Issue 2 10/11 by The Campanile

PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO RD. PALO ALTO, CA 94301 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44

The Campanile

Vol. XCVI, No. 2

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

Friday, October 11, 2013

Attendance policy changes By Alvina Zou Business Manager

new attendance policy was put into effect on Sept. 25 in an attempt to deter students from cutting class. The new policy reinstates Saturday School as a consequence for those who cut class as well as adds an extra autodialer call to parents and guardians regarding their child’s absence. “Students who have their fourth cut in any one class [will have to attend Saturday School],” assistant principal Victoria Kim said. “If you miss your math class three times and you have a fourth cut, you’ll be fined [with a] Saturday School.” Students will receive Saturday School for four cuts in one class, but the consequence is not limited to only one class; students will receive the consequence for each class they have four or more cuts in. The Palo Alto Education Council approved the attendance policy and will begin with the first Saturday School on Oct. 12. If a student misses Saturday School, he or she will automatically be assigned to attend the next Saturday School. Two absences from Saturday School will result in an in-school suspension. The administration has yet to determine how often Saturday School will occur. “Right now we are trying to align our attendance policy between [Henry M.] Gunn [High school] and Paly,” Kim said. “We’re trying our best to align it so we can create a district attendance policy at least at the high school level.” The attendance policy for the 2012-2013 school year did not involve attending Saturday School nor did it have the ramification of stu-

ASB reveals Homecoming theme By Grace Kim

dents being dropped from the class as a result of cutting. Because of the laxity of the policy and its lack of consequences, during this period of time, the school endured its highest cut rate in seven years with a total of 21,636 cuts, an average of 10.94 cuts per student. The administration still has yet to determine details including where the funding for Saturday School teachers will come from. “[Saturday School] will probably be based on need, so we’ll determine that,” Kim said. “We haven’t decided which budget it will come out of. There are a number of them that we can take it out of, but we haven’t decided.”

In addition to Saturday School, an autodialer will contact parents and guardians twice a day each time a student cuts.

cut rates and focuses primarily on increasing the consequences for cutting class. However, some students believe that there are alternative solutions Students who have their fourth the administration could consider to solve the problem. cut in any one class [will have to “I think they should concentrate attend Saturday School]. more on giving students an incentive not to miss class rather than ineffecVictoria Kim tive consequences that students fear,” Assistant Principal senior Mary Williams said. “Instead of using fear, they should find alternaUnder the new policy, parents will tive methods.” Through the new implemented have 72 hours to clear an absence whereas the previous policy only gave policy, the administration hopes to parents a 48-hour period to call in. see an improvement from last year’s The new policy aims to lower student meager attendance rates.

Photo students’ work published on New York Times blog ‘Lens’ By Lauren Giurata

courtesy of Lina awadallah

Lina Awadallah submitted this photo to the New York Times blog Lens to depict what she believes is an accurate representation of her hometown, Palo Alto.

Senior Staff Writer

ecently, photos from several different Palo Alto High School students were published in the New York Times photography blog, Lens. Many of the Paly students featured are from one of Margo Wixsom’s photography classes as they were required to submit some of their work to this contest. Wixsom decided to have students submit photographs, unlike what she has done with similar contests in the past. “I usually only have my Advanced Photo and AP students participate in this type of photo event, but because of how the topic integrated multidisciplinary issues from American history, I thought it was very valuable for all of my students,” Wixsom said. She explained that the New York Times required the photography teachers to create a lesson regarding the Works Progress Administration and Farm Security Administration photographers in order to teach students about that time period with regards to photojournalism history. Students were then sent out to capture their own images with the newly acquired knowledge in mind. The contest’s purpose was for students from a variety of schools and community-based photography programs to upload images of their hometowns, showing how life varies in different towns across America. The end result was a collection of 4,289 photographs displayed on the

See NY TIMES, A3

Staff Writer

he theme of Palo Alto High School’s homecoming dance will be “Dancing in the Moonlight” and will take place in Paly’s Small Gym on Oct. 26 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Even though the theme is “Dancing in the Moonlight,” this does not dictate a specific kind of attire. Paly’s Associated Student Body (ASB) encourages students to dress formally for the occasion. Homecoming has always hat a larger attendance rate at Henry M. Gunn High School than at Paly, but this year ASB is trying to change this. “Homecoming is a bigger deal at Gunn than at Paly,” sophomore Liam Noroian said. “I’ve wished it was more of a thing, so I’m excited they’re trying to make it cooler.” ASB was initially looking into a hotel venue, according to ASB Spirit Commissioner Maya Ben-Efraim, but it decided to keep the traditional venue of the Small Gym. “We were looking into hotels, but one of our goal was to keep ticket prices low,” junior Ben-Efraim said. “Also, it is traditional during homecoming to host everyone at home, so [we decided to hold it] at Paly.” ASB is also excited to be welcoming DJ Dave, who will be entertaining at the homecoming dance. Dave has been Gunn’s DJ for many years and many Gunn students report enjoying his performances, thus raising excitement for Paly’s upcoming homecoming.

See HOMECOMING, A3

College Board creates program for low-income students By Jeffrey Ho

Staff Writer

he College Board has announced a new program to inform low-income students who perform well on national standardized tests of potential opportunities during the college admissions process. In past years, the majority of lowincome students did not even apply to elite colleges, even if they were qualified, and thus could not benefit from a higher-level education. Oftentimes, instead of applying to four-year colleges, many students who cannot afford to do so will end up attending a local community college or choosing not to attend college at all. In an interview with the New York Times, Columbia University economist Judith Scott-Clayton emphasized the problem of high performing, low-income high school students not being nearly as successful in college compared to their counterparts who come from higher-income families. Scott-Clayton believes this imbalance could potentially shift as a result of lower-income students receiving higher consideration at prestigious schools. “We spend so much time worrying about the kids who are not qualified — that’s actually a pretty hard problem,” Scott-Clayton said. “Lowincome teenagers who excel in high school but fail to graduate from college are ‘an untapped resource.’ ” To attempt to solve this problem, the College Board has established a new system where it sends a packet to high school seniors whose families are in the lowest quartile of income and whose scores are in the top 15

percent of the SAT or PSAT. In doing so, College Board is attempting to encourage talented students who would otherwise enroll in a lower tier school or community college due to financial reasons to explore different educational opportunities. The packet contains information guiding students on how to apply to college, admissions process and rates, financial aid and other advice that is useful during the application process. Each of the 28,000 students eligible for the new program will also receive six fee waivers to send score reports to colleges for free.

Low-income teenagers who excel in high school but fail to graduate from college are an untapped resource. Judith Scott-Clayton Economist

Due to the low family income and high college costs, only 11 percent of students from the lowest quartile of income end up graduating from a four-year college compared to the 79 percent of students from the highest quartile income families who end up receiving a Bachelor’s degree, according to Forbes and Postsecondary Education Opportunity. For low-income Paly students, this program provides them with resources and opportunities to learn more about colleges and college admissions. With the more accessible information, these students are now one step closer to tackling college applications and considering more prestigious colleges that they may not have in the past.

INSIDE N e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A 1- A 5 Opinion............................A6-A8 Lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1,B3,B8 StudentLife............................B2,B7 Spotlight...............................B4-B5 E n te r t a i n m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B 6 S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C 1- C 8

OPiniOn Branding Colleges

Students should not apply to colleges solely based on reputation.

SPOTLiGHT Slut Shaming

What a girl chooses to wear does not make her a slut.

B4-B5

sPORTs Swimmer Profiles

A peak into the lives of nationally ranked swimmers.

C4-C5

Check us out at www.palycampanile.org

Friday, October 11, 2013

NEWS

NEWS TO KNOW @NASA Due to government shutdown, all public NASA activities/events are cancelled or postponed until further notice.

The Campanile

UC admission rates decreasing California state schools no longer considered a “safety”

By Irene Ezran

Courtesy of Teleggraph.co.uk

@AP US military captures an al-Qaeda leader in Libya linked to the 1998 US Embassy bombings. @StanfordMedicine Thomas Sudhof and fellow scientists win Nobel for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic.

@FoxNews Man who set himself on fire on National Mall has died of his injuries.

Courtesy of thepointsguy.com

@CNN As the partial shutdown continues, the US will default on its debt on Oct. 17 unless Boehner or Obama budges. @LosAngelesTimes Governor Jerry Brown vetoes bill that would have allowed legal immigrant non-citizens to serve on juries. @YahooNews Egyptian officials say 5 people have died in clashes between security forces and backers of the ousted president.

@YahooNews Explosions across Baghdad kill at least 22, say Iraqi police.

news briefs

Administration welcomes new vice principal with open arms By Paul Mewes

Staff Writer

ew vice principal Victoria Kim hopes to make a brighter future for students at Palo Alto High School. “One of my big goals as an educator is to provide educational opportunities for all students,” Kim said. However, she feels that she is not yet familiar enough with Paly to know what changes she hopes to make. “I don’t know if there are any changes I want to make immediately,” Kim said. “I think my first job is to get to know Paly and to learn about existing programs, learn about the culture here, learn about the process of doing certain things and then go from there. I have ideas and ambitions as an educator, but with Paly specifically I’d have to learn more about Paly in order to see what I want to do going forward.” Kim said that making an impact at Paly will be very difficult. “Change isn’t always well received by everyone,” Kim said. “Most people like consistency.” Kim came to Paly Aug. 25, 2013 from an administration role at a San Jose school. According to Kim, people welcomed her with open arms.

“Everyone has been very friendly, welcoming, warm, very helpful and just very accepting,” Kim said. Kim worked in her previous position in San Jose for the last five years, before coming to Paly. Kim said that there are distinct differences between Paly and the school she used to work at. “The biggest difference for me is the open campus,” Kim said. “The district that I came from had a closed campus policy, so the fact that students here are able to go across the street and it’s within the rules to do that was a big shocker for me. I think [the open campus policy] really helps with the overall feel and the environment of the campus. It makes it feel like it’s more of a college campus than a high school campus.” According to Kim, she is doing all she can to get accustomed to Paly. “My calendar is pretty much filled up with meetings,” Kim said. “When I have time that is open in my calendar I like to get out in classroom. Also, learning about the kids; being outside during brunch and lunch and before school and after school, just talking to kids; talking with the ASB kids a lot… reading all the publications we have.”

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these schools. Cernobori emphasizes that the fact that a certain school is more difficult to get into does not change the quality of education offered at that campus. “Selectivity is not a reflection of value. It [only] shows popularity or desirability,” Cernobori said. In addition, many students who expect to be accepted to UC Berkeley or UCLA consider some of the less selective campuses such as UC Santa Barbara or Irvine to be “safety schools.” However, the lower admission rates have affected all campuses and many students have faced rejection from schools to which they thought they were guaranteed admission.

Selectivity is not a reflection of value. It [only] shows popularity or desirability Sandra Cernobori College Advisor

“I have seen cases where students got rejected from a UC that they considered a safety school for [the past] two years,” College and Career advisor Alice Erber said. In fact, several students who did not apply broadly within the UCs have been rejected from every school they applied to. Or, in many cases, students were accepted to some UCs, but not the campuses they had hoped for. “I just think that people are more disappointed that the UCs aren’t their [best] option,” Erber said. “[Students think] that UCs should be because they are our state schools.” In order to better prepare students, Cernobori and Erber emphasize the change in admittance rates during in-

dividual meetings and encourage students to look at a variety of colleges. “I want [students] to apply broadly within the UCs as well as outside the UCs, and that doesn’t always happen, so I think I’ve re-enforced that a lot more,” Cernobori said. Not only does Cernobori encourage students to look at statistics, but she also informs parents who are shocked by the new acceptance rates that the college application process is very different from how it was during their generation. In addition, Cernobori and Erber advise students to apply to the California State Universities (CSUs) as well as to the UCs. Although many students consider the CSUs to be a lesser education system, in many cases, CSUs are a better fit for students who are interested in a specific major. CSUs have great majors for pre-professional programs, while the UCs are more broad and conceptual. However, if students are determined to go to a particular UC, but is not accepted as a first-year applicant or cannot afford the tuition, they can go to community college and transfer to a UC after two years. The UC admission board gives priority to those who apply as transfer students from a community college to a UC, since students cannot earn a four-year degree at a community college. In fact, there are several community colleges that guarantee a transfer to a UC after two years if the student meets certain requirements. Although the UCs are not responsible for the change in acceptance rates, the increased competition in college applications has created an unnecessary amount of stress for high school students throughout California.

Performing Arts Center to begin construction soon

By Alec Sullivan Staff Writer

n Oct. 9, stations will be set up for Unity Day, which is intended to put a stop to bullying at Palo Alto High School. During this day, students can sign a pledge to end bullying at Paly. The big event of the month, and perhaps the year, is Spirit Week, which takes place starting on Oct. 21 and ends on Oct. 25. All throughout Spirit Week, students will have the opportunity to help out their graduating classes by contributing to help build their class floats. Also coming up is the Homecoming Dance, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 26 following Spirit Week. Senior class president Audrey Debruine is particularly excited about the homecoming dance and encourages all to attend. “We’re working on finalizing the budget and getting the DJ squared away. We’ve also decided to have CREAM cater.” DeBruine said.

Lifestyle Design Editor

ver the past five years, the Universities of California (UCs) have had progressively lower admission rates, which has led to frustration of many high school students. The main reason for the UC’s increasing selectiveness is a change in the funding by the state of California. In the past, California provided the UC system with a budget to educate all students, even if the university over-enrolled students. However, in the last five years, the state has decided not to fund the students past the allotment, so the UCs can no longer afford to admit as many students as they had previously. In addition, the population of high school students in California is growing, which means that there are now more students applying to college. According to the University of California Office of the President, the number of California freshman applicants increased by 6.2 percent between 2012 and 2013, while the number of students admitted during this time period decreased by 2.2 percent. The combination of a larger number of applicants who are better qualified and the limited spots available leads to increased stress for students during the college application process. Another factor that contributes to lower admission rates for California students is that the UCs now admit more students who are international or out-of-state because the UC system can charge a higher tuition, which makes up for the low budget from the state of California. The number of out-of-state and international freshmen applicants between 2012 and 2013 has increased 14.9 and 34.5 percent, respectively, and the number admitted has also increased 14.3 and 28.5 percent. These statistics show that while the number of Californian, out-of-state and international applicants is increasing significantly, only the number of out-of-state and international admits is rising. According to College and Career advisor Sandra Cernobori, students have been extremely surprised by the change in acceptance rates at the UCs over the past five years. “It’s just been a recent shift where [admission] seems less predictable and somewhat surprising to students who did not necessarily expect how selective the UCs are,” Cernobori said. Not only are the UCs more difficult to get into today than they were five years ago, but since many students also are only applying to certain campuses that they consider more prestigious (generally UC Berkeley and UCLA) there is more competition at

ASB Update

School Board Update By Carmelle Bareket-Shavit

Staff Writer

everal issues regarding the future of the schools, staff development, student achievement and student safety were discussed during the Palo Alto Unified School District’s second meeting of the school year, which took place on Sept. 10. In order to create a better learning environment for students, the school board decided to focus on increasing the amount of small group instruction and improving students’ content mastery, creativity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration skills. This year, the school board will also concentrate on reaching out to struggling students. Staff development and recruitment are also major focuses for this school year. Steps will be made by the school board to make sure that all teachers’ teaching techniques are collaborative and that teachers are improving their lessons based on teacher performance feedback evaluated by the board itself. Also during this meeting, plans for the new Palo Alto High School gym were discussed, which the school board will be finalizing soon. The most recent board meeting on Sept. 24 was focused on approving various warrant lists. Warrant lists detail all expenditures and show the purpose of a payment; furthermore, the school board must approve each transaction on the warrants list. By the end of the meeting, 11.01 million warrants were issued of the total 11.19 million requested.

UPCOMING EVENTs

By Coby Parker

Staff Writer

ollowing unanimous approval by the Board of Education, Palo Alto High School will build a new Performing Arts Center. The $24.4 million cost will be paid for with the $378 million Strong Schools Bond approved by voters in 2008. The building will house three programs: choir, band and theatre, “[Each program is] individually successful, but this building needs to house these three very exciting programs,” Performing Arts Instructional Supervisor Michael Najar said. The new theatre boasts new technology that will allow each program to change the acoustics depending on the performance that is occurring. “We are using state of the art electro-acoustic sound system to enhance and modify given performances.” Najar said. Construction is scheduled to begin next summer; “We continue to believe we will be breaking ground on the new Performing Arts Center next summer,” Superintendent Kevin Skelley said in an email to the Palo Alto Board of Education.

OCT

Palo Alto College Fair

Take a tour of the overpriced educational institutions our country has to offer.

OCT

COLLEGE AWARENESS DAY

OCT

SPIRIT WEEK BEGINS

OCT

HOMECOMING DANCE

OCT

RED CROSS CLUB BLOOD DRIVE

16 21 26 31

Work hard on those tests so that your intelligence can be converted into a number.

Freshmen, please don’t embarrass yourselves.

Please no twerking and keep both feet on the ground at all times.

How happy are people who save money with GEICO? Happier than Dracula at a blood drive.

The Campanile

Friday, October 11, 2013

NEWS

ASB revamps dance HOMECOMING, Continued from A1 Ben-Efraim also says students should get excited about a photo booth and ice cream sandwiches that will be provided by the popular ice cream parlor, CREAM. Tickets to homecoming are being sold online through the Paly Web Store, on the Quad on Oct. 17 and 18, at the football game on Oct. 25 and at the door of the dance. Tickets will be $10 without an ASB sticker and $5 with. ASB is also trying to revamp the dance with the introduction of a “Best Asking” competition. The winner will receive a $50.00 gift card to either Stanford Shopping Center or AMC Theatres. “We’re looking forward to some big askings,” Ben-Efraim said. In order to win, contestants need to record their asking and either post their video on the homecoming asking’s Facebook wall or email it to ASB adviser Matt Hall at mhall@ pausd.org. Videos need to be submitted by Oct. 22 at 11:59 p.m. The asking can happen anywhere at anytime, but must be recorded and submitted on time. Students are encouraged to ask and to submit their videos early in order to get more “likes.” Once all entered videos are posted, students will nominate their favorite asking by “liking” the videos on the Facebook event. ASB is also trying to revamp the dance with the introduction of a “Best Asking” competition. Finalists will then be in a final poll from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25 and the video with the most “likes” by Oct. 25 at 11:59 p.m. will be the winner. The winner will be announced at the homecoming dance. Paly’s ASB effort is getting noticed by students and many appreciate their effort to make homecoming a more popular event at Paly. “Personally, I’m not going to homecoming, but I’m thinking about it,” junior Elizabeth Chun said. “For all the people who are, I’m glad it’s becoming a bigger thing. The askings are really cute and the prize is an awesome incentive for students. I know ASB has put a lot of effort into it and I can definitely see that.” These new incentives will hopefully get more students to participate in homecoming this year.

Kevin Boyce is one of the science professors from Stanford University who recently won the MacArthur Grant for his contributions to science.

Courtesy of macarthur foundation

Stanford professors win MacArthur Grant By Paul Mewes

Staff Writer

wo Stanford professors recently won the MacArthur Grant for their contributions to science. The MacArthur Grant, often referred to as the “Genius Grant,” is given to anywhere from 20 to 40 individuals each year. The grant is $625,000 paid over a five-year period, given by the MacArthur Foundation to people who exhibit excellence and creativity in their particular field of research. Recently, Professor Kevin Boyce and Professor David Lobell, both of Stanford University, won this prestigious honor. Neither of them saw it coming. “You don’t expect these things,” Boyce said. “It validates what you’re doing and says, ‘do more of that,’ so you just get back to work.” “It feels good,” Lobell said. “It was a surprise. They give out so few of these that you don’t really expect to get one, but it’s certainly a nice vote of confidence. You feel like it’s good validation for how you’ve been pushing things.” Neither professor knows yet how the grant will help them with their research moving forward. “I haven’t really thought through if there are now things I can do that I wouldn’t have done otherwise,” Boyce said. According to Lobell, most of the funding he receives comes with strings attached. However, the McArthur Grant is an exception; it gives the recipient freedom to spend it any way they choose.

“Things like this free scientists up to do whatever they think is the most interesting,” Lobell said. “In my case, that means having to pay very little attention to what other people think I should be doing; that’s a lot of freedom — which is very nice — but it’s also a challenge.” Scientists don’t apply for the grant; rather, their colleagues nominate them for it. It is a long process, during which the MacArthur Foundation interviews people who know the nominees in order to find out who is making the biggest contribution to their field of research. “I think what they [the MacArthur Foundation] look for is new approaches to doing things; somebody who has not followed too much in some other person’s steps, and so in my case what it means is that I came into a field that was really relying a lot on models and experiments… What I brought in was a perspective more from a statistics background,” Lobell said. “There’s lots of data out there and maybe the data wasn’t collected for the purpose of asking this particular question you had, but there’s lots of data out there and let’s think of ways to really inject more of that data into these questions that we have about plants. I think they saw that as new enough.” “It feels good; it’s kind of a validation of what you’re doing and kind of a ‘keep on doing it,’ kind of thing,” Boyce said. Both professors’ research involves plants. Boyce looks at the fossil records of plants to figure out how plants and their roles in the ecosystem have changed over the last few 100 million years.

“I work primarily with the plant fossil record and I’m interested in the evolution of development and the evolution of physiology; how plants function,” Boyce said. “That involves looking at fossils through time, but also a lot of work with living plants and seeing how they work and how that information can then be applied back to the fossil record.”

It feels good; it’s kind of a validation of what you’re doing and kind of a ‘keep on doing it,’ kind of thing. Kevin Boyce Professor of Geological and Enviornmental Sciences at Stanford University

Lobell looks at data and uses it to determine what effect the environment has on crops. Lobell hopes that, moving forward, he can continue learning and improving his research, and that his research can have a positive impact on the world. “My goal as a scientist is always to keep learning new things and not just resting on what I’ve done already or what I know how to do. Partly that’s to keep my life interesting and partly because a lot of good science is done when you’re learning new things and when you’re taking your own perspective and adding to those things,” Lobell said. “So I want to keep learning and working out problems that I feel have some benefit to society...My goals are to keep doing good work and also to train the next generation of scientists to work on these problems.” In contrast with Lobell, Boyce’s goals for the future are very fluid.

“I’m not trying to cure cancer; it’s more basic than that,” Boyce said. “It’s more kind of a ‘see where it takes you’ kind of thing. I have no single goal, which is fine. One goal would get kind of boring. Every two or three years I’m doing something different.” Neither Boyce nor Lobell planned on being a scientist at a young age. Both stumbled upon science in college. “I went into grad school for paleontology without knowing any paleontology or any botany,” Boyce said. “I kind of just went to grad school thinking it would work out and that this would be fun, but I didn’t know anything about any of it… I thought it would work out and it’s gone okay so far.” According to Lobell, his field of research appealed to him because it allowed him to utilize his love for math while making an impact on the world. “I think everybody meanders around a little bit through college and then into graduate school,” Lobell said. “That’s pretty much how I came about it: just wanting to do something interesting day to day, like doing puzzles and working with numbers, but also wanting to have some sort of lasting impact.” For Boyce, what appealed to him about his branch of paleontology was the utility of plants, not an interest in the plants themselves. “I’m not really a plant person,” Boyce said. “People who like flowers know it from birth – I’ve never cared about plants. It was only in grad school that they seemed very useful to me for some of these reasons.”

Photo students submit work to NY Times contest

Courtesy of Vivian Laurence

These photographs, showing people at two popular locations in Palo Alto, were submitted to the NY Times blog by senior Vivian Laurence as part of the My Hometown contest to portray life in Palo Alto.

NYTIMES, Continued from A1 blog website that depict how America is seen through the eyes of teenagers across the country. Wixsom required Paly students to submit four images with four captions in the 5W’s style. Many students chose to submit images that conveyed the importance of Apple and other technology products for Palo Alto citizens. Other students’ photographs depicted common scenes at local parks or outings to

popular local places such as Foothills Park or the Baylands. “One of the photos I took at the California Avenue Farmer’s Market is just an average picture of it, representing what our community does every Sunday,” junior Courtney Hartwell said. “My other photo was one taken during sunrise, just to portray the beauty of Palo Alto.” As part of the contest, some of the photographs were selected to be displayed in the Library of Congress. Various photographs submitted by

Paly students were amongst those selected. “I am very excited that Paly students had the opportunity to have their work archived in the Library of Congress. That is an amazing opportunity,” Wixsom said. Wixsom works hard to provide a wide range of opportunities for her students to submit work, whether it be through contests or portfolios. “I rely on a variety of contemporary sources that allow to participate in professional ways,” Wixsom said.

Photography is fairly popular in Palo Alto, and many teenagers are gaining interest in it. One way they can explore it is through the Photography classes offered at Paly. Hartwell, for example, began by taking Photo 1 her freshman year. She then continued on to Advanced Photography as a sophomore. This year, as a junior, she is in the AP Photography class. Paly photography classes challenge students to not only learn the skills of photography and how to use

it to share their own perspective, but also the importance of photography and how it influences today’s society, as the New York Times contest did. “I think the students gained an opportunity to see how important Photography is to our national history and to the development of the media in America,” said Wixsom. “Most importantly they gained an opportunity to frame their own perspective in a national venue and share their vision of American Life online at the NY Times and with each other.”

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

NEWS

English teachers introduce 20% Project to sophomore and senior classes

English teachers incorporate a self-directed project intended to encourage creativity, passion By Esther Doerr Staff Writer

wo Palo Alto High School English teachers have instituted a new project-based learning program in their classrooms this year. The 20% Project is a selfdirected learning project in which a student must produce a product in the form of a presentation that outlines what the student learned and whether or not the goal of the project was met. Kirk Hinton and Erin Angell are reintroducing this concept, which ended in the late 1990s and used to be called Senior Projects, to their sophomore and senior classes. The 20% Project is inspired by a program at Google that allows employees to work on a creative mechanism of their choosing for one full day a week, regardless of their job obligations. One product of this pro-

gram at Google is GMail, Google’s highly popular email service. Every week, students get 20 percent of class time, or half of a block period, to work on a project of their choosing. Students may work either by themselves or in a group. These projects are very flexible and do not have to be related to English or even academics, just something that a student finds an interest in. For example, some students may chose to build a robot, while others may want to stick to the traditional approach towards English and read another book and write an essay. The goals of the 20% Project are to improve students’ ability to research, write, speak and think creatively. Throughout the course, students must write a formal project proposal to present to their peers, write a 150-word blog post each week, reach out and find a mentor and present a

five-minute TED-style talk upon the project’s culmination. “This is an opportunity for students to be able to learn English in service of something that they’re passionate about,” Angell said.

People in the business world, before anything else, want creativity. Kirk Hinton English Teacher

The 20% Project’s requirements, such as the blog posts, widen the scope of the students’ audience as well. Many sophomores in Hinton’s English 10A class are finding that their blog posts are receiving hits from all around the world. “The project by nature forces students to think outside the box,” senior

Bryant Vergara said. “Rather than simply learning out of a textbook or lecture, students need to upgrade social skills and learn to network in the community.” Hinton and Angell both believe that this project will help students become motivated and gain creativity, both crucial elements in the professional world. “People in the business world, before anything else, want creativity,” Hinton said. In today’s education system, motivation is key, and how to motivate students is a struggle faced by both schools and educators alike. “When you can get people to be intrinsically motivated and autonomous, then you have [students] meeting these benchmark standards in the subject of English,” Angell said. More and more schools, especially private schools, around the country

are adopting projects similar to this one, and referring to them Senior Projects, as educators realize that creativity and passion can be spurred in core classes through self-direction. Educators are also stressing the importance of the process, as opposed to the result. “One of the things that can be very powerful is that I tell [students] it is possible to fail in your objective, but I still want to hear about what you have learned,” Hinton said. Many students have responded enthusiastically to the project, but some with trepidation. “This project is the future of education,” Vergara said. “Project-based and hands-on education is what schools should be doing but are failing at. In the real world, people don’t get things done through seminars or lectures, they accomplish goals through experience and trial and error.”

Websites required to take New California down pictures of minors law provides extra New legislation passed to increase teenage internet privacy

precautions for bikes

Cliff Berkowitz/Google Images

By Heather Strathearn

Andrew choi/the campanile

Various social media platforms present potentially dangerous situations for teenagers who choose to post questionable photos.

By Michelle Yin Lifestyle Editor

ith an influx of careless adolescent posts, such as unpleasant photos containing illicit substances, the Internet is transforming into a repository for embarrassment. On Jan. 1, 2015, web companies including social media sites like Keek will be required to remove any online activity whether it is a photo or a post if requested by a California minor, according to legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 23, 2013. With the overwhelming increase of social networking and online activity of teens in the past decade, digital posts leave indelible marks on the web that follow adolescents into adulthood. The bill will expand the privacy rights for minors in the California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA) which, motivated by California State Senate Pro Tempore President Darrell Steinberg, the bill is intended to increase web privacy for minors by eliminating easily searchable youth activity that can haunt them later on when applying for college or for jobs.

“This is a groundbreaking protection for our kids who often act impetuously with postings of ill-advised pictures or messages before they think through the consequences,” Steinberg said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. “They deserve the right to remove this material that could haunt them for years to come.”

With the overwhelming increase of social networking and online activity of teens in the past decade, digital posts leave indelible marks on the web that follow adolescents into adulthood. In addition, many of these web companies collect data from user posts and entries and share them with other firms. This new bill requires Internet firms to state whether they honor user requests to not track personal information. If a minor requests web firms to delete a post, the firm must make it invisible to public viewing, however they are required to completely erase

the information from their accumulated user data. “I think this bill will be extremely useful for our generation because we are often unconscious of the consequences of what we post,” senior Shiri Arnon said. “This can help prevent colleges and employees from seeing the foolish things we post.” A quirk in the bill is that the provisions do not extend to adults who wish to erase information they posted as minors. Furthermore, web companies cannot monitor whether the posts are reproduced on other sites. For example, if a photo containing minor consumption or possession of alcohol makes its way to other internet websites, college admission officers or potential employers still have means of finding that photo. As a result, the bill is not a completely productive method of digital protection. Although common social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter already contain methods which enable users to self-select whether they wish to delete posts, digitally active teens still need to be conscious of what they post due to lack of guaranteed privacy protection.

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Senior Staff Writer

he California Bicycle Coalition’s “Give Me 3” campaign finally succeeded after Governor Jerry Brown signed the “Three Feet for Safety Act” on Sept. 23. This bill is a result of an extreme push from not only bike safety groups, but bikers all over California. An overwhelming 4,600 Californians sent messages to Governor Brown asking him to sign the bill according to California Bicycle Coalition. Operative on September 16, 2014, this law requires vehicles to give bikers a minimum of three feet of space when passing a bicyclist. Previously, it was illegal to overtake a car or bicycle without maintaining a “safe distance,” as to not interfere with the safe operation of the overtaken vehicle or bicycle. This vaguity and the fact that Passing-from-behind collisions are the leading cause of bicyclist fatalities in California according to California Bicycle Coalition are the main reasons people cite when explaining why the new law is so important. The “Three Feet for Safety Act” removes bicycles from this clause and creates a separate law with more spe-

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cific rules for overtaking bikers. The law for overtaking another vehicle remains the same, the only language change being the elimination of bicycles. Once operative, this law does not allow drivers to overpass a biker if they cannot maintain a three feet buffer zone between any part of the motor vehicle and any part of the bicycle or its operator. If a vehicle is unable to pass a bicycle while safely maintaining three feet of distance, the new law requires the vehicle to “slow to a speed that is reasonable and prudent, and may pass only when doing so would not endanger the safety of the operator of the bicycle.” Additionally, the fine for any violation of this law will be anywhere from $35 to $220 if a collision occurs between the motor vehicle and a bicycle that causes bodily injury to the operator of the bicycle. Student bike riders are excited about the new legislation, including senior Eli Weitzman. “I think this new law will be extremely beneficial to bikers in the area, especially with the number of accidents I’ve heard of recently,” Weitzman said. “In the morning there are a lot of kids biking to school and any precautions taken against crashes are sure to make a difference.”

The Campanile

Friday, October 11, 2013

NEWS

Student-organized California governor increases blood drive offers state minimum wage to $10 donation opportunities Red Cross Club to host second annual blood drive in the SSRC on Oct. 31. By Zach Levitan

Staff Writer

alo Alto High School’s newly formed Red Cross Club is holding a blood drive on Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Social Studies Resource Center (SSRC). “[The blood drive is] run by the Red Cross and the Paly Red Cross Club,” President of the Paly Red Cross Club Andrea Clerici-Hermandinger said. There are many ways to sign up and almost any student that wants to donate can. Donors must be at least 16 years old, have consent from a parent or guardian, be healthy and weigh at least 110 pounds.

It felt good to know that I could have just saved a life. John Carter Junior

“We’ll have sign-up sheets in the Quad [if students are interested in donating],” Clerici-Hermandinger said. “Anyone can come up to us or email us [if they’re interested.]” “Last year a few of my friends and I wanted to give blood because of Hurricane Sandy,” Clerici-Hermandinger said. “We realized a lot of people at Paly wanted to donate but didn’t know how to. So we decided to bring a blood drive to Paly.” Clerici-Hermandinger wanted to give students the opportunity to help both people in their community and those in need around the world.

“I think it’s a really great opportunity and a good experience,” ClericiHermandinger said. “It feels good to be able to help someone in need. I believe anyone who has the opportunity to donate should.” According to the New York Times, blood donors between the ages of 16 and 19 account for about 15 percent of annual donations. “Having this [event] at Paly gives the students here a unique opportunity,” Clerici-Hermandinger said. “Not many students get the chance to give blood.” The act of donating blood is simple and takes under 5 minutes. “The process was really easy and it was practically painless,” junior John Carter said, who donated blood for the first time at the drive last year. “I was nervous leading up to it, but afterwards I felt really satisfied,” Carter said. “It felt good to know that I could have just saved a life.” According to the American Red Cross, almost 20 percent of the millions of donations made each year comes from high school and college blood drives. To sign up, email Clerici-Hermandinger at clerici.andrea@gmail. com.

courtesy of knowyourblood.com

By Shivonne Logan

Business Manager

y Jan. 2016, California’s newest minimum wage is predicted to be the highest in the country at $10 per hour. On Sept. 25, Governor Jerry Brown signed a law that will raise the minimum wage to $9 per hour in June, 2014, and then to $10 per hour in Jan. 2016. The new minimum wage will be significantly higher than the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 per hour. The new minimum wage law has been approved in the midst of widespread protests and strikes by fast food industry workers across the nation who are campaigning to raise federal minimum wage to as high as $15 per hour. Senator Bill Monning, D-Carmel, the bill’s Senate floor manager, described the new law as a “moral imperative” and Governor Brown has said it was long overdue, as it is the first change to California’s minimum wage in six years.

This law will counteract the high cost of living in California, which is 6.5% higher than the national average, at 238 Consumer Price Index (CPI). The average United States cost of living is 224, according to Cityrating.com. Four regions of California are ranked within the top ten cities with the highest costs of living, according to the Huffington Post. San Francisco is ranked number four on this list, while San Jose, Truckee County, and Orange County are ranked sixth, ninth, and tenth respectively. California’s Democratic senators have been on the who supportive of the new law. However, Republicans have expressed less enthusiasm, calling the law a “job killer” and saying that it will lead to an increase in prices and will therefore prove ineffective. The law will affect students significantly, as many teenager workers are paid at minimum wage, according to the Bureau of Labor. “There will definitely be a difference…my paycheck will be bigger,”

senior Sydney Mignola said. Mignola currently works at CREAM downtown. Some students speculate that they will be less likely to be able to find jobs under the new laws. Mignola believes that this increase will impact teenage job hirings. “[Fewer] Paly students [will] be hired because employers don’t want to pay students 10 bucks an hour.” The new law will not apply to all workers. For instance, retail employees whose are paid mostly on commission will be exempt. Fields that require higher levels of training, such as teaching, have much higher minimum wages, will notice an increase as a result of the new laws as well. This change sets a precedent for higher pay in California and all over the country, and will affect many low income workers including teenagers. For the first time, the effect of the recent strikes and worker protests is being seen in California, and the coming years will reveal the benefits and drawbacks of a high minimum wage.

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Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

OPINION

Senior portraits should express individuality Current senior portrait system lacks options and holds high price tag, needs revision

By Josefin Kenrick News Editor

n recent weeks, most seniors have changed their Facebook profile pictures to showcase their senior portraits. Although these portraits all feature perfect hair, perfect makeup and perfect lighting, the process of taking the portrait itself is much less than perfect. For the past three years, Madrono, the Palo Alto High School yearbook, has upheld a revised policy regarding senior portraits. Previously, students could submit a picture of their choosing, on or off campus, that could be taken by anyone. Some of these pictures were professionally taken, while others were taken by friends or were “selfies.” Whatever the portrait, it represented how students wanted to be remembered by their peers. With Madrono’s new policy, students can select to be professionally photographed by one of seven photographers with prices ranging from $75 to $195 per session. If students do not want to pay for their portraits, they can attend a free mini-session during tutorial throughout September. If neither of these options are fitting for students, they can opt to use their school ID photos. If a student does not submit a portrait before Oct.

11, his or her school ID photo will be used in place. While these rules offer more options for students, they eliminate the most important aspect of senior portraits: individuality. In previous years, the multitude of photos submitted by students added personality and fun to the senior portion of the yearbook. If one student’s chosen picture illustrated him sitting up in a tree on a hike, then maybe they were outdoorsy. If students wanted to pose with their favorite drawings, they were probably artistic throughout high school. Other portraits have been random photographs taken around campus that capture the personality and individualism of a student — with all different aspects of the photo adding in to this. Although some photos were not the best quality, these photos did a better job of depicting the senior class as individuals instead of as a group of students who paid upwards of $100 to sit and smile for half an hour. The most differentiating part of senior portraits taken by the list of photographers is clothing choice and setting. However it is “suggested” to wear clothing that covers the arms and to avoid wearing “too many prints.” As for setting, Elizabeth F. Gamble Gardens is a popular venue, as is anywhere that has bushes or flowers. “I think that having a limited list of professional photographers was a bad idea,” senior Remi Wolf said. “First, all of the options were over $70 and second, there wasn’t a lot of variety in the type of photos the photographers specialized in. In my opinion, the point of senior portraits is to show your individuality and the

Courtesy of Jacques Manjarrez

Too many students use generic themes and backgrounds for their senior portraits that do not express their own interests and individuality. It is as if every portrait is an exact replication of the others. fact that everyone’s photo was taken by the same photographer makes each photo a lot less unique. I liked the photos that were taken of me though, and I do agree that the photos should be professional looking.” While Madrono’s rules regarding senior portraits are in place to make it easier for the yearbook staff, the old policy, which worked for both students and Madrono, could still be used today. Dealing with many different photographers and students might be a pain, but Madrono staff assumes responsibility for such tasks when they choose to sign up for the class. One thing that could make it easier for the Madrono staff if they

Spirit Week must incorporate variety of students in activities

By Jack Paladin Opinion Editor

very year, the entire Palo Alto High School student body dresses up in its craziest, most spirited clothes in an attempt to win the famed battle amongst the grades: Spirit Week. Students storm out to the Quad to get the best spots on the bleachers and yell so loud practically all of Palo Alto can hear them. But as you look down to see the two or three people standing on tables calling out the cheers for each grade, you realize that those same students have been there every single year and that the leadership still has yet to change. This is a flawed practice and we need to implement diversity into our Spirit Week leaders, whether that be introducing new students to call out the cheers, participate in grade-wide activities or perform the spirit dance. Throughout Spirit Week, hundreds of students put their best foot forward by being as spirited as they can possibly be. However, the majority of these students are somewhat forgotten due to the fact that they do not play an active role in their grade. Instead of standing out on the Quad for everyone to see, these students are stuck in the top corner of the bleachers behind the tallest people in the grade, completely out of sight. If a new set of leaders went up on the table and called out the cheers each day, the student body would witness a more diverse group of leaders. Furthermore, students who secretly yearn to show their true spirits, but are out shined by their peers, would be able to do so. While this rotating

system would only allow for an additional fifteen or so students to lead Spirit Week, these additional students would still be an improvement from previous years. The fact that students can name every single person who has participated in a Spirit Week activity for the past three years reflects the lack of diversity in leadership that affects the student body. If we implemented a system that allowed each student to participate in only one activity during Spirit Week, the variety of people would instantly increase because limiting the number of activities would force a larger amount of students to participate. This mandate for new students to participate would alleviate the intimidation for students who are nervous about competing against those who have mastered popular Spirit Week events, such as the relay race and musical chairs. While it is true that certain people are more fit for some of the activities, for example the biggest people should be on tugof-war, this does not mean that they still need to be in every single activity. Leaders should thoroughly search for

students who genuinely want to participate or are too shy to volunteer in front of the student body. In order to increase diversity, those in charge of Spirit Week should look for people other than their friends. Lastly, as the Spirit Dance should be one of the most fun and entertaining activities of the week, a larger amount of students should be able to perform, rather than watch passively on the bleachers. Although most students are not proficient dancers, the Spirit Dance team should still reach out to additional dancers who are not currently on the team. Similarly to the solution for lunchtime rally activities, the participants should be rotated out every year in order to give a larger variety of people a chance. Of course, the one or two leaders can stay, but they should reach out to dancers who are not represented in Spirit Week. Spirit Week is designed to be a fun and inclusive event for the entire school, but it has become increasingly exclusive. In preparation for this year’s upcoming Spirit Week we need to change the way it has been done for years and invite a new crowd of people to the front stage.

Courtesy of Paly ASB

Last year’s Spirit Week participants try to pass through a hula hoop while holding hands.

choose to opt back to the previous senior portrait guideline is to create a checklist of what a photo needs to include to be viable for Madrono. This checklist of formatting and content requirements, can be broadcasted across school and senior class Facebook groups at the end of the class’s junior year, so upcoming seniors have plenty of time to ponder their portrait choices. There could also be an incentive for turning in senior portraits early, so the Madrono staff is not flooded with photos on Oct. 11. And if selfsubmitted photos do not comply with the rules, Madrono should then use students’ school ID photos instead,

since Madrono gave freedom and choice to a student who did not use this choice responsibly. If Madrono switched back to the old rules, many students and parents would breathe a sigh of relief. It would be cheaper and offer more variety for students. It would also allow for more self-expression because students would spend more time and creativity on photos that their class would remember them by. There is something satisfying about choosing senior portraits. Sure, everyone looks good if they have perfect hair, makeup and lighting, but everyone also looks the same too — and where is the fun in that?

Language classes need to emphasize more casual aspects of communication

By Hannah Nguyen Staff Writer

alo Alto High School is widely renowned for its exceptional academics. Foreign language classes offered here are no exception to this reputation. However, the world language classes at Paly could be improved if greater emphasis is placed on colloquialism and conversational speech. Foreign language textbooks are crammed with formal statements and sentences that are appropriate in a classroom setting but irrelevant when on the streets of a foreign country. To make language studies relevant and applicable to real-life scenarios, Paly’s world language classes should focus less on elaborate formalities, and more on conversational speech. Every language has its own set of colloquialisms and slang used in casual conversation. In the English language, slang has grown more apparent in conversation. Phrases such as “like” and “yeah” are inserted in what seems like every sentence in everyday speech. They serve as sentence fillers and ways to express certain feelings. These kinds of phrases are not taught in foreign language classes not because they don’t exist in other languages, but because they are excluded from the formal speech that is scribed in textbooks. The formal style of speech taught in Paly language classes is appropriate in a professional setting, wherein the student will need to communicate fluently in a polished manner. However, many students believe that

when travelling abroad, whether it be for leisure or professional reasons, knowing “street talk” would be more helpful. Senior Briana Billups believes that learning conversational speech would have helped retain her knowledge of the French language. “It probably would have helped me remember things if I knew they were relevant,” Billups said. This sentiment is shared by many students. Junior Ella Mernyk agrees that less focus should be spent on impertinent expressions. “It just seems like the stuff we learn won’t really help us in the long run,” Mernyk said. “It’s more important to learn the things that a person would actually say to you if you were to travel to a different country.” Professor emeritus Stephen Krashen of the University of Southern California argues that “the range of discourse that the student can be exposed to in a second language classroom is quite limited” in his linguistics study Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. According to Krashen, one’s knowledge of formal rules in a second language play little role in his or her “conversational competence.” Students learning how to conduct everyday conversations would greatly benefit if Paly were to focus less on grammatical perfections and fluent vocabulary, and more on students’ conversational capabilities. In addition, many phrases and terms that are essential to navigating in a foreign country are not taught until late in the language track. According to traveling advisers such as The US Travel Insurance Association and On Call International any person traveling to a foreign country should know how to express a medical emergency or sickness. At Paly, illness and emergencies are not taught in a Chinese course until the last lesson of Chinese 3. The bottom line is that the conversations taught to students in world language classes are designed to educate students in eloquent, articulate parlance, which is of little use on the streets of a different country.

The Campanile

OPINION

Friday, October 11, 2013

“Prestigious” colleges not always the best option

Conner Harden/The Campanile

Just because a college is prestigious doesn’t mean it is the right fit for every individual. Many “prestigious” colleges, like the ones pictured above, may not be the right fit for students. those aspiring to get into these being pushed into large prestigious advantage of getting to know their quality education and make friends schools, Ivy League schools especially colleges. peers more as a result of reduced class with awesome people,” Ge said. are becoming increasingly more sePalo Alto High School gradu- sizes. These small classes also allow A common misconception is that lective, decreasing their acceptance ate Francis Ge (‘13) is a freshman at students to get more individual at- only the top 20 schools will always rates bit by bit each year. Swarthmore College, a liberal arts tention from their professors. Get- have award-winning programs in all Many high schoolers have their college located just outside of Phila- ting this type of attention usually en- the different fields, but this is not alhearts set on the perfect dream delphia. Unlike most students, in- courages students to seek help when ways the case. With over 4,000 colschool before they enter high school, stead of having a brand name college needed. Having close bonds with the leges and universities in the United and some even before middle school. as her top choice, Ge was determined professor can also help people find States alone, it is extremely difficult As a result, students have started par- to go to Swarthmore College. research opportunities. for any single university to maintain a ticipating in extracurriculars in hopes “Swarthmore has the friendliest, It is true that attending a top col- high rank in every single subject. to please admission officers instead of lege such as Stanford University, For instance, those eager to be actually being interested in the acwhich is known all over the world, successful in the fine arts field will ofBy Haley Fang tivity. Today’s high schoolers are un- Students need to understand that will increase a student’s chance of be- ten have the more impressive colleges Staff Writer there is more to a college than der more stress than ever because of ing successful compared to one who at the top of their list, but few will just the name. s the deadline for college appli- pressure to live up to what their peers attends Wright State University in consider applying to Rhode Island cations quickly approaches, achieve. Those who go through high Dayton Ohio. But when one applies School of Design, which ranks first in seniors frantically type away on their school without tutoring help or being most genuinely decent people out for jobs, employment managers look the nation for best fine arts programs, computers, each trying to stand out a club officer often have an unfair dis- of all the colleges that I visited,” Ge for more important aspects than the according to CollegeAtlas.org. In the to the admission officers at various advantage. Thus, acceptance to these said. “Everyone is super smart and college attended. fine arts, Rhode Island School of Deschool who read thousands of essays brand named colleges are not based hardworking and the professors are For example, according to their sign surpasses Yale University (4th in each year. Though many students that on interest in learning, but are instead here because they really do want to website, Google hires based on lead- the nation), and Stanford University apply to college have been research- on which families are willing to in- teach us all sorts of cool stuff. A big- ership skills and interest. The site even (45th). ger school wouldn’t have this type of says that: “We’re less concerned about ing for months, other students choose vest money for college counselors. Each school often offers special schools solely based on prestige as The reality is that there are hun- community or this much attention to grades and transcripts and more in- programs that cannot be found anyopposed to fit. dreds of private as well as public give to each student.” terested in how you think.” where else. Seniors need to take the Students need to understand that With acceptance rates to top-tier colleges that the majority of famiGe agrees with Google’s philoso- time to research and choose schools schools often lower than 10 percent, lies have never heard of. As much as there is more to a college than just phy and made the choice to attend based on how they will thrive in a students are competing with 30,000 brand name colleges may seem glori- the name. Swarthmore College. particular school’s environment and For example, those who attend or more students for less than 3,000 ous, students who especially need ex“The name brand isn’t that impor- not just on the name of a certain slots. As if it couldn’t get worse for tra personal help usually suffer from smaller private colleges often get the tant if you know you’ll get a good, college.

Upperclassmen drivers should consider alternative, environmentally-friendly methods of transportation

By Heather Strathearn Senior Staff Writer

driver’s license; it marks the transition from childhood to adulthood and allows for newfound freedom, but that’s not all. Earning one’s driver’s license, for a Palo Alto High School student, means gaining the ability to drive to school. It seems like a logical progression, get a driver’s license, then drive to school. This social norm, however, should not be blindly accepted, but instead requires questioning in order to ensure our actions’ benefits outweigh their costs. Since childhood, the idea has been shoved down our throats that driving is evil and only earth-killers do it, but in stark contrast, societal norms have been pressed upon us that driving big gas-guzzling cars is cool. The middle path is a much more reasonable one, let’s drive when we need to, but walk or bike whenever possible. “I am disgusted by people, wheth-

er kid or adult, who drive when they could bike or take more environmentally friendly means of transportation to work or school,” an anonymous Paly senior said. Ever year people in the U.S. drive over 2,043,409 million miles according to a 2011 EPA study. That is like traveling around the earth over 82 million times. Transportation accounts for about 28 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the second largest contributor after the electricity sector according to a 2011 study by the EPA. These greenhouse gases, although beneficial in normal concentrations for maintaining a relatively constant earth temperature, in too high concentrations messes with the natural balance of our atmosphere. For these reasons, driving alone in a car with an internal combustion engine is bad for the environment in itself, and should be avoided as much as possible. If polluting our environment with the toxins from our car exhaust isn’t bad enough, driving alone places more cars on the road, increasing traffic. Furthermore, driving alone crowds up the already limited number of parking spaces. There are approximately 280 parking spaces at Paly, a decrease from last year, and about 240 parking permits sold according to Auditor Julia Sing. Driving in groups is a better alternative to driving alone, but for those of us where biking is possible, why not bike?

Most underclassmen who currently bike to school plan on driving once they earn their drivers’ licenses. Is it that biking is for little kids or that it is too cold in the morning or that helmets mess up your hair? It is true that there are drawbacks to riding one’s bike, but when you look at the benefits of biking, they clearly outweigh the alternative of driving alone to school. For those who live extremely close to school, why not

walk? Walking takes cars off the road and frees up the crowded bike racks, it’s a win-win. For those who live so far away from Paly that biking or walking is neither practical nor possible, using the shuttle system or carpooling is a viable alternative to driving alone. Some may claim to enjoy driving alone or argue that they are not friends with anyone who lives near them. Well, make some new friends.

Carpooling is a great way to get to know other Paly students you might not normally talk to. Additionally, for those economists, carpooling is a great way to save some money on gas. After being reminded of all the alternatives to driving alone, does it still sound like the best option? Walking, biking and carpooling all offer something that driving alone can never achieve: preservation of our environment.

Bowen Gerould/The Campanile

Even though driving may be faster, biking not only reduces traffic, but also reduces environmental impact as well.

Friday, October 11, 2013

EDITORIALS

Spirit Week should include Night Rally to bolster student participation, morale

he exceptionally competitive atmosphere at Palo Alto High School and Henry M. Gunn High School during Spirit Week is one notable aspect of our district that differentiates our schools from most other campuses across the nation. Spirit Week, or Homecoming Week at Gunn, is a big deal in Palo Alto; during the week, both students and faculty teem with anticipation and prepare themselves for a healthy dose of competition. However, Paly is lacking an essential element of Spirit Week that has become a staple at Gunn: a night rally. While Paly’s spirit dances and float exhibitions during the Friday afterschool rally are some of the most anticipated events during Spirit Week, the build-up for these events is nothing compared to that of Gunn’s students for their annual Night Rally. At Gunn, the Night Rally features about 80 students from each grade in a student-choreographed dance performance, allowing a considerably larger amount of students to participate and create a captivating scene. To end Spirit Week on a more

engaging and exhilarating note, Paly should host a Night Rally in the Big Gym on the second to last night of Spirit Week. Like Gunn’s Night Rally, Paly’s would preferably feature a large-scale dance performance by each of the four classes. As a total of 240 students – compared to the meager 40 students currently at Paly – would have the chance to participate in the performances, the Night Rally dances would allow a larger percentage of the student body to act as leaders. Having a more outstanding number of students actively participate would create a more unified spirit. An extra Spirit Week event would strengthen unity among students. Due to the nature of the rules for Spirit Dance, only a small amount of students are allowed to actively participate in the afterschool rally. However, amassing 80 students together would allow students from different social groups to work together in an active and unifying environment – a communion of sorts among students through dancing. Through large rehearsals and impressive results, a

he environment at Palo Alto High School’s home football games is truly a great experience for everyone in attendance. The team itself is relatively good, there is plenty of cheap food, the cheerleaders keep the fans excited, the student section is always loud and rowdy and when the band plays Paly’s fight song “Green and White Forever,” the excitement at Hod Ray Field gets cranked up a few notches. Regardless of the score, there is no denying that both the student section and the band raise the intensity level in the stands. However, the Associate Student Body (ASB) recently decided to move the student section to the opposite end of the stands, away from the band. It is the opinion of The Campanile that separating the band and the student section reduces the overall experience and exciting environment of a Paly football game. The original reason for ASB moving the student section away from the band was because students in the student section usually remain standing throughout the game, which can obstruct the view of fans sitting in neighboring sections. While it is a completely justifiable reason to move the student section, The Campanile believes ASB moved the student section to the wrong place.

The obstructed view for other fans problem could have easily been solved without separating the students from their peers in the band. Instead of moving the student section farther toward the snack shack, ASB should simply have moved it so that the students are on the other side of the band, thus having the band’s section act as a buffer zone between students and other Viking fans. ASB has also said that they cannot move the band away from the end of the bleachers because it would make it difficult for the band to get onto the field at halftime. However, the past has proven that the band can manage to get onto the field just fine when they are not at the end of the bleachers. For the 2010 and 2011 football seasons, the band was located toward the middle of the bleachers, under the press box, and there were never any incidents during those seasons of the band not getting onto the field fast enough. Simply put, The Campanile believes that the student section and band should be reunited and placed next to each other in the stands. It has worked in the past and it will work in the future. This is simply a case of ASB overthinking something and trying to solve a problem that does not exist.

Senior Polls categories that should be added 10) Worst 9) Most likely to live with their parents 8) Best thing since sliced bread 7) Sass-master 6) Couple that should have been 5) Most likely to gain the “freshman 15” 4) Diamond in the rough 3) Inside-out oreo 2) Most butthurt 1) Most likely not to win a senior poll -JACK PALADIN

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Got something on your mind?

Submit a letter to the editor at theeds2014@googlegroups.com

COMIC OF THE MONTH

The Campanile applauds Diorio for immediately stepping up and piloting a new attendance policy to keep students in check and keep them going to class. Not only is the administration implementing stricter ramifications for chronic cutters, but it is also improving its absence verification. Under the new policy, the school may require verification in cases of questionable or excessive absenteeism. Though the unexcused absences do not affect school funding, it does affect the school’s reputation. But more important than its reputation is student learning. The administration, through keeping students in class, is clearly making an effort to improve student success. When students cut, they miss the opportunity to learn the material that other students do. The administration emphasizes the preciousness of students’ time in class learning and the time they spend with their teachers. The implementation of the stringent policy this year is to act as a deterrent to keep students from cutting class. Cutting was an issue last year especially, and the administration is acting responsibly to try to tackle that issue by adapting its new policy in an attempt to fix the growing issues of the previous policy.

Stadium’s student section should be moved closer to the band

OCTOBER’S TOP TEN LIST

Night Rally would become the most exciting and unforgettable component of Spirit Week, as well as a grade-wide bonding experience. To implement such an event in a very tradition-based week would require a substantial amount of work on the part of both ASB and each individual class. Considering the complexity and work required to organize a school event at night, along with the fact that Paly has never hosted such an event in the past, potentially makes the logistics for the implementation of a Night Rally difficult. Fruthermore, asking each grade to choreograph a cohesive dance will require much work outside of school. Despite the obvious obstacles involved in developing a Paly Night Rally, along with executing the rally every year, The Campanile believes that this addition to Spirit Week will add to the excitement and success of the week. As a night rally would promote spirit within each class, as well as throughout the entire school, ASB should work toward integrating this event into the list of Spirit Week activities.

New attendance policy is long overdue, discourages cuts n Sept. 25, Principal Kim Diorio announced a new attendance policy designed to keep students in class. In contrast to last year’s policy, which removed the Saturday school consequence, called home once and gave parents a 48-hour grace period to call a student in and called home once, the 20132014 attendance policy brings back Saturday school, adding a second home-call and extending the calling period to 72 hours. After the first and second cut, students will receive autodialer messages home. After the third cut, students will receive the autodialer message and a cut letter. After the fourth cut in the same class, students must attend Saturday school. After the fifth cut, students will receive one or more of the following punishments: loss of a prep period, family conference, additional Saturday school, loss of open campus privilege, counseling referral or referral to SARB (School Attendance Review Board). Under last year’s policy, cutting was a growing problem; the school experienced the largest amount of cutting it had in the last seven years. There was a total of 21,636 cuts — an average of 10.94 cuts a student and 54.7 percent of students were chronic cutters, cutting three or more times throughout the year.

The Campanile

Courtesy of Jane gorlik

Well, I prefer to look at the glass as half full!

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Rachel Cui • Jensen Hsiao • Maya Kitayama Daniel Tachna-Fram • Hillel Zand • Stephenie Zhang News Editor Josefin Kenrick

Opinion Editor Jack Paladin

Lifestyle Editors Kian McHugh Michelle Yin

Sports Editors Julia Kwasnick Ziv Schwartz

Online Editor Jonathan Ziegler

Lifestyle Design Editor Irene Ezran

Spotlight Editor Emily Semba

Photography Editors Ahmed Awadallah Andrew Choi

Cartoonist Jane Gorlik

Business Managers Shivonne Logan Alvina Zou

Seth Alston Galen Byrd Parker Devine Esther Doerr Haley Fang Lauren Gargiulo Bowen Gerould Lauren Giurata

Staff Writers

Conner Harden Jeffrey Ho Grace Kim Zachary Levitan Claire Liu William Mendenhall Paul Mewes Kevin Mullin

Ahmed Awadallah Andrew Choi

Hannah Nguyen Arjun Parikh Coby Parker William Shin William Snodgrass Angela Stern Andrew Sternfield Heather Strathearn

Photographers Conner Harden Jeffrey Ho

Alec Sullivan Nicholas Sullivan Sarah Tayeri Oliver Tucher Jacob van Zyll Leslie Wan Lily Zhang Maggie Zheng

Grace Kim Andrew Sternfield

Advisor Esther Wojcicki

Letters to the Editors: E-mail all letters to editors to theeds2014@googlegroups.com The Campanile prints letters on a space-available basis. We reserve the right to edit submissions. The Campanile only prints signed letters. Advertisements: Advertisements with The Campanile are printed with signed contracts.

For more information regarding advertisements in The Campanile and their size options and prices, please contact The Campanile Business Managers by e-mail at campanile.ads@gmail.com. Note: It is the policy of The Campanile to refrain from printing articles that misrepresent or alienate specific individuals within the Palo Alto community.

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE

By Arjun Parikh

Questions on my mind

make appearance at concerts I thought it was really cool. It looked pretty real. I don’t think I would go to a whole hologram concert, but it was still fun to hear a few songs with one. - Alex Grandy

I thought it was really cool and I enjoyed that part of Rock the Bells. I probably wouldn’t go to a concert that was only holograms but it was cool to see it there. -Rachel Ladesmann

rom Star Trek to Back To The Future, holograms have been making appearances in science fiction films for decades. These threedimensional virtual recordings — once a futuristic concept similar to a hover board or a ray gun — have been a real and fully functioning invention for some time now. Through a combination of lasers, interference, diffraction, light intensity and high definition cameras, scientists have built upon the hologram, continually adding to and building upon the incredibly basic model physicist Dennis Gabor invented in 1971. From miniscule images created by shining lasers through gradients, to lifesize recreations of objects and even people — the hologram industry is at a level never seen before. Not only have technicians and scientists been raving over the mastering of this creation, it has found an unlikely and controversial home in the music industry. In 2011, the first hologram concert performance was put on at one of California’s infamous Coachella Music Festivals. Before the eyes of thousands of concert

I thought it was sick because I like Eazy Eazy so if the hologram was of someone I really liked and they weren’t alive anymore I’d go to one. - Justin Rittman

Text by Kian McHugh Lifestyle Editor Design by Irene Ezran Lifestyle Design Editor

Student jobs

Many students learn to balance academics with part-time after school jobs By Angela Stern

attendees, an identical replica of the deceased rapper and west coast martyr Tupac Shakur appeared on stage. Social media and news sources exploded with countless reports — some even claiming that Tupac had come back to life. This huge step in the concert scene had people raving over what had occurred. Friends and family of Tupac spoke on the event with mixed feelings, some disgusted by the event and others content with the tribute to the late legend. “I had mixed emotions when I was watching it,” Tupac’s friend and fellow rapper Crooked I said. “It was kind of dope because it reminds of Pac…but it’s not him.” This was the first major hologram performance and since then other festivals and events have followed in a similar manner. For the first time a hologram made its way to the Bay Area for the 10th anniversary of Rock The Bells. Much like the response to the Tupac hologram, Palo Alto High School students had mixed reactions towards the holograms.

My Reaction

I personally am against the hologram experience though I did find it cool at the time. I would hate to see the concert experience ruined by overuse of holograms. As they become more technologically advanced and cheaper to make, there will be virtually no difference minus the presence of the physical artist. Hologramming could become the equivalent of lip syncing. The concert scene would be depleted because eventually you could even have the beatles jamming.

I thought it was really awesome. It was different because I never grew up with his music before he died so it was cool seeing a different style of hip hop. And probably not. Like just hologram would be kinda weird watching a hologram the whole time. But lik a hologram during a normal concert is sick. - Danny Erlich

INSIDE

By Hillel Zand Even though I’ve finally made it to senior year, I still don’t have all the knowledge in the world, much to my dismay. In fact, I’ve been thinking about a lot of stuff lately and finding my inner id, ego and superego. I’ve compiled a list of just a few of the many questions that I currently have. 1. Does al-Qaeda have a membership fee? Seriously, think about it. Ninetynine percent of the clubs, teams and organizations you belong to have some sort of registration process that involves some sort of monetary fee. Considering it’s such a large-scale organization — and a designated terrorist organization — you would think that they’d need to collect registration forms and some sort of hefty check from its members. 2. Who killed Ask.am? We all know about Ask.fm: that son of a gun that spams the newsfeed of our precious Facebook acccounts. But what ever happened to Ask. am? Was 890 not available, but only 99.1? The most likely explanation is that Ask.am is the version of Ask.fm where people only complement each other and this act of kindness was deemed illegal by the secret society of social media moguls. 3. What is the meaning of death? Everyone always asks what the meaning of life is, but let’s face it: we will never, ever find that out. The more productive question to be asking is what is the meaning of death. If you can’t figure out one thing, figure out the opposite. 4. Has Miley Cyrus ever met Paula Patton? Can you say “awkward?” Paula Patton is Robin Thicke’s wife of eight years and you have to assume that she was not happy when Robin came home late Aug. 25. I can tell you that if they ever do meet in the future, Miley is going to be seeing some blurred lines for a long, long time. 5. What if Barack Obama had gone to North Korea instead of Dennis Rodman? That was probably too difficult to organize, I guess. Diplomacy is far inferior to the talents of a past-theirprimetime-fashion-extraordinairerecovering-alcoholic-Hall-of-Famer. 6. If the government is shut down, why don’t they just restart it? The guy at the Genius Bar told me to do that whenever my computer doesn’t work. Isn’t the U.S. government just one giant computer? 7. What ever happened to Betty White? Seriously. Remember that Betty White craze a couple of years ago? Somebody needs to check up on her and make sure she’s okay. 8. If dogs are man’s best friend, why can’t best friends be more like dogs? I wish my best friend was furry, cuddly, fun to play with, always sat down on my lap and went on walks with me. Then again, I wouldn’t want them to start licking my face whenever they saw me and start licking their crotch in the middle of a conversation... If you have any answers to these life mysteries, please contact me. Thanks.

Town&Country Government Shutdown By Jensen Hsiao

By Emily Semba

B8 B3

Friday, October 11, 2013

LIFESTYLE

A sharper look into some so-called Blurred Lines

The Campanile

Theatre performs abridged version of Aladdin

By Maya Kitayama Everybody get up, and jump for joy! Robin Thicke’s catchy masterpiece, Blurred Lines has recently been proclaimed Billboard’s Song of the Summer. I personally, am proud of all my fellow Top 40 enthusiasts, supporting a tune that both objectifies and undermines women, all while keeping up with a catchy beat. Thicke has so kindly placed myself along with the rest of my fellow objects (or women…?) into the revered position of mindless, sensual entertainers. Although I would love to accept my newly bestowed position in society, I still have a couple comments and questions regarding Thicke’ statements. I’m a little confused in some respects, but I think I’ve got some other parts down pretty solidly. Let’s take a look. Hey, hey, hey. Hello to you too. Hey, hey, hey. Um...hello again. Hey, hey, hey. Alright, time to move on. If you can’t hear, what I’m trying to say. Actually, I can. I know I’m an object, but I still have ears. Just let me liberate you. Well, how thoughtful. Right off the bat, Thicke is offering to set me free, I feel so special that he’s recognized how trapped I am in my life, and that I really need some assistance. School really is a drain sometimes, so the gesture is duly noted. I know you want it, I know you want it, I know you want it. Goodness, I got the message, I obviously want it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m still unclear about what I want exactly? Good grades? Lunch money? A college acceptance? To find a song of substance topping the music charts? I don’t know, you tell me. You’re far from plastic. And closer to...paper? If I get a choice, I’d appreciate being closer to something more environmentally conscious. I’d be okay with something like recycled glass, or organic cotton perhaps? I hate these blurred lines. Oh gosh, me too. Whenever I forget my glasses at school, all those Calc proofs look just like a bunch of blurred lines. Getting dy/dx confused with a little splotch of squiggles, it makes for a rough second period. You’re a good girl, can’t let it get passed me. Well spotted Thicke, let me tell ya, nothing gets passed you. You’re a good guy too, I’d love to meet up for coffee sometime and discuss your personal philosophy regarding issues of gender equality and misogyny. The way you grab me, must want to get nasty. …[no comment] Go ahead, get at me. Thank you for the invitation, I’ll consider it. What do they make dreams for, when you got them jeans on. I’m unclear on the relationship between your REM sleep cycle and my choice of jeans instead of leggings. I feel so lucky. Great. You wanna hug me. I’ll refrain. What rhymes with hug me? Mug me? Ugly? Teach me how to Dougie? Insightful and profound lyrics aside, I’m extremely proud of Thicke for receiving this honor. Almost as proud as I am for the rest of the music listeners who blindly listen and unknowingly promote messages of inequity and objectification of women. Almost as proud as I am for this sort of song reaching such a position on the music charts. Almost as proud as I am for our society jamming along with it. In short, I’m just so proud. Music as insightful and classy as this deserves some serious recognition. So everybody get up, and give Robin Thicke and his devoted audience a round of applause.

Courtesy of Paly Theatre

Clockwise from right: freshman Johnny Rohrbach sings as he is protected by his bodyguard played by sophomore Carl Wolfgramm; a group of actors pose at beginning of show; Rohrbach flexes while senior Matthew Craig, sophomore Molly Kraus and senior Ilana Baer look on.

By Seth Alston Staff Writer

n Sept. 29 the Palo Alto High School theatre department debuted their first production of the year, a take on the classic middle eastern fairy tale, Aladdin. At just 45 minutes long, the play stars a mostly underclassmen cast and features a story stripped down to the minimum plot details. A non-musical performance, this play did not contain any of the Academy Award-winning songs scored by Alan Menken, which made this story a much-loved Disney classic. Rather than relying on big musical scenes and extravagant sets, this

production is centered on a simplified version of the classic tale, telling the story the evil magician Omar, played by sophomore Matt O’Reilly and his quest to control a middle eastern kingdom. Caught up in his plot are a magical and comical genie, played by sophomore Adele Bloch, and the star-crossed lovers of Aladdin and Princess Ginger, portrayed by freshmen Peter Mouroulis and Molly Kraus, respectively. By cutting the length of the play to under one hour, director Nancy Sauder made the show accessible to viewers of all ages, evidenced by the large number of families who attended, but still entertaining and humorous, with the performance being al-

most as much comedy as drama. The underclassmen cast members were expressive and eloquent, especially Maroulis and Bloch, and all of the actors did an admirable job making the basic show more intriguing, with special help from senior Matthew Craig as the bearded and imposing Sultan. The show made little usage of set pieces or props, forcing the actors to convey their characters purely through expression. Although the sets were minimalist at best, the bright colors of the wardrobes and lighting helped ground the story and make it more visually appealing. Appearances aside, the play did convey a strong moral despite its short run time and minimal produc-

tion. With a message fit for its modern audience, this production shows that love should not be infringed upon by making arbitrary rules about marriage. In the story, Princess Ginger and Aladdin are prevented from marriage because of a law stating that a princess may only marry a prince. This fact prevents their union until the final scene of the play, when the Sultan states that he will change the law to allow anybody to marry whoever they choose. This mirrors the recent striking down of the Defense of Marriage act by the U. S. Supreme Court, an important step in allowing federal recognition of same-sex marriage, especially in the state of California.

Entrepreneur club revives after two-year absence

Courtesy of Paly asb

Entrepreneur Club president, Allison Zhang, and vice president, Payton Dwight, advertise at Club Day 2013 on Sept. 13. The club was restarted after a two-year hiatus.

By Leslie Wan Senior Staff Writer

eatured in the New York Times and numerous online blogs, the Palo Alto High School Entrepreneur Club looks forward to educating high school students about building start-up businesses and framing entrepreneur ideals. The club was led two years ago by seniors who had been planning their own businesses; however, due to lack of members, they were unable to carry the legacy of the club. Economics teacher Debbie Whitson and sophomore Allison Zhang have restarted the club and are reaching out to more dedicated members to ensure a lasting success. “The basic direction is that we want our member[s] to develop innovative business ideas and help them make it into a reality by helping them produce business models and make business plans and execute those ideas,” Zhang said. “I know a lot of people who have business ideas, but unfortunately they don’t have the tools or people to fine tune their ideas and make them into reality.” Zhang, the new club president, was interested in entrepreneurship after learning about her father’s successful supermarket business in his native China.

“After his success in China, my dad always tried to get me to learn more about entrepreneurship, and I guess I started this club because of it,” Zhang said. Much like her predecessors, Zhang encourages her club members to attend weekend conferences to learn more about startups, as she herself continues to try to contact local entrepreneurs from around the Bay Area.

More people are not going to the massive companies and are trying to succeed on their own. Bryan Dunmire Local Entrepreneur

One of the club’s first speakers, Bryan Dunmire, co-founder and CEO of Red Line Labs, spoke to the club about his experience with entrepreneurship and the values of it in the Silicon Valley. After graduating from Harvard University, Dunmire and a fellow roommate Justin Butler created Red Line Labs to make different mobile applications to alleviate some of the daily problems in many American’s lives. Their most recent application, WakeMe, is designed to make mornings more bearable, as us-

ers can share videos or interact with others on the social media while getting out of bed. Dunmire believes that learning entrepreneurial skills in high school will greatly help students in developing their own businesses in college and work. “If you look at what people are doing after colleges now, more and more people are not going to the massive companies and are trying to succeed on their own,” Dunmire said. “Being able to think like an entrepreneur and take ideas, own them, fail at them and try again, are skills so important to life in general and we don’t get enough practice in high school now. But if we learn them now, they will serve us greatly in the future.” Moreover, startups created by young entrepreneurs are allowing for more jobs to be created and filled in the marketplace. In other words, people in the current generation will be employed around 20-30 jobs in comparison with 10 jobs from last generation. “My parents had around seven different jobs, and our generation might have 20 jobs, which shows that we are never satisfied where we are at, and that is where entrepreneurship comes in because it is the ultimate challenge,” Dunmire said, “Is you yourself

come up with something that can not only sustain your living, but give other people jobs and provide some sort of new of utility to our world.” However, from a high school student’s point of view, starting a business may have numerous trade-offs and opportunity costs such as lack of time to study for exams and do homework. “I think it’s a lot to expect from students,” Whitson said. “But in college, if you knew more about how to think like an entrepreneur, you would be able to take advantage [of more opportunities]. It’s like you’re preparing for the next step.” Nonetheless, the club sees that numerous students are continuing to foster new business ideas and are determined to help students see the potential of making their ideas into realities. The club believes that because people are more informed than they used to be, entrepreneurship is a growing trend in today’s society as people continue to develop ideas that will not only help them gain monetary value, but also help create products that can benefit their communities and new entrepreneur skills “Though people may not be involved in internships or startups now, they will be ready and have a foundation of business,” Whitson said.

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

LIFESTYLE Government shutdown creates public dismay, worry, fear

Right Of Way

By Jensen Hsiao

Editor-in-Chief

ompromises have been made throughout U.S. history, but the lack of compromise last week on Sept. 30, the eve of the new fiscal year, forced the government to shut down as Congress had become so partisan that it failed to agree on a budget for this fiscal year. As a result, Congress failed to appropriate funds to the various branches of government. Though not all agencies have shut down, such as the military and border patrol, agencies that are not deemed essential have been forced on furloughs. Over 800,000 government employees in federal agencies such as The National Aeronautics and the Environmental Protection Agency are currently out of work. All national parks, monuments and zoos have been shut down as well. Governor Jerry Brown decided not to take on the task of keeping California’s monumental national park Yosemite open on its 123rd birthday, for this is the first in many years that California finally has finally kept a balanced budget and Brown could not justify ruining that. So, how is this fiasco in Washington going to affect students at Palo Alto High School? In short – it’s not going to have much of an impact. Paly students don’t need building permits from the federal government, and unless a student is trying to go camping in Yosemite or another national parks, he or she will not feel the effect of the shutdown.

[The government shutdown] is affecting my family because now my dad has been forced to work at home. Talia Brown Senior

If a student’s parent has been forced on furlough, that student may notice a change in family dynamic as that parent will stay home. Even still, if this shutdown is anything like it was in 1995-1996, it will likely last less than a month.

By Conner Harden

keith ellison/creative commons

Civilians outside Capitol Hill hold up signs protesting the government shut down, which was the result of a lack of compromise between the Republican and Democratic parties in Congress. “[The government shutdown] is affecting my family because now my dad has been forced to work at home,” senior Talia Brown, whose father works for NASA, said. “He had a day to bring all his stuff home from work, but he’s doing all the work he normally does, just at home.” The last government shutdown began Dec. 16, 1995 and ended Jan. 5, 1996. There have been 17 government shutdowns since 1977, ranging from half a day to 21 days. “[My father] is preparing to come back to work soon,” Brown said. “He’s

not too worried as he went through this before during Clinton’s presidency.” The end of the shutdown is unclear as Congress cannot decide how to allocate funds for this fiscal year. Much of the talks have been about Obamacare even though it has already been passed by Congress and was activated this fiscal year. Now, a small fraction of Republican Party members, including the Tea Party, are fighting the already-passed Obamacare, and are using the shutdown as a bargaining chip. Unfortunately,

hundreds of thousands of government employees have been forced to leave work without pay while Congress debates about the budget with pay, including students’ parents. While a majority of students are not being affected by the shutdown, they should be aware of the dangers that the prolonged shutdown could pose on US stability and eventually affect them personally in their everyday lives. And while most students cannot vote, for a democracy to work, the populous must be informed.

VERBATIM

What is your reaction to the government shutdown?

Lauren gargiulo/the campanile

“It is a reflection that instead of governing, our politicians are practicing politics.” Rachael Kellerman Librarian

jensen Hsiao/the campanile

“It is stupid they can’t compromise over Obamacare so they are shutting down everything.”

jensen Hsiao/the campanile

“Boehner is too wimpy to stand up for Ted Cruz and the Tea Party.”

“I think they should all work together and get it fixed.”

Liam Brodie

Alex Hammer

Leena Pulli

Junior

Senior

Sophomore

Why does the DMV always have a long line? I really couldn’t tell you, but I could tell you it’s for important reasons, like getting a license. When I got my license, I probably only spent minutes at the DMV doing random, unorganized tasks that needed to be completed before I even take the driving test. I spent all my time preparing for the test; driving any chance I could with my parents, getting unnecessarily nervous thinking about what I would do if I didn’t pass the driving test and how much better life would be had I passed. You spend all this energy preparing yourself for this great, life-changing test, but before you even take the test, you stand in line to get your fingerprint scanned, signature recorded and excessive sheets filled out. Finally, 30 minutes into the process, your number is called and you go to the door to the side entrance where a tester meets you, and you finally take the driving test. You don’t actually stumble outside — you walk super confidently so that the tester thinks you’re a good driver for some reason. But then again, you can always fail the first time, the second time and the third time until you just have to pay a little fee and redo the whole process of written test, vision test and so forth. What does this mean? If you are simply just a bad driver, you’re in luck, you can fail the test as many times as you need to before you hopefully pass in the future. Now let me ask you. Do you want to be driving on the highway next to this person who took the test the 20th time passed, and is now driving him or herself home from the DMV? This is one of the unmentionables that you are not tested on in the Department of Motor Vehicles of California: that out in the real world, there are people who, just like you, went through the process of getting a license, got a license and just don’t deserve it anymore. They do not teach you that some people have forgotten the rules of who has the right-ofway, and what a one-way sign really means. The process itself should be more in-tune with modern society and the technology advances that it offers. If you pass on your first try, the DMV tests your intelligence on the rules of the roads once on the permit test and on your ability to drive safely once. This is, in the long term, a dangerous way to enable people of having a license. They should be tested regularly to make sure that they are not creating bad habits and repeating mistakes. It may be a mandatory yearly online test. It would simple: you go on, answer 15 or so questions about driving rules and regulations to keep your mind aware of the laws and safeties of driving. If you own a smartphone you could download an app and take the test on your phone. This would keep people with licenses who deserve them on the road and those who do not off the road.

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Friday, October 11, 2013

SPOTLIGHT

The Campanile

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

SPOTLIGHT

IN MY OPINION SLUT-SHAMING ON CAMPUS MUST

text by claire liu & lauren gargulio

STOP.

design &&photos by emily semba, spolight editor

A note to the reader: This article is not promoting casual sex and dressing revealingly. However, it is not condemning it either. We are not saying that one perspective on sex is any more “right” or “moral” than another. A fight against slut-shaming does not equal a critique on those who want to dress themselves modestly and refrain from casual sex. A fight against slut-shaming is a fight against double standards, overgeneralizations and incorrect assumptions–it is a response to people who promote these flawed concepts and try to define sexuality for every woman. Additionally, some of us believe that no matter what the circumstance is, sex should be consensual, and those who are sexually active should take protective measures. Finally, the opinions of this article do not necessarily represent the opinions of The Campanile.

H ere at Palo Alto High School, we like to think of ourselves as a collection of smart, forward thinking and accepting students. Our student body achieves incredible things, challenging all stereotypes of the apathetic, indifferent teenager. We promote equality, unity and acceptance regardless of a person’s race, culture, socio-economic background or sexual orientation. However, one issue remains unchallenged. The concept that condemning a female based on her personal decisions regarding sexual activity or outfit choice is acceptable–or even righteous and demonstrative of some higher moral standard. Walk through the quad, or scroll through your Twitter feed and you will hear and see, “I heard they hooked up this weekend.” “She’s a ho.” “Her shorts are so incredibly tiny–she’s clearly desperate for attention.” In class, a teacher

looks at a student up and down and acceptable woman is one who must make me feel disappointed about it. But subtly shakes his or her head. Maybe he remain “pure”. But it is now 2013, and then I realized that no one can tell you or she even gives a mini-lecture ridiyoung women are more empowered whether or not you’re ready [to have culing the lack of “self respect” or “class” and educated than ever. We should besex], or tell you how to lose your virginthis generation possesses. These acgin to take a good, hard look at the conity. It just depends on you and what you tions and words seem so natural to our sequences of such an outdated concept. want.” student mistakes. There is no fair and equal explanation as All in all, different women have difSlut-shaming is the act of criticizto why women must remain chaste or ferent perspectives and want different ing or attacking an individual, most else be labeled a “dirty slut”, while men things. Some girls want to lose their commonly women, for having sexual can experiment with sexual activities virginity in a candlelit room with their behaviors that deviate from traditional as they so desire and suffer very few, if boyfriend of three years–some don’t. gender expectanot zero, social The only person who knows whether or tions. According consequences. not she is ready, and how she wants to to graduate stuThese tradihave sex, is the girl herself. dent of Columbia’s tional views of Another dilemma that falls under Department of sexuality and the umbrella of slut-shaming is attackMathematics and women also ing and assuming things about womblogger Alon Levy, touch upon en based on their outfit choices. A girl I realized that no one can slut shaming feeds concepts of dressed in a tank top and upper-thigh tell you whether or not off the idea that “if morality and length shorts might be snidely asked you’re ready [to have sex], a woman has sex emotion that what she’s hoping to get out of dressing or tell you how to lose that traditional sosurround sex. like that, what she’s trying to provoke or your virginity. It just de. ciety disapproves It is a comwho she is trying to impress. pends on you and what you of, she should feel mon misconJunior Tira Oskoui describes a time want..” guilty and inferiception that when a teacher concluded a class perior”. This bashing is women take od by “telling girls they needed to cover not solely reserved sex more seup more.” for women who riously than “Once at the end of class, my teacher have sex. It can be men, because mentioned that she disapproved of the used against any girls are “more clothing girls wore in warmer weather,” woman who might talk, dress or behave emotional”, more “into romance” and Oskoui said. “It felt like she was calling in an unreserved sexual manner that geared more to commitment. And us out and requesting that we hide our society is not yet comfortable with– while this might be true for many girls, bodies. I think a lot of teachers have such as freely discussing and possessa female should not be ridiculed if they good intentions when they do things ing a casual view on sex, or dressing in do not feel this way about sex. In fact, like this, but really, the conversation revealing clothing. Atlantic journalist Hugo Schwyzer was uncalled for and disrespectful. A discussion on slut-shaming is also noted in an article about the sexualAn anonymous teacher, Ms. Jessica, a discussion on double standards. On ity of women this summer that recent explains that when a staff member iniany given school day you may hear a scientific research “shatters many of tiates this type of classroom discussion, group of girls condemning another our most cherished myths about dehis or her intentions may be related to girl’s sexual endeavors, while right sire, including the widespread assumprespect for other cultures or preparaacross the quad a guy is being praised tion that women’s lust is inextricably tion for a professional future. for his. This discriminatory take on bound up with emotional connection.” “At Paly, we have a pretty diverse desexuality is possessed by both men and By making over-generalized assumpmographic in terms of race and religion,” women. It is not rare to find a girl looktions on female sexuality, women who Ms. Jessica said. “While a student’s way ing down upon a female counterpart possess a different take on sex are made of dressing is a way to express oneself, and her clothing choices, calling her to feel alienated it can also create offensive names and then skipping to and occasionan environment class alongside her guy friend, laughally guilty. An that is uncoming as he hints at the sexual activity he anonymous jufortable for othengaged in over the weekend. When nior girl reflects ers, especially students gossip about the sexual expeon her loss of those who feel riences of their male and female counvirginity and the uncomfortable terparts, a bizarre distinction begins feelings of judgseeing an excesWhile a student's way of to take place. A sexually active male is ment that came sive amount of dressing is a way to express applauded by his pals, and maybe jokwith it. skin and skimpithemselves, it can also cre. ingly teased by some girls who believe “I felt guilty ness in outfits. ate an environment that is that men are just carefree and more when I first lost Also, I think that uncomfortable for others. hormone-driven. When a female is the my virginity, not as teachers, we center of the conversation, the tone because I was look at our stushifts drastically. She is loose, easy, and not ready for it dents and want has no standards whatsoever. She is so and not because to prepare them not classy. These double standards are I personally as best as posunfair and teach females that there are wasn’t content sible for entering certain activities that are condoned with how it hapcollege and the when pursued by men, but completely pened,” she said. “I felt like I had done workforce, and there are restrictions unacceptable for them to engage in. something wrong only because I’ve alon dress in many workplaces. We want These double standards mentioned ways been told that there is one right our students to be able to “code-switch” above are most likely historically rooted way to lose your virginity that’s accept- to act and dress professionally while in principles from thousands of years able. I lost mine in a more casual setat work and other similar situations, ago that claim a desirable and socially ting and the people around me tried to regardless of what they would wear or

how they would act in their own free time. However, Ms. Jessica believes that the way a teacher expresses his or her view is immensely important. “Hopefully, [clothing-related conversations] are not meant to censure a particular student,” Ms. Jessica said. “But rather to inform them that we want our school to be a good environment for everyone, and that implies a level of respect in dressing as well as behavior.” Essentially, Ms. Jessica believes such guiding comments on outfit choices is acceptable, as long as the intentions are to help students prepare for success in college and the workforce–not to target and shame individuals for personal decisions. There is this concept that flows throughout our campus, our community and our world that says when a woman chooses to dress in a certain manner, she is granting permission for others to judge and criticize her, inappropriately assume her intentions and possibly even sexually violate her. It is assumed that a girl who some may say dresses revealingly lacks morals and possesses little self-respect. In our soci-

ety, media hypersexualizes and dehumanizes women. As a result, this idea has shaped that the only way for women to combat these ideas is to cover themselves up. Some also preach that showing skin or dressing provocatively is obvious compliance to the sexist, patriarchal objectification of women. However, if analyzed logically, pressuring women into dressing conservatively by means of the threat of social condemnation is in many ways is a form of oppression itself. Which isn’t necessarily all that empowering. Although it may be possible that a girl might have insecurity issues or be seeking attention and approval, it also may be possible that she is not. Perhaps she is a young woman who is proud and confident with herself and her body. Maybe she is an athlete who wants to flaunt her muscular legs or she just loves the way she looks and feels in a specific outfit. The point is, every girl has a different take on self-confidence, and on self-respect. Self-respect is abstract, and therefore cannot be defined in one concrete manner. Some see self-respect as covering up and being modest while others see it as flaunting

sexually assaulted at a house party. what they’ve got. Neither is necessarFollowing this incident, photos of her ily more right than the other. Who is assault were spread amongst peers to say that the only girls who love and and Pott was ridiculed and alienated respect themselves are the ones that by those dress a certain around her. way? People need Eight days to stop assuming after the ina girl wears what cident, Pott she wears to gathcommitted er male attention The effects of slut-shaming suicide. Adand attacking her can go down an even ditional exby saying she lacks darker road, toward a amples were of self-respect. For concept called victim given in all anyone knows, blaming, which occurs Verde’s Rape she could have when the victim is blamed Culture artilove and respect cle last year, herself, but simply for the crime.. which cited demonstrates it in incidences a way that divergof two fees from traditional male stuideals. dents being The effects of told they either deserved to be sexuslut-shaming can go down an even ally assaulted or were “asking for it” by darker road, toward a concept called dressing and acting in certain ways. victim blaming. Victim blaming occurs Victim blaming teaches that a girl’s when the victim of a crime is considrevealing clothing or alcohol conered by their peers entirely or partially sumption or flirtatious demeanor jusresponsible for the crime committed tifies repulsive and illegal violation of against them. Last year, Audrie Pott, a her body. Victim blaming teaches that student at Saratoga High School was if women don’t protect themselves by hiding their bodies, men, who are apparently instinctive animals, will completely lose control of themselves and begin to sexually assault. Junior Noah Hashmi offers his perspective on victim blaming from a male point of view. I don’t understand why in every single one of your pictures, your boobs have to be out. @GirlsRelatable “[Victim blaming] definitely demLike ******g stop. #slut onstrates that there are men out there who are not willing to take responsibility for their actions, and instead try to blame others for their actions,” Hashmi said. “I think that men should keep in @SidneyLinDann_ If you’re my age and you’ve done more guys than I have fingers and toes...I’m judgmind that victim blaming is detrimening you. #slut tal to the male reputation, but more importantly realize that what they are saying is wrong and hurtful to many people.” @megancainex Is there anyone you haven’t slept with or at least want to #slut As frightening as it is, we must come to the realization that comments along the lines of “her outfit is so slutty” and “she’s clearly asking for it by dressing that way” feed directly into the blaming of victims of assault. Media and @rachaelheard I hate girls who come to the gym with their boobs hanging out of their shirt. Like, modern day citizens should direct did you come to the gym to workout or have sex? #slut their focus toward the perpetrators of sex crimes, and the idea that assaulting somebody is never acceptable or justifiable–something that should already @julia_travis_ Even if you were a centipede you probably couldn’t count the people you’ve hooked up be a basic standard in the 21st century. We invite everyone to contemplate with without using each leg more than once #slut the various interpretations that exist on self-respect and emotions toward sex. We encourage our peers to open their minds to a society in which all women, the sexually active and the ab@jillsheaa Have a little respect for yourself #slut stinent, the committed and the casual, the modest and the less conservative, no matter what their sexual behaviors or outfit choices consist of, can respect and accept each other.

#slut on twitter

Friday, October 11, 2013

LIFESTYLE

B6 Enjoy the simple life

The Campanile

Grand Theft Auto may bring out violence in individuals By Arjun Parikh Staff Writer

W By Galen Byrd I lived with a host family in Nicaragua for six weeks and love them like I do my real family. An aspect of my journey that I noted was how happy all of them, and myself, were. With increasing stress from school and my sister leaving for college, sophomore year was difficult for me. I thought that with so much opportunity and wealth, there was no way I could be unhappy, so I told myself I loved it in Palo Alto even though, deep down, I knew I didn’t. It was all because of my experience living in a simpler place that I began to finally understand why. In our society, there is no time to breathe; if you are not overly busy inventing the next technological advancement, you are simply left behind and forgotten. The expectations are way too high: students are supposed to be doing work or school or extracurricular activities for 14 hours per day-just impossible. There is never time to relax and do something that brings one joy. I challenge you to consider NOT taking AP Bio or AP US History or AP English. Take art or auto or home economics. Life isn’t just about going to the best college and getting the highest paying job and inventing the technology of tomorrow. If you enjoy that, then be my guest and stress yourself out to the max, but life is also about being happy. As my host father always reminded me, “Todo puede esperar excepto morirse,” which means “everything can wait, except for death.” Another part of our culture is consumerism. If you don’t own an iPhone or wear Lululemon’s or have an expensive car, you’re living on another planet. For some reason, it appears that people truly believe that they can buy happiness. Shocker, you can’t! There is always a “need” for the newest, fanciest, most expensive thing, but it only leads to wasted energy and time thinking about it. Living in Nicaragua opened my eyes to a different life, a simpler, more fulfilling life. The Silicon Valley life is not the only lifestyle – just keep that in mind as we mold our lives by our choices. In Nicaragua, there was so much love and happiness around us all the time that no matter the activity, I felt a sense of satisfaction while being neither productive or time wasteful. My last thought is that I feel like family is forgotten here. I remember one conversation I had with my host sister and her husband, we were comparing our daily lives. Theirs: Get up, cook, clean the house, do field work, relax, watch telenovelas (TV dramas), all with their family. Mine: Get up, go to school, come home, do homework, eat dinner with my mom or dad at 7, more homework, go to sleep. My host sister responds saying that she would be unhappy too if she didn’t spend her whole day with her family. Their way of life is so much slower, and less focused on individual achievements and more on how to support their whole family. Take a deep breath. Do something you love. Spend time with the people you care about. Take a step back and think: what really matters in life?

hat if people could massacre police officers without having to deal with any consequences? Thanks to Grand Theft Auto (GTA), gunning down, running over or setting a police officer on fire are all in the realm of possibility. In GTA, there are no restrictions. During its first three days on the market, GTA V, the recently released fifth installment of the GTA franchise, collected over $1 billion in sales. Although its technology is intricately brilliant, the game is alarmingly violent. Many are beginning to wonder if GTA’s virtual violence can translate to real life violence. In 2003, 18-year-old Devin Moore murdered three men in Fayette, Ala. It later came to light that Moore had spent nearly every waking moment playing GTA. “Devin Moore was, in effect, trained to do what he did,” attorney Jack Thompson said in an interview with CBS. “He was given a murder simulator.” Thompson has played a prominent role in the fight against video-game violence. According to police reports, Moore murdered a 911 dispatcher and two police officers after he was brought in for questioning for being suspected of stealing a car. Moore had been cooperating with the officers, but then suddenly erupted and stole a gun from one of the officers and then gunned down the three men. The family of one of Moore’s victims described a scenario in GTA eerily similar to the tragedy that occurred in Alabama. “The video game industry gave him a cranial menu that popped up in the blink of an eye in that police station,” Thompson said. “And that menu offered him the split-second decision to kill the officers, shoot them in the head, flee in a police car, just as the game itself trained him to do.” Moore’s testimony supported Thompson’s bold accusations. “Life is like a video game,” Moore said. “Everybody’s got to die sometime.” In one example, in Oakland, Calif., investigators claimed that GTA

courtesy of creative commons

Michael, the main character in the latest installment of Grand Theft Auto, stares out over the fictional city of Los Santos. caused a street gang to murder six civilians. According to Fox News, two teenagers from Newport, Tenn. admitted they shot at passing cars with a rifle because it was “fun in the video game.” In Thailand, a 19-year-old named Polwat Chinno stabbed a taxi driver to death. Chinno was reportedly addicted to GTA. “Robbing and killing looked easy in the game,” Chinno told local police through a translator. Chinno was trying to rob the driver, but the driver fought back with a metal bar. Chinno was attempting to rob the driver so he could continue playing GTA at a local arcade. Two months ago in Louisiana, an 8-year-old boy who was addicted to GTA murdered his grandmother with one gunshot. The boy had been playing GTA in the hours leading up to the murder. The University of Missouri conducted a study that found that responsiveness to violence decreases after video game violence exposure. The study found that playing violent video games such as GTA can blur the lines between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. On the other hand, there is also evidence that suggests playing violent videogames does not cause violence. In 2007, Texas A&M researchers concluded that there is no link

between playing violent videogames and aggression. In an attempt to prove MU’s research incorrect, leading child psychologist David Walsh has been doing intensive research regarding the effects of video game violence on the brain. Most cases involving GTArelated violence involve teenage boys. “The teenage brain is not fully developed,” Walsh said in an interview with CBS news. “Therefore, teens are more easily influenced by violent video-games.”

Kids should be allowed to [play GTA], but only once they’re able to tell the difference between right and wrong. Dami Bolarinwa Sophomore

Walsh found that GTA players are more likely to act in a violent manner. “When a young man with a developing brain, already angry, spends hours and hours and hours rehearsing violent acts and he’s put in this situation of emotional stress, there’s a likelihood that he will literally go to that familiar pattern that’s been wired repeatedly, perhaps thousands and thousands of times,” Walsh said. CBS network correspondent Ed Bradley challenged Walsh’s discoveries.

“You’ve got probably millions of kids out there playing violent games like Grand Theft Auto and other violent games, who never hurt a fly,” Bradley said. “So what does that do to your theory?” When Walsh was posed this question, he admitted playing a game such as GTA does not automatically mean users will go out and kill people. However, playing the game does increase the likelihood of a tragically perfect storm. “You know, not every kid that plays a violent video game is gonna turn to violence,” Walsh said. “And that’s because they don’t have all of those other risk factors going on. It’s a combination of risk factors, which come together in a tragic outcome.” Although Palo Alto has not fallen victim to any video game-related violence, Paly students have taken notice of the nationwide discussion. “My little brother plays the game and I really dislike it,” senior Julia Ragsdale said. “Violent video games definitely shouldn’t be played by kids, especially when they’re really young.” Even fans of GTA agree that not just anybody should be able to play the game. “Yeah, kids should be allowed to [play GTA],” sophomore Dami Bolarinwa said. “But only once they’re able to tell the difference between right and wrong.”

Students form satirical news site

The Daily Pillage attempts to resemble The Onionís humorous writing style By Sarah Tayeri Staff Writer

here are already eight publications at Palo Alto High School that cover nearly all fields of journalism, so why add another? “A lot of what Paly does is too serious,” junior Will Robertson said. Robertson and junior Emil Ernstrom’s creation of Paly’s new satirical news site, The Daily Pillage, breaks this reputation. “It serves a different purpose [from other Paly publications],” Robertson said. “It’s not meant to inform you; it’s meant to entertain you. The other publications are entertaining too, but [The Daily Pillage] is just fun. We’re not trying to be serious.” The Daily Pillage was started on Sept. 8 on WordPress, an online blog software. Based on the famous parody news organization The Onion, which publishes satirical articles on global news, The Daily Pillage publishes articles that parodies news at Paly. All the articles written for The Daily Pillage are student-submitted and all are published anonymously on the site.

“I was in class and I heard someone say something sarcastically and I thought, that sounds like an Onion article,” Ernstrom said. “Then I thought, why doesn’t Paly have its own satirical site?” There’s supposed to be some message in [the stories we publish], something you’re critiquing about Paly or Palo Alto. A satire is most effective when you’re actually trying to convey something.

Emil Ernstrom

Co-creator of The Daily Pillage

The founders of the site shaped their idea to mimic the satirical approach of other satirical news sites, in particular, The Onion. “The Onion has very good journalistic style, so we wanted to emulate that, in a sense,” Robertson said.“We wanted to satirize decisions made by the administration, and just events happening on campus.” Some headlines include “Paly Graduate Receives Streaking Scholarship from Harvard, Pursues Lifelong Dream of Professional Streak-

ing” and “Gunn Four Years Away from Nuclear Weapons, Satellite Image Reveals.” The establishment of the website also raised the question of whether anyone would take the jokes on the website too literally? “We thought that the school probably wouldn’t support it because of the potential for offensive material,” Robertson said. “But there [hasn’t] been any complications so far. “ To avoid problems with gullible readers, the staff of The Pillage makes sure that the articles they publish are clearly satirical and not real news. “First of all, [for an article to be published, it] has to be hard for the reader to be able to misinterpret the comedy,” Robertson said. “It has to be very clear that it is satire, and it has to be short, concise and to the point. Above all, it has to be funny.” “There’s supposed to be some message in [the stories we publish]something you’re critiquing about Paly or Palo Alto,” Ernstrom added. “A satire is most effective when you’re actually trying to convey something.” Readership on the site started out strong and is growing steadily.

“The Daily Pillage is more entertaining than real-life stories,” junior Anna Zhang said, a frequent reader and strong advocate for the web site. “The Daily Pillage is funny because it’s satirical of Paly life, and we all understand the context,” Zhang pointed out. “Things like the pressure to get really great grades, or our rivalry with Gunn... We all understand the jokes The Pillage is publishing.” Before the site can get any bigger or more complex, Ernstrom thinks he and the founders need to be more organized. Robertson has been playing with added aspects like audio podcasts to the site, but agrees that the site needs to be more correlated as a group before broadening their site. As of now, The Daily Pillage is still just a site on WordPress, but the founders want to develop their innovation into something bigger. “Next year, we will make this into a club which will, in effect, expand our influence,” Robertson said. “We might try to get a column in Verde or Voice, which would definitely help our goal, which is to expand our readership. That would probably be the most pragmatic step forward.”

The Campanile

Friday, October 11, 2013

LIFESTYLE

Black market narcotics site shut down FBI seizes two-year-old Silk Road website, taking action against online drug trade

Punk is Alive (Palo Alto style)

By Parker Devine

Courtesy of the verge

The Silk Road — dubbed the “Amazon.com for drugs” — was recently shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

By Hillel Zand Editor-in-Chief

n the afternoon of Oct. 2, Ross William Ulbricht was arrested by law enforcement officials in a public library in San Francisco, but the arrest was for no petty crime. Ulbricht, known online as “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was charged with laundering money, leading a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and hacking computers for operating the Silk Road, an online black market drug trafficking site that generated over $1.2 billion in revenue since its inception in Feb. 2011. The name “Silk Road” comes from the series of trade routes that spanned Asia and saw the transport of various goods, including opium. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has since seized the site, which had nearly 1.3 million transactions in a 30-month span and a strong cohort of dedicated followers, some of which included minors. Drugs sold on the site were listed under categories such as: “Cannabis,” “Dissociatives,” “Prescription,” “Opioids” and “Psychedelics.” Jane, an anonymous Palo Alto High School student, had not heard about the site until a couple of her friends from out of town had told her about it. “I don’t think a lot people know about it at Paly because whenever I mention it, I always have to explain it to people,” Jane said. Thibault Serlet, a former Paly student who has been following the developments of the Silk Road since its launch two and a half years ago, estimates that the number of Paly students who used the Silk Road to purchase narcotics before it was seized “to be no more than 10 or 15.”

According to Jane, Silk Road offered both synthetic and natural drugs, including “anything from 4FA and 25I and 25B to shrooms and even just weed.” 4FA (an amphetamine), 25I (a psychedelic) and 25B (a hallucinogen) are all unscheduled drugs in the United States and are only a few examples of drugs known only by their chemical components. Many of these drugs are unclassified and have flown under the government’s radar until now. Although some have compared Silk Road to the drug-lover’s version of Amazon.com, Jane explains that accessing the site is not as simple. “It was really high-security from what my friends have told me,” Jane said. “I didn’t have access to it myself, but my friends did, and from what they’ve told me about what they have to do to get on to it, it’s incredibly high-security, incredibly anonymous. I don’t know if I’m more surprised by how long it took for the FBI to [shut it down] or by the fact that they actually found it.” Users and sellers had to download TOR, an internet server that allowed users to anonymously surf the web. Once they obtained the website address of Silk Road, users had to gain access to the digital currency of Bitcoins, which was the only currency that the website accepted. Bitcoins were invented by a Japanese programmer in 2008 and are described as a cryptocurrency, for it is decentralized and the entire payment system is online, which allows for anonymous monetary transactions. One Bitcoin is equivalent to 121 U.S. dollars. Once a purchase is made, packages can be send to a home address, but many users opt for postal boxes at a local postal office. Serlet, who describes himself as a “Bitcoin enthusiast,” views the site as

a positive force in the push for unregulated free enterprise and as a way for drug users to alleviate the effects of the drug war. “I’m a big fan of the Silk Road,” Serlet said. “The Silk Road is a website [that’s goal is to create] a perfectly competitive free market with no taxes and no government regulations whatsoever. The idea was to have a completely unregulated free market, and it was shut down for that very reason. The Silk Road is a positive force.”

If you’re somebody who supports the legalization of drugs... then you have to support the Silk Road. Thibault Serlet Former Paly student

Jane herself has used MDMA, 4FA and other synthetic substances that were purchased from Silk Road, and describes the drugs as “cleaner than what you can get off the street.” Although street deals are more common for high school drug users, Jane sees the upside in a possible future of online drug purchasing. “I think it’s easier for high schoolers to do street deals because [if you buy drugs online] you have to get a PO Box and it all gets traced back to the parents,” Jane said. “But if you are able to [buy online], then honestly it’s a better choice because a) you can find things that are really hard to find on the street and b) street drugs aren’t always the cleanest or the safest.” Serlet believes that since drugs on the Silk Road were often cheaper than street drugs, drug addicts who had “fiscal constraints... [could] improve the quality of their own lives and spend less time on the streets.”

The FBI seized $3.6 million in Bitcoins after Ulbricht’s arrest, or roughly $438.5 million USD, which made the seizure the second-largest seizure of Bitcoins in history. Items sold on the site were not just limited to drugs, but also included counterfeit cash and documents, firearms and ammunition, and even the services of hackers and hitmen. Over 100,000 products were being sold by vendors. “You can argue that people have a right to use drugs because you can make a whole bunch of ethical arguments,” Serlet said. “[If ] someone has the right to cut off their finger, someone has the right to shoot up heroin.” The Silk Road, which Serlet says was created by a group of “anarchocapitalist-libertarians,” and other free trade websites also have the ability to allow beneficial goods, such as medicine, to be bought free of any healthcare restrictions. “The Silk Road could be used to smuggle non-FDA-approved lifesaving medications to those who need it,” Serlet said. “[Anything] from European Union-approved drugs to cannabis to experimental cancer medicines.” Serlet says there are still active sites that are comparable to the services of the Silk Road and tend to be even more secure. He believes that such sites are critical to fair trade in the marketplace and are of great service to not just drug users, but all those who support free enterprise. “The government hates the free market, the government hates the drug trade,” Serlet said. “There are many good cases that can be made to support the legalization of [the drug trade]. If you’re somebody who supports the legalization of drugs... then you have to support the Silk Road.”

Students pursue after-school, part-time jobs By Angela Stern Senior Staff Writer

or many Palo Alto High School students, homework, athletics and various extracurricular activities consume all of the hours in the day; however, several students on campus have managed to pursue after-school jobs as well. Popular choices for student jobs include working at local restaurants and retail stores. The Palo Alto community offers a variety of employment options part-time as well. Working also presents the opportunity for students to receive paychecks and start gaining their own income. Senior Sydney Williams currently works at the Vans store in downtown Palo Alto as a sales associate for anywhere from 12 to 20 hours per week. “I’ve always felt better paying for things with my own money,” Williams said. “I decided it was time to get a job and I thought retail would be a good place to start.” Junior Alexis Crews-Holloway currently has two jobs that take about eight to 15 hours per week. She works the front desk and as an “Ice Guard” at the Winter Lodge, and also at a local Jamba Juice. “I wanted to work at Winter Lodge because I’ve been skating there since I was about five years old,” Crews-Holloway said. “I wanted to work at Jamba Juice because my friend started working there, so I decided to apply for a summer job there and I’m still working there now.” Spending seven hours in school alone can seem like enough work for

ahmed awadallah/the campanile

Town & Country Village stores, like Jamba Juice, offer job opportunities for students seeking employment. many students, so spending an additional two to four hours working at a job demonstrates a remarkable level of determination. Those with part-time jobs take on extra responsibilities since they make a commitment to Paly as students and to their employers as workers. As far as balancing academics and work, Williams says that it takes time to find a way to successfully manage the two. “It was stressful and tiring at first,” Williams said. “But now that I’ve worked there for almost a year and a half, I’ve learned how to manage my time better.” Crews-Holloway acknowledges that as the school year proceeds, and presumably as the amount of work increases, balancing work and school can be challenging. For the time being, however, the transition from working over the summer to during the school year has been rather manageable.

“It’s only been a month into school, but once school work ramps up a bit more it might get difficult,” Crews-Holloway said. Even though it can be hard to take on both school and work, part-time jobs offer students opportunities to gain new skill sets that cannot be learned in the classroom. The professional skills students gain at part-time jobs can help better prepare them for future careers. “Working in customer service, you’ll definitely gain more people skills than you will anywhere else,” Williams said. “If you can’t work with a customer, no matter how difficult, you won’t get very far. With that will come patience as well.” As for students currently seeking jobs, Williams notes that finding a job that matches one’s hobbies and interests is essential for a positive work experience. “I suggest looking for a job where you’ll be comfortable and hopefully

get along with your co-workers,” Williams said. “That doesn’t mean they have to be high schoolers too, though. Getting along with your coworkers will make your job 10 times more enjoyable.” Crews-Holloway advises those on job hunts to be mindful of the extra time commitment and to pursue jobs that both interest and are suitable for the student. “I’d say to definitely consider the amount of school work and pre-existing extracurriculars because school comes before a job,” Crews-Holloway said. “In terms of what kinds of jobs, it really depends on one’s interests and availability. Summer jobs are really nice if you don’t go on vacation much, and lots of businesses hire high school students over the summer.” While being a student and an employee presents an extra challenge, the experience can bring opportunities that help better equip students for life beyond high school.

Palo Alto is perhaps one of the most tech-savvy, wealthy, nerdy cities in the world. Thanks to that, it is also one of the least culturally diverse. Sure, Palo Alto has culture from genius immigrants that have come here for work from places all over the world, but we miss the culture that comes from the poor, working class and even the middle class. Palo Alto is so centered on technological development and material possessions that we forget that we are more than the phones in our pockets, or the coffee in our hands, or the Google glasses that rest obnoxiously on our faces. An important question that is usually reserved for science fiction stories actually applies to Palo Alto. At what point does our technology surpass our humanity? Palo Alto now must face this issue. We live in and cherish a city where the latest technology, not the latest fashion sense or music, runs the culture. In some ways, many Palo Altans use the phones they have or the cars they drive to express themselves, creating a culture that is based off of what you buy, not who you are. This is dangerous because culture and creativity is becoming less and less what you come up with, but more what technology manufacturers come up with for you. Tech-lovers in Palo Alto may argue that the technology you buy is just as good of an expression of personality as any classical means like fashion, personality and music, but that ignores the fact that classical means require some sense of personal creativity. Putting on a snazzy case on your new phone doesn’t make you an individual, it makes you someone with a credit card and a ride to the local Apple store. This sensation in Palo Alto is not the first of its kind. Back in punk rock’s prime during the mid1980s, punks’ “individual creativity” came from the standard uniform of a punk: a mohawk, combat boots, leather jacket and a copy of the Sex Pistol’s Anarchy in the UK. The only difference is that in Palo Alto, our equivalent of the Anarchy album is the latest iPhone and mohawks have evolved into thick-rimmed glasses. Palo Alto schools are even more obsessed with technology than the rest of Palo Alto. Brand new Apple computers line every classroom, racks of iPads are available to students and Smart Boards are put in every middle school classroom. Although these are made available to help students learn, it shows how deeply technology is rooted in our society, so much so that new technology is the only way to learn, four-year old computers are thrown away for being outdated and teachers give assignments assuming students have access to smartphones, computers, printers and every other technological development not available to most of the world. It is equally amazing that technology has taken such a prominent part of our culture as the fact that technology as we know it (computers, internet, etc.) has only been around for less than 20 years. The Internet was not made widely available until 1995, wireless Internet was not invented until 2003 and the first iPhone was not released until 2007. Despite its short tenure, modern technology has completely overrun our culture by changing the way we interact with one another and becoming a sort of class status. For our own sake, Palo Alto should abandon worshipping technology. There will always be a new, better phone or computer, so there is no point trying to stay up-to-date with every technological advancement we can. Instead, Palo Alto should work on including more socioeconomic backgrounds in our community. Palo Alto is in danger of losing its humanity to technology, and that is a trend that needs to change soon.

Friday, October 11, 2013

LIFESTYLE B8 Bites for the Broke : Inexpensive T&C Lunches By Emily Semba Spotlight Editor

hough many would argue that the price of lunches at Town & Country Village are rising and even unaffordable for students, there are several lesser-known options for delicious, inexpensive meals. Below is a list of ideas that will satisfy your cravings without putting a dent in your wallet.

SUSHI

The Campanile

2000

QUICHE Price: $3.95

This edition featuring

Price: $3.75 - $5.25 Courtesy of Yelp

Where: Sushi House Description: Though the rice and teriyaki chicken bowl is a favorite among Paly students, the sushi menu is a hidden gem. There are dozens of rolls to choose from, including cucumber, California and tuna, all between $3.75 and $5.25 — less than the chicken bowl. Andrew Choi/The Campanile

Where: Douce France

SOUP

Description: These quick and easy-to-eat French delicacies are a steal at just under four dollars, and feature a flaky crust filled with a cheesy egg center. Be sure to test each of the four flavors: ham, spinach, mushroom and onion.

SPRING ROLL Price: $3.50-3.75

Price: $5.75

Where: Douce France Description: On a cold, rainy afternoon, soup is the perfect food for the occasion. The type of soup changes each day of the week, and each bowl is served with a thick, crusty slice of baguette bread.

Courtesy of Yelp

Pretzel Jensen Hsiao/The Campanile

Where: Asian Box Description: Those seeking a healthy, fresh lunch can head to Asian Box for the ready-to-go spring rolls. The tofu spring roll paired with a peanut coconut lime sauce and the shrimp spring roll dipped in tangy tamarind sauce never disappoints.

Price: $1.95 Courtesy of Yelp

falling For Fall Photos By Andrew Sternfield & Karina Dutra

Where: Jamba Juice Description: These straight-from-theoven pretzels are delivered piping hot to customers as they are briefly heated before saving. Both flavors — apple cinnamon and sourdough Parmesan — go hand-in-hand with a signature Jamba Juice smoothie.

Eli Weitzman

with The Campanile’s own Maya Kitayama, Kian McHugh and Hillel Zand The Campanile: So instead of “who are you?, why are you?” Eli Weitzman: So my mother and my dad, they met. And then I was created. That’s why I exist. I think I probably exist on this earth to be a good Jew, an honest Jew and a help to others in times of need. TC: If you could be any other religion that wasn’t Judaism, what would you be? EW: Probably Hindu.... or maybe Muslim because they get to go to Mecca. TC: Can you tell us about your third-wheeling abilities? EW: I have superior third-wheeling abilities. I think it all started with [seniors] Freddy [Kellison-Linn] and Paige [Esterly]. They’re a lot to third-wheel with — there’s a lot of PDA going on. I kind of took it to a whole other level with [seniors] Jack [Hansen] and Kate [Marinkovich]. Instead of making myself the third wheel, I excluded Kate and made her the third wheel. TC: Would you say now that you’re a senior, your love life is excelling as well? EW: Yeah, definitely, in like all kinds of ways. Even guys come up to me sometimes and they’re asking for some and I’m like, “Man, maybe after college.” I heard in college people find out more about themselves. I honestly hope that I’m not gay, not that I’m homophobic, but that would be a lot of lifestyle changes for me. I’d have to learn about what men find attractive. TC: So “Queer Eye for the Eli?” EW: [laughs for 15 seconds] TC: Weren’t you nominated for “Best Laugh?” EW: People say it’s absolutely ridiculous and I should stop laughing and some people say I should keep laughing because it makes them laugh. TC: Weren’t you also nominated for “Most Likely to Make You Smile?” EW: I have this infectious smile sometimes. It’s kind of like The Plague. If you see me smiling, you’re going to smile even if you don’t want to. It’s like a boubon. TC: If you had three words to describe your body, what would they be? EW: Let’s start with “fat.” I consider myself fat even though I’m not super fat. At one point I was legally obese though — I Wikipedia’d it. Two... oh, “bubbly.” I consider myself bubbly. My attitude radiates from my body and it’s like bubbly. TC: One more word. EW: Hmmm I’m looking at myself here... [looks at chest] oh! “Hairy!” Some people don’t like when I unbutton the top bottom on my shirt because it shows too much chest hair. TC: How long have you been hairy? EW: I was like decently hairy and then sophomore year for swimming I had to shave and everything grew back. It was the weirdest thing. I shaved it all off and then it came back super hairy. You don’t even want to look down below my waist. TC: Can you tell me what the fox says? EW: Happy-happpy-happy-ho. TC: Last words: What would you say to any freshmen girls eyeing you from across the Quad, admiring your stellar looks? EW: I’d say play it cool and play it low, and you can interpret that any way you want.

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

SPORTS

Athlete of the Month Senior captain Aashli Budhiraja has led the girlsí tennis team to a 13-2 record. C7

What makes a good coach?

conner Harden/the campanile

kyle terada/US presswire

Left: Varsity swim coach Danny Dye intensely scrutinizes his team in order to better advise them during a practice last season. Right: Palo Alto High School physical education teacher and former varsity basketball coach Peter Diepenbrock celebrates with former Paly basketball player and current Houston Rocket Jeremy Lin after winning the California state title in 2006.

By Julia Kwasnick

Sports Editor

hat is a coach? A coach is a person who hones athletes’ skills, and allows players to perform at the peak of their abilities. In sports, athletes’ natural ability can only take them so far. In order to improve themselves, athletes need a coach who is both knowledgeable and passionate about their sport. Usually, people do not pick their own coaches because the school or team manager hires the coach for teams, not the athletes. The sheer number of athletes who play on a team in any sport makes it nearly impossible for every player to have a coach molded to the player’s personal and athletic needs. If coach selection is almost always partially random, then how do incredible teams, whose athletes play fluidly and harmoniously with each other, develop? Do players adjust themselves for the coach because they cannot change the coach they are placed with?

If athletes truly are adapting to work well with their coaches, then, since not all athlete-coach relationships are perfect, that means that players innately gauge whether or not to condition themselves so that the player-coach relationship works; therefore, athletes unconsciously determine whether their coach is a “good coach.” So, what makes a good coach? According to senior water polo player Ethan Look, a good coach needs to be experienced in the sport so that he or she is actually capable of improving the skill of his or her players. “For water polo, it’s important that our coach has experience,” Look said. “Between his record setting years at [the University of California at] Irvine, playing in the Australian National [Water Polo] League, and his experience with the U.S. national team, [Paly varsity water polo coach] Brandon Johnson has tons of high level experience in the sport.” Furthermore, a good coach needs to be compassionate, but also needs

to want to win games and coach a successful team. A good coach will prepare their players for games and keep them motivated at all times. “[A good coach] is someone who is understanding and knows what he is talking about,” senior tennis player Aashli Budhiraja said. “[He or she has to] want to win and have the drive to make the team succeed, [as well as being] positive and believing that the team can win.” The dynamic between the players and the coach on any sport team is vital for the team’s success. Without a mutual respect for each other, it is nearly impossible for teams to do well and for players to improve their skill. “A good coach is someone who you respect and want to work hard for,” sophomore soccer player Alys Olmstead said. In a good player-coach relationship, the players need to trust that the coach is doing what is best for the team, even if they do not always agree with the coach’s decisions. “In a sport like water polo, discipline in our training is extremely

important,” Look said. “[ Johnson] needs to be as disciplined as possible at every moment.” However, there is more to being a good coach than simply motivating the team. A major part of any team is the skill of the players, meaning that the coach needs to be able to encourage the players to improve.

A good coach is someone who you respect and want to work hard for. Alys Olmstead Sophomore

“I think [being a good coach] is mostly about communication,” senior ice skater Juliet Norvig said. “My coach for ice skating has [injured] knees, so she can’t do the jumps and spins that she’s teaching me. So it’s all verbal communication.” What really separates the good coaches from the mediocre ones is their ability to guide players even when they do not have their skill in

the sport available. As coaches age, their skill begin to falter, meaning that a good coach has to be able to maintain their coaching prowess regardless of their age or physical condition. Legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno led the Nittany Lions to an Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma at 79 years of age. “[For my coach] it’s all verbal communication,” Norvig said. “It still works really well because she can describe what you have to do in the jumps and she watches me attempt them and can see what I’m doing wrong and suggest things that will work better.” A good coach is not just determined by prowess in a certain sport, but by their ability to listen to the needs of an athlete. Coaches need to be compassionate so that he or she can inspire and rejuvenate an athlete who is disappointed with his or her performance. A coach does not need to be gifted athletically, or even more capable than the players, but has to have the interpersonal skills to inspire and lead their players.

Jonathan ziegler/the campanile

Girls’ varsity water polo coach Aileen Delaney instructs her team through a practice earlier this year. Delaney, like other coaches, must be able to effectively coach players through verbal instructions.

INSIDE SWIMMERS MOVE ON TO COLLEGE

FREAKY AND FUNNY INJURIES

COLLEGE REcRUITMENT

Senior swimmers Andrew Liang, Willy Lee and Jayna

From kicking a cactus to sharp bra straps to a

Take an in-depth look at the way

Wittenbrink reflect on their swimming careers at Paly

nightmare about spiders, these injuries suffered by

prospective college athletes are recruited

and look forward to the future. C4-C5

baseball players are sure to catch your attention. C8

out of high school. C3

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

SPORTS

Football team hopes to rebound after two early-season losses Led by Stanford-commit Keller Chryst, Paly hopes to improve their record in the second half of the season

Jim Gensheimer/san jose mercury news

Left: Senior Keesean Johnson makes the tackle on an Archbishop Mitty runningback. Right: Senior Keller Chryst scrambles to avoid a tackle against a Mitty defender in a 34-14 loss on Sept. 21.

By Conner Harden

Staff Writer

he Palo Alto Vikings football team looks to restrategize and improve their season after losing to both Archbishop Mitty and Palma High School. After a commanding 28-7 victory over San Benito High School on opening night for the newly constructed Viking Stadium, the team gained confidence for their upcoming games, but were unable to pull through in the next two games. The Vikings (2-2) lost to Archbishop Mitty on Sept. 21 by a score of 34-14 for their first loss of the season. Mitty dominated the entire game and held the lead the whole

way. Although the team continued the next week with another loss to Palma High School in Salinas, head coach Earl Hansen saw the 23-20 loss as an important stepping stone in the season. “At Palma we got better as a team as the game progressed,” Hansen said. “It was definitely obvious that we’re getting stronger.” Palma scored 10 points in the first quarter and took a 17-6 lead into halftime. Paly battled back in the second half scoring 14 points, but could not pull off the comeback, giving Palma its first victory. On Oct. 4, Paly rebounded with a dominant 41 - 14 victory over Fremont High School. From the begin-

ning, Paly overpowered the Fremont defense. “We’ve [had a slow start] because we have eight sophomores on this team [but] they’re going to be real good [players],” Hansen said. “But we’re picking up the pace now and we’re ready to go.” The team has many returning players, including seniors who hope to have a successful season, and increase their chances of college recruitment. One such senior is Stanford-bound quarterback Keller Chryst. “Keller’s a pretty good prospect,” Hansen said. “We have [senior wide receivers] Keesean [ Johnson] and Malcolm [Davis]... those guys are all good prospects.”

While nursing an injury on the sidelines, senior Christo Proceviat has noticed several other seniors who have stepped up this season to lead the team. He believes the progress the seniors have made is promising.

We’ve [had a slow start] because we have eight sophomores on this team, [but] they’re going to be real good ones. Ear l Hansen Head Football Coach

“Tully [McCallister], Andrew Frick, Connor Scheel, Justin Rittman and Jack Anderson are all really

good, but the team as a whole is getting better and better with practice” Proceviat said. The Vikings challenge De Anza Division league rival Wilcox High School tonight. For Paly, this is the team’s first home game in over a month. Hansen feels that the team is well prepared for their matchup with Wilcox this week and looks forward to a great game. “We’re feeling pretty good right now,” Hansen said. “[Wilcox has] a specific type of offense that we’ve been practicing against and we’re doing what we have to do pretty well. Overall I think that during each game we’re getting better.”

Boys’ and girls’ teams find unique ways to bond By William Shin

Staff Writer

oys and girls at Palo Alto High School participate in a variety of sports, ranging from swimming to track to lacrosse; however, the general relationship between girls’ and boys’ teams are unknown to the Paly public. Although none of the teams at Paly qualify for the term ‘co-ed’, many of these teams receive support and competition from the opposite gender teams. Some sports have a tradition of annual games between the boys’ and girls’ teams, while others participate in meets together and cheer each other on. On the other hand, some sports rarely interact during practices and games. Sports such as swimming and track share practice times, team bus rides, dinners and meets. But, they do not practice together: why is that? “I think that as much support as we receive from the girls’ team during meets, at the end of the days the scores are separate and the teams aren’t grouped together on paper,” junior swimmer Winston Wang said.

“We just happen to race at the same meets for convenience.” Each team has separate standards even in the same sports as rules, times and equipment can vary. Points are scored separately for girls’ and boys’ teams, and playoffs are different depending on the gender. Although boys and girls do not compete against each other, in many sports like swimming, cross country and track, each team supports one another. In lacrosse and basketball, members of both teams say that they like to go see how the other team is doing and cheer them at games. Having two different teams supporting each other while being at the same event has its perks: a larger crowd, boosted self-confidence and a greater support system. “Although we don’t score together, we ride the bus together, have dinners together and the girls do a great job of supporting the guys when they are racing,” Wang said. “It definitely helps to see such a large group of people supporting you.” Even when teams do not play at the same time, such as boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, many of the athletes say that

The boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams pose together for a team photo at the end of the 2012-2013 season. they like to go watch and support the other team with a sense of pride for rivalry games. “A lot of us would go to the guys games and a lot of [the guys will] come to ours,” junior lacrosse player Allie Peery said. “Especially the big rivalry games like St. Francis.” In addition to supporting each other, these single-sex teams in the same seasonal sports try to find time to spend with each other, with fun drills or simulated games. The boys’ and girls’ bond by playing an annual game.

“[During the] boys versus girls game at the end of the season, guys wear skirts and we switch sticks for our annual game,” Peery said. The water polo teams hold an annual event involving inner tubes and games. “Every year we play a game involving tubes and other water materials between the guys and girls to kind of bond us together,” junior water polo player Tess van Hulsen said. The water polo teams also try to create a stronger bond with an “Italian evening on the pool deck.”

Courtesy of Bernie flather

“[Bonding with the boys’ team is] pretty fun,” junior water polo player Sheila Subramanian said. “We all sit together and try to get to know each other.” Boys’ and girls’ teams at Paly offer support at events rather than fierce competition and rivalry. Fellow athletes’ attendance at games also increases team morale. Having athletes of the opposite sex is like having additional fans on the field for events, and not only further represents your school, but also your sport.

The Campanile

Friday, October 11, 2013

SPORTS

The ins and outs of the college recruitment process

A step-by-step process of getting recruited to play in college, from Division I to Division III By Arjun Parikh

Senior Staff Writer

he process high school athletes go through to get recruited to play in college is drastically different from a senior’s typical college application process. The process for athletes can begin as early as freshman year and can end as early as sophomore year. Senior quarterback Keller Chryst rose to the top of ESPN’s recruiting charts early on in his high school football career. Chryst, who is currently the 19th ranked recruit and the number-one quarterback in the country for the Class of 2014, received his first offer during the summer of 2012. This past summer, he committed to play for Stanford University, ending his recruiting process a year after he received his first offer. Prospective collegiate athletes who are not nationally recognized and do not have schools knocking on their door travel down drastically different paths. For example, Juniperro Serra High School’s star cornerback, senior Adoree’ Jackson, has some time during their sophomore year, such athletes establish a list of schools they are interested in attending. Once an athlete’s list has been established, the first step is getting in contact with coaches. The best way to do this is by sending a letter to each of the schools the athlete is interested in. The letter usually consists of the athlete’s accomplishments, both academic and athletic, as well as why they are interested in the school. The main goal of this letter is to establish a very basic relationship with the coach and get the athlete’s name on the coach’s list of prospective recruits. Then comes the most important part of the process: the showcasing of abilities on the field. This is most

frequently done at showcases held over the summer by both schools and independent agencies. Showcases usually consist of a skills portion, where athletes demonstrate their raw athletic ability through events such as the 40-yard dash, and a game portion in which athletes compete in simulated games in front of the coaches in attendance. These camps and showcases provide an excellent time for athletes to have brief conversations with coaches from all over the nation and further express their interest in the schools on their list. However, one must be careful when signing up for showcases because for every reputable showcase out there, there is a handful of others simply looking to take the athlete’s money. Unfortunately, athletes often show up for a camp only to find a camp devoid of college coaches. It can be tricky for potential recruits to separate the good showcases from the scams. Another important step in the recruiting process is creating a video that can be sent out to coaches. The recruiting video is crucial because college coaches, particularly at smaller schools, cannot always travel to many showcases and camps all over the country. Therefore, it is not always possible for a coach from one side of the country to see a player on the other side of the country. The video allows athletes a medium through which to showcase their abilities to coaches from all over the country. The importance of the recruiting video cannot be understated. Although uncommon, it does happen every once in a while that an athlete receives an offer solely based off their video, with the coach never having actually seen them play in person. Once contact with a coach has been established, the next step is

Courtesy of John Valenzuela

Scott Witte (‘10) spent one year at University of Washington before transfering to Claremont McKenna College. opening a line of communication between player and coach. These interactions can be tricky for athletes trying to obtain an offer because it is considered bad form to come straight and ask a coach for a spot on the team. Some ways around this are asking questions such as “How much depth do you have at my position?” or “What positions are you looking for?” While these questions do not work 100 percent of the time, they are a good way of getting a coach talking about you and their team in the same sentence. For student-athletes who do not get an offer in high school there are still ways of getting on a college team. Some schools, particularly Di-

Girls’ tennis looks towards CCS

vision III schools, will give students an opportunity to try out for, or “walk on” to the team once they are at the school.

For student-athletes who do not get an offer in high school there are still ways of getting on a college team. While this is often a longshot, for athletes willing to put in the work, it is possible to scratch and claw one’s way onto the team in this way. Prominent National Football League players such as Jordy Nelson, JJ Watt and Clay Matthews all began

Cross country looks to build off momentum By Will Snodgrass

Andrew choi/the campanile

Senior Aashli Budhiraja, the number one singles player, hits a forehand during a singles math against Saratoga High School.

By Nick Sullivan Senior Staff Writer

By Haley Fang

Staff Writer

he girls’ varsity tennis team won its first non-league match of the 2013 season. After defeating Aragon High School the team is currently ranked high in its league with a streak of 12-1. The team continued its season with a win against Mountain View High School on Sept. 17 by a final score of 6-1. At the annual Palo Alto High School Invitational, the girls played Homestead High School, Castilleja School and Aragon High School. The Vikings beat all three of these teams by small margins. The team beat Homestead 10-9, Castilleja 10-8 and Aragon 5-3, although the Aragon match had to be cut short due to weather issues. The team came off of a successful weekend at the Paly Invitational, and continued their successful season by beating Los Altos High School by a final score of 4-3, Henry M. Gunn High School by a score of 6-1, Lynbrook High School 5-2 and Los Ga-

tos High School 6-1. However, the team was disappointed when they lost to Monta Vista 3-4 last week as they were looking to continue their previous success as they had against their previous three opponents. Regardless, the Vikings are performing much better than they did last season due to the help of underclassmen. Senior Samantha Dewees is pleased with how the team has been playing so far this season and hopes that its successful streak will continue. “It was really exciting to win against not only Mountain View, but also Los Altos and Gunn so far this year,” Dewees said. “They were all fantastic matches and this season has just been great so far.” Although the team has been victorious among most of the schools it has played against so far, there were quite a few close calls. “The Los Altos game was the most intense game we had so far, because the score was really close,” sophomore Kelsey Wang said. “But we’re going to be playing so many more talented teams this season, so we’re expecting many more close matches where we really need to focus.”

Even with these close matches and their two losses, the team is learning from every game and improving as much as possible. The girls are also confident that this extraordinary start to the year is a sign that the team will go far this season. The team expects to make it to the Central Coast Section playoffs and hopes to avenge one of their losses by beating Monta Vista High School in their rematch on Oct. 24. “We were close to defeating some top teams in our league last year,” Wang said. “We’re hoping that we’ve improved enough so that we’ll be able to put up an even better fight this year.” The whole team is satisfied with how the team has been doing so far. Most, if not all members have been playing exceptionally and working well together as a team. Dewees is confident that the team will be successful. “I’m really hoping we continue to play this well for the rest of the season, and I definitely think we are off to a great start,” Dewees said. “We’re playing increasingly better each year, and I’m hoping we’ll continue to play so well throughout this season.”

their college careers as walk-ons. Former Palo Alto High School pitcher Scott Witte (‘10) knows full well the opportunities that walking-on can provide student athletes with. Witte earned a tryout with the University of Washington baseball team. However, after one year at Washington, Witte decided to transfer to Division III Claremont McKenna College, where he is currently a senior. For athletes, the college recruiting application process begins much earlier and requires the athletes to navigate many unclear nuances of the system, however if they can successfully work their way through the process, the reward of getting to play their sport in college is well worth it.

Staff Writer

he Palo Alto High School boys’ and girls’ cross country teams continue to have high hopes for the remainder of the season despite mediocre performances in recent meets. Girls’ coach Paul Jones has not been unhappy with the results. A few members of the girls’ team have been nursing injuries, including senior team captain Audrey DeBruine. However, Jones expects all injured runners to be ready for Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) finals. “We have a couple of injuries going, including Audrey DeBruine and Sarah Wang right now,” Jones said. “They’re getting better from [their injuries].” Both teams struggled at the second SCVAL meet on Sept. 24. The boys’ varsity placed 12th out of 14 teams, with freshman Kai Oda finishing first for the team. He placed 47th out of 97 runners and was followed by sophomore Griffin Carlson, who placed 57th overall. The girls’ varsity also finished 12th out of 14 teams. Freshmen Natalie Maloney and Lauola Amanoni were among Paly’s top finishers, placing 56th and 58th respectively at their latest SCAVL meet. The boys’ and girls’ varsity teams also attended the Stanford Invitational, a 5K race at the Stanford Golf Course on Sept. 28. The boys’ varsity finished 121st out of 185 teams and were led by junior Lucas Matison, who placed 187th overall out of 1,350 runners. Matslon was followed by freshman Kent Slaney, who placed 362nd overall. The girls’ varsity fared better than the boys with a 65th place finish. Sophomore Bryn Carlson was the first Paly runner to cross the finish line, placing 134th overall. Junior Katie Foug was next with a 238th place finish. Both teams showed signs of improvement at the Artichoke Invitational on Oct. 5 at Half Moon Bay High School. The boys’ varsity finished 10th out of 23 teams, with freshman Kent Slaney leading all

Paly runners. Slaney placed tenth out of 159 runners. Junior Aaron Chandler was the next male runner to finish, placing 60th. The girls’ varsity placed sixth out of 19 teams. The girls were led again by sophomore Bryn Carlson, who placed fourth out of 130 runners. “The kids that ran have run well, so it’s a matter of getting the injuries cleaned up,” Jones said.

Final Standings Half Moon Bay Artichoke Invitational (Oct. 5)

BOYS’ VARSITY

1. Dublin 2. Willow Glen 3. Half Moon Bay 4. Northgate 5. Alameda 6. Cupertino 7. Monta Vista 8. Milpitas 9. Santa Teresa 10. Palo Alto GIRLS’ VARSITY

1. Monta Vista 2. Leland 3. Nevada Union 4. Northgate 5. California 6. Palo Alto 7. Milpitas 8. Dublin 9. Woodside 10. Alisal

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

SWIMMING

The Campanile

Friday, October 11, 2013

SWIMMING

JUST KEEP SWIMMING:LOOKING BACK AND FLYING FORWARD By Oliver Tucher Staff Writer

Andrew Liang:

Butterfly Champ commits to the Cardinal

Andrew’s Claim to Fame:

Breaking Mark Spitz’s record in the 100 fly with a time of 47.88 seconds

enior Andrew Liang, one of the top swimmers for the 2014 recruitments, has been swimming for a mere seven years. He started competitively swimming when he was 10-years old with the swim club Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA). But now he is already looking to college to continue his sport. Liang recently committed to the Stanford University swimming class of 2018 next spring. “Stanford was the best combination of academics and athletics,” Liang said. “I also looked at Harvard and Princeton.” Liang clearly earned the ability to choose from these top schools when beat the Olympic gold medalist Mark Spitz’s 1967 in the 100-yard butterfly competition time by 1.22 seconds at the De Anza Division Championship last season hosted at Paly. “My best stroke is butterfly,” Liang said. “I went to the Olympic trials in 2012 and the World Championship

trials this past summer. And I won CCS in two events last year” Liang only has one season left at Paly, but he’s proud of the legacy has left. “It’s something I’m proud and honored of, but records are meant to be broken,” Liang said. “Hopefully [my records] will just motivate someone else in the future.” Liang doesn’t only help by putting points on the board for Paly, but he is also a leader for the swim team. His teammates acknowledge his role as a strong presence on the team. “He’s a very dedicated athlete,” Liang’s teammate Omri Newman said. “[He] acts as a role model for others and leads by example.” Although Liang is excited to be moving across the street next year, it is bittersweet, as there are parts of swimming at Paly he will miss. “I think I’ll miss the high school dual meets and just the team in general,” Liang said. “[But] I’ll still be in town, so I don’t think I’ll be that sad.”

However, the benefit of growing up in Palo Alto is that he has been practicing with the Stanford swim team for much of his life.

Hopefully [my records] will just motivate someone else in the future. Andrew Liang Senior

“I know pretty much the whole team since I live so close, I’ve already hung out with them a couple of times and I love them,” Liang said. “I also just met most of the guys coming next year also and they’re awesome too.” Liang is confident in his decision to swim at Stanford, however he is unsure about how long he wants to pursue swimming beyond college. “I’m not sure if I will swim professionally,” Liang said. “I’ll have to see how I do in college.”

Courtesy of Andrew Liang

Senior Andrew Liang breaks Olympic medalist Mark Spitz’s league record for the 100 fly. Liang’s other successes includes two CCS victories and invitations to the Olympic trials and the World Championship.

Jayna Jayna’s Claim Wittenbrink: to Looking to the future Fame:

S Finished

100 fly in 1:02.47 during a club swimming competition

enior Jayna Wittenbrink reflects on her years participating in both Paly swimming as well as club swimming at PASA. She is proud of her achievements, but also feels a sense of gratitude toward her supportive teammates, who have been extremely encouraging. She cites her proudest moment in club swimming as her performance in the 100-fly, an achievement only elevated by the unparalleled support provided by her teammates. While looking back on her swimming career, Wittenbrink recalls a defining moment in the pool. “My proudest event in club swimming is probably the 100-fly, because I was able to make my Junior National cut, which I had been working on for around a year,” Wittenbrink said. “My teammates were cheering for me the whole way; when I finished at 1:02.47 (long course meters), they ran behind the blocks and bear hugged me when I got out of the pool. The accomplishment was exciting and rewarding in itself, but more with all of their support.”

Willy’s Claim to Fame:

In terms of her work within Paly swimming, she is also proud of her times in 100-fly, an arduous, but thrilling achievement. “In high school swimming for the 100-fly I went 55.33 (short course yards) during CCS, which was an exciting time drop for me,” Wittenbrink said. “It’s amazing to feel hard work pay off in the end.”

Breaking 50 seconds in a 100 backstroke event at 2012 CCS

It’s amazing to feel hard work pay off in the end. Jayna Wittenbrink Senior

Wittenbrink expresses interest in continuing her swimming endeavors when she goes to college. “I plan to swim all four years in college, hopefully at an Ivy,” Wittenbrink said. “I’m still figuring it out, but I am swimming!” With one last season, Wittenbrink’s Palo Alto swimming time is almost over, but college swimming is something to look forward too.

courtesy of Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online

Senior Jayna Wittenbrink wins the girls’ 100 fly with a time of 56:42 at the De Anza Division Championships last season.

Swimming Statistics: 302,169

Number of High School Swimmers Nation-Wide (2013)

198

Number of Schools with NCAA Division I Men’s Swim Teams

Average number of athletes in NCAA Division I swim Team (Men and Women’s)

Willy Lee:

Lee-ving A Legacy

enior Willy Lee, another noteworthy swimmer, also raised the standards for Paly swimming. Lee’s most significant accomplishment is his school record in the 100-yard backstroke with his mark of 49.94 seconds. “[I was proud of ] breaking 50 [seconds] in the 100 [yard] backstroke last year at CCS and winning second for our school in that event,” Lee said. Like his fellow Paly swimmers, Lee is currently looking into different collegiate swim opportunities. He is weighing his options, deciding between schools on the East Cost “For college I am deciding between Columbia University and Brown University, but I am leaning towards Brown as my first choice,” Lee said. Lee and his swimming partners are looking at different schools all over the nation, like Stanford and Brown University. “I am going to miss them,” Lee said. “We have been swimming together for over seven years and they have become close friends of mine.”

Percent of High School StudentAthletes With Spot on College Roster:

Courtesy of Willy Lee

Senior Willy Lee prepares to warm up for his next race.

Athletic Scholarships available at NCAA Division I school

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

SPORTS

Boys’ varsity water polo gains momentum entering league play after tournament win By William Shin and Zach Levitan

Staff Writers

he Palo Alto High School varsity boys’ water polo team continues to build chemistry and momentum following a 4-0 record during the tournament during the weekend of Sept. 28-29. The team finished off a strong tournament with a 12-9 win against Mountain View High School, and now only have league games remaining. “Hopefully [the tournament] gives us some confidence going forward,” head coach Brandon Johnson said. Our goal was to beat as many CCS teams as we could that weekend, now we can change our focus to leagues and get ready for CCS.” Although the team has five straight victories, including a 11-8 win against Serra High School, team captain senior Sam Kelley sees room for improvement. “I think we could have played harder against some of the teams we beat this weekend,” Kelley said. “We didn’t keep up our intensity for all four quarters each game.” Johnson agreed with Kelley’s analysis of the team. “I’m not satisfied, but happy,” Johnson said. “We’re playing better than people thought we were going to and becoming more consistent, [but] we tend to play down to competition, we never put teams away by a large margin.” Both team leaders and role players are starting to believe in each other

Courtesy of Connor Simrell

Senior Sam Kelley practices his shooting during a drill at water polo practice. The Vikings are looking to build more team chemistry this season. and think that with the leadership of the seniors as well as the improvement of the underclassmen, they can go far this year. “The leadership displayed by our captains really drives us to want to get better and play better,” junior Maclean Mansfield said. Johnson attributes the team’s success to contributions from everyone.

“All these guys were coming off the bench but have grown into starters and stepped up for us.” The combination of leadership from the seniors and improvement of role players is becoming a key component for the boys varsity team this fall. “I think we’re a fast team with good shooters,” Kelley said. “[Sopho-

more] Winston Rosati and [junior] Lucas Novak have been playing really well.” Johnson offered a similar take as Kelley, and even said that Kelley himself has been playing well lately. “Kelley has played well on the offensive side, same as Rosati and Novak on the defensive side,” Johnson said.

Although some of the tournament games were close, the captains pulled together under pressure to score a few key goals. “Our captains always stay calm in bad situations and end up scoring the winning points too,” Mansfield said. Paly will look to continue its success against Lynbrook High School on Oct. 15.

Volleyball continues its hot Girls’ varsity streak with first league win water polo rebounds after coach resigns By Coby Parker

Conner Harden/The Campanile

Juniors Abby Strong and Molly Fogarty block a spike during a recent match against Kings Academy. The Vikings are 12-4.

By Jake van Zyll

Staff Writer

he Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity volleyball team won its first league match against Los Gatos High School on Tuesday, Sept. 24. Unfortunately, the team could not carry the momentum from its 3-2 victory over Los Gatos into a victory over the Homestead High School Mustangs on Sept. 26. The Lady Vikes defeated the Mustangs in the first and third sets, largely due to a stellar performance by senior team captain Becca Raffel. However, Raffel’s efforts were not enough as the team eventually fell to Homestead in five games. The team was, however, able to triumph over neighboring Mountain View High School in four sets on Oct. 3. The team’s success can be attributed to the close bond between the players.

“It’s a super fun team!” junior Abby Strong said. “We all get along super well, which really helps us on and off the court.” This year, the team is coming off a rebuilding year during which they had only two senior starters and failed to defend their back-to-back CCS and State Championships.

We all get along super well, which really helps us on and off the court. Abby Strong Junior

However, the team is still a relatively young group. Katie Passarello is one of two freshmen on the varsity team this year. “I think that it’s definitely an awesome experience and I love all the girls,” Passarello said. “We get along great and always have a ton of fun.”

Despite the amount of freshmen on the team, Passarello believes the support she receives from her teammates has helped her grow accustomed to varsity volleyball. “Everyone picks on me because I’m a freshmen, but we get along really well both on and off the court,” Passarello said. “All of us support each other a ton. [Playing on varsity] is probably the hardest challenge I’ve ever faced but I’m loving every minute.” Paly currently holds a record of 12-4 (2-1 in league) and is ranked 58th in the state by MaxPreps. Some of Paly’s out of league games include a 3-2 win over Presentation High School and a 2-0 win over Ripon Christian High School. The team also defeated Monta Vista High School in straight sets to improve to 13-4 overall on Oct. 8. The Lady Vikes next game will be a showdown with rival Gunn High School on Oct. 15.

Staff Writer

irls’ water polo head coach Danny Dye resigned after a loss to Saratoga High School. Dye quit just four games into the season when the Palo Alto girls’ water polo team had a record of 1-3-0. According to senior Emma Wolfe, Dye left because his work at a church, coupled with his coaching, made him too busy. Since last week’s tournament in Menlo Park, the junior varsity water polo coach Aileen Delaney has taken over as head coach for both teams. Delaney has worked as a water polo coach at Paly for a few years and was well-liked as the junior varsity coach. Delaney is a Paly graduate and played on the team while in high school. She was one of the foremost players on the team and helped lead the team to many victories. She was also a physical education teacher at Terman Middle School. “I think it took people a while to learn the coaches’ new system,” junior

Sheila Subramanian said. “I think her knowledge has helped us a lot.” The girls’ water polo team has had little consistency with coaching There has been a new head coach every year for the past four years. This has hurt some of the players who have been on the team for all four year who wish they had a constant coach. The girls’ water polo team just lost their sixth game of the season, leaving them 2-4-0. The first score of the game was made by junior Olivia Scola. The game was close into the third period when Los Alto took a strong lead. The final score was 8-4 with Los Altos taking the win. Despite the loss, junior Tess van Hulsen was happy with her team’s performance. “We came back and I’m happy with our efforts,” van Hulsen said. “Hopefully next time we can come out stronger offensively.” With regards to the team, the girls have had some hardships in their cohesion. After the sudden loss of Dye, they hope that they can recover and begin a winning streak.

Senior Emma Wolfe shoots the ball during an intersquad game.

Conner Harden/The campanile

The Campanile

Friday, October 11, 2013

SPORTS

How seniors get ready for game time Athlete Justin Rittman Football Food: Aside from eating lunch, I don’t really eat anything before the games, maybe just orange peanut butter crackers. Music: Music-wise, I like to listen to Rick Ross before the games. He gets me pumped. Also the song ‘Forever’ by Drake gets me pumped.

conner harden/the campanile

Paly athletes like to prepare for games with healthy food and pump-up music.

By Ziv Schwartz Sports Editor

Zach Rizk Lacrosse Food: I always go with a hummus and egg sandwich plus a Luna bar. That pre-game meal penetrates me with all the nutrients I need to go up in the clouds. Music: Music is also a macho part of my routine. With music I cannot get in my zone. Trap and country are on my playlist featuring the likes of Tech N9ne, Rise Against, Eminem and of course some Flosstradamus. Neal Biswas Soccer Food: I like getting a [Village] Cheese House sandwich and a Gatorade of the opponent’s color before games. Music: Most of the time, I listen to Levels by Avicii to pump me up and get me in the zone. Emma Wolfe Water Polo Food: My pre-game food would be bananas or grapes. Music: For music I listen to EDM or rap to really get me pumped. Any popular rap song works. I also like to listen to Kaskade, Baauer or Steve Aoki. Of those I’m a big fan of ‘Atmosphere’ by Kaskade.

Keri Gee Volleyball Food: Before each game [the team] always has a team dinner (depending on what the parents bring) but for me personally I always eat skittles. Music: I don’t listen to music solo except when we do a team rage where we dance to ‘Shots’ by Lil Jon’and ‘Let’s Go’ by Calvin Harris and ‘Pound the Alarm’ by Nicki Minaj. Hollie Kool Tennis Food: Usually grapes and diluted Gatorade for pre-game food. Music: ‘The Final Countdown’ really gets me psyched up before a match and during the first return of every game I jump up really high twice, shake out my left hand and slap my face a couple times. Noah Phillips Basketball Food: Before games I usually go with a PB&J sandwich and Gatorade Chews. Music: I like listening to instrumentals before games, some just random beats, others just instrumentals of popular songs without lyrics.

Patrick Fuery Golf Food: For food I have a nice healthy meal of peanut butter and a banana sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries and alfalfa sprouts. Music: The music I listen to is ‘Can’t Be Stopped’ by Roy Jones Jr. followed by ‘Slow Down’ by Clyde Carson and then ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry to finish it off and get in the zone. Aditya Mahadevan Tennis Food: I do not like to eat too much before a tennis match, but I eat lots of fruit and avoid heavy things because they get to you late in a match. Music: Music-wise, I like to mix a bit of adrenaline pumping stuff like ‘Dirt off Your Shoulders’ by Jay-Z with more classical to calm myself down a bit like ‘Bach Cello Suite’ by Yo Yo Ma. Audrey DeBruine Track & Field Food: I pretty much try to keep my routine as normal as possible on race days, which seemed to work a lot better last season. The one thing I won’t eat before a race is peanut butter. Other than that, I guess I just eat normally all day until a couple hours before a meet, then I often start a Clif Bar and a banana. Music: I stopped listening to music before races because it ended up psyching me out more than it pumped me up. Julia Saul Softball Food: I typically have a Banana Berry from Jamba Juice. Music: I listen to ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ by Shakira to get me pumped up.

Jack Hansen Cross Country Food: Usually the morning of a race, I go with a bagel with peanut butter and a banana. I make sure to spend the whole day, and hopefully the day before, drinking lots of water. Music: In regards to music I usually just put my iPod on shuffle before a race, but the song that I will always listen to is ‘Through the Fire and the Flames’ by Dragonforce. Sunny Lyu Soccer Food: I usually eat some sort of protein and some fruit and a sports drink. Music: I don’t really have set pregame music but J Cole or Eminem is usually pretty good. I also like ‘Forever’ by Drake, ‘Lose Yourself ’ by Eminem and ‘Champions’ by Metta World Peace. Augustine Ho Badminton Food: Maybe it’s just me but I don’t like to eat before games. I prefer more post-game eating. Music: Most people don’t have earbuds or headphones in before matches, we prefer to just chat and drill. Chris Smith Baseball Food: With food I usually go with orange chicken and chow mein from Panda Express and have Gatorade Prime right before the game. Music: I usually listen to slow music before I pitch because I want to save the adrenaline for later during the game. I usually listen to Bruno Mars, Beyonce, Taylor Swift or Adele or a lot of sixth grade throwback Jordan Gans Wrestling Food: For food I like to have a balanced meal, so that I have instant and sustainable energy. I like to have something with protein like meat or peanut butter and then something with carbs and sugar like chocolate or juice or bread. Music: I’m not a big music guy but ‘Can’t Be Touched’ by Roy Jones Jr. gets me pretty pumped.

Ahmed Awadallah & Andrew Choi/The Campanile

Off-the-field issues plague NFL players Players face league suspensions and even arrests for bad behavior while not under the lights Nick Sullivan

Senior Staff Writer

ue to a recent report that San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was arrested for drunk driving, the off-thefield behavior of National Football League (NFL) players has become a growing concern among the football community. Smith played in the 49ers game against the Indianapolis Colts the same week as his arrest, but after the game it was announced that he would take a leave of absence to attend a rehabilitation program. With the spotlight on them, NFL players are supposed to act as model citizens to set a good example for the many people who look up to them, but recently, they have exhibited poor behavior that has been exposed by the media. Most people have probably heard about former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was indicted by a grand jury and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd. Many people believed he had become a changed man with the Patriots after he signed a five-year extension in 2011. However, his troubled past in high school, which included the death of his father and his involvement in gang activity, as well as his shaky college experience, where he

had multiple run-ins with the police, roots to who he really is. He is currently being held without bail and most likely will never play in the NFL again. Another NFL player, former Detroit Lions wide receiver Titus Young was arrested three times in one week. His first arrest that week was for drunk driving, later that day he was arrested for attempting to steal his impounded car from the tow yard and a few days later he was arrested and charged with burglary, resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. Young was released by the Lions following this series of events. It was later reported that Young has a mental disorder that was discovered in 2011 when he suffered multiple concussions and was prescribed medication to treat bipolar disorders and schizophrenia. A unique situation is that of Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, who has had numerous run-ins with the law since coming into the NFL. Born to a teenage mother who was arrested for dealing cocaine when he was eight and constantly moving throughout his high school career created a troubled background for Bryant. After his most recent incident, where he struck his mother, the Dallas Cowboys issued him a set of rules that he had to follow in order for him to stay on the team. These

Photo Courtesy of The Hollywood Gossip

Aaron Hernandez was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd and is currently being held without bail. included having a bodyguard by his side at all times, a 12 a.m. curfew and no consumption of alcohol. His performance on the field stepped up after this, and he has become one of the best wide receivers in the NFL while managing to stay out of trouble. These incidents have all happened in the past year. One would think that the NFL would do more to prevent

players from exhibiting this kind of behavior. Most players are fined or suspended for poor behavior, but many of them have become repeat offenders. One trend shown in all four of these players is that they came from troubled backgrounds, and that should be an indication that these players need more to change their habits than just fines and suspensions.

of the

Month

This edition featuring

Aashli Budhiraja with The Campanile’s own Hillel Zand Senior Aashli Budhiraja is a fouryear varsity player, a captain and the number one singles player for the Palo Alto High School girls’ tennis team. She led the team to an incredible 12-0 record before the team suffered its first defeat in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss on Oct. 3 against Monta Vista High School, the defending Central Coast Section champions. Budhiraja is currently ranked 43rd for girls tennis players in the Southwest region and is considered a threestar recruit, according to Tennis Recruiting Network. The team, which consists of mostly seniors, looks to overcome their first loss of the season and go far into the postseason. The Campanile: How do you think the past month has been going for the girls’ tennis team? Aashli Budhiraja: I think it’s been going really well. We haven’t had as successful a season in a really long time. I’ve been [on the team] for four years and it’s never been this good. TC: Do you think the senior presence on the team has been helping? AB: Obviously we’re really experienced now. Most people on the team have had three years on varsity. We all know each other really well and we have a good team dynamic. TC: The team won the Santa Catalina Tournament at the beginning of the year. What do you think the team’s mindset was after that. Did it give you confidence going into league play? AB: Yeah, for sure. I didn’t go, but everybody else came back really happy and everybody was super pumped after that. It’s always good to start off with a big win like that. TC: Was the team thinking about the record as you kept winning? Or was it just a game-by-game mentality? AB: We were thinking about it... that’s probably why we lost [yesterday]. We were really happy about it but I don’t know if it got to our heads or anything. Yesterday, [Monta Vista] was tough — they’ve won state cup. TC: What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season? Who are some tough opponents coming up? AB: We definitely want to win league this year. We can beat Monta Vista next time they come to our home, so we’re definitely looking forward to that. And they’ve won CCS like 15 years in a row or something. We never came so close [to beating them], so we’re really happy we did well yesterday. We could have pulled it out and I think we’ll do it next time, so we’re excited. TC: Do you think the team has gone by under the radar at Paly and somehwhat unappreciated? AB: Yeah [chuckles]. Mostly parents [come to watch]. TC: Looking forward to after high school, are you looking to play in college? AB: Yeah, for sure. I can’t really say anything [but I have offers]. TC: What are your goals for closing off the season? AB: Individually, I lost in the semis of CCS last year, so if I can win this year, that’d be great. And team wise, last year we struggled to make CCS, but I think this year can get in for sure and hopefully we can do really well there.

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Campanile

SPORTS

A baseball player walks into a bar... By Kevin Mullin Staff Writer

Rarely are injuries a laughing matter. Usually when a player is hurt, teammates rush to the side of their fallen teammate, looking to offer condolences and help them off the field. However, some injuries are just too ridiculous to not laugh at. Last week, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones suffered a mild concussion after being hit in the back of the head by a flying champagne bottle thrown by a stripper on a moving bus. When people say the truth is stranger than fiction, they are referring to moments like this one. The mental lapses of these talented athletes perplexes even the most gifted minds. Not all of their injuries come from such rare circumstances, but all are equally ridiculous.

1 Background

A D A M E A T O N

2 Background

Gobble pitched for the Kansas City Royals and J the Chicago White Sox in the MLB from 2003 to 2009. Gobble was a mediocre player who had a career earned run I average (ERA) of 5.29. Despite poor performance, he did M entertain fans with one of the hisall time stupidest injuries. M The Incident Y While playing a casual round golf, Gobble

Eaton is currently an outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks after being drafted in the 19th round out of Miami University. Eaton batted .254 his first two years in Arizona, knocking in 27 runs and hitting five home runs. He played in 66 games last year.

The Incident Everyone knows how frustrating it is when a DVD case won’t open, but most of the rational populus don’t turn to such drastic measures as Eaton did. In a completely unforeseeable accident, Eaton stabbed himself while attempting to open a DVD case with a steak knife. Eaton missed a start and was diagnosed with what doctors called “stupidity.”

became frustrated with his lackluster performance and decided to take it out on the nearest plant. Who cares if the plant was a spiky cactus? Why does it matter if Gobble wasn’t wearing shoes? Whether out of pure stupidity or shame, Gobble proceeded to play through the “three-quarters inch” thorn stuck in his foot.

G O B B Our Advice thought this was pretty obvious, but don’t kick a cacL tus.WeEspecially when barefoot. E

Our Advice Try Netflix: it’s non contact.

3 Background

4 Background

R O G E R C R A I G

Hill is a designated hitter with a career batting G average of .271 and 186 home runs. He played for a plethL ora of teams in the MLB and was known as “The Juggler” for E his tendency to drop balls on the rare occasions that he played in the field. N A The Incident L Possibly the weirdest injury of all time, Hill L attempted to run away from a spider in his dream, fell off the couch and plummeted through a glass table, severely E lacerating his elbows and toes. Understandably, Hill was diagnosed with a severe case of arachnophobia and earned a new N nickname from his teammates: Spiderman.

H I Our Advice If you are scared of something, just try to imagine it in it’s L underpants. Wait, that just makes it more creepy. L

Craig pitched in Major League Baseball from 1955-1966, starting his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers and finishing it with the Philadelphia Phillies. He managed multiple seasons, and finished his career as a manager with an overall record of 738 wins and 737 losses.

The Incident A lifetime batter of .146, Craig was tired of trying to go around bases in baseball, so he tried with his wife. While attempting to remove his wife’s bra, he sliced open his hand, suffering severe lacerations during his managerial tenure with the Giants. Clearly, some men aren’t meant to hit home runs either in baseball or in bed.

Our Advice If your wife has spiky metal objects sticking out the back of her bra, she probably doesn’t want you taking it off.

5 Background Rivera is the all-time saves leader in the MLB and M a future hall of famer. With a lifetime ERA of 2.21, Rivera A retired this year as one of the greatest pitchers in the history R of baseball. I A The Incident N Even the great ones get injured, and Rivera is O no exception. Rivera injured his back while he attempted to tie his shoes. The irony of this injury is that people generR ally tie their shoes to prevent tripping. In Rivera’s case, his was the decision to tie. To tie or not to tie? That I downfall is the question. V E Our Advice R Velcro. It’s childish, but the light-up shoes are pretty cool. A 5

4 Courtesy of yahoo Sports

3 Courtesy of Lonecadaver.com

Courtesy of Espn

Courtesy of Cooperstown Collection

Courtesy of PWNFitness

Courtesy of All About sports info.