Carlmont Highlander Volume 14 Issue 4 - March 2023

THE

H

IGHL ANDER

issue iV

THE

carlmont high school

EDUCATION

ISSUE Is curriculum a ticking time bomb?

read it pg. 21

belmont, ca

Carlmont Journalism Carlmont Journalism is a nationally renowned media arts program run by the students of Carlmont High School. Our staff works to deliver the latest news to our student body, their families, and the community. News, within our school and beyond, is important to us, so we are committed to providing timely information, current events, and thought-provoking ideas to our audiences through storytelling, design, video, photography, and other emerging technologies.

Highlander Editor-in-Chief Chesney Evert Highlander Managing Editors Lindsay Augustine & Grace Wu Scot Scoop Editor-in-Chief Hudson Fox Scot Center Editor-in-Chief Hayes Gaboury Social Media Editor-in-Chief Mandy Mah Faculty Adviser Justin Raisner Highlander Editors Sienna Reinders Beck Von Tersch Oliver Fichte Andrew Shu Alice Lan Malina Wong Lucy Sanders Isa Khalak Inaaya Omer Clementine Cunningham Adelaide Reinshagen Aidan Lynd Aimee Teyssier Alexander Menchtchikov Andrew Tolu Annabel Chia Anoushka Mekerira Audrey Burnley Austin Li Avery Wong Carolina Cuadros Catherine Eikelbarner Charlotte Gordon Emma Yin Erik Cheng Evan Leong Gabrielle Shore Glydelle Espano Gracia Shao-Xue Inaaya Omer Isabel Wright Izaan Masud Jasneh Sasan

Staff

Karla Lee Kiana Hinkson Linda Lin Lucy Lopshire Madelyn Mercado Marrisa Chow Maya Campbell Myles Hu Nyah Simpson Piper Diehn Quinn Rolland Rintaro Sato Robin Linares Serenity Corbett-Richardson Soleil Dam Sophia Mattioli Sophia Schreiber Sophia Sunbury Sophie Gurdus Stella Pavao Sydney Tao Ujala Chauhan Urvi Kulkarni

Letter from the Editors Dear reader, When we think about those responsible for our sense of identity, our parents and friends might initially come to mind. That said, the average student will have spent 8,884 hours in a classroom by the time they graduate eighth grade, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

So much of our lives are given to educational pursuits.

As seen in both a historical and global context, this can make school a dangerous weapon those in power use to control external and self perception.

Pink Floyd's "The Wall," an infrequent (yet very culturally significant) part of Chesney's Spotify listening history, can be credited with the original inspiration behind this edition of The Highlander. In the same way we incite change through newswriting, this seminal rock album harnesses lyricism to criticize the uniformity prized by the English education system.

From this skeletal theme of education, our staff has cultivated a rich exploration of schooling in the United States and beyond by asking questions like "Who is the system actually serving?" and "How are curriculums constructed to distort our perception of the world?"

In the spirit of this issue, we hope you learn a little something about the things you're learning. In that same vein, we're learning, too. Please feel free to reach out to us at highlanderscotscoop@gmail.com.

An important clarification: we express our deep gratitude to all educators. The truth is, they have changed us — and our world — for the better, despite the broken pieces of the educational machine. While this issue is intended to examine the cracks in our schools, we hope it also highlights teachers' profound impact.

Happy reading,

Chesney

Every Liyayt

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Contents

POPULAR CULTURE 4 6

The ethics of true crime Banned books in America

CAMPUS 8 9 10 11

Seniors walk down memory lane Flipping through students' favorites Unlocking the truth Unique classes to pique your interest

OPINION 12 14 16 17 18

First across the 'Finnish' line The job market is changing; our education must too Infographics don't solve issues The UC strikes were justified Editorial: We've been 'schooled' by the education system

SCOTLIGHT 21 The weaponization of education

FEATURES 28 College Board: The education monopoly 30 Off the beaten path: A deep dive into nature homeschooling 32 Where did all the fun classes go?

FUN 34 Education activists over the centuries 36 Math n' cheese 38 A lifelong love: James McDowell's passion for athletics

MARCH 2023 3

POP CULTURE

TH

F O S C I H T E E

E M I R C E U R T

Art by Sophia Sunbury

Sophia Sunbury & Myles Hu

T

rue crime has taken the world by storm. But, its divisiveness among audiences has left many with the question: is revisiting real crimes ethical?

The genre of true crime covers literature, video media, and podcasts that focus on real crime cases and delve into a crime's impact on victims and criminals themselves. First amassing a following through podcasts, such as "Serial," true crime has markedly expanded in recent years, especially in the form of docuseries.

The meteoric rise of true crime cannot be understated, as a survey from YouGov America in September 2022 notes that of 1,000 American adult surveyors, half enjoy true crime, while 35% watch some form of this genre weekly. As a result, an increased craving for this genre has expanded the number of offerings available to viewers, listeners, and readers. Notably, "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," released in September 2022, is currently Netflix's fourth-most viewed show ever.

So, the question remains: why is true crime so popular nowadays?

Many experts believe there is a fascination with true crime because it involves real people, places, and events. These factors give audiences a greater shock factor when watching these docuseries.

"There is a wide variety of reasons to enjoy a well-made crime story. All the elements that make for great literature are in there:

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along with the exploitation of victims' experiences by disregarding their traumas. For example, Rita Isbell, the sister of one of Dahmer's victims who spoke out at his sentencing in 1992, criticized the show for not contacting her whatsoever for permission. Isbell, along suspense, mystery, drama, and more," said John Viola, with her family, has denounced the show as unethical a criminal defense attorney and criminal justice faculty and retraumatizing. lecturer at San Francisco State University.

"I find that people directly impacted by serious While Viola acknowledges and understands the true harmful criminal activity see nothing entertaining or crime craze, he finds the overall genre to be symbolic of the sensational about their experience. Whether they are goals of much of the entertainment industry. victims, witnesses, or even perpetrators, most people "In today's programming, crime stories drive clicks. True are appalled by the event and would rather forget it," crime podcasts are produced for entertainment and are Viola said. editorialized and dramatized for that purpose," Viola said.

Compared to docuseries made in Hollywood, Still, many people remain true crime fans simply because Meisenholder points out how true crime-focused they find the topic to be both entertaining and informative. journalists and reporters concentrate on getting the "I like true crime mainly due to the psychology and real story, free of any bias. forensics of it all. And, "Any kind of trauma as an assigned female reporting is never an easy at birth, I believe it'll feat; first and foremost, help educate me more I always try to reach out in how to protect myself to the victim's family. As in possibly dangerous reporters, we're expected situations," said Nico to flesh out and include Werdermann, a student at every detail in the final San Mateo High School. draft, since our job is While documentaries to inform readers of constituted early forms the whole truth. But, of true crime in visual there are times when the media, docuseries are now information is irrelevant taking over. These shows to the main crux of the have garnered multiple story and would only controversies, such as serve to potentially the aforementioned – JOHN VIOLA retraumatize the victim's "Dahmer," in which a family. It's a delicate victim's mother accused balance, and making those the show of perpetrating viewers' desire to watch serial evaluations is integral to the professional responsibility killers on screen. of a journalist," Meisenholder said.

"There are certainly docuseries out there that do a Overall, professionals advise watching true crime thorough job at portraying murderers and their victims, shows with a grain of salt, due to the typicality of the but of course, that's not always the case. The recreation of entertainment industry to overemphasize real events. a famous murder, or murderer, for content, can sometimes However, while the ethicality of this genre remains lead to inaccurate portrayals, simply because you're having to be seen, audiences' obsession with true crime will to adjust the character to make him or her more interesting, continue to be exacerbated with the influx of docuseries to ensure the audience is adequately entertained," said Jana being greenlit by streaming services.

Meisenholder, a true-crime focused independent journalist "True crime stories can be compelling and and investigative researcher. entertaining, but do not assume that they provide much These disputes have caused a significant commotion information about the larger causes, conditions, and in the entertainment industry, with many bashing true circumstances of a crime. Even with the most faithful crime creators for being unethical in handling real stories. reporting, individual accounts about a crime should Detractors of true crime call out the glamorization of not be used to set public policy," Viola said. l criminals who are portrayed at the center of the series,

"DO NOT ASSUME THAT [TRUE CRIME STORIES] PROVIDE MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT THE LARGER CAUSES, CONDITIONS, AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF A CRIME."

MARCH 2023 5

POP CULTURE

Banned books in America Sydney Tao

Gender Queer

By Maia Kobabe Summary: The book is a memoir of Kobabe’s journey from adolescence to adulthood exploring gender identity.

Banned for: LGBTQIA+ content, sexually explicit images Districts banned: 41

All Boys Aren't Blue

By George M. Johnson Summary: This story is a memoir where journalist and activist George M. Johnson navigates his life as a queer black man.

Banned for: profanity, LGBTQIA+ content, sexually explicit Districts banned: 29

Lawn Boy

By Jonathan Evisoin Summary: This semiautobiographical novel follows a young Mexican American goes through a period of self-discovery.

Banned for: LGBTQIA+ content, sexually explicit, mentions pedophilia Districts banned: 17

The Hate U Give

By Angie Thomas Summary: 16-year-old Starr Carter witnesses the death of her best friend at the hands of a police officer, altering her life.

Banned for: Profanity, violence, promoting an anti-police message Districts banned: 17

The Bluest Eye

By Toni Morrison Summary: The novel takes place in Ohio and tells the story of a young African-American girl who grew up following the Great Depression.

Banned for: Child sexual abuse, sexually explicit Districts banned: 22

Out of Darkness

By Ashley Hope Perez Summary: This book follows the forbidden love story betwen a MexicanAmerican girl and a Black boy in the 1930s.

Banned for: mentions of abuse, considered sexually explicit Districts banned: 24

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CAMPUS CAMPUS

Seniors walk down memory lane Sophia Mattioli

Though attending college will bring many new experiences for graduating seniors, they'll leave behind years of bonding and good eats. To get an idea of what the Class of 2023 will miss most, we asked a few seniors to tell us their favorite local spots.

Samantha Shetty:

Skating on and off since she was little, Samantha Shetty is going to miss the familiarity of her favorite ice rink.

"I'm probably going to miss the rink the most," Shetty said.

Most recently, Shetty took on a coaching gig at Nazareth Ice Oasis in San Mateo. After attending Nazareth's classes for several years, Shetty was asked to join the team.

"Nazareth took me from student to coach. I hope I can find an equally welcoming community wherever I end up attending university," Shetty said.

Amelia Clevenger:

"I don't know what I'll do without Otoko," said Amelia Clevenger, senior at Carlmont, referring to the Redwood Shores staple, Otoko Sushi. "I probably go to Otoko at least once a week."

After years of consistent service, Clevenger is not quite ready to leave behind her favorite restaurant. Otoko serves everything from ramen and soba to sashimi and nigiri. The food is good, but the service is even better.

"They know me by name; even the sushi chef gives me a smile whenever I walk in," Clevenger said.

Richie Mondragon:

For senior Richie Mondragon, his place of work became a second home for him.

"I am going to miss showing up everyday to work and make shakes," Mondragon said, currently employed at the local burger joint Jack's Prime.

The Jack's Prime community welcomed Mondragon with open arms. "I never thought I'd say that I would miss work, but here we are."l

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Flipping through students' favorites Audrey Burnley

Leisure time is done in many different ways for students. Some go home and play video games while others sit down and read a book. But why would they read more after reading for their English classes in school?

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The topic and style of writing plays a huge role in choosing a favorite book. For Samira Singh, those two things helped her choose The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. "I really love Greek Mythology, the book is so devastating to me. I have never been as sad over a book as I have to this one," Singh said. To Singh, the poetic and detailed writing also contributed to her choice. "I feel like no other authors writing style has compared to this one," Singh said. Outside of school, Singh was able to enjoy this book for her own reasons. "It is just so nice to me when there's no obligations.

It's nice when you pick up something that looks interesting to you. I feel like its so rewarding," Singh said.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The setting in which a story takes place, takes the reader on a journey. For Julia Erskine, her favorite book, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugh, sucked her into the

magical world of a 17th century city inspired by Amsterdam. "I feel like the setting is very well done in the book, as well as the characters. I just fall in love with them every time I read it, and it's like nothing I have ever seen in a book. I love the way the plot is laid out, especially how the setting seems so realistic, even though it's a fantasy novel," Erksine said. The freedom of being able to choose whatever she wants to read makes the process much more interesting. "I'm basically going off of my interests and what I like to read and what I'd like to do, and it's just so much more interesting," Erksine said.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Personal ties to a book is what drew Michael Dell'Aquila to The Joy Luck Club

by Amy Tan. "I really liked the "Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan because my mom really loved the book and when I get to read it, since its based in San Francisco, I learned a lot about where I am from," Dell'Aquila said. His personal interests also expand his reading outside of school. "I think inside of school, books can be really good and I definitely enjoyed a lot of books in high school, but outside of school I get to expand and do things like read about things I want to read about," Dell'Aquila said. l

MARCH 2023 9

CAMPUS

Unl cking the truth

T

Alexander Menchtchikov

wo Carlmont teachers are training their students on the basics for finding accurate information in the world, which is hard to come by in other curricula.

Erik Migdail and Martin Turkis Jr., who teach AS and CP English III and AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang), structure their classes around logic and finding the truth, replacing what would usually be grammar instruction.

"The driving force is always what we think students are going to need," Migdail said. "One of the things we noticed is that the standards always call for critical thinking, but they don't actually articulate what that means. What does it mean to be a critical thinker? And really, when you get down to brass tacks, we're talking about logic, essentially."

In an age of misinformation, the shift to teaching logic was seen as necessary for Migdail and Turkis.

Awareness of valid and invalid forms of logic is requisite in modern society, where fallacious arguments are often normalized.

"It's a world with a lot of illogic and bad arguments out there, either by people who can't form good arguments or who can form good arguments but choose not to. So, for example, someone with a law degree is certainly familiar with logic, they have to be, and yet when policies and arguments appear on TV, they often are logically flawed," Migdail said.

Along with the logic piece, Migdail and Turkis moved their curriculum away from longer-form literature and into the direction of philosophy, involving short philosophical readings in their AS English III and AP Lang classes.

"It is a place where good reasoning happens for one thing, and it's also embedded in the quest for truth," Migdail said.

Migdail feels that finding the truth is fundamental, especially in a world where he sees people disputing

whether there even is such a thing as truth. To him, the "quest for truth," as he says, ties into his goal of giving students the knowledge they need to flourish in their own lives.

It is refreshing for students to learn topics and skills related to logic and critical thinking. The philosophical aspect of the classes also makes the curriculums appealing.

"The AP Lang curriculum allows for intellectual growth with the diverse range of ideas in philosophy along with other topics ranging into politics and history," said Winston Singh, a Carlmont senior who had Turkis for two years.

In an age ruled by social media and the constant intake of information, Migdail and Turkis deemed it evercritical to incorporate elements to tackle illogical arguments. Hence, integrating these unique parts of the curriculum help students in their own lives and futures. l

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Unique classes to pique your interest

F

Charlotte Gordon rom Personal Finance to Mobile Apps, Carlmont offers a unique variety of elective classes outside of its common core subjects.

Personal Finance

Students are taught how to prepare themselves financially throughout college and beyond. Students learn specific tactics to save money and the importance of pursuing scholarships and grants, as well as the usefulness of 401Ks. "In high school, financial literacy is not part of the curriculum, so Carlmont offers Personal Finance as an elective course. I cannot think of a more important thing to understand than money," said Carlmont Personal Finance teacher Jacqueline Peters.

"We just finished studying what college expenses are and how to afford college, and then we are going to go into investing."

Carlmont senior Natalie Homyk is a student in Personal Finance and has learned valuable knowledge in the class.

"I chose to take Personal Finance because I was worried about going into the world without any financial knowledge, since my parents never talked about it around the dinner table," Homyk said. "We learn about big financial decisions. Right now, we

are focusing on college because we are encountering a lot of scholarship deadlines so that is on the forefront of my mind."

Green Tech and Engineering

Students learn about the engineering process; they are given engineering tasks, brainstorm various ideas, make prototypes, and then execute their designs. The class is very hands-on and project-based; there are no tests.

"Students build projects to model devices that will provide a positive aspect on the environment," said Carlmont engineering teacher James Bohac.

Mobile Apps

Students learn how to create applications for phones and tablets using both design and coding.

"All of the first semester, and part of the second semester, students create mobile apps for Android phones or tablets. Then, students get an introduction to Python, so if they go on to other computer science programs classes, they will have that leg up," said Carlmont Mobile Apps teacher Melissa Hero. "We also have guest speakers come in and talk to students about different fields in computer science." l

Using Python and similar programs, students in the Mobile Apps class are able to create fully functinal applications.

MARCH 2023 11

OPINION

Opinion: First across the 'Finnish' line America should learn from Finland's education system

I

Avery Wong

t's time for American schools to catch up to the finish line — or rather, the Finnish line.

Finland's education system is miles ahead of America's because it was constructed to have a genuinely positive impact on its students and teachers, not just to make a profit.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over one-third of high school students living in the U.S. reported feelings of continuous sadness or hopelessness. Unfortunately, this is not a surprising fact considering the pressure that many teenagers experience due to high expectations to get into college and the lack of resources for mental health. Modern school systems are too similar to corporations for comfort; many try to create fictitious success stories, which can be seen through the 2019 college admissions scandal, and maximize income rather than equal opportunity.

On the contrary, Finland has

found a way to provide a meaningful education to its thousands of students and allow them to have a life outside of school.

One of the main reasons for the overall satisfaction with Finnish schools is the positive environment that is created for students of all skill levels. According to the World Economic Forum, an international organization, there is no standardized testing in Finland, so unlike in other countries, the anxiety of being judged solely based on a single exam is little to nonexistent. In addition, Finnish students are graded on an individual standard upon which the teachers decide whether they have made progress or not.

Their policies such as the fair grading system, or even just the later start time, can make all the difference in a student's educational experience.

Another factor to consider are the teachers, who have an immense impact on students' attitudes toward school. Many schools in America suffer from understaffed classrooms, which causes kids to be taught by underqualified teachers or substitutes.

The standard is very different in Finland, where becoming a teacher is a rigorous journey because they only want the best of the best to be influencing the younger generations.

Sari Muhonen is a teacher for all grades and helped write the 2014

Finnish Core Curriculum.

"It was harder to gain entry to the University of Helsinki's teacher education program (6.8% acceptance rate) than the law program (8.3% acceptance rate) or the medical program (7.3% acceptance rate) in 2016," Muhonen said during an interview with The Hechinger Report.

According to the Illinois News Bureau, of the 663 school districts in America that responded to their survey, 88% stated that they were having teacher shortages. The lack of teacher employment in America often correlates with the low pay and societal respect for this specific career.

"The massive shortages we are seeing are the result of many factors," said Sharita Forrest, an education editor from the University of Illinois.

"Years of deprofessionalizing the field through inadequate pay; unstable long-term retirement benefits; stressed, overtaxed expectations on educators and schools; and unsafe, under-resourced work environments weakened the profession."

On the other hand, in Nordic countries, teachers are seen on the same elite platform as doctors and lawyers, which is something that should be normalized in all countries across the world.

Finland is living proof that in terms of education for young children and adolescents, the endless

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Art by Sophia Sunbury

cycle of long school days and a stacked Advanced Placement (AP) class schedules is not the solution.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the American high school graduation rate had reached its peak of 86% in 2019. In contrast, the Finnish high school graduation rate has remained consistently above 93% since.

Not only do students in Finland find success in school, but beyond that as well. Due to the flexible education system, teenagers are more likely to pursue something of their interest rather than following the one-way street that is paved for many kids in the U.S. Finnish students are only required to have nine years of education. What this means is that rather than the government continuing to profit from keeping high schoolers through unnecessary

years of mentally-grueling work, students can choose to move forward with university plans, go straight to work, or do something they are passionate about.

If students continue on the path of attending college, it gets even better. Finnish universities are free.

In contrast, America thrives in a world where only the most privileged are handed opportunities, whereas Finland values a fair and personalized education experience, as it should be.

"If you only measure the statistics, you miss the human aspect," said Timo Heikkinen, a Helsinki principal, during an interview with the Smithsonian Magazine.

Over one-third of high schoolers in the United States reported feelings of long-term hopelessness, which most often correlates with the lack of support provided by their school

system. Many find it difficult to stay motivated in school, especially when it feels as if they are a speck among thousands of students being taught through the same methods with no regards to their personal preferences.

Furthermore, one test or grade should not be stressed as the defining factor in the trajectory of someone's life.

If anything, Finnish schools teach America that success is not about fitting into a certain box with predetermined standards.

Children should be able to have equal opportunities with teachers and peers whom they look up to. By setting Finland's education policies as a guideline, the U.S. will greatly improve student wellbeing. After all, although no schools are perfect, the ones in Finland come pretty close. l

SPRING 2023 13

OPINION

b o r j u e ;o h T ing : n o g o o i n t n a i t h s p c u O t is m n e o k i r t a a c m du e b oto h P

y

to Sa o tar Rin

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I

Austin Li

t's the year 2030, and you're at your local grocery store. Clerks and lines are no longer there. Items chosen by customers are instantly placed into an online cart and paid for through mobile apps, rendering human employees useless. New technologies, motion cameras, and advanced forms of artificial intelligence have replaced them.

Don't believe me? Just look at AmazonGo, a grocery store in Seattle that has already implemented all of these things. As crazy as it is, automation is taking over the world. According to recent studies, the U.S. is home to over 300,000 industrial robots, increasing by 40,000 each year.

Technology is creating new jobs and innovation opportunities. However, they are also eliminating old ones. According to Forbes, automation can potentially eliminate 73 million U.S. jobs by 2030, equating to a staggering 46% of the current jobs.

The McKinsey Global Institute recently created models predicting jobs that will disappear and develop. Automated jobs like mechanics, machine operators, finance, and accounting will all decline, while professional, managerial, and creative positions will remain.

This then places pressure on our educational system to effectively prepare future generations for an ever-evolving world, something it has failed to do. No matter the profession, the basic competencies will always be needed - language skills, computation, analysis, and civic education.

Yet even today, the U.S. is not effectively fostering these skills within young minds.

Recent research by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that only one-third of native-born Americans could correctly answer the basic civics questions required to achieve U.S. citizenship. Other standardized tests revealed that U.S. students are outperformed in math, science, and reading by their counterparts in numerous other nations.

Additionally, as our job market evolves, soft skills such as critical thinking, creativity, adaptability, and collaborative problem-solving are more important than ever. High schools

should prioritize finding ways to ensure students master both soft and hard skills, yet they aren't.

Sorry to break it to you, but tedious lectures and taking notes on the industrial revolution or poetry-analysis are not necessarily the skills of the "future." Instead, schools should encourage students to embark on passion projects where creativity and curiosity run wild.

Consider Quest to Learn (Q2L), a high school in New York where students engage in quests and tackle real-world problems together.

At Q2L, biotech-centered students spend the majority of their time working for fiction biotech companies. Similarly, students in the business pathway create startup business plans or learn to trade stocks. By inhabiting the role of biotech scientists or entrepreneurs, they learn hard skills related to their fields while developing soft skills for the future.

Even beyond high school, higher education is becoming less necessary. The nature of college has become flooded. According to studies, when 2% of the population had degrees, graduates enjoyed many opportunities. This percentage has risen to 48%, but the presumption that graduates automatically earn more is no longer true. This is mainly because traditional degrees no longer align with the modern job market making higher education less impactful than before.

At large companies like Google and Apple, some high-level jobs don't require a college degree. This is because soft skills gained from college can be found through cheaper online alternatives such as Coursera, Khan Academy, and Edx. The hard skills necessary today aren't always fostered through a college education.

In no way do I advocate that the traditional domains of education be eliminated. Instead, I encourage the traditional disciplines of math, science, history, and literature to be integrated into real-world practice. This innovative educational philosophy needs to be applied to schools around the nation. At the end of the day, with continuous technological advancements, traditional ways of identifying and cultivating talent and leadership will not be enough. We must find new, radically personalized practices to help every student realize their untapped potential, ideas, and problem-solving capacities. We must prioritize cultivating individual passions, talents, and potential in ways that prepare students for an automizing industry. l

MARCH 2023 15

OPINION

Opinion: Infographics don't solve issues

C

Maya Campbell

olorful, aesthetically pleasing, and easily digestible. These three traits are typical markers of infographics promoting social issues seen on platforms such as Instagram.

An infographic is defined as a visual representation meant to present data or information in a quick, efficient fashion. They have long been utilized in the corporate world to convey action plans, goals, and strategies. However, today, they have been excessively employed on social media platforms to promote social justice issues.

While this is not inherently a problem, social media activism in forms like infographics could be more efficient in achieving social justice movements' goals. For example, if one posts an infographic about ways to help someone with crippling anxiety, think about how many people would be taking the time to read and then implement the "strategies" displayed.

However, infographics are most effective at one thing: gaining views. According to Sprout Social, infographics "significantly boost your reach and social presence," which makes sense due to the convenience of their format and aesthetically pleasing nature. There is one problem with this, though: the issues that these infographics talk about are not convenient or aesthetically pleasing. The difficulties that infographics try and fail to solve aren't fun. For example, depression.

Reposting a couple of infographics about the horrible reality of depression once it's in the trend cycle, and then not following through with action on the issue, is effectively the same as not doing anything at all.

However, it's not all grim. There is a way for social media activism to have an impact beyond an infographic.

Various groups like Black Lives Matter have used social media to further their issues and causes and have achieved tangible results. Due to the increasingly virtual nature of the world today, social media's reach is farther than ever and only becoming more powerful: it can be used as an effective tool to reach audiences and organize protests, walkouts, strikes, and other peaceful demonstrations that can further activism. Social media has also been used to highlight underrepresented groups and share stories, like how it was expertly employed in the #MeToo movement.

The #MeToo movement began in 2006 but gained the most traction when multiple A-list actresses took to social media to share their experiences of sexual harassment in the workplace under the hashtag #MeToo. The event sparked a mass movement of women speaking out against sexual harassment on social media, to reduce harassment in the workplace and create a safe space for victims to share their stories. This movement displayed the true potential of social media to be used for activism in place of sharing photos of one's daily frappuccino.

The duality of social media is both its greatest strength and the reason why online activism isn't taken seriously in some cases. On one hand, the sheer number of people using social media means that the audience for displays of activism is in the millions, if not billions of people.

For Instagram, according to the statistics library Oberlo, the number of total users is around 1.28 billion, and that number is projected to increase to about 1.4 billion by 2025. Conversely, the amount of memes, food, and personal accounts within that 1.28 billion can serve to drown out important messages trying to be relayed on social media.

Social media can be a viable form of activism. It can achieve real-world, tangible goals. However, to achieve change, the focus of the public on social media needs to be shifted away from the colorful data displays and toward action. l Photo by Rintaro Sato

16 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

Opinion: The UC strikes were justified Anoushka Mekerira

E

veryone remembers the

chaos that came with classes being canceled in 2020. Many college students thought that would be behind them as they entered their 2022-23 school year. However, strikes at the University of California (UC) campuses have resulted in classes being canceled once again.

Students like Abby Wong, a UC Davis freshman, are reliving this experience.

The recent UC strikes have been causing a shift in the California college education system as academic employees demand fair wages, better working conditions, and better funding. Although students' college education is at risk, many are in support of the strikes, justifying that academic employees deserve better.

Wong is one of many UC students who had their classes canceled for the remainder of the year.

"My classes and lectures were all canceled for the rest of the school year in one class because the professor joined the strike in solidarity with the teaching assistants," Wong said.

The strikes lasted for several weeks in the fall of 2022 and garnered widespread support from students, faculty, and labor unions. Nearly 48,000 teacher assistants (TA), researchers, and other employees across the UC system's ten campuses participated in the strikes.

Although the cancelation of classes affected students' learning, the events brought attention to the ongoing struggle for worker rights in the higher education sector and sparked discussions about the role of universities in supporting their employees. This labor action could prove to be a turning point for graduate student workers nationwide, who have long been relied on by American universities for tasks such as grading exams and staffing labs for relatively low pay.

"With the lack of TAs in class, the professors had to change many grading methods. TAs are so beneficial in classes, so it is understandable that they desire more equitable compensation for their efforts," said Erin Kee, a freshman at UC San Diego.

The cost of living in California is already expensive enough, so this disparity disadvantages UC workers further, making it difficult to meet their basic needs. According to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a worker in California needs to earn $34.69 an hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment, while the average wage of UC workers is $20.57 an hour.

Additionally, the UC system has faced persistent underfunding from the state of California, leading to a decline in education quality and services. A study by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education found that the state of California has underfunded the UC system by $2.5 billion since the 2008 recession. This lack of funding

has resulted in increased class sizes, reduced course offerings, and a decrease in the availability of services for students.

"Most of my classes were canceled because of the strikes, but also, I didn't get back my grades at the end of the semester because there weren't any TAs to grade my papers," said Kaylene Lin, a freshman at UC Berkeley.

With the absence of TAs in her classes, Lin hopes that the striking will result in successful negotiations for better circumstances for academic work nationwide.

Following the strikes, the University of California system issued a statement acknowledging the "important and highly valued contributions" of its academic workers to its teaching and research objectives. The statement further claimed that the university had provided "fair responses" on various issues, including pay, housing, and work environment.

The future for UC academic employees holds an emphasis on the wages being revised, comparable to those at prestigious private universities such as Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Southern California, and among the top of the pay scale for public research universities. If the wages of the UC academic employees are not improved, all current and future students in the UC system will be affected. l

MARCH 2023 17

EDITORIAL

Editorial: We’ve been ‘schooled’ by the education system

I

magine the restless student: he gets four hours of sleep a night, participates in countless extracurriculars, plays a sport, and of course, maintains that sparkling, shiny 4.0 GPA. Some of us wish to be him, some of us are.

How did this student—the one with no rest or time for joy—become the embodiment of academic success? The short answer is, he didn’t. He became a sign that we’ve turned a blind eye to one of America’s many failures.

Our country builds it’s schools up ever so proudly, but the reality is, we’ve been tricked into backing the not-soeducational American education system.

Whether it be an outdated AP African American studies curriculum, high exam fees, or an alleged monopoly on education, College Board has faced a large share of disputes. Even in the midst of this controversy, we submit to the chaos, studying and working ourselves to death to get the grades, pass the Advance Placement (AP) tests, and build our resumes. We love to hate it, but remind ourselves it’s the only option because if the all-knowing College Board asks, we deliver.

College Board tells us that AP classes will make us “stand out” to colleges, but truth ends there. They say they are “for everyone” when a class with little intellectual freedom, a rigorous environment, and a cumulative test at the end is clearly not, in fact, for everyone. But still, under the notion that they will paint admissions the perfect picture in our applications, students will inevitably overload themselves because success is the precursor to college, and college is supposedly the precursor to success.

We say that the rigorous classes we take, even those beyond the AP curriculum, to stand out from the

thousands of other applicants help us in the long run, but often at the expense of classes we truly want to take.

Whether we sacrifice a creative class for advanced math, or free time for an extra class, a dent in our educational liberty is made to appease the higher-ups in admissions.

Yes, we adapt to the academic burdens that high school bears, but at the risk of becoming a cog in the College Board machine.

Our teachers tell us to relax and do what's best for us, we nod our heads, then quietly set ourselves up for failure.

Even professors see the drawbacks. In an interview with Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education about whether AP couses are all they are cracked up to be, she explains, “Colleges don’t always accept the courses for college credit, many students end up repeating the course in college anyway, and you can run the risk of memorizing material for a test versus delving into a subject and exploring it in an enriching way.”

Students who see through the College Board scheme have a peace of mind that eludes those of us who see a four-year college as our destiny. Whether leaving college behind is these students’ choice or not, they aren’t stuck on the treadmill of this so-called academic success generated by unhealthy habits.

The sleepless nights, brutal classes, and hours-long standardized tests—maybe we will be able to say it was all worth it when we get to whatever we deem a “good” college. However, can we say that what we’re learning now—ruthless study habits and a perpetual desire to succeed—we will be able to take with us? l This piece was written by Lucy Sanders on behalf of The Highlander Editorial Board. The cartoon was drawn by Urvi Kulkarni

18 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

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THE WEAPONIZATION OF EDUCATION

...a ticking time bomb Written by Serenity Corbett-Richardson & Jasneh Sasan Cover photo by Oliver Fichte Designed by Sienna Reinders

MARCH 2023 21

SCOTLIGHT

Indoctrination in education

T

Serenity Corbett-Richardson

o indoctrinate. Merriam-Webster defines this as "to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle." While its definition presents this concept as uncomplicated, it is quite the contrary. Even more complicated are the effects, which can jam the very cogs of our international relations.

A commonplace belief is that indoctrination is somehow behind us, left in the ashes of World War II, or at least relegated to the corrupt nations of the world. This could not be farther from the truth. In fact, its tendrils weed themselves into the fabric of our society every day in perhaps the most innocent and sacred of places: classrooms.

Between the pages of our history textbooks and hidden among the colors of our flags, indoctrination is underway.

HISTORICAL

O

INDOCTRINATION

ne of the more subtle forms of indoctrination employed in state curricula is historical indoctrination. Historical indoctrination most obviously consists of the omission or embellishment of historical events from the curriculum, however, it can result from a plain and simple instructional bias.

A case of the former would be the seemingly valiant history of the United States' role in World War II. "We tend to think of June 6, 1944, (D-Day), as an amazing day. And it was. But what is also transpiring that summer is the Soviets are enveloping and destroying an entire German army group center. Nobody knows about this," said Jayson Waller, head of the history department at Carlmont High School.

Although the United States' achievements during World War II are important to teach, the reason behind omitting the Soviet Union's "Operation Bagration" hints

at more self-interested motivations.

"The reason why it typically is not taught is that the Soviets become an enemy of America by 1949," Waller said.

Although it is impossible to objectively teach history, as it is far too large-scale and intricate for a completely unbiased retelling, there are ways to provide a genuine history of the world to students. And with teachers as the vessels through which history is dictated, it is paramount that they deliver to students the most accurate view of history they possibly can.

"I try to be a referee with my students. I had a whole host of different teachers, professors, and graduate professors that influenced me. The vast majority of them were left of center politically, but they did a really good job of giving me a wide range of historiographical opinions," Waller said.

Additionally, another Carlmont history teacher, Jarrod

22 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

Harrison, explains the power teachers hold regarding what and how students learn history.

"Schools often allow teachers to implement the curriculum in their own way. From my perspective as a social studies teacher, I have more leeway than a math or English or world language teacher because there is no right way to teach history," Harrison said.

According to the College Board website, this "leeway" Harrison is referencing is the "flexibility to organize the course as you would like." The curriculum is a set of nine sequential units of study, with the structure of the class, like discussions and essays, being up to the teacher to configure.

Cate DeMaria, a sophomore at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia, adds the perspective of a student.

32 U.S. STATES HAVE BANNED SELECT TITLES, WITH TEXAS BANNING THE MOST AT

801

"There are the standards set by the state and what we are required to learn, and then there is how our teachers in Clarke County teach it, and what information they add or subtract. Typically, teachers will add disclaimers that what they are about to teach isn't their beliefs, the beliefs of the district, or might not align with our beliefs," DeMaria said.

While teachers may have little control over the more conniving goals of a tainted curriculum, they can act as "referees," as Waller calls it, in order to teach students not only the most truthful view of history but to also explain why certain biases are present in the first place. Doing so will lessen the biases that students may otherwise be afflicted with.

"I do not care if the students agree with my opinion because I do not give them my opinion while teaching," Harrison said.

All things being equal, it seems that the key to teaching history is that a competent person teaches it.

"There is always bias in the teaching of history; you cannot be entirely objective. But you can understand your own inherent subjectivity" Waller said.

"There is always a bias in the teaching of history; you cannot be entirely objective.

But you can understand your own inherent subjectivity" JAYSON WALLER social studies teacher

BOOKS SOURCE: STATISTA

MARCH 2023 23

SCOTLIGHT

RELIGIOUS

INDOCTRINATION

R

Jasneh Sasan

eligious Indoctrination creates an individual spectrum that ranges from mild to extreme indoctrination. Put simply, it is the weaponization of religion to heroize one religious group over

another.

Mild religious conditioning can cause socio-political tensions amongst religious groups or sects. However, according to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the U.S., religious extremism and extremist indoctrination are the root causes of terrorism.

In a study conducted by the Psychology of Terrorism Initiative, Dr. Randy Borum, the director of the program, detailed the direct causational relationship between terrorism and religious indoctrination.

"Extremist ideologies of a secular or religious nature are at least an intermediate cause of terrorism, although people usually adopt such extremist ideologies as a consequence of more fundamental political or personal reasons. When these worldviews are adopted and applied in order to interpret situations and guide action, they tend to take on a dynamic of their own, and may serve to dehumanize the enemy and justify atrocities," Borum said.

Religious extremism is most prevalent in South Asia and the Middle East*, specifically within Jihadist** groups in Iraq, Syria, and the general caliphate***, commonly known as I.S.I.S., Daesh, or al-Qaeda.

In his research paper, "I.S.I.S. Child Soldiers in Syria: The Structural and Predatory Recruitment, Enlistment, Pre-Training Indoctrination, Training, and Deployment,"

by Dr. Asaad Almohammad, a Senior Researcher with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University and a prominent member of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, researched the methods of indoctrination used to coerce children, specifically under the age of 15, into serving terrorist groups like al-Qaeda.

In his paper, Almohammad explains how terrorist groups like al-Qaeda use isolationist practices, subject their child soldiers to continuous violence, and brainwash minors into believing that if they sacrifice their life for the Jihadist cause, they would appease God and thus be liberated.

"The two books that are intensely taught at [Jihadist] schools are Learn the Order of Your Religion and the Book of Monotheism and Doctrine. Through the first book,

children are taught the meaning of 'no god but allah',' al-Wala (loyalty) and al-Bara (disavowal). Furthermore they're taught the Takfir-- the belief that anyone who isn't a Muslim is impure and tyrannical" Almohammad said in his paper.

According to Statista, there were close to 30,000 reported deaths due to religious-extremist terrorist attacks in 2020 alone. Since 2006, there have been over 306,000 fatalities as a result of terrorist attacks worldwide.

Religious indoctrination, similar to the extremist conditioning practiced by terrorist groups have taken the lives of thousands of civilians and started various global conflicts— including America's "War on Terrorism." *The Middle East is one of many regions that utilizes religious indoctrination. Jihadism is not a tenant of Islam, nor is it accepted by the grand majority of the global Muslim population. Islam doesn't teach violence, terrorism, or extremism. This article specifically mentions Jihadist terrorist groups, not the Islamic community as a whole. **Jihadism is a term constructed to refer to fundamentalist militant groups within the Islamic community. The Islamic community has openly condemned such terrorist organizations. ***The Caliphate refers to the general Islamic Middle East region.

THERE HAVE BEEN OVER

306,000

FATALITIES AS A RESULT OF TERRORIST ATTACKS WORLDWIDE SINCE 2006

SA

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SOURCE: STATISTA

24 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

POLITICAL

INDOCTRINATION

P

Serenity Corbett-Richardson

olitical indoctrination is a method of indoctrination often employed by national and federal governments in which they teach curricula that favors a certain political ideology.

As philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche put it, "The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently."

These words are as true, if not more, as they were in 1881 when Nietzsche first penned them in "The Dawn."

After all, political divisions are deepening at an alarming rate, and threaten peace every day. On a domestic level, there is a cause for this.

It is undeniable that the history curriculum assigned by the state varies greatly by region. Most of the curricula are assigned on a state or local level and tend to reflect the values of the region.

"Communities, schools, and classrooms across the country do things differently. These schools reflect the values of their communities and draw teachers from those communities who often share their values. How I teach

IN A SURVEY BY WGBH NEWS,

59% OF ADULTS

AID POLITICS ON COLLEGE

CAMPUSES LEAN TOWARDS A SPECIFIC VIEWPOINT SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH

about slavery in California may be different than how someone in Mississippi teaches about slavery because of divergent state requirements and lived experience in the different communities," Harrison said.

For example, states like Tennessee have used legislation to prohibit discussions of racism in K-12 schools, (per the Tennessee Department of Education's "prohibited concepts in instruction" law), whereas California classrooms often examine race critically in a scholastic setting. For example, Carlmont High School teaches an ethnic studies curriculum as well as reads books like "The Color of Water" by James McBride which sparks discussions about race and class privilege.

"From what I have seen, there are states who are calling for changes in curricula in public schools in response to what they call 'woke politics.' In many communities, people and organizations are calling for the removal of books from schools and public libraries," Harrison said. "In other communities, there are people and groups insisting on the inclusion of specific issues in school curricula.

California recently started the process of ethnic studies for students in the public school and our district changed the 9th-grade social studies curriculum to replace world studies with ethnic studies."

These discrepancies reflect the ideals of the respective communities and could lead to dangerous political consequences.

"I feel like the differing curricula, particularly about Critical Race Theory (CRT), will greatly contribute to political divides in the future. If the topic is not even being mentioned, the divide grows and grows," DeMaria said.

Information can be thought of as magnification lenses on a microscope. When students in one region are deprived of the knowledge that students in another region have access to, they will view the world differently because those with the knowledge simply have access to a wider range of magnification lenses through which they can view the world.

"I think it creates more anxiety and conflict. To ensure people are truly educated and ready for the real world, people need to discuss difficult issues because the world can be a difficult place. We do a disservice to our children and our society by shielding them from reality," Harrison said.

Unfortunately, there are those in power who benefit from an ill-informed constituency.

"Many politicians and media figures are using the schools as a pawn to generate outrage and get attention," Harrison said.

MARCH 2023 25

SCOTLIGHT

NATIONALISTIC

N

INDOCTRINATION Jasneh Sasan

ationalistic indoctrination is a complex form of persuasion that heavily impacts foreign policy and international relations, as it is often utilized to pit countries against each other to increase nationalistic fervor and patriotism. A common identification of nationalistic indoctrination is the villainization of a certain nation or group of nations and the consequent romanticization of one's own nation and national affiliation.

A popular example of nationalistic indoctrination is the tensions in South Asia, primarily between India and Pakistan, as a result of the Indian Partition of 1947 which split the Indian subcontinent into three separate nations: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Thus, to forge individual national identities, the three governments formed biased curriculums that separated three very similar cultures into spiteful groups.

According to the Hindustan Times, South Asian students, as young as kindergarteners, are encouraged

I

n the words of Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, "Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed."

Through the various examples of indoctrination around the world, it is clear that systematic brainwashing isn't just a thing of the past— it is deeply ingrained in modern education. As Stalin stated, powerful institutions have curated the education system to teach the history that best fits their narrative.

The effects of the weaponization of education extend outside the classroom and impacts the foundations of international relations and national politics.

"Students are impacted in a relatively profound way by the way history is presented by their teachers… if a teacher

to join the armed forces, not for the protection of their own country, but for the destruction of another. Those who take up careers in S.T.E.M. fields are expected to champion scientific progress such as nuclear and atomic advancement, not for the celebration of scientific achievement, but to aid the government in defeating its neighbor.

The Global Conflict Tracker has detailed a list of major conflicts between India and Pakistan in the past decade which has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians and the displacement of an innumerable number of citizens from both nations. Furthermore, conflict between the two countries, both of which are nuclear powers, has stemmed into a larger issue: nuclear war. The conflict has been dubbed "Indo-Pak" and is one of the most unstable nuclear conflicts, according to the Institution of Peace and Conflict Studies (I.P.C.S.), an independent research organization that specializes in peace and security studies in South Asia.

Both India and Pakistan have garnered international support: China being an ally of Pakistan, hence the U.S. being a semi-stable ally of India. Indo-Pak could easily become a proxy war between the United States and China, leaving Indians and Pakistanis alike as collateral damage for a bigger global conflict. is very progressive that has a certain effect on students, and conversely, if the teacher is very conservative that also has an effect on students," Waller said.

Subjective history curricula impacts students' outlook on world events.

In his renowned dystopian piece, 1984, George Orwell writes, "He who writes the history controls the past. He who controls the past controls the future."

Perhaps his words hold true today more than ever before.l

26 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

Sequoia Realty Services 1629 Main Street Redwood City

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FEATURES

College Board:

A

The education monopoly

Nyah Simpson

n Advanced Placement (AP) test costs $97.

Most AP students are taking more than one AP class, so that's at least $194 on testing alone; that's not including the $55 for each SAT test.

The only way for students to take these tests is through College Board.

According to their website, College Board is: "a mission-driven not-forprofit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity."

While these tests are not mandatory for students to take, they are strongly recommended for students interested in pursuing a four year university.

According to the 2022 - 2023 School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), in 2021 76.6% of the general student population was enrolled in at least one AP class. 33.3% of English learners were enrolled in at least one AP. " I

don't like that they [AP tests] are expensive. It's not very affordable for everyone even though anyone can take the class," said Emily Muscolina, a junior.

Carlmont is fortunate to have an AP coordinator to allow more students to have the ability to take these tests.

"I want to encourage students to apply for anything that will give them additional financial support in any kind of testing," said Nina Rasor, Carlmont's College and Career assistant.

On the College Board website, there are listed qualifications for those who want test fee waivers, and there are many scholarships available for students to obtain.

"Students who take the PSAT and opt into Student Search are connected to scholarships worth more than $300 million from providers like National Merit, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Jack

Kent Cooke Foundation, and the Gates Scholarship," Sara Sympson, representative of College Board's western regional office, said.

However, as more students enroll in AP classes, more families are buying tests, and with more tests comes more money.

Each year, the SAT and AP tests get more expensive, which is reflected in College Board's revenue.

According to ProPublica,College Board had a net revenue of $1 billion with a profit of $58 million in 2019. By contrast, in 2020, College Board had a revenue of $778 million and a loss of $82 million.

Even with the decrease in

28 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

funds, many consumers are left wondering: "Where is the money going?"

"As an AP grader, you get paid minimum wage, so the money goes towards developing the tests and grading the tests," said AP Biology teacher Sara Shayesteh.

According to ProPublica, 23% of College Board's 2019 revenue went towards "other salaries and wages" and 0.6% of their revenue went towards "executive compensation", leaving 77% of their revenue available for use.

The logical conclusion is that most of their money goes to the government through the companies income tax; however this may not be true.

College board is a not-for-profit company. This means, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that it "does not earn profit for its owners". Thus, all the money they earn "goes right back into running the organization".

Through this distinction, not-

for-profit organizations can apply for tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), meaning that they won't have to pay sales or property taxes.

of students take at least one AP class Though it is not certain that College Board applied for this status, most of their money goes back into developing the company.

"We reinvest our revenue into fee waivers and reductions for lowincome test takers—about $130 million in a typical year—and in programs that expand educational opportunities for all students," Sympson said.

As perfect as this sounds, the education system has no other choice when it comes to test taking.

"It's hard because I don't have anything to compare it to, they kind of have a monopoly on all the standardized tests, so it's hard to say if they're doing a good job or not," Shayesteh said.

The only other somewhat known form of standardized testing is the International Baccalaureate (IB) exam.

However, IB exams are part of the IB Diploma Programme (DP) which is not offered at many high schools, but are accepted by many universities.

"If there were some cheaper form of testing, I would probably take that," Muscolina said.

There is not much difference in terms of price between IB test and AP tests; IB tests cost $70 per exam.

Whether students love or hate college board, it is hard to deny how well the curriculum prepares students for college.

"I like College Board because they put out really high quality material.

And I think for the most part, their material is pretty secure," Shayesteh said. "But at the same time, maybe they are a bit too big." l

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MARCH 2023 29

FEATURES

Off the beaten path: A deep dive into nature homeschooling Erik Cheng & Mandy Mah

W

ake up. Go to school. Attend classes.

Go home.

This is the typical day in the life of a high school student in the U.S. Wake up. Play a game. Sing a song in the morning circle. Develop a relationship with nature. Play another game. Listen and share thoughts of gratitude in a circle at the end of the day.

This is the typical day of a homeschooled student participating in a Nature Homeschooling program.

Organizations like the Riekes Center combine nature and education to provide a space for homeschooled children to develop bonds with each other and the environment around them.

Outside of their core curriculum, students of all ages attend the programs once a week for exercise, and to develop a set of outdoor skills.

"There were tons of different activities that went on in a day. They would range from games or group skills such as knifework, rope making, and other such crafts," said Nikhil Srinivasan,

a homeschooled student and attendee of many outdoor homeschooling programs.

To better facilitate the bond between nature and students, programs are set in large, remote outdoor spaces like Huddart Park to allow students to immerse themselves in the environment.

There, students are encouraged to explore off the trail and examine the local flora and fauna.

The freedom and encouraged exploration allowed former program attendee and current Carlmont freshman, Annie Ievers, to cultivate her independence.

"All of these programs were run with the mentality of 'do what you want but don't get hurt while doing it,'" Ievers said. "The nature programs helped me develop a strong sense of self because they let you make your own choices."

Another distinguishing feature of the nature programs is the sit spot. Students are given a portion of every session to separate and find a spot in nature. The isolation allows children to observe nature changing around them.

"It's the mindset and awareness that you cultivate in sit spot

30 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

that was inspired by the daily life of indigenous people. In a huntergatherer society, you had to be paying attention to the most intricate layers of how nature was unfolding, and we want to have our students to do the same," Kate Peters, the director of Nature Homeschooling at the Riekes Center, said.

Through the observational skills developed in sit spot, students can even witness the life cycle of an animal from birth to death firsthand, giving them a deeper insight into humanity's impact on nature.

"We once tracked a gray fox for a full season through the mud. We eventually found her hit by a car," Peters said. "The impact of seeing an animal and tracing it to a human-caused death will lead a person to consider how they are impacting nature and how humanity is impacting the planet's climate."

This new perspective on life allows Ievers to apply her experiences to higher educational dreams.

"I want to go into biotech, and that has 100% been affected by all the nature programs I have been in. At this point I need to be connected to nature in some way," Ievers said.

photos by hayes gaboury

Additionally, Srinivasan has used their experiences with animals while attending the program to fuel their future career aspirations.

"I heavily believe that these nature programs sparked my interest in premed or veterinary medicine. These programs even helped me get a job at a goat farm, allowing me to develop my interest further," Srinivasan said.

Ultimately, the weight of deciding the educational path of a student falls on the parents. Certain parents might recognize that their children need a different environment to learn, but may not be willing to give up the stability of traditional education that has been built upon for years. However, these organizations do not only strive to provide another educational path, but also to teach its students how to live life to the fullest.

"The greatest potential of the human spirit is very present in the Riekes Center. I think it's a loss that most people have not been encouraged to view their life as an incredibly magical adventure where they could expand into the person who they could be," Peters said. l

MARCH 2023 31

FEATURES

Where did all the fun classes go?

A

Photo by Hayes Gaboury

Evan Leong

few decades ago, students could look at their class choices and see classes like woodshop, home economics, and driver's ed. Today, however, such classes have largely disappeared from the modern curriculum. This is anything but a coincidence.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the total credits earned by high school graduates increased by 11%, but the number of vocational credits earned decreased by 17% between 1982 and 1992.

When it comes to what classes a school offers, budget is a substantial factor.

Over the years, states have been providing less funding for various reasons, and a major one is California's Proposition 13, which reduced property taxes that were funding the education system.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 65% of all Californians voted for Proposition 13 because of the significant drop in property taxes along with voters having more certainty on what taxation would occur later on.

"The property tax revenue dropped 53% of the educational budgets," said Jennifer Lang, the Instructional Vice Principal at Carlmont.

32 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

When Proposition 13 reduced the taxes, many schools were left with significantly less funding than before for their budgets.

"One example is LA Unified.

Before this all occurred, it was spending $4,000 per student, and after the passage of Proposition 13, it was $577. Another extreme is Beverly Hills, and this one encompasses a different socioeconomic area. They were spending $50,000 per student, and after, they were only spending $1,231 which means the music, the arts, the metalworking, the driver's ed, the typing, anything you can think of changed due to that funding source," Lang said.

In 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act, and primary subjects like English and math became the main focus nationwide. The requirements put in place by the act forced schools to live up to higher standards and focus more on these subjects.

Later on, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015, which replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. According to the Department of Education, the act allows states to choose their student standards instead of the federal government. However, each state has to have an accountability system to ensure schools are performing up to standards.

"If you, as a school, didn't perform in your understanding of math, reading, and writing, they would pull the principals and vice principals and bring in federal people to run the school. That seems extreme but that tells you where we got all this rigor," Lang said.

The federal government isn't the only one making such a push.

Colleges are also making their admission course requirements more standardized. For the University of California (UC) system, a student

must meet the A-G requirements, which state that a student must take a certain number of years for English, history, science, and math, along with required foreign language classes and visual arts classes.

"There became a push in the 2000s to focus on standard base academics and make sure you're prepared for college. With No Child Left Behind, it was starting to gain momentum," Lang said.

As the UCs have started requiring high school students to take these classes to get a chance at admission, schools have prioritized the A-G requirements over other electives. The UCs did not put technical courses in their requirements and therefore have deprioritized these classes in high schools.

Even though fewer students get the opportunity to take elective courses and schools have shifted their focus to college admissions, some students still get the chance to take more unique classes.

Jared Chou, a student at Boston University and graduate of Design Tech High School, had the opportunity to take classes like computer-aided design, engineering, and programming classes led by Oracle employees.

"Many of these classes explore concepts and ideas that are difficult to teach in a normal curriculum, so the learning process involves a lot of selflearning and research," Chou said.

A solution educators have found to create elective classes is the Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway, where students can take classes like computer science, marketing, and biotechnology.

However, according to Lang, finding teachers who can teach CTE classes is quite formidable.

"It's hard to find teachers because when you find a teacher that wants to teach CTE, they have to have a specific credential. An average CTE credential can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months, and it's the equivalent of a master's degree. Not every teacher wants to do that," Lang said.

Xavier Lem, a junior, has taken the CTE biotechnology pathway at Carlmont, allowing him to take classes that are centered entirely around biotechnology.

"It gives you an edge over students who are training solely in a traditional classroom setting.

I think there's a fundamental difference between pure instruction and doing things physically. It's not the same experience or level of understanding," Lem said.

Although school budgets have sharply declined and the priority has shifted toward primary subjects, people are starting to rediscover the benefits of elective classes. Because of that, people like Lang are working to bring back these classes behind the scenes.

"We're trying to create classes using what's already here. We constantly survey students, we're constantly talking to the community, we're trying really hard," Lang said. l

MARCH 2023 33

FUN

Education Activists Piper Diehn

Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was an educator and author. In 1881, Washington was picked as the leader of the Tuskegee Institute, a college for African Americans. At first, the college was small, but by the end of Washington's life, he had transformed the college into a campus with 100 buildings and 1,500 students.

Washington believed industrial education was vital for African Americans. With the wealth gained from strong industrial skills, Washington thought blacks could become respected by the white community.

John Holt (1923-1985) criticized public education, advocating for homeschooling instead. After studying at Yale, Holt realized his academic experience had been worthless, and decided that he learned best outside of a formal school setting. His first book, "How Children Fail," explained how public schooling dampens children's curiosity. Holt's criticism of the American education system was unpopular with his colleagues, and he was fired from some schools for trying to run classes without tests.

1796

1923

1856

Horace Mann (1796-1859) believed in democratic and free public education. Mann was a part of the Massachusetts state legislature and participated in educational reform movements.

He made the Massachusetts State Board of Education to oversee public education for children, and also influenced the creation of the first teachertraining school in America. In 1853, he became the president of Antioch College. There, he worked to make coed education available for everyone.

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Over

the Centuries Malala Yousafzai (1997-present) is a Pakistani activist who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 after protesting the closing of schools for girls in the Swat Valley. Yousafzai survived the shot and now speaks about the importance of female education for audiences worldwide. She has won over 40 awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Because of Yousafzai's hard work in women's education, Pakistan created its first Right to Education Bill and gave $10 million towards education.

1997

1954

Ruby Bridges (1954-present) took a test when she was six that was given to black students to determine if they could enroll in a white school.

Bridges passed the test and attended her first day at the William Frantz School in 1960, where she was the only black student. During a time when rampant racism occurred in American society, many white families were against the idea of integration in schools. However, Ruby's resilience and courage paved the way for the desegregation of schools in America.

MARCH 2023 35

FUN

Karla Lee

25 minutes

Butternut Squash Mac n' Cheese Matthew Miskelly's Favorite Recipe

Ingredients: 14 oz box of any pasta 2 tablespoons of avocado oil 1/2 onion diced 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme chopped 3 tablespoons of flour 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth 10 oz frozen butternut squash 1 cup of evaporated milk (sub 2% or whole milk) 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon of salt 8 oz block of white cheddar cheese shredded

6 servings

Photo by Soleil Dam

Instructions: 1. Cook pasta according to the box's instructions. Drain the pasta. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan, and add onion and thyme. Cook for two to four minutes or until the onions are soft, then add flour. Cook for two more minutes stirring constantly.

3. Whisk in broth and add steamed butternut squash. Bring to a boil, whisking for five minutes. When the sauce is thick, add evaporated milk, nutmeg, and salt. Allow it to boil for another three to five minutes.

4. Optional: use a blender to smooth the sauce.

5. Turn off the heat, add the shredded cheese. Whisk until melted. The sauce should thicken after the cheese is fully incorporated into the sauce.

6. Combine the pasta with the cheese sauce. Eat and enjoy! https://www.featherstonenutrition.com/recipe/butternut-squash-mac-n-cheese/

"My wife likes to make healthy food with lots of vegetables. This butternut squash mac and cheese recipe hides vegetables really well, so it's very good" Photo by Karla Lee

Matthew Miskelly, algebra and calculus teacher

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Soleil Dam

Soleil Dam

25 minutes

Chili Mac N' Cheese Rebecca Pearlman's Favorite Recipe

4 servings

Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef or turkey 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1 diced onion 1 diced red pepper 1 can of black beans 1 can of corn 1 chili powder packet 1 jar of tomato sauce 5 slices of cheddar cheese 1 box of elbow pasta Photo by Soleil Dam

Instructions: 1. Cook elbow pasta following the instructions on the box and strain.

2. In a separate heavy deep pan, heat olive oil on medium.

3. After the oil is heated, in the same pan, saute the chopped onions and cook the ground meat.

4. Mix the chili powder packet in with your onion and ground meat mixture.

5. Once the chili powder is thoroughly mixed, add chopped bell pepper, a jar of tomato sauce, beans (not strained), and corn (strained). Stir until everything is well incorporated.

6. Bring your chili to a simmer and mix in five slices of cheddar cheese until melted.

7. Mix your cooked pasta with your chili.

8. Serve with your favorite cornbread and enjoy!

"I like the recipe because it is fast and easy to make and it's really healthy because of all the vegetables. My kids also used to love it growing up" Rebecca Pearlman, statistics teacher

Photo by Soleil Dam

MARCH 2023 37

FUN

A lifelong love: James McDowell's passion for athletics

R Photo by Gracia-ShaoXue

Gracia Shao-Xue

un! Run! Run!" He stood there, bat in hand. He was frozen like a statue.

James McDowell was 6 years old when he became fond of athletics. He found a sense of family and belonging unfound elsewhere.

As he swung a baseball bat for the first time, his mind was blank.

Lacking the experience that others on his team had, he was puzzled as to what his next move was supposed to be.

The bleachers exploded with screams, and the young boy was instantly overwhelmed with confusion and fear.

As he ran down the first base line, his eyes focused on the square-shaped rubber mound at the end. Anxious and tense, white chalk filled his shoes, and thoughts filled his head.

Soon after, his coach took the time to patiently explain and accept his mistakes, acting as the first father figure in his life.

McDowell felt relief.

This moment marked the beginning of a lifelong devotion to athletics and collegiality. Sports filled a void of family relationships and a lack of support in his life.

The radiance of this experience has stuck with McDowell, and he now strives to mirror the kindness and comfort his baseball coach had shown him in this life-changing situation.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of the first times you could make a mistake and be accepted. And, I hope, as a coach, I was the same way," McDowell said.

As a sideline spectator and coach of many of Carlmont's sports, McDowell emanates positive energy on the young men and women dedicated to athletics.

After all, sometimes all it takes is one person to spark a lifetime of passion for the world of sports. And that person could be McDowell for Carlmont's athletes. l

38 HIGHLANDER ISSUE IV

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