Carlmont Highlander May 2016

HIGHLANDER Understanding life with diabetes- Page 12

Succeeding in non-traditional sports- Page 20

Seniors say goodbye to Carlmont- Page 24

THE

Immigrants at CarlmontPage 10

Carlmont High School — Belmont, California

May 2016 Vol VII Issue VIII

Alyssa Fagel

While a poll by KQED found that higher education and economic inequality are the most relevant political topics to the life of a teenager in America today, Schwartz’s views demonstrate that some students take an interest in a broader array of political issues playing out in the election.

The presidential primaries will conclude on June 14 with the Democratic primary in the District of Columbia.

Though Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders may be the favorite for some young voters all over the country, according to KQED, only half the citizens between age 18 and 29 voted in the 2012 election, meaning the youth vote may not be enough to push him ahead of Hillary Clinton, the more moderate choice.

And though John Kasich was viewed by many in the Republican establishment as a more electable candidate than Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, Trump’s success in crucial states such as Pennsylvania and Indiana were ultimately enough to push out fellow competitors.

With the possibility of filling one or more seats on the Supreme Court, and contentious issues like immigration and the economy on Donald Trump many people’s minds, this election will no doubt cause some heated arguments among voters in the Bay Area and across the nation.

Schwartz said, “To me, it's important to have a president who shares these similar ideas to me because I want to support someone who will represent my political ideologies in the best way possible.”

www.scotscoop.com Twitter: @scotscoopnews

Youth invest in political future Hillary Clinton

• Democrat • Secretary of State

• Republican • Real Estate Mogul

Presidential candidates 2016

“If Trump becomes president, I’m moving to Canada.”

For residents of the Bay Area, this has become a common saying over the last couple of months as Donald Trump continued to pull ahead in the Republican primary.

And the possibility of a Trump presidency grew even greater in early May, as he became the presumptive Republican nominee.

But it’s not just adults who are affected by the results of the coming election.

This year’s winner will serve in office for the next four (or eight) years, covering the time period when current high school students will be going off to college and beginning to settle down.

A majority of high school students are too young to vote in the 2016 election, yet many have found other effective ways of getting involved.

Junior Roz Soheili, for example, attended the antiTrump protests at a GOP gathering in Burlingame, California on April 29.

Soheili said, “I attended [the protest] to voice my opinion and exercise my right to peaceful assembly and protest as well as my freedom of speech. Although I cannot vote yet, I still want to be very involved in the elections and the election process.”

A survey from the Harvard University Institute of Politics conducted in 2015 found that young Americans prefer that a Democrat (55 percent) win the White House over a Republican (40 percent) in this year’s election.

Soheili said, “I think too many young people, liberal ideals seem more accepting of all people and that is why we lean more in that direction. As a young generation, I think we have had enough of seeing the injustices people have to face and are ready to embrace people for their differences and become united, regardless of different backgrounds and affiliations.”

Other young Americans appreciate the Democratic approach toward financial assistance while in college.

Senior Giorgi Trembley said, “I think that I’ll be paying off student loans for way too many years, and this scares people away from going to college in the first place. Education should be a first priority on all candidates’ agendas.”

Of course, even in a relatively liberal community like Carlmont, there is still diversity of opinion.

Senior Daphne Schwartz, for example, considers herself more conservative than many of her classmates.

Schwartz said, “Living in a more liberal state like California, and being someone who is on the conservative side, I see a huge issue in how strict our gun control laws are, and the fact that we even have gun control at all.”

Schwartz continued, “I also think that our current policies on illegal immigration are super lenient and for me personally being the granddaughter of two legal immigrants I think that the way our country is currently handling the situation is a pretty big slap in the face to every immigrant who came here legally and worked hard to make a better future for themselves.”

• Democrat • Vermont Senator

Where they stand...

Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump

Bernie Sanders

Higher Education: She would ensure that students can attend a four-year public college in their state without taking out loans.

Immigration: He plans to make Mexico pay for a wall along the southern border, and end all birthright citizenship.

Wealth Inequality: He would increase taxes on the top .3 percent of Americans, and raise the federal minimum wage to $15.

Woman’s Rights: She wants women’s health and reproductive rights protected.

Healthcare: He would repeal Obamacare in favor of private providers.

Racial Injustice: He plans to demilitarize police forces, and ban prisons for profit.

Bernie Sanders

Page 2 The Highlander

CAMPUS

May 2016

Overseas learning broadens horizons Brooke Chang She has lived in Belmont, Calif. her entire life.

She knows how to dress for warm weather, how to deal with a drought, and how to get all the way from the edge of Belmont to the edge of San Carlos.

However, when it comes to other countries or cultures, her knowledge is limited to what she has seen on the Internet.

“I’ve never even been outside of the country,” said sophomore Lauren Bazigian.

“I’ve only seen pictures and videos of other places, but I haven’t actually experienced the different cultures for myself.”

As students grow older, many find that they are curious about the world outside of their community and seek opportunities to explore it.

For some, this curiosity is fulfilled by joining a program to study abroad.

Many colleges and high schools offer study abroad programs in which the students take a quarter or semester off of school to go on an educational trip to another country. On these trips, they have the opportunity to study in classes of their choice that are led by teachers from the foreign country.

The experience of studying abroad as a whole can bring the benefit of maturity as it is a big step for many students and is often the first time that they learn to be truly self-sufficient.

Carlmont graduate Lauren Meier, who studied abroad for a semester of her junior year in high school said, “I feel that I became more mature and gained a wider perspective of the world. Studying abroad in high school gave me an early opportunity to learn how to be responsible for myself and not to rely on my parents., which is something I believe all kids should learn at one point or another.”

However, some students find that the

10 Top Destinations for U.S. Students Studying Abroad United Kingdom Italy

Ireland

Japan

France Spain Brazil

China

Costa Rica

Australia

ISABEL MITCHELL

few negative effects of studying abroad are too large to overlook at such a young age.

Junior Kara Sun looked into a program at Carlmont called Amigos de las Americas, which is very similar to many study abroad programs. However, for various reasons, Sun decided not to go on the trip.

“I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to go on the trip in the first place because the projects that Amigos does just weren’t what I was looking for. It would have cost a lot of money and taken up a lot of my time for something that I wasn’t super passionate about. I decided that I’d rather wait to find a trip that’s better-suited to me,” said Sun. Like many things in life, it is up to each person to measure the benefits and down-

sides of studying abroad, and to decide whether or not it is a good fit for their situation.

For example, Meier saw many of the same issues as Sun, but decided that the experience of living abroad was worth it.

“I definitely think that the benefits outweighed the costs on all fronts, for my situation. The thousands of dollars in monetary costs as well as the many sentimental costs like missing family birthdays, my new puppy, and my junior prom were all made up for by the insight that I gained through my study abroad trip,” said Meier. “I know that I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t spent so much time abroad and I definitely wouldn’t have found my love for traveling.”

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Study abroad programs in high school and college have the ability to teach students many things about both themselves and the world around them. However, many find that if they are unable to take a trip across the world, they can still learn about other cultures in a second-hand way by taking classes and getting detailed descriptions from people who have visited those places.

“It’s really important to learn about other cultures and languages. It broadens your point of view, and it makes you really appreciate the things that make everyone different,” said sophomore Alice Snelling, who housed two study abroad students her freshman year at Carlmont.

The Highlander

CAMPUS

Page 3 May 2016

Suicide prevention help available Sarah Tocatlian

If you walk through the halls of Carlmont High School, you are met with 2,183 faces, some smiling, some not.

It’s hard to tell that some of these students are overwhelmed with school work, dealing with family issues at home, and having to fight thoughts of anxiety, depression, and suicide.

At schools in the Silicon Valley, the suicide rate is four times higher than the national average has been over the last 10 years.

Schools like Palo Alto High School (Paly) and Henry M. Gunn High School have suffered the loss of many students; students who appear to not have any problems, and have everything under control, leading the community to believe that student suicides are not just a coincidence.

Because of the concern from the community, Paly has put into motion different protocols to try and do their part in helping students.

“At our school we have a special suicide watch program that enforces communication between staff and students to help keep them on the right path,” Paly sophomore Umbher Kooner said. “I can’t imagine school being stressful enough to the point where I would want to commit suicide, but I’m glad my school has a program like this.”

According to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, people of all genders, ages, and ethnicities can be at risk for suicide, but people most at risk tend to share certain characteristics. According to the Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, some of these characteristics include depression, other mental disorders, substance abuse disorder, a family history of suicide, domestic violence, including physical or sexual abuse.

“At the high school level, depression is a part of a child’s development. Around ninth or tenth grade is where students are adapting to the system, and there are some instances where depressive tendencies will impact them,” said Carlmont’s school psychologist, Elda Aghazarian.

Carlmont is doing everything possible to prevent students from finding themselves in a situation where they would take their own life.

“In terms of suicide prevention as a whole, Carlmont

has put in different support systems, to be available for students, outside of their classrooms or class issues. Guidance counselors are the first stop for students, they are there to provide information and help determine whether students are at risk,” said Aghazaria.

Not only do the counselors at Carlmont do scheduling, and college preparation, but they are trained to help students in all sorts of different situations, including helping students through their suicidal thoughts.

Counselors work with the rest of the teachers to share their knowledge and make sure that there is communication throughout the staff.

“The staff meets once a month, and we will remind staff of all the coun- selors that work here and anytime that there are any concerns they have about a student, we make sure that they let the student’s counselor know that they can check in with them,” said guidance coun- selor Kristin Vernon.

In addition to counselors, Carlmont has a trained psychologist, and a trained mar-

riage and family therapist who are all prepared to handle situations where students are at risk of suicide, by having support systems in place.

“I’m so glad that Carlmont has resources that students can use if they feel the need for it. It’s nice to know that we, have somewhere where we can go, if we need it,” junior Erica Pang said.

JILL ALBERTSON

Attempts underway to minimize Carlmont’s footprint Celine Yang The lights stay on. The generators hum along. The chlorinated water filters in and out of the pool 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, almost 365 days a year, save for the occasional maintenance shutdowns.

Power, energy, sustainability. Waste, resources, solutions.

These terms usually aren’t the first thing that comes to a person’s mind when they walk into school.

Assistant Vice Principal Grant Steunenberg said, “I was blown away by the sheer amount of power that is needed to run this school on a daily basis. There’s SmartBoards, computers, and other necessities that all pull energy.”

Due to the school being built in 1952, long before energy efficiency standards were considered important, much of the older structures are not as energy efficient as they could be.

According to Plant Manager Jerome Harris, the campus’s monthly electrical bill is around $10,000 to $15,000.

One of the biggest expenditures includes the swimming pool, due to its filtration needs.

In order to completely bring this school up-to-date, it would take a large amount of money, effort, and time.

Steunenberg said, “In order to get to a place where we’re 100 percent green, we’d have to tear this place down and rebuild. Which is currently not a realistic option.”

Carlmont currently consits of over 2,000 students and is on the path to accept even more students in the coming years. With the growing student population, funds will be needed to mainain the current buildings instead of going towards the construction of new energy efficient buildings.

But that doesn’t mean that Carlmont has thrown away the green dream.

Nearly 7 decades since the original construction of the

campus, the school has found other ways to cut down on its energy use. This effort has manifested itself in LED lights, green engineering, and smarter solutions.

Some of the windows were replaced for better insulation, and more fluorescent bulbs have been added all over the campus. Custodians continue to sweep away the trash and help make ther Carlmont campus as clean as can be.

“In order to get to a place where we’re 100 percent green, we’d have to tear this place down and rebuild.”

Grant Steunenberg Assistant Vice Principal In addition, Harris notes that solar panels have been installed on the school’s F building, which has cut down 35 percent of the cost of the energy bill for those buildings.

As the campus grows and develops, efforts continue with a plan for the future.

The 5-Year Capital Repair Project calls for more LED lights, an electric vehicle charger, and more window replacements. As for the construction currently going on by the biotech buildings, greener efforts are expected.

Students have also gotten in on the action. One volunteer club at Carlmont, Key Club, hosts school clean-up days on a regular basis. in addition, some students take the Green Engineering class to learn more about designing efficient buildings. Meanwhile, others have ideas about increasing sustainability at Carlmont.

One such student is sophomore Daisha Sherman, who is taking an online environmental sciences class.

Sherman said, “Something that doesn’t take much effort

that we should do is composting. It’s easy to do, and compostable dishware in the lunch cafeteria would be much better for the environment. Even if you don’t buy lunch, Tupperware instead of paper and plastic bags are better. I bet you we could help out the earth a lot more if everyone on our campus took a small step such as this to help the environment.”

While this remains a dream -- Harris speculated that composting efforts could lead to an increased workload for the custodians already handling the trash crisis -- efforts for a greener campus haven’t stopped.

Awareness of sustainability and energy use has rapidly increased, and most students know full well the basics of green etiquette.

Meanwhile, a monitor bearing resemblance to a small TV hangs by the choir room in the F Wing. It’s meant to update students on how much energy has been saved in the last 24 hours -- though it has yet to be plugged in and turned on for all to see.

While the campus may be 60-years-old, Carlmont is pretty green for its age according to the administration.

Other schools have successfully initiated green efforts, and this in turn could lead other campuses to catch and spread the green bug around.

For now, it’s up to the students to give energy and trash another look -- and not just a look, but action as well to make the Carlmont campus beautiful and clean.

That could mean something as small as making the effort to transport trash to the trash can instead of throwing it on the grass, or something as big as contributing ideas and creating solutions for a much larger problem that faces the planet as a whole.

Sherman said, “Whatever we can do, now matter how small, hopefully it will be enough to have a poitive impact on our world. Maybe Carlmont can be the first step towards a better planet.”

Page 4 The Highlander

NEWS

May 2016

The Unites States’ offense isn’t as good as its defense Justin Som

outside the “United States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russia, and China [to have risen to] over 5,900.”

When it comes to “I think it’s good for America to sports and combat, keep a policy on first and foreign it is often said that strikes, ” said sophomore Zach the best defense Wong who monitors politics and is a good offense. world issues. “But we should also However, in the work on protecting ourselves and case of the United stopping wars first rather than States who has long joining them. ” upheld such a stratThe argument made by Wong egy, a redirection is and similar analyses have been valid needed in the favor of since the end of the Cold War. defense.

In 2015, President Barack Obama chose not The emergence of into establish a stronger home missile defense. Increasingly hostile nations stead, the president invested in the overthrow have led to doubt pertainof regimes and terrorist groups in an effort to ing to the nation’s protecmake battlefields as far from home as postion. With the emergence of sible. nuclear weapons in corrupt Yet in 2016, this strategy canareas of the globe, the U.S. may not be applied to either Russia or have to reallocate its resources North Korea if the United States from afar back to home or adcannot approach for its strike. just defense spending.

When the United States Starting in January 2016, and the members of the North Korea began to advance its North Atlantic Treaty nuclear prowess. Violating numerous Organization(NATO) United Nations protocols in its advanceenclosed on Rusment towards the creation of nuclear longsia in early May, range weapons and intercontinental ballistic Vladmir Putin and missiles(ICBMs). However, in contrast to the the administration many claims that have said the country cannot make threatened to use its successful nuclear weapons, there were reports as far increasingly modback as April 2013 in which there was “moderate confiernized nuclear dedence” of a nuclear missile being successful.

BROOKE CHANG terrent or military force.

As for the rest of the world, the U.S. Department of DeSimilarly, when the United fense Missile Agency has estimated the number of missiles

Nations approached North Korea to fulfill inspections after the unregulated ballistic missile tests, they were met with resistance and failed to delve deeper into their investigation.

Despite the success of Obama’s intentions, many Americans doubt the ability of the country to defend itself from other nations or avoid conflicts. The United States, itself, had barely scraped over a full nuclear conflict with the Soviet Union during the late mid 20th century, and that was only the beginning of American intervention in foreign countries.

In the modern age of new weapons, fear of nuclear missiles has risen once again. Even though the United States does not have as much preoccupation with the matter as either the United Nations or South Korea, there is still a sense of dread associated with nuclear attack from overseas. Unlike other nations, the United States has never been actually attacked on the mainland through devices similar to ICBMs. The former Secretary of Defense William Perry said in December 2015, "We are facing nuclear dangers today that are in fact more likely to erupt into a nuclear conflict than during the Cold War," in context of North Korea increasing its stockpile of ICBMs. Likewise, the United States’ current plan for the takedown of missiles has been under question. In order to takedown ICBMs, the United States has agreed on a system of “detection, tracking, and interception via a controlled explosion or hit-to-kill” according to the Department of Defense. The matter of whether this system can handle a possible nuclear attack though, is yet to be tested.

“I honestly don’t feel safe in the case of a nuclear strike,” said sophomore Daniel Vignanker. “The government hasn’t released much information for defense measures or what we should even do in case of an attack. No one in my family knows what to do.”

As ‘The House’ comes down students lose parking Nathan Godwin

Alameda de Las Pulgas and surrounding streets when the area is most congested.

The House also has a small dirt circle drive Everyday students drive onto the lot of on its lot further up Club Drive. This circle The House, a church located just beyond drive plays an important role allowing parthe Scot’s gym entrance to Carlmont. After ents driving down Club to drop off their school the area is full of kids getting picked students without having to drive to Carlup and walking home. Soon the students mont. When the area is under construction will lose their spaces and parents will have next year, this drop off will be eliminated. to find a new place to drop off and pick up Many students walk down Club Drive their students. and through the church’s property, providOn January 19, the San Carlos plan- ing a safe and easy pathway to school as ning commission approved plans for a new opposed to walking all the way to San Carhousing development of 11 single-family los Avenue. This shortcut will also be lost, homes on the corner of Club Drive and forcing many students onto the small busy San Carlos Avenue - the site of the former sidewalk.

House Church.

“I try to park at The House almost evCarlmont students use the lot for park- eryday, next year when it’s gone it will be ing, but with construction anticipated to difficult for people to find parking. Hopebegin in summer, the lot will be lost next fully I can get a permit spot,” said sophoyear. more Kevin Mcgee, “Traffic is always bad in “Alameda is always backed up in the the mornings near that intersection, when morning by Carlmont, it gets congested by they start buildTerra Linda (TL) ing everything and backs all the will be backed “There isn’t anything we at way up past the up. There are school. Hearing Carlmont can do to affect the students and about the conparents trying struction makes traffic, it is San Carlos’s project... to get to TL and me wonder about People will have to find new Carlmont at the how bad the trafsame time evparking places.” fic will be further ery morning.” down the road,” San Carlos Grant Steunenburg said sophomore has heard the Zane VanArsdel.

Administrative Vice Principal complaints of The city has residents promsaid that conising to try and struction will take place from 8am-6pm control construction times.

Monday through Friday, 1am - 5pm on Sat“The developer has agreed to hold off urdays. However, regardless of work hours, starting construction until school is out the diverted flow of traffic and lost parking for the summer. By the time school starts will congest this critical intersection during in the fall, they should be able to accomalready busy hours. modate construction parking on-site,” said Currently, the parking in The House lot Lisa Costa Sanders, the principal planner keeps dozens of students and their cars off

ESTELLA LIPPI

On San Carlos Avenue, The House, that many students rely on for parking will be taken down to make room for a new constuction project. for the City of San Carlos.

According to a city report, the construction will continue until September of 2017.

The proposed 11 single-family homes will be built on the 1.75 acres of land.

There will be a new small paved road through the development exiting on Club Drive near Bayview Drive.

There are three different model homes planned: Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C shown in the documents released by the city.

Plan A has a net floor 2,465 square feet.

There will be only one “A home” built on the land.

This home will be built back from the streets in the center of the development.

Six Plan B homes will have 3,299 square feet. These homes will be four bedrooms and three and a half bedrooms. These homes will be built parallel to San Carlos Ave. Plan C will have a floor space of 3,105 square feet. Four “Plan C” homes will be built adjacent to Club Drive.

“The site is zoned for single family housing and with the church leaving, the city wanted to see a new developments that would be consistent with the surrounding neighborhood. There will be new single family homes and wider sidewalks with landscaping along San Carlos Avenue,” said Sanders.

The effects of this development will make the commute to and from school much more congested next year highlighting the need for a long term traffic solution.

Administrative Vice Principal Grant Steunenburg said, “There isn’t anything we at Carlmont can do to affect the traffic, it is San Carlos’s project. I do know that a lot of the residents who live in the neighborhood are unhappy. People will have to find new parking places. Next year I’d advise parents to try and find alternate routes to school when they’re dropping off their kids. They may have to leave a little earlier or drive a different direction. Hopefully the late start next year can help.”

The Highlander

A misperception of body art Bijan Kahili Tattoos, piercings, colorful hair.

What we put on our bodies is merely a normal expression of one’s character, who they truly are.

As a matter of fact, tattoos in America are a form of expression and are protected from criminal law by the constitution.

“Tattoos are supposed to be something meaningful, to remind you of something important or a message that you want to go by. I think people are misinterpreting what tattoos and other forms of body art are all about,” said senior Cailan Cummings.

There is no doubt that body art is growing in popularity and acceptance, especially with the millennial generation.

According to a website called Should I Tattoo?, about one in five Americans have a tattoo.

More and more individuals are expressing themselves throughnot only tattoos, but other body art such as body piercings.

Tattoos that are now seen as an art form cannot escape the negative image painted of them from just a generation ago.

According to a survey by Working World in an article of the Personal Branding Blog from the Millennial Branding, 60 percent of employers say that they are less likely to hire someone with tattoos or piercings.

“Making a first impression is important to get a job, but the ultimately employers should hire people based on their own merit

not their appearance,” said senior Erin Alonso.

However, this does not stop millennials from expressing themselves through the art that they put on their bodies knowing that it will only expand in support.

“There is definitely discrimination of body art in the workforce as of right now however, I do believe as our generation gets older and obtain more jobs there will be more acceptance and opportunities,” said senior Cole Harper.

In fact, studies found by Karen L. Hudson a tattoos and body piercing expert showed that companies that are body art friendly include big names such as Google, Best Buy, Starbucks, and Amazon.

Although for some students, the bias of their parents might not affect their own interpretation of body art, for others, their parent’s views of body art might be substantially different than their child’s views.

“When I first wanted to get my ears pierced my parents were hesitant to me getting them not knowing that for our generation the number of guys who get their ears pierced is growing immensely and it is just a normal thing,” said senior John Bran.

It is just a matter of time until body art doesn’t have a derogatory label attached to it and it is seen as an art of expression.

“As we get older and become parents, there will definitely be more and more people with tattoos and piercings since there will be a complete change of view of body art with Millennial parents,” said Harper.

Page 5

NEWS

May 2016

KELLY SONG

Carlmomt students enjoyed themselves by dancing with their friends at winter formal in January, many of which expexct Promto surpass their expextations, just as formal did.

Carlmont prepares for prom Jiselle Vigil

Prom - the time for putting on makeup, trying on dresses and tuxedos, and getting your nails done. It is the time where juniors and seniors get to spend great moments with all friends and classmates. It is the time to get asked by someone to the dance or ask someone with .

However,some feel like going alone with some friends is okay.

“I do not think you need a date but it is best if you get a date for prom,” said junior Alec Aokino.

According to CNN, more girls than guys feel the need to have their prom to be just like the movies, because in the movies every prom is perfect for the girl.

“I think it is pretty equal, but girls show it a lot more than guys do. I think that guys keep it more to themselves because they do not want people to know that they care about prom. And I personally do not have fantasies of prom being perfect, I just want to have a fun time,” said junior Nisha Pandita.

The media, movies, and peers are key factors to why people feel like they need a date to prom. People may think if they are standing off to side when a slow song comes on or they walk in with no date that others may judge them.

“I do not think a date is necessary, but society makes it seem like we need one. I would have just as much fun, if not more, if I went with a group of friends,” said

junior Ryan Geronimo.

According to an article in The SunSentinel, going alone to prom with a group of friends is not a bad idea. Going solo can give people the chance to dance with other people who are also there solo and gives those the chance to meet new people and make friends.

“I agree with the fact that if you do end up going to prom alone or with a group of friends that you can meet new people who are also there with no date. Going alone is not as bad as people may think it is, this will be my first year attending prom but I can see that going alone isn’t really that bad. Having a date is fun, but getting to know others is fun too,” said junior Jacob Lloyd.

Women face cultural beauty standards

Lily Bakour

“I am not beautiful.”

This is a thought that haunts women across the world.

Regardless of background, women hold themselves to different beauty standards according to their culture and the society that surrounds them.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, beauty is “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.”

Junior Snehal Pandey defines her beauty standards from a mixture of American and Indian styles.

Pandey said, “It’s really interesting coming from such different places around the world, where they have such unique beauty standards. For example, most Americans dress to impress society, while Indian women dress to represent their family well.”

In India, women mostly find lighter skin more attractive, while in America, a suntan is more desirable. Also, sarees and lenghas, traditional Indian dress attire, are worn much more often than the typical American “jeans and tshirt” combo.

On the contrary, junior Ashley Wen defines beauty by her Chinese-American standards.

Though it might not be explicitly advertised, the fact that most female stars have very slim and delicate bodies supports the unspoken beauty standards of China.

According to Wen, most of the women in China are thin and petite to fit the standards in that region. The focus of beauty standards is directed towards size, rather than attire. Unlike America, Chinese standards favor a woman with small body features.

Women in China prefer porcelain skin with delicate facial features to convey femininity. Even when Chinese

LILY BAKOUR

Carlmont stduents junior Millan Kanaya and sophomore Tyrese Lope celebrate their beauty. women wear makeup, extra steps are taken to ensure that their makeup looks natural. The irony is that women wear more makeup in order to achieve the natural, “no makeup” look.

Comparatively, African tribal culture emphasizes physical strength and build as important attributes in women.

It is seen as beautiful to be curvy. Historically, stronger women signified wealth due to their superior diet.

As a continent still heavily influenced by tribal traditions, women from this part of the world covet scars and extended earlobes because they signify beauty, wealth, maturity, and growth.

Though the different European cultures are interconnected, beauty expectations drastically vary between countries.

All types of stereotypes put an immense amount of pressure on women to fall under specific categories, whether

they’re national or international perceptions.

For instance, French women are mostly portrayed by the media as thin, constantly fashionable, and quiet; but, living under such rules causes many to be exhausted and angry at the media.

This brings about conflicting thoughts of whether to live an artificial lifestyle and be recognized as beautiful, or be the odd one out and be yourself.

Comparing different cultures exemplifies the flexible expectations that are constantly changing depending on the time period, geographical location, and artificial fashion trends.

In each unique location, the media tends to focus on how a woman can fix herself in order to fit into that specific society’s beauty standards.

In the United States, encouraging a woman to buy millions of different products to “fix herself ” is a big part of the capitalist economy.

Marketers are hired solely for the purpose of targeting women and pressuring them into spending money on their flaws.

Photo editors are hired solely for the purpose of making people look a certain way in magazines that is physically impossible to attain, magazines that we see and compare ourselves to on a daily basis.

According to the NYC girls project, “by middle school, 40-70 percent of girls are dissatisfied with two or more parts of their body, and body satisfaction hits rock bottom between the ages of 12 and 15.”

Pandey said, “All women need to remember that the standards around the world are used to promote products, and we should just be comfortable with ourselves. It’s not a bad thing to want to look good and take care of yourself, but it’s important to know that each woman has so much more to offer than their beauty.”

Page 6

FEATURES

The Highlander

May 2016

Exploring the benefits of handwriting vs. typing Aria Frangos Click, click, click, click, click, click, click.

Or alternatively, hello!

That’s the difference between typing and writing. One is a set of keystrokes, and the other is a series of individual symbols.

Technology is pervading all aspects of our lives, and the way we write things down is an important function that is changing because of that.

One of the most obvious societal changes due to technology is the constant presence of electronic gadgets in people’s hands.

Most adolescents and adults have phones, and often smartphones, on them at any given moment. Coloring sheets at restaurants intended to entertain children have been sidelined in favor of tablets and smartphones. Education, even standardized testing, is transitioning to include usage of computers and smartphone apps.

“I feel like technology is over-hyped, especially here in the Silicon Valley,” said senior Jasmine Davidson. “Yes, there are many more opportunities to learn through the Internet and new technology, but I personally feel like I learn better from physical textbooks because it’s easier to see all the information you need at once, which is much harder to see on a screen.”

There are clearly benefits to using technology. Children can develop skills like quick decision-making, multitasking, visual motor skills, and problem-solving. There are lots of apps that are designed with the intent of teaching, such as the study app Quizlet or the language-learning app Duolingo.

However, technology also has been targeted as having detrimental effects on young minds. Excessive use of technology has been blamed for shortening attention spans, lack of creativity, impaired memory skills, and even poor social skills in young people.

“The best way to learn depends on each person and their individual learning styles.

I might learn well by handwriting notes, while someone else might learn best by watching a tutorial,” said AP psychology teacher Andrea Seremet. “Psychology-wise, there’s not a wrong way to learn. There’s different ways of learning.”

However, the common opinion that laptops can help learning in classrooms is not entirely accurate. Handwriting is a significant learning mechanism that improves cognition.

“Handwriting is a complex task which requires various skills – feeling the pen and paper, moving the writing implement, and directing movement by thought,” says Edouard Gentaz, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Geneva.

“Children take several years to master this precise motor exercise: you need to hold the scripting tool firmly while moving it in such a way as to leave a different mark for each letter.”

This means that writing longhand takes a lot more conscious effort than typing does. The rephrasing, thought, and process of handwriting improves overall comprehension of material.

“Handwriting involves different parts of your brain working to paraphrase and analyze, while typing is centered significantly around knowing how to type quickly,” said Clare Marks. “I write better when I’m writing longhand partly because I know I won’t make a typo like I might on a computer.

The slower speed of handwriting helps me think through what I’m saying instead of rushing through like I would if I were typing. It actually helps my writing flow.”

In a study done by Pam Mueller of Princeton University and Daniel Oppenheimer of UCLA, a classroom was set up with half of the subjects taking notes on a laptop and half writing notes by hand. The students with laptops recorded more notes, but the students writing by hand had a stronger conceptual understanding of the material.

They postulated that these results were

ISABEL MITCHELL

Typing notes proves efficient, but handwritten notes help for memorization. caused by the fact that faster notation by typing allows students to copy information down without thinking much about it, while slower notation of handwriting means that students have to listen, retain, and comprehend to decide what to write down and how to rephrase it best for their note-taking purposes.

“You put more effort into thinking about the material when you’re handwriting it because you don’t have time to write everything down. The need to paraphrase and write down key points makes you analyze the material more,” said senior Wesley Lim. The ways that society records information have changed many times since the invention of writing, and word-processing with modern technology is only another step in this path.

The slower speed of handwriting helps me think through what I’m saying instead of rushing through like I would if I were typing.

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“Handwriting may well be phased out in favor of typed work in the near future.

Handwriting will probably still exist as an art form, though,” said Davidson. “And I’d guess that many people in developing countries won’t have the luxury of typing their documents for quite awhile.”

The methods people use to record information are a key part of how they learn and understand information. Handwriting has evidence of being superior in promoting information analysis and retention when compared with typing, but typing is steadily getting more prevalent. The possible replacement of handwriting with typing could negatively impact how children’s minds develop and how students learn in the future.

Wesley Kim Senior

The Highlander

FEATURES

Page 7 May 2016

Students deal with rejections from top choices Kiera Pendleton-White Rejection hurts. Especially when it comes from your first-choice college or university.

With the amount of people who applied to colleges, it’s only natural that there is a large amount of people who have been denied from colleges.

According to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) undergraduate admissions office, 92,728 freshmen applicants applied for the Fall 2015 semester. Yet, they only accepted 17 percent, or 16,016 of those applicants.

The high number of applicants only got higher this year.

The Los Angeles Daily News reported that there was a 6.4 percent increase in applicants for the UCLA fall 2016 semester than there were for the fall 2015 semester. With the greater amount of applicants, even fewer applicants were offered admission to the well-known university.

Therefore, the people who were not offered admission had to find ways to deal with the rejection from the university. However, this problem was not only happening at UCLA. People were denied from other universities, and they also had to find ways to cope.

Some people discovered what they truly wanted when they were denied admission from these schools.

“I didn’t expect to get into the University of Chicago, but I was still disappointed when I got waitlisted. However, as time went on I realized it wasn’t really the perfect fit for me. So I’m fine with it,“ said senior Jasmine Davidson.

Others found ways to be enthusiastic about where they did get in.

“Even though Chapman wasn’t originally my first choice, I’m so happy that it’s where I ended up. I think that out of all of the schools I applied to, it’s the one that I will be the happiest at,” said senior Davis Schmitt.

Besides not being offered acceptance, there are other factors that can contribute to people attending other col-

leges that may not have been at the top of their list. Many of these reasons can stem from monetary causes: things like scholarships and tuition amounts.

“Money played a fair amount in my college decision. I mostly looked at colleges that gave me scholarships, which showed that they really wanted me. I’m resigned to the fact that I’m going to Macalester, since they gave me a scholarship, but I’m a little sad I couldn’t go to Tufts.

It would just cost too much to attend,” said Davidson.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2008 the average amount of aid offered to undergraduate students from the government was $8,070. The average amount of loans offered by the government was $7,050. If someone were to accept both the money and the loans from the government, they would have a total of $15,120.

Yet, the cost of attendance is much higher than that amount. The estimated cost of attending the University of Oregon, according to the university, for the 2015-2016 school year is $46,902, including housing. Now, with the aver-

age amount given to students by the government, students will still have to be able to pay $31,782.

“The financial aid office at Northern Arizona University offered me loans that would that would cover the cost of attending, but I didn’t want to end up in debt. I’m happy with my choice of Cal Poly Pomona, but in the beginning I was really sad I couldn’t go to Arizona,” said senior Loran Branch.

Even if the college is not a perfect fit, there are ways for people to get what they want out of their college education.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, one-third of students switch institutions before earning a degree. So transferring is a natural and viable option if the first college or university was not a perfect fit for the student; There’s no need to wait until graduation to leave.

“School is what you make of it. But even then, college is only a means to an end. It is not the destination. It’s 4, 7 or 10 years of figuring out what to do with your life,” said the director of vocal music Genevieve Tep.

Page 8 The Highlander

FEATURES

May 2016

Does natural intelligence actually exist?

Anya Meredith You’ve been cramming all night for your test tomorrow and you don’t know if it’s going to be enough.

Then, you think of the kid in your class who’s going to set the curve...again.

You wonder, “Are they suffering through this right now too? Did they study ahead of time? Did they already know what we’re learning?”

These are questions that many students find themselves asking.

Math teacher Alison Davis does not believe that being “naturally smart” exists.

“I believe that hard work and efficient study habits are the key to being smart.

I don’t believe that people are just born smart. I believe that people have a growth mindset,” said Davis.

A growth mindset, according to The Glossary of Education Reform, is, “...a self-perception or ‘self-theory’ that people hold about themselves. Believing that you are either ‘intelligent’ or ‘unintelligent’ is a simple example of a mindset.”

This theory describes that a person who thinks that they are unintelligent will most likely not excel in academics because they do not expect more of themselves.

Conversely, this theory suggests that

when one has the mindset that they are intelligent, they are more likely to do well in academics because they have a sense of confidence.

Junior Derek Tzeng said, “I do not think people are naturally smart. I believe both nature and nurture play a part in one’s intelligence. However, I think studying does increase intelligence.”

How one is raised does, in fact, affect one’s intelligence.

Daily Mail UK staff writer Sarah Griffiths said, “Researchers found that children raised in wealthier and more educated households grow up to be smarter than those brought up in poorer homes...Previous studies have found educated parents are more likely to talk at the dinner table, take their children to museums and read stories to them at night, which are activities said to help boost a child’s intelligence.”

While one may not be born naturally smart, it is apparent that one’s surroundings help shape their intelligence level.

If you are not born into a wealthier or more educated family does it make you unintelligent?

No. “Everyone has their own growth mindset. Some people may be better at some things than others, but it means nothing if

ISABEL MITCHELL

Some students study extra to maintain grades other students achieve easily. they don’t work to improve their skills. The key to being smart is to working hard and training your brain to be better at whatever it is you’re working on,” said Davis.

Unlike Tzeng and Davis, junior Julia Kelly does believe that people are born naturally smart.

“I do think that people are naturally smart, but people can also become really smart by studying and working hard. In some situations I feel like being naturally

smart and working hard go hand in hand,” said Kelly.

The next time you panic the night before a test and start asking yourself questions about the person in your class who will set the curve, think to yourself, “How long ago did I start studying for this?”

In the end, your problem may not be the curve-setting student of your class but your study habits.

Safe havens save students from long school days Connor Lin Sophomore Meileen Jones wakes up at 6:30 a.m., eager for another day at school.

She gets dressed, eats her breakfast, grabs her French horn, and walks out of her house.

As the day passes, her mind stays fixated on two classes: band and choir. Music is the only reason she gets out of bed in the morning.

Jones said, “I find band and choir enjoyable because of the wonderful students and teachers. All year long, we work together to create music that none of us could have accomplished alone.”

Many students at Carlmont attend classes that they find enjoyable. These entertaining classes are important for a student to have in their daily routines because they provide motivation to attend school and they establish positive morale.

Music teacher Lieven Smart said, “It is

important for a student to have enjoyable classes in his or her schedule because learning becomes easier when classes are entertaining. It also gives the student a better attitude, and it helps to prevent the development of poor mental health.”

Classes that differ from the normal academic curriculum also provide a variation in the schedules of students, which makes school more entertaining.

Music teacher John Dabaldo said, “Band is a class that can help relieve stress from challenging academic classes. It also has a creative and cooperative environment that differs from a lot of the classes offered at Carlmont.”

Art electives are not the only classes that students find enjoyable.

Sophomore Alice Gevorgyan said, “I love my biotech class because it’s calm and not overly stressful. My teacher is extremely nice and helpful, which makes the class enjoyable.”

However, there are students at Carlmont who attend school due to the requirement rather than for enjoyment. Though there may be some entertaining aspects of a daily routine at school, these students find that the negatives greatly outweigh the positives.

Sophomore Lauren Morris said, “Overall, I think that school is boring and monotonous. In most of my classes, I feel like I am just going through the motions. I do not feel connected to what I am learning or why it is important. In these classes, focusing can be especially draining and I often leave school mentally tired. I usually dread coming to school.”

Teachers often have a large impact on the way that a student feels about a particular class.

Morris said, “Although I have never particularly enjoyed English as a subject, my teacher this year makes the class interesting and exciting. I am always excited to go

to these classes after lunch. I think teachers have a big impact on whether or not students enjoy school. If teachers are passionate about their jobs, that passion will reflect in their students.”

Adding engaging classes that have positive learning environments to a daily routine can produce substantial differences to a student’s perception of school.

According to Educause Review, “Environments that elicit positive emotional responses may lead not only to enhanced learning but also to a powerful, emotional attachment to the space.”

These enjoyable classes at Carlmont are the foundation for passions that can develop into future careers.

Gevorgyan said, “The class curriculum in my biotech class makes us learn how to use basic lab equipment. This class has helped me understand what a career in science is like, and it also helps to keep my daily schedule entertaining at Carlmont.”

Page 9

ENTERTAINMENT Buzzfeed is not real journalism The Highlander

Jackson Monge You know you shouldn’t, but you do it anyway.

Another “Top ten reasons why” brought to you by none other than the most infamous journalism site today...Buzzfeed.

Buzzfeed is a journalism site that covers many topics from opinion, to cooking, to “feel good” news, and the occasional real reporting.

Compared to many news stations and papers which cover current events, old ones, sports games, and restaurant reviews, Buzzfeed encompasses everything.

According to Expandedramblings about one-half of Buzzfeed’s traffic comes from teens and young adults. It has over 6 billion views on its content each month, half of which are on its YouTube channel.

Buzzfeed’s infamy has come from its quick rise to fame, and the malpractices they continue to commit.

As a business, Buzzfeed has been very successful, especially given its recent creation. However as a journalism firm it falls flat on ethics and practices.

Buzzfeed is chock-full of bias. Journalism in theory should be free of bias leaning toward a specific individual, ideal, or

May 2016

SOPHIE PENN

group. According to Pew Research Center, Buzzfeed was the least trusted source of news, ranking just below The Rush Limbaugh Show. Buzzfeed was the most distrusted news among all political parties: liberals, conservatives, and centrists.

“It is a site I would not use to get daily news,” said English teacher Cynthia ArtigaFaupusa. “A lot of the writers do not present themselves as vetted journalists. Their articles do have some bias to them. I would definitely go to another, more credible news source for a better representation of current events.”

One big difference between real journalism and Buzzfeed is the type of articles published. While Buzzfeed does post some intriguing feature topics, its most popular area is its entertainment news. On Twitter, BuzzFeedEnt has the most followers behing Buzzfeed’s main profile. BuzzFeedEnt has 76,800 followers and over 22,000 posts.

“I feel the celebrity news they post is really not useful,” said sophomore Kalea Pasion. “If anything, it’s pretty similar to Extra or Hollywood Life in the sense of discussing celebrities, in areas such as gossip or personal life. It’s more along the lines of a gossip blog. Despite that, I will spend countless amounts of time reading their

posts. It’s meant to be fun to read, not making you want to change the world.”

Now while these may be entertaining, it is not relevant news, but rather something to make you smile. Journalism covers the current events; the ones you need to know, and ones that others don’t. For example, Antonio Jose Vargas wrote an entire feature story about why he has not been deported as the cover story for TIME magazine.

Real journalism is addressing problems and happenings that are important enough to inform the public about.

Another issue that makes Buzzfeed less reliable, is their use of native advertising, which is when they disguise ads as articles.

This is a very deceptive way to make money, as a majority viewers cannot distinguish a native ad from a bonafide article.

In a study done by Contently, an online magazine, of 509 male and female consumers, few were able to distinguish a native ad from a real article. Contently reported that “Consumers who read native ads that they identified as high quality [journalism] reported a significantly higher level of trust for the sponsoring brand.”

Contently also stated that in 2015 Buzzfeed spent about $150,000 on a native advertising campaign.

Another journalistic sin that Buzzfeed commits is not sourcing outside photos or writing that they use. Many of their articles, such as their top ten lists, have pictures lifted from Google or other websites and Buzzfeed does not source the creator or photographer.

This blatant fault is hard to find in other journalism establishments, such as The Wall Street Journal. According to Slate, by 2014 one Buzzfeed writer was fired for plagiarism and about 4,000 posts were deleted because of shoddy sourcing.

“As a photographer for yearbook it would really annoy me if someone took my photos and didn’t credit my work,” said sophomore Theodore Lee. “It’s like denying that the creator even made it, which is wrong. If it happened to me I would tell whoever took it to take it down.

In one instance Buzzfeed was forced to remove pictures acquired from Reddit that they did not source.They later replaced them with pictures under a free use license. This could have been avoided had Buzzfeed decided to source pictures.

Despite claims on their site of being “[a] global network of news” it falls flat because of the lack of journalistic ethics.

that dancing can bring people together, and if the type of dance is easy enough for everyone to learn, then the shared group experience is priceless.”

The Running Man is yet another dance craze that has hit the Internet in recent months. Popularized by Jared Nickens and Jaylen Brantley, two Maryland basketball players, the dance is performed to the 1996 Ghost Town DJ’s song “My Boo.” Some students feel that these mass produced simple dance moves may affect pop culture and dance as a whole.

Senior Sage Shamsai said, “The only one I can realistically do without fear of judgement is the dab. And I feel like [it might be] harmful to the art of dance which requires a lot more effort and execution than a lot of these sensationalized dances. It undermines the art of dance. But they are fun and create a sense of uniformity.”

This uniformity that is caused by a shared dance move can have a positive effect on communities as well.

“Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” by Silentó

is a popular example of this phenomenon.

The song caused waves across the nation (and the world) with its simple instructions and equally simple dance moves.

“Personally, as a dancer, I think sensationalized dance moves are super important. It creates a sense of community within the dance world,” said junior Kirsten Clark.

“This sounds funny but no matter what genre you practice or where you come from everyone knows how to whip, for example.

It’s almost like dance ‘slang.’ Also, it’s fun to see non-dancers do it because it’s encouraging more people to dance.”

However, Carlmont students return time and time again to the dab as the dance move of choice.

Senior Seena Sebt said, “Sensationalized dance moves like the dab, which is my favorite, make dancing more accessible to more people, especially those who don’t have any experience with a particular style of dance.”

Junior Ashley Wen said, “Even though I’m not really a fan of any of the moves, I

think it’s cool how quickly they become so widespread. Especially in social media, it’s tangibly a unifying thing to see everyone doing the same dance moves across the internet.”

Some dance sensations are confined almost entirely to the Internet. The Harlem Shake took the form of a short comedy sketch or dance accompanied by a small section of the song “Harlem Shake” by Baauer.

Senior Veronica Lempert said, “I honestly think the Harlem Shake is stupid. I don’t understand why it became popular and why so many people were interested.”

These easily learned dance moves have taken the nation by storm. Sports teams, celebrities, high schoolers and more have been swept up in the wave that is popular culture.

The one thing that can be counted on is this: as long as celebrities and social media continue to perpetuate these moves, they will keep spreading down to the millions of eager fans.

Dancing through the next new fads Taran Sun

Please, leave your whip at the door. The next dance sensation has already taken its place.

One after another, individual dance moves are sweeping through the nation, propelled by celebrities and their eager Internet followers.

The moves are simple to the extent that almost anyone is capable of performing them. Whether or not they can look good while doing so is a different question, and entirely up to the amount of practice devoted to the moves.

The “Dab,” arguably the most popular dance move of 2016, originated in Atlanta and was originally popularized by the rap group Migos according to CBS. Junior Ryan Geronimo said, “Dabbing is fun because practically everyone can do it, as opposed to other pop culture dances that surprisingly take a good amount of dancing in front of a mirror. I personally think they are good for pop culture because I know

Page 10 The Highlander

FEATURES

May 2016

FACES OF IMMIGRAT

Natsuko Nozaki Japan

Risako Nozaki Japan ALL PHOTOS BY ISABEL MITCHELL

Defining the diversity of immigrants Kelly Song For every scenario, there is a default setting. A setting you can’t go wrong with, the plain red button you push in times of uncertainty. It’s reliable, it’s simple, it’s guaranteed.

A simple, uncomplex default.

In America, the widely-considered default is the white person. To be white is, many might say, plain. It is normal.

It is ordinary, it is simple, it is the norm. It is the default setting – a simple red button for the humanity of America.

But even among “default” white people there are different backgrounds. Fascinating ancestry, fleeting hints of history and immigration, tying us all to travel, struggle, escape. They say the scientific color white is a combination of all the colors in the color spectrum – so if humanity is composed of people of different colors, then isn’t to be white to be connected with all of those colors?

But why is immigration so difficult to grasp? It is difficult for the majority of Americans to empathize with immigration, yet every white person is here today because their ancestors crossed borders from Europe many years ago.

Junior Enzo Llorach remembers the day he immigrated to the United States, still 10years old and anxiously repeating the few English vocabulary words he knew, traveling on a speeding plane from France. He was white-skinned,

Isabel Peate Netherlands

the “default” setting, but he knew the journey he was taking was far from ordinary. Llorach moved personally because he admired the education system in the United States.

But despite his ambition to pursue a greater education, Llorach faced cultural obstacles traveling to a foreign country. He spoke of the hardship of leaving friends behind and abandoning his cherished childhood to go someplace unknown.

“I really didn’t want to move here, because I had all my friends back home and I didn’t want to find new ones,” said Llorach. “It wasn’t fear or nervousness, it was mostly denial. The United States is a great country and I knew that, but it wasn’t for me at that time, and I shut everyone out for a bit until I realized that it’s a lot better than I thought.”

But once he adapted to the new environment, he began to enjoy high school in the United States. His immigration was a long process, filled with paperwork and nostalgia, but it had a happy ending. For many others however, this isn’t the case.

“I was lucky enough to have the process made easy for me, but not all Europeans are like my family,” said Llorach. “Many struggle to get a green card and become residents of the United States, leading to the off-chance of sending them back to their original countries, and it happens more than we think.”

On the other side of Europe, on Aug. 20, 2007, 7-yearold Isabel Peate (now a junior at Carlmont High School) was also craning her neck to see through the window of the plane. She was departing from her home, The Netherlands, and she sat side by side with her sister Eva. She had just finished saying her goodbyes to her family, and their memories were still implanted in her mind.

“I remember we had all our friends at our house as we left,” said Peate. “I remember everybody taking everything down and putting it in boxes and helping my mom out. And I remember when we left in the car, everybody was standing on the steps of our house and everybody was waving.”

But after the plane landed, Peate experienced living conditions uncomparable to anything she had experienced before. She found herself without the security of familiar people. She knew no English and was unable to communicate with anyone for the first few months, except with her family.

“I only had my sister and my parents to talk to for the first three to four months,” said Peate. “I remember we had to find everything and we had a rental car. And then my mom’s car broke down, so we had many things going on at once, and we were cramped in a small twobedroom apartment.”

Enzo Llorach France To this day, Peate still faces those struggles she faced many years ago. Because of her immigrant status, she is unable to obtain a job or receive a driver’s license card. For three years now, Peate’s family has been trying in frustration to receive a green card, and was already denied twice.

Her mother was forced to put her dreams to become a professional photographer aside because her immigrant status restricts her only to volunteer work.

But while these struggles seem foreign, every person is still connected with the complex roots of immigration.

And whether they are the native or the foreigner, they are tied to the diversity of the United States in a personal way.

“I have friends who tell me about their ancestry, and I always find it fascinating even if they’re only half French and half Spanish,” said Llorach. “It means that two people who may not have spoken the same language decided to get together and move to the United States. There is no such thing as plain American, even if you’re the tenth generation of your family to live in the United States; your ancestors moved here at some point, and that’s pretty cool in my opinion.”

No one is too ordinary, too “uncomplex” or “unexotic” to be able to relate to immigration. Perhaps if we retraced the routes our ancestors took so long ago, we might find our way home among the lives of immigrants, nestled in a place that is foreign and familiar all at once.

Page 11

FEATURES

The Highlander

May 2016

TION AT CARLMONT

Torn between a love for two countries Leea Ivanel Alien. Foreigner. Outsider. Immigrant.

I used to think that those were the only words that mattered when I described myself to people. At the same time, I used to dread them.

I come from Romania, a tiny country in Eastern Europe that borders the Black Sea, Hungary, and Ukraine. When I was 10 years old my mother told me that we were going to move to America, and at the time my 10-year-old brain didn’t really mind.

Strangely enough, the first thing I noticed about America were the highways. Giant, giant highways stretching five lanes

across, winding and dividing into bridges and, most fascinating of all, left lane exits.

It’s strange to describe, but those highways represented America as a whole to me: big and strong and with opportunities to exit and become something else at all times. Somehow, it felt powerful to be on those highways -- it felt like being on top of the world.

That was the moment I decided I wanted to be an American.

At first, I didn’t really know how to do that, so I just tried doing small things to like saying the Pledge of Allegiance, which I didn’t even understand at the time. It was all about trying to understand the people around me and acting like them back then.

After a while things changed.

My “Americanization” project started to become more about what I shouldn't do, than what I should do. Soon I was cringing when people mentioned my accent and, not long after, I had stopped speaking Romanian in the hopes that I would be able to leave it behind.

Eventually, I reached a point where I no longer wanted to be Romanian. How could I tell everyone that I was from a place they didn't even know existed?

After about four years of being in America I did not want to be foreign anymore. I hated when people asked me where I was from, and I could barely stand being with my parents in public because of their accents. America was everything, and Romania was

nothing.

However, during my fifth year of living in this country, I started to realize that America is, indeed, not perfect by any means, and that it has flaws left and right. It is a great country, but a flawed one nonetheless.

With that realization fresh in my mind, I visited Romania that summer, and my brain finally clicked.

In the month I was there I saw everything I had forgotten about the country I was from. The beauty of the language, the humor of the people, the green hills and vast untouched forests, the food and the architecture and the religion; it all reminded me that being Romanian was something to be proud of.

That summer back home reminded me of the beauty of individuality -- of the sheer importance of diversity and the necessity for culture and heritage.

And that’s really what should be taken away from all this: that you should be proud of where you are from and that you should be proud of who you are and how your culture has shaped you. You should embrace that you are foreign, not push it away for the sake of fitting in.

So, talk in funny sentences.

Write in weird ways. Make jokes people don't understand. Speak your language in public. Dress differently from everyone else.

And the next time someone asks you, “Where are you from?”

Don't be ashamed to answer.

Three stories, one journey across the world Holly Chen and Adriana Ramirez

Andrew Ghattas Junior Andrew Ghattas arrived in Burlingame, California from his hometown of Ismatlra, Egypt. It was a late summer day, and Ghattas was going to start seventh grade at Burlingame Intermediate School.

Ghattas said, “This wasn’t my first time in America, but I didn’t know what to expect. I had mixed emotions living in a new country.”

Ghattas had lived in Egypt all his life, and still vividly recalls the 2011 Egyptian rebellion. Ghattas said, “A lot of the men in our neighborhood had enlisted watch hours.

Each person was assigned a time period to make sure there was nothing going on. There were a lot of gun fights and robberies. It was just pure chaos.”

Soon a military coup removed the president Hosni Mubarak from power, and for Ghattass, this meant a new chance of liberty and freedom.

“A lot of the students were looking forward to a new Egypt,” said Ghattas. “We wanted change. We had hoped that with this revolution we could root out the corruption in the political systems.”

When Ghattas came to America in 2011, he was leaving Egypt behind. Though he had his sisters waiting for him in California, he would miss the familiarity of his old neighborhood.

“We came to America because it was safer. At first I was really sad to say goodbye to all my friends and neighbors.

Though I will always view Egypt as my home country, I’m glad to be living here.”

Joan Camargo

In 2006, junior Joan Camargo immigrated to the United States. Camargo’s first home here was in East Palo Alto.

“My parents told me we would be living in a bigger house, and that it would feel like home. It was nice that I was greeted by family that I’ve never seen in Mexico. I felt welcomed, but not at home.”

But the biggest disappointment for Camargo was not with his new home, but instead with his family.

“My father was already in America for a year before I came. So when I arrived, I was really happy, because I could finally see my dad after a year. Honestly, I thought this would mean more family time, but it was exactly the opposite. “ “Both my parents had to work over 16 hours each day, which meant that we wouldn’t really be together. I was really mad, and that made me not want to stay here.”

Camargo, who was born in Mexico City, grew up speaking mainly Spanish. So when he arrived, he had trouble speaking the language.

Camargo said, “It was really hard on me, since I didn’t have any friends and couldn’t speak English. But my mom told me that we had to adapt here and take advantage of the opportunities here. So it took me three long years to learn to speak and write English.”

Camargo was also shocked by the amount of religious diversity here. “In Mexico, pretty much everyone’s Catholic. Here though, people are all sorts of different religions.

I got to hear about Mormonism and atheism for the first time.”

Camargo plans on going to college to pursue a career in computer engineering. Camargo said, “It’s my long shot dream and I’m working hard to get there.”

Natsuko and Risako Nozaki

Tomoko, Hiro, and their daughters, sophomores Risako and Natsuko Nozaki, moved to the U.S. in 1998 due to Hiro’s work transfer.

According to Tomoko, there are some differences between Japan and the U.S. “When I just came to U.S., I was very surprised that random people smile at each other and say ‘Hi.’ In Japan, people think that it is weird and scary if they do that. I love how people hold the door for each other and help everyone. It’s not something I saw in Japan,” said Tomoko.

Even though they moved, they still keep their culture present in their U.S. home.

“We definitely celebrate in the Japanese way,” said Risako. “This may be through the food we eat, or the ideologies we have. We definitely celebrate New Years Japanese style.”

In addition to celebrating with the family, Risako and Natsuko still stay in touch with Japanese culture through social media and with friends.

“We have the culture with us thanks to YouTube and Facebook,” Natsuko said. “We have the Internet and also a Japanese TV channel, so we like to watch Japanese movies and TV shows. When we were in elementary school, we used to go to school in Japan, just for 2 weeks. I still have friends from back then, and we connect through Facebook and Instagram, and meet up whenever we go back to Japan.”

“We helped a girl who could only speak Japanese by being with her in class, and having her over at our house and explaining to her how Americans are compared to Japanese people. We also did the same thing in middle school. These things make us proud to be bilingual.”

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WHAT IT FEELS LIKE

Frequent urination Feeling thirsty and hungry Extreme fatigue Blurry vision Numbness in hands and feet

TYPE 1 DIABETES

TYPE 2 DIABETES

Beta cells are destroyed, so no insulin is produced.

Beta cells cannot produce the appropriate quantities of insulin.

MEASURING BLOOD SUGAR 1. Prick finger for blood 2. Measure blood sugar levels

Insulin regulates glucose (sugar) in the blood.

Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas.

Lily Bakour She feels her mouth getting dry and her body feeling weak, and she knows exactly what is happening to her -- it’s time to check her blood sugar.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one out of 11 people in America have diabetes, a disease in which one’s blood sugar, or blood glucose, is too high.

Senior Shay Zalavadia, a student with Type 1 diabetes said, “Although I am used to it, I still have to spend a lot of time checking my blood sugar and plugging in my [carbohydrates] as well.”

With Type 1 diabetes, a person’s body does not make insulin, a hormone that breaks down glucose to give cells energy. According to the American Diabetes Association, about 5 percent of diabetes patients have this type.

Many students at Carlmont are affected by diabetes, but not many people know what they are going through.

“During freshman year and towards the end of 8th grade, I hated having diabetes so much that I pretended I didn’t it have at all and let my blood pressure run high all the time,” said senior Allegra Ferme, “I ended up in the hospital for three weeks because my organs began to fail. It sucked since it took me away from my freshman experience and I wasn’t able to make new friends or branch out.”

Despite the tremendous research has been done to improve the day-to-day life of those who live with the condition, there are still tasks that diabetics must take

to ens Fo that s prick more Ac or if h since Bu not h Fr such like e halls It c and e Jun can b the be Ty insuli Ho Bay A

SOPHIE PENN

30 million Americans have diabetes.

1.4 million Americans are diagnosed every year.

Medical costs for diabetic people are twice as high as those without.

There is currently no easily accessible cure to diabetes.

With correct treatment and a healthy lifestyle, those living with diabetes can properly control and regulate it.

L I F E WITH

DIABETES

sure one’s health. or example, checking their sugar number with a glucose meter is an activity someone with diabetes might partake in regularly. This device will lightly k their finger with a small needle called a lancet, and show whether you need e or less insulin. ccording to Ferme, she needs to give herself insulin shots before every meal, her blood sugar is off. She also said, , “It is harder to participate in sports she needs to be aware of her sugar levels, as well as staying clear of seizures.” ut the reality for those affected is one that the average healthy person might have anticipated. reshman Julia Meredith said, “I can’t believe there are people dealing with intense hardships like diabetes and still having to go about their daily life everything is normal. It’s just a shock to think that the people I walk by in the are fighting for their life on a day-to-day basis.” can be helpful for those dealing with diabetes to monitor their eating habits exercise routine on a higher and more precautious level. nior Megan Abrams, a student with Type 2 diabetes, said, “Having diabetes be frustrating, but I have made it a part of my lifestyle to eat healthier and be est I can, whenever I can.” ype 2 diabetes is characterized by the body’s inability to make or respond to in. owever, there are people and places dedicated to helping those affected. The Area is surrounded with one of the nation’s top ten research centers for dia-

betes, UCSF. Matthias Hebrok, PhD, the director of the diabetes center at UCSF, said, “Our renowned scientists, physicians, and educators work as one team to improve the lives of diabetes patients and their families. We are very proud of our long history of making many of the breakthrough discoveries in diabetes.”

Medical advances have been progressing as more people become aware of diabetes and its effects on those around us.

From insulin pumps the size of microwaves, to a small device that can fit in a hand, researchers are finding new ways to make the lives of diabetics as manageable as possible.

The insulin pump provides a type of therapy that feeds flexible tubing under one’s skin, and delivers insulin accordingly from the pump reservoir directly to the blood stream. It can be discreetly attached to a belt or in a pocket, and is permanently attached within someone until they get it switched out at the doctor’s office regularly.

Being educated about the different circumstances that, according to the CDC, over 9 percent of Americans have, will better connect the society and help those who need it.

As a community, donating to research can be very helpful in progressing to pursue one goal that many are trying to achieve: finding a cure to diabetes.

As Zalavadia said, “I just want people to know that it is something that is hard to deal with, but as long as we as a society are educated about it and know how to handle it, that is the best we can do.”

WHAT CAUSES IT? TYPE 1 Genetic inheritance Immune system destroys its beta cells Environmental factors

TYPE 2 Genetic inheritance Obesity and physical inactivity Insulin resistance

Diabetic patients can experience high blood sugar or low blood sugar.

TREATING TYPE 1 Take insulin every day.

High blood glucose levels cause fluids to be drawn from cells into the bloodstream, causing extreme thirst or dehydration.

TREATING TYPE 2 Regulate blood sugar levels through lifestyle and medication.

95%

have Type 2 Diabetes.

DIABETES.ORG, CDC.ORG

Page 14

LIFESTYLE

The Highlander

May 2016

You’re not alone: being ‘hangry’ is real Mackenzie O’Connell Grr….

Apple. Steak. Hamburger. Chips. Strawberries.

Grr… Mac n cheese, pizza, toast, cereal.

Anything!

Not only does your stomach growl when you're craving the deliciousness of food, but so do your emotions.

An amalgam or combination of the words hungry and angry known as “Hangry” has been used to describe people who can't seem to control their anger when they are feeling hungry.

This hunger stems from lack of glucose and low blood sugar in the body, triggering it to have different reactions to situations one would normally have.

According to The Diabetes Journal brains have a serious dependence on glucose; easy everyday tasks become difficult when blood glucose levels drop. Side effects that may occur are difficulty concentrating, or even making simple mistakes. It is also said that speech can be affected by words being slurred or mumbled.

The angriness of people can lead to family fights and arguments between friends due to the emptiness of their stomach.

Junior Neda Sohrabi said, “I get hangry all the time. When my friends randomly get mad at me I get offended because they're being mean for no reason. As

soon as they eat and are nice again I put the have no idea why I’m angry and then all of pieces together especially because I can be sudden I eat and I am like ‘woah I was remean to my friends when I am hangry and ally hungry.’ When my friends get hangry I they take it.” get so confused because it’s just a random According to Culture Cheat Sheet, Psy- argument and then once they eat it stops.” chologist Brad Bushman did an experiment This anger is common when you haven't relating to low blood sugar and the effects eaten for a long period of time and affects it has on a marthe social norms ried couple. when you are Brushman stud- “While you may be able to conjure up not hungry. ied 107 couples Amanda enough brain power to avoid being with a range Sails, a writer for grumpy with important colleagues, CNN and The of blood sugar you may let your guard down and levels and gave Conversation, a each individual inadvertently snap at the people you journalist flair a voodoo doll said, “Another are most relaxed with.” with 51 pins. thing that can The individual become more was supposed to difficult when Amanda Sails poke pins into you're hungry Writer for CNN the voodoo doll is behaving depending on within socially how angry they were with their spouse. acceptable norms, such as not snapping at In The Proceedings of the National people. So while you may be able to conAcademy of Sciences, Bushman and his jure up enough brain power to avoid beteam discovered “the damage done to each ing grumpy with important colleagues, you doll and found that volunteers who had low may let your guard down and inadvertently levels of blood glucose stuck more pins in snap at the people you are most relaxed the voodoo dolls than those who had high with or care most about, such as partners levels of blood glucose“ and friends.”

This drop in glucose levels does create Sudden anger at people is unexpected in tension between friends and family mem- the moment but is usually understandable bers. Hunger really does trigger anger and when your friend or family member has annoyance. came to the conclusion you haven't eaten.

Senior Anthony Campbell said, “When Some even see it as a family gene that has I am hangry I get into this mood where I been carried through the past family gen-

erations.

Education and learning styles have also been affected as this sudden behavior sparks students to react differently to the material they are learning in school.

Studies from the American Psychological Association have displayed the psychological effects of hunger on education.

Hunger has affected students’ emotions and been seen to cause depression, anxiety and withdrawal, all of which are distractions to a child trying to focus on education and the material being taught in a class.

Though in the moment it’s hard to find the cure to intense hunger, there are a variety of ways to avoid getting to the point of being hangry. If your diet is balanced and you eat throughout the course of the day the brain and emotions can be at their best states.

Ella Carter and Phillip Watts authors of Independent lifestyle said, “Although you will be tempted, resist reaching for that bag of crisps or chocolate bar, as they will both make you ‘hangrier’ in the long run.

Instead, opt for nutrient-rich, natural foods that are packed full of healthy calories.

These foods, such as avocados and nuts, will keep hunger at bay much longer, and should stop you from feeling hangry.

To avoid these rumbling stomachs it is important to make time during the day to eat to avoid biting someone's head off. Instead try a carrot. It is much tastier.

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Page 15

LIFESTYLE

The Highlander

May 2016

Providing a different kind of companionship Karen Gao

They are always there, ready to be a source of comfort to a person after a long day, wanting to be there for their human friend. They may not be human, but they are faithful companions.

Friendship is not restricted to just other people, animals are amazing companions that have been around for as long as civilized humanity has for a reason.

Many people have formed connections with animals that transcend communication barriers.

Sophomore Miya Okumura said, “Animals are there to sit with you when you are feeling sad, or if you just want some company. Even though animals can't talk, their presence is what reassures people that everything will be okay.”

Therapy animals are used to heal people in a way human contact cannot accomplish alone. According to University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, interacting with animals causes an increase in the hormone oxytocin, which causes people to “feel happy and trusting.”

Junior Elyse Geimer said, “People are not afraid to be who they are in front of animals rather than with other people. Because the emotions and feeling are not one sided, they have a connection that is hard to break and therefore, many people are willing to travel far and wide to help or even just see that animal.”

Okumura said, “It is reassuring to have a pet because a pet owner knows that no matter what, their pet will be there for them when they need someone to turn to.”

Since the 1970s, people have been researching the effect animals have on humans and lower health risks, such as heart attacks.

“I have read that petting a dog can lower a person's blood pressure and relieve stress. Animals can also benefit your health because for dogs, you have to walk them everyday which does not only improve their health, but yours as well,” Okumura said. “Petting an animal benefits your health because you are so focused on the animal that you forget about the stress you were probably feeling beforehand.”

The Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program is helping 9-year-old Ryan Shank-Rowe, who has autism, with his speech problems. His instructor, speech patholo-

ESTELLA LIPPI

Even with people all around, the world can seem like an isolating place at times. Animals are companions that can offer a unique type of friendship that goes beyond speech communication. gist Cathy Coleman, says that the program is showing improvement in his speech.

“I get greater engagement, greater alertness, more language, more processing, all those things,” said Coleman.

“We have an easier time getting along with animals than other people because animals can’t speak our language.

Some people criticize others based on things such as looks or opinions,” Okumura said. “People can not only physically harm another person, but they can also emotionally or mentally harm them as well. Animals are more reliable and they don’t judge you. They are there for you and willing to support you even if there is a language barrier.”

Relationships benefit both parties in a profound way.

According to nurse Rebecca Johnson, nurse at the Research Center for Human-Animal at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, shelter dogs walked by volunteers were more likely to be adopted. She claims it is due to the “additional exercise and socialization they were getting” from being walked.

“I think people make bonds easily with animals because there is an unspoken connection between them; people and animals are always seeking attention and the other is willing to give some,” Geimer said, “This bond is appealing to humans because it is like having a sibling like no other and they want the companionship.”

Entertainment animals can’t catch a break Chesirae Barbano

The crowd cheers and claps as the circus animals perform their tricks. It’s a standing ovation! Everyone is laughing, but when the lights dim, circus animals take a different role.

According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PAW), when circus animals aren’t performing they are chained in their living quarters that are shared with the variety of other circus animals and they are subjected to long hours of traveling without sufficient medical care or resources. Trainers strike or whip the animals in preparation for the next performances.

According to PAW, these unfavorable conditions impact audience members because the biological similarities between humans and animals make it easy for both parties to contract zoonotic diseases, like rabies or ringworm.

The Center for Food Security and Public Health said, “Reports indicate that over

75 percent of emerging pathogens in humans are considered zoonotic diseases.”

In addition to the biological risks for humans, circus animals die of disease, dehydration, their wounds, or malnutrition from the mistreatment.

If circus animals don’t expire in the entertainment industry, many attempt to escape it.

PETA has documented over 35 incidents of circus elephants running away in a fury since 2000.

The elephant Tyke escaped the Hawthorn Circus in 1994, but was shot multiple times after killing her trainer and injuring 12 people.

Carlmont’s PAW representative, junior Maya Paulo, said, “Circuses, Seaworld… any type of medium where animals are used for entertainment is mistreatment to the animals. If [animals] are doing anything against their will, we are mistreating and exploiting the animals because they can’t speak up for themselves.”

The different mediums that treat ani-

mals without respect influence the audience because it produces a sense of prejudice.

Junior Stephanie Flores said, “Keeping animals for our entertainment affects our culture by possibly making us have a bias on which animals are better based on how it’s portrayed in the television broadcast.

That can also affect how we see them. For example, in some children's films, they often times portray the cat as the villain and the dog as the protagonist or hero. This can alter a child's mind to favour a dog more than a cat if they've never had much interaction with the animal before the film they watched.”

Despite their recent announcement to stop orca performances and breeding of captive orcas, Seaworld has been under fire for its mistreatment. Similarly to circus animals, orcas performed despite their injuries caused by their cramped living spaces.

“If we go out of our way to use animals for the purpose of entertainment and also abuse them in the process, then it's our fault

for supporting this violence. Animals can't fight for their rights, so who else will?” said junior Jamie Livengood.

The misconduct against animals in the entertainment industry is one of many models used in the debate of animal rights.

According to The British Broadcasting Corporation’s case that weighed arguments for and against animals rights, animals don't have the capabilities of higher brain functions and by religious beliefs, were created to fulfill human needs.

Contrary to the claim that animals are lesser than humans, the 2012 Cambridge Declaration of Consciousness announced the similarities of brain structures allow humans and animals to have similar emotional capacity.

CNN writer Thomas Suddendorf said,“We humans tend to think of ourselves as better than, or at least separate from, all other species on this planet. But every species is unique, and in that sense humans are no different.”

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Page 16

LIFESTYLE Politicians contradict secularism The Highlander

Hanalei Pham

“In God We Trust.” We claim to have a separation of church and state, yet that is the motto of the United States. It is stamped across all American currency.

In the eyes of many, America was founded on the principle religious freedom. The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." These ten words are generally interpreted to prohibit the creation of a national church by the Federal government and to prevent excessive involvement in religion, particularly to benefit one religion over another.

AP Government and Economics teacher Kristine Weisman said, “The establishment clause of the First Amendment makes it clear that there should be no religious observation or commemoration associated with the government. We are not a Christian nation; we are a secular nation. Having said that, most of our legal and moral code is founded in Judeo-Christian ethic.

But that does not mean that the government should be pushing or endorsing any particular religion. It is appalling when we as a civil society attempt to enforce specific religious beliefs on others.”

Religion is prevalent in our country’s political history. Most of our past presidents have been openly religious, many belonging some of the most prominent Protestant denominations in the country.

May 2016

In the current campaign for presidency ficials, are in the business of appealing to a similar dynamic can be seen. All of the voters. Religion is one of the means by presidential candidates, with the exception which one can appeal to voters,” said John of Bernie Sanders, are Christian.

Green, professor of political science at the Freshman Alex Derhacobian said, “We University of Akron to USNews, “But at the are a nation founded by Christians, so hav- same time, religious groups, and particuing God in our motto or in our anthem re- larly the leaders of religious communities, flects our nation’s history. If people want to and political groups, also try to forge those be ‘accepting’ and ‘tolerant’ of religious di- alliances.” versity, then they should respect the JudeoFor example, politicians, mainly RepubChristian values licans, are presof our country’s sured by religious government and “It is unseemly, quite frankly, for pro-life groups to history.” on issues regardcandidates for political office to All of the curing abortion. be publicly stating such things as, rent presidential In an intercandidates have view with Roll‘I would follow the bible first and spoken openly ing Stone, Former the constitution second.’” about the imporU.S. congressman tance of faith in Joe Schwarz, a their lives. Texas former U.S ConKristine Weisman Senator Ted Cruz, gressman and a AP Government and Economics teacher who dropped of self-proclaimed the race in early pro-choice ReMay, began his publican said, Iowa caucus victory speech on Feb.1 with "The amount of pressure Right to Life both “To God be the glory.” directly and indirectly puts on legislators Sophomore Joshua Vendrow said, “Re- in Michigan is considerable. And some ligion is visible in quotes like ‘one nation legislators aren't exactly profiles in courunder God,’ and Sarah Palin famously said age when it comes to standing up to these that America is a Christian country. The guys." effect of Christianity in America is seen in The National Right to Life Committee, political campaigns like that of Ted Cruz, a pro-life organization, was founded by the in which they connect with their religion to National Conference of Catholic Bishops appeal to religious voters.” in 1968. In 1973, “it became autonomous “Politicians, particularly elected of- and non-sectarian,” according to the Dic-

tionary of Christianity in America.

According to a survey done by Pew Research Center, “many Americans care about their leaders’ faith. For instance, half of all American adults say that it’s important for a president to share their religious beliefs. And more people now say there is ‘too little’ religious discussion by their political leaders (40 percent) than say there is “too much” (27 percent).”

According to the same survey, faith also forms a striking partisan divide. The Democrat Party is more religiously diverse while the Republican party as a whole is more Christian. Protestants making up nearly 69 percent of GOP members and Catholics an additional 24.9 percent. In contrast, 43.1 percent of Democrats are Protestant while 34.1 percent are Catholic.

Many politicians use religion to gain the support of certain religious sects. For example, in the Iowa campaign, Cruz appealed to the evangelicals.

Weisman said, “It is unseemly, quite frankly, for candidates for political office to be publicly stating such things as, ‘I would follow the bible first and the constitution second.’ ” After being criticized for being a “false prophet” by and ad produced by Americans United for Values, Cruz responded by placing God over his nation.

Cruz said, “I’m a Christian first, American Second.”

This seems to have become the new motto for American politics.

FEATURES

The Highlander

Page 17 May 2016

The attack of the white blood cells Nicole del Cardayre

Reaching for the back of her head, she glides her hand across the smooth patch of skin nesting at the bottom of her scalp.

She looks like a normal teenager; however, little does everybody know, hidden beneath that full head of hair are patches of baldness.

She has Alopecia, an autoimmune skin disease that results in hair loss on one’s scalp or body.

According to the national foundation of Alopecia Areata, Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that impacts 6.6 million US citizens at least once throughout their lifetimes.

Alopecia is caused by the body’s confusion of hair follicles with foreign invaders; foreign invaders are germ infecting agents that usually attack one’s immune system.

Hair loss occurs when the body’s white blood cells attack the hair follicles as they are mistaken for foreign invaders.

Sophomore David Shen has Alopecia Universalis, the strand which results in total hair loss of one’s body.

“Alopecia has impacted my life since I was five years old. It made my hair extremely thin and have bald spots, and eventually I lost it all,” said Shen.

Shen’s scalp regenerates new hair every week but only in certain patches. Because of this, Shen gets a haircut every weekend to even out his patches and eliminate any questions regarding his hair loss.

“It doesn’t really affect my confidence that much because I learned to cope from a very young age and always knew I was different,” said Shen.

Although Shen does not feel the emotional burden of Alopecia, that’s not always the case.

Sophomore Brian So was diagnosed with Alopecia Totalis at age four. This is a more severe form of Alopecia which results in total loss of hair on one’s scalp.

Since Alopecia Totalis is a more aggressive form of Alopecia, it can sometimes affect the facial region.

“It’s annoying when certain parts of hair on my body fall out like my eyelashes because then my eyes get super watery and it looks like I’ve been crying,” said So. Over time hair regrowth occurs; however, the rate that one’s hair grows back depends on the person.

“My mom made me do kung fu when I was little. The instructor told me that it

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One of the most intense forms of Alopecia, Totalis, takes its toll on a Carlmont student including Brian So. doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, it’s what your like on the inside,” said So. The effects of the disease go beyond just the person afflicted. Junior Kirsten Clark grew up in a household where Alopecia Universalis was present.

“Ever since I was little I never thought anything of my dad’s alopecia. Sometimes people would comment on it and say things like, ‘does your dad shave his eyebrows off?’

I would then explain that it was an autoimmune disease, not an odd fashion statement,” said Clark.

Because of the disease’s irregularity it is hard for people to know if and when they are going to develop Alopecia.

“When I was little, my mom never let me cut my hair because she was afraid I would get Alopecia too. She made sure my hair was long enough so if I got Alopecia I could make a wig out of my own hair,” said Clark.

One source of treatment is the use of topical steroids such as Clobetasol (Clobex), or Betamethasone (Luxiq). By applying these topical solutions to a fresh patch, supposedly one’s hair will grow back faster.

However, the usage of topical steroids does not work for everybody as Alopecia is a very unpredictable disease.

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people thought,” said So. The least impactful version of Alopecia is the subtype Alopecia Areata. This version results in patchy hair loss throughout one’s scalp that can either be in a pattern or random.

This version of Alopecia is the one that I have had since I was seven years old.

I came home from school one day and discovered a dime-sized patch of baldness front and center on my head.

Fifth grade was a stressful yeas as I lost a quater sized patch of hair in the front and center of my head. It was a very prominant patch, which inspired me to begin experimenting with new varieties of hair styles to hide the bald spot.

In seventh grade I lost about one-third of my hair. I didn’t feel comfortable wearing my hair down or in pony tails. In class I would always be rearranging my hair trying to make sure it was perfect.

Playing sports with Alopecia has always been the toughest challenge. Before every practice was a 30-minute ritual of creating the perfect ponytail, pinning down every one of my baby hairs and arranging the others in a way that would cover up the smooth patches of skin with no hair.

As I got older, my patches would come and go. However, the way Alopecia impacted my life changed drastically. Now that I am a sophomore, I realized that I don’t care what people think or say about my hair.

For the most part I have grown out of my Alopecia both physically and mentally; however, it will always be a part of me. I will always wonder if new patches will develop or if I will eventually lose all the hair on my body.

Alopecia is not a disease that can kill or create fatal injuries, but the emotional impact created by the autoimmune disease is just as harmful.

“When I was in second grade I hid under the desk because I was scared of what kids would think when they saw the patches on my head,” said So. Although there is no cure for Alopecia, scientists have created treatments that act as a bandaid to only help initiate hair growth.

The impact that the disease has on people’s confidence level is more destructive than the disease itself.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation was founded in 1981. Since then, it has created many support groups to help organize a safe community for people of all ages.

Through living with Alopecia, one learns to deal with the emotional toll that living without hair can impart.

As more awareness is being spread about Alopecia, people are realizing that it is not to be feared but instead, understood.

“Living with Alopecia isn’t bad at all, it almost characterizes me,” said Shen.

Page 18

LIFESTYLE The lies behind the clothing size The Highlander

Jordan Hanlon Sophomore Soraya Raji purchases a size 10 pair of jeans from the clothing store Hollister. She later goes into Forever 21 and discovers that she fits a size seven and not a size 10. Confused, she returns the size 10 jeans and buys the size seven.

This is an example of a popular clothing sales method called vanity sizing.

Vanity sizing is a sales tactic used by stores. Stores mark larger clothing with smaller sizes to make the buyer feel more confident, which will make them want to go back to their stores.

Science Direct said, “It helps sell clothes—women prefer small size clothing labels to large ones.

We propose and demonstrate that smaller size labels cause more positive self-related imagery on one’s body.”

In 1937 Sears Magazine, a size 14 dress from Sears had a bust size of 32 inches. Then in 2011, the same size dress was marked as a size zero, even though the bust sizes were identical.

Before vanity sizing became common practice, there was no

May 2016

such thing as a size zero.

According to News Week, the size zero was created by designer Nicole Miller, who wanted to appeal to the Californian society and Asian body types because of their small physique. Her initial idea was to create a smaller size that was available for smaller women.

Some feel that even though unethical, vanity sizing is a good thing because it promotes confidence for the buyer.

“Vanity sizing doesn’t affect me. I believe it’s okay for a store to sell whatever they want and how they want to. I don’t think causes negative outlooks on body image because it’s the shopper who chooses whether to shop there or not,” said sophomore Eric Rosenblatt.

Although vanity sizing makes shopping more difficult because of the inconsistent sizes from one store to the next, it is a successful sales tactic because it makes the consumer happy.

“If our dress shopping consumer keeps finding that only larger sizes from one store fit her, it’s likely that her perception of that brand will decline. Is it

BROOKE CHANG

Due to vanity sizing, clothing stores have sold inconsistent sizes. These sizes can cause a false sense of confidence.

any wonder that so many brands are building a few extra inches into their clothing?” said Roger Dooley, creator and publisher of Neuromarketing, a popular blog based on his research of brain behavior.

The reason women don’t want to know their real size is partially based on the way that society judges women on their body types and how they should fit into the smallest sizes to achieve the “perfect body.”

“Girls starve themselves to become a 0, or even better, a 00. By my understanding, zero means there is no quantity or number; it is to be nothing. We are fighting with our bodies to become nothing and nobody is doing anything to stop the madness. People, women especially, keep falling into this idea of how society thinks they should look,” said Michelle McClanahan, an opinion writer for the Odyssey, an online newspaper publication.

Vanity sizing contributes to society’s ridiculing of body image because by making their sizes smaller, it causes the shopper to want to fit into that smaller size, rather than the clothing that is

marked larger, but in reality it is actually the same size.

“I think people who came up with vanity sizing had an actual good idea, in theory. However, people shouldn’t have to feel bad about their body because of the size of their clothing, especially if their sizes are completely different at one store compared to the next. All it does is confuse me, not make me feel better about myself,” said junior Nisha Pandita.

According to Science Direct, small sizes evoke mental imagery. As consumers imagine themselves as smaller or thinner it either causes positive or negative feelings, depending on the shopper. However, according to the theory of compensatory selfenhancement, it should make the shopper feel better about themselves.

“Vanity sizing and mislabeling is horrible because if a number is wrong, people who go shopping will not know their real sizes. I don’t want to go into a store and be embarrassed about my size if it’s bigger that what I expected, and I shouldn’t have to be embarrassed about it anyways,” said sophomore Sarah Greenbaum.

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The Highlander

Page 19

CARLMONT CHANGES

May 2016

2016 Changes to Carlmont New Principal

Ralph Crame began his first year as principal in the 2015-2016 school year. This was a promotion for Crame; previously, he was Carlmont’s instructional vice principal.

New Mascot

New year, new mascot. 2016 brought new changes to the face of our beloved mascot Carl Monty.

He also expanded his social media presence.

New Schedule

Construction

Beginning in the fall of 2016, students with six periods will begin class at 8:57 A.M. on regular days and at 9:47 A.M. on Wednesdays.

Coming soon to Carlmont will be a new student drop off, a remodeled cafeteria, and locker room upgrades in the Terry Stogner Gym and S-wing.

ESTELLA LIPPI AND CONNOR LIN

Leaving high school provides new opportunities Kian Karamdashti In less than one month, we will conclude a 13-year chapter of our lives.

Many of us will leave the world we have known for our whole lifetime for an unfamiliar environment we have never experienced before. We will say goodbye.

In about three months, we will begin a new chapter of our lives.

We will surround ourselves with a new environment, with a new set of people, and a whole new collection of ideas. In the past will be our old ways of life.

We will say hello.

Maybe I’m overreacting. High school is four years of our lives.

Let’s say the average American will live for 80 years. If we do the math, four years will represent 5 percent of our whole lives. That’s an insignificant part of our lives, right?

Yes and no. High school should by no means define who you are.

After all, it is a place where hundreds of adolescent students are grouped together to learn not only calculus and literature, but to educate themselves through life experiences. Mistakes are made and lessons are learned.

At the end of the day, high school is where one hopefully learns how to properly transition into adulthood. It is a temporary chapter in the great novel of our lives.

But as you guided yourself through your own chapter in your own separate story, if you looked up, you would find others. More than 2,200, in fact, also looking to find their way in the world.

Possibly put together by simi-

lar interests, classes, or chance, you couldn’t help but build a relationship with some of these people. Together you took on the daily tasks and challenges presented to a modern-day high school student.

You may not share the same views or goals as the people you surround yourself with in high school, but the things you will share are the experiences and memories.

You won’t be the only one who will remember the heartbreaking CCS losses, all of the inside jokes held, the occasional spontaneous late-night roof climbing, and the trouble you got in for that spontaneous late-night roof climbing.

You may not recognize it now, but these are the experiences that

shape who you are today, and who you will be in the future.

Life goes on, and there’s nothing you can do about it. However, the memories made in high school will last forever, and connect you to the people you shared that memory with.

So yes, high school is such a small, insignificant part of our lives. Yet, it is completely significant.

Let’s go back to the math we did earlier. High school will (hopefully) only take up four years of your life, and it takes place in a time when you are still not allowed to go to the bathroom whenever you choose.

Surely, you can’t expect someone to look back on a fouryear period like that and say, “I

changed a lot.”

But think about it. Do you remember your first day of school?

Wide-eyed, and whether you’d like to admit or not, a little bit scared, you entered campus not knowing what to expect out of a place you’d only really experienced on the television.

If we take a step back and look at ourselves - days away from graduation, we’ll be able to see all that has changed.

Physically and mentally we have grown, some of us have even grown hair on our face. We’ve experienced proms and formals. We have jobs. We have our licenses!

We have the key to going wherever we want to go, literally, in the palm of our hands. (Whether our parents agree with that statement

ESTELLA LIPPI

Senior Mario Valenzuela reflects on his four years of high school during passing a period.

is questionable, but you get the point.)

We have adapted to new-found responsibilities and freedoms we never could have imagined when we were that puny, 14-year-old kid.

For many, we finally are coming into our own as we adjust to our growing lives in this safe environment we call home. And now, it’s pretty much over.

As the long drawn-out cliche goes, “when one door closes, another one opens.” Only this time, this open door is full of opportunity The world is much bigger than what lies in Belmont or San Carlos, California. There’s new things to do, new people to see, new places to visit, all out there for us.

We just have to go out there and do it.

So, if the prospect of walking across that stage in a few weeks and receiving your diploma saddens you, know that bigger things are on the horizon.

To those that can’t wait one more single day to leave, slow down, soak in these last few days, and cherish the memories you have.

After all, these are the last few times you will ever get to walk the tiring quad stairs, eat the same spicy chickens, or revolt in disgust at the state of the C-hall bathroom.

In a few months, even the numerous daily annoyances of high school life will represent familiar comforts that you will oddly miss.

So now to Carlmont, I sadly say goodbye. To what lies in the future, I stand with an open mind and open arms.

Page 20 The Highlander

SPORTS

May 2016

Succeeding in non-traditional sports Rachel Borshchenko The typical American sport includes: Cracker Jacks, spirit, and a big crowd.

For much of Carlmont’s population, this is a reality, with the sports they play being basketball, football, or baseball.

But for others at Carlmont, the sports experience is very different.

For sophomore Sophia Gunning, her races consist of a 2000 meter face off, only 30 seconds of which can be seen by spectators. This is far from the typical American sports reality.

“I started doing crew late last year because I wanted to get into shape and do something with my time after school, since I did not have very much going on. I have a pretty high pain tolerance so I thought that this would be a good sport for me to do,” said Gunning.

Though not many students at Carlmont participate in crew, there are a variety of clubs in the area, the nearest one, Norcal, which is located in Redwood City.

Junior Kemma Peters, who has been riding horses since the age of 9, says that her sport is unique due to how personal the bond is between the rider and the horse.

“The bond built between the horse and the rider is so different than that between two friends in a sports team, because the horse and rider are just a team of two, with no one else to rely on. You have to learn to work with the horse, not fight against it or feel greater than it,” said Peters.

FAMILY OF ALEC GROGAN-CRANE

Sophomore Alec Grogan-Crane, pictured above, participates in a much less traditional sport than many of his peers, spending his weekends on the track competing in motorcross races alongside his friends and competitors.

Though in high school riding horses is not a very widespread sport, in the United States, 2 million people own horses, and 4.6 million people are involved in the horse industry.

Most professional equestrians have been riding for their entire lives, due to the level of skill one must have to master the sport.

Peters said, “I think it’s pretty amazing the amount of time and skill and effort it takes to earn the trust of a half-ton animal.

There’s so many different types of equestrians, and every different type of riding requires different skills and strengths.”

As diving has become more popular throughout the area, in 2016, a diving team

was established at Carlmont, and currently has two members.

Freshman Izzy Bruguera, one of the founding participants in Carlmont’s brand new diving team said, “ Diving is so complicated even though it may not look that way. You have to focus and put so much concentration into diving and know when to open up because the ground won’t be there to catch you when you dive.”

Motocross is the sport with one of the highest numbers of injuries according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. While some may see it as dangerous, sophomore Alec Grogan-Crane, who races, said that it is much more than that.

“Off the track, since racing takes the whole weekend and everyone camps at the track, there is a fantastic community of families who all have put everything on the line to become a future star.

The whole vibe of the pits is very friendly, even though in the races, the kids you were once having a barbecue with are now your biggest enemies.”

The sport has also created many subcategories of motocross, such as ATV riding and pit biking.

The variety of sports that people at Carlmont participate in have impacted their lives forever, including what motocross has done for Grogan-Crane.

“Racing has really helped teach me how to cope with immense pressure and to accept failure, since it is a very competitive sport,” said Grogan-Crane.

How do you balance school and sports?

Talk Back with Carlmont athletes struggling to find time for both

Kyle Kawakami

Jordan Brandenburg

Kayla Gustafson

Mailey McLemore

“If we have free time in class, I’ll do homework.

During lunch, I do homework. Driving to and from school, I do homework.”

“When I am too busy with baseball, my homework would carry on through to the morning, and make me late to school.”

“I utilize the Belmont Library to get my homework done before soccer practice and leave me with free time at home after.”

“When I get home after practice, I will turn my phone off and give it to my mom until I finish my homework.”

Junior

Sophomore

Freshman

Sohpomore

ARTIE HAZELTON & ALYSSA FAGEL

The Highlander

Page 21

SPORTS

May 2016

Carlmont dives into CCS

The Carlmont diving team has been reestablished, and is prepared to take on the fierce competition “I’m excited about having a real Carlmont team next year because I’ve had a lot of people tell me that they want to do diving but it’s so difficult because there are barely any diving facilities to practice with.”

Izzy Bruguera Freshman

Jill Albertson You’ll see the Screamin’ Scots section at all Carlmont football games, basketball games, and occasionally soccer games. But soon there will be a new Screamin’ Scots event to attend.

And that’s Carlmont diving.

The Carlmont diving team was started in the beginning of October by Sophomore Liz Boman as a way to compete with the name Carlmont on her swimsuit along-side other high school divers. Although this is a new addition to Carlmont, this is not the first time a student has formed a Carlmont diving team.

Back in 2013, Carlmont Junior Andrew Jung was a member of the Stanford Diving Club and decided to begin his own Carlmont team, along with another diver.

Andrew Jung’s brother, junior Kyle Jung said, “My brother’s diving team was a very small team made up of two people, my brother and one other person from Stanford diving, and it was coached by my mom. There were some dif f iculties starting up the team because there were so few people interested in the sport and there were no areas to practice. But eventually it got started and he competed for Carlmont in CCS and PALs.” Memories of the Carlmont diving team in 2013 have stuck with some members of the Carlmont swim team now.

Senior Lukas Kelly said, “I know that Carlmont has had some individual divers in the past and it’s been really cool to see that Carlmont has a name in diving community. Divers compete at the same sectional finals that the Carlmont swim team does, so we cheer on an support our fellow Carlmont athletes out there as well.”

Currently, the new diving team consists of two Stanford Diving Club members, Boman and freshman Izzy Bruguera.

Boman said, “It all began when the other people on my club diving team at Stanford asked me if we had a diving team at Carlmont, and I had to say no. It got me thinking about why we didn’t have one, and if it was even possible to start one. So I went and talked to Carlmont Athletics Director, Mr. (Pat) Smith, who helped me organize everything.”

Boman and Bruguera both receive practice time at their club scheduled practices, and then compete for Carlmont at various meets around the Bay Area.

Boman said, “It’s hard because the reason that Carlmont didn’t have a diving team before is due to the depth of our pool, which isn’t deep enough for divers. Plus adding in boards would be very costly, and it’s probably something Carlmont is not interested in doing.”

Just like all other sports at Carlmont there is a long process involved that consists of finding a coach, signing the health forms, and signing up for meets.

Smith said, “To get the team started we needed a technical coach for the paperwork. So Liz Boman’s mom offered and had to take a coaching education class, a concussion class, had to get CPR certified and had to get fingerprinted through the district before she could be the team coach.

So now she is the one that attends all the meets, while I just handle signing them up for competitions and doing all the paperwork.”

After a lot of work, both Boman and Bruguera competed in the 2016 Diving CCS in mid May. According to About Sports, diving is judged based on five basic elements: the starting position, the approach, the take off, the flight, and the entry (into the water). Each dive is judged individually and is unrelated to other divers scores representing a team.

Boman said, “I’m really excited for CCS this year! Since this is my first year competing for the high school, I’m not sure what to expect, but I know it’s going to be great learning experience either way.”

Both Boman and Burguera were gymnasts at San Mateo Gymnastics and Peninsula Gymnastics, which was a beneficial experience for when they began diving.

Bruguera said, “A lot of the skills that you do on the floor in gymnastics are similar to the skills you use in diving. The rotations are very similar so it makes it a lot easier to go from one to the other.”

With the success of this year’s Carlmont Diving Team, both divers are hoping to continue representing Carlmont, and possibly increasing the number of divers on the team.

Boman said, “If somebody has no diving experience but wants to join the team and wants to learn, Izzy and I are trying to make a Carlmont dive team for anybody at Carlmont for next year and the years to come. Theoretically if we found enough people who wanted to learn, and a coach from outside school we could form a real Carlmont Diving Team.”

“Everyone is supportive at meets; everybody cheers for everybody and its a positive environment.”

Liz Boman Sophomore

HOLLY CHEN

Page 22 The Highlander

The Tao of Megan Megan Tao “The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

-Finley Peter Dunne

One in a millennial

“No one cares about what a 15-year-old has to say about the world.”

One of my teachers told me that last year.

Ironically, I was in the midst of writing my first column at the time. I was giving my opinion on social media, culture, and to an extent, “the world,” and I was told that what I was writing didn’t matter, didn’t impact people because no one cared.

Well, the fact that I’m 16 years old this year must change the “nobody cares” factor, because I have one more year of grand experience, knowledge, and wisdom to share with my peers.

However, one more year didn’t make any difference, not to my surprise. It’s not exactly the age I am that apparently makes my opinions so unworthy, but rather the generation that I’m categorized in.

I’m a millennial. This means my phone is glued to my hand, I can’t read a map, I sit at home and watch Netflix all day while I complain about how no one understands me, and the most important characteristic: I’m looked down upon by almost all adults for being narcissistic and naive.

I would like to believe that it’s not me as an individual that doesn’t garner any credibility or worthiness to actually be read and listened too, but rather my entire generation that doesn’t have any credibility because we supposedly believe everything the internet tells us.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a millennial is one who is born in the 1980s or 1990s. Essentially, being a millennial is determined by the time period one was born into; therefore, the stigma behind being a millennial is not rooted in the word or generation itself, but rather older generations who stigmatize the change they see in our generation.

Being a millennial is not a bad thing. The stigma is.

The reason that we’re so technologically inclined isn’t because we have some technology gene, but because we just happen to have grown up alongside of new technology such as Google, smartphones, and tablets.

The society around us supports our technology dependent minds by advocating careers in STEM. Yet, the rise of new technology such as smartphones and tablets have contributed to the stigma behind being a millennial, since one of our defining characteristics is being so technology-dependent, to the point where it’s either comical or just plain sad.

Also, these so-called defining characteristics of millennials, such as constantly having a smartphone in one’s hand, are possessed by people who are not just belonging to the millennial generation. Even older people have to adapt to change in society in order to keep up. Millennials just never had to adapt because this was normal.

According to Pew Research Center, only 27 percent of millennials consider themselves self-reliant and 17 percent consider themselves moral. Of the surveyed generations, millennials had by far the lowest regard for their own generation.

The generation that precedes millennials, the baby boomers, have a set mindset that goes along the line of: getting an education, securing a well-paying job, getting married, and buying a house. They are also the generation that stigmatizes being a millennial because, overall we fail at following that set path.

We erroneously internalize the stigma we receive from generations before us, making us believe all the stereotypes about ourselves that are sometimes true, but not necessarily bad.

I’m a millennial, which means I always have my phone with me, I watch netflix more than I should, and I’m convinced the world is out to get me, but this doesn’t mean I’m as hopeless as the world wants me to believe.

OPINION

May 2016

Summer isn’t worth the wait Alexandra Stein

Summer is a time marked with anticipation and expectations.

All around campus everyone counts down the months, weeks, and now days until school is out. It is the light at the end of the tunnel.

There is a certain stereotype associated with summer though. Every year, promises of amazing vacations, weekly beach trips, healthy eating and self improvement are made.

Then summer actually comes. The freetime and the beach and the sunshine are refreshing and nice at first but quickly become exhausted.

All too fast, the summer heat becomes tiring, the freedom becomes boredom, and the willingness to make plans lessens.

Friends go away on family trips, and leave us home to stare at a screen blasting the air conditioning for the eight or however many weeks there are that follow the exciting beginning of summer.

Maybe this stretch is broken up by a short-lived family vacation or a summer camp, but even those often fail to live up to expectations.

As we grow up, our summers do the same. Many high schoolers opt to take college classes or get jobs or internships to make the best use of their time.

This is beneficial because, as much as school can be dreaded, the lack of mandatory eight-hour days filled with social interaction can leave a void. When we are not forced to learn or interact many of us simply do not, not because we do not want to, but because it is an easy path to fall into.

For most, summer is considered stress free, however

this period of time can often cause what can be known as the, “summer blues.”

Times of emptiness, loneliness, and dullness plague the lives of students affected by these blues.

There is such irony in this because all school year, school is the enemy and work is evaded, but in the summer the lack of school work can lead to the feeling of lack of purpose.

By the middle of the nine-week break, a lot of us miss school, and we hate that we miss school.

Lethargy and laziness have set in as parents go off to work everyday and the majority of us are left with little to no responsibilities.

The fun-filled summer that had been planned and talked about all year has gone down the drain and leaves the mass population Even the classic perfect summer can get old. Traveling around the world with family is an amazing experience, but after a while a regular routine.

The beach is always associated with a classic summer, The crowded, sandy stretches rarely meet the expectation of “fun in the sun” which is tied to them Sleep schedules are thrown completely out of whack.

A high-functioning good student can find themselves up until 3 a.m. and then proceeding to sleep until noon.

These unnatural sleep cycles are unhealthy and leave little time for interacting with the normal world that is not on a high school schedule.

Also the healthy trends that most people claim they will adopt around summer rarely last. Unhealthy trends are usually picked up instead, like binge eating junk foods, staying in bed all day.

Productivity, social interaction, and will to do great things is generally at all time low during summer, which is not only unhealthy, it is the opposite of what we expect.

Editorial

AP is not always the right choice AP tests are a lose-lose proposition for many students.

The first losing choice is taking the class and risk falling behind in other courses because of the intense workloads and missed school days during the AP test weeks.

The other losing option is not taking the class or the test which comes with the risk of looking inferior in the eyes of colleges, as well as in comparison to other students in your school.

All year long, we sit in classes with rigorous course loads and practice test upon practice test designed to get us ready for the culmination of all of our time, energy, and effort— the long-awaited two weeks of AP testing.

Every year, 10 percent more students sign up for AP classes than the year before, according to the Atlantic.

However, what these students don’t necessarily take into account is that AP tests are not the cookiecutter “pass and everything will work out” tests they are built up to be throughout the school year; many difficulties come with the coveted five out of five on the tests.

Contrary to popular belief, many UC schools accept students who don’t take any AP classes. In parallel, taking all AP classes does not guarantee anyone an acceptance into a UC. It’s true that many high schools offer bumps in GPAs, but the credits gained by taking the test barely affect college classes in the future.

In general, the AP classes offered in high school are not equivalent to the classes offered in college.

Sure, the level is higher than that of a regular fourpoint class, but in comparison to a college course, high school credits don’t even begin to cut it.

In addition, according to Stanford News, not all colleges accept AP scores as college credits, so many students end up having to repeat the courses. Even so, AP credits only count towards one semester of a

college course, and waived classes do not count towards meeting requirements.

For example, a medical student could not waive a college biology course because of credits earned in high school because, due to a certain number of required classes, the student would not meet the qualifications.

Sure, you’re gaining extra insight into the riveting worlds of United States history and psychology, but at what cost to you?

Because of the often burdensome expectations of AP classes, some students fall behind in other courses. The time and dedication required to do well in an AP class and, later, on the AP test only takes time away from other subjects and their demands. The two weeks of the AP testing proves difficult to manage because testing directly interferes with the normal school schedule.

In the end, you’re left with less-than-desirable grades in all your classes because you were spreading yourself too thin and a number on a test that may not even be accepted at the college you’re headed to.

That being said, AP tests are designed to expand a student’s knowledge of a particular subject.

Say you want to learn more about the history of the United States. Well, great! AP United States history (APUSH) is probably going to fit you like a glove.

Being surrounded by other students willing to push themselves a little harder is going to push you to expand your understanding of what you’re already interested in.

Just keep in mind that your college might not accept this test that you’re about to spend a week studying for, and the time spent studying takes away from the time you could have been spending focusing on the rest of your classes.

In the end, you alone are in control of your class decisions, and a number between one and five should not weigh as heavily on your mind as it probably already does.

OPINION

The Highlander

Page 23 May 2016

Republicans promote intolerance Eating meat kills Sophie Haddad Scrolling down the Facebook comments on a post about North Carolina’s new “bathroom” law, one can find many wild opinions.

“I’m just afraid to see a man follow a little girl into the bathroom, claiming he’s transgender.”

“People can’t choose if they’re black or white, but they can CHOOSE which gender to identify as.”

“If anyone can just use any bathroom they want, predators will take advantage!”

Support for North Carolina’s new “anti-LGBT” law is based in fear, lies, and intolerance. The law essentially blocks local governments from instituting anti-discrimination laws. As a result, the law denies members of the LGBT community protections that other citizens enjoy.

The most controversial provision of the law forces transgender individuals to use the bathroom of the sex they were “assigned” at birth.

Unfortunately, these “bathroom” bills, which are being considered in Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, derive entirely from intolerant views and not from any rational reasons or data. And, rather than protecting people, they harm a select group.

Proponents of the law misunderstand the reason for its creation. Legislators claim that the law is a reaction to sexual predators invading bathrooms and claiming to be transgender. However, no true crime of this nature has ever been documented.

According to Media Matters, conservative media outlets have been broadcasting fabricated news stories of predators in bathrooms pretending to be trans. The stories come from anti-LGBT hate groups, and the conservative media doesn’t fact check them. There have been exactly zero cases of trans people being arrested for sexual misconduct in restrooms.

These untrue yet widely-circulated stories confuse the public and misrepresent the problem.

Furthermore, the law implicitly equates trans people with sexual predators. Trans people just want to use the bathroom.

Trans people are actually the ones who are usually harassed for using the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. A study conducted by the Williams Institute found that 70 percent of transgender or gender non-

THE

conforming/genderqueer people in the Washington, D.C. area were denied entrance, harassed, or assaulted when trying to use the restroom of the gender they identify with.

The anxiety of being forced to use a different facility than that of the gender one identifies with is a struggle that cisgender people can never understand. With only seven members of Congress in the LGBT community, America’s lawmaking body is in no place to be dictating the rights of transgender individuals.

Congress needs to support the downtrodden by instituting laws that protect citizens’ rights to use the bathroom of the gender they identify as. North Carolina’s law is a step in the wrong direction, a step that endorses oppression and ignorance.

The upsurge in ludicrous laws is owed to two frightening trends: the drifting of the Republican party to extremes, and the dominance of the Republican party in Congress.

The modern Republican party is drifting away from conventional conservative ideals and becoming more dominated by fringe groups. Lately, anyone from a Tea Party extremist to a libertarian can label themselves as Republican. These fringe groups are giving Republicans a bad name and distracting from more important issues.

Republicans hold 301 of the 535 seats in Congress, making their legislative powers immense.

Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male, and 92 percent Christian, according to The Washington Post.

The lack of diversity in Congress eliminates the voices of many minority groups, overlooking the needs of such disparate people.

Since there are so many Republicans in Congress, the portion of Republican extremists is also higher. These multitudinous radicals spend their efforts chasing less conventional goals, like denial of climate change and ostracization of homosexuals.

They use religion as an excuse to discriminate against LGBTQ members. But their logic is flimsy. The wording in the Bible surrounding homosexuality is open to interpretation, but the wording regarding tolerance is clear. The Bible urges people not to judge each other, because God is the only one who can judge us. It tells Christians to love their neighbors, not reprimand them for their differences.

Republicans cannot mask their intolerance in religion.

The overwhelming hatred toward LGBTs cannot stand in a country that values equality above all else. When we give in to fear, we lose the battle for the preservation of our country and our humanity.

HIGHLANDER

Editor-in-Chief Zoe Wildman Managing Editor Alyssa Fagel ScotCenter Editor-in-Chief Elena Mateus Art Director Minh-Han Vu Faculty Adviser Justin Raisner Scot Scoop Editor-in-Chief Sarah Schisla

Staff Writers Lily Bakour

Leea Ivanel

Hanalei Pham

Chesirae Barbano

Kian Karamdashti

Justin Som

Rachel Borschchenko

Bijan Khalili

Ally Stein

Brooke Chang

Estella Lippi

Taran Sun

Holly Chen

Anya Meredith

Megan Tao

Nicole del Cardayre

Seiya Mirande

Jiselle Vigil

Aria Frangos

Isabel Mitchell

Skylar Weiss

Karen Gao

Jackson Monge

Celine Yang

Nate Godwin

Ivy Nguyen

Hannah Young

Josef Gonzalez

Mackenzie O’Connell

Jason Zheng

Sophie Haddad Artie Hazelton

Kiera Pendleton-White Adriana Ramirez Sophie Penn

Editors

Mona Murhamer

Avery Adams

Jordan Hanlon

Kelly Song

Kimiko Okumura Jill Albertson

Connor Lin Sarah Tocatlian

The Highlander is a newspaper dedicated to providing Carlmont students, staff, and the community with high-quality news, features, and opinion articles. We want to keep our readers informed on important issues ranging from events at Carlmont to international news, and want to engage them with unique stories and images. The Highlander is a publication completely run by the students of the journalism classes at Carlmont High School. Story ideas are generated by the students and the published content is up to the discretion of the editorial staff. This month’s editorial was written by Mona Murhamer.

Skylar Weiss

You’re at a restaurant observing a menu. After skimming each dish, you finally decide on your meal.

Tonight you will be having a main dish of climate change with a side of cardiovascular disease.

In other words, you just selected a big, juicy hamburger.

Maybe you wouldn’t have chosen that burger if you knew how much has gone into it, or how much has been wasted by it. Maybe you would’ve changed your mind if you knew how it would affect your body.

According to The American Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, red meat, most specifically beef processed by large corporations, is essentially unnecessary for the human diet. Not only does eating red meat pose a series of health risks, but its production contributes greatly towards climate change. As much as these issues discredit the consumption of it, a large portion of society remains too stubborn to give up one of its favorite foods due the way that food culture has revolved around, or even been built upon, these meats.

Think about evidence that traces back to the beginnings of humanity. Stone knives and marks on animal bones indicate that some our earliest ancestors relied on different types of meat as a food source. Due to their circumstances, early humans exploited red meat from animals for the sole purpose of surviving.

The human race subsequently gained additional food sources, but previous ideas of food were kept within the common diet. However, as the diet of the average human expanded to more foods, red meat was, and still is, no longer a necessity.

Here is where the problem lies.

Much of food culture has been built upon red meat, so people struggle to comprehend living without it. Nevertheless, it is evident that red meat greatly disturbs the health of our natural environment, as well as the physical health of individuals.

We can significantly decrease the size of our ecological footprint by lowering our production of beef.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States stated that livestock are responsible for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Cows in particular emit a large amount of methane into the atmosphere on a daily basis. If the population of cattle was reduced due to a smaller commercial demand for meat, methane emissions would decrease.

Raising livestock also requires providing them with food sources of their own, which in most cases are crops. According to the Cornell Chronicle from Cornell University, the U.S. can feed 800 million people with grain that livestock eat. This is illogical and wasteful; we could be producing far more crops if the population of beef cows was not so large, as it’s currently at 30.5 million in America alone.

David Pimentel, professor of ecology in Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, found that beef also uses the most fossil energy to produce. Pimentel also found that grain-fed cattle use 100 thousand liters of water for every kilogram of food they produce.

The popular food has also been found to present several health risks due to both the natural components of the meat and the way it is processed.

Prevention.com stated that researchers from the Cleveland Clinic examined a nutrient called “carnitine” in red meat. The human body already produces carnitine on its own for metabolism purposes, however, when excess carnitine is in the body, it results in the clogging of the arteries and thickening of its walls.

According to ABC News, 70 percent of packaged meat contains a sort of additive known as pink slime. Industries refer to the slime as “lean, finely textured beef,” however that term is rather a stretch - the fatty leftover meat is spun and sprayed with ammonia gas before being mixed into ground beef that is sold in grocery stores.

Harvard Health Publications stated that Harvard researchers found that people who eat the most red meat tend to die younger, and are additionally more prone to cancer and cardiovascular disease.

It is disturbing that people cannot come to terms with the negative effects of a food that they consume on a regular basis simply because they consume it on a regular basis. Those who are educated about the harm that red meat imposes on people and the environment should immediately want to make a change - after all, it’s just the health of our planet we’re talking about.

Goodbye Carlmont

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