The Coat of Arms issue 50.4

The Coat of Arms The Coat of Arms

Menlo Community Reacts to Israel-Hamas War

Five months on, mixed feelings about Menlo's environment remain

by GEOFFREY FRANC & JACOB REICH

“I wanna go.” Junior Ari Kaufman heard her older brother’s words through the phone on her drive home and was confused. She pulled over and turned on her phone. “I have texts from my camp friends; I’m on Instagram, and I look and I’m just like, ‘What the hell?’”

As Kaufman began to grasp what was going on, her brother kept talking. He felt guilty, Kaufman said, for being in the U.S. when his friends were in Israel. He told her he wanted to enlist in the Israeli military. “I was terrified,” Kaufman said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, is my brother gonna go to war?’”

When Hamas — the Palestinian militant organization that governs the Gaza Strip and that is considered a terrorist group by many Western governments — launched an attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, it caught the world by surprise and rocked the lives of many in the Menlo community with ties to the region. While Hamas wasn’t quiet about its vehement opposition to the State of Israel, Israel’s strong military advantage and extensive security apparatus were believed to rule out the possibility of an attack.

That morning, senior Yasin Abdulkariem woke up around 11:30 a.m. and was overwhelmed by the news. “It was all in my face,” he said. “I think we had three different TVs on — all playing the same thing.”

Like Abdulkariem, junior Melanie Goldberg was going about her daily life, doing work for her debate team, when her mother came into her room “shaking” with the news.

“I was kind of in

shock,” she said. “Like, ‘how is this possible?’”

For some, the outbreak of war meant imminent danger to friends and loved ones. “I was more so worried for my family back home at first before I actually knew what was going on,” Abdulkariem, whose Palestinian family lives in the West Bank, said in an interview in January.

More than 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’ initial attack on Oct. 7, including 364 civilians at a music festival near the Gaza Strip. “My uncle’s family friend’s son was at the [Re’im music festival], and there’s a video of his arm being blown off and being taken as a hostage by Hamas,” Goldberg said.

Freshman Noa Levav said her brother also knew many of those killed at the festival. She, too, knows people in Israel who are grieving the loss of their friends. “Every one of my friends [in Israel] knows somebody who was either taken or killed or beat or something like that,” Levav said.

Kaufman said she had been counseling her friends whose loved ones were among the kidnapped. “I have friends who are like, ‘Yeah, dude, my cousin is held hostage. I don’t know what to do,” she said. “Thinking about that when I’m in, like, math is not great.”

As the world was still reeling from the shock of the attack by Hamas, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country was “at war.” It has since been the goal of the Israeli government to completely destroy Hamas and rescue the hundreds of hostages taken on Oct. 7. Israel’s ambitions have manifested in a brutal military campaign in the Gaza Strip: air strikes and a ground invasion have so far left over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza dead and millions more displaced. The Israeli military says over 10,000 of these were Hamas fighters.

Israel-Hamas

War,

pg. 3

Staff illustration: Amber More

And Then There Was One: Menlo’s APs Are Almost Gone

by ASHER DARLING

After getting rid of AP Biology decades ago, the school has nearly completed its phasing out of Advanced Placement classes in the course catalog: beginning in the 2024-25 school year, all AP course offerings at Menlo will be discontinued with the sole exception of AP Physics. Former AP classes will be turned into Advanced Topics or honors courses while maintaining the rigor of an AP class as well as the associated 0.5 GPA boost.

Upper School Director John Schafer

cites the school’s autonomy as a reason for pivoting away from the College Board program. “We are asserting our independence over the College Board, having more control over our curriculum and the choices available to our students,” Schafer said in an interview with The Coat of Arms.

According to Schafer, the degree to which new AT curricula will deviate from those of the associated AP classes is at the discretion of individual departments on campus. “Some of our classes will

prepare students to take the AP test and others will not,” he said.

During the process of reconsidering the school’s relationships with APs, the administration consulted with college admissions officers who concluded dropping the AP label would not harm Menlo students. In fact, according to Schafer, Ivy League admissions officers pointed out that the AP label undersells Menlo’s curriculum because Menlo offers so many other interesting and distinctive classes beyond APs.

Although a handful of colleges

have become more restrictive about granting credit or placement for AP tests, taking AP tests is particularly helpful for students interested in applying internationally. Still, the usefulness of taking AP tests varies for each student. “For some students, [taking an AP test] may make a lot of sense, but for others, it could be a waste of time and money,” Schafer said

Teachers like Science Department Chair Jamie Formato say taking the AP

Menlo Community Reels from Shock of War

Abroad Program Expands to Cambodia, Tanzania Returns

by ELAINA HUANG

This year, the Menlo Abroad program is introducing a new Cambodia trip and bringing back the Tanzania and Costa Rica trips, returning to the pre-COVID standard of three abroad programs during MTerm. The demand for Menlo Abroad trips has significantly increased after its two-and-a-half-year hiatus; this year, the program has received 164 total applications. This includes any student who put Menlo Abroad trips on their preference list, whether as their first choice or not.

Global Programs Director and history teacher Peter Brown, along with faculty chaperones, are the driving force behind the existence of these programs. According to Brown, his goal, along with the chaperones, is to make it possible for students to have unique and truly transformative experiences in the Global South.

Brown noted that planning a Menlo Abroad trip requires lots of preparation and research. Brown and faculty chaperones spend time learning about the local community of the locations in addition to the whole country’s culture and history, namely by reading numerous articles and Lonely Planet’s country travel guides.

Another important aspect of planning a trip abroad is scouting out the potential program location to assess its suitability for students. Once a program is found, Brown starts recruiting teachers, preferably one male and one female for the convenience of the students on the trip.

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The little ones jump and wave and yell ‘hello’ to you as you pass by.

Global Programs Director Peter Brown

The desired program locations are a “distant other,” or drastically different places from where students currently live. Brown reflects that regional diversity is highlighted in Menlo Abroad programs, with locations ranging from Asia to Africa to the Americas. He finds programs through colleagues and peer schools, but mostly through student travel organizations.

Prior to the trip, Brown and faculty chaperones must also travel to the trip’s destination and meet the student travel organization hosting the trip. According to Brown, their goal is to get to know the locals and assess the suitability of the location for Menlo students. Brown keeps an eye out for the disposition of the homestay families as he looks for qualities such as hospitality, interest and curiosity.

“It’s important that a representative of the school visits beforehand so Menlo students’ experience can be maximized,” Brown said. Brown and the teachers write a report reflecting on the safety of the location, propose a program and form an itinerary.

Brown, along with Latin and English teacher Tom Garvey and science teacher Tanya Buxton scouted Cambodia during the February break and learned more about the local community. “This trip will be a much deeper dive and longer-term stay with families,”

APs

Continued from pg. 1

test can be valuable. “Many colleges do give credit to students who perform well on AP exams, so it’s hard to tell students not to prepare for an AP because I understand why they would want to,” Formato said.

Buxton said.

Buxton has led many Menlo Abroad trips in the past, including Panama and Costa Rica, and she spent her sabbatical living in Penang, Malaysia, where she still has connections.

Garvey is a similarly well-experienced traveler who has visited over 85 countries. He was drawn to Menlo because of the well-developed global programs. “There’s a certain trajectory where everything’s exciting, and then at a certain point you realize how difficult things are,” Garvey noted when referring to student abroad trips.

Although the itinerary is still being finalized, students will start off the trip in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. They will then transition to staying on a remote island with only one road in the Mekong River, where people live in houses built on stilts. “The little ones jump and wave and yell ‘hello’ to you as you pass by,” Brown said.

During the second half of the trip students will visit Angkor Wat — a Hindu-Buddhist temple and one of the great archaeological wonders of the world — and they will reflect on their homestay experience and Cambodian culture. “Buddhism is a big part of people’s life and so are ancient traditions,” Brown noted.

However, Cambodia wasn’t part of the original plan. Brown initially had Ecuador in mind, but due to pandemic-driven political instability and drug cartel violence in the country, he decided on Cambodia instead. “It’s just the volatility of the world,” Brown said.

Brown reflects that student culture around Menlo Abroad has changed post-COVID with people confined to their homes for so long. “We’ve had more applications than ever by far this year,” Brown said.

With so many applicants, the waitlist to go on these trips is long, and not everyone who applies is guaranteed a spot. According to Brown, the philosophy behind Menlo Abroad continues to be creating experiences that foster relationships in the Global South through homestays.

A committee including Brown and the faculty members going on the trip review each application and decide which students will fill the 16 spots in each program.

take them], we will continue to proctor AP tests as always in early May,” Schafer said.

will visit Ngorongoro Crater, a wildlife preserve, with local Karatu students. Despite living only 40 minutes away, these Karatu students will be visiting the wildlife preserve alongside Menlo students for the first time.

Similar to previous years, students will partner with local Tanzanian students to make solar-powered lamps for the local school. According to Brown, the unscripted parts of the trips, like building relationships, tend to be the most exciting for participants. He also believes that the homestay experience is “definitely” the most meaningful, not only for students but also for the chaperones.

“It’s great to just see other people with the same needs and wants, and we’re all human beings,” Buxton reflected.

Brown views Menlo Abroad as an amazing opportunity for students to get out of their Silicon Valley comfort zones and interact with people who they otherwise wouldn’t meet — even if they can’t have their phones. Most importantly, students establish strong relationships with their host families that last beyond the program. A veteran of the Costa Rica program is even going back to Costa Rica this summer for her host sister’s wedding.

Brown adds that students often reflect that Menlo Abroad was the best part of their high school experience. “We want students to learn that the distant other is really not so distant,” Brown said. “To feel our relatedness to others is truly transformative.”

During the returning Tanzania program, students will be staying with local families in Karatu, a town located in northwest Tanzania. Participants in the Tanzania trip de-emphasize. “We found that a lot of times students were doing the wrong kind of work,” Hanson said. “We wanted our students to enjoy learning more and be engaged for deeper understanding.”

Schafer explained that using the AP label for a course forces you to play by the College Board’s rules. “[As long as our students want to

The administration cited a variety of reasons for why it did not feel that the AP program aligned with its vision and values. During a pre-recorded video shared with the community on the schools website, Schafer described how he felt students have had a transactional experience with Menlo’s AP curriculum.

“Students have this feeling that they need to have these classes on their transcript,” he said in the video. “They have a magnetic draw, and as a result, many of our distinctive classes [have been] fighting for enrollment.”

Some teachers, like History Department Chair Katharine Hanson, also noticed that the AP curriculum focused on skills the school was trying to

Math Department Chair Danielle Jensen is eager to welcome three new Advanced Topics classes in place of APs into her department this fall. “We are for the change because the AP title did not accurately reflect how rigorous our program is compared to other schools,” she said.

AP Physics, taught by Deb Jensen, will be the only AP to remain on campus next year. According to Formato, this is because Jensen works for the College Board in grading AP tests and her relationship with the College Board is a “compelling” reason for keeping AP Physics for now.

Without AP guidelines, teachers will have more of an opportunity to use their creativity in the classroom, providing the most interesting and applicable material for their students. “From a teaching perspective, the AP gave us rigor, direction and something to work towards, [...] but also a lot of restrictions,” Hanson said. “Now we are getting freed up to teach more on our own terms.”

Senior Natalie Jinbo-Davis believes that the departure of APs from the curriculum will benefit Menlo students. “Sometimes when taking an AP class, you’ll feel like you’re just learning things for the test rather than things that you actually want to learn about,” she said. “I think, shifting more towards honors classes instead of APs is probably a better way to hone in on what students are looking for.”

(Top) Latin teacher Tom Garvey and biology teacher Tanya Buxton visit Cambodia in February. (Bottom) A tuk-tuk drives on a busy road. Photos courtesy of Peter Brown and Tanya Buxton

Israel-Hamas War

Continued from pg. 1

As Israel takes actions in Gaza that some call self-defense, it faces allegations of war crimes from rights groups and countries like South Africa, which is currently litigating a case of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice. International concern for Palestinians in Gaza has manifested in significant support for ceasefire motions at the United Nations.

Israel and its supporters often respond to these accusations by saying that Israel’s military takes steps to minimize civilian casualties, such as by distributing warnings about imminent bombings to nearby residents. They also claim that Hamas uses Palestinians as human shields.

A Muslim community member at Menlo, who will be identified as Rory, explained that they couldn’t look at the images coming from Gaza at first because of their violent nature. “Now, I’m sad to say I don’t think I will ever be desensitized to the horrific violence depicted in these images,” Rory wrote in correspondence with The Coat of Arms. “Every day, I open my feed to babies and innocent children standing alone next to their dead family members, with blood all over them and gruesome injuries as a result of the airstrikes, bombings, and attacks in Gaza.”

“I feel guilty that I can’t do more to help them,” they added. “I feel like my community is under attack in Gaza and across the globe.”

Kaufman said she thinks that more consideration can be given to those innocent Palestinian lives in Israeli military planning. But with that comes a feeling among many, including Kaufman, that Israel must defend itself and deter future terrorism. “I don’t agree a ceasefire is a solution,” Kaufman said in an interview in December.

“I am all for criticizing the Israeli military for not taking enough steps to ensure the safety of some Palestinian citizens,” Kaufman added. “But a ceasefire will only ever be respected by one side, and I don’t think it’s fair for the world to say Israel is awful because they didn’t want to negotiate with terrorists.”

Most Jewish community members interviewed for this story said they felt supported by the Menlo community during this time. “I’ve had a couple of friends reach out to me, and make sure that my family is okay and that I’m okay,” junior Ella Litsur said. “That’s made me feel really safe.”

Additionally, Head of School Than Healy said he’s proud of the way Menlo has reacted in the wake of the conflict. “Where other communities have really divided, this is a place that’s rallied together,” he said. “I see students taking care of each other. I see adults rallying for the students. I see thoughtful conversation.”

There are members of the community who see things differently. Rory believes that the issue has been “silenced,” and they have avoided talking about it except with a few teachers and friends who share their identity. “Because there is significantly more representation for one side, it’s hard to feel supported or even comfortable speaking up,” Rory wrote. “I worry anything I say will be twisted or blown out of proportion.”

Abdulkariem said that he’s experienced fellow students trying to antagonize him by talking about the conflict. “Some people want to joke about it, but I don’t really think it’s like a joking matter,” he said.

On the other hand, Abdulkariem added that he appreciated the few teachers that reached out to him as the war unfolded. “I’m super grateful for and thankful that they’re actually thinking about me.”

deeply saddened by the tremendous loss of life and the ongoing violence and devastation in Israel and Gaza,” the email to the school community said.

Jackson Deutch, senior and co-leader of the Menlo Jewish affinity group, recalled that the release of this first communication from the school was one of the few times he felt tension about the conflict in the Menlo community. “I know some people were not happy with parts of the statement,” Deutch said. “While the school wasn’t going to please everyone and it’s hard to get right, it was a courageous step that maintained an incredibly respectful tone.”

In an interview with The Coat of Arms three months after the email went out, Healy explained that he had “about a dozen” discussions with families about the statement after its release. “This is a topic that, rightfully, people feel really strongly about, and when we sent that communication out, those feelings were very, very raw,” he said. “I think in moments where there’s a lot of fear and pain, especially in our world today, people want to know, ‘Are you gonna be there for me?’”

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I’m not trying to validate [people’s beliefs]; I’m trying to educate.

Upper School Director John Schafer

Healy said he stood by the statement sent out, but he understood the sometimes negative reactions from community members. When asked if there was anything he would change about the statement, Healy noted that an emphasis was placed on the lives of innocent children. “I think we could have been also clearer about where we stand on the slaughter of innocents [more generally],” Healy said. “That might have helped some families sort of feel more seen and known without choosing sides in a conflict.”

While Rory said they appreciated the initial communication, they hoped that the school would continue to speak up about the climbing death toll. “It’s been complete radio silence since,” Rory said in an interview with The Coat of Arms in February. “A lot of people have forgot that it’s happening.”

Upper School Director John Schafer hopes to change that. He and fellow history teachers have hosted four teach-ins to discuss the current war and the complex history that has prolonged the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades. Although Rory said the teach-ins didn’t provide much new information for them, Rory and Deutch both welcomed the attempt to educate people about the issue in an unbiased manner.

“It was interesting to hear, you know, faculty that I respect at Menlo talking about the issue,” Deutch said.

A feature of some of these teach-ins has been guest speakers, the first of which saw alum Lisa Biton (‘03) speak about her experience living and teaching in Israel during the war. However, since there has yet to be a Palestinian, Arab or Muslim speaker, Rory is concerned that the audience will form their opinions having only heard this perspective.

Schafer said he understands these concerns and is trying to get other perspectives, emailing alums, professors and student groups at Stanford. He’s also tapped history teachers’ contacts, which has so far proved unsuccessful. “I wish I had been able to get [a speaker with another perspective by now],” he said in an interview in March. “There will be one.”

He added that he hadn’t reached out to Biton; rather, she emailed him letting him know she would be in

perspectives,” Schafer said.

Additionally, Schafer vetted Biton over Zoom and concluded that she would be “thoughtful” in speaking. “I wouldn’t platform someone who’s gonna say inflammatory crazy things,” he said.

Schafer added that a one-sided speaker wouldn’t be productive for his goal. “I’m not trying to validate [people’s beliefs]; I’m trying to educate.”

However, Schafer acknowledged that only having one perspective at that event could look biased. “But in the course of what I hope [will] be many teach-ins, [we will have gotten] different perspectives,” he said, noting that he hopes to host seven events in total. “I just want to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to learn, a safe place to ask questions and to hear multiple perspectives.”

Does the world feel safe for students?

Goldberg, who said she supports a two-state solution, explained that she was initially appalled by the people who supported the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7. “I have family and friends that told me that the initial Hamas attacks were analogous to the slaves’ revolt in Virginia,” she said in an interview in January.

She added that her perspective changed after her initial reaction to the war’s onset. “I just kind of realized that I probably shouldn’t have been this shocked because there is a lot of hatred towards Jews,” Goldberg said. “And the Oct. 7 attack was kind of the epitome of that.”

Kaufman added that claims of antisemitism are too often disregarded. “People on social media keep on trying to tell Jews what is and what isn’t antisemitism, and it’s very frustrating when it doesn’t feel as though we can define what is hate to us,” she said.

Having seen the sometimes deadly attacks on both Jewish and Muslim Americans in stateside cities and college campuses, some students have hidden their identities in public settings. “I would never wish not to be Jewish, but in the time we’re in right now, in some other countries, they wouldn’t accept me as one, and that’s a frightening thing to think about,” Levav said in an interview in January.

Rory explained that there are places where they feel comfortable speaking about the issue –– though for them, Menlo is not one of them. “Although it’s easy to question and doubt myself in a geographic area where few people share my viewpoints, being with members of my community grounds me and reminds me that I am not alone in my beliefs,” Rory wrote. “I feel secure in knowing that.”

Members of both the Jewish and Muslim communities interviewed for this article expressed an increasing distrust of mainstream media sources. Kaufman, for example, said she felt “enraged” at The New York Times and others for falsely attributing an accidental blast by a Gazan militant group at a Gazan hospital to Israel.

Rory said they think mainstream media outlets don’t give enough attention to the Palestinian side of the issue, and said they have turned to social media for primarysource documentation of the conflict. Specifically, they said they watch videos taken by journalists on the ground in Gaza of the violence there.

Solace from the bloodshed for Rory has come mainly from their family, prayer and seeing others speak up about the conflict. They mentioned Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), a Palestinian-American, as a particular source of inspiration. Tlaib is known for being outspoken on Palestinian and Muslim issues.

Rory said watching Tlaib swayed them to speak out for this story. “I was initially scared to give this story, unsure of what the aftermath would be,” they wrote. “But I wanted everyone to be able to view my perspective, understand how underrepresented individuals are feeling

Staff illustration: Amber More

Does menlo feel safe for students?

Abrahamic Faiths Observe Extended Spring Holidays

by ANYA RAMANI

With spring just around the corner, preparations and practices for the religious holidays of Lent, Ramadan and Passover are in full swing. Many Menlo students partake in religious observances for these holidays and are preparing themselves for the accompanying changes.

The first of these holidays on the calendar is Lent, a Christian religious season that honors Jesus Christ’s time spent wandering in the desert. This year, Lent started on Feb. 14 and will last until March 28. Some observers choose to omit certain food groups from their diets to commemorate Jesus’s fast.

However, some people, like sophomore Annie Virsik, find such broad restrictions to be difficult, and choose to give up smaller things instead. “Last year, I tried to give up salt,” Virsik said. “And another year I did chocolate and desserts.”

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is a time for reflective fasting and prayer preceding the celebration of Muhammad’s reception of the Quran — the Islamic holy book. This

year, Ramadan began on March 11 and ends on April 9.

Traditionally, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, which can last from 12-18 hours. Fasting during Ramadan impacts the daily lives of observers at Menlo, including history teacher and Freshman Dean Sabahat Adil.

“The fast can definitely be exhausting, especially in the afternoon,” Adil said. “For me, teaching and everything else I’m doing is a little bit tiring, but I think because we’ve been doing it since we were younger, you get used to it.”

While both Adil and senior Salma Siddiqui say that they have grown used to fasting during Ramadan, it is still no easy feat.

“In Muslim countries people tend to function as normal, and because everyone is fasting, the day kind of shifts a little bit,” Siddiqui said. “In America that’s not really a thing, and you have to perform at the same level [with] the lack of sleep.”

However, Siddiqui cherishes the meals she shares with her family, which are called iftars.

“Ramadan is a special time where we

break out all of the traditional recipes and really make an effort to eat as a family,” Siddiqui said. “There’s a lot of parties and iftars that are just a chance for everyone to get together and celebrate Ramadan.”

Passover, coming up in late April, is a major Jewish holiday celebrating the Israelites’ escape from Egyptian slavery. This year, Passover begins on April 22 and ends on April 30. Passover traditions include reciting prayers as a family and eating foods symbolizing the Israelites’ liberation.

Freshman Jonah Block especially enjoys the meal he eats with his family during Passover, known as the seder.

“We have these programs that tell the story of Passover, and we read little bits of it and do different activities to honor the story of Passover,” Block said. “In the different parts of the story you interact with the different foods on the table: there’s horseradish, saltwater

and bitter herbs, [and] there’s usually an orange and an egg too.”

The kitchen staff also does their best to accommodate and celebrate religious holidays celebrated in the Menlo community. Everyday, the kitchen offers vegan and vegetarian options for those who can’t eat the main entree or have food restrictions. Last year, there was a special Ramadan menu, and Director of Dining Services Thien Hoang is especially open to trying out new dishes for the lunch menu.

“[I love it when] someone that wants to see [a holiday] celebrated, come talk to Chef and I so we can put some work in and plan a menu,” Hoang said.

Staff illustration:

Amber More

Mexico Spring Break Makes Strides Toward Inclusivity

by SONIA DHOLAKIA & GEOFFREY FRANC

When senior Katie King was brainstorming a conclusion for her “Great Gatsby” essay about wealth bubbles back in 10th grade, her brother suggested writing about the spring break trip in which, year after year, many seniors go to Mexico’s beaches. Though she didn’t end up using the idea, it influenced her decision to not attend the trip herself as a senior.

“The obvious thing [that makes it a wealth bubble] is going to Mexico — that flight [and] the hotel I’m sure they’re staying at [are] probably really expensive,” King explained. “And since it’s, like, an independent thing, there’s no school funding for those who can’t really afford it.”

This year’s spring break represents a shift from the norm, as the seniors who attend will convene at the Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, which is about an hour’s drive from Punta Mita, Mexico. The parent organizers of the trip hope that the change will allow more students to attend.

Historically, groups of Menlo seniors have visited Punta Mita over their spring break, typically renting houses at the resort with their friends. The expenses of the trip, combined with the lack of a school affiliation, led to claims that the trip excluded those who could not afford it. The Coat of Arms covered these claims in the spring of 2022.

“I feel that the new approach is much better aligned with the school’s focus on building a culture rooted in inclusion and belonging,” Julie Clugage, Menlo Student Parent Association vice president of parent resourcing, wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms.

“I am definitely a fan of making it more inclusive, so I feel like this is a step in the right direction,” senior Stella Buch said. “You don’t have to talk to someone who’s getting a house, you just book the room.”

Senior Arthi Abhyanker, who plans to go on the trip, agrees hosting at the Hard Rock makes it more accessible. “We’ve gotten better at making it more inclusive, especially by the fact that everyone is staying in the same hotel,” she said.

I feel like this is a step in the right direction.

Senior Stella Buch

However, the spring break festivities at the Hard Rock are only for around four days in the later part of the week. For the first half, many students are planning their own spring break itineraries, including renting houses at Punta Mita with friends. Senior Paige Miller is one of those students, and admits that there are still equity issues with the trip.

“The whole thing was trying to solve that issue and a lot of us are still going before, so that’s a problem,” Miller said.

Miller also believes the week’s focus should be on the time spent at the Hard Rock. “The key part of it is that a lot of kids in our grade are going and it’s as inclusive as possible for those couple days. So, sure, it’s not the full week, sure, other kids might be doing stuff before. But I don’t really think we should focus on what’s not happening, I think we

should focus on the actual trip,” she said.

Both Miller and Abhyanker feel that the senior class is particularly bonded this year, which has made students more excited to go on the spring break trip. “I think that senior year’s kind of brought us a lot closer in the fact that the lines that were so strict in other years between friend groups blur a lot for our grade,” Abhyanker said. “I think that most everyone feels like they belong in our grade. And I think that that’ll translate into coming to Mexico.”

Senior Ryan Li believes the trip is inclusive this year, even though he is still unsure of his spring break plans. “It’s pretty open invitation from what I can tell,” Li said. “If you want to go, I think that nothing is stopping you. [...] Especially this senior year, I feel like we were particularly bonded as a class group.”

Still, though, Li and others acknowledged that an equity issue persists. Rooms at the Hard Rock go for hundreds of dollars a night, and roundtrip flights to Puerto Vallarta, the nearest airport, tag on hundreds more. Because the trip is not school-endorsed, financial aid is not provided by the school for students who cannot afford the trip.

So, while many seniors interviewed for this article called the Mexico trip a

tradition, others, like Miller, eschew that label. “Tradition is a term that should be used loosely because tradition implies that everyone can go,” Miller said. “To use the term ‘senior trip’ would be kind of unfair to the kids who can’t go.”

Others, though, contend that the Mexico trip is a tradition. “I mean, they do it every single year,” Li said.

In an effort to make sure the invitation to Mexico reached every senior, organizing parents asked for permission to use the ‘year2024’ email list that the school uses to send student announcements. The administration, which controls access to this list, denied the parents’s request.

Miller said she agreed that the classwide email shouldn’t be used for the Mexico trip. “Having the school send out a thing about Mexico doesn’t make it seem as optional,” she said. Further, she said the school wading into the trip could create issues given that the minimum drinking age in Mexico is 18 years old.

“Making it school sponsored obviously creates a lot of liability with drinking and more of a trip than a vacation,” Miller said. “I think they should continue taking a hands-off approach because it doesn’t involve them and it shouldn’t.”

Still, Abhyankar hopes that the focus will be on whole-grade bonding rather than bonding just within friend groups. “Even though being at the same hotel is great, if we have events that we could all go to or that people play [...], I feel like that would really help everyone feel included,” she noted.

Additionally, some, like King, aren’t going because the trip doesn’t appeal to them. “It’s just not my scene,” King said.

Despite this, Buch and others noted that the publicity around the trip creates pressure to go out of a fear of missing out.

“I think a lot of the things that we’ve done as a whole grade that are 100% inclusive have been my most fond memories of high school, and it makes me sad to think of anyone feeling like they’re excluded from a fun tradition,” Buch said.

Staff illustration: Andrea Li

Girls Basketball Wins CCS for Third Year in a Row

by NOAH LEVIN

The varsity girls basketball team won their third straight CCS Division IV title on Feb. 24 against Half Moon Bay. Despite their CCS title, the girls lost in the first round of the CIF Division IV State Championship to Foothill High School on Feb. 27, ending their season.

The team returned this season with a lot of experience; however, they lost two starters: Jordan Brooks (‘23) and Hannah Satuito (‘23). Juniors Ruiqi Liu and Karen Xin played key roles in this year’s team averaging 16 and 11 points per game, respectively. The team finished the regular season with a 15-9 record and was third in the West Bay Athletic League. They boasted a new look on the coaching side with head coach Ryan Cooper taking the reins.

Cooper was hired in October after John Paye, the former head coach of 22 years, stepped down. Cooper’s hiring led to a quick turnaround for the players who were not able to have open gym and lift with him.

“I mean, it was a unique year in the sense that we didn’t have a summer to-

gether, we had no fall leading up. So there was no weight room, open gym, skill development, you know, building into a season, which is typically what it looks like,” Cooper said.

This didn’t stop the girls, who still managed to win CCS. Cooper attributed this success to the hard work put in by the whole team. “The longer we spent together, the better we got,” he said. “And so you can see us playing better basketball and better basketball with the weeks and the months, and then you get into a playoff run, and that’s when we were playing our best. And that goes for each individual player too.”

Looking forward to next year, the girls will lose two starters: seniors Summer Young and Arthi Abhyanker. While Young and the rest of the seniors will certainly miss their experiences with Menlo basketball, they cherish the memories they have made.

“For me it’s been a great experience for sure because our team is just so fun. I think we have a really good connection,” Young said.

Too Many Teams and Too Little Space: Menlo Sports Teams Struggle To Find a Place to Practice

by BIANCA PUTANEC

When passing by Wunderlich Field after school, it’s not uncommon to find several different teams practicing next to eachother. Whether it’s a combination of middle and upper school, boys and girls, or winter and spring sports, scheduling conflicts and a lack of space hinder the ability for Menlo’s outdoor sports to effectively practice.

As one of the captains of the varsity girls lacrosse team, senior Kylie Jones organizes captains’ practices during the offseason. However, Jones runs into many problems with finding field space. The captains negotiate for space with other coaches, which in Jones’ view causes an unbalanced power dynamic between the coaches and players. “I think that liaison needs to come from the coaches, not the players,” Jones said. This change in dynamic could be beneficial to better negotiations, especially since not even half a field is needed for a lacrosse team, according to Jones.

When official practices for spring sports begin in February, field space is still limited as boys and girls soccer are finishing up their seasons. While varsity boys lacrosse head coach Blake Kim

holds some of his team’s practices off-site at Holbrook Palmer Park, the girls stay behind, finding portions of Wunderlich or Cartan Field to practice on. “The girls are often left with no [place] to go unless they want to go offsite,” Jones said.

Although Holbrook Palmer guarantees ample space for the boys to practice, the situation is not perfect. “This arrangement is far from ideal: it’s not free, it requires bus transportation as well as lugging a lot of equipment to/from the park, it’s a thick grass surface that is not as regularly mowed as we’d prefer and is impossible to use when it rains, and there are often pedestrians scattered around the park,” Kim wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms.

Likewise, varsity boys soccer head coach Daniel Hicker finds that space is limited for his practices. Hicker plans each week in accordance with the amount of field space he has for the week. “When we are only able to utilize half a field, or less […] we are not able to train the game, only pieces of it,” Hicker said. Now, with the addition of the newly turfed baseball field, Hicker feels fortunate with the gain of a field, even though it doesn’t have

lines for a soccer.

Varsity baseball head coach David Trujillo is thankful for the upgraded field as well. “We are so lucky to have our baseball field. It is the nicest high school baseball field I have ever seen,” Trujillo wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms.

Trujillo said the only space he would improve is the batting cages, which are out of commission in the event of poor weather. The team sometimes goes to California Baseball Farm Club when it rains since baseball equipment gets ruined when it is wet.

When we are only able to utilize half a field, or less […] we are not able to train the game, only pieces of it.

Varsity boys soccer head coach

Daniel Hicker

“If the batting cages had a real roof that protected them from weather and rain we would be able to run productive practices and would not have to go off site,” Trujillo wrote.

As a former club soccer coach, Hicker understands how soccer can be a hard sport to accommodate space for. “Tennis has their tennis courts, basketball has their basketball court[s], baseball has their baseball field. When you get to soccer, or other sports with field time and space needs, it’s [a situation where] you see space and take space for the coaches. Every bit of productive playing surface is helpful, but not always conducive for the level we aspire to reach,” Hicker said.

Although Hicker is always open

to sharing where fields are needed, it’s difficult to keep adapting. Additionally, Hicker’s position as the Director of Sports Performance means he must plan out both middle and high school soccer field spaces while accommodating other sports. Still, Hicker keeps a positive mindset even amidst a slew of scheduling conflicts.

“On the production side, we [coaches] all work together to find a way to get the job done,” he said.

Director of Athletics Earl Koberlein notes that the strict lighting controls neighbors and the city of Atherton have instituted at Menlo fields pose a challenge when dividing up field space. Light restrictions leave a constant rush against the sunset when practicing, especially in the winter season.

“If we had lights, it would be a lot easier to expand the day, like how basketball is able to stagger practices,” Koberlein said.

Koberlein is excited about the flexibility that the newly turfed baseball field now provides for teams. During the winter season, the space alleviates some of the overfill that middle and upper school teams encounter.

Although the new baseball field allows teams to find temporary fixes, Koberlein ultimately hopes to turf Cartan as an effort to combat the recurrent raininduced field closures. He is not alone in this sentiment –– in the 20 years predating Koberlein’s arrival at Menlo, there has been on and off talk of turfing the field.

The proposal to add turf to Cartan is part of a master plan in which Menlo hopes to redo the stadium, the tennis courts and even put a pool next to Cartan football field. Yet, Koberlein said that several obstacles, such as the fact that turfing the football field would cost $2 million, the need to reach an agreement with Menlo College and Atherton’s building restrictions have blocked progress.

The varsity girls basketball team poses after winning the CCS Division IV Championship. Staff photo: Asher Darling

Staff illustration: Andrea Li

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough for Menlo Club

Climbing Club Scales Up Monthly Adventures

by AMELIE GIOMI

Every month, a group of students from all grades gather at a local rock climbing gym to indulge in their favorite thrill-seeking hobby: rock climbing. While rock climbing is typically not viewed as a team sport, senior Zach Ruwitch started the Menlo Climbing Club in the fall to share his passion for climbing with the Menlo community.

“I love climbing,” Ruwitch said. “I used to do it more, and then last year, I kind of stopped, but I would get friends to go do it. And I thought, ‘Well, what if I just opened it up more to Menlo?’”

“

I love climbing. [...] I thought, ‘Well what if I just opened it up more to Menlo?’

Senior Zach Ruwitch

“

Ruwitch has been climbing since 2016, but isn’t a competitive climber. Instead, he climbs for enjoyment and is especially drawn to the thrills of ascending himself. “I like heights,” he said. “I like coming down, you kind of float down a little bit.” Ruwitch also likes to belay other climbers and be on the opposite end of someone’s rope.

Because Ruwitch tore his meniscus during dance recitals for the fall musical, the club did not host any climbing events

in the first semester. The club’s first event was on Feb. 3, during which Ruwitch took nine students to a local Movement Gym to climb for the day. Movement is a rock climbing gym with four Bay Area locations in Santa Clara, Belmont, San Francisco and Sunnyvale.

The club meets outside of school at climbing gyms and is open to climbers at any level. “The hope is that we meet once a month or twice a month and just go climbing,” Ruwitch said. “It’s really meant just to be super casual.”

Senior Ana Banchs appreciates the casual nature of the club. “I think my favorite thing about the club is just how flexible we are,” she said. “It’s just a lot of freedom and you just get to [go] climbing.”

In particular, Banchs enjoys the goal-oriented nature of the sport and the satisfaction she feels after challenging climbs. “Every time I go, I always have a goal, a specific climb that I want to do,” she said. “Just reaching that goal is always super awesome.”

While sophomore Jacob Elkes has been climbing and taking lessons since he was a little kid, he hasn’t climbed regularly in years. The club has allowed him to reconnect with a past hobby he enjoyed when he was younger.

“I like rock climbing, but a lot of the time I don’t have people to do it with,” Elkes said. “It’s a fun thing to be able to do with friends because I don’t have to go by myself.”

Similarly, junior Jake Kaplan has been rock climbing for two years but struggled to find others to rock climb with. He decided to join the club to be a part of a supportive and casual community of climbers. Kaplan enjoys bouldering, which are short reps that don’t require another person to belay him.

“I [boulder] by myself, which is fun, but it can also be a little bit lonely to not be able to climb with people,” he said. “It’s just fun to have a change of pace and be able to have fun with people who also

enjoy climbing.”

Sometimes, more experienced members of the club give other members supportive tips. “Last time, we taught people how to tie the knot so that they could get through their hard points and climb properly,” Ruwitch said. “But I know that the Movement [Gyms] have classes if you want to learn how to properly belay or properly top rope climb.”

Even though Elkes finds climbing to be somewhat self-explanatory, there are

some techniques and specific rules that club members helped him learn. “For bouldering there’s certain things you have to get two hands on in the final hold in order to actually complete it,” he said. “You can’t use some of the gray holes that are there because those are there for different purposes.”

Elke’s favorite aspect of the sport is the satisfaction that he feels after finishing a hard climb. “The challenge and the feeling of accomplishment when you get to the top, it’s really nice,” he said.

P.E. Credit System Poses Challenges, Offers Advantages

by ANYA RAMANI

For many students at Menlo, playing a school sport is a no-brainer. Many of these students have played their sport for years outside of school, and joining a school team is a logical addition to their extracurricular activities. According to Director of Athletics Earl Koberlein, about 80% of the Upper School student body participates in a school sport every year. For the remaining 20%, Menlo offers other ways for students to obtain credits.

In lieu of a traditional P.E. class, students can participate in sports, off-season lift, dance or yoga classes at Menlo to receive the four required P.E. credits. Freshman rotation, a semester-long class, also counts for one P.E. credit.

Students who play sports that are not offered at Menlo, such as gymnastics or rowing, can apply to the athletics department to receive P.E. credits. However, these students must obtain one P.E. credit through an activity at Menlo and often find that their timeconsuming schedules do not allow for this. This has raised the question of whether Menlo’s P.E. system works for everybody.

Freshmen and sophomores often lean towards JV sports, except a few varsity-level athletes. Koberlein believes there are benefits of playing on JV teams. “[JV teams] give [students] an opportunity to experience team camaraderie [and] excitement of playing sports,” Koberlein wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms.

Students also appreciate the environment of JV

sports. Freshman Charlie Rekouts played soccer for the first time, joining the JV girls soccer team and she enjoyed the experience. “I think [playing JV sports] is really good because [...] you get to meet new people, you get to try new sports and you stay active.”

Track and field head coach Jorge Chen has been with the program for 22 years and believes the sports credit system allows students to try new sports they wouldn’t have otherwise participated in. “Some kids who end up trying a sport for a P.E. credit [...] end up actually enjoying it so much that they regret not doing that sport earlier in their high school career,” Chen wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms. However, he also

believes that students should be committed to the sport in respect for teammates and coaches.

As a gymnast, junior Deano Roberts doesn’t play a sport at Menlo despite training for 22 hours a week. Although Menlo awards him two credits for his offcampus gymnastics, he is still required to get one more credit from an activity at school.

“I don’t think [the system’s] fair [...], I can’t afford to take time off [and] I don’t have time to fit another sport into my schedule,” Roberts wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms.

Similar to Roberts, sophomore Simone Lev participates in theater as well as mock trial and finds that she has little time to partake in sports after school.

“The thing about Menlo is that they really encourage you to have a large diversity of interests, but at the same time there are certain things like P.E. credits that are hard to find time to fulfill,” Lev said. “I would want to take [a P.E. class] senior year so I could fulfill my P.E. credits without having to sacrifice extracurricular activities.”

Sophomore Oliver Santiago Mendez, however, is able to align his interests with Menlo’s P.E. credits system without playing a sport at Menlo. Mendez participates in off-season lift, an activity he joined freshman year and attends three times a week. “Offseason lift is great. I didn’t know anyone at first, I went in without any friends. I started to meet a lot of people, who were also motivated to work out.”

Senior Ana Banchs completes a climb during Climbing Club’s first excursion at a Movement Gym on Feb. 3. Photo courtesy of Zach Ruwitch

Staff illustration: Maya Stone

Meet the Sports Performance Coaches: Cole Marmor & Raph Whittingham

by DEVON SCHAEFER

Q: What brought you to Menlo?

Raph: I met [Director of Sports Performance Daniel Hicker] at a conference last year in May, and I loved what he explained he’s trying to do with Menlo. So yeah, here I am.

Cole: I was working at [Menlo College] and [Hicker] had reached out to my boss there in need of temporary help. So I came over and talked to him, and started in December of 2022.

Q: When and how did you get into lifting?

R: I got into lifting through sports and playing football. You have to be big and strong to play football, so ever since then, I’ve been lifting.

C: My first exposure to lifting was in middle school, just through P.E. class. But I didn’t really get serious about it until freshman, sophomore year of high school.

Q: What’s your favorite part of being a performance coach?

R: Giving the athletes the best service I can to make them successful in their sport. Also, being that person who I needed when I was a student-athlete.

C: Yeah, service to the athletes is my favorite part. There’s a wide array of people, teams, sports, so there’s just a different set of constraints, different needs. So just trying to explore what each person needs and how to best communicate that.

Q: What’s your favorite exercise or movement?

R: Rear foot elevated split squat.

C: Trap bar deadlift.

Q: What’s your most impressive personal record?

R: 0.7-meter vertical jump on the force plate.

C: 550 pounds for the trap bar deadlift.

Q: What is your favorite song to listen to when lifting?

R: Silence.

C: The sound of my thoughts and my body.

Q: What is your favorite post-lift meal?

R: A bowl from Chipotle.

C: Some type of burrito. Doesn’t matter where it’s from.

Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve in the weight room?

R: Don’t come in [the weight room] with your Crocs or your Birkenstocks. Like c’mon, what are you doing?

C: Effort. Like, if you’re dogging the effort, but you’re here, you’re wasting both our time and you could be detracting from somebody else who cares more.

Q: Lastly, what are your tips to get strong in the weight room?

R: Lift. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. There ain’t no science about it. You just gotta get in the weight room and lift. Make sure you’re eating to support the energy you’re putting out through your lifts. And then get some good rest.

C: Yeah, I think that fits pretty well. I would say quality, consistency and intensity. Show up time and time again. And then when you’re here, give that intensity.

Which Workouts Are Working Out?

Editor-in-Chief Tatum Herrin Ranks Popular Local Exercise Classes

Disclaimer: I am no workout expert. I am, however, a second-semester senior with more free time on my hands than I’m used to. I’ve taken on the adventure of squeezing every free first workout class out of the Bay Area I can. I thought I’d share my experiences with popular workout classes and offer some advice to anyone hoping to improve their fitness.

Cycling

Location: SoulCycle

Price: $40

Ranking: 2.5/5

What was once the shining star of workout classes seems to have faded into oblivion – and for good reason. While your first ride is $25 at SoulCycle, following rides are $40 a pop. At that point, why not just ride a regular bike? Your hard-earned cash is much better spent on a class that requires unique equipment or an instructor to help you learn and nail the movements. I suppose if you like pure, unfettered cardio and you luck out with a profoundly inspirational instructor, the class could be enjoyable. In the wake of the Peloton, though, in-person cycling classes are approaching obsolete.

Hot Yoga

Location: CorePower Yoga

Price: $38

Ranking: 3.5/5

Just like non-heated yoga, hot yoga aims to improve your strength and flexibility. The added heat gives your lungs and heart a harder workout, warms up your muscles to increase flexibility and makes your body work harder to regulate your temperature, allowing you to burn more calories. I tried out CorePower Yoga’s Yoga Sculpt class in Burlingame. Firsttimers get a free week of unlimited classes while following classes are $38 each. While I was tired by the end, my muscles weren’t sore at all the following day. In hindsight, I probably should’ve used heavier weights. I prefer classes with less autonomy (in other words, no way for me to cop out). However, the instructor kept the class high energy and fun. The class ended with crystal singing bowls, a truly out-of-body experience — I’d go again just for the bowls. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, watch a YouTube video. Words just don’t cut it.

Boxing

Location: Rumble Boxing

Price: $36

Ranking: 4.5/5

To test out my jabs, I took the 60-Minute Level Up class at a Rumble, a longer version of the Signature O.G. class. Rumble offers a high-intensity interval workout featuring boxing and floor work. As Rumble co-founder Eugene Remm once put it, Rumble is where fight club meets night club. If you prefer flashing purple lights and intense EDM to the light and airy feel of a pilates studio, Rumble is the way to go. As a certified hater of cardio, my enjoyment of Rumble speaks volumes. I let out all my demons on that punching bag. I also have to give a shout-out to the incredibly warm and welcoming staff. The first class is free, and the following classes are $36. Contact madison.brown@ menloschool.org for a Menlo student discount!

Pilates

Location: Westcore Studio

Price: $36

Ranking: 5/5

In hopes of becoming a Pilates Princess, I tried out Westcore Studio in Burlingame. The first class is free and the following classes are $36. Pilates is a low-impact form of strength training meant to strengthen your core, tone legs and arms, as well as improve flexibility and mobility. Because of the minimal cardio involved, I figured it’d be pretty easygoing. To say I was humbled is an understatement. The 30-year-old women surrounding me, nailing every move, had to be some sort of mutant superhumans. Still, the instructors were hands-on and helped me get a great workout in just 45 minutes. I woke up the next morning too sore to walk and eager for more.

Cole Marmor guides a student in a dumbbell bench press. Staff photo: Karen Xin

Raph Whittingham helps freshman Lauren Rukavina with a dumbbell bench press. Staff photo: Karen Xin

COMMITTED CORNER COMMITTED CORNER

Mikey McGrath, Williams College

by RAFE WEIDEN

After tearing his labrum twice, breaking his leg and changing his primary sport, senior Mikey McGrath committed to play Division III football at Williams College in January of this year.

Primarily playing baseball and some basketball when he was younger, McGrath never played organized tackle football until high school. “I always thought that I was going to play baseball in college,” he said.

Because McGrath tore his labrum in both sophomore and junior years, McGrath lost almost two full seasons of baseball as well as the ability to train in the offseason. His injuries forced him to give up his dream of playing collegiate baseball.

“My baseball college hopes didn’t really pan out and I didn’t think football was going to be an option either,” he said.

Yet, McGrath still had an impressive senior year football season: he won CCS Offensive Player of the Year despite his labrum making it almost impossible for him to throw as a quarterback. In fact, McGrath wouldn’t throw during practice in order to save his arm for gameday. “Then I’d down like four Advil before the game and make it work,” he said.

Not thinking much of it, he posted

some of his highlights on Twitter and directly messaged some DIII coaches, particularly from the New England Small College Athletic Conference. He got some responses and realized his hopes of playing college sports were not yet over.

McGrath had offers from Middlebury College and Washington University in St. Louis, but they were both for defensive back, which was unappealing to him. So when he received an offer for quarterback at Johns Hopkins University, where friend and former teammate, Robby Enright (‘23) plays, he thought it was a no brainer.

“I thought [Johns Hopkins] was for sure where I was going to go and I was super excited about that,” he said.

McGrath also received an offer for quarterback at Williams, but said that the offer from Williams was an afterthought compared to Johns Hopkins. Still, he decided to visit both Johns Hopkins and Williams due to both being on the East Coast. After his visits, McGrath made his decision.

“Williams was a better fit for me in terms of location. I think I’ll enjoy being closer to nature and closer to the mountains,” he said. “Everybody had nothing bad to say about the place and I’ve heard really good things about it [from alumni], so I’m pretty excited.”

Looking back, the way events unfolded was almost serendipitous for McGrath. “I always thought baseball would be my chance to play in college [...], but I’m definitely happy that I’m playing football and not baseball in college.”

He looks forward to playing in the NESCAC in particular, where many Menlo football players have and will play. These players include one of McGrath’s best friends and wide receiver for Menlo, senior Brady Jung who committed to Amherst –– Williams’ biggest rival.

Sage Huddleston, Middlebury College

by DEVON SCHAEFER

In August of 2023, senior Sage Huddleston committed to the admissions process at Middlebury College for swimming.

Huddleston first joined a swim team when she was just two years old, but didn’t solely focus on swimming until the end of middle school. “I played like, every sport because my parents wanted me to expose me to all of them and they had me pick which I [liked] best,” Huddleston said. In middle school, Huddleston narrowed down her sports to lacrosse, water polo and swimming, and by eighth grade, she was only swimming.

As a kid, Huddleston had the dream that many young athletes have: to be an Olympian. So, from the start, Huddleston knew swimming in college would be the path she would take, whether she would become an Olympian or not.

“Once I realized the Olympian thing wasn’t going to happen, I still wanted to swim in college,” Huddleston said. “I can’t really imagine just stopping swimming right after high school.”

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE

Sandro Velazquez, Varsity Boys Soccer

by ASHER DARLING

As the clock dwindles down and Menlo trails Los Gatos High School 4-3 in the CCS Division II boys soccer semifinal match, it seems senior striker Sandro Velazquez’s free kick attempt may be the team’s last opportunity. Standing nearly 40 yards away from the goal, Velazquez takes a deep breath before he bends the ball around the Los Gatos wall, past the goalie and into the net to tie the game. Although the Knights were ultimately defeated 13-12 in penalties, this moment wasn’t the only time Velazquez has stepped up for the team.

In his final season in the program, Velazquez helped lead Menlo’s varsity boys soccer team to a 15-3-4 record and a West Bay Athletic League title. With team highs of 21 goals and 13 assists, Velazquez was named Midfielder of the Year for the WBAL.

Velazquez attributes his individual and the team’s success to the strong dynamic they were able to cultivate this

season. “In my role as a captain, I really wanted to prioritize leadership while being a reliable teammate,” he said. “I think the trust and bonds that we formed gave our group the chemistry we needed on the field.”

Varsity boys soccer head coach

Daniel Hicker is incredibly grateful that he was able to coach Velazquez for the past two years and see how he has grown as a person and player. “The maturity and leadership that he has demonstrated, along with the wonderful things he can do on the field certainly have helped set a standard for our program moving forward.”

Velazquez is currently pursuing a career at the next level with the help of Hicker and the Menlo soccer program.

“As the guys would say, he’s become a bit of a legend for our program, so I am definitely excited to see what he could potentially bring to a [college] program in the future,” Hicker said.

Throughout her recruiting process, Huddleston knew that the New England Small College Athletic Conference schools fit her ideal of a small school with strong academics in the New England area. Huddleston reached out to many of the NESCAC coaches after her sophomore year, and Middlebury happened to be the first to respond. “It’s crazy that that was my first interaction with a coach because it ended up being the one I was always most drawn to.”

Middlebury’s location sold Huddleston on the school, as her family is from Vermont and she spends time there every summer. “I’ve always had a really big connection to that area and I just love it so much,” Huddleston said. “Going to college [in Vermont] is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Senior Hinako Karachiwala began swimming with Huddleston in sixth grade for Bulldogs Swim Club and later swam with her on the Menlo swim team. Karachiwala admires Huddleston’s dedication to swimming as well as her positive attitude.

“Her drive and her dedication definitely makes you want to work harder,” Karachiwala said. “She’s very down to earth, and if you’re having a tough practice, she’s definitely the person to talk to.”

Huddleston is looking forward to the refreshing new environment that Middlebury has to offer. College swimming has a greater team aspect than high school and club swimming with team scores and dual meets.

“Playing a team sport is something I really miss a lot of the time so I am excited to have more of a team aspect,” she said. “I’m also excited for a new environment because I’ve been swimming with the same [club] team for six years.”

Photo courtesy of Pam McKenney

Staff photo: Devon Schaefer

Staff photo: Asher Darling

A Senior's Guide To Thinking about College

by Andrea Li

My mind churned with worry as I walked around the club fair in the fall of my freshman year. Colorful posters, candy and opportunities surrounded me, yet all I could think about was a vague conception of college, and how the clubs I attended could help me get in. Disregarding my relative disinterest in STEM, would joining a robotics team appeal to admissions officers? Or would starting my own club attract these elusive officers?

The same anxiety infiltrated my course selection process. I was overwhelmed with thoughts that extended beyond the immediate choices at hand: if I picked

an arts course for a first-year elective, how would that look on my transcript? Would I get into a better college if I challenged myself to take only honors classes?

classes only because I dreamed of faraway letters of admission. At the same time, I tamped down my true interest in English because others had told me writing would look unimpressive on my resume.

I would like to say that I had to undergo a deep transformation to let go of this mindset, but the truth is, I simply grew tired of forcing myself to participate in clubs or activities I had no interest in. Finally, I quit ––and from there, I have never looked back.

Especially in Silicon Valley, where perseverance is drilled into every student’s mind as a key to success, quitting felt like a failure. Yet allowing myself to quit also opened new avenues for me to join the clubs I was really interested in. Because I chose to pursue my true passions, I have found communities made all the more vibrant by the fact that I truly care about participating in them. Genuine interest then naturally blossoms into motiva-

for college. Even if a hobby begets no tangible awards, the reward of experience is enough. As an example, though art appears nowhere in my transcript, painting helps me destress and has surprisingly improved my descriptive writing.

I’ve seen countless freshmen agonize over a feigned

“I had wasted months of my time trying to be someone I simply was not."

With these questions in mind, I ended up weighing the opinions of imaginary admissions officers over my own. I forced myself to attend science workshops I had little interest in; I took

tion: in my writing extracurriculars, I often push beyond my comfort zone to accomplish far more than if I had pigeonholed myself into a false interest.

Still, I had wasted months of my time trying to be someone I simply was not. I’m grateful for my mistakes in the sense that they have led to growth, but I wish someone had told my freshman self to stop trying so hard, to view quitting as okay and to not do everything

interest which they can shape their profile around. As a mere 17-year-old, I’m not the most authoritative source of advice, but I do know three things from experience: one, that everyone is interested in something, two, that passion requires nurture and three, that exploring even the most minute interests is worthwhile. Sometimes wandering without a destination leads you to the best places.

Students Pursue Education Beyond Borders

by Richa Patnam

Most students choose to attend college in the United States, surrounded by a comfortable familiarity. However, for those who choose to apply to college abroad, an exciting opportunity to cross borders, dive into a new culture and transform their lives awaits.

Sammie Floyd (‘22) attends the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and encourages others to apply to international colleges. “Do it,” she said. “I have had the best time ever, and I feel like I’m having such a unique experience than [...] what people might get at a school in the U.S.”

Floyd knew she wanted to study in either New York City or abroad since she was a freshman. It was perhaps an unsurprising inclination, given that Floyd’s mother spent 15 years in Germany and

“I'm having such a unique experience than [...] what people might get at a school in the U.S.”

Sammie Floyd ('22)

shared insights about various schools abroad with her daughter. As Floyd approached her senior year, she decided to apply to St. Andrews.

Because St. Andrews accepts the U.S.’s Common Application, the application process required little additional work. However, Sydney Schirrmeister (‘23), who attends the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, needed to submit a separate application that required additional work on top of her applications for U.S. colleges.

“It was due, like, mid-January, [...] a week or two later than all the other ones, but it was just a little bit more labor intensive,” she said.

Application processes abroad differ depending on the specific university. While some universities abroad accept

the Common Application, many require the completion of an entirely different application process. Most universities in the United Kingdom use the University and Colleges Admissions Service, a platform with a separate application with additional essays, standardized tests and different deadlines.

Menlo college counselors advise students who are interested in applying abroad to check in with them early on in the application process. Discussing abroad universities with a counselor early on can help students navigate an unfamiliar application process.

Both Schirrmeister and Floyd have en-

joyed their experiences attending school internationally and don’t regret their decision to study in a different country.

“I’m basically doing four years abroad, and you get to just meet people from all over,” Floyd said. “The connections and the networking that I’ve been able to do here at St. Andrews have given me opportunities that I genuinely don’t think I’d be able to get anywhere else.”

Schirrmeister feels that attending university abroad is the perfect time to broaden one’s perspective and experience a different culture. “I think it is an absolutely worthy endeavor,” Schirrmeister said.

According to the college counseling office, studying internationally provides a unique and varied experience beyond the traditional four-year American schools. Students can engage in a more

global education with students all around the world and have an opportunity to participate in specific programs that schools in the U.S. may not offer.

While Schirrmeister acknowledges that studying abroad can appear disadvantageous to one’s career, she encourages students to look beyond a school’s international prestige and reputation.

“I’m basically doing four years abroad, and you get to just meet people from all over."

Sammie Floyd

While students in the Bay Area may be unaware of many international schools, that shouldn’t stop students from applying. “No one really knows the University of British Columbia, but it’s still in the top 45 universities in the world,” she said. “So just because Bay Area residents don’t know the school by name doesn’t mean it’s not a good school or not worth applying to.”

While breaking free from the comfort of one’s home country seems daunting, many students have found that the benefits have outweighed initial discomfort.

Sammie Floyd poses in front of the University

of St. Andrews. Photo courtesy of Sammie Floyd

Examining the Evolving

Menlo Community Weighs in on Private vs. School College Counseling

by Miki Kimura

At the start of their spring semester, Menlo juniors undergo the process of familiarizing themselves with the college process. The first step: meeting their Menlo-appointed college counselors. Though these counselors provide countless services to help upperclassmen navigate the strenuous application process, some students choose to pursue an alternative route: hiring an independent counselor.

While Menlo doesn’t have a policy against independent counseling, Menlo college counselor David Melena has reservations. Private counseling poses questions about equity, as independent counselors require an additional fee, paid for by the student’s family. “[Independent counselors are] there to make money based on your usage of them,” Melena said. “We’re not going to charge you.”

At AJ Tutoring, comprehensive college counseling packages — which give a student support throughout the application process — cost $6,800, while college advising sessions cost $215 an hour.

Melena said that Menlo counselors are readily available during school hours to assist students with any questions they may have. They are also familiar with Menlo’s school context and have access to transcripts and school trends. “[We] know the ebbs and flows of Menlo that just can’t get replicated by an independent counselor,” he said.

Melena adds that communicating with counselors and family puts additional stress on the student. “I honestly think that’s a little bit too much for the student,” he said. “It’s totally on the student [to coordinate]. It’s not gonna be on the counselor.”

Even if private counselors have a full understanding of the school context, disagreements between counselors can still arise. Melena said that, in the past, independent counselors have promoted aspirational college lists. “We’re going to be more transparent,” he said.

Melena thinks that while it can be beneficial to hire a private college counselor for students attending large public schools, counselors at Menlo have smaller caseloads and can provide more individual support. “[Having a private counselor] totally makes sense when a public school has large student-to-counselor ratios,” he said.

Senior Dorothy Zhang didn’t choose to hire an independent counselor, but

her older sister, who attended public school, did. “The public school counselors [were] working with, like, 100 students per counselor,” Zhang said. “Here at Menlo, it’s a [...] much more individualized experience.”

Zhang is satisfied with her experience with her Menlo counselor. While her family looked into hiring an independent counselor earlier in the process, they ultimately decided against it after familiarizing themselves with the Menlo counseling process.

“[We] know the ebbs and flows of Menlo that just can’t get replicated by an independent counselor.”

College counselor David Melena

“My counselor was Ms. [Elena] Wong, and I know she put a lot of effort into [my] recommendation,” Zhang said. “They’re very available and willing to help.”

Menlo counselors are the ones who write student recommendation letters, making it crucial for students to get to know their counselors well. “Getting to know the student [...] helps the college counselor write an accurate [...] and effective college counselor recommendation letter,” Melena said.

However, while the comments on her college essays were supportive and provided good guidance, Zhang wishes that the advice had been more critical and notes that the college counseling process wasn’t entirely personalized. “I felt like [advice] wasn’t very

tailored to me specifically,” she said. Zhang didn’t apply to most of the colleges on her counselor’s suggested college list and didn’t find the list to be particularly helpful in her college search.

A junior who prefers to remain anonymous has had an independent counselor who used to work at Menlo since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year. Their counselor offers valuable support beyond managing the application process. “What we’ve been doing is working on my work habits,” they said. “She helps me with whatever I need help with. If I tell

her I have really bad writer’s block, she’ll help with that.”

Despite reservations, Melena isn’t completely opposed to independent counseling. “If you are a student that needs support [between] 5-9 p.m. or on weekends, then by all means, go get an outside counselor,” Melena said. “They can help you meet certain deadlines [and] craft an idea of college.”

An anonymous parent of an alumnus found the Menlo college counselors to be unreliable and had difficulty sending information and transcripts to colleges.

“One college had emailed saying they had to remove [my child] from consideration due to not receiving [their] transcript, which the college counselor failed to submit even after [my child] reminded them,” they said.

The parent also noted that setting up appointments with the Menlo counselor was difficult since their counselor missed multiple meetings.

The parent and student chose to get an independent counselor to improve time management and to ensure that all the necessary information was submitted to colleges. “It was helpful to have the independent college counselor available to answer any questions regarding the application process,”

the parent said.

Overall, Melena encourages families to share if they have an independent counselor. “We just appreciate the transparency,” he said.

Evolving College Process Students Discuss Affirmative Action and Legacy Admissions

by Jacob Reich

In June of 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most anticipated rulings of the year — it banned colleges from considering the race of an applicant.

17 days before the ruling, the Pew Research Center released the results from a poll that asked respondents if they approved of colleges using race and ethnicity as factors when deciding who to admit. 50% of the respondents disapproved of the practice, while only 33% approved.

Proponents of affirmative action like senior Amory Healy argue that it can help disadvantaged students who don’t have the opportunity to hire SAT tutors and attend after-school activities. “I think that affirmative action definitely gives them the opportunity to have a more level playing field,” she said.

Another student — a boy who prefers for his name to not be mentioned, and who will be referred to as Mateo — sees some upsides of affirmative action. “The benefit would definitely be a more diverse student base, especially because if you look at the demographics of our country, it’s predominantly white,” Mateo said. However, he ultimately disapproved of the practice. “I feel like it’s just combating inequality with more inequality, which I don’t think works,” Mateo said.

Some schools, typically private, also look at a student’s family history with the school

during the admissions process, often favoring students with relatives who attended the school. This process is called legacy admission or legacy preference and remains unaffected by the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling.

“College admissions as a whole kind of needs a rewrite because [it considers] a very marginal view of a person.”

Senior Amory Healy

Many colleges implement legacy preferences because they increase the amount of donations the college receives, as people are more likely to donate and feel closely attached to a school if many of their family members went to it. However, 75% of Americans disapprove of the practice, a 2022 Pew Research Center poll found.

Mateo believes that his family could have benefited from legacy admissions at Menlo as his sibling was admitted into the school after he was. “I think the idea of it is kind of strange, like just because you have a sibling who got in doesn’t mean you should be treated with priority,“ he said. “I get why they do it because they want to keep people at the school but I don’t think it should give someone a competitive edge.”

Junior William Edwards, whose father and grandfather attended Menlo, perceives legacy admissions as unmeritocratic and disagrees with the policy for the same

reason he disagrees with affirmative action. “[A student with a legacy connection] has an unfair advantage over maybe a more deserving student,” Edwards said. “I don’t think one student, just because their parents went to the school, should have a priority over another [student].”

While Mateo believes that affirmative action and legacy admissions do not adhere to meritocratic principles, Healy’s views vary depending on the consideration. She approves of affirmative action but disagrees with the use of legacy preferences.

“It’s getting in off of someone else’s merits, like your grandparents or parents,” Healy said. “I think that in regards to race, it isn’t just students that just get in because [colleges] see the race and they click admit; it is students who are on the same playing field as these other students. It’s more just recognizing what they potentially had to have gone through [because of their race] to get to where they are.”

“I don’t think one student, just because their parents went to the school, should have a priority over another [student].”

Junior William Edwards

Regarding the college admissions system as a whole, Healy and Mateo have fundamentally different views on the factors that should be considered. Healy wishes that admission officers used a more holistic approach to students.

“I think that college admissions as a whole kind of needs a rewrite because [it considers] a very marginal view of a person,” Healy said.

Mateo, on the other hand, believes that schools should solely consider merit, such as grades and achievements. “I don’t think that anyone should be promoted over anyone else. Like that’s the fundamental issue I have,” he said.

Menlo Community Responds To Standardized Test Requirements

by Aaron Widjaja

During COVID-19, many colleges and universities decided to make standardized testing optional. According to Director of College Counseling Lisa Giarratano, colleges made testing optional partly because of COVID restrictions. “Students couldn’t physically test because of the social distancing restrictions,” Giarratano said.

Colleges understood that students faced additional challenges due to the pandemic, such as not being able to participate in internships, summer camps or competitions that would bolster one’s application, and decided to change their process to be more adaptive and lenient for applicants.

Giarratano found that test-optional policies were significantly helpful for students. “At the time, it alleviated a lot of stress for students who were

panicking about not being able to find a test site, so that was comforting,” she said.

At the same time, shifts towards test-optional policies also exemplified colleges’s efforts to increase diversity and equity on campuses. The cost of standardized tests encompasses not only materials, but also outside assistance with preparation, and can disproportionately disadvantage minorities and low-income families. In fact, according to Fair Test, an educational organization that addresses issues related to fairness and accuracy in student test taking, students of color on average score lower on college admission tests, likely due to a lack of access to test-taking resources.

English teacher Jay Bush believes that the correlation between socioeconomic status and test scores played a key role in making tests optional. “You will see that people who have more wealth tend to have higher scores, so there’s an unequal distribution,” he said.

Bush feels that students from wealthier families have access to more resources to help them succeed on standardized tests, such as tutors and schools where the content of standardized tests is integrated into the curriculum. Specialized preparation directly leads to higher test scores and disadvantages students who struggle financially and don’t have the money to hire teachers.

However, as restrictions have loosened in the years following the pandemic, colleges have begun to revert to requiring standardized test scores. For instance, Dartmouth College, Brown University and Yale University recently announced that they would require students to submit standardized test scores.

Giarratano said that for each college that returns to mandatory testing, there will be around three to four that will continue their test-optional policies. “Every college has its own institutional priorities and, for some of these colleges, they choose to prioritize test scores," she said.

Dartmouth followed other universities, such as Georgetown University and the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology, in requiring students to submit standardized test scores. Whether other wellknown colleges, such as the rest of the Ivy Leagues, will follow their example is yet to be determined.

“Some of these colleges, they choose to prioritize test scores.”

Director of College Counseling Lisa Giarratano

Senior Aaliyah Sanders decided to apply to test-optional colleges because she doesn’t consider herself a good test taker. “I knew I did not want to prepare or study for the test, so I chose to only apply to test-optional schools,” she said.

Sanders is just one of the many students who assessed their abilities and decided that their standardized test score would not bolster their application.

Bush is conflicted about whether colleges should consider standardized test scores in the admission process. “If [colleges] are reading those scores within the context of an individual’s backgrounds, such as socioeconomic and racial ones [...] I think that can be a beneficial thing,” Bush said.

On the other hand, he fears that colleges deliberately implement the test to make the admission process more straightforward instead of considering other factors, such as an applicant’s economic background.

Sanders thinks that the weight of standardized tests during admissions depends on what the colleges value. “Some colleges believe it is an important aspect of their students while others believe test scores can be disregarded. It is viewed differently and held to a higher degree for different schools.”

Menlo’s Rejection Wall Sparks Controversy With Students and Staff

by Malia Chen

For years, Menlo School’s rejection wall, also known as the “wall of shame,” stood as a bold emblem outside the Student Life office. On the wall, seniors could post their college rejection letters as a means of turning personal setbacks into a collective rite of passage. However, the wall’s existence has sparked controversy amidst the high-pressure atmosphere of college application season at Menlo. The class of 2023 ultimately decided to end the tradition and remove the rejection wall.

Students created the wall to help seniors cope with the sting of rejection and provide a sense of camaraderie among students. When college decisions are released in March, students can optin to display their rejection letters, hiding their names to maintain privacy.

“Sometimes things don’t go the way that we want, and [the wall] can help students see that they aren’t alone in that,” Upper School counselor Stefie Dominguez said.

For many students, the wall normalizes college rejections and reminds seniors that rejection won’t prevent them from achieving their future goals. Instead, the wall encourages seniors to view rejection as

a shared experience that unites their class and promotes perseverance and mutual support for one another.

“Sometimes things don’t go the way that we want, and [the wall] can help students see that they aren’t alone in that.”

Upper School counselor

Stefie Dominguez

“During college applications, everyone was so stressed and the environment was so tense [...] so having a rejection wall would have broken down that barrier,” alumnus Kaylie Wu (‘23) said.

While the rejection wall has allowed some students to share their experiences with college rejections and support each other, not all students are in favor of having the wall. The rejection wall has received mixed reactions from students and staff because not all feel comfortable that students are publicizing

such personal experiences.

“I feel like instead of just talking about the colleges you didn’t get into, you should be celebrating the ones you did. [...] We should just look forward, as a class, to the colleges we get into. It feels a little negative,” senior Ethan Weinshel said.

As teachers, students, and administrators in the community have expressed their concerns about the wall, the tradition has become significantly less popular. So far this school year, no seniors have hung up any rejection letters.

“It’s just kind of lost steam over the years because students have become less interested in it,” Director of College Counseling Lisa Giarratano said.

In place of the rejection wall, Giarratano proposes a more celebratory approach to cope with the end of one path and commemorate the excitement of new beginnings: a bonfire after

college decisions are finalized in May. At the bonfire, seniors can burn their rejection letters in a more festive atmosphere, toasting marshmallows and celebrating their upcoming graduations.

Staff

St. Patrick’s Day Is Meant To Be Celebrated by Everyone

by AARON WIDJAJA

For centuries, children and adults alike have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day. But March 17 wasn’t always the flurry of leprechaun decorations and gold-plated chocolate coins that it is today; the holiday was originally created to commemorate Saint Patrick, the fifth-century missionary and bishop who brought Christianity to Ireland. In Ireland, Catholics traditionally mark St. Patrick’s Day through religious observances, such as attending Mass and participating in processions honoring the saint.

“St. Patrick’s Day is [...] an example of how we can appreciate and share different cultural traditions.

“

Starting in the 18th century, waves of Irish immigration brought the celebration to America. The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in America was in 1737; by this time, the holiday was no longer a

religious holiday, but rather a festival celebrating Irish-American culture. Over the past two centuries, American St. Patrick’s Day has evolved to include dressing up in green costumes and attending parades and parties, including family-friendly events. Now, the holiday is embraced by people of many ethnicities and faiths in America — 54% of Americans celebrated in some way in 2022.

Unfortunately, persistent stereotypes overshadow St. Patrick’s Day. Some dismiss it as nothing more than a frivolous green-themed children’s event, while others reduce it to a day dedicated to drunken revelry. As teenagers, we’re particularly stuck in between these two types of events — too young for bar crawls, but too old for leprechaunthemed activities. As a teenager myself, however, I attest that the holiday can be far more valuable for every person than these stereotypes suggest. I recommend welcoming the opportunity to genuinely celebrate Irish culture, Irish American history or learn more about Catholic traditions. Roman Catholicism is the biggest denomination of Catholicism, yet most people, including myself before writing this op-ed, don’t know much of its history.

“

I’ve enjoyed several local St. Patrick’s Day events that are community-oriented and welcoming to all ages.

“

I believe that St. Patrick’s Day is an authentically American festival: an example of how we can appreciate and share different cultural traditions and a time for people of all ages to celebrate heritage, history and identity. Despite its reputation as an exclusively over21 event, I’ve enjoyed several local St. Patrick’s Day events that are communityoriented and welcoming to all ages, such as Lucky’s Saint Patrick’s Day Crawl at San Jose, as well as Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in San Francisco, both on the 16th of March. I encourage you to approach these festivities with an open mind. You never know, you could end up with a new favorite holiday!

Humanities-Focused Students Should Have Access to The Same Number of Rigorous Classes as Their Stem Peers

by ELEANOR KINDER

At Menlo, Advanced Placement courses have been long esteemed. Many consider taking an AP class as a display of academic rigor and readiness for college. However, Menlo is currently in the process of phasing out all APs due to their inflexible curricula, opting to replace many humanities classes with honors or regular-level courses and most STEM courses with Advanced Topics classes. The reality of this decision is that the phase-out of AP courses has disproportionately impacted humanitiesoriented students, leaving them disadvantaged compared to their STEM counterparts.

AP English Language, AP English Literature and AP United States History are amongst the humanities APs that have begun to be phased out or have already been eliminated to be replaced with honors classes. Conversely, numerous STEM APs are being substituted with AT classes. Despite lacking the AP label, most AT courses still adequately prepare students for the AP exam, which reads well on transcripts in contrast to the less AP-focused honors classes. Menlo offers many high-level AT STEM courses, such as AT Computer Science, AT Chemistry and AT Biology. The disparity in course options as Menlo phases them out can put humanities students at a

disadvantage in the competitive admissions process. Regardless of the benefits of phasing out AP programs, it’s undeniable that students who take advantage of high-level courses stand out in college applications as having the ability to challenge themselves.

“

Menlo should offer an equal number of highlevel courses for every kind of student.

“

To ensure equal academic opportunities for students who excel in fields such as literature, history and the arts, Menlo should offer an equal number of high-level courses for every kind of student.

Not to mention, as Menlo phased out the APs in the past couple of years, there was a particularly large imbalance between the still-existing AP courses and the ones that became honors. During course selection for my sophomore year, my STEM-oriented peers had multiple options such as AP Computer Science and AP Physics 2 — although AP Computer Science has since been removed — while there were limited Advanced Placement arts classes.

As a student who excels in humanities subjects, I have personally felt the repercussions of this imbalance in AP offerings. Although this imbalance will no longer exist beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the lack of humanitiesfocused AP courses available to me when picking my current classes

left me feeling behind in comparison to my peers, who seem to be taking more rigorous courses than myself.

According to Upper School Director John Schafer, it has been difficult to match the number of AP classes between disciplines at Menlo in the first place because the College Board offers more STEM than humanities courses. Thus, with the removal of most AP courses, Menlo has the opportunity to create more advanced humanities courses.

Still, the decision to phase out AP courses and create replacement classes in a manner that neglects humanities offerings is not the most effective way to transition the curriculum at Menlo. Recognizing the importance of equitable

“

The phase-out of AP courses has disproportionately impacted humanitiesoriented students, leaving them disadvantaged compared to their STEM counterparts.

“

opportunities for all students to pursue advanced coursework can cultivate a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. While phasing out APs is not necessarily a negative thing, prioritizing balance and diversity in offered advanced classes ensures that students of all academic inclinations have the chance to thrive and succeed.

Staff illustration: Amber More

Menlo Junior Jackson Coleman (left) and former Menlo student Tyler Rattner (right), then freshmen, show up to campus decked in green from head to toe. “It’s fun to come together and dress up with your friends during the holiday, even if you don’t have a personal connection to it,” Coleman said.

Photo courtesy of Avani Ganesan

Award Show Outcry Should Emphasize a Lack of Diversity In the Academies, Not Red Carpet Drama

by LIZZIE FREEHILL

The Grammys, Oscars, Emmys and Tonys are preceded by speculation and followed by controversy each year. This tension isn’t solely the byproduct of fans anticipating certain results and being upset when awards aren’t won by their favorite nominees. From red carpet looks to how someone accepts an award, every detail of these shows is dissected. However, if we’re going to be hypercritical of these award shows, it should be directed at the lack of diversity in the voting committees within the academies which means the successes of many nominees are overlooked.

When we sit down to watch awards shows voted on by the academies, we must remember that they are not fan-choice awards. The members of the voting committees of all renowned award shows are successful in the media industry and have extensive knowledge of their respective professions. Still, along with expertise, they all carry biases — it’s only human. As Jay-Z said when he accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2024 Grammys, “It’s music and it’s opinion-based.”

As viewers of award shows and consumers of the entertainment that they underscore, we must be honest with ourselves about why we disagree with the results. Was an artist or movie truly robbed of an award they deserved over all the other nominations, or do you just think that because they happen to be your favorite? I’ve found myself believing certain nominees were snubbed before, only to realize that I don’t have extensive knowledge of the other contenders.

It’s music and it’s opinion-based. “

Rapper Jay-Z

However, allegiances to certain artists, performers and projects are difficult to ignore, especially when there’s a larger or controversial context. For instance, when Lana Del Rey left the 2024 Grammy’s awardless once again despite 11 career nominations, fans were heartbroken and resentful towards the Recording

Academy, which is seemingly still holding her shaky 2012 Saturday Night Live performance against her.

Even after efforts to diversify [...] nominees are still being judged by a nonrepresentative group.

Similarly, in the late 1990s, rapper DMX didn’t receive any Grammy nominations despite having two No.1 albums, and director Greta Gerwig came up short in the nominations for Best Director for “Barbie,” despite the fact that it broke box office records and her three other solo projects have been nominated for Best Picture. Though DMX was eventually nominated for 4 Grammys and Gerwig was nominated for Best Director for her 2017 film “Lady Bird,” both cases, along with many others, reflect not only that individuals in the entertainment industry shouldn’t measure their success solely by these awards, but also that we should direct our criticism elsewhere: towards a lack of diversity within the academies.

One could discuss how Gerwig is one of eight women who have ever been nominated for Best Director, but what they should really be focusing on is that only a quarter of the Director’s Branch of the Academy are women, even after efforts to diversify. Criticism of the

Recording Academy’s lack of diversity led it to invite 2,400 new members, 50% of whom were people of color and 37% of whom were women, according to Billboard. Progress is being made, but nominees are still being judged by a nonrepresentative group.

Lastly, celebrities are people, and, in the same way that we have our opinions, they have their own style preferences. If there’s a certain look or vibe you’re hoping for, you’re likely not going to find it at these infrequent red carpet events — it’s not fair to be upset when our favorites don’t dress exactly how we want them to. So rather than fixating on the style choices or behavior of the nominees, let’s be more critical of our attitudes towards these award shows and changing the nature of committees that vote for them.

Staff illustration: Amber More

Why You Should Ditch Coffee and Embrace the Tea Lifestyle

by ALYSSA McADAMS

The moment a Starbucks Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino first hit my lips, I was convinced that coffee was the one thing I had been missing all my life. 11-year-old me had never been permitted to even smell caffeine before that day and thus had never experienced the mesmerizingly rich flavor of a cup of joe. From here began my daily tradition of making myself a cup of coffee every morning. Sure, my parents protested for all the reasons you’d think a parent

Unfortunately, I did not heed my parents’s warnings, and my relationship with coffee became toxic. It seemed that a cup of coffee would give me short bursts of energy that would fizzle out almost immediately. Finally, after one particularly exhausting day, I decided to see if making the switch to tea would earn different results. I’m here to tell you that you too should set down the coffee pot and pick up the tea kettle.

One obvious reason is the taste. Unless you’re the rare 17 year old who can stand the bitter taste of black coffee,

Staff Amberillustration: More

sizable dose of cream or sugar.

It’s simply unnecessary to infuse calorierich added sugar into your morning beverage when tea offers a flavor that requires no suppressant. The many kinds of teas offer a variety of flavors, like fruity, herbal, earthy, sweet and even floral. Maybe a strong tea isn’t, well, your cup of tea — don’t fret! You can alter the intensity of your tea by steeping it for as long as you would like.

Maybe you push through the taste of coffee because you “need” the caffeine boost. I have some bad news for you: the way your body absorbs caffeine from coffee can contribute to panic attacks, make your heart work harder and raise your blood pressure. The average brew of coffee contains 96 milligrams of caffeine, and 95% of it is absorbed into the bloodstream in less than fifteen minutes. On the flip side, our bodies absorb caffeine from tea more slowly and consistently, making us feel more balanced. Tea still offers plenty of energy; an average cup of black tea contains 47 mg of caffeine.

Tea’s effects on energy are not the only health benefits it offers. Tea contains

an amino acid called L-theanine, which supports sleep, relaxation and mental focus. It also helps to aid health issues like high blood pressure. Furthermore, the antioxidants found in tea are proven to

“

Our bodies absorb caffeine from tea more slowly and consistently, making us feel more balanced.

“

boost your immune system and fight off inflammation, and while coffee is great for an instant energy spike, tea offers continuous energy with no drop-off. The benefits of becoming a tea drinker are undeniable, so I implore you to make the change.

Social Media’s Filtered Truth Misleads Young Girls

by CAROLINE CLACK

“Hi guys! Get ready with me to go to the mall with my friends!” a preteen girl on my friend’s TikTok “For You” page exclaims as she slathers anti-aging skincare serum over her face before carefully applying mascara. These days, social media seems to be ubiquitous; everyone is on it, and users are getting younger and younger. With the increase in younger users, there should be a reevaluation of how social media impacts the values of young girls.

Social media is most broadly defined as technology designed to aid the sharing of information, content and communication, but it has become more complex than that. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok have become places where it’s expected that people publicly showcase the most perfect version of themselves. Users intentionally try to display photos that paint them in the best light. For women especially, this means looking beautiful and doing exciting things with as many friends as possible.

Staff illustrations:

Amber More

What’s exhibited on social media can be truthful, but it’s rarely the whole truth. I’ve been told that on numerous occasions, but it hasn’t sunk in yet. Honestly, it’s a hard thing to remember when scrolling through gorgeous pictures of attractive, carefree and seemingly perfect people.

conscious enough to try to change aspects of myself.

A comic series by guest illustrator Jonah Block

For young girls, seeing these seemingly perfect people portrayed on social media can trigger extreme self-comparison and jealousy.

“ “

The people I follow aren’t perfect. I know that now. They’re also definitely not carefree. I can recognize that the images I scroll through are facades meant to mask the imperfections users want to pretend don’t exist. But if I’d had social media at the age of ten, would I have recognized this? Probably not. The truth is that the lessons I’ve learned and the experiences I’ve had over the last few years have made me aware — most of the time — that nobody is perfect. But my middle school self would have believed every post and felt self-

Young girls are especially susceptible to taking these posts at face value and ignoring the imperfections they can’t immediately see. According to Science

Daily, young kids are more self-centered by nature because of an immature prefrontal cortex that doesn’t support altruistic behavior. By being generally less altruistic, the youth are less aware and thus are less likely to realize that other people experience stress and pain like they do. This is only heightened when social media becomes part of adolescence.

The most tangible example of this phenomenon is young girls purchasing hundreds of dollars worth of beauty products they don’t actually need. Young girls with flawless skin do not need antiaging cream or any product targeted at getting rid of their nonexistent wrinkles. I sometimes babysit my neighbor’s 8-year-old daughter, who takes pride in her massive Drunk Elephant skincare collection. Although she has no use for these products, they make her feel like the influencers she sees on social media.

For young girls, seeing these seemingly perfect people portrayed on

social media can trigger extreme selfcomparison and jealousy. Social media leads to a desire to be perfect that is ultimately unattainable. The youths’ stilldeveloping minds also means that this self-comparison can lead to more serious worries concerning mental health like depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

If I’m being honest, there is no way to escape social media. By keeping it, you're bound to be limited by a desire to be perfect, but by deleting it you would likely feel a sense of missing out. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should ignore the detrimental effects social media has on the body image and mental health of our youth. We need to be more careful about giving young girls unlimited access to these platforms and remind them that they don’t need to drive to be as flawless as the facades shown on social media.

The Coat of Arms

Editor-in-Chief...............................................Tatum Herrin

Print Editor..........................................................Andrea Li

Online Editor................................................Lizzie Freehill

News Editor.................................................Geoffrey Franc

Opinions Editor.......................................Alyssa McAdams

Arts & Lifestyle Editor................................Sonia Dholakia

Sports Editor..............................................Devon Schaefer

Spread Editor................................................Amelie Giomi

Social Media Director......................................Jacob Reich

Creative Director........................................... Amber More

Copy Editors.........................Miki Kimura, Eleanor Kinder

Marketing Director....................Claude Kingsley-Williams

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The Coat of Arms is an independent, student-led open forum for student expression. All decisions relating to the management and content of The Coat of Arms are fundamentally the responsibility of students. Coat of Arms reporters strive to acknowledge their internal biases and tell meaningful stories with empathy, fairness and journalistic integrity. The Coat of Arms staff is committed to building on the legacy of past staffs while setting the foundation for future members.

To Bridge the Millenial and Gen-Z Divide, We Must Stop Labeling Everything as “Cheugy”

by ALYSSA McADAMS

Side parts? Uncool. Calling your dog “doggo”? Cringe. Knee-high Uggs? Giving 2012. Especially on social media, us Gen-Zers jump at the chance to label something as “cheugy,” the up-and-coming slang word for something that is unfashionable or has fallen out of trend — typically directed towards styles popular in the early 2010s. The alarming reality, however, is that a culture war has begun between millennials and GenZers, and the generational divides have never been larger. Gen-Z gaining empathy and accepting the “cheugy” stylistic choices of millennials is the first step towards putting an end to it.

The term “cheugy” was first coined in 2013, but it wasn’t until 2021 that the word rose in popularity through TikTok. The word took on a more sinister meaning as more and more Gen-Z content creators began to deem certain items or actions cheugy, criticizing

These days, everything from going to Disneyland as an adult to “Live, Laugh, Love” decorative signs can and are considered to be cheugy.

“

How can we preach diversity and expressing ourselves through our style choices while continuing to condemn millennials for their choices?

she genuinely considers her dog to be her child. But I’ve come to realize that critiquing the things she enjoys is nothing but a selfish and largely unsuccessful attempt to make myself feel cooler, younger and trendier. Given our large age difference and geographical gap, I should instead be celebrating the things I have in common with my sister. Not everything regarding Gen-Z and millennials needs to be some sort of comparison or competition, because what good does that do?

Lifestyle writer Lydia Venn wrote in

now they’re got a whole new word for it.”

It’s tempting to create and conform to an idealistic version of what one’s fashion or lifestyle should be and to exclude those who do not. We Gen-Zers celebrate our youth and dread aging, mocking those whose outdated style shows signs of it. But how can we preach diversity and expressing ourselves through our style choices while continuing to condemn millennials for their choices?

My sister is 13 years older than me and probably the epitome of the stereotypical “millennial” — a side-parted, tattooed primary school teacher who hates “adulting” and loves iced coffee, her “doggo” and Taylor Swift. Naturally, I’ve made plenty of fun of her, whether it’s over her “cringe” Instagram stories or the fact that

There will come a day when Gen-Z is no longer the target audience for all things youthful and trendy, when our input no longer offers the perspective of what’s “in” or what the young people are doing. Younger generations will take that role from us just as we took it from millennials, and the things we do and say will be just as mocked as wearing snake print or Adidas superstar sneakers is today. So have some empathy, Gen-Z, and let people do and wear what they enjoy doing and wearing, regardless of how cheugy it may be.

Blackout Week or Burnout Week? Menlo’s Stress-Reducing Weeks Need Restructuring

by SIENNA LEW

When the Menlo “Weekly Announcements” email rolls in every Sunday, I’m almost always looking forward to seeing what exciting events and news the upcoming days will bring. However, when I notice that a blackout week is looming on the horizon, I can’t help but heave a resigned sigh. This may sound counterintuitive — why wouldn’t I rejoice at the opportunity to set the computer and textbooks down? The reality is that, when executed poorly, blackout days can cause more harm than good.

are allowed more breathing room and time to study.

Hypothetically, blackout periods sound like a wonderful idea. You’re saying spread-out tests and more time in between to prepare? Sign me up! In reality, though, I’ve found that blackout weeks often condense assessments into a shorter, more demanding time, inducing worry and mental exhaustion among students.

“ “

Rather than relieving students’ stress, blackout weeks frequently cause assessments and projects to cluster and coincide with one another.

In a Menlo setting, a blackout week designates a period of time during which teachers are prohibited from giving unit tests or large assessments. In theory, blackout weeks are implemented to reduce stress levels among students and prevent academic burnout. By having tests staggered and spread out, students

First, rather than relieving students’ stress, blackout weeks frequently cause assessments and projects to cluster and coincide with one another, immediately before and after these designated blackout periods. As a result, students often find themselves juggling a flurry of stressful tasks and assignments in a short timeframe, completely defeating the purpose of the blackout week system. Consequently, students are attacked by a whirlwind of academic pressure and anxiety; considering how ordinarily stressful high school can be, blackout weeks can actually have a negative influence on a student’s wellness.

Additionally, blackout weeks may give students and teachers alike a false sense of security. Teachers assign larger, long-term projects beginning before and ending after blackout weeks. In doing this, teachers may assume that students will have extra time to complete tasks during blackout periods and expect them to complete extra work during that time.

I’ve noticed that it can sometimes be difficult for teachers to sync their

lesson plans and curriculum in a balanced manner with one another. In many of my classes, we begin and finish units in tandem — this is understandable, as I know that there is an ideal unit length that many teachers like to aim for.

“

“ Teachers only have a few days to wrap up lessons and cram in exams before the blackout hits.

However, for other students and myself, having many projects and assessments inherently line up can exacerbate the negative effects of blackout weeks. Teachers only have a few days to wrap up lessons and cram in exams before the blackout hits; and when all classes finish their units at the same time, these two factors together provoke a barrage of stressful tests and studying. Even if unintended, tension and pressure is at a high during blackouts and the days around it.

Am I saying that increased academic stress during blackout periods is the result of Menlo teachers’ actions? Not at

all. All I mean is that blackout weeks can be inherently flawed. Though the idea to alleviate student stress is positive, there must be a better way to do so.

I would propose that teachers find a way to sync their curriculums and plan around one another. I understand that teachers can be incredibly busy and that syncing assessments is not an easy task. I also acknowledge that this will take a fair amount of work from the teachers’ end; however, that work would be seriously appreciated. This possible solution can mitigate confusion and stress for both themselves and their students. Then, everyone can have peace of mind, knowing that students won’t have three tests in a day or that the optimal time to

History and Harmony: New Teacher Joseph Mitchell On His Longtime Love for Music

by CINDY OLGUIN

From singing hymns at his childhood church to being in a rock band and composing musical tracks, musical expression is an important companion in the life of history teacher Joseph Mitchell. Even though Mitchell primarily spends his time in the classroom, he finds opportunities to polish former projects and compose new songs and tracks.

Performance is embedded in Mitchell’s lived experience, as he grew up singing at his local church with various musical role models alongside him. Meanwhile, Mitchell’s mother could play music by ear and played instruments her entire life, and Mitchell's brother studied

opera performance at The Juilliard School in New York. These family role models paved the way for Mitchell’s musical interest and encouraged him to take a possible music career into account.

At a young age, Mitchell began his musical journey by playing piano and viola and participating in school musicals throughout his high school years, strengthening his love for singing and the art of music. After auditioning for various college musical programs, Mitchell eventually enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, deciding to major in voice. However, his academic interests shifted toward history and

political science, leading him to pursue a voice major for only a year and a half before devoting himself entirely to history.

Mitchell’s journey into music composition began during his college years. “I’ve always been interested in creating something new and uniquely mine instead of just following what's written on the page,” Mitchell said.

Despite majoring in history, Mitchell continued to master music theory, eventually teaching himself to play the guitar. By the end of college, he had performed in a rock band at UNC and embarked on a career in composing and singing. His compositions encompass both lyrical and musical elements. He refers to these early works as “musical daydreams,” which, according to Mitchell, emit a “Beatle-esque” vibe.

At the moment, Mitchell is finalizing the guitar arrangements for his latest tracks, with plans to release a CD titled “Chateau Cordilleras” this year, which is available on Soundcloud. Inspired by history teacher and Global Programs Director Peter Brown, Mitchell is considering hosting a release concert at the Spieker Center to launch his CD.

After college, Mitchell aimed to create tracks for films, which was one of the great motivators behind

his move to the Bay Area. However, Mitchell recognized the challenges of gaining recognition in the profession. Nevertheless, music continued to be a significant part of his free time, with a focus on composition. “Music has always been my favorite puzzle,” Mitchell said.

Music not only serves as a personal connection for Mitchell but is also intertwined with his career and his family. From a young age, his daughter was fixated on a Canadian indie rock artist, John Bryant, which provided them with a shared interest. Mitchell’s son is also very talented at playing instruments and is, according to Mitchell, “a better classical artist than I’ll probably ever be.”

As Mitchell continues teaching at Menlo, he hopes to see more creative arts performances. Mitchell expressed his love for the Winter Assembly, which brought to the spotlight the school’s orchestra, a theater group, and a presentation of students’s visual art. As a musician himself, he sympathizes with many of the rising musicians of Gen Z.

Mitchell believes that geographically and socially, the Bay Area has few places to present music. Still, he implores artists to hold onto their musical passion and curiosity. “If people aren’t listening or aren’t interested, it doesn’t mean what you’re doing is without value,” he said.

Menlo Dance Concert Looks To Innovate This Spring

by ELEANOR KINDER

On March 22 and 23, the Spieker Center will host Menlo’s annual dance concert with three performances over the two days. While the dance concert is an annual event, each year’s performance has a unique focus. The theme of this year’s concert is “innovate.” According to upper school dance teacher Angela Curotto-Pierson, this year’s theme led the dancers to push the boundaries of dance and storytelling through innovative approaches to movement, sound, lighting and video.

“The way we’re creating the pieces, like the process of them, is where we’re showcasing the innovation,” Curotto-Pierson said. From using ChatGPT to generate dance formations to incorporating student-coded LED light strips into costumes, the concert is using technology and unconventional methods to craft its performances.

The concert is divided into four distinct sections, each highlighting a different aspect of innovation. In the movement section, dancers will explore new and unexpected ways of choreographing dances. One of the Knight Life dances specifically experimented with dividing dancers into groups when choreographing. “[Dance teacher Bibi Khalili] had half the group choreograph only arms [...] the other half choreographed just feet and then we put them together,” Curotto-Pierson said.

In the sound section, students are creating original music for the dances. Senior Kaavya Baliga, in addition to performing in the concert, composed music for a dance number in her Push Play class.

Video is another focus of the concert, and dancers will interact with projected images and videos to enhance their movements.

The last section of the concert is lighting. “We’re going to experiment with different spotlights and different colored lights,” senior Tate Lee, co-captain of the team, said.

After the Friday show, there will be a 10-15 minute information and question session where attendees can ask questions and learn more about how the theme was incorporated into the creative process. “My hope is that after seeing the title of the show, seeing the program and watching the pieces, the takeaway is that you can tell that something is different about the intention of the pieces

or something was different with creating it,” CurottoPierson said.

According to Lee, focusing on innovation has made the process more difficult. “One of my pieces involves light, so we’re basically creating choreography that relies on the lights [...] so we’re almost like working

backwards, which has been fun, but it’s also been timeconsuming,” Lee said.

Lee also stated that different elements will need a lot of experimentation during tech week. “The whole idea of the show was like we’d be innovative in different ways, so that means merging dance and technology,” Lee said.

Joseph Mitchell poses with his guitar. Photo courtesy of Mitchell

Menlo dancers rehearsing for the 2024 concert (top) and performing in the 2023 concert (bottom). Staff photos: Eleanor Kinder and Caroline Clack

From Minor League Baseball to Documentaries, Menlo Students Explore Their Passions Through IP Capstone

by SONIA DHOLAKIA

Most students leave class with the same assignment as everyone else. But in Menlo’s IP Capstone program, students are encouraged to set themselves apart, whether that be by crafting a documentary or exploring a topic in a 30-page research paper.

The IP Capstone seminar gives students the opportunity to explore a subject of their choosing in-depth for a semester. Assisted by history teachers Sabahat Adil and Peter Brown, students conduct their own research which culminates in a final presentation to the Menlo community at the end of the semester.

Prior to enrolling, senior Jackson Deutch was intrigued by the independence this project would give him and the opportunity to set his own pace. “The journey to get to your final paper or deliverable is very individualized,” he said.

“

I ended up being more interested in the topic than I ever thought I would.

Senior Jackson Deutch

“

Deutch chose to write a research paper on the history of labor relations in minor-league baseball, a topic which he felt aligned his various interests. “I’m a massive baseball fan; I love following baseball, which is something I kind of take pride in,” he said. “Politics is so ingrained in that sport, especially because of its history in America. I’m also really passionate about law and economics. [This project] kind of represented this perfect intersection.”

For his paper, Deutch interviewed California State Sen. Josh Becker, who proposed legislation to give minor league players new rights and protections, as well as those who work in collective bargaining to understand that process.

Deutch also utilized the Menlo alumni network to contact minor league players. He was able to interview Mikey Diekroeger (‘14) and Danny Diekroeger

hardworking, they want to learn, they’re engaged; all of these students have those characteristics but they were put into a

visited with her family.

“It was a wonderful experience,” she said. “I remember leaving it thinking how different their education system was compared to here. But yet, if you think of the ideal Menlo student, they’re

situation that was underresourced.” During COVID-19, Ngarenaro was greatly impacted.

Lenihan and her brother, freshman William Lenihan, decided to assist the school however possible. The school expressed that their greatest lack was their small kitchen, which struggled to feed their 2,000 students. The Lenihan siblings raised $15,000 for the school to build a brand-new kitchen through babysitting, basketball lessons and a GoFundMe.

Selected Student Profile: Saniya Ahmed

by SONIA DHOLAKIA

Q: If you could have one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A raspberry-filled brioche from Satura Cakes in Los Altos. It’s the best donutfilled thing you could ever eat in your life. I tell a lot of people that, if I’m ever mad at you, the only way I would be able to forgive you is if you gave me one of those.

Q: Do you have a favorite movie?

The live action “Yogi Bear.”

Q: What’s your guilty pleasure?

Sitting on my mom’s balcony and doing my work out there just looking at the sky.

Q: Do you have a favorite animal?

I’m scared of most animals, but dogs if they’re cute.

Q: It’s a Friday night - where would someone find you?

At Pizzeria Delfina or Pacific Catch.

Q: If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?

A music producer or something like that so I could get contacts to the people they produce music for.

Q: If you could have any superpower what would it be?

The ability to fill things up. So, if your heart’s empty, you can fill it up with love. If your plate’s empty, you can fill it up

In addition to fundraising, Lenihan worked with the school directly during the construction process. “I was talking to the school [and] teachers. I was also working with construction companies and the government to get the plans approved,” Lenihan said.

After completing the kitchen project, Lenihan wanted to continue her work with the school. “We decided that we wanted to raise money for a dining hall because now they had somewhere to make food but didn’t have anywhere to eat,”

The dining hall project requires $17,000, of which Lenihan has raised $5,000. She saw IP Capstone as an opportunity to promote her project. “A basic component of fundraising is creating a community for people to understand your project,” Lenihan said. “Doing it through a class at Menlo allows for another area of my life to get exposed to this project.”

Lenihan is currently working on a documentary about the school that she plans on sharing with potential donors. “I felt like part of the disconnect with raising $17,000 is people can hear me talking about the project, but they’re never going to get to live the experience that I did,” she said. “[The documentary] is a way for them to experience the

Lenihan’s passion for filmmaking contributed to her decision to craft a film about the school. Through IP Capstone, she is working with the school to show her documentary at the Menlo Film Festival this spring, as well as the project being the “Menlo Gives” organization for Menlo Drama during the

Being a part of IP has allowed Lenihan to both work on her documentary and share it with the community. “I want to know the most impactful way to fundraise for a nonprofit, but also what are ways that I can do that through a class,” Lenihan said.

with food. If your bank account’s empty, you can fill it up with money.

Q: What’s a pet peeve of yours?

When people are sensitive. Like if you say something as a joke and people take it to heart, but it’s really a joke.

Q: What’s something most people don’t know about you?

I have a super long tongue. The party trick where you can tie the cherry with your mouth, I can do that.

Q: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you bring?

A raft, a group of friends and a speaker.

Saniya Ahmed in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo courtesy of Ahmed

Arts & Lifestyle

Menlo Art Club Creates Murals for Stent Hall

by MIKI KIMURA

Upon entering Stent Hall’s ballroom, visitors to Menlo notice the walls featuring colorful paintings and murals. An eye-catching new addition hangs across from the piano: a brilliant red dragon created in honor of the Lunar New Year. Menlo’s Art Club, currently co-led by sophomores Diya Karthik, Eisha Yadav and Claire Yao, created this piece. The dragon mural is the Art Club’s first large, collaborative work this year. While the club has created murals in past years — many can be found around campus — painting a mural was a new experience for most members.

The club members began by meeting up a few times in December to draw drafts on a smaller sheet of paper. “Since it was a four by four panel, we thought it was a

Having a painting I worked on being placed next to the other paintings in Stent was awesome.

Junior Melina Morales Lemus

good idea to kind of make the dragon kind of circular, yet kind of twisting,” Yao said.

The undertaking of painting a dragon was daunting, but Yadav was excited for the research and execution. “Dragons are really cool to paint,” Yadav said. “Nina [Ollikainen, club advisor and art teacher] has experience with painting traditional Chinese dragons, and it was really a fun research project to look more into and learn about how to paint a traditional Chinese dragon.”

The Art Club coordinated a December meeting on a long weekend to begin painting. “We worked on it for,

I would say, five hours,” Yao said. “Nina and I mostly worked on it during [art class] or after school.” The mural was finished in early February.

“There was a lot of procrastination,” Yao said. “In the beginning, I would say the drafting took a couple of hours. The painting took definitely the majority of time.”

Ollikainen handled the placement of the finished mural. Upon learning that the dragon mural would be placed in the Stent Hall ballroom, club members were elated. “Nina told us [...] and we were like, ‘Wait, that’d be so awesome,’” Yao said. “Because I actually come [into the Stent Hall ballroom] all the time.”

Club member Melina Morales Lemus shared the sentiment. “I felt incredibly happy and quite honored,” Morales Lemus said. “Having a painting I worked on being placed next to the other paintings in Stent was awesome.”

The club hopes to continue creating more cultural murals, and Morales Lemus and Yadav said that the club was planning to create a mural depicting the national birds of Latin American countries.

The Art Club’s recent work in mural creation is something of a revival. Towards the end of the 2022-23 school year, the Art Club’s activity slowed down. “[Art Club] slowly died down a little bit,” Yadav said. “After last year, we all decided that Art Club is something that we really need to be a thing at Menlo, because all of us really love the arts.”

Yadav believes that a reason for the Art Club’s resurgence this year is the ability to distribute responsibility between co-leaders. “I guess the problem is that we get so busy in junior and senior years, and then the leaders had less time [last year], though I think they worked really hard to keep the club in action,” Yadav said. “It’s better that now we have co-leaders, so if one of us is busy, we can manage the work together.”

“Really, we just want to make sure that our fellow artists are showcased, so that they have a platform to

Long-Term Substitute Teachers Reflect on Experiences

by JACOB REICH

Dana Perkins started teaching AP English Language at Menlo in January as a leave replacement teacher for Oscar King IV. Perkins described the challenges of quickly adapting to a new environment. “It has required way more patience with myself than I anticipated [...] — learning new systems, tech platforms, meeting a whole new group of students and adults, learning a school’s culture,” Perkins said. Although a vast majority of employees cannot take paid parental leave, California’s Paid Family Leave offers employees 60-70% of their salary for up to eight weeks. Menlo also offers employees

multiple additional weeks of paid parental leave. However, many teachers end up using accrued sick days to take multiple months off of work.

Currently, two Menlo teachers, King IV and Alexis King, who bear no relation, are both taking parental leave. King IV had a baby last year and King — who teaches biology and honors chemistry — had a baby in February of this year. Additionally, Upper School Counselor Jake Fauver took paternity leave earlier this year, while Spanish teacher Patti Frias is on leave recovering from surgery after a physical injury.

Most teachers at Menlo teach four or five classes. When a teacher is gone for multiple months, it’s extremely difficult for another Menlo teacher to take over their classes in addition to their own. Therefore, the school hires leave replacement teachers, also known as long-term substitutes.

Due to the nature of the job, nearly all long-term substitutes have to continue the permanent teacher’s curriculum. “I stick to the plan/agenda as best I can. [...] I think it’s important to stay the course, but I also know that I don’t have to do exactly what Mr. King would do,” Perkins wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms.

Now-permanent music teacher Joshua Charney, who started teaching at Menlo in 2022 in a temporary leave replacement role for instrumental music teacher and Creative Arts Director Leo Kitajima Geefay, also primarily followed Kitajima Geefay’s set curriculum for some of the classes he taught. “For the orchestra and jazz band [...] the curriculum was kind of set because they had the pieces they were working on,” Charney said. However, he had more freedom to add his own lessons and projects in some of the classes he substituted for.

Still, Charney had to navigate integrating his teaching style with a mostly solidified curriculum from another teacher. “The biggest challenge is [...] if you do something differently, is that gonna be weird with the students because they’re used to doing it a certain way?” Charney said.

Meeting the needs of students can be

difficult when a teacher joins them midway through the school year. Perkins had each of her students fill out a questionnaire so that she could get to know them.

Khori Vondenbenken is the longterm substitute for both King’s honors chemistry and biology classes. “This is my first time subbing. I have always been a classroom science teacher,” Vondenbenken wrote in an email to The Coat of Arms. “My transition has been somewhat smooth. Every adult I’ve been introduced to has reached out at some point to offer support and assistance.”

Reflecting on his time as a long-term substitute, Charney sees it as a fitting introduction to his current position at Menlo. “It’s nice to have had those few months. [...] I kind of learned how Menlo works a little bit, how the classes work, how the students engage with the material, so it was a good introduction for teaching this school year,” Charney said.

Perkins, who hopes to find a permanent role at an independent high school next year, also appreciates her time substituting long-term. “I’ve learned a lot in the past seven months from being on two different campuses with two very different groups of students,” Perkins said, referring to both her time filling in for teachers at Menlo and Crystal Springs Uplands School.

“I also love watching a student gain confidence in their ability to express themselves and come to enjoy writing. [...] Every day presents opportunities to learn — you just have to be open to them.”

Sophomore Eisha Yadav paints the dragon mural. Photo courtesy of Claire Yao

Junior Ella Litsur meets with AP Lang substitute Dana Perkins. Staff photo: Jacob Reich

by GEOFFREY FRANC

At 16 years of age, many sophomores work toward and obtain their driver’s license. However, sophomores Bodie Callaghan and Sachin Sandhu have higher aspirations.

For them, the sky’s the limit, literally.

Callaghan and Sandhu are both hoping to earn their private pilot’s license when they turn 17, allowing them to fly themselves and others in small aircraft.

For both boys, flying runs in the family. “My dad has been a pilot for, I think, 30 plus years now, and so flying has always been a big part of my life in that way,” Sandhu said. “Before I could walk, I was in airplanes.”

Eager to take to the skies, Sandhu started out by flying gliders and obtained his glider’s pilot license the day he turned 14 –– the minimum age required by the Federal Aviation Administration for that certification.

“The first time I took control of a glider, I really felt like I was just sitting in the sky,” Sandhu said. “Everything’s super quiet, there’s no engine, the cockpit is all glass, you can see everything.”

A glider is an aircraft without its own propulsion, meaning that with no propeller, no jet and no rotor blades, glider pilots must rely on other aircraft to tow them up to a certain altitude before letting

them go. The gliders Sandhu flies have two to three seats, but to stay in the air longer, gliders typically have much longer wings than similar self-propelling aircraft. “There’s no force pulling you or pushing you [forward], [so] it feels like you’re just there surrounded by the sky,” Sandhu said.

“

My dad has been a pilot for, I think, 30 plus years now, and so flying has always been a big part of my life.

“

On the day Sandhu planned to take his first solo in a glider, he took practice flights with his instructor, who later took him by surprise. “Each time you land you got to re-tie the rope, and so one time my instructor hopped out of the airplane, retied the rope and then just ran away and said, ‘You’re going back up.’”

flight, though flying alone was scary. “When I got out, I was sweating,” he recalled.

On his own 14th birthday, Callaghan, whose dad and grandfather are both pilots, took his first flying lesson, and remembers a similar fear when his instructor gave him the reins for take off. “You’re going really fast and the engine’s kind of loud and [...] there’s just realization where you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, like, you’re flying a plane,’” Callaghan said. “It’s a little scary, but then it goes away and you’re just like, ‘This is so cool.’”

Callaghan flies weekly from Palo Alto Airport as he meets the flight hour requirements for a Private Pilot License, and he also recently got his student pilot certificate, which allows him to fly solo. On his first flight alone, though, Callaghan was nervous. “If anything happens, it’s up to me,” he said.

obtain a PPL, but even for just a solo flight, the Federal Aerial Administration requires a knowledge test, medical evaluation and hours of flight training.

Prospective private pilots must also take a knowledge test, so outside of around two hours of flying lessons each week, Callaghan studies for the test on his own.

Sandhu, having completed his glider certification, has also been working toward his PPL and plans to get his student pilot certificate in late March. “If you’re like a boy scout, you get a bunch of merit badges — [I want to do] the same thing for flying,” Sandhu said before listing all the higher achievements he was shooting for: a commercial pilot’s license and a

“

Sophomore Sachin Sandhu You’re going really fast and the engine’s kind of loud and [...] there’s just realization where you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, like, you’re flying a plane.’

At that moment, Sandhu’s father — who was working toward a glider license with his son — jumped out of his own cockpit to take a photo. Sandhu then took

Flying an airplane requires keeping track of a lot at once, and Callaghan noted that thinking about where to land in case of an emergency is a big concern. “Right after takeoff, you’re pretty low, you’re not very fast, so if you lose an engine, you’re going on the ground in the next 30 seconds,” Callaghan explained. “You just got to think about [where you can land] so that if it did happen, you wouldn’t waste any time.”

These considerations came into the spotlight on a two-hour flight Callaghan took with his instructor to Catalina Island in Southern California. “We were over the water for 10 minutes, which is like a solid eight minutes that you’re not within gliding distance from land, so that was a little scary,” he said.

Also among Callaghan’s longest flights is one he took to Shelter Cove in Northern California’s Humboldt County, where houses and a black sand beach surround the runway. A certain number of these flights over 50 miles — designated as “cross-country” — are required to

Sophomore Bodie Callaghan

seaplane rating, as well as the ability to tow banners and learn aerobatics.

On the other hand, Callaghan said he isn’t sure what he wants to do after he gets his PPL, but both he and Sandhu have toyed with the idea of becoming airline pilots.

“

Regardless of future careers, both boys will remain enamored with flying. “It’s just pretty cool to see your hometown from above,” Callaghan said. “Even just doing a discovery flight is an incredible experience.”

Bodie Callaghan in the cockpit of his plane. Photo courtesy of Callaghan

Staff illustration: Amber More