C Magazine Volume 3 Issue 3

C

TheCampanileA&EMagazine

is there justice in the classroom?

14

Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, As the youngest publication in Palo Alto High School, C Magazine is always changing and improving.

In this edition, we introduce our corrections panel (see below), where we will be addressing errors from the previous issue. After we have identified the mistakes during our magazine critique, which takes place after each distribution date, we will talk about the errors here on this page. As readers, you can also inform us of any errors or points of dissent by contacting us at magazine2012 at gmail dot com. We look forward to embarking on this journey of self-improvement with you.

Our cover story for this edition focuses on the disparities in grading between teachers teaching the same courses and lanes. As many of you or a friend may have experienced, one class with teacher A may receive an average grade of A while another class teaching the same course with teacher B may receive an average grade of C. This grading gap in between different teachers causes a rift in the student body. In this edition, Text Editors Frida Schaefer Bastian and Maya Benatar delve into the matter in hopes of confirming or debunking the myth. What do they find? Read ahead to discover for yourself.

The cover page photo illustration depicts a blindfolded statue of Lady Justice, who holds a scale in one hand and a sword in the other. She represents justice and impartiality, and administers fairness in the world. In the illustration, she is placed in a classroom setting, thus prompting us to ask the question: Is there justice in the classroom and grading of teachers?

[Cover page photo illustration by Clara de Martel and Maggie Zheng]

-Maggie Zheng & Olivia Vort

Editors-in-Chief Olivia Vort Maggie Zheng Business Managers & Creative Directors Carmelle Bareket-Shavit Kallee Bareket-Shavit TEXT EDITOR Frida Schaefer Bastian Maya Benatar Design Editor Clara de Martel PHOTO EDITOR Emma Low STAFF WRITERS Clara Chiu Katie Douty Maya Kandell Larkin McDermott Huda Navaid Emma Scott Katya Sigal Charlee Stefanski Alex Weinstein ADVISOR Esther Wojcicki

Letters to the Editors Editors-in-chief

Corrections: On Page 3, in the Table of Contents, photographs were not credited.

The photographers were Ana Sofia Amieva-Wang, Olivia Vort, and Frida Schaefer Bastian.

On Pages, 6-7, in the restaurant review, the restaurant’s name, Alkymist, was misspelled. Also, after publication, the restaurant closed within a few weeks of opening.

On Pages 14-17, in the story about community colleges, photo captions were missing. The cover photo showed Foothill College, the photograph on page 14 showed Mission College and the last photograph showed Santa Barbara Community College.

On Pages 22-23, in the story about Sofie Amieva-Wang, photo captions were missing. The photographs were all scenes from her experience in a conservation education program in West Borneo, Indonesia.

C Magazine welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and the staff reserves the right to edit submissions. Send letters to: magazine2014@googlegroups dot com.

Get in touch with C Magazine by following us on Facebook. Simply scan the QR code below.

Food

4-5

C Magazine

Eat This, Not That Healthier options to order

at a very unhealthy institution? Sounds impossible.

But Larkin McDermott knows the trick. Come, see what she has to say about this seemingly impossible task of consuming a (kinda) healthy diet at fast food restaurants.

6-7

Table of Contents

Get Fit Fast The bodylicious Emma Scott is here to

be your personal trainer. These easy-to-do body-toning activities require little to no equipment so get ready to tone up for the holidays. Just because it’s holiday season (read: feast season), it doesn’t mean you can slack off on your work out routine!

8

Healthy Caffeine Fixes As Californian winter dawns upon

us, pumpkin spice latte becomes our go-to drink for the season. But rather than indulging in coffee for the season, why not try something healthier and less damaging for your skin and body’s moisture level?

Something like...watermelons?

Arts & Entertainment

9 Culture

10-12

Social Media’s Effect on College Choices Many

colleges develop a blanket of stereotypes surrounding them due to the many effects of social media. UC Santa Barbara, the party school. Harvard, the rich geniuses. Princeton, elitist snobs. Brown, eccentric hipster potheads.

Did you see those coming? Katie Douty and Katya Sigal did, and they attribute the stereotyping phenomenon to social media.

14-18

Teachers and Lanes Our cover story of the edition

focuses on the alignment at Paly. Editors Frida Schaefer Bastian and Maya Benatar explores the topic in depth and shares them with you in this article covering all perspectives on the disparities in grading amongst different teachers teaching the same course.

20-21

Poems Beautifully written poetic pieces surrounding the topic of internal emotions.

22-23

Person of the Month: Anthony Yes. It’s

exactly the person you’re thinking of in your head -- the guy that dances on the quad. Read on to find out more.

Playlist It’s that time of the season, again! The time that one of C Magazine’s staff release a finely curated playlist of their favorite music. This time it’s a “sorta chill, sorta electronic, sorta rappy” compilation designed for late night car rides. Will this playlist top the last one? Tune in and doze off...actually don’t because otherwise you’ll crash your car.

Food

Eat This...

Healthy alternatives at your favorite fast food restaurants.

Text and Photos by Larkin McDermott

Panda Express

Starbucks

Eat this: Grande Iced Green Tea Lemonade (370 calories) and a Vanilla Bean scone (120 calories) Other options include: -Whole Milk Cappuccino (120 calories) -Spinach & Feta Breakfast Wrap (290 calories) -Heart Blueberry Whole Grain Oatmeal (220 calories)

In-N-Out Eat this: Protein Style Hamburger (240 calories) Other options include: -Hamburger (390 calories) -Cheeseburger (480 calories)

4 Food

Eat this: Mixed Vegetables (70 calories), Broccoli Beef (120 calories), and String Bean Chicken (160 calories) Other options include: -Mushroom Chicken (180 calories) -Peppercorn Shrimp (170 calories)

Chipotle

Eat this: Chicken Burrito Bowl with lettuce, black beans, and green tomatillo salsa (489 calories) Other options include: -Crispy Steak Tacos (400 calories) -Carnitas Salad (230 calories)

Not That.

Starbucks

Panda Express

Not that: Grande 2% Iced White Chocolate Mocha (470 calories) and a Blueberry Scone (460)

Not that: Chow Mein (490 calories), Orange Chicken (420 calories), and Honey Walnut Shrimp (370 calories)

Also avoid these: -Nonfat Vanilla Latte (250 calories) -Sausage & Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich (500 calories) -Classic Coffee Cake (390 calories)

Also avoid these: -Kung Pao Chicken (240 calories) -Eggplant Tofu (310 calories)

Chipotle In-N-Out

Not that: Double Double Cheeseburger (670 calories) Also avoid these: -French fries (125 calories, lots of sodium!)

-Shakes (590 calories)

Not that: Chicken Burrito with black beans, rice, green tomatillo salsa, cheese and sour cream (1,092 calories) Also avoid these: -Barbacoa Soft Tacos (255 calories, lots of sodium!)

-Steak Fajita Burrito (490 calories)

Food 5

Get Fit Fast Text & Photos by Emma Scott Modeled by Avery Zengrer

Abs

Have you ever wanted a flat stomach, but been in a time crunch? Tone your tummy in less than eight minutes with these super quick ab workouts. Do each exercise for one minute once or twice a day as desired.

Crunches:

Bicycle Kicks: Laying with your back on the floor, fold your arms on your chest and lift your upper torso until your shoulders do not touch the ground. Repeat for a minute.

Side Crunches:

Laying down on the ground, bend legs so they’re perpendicular to the ground. Begin to pedal legs in circular motion. Touch your elbows to the opposite knee.

Raised Crunches: Laying on your back, raise your legs up, crossing them at the ankles. Start doing crunches, making sure to keep legs upright and not touching the ground.

Laying on your side, put your hands behind your head and use your abdominal muscles to move your upper torso up repeatedly up and down.

Planks:

V-Ups:

Position your forearms under your shoulders, and then prop yourself up only using your feet and arms for support. Don’t stick your butt up, or you won’t feel it as much in your core.

Start lying down, with arms extended over your head.

Then using your abs, bring your legs and arms together at the same time, until your hands touch your feet.

Leg Raises:

Mountain Climbers: Laying flat on your back lift your legs off the ground.

Quickly lternate raising one of your legs higher than the other. Do not let your legs touch the ground.

6 food

Start by getting down on all fours. Then rasie your left knee while simtaniously bringing back your right elbow to meet your knee. Repeat with the other leg/ arm combo for a minute each.

Booty

Do these six butt workouts to tone your gluteous maximus in minutes! Repetition of these workouts is the key to having a toned booty in a less amount of time.

Squats:

Leg Raises: Standing up, place your feet under your shoulders. Then bend down, keeping your back straight and making sure that your knees stay in the same place. Do in sets of 20.

Getting on your hands and knees, raise your leg from out behind you. Making sure your leg is bent at the knee, bring it back down. Continue doing this for minute per leg.

Front Lunges:

Sumo Squats: Follow all directions for normal squats, however when bending down, go as low as you possibly can without losing balance and keeping proper form. Do in 1-2 sets of 25.

Side Leg Raises:

Side Lunges: Laying on your side, straighten your legs. While holding your bottom leg still, move your top leg up and down for a minute. Never let the top leg touch the bottom. Do one minute per side.

Tips • • •

• •

Putting one leg in front of the other, lean forward with a straight back. Make sure your knee does not go over your foot, and go as low as possible. Do 1 set of 25 per leg.

Putting feet widely apart, lean sideways one way, shifting your weight onto the bending leg. Do in sets of 20 per side.

Addiotional tips and tricks to get your fitness routine on the right track! Do these simple and effective workouts anywhere and anytime! If it’s at the gym or at home during a study break, these exercises will give you a quick energy boost and leave you in better mental and physical shape.

Remember to stretch after working out so you’re pain free to workout the next day!

Drink lots of water! Water is a great, zero calorie alternative to soda that reduces bloating. Drinking water also helps balance your digestive system, and when consumed while working out, energizes your muscles. In addition to the internal benefits, it helps to fight acne, leaving your skin hydrated and healthy.

In addition to drinking lots of water, eating a balanced is key to getting in shape. Encorperate protien foods, fruits, vegetables, and starch into every meal. Cut back on salt and foods with high saturated fat and sugar in it (yes, this means less late night runs to McDonalds.) If you are going to eat fast food, see pages four and five for healthy fast food options! Eating a balanced diet everyday is key to the process of becoming fit and toned.

Strive for repetition. Doing sets of these once or twice every day is crucial to getting in shape in a short amount of time.

If you’re feeling extra motivated, or if all else fails, go for a twenty minute run. Running two miles will improve cholesterol, speed up metabolism, fight depression, and burn calories.

food 7

Healthy Caffeine Alternatives Photos by Emma Low Design by Olivia Vort Text by Katya Sigal

S

truggling to stay awake at night to finish your AP US History homework? Don’t go straight to caffeine. You may not know that caffeine is highly addictive and can produce strong side effects upon withdrawal, including extreme fatigue and headaches.

Long term effects of consuming caffeine have been proven to increase the risk of high cholesterol and heart disease. With Starbucks stores on every corner, it’s definitely hard to avoid caffeine altogether, however, you should know that too much caffeine over a period of time can cause anxiety, dizziness, and acid reflux. So try to reduce your soda, coffee and energy drink consumption and try these alternatives for caffeine.

1

4

1

Flaxseed

Adding flaxseeds or flaxseed oil to a smoothie is an easy and efficient way to boost your energy levels during any time of the day. This icy drink will not only be high in energy but in fiber as well and will add a crunchy texture to your shake.

When struggling to get through the day, most people can’t differentiate between being sleepy or thirsty. To eliminate this confusion, drink a cold glass of water to wake you up. In addition, you should also eat a lot of water abundant fruits, which will help you stay hydrated and more awake.

Cucumber (96.7% water), tomato (94.5% water), and strawberry (92% water), are all examples of fruits that are full of water and can help boost your energy levels.

2

2

Breakfast

Breakfast provides fuel for your body that wakes you up. Apart from giving us energy to start the day off, breakfast supplies your body with important nutrients and vitamins.

3

4

5

Wheatgrass juice

3

5

Peppermint

Peppermint oil is a natural stimulant that has been found to increase the ability to focus when stressed or tired. Aside from alleviating jet lag, inhaling this product will also increase your energy levels and improve your mood.

Due to extensive research scientists have conducted on this product, and the great results they have found, peppermint is sold as oil, tablets or capsules for the consumer’s convenience and can even be consumed as a tea.

FOOD 8

Staying hydrated

6

This energizer is the liquid form of essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. According to Gloria Gilbère, doctor of natural health, this natural energy supplement is easily digested and can be taken by itself or added to a protein-type supplement drink.

6

Pomegranate juice

Pure pomegranate juice is a great way to boost your energy and can be drank by itself or easily added to other juice beverages or smoothies.

A&E

Go For a Drive Text and Photos by Clara de Martel

License to Drive Cruise Control Coastin’ feat K. Flay Killin The Vibe Harvest Moon Still Sleeping The City Talk is Cheap Modern Man’s Hustle Blessa Drug Dealer Girl Pattern Select Under the Hood (dirty) What About Us Some -

Work Drugs SOL Zion I Ducktails Poolside Chrome Sparks Darwin Deez Chet Faker Atmosphere Toro Y Moi Mike Posner Suff Daddy Specifics Flume Robin Shulz

More songs on our Spotify!

Entertainment 9

culture

SOCIAL MEDIA’S impact ON COLLEGE CHOICE With beers in hand, college students dance at a Fraternity party showing the Greek social scene.

Text & Design by Katie Douty & Katya Sigal Photos by Creative Commons

W

hen you are in search of good restaurants, movie reviews or the latest fashion trends, where do you look? The answer is simple: Social media.

Social media networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, make up an online world that affects the daily lives of individuals around the globe. For high school students, these sites can influence and shape certain decisions, but how much should they influence choices as significant as the college one attends?

When students surf the Internet and see exaggerated photos and statuses about a college’s campus, social life and, especially, parties, it can influence their decision to attend one college over another.

Paly alumni say social media portrayals can help make college less of an abstract idea, but they shouldn’t be an important factor in the final decision. Six out of the seven Paly alumni said that social media had not played an important role in their college choice. “[It is] important that you look at the entire picture of the college you are interested in, rather than simply the image that the

media gives off for that school,” said Alec Fishman, a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin.

While social media is not a dealbreaker, the Internet got both Fishman and Robin Magrin, a freshman at University of Colorado-Boulder, excited for their future college experiences. A combination of photos, College Prowler, student reviews, and “I’m Shmacked” videos that flaunt outrageous college parties helped them fall in love with their school’s campus, atmosphere, and social scene.

Paul Stefanski, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, offered an alternate view. He said that many forms of social media, especially “I’m Shmacked” videos, can drive students away from colleges.

“There are plenty of people who see ‘[I’m] Shmacked’ videos and are terrified,” he said.

When it comes to social life, it is often believed that videos make out college parties as more wild than they actually are, however Stefanski would disagree.

“Yes [they are accurate]. There was a reason ‘[I’m] Shmacked’ came back for round two,” Stefanski said, referring to the two

“No social media or word of mouth can ever accurately describe the feeling of freedom you have when you move across the country from everything you previously knew and felt comfortable with.”

-Alec Fishman

10 Entertainment

videos that were created about the University of Michigan.

Although most of the alumni said social media didn’t affect their selection process, once they arrived at the college they found it had accurately portrayed their campuses. All seven said that the public image about their own college gave an accurate idea of life at the school, but once they arrived at the college, their expectations actually were exceeded.

“Boulder is very ‘hyped up’, but the university and town live up to—and surpass—everything said about them,” said Marco Gianna Vienna, a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Sonia Sokolova, a sophomore at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, believes that everything she saw in the media about her school was realistic, however she realizes that social media focuses on just the social aspects of college.

“What I didn’t get from Facebook and Instagram was the education aspect. Everything was so glamorized in photoshopped pictures and edited videos,” Sokolova said.

“One thing I forgot during my first year was that not all of my time in college was going to match up to my newsfeed.”

Since some of the most frequently posted photos and videos on social media are of college parties, high school students may forget to prioritize all of the components of a school, such as academics, extracurriculars, sports and clubs.

“Since UCSB is well-known as a party school, it’s a bit hard for me when people assume that all I do is party and that that is the reason I chose the school rather than its academics and receiving a superior education,” said Shiri Arnon, a freshman at University of California, Santa Barbara.

The misconception about the amount of time spent partying in college introduces an issue for high school students who are still in the process of choosing their college. How can they know if the media is exaggerating the social scene or playing it down? The alumni said that it is important to study all aspects of any college one is considering attending, whether they are publicized in the media or not.

When it came down to their final selection process, most of the interviewees said that social media did not sway them as much as one would expect. Social media mostly depicts a college’s party scene, when in reality, the interviewees found that paying attention to the factors they thought would help them succeed and thrive the most over the next four years was far more important.

To some students, however, having an actual social life is vital to their happiness throughout their time in college because it can help develop social skills that they would not learn in a classroom. According to Fishman, this is in fact the Continued on next page

Intoxicated spring breakers lounge in floaties at a beach party in Miami.

Students celebrate the end of finals with a beer pong tournament.

Girls surf the crowd at a college football game in the spirited student section.

Entertainment 11

A pool party gets wild with minimal clothing, sobriety and morals.

most important thing.

“I would say my priority in college is social life--to a practical extent. I firmly believe that academics won’t get you as far as a firm handshake and an articulate conversation,” Fishman said.

A majority of the students we interviewed shared the view that it is a necessity to have good friends and a comfortable environment, while other students looked deeper at the small details that were important to them.

“I chose based on relatively small factors that would make me happy...and I love sunshine and hot weather,” Arnon said.

When it came down to the final decision, students evaluated each college based on many factors, including location, sports, academics and the social scene.

When high school seniors make this significant decision regarding their future, it is hard not to be influenced by social media and by peers. Without actually experiencing life at a partic-

Students float on the sunny shores of LA surrounded by friends and stocked coolers.

12 Entertainment

Students blow off steam while taking shots in a crowded house party.

ular college, high school students have no way of knowing what to expect, which is why they find it difficult not to select a college based partly on what they see on social media.

The primary issue is that one cannot be sure of how much is fabricated. If the only impression of the school is what one sees on social media, one may be misled into thinking that the daily life at that school is different than it actually is. Olivia Cole, a sophomore at Pitzer College, used social media to become more prepared for what life would be like at her college before she started.

“I was able to paint a better picture of what it would be like here, especially at parties, after looking at [friends who already attend the school’s] pictures,” Cole said.

Seniors should use social media to their advantage to get a general idea of what the social scene at a college may be like, as opposed to basing their entire decision on potentially inaccurate glimpses of life at college. In the end, the college selection process is a personal one that requires carefully weighing all the different pros and cons associated with each school. While social media is important, it should have limited weight.

“No social media or word of mouth can ever accurately describe the feeling of freedom you have when you move across the country from everything you previously knew and felt comfortable with,” Fishman said. C

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cover story

Is There Justice in the Classroom?

Written by Maya Benatar and Frida Schaefer Bastian Designed by Kallee Bareket-Shavit, Clara de Martel and Carmelle Bareket-Shavit Photos by Emma Low

Do you have hours more homework than your peers in the same course with a different teacher? Do you get graded on your English notes, but your peers do not? This type of nagging complaint among Palo Alto High School students is the reason why Principal Kim Diorio is calling misalignment among classes the number one cause of stress among students. C Magazine takes an in-depth look at the discrepancies between core classes taught by different teachers.

14 Cover story

L

illian Edwards looks at the clock as her sixth hour of work comes to a close and the seventh begins. It was hard for her to remember the last time school work hadn’t forced her to stay up into the early hours of the morning. This was not what she signed up for. Lillian knew herself and her capabilities and had registered for classes accordingly, yet she found herself drowning in work for a class she knew was only causing her this stress because of the teacher whose class she had landed in by chance.

Meanwhile, Lillian’s good friend Jessica was sound asleep, having finished her work for the same class, but with a different teacher, hours ago.

The next morning at school, Lillian and Jessica found themselves having the same discussion they have every day—Lillian complaining that Jessica doesn’t get nearly as much homework as she does, and Jessica agreeing that the difference in expectation level is unfair.

Lillian and Jessica, whose names have been changed for this article in order to protect their identities, are just two examples of the hundreds of students who suffer on account of misalignment among teachers teaching the same course.

The lack of alignment among some Paly courses is no longer something left to students to gripe about. Principal Kim Diorio has identified course inequities as the top cause of student stress at Palo Alto High School—and has promised to address the problem.

“This idea of alignment and consistency [between classes of the same lane] has been an issue at our school for many years,” Diorio said. “This is the number one area of concern and the thing that kids say causes the greatest stress for them.”

Class inequity is of the utmost importance to Diorio and she has discussed the topic with teachers, administrators and hundreds of students making it her leading priority for Paly’s upcoming review by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Although there are many

different ways that alignment can be defined, Diorio explains it as: “consistency between grading, consistency between homework, consistency between assessments, tests and projects, between course alikes and making sure that teachers are using a common syllabus, so it doesn’t matter what teacher you have, the learning outcomes are the same for every course. That makes sense to people.”

In an interview with C Magazine, Stanford Professor of Education, Linda Darling-Hammond describes alignment in similar terms, as “classes in a given subject following a common curriculum and grading plan, and being aligned to standards like the Common Core or Advanced Placement curriculum.”

At the beginning of this school year, more than 1,900 Paly students were surveyed during one of their classes in preparation for the WASC study. The

outcomes and to reduce undue stress,” their number one goal.

Class alignment is important to students for many reasons: to make sure that all students are going on to the next level in any given subject with the same background knowledge, to make sure that all students are evaluated consistently and based on similar expectations, and to make sure that students experience a somewhat equal homework load across classes. When big discrepancies exist, the guidance department is faced with an onslaught of students “the first few days of the semester trying to change their schedule based on teacher reputation,” Diorio said.

Part of students’ stress caused by uneven evaluation is due to the concern that college admissions officers cannot distinguish between hard teachers and easy teachers.

Alignment is something that all of Paly’s academic departments have struggled to create, because it is hard to balance educational consistency with teacher creativity.

However, some departments, such as math, started the process of alignment a number of years ago and, in addition, due to the nature of the subject, face less of a challenge aligning than other more subjective-learning-based departments like English or Social Studies.

“Math has been using a similar pacing guide for many many years—if you’re in algebra, all the kids at the end of the unit all have to take the same algebra test, and all the different algebra teachers get together and talk about how their students did, but that doesn’t happen in the other departments,” Diorio said.

There are many examples of courses for which students have expressed the feeling that there are inconsistencies as far as material presentation and expectation level depending on the teacher, however, there has been sizable feedback from students that misalignment is particularly apparent in the English and Science departments.

“This is the number one area of concern and the thing that kids say causes the greatest stress for them.”

-Kim Diorio survey included all kinds of questions surrounding Paly’s social and academic climate. The question that got the most unexpected results asked whether or not students think classes of the same lane are aligned, to which the largest number of students ‘’disagreed’’ or “strongly disagreed” out of any of the total questions.

“We knew after speaking to so many hundreds of kids that this was an issue and the data [from the WASC survey] just supported that,” Diorio said.

Because of the surprising number of students who reported that they do not feel as if classes are aligned, Paly’s WASC team has made Systems Alignment, which, according to WASC coordinator Emily Garrison, they define as “greater consistency around learning

Continued on next page Cover story 15

American Lit 11: expectations differ

R

eaching alignment in the English department is difficult because of the subjective nature of the subject. American Literature—a course for 11th graders taught by Melissa Laptalo and Kari Snell—is a course where students feel that a lack of communication between the teachers causes misalignment.

“I think that they should have clear assignments that all of the classes do within the same lane, and that they expect the same things,” said Lillian, a junior in Laptalo’s class. “Math does a really good job with this—they have the same assignment sheets and teachers look at each other’s tests to see how they’re going to grade one certain problem, and I think that English teachers should have the same criteria for essays.”

Students design their schedules in the spring of the previous school year in order to try to set themselves up for a challenging, but ideally not overwhelming, school year. They base their choices on their knowledge of themselves and their capabilities. Students make assumptions when they sign up for a regular-lane class as opposed to its honors counterpart, and if those assumptions are incorrect, they may find themselves under challenged or overloaded with work.

“Because I didn’t have the greatest English teacher last year, this year is really hard,

Laptalo, shown here, and Snell agree alignment is a complex process because English as a subject is subjective.

16 Cover story

and I knew that, which is why I signed up for an easy-lane class,” Lillian said. “But then I got a harder teacher in an easy-lane class, but now it’s kind of messing with me. I have to work a lot harder to get an A and it’s affecting how I’m doing in my other classes.”

Jessica, an anonymous junior from one of Snell’s classes said she feels work is evaluated differently in the two classes.

“We barely have homework,” she said.

“We have [a] book assignment of vocab every Monday, which takes about a half hour, and then we have two essays in the semester. We are working on a 200-point essay right now.”

Overall, some students feel they are being evaluated by two individuals who have very different levels of expectation, and that misalignment between the two teachers is potentially adding to their stress levels or not challenging them as much as they had hoped.

Snell and Laptalo said they are making deliberate steps towards alignment through more frequent and conscious communication. It starts in the summer, when the English teachers meet to discuss grading systems and lesson plans for each novel.

“We always do stuff during the summer,” Snell said. “It’s about trying to check back in throughout the school year.”

“We’ll open our gradebook and say, you know, ‘What type of assignments did you give, and what kind did I give?

Where are we similar? Where are we different?’ so we can take more steps towards being more similar to one another,” she added.

Laptalo agrees that there are many steps being taken towards consistency between the classes.

“In terms of the department itself, we talk about the concept of alignment a lot and we’re obviously working on it right now because it’s one of our WASC goals,” she said.

The two teachers also discuss the amount of work they assign their students, whether or not they believe in reading quizzes, and their overall expectations for the course.

Laptalo gives occasional reading quizzes that focus on conceptual and thematic understanding. She assigns homework three times a week, which she estimates will take students from 45 minutes to two hours each time, depending on the pace of their reading.

Kari Snell has worked on alignment over the summer with other teachers.

Snell said that she often assigns reading homework with annotations, but doesn’t give reading quizzes. Her students have informal discussions, google.doc conversations and graded discussions.

In terms of alignment, Snell and Laptalo agree that it is a complex process because English as a subject is subjective, and therefore each instructor will have his or her own approach towards teaching the content.

“When we first started talking about alignment, some people were nervous that that meant that we all had to do the same thing on the same day in the same way,” Laptalo said. “So we’re really sort of agreeing as a department that that’s not what it means. But we do need to be aligned in terms of skills we’re requiring, how we assess, things like that.”

“I don’t think any time soon we would get into a system where our gradebooks look exactly the same, but I think that we can definitely make agreements around major unit assignments,” she added.

It is difficult for students and teachers to find a happy medium between students’ feelings that teachers’ levels of expectation should be aligned and teachers’ desires to maintain a sense of creative freedom.

“I wouldn’t be comfortable if someone said I needed to have lower expectations,” Laptalo said.

Overall, it is clear that communication is key and that the English department as a whole is taking steps towards aligning its courses.

“People are open to making some adjustments to their practice,” Laptalo said.

“Sometimes you just feel really comfortable with what you do and you’ve had a lot of success with what you do, so it’s hard to imagine doing it a different way.”

chemistry: Class intensity varies

Scott’s teaching philosophy is to excite and engage students in the subject matter.

C

hemistry is another course where students discern a discrepancy among different teachers. The course is taught

by Michelle Steingart, Ronnie Farrell, Ron Bowditch and Kenyon Scott, all of whom address the subject of chemistry very differently, as evidenced by how their classes are run and the outside-of-school work they assign their students. According to students, Bowditch and Scott vary greatly in their teaching style and learning philosophies.

“We have a lot of labs and stuff that he grades really harshly,” Sophie (whose name has been changed in order to protect her identity), a sophomore in Bowditch’s chemistry class, said. “All the activities we do are either mini-labs or labs.”

Sophie feels as if her workload is definitely a surprisingly big step up from that of ninth-grade biology, as are the expectations that Bowditch places upon his students.

“Mr. Bowditch gives a lot of homework, and it’s really important for him that we do it really well. He also gives a lot of pop quizzes on the homework and the things that we learn in class,” Sophie said.

Students talk amongst each other and compare their own workload and grades with those of their friends, so distinctions between classes quickly become visible and talked about.

“From what I’ve heard, [students in Bowditch’s class] actually have homework and do labs in class and they have reading to do and even lab write-ups,” Tom (whose name has been changed to protect his identity), a sophomore in Scott’s chemistry student, said.

This differs greatly from how Tom describes his own chemistry class, both in class and outside of school.

“We’ve done two labs this year,” Tom said. “We [usually] watch Mythbusters or some other science show.”

Scott’s reason behind showing many videos is wanting to connect concepts the students are learning in class to real-world situations that would be applicable to their lives.

“My philosophy is to connect the curriculum content to the real world, and what better way to do that than to bring in current events that apply to the topic?”

Scott said. “So whether it be chemistry or environmental science, it helps the students realize that what they’re learning is worthwhile.”

Both teachers have different approaches to the subject matter, which are both valid, but are often seen as not aligned.

“I think alignment is important because I think that all students should get the same information as they go from one class to another—because they’re all going to be remixed together when they move onto physics or move on to whatever their next subject is going to be,” Bowditch said. “We’re all individuals and bring different things to the table, but they should all still cover the same materials and the same information.”

Bowditch believes that it is possible for teachers to be aligned in a way that does not hinder their teaching style but ensures that students are all exposed to the same information throughout their year as a chemistry student.

“I think most of us are willing to give up a little bit of freedom to make sure that everybody gets the same background because in the end you’re going to be competing, whether you like the word competing or not, with fellow students year after year,” Bowditch said. “I think that in the end a student in any chemistry class should be able to pass the same final—all chemistry teachers should be able to give the same final and all kids should do equally as well on that final….

Last year there was the same final between Mrs. Steingart, myself, and Mr. Farrell.”

Scott agrees with Bowditch on the importance of alignment, and its balance with creativity.

“I think alignment is important, but I also don’t think you need to take away the autonomy of some teachers’ personal-

ities,” Scott said. “So it’s a combination of being aligned yet also being individuals.”

In contrast to Bowditch, Scott believes the science department is already very aligned between teachers teaching the same course.

“The science department is aligned both horizontally and vertically, so that we all know what we’re all doing even though we’re all individuals,” Scott said.

“So we prepare students to go onto the next level of whatever the topic is, but we communicate constantly about that horizontal and vertical alignment.”

Horizontal alignment focuses on the same level classes, like chemistry for sophomores, being aligned. Vertical alignment is more broad, where the whole department focuses on making sure that students of all classes are prepared for the next level of study.

No matter how they decide to teach the curriculum, or how aligned they think the science department is, both Scott and Bowditch agree that one of their main goals as chemistry teachers is to ignite a passion for the subject in the students.

“My teaching philosophy is to excite and engage students in the subject matter so that they don’t even know they’re learning when they’re learning stuff,” Scott said. “And also to show my appreciation of the subject, because it’s infectious.”

Bowditch expresses more of an academic focus as he explains his teaching philosophy, but his hope for students to enjoy science is still very apparent.

“What I really hope students take from the class is... just if you know that if you take a chemistry class later on... that at least when you see it you’ll recognize it and go ‘oh yeah, I kind of Ron Bowditch believes it’s possible to knew that balance alignment with creativity. once before,’” Bowditch said. “If I can get kids excited about science, ones who weren’t before, that’s always a huge bonus.”

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The Art of teaching hangs in the balance

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lignment has no set definition or precedent, and can be interpreted in many different ways, depending on the person and the context. Now, Paly is working on building its own definition of alignment that will satisfy the crucial balance between protecting teacher creativity and expression of personality in the classroom with the guarantee that students experience consistent learning and expectations regardless of which teacher they have.

“Teacher personalities differ, they’re going to differ, and there is an art to teaching, so teachers might use different instructional strategies, but...the teachers are meeting and working and having conversations to make sure that their students are learning the same material and also sharing those good ideas and good practices so they’re being much more collaborative,” Diorio said.

“There is a huge element of teaching, what a lot of teachers refer to as ‘The Art of Teaching,’” Garrison said. “We as teachers all have different strengths.

There are some things that some people do better than other people, and there are lots of different kinds of students, so there are some students that really work well with the way that some teachers teach, and visa versa. So it is a very complex issue when you start thinking about these things because they are absolutely is an element of the craft of ‘The Art of Teaching.’ At the same time what we’re really trying to do with WASC, and again we’re in the process of building this right now, is figure out how do you maintain your craft, how do you maintain your strength as a teacher and at the same time provide a certain amount of alignment with teachers who teach the same class?”

Paly is seeking this balance by trying to improve communication amongst teachers as well as between teachers and their students. According to Diorio, the next step in reaching alignment is ensuring that teachers receive student feedback, which could influence the way they run their class.

“Maybe doing something in the middle of the quarter or in the middle of the semester where students can give some feedback about what the experience is like so far and it’s not evaluated, it’s not

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punitive, but it’s a way for teachers to hear from students, ‘Wow, this course is paced too fast, or why is it so hard to get a good grade in this class?’” Diorio said. “We have to change the culture and figure out a way so that parents, teachers and students feel like they can work in partnership.”

The Paly community agrees that alignment can only be achieved if everyone works together to communicate and compromise more openly.

“Our school, we need to make sure we function as a unit, as a system,” Garrison said. C

Garrison discusses her perspective on alignment.

“Teacher personalities differ, they’re going to differ[...]but...the teachers are meeting and working and having conversations to make sure that their students are learning the same material and also sharing those good ideas and good practices so they’re being much more collaborative,” Diorio said.

“We have to change the culture and figure out a way way so that parents, teachers and students feel like they can work in partnership,” Principal Kim Diorio said.

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Inner Text and poems by Huda Navaid Illustration from Flickr: A lily in bloom

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hese are a series of poems inspired by the internalization of emotions within the body. It was an experiment in how I could express the deepest of chemical interactions in the brain through language.

Breathe I am Neural Interconnections Signals rushing back and forth Like a free bird slamming against Her cage Warm blood pulsing through Bright blue veins Light drops reflecting Against sun dark skin This is what I am From deep within I am Sadness swept by salty tears Anger wrapped in heavy fears Laughter dressed in happiness Joy caressed by sappiness Empty; hollow with unknowing Full; flooded by light: growing Dopamine to Oxytocin Adrenaline to Serotonin Righteous rage Ignorant bliss I am the surest thing And the deepest abyss

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RUSE We’re caustic With bright like city lights of Japan We feel it Depression’s flight; dark dead village in Sudan Grinning Spine-tingle pleasure unlike Harlequins Settling The hug we didn’t know could ever have been Interlocked Twist tie puzzle pieced Together Warmth The kind that holds in any Weather They all tell us to be Marked By affection A picture painted In utter Perfection But it’s a ruse So we simply just Refuse

DENIAL I know what I feel But I’ll hush because it’s real Pretending, since age 2, Is all I’ve known how to do Every interaction Real or abstraction Is always taken with a grain Nothing stays, so nothing’s stained The lies keep getting bigger The truth keeps trying to hide And when it comes, I drown it With tears that I have cried The cries keep piercing louder I’m shaking from within But for your sake I’ll smile all bright For weakness is a sin But hush.

I shall not speak again.

Denial is the rope that muffles The screaming child within. culture 21

Person of the Month

Anthony McFadden

Text and design by Clara Chiu and Maya Kandell Photos by Nicole Cox

An inside look into the motivations and inspirations that drive Anthony McFadden to dance

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hile the rest of students at Palo Alto High School (Paly) hear excited lunchtime chatter, junior Anthony McFadden exists in a world dictated by his earbuds — the world of hip hop and rap.

Most of his peers recognize him, as he can dependably be found dancing on the quad during lunch at least a few days each week.

He appears mysterious to most of Palo Alto High School’s student body, because although most of the student body recognizes him as “the guy that dances on the quad”, very few know his name or anything other than his dancing abilities.

McFadden does not mind the ambiguity.

“I like having the title of ‘The Mystery Man’. I just embrace it.”

McFadden began dancing in third grade, when he performed at a camp talent show and danced to a song by Chris Brown, who has since become one of his main inspirations. He has never received professional training, but took advice from his sister instead.

“It took me a while— I was stiff. My sister taught me how to be unstiff,” McFadden said.

While McFadden has been dancing for years, revealing his talent in front of a public audience is relatively new to him.

About a month into his freshman year at Paly, he decided he was going to dance during lunch.

“I was just sitting on the quad listening to my music and I put my backpack down … and I just did it,” McFadden said. He describes the reaction he got from his peers as a mix of judgement and admiration.

“Everyone was looking at me like, ‘[is he] crazy? How does he have the courage to do that?’” McFadden said.

However, as the school year progressed, McFadden kept dancing, and found that people seemed to really enjoy his movement. His peers were encouraging and

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McFadden scrolls through his music during lunch on the quad responded positively.

In performing the pin drop, the dancer “I kept doing it and people started appears to fall to the ground, and then liking it,” he said. springs back up into a spin. His dancing McFadden can be found dancing on the style depends on his mood and the tempo quad a few days a week, when he is in the of his music. mood to do so. When he is not dancing “I would describe my dancing style as on the quad during lunch, he can be found unorthodox and unique,” McFadden said. sitting and eating “If I’m really hyper lunch with his friends. excited, I listen I am terrified [of dancing or Although McFadto fast-paced songs. on the quad]. I’m just brave If I need to calm den’s headphones are blasting his music and down, I’ll listen to to do it. I just suck it up and something blocking other noises slow.” out, McFadden is still American hip-hop just do it. -McFadden conscious that peoartist Chris Brown ple are watching him. serves as a primary “I’m not trying to dance for anybody, I influence in McFadden’s life. Not only dance for me. If I really wanted to impress does Brown’s music provide inspiration someone, I would ask them to dance with for McFadden’s dancing, but his life story me,” McFadden said. inspires McFadden as well.

“Some people say I do the same stuff “I love Chris Brown. I like how he’s every day, but I do the same stuff because trying to change his life [from his previI listen to the same songs sometimes.” ous mistakes that lead to numerous jail Over the years, McFadden has develsentences] and come back into the music oped a distinguished style, which inbusiness. It just inspires me.” cludes his signature move: the ‘pin drop’.

While some do not condone Brown’s

“

”

former actions, McFadden does not mind.

“I’m not a hater,” McFadden said. “I forgive people.”

According to McFadden, despite Brown’s past he is still able to move forward and overcome life’s obstacles, and is living proof that one’s past does not need to dictate one’s future.

Brown’s inspirational story closely resonates with McFadden in particular, because, like Brown, McFadden had to face hard obstacles in middle school, such as being bullied.

“Middle school was rough for me,” he said. “I was bullied for many reasons. Some people thought I was weak.”

However, McFadden has not experienced bullying since coming to Paly.

“Transitioning to Paly was awesome,” he said. “I love Paly.”

Dance has helped McFadden to have a fresh start at Paly and has also served many other purposes. Not only is it his passion, but it also helps to relieve stress.

“If I’m ever stressed I just put some earphones on and dance. [Dance] is something I can do when I’m stressed out or need to be away from family and friends,” McFadden said.

Dance is not only a stress reliever, but also a form of self-expression. While McFadden does not want to dance competitively, he has had dance interactions with other students. In 2013, he was challenged to a dance battle by senior Larry Allen on the quad at lunch.

“Everybody loved it. Last year, one person came up to me and said, ‘man you should text Larry and ask him to come to school and have a dance battle with you again!’” McFadden said.

Although it appears as though McFadden is not at all affected by outside influences when dancing on the quad, that is not the case.

“I am terrified [of dancing on the quad]. I’m just brave to do it. I just suck it up and just do it,” McFadden said.

For those who admire McFadden but are scared to do what he does, McFadden advises, “Learn how to embrace what you love and let haters hate. That’s what makes me do [dance] even more, [it] motivates me to do it more.” C

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