Issue 2: October 24, 2023

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NEWS

LIFESTYLE

Paly teacher competes in Jeopardy again A2

PSAT and SAT becomes digital B1

SCI/TECH OSIRIS-REx launches C4

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023

The Campanile

Vol. CVI, No. 2

Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301

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

SENIORS SWEEP SPIRIT WEEK !"#$%&'(')%&"(*++,,-(./#$%&'(*01,,-(!%23%4%&"'(*56,,-(7&"'34"#(*,0,,($#(8,81(!2$&$9(:""; !"#$) Spirit Week officially commenced on Oct. 2 with grade-level theme day, competitions for best dressed at brunch, and a tug-of-war competition at lunch.

Sophomore ASB President David Wu said it took tons of time to prepare for the day.

“It took a lot of planning from the end of last year to the start of this year,” Wu said. “All the way, everything had been planned meticulously.”

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On Day 2 of Spirit Week, the main events were the Human Ring Toss and Balloon Pop Relay along with the best dressed competition at brunch.

ASB Freshman Senator Paul Wang said he still has high hopes the freshmen can manage a comeback.

“Although we placed last, I think that we're still able to make a comeback this week,” Wang said.

On Day 3 of Spirit Week, the main events were “Name that Tune” and “Giant Cornhole,” which took place in the football stadium.

Student Activities Director Steven Gallagher said it was nice to see positive spirit all around.

“Everyone's coming together, and it's just the floats, it's (the rallies), it's the homecoming dance coming up and you know, everyone's just working really hard, and it's really nice to see it coming together.”

!"#$' !"#$( On the final day of Spirit Week, students from each grade had vibrant class dances and showcased their dazzling floats, concluding the week with unforgettable performances.

Sophomore Jonathan Bakhash said that despite doubts, his class was able to pull through, outperforming the juniors and freshmen in the class dance.

“It was the most spirit we’ve ever shown,” Bakhash said. “Everyone thought we lost, (and even) my chemistry teacher said we were losing. But no, we won.”

Alex Isayama & Naveen Narayanaswami Staff Writers

During Day 4 of Spirit Week, the theme was “Senior Citizens” for seniors, “Professional Career” for juniors, “Teeny Boppers in the ‘50s” for sophomores and “Babies” for freshmen. Events were the Teacher’s Dance and the Bubble Ball relay.

Senior Lorenzo Lisi said that all the different elements of Spirit Week have come together to make it fun and enjoyable.

“I think Spirit Week has been going great,” Lisi said. “I love float building, I love the rallies and I love dressing up. It’s wonderful.”

Lisi also said he has mixed emotions about this being his last spirit week at Paly.

“It’s bittersweet,” Lisi said. “The last week is always the most fun one."

PHOTOS BY ALEX ISAYAMA, NAVEEN NARAYANASWAMI AND TYLER WONG

Class of 2029 onward required to take Ethnic Studies class

Starting with the class of 2029 – the current seventh grade class – all PAUSD students will be required to take one semester of Ethnic Studies during their freshman year to fulfill new graduation requirements under California Assembly Bill 101.

In 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law, which requires all California public school students to complete at least one semester of Ethnic Studies to graduate.

The bill also says the course has to be offered by the 2025–26 academic year and must take effect starting with students completing high school in 2030.

However, the Bill does allow some flexibility for what school year the course is taken in and the curriculum used.

Social Science Instructional Lead Mary Sano was a member of the district’s Ethnic Studies committee and said the district’s Ethnic Studies class will replace a semester of the current World History requirement.

“In our district, World History is offered in three semesters, two in ninth grade and one in 10th grade. It will (now) become a two semester course,” Sano said.

While Paly already offers Ethnic Studies as an elective, Social Science teacher Justin Cronin, who has taught the course in the past, said the new version of the class will be different.

“It is going to be for ninth grade first semester, (but) it’s not simply plug and play –– the two courses are very different,” Cronin said.

Sano also said the existing elective will remain optional for juniors and seniors.

“We’re going to keep Ethnic Studies (elective) as an upper-class elective,” Sano said. “By that time, students will have had United States History, which just allows more depth and exploration of different groups of people.”

While the elective allows for depth, the mandatory course will also be flexible, Sano said.

“We've designed it with a lot of student choice,” Sano said. “There needs to be opportunities for kids to go into more depth and look more into identity or just what they are interested in. It should be designed so that students are looking at themselves and their local community.”

Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Guillermo Lopez said the district also plans to adjust the course based on student feedback and is even soliciting student feedback during PRIME for how the course should be developed.

Senior and President of the Black Scholars United Chase Cobb said she is happy the state is mandating an Ethnic Studies course because she said it will help promote inclusion.

“The change will be really helpful for making students who have a different background

feel more comfortable,” Cobb said. “(BSU has) a couple of events we want to host on campus, and if Ethnic Studies is required for all students to take, I feel like it will further push those events we want to have.”

Senior Ella Bishop said the course should help students push their boundaries.

“It’s important you’re exposed to groups you’re not aware of, branching out of what you’re comfortable with,” Bishop said.

Furthermore, senior Mariam Tayebi said she hopes the course helps break down stereotypes.

“There’s so much misrepresentation and stereotypes, and that’s the main problem,” Tayebi said. “It’s important to start deconstructing stereotypes for when (students) first enter high school.”

But Cobb said she hopes the course doesn’t just portray African American history in a pessimistic manner, which is unfortunately, more normalized than it should be.

“Most of the time when we do learn about African American history, it’s in more of a negative way,” Cobb said. “Making it more positive to talk about accomplishments, or

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people who have made change in a good way, I feel like that’s really important.”

Cobb also said the course will help deconstruct the idea that Palo Alto is free of injustice.

“People look at Palo Alto all the time as a place (where) racism doesn’t exist, which isn’t true at all,” Cobb said. “Having this class as mandatory will relieve some of those feelings.”

As far as why the district chose the class of 2029 to start the requirement, Lopez said it was to strike a balance between being swift and being thorough.

“We felt that in order to better meet the needs of our students and get community input, and also allow our teachers to be properly trained and review the curriculum, it is probably best for us to begin (with) them,” Lopez said.

As for why it’s a freshman requirement, Sano said taking the course during their first year of high school will allow students to use what they learn over the next three years.

“As students enter high school and start the four-year process of classes in high school, they’re given an opportunity to explore identity and think about the diversity of our community,” Sano said. “We worked all summer on building the outline of this curriculum, the details are yet to come, but we've laid down a proposed outline.”

Rohan Bhatia Sports Editor

The Campanile

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

A2

News

Federal SAVE plan combats student debt !"#$%&''()#*+,-&'(+&$,'+*.,"#(."(/&+0('.12&#.'(%&0*3(+"*#'4(*..&50.'(."(,#6&#.,7,-&(5"%&('.12&#.'(."($"(."(6"++&$&

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ormer students will have to begin paying off their college loans this month, after a threeyear deferral on loan repayments due to COVID-19.

According to Federal Student Aid, interest on these loans began in September and monthly payments resumed this month after Congress recently passed a law preventing further extensions of payment pause.

In an interview with National Public Radio, former Baylor student Sophie Hernandez-Simeonidis said she feels overburdened with her high student loans.

“A lot of my income now goes towards student loans, like hundreds of dollars,” Hernandez-Simeonidis told NPR. “So thinking about how that would potentially double is really overwhelming for me.”

Loan repayments not only affect individual students, but also have an impact on the economy as people burdened with student loans will have less disposable money to engage in their local economy.

According to federal data from 2019 to 2023, “Every 1% increase in debt translates to a 3.7% decline in consumption.”

In response to student concerns, President Joe Biden created the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan to aid millions of students who cannot meet these financial requirements.

This plan adjusts payments to students’ current income over a fixed time frame, after which their remaining loans are forgiven.

Economics teacher Eric Bloom said the SAVE plan creates a more equitable playing field that allows students to pay off their loans without sinking them in debt.

“They each contribute to their ability and each receive according to their needs,” Bloom said. “I think that’s really great.”

Additionally, Bloom said this plan will benefit the economy by providing students with more spending money.

“If you can lower the amount of money that you’re paying in your loans, then that gives you more disposable income you can spend going to the grocery store or going to con-

ART BY KATIE WU

certs, buying new shoes or whatever,” Bloom said. “(That spending) is then being poured into the economy.”

However, Hernandez-Simeonidis told NPR she is uncertain how the SAVE plan will work for students without a stable income.

“Right now I’m a freelance journalist, and my income is really all

over the place,” Hernandez-Simeonidis told NPR. “How would any sort of student loan repayment plan affect the way that I repay if I don’t have consistent employment?”

Under the SAVE plan, monthly payments are adjusted to a person’s current income, and SAVE recommends students register for the program even if they don’t think they need it now, in the event of unexpected financial changes.

Bloom said this is one of the many things he likes about SAVE: that it makes attending college more equitable, regardless of family income.

“It is a really nice way to sort of solve this problem of just perpetual debt, where you’re just paying and paying and paying and paying forever.” Bloom said.

And Bloom said SAVE has the potential to be a model for how student loan repayments should work in the future.

For students deciding where to apply to college, they may consider other schools knowing they won’t have to pay high student loans.

Bloom said,“The idea of having this out there, creates an opportunity for kids that wouldn’t consider going to those schools to say, ‘Well, I could do it if I could finance it through loans.’ It is going to create a new option.”

Olivia Atkinson

News/Opinion Editor

!"#$%#&"'$&(%)"*+&,%-./0&*%1"2&3%45#$%"66&"("*'&%7*%8&76"(90:%#7/(*"1&*# Gavin Lin Staff Writer

After winning the first round of the Jeopardy! Champions Wildcard tournament on Oct. 7, Paly math teacher Daniel Nguyen was finally knocked out by Lucy Ricketts, a book designer and freelance illustrator, in the semifinals round on Oct. 17.

This is the second time Nguyen has been featured on the game show after winning two rounds last spring before losing to Ryan Long, a rideshare driver from Pennsylvania.

Jeopardy!, a national trivia-centered game show, is notorious for its unique reversed question and answer format and its catchy trivia music.

The Champions Wildcard Tournament is meant to provide a chance for Jeopardy! contestants who won between one and three games to compete against each other.

The winner of the Champions Wildcard Tournament moves on to the Tournament of Champions, the highest level of Jeopardy!, with a grand prize of $250,000.

Because Nguyen lost a round in the Champions Wildcard tournament, he will not qualify for the Tournament of Champions.

Nguyen said he was surprised he was called back onto the show in the first place.

“It was a call out of the blue, and it was a very nice treat to go back,” he said.

Nguyen’s second experience on Jeopardy! contrasted sharply with his first which happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During my first time there were a lot more COVID-19 protocols, and so I didn’t get the usual fun contestant experience,” Nguyen said. “We couldn’t even talk to each other.

This time around, (they were) all removed, so we could sit in the greenroom where we could watch other people playing and cheer for them.”

The first time he was called in for Jeopardy!, Nguyen said he was watching for the phone call.

“I try not to pick up or even listen to voicemails of numbers I don’t recognize, except the first time I knew that if I saw a number that had a 310 area code, it might be Jeopardy!,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen said he was suspicious when he received the second phone call.

“They didn’t have a 310 area code,” Nguyen said. “It was a 424. I just happened to get lucky and check.”

Nguyen said he studied diligently before appearing on the show and found many different ways to learn as much as he could.

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DANIEL NGUYEN/USED WITH PERMISSION

Daniel Nguyen takes a selfie on the Jeopardy! stage. This is the second time Nguyen was been on the show. “It was a call out of the blue, and it was a very nice treat to go back,” Nguyen said.

“I watched a lot of shows – probably dozens of shows,” Nguyen said. “I did it under conditions that were as close as possible to how it would be in the studio. So I stood a certain distance away from the computer to emulate how a clue would look in the studio.”

Nguyen said he also designed his own buzzer to help replicate the game show’s conditions.

“I didn’t have a real buzzer, so I used a toilet paper holder,” Nguyen said. “There’s a spring in there, so I used that to emulate using a buzzer.”

Despite all this preparation, Nguyen said future rounds will be difficult.

“All of the contestants in this tournament are very knowledgeable and fast on the buzzer, so anything can happen,” Nguyen said.

Though Nguyen lost the semifinals round, he said he truly enjoyed his experience on the show.

“I think it was pretty fun when it happened,” Nguyen said.

And Nguyen said he is not hopeful that he will be offered another chance to compete on the show.

“A third time? I don’t even want to consider the possibility,” Nguyen said. “Otherwise, I’ll just be clinging on to false hope.”

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

A3

News

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civil antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice accuses Google of monopolizing the search and search advertising business.

The trial, which started on Sept.

12 in Virginia, alleges that Google illegally neutralized or eliminated competitors through various acquisitions, harming competition and consumers.

According to a press release by the Justice Department along with various state attorneys general, Google has been paying billions of dollars to internet browser companies and phone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to make itself the default search engine, making it difficult for other search engine companies to compete.

Economics teacher Eric Bloom said the existence of big corporations such as Google potentially drives out smaller tech companies.

He also said antitrust laws in the United States are meant to prevent large firms from stifling innovation by selling mediocre ideas.

“This area and tech has become so innovative — (it) hasn’t been big, gigantic companies that have come up with these great new ideas,” Bloom said. “It’s smaller companies that are running sort of tiny segments,

and they’re trying to emerge into a larger market.”

Senior Spencer Wu-Chin said he thinks being a default search engine could give Google many advantages and decrease the benefits of a free market.

“People just use Google because it’s the default on everything, and so it’s not necessarily better, (people) just end up using it because it’s there,” Wu-Chin said. “(In a) free market, people come up with more innovative ideas and fill people’s needs. Instead, you’re just having one company that automatically services everyone, and then they don’t have to make things better in order to keep customers or attract them.”

AP Computer Science teacher Roxanne Lanzot, though, said many people may choose Google as their default search engine because Google is better.

“From my own personal experience, having used many search engines

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since the internet was kind of born for consumers, I always come back to Google,” Lanzot said. “I think they do everything better.”

Freshman Melody Xu said she thinks Google has a monopoly over search engines because it has become an integral part of people’s everyday lives.

“I would walk around in the hallway, or I’ll ask my friends a question, and they would say, ‘Oh, just Google it,’ so I think it’s definitely become a day-to-day (phrase),” Xu said. “You’d never say, ‘I’ll Bing it’ or ‘I’ll Microsoft Edge it,’ but you always say, ‘I’ll Google it.’”

Bloom said while it is not illegal for Google to create quality products, it is illegal – based on the Sherman Antitrust Act – for it to manipulate the market using its dominance.

Examples of market manipulation include artificially price gouging competitors into bankruptcy.

Wu-Chin agreed and said it isn’t possible to spur innovation under a monopoly, which is why he thinks it is good for the government to step into business affairs in a situation like this.

“Even if you’re a really a big fan

of the free market, the freest market still needs the government to make sure that the market can be an equal opportunity place for everyone with good ideas to develop companies instead of having just one company create hegemony over all the other ones,” Wu-Chin said.

Career Technical Education Instructional Lead Christopher Bell said while Google has competitors in the search advertising market, it holds over 90% of the global search engine market share, making it difficult for advertisers to find alternatives.

“If I’m a company that’s looking to advertise, I’m almost forced to go to Google if I want to make the best out of my money,” Bell said. “In those cases, they have kind of a de facto monopoly.”

While Lanzot agrees that one corporation running an entire industry can be problematic, she said she relies on Google’s products so much that she has a difficult time pulling her personal feelings away from the rational argument about whether Google has a monopoly.

“I’m a little scared about this case because I’m kind of fearful that if the Department of Justice wins, what that will mean for my own use case, and if it’s going to make it difficult for me to access the tools that I depend on in my life and in my work,” Lanzot said.

Regardless of the outcome, Bell said he thinks this trial will affect other major tech companies in addition to future antitrust cases.

“If they find that Google has done something wrong here, and put sanctions or even break up pieces of Google, it can have a big effect on all the other major tech companies like Amazon and Facebook,” Bell said. “(These companies) buy up other technologies to help their platform grow and in some cases, they might even buy up other technologies to make sure someone else doesn’t get it and grow.”

And Bell said the judge in this case will have to define at what point wanting to be better than competitors turns into monopolistic behavior.

“When someone has dominated a market to a certain degree, everybody uses it because they’re better, and so they have an incentive to stay being the best,” Bell said. “They’re going to do everything they can to make their product the best that it can be, and better than any competitor that could enter the space.”

Plus Bell said it’s hard to completely get away from Google because it has basically eradicated every other search, becoming the primary search engine for a majority of the population.

“I’ll probably continue to use Google regardless of the outcome of the case whether they were good or bad, just because it’s hard to ignore them at this point,” Bell said.

“But if someone else came up and did something better, I’m happy to switch. I’ve got no loyalty other than having the best product for the consumer.”

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Alec Bonnard

Lifestyle, Sci/Tech Editor In an effort to minimize disruptions and maximize instructional time, administrators have asked teachers to either restrict class breaks to inside the classroom or to supervise them if students are allowed outside of class.

Administrators have also asked teachers not to excuse students until the final bell of each class period.

Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson said administrators think if teachers enforce these two things, it will help prevent students from skipping class and loitering during breaks.

Berkson also said the directives are due to an excess of students wandering around unsupervised.

“I’d ask kids all the time, ‘Where are you supposed to be?’ (and students would respond), ‘I’m on my break,’” Berkson said. “These kids were on break all the time. So if we can single out this kid and know that they’re more of a chronic breaker, then we’re going to be able to help that kid be in class more.”

Berkson said administrators hope the policy will reduce distractions to other classes.

“When you have students all over campus, in front of other classrooms, disrupting other classrooms makes it difficult for teachers to teach,” Berkson said.

History teacher Stephen Foug said he has noticed a positive difference in classroom instruction since administrators have implemented the change.

“Wandering off is an added stress when you can’t account for it, and it helps with noise which you can hear up and down the halls,” Foug said. “The noise has been a little better.

And students are not wandering off too far .”

Freshman Alon Shoval said he still hears occasional disruptions.

“I’ve still heard all sorts of noise from outside,” Shoval said. “The policy hasn’t really had an impact.”

Aware of the student complaints, Berkson said the change is overly criticized by some students given the unappreciated privilege of having breaks.

“This has been the norm for a while – to give breaks – but in a lot of schools, they don’t have breaks at all,” Berkson said.

Berkson said the policy also helps optimize teaching by saving time lost in drawn-out breaks.

“That five-minute break becomes a fiveand-a-half-minute break, a six-minute break or a seven-minute break,” Berkson said. “So if you keep your class in one area, it’s a lot easier to reset and get class going.”

However, senior Tate Hardy, said putting restraints on breaks can have a harmful effect on students’ work capacity in longer or more arduous classes.

“In 90-minute periods, (students) should be able to go outside and take a walk to get their brain moving again,” Hardy said. “It makes people less motivated when they’re stuck in class the whole time (especially) in classes with more workload, teachers make you stay in class, which makes it even harder.”

Shoval also said the new protocol prevents him from being able to take proper breaks from class.

“My mind sometimes needs a break, and it’s better when they’re outside,” Shoval said.

Given his energetic teaching style, Foug said that the importance of breaks extends to teachers as well.

“I can tell by the look on their faces,” Foug said. “They need one. And I need one too

ART BY CHERIANNE YOON

sometimes. Sometimes, I use it to check homework, and sometimes I use it give my mind a break.”

Foug also said that he tried the inside break but plans to revert back to outside breaks.

“The first time I had everyone stay inside, it just felt weird and awkward, and I like to get fresh air in the middle (of class) myself,” Foug said. “So supervising outdoors is the way I’m going to do it.

The Campanile

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

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Spotlight

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hen junior Ben Levav heard Hamas militants had opened fire on attendees of the Nova music festival in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct. 7, he immediately called his friends who were there. They E IL never picked up.

N PA Days later, he turned on the TV, only to watch in horror as familiar names flashed across the screen.

Levav’s soccer coach and two of his friends were murdered by Hamas terrorists. Their bodies were found in Gaza, though it is unknown where and when they were killed.

“I didn’t think that my friends could be endangered,” Levav said. “I thought everything would be fine because I couldn’t even comprehend (what was happening).”

Crisis and Escalation

British control after the Ottoman Empire was dissolved during World War I. During and after World War II, many Jews fled to Palestine in wake of the Holocaust. In 1947, the U.N. formally partitioned the land of Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, forming Israel.

Palestinians rejected the resolution and Arab nations such as Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Jordan immediately invaded the Jewish state, which successfully repelled the attacks with military aid from the United States. As a result, over 700,000 Palestinians were permanently displaced from their homeland.

In 1967, Egypt and other Arab states mobilized their armies along the Israeli border, and Israel responded with a pre-emptive strike called the Six Day War. As a result, Israel took control over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights in Syria.

In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas negotiated the Oslo Accords where the PLO formally recognized Israel as a state. Peace was temporary, however, as Israel continued to build settlements in Palestinian territory and Palestinian groups committed terrorist attacks against Israel.

Hamas was formed in 1987 in response to a Palestinian uprising known as the First Intifada, where Palestinians rioted against Israeli occupation of their territories. Deemed a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union, Hamas has called for the destruction of the Jewish state and the establishment of Islamic rule over Palestine.

After winning Gazan elections in 2006, Hamas seized power from the Palestinian Authority.

Since then, Gaza — home to over two million Palestinians — has been controlled

by Hamas and joint-blockaded by Israel and Egypt by air, land and sea.

In 2022, Michael Lynk, the U.N. Special Rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, called the Israeli occupation of Palestine in the West Bank an apartheid and the situation in Gaza “an open-air prison, without adequate access to power, water or health, with a collapsing economy and with no ability to freely travel the rest of Palestine or the outside world.” It is estimated that currently more than 80% of Gazans rely on humanitarian aid, largely due to the blockade, poverty and high unemployment rates.

In the most devastating assault against Jews since the Holocaust, Hamas fighters fired rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory, and invaded towns on the border of southern Israel on Oct. 7 during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, killing 1,400 Israeli civilians and holding 200 hostage.

Citizens were held at gunpoint in their homes and murdered in front of their families, while some waited in bomb shelters for more than 20 hours.

And in Gaza, hostages include both children and Residents gather at an interfaith vigil at Mitchell Park Bowl on Oct. 21 to the elderly. light candles and mourn the loss of lives in Israel. “It was probably the sadIn response to the surprise attack, Israel officially dest day I’ve had in a longtime,” junior Ben Levav said. “I’ve just been thinkdeclared war on Hamas on Oct. 8 and mobilized ing about the war a lot and it has affected me a lot. I couldn’t think about school or anything else.” Photo by Luca Vostrejs. roughly 360,000 reservist troops on Oct. 10, and In light of recent events, people in Palo the Israeli Security Cabinet Alto have rallied in unity to express their discontent. Over 2,000 residents gathdeclared the goal of Israel’s military campaign ered at the local Jewish Community Center on Oct. 10 to grieve. “is to achieve the destruction of the military Adi Greif, an Israeli PAUSD parent, said the conflict has significantly disrupted and governing capabilities of Hamas.” The her daily life. same day, Israel declared a complete siege “It’s really hard to focus on work and not to be scared every night that we’ll of Gaza and cut food, water and power access from the Strip. Israeli airstrikes also wake up to even more civilian deaths,” Greif said. “It’s hard to recognize that there’s a lot of hate in your own community.” killed over 4,300 Palestinians and exacAnd sophomore Tali Lehrer said the fact that teachers and fellow students have erbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis, largely ignored the conflict has impacted her focus at school. as the territory currently hosts a refugee “In class, everyone was acting like everything was normal, and I started crypopulation of around 1.5 million. On ing,” Lehrer said. “No one is doing anything. Everyone needs room to grieve and Oct. 14, Israel called for over experience everything.” a million Gazans to evacuate Some have connections to loved ones in the region. Gunn senior and PalesNorth Gaza, an overpoputinian-American Deena Abu-Dayeh said her friends in Gaza have struggled to lated 140-square-mile communicate with her due to the lack of power. strip densely packed “(I’ve received) crushing, heartbreaking messages from my sister’s friend who with two million lives in Gaza,” Abu-Dayeh said. “She sent a message saying, ‘My battery’s almost residents, in wake of an Israeli ground inva- out. If I’m not alive, I want you to spread my message about the Palestinian reality.’” sion, though many are For Palestinians, the situation has made them feel conflicted. Bisan, a Palestintrapped at the Egyptian ian-American high school senior from the East Coast, who asked to be identified and Israeli borders. by her first name only out of security concerns, said she initially reacted to the conflict with concern for the safety of Palestinians and retaliation from powerful nations.

“My first thought was dread,” Bisan said. “We’re gonna get destroyed. The U.S. is gonna go against us. The U.K. is gonna go against us. Israel is going to turn us into dust after this. That was a real fear, and it still is a real fear, and I’m watching In the late 1800s, it happen.” a growing movement But in defense of the Israeli response, Ronnie Horowitz, a Gunn student born to establish a Jewish in Israel, said she believes Israel’s military response was necessary. homeland, known “When there’s a war that Hamas started on a religious Jewish holiday, there’s as Zionism, led not much you can do other than fight back,” Horowitz said. to an influx of Jews moving to Palestine — a territory under Former foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and retired journalism teacher Elisabeth Rubinfien said reposting stories on social media can often

Community Reactions

Historical Context

Media Influence

cause more harm their sources.

“Students must seeing and ask the for further inform For example, o about Israel bomb Hundred in Hosp the bomb’s origin bombed.

Because of the Israeli-American and broaden their perspectives.

“You should re should understand Rubinfien said social media can e “Social media h process of editing “What differentia write a story, you it, and they’re thin Senior Alma S share information “There’s just so breaking,” Samet sume that all the Although the g standing the full p “A lot of what portant because (t happening) is not images) help show Abu-Dayeh sai her with messages “Losing friend me feel boxed in. making people aw people who get m

Five days after Austin posted a m to comment on th “tangible change” community, conde included the word Cohen said was in properly.

“If a student w with the news, the nami had hit,” Co enough. It was ve silent, you’re allow run rampant.”

And Lehrer sai to a general lack o situation.

“People didn’t k happening becaus (the conflict) spec said. “When peop what’s going on, i ily their fault. It’s talking about it. Th is making it seem because of their la ment.”

Similarly, Cohe statements regard tions signaled a se and was the equiv violence.

“It’s empowerin going because if y condemn it, you’re either you don’t ca OK,” Cohen said. not an option. Ter You need to respo specifically conde To encourage a dents sent emails message be sent o Cohen said thi Bureau Chairman a message of rage

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

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A5

Spotlight

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flict affects international, local communities

r the initial Hamas attack against Israel, Superintendent Don message through ParentSquare addressing the “requests” for him he conflict. In the message, Austin said his words might not bring ” to the conflict, but he emphasized district efforts to unite the emning murder and terrorism in the process. Austin’s message d “Hamas” once and the word “Israel” twice, which nadequate and did not address the situation ION ISS

were to read it and not have kept up AN BIS ey could think that some tsuohen said. “It was not specific ery vague, and by staying wing this anti-semitism to

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id the post contributed of awareness of the

know what was se he didn’t address cifically,” Lehrer ple don’t know it’s not necessarbecause no one is The administration m (insignificant) ack of acknowledge-

ng (Hamas) to keep Rubble is left over from Bisan’s family house, a Palestinian-American high you don’t specifically school senior, after an airstrike. “I just got a message from my uncle that my e almost saying that family’s house turned into rubble a few hours ago,” Bisan said. “Just based on are or you think it’s what the news is saying, I don’t want to tell people because I don’t want to get in a fight. I don’t want to hear a reaction. I don’t want to hear someone say, . “Staying neutral is rror is not an option. ‘You guys deserved it.’” ond and you need to emn it.”

TEXT BY HOLDEN LEE, HEATHER a stronger statement from the district, Lehrer said several stuSONG, LUCA VOSTREJS AND KATE XIA to Austin on the night of Thursday, Oct. 12, requesting another out to the community before 8 a.m. on Oct. 13.

ART BY KATE XIA is was in response to a statement by former Hamas Political

n Khaled Mashal calling for demonstrations on Oct. 13 to “send e that we stand with Palestine, Gaza, the Al-Aqsa Mosque and

1987

The First Intifada, a series of protests and riots in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories took place, leading to the formation of Hamas in Gaza.

1993

Israeli PM Rabin and PLO Negotiator Abbas negotiate the Oslo Accords, in which the Israelis recognize the PLO as the legitimate representative of Palestine, while the PLO recognize Israel as a state.

Palestine under British mandate before partition in 1947, with a majority-Palestinian population.

Kline said he acknowledges the severity of the conflict and said students should continue to treat each other with compassion.

“We need to continue to emphasize open dialogue and encourage open and respectful discussions and provide classrooms that are safe where students can express their thoughts and their concerns,” Kline said. “We need to think of this as an opportunity to foster critical thinking about world events.”

Lehrer agrees and said she encourages students to take part in discussions, even though the sensitivity of the topic can lead to uncomfortable discussions.

“This is not something that we can move past from right now,” Lehrer said. “People need to know what’s happening.”

Jonathan Levav, Ben’s father who was born and raised in Israel, said he agrees that people should not dismiss this issue, but it is also crucial to keep moving forward.

“I don’t want to let some fundamentalist Islamic terror group stop me from doing Modern day map of my job,” Jonathan Levav the states of Israel and said. “My job is to teach our students. If I let them Palestine, split into the West Bank and Gaza. stop me from teaching my students, then they’ve won. They want to stop my life. They won’t stop my life.”

Ultimately, Greif said everyone is fundamentally human regardless of their stance.

“Death on any part is sad and tragic,” Greif said.

“The Palestinians deserve to have a flourishing, healthy life, and so do the Jewish and Arab Israelis.”

en said the district’s ding Hamas’s acense of complacency valent to endorsing

1967 War

Hamas takes power in the Gaza Strip. In response, Israel puts a blockade on Gaza, restricting trade, resources and movement out of Gaza.

2007

Hamas invades southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing over 1400 Israeli civilians and taking 200 more hostage. Israel launches airstrikes into Gaza and shuts off food, water and power.

2023

A

District Response

Moving Forward

Arab neighbors attack Israel again. Israel repels and occupies Gaza, the West Bank, the Golan Heights in Syria, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula.

XI

ead on every single end of the bias spectrum,” Cohen said. “You d that bias and try to make your own truth of it.” d while reputable publications can provide inaccurate information, exacerbate it. has no restraint, no editing guidelines, no journalism ethics or g to make sure that anything is true or reliable,” Rubinfien said. ates the press is that there’s at least some kind of process. You have two or three editors, you have a variety of people looking at nking about codes of ethics.”

Samet, who is Jewish, said the constant use of social media to n has led to desensitization of traumatic imagery. o much being posted and circulated and a lot of it is so heartsaid. “To see people justifying rape and murder — I can’t contime. So I’ve had to put the phone down.” graphics can be upsetting, Lehrer said they are crucial to underpicture of the conflict.

I see on social media is very graphic, but these images are imthey) add more to people’s understanding and show that (what’s t just statistics because these are people’s lives,” Lehrer said. “(The w people the gravity of the situation.” id her pro-Palestine posts on social media led to people attacking s and her losing both followers and friends. ds made me want to silence myself,” Abu-Dayeh said. “It made But (I’m) still reposting because honestly, I feel it’s more valuable ware of these lives being lost. I don’t really want to be friends with mad at me for posting about the death of my people.”

1947

The U.N. takes control of Palestine, splitting Palestine into a “Jewish state” and an “Arab state”, which Palestinians immediately reject. On May 15, 1948, Israel declares independence.

KA TE

potential biases and inaccuracy of the media, Ori Cohen, an senior, said students should make sure to fact check their sources r knowledge of the conflict by consuming information from all

1897

The concept of Zionism, or creating a Jewish state in the Palestinian homeland, is formally introduced by Theodor Herzl.

BY

t use all their critical thinking skills to question what they are emselves whether they are credible or not,” Rubinfien said. “Wait mation before you believe and pass along what you read.” on Oct. 17, The New York Times published a one-source story bing a hospital in Gaza, with the headline “Israeli Strike Kills pital, Palestininans say.” But official reports have yet to confirm n, and the photo used in the story was not of the hospital that was

Jerusalem” while on a Yemeni news channel. In his original message, Austin said there would not be another update on Oct. 13. But in addressing parent and study concerns, Austin then posted a message at 8:14 a.m. on Schoology that Friday reassuring students and parents that schools would be safe.

He said there were “no credible threats” and the district was in “constant communication with the Palo Alto Police Department.”

To students who decided to miss school, Austin said the district respects their decisions but threats of violence are “ongoing and somewhat predictable in the current global climate.”

A female senior who asked not to be identified out of security concerns said while the administration is in a difficult position due to the multiple communities engaged with the issue, she still hopes for more awareness to be raised about certain groups.

“Our administrators really need to take into consideration what the Middle Eastern and North African students feel because it’s so hard to be an extremely small minority,” the female senior said. “Our community is so small that our voices are being overpowered, and we deserve the same treatment.”

And Principal Brent Kline said the district response to the events in Israel were intentionally minimal to allow students to start their own civil discussions.

“The Israel-Hamas conflict is deeply sensitive, and it’s complex,” Kline said. “There are diverse perspectives in our school community, and by crafting statements that might have a degree of ambiguity, it creates space for students to form their own opinions and to engage in respectful discussion.”

AR T

than good, and that students need to be constantly questioning

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

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Opinion

Culture shock in our own country is real; we shouldn’t be ashamed 89-:$2%&+10+-,,-.2)&"+/)2%&"(+:1(%+61&&%6"-1&(+"1+6#:"#2%+9%2-").%4+0)6%+(%&(%+10+$-()((16-)"-1& Cherianne Yoon Staff Writer

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mid the vibrant ambiance of the zoo, the sun’s warmth envelops me like a giant blanket as I grasp tightly onto my parents’ hands, surrounded by a bustling crowd. Laughter and bright chatter tickle my ears, mingling with the enticing aroma of pizza and hotdogs.

But soon enough, I lose sight of my parents whose hands I was grabbing just seconds ago. I’m in a foreign setting, surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar sights and strangers. That disorienting feeling of being disconnected, like not belonging, mirrors what many people experience in their own countries due to culture shock.

This experience often remains unacknowledged, especially among American children of immigrant parents or those who were born in a different country but moved to the States at a young age.

For instance, I was born in South Korea. I spent my first seven years there, and I try to go back to visit at least every two years. My family speaks Korean, eats traditional Korean food and follows many Korean customs. Yet, I only recently realized how the sensation of being an outsider in Korea gives me culture shock.

Language is the cornerstone of any culture as it serves a vital link between us and our roots and communities.

However, maintaining proficiency in the mother tongue can be challenging, particularly when the language isn’t taught at school.

Paly doesn’t offer Korean language classes, so I had to actively seek an off-campus course to both continue learning my language and to ensure it counted towards my graduation requirement. A considerable number of children of immigrant parents gradually lose their ability to speak their parent’s native language at a young age. The demands of school and life make it easy to put foreign language skills on the back-burner when they aren’t a daily necessity.

Moreover, depending on the extent of the language barrier, it can strain relationships between immigrant parents and their children if either party cannot effectively communicate their thoughts and feelings.

Food, an integral part of culture, adds another layer to this multifaceted experience. While it can be fun to explore new cuisines, experimenting with food can deepen the sense of dissociation when we realize that we don’t feel a sense of normalcy eating the local or traditional dishes like other natives do. Though my family primarily eats traditional Korean food, there have been subtle recipe modifications over the years, influenced more and more by our evolving life in America.

The ingredients and foods we buy from Korean markets or restaurants aren’t expected to be 100% authentic due to complications including shipping constraints.

Additionally, Korean businesses are often pressured to assimilate by Americanizing their products in order to attract a wider audience.

Culture is a living, breathing facet of society that is constantly shifting and transforming. For people living outside their home country, this continual change can create a sense of otherness.

We encounter different values, expectations and social norms –– some of which may surprise us in both positive and negative ways.

Even the simple act of greeting someone or expressing ourselves can vary significantly from what we’re accustomed to in our everyday life.

In Korean culture, there is a huge emphasis on respecting your elders — it is expected that you bend at the waist and greet them politely every time you see them.

This greeting can sometimes be burdensome, especially as I spend more time in America and immerse myself in a non-Korean way of life.

ART BY CHERIANNE YOON

While Korea, like many other East Asian countries, emphasizes a family-oriented lifestyle, American culture often emphasizes putting personal interests and individual passions before family. Although there’s nothing inherently wrong with either of these mindsets, it can be hard to merge them.

These factors create a gap between home country and identity.

As children of immigrants, we often find ourselves straddling a line between being American and aligning ourselves to our heritage. At times, we may feel like observers rather than active participants in our own communities.

Here’s the thing –– culture shock in our own country is a reality people often underestimate, and we might begin to feel ashamed for it.

Rather than feeling “white-washed,” we should channel this energy into leaning into our cultural heritage and engaging with our family about their experiences.

By actively seeking ways to bridge the gap between both halves of our identity, we can reclaim a part of ourselves that always had a blurry line between them.

!"#$%&'()'*+*,-.&/012(3*4(*51-&6*17010)&.-7()(8+ !"#$%&"'(")*+,%%"-&.+("%/+0123)2$4+5#"+$-("2-6"+&%%$(+"1+-&62%)(%+$-(6#((-1&4+"2)&(/)2%&67 In Spring of 2023, the board of education made the decision to stop offering Multivariable Calculus to high school students during the school day. After facing pushback on this decision from both students and parents, the board eventually agreed to offer Multivariable Calculus after school.

But the course is still not part of a student’s official transcript, the class is after the school day instead of during school hours, and the District has not been clear about its reasons for removing the class in the first place.

Assistant Principal Erik Olah called students together in September for a meeting to gather opinions on a seemingly v Multivariable Calculus dilemma that has been ongoing in the district for months.

Though this meeting was an important step forward in reaching a resolution, the district needs to keep stepping up its communications and transparency in order to find a compromise.

Before this meeting, it was difficult for all but the most committed students to speak their minds on this issue.

The only avenues for feedback were through petitions and board meetings, and there are problems with both. Board meetings happen only once every two weeks, there is a signup process in order to speak, and speaking times are limited to only one minute.

Students have even resorted to signing up for consecutive speaking slots just to be able to deliver their entire message, instead of getting abruptly cut off at one minute. But while Olah’s September meeting was better than anything that came before, this progress is hardly enough.

One step forward does not compare to the marathon of an issue that the board’s decision has presented. And despite all the good that came from this student meeting, only 21 attended — including both Principal Brent Kline and Olah.

While this lack of attendance could easily be interpreted as students not caring about

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Multivariable Calculus and a sign that the board should move on, it is more likely a result of a lack of publicity for the event.

The only notification students had that this meeting was coming up was one Schoology message a week before, with no reminders or follow ups.

Keeping this in mind, it is understandable many students forgot about it.

Also, rather than freely talking about the issues with the group, administrators had us write our ideas on sticky notes and put them on a sheet of poster paper.

This method made the meeting less effective and prevented us from speaking our minds.

Ultimately, the biggest issue the district has failed to address – and has given multiple contradictory answers to – is why isn’t Multivariable Calculus offered during the school day? The core of the issue is rooted in a lack of transparency

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from the PAUSD, which needs to communicate better with students and parents to make their intentions clear.

Without transparency, criticism makes sense.

If students’ complaints about the Multivariable Calculus issue are never addressed, it looks like the district is ignoring us. Yet somehow, despite the lack of transparency and all the other obstacles, we have made progress.

There is a Multivariable Calculus class, which wasn’t guaranteed last year. The class is on campus, even if it’s not during school hours. It isn’t perfect, but we’ve made a lot of progress.

It seems like the Board and administrators aren’t so much an enemy as a stubborn manager.

It is ultimately up to students to communicate and attempt to reach an agreement. But if district officials continue to ignore us, then it becomes a problem. In the end, the September meeting was a huge step forward in terms of listening to student opinion. But one step by itself isn’t enough.

Gavin Lin Staff Writer

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Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

A7

Opinion

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Neel Sharma Sports Editor

If a plumber, gardener or mechanic overcharges you, how would you know? The answer is -- if you’re like most people -- you probably wouldn’t because you have no idea what their jobs entail.

According to a 2023 NPR report, the application rate for skilled labor jobs like plumbers, mechanics and electricians dropped by 49% from 2020 to 2022. The market for skilled labor is dictated by supply and demand, and those trained in skilled labor are increasingly old and increasingly shrinking. The solution? Bring back an emphasis on vocational schooling and incentivize students to consider these career paths.

The Bay Area mindset is one that sees training in tech and other STEM jobs as the priority for the education system which leads to the lack of skilled labor in our area.

Because tech-focused jobs are seen as the most attractive, we lack diversity in our educational offerings.

With most students applying to four-year universities, and with the stigma against labor-intensive jobs, very few opportunities for job training exist. One solution that has already been implemented in many states including California is a renewed emphasis on career and technical education and creating high schools which focus on vocational training. Though PAUSD does have CTE offerings including autoshop and foods and does require a year of CTE to graduate, there should be an effort to educate the community about the benefits of these classes beyond the graduation requirement. By doing this, we are not only incentivizing students to take these classes because of their academic benefits but also working against the stigma that science, technology and math jobs are better.

But it’s not about converting people to different jobs when they grow up. We also need to promote a more hands-on learning environment like students experience in CTE courses. When a student inevitably runs into a problem with an appliance or a vehicle when they grow up, CTE courses can give them the skills necessary to fix things themselves.

Work experience is another valuable component of CTE programs, and more students should take advantage of that. If the district could promote this program more and even offer alternatives to required credits through work experience, we could incentivize people to at least attempt learning labor skills even if they are not part of a person’s career goal. And if a student finds a passion through work or CTE, they can pursue skilled labor as their career.

The truth is, despite the Silicon Valley stereotype, that there are many students at Paly who graduate and go into the skilled labor market. These students can carry the knowledge and skills from their CTE classes into the workplace, and I’d like to see more encouragement for more students to take advantage of the opportunities hands-on CTE classes offer including honors and dual enrollment options.

ART BY JESSIE KWAN

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uring long 90-minute math or science periods, I often find myself struggling to stay awake and focus on the material without getting distracted or sidetracked.

When I look around the classroom, I’ll notice I’m not alone.

Often, I see the telltale falling jigsaw pieces of Tetris on my peers’ computers while others rest their heads on desks with their eyes closed. Having so many kids being distracted results in less attentive students and more studying at home– which ultimately leads to an increase in stress.

While I believe long classes are extremely beneficial for learning, they can also make it extremely difficult to learn material well.

All classes should incorporate purposeful five-minute breaks into classes in order to engage the class and make it easier to focus and allow time for students to engage with peers.

According to Cornell Health, taking short purposeful breaks during extended periods of studying can have many benefits on the brain.

The study shows breaks with purpose rejuvenate you mentally while also boosting productivity.

During long lectures, taking notes and staying attentive are not only difficult, but also monotonous. If students cannot pay attention during the full class, teachers might as well make space in the agenda for a purposeful five-minute break.

This would not only benefit the students by helping them regain their focus, but also allow teachers to use class time more efficiently instead of forcing students to be barely focused during the period.

Taking five-minute breaks also allows students to take their minds off the lecture, stretch their legs and get water, which means they’ll come back with renewed energy to be productive.

Five-minute breaks take up less than 6% of class time, and still allow the other almost 95% of class for dedicated learning.

Edutopia, a website that explores ways to promote innovative learning, said breaks supply students with many emotional benefits. These include stopping students from feeling swamped, contemplation on the material, happiness and time to talk.

When students feel overwhelmed, it’s hard to keep a collected mind. This mentality is vital to learn. Additionally, according to Teaching Channel, a site made to educate teachers about teaching, breaks can boost creativity and make work feel less scary.

For myself, breaks allow me to collect my thoughts and reflect, which is an extremely important part of learning. During breaks, students often share ideas about the current activity or lecture with each other. This provides even more opportunities for growth because it allows students to collaborate and helps provide a time for discourse. It also allows time for me to ask questions and discuss answers with my peers, which is extremely beneficial to my learning process because it forces me to restate and fully understand concepts.

While some students, when let outside, can be disruptive or self-extend their breaks past five minutes, there are ways to combat such situations. For example, teachers could provide students with a five-minute break within the classroom so as not to disrupt other classes.

Dedicating five minutes of class time for a break can drastically improve a student’s ability to focus and allow them time to discuss content learned with peers, which is exactly what students need. Five-minute breaks take less than six percent of class time for substantial benefits, so why not have all teachers incorporate them into their classes?

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The clock ticks as I zone out, losing my attention to the teacher’s lecture. My eyes glaze over as my mind wanders. The teacher’s voice blurs into white noise until it’s completely silent. After what feels like an eternity, the sound of the bell finally beings me back to reality.

With countless days of sitting through long class periods, I find it difficult to stay engaged for the entire class.

In contrast, when the content connects to current events or important happenings in our world, classes become more engaging.

Teachers should include current events in our day-to-day lessons, so students can connect their learning to their lives and the world around them. For example, Facing History & Ourselves, an organization that provides teachers with resources to link history and current events, said putting a current lens on our studies is important.

“Engaging with current events is an essential part of educating young people to be informed and humane participants in society, helping them develop the capacity to examine

issues from multiple perspectives and think critically about the world around them.”

One way to integrate current events into our learning is by making lessons more flexible.

With a set curriculum, meaning it doesn’t adapt to the latest happenings, students might lose motivation and curiosity for learning, preventing them from performing to their best ability.

For example, when we were learning about constitutional monarchies in Europe, the unit happened to overlap with Queen Elizabeth’s death.

However, neither her death nor the transfer of monarchical power was ever mentioned in class. This would have been a great opportunity to engage students by teaching them about the transfer of power in monarchies using a relevant example.

To counter these missed opportunities, Princeton’s newspaper, the Princetonian, said teachers should create courses with more flexibility. This means connecting their teaching to recent events and making lessons relevant to current affairs, rather than following the same curriculum every year.

“Such a move would increase students’ engagement, bring in new and fresh perspectives on other materials they are learning, and encourage students to

contextualize what they are learning in class in light of what is going on in the world around them.”

Some classes at Paly have successfully made this link between learning students’ lives and are examples of how to make this happen.

For example, in a different history class than the one I talked about earlier, we started the day by watching CNN 10. My teacher managed to connect the video to the day’s lesson, such as discussing former President Donald Trump challenging our democratic norms and institutions.

In freshman year for biology class, we did an interactive project on finding environmental solutions to current problems like climate change. Not only was this a good way to help us learn and remember the content, but it also kept students engaged.

By applying our knowledge from lectures to solve a current problem, the project revealed that what we were learning could be applied in real-life scenarios, giving students some understanding of why we were learning what we were. These are both cases where teachers make learning more relevant to the students through the latest happenings.

Classes should prepare students to be able to solve complex social and global problems, as opposed to only striving for a good grade by

memorizing random content. Our educational system should not be set in stone without any adaptability. It should spark students with curiosity and prepare us to deal with relevant ART BY AURELIA MCKINNEY

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

A8

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n the day of Jewish holiday Simchat Torah, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel. This Oct. 7 attack included the simultaneous firing of thousands of rockets into southern and central Israel, raids in towns just miles away from the Gaza strip, the kidnapping of 200 hostages and thousands of casualties. In a televised statement that evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged those in Gaza to leave the territory before Israel retaliated even though surrounding blockades prevented the residents of Gaza from escaping.

Since then, the Israeli Defense Force has declared war on Hamas and launched thousands of rockets into Gaza, decimating hospitals and apartment buildings and killing more than 2000 Gazans. Israel also cut off electricity, water and supplies to Gaza on Oct. 9, exacerbating the already severe humanitarian crisis.

Although The Campanile acknowledges the complexity of the Israel-Hamas conflict, we denounce Hamas’s attack against Israel and condemn the terrorist group for using civilians as human shields. The Campanile thinks Israel could have prevented the deaths of thousands of civilians living in Gaza by retaliating with less brutality.

Following the initial attacks by Hamas on Israel, people around the world rallied in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people, which we support. In other places people celebrated in the streets, calling for the freedom of Palestine, which in the context of the initial assault against Israel, we cannot support because of Hamas’s violent actions against Israel.

Because of the complexity of the situation, we also urge students to understand the difference between being proHamas and pro-Palestine. According to the Wall Street Journal, Hamas is a military group that rejects Israel’s right to exist and is classified as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the European Union and Israel. We cannot support terrorism. But being pro-Palestine isn’t the same as being proHamas and we hope people will disentangle Hamas from the Palestinian people living in Gaza and around the rest of the world, including those in the Bay Area.

As far as the PAUSD response to the Hamas attack and the Israeli retaliation, we wish the district would have responded faster and more empathetically to address the issue and offer support to those impacted. On Oct. 10, former Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Khaled Mashal said Oct. 13 should be a Day of Jihad against Jewish people. And while many Jewish schools in the Bay area closed for the day or held classes remotely to ensure the student and faculty safety,

PAUSD did not initially release any statement addressing this potential security issue.

In an interview with The Campanile, senior Ori Cohen, who is Jewish, said several students threatened a walk-out and sent emails to Superintendent Don Austin calling for him to release a formal security plan by 8 a.m.to ensure student and faculty safety that Friday.

Eventually Austin did post a 257-word message to Schoology at 8:14 a.m. on Oct. 13, explaining that PAUSD would be increasing communications with the Palo Alto Police Department to ensure the safety of students and faculty during the school day.

While the idea of the message was good, we think it came too late and was unnecessarily vague, giving the impression that the district was sidestepping the issue, rather than addressing the conflict head-on.

We would also encourage the student body to do better in educating itself about what is happening in Israel and Gaza right now and the complex history that has led us to this point. Many students have turned to social media platforms to understand the IsraelHamas conflict in real time following the initial attack.

While we encourage everyone to educate themselves about the conflict, we hope people continue to fact check the information they obtain from social media with information from credible sources.

While social media can function as a valuable platform for communication and advocacy, it can also be a tool that perpetuates the spread of misinformation. Over the past two weeks, graphic images, disturbing videos and misinformation have circulated on platforms like Instagram, TikTok and X. While the content shared on social media can be eye-opening, social media posts often oversimplify issues, causing students to take a radical stance on an issue that is often not so black and white.

Social media algorithms also make it easy to turn to sources that mirror your own feelings, which only increases the spread of misinformation and deepens the sociopolitical divide.

The Israel-Hamas conflict is complex, but The Campanile urges people to inform themselves using credible sources before forming an opinion. While Hamas is a terrorist group and should not be supported, we think Israel could have retaliated with less brutality. And ultimately, Superintendent Austin’s statement could have addressed the conflict in a more timely and empathetic manner, uniting the community at this difficult time.

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!"#$%&'(")*%+,',#-).*'%$&.)*+'/-0+',")*+$"'%$1)" In order to comply with California Assembly Bill 101, the board of education approved a required Ethnic Studies course for freshman starting with the class of 2029, the current 7th grade class. Although the state provides a model curriculum as a teaching guide, state guidelines encourage school districts to design a course that reflects the backgrounds and needs of its students.

According to teachers and educational leads in the district, the PAUSD curriculum will provide opportunities for students to explore their identities and delve deep into topics they are curious about. The district also says it will collect student input to help develop the course.

The Campanile praises PAUSD for its openness in developing a flexible curriculum that takes student input into consideration and promotes cultural engagement. While traditional history classes explore history from a broad

lens, ethnic studies invites students to examine past events from the perspective of historically marginalized groups, fostering commitment to equity.

The Campanile thinks an ethnic studies requirement is a beneficial step toward diversifying student perspectives about the human experience and expanding their worldview. As pressing sociopolitical issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the IsraelHamas conflict continue to disrupt the global landscape, it is imperative for students to educate themselves and learn from the past in order to understand the present.

The Campanile also praises PAUSD for requesting student input on the course duing PRIME sessions. This is a good first step toward developing an inclusive yet comprehensive curriculum.

However, in order to encourage an even more diverse range of student input, we urge district officials to provide even more ways for students

to give their opinions and share their experiences.

Similarly to how student committees were used for advising the development of the bell schedule, the district should implement a similar plan for gathering student input about ethnic studies.

Students often need to use PRIME sessions to ask for help from teachers, so PRIME isn’t always the best time for students to give input on other issues. At the first PRIME session to get input on ethnic studies, for example, only 11 students showed up, hardly a representative sample of student opinion.

Schoology surveys, additional meetings and better publicity about meetings related to ethnic studies would allow PAUSD to cast a wider net, capturing a larger range of student views and ultimately providing more opportunities for students to pave their own learning paths, making the future ethnic studies course even better.

7

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TEXT BY ALEC BONNARD AND ALBERT JUNG ART BY SAMANVIKA SENTHIL KUMAR

1

The Campanile Editors-in-Chief Christie Hong • Lucy Li • Dhruv Shetty Hannah Singer • Nidhi Thummalapalli News/Opinion Editors Olivia Atkinson Julian Hong Sports Editors Rohan Bhatia Neel Sharma

Lifestyle, Sci/Tech Editors Alec Bonnard Holden Lee Kate Xia Managing Editor Lucas Yuan

Art Director Rachel Lee

Photo Editor Tyler Wong

Social Media Manager Heather Song

Business Manager Gabriella Gulman

Writers

Isabella Bian Albert Jung Rahul Shetty Isabelle Carlsen Lea Kwan Shamsheer Singh Annika Chu Gavin Lin Luca Vostrejs Cynthia Huang Henry Liu Cherianne Yoon Alex Isayama Naveen Narayanaswami Illustrators & Photographers Talia Boneh Charlotte Liu Anya Rasmussen Janya Jain Isaac Liu Angela Rao Sophia Kelly Samanvika Senthil Kumar Sam Saccheri Aurelia McKinney Dorian Luo Teresa Wang

Adviser Rodney Satterthwaite Letters to the Editors: Email all letters to editors to theeds24@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 or sponsors in The Campanile and their size options and prices, please contact The Campanile Business Managers by email 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. The Campanile would like to thank the PTSA for supporting the mailing of our newspaper.

Our Vision Statement:

The Campanile has upheld the highest standard of student journalism for the last century by engaging the community through various mediums of storytelling.

Our coverage of news, culture and athletics aims to represent the diverse perspectives of our student body.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

Lifestyle

Students, staff adapt to digital PSAT, prepare for future College Board tests

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unior Alma Bendavid stares at her computer as she scans the text on the PSAT’s Math section, but after over an hour of testing, her eyes begin to glaze over as the blue light continues to glare back at her. Around her, instead of the chorus of pencils on paper, the only sounds are the almost-silent clicks or taps as other students select their right choices on each question on the newly rolled out digital PSAT. Fortunately, Bendavid said the instructions during the digital PSAT were clear and easy to follow.

“It was organized pretty well, and everybody knew what was expected,” Bendavid said. “It increases accessibility, and it’s more practical. The fact that it’s shorter makes it a lot nicer.”

Nicole Gibbs, a senior director of the College Readiness Assessments at the College Board, said the PSAT and the SAT will no longer be administered on paper and will instead be replaced with a digital exam via the College Board’s new app, Bluebook.

Gibbs said COVID-19 helped encourage the transition to the digital tests.

“When there were widespread test center closures, it prevented us from being able to administer our assessments,” Gibbs said. “That situation really ignited a sense of urgency and purpose within our organization.”

Gibbs said the digital format will allow students to take a test with a familiar device which could expand its accessibility.

“Students are doing a lot of their learning and testing digitally, and we don’t want the SAT to be an exception,” Gibbs said. “It’s important as part of our mission to ensure that we are increasing and expanding the opportunity for students from all backgrounds.”

Assistant Principal LaDonna Butler, who is in charge of administering the PSAT and SAT at Paly, said the transition evens out the playing field for students by providing the same tools within the test.

“It allows for students to have universal supports within it,” Butler said. “(Everyone has) the calculator, zoom-in (and) zoom-out abilities, things of that nature. This means that students with accommodations can, in some instances, take the exam in a general testing (area).”

Instead of being a three-hour test like the paper SAT, the digital SAT is only two hours and 14 minutes. And in terms of the updated style of the test, the Reading & Writing and Math sections have two modules each. The modules are different sections or blocks of the test, but they contain the same type of questions.

For example, the Reading & Writing section will no longer have a distinct reading and grammar section and will instead have a mix of the two in both modules. The section will have multiple, shorter passages with one question each, compared to the previous model of very few, long passages tied to several questions.

In the Math section, instead of a calculator and non-calculator portion, both modules will allow students to use the online calculator built into the Bluebook app. Each section’s second module will have questions based on performance in ART BY CHERIANNE YOON the first module.

Paly College Adviser Sandra Cernobori said she hopes the shorter digital SAT will be less stressful for students.

“In some ways, I think that it will help because there’s a lot what we hope to deliver to students as we were building what of fatigue when taking a really long test,” Cernobori said. “I we believe to be an incredible experience, not just for students, would hope that that’s a bit of a stress reliever for students.” but also for educators.”

The College Board made the Junior Kanghee Cho said digital SAT available internathe digital test format seems Digital PSAT tionally for the first time this like mostly a good idea to him.

• Test was taken through College past spring, and it will be avail“The digital SAT looks Board’s Bluebook app able in the US in the spring of easier because the passages are 2024. Gibbs said 90% of internashorter, and you don’t have to • First and second modules are tional students liked the digital focus that hard,” Cho said. “I identical for math and reading format better after they took the think the adaptive part of it is a sections digital test. little questionable. I just think • The second module is adaptive “The reception has been it’s more fair if it’s the same based on the answers to the first incredibly positive,” Gibbs said. question for everyone.” module “With the digital SAT, everyGibbs said the digital SAT • Testing accommodations are built thing is a button away and more tailors the test to individual into the Bluebook app relaxing. We have hundreds strengths and challenges by ART BY RACHEL LEE of quotes where giving students questions with students have an array of difficulties that are said, ‘This feels based on their previous answers. easier to “It’s been designed to empower students and not to create take,’ which unfair hurdles. It levels the playing field, ensuring that there’s is exactly fair evaluation,” Gibbs said. “While it feels natural to feel some level of uncertainty, I really do want to reassure students that this change is exciting, and it’s a chance to shine and be recognized for their capabilities.”

Gibbs also said the new format will likely increase security and prevent cheating.

“We have created a test form for students that is comparable and unique to that particular student,” Gibbs said. “That lessens the opportunity for students to share answers. Once the test begins, the test locks down so that the student cannot jump out of the Bluebook platform to another browser.”

And Cernobori said students shouldn’t focus too much on their SAT scores for college applications.

“A lot of what it means or the role it plays depends on the student, the high school, the college that’s using the test and how they’re using the test,” Cernobori said. “I’m not sure it’s worth students putting a lot of pressure on themselves. I would hope that students see it as one piece of the application that’s optional, but that those scores alone aren’t going to make or break an application.”

The PSAT was also digital this year, and on Oct. 11, many Paly juniors took it on campus using Bluebook.

Butler also said students should view the digitized PSAT as data necessary for their success.

“I don’t think that students should be worried about taking any exam,” Butler said. “It is an assessment to say where you’re at and these are the areas of growth, and you want to utilize that information.

Especially with the PSAT, it’s going to give students information that they need to perform well on the SAT or improve on the SAT.” Butler said before the test, administrators did training and preparations individually and as a staff.

“It’s a learning curve, but I’m enjoying it,” Butler said. “I’m excited. I think that we’re headed in the right direction.”

Gibbs said the digital SAT presents an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge to colleges and potential career opportunities.

“It allows students to showcase their true knowledge and skills and also enables them to stand out to colleges and potential career opportunities,” Gibbs said. “Those are some of the reasons why we believe that this has been a good move. I’m very confident in the way that the platform has been constructed.”

!"#$%&'#()*#+,(#-*&.&%(/$,,&012($//"#)&$%#(+$3&45(*&,%0"5(%*"067*()64&1$"5(,8&44, :%/"(,%*)$8#7%&7()7++1&,4)9+8);(#.%;)0(,(5%*6).(#8,)#0+/%)&,%(8,#%&+,#.)7+22/,&%&(*)%;8+/4;)$#**("<"+=,)8(7&$(* Vigorously beating and stirring, freshman Brian J. Miller Jr. peers into the bowl as hues of orange paint a creamy blend of sweet potatoes, milk and eggs — part of his usual routine for cooking his signature sweet potato pie.

This batch of sweet potato filling, though, is headed to a different destination: a cheesecake.

The sweet potato filling and cheesecake in Miller’s recipe differ in consistency, forming a combination that Miller said compliments the final product.

“You can mix the cheesecake with the sweet potato filling and get a nice swirl pattern,” Miller said. “When you make a cheesecake, it’s kind of like jello. This sweet potato filling can balance it a bit better. The texture’s nice and soft.”

Miller is one of many students who cook and said a history of preparing soul food, a staple for the Southern African-American community, runs deep in his family.

Beyond his heritage, Miller also looks to the Internet for inspiration.

Being able to combine old ideas to make new ones is important— Instagram (works) pretty well for that,” Miller said. “Beyond that, I look mostly to (my) mom. She comes up with new recipes now and again, whether it

just be her thinking about it or if she finds it somewhere on the Internet.”

Cooking offers more than just unique taste.

Miller, a wrestler, said he became more aware of eating healthy through his journey into cooking.

“Cooking makes my decisions more conscious when adding or taking away ingredients or deciding what to put in certain foods,” Miller said. “That part of being able to cook allows for me to make more decisions on what I’m consuming, which does improve my diet.”

And students are not the only ones with a knack for creating new recipes. Instructional assistant Sh’quil Green said he comes up with unique methods of preparing crabs.

“For crab, usually people boil it or bake it,” Green said. “I do both. I add a lot of butter and garlic and inject it. On every bite, you can taste garlic in it. ”

Drawn towards the competitive aspect of cooking, Green said he always strives to build off his family’s lineage when cooking, as he grew up before the digital age of relatively affordable electronic devices.

“I want to be a better cook than people who were raised with access to a computer,” Green said. “So for example, my mom is one of the best cooks in my life. My motivation and inspiration is to cook as good as her.”

Green also said he watches television programs to draw inspiration.

“The Food Network,” Green said. “I love it.

When I was in high school I (went) to sleep watching cartoons and (the) Food Channel.”

Aspiring chefs have the option of taking Paly’s culinary arts classes for their electives, a class that educates students on basic cooking skills and exposes them to dishes from around the world.

Culinary arts teacher Theresa McDermott said the collaborative aspect of the class offers

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a chance for anyone to improve their cooking skills.

“Everyone, no matter how much or little experience they may have, can learn, grow, laugh, share, and cook,” McDermott said. “Everyone is welcome, everyone can find success and walk away with a skill for life that knows no bounds.”

McDermott said her cultural background influences how she approaches cooking.

“As a young person, I was exposed to many different cuisines while growing up in New York City,” McDermott said. “Some of my first jobs were in restaurants, working at the front and back of the house. My father watched Julia Child on PBS when I was a child and he taught me how to cook. Watching Ms. Child alongside my father, I learned about the thrill and adventure of cooking.”

Ultimately, McDermott said cooking offers much more than just nutritional value.

“Life does not exist without sustenance,” McDermott said. “Food binds communities and cultures together.”

Henry Liu Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

B2

Lifestyle

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“You gain a lot of perspective,” Jensen said.

“Being down at the field and watching it all happen, there’s so much behind the scenes (and) so many little things.”

Jensen also said there could have been small improvements to mitigate some of the chaos during the spirit week games.

“The planning for point systems could have been a bit better,” Jensen said. “Also elaborations on the rules of the games, because some people will break the rules, and I can’t really deduct (points). It’s so hectic, paying attention to each individual class and then the crowd.”

Jensen said she continuously improved from rally to rally, learning how to best captivate the crowd while explaining necessary instructions.

“I feel like during some of the first rallies (there) was an alteration for me not being very concise with my words, and (being) loud so people can hear them and catch on,” Jensen said. “It’s important to be very punctual as well.”

Jensen said she initially ran for spirit week commissioner without realizing the magnitude of work it demanded, but was able to succeed due to the assistance of the rest of ASB. “I didn’t really understand how (ASB) works before going in, I thought, ‘I love spirit. Let’s do this,’” Jensen said. “(There) is a really big learning curve, and everyone has been really patient and very helpful. I was worried about being judged, but I don’t really feel that sense. People really wish you the best in ASB, and I think I couldn’t have done it without the help that I got.”

To plan for spirit week, Jensen said she spent countless hours researching games, considering how plausible they would be to execute.

“As soon as school started, I had already looked over master schedules from last year (and) legacy letters,” Jensen said. “We chose out like a really long list of games when the summer started, just so we could have something to bounce off of when school started.”

Despite the abundance of planning, Jensen said she had a hard time dealing with both the responsibilities of spirit week commissioner and her duties as a student during spirit week.

“I felt internally that I was balancing the stress of the whole school (and) how

they felt the entire week. That’s a lot of weight to have on you,” Jensen said. “And then I was cramming for tests. I thought having spirit week was such a big thing absorbing my life at the moment, that academics could wait. And then at night, I would freak out (because) now that I’m done with ASB stuff, I have to do school stuff and (I was) mentally drained.

Regardless of these shortcomings, Jensen said recognition for her efforts provided all the validation needed.

“It feels really nice to know that people acknowledge the hard work that is being put into spirit week,” Jensen said. “I think a lot of the time people disregard stuff that happens, and only acknowledge the bad. But it’s really refreshing to see how people were very encouraging this year. I think what struck me the most was the crowd response when you’re hype, and you get them to hype, it’s just it’s such a nice energy.”

Looking to the future, Jensen said she wants to reintroduce a second spirit week during the spring, something that occurred last year, but lacked attendance because it wasn’t publicized well.

“Before the spring break, I hope to have a spirit week with (better) timing because I know that’s what confused grades last year,” Jensen said. “Better publicity, better themes, maybe more interactive games that are simple and like relay races (or) a sack race, or something just to get people’s spirits up. It’s just a good mental break to get you in the mood for spring break.”

Jensen said she had three main points of advice for next year’s Spirit Week Commissioner.

“Show your own personality. Don’t be who they want you to be. Be loud. Be happy.

Be encouraging and be personal with the crowd,” Jensen said. “Definitely try to have a set schedule for yourself, (and) follow that, so you have something to lean on. Keep an open mind. Things are going to change in a flash of a minute, and the ability for you to compromise with yourself and others is so crucial.”

Overall, Jensen said she had a great time during spirit week, persevering through many ups and downs.

“School spirit is so important (in) making a good high school experience,” Jensen said. “I really wanted to make spirit week something that’s a highlight of people’s school years because that’s what made such a good impression on me last year to apply for this position in the first place.”

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Spirit Commissioner Hannah Jensen speaks into a microphone addressing a crowd of Paly students. “Everyone had a lot of fun, and especially being a senior and being more involved with the senior class, everyone was just really happy to be around each other,” Jensen said.

Dhruv Shetty Editor-in-Chief

!"#$%&'$%(')*'+,%-(*&*./*01%2"2/3$(%4$3"%53&"%#"#$ Lifestyle, Sci/Tech Editor & Managing Editor It’s sweet. It’s chewy. And students love it. Grabbing boba from a local store is a tried-and-true method of disconnecting from the tiresome reality of high school, and in Palo Alto, the Taiwanese drink has become a staple.

But with so many choices in town, deciding where to go can be a crisis in itself. So, we set out to uncover which stores in Palo Alto offer the best boba experience, based on drink quality, price, ambiance and location.

To note, we visited (from our experience) the most popular boba shops that students go to, especially Downtown, in Town and Country and in the Stanford Shopping Center. We also tried to order specialty drinks at each location, so we could compare the best of each place.

Mr. Sun Our first stop was Mr. Sun, one of (too) many boba stores on University Ave. Located in the heart of downtown Palo Alto, the vibrantly-lit shop is a convenient choice for those wishing to grab a sweet treat after lunch. Their Golden Brown Sugar Boba ($5.75) tasted amazing at 50% sugar with less ice, and (at the expense of a slightly longer wait time) their handmade boba, while overly chewy, left a good taste in the mouth. We also ordered the Mango Boba Milk Tea ($6), but we were unable to enjoy the beverage because Lucas slammed the drink on a table to “mix it,” rendering the drink undrinkable. We ran out of the shop down University Ave. with boba streaming out of the broken plastic cup, leaving a trail of tea behind us — and a lot of turned heads. Our final verdict: The cup didn’t pass the stress test. 4.5/5.

Kung Fu Tea The next stop in our culinary adventure led us on a two-block stroll down the same avenue to Kung Fu Tea. At $5.70, the medium-sized KF Milk Tea classic was noticeably smaller than Mr. Sun’s drink (which only had one size). With no option to adjust the sweetness level, it was noticeably sweeter, and the final sips left a slight bitter aftertaste in the mouth. At least we could adjust the ice level. But here, too, we ran into an issue: the regular ice order was not enough for a cool drink. But for ambiance lovers, the store decor better resembles a traditional shop in Taiwan. Not to mention, it also has an arcade and two Pokemon Go gyms to battle it out while enjoying your drink. By that standard, perhaps the store does live up to its martial arts name. 3/5.

Wanpo Tea This review would not be complete without going to a store at the Stanford Shopping Center, the wonderfully designed and shopping go-to hub located in the heart of Silicon Valley. Wanpo Tea is located in the center of Palo Alto’s largest shopping complex, and is always bustling with storegoers on the weekend, making it necessary to order beforehand or by scanning a QR code outside. This international Taiwanese chain stays true to its roots, with classic black Wanpo Milk Tea ($5.75) being its flagship drink. Lacking flavor, the Wanpo Milk tea was the least enjoyable of the lot. The boba pearls were too small and lacked flavor, while 50% sugar tasted a little too diluted, but the ice was perfect at “less ice.” The Taro Milk Tea ($6.25) was a different story. Authentic with a grainy taro texture, which admittedly is an acquired taste, it helped win back some quality points for the shop. The serving sizes weren’t particularly large, with the drinks similar in size to Kung Fu Tea. 4/5.

Boba Guys To top it all off, we had to go full circle and head back to Town and Country to Boba Guys. The well-loved chain store supplies the necessary boba intake for many students, and while the menu is more limited than the other shops, its options still are a favorite. The Strawberry Matcha Latte ($7.45 for 16oz) is known for its tri-layered flavors and watermelonresemblant hues. Mixed together, the strawberry flavor balances out the strength of the matcha nicely. The Korean Banana Milk Tea ($7.90 for 24oz) stayed true to its name: the sweet, milky, banana tang tasted exactly like the Korean counterpart. The boba was also quite chewy and similar to Mr. Sun’s, though the tapioca taste wasn’t as distinct as at some of the other shops. 4/5.

HE C AMP ANIL E

Holden Lee & Lucas Yuan

LUC AS Y UAN /T

ART BY TERESA WANG

Sophomore Meryem Orazova is immersed in a realm of languages — from the four she speaks at home to the one she’s learning at Paly.

Navigating through all of these languages can be tricky, but it’s a common experience to have in Silicon Valley.

Around 20% of Americans speak another language other than English and that number is 45% in California, the state with the highest language diversity.

And at Paly, two years of world language or its equivalent is required for graduation.

The World Languages Department offers five languages: American Sign Language, Spanish, French, Japanese and Chinese, and while the specific pathways may vary, the general structure progresses from level 1 to 3, concluding with either level 4 or AP. Orazova, taking Spanish 3H, said learning languages helps to communicate with others while traveling around the world.

“Some benefits of learning a new language are that it really helps you when you go overseas,” Orazova said.

“I went to Spain this past summer as well as Costa Rica, and I was able to communicate with people there.

Also, (in addition to) communicating with others, it helps you gain new perspectives.”

Spanish teacher Kevin Duffy said learning new languages allows people to build connections with one another and learn new cultures.

“It helps you become connected to people in different communities and explore things that you might not have known previously,” Duffy said.

“You become more understanding of different cultures.”

And Duffy said studying languages not only enhances a person’s connection with different communities but also offers an array of cognitive benefits.

Studying languages increases brain development, according to a 2022 metastudy by Cambridge University. In fact, 90% of the 20 studies showed language learners boosted their academic proficiency.

Students who learned new languages drastically enhanced their literacy, communication and memorization skills.

Sophomore Motoko Iwata, taking French 3H, said Paly’s World Languages Department should be praised for its wide array of offerings.

“I think it’s an amazing opportunity. I love that we have so many diverse languages,” Iwata said.

Senior Grace Gormley, who took Spanish, said language courses were one of the most valuable classes she has taken due to their broad applications outside of high school.

“I think part of me was hooked on the beauty of the language itself, but there’s also the really valuable asset of being able to use my language as a tool in all walks of life,” Gormley said.

Building on the notion that learning languages provides valuable skills, Duffy said he encourages students who plan to take language courses in college to study a semester or a year abroad in a country where the language they studied is spoken.

“To live in a different place can be such a great experience, and to make new friends in another country is one of the best ways that you can learn a language,” Duffy said.

Iwata agrees and said it’s essential for students to use their languages to build relationships on a global scale.

Iwata said, “The point of school is to (prepare) us (after graduating) to connect with different people in a global society, not just America.”

n array of students clad in bright colors throw up a collective roar as senior and Spirit Commissioner Hannah Jensen steps into the center of the field, swinging her megaphone and yelling “can I get a skoooooo vikes?”

Although it was Jensen’s first time running Spirit Week, she said the planning and execution went smoothly.

“Everyone had a lot of fun, and especially being a senior and being more involved with the senior class, everyone was just really happy to be around each other,” Jensen said. “Seeing the enthusiasm was nice.”

Jensen said she primarily focused on planning out the daily rallies, from the games and activities that students would participate in, to the point systems.

As the leader of each Spirit Rally, Jensen said she often felt apprehensive beforehand.

However, the overwhelming support from her peers and the crowd provided ample motivation.

“I’m nervous –– what if I mess up on the speaker, what if I stutter, what if no one cheers,” Jensen said. “But in the moment, all the tiredness (and) worries go away when you see how encouraging the crowd is. You have your teachers and all of your ASB officers. Just as soon as you’re on the field, the vibes are right.”

Since Jensen has never held a position in ASB before this year, she said she did not realize how much extra work goes into maintaining order during the rallies.

Closing Thoughts If we’ve learned anything, it’s that boba tea is single-handedly fueling Paly’s caffeine addiction. The unique Asian flavor profile, ranging from sweet purple taro root to spice-infused Thai tea, expands our palate, reflecting the Bay Area’s cultural hub.

But most importantly, boba shops seem to be constantly buzzing, and from casual meet-ups between friends to shady business deals under shared whispers, each sip can provide a well-needed refresher that might be just enough to keep the day going.

Tuesdays, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

B3

Lifestyle

Students cultivate passions into businesses, develop real world skills glassblowing through his brother. Watching his brother, Crystal said he was captivated by the beautiful glass pieces his brother would create and was in awe of the effort put into making these pieces.

“When I was in middle school, my brother would always come back home and talk about what he did in ceramics and show us the vases he made,” Crystal said. “It was cool to hear how passionate he was about something like it was his true calling, especially when he brought home his first Murrine vase, it was what made me decide to take the class, and it turns out I love glassblowing just like my brother.”

Crystal also said he decided to continue his interest in glassblowing by enrolling in Advanced Ceramics. While continuing to glass blow, he has mainly been advancing his skills in creating paperweights. “(Glassblowing) is such a unique skill that not many get to develop,” Crystal said. “Making paperweights is one of the things I love the most about glass blowing as they are simple, artistic, practical art pieces that don’t take that long or are that difficult. However you can be as creative as you want with putting any color or shape of shard when mixing it into the glass.”

Both Junior Jonathan Nguyen and Crystal said they were introduced to their passion mainly through courses taught at Paly. For Crystal, it was ceramics, and for Nguyen, he acquired his passion for computer science through both AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science.

“While I already knew some information about computer science this was my first real computer science class which, in the end, was really interesting and invigorated me to learn more about this topic,” Nguyen said. “My teacher assigned small projects to help us build our knowledge and foundation of Java. Having smaller projects helps take highly complex concepts and break them down into smaller digestible ones.”

These courses inspired and encouraged Nguyen to begin researching and exploring different artificial intelligence platforms and combine computer science with another passion, baseball. As he researched, Nguyen said he realized his earlystage project wasn’t an unrealistic dream but a genuine one that he could accomplish by himself.

“As I continued to research I began branching out into further concepts and realized my uncertainty wasn’t from lacking

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!"#"$%&'("))*&*+,-).&/0&12-%+1&/3&40))$0**&50$106& Olivia Atkinson

News/Opinion Editor Being a student at Paly, I often get asked about the school’s stressful environment. At the end of the day, yes, Paly has stress etched into the walls of our classrooms. And yet, with stress from school and bouts of depression and anxiety, I would never consider going to the Wellness Center as a solution.

Firstly, I’ve never understood how the Wellness Center works. To me, it seems to be this mysterious room in the middle of campus.

When I walk into the center, I am welcomed with bright colors, an array of snacks and smiling faces on a group of people I have never seen before. It seems like a sugar-coated playhouse, but the lack of knowledge around it gives it an uneasy quality.

Second, I was told by several teachers that all Paly staff are mandated reporters, meaning anything I say can be reported if it is concerning. Being worried your words are being recorded makes it hard to reach out and voice your problems.

Thus, this system seems to be ineffective in helping the people who it was designed for. Instead, I propose to integrate mental health into the Living Skills curriculum.

I am taking Living Skills this year as a senior, and I’m shocked at how helpful this class actually is and how much potential it has regarding student mental health.

All of the topics I have learned through Living Skills are linked to psychology and mental health – core subjects that teens

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should know about when dealing with their well-being.

However, the beauty of Living Skills is that students feel comfortable sharing about themselves in a way that isn’t stigmatized by mental health.

Students talk about issues that are clearly linked to mental health without the anxiety that arises at the mention of the name.

For example, we had a discussion on the differences between how men and women are treated in today’s society in class.

When speaking to a guy next to me, he opened up about how he feels pressured to hide his emotions.

What resulted was an eye-opening conversation about how he used to turn to substance abuse to deal with his depression.

I was shocked that he felt comfortable sharing this information with me. This demonstrates how safe he felt in our classroom.

Living Skills sneaks in topics about wellness without making students feel uncomfortable about sharing their personal experiences.

Students walk away from the classroom feeling good because they had someone to talk to without even thinking they just did something tied to mental health.

Conversations around our well-being shouldn’t be stigmatized as scary or always delve into deep discussion.

In fact, simply talking with one another about how we feel or what’s on our minds is an effective way to alleviate the stress and let someone know that they’re not alone.

Thus, I also propose that Living Skills be taught by people who work at the wellness center.

This way, students will be acquainted with the wellness staff, understand what the wellness center is about and create a connection with them to feel more comfortable reaching out when they need it.

Anyone, no matter if they are struggling with severe depression, or just going about their day, will benefit from having someone to talk to, whether it be a teacher or a classmate.

With that said, I don’t know how to resolve the problem with mandated reporting.

In an ideal world, I would prefer teachers to not report their students.

However, I understand this is done for liability issues. I believe mandated reporting usually causes more harm to students because they have the added fear that what they are saying will be reported.

If instead, mental health was introduced to students in a neutral, unobtrusive way – such as through Living Skills – I believe students would benefit much more from the mental health resources Paly has to offer.

TYLER WONG/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Coral Johnson models her crocheted top. “I would look online for patterns for how to make different clothes,” Johnson said.

skill but rather the voice inside me telling me I couldn’t when deep down I knew I had the capability and mindset to achieve my dream,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen said he understands when students question if they are ready to start a business as he was once in a similar position.

Nguyen said that while these students may have a myriad of questions, he believes there is only one crystal clear answer that anyone can give.

“Just dive right in,” Nguyen said. “I had no idea where to start and was unsure of what I was doing in the beginning, but I just kept going and it started becoming clearer and clearer.”

Isabelle Carlsen Staff Writer

!"#$%&"'()'"*+),*--)./0)"0*1,)2%*'#0%' Sophomore Teresa Wang has had a few close calls when biking to school.

Since Wang travels down Waverley Street, which isn’t a main path many bikers take to get to school, she said cars often don’t expect or see bikers and one morning she said a truck almost hit her. Wang is not the only student who has had a close call when biking to or from school.

In an Oct. 7 Schoology survey conducted by The Campanile, 29.2% of 65 respondents said they had been in a bike accident and 70.8% said they had witnessed a traffic accident. Of the respondents, 61.5% said they bike to school, and 21.5% said someone drives them. Also, 40% of survey respondents said they are actively worried about getting into an accident.

Sophomore Kathryn Chen said she generally feels safe while biking around the city but is concerned that accidents still may happen.

“People come out of nowhere,” Chen said. “You can’t really plan for that even though you’re abiding by all of the laws.”

According to Campus Supervisor Carl Hubenthal, the district’s decision to start school at 9 a.m. endangers bikers since it coincides with rush hour.

“You have to remember there are a lot of adults that are stressed. They’re trying to get to work. They might be running late,” Hubenthal said.

Chen said students rushing to school can also cause accidents.

“When you’re running late to school, you’re going to bike faster,” Chen said. “You might not slow down or stop as much as you should, and adults who are going to work also want to get (there) on time in the morning.”

According to Wang, another factor that may cause accidents is the quality of the roads. To reduce accidents, Hubenthal said students should wear their helmets and pay attention to the traffic around them.

“Students should be aware and not listen to music with earbuds in or look at their cell phones while biking,” Hubenthal said.

Palo Alto Transportation Planning Manager Sylvia Star-Lack said the city and the district have been workYJ AN YA JA IN

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crochet hook weaves in and out of loops of pastel pink yarn, interlocking a single string of yarn together and forming the foundation of a tank top. A camera flashes a red light telling Senior Coral Johnson she is being filmed.

Once she finishes her new creation, Johnson uploads her video as a tutorial to her YouTube Channel. For Johnson, the reality of creating tutorials has become a full-time business and job.

Johnson said she began her business after diving deeper into online tutorials to build on basic stitches and patterns she had learned when crocheting was still a fun activity she did to pass the time. The initial thought of a business had not even crossed Johnson’s mind until she began thinking about getting a job and wanting to earn money.

“I have always been a crafty person with this idea that you can make something yourself and loved this idea of living off your own means,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s childhood consisted of many nights spent learning to crochet with her mother. Though this tradition between them is now a sweet memory from childhood, Johnson said her love for the activity never ended, prompting her to continue to make endless crocheted tops, bags, and hearts which she gave out last Valentine’s Day. Johnson said she began seeing a problem with online designs when she was scrolling endlessly through online templates and tutorials and realized most of them weren’t suitable to wear outside and therefore were not realistic. This motivated her to start designing everyday patterns and posting tutorials on YouTube.

“I would look online for patterns for how to make different clothes, and I would get frustrated because a lot of these patterns you aren’t able to wear outside,” Johnson said. “You might wear it once, but it is more of a statement piece than something practical for everyday wear.”

Initially, Johnson said she thought her passion was crocheting for herself, however, after joining the Play Crochet Club and attending the Palo Alto Library workshop, she discovered she loved teaching others how to crochet.

“It’s just really exciting to see people’s faces light up when they finally understand a stitch,” Johnson said. “People get frustrated when they can’t get it, and it’s easier to learn when someone is sitting and going through each step with you.”

While Johnson’s passion stemmed from a pastime hobby in her childhood, Junior Zachary Crystal found his love for

ing together to educate third, fifth, and sixth graders about traffic safety and have been investing money to rebuild intersections to make them more bike friendly.

“There’s an Alma-Churchill safety project that’s going to get going in the next year,” Star-Lack said. “There’s the El Camino Real-Churchill project that will extend the bike path from the Paly driveway all the way to El Camino and then rebuild the El Camino intersection, so it’s safer for cyclists.”

Star-Lack also said the city has changed traffic signal timing at select locations to accommodate peak flows of pedestrians and bicyclists and constructed roundabouts to reduce traffic collisions. Although the city has invested in improving traffic safety, students and staff still say that further improvements can be made.

Hubenthal said there are many solutions the city could implement to make Palo Alto safer for bikers.

“The City Council could do a lot of things, such as creating better bike lanes, slowing down traffic and putting in some speed bumps,” Hubenthal said.

Star-Lack said she encourages students to use the interactive Active Palo Alto online map and take the online road safety survey to express their opinions about traffic in Palo Alto. “(Students) see what the problems are, and I want to know about it. I really would like for the students to participate in the development of the plan,” Star-Lack said.

Hubenthal said that while traffic accidents are common, biking still provides many benefits.

“With the climate crisis, hopefully everybody is starting to acknowledge that biking is a much better transportation option,” Hubenthal said. “It’s also less stressful. I bike to and from (school), instead of driving, because there is less traffic and it’s a lot easier to get home.”

Isabella Bian Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

B4

Lifestyle

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man with his face veiled by a blue scarf saunters through the aisles of a convenience store, pushing a large rolling garbage can with one hand and haphazardly sweeping in merchandise with his other.

Employees look on helplessly, but not for long.

As bystanders mock the owners while filming the unfolding scene, saying, “There is nothing you can do,” an employee grabs the attempted robber while another strikes him repeatedly with a stick to the point of the robber shouting to be left alone.

A recording of this incident which took place in Stockton in August has been covered extensively in the media, with many commenters praising the employee for punishing the thief and defending his store.

Some commenters even suggested an increased need for vigilante justice.

With this incident and others like it in the State, in September, California legislators passed California Senate Bill 553, introduced by California State Senator Dave Cortese.

This bill mandates that employers create violence prevention plans and ensure their employees are adequately prepared to carry out the plan.

According to Cortese’s website, he also proposed SB 553 in response to the mass shooting at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority in 2021, and a 63% and 75% increase in grocery and convenience store assaults respectively.

The bill says employers must log all prior violent incidents; instruct their employees on how to report incidents; inform staff how to access security assistance; assign personnel responsible for implementing a safety plan; train employees on the plan and have an annual review of it; and create clear procedures for responding to violent emergencies including evacuation and sheltering plans.

Assembly member Marc Berman from the 23rd District, which encompasses Palo Alto, said he supports SB 553 because it will increase safety during a period of rising workplace aggression.

“We must do more to protect California workers from workplace violence,” Berman said. “SB 553 was a timely and thoughtful proposal that strengthens worker protections by ensuring that workplaces are better prepared to prevent violence.”

Keen Footwear Assistant Manager Sabina Hentz said the provisions of SB 553 are consistent with the current practices of many stores including hers.

“These are essentially our current protocols,” Hentz said. “We are instructed to stay away from intruders and are not expected to intervene if any violence occurs. We are instructed to call the police.”

While being mandated not to have any direct confrontations with violent individuals, Hentz said employees still feel apprehensive about the possibility of robberies.

“We have had break-ins, but while the store was closed,” Hentz said. “It’s unfortunate, but in the times we live in, we have to remain vigilant when people come in.”

However, Hentz said developing a clear plan benefits employees, making them feel more prepared.

“If any violent incidents occurred, I would not feel prepared to take direct action,” Hentz said. “I think having (a plan) will be useful in dealing with (these cases).”

CVS Operations Manager Gus Alcazar said safeguarding employees is of increasing importance as shoplifting becomes more pervasive. “(CVS) gets hit every day. It can be very quick. Someone will just snatch something and will immediately take off and they’re gone,” Alcazar said. “All different areas get hit. We see it all, but unfortunately we cannot do anything to stop them.”

In fact, Alcazar said SB 553 does not do enough to protect businesses. Under this bill, the only way an employee can respond is asking the suspected shoplifters questions.

“We offer good customer service to them because whatever they have stolen at this point is a lost cause. All we can do is reduce the damage done (and) stop them in their tracks,” Alcazar said. “We can ask people who are doing it, ‘Do you need a basket for that?’ or ‘Did you pay for that?’ or ‘I can help you out at the register.’ But if they choose to leave, we’re not allowed to follow anybody or say ‘Hey, we need the stuff back.’”

Vans Assistant Manager Danielle Briggs said this is also the case at Vans.

“At this company, we have a model that we use called our easy model,” she said. “We just have to customer service everything. There is not necessarily a policy of what to do other than just reporting when we have shoplifting incidents. To prevent it, we just need to make sure that we are checking in with customers multiple times to make sure they know we are here watching and that they don’t get a chance to steal. If it happens, we have to report it, and then the company handles it.”

And Alcazar said employees can only take action if shoplifting incidents occur frequently.

“Ultimately, if it does become something that happens daily, we can call the police,” Alcazar said. “We try to avoid confrontations and (not) call them out and say, ‘Hey, you’re stealing that’ because they can become aggressive, and we have had those cases. We had one incident where a gentleman got right into my associate’s face and got very aggressive, so we asked him to leave, and he did.”

For cases of customer aggression, Briggs said the safest option is to not get involved.

“It depends on the type of violence,” Briggs said. “If there are hands or weapons involved or any physical altercations from the customer, we just have to call the police. But otherwise we just

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call the company, the loss prevention manager or the district manager and let them know the situation. The number one priority is our safety, so if something seems dangerous, we just back away.”

Alcazar said that although he appreciates prioritizing employee safety, he wishes there was more that could be done.

“You don’t want to put you or any of your fellow employees at risk for a stick of deodorant,” Alcazar said. “It’s not worth it for any of us to get hurt. But at the same time, I wish there was something more done to condemn (stealing) because it is becoming more and more common nowadays. People know they can’t get in too much trouble with the law because there is a certain limit with money that they can take, and if they keep it below that amount, then there is really just a minor slap on the wrist.”

Briggs said he agreed.

“I would not change anything about the way we handle things,” Briggs said. “I know it can be more personally heartbreaking knowing that we can’t do anything, but I know at the end of the day that it is the safest for us, so I do appreciate our safety being prioritized more than anything else.

Shamsheer Singh Staff Writer

ART BY SAMANVIKA SENTHIL KUMAR

The Crossword 36 Steals children who misbehave

12 Register for AP exams

41 Nautical Greeting

13 Bits of progress

42 To immerse

21 Sensitive sensory organs

43 The absence of anything

22 Derrick Rose and his ACL

44 Commissioned by King Minos

26 Gotham’s biggest enterprise

to hold the Minotaur

27 Indian lentil meal

46 Can do with wedding vows

28 Indian dish with flattened rice

47 Y when it’s plural

29 Princess Margaret was one

48 Ponyboy’s brother

31 Dark shade

50 Protest against New York banks

32 Boorish people

51 Ex-fortress in Paris

35 Alternative spelling for

54 Owns Pikachu

Ukraine’s capital

56 An effective interest rate

37 Indian philosopher who

57 Eternal Egyptian dwelling

preached sexual freedom

64 Canadian luggage brand

38 “The kissing disease”

66 Below the mason-dixon line

39 Once again

67 “Pero no hay __”

40 Campanile section

68 Autobiographical tour

42 Caused the most civil war

69 Conclude with no “g”

deaths

70 90% of modern metal

45 French regional trains

71 Vocalizing with no words

46 Not meticulous

72 Feeds into English Channel

49 Ginger who is dating Fred

73 Alexander Hamilton’s

51 Shoutout my __ that’s me 52 Has a libretto

PUZZLE BY ALEC BONNARD AND RAHUL SHETTY

Across

Down

53 Ancestor of modern sheep

1 A flutter in the breeze

55 Biting your nails

2 Nike’s swoosh

58 Australian street artist Tyrone

3 The Weeknd

Wright

4 Checks for understanding

59 Produced “Day ‘n’ Nite”

5 What soldiers yell

60 Female Muslim scholar in Asia

1 Kyrie’s view on the earth

16 How much money you got?

24 Merged hollywood labor union

6 Catches package thieves

61 violence and blood

5 Electrolyte imbalance

17 How wine improves

25 Swimming pool essential

7 Succulent with soothing gel

62 Paler than ramen

10 19% rotten tomatoes featuring

18 Non-chameleon color changer

27 How to compare weapons

8 where Timbuktu is

63 Without serifs

Taylor Swift

19 Euro for example

30 Tiktok knockoff

9 Max rank in Call Of Duty

65 Agency handling retirement

14 Earring site

20 “They’re here.”

33 Irish paramilitary group

10 Soda or vegetable container

15 Where veins exit the lungs

23 Highschoolers’ favorite pastime

34 Heard the most in Kolkata

11 Kevin McCallister’s situation

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

Sports

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ollowing a 14-0 homecoming loss to Menlo and a three-game losing streak where the offense has generated zero points, Coach DeGeronimo said his team’s energy needs major improvement. DeGeronimo said the homecoming game is a prime example, especially after the defense gave up two touchdowns in the final quarter.

“It was an emotional game because it was homecoming, and the crowd was alive,” DeGeronimo said. “We were excited and the defense was crushing it, but just when we felt we had the win, it just flipped the other way. We just ended up not coming out on top.”

Senior, strong safety and tight end Beau Revenaugh said the team knew going into the game, that Menlo was a formidable opponent.

“Because it was homecoming, everyone was ready to put their heart onto the field and give it everything they had for this game,” Revenaugh said. “We knew what their strong points were and we stopped the run.”

With a bye week before homecoming, DeGeronimo said the team had a preset plan coming into the game.

“We stopped pretty much all of it,” DeGeronimo said. “I think they were in shock, and they didn’t know what to do, and unfortunately they just got a couple of plays at the end there to put them over the top DeGeronimo said the loss was not due to a lack of effort. Instead, he said little mistakes cost them the game. “(Menlo) was one of the better teams in our league,” DeGeronimo said. “They’re undefeated, and we just have to come together.

I told the guys, ‘Don’t let the loss divide you, but let the effort bring us together because that was some tremendous football played tonight.’ (I am) very proud of our guys.”

Tyler Wong Photo Editor

TYLER WONG/THE CAMPANILE

Students create Fantasy Football leagues with friends

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Ewen also said even though the punishments have always seemingly outweighed the rewards, he continues to run fantasy leagues for fun.

“In the end, everyone’s having a good time,” Ewen said. “If I ask someone if they want to join the fantasy league, then they should be willing to do the punishments (just as much) as they should be willing to win.”

However, junior and fantasy football player William Backstrand said he has negative personal experiences with league punishments.

“It took up a lot of time, and there’s a lot of stress (that goes) into it with there being punishments, and maybe money on the line,” Backstrand said.

“So I thought taking a break from it for a year would be better.”

Staff members are also part of Fantasy Football teams and some have incorporated leagues by the subjects they teach. United States Government and U.S. History teacher Adam Yonkers said he has been affiliated with Fantasy Football leagues for years.

“I started with an invitation from a bunch of college friends,” Yonkers said.

“And initially, I was in one league, and then I got asked by work colleagues, so at one time I was in two leagues which was way too much.”

Though much less severe, Yonkers said even in the teachers league, rewards can be low for the winner and punishments high for the loser.

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As junior Sam Ewen relaxes on his cozy couch at home on a Thursday night, he turns on his TV to watch the kick-off of the National Football League game. Ewen isn’t just watching the game as a football fan, though. He has a Fantasy Football team, and as the NFL season progresses, what started as a strategic, friendly draft with friends has quickly shifted to a timeconsuming, overly competitive contest.

Because of Ewen’s enthusiasm for Fantasy Football, he has made leagues every year since his freshman year, and he said the focus of the leagues he’s run has shifted from wanting to win to not wanting to lose due to the severity of the punishments.

“This year we have a $10 buy-in for everybody in the league, and the punishment is to run two miles around the track and (drink) one bottle of soda after every lap,” Ewen said. “The winner gets all the money that’s put into the pot, so $120.”

Ewen also said in the past, games focused more on being part of a community with friends as opposed to now when it feels like leagues are focused on carrying out the chosen, embarrassing punishment for the loser.

“In the past, the punishments were not that bad,” Ewen said. “For example, in the past, we’ve done something as simple as someone gets in a locked (dog) cage and gets poured on by any possible food-related item for five minutes.”

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“Now I’m in the history/social study teachers league and there is a punishment,” Yonkers said. “You actually have to buy (an) air freshener for the bathroom because you stink so bad. You have to go over to Trader Joe’s and have the humiliation of somebody putting on the inside of the bathroom, ‘Courtesy of blank.’”

Yonkers said its important to balance work life, personal life, school life and Fantasy Football.

Yonkers said, “The way I handle it, is the concept of code-switching.

When you’re doing work, you should be doing work. When you have free time, you should be focused on that.”

Rahul Shetty Staff Writer

>%$3,(6533+4?-33(+&1,(,+-,5&( #&1+@+-)+1(%&(3+-'#+ After a 7-2 start (7-0 in league competition) which included close losses to St. Ignatius College Prep and Notre Dame, senior and middle blocker Reine Schultz said she credits the team’s success to its thorough preparation prior to matches.

“For games against Los Gatos and Gunn, we approached it the way we would any match,” Schultz said. “We focused on bettering our play during practice and staying put together as a team.”

Senior Alaap Nair, who attended the match against Los Gatos, said the environment was electric as the Vikings swept Los Gatos 3-0.

Prior to the match, Los Gatos had a 6-0 league record, tied with Paly for first in league competition.

“I think that every great modern-day rivalry comes from two great teams, so two 6-0 teams in league battling it out is always fun to watch,” Nair said.

“I enjoyed watching the game

with my friends, and the sweep was great to see.”

Schultz said that while Los Gatos was strong competition, it didn’t really faze the team.

“During these games, we definitely had a more intense environment and atmosphere than our regular matches,” Schultz said. “We didn’t let this affect us too much because it is just another game to play for a sport we all love.”

Moving forward, Schultz said this same mindset going into other rivalry games will help propel the team forward through the rest of league play and into CCS. “With the experience from the Los Gatos and Gunn games, we will continue to take steps in the direction of improvement,” Schultz said. “We will continue to work in that direction as long as our season lasts.”

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Tyler Wong Photo Editor

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The Campanile

C2

Sports

Student-athletes cross train to improve fitness, performance in main sport !"#$"%&'()*)+"%&'(,-".."%&(/0+1(102#32.4%)0("%(3$/02(4)$"5"$"0,'(2067)0(+"80+"/336(3#("%972*

S

ounds of metal clanging against metal fill the room as junior Isaiah Walker positions himself under the bench press, gripping the bar and aligning his eyes with it.

Following the motion of his arms, the bar falls and rises in a rhythmic pattern, matching up with Walker’s synchronized breaths.

For Walker, like for many student athletes, weight lifting functions as a method of cross-training meaning engaging in two or more types of exercise in order to improve fitness or performance in a main sport.

While initially introduced by runners according to Healthline, cross-training has grown in popularity across multiple spots For instance, Walker said his weight lifting sessions serve as a type of morning routine for his work on the football team.

“We have zero period so I’m down there (lifting on) Monday to Thursday, every morning,” Walker said. “Coach writes up a program (and) typically it’s a full body (workout). We’ll do two circuits. One’s upper half and one’s lower half, and that’s basically what we have for the day.”

Due to the added benefits of training specific muscle groups through lifting, Walker said that strength training benefits his performance on the field, particularly for his ligaments, tendons, bones and cartilage.

“The workouts help us get stronger and faster,” Walker said. “In game, it’s helping us. Also, working out just prevents injuries.”

For weight training to work at its maximum potential, freshman cross country runner Mikah Williams said it’s important to consider diet among other factors.

“Another thing I want to do is eat a lot of calories because cross country burns a lot of it,” Williams said. “It’s hard to build muscle if you’re burning a lot of calories.”

Lower-body lifting workouts can improve muscle strength in areas such as the hip flexor, leading to better running form and potentially reducing risk of injury.

However, the anaerobic nature of lifting means runners see negligible gains in their cardio and respiratory systems while still

HENRY LIU/THE CAMPANILE

A student bench presses in the Paly weight room. “The workouts help us get stronger and faster,” junior Isaiah Walker said. “In game, it’s helping us. Also, working out just prevents injuries.”

increasing their overall weight, resulting in lower performance gains compared with regular training.

As a result, Williams said he focuses on lifting as a separate activity from running.

“I don’t think it really helps you that much with running,” Williams said. “If anything, you’re carrying more mass.”

Though lifting remains a popular form of cross-training, other forms of crosstraining exist. Junior and cross country runner Megan Lemoine said she enjoys

supplementing her training with group bicycle rides.

“I like the social aspect,” Lemoine said.

“Everyone’s super nice and supportive, and they have a lot of fun.”

According to Live Sciences, cycling has a lower impact on joints compared to running, and can also offer an alternative method for runners to train while injured.

“Freshman year, I hurt my knee,” Lemoine said. “I took a lot of time off running, and I did workouts on the bike instead,

mostly stationary, but also a little outside.”

As with any other form of athletic training, cross-training ultimately requires grit and determination. Walker said anyone can see the benefits of cross-training.

“Just be willing to put in the work,” Walker said. “Be willing to do the hard stuff.”

Henry Liu Staff Writer

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Senior and co-captain Grant Jauregui gets ready to throw the ball to his teammate for a chance to score. “We always have to take one step at a time, but I feel really good about (CCS),” Coach Bob Greene said.

Boys water polo successfully defeated Fremont for a 17-6 win on Oct. 5.

Coach Bob Greene said the goalies were key contributors to the team’s win.

“Senior Jack Reed had eight blocks, and Junior Paul Schacht had six,” Greene said. “Our goalies did a really fantastic job.”

In addition to the team’s defense, Greene said its offense also performed well, led by senior co-captain Grant Jauregui and Sophomore Jack Spitzer, who both scored 5 goals.

“Grant scored five goals and our new guy sophomore Jack Spitzer also scored five,” Greene said. “Grant, Jack and Rome really led the team in the offense.”

Greene said that while both offense and defense performed well, the win should be attributed to a collective team effort.

“Every single athlete got to play at least a quarter which was great,” Greene said. “It was all a team effort.”

Senior and co-captain Brian Stewart said the game was an easy victory, and that it established fundamentals for the rest of the season.

Greene also said the team needs to improve their offense by implementing more unique strategies.

“As you meet these teams two to three times in a season, if you don’t change up the offense and whatnot to get creative, then your (strategies will be) predictable,” Greene said.

Greene said although the season is going well so far, the team still needs to put in more work.

“We always have to take one step at a time, but I feel really good about (CCS),” Greene said.

“We’re ahead of where we were last year at this time, but we want to work really hard so we can get a high seat and CCS.”

Luca Vostrejs Staff Writer

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Tuesday October 24, 2023

The Campanile

C3

Sports

Neel’s college football predictions

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L

ike Calvin and Hobbes, the first thing I do on Saturday mornings is eat breakfast while watching TV. But instead of cartoons, I, just like millions of other Americans, watch college football.

As I prepare for Fox Sports’s commentator Gus Johnson to introduce his partner Joel Klatt before kickoff, I check the game lineups one last time and mentally predict who will win.

So now that I’ve established myself as an expert, here are my PAC12 predictions along with some top 25 and playoff predictions.

The 2023 college football season is the first of its kind. Not only do we have at least four logical Heisman trophy candidates (Michael Jr, Caleb Williams, Quinn Ewers and Bo Nix), but we also have the potential to see a future college football powerhouse in the Colorado Buffaloes led by head coach Deion Sanders.

There are eight contenders in my eyes for the college football playoff.

The best team in the league is Georgia. Not only is Georgia looking to rack up a third-consecutive national championship, but it will face a relatively mediocre Southeastern Conference. Though Georgia does take on Alabama this year, Georgia will destroy its ranked competition since the majority of the ranked teams in the SEC are not proven teams.

The Texas Longhorns are also strong contenders. With the biggest win of the season, they defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Michigan is also a contender. Not only is Michigan looking to join Georgia in its third consecutive playoff appearance, the team has a tough schedule and can enter the playoffs despite possibly losing to Ohio State or Penn State.

Speaking of Ohio State, not only is its wide receiver talent unmatched with Marvin Harrison Jr who is feared by all corners in the league, but its surrounding talent makes.

The Buckeyes is a feared opponent. I also think Washington,

TYLER WONG/THE CAMPANILE

University of Michigan freshman and running back Benjamin Hall takes a handoff. “Other teams are going to step up and be more competitive in place of leaving teams,” senior Orasio Becerra said.

Penn State, University of Southern California and Florida State will be strong candidates for this year’s playoffs.

Not only do they all have elite talent, but Washington, USC and Florida State all also have elite quarterbacks. Though I doubt USC will make the playoffs because of its lack of defense, which other elite contenders have.

Now let’s try to understand the PAC-12 better by looking at the top three teams of relevance in the division and how each one leaving for the Big Ten next season will affect the remaining teams, Oregon, Colorado and USC. Senior and Oregon fan Orasio Becerra said that next year, Oregon will still have a tough time in the division.

“I don’t think it’s going to be easy,” Becerra said. “Other teams are going to step up and be more competitive in place of leaving teams.”

Becerra also said Oregon will be prepared for next year because of its tough schedule this year.

“Currently we’re 5-0,” Becerra said. “We’ve played big names like Colorado and Texas Tech while averaging roughly 30 points per game. I do think we are preparing really well for next year’s easier schedule and the tougher Big 10 teams.”

Oregon also has to play USC as well as a strengthening Oregon State team with untapped and unlimited potential.

Colorado football, another team with seemingly infinite potential, is receiving high praise due to the addition of NFL legend Deion Sanders as coach and his Jackson State stars as transfers. Senior and Colorado fan Porfirio Armenta said he chose to become a Colorado fan because the team is the little guy in its division.

“What made me a Colorado fan was the fact that they are just always

underdogs,” Armenta said. “I love the way Deion Sanders is coaching the team.”

Starting off 3-0, many Colorado fans expected an upset victory against Oregon. But after a 42-6 blowout, it seemed as if the team came back to planet Earth. Armenta said he thinks the absence of star cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter was the reason for the team’s consecutive losses to Oregon and USC. “While Travis was out, they took their first two losses so he clearly has a positive impact on the team,” Armenta said.

Armenta also said at full health, the team has the ability to be successful for the remaining season, and that with a weaker division, the team will dominate.

“Once we get all of our players back, we can go undefeated and win the rest of our games this season,”

GRAPHIC BY NEEL SHARMA

Armenta said. “It will be easier to win next year because our competition will be better and our recruiting will have strengthened our team.”

But USC, which has a proven NFL-caliber quarterback in Caleb Williams and new elite players like wide receiver Zackariah Branch, have clearly displayed top-tier offensive talent. But defense wins games equally. With one of the worst defenses out of the top 25 teams, USC will experience a lot of turbulence in its games against ranked opponents.

Despite being one of college football’s dying conferences, the PAC-12 is looking to go out with a bang this year with top tier talent and teams with promising futures. We will get to watch a top tier talent battle in regional rivalries this year, and see an action packed playoff race.

Neel Sharma Sports Editor

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TYLER WONG/THE CAMPANILE

Senior Hailey Kleiner chases the ball. “I think (our performance) was pretty good,” head coach Danielle Yau said. “We took some things that we worked on last week into today’s game.”

In a close battle that ended in a 2-1 win, the field hockey team held onto its lead against Monta Vista on Oct. 2.

Head Coach Danielle Yau said the team used skills practiced the week before the game, which contributed to a better match.

“I think (our performance) was pretty good,” Yau said. “We took some things that we worked on last week into today’s game.”

Yau said the team did a particularly great job getting the ball up the field into the attacking portion of the field.

“I think we were getting the ball past the 25, so having more scoring opportunities, which is exciting to see,” Yau said.

Forward and senior Mariam Tayebi also said the team did a good job passing the ball into open spaces.

“We did a couple good runs into space, and that definitely helped us get the ball headed up, and we also ran towards the ball,” Tayebi said.

Tayebi said although her team could have scored more and performed better, it still held onto the win.

“We’ve been a lot stronger in the past, and we definitely could have beat the team by more points,” Tayebi said. “But overall, I feel like we definitely rallied at the end of the game and kept steady possession of the ball.”

Apart from those improvements, Yau said the team can also focus on working to understand what to do at different times with their technical skills.

“I think our decision making could be a little bit better,” Yau said. “So recognizing when to dribble when to pass, but other than that, I’m super happy with them.”

Naveen Narayanaswami Staff Writer

The Campanile

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Science & Tech

OSIRIS-REx spacecraft gives insight into solar system

Albert Jung Staff Writer

I

n the vast expanse of space, the OSIRISREx spacecraft embarked on a pioneering mission, targeting Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid rich with secrets from the early solar system.

As it touched Bennu’s surface, it collected not just samples, but stories that could reshape our understanding of life’s origins and the formation of our solar system.

According to NASA, the project was launched in 2016 by NASA, marking a significant milestone in 2020 when it made brief contact with Bennu to collect samples.

Ancient samples from Bennu, which broke off a larger, carbon-rich asteroid hundreds of millions of years ago, returned to Earth in 2023, and may provide insights into the volatile elements and conditions that may have birthed the planets in our solar system and potentially life itself.

Staff scientist at NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute Brian Day said much of Bennu’s content was prehistoric materials, including chondrites, which clue the origins of the solar system.

“The vast collection of boulders that compose Bennu seems to be very similar in composition to carbonaceous chondrites,” Day said.

“These are especially pristine, primitive, and ancient samples of extraterrestrial material.”

Professor Laura Schaefer from Stanford’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences also said the mission’s broader implications include how volatile elements, also known as the elements that vaporize readily, arrived on Earth.

“One of the key questions in the field of planet formation is trying to understand how the Earth acquired all of its volatile elements,” Schaefer said. “Water and the volatile elements that make up our atmosphere are the reason the Earth is habitable.”

And Day said these samples can potentially provide concrete insights into the early solar system.

“Carbonaceous chondrites are perhaps our best sources to understand the clouds of gas, dust, and ice that came together in the giant

ART BY ISAAC LIU

whirlpool that formed our Sun,” Day said.

“Within these ancient materials, we sometimes find interstellar grains that condensed from the remains of stars that blew themselves up long before our Sun was born.”

Schaefer said Bennu was not hot enough to melt the various fluids on the asteroid and alter the minerals, meaning the substances on the planetoid were pure.

“The samples have been sitting on that asteroid, mostly untouched, since the time that asteroid formed,” Schaefer said. “Some aster-

oids had enough heat to melt any ice they had, which led to aqueous fluids flowing through the asteroid and altering the minerals.”

On the other hand, the scientific intricacies of the mission is having an impact on the younger generation as well.

Sophomore and president of the Paly Astronomy Club Kishor Rajmohan said it was very interesting.

“The OSIRIS-REx mission is really interesting, not just because it is the first of its kind,” Rajmohan said. “Bennu is a very unique asteroid, one that is also in (a) relatively close approach to the Earth.”

Adam Clancy, a student who presented on the OSIRIS-REx mission in Paly’s Astrophysics course, said he believes the mission holds special significance for youth.

“The OSIRIS-REx mission represents our relentless pursuit of knowledge beyond our planet,” Clancy said. “It demonstrates humanity’s ability to explore the universe, potentially inspiring younger generations.”

Day said the sentiment of space missions is a source of inspiration, especially for the younger generation.

“Space exploration can be profoundly inspirational for the public in general and the younger generation in particular,” Day said.

“One of the most famous examples was the ‘Apollo Effect.’ The number of graduates in STEM fields in the USA grew significantly some 5–10 years after the Apollo Program.”

Day said that space missions like OSIRISREx have a profound impact.

“Space exploration can be profoundly inspirational for the public and younger generations, ” Day said. “Through NASA’s Solar System Treks Project, students can access and analyze data from various missions across the Solar System.”

!"#$%&'()*$%'%&+",$-.(/'#%0/)'*""(/#,"&&$1+ Lucas Yuan

Managing Editor As the teacher announces a class break, senior Max Yeh stands up to get a stretch.

Looking around, he notices phones lighting up across the room, with apps ranging from Messages to Instagram to SnapChat.

In a study done by Common Sense Media in 2021, the average teenager spends eight hours 39 minutes each day staring at screens.

And according to a Campanile Schoology survey of 20 students, on average, these students spend over 4.5 hours per weekday and over 5.5 hours a day on the weekends on their phone.

In today’s heightened digital age, screens are an integral part of many peoples’ daily lives. From cell phones to Smart Boards to Teslas, screens have improved communication and increased access to information.

According to The Campanile survey, students use their phones mainly for messaging friends and scrolling through social media apps. Senior Kai Silverberg Shirota said these apps, such as Instagram, are addictive and time consuming.

“Quite often, I’ll willingly neglect my homework and scroll on Instagram reels,” Silverberg Shirota said. “Sometimes it’s impossible for me to put my phone down.”

Silverberg Shirota also said scrolling is now a habit for him, and he often doesn’t even realize when he is doing it.

“Sometimes I forget about my work, and I just keep scrolling for like a good half an hour or so before snapping out of it,” Silverberg Shirota said.

Yeh agreed and said he often has trouble setting his phone down once he begins scrolling. Yeh said sometimes, due to the addictive nature of social media, his phone screen time can reach up to eight hours a day, over double his typical daily average.

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night, I took a 30 minute break and began scrolling,” Yeh said. “I told myself that I’ll resume working in 35 minutes. I hit 36, and then I was like I’ll do 40, and I hit 41. After 45, I just kept going and got nothing done.”

However, not all students are experiencing the social media problem. Sophomore Brendan Giang said he doesn’t use social media enough but is concerned with potential drawbacks from increased use.

“I’m just slightly worried about increasing my social media presence because it is a slippery slope,” Giang said. “It can end up sucking up a lot of time, which is not something I necessarily have, especially being in a high school like Paly.”

Some students attempt to reduce their screen time by using the built-in screen time restrictions on the devices. Other students, including sophomore Emily Stell, use apps designed to track and reduce screen time.

“I use this app called Opal,” Stell said. “It allows you to spend however many hours you want on any app, and then it restricts it after the time is done.”

According to electronic privacy research center epic.org, scrolling on social media apps can decrease security by providing companies with the user’s personal data. This data allows social media companies to tailor the content that shows up to the user via algorithms, which in turn can also keep the user on the app. Silverberg Shirota said these algorithms are predatory.

“It’s a little unnerving when you like a certain post, and then later see your feed flooded with similar topics,” Silverberg Shirota said.

To encourage transparency on algorithm usage and user data collection, Giang said the government should assume responsibility and regulate social media companies on a more regular basis.

“These companies know so much about us, and they are using the data to make profit,” Giang said. “I think it’s really important that the United States keeps up with the legislature to make sure that these huge companies are not taking advantage of the consumer base.”

But even despite the controversy surrounding social media, Yeh said social media is crucial to teens for staying connected.

“Social media is a very important part of my life,” Yeh said. “I can’t really imagine life without it.”

ART BY ISAAC LIU

!"#$%&'(")%"&*$%&$+,-*$)".,&'"-*/&*-$%&"0".*%1" With the incoming flu season, people all over the world are starting to develop symptoms of pounding headaches, congestion and severe fatigue. And because many people are reluctant to take a day off work or school, they choose to pop a cough drop, wear a mask and take a decongestant on the way out of the house.

But that decongestant may not do the trick. The Food and Drug Administration released an official statement in September saying phenylephrine, a key ingredient in most over-the-counter decongestants, is no better than a placebo when it comes to helping cold and flu symptoms.

According to Stanford Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine Jake Scott, phenylephrine was intended to reduce nasal passage swelling by stimulating receptors in the arteries, which would cause less mucus to drain from tissues into the nose. However, when taken orally, the drug does not end up reaching the bloodstream.

“Less than 1% of it is absorbed at the doses that are recommended,” Scott said.

Stanford Professor of Medicine Dean Winslow said research shows that oral phenylephrine-based drugs may work in some people but only through the placebo effect, which occurs when the belief that an item is helpful is enough to have the brain replicate an effect similar to one that it is supposed to have.

Winslow also said nasal sprays that contain phenylephrine yield short term results, but the congestion worsens once the spray wears off.

“When you spray it nasally, you get this rebound, increasing congestion, so it really doesn’t work that well,” Winslow said.

Phenylephrine has become frequently used in over-the-counter cold and flu medicine since a useful decongestant, pseudoephedrine, was banned from being sold over the

counter in March of 2006 because of its use in producing homemade methamphetamine.

According to Winslow and Scott, despite its ineffectiveness being common knowledge in the medical community for years, it took until now for the FDA to officially say it.

So why were companies able to get away with using phenylephrine for so long? Winslow said it’s because the drug was approved through the use of monographs, papers often written by the very companies that marketed the drug.

“You have to do what’s called a prospective, randomized, controlled trial,” Winslow said.

“In other words, you blind the patient and the doctor to whether they’re getting the actual medicine versus the placebo, a sugar pill, and then you test it and see if the symptoms are different between the two groups.”

Scott said the FDA began tightening its drug validation process in 2007, but the massive backlog of drugs to test resulted in previously approved drugs slipping through the validation process. Phenylephrine was one of them.

“It’s never really been tested in any kind of randomized controlled trial,” Scott said.

And while the FDA allows drugs to be marketed by giving them a status of Generally Recognized as Safe and Effective, or GRASE, and while the FDA has now come out publicly saying phenylephrine is basically useless as a cold medicine, the FDA has not yet withdrawn phenylephrine’s status as a GRASE drug. Scott said, “In the future, the FDA should try to act quicker to ensure that medications that are being marketed as beneficial are actually proven to be beneficial, not just safe.”

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Lea Kwan Staff Writer