May (Senior) Issue 2016

Volume LVIII, No. 10 • May 27, 2016 • Larkspur, CA

Senior college map P. 12

Cover by Olivia Dominguez, Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan and Sydney Soofer

Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive, Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org

Editors-In-Chief

Olivia Dominguez Shiriel King Abramson Bella McWhorter Matt Ross

Copy Editors

Review Editors

Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan Annie Pritikin Rebecca Smalbach Pearl Zhong

Ella Cook Macrae Sharp Nicole Stock

Spanish Editors

News Editors

Madison Barsi Cathrine Conrow Henry Tantum

Emily Cerf Andrew Hout Kendall Rhoads

Center Spread Editors

Feature Editors

Olivia Dominguez Annie Forsman

Gregory Block Camille Kawawa-Beaudan

Social Media Manager

Opinion Editors

Kylie Kvam

Sam Sheridan Caleigh Stephens

Snapshot Editor Jenna Herz

Sports Editors Aaron Halford Max Josef Heidi Roensich

Web Developer/ Newsletter

Lifestyles Editors

Business Manager

Kevin Makens Sam Slade

Kayla Aldrigde Adam Kreitzman

Sabrina Dong

By The Numbers Editors

Data Page Editors

Michael Benz Isabelle Marmur

Senior Staff Writers Julia Cherner Geneva Gist Megan Millard Robin Naylor

Julia Cherner Sarah Kimball

Survey Manager Keely Jenkins

Adviser

Erin Schneider

Reporters

Isabella Alioto, Eric Ahern, Danny Avins, Hannah Blazei, Hayden Blum, Addison Brady, Kaylee Bushell, Ovie Crum, Luke Dahlin, Jason Fieber, Annie Fogarty, Garet Jatsek, Sydney Soofer, Cosmo Taylor, Mary Winnick, Chloe Wintersteen

redwood

bark. redwood high school

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Preps of the year

395 doherty dr., larkspur, ca 94939

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volume LVIII, no. 10

Marin memoir

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May 27, 2016

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Trade school

www.redwoodbark.org

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School board votes to extend wellness in district

By Gregory Block and Rebecca Smalbach The TUHSD school board voted to expand the district’s wellness program to Tam and Drake on May 10 after an emotional months-long process for community supporters and the board.

The extension of wellness will consist of the hiring of part-time wellness coordinators at the two schools as well as a wellness outreach specialist at Drake, all of whom will work four days per week.

The board voted 3-2 to pass this particular version of the wellness staffing plan, with board members Chuck Ford, Laura Anderson and board president Michael Futterman voting yes, and Barbara Owens and Leslie Lundgren voting no.

Other options called for the elimination of all wellness staffing, a “freeze” on wellness staffing or hiring all wellness staff to work five days a week, as originally planned under the leadership of former superintendent Laurie Kimbrel.

The proposals were designed by the Department of Educational Services and were reviewed by senior executives in the district, according to District Superintendent David Yoshihara.

The vote to expand wellness also contained the district’s entire staffing plan for the 2016-2017 school year.

District Wellness Coordinator Jessica Colvin said that prior to the meeting, she was unsure whether the board would fund wellness, regardless of the level of community support.

“I went in feeling nervous, having not really a clue what was going to happen and also feeling a ton of support from the

community, but knowing that regardless of the support from the community the board members were the decision makers,” Colvin said.

Yoshihara hypothesized that the board members who voted against the plan did so because they felt that they needed more information.

“I think for the board members that voted no, the sense that I got was that there was concern around the cost of the program as well as perhaps needing more information about it from what I understand,” Yoshihara said. “It demonstrates that we have five individual board members and they all have their own individual filters and thoughts in terms of how they make the decision.”

Community members, including parents, teachers and students, attended many of the past board meetings to demonstrate their support for the wellness programs.

Yoshihara believes the support for the expansion of wellness to Drake and Tam was prompted by the schools’ desire for similar facilities.

“It’s almost like siblings in a way.

What does this school get or what does that school get?” Yoshihara said. “That has always been the existence over time. Drake has an SLC program, Tam has a looping concept for ninth and tenth graders, so they have different models of learning and so I would encourage that we allow our schools to have different models of what wellness can look like. ” Yoshihara said that the wellness decision will have a greater impact on Drake and Tam than it will at Redwood.

“From my understanding the action that was taken has less impact, if any, on

Photo by Gregory Block

BOARD MEMBERS LAURA ANDERSON and Michael Futterman as well as Superintendent David Yoshihara prepare for a board meeting on Tuesday evening.

The board voted to extend wellness to Drake and Tam at a meeting on May 10.

Redwood,” Yoshihara said.

Historically, Yoshihara believes that the community has been just as passionate about other issues as they have been about wellness, and knowing this helps him to remain subjective on the issue of wellness and wellness staffing.

“If you go back and look at the history of our district, there are certain topics whether it’s turf fields or teachers or math, there are certain things that certainly get them very impassioned. So this is one that got a certain segment of our parent

community and some extent our student community very impassioned,” Yoshihara said.

Colvin said the community support from all three schools was inspiring, especially considering the interest and time commitment of parents and students.

Continued on Page 2

Students raise money for Ecuadorian earthquake relief

By Emily Cerf Students who traveled to Ecuador for a service trip at the time that a 7.8 earthquake struck the country are working alongside members of the student-run “Companamaneros” club at Redwood to raise money for relief for people living in devastated areas.

The service group of 22 students and two chaperones were doing reforestation work in Ecuador during the week of April 16 when the earthquake hit.

The trip was led by Global Student Embassy (GSE), an organization whose mission is “to develop community leaders through action oriented environmental education.”

The Companamaneros club is comprised of students who have attended GSE trips in the past.

The group of students were in the Ecuadorian town of Bahia, where 90 percent of the buildings have been slated for demolition, just days before the earthquake struck.

Many of the close friends they made during the trip lived in this town, and the students’ personal experiences have led many of them to take up efforts to raise money for Ecuador relief.

These efforts have included filming a video for RedwoodTV explaining the current conditions in Ecuador and offering their support for projects to rebuild.

The Companamaneros club also organized a fundraiser that raised about $220 at the local restaurant Pig in a Pickle. Ten percent of proceeds from the meal of anyone who mentioned Redwood went directly to GSE. Additionally, they have placed boxes in homeroom classes which allow students and faculty to donate directly.

This fundraiser which ended on Monday.

The Redwood community has raised about $4000 to date, according to Kaufman.

The money raised by the two groups will go to GSE, and GSE will direct 100 percent of this money to Ecuador relief, according to Jonathan Kaufman, the GSE regional coordinator for Marin County.

In the days following the earthquake, this money supported purchases of food, medicine and water. Since

Photo courtesy of Samantha Ferguson

REDWOOD STUDENTS POSE with Ecuadorian students while on a service trip in the country. A 7.8 earthquake struck the country while they were there. then it has been directed toward training high school students to raise awareness about the earthquake as well as training local builders in “sustainable earthquake-safe bamboo construction,” according to Kaufman. “[GSE is] unique because they have their own connections to people that they’ve worked with for fiveplus years. I think [they] can find people better and help those who really need it faster,” said Simone Wolberg, copresident of the Companamaneros club.

Some students in the group expressed guilt about staying in a five-star resort in Panama en route to California while the whereabouts of their friends in Ecuador were unknown.

“It was hard for some people to think, ‘Wow I’m staying in this beautiful place and my friends could be dead.’ That’s when we started to really think, ‘How can we help?’” Peterson said.

Wolberg did not attend the Ecuador trip, but she empathized with trip members and felt motivated to raise money.

“I wanted to give back because the group was so kind to me, and I can't imagine the people who knew the Ecuadorian kids and how they must feel. [It] must feel awful to know that they don’t have homes anymore,” Wolberg said.

As of a press release from USAID on April 19, the U.S. government had donated $100,000 to Ecuadorian relief. However, as of April 26, more than $1.3 million in “humanitarian assistance” has been provided by the United States.

Some students from the trip considered the initial amount to be inadequate.

“The amount the U.S. had sent to Ecuador was laughable and almost sad,” Peterson said. “My response when someone told me [the $100,000 figure] was ‘I think there are a lot of people here in Marin with cars worth more than $100,000.’”

Peterson believes that a lack of awareness about the earthquake has been an inhibiting factor in garnering support for the cause.

“I know there are a lot of people out there that would help if they knew about it,” Peterson said. “There aren’t that many people that know how they can help or what’s going on.”

Peterson and Wolberg both indicated that they will continue to raise money for Ecuador relief in the future.

They are in the planning stages of throwing events such as car washes and benefit dinners.

ecerf@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 2 • News

May 27, 2016

Photo Survey:

What advice would you give to your freshman self?

“It gets better.”

Emma Randall senior

• Wellness Center Continued from page 1 “Some of them are there because they believe it is right for kids. Some of them have their own kids who have had their own issues around health and wellness,” Colvin said. “Everyone is there for their own reason and I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a lot of those community members and seeing their passion.”

Since the district’s budget will still run with a deficit, a group of PTSA and foundation leaders from each high school have come together to brainstorm other methods of revenue to support wellness, such as sponsorships, according to Yoshihara.

“We talked about if you can have a district-wide foundation,” Yoshihara said. “We talked about taxation measures, particularly a parcel tax. Can we go out to

the community and solicit support for a tax that would generate revenue to support wellness?”

However, when it comes to the expansion of wellness programs beyond part-time staffing at Drake and Tam, Yoshihara attempts to remain neutral.

“I do not know if I ever had an opinion [about wellness],” Yoshihara said. “I think I tried to remain as subjective in regards to the social and emotional wellbeing of our students, and our staff in all fairness too.”

Yoshihara said that passing the budget for wellness staffing does not lower the overall deficit, and that the deficit still must be addressed through funding cuts in other areas.

“We still need to reduce the budget, or in fairness, to increase revenue. At the end of the day, something has to go. We haven’t solved [the structural deficit],” Yoshihara said.

“Keep going. Stay motivated. Don’t let anything drop you on the ground.”

Samuel Chavez senior

“Like Dory from ‘Finding Nemo’ says, ‘Just Keep Swimming!’”

Marisa Robinow senior

Yoshihara said that the most important factor in making wellness effective would be the ability of each school to determine what its own program should look like with respect to student need.

“I think our kids are sensitive to that if a model exists at one school, it may or may not be the best model to exist at others,” Yoshihara said. “I would encourage that we allow our schools to have different models of what wellness can look like.”

Colvin believes that the board’s approval is the first step in a broader trend of discussing issues related to health and wellness.

“These are issues that are often swept under the rug. They are not pretty issues.

A lot of people don’t want to talk about stress or depression or anxiety,” Colvin said. “It’s shown pretty clearly to me that this community is ready to talk about these issues and ready to deal with them.”

“Embrace the sloth.”

Riley Dow senior

While the wellness decision gained sustained community attention, the board still has to formally approve the entire district budget, which it plans to do at a meeting in June.

In the meantime, Colvin feels grateful that wellness is being funded at all, even with the announcement of part-time employment for staff at Drake and Tam High Schools.

“I am so thankful that the board passed what they passed, given the budget climate, and that they put the faith into our program to give us the [four-day-a-week] positions,” Colvin said. “I will make do with those and help create something wonderful at both of those schools with the [four-day-a-week positions].”

bark@redwoodbark.org

Bon Air Center undergoes major remodel to strenghthen community

By Henry Tantum The Bon Air Center in Greenbrae is undergoing a major reconstruction project that will add several new shops to the mall as well as new architectural features and upgrades.

The project officially began April 12 and is scheduled to be completed before the end of November, according to DeeDee Taft, Bon Air Center spokesperson.

According to a recent press release, the “refresh” will include “wider pedestrian paths, fresh landscaping, additional outdoor gathering areas… fire pits and more,” as well as a bocce ball court and eventual Wi-Fi and electric car charging stations.

“It hadn’t had a major remodel since 1985,” Taft said.

“It’s just time.”

However, the project will have effects on nearby businesses, such as Destination Marin, whose store, like a group of others, is now directly behind the temporary fence marking the edge of the construction zone. Danny McClinton, an employee at the store, said the construction had decreased business to the store.

“When it first started and they had the jack hammers going and stuff, it really affected us bad,” McClinton said.

“We were barely getting anyone in the store because the jackhammers were so loud, people were literally running by with their ears covered up.”

From McClinton’s point of view, it seems that some neighboring stores are still doing decent business, but they all took a definite hit.

“Well with the fencing up and the parking lot pretty much [taken out] right here, it's not as convenient for people to park over there and come to our store,” he said.

The project will be paid for by Greenbrae Management Company, the owner of the property. The construction will begin on the north end of the shopping center, near Wells Fargo, and move east across the property, according to the press release.

“It is important to create a gathering place for neighbors and a place of community,” the press release said as a chief reason for the remodel. “The role of shopping centers is evolving from functionality to more of a sense of community.”

Taft said that one main goal of the project is to encourage potential shoppers to spend more social time at the center.

“In addition to places to eat and shop, they want to also include areas that people can just hang out, knowing that this is a community center,” she said.

McClinton is optimistic that the final result of the

Photo by Henry Tantum

CONSTRUCTION AT the Bon Air Shopping Center aims to create community-oriented public spaces. It is expected to be finished by the end of November. project will increase business, specifically by creating more sitting areas near the store.

Some front-row parking will be removed to allow for the expanded pedestrian path. Although the mall will not lose any current buildings, new amenities will be added, according to Taft.

“There are a couple new stores or restaurants coming,” Taft said. “They haven’t been confirmed yet, but there are definitely a couple of spaces that are in the process of being filled.”

Taft said that the community’s reaction to the project has been generally positive.

“As with any change, there have questions and just a little confusion, but for the most part it has been really well-received,” Taft said.

Junior Thomas St. John, who lives nearby and works at the Mollie Stones in the center, thinks the project will help increase the store’s business.

“It would affect stores in a positive way,” St. John

said. “Having a place to bring the community together will make people want to come to Bon Air and stay there, which will help increase business.”

The project will attempt to include environmentally friendly components, according to Taft.

“It is all done sustainably. They're using all local contractors for the project. It's all Marin focused,” Taft said. “They’re going to use drought tolerant landscaping… even catch rainwater and reuse it.”

Much of the new landscaping would have the ability to “collect and absorb storm water runoff from nearby paved surfaces including streets and sidewalks allowing the property to reuse collected rainwater,” according to the press release.

htantum@redwoodbark.org

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www.redwoodbark.org

Redwood wins annual Tri-School Poetry Slam competition

By Annie Forsman and Macrae Sharp Jazz music lulled in the background as parents and students from Redwood, Tam and Drake filed into the Little Theater for the annual Tri-School Poetry Slam on May 18. Viewers waited eagerly as the lights dimmed and the emcee stepped on stage in anticipation of a night filled with creative writing and animated speech.

The eight students comprising the victorious Redwood slam poetry team won two out of the three rounds after an evening of soulful performances from all of the competitors. Redwood’s team is comprised of seniors Olivia Sinclair, Jason Seavey, Jake Baldwin, Stevie Becker and Julia Walter; juniors Stephanie Oh and Sabrina Dong; and sophomore Ali Janku.

Redwood secured the first round, which consisted of three individual poems from each school, with Oh, Janku and Becker collectively earning the highest average score from the three guest judges, pushing Redwood into an early lead. Drake swept the second round, which took the form of a triple round robin. In the third and final round, there was a unanimous vote for Redwood’s group poem, “Clichés,” which claimed the team’s seventh consecutive win of the Tri-School Poetry Slam.

Co-captain Seavey said that he was proud to see how much everyone on the team had progressed since the start of the year.

“I was more just nervous for how things would work out in the group poem, where all of us have to rely on each other. There’s a lot of trust involved. I was really excited to see how some of these youngins’ would pull it off,” Seavey said.

This year was the first time in his three years in the program that there were no memorization lapses onstage, Seavey said.

Sinclair also expressed her delight at the high level of intensity that the new poets demonstrated. She credits the team’s winning streak to its rigorous audition process.

“We have auditions, so we have a very selective process of choosing poets,” Sinclair said. “I remember the year I tried out, 30 people tried out. It’s a very small team. I think it automatically sets the bar very high, so progressively we really help each other. We are very harsh in critiquing our poems, so it helps a lot for growing.”

Sophomore Ali Janku performed a poem, “Patterns Throughout History,” raising the bar for years to come for the group, according to many of her fellow teammates.

Photo by Macrae Sharp

CLINCHING THE TRI-SCHOOL poetry slam competition for the seventh consecutive year, Redwood’s team finished off the night with a group peom about moving beyond clichés in poetry.

Janku said it was an honor to have performed onstage with more experienced captains and friends.

“More so than being up there with [my teammates], it’s [amazing] also just working with them throughout the year and getting critiqued on your poetry and listening to their poetry for inspiration. ” Janku said.

Janku had previously performed onstage at the Mill Valley Slam Poetry Competition and auditioned for the Youth Speaks Competition, but said last week’s slam was exceptional.

“It’s the most incredible feeling when you’re up there,” Janku said. “Because you are not thinking about anything, you’re just so there, and your mouth has gone through the motion so many times that they can just roll off your

tongue. It’s the best form of expression.”

Senior Stevie Becker performed his poem, “Protagonist” in the second round of the contest. He said he thought the team took preparing for the competition very seriously, meeting often and putting lots of work into rehearsing poems. “[I] basically had to be the best we are going to be right now. I think we are leaving Slam in good hands, and I have a lot of faith in the younger members,” Becker said.

bark@redwoodbark.org

Rocketry competes nationally ‘Brother Nature’ declared valedictorian

By Sydney Soofer

On May 14, four Redwood Students competed in the world’s largest student rocketry competition, the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), and placed 88th out of 90 qualifying teams due to inflight malfunctions.

The four students, senior Kevin Makens, juniors Ashlyn D’Orazio, Joseph Alavi and Filip Platek, were one of 101 teams in the United States to qualify for the national championship, which took place in The Plains, Va. They were part of a seven-person team from Redwood that built the rocket–– juniors Dosym Kunhardt and Zach Brennan as well as freshman Madeline Stull also had a hand in the project.

Redwood won the “Best Craftsmanship Award,” which was given to the team that could build the best miniature rocket in 70 minutes. It also received a cash prize of $500 that it will put toward building a rocket for next year’s competition.

“We weren’t really expecting to qualify going into this,” said Platek, team captain.

“It was a huge surprise.”

A total of 789 teams consisting of over 5000 students were vying for 101 coveted spots.

Meeting regularly since the start of the school year, Platek’s team has devoted dozens of hours toward the creation of three rockets that fit TARC’s requirements, which dictate that students “structure a handmade rocket that flies exactly 850 feet up and safely returns a payload of 2 eggs to the ground within 44-46 seconds.”

However, in the midst of the championships, there was an inflight malfunction that was out of the

Story & Photo by Kaylee Bushell

Photo courtesy of Kevin Makens

MEMBERS of REDWOOD’S “C” team compete in the TARC national championship. team’s control, ultimately preventing it from competing in the international championship. The rocket itself flew “perfectly,” according to Platek, but the height of the rocket was not able to be recorded.

“The altimeter was not registering correct data, which ultimately caused us to receive a very low score, which took us out of the competition,” Alavi said, referring to the device that measures the altitude of the rocket.

TARC gave the team a second opportunity to fly the rocket with a new altimeter, but it still failed to record the precise data.

Redwood has three teams that all attempted to qualify: team “A,” “B” and “C.” Only team “C” qualified to travel to Virginia. ssoofer@redwoodbark.org

Nate Orwig was announced as the valedictorian for the class of 2016 Monday at the Sequoians Academic Honor Societies Banquet.

After eight semesters at Redwood, Orwig earned an overall cumulative GPA of 4.56 and was enrolled in a total of 15 AP or Honors courses.

Orwig has contributed much of his time to the school.

He has served as ASB treasurer, vice president of the rocketry team, captain of the boys’ varsity volleyball team and vice president of the Environmental Action Club, where he is affectionately known as “Brother Nature.”

Outside of Redwood, Orwig volunteers at the Fairfax San Anselmo Children’s Center, tutors younger students and plays piano, which he’s done since elementary school.

“It’s an honor to be the valedictorian and it definitely didn’t come easily,” Orwig said.

The only B+ Orwig received was in AP Language and Composition during his first semester of junior year.

Aside from that grade, he has never received anything below an A at Redwood.

“It was the first upper level writing class I’ve ever taken and I’m more of a science and math person, so it was harder,” Orwig said.

Orwig said that his favorite course at

NATE ORWIG has been named valedictorian for the class of 2016.

Redwood was AP Calculus BC, which has influenced his decision to study economics and statistics in college.

“I attribute much of my success to the dedicated teachers here at Redwood as well as the motivated students alongside me,” Orwig said.

After high school, Orwig will continue his education at UC Berkeley.

kbushell@redwoodbark.org

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Page 4 • News

May 27, 2016

Student short film ‘The Journey’ advances to state-wide competition

By Emily Cerf “There’s some really great work with images and how to tell a story, and doing it within 60 seconds is quite a challenge alone,” said Peter Parish, Film Focus teacher.

“But these need a solid message. They’re not just telling a story, they’re really trying to deliver a specific message.”

This challenge is exactly what four seniors excelled at in their production of “The Journey,” a 60-second PSA about Mental Health Awareness.

Benedict Conran, Thomas Hayden Smeltzer, Asha Cummings and Dominique Cruz won first place in The Directing Change Program & Film Contest in California, which is part of the larger “Each Mind Matters: California’s Mental Health Movement.” The students competed against 450 submissions from around the state.

Placing in both the regional and state competition is an accomplishment unprecedented in Redwood’s history.

California’s Mental Health Movement is funded by voter-approved Mental Health Services Act (Prop 63) and administered by the California Mental Health Services Authority (MHSA), according to the Directing Change website.

After winning first place in the regional competition, the students competed among other finalists across the state in the category of “Suicide Prevention” for the state championship. The students and Parish traveled to Glendale, Calif. on May 20 to attend a full-day awards event and receive the results of the statewide competition.

The film depicts Conran as the main character who is on a road trip discussing his depression. According to Cummings, both Cruz and Cummings used their background in visual art to incorporate mostly candid shots.

“Specifically with me and Asha, a lot of our projects start with a word or one single shot and then we build off of that,” said Cruz, one of two producers of the film. “In this case, it was the map and the road trip deal. That was all we started with, and went from there.”

It was important to the students that they be especially respectful of people who suffer with mental health issues, Gretchen & Drew Alden

The Cico Family

Sarah Ames

Clay & Katy Colvin

The Alliston-Johnston Family Laura & Mark Anderson Anonymous (7)

The Arnowitz Family The Arrick Family

Miriam Kupperman & Andy Avins The Bacino Family

Mary & Jack Barber Leslie Barry

The Battelle Family The Becker Family

The Beddow Family The Belgum Family Cammi Bell

Stephanie & Brad Bennett The Bialek Santas Family Vito & Linda Bialla The Blum Family

The Botas Family

The Boutwell Family Trish Brady

Bill & Kathleen Brady The Briggs Family

The Bronzo Family

The Brostoff Family The Brugger Family

The Brune & Deuss Family Liz Brusseau

The Buchanan Family

Cheryl Vohland & Don Buder Paul & Karen Burrous The Bushell Family The Byck Family

Anna Cahill James

Maura Thurman & Thom Calandra The Canady Family

The Carswell Family

Stacie & David Cherner The Chou Family

Bruce & Robyn Cohen

according to Cruz and Cummings.

“It’s kind of odd because it is a film project and you’re looking at it from a competition point of view, but the whole goal is to raise awareness for mental health. I think as a group we became a lot more conscious of how our actions artistically impacted people,” Cruz said.

The group chose to have Conran as the main character of the film to help break a stigma it perceived surrounding issues of men with mental illness.

“You really don’t see that very often—it’s kind of a taboo to see men talking about mental illness. So that was

Bark Patrons

Kiki Goshay

The Laub Family

Brendhan & Katherine Green

The Lawler Family

The Conrow Family

Francesca Greenberg

The Lentz Family

The Corn Family

Susan Gregg

John & Linnea Leonhardt

The Hackett Family

Carolyn & Michael Lewis

Dominique & Neil Halilej

Kirby Bartlett & Lisa Choy

The Hanssen Family

Joan Lubamersky

The Herz Family

Pat Lynch

The Hoehn Family

The Madison Family

The Horstmeyer Family

The Marlowe Family

The Jacks Family

The Massik Family

The Jensen Family

Mary Beth McClure-Maorz

Sylvia Jones

The McKellips Family

Sydney & David Joyner

The Miller Family

Lisa Katz

The Miller Family

Adrienne Keller

The Mindel Family

Marla & Tim Kelly

The Moglinicki Family

The Key Family

The Mowbray Family

The Kim Family

Steve A Nielsen

Mike & Coral Kisseberth

Mark & Donna Norstad

The Klionsky Family

Jodie O’Connor

Jill & Larry Knott

Vickie Feldstein & Dennis Orwig

The Kreitzman Family

The Overson & Allen Family

Kristina & Steve Compondonico The Green Family The Cooperband Family The Corren Family Therese Courtney

Beth & Chris Cummings The Cusack Family

Jim & Robyn Dahlin The Daly Family

The Dalzell-Piper Family Michele & Peter Dean The Desin Family

Will & Milena Dixon Diane & Rich Dow

Doreen & Brian Donnely The Dudgeon Family The Duncan Family

Mark & Janet Epstein The Evershed Family Wendy & Scott Ewry The Fargo Family

The Finegold Family

Steve & Becki Finkbeiner Sandra Fisher

The Flynn Family The Foehr Family

The Fogarty Family

Keith & Beth Forsman The French Family Laurie Fried

Steve & Kari Fulton

The Gardner Family Rose Gehm

Colleen Bourke Geiger

The Geissberger Family The Geitheim Family The Gerson Family

Pavlo Gesmundo & Christine Gregorak The Gibbs Family Todd & Susan Christman

Jane Mertens & Jeb Gist

The Cicala Family

The Goldwasser Family

The Churton Family

Photo courtesy of Dominique Cruz

THE FILM FOCUS TEAM goes on stage to receive their award for first place in The Directing Change Program & Film Contest for their region 5.

The Glassier Family

The Leiter Family

Jeff Greendorfer

The Leograndis Family

The Gustafson Family

Bill & Cori Lewis

The Halford Family

The Lind Family

Lisa Hannah

The Loo Family

The Hardiman Family

Eugene & Janey Lupario

The Hetrick Family

Courtney Lynch

The Hood Family

Alice & Bob Marks

The Isaacson Family

Dorothy Marschall

Jim & Tami Jackson

The McBride Family

Jill Kauffman & Tyler Johnson

Kevin McGee

The Josef Family

Patrick & Sabrina Middleton

The Kardel Family

The Miller Family

The Kehoe Family

Chris & Marilyn Millias

John Kellerman

Jimmy & Jacqui Miranda

The Kennedy Family

Juliana Morgan

Martin Khadoenouri

The Naylor Family

The Kimball Family

The Nolan Family

The Klein Family

The Notter Family

Steven & Nicole Klopukh

Dennis & June Oh

The Kopstein Family

The Overmyer Family

one of the things we really wanted to focus on,” Cummings said.

The competition is a “perfect” project for the Film Focus class, in which students learn about equipment, techniques and style involved in producing films, according to Parish.

The parameters around the competition include a length of 60 seconds and the inclusion of a strong message. The large number of participants was also ideal according to Parish as it provided healthy competition. ecerf@redwoodbark.org Barbara & Christina Owens

The Sylla Family

Kit Burnet & Maddy Peng

The Tallerico Family

Bernice Kintzer & Kurt Paul Janet Raiche & Alan Perper Linda Perrella

Linda & Mike Perrella

Karin, Scott & Alex Peters

Lynn Soper & David Peterson The Petri Family

Robyn Finley-Pope & Brad Pope The Pritikin Family Christine S Ramos

Robin Snyder & Manny Ramos The Renner Family

The Rhoads Family The Rocha Family

The Roenisch Family Frank J Rollo Karin Rosen

The Ross Family

Tim & Annette Ryan The Safavi Family Mimi Sardou

The Sarmiento Family The Saylor Family

Carlyn & Jon Schulberg Eric Schmitt

Dan Segedin

The Seidler Family

Chris & Corinne Seton The Sharp Family

The Shepard Family The Shiomi Family

Jack & Ramelle Sholl

The Smalbach Family Karen Smart Hill Louis Smith

Janeen & Wade Smith Lida & Kaveh Soofer The Stephens Family The Stiles Family

Christy Seidel & Peter Stock Marcus & Cecily Stock The Stocker Family

Michelle & Alan Sullivan

Robert Taitz

The Tantum Family The Tede Family

The Tholan/Fair Family John & Jane Thornton Monique Tiger

Paul & Paula Trish The Tull Family

Ellen & David Turner

Susan Sellers & Peter van Pruissen Lesley Van Voorhees Karen VanBrunt

The Vargelis Family Kris & Philip Wade

The Wagner/Towns Family Sheila & Scott Wakida The Walters Family

Jim Granger & Yu-Ling Wang The Ward Family

Leroy & Vasiliki Ware Jordan Warren

The Watkins Family

The Watridge Family Dr. Jennifer Watters The Watts Family

The Whelpley Family

Sara & Erik Whileford The Wilford Family The Willens Family

Isolde & Alec Wilson The Winters Family

The Wintersteen Family Joe & Entela Wolberg

Kristin Wolcott Farese

Denise Zvanovec & Liang Wong The Wong Family

The Woolard Family Amy Young

The Zeisler Family The Zeitz Family

The Zhong Family

The Zlatunich Family

Page 5 • News bark ‘Safe Routes to School’ project strives to improve transportation safety

By Pearl Zhong In partnership with Safe Routes to School and the city of Larkspur, Redwood plans to widen the pedestrian walkways and bike lanes on Doherty Drive this summer.

Changes will begin at the intersection between Lucky Drive and Doherty Drive at the entrance of Redwood’s back parking lot and continue westbound to the front parking lot by the Little Theater.

Additionally, one parking spot in the back lot will be removed in order to clear space for the path.

The goal of the Safe Routes to School project is to make safer and easier transit for bicyclists and pedestrians when traveling on Doherty Drive, according to Principal David Sondheim and Larkspur Interim Public Works Director Ray Razavi.

The existing sidewalk on Doherty will be replaced with an 8-foot wide asphalt path, which will be constructed adjacent to the current walkway. A 6-foot fence will be installed to secure the path and replace the current fence. In addition, the street will also be restriped in order to change the width of the bicycle lanes, according to Razavi.

Beginning around the second week of June, construction will continue up until the second week of August, a two-month

Photo by Pearl Zhong

CARS LINE UP waiting in the mid-day traffic after school, while the bike lane and walkway remain empty. project, according to Razavi.

The intersection between Lucky and Doherty will also be improved through the construction of an island that will separate the bicyclists from vehicles, according to Razavi.

Although the existing sidewalk currently meets the three-foot minimum

standard set by the American Disability Act, the project plans to increase the width to make it even more accessible.

“We are going to go way beyond what the minimum allowable safety standard is for the bicycles, pedestrians, as well as the ramps. The ramps are very important because you will have to be able to take

pedestrians on wheelchairs from the sidewalk to the crosswalk,” Razavi said.

Increasing the width of the sidewalk means construction will continue into the fire road behind the Little Theater and the English/Spanish hallways of the main building, according to Sondheim.

The money for the project comes from grant money from Transportation Authority of Marin as well as money allocated by the city, according to Sondheim and Razavi.

“We have a grant for $350,000 from Transportation Authority of Marin. We are putting in additional money from the city and we currently have $25,000 allocated from the city, so it is a total of $375,000 budget at this moment and we are hoping to stay within that budget,” Razavi said.

For students like junior Aisling Ogilvie, who has been biking to school daily for five years, widening the bike lanes will not only improve safety but also comfort.

“I don’t really like [biking on the road] because it’s so narrow. If I move off a little bit when I’m biking on the road, it’s pretty easy for me to be accidentally hit by a car,” Ogilvie said, “I’m sure if the bike lanes were widened, I will feel much more comfortable when biking.”

pzhong@redwoodbark.org

Site Council’s ‘Giant Stories’ program aims to redefine success

By Anne Fogarty Redwood’s Site Council is finalizing its recognition program called “Giant Stories” that they plan to implement by the end of this school year.

“Giant Stories” will acknowledge students’ diverse triumphs by publishing the names and stories of students who have completed outstanding feats.

The stories will likely be published on a bulletin board and in short films, according to sophomore Elizabeth Ratcliffe, student Site Council representative.

Site Council, a committee of staff, parents and student representatives, has been developing this program throughout the past year. The idea began with the goal to “debunk the myth that there is only one path to success,” according to Site Council member Jon Kimball.

Ratcliffe said that she hopes “Giant Stories” will create a more welcoming, empathetic community at Redwood.

“Redwood is a very high pressure school. Getting a 4.0 and going to a good college is often people’s vision of success. Site Council wanted to redefine that definition and celebrate people who are really trying their best,” Ratcliffe said.

Site Council wants to redirect students’ attention from strictly grades and celebrate other types of success, according to math teacher Julie Norwood, a Site Council member. For example, students who do community service, participate in other outside activities or have improved in a subject that they were struggling in may be recognized.

“It is more than getting the A or going to the best college; it is kindness and hard work and generosity that are just as important,” Norwood said.

The program will highlight the diverse activities that Redwood students do, according to Kimball.

“I’m hoping it brings the human side of being a teenager. Noticing people’s differences and applauding them instead of trying to have everyone have the same goal. I hope that it makes people feel more comfortable about their achievements,” Norwood said.

The program was also inspired by Challenge Success, an initiative of The Stanford School of Education.

Challenge Success is a resource for schools that want to create a more balanced learning environment by turning attention away from stress and academic achievement to

Infographic by Anne Fogarty

other areas of success that are also important to growth.

Site Council will potentially open up the program up to administration and student nominations. It has designed a website that will be a forum for students, teachers and parents to nominate individuals, according to Ratcliffe.“We are thinking that each department will get to pick one or two students per month. It would be probably about 30 students per month,” Norwood said. afogarty@redwoodbark.org

opinion

Page 6 Looking beyond LGBT marriage equality The Gist of it

It’s showtime for a school-wide musical

By Chloe Wintersteen Twenty exhausted figures surround me backstage. It is too dark to see the others, but light enough to feel the synergy, the adrenaline.

Click. Light rays bathe the stage in a technicolor glow, cueing the orchestra to play its final Gershwin medley. I am wearing black gloves, a powder blue romper, and my secret weapon—tap shoes. My grin brightens into a toothy smile as I’m swept away by the music and ballroom dance with fellow castmates in the wings.

I rush onstage, face the outlines of numerous audience members applauding in the dark, and take my final bow–– my thank you to the audience and my entire creative team for their unyielding support.

When I took my bow after the closing performance of the musical “Crazy For You” at Interlochen Arts Camp last summer, I was amazed by how much I’d grown personally and artistically while under the influence of my directors and peers.

To me, musical theater is the most effective art form through which to express joy for the actors and audience members alike. Through the seamless culmination of numerous artistic and technical elements, everyone involved simultaneously agrees to suspend their disbelief and wholeheartedly believe in the story being told on stage. This unity exemplified in a theater is a testament to the good in humanity. However, musical theater also has the powerful ability to comment on our flaws, initiate conversations, and spark societal change. Because of this, musical theater deserves to inhabit a prominent space in all academic settings.

However, the vast majority of my peers are not provided with the opportunity to participate in a musical theater production at Redwood.

Currently, if you’re in Advanced Drama, the time commitment makes it difficult to perform with companies outside of school, and, like many extracurricular programs, the directors strongly urge that Advanced Drama be students’ first priority. However, if you aren’t in the program, you cannot participate in mainstage plays

at school. This juxtaposition is ironic given the purpose of a theater education––to provide diverse instruction so students can grow into well-rounded artists.

Any high schooler should have the opportunity to be in a production, which is why an annual musical should be produced at Redwood outside of the drama program, and be available to any student who wishes to audition.

While musical theater is the ultimate collaborative art form, Redwood tends to avoid artistic collaboration across departments. I’ve been told by theater teachers in the Tam District that we don’t have the resources in place to put on a school-wide musical, but this is false. Engineering students could design and build sets, visual art students could paint sets, music students could form an orchestra, and tech students could run the lights and sound during the production. We have the talent, we just need to work together to create one larger piece of art that we all can be proud of.

My elementary school put on a musical and my middle school put on a musical, but the tradition of participating in a school-produced musical came to a screeching halt at Redwood. For some reason, Redwood is an outlier.

This distinctly American tradition is still actively thriving across the country. The vast majority of my friends who attend both public and private schools outside of the Tam District perform in at least one school musical every year, regardless of their involvement in their drama departments.

If they can do it, why can’t we?

The primary reason why Redwood currently does not offer a musical to all students is that no one has brought up the possibility before. As a soon-to-be theater major in college, I look back upon my high school experience and hope that any Redwood student who wishes to be in a high-quality musical be granted that opportunity. I was lucky enough to discover my potential in musical theater outside of school, but unless we offer an annual musical to every student, some of my peers may not be as fortunate.

cwintersteen@redwoodbark.org

Glorification unacceptable given complex U.S. history

By Matt Ross At UC Berkeley, students have called for the renaming of David Prescott Barrows Hall, condemning its namesake for what he wrote in his “A History of the Philippines.”

“The White or European, Race is, above all others, the great historical race,” Barrows wrote in the 1905 book.

In recent years, students across the country have attempted to heighten awareness of the legacies of historical figures whose names appear on their campus buildings by petitioning for their removal. These figures include prominent politicians like Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson and John C. Calhoun, each of whom has a contentious historical reputation. Students’ protests have been met with backlash from those who see their calls for removal as attempts to erase history.

Those who oppose the calls for removal can’t be blamed entirely for their lack of awareness of all of American history. From a young age, many Americans are taught by parents and teachers that any exposure to our country’s historical wrongdoings is an attack on patriotism.

A new trend of learning American history in its entirety seems to be on the rise, however: Students are learning U.S. history from all perspectives, and not just through the comfort of a red, white and blue lens, as evidenced by the student protests. With each call for the removal of a statue or name, students show the public that we, young people, will apply the history we’ve learned to make our world more inclusive.

Many members of older generations are disgusted with the attitudes of younger generations, which they see as anti-American, disrespectful of their history or part of a growing shift toward “political correctness.” Rather, it is just the opposite—students have the utmost respect

for their country, but do not wish to conflate its complex history with the glorification of figures who don’t share their values.

This trend toward political correctness must be welcomed, not loathed. It’s a healthy step along the way of our development as a country. Opponents of political correctness may yearn for the days when our culture didn’t dictate that we think so carefully about our words.

Unfortunately, for many, those were days of intolerance, and they are better left in our past.

It seems that awareness is the root problem of the conflict, and it’s what young students are trying to convey to older generations through their actions.

It is important to understand, regardless of your perspective on the argument, that most historical figures can’t be perfectly “good” or “evil.” Our tendency to classify a person as one of the two characteristics—excluding the gray area in between—seems a lost cause in the real world.

Though everyone is conditioned by their time period and culture, that doesn’t mean the historical figures’ names must remain engraved as the totality of their actions and words comes to light.

Ultimately, we shouldn’t leave those figures’ names etched in stone because when a person’s name is written on a building, it inherently demands respect without question. They, and therefore their reputations, can’t be critically examined from that height.

Instead, we must recognize and honor the figures who stand out in history as true visionaries—the individuals who were representative of their time periods deserve less of our attention than those who were not only able to identify, but actively fight against, the injustices of their time. mross@redwoodbark.org

By Geneva Gist “Your leadership on this has changed the country.”

This is what Barack Obama said to James Obergefell, the plaintiff, after the Supreme Court’s June ruling that granted same-sex couples the right to marry. While he’s not wrong, the ruling was just a step, not the revolution we need. Our country should have pushed forward with the momentum of the law, and fixed other serious issues within the LGBT communities. But we didn’t.

Marriage equality was far from the end of the fight for LGBT equity, and a recent law passed by North Carolina only proves this point. North Carolina passed HB2, a law that states that local ordinances cannot override state law when they concern wage, employment or public accommodation. The current state law does not include protections for LGBT people and requires people to use the bathroom of their biological sex. Passage of HB2 effectively leaves members of the LGBT communities unprotected and unable to fight discrimination. The law removes regulations on discrimination in the workplace, minimum wages and a variety of other protections intended to assist the LGBT communities. Basically, it legalizes discrimination.

It seems as though many consider the fight for gay rights finished. Other issues seem to have taken the spotlight, from gun control to college tuition to the presidential election. But if people are forced by law to use the wrong bathroom, as allowed by HB2, then we are very far from equity. HB2 has brought national attention to the transgender community. It’s a second chance for the LGBT communities to not only reverse the North Carolina law, but also to fight for equity in other areas.

There is still widespread discrimination against the LGBT communities, demonstrated not only by the passage of HB2 but also by the fact that firing employees due to their sexuality or gender identity is legal in more than 30 states. According to the Williams Institute, 79 percent of transgender people have reported discrimination in the workplace.

Politicians like Ted Cruz like to think that it’s the LGBT communities who pose a threat, that if allowed to go into a bathroom that is not for their biological sex, they’ll hurt “little girls.” But in reality, it’s the transgender men and women who are getting hurt, and by being forced to use a bathroom not corresponding to their gender identity, they are only put at more risk of violence.

Not allowing people to use the bathroom with which they most identify is essentially saying that their gender identity doesn’t matter. When our country allows this, it makes discriminating against the LGBT communities acceptable. But seeing as there are higher rates of violence toward the communities, particularly toward people of color and transgender women according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, an LGBT advocacy group, we should be condemning discrimination, not legalizing it.

These rates prove that the LGBT community faces a dangerous amount of hate and discrimination.

Marriage equality didn’t solve these issues, but we, as advocates and allies, can. After the passage of HB2, there have been many advocates against the North Carolina law. We should use the momentum we have right now to propel the national movement for LGBT equity, and start solving the issues preventing LGBT people from having the same chances as their straight, cisgender counterparts.

These barriers are worsened by ignorance. When we don’t talk about the issues facing the LGBT communities, we are committing an act of violence against oppressed groups. There are many steps to take, and while marriage equality was a step, we are still very far from the end. Once we as a country can realize that, we can make significant progress toward LGBT equity. ggist@redwoodbark.org

Page 7 • Opinion

www.redwoodbark.org

Editor-in-Chief Farewell Letters

By Matt Ross

thoughts I could never put into words.

These ideas surrounding the concept of purpose can be distilled down to one question I have contemplated for many years: What are we going to do with our lives? I spend a lot of time thinking about what I can do with my improbable existence, and I encourage you to do the same.

We must be unnerved by what we see in this world when we leave behind the comfort of childhood and innocence.

This healthy and necessary discomfort with reality comes after being exposed to its concurrent beauty and ugliness through education.

In the end, I hope that in my attempt to be not only an intellectually curious student but also a self-aware human being, I have initiated the journey he describes: an education that ultimately translates to “develop[ing] empathy, … acquir[ing] a sense of justice, and promot[ing] compassionate action in our world.” The goal o f our education, in other words, is to encourage us to be more aware, transforming our thoughts into action as we mature from innocence to experience.

The purpose of our four years here is to graduate with the determination to do good in our world, taking into consideration not only our own lives but also the existence of humanity altogether.

By Bella McWhorter

but rather for words?

Change.

Through my time with the Bark I have learned to love words and the power that they hold, while also learning that, when I use words correctly, I am a step closer to indeed achieving my childhood dream of changing the world.

These are the years I will never forget.

Though my memories with the Bark and Redwood are not all picturesque moments, I cannot imagine having spent these pivotal years anywhere else. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and in under two short weeks we will branch out to continue on our own paths. For those of you who have stuck with me for the past 420 words I will leave you with these last words I write for the Bark: Though we all may battle with inner turmoil, we can count on the stability of knowing that our lives are in our hands and we can make change.

When my brother graduated from Redwood seven years ago, his yearbook photo was accompanied by a quote from the classic movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:” “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” I thought I understood it then, but recently it’s taken on a different meaning for me. It sounds quite cliché on the surface, but I suspect Matthew Broderick really snuck some meaning into the 1986 comedy with those words Maybe it’s because we spend all of our time thinking about where we’d prefer to be, very rarely living in the present. I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you to slow down and reflect— just for a moment. I invite you to consider some ideas that I associate with this essential act of mindfulness.

I have come closer to understanding, with the guidance of one particular Redwood teacher who wished to remain anonymous, the purpose of my education thus far. Regardless of whether you believe this has been the purpose of your education, I hope it will lead you to your own conclusions about how education can be used as an instrument in the search for meaning in our lives.

In his essay, titled “Spoiling Children,” my teacher argues that the purpose of our education has been to more deeply understand ourselves and, therefore, our world. I would like to think I have begun to consider the question that he poses: Why does our education matter? Attempting to answer this question, as my teacher writes, is a critical part of our development as young people, and a crucial first step toward understanding how best to lead our lives.

When I read my teacher’s essay on this topic for the first time, I felt overwhelmed with relief. For some reason, those 5 1/2 pages seemed to amount to everything I had wondered throughout my Redwood education. Finally, I was reading the mross@redwoodbark.org Growing up, I moved a lot. I lived in Phoenix, Carmel and now Marin, all the while hopping from house to house.

I made friends and lost them to distance.

I found interests in basketball, cross country, piano, flute, acting, soccer, and lost them with each transfer to a new school.

Nonetheless, my first year on the Bark I felt that I had found a niche. In room 177 I discovered what I wanted to do with my life, because oddly enough my childhood dreams of creating world peace or solving poverty had yet to pan out.

I relished in racing from computer to computer, lending my expertise to editors as I worked toward making something bigger than myself. Even through the chaos and stress of making deadline, I knew that with every moment at the Bark I was finding a way to spark change.

My junior year, I traveled with the Bark to Washington D.C. for a journalism convention. When we visited a museum dedicated to news coverage history, I found one book in particular that would inspire me to pursue writing in an entirely different way.

Decked with photography displaying war zones and natural disasters on its front cover, the book’s purpose was to reveal the dangers endured by admirable reporters who cover impactful global events. My eyes scanned the pages, my mind delving into the adventures of people I had never met, yet now felt so close to.

Whether being taken as prisoner of war or getting trampled in protests, all of the reporters’ had something in common: They risked their lives on a daily basis.

What prompted writers, of all, people, to lay their lives on the line—to be held at gunpoint, arrested, and even killed—and risk everything, not for oil, or water, or the resources that wars are fought over,

bmcwhorter@redwoodbark.org

By Shiriel King Abramson

When I was in middle school, I looked forward to reading every shocking fact that the Bark uncovered. A juicy treat at the end of the month, this newspaper told of secrets I imagined existed only at the most troubled of high schools.

Marin County underage binge drinking rates are number one in the nation!

Famed criminal Max Wade got his start selling fake IDs in Redwood’s halls!

One in five juniors in the district has seriously considered attempting suicide in the last year!

How odd, then, that when I told people I would attend Redwood, they responded with the utmost respect for this binge-drinking, spirit-crushing, monster-making nightmare of a high school. What a fantastic four years you have ahead of you! or It’s practically a private school, right?

As it turns out, neither stereotype was accurate.

Redwood has not sent my soul to hell, but neither has it been the enriching experience it was cracked up to be.

With high state rankings and several distinguished school awards to boot, it’s no wonder Redwood prides itself on being one of the best public schools in the state.

Yet these accolades obscure the reality of being a student in a place where teachers and administrators make most of the decisions and the dominant culture values academic achievement over personal fulfillment.

It is in exposing this gap between the esteemed image of Redwood and the more complex experiences of the student body that I believe the Bark plays an

By Olivia Dominguez The first story I ever wrote as an official Barkie earned me a one way ticket to the Principal’s office. I had uncovered the phenomenon of students snorting adderall at the Back to School Dance and let me just say, people were not happy. While the major issue with the administration was an editor’s use of an unfortunate headline for the piece, I felt the full wrath of admin and most important, the concerned parents of Marin.

“What have I started?” I remember thinking to myself. The magnitude of the upheaval from my piece made me realize just how much impact one story could have. It was then when I truly understood that journalism is a powerful tool It is hard for me to be engaged in rote learning like math and

bark

important role.

Here are a few stories from the last two years that promoted transparency and started critical conversations in the community: Budget committee to assess programs, funding uncertain: When we wrote that wellness programs could face budget cuts, we did not know we were the first to break the news to wellness staff–– whose jobs were at risk––and students who had pushed for the program. The community uproar that ensued revealed a disconnect between the goals of a cashstrapped administration and a community desiring more mental health support.

The program ended up getting funded at four-fifths for another year.

District ends sheltered classes for ELD students: As the district grapples with improving the learning experiences of minority students, the cancellation of the sheltered class program stands out as an administrative decision that was made despite the objection of those it most affected. Some of Redwood’s most marginalized students requested that the program continue, and their voices had not been heard publicly until the Bark’s coverage. A few months ago, in a followup article in Spanish, administrators stated that still more needs to be done to help English Language Learners.

Geometry A, Algebra P3-P4 discontinued: In an effort to “increase student success,” the administration streamlined course offerings so that all students would take grade-level math.

But some students and teachers saw benefits in the remedial classes and opposed the decision. One year after the Bark first shed light on the controversy, the administration announced Geometry A would return to the course catalog.

Louis Brandeis, a supreme court justice from the early 20th century, once wrote, “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” As I reflect on my time at Redwood, I appreciate how the Bark serves not only to expose the darker aspects of our school but also to initiate the first steps toward creating lasting positive change in our community. skingabramson@redwoodbark.org

science because both subjects leave no room for interpretation. In “Dead Poets Society,” Redwood alum Robin Williams said, “The human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering--these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love--these are what we stay alive for.” Writing and addressing important issues is my passion. My junior year I took AP English Language and Composition and everyday I would watch the class debate, whether it be the meaning of Lars Eighner’s “Dumpster Diving” or the ethics of Snowden’s whistleblowing. The room would turn into a lively fishbowl of diverse viewpoints and theories that students spread to one another and to even the teachers.

Journalist Henry Grunwald said, “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault.

It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” In Marin we live in what seems to be a perfect little bubble and I believe that as journalists it is our duty to pop it once in a while.

This is a skill at which Barkies excel.

Back in 2010 we exposed the Marin police for arresting teenagers at nearly double the rate of adults, and this year we publicized that students from Marin City had to endure an extra half mile walk to school compared to their Tiburon counterparts. As journalists we have the ability to craft our words to create change in not only Redwood, but the greater community.

Over my years on the Bark I have learned that everyone and everything has a story—it is just a matter of finding it. odominguez@redwoodbark.org

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Page 8 • Opinion

May 27, 2016

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Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive Larkspur, CA 94939 www.redwoodbark.org E ditors -I n -C hief

Olivia Dominguez Shiriel King Abramson Bella McWhorter Matt Ross

Copy Editors

Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan Anne Pritikin Rebecca Smalbach Pearl Zhong

News Editors

editorial UCs: More like University of Cash-seekers

Barks & Bites

California public schools should serve California students first Here at Redwood, we’ve grown accustomed to a competitive academic climate, and we know that college admissions are never guaranteed, especially at the University of California schools.

The past few years have brought more admissions obstacles for California students, as limitations in revenue have pushed UC schools to accept more nonresident students, even if they are not as qualified as their California counterparts.

According to a recent audit, nonresident enrollment in the UC system increased by 82 percent, or 18,000 students, from 2010-11 to 2014-15, while in-state numbers fell by 1 percent, or 2,200 students. In light of the ever-increasing number of applicants each year, this puts instate students at a significant disadvantage.

Additionally, the audit reported that the average GPA for admitted domestic nonresidents for six of the nine campuses has been lower than the GPA for admitted residents since 2010-11. So why is it that qualified and well-rounded students are rejected from the UC schools every year?

Years of continual budget cuts to academic departments and athletics suggests it is likely that it is more financially viable for these UCs to take out-of-state students who have to pay a higher tuition than in-state students.

While qualified California students whose families pay taxes to help keep the UCs afloat are rejected, students from other states who are not as qualified take their spots.

Although it was outlined in the UC budget plan that more out-of-state students will be accepted into the schools in the coming years in order to combat recent budget cuts and help the UC system survive, these nonresident students must be held to the same standards as the students who are admitted in state.

In May of 2015, the UC regents authorized the university to increase nonresident supplemental tuition up to 8 percent annually, but it doesn’t guarantee that these students will be qualified.

Our parents, teachers, and community members should not be paying taxes to fund schools that are housing less qualified, out-of-state students.

The audit also shows that in the past three years, approximately 5,000 out-ofstate students were admitted with subpar academic scores (below the median in all categories), taking spots that could have easily gone to in-state students who were qualified.

So what changed in 2011? The answer A BARK to only having two weeks before school gets out.

We’re counting down the days until we can do that “summer” chant from “High School Musical.”

A BITE to AP teachers who don’t give their classes a break after the test. We deserve a few days of “Finding Nemo.”

A BARK to Memorial Day. Thanks for giving us an extra day to think about the finals we’re not preparing for.

A BITE to teachers who haven’t updated grades all grading period. Seniors aren’t the only ones slacking

is a key difference in the admissions policy, allowing schools to pick out-of-state students who “compare favorably” to resident students rather than students on par with the upper half of resident students’ scores.

The UCs argue that the extra revenue brought in from the increased number of out-of-state students is beneficial to the in-state students attending a UC. This is true; the money coming in from the higher tuition that out-of-state students pay does help to fund the UC system.

However, this fails to account for the thousands of qualified students who are rejected from the UCs, and who subsequently often look to either a costly private school or out-ofstate public school. In the past few years, the UC system has failed its in-state students by denying them the chance to pursue a quality and relatively affordable education. Even governor Jerry Brown has offered to give the UCs more funding if they accept more resident students; however, they have failed to do so, calling into question their mission to provide California high schoolers with higher education.

Although not every resident applicant is qualified to be accepted to a UC school, those who work hard and have the qualifications to earn a spot at a preferred UC should not be rejected while spots are being handed to lower-achieving nonresident students.

Perhaps it is time for us to rethink the allocation of funds in California, we can make sure that all residents are given an opportunity to pursue affordable and quality higher education.

Emily Cerf Andrew Hout Kendall Rhoads

Opinion Editors Sam Sheridan Caleigh Stephens

Feature Editors

Gregory Block Camille Kawawa-Beaudan

Center Spread Editors Olivia Dominguez Annie Forsman

Sports Editors Aaron Halford Max Josef Heidi Roenisch

By the Numbers Editors Michael Benz Isabelle Marmur

Review Editors Ella Cook Macrae Sharp Nicole Stock

Lifestyles Editors Kayla Aldridge Adam Kreitzman

Spanish Editors Madi Barsi Catherine Conrow Henry Tantum

Data Page Editors Julia Cherner Sarah Kimball

Web Developer Kevin Makens Sam Slade

Business Manager Sabrina Dong

Social Media Manager 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.

POLICY: editorials are 177 or the They must be All submitted to room unsigned andinhave approved Bark mailbox thebeen facility.

They may also by the majority of the Bark staff. be emailed to bark@redwoodbark.org.

POLICY: All editorials are unsigned and have been approved by the majority of the Bark staff.

A BARK to the the lady at the wellness center for not only being a receptionist, but a contraceptionist.

A BITE to Jared Goff for making Redwood football look even worse. We didn’t think it was possible.

A BARK to the rocketry team for making it to national finals.

Way to fly high.

A BITE to finals coupled with senioritis, we want to graduate...but we don’t want to try.

A BARK to reading the letters our freshman selves wrote us. We’re still not funny but

Kylie Kvam

Survey Manager Keely Jenkins

Snaphshot Editor Jenna Herz

Senior Staff Writers Julia Cherner Geneva Gist Megan Millard Robin Naylor

Reporters

thanks for leaving $20.

A BITE to the Class of 2016 Facebook Decisions Page. Thanks for making our proudest accomplishments look inadequate by comparison.

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.

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Página 9

Los inmigrantes indocumentados acuden en tropel a Canal Alliance Por Catherine Conrow

La historia de Efigenia Talavera empezó cuando su familia emigró a los Estados Unidos para escapar de Michoacán, México–– una área infame por el crimen y el narcotráfico–– y crear una vida mejor para sus hijos.

No podía imaginar que años después, encontraría a El Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE) en su casa en Sacramento buscando a su esposo para deportarlo. Él había cruzado la frontera ilegalmente queriendo apoyar a su familia y continuar trajanado , según su esposa. Pero no fue así.

No sabía de ninguna organización que podía aconsejarle sobre los asuntos legales de la inmigración en Sacramento.

En parte por la redada, Talavera y sus tres hijos se mudaron a Marín donde ahora viven con el hermano de Efigenia.

Los Talavera están agradecidos por el apoyo que reciben de Canal Alliance, una organización sin ánimo de lucro, ubicada en San Rafael. En el departamento de servicios de inmigración de Canal Alliance muchos inmigrantes dependen de la asesoría sobre su estatus migratorio.

Para los clientes de Canal Alliance, hablar de su estatus migratorio por primera vez puede ser muy doloroso porque requiere pensar en lo que para muchos son momentos horrorosos. Aunque hablar con los abogados de la organización puede ser difícil, es un paso crítico para salir de la oscuridad.

En los años pasados, el número de casos a Canal Alliance ha aumentado a causa de la subida de cantidad de clientes de otras partes de Marín afuera del Canal, como Novato y el resto de San Rafael, según Margarita Galindo, una asistente de desarrollo en Canal Alliance.

Además, Galinda ha visto un aumento en el número de clientes de América

Foto por Catherine Conrow

SAMUEL CHÁVEZ, un estudiante en su último año, comparte sus experiencias de inmigracion y la cultura de su país natal, El Salvador, el martes de la Semana de Fiesta.

Central en vez de México.

“Nosotros aquí en Canal Alliance en el servicio de inmigración ofrecemos servicios para diferentes tipos de casos”, dijo Lucía Martel-Down, la directora de los servicios de la inmigración en Canal Alliance.

“Lo que hacemos en estos casos es hacer sesiones de información o lo que llamamos ‘charlas’ para educar a la comunidad sobre sus derechos y además ponemos también literatura para que la gente sepa de sus derechos en caso de que tengan algún encuentro con ICE”, dijo ella, notando que ella misma no está autorizada para ofrecer consejos legales.

Una de estas “charlas” ocurrió el 5 de mayo después de una proyección muy popular de Jaula de Oro, una pelicula que muestra la explotación y la violencia que encuentran los inmigrantes en sus travesías desde América Latina a los Estados Unidos.

Durante la charla, el público les preguntó a los trabajadores de Canal

Alliance sobre sus servicios legalesque provee a sus clientes.

Además, los trabajadores hablaron sobre los derechos de los inmigrantes sin papeles y les dieron consejo sobre posibles situaciones legales.

En los últimos años, ICE ha llevado a cabo varias redadas en Marín, las cuales han causado mucho pánico en la comunidad hispana.

“En esta zona lo que vimos eran las órdenes de deportación que hace ICE y había mucho rumor en la comunidad. La gente tenía miedo y se sentía insegura de salir a la calle”, dijo Martel-Dow. Talavera cree que si ella y su esposo hubieran tenido información sobre sus derechos legales, habrían sabido cómo solicitar la residencia o por lo menos evitar la deportación de su esposo.

Por ejemplo, si su esposo hubiera sabido que no es obligatorio abrir la puerta para ICE, habría evitado la deportación por lo menos en ese momento.

Aunque Canal Alliance no acepta casos de deportación, está disponible para contestar preguntas y dar una lista de abogados de inmigración de bajo costo.

Los inmigrantes sin papeles que se clasifican para DACA o la visa-U—para víctimas de actos criminales—tienen mejores posibilidades para recibir un estatus legal, según Martel-Dow. Canal Alliance trabaja con más de 600 casos cada año y la gran mayoría son aprobados, según Martel-Dow. Samuel Chávez, un estudiante en su último año en Redwood, usó los servicios de Canal Alliance para obtener su estatus legal y Consideración de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA).

“Yo fui a Canal Alliance después de cumplir quince años para obtener DACA”, dijo Chávez. “Hay muchos voluntarios que están entrenados para ayudar a la gente con sus aplicaciones. La mejor parte es que después de terminar la aplicación, un abogado la revisa. Usualmente un abogado cargaría $100 por hora para asegurar que tú tienes todo lo necesario pero los abogados de Canal Alliance son gratis”.

La mayoría de los casos en Canal Alliance son relacionados a DACA or para la visa juvenil o para una visa-U, según Martel-Dow. “Siempre aconsejo a los que están aquí sin papeles, que deben ir a Canal Alliance lo más pronto posible porque allí pueden recibir servicios de bajo costo que les ayudarían a evitar problemas con ICE”, dijo Emilie Thomas, una voluntaria anterior, intérprete legal y una maestra antigua de español en Redwood. “Es un lugar seguro donde todos los que trabajan allí entienden esta dura realidad de ser indocumentados y quieren proveer apoyo”.

cconrow@redwoodbark.org

Opinión: Estadounidenses, tomen apuntes del proceso nicaragüense mejor Por Walter Gehm-Torrez Reportero de “Cub”

Me parece que el estrés cuelga en el aire de la biblioteca. “Tengo que tomar el ACT o SAT por tercera o cuarta vez”, los estudiantes dicen. “Mis resultados son demasiado bajos para poder ser admitido”.

Me molesta ver como estas pruebas y notas consumen la mente del estudiante hasta el punto que retomarlas deja de ser una estrategia y se vuelve algo que deben hacer. Ya es un año y medio desde que me gradué de la secundaria en mi país natal de Nicaragua y las preocupaciones de los estudiantes aquí me hacen sentir fuera de lugar.

Queriendo estudiar fuera de mi país, decidí inscribirme en Redwood High School cuando tenía dieciséis años. Mi padre, que antes había estudiado en los Estados Unidos, me había informado que el sistema educativo aquí requiere que el estudiante tome pruebas de ACT o SAT. Lo que no sabía era la cantidad de estrés que estas amontonaban encima de los estudiantes, ni el énfasis que ellos le ponían.

He llegado a creer que el proceso de admisión universitario en Nicaragua es mejor que el de los Estados Unidos gracias a su estructura, ya que el de los Estados Unidos crea una norma de presión académica entre los estudiantes dificil de escapar.

Experimenté en primera persona el proceso de admisión universitaria en Nicaragua, donde los estudiantes no se preparan para la universidad durante toda su secundaria sino para un examen de admisión al final de su curso secundario. Las universidades públicas elaboran su propio examen y lo realizan en el campus de la misma universidad a finales del año escolar, ya dos meses después de que haya terminado la escuela.

Por ejemplo, si en una universidad hay 80 cupos para la carrera de odontología, se toman las ochenta notas más altas que seleccionaron esta carrera como primera opción.

En la escuela a la que antes iba, el nivel de estrés académico entre mis compañeros era relativamente bajo. Ahí, no se preocupaban por mirarse bien ante una universidad o tomar otra vez un test estandarizado, si no

sus preocupaciones eran sobre si pasaban sus clases o no.

Fuera de los exámenes, el estrés raramente era visible, y rara vez alguien hacía sus tareas en la hora de recreo.

Sus notas no determinaban donde llegarían a parar con respecto a cuál universidad los admitía.

La importancia de buenas notas era que algunas universidades las miraban solo para determinar si a este se le daba una beca de estudio, a diferencia en los Estados Unidos donde las notas determinan la admisión a una universidad. Porque el estrés académico era bajo, el ambiente de la escuela era calmado y las personas se medían con respecto a sus acciones en vez de sus notas.

Según un estudio realizado por Escuela Graduada de Harvard, la juventud en los Estados Unidos está tres veces más inclinada a estar de acuerdo de que sus padres están más orgullosos de ellos si tienen buenas calificaciones en sus clases que fueran un buen miembro de la comunidad y la escuela.

Ilustración por Christine Watridge

A esto ha llegado la educación, plantando en la mente de los jóvenes una reconfiguración de valores.

Comenzando cada vez más temprano, el énfasis a las notas crece hasta el punto en que ellos creen que sacar notas altas es más importante que ser una buena persona.

No sé, queridos lectores, como ustedes verán este dato, pero lo que sé es que a mí me entristeció saber que se está creando una sociedad que valora más un número alto en un reportaje que las acciones de las personas.

Hasta donde va a llegar este problema? Solo deseo que abran los ojos antes de que se vuelva demasiado tarde y nos convirtamos tan solo en una letra del alfabeto.

wgehm@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 10 • Feature

May 27, 2016

Earthquake in Ecuador A student shares his story

By Daniel Oh, as told to Maxime Kawawa-Beaudan The town of Puerto Lopez faced the ocean on the western coast of Ecuador, a three-hour drive from Quito.

A group of students played soccer on the beach, and across a cove from the beach was a mountain; beside it the sun dove for the water. The sky went orange, went green, finally crept toward indigo. Sailboats, fishing boats and canoes stood silhouetted on the ocean, bobbing with the breeze.

Some Redwood students and two teacher chaperones lazed around their hostel, a two-story wooden building hidden by overgrown trees. They sat on swings and hammocks watching the students kick their ball over wet sand, into the surf, sometimes into the waves. The soccer players and spectators had just come back from the street market.

It grew dark—dark enough that the students couldn’t see the ball. They trudged up the beach to the hostel to have dinner and clean up. They’d already packed the night before. Tonight was about savoring their last hours in Ecuador. For many it was nostalgic; they’d made good memories and new friends with students at Fanny De Baird, a high school in the coastal town Bahia de Caraquez: Yair, Luis, Jeicol, July, Yanina and many others. Yair wore his hair long under a baseball cap that he’d bought on a trip to California a year ago. Luis was a surfer with short curly hair. He spoke the best English of the Fanny students.

As the Redwood students reminisced about their times with their new friends, one student, Daniel Oh, was in the shower. He was still there when the earthquake began.

--------This is their story, as told by Daniel.

The power went out. Someone screamed. ‘It’s just a power outage,’ I thought. Although I couldn’t see anything and was disoriented from the dark, I didn’t shut off the water because I didn’t think much of the outage.

Then I became dizzy. It felt like someone had spun me around 10 times, and the darkness only made the disorientation worse. I put my hands out, holding onto the tiling on the walls. I thought I was fainting. After three seconds, I recognized that it was an earthquake.

The room didn’t shake. It rolled. It sat at the top of a long wave, dipped to its minimum, rose again. I started counting the seconds aloud: One, two, three…

‘I hope a beam doesn’t fall on my head,’ I thought. I should’ve sat down and covered my head, but at the time I was frozen. I was calm, yet I couldn’t think.

When I’d counted 12 seconds, I heard frantic voices moving past the door in the hall. It was impossible to tell in the dark whether the earthquake had passed.

“Is someone in there?” a teacher’s voice called through the door.

“Yes,” I said. I grabbed my towel and opened the door.

The hallway was dark. When I stepped outside I was one of the last to arrive on the street. The students were in a huddle on the other side of the road. Groups of two and three consoled each other.

What I remember most amid all of this was my unsettling calm. I wasn’t holding anything back; there was no panic to hold. Wasn’t I supposed to feel something more?

--------We were lucky enough to be physically untouched.

The teachers retrieved our things and loaded us on to a bus at 8 p.m. Originally we had intended to leave Puerto Lopez at 11 p.m. to reach the airport in Guayaquil at 3 a.m.

By a stroke of luck, the bus driver happened to be in town when the earthquake hit.

Most of the lights were out in Puerto Lopez and we could see the teachers and GSE leaders outside, gathered in front of the hostel under the orange light of their headlamps.

One of the GSE leaders stepped onto the bus. She gathered our attention and told us that a family who had initially planned to stay at the hostel needed a ride with us.

They were in tears, she told us, over their luck in finding a ride.

--------For the next six hours, we sat on the bus. Our route took us through rough roads strewn with potholes and bumps and debris. Teachers told us that we couldn’t stop the bus under any circumstances. People had to urinate so badly that they began to pee in a bucket.

When we got to the airport, I saw ceiling panels caved in around a support beam. Chairs were in disarray. Trash littered the first floor. Debris had fallen from the second floor to stores on the first. We sat at the airport for at least 10 hours, and together we watched the skyline lighten through the clouds. We stayed in the checking line for four hours; it was there that we found out that the house we had slept at in Bahia, named Casa Gorda, was still standing, but the town had suffered structural damage. One of the leaders started crying when she heard the news. We boarded the plane and left.

--------Copa Airlines took us to Panama City. We drove from the airport to the Riu Hotel, a five-star hotel. We’d left burnt out lights and tearful families only to find ourselves amid high ceilings, sushi bars, decorative fountains, swimming pools and computer lounges. But I didn’t acknowledge this thought until the group dinner buffet when it entered the forefront of my mind. The 24 of us had left untouched.

No scratches, no bruises. The buffet table was laden with fruit, chicken, pork, rice, corn, salads, and we’d left with nothing more than sunburns.

Over the course of the trip, the death toll had jumped from 77 to 200, from 200 to 300. The numbers gnawed at me. One could be Yair. Or Luis. Or any other of our friends. I didn’t feel lucky. I felt guilty for leaving, and at the time, I wished I’d gotten hurt. I wished a log or a beam had fallen on my arm. There would’ve been some justice in it.

--------During our second day at the hotel, we learned that the Fanny students were unhurt. Some of their homes had been destroyed, including Luis’s. After two nights, we left.

At 8:50 a.m., we boarded a plane to San Francisco.

--------The return to school was tough. I felt a profound lack of purpose. Everybody knew, yet nobody seemed to care.

The questions I got were mostly about the earthquake, not about how I felt, or the people we’d left behind. Class seemed unbearable, pointless. People like Luis struggled amid the rubble of their broken homes, fought to find shelter and food; our friends were mired in a disaster zone.

Yet we sat in class watching videos, filling out worksheets.

Nobody seemed to care.

I wanted people to feel how we felt, to see how much and why we wanted to help.

--------We came back shaken but unharmed. We made great memories and great friends. We played on beaches in the sunset, planted trees, snorkeled in the Pacific, met with the students from Fanny. We met local children like Javier, the 8-year-old son of one of our mentors, and local seniors like Don Ramon, the 80-year-old who can do 25 push ups on his fists and wields a machete like a warrior.

But we were only ever visitors to that place. The friends we made and the people we met live there. Some will live there for the rest of their lives. And what we do today determines whether they will live in ruin or in comfort. mkawawa-beaudan@redwoodbark.org

Photos courtesy of Jennafer Schoonover and Elly Lundberg

Redwood students and chaperones were in Puerto Lopez when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador.

TOP: Andres (left) and Ismael (right) are snapped enjoying a mid-day snack. The boys live in Bahia de Caraquez.

SECOND: Senior Elly Lundberg poses for a photo with a young boy.

THIRD: Junior Tim Peterson holds a boy on his shoulder as Andres and his friend sit on a donkey.

BOTTOM: The service group poses with friends from the trip before departing.

The GSE students have set up a GSE donation page at empowered.org. Money will go to the restoration of Bahía de Caraquez, the town in Ecuador where the students stayed. The Redwood student band “Canopy” will also be performing at the Sweetwater Music Hall on June 19 in support of earthquake victims.

Page 11 • Feature

www.redwoodbark.org

Race at Redwood

bark

PART TWO: Achievement Gap

By Megan Millard and Robin Naylor

In the April issue of the Bark, we published a series of infographics looking at the academic divide between two groups with disparate achievement: White and Asian students, who make up 83 percent of Redwood’s student body, and African American and Hispanic students, who make up 12 percent of the student body.

These infographics were based on statistics from a 2014 report on Redwood student achievement from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which conducts district and individual school reviews every six years.

The Bark talked to people in the Redwood community to supplement the statistics presented in the last issue in a further exploration of the achievement gap.

Redwood has garnered many awards of 85.9 percent, with White, Asian, and in the last decade for its high student Hispanic students sharing similar passing achievement, winning a national Blue rates.

Ribbon award in 2008 and a California Gold Administrators and teachers have been Ribbon award in 2015, given to schools in trying to organize support systems such the top 15th percentile of state schools. as peer tutoring, academic workshops, In light of the WASC report, however, lunchtime interventions, and administrator administrators have acknowledged that an meetings with minority students. This is an academic gap exists. effort to encourage students to turn in their “It’s one of our biggest challenges, and work, which they hope will help narrow I would say one of the reasons it’s one of the achievement gap. our biggest challenges is it’s one of the “I think the biggest impact has been hardest things to solve,” said Principal in our assistant principals’ meetings David Sondheim. with students of color to try to get their African American students face perspective,” Sondheim said. “What do the largest they see as things achievement that are going well, gap of minority what do they see as demographics, areas that we can According to the improve on and WASC report. work on? [We want There is also a to] try and take that significant gap and act on it.” between Hispanic The meetings students as percent of African American have been part compared to the of an effort to students took AP tests general population, better understand though this gap has the experience narrowed during of minorities at the past five years.

Redwood, whose scores on the Academic The report looks closely at Advanced Performance Index (API) are 200 points Placement (AP) class enrollment. For every lower than their White and Asian peers.

AP test that an African American student API measures the total academic takes at Redwood, there are 325 tests taken achievement of students by averaging

by White students. In 2014, three African results from the California Standards Test American students out of 38 total students and the CAHSEE. The 2013 federal target took one AP test each and two passed. for API was a score of 775, but generally However, 507 White students took the TUHSD performs well above this a total of 976 exams, and passed 864 target. exams — a passing rate of 88.5 percent White and Asian students’ API scores for White students. Only three African are well above the 850 range, but Hispanic American students took exams, so it is not API scores just broke 800 in 2012, above statistically viable to compare the passing the federal target but below their peers rates of African American students and within the TUHSD. African American those of other races. scores show the widest gap, rising to “The gap is greater among African above 650 in 2012, but falling below that American students and White students than line in 2013, the only demographic with a it is between Latino students and White downward trend. students,” Sondheim said.

As the administration works with Out of 115 Asian students, 53 students teachers to improve the learning took 105 total exams. Ninety-two of them environment for students of color, assistant were passed, making an exam passing rate principal Katy Foster said teachers have of 87.6 percent. been inquiring about techniques to engage In comparison, 42 Hispanic students participation in class—it has also been out of 170 students took 64 exams, with 55 looking into ways to allow more kids the exams passed making an exam passing rate opportunity to take AP courses.

7.9

“We have two African American “Under Principal Sondheim, the policies of kids getting into AP courses administrators. We had a Latino have been [more open]. There used to be administrator up until two years ago, but many more restrictions for kids getting in,” we have had an easier time finding diverse administrators than we have with teachers,” Foster said.

Sondheim said.

In the past, Having so few students had to minority teachers obtain a minimum may affect the way score on an students learn, entrance exam to according to a study enroll in many

by H. Richard Milner, advanced classes. an assistant professor Now most courses of Education and have no testing percent of Hispanic students Human Development requirement to at Vanderbilt enroll. took AP tests University.

“It has been Milner’s study a goal of ours found that a racially to get more kids into AP classes and we have been very diverse teaching staff at public schools successful to opening them up. However, improves cultural, academic, and social the percentage of African American and experiences of students –– particularly Latino students in those classes is lower those of color.

“I’ve noticed that I’ve never had than the overall enrollment percentage for any Black teachers, ever,” said junior those two groups,” she said.

While the administration has taken Carl Simpson-Heil, who is a minority. “I steps to increase access to AP courses, haven’t really had anybody to look up to minority students are still opting not to besides my mom.”

Simpson-Heil stated that it is important enroll and some have chosen to transfer to to individualize efforts to raise student other schools within the district.

About nine African American students achievement and consider socioeconomic have transferred in the last academic year background and family expectations. “[The school] should be more alone. Some students may be leaving due to travel difficulties, according to Sondheim. interested in how people are educated However, he said others may be leaving from different places—coming from Marin City or wherever else people of due to a lack of comfortability.

“I think it’s a challenge being at a color may come from. I think it’s about school where you are the minority, and in [academic] preparation,” Simpson-Heil the African American case, significantly said. “Is anyone pushing them to be in so. It can often feel like, ‘God I’d like to be these classes? The only reason I’m in all somewhere where there are more African these classes or even know about them is because my parents have always pushed Americans,’” Sondheim said.

Foster mentioned “White culture” as a me to do it.”

The administration has been using possible reason for the declining minority enrollment at Redwood and in advanced PSAT results to help identify possible candidates for AP courses, according to courses.

“You go to a school where the culture Pratt. The school looks at the score reports is White, what you read is White, what and encourages teachers and academic you learn about history focuses on [White counselors to reach out to candidates who may not be considering taking AP courses. perspective],” Foster said.

In addition to the lack of diversity within the student body, the district as a bark@redwoodbark.org whole is also comprised almost entirely of White teachers.

“Look at our staff, do we have a single African American teacher right now? I don’t think so,” Sondheim said.

He is right.

According to the WASC report, in September 2014, Redwood employed 96 White teachers, eight Hispanic teachers, one Native American teacher, and one Asian teacher. The school employed zero African-American teachers, with only one African American teacher employed in the TUHSD district.

24.7

Illustration by Asha Cummings

bark

Page 14 • Feature

May 27, 2016

Reviewing the Decisions: Class of 2016 Most popular in-state schools

Most popular out-of-state schools

Most-applied-to in-state and out-of-state schools

Which schools rejected the most applicants?

UCLA Cal Poly SLO

UC

Where are students headed?

y

ele k r e B

Data courtesy of the Bark Senior Survey Infographics by Julia Cherner and Sarah Kimball

Page 15 • Sports

www.redwoodbark.org

Running to SoCal: Seniors commit to DI schools

bark

By Kaylee Bushell As freshmen, Lucie Semone and Rachel Bordes would run down the flats of Doherty Drive and through the rocky terrain of Phoenix Lake.

It is through this time on the cross country team that the two girls found each other, and they continue to run side by side to this day, three years later.

“We are always there for each other and have grown up together on the track ever since we both made the varsity cross country team as freshmen,” Bordes said.

However, Bordes and Semone will part ways this fall as they continue their running careers on the teams of separate Division I colleges.

Bordes will be competing at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Semone will run at UCLA. The girls will finish their high school careers having run four years of cross country and two years of track together. They began their running careers at different times, however.

Bordes began her running career in middle school, following in the footsteps of her sister, who runs for UC Berkeley.

“I knew I wanted to run for college ever since I stepped onto the track freshman year,” Bordes said. “I would watch my sister run at Redwood and I wanted to be like her, running for college one day.”

On the other hand, Semone did not decide until her junior year that she wanted to focus solely on running.

It was then that she quit lacrosse and joined the track Photo by Kaylee Bushell team to train during the spring as well.

RUNNING TOGETHER SINCE freshman year, seniors Lucie Semone and Rachel Bordes will part ways to go to “I’ve always enjoyed running, but I didn’t really plan college in Southern California, competing at UCLA and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, respectively. on making it my main sport in high school,” Semone said.

Since she had participated in cross country in the fall, The recruiting process for The team was made up of Bordes, Semone, junior she knew she liked running, which made running occurs much later than it Glennis Murphy, and sophomores Gillian Wagner and the decision to switch from lacrosse does for most sports, according to Sophie McWhorter. easier, she said.

Bordes.

“We only have a few more weeks out on the Redwood “I went back and forth on choosing Schools can’t contact high school track and I want to leave saying that I did my best and track over lacrosse. I had a good season athletes until late into junior year inspire other runners just like I was inspired by my sister,” with cross country in the fall, which made and the the process doesn’t wrap up Bordes said. me make the decision,” Semone said. until the fall semester of senior year.

As for the rest of the season, Bordes wants to beat her Furthermore, according to Bordes and “It’s definitely a competitive personal record for the mile, breaking five minutes, while Semone, their coach Laura Schmitt has process. There is a huge pool of girls Semone wishes to knock seconds off her times as well. helped them tremendously improve their in California that are fast as well In terms of their future goals, Bordes hopes to make running through rigorous training every and you have to come out on top,” the traveling team as a freshman and Semone hopes to day.

Semone said. improve her times for each of her events.

“We are out on the track every day Lucie Semone, While it was a competitive The team claimed the MCAL pennant on May 14 and during the week and on the weekends. Senior process, Bordes and Semone have is now on the road to NCS. Even in the summer mornings we will be been running with a team that is “As we head into NCS and meets after that, it gets out there every day,” Semone said. ranked nationally, which helped both more competitive and we need to come out stronger every Schmitt helped both runners start girls improve significantly. time,” Bordes said. contacting coaches the spring of their The girls’ track and cross country team has won MCAL junior years and the fall of their senior years.

“It was a stressful time. I went down for visits to for the past four years.

This year the girls’ track team placed third at Arcadia schools in the summer as well as in the fall of my senior and were ranked the fourth fastest team in the nation. year,” Bordes said. kbushell@redwoodbark.org

I want to leave saying that I did my best and inspired other runners just like I was inspired by my sister.

Boys’ golf team finishes successful season with MCAL playoff run

By Jason Fieber

The boys’ golf team qualified for the MCAL playoffs by a narrow margin and finished last, shooting a 341. On its way to playoff qualification, it picked up numerous memorable wins.

The team finished the season 9-9, meeting the requirement of a .500 record in order to qualify for the playoffs, but was not able to qualify for the NCS qualifiers.

Junior Grant Wyman played his first season with the golf team this year and said that the team’s efforts to reach the playoffs were more important than what happened at the playoff match.

“Even though we had one bad day in the championship, I think the cumulative effort to get to the championship is more important than our day at the championship,” Wyman said.

Head Coach Barry Briggs said the most memorable moment from the season did not come in the postseason, but instead came in the form of a win against Drake, a rival and one of the top teams in the league, on April 21.

“Any time you beat one of the top teams in the league you feel a certain accomplishment,” Briggs said.

The match against Drake was especially important because Drake had only lost to

one other team the whole season. Redwood was not expected to win, Wyman said.

“We were the underdog in that matchup, but we pulled through,” Wyman said.

The win also came toward the end of the season and was a crucial step in the Giants’ pursuit of the nine wins needed to qualify.

“Although it didn’t wrap up the nine wins, we knew we had a matchup against one of the less competitive teams in the league,” Briggs said. “It essentially vaulted us into MCALs and that was one of our goals for the season.”

The team was familiar with not being a top competitor in the league, thanks to the previous season, according to Briggs.

“It is similar to the experience we had last year. We didn’t have a dominant team, but we had a very competitive team,” he said. “We ended up with a couple of wins that were really quite spectacular for us.”

The team this year did have some advantages that it did not have in previous years.

“We had depth that we did not have in years past,” he said. “We have eight players that could all compete at the league level.”

Wyman said that next year all but two players from this year will return to the team, boding well for the its future success.

“This year was sort of a rebuilding year, but next year we are bringing back almost the same group of guys,” Wyman said. “Next year we will definitely be as good as this year, if not better.”

Team captain Nick Laub, a senior, was a key contributor to the team’s success,

Photo by Jason Fieber

FOLLOWING THROUGH, junior Grant Wyman watches his shot duirng a match. according to Briggs.

“He has been outstanding. His stroke average for the year is a little bit above three over par,” Briggs said. “He has been our most consistent performer and our most valuable player.”

Wyman said that a major aspect of the team’s success was its strong team chemistry.

“Everyone on the team became really close, so we were playing for ourselves, but also playing for each other,” he said. jfieber@redwoodbark.org

bark

Page 16 • Sports

May 27, 2016

PREPS OF THE YEAR Mike Sullivan

Hayden Dean

Photo by Aaron Halford

Sullivan said focusing under pressure is incomparable to any other feeling.

Miller observed Sullivan carefully Ever since winning the MCAL and throughout the season, and said it seemed NCS titles in the 2009-2010 season, the as if Sullivan scored 40 points every Redwood basketball team has failed to game.

“I think my most memorable moments achieve its lofty expectations despite having all the pieces of a successful team. with [Sullivan] were each other’s ability After losing top-tier players Will to execute the pick-and-roll play very Breck, Elliot Dean and LaRon Bullock, effectively,” Miller said. “I’d set a screen, questions loomed regarding the Giants’ he’d come off it perfectly and make a ability to achieve success in a competitive great pass to me on the roll. We were both hyped whenever we successfully MCAL field.

This year, senior Mike Sullivan helped completed this play.”

Sullivan finished fourth in scoring his team live up to its pre-2009 success, shattering records as he led the team in in MCAL, and second in free-throw percentage. He also made 84 3-pointers scoring, assists, rebounds and steals. this season, the most by Sullivan was any player in MCAL honored on MCAL’s history.

Sullivan’s 2016 first team alldetermination on the league list, averaging boards also came as 18.1 points per game a pleasant surprise in MCAL. This award for the Giants, as he recognizes the top averaged 5.9 rebounds players by position per game. throughout the league.

“I kind of realized “The main thing this was my last year that I learned was hard playing high school work and dedication, basketball and I wanted and that’s something Mike Sullivan, to make the most of that you carry with you senior it. My friends and the rest of your life family were extremely along with teamwork,” involved and they Sullivan said. “Putting the team before yourself is really important showed up to every game and showed with any sort of life situation whether it’s me a lot of support, which meant a lot,” Sullivan said. friends, family, or work setting.”

The Giants had their most wins since Senior Jack Miller, who played forward alongside Sullivan for two the 2009-2010 season, and Sullivan led seasons, spoke highly of Sullivan’s impact the team the furthest it’s gone in MCAL and NCS competition since that season. on the basketball team.

“After the beginning of the season we “[Sullivan] always had a positive and motivating attitude around his were losing a bunch of games to tough teammates,” Miller said. “He helped me out-of-league teams. Once we started a lot with my game by giving me tips and playing in league, I knew the season pointers, even if he wasn’t having a good wouldn’t be as fun unless we started game or wasn’t in the best mood at the winning,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan and junior Jordan Jackson time.”

In the Redwood Giants’ first 10- combined for 64 of their 98 total points win MCAL season since the 2009-2010 earlier in the season. This was the highest team, Sullivan managed to drop 41 points scoring game in Redwood history.

Sullivan plans to attend the University against Marin Catholic, the most ever by a Redwood basketball player. It was also of Southern California next fall to study the first time Redwood defeated Marin economics.

“I’m really happy knowing I’ve played Catholic away from home since 2010.

“I’ve never played well against MC. my last career game. It’s bittersweet, Well, I did alright one of my junior year but I’m happy I’m going to college just games, but the game after that I went 0-12. for college,” Sullivan said. “Now that I did not make a single shot all game,” basketball is done, it’s time to open new Sullivan said. “Going into their house doors and see what else I can do with my [this time], I thought to myself,‘Alright athletic ability.” this is my last time playing these guys, I’m going to put on a show.’ The minute I touched the ball, I knew I was going to abrady@redwoodbark.org play well.”

By Addison Brady

Putting the team before yourself is really important with any sort of life situation...

Photo by Sydney Soofer

them and I would spend a whole bunch of time with these girls.”

Similarly, team chemistry is what “I’ve fallen in love with sports and Dean will take away from her four years I can’t imagine not playing,” three- of high school basketball. sport varsity athlete Hayden Dean said.

“The team dynamic is like nothing “They’ve been such a huge part of my I have ever experienced,” Dean said. life.”

“Especially this year, even though we had Dean, a senior who was captain of a rough season and we could have been the field hockey, basketball and lacrosse a lot better than we were, it was always teams this year, said that the concept great to show up to practice and show up of improving skills has inspired her to to these games.” continue pursuing sports for the past four Although Dean does not consider years. basketball her strongest sport, her energy “Throughout high school I’ve become and spirit as captain on and off the court more aware of how much I have evolved was enough to inspire her teammates. as a player,” Dean said. “I would be “[My role] was just to lead by catching passes that I example and show normally wouldn’t be the freshmen how able to catch. I could we want the teams to be running stuff that I be run in the future normally couldn’t do years and to really before. It’s really good give them an example to look back and reflect of what they want to on those situations. It work their skills to makes you inspired to be,” Dean said. work harder and work Unlike lacrosse on your skills so you Hayden Dean, and basketball, which can keep improving senior Dean has been playing and keep getting better since middle school, at things.” field hockey was Lacrosse, Dean’s a new but familiar strongest sport, has preoccupied much athletic feat for her this fall. of her athletic career since fourth grade, “In the back of my head, I’ve always according to Dean. wanted to try it but there has never been Dean committed to the Division I an opportunity,” Dean said. “I grew up in lacrosse program at the University of Connecticut, so my parents always say Denver in the summer following her ‘Oh if we still lived in Connecticut you’d sophomore year and has spent her high be playing field hockey.’ But it just never school years dedicated to both Redwood happened.” lacrosse and her club team, STICK WITH Dean had been hopefully awaiting the IT! Lacrosse in Walnut Creek. formation of the Redwood team ever since Dean’s played club lacrosse mostly it was first mentioned in her sophomore for recruiting purposes as well as skill year. improvement. She practices in Walnut “I never thought ‘Oh it is going to Creek once a week during the school year, be so much of a time commitment, it’s and twice a week during the summer. another sport I don’t know how to play.’

Amy McCleary, Dean’s club lacrosse I just kind of thought ‘This will be fun’ coach, has been one of the most influential because all of us were on the same page. people, according to Dean.

It was really fun because we were all “She has really helped me evolve as a starting from scratch,” Dean said. player and get the bigger picture of sports.

Redwood athletics have taught Dean It’s not just about playing the game and that sportsmanship is about the building a winning, it’s about what you get out of the team and a program that girls would drop sport that you can transfer into your life,” anything to participate for, according to Dean said.

Dean.

Dean dubs the team dynamic the most “I [will] take away that it is more about special part of her past four years on the team and not about the win,” Dean Redwood lacrosse. said. “You don’t have to be on top and be “It’s a really goofy bunch,” Dean said. number one necessarily in anything to still “They have such energy and spirit that enjoy yourself.” it’s fun to be around and I think on any sports team it doesn’t matter how well the team does or how talented all the girls are.

It’s about [if] you like spending time with hblazei@redwoodbark.org

By Hannah Blazei

It was really fun because we were all starting from scratch.

Page 17 • Sports

www.redwoodbark.org

bark

Prep of the Year: Honorable Mentions

Elly Lundberg

By Max Josef When she first started playing CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) volleyball in seventh grade, senior Elly Lundberg was not the best on the court. After only playing for a year, Lundberg felt intimidated by her more experienced teammates. She even considered quitting the sport.

“I always felt intimidated and nervous. It was scary,” said Lundberg, now a highly decorated athlete in the Marin County Athletic League and the state.

Sometime during the season, however, she became best friends with her teammates, and her coaches and team started telling her she had huge potential.

Motivated by their confidence––as well as a newfound appreciation for being on a team––she joined a well-known volleyball club (Absolute) in eighth grade to take her game to the next the level.

“When I played indoor volleyball, I was a middle. So I would pretty much just run in circles, block, approach, transition and not get set,” Lundberg said. “I was tired of jumping around and not standing out on my team. I wanted to try all of the different positions and [beach volleyball] just stuck.”

Next year, Lundberg will play beach volleyball at Arizona State.

“She never gives up, really determined and hardworking, always playing with a smile on her face, and she is never negative,” said teammate Margo Spaethling, who has played with her for eight years. “She is one of my favorite players to play with. Arizona State has no idea what is coming.”

By Adam Kreitzman

Photo by Kaylee Bushell

Lundberg’s club and high school coach Katie Pease said she has seen Lundberg grow as a player and as a person since she stepped into the Absolute Volleyball Club gym as an eighth grader.

“She is a super athletic kid who also has the drive to push herself and others every time she’s on the court,” Pease said.

“She’s always been a selfless and humble athlete and she is always willing to help in whatever way possible.”

Lundberg’s willingness to experiment with playing back row was rewarded when she was recognized as MCAL Player of the Year, the Marin IJ’s Player of the Year and a teammate on MaxPreps’ 2015 Division II all-state team after she recorded 365 kills and 350 digs. mjosef@redwoodbark.org

Nick Laub

Jake Curhan stepped onto the football field as a freshman, unaware of the impact that a brand new sport would have on his life. Kept out of football during middle school because of his size (he was dubbed “too big” to participate in Pop Warner football), Curhan had yet to realize what his combination of sheer size and an insatiable work ethic would lead to on the field.

Named MCAL lineman of the year his senior year, Curhan was a crucial part of a resurgent football team that reached NCS for the first time in seven years. Curhan became a sought-after recruit who received multiple offers from Division-I programs, but he chose Cal because he believed it had the best mix of academics and athletics.

Redwood’s chemistry on the field this season was unlike anything he had previously seen in his time at Redwood, according to Curhan.

“My sophomore year, we had a decent season, but we were excited for the next season because pretty much everyone was coming back,” Curhan said. “The next season we had so much talent, but we never really gelled as a team and because of that we underperformed. This year, it is fair to say that we didn’t have as much talent as the year before, but for some reason we played much better on the field.”

Curhan said his two biggest highlights of his time at Redwood playing football came this year.

“Not only beating Novato for the first time in 18 years but destroying them 4613 on their home turf was definitely one of my highlights,” Curhan said. His other

Photo by Adam Kreitzman

was winning in front of a packed crowd at Kezar Stadium.

However, Curhan acknowledged there were plenty of times where things didn’t go his way.

“Junior year was definitely tough, because we thought it would be our year but we never really clicked offensively,” Curhan said. “That’s why watching this year’s team progress was relieving, because we were unable to do well the year before.”

Despite continually dominating in MCAL, Curhan said his football career is far from its peak.

“As a team, my goal is for us to go to a bowl game all four years that I am there, and also win some Pac12 championships,” Curhan said.

“Individually, my goal is obviously to make it on the field and start for Cal.” akreitzman@redwoodbark.org

Lauren Wolfe

By Ovie Crum

By Luke Dahlin Whether it’s pulling up for a jump shot or swinging for a powerful drive, Nick Laub’s athletic ability has been on full display in his career at Redwood.

As a captain of both the varsity basketball and golf teams this year, Laub has not only showcased his talent as a player, but also as a leader. He was a fouryear member of the varsity golf team and played a pivotal role in its success as MCAL champions in 2013 and 2014.

Teammate Ishan Pherwani attested to Laub’s influence on others and his relaxed nature on the golf course.

“Nick is someone who, even when the team is in dire straights, remains composed,” Pherwani said. “He loves the sport, and you can see his dedication.”

The atmosphere surrounding a golf match provides Laub time for reflection.“I love golf because it comes down to a lot of precision and concentration that you don’t get in basketball. In golf, every single shot matters, and having time to focus also gives the time to think,” Laub said.

Laub’s success this season was apparent on the scorecard, as he led the team in lowest scoring average. He was also recognized as the team’s MVP. Team coach Barry Briggs believes that Laub’s intellectual understanding of golf is what distinguishes him.

Briggs summed up the experience of coaching Laub in one word: “Easy.”

Jake Curhan

Photo by Cameron Breck

“He is an extension of the coaching staff and yet he is very respected by his teammates,” said Briggs. “And he role models to his teammates the work ethic, the competitiveness, the balance, the demeanor.”

For Laub, whether in basketball or golf, his work ethic was the primary way he attempted to distinguish himself.

“Both in basketball and in golf, the parallel for success is putting in the work that it takes to get better,” Laub said.

“Otherwise they’re completely different sports and that’s what, for me, makes them both special.” ldahlin@redwoodbark.org

“The first time I played tennis it was just amazing, I loved it right away.

There was never any moment where I didn’t love it. I still do. I just loved the fact that it was so independent,” said senior Lauren Wolfe.

When Wolfe first began playing tennis 12 years ago, she had no idea that the she would place second individually in MCALs her senior year or that her team would win it her junior year.

“I started playing tennis because I had just been around it my whole life.

My mom would play tennis and I would always be at the tennis club with her,” Wolfe said. “I would say that my mom was the one who influenced me. She never forced me into it. It was my own decision.”

Wolfe has always been surrounded by the sport and used to accompany her mother to her tennis lessons. However, Wolfe’s coach Jim Bedilion, her mother’s instructor, first encouraged her to play.

“He’s been with me since I was little, because he was the one who would give my mom lessons. I would always run around the court picking up balls for her, during her lessons and then one day he said ‘Oh, Lauren do you want to try it?’” Wolfe said.

Wolfe credits much of her success to Bedilion because he has been her coach throughout her entire career. Although

Photo by Charlotte Trotter

her success has not been overnight, she has always excelled in the sport.

“When I was little it came pretty naturally to me. I was always playing with the older kids, above my age expectations,” she said.

Though Wolfe showed an early talent for tennis, she didn’t start playing exclusively until she quit playing soccer in sixth grade to concentrate on tennis.

During high school, Wolfe played on the Redwood varsity team and played in summer leagues as well as in United States Tennis Association tournaments.

Next year Wolfe will play D1 tennis for UC Riverside, playing in the Big West conference.

ocrum@redwoodbark.org

bark

2016 Sports

Page 18 • Sports

May 27, 2016

By Michael Benz and Isabelle Marmur

1314 yards were rushed by junior

Nick Calzaretta during the 2015 football season.

14.7 spikes were dug by

senior Lily Barber on average per match.

50 goals were assisted by junior

Francesco Cico, the second highest number in MCAL boys’ water polo.

48.44 seconds

was the time that Emilio DeSomma took to swim the 100 butterfly at the state meet. He took fourth place in the event.

57 plays ended

with an assist by senior Carli Jacks for the girls’ basketball team.

Page 19 • Sports

bark

By The Numbers www.redwoodbark.org

1.83 was the combined ERA of seniors Zack Kopstein and Zach Cohen.

18 MCAL pennants were

won by Redwood teams this year.

May 27, 2016 bark Page 20 • Review Memoir reflects local family obstacles and former student’s suicide

By Bella McWhorter As students in Marin County, we are all too familiar with destinations such as the Rainbow Tunnel, the Golden Gate Bridge and, of course, Redwood High School. Marin resident John Brooks’ nonfiction novel, “The Girl Behind the Door,” follows the life of his adopted daughter, Casey, and the consequences of her unknown childhood trauma.

Casey attended Redwood High School and worked to juggle her personal life and college applications while also dealing with a personal inner struggle. However, Casey’s obstacle was unique, and was the consequence of an attachment disorder that developed—unbeknownst to her adoptive parents—during her infancy in an orphanage due to her birth mother’s early abandonment of her.

Casey’s battle ended on a cold foggy day in late January of 2008. She took her parent’s car, drove through the Rainbow Tunnel, and at 6:40 a.m. contemplated for 15 seconds before stepping off the four foot ledge of the Golden Gate Bridge. The sea became the Brooks’ 17-yearold daughter’s final resting place.

Brooks manages to weave a detailed and compelling narrative that progressively pieces together the reasons behind Casey’s fatal decision. He not only creates an enticing description of his daughter’s struggles in life but also speaks in a shockingly clarifying and truthful manner about the hardships of parenting and the all-too-real struggle that teens face today when it comes to stress and mental instability.

It is Brooks’ transparent and straightforward retelling of his daughter’s life that allows readers to anticipate each page to come. With every new story about how his daughter ran into her bedroom slamming the door in the face of offers of help or love, the reader begins to feel as if they, too, experienced the ups and downs that were Casey’s life.

Brooks’ manipulation of dialogue and description make the words come off the page in a revealing way that books rarely achieve. The screeching cries of anguish from Casey’s room echo in readers’ ears and the inner thoughts of Brooks become one with their own as Casey’s life and that of her parents becomes a personal investment.

Readers may carry this story with them far after the book is closed as the impactful issue of teen suicide and teen mental issues resonates.

However, it is not the dialogue and description alone that form a connection between the story of Casey and the readers. In every story of Casey’s life lies a connection with Marin teenagers today, and especially parents, as the

Photo courtesy of John Brooks

FORMER REDWOOD STUDENT Casey Brooks ended her life in late January of 2008. Pictured above, Brooks was 17 years old when she passed away. Her father, John Brooks, writes about his daughter’s life in his novel, “The Girl Behind the Door.” stories are recounted from a father’s perspective.

Readers can recall their own adventures at the San Francisco ice skating rink as Brooks describes his and Casey’s experience. The Lark theater swims before our eyes as Casey attends a therapy session across the street from the local destination. Some readers may even drive by the Tiburon street that she once walked by on her way home. Above all, readers can connect with a former Redwood student who once walked the same halls and sat in the same classrooms.

I implore all students and parents to read Casey’s story. She reminds us that the students we walk past in the halls––maybe accidently brushing shoulders––each have a story. Some may have lost a family member too soon, others may struggle at home with a bad family situation,

and parents may not know how to help their children.

Brooks’ story of his daughter acts as a guide in some ways, capturing the importance of taking care of ourselves and building our family relationships to be fortifying in the face of unique challenges that every student at Redwood faces.

Furthermore, “The Girl Behind the Door” highlights that no family is perfect nor parent is perfect. We all make mistakes, but at the end of the day, Brooks has taught us that all we struggle with demons and that though we may stay behind closed doors, we all want to be saved, as did Casey. bmcwhorter@redwoodbark.org

Superhumans prove very human in Marvel’s newest film

By Geneva Gist “You’re wrong but you think you’re right—and that makes you dangerous.”

Although spoken by the innocent and naive Spiderman, these words ring alarmingly true. Marvel has a long history of making fictional worlds touch on the most current and prevalent issues, whether it’s racism in “X-Men” or addiction in “Jessica Jones.” Once again, “Captain America: Civil War” hits home with strong commentary on moral ambiguity and an emphasis on the human side of battle.

From the very beginning, it is clear that this movie isn’t just about superheroes, but about the humans behind the masks. The core of the conflict is between Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Steve Rogers refuses to sign his powers over to the UN and become another one of the government’s tools, while Tony Stark believes being controlled is the only way to protect civilians.

This was the hardest part of the plot for me to understand—the selfproclaimed “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” with a quick wit and suspicion of authority is not only willing to sign his freedom over to the UN, but willing to fight his friends who refuse to do the same? Later, Marvel makes a few excuses for why Tony makes this decision, but they aren’t fully convincing.

Despite numerous superheroes and a plethora of newcomers, “Civil War” isn’t bogged down by its multiple storylines and character arcs. In fact, each character brings something new to the table, making for a diverse range of perspectives and personalities.

At the center of the film is the bond between characters Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Steve Rogers.

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

RUNNING INTO BATTLE against Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans) fights for the Avengers to remain under their own jurisdiction in Marvel’s newest film, “Captain America: Civil War.” Although there isn’t much of the two of them talking one-on-one, the entire movie seems devoted to the duo protecting each other, at all costs. Perhaps the movie isn’t a fight between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, but a fight between Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier—is he a hero or a villain?

The movie blurs the line between right and wrong—there’s no right side and there’s no wrong side, and both Iron Man and Captain America are fighting for something they truly believe in, which makes the audience swivel from one team to the other. It was refreshing to see a movie that showed both sides of the conflict, instead of only one.

Although titled “Civil War,” the

message of this movie can be applied to any conflict. There aren’t good guys and bad guys, just people fighting for what they believe in, motivated by family, friends and ego. Although obscured by bright costumes and visual effects, the message of the movie is really highlighting the uncertainty of human conflict.

This movie wasn’t about fancy speeches or huge fight scenes, but about the emotions behind each character’s actions.

Tony’s attempt to persuade Steve Rogers to put down his shield isn’t filled with his normal flourish, but it is raw and hopeful.

“Civil War” went darker than any other Marvel movie has before. The speed of the fight scenes and the shaky cameras transported the audience into the fight, and

even the music set a darker mood, almost eerie at times.

A mysterious tone was set from the very beginning, when we saw the Winter Soldier run a car into a tree and take items from the trunk, but we never saw the driver.

Multiple questions float at once throughout the film, but they aren’t distracting or frustrating as they sometimes are.

Instead, it almost felt as though the audience was putting the pieces of the puzzle together along with the characters themselves. It made the story feel more personal, as if the audience was in the movie itself.

But what really demonstrated the move away from light action movies to dark dramas were Tony Stark and Bucky Barnes. Sebastian Stan’s ability to express his self-hate simply through his words and Robert Downey Jr.’s subtle but striking expression changes carried the show’s two central themes—the good vs. evil sides of human nature and justice vs. revenge.

There wasn’t a classic Loki-esque villain. The central “bad guy” was almost a background character to the real conflict in the movie between the protagonists.

At the end of the day, though, this was still an Avengers movie, and through the darkness and the hate, the producers somehow managed to keep the humor of the previous movies, particularly through the newest characters.

Despite the dark tone of the movie, the Marvel franchise retains its signature hopeful glint, which is a reassuring reminder to the audience that their favorite character, no matter their side, is still an Avenger.

ggist@redwoodbark.org

Page 21 • Review

www.redwoodbark.org

bark

Marin’s sunrise lookouts shine light on end-of-year tradition

By Kayla Aldridge and Madi Barsi As is tradition after Grad Night, seniors may gather together to admire a beautiful sunrise as the dawn of a new beginning. Although these spots have been picked specifically for the seniors, anyone who enjoys an early rise or a short hike can enjoy.

Marin Headlands

The Marin Headlands offer a spectacular vantage point to oversee Marin’s beauty. Although traditionally the West is known for its sunsets rather than its eastern sunrises, the Marin Headlands proves to be a fantastic, spacious area to watch a wholly exposed sunrise. With views overlooking San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, the Headlands sunrise is a must-see for anyone who enjoys natural beauty.

The short two-minute walk from the car seems effortless with the entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge below, on the left-hand side. As an added bonus, one can appreciate Californian history via the old military bunkers along the path. At the lookout point, there are a variety of viewing options including benches and natural clearings from trampled shrubbery. Because of its location along a windy road, there are only two parking options for visitors.

Photo by Kayla Aldridge

LOCATED FIFTEEN MINUTES from Redwood, the Marin Headlands offer a clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and Alcatraz.

Shorebird Marsh Vista

Ring Mountain

Richmond Bridge Lookout

On a cloudy day, the sunrise from the Shorebird Marsh Vista Point is unrivaled as there is an excellent view of the clouds rolling over the mountains. There is a family of geese and their four goslings as well as other wildlife as the sun rises above the Berkeley hills.

Unfortunately the Shorebird Marsh Vista Point parking only has six spots. However, it is a convenient five-minute walk from The Village Shopping Center, which provides plenty of parking. There are several benches that create clear visibility of the sunrise. Unlike the Headlands and Ring Mountain, this sunrise spot allows viewers to watch from their cars.

Ring Mountain offers an abundance of clear views and hidden benches that make for a good sunrise experience.

The sunrise from the right of the Richmond Bridge seems straight off a postcard, and the reflection across the water makes for a view even Monet couldn’t paint. One can also spot San Quentin and a bird’s-eye view of Corte Madera and Larkspur. A sure downside of this viewpoint is the trek, which entails a five-minute hike through tickinfested grass and swarms of mosquitos as well. Ring Mountain is an 11-minute drive from Redwood. Although it offers limited street parking, its proximity to Redwood makes it one of the most convenient locations.

Located just beside the Richmond Bridge entrance, this lookout point is the least aesthetically pleasing, but its view of the sunrise compensates Nestled between San Quentin and Marin Rod and Gun Club pier, the Richmond Bridge Lookout is a common ground between the two landmarks. This location is inconvenient as it’s an 18-minute drive from Redwood and there are under 10 parking spots.

For a longer story and multimedia components, visit www.redwoodbark.org

bark@redwoodbark.org

Bark Beats

By Ovie Crum

Freshman Year: The Heist Macklemore

Sophmore Year: Bangerz Miley Cyrus

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s first studio album was released in early October of our freshman year and quickly overtook the halls with its fast beats and catchy lyrics. Popular songs like “Can’t Hold Us” and “White Walls” were even featured in the PE playlist.

(That’s when you know you’ve made it, right?) Warming up (or slow jogging in a circle) wouldn’t be the same without this background music. The album also featured an eclectic mix of artists such as Ray Dalton, Mary Lambert and Schoolboy Q. Recommended: “Thrift Shop”

Though “Bangerz” was released too late for our second BTSD, this album was still blasted through the stereos of upperclassmen who drove past us as we walked to lunch. Known as Miley’s first non-Disney album, “Bangerz” brought Hannah Montana from a teen pop icon to a controversial, twerking young woman with half her hair cut off. Her lyrics about true friends, boys and sleepovers suddenly switched to derogatory language and lyrics depicting illicit drug use and partying. And we loved it.

The spunky beat underlying the track along with the sporadic wind instruments and sound effects made “Thrift Shop” unlike previous popular anthems.

Additionally, the message was different from most songs, as Macklemore and Ryan Lewis describe the joys of thrift shopping as opposed to other themes like love lives, illicit activities or other similarly cliche ideas explored by artists.

The catchy beat combined with Miley’s clear voice made this song a standout. However, what caught most students’ attention was the edgy themes of the lyrics. They depicted a partying lifestyle that simply could not be avoided.

In our rebellious phase of high school, the lyrics really resonated. “No, Mom. I told you, I can’t stop ditching seventh period!”

Recommended: “We Can’t Stop”

Junior Year: Fetty Wap

Fetty Wap

Junior year would not have been complete without Fetty Wap’s hits. We blasted songs like “679,” “Trap Queen” and “Again” from our cars with our friends once spring hit–– that is, the lucky few whose parents didn’t care about provisional license restrictions. Fetty Wap’s signature raspy voice made his album stand out more than any other music from this year. We can’t help but sing along to his catchy music even a year later.

Recommended: “Trap Queen” We didn’t just listen religiously to the most popular of Fetty Wap’s songs, but we also created a revival of the slang word.

After “Trap Queen” gained immense popularity on SoundCloud with more than 130 million plays, it became platinum and also became a huge radio hit.

Senior Year: What a time to be Alive Drake In the fall, Drake released several singles, including “Charged Up,” and “Right Hand,” each of which gained popularity during first semester. Not long after these singles became popular, Drake and Future released their first collaborative album “What a Time to Be Alive” in September. Yet even still Drake released his new album “Views From the Six,” in late April. Their presence make Drake’s albums the best encapsulation of this school year. Our afternoons spent avoiding homework wouldn’t be the same without these soundtracks.

Recommended: “Live from the Gutter” “Live from the Gutter” is easy to sing along with because of the heavy bass and deep voices. The lyrics of the song may have also hit home with some of us, as college applications, standardized tests and school itself made us feel trapped in a similarly low place.

bark Page 22 • Lifestyles Students to pursue higher education abroad While the majority of seniors are preparing to attend universities in the United States, some Redwood students will be pursuing higher education in other countries. Three of these students will be attending the accclaimed Scottish university St. Andrews. The other three have yet to secure a spot at a particular university in different countries, and will have to take a test to make it into their respective school. While the countries that they will attend could not be more different, their reasons for traveling abroad are similar.

By Camille Kawawa-Beaudan James Cruz Senior James Cruz will travel east to the Philippines this fall to pursue a seven-year pharmacology program and earn a Master’s degree. Similar to Shiomi, Cruz will be required to take a national test to be considered by Filipino universities. He hopes to attend the University of Santo Tomas, which his uncle describes as “the Harvard of the Philippines,” according to Cruz.

Cruz said he is somewhat nervous about interacting his future classmates, who will be 16 years old and much more used to the rigorous academic environment in the Philippines.

“In the Philippines, after sixth grade you’re in high school,” Cruz explained. “When I graduate here I’m 19 and I’m going to be in school in college there with freshmen who are 16.”

However, Cruz said that the age difference doesn’t bother him. His main goal is to finish his education as quickly as possible before returning to the United States to work. Cruz believes that attending a Filipino university in which he chooses a major right away will allow him to focus more on his field of interest and return quickly to the United States.

Cruz originally considered pursuing a nursing degree, but chose Pharmacology because he wanted to deviate from his family’s inclination toward nursing, as both his mother and aunt are nurses.

Chloe Belgum Chloe Belgum, a French-American citizen, will spend a year at the University of Strasbourg in France, with the option of continuing her entire college education there.

“I’ve never been to [Strasbourg] before, but I have friends and relatives who went to school there and it’s an amazing university town,” Belgum explained, adding that she likes the environment that the big university, which has a student population over of 46,000, offers.

Belgum said she feels more comfortable in France than in the United States, and couldn’t imagine herself at any of the American colleges that she visited.

“I didn’t feel any enthusiasm or excitement when I was applying to colleges here, and I felt unprepared to go anywhere in America,” she said.

Belgum didn’t like that American high schools and colleges value extracurricular activities as highly as academics, saying that she prefers the European education system because education and social activities are kept separate.

She hopes to be accepted to the University of Strasbourg’s Humanities program. Although students are guaranteed a spot in the university, they must apply and be accepted to specific programs for their majors.

“If you get accepted into your first choice, you have to go and you don’t get a choice. My first choice was Humanities and if I get accepted, I have to go,” Belgum said, adding that she applied to three programs––two of which are less selective––so she believes she is guaranteed to get accepted into one of them.

Decisions will be released in July after French seniors have taken the Baccalaureate, a high school exit exam that often determines which university a student attends.

However, regardless of whether Belgum is offered a spot in a program at the University of Strasbourg, she will still attend university abroad.

“In the off chance that I don’t get into university, I would still go abroad. I’m set on that. My back up would be to do an international program in Paris, like with the American University of Paris, [which] I’ve been talking to,” she said.

By Kendall Rhoads Dea Edington Upon discovering University of St. Andrews, senior Dea Edington was intrigued by the impressive programs that the school offered.

“It’s one of the best schools in the UK and they have a really good international relations programs that I was looking for,” Edington said.

Since Edington is from the United States, he intends to come back, as his degree will be useful in both nations.

Edington will not be behind in the curriculum in either country.

“The Scottish system is very similar the United States’.

England does it a little differently but I won’t be behind in anything really, I’ll be ahead,” Edington said.

Edington is excited to be in living in a different country and attending school in Europe. However, he is slightly nervous to be living far away from his family.

According to Edington, the large population of American students will help him adjust quickly to the European culture.

Alex Waddington His German and English descent—as well as his familiarity with European culture—made his decision to attend St. Andrews very easy. “[St. Andrews] is close to home for me since I’m originally from Germany. My dad is English so I have lot of family in the UK and it was a very attractive option since it’s back home,” Waddington said.

Waddington wanted to attend a small coastal school and thus researched colleges located on the west and east coasts of the United States, along with St. Andrews, which is located on the coast of Scotland. As the school is located within a couple miles of the coast, Waddington was pleased with his decision.

While Waddington believes it may be easy for himself to adjust, he also said that it most likely wouldn’t be difficult for many Americans either.

“Since St. Andrews is such an international school, there’s a lot of Americans. I think it’s especially easy to acclimatize,” Waddington said.

May 27, 2016

Manami Shiomi Manami Shiomi will be moving back to Japan over the summer to prepare for college applications next year, after having lived in California for three years. She and her parents moved after her father was temporarily relocated for his job, and although he will stay in Marin for another year, Shiomi and her mother will return to Japan, where her older brother attends college.

“The reason why I came here was to learn English because knowing English is really good for college, and my parents wanted me to learn English and they want me to go to a high-level college [in Japan],” Shiomi said.

The school year in Japan is offset from that of the United States, beginning early April and ending late March, with three extended breaks marking the end of each trimester.

Some universities have switched to a semester system, but even so, Shiomi will be returning in the middle of the academic year and will have to wait until 2017 to enroll in a school. Additionally, the Japanese system requires that every college attendee take a placement test the year before they plan on attending college, and the score received on the test will qualify the student for a certain school.

“If you get a good score on the exam, then you can go to college. They don’t care about homework or club activities, but they really care about the test score,” Shiomi said. “It’s not like the SAT or ACT. There’s one big exam in December, and everyone has to prepare for it for like two years, and if you fail it, then you have to take it the next year, so you can’t go to college and have to wait one year.”

Shiomi has particularly appreciated Redwood’s teachers, who have been more open to non-school related topics than their Japanese counterparts, according to Shiomi.

The following year, Shiomi plans to do volunteer work, which she will find upon returning to Japan.

ckawawa-beaudan@redwoodbark.org

Infographic by Camille Kawawa-Beaudan Vanessa Silvera After visiting the school and extensive research on the prestigious school, senior Vanessa Silvera, without delay, fell in love with St. Andrews.

“I realized it was the perfect school for me. It was small, which was something I liked, since having a sense of community was something that was important to me.

Also, all of it’s unique traditions made it seems like an amazing place to spend the next four years,” Silvera said.

Silvera is looking forward to the new experience of living in another country, as well as traveling around the UK. However, she is nervous as the school is located so far away from family.

“I’m a little nervous since it’s so far away and possibly the culture shock but it’s going to be a big change, which will take some getting used to.” Silvera said.

Silvera plans to attend all four years at St. Andrews, but will travel back to America during breaks to see family and friends. krhoads@redwoodbark.org

bark Face-to-Face: Will college choice matter in the future?

Page 23 • Lifestyles

www.redwoodbark.org

By Sarah Kimball Face-to-Face is a feature that allows two members of the Redwood Community to grill each other, argue, or simply converse about a relevant issue or event. We provide the topic, and they do the rest. This month’s participants are seniors Erin Gray and Brandon Levy. They debate whether students’ college decisions impact their futures.

Does it matter in the long run where you attend college?

Brandon Levy: It does matter to a degree where you attend college because if I were an employer at an elite company, I would look for students who come from top colleges.

Usually a top-tier school has more funding and therefore students at that school have more research opportunities and more resources than a student who doesn’t attend a top school. Also the alumni at top schools create a lot of connections for students and if you have a good alumni connection, then you might be able to get a better job in the future.

Erin Gray: It doesn’t matter where you go to school because the name of your school isn’t what you are majoring in or what opportunities are presented to you. Saying that the top-tier schools have more opportunities than other schools is a lie because it is all about the opportunities you take advantage of at your school.

Is employment later in life greatly affected by your college choice?

EG: No, it is going to be where you network.

BL: It seems like it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know. So if you are graduating college and you have a lot of connections, then I guess there isn’t really a difference between what college you go to.

Erin Gray - vs Brandon Levy EG: So there isn’t?

BL: But if someone is graduating from a better school where alumni are working at more elite companies, then that graduate might have a better chance of being hired from an elite company.

EG: But it isn’t about the opportunities that the said “better” schools have, it is about the opportunities you take advantage of at your school. My sister doesn’t go to a top-tier school, but she already has a job as a sophomore for after she graduates because the school is in Dallas and there are many networking opportunities.

BL: But if I were a CEO at a top firm, I would first separate who is and isn’t qualified based on where they graduated from. Is a person graduating from [a school in] Dallas going to get an equal chance to receive a job on Wall Street as someone from Yale or Harvard? While it’s unfortunate, probably not.

EG: It really depends on the character of the person. It is very different if you barely graduated from Harvard versus someone who is top of their class and excels a lot at a middle tier school. And wouldn’t elite companies that already hire from Harvard and Yale and other top UCs want to hire someone who went to a middle tier school, but was a top-tier student and excelled in that school. Wouldn’t they want a bit of diversity?

Do you think where you go to college determines geographically where you will live in the future?

BL: Not necessarily. It just depends on what you major in and then where in the country your job is concentrated. If you want to do a startup, then you might come to Silicon Valley to look for a job. However, you will go to the East Coast for jobs offered there.

EG: Generally where you go to college is where you network, so the people you network with live around that area, including all the alumni. If your school offers international opportunities for travelling abroad, then you will also have connections outside the country. skimball@redwoodbark.org

Uniacke to attend vocational school in Switzerland

By Chloe Wintersteen

This fall, senior Spencer Uniacke will attend the Cèsar Ritz School of Hotel Management and Culinary Arts in Switzerland at its Le Bouveret campus on Lake Geneva. There, he will study hospitality and hotel management with a focus on entrepreneurship.

Uniacke’s decision to pursue hotel management and culinary arts stemmed in part from his family’s investment in the restaurant industry.

“I feel like I have roots in culinary arts through interest, not through school or any outside influence. My mom is a chef by hobby, and we make a point of going to high-end restaurants around the world for culinary experiences for the purpose of critiquing and understanding depth of flavor,” Uniacke said. “Also, in recent years my parents invested in two Photo courtesy of Spencer Uniacke restaurants. They’ve been letting me in on AFTER VISITING a tiger sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Uniacke was inspired to it so I can see what the process is like.” pursue culinary arts and hotel management abroad.

Though Uniacke had planned on pursuing videogame advertising and said. For example, Uniacke was in contact you sign up to go to. The only fee is if you marketing as an underclassman, he became with a representative from the César Ritz buy wine,” Uniacke said. “They also have interested in hotel management and school throughout the entire process, and a bar and club at the campus.”

With his degree, Uniacke hopes to work hospitality junior year after traveling to he didn’t provide his high school grades foreign countries such as Thailand, France, or a GPA. Instead of writing an essay, he in the hotel management and corporate industries, and eventually open his own Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Chilé and wrote a letter of motivation.

“In my letter of motivation, I had to restaurant.

Norway.

“My supposed restaurant is going to Uniacke decided to apply to the say what I was interested in in the industry, César Ritz School of Hotel Management what I wanted to do with my degree, why cater toward people who appreciate good and Culinary Arts because he said that I would be important to their school and food. I think it’s hard for young children Switzerland is known for its hospitality how I would be one of their top alumi,” to appreciate food unless they’re brought up in a house where that’s a focus,” degrees and has deep roots in the hotel Uniacke said.

The César Ritz School of Hotel industry. Though Uniacke explored additional college options, he ultimately Management and Culinary Arts is located decided to only apply to the César Ritz in a converted hotel. Uniacke will live in a hotel room, take classes in large kitchens School.

“When I was looking at schools, I and wear the required suit-and-tie uniform.

Uniacke is excited to take classes realized I hadn’t done really great in high school grade-wise, but I am pretty smart. related to his career interest so soon after By going to an international school and graduating high school.

“There aren’t non-essential classes interviewing and talking to people, I knew they’d get a good understanding of here, which is something that attracted me me,” Uniacke said. “When I was doing to it. I’ll be taking classes like statistics, my application, it looked like I was set business and how to run a front desk, as up to succeed, and had the resources and opposed to taking biomedical science,” knowledge to get in. I realized it would Uniacke said.

Every meal he eats will be made by be a waste of my time to apply to other culinary arts students; however, there are schools.”

There were many differences between additional opportunities for extracurricular the application process for the César Ritz culinary experiences.

“One thing that’s really awesome is School and a typical application processes for four-year American colleges, Uniacke that [the school] has a fine dining room that

Uniacke said. “I think I would cater toward a demographic of 18 to 65, because I feel like old people don’t like spice. They don’t like flair. They like bland. And I don’t like bland, I like flair.”

Uniacke plans to run his future restaurant in an environmentally sustainable way.

“I think it’s going to be more important in coming years and generations––especially with the population increasing––to make gowod food that’s profitable and also sustainable,” he said. “I want my impact to be farm-to-table, more organic, not outsourcing for your product. Outsourcing for your products can be good, and you can get amazing meat or herbs that you can’t really get unless you outsource, but things like vegetables can be amazing if they come from an organic farm.”

Despite Uniacke’s passion for food, he cannot identify his favorite dish.

“The best thing you’ve ever eaten is your dream dish, until you eat a better dish.

But I’ve eaten at so many top-tier places, so many delicious flavors, I don’t know that one really stands above another as better,” Uniacke said. “It’s really what meal is best, because when you go to a place like that, they don’t serve a dish. They serve three to seven courses based on the palette: acidic, sweet, salty, umami, bitter, and sour. Their goal is to balance that throughout the course, like the tempo of an orchestra.” cwintersteen@redwoodbark.org

Freshman gives voice to Tourette’s Association

By Camille Kawawa-Beaudan For six years, freshman Greg Datchler received countless misdiagnoses for the odd symptoms he was exhibiting. The first tic was a persistent cough, but a lung biopsy yielded no results, so he was placed on asthma medication. He was in first grade. He underwent multiple CAT scans and other medical examinations in an attempt to figure out his disease. Finally, at 11 years old, Datchler was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome.

Looking back, Datchler expressed disappointment with how long it took for him to be diagnosed. However, his is not an exceptional story.

“Almost nothing is known about its causes and effects. The medical textbooks have a one paragraph entry, and that’s all,” Datchler explained. “A lot of doctors don’t even know how to diagnose it, and even if they do know about it, sometimes the doctors won’t give a diagnosis of Tourette's Syndrome because it has such a stigma around it, that they’re afraid that it’ll put a lot of pressure on the kid.”

Tourette's Syndrome is a neurological disorder that manifests itself in early childhood or adolescence. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIHDS), individuals with Tourette’s Syndrome experience rapid, involuntary movements (tics) of the face, arms, limbs or trunk. Very little is known of the disorder, although current evidence suggests that it is genetic and could be related to abnormalities in certain brain regions.

A person must exhibit vocal and motor tics for over a year to be diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome, according to the NIHDS. Motor tics include muscle or head twitching while vocal tics can be manifested as sniffling, coughing or squeaking.

Datchler has never been bullied for having Tourette’s Syndrome, a feat that he believes reflects the kindness and consideration of his peers.

“I was never teased about [Tourette’s], and I think that’s also a reason why I can speak about it and present because I haven’t had that fear of being mocked by other people,” he said.

However, Datchler refrained from telling his peers about his disorder until eighth grade.

“I didn’t tell my class because my mom thought that

Photo courtesy of Greg Datchler

once kids know you have Tourette Syndrome, they’ll be really mean,” Datchler said. “I wasn’t discouraged, but I was never encouraged and I didn’t see any reason to [tell people] until I learned about the fact that a lot of people get bullied about it.”

Datchler attended a Tourette’s conference in the seventh grade, where he met a youth ambassador who had transferred schools six times because of bullying. Upon realizing the extensive support that his peers have given him, Datchler decided to begin giving talks to his classes about Tourette’s, and even became the Northern California Tourette’s Association youth ambassador.

As a youth ambassador, Datchler travels around California to give presentations to schools and classes, as well as to provide informational briefings to school administrators and nurses so that they know how to deal with students with Tourette's Syndrome.

“If there’s a kid in a class that has Tourette’s Syndrome but doesn’t want to talk about it to their peers, they can contact the Tourette Association and they’ll send me out there to give a presentation on Tourette's Syndrome to the class,” Datchler explained.

Giving presentations has allowed Datchler to combine his love for public speaking with his desire to give those too scared to speak a voice.

“Tourette children can be really shy, especially if the tics are really bad, and will not want to talk to people and be really close-mouthed about the whole neurological disorder,” he said. “I felt that since I’m really open about it and I like public speaking and I like talking to people about it, I should use that for good to help kids all around the state.”

Datchler also traveled to Capitol Hill in March to meet with senators and house representatives to ask them to back bills and caucuses to increase Tourette’s Syndrome research and awareness in order to expedite the diagnosis process.

“I went to the offices of Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Jared Huffman,” Datchler said. “I didn’t actually get to meet the senators because they were voting at [that] point, but I got to talk to some of their senior advisors and staffers about getting the senators and representatives to sign onto the bills and sign onto the caucus.”

The Tourette's Syndrome Caucus was created in 2013 to raise awareness about the disorder and increase public and medical knowledge regarding the disorder. The Collaborative Academic Research Efforts for Tourette’s Syndrome Act of 2015, also known as the CARE Act, aims to increase government research on Tourette's Syndrome and require increased regulation and data collection of Tourette symptoms and behaviors.

Datchler plans to continue working with the Tourette Association of America for the next few years, and participated in the Neverland 5K at Disneyland on May 6 as part of Team Tourette Society of America, the Association’s old name, to raise awareness and money for Tourette's Syndrome research. ckawawa-beaudan@redwoodbark.org