora Rosati said. “They are both very talented and dedicated staffers, and we can’t wait to see where they take the magazine next year.”

These editors will all lead production of the final issues of their respective publications.

Stanford head football coach chosen as Baccalaureate speaker Will Mendenhall Staff Writer

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his year’s baccalaureate will feature David Shaw, the Stanford football team’s head coach, as its guest speaker.

Baccalaureate will be held on May 26 at the Flint Center in Cupertino from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Shaw has been the Stanford head coach since January 2011. After four years as Stanford’s offensive coordinator, Shaw has the impressive record of 23-4 after only two years as head coach. He also led the team to a Rose Bowl championship.

Shaw’s impressive career was one of the reasons he was asked to be this year’s speaker.

“Success and sports are two prominent recurring themes here at Paly,” senior class president Michael Wang said. “This led us to believe David Shaw would be a perfect match for our Baccalaureate. He is not only successful and a sports figure, but he is also the head coach of Stanford, which happens to be one of our favorite sports teams here at Paly.”

The Paly Associated Student Body (ASB), along with the school administration, considered several options before finally deciding on Shaw as the guest speaker.

“Some of the other options we considered were Lil B and James Franco,” Wang said. “After some serious consideration, we later decided that Shaw was our best option.”

courtesy of Ying Jian

Top: Paly Scioly rejoices after their close and historic win against the dominant California team, Mira Loma High School, Sacramento. Paly is the only school this year to have all their members medal at the state competition.

Bottom: Captains junior Grace Lin and senior Jeffrey Ling pose with their team’s trophy.

impossible, and I could not be more proud of the team that has made it happen. Making nationals is a historical moment for Paly Scioly, and I am overjoyed to be a part of this.”

Calendar survey finds majority approval of pre-break finals Hillel Zand Staff Writer

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arlier this month, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) released the results of a district-wide survey conducted from January to March of this school year that examines the effects of the newly instituted school calendar that places first semester finals before winter break. According to the survey, students, parents and staff find that the new calendar, which was instituted this year, is preferable to the old calendar, despite a few reservations.

PAUSD formed a calendar advisory committee in fall 2012 to investigate the effects of the new calendar, which places first semester finals before winter break and implements an earlier start to school in August and second semester finals during the last week of May. The committee, which is comprised of teachers, parents, administrators and students from across the district, designed multiple surveys and received responses from 1,385 students, nearly 3,500 parents and over 500 teachers from across the district.

The effects of the new calendar were noticeable as early as January, when students returned to school having already finished first semester finals.

“Most of my friends thought the new schedule was better,” junior Jack

Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

Shapiro said. “I think it was more stressful right before finals [at the end of first semester], but winter break was so much nicer not having any work to worry about.”

A majority of the high school students surveyed reported having no stress over the winter vacation, although 95 percent reported having stress of some sort – from minimal to very high – just before winter break.

Not surprisingly, 95 percent of teachers also noticed their students being stressed just before winter break as they studied for finals.

Students ranked having first semester finals before winter break as their highest priority, in order to enjoy a work-free vacation. 73 percent of high school students spent between zero and two hours working on homework over winter break.

“I first focused on finals and finishing first semester with strong grades,” an anonymous senior wrote on the survey. “Then during winter break I had time to focus only on college apps and not have to worry about finals.”

Feature

Sports

See CALENDAR, A3

INSIDE News.....................................A1-A5 Spotlight...............................A6-A7 Opinion............................A8-A11 Editorials..................................A12 Lifestyle....................................B1 Student Life............................B2-B4 Technology..................................B5 Music..........................................B6 Culture.......................................B7 Food...........................................B8 Sports...................................C1-C8

Spotlight The Campanile staff exposes the social divide between different ethnic and socioeconomic groups at Paly. A6-A7

New affordable tablet

Track dominates

The Campanile reviews an economical way to stay connected. B4

The Paly track team nears the end of its season and prepares for CCS. C1

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

A2 NEWS NEWS TO KNOW

New elementary school proposed

ASB Update Will Mendenhall staff Writer

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Courtesy of creative commons

@TheAtlanticWire Password sharing leads to over ten million people watching Netflix for free

@ABC Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev charged with using weapons of mass destruction

@unicefturk Nicolas Maduro sworn in as Venezuelan president; hails late leader Chavez

@cnnbrk A strong earthquake struck the southern Chinese province of Sichuan, killing at least 179 people

@nytimes China’s North Korea envoy will visit United States for talks

Charlotte barry/the campanile

Stratford School, adjacent to Jordan Middle School, is one of the proposed locations for the new elementary school.

Shivonne Logan staff writer

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alo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) recently decided to open a 13th elementary school, which will be located either at 525 San Antonio Road, bordering the adjacent Greendell campus, or at the Garland site neighboring Jordan that is currently rented by a Stratford school. The school is scheduled to open its doors starting in the fall semester of 2017.

An advisory council convened this past fall to discuss the possibility of a new elementary school.

The advisory council began planning the opening of a new school in the district because the 12 already existing elementary schools are close to reaching their full capacity with an average of two percent annual growth in recent years, according to PAUSD School Board member Melissa Baten Caswell. With the constant population growth in the district, schools have grown increasingly strained.

Though the exact need for change was unclear until this year, the district has realized the necessity of more facilities.

“We’re not at capacity in the north right now,” Baten Caswell said. “We are overflowing with students from

schools in the south. Really we need to have a solution that’s either in the south or in the west.”

Baten Caswell says that the new campus is within the district’s budget, though it will consume a large amount of PAUSD finances.

We’re not going to have enough classroom space.

We think somewhere around 2017 we will need to have another school open.

Melissa Baten Caswell PAUSD School Board member

“The cost of adding another campus isn’t just the cost of cleaning up the buildings,” Baten Caswell said.

There’s the ongoing costs, and the costs you have all the time. Those costs add up.”

The district is currently renting out both of the sites, though the renter at the San Antonio site does not pay as significantly.

Baten Caswell says that this income will not make or break the board’s decision, but it is important to factor in.

Moving forward, the addition of another elementary school has been deemed necessary with the current

growth patterns in the district, with further details on exact logistics to be discussed in the future.

The San Antonio campus was rented by PAUSD in 2011 for $8.5 million, because it is favored by the advisory council.

It was previously the location of Peninsula Day Care, which shut down in June 2011, and then the site of proposed housing developments before it was purchased by the district, according to Palo Alto Online.

“The schools have grown dramatically and we’ve been able to make due by adding portables on campus,” Baten Caswell said. “Even with that, we’re not going to have enough classroom space. We think somewhere around 2017 we will need to have another school open.”

The advisory council proposed that the new campus will provide classrooms and space for both children from the surrounding neighborhood and a separate, specialized program, which has not yet been proposed.

However, there is still a possibility for the board to veto this option.

The school board is currently considering the hybrid program proposed by the advisory council, though ideas for the specialized program have yet to be proposed. The debate will continue, and decision will not come for some time.

Palo Alto raises the rainbow flag at City Hall

Jonathan Ziegler staff writer

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he Palo Alto City Council unanimously voted to raise the rainbow flag in front of City Hall as a symbol of the city’s opposition to Proposition 8 on Mon. April 1. The act also demonstrates Palo Alto’s opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

Students at Paly have shown overwhelming support for this new resolution set forth by the city council.

“It’s important for our city government to acknowledge and accept all kinds of people living in our community,” junior Vivian Laurence said.

However, some students are skeptical of the demonstration of Palo Alto’s support of gay marriage and take a middle ground stance.

“Symbolically, I think it’s a noble gesture by the city and an important stance to take,” junior Noam Shemtov said. “Putting up the flag, however, may set the precedent for a response to other national issues, which may not be appropriate. That said, I’m happy to live in a city that is proactive and accepting enough to make this kind of gesture.”

Palo Alto is not the first city in the Bay Area to raise the rainbow flag.

Santa Cruz, Santa Monica and San Francisco are also supportive of both Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. The city council hopes the flag will show Palo Alto youth who might be struggling with their sexual orientations that the city is on their side.

Laurence thinks this is a great opportunity to connect Palo Alto government with its youth.

“Knowing that the community in which [the gay youth] live is a supportive environment is a comforting thing,” Laurence said.

Others hope that Palo Alto’s act of support for gay rights will extend beyond the city, and have a positive influence on youth in less accepting communities.

“By making such a public gesture, I hope that the message of support will reach beyond Palo Alto,” Shemtov said.

“Youth in this city have been shown that there is support. Though every case differs, gay youth in this city have ample support in place. If the flag became a polarizing political issue, it could do the opposite. I would hope, though, that the precedent of support would spread such that youth in less overwhelmingly accepting communities would benefit.”

hillel zand staff writer

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nglish teacher Lucy Filppu has made it her mission to assist students in their romantic affairs in the weeks leading up to prom. Filppu set up a table on the quad on April 11 where she offered advice on what she calls “prom-ance.”

“I came up with the table because I feel like the art of chivalry and romance is quickly going out of style in the age of Internet connections and texting,” Filppu said.

At the table, Filppu had a plethora of love poems for students to familiarize themselves with and, if they were willing, to read to their dates.

In addition, she asked students to fill out a survey in order to figure out just how much they knew about their prom date and what their plans were for after prom.

“Part of my questionnaire was to ask them how well they know their date, what do they know about their dates’ interests and [whether or not they] have they thought about their

boundaries for the evening,” Filppu said.

An estimated 30 to 40 students came up to her table asking for love advice, including couples who asked “how they can enliven their evening” on prom night.

She also offered advice on who to ask and tried to establish an informal matchmaking service, suggesting possible dates for those without one.

Filppu advised students to revert back to the days of formal romance letters and suggested that they talk only in person, not through texts, and to set up guidelines for their romance on prom night.

She believes that the 21st century has brought with it impersonal means of romance and a larger focus on sexual images. Thus, Filppu wants to bring back the traditional way to incite romance.

“I wanted to remind students that romance is an age-old beautiful human experience,” Filppu said with a smile. “And [I wanted] to bring them back to poetry and art and sensuality that moves beyond pop culture’s focus on sex.”

School Board Update Josefin Kenrick staff Writer

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t the most recent Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) meeting held on April 12, members discussed the results of the 2013 Strategic Plan Survey, as well as plans for the new elementary school.

The results from the Strategic Plan Survey will be used to update PAUSD’s current Strategic Plan, which is the district’s strategy for improving student achievement and development, according to the PAUSD website. The survey had three parts: one for parents, one for students and one for the rest of the Palo Alto community.

According to the summary of the survey results, School Board members found that PAUSD “continues to receive high marks on overall education, teacher quality and social, emotional and behavioral support.”

The school board also discussed the plans for the 13th elementary school on the Greendell, San Antonio site. The new elementary school is set to open in the fall of 2017. During the planning process, board members discussed design work that meets multiple criteria regarding cost and district recommendations.

In addition, members discussed enrollment projections for next year and enrollment growth planning regarding special programs.

The board is planning on sending a short survey to families who applied to choice programs and asking for the rationale behind their choices.

UPCOMING EVENTs

NEWS BRIEFS

Filppu offers relationship advice for Prom attendees looking for traditional romance

SB successfully held the Paly Prom at the Metreon on April 27. Planning for the event included setting up tables late, as many students forgot to sign up.

ASB elections for next year’s student government were successfully finished. The elections were held on the quad and online from March 25 to 29. New ASB officers will be assuming their respective positions starting next year.

Powderpuff will also be taking place starting May 1. This event will pit girls from all grades together in a classic grade vs. grade all-girl football game. The games will be played in a tournament style of play and will be single elimination. The winners will move on to the championship.

Baccalaureate ticket sales have ended. The event will be held Sun. May 26 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The location will be at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino.

Ellen Austin to leave Paly for Harker michelle yin

May

POWDERPUFF FOOTBALL Begins

May

MAY FETE PARADE

May

AP TESTING BEGINS

May

CAHSEE MAKE-UPS BEGIN

May

FIELD DAY

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Girls and football! It’s any guy’s dream.

staff writer

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nglish and journalism teacher Ellen Austin has decided to leave Paly for a teaching position at Harker School. She is ending her seven-year teaching career at Paly and leaving her role as advisor in the Viking sports magazine as well as the video publication, Infocus.

Austin has made drastic impacts in Paly journalism, specifically for Infocus, transforming the program from relying on videotapes to utilizing solely digital techniques.

After years of bolstering journalism at Paly, Austin was awarded the “National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year” by the Dow Jones News Fund and received the opportunity to speak before national conferences and write a column for the Dow Jones newspaper advocating education through journalism.

Now Austin will renounce her positions as teacher of Advanced Placement English Literature and advisor of both Infocus and the Viking sports magazine to embark on a new journey at Harker.

4

6

14 17

One time, at band camp, we went to the May Fete Parade.

Get ready for the AP: Advanced Procrastination.

For all you sophomores that thought you got out of it: SIKE!

Take your shoes off, but not your clothes.

Streak week is not here yet.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

NEWS A3 “One Acts” prepares for upcoming performances Leslie Wan staff writer

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any students are excited for the debut of Paly theatre production “One Acts,” which will premier May 2, 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Haymarket Theatre.

“One Acts” is a series of short, ten-minute comedic and tragic plays, completely directed by students as a fun and casual way to end the year.

The one-acts will be featuring student-directed plays such as “New Mexico,” by junior Paige Esterly.

This play features a man who works at a gas station in New Mexico but struggles to continuing his daily life as he realizes time has stopped moving.

However, the final production will also be featuring published plays such as “Homecoming,” directed by senior Rebecca Ackroyd.

“Homecoming” describes the typical teen love story of how two high school students meet and fall in love while being stuck in a library.

Additional plays include “Decaffeinated,” “Nowhere,” “The Serendipity Encounter,” “A Bad Play About High School” and “Czekin.”

“Seven out of the eight plays are student written,” theatre advisor Kathleen Woods said. “The plays are very fresh and original and about a variety of topics.”

The student directors believe that “One Acts” will not only give students a fun way to wrap up the year, but also allow more creativity and student interactions.

“My goals are to work closely with my actors and my techs to make my show more spectacular and highquality than what you’d expect from a high school one-act,” Esterly said.

“And to provide my actors with a really fun, easy, not-stressful theatre activity for the next couple weeks.”

Anna mcgarrigle/the campanile

Jonathan Mackris, Julia Sanchez and Lizzie McCole participate in their One Acts skit of 2012.

Senior Leah Bleich echoes Esterly’s statements.

“While [one act plays] lack the more elaborate technical elements of our other shows, like handmade costumes and intense light and sound design, they’re an awesome opportunity for students to take the lead in creating a show,” Bleich said. “Oneacts allow students to try something [One Acts] are an awesome opportunity for students to take the lead in creating a show” Leah Bleich Senior

new, whether that’s directing, playwriting, a technical job or even acting, and they’re a great way to

Student makes U.S. linguistics team ziv schwartz staff writer

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fter placing eighth in the North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO), Paly senior Jeffrey Ling has qualified to take part in the International Linguistics Olympiad (ILO) this July in Manchester, England. The ILO is a highly prestigious competition in which only the top eight NACLO qualifiers from the United States and Canada are invited to participate.

Linguistics olympiads differ from other olympiads in that there is no concrete way to prepare for this type of competition.

The contest requires high school students to solve linguistic puzzles, and in doing so, students learn about the diversity and consistency of language while exercising logic skills.

No prior knowledge of linguistics or second languages is necessary, according to the official NACLO site.

“It’s hard to prepare for this contest since there isn’t any prerequisite knowledge,” Ling said. “Practicing logical deduction in general is a good way to do well, since all of the problems can be solved in that way. I think I was able to do well this year

because I’ve taken NACLO in past years, which gives me a lot of experience with it.”

To reach an international level, hard work, dedication and perseverance are required since there are many subsequent stages.

The open round for NACLO was held on Jan. 31. Doing well at the open round qualifies students for the invitational round in which the top eight qualifiers are invited to join the ILO team.

The American ILO team consists of two groups, each consisting of four students from California to Massachusetts to Missouri.

“I took NACLO the first time in tenth grade when it was advertised by math club,” Ling said. “It was a lot of fun solving the problems, which are like puzzles, and so I’ve done it ever since.”

The two American teams and the Canadian team will face off in Manchester. Because this is Ling’s first time at an international olympiad, he hopes he can gain as much as possible from the trip.

“Going to an international competition [is] an awesome experience for sure,” Ling said. “Meeting people from all around the world who are enthusiastic about things like linguistics is one of the best parts, and representing the U.S. is cool too.”

end the year.”However, some directors and theatre students fear certain complications may stand in the way, but will be resolved by opening day.

Esterly, one of the new student directors, is trying to work with the tech crew to resolve some trivial problems.

“My show is very, very technically challenging, so I’m going to have to work very closely with my tech team to get things running smoothly,” Esterly said.

Sophomore Cara Kienitz believes that there are also some minor issues, but they will be resolved soon.

“The only problem I can think of is having problems when we start running the shows all together,” Kienitz said. “It will be the first time we will work with all the sets,” Kienitz said.

This year’s “One Acts” will also be trying out new aspects to improve the quality of the performance and enjoyment for the audience members.

Some aspects include removing the black box to allow more room for audience members and allowing each act to have its own tech crew to characterize all tech aspects.

“The techs are very competent in what they do so I have full faith in them that they will be able to do everything well,” Kienitz said. “Also, by performing on stage instead of the black box, we will be having the audience much closer to the actors, which will create a more intimate setting.”

Because the play is not as strict on rehearsals, memorization and commitment, more students are involved

Science Olympiad heads to Nationals

SCIOLY, continued from A1

“As we walked down the bleachers, the rest of the teams gave us a standing ovation,” Lin said. “I think probably because it’s been eight years since anyone but Mira Loma has won.”

Making this win even more remarkable is the fact that this year’s team has made its improbable run with 10 new team members.

“Our team was very strong overall this year, and everyone put in an extraordinary amount of effort to prepare for the competition,” Ling said.

“Team members met consistently every week, putting in many hours studying, practicing and working on

engineering. Everyone on our team works well together and strongly supports each other, and there were many instances when individuals put the team before themselves.”

Going forward the team is entering uncharted waters, as a Paly Science Olympiad team has never advanced to Nationals.

They hold high expectations but also bumped into previously unforeseen issues.

“For nationals, we just need to continue our streak of excellence that led us to the states victory,” Ling said.

“However, an issue we did not anticipate at the beginning of the year is the immense cost of funding a full trip to the competition, not to mention the

The new calendar, which is slated to run through the 2013-2014 school year before being reevaluated, had minimal effect on seniors, who spent much of their fall working on college applications.

32 percent of seniors said that having finals before break had “no measurable impact on ability to complete college apps,” while 20 percent said that the new calendar even positively helped their application process.

“I had to sacrifice some college essay time for studying,” senior Christian Huard said. “But it turned out okay.”

However, it is not only students who find the schedule more

accommodating. Over 80 percent of the 153 high-school teachers surveyed prefer pre-break finals, having found that there are “substantial benefits” to giving students a work-free vacation, testing during the “flow of learning” and also allowing students to start fresh when they return in January.

“All of my students... had the highest test scores I’ve ever recorded for the first unit of the [second] semester,” a high-school teacher wrote. “It was fantastic! A bonus for students and a bonus for me as a teacher.”

Another teacher found that the infamous “third quarter slump was more noticeable this year than before at the beginning of February,” adding that the district should give more time to evaluate the new calendar.

costs needed to improve our engineering events to compete with schools of the national caliber. We are currently trying to find donors and sponsors to cover these costs, but otherwise I anticipate another excellent performance for our Scioly team.”

Even after Nationals the team holds a high amount of promise for the years to come.

“The team currently has a significant number of sophomores, so future teams have a lot of potential and I have high hopes for coming years,” Ling said. “Given the level of excellence I’ve seen from everyone this year, I have faith that Paly SciOly can win states again next year or the year after that.”

courtesy of ying jian

Science Olympiad team members celebrate their victory of being the first Paly team to win and advance to Nationals.

Survey shows approval of new calendar CALENDAR continued from A1

in the different play productions.

“One Acts” plays are usually shorter than normal play productions, which allow new students to be involved in numerous play productions.

“The directors work around the actor’s schedule,” Woods said.

“Moreover, we always get new talent auditioning for the One Acts production and it’s always exciting to see new faces and get more people involved in the program.”

Junior Emily Willick is one of the new students who will be performing in this year’s “One Acts” and looks forward to the new aspects of the play production.

“Although I didn’t perform in last year’s One Acts, I’m definitely looking forward to putting on a great show,” Willick said.

While teachers seem to approve of the new calendar, some students are concerned with a bombardment of work before finals so that teachers can finish covering first-semester material with Shapiro noting “many of [his teachers] did have assignments and projects due the week before [finals].”

Over 65 percent of high school parents found that their child or children were minimally stressed during winter break, while 70 percent reported that the increased December workload did not affect students’ extracurriculars, which was a concern heading into the first year of the new calendar’s existence.

The shifting of start and end times of the school year did not resonate well with some parents, especially those concerned with the calendars’ effects on vacations.

“I care little at this point about when finals take place,” a PAUSD parent wrote in the survey. “But starting Christmas break just two days before Christmas Eve is unacceptable and a huge imposition.”

Another parent voiced support for a later August start date but believes that having “finals before break [is] a good tradeoff.”

While there are upsides and downsides to this new calendar, which was voted into effect after a heated debate at a PAUSD School Board meeting in May 2011, most agree that this change is beneficial to the students, administrators and parents in the district.

One teacher even wrote that “ending the semester before winter break is one of the best things that has happened in recent years.”

Marinkovich wins ASB VP

ELECTION, continued from A1

Paly will be valuable in her future careers.

She believes that the skills she learns as ASB Vice President can help her with cooperation, creativity and efficiency later on in life.

“I do not see myself going into politics or government later on but I definitely see myself going into business and having a significant leadership role wherever I work,” Marinkovich said.

Marinkovich will join ASB President Parker Devine, ASB Secretary Shivonne Logan and ASB Treasurer Ankita Avadhani in making up ASB’s executive council in 2014.

Monday, April 29, 2013

A4

The Campanile

NEWS

Commonwealth Club honors Wojcicki family Gracie fang features editor

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he Commonwealth Club of California honored Paly journalism advisor and teacher Esther Wojcicki and her husband Stanley Wojcicki, Chairman Emeritus of the Stanford Physics Department, with the distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award on Club’s 110th birthday on April 10 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

Esther Wojcicki’s three daughters Susan, Janet and Anne were each honored with Distinguished Citizen Awards. It was the first time the club has ever honored an entire family.

Stan has spent decades researching neutrinos, a group of subatomic particles that play a major role in the cosmological formula. He did his undergraduate education at Harvard University, then went to UC Berkeley where he met Esther Wojcicki.

Stan also held positions at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland and chaired the physics department at Stanford twice, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Some of the classes he taught at Stanford included Quantum Mechanics for graduate students as well as physics for the pre-meds. He was chair of the US Department of Energy’s High Energy Physics Panel for eight years.

Esther Wojcicki, fondly known as Woj, has been teaching journalism at Paly for 29 years.

Prior to becoming a teacher, she was a journalist for several publications including Sunland-Tujunga Record Ledger, the Los Angeles Times, the Berkeley Daily Gazette and Time Magazine.

“I always wanted to be a journalist and pursued that for a several years,” Esther Wojcicki said. “However, in the [1960s] there was a lot of discrimination against women journalists—they were assigned to the ‘Women's Pages’ on the big publications. On smaller publications, women could write more stories.”

When she moved to Stanford, she decided to try teaching journalism. She obtained her Master’s in Journalism and a teaching credential after earning both her Bachelors’

courtesy of esther wojcicki

From left: Anne, Esther, Susan and Professor Stanley Wojcicki pose at the Commonwealth Club. Esther’s daughters were honored with the Citizens Award, while Esther and Stanley claimed the Lifetime Achievement Award.

degrees in Political Science and English from UC Berkeley, where she pursued other occupations as well.

“While I was a student at Berkeley, I also worked on school playgrounds with students developing the after school program,” Esther Wojcicki said.

She also modeled for several catalogues. After serving as a journalist for numerous publications, Esther Wojcicki decided to teach journalism when she moved to Palo Alto for her husband’s new job at Stanford.

While she was teaching, she still wrote for publications, but found her teaching job even more fulfilling than being a journalist.

“I love helping students discover themselves and their interests and then help them write about those interests,” Esther Wojcicki said. “It is exciting for me to see students become self assured, good communicators and good collaborators. I love the creativity and spontaneity of teenagers.”

Esther Wojcicki’s ability to support and develop successful students extends beyond the classroom to her family as well. Each of her three highly successful daughters has made their own contributions to the world for the greater good.

Susan Wojcicki, the oldest of the three daughters, is Senior Vice President of Google in charge of Google’s advertising program and a Harvard graduate. She was credited with “revolutionizing online advertising” and named one of the “world’s 100 most powerful women”

by Forbes in 2012, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

I would like teachers to see journalism as a way to teach students to think and communicate.

Esther Wojcicki Journalism Teacher

Janet Wojcicki is an assistant professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco Medical School. She holds a Master in African Studies after graduating from Stanford, and speaks multiple African languages. She is currently on a Fulbright Fellowship in Swaziland, working specifically with infants and children with HIV and nutrition problems.

Anne Wojcicki, the youngest daughter, co-founded and is CEO of 23andMe, a personal genetics company whose genome sequencing kit

was named Time Magazine’s invention of the year in 2008. She is married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

Susan Wojcicki attributes much of her and her sister's success to the academic environment they were immersed in from a young age.

“I think one of the things that influenced us was growing up on a college campus,” Susan Wojcicki, the middle daughter, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We were surrounded with people who have devoted their lives to understanding something better. We focused on being academic, but also on finding meaning in our lives.”

Esther Wojcicki taught her daughters to be independent from an early age, giving them a sense of empowerment that lasts to this day.

“My number one expectation for my children was to teach them as many practical skills as possible at an early age so they could be as independent as possible,” Esther Wojcicki said.

“For example, I taught them to swim very early because we have a pool. Susan learned when she was three but Janet learned when she was one and Anne learned at two.

By the time they were two they also

learned to fix themselves breakfast, get dressed by themselves and turn on Sesame Street.”

Learning to do simple tasks by themselves early on in their lives allowed the Wojcicki sisters to continue taking on challenges independently. This “I can do it” mentality has helped the sisters throughout their careers.

“By the time they were six years old, they were already on a swim team, had learned to read, could ride a bike and could walk down the street to a friend's house,” Esther Wojcicki said. “Being able to do all these things for themselves, gave them a sense of empowerment—they had an ‘I can do it’ view of life and that philosophy is at the basis of their thinking today. They are not afraid to take on challenges.”

Now that Esther Wojcicki has successfully established her career and raised three successful daughters, her objective now is to spread the importance of teaching to all students through their English classes, thus teaching them 21st century skills.

These skills give students the opportunity to voice their opinions while connecting with the rest of the world.

“My goal now is to give them the skills necessary to be good writers and collaborators in the 21st century,” Esther Wojcicki said. “These skills include being able to search for information intelligently, distinguishing between fact and opinion, deciding what is most important to feature in your article, and collaborating with your peers. I would like teachers to see journalism as a way to teach students to think and communicate. All students need these skills to more effectively write on the web.”

Upon receiving the award, Esther Wojcicki feels incredibly humbled and honored. She hopes to continue contributing to help make everyone achieve their full potential.

“It is exciting to have entrepreneurs, educators, parents [who] all want me to help them and want my advice,” Esther Wojcicki said.

“I feel honored. My goal is to help them be the best they can be. My philosophy is that the community as a whole (and the nation as a whole) all profits when everyone (each individual) is doing well and has the skills to contribute to the community.”

Glassblowing program begins new fundraising initiative

anna mcgarrigle lifestyle editor

P

aly’s glassblowing program, one of the only four among public high schools in the nation, has recently begun a new fundraising initiative similar to that of the choir, theater and band programs. Called the Paly Fiery Arts, this program costs about $40,000 annually to maintain.

Currently glass sales provide most of the revenue for the glassblowing program and take place specifically in the fall. Without this support, Paly would not have a glassblowing program.

A team of Paly Fiery Arts instructors, alumni and students make the pieces which are sold not only on campus but also within the greater Palo Alto community.

“We spend the summer blowing pumpkins, pears, apples, hearts, candy canes and all sorts of items that we think we can sell at various sales,” Steve Ferrera, head of the glassblowing program at Paly, said. “The pumpkins raise about $25,000 per year, and we also have weekend glassblowing workshops, which also raise money for the program.”

The high cost is necessary to keep the glass studio up and running.

“Because it runs all year, it’s in constant need of rebuilding,” Ferrera said. “Most of the money goes towards maintenance and materials.”

However, the difficulties surrounding fundraising have led Ferrera to look towards another system—a booster club—to coordinate fundraising.

“We’re trying to set up a booster club for the sculpture program so we have a support network of parents and volunteers,” Ferrera said. “This is basically a system that the choir and the band and the theater have that really benefits them, so I’m trying to follow in their footsteps.”

The booster club would fall into the category of a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to raise money specifically for Paly sculpture.

“The administration has been very supportive,” Ferrera said. “[Vice Principal Kim Diorio] and Michael Najar, the department head, have been very proactive in helping keep this program alive. Especially Michael, he’s been a huge advocate for this program.”

Ferrera took over the program this year after the retirement of beloved art teacher David Camner.

Serving local commercial and industrial real estate needs

“David Camner was the one who really brought the whole glass studio into being,” Ferrera said. “It was a huge amount of work for him, and he was really passionate about putting together a top-notch program. Hat’s off to him for doing all of this because it’s a phenomenal program here.”

The scope and quality of Paly’s program is “unheard of at the public high school level,” according to Ferrera, who has previously taught at the college level.

“Every year there are kids that pursue glass and ceramics at the college level,” Ferrera said. Then they come visit over summer and they’re better glassblowers than me. We not only have glassblowing, we have a full ceramics studio, we have beadworking, jewelry and pretty much unlimited materials for the kids,” Ferrera said.

With extremely talented students and a supportive, involved community, Ferrera and administrators foresee the program’s longevity.

“The nice thing about Paly is that there is so much support from the parents, from the administration, and from the community to keep this program running,” Ferrera said.

“It’s awesome that there’s an appreciation for the arts here, because a

anna mcgarrigle/the campanile

Peter Stucky, a professional glass artist and Paly alumnus, makes a bottle in the Paly studio. Stucky is among many instructors and students who create work to fundraise Paly’s unique glassblowing program.

lot of arts programs fall through the cracks, especially with budget cuts in the public system.”

Visual Arts Department head Michael Najar has worked to encourage the program’s sustainability.

“My job is just to encourage Mr. Ferrera to reach out to the community to let everyone know the kind of work the students are doing, which is amazing work, and Mr. Ferrera is an amazing teacher,” Najar said.

Leonard W. Ely III Phone: 650-255-3640 Email: lely@renault-handley.com

The Campanile

Monday, April 29, 2013

NEWS A5 ASB Elected Officials: What do you want to change?

Alvina zou staff writer

F

rom 14 candidates, nine students were elected to represent Paly students in their Associated Student Body (ASB). Each newly elected student has set goals to introduce changes that improve upon and follow in the footsteps of the progress made by the 2012-13 ASB. Previously, ASB has dealt with raising money for student activities through student parking lot tickets and Stanford parking, but newly elected treasurer sophomore Ankita Avadhani hopes to use fundraisers as the primary means of earning revenue for ASB. While class presidents focus more on their individual classes, Marinkovich hopes to create a cohesive Paly community.

“I would like to work with the ASB President to make sure each officer is utilizing their role to their highest advantage,” Marinkovich said. “Better organization in class will also be a focus. Lastly, I want to make ASB more accessible, not through publicity but through activities. I want people to know which events ASB puts on, a lot of people don’t know we are behind as many events as we are, and I want people to remember ASB for making school a better places for students.”

Although the elected students hope to improve on the progress made by previous ASBs, they also hope to continue the example set by the current ASB. The current ASB will make a list of advice that will help the next year’s student body with the issues that they believe worked well and issues that need to be dealt more with.

“I’ll plan on branching off of last year’s plans,” Devine said. “They did a great job at making Spirit Week successful, handled clubs well and even introduced events like the two concerts quad. I plan on improving their plans by continuing to help run ASB with efficiency and effectiveness, while introducing new events to help unite the student body.”

Parker Devine ASB President

Kate Marinkovich ASB Vice President

Shivonne Logan ASB Secretary

“My plans are to make Paly a better place by increasing interaction between different classes—mainly upperclassmen and lowerclassmen— by having more school events that include the whole student body. I want to have more events like the two concerts that were held on the quad.”

“The main role of ASB vice president is mainly to manage clubs. I want to make sure each club is getting the correct support it needs. Therefore I would like to have regular check-ins with the club presidents, email them and have them send updates with how their club is running.”

“I want to get students more involved in participating in Paly events and going to sport events and making those events fun and worth going to. As secretary I plan on working with the rest of ASB to achieve these goals and create a stronger Play community.”

Audrey Debruine Senior Class President

Travis Chen Senior Class Vice President

Claire Liu Junior Class President

“There are many things I’m hoping to improve upon next [year]. The first is to increase student involvement in our class activities and discussions, Spirit Week being one example. I would also really like to draw from an even larger base of students who are coming from different groups so that it is not the same people making all the decisions and giving their opinions. I think that way we can become even more unified as a class during our last year at Paly.”

“I plan on improving the relationship between ASB and clubs, particularly with funding issues such as reimbursements for club activities and possibly more fundraisers across the year. Info could also be made more accessible to all on one organized website so that there can be the maximum possible participation by students who can fit the clubs into their schedule. I would also try to raise awareness and better advertising of school-wide events, like dances.”

Ankita Avadhani ASB Treasurer

“I plan to have more school fundraisers. Instead of charging out students more money for parking, I would rather have us [the ASB] work for the money we need for the student body. Some fundraisers might include car washes, bake sales and events similar to valgrams.”

gina scarpino & ahmed awadallah/THe campanile, courtesy of ankita avadhani

“During Spirit Week this year, things were planned very last minute and our class was unprepared. I hope to make it easier for my peers to stay in the loop with current school events: this means regular facebook updates and announcements. I also hope to implement organized committees of students determined to lead our spirit week float building and dance. In general, I want to encourage students to stay active in our school experience and raise their voice.”

Reid Walters Sophomore Class President

“I hope to increase participation during Spirit Week this upcoming year, have Spirit Week more organized and have more grade activities.

Last year we did not know what to expect, this year we do. We [now] know what Spirit Week entails, and we know what we need to expect and how to prepare. I also want to make sure that for Spirit Week we plan more things in advance and have a clear idea as to how we are going to execute all our ideas.”

Palo Alto endorses “Percent for Arts” program michelle yin staff writer

I

n order to maintain and expand Palo Alto’s public art collection, city officials including Mayor Greg Scharff and council members Pat Burt, Gail Price and Greg Schmid unanimously voted to expand Palo Alto’s Percent for Arts policy on April 8.

According to a memo written by council members, Palo Alto has fallen behind other cities in fostering public art which nourishes the kind of innovative thought that Palo Alto is known for.

By promoting the Percent for Arts policy, city officials hope to emphasize Palo Alto’s innovative identity by making buildings and other developments look more aesthetically pleasing.

“The City of Palo Alto and its community members value art, cultural arts and programs to provide richer experiences and education for the broader community,” Price said.

Initiated in 2005, the current Percent for Art policy budgets one percent of Palo Alto’s construction

costs for improvement projects that visually impact ambient environments for public art.

However, this current policy does not provide sufficient funds for construction projects, and with the growing amount of improvement projects, the opportunities for public art are shrinking, according the memo.

The proposed expanded policy would give city developers, with the exception of religious and nonprofit organizations, the option to either contribute a one percent in-lieu fee or employ artwork.

Also for maintenance purposes, “artwork shall not be demolished, removed or destroyed without City approval.”

“The benefits will be a stronger public art program that is more widely distributed and maintained over time,” Price said. “Our Art Center and the work of the foundation clearly identifies the critical importance of art and the need to support and expand art throughout the city.”

Another prospective measure of the upgraded policy is to develop a

municipal fee system to support public artwork.

This would be implemented in order create a more sustainable method for nurturing art around the city.

“I hope and expect that [the expanded policy] will result in a more sustainable funding for new art work

on private property and on sites and parcels owned by the City of Palo Alto,” Price said.

A change in the policy would increase the number of Percent for Art projects throughout the City and increase the money available to the Art Commission for public art, according to another city memo.

“It’s time for Palo Alto to take the modest step of extending its Percent for Art policy to private developments and to provide a dedicated source for maintenance and administration of our public art collection,” Scharff said in his State of the City speech. “Palo Alto as a great city deserves great art.”

Chrissie Cheng/The campanile

The City of Palo Alto plans to increase the budget for the Arts Program.

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Monday, April 29, 2013

A6

The Campanile

SPOTLIGHT

The Soocial o DIV ivide

and d e t c u cond ire Liu s w vie la Inter ten by C ie Cheng writ y Chriss nb Desig

AUTHOR’S NOTE I first became interested in exploring Paly’s social divide after passing “The Wall” as I rushed to my 6th period Chemistry class one day. While I walked beside the Student Center, a girl paces ahead of me turned to her friend and whispered, “That’s where all the ghetto kids hang out at Paly. My sister told me that.”

Recalling that I was fed this same information by an upperclassman when I entered high school one year earlier, I decided to further explore why students seemingly self-segregate based on race between “The Wall” and the quad.

As I engaged in more conversation, I realized these racial tensions influence more than just student hangout spots. The words of my peers touch on various unspoken social dynamics at Paly, including racial and cultural judgment, Palo Alto’s false façade of perfection and the effects of social isolation on students of color in the classroom.

A few observations that caught my attention include the discomfort of my peers as they discussed social divides, the great contrast in responses I received, and the countless students

Q: Is there a social divide among students caused by factors such as race, culture and city borders?

ow h , of e e m olor at e s e c ok he e l p , th d lo on t ” o . e s n “P dres in a u’re town k “Yo of I s my like, ide n s Jo e g m ron w

Esha: I think that there’s a social divide, but there are tons

of social divides at Paly. Some are based on where people live and things like that, but others are based on what classes people take and their extracurriculars.

Jesús: People will say how there’s so many different groups

at Paly, which is true. But you can just see how the split between kids from different cities or different races is more obvious than the others; it’s a lot bigger.

Jon: Yes. But it’s not just a student divide. It’s everyone at

school. You feel the divide even when you’re with teachers and adults at school and in Palo Alto in general. People look at me different, talk to me different. People see me, how I dress, the color of my skin and look at me like, “You’re on the wrong side of town.”

Sasha: Absolutely, there is a social divide. We self-segre-

gate and flock with people who are similar to ourselves.

Q: How is this social divide noticeable on a daily basis?

Romaine: You see a lot of the minorities at “The Wall”.

Everyone else hangs out on the quad. On the quad it seems all happy and easy and smart. At “The Wall”, its different.

We’re funny but we have struggles. I guess that’s not to say kids on the quad don’t have problems. I don’t really know.

Jesús: Just look around you. It’s blacks with Latinos here

at the Wall. It’s everyone else, all the kids from Palo Alto, over on the quad. Almost everyone sees it.

Jon: Most people who chill here at “The Wall” are African

American, Latino or Pacific Islander. I mean, of course, there are a few exceptions, a couple white kids. But if you just look, it’s mainly minorities.

Q: What makes people feel so different?

Jon: I guess the way people look and dress can make people feel different. Minorities wearing big hoodies, hats, certain shoes might stand out because other people aren’t used to it. The other way too. We might not be used to how the rest of the Paly kids talk and act and dress.

Omar: There’s judgement. People make assumptions. They think, “He’s black or Mexican or Tongan so he’s from East Palo Alto.” Then from there, people think, “East Palo Alto is a dangerous place so he’s probably a bad kid.”

orities n i m e h t f o lot “You see a ne else o y r e v e , ” l l at “The Wa e quad.” h t n o t u o hangs - Romaine

who refused to be interviewed because they did not want to “offend” or express “politically incorrect” thoughts.

As I found students willing to tell their stories, I decided a question and answer structure would provide the most raw and honest platform for students and teachers to express themselves.

Now, I invite our community to take a hard look at Paly’s social divides and embrace dialogue about topics like race that we currently deem too touchy to discuss.

Q: When does division start?

Omar: Well, when I was in elementary school, I was real cool with everyone, with the white and Asian kids too.

Everyone, really. But I started getting older, everything changed. In middle school you can really see it.

Junior: For me, I’ve felt the divide ever since I was real lit-

tle, I’ve always known it was there.

Adi: Middle school is when I noticed that people really

split. People become more judgemental as they get older, everyone gives a f**k what others think of them. The divide grows bigger.

Q: What causes the split?

Ms. Burton: Race, city borders, culture, activities, many factors. East Palo Alto students who are part of the voluntary transfer program and don’t live in the same neighborhood in which they attend school find it difficult to spend time with students living in Palo Alto, due to a lack of parental communication and transportation.

Esha: I personally don’t know how much of it is a race

problem. But yeah, if you look at Paly, it does seem to be the case that people of similar races are more likely to be hanging out together.

Q: How does the social divide affect classroom life?

Dr Walton: Before any person enters a new environment or setting, they ask questions along the lines of, “Am I going to fit in?” and “Are people going to respect and value me?”. When people are entering a new place, knowing their group is a minority or is negatively stereotyped, these questions of belonging and respect become more serious and bothersome. This can prevent individuals from staying motivated socially and academically.

Omar: Well, in class when I ask for help, kids look at me and ask me “Why weren’t you paying attention?”, or just talk to me rudely. I feel judged. It’s like, they’ll help other people in the class, but they don’t want to help me or people who look like me.

Jon: It feels like in a lot of my classes, there are maybe only three to four black or Mexican kids, or people from East Palo Alto. It makes it hard to talk in class, because you are the minority. You don’t want to say nothing, so you sit there and wait till the bell rings.

“It ma kes becau it hard to ta se lk You do you are the in class, n so you ’t want to s minority. ay not sit the hing, re and w ait till bell ri the ngs.”

- Jon

“

The Campanile

Monday, April 29, 2013

SPOTLIGHT

“People from Palo Alto don’t really talk about struggles, so it seems there aren’t any, but there are. Many are struggling too, the perfection is a façade.”

- Ms. Burton Ms. Burton: This is a question that needs to be on the district

radar at all times. We often talk about academic improvement and bridging the achievement gap. But we need to focus on the fact that the degree to which a student feels they belong to a school or community correlates to their academic success within that community.

Jesús: Something I noticed is that my classmates talk to me

like I’m not as smart as them, maybe because of the way I look, or the color of my skin. It’s funny, because I might actually be getting better grades than them.

Q: Do you believe discrimination is a two-way street?

Ms. Burton: Racism can be

a two way street. There are stereotypes for students of color and those living in East Palo Alto, but there are stereotypes for Palo Alto kids too. Rich, snobby, privileged. This judgment runs strong and leads to assumptions about large groups of people.

We need to think, maybe this rich, privileged child has an alcoholic parent or comes home to an empty home every night. People from Palo Alto don’t really talk about struggles, so it seems there aren’t any, but there are.

Many are struggling too, the perfection is a façade. There are families here having a very very hard time, financially, emotionally. It’s just not talked about.

Suzie: Yeah, it is. People assume that kids in Palo Alto don’t really know what struggle is, simply because this is a wealthy area. But that’s not the truth. For example, my family was affected by the bad economy. My parents had to declare bankruptcy. I’m working my own job to pay for stuff. It pisses me off when people assume I’m some stuck up, rich, white b***h.

Junior: Not really, because for me, I feel like people judge me

more than I judge others. For me, I don’t give a s**t where you’re from. As long as you’re cool with me, I’m cool with you.

Jon: I mean... I guess so. It’s hard to say. But yeah, I guess I can see that. I know some of my friends don’t want to be friends with Palo Alto kids because they just don’t get it. It seems like they get whatever they want. We think we have such different lives, so we assume we can’t become friends.

Anonymous: Most definitely. Everyone has family problems,

it doesn’t matter how rich you are. From the outside I look like the stereotypical, privileged Palo Alto kid. But I have lot’s going on. My mom has depression and shes bi-polar. It’s hard to talk to her because she is so quiet or she is not in the mood.

She works hard, like five-six days a week so is often super stressed. It’s just hard sometimes. My dad is generally good and supportive but he has lost it before and has hit me. I have friends with alcoholic parents. Kids here [in Palo Alto], we might not show it, and we might not talk about it, but some of us are dealing with pretty bad situations.

Q: Why is race such an uncomfortable topic for most to talk about?

Dr. Walton: We are taught that we’re not supposed to talk about race, about color. We are taught to believe fiction, that the world is now color blind and that we are color blind. We are not. These conversations feel awkward. People don’t want to be accused of being racist.

Ms. Burton: It’s something we don’t have practice in. It’s so

personal, Sometimes for people of color, it might evoke feelings of anger and resentment. For people who are white, there might be a sense of guilt, not understanding or a fear

meet

of offending. It’s difficult to talk about so conversations that involve race tend to stay above the surface.

Q: Should this divide bother students? Should we work to improve it?

Ms. Burton: It’s something we should always be working on.

We have a great opportunity to practice having those hard conversations, to break barriers. We owe it to ourselves to expose these obstacles, and breakthrough comfort zones.

Esha: It’s hard to say. I think it’s only problematic if differ-

“My classmates talk to me like I’m not as smart as them, maybe because of the way I look, or the color of my skin.

It’s funny, because I might actually be getting better grades than them.”

- Jesús

A7

ent groups act unkindly to one another or if the social climate discourages people from intermingling. To my knowledge, I don’t think that either of those problems exist at Paly.

”

Adi: Well, in some ways,

it’s a natural thing. Similar people just like to hang out with each other. But it should be worked on, just no one wants to say that.

People will immediately get stingy and be like “It’s my freedom to choose who I hang with.” Yeah, but kids should at least give others a chance. Judgement should stop.

Jon: Agreed. People don’t wanna hear “You should work on making friends with different kids, and different races.” Of course, no one should be forced to hang out with others, but people should be respectful of people regardless of where they’re from. Everyone should be more open.

Q: How can our community work together to minimize this social divide?

Dr. Walton: Schools can take actions by creating activities that bring people together in cooperative ways.The Jigsaw Classroom is a psychological technique that divides a common project and allows each student to become an expert in their topic. Then, the students are put back in groups to teach and learn from each other. Classrooms tend to be competitive, the teacher has to pick who to call on, and students might be fighting to speak. Schools can work toward treating students on an equal basis, emphasizing team work, and common goals. As a community, we should have the attitude that we want to grow individually and become comfortable coming together and interacting with different people with different experiences.

Sasha: We would have to be open and recognize how much

we can gain from welcoming different people into our lives.

Ms. Burton: Students need to find a connection and recognize that one exists. As a community, we need to work past perceptions on both sides and realize that students of all different colors and cities might be struggling with the same problems.

It’s important that we learn to broach these touchy subjects and make new connections that will really benefit us.

Adi: People need to step out of their boundaries, even though

they don’t want to. We all need to stop thinking, “I’m cool with what I know and I don’t need anything else.” When we recognize common interests, we’ll find we are really similar.

Sports might be the activity people think of first, but there are really a hundred other things to bring people together...

Hobbies, music, tv shows... so much more.

Jon: Just gotta talk to people... it’s not that hard to talk to different people but no one makes enough of an effort. We gotta make an effort if we want to improve anything. Young peo-

ple shouldn’t be living with these boundaries they make for themselves.”

the

interviewees: DR. GREGORY WALTON

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Stanford University.

Specializes in “identity, stereotypes, motivation and achievement, psychological intervential and social cognition.”

-Gregory Walton’s Curriculum Vitae

Ms. Letitia Burton

“I’m a teacher and parent of a Paly grad. I’m African American.

I believe that the most important thing I can do as a teacher is help enhance a sense of social justice in my students.”

Junior Tongi

“I’m a boy. I’m Tongan and I hang out at ‘The Wall’.”

Esha Datta

“I’m a senior girl hoping to study law. I am Indian. I’d like to think I spend time with a variety of people.”

Adi Beth

“I am Israeli and a sophomore. I love music. All my homies are at ‘The Wall’.”

Jon Martinez

“I’m a sophomore from East Palo Alto. At school, I stay in my comfort zone—I surround myself with positive people I can relate to.”

Sasha Robinson

“I’m a female, senior. I’m white. I hang out on the deck. I help Tremaine Kirkman run SEAN (Students Equity Action Network), a non-profit designed to bridge the achievement gap for students of color. I spend a significant amount of time with all races and have a diverse group of friends.”

Omar Santacruz

“I’m a Hispanic sophomore. I’m Christian and I love God. I be at ‘The Wall’ because that’s where I’m welcome.”

Romaine Ward

“I’m a junior. I’m a nice guy who plays football. I spend time at the wall. I like to meet and hang around new people.”

Jesús Ochoa

“We are taught that we’re not supposed to talk about race, about color. We are taught to believe fiction, that the world is now color blind and that we are color blind. We are not.”

- Dr. Gregory Walton

“I’m a freshman boy. I am a football player. I hang around ‘The Wall’.”

Suzie emery-Sphar

“I’m a sophomore girl. I’m white.

I do my own thing and live without limits. I couldn’t tell you that I hang out in a specific place or only with certain people.”

Monday, April 29, 2013

A8

The Campanile

OPINION

More students should run for positions in ASB

Jensen Hsiao Staff Writer

M

ore people should have run for this year’s ASB as the elections demonstrated a significant decrease in the number of candidates from prior years. With ten available positions to run for, only four had more than one person running for the position.

The sparse candidate turnout does not allow Paly’s student body enough choice in electing their leaders. It is vital for students to have the opportunity to choose their elected officials who make significant decisions regarding many important student events such as Spirit Week and prom.

Many students recognize the importance of ASB and appreciate the ability to choose the most qualified candidate to fill certain positions. “[Student government] is important because they organize social events and trips and that is something people of our school should be concerned about,” junior Paul Bienaime said. “That being said, I think that I would like to have more choices and have a bit more publicity from the people running for the positions. If only one person runs, I don’t really have a choice. It’s not really an election.”

This year there were many positions that only one candidate ran for. Both freshmen Owen Dulik and Reid Walters ran unopposed for sophomore class vice president and class president, respectively. Juniors Audrey Debruine, Shivonne Logan and

Without multiple candidates running for each position, the ASB election does not resemble an election.

sophomore Ankita Avadhani all ran unopposed.

When only one candidate runs for a position, students lose their ability to decide who they want to represent them in ASB. Even worse, there was one position, ASB vice president, that nobody ran for.

With a school of 2000 plus students, there should be more A larger pool of candidates will solely ensure that the student body is best represented by officials that they were able to choose themselves. students looking to represent their peers and improve their school. Although not in Paly’s ASB Constitution, the current ASB members along with Student Body Director, Matt Hall, decided to have a special election for the

position that nobody ran for, ASB vice president. Junior Kate Marinkovich, who lost to Parker Devine in the ASB presidential election, ran against junior Sam Kelley for the ASB Vice presidency during the special election.

Marinkovich won.

Having a limited number of students hurts our student body.

We want to have the choice in who makes the decisions for us as elected officials. Having nobody run for a position is embarrassing.

“Hypothetically, what if I don’t [like the person who runs unopposed],” Bienaime said. “I don’t want them running as my elected official. But with the turnout this year, I don’t really have a choice.”

If more people ran for ASB, we would have a better selection of candidates to choose from. This is not to say that the current elected officials will not do a fantastic job next year, nor that they are not the best fit for the job. A larger pool of candidates will merely ensure that the student body is best

represented by officials that they were able to choose themselves.

We should model our cross town rival’s, Gunn High School’s, enthusiasm and commitment towards ASB. Gunn students run strong campaigns on campus and on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

“I think that the Gunn SEC (student executive committee) has a reputation for being a great program,” Gunn junior Stephanie Do said. “A lot of candidates run and they’re all for different reasons.

Whether it’s to look good for college, or to display their leadership skills, or just because their friends are doing it.”

Gunn’s increased participation may be linked to the fact that students at Gunn not only vote for their class officials but also for positions such as social, spirit and sports commissioners. This method promotes more accountability from the students as students directly elect their commissioner. This is unlike Paly where the class officials

Eric Wang/The Campanile

chose ASB’s commissioners on the student’s behalf. If more voting is required to vote the commissioners into office, then more people will vote and thus ASB participation will increase due to the increase voter turnout.

Therefore we should remove appointed positions and solely rely on the student body to elect our Having a limited number of students hurts our student body. We want to have the choice in who makes the decisions for us as elected officials. Having nobody run for a position is embarrassing. student body officials.

Unfortunately this year’s elections are over, but next year everyone able to run for a position who has any interest in bettering our school should do so. That is the only way our community at Paly can be best represented.

ASB failed to follow own constitution

Sid Venkatasubrama-

T

he words preceding the statement of Palo Alto High School’s ASB Constitution are, “To provide for the further eduction in the practices and ideal of the democratic process...,” which sets forth the guidelines for the management of the student body.

While the entire student body owes a great deal of gratitude to ASB members’ relentless efforts to improve the lives of Paly students, these principles were not followed in the planning of the ongoing 2013-2014 student government elections, if one were to infer their strictly literal meaning.

As it currently stands, the ASB constitution does not have a provision detailing a course of action that is to be taken in the event that there are no candidates running for any given position.

Although there were no candidates running for the position of ASB vice president for the coming school year, this reality was ignored, and the ASB announced that there would a runoff election with a new batch of candidates. No statements were made referencing the fact that

there was no constitutional basis for such an action; the possibility of adding a relatively straightforward amendment to deal with such a circumstance was not granted even an iota of lip service.

Granted, at a microcosmic level, the fact that ASB paved the way for the runoff elections without a constitutional mandate will have little or no importance in the long run.

What is more significant here is the precedent that it sets for respecting and abiding by the sacrosanctity of the Constitution.

As a purportedly “democratic” organization, the ASB is subject to enforcing guidelines and laws that are presented by the student body and voted on by the council.

Short circuiting this process removes necessary checks on the actions of the body by decreasing transparency with regard to the mechanics of the election of the school’s representatives and the powers granted to them in office.

While Paly’s environment is not characterized by the intricacies that must be considered in crafting laws for an entire nation, the fundamental principle of allowing for discussion is one that ought to be present in determining what ought to be done in a situation such as this.

In summary, the actions of ASB in this particular scenario were relatively harmless and are not worthy of much scrutiny. However, in the future, it ought to develop a more transparent process that allows the student body to bounce back quickly and efficiently in situations which the constitution might not dictate action for.

As that of the governed, the voice of the Paly students ought to be taken into consideration in shaping and conceiving of such policy.

JONATHAN Ziegler/the campanile

The ASB constitution outlines basic laws of the student government.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

OPINION

Not In Our Schools Week deserves more recognition from students irene ezran staff writer

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or many students, Not in Our Schools (NIOS) Week is just another week of school, and one that holds little significance.

Many fail to realize the importance of this week and how it helps better our community.

The Not in Our Town (NIOT) movement started as a small organization that was created when community members helped neighbors who were attacked by white supremacists in Billings, Montana.

After several documentaries were made about the incident, the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) led a campaign which developed into a much larger nation-wide project called Not in Our Town.

The purpose of Not in Our Town is to work with law enforcement organizations to prevent hate crimes and to help community groups make schools across America safer for students. Not in Our Schools Week is a subdivision of Not in Our Town that was created to help students work together in order to eliminate hate, racism and stereotypes. During the week, there are various lunchtime activities that are designed to create awareness about issues that our society faces everyday.

However, many students at Paly do not respect this important week, and some even mock those who choose to participate in these lunchtime activities. This may be because students are ignorant of the problems that our society faces, or do not believe that issues such as bullying, prejudice and hatred are prevalent here at Paly.

In reality, our community has not eliminated the issues that Not in Our Schools Week addresses, and many students have felt degraded by racist or stereotypical comments that their peers have made. Phrases such as “that’s so gay,” or the n-word are commonly heard around campus, and many students do not understand the gravity of using such offensive terms.

These phrases and stereotypes create an unsafe learning environment at out school, and as a result, students are not able to express themselves because they are afraid of being bullied by others.

In addition, it has often been shown by college studies that diversity within a student body creates a better learning environment. Being with classmates that are different from one another helps students become more tolerant, a value that they will need for working with others in the future. Not in Our Schools Week embraces diversity and teaches students to accept those who come from different backgrounds, races and religion.

I would like to thank those who organize Not in Our Schools Week and encourage Paly students to participate and keep an open mind during lunchtime activities in the future. This important week creates a better school environment and teaches students values that are crucial for their success.

A9

adam mansour/the campanile

During NIOS, students wrote down stereotypes on rings of paper and combined them to form a large paper chain.

They then ran through the chain and broke it, symbolizing how they were breaking the misconceptions.

PAUSD falls short in anti-bullying measures

Shivonne logan staff writer

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fter the shocking events concerning bullying in Palo Alto schools, specifically against a special education elementary school student, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) has finally decided to clean up its act as far as bullying policies are concerned. The recent school assemblies and advisory discussions, complete with anti-bullying videos, were the first evidence that policies in the district are changing in a way that might affect students.

It is a pretty weak start. With the federal government’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concluding that PAUSD’s bullying policies and lack of reinforcement remain completely inefficient to combating the pressing issue at hand, it is time for the district and students to step it up. PAUSD needs to enforce its anti-bullying policies in every situation, and students in all different grades, from every PAUSD school, need to act against any bullying they witness or are aware of.

When any student, much less a special education student, does not receive the help they need, it should be a cry for immediate reform. The district must rise to higher standards of enforcement, with abysmal results so far as far as immediate action goes.

“I don’t think the assembly did much to help bullying, nothing has changed,” junior Cathy Rong said of the recent advisory sessions designed to inform students about bullying.

After attending the anti-bullying sessions during advisory, some students did not feel that anything had been improved.

“I doubt [the assembly]’s what is needed to stop bullying,” junior Evan Powers said. “Personally the only thing I think can stop bullying would

be people taking action and standing up against bullies.”

With the tactics Superintendent Skelly used in keeping the problems away from the school board’s attention for around two months, changes are not evident on policy or reinforcement. So far, it has mostly been left to students to prevent bullying situations, which is a heavy weight for them to carry without administrative support. “[The district doesn’t] really do that much about [bullying],” sophomore Kelly Swanson said. “I got cyber bullied, and [the person who did it] didn’t get in trouble.”

Swanson said that she knew who had cyber bullied her, but was not able to get any help from the administration to stop the bully.

Our job as students is to come to school healthy and fully prepared to

PAUSD needs to enforce its anti-bullying policies in every situation, and students in all different grades, from every PAUSD school, need to act against any bullying they witness or are aware of.

learn in order to make the most of the excellent education we are provided in Palo Alto. But how can we possibly be expected to be fully prepared, or focused on our studies when our environment is unstable, and even unsafe in some schools?

As a student, it is frankly impossible not to question an administration whose policies and actions have not reflected the importance of recent bullying in the district. If administrators cannot step up and finish their job of providing students with a stable environment free of bullies and horrible treatment, students cannot possibly fulfill their end of the bargain. If Palo Alto schools are to continue their reputation of excellence, it is time for firmer reinforcement of policies. The implementation of new policies will help the students of Palo Alto attain as much as possible and prevent further conflicts from disrupting our education.

Monday, April 29, 2013

A10

The Campanile

OPINION

Paying for college not a given for Palo Alto students

Do your research and you may be able to find a handful of quirky scholarships that you are eligible for, and while they may not erase all of your college costs, they certainly will help.

Choose the Right School

Hillel Zand staff writer

P

alo Alto, home of the late Steve Jobs and the inception of Facebook, is not just the heart of Silicon Valley. It is also the heart of wealth in our country.

CNN Money recently found that Palo Alto is the third-highest earning town in America, with a median family income of $163,661. Not surprisingly, higher wealth translates into better education. Our district consistently ranks as one of the nation’s best and our school boasts the fourthhighest average SAT score among California public schools.

So don’t we all get a “100 percent free ride to college” coupon? I wish.

Please don’t walk around saying, “My parents said I can go anywhere I want as long as I get in,” or, “College cost is no issue for me.” What many Palo Altans forget is that just because our affluent community is supposed to produce some of the brightest minds around does not necessarily mean that we can all afford to exercise these bright minds in top-ranked universities. In fact, paying for their children’s college education completely out-ofpocket is a luxury that many parents dream of having.

The problem

Every university has an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) calculator, which spits out a dollar amount of how much each family is expected to pay for their child’s post-secondary education before receiving any need-based aid. What each calculator told me was that I should have no

Eric Wang/The Campanile

Students should treat the issue of paying for colleges more carefully despite the affluent Palo Alto community.

problem making my way through college because I can afford to pay 100 percent of every university’s cost of attendance, which unfortunately is not the case.

Universities take into account finances like parents’ retirement funds when calculating the EFC. So in a place like Palo Alto, even if your family does not make close to $163,661 a year but still has considerable assets or locked-up funds, you are expected to pay an arm, leg and your firstborn child to go to college.

In addition to high stress levels and SAT score worries, Palo Alto has another problem in that, from my experience, many of its residents do not realize that going to college is not always financially guaranteed for everyone.

Now there are some who can afford to not even worry about those EFC calculators because they are in the fortunate position of being able to disregard finances when applying

to colleges. I like to say that there are two types of high-school students in the world: those who have to work hard to get into college, and those who have to work hard to get into college and worry about having to pay for it. The first demographic is probably not the largest portion of Palo Altans, but is probably considerably higher than the national average.

Some students assume that their peers have $250,000 locked away to pay for college just like them because everyone in Palo Alto has that, right?

Not necessarily. Luckily, there are some under the radar tips and tricks to paying for college that most anyone can take advantage of.

The solutions Loans

Taking out loans is always a touchy subject, as debt can pile up right before your eyes before you even say “college.” But there is a way to avoid steepening interest rates.

If you take a good half hour to research on the Internet, you will be able to find a number of organizations that offer zero percent student loans. While the recipients of such loans sometimes have to meet certain demographics, there may be one out there just for you. In addition, avoiding loans with interest—even low-interest ones—will alleviate some weight off your (and your parents’) shoulders after your college graduation.

Unusual Scholarships

Even if you do not get the full-ride scholarship you coveted nor substantial need-based aid, there is still hope.

Search online for some unusual scholarships you may be eligible for, such as the Tall Clubs International Student Scholarships, which rewards vertically gifted students with scholarships of up to $1,000. CollegeHumor even offers has a $5,000 scholarship for the “majority of students who fall somewhere in the middle [academically].”

Everyone wants to go to some prestigious school that encapsulates their everything they have ever wanted, so when one finds out that they may not be able to afford that school, they do everything they can to make it work.

That said, sometimes you have to settle for a school that may just be more financially feasible. Have a conversation with your parents as to whether or not they will stretch to pay for you to go to a school that, although it may be out of your family’s financial range, has graduates who tend to be more successful and make more money later on in life. Other times it is better to go to a more affordable school that may not have as much prestige and whose graduates may not come out of college as well-qualified. In the end, it may not be the school on your diploma that defines your life, but rather it could be the hands that you shake and the networks you build along the way.

Established by the Obama administration, the College Affordability and Transparency Center has an online College Scorecard that provides statistics such as loan default rates and the amount that students borrow each month at a certain university. Check out their website to get a better sense of whether or not that college may be financially feasible for you.

So to all of you who do not have to worry about paying for college, I encourage you to not take that for granted and respect the many Palo Alto families that do have to worry about such ever-growing costs.

Remember that although Palo Alto may be the land of the silicon chip and the home of the technology superstars, it does not necessarily mean that each of its citizens can ignore the dollar sign on a college’s cost of attendance.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

OPINION A11

Teachers should reduce discrepancies between classes

Jonathan ziegler Staff writer

W

hen students get back to school next year they will frantically wait for their schedules to be released on Infinite Campus, and contrary to what one may think, students often are not considering the classes they have, but rather evaluating the difficulty of each of their teachers.

At Paly, the problem of teacher inconsistency has constantly been grieved among much of the student body, as it causes large grade and workload discrepancies between classes of the same course. The rigor of students’ classes should not be based on the teachers they get, but rather on the classes they sign up for.

While it may be hard to accomplish total teacher consistency, there are several steps that various departments can take. For example, the English department is trying to standardize the number of assignments, essays and projects for each class in particular.

“We standardize assignments,” English teacher Craig Bark said. “Students have equal opportunities to be evaluated throughout the course of the class.”

This is a step in the right direction; however, the subjectivity of grading plays a huge role in the English department. Thus, the rigor of the grading will always depend on the teacher.

Every teacher at Paly has a different mind, which inevitably will cause inconsistencies.

However, instead of trying to make each teacher think like the same robot, steps should be taken to reduce discrepancies. For subjective assignments, teachers should collaborate and come up with an extensive rubric to establish a way to consistently assess assignments. Many of the teachers at Paly, including Bark, have used this improved style of grading.

Aside from the English department, controversy has arisen over the Spanish 4 AP course taught by Marina Alvarado and Pilar Alonso.

After the end of the first semester, many of the students were overwhelmingly stressed about how much higher grades were in Alvarado’s

Adam Mansour/The Campanile

Physics classes taught by different teachers, such as Mr. Geller’s and Ms. Eris’ Physics Honors classes, should have a standardized curriculum between all classes in order to ensure equal grading for all students and promote collaboration.

class because she gave her class extra credit points.

Furthermore, Alvarado’s points were all weighed and divided up into categories, while Alonso’s grades were solely a sum of all the points students earned during the semester divided by the total. Both of these discrepancies accounted for a significant amount of variance in the grade book. However, there might be a further explanation.

“What you have to take into account is not solely class average,” a teacher who wishes to be anonymous said. “It is also the students that make up the class.”

The makeup of any class is important and will usually account for some discrepancies in the grade book; however, the variances should never be too large to the point of which students with different teachers are marginalized.

“It would be ideal if the class averages are within 10 percent of each other for any given class,” Bark said.

The student body will always care about grades, and due to a high achieving environment, the administration, instructional supervisors and teachers need to put forth a better effort in establishing teacher consistency, not only because students want it, but because it is only fair.

In efforts to alleviate this problem, staff should be able to have collaboration periods any days of the week to develop a standardized curriculum for each of the classes. As Bark previously mentioned, every class should have the same number of assignments. Furthermore, the grading system, whether comprised of weighted categories or a sum of earned points, should be standardized. The only two problems with putting forth an effort to have consistency among

classes are that it would take a significant amount of time to standardize curriculums, and it would take away the free will from teachers to customize their classes to their likings.

To give teachers the opportunity to customize their classes, they should be allowed to hand out projects and essays that come with different options. For example, if a student were to be doing a paper on the bombing of Pearl Harbor, another student could do a project on an analysis of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s speech after the bombing. By having options like these, students and teachers can still create exciting classes.

Teacher consistency is not going to be resolved overnight, nor will it ever be perfect.

However, an increased effort on the staff’s behalf to increase congruity among classes would be greatly appreciated by the student body.

Students should be able to select their own course lanes

Michelle Yin Staff writer

T

hough regarded as an academically successful school, Paly’s class selection process needs to be reformed since many students suffer from the rigid class lane system.

As students enter high school as freshmen, they are sorted into different class lanes and particularly for math classes, students placed in lower lane classes are often unable to switch into more advanced classes even if they should not be placed there. Students who may have slacked off in middle school and are placed in lower lanes as a result have an extremely difficult time attempting to switch into more advanced math lanes if they so desire.

The system of class laning implemented by the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) has negatively impacted the academic progression for many students and should be reconsidered in place of self-selection of classes in order to better foster the academic development of students.

“I feel hindered by the laning system at Paly because I feel like so many class options have been restricted to me since I was placed in certain class lanes as a freshman,” junior Karina Dutra said.

When students enter Paly as freshmen, PAUSD lanes them into five math classes, based on their middle school performance, which essentially determines their educational

rigor for the next four years. The higher lane classes teach the same mathematics only at a faster pace and more in depth. For example, juniors in Analysis, the highest math lane, learn the same material as those taking Introduction to Analysis and Calculus (IAC), the second math lane, but the Analysis class is usually around two chapters ahead and the tests are much more rigorous.

However, the main difference between lower and higher math lanes is that higher ones provide more academically stimulating problems which often encourage collaboration among students.

This is an essential part of learning as students tend to learn best from each other and furthermore it helps to initiate academic drive derived from competition among students.

Thus, some students erroneously laned may spend the rest of the year feeling unchallenged.

Math lanes not only determine the mathematical careers students receive but also the science classes available to them. Only enrollment in the top two math lanes allows students to be eligible to take the chemistry honors and physics honors classes available as options for sophomores and juniors. This creates a dilemma for many science-oriented students who are forced to take the regular class options and may feel unchallenged as a direct result of the math lane system.

“Since I am not in the two highest math lanes, I’ve been forced to take regular paced science classes which is frustrating because I feel like I would be able to keep up with the math in harder classes but I’ve been deprived of the chance to even try,” Dutra said. “As a result, I have definitely been more inclined to take humanities classes even though I like science.”

PAUSD should consider allowing students to select their own lanes especially in the case of honors science classes, students do not even need mathematical skills past algebra and basic trigonometry in order to do the calculations required for those classes.

Even for AP Biology and AP Chemistry, little mathematical skills are required. The district-wide lane system should not prevent a student from taking a more enriching class if they so desire.

Rather, students ought to have the freedom to determine for themselves whether they want to take a class that is more difficult and workintensive or one that is less challenging.

Students easily have a better judgement of their own intellectual strong suits, the amount of rigor they can handle and academic ambition they have. Furthermore, given the competitive

culture at Paly and in PAUSD in general, the school district should have enough trust in students to allow them to make responsible class choices.

Therefore, students should have the liberty of determining their own schedules instead of remaining stagnant in the classes determined for them by the PAUSD lane system.

Monday, April 29, 2013

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The Campanile

EDITORIALS

District must revise bullying policy, current approach weak, ineffective

I

n recent events concern ing Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), culminating in an Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigation, PAUSD Superintendent Kevin Skelly has raised troubling questions about the lack of enforcement of anti-bullying policies in the district.

The investigation has concluded that the district needs to do more to prevent bullying, and has proceeded in taking action within the community. Superintendent Skelly neglected to promptly inform the school board of the issue, and the overall action in response, or rather inaction, has been underwhelming.

More effective measures aimed to prevent student-to-student bullying should be instated, and the district needs to take their actions further than the advisory discussions held recently at Paly. Recent events have shown that the district’s current stance on bullying, particularly cyberbullying, is not aggressive enough.

Superintendent Skelly recently

discussed plans for a training and outreach program in the next couple weeks, however his lack of immediate action has been unhelpful to students who need the district to create a safer school environment.

Many students are unaware of the bullying incident, and Paly itself has seen only one advisory session in response. With many students who have been physically, mentally or electronically bullied in Palo Alto, aggressive action and better communication with PAUSD students is long overdue.

Though there are several school board rules regarding issues raised by the recent OCR case, they have not been implemented actively enough by district staff, and have for this reason been unhelpful. The district’s current policies and new ideas have the potential to be effective. However, without active follow-through and cooperation from every staff member, they also have the potential to fall short in solving the problem as they have so far.

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of these stories has spurred so much gossip that the intended message is drowned out. However, many have argued the opposite, stating that the personal stories offer a graphicly candid perspective of the unreported rape victim. All these may be valid opinions, but the Campanile fully supports Verde’s latest thoughtprovoking piece of investigative journalism. We believe that the negative effects of “Rape Culture” are far outweighed by the benefits of the open discussion that Verde opened up for our community.

As the editors of Verde wrote in a letter that accompanied the magazine, The Campanile wants to emphasize that when reading “Rape Culture,” more attention should be paid to the stories and struggles of the individuals detailed, and not the people themselves. As tempting as it is to pry and gossip about those who were written about, the most important part of “Rape Culture” is the message: rape in high school is a very real issue, and must be remediated however possible.

It is imperative that those who have suffered through rape can report their cases without fear of ostracism, and hopefully we can all create a more open community, comfortable with thoughtful discussion, with Verde’s “Rape Culture” being the first step of many.

Administrations’ code red drills a necessary step

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ollowing a period of mourning, our nation reemerged determined to keep schools safe after the tragic events of Newtown.

In the wake of recent gun violence, Paly reexamined its code red policies and, on April 22, executed its first lockdown drill in recent years. The Campanile would like to commend Principal Phil Winston and the rest of the Paly administration for scheduling the drill, as it shows a renewed commitment to school safety.

In January, the administration vowed to prioritize lockdown drills after the Sandy Hook shooting. Although the drill happened four months later, the administration showed due diligence by emphasizing the importance of securing our campus.

In an affluent suburb such as Palo Alto, some believed that any sort of domestic terrorism on a school campus could never reach us, but the Sandy Hook marked a staunch change in national safety policies.

We as a community must be wellprepared for any sort of emergency, whether big or small.

In carrying out the code red drill, students were able to practice for a scenario that would require a school lockdown. By carrying out the drill, Palo Alto Unified School District showed the value they place in the

well-being and preparedness of its students. Most students had not practiced barricading a classroom for an emergency scenario for several years.

Although such a scenario is viewed as unlikely, preparing for one reinforces the time-old saying of “practice makes perfect.” The Campanile believes that lockdown drills are just as necessary as fire drills for they both act as threats to the safety of students.

While some students may view the drill as a waste of time due to the unlikelihood of an attack upon our campus, Palo Alto must use the Newtown community as an example of how we must be ready for the unexpected. Paly must join schools across the country in better preparing for an intruder on campus, and by having a code red drill, we are headed in the right direction.

The Sandy Hook shooting opened our eyes to the potential for hateful, violent acts upon innocent citizens, with average schoolchildren being no exception. The Campanile thanks the Paly administration for showing its commitment to student safety by having the first lockdown drill in recent memory for both students and teachers alike. By preparing for an attack on our campus, regardless of its likelihood, students are now better prepared for safety should our school be in a state of emergency.

Things To Do Before You Go Off To College

Therefore, it falls upon students as well as teachers and administrators to work actively against every form of bullying in the PAUSD. Students must work to help create an environment that puts an end to all bullying and abuse, both in and out of school, to ensure the security of every PAUSD student.

When further policies are enacted, it falls upon everyone involved in the school system to ensure they are carried out. Though it still remains the district’s responsibility to clean up its anti-bullying act, students will also need to help follow up with this in order to create the best environment possible.

With everyone in the community working together, in the hallways, on Facebook and in classrooms, bullying can be better prevented in PAUSD. It is absolutely imperative that PAUSD, as one of the best public school districts in the nation, takes action and leads the way in extensive anti-bullying action, rather than ineffective discussion.

Verde investigation sparks important dialogue or the past several weeks, Verde Magazine’s investigative piece on “Paly Rape Culture” has taken the Bay Area and online journalism communities by storm.

Featured on numerous local news stations, along with online news outlets Huffington Post and Slate Magazine, “Paly Rape Culture” sparked intense discussions on a sensitive issue normally swept under the rug: high school rape. In doing so, Verde has sparked a community-wide discussion on a whole range of controversial issues from the shaky definition of rape itself to the underreported frequency of high school rape cases.

The Campanile commends Verde for their journalistic excellence and unfailing willingness to explore controversial issues. “Rape Culture” has brought an issue normally obscured by social norms out into the open to be inspected and questioned by all.

The open dialogue will most certainly improve understanding within our community and ensure that cases like the ones described in Verde’s articles will only become less and less common. Inevitably, any controversial issue tends to polarize the population, and we have all heard arguments both for and against Verde’s article. Its shocking nature led some to accuse Verde of sensationalism, accusing the magazine of reporting mere hearsay.

Others believe that the uncovering

APRIL’S TOP TEN LIST

10) Stay accepted.

9) Tell that one person every reason why you hate them.

8) Bring a blender to the library and make smoothies.

7) Drag race in the desterted Churchill lot at night.

6) Streak. ‘Nuff said.

5) Drive the golf cart around campus.

4) Play your portable speakers in class.

3) Burn now irrelevant college gear.

2) Dump that clingy significant other.

1) Homework... Just kidding.

-JAKE KERMAN

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Got something on your mind?

Submit a letter to the editor at campanile.opinion@gmail.com

COMIC OF THE MONTH

Plight of the average high schooler.

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Kate Apostolou • Charlie Dulik• Yasna Haghdoost Alvin Kim • Nira Krasnow • Michael Wang News Editors Elena Pinsker Emily Rosenthal

Opinion Editor Jake Kerman

Spotlight Editor Chrissie Cheng

Lifestyle Editor Anna McGarrigle

Business Managers Ben Hawthorne Elizabeth Bowman

Art Director Kate Apostolou

Features Editor Grace Fang

Sports Editors Logan Mendenhall Sophie Parker

A&E Editor Emily Tran

Technology Editors Wesley Shiau Beth Yan

Graphic Artist Bryant Field

Copy Editor Charlotte Barry

Photography Editors Adam Mansour Gina Scarpino

Social Media Editor Julia Poppy Cartoonists Alexander Jenson Eric Wang

Staff Writers Joshua Arfin Charlotte Barry Brandon Byer Galen Byrd Rachel Cui Ryan Deslauriers Samuel Dodson Irene Ezran Marie Ezran James Foug Bowen Gerould

Jensen Hsiao Josefin Kenrick William Kershner Maya Kitayama Julia Kwasnick Albert Lee Emily Lee Claire Liu Shivonne Logan Kian McHugh Will Mendenhall Jack Paladin

Ahmed Awadallah Charlotte Barry Chrissie Cheng

Perri Pond Gina Scarpino Ziv Schwartz Emily Semba Blake Smith Jordan Smith Angela Stern Kelly Stern Kyle Stewart Heather Strathearn Daniel Tachna-Fram Alex Taussig

Photographers Andrew Choi Jensen Hsiao Adam Mansour Anna McGarrigle

Sidhanth Venkatasubramaniam Leslie Wan Rachel Wilson Michelle Yin John Young Hillel Zand Jacob Zenger Lily Zhang Stephenie Zhang Jonathan Ziegler Alvina Zou

Gina Scarpino Emily Tran Hillel Zand

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The Campanile

LIFESTYLE Communicating in Crises

text by Daniel Tachna-Fram design by Anna McGarrigle & Irene Ezran

B

oston and New York, two cities that have spent the past century loving to hate each other, will as of Monday, April 15, 2013, be forever joined at the hip. Tragically, both of these great American cities have now been the victims of unprecedented terrorist attacks. However, in the 12 years that separated the two attacks, America and the world have changed drastically.

According to the International Business Times, on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001 there were approximately 110,000 cellphone subscribers in the United States. On the morning of April 15, according to the Pew Research center, more than half of all Americans owned smartphones, and almost 70 percent of all Internet users are on some form of social media. Considering that nearly 500,000 people attend the Boston Marathon annually as spectators alone, it is safe to say that at the moment the two bombs exploded at the finish line, there were thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, instant journalists on the scene ready to report. And millions more people sat at home all over the world ready to “share” and “retweet” the initial reports coming out of Boston. Literally within seconds, people from California to Moscow had a live feed of the horror that was unfolding on Boylston Street.

For senior Nora Carlson-Strom, who used to walk past the sight of the bombing on her way to school, the Internet and technology proved especially important in the hours following the bombing.

“Technology really was a blessing,” Carlson-Strom said. “It was the only way people could communicate, especially [during the manhunt] when people were not allowed to leave their homes. It was a way to help the community share their knowledge and work alongside the police to track down the bomber and get justice for the whole city” In comparison, on 9/11, it took the major news outlets all of three minutes to interrupt their regularly scheduled programming and tell the world that America was under attack.

As the events of 9/11 unfolded, news spread from an inner circle of police and first responders out to the news outlets and then the public. However, today often times it is members of the public to first break the news on websites like Facebook and Twitter, and the supposedly reliable news outlets are left scrambling to catch up.

This rush to be the first to tell the world can unfortunately lead to mistakes. In the hours following the Boston Marathon attack, CNN ran a report on a possible suspect only to be rebuffed by both the Boston Police Department and the FBI. The New York Post then went on to report that 12 people had died in the blasts and that a “Saudi national” was a suspect in the bombing. To make matters worse, the Post then put two pictures of “Bag Men” on its front page. The “Bag Men” turned out to be marathon spectators, unconnected with the bombing.

“Getting the story, or breaking the story a lot of times is seen as being more important than necessarily getting the story right,” history teacher Adam Yonkers said.

Errors like these only helped to strengthen fear and racial tensions that are already prevalent in America.

“My immediate reaction [to the bombing] was that this will bring up racial conflicts because everyone wants to point a finger and blame someone,” Carlson-Strom said.

“Unfortunately, because of previous terrorist attacks, many Arab Muslims were attacked due to the bombing, which obviously a whole religion or nationality could not be responsible for. I tried to stay away from any news on the assumption it wouldn’t be correct to start with and [would] constantly be altered throughout the search.”

While in certain cases the speed in which information gets out can lead to unfortunate mistakes being made, it can also relieve the stress felt by family members of potential victims.

“I wanted to cry,” Carlson-Strom said of when she first got ahold of her mother, who lives in Boston. “It was one of the best moments when I heard my mom’s voice and that she was okay.”

The Harvard Crimson also used the Internet and technology to help alleviate some of the anxiety felt by family members of those at the marathon. Immediately after the two explosions occurred at the finish line, The Harvard Crimson began to compile a list of Harvard affiliates who had been “confirmed safe.” With this service family members living all over the country of people in the Boston area were able to know within minutes of the bombing if their friends and loved ones were safe.

With the increased amount of information and the speed at which that information is transmitted, it has become increasingly important for everybody to exercise responsibility and understand their role in this new, speed -crazed technology age.

“In the case of the Boston bombing, [posts on social media] are the first drafts of history,” Yonkers said. “But a lot of the times the facts are wrong.”

As it has been pointed out by media critics since the Boston bombing, with the rise of the smartphones and increased Internet access, the role of traditional journalists has switched from reporting information to sorting it out. In this case, it seems as if many major news outlets are struggling to make this transition as they hobble along behind the Internet and social media in the race to break a story, leaving a trail of misinformation behind them.

Breaking the story a lot of times is seen as being more important than necessarily getting the story right.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Thyme To Eat Mediterranean Cuisine

B8

by Rachel Cui

gy o l o n Tech ates g propo ation inform tan insta y —- for sl neou or r bette e wors

Technology really was a blessing. It was the only way people could communicate.

—Nora Carlson-Strom Senior

—Adam Yonkers history teacher

INSIDE

Gearing up for BFD 2013

by Emily Semba

B6

by Beth Yan and Ben Hawthorne

B7

Monday, April 29, 2013

B2

The Campanile

STUDENT LIFE

A day in the life of a struggling junior.

Local company creates mobile app for affordable standardized test prep

Hillel zand

The following events transpired between April 16 , 2013 and April 17, 2013 11:59 p.m.: I contemplate whether or not I should study for my physics test tomorrow. I don’t really feel like it, but who wants to disappoint Chief Keith (Geller)?

12:42 a.m.: After much internal soul-searching, I decided to postpone studying until tomorrow at lunch and instead call it a night.

1:03 a.m.: Nightly ritual: SAT question of the day 1:05 a.m.: Turn the pillow to the cold side and start to fall asleep.

7:15 a.m.: My worst enemy, aka my iPhone alarm, attempts to wake me up to the tune of LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem.”

7:40 a.m.: The better alarm, a.k.a. my mom, effectively gets me out of bed by using the effective strategy of yelling at me until I get my a** up.

Although it is an effective tactic, it annoys the hell out of me.

8:02 a.m.: I begin my long four block trek to school. Earbuds in place, Justin Timberlake’s voice cheers me on the way to Paly.

8:11 a.m.: I arrive at Shirley’s Temple, aka Ms. Tokheim’s class.

8:25 a.m.: Ms. Tokheim’s class begins on a rough note considering the fact I didn’t finish the two paragraphs I was supposed to write that is now being checked for credit.

9:10 a.m.: Glory to God, Jesus, Muhammad and Mr. Bungarden!

Three 14 out of 15’s on three APUSH quizzes. I have never felt such an academic high.

10:37 a.m.: Third prep’s sole purpose is to provide me with time to do my math homework. I contemplate studying for physics, to no avail.

11:48 a.m.: ¿Me gusta español?

Quiero dormir ahora.

12:27 p.m.: Spend my lunch editing a video in the hopes of winning $40,000. Just a day in the life of a Campanile staff writer.

12:53 p.m.: IAC, Incredibly Amusing Class. Math with Bocksnick is an experience like no other that few get to enjoy. I am one of the lucky ones.

1:35 p.m.: Pray to do well on the physics test that I should have studied for.

1:57 p.m.: Electrostatics test. May the forces (get it, ‘cause it’s physics?) of Chief Keith keep me safe.

2:23 p.m.: Effectively play with wires for seven minutes.

2:42 p.m.: Listen to Thor Halvorssen, founder of the Human Rights Foundation, in Campy and feel extremely inferior in comparison to his humanitarian achievements.

3:25 p.m.: More video editing.

4:37 p.m.: Journey back home, fearing the homework that lies ahead.

5:04 p.m.: Settle my tuchus in my bed, which my dad calls the “bat cave.”

5:07 p.m.: Nets game, one of the last games of the season and I gotta root on my team. I’ve been with them through thick and thin, through Vince Carter (thick) and Brook Lopez (thin).

6:00 p.m.: Get tired of the game and decide to watch some intellectually-stimulating television programming: The Celebrity Apprentice.

6:30 p.m.: Fall asleep. I guess Gary Busey isn’t that interesting.

10:27:05 p.m.: Did I really just sleep for four hours?

10:27:06 p.m.: This calls for 20 minutes of pracrastination.

10:45 p.m.: I should probably do APUSH homework.

11:26 p.m.: Finish APUSH homework. Just kidding, not really.

11:59 p.m.: And that was just an easy day....

CHRISSIE CHENG/ the campanile

KD College Prep is a local mobile app start-up that aims to develop effective and user-friendly programs to prepare students for standardized tests.

jake kerman opinion editor

E

very high school student knows that standardized testing is the gateway to attending a four-year college. The widespread knowledge of the importance of these tests can be attributed to peers, parents, professors and pet platypuses constantly reminding teens that scores on exams like the SAT will make or break their chances of attending the college of their dreams.

Everyone from big multinational corporations to local tutors is cashing in on the sense of unease that comes with standardized testing by offering a variety of preparatory services for the SAT exam. These providers can charge hundreds for SAT classes, and private one-on-one tutoring sessions easily surpass the four-digit price range. Students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds generally perform better on college entrance exams, in part because they have access to resources that many of their less well-off peers are not capable of tapping economically. Now Bay Area startup Edupath hopes that its SAT prep software will go a long way in leveling the playing field for college admission tests.

Edupath is a educational technology startup whose app aims to improve students’ SAT scores in the shortest, most cost-efficient fashion possible. Why mobile?

“As a former tutor, I saw that students would be constantly engaging with their phones during lessons,” co-founder and director of learning Robert Smith said.

Previously a Stanford PhD student who spent free time tutoring kids as a member of Successlink Tutoring, Smith stepped away from the program to start Edupath.

During his tutoring sessions, Smith noticed that he had to compete

for students’ attention with their mobile devices.

“We thought, there’s got to be a way to create a learning experience that meets students where they are,” Smith said.

Smith was approached as a graduate student by Michael Weiler, now Edupath founder and CEO, to start the enterprise.

Weiler, the former head of Successlink Tutoring and a founding member for the East Bay School for Boys, has drawn on his extensive educational expertise in his role at Edupath. Together, the pair believes that the mobile format can sculpt users into more effective test takers.

EduPath has developed their interface so that users must develop the appropriate strategies when navigating through sections of the SAT. This approach stems from the belief that many ninth graders already have a good grasp on the SAT’s content; what they really need is help with their approach to standardized test-taking.

One illustration of the approach in action occurs when the application initially conceals answer choices for specific writing and critical reading section questions, which forces students to follow their intuitions and in turn eliminate false answer choices.

Despite the many strengths of tutoring for teaching students content, even the best tutors struggle when working to teach their students new test-taking habits.

“One-on-one tutoring doesn’t necessarily ensure that students are maximizing their potential when it comes to problem-solving,” Smith said.

Smith doesn’t want Edupath and tutors to become enemies, in fact, he believes the two can make each other better when paired methodology.

Thanks to Edupath’s dashboard feature, an online resource that

collects data from a student’s usage of the app, tutors are able to track the progress of their students to the question.

“I would have loved to use a program like this while tutoring because the dashboard gives me real-time data about how my students are performing,” Smith said.

Not only does the dashboard help tutors target weaknesses and develop individualized lesson plans, but it allows parents and college counselors to stay informed about progress.

“We know that many parents need to feel a connection, and I think that the dashboard achieves that without intruding on students’ work,” Smith said.

One-on-one tutoring doesn’t necessarily ensure that students are maximizing their potential when it comes to problem-solving methodology.

Robert Smith Co-founder of Edupath

One component of Edupath that separates it from other mobile apps is the emphasis on pairing test prep with college exploration. The company knows that kids study for the SAT solely as a means for university acceptance, so they decided to integrate a collegiate database that includes the median SAT score, student reviews and other data on schools they might want to apply to. Smith feels that this adds a motivational factor to the test prep experience as he can follow and track his success.

“If students can understand the arduous task of SAT prep in terms of something they actually want, they’re more likely to be engaged,” Smith said.

The app aims to cut wasted time by tracking a student’s progress through

an adaptive system. Every answer choice is fed into an algorithm, which over time pinpoints what areas a student thrives in along with concepts in which they need more extensive training. And as more and more data is collected, the app can assemble an even better lesson plan than before.

“The result is a personalized session that seeks to make maximum strides in the smallest time possible,” Smith said. “No two subscribers will have the same experience.”

For many families, the friendly cost structure of Edupath may the app’s most appealing aspect. The service costs $39.99 dollars a month after a free three-day trial. Ideally, that means students can fully prepare themselves for the exam at a cost of around 100 bucks. Also, students who qualify for a College Board Fee Waiver when taking the SAT will get to use the service for free.

“As a for-profit company, we’d like this to be the foundation for some of our non-profit efforts,” Smith said.

One can also get free access to the service at any San Francisco Public Library, where classes are being taught to students at no cost.

Edupath plans to offer prep for a variety of other tests in the future, such as the ACT and SAT Subject Tests.

But for now, Smith hopes that students studying for the SAT will take advantage of the service his company offers.

He believes that through the connection of students, parents and educators.

Edupath can aid the construction of an environment that is beneficial for struggling students who are unable to explore the opportunities for post-secondary advancement.

“Our biggest hope is that we can help build college readiness and a college-culture in every school.” Smith said.

Seniors consider community college options will mendenhall staff writer

H

istorically, the idea of attending a community college has been looked down upon as an alternative to attending afour year university. However, more people are realizing that community service provides a strong opportunity for students to expand their learning. And still, academics is not the only reason students choose to go to a community college. There are several perks to attending one of these schools.

The first major plus to going to a community college is the cost.

Community colleges are vastly cheaper to attend that four-year universities.

Last year the average tuition for a four-year university ($21,657) was more than twice that of a community college ($8,734), according to the Institute of Education Sciences. The lower cost allows students to save up for the future.

“People who go to community college for two years will be getting almost an identical education to those going to a four year university while paying a fraction of the cost,” senior Quinn Rockwell said.

Another way community college can help put more cash in your wallet is the optional perk of living at home.

The majority of students who attend a community college have the option to stay at home or with friends and family. Room and board make up a substantial amount of the cost to go to a university, around $10,000 a year according to College Data, and living at home avoids this added expense.

Another benefit of going to a community college is that it gives students time to develop a strategy for a higher education. Many students coming out of high school still do not know what they want to study in college, and between 55 to 60 percent of students change their major at least once while in college, according to the Northwest Education Association.

By going to a community college students are given more time

to find their passion in life as well as meet some of the general education requirements.

“I am still searching for what I want to become in life,” junior Omri Newman said. “That is one of the reasons why I want to go to a community college. It will give me more

The majority of students who attend a community college have the option to stay at home or with friends and family. time to find what I truly care about.”

Attending a community college also gives you more time to boost your grade point average, (GPA.) Community colleges have an open door policy and accept any student regardless of their past academic performance. This gives students an opportunity to turn their grades around and prove to colleges they have the ability to succeed.

Some schools even ask some students to take a few credits at a community college before joining their university. Colleges will take this route to make sure the student is fully prepared to enter their school and to help solve the overcrowding problem.

“I was accepted into USC School of Cinematic Arts on a contract admission,” Rockwell said. “This means that I am required to fulfill 30 credits of class at a different college, after which I will then be granted instant access into the school.”

Every year more students decide to enroll in community college rather than attend a four-year university.

According to the College Board, four out of every 10 high school graduates choose to go to community college after graduating high school.

For many, the advantages of doing so outweigh the benefits of immediately attending a university that may be averse to their interests or social preparation.

“It is just another step on the way to a four-year college,” Newman said.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

TESTING

Testing center increases security

B3

Legacy My Arse

Josefin kenrick Staff Writer

W

ith all of the rules the testing center implements, one would expect it to be a safe place completely void of cheating. However, the lack of a screening process gives the opportunity for students to take tests for each other, defeating the entire purpose of the rules.

As an experiment, I decided to go in and test the security regarding student access to other students’ tests. I went into the center and told the proctors I needed to take a freshman English test for Ms. Wojcicki’s.

Although I am a junior, and Wojcicki is not my English teacher, I took the test and gave it back to the woman who was helping me. She then thanked me and said “have a nice weekend.” I had just posed as another student and taken a test for them.

The testing center has many precautions to avoid cheating, such as making students leave backpacks at the front of the room, turn off their

On Monday April 15, the proctors changed the rules so now students who come in to the testing center are required to show an ID. phones and clear their calculators.

However, the testing center does not check any form of identification for students, so it is very possible for students to go in and take tests in place of their peers.

Ziv Schwartz

Eric Wang/The Campanile

“It’s nice if you want a quieter place to take a test, but I’ve never shown an ID before,” junior Amanda Aldridge said. “I just walk in and tell them what class I’m for.”

The lack of screening in the testing center allows for students to cheat in the simplest form, by having an entirely different person take the test. This could prompt bribes between students and create a huge unfair advantage for those who take tests in the testing center.

After completing my goal, I returned to the testing center after the weekend to interview one of the proctors and let her know that I took a test in place of another student.

“I have not heard of anyone [pretending to be another student],”

testing center proctor Natalie Jefferson said. “It’s not a problem, but we don’t ask for ID. The only way that would be done is if a student knew a teacher would put out a test and have another student come in to take it.”

This is the exact situation that could happen. After taking a test for another student, I became worried about the potential for cheating.

“It’d be dumb because the teacher would see your handwriting and compare it,” Aldridge said. “If it was just multiple choice someone could easily do that.”

There is a level of trust upheld in the testing center. Proctors believe students who come in are truthful with their identities.

“I’m not going to assume that someone is going to come in and [cheat],” Jefferson said. “I would hate to see that we go to a point where everybody has to show an ID picture.”

However, that is the system the testing center now implements.

On Monday April 15, the proctors changed the rules so now students who come in to the testing center are required to show a photo ID and place it on their desk while taking their tests.

While this may be an annoyance to students, it prevents cheating in its simplest form and ensures that the students who take tests in the testing center are receiving the same treatment as those who take it in the classroom.

How to ace standardized testing Emily Rosenthal News Editor

W

ith the barrage of testing that upperclassmen must face, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with the material and not know where to start.

Whether for the AP tests, SAT or ACT, there are numerous resources available to help students prepare for these tests.

Classes

One of the most intensive—and expensive—forms of test preparation is taking classes. Various companies around the Bay Area and nationwide offer both individual and group classes. These can cover a wide variety of topics depending on the test, but they generally include test-taking strategies, time management on tests and material that students are expected to know. One local company is AJ Tutoring, a company based in the Bay Area that offers both individual and group SAT prep classes, as well as programs for SAT subjects test, AP tests, PSAT and ACT. Flex College Prep is another local company that offers SAT test prep. However, Flex is unique in that the company also sells online video series to prepare students for the SAT, ACT, SAT subjects test or AP subject tests. There are also organizations that operate nationwide, such as Princeton Review or Kaplan Test Prep, both of which offer a wide variety of subjects. These courses often take longer than simply reviewing the material in a book or online and tend to cover topics in greater depth.

Books

In place of the various classes and tutoring services offered, many students choose to use review books that summarize the material on the test. For AP tests these books often

Gina Scarpino/The Campanile

-

As students continue to prepare for standardized tests (AP, SAT, SAT Subject Tests and ACT), they often find it necessary to attend classes, read books and do online courses in order to successfully get the score they desire.

highlight topics that have been heavily tested in previous years, and provide sample questions and tests students can use for practice. There are also books for the SAT, ACT and SAT subject tests as well, most of which include practice tests.

Often companies that provide classes and tutoring for these test will have books as well, such as the AP preparation books by the Princeton

Review. Barron’s is a similar company that prints books for the AP test, SAT and ACT. Students use test preparation books if they need refreshing on certain topics or have limited time.

Online sources

There are some free online review sites for students who are truly pressed for time. Sparknotes has study guides

The Best in Baseball and

Fastpitch Equipment

Alex Byer

for the SAT, ACT, SAT subject tests and AP tests, with tips on how to study for the test and how the test is organized. The College Board (for the SAT and AP tests) has free practice questions available for students to study. The College Board also has archives of previous years’ AP test free response questions, including a solution guide, which can be a useful way for students to prepare for the test.

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Even before you can even say a word, there is a predetermined bias setup for you in regard to your post-high school plans. The United States of America advocates the ‘rags to riches’ idea and is often called ‘The Land of Opportunity.’ However, when it comes to college admissions, long time United States citizens obtain a major advantage because they have the possibility of a legacy at certain colleges, whereas first generation immigrants do not.

Although most colleges do consider an applicant’s academic status, GPA, SAT/AP scores and other things such as extracurricular activities, it is quite evident that a family’s legacy is often the deciding factor for many schools.

Having moved to the United States from Israel at two and a half years old, I was already put at a disadvantage. My mom attended Tel Aviv University and my dad attended Bar Ilan University in a suburb near Tel Aviv, Israel. While these are fine institutions and my parents have been able to do well for themselves, I personally want to attend an American college.

When it comes time for me to fill out my college applications next year, I know that there is not going to be a single college for which I have even the slightest form of legacy in and I will have to leave that section blank and hope that my grades and SATs are enough to get me accepted.

I do realize that I may be making excuses for myself because after all, academics and the activities that I myself have done are more than enough to get me into college so really, there is no reason for me to make a big deal of other people’s legacy at schools.

I also do not want to assert that students who got admitted into a college where they had legacy do not deserve to go there, but an equal opportunity is deserved by everyone.

And so I pose this question: Is it really fair having an obvious advantage in college admissions solely based on family relations to that particular college?

I believe that in regard to college admissions, the family who we are born into should not have to play such a crucial and clear purpose in the decisions of the colleges.

There is a good argument against my assertion which is brought up by the American Classic the Great Gatsby, which states that advantages in life are not parceled out equally at birth. While I agree with this argument, and personally believe that I have received many advantages from the family that I was born into, I think that any situation that can be used to even out the field in the slightest bit should be considered.

College admission is definitely one of those situations.

I also find it hypocritical that in a country where equality is so highly emphasized and earning by merit is a common value that there is still this “legacy” part of the college application.

College applicants should not be judged on something that their parents or grandparents did decades ago and so it seems only fair that a stance against the legacy section of college applications be taken.

Monday, April 29, 2013

B4

The Campanile

STUDENT LIFE

Paly fails to protect environment through waste disposal Although Paly has begun to address environmental issues with color-coded trash bins, the school still fails to ensure that these new bins are used effectively, like those at Henry M. Gunn High School.

Heather Strathearn Staff Writer

O

ne would like to think that Palo Alto, being an environmentally-conscious town, would have schools that demonstrate this thinking as well. Sadly, this is not the case when it comes to waste disposal, specifically composting here at Paly.

In comparison to Paly, Henry M. Gunn High School (Gunn) has a wonderful system of composting, recycling and garbage disposal that falls right into place with Palo Alto’s zero waste program.

Paly’s three-colored bins system appears to be just as great as Gunn’s, but the bins are a deception.

Although Paly has compost, recycling and trash bins, Paly does not have the three part waste system one would expect to go with these bins.

The recycling is kept separate and recycled, and the compost is simply added to the trash, according to Vice Principal Jerry Berkson.

The compost was at one point composted, but even the effectiveness of that system is questionable.

“I don’t think we have ever had a really successful composting program here,” Berkson said. “The problem is that if 90 percent do it right, that’s not enough. [If the compost bins were used correctly], the compost would be composted, which means it would be thrown away in a separate place and then trucked.”

The catch is that in order for Paly’s compost bins to actually be composted, we would need full cooperation

between students and faculty. So what is it that causes Paly students to put their waste in the wrong bin?

Confusion or ignorance of the importance of compost and recycling?

It is arguably confusing when one walks through the campus and sees three different colored bins—black, blue and green—along with trash bags of both the black and transparent variety.

In contrast to Paly, Gunn has a fully functioning compost and recycling system. In order to bring about this change at Gunn it took a gradual culture shift within the school’s student body.

“I think my school’s environmental organization and efforts to educate the student body and bring about strategic changes have definitely helped our campus become cleaner throughout the years,” Gunn senior, Green Team president and environmental commissioner Wonhee Park said.

A shift in student values was not all though; it took a strong movement from the custodial department and cooperation between all of the members of the Gunn community.

“We realized that the student-run recycling program was a good thing, but if we wanted to make it work better and be more helpful to the school, to the environment and to our jobs, we would have to take an active role in trash and recycling, rather than continue a hands-off-because-it’s-astudent-program attitude,” leading day shift Gunn custodian Steve Kelly said.

After realizing a successful composting system would need to involve everyone at the school, Gunn replaced an existing trash container with a new compost container and added six recycling bins and six compost rollerbins. With these new changes Gunn saved money in fees to the school and they were able to alter the frequency of collection, according to Kelly.

Adam Mansour/The Campanile

Due to Paly’s inefficient trash disposal, the administration has implemented color-coded bins to help students become more environmentally cautious about what they throw into the trash bins.

“We knew we’d need to work on getting the crew of custodians to be more proactive about recycling and composting,” Kelly said. “While it is hard to teach ‘old dogs new tricks,’ we are making progress in this area.”

As of now, the Green Team and the Gunn custodial staff are collaborating in order to continue pushing for environmentally-sound trash disposal.

“The Green Team and the day custodians collaborate on a few major food events during the year, especially at Thanksgiving and International Food Week events,” Kelly said.

On a daily basis the students move the blue roller-bins to and from the

designated locations on campus.

Out of the 30 total bins used weekly both indoors and outdoors, students manage 24 bins and the custodians maintain the other 16, according to Kelly.

“I’m proud to say that the Gunn community tries hard to be more aware of this new trash system we have,” Park said. “Not a lot of public schools have the benefit of a comprehensive and efficient trash system such as ours.”

This kind of effort by the student body is something we do not see at Paly, where students are unable to even put their trash in the correct trash bin.

In order to improve the Paly system, the administration is keeping the compost bins in hopes for a change in cooperation within the student body.

“We are hoping that as the years progress and the younger kids come through the district that they are trained better,” Berkson said. “I know elementary schools religiously do it because you have less kids to keep an eye on and younger kids like to do good in the first place.”

But waiting for the future generations to make a change is not the best solution.

This solution may be the convenient, but convenience is not the most important factor in this case.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

TECHNOLOGY

B5

New social media technology enters the public market

THE UBISLATE 7C+ Vine has been quickly growing as a popular new application, allowing users to post short videos with the iPhone.

MAYA KITAYAMA STAFF WRITER

I

t is time to add another name to the list of social applications to regularly check on an iPhone. Alongside the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, a new app is slowly making its way onto the list: Vine.

No longer will the typical Paly student be hindered by the stagnant nature of Instagram posts or the fleeting character of SnapChat.

With the creation of the new Twitter-sponsored application Vine, users now have the ability to easily post short videos on another social media interface.

Vine comes free from the Apple Store and is currently only compatible with Apple software. Once downloaded, users are asked to sign in via Twitter or personal email and then are free to follow other users and capture personal videos that can be posted on different interfaces including Twitter or Facebook.

To create a video, users simply hold down a finger on the screen and remove it to pause the recording whenever they choose.

This ability produces a gif-like effect that is combined with an audio background. Videos are limited to a total of six seconds and, once posted, are played on a loop, which can be viewed by other Vine users as well as people connected through Facebook or Twitter.

Vine encompasses many aspects of other popular applications, the most noteworthy probably being Instagram. Both apps allow people to use hashtags, making the search and viewing process for others significantly easier.

However, Vine currently does not offer any privacy settings, thus making all content public to the rest of the community. Vine also only uses the front camera of an iPhone or iPod, offering another area for possible improvement in the future.

The application currently has a minimum age requirement of 17 and asks prior to downloading that users confirm they meet the requirement. Originally, Vine was free and accessible to all people, regardless of age; however, in its early days, a video containing pornographic material was promoted to the “Editor’s Picks” page included in the Explore section of the application and caused developers to place an age restriction.

Despite the limitation, Vine has still experienced a huge upsurge in popularity, rapidly climbing charts in the App Store as one of the top free downloaded applications.

However, Vine is still relatively new to the scene and has only been recently gaining recognition in the Paly community.

Students believe that the application has many unique assets and provides an easier way to share updates with their peers in a video format.

“I think [Vine] is a good idea, because it allows you to take a variety of different shots and put them together without editing them, without needing an actual video camera,” senior Olivia Maggi said.

Still, due to its relatively young time in public access, some students are still getting used to the unfamiliar aspects of the application.

“I have no idea how to use [Vine], so [developers] should work on making it more userfriendly,” junior Jared Schwartz said, after recently downloading the application.

Regardless of its minor faults, Vine is an exciting new way for students to post about their lives in a more visual medium.

For now, it seems as though this application may start to replace many of the more commonly used social networking applications.

That is, until the next set of developers manage to create yet another image-related, connective app with the capacity to take over the iPhone of young, social networking-obsessed teenagers.

Datawind recently came out with its new tablet, the UbiSlate 7C+. Cheap compared to most other tablets in the market, the tablet offers much of the basic functions desired in a tablet.

stephenie Zhang Jonathan Ziegler STAFF WRITERS

I

t is not unusual to go to the Apple store and walk out the door with $100 less in your pocket and the latest, cutting-edge gadget for your Apple device in your hand. And keep in mind this price is only for product accessories; those seeking to buy Apple devices have to be prepared to shell out upwards of $500.

However, Datawind, a developer of wireless web access products based in the United Kingdom, is defying the standard of charging exorbitant prices for advanced technologies. The company has come out with a tablet for $91.62 called the UbiSlate 7C+. While it is not comparable to the industry standard iPad, it has some great features while being affordable.

The operating system on the UbiSlate 7C+ is the Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3), giving the 7.0 inch tablet smartphone capabilities. Its internal hard drive has four gigabytes of storage, but with an extra SD card, the tablet’s storage can increase to 32 gigabytes.

With its internal components, the UbiSlate 7C+ features a front side camera and a rigid backing.

The front-camera on the tablet also allows for users to take pictures

and video chat across the globe.

However, the camera is only VGA and constantly stutters whenever users move the tablet. When video chatting, users may become frustrated. Finally, the possessive camera has no other functionality except video chat, which is not ideal because it is slow and difficult to configure the video chat function.

The UbiSlate tablet, which was created for underprivileged children who have no experience with technology, errs on the slow side.

The tablet only has 512 megabytes of RAM, while a normal computer has around four gigabytes of RAM. This lack of memory in the tablet restricts work efficiency severely and is a huge burden to the user.

Being students from the Bay Area, this tablet took some getting used to; it was not as user-friendly as many other tablets available on the market. If Bay Area students find themselves confused, unequivocally so will underprivileged children who don’t have a clue how to use any tablet. Furthermore, the battery life on the tablet is only three hours. If a student were to use this tablet during school, the student would need to bring a charger.

This tablet also has many positive aspects such as its dualfunction as both a phone and a tablet. Tablet-owners can purchase a data plan for $1.80 a month,

available only in India, currently the only place where the tablet is sold. The UbiSlate 7C+ is also unlocked, allowing the use of any carrier who uses a SIM card, not locking it to use any single carrier.

The tablet is connected to the Android market, giving users accessibility to over 150,000 applications; all users have to do is sign into their Google Play account or create a new one, free of charge.

Younger children have a wide variety of educational resources available to them. With the Android market, they have the ability to play educational games on the tablet or even to download tutorials on how to code to learn how to make games themselves.

The UbiSlate 7C+ is definitely no comparison to the level of technology we find in the Bay Area such as the iPad or the Samsung Galaxy, lacking in some of the most important areas—speed and memory, but it is not meant to be.

The tablet is slow and in many Bay Area classrooms in which students are used to the functionality of the iPad, users are bound to become frustrated with the tablet’s inability to perform basic functions.

But to underprivileged students that don’t normally have access to technology, this tablet has the potential to be life-changing, as it has the capability of teaching children marketable skills such as coding and application marketing.

Monday, April 29, 2013

B6

The Campanile

MUSIC

Get a clue about concerts

Kian McHugh

I would like to directly address an illness our generation suffers from and propose a cure for this detrimental sickness. This disease is called Going To Concerts With No Clue and it may or may not result in tragedy.

G.T.C.W.N.C. is an unfortunate but very real epidemic which is negatively affecting the youth of our society. There was once a day and age when people would only attend a concert if they were a legitimate fan of that specific musical group and would create a personal and sincere ambience to every event. This has changed quite gravely and is escalating to a whole new level. Country music and electronic music are the first two genres of music that were truly affected by G.T.C.W.N.C. disease.

People who had no interest in the two unique music forms found their ways to these concerts by chance and thoroughly enjoyed themselves but not because of the music. They enjoyed themselves because these concerts became an opportunity to involve themselves in illicit behavior. In addition, they didn’t have to worry about missing the music because they didn’t care about the music in the first place. This group of individuals took it upon themselves to tell their friends, their family, their cousin’s boyfriends and just about anyone who was anyone about the concerts. The spread of G.T.C.W.N.C. disease officially became a growing issue.

Country fans found themselves surrounded by middle schoolers in Gap Kids flannels, the real ravers moved underground and spread threats of needles to keep the fake fans away, and just about every other genre began to feel a subtle chokehold around its neck (except classical—nobody cared about classical). Now everyone who knows of the disease is either isolating themselves from the diseased or joining in and indulging themselves.

Either option is equally detrimental to one’s health. Isolation is simply unhealthy, and a concert is something everyone should attend periodically. However, those who attend concerts without even familiarizing themselves with the music almost immediately become part of the sickness. The only real option is to embrace all music (except classical) and take it from there. Once you are a legitimate fan of all genres of music, you should then continue attending concerts because you have become immune to G.T.C.W.N.C. disease.

The next time you are going to a concert be sure to test yourself for G.T.C.W.N.C. disease. Do you know at least six of the artists’ songs, two of which you can belt out by heart? Are you going to the concert not just because you want to dress up? Do you know at least three other artists in the same genre? Could you fully enjoy the concert even if you didn’t know anyone else there? If you can say yes to at least three of these questions, then you are in the clear of the disease and it is permissible for you to go. If not, do some research, and test yourself again. If everyone doesn’t reconsider their motivations then G.T.C.W.N.C. disease will eventually take over the entirety of the world and the concert scene will be permanently tainted.

You don’t go to a Thai restaurant if you don’t like Thai food, yet with time you may learn to like it.

But until then, there is no rational reasoning for you to spend money and spend your time on it. The same goes for music concerts. One should learn to respect a culture before jumping into it.

I am personally asking you to please help end the G.T.C.W.N.C. disease. It is a serious epidemic.

courtesy of allaccess.com

Last year’s BFD music festival brought over 22,000 fans to Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View. This summer will mark the 19th year of the event, which is sponsored by Live 105 and features musical acts from a range of genres.

Gearing Up for BFD Emily Semba Staff writer

O

n May 19, BFD (Big F******g Day) will be touring the Shoreline stage, showcasing many of this year’s top alternative artists. The annual, all-day, outdoor music festival is highly regarded by Paly students and is a perfect way to celebrate the end of AP testing. BFD includes four stages featuring 35 artists, including the headlining acts that follow.

Fun.

Passion Pit

Jimmy Eat World

This indie pop rock band exploded in popularity shortly after the release of its first hit single, “We Are Young,” in September 2011. The track earned the title of “Song of the Year” at the Grammy Awards, where the band went on to also receive recognition as the “Best New Artist” of 2013.

The band is consistently noted for its smooth, emotionally-charged vocals and vibrant, youthful sound. Fun. also helped create Ally Coalition, an organization supporting LGBT rights.

Hailing from Cambridge, Massachusetts, this indie rock group’s mesmerizing synth-pop tracks gained recognition after the single “Sleepyhead” was featured in several popular television advertisements. In addition to producing original tracks, the band also creates remixes for other artists, including Lady Gaga, Gotye and Marina and the Diamonds. Since the band’s formation in 2007, the group has released three albums and appeared on Saturday Night Live.

Though this classic rock band may be past its heyday, the members are still alive and well and continue to make appearances at concerts and festivals. The group is most well-known for its encouraging hit song, “The Middle,” an optimistic track written after the band was dropped from Capitol Records in 1999. The band has since been rewarded with success for its perseverance, selling millions of records and touring alongside fellow rock bands Green Day, Weezer and Foo Fighters.

Of Monsters and Men

This Icelandic indie folk/pop band has skyrocketed into the international spotlight since the group’s recent formation in 2010.

The band made its big break last year after winning an annual battle of the bands competition in its native country. It became an overnight sensation among European countries, and the band’s single “Little Talks” was propelled into the Billboard 200 after being featured on Radio 104.5, a Philadelphia-based alternative radio station. Of Monsters and Men’s whimsical, adventurous lyrics provide the listener an escape from everyday life.

Imagine Dragons

Though this Las Vegas-based band formed in 2008, its music did not reach mainstream audiences until recently, with the release of the hit single “It’s Time.” The group’s indie synthpop style is frequently compared to that of The Killers and Tears for Fears, and the song’s poetic lyrics express a wide range of emotions, often focusing on optimism in the face of adversity. With six EP’s and one studio album, Imagine Dragon’s work has been recognized around the world. Just last year, the music video for “It’s Time” received an MTV award nomination.

30 Seconds to Mars

This American post-grunge metal group has arguably one of the most dedicated fan bases, receiving an international cult following.

Called “The Echelon,” after a track on the band’s debut album, hardcore followers of the band lead “a philanthropic project [that] helps build homes for families in need,” according to The Echelon’s website. However, it is no surprise that the band’s music has affected so many, due to its philosophical lyrics and experimental style. A 2012 documentary,“Artifact,” is centered around the production of the band’s album “This Is War” and its fight against the record label EDM.

courtesy of vc star, nashville scene, NME, lost in concert, facebook, the snipe news

This year’s headliners at the BFD festival on May 19 at Shoreline Amphitheater include (clockwise from top left) Fun., Passion Pit, 30 Seconds to Mars, Imagine Dragons, Of Monsters and Men and Jimmy Eat World. There will be a total of four stages and 37 musical acts performing at the all-day event.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

ARTS

B7

Junior creates comics to vent about school life

LIly zhang staff writer

S

tudents have developed a multitude of ways to cope with the constant stress of high school. Some play sports, others listen to music but junior Annie Chen discovered her own method of stress-relief: drawing comics.

Chen began relating her reallife experiences via comic strips to absolve some of the pressures that a high intensity school, such as Paly, places upon students.

Chen began drawing short comics during her second semester sophomore year and posted them on her Facebook page.

They soon received much attention and enthusiasm from her Facebook friends.

For Chen, comics are a way to avoid becoming too overwhelmed from the pressure of grades, parents and future colleges.

“I was really panicked about grades second semester sophomore year, so I started drawing on index cards as a way to vent,” Chen said. “A lot of people who saw the actual index cards told me they liked them, so I started drawing comics more frequently and posting them on Facebook.”

Chen never plans her comics ahead of time, but instead focuses on situations she comes across in her everyday life or ones that other Paly students can relate to, such as topics regarding the creation of Schoology, college rejections and standardized testing.

gina scarpino/ the campanile

courtesy of annie chen

Junior Annie Chen brainstorms, draws and outlines new comics to post on her Facebook page.

“Sometimes something really funny or unusual happens during the day and I am inspired to comment on it by drawing a comic,” Chen said.

“Most of the time it is spontaneous.

It is also almost like a diary, because it helps me remember amusing things and laugh about it later.”

Senior Gavin Chan agrees that Chen’s comics are relatable to everyday life, especially when it comes to normally high pressure situations.

“I like [her comics] because they are very relatable to a lot of students,” Chan said. “She writes a lot of comics about how she struggles through

I like [her comics] because they are very relatable to a lot of students. She writes a lot of comics about how she struggles through school and about how a lot of kids at school only do things based on college.

Gavin Chan Senior

school and about how a lot of kids at school only do things based on college.”

Chan also believes that Chen’s comics capture a very real essence of what the social scene is like at such at a successful school.

“At Paly it is a very high success sort of environment and she feels really pressured to compare herself to these other quote on quote successful kids,” Chan said. “A lot of us are not necessarily those very successful kids but we still get along and end up doing fine.”

Taking around 10 to 30 minutes to create a new comic, Chen hopes that her drawings can somehow brighten someone’s day.

“I have had a lot of people come up and tell me that they really enjoyed last night’s comic or that it made their day better,” Chen said. “That’s the part I like best...it always feels good to be recognized too.”

Although Chen has been taking art classes for about eight years, she has never taken any sort of cartooning class.

Chen does not believe she is sending any particular message through her drawings, but she still thoroughly enjoys drawing short and simple cartoons to not only help herself out in dealing with stress, but also to take the harsh edge off of school or even life in general for others in similar situations.

“There is no particular message; [my comics] are a way to tell a story about what happened in my life that day,” Chen said. “Sometimes there is an inside joke but most of the time I’m just talking about my life or school in general. We’re always going to talk about school no matter what because that’s what we all are going through, but sometimes we need to laugh a bit and relax more.”

As for the future, Chen is not completely sure about whether she wants to take comic drawing to the next level, but she is keeping an open mind about it.

“I know there are a lot of web comic artists out there, but it is a really, really tough path to take if you want to be successful,” Chen said.

“It would be interesting though, so I haven’t completely given up on that idea. I’ll just keep drawing and see what happens, because life is pretty unpredictable.”

Senior stars in national commercial Students express

themselves through graffiti

anna mcgarrigle Lifestyles editor

Ben Hawthorne

W

hile most seniors are focusing on AP exams and graduation, senior Julian Hornik’s focus has turned towards his escalating career.

His recent accomplishments have pushed him past three distinctive industry benchmarks: hearing oneself on the radio, having a page on IMDb (Internet Movie Database) and surpassing one million views on YouTube.

These recent successes are due to Hornik’s radio and television campaign for international supermarket Fresh & Easy, as well as his musical compositions for Honest Trailer’s Les Miserables YouTube hit. These opportunities were presented by Hornik’s mentor Jeff Marx, composer of the Broadway hits Avenue Q and Book of Mormon.

“My composition mentor was originally asked to write the jingle for Fresh & Easy, and he thought it would be a good exercise for me,” Hornik said.

They collaborated on the 60 second jingle, but did not anticipate that it would get picked up. However, the company loved their “effing easy” slogan, and soon contacted Hornik.

“They decided it would become a radio campaign, but then I got a call over spring break that they actually had plans to create a television commercial with me singing it,” Hornik said. “They found me on Facebook, and decided they liked my look.”

Despite the company’s confirmation, Hornik was still dubious about his commercial being used in reality.

“In my like two seconds of having to do with Hollywood, I’ve learned that nothing is certain, but this actually ended up happening,” Hornik said with a laugh.

The company flew Hornik to Los Angeles for the all-night video shoot.

“We were scheduled to go from 8 p.m. at night to 8:30 a.m. because we were shooting in a Fresh & Easy

Business Manager

Beth Yan technology editor

I

courtesy of julian hornik

Julian Hornik wrote and sung in the Fresh & Easy grocery commercial.

store in Long Beach and they wanted to maintain business hours,” Hornik said.

Among the staff of 50 on set was a full hair, makeup and wardrobe team who spent 90 minutes prepping him.

I recorded this in my house, with my ukulele in my little home studio which is just like a computer, and here it is broadcasted on 99.7.

Julian Hornik Senior

“I went to wardrobe, where they dressed me like a hipster out of piles of Urban Outfitters clothing,” Hornik said.

Hornik frequently receives excited messages from family and friends “I recorded this in my house, with my ukulele, in my little home studio which is just like a microphone and a computer, and here it is broadcasted on 99.7,” Hornik said.

However, the video shoot was not exclusively fun and games.

“You would think that doing the same 30 second clip over and over again for six hours would be agonizing, but there was something really exciting about like ‘Now I have to replicate this face,’” Hornik said.

“It’s challenging and stimulating in a way that I hadn’t had in a long time because I’d been behind the scenes with writing, not performing.”

Marx also helped Hornik sign on to compose music for Honest Trailer’s Les Miserables video.

“Simultaneously, I was also hired to write some faux Les Mis music as part of an Honest Trailer, which is sort of this goofy parody YouTube channel,” Hornik said. “Their idea to parody Les Mis, was to make it a sung through trailer, and my job was to write the music.”

In addition to garnering 1.3 million views, the video has also earned Hornik a famed spot on IMDb as a “composer” and “performer.” Hornik will attend Yale University next year where he plans to continue his passion for the arts through involvement in Yale’s music and theater scenes.

t is past midnight on a Friday and most of the Palo Alto teenage population is gearing up for the weekend. While most Paly students are probably out partying with friends or getting a head start on homework, some, like Emma and Jackson (whose names have been changed) prefer to spend their spare time in a more unusual way.

They can be found navigating the underpasses and tunnels of Palo Alto, spray cans and stencils in hand, creating artwork out of the concrete edifices of the city.

They are graffiti artists­­­­—people who think that art exists to be shared and displayed to the public and not just kept in galleries. Jackson has been graffiting, or ‘writing’ as its referred to by many graffiti artists, since the seventh grade.

“My style of art was similar to a lot of street art and graffiti art already so I figured I might as well get into the culture and appreciate it,” Jackson said.

For him, graffiti was also appealing because it allowed him to get instant publicity and popularity for his art. “[Graffiti] is a better way to express my art than just doing it,” Jackson said. “It’s out there for people to enjoy. It’s the most accessible way for me to express my art.”

Emma agrees and mentions that using public spaces as her canvas allows her to reach a larger audience and thus express her opinions more effectively than selling her art to galleries.

“Its a cool way to get a point across,” Emma said. “Most of the time is social commentary, sometimes its just artistic expression, but most of the time its social commentary

because you expect people to walk past it.”

One of the other reasons graffiti is popular among teenagers is precisely because it is against the law.

“I understand why [graffiti] can be illegal since there are negative aspects of graffiti like gang graffiti or offensive graffiti but the fact that it’s illegal makes it that much more enjoyable,” Jackson said.

Other students who make graffiti have different views on its legality.

Because graffiti stands on the border between art and vandalism, opinions about its legality are polarized between those who think that it is a crime and those who celebrate it as art.

“I think so long as its not an eyesore, so long as you’re not marking territory, if you’re just trying to produce artwork I think local businesses should encourage graffiti on the walls of their establishment,” Emma said.

“It adds a lot of character. If people are just genuinely trying to create art I think there should be more opportunity to create graffiti legally.”

According to the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, 80 percent of graffiti falls into the category of “tagger graffiti,” which is typically individuals marking territory or writing various slogans or statements.

Only 10 percent can be identified as dangerous gang-perpetrated graffiti. However, only five percent of graffiti is what the Bureau defines as “pieces,” or large artworks, similar to the type of graffiti that Jackson and Emma support.

Despite the controversy, for those who do graffiti, legality is not the focus. The focus is art.

“I like graffiting because its kind of satisfying,” Emma said. “You put a lot of mechanical work in. It’s really mechanical. You draw what you want and its a black and white picture and then you cut out with an exacto knife.

It’s a process. It feels really mechanical but then when you peel it off it comes alive.”

Monday, April 29, 2013

B8

The Campanile

CULTURE

HEALTH myths 2 in

emily LEE STAFF WRITER

2000

debunked

my th 1:

my th 2:

my th 3:

“daily values should be followed”

“vegetarian diets are balanced”

“fruit juice is healthy”

O

bviously, regular consumption of fast food is not particularly healthy. What is less apparent to the typical consumer is what information they can take away from the percentages and numbers displayed on the side of his or her food.

Sure, people might have a general idea of what’s “good for you” and what they should avoid (five Big Macs = bad), but how well do you actually understand food labels? In reality, the standard 2,000 calorie diet is only one set of needs for a relatively generic individual. One’s dietary needs are affected by physical activity, age, sex and body shape. The percentages one sees next to an amount in grams is also entirely subjective by the very nature of the substances.

One may be wary of reaching near or over the 100 percent daily recommended value for a vitamin or mineral, but sometimes it is unclear whether going over that value would be beneficial, detrimental or neutral to one’s health.

H

ealth-conscious vegetarians must be wary of developing poor eating habits. Those that adopt a leafier lifestyle in hopes of losing weight or becoming “healthier” are in for a sad reality check: becoming vegetarian or vegan is not the “cure all” to unhealthy eating habits. It is actually easier to be unhealthy as a vegetarian than it is to be unhealthy with meat in your diet.

Many people who try to become vegetarian make very unhealthy errors or eat large amounts of other unhealthy foods since they are not eating meat. Vegetarians need to be aware of what you are eating to avoid deficiencies of necessary nutrients. Iron, for example, is very difficult for vegetarians to get enough of, which can lead to an iron deficiency, which can cause fatigue.

Vegetarians also need to find other healthful methods of getting enough protein in their diet.

Switching normal yogurt out for greek yogurt is a good first step.

J

uice, though made from fruit, is not actually as “healthy” as one may think. It is not inherently bad, but one must realize that drinking juice is more or less nutritionally equivalent to drinking an uncarbonated, watered down soda. Sugar in the form of liquid absorbs much faster into the bloodstream and thus leads to a “spike” in energy and later a crash. Blended fruit smoothies are not much better.

Adding protein and vegetables high in fiber can help regulate and slow down absorption, which provides more fulfulling and lasting energy brief spike and a crash from drinking juice.

On the same note, foods with “real fruit” or beverages with “X percent juice” should never be mistaken for healthy or remotely close to anything healthy. Unfortunately, fun children’s vitamin gummies and dried fruit bars really are little more than sugar.

Nutrition isn’t quite so simple.

Our nation is struggling with obesity, yet Palo Alto’s childhood obesity rate of 18.4 percent is significantly lower than that of Santa Clara county (32.9 percent) and the state (38.0 percent).

Many an eater may be misinformed; packaging misleads and misinforms through the usage of vague terms and unreasonably small portion sizes. The above misconceptions may have been taken as trusted fact until now.

Thyme to Eat offers environmentallyfriendly, casual Persian cuisine rachel cui STAFF WRITER

T

hyme to Eat, which has a very casual ambiance, is a great restaurant to eat at solo or with a small group of friends. In addition to outdoor seating, the restaurant offers about eight tables for two and four tables for four inside, so the comfortably small interior could potentially feel claustrophobic for some diners if packed with too many people.

Before deciding to dine in, know that the restaurant is likely only ten paces long.

Thyme to Eat boasts dishes cooked with locally grown and environmentally friendly ingredients, which embodies its motto, “Eat smart, live happy.” Such ingredients include organically grown, hormone-free or free range meat. According to its website, Thyme to Eat values freshness as its top priority. The restaurant also strives to protect the environment by urging patrons to bring their own containers when picking up takeout in order to reduce waste.

In addition to this eco-friendly policy, the owner provides a friendly atmosphere for patrons new to the restaurant by assisting and helping them decide which dishes would best suit their tastes. The menu offers many vegan and gluten-free items, and the restaurant can tailor dishes to meet any further diet restrictions.

In addition to Persian delicacies and kabobs, the restaurant offers salads, burgers, wraps and sweet treats.

The entrees are on the expensive side for such a casual restaurant, ranging $14 to $24. The salads and burgers, all under $10, and the wraps

rachel cui/ THE CAMPANILE

Thyme to Eat serves organic Persian food, including falafel (top), chicken curry (bottom left) and wraps (bottom right).

that come with two starters, about $10 each, are cheaper options. The menu also offers some of the dishes as lunch specials, which are smaller in portion and slightly cheaper in price.

The Zereshk ($15), featuring little tangy red berries called zereshk

that are widely cultivated in Iran, is a symphony of exotic flavors that complement each other perfectly.

The basmati rice is sweet and buttery, which pairs perfectly together with the sharply acidic berries. The free range chicken, juicy and tender, has

a slight hint of lemon. Furthermore, the dish is beautifully presented; the zereshk berries are presented on top of a bed of golden-yellow basmati saffron rice that are all encircled by pieces of free range chicken.

The Falafel Balls starter ($4) include five bite-sized falafel balls served warm and made to order.

The falafels have a crunchy outside, a moist, but not mushy, inside and are packed with spices and flavors.

They are unlike any other falafels featured in restaurants, and certainly deserve their menu title: “Falafel of the Gods.”

The Falafel Wrap ($9.50) feature the restaurant’s famous falafels encased in a crispy tortilla with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and pickles that contrasted in texture with a hummus and tahini sauce.

While the portion sizes for the entrees are impressively-large, some almost difficult to finish, the starters are tiny in comparison and should be more accurately termed as sides.

The Pistachio Baklava ($3) consists of two warm bite-sized baklavas.

The baklavas served were different; one was flakey and had a sweet, honey-soaked base, and the other featured a stronger pistachio flavor but lacked the prized base. While the first baklava was almost to die for, the second piece simply didn’t compare.

Thyme to Eat, with its unique environmentally friendly motto, is definitely a must-try if craving tasty and sustainable foods. Even though the interior is small and can accommodate only a small number of people, the restaurant’s dishes deliver delicious flavors from Iran. If your taste buds are searching for an adventure, Thyme to Eat is the place to go.

This edition featuring

Claire Marchon and Taylor Nisi with The Campanile’s own Charlie Dulik The Campanile: Introduce yourselves.

Claire Marchon: I’m Tay—god damn it. I’m Claire Marchon Taylor Nisi: And I’m Taylor Nisi.

TC: Can you tell our audience a bit about your campaign to be interviewed by the Campanile?

TN: So basically. At the beginning of the year, Claire and I both expressed our passion for 2 in 2000, and we said we could do so much better. No offense to whoever you were but you weren’t very good.

CM: Actually I think it was Dana, and I was actually pretty jealous.

TN: Well I personally think I’m better than Dana because of my Catholic religion.

CM: She hasn’t accepted Jesus.

TN: Which is not... that’s just not okay with me.

TC: That’s a perfect segue into the next topic... What does Jesus mean to you?

TN: Jesus is not just a person to me. He is always with me. He’s my house, he’s my heart. He’s my everything. I’ve promised to not ever get closer than a twentymile radius to anyone of the male gender besides Jesus.

CM: I’d say Jesus to me is my heroin. I’m addicted. I don’t accept the bible as his word. I live out his word every day. I am the thirteenth disciple.

TC: What percentage of people at Paly do you think you could beat up?

CM: Seven and a half. I’m a pretty small and weak person TN: I’d say just one person... and it would be my sister.

TC: Describe your guys’ relationship in one word.

CM: Orange.

TN: Faithful.

CM: Gospel.

TN: Harmonious.

TC: What are your biggest natural enemies?

C: Oil. TN: Mine are heathens, Sicilians and pollen.

TC: So you guys are graduating in about one month, do you have any reflections?

TN: I would say just live your life like High School Musical 3 CM: I was thinking more [High School Musical 2]. Two definitely holds up a greater friendship.

TC: What do you want your paly legacy to be?

TN: My legacy is just like a fun loving girl down to earth, and ready to party.

CM: I’d say my legacy is just buckle down and work. People need to remember me by that.

You know, I didn’t get into Harvard, Stanford and Yale just by lounging around.

TC: You also didn’t get into Harvard Stanford or Yale by... you just didn’t!

CM: Well I mean first of all you have to apply, and well they wanted me to apply, they begged!

TC: Any final words for the school?

CM: Jack the Ripper. Just be careful because we don’t know who he is and he might still be alive.

TN: I had brown short hair like Jesus.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

SPORTS

in’ Hoop a l u H Students transform this childhood pasttime into an activity for all ages. C8

I hope that one day I’ll be good enough to perform for other people at events I attend.

Syd Williams Junior

STILL ON TOP

jonathan Ziegler/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Jayshawn Gates-Mouton leads the pack in the 100m sprint during the Paly-Gunn meet on April 25. The outstanding performance of the 2013 Paly track team can be, in part, ascribed to the performance of Jayshawn Gates-Mouton and his brother, Justin, on the far left.

jensen hsiao staff writer

P

aly girls’ and boys’ varsity track remain undefeated, preserving their hopes of winning the Central Coast Section (CCS) title for the 2013 season. Even with the loss of many key runners, the boys’ team has successfully maintained their top ranking in CCS, which the team won during the 2012 track season.

“Currently varsity boys and girls are 5-0,” senior track captain Justin Zhang said.

This undefeated record is particularly impressive due to the losses of key players like senior E.J. Floreal, who moved to Kentucky for his senior year. As a junior, Floreal set Paly track records for the 100, 200 and 400. He was ranked second in the state for the 200 with a time of 21.16 seconds.

“If [Floreal] was here at Paly now he would be one of the runners on our 400 team,” junior jumper Frankie Comey said. “We are down a runner and if we had him he would make a complete team with his insane 400 time.”

Fortunately, the team has been able to succeed without Floreal.

“The loss of [Floreal] has not been as nearly as bad as we had anticipated,” Zhang said. “He was the main focus on track and field last year.”

With the lack of these numerous star players, many runners have stepped up to carry the team to victory and towards the CCS title.

“Our sprinting is still one of our strongest parts of the team,” junior varsity sprinter Megan Tall said. “Although we could do a lot better with E.J., we are not struggling.”

While Floreal’s loss had the biggest single impact on the team, there were numerous other key contributors who left the team this year. Senior distance girls have had to deal with the largest number of members who have quit.

“There were 14 senior girls at the beginning of the season,” Zhang said. “Now there are two. On top of that, one is injured. Many of the girls quit due to a variety of reasons. Currently the only senior girl that is running is Matilda Warvne. Nora Rosati is the senior distance captain but she is currently recovering from an injury. She dislocated a disc in her back and hasn’t been able to run competitively.”

In addition to losses in the sprint and long distance teams, there has been considerable setbacks in the jump team as well. Due to the construction around the football field and track, the long jump pits have been removed to make way for the new bleachers, causing frustration amongst team members since Paly cannot host home meets. Because of this, the team has been having to travel to other schools for every meet. Since there is a limit to the number of people Paly can enter in an away meet, many new runners have not been able to compete in a single meet as only the top runners are able to travel to away meets.

More importantly, the jumpers have not been able to practice at Paly.

“Having no jump pits has been an obstacle to our growth,” Comey said. “It is frustrating because our first meet against Saratoga was literally the first time I’ve jumped in the sand since this last track season.”

To combat this problem, the varsity jumpers, Comey and seniors Victor Du, Eilon Tzur, Kenny Jones and Grant Shorin, have been going to Gunn High School to practice twice a week.

“This year in our league the bar for jumping is extremely high,” Comey said. “We have a lot of gifted jumpers across the league. So there has been huge competition, but the guys have been doing well despite the fact that it is hard to practice.”

Unfortunately, only the varsity jumpers are able to go to Gunn to practice; the JV jumpers have been unable to practice, leaving them at a great disadvantage for track meets and future seasons.

“Many of the newcomers that should be doing jumping are not practicing jumping because Paly doesn’t have the pits for them,” Zhang said. “The only time they get to do jumping is at the meet itself, which is not ideal. They can’t improve for next year when we will need them.”

Next year the Paly track team will need younger jumpers to step up to varsity, as four out of the five varsity jumpers are graduating There has been huge seniors. Once they leave, there will be a void competition, but the guys have that the team will need to fill. been doing well despite the “One of the big issues is that once [the fact that it is hard to practice. seniors] leave the jump squad will be much less competitive,” Zhang said. “[Jones] has Frankie Comey hit six feet in the high this year, a [peronal Junior record]. [Du] is second in state for triple jump and I think he still is over 43 feet.”

Now that the regular season is over, the team is looking towards the post season: Leagues, CCS and States. Despite the plethora of injuries, deserters and logistical issues, the team is primed for huge success.

“We have many talented athletes that can make CCS and even States,” Zhang said. “[Junior] Nick Sullivan is probably the star of the team. His 400 is a 48.6, which is 0.4 seconds off the Paly record and he is first in CCS. As long as everything goes right, he will easily be able to make it to States. Another rising star is Eli Gibbens, as a freshman he has been able to run a 50.6 which puts him in the top five of CCS so whether he makes it to States for not will depend on how much he can push it. But it is still incredible he can make it this far.”x With De Anza leagues finals this Tuesday, Apr. 30 and Thursday, May 2, the team continues to train hard for the post season.

INSIDE

Swimming

Leagues away

FRISBEe

Girls’ varsity loses the chance to win their elev-

From college frisbee to professional frisbee

C3

to “Kanjam,” this seemingly obscure game

BASEBALL

More than just a game

is much more competitive than you think.

C4-C5

enth consecutive League Championship title.

Sliding into home The varsity team qualifies for League Championships despite a rough season. C7

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

C2 SPORTS

Warriors face significant playoff challenges brandon byer james foug Senior staff writerS

F

or the first time in six years and for the second time in 19 years, the Golden State Warriors made the playoffs. Led by all-star David Lee and all time single season three point record holder Stephen Curry, the Warriors finished sixth in the Western Conference and have been matched up with the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

After a close first game loss, fans like senior Alex Chin are less optimistic about the Warriors’ chances of winning the playoffs.

“Stephen Curry is their best player but they need more support from Andrew Bogut and Klay Thompson especially with David Lee injured in order to have any chance,” Chin said.

When the Warriors traded hometown favorite Monta Ellis for Andrew Bogut at the trade deadline last year, most of the Warriors fanbase was displeased with the decision to trade their top scorer.

Bogut did not play a single game last season for the Warriors as he was rehabbing from an ankle injury he sustained as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. This season Bogut has played sporadically due to the Warriors organization concern about him reinjuring himself rather than getting him back into game condition. Now that the postseason has

Keith allison/creative commons

The Warriors’ loss of all-star forward David Lee, second from left, will be hard to overcome, but the team looks to get back in the series against the Denver Nuggets. They are hinging their hopes on the improved play of Andrew Bogut, who was traded last year for Monta Ellis, second from left.

officially arrived, and without AllStar forward David Lee, Bogut will be counted on to prove his worth and to prove that this indeed was the piece that the Warriors have been missing for so many years.

Senior Mathias Schmutz does not believe Andrew Bogut can make up for the loss of David Lee. “I thought that they had a decent chance winning the first round but now they have no shot because

[David] Lee is on the shelf,” Schmutz said.

The Denver Nuggets pose many challenges for the Warriors as they do not have one true star, but a large number of solid and serviceable individuals who all have bought into the system of their head coach George Karl.

Karl, who coached the Warriors from 1986 to 1988, has molded a team that has become one of the

most dynamic and run and gun style offenses that the NBA has seen in recent years.

A great matchup to watch throughout this entire series will be between the two point guards Stephen Curry and Ty Lawson.

Curry and Lawson both came out of the same draft class in 2009 and both played basketball in the state of North Carolina for college. They have translated their games to the NBA level,

creating an intriguing series with two point guards who utilize contrasting playing styles.

The Warriors have overcome the critics pre-season expectations by reaching the playoffs where most had never thought they would be, but now they face seemingly insurmountable odds. Without their workhorse in the post, David Lee, the Warriors hopes of advancing seem to be all but crushed.

Officials deserve right to review controversial plays play-review camera might have recognized and changed. The mistake tainted the game for the rest of the NCAA Tournament, especially for those of us who value the integrity of the sport.

The referee’s last-minute bad call against Iowa State eliminated the team’s chance to progress further in the NCAA playoffs and arguably john young staff writer

C

harging foul? How can that be a charging foul? That’s the question my friends and I shouted at the television screen during a recent basketball game when the referees got the call wrong.

The crucial mistaken call occurred with two minutes remaining in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Iowa State versus Ohio State March Madness game. As an audience watching the game from home on the television, we clearly saw what the referees in this March showdown should have seen: Ohio State’s blocking foul, an infraction that would have put Iowa State up by three with another freethrow scoring opportunity in their hands.

Instead, the refs called the charging foul against Iowa State, changing the entire game, which resulted in a last second Ohio State win, almost all because a referee made a silly mistake. It was a mistake that a

The mistake tainted the game for the rest of the NCAA tournament, especially for those of us who value the integrity of the sport. completely altered Iowa’s path for the rest of the tournament.

Of course, I’ll concede that Ohio State’s Aaron Craft did make a spectacular clutch shot at the buzzer, but the earlier mistaken call does raise questions about the integrity of the game. And fans sitting in front of TVs or in the stands, fans who have invested in March Madness for years, were left scratching their heads in confusion.

Yes, the position of Aaron Craft’s foot made the questionable call extremely difficult. But if the referees had had a review camera (which is available), then the outcome of the game might have changed. At the very least, the use of a camera would have resulted in most of us admitting, “It was a fair win.” Now we just don’t know.

I’m not saying that the refs need a review camera for the whole game.

Such a mechanism would result in longer televised games and higher advertisement costs, but with two minutes left in a tight-scoring match, the review would have been handy.

The officials in the Illinois versus Miami game could also have benefited from the use of a review camera.

In that March Madness contest, a questionable referee call became a crucial factor, as a Miami player clearly hit the ball out of bounds, but the refs still gave Miami the ball.

What a game changer that was.

The result? Disheartening disappointment for all of those who were rooting for Illinois like myself, as well as the players themselves. This call may have decided the game, as Illinois ended up losing by four. If the referee had seen the Miami player knock the ball over the line, Illinois would have received possession of the ball and a chance to tie or win the game, as they were down by only two points.

In both cases, if the referees had went over a camera review of the play in the last moments, then players, coaches and fans would have had more trust in a fair outcome. I certainly would have.

And that’s what we fans, whether we’re in the stands or in our hometheatre armchairs, really want: fairness.

Those objecting to my recommendation may bring up the 2012 Green Bay versus Seattle Seahawks football game, a game in which the

bella graves/the campanile

Referees, such as those shown in the boys’ lacrosse game above, hugely influence games’ outcomes.

refs’ horrible call stood, despite the camera review. To those fans, I say: mistakes occur in one of 1,000 camera reviews. The odds favor the camera!

At the very least, NFL officials did appeal to a camera that gave the game a fair chance at a critical moment. Likewise, the two calls in the NCAA March college basketball games were critical decisions that arguably decided the games in an unfair manner, as both of the victim teams ended up losing without given a chance of a camera-review.

Even with all the TV advertisement stoppage in the game, why can’t NCAA officials incorporate a brief play-review in the critical last two minutes?

Is that asking too much of a sport invented in America, where “fair play” is a symbol of our value system?

All I’m saying is that the inability to make the correct call can become an unfair factor for both winners and losers all the way up to the National Championship.

Did Miami win the game over Illinois because of the blown outof-bounds call? Did Ohio State win against Iowa State because of the blown charging foul?

I’m not saying that, but, at the very least, the refs should have been able to review the plays that would have made the games fairer in the critical last two minutes. If a camera review option was incorporated in the games’ last two minutes, then those of us who trust in the notion of fair play would be fairness of the game stood in the end.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

SPORTS C3

Swim teams rebound from recent struggle

Nick Sullivan Michelle Yin staff writers

A

fter a disappointing loss to Monta Vista High School, the varsity boys’ and girls’ swim teams have come back with victories in their following meets and once again feel confident for the rest of the season. They also have renewed their hope to compete for Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) champion titles.

Following the surprising fall to Monta Vista, the boys’ varsity swim team drastically changed their practice ethics and boosted morale.

“We picked up training by doing harder sets and starting to take practice a lot more seriously,” junior Willy Lee said. “Also we tried to increase team spirit and we rallied for each other a lot more at meets.”

The Monta Vista loss turned out to be a learning experience, and both girls’ and boys’ swim teams won in blowout fashion against the Los Altos High School swim teams on April 16.

Starting the meet off with an easy victory, Lee, sophomore Winston Wang and senior Alex Francis stroked their way to success as they took first place in the 400-meter medley relay, consisting of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.

“I am really excited about time because it was better than past relays,” Lee said. “I think our time will put us in a good spot for leagues and CCS [Central Coast Section] championships.”

Andrew choi/the campanile

Senior Alex Francis races his way to first place in the 400-meter medley relay in a blowout victory over Los Altos High School.

On top of the relay win, junior Andrew Liang also took first place for all of his events: the 50 and 200meter freestyle and the 100-meter butterfly.

Senior captain Eren Kiris also earned a first place finish in the 150meter freestyle.

“Based on our success, my goal for our team is to win leagues and take the CCS title over Bellarmine,” senior captain Bret Pinsker said.

We picked up training by doing harder sets and started to take practice a lot more seriously. Also we tried to increase team spirit and we rally for each other a lot more at meets.

Willy Lee Junior

Unfortunately, despite the huge win at Los Altos, the girls’ varsity team has lost its opportunity of securing the SCVAL league champion title after a recent loss to the Gunn High School girls’ team.

This year will mark the end of their ten-year consecutive league champion legacy.

“Even though we won this meet [against Los Altos], our record is not good enough anymore to win

leagues, which is disappointing since we almost beat the longest standing record of consecutive league titles,” senior captain Molly Zebker said.

The team still plans to try to do its best and hopefully get second place according to Zebker.

Even though the league championship title is out of the picture, the girls will still be able to compete for a CCS championship title and their team’s standings will not be affected.

Girls’ lacrosse bounces back against Gunn Maya kitayama Emily lee staff writers

T

Bella graves/The campanile

Coach Conover inspires the boys’ team in a huddle before the game against Los Gatos High School.

Boys’ lacrosse looks to finish strongly ziv schwartz staff writer

A

fter losing their first three league games, the Paly boys’ lacrosse team has won four in a row and hopes to close out the season with a bang to bring the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) championship back to Palo Alto, according to senior captain Jonny Glazier.

“We’ve had a bit of a rough year,” Glazier said. “With the way we know we can play, we’re capable of big things. But with the way we play during big games, the playoffs aren’t even a certainty.”

Head coach Craig Conover voiced similar views in regard to the Vikings’ potential. “[The season has not been] as good as we expected,” Conover said.

“We just played Burlingame again, after losing to them for the first time in Paly history, and beat them quite easily by doing the things we haven’t been doing well—playing as a team, getting ground-balls and taking better shots.”

Conover also expressed his realistic take regarding the Vikings’ playoff run.

“We are realistically a solid four seed in our division if we don’t completely drop the ball the rest of this season,” Conover said. “If we win the rest of our league games, we could be a one seed, definitely a two seed.”

Despite these facts, team members are still optimistic about the end of the season, where they look to avenge their early home loss to MenloAtherton (MA) earlier this season.

The championship could very well be ours.

Jonny Glazier Senior captain

“Playing MA and losing to them at the beginning of the season on our home turf was tough,” junior midfielder Zach Rizk said. “But the team has gotten better and better every week to prepare for our final game of the season against them. Besides reaching the playoffs and winning the league championship this season, it has all been about getting better day

in day out to beat MA. It’s our motivation. That loss has been driving us all season to get better and better.”

Despite the disappointing season, the Vikings’ have found a silver lining in Glazier’s breakout season.

“I’ve been on varsity since my freshman year, but I’ve finally really found my confidence this year and as a result have upwards of 60 goals already,” Glazier said. “Our offense averaged nearly 14 goals a game which is second in all of CCS. So if we play up to our ability in the playoffs, the championship could very well be ours.”

Conover also recognized this tremendous feat and is very proud of what Glazier has been able to do both on and off the field as one of the captains of the team. Hopefully Glazier’s actions will guide the Vikings. “[Glazier] had what we believe to be a CCS record high nine goals versus Woodside,” Conover said. “He is really crushing it. In recent games, he has been getting the ball to others to score. The number of assists for him and some other leading scorers is on the rise and hopefully he’ll carry it on into the playoffs.”

IZZY’s Brooklyn Bagels

he girls’ varsity lacrosse team has continued its strong season despite its second loss this season to Menlo School. The Menlo girls’ lacrosse team is currently ranked first in Central Coast Section (CCS) and second in the entire west coast while the Vikings rank third and 15th respectively.

In their game against Menlo, the Vikings ended at halftime down with a score of 7-1 and closed the game with a final score of 13-5 despite valiant attempts on attack.

Senior captain Genevieve LucasConwell reflects back on the team’s performance and acknowledges that the major issue was a general sense of unpreparedness among the players.

“I think we lost to Menlo because we were a little unprepared in what we might be facing, so I think some of the team just gave up which caused our team dynamic to fade a little bit,” Lucas-Conwell said.

Despite the disappointing loss that the team most recently faced, LucasConwell believes that the result of the game will actually in benefit the team in the long run.

“This loss will only make us stronger because now we know that we can’t let that happen again,” LucasConwell said.

The team’s overall league record of 9-0-0 puts it in first place in the Santa Clara Valley league. Paly’s cross-town rival Gunn High School is second place in the Santa Clara Valley league with a record of 8-2-0.

In the most recent game against Gunn, the team managed to once again pull through with an impressive win. The final score ended with a 9-5 defeat of the cross town rival. The Vikings continue to prove themselves and defend their current record.

Prospects for the team making it all the way to CCS seem well within the grasp of the girls. Considering the record they currently hold, a CCS title is definitely a possibility.

The girls face their major opponent, Castilleja, on Monday, April 29, at 4 p.m., at Paly.

Andrew Choi/ The campanile

Senior Anna Dairaghi makes a pass to a fellow offensive player, attempting to throw off Gunn players and score.

Catering for all Occasions 477 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA, 94306 (650)-329-0700 Izzysbb@gmail.com

www.izzsbrooklynbagels.com

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

C4 FRISBEE

Ultimate Frisbee: College Edition Galen Byrd Staff Writer

U

ltimate frisbee is as intense and as competitive as any other college sport. At the college level, there are club teams at most universities across the country which compete in various different tournaments throughout the year.

Although it is not the most popular sport, it is extremely rewarding for those who play.

Here at Paly, there is an ultimate frisbee club that has become more competitive, with a few players going on to play at the college level.

2012 Paly graduates Skyler Tom, Xavier Mignot and Charlie Zhou are just a few who have fell in love with the sport and currently play for their respective universities’ club teams.

Tom, a freshman at Tufts University, only started playing last year as a senior at Paly and continues to enjoy the sport at the college level.

“I really like my teammates and it was a good way to play a club sport with good people,” Tom said.

According to Tom, unlike other club sports, ultimate frisbee is based on tournaments with multiple teams, instead of weekly games against a single team. The sport’s main season is in the spring; during spring there are tournaments about every other weekend, while during the fall and winter there is only one every month.

With ultimate frisbee increasing in popularity, some frisbee programs have expanded to upwards of

50 people with up to five teams and have been placed in new divisions.

Like many other sports divisions, ultimate frisbee divisions are based on the size of the school, with larger schools in Division 1 and smaller schools in Division 3.

Mignot, a freshman at Stanford University, casually became acquainted with the sport as a freshman in high school while playing pickup games with friends and started playing competitively his junior year with the Paly ultimate frisbee club.

Mignot has come to greatly appreciates the uniqueness of the sport.

“I think its a really good combination of different elements and it’s also really cool that unlike a football for example, a frisbee floats,” Mignot said.

Mignot also conveyed that it is a big time commitment on top of academics and other extracurricular activities.

“We have two to three hour practices four times a week, and lift [weights] on the off days and

sometimes we throw outside of practice.” Mignot said.

Another interesting aspect of the game that Mignot pointed out is that there are no referees, so the players call their own fouls.

“More important games sometimes have observers who impartially judge calls, but it’s still mostly player run,” Mignot said.

Zhou, a freshman at Georgetown University, particularly enjoys the social aspect of playing competitively against and with friends.

“Frisbee was a good sport to play together with all my friends because we were all relatively new to the sport, so we all went through the learning curve together,” Zhou said.

“A lot of the enjoyment came from competing with friends, and just spending time with each other.”

Like Mignot, Zhou mentioned

the large time commitment that playing on the ultimate frisbee team requires. In addition to the rigorous practices and training, Zhou emphasized the difficulty of the long weekend tournaments.

“Tournaments are usually a bigger problem [than practices], as they take up entire weekends, with traveling, exhaustion and early mornings,” Zhou said. “We’ll often leave on Friday in the morning and arrive back at Georgetown on Sunday night.”

Along with many other compelling sports, ultimate frisbee has become more popular and more competitive, with players being willing to devote their time to a growing sport. Despite the lack of publicity frisbee receives, the players value the mixture of competitiveness with good spirit.

Reinventing the classic game Students embrace KanJam, a new frisbee spin-off with a unique point scoring system, in their free time.

Jonathan Ziegler Staff Writer

I

f you’ve ever gone to the quad during preparatory periods or after school to enjoy a nice day, chances are you’ve seen people playing KanJam. This game has been popular on the quad, with tons of students trying to get in on the games.

The game KanJam consists of two trash can-like objects that are each separated by 50 feet. The goal: throw a frisbee into one of the slots that is cut out in the middle of the cylinder or get the frisbee in from the top.

However, because of the rare nature of this phenomenon, it is possible to obtain points other ways.

Two teams of two stand on opposite sides to try and hit the KanJam

sametraveller/tumblr

in some sort of fashion. There are four different ways to get points. The first, a one-pointer, is if the frisbee hits the KanJam with a redirected hit from his or her partner. The second, a two-pointer, is when the player that is throwing the frisbee hits the outer surface of the KanJam. The third, a three-pointer, is when a player throws the frisbee and his or her partner deflects the frisbee into the KanJam. The first player who gets 21 points wins the game.

“KanJam is one if of the best things ever to just go to a park or chill in your backyard with your friends and just sit in the sun and take it easy,” senior Marco Vienna said. “But it’s also one of the most competitive games you can play, so make sure to come prepared to play some really intense matches.”

KanJam sets sell for $39.95 on kanjam.com, Big 5 or Sports Authority. The package consists of everything you need to start, but be careful because it is easy to lose parts.

The Campanile

Monday, April 29, 2013

FRISBEE

C5

Up close with frisbee head coach Chris Farina

Courtesy of Chris Farina

The Campanile sat down with social studies teacher and ultimate frisbee coach Chris Farina to discuss this new and rapidly growing sport.

The Campanile: Tell us how you got started playing ultimate frisbee.

Chris Farina: A younger brother of one of my friends had been playing Frisbee for a little while, liked it a lot and knew a bunch of us, and he suggested that we all skip the spring sport we were playing, senior spring and [we] decided to learn frisbee over the winter and play it during the spring.

TC: What was your ultimate frisbee experience like in college?

CF: I played at Middlebury [College], in Vermont. That team had an interesting dynamic because it’s a relatively small school, so the team there was really more focused on having fun and camaraderie. The college team has kind of oscillated between mostly being out there to have some fun and really being competitive.

TC: How does the ultimate frisbee club system currently operate?

CF: At the moment, the way the club system works is new, so it’s a little weird to explain. Last year’s performance determines what things you get invited to this season. The top four teams are in what they call the Pro Flight. The Pro Flight gets invited to the U.S. Open, a tournament where they have the top four teams from last year’s nationals, and then four other teams from international locations. The next four teams are also part of the Pro Flight. They get all invited to the same tournaments where they play each other a bunch.

The next set of eight teams from nationals is the Elite flight, and they mostly play each other at certain tournaments that they’re all asked to go to. There is one tournament where there is Pro/Elite challenge, so the bottom four from the Pro Flight and the top four from the Elite Flight play each other, basically to see how things are changing over the course of the season. The next flight down is the Select Flight, with the next thirty-two teams based on regional rankings. There are certain tournaments that you’re required to go to based on what flight you end up in, and then other than that, you can opt to go to any other tournaments that you want.

TC: How are practices run for the Paly club, and what kind of teams do you typically play against?

CF: We practice twice a week, whenever we can get time around lacrosse. The league we play in is a youth league in the Bay Area, and it consists of five weekend tournaments where you play teams from all over the Bay, some who are really new and are pretty lightly fielded teams, and others of which are very well established, very well coached and very well practiced teams that are really solid.

TC: Are there any thoughts of trying to turn the club into an actual varsity team?

CF: There are pros and cons to it, the pros are that you get more support and recognition if it were to become a varsity sport, and it is at many high schools. For it to be a varsity sport you have to have some kind of recognized league you’re participating in. Right now we’re still at the point where there is kind of sporadic interest from most of the people that are playing frisbee, and they come out more because it’s something fun that they can do and not feel the pressure of having an organized sport. If, as things continue to grow in the next couple years, there’s definitely interest in pushing it into being a varsity sport and still having a club for people just want to play recreationally, then I’d definitely be into that and watching it progress to the next level.

TC: Can you speak about the professional ultimate league?

CF: It started up last year, and there are two leagues currently.

There’s the American Ultimate Disc League, the AUDL, which is focused on the Eastern half of the united states and has twelve teams in it. This year, in its first year of existence is the MLU, which is Major League Ultimate and that’s got two coastal regions with four teams each, eight total. The MLU plays a series of games, they get together three teams in their league and then at the end of that season they have a championship with the Eastern Conference champions and the Western Conference champions playing each other for the league title.

TC: How has the sport changed and evolved in most recent years?

courtesy of kevin Lavelle

Members of the Paly Ultimate Frisbee Club participate in intense tournaments against other teams from across the Bay Area.

CF: The establishment of the professional league is the single biggest thing that’s happened recently, and depending on how appealing that is, it could continue to grow the sport. It’s been growing in a bunch of different countries, continents, and that’s a really good sign too. Ultimate frisbee has become really big in parts of South America, really big in parts of Europe, Australia has had a great team for a while, East Asia has a great series of teams, Africa is starting to get into it and make teams too, so it’s definitely growing as a sport. I think, as professional ultimate frisbee can really establish itself as a major sport in the United States and Canada, the next thing to look forward to is recognition at the Olympics.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

C6 SPORTS

Tennis team finishes season with spot in CCS

Andrew Choi/The campanile

Juniors Gabe Mechali and Austin Leung practice their strokes in preparation for the upcoming matches of CCS. They will end their season with high hopes for postseason success.

Bowen Gerould Jensen Hsiao STAFF writers

W

ith a strong start, the Paly tennis team aims high for Central Coast Section (CCS), despite a brief slump.

The Vikings finished their season with a record of 12-10 and a league record of 5-7. The Vikings lost four of their last five matches but won their final match against Sacred Heart Prep, winning all three doubles matches and clinching a spot in the CCS tournament.

Recently, the Paly boys lost against Stevenson High School on April 14 3-4.

“At Stevenson, Michael Lassooy, Jack Paladin, Kevin Huang and I won our matches,” junior Adi Mahadevan said. “But the rest of the team had a tough time, so we ended up losing to them. It was really close, two of the matches [that we lost] were winnable, so we definitely could have pulled it off.”

The string of losses near the end of the season demoralized much of the team. “[The losses] have created a bit of negative energy,” Mahadevan said. “I

feel like if we just get a couple wins, we will come out of it quickly.”

Previous to their slump, the Vikings had a record of 11-6, which they were proud of.

“We started off the season really well,” junior Austin Leung said. “But during the last few weeks we have lost quite a few matches. We need to pick up our game.”

On March 5, Paly obtained a close victory against Lynbrook High School 4-3 and continued its streak, beating Carlmont High School.

For the Viking boys’ third win in a row, they defeated Cupertino High School with a score of 4-3.

Next, the Vikings took on Monta Vista High School, which resulted in a loss. They then beat cross-town rival Gunn High School on March 20 with a score of 4-3. Playing Monta Vista for their second time, the Paly boys lost but quickly rebounded for two games against Mountain View High School and Los Gatos High School. The team then received a brief rest during spring break.

They were back at it on April 9 but fell short in a disappointing 1-6 loss to a strong Saratoga High School.

To throw the boys deeper into a slump, they lost 2-5 to Lynbrook High.

“We only have two more matches for the rest of the season,” junior Austin Leung said. “So it’s now or never.”

With CCS just around the corner, the last match of the season was critical. Paly played Sacred Heart, who the Vikings felt they could beat.

“I think that Sacred Heart is one of the easier teams we have played this year,” Mahadevan said.

The Vikings won at Sacred Heart on April 17, giving them a spot in the CCS tournament. The team is currently awaiting their draw for the CCS tournament, which will take place over the week of May 1.

Badminton looks to win SCVALs, qualify individually for CCS Stephenie Zhang STAFF writer

I

n the midst of its season, the varsity badminton team has maintained a positive record of five wins and two losses.

The team hopes to win the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) but has low expectations for qualifying for the Central Coast Section (CCS).

“We are pretty close to winning league,” senior badminton player Gavin Chan said. “There are a few games coming that are pretty critical.

We are really close to Mountain View High School and Fremont High School in terms of our record. If we can pull off a good last few games then we can win league.”

However, even with a good league record, the team is doubtful that it will have any qualifying players for CCS. To compete in CCS, players must qualify individually and be in the top four in their league.

“Our area is the hardest because the Bay Area has a bunch of nationally-ranked players, and they all compete in SCVAL,” Chan said. ” The team has faced many challenges throughout their season due

to its lack of female players and has even had to forgo matches because of this issue.

“We do not even have enough girls to play,” Chan said. “We always have to forfeit matches for girls. There is always room for improvement.”

Despite these challenges, the team has made many improvements from past years partly because of the addition of a new coach.

Wesley Hsieh, the new coach for the team, has brought structure and accountability to the team which are positive qualities that players have seen manifest throughout the season and help the team become more of a legitimate threat in their very strong league.

“This coach is more formal and strict about his rules,” Chan said.

“He sets guidelines, and he expects the team to follow them. For example, if [a player] misses practice, for every practice [the player misses], [the player] has to run one mile.”

In addition, Hsieh, new to coaching a high school team, is open to suggestions and comments from players in order to implement a more effective training and conditioning schedule.

“This coach pushes people to practice and at least attend practice, so the more time [people] spend on

Andrew Choi/The campanile

Badminton players participate in practice and prepare for key matches to help them finish atop the division

anything, they will get better,” Chan said. “The coach is definitely open to suggestions, so eventually he will make the training more effective, and the [players] will be training more efficiently.”

Hsieh plans to continue coaching at Paly next year, ending the team’s tradition of constantly changing coaches and providing a more

stable, structured environment for the team.

“The team this year is more structured as in we also have a varsity coach, an assistant coach and a [junior varsity] coach,” Chan said. “We usually switch coaches every year, so it is really hard to build a team. It is good that this coach is planning to stay next year, so at least the [players] get

to know him and we do not need to switch coaches again.”

With the focus on individual improvement throughout the year, the team is looking forward to the rest of the SCVAL match play and the future successes of the team.

“Our goal is for the team to win the rest of [our] games,” senior captain Oliver Wang said.

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

SPORTS C7

Paly alumnus strives for big leagues Jack paladin staff writer

I

n 32 baseball teams, there are 1,280 players in Major League Baseball (MLB). Last year the average salary for those players was nearly $3,500,000, according to CBS sports. Almost every kid in the United States wishes to be one of 1,280 players making the big bucks; however the percentage of players who actually make it to the Majors is infinitesimally small.

2010 Paly graduate Joc Pederson aims to be one of the selective few to make it into the MLB and earn the huge sums of money that all baseball superstars do.

As of now, Pederson is playing AA baseball in the Dodgers farm system. Although he has come a long way from playing baseball on the Paly team, he still has a long road ahead before reaching the pros.

At Paly, Pederson helped lead the team to a 29-4 record in 2011, hitting six home runs along the way, the most on the team. He attracted much attention from colleges and even pro teams, but eventually decided to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When people first saw the news that a Paly baseball player was actually going to go the big leagues, many may have thought that they would see him immediately on television with Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp.

However, Pederson had a long way to go before he would even get

Tim Evearitt/Chattanoogan

Joc Pederson now playing on the AA level with the Chattanooga Lookouts was awarded the Branch Rickey Player of the Year for 2012 in the Dodgers organization. Pederson had a .313 batting average in his breakout campaign.

a chance to play with the actual Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2010, after being drafted, Pederson began his long climb up through the minor leagues, starting at the Rookie level. Here Pederson showed strong abilities as a baseball player, batting over .300.

Later in the 2011 season, Pederson was moved up to A baseball, one step up from the league he had previously played in. In single A, Pederson

played for the Great Lakes Loons.

Again Pederson was quickly moved up another level to A+ baseball. On the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Pederson again batted over .300, hitting 18 home runs and batting in 70 runs. Pederson quickly asserted himself as an incredibly strong baseball player.

Earlier this year, Pederson was given the opportunity to play in front of crowds when he played in seven

spring training games. While he only went one for ten, Pederson took another great stride in his baseball career, moving up to AA. With only the AAA baseball league in between Pederson and playing in the pros, things are looking up.

Pederson is currently projected to be on the Dodgers roster within the next two years and the Palo Alto community is eagerly awaiting the news that he has been moved up into the major

leagues, which may very well occur this season.

While Pederson has worked very hard to achieve his dream of playing in the pros and has been relatively successful, thousands of other players around the nation from both high school and college have the same dream but no chance of making it to the majors.

Most players who do end up playing in the minor leagues go nowhere.

With so many players and so few spots in actual teams, life as a baseball player can be very hard.

Minor league baseball players train long and hard, leaving players prone to injuries that could easily end their seasons and careers as baseball players. On top of that, the salaries that minor players earn are barely enough to live on, if that. In AAA baseball, the highest level in the minor leagues, players can earn salaries as low as $25,800 annually. That number is about half of the average household income in America.

Certain players do receive a signing bonus when they agree to a contract, however this sum of money can sometimes be very little and most players do not even receive a signing bonus.

Due to all of the adverse factors that minor league players have to face, they are often forced to quit due to injury, inability to make money or a range of other issues.

While Joc Pederson’s story is one of success, life in the minors is difficult and not always as rewarding as people may think.

Baseball stumbles into leagues after tough losses Brandon byer senior staff writer

A

t the top of the De Anza league standings sit three teams that are all vying for the opportunity to win the 201213 division title. The teams involved for the last stretch title run include Wilcox High School, Homestead High School and Paly. After riding high the past few weeks, the Vikings have hit a bump in the road, losing three straight games to Los Gatos High School, Carmel High School and Wilcox High School, which has reopened the door for their counterparts to get back into the De Anza League picture. Paly has split their season series with both Wilcox and Homestead this season, which means that the division may very well come down to the final game of the little regular season that is left.

Most recently, Paly surrendered a 5-1 lead against Los Gatos allowing five unanswered runs to come as a large disappointment to the entire team.

“The last couple weeks have been really disappointing,” senior third baseman Austin Poore said. “We’ve lost three one run games and really have not been playing the way we should be playing. The loss to Wilcox hurts more than the others because [junior starting pitcher] Chris Smith pitched a great game and we couldn’t even score one run for him.”

Poore and senior Isaac Feldstein

have been the two consistent and stabilizing players in the lineup for the Vikings game in and game out.

Feldstein is hitting .429 on the season while getting on base nearly 50% of the time as his OBP (On-Base Percentage) stands at .488, which by baseball standards is quite impressive.

“I’ve stayed confident and trusted that my approach and preparation are fine, just the results weren’t there early on in the season,” Feldstein said.

“I stayed the course and have been hitting like I can be after my slow start.”

Poore should not be overlooked, as he has really stepped up this season as well to help Feldstein provide a dynamic one-two combo in the lineup that should not be taken lightly. Poore’s batting average stands at .337, with an OBP of .356 which is important because both of their OBP’s show that they both create opportunities for others in the lineup to continue the offense flow while Feldstein and Poore are on the basepaths.

“I think I have been more successful at the plate this year because of the work I did in the offseason,” Poore said. “I played competitive baseball all summer and throughout most of the fall and got a chance to face some really good pitching.”

Feldstein and Poore’s play day in and day out has been praised highly by their teammates, and has also lifted the level play for the entire

team across the board from offense, defense and even to the pitching staff. “[Feldstein] and [Poore] have been great this year,” senior shortstop Michael Strong said. “Again though, I think our whole team has performed well. We just can’t seem to get the lucky breaks we need [right now].”

Strong has had himself a solid senior campaign as he has compiled a .377 batting average and .462 OBP which emphasizes the importance of Again though, I think our whole team has performed well. We just can’t seem to get the lucky breaks we need [right now].

Michael Strong Varsity Shortstop

getting on base. Strong has had to take a role of leadership this year, but he says that is not derived from the fact that he plays what most people would call the most important position in baseball: shortstop.

“I don’t think the leadership has come from being a shortstop, rather it has come from me being a senior [on this team],” Strong said. “I need to be a positive and optimistic role model for everyone.”

Other contributors who have also been catalysts to jumpstarting the Viking offense this season have been seniors James Foug, Rowan

Andrew choi/THE CAMPANILE

Junior starter Chris Smith delivers a pitch in a home game against Wilcox High School. Smith threw six innings only to give up one run in defeat.

Thompson and Sean Harvey, as well as juniors Austin Kron and Jack Cleasby. All five of the aforementioned players are having strong offensive seasons as each of them has a batting average over .300 on the year and have provided key depth throughout the order that this team will need heading into the playoffs when they will face tougher competition. Over the past three games the pitching rotation from the starters to

the bullpen have kept the Vikings in the game, although they have only 1-2 in that stretch.

Both junior Chris Smith and freshman Riley Schoeben did well in their recent starts as neither of them allowed an earned run in their 11 combined innings of work.

“If we finish the season well and compete in the league tournament, we will have a good shot at making it to CCS,” Feldstein said.

611 Emerson Avenue Palo Alto, CA 650-328-2820

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Monday, April 29, 2013

The Campanile

C8 SPORTS

hOoping

Paly students take the hula-hoop to a whole new level.

“

CJ always described [hooping] as ‘healing’ and it’s true.

Sydney Williams Junior

Maya Kitayama Staff writer

N

o longer is hula hooping a childhood pastime: the art of hooping has taken on a whole new meaning. Hooping has become an entity in itself, incorporating elements of the childhood pastime into a new art form and activity for older audiences.

Hooping generally refers to a more specific branch of “flow arts,” a broader category of activities that blend movement with the mind and body to create “flow.” Hoopers tend to use other parts of the body aside from the waist in their dancing.

Sophomore Suzie Emery-Sphar has partaken in hooping since November, and continues to practice improving in the art form and perfect her moves.

“My friend CJ taught me the basics, then I watched YouTube videos and now I watch other hoopers to learn new tricks,” Emery-Sphar said.

Emery-Sphar often receives some inquiring response in regards to her hooping, especially while she is practicing. She practices in a variety of locations, and always has her hoop in order to maximize the amount of time she can use to enhance her skills.

“I like hooping in pretty, nature scenery, but I bring my hoop

everywhere, so I also end up hooping at parks or even the Caltrain station,” Emery-Sphar said. “People look at me like I’m insane because they don’t understand how awesome hooping is.”

Junior Sydney Williams, newer to hooping, has quickly realized some of the more spiritual aspects affiliated with hooping.

“CJ always described it as ‘healing’ and it’s true,” Williams said.

[Hooping] is a good way to let go of anything stressful and just focus on the flow of the hoop.”

Despite its initial appearance of an inaccessible art form, hooping is actually a lot more pertinent then people may realize.

Hooping holds a deeper meaning from the intriguing outward appearance. The combination of fluid movements, colors and mental connection produce an experience unlike any kind of normal activity.

Not only does it act as way to entertain others, but it also provides a tremendous outlet for those who do partake in it.

“Hooping is almost indescribable, it’s such a relief for me,” EmerySphar said.

“I hope that one day I’ll be good enough to perform for other people at events I attend, but for now I just hoop for myself,” Williams said.

e Thirty-minut kouts r o w g n i p o o h ries. o l a c 0 0 2 n r bu

ffer o s m gy y n a s to e M s s a l gc n i p o ho lic. b u p the Hooping originat ed in Ancient Egypt in 1000 B. C.