Scotlight Magazine - April 2017 by Scotlight Magazine

Scotlight

Volume i / EDITION I

Carlmont High School / 1400 Alameda de las Pulgas / Belmont, CA 94002

·Almaden 5018 Almaden Expressway San Jose, CA 95118

·Mercado 3175 Mission College Blvd Santa Clara CA, 95054

·Downtown 29 S 3rd St San Jose, CA 95113

smoke-eaters.com

Your Ad Here! lll Advertise in Carlmont High School Publications jraisner@seq.org (650) 595-0210 x39655

30 Days of Stories

mARIJUANA BLOWS AWAY CIGARETTES

08 10 12

Humans of Carlmont

sEXPECTATIONS

One Girl, Dos Mundos

tABLE OF cONTENTS

Carlmont Journalism Carlmont Journalism is a nationally renowned media arts program run by the students of Carlmont High School. Our staff of 120 people works to deliver the latest news to our student body of 2,200, their families, and the community. News, within our school and beyond, is important to us, so we are committed to providing timely information, current events, and thought-provoking ideas to our audiences through story-telling, design, video, photography, and other emerging technologies. More than just another high school journalism program, our mission is to think beyond the “Bay Area Bubble” and stretch the community’s mindset to include those of the rest of the state, country, and world. We aim to encourage our community to step up and be educated advocates of change.

Scotlight is Carlmont High School’s “spotlight” magazine, distributed quarterly to our community. Spotlight stories take a deeper look at issues that are important to our audience and examine multiple aspects and angles. Our mission is to stimulate thoughts in our readers that are otherwise glossed over by offering in-depth feature stories that dig deeper into the lives of those around us. We aim to engage our readers through thought-provoking articles, photography, and design.

Our Mission

Letter from the editor

Dear Reader, 2,147. We are a school of 2,147 students, and nobody knows everybody. From athletes to engineers to performers, Carlmont hosts a variety of people from all walks of life who pass each other in the halls not knowing each others’ first names. In a community that extends well past campus, it is almost impossible to get to know everyone around you. We come from a liberal area, and it is easy to forget that not everyone has the same views in this community. It is important that we remain united as a school despite conflicting views, but being close to those around you is difficult when you don’t know who they are. Every person you pass in the hall has a story individual to who they are and struggle through events you are unaware of, and it is important that we remember that. In this first issue of Scotlight, our team explored people and their stories, whether it was a passerby or a trend among students. In order to make our student body of 2,147 feel smaller, we dug deeper into the daily lives of our peers through five different stories and looked more closely at what Carlmont students really experience. While we can’t share the stories of everyone around campus, we can try to show you that you are not alone in a sea of people, experiencing the struggles you may face or the factors that set you apart from the general public. Every single person has a story as elaborate as yours; you just don’t know it yet. Sincerely,

Mona Murhamer Editor-in-Chief

Avery Adams Nicole del Cardayre Estella Lippi Isabel Mitchell Mona Murhamer Sophie Penn Celine Yang

Staff

S Y A 30 D OF S E I R O ST Next time you see someone you want to get to know, take the first step: look into their eyes and say, “Hi!” You never know what you might learn.

fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff hellohelllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll time days of talking to someone every day. I’ll be honest– this challenge scared me. I’ve often been in those situations where I’m sitting next to someone I really want to talk to (“Just do it already!”) but didn’t, just because I was scared. I would ask myself so many “what if ” questions that I’d lose the chance to get to know someone new, and the cycle would repeat all over again. Since I wear hearing aids, I’m not always able to hear what other people are saying. While in reality the situation might not be as drastic as I imagine, I still

helloooooooooooooooooooooootime struggle with coming to terms with my hearing loss. Talking to people opens your mind and makes you realize that they’re human. Most of the time, they’re nothing like what you first imagined. Everyone has their strengths, weaknesses, and something that defines their story out of the 7 billion other people on this planet. Knowing more people made me feel more connected and aware of what was going on around me. On the first day of the challenge, I met a girl named Grace. While our conversation was brief, we talked about her anxiety about a solo audition later that day. She was going for it, despite having a lot of worries, and this inspired me. To this day, her story resonates with me. Just by looking at someone at first glance, I would have never guessed what stories or experiences they might hold. It shows just how much we don’t know the people around us. Once you meet someone for the first time, you realize that they’ve always been there, just waiting to

be discovered. The stories of the people I met were diverse– they ranged from silly to serious to extraordinary. Two weeks into the challenge, I met Noelia. She told me about the conflict of religion in her culture (in the aftermath of the election, at that) I happened to have a friend with me, and they bonded over this topic, despite coming from two completely different religions. That was amazing. I saw Noelia the next day three times in different locations around the school and, all three times, we waved “Hi!” Even after 30 days of walking up to people I’ve never met and engaging them in a conversation, I’m still scared. But now, I feel more able to overcome the doubts in my mind. Over the course of this challenge, I didn’t just meet new people– I engaged the people I already had in my life, especially my parents and friends. This was a great experience for me. It’s beautiful how a short converstaion can affect someone profoundly. So, I challenge you: talk to people. Get to know that guy who sits next to you in English class, or strike up a conversation with the girl in line for Starbucks. Some people might think it’s a bit weird, but instead of asking “what if?” say “so what?” Just do it. People love to share their life stories, and you taking that step to get to know them could just make their day– and yours, too.

On the first day of the challenge, I talked to sophomore Grace Purcell. She wasn’t sure if she should audition that day for a solo in choir, but she went for it! That was inspiring -- despite stage anxiety, she went ahead and tried out. WRITTEN BY CELINE YANG PHOTOS BY CELINE YANG, ERICA CHEN, MANDY ZHANG PHOTO DESIGN BY ESTELLA LIPPI DESIGN BY CELINE YANG

Marijuana blows away cigarettes

“Know everything about what you put into your body. Whether it’s food, alcohol, cigarettes, and more, you would serve yourself well to look at long-term effects.” Jim Kelly

Activities Director

Health concerns lead teens to choose weed Cigarettes are not cool anymore. This is what students are told right as they enter high school - at least at Carlmont. However, some would question that statement. Emma Smith*, a senior, said, “Cigarettes taste disgusting and make me sick, and there is such horrible stuff put into them, but they’re still a part of our society. Cigarette use has obviously gone down, and that has pushed students to do other things that are way less harmful in the long run.” According to the World Health Organization, there is one death every six seconds due to tobacco use. However, over 22 percent of the people in the world still smoke. In California specifically, cigarette use has gone down over 50 percent since 1989. Emily Wong, a senior, said, “I don’t think smoking is the norm anymore. We’re taught from a very young age that cigarettes are very unhealthy and shouldn’t be a part of our life because of the many problems that come along with it.” As freshmen, Carlmont students are required to take a quarter of a life skills course. Throughout this course, students

focus on the harms of cigarettes, as well as other substances. They learn that cigarettes can, and most likely will, affect almost every major organ in the body, and can start cancer anywhere. With the numbers of cigarette users decreasing, marijuana use is becoming more popular among students in the Bay Area. According to Drugfree.org, marijuana use has increased over 80 percent in teens within the past decade. However, some think it may not be as harmless as it seems. Leadership teacher Jim Kelly said, “There is a California bubble that is not like the rest of the world. What I’ve noticed with kids who do use marijuana is that they aren’t as willing to do things that require energy.” Marijuana provides students with a getaway mindset that makes them feel relaxed, or happier, rather than a feeling of relief that cigarettes provide. In addition, medical marijuana is becoming popular as a treatment for many health issues. Medical marijuana is currently used in patients to relieve pain, increase appetite, treat nausea, and reduce seizures in those with epilepsy. While some student have turned to marijuana because of the belief

that there are no risks associated with it, that may not be true. According to Men’s Health, a student who smokes marijuana has six times as high of a risk of obtaining lung cancer than a non-smoker. Noah Jones, a senior, said, “I would choose smoking weed over cigarettes any day. There are obvious long term issues that go along with cigarettes, while weed has no proven consequences. In fact, I know that doctors are testing marijuana with cancer patients, and that it has actually helped them and their journey through chemotherapy.” However, just like any other drug, there are dangers and risks associated with marijuana, including loss in productivity, car accidents, and intellectual deterioration. “Know everything about what you put into your body. Whether it’s food, alcohol, cigarettes, and more, you would serve yourself well to look at long-term effects,” said Kelly. *Some names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of those interviewed. WRITTEN BY LILY BAKOUR PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ESTELLA LIPPI DESIGN BY SOPHIE PENN

HUM ANS OF CARLMONT “Humans of New York” is originally a project started by Brandon Stanton who sought to change his life by finding the stories of his peers, which then expanded to the streets of New York.

Kaylie Moropoulos 10th grade

“I love being with people, even if it is just going to the grocery store with them. I like to surround myself with the people I love. Going to the city is one of my favorite things to do because I always experience new things, and that’s what I want to do in my life. Growing up in Belmont is sometimes hard because it is so sheltered compared to many big cities. I would describe my daily life as monotone, not something that is great but isn’t horrible. The little snippets I have with my friends are like rays of light but, in general, I don’t view everyday life as particularly positive. School has always been a focus of mine as I pride myself on my education, however juggling school, sports, and, most importantly, family life is all super stressful. I have very intense anxiety, which increases my amount of stress and doesn’t exactly make my days the best. Adding in depression and anxiety to the mix makes it that much harder. Some months are better than others, but recently the negative moments in life have been outweighing the positive ones. Lately, I

just feel very separated from everybody and that doesn’t feel great. My mom passed away when I was in elementary school. I feel very separated from my brothers and dad because they are so different from me. Recently, I quit club volleyball because it was too time-consuming and stressful. My brother has a disease that is slowly degrading who he is, so putting my time into a club team just doesn’t seem like it should be one of my priorities. I feel like I am wasting time in my day-to-day life because there are so many more important things to be doing than completing busy work that teachers assign.”

Eli Melmon 11th grade

“Both of my sisters were involved in school plays all throughout elementary school. I was always fascinated by the elaborate costumes and sets that were seen on stage. I was a little nervous to join the theatrical world at first, but with a little of encouragement I began to participate in the school plays. My kindergarten teacher was the director of all the plays, which, in the end, is what prompted me to become involved in the theatre as well. I began to make most of my friends in middle school, mostly by participating in the school musicals and San Carlos Children’s Theatre (SCCT)

productions. The productions were super fun and a great way to make friendships. Furthermore, through these plays my true passion for theatre began to shine, and I realized that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. One day, I hope to be a famous playwright and perform on Broadway. The songs, scenes, and plays I have written are what gets me going in the morning. I try to reflect life and how I see the world ethically in terms of what I can do to the community. I try to make the community a safe place for everyone. In 7th and 8th grade, I came out. It was easier than I thought it would be because of the people I had to support me. My family was super supportive and still loves me no matter what. In some ways, it brought me closer with them, as it showed that I was able to be vulnerable and establish deep trust with them. However, to some of my friends, it came as a shock. I disregarded the friends that didn’t support me and focused on the ones who did. The true friendships persevered, and those people are some of my best friends today. Listen to yourself– don’t listen to anybody else unless it is warm, positive, and encouraging. Don’t rush yourself; coming out is a personal experience that you have to go through. Don’t modify it for others.” DESIGN BY NICOLE DEL CARDAYRE AND ESTELLA LIPPI PHOTOS BY NICOLE DEL CARDAYRE INTERVIEWS BY MACKENZIE O’CONNELL, LILY BAKOUR, NICOLE DEL CARDAYRE WRITTEN BY NICOLE DEL CARDAYRE

It’s finally happening. After weeks of careful planning to make sure the two of you will be uninterrupted for the next couple of hours, it’s here. Candles, dimmed lights, and rose petals on the ground. The day you’re going to do it for the first time. The majority have only seen this roman-

ticized scene on TV. However for most, losing their virginity will not adhere to this idealized experience. Carlmont Health Aid Sami Gingher said, “The media definitely provokes sex and talks it up to be this magnificent fancy hotel room or bedroom where it feels so great. I

feel like when most people have sex for the first time, it is somewhere not very romantic. For the female, it’s not always very pleasurable and can be painful.” As a culture, we constantly explore virginity and sex in TV, films, books, music, and classrooms, however, there is no clear

explanation of what it entails or why it’s important. Sex is a forbidden act in many teens’ lives, but with constant exposure to sexual content through the media, there are many potential effects on a teen’s sexual attitude, beliefs, and behavior. This difference between expectations and their actual experience causes many teens to realize that everything they thought they knew about sex is not at all the reality. Samantha*, a junior, said, “[My first time] was not planned at all. I was drunk, and it was with two people instead of one person, something I never would have expected. It was pretty much how I assumed it to be from the physical aspect though. It hurt a little, but wasn’t unbearable. I expected it to be with a significant other, in a bed, candles, and music. I thought my first time would be a lot more loving than it was.” For others, couples may understand that their first time will not adhere to society’s “sexpectations.” “The media can really put a false expectation out there, but I was lucky enough to try it for the first time with someone who I really liked, so it was a pretty intimate experience. I don’t think we tried to make it match how sex is portrayed in movies or anything,” said Chris*, a senior. A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health examined the sexual content of 264 forms of media and discovered that many portrayed sex as “risk-free” and usually between unmarried couples who do not use condoms or other forms of contraception. “TV shows and movies make sex either seem like a really big deal or not a big deal at all. Certain TV shows, especially ones with 20 to 30 year olds acting as teenagers, show the characters having sex. But in reality, sex does have a lot of effects that are never presented in the show. TV shows never talk about urinary tract infections or sexually transmitted diseases. Very few shows talk about safe sex, ie. birth control and condoms,” said Lisa*, a junior. Exposure to sexually explicit content online occurs around the age of 11, usually through a misdirected internet search using innocent words such as “toy,” misspelling a word, or link sent by a peer or spam. Adolescence is a crucial period that is characterized by informationseeking, and many may turn to the media for information about sex. Chris mentioned that he learned about sex positions through pornography. While there are some genres of pornography that promote safe and consensual sex, teens may be introduced to sex before they are ready because of these images, which often include sexual deviations, aggression, gender roles, and

body ideals. “Personally, I am able to see the physical size difference between that of a porn star and that of myself, whether it be height or muscle tone. Penis size is known to be the most important judgement of masculinity, and a young man can have his ego crushed by watching a porn movie featuring an extremely muscular guy with an over average sized penis. This may also cause females to get unrealistic expectations of a man’s body, ” said Michael*, a sophomore boy who has only engaged in oral sex. Between 1988 and 2005, the number of sexual scenes on TV nearly doubled. According to a RAND study, teens who saw the most sex on television were twice as likely to initiate intercourse in the following year and have a greater likelihood of teen pregnancy in the three years following exposure. While few studies reveal a connection between watching sexual content and teens’ sexual behavior, they do not reveal whether viewing sexual content results in an increase of sexual activity or if engaging in sex increases the likelihood of viewing sexually explicit content. This unanswered question demonstrates the lack of long-term research into teen sexual behavior. If teens can learn aggressive behaviour from television, it is reasonable to believe that they can adopt unrealistic expectations for their first time having sex because of media portrayal. *Due to the delicacy of the topic, the students names have been changed. DESIGNED AND WRITTEN BY ISABEL MITCHELL

ONE GIRL, “At first, it started with Spanish.” The first day of school for most people is scary but exciting. Now, step into the shoes of Noelia Brambila-Perez, a senior, who felt that sense of newness her first time at a non-Spanish elementary school, except that newness was coupled with confusion and discomfort. “They talked [in] English, so it was weird. I didn’t even know how to communicate with these people because all I [knew was] Spanish. I really felt like an outsider. ‘I don’t belong here,’ I thought.” Before she was able to move forward and progress in a predominately English-speaking school, she had to take a small step back. She transferred back to her old elementary school that was taught all in Spanish. There, she was also able to learn English in a more comfortable environment. By the time she got to Carlmont, she had lost that feeling of confusion and was able to communicate with other people in both Spanish and English. However, the feeling of belonging didn’t come as easily. “When I first came in as a freshman, coming from a mostly minority group and coming to Carlmont, I wasn’t used to it. I thought I wasn’t going to fit in, and I was eventually going to transfer out.” Over the years, she has learned that Carlmont is not a place where you have to hide your culture. “Carlmont gives you the ability to show [your background] and really be proud of where you come from.” She has also come to learn that bilingualism is not a setback in the majority English-speaking United States, but an advantage. “It’s really important for me to know both English and Spanish because I think in the future, it will be an advantage for me when communicating.” She remembers her first day of attending a non-Spanish elementary school with much clarity not only because she felt afraid and like an outsider, but it was an experience that really pushed her to want to learn English. However, speaking Spanish on a regular basis is a way for her to stay connected with her culture in a way that some people never get to experience because they don’t embrace being bilingual. “I felt like Spanish was something special that I can still carry on, and I feel like over time I tend to be more interested in my roots. I know a lot of people who are Hispanic but don’t really speak Spanish as well as they used to or don’t know how to write it. When I see that, I know this is why I have to keep close and remember where I came from and where I started and not let that go away.” WRITTEN BY MEGAN TAO TRANSLATED BY ADRIANA RAMIREZ

DOS MUNDOS “Al comienzo, empezó en español.” Para la mayoría de la gente, el primer día de la escuela es uno lleno de nervios pero a la vez emocionante. Ahora, ponte en los zapatos de Noelia Brambila-Perez, una estudiante de cuarto año, que sintió ese sensación de novedad por primera vez en una escuela elemental donde no se habla español, excepto esa novedad estaba llena de confusión e incomodidad. “Ellos hablaban en inglés, así que era extraño para mi. Yo no sabía cómo comunicarme con esa gente porque yo solo sabía hablar en español. Yo me sentía fuera de grupo. ‘Yo no pertenezco aquí,’ pensé.” Antes de ella pudo continuar y progresar en una escuela donde predomina el inglés, ella tuvo que echar un paso atrás. Ella regresó a su escuela elemental anterior donde se enseñaba en español. Ahí, ella pudo aprender el inglès en un ambiente más cómodo. En el momento que comenzó en Carlmont, ella ya había perdido ese sentimiento de confusión y podía comunicarse tanto en español como en inglés. Sin embargo, ese sentimiento de pertenecer no lo obtuvo fácilmente. “Cuando llegué como un estudiante de primer año, viniendo de un grupo minoritario, fue difícil acostumbrarme al ambiente de Carlmont. Yo pensaba que nunca iba a pertenecer, y eventualmente iba a irme.” A través de los años, ella ha aprendido que Carlmont no es un lugar donde hay que esconder tu cultura. “Carlmont realmente te da la habilidad para demostrar tu trasfondo cultural y de sentirte orgullosa de tus raíces.” Ella también reconoce que el ser bilingüe no es un impedimento en los Estados Unidos, donde la mayoría habla inglés solamente, sino una ventaja. “Para mi, es bien importante saber inglés y español porque pienso que en el futuro, será una ventaja en términos de comunicación.” Ella recuerda su primer día en la escuela elemental donde no se habla español con mucho claridad, no solo porque se sentía asustada y fuera de lugar, sino porque también fue una experiencia que la obligo a querer aprender el inglés. Sin embargo, conversando en español diariamente es su forma de mantenerse conectada con su cultura en una forma que alguienes nunca pasan por esa experiencia porque no toman en cuenta ser bilingüe. “Yo siento que el español es algo especial que sigue conmigo y por mas que pasa el tiempo, me interesó más en mis raíces. Yo conozco mucho gente hispana que se le ha olvidado cómo hablar y escribir en español. Cuando me encuentro con eso, yo reconozco que esa el la razón porque tengo que saber de dónde vengo y donde empecé y nunca soltarlo.” PHOTO BY CONNOR LIN LAYOUT BY AVERY ADAMS

Check Out our other publications: The Highlander Scotscoop.com Youtube.com/highlanderscotscoop

@scotscoopsnews Carlmont Highlander Scotcenter news @scotscoopnews

Questions or Comments? Please let us know: highlanderscotscoop@gmail.com

Sequoia Union High school District Carlmont High School 1400 Alameda de las Pulgas Belmont, CA 94002