Read the Bark’s position on freedom of speech across America.
New ‘health alliance’ impacts local vaccine clinics and their patients
By Isha Patel
On Sept. 3, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the formation of a “health alliance.” The alliance would involve the states conducting their own research about vaccines to make evidence-based recommendations for their residents, in response to recent federal actions, undermining the reliability of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, this announcement did not address key issues, such as whether or not vaccine clinics could possibly face repercussions for giving vaccines recommended by the state and not the CDC, or whether insurance plans would cover the costs of those vaccines.
Biomedical teacher Caitlin Tanaka Moore has worked in research labs for vaccines and teaches sections of her biomed course on vaccines and their benefits. She shared her thoughts on the announcement.
“I am excited about it,” Tanaka said. “I know that right now, there's a lot of distrust in these public health agencies that are meant to protect the well-being of our population. It sounds like Washington, Oregon and California are trying to bring it back to the science-based piece, especially to reinstate that confidence in public health that we need,” Tanaka said.
Tanaka additionally addressed potential elements that the announcement lacks, and where she believes there should be clarity.
“From what I've read, it's lacking how they're going to fund all of this, because they're not going to get federal funding,” Tanaka said. “I'm curious about the finer details about how that's going to look timeline-wise and then how they're going to disseminate this information to the populations to help restore confidence.”
Tanaka shared how her work in vaccine research has helped her take a stance on vaccines.
By Claire Carbone
This past summer on July 21, Jeff Greenwald, sports psychologist, former pro-tennis player, two-time world champion and Redwood dad, published a book on the mental side of sports. “The Mental Edge for Young Athletes: A World Champion’s Mental Toughness Guide for Athletes, Parents, and Coaches in the Digital Age,” is meant to provide tools for young athletes alike in their mental strength. The “mental edge” refers to a purely
“I worked in the vaccine sector for three years, and I think it's one of the most important technological medical advances that we have in our toolbox. To not utilize that could have consequences for the future of our populations that have long-lasting effects,” Tanaka said.
Tanaka emphasized her feelings and her opinion regarding the current debate surrounding vaccines.
“I believe in the science, [and] I believe in vaccines. I was in the research, I see how they work, and it's so far eradicated many of our diseases and viral infections. There are huge benefits to them,” Tanaka said.
Devon Stoll-Morrill, a junior and biomedical student, expressed that the newly formed alliance is being covered in her biomed class.
“I think that it is a good thing for our states to join up and do,” Stoll-Morrill said. “The country's government is becoming less reliable, and by creating our own system, I think that that's definitely going to help create a place for there to be something reliable for the people.”
Stoll-Morrill said she believes that students should be informed about the political environment surrounding vaccines.
“It's important for the students to know what's going on and what their health care is and if their health care is going to change. It's important to know what's going on politically that's going to impact their health,” StollMorrill said.
Stoll-Morrill expressed her feelings towards the statement that the CDC is becoming unreliable.
“The fact that the CDC is becoming unreliable is kind of terrifying, and it's very good that at least some part of our government is working towards keeping a more stable, reliable source open to the public,” Stoll-Morrill said.
ipatel@redwoodbark.org
productive state of mind that allows a person to be solely focused and ready for their task. Greenwald’s book can be used as a guide for young athletes to understand and utilize this in their sport.
“[The mental game] really requires the mindset, the thought process, [and] the mental approach to what you’re doing, and then you need tools in the moment to adjust, so I wrote this book,” Greenwald said.
Continue article on pg. 4...
...Work to advance yourself as a person rather than solely conforming to the viewpoints made by those close to you, and make the constructive change you wish to see in this democracy.
Continue reading on pg. 7...
The Homecoming Royal will be crowned during the Homecoming dance on Saturday, Oct. 18, instead of during the varsity football game’s halftime that morning, as done in years past. While the timing of the announcement has changed, the Homecoming Court will still be formally welcomed and introduced at the football game, maintaining the long-standing tradition. Students are encouraged to attend both events to celebrate this year’s Homecoming festivities.
Having recommenced in the library on Tuesday Sept. 9, Peer Tutoring has kicked off its volunteer tutoring program during lunch and after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students can sign up for free tutoring sessions or volunteer to become tutors. Peer tutoring is a great opportunity for extra help with classes and can also enhance college applications by providing students with volunteer hours. Peer Tutoring
College and Career Center meetings
Throughout the fall semester, the College and Career Center offers interactive presentations to help students of all grade levels plan for their futures. These meetings are hosted by college admissions representatives from universities across the country before school and at lunch. More information about the different colleges that will be presented can be seen on the College and Career Center’s website. Attending these meetings can help students build their college lists, learn how to apply and prepare strong applications.
kmorgan@redwoodbark.org
MEDICAL ASSISTANT MICHELLE Le gets supplies from a drawer, which she needs in order to prepare a patient’s vaccine.
Photo by Henry Barker
Photo courtesy of Kelsea Jambeck
By Kate Morgan
Update: Homecoming Royal reveal
Photo by Kate Morgan
Teens push new initiative for Civic Engagement Seal
By Owen Scheeline
A new initiative may now give the opportunity to graduate with more than just a diploma. Juniors Everett Fredricks and Adriella Marcus are currently working with administrators to bring the California State Seal of Civic Engagement (SSCE) to Redwood. The SSCE is a statewide initiative that rewards students who have a meaningful involvement in their communities.
The SSCE was adopted by the State Board of Education on Sept. 10, 2020, after the passage of Assembly Bill 24. According to the California Department of Education, “the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted criteria and guidance to award the (SSCE) to California public school students who demonstrate excellence in civics education and participation, and an understanding of the United States Constitution, the California Constitution and the democratic system of government.”
If Redwood’s plan is approved, students who qualify would have the opportunity to earn a special embossed golden seal on their diplomas.
The push for the program at Redwood began earlier this year when Everett Fredricks first brought the idea of the SSCE to administrators.
“I felt like many students at Redwood were trying to become more involved in their community, but didn't really know where to reach out,” Fredricks said. “If I were to bring [the SSCE] to Redwood, it would make it a lot easier for students to access community-based projects.”
Soon after, Marcus joined the effort, and the two have since worked together to build support for the plan and develop a proposal. Together, they have been in contact with district leaders and California seal representatives.
Principal Dr. Barnaby Payne said the SSCE is a part of a growing set of diploma recognitions in California.
“It's a relatively new embellishment to the high school diploma in California,” Payne said. “There are already two graduation diploma embellishments in California, the first one is the Seal of Biliteracy, and the second one is the Golden State Seal of Merit. Civic engagement, arguably more important than ever, is that students really understand local politics, community service and civil discourse.”
The requirements are still being finalized, but Fredricks explained that students must meet the five general criteria to qualify: academic engagement, knowledge of the U.S. and California Constitutions, participation in civic projects, self-reflection on civic skills and demonstration of civic leadership traits. Then, local schools are responsible for creating a program that meets these standards but is tailored to their own student body.
The approval process, however, extends beyond Redwood. Payne stated the proposal would ultimately go before the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) Board of Trustees.
“Everett and Adriella are going to collaborate with one of the Board of Trustees members on developing a plan that would go before the Board of Trustees for approval,” Payne said. “It would be open to any [TUHSD] student [who] is interested in adding this to their diploma.”
If approved, Redwood students might see a chance to qualify sooner than expected.
“If we're living the dream that this is approved this year, our current senior class would be eligible,” Payne said. “If not, I would definitely say by next year.”
oscheeline@redwoodbark.org
TUHSD mandates Chromebooks and removes WiFi for personal devices
On Aug. 4, 2025, Redwood announced its new and long-awaited update on the Bring Your Own Device policy (BYOD). In the email sent out to the Tamalpais Union High District (TUHSD), district officials said starting this school year, students will no longer be able to use their own personal devices (laptops, phones, tablets, etc) on the district WiFi. The reasoning behind this new policy was to strengthen cybersecurity and increase student engagement at school. The only exceptions and accommodations would be through an IEP, 504 plan or health-related reason. This rule affects not only students, but also teachers who use the same WiFi.
Senior Maximilien McGuire was agitated by the new policy and decided to call for change. McGuire took inspiration from a petition created last year against the possible Yondr phone pouches proposed at TUHSD schools.
“I immediately thought, ‘This is going to be horrible, Chromebooks suck.’ They’re already so slow. Nothing's going to work right, ” McGuire said.
Many students also agree with McGuire’s opinion about Chromebooks. When recently surveyed about how they felt about the new policy, 53 percent of students said they strongly disliked the new policy, and an additional 30 percent said they didn’t like the new policy.
Susanne Maxwell, who teaches Photography, Advanced Placement (AP) Art History and Art Explorations, also had concerns about the speed of computers.
“I [think it] makes the classroom flow more slowly. It hinders the rhythm and
momentum of the classroom,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell also states that the Chromebooks have slowed down the pace of her classes, as students have not been able to use their personal computers this year.
“It's just a waste of time in school, where our goal is to be learning as much as possible and doing all our work to the best of our ability, and the Chromebooks make it harder to do that,” McGuire said.
Many students are frustrated with the time that Chromebooks are taking to load, and ignore TUHSD policy by connecting to their phone hotspot or hiding a personal laptop behind a Chromebook.
McGuire created a petition challenging the new policy that currently has around 360 signatures. He emailed the petition to the school board in hopes that they would take feedback from students, teachers and parents, all of whom signed the petition. McGuire stated that most of the people he talked to, students and adults, agree that the policy is making students less productive and having more difficulty learning. He believes students should have more of a say in some of the rules, as they are directly affected by them.
Maxwell went on to say that because teachers and students are the ones being directly affected by technological changes throughout the district, being included in these conversations is important to her and other teachers.
To read the full story, visit www.redwoodbark.org
PHOTO SURVEY
By Vivi Endler
What are you most excited for this year and why?
“I really like being on the tennis team, and I’m looking forward to all of our games. I’m also excited for [Homecoming].”
“I’m most looking forward to the swim team scavenger hunt, because [I have] a lot of friends on the swim team, and we get to do whatever we want the whole night.”
“I’m most excited for my Advanced Placement Environmental Science [class and the] field trips. [Also], seeing how my grades are [this year].”
“I’m most looking forward to a lot of the sports games. I’m going to be a yearbook editor and photographer this year, so I’m excited to go in on all of those and see how Redwood does this year in athletics.”
Hailey Schroeder Freshman
Sophia Ames Junior
Spencer Springfield Senior
John Watson Sophomore
WORKING BEFORE SCHOOL in the library, Adriella Marcus (left) and Everett Fredricks (right) confer over their plan to present the seal to the TUHSD board.
Photo by Owen Scheeline
Story & Art by Natalie Vinogradsky
For decades, late-night television shows have been a significant platform for political satire and comedy, with comedians frequently poking fun at politicians and using humor to shed light on current events. But recent controversies involving late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert have ignited a debate over the right to free speech under the First Amendment, as the conversation on whether it protects entertainment as well is ignited.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was suspended by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on Sept. 17, 2025, after Kimmel referenced conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination in his nightly monologue, prompting questioning reactions from Trump supporters.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr condemned Kimmel’s comments and signaled to ABC that they would take prompt action against them, unless Kimmel was pulled off the air. ABC’s parent company, Disney, suspended Kimmel
in response, but later reinstated him following mass protests. Disney underwent criticism from politicians who called it censorship, celebrities who threatened to break ties with Disney and users who cancelled their Disney+ subscriptions, ultimately causing Disney’s stock price to rapidly decline. Between the suspension and being reinstated, The Guardian listed Disney’s loss in market value to be approximately $4 billion.
In the wake of the Kimmel and Colbert controversies, many have expressed their concerns as to how this could impact free speech in the United States.
Redwood Television advisor, Teachers’ Union President and drama teacher Erik Berkowitz raised concerns.
Personally, I think we’re living in a dangerous time when corporations are making decisions about someone’s free speech based on guidance from public officials,” Berkowitz said.
World history teacher Corin Greenberg pointed out historical examples of restricting the media.
“I know any time we study governments that are trying to take more power or be more authoritarian, the one thing they always crack down on is entertainment in the media. [The governments] try to make sure the media is expressing the ideas they want them to express,” Greenberg said.
by Rosstin Pouradib
have gained a strong understanding of politics because of this. Junior Jonah Kizer defended the importance of the protection of free speech in the media.
“I think the shows are very important, in the way they impact our young generations and how our society is built on different people sharing their own views,” Kizer said. “We have a very diverse and very integrated society that’s beautiful because we all can share our own ideas and not have to fear that it's going to get taken down.”
Similarly to Kimmel, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) announced earlier this year that “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” would be cancelled next year, in a decision that was announced after Colbert criticized a $16 million deal between Paramount Global (CBS’s parent company) and President Donald Trump settling a lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite this, CBS cited financial reasons for the cut of “The Late Show.”
This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.
Jimmy Kimmel
In contrast, some conservative-leaning activists were unhappy with Kimmel’s return. The executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” Andrew Kolvet, expressed his frustration about the situation through a post on X.
“Disney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it’s their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice,” Kolvet said, referring to local broadcast companies that chose not to air Kimmel’s return to late-night TV.
In response to the removal of Kimmel and Colbert, some Americans have expressed concern about where the attempts to silence certain voices could be leading.
“I think we're at a time, unfortunately, where people are picking and choosing who can say what, and who can't say what. It seems like people are picking sides, and people don't want to hear [other perspectives] that disagree with them,” Berkowitz said.
When Kimmel returned to his show on Sept. 23, following his suspension, Kimmel thanked his supporters for advocating on his behalf. Additionally, Kimmel stressed the importance of upholding free speech in the United States.
“This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,” Kimmel said.
Kimmel’s show has a wide audience that reaches many different Americans, especially the youth. Students have followed late-night talk shows closely for years now and jkurtzman@redwoodbark.org
On Aug. 25, 2025, Amy’s Drive Thru in Corte Madera shut its doors for good. The Corte Madera location opened on Aug. 4, 2020, and was known as an optimal location for vegans and vegetarians due to its convenient location and food options. While the restaurant’s Marin location shut down, two other Amy’s Drive Thru locations will remain open; one can dine at Amy’s in the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or by driving out to Rohnert Park.
The reason for the Corte Madera location closure was ultimately a financial decision. With minimal traffic and high rent in Corte Madera, the revenue wasn’t enough to make the location profitable enough to keep open. The building will remain in the food industry with Super Duper Burgers taking its place. However, Marin is now down a vegetarian restaurant.
Redwood parent and partner of a vegan eater, Gabi Tabak, made visits to Amy’s Drive Thru in Corte Madera about twice a week. When it was dinnertime for her family, Amy’s Drive Thru was an easy way to avoid making two different meals at home. Tabak could make one non-vegan dinner, and her partner could go to Amy’s Drive Thru and quickly grab a vegan meal.
“Within our area, there’s not a lot of options for vegans, so that was one of the spots that we went to. It was convenient. Now, we drive through and we all always say we wish it was open because it's such an easy grab-and-go option,” Tabak said.
While Amy’s Drive Thru provided great options for non-meat eaters, it also supplied people with jobs, such as Redwood senior Saki Beattie.
“I worked there from late March to when it closed recently, and I worked at the drive-through,” Beattie said.
More than a restaurant, Amy’s Drive Thru had its own tight employee community.
“I really liked the team. I had a lot of friends that were older than me on that team, and I liked them because they supported me a lot,” Beattie said.
Tabak recalled feeling an amiable vibe when going inside Amy’s Drive Thru, as it was often quicker than the actual drive-through.
“There was always friendly staff. It was always somebody new [working], but they were all very friendly,” Tabak said.
The closure of Amy’s Drive Thru has left people looking for new vegan options and new jobs. Amy’s Drive Thru is being replaced by Super Duper Burgers, which gave interviews to ex-Amy’s Drive Thru employees, but that doesn’t mean the search is over.
“I’m looking for other jobs. The good thing about Amy's was that they accommodated my schedule, which was pretty strict to weekends. Now it's a little bit harder trying to find another place that will have that same availability for me,” Beattie said.
Without the vegan restaurant in Marin, dining options are limited for vegans and vegetarians.
Senior Layla Duhagon has been a vegetarian since seventh grade and relied on Amy’s Drive Thru for a variety of delicious food.
“I’m not the biggest fan of tofu, and that is a main source of protein that I have to eat. At [Amy's Drive Thru], there were a bunch of impossible burgers and all that,” Duhagon said.
If one doesn’t want to drive to SFO or Rohnert Park,
the other way to keep Amy’s in their diet is through their frozen foods, sometimes sold in select grocery stores.
“They have a frozen burrito, which is pretty decent,” Tabak said.
While many people loved and ate at Amy’s Drive Thru, news of its closing continues to spread as Marin finds itself down a vegetarian restaurant and looks towards any possible substitute.
“I didn't know it was closing. After work last week I went and it was closed and I was so sad. I loved it because it was always easy and it was really good,” Duhagon said.
bnass@redwoodbark.org
A SIGN PLACED in front of Redwood High School expresses student advocacy through a reference to the novel “Fahrenheit 451”.
Photo by Penelope Trott
Illustration
THE OLD AMY’S drive thru building, which is soon to be replaced by Super Duper Burgers.
Photo by Beatrice Nass
New book “The Mental Edge” continued from pg. 1...
A general tool Greenwald mentions in his book is setting intentions in order to keep focus in the moment.
“Improving the quality of your focus, presence and commitment to what you’re doing in the moment will only improve the probability of having a good outcome. So, it’s really [about] setting intentions specifically for the day, for the hour, and whatever you do, you do it fully and then take a break,” Greenwald said.
Senior and varsity athlete Tommy Vasquez discusses a similar tool in taking breaks while combatting burnout in his schedule.
“I’ve definitely felt at times where I did training for a week straight and getting out to the field again is like, ‘I really don’t want to do this.’ Taking breaks is important. If I’m getting bored at lacrosse or it’s starting to get repetitive, I’ll go throw a football around with my friends,” Vasquez said.
Although Vasquez implements these practices in his life to keep him mentally ready, mental training has only recently become less overlooked.
“[Mental training has] grown incrementally every couple years with athletes coming out, talking about it and being open about it. But, it’s not simple to help athletes under pressure to execute these tools and commit to these tools,” Greenwald said.
Matthew Knauer, a current freshman at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Redwood alum and former captain of the boys’ varsity baseball team, helped Greenwald edit “The Mental Edge.”
“The reason he was looking for a high schooler was because the book was about how youth athletes can get a mental edge, so he wanted someone who not only had the journalist and editing skills, but
“THE
focuses on tools youth athletes, parents or coaches can use to achieve the mental edge.
someone who was a youth athlete and had that perspective,” Knauer said.
Knauer could also relate to a lot of the content in the book since he struggled with the “yips,” or uncontrolled muscle spasms during sports performance. According to a Healthline article, the “yips” stem from a lack of confidence in motor skills that cause muscle twitches or tremors while playing a sport.
“A lot of the book was talking about instilling confidence and strong self-talk, the way that you perceive the thoughts in your own head. A lot of that really resonated with me,” Knauer said.
Vasquez also implements this self-
motivation before his games to promote confidence.
“I always think, ‘I’ve done this before, I’ve done this play a hundred times in practice. I can do this,’” Vasquez said.
Additionally, Greenwald implemented relevant events in his book that Knauer enjoyed reading.
“He gave such prevalent, strong examples from his career and major sports events that people can relate to. He would give historical examples from famous athletes and sports figures, and use those to sort of explain the concepts he was trying to cover,” Knauer said.
Much of this content that Greenwald added was so readers could relate, and therefore, understand the tools he is offering and be able to use them with ease.
“I wanted to make this relatable, so I used a lot of real conversations I had with athletes, parents, pros, but also from kids. All of these sort of universal challenges, helping athletes really be able to take a simple tool and apply it,” Greenwald said.
Greenwald explains how the investment in athletic careers for young athletes has led to more stress amongst teens because they don’t feel good enough.
“I think the fear of failure looms larger now with the exposure of social media, with the expectation that comes from that and from what we see as possible. So there's more opportunity, and I think there's some fear of missing out. There’s just a lot of information, and noise and it’s always overwhelming,” Greenwald
Many of the mental challenges seen in teens today come from the amount of social media they are consuming and coincidentally the fear of missing out
(FOMO). A Click2Pro article found that 60 percent of teenagers experience FOMO, with social media anxiety being a primary reason.
There are a lot of different mental challenges out there that different athletes face, but Knauer mentioned that even the best athletes have room to improve their mental skills.
“Even if you think you have strong mental skills, touching up on them by reading a book like this can really strengthen yourself. The other thing is, there's a chapter for everyone,” Knauer said. “You know there’s so many different branches under the umbrella of mental skills and so he dives into many different habitives and I feel like everyone [can find] a chapter to relate to.”
ccarbone@redwoodbark.org
Tiburon Challenger serves up volunteer opportunities
By Isabella Marsh
Hosted at the Tiburon Peninsula Club (TPC) from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, the Tiburon Challenger, a stop in the Association for Tennis Professionals Challenger Tour, kicked off its annual event on Sunday, providing volunteer opportunities for Redwood students and parents. Throughout the course of the week-long event, there are nearly 400 volunteer spots available, both on and off the court.
The Tiburon Challenger takes place on three of the upper-level courts at the TPC. Each of the three courts reserved for matches is ideally stocked with 10 volunteers made up of six ball people and four line judges. Executing a variety of tasks, enthusiastic students and parents have been trained during sessions in the weeks prior.
In charge of managing which volunteers
go on each court are Redwood parents Mikelynn Leverte and Stacey Crawford. Together, Leverte and Crawford have 12 years of experience managing the organization of volunteers for this event. They credit the community of volunteers for making this event possible.
It’s great getting to see the next generation step up and give back to the community.
Leverte, having consistently worked as a volunteer of the Tiburon Challenger, recognizes the value of possessing a strong leadership strategy in order to ensure the event runs smoothly.
Stacey Crawford, Redwood parent
“It’s really important that we look professional because these [players] are
professional, so I take my job very seriously,” Leverte said. “There’s a lot we need to assess, and oftentimes we need to think on our feet. You never know when a match is going to end, and sometimes there aren’t enough people available to fill a court; that’s when I step on.”
There’s a large team of TPC staff and volunteers that work during the months preceding the event, handling everything from housing the players to providing snacks. Jane Colwell and Collin Braun are Co-Directors of the tournament, grateful to be working with the volunteers who make up around 75 percent of the staff.
“[We] rely on our employees. It’s a great chance for younger kids to gain some experience working an event like this and getting to see the operations that put the whole thing together. Not to mention, they get to meet the players, which is really fun,” Braun said.
Freshman and varsity tennis player Isabel Gutierrez is working as a ball person for the Tiburon Challenger for her second year, finding the role helpful for her own game.
“It’s exciting we get to have a tournament at our local club,” Gutierrez said. “I love getting to see live tennis and being able to observe how they serve and hit the ball. I learn a lot from the players.”
Calado Fazal, a junior on the varsity
tennis team, has attended the event as a spectator for several years. This year, he helped warm up Ozan Baris, one of the competing players in the tournament.
“I’ve hit with Baris before, but I’ve never warmed him up before a match. That was a little stressful,” Fazal said. “Overall, it was fun and super satisfying.”
Crawford feels there are many wonderful aspects to working for this tournament. However, there is one reason that truly stands out to her that keeps her coming back each year.
“It’s great getting to see the next generation step up and give back to the community,” Crawford said. “Along with our same core team, we get to work with so many kids and it’s a great time.”
imarsh@redwoodbark.org
MENTAL EDGE”
JEFF GREENWALD: REDWOOD parent and author of “The Mental Edge.”
Photo courtesy of Jeff Greenwald
IN PREPARATION FOR his match, Ozan Baris discusses the next exercise to warm up with junior Calado Fazal.
ArtbyPenelopeTrott
MIKELYNN LEVERTE STANDS alert, passing the ball to Nicholas Godsick before he serves a deuce point on the stadium court.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Greenwald
The online porn boom takes toll on teen relationships
By Lily Bell
The recent trend of mainstream pornography is distorting teenagers’ relationships. The large industry promotes unrealistic expectations, a misrepresented view of intimacy and ultimately leaves people unsure in what they look for in a relationship. Teens and young adults are impacted by the disposition of online pornography and the effects on current day relationships. An important factor in fixing these problems is monetizing media better and making sure that mainstream pornography is not being broadcasted on social media.
73 percent of all teenagers in the United States are exposed to porn.
According to a publication by the Wave Clinic, “Watching pornography may also affect the way teenagers relate to attachment figures, such as caregivers, close friendships or romantic partners. One study found that adolescents who consumed pornography bonded less with their caregivers. It’s possible that these patterns are repeated in other attachment relationships, such as friendships and partnerships.” Pornography not only affects the relationships of teens; it’s also affecting the way they think of these relationships. The Wave Clinic explains the neurological side of watching porn and the direct impact it has on one’s brain, “Consuming pornography triggers the reward system in teenage brains, releasing the hormone dopamine and causing urges to repeat the activity again. Because adolescent brains release more dopamine, they may experience intensified emotions of pleasure and craving.” The increased use of pornography triggers a temporary high of satisfaction, making it addicting as well as unhealthy.
Jim Steyer, Common Sense CEO
pornography and nudity is directly impacting the youth. The internet makes it simpler to access these sites, as well as media promoting nudity and sexual content. A Common Sense Media study on children exposed to porn recorded the exposure young kids are facing online. “A majority of teens ages 13 to 17 have seen pornography online either intentionally or accidentally.” Common Sense CEO, Jim Steyer, found their resulting statistics shocking. “I was pretty shocked to know that 73 percent of all teenagers in the United States are exposed to pornography,” Steyer said. “Online pornography is everywhere, and kids are accessing it early.”
Teens everywhere are being exposed earlier in their life to pornography and sexual content. A September Bark survey found that 84 percent of students have heard of the platform OnlyFans. OnlyFans, not originally catered towards sexual content, has been used to create online pornography and nudity where users can “subscribe” to the creator for fees every month to see their content. While OnlyFans can be used for art, influencers and marketing, it is not monetized so users can post pornographic and nude material. This makes it easy for subscribers to access pornography and content creators to make a living off of it.
As mainstream pornography grows across social media, the influence among its presence to young adults becomes more apparent. Social media apps with users that promote their sexual content and nudity continue to grow, exposing young users to inappropriate content and normalizing sexual exertion. With this issue comes the solution to properly filter sexual content, as well as looking for a way to better cater age-appropriate content to young users.
Now, more than ever, it is easier to assess how online
Another point to be made is that sex workers can easily make content and cater to clients, but the danger of sex trafficking is still present even online. The National Library of Medicine did a report on virtual sex work and found that“clients may record a sex worker's image without their consent,” and that it causes the issue of a “form of technology-facilitated intimate partner violence that violates one’s digital privacy and autonomy.”
lbell@redwoodbark.org
The grass is greener for outdoor learning at Redwood
By Nico Ruel
Last year in my Living Earth class, we had been learning about biodiversity for several weeks. We then stepped outside to apply this idea to the real world, measuring the biodiversity of the front lawn. The fresh air, sunlight and real-world application deepened my understanding of the topic and allowed the ideas we had been studying to click in a way which no lecture could have. Redwood has a beautiful campus and with California’s sunny weather, classes should incorporate more outside learning into their curriculum. Outdoor education improves academic performance, boosts mental health and leads to higher overall engagement, making it crucial for Redwood to expand its outdoor learning opportunities.
Research has consistently shown that learning outdoors has considerable academic benefits. A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that walking just one hour a day outside increased memory performance and short-term attention spans by roughly 20 percent. In addition, a study by the American Institutes for Research found that California students who attended school outdoors for just five days increased their test scores by roughly 27 percent. This increase in knowledge was also maintained for 6-10 weeks after with no significant loss in test scores. Even just short periods of outdoor learning experiences can have a positive impact on students’ learning and capabilities.
The National Parks Service said, “Just 20 minutes in nature improves concentration and reduces the need for ADHD and ADD medications in children. Walking through nature also improves cognitive function and memory.” Outdoor settings create multisensory experiences which deepen understanding and memory retention through a variety of sights, sounds, and textures. Furthermore, Dr. Rachel Kaplan and Dr. Stephen Kaplan explained in their Attention Restoration Theory how natural environments help reduce mental fatigue, leading to enhanced focus,
increased creativity and better overall cognitive function. A September Bark survey found that 85 percent of students are at least somewhat interested in having more classes held outdoors, showing that Redwood should support those opportunities. Expanding outdoor learning opportunities will have lasting effects on student enjoyment and education.
However, some may still argue that some subjects don’t have a place outdoors. Subjects like math, history and English often rely on textbooks, lectures and projector lessons. Outdoor education isn’t about changing the curriculum; it’s about enhancing the current one. English classes can hold writing and reading sessions outside sparking creativity and science classes could conduct experiments and studies in nature applying things learned in the classroom to real ecosystems. Additionally, benefits like increased focus, memory retention and cognitive function are things that all subjects can benefit from. So no matter the subject, teachers should attempt to include some form of outdoor learning into their classes. As Bond Measure B funds are being used to update the campus, the school has the opportunity to reimagine its outdoors spaces. Adding shaded structures as well as increased seating and designated teaching areas would allow teachers to incorporate outdoor lessons into their curriculums with less disruption.
Students are eager to spend more time learning in the outdoors, surrounded by nature at the foot of Mt. Tam. With clear academic benefits and strong student support, it’s time for Redwood to take learning outside. Administrators, teachers and students should work together to make outdoor learning a key part of our education. By stepping outside the classroom, we can give students the opportunity to learn better and grow stronger both in school and beyond.
nruel@redwoodbark.org
Illustration by Rosstin Pouradib
Illustration by Olivia Hamm
Marin resists progressive pillars underground
By Nina Baker
Marin County, with postcard-like sceneries and meticulously preserved open space, is a community that overwhelmingly prides itself on voting blue. On a typical day in Marin, you may find lawns with “Hate has no home here” signs and Teslas lined up in the Whole Foods parking lot with “Even my dog hates Elon” stickers plastered across — an almost utopian model of progressive values. But, beneath the solar panels and sustainable farmers’ markets lies a different reality.
Marin, a place that prides itself on being progressive and left-leaning, hosts a quiet resistance to some of these values. Not to being progressive as a whole, but to certain policies and changes. Especially when it comes to affordable housing.
For decades, the “Marin bubble” has come to represent the wealth and isolation that makes Marin, Marin. But that “bubble” is so much more than just a byproduct of the privilege held in Marin — it also comes from patterns of strategic detachment, where residents pick and choose when to engage with issues like housing and equity. The “bubble” is not accidental. It is directly reinforced by conscious decisions and a very selective application of supposed progressive beliefs.
affordable options (with an exception for few low-income housing dispersed across Marin).
In 2023, Marin County adopted state-issued "inclusionary regulations” that aimed to make affordable housing more easily accessible to places like Marin. These regulations allowed for things like the development of affordable housing in commercial zones. According to the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative, more acts followed, which required Marin to build over 14,000 units over the following 8 years to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). As of April 2025, only 825 units have been permitted. To put this into perspective, to stay on track to the allotted 14,000 units, Marin should have issued around 3,500 units as of April.
To put it simply, Marin’s allocated amount of units is nowhere near being met. And here is why: Marin as a whole, despite its progressive tendencies, has been reluctant to extend the building of affordable housing.
The ‘bubble’ is not accidental. It is directly reinforced by conscious decisions and a very selective application of supposed progressive beliefs.
Take the housing crisis, for example. In recent years, house prices have skyrocketed, making it so much harder for low-income families who work in Marin to actually live here. According to realtor.com, the median home price in Marin as of August 2025 was $1.4 million — a steep price, especially for the 42 percent of Marin residents that are classified as low-income. This is not just an issue of supply and demand, it is an issue of Marin’s policies (or lack thereof), which have systematically excluded
However, this pattern didn’t just come out of nowhere. When the Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1933, which essentially ended Marin’s physical separation from the rest of the bay, the Marin Planning Department created the “Can the Place Last” campaign. This campaign essentially laid the groundwork for years of a culture of containment that followed. According to the Sausalito Historical Society, this campaign, at its core, aimed to end unrestrained growth and development of Marin. An immediate consequence of this campaign was very little population growth in the years that followed. These barriers remain, disproportionately affecting workers and low-income families, who, according to a 2023 Marin County report, are being displaced out of Marin at alarming rates (loss of 33.5 people per 1,000 households of low-income residents). Given that nearly half of Marin’s population falls into the “low-income”
category, the lack of action in terms of affordable housing is inevitably affecting a large amount of our own population. So the contradiction persists: The same community that shops local and buys organic still lacks the action needed to take care of the people who make that very lifestyle possible. The caregivers who take care of the youth, the teachers who educate our kids, the servers who diligently bring us fresh food cannot afford to live in the county they work in. They cannot afford to live here, because, whether it's realized or not, the choices actively made by Marin’s residents put a barrier between these people and the progressive community we pride ourselves in being a part of.
In order for Marin to truly live up to its “brand”, people must realize that progressive ideals cannot coexist with exclusionary policies or a “pick-and-choose” mentality. Selective progression is not true progress.
nbaker@redwoodbark.org
The true damage of politicizing tragedy
By Evelyn Harper
In the early hours of July 4, 2025, over 30 feet of water rushed into Hunt, Texas with little warning to residents. While some were able to escape, over 100 people passed away, many being young girls from a local summer camp, Camp Mystic. Moments like these reveal the best and the worst in people. Often, local communities will rally around each other, allowing time for grieving and for the community to build their lives back up together. On social media, however, people often turn to political blame and
negativity. When one is far away from a tragedy, it is easy to just hit post on a harmful comment or story, but what can be posted in one second can deepen the divide among citizens when unity is what is really needed during hard times. In times of hardship, focusing on solidarity instead of division and blame is essential as disasters can affect everyone regardless of politics. Communities are able to heal and rebuild faster when people choose kindness and empathy rather than blame.
After the Texas floods, many turned to social media to spread negative opinions and place blame on politics. According to the September Bark survey, 49 percent of students reported seeing negative and insensitive comments about the Texas floods on social media, showing how quickly hate can spread regarding a disaster. Politics often become involved in natural disasters and shift the focus away from the survivors and those who were lost to a political fight. According to the Magnolia Tribune, “Leftist activist Ron Filipkowski said in a now-deleted post, ‘The people in Texas voted for government services controlled by Donald Trump and Greg Abbott. This is exactly what they are getting.’” Filipkowski is implying that because of Texas’s political views, they deserved the tragedy that happened to them, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Natural disasters like these can happen to anyone, and no one is to blame. Instead of unfairly placing blame in tragic situations, helping others can allow communities to recover.
veteran, is among dozens volunteering in the ongoing recovery effort. ‘Everybody gets tired,’ he said, ‘but the task is to help give closure to those families.’” Many of the search and rescue volunteers went days without rest, and many traveled from far away to help a community in need. During times of tragedy, an uplifting and helpful attitude is what’s needed.
Change is often required and sparked after a tragedy. In Texas, there was a lack of flood warnings, but blaming that on politics immediately after the floods is not what needed to happen. The parents of 27 children who died at camp during the flood fought to get Senate Bill 1 passed, the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act, which forces camps in flood areas to require more safety requirements to hopefully prevent any more flood-related deaths. In the face of tragedy, more people need to be willing to make a change that will prevent history from repeating itself.
Communities are able to heal and rebuild faster when people choose kindness and empathy rather than blame.
Disasters can bring both unity and division all over the country. Insensitive and hateful comments only make the grief worse for those directly impacted, and therefore, it is important to keep in mind how a post might impact the one viewing it on the other side. While holding leaders accountable is important, it has a time and place which is not directly after a disaster occurs. Next time a tragedy happens, think about what you can do to make a positive impact, and make sure that anything you are posting or saying won't create harm and hate towards those going through what could be the worst time of their life.
Even in the middle of devastation in Hunt, Texas, those who were able, helped their community in any way possible. According to KRIS News, “Nevada, an Iraq War
Illustration by Paloma Nacamuli
Illustration by Natalie Vinogradsky
America’s freedom of speech is on mute
Time to speak smarter, not louder
POLICY: All editorials are unsigned and have been approved by the majority of the Bark staff.
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.
The First Amendment, added to the United States Constitution in 1791, guarantees the right to freedom of speech. However, currently this amendment can feel more like a risk than a fundamental right. Across America, freedom of speech is being threatened, with two recent events being particularly tumultuous: the assassination of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) cofounder Charlie Kirk, and the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
A national survey conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found that only one in four Americans thought that the right to freedom of speech was “completely” or “very” secure. This is an especially concerning statistic, given that the First Amendment is a foundational right, and should be regarded as such.
Charlie Kirk, a known conservative activist, was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, during one of his TPUSA “Debate Me” events at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s assassination showcases one of the harshest ways that freedom of speech is being squashed: violence. During these tours, Kirk voiced his opinions on political matters in debates with college students. His assassination was met with a large variety of reactions on social media. Responses ranged from prayers for him and his family to celebrations and jokes about him being publicly assassinated, circulating on social media.
Additionally, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel saw his show temporarily suspended after he commented on President Trump and his supporters’ reactions to Kirk’s death. Kimmel does not officially belong to a political party, but his political commentary and actions have become increasingly critical of conservatives, particularly President Trump. Kimmel claimed the Make America Great Again movement was using Kirk’s death as a vessel for the escalation of rhetoric and political messaging. Trump-appointed Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr criticized the show after it aired, and within hours, Nexstar, a media group, had suspended the show. Many have attributed it to Nexstar working on a deal with the FCC for a merger with Tigna, another media group.
Although these incidents can feel “far away,” it’s important not to make rash decisions on what you choose to post on your own platform or who you decide to listen to. Blocking or unfollowing people based on inferences about their political alignments means silencing an opinion just because you don’t share a similar view. Remembering to take a step back from social media after any event is a crucial step in ensuring you aren’t silencing freedom of speech yourself.
Free speech is a right that must be upheld at all times, not just when it suits one’s opinion. Its power
A BARK to SMART period waivers. Suddenly, all of our friends are coincidentally employed on Wednesday and Friday afternoons!
A BITE to the traffic jam on Lucky Drive. We move slower than the school Chromebooks.
A BARK to Amy’s getting shut down. It was never Super Duper.
A BITE to Redwood sports fans. We can’t hear you! (or see you)
comes from the idea that it’s a two-way street: You can publicly disagree with someone’s opinion, and they can publicly disagree with yours. When we start prioritizing our own opinions over someone’s right to speak freely, we enter dangerous territory where, as a country, we become more divided and unstable. We have to learn to look past our individual biases, and become a more open-minded society that puts more respect on freedom of speech.
Some may argue that restricting freedom of speech is important in certain instances to protect our democracy and national security. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook flagged or restricted false claims about the virus, including conspiracy theories and misleading information about the vaccine, to protect public health. We acknowledge that these restrictions on freedom of speech should be imposed to protect the safety of the greater good. Recently, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” was reinstated on the air, although certain streaming platforms are abstaining from showing the segment. This highlights that while some forms of censorship are reversible with minimal damage, others, such as the violent assassination of Charlie Kirk, are not as easily reversed. Protecting freedom of speech does not mean that you have to agree with every opinion, but rather that any disagreement should be followed up with more discussion.
The energy put towards posts on social media should instead be redirected towards invoking true change in local government. When you post videos about what and who you support, as well as reposting statements, that doesn’t have the same level of impact as going out in the world and talking to different people with contrasting perspectives other than your own. As high schoolers heading towards legal voting age, it’s imperative that we are surrounded by people who are unlike ourselves, and don’t stray from uncomfortable conversations. Work to advance yourself as a person rather than solely conforming to the viewpoints made by those close to you, and make the constructive change you wish to see in this democracy.
Have an opinion regarding anything that appears in the Bark or in general? We encourage our readers to submit letters to the editor. Letters to the Bark should be 500 words or fewer, typed if possible and signed. They must be emailed to bark@redwoodbark.org
RepoRteRs
Arjun Aujla
Ava Carlson
Emilie Erickson
Pasha Fooman
Grace Gehrman
rEportErs
Alexander Atherton
A BARK to Taylor Swift’s upcoming album. TS is exciting!
A BITE to U.S. politics. South Park doesn’t even have to come up with episode ideas anymore!
A BARK to Jimmy Kimmel Live! returning. We’ve never watched this show but it’s nice having the option.
A BITE to the back parking lot. We guess Rome really wasn’t built in a day.
Editors-in-ChiEf
Cora Champommier
Paige Edelen
Morgan Sicklick
hEad Copy Editors
Madison Bishop
Jamie Glennon
Chloe Jennings
Copy Editors
Gabrielle Baumgarten
Eleanor Bentley
Jack Block
Vivi Endler
Siena Forster
Brooke Hansen
Mila Martinez
Petra Novotny
Nico Ruel
Logan Scully
Elsa Sherman
Estelle Smith
Tessa Soccorsy
Adela Tabak
Georgia Thomas
opinion Editors
Amrit Aujla
Bella Garbo
Isha Patel
fEaturE Editors
Hilah Brekhus-Lavinsky
Paige Catanese
Ben Mueller
Editors
LifEstyLEs
Kate Barker
Mariel Goodhart
Maggie Schwartz
GamEs Editors
Richard Byrne
Lucy Jeffers
sports Editors
Henry Barker
Jake Post
Asha Zlatoper
nEws Editors
Anna Horn
Izzy Marsh
Penelope Trott
rEviEw Editors
Hayden Martay
Angelina Purvey
Sofia Yanni
vidEo Editors
Aaron Jensen
Joel Kurtzman
Tate Ralston
Tobin Rivera
Annabelle Walker
spanish Editors
Ofelia Huneeus
Josephine Perlov
Beatrice Nass
podCast Editors
Mo Colaco
Adriella Marcus
Scarlett Musgrove
outsidE opportunitiEs
Nina Baker
Claire Johnson
Maddy Wagner
BusinEss manaGErs
Cian Kelly
Leighton Olsen
Brooklyn Saputo
soCiaL mEdia manaGErs
Leyton Defesche
Evelyn Harper
Elle Wilson
data anaLysts
Matthew Delay
Charles Anderson
Lily Bell
Hudson Brod
Claire Carbone
Gabriel Cavanagh
Esperanza Cubillos
Lauren Ellington
Dorothy Florence
Skye Hammond
Liam Healy
Elizabeth Hopkins
Elsa Houtkooper
Olen Johnson
Lily Kilgore
Elaina Leighton
Lucy Levine
Owen Scheeline
Logan Schneidewind
Evan Wang Sienna Watt
advisEr
Erin Schneider
Kate Morgan
Sophie Sahai
wEB dEsiGnErs
Reed Grossman
Zander Hakimi
Madisen Petersmeyer
staff iLLustrators
Olivia Hamm
Paloma Nacamuli
Rosstin Pouradib
Natalie Vinogradsky
muLtimEdia dEsiGnErs
Zoe Peters
Lily Skinner
Tessa Tuatini
staff photoGraphErs
Wes Fitzpatrick
Noah Gersch
Oren Weingarten
Illustration by Olivia Hamm
games games
pnacamuli@redwoodbark.org
games@redwoodbark.org
feature feature
By Madison Bishop
When Taylor Swift announced her engagement to National Football League (NFL) star Travis Kelce on Aug. 26, 2025, it wasn’t just another celebrity headline: It was a cultural moment. From TikTok, to Instagram to X, fans flooded social media with ecstatic reactions expressing joy and disbelief over the news. The couple first went public at the Sept. 2023 Kansas City Chiefs game. While the average age for first marriage in the United States is approximately 29 years (U.S. Census Bureau), both Swift and Kelce are turning 36 this year, making for an especially anticipated announcement.
But when a celebrity engagement feels this personal to so many, it raises a bigger question: Have the lines between fan culture and reality become too blurred?
For social studies and economics teacher David Plescia, the speed of the announcement’s spread was striking, but not surprising. With two teenage daughters who are avid fans of Swift (or “Swifties”), he was quick to hear the news that morning.
“I knew about [the engagement] because my daughters texted me immediately. I saw the text message and I asked my students about it after lunch,” Plescia said. “[The engagement] spread like wildfire. It was one of those things that shows you just how fast news can travel. Even people who don’t listen to Taylor Swift knew it was happening. It was pretty amazing.”
Plescia sees the cultural obsession with Swift as part of a broader pattern that stretches back decades.
“There's always been a fascination with different celebrities and icons, whether they're silver screen actors or musicians,” Plescia said. “Media itself has transformed in the digital age, but there’s been a past precedent for this with Beatlemania, Elvis and ‘one-hit-wonders’ that come and go.”
Beatlemania, the frenzy surrounding the Beatles in the 1960s, was marked by tearful fans, fainting concert-goers and obsessive media coverage. While social media didn’t exist then, the hysteria did, mirroring much of the same passion seen in Swift’s fanbase today.
“In this new digital age, [Swift] has risen with social media. She's got the whole album, billboard, top music hits and it's played across so many mediums,” Plescia said.
Not everyone sees Swift’s influence as a positive. For junior Mateo Anon, the fan culture surrounding her feels more intense than admiration and borders on obsession.
“Girls talk about [Swift] like they’ve known her forever,” Anon said.
“They make it seem like they’re roommates and [that] she’s the coolest, nicest person that everyone wants to be.
Sometimes, it literally feels like a cult.”
While Anon acknowledges Swift’s impact, he expresses concern about the social pressure to closely follow a celebrity whose work, in his view, is not groundbreaking.
That CD was Swift’s ‘1989’ album, which was released in Oct. of 2014. As Gerber got older, her connection to Swift’s music deepened.
“Then, around seventh grade, I started listening to her less mainstream songs that you wouldn’t hear on the radio. That’s when I started to really love both her and her music,” Gerber said.
Swift released her first single, Tim McGraw, in 2006 at 16 years old. Over the years, she has experimented with genres including country, pop, alternative and indie folk. Gerber sees that evolution as a reflection of both Swift’s maturity and her own.
“The level of control [Swift] has over girls is insane,” Anon said. “Almost every girl is following her, wearing her merchandise, following her every move and posting [Swift] on their Instagram stories.”
While Anon recognizes that Swift’s music resonates with many fans, he does not personally relate to it.
“[Girls] feel like they know [Swift] personally because of her songs. She's had similar experiences to many of them, so it feels relatable," Anon said. “I don’t listen to her music at all. For me, [the songs] are very girly, kind of corny and all sound the same. Also, I relate to zero percent of her music.”
And yet, even Anon concedes that the devotion might not be all bad.
“[The fandom] shows how easily people can be influenced by one person. That definitely isn’t a good thing,” he said. “But, on the other hand, it’s good that [Swift] fans have someone who they can look up to and admire.”
For senior Storey Gerber, Swift’s music has been a constant presence in her own life. Her introduction to the artist came early, as a child during the holidays.
“At [a young] age, the only music you normally listen to is the music that your parents play in the car. But when I got the CD for Christmas, I discovered something that I really liked and wanted to listen to on my own,” Gerber said.
“[Swift] has transitioned through so many genres throughout her career. The more you listen to her, the more you can see it,” Gerber said. “She’s in her thirties and has been making music for so long. As she releases more music, you can hear her voice and her lyrics mature. Therefore, [fans] relate to more and more of her music as we all grow up.”
For Gerber, Swift also fills a more personal role.
“I’ve always been so jealous of my friends with older sisters. They have somebody whose advice and footsteps they can follow,” Gerber said. “It’s comforting to listen to [Swift’s] earlier albums and songs. The lyrics feel so relevant to my life in high school because that’s exactly when she wrote them. It’s just cool to have that because it feels like you're talking to one of your friends when you listen to those songs.”
Gerber also admires Swift’s songwriting, which she says expresses emotions that many listeners struggle to articulate.
“She writes her music so beautifully. All the different situations that people can’t put into words; she puts them into words,” Gerber said. “I remember listening to [her song] ‘Fifteen’ on my 15th birthday at the beginning of freshman year, which felt so sweet because it’s about starting high school.”
Although Swift and her fans may not be personally acquainted, Gerber emphasizes the strong sense of connection fans experience regardless.
“Obviously, she has no idea who you are, but it feels like she’s talking about you or narrating a part of your life,” Gerber said. “[It’s] probably my favorite thing about her.” mbishop@redwoodbark.org
MARRIED SOCIAL STUDIES teachers, David and Nicole Plescia, celebrate Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour with their teenage daughters.
Photo courtesy of David Plescia
Infographic and illustrations by Lily Skinner
Illustration by Rosstin Pouradib
PINK TAX Forcing women to pay the price
By Morgan Sicklick and Siena Forster
Down the fluorescent-lit aisle of a neighborhood drugstore, two nearly identical razors sit side by side, one packaged in navy blue, the other in pastel pink. Same brand, same blade count, same handle, yet the pink one costs 66 percent more.
This subtle price difference reflects a broader, welldocumented pattern known as the “pink tax,” in which products marketed toward women cost more than comparable items for men. From razors to deodorant to dry cleaning, studies have found women routinely pay more for everyday goods and services, sparking consumer complaints and legislative efforts to close the price difference.
THE PRICE OF PINK
Across the United States, the “pink tax” has been documented frequently. A landmark study by New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs found that products marketed to women cost an average of seven percent more than nearly identical products marketed to men. By category, personal care products averaged about 13 more, adult clothing about eight and children’s clothing about four percent more. In 2020, California passed a law banning gender-based pricing for certain goods, and similar bills have been introduced in other states. Despite these efforts, many everyday items still cost more for women, creating an invisible strain on their wallets. In 2020, the California Senate Committee on Judiciary and the Senate Select Committee on Women, Work & Families reported that, on average, women spend $2,381 more than men each year on comparable goods and services. Over the course of an average woman’s life, this amounts to roughly $188,000 in pink tax.
A TAX TEENS CAN’T IGNORE
While lawmakers debate solutions, some students notice the price gap every time they shop. In a September 2025 Bark survey, 71 percent of students believed that gender-based price differences impact consumers. One of these students, junior Frankie Fagersten, a user of femalemarketed products, noticed that multiple products were more expensive when marketed to women.
“I have seen razors, deodorant and shampoo [being priced differently for women],” Fagersten said. “Just because a product is marketed for women or meant to be used by a woman shouldn’t allow it to cost extra, especially because men’s [products] don’t cost extra,” Fagersten said.
Senior Lucy Howard said she had never thought about gendered pricing until it was explained to her.
and set prices based on who’s willing to pay more,” Tepovich said.
Women can be set back financially not only by the added tax but also by the gender pay gap.
“Women already earn less on average than men do, and then they’re expected to pay more for everyday products so it’s like a double disadvantage, and earning less while spending more over time makes it harder for women to save money and build wealth or even cover basic needs [whereas] men don’t have to deal with [this issue],” Fagersten said.
There are two ways for consumers to understand the marketing reasoning behind the “pink tax,” one that satisfies the consumers’ needs and one that shows the profit for businesses.
The motivations around the pink tax come more explicitly from a classic capitalist stance:
“Firms know women often have more inelastic demand for wellness and personal-care products, meaning they’ll pay a higher price even if it goes up, and they use that data to maximize profits,” Tepovich said. “On the other hand, you could say businesses are just being strategic — if women don’t want to pay the higher price, they don’t have to. It depends on whether you’re looking at it from a consumer or a business lens.”
If you can make money off it, you should.
“I honestly hadn’t noticed it before, but now that I know, it makes me sad. When you think about how much stuff like toothbrushes, razors and shampoo cost, it’s frustrating to realize women are paying more just because of color or marketing,” Howard said.
Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, Lawyer and Vice President at Brennan School of Justice
With these marketing strategies, the “pink tax” benefits companies profiting from this slight price increase.
Howard added that she often gravitates toward the more “feminine” versions even when they cost more.
“If I’m being honest, I’d still probably pick the cuter or pink version even if it was more expensive, because it feels like it’s ‘for me,’ but at the same time it’s upsetting to think about how companies are using that against us,” Howard said. “Now that I know about it, I might actually look at the men’s products or unisex options before buying, or at least compare prices more carefully.”
THE ALARMING COST OF THE PINK TAX
Economics teacher Ann Tepovich has seen the realworld implications of the “pink tax” both through her personal experience and through the lens of an economist, and she has noticed the price gap isn’t accidental.
“Economically, this is a classic example of price discrimination — companies segment their customers
The hidden costs of maternity leave
By Paige Catanese
I’ve worked for 25 years, but I took long periods off for two of my kids. I didn’t get paid for those full years. So it doesn’t count, [and] so it looks like [I have] 23 years of service.
- Julie Bremer First Grade Teacher
Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, a lawyer and vice president for the Brennan School of Justice at NYU School of Law, says, “I think the motivations around the pink tax come more explicitly from a classic capitalist stance: If you can make money off it, you should.”
From razors to dry cleaning, Tepovich believes the added costs aren’t justified.
“It’s hard to argue women’s items cost more because of actual differences. In many cases, it’s the same product with a different color, which isn’t fair,” Tepovich said.
A FORM OF DISCRIMINATION
Once you are aware of this tax, you can take steps to combat it. According to the Seattle Times, people can “Report violations [of this gender discrimination] to the California Department of Consumer Affairs.” Congress has called out this discrimination by proposing the Pink Tax Repeal Act. Introduced on March 26, 2024, the Pink Tax Repeal Act H.R. 7828 states, “[This bill is] to prohibit the pricing of consumer products and services that are substantially similar if such products or services are priced differently based on the gender of the individuals for whose use the products are intended or marketed or for whom the services are performed or offered.” Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California, the lead sponsor of the legislation, believed that this bill would eliminate the discriminatory pricing that the “pink tax” endorses. “The pink tax is blatantly discriminatory, affecting women from all walks of life from the cradle to the grave.”
Back in the drugstore aisle, the price tags are still there, small and silent, but noticeable. The pink razor still costs more than the navy one despite similar features. For shoppers rushing between errands, it’s a tiny decision at the checkout counter that can ultimately have larger consequences.
“Stores should be more upfront about these differences so consumers can make informed choices,” Howard said. “Right now it’s hidden, and most people don’t realize they’re paying more.” bark@redwoodbark.org
Infographic by Morgan Sicklick
Illustration by Paloma Nacamuli
Slang’s role in high school identity
By Tate Ralston and Rosstin Pouradib
If a Redwood student is asked what
‘ferda’ and ‘steez’ mean, there will be one of two responses: A deep sigh and a shrug or laughs and snickers as thoughts of the partying and drinking culture associated with the words flood the mind. Slang words don’t create the culture of drinking and partying in high school, but they have become a shorthand for it, often creating a greater divide between different friend groups who associate or dissociate with these terms. Slang has always come and gone. The latest words say less about their dictionary definitions and more about the culture they mirror. The terms highlight how talk about that culture belonging to it is in language.
new. “Ferda” from hockey short for “for the It took off on spreading to nationwide.
“Steez,” short for with ease,” cycled skateboarding and snowboarding communities before gaining traction on TikTok through influencers. But at Redwood, both words have come to signal more than athletic style or sports bonding they’ve tied themselves to drinking culture. These words are among many others that have held meaning tied to a party culture in the past.
exactly what they actually mean. I just know they go hand in hand with extreme socializing and partying.”
Senior Emma Quaroni was unfamiliar with the meaning of these words until recently. But once she understood their meaning, she quickly connected them to a specific social crowd.
“I’d say the more shy, quiet kids don’t use this slang as much,” Quaroni said. “I hear it more from people who have loud personalities or are pretty wellknown in their class.”
Physical Education teacher Todd Van Peursem has worked at
Redwood for 19 years and pointed to social media as the real driver of change. Social media has played a large role in spreading slang to people around the world quickly, but it hasn’t always looked like this. In the late 1990s and early 2000s slang was more centralized within groups, towns or cities before social media's invention, but has always existed. Whether it was a play on words or inside jokes, slang was created and had different connotations throughout different social groups.
“These kids are exposed to these behaviors through influencers who promote products. It’s about fitting in because their favorite influencers were using them,” Van Peursem said.
Via TikTok’s algorithm designed to spread content as far as possible, content filmed in one small part of the country is able to go viral all throughout America. This leads to widespread trends that are popular nationwide and even worldwide.
“I’ve seen kids from Florida and other areas across the country using ferda and other slang the same way we use them. Social media has done this to our language and created a norm among a much larger audience,” Charles said.
will last forever, he believes the culture tied to it is permanent.
“I think these words have redefined social life to partying, drug use and hookups,” Charles said.
Whether students embrace or reject slang like “ferda” and “steez,” its presence at Redwood reveals how words shape identity and belonging. They don’t just signal inside jokes—they signal which social circles you belong to and sometimes, whether you’re willing to participate in risky behaviors to fit in.
Charles, a junior who wished to remain anonymous, emphasized the importance of slang in student life.
“Slang words play a huge role in how we socialize and communicate in high school,” Charles said. “When you use certain words, people know you’re part of the same crowd or you get the same jokes; it’s kind of how you connect with others.”
He also reflected on terms like ferda and steez, connecting them to popularity and social culture.
“I’m not really sure, but I feel like [slang like ferda and steez] means someone who is very popular, not only in the social scene, but in partying and drinking,” Charles said. “I’ve personally used them many times, but can’t put my finger on
Teens are sleeping on the risks of melatonin
“In 2007, everything shifted when we gave kids cell phones—supercomputers— with no restrictions. Social media ads started targeting kids and students at Redwood were involved in promoting products like vape pens on Instagram. It became a direct, kid-to-kid connection, bypassing adult supervision,” Van Peursem said.
While admitting that he uses these words, Charles also acknowledges the problems they can cause.
“There’s a lot of peer pressure in high school. Seeing these things on social media has spread to our social lives and created a stigma that partying and drinking is normal at our age,” Charles said.
Van Peursem emphasized that slang and advertising feed into the same loop of influence. When a teenager hears their favorite influencer using a slang word, they are likely to use it as well.
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Archive. However, this doesn’t come naturally for many. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, eight out of ten teenagers fail to meet the recommended amount of sleep for their age. For many, an easy fix is to take some form of sleep medication, commonly overthe-counter melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone
Much like her peers, Quaroni uses social media which gives her insight into this “normalization” that social media creates. She believes these trends have contributed to the toxic reinforcement of social status in high schools.
“It makes people feel more excluded. If you don’t know the terms, you can feel like you’re missing out. It creates a larger gap between different friend groups,” Quaroni said.
While Charles doesn’t think slang itself
“If people used less words like those, partying and drinking could just be something you can do or don’t have to do. Sometimes the terms make it seem like more people are doing it—and make it seem cooler,” Quaroni said. “That makes high school social life less healthy.”
Words like ferda and steez might sound harmless, but they carry weight and meaning. They become shorthand for a lifestyle that pressures teens to join in, whether they’re ready or not. Social media amplifies this pressure, but it isn’t the root; it's the slang itself, framing alcohol and drugs as a way to claim a spot in the circle. The real question isn’t whether new words will keep popping up, because they
bark@redwoodbark.org
by the brain that helps to regulate the sleep cycle and circadian rhythm. It has also become a popular dietary supplement sold over the counter to improve sleep, formally called exogenous melatonin. Melatonin products are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means they are less regulated than most prescription drugs. Labels on these supplements can sometimes be deceiving. A 2022 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network found that the quantity of melatonin in tested supplements ranged from 74 percent to 347 percent of the labeled amount. Pediatric Psychologist and Redwood
Parent Michelle Purvey has seen this firsthand in her practice.
“In [melatonin] supplements, there's variability in the amount of synthetic melatonin in the pills and chewable [supplements]. You think you're giving your child the amount labeled on the bottle, but there's could be more or less. There's a higher risk of overdosing,” Purvey said.
bark@redwoodbark.org
To read more, scan the QR:
Eight hours: The minimum amount of sleep the average teenager aged 13-18 should have, according to the Centers for
By Vivi Endler and Penelope Trott
Illustration by Natalie Vinogradsky
By Olen Johnson and Lily Skinner
1: Busted
For many teens in Marin County, sneaking alcohol into a music festival is considered a rite of passage. That is, until they’re caught and cuffed with piles of paperwork for a Minor in Possession (MIP) citation. This is the exact situation for a junior at Redwood, who chose to remain anonymous, and whom we will refer to as “Ken.” Ken easily passed through security at Napa Valley’s music festival, Bottlerock, having hidden small containers of alcohol in his pants. But before he had the chance to open the shooters (small 1.5oz ready-todrink shots of alcohol), he was caught.
“I got through the main security checkpoint with some shooters in my underwear. Then, I was really nervous and scared, so I started taking them out. The second I pulled out the shooters, I saw a line of cops come over and tackle me,” Ken said.
He felt humiliated pressed up against a wall, handcuffed and at risk of being kicked out of the venue. One woman felt bad for Ken and told the cops she was Ken’s aunt so that he could stay on site.
“She was just right next to me when they put me in handcuffs and she told me she felt so bad for ‘these kids for just trying to have fun,’” Ken said.
Ken understood that what he did was wrong, but still thought the interaction was more intense than necessary.
“[The cops] were a little harsh on me. I don't think it was a big deal. It's not like I tried to run from them. I think putting me in handcuffs and leaning me against the wall was a little much,” Ken said.
To School Resource Officer Christopher Dixon of the Central Marin Police Department, the situation of underage teens drinking is seen differently.
“Ultimately, we want everybody to be
safe. We know things are gonna happen. It is what it is — you guys are in high school. But, it's just a matter of being safe,” Dixon said.
For those reasons, minors must be cited and arrested to fully understand the gravity of the circumstance.
Commonly known as an MIP citation, California Business and Profession Code 25662 states that “any person under 21 years of age who possesses any alcoholic beverage on any street or highway or in any public place or any place open to the public is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of $250 or the person shall be required to perform not less than 24 hours or more than 32 hours of community service during hours when the person is not employed or is not attending school.”
Ken recalls the phone call his mom received after the incident at BottleRock. Not only was he full of shame, but he was also afraid of the process and what was going to happen next.
“[Receiving an MIP] scared me, because I thought I was going to have to pay a lot of money, which my mom would not have been happy with and maybe even go all the way back to Napa every weekend [for community service hours], which I’ve heard has happened,” Ken said.
Ken did not face the same kind of repercussions with the law that others may encounter when stuck in a similar situation. During his mom’s phone call with the police, she explained that he’s a “good kid” and she said he doesn’t need resources to cope with his alcohol use. Five months later, his case was dropped.
Had the officers not called Ken’s parents, another option would have been to issue a written citation of the violation to the minor, which would likely be followed by a courtesy notice to his home address. The citation would have information about further steps.
“ULTIMATELY,
WE WANT everybody to be safe. We know things are going to happen. It is what it is — you guys are in high school. But, it’s just a matter of being safe,” Officer Christopher Dixon said.
Photo Courtesy of Central Marin Police Department
3: Aftermath
Cases like Ken’s leave the minor with fear moving forward. It reminds them that one night of drinking can destroy opportunities down the line.
“The arrest scared my friends. Because I was one of the first [of my friends] to go through [security], they saw what happened to me and all threw out their alcohol before they came in,” Ken said.
Moving on after an incident like this can be challenging, but not impossible. For instance, when a minor turns 18, there's an opportunity to erase or “seal” a juvenile record from public access.
“When you become 18, you can go to the courts, depending on how things have
gone since your citation. If you've shown improvement, you can get your record sealed as a juvenile.” Dixon said.
Officer Dixon’s role as School Resource Officer is to help kids get on the right track and set up guardrails that lenient parents might have missed out on.
“I'm all about being proactive in sticky situations. ‘Hey, you messed up. Let's figure this out, right?’ But my biggest thing is patterns. If you continue to repeat things, you start to force my hand at this point and make me take disciplinary action, then make it harder to set yourself up for success,” Dixon said.
bark@redwoodbark.org
PARADISE LIQUOR ON Paradise Drive frequently encounters minors attempting to buy alcohol with fake IDs.
Illustration by Olivia Hamm
Photo by Olen Johnson
Infographic by Lily Skinner
La promoción del restaurante Mijo
Por Adriella Marcus
Mijo, un restaurante en Corte Madera con comida de españa esta ofrenda un trato especial. Puede donar $10 a algo escuela en Marin o San Francisco si page $100 o más de comida. Mijo está en Corte Madera, y está abierto para la cena siete días por semana, y también tiene “happy hour” a las 4 a 5:30.
La promoción es efectiva hasta oct. 31, y necesite mostrar a su servidor la publicación de promoción en el Mijo instagram para que se haga
efectiva. Además de $10 para la escuela de su elección, la escuela con más donaciones al final de cada semana recibirá una tarjeta de regalo de $150. Kello Aguriie, una gerente y una exalumna de Archie Williams dijo que la idea fue un esfuerzo de grupo entre todo el personal del restaurante. El pulpo
El pulpo comenzó la comida con una gran nota. Presentaba brócoli, romanesco, patatas asadas, salsa mojo rojo, y berro. El pulpo tenía un sabor ligeramente ahumado, y diferentes especias agregaron dimensión al plato. La salsa también estuvo muy bien con el pulpo y las otras partes del plato. Eran $20.
sabor distintivo y color amarillo. La paella fue especialmente impresionante porque tiene una porción muy grande de mariscos. Había almejas, mejillones, camarones y vieiras. Costó $46.
La chuleta de cerdo
La chuleta de cerdo en Mijo Marin era muy diferente de otras chuletas de cerdo que puedes encontrar en otros lugares. En el momento en que muerda el plato podrá degustar una explosión de diferentes especias. Esta chuleta de cerdo añade un delicioso toque español a su chuleta de cerdo tradicional. El plato también incluía garbanzos estofados, chorizo, col rizada, ensalada de manzana e hinojo, y gastrique de jerez. Costó $37.
La paella
La paella es un plato tradicional de España. Tiene un base de arroz que incluye azafrán, una especia que le da paella su
Voces en Español
Por Espy Cubillos
A nivel mundial, la Inteligencia Artificial (IA) se ha extendido de un país a otro y sigue ganando cada vez más terreno en escuelas, empresas y gobiernos. En muchos países hispanohablantes, su uso está progresando rápidamente. Pero, ¿cómo se compara esto con nuestra comunidad latina hispana local en Redwood? Si bien cada país tiene su propia forma de usar la IA, se han observado tendencias similares en todos los ámbitos, que se centran principalmente en la falta de inspiración y en la búsqueda de ayuda en plataformas como ChatGPT, Copilot y/o Google Gemini. Sin embargo, muchas personas han desarrollado el hábito de utilizar estos
chatbots debido a la falta de regulación, ya que pueden responder casi cualquier pregunta en cuestión de segundos.
En las aulas hispanohablantes, específicamente, la IA ha aparecido en plataformas que ayudan a los profesores a preparar lecciones y a los estudiantes a traducir del español al inglés o viceversa.
Alison Do Carmo, profesora de español nivel 5.º a 6.º y inglés como segundo idioma (ELD) en Redwood, observa cómo el uso de tecnología de apoyo lingüístico comenzó hace al menos diez años y no ha hecho más que aumentar desde entonces.
“Incluso antes de la IA, teníamos corrector ortográfico y todo eso, así que si los estudiantes escriben y no acentúan o no conjugan el verbo correctamente, Google
El servicio
La comida en Mijo era estupenda, pero lo que más destacó fue el servicio. La comida salió bastante rápido, y nuestro
Docs lo cambia a la forma correcta,” Do Carmo dijo.
A pesar de usar la IA para ahorrar tiempo en la preparación de las lecciones, la clase de Do Carmo está prácticamente libre de tecnología.
“[Las estudiantes] tienen que escribir todo a mano, y no hay teléfonos ni computadoras,” Do Carmo dijo.
Según el programa de Inteligencia Artificial Centrada en el Ser Humano de la Universidad de Stanford, “Estados Unidos es el líder mundial en Inteligencia Artificial.” Pero, ¿cómo la utilizan de forma diferente los estudiantes y el personal, especialmente en Redwood?
Los estudiantes suelen usar la inteligencia artificial para redactar tareas,
camarero, David Pérez, fue lo que hizo que esta experiencia culinaria fuera especial. Era muy amable y constantemente tenía una sonrisa contagiosa.
En general, si está buscando un restaurante de alta gama cerca, y quiere devolverle a Redwood, este podría ser el lugar perfecto.
amarcus@redwoodbark.org
practicar clases e investigar proyectos. No obstante, en Redwood su uso varía según el profesor.
Isabel Gutiérrez, estudiante de segundo año de español de 5.º a 6.º grado, ocasionalmente utiliza plataformas de traducción, pero descubre que aprende mejor cuando visita a su familia durante las vacaciones en México. Puede leer más en redwoodbark.org. ecubillos@redwoodbark.org
review review
A bite into fall
SusieCakes’ limited-time seasonal treats
By Sofia Yanni
When September rolls around, pumpkin spice and cozy flavors take over everything from lattes to candles and SusieCakes is no exception. Known for their rich cakes and classic bakes, the bakery kicks off fall with a rotating lineup of seasonal treats. Each month brings something new, from September's pumpkin and banana flavors to October's Halloween-inspired sweets and November's holiday classics. These limited-time desserts carry the spirit of fall straight through the holiday season, making SusieCakes a spot worth revisiting as the months go by. The September treats are available through Sept. 28, giving fans the whole month to try them before the menu rotates again.
Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake
$5.49
The Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake is a bold entry into SusieCakes’ fall offerings. The flavor is intense yet balanced, blending warm pumpkin spice with smooth coffee notes. The cake is topped with pure coffee buttercream frosting and finished with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar, bringing together the spice and latte flavors. Moist and flavorful, each bite evokes the essence of fall. For those seeking a cozy, seasonal indulgence, this cupcake delivers.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
$8.75
After more than six years, the Banana Chocolate Chip Cake has returned to SusieCakes’ seasonal lineup—and it’s worth the wait. Made with ripe bananas and semisweet chocolate chips in a four-layer cake, it’s frosted with SusieCakes' signature cream cheese frosting and decorated with brown jimmies along the base. The cake is airy, rich without being overwhelming and has a perfect balance of banana and chocolate in every bite. While the cream cheese frosting may be strong for some palates, it complements the cake and brings all the layers together. Generous in size and staying fresh for days, this cake offers a satisfying and indulgent experience. Though slightly pricey, the quality and portion size make it worth trying.
SusieCakes' September fall lineup proves that the bakery knows how to capture the essence of the season. From the pumpkin-forward latte cupcake to the nostalgic return of the banana chocolate chip cake, the seasonal offerings are cozy, flavorful and indulgent. With new treats arriving each month, SusieCakes provides a reason to revisit throughout fall and into the holidays, ensuring that every bite feels like a celebration of the season.
syanni@redwoodbark.org
The Homecoming dress guide: Where to buy and what to know
By Maddy Wagner
With Homecoming around the corner, students are either pulling out their laptops or jumping into their cars to find the perfect dress. Whether you’re browsing online or racing to go last-minute shopping in a store, the search can be overwhelming. To help your search become easier, here are multiple popular online and in-store shops to help you find the most exquisite dress, by examining factors like price, return policy, shipping and sizing.
Princess Polly
Princess Polly is a trendy online store with a large selection of dresses that range from mini dresses to maxi dresses. When visiting the website, you can automatically find a section dedicated to Homecoming. While scrolling through the selection, there is an unlimited amount of dresses that you can choose from with a variety of colors and many dresses being under $100. The sizes range from 0-12, meaning a zero is an XXS and 12 is an XXL. The shipping is exceptional, with free shipping on orders over $50 taking 3-4 business days to arrive. Returns are allowed within 30 days of purchase, with a $6.95 fee deducted for return processing. Overall, shopping online at Princess Polly will ensure a refund and a dress that can come quickly.
Lucy In The Sky
Another considerable option that many students use is Lucy In The Sky. Although this is a common online store, they are known to have a reputation of clothing coming after the desired date you are shopping for. Glancing at the website right away, you can find the section for Homecoming dresses, with sizing ranging from XXS-L. Shipping costs $4.90 if you spend under $50, but over $50 results in free shipping. The return policy has its downsides, by only being able to receive store credit within 14 days of delivery. To be safe, order well in advance. While their dresses are stylish, slow shipping and strict returns make this a riskier option. On the bright side, their prices are reasonable, starting around $30. Their dresses are trendy, but be careful, you might end up wearing the same dress as ten other girls.
Beginning Boutique
Beginning Boutique has an easy and clear way to find the dress you're looking for by clicking on the Homecoming tab located at the top of the website. Just by scrolling briefly, you can find numerous dresses for the occasion and sizes ranging from XXS-XXXL. They provide free shipping if you spend over $100; otherwise, it’s $9.95-$13.99, and deliveries arrive within 3-6 business days. Returns are accepted for refund or store credit within 14-30 days, though a $9.99 return fee applies. Dress prices
STUDENT TAKES A peek at online
convenience with style.
range from $35-$100. This online store is another amazing way to find your perfect Homecoming dress with its stylish variety; from ruffled or silk designs to off-the-shoulder looks and more conservative styles as well.
Urban Outfitters
Returns are easy by returning the dress at any Urban Outfitters location within 1-3 business days of purchase and receiving a full refund. Also, you don't even have to wait for shipping, you can go on your own time! They have a variety of colors and sizes that are available from XXS - XL while prices range from $30 - $100. If you're late to the game, this is a solid bet to secure a dress for
No matter where you decide to shop, either online from the comfort of your home or in-store for the handson experience, there are plenty of options to choose from to make you feel confident for such a special event.
Infographic by Tessa Tuatini
boutiques in search for the perfect Homecoming dress, combining
Photo by Hayden Martay
Illustration by Olivia Hamm and Rosstin Pouradib
and MLWTWB
deliver drama and heartbreak to teens
By Tessa Soccorsy
With streaming platforms overflowing with new teen dramas, series featuring love triangles have drawn teenagers' attention and quickly become fan favorites.
“The Summer I Turned Pretty” (TSITP) and “My Life With the Walter Boys” (MLWTWB) are two that have captivated viewers, offering fresh perspectives on the classic love triangles. TSITP premiered its third season July 16 on Prime Video, while MLWTWB’s debuted its second season Aug. 28 on Netflix.
TSITP, directed by author Jenny Han, follows Isabel "Belly" Conklin. Belly spends her summers at Cousins Beach with the Fisher brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah. She has always loved Conrad, but as she grows older, Jeremiah provides her stability and a best-friend relationship. This series explores themes like grief, laughter and loss, following Belly’s feelings for both brothers, and her struggle to choose between them.
MLWTWB, produced by Melanie Halsall, follows the story of Jackie Howard. After her family dies in a car accident, Jackie leaves her fast-paced life in New York to live with the Walter family on a farm in Silver Falls, Colorado. She moves in with her mom’s best friend, her husband and their 10 kids. Jackie immediately notices Cole Walter, and throughout the show, they form an undeniable connection as they support each other during hard times. However, she also grows closer to his brother, Alex Walter, who is kind, sensitive and compassionate. Amid
Clutch your pearls: ‘Man’s Best Friend’ is Sabrina
Carpenter’s raunchiest project yet
By Aaron Jensen
When Sabrina Carpenter took to Instagram to unveil the cover of her new album, “Man’s Best Friend,” earlier this year, it’s easy to see why responses were polarizing. “This set women back like 100 years,” X users wrote. “Does she have a personality outside of sex?” another added. The scandalizing image, depicting Carpenter bent over on all fours as her hair is tugged by the hand of a faceless male entity, dominated the spotlight during the promotional campaign for the pop superstar’s seventh studio album. Naturally, it would be difficult for anyone to form an opinion on the highly anticipated 12-track record in good faith.
tensions between the brothers, Jackie is conflicted on who to pursue, while coping with her profound loss.
Love triangles and romance
Both series feature complex love triangles between brothers with a girl caught in the middle. In TSITP, Belly navigates changing feelings and identity as summer love starts to fade; her struggle is complicated due to the fact that she has known Conrad and Jeremiah her whole life, watching their relationships with her evolve over the years.
In MLWTWB, Jackie’s situation is different. After losing her whole family and moving to a small rural town, she seeks stability and belonging. Her choice involves more than romance; it is tied to grief, security and starting over. Both series navigate the confusion of attraction, but the emotional stakes are different. Belly's choice comes from lifelong relationships, whereas Jackie’s choice arises from sudden change and loss.
Family and belonging
While romance drives much of the action, family dynamics are key to these series. For Belly, comfort comes from her summers at Cousins Beach, where the bond between her mother and Susannah Fisher shapes the atmosphere. Throughout the series, friendship and family struggles highlight the connection between love and loss. Jackie’s life, meanwhile, becomes filled with multiple siblings and new parental figures as she adjusts to smalltown life. The shift is difficult and mirrors some of the themes of grief and healing that are explored in TSITP.
Both of these stories underscore how family shapes the teenage experience of life, love, loss and identity. Whether you're Team Conrad, Jeremiah, Cole or Alex, these shows prove teen TV is not just about romance—it's about growing up.
Pressing play on the album’s second track “Tears” (the first new song following the smash single “Manchild”), I was greeted with a charming yet ominous strike of keys followed by a sultry delivery of “Uhh, chikatah” from the five-foot bombshell. The accusations surrounding “Man’s Best Friend” aren’t helped by the first hook, crooning, “tears run down my thighs,” but the track is actually quite witty and self-aware. During a groovy, funky verse on “Tears,” Carpenter delivers the line, “A little communication, yes, that’s my ideal foreplay,” signaling that she knows her standards for male partners are exceedingly low—and that she’s in on the bit. It doesn’t read to me that she’s celebrating her controversial taste in men, but rather admitting it, with some regret, to listeners.
Moments like “We Almost Broke Up Last Night” and “Never Getting Laid” remind me why the ex-Disney starlet struggled to puncture the mainstream pop scene until her sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet.” The numbers clearly signaled that listeners weren’t interested in the Gracie Abrams-esque songwriting Carpenter had been churning out on “emails i can’t send,” and regrettably, parts of “Man’s Best Friend,” before she finally cracked the code with “Espresso” in 2024. Carpenter shines more through her sharp melodic instincts than through her attempts to be the “writer girl.” In a way, her consistent efforts to weave these attempted esoteric and confessional mementos throughout the tracklist suggest that she isn’t fully confident in her role as a songwriter in a culture that demands diaristic writing.
On the album’s highlight, “House Tour,” Carpenter nails the balance between cheeky innuendos and infectious pop melodies. “I promise none of this
is a metaphor. I just want you to come inside,” Carpenter declares. The song is accompanied by a track that could have only been executed by the ultimate sidekick of the modern pop girl: Jack Antonoff (seriously, no one can get enough of this guy). Pulling from classic ‘80s production elements reminiscent of Aqua and Madonna, the song is a nauseatingly bubblegum-pop soundscape with a groovy, brassy synthesizer so addicting I couldn’t stop replaying the hook.
After giving “Man’s Best Friend” a thorough spin, it’s hard to ignore the blatant hypocrisy and ignorance within some of the criticism of Carpenter’s lyrics when scrutinized for being overly promiscuous. It seems like today’s male artists are able to get away with far more crude references in their work than their female counterparts are. Yes, it’s worth acknowledging that Carpenter’s apparent obsession with sex and sexuality as artistic themes can grow fatiguing, but I don’t believe this album portrays her in a frivolous light. “Man’s Best Friend” is an audacious, intelligent commentary on Carpenter’s experience with womanhood in 2025. Whether “StanTwitter” aficionados share that same experience is trivial to the album’s mission statement.
Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
Photo courtesy of Netflix Media Center
Infographic by Tessa Tuatini
Photo
Best Friend’ full album!
A guide to parking lots
By Hilah Brekus-Lavinsky
Since the start of the 2025-2026 school year, the West parking lot, usually for juniors and staff, has been under construction. The East Lot, formerly occupied mostly by seniors, is now mostly for staff. Two temporary lots have been added: the Carlisle Lot next to the Carlisle building and a temporary parking lot between the gym and the Moody baseball field. Seniors with parking passes can now use one row in the East lot, part of the physical education (PE) lot, or the San Andreas lot. Juniors are limited to the Carlisle lot. While parking is now farther and less convenient for upperclassmen who drive to school, knowing which lot works best for each student can help reduce chaos. Here is a guide for which lot to park in depending on these specific circumstances.
East “Front” Lot:
The East Lot has one row consisting of 34 spots reserved for permitted seniors. This is a highly coveted location due to its short distance from the main building. Mostly obtained by students with zero periods, such as Leadership and Link Crew, the East lot is ideal for anyone who can arrive at school early. Traffic when exiting this lot at the end of the day is minimal, but congestion caused by parents picking up their children can increase wait times, earning this lot four stars.
Carlisle Lot:
This massive temporary lot consists of 117 parking spaces for juniors and late arrivals, but it’s farthest from campus, about a five-minute walk. It mainly serves students from Kentfield, Ross and nearby areas. Exiting can be chaotic with only one gate and no zipper system, sometimes taking up to 20 minutes. Despite this, its reliability in having open spots makes it a solid choice, earning three stars.
PE Lot:
The 17 spots fill quickly due to its central location and minimal traffic. Exiting is flexible: turn right through the East lot or left through the neighborhood. Its small size allows for quick exits, although spots are limited, earning this lot three stars.
San Andreas Lot:
With 22 spots, this lot is six minutes from the portables and ten minutes from the main building. It rarely fills, making it ideal for students with early free periods. Traffic is minimal, though exiting right through the East Lot can slow you down. Its distance from campus earns it two stars.
Gym Lot:
Located between the gym and the portables, this lot has 66 spots and rarely fills, making it easy to find a space to park. It’s a one-minute walk from the portables and three minutes from the main building. Traffic is light, depending on the way you exit. The even distance between the portables and main building as well as the likelihood of finding a spot, earns this lot four stars.
After looking deeper into the different lots with focuses based on availability, traffic and walking distance from buildings around the school, upperclassmen can now have a better understanding of what lots to take advantage of based on your schedule and preferences.
The pumpkin chai latte showdown
By Gabrielle Baumgarten
As the leaves begin to fall and the air turns crisp, coffee shops start to welcome the arrival of popular and delicious fall-themed items. Starbucks, in particular, is famous for its pumpkin chai latte, which has a thick, airy, flavourful consistency. However, due to the love and desire for Starbucks drinks, most people don’t consider how unhealthy pumpkin chai lattes are. I will be comparing the Starbucks pumpkin chai latte as well as one that is homemade with a focus on the contents of each.
Starbucks Pumpkin Chai Latte
Starbucks has always been a very popular choice for teens and adults. Their hit drinks tend to be their seasonthemed drinks. But what really gets people excited is when fall comes rolling around and it’s time for pumpkin-themed everything, with one of Starbucks' more popular items, the pumpkin chai latte. The thick foam is like a burst of flavor in your mouth, a frothy sensation that is satisfying to taste and strong in flavor. Though the pumpkin chai latte itself is quite tasty, it is very sweet and sugary. There are 460 calories and 150 of those calories are from fat. Along with 55 milligrams of cholesterol, 66 grams of sugar and 95 milligrams of caffeine in one grande. In addition to these negatives, a grande pumpkin chai latte is $6.25.
Homemade Pumpkin Chai Latte
Picture a pumpkin chai latte with less sugar that still represents fall in a cup. There is a Starbucks pumpkin creamer at Target to have the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor, without overpowering the chai. While going to Starbucks to order a pumpkin chai latte is easier than making it yourself, making the beverage at home is the more affordable option in the long run. At Target, the almond milk was $1.25, the Tazo chai tea was $6.49, the Starbucks pumpkin creamer was $5.39 and the half and half was $7.29. To purchase all of the ingredients at home, the total costs $20.42. This accounts for the amount of content that could make up to 30 pumpkin chai lattes, compared to Starbucks, where you could barely purchase four pumpkin chai lattes for the same price. Therefore, the homemade option would be the better, healthier alternative. In addition, the homemade pumpkin chai latte was very flavorful and had a strong taste of pumpkin, yet it didn’t dominate the chai aspect.
Overall, the taste of both the Starbucks and homemade pumpkin chai lattes were both savory and sweet; the ingredients were what made me question the Starbucks drink more. The amount of sugar and calories within the drink makes it difficult to enjoy and inconvenient to order again, making the homemade pumpkin chai latte the ideal
Illustration by Natalie Vinogradsky
Illustration by Natalie Vinogradsky
Photo by Gabrielle Baumgarten
Infographic by Lily Skinner
sports sports
Meet the fall captains
Which team is your favorite to play against in Marin County?
Photos and story By Jake Post
Flag football passed after back and forth with district
By Madisen Petersmeyer
Building on a journey that started years ago, the advocacy of young female Marin County athletes and community members for equal opportunity in sports has resulted in the recent kickoff of the first official season of girls’ varsity flag football in Redwood history.
The team was not introduced to the athletics department overnight. The idea of a girls’ flag football team was proposed many years before its establishment, with no success.
New assistant coach and offensive coordinator Kama Kaleikini was a part of the early process that began the battle for the new team.
“Starting this program has been in the talks for a while since I graduated; we tried to get it started up when I was in high school back in 2018 and 2019, but that fell through,” Kaleikini said.
The discussion of flag football re-emerged as a pressing issue among students and community members during school board meetings at the end of the last school year. Senior captain Gia Meyers, along with many other current players, made appearances in meetings in order to speak their mind.
“[Community members and students] were very passionate about why we should have flag football this year, so the tensions were pretty high [in the board room],” Meyers said.
Title IX, established in 1972, is a federal law that requires public high schools to provide equal opportunities for both female and male student athletes. During board meetings, Title IX was brought up several times because of the idea that having a boys’ football team and not a girls’ team is discriminatory.
While students and members of the district community led the efforts in advocating for the team, Principal Dr. Barnaby Payne played a large role in the board meetings that initially occurred before the team became official.
“[A member of the Terra Linda high school community] made public comments, demanding that we, the district, add flag football and talking about Title IX,” Payne said.
As a result of community advocacy and pressure on the district to ensure gender equality, the school board approved the team to begin as a new fall sports team.
When the opportunity presented itself late into the summer, both head coach Tyrone Robinson and Kaleikini
were quick to step up. Despite being informed just a month before the season started, they embraced the challenge of assembling a team by Aug. 11. For Robinson, also the Dean of Students, it was more than just a coaching opportunity; it was a chance to further the community around Redwood athletics.
“[Through] my background as a counselor, I really take a lot of pride in trying to create a positive environment for young people to thrive in,” Robinson said.
One of Robinson’s main goals for the season is to
give the players a good experience and make them want to return. Even with a four-loss start, the team’s energy remained high, with players and parents showing their passion from start to finish.
Meyers stated that as the season has progressed and the team has had more time to practice together, players have developed a better understanding of the sport and grown closer together as a team. She hopes to see the program develop over the next few years, even after she graduates.
Although the players have come from different grades and friend groups, as the season has progressed they have become undoubtedly close-knit.
“There were no cuts on the team… so it has been a way to meet new people and find a passion for something that girls don't really get an opportunity for,” Meyers said.
Most of the team is relatively new to flag football, which has given more experienced players the chance to step into leadership roles.
“[Some of the players] know a lot because of the Marin Heat [local club flag football team], and it made my job easier; it also makes it easier on the team because it gives new players someone to look up to,” Robinson said.
As flag football continues to grow more popular for student athletes, Payne predicts that someday a junior varsity and freshman team will be needed. Not only will the number of students interested in participating increase, but the community created will have lasting effects.
“[Redwood] students are really interested in sports,” Payne said. “Sports build community. Sports create positive relationships with adults. Sports give students focus.”
Scan the QR code to see a video on the new girls’ flag football team!
Klassy Kickoff carries a legacy of pride through decades
By Claire Johnson
Junior and senior girls kick off in a competitive flag football match each year during homecoming week, an event that has become an integral part of tradition for our community since the earliest games dating back to the 1970s.
First originated in a high school in South Dakota in the 1940s, Klassy Kickoff—previously known as Powder Puff—was created during homecoming week in light of the shortage of men during World War II.
The movement reached Redwood and the rest of the United States in the 1970s, in the wake of Title IX and the push for greater women’s equality across the nation.
Redwood alum and teacher Melissa Boles has attended the game both as a student and now as a teacher.
“When I was a student, I don't remember Klassy
Kickoff being necessarily a school-wide event. It was really just the upperclassmen,” Boles said.
“That sense of competitiveness brought our team
together. Especially when you're juniors, you want to beat the seniors so badly, and that sort of unified a group of girls in our grade,” Thomas said.
That determination, however, is rooted in a spirit of friendly sportsmanship.
“It's definitely a rivalry, but it's a friendly rivalry because you know a lot of the girls on the other team. But it does get physical, especially because of the crowd. There's no one that doesn't try — everyone leaves it all out on the field,” Thomas said.
It’s that sense of pride that brings the community
together, allowing competition at a high level. Another Redwood alum and teacher Lindsey Kornfeld appreciates the many traditions that help create a sense of belonging. “Any kind of shared experience is what builds community, and traditions are those positive shared experiences. Whether it’s the Night of Blues, Klassy Kickoff, or the rally—doing that with a group of people builds the experience together, knowing that you’re going to do it every year,” Kornfeld said.
Every year until this point, Klassy Kickoff has given an opportunity to girls who may have never tried flag football before, providing an alleyway to showcase the array of talent from female athletes of various sports.
The first-time addition of flag football as an official Marin County Athletic League sport could shift the tide in the atmosphere of the game. Boles, while still in support of the establishment of the league believes it could take away from the originality of Klassy Kickoff.
“Before, athletes from various women’s sports teams would compete, without much knowledge of flag football. Now, there’s a whole new section [of flag football players],” Boles said.
Thomas, on the other hand, thinks the newly established league will draw more attention to Klassy Kickoff.
“I think there might be an even bigger crowd now with flag football being an official sport, which is super exciting,” Thomas said.
“It’s part of the legacy. The collective [community] that Redwood has makes it so important and so unique,” Kornfeld said.
cjohnson@redwoodbark.org
Photo by Angelina Purvey
DASHING PAST HER defenders, junior Riya Pyle makes a run towards the endzone.
Photo by Noah Gersch mpetersmeyer@redwoodbark.org
SPRINTING TOWAREDS THE endzone, senior Maya Saibel strides for a touchdown.
Katherine Lim
The four-year varsity golfer drives success
By Chloe Jennings
“The team hadn’t won in twenty years. We were able to break that long streak. It felt really good knowing that I contributed to that,” girls’ varsity golf captain Katherine Lim said.
The senior, a four-year varsity athlete, joined the golf team with a hunger for success. At the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) championship her freshman year in 2022, the team exited with the first win Redwood girls’ golf had seen for two decades. They then proceeded to win MCAL again last year, as Lim received her second-straight first team all-league award, and they are tracking another with a current 7-1 record.
averaged 37.3 strokes over eight matches, with a low round of 31.
With five seniors graduating from the team last year, Lim has emerged as not only the captain, but also a role model. Borello has seen growth in a brief period of time as the new captain. After the girls’ first loss of the season to Branson on Sept. 24, Lim uplifted the team with a speech.
For Lim, golf has been a constant for the past decade. With the sport passed down through generations of her family, Lim began playing at the age of seven.
“My grandmother was a golfer, and she started playing professionally when she was in her 40s,” Lim said. “When I younger, my mom and I would visit my grandmother, and she would always be playing golf. That’s how I got into it.”
About three years later, Lim began playing in tournaments. She competed in numerous U.S. Kids Golf tournaments, as well as the Drive, Chiwwp & Putt, a regional competition. At a young age, the pressure became overwhelming.
“I was very frustrated with golf. I wanted to quit golf when I was around 10 years old, because I just couldn’t take it,” Lim said. “When I was younger, it was hard not to just think about my bad golf shots or compare myself to other people. I didn’t really start [loving] golf until I joined the Redwood golf team.”
It wasn’t until Lim’s junior year, her third year on the team, that girls’ varsity golf head coach Zach Borello stepped into the position. In the short time knowing Lim, Borello has been impressed by, along with her natural talents, her steady approach that sets an example for the rest of the team.
“She’s an amazing golfer. I mean, she shot one over par yesterday, but she also does it in such a carefree way. She doesn’t look like she’s stressing out,” Borello said. “I’ve been a coach for almost 15 years, and her approach to [golf] is just very easy going. It’s refreshing to see it for sure.”
During 9-hole rounds this season, Lim has
“After the match, it was really inspirational — she rallied a group of girls that weren’t feeling all that good about themselves because they just lost the match, and motivated them to want to go to the range right then and hit some more golf balls,” Borello said. Borello notes that her initiatives can be like having an assistant coach. During practices, Lim is constantly looking out for her teammates, dedicating her extra time to helping with anything from golf swing advice to mental focus. Mentality is crucial to a successful golfer, which can be a
“[Golf is] more of a mental thing than anything else. It can be a very mind-consuming game. It’s a different sport —you hit a shot and you have two or three minutes to think about it. Rather than in basketball, if you miss a shot, you run back on
Borello, in his short tenure at Redwood, has implemented this focus on a mental
“I learned this a long time ago: You’re not playing against your competitor, you’re playing against the golf course,”
This mantra stuck with Lim. This idea has changed her view on the game, contributing to her success and her ability to maintain good sportsmanship and lead so
“The key is to have that mentality: The course is your opponent,” Lim said. “Everybody is going through the same thing, thinking about how good our shots are. Nobody’s thinking, ‘Oh, she’s doing
While Lim’s mental clarity is important for her to persevere, her success is rooted in her
“I always want to do better, to improve my game, to shoot a lower score. That desire to always want to be a better version of myself has driven me through the years of my golf path,” Lim said.
Lim also credits a lot of her success to her teammates. Joining the team, she immediately recognized the encouragement from others.
“Our team is so supportive. Even if we don’t play well one day, or somebody doesn’t shoot well during a game, our ability to just be that safe spot for each other is the reason why I love golf so much,” Lim said. “I’m so thankful for all my teammates. The golf team has just been such an important part of my life and the main reason why I love to play.”
Moving forward, Lim does not plan to play golf at the collegiate level, but has aspirations to always keep the sport in her life. Her talent and credentials are outstanding, as is her graceful leadership and guidance. Her influence on her teammates is admirable, as she finishes her final year as a Redwood golfer.
“She’s one of the best golfers to come through Redwood in years,” Borello said. “Her recognition is definitely deserved.”
Ghilotti Field improved with Measure B bond
By Beatrice Nass
When the Tamalpais Union High School District’s bond measure, “Measure B,” was passed by voters in November of 2024, it included funding to repair aging school infrastructure such as fields and facilities including Redwood’s Ghilotti Field. Construction to remake the field started promptly on June 16, three days after the 2024-2025 school year ended. The project of redoing Ghilotti Field took all summer but has left Redwood with a new and improved field.
Corbett Elsen, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations, has had a large responsibility when it comes to upgrading facilities. Ghilotti Field was one of the big projects that took place and it was within walking distance from his district office.
“Fields have a timeline. They usually last about a decade, depending on maintenance and wear and tear. [Ghilotti Field] needed to be replaced with a more modern surface and updated with lines for many more sports,” Elsen said.
The new field now has sports lines for flag football, lacrosse, field hockey and more sports. The field also has new netting and fencing put into place. In addition to those improvements, an important change in turf infill was made. Prior to the new field, the turf infill for Ghilotti Field had been finely ground up rubber tire, which has a softer impact when it compresses. With the new field came new turf infill — ground up olive pits and corks — an option that is better for the environment.
“[The turf infill] is an organic product and the turf field itself is recyclable, so in 12-14 years, when we replace it again, the actual green grass is recyclable. It’s a much more environmentally friendly product,” Corbett said.
Ghilotti Field was almost a 1.5 million dollar project and now it’s finished and ready for use by all Redwood sports. In the fall, both varsity and junior varsity (JV) field hockey, varsity football and varsity flag football will be using it. In winter, all levels of boys and girls soccer will play on it, and in spring, both levels of boys and girls lacrosse will use the field. In addition, physical education classes will be able to utilize the new space. As the field will be used during all seasons, the turf becomes a key component.
“Turf is a higher quality surface, because it doesn’t get bald spots, [like] grass, from overuse and it doesn’t get flooded. In the winter, it will get wet, but you can still play on it,” Elsen said.
With the new turf, updated lines and ecofriendly materials, Ghilotti Field is set to serve Redwood athletes year-round. The upgrade marks a long-term investment in both student athletics and sustainability.
PRACTICING ON THE new Ghilotti field, Redwood girls flag football runs through their drills.
Photo courtesy of Katherine Lim
Photo courtesy of Corbett Elsen
Opinion: The importance of yoga for athletes
By Oren Weingarten
For an athlete, pain is an inevitable part of the experience, whether mental or physical. However, there is a solution…yoga! Yoga offers numerous benefits that can enhance an athlete's performance in their sport. If athletes want to reach an elite level, they need to incorporate yoga into their weekly routine, just as they do with cardio, weight training and practice. My worst performances on the field are often correlated with times when lack either mental clarity and focus, or when my body is so physically tired that it’s difficult for me to perform.
Yoga is an ideal activity for clearing the mind. Yoga for Sports Performance said, “Yoga is designed to bring body, mind, and spirit into balance.” It’s challenging for athletes to balance constant training, an intense academic workload and the desire to spend time with friends and family. This can have negative effects on performance and lead to an increase in mental issues. According to the National Library of Medicine, a 2020 study found that athletes who reported anxiety and depression had a 2.1 times greater injury incidence rate. Practicing yoga regularly can significantly enhance a person's mental well-being and solve their mental health issues, like through the reduction rate of depression and anxiety, and in turn minimize injuries.Top-tier athletes must use every method possible to prevent injury. Injury causes valuable time on the field, where you could be developing, to be lost. Some of the best professional athletes use yoga to avoid injury. The Article “Yoga
for Athletes” by Nike said, “Over the course of four NFL seasons, 3,025 injuries were reported. Injury
LeBron James has advocated for yoga as a way to improve athletic perfomance.
build it back up. Yoga postures, breath work and inner focus can help rebalance, strengthen and restore overtaxed muscles, joints and ligaments. Through this restoration process, athletes can increase their career longevity and develop an inner balance that will last a lifetime.” After engaging in extreme physical activity, such as during a game or a strenuous practice, your body will likely experience significant pain and soreness. Yoga can help alleviate this burden and support an athlete’s recovery.
Some people may argue that athletes have a limited amount of time to train, and it is more beneficial to use that time directly on sport-specific skill-related activities rather than practicing yoga. However, the truth is that yoga can also be used as a form of sport-specific
training for people who claim it is a waste of time. An example is the basketball player LeBron James, who has advocated for athletes to do yoga. According to Yoga for Athletes, “LeBron James has advocated for yoga as a way to improve athletic performance because he wishes he had done it as a player.” Even if most people aren’t practicing yoga, professionals are, and athletes and athletic programs should learn from their expertise. Not only do they benefit from their sport-specific skills, but also from increased focus and other mental skills. Yoga for Sports says, “Yoga can be used to improve athletic performance—from increasing mental concentration and improving flexibility and balance to preventing common injuries and honing skills in a particular sport.”
Yoga has the power to reduce injury, improve mental clarity and focus, alleviate anxiety and depression while also enhancing an athlete's physical body and abilities. In that case, there is no reason anyone shouldn’t practice it. Regardless of the level, by regularly practicing yoga, teams and individuals can gain a clear edge over their opponents. This kind of unpopular practice is what creates legacies and elevates good athletes to greatness, which is why incorporating yoga into your regular athletic routine is essential.
oweingarten@redwoodbark.org
From Giant to Golden Bear: Semetri Carr makes his mark at Cal
By Cora
Champommier and Henry Barker felt a true connection to the coaching staff. To play in my backyard, and have a coaching staff that I feel trusts me and wants to develop me, it will help me get to my ultimate goal: the NBA,” Carr said.
Semetri “TT” Carr has always been a competitor. Carr grew up playing numerous sports, with basketball and soccer being his favorites. Carr was eventually pushed to focus solely on basketball through the influence of his father who played basketball, combined with Stephen Curry as a role model.
Carr enjoyed a distinguished career in Marin County, becoming a well-known figure and respectable player throughout the community. Carr originally showcased his explosive dribbling and lockdown defense as a point guard at Branson High School before transferring to Redwood for his 2024–2025 senior year. He would go on to bring home three consecutive Marin County League Championship titles — two Branson and his final one with Redwood — solidifying his lasting impact on the sport. Carr received multiple Division I offers, ultimately deciding on attending the University of California, Berkeley (Cal). Carr attributes his decision to the support of the Bears coaching staff and his preference for the school’s location.
“I have support out here... I especially
Carr arrived on campus in May of 2025 and has found college to be both challenging and exciting.
“The pace of college is faster and more physical. The way we move from drill to drill, the intensity, the talking, the movement, [it] is a whole other level,”
Carr said.
Redwood boys’ varsity basketball coach Jay DeMaestri does not doubt that Carr will adapt to the college scene because of his strengths as both a player and a person.
“His basketball talent, there’s nothing you can say about it in my opinion. But when he joined the team, what stood out to me was how he totally integrated himself into being a leader and amazing teammate,” DeMaestri said.
DeMaestri also added that Carr is a very coachable and level-headed player. This humble attitude was exemplified in gameplay during a tied match in the semifinals of the North Coast Section league.
“Instead of [deciding] to take the shot
no matter what, he went up and made a beautiful pass to our guy cutting to make the layup for the game-winner,” DeMaestri said.
Carr’s abilities on the basketball court doesn’t affect the way he treats others.
“He could be very egotistical with all his talent, but how he carries himself as a human being is extremely respectable,” DeMaestri said.
to use his opportunity at Cal to reach the next level.
Confidence is key. If you step on the court, classroom, whatever you do, and act like you belong, you have a good shot.
Semetri Carr
This selfless play is one of the things his mother, Thuy Carr, is most proud of regarding his character as a player.
“I was always most proud of his kindness to others. He did well in school and obviously worked hard in basketball, but it was the comments I’d get back from parents [and] players of how unselfish or kind he was to younger players that always made me most proud,” Thuy said.
Playing-wise, Carr is solid as a defender, but is adjusting to the strength of the college game.
“As a smaller guard, I try to give pressure on the defense and be able to defend, fight through screens and hope my background in defending will help me [become] a leader on the court,” Carr said.
He hopes to help his teammates succeed as well, using his vision on the court.
“I have shown in the past [that] I can score, and as a guard, being able to rebound and defend. But most importantly, my role as a point guard is getting my teammates involved with assists,” Carr said.
Looking forward, Carr says he’s ready
“The dream is to get to the NBA, so whatever I can do to get there. Then, [move] overseas and get a good job, because a Cal degree can go a long way. At some point, the ball is going to stop bouncing, and you have to get a job, but I’m hoping to build some great connections to prepare me for my future,” Carr said. When asked about advice for those who look up to him, Carr hopes that people believe in themselves and their potential.
“Confidence is key. If you step on the court, classroom, whatever you do, and act like you belong, you have a good shot. But if you’re down, nervous and anxious, that’s when things go sideways. Whatever you attack — attack with confidence,” Carr said.
Carr’s impact at Redwood and Branson is undeniable, but his future at Cal remains a mystery. He might not be able to jump straight into the starting lineup in the team’s season debut on Nov. 3, but he’ll surely make his mark eventually in his Cal career. No matter what, his steady mindset will carry him through his journey with basketball and the rest of his future endeavors.
bark@redwoodbark.org
SEMETRI CARR LIFTS weights in the division one University of California, Berkeley gym in preparation for the season.
Photo courtesy of Semetri Carr
lifestyles lifestyles
‘06 Bark Alum Reza Farazmand sketches path to comic career
By Anna Horn
From drawing and writing cartoons for the Bark to reaching millions of readers worldwide, cartoonist and Redwood alum Reza Farazmand has built a career around humor and simple drawings.
As the creator of Poorly Drawn Lines, a website where Farazmand uploads new comics every week, Farazmand expanded his work from school comics to books, an animated series and a massive online following. Former Bark adviser Tom Sivertsen remembers Farazmand standing out from the very beginning.
“He had a strong, clear voice,” Sivertsen said. “This was a person who had high expectations for himself, and he took the radical path. He did not go down the path of becoming a lawyer or a doctor. He chose to become a cartoonist.”
Farazmand explained that cartooning was not something he had always planned.
“I wasn’t really into art [in high school], I was more into writing,” Farazmand said. “Comics just felt like a fun way to bring a visual element to my comedy writing.”
In fact, his first comic was created almost by accident when he was a senior.
“A space for comics opened up in the Bark when I was Editor-in-Chief and we had nothing to fill it, so I [decided] I’m going to try making a comic,” Farazmand said.
That comic turned into “Teacher, Teacher,” a strip poking fun at high school students’ and teachers' frustrations. But one “Teacher, Teacher” comic led to
complaints from the social studies department, which felt targeted.
“I did one [comic strip] that made fun of teachers, and the social studies department took issue with it. I offered to have a sit-down meeting with them. Looking back, [the comic] was probably overly harsh, but that’s part of growing as an artist,” Farazmand said.
Sivertsen viewed the incident as a sign of Farazmand’s bright future.
“He had a great sense of snark and loved poking fun at things. One of his comics even landed him in trouble, but that’s what a good cartoonist should be doing,” Sivertsen said.
After Redwood, Farazmand attended University of California, San Diego, where he launched Poorly Drawn Lines.
“Freshman year, I submitted a comic tryout to the college newspaper and I called it Poorly Drawn Lines because of how rough it was,” Farazmand said. “I was just trying to own the fact that I couldn’t draw.”
What started as rough sketches grew into an online series, rapidly gaining popularity.
“One of the first comics I did that really blew up was about different ways people write essays. That went viral on Reddit and seeing all the traffic to my site was a big motivator to keep going professionally,” Farazmand said.
Today, he has over 2.2 million followers on Instagram, several books published and even an animated series called “Poorly Drawn Lines” that aired on FX and Hulu.
“It was pretty surreal when an editor from [the] Penguin Random House [publishing company] reached out to me,” Farazmand said. “That book deal was when I realized I could do this long term.”
Sivertsen said it was no surprise that Farazmand's humor succeeded beyond Redwood.
“He was an easy leader at the front of the room that really held the bar high while being really nice to get along with,” Sivertsen said. “I have tremendous respect for him as a person.”
Farazmand also offers advice to current students and future artists.
“My biggest piece of advice is to make bad art until the good stuff starts coming out again. Don’t try to make things perfect, just try to complete things. It’s kind of like not working out a muscle for a while — you get rusty. It’s best to just keep the momentum going,” Farazmand said.
For Sivertsen, watching his former student’s career unfold has been rewarding.
“I’m so happy that [a Redwood student] chose to be an illustrator and a cartoonist. I think that was a great choice, and I’m so proud of where [Farazmand] has gone with his life,” Sivertsen said.
Reflecting on his journey, Farazmand encourages students to take risks with their creativity.
“There are more opportunities than ever to get your work seen by a lot of people, which can translate into doing it professionally,” Farazmand said. “Just go for it.”
ahorn@redwoodbark.org
Maximilien McGuire & Henry Vare profit in polish
By Elsa Houtkooper
For seniors Maximilien McGuire and Henry Vare, sharing an interest in cars became something more than just a hobby. Together, they turned their love for cars into a successful car detailing business, serving over 80 customers.
The business began in their sophomore year, when the two of them decided it was time to find a job. However, they didn’t want to do anything traditional and they tried to find a job that they could do together.
“[McGuire] has been washing cars since he was ten, so he came up with the idea,” Vare said. “I thought it was a good idea because I wanted to make money, and I thought it was good business experience.”
Although the idea of starting a business seems intimidating, they began by acquiring supplies and devising a way to advertise.
“Creating the business wasn’t too difficult. We just went online and bought products. However, the advertising was hard. We put up flyers around Tiburon and started posting on Nextdoor, which helped us reach parents, which is our target audience,” Vare said.
Aside from Nextdoor and posting flyers, they wanted to expand their business and explore additional ways to advertise.
“Clients also find us through our website or we've also been running an advertisement campaign in the local movie theater in Tiburon that's been running for several months,” McGuire said.
One of the reasons their business is successful is due to its efficiency. Car detailing takes time and precision, but their speed allows them to serve more clients without sacrificing quality.
“Reinvesting is everything. We reinvest a lot into getting newer, better products to improve efficiency,” Vare said. “It used to take us an hour and a half or two hours for our most basic standard wash, but now it only takes 45 minutes.”
Their ability to connect with customers is also what sets them apart from other car detailing businesses.
“We are a lot more local. When people go to a car wash, there is no attention to detail; they just want their car to go through, and they don’t care. We are much more closely connected to a lot of our customers,” McGuire said.
Although they are both seniors, the two of them have managed to find a balance between their schoolwork and part-time work after school and on weekends.
“A lot of clients understand that we are in school, and
most of them book on weekends. If it is after school, we don’t do more than one, so it doesn’t take up too much time,” Vare said.
For the two of them, the business has been more than a way to earn money; it has been an opportunity to learn responsibility and gain experience that they wouldn’t have been able to elsewhere.
“Just go for it,” McGuire said. “Do something you like, something you want to do, and go for it.”
ehoutkooper@redwoodbark.org
Listen to the first episode of Club Cast, produced by Cian Kelly and Reed Grossman. This episode explores the Chair Club, which promotes disability accessibility.
ALIGNED IN ORDER, Farazmand’s published books.
Infographic by Lily Skinner
REZA FARAMAND FINDS motivation through the surreal experience of a large audience. To see his first comic ever, visit redwoodbark.org.
Photo courtesy of Reza Farazmand
WEARING THE BELVEDERE Car Detailing merch, Max McGuire wipes down the windows of the vehicles.
Photo by Elsa Houtkooper
Welcoming Superintendent
Dr. Courtney Goode
By Adela Tabak
This year, the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) is honored to welcome Dr. Courtney Goode as District Superintendent. With experience in San Diego as a former principal, Goode’s leadership and open-minded spirit have shone bright during his first weeks in the district.
“[Being a] superintendent is a position I've aspired to [pursue] since I was a high school principal in San Diego 15 years ago. I had the fortune of working with a superintendent who saw more in me than I saw in myself at the time. He was deeply influential in my journey as a leader, and even to a lesser extent, as a person,” Goode said.
Transitioning into a new workplace can be challenging when faced with a different culture and work environment, yet Goode finds the TUHSD environment to be a perfect fit. After the work he’s done so far by connecting with students, staff and getting used to his new home,
relate to people very well, especially students, [which is a] useful quality in a superintendent. Not a big, scary business guy, [he’s] more down to earth,” DeForrest said.
Goode shares what drew him most to joining the TUHSD community. He found that topics such as Bond Measure B, with its ability to restore certain TUHSD facilities, along with access to public education, stood out to him, matching his principles as an educator.
“I wanted to make sure there was an alignment with my values and the values of the district and the community. A couple of things that really stood out to me as I was contemplating applying were the community's passage of Measure B. That clearly demonstrated to me that this is a community that places a high value on public education as a transformational opportunity for kids,” Goode said.
DeForrest suggests a few tips for Goode as he embarks on his journey at TUHSD.
“I hope Goode enjoys the many people here [throughout TUHSD], because they're
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The beat behind the Back-to-School Dance
By Logan Scully
Senior Theo Pearcy is on the rise as a disc jockey (DJ), having kicked off the school year by playing the Back-to-School Dance (BTSD). After visiting his older cousin in Oregon during his sophomore year, Pearcy grew his interest in the world of house music and DJing even securing an invite to a party hosted by San Franciscobased DJ “D-Flow.”
“It was super inspiring to see the [energized] crowd and how much fun it was [on stage at the party],” Pearcy said.
Pearcy got his first DJ board shortly after the party with D-Flow, and began teaching himself the art of DJing. While learning, he adopted the stage name “DJ Cherry” inspired by his mom’s maiden name.
Earlier in 2025, Pearcy played his first event, an Oakland party, where he was booed by the crowd after playing for an hour, but he took this opportunity to learn the differences between practicing with a DJ board in his room and playing for a live crowd.
“I was playing songs that I liked, but I didn’t realize that people go [to DJ events] to hear songs that they like,” Pearcy said.
Using this experience as motivation to improve his technique, Pearcy trained over the summer in order to bounce back at the BTSD. He was so motivated, even convincing his mom, Marianna Pearcy, to let him practice
Photo by Oren Weingarten
during a family trip to Hawaii, which was supposed to be a technology-free vacation. Theo Pearcy’s mom was hesitant to allow the DJ board on the trip, but seeing how passionate he was about DJing, she decided to let him bring it.
“In the hotel room, he was practicing a lot for the dance,” Marianna Pearcy said. “He wanted to have a wide selection of music so that he was ready to play what [the crowd] was excited about.”
For Theo Pearcy, a typical set takes around nine hours in total to build and practice. The BTSD set, however, took upwards of 30 hours to create, as he filled it with many different genres to ensure that everyone could have a good time. Despite the set being prepared beforehand, Theo Pearcy’s work didn’t end there. Onstage, he had to read the crowd’s live reactions and get a feel for the energy both during and after each song.
“If I play a song, and halfway through the energy starts going down, I [may] want to switch genres and [try to] bring the energy back up,” Theo Pearcy said.
While it may look easy, differing beats per minute (BPM) between songs poses a big challenge for any DJ looking to switch genres unexpectedly and in the moment.
Matching one song’s BPM to
TAKING IN THE moment, Pearcy looks out at the crowd in awe while DJing the Back to School Dance.
another’s is key for smooth transitions, and DJs look for songs of similar BPM levels to blend next to each other without a seam. If two songs are far apart in BPM levels, DJs will slow down or speed up a song until the BPM is close enough to the next song. With practice, Theo Pearcy has been able to improve his song-pairing skills.
“It can be a little jarring to transition from two genres,” Theo Pearcy said. “Typically, I echo out of a song and wait a second, adding suspense, and then drop in [a] rap song.”
Hyped from the BTSD, Theo Pearcy is continuing to evolve as a DJ and looking ahead to the future.
“I might be doing Homecoming this year, and Outside Lands brings local artists, so I’m trying to get a spot [at Outside Lands],” Theo Pearcy said.
With Theo Pearcy’s growing talent and passion, he’s set out to continue performing both in and out of school, paving the way for other young Marin County DJs.
