The Highlander
www.scotscoop.com
What’s inside
March 2014, Vol V Issue VI
Why Chipotle? By Josh Fagel Staff Writer
Socially accepted depresssion Pages 14-15
All about Food Pages 6-7
The Dating Game 21st century edition Page 12-13
The Chipotle line extended out the door and around the corner. Meanwhile, Taquerria Castillo B2, a cheap but well-reviewed taqueria down the street, was empty. Instinctively, I got in line at Chipotle. I’m not the only teenager who experiences frequent Chipotle cravings; according to a school poll, 35 percent of students go to Chipotle at least once a week. This high percentage at one American high school would explain how Chipotle has raked in revenue of $3.21 billion in the last year. Steve Ells, Chipotle CEO, said in an Esquire interview that the company’s success was a result of the company’s investment in "better ingredients." Like any product, different consumers have different reasons for liking Chipotle. Junior Gigi Vlahos praised the fact that she “can get a consistently delicious meal every time [she] go[es].” Senior Lauren Naismith said, “I appreciate how fast and easy it is to get food there.” However, one of the main factors of Chipotle’s success in the teenage market derives from what senior Sandip Srinivas calls a “teenage cultural imperative.” “Kids hear so much about places like Chipotle on a daily basis, and as a result, they feel the need to go there,” said Srinivas. In practice, Chipotle, to an extent, domi-
Carlmont students flock to popular eateries like Chipotle, Cream, and T-Pumps.
nates the lunch and dinner markets for teenage consumers. “When I go out to dinner with friends, we always end up going to Chipotle. It’s like we are afraid to go anywhere else,” said senior Nate Fischer. The ability of restaurants to effortlessly gain teenage consumers relies on the psychological tendencies of adolescents. “Many adolescents are in a stage of wanting to belong and having their belonging needs (from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs) met. This
By Veronika Dvorakova
could include conforming with a peer group to meet those belonging needs,” said psychology teacher Michelle McKee. While Chipotle may be the epitome of a company that capitalizes on a teenage trend, people will also generally go to Chipotle because, as Vlahos said, “The food is tasty.” Meanwhile, some destinations succeed almost entirely based on their image with teens, such as Tpumps, a boba tea shop in San Mateo, and CREAM, an ice cream sandwich shop ~Continued on pg. 24~
Helicopter parents: a high schooler’s worst nightmare The fighter’s point of view
By Alex Wildman Staff Writer
By Brooke Buckley Staff Writer
Infogrpahic by Sarah Adams
School is very easy for some kids… because their parents do their homework for them. It is understandable that parents want what’s best for their kids, but sometimes they can take it a little too far. The moment that a parent starts doing their kid’s homework for them, completing their projects for them, and intervening at the first sign of conflict, they stop helping and start hovering, hence the title helicopter parents. Helicopter parenting, formally known as overparenting, was first given the nickname by Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D. in 1977. Even though the term has been around for over three decades scientists have only begun conducting studies in the past ten years. A study led by Neil Montgomery, a psychologist at Keene State College, found that out of 300 college freshmen, about ten percent of the participants had what they had defined as helicopter parents. In a CBS News interview, adolescent and child development expert Dr. Robyn Silverman said, “A helicopter parent is somebody who hovers around their child and swoops in at a moments notice whenever they see their child in any distress, discomfort, or even having a little bit of a challenge, even if it’s really not appropriate.” The effects of helicopter parenting usually don’t appear until a student reaches college
because that is the first time that the parents aren’t present and available for extended periods of time. It must be kept in mind that helicopter parenting isn’t always bad. A study done by Dr. Chris Segrin and colleagues commented that “At younger ages, many of these same parenting behaviors may be beneficial to the child. However, evidence
is rapidly accumulating to indicate that the opposite is the case when applied to emerging adult children.” High school students and teachers generally feel the negative effects of helicopter parenting. Teachers often instruct students to come to them first if they have any concerns because ~Continued on pg. 25~
For many people the best way to handle suppressed emotions is through physical violence. The amount of physical fights among teenagers has declined substantially since the 1990’s, but fighting is still a very relevant problem throughout high schools. The Sequoia Union High School District Board of Education prohibits bullying, harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or cyber bullying of any student by any employee student, or other person. Junior Sam Hernandez, who has witnessed fights at Carlmont said, “There are a wide variety of people at our school and everyone is so different that it can create a lot of problems.” “I think compared to other schools, Carlmont has a relatively low amount of fighting,” said junior Megan Guillermo. The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center held a national survey in high schools in 1999 and found that: 1 in 3 students had been in a physical fight. 1 in 7 had been in a physical fight on school property. 1 in 9 of those who fought had been hurt badly enough to need medical treatment. With one in three students being involved ~Continued on pg. 25~