HIGHLANDER Homeless, but not hopelessPage 12
Philz coffee is the best way to fill up- Page 20
Explore the benefits of buying local- Page 24
THE
An update on the construction around campus- Page 2
Carlmont High School — Belmont, California
March 2016 Vol VII Issue VI
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Next year, sleeping is encouraged
Rachel Borshchenko
Hit the snooze button, Carlmont. Starting in the 2016-2017 school year, Carlmont students with six periods or fewer will be starting school nearly an hour later than in previous years. Carlmont Principal Ralph Crame said, “For next year’s schedule, the times will not be different as far as periods but instead of first period starting at eight, that is when zero period will start.” This decision was made by the Sequoia Union High School District School Board on Feb. 23 after months of deliberation. But this isn’t the first time late start has been talked about by the school board. In 2011, a late start schedule for Carlmont was denied due to concerns about traffic, athletics, and transportation for students living in East Palo Alto. Five years later, some concerns still exist for students and staff. Even so, Crame says that the reason that late start could be reconsidered is that new solutions have been created for some of these problems. “We didn’t have field lights, but now that we do, we can have later start times for games. The other factor was transportation, since Highway 101 was getting backed up around a later time. Now SamTrans is more willing to work with us and support that later start, which will help with buses coming from East Palo Alto,” said Crame. Some students, like sophomore Kazim Haider, still prefer to finish school earlier rather than starting school later. “I’m hoping to be able to take a zero period instead of a seventh because I’m a morning person and I’d like to get school over with
ZOE WILDMAN
The late start schedule allows students to sleep in later, which has been shown to improve attention and academic performance. Many students and parents support this change. and get out earlier. Even so, I still think some students could benefit from the new schedule,” said Haider. Unfortunately for students, a zero period can only be taken by those with seven periods next year. “Students that have a zero period class will only be those students who qualify for seven classes. Students will not get to choose to take a zero period instead of a sixth period class,” said Crame. Many studies, including those done by Stanford and the University of Minnesota have shown the overall benefits of high school students being able to start school later. “It’s beneficial to students because the Stanford study we saw showed that due to their biological clocks, even if a student woke up at the same time every day, their brain would be more ready to focus for school throughout
the day if they could start learning later,” said Crame. In the study done by University of Minnesota, students who attended schools with start times later than 8:30 a.m. showed significant improvement in all aspects of their lives. Dr. Kyla Wahlstrom, a researcher for the University of Minnesota, has led multiple studies on the effects of high schools starting late, with her first major
2016-2017 Schedule
study starting in 1996. “When the school [in Minnesota] had made this time change, people were shocked about the changes made in the students. We looked at the grades earned in academic subjects, and all of the grades improved in all semesters. There was also clearly less depression, risk of suicide, and significantly less risk of car accidents,” said Wahlstrom. Though this decision has many intended benefits, students taking the bus from East Palo Alto may not feel the same benefit as students coming from the BelmontRedwood Shores area. Buses taking students to school from East Palo Alto will still arrive at approximately the same time depending on where students live. Times will depend on whether or not students have a zero period, according to Crame. Crame noted that places like the Student Union and
the library will be open to students who have no other option than to arrive early. Another concern is for sports players who will be missing even more class than usual with the schedule change. “I sometimes missed class during basketball season, and I had work to make up. Next year it might be harder with classwork since we will end class even later,” said Haider, who plays basketball for Carlmont. Crame hopes to combat this problem with later start times for some sports games. “We’re working with the league, PAL, and other schools in the area to make later start times when appropriate. For football, if we can push all start times back by half an hour, athletes can miss less class and it won’t be a big difference for spectators since football games are on Friday nights,” said Crame. Sophomore Emily Abrams, who is planning on taking six periods next year, knows she will feel the effects of late start. “I feel like there’s going to be a lot more traffic at the end of the day. Usually when I get up earlier in the morning, I feel like I get more done throughout the day. I know that they looked at the Stanford study to make this decision, so it probably does have some benefits,” said Abrams. As for adults, Crame mentioned that while they also may have concerns, many understand the need for the change. Crame said, “For most of the parents and adults who have concerns about later starts, they still do realize the benefits of starting later.” Though some may be reluctant to accept this decision, it is one that students will have to live with.
Embracing the practice of social manipulation Aria Frangos We all do it. Spending ten minutes typing up that text, carefully wording it to create just the right effect. That pointedly neutral tone in your mom’s voice that alerted you to exactly how she felt you should take action in your social drama. People manipulate each other all the time, in all sorts of relationships and situations.
Manipulation is a loaded word, but it isn’t wrong. “Social manipulation” is a term that often brings to mind thoughts of sociopaths and bullies. However, manipulating people can just mean being charismatic and having a knack for social grace and people management. This kind of manipulation is a “soft skill,” which is a highly desirable trait that many employers seek in their workers. According to research done by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and the Stanford Re-
search Center, 85 percent of job success is due to soft skills, while just 15 percent of success in a career is a product of technical knowledge and skill. So if soft skills are in high demand, and soft skills are good, and soft skills are a form of social manipulation, is this tactful deception okay? “I feel like most people try to avoid overtly manipulating the people around them, because the situation can become very controlling and sometimes abusive,” said senior Lucas Parkin. “Most people are
aware of that and don’t want to ruin their relationships with others. In the end, even small manipulations create a lack of trust and destroy any bond between people.” High school students are experts in manipulation of their peers, parents, and teachers. There are unspoken strategies to gaining social status, and undeniable weight is carried in the tone, vocabulary, body language, and conversation between acquaintances.
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