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Editors in Chief Anne Pritikin Daniela Schwartz Shannon Donelan China Granger
Spanish Editor Bea Cazares Business Manager Sylvana Perczek
​Copy Editors Christine Watridge Social Media (Head Copy Manager/ Editor) Snapshot Editor Melissa Block Jocelyn Overmyer Natalie Cerf Caroline Art Consultant Cummings Max Gilberg Tilly Friedlander Sabine Lloyd Senior Staff Maggie Smith News Editors Neva Legallet Survey Manager Saamya Alexandra Lee Mungamuru Reporters Opinion Editors Josh Cohen Vera Palczynski Nate Charles Emily Sweet Jack Green Hannah Halford Feature Editors Lucie James Jericho Rajninger Maxim Lily Baldwin Kawashima Jacob Klionsky Sports Editors Natalia Lazor Anna Compagno Vincent Leo Sam Warren Alexander Lieberman Review Editors Charlotte Seton Jordan Overmyer Amanda Morse Julia Jacoby Devon McClain Matthew Lifestyles Editors Mulcahey Sydney Hillbush Sachi Nahas Carolyn French Julia Scharf Jack Parsons Adviser Erin Schneider
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College decision map
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Seniors’ gap years
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Prep of the year
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redwood high school ● 395 doherty dr., larkspur, ca 94939 ● volume LX, no. 8 ● May 25, 2018 ● www.redwoodbark.org
Single-block schedule finalized after close vote by teachers By Saamya Mungamuru On Friday, April 27, decisions regarding the bell schedule for the next two years concluded as teachers voted to keep the single-block schedule as opposed to switching to a double-block. Out of the 105 certified union members eligible to vote, 66 voted for the double-block schedule, just four votes short of the two-thirds majority required to pass. As a result, Redwood will continue to follow a single-block schedule for the 2018-19 and 2019-2020 academic years. According to an email sent out by Principal David Sondheim to parents and students, the single-block schedule that passed is similar to the current schedule with the addition of seven-minute passing periods instead of five-minute passing periods, as well as the removal of Advisory. The vote was organized by the Bell Schedule GIVEN AS A possible schedule in a survey sent to parents and students on April 22, the single block schedule was Committee, comprised of teachers who volunteered to voted to be continued until 2020, with minor changes to passing period and lunch times. represent their departments to vet schedule options. According to English teacher leader Cathy Flores, According to Flores, a non-negotiable component and lesson plans helped her have a positive experience. who facilitated the committee, Sondheim asked teachers of all new schedules was to have seven-minute passing “I remember being incredibly fearful of the doubleduring December of last year to suggest bell schedule periods as opposed to five to account for the longer time block because I didn’t know how to put lesson plans recommendations to be considered for voting in April. required for the many students walking from the portable together that adhered to the schedule. However, once After receiving approximately 32 schedules, the committee classrooms to their classes in the main buildings. I went into it and I started planning and modifying my began the vetting process to whittle down the options for Flores said that close to 1000 students will take classes lessons, I absolutely loved it,” Flores said. “I had more the vote. in the portables next year as a result of the addition of new time doing more depth versus breadth type teaching “We needed to make sure the schedules lined up with portables to accommodate the growing student population. and kids were getting into things and I could offer more the amount of instructional minutes that we’re required At the end of the logistical process, the final ballot was assistance.” to have, that they fit within the parameters of the teacher created and included two components: first, teachers had to Despite the contention between supporters and critics contract,” Flores said. vote “yes” or “no” to whether they supported the double- of the double and single-block schedules, Flores believes Flores stated that the committee sent out a survey block schedule, and second, whether they would prefer a that a bell schedule does not hold much influence over a to teachers to gather data on teacher opinions regarding single-block schedule or a schedule with all seven-period student’s learning. factors such as single or double-block preference, lengths days, if the double-block were to not pass. “What actually causes change for a student and helps of passing periods and classes, dismissal time and staff Sophomore Olivia Raskin said she was relieved by the them grow as a learner is the instruction that happens in meeting times. Using the results of the survey, they result of the vote. In January, Raskin created a petition to the classroom by a teacher. That’s what changes student modified proposed schedules to fit what the data suggested. prevent the passage of the double-block schedule, which learning,” Flores said. “What changes kids that are not “It suggested that a group of teachers felt strongly yielded 345 signatures from students and parents. performing at the same level as their peers is having a about having a single block, maintaining what we had, and “The main reason I was against the double-block teacher in the room that is addressing their learning needs a group of teachers were in favor of a double block and a schedule was that it didn’t seem fair to make kids sit in a very specific, intentional way. Not a bell schedule third group was [in favor of] a blend of the two,” Flores through class for such a long time because a lot of kids that’s double or single.” said. have trouble focusing, whether it’s because they just have According to Sondheim’s email, further information The committee also assessed factors that would be trouble focusing or they have some sort of a learning on next year’s daily bell schedules, minimum days, rally conducive to student needs and learning styles when disability,” Raskin said. “If we are changing the schedule, days and assembly days will be sent out soon. modifying the schedules, according to Flores. it should be to help the students who are already struggling A week before the final vote, Sondheim sent a survey academically.” to parents and students as well to gather their schedule Flores, however, who previously taught at Tam preferences. Flores stated that teachers considered this under a double-block schedule, said that despite initial data before voting. Sondheim was unavailable to comment apprehension, she began to adapt to the double-block on the results of this survey. schedule. She said that learning to be flexible with her time smungamuru@redwoodbark.org
Drake game of ‘Assassin’ a fiercely competitive tradition By Sydney Hilbush The target is in sight. Tentatively looking over each shoulder before nearing the victim, timer in hand, the assassin closes in on the gap between defeat and victory. Suddenly, another player approaches, and without hesitation the assassin jumps head first into a nearby bush fearful for their life. The target, alert, swiftly turns around to scan the area for any nearby assassins. Before a complete analysis of their surroundings, the timer beeps loudly and victoriously; the target has been assassinated. Although this may sound like a violent video game play-by-play, this is just another day at Drake High School. The closing of the spring semester yields numerous academic tensions for many high school students. However, for the upperclassmen at Drake, the end of the school year generates a different stressor to occupy the final months: Assassin. As the title suggests, each year Drake upperclassmen engage in a game of kill or be killed, named Assassin. The game, unaffiliated with Drake High School for liability purposes, is an ongoing tradition upheld by the upperclassmen at the school with the intention of enhancing school spirit and pride, according to the current game leaders, seniors Will Sibbett and Case Delst. This year, 68 teams, or 204 students, participated in the game, making up just
above one quarter of the upperclassmen. According to Sibbett, Assassin at its core is a game of strategy and caution. “The objective of the game is to be the last team standing. You have to kill other teams and not be killed by your assassin. You can kill people through water guns, water balloons, hoses, [rubber] snakes under desks and time bombs,” Sibbett said. To kill a team using a “time bomb,” the
team’s assassin must place a timer in a 100foot radius of the team, and if the timer goes off without the target noticing, the team is assassinated. Additionally, to kill someone with a sneaky snake, a team will place a small rubber snake under the desk of another player, and if the target does not notice or remove the snake from under their desk, they will also be assassinated. ‘Poison,’ another assassination method,
Photo courtesy of Case Delst
FLAUNTING THEIR CASH prizes, seniors Andy Eisinger, Conner Worthington and Aidan Borgonovo (left to right), were members of one of this year’s winning teams of the annual Assassin game at Drake.
can kill another team through “poisoning” another player’s water or drink with salt. If the target drinks their ‘poison’ and reacts with a distasteful expression, the player is dead. Both captains noted that the various assassination methods require teams to be cautious and dedicated at all times. “One player camped out in front of their target’s house for a couple days just sleeping in their car. That’s just one example of the level of intensity people put into this game,” Sibbett said. According to the team leaders, each week is one “round” of Assassin where Sibbett and Delst assign each threeplayer team a target. Each team receives a “target,” or a team they must assassin, while simultaneously teams are being hunted by another team. In order to move onto the next round, each team must “assassinate” their target, using one of five methods, while avoiding being killed themselves. Although the leadership positions to organize the game are usually awarded to the seniors who win the game their junior year, this year, Delst and Sibbett stepped in to fill the empty spots when they heard the winning juniors were uninterested in the leadership position. According to Sibbett, the chance to lead the game was the ideal opportunity to stay involved with Assassin while not participating directly as a team member. Continued on page 3
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May 25, 2018
Photo Survey
Senior Edition
Describe your high school experience in four words — one for each year.
“Awkward. Memorable. Difficult. Dopesauce.”
“New. Girlfriend. Gap. Finale.”
Brooke Christman
Will Goltra
“Growth. Friendships. Challenging. Impactful.”
Gracie Ramos
“Exciting. Dibley. Stressful. Fun.”
Drew Jacks
Additional revisions to budget plan safeguard potential employee layoffs By Sydney Hilbush After further discussion of the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) fiscal situation, additional revisions to the TUHSD Budget Reduction and Recovery Plan have been initiated by the Local Control and Accountability Plan Committee (LCAP) to combat increasing enrollment growth costs and budget deficiencies. With the revised budget plan, no employee positions will be laid off to limit student impact and disruption, and other organizational changes are being discussed. Currently, the TUHSD is facing a $6 million budget deficit as a result of increasing enrollment and employee numbers, growth of the Special Education department and network infrastructure upgrades, in addition to other educational facilities such as the portable classrooms, according to the TUHSD First Interim Report. Although issues pertaining to resource allocation have been foreseeable for a few years as enrollment growth has been on a steady incline, unexpectedly high enrollment numbers combined with recent state legislature brought additional budget deficiencies previously unaccounted for, according to Leslie Lundgren Harlander, President of the Board of Trustees. “We have known for a long time that this was coming, mainly because we knew that there was an enrollment growth coming. But recently it sped up, and we thought that we had another year or two. In addition to the [teachers’ pensions], which is a statewide issue, and enrollment growth, the budget hit harder than we thought this year,” Harlander said. To refine the budget outline and reduce budget deficiencies, TUHSD
Superintendent David Yoshihara has worked in conjunction with county oversight from Deputy Superintendent Terena Mares and the Financial and Local Control and Accountability Plan Committee (LCAP), a collection of parents, staff, community members, board members and students that provide recommendations for budget changes. “The Superintendent directed work groups to evaluate the enrollment growth, budget and facility needs. Work from these groups resulted in program adjustments and efficiencies, but these adjustments are not enough to address the magnitude of our growing costs,” Harlander wrote in an email to families within the TUHSD. According to Yoshihara, the revised budget outline looks to cut budget expenses by approximately $2.8 million by next school year through organizational and administrative changes as well as the increased parcel tax. “The LCAP/FA group was tasked with coming up with a targeted $3 million in cost reductions. The District is looking at ways to further reduce expenditures for 2019-20 and beyond,” Yoshihara said. According to Harlander, the LCAP committee continued to revise their Reduction and Recovery plan to make sure that changes to the budget were being initiated outside the classroom instead of within. In March, discussion about cutting district librarians and athletic trainers sparked intense controversy within the community. Harlander said that the influx of community feedback about potential employee cuts influenced the decision to halt employee layoffs. “The board remains committed to providing every student access to programs and services that support learning and maintain high-quality education. This
Photo by Sydney Hilbush
LOCATED BEHIND THE CEA, the Kreps Conference Center is where bi-monthly district meetings are held. includes supporting each student’s 2019 school year will supposedly reduce emotional and social growth, and a well– costs by $2.8 million. rounded educational experience at our According to Yoshihara, although the schools,” Harlander wrote in the email. parcel increase will generate a substantial Removing librarian and athletic source of revenue for the district, additional trainer positions was initially proposed as budget refinements are being discussed as a budget reduction solution to trim down the district prepares for the possibility of employee costs. Other administrative and the parcel tax not passing. organizational changes are being organized “A parcel tax of roughly a 50 percent to replace cuts in employee positions with increase will not solve the deficit. So there other areas impartial to student learning. will still be some other reductions that are As of March, to combat growing costs needed, but certainly a lot less than if we and budget deficits, the district set forth don’t pass the parcel,” Yoshihara said. numerous reduction plans to decrease To replace the canceled reduction district spending. Since the TUHSD is in employee costs, other administrative a basic aid district, funding is acquired and organizational changes have been primarily through property taxes such as organized. Within Resolution 17-11 of parcel taxes. In conjunction with oversight the Budget Reduction and Recovery from professional consultants, such as Plan, approved on March 13, classroom the San Francisco company Whitehurst sharing is expected to increase to Mosher, the district decided to increase the maximize classroom and staffing usage. district wide parcel tax by 50 percent, from Additionally, plans for new portable an estimated $285 to $434 per parcel. The classrooms behind the big gym have been parcel increase will generate an additional initiated to maintain the required student to $5 million per year for the district, teacher contractional ratio in a classroom. according to an email sent by Harlander. According to the TUHSD website, nearly Additional budget reductions for the 2018- 1,000 Redwood students, or over half of the student population, will have classes in the portables next year. Additional alternative organizational efforts are still being developed with the oversight of Budget Study and Enrollment Growth Committees to make recommendations for fiscally prudent ways to reduce district spending, according to Harlander. Although the Budget Reduction and Recovery plan is in a constant state of revision, Harlander said she believes that the current plan set forth will provide enough leeway for the district to uphold the highest quality of education available. According to Harlander, even though budget fluctuations can be unpredictable, the district hopes that arising budget deficiencies will not deter from student growth and enrichment in the TUHSD. “Ultimately students are our first priority; maintaining that high caliber of educational excellence offered by the TUHSD cannot be overlooked regardless of issues pertaining to the district budget,” Photo by Sydney Hilbush ADDRESSING THE SMALL audience at the May 8 board meeting, board president Leslie Lundgren Harlander smiles after passing Harlander said. a resolution. Harlander has assisted in spearheading budget decisions pertaining to the board. shilbush@redwoodbark.org
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● Drake Assassin game Continued from page 1
As captains, Sibbett and Delst are responsible for organizing teams, sending out reminders, informing and updating administration, organizing “who kills whom,” making rulings on disqualifications and arranging payment distribution among sorting out various conflicts. As leaders, Sibbett and Delst jointly receive around $600. “Case had been given the opportunity to lead the game and since we are such close friends he asked if I wanted to help. I said sure, because then I wouldn’t have to play which is stressful as heck. And I would get some money and be a super spirited leader of our school,” Sibbett said. According to Delst and Sibbett, the organization of the game itself has proved an extremely daunting task. Each week, both team leaders contribute seven hours of their time or more to make sure the game runs smoothly and all complications are worked out in a timely matter. As Assassin is a five-year running Drake tradition, the guidelines of the game itself had been previously outlined for them in a 13-page Google Doc describing the game rules. “[Assassin] goes from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. almost every day. You always have to be on your phone making calls and settling arguments. At the end of this Will and I will have probably put in 30 to 40 hours each,” Delst said. To participate, groups of three must enter a contribution of $45 per team, or $15 per person, to create a pool of money that is distributed once the game is finished after four to six weeks. At the end, the final team standing walks away with around $2,000 and the team leaders take a portion of the money themselves as reward for their dedication to the game’s success. This year, as a result of increasing competitiveness surrounding the game, the remaining two senior teams split the money, with each player walking away with around $390. Although awarding the money to a single winning team would have increased the cash award per team member, both teams wanted to walk away with a portion of the money instead of an “all or nothing” result, according to the game leaders. According to Delst, the money awarded to the final team provides incentive for players to take the game seriously while heightening competition for the final spot. In the past, according to Sibbett, teams have formulated creative ways to draw in their opponents in order to kill their targets and progress to the following rounds. “My favorite part about the game is the creativity that people get to kill people. This year we had one team set up
a fake Craigslist ad for a surfboard to lure their target in and kill them that way. Creativity like that is so funny and fun to watch,” Sibbett said. Although the game is not officially connected with Drake, both team captains have made apparent efforts to inform the administration of the game’s progress. According to Drake Assistant Principal Chad Stuart, aside from necessary intervention in previous classroom disturbances, administration remains fairly equitable to the game itself. “Administration is impartial. We know our students enjoy it. We like to see them having fun. That said, the name of the game and the fact it involves lookalike weapons is not something we support. We have made it clear that this is not a Drake-sanctioned game and it cannot occur on our campus,” Stuart said.
Photo courtesy of Case Delst
MONITORING THE ASSASSIN game, seniors Case Delst and Will Sibbett worked together to enforce regulations and ensure players’ safety.
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According to Stuart, although multiple behavioral issues occured when the game was first developed, he believes the team captains over the past two years have been effective in limiting classroom disruption by emphasising that possession of a water gun on campus will result in immediate disqualification among other oncampus limitations. To restrict liability issues, Delst and Sibbett have disqualified teams who break the game rules in order to prevent further administration or police intervention. Although both team captains remain stringent on grounds of disqualification, issues with misconduct have been minimal as most teams try to stay in the game as long as possible. “This year [Case and I] have had to disqualify a team for reckless driving. We usually try not to look over the team’s shoulder so much, but they were videoed passing nine stop signs and at least one red light. We looked at that and said, ‘This is illegal and could get our game compromised,’ which is why we disqualified them,” Sibbett said. According to Sibbett and Delst, certain teams have gone to extensive limits to progress onto further rounds for a chance to win the large sum of money awarded to the final team. Sibbett has noticed this steadfast dedication prominently in some of the senior players. “Most of the time it has been seniors that win because they are more dedicated to the game. For example in the past, some seniors even camped out on campus to make sure that they are in a safe zone all the time. Since the seniors are kind of more carefree they will blow off anything just to play the game,” Sibbett said. Although the game itself requires extensive hours of commitment for both the game leaders and individual teams, Delst and Sibbett both believe the game will continue to serve as an essential tradition for the upperclassmen and an important symbol of Drake pride. “We have senior ditch days, spirit days, walkouts, but I wouldn’t say there is a whole lot specific to Drake that we do other than Assassin,” Delst said. “Getting the rite of passage to play is a big honor and it was very exciting for me. Competing is one of the purest forms of bonding in my opinion. I think it is great for [the upperclassmen] to have an actual competition which doesn’t happen very much in high school. As long as it is run correctly and fairly I think the game will continue to exist for a long time.” shilbush@redwoodbark.org
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May 25, 2018
Dan Yamada announced as class of 2018 valedictorian By Jocelyn Overmyer Senior Dan Yamada has been named the class of 2018 valedictorian. Yamada has a cumulative weighted GPA of 4.49 and a 10-12 grade academic GPA of 4.74. He is planning on attending UC Berkeley in the fall and majoring in chemistry. Yamada enrolled in a total of 12 Advanced Placement (AP) classes and four honors classes throughout his eight semesters at Redwood. “I’ve challenged myself consistently throughout the years. I’ve taken advantage of all academic challenges I could. Especially last year, I took all AP classes, not necessarily for the AP credit but because there is just so much I wanted to
learn about,” Yamada said. Yamada enrolled in all AP classes during his junior year and obtained a 5.0 GPA the second semester of his junior year. He said he dedicates about four or five hours to homework each night. Yamada said he is honored to hold the title of class valedictorian. “There’s only one valedictorian and the fact that I’m [it], it’s just surreal. I’ve had a bunch of personal and college stuff going on last month and getting news like this prevents me from going to insanity and [lets me go] back toward being a normal person,” Yamada said. Senior Vicens Vila, a friend of Yamada’s, has been studying for tests and completing homework with Yamada since
Photo by Jocelyn Overmyer
CLASS OF 2018 valedictorian Dan Yamada, took a total of 12 AP and 4 honors classes during his eight semesters at Redwood. The Abbott Family The Abbott Family Stacy Achuck The Agenbroad Family The Alden Family The Allen Family The Callaway Allen Family The Ames/Bouton Family Susan and Mark Anderson The Anderson Family Anonymous (2) The Ashworth Family The Ayres Family The Bailitz Family The Baldwin Family Jeff and Catherine Barcy Cammi Bell Allison Belger Brad and Stephanie Bennett Joanna Berman Mandel Lisa Bernardi The Bialek Santas Family Lauren and Ella Blazei Loren and Howard Block The Bludau Family The Blum Family The Blum Family The Bober Family Colleen Bourke Benjamin and Mari Bowler Kathleen and Bill Brady The Brady Family Elizabeth Anne Brekhus The Brown Family Linda Brune The Bucklar Family The Buechner/ Whitt Family The Burgert Family Carrie and Jim Burroughs Kristina and Steve Campondonico The Carlson Family Liliana Carolina Naficy-Royal and Kenneth Eugene Royal The Cerf Family The Chou Family The Christman Family Bruce and Robyn Cohen David and Rebecca Conant The Conner Family The Conrow Familiy The Conti Family
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elementary school. “In high school, as things tend to become more challenging, we started becoming better friends. We would use each others’ strengths: I’m better in English and he’s way better in math, so I would get math help from him and I would revise his essays,” Vila said. Eventually, Vila and Yamada’s relationship grew stronger through shared personal experiences. “Our friendship is very academic but there’s a lot of sincere things about [our friendship] too. We’ve gone through the same issues through school and we have empathy for each other for the struggles that we had. Although [our friendship] is very academic-sounding, it’s also one that is very sincere and genuine and strong even if the shared academic traits weren’t there,” Vila said. According to senior Jason Jaboor, a friend of Yamada’s since the sixth grade, Yamada’s hardworking nature was a factor in him receiving the title of class valedictorian. “He goes out of his way to help students, and I think that feeds off of himself too. Helping others makes him a better student,” Jaboor said. Emily LaTourrette, who was Yamada’s AP Language and Composition teacher his junior year, said she believes that Yamada has outstanding qualities on top of being a hardworking student. “He’s obviously a tremendously hardworking person. He’s very thoughtful about school, but also just life in general and how he handles situations. He’s also super humble. Because he’s so gifted academically and such a hard worker, I
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think the fact that he has humility along with that just really makes him incredibly likeable,” LaTourrette said. According to Yamada, there are a lot of people who he feels deserve the title alongside him. However, the valedictorian is chosen purely based on GPA, making Yamada the top contender. “It shows on paper that I did the most and that’s what the school sees, and it’s satisfying to know that I’m the best at something. I don’t really do much so it gives me a sense of fulfillment,” Yamada said. According to Vila, Yamada was apprehensive about committing to such a heavy course load his junior year and often didn’t receive attention for his academic achievements. “I’m very happy for him. Throughout high school, I know he hasn’t gotten a lot of attention that I think he deserves and I’m very happy to see everyone give him a standing ovation [at the honors banquet] and I know that he was embarrassed. But it’s something he took pride in,” Vila said. According to LaTourrette, Yamada has taken a variety of classes, including AP Seminar, Honors Physics and AP Economics, that have strengthened his academic abilities. “As far as being the epitome of a student who has worked really hard for the knowledge he’s acquired, he is also interested in a lot of different subjects. I think that the fact that he challenged himself in so many subjects is just indicative of how diverse his interests are. It makes him all the more deserving,” LaTourrette said. jocelyn.overmyer@redwoodbark.org
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opinion
Page 5
The danger of raising an infantile infantry By Jericho Rajninger
on project; some lessons focused on harnessing wind energy and others involved vats of slime or simulations Let’s enter the mind of a six-year-old. (Before we begin, of the Magnus Effect using plastic cup contraptions. Sure, I must admit it’s been over a decade since I was six, so, these were fairly complex topics for six-year-olds, but at the risk of insulting our large contingent of first grade even if the kids had the mental capacity or the attention readers, I’ll provide only my personal experience). Twelve span to endure a ten-minute science lecture, it wouldn’t years ago, at any given moment, my six-year-old self may have mattered. They were truly incapable of focusing their attention on anything other than violence. have been contemplating: One day, we sat the kids down and asked them what A. The unusually pungent taste of my freshest booger they thought might cause the blades of a wind turbine to B. The next time I’d get to hug my mom spin. The only three answers all 11 Monster-Children could C. The big bucket of legos waiting for me at home That’s about it. Entirely inconsequential, yes, but muster: 1) Nitro! 2) Explosions! and 3) Big explosions! that’s expected. My thoughts were simple and harmless— Their eyes lit up with barbaric excitement. Our other questions (during that class and others), carefree musings of a boy who cackled at poo-poo-pee-pee jokes and spent his time exploring playgrounds or reading intended to inspire basic, yet meaningful scientific inquiry, were met with similar answers. “Blow it up!” “The Magic Tree House.” If only all six-year-olds was my personal favorite, and as I soon were as benign as I was. realized, that phrase was—in their For four months this year, I worked minds—a viable answer to literally at a local makerspace, helping any question whatsoever. I teach a weekly STEAM (science, started a little game in my technology, engineering, art head, tallying the number and math) class for kids in of times I heard the three kindergarten through words during the course second grade. I’m not lying of the program. I’ll bet when I tell you I’ve never those six-year-olds been more frightened in couldn’t count that my life. high. The first day of class, I Again, I all but arrived to find one particularly dismissed their boisterous monster-child alarming behavior, screaming, “Put your hands trying to convince up!” Monster-Child was myself that boys will be grabbing another kid’s boys. Still, I couldn’t shake wrist, trying to aggressively the fact that this fixation shove the boy into a on bloodshed terrified me. bathroom while bellowing Boys will be boys, but boyhood generic action movie lines that musn’t be defined by violence. no PG-watching child should Mine wasn’t. And at a time when know, let alone recite. At the mass shootings (97 percent of which time, though, I made nothing of are initiated by male shooters, it. Just normal boy stuff. I rolled according to an investigation by my eyes and went to pacify the little Statista spanning the last 36 years) guys, something I’d do countless times permeate the news, “Blow it over the next four months. up!” are the last words you Each week we tackled a different handsIllustration by Jericho Rajninger
want to hear coming out of mouths which won’t grow facial hair for another decade. During those four months, I would have killed (no, not actually killed) to hear just one poo-poo-pee-pee joke. Just one. Instead, I was met with a constant, unabating barrage of fantastical carnage and diction that suggested I was serving on the ground in a war-torn country, not sitting in a cushioned rolling chair in a family-friendly Marin County makerspace. I’m not sure who or what I blame for the degradation of the collective boyhood spirit. (Admittedly, I, too, began experiencing violent tendencies: no, I didn’t imagine cutting out the boys’ vocal chords and tossing them in a blender.) Perhaps movie ratings have become too lenient, exposing children to inappropriate content intended for more mature viewers. Have omnipresent first-person shooter video games finally trickled into the hands of our youngest boys? It’s possible I’m overreacting, and this was just a small, contained problem exacerbated by the fact that the kids in our class had just spent six hours trapped in desks at school and were eager for action. Regardless, these boys seemed misguided. I almost cracked. I wanted to tell the boys about the Sandy Hook shooting. I wanted to explain how just a little over five years ago, 20 innocent children their age had been brutally murdered when a gunman open fired on an elementary school much like theirs. If these boys were enamored by pretend violence, they should know the repercussions of bloodshed that matters. I wanted to drain the barbaric excitement out of their eyes. They had to learn, for their good and for ours, that life is not a video game. I never said anything, but it turns out I didn’t have to. On the last day of class, we were working with wooden skewers when one kid accidentally poked himself with a sharp tip. The poke wasn’t hard enough to draw blood (it just left one of those small, red indentations on his finger), but he came to me on the verge of tears, wincing and begging for a Band-Aid. For the rest of the class, he and the other boys were the most engaged and attentive I’d seen them. Their mouths—which seemed to (automatically) spew violent innuendos—switched to semi-automatic. They were tranquil. A comrade had fallen. jrajninger@redwoodbark.org
A guide to dealing with high-expecting and hypercritical parents By Julia Jacoby As the youngest of two siblings and a current senior, crossing off the days until graduation has not only come to mean liberation for me, but also an empty nest for my parents. As this day nears, the strangest feeling has arisen: I need to break up with my parents. Looking back on my four years at Redwood, I’ve grown comfortable with the feeling of my parents breathing down my neck. I, the stubborn daughter of two Ivy league graduates with five STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) degrees between them, turned out completely averse to math (alongside basic pragmatism) and completely averse to being told what to do. This—combined with my parents’ lack of recognition for the exponentially growing competition in the college process and a borderline-devout belief in their own correctness all of the time—has at times wreaked (unnecessary) havoc in my household.
Illustration by Kelly Norian
I have little wisdom to offer in any academic or social realm, but I do have experience combatting overly-critical parents. So, if I can provide any tangible contributions to Redwood’s posterity, it’s this: A Guide to Dealing with HighExpecting and Hypercritical parents. 1. First, at the core of every parent is the desire for you to do your best. However, at the core of every helicopter parent is the fundamental misconception that your best is the best. 2. Shutting your parents out is by no means an effective mechanism of getting them to relinquish their rigid boundaries. If your parents think that you aren’t hearing them, they will only shout louder. Tell them about your schedule and workload, then lay out your plan for getting it all done. Include them in the conversation about the goals you set for yourself, then tell them what you need from them in order to get it all done. 3. Many of you may notice a difference between how you and your siblings are treated, especially if you have brothers. Sons often get more freedom and leniency. Though my brother spent his four years of high school cycling through horrendously cringe-worthy “bro” tanks, the potential exposure of my bra straps came under far more scrutiny than his farmer’s tan. It’s pretty normal: we ladies are used to having to work twice as hard just to operate under the same standards. Instead of dwelling on it, observe. Watch your brother’s confidence, his lack of apologies. Mimic it. If your parents try to criticize this, then remind them of this incongruity, no matter how innocuous it may seem to them. All parents find it difficult to gain leverage in the face of their own hypocrisy.
4. When they challenge you, don’t back down. If you disagree with your parents, don’t bend to their will just to appease them. That only feeds the needy, powerhungry-control-freak that lives inside of all helicopter parents. Strike a power pose, and challenge them with a strong display of your inflexibility. (Note: this often turns into a battle of who in your household is the most stubborn. Vie for the crown, but also attempt to recognize the ridiculous when, three hours in, you realize this has become nothing more than a high-stakes staring contest.) 5. You’re probably going to fail at something at some point (especially if your definition of “fail” is receiving an 80 percent). Maybe you, against their protestation, decided to get dinner with a friend the night before a test and got carried away. Maybe you decided it was possible to do homework and binge watch “Black Mirror” at the same time. Failure is kind of a given. Accept it and own it. Part of the problem is operating under the standard of perfection is unrealistic and impossible. Warning: when this happens, your parents won’t be able to resist saying “I told you so.” 6. Let them say it. Allow your parents the satisfaction before you remind them that failures are inevitable, and you’ll learn from them. Though the perverse amount of joy they get out of saying “I told you so” will make an immense, fiery pit of frustration ball up inside of your throat, not fighting them on this is playing the long game. Sun Tzu, author of “The Art of War,” once said, “All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe
we are near.” Remember this, friends. 7. It’s important to understand that, in theory, your parents should be the people who know you most intimately. They’ve fed you, wiped your butt and been privy to your odd hygienic preferences. However, in reality, they often have no idea how much what they say can hurt you. They may know that you’re a type-A, obsessive over-thinker, but many times they don’t consider this when telling you that your Ashould be higher, or when comparing you to other students who are totally superior to you in all aspects of life. Many times, in your parents’ heads, you as a student is a completely separate entity from you as a person, and they forget to consider you, the person, when criticizing you, the student. Remind them that you are a person first, and create a more open dialogue with your parents about how their actions and words affect you. Many times we go to our parents expecting understanding from them, and too often we aren’t met with such consideration. The disappointment always hurts a little, because it’s just part of our nature to want acceptance from our parents, especially ones with such high expectations of us. But next time you go to your parents seeking approval for your plans or your aspirations, ask yourself: why do I need it? You are in ownership of your decisions, your emotions, your victories and your failures. Having to fight your parents on your decision-making is exhausting, but it teaches you not only to articulate your beliefs, but to remain confident in them, keeping their skepticism from overshadowing your passion. jjacoby@redwoodbark.org
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Page 6 • Opinion
May 25, 2018
The ignorant teenager strikes again By Verenice Palczynski With Trump in office and international affairs heating up, staying on top of both domestic and international news is essential to become an increasingly informed individual. But the sad reality is that many teenagers often live in their own head; what isn’t going to infringe upon their day-to-day lives doesn’t matter to many of them. Yet that doesn’t stop them from taking an ill-informed, stubborn stance on the headlines they see on the newspapers they don’t even pick up. Though this doesn’t represent all teenagers, it seems to be a larger population of us than we should be comfortable with. With nearly 500 students of the senior class being sent all over the world for college, we can no longer piggy-back on the politics of our parents. All educated opinions hold value and should be heard out. Some people, however, don’t make the effort to form an educated opinion, yet still choose to talk over those who have done their due diligence. The criteria for an educated opinion are as follows: 1. Read multiple articles on the subject, not just the headlines. 2. If the topic is complex, try to understand the politics, situation or history surrounding the topic. 3. Refrain from yelling at those whose opinions don’t exactly match your own. Instead, listen and learn in order to help form a decision of your own. Let’s use the recent decision of the U.S., France and the U.K. to bomb the Syrian government as an example. For context, Syria has been having a civil war since March of 2011 where Syrian rebels have been fighting against the Syrian government and President Bashar
al-Assad for their freedom. Under the Obama administration in 2012, Obama warned the Syrian government that use of chemical weapons (a chemical red line) would provoke intervention. The Syrian government allegedly used chemical weapons against their own people in Douma on Feb. 1, 2018 and the U.S., France and U.K. intervened and launched precision strikes on three Syrian chemical weapon facilities in protest of the Syrian government bombing their own people. Around the halls, I heard people talking about how terribly sad and unfair this was and how Trump made the wrong call regarding Syria. On the other hand, I also heard people chant “U.S.A., U.S.A.” and boast about how other countries better know whose government they are messing with. But how many of these students actually understand the situation and have done the proper research to take a valid, strong stance on the issue? Turns out not many—at least here at Redwood. According to the recent Bark survey, 50 percent of students took a strong stance on whether or not they support the U.S., France and U.K. bombing on the Syrian government (21 percent said they support it, 29 percent said they did not). However, 45 percent said they know very little about the events happening in Syria and 37 percent said they only know that the US (alongside France and the U.K.) bombed Syria. That makes 82 percent of students that simply don’t know enough about the situation to truly form an opinion. Yet, we can infer from the data that about 32 percent of people chose to still take a strong stance even though they didn’t follow the criteria to form an educated opinion. If we don’t break out of this naive habit now, it runs the risk of taking hold
Illustration by Madelaine Guthrie
and being able to influence how we make important political decisions in our future, including how we vote. For example, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Trump, the leader of the free world, was put in office by people who followed his Twitter, not the New York Times. Same goes for 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. She had the potential to make history as our first woman president, but her values and beliefs were outshone by the “Hillary For Prison” bumper stickers based off of no more than her email server and the overpowering presence of the Trump wall. Our uninformed choice sways with the winds of clickbait headlines if this lazy habit persists. However, the one thing lazier than failing to get informed on the happenings of the world is to decide that registering to vote isn’t worth the time. According to Child Trends, in 2012
only 49.4 percent of 18 to 24 year olds were registered to vote. Of those, only 38 percent actually voted in the 2012 election. The word “democracy” becomes meaningless if people don’t appreciate the privilege it gives them to vote. No one is saying to write a 10,000-word research paper before you form an opinion. Just spend the 15-30 minutes it takes to become informed on an issue like the Syrian Civil War and the recent bombing. Opinions drive our country forward and open up difficult conversations. However, without being informed, opinions fuel useless fights, prove the ignorance of our people and are better left unheard for they do nothing but detract and destruct.
vpalczynski@redwoodbark.org
The hidden blessings of an unexpected gap semester By Vincent Leo
When I applied to colleges last fall, it seemed like a straightforward process. I filled out my applications, submitted my test scores and transcript, wrote my essays and hoped for the best. My anticipation for this life-changing decision grew, with everyday discussions between my peers focusing solely on our academic interests and our hopes and dreams for the next four years. Among the dozens of people I talked to during countless conversations, almost all of them seemed ecstatic to jump right into college. Personally, I felt utterly unsure. As decisions began to trickle in, I was surprised to receive unusual offers from two of my schools. When I opened the acceptance letters, the words seemed to jump off the page. Phrases such as “let me explain this special opportunity” and “you are amongst a select group” seemed daunting at first glance, and I was confused whether they had sent me a real offer. Initially, I scoffed at the proposal both colleges were offering: delaying the start of my college experience by a full semester. The idea seemed absolutely absurd. Being displaced from my friends and venturing into unknown territory made me anxious. Aside from potentially falling behind academically, I was nervous about fitting in socially. In light of my situation, I have taken a step back to consider the myriad of benefits that a deferred admission can entail. Spring admission programs—deferred acceptances where students begin their first semester once winter break ends—allow colleges to
communities with volunteer opportunities such as tutoring disadvantaged youth or offering a hand at a homeless shelter. Others may find an internship or job in their field of interest to achieve some real world experience. General education (GE) requirements can also be fulfilled at a local community college by taking courses with transferable credits. Even though these options provide different skills and do not encompass the traditional college experience many students are eager to have, each allows a student to take some time to reflect and properly define one’s interest, an essential factor in my personal college decision process. Although spring admission was a new concept to me, I was surprised to learn that various colleges have been implementing it for years. Well-known institutions that employ this method include American University, Boston University, Cornell University, Tulane University and University of Southern California, with some such as Middlebury College having the spring admissions program for over 30 years. About half of these colleges provide specific opportunities, such as studying abroad, for spring admits during the gap semester, which can create valuable experiences and be even more beneficial than sitting in a 300 student lecture hall grinding out GE requirements as a fall admit. Despite the numerous positive factors, spring admits may worry about being socially isolated when they join the other students second semester. Though this
Illustration by Christine Watridge
accommodate a larger amount of students by utilizing dorm room and classroom space that becomes available when students study abroad or graduate mid-year. Students who accept this offer are free to use those five months of newfound time to do whatever they please with the knowledge that they hold a guaranteed spot at their chosen college in the spring. The options a student can take advantage of are endless. The student could expand their worldview by traveling and experiencing new cultures or can benefit their
is a valid fear, there are ample opportunities to immerse oneself within the community. Specialized orientations and involvement fairs provide students with more than enough time to explore clubs and organizations. Some s c h o o l s allow spring semester
students to attend sporting events during the fall where they can unleash their school spirit and mingle with their fellow face-painted peers. Other spring admits can be a natural pool of people to connect with during one’s first weeks. Another argument against spring admits is that these students will be set back academically. Missing a semester could potentially lead to graduating later than expected. That being said, there are a multitude of ways to ensure that one stays on track. Taking just a few classes at a community college during the gap semester can check off some of the required GE’s and summer school is another option to allow one to catch up. American University has arguably one of the most unique offerings, providing spring admits a fall mentorship program with courses that count as college credit. The program has two options: their local D.C. program allows students to partake in an internship, and the U.K. program w h i c h provides
international learning beyond Studying abroad in an internship opportunities for
immersion and the classroom. or participating are remarkable college freshmen and are typically exclusive to upperclassman. By utilizing these outstanding opportunities, students are actually given a leg-up compared to their fall counterparts. My work ethic and mindset would never have allowed me to come up with the notion of a gap semester on my own. I always felt the pressure to keep moving to the next step and never stop to take a breath before trudging on. However, in the past few months, I realized that I’m not the only one who wants to deviate from the traditional academic track. In reviewing my options, I now believe it is a better path for me to take before tackling the next phase of life, so that I can enter college fully recharged, prepared, enriched and motivated. vleo@redwoodbark.org
Page 7 • Opinion
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Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org
Editors-In-Chief Shannon Donelan China Granger Anne Pritikin Daniela Schwartz
Head Copy Editor Christine Watridge
Illustrated Christine Watridge
editorial Listening to student voice shouldn’t be a choice Plugged ears decide our future When the student and parent survey for next year’s schedule appeared in the inboxes of Redwood families just four days before the official teacher union vote, students seemed optimistic that their opinions were finally being considered. After all, aren’t we just as affected by the schedule change as teachers? Although the survey results indicated strong preference for the double block schedule with upwards of 70 percent voting in its favor, this feedback seems to have been disregarded. While administration provided students the opportunity to voice their opinions— through a two-button form—the survey more closely resembled a half-hearted attempt to mislead students into believing our feedback held some value instead of an effort to actively include our opinion in a schoolwide decision. Nevertheless, we must first acknowledge that administration requested any sort of feedback regarding the scheduling vote in the first place. It has been known to the public for quite some time that only teachers who are union members were able to vote on this decision, so we should appreciate that students and parents were given any sort of opportunity to share their opinions. With that in mind, there were circumstances that made it clear to those taking the survey that their feedback was not valued by the school. The discussions regarding the schedule that will be in place for the next two years have persisted for months, and some teachers have actively pushed their points of view surrounding the schedules to sway student opinion. One Redwood staff member even had the survey link advertised on their classroom whiteboard with the words, “take the survey to vote against the double block here” above the link. By the time administration sent out the schoolwide survey, student opinion was already solidified—and so were teacher opinions. The survey was only sent between April 22 and 24 to students and parents through email, leaving less than a three-day period for all parents and students who received it to submit their preferences. For important school information, students expect to receive a text message. Yet, students received the survey through email, a form of communication that many teenagers don’t regularly check. Furthermore, the data from the survey was presented to those in the teachers’ union just 24 hours before they voted, leaving almost no time for any consideration of student and parent feedback in the first place. By the time of the vote on April 30, there had been little time for discussion and analysis of the survey data.
A BARK to safely being able to eat romaine again! Lettuce rejoice! A BITE to the high schoolers at Bay to Breakers. It’s supposed to be a race to the finish line, not to the bottom of your flask. A BARK to Jimmy Carter saying discrimination against women and girls is the world’s biggest problem. Let’s just hope this movement doesn’t stagnate like Carter’s economy. A BITE to a biker in Washington being killed by a cougar. No, it wasn’t a real housewife. A BARK to the boys’ varsity baseball team for winning
Additionally, administration and staff disregarded student opinion in the creation of the schedule itself. When offered the opportunity to partake in the survey, students were only presented with the option of choosing between two predisposed schedule options, while some students wouldn’t have chosen either option for the schedule next year. Many felt the seven minute passing periods in both options to be unnecessary, later release times an annoyance and the short lunches to be an intrusion of the already minimal time alloted to relax and socialize. If administration had offered students the opportunity to craft their own schedules for consideration, students might have been less outraged at the result of the vote; from the beginning, students were not involved regarding schedule planning or decisions. The lack of student inclusion perpetuates a cycle of a misinformed and unconsidered student body without the resources to advocate for change against administrative forces. In the end, the lives of students and parents will be impacted by every minute that changes in the schedule. For example, the shorter lunches will add up to nine hours less of lunch per year. It will leave clubs with less time to meet, impacting the popularity and efficacy of lunchtime organizations. According to the Tamalpais Union High School District Mission Statement, “Upon graduation, students will be prepared for engaged citizenship and able to contribute individually and collaboratively in order to address the challenges of a dynamic and diverse world.” How can we expect students to participate and collaborate in a demanding environment if students are not actively engaged in discussions regarding their own school? It seems that this survey was not a true platform for student opinion, but a way for administration to make us feel as if we had a voice. It’s not only disappointing for a student body of nearly 2,000 to be ignored by its teachers after being asked to give feedback, it’s demeaning. To be asked to speak our minds only to realize we are shouting into the void is almost worse than not being asked at all. It demonstrates that teachers and administration are aware of our voices, but not truly hearing anything. Have an opinion regarding anything that appears in the Bark or in general? We encourage our readers to submit letters to the editor. Letters to the Bark should be 500 words or fewer, typed if possible and signed. They must be submitted to room 177 or in the Bark mailbox in the facility. They may also be emailed to bark@redwoodbark.org.
MCALs. Looks like the Drake Pirates got shipwrecked. A BITE to the school blocking shellshock. You have got to be yoking. A BARK to longer passing periods next year. A full seven minutes in heaven. A BITE to the 36-minute lunches next year. Even prisoners get one hour of daily recreational time. A BARKLE to Meghan Markle. She’s been SUITED for duchess since day one. A BITE to more and more sophomores getting their licenses. This parking-spot-to-student ratio is lower than the ratio of guys to
girls in Bark. A BARK to Redwood Night Live’s first ever laser tag event. A deLIGHTful way to BEAM away our stress! A BITE to having to find a graduation dress. We usually don’t have to wear anything under our robes.
BARKS and BITES are the collective opinions of the BARK staff concerning relevant issues. BARKS are in praise of accomplishments, while BITES criticize decisions or events.
Copy Editors Melissa Block Natalie Cerf Caroline Cummings Tilly Friedlander Sabine Lloyd News Editors Neva Legallet Saamya Mungamuru Opinion Editors Verenice Palczynski Emily Sweet Feature Editors Lily Baldwin Jericho Rajninger Sports Editors Anna Compagno Sam Warren Review Editors Julia Jacoby Jordan Overmyer Lifestyles Editors Carolyn French Sydney Hilbush Spanish Editor Bea Cazares Business Manager Sylvana Perczek SocialMedia/ Snapshot Editor Jocelyn Overmyer Survey Manager Alexandra Lee Art Consultant Max Gilberg Reporters Josh Cohen Nate Charles Jack Green Hannah Halford Lucie James Maxim Kawashima Jacob Klionsky Natalia Lazor Vincent Leo Alexander Lieberman Charlotte Seton Devon McClain Amanda Morse Matt Mulcahy Sachi Nahas Jack Parsons Julia Scharf
Senior Staff Writer Maggie Smith
Adviser
Erin Schneider
POLICY: All editorials are unsigned and have been approved by the majority of the Bark staff.
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Page 8 • Opinion
May 25, 2018
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FAREWELL LETTERS Shannon Donelan
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Today my friend said something that stuck with me: “This time of year feels like when I’m walking down the street on my phone and look up just as I am about to run into a pole. I think I can see where I am going, but then I look up and boom.” For seniors, graduation is that pole, and as I walk closer with each passing day, I can’t help but wish I had put my phone down sooner and looked up. For the past couple of years, Bark has been the part of my life that made me look up every once in a while. It pushed me out of my routine and brought me into a world of excitement and enthusiasm alongside individuals with similar interests. Bark gave me experiences that I never would have had otherwise: seeing the inside of prison, witnessing the aftermath of a heartbreaking fire, investigating breaking-news security threats and so much more. It transitioned my high school experience from learning regular curriculum to experiencing something purposeful. From discussing Trump’s most recent outrageous tweets, arguing over the Israel-Palestine conflict, watching Janelle Monáe’s newest music video, to singing along to Mamma Mia during paste-up, room 177 quickly became the place where I learned the most about myself and the world around me. While on the Bark staff, I have been most proud of the stories we have published relating to issues of injustices within our community and beyond: stories of social isolation, gun violence, sexual harassment, domestic abuse and more. Bark has lead me to one of the most influential experiences of my entire life. When the opportunity to go into San Quentin to write an article about a man who has been in prison for 40 years came my way, I had no way of knowing the impact this would have on me. Spending five hours sitting in the visiting room with a group of over 50 convicts and their loved ones was the most moving experience of my life. I have never felt more like a journalist than I did in that room, frantically scribbling notes on scraps of paper with a dull blue colored pencil. Hearing this convict’s story of redemption solidified my unwavering belief in second chances. I had found something I could do for the rest of my life: working in the field of criminal justice. For the first time, I truly felt that I was making a difference. This experience was the greatest honor of my high school career and will be something that I will take with me wherever I go. Bark gave me this gift, and for that, I am sincerely grateful. So, thank you Bark. Thank you for helping me run into less poles along the way. Thank you for reminding me of the value of looking up. <3
ANNE
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CHINA
SHANNON
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China Granger
Anne Pritikin
I guess I could just regurgitate some vague, generic advice like “always be yourself” or “find your shovel.” I could even offer some more specific, personal ways to make the most of high school and Marin (for example: Go outside because Marin is really gorgeous and there’s actually more to it than drug abuse, helicopter parents, rampant entitlement and AP classes. Pay attention in history because, hey, history is super important. Think about spending a couple Friday nights hanging out with your family because you’ll miss them when you leave.) Something I’ve found, though, over the past four years was that everyone was always trying to give me advice. Throughout high school, parents, teachers, friends, weird uncles and even complete strangers began telling me everything I should and shouldn’t do in my life. I think it’s because you change immensely over four years, and that’s hard. But something else I’ve realized is that very little of the advice anyone ever gave me in high school made a scrap of sense until it could be applied in hindsight—I thought the seniors who told me when I was a freshman that high school would fly by were crazy until about two months ago. The army of people in your life trying to help you sometimes forget that it often takes a bad decision or two to actually change as a person. And that’s where Bark comes in. Being a student journalist— interviewing public officials to people on the street and creating a newspaper with 50 other students—I’ve become a better writer, reader, listener, team member, problem-solver and a more active participant in the protection of a free democracy. I took a year-long course to prepare me for the basics of writing and editing. But the majority of what I learned was simply through doing, and from messing it up, a lot. In interviews, I’ve forgotten the camera battery and the SD card and the list of questions and the importance of introducing yourself... but I’ve also learned the true meaning of a deadline and a group project (I thought five people in a group project was stressful, try 50). Bark is the ultimate place to put yourself in uncomfortable positions. You sink, or you float, but either way you learn. So the best I can say is to hear the advice being given to you. Soak it up as best you can. But most of all, look to yourself. Take every misstep as a learning opportunity. Don’t waste your mistakes by doing them over again. If you are able to deeply analyze your own experiences, you and your blunders might just be your own best teacher.
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Dear Reader, This past summer, accompanied by a group of fellow student journalists, I visited the largest printing press in the Northern Hemisphere. However, it was not the magnitude of the space that struck me most deeply, but rather its militaristic quality. The printing press was an industrial cavern, a maze of pumping metal machinery whose tempo sounded like that of a marching brigade. Each paper was a soldier and the printing press was raising an army, not to fight an enemy, but to champion the search for truth, whether it be of a factual nature or pertaining to the experiences of human existence. While absolute truth may be unattainable, it is in the most zealous pursuit of this objective that journalism lives. While the Bark has seen its fair share of misspellings and errors, its dogged pursuit of this truth has never wavered nor flagged. The Bark provides a rare perspective, covering a community and niche that would otherwise slip from the sights of more widely circulated papers. This school newspaper that you hold in your hands possesses intangible, yet substantial importance. Society is incapable of functioning without a free press, and a free press is incapable of functioning without the smaller papers, even ones pertaining to a public high school. On behalf of all Bark staff, I humbly thank you. By picking up these 24 pages marked with a slew of colors and folded into a neat packet, you have supported the Bark’s “endeavor to inform the Redwood High School student body and staff of happenings in the school and the community beyond.” The true significance of this 60-year-old high school paper extends further than our coverage or my own affinity for the written word into the heart of human experience and the functioning of our society. Beyond the Bark’s worthy undertaking, you have supported a fundamental tenet of our democracy and protected the noblest of all pursuits: the search for the most accurate accounts of truth. Whether through journalism or another medium, my work on Bark these last years has galvanized my desire to seek and record this truth as the Bark will steadfastly continue its own pursuit through its next generation of student journalists. Sincerely, Anne Pritikin
DANIELA
Daniela Schwartz
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“Purposeful accident,” an oxymoron that about sums me up. No … not like that, what I mean is through events that have shaped my high school experience. When I strolled to my first period class my sophomore year, I was under the false impression that Nonfiction was really a fiction class. I pictured reading Harry Potter and analyzing the plot, so when I was instead greeted by the task of conducting interviews and transcribing them, you could imagine my confusion. However, not long into that first class period, I had already fallen in love with the course. From then on, journalism became an essential part of my life—a purposeful accident. In a room where we pride ourselves on our ability to meet each and every deadline, or boast about such organized story planning, it seems unlikely that any accidents would be beneficial. But, believe it or not, room 177 breeds these situations. Sources fall through, leaving a journalist forced to act quickly and find someone else. The printer runs out of ink one hour before the end of paste-up, resulting in a hodgepodge of editors scrambling to find an alternative way to edit their page. A car break-in occurs, altering a reporter’s already-busy agenda for the sake of covering the event. What always amazes me is that despite each hiccup, we still produce a 24-page paper, filled with purposeful stories that strive to encompass our school—its daily happenings, out-of-theordinary events, and everything in between.. Although Bark has taught me many lessons, flexibility has been one of the most influential. Whether it be through publishing a sensitive opinion piece on lower-income Advanced Placement Exam opportunities or by writing in real time about the bomb threat from my phone, I’ve been able to confidently take risks. Sometimes they worked out and sometimes they didn’t (I tried to write a feature on a Nicasio cheese farm, but my only sources were cows). Hopefully, my multitudes of trials and subsequent errors have not been overlooked, but instead have become lessons to my peers that have looked up to me. I want others to be inspired to step out of their own shells to find meaning in unexpected places, to find their purposeful accidents. The common saying is, “We learn from our mistakes,” and while most actions in Bark are intentional, it’s in those pivotal accidents when I learned most as a journalist. Things happen and we can’t always control them. Roll with the punches, go with the flow.
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Méxicano-Americanos reclaman el dia de festividades Por Bea Cazares y Diego Clavijo Es Mayo, el sol amanece y brilla en el dia cálido, puedes sentir las brisas frescas que transportan los olores de guacamole y salsa fresca a tu nariz. Devoras el aroma de las chips que acaban de salir del horno y los tacos que acaban de preparar. Cada año, estadounidenses alrededor del país celebran lo que piensan que es el dia de independencia de méxico, aunque esto no puede ser más lejos de la verdad. Usan fiestas temáticas para celebrar el Cinco de Mayo y tratan de cocinar o comprar comida auténtica para celebrar con sus amigos. Cinco de Mayo fue la batalla contra el ejército francés en el Estado de Puebla en méxico durante la guerra entre mexicanos y francés. Segun History.com, el ejercito frances superaba en número al ejército mexicano y cuando se retrasaron fue una victoria moral y simbolizó la habilidad del país, poder defender su soberanía contra un país tan poderoso como Francia. Aunque la historia del dia de festividad
algunas veces no está completamente entendido por los estadounidenses que lo están celebrando, esta siendo reclamado por los Mexicanos-Americanos (Chicanos). Tiene eventos grandes anuales en Los Ángeles y San José donde los Chicanos pueden celebrar su patrimonio aunque no sea su dia de independencia. Para estudiante de último año Oliver Sagastume, él asistió alevento en La Pulga (un mercadillo) de San José cada año que puede con su familia para celebrar el Cinco de Mayo. “Nosotros a veces vamos a San José a la pulga y ahí hay música, hay comida y allí [mi familia y yo] pasamos el dia, en Oakland hacen algo similar pero hay desfiles,” dijo Sagastume. Estudiante de tercer año Ángel Hernández se acuerda de tiempos donde celebraba el Cinco de Mayo en méxico con una gran comida y atole, una bebida con consistencia de sopa. También asistió un evento en San José de Cinco de Mayo. “Fui a San José un Cinco de Mayo, y había gente con sus camionetas y coches [tocando] musica de mexico, con sus banderas,” dijo Hernández.
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Para la maestra de AP Spanish dijo Hernández. “Es una cultura que ellos Language and Culture y English Learning no conocen del todo, a los americanos les Development, Debbie McCrea, es gustaría saber cómo se celebra para así importante que la gente que no sea de poder llevarse mejor con la gente en el dia descendencia mexicana verdaderamente del Cinco de Mayo.” sepan lo que están celebrando. Aunque muchos han tratado de educar “Los americanos piensan que es el personas sobre el dia festivo todavía está cuatro de julio para los mexicanos y no usado por muchas compañías tratando de es, nos molesta,” dijo McCrea. “Como no vender cosas a consumidores, esto es lo que se celebra en México molesta a McCrea. de hecho hasta cierto “Me molesta tiempo [mi esposo y yo] es que pongan lo boycotiamos porque en la televisión pensamos que se creó mucha cerveza y como un estereotipo y bebidas alcohólicas, un mal entendimiento margaritas y de hecho de la cultura chips y salsa. Se mexicana en los estados me hace un poco unidos.” simplificado, un poco Para animar a sus esterotipificado,” estudiantes a aprender y dijo McCrea. “Los apreciar más a la cultura inmigrantes necesitan l a t i n o a m e r i c a n a , Oliver Sagastume, sus tradiciones y parte en años pasados estudiante de ultimo año de su patrimonio y McCrea asignaría que lo cambien esta a sus estudiantes bien, pero la cultura experiencias culturales. dominante si lo “Mis estudiantes simplifica y lo usa han asistido a eventos de cinco de Mayo, para vender alcohol.” y nos han dado reportes y fotos. Es una Las diferencias entre cómo se celebran opción de actividades que podían hacer en méxico son muy aparente, por ejemplo, porque si es parte de la cultura de aquí, en méxico es un evento más celebrado en es válido,” dijo McCrea. “Me gustaría las escuelas. que los estudiantes entendieran lo que en “Mis parientes en méxico siempre verdad se simboliza este dia, tanto para los suben fotos principalmente de las escuelas mexicanos en méxico y los chicanos aquí y los desfiles y los estudiantes a veces que son de dos culturas distintas.” hacen discursos,” dijo McCrea. Justo porque Cinco de Mayo no En los Estados Unidos, como no fue el origine de los estados unidos, se siente país que ganó la batalla, no lo celebra en un poco extraño escuchar que muchos las escuelas pero sí es parte de la cultura, estadounidenses sin descendencias según Sagastume. mexicanas lo celebren. Cinco de Mayo “La cultura americana es muy diferente es para celebrar y apreciar la cultura a otras porque es una cultura mezclada de mexicana, pero para Hernández quiere razas muy diferentes y es como una sopa hacer claro que también tienen que apreciar revuelta de todas las culturas del mundo,” a la gente mexicana. dijo Sagastume. “Simplemente es el hecho que algunas veces uno se siente observado y no libre. Muchos americanos podrían decir; ‘estos están locos’ o ‘quien sabe que tienen,’” spanish@redwoodbark.org
Es una cultura mezclada de razas muy diferentes y es como una sopa.
GET ON THE WATER THIS SUMMER AND SEE WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT
Foto por Bea Cazares
ASISTIENDO CASI CADA año que pueda ir, estudiante de ultimo año Oliver Sagastume viaja a San Jose para el evento de Cinco de Mayo.
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Page 10
Seniors take flight, leave empty nests behind By Natalie Cerf and Saamya Mungumaru
As seniors prepare to graduate this spring, many are also anticipating the beginning of a new life after they leave home for college or take a gap year. While they face the excitement and apprehension of perhaps moving to somewhere new and navigating life as independent adults, their parents also prepare to start a new life: one without kids living in the house. Though sending a child off to college can always be an emotional and challenging experience, this transition may be especially tough when the graduating senior is the youngest of several kids to leave the house or an only child. Similarly, if the senior is a twin who will be graduating with a sibling at the same time, they too will all of a sudden be leaving behind an empty home. When parents experience sorrow from their children’s departure, it is known as empty nest syndrome.
excited to see them grow and be independent. “You are happy for them to go because you are so concerned for their well-being and their happiness that you kind of put yourself second. I know I’ll be fine… it is all about them and their journey forward. You just hope they end up happy and successful and fulfilled,” Lynn said.
Illustrations by Izzy Poutiatine
structure and routine in her and her husband’s lives. While that sort of independence might be liberating for a parent like Cheryl, the adjustment is also melancholy. According to Kobe and Ryan, the family goes on regular skiing trips to Tahoe, which will be something they will miss once the twins go to college. Ryan hopes that his relationship with his parents doesn’t change once he and Kobe graduate. “We won’t talk as much [once we graduate], which will be different. I mean, living with them, you talk everyday, but when I’m separate from them I feel like I’m going to miss that,” Ryan said. Nevertheless, Cheryl knows that now is the time for her sons to take the next steps in their lives, and even though it will take time to adjust to a slightly emptier home, she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m excited. I think it is kind of a launching pad for everybody. I’m sure there are going to be moments where you’re a little teary-eyed and you’re sad while they are moving on beyond this childhood stage,” Cheryl said. “But the flipside is you get a big part of your life back, your independence back, but you also have all these memories to carry with you. [Raising kids] was an amazing time in [my] life, so this is just the next phase.”
The Only Child
According to Psychology Today, empty nest syndrome is described as “sadness or emotional distress affecting parents whose children have grown up and left home.” It is not a clinical diagnosis, but a period of transition where parents, especially mothers, may experience loneliness or loss. In a recent Bark survey, 57 percent of seniors selfreported that when they leave after graduation, they will be the last child in their family to do so, either because they are the youngest, a twin or an only child. The Bark interviewed seniors who fit these three categories to examine the impact of an empty nest on themselves and their mothers.
The Last of the Brood
In the Bark survey, 33 percent of seniors self-reported that they are the youngest child in the family. Senior Izzi Tallerico is one of them. The Tallericos are a family of five; two kids have already left home and Izzi will be the last one to say goodbye. She will attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas in the fall. For their mom, Lynn Tallerico, the kids leaving for college has been a slow and steady process. Although she is increasingly aware of the fact that her house will indeed become an empty nest in a few months, she is still grateful for her business which keeps busy and distracted from her kids’ absence. “I’m lucky enough to be working a lot, so that will be good. [Izzi leaving] might be really hard if I weren’t. It will be quiet…I don’t know what to expect exactly,” Lynn said. According to Lynn, after so many years focused on raising children, it’s difficult to mentally prepare for their departure. “The minute you have a baby it’s no longer about you. Moms are so focused on the kids that you don’t even think about how things are for you. I didn’t really think about the lead up,” Lynn said. Both Izzi and Lynn said that one of the things they’ll miss most is having dinner together. “I think my mom might be a little more sad because she works from home and my dad doesn’t get home until later. I come home after school and [my mom and I] hang out and then once my dad gets home we’ll have dinner, so my mom won’t have anyone to talk to until my dad gets home,” Izzi said. According to the Bark survey, 61 percent of students who have a sibling graduating this year self-reported that they think the dynamic at home will be significantly different once their older sibling leaves. Lynn predicts that Izzi’s absence will alter the feel at home, just as it did when Izzi’s two older siblings left, one after the other. “It feels like the dynamic of a family changes if one person is missing. [Izzi is] just so awesome…I will definitely miss her. I’ll miss her just being in the house,” Lynn said. While Lynn knows that the transition into a life without any kids living at home may be tough, she is
The Double Whammy
Seniors Kobe and Ryan Pole will also be heading to college this fall, with Kobe attending Colorado State University and Ryan attending University of Oregon. Their parents, Cheryl and Sven, anticipate the sudden transition of having two children living in the house to none at all. Unlike a family whose children gradually leave for college, adjusting to the graduation of twins is different. According to Cheryl, the unique challenge of raising twins is that, unlike others who can figure out parenting on their first child before moving on to the next, she had to do both at the same time. “I think it’s like everything with twins, you learn as you go along. I look back now on this whole college process and think things that I would have done with the next kid but there’s not a next kid,” Cheryl said. “You do the best you can. For somebody who has had two or three kids, they realize not to sweat the small stuff. For me, having two at the same time, it’s like having your first and second kid all at once.”
Cheryl expects that the absence of the constant buzz of having the twins at home will be the most noticeable difference. “I think that [Kobe and Ryan’s] presence, something constantly going on, someone going here, there, that is going to be the biggest change where all of a sudden it’s just silent. A physical silence and a mental silence,” Cheryl said. Kobe worries about how moving out at the same time as his brother will affect his mom in particular, given that for the last 18 years, the two boys have been her main focus. “I think having a really big part of her life just drop out one day will be a weird experience for her, but at the same time I think it will be kind of good for her because it allows her to do her own thing,” Kobe said. According to Cheryl, the twins graduating will provide her with more freedom. Spontaneous travel and “a second honeymoon” are now on the table as there will be less
As an only child, senior Jaclyn Lando, who will be attending University of Oregon this fall, has a very close relationship with her parents. While she says she is ready to move out and start her new life, she is also afraid to leave her home and parents behind, having lived in Marin her whole life. Though Jaclyn has a tight-knit relationship with both her parents, she believes that seeing her leave will be especially hard for her mom, Ali, whom she spends a lot of time with. “I think [my mom] is really excited but also really sad to see me leave because for the past 17 years she’s had me. My mom and I are the closest,” Jaclyn said. According to Ali, she is eager for Jaclyn to experience college because of positive memories from her own college years. However, she predicts that Jaclyn’s absence will be extremely difficult to cope with. “I know that there is going to be a huge hole in my life without Jaclyn here. I have no idea what to expect. I know it is going to be hard…I can’t imagine what my life will be like without her living here with me,” Ali said. Since Jaclyn is an only child, Ali thinks the change will be especially painful because she does not have other children to help make Jaclyn’s absence feel less pronounced. “If there were still other kids in the house, it would be an adjustment, but it wouldn’t be empty. We have this big house and all of a sudden it’s going to smell different, it’s going to feel different, it’s going to have different energy,” Ali said. “If there were other kids, you would feel a difference, but this is just going to change everything…the dynamic of the house, everything will be different.” According to Jaclyn, in addition to her parents’ advice and home-cooked meals, another aspect of home that she will miss is her personal space. “[What I’ll miss about home] is my room. The dorms are really small and I’m
going to have to share a bathroom in college and I’m not used to sharing anything. I’m going to miss having my own space,” Jaclyn said. Ali believes that what she’ll miss most is seeing Jaclyn everyday and planning dinner with her due to their common love of cooking. She says she is grateful for such a special bond with her only daughter. “I’m blessed to have a wonderful relationship with my daughter and I’m not going to be a parent that is relieved to see her go off to college. I’m excited for her, but I feel blessed everyday that she is here,” Ali said.
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Arizona
Arizona State University Kyle Albayrak Nicole Fazzari Northern Arizona University Leana Ngo University of Arizona Katie Baker Maddie Gil Lauren Kenneally Conner Lauchle Hannah Rollo
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Page 14 • Feature
May 25, 2018
review Atalaya Cafe offers casual twist in Marin
Page 15
Upon entering the bright turquoise door of Atalaya Cafe, one can easily see why the establishment isn’t a typical Marin fine dining experience. Natural light floods the room through multiple large picture windows, creating a lively atmosphere. Conversations are energetic and chatter fills the air. Where one expects to find a dimly lit, formal environment filled with pristine tablecloths and beautiful works of art, Atalaya Cafe trades this image for a more casual and vibrant setting. The Santa Fe-style restaurant, located in downtown San Rafael, has been open for less than two months but has already seen remarkable success. With chef and coowner Sam Gallegos originating from Santa Fe, the cuisine highlights the combination of the rich flavors of his roots with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Setting the bar high, the native fry bread is an exceptional start to a meal. Laid delicately in a wire basket and protected with a paper napkin, the three warm, pillowy loaves looked almost too perfect to touch. In a separate container on the side, a small square of warm butter began to melt and blend into a pool of golden honey. As I took my first bite, the ingredients combined
perfectly. Abundant amounts of sweet honey-butter spread seeped into the bread, complementing the crispy, fried crust and permeating the fluffy center. Each morsel was addicting, and I was lathering new pieces before I could even eat them. This complimentary item was without question my favorite and I was even tempted to order more for dessert (four for $6). For appetizers, the warm spring vegetable salad ($16) contained a colorful mixture of lightly cooked yet crispy vegetables. The sauce was light, and didn’t overpower the fresh taste of the salad. Perched atop the vegetables, a creamy poached duck egg provided just the right amount of protein. Albeit an unexpected combination of ingredients, the dish was pleasing to both the palette and the eye. Following suit, the clams and mussels ($16) were equally as appealing. The dish was creatively served in a clay pot, with the seafood simmering in a savory broth. . Braised fennel and tender pork belly infused the broth with additional flavor. Once finished with the shellfish, the light crostini can be dipped into the tasty broth. In terms of main courses, the “folds” are a house speciality. These dishes are Santa Fe style tacos, which are served with small, warm homemade corn tortillas, salsa and guacamole ready for assembly. The pork belly “folds” ($19) featured tender and rich pork belly alongside braised pork shoulder and cabbage slaw seasoned with apple cider vinaigrette. The pork belly ended up being overpowered by the kick of the shoulder and salsa, however this dish was redeemed by the satisfying crunch of the tortilla and the smooth texture of the guacamole. The pan seared Mt. Lassen trout ($27) was the only disappointment. Although the presentation was delightful and showcased a large piece of fish on a bed of colorful vegetables, the dish was lackluster. The fish was slightly dry and dense, making
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DISPLAYING COLORFUL VEGETABLES topped with a creamy poached egg, the salad was fresh and hearty.
ADDICTING AND FLUFFY, the Santa Fe style native fry bread was sweet, rich and pillowy.
OFFERING, corn tortillas, pork belly, salsa and chunky guacamole. the Sante Fe style creates delicious “folds.”
By Vincent Leo
it difficult to finish the plate. Some of the leeks were too tough on the outer layer, making them inedible. On the positive side, the fish had a pleasant flavor and was seared to produce a crispy skin, while the vegetables were coated in a refreshing meyer lemon butter sauce. By far the most delicious entree, the braised short ribs ($35) were well worth the cost. Two very large, succulent slices of meat sat on a bed of smooth, creamy mashed potatoes and spring vegetables. Each bite of the beef was tender and juicy. It felt as if the meat had been dumped into the clam and mussels broth and left there to braise for hours. The portion was exceedingly generous and I already felt full after a few minutes of digging in. Hands down, this dish was the best short ribs I have ever had and I highly recommend trying them. The restaurant is definitely outside of the average teenage budget, with most appetizers averaging $12 and entrees ranging from $17 to $35. Cost aside, the portions were plentiful and the quality was exceptional, matching that of any fine dining experience. The servers were polite and attentive, frequently checking in and taking care of every detail efficiently. The only downside, ambiance wise, was the awkward acoustics which made the room quite noisy and a bit difficult to hear the person sitting right next to me. Atalaya Cafe offers a superb culinary experience that combines high quality food with a comfortable environment. Relaxed yet dynamic, this restaurant provides a local fine dining experience that appeals to those who favor a more casual setting.
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ lives up to the hype in new ways By Maxim Kawashima After 10 years of setting up the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Avengers Infinity War” delivers a different story compared to past MCU movies and finally puts together a significant culmination of heroes that create this world. The movie finally brings almost all the characters Marvel has built up with previous films against a daunting foe that is years in the making. The beginning of the movie displays Thanos saying, “In time, you will understand what it’s like to lose. To feel so desperately that you are right but fail all the same. Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives.” After all the hype built up about Thanos throughout the previous films, the film definitely delivers a worthy antagonist. While past Avengers movies and even the MCU solo movies have always focused on a hero’s background and their struggles throughout the film, this movie does not. Although the movie is a superhero film, the central figure is Thanos himself. For years Thanos has made cameos a t
certain points within some of the MCU movies, but hasn’t officially been explained and presented. Thanos’ character is unraveled throughout the film in order to explore his emotional motivations behind the madness. Unlike many superhero movies where the villain’s backstory is only introduced for five minutes at some point in the film, Thanos’s story is constantly unfolding and looked into. Though Thanos is ruthless and will do anything for his personal mission, he does have some resemblance of compassion in his own twisted way. It was refreshing to see a villian with a fleshed out story that resembles his reasons for destruction and death. While there are over 10 superheroes present in the film, the movie does a great job at making sure the characters are each acting as if they are in their own movie. The characters don’t feel mixed up, as each retains their distinct qualities from the previous films. Aside from the acting and screenplay the movie was visually very clean cut. The action scenes are all quite smooth and any shaky cam is used for the first-person view to add a more direct effect. The battle in Wakanda, the home nation of King T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), at the end
of the movie exemplifies multiple scenes of a shaky cam. When the battle initially starts, the shaky cam shows how frantic the fight is and how vicious the enemy truly is. The CGI on spaceships, planets, people or action scenes are also very well done. Although Thanos’s viewpoint is a main focus, there are four storylines going on that simultaneously revolve around him. All of these separate storylines tie into Thanos, but they run independently of each other until joining up at the end. The four different angles may throw off a viewer when the scene shifts from one storyline to another. I, personally, did not find that distracting, but it is something to consider if linearity is appreciated. There were also smaller logical aspects that seem to have just been forgotten. The existence of humans needing oxygen is ignored, such as the human characters Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Spiderman (Tom Holland) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Additionally, the characters are from many of the previous MCU films, so understanding and identifying the characters may be confusing for new viewers. Personally, I enjoyed the movie and would recommend anyone to at least check it out. I watched the movie twice and I felt the same both times. I thought that the culmination of characters combining into one movie after all this time was very nostalgic. At least for me, to see characters that I’ve watched finally coming
together, was fantastic. The movie was very effective at delivering epic moments. The continuation of recognizable humor was used more effectively than previous MCU movies and which made scenes more memorable. There were definitely two moments that I felt were complete plot armor actions, such that certain characters were protected by directive choices than story reasons for setting up later movies. However, I won’t elaborate because no one wants spoilers. The movie may have its miscellaneous issues running throughout and it isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it definitely delivers the multiple stories of the heroes that have been built up successfully. The threat of Thanos appears to be very real and changes the tone for the rest of the MCU movies to come, a s we follow how these heroes will defeat such a menace.
mkawashima@redwoodbark.org
bark
Page 16 • Review
May 25, 2018
Bark Beats By Christine Watridge
Seniors, this is it—the time has finally come for the class of 2018 to graduate! To commemorate the occasion, Bark Beats has chosen to review one memorable album from each of the past four years.
Freshman
The Weeknd - “Beauty Behind the Madness” (2015)
Sophomore
Beyoncé - “Lemonade” (2016)
Junior
Khalid - “American Teen” (2017)
Senior
Kendrick Lamar - “Black Panther The Album” (2018)
Courtesy of Republic Records
Courtesy of Columbia Records
Courtesy of RCA Records
Courtesy of Interscope Records
The Weeknd, also known as Abel Tesfaye, made a huge splash in the 2015 music scene when he released his third album, “Beauty Behind the Madness.” Whether we were blasting “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” at full volume or making fun of his completely overthe-top (literally) hair, there’s no denying the contemporary R&B singer’s impact on Redwood’s pop culture. The Weekend caught our attention freshman year with hair memes and hip-hop melodies. Everything we now know and love about his music stems from this album: the dark, elusive lyrics and storylines (yes, he was nominated for a Kid’s Choice Award for a song about cocaine), the strikingly smooth vocals and the impressive range. Seniors, if you’re in the mood to revel in your post-high school state, I recommend listening to this album on the way to the “senior sunrise” on Friday morning after graduation.
From Beyoncé’s iconic “Single Ladies” music video dance to her two outrageous pregnancy announcements to her incredible ‘Beychella’ performance earlier this year, Queen Bey has always been the great pop influence of our generation. To no surprise, her 2016 album “Lemonade” was a huge hit, especially the music video for “Sorry,” a defiant girls-run-the-world roast featuring Serena Williams, which was supposedly directed at her husband Jay-Z for cheating. The song produced recognizable lines such as “Boy bye” and “He better call Becky with the good hair.” Her sixth studio album was impressively packed to the brim with genres encompassing R&B, rock, soul, hip hop, pop and blues and featuring vocals from James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and Jack White. At the top of Bolinas Ridge or the Headlands, I encourage you seniors to let loose— dance to Queen Bey, and appreciate the quintessential Marin views before moving into a college dorm.
Khalid Robinson (mononymously known as Khalid) topped the 2016 charts with his single “Location,” a song which can only be described as rhythmic, mellow, vibey and outrageously catchy. The now 20-year-old R&B star released his album “American Teen” in early 2017, quickly rising to the occasion of his celebrity status. His song “Young Dumb & Broke” became Redwood’s crowd anthem, playing at rallies, dances and in cars, a mix of angsty teen and smash hit. Another highlight is “American Teen,” the first track and namesake of the album, with lyrics like “So wake me up in the Spring/ While I’m high off my American dream/ We don’t always say what we mean/It’s the lie of an American teen.” This is the perfect tracklist to vibe to the day before leaving for college—it’s a tribute to teen shenanigans and experiences, a mix of reminiscent and rebellious.
Not only did the “Black Panther” film redefine the standards of superhero movies, but “Black Panther The Album,” headed by Kendrick Lamar, brought together an astoundingly talented group of artists to tell an auditory story of the comic book hero. Lamar has writing credit on all 14 tracks and raps in most songs, diving head first into the album with “Black Panther,” where he raps about comic book politics and the fictional city of Wakanda. He curates a compelling collection, including Khalid, Travis Scott, SZA, Future and others, among them lesser-known South African musicians Babes Wodumo, Sjava, Yugen Blakrok and Saudi. “Black Panther The Album” provided Redwood with a few more pre-Prom jam songs or tunes to wake the ever-sleepy student, parking at 7:10 a.m.. Seniors, go out with a bang! Blast Kendrick Lamar out the window on your way out of the parking lot for the last time as a Redwood student.
‘A Higher Loyalty’ wows ... after 200 pages By Emily Sweet
“A short time later, with a serious look on his face, [Trump] said, ‘I need loyalty. I expect loyalty,’” wrote former FBI director James Comey is his new biography, “A Higher Loyalty.” “A Higher Loyalty” was a bestseller before it was even released, based on the sheer number of preorders, according to CNN. The biography, which documents Comey’s journey through politics from the beginning of his career, also detailed the explosive end to his relationship with President Trump after being fired on May 17, 2017 without warning. I expected the opening pages of the novel to be littered with juicy secrets from the Trump Administration and earth-shattering revelations, however, I was met with a very long account of Comey’s background. Though this background proved to be interesting, it is worth noting that if you are reading “A Higher Loyalty” for the Trump Era drama, you can skip straight to page 211. The first 200 pages of Comey’s life detail his prior work experience as a lawyer, the Deputy Attorney General under Bush and FBI director under Obama. Though his experiences and wisdom dispersed throughout are relevant because they build a good sense of Comey’s character and credibility, I grew more impatient with every chapter that passed with no mention of Trump. One aspect of “A Higher Loyalty” that left me conflictd was Comey’s use of humor. Through his own personal narratives, it is clear that Comey sought to bring a caring and enjoyable environment to each job he pursued. This is also apparent in the tone that Comey often uses, adding a light-hearted aspect to his very serious experiences. For example, Comey’s description of first meeting President Trump was not the recount I had expected. “His face appeared slightly orange, with bright white half-moons under his eyes where I assumed he placed small tanning goggles… As he extended his hand, I made a mental note to check its size. It was smaller than mine, but did not seem unusually so,” Comey wrote. It was humor like this that did make the read
enjoyable, but also caused me to evaluate Comey’s writing style. Clearly detracting from his real points, Comey’s writing was indeed personable, but often that inhibited the serious message he was trying to get across. Moreover, Comey’s writing came across as very defensive. Though he did have reason to defend himself, especially with extreme controversy over his decision to disclose an investigation regarding Hillary Clinton only days before the 2016 election, reading his defense quickly became repetitive. Though it was essential that Comey go into detail about his own position and stance on the FBI and their role in the government, especially operating as an independent organization from the White House, this was a point that was often overstressed and came across as justification on his part rather than unbiased explanation. Comey often used vague foreshadowing throughout the first 200 pages as well, which quickly became tiring as I eagerly awaited to hear the bomb-dropping secrets I had expected and been promised from the media. Once I finally reached the section of “A Higher Loyalty” addressing Comey’s relationship with Trump, I was left satisfied. The detailed examination of their interactions down to the dates and precise conversations almost made up for the somewhat monotonous first section of the novel. Though I won’t reveal all of Comey’s secrets, his account of President Trump’s absurd expectations of him as FBI director, which is an independent entity from the White House, were astonishing. Overall, Comey’s writing style seemed slightly out of place, and he often over-emphasized his own innocence and justification of his actions. However, he also delivered a seemingly honest account of his interactions with politics over the past decades spanning three presidents, and it was generally entertaining to delve into the political system and the FBI from his perspective and get some dirt on President Trump. If you have even a moderate interest in politics, “A Higher Loyalty” is worth the read, but if you’re an angry liberal looking to prove something about our President, hold off.
esweet@redwoodbark.org
cwatridge@redwoodbark.org
www.redwoodbark.org
Page 17 • Review
Leon Bridges’ sophomore album is a ‘Good Thing’
bark
By Caroline Cummings
Photos courtesy of Columbia Records
Leon Bridges didn’t set out to simply be a nostalgia act, one that frequently gets compared to ‘60s soul singer Sam Cooke and conjures up images of the American south, vinyl records and flared pants. And yet this Texas-based R&B singer’s debut album “Coming Home” made him just that, with a classic soul sound and a smooth voice delivering simple love songs. But while “Coming Home” basked in the sunlight of a humid summer afternoon with crooning ballads, Bridges’ sophomore album “Good Thing” parts from this oldschool style, employing upbeat rhythms that evoke images of nights out that don’t end until the sun comes up. That’s not to say “Good Thing” completely separates Bridges from the soul style that introduced him into the industry. His music can still easily be classified as retro, complete with vintage analog fuzz in the background. References to the south such as “Live from the funk/It’s hotter than Texas” in “If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)” and smooth vocals piercing through the sound of horns present in most of his songs all pay homage to the great singers of the Motown era. What has changed is Bridges’ approach to his music—his focus on this genre has loosened, letting him experiment with more contemporary styles. It is this shift that allowed Bridges to create songs such as “You Don’t Know,” a drastic departure from the style of his debut album. Filled with delayed background vocals, coatings of synthesizer and an infectious energy, “You Don’t Know” is Bridges’ ticket into the world of contemporary pop music. This energy is perhaps what distinguishes Bridges most from other artists. His joy and charisma shine through, making it impossible not to have a good time right along with him. “If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)” embraces funk, and this guitar and synthesizer-heavy track can only be described as pure fun, with Bridges’ energy seeping through the speakers. Even with this spirit, Bridges doesn’t always promise happy endings. The album opens with the song “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand,” a breakup song that delivers a heartfelt and bittersweet goodbye to a former lover. With lyrics like “Kiss me before I go, but you got to let me go,”
this song displays a directness that is also seen in Bridges’ autobiographical track “Georgia to Texas.” For this song, Bridges removes many of the stylistic flourishes found in his other songs, offering a raw depiction of his childhood with images of hand-me-down clothes and his mother’s financial struggles. The intimacy Bridges’ displays through straightforward lyrics such as “We had no green but the love was strong/It was all we’d need to get along,” reveals his versatility and ability to beautifully package heartfelt messages into the smooth sounds of jazz. Bridges names diversity, in both style and content, as being one of his main goals in releasing this genre-defying album. “I didn’t want to be in that box for the rest of my life. I’m more than retro soul music,” Bridges said in an interview with Esquire. “I want [people] to see and hear that I’m bringing something different to the table, in the whole genre of R&B.” Despite Bridges’ successful creation of a new style of R&B, “Good Thing” is not a perfect album. The love ballads often toe the line of generic, expressing old-school and simplistic desires such as “Will she have my kids? Will she be my wife?” in “Beyond.” But it is also these same love songs that provide a sensitive and sensual tone, as well as the occasional falsetto. These new additions to Bridges’ repertoire represent his growing abilities as a musician. It is clear that Bridges is attempting to create a more diverse and contemporary sound with “Good Thing,” but this experimentation feels natural, and his adventurous and contemporary album is still coated in the old-timey veneer that makes his style so recognizable. Bridges is creating a style of the future, one that combines his own past, as well as the rich history of soul music, with contemporary genres. And as he says in the track “Bad Bad News” addressing his critics, “I know you wish I would fade away/But I got more to say.” If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that Bridges is not going to let himself fade away under the label of a retro singer. He’s here to stay, and that can’t be classified as anything but a good thing. ccummings@redwoodbark.org
‘RBG’ documentary brings depth to unlikely liberal feminist By Maggie Smith While women across the country took to the streets in the 1960s to protest gender discrimination in the workplace, Ruth Bader Ginsburg stayed home. After all, she had her own work to do, from teaching law at Rutgers to being the general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In contrast, she contributed to the cause from behind a desk. And despite not marching through the streets, it was her work that made the women’s rights movement possible. While the #MeToo movement has taken over national headlines, it’s important to remember the people and events who have created the precedent of fighting for gender equality. The feminist lawyers and judges who have convicted abusers such as Larry Nassar and Bill Cosby follow Ginsburg’s legacy of persistence and courage in the face of injustice. For these reasons, our current political and social climate is the ideal time for the documentary “RBG,” released May 4. Portraying the life and career of one of the most iconic Supreme Court justices to date, “RBG” uses her landmark court cases and interviews with her late husband, friends, colleagues and Ginsburg herself to create an optimistic documentary. It is perfectly balanced with courageous, heartwarming and humorous elements. The film follows Ginsburg on her journey from childhood to becoming the celebrated pop-culture and judicial icon she is today, interspersed with descriptions of her most impactful court cases. It’s a celebration of her career and personal accomplishments that chronicles an important piece of the history of women’s rights in America. First things first: “RBG” is not the most exciting, on-the-edge-of-your-seat documentary, much less
movie, that has ever been made. However, to make such a melodramatic documentary about Ginsburg would be a betrayal to who she is as a person. The mood of “RBG,” directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, matches the personality of Ginsburg: mellow, logical and mostly lighthearted. One of the most fascinating parts of “RBG” was the descriptions of the obstacles Ginsburg had to overcome in order to advance her career. At Harvard Law School, she was one of nine female students in a class of 500. Nevertheless, she was the first woman published in both the Harvard Law Review and Columbia Law Review; the early focus on her time in law school foreshadows the struggle she faced later in her career. After being rejected from multiple jobs because of her gender, she co-founded the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU in 1972, which gave her her first opportunity to appear in front of the Supreme Court. In the documentary, she describes how she felt like a kindergarten teacher while arguing in front of the justices for the first time because of their lack of knowledge on sex discrimination. Interviews with plaintiffs and old photos involving Ginsburg’s most groundbreaking court cases made Ginsburg’s impact tangible, as it effectively brought the viewer back in time. For example, the case United States v. Virginia, which made it possible for women to attend the Virginia Military Institute alongside men, was brought alive by old footage of the school and its first female class. By featuring multiple landmark cases Ginsburg was involved in, and the judicial precedents these cases created, her impact on women’s rights is made clear. Many times, the film emphasizes how supportive her late husband, Marty Ginsburg, was of her. A fellow lawyer, he let his career take a backseat in order to support her, an uncommon relationship dynamic at the time. From
calling to remind her to come home when she worked late to endlessly campaigning for her to be considered for an opening Supreme Court Justice position, it’s clear how important their relationship was to Ginsburg. “Ruth was the least likely person to toot her own horn,” he said in a speech featured in the documentary, “so I was the New York Philharmonic.” Luckily, this focus on Ginsburg’s personal life didn’t overshadow her professional achievements. Instead, it provided a foundation to recognize not only her professional success, but put these successes in the context of her life as a whole. Additionally, sporadic, humorous anecdotes breaks up the more serious, career-related stories, which gave Ginsburg additional dimension, considering she was often portrayed as a workaholic in the documentary. For example, the mention of her friendship with Antonin Scalia and her perspective on her famous nickname “The Notorious R.B.G.” bring a jovial tone to the film. It’s worth mentioning that viewers of “RBG” should not expect a critical look at Ginsburg’s career. The opinion of the directors is clear, and the documentary is a celebration of her achievements. It’s made implicit that viewers share the adoration of Ginsburg as the celebrated liberal figurehead she is today. “RBG” skillfully brings viewers back to the time when sex discrimination first became a legitimate phenomena, and focuses on the woman who made much of it happen. Ginsburg didn’t need to shout in order to create change. In fact, she barely raised her voice. Still, her dissenting spirit has led generations to become more fearless and persistent in the face of obstacles and injustices. msmith@redwoodbark.org
lifestyles
Page 18
Changing the norm:
IZZY POUTIATINE By Sabine Lloyd “It’s a pretty equal mix of trepidation and nerves, as well as just an incredible excitement and faith and hope that everything will go well,” senior Izzy Poutiatine said, articulating the feeling of stepping on an airplane and flying to a country she’s never been to by herself. She experienced this for the first time when she went to the Dominican Republic for nine weeks last summer. Now, one year later, she is preparing herself for a gap year starting in Arusha, Tanzania, where she will be staying for two months and volunteering for two different projects through a program called Love Volunteers. The first project she will be participating in is focused on providing care and basic needs for orphaned and disadvantaged children, whereas the second project will be centered around helping women who experienced either domestic or sexual abuse. Poutiatine will be working at the sanctuary to help provide educational resources, as well as vocational training, job skills and occupational support to women. Following her work in Tanzania, Poutiatine is planning on traveling to Rio, Brazil to teach visual art at a community center in an area with a strong presence of disadvantaged children and youth living in poverty.
RYAN BRADY By Sabine Lloyd
Photo courtesy of Ryan Brady
GATHERING WITH THE children at the campamentos, Brady (right) huddles beside the youth group.
KATIE ISRAEL By Charlotte Seton While most graduating seniors will be preparing to attend college this summer, senior Katie Israel will be gliding along the San Francisco Bay, immersing herself in the sport she admires most: sailing. Israel’s gap year will be filled with sun, wind and water. To begin her sailing experience, Israel will engage in a 60-hour intensive sailing training program this summer to obtain her cruising certification. She then plans to work locally for four months in the fall while spending time on her core interests, including music— particularly drumming—and martial arts. In early 2019, Israel will join a 90-day “Seamester” sailing program. This sailing program involves a small group of gap year students from across the U.S. who will sail a yacht from the Caribbean to Tahiti, over 6,500 nautical miles. The program focuses on personal responsibility and teamwork on the vessel while concurrently enhancing sailing skills. Besides onboard sailing responsibilities, other activities will include college level courses in marine biology and oceanography.
“For people who have a lot bigger things to worry about, economically and socially, in their lives, visual art, although it can be really valuable and especially valuable to children, is very much a luxury. It is going to be really cool to spread that, especially given my interest in visual art,” Poutiatine said. After her gap year, Poutiatine is interested in studying international relations with specific interests in peace and conflict resolution studies, as well as non-profit work and third world community development in a college setting. According to Poutiatine, this interest sprouted from her non-profit work in the Dominican Republic, as it was the first time she was exposed to the large task of closing gaps in education and helping people gain access to basic healthcare. Following these studies, she hopes to return to work in different foreign countries. “I have always sort of envisioned that I’d be living in as many countries as possible for the majority of my life,” Poutiatine said. Travel makes up the entirety of Poutiatine’s future visions. “You only have one life and the goal is self-discovery. The goal is to find happiness and who you are and whatever way you can do that—so for me that’s through travel and discovery of the world—you should do or otherwise you’re sort of sacrificing yourself or your dreams to do it.” slloyd@redwoodbark.org Without a doubt, the optimum objective of senior Ryan Brady is to integrate Spanish into the rest of his life. After traveling to Yucatán, Mexico for two months during the summer of his sophomore year, Brady recognized his capacity to learn and flourish through a travel abroad experience. Brady’s journey encouraged him to consider and then officialize his gap year in Madrid, Spain, where he will be attending the Tandem Language Institute for 20 hours a week while living with a host family. The Tandem Language Institute is part of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) gap year program that enforces the teaching of different dialects. However, Spanish isn’t new to Brady; he has been working to push his understanding to greater lengths since entering high school. At Redwood, Brady has taken fours years of Spanish, beginning with level 3-4 his freshman year and ending with Spanish for Spanish Speakers his senior year. Brady was able to test out of Spanish 7-8 the summer after his sophomore year because of his travel abroad experience, allowing him to join AP Spanish his junior year. Now as a senior—in addition to his enrollment in a Spanish course—he TAs for the English Language Development class. Brady hopes to solidify his fluency in the language through this upcoming adventure. “I already am fluent, but I like to say that I’m the lowest level of fluent to call yourself fluent. So my goal is to get Spanish to point where it is the equivalent of English, as in a primary language, as if I were to grow
Photo courtesy of Izzy Poutiatine
STANDING TOGETHER, SENIOR Izzy Poutiatine (right) smiles with two members from her program. up with parents speaking it to me and it being the first language I were to ever learn,” Brady said. Brady chose Madrid as his gap year location as it acts as an international hub, incorporating several cultures from varying countries, with the Spanish language at the forefront. Depending on Brady’s fondness of the city, he might be interested in attending a college in Spain following his gap year. “[Attending college in Spain] is definitely an option I’m considering, but I won’t know for sure until I’ve actually lived there and experienced it,” Brady said. The uncertain and spontaneous nature of travel intrigues Brady. The sheer magnitude of this riveting sensation is what Brady looks forward to and remembers from his trip to Mexico. “You know what you’re used to: you wake up everyday, you shower, you do whatever to get ready, you go to school, you come home, do your homework, you’re with your family and when you get on that plane you realize that once you land, your life is going to be completely different,” Brady said. As for the future, there is only one desire that Brady retains: cultural and linguistic immersion. “I don’t want to have expectations because I feel like that could affect the dreams I end up having. One thing I know for certain is that I want Spanish to be in my life, every day. That’s the only dream I have now,” Brady said. slloyd@redwoodbark.org
From Israel’s perspective, this gap year is an opportunity to take a break from academia before returning to a regular classroom environment. “I’ve been in school for 15 years straight,” Israel said. “That’s a decade and a half. I don’t want my entire teenage life to be in school.” Israel relishes the opportunity to pursue other activities in the next 12 months. “There’s no other time in your life when you’re going to be able to do a gap year when you have no responsibilities and can just focus on what you love to do,” Israel said. Besides sailing, Israel will also focus on pursuing her interest in music. She wrote her first song at the age of three and hopes to expand her portfolio of over 200 original songs during the next year. “Everything I’m doing during my gap year, I will spend the rest of my life doing, [but] I haven’t had as much time as I would like to dedicate to these activities,” Israel said. Israel will continue to pursue sailing, music and martial arts at the University of Oregon in 2019. Photo courtesy of Katie Israel
cseton@redwoodbark.org
PREPARING TO EMBARK on her gap year, senior Katie Israel looks forward to pursuing sailing and music outside the classroom.
! 5go5R5 # -.3& -
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Graduating seniors embark on gap year adventures EMERSON COLE By Charlotte Seton Senior Emerson Cole has deferred her acceptance to Oregon State to pursue an alternative learning experience over the next 12 months. “There’s more I can learn outside of a classroom now,� Cole said. The fall of Cole’s gap year will be filled with local work and environmentally-based community service, such as volunteering at the Marin Headlands Nursery or at the California Academy of Sciences. Additionally, Cole is considering taking a few classes at College of Marin if time permits. The highlight of her year will begin in Jan. 2019, when she will join her father on his sailboat to sail in the Caribbean and Central America. Cole and her father plan to visit Cuba and Central America, traveling from Belize and Guatemala down to Costa Rica and Panama until late June. “Because my dad is already [in the Caribbean], it’s a really easy way for me to travel and see many places in a short amount of time,� Cole said.
DANIELA CABRALES By Alexander Lieberman
Photo courtesy of Daniela Cabrales
REFLECTING ON HER Italy trip, Cabrales looks forward to traveling the world during her gap year.
SOPHIA COMINS By Alexander Lieberman “[Ever since] I moved to Marin six years ago, I have been obsessed with horses,� senior Sophia Comins said. Comins moved from London in middle school. She rides at Blue Dot Barn in Nicasio, a horse boarding facility where she trains to ride in dressage, a highly skilled type of horse riding. She will be taking a gap year to work with horses in a business setting before going to college in England starting in 2019 to study equine management. According to Comins, she was uncertain about her post-graduation journey for a long time as she considered her options. “For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school. In fact, the idea of going to university at all didn’t appeal to me one bit because it all seemed like an extension of high school but just with more work and deadlines,� Comins said. “I remember one night in September I just arrived at the barn and just started bawling because I had no idea what to do with my life as nothing appealed to me. At that moment I decided, screw this, I’m just going to ride horses for the rest of my life as that’s the only thing I actually want to do.� Next year, Comins will be traveling and working with a gap year organization called Oyster Worldwide. Additionally, Comins will work in Australia at a local family’s barn as a groom. After her year abroad, Comins will decide whether to attend Hartpury University or the Royal Agricultural University, both located in England. Wherever she goes, Comins plans to work with horses as a career. “As soon as I started talking to people in the industry, I realized that [working with horses] wasn’t actually a bad idea at all; the equestrian industry is so broad and there are
Cole noted that she was inspired to pursue the trip as a result of conversations with her dad who had previously sailed the Gulf of Mexico. Cole’s father shared stories with her about the foreigners and sailors from different cultures throughout her childhood and teenage years. According to Cole, these stories piqued her interest in exploring different foreign lands. Cole’s desire to pursue sailing is also driving her gap year decision. Cole has previous sailing experience from sailing camps and teams she participated in when she was younger as she grew up sailing in the San Francisco Bay. According to Cole, a gap year is the ideal opportunity to pursue interests outside the classroom environment, an alternative graduation route she hopes more students will consider. Cole noted that her experiences will further prepare her for future endeavors, and she believes that her alternative graduation route best suits her interests. “It’s kind of nice to have a break, and it’s probably the only time in my life when I’ll have no responsibilities,� Cole said. Photo courtesy of Emerson Cole
cseton@redwoodbark.org Although many seniors enjoy traveling during the summer before college, senior Daniela Cabrales will be taking extended time off to travel the world with her father. Cabrales was considering studying in Italy or Spain, but was instead given the opportunity to travel with her father to South America and Asia, which was an offer she couldn’t refuse. She hopes to broaden her horizons while traveling and gain new perspectives. “I think traveling is a great way to experience different cultures, learn more about yourself and expand your knowledge,� Cabrales said. Cabrales and her father will be traveling to several foreign countries starting at the end of August. Beginning in Colombia, they will then travel to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Malaysia, staying for one to two months in each location. “[Traveling] is just something I’ve always wanted to do, and my dad has always encouraged me to do,� Cabrales said. Cabrales has never traveled to South America but has been to various locations in Central America and Europe. Cabrales is excited to become more cultured by learning more about the outside world.
LOOKING FORWARD TO her gap year, Cole is excited to sail the Caribbean and Central America. “Living in the States has given me many positive outcomes but also negative [outcomes]. I feel like I have become more materialistic and when you travel you forget about all this, you focus on what really matters,� Cabrales said. Cabrales’ father divorced her mother when she was five years old. Since then, he has retired and he spends h i s time traveling around the world. Cabrales has come to value the time she gets to spend with him. “I think the most important part about traveling is who you are with, because that affects your trip. My dad is always part of groups that hike and [he] takes walks for hours. In Panama he hiked a volcano that took probably eight hours. I have never done [a trip like this] so I’m excited,� Cabrales said. Her father had previously mentioned the possibility of a trip like this to her when she was 15 years old. “Somehow I knew I was going to end up doing this,� Cabrales said.
alieberman@redwoodbark.org
many much-needed jobs from a professional athlete to an equestrian journalist,� Comins said. Comins was partially influenced to take a gap year by her unique cultural heritage. “In England and most of Europe, most people go on gap years because they do their GCSEs [General Certificate of Secondary Education exam] and they’ve been doing testing for two years so they’re kind of just burnt out,� Comins said. According to Comins, although the gap year alternative is not as popular in the United States, her childhood experience in London influenced her final decision. “I kind of always knew that I was going to go on a gap year just because everyone in England was doing it so I thought, ‘You know, why not?’� Comins said. alieberman@redwoodbark.org
Photo courtesy of Sophia Comins
TROTTING ON A horse, Comins will spend her gap year traveling and working at a local barn as a groom in Australia.
May 25, 2018 bark Page 20 • Lifestyles TWIN TALK: will colleges be seeing double? By Jocelyn Overmyer and Jordan Overmyer When people find out that the two of us are identical twins, it usually sparks several predictable recurring questions: for starters, ‘How can I tell you guys apart?’ followed by, ‘Can you guys communicate telepathically?’ then, ‘Have you guys ever switched classes to take each other’s tests?’ and lastly, the newest, hottest trending question, ‘Are you guys going to the same college?’ From the start of the college process, there was no question that we wanted to attend the same university. From cruising around in a double-stroller, to responding to each other’s names to playing the same position on our soccer team, we’ve been inseparable since childhood. After applications were in, people tentatively asked us what we would do if we didn’t get into the same schools. Truth be told, we have always been known as a package deal. If you want one, you get the other too. But, with an especially competitive college admissions year, we didn’t know what to expect, or if our two-for-one deal would pull through. In a time when we’re saying goodbye to so many people, we didn’t want to tear apart the twin bond just quite yet. After a twin’s worst nightmare, a waitlist scare, fortunately we will be attending the same university. Although we have always planned on sticking together in our college years, we wanted to find out if this applied to all twins. To further investigate, we talked with some of the twins in our senior class about their decisions they made when choosing colleges alongside the person that arguably knows them best. Eli and Noah Arrick They’re not identical, but they have similarities close enough to throw at least a handful of people off. The twins will be attending separate universities by choice: Noah will be attending University of Washington and Eli will attend University of Colorado, Boulder. In fact, Eli only found out that Noah was committing to University of Washington through their mom. “I was in the family room with my mom and I just didn’t think to walk into Eli’s room to tell him and then I just forgot to tell him that night,” Noah said. Growing up, the Arricks had the same friends, played on the same sports teams and shared a room together when they were younger. When they reached high school, the two branched out into different friend groups and developed separate interests. Going into the college process, Noah and Eli shared a college counselor, but never made their selections based off each other. “It was pretty independent when we talked about [college selections], it never really had any impact on each other. We didn’t really expect to be going to the same school,” Eli said. The Arricks were okay knowing that they weren’t always going to attend the same school, but there was always a preconceived notion that they would. “People would always ask us if we were going to the same school like they expected us to say ‘yes,’ and the answer was never ‘yes,’” Noah said. Both of their parents kept the decision open and didn’t put pressure on them when choosing their desired universities. According to the brothers, it was their decision to choose whether or not they wanted to attend the same university. “I don’t think they really cared [if we went together]. It almost ended up [with] us going to the same college, but they never said anything one way or the other,” Noah said.
Photo by Jordan Overmyer
REPPING THEIR NEXT step, Eli and Noah Arrick will be parting ways next year as Eli heads off to the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Noah leaves for the University of Washington, Seattle. Eli agreed that their parents had no preference over university selection; they simply wanted them to attend somewhere that suited them individually. “My dad definitely likes that I’m going to college with a very close friend, so I feel like he would’ve loved if we went to the same place. But it never really seemed to be a possibility, so we didn’t think about it that much,” Eli said. In the future, Eli believes that they will probably hang out more when they are together. “I think that since we are relatively close to each other, we might even visit each other. I’d definitely be down to go see Boulder,” Noah said. Desi and Nique D’Ancona Seniors Nique and Desi D’Ancona, identical twins, have never been apart for more than 24 hours. In September, they had to decide whether they would remain inseparable or spend the next four years apart. In the end, they will both be attending and playing volleyball at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. “When we were younger, we had a really big group of friends. We had more of a chance to have our own thing. But when we came to Redwood we only knew each other, so we hung out with each other a lot more than we did in middle and elementary school,” Desi said. Going into the college process, they applied to mostly the same colleges, but with open minds. Both hoped to continue playing volleyball. In the midst of applying for colleges, the coach of St. Anselm found Desi to recruit to her. Consequently, he also recruited Nique only to later realize they were twins. “If someone wanted to recruit [Nique] and they’re from a school that is really high level and they don’t want me, I would want the best for her. But it just so happened that they wanted both of us. We were just going to take it how it went,” Desi said. Growing up so closely, the D’Anconas were often questioned about if they would pursue different paths after
high school. “A lot of people said, ‘if you don’t go together, it will be a good growing moment for you and you will be able to figure out yourself.’ I get that, but also that would just be really scary to not have someone by your side that’s been there for your whole life,” Desi said. Their parents stayed neutral in their college decision process. According to Desi, when she and Nique got into disagreements, their mom would lightly remind them they could go to different schools, but in the end the parents knew that they were each other’s best friends. “Do I want to seperate myself for the first time in my life to do my own thing, go to my own school, make my own friends? I think it would be scary just because I’ve never done anything by myself without her,” Nique said. Continuing their education, the two plan on keeping the twin bond strong and remaining close. “We’ll make a lot of new friends with the people on our team but we will still stay really close, especially because we are so far away from home,” Nique said. Jack and Russell Root Twins can’t actually communicate telepathically, but sometimes it feels like it. Seniors Russell and Jack are fraternal twins and will both attend Wesleyan University in Connecticut. For the Roots, this is especially prominent with their inside jokes and how they finish each other’s sentences. “One of us will say the words, ‘first off’ and then the other one will chime in ‘Christoph.’ at the same exact moment with the other person. And it’s the stupidest thing ever. We’ve said that in front of people which is very embarrassing because they get confused and I guess that exemplifies our relationship,” Russell said. What’s worse than being friends with a pair of twins that can talk to each other without physically speaking? The Roots parents have to try to figure out how one twin knows instantly exactly what the other is saying just based off a singular word or phrase. “Our mom won’t understand us when we are talking. She can’t fathom what we are talking about,” Jack said. To answer one of the typically-asked questions, the Roots twins don’t actually take each others’ tests, but do benefit from each other’s knowledge in a particular subject. According to Russell, their shared intellect will be helpful during their time at Wesleyan. “He sets the curves consistently and the only reason I do well is because [Jack] tells me everything he knows before tests. And so I went in initially thinking ‘hey, I kinda need to go to college with him or my first year will be very painful’,” Russell said. The Roots’ parents encouraged them to continue their educational careers together in college. “[Our] parents were our leading factor in going to college together,” Russell said. “Our parents are just trying to look out for us in the best way they can.” For Jack, he is glad that he gets to remain close to his brother, but at the same time wants to become independent. “Now I’m a little nervous going with Russell. I want to grow as an independent person,” Jack said. “I’m glad I’m hearing these things now,” Russell replied.
Photo by Jocelyn Overmyer
ATTENDING THE SAME school next year, Jack and Russell Root are heading to Wesleyan University in Connecticut. After encouragement from their parents, the twins are excited to continue their education together.
bark@redwoodbark.org
Page 21 • Sports
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Girls’ lacrosse ‘LAX’ similarities compared to boys’ style of play By Julia Scharf It’s 3:30 p.m., and the lacrosse players head out to the field to warm up for their game. But this isn’t just any match-up: it’s the annual girls vs. guys Redwood varsity lacrosse showdown. Nearly every year, the two teams square up for the Switch Sticks game, where the players use the equipment of the other gender in a game that accentuates the difference between the way girls and boys play the sport. It’s a common misconception that because both of the sports are called “lacrosse,” the rules and the strategies must be the same. In reality, the two versions of the game are worlds apart. According to junior Luke Elders, a midfielder on the boys’ varsity team, one of the biggest differences that separates the two sports is the level of physicality that players employ. “In guys’ lacrosse, we have pads so we can hit each other pretty frequently and be very physical. We can slash with our sticks, even though it’s probably less physical than football,” Elders said. “The funniest thing about girls’ lacrosse is they have more [technical calls], and when the whistle blows they all have to drop their sticks so they remember where to go.” Junior Bella Luke Elders, Bertaud, a defender on junior the girls’ varsity team, echoed this idea by explaining the tighter regulations that girls have in terms of how aggressive their sport allows them to be. “Girls can’t hit each other with their sticks, they can only check the other player’s stick. We can make contact, but
even then it’s not powerful contact, it’s just getting up in their faces a little bit. You can’t go in their sphere, which is the imaginary space their head occupies,” Bertaud said. Senior Devon Cusack elaborated on the strict rules in place for girls regarding how they use their sticks on opposing players. “The guys wear helmets to protect their heads, but the girls don’t, so in our games the refs are really conscious about getting sticks near our faces. For that reason we have calls like ‘stick in the sphere’ and we get them a lot,” Cusack said. The regulations that the girls adhere to makes the strategy behind their offense much different than that of the boys, further contributing to the contrast between the two versions of the sport. “With girls’ lacrosse, their main strategy is to move the ball around as fast as possible because they can’t go and shoot it in front of another girl’s face, which makes it more easily defendable,” Elders said. “In guys’ lacrosse you have more dodges and we’re usually trying to draw a few guys and then find the open guy.” Another key distinction that sets boys’ and girls’ lacrosse apart is the depth of their sticks. While the boys wield sticks with deep pockets to avoid the ball falling out when they make contact, the girls have much shallower pockets that require a different set of skills to keep the ball in the stick. The Switch Sticks game brings to light the contrast between the two types of equipment. This year’s 2018 Switch Stick game took place on Tues., May 22 on Ghliotti Field. The boys’ team defeated the girls’
‘They aren’t very similar; it’s a totally different game.
Photo by Anna Compagno
RUNNING DOWN THE field, varsity lacrosse players compete in the annual Switch Sticks game where the boys’ and girls’ teams switch sticks and scrimmage. 9-7. stick you have to aim upwards, which is “The guys have a lot more trouble the opposite for girls.” handling the girls’ sticks because they’re The vast differences between the two used to doing tricky moves with their approaches to the sport lead both teams to sticks, and the ball won’t fall out, but have a great time challenging one another it does when they try that with the girls’ in the Switch Sticks game, with each side sticks,” Bertaud said. enjoying and struggling to play with the At the same time, it can be equally new equipment. difficult for the girls to get accustomed “I’d say they’re two different sports to the deep pockets that their male because guys’ lacrosse is more closely counterparts play with. The transition from related to those physical sports like a shallow pocket leads the girls to have hockey,” Elders said. “They aren’t very trouble figuring out a proper trajectory for similar; it’s a totally different game.” their passes. “When we switch sticks, the girls end up throwing really low which makes it hard to connect passes to our teammates,” Cusack said. “When you throw with a boys’ jscharf@redwoodbark.org
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Page 22 • Sports
May 25, 2018
PREPS OF THE YEAR
Photo courtesy of Fabienne Dobkowski
I VA N K U R A K I N By Sydney Hilbush
At this year’s Senior Athletic Banquet, there was one athlete highlighted throughout the night, a name that would be remembered by most of those in attendance—Gillian Wagner. It was clear that over the course of the last four years, she was a standout athlete and notorious cross-country and track star. Wagner didn’t start running competitively until her freshman year. Since then, she has practiced year round and put in hours of training that has not only made her a name in the Redwood community, but also in the state and nationwide, as a track and cross-country competitor. “I think over the four years, I’ve definitely fallen in love with running. Running has crept into my life and has really become a major part,” Wagner said. “Doing it for so long you learn a lot about yourself through the sport.” Wagner’s records and times speak for themselves. This year she was named 2018 MCAL (Marin County Athletic League) Champion in the 800, 1600 and 3200. In 2017, she was the D3 Cross Country State Champion, MCAL Champion and North Coast Section (NCS) Cross Country Champion. In 2016, she was the D3 Cross Country State Runner-up and MCAL and NCS Runner-up Cross Country Champion. In 2015, 2016 and 2017 she was the MCAL 800 Champion, and for all four years of her high school career she was a NCS Scholar Athlete. Furthermore, she holds records for the 3200 and 1600 for both Redwood and MCALs. More recently, she now holds the record in the 1600 after this years NCS meet. She also won an award from the Marin Athletic Foundation at the Senior Athletic Banquet that recognizes a student for their athletic involvement, leadership, deportment and school and community involvement. Principal David Sondheim spoke to Wagner’s success. “She is both an amazing athlete and a wonderfully nice person. It is great to see her positive attitude, her ethic of hardwork and the success that she’s had. She is a model for all our athletes,” Sondheim said. “What’s wonderful about watching her run is that it looks like she’s just having a good time. The thought of running as far as she runs and her having a good time and doing as well as she does is an amazing thing to watch.” Starting in the fall of 2018, Wagner will be attending and running for Princeton University. “I think it will be a big adjustment just because there are so many girls that are crazy good in college,” Wagner said. Teammate junior Liam Anderson has witnessed Wagner grow as a runner for the past three years. “She’s out there every single day really willing to put in the work and she’s always striving to get better and be better and that shows up in the results,” Anderson said. Anderson said he believes that her hard work is translated to her teammates. “Every year she’s been here, [the girls’ team] has won MCALs,” Anderson said. “She takes her work really seriously and she knows you get out what you put in. That attitude is projected onto the team, especially the girls’ team.” According to Wagner, her freshman and sophomore year she was a strong asset to the team, but it wasn’t until her junior year where she was the clear standout runner of the team. “That’s when I had a breakthrough in cross country. My times literally got better and I was a better runner, but I also gained a lot of confidence and that helped,” Wagner said. Anderson also said that her confidence is what makes her so strong on the track. “She runs a lot more confidently than a lot of other runners do. She can run from the front of the race and lead the whole way or she can run from the middle or back of the pack. No matter where she is in the pack, she runs like she’s in control of the race,” Anderson said. “You know when it comes to who is going to be crossing the finish line, she knows that she is in the right spot to do that.” As for the future, Wagner hopes to continue running for the rest of her life. “Running faster, having fun and being on a good team for me will be success,” Wagner said. Being on the Redwood team gave Wagner an outlet and eased her transition into high school. “Coming from a school that wasn’t a feeder school to Redwood, [the cross country team] was definitely a really nice thing to have when I was a freshman and sophomore to meet people. Redwood is a big school and everyone always says, ‘Find your thing’ so it’s been nice all four years to have something that is pretty defining,” Wagner said. “I would never say that I’m just a runner, but it’s become a large part of who I am, and I think it’s made high school more fun and easier.”
Amidst the morning silence of the Redwood pool lies a repeating rhythm of arm strokes, pushing swiftly against the water’s surface. Although the weight on his arms grows heavier with every motion, and the feeling of exhaustion sets in with every passing hour of practice, senior Ivan Kurakin remains immersed in his underwater sanctuary. “Swim is a secure place for me. I go in there and I forget about all my other stress that I have been going through in the day. It’s that feeling that you are just floating, and you don’t get that feeling anywhere else,” Kurakin said. Kurakin is currently the 18th best swimmer in California out of the top 1,440 swimmers to be recruited for collegiate purposes, according to collegeswimming.com, a website that tracks high-ranking high school swimmers. Additionally, this past March, Kurakin was named the ninth best swimmer in the preliminary competition for the 200-meter freestyle race at the Junior Nationals competition. Additionally, he has broken records in both the 200-meter and 500-meter freestyle races for Redwood, holding times of 1:39 and 4:25. Kurakin also participated in the 200 Medley Relay in his junior year and the 400 Free Relay in his sophomore year, breaking previous records for both races as well. As a result of Kurakin’s devotion, combined with his consistent ability to perform successfully at competitions, he was recruited to University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in November of 2017 and plans to attend the school as a member of the Division I title swim team. Kurakin increased his involvement with swim after moving from Khabarovsk, Russia in sixth grade. According to Kurakin, the competitive swimming atmosphere in the United States was more demanding than in Russia. “In Russia, there are not as many fast people and I was kind of always at the top. But when I moved to the United States, I was just another swimmer. But I really wanted to be the best, so I kept working on myself to get back to the top,” Kurakin said. Kurakin is a captain of the Redwood varsity swim team and practices with North Bay Aquatics, a local swimming organization, nine times per week. According to Kurakin, it is his fear of failing that drives his continued dedication to swimming. “I am afraid of failing. I don’t want to lose. I am always afraid of not doing my best time, and that fear is what drives me,” Kurakin said. To fine-tune his performance in the water, Kurakin will often partake in double practices and stay home during school breaks and summer vacation to practice swimming. Additionally, Kurakin’s older brother, Yaroslav Kurakin, broke the 500 free record his junior year, but Kurakin broke that same record his freshman year. “Breaking [my brother’s] record freshman year definitely put a lot more pressure on me my junior year because I expected myself to swim much faster. It was difficult because that year I didn’t swim faster. When high school season came, that pressure that I put on myself influenced me in a way that I had to do it. I just had to break it or I would fail,” Kurakin said. Kurakin has continued to break his own records every year on the swim team. According to varsity swim coach Fred Ferroggiaro, Kurakin’s commitment and sacrifices for swim have transformed him from an average swimmer to an unparalleled athlete. “As we enter our championship season, we are going to see him do greater things than he has already done. It’s an unwritten story. His high school career will be rewritten in the next week because he is going to continue to break his own records,” Ferroggiaro said. According to Ferroggiaro, Kurakin treats every Redwood practice as if it were a race, pushing himself mentally and physically to the limit every practice. Kurakin’s daily performance in the water serves as a model for other swimmers looking for inspiration. According to Ferroggiaro, Kurakin leads by example in the pool at every practice, upholding his leadership position in unexpected ways. “What differentiates him from not only the team but the conferences and puts him as one of the top preps in the state is that he has sacrificed, he has been dedicated, he has desire, he has passion, he has the intangibles that take an average person and make them a great athlete and if you apply his principles to anything you are going to succeed,” Ferroggiaro said. According to co-captain Victor Sowa, Kurakin’s ability to lead in the water combined with Sowa’s vocal leadership capabilities have fostered a strong community where leadership exists inside and outside the pool. “Everyday he brings the same work ethic and the same attitude that he wants to get better and he makes it known that he wants everyone else to get better too,” Sowa said. “Even if it is a day off, he wants to work. He has learned that his place is inspiring people through what he does.” Although Kurakin received scholarships and offers from numerous universities, the close beach access, prestigious academic curriculum and the close-knit swim community solidified his decision to commit with UCSD. At UCSD, Kurakin will be coached under David Marsh, the national swim team coach who guided the U.S. Women’s team to 16 Olympic medals. Ferroggiaro believes that Kurakin will find success on the team due to his unrelenting determination. “[Kurakin] will apply the same discipline that he does with swimming to whatever he does with life,” Ferroggiaro said. “And that will guarantee his success. He is mature beyond his years as far as succeeding and reaching his goals. Whatever field he chooses to enter, he is going to bring skills that are translatable for life.” According to Kurakin, although swimming is rigorous, his genuine admiration for the sport allows him to overcome both mental and physical obstacles as a swimmer. “You can’t replace an Ivan. We have good swimmers but there is no one coming up that will equal what he is doing. He is an irreplaceable asset that is a once-in-a-decade swimmer for a coach,” Ferroggiaro said.
jordan.overmyer@redwoodbark.org
shilbush@redwoodbark.org
Photo by Jacob Klionsky
G I L L I A N WAG N E R By Jordan Overmyer
Page 23 • Sports
www.redwoodbark.org
Zoe Stachowski
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
By Sachi Nahas
Three, two, one: the buzzer counts down seconds before the girls’ varsity basketball team sweeps the win against Marin Catholic in the MCAL championship game. When the buzzer hits zero, MVP senior Zoe Stachowski runs to her teammates as the team celebrates their monumental win, a victory that wouldn’t have been possible without Stachowski’s contributions. Whether playing stellar defense or dribbling down the court, Stachowski has been an all-star player on the girls’ varsity basketball team, evident through her leadership role on the court and on the sidelines. The six-foot post player led her team in both points and assists this season, averaging a total of 13.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game according to MaxPreps. Stachowski was awarded MVP both her junior and senior years on varsity, in addition to achieving first team all-league two years in a row and second team her sophomore year. Not only does Stachowski enjoy the rush felt when winning her games, but she loves the team dynamic basketball brings to her experience. Along with these
Eamon Rogan By Anna Compagno
Photo by Amanda Morse
KICKING THE BALL up the field, Rogan sends a through ball to a teammate on the attack.
Claire Birchenough By Jacob Klionsky
achievements, Stachowski was awarded with the Don Kreps Award (an award given to an outstanding senior female athlete in honor of Redwood’s former principal) at the Senior Athletic Banquet. “We’re all doing this one thing together in the same moment, playing this one special sport. My favorite part in the game is when everyone is making shots and cooperating well, we’re just in this flow together,” Stachowski said. After being Stachowski’s coach for three years, Diane Peterson looks forward to what the future holds for Stachowski and believes her natural strength for the game has allowed her to grow as a player. “Her basketball skills were very raw, but her athleticism allowed her to be extremely successful since she was difficult to guard around the basket, especially when rebounding, since she could out jump most kids,” Peterson said. This year, the varsity girls’ team ended their season with an impressive record of 26-5. Not only was Stachowski proud of her team as a whole, but she said she would always remember the rush it gave her as the Redwood girls’ varsity team has not won the MCAL championship since 1987.
snahas@redwoodbark.org
Students rushed onto the Marin Catholic field to join the boys’ varsity soccer team in celebration after winning the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) Championships. Holding the victory pennant, senior co-captain Eamon Rogan beamed with excitement and soaked in what would be the culminating moment of his four years of playing varsity soccer. To top off his senior season, he was named MCAL player of the year. Leading his team in goals, Rogan averaged 1.2 goals and 0.2 assists per game this year, scoring a total of 13 goals in 10 games, according to Max Preps. Along with being named MCAL player of the year, he was designated as the Marin Independent Journal Prep of the Week this past January and was awarded with the Mike Kavanagh Award at the senior athletic banquet, which is presented annually to a senior male noted for his athletic ability, scholastic achievement and community service. Throughout his four years of varsity, Rogan has left his mark on the soccer program. Winning MCALs his freshman and senior years as well as being a captain as both a junior and a senior, he has contributed to his team’s many accomplishments. According to Rogan, his role on the team this year was to be a leader and make sure all the “For the last 10 years she has swam year-round, which means 10 workouts a week, which means getting up early to swim multiple times a week, which means sacrificing socially by not going to some parties,” Ferroggiaro said. “It takes that to get to her level. There are no shortcuts to get to her level.” This hard work has led to an impressive track record as a Redwood swimmer. As a junior, Birchenough ranked first in MCALs and third in NCS for the 100-yard freestyle. This year she ranked second in MCALs and fifth in NCS with a time of 51.52 seconds. In her other event, the 100yard breaststroke, Birchenough finished second in MCALs in 2017 and 2018. Additionally, during NCS in 2017 she finished with a time of 1:03.52, which got her fifth place and a school record. Impressive times and top finishes in locals meets caught the eyes of DI colleges and Birchenough decided to commit to University of Wisconsin-Madison at the beginning of senior year. “It was such a big relief because (committing to a college) was something I was so nervous about.” Birchenough said. “But now that it’s all over I just feel proud of myself that I was able to make it to this point.”
The first time senior Claire Birchenough ever entered a pool was when her dad threw her in when she was two years old. Anyone who knows Birchenough, would assume that the University of Wisconsin-Madison commit miraculously found a way to glide through the water at such a young age. Instead, she almost drowned. Encouraged by her dad, Jim Birchenough, a successful swimmer who made the Olympic Trials for Canada in the 1980s, she joined the North Bay Aquatics swim team (NBA) when she just five years old. Over the past 13 years, Birchenough has grown to love the both the team aspect of swimming and the freedom of racing as individual in terms of choosing her races and performing alone. Along with swimming for North Bay Aquatics, Birchenough swims with Redwood’s swim team during the spring. Combined, both teams regimens amount to at least one swim related activity every day of the week. Birchenough’s Redwood coach, Fred Ferroggiaro, claims that her long-lasting commitment to swimming is what has made her so successful. jklionsky@redwoodbark.org
Omar Elliot-Diab By Josh Cohen
Photo by Josh Cohen
LOCKING DOWN ON defense, Elliot-Diab tries to prevent his opponent from scoring.
Even though he had a late start to playing basketball, senior Omar Elliot-Diab participated in both baseball and football growing up. After quitting football in seventh grade, Elliot-Diab added a new sport to his arsenal the following year: basketball. Yet, Elliot-Diab didn’t know that four years later he would commit to play basketball at the collegiate level at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. According to MaxPreps, Elliot-Diab scored a total of 169 points and shot 59 percent from the field in his last season in a Giants uniform. Elliot-Diab also ended up with 131 total rebounds and 12 blocks throughout his 30 games played. Along with that, he was able to double both of his totals in assists and steals from the previous year recording 10 and 20 a piece. According to Elliot-Diab, the summer before his freshman year season was when he really started to become a decent basketball player and understand the game at a faster pace. “The time I spent working hard to improve my game was either simply by myself or with my friends,” ElliotDiab said. “At that point it was just about playing the game more to where it was second nature once I stepped on the
Photo courtesy of Zoe Stachowski
LOOKING TO ATTACK the basket, Stachowski dribbles past a Tamalpais defender in a MCAL matchup on Jan. 16. members were playing to their full potential. “This year, I helped make sure everyone was competing as hard as they could in every practice and game,” Rogan said. “We went the first 15 games undefeated, and winning MCALs just summed it all up.” Senior co-captain Brian Diaz has been playing alongside Rogan for the past three years on varsity soccer. According to Diaz, the team could always count on Rogan to step up and do whatever was necessary to win. “His work ethic is really admirable. He doesn’t stop working hard, and was the soul of the team. I really looked up to him as a player,” Diaz said. Next year, Rogan will be attending Georgetown University and hopes to continue to play soccer for a club team there. He was in contact with soccer coaches from some Division III colleges to play soccer, however he chose to attend a larger school in a major city. Rogan says there is still a chance he may be able to contact the coach of Georgetown and possibly walk-on for their soccer team. acompagno@redwoodbark.org
Photo courtesy of Claire Birchenough
WAITING FOR THE horn to sound, Birchenough positions herself to start her race. court.” Josh Katz, a senior this past season on the varsity team, has played alongside Elliot-Diab his entire high school career. According to Katz, Elliot-Diab’s biggest improvement throughout the years that they have played together is competing hard for offensive rebounds and putting them back up strong, as well as jumping up high for defensive rebounds and ripping the ball through to push it up the floor. “I played with Omar in CYO and always knew he had the ability to become a successful player,” Katz said. “One of the things that he did to really step his game up is understand more where he needed to be no matter if the ball was coming to him or not.” According to Katz, Elliot-Diab has improved his game down low, whether it is doing a spin move to the basket or power through strong for a dunk. “Omar has come a long way,” Katz said. “With how good he’s gotten, he is for sure ready for the next level of basketball and I’m excited to see how he ends up doing at Denison.” jcohen@redwoodbark.org
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Infographic by Bark Staff