The Coat of Arms Issue 45.2

The Coat of Arms

Volume 45, Number 2

Menlo School, Atherton, California

Friday, November 9, 2018

serving Menlo's upper school since 1973

SPORTS

NEWS

Previous Injuries Lead to Heart- Why Does Menlo Not Have a breaking Valpo Bowl Loss Special Education Program?

by SAMANTHA STEVENS

The 16th annual Valpo football game against rival Sacred Heart Preparatory resulted in a 53-15 loss for the Knights on Friday, Nov. 2. With many players missing due to injury from previous games, the Knights had trouble getting their momentum rolling.

Junior Henry Knoll stepped up to play starting quarterback for the big game because the former starting quarterback, junior Kevin Alarcon, and the second-string quarterback, junior Justin Sellers, sat the game out due to injury.

Alarcon suffered a collar bone injury in a previous game against Menlo-Atherton High School on Oct. 12. Sellers is currently recovering from a concussion that occurred during the Homecoming game against Terra Nova High School on Oct. 22.

“Having to throw in Henry Knoll at quarterback at the end of the season was unexpected, but I think he did as much as he could given the situation,” senior slot receiver and middle linebacker Conor McCusker said.

The game was in Sacred Heart’s control from the start. In the beginning of the first quarter, the Gators scored a running touchdown from the eight-yard line on a third down, and then completed a two-point conversion, creating a 8-0 lead for them. Then, with 3:26 left in the first quarter, Sacred Heart approached the endzone through a series of plays until they were within 10 yards of the endzone. From there, they scored another running touchdown, putting the score 15-0.

Once the Knights regained possession, Knoll threw an interception around Menlo’s 20-yard line, which the Gators took all the way into the endzone. This brought the score to 22-0 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Sacred Heart scored three times - once on a running touchdown, the following on a punt-return from Menlo, and the third was an interception.

This brought the score to 43-0.

Photos of the Issue

by BRIDGET QUIGLEY

Menlo School is known for many things, chief among them its academic rigor, brilliant teachers and excellent students. These students have many differences: differences in ethnicity, religion, beliefs and much more. There are two categories, however, in which virtually all Menlo students are the same: mental and physical ability.

All Menlo students are capable of functioning at very high cognitive levels and understanding challenging material presented to them at school. While Menlo has accommodations for students with learning differences, such as ADHD or slow processing, students with major learning disabilities are excluded from the school. In addition, while Menlo has a completely accessible campus, students with physical abilities tend not to attend Menlo.

According to Upper School Director John Schafer, “This school is not for everyone.

[Students] need to have a certain level of cognitive ability to do the program and a

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desire to do it.” While public schools are required to enroll and accommodate all students who live in the surrounding area (including students with mental disabilities), independent schools such as Menlo do not have these requirements.

Due to this, Menlo is allowed to be, and has been, a selective school that only admits students who fit the program.

“Menlo is a mission-specific school. […] If a student is not a good fit for the mission, where we couldn’t serve that kid well, then we probably wouldn’t admit him or her,” Schafer said.

Menlo has many different programs that promote student diversity, and it prides itself on trying to further diversity on campus, specifically within the student body. Students are encouraged to start clubs that promote their interests, to speak openly about their religion and ethnicities and to celebrate their differences.

However, students’ cognitive ability is not included in these differences. “When we speak about diversity, it doesn't

Studio Art teacher Dr. Nina Ollikainen dressed as Bob Ross for Halloween, and won Most Creative Costume. Photo courtesy of Pete Zivkov.

Photo from Payloads Camera for the Applied Science Research Balloon Launch.

This photo was taken about 65,000 ft from the launch site. Photo courtesy of Avi Gupta, Zak Werdegar, Ethan Zhang, Thomas Woodside, Brian Mhatre and Charlie Donnelly.

Continued on page 2

OPINIONS

Challenging my Religion: A History of Abuse in the Catholic Church

by SAMANTHA STEVENS

I was raised in a Catholic household. I was baptized, received my first communion, and at the age of 14 even got confirmed, which completed my initiation into the Catholic Church. My family’s attendance at mass went beyond the standard Easter-Christmas churchgoers’; we went to mass every Sunday for as long as I can remember. But, to be honest, religion has never been a guiding factor of my life, besides guiding how I planned my Sundays. Even so, I have an undeniable connection to Catholicism considering its presence in my life from infancy to now.

Though my connection to the Catholic faith has been waning for some time now, with the recent news about

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the sexual abuse scandal in Pennsylvania, I feel betrayed by the Church. Reforming the Catholic Church to stop the systematic sexual abuse should be the Church’s number one priority.

To me, one of the worst parts about the Pennsylvania grand jury report is that it represents just a fraction of all the abusive problems within the Catholic Church around the world. The report, which brought to light more than 300 priests who sexually abused 1,000 children over a period of 70 years in Pennsylvania, is not the only one of its kind.

Accusations against abusive priests in the United States date back to the late

Guest Speaker Gaffney Discusses HIV and Marriage Equality Gaffney shares his personal experience in political activism.

1940s, according to an article in the May 2009 issue of The Christian Century magazine.

Gerald Fitzgerald, who was an American Catholic priest, founded the Congregation of the Servants of the Paraclete in 1947. The Congregation was created to help priests dealing with challenges such as alcoholism, substance abuse and sexual misconduct,

Staff illustration by TzyYing Yee.

though Fitzgerald soon realized that there was no cure for priests who were sexually attracted to minors. After he realized the danger of placing abusive priests back into parishes, Fitzgerald wrote multiple letters to bishops over the course of two decades, advocating that priests who had sexually abused children be defrocked. He even met

The Origins of the Sea of Gold

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with Pope Paul VI in 1963 to inform him of the problems that persisted within the Church. Yet, the Catholic Church ignored him.

Then, in 2002, there was the well-known Boston Globe investigation that led to the prosecutions of five abusive Roman Catholic priests. Not only were the Globe’s series of articles hard-hitting by themselves, but they also inspired many more victims to come forth with their own experiences, revealing the depth of the issue to the entire world. But, these two examples that are set 60 years apart (Fitzgerald’s advocacy to defrock abusive priests in the 1940s and the Globe’s expository articles) only skim the surface of the issue. Just imagine

Continued on page 13

News: 1-3 Arts & Lifestyle: 4-6 Spread: 7-10 Opinions: 11-13 Sports: 14-16

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The Coat of Arms | News

November 9, 2018

Special Education Program Continued from page 1.

include the diversity of academic ability to do the program,” Schafer said.

Because Menlo has built a reputation of selectively admitting students with high-functioning mental abilities, members of the administration feel that students with severe mental disabilities do not even apply to Menlo because they would not be able to handle the rigorous curriculum. Menlo does, however, provide accommodations for the admissions test, such as larger print on tests for students with visual impairments and extra time for those with attention deficit disorders.

Currently, Menlo has programs in place to assist students with organizational skills and homework. The “GO Monday” (“Get Organized Monday”) program meets on Monday mornings and is an opportunity for Upper School Academic Support Coordinator Kathryn Gray and other faculty members to help

students schedule optimal work periods and organize their workloads. There is also academic support for freshmen and sophomores, in addition to the Math and Science Mentoring Program, where junors and seniors tutor underclassmen on campus. However, Menlo does not have the resources to support students with more major disabilities.

While some faculty members, such as Gray, support this type of program, Menlo is not looking to create a program that accommodates these students. “I would love to see a little bit more of a wide range of student ability. […] That said, there would need to be real changes made to the curriculum and real training provided beyond Universal Design for Learning […] to address learning variability in [Menlo’s] program,” Gray said.

Firstly, students with these disabilities do not fit Menlo’s “mission.” Secondly, building such a program would require a plethora of resources and extensive training for teachers. Universal Design

for Learning is the program that Menlo currently uses to train teachers. Gray explained that there would need to be another level of training for Menlo’s faculty if Menlo wanted to implement a program for students with mental disabilities. “I think we’d have to hire more teachers and it would have to be a whole separate track within Menlo, so given that, we already don’t have enough spots for all the great kids that we would like to enroll. […] I don’t see that as a direction the school is looking to go,” Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Beth Bishop said.

Aside from lacking students with major mental disabilities, Menlo also lacks students with major physical disabilities. Although Menlo complies with the American Disabilities Act and the campus contains ramps and elevators, physically disabled students still do not attend Menlo. According to Bishop, Menlo has admitted students with physical disabilities in the past, but they have

chosen not to come. “I would be thrilled to have a student in a wheelchair or a blind, deaf or quadriplegic student that the Admissions Committee felt could be successful in our program,” Bishop said.

“They would add a unique perspective and diversity of a different kind than we already have.” While the Menlo Admissions Committee seems very open to admitting a physically disabled student and a specialized program for them is not necessary, Menlo currently lacks a community for them on campus.

Menlo’s lack of a community for both physically and mentally disabled students raises the question: how will Menlo students be prepared to interact with such people if they only attend school with students with the same mental and physical abilities? “Menlo is a very thin slice of the real world, so […] yes, [Menlo] is not particularly diverse [in terms of cognitive ability]; it does not look like the rest of the world. […] I don’t think that’s going to change,” Schafer said.

Senior Projects Include New Community Engagement Requirements

by SARAH NORUM

Next year, the Menlo administration is cutting the PACT Project out of the curriculum and instead is incorporating a community engagement aspect into the Senior Projects.

The administration came up with this idea two years ago along with May Term, but they could not implement it right away. “When we launched M-Term, we didn’t change the senior year program because the current sophomores then, who are now seniors, had already started their PACT Project[s],” Upper School Director John Schafer said.

“We announced it a few years ago, but it is this year’s juniors that will actually experience [the new Senior Project plan] for the first time.”

Launching M-Term not only eliminated the PACT Project, but also changed the purpose of the Senior Project for the graduating classes of 2020 and after. “We launched M-Term to help the students have a more consistent and thoughtful set of experiences that are responsive to pieces of the mission state-

ment. For example, it will get students to be part of purposes larger than themselves, and to interact with ever wider communities,” Schafer said. “The idea is that you use your experiences from M-Terms in ninth, 10th and 11th grades, and then you get the chance to execute your own program senior year.”

The administration made this change because they felt that the Senior Projects were not helping students engage with their communities. “Senior Projects were the outlier. Learning how to make a surfboard doesn’t really help us move forward on our goals in the mission statement,” Schafer said.

“Now the Senior Projects will have much more of a community engagement tie-in.”

From the perspective of students, some believe the projects were better the way they used to be. “Personally, I think you should be able to choose anything you want to do. Now, there are so many requirements to fill that it doesn’t really give students any

freedom to choose what they learn,” junior Grace Wilson said.

“I liked having [the] PACT project and Senior Projects separate because it gave seniors and juniors just one thing to focus on at a time and Senior Projects have always been a highlight of senior year,” junior Michelle Louie said.

“In my opinion, the combination of the senior project and PACT project has more drawbacks than benefits,” junior Jackson Aldrich said.

“Now, students cannot focus solely on service or fully on an independent project. They might have to sacrifice the best of both to accommodate the new project requirements.”

“I actually preferred when the PACT Project and the Senior Project were separate because students were able to have two opportunities to branch out and contribute to their communities, instead of now just one,” sophomore Alta Knuff said.

“Combining the two projects also limits the seniors ability to explore unknowns and apply their creativity

on a larger scale.”

On the other hand, some students are excited that they are being combined. “I am excited that [the] PACT Project and Senior Project are going to be combined next year because I think I will be able to focus my energy more on the importance of community service,” junior Micah Schulman said.

A senior looks at the Senior Project requirements on Haiku Learning. Staff photo by Bella Scola

Seniors Participate in Midterm Elections

by CAROLINE FRANTZ

Given the United States’ minimum voting age of 18, there are only a handful of Menlo students that were able to vote in the Nov. 6 midterm elections this fall. Several of these students have chosen to exercise their right to vote.

Last year, the administration and student council helped students preregister to vote with the help of the civic organization The League of Women Voters. During junior and senior class meetings, representatives from the organization presented on the importance of voting and helped students fill out forms. This service from the school prevented of-age students from not sitting out of voting due to laziness and emphasized to students the importance of their votes.

Many student voters feel that it is important that they vote. “It is more important to vote now than ever,” senior Ben Lasky said. “We all saw what happened the last time [in the 2016 Presidential Election when] people didn’t vote.” Lasky plans on mailing in his ballot before Election Day. Absentee voter ballots make

voting for high school and college are different from the older generastudents much easier. tion,” Houghton said. “Who we vote for also affects the generations below us, so we need to care about our “As kids we don’t vote.”

Senior Jack Pimlott agrees with realize how much Houghton that teenagers should voting actually vote because their opinions differ from those of older generations. “I affects us, so I think think it’s very important for young it’s important for people to vote to make an impact on our country today because many us to have our own laws and leaders appointed will afvoice because we are fect our lives and the direction of the country [during our lives],” Pimlott different from the said. Pimlott educated himself thoroughly in order to cast the best posolder generations” sible vote. “Some of the the things I “I believe it is my civic duty to had to educate myself on were votvote. [...] It’s important for [high ing on the justices. Unlike the govschoolers] to understand politics as ernor race and the propositions, I we become old enough to vote,” se- had to educate myself on what the nior Sianna Houghton said. During justices stand for and how they will the 2016 Presidential Election, many interpret the law and Constitution,” millennials did not vote, which dras- he said.

Another senior, Anna Guiragostically changed the outcome of the sian, also believes that each citizen election. “As kids we don’t realize should take advantage of their right how much voting actually affects to vote in order to better the state of us, so I think it’s important for us the country.

“We’re all citizens, and to have our own voice because we

when [people] come of age to vote each person should vote for the people who they believe will make this country better,” Guiragossian said.

However, some seniors who recently turned 18 are not voting simply because they are not informed enough on any of the propositions or candidates. Although Menlo can help its students pre-register, the school cannot actually make them vote or properly educate themselves.

A sticker handed out during the 2018 Midterm Elections. Seniors will receive one if they choose to vote at the polls. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

The Coat of Arms | News

November 9, 2018

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Administration, Students Experiment with Changing Program Names

by ADLEY VOGEL

In the past two years, the Menlo administration and student body have experimented with name changes for prominent buildings and activities on campus. The most noticeable of these was the changing of “Assembly” to “Community Meeting,” then reversion back to “Assembly” last year. “[‘Assembly’] wasn’t a very descriptive name in my mind,” Dean of Student Life Cathy Chen said when commenting on the name change.

“It felt very impersonal. ‘Community Meeting’ felt like it had more warmth.” Chen believes that despite the eventual reversion of the change

by Student Council, this year’s assemblies embody what “Community Meeting” was trying to capture better.

“The name doesn’t matter; what’s important is that we’re a community and that we’re meeting together,” Chen said.

Another renaming on campus came last year with the completion of the new dining and student facilities project. The new Upper School building was named “The Commons,” a name previously taken by the Middle School assembly space. Subsequently, the Middle School space was renamed “The Garage” and had its new name painted on the exterior of the roll-up door that inspired the moniker.

The function of the Middle School building remains unchanged. Head of

School Than Healy and Trustee Steve Dostart made the decision to name the Upper School communal space “The Commons” after the two toured Stanford University facilities and were

“The name doesn’t matter; what’s important is that we’re a community and that we’re meeting together.” drawn in by the name.

However, it isn’t exclusively the administration that has the ability to tweak names. Earlier this year, the student-run public forum previously known as “Community Circle” was renamed to “Chat-n-Chew” in order to better reflect the kind of environment the committee leaders wanted to foster with their discussions. “We thought ‘Chat-n-Chew’ better reflected what we wanted our program to be, which was all types of people [...] from the school coming together during lunch and discussing what was on the line,” junior “Chat-n-Chew” committee leader Ethan Yan said.

This rebranding comes at a time when the committee is trying elevate

the quality of discourse and open discussion to more people. Alongside the change in name, “Chat-n-Chew” now also allows participants to vote on topics of discussion, provides background material on the matter before the lunchtime meeting and summarizes that material again at lunch for those who weren’t able to read up beforehand. Between the more approachable name and lower barrier to entry, “Chat-n-Chew” is looking to increase the number of people willing to stop by and talk about what’s important to the Menlo community.

These experimental name changes

make apparent that the identity of Menlo’s various buildings and programs runs deeper than the name each holds. If the contents and purpose of the thing remain unchanged, the new name doesn’t matter. However, when the name change is part of a larger shift of intent, as in the case of “Chatn-Chew,” it signals a change in purpose and a greater commitment to meaningful improvements. The name isn’t everything. It’s what’s behind the names that matters.

Students attend an Assembly, previously called Community Meeting. Staff photo by Bella Scola.

Where do we Draw the Line: Is Tutoring Considered Cheating?

by CRYSTAL BAI

For Menlo students who are struggling in their classes, particularly in the math and science subjects, tutoring is an option some may choose in an attempt to keep up with difficult curriculum. However, the concept of receiving extra tutoring outside of school raises questions about the ethics and equity of the practice.

Because Menlo students may seek out the same tutoring services, such as the local program AJ Tutoring, there is a possibility that tutors have already seen the specific nuances of a class from tutoring previous students, and could even have copies of old assessments from that class at the ready. A preview of testing materials could be considered by some, like Upper School math teacher Eve Kulbieda, to be cheating.

“If a tutor has confidential information about assessment procedures in a particular class, I would hope in their professionalism that they wouldn’t copy or keep those assessments and then share those with future students,” Kulbieda said. “Although [the math teachers] change our assessments

Seniors Mia Rosenblatt and Meri Klingelhofer work together on an assignment, instead of going to a tutor. Staff photo by Bella Scola.

all the time, there are certain questions that we recirculate and change slightly because they are great questions.”

Similarly to Kulbieda, Upper School science teacher James Formato places emphasis on the professionalism a tutor must possess in order to negate cheating. “My definition of cheating is passing off someone’s work as your own, and I think that a good tutor, who is really concentrated on a student’s learning, knows how to draw the correct boundaries in terms of how they work with students,” Formato said. “I think that if a tutor does their job well and observes a professional code of ethics, then there is no opportunity for them to be part of cheating.”

Formato and the rest of the freshman physics team currently enforce a policy where students are not allowed to take home quizzes and tests in part because, like the math department, they often use the same exam questions with small changes from year to year. “It’s sort of our efforts to make the test more secure to reduce any form of ‘cheating,’” Formato said. “We feel like if a student has a question about their test, there are a huge, huge number of opportunities for kids to access it with us, like in tutorial or during office hours.”

Like Formato, Upper School Math Department Chair Rachel Chou believes that it is more beneficial for students to meet with their Menlo teachers than to receive tutoring. “I don’t see tutoring as an ideal situation,” Chou said. “Obviously, every student is different in their willingness to reach out and get questions answered by their teachers, but I do think that when you have a tutor, you are less motivated to do so. Menlo is a good, well-resourced school with dedicated teachers and time for students to meet with them; a parent really shouldn’t feel like they have to pay for extra support in the form of tutoring.”

While tutoring is a helpful service, it also requires the dedication of time and money. There is the possibility that students who can afford to pay for extra tutoring will enjoy more academic success, creating an unfair advantage fueled by socioeconomic status.

“In terms of students being able to afford and [to have] the time for tutoring, I think that’s more of an equity issue,” Kulbieda said. “We want ev-

eryone to be on an equal standing. But, if students are receiving tutoring, I think that’s a family decision, and I don’t think that the school can weigh in on that decision or say that it’s something negative.”

“When students don’t ask the questions [they have] during class and instead save them for their tutors, they are missing out on an important growth opportunity to learn to self-advocate.”

On the other hand, Chou believes that receiving tutoring may create an unfair disadvantage for students, rather than an unfair advantage. “It could actually be a weird disadvantage to have a tutor because if a student has one, then he may actually go see his teacher for help less, which breaks the teacher-student feedback loop that makes for good learning experiences,” Chou said. “[...] When students don’t ask the questions [they have] during class and instead save them for their tutors, they are missing out on an important growth opportunity to learn to selfadvocate.”

Upper School math teacher Randy Joss equates the fairness problem of paying for a tutor with the fairness problem of receiving extra time from a paid doctor’s diagnosis. According to him, the ability to pay for a tutor is no more or less fair than the ability to pay for a doctor’s diagnosis granting extra time.

Ultimately, Joss believes that receiving tutoring suggests a more sinister, toxic mindset growing in our academic and societal culture. “The need for tutors is the reflection of the fact that we think we need to do better than we can do on our own, and I think that can be really harmful,” Joss said. “If you never believe that you’re good enough, then you don’t grow up with selfconfidence. And, high school might be the last time you have to get [self-confidence].”

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The Coat of Arms | A&L

November 9, 2018

Five Movies You Need to See This Fall

by PAGE WOLFENDEN

There are a number of new movies coming out in the month of November, including “Widows,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Creed II,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “Robin Hood,” showcasing a variety of genres.

Widows: “Widows,” directed by Steve McQueen, is coming out on Nov. 16, 2018. In this dramatic film, four women, played by Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Erivo, deal with the debt of their dead criminal husbands. With this commonality tying them together, these women unite to carry out their own heist.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: Also being released on Nov. 16, 2018 is “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” The second movie in the series, it follows “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which was released on Nov. 18, 2016. This film is directed by David Yates, and the screenplay is written by J.K. Rowling. Starring Johnny Depp, Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law, this movie encaptures fantasy and adventure, as main character Newt Scamander sets forth to take down the wizard Gellert Grindelwald.

Screengrab from https://www.youtube.com.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: The animated film “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” a sequel to “Wreck-It Ralph,” also comes out on Nov. 21, 2018. In this comedy, directed by Phil Johnston and Rich Moore, John C. Reilly’s character, Ralph, and Sarah Silverman’s character, Vanellope, both characters in arcade games, embark on a mission to fix a broken video game.

Image from Warner Bros. Pictures.

Creed II: “Creed II,” the sequel to “Creed,” is directed by Steven Caple Jr. and comes out on Nov. 21, 2018. The eighth movie in the “Rocky” series, this dramatic sports film follows the story of heavyweight champion Adonis Creed, played by Michael B. Jordan, as he faces Viktor Drago, played by Florian Munteanu, in the boxing ring.

Screengrab from https://www.youtube.com.

Robin Hood: The action and adventure film “Robin Hood,” directed by Otto Bathurst and starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Dornan and Ben Mendelsohn, will also be released on Nov. 21, 2018.

This film is an adaptation of the wellknown tale of the outlaw Robin Hood.

Image from Warner Bros. Pictures.

Screengrab from https://www.youtube.com.

Selected Student Profile: Katie Lambert

by KATE JEFFRIES

CoA: Okay. How would you describe the color though?

Katie: I’m not sure. The musical is what comes to mind.

CoA: What game do you dominate when you play?

Katie: It would be easier to list the games I don’t play because it’s a much shorter list. However, my claim to fame in the gaming world was Webkinz. I also dominated in Club Penguin and Poptropica a little bit later in life. After Senior Lambert in her Knightbook portrait. my extensive gaming backPhoto courtesy of Douglas Peck. ground, Fortnite was pretty CoA: Do you have any pets? easy to transition into.

CoA: What’s the longest time Katie: I have a Golden Retriever, a bunny and a mouse. you have ever been awake for?

CoA: What fad or trend do you hope makes a comeback? Katie: I need to do the math on this.

Katie: Woah, there are so CoA: Okay. many I can’t decide. I think that the world would be a bet- Katie: I think I was awake one ter place if platform flip-flops time for 72 hours when I was coming home from Ghana. made a comeback.

CoA: Describe the color pur- CoA: What’s the most amount of coffee you have drank in a ple.

Katie: Well, “The Color Pur- day?

Katie: Probably seven or eight ple” is actually a broadway [cups]. musical.

CoA: When does it stop being partly cloudy and start being partly sunny?

Katie: When its partly cloudy, then it’s mostly sunny. Whereas when it’s partly sunny, its mostly cloudy.

CoA: Interesting.

Katie: However, I think a lot plays into it. For example, how heavy the clouds look.

Is it a wispy little cloud or a really hefty cloud?

CoA: What’s your favorite saying?

Katie: “That’s going straight to VSCO.” CoA: What’s a smell that describes your childhood?

Katie: Claire’s ear cleaning solution or Mango Lip Smackers.

CoA: If you were exiled from the United States, what country would you move to?

Katie: What is the reasoning for my exile? Because depending on what business I’m in that got me exiled that would determine where I move so I can pursue that

elsewhere.

CoA: I’m the one asking the questions here.

Katie: Okay. Well, I think I would move to Bosnia.

CoA: Why Bosnia?

Katie: Because it’s on the coast and its right across from Italy and close to Greece. I also don’t think that the government would think to look for me there.

CoA: What is the meaning of life?

Katie: This is about to be your most controversial statement ever published. The meaning of life is that there is no meaning to life because the way I see it there is no meaning since death is inevitable. In the grand scheme of things, there is no purpose to anything we do or any trivial thing in life since eventually we will all cease to exist.

The Coat of Arms | A&L

November 9, 2018

Drama Program Takes on New Challenge: “Noises Off”

by VIONNA ESHGHI

This year’s fall Upper School production is the comedy “Noises Off,” which will be directed by Upper and Middle School Director of Communications Alex Perez.

Upper School Director of Creative Arts and drama teacher Steven Minning asked Perez to direct this show due to his theater experience.

“Knowing that I wasn’t going to be here for the crucial part of the casting and beginning rehearsals for the show, I asked Mr. Perez to do it because of his extensive theater training and his having been the drama director for both the [Upper] and [Middle School] in the past,” Minning said. “Mr. Perez is great at directing comedy, and with ‘Noises Off’ being one of the best comedies written, he was the perfect choice to guide our students to success with this show.”

Perez has been at Menlo for 27 years and for 16 of those was the drama director for both the Upper and Middle Schools at different times, having directed many plays throughout that time.

“Noises Off,” written by Michael Frayn, is about a group of actors who do their best to put a play together. “It’s a play in three acts, and in the first act, we see the actors at the end of their rehearsal process trying to get their show

ready for opening night,” Perez said. “In the second act we turn the set around and you see it from the backstage side and you see what it’s like now that their show is open, but what was all the chaos that happens backstage. Because actors can’t talk backstage, it’s almost like a silent movie of crazy chaos that’s going on, so there’s a whole story being told almost in silence while the real show is going on on the stage.”

For the third act, the set turns around again for the audience to view the normal play that the actors put on. “But, the actors have now completely fallen apart and suddenly don’t like each other anymore, and they just try to sabotage each other’s performances,” Perez said. The show continues to get funnier through each act, and it is known as one of the funniest plays ever written.

According to Perez, the student actors are really enjoying the process of putting the production together. “It’s a really challenging play to do; you’re almost learning three mini plays in one play, so the play they’re rehearsing is slightly different in each act,” Perez said. “[...] It’s enormously challenging; the timing, the comic timing that’s required to make it work, [...] it’s

very physical [and they are] exhausted in the rehearsals [from all the] running around [the complex set], so it’s pretty physical, but I think they’re having a great time.”

This production has been performed twice before in Menlo’s Upper School. “I [directed] it actually in the early ‘90s when I first came to Menlo, and it was also done 10 years ago by [former football coach] Mark Newton,” Perez said. “Noises Off” is a unique play, different from most plays Menlo has produced. “I feel like Menlo is always looking to do different types of plays all the time,” Perez said.

According to Perez, the audience is in for a treat to watch the cast members of “Noises Off” pull off this complex production. “I think they are just going to laugh and enjoy,” Perez said. Grab tickets fast for non stop laughter in the performance of “Noises Off” on Friday, Nov. 16 at 7pm, Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2pm or 7pm and Sunday, Nov. 18 at 5pm in the Florence Moore Auditorium.

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Senior Jordan Gold rehearsing for “Noises Off.” Staff photo by Bella Scola.

Seniors Braedon Young and Beth Sanford rehearsing for “Noises Off.” Staff photo by Bella Scola.

Kyra’s Cooking Column: Pumpkin Muffins

by KYRA GESCHKE

These pumpkin muffins are super delicious and easy to make! They are the perfect fall treat to share with your friends and family.

Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 3/4 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup milk OR half & half 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350º F. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice seasoning and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and milk until smooth.

4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips (if desired).

5. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from muffin tins. Serve warm or store in airtight container at room temperature.

The perfect treat for this fall season. Staff photo by Kyra Geschke.

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The Coat of Arms | A&L

November 9, 2018

Top 10 Ways To Relieve Stress:

Thanksgiving break 3 day weekends 1 final per class Having to wear normal clothes post Spirit Week

80 degree weather in November

1. Take a walk.

2. Do yoga.

3. Take a bath.

4. See pages 5, 8 and 9 to bake yourself a treat.

5. Exercise.

6. Drink herbal tea.

7. Spend time with friends or family.

8. Listen to your favorite music.

9. Take a nap.

10. Practice deep breathing and meditation.

Drummer and Songwriter Extraordinare Bernheim Leads Theater Department

by SARAH NORUM

by KATE HAMMOND

Senior Natalie Jarrett is this issue’s Female Artist of the Issue because of her dedication to drumming and music. For the past 10 years or so, Jarrett has gotten the chance to learn various types of drumming and to play almost all percussion instruments. “In percussion there is a lot you can do.

There is marching drumming, orchestral drumming, jazz drumming, et cetera and each encompasses their own unique set of instruments and has their own unique sound,” Jarrett said. “Out of those, I would say I am the best at marching drumming, but I enjoy jazz drumming the most.” This explains why Jarrett is now part of Menlo’s Jazz Band.

She got involved in music years ago, but did not start out playing just the drums. “I started out in [a] percussion ensemble, which was with a group of people, and then later on, I started to take individual lessons,” Jarrett said.

“I [still] take lessons, but my dad also used to play, which helps [me] with equipment and advice.”

Jarrett has considered continuing her music career after graduating from Menlo. “These days I am kind of more of a writer than a musician, so I was thinking about getting into songwriting after Menlo,” Jarrett said. Jarrett admires many influential singers, songwriters, and artists. “If I were to

Junior Ethan Bernheim is this issue’s Male Artist of the Issue due to his superb work in the theater department at Menlo. Bernheim has been acting since sixth grade, when he participated in his first show in the Menlo Middle School. “I started [acting] because my sister [senior Maddie Bernheim] did a lot of acting, and she told me that it was a lot of fun and you got to meet a lot of cool people,” Bernheim said.

Bernheim’s favorite aspect about acting is the community and the friends he has made in each show. His favorite show that he has been a part of is “The Diary of Anne Frank,” which was the Upper School’s winter play in 2017. “My favorite show that I have been a part of is ‘Anne Frank’ because that [was] when I really got involved in [theater],” Bernheim said. “I really like when the casts are small, and some people might think that it [was] a really dark show, but it was so much fun.” His favorite role that he has played was Sir Toby Belch in “Twelfth Night.”

In regards to his biggest inspiration, Bernheim spoke about Ari Troper, who graduated from

Senior Natalie Jarrett poses at her drum set. Staff photo by Bella Scola.

choose [my] songwriting inspiration[s], they would probably be Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean and Kurt Cobain.” Music has always been, and will continue to be, a large part of Jarrett’s life, beginning in her childhood and continuing to her future career.

Leo Kitajima, Director of Orchestra, Jazz and Chamber Music, has gotten to know Jarrett and appreciates all she brings to the music room. “Natalie is great in both [orchestra and jazz band] because she reads music notation quite well, which helps everyone else stay together, and she has a vivid musical imagination that she expresses with confidence and clarity,” Kitajima said.

the Upper School last year. “Ari Troper is my biggest inspiration because he is a really hard worker, and I think he is another theater kid who actually really enjoys STEM, which is rare,” Bernheim said. “He did so many things at once, his roles were amazing and [he] is a really cool guy.”

Bernheim is known in the theater department for being dedicated. “Ethan is a really hard worker and it really baffles me, the amount of things he is able to do at one time. I think it is funny because he is really nonchalant about it and does not outwardly show how much work he puts in, but he does, and it really shows,” junior Emma McGaraghan, who has worked alongside Bernheim in multiple shows, said.

Junior Ethan Bernhiem previews “Noises Off” with his fellow cast members. Staff photo by Bella Scola.

Thanksgiving Around The World

By Vionna Eshghi Gratitude is expressed and shared in many forms all around the world. Whether it is through holidays or traditional gatherings, countries around the world give thanks in their own particular ways.

The American holiday of Thanksgiving traces all the way back to 1621, when colonists, or pilgrims, held a harvest feast with local Native Americans to celebrate their religion and the colony’s first harvest. Since then, specific traditions and customs associated with this holiday have evolved, from cooking meals with one’s family to beginning the holiday shopping season. Even though this holiday can be celebrated in different ways, basic components such as celebrating the fall harvest and giving thanks alongside family and friends have remained the same over time.

These basic elements can be seen in national holidays in other parts of the world. Some countries that share very similar Thanksgiving celebrations are Canada, Liberia, Australia, Germany, Grenada and China.

The United States’ neighbor, Canada, shares many of the same Thanksgiving celebrations in the culinary and cultural aspects. Mostly due to the proximity, the traditions of both countries have blended together over time. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was held in 1578 as a way for early settlers to appreciate the fruits of a successful harvest. Even though Canada’s holiday is older than the United States’, it has adopted many of the same food-oriented traditions. These shared, traditional dishes include the signature turkey, pumpkin pie, stuffing and sweet potatoes. Unlike the American holiday, Canadians celebrate their gratitude on the second Monday of October, and theirs is a public holiday in every province.

Due to the fact that Liberia was founded by freed American slaves, many American traditions, including Thanksgiving, are celebrated in the West African nation.

In the late 1800s, an American trader brought the feasting tradition of Thanksgiving to Norfolk Island, located east of Australia, and the tradition has endured in the whole country ever since.

The remaining countries on the list have a holiday either for celebrating the autumn harvest, a holiday for expressing gratitude or a combination of the two, although they are not necessarily inspired by Thanksgiving.

In Germany, an autumnal celebration of Erntedankfest is intended to to celebrate the fruits of the fall harvest and to have a grand feast.

In Grenada, people celebrate and give thanks in formal ceremonies. They commemorate the anniversary of the 1983 Caribbean and American military intervention in Grenada, when a joint military force arrived on Oct. 25 to restore stability to the country following the deaths of then Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.

In China, an annual holiday around the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is celebrated.

This celebration is known as the Mid-Autumn Festival and typically falls in late September or early October, when the moon is at its brightest point. Similarly to the American Thanksgiving, the festival originated as a holiday to express gratitude for the changing of the seasons and to celebrate the fall harvest. However, there are several aspects that set the Chinese and American autumnal holidays apart. For example, the Mid-Autumn Festival is much older than America’s Thanksgiving, for its roots trace back farther than 2,500 years. Additionally, rather than the predominant Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, the favorite dessert for the Mid-Autumn Festival is mooncake, which is filled with ingredients like sesame seeds, ground lotus seeds and duck eggs.

Though it is apparent that many of these countries celebrate thanks in different ways, it is clear that the main objective is to share gratitude, appreciate the plentiful food to eat and give thanks for the changing of the seasons.

How Family Dynamics and Cultures Affect Thanksgiving

By Crystal Bai

A “traditional” Thanksgiving may bring to mind the image of a large extended family cheerfully huddled around the kitchen table while the television blares Thanksgiving football in the background. For students with families that do not fit into the nuclear model, extended families that live abroad or families with different cultural backgrounds, Thanksgiving may be celebrated less traditionally, or not at all.

When a student’s parents are divorced, Thanksgiving raises a potential dilemma: which parent will the student spend the day with, or will both parents celebrate together? According to freshman Oliver Barlow, the house where Thanksgiving is celebrated depends on the year. “When I’m with my dad, we tend to spend Thanksgiving more traditionally with my stepmom’s extended family,” Barlow said. “However, when I’m with my mom, we either spend it traditionally with her extended family on the East Coast, or we stay home. [...] If we stay home, we normally visit one of her close friends and spend the holiday with her family, but we have also chosen not to celebrate Thanksgiving and just taken the day off on certain years.”

On the other hand, junior Emma Dressel celebrates Thanksgiving with both of her parents, despite their divorce. “My dad has a huge Thanksgiving dinner thrown at his house, but my mom and all her family come every year,” Dressel said. “My parents are still really close friends, so we always celebrate holidays together.”

Senior Tzy Ying Yee does not celebrate Thanksgiving because of her family’s cultural background. “My mom is Taiwanese and my dad is Malaysian, so neither of them grew up celebrating Thanksgiving. [...] We still don’t celebrate Thanksgiving now, after living in the U.S. for six years,” Yee said.

“I think it’s partly because my parents don’t think of themselves as Americans, and I wouldn’t call myself an American either. Technically speaking, we are all still immigrants as none of us hold American passports. Also, we don’t like turkey.”

Similarly to Yee, junior Sulwen Ma does not celebrate Thanksgiving due to cultural differences and her extended family living outside the United States. “We don’t watch football. We don’t watch the parade. It’s just a regular day,” Ma said. “It’s usually just me and my mom because my brother is off [who]-knows-where, and my dad is usually in China.”

Despite the lack of celebration, Ma does not mind the fact that her Thanksgiving is less traditional. “When I was younger we used to have a lot of family friends over [for Thanksgiving], but now we’re all grown up and too busy to get together, even for Thanksgiving,” Ma said. “I don’t mind not having a big Thanksgiving anyway.”

The Coat of Arms | Opinions

November 9, 2018

Senseless Facts of the Issue #1: The average person spends six months of their life at a red light.

#2: 1 in every 4 Amer-

icans have appeared in some way on television.

#3: On average, Ameri-

cans eat 18 acres of pizza every day. #4: 1 in every 8 Americans have worked at McDonalds. #5: Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

School Rankings are Insignificant

11

by KYRA GESCHKE

On Oct. 15, the PolarisList released a list of the top high schools in California, ranking Menlo as the fifth best. The list includes public, private, co-ed and single-gendered schools and ranks a total of 250 institutions, detailing the financial aid statistics, class sizes and student to teacher ratios at most of them.

The issue with this list is that the website bases its ratings on the total number of students sent to Harvard, Princeton and MIT in the graduating classes of 2015, 2016 and 2017. The schools with the most students sent to these three universities are the highest ranked. Smaller schools on the list are therefore at a disadvantage, as the list does not track the percentage of students sent to these schools, but merely the amount of students per graduation year who go to the top schools.

Head of School Than Healy publicly articulated his stance on this issue: lists that rank schools, both high schools and colleges, do nothing but cause issues in the application process for both high schools and colleges. “To be clear: I am tremendously proud of this school and what we do for [our] kids. I think we are doing our best for each of our students. And

I think [this website’s] ranking [list] is complete rubbish,” Healy said on his personal Twitter.

I believe that lists and other ranking websites similar to PolarList do indeed cause nothing but misinterpretations and mess with the admissions process for all schools.

Prospective families looking to apply to Menlo should not be considering the ranking of the school as a reason for coming to Menlo over another school that could possibly fit the academic, artistic or athletic needs of the student better than Menlo.

When applying to colleges, high school students may value the ranking of high schools and colleges compared to each other as though the ranking of the school will definitively prove that a school is a good fit for a student. This is completely unrealistic though, as a school’s ranking does not at all mean that everyone will thrive and be successful there.

No matter the ranking of the school, each has something to offer for their students and is fit to serve certain types of students. Whether you are invested in arts, academics or athletics, there are different

schools for each of these passions and many more. There is no way to compare schools by their ranking when each fosters a different environment that better suits different students. So, instead of looking up the rankings of school when deciding whether or not to visit or apply, the much more reasonable way to approach the college application process is by searching for schools that match your aspirations for your future or schools that are best suited to help you thrive in the long run.

Menlo’s ranking on the PolarList list, while correct in stating how many students in a graduating class attend those top schools, does not reflect all that Menlo does to help foster a supporting environment for students to grow in. Similarly, lists that rank colleges in comparison to one another do not show all that each school has to offer. Based on this, it is important to take into account all factors of a school (both high school and college), not just how it is ranked in comparison to other schools with completely different values, benefits and programs for their students.

Why I’m Scared to Graduate The first time I met with my college counselor was the beginning of sophomore year.

I was more nervous than I should have been, but I knew that the college application process was approaching fast, and I needed to start considering which colleges I wanted to apply to. Now, over two years later, I am realizing that most of my time in high school was spent thinking about college and not about building the kind of person I want to be once I get to college. In fact, as I visited schools and made my list of college applications, I had a hard time imagining my life not going to Menlo and seeing the same people I’ve seen every day for seven years. I didn’t realize how much of a change it would actually be.

Some of my friends are excited to leave. They feel that high school is a pressure cooker for stress, and it will be a relief when they find out where they are going to

college. Part of me understands that point of view, but I also don’t feel very ready to give up high school just yet. It is hard for me to imagine not coming home to my parents every day. It is hard for me to imagine not commuting to school, not having teachers that are completely invested in my education and not being in classes where I know everyone. It didn’t dawn on me that I will never be in a place like high school again for the rest of my life. I will never again be at a place for 36 weeks a year with the same 138 classmates, with whom I have laughed, struggled and cried. I will never again be able to sit in a crowded room with my entire grade and watch everyone appreciate and forgive each other.

Of course, I am not happy all the time, and life is not perfect. High schools, including Menlo, generate so much social pressure and anxiety to the point where students

The Coat of Arms

by CAROLINE FRANTZ

want to leave. That is fundamentally wrong; we are still in our adolescence and we can’t enjoy it. My past three years of high school have been nonstop preparation for the future, and I know that when I’m older I’ll wish I was young again, like many adults do. I can’t help but feel that the prospect of college and my future has tainted these last three years of my life.

One of the things I like about Menlo is that it does its best to make its students self-sufficient. It encourages them to do things on their own and to advocate for themselves when they need help.

However, I am someone that likes help when doing things.

Sometimes, trying new things on my own or being told to do something with little instruction is scary for me and makes me anxious. For example, I don’t know how to pay a bill or how to set up a credit card, and it’s the little things like that that I’m nervous to do

on my own. Menlo certainly doesn’t hold our hands and coddle us through our education, but I’ll miss the security blanket of knowing I’m not fully on my own. I am also afraid to leave the Menlo bubble of acceptance, tolerance and inclusivity. As a woman, I am nervous to go into the working world out of fear of inequality or harassment. As a member of a racial minority, I am nervous for what implications that will have in my professional life and on my family.

However, I know that just like my Menlo classmates, my work ethic and character will help me be successful in college and after. I recently had a conversation with my brother, a freshman at an Ivy League school, about the kinds of classmates he has now. I asked him how it felt to be among “the best of the best” from each high school in the nation. His response surprised me and also filled me with

We want to hear your voice!

confidence. He replied with: “The application process is so stupid. Everyone at Menlo could succeed here, and it’s the process’ flaws that are not allowing them to, not their intelligence.” Even though we have poured so much thought and energy into college and our futures throughout high school, it helped defined who we are, and I know that as Menlo students, we are better off because of it. I am nervous to leave high school, but I know I will figure everything out when I do.

The Class of 2018 throws their graduation caps in the air during their commencement ceremony. Photo courtesy of Tripp Robbins.

Mission Statement

The primary mission of The Coat Editor-in-Chief.........................................................Clara Guthrie Share your opinions with us on any topic, of Arms is to report accurately and Print Editor............................................................Bridget Quigley whether we’ve covered it or not.

Online Editor................................................................Kate Jeffries thoroughly on news that is significant to Send a letter to the editor at: News Editor............................................................Caroline Frantz the greater Menlo School community.

Arts and Lifestyle Editor.......................................Vionna Eshghi clara.guthrie@menloschool.org We will chronicle in context the Spread Editor........................................................Kate Hammond Opinions Editor........................................Elisabeth Westermann different events and perspectives within or to Sports Editor......................................................Samantha Stevens the school, while ensuring unbiased Copy Editor....................................................................Crystal Bai The Coat of Arms coverage. We welcome feedback and Staff Photographer.........................................................Bella Scola 50 Valparaiso Avenue Staff Illustrators................................Tzy Ying Yee, Melody Zhou aspire to create an open dialogue with Atherton, California 94027 Staff Reporters..........................................................Kyra Geschke, our audience by being accessible on Ryan Young, Adley Vogel, Page Wolfenden, Sarah Norum (650) 330-2001 multiple platforms and by striving to Faculty Adviser........................................................Tripp Robbins

Visit us online at menlocoa.org

remain neutral in all circumstances.

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The Coat of Arms | Opinions

November 9, 2018

Rap Music Sends Unhealthy Messages to Adolescents

Music has always been a central part of different cultures, nationalities and groups of people. It can convey emotions or ideas and affect people’s lives in many different ways. In recent years, some rap music, which is popular among teenagers, has become full of messages promoting drug use, violence and abuse. Artists advocating for an unsafe lifestyle are often praised and are prominent figures on social media.

In 1973 in the Bronx, rap music was started by DJ Kool Herc and was utilized to strengthen familial bonds and lift spirits during rough time periods. Now, however, rap has evolved from these roots, and it can be unhealthy for teenagers to internalize its modern messages that now often stand for a dangerous lifestyle.

Since its origins, rap has slowly been growing in popularity amongst younger generations and is now at the forefront of modern music. This year, rap and hip-hop music overtook rock as the most popular genre of music, according to USA Today. Many credit this to popular platforms, such as Soundcloud and Spotify, where new artists can be discovered make names for themselves.

“In recent years, some rap music [...] has become full of messages promoting drug use, violence, and abuse.”

Teenagers all over the world look up to musicians for guidance in their lives. Many modern artists, though, glorify the use of drugs, violent actions and

by RYAN YOUNG

abuse in their songs. For example, rapper Lil Peep advocated for this lifestyle in several of his songs, yet, about a year ago, he overdosed on Xanax and passed away. Artist XXXTentacion spoke about drug use and violence in his songs “Take a Step Back” and “RIP Roach” while battling depression all his life. He was known for his violent and sporadic nature, as many videos of him fighting still circulate the internet.

Unfortunately, he was shot and killed five months ago at only age 20 due to his involvement in this kind of lifestyle.

Best-selling rapper and Grammy winner Kanye West says, “Now, I ain’t sayin’ she a gold digger, But she ain’t messin’ with no broke n**gas” in one of his most famous songs, “Gold Digger,” as he demeans

women as being solely interested in money and the power that rich men possess. Many modern artists don’t appreciate females and incorporate abusive language into their songs.

Platinum artist Eminem says in his song “So Much Better,” “I got 99 problems and the b**ch ain’t one, She’s all 99 of them I need a machine gun.” He believes females cause so many problems in his life that he has to revert to killing women to resolve them.

“Rappers [...] are thought of as role models for teenagers, yet some of their actions and words can be bad influences on adolescents.”

I believe that young kids internalize the messages in these lyrics and fail to recognize the consequences and ramifications of those same words. Rappers of the modern era are thought of as role models for teenagers, yet some of their actions and words can be bad influences on adolescents as they habitually listen to their songs and internalize their messages.

Mugshot of rapper XXX Tentacion whose songs talked about drug use and violence. Creative Commons photo: Wikipedia

Thought Bites:

DrinkingWhen you buy What hap“ “ “ “ Does a straw water with a The brain a bigger bed “named itself. pens if you get minty mouth you get more have one hole half to ” scared or two? is the cold bed room, but ” death twice? ” version of less bedroom. ” spicy. ”

Black Friday Distracts From the Meaning of Thanksgiving

When I think of Thanksgiving, I picture a stuffed turkey, sweet potatoes with golden marshmallows on top and thick gravy - but most importantly, I think of a time for appreciation and family. I also define Thanksgiving as the beginning of the holiday season: a time for giving, kindness and gratitude. But, unfortunately, what I also connect with Thanksgiving is the materialistic day that follows: Black Friday.

Black Friday is widely viewed as the commencement of the holiday shopping season. It’s the day that people spend hours camping outside of retail stores in order to get that “to-die-for deal.” It’s ironic, really, that it falls on the day after what is supposed to be a holiday dedicated

to appreciating what you already have. Black Friday encourages Americans to depart from a mindset of gratitude and into one that is materialistic and greedy.

While it is true that the discounted prices offered on Black Friday make the expensive holiday season more manageable for many families, the emphasis put on material goods ultimately undermines a day that should be reserved for self-reflection and family. Although I dislike the materialism associated with Black Friday, I do believe that some sort of “discount day” during the holiday season is beneficial to buyers and the economy. If it were held even just a few days later, I wouldn’t view the day as being so blaringly greedy. It’s the contrast

by SAMANTHA STEVENS

between giving thanks and fighting over a flat screen TV all within 24 hours that frustrates me.

“A day dedicated to materialism following a day deticated to thankfulness forces us to lose focus of what really matters.”

In addition, I think that it’s criminal for so many retailers to be opening their doors earlier each year, to the point where stores are starting sales on Thanksgiving Day. This year, Macy’s will be opening on Thanksgiving Day at 5 p.m. and closing at 2 a.m. on Friday morning, only to

open up four hours later at 6 a.m.. Not only does this lure customers away from their families and into stores, but it is unfair for retail workers who have to miss out on giving thanks or even just a day of rest.

Overall, an entire day dedicated to materialism immediately following a day dedicated to thankfulness forces us to lose focus of what really matters, which is gratitude and time with loved ones.

Staff illustration by Melody Zhou.

The Coat of Arms |Opinions

November 9, 2018

Challenging my Religion

by SAMANTHA STEVENS

Continued from page 1. the broad scope of abuse that must have occured before and during that 60-year period. Then, take into account every single country that has a Catholic presence. These priests that exploited young children were shuffled from country to country, parish to parish– it is a worldwide pattern of long-term abuse.

“It is systemic self-preservation that currently guides Catholicism’s leadership.”

First of all, the out-of-date hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church does not help with general oversights within the Church, and it certainly does not help in making sure that abusers are held accountable. In the order from the highest power to the lowest, the Catholic Church hierarchy is as follows: the pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and lastly, the laity (the general Catholic population).

The pope is the head of the sovereign city-state Vatican City and is the Bishop of Rome, meaning he has both important political and religious duties. To improve leadership, it may be valuable to involve laities in the management of the Church. This would allow the clergy to remain devoted to their holy duties, while those apart from the clergy could be in charge of the managerial aspects.

The second position in the hi-

erarchy is the role of the cardinals, who elect a new pope after the previous one dies or resigns and meet with the Pope either individually or in groups. It has been revealed that even in positions as high up as cardinals, there have been abuses of power and a neglect to confront those abuses. For instance, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick only recently resigned from his ministry duties after being exposed as a predator towards adolescents and seminarians, even though the first written accusation against him was filed by one of his priests in 1994, according to a New York Times article. The bishop who received the complaint in 1994 simply transferred the priest who made the complaint to another diocese, while McCarrick rose the ranks to eventually become a cardinal. This mentality to “push the problem under the rug” rings true for cases beyond McCarrick’s; once again, it is systematic self-preservation that currently guides Catholicism’s leadership.

“The immoral stain left from so many of the Church’s leaders require greater change than simply removing those ‘bad apples’ from their duties.”

While there have been multiple Catholic leaders who have partic-

The Unwanted Side Dish

by KYRA GESCHKE

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, many families are beginning to prepare their Thanksgiving festivities for the celebrations to come. Though traditions vary from family to family, the most prominent Thanksgiving tradition is often thought of as the Thanksgiving dinner.

Whatever your diet or preferences, most everyone is satisfied after this meal. Whether you have a sweet tooth and wait until dessert to gorge on pumpkin, apple or pecan pie, or you prefer savory flavors and stuff your face with the turkey doused in cranberry sauce, you are almost guaranteed to leave the table with a full stomach. To me, it seems as though nearly everyone finds their favorite food on Thanksgiving night, but there is one plate, at least in my family, that no one seems to touch: the

stuffing.

Stuffing. The lamest of all Thanksgiving foods. With staples such as turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing gets lost in the chaos of the Thanksgiving buffet.

No one fights over the scraps of the stuffing or licks the bowl after it is all gone (which it rarely is).

Stuffing is the leftover food which people fight to not take home in a sad tupperware.

Not only is stuffing bland, but the way it is prepared keep people away from it. Stuffing consists of small cubes of stale bread soaked in vegetable broth and then baked.

How can this compare to a juicy turkey or creamy mashed potatoes or the sweet aray of pies? Stuffing is the saddest dish in the best feast of the year. Let’s just stick to the classics and ditch the unwanted side dish.

ipated in covering up the sexual abuse, there are many priests and bishops with pure and good hearts.

It is crucial to remember that.

Yet, the immoral stain left from so many of the Church’s leaders require greater change than simply and finally removing those “bad apples” from their duties. Without a reform in the structure of leadership, holding the powerful accountable will remain just as difficult as it was 60 years ago.

In addition, not only is a structural reform of the Church needed, but those who have participated in the abuse of children should also be imprisoned, just as any other predator would be. This would bring justice to the victims who are still haunted by predatory priests, and if imprisonment is enforced, it sends a message to the world at large that sexual abuse will not be tolerated.

Next, it is time for the Catholic Church to recognize that we are living in the 21st century– not the 15th. It is about time that women are included in leadership roles, all the way from priests up to the Pope. For instance, hearing a sermon from a woman’s perspective could broaden the scope of the ideas being presented. Beyond the local duties that a female priest could conduct, a woman in an even greater leadership role, such as a cardinal, could incorporate insight that simply cannot be offered by a single gender. And, I have to wonder: Would the systematic abuse have been as severe as it currently is if women were included in the Church hierarchy? Would the same amount of abuses have been swept

13

under the rug?

Lastly, it is long overdue for the Catholic Church to recognize that the expectation of celibacy among priests is unrealistic and, frankly, dangerous. The tradition of celibacy has created a culture of sexual oppression for priests, who then turn to take advantage of the most vulnerable and unknowing of parishioners: children.

Celibacy is not Catholic dogma.

Therefore, the rule could theoretically be changed overnight by the pope. According to the History News Network, the Church was already 1,000 years old before a definitive rule in favor of clerical celibacy was enacted in the 12th century. I understand that celibacy is meant to be a symbol of a priest’s commitment to God and service, but when a rule becomes a danger to parishioners, it is time to reconsider it.

“Would the systemic abuse have been as severe as it currently is if women were included in the church hierarchy? Would the same amount of abuses have been swept under the rug?”

To be clear, I am not calling for fundamental Catholic doctrine to be altered. Instead, I am insisting on fixing the Church’s flawed leadership in order to change the culture of modern day Catholicism.

Give Stuffing a Chance

by ADLEY VOGEL

Stuffing is delicious and wonderful and I cannot believe anyone could ever try to tear it down. What did stuffing ever do to you? What has this delicious side dish done to deserve such vehement animosity?

Stuffing just wants to help out, it just wants to add depth and complexity to your Thanksgiving dinner.

It’s simply the greater of the two starches that have become traditional to serve on the 4th Thursday of every November.

Mashed potatoes, the other starch, is one dimensional, it’s boring both in the way it looks and tastes. But stuffing? Stuffing looks, smells, tastes good. It bulks out your plate and doesn’t have the texture of baby food. It’s customizable too. Stuffing is a blanket term, and as such you can throw whatever you want in it. You want bacon in your stuffing? Cornbread? That’s entirely

acceptable if not enthusiastically encouraged. Stuffing doesn’t care.

It’s just happy to be a part of your meal.

And while stuffing would love to be on your plate, it’s so selfless and heroic that it doesn’t even need that.

It is more than content to sit inside the turkey, to become true to its name and stuff the turkey, and help the bird become the best version of itself. Because stuffing wants your celebration of family, friends, and gratitude to be as good as it can be, it takes the verbal abuse, it allows people to call it “soggy, wet, gross bread,” and it keeps coming back year after year. Name another side dish with the resilience of stuffing.

You can’t. Stuffing is unparalleled.

It will wait for you to start liking it if you don’t already because as an absolute staple of Thanksgiving dinner, it isn’t going anywhere.

14

The Coat of Arms | Sports

November 9, 2018

Bill Shine the Tennis Guy

by VIONNA ESHGHI

Bill Shine completely changed the Menlo tennis program for the better upon his arrival in 1995, leading both the boys and girls tennis teams to 23 consecutive undefeated league seasons.

Shine has always been a lover of tennis. He began playing at age six and received a full-ride college scholarship to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for tennis. Afterwards, Shine tried for the pro-circuit. “Back then, only the really top players in the country or the world got sponsors, [...] so I would save my money and once I’d get enough to go to a tournament I’d go and come back and work some

Shine poses with a player after winning a championship. Photo courtesy of Bill Shine.

more,” Shine said. To earn the money needed, Shine began to coach tennis.

“It was pretty good money at the time, so I’d teach for a while, get enough money to go to a tournament and all of the sudden I started really liking the teaching part,” Shine said. “Kids would start going to tournaments and come back and [tell me about their accomplishments], and it gave me a lot of satisfaction.”

After some time, Shine realized he wanted to coach full-time. “After a while, I go, ‘You know what, I’m just living out of a suitcase and trying, but I’m just not good enough to [play pro-tennis],’ so I started teaching fulltime,” Shine said.

Before coming to Menlo, Shine taught at Foothills Tennis Club from 1977 to 1980, followed by coaching one season of varsity boys tennis at Los Altos High School in 1980. He then left to coach tennis at Pinewood School for 14 years. “I kind of outgrew the school because the popularity [of the tennis team] was just too much for just the four courts [Pinewood had] with so many kids,” Shine said.

After his time at Pinewood, Shine was given the opportunity to come to Menlo. “I got a job offer to come to Menlo in the late ‘80s, but I actually turned it down,” Shine said. “It was before [former Head of School] Norm

Colb came here. I turned it down because I came to the school and it just didn’t seem to have any spirit. There was a lot of trash around the school, and everytime we would play Menlo they would show up late; they’d show up not in their uniforms and [they] kind of didn’t really care, so I thought I didn’t really want to [work] over there.”

The next year, when Colb became the Head of School, Shine was impressed by how he drastically changed Menlo. “[Menlo] completely changed when [Colb] got here, and even though he wasn’t really a sports guy, [...] he cleaned the place up,” Shine said. “I saw a huge difference in the spirit and the attitude of the school in general and when I got the chance to come over the second time, [...] I took the job, then in 1995.”

Shine has really enjoyed his time at Menlo and the supportive environment it provides. “Obviously, being here [for] 23 years says something about the school. It’s really supportive and the administration has just been fantastic, and to be around such great kids - and I know there are good kids everywhere but these kids that go to Menlo are really hard workers and fantastic people - is just great,” Shine said. “I love coaching and I love teaching and I’m the one who really benefits the most out of the interactions with the kids. [...] I’m learning a lot from all [the

students] and I’m just trying to give back as much as I can, but I think I’ve gained a lot more than I’ve given out.”

Nothing makes Shine happier than to see the excitement in students when they win a big match or play well, and he considers it one of the best parts about coaching. “I just like seeing the look on a kid’s face when they do something really well. [...] It’s just all about the kids and what they do,” Shine said. “Each kid is different, each team is different, they all have their own personalities, and I just really enjoy seeing these kids getting better and accomplishing goals they set out to have.”

“I think the biggest the pleasure I get is to see kids change from when I see them in sixth grade and then leave in 12th grade, to see the change in them, and you had a little bit of something to do with that makes you feel really special,” Shine said. “Watching these kids grow up and turn into great young women and men is just really satisfying to me.”

Shine talks to the girls tennis team before a match.

Photo courtesy of Bill Shine.

Hilderbrand: Waterpolo Goalie to the Rescue

Aldrich Collects Sports Gear for Donation

Senior Natalie Hilderbrand joined the Menlo varsity girls water polo team mid-season to become their starting goalie, despite having never played the position before nor having played water polo since she was 12 years old. Hilderbrand was asked to try out for water polo by friends on the team after former goalie sophomore Celeste Aguilar suffered a foot injury.

Hilderbrand has been a swimmer her whole life, but when she tried to transition to playing water polo at age 12, she didn’t enjoy it, and as a result, was originally unsure of whether or not she wanted to join the water polo team. “I didn’t really want to skip a full season of swimming, and I wasn’t sure whether I would enjoy playing water polo again [...]. When [water polo player junior Sophie Reynolds] called me and said [the team] really needed me, I decided I would just try it out and I ended up really liking it,” Hilderbrand said.

Junior Jackson Aldrich manages an ongoing collection of used sports gear for children who cannot afford basic sports equipment. Aldrich started his collection eight years ago, and since then has collected over 4,300 pieces of various sports equipment, ranging from soccer cleats to tennis rackets.

Aldrich was initially inspired to start collecting used soccer gear when he was nine years old. He was playing in a sponsored soccer tournament, meaning that there was no registration fee to enter, and he noticed that many of the players on the opposing team did not have the proper equipment to play; many of them were missing shin guards and cleats. Aldrich thought about how, in comparison, his and his teammate’s gear was in great condition, even by the end of the soccer season. So, afterwards, he and his parents approached the coach of the East Valley YMCA team and asked if they would like any of the kids’ outgrown gear. Since then, Aldrich has expanded his collection to all used sports gear.

Aldrich has always felt that the lack of means to purchase proper equipment should not hold kids back from staying active. “I want children to be able to love sports and be able to have the opportunity to play sports, even if they don’t have the financial means to do so. [...] For most of these kids, this is their only way to get out and just have fun with their friends,” Aldrich explained.

The collection process begins immediately when someone places a piece of gear into one of the donation bins that can be found on Menlo’s campus and at local athletic stores, such as A Runner’s Mind in Los Altos and Fleet Feet in Menlo Park. Aldrich then cleans the gear, if needed, and do-

by ELISABETH WESTERMANN

Almost immediately after joining the team, Hilderbrand was thrown into games as the new starting goalie. “It was a little bit nerve-wracking because I had no experience, especially in my first few games, when I had played in two practices as goalie my whole life,” Hilderbrand said. Hilderbrand credits her team for helping to make her transition easier. “The team was there to support me, and they were really helpful in helping me learn the positioning and what to do in general because I didn’t know anything [...].

After a week or two I felt much more comfortable,” Hilderbrand has certainly helped the team with their overall winning record, 13 and nine, and has contributed to a positive team dynamic. “She pushes us a lot when we are swimming since she is so fast, and she is always encouraging us,” teammate Sophie Reynolds said. “She is always super positive at practice.”

Natalie Hilderbrand looks to pass the ball. Staff photo by Bella Scola.

by SAMANTHA STEVENS

Jackson donates sports gear to the East Valley YMCA. Photo courtesy of Jackson Aldrich.

nates it to youth athletic organizations such as East Valley YMCA, Sunnyvale Tennis League and Menlo Park Legends.

Looking forward, Aldrich would like to continue collecting gear throughout high school, and he plans on “passing on” the organization to younger students at either Menlo or his former elementary school, Phillips Brooks. “You can impact literally thousands of people’s lives with just a simple idea,” Aldrich said. “So, even if you don’t think it will work, just try it out like I did for this. I mean, it started out super small [...] and then just kind of built its way up.”

The Coat of Arms | Sports

November 9, 2018

15

End-of-Season League Records* Football:

Volleyball:

Boys’ water polo:

Girls’ tennis:

1-4

6-0 (PAL Champions) Girls’ water polo:

6-1

10-0 (WBAL Champions) 10-0 (WBAL Champions) Girls’ golf:

12-2

* All varsity records include only league games. Tournaments and non-league games are not included.

PAL stands for Peninsula Athletic League and WBAL stands for West Bay Athletic League.

Previous Injuries, Valpo Loss Continued from page 1.

Finally, Menlo scored a touchdown off of a handoff from Knoll to junior running back Samson Axe, giving the Knights hope moving into the second half. “After being down by [43] points until the end

The Knights and Gators face off on the yard-line. Staff photo by Bella Scola.

of the first half, it’s easy to just roll over and give up, however, that’s not what we did,” McCusker said. “We were able to put together a good drive to score right at the end of the half and at least have some momentum heading into the locker room.”

In the third quarter, Sacred Heart gained 10 points from a touchdown and a field goal, bringing the score to 53-7. In the fourth quarter Axe scored his second touchdown of the game off of a handoff.

The Knights successfully completed a two-point conversion following the touchdown, resulting in a final score of 53-15.

Despite the disappointing outcome, players including McCusker are hopeful for the program’s future. “I think a really positive takeaway I have from the game is that the program is in good hands going into the future. We had numerous sophomores and juniors get thrown in the fire and take on roles that they weren’t accustomed to and learn their new positions quickly,” McCusker said.

Senior co-captain Aidan Pak dashes past a Sacred Heart defender. Staff photo by Bella Scola.

Girls Golf Ends the Season 12-2, Qualifies for CCS Match

by RYAN YOUNG

The Menlo girls golf team came in third place for the West Bay Athletic League Baylands league tournament on Oct. 24th, and had a strong performance by coming in sixth out of 13 teams at the Central Coast Section (CCS) finals despite their small team. With only six players, which is the minimum amount of players needed to field a golf team, the individuals on the team had to play many more matches than normal to succeed in their competitive league. After an extremely impressive regular season performance, the players are excited for next year and improving their games.

This year, there were two new additions to the team’s coaching staff. Head coach and Professional Golfers’ Association Professional Mark Madayag and assistant coach Bruce Jaffe led the girls to a 12-2 regular season record. During the season, Menlo beat rival Castilleja twice, which was a big success for Menlo since Castilleja is the team’s primary competition most seasons. However, Menlo lost to them in the league tournament by a small deficit of nine strokes.

Harker, a traditionally strong team, won the league with a total score of 370, toppling both Castilleja and Menlo. However, all five Menlo golfers attending put up strong performances and contributed to the impressive league performance. Junior Gianna Inguagiato led the team with a score of 78.

Juniors Sulwen Ma and Vikki Xu followed closely as the three oldest members on the team, and they led the team through the day. “The team is really small and we play a lot more matches per person to make up for it, but I think that helps us improve, support each other and really get to know each other as a team,” Xu said. Xu is happy with the team’s

performance at the league tournament and cherishes the time she spends with her teammates.

After the tournament at Baylands, the team qualified for the CCS finals. The event was held at Laguna Seca, a traditionally difficult course due to its hills, course layout and hazards. In the skill-based game of golf, the course is a major factor in performance and, unlike other field sports, changes every match. Despite the course, the team had a strong performance with such few players, coming in sixth out of 13 teams. Inguagiato continued to lead

Varsity girls golf team. Photo courtesy of Douglas Peck.

the team with a score of 79 as Xu closely followed with 80. Unfortunately, the team did not qualify to advance to the NorCal finals, nor did they have any individual qualifiers.

Overall, the team is content with their performance this season despite facing several obstacles.

The new coaching staff was successful in their first season, and the golfers are looking forward to their next. “Next year, hopefully we’ll get a new freshman or two as our team is really small and maybe even place at CCS,” Ma said.

16

The Coat of Arms | Sports

November 9, 2018

Committed Corner

Conor McCusker, Bucknell University Selina Xu, Stanford University

by CAROLINE FRANTZ

Senior Conor McCusker committed to Bucknell University to play Division 1 lacrosse. McCusker has been playing lacrosse for 10 years and committed in October of 2016.

McCusker has played varsity lacrosse at Menlo for all four years of high school, and he also plays for two club teams, Alcatraz Outlaws and West Coast Starz. He helped carry his West Coast Starz team to win the Club National Championship this past summer. McCusker plays midfield and takes the faceoff for Menlo. In the 2017-18 season, he won 65% of his faceoffs and had 89 ground balls.

Lacrosse has been a huge part of McCusker’s life, and he has loved the sport ever since he started playing it in second grade. “I love the speed and energy of the game,” McCusker said.

“There is always something happening in a game, and it forces you to think fast and play hard. It is known as the fastest game on two feet, and I think the speed is one of the aspects that causes people to fall in love with it.”

McCusker chose Bucknell because it provides both the athletic and academic environments he wants. Last year, Bucknell was ranked 15th out of all 71 D1 men’s lacrosse programs. “[In addition to keeping their lacrosse players athletically successful], Buckell also makes sure that its athletes are well-rounded and know that they are there to get their degree,” McCusker

by PAGE WOLFENDEN

Midfielder McCusker dashes down the field with the ball. Photo courtesy of Conor McCusker.

said. “The Bucknell lacrosse program also has a huge alumni network in the corporate world, which really helps set up its graduates for life after college.”

McCusker believes that high school athletes who are considering recruitment should think about their lives outside of the sport too. “Work hard and don’t lose your love for the sport. Also, make sure that you are choosing the school which allows you to get the best education,” McCusker said. “[I didn’t just choose Bucknell for lacrosse, because] lacrosse doesn’t last forever.”

Grace King, California Polytechnic State University

by ELISABETH WESTERMANN

Senior Grace King has committed to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) to play Division 1 volleyball.

King has been a strong force as an outside hitter on Menlo’s varsity team, with 343 kills and 256 digs in this past season alone.

King grew up playing many sports, including soccer and skiing, but chose to pursue volleyball because of her love for the game. “I learned to love it a lot more than any other sport I played, so I started putting a lot of my focus into volleyball,” King said.

She joined Menlo’s varsity team as a sophomore and has loved the experience ever since. “[The Menlo volleyball team has] been the greatest thing ever [...]. The past three years have been very special,” King said.

King spikes the ball over the net. Photo courtesy of Grace King.

She is also an appreciated teammate. “[King] works really hard in practice every day and she’s really positive and super encouraging to everyone [...],” teammate Abby Holleran said. “I think Grace is a really awesome teammate [...]. She really leads our team, and she’s a big reason why the program has had so much success these past couple of years [...]. Her presence will definitely be missed on the court.”

King credits the Menlo coaches for helping her get to where she is today. “I joined varsity as a sophomore, and the coaches kind of took a chance on me because I was still developing as a player, but I got so much better that year [...],” King said. “The coaches have been the best. I definitely wouldn’t be in the situation I am [in] today if it weren’t for them.”

King ended up choosing to play at Cal Poly because in addition to its very talented volleyball team, she really liked the school.

“Of all the schools I was looking at to play volleyball, it was the best at volleyball [of the schools] that I would be able to play at. Also, it was the place where even if I did not play volleyball, I would want to go,” King said. King particularly liked the relaxed feel of the school, the town of San Luis Obispo and its close proximity to the beach.

Cal Poly’s volleyball team is ranked in the top 20 of women’s Division I teams, and King is looking forward to joining such an accomplished team. “[I] know that I’m playing with very experienced players and I’m really grateful for being able to have that opportunity,” King said.

Senior Selina Xu committed to play Division 1 volleyball at Stanford University this past June. Xu started playing volleyball competitively in fifth grade, and she has been on Menlo’s varsity team since she was a freshman.

Playing almost every position in her first years of volleyball, Xu has always been a versatile player. “I have always prided myself in being a utility player, but I have always loved setting [most] because I get to be the quarterback of the team and run the offense,” Xu said.

At Menlo, she has both set and hit, but is committed to Stanford as a setter.

This would have been Xu’s fourth year playing for Menlo, but she suffered an ACL tear over the summer while playing with the United States National Team. “It was frustrating to get injured during training because the team was about to leave to go to Mexico for the [North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation] tournament, and that meant that I wouldn’t be able to compete,” Xu said.

“I wish I could have been there when the team got gold.” With the sixthmonth mark since her injury coming up in December, Xu is hoping to start practicing again soon, but will likely not play club games until February or March.

In her time at Menlo, Xu has played a significant role in the success of the varsity girls volleyball team, contributing to their state championship victory in 2017, as well as earning the title of

Xu recieves advice from coach Marco Paglialunga during a match. Photo courtesy of Pam Tso McKenney.

West Bay Athletic League First Team All League in 2016 and 2017.

Her favorite aspect of the team is being apart of such a tight-knit group.

“You get to build a lot of relationships, [...] and there are a lot of traditions like giving out jerseys and our locker room dance parties. That is the best part,” Xu said. Although she will not be able to compete this season, Xu hopes that the team will win another state title. “We are going to get pulled up to open [division] so I think we have a good shot at finishing the season off with a ring,” she said.

In regards to college volleyball, Xu has always known that she wanted to play at the Division 1 level. “Stanford has always had a tradition of excellence, and growing up in this area, it has always been my dream to be a part of that,” Xu said. “They happen[ed] to need a setter in my class and I feel lucky they chose me.”

Andrei Volgin, University of California, Davis

by CRYSTAL BAI

One of the male athletes highlighted in this issue’s Committed Corner is senior Andrei Volgin, who committed to play Division I tennis at the University of California, Davis this past August. Volgin, a four-year varsity and All-American athlete, has been instrumental in leading the success of the Menlo varsity boys tennis team. This is evident through his multiple wins that resulted in a perfect 2018 season record and prestigious national title.

Volgin began playing tennis at age eight and started thinking about continuing his tennis career in college at the beginning of his freshman year. “I realized that [tennis] was a tool I could use to get into college without going through the whole application process and I obviously love the sport, so it seemed logical to play in college,” Volgin said.

During the process of commitment, several schools, including Southern Methodist University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles, expressed interest in Volgin, but he ultimately decided on UC Davis. “The main reason I chose UC Davis was because it has really good academics for a really good price,” Volgin said. “I also talked with the coach a lot and he seemed very calm and grounded while knowing exactly what he wanted out of his players, so I knew he would provide good leadership for me for the next four years.”

Volgin is a five-star recruit, which means he is ranked in the top 75 high

school senior male tennis players in the country. In his past three seasons at Menlo, he has played a critical role on the team as a top seeded singles player.

Volgin’s favorite part about playing tennis at Menlo is the team aspect, where players are supportive and dependent on each other to win. “I actually stopped liking tennis right before I got to high school because it was so individual,” Volgin said.

“But, at Menlo, everyone on the team is super committed to each other, and we all want to work hard in order to win. That’s what I love about the team.”

Volgin is uncertain but excited to see how his experience playing four years of tennis at UC Davis will manifest in the future. “I don’t know exactly where tennis is going to take me beyond college,” Volgin said. “I just want to put everything I have into it and win as much as possible in college while having a great time with my teammates. We’ll see what happens next.”

Volgin hits the ball over the net in a match. Photo courtesy of Pam Tso McKenney.