The Mark December 2025 Volume XVII Issue II

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume XVII Issue II

Funded by the PTA

The Menlo Park Farmers Market, pg. 56

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A New Era Begins Flag football emerges as PAL champions in their second season.

10 16 “No Kings” Protests Flood Saddle Up: An Exploration Bay Area Streets for Second Time See the various “No Kings” protests across the Bay Area.

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Dutch Goose Marks Six Decades in Menlo Park For nearly 60 years, Dutch Goose has united Menlo Park’s community.

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DECEMBER 2025

of the Cowboy and America How liberals and conservatives navigate the archetype of the cowboy.

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Editorial: Sandy Hook Promise’s Deceptive Marketing Discredits Its Cause

Overblown responses to tips may discourage students from speaking out.

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The Church That Never Sleeps Nativity’s doors have remained open around the clock since 1996.

A Note from the Editors Howdy Bears!

As we await a much-needed winter break, The Mark is ready to accompany you by the fire with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Our Atlantic-inspired magazine is filled with glossy pages of bold colors and minimalistic designs, a simple theme that lets our writing speak for itself.

Between a two-part series on the cultural influence of America’s most iconic archetype to a research-based editorial investigating Sandy Hook Promise’s deceptive marketing tactics, our journalists’ coverage has been nothing short of reMarkable.

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This school year alone, we have had over half a million views on our website, 100,000 views on Instagram, and over 173,000 interactions on Nextdoor. From capturing snapshots of five different “No Kings” protests to documenting athletes on and off the field, both our coverage and photography have evolved. To honor our growth, this edition of The Mark features four unique covers and various facets of our community.

The best moments from the semester in four pages.

We hope you enjoy our final magazine of 2025!

Semester Recap

See you next year, The M-A Chronicle

54 Menlo Park Introduces Caltrain Quiet Zones The multi-million dollar project aims to reduce Caltrain horn noise.

Our Staff Editorial Board: Editor-in-Chief Gaby Foster

Editor-in-Chief Becca Koenig

Culture & Features Editor Rose Chane

News Editor Leah Collins

News Editor Alessandra Hartwig

News Editor Isabel Habibi

Events Editor Jenna Lee

Design Editor Caitlin Smith

Advisor John McBlair

Sports Editor Ben Warner

Social Media Manager Amari Witt

Managing Editors:

Copy Editors Anna Dearing, Alexa Djafari, Austin Horton, Louisa King, Siboney Lynch, Audrey Majzun, Alisha Parikh-Briggs, Ellie Rosen, Alli Schindler, Charlie Tobin, Lilia Wilkiewicz, Miya Yu Staff Writers Oliver Bain, Delilah Bellis Rievera, Gracie Bullard, Yimeng Cai, Lawrence Chao, Karen Chen, Eliana Clapp, Ilaria Cline, Sarah Coolican, Eliza Crowe, Remko Cuellar, Niya Desai, Saachi Dhillon, Koji Edmunds, Emerson Edwards, Nico Espinosa, Beatrice Bohmann Farrell, Aria Folkerts, Farah Ghajar, Melani Pleitez Gutierrez, Leilah Hanif, Julianne Hanson, Hailey Hintze, Gabriella Jansen-Olliges, Alex Sanchez Jara, Caleigh Jones, Vesta Kassayan, Johanna Key, Niklas Klemmer, Leo Lanza, Layla Lecue, Colin Lee, D’Anjou Paul Libunao, Lucia Liu, Grant Maletis, Nalin Malhotra, Natasha Mar, Milagros Tapia-Mendez, Scottie Miller, Lia Nadav, Sosi Noravian, Joe Pagee, Julian Pang, Lucia Rose, Piper Rosenthal, Brianna Ruiz, Shawnak Shivakumar, Hana Suzuki, Lavietani Taufahema, Ivy Watrous Snapshots of Fall Sports, pg.48 The Mark

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A NEW

ERA BEGINS

The team celebrates their win against Carlmont.

The team celebrates their win against Carlmont.

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cally, allowing them to take control of the league. he girls flag football team has taken the Peninsula Ath“I think that we changed our mentality [from] last year. Everyletic League by storm in their redemption season, becombody got along really well, and the team was a lot of fun. But this ing PAL champions with a perfect 6-0 record. Through year, it became a lot more competitive, and we all strengthening friendships and their knowledge of want to win and have fun,” junior middle linethe game, the team has positioned itself on top of backer Atessa Gholamy said. the league. The Bears have also received increased Players often struggled with finding their place recognition this season, winning 49ers Cal-Hi within the team dynamic. “Last year, because it Sports' Team of the Week.

“Honestly, I’ve never was our first year, I felt like I was putting togethM-A’s flag football team, created in fall 2024, been on a team that’s er a puzzle. ‘Okay, what can this piece do? It fits was formed a year later than many other high a whole unit. here, but is it going to make the whole picture betschool teams in the area. The Bears began their ter?’” head coach and social studies teacher Jason season with little prior experience, learning the Nobody’s really Knowles said. fundamentals of the game as the season proleft out.”

Going into this year with a season of experience gressed. In the inaugural season of flag football at - Atessa Gholamy under their belt, the Bears took a new approach to M-A, the Bears started off with six losses in a row, this season. With less emphasis on basic skills, the ending with a league record of 6-5 and a 6-10 reteam found their rhythm by spending practices cord overall. watching film and creating specific game plans “I think, last year, our biggest challenge was that based on their opponents. it was our first year playing, so we all just had no “We study for each team like a test. We always watch film, which idea what we were doing,” senior quarterback Mae Kunihiro said. has shown to be very effective and useful,” senior center Bailee Van “We were all learning it together.”

Loben Sels said. “And with our record, I feel like it’s been great.”

Since then, they have cemented themselves as a powerhouse, Along with getting to know the sport, the team reflected on how kicking off their second season with five consecutive wins and fintheir connection as players has helped them on the field. “We know ishing with a 12-2 overall record. As the team built connections each other's strengths and weaknesses, so we're able to find a lot both on and off the field, they grew stronger mentally and strategi4

DECEMBER 2025

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more success on the field now,” Gholamy said. “Our chemistry is going up.”

“Honestly, I’ve never been on a team that’s a whole unit.

People have their own friends, of course, but nobody’s really left out. It’s genuinely such a welcoming and positive environment, and it’s such a unique friendship,” Gholamy said. “We created such a unique balance and that just makes a sport so much [more] different.”

A change in rules this season around defensive rushing increased the physicality of the games, as the rushing distance was changed from seven yards to just one yard. M-A faced this challenge head-on, and Kunihiro took advantage of

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the Golden State Storm, a prothe removal of no-run zones fessional women’s tackle and against the extra pressure. flag football team that is part The Bears shut down six of the Women’s National Footteams during their regular ball Conference. Their mission season, which can be attribis to empower young girls and uted to their impenetrable give them a place to thrive in defense. They also expanded football. their coaching It became staff this year an official high with coach school sport Jeff Roodin California man, who has in 2023, and played a key the number role in the "I’m most proud of of teams has power of the shown explosive defensive line their character and growth in the this season. who they are off the years since. The “My fafield. They’re all first year, there vorite game were only 25 was the Mills great students." teams in CCS. game. We beat - Coach Jason This number has them on their Knowles multiplied, with senior night, 84 CCS teams and they totalparticipating in ly thought that the 2025 season. they were go“I’m most ing to destroy proud of their us based on character and our experience who they are off last year. It was the field. They’re all great stucool being like the underdog dents. They’re all great human coming up on top,” Van Loben beings, and they care about Sels said. each other, and that’s really eviThe Bears secured the league dent on the sideline,” Knowles championship in a tough win said. “If a girl drops a pass, evon senior night against the eryone’s rooting her on, saying, Carlmont Scots, who had pre‘Hey, that’s okay. You’ll get the viously remained undefeated next one.’" in league for the past three “My real hope is that it conseasons. After suffering a 19-0 tinues to grow, and that the loss to the Scots last season, school and the District supM-A entered this game eager port that growth,” he added. for reclamation. Despite facing “We all love each other. a 12-0 deficit at halftime, the We’re so connected,” junior Bears destroyed the second half cornerback Aryn Roodman as they squeezed out a 19-18 said. “Playing together in victory in overtime. This game practice doesn’t even seem like served as a crucial moment for practice, it just seems like a M-A, earning their redemphangout.” tion and their top position in Following suit, both Hillleague. view and La Entrada also im“I think we have a lot of plemented girls flag football mental toughness. Even if we teams beginning this year. get down in the game, we don’t “I hope the younger classlet it impact our performance,” men continue to thrive in our senior wide receiver Elise Koo environment that we created said. as a team, and I hope that the Flag football has expanded team stays as connected and substantially as a sport over fun as it was when us seniors the last few years. In 2023, flag were here,” Van Loben Sels football was declared an Olymsaid. pic sport, planned to debut at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Bay Area is also home to

by Alexa Djafari designed by Yimeng Cai and Becca Koenig photos courtesy of Eliana Clapp and Alexa Djafari

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Artist: junior Angelica Whitted

Artists: seniors Yumalai Mora and Azul Arellano (left to right)

Artist: freshman Lexi Arroyo

Artist: sophomore Grace Grundy “My style isn’t super girly, but I really like adorable things like this.”

designed by Lia Nadav photos courtesy of Ilaria Cline, Emerson Edwards, Louisa King, Lia Nadav, and Lilia Wilkiewicz

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Artists: freshmen Dahlia Modarres and Penelope Gemassmer (left to right)

STYLE WATCH

Artist: junior Taylor Bentley “My inspiration is very European. I love wearing outfits that you can dress up or dress down.”

Artist: freshman Angel Blancas Brambila

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San Mateo’s Backyard Heroes Fight World’s Deadliest Animal

by Shawnak Shivakumar designed by Johanna Key illustrated by Grant Maletis photo courtesy of Dan Seamen

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he whir of a large drone echoed over Woodside’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve as it dropped pellets packed with mosquito-killing bacteria across Searsville Lake early morning on Sept. 11. The 7 a.m. flight was part of the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District’s routine work to suppress mosquito populations before they grow out of control.

A century ago, the threat was even more visible. “San Mateo County was so swarmed with mosquitoes that people said their clothing appeared brown from the insects covering them,” Communications Director Dr. Rachel Curtis-Robles said.

Malaria outbreaks plagued the Bay Area marshes unchecked until 1904, when San Mateo County launched one of California’s first mosquito control efforts.

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth, spreading diseases like Zika and West Nile virus that kill over 700,000 people every year. “We want people to forget about mosquitoes,” Curtis-Robles said.

“But if our work stopped, people would notice within a month and be seriously wondering within six months.”

One of the mosquito species San Mateo County watches for most closely is Aedes aegypti, nicknamed the “ankle-biter” for its habit of biting people’s lower legs during daylight hours. They are a notorious vector for diseases like yellow fever and dengue, which in severe cases can trigger internal bleeding, low blood pressure, and even death.

To keep populations of Culex mosquitoes—which can spread West Nile virus—under control, the County relies on biological treatments called bio-rational larvicides that kill mosquitoes while leaving people and the surrounding animals unharmed. Their toolkit includes a combination of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and Bacillus sphaericus, bacteria-based products that work like a Trojan horse.

“The pellets carry bacteria that are eaten by mosquito larvae and affect their digestive tract, causing them to die,” Operations Director Casey Stevenson said.

The County also distributes free mosquito-eating fish to residents with backyard ponds or neglected pools, another way to strike mosquitoes during their weakest stage as larvae, before they take flight.

During a recent visit to the County’s mosquito control facility, Stevenson gave a tour of the equipment, pointing to old all-terrain vehicles once used to spray pesticides along the water’s edge. “It was much more dangerous and time-consuming,” he said.

The County phased out those vehicles

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nearly three years ago, investing instead in helicopters and drones. Helicopters can cover wide areas, but they bring their own problems. “Other locations often receive complaints that liquid pesticides

“San Mateo County was so swarmed with mosquitoes that people said their clothing appeared brown from the insects covering them.”

- Dr. Rachel Curtis-Robles

from helicopters would drift into surrounding communities,” Stevenson said. Drones, by contrast, are cheaper, quieter, and easier to navigate. The County began adding these

unmanned aerial systems to its program in 2021. “We handle the areas with wires, trees, or hazards where crewed aircraft would be dangerous,” Daniel Seaman, senior pilot of Leading Edge Aerial Technologies, said.

Seaman—who served as a California Highway Patrol officer for 22 years before turning his drone hobby into a second career—said the work feels like a natural extension of his commitment to public safety and community service.

Despite their small size, drones are bound by strict flight rules as San Mateo County is home to one of the nation’s busiest airspaces.

The drone path often overlaps with airspace governed by San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, and several smaller local airports, which means the County has to notify air traffic control towers up to two days in advance and keep flights under 50 feet. “We also report every flight to the Federal Aviation Administration,” Stevenson said.

While airspace rules keep drone pilots in check, pesticide regulations bring another layer of scrutiny. Two biologists

from the County’s Department of Agriculture, Briana Maldonado and Jorge Zaragoza, monitor operations. Their job is to ensure pesticides are applied safely and according to the label. “We make sure PPE requirements are met and there’s no danger to the public, animals, or property,” Maldonado said.

Oversight in the field is only one piece of the job. Back at headquarters, staff track nearly 100,000 breeding sites, using mapping software to monitor standing water across the county. But much of their work is still manual. “It would be nice to have an automated way to check catch basins [storm drains] since there are over 40,000 of them,” Curtis-Robles said.

The County has just 22 Vector Control staff to serve nearly 760,000 residents, leading to an immense workload per person. “There are hundreds of thousands of sites around the County that most people don’t even know,” Curtis-Robles said. With such limited staffing, the County depends on residents to share the load.

As even a bottle cap of water can host hundreds of mosquito larvae, residents can help by

dumping and draining standing water every week, changing pet water often, avoiding overwatering plants, and using an EPA-registered repellent when mosquitoes are active.

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth, spreading diseases like Zika and West Nile virus that kill over 700,000 people every year.

Curtis-Robles added that the most important step residents can take is to stay vigilant.

Leading Edge Aerial Technology drone drops bacteria-loaded bombs across Searsville Lake.

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"NO KINGS" Protests Flood Bay Area Streets for Second Time

by Julianne Hanson and Vesta Kassayan designed by Alex Sanchez Jara photos courtesy of Eliana Clapp, Hailey Hintze, Vesta Kassayan, and Alli Schindler 11

said, regarding Trump's recent statements.

“Think before you say stupid things.”

“This is not a ‘hate America’ protest. This is a ‘love America’ protest.”

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early seven million protesters swept the country on Oct. 18 at nearly 2,700 locations for the second round of “No Kings” demonstrations. The rallies protested President Donald Trump’s recent policies, specifically calling for an end to his trade war, state-sponsored Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, and the way he uses his executive power. Demonstrators turned out across the world, with protests also held in Europe, Panama, and Australia. Protesters dressed up in costumes and crafted unique signs criticizing Trump’s presidency. The Bay Area saw 31 different protests, accounting for upward of 160,000 demonstrators.

Palo Alto In Palo Alto, protesters gathered at the intersection of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road at 11:30 a.m. and began walking toward Rinconada Park at 1 p.m. for a No Kings Democracy Fair, which lasted until 4 p.m. Protesters voiced their opposition to the Trump administration through coordinated chants for “Democ12

racy!” Scattered among the park were information booths highlighting a range of issues—from LGBTQ+ rights to unannounced ICE raids—while live musicians sang songs like “A Farewell to Kings” by Rush, which preaches patriotism and freedom. Steve Wagman, a safety officer at Rinconada Park, explained that he came out to express his desire for better governance.

“We’re just trying to get the word out that we’re not thrilled with the administration,” he said. “We’re trying to make changes and do it peacefully.” Mary Watson, a member of Menlo Park Speaks Out, a group that protests in the name of democracy every Sunday, explained that her concerns with the U.S. weren’t limited to the Trump administration. “One of the biggest problems we have in this country is that people do not vote,” she said. “It’s pathetic.” Freshman Xavier Martinez-Goss was one of the many students who joined the demonstrations. “The government should do its best to help its citizens rather than force its citizens to serve it,” he said. He voiced support for changes to U.S. policy regarding Palestine, immigration, and healthcare.

Freshman Eliora Olson was also in attendance. “Stop saying things that you don’t have any evidence for and aren’t true,” she

Hillsdale Hillsdale’s protest began at 1 p.m. and ran until 3 p.m., attracting a wide variety of demonstrators. Children walked the streets holding signs, while a nearby senior home joined in, waving flags. Rose Vela, a community member, said that she came out to protest to represent the struggles of the Latino community. “I’m a Latina, and so I’m trying to represent my people,” she said. “The ugliness we’re seeing is not good.

It’s evil.” Her message for Trump was clear: “Step down." Many complaints centered on executive overreach, arguing that the Trump administration had violated the ideals of democracy. Lori Wick, a community member and parent, shared that idea.

“I want democracy to live on for my children,” she said. “Trump, please get back to our Founding Fathers’ vision.”

Redwood City Redwood City’s protests were held at the County Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Demonstrators showed up with colorful signs, and one protester even showed up with a huge paper-maché figure of Trump.

Melissa McDonald, a community member, said she came out because of her belief in the First Amendment. “I’m here because I don’t like what’s happening in this country.

Our freedom of speech is under attack,” she said. “There’s such an erosion of everything we care about as Americans. This is how authoritarianism takes hold.” She also clarified that the protests were peaceful, not violent. “This is not a ‘hate America’ protest. This is a ‘love America’ protest.”

Some protesters expressed concerns over specific issues. Coan was especially critical of Trump’s dismantling of the Department of Education. “I have a daughter that teaches special needs kids. She’s very concerned with the changes to the Department of Education and how that affects her students,” Coan said. The day after “No Kings,” Trump dismissed the significance of the protests, suggesting they were “a joke,” backed by wealthy Democrats.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance also posted AI memes, depicting outlandish videos of Trump in a crown, flying a plane with “KING TRUMP” on the side.

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asi siete millones de manifestantes se movilizaron por todo el país el 18 de octubre en casi 2.700 lugares diferentes para la segunda ronda de manifestaciones “No Kings” (“Sin Reyes”). Las protestas se dirigieron contra las políticas recientes del presidente Donald Trump, pidiendo específicamente el fin de su guerra comercial, las redadas de Servicio de Control de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) patrocinadas por el Estado y el uso excesivo del poder ejecutivo. Manifestantes salieron a las calles en todo el mundo, con protestas también realizadas en Europa, Panamá y Australia. Los manifestantes se disfrazaron y crearon carteles únicos que exigían el fin de la presidencia de Trump. Hubieron 31 protestas diferentes en el área de la Bahía, con más de 160.000 manifestantes en total.

Palo Alto En Palo Alto, los manifestantes se reunieron en la intersección de El Camino Real y Embarcadero a las 11:30 la mañana y comenzaron a caminar hacia el Parque Rinconada a la 1:00 de la tarde para asistir a la Feria de la Democracia “No Kings,” que duró hasta las 4:00 de la tarde Los manifestantes expresaron su oposición a la administración Trump con cánticos por la “¡Democracia!” En el parque se instalaron puestos informativos sobre temas diversas—desde los derechos LGBTQ+ hasta las redadas de ICE no anunciadas—mientras músicos en vivo

interpretaron canciones como “Farewell to Kings” (“Adiós a los reyes”) de Rush, que promueven el patriotismo y la libertad.

Steve Wagman, oficial de seguridad del Parque Rinconada, explicó que asistió para expresar su deseo por un mejor gobierno. “Solo intentamos difundir el mensaje de que no estamos contentos con la administración,” dijo. “Queremos hacer cambios y hacerlo pacíficamente.” Mary Watson, miembro de Menlo Park Speaks Out, un grupo que protesta en nombre de la democracia cada domingo, explicó que sus preocupaciones con los EE.UU. no se limitaban a la administración de Trump.

“Uno de los problemas más graves que tenemos en este país es que la gente no vota,” dijo. “Es patético.” Estudiante de noveno grado Xavier Martínez-Goss fue uno de los muchos jóvenes que se unieron a las manifestaciones. “El gobierno debería hacer lo posible por ayudar a sus ciudadanos en lugar de obligarlos a servirle,” dijo.

Expresó su apoyo por cambios en la póliza estadounidense con respecto a Palestina, la inmigración y la asistencia médica.

Estudiante de noveno grado Eliora Olson también asistió. “Deja de decir cosas para las que no tienes evidencia y que no son ciertas,” le dijo a Trump. “Piensa antes de decir tonterías.”

Hillsdale La protesta en Hillsdale comenzó a la 1:00 p.m. y duró hasta las 3:00 p.m., atrayendo a una gran variedad de manifestantes.

“Queremos hacer cambios y hacerlo pacíficamente.”

Niños caminaron por las calles con carteles, mientras residentes de una casa de reposo cercano se unieron, agitando banderas.

Rose Vela, una miembro de la comunidad, dijo que salió a protestar para representar las luchas de la comunidad latina. “Soy latina, y estoy tratando de representar a mi gente,” dijo. “La fealdad que estamos viendo no es buena. Es malvado.” Su mensaje para Trump fue claro: “Renuncia." Muchas quejas se centraron en el abuso del poder ejecutivo, argumentando que la administración Trump había violado los ideales de la democracia. Lori Wick, madre y miembro de la comunidad, compartió esa idea.

“Quiero que la democracia siga viva para mis hijos,” dijo. “Trump, por favor, vuelve a la visión de nuestros padres fundadores.”

Redwood City Las protestas en Redwood City se realizaron en el County Center de 1:00 p.m. a 3:00 p.m. Llegaron con carteles coloridos, y uno trajo una figura enorme de papel maché de Trump. Melissa McDonald, miembro de la comunidad, dijo que asistió por su creencia en la Primera Enmienda.

“Estoy aquí porque no me gusta lo que está pasando en este país. Nuestra libertad de expresión está siendo atacada,” dijo. “Hay una erosión de todo lo que valoramos como estadounidenses. Así es como se afianza el autoritarismo.” También aclaró que las protestas fueron pacíficas, no violentas.

“Esto no es una protesta de ‘odio América’.

Es una protesta de ‘amo América’.” Algunos manifestantes expresaron preocupación por temas específicos. Brian Coan fue especialmente crítico del desmantelamiento del Departamento de Educación por parte de Trump. “Tengo una hija que enseña a niños con necesidades especiales. Ella está muy preocupada por los cambios en el Departamento de Educación y cómo afectan a sus estudiantes,” dijo. El día después de “No Kings,” Trump desestimó la importancia de las protestas, sugiriendo que eran “una broma” financiada por demócratas adinerados. Trump y vicepresidente JD Vance también publicaron memes creados con inteligencia artificial que mostraban videos extravagantes de Trump con una corona, pilotando un avión con la inscripción “KING TRUMP” en el costado.

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Dutch Goose

Marks Six Decades in Menlo Park

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obody at the Dutch Goose is a stranger.

They’re just friends who have not met,” Gregory Stern, owner of the Dutch Goose, said.

Located on Alameda de las Pulgas, the Dutch Goose has been a staple in Menlo Park since 1966. Recognizable for its signature neon signs, TVs streaming live sports, and welcoming atmosphere, it is a popular space for Bay Area sports fans, families, and students.

For Stern, who has managed the Dutch Goose for nearly 20 years, the restaurant feels like home. “My favorite part is that it doesn’t really feel like work,” Stern said. “I come in here and see family and friends. I love cooking and managing.”

Serving up classic American cuisine, the Dutch Goose’s menu ranges from smoked brisket and tuna melts to burgers, wings, and pizza.

The restaurant’s specialty— its deviled eggs—is the perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and smooth. Its recipe has remained unchanged since the restaurant’s opening. “It’s a funny thing to be kind of known for, but people swear on it,” Stern said. The recipe belonged to the original owner, Pete Eccles, and remains a secret today.

Eccles opened the establishment after moving to Menlo Park from Kansas City. “[Eccles] went to military school with my father in the ’40s,” Stern said. “I always wanted to own a business like this. And my dad was like, ‘Why don’t 14

you make an offer?’” At the time, the Dutch Goose had multiple owners, but through seller financing and negotiating a lease with the landlord, Stern was able to make the purchase. Ever since, he has overseen the growth of the business.

“I come in here and see family and friends. I love cooking and managing.”

- Gregory Stern

The Dutch Goose faced difficulties during the pandemic, which forced it to temporarily close. It remained afloat thanks to the federal Paycheck

Protection Program’s funding.

“We were shut down for almost nine months,” Stern said.

“That’s hard [with] 50 employees you’re responsible for, and they have bills to pay.” As the restaurant made its comeback, Stern added an outdoor deck, now one of their most popular features, where hearty laughter and sounds of celebration can be heard from blocks away.

Community has always been the most important part of the Dutch Goose. There are more than 30 schools within just a few miles, making the establishment the perfect gathering place for students. On any given day, customers from firefighters and plumbers to celebrities drop in for a meal.

Jerry Rice, Al Gore, and Mark Zuckerberg have all stopped by.

“It’s this melting pot of diversity, which is what we love here,” Stern said. “You can come in, and you’re always go-

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ing to see someone you know, or meet someone new.”

Beyond being a community cornerstone, the Dutch Goose sponsors youth sports teams, including baseball, soccer, and football. It also provides mentorship, counseling, and job opportunities for M-A students. “Our wheelhouse is sports and education,” Stern said. Aside from sponsorships, Stern coaches football, often utilizing M-A’s Coach Parks Field.

Nearly 60 years later, the Dutch Goose remains a center of community in Menlo Park.

When asked to describe his restaurant in one word, Stern said, “Home.”

by Lucia Liu designed by Emerson Edwards photo courtesy of Dutch Goose

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Bryman (left) and Armoni (right) pose for a photo.

Aspiring Student Musicians Release Self-Produced Music S

eniors Kealy Bryman and Chionna Armoni recently released their own music—all written, recorded, and produced entirely by themselves. For both students, music is a creative outlet and platform to share their voices as aspiring artists. Take a look at each single and the story behind it.

“How to Hold Your Hand” by Kealy Bryman Bryman released her second single, “How to Hold Your Hand,” on Aug. 30.

With robust guitar notes and a groovy bass, the song is the perfect jazz mix for a rainy day.

Her first single—“All I’m Gonna Be is Me”—was produced in her grandparents’ living room and released when she was in eighth grade.

Bryman comes from a musically talented family. “My mom is a jazz vocalist and my grandpa is a jazz pianist, so I kind of grew up around jazz my whole life,” Bryman said. “My first single was pretty informal. This time, I actually went into a studio, played the guitar, and sang right into the mic.”

“I think that a lot of music has really shaped who I am and helped me get through a lot of things,” she added. “I’d The Mark

love for my music to kind of have that effect on others.”

Apart from releasing her own music, Bryman sings for the M-A Jazz Band and is a star actress in many of M-A’s dramas and musicals. “I’m applying to schools right now for jazz. It’s definitely my goal,” she said.

For students interested in producing their own music, Bryman advises them to embrace trial and error. “Everyone starts somewhere. A lot of the time, I write songs and they don’t go anywhere,” she said. “I think you should find your own groove and be ok with making mistakes.”

“ADDICT” by Chionna Armoni Featuring homemade beats and emotional lyrics, Armoni released her first single, “ADDICT,” on July 23. The song’s calming instrumentals and Armoni’s soothing voice make it perfect for a relaxing car drive or unwinding after a long day.

Throughout her life, Armoni has been surrounded by music. She first discovered a love for music in her church’s choir, where she has been singing since she was a kid. In middle school, she played the drums as an avid participant in the jazz band. She now produces and records her own music, a process that takes several months. “I start-

ed writing [the song] my junior year, and then I recorded it in this closet. I stayed in the closet until I finished the entire song,” Armoni said.

“ADDICT” stems from her personal experiences of seeking love and compassion in others, with relatable lyrics from the heart. “It feels really good to finally get my voice out there,” Armoni said. “I’ve always been writing, whether it be poems or stories.”

Armoni’s brother played a significant role in influencing her music, helping her create beats. “My brother helped me with the roll-out, he helps with a lot of my music,” she said. “I think my family and close friends’ faith in me is really all the support I need.”

In the future, Armoni hopes to create more music to continue sharing her voice.

Currently, she is creating an extended play to release in the future. For students passionate about music, she advises them to pursue it actively. “Go for it. Don’t wait.

Don’t sit on it even if you are scared,” Armoni said.

by Jenna Lee designed by Leo Lanza photo courtesy of Jenna Lee

15

by Charlie Tobin designed and illustrated

by Grant Maletis 16

Saddle Up: An

exploration of the

Cowboy and

America 17

How The Cowboy Still Controls the Culture T

he Wild West is cool. But sometimes it’s simplified into something that’s just cool, ignoring something really big: the Old West is instrumental in the building of American culture.

The cowboy is American culture’s most important figure. It’s a representation of the way the U.S. wants to present itself.

Because of this, it holds a lot of power. It’s been harnessed by conservatives to project ideals about America.

The cowboy is America distilled into an image. It’s representative of everything we aspire to be: rugged, self-reliant, strong, humble, and respectful.

In his 1893 paper “The Significance of the Frontier in American History,” historian Frederick Jackson Turner spoke about the role the West has on America’s development. “To the frontier the American intellect owes its striking characteristics,” he said.

But these frontier ideas needed a figurehead. I don’t have to tell you what they picked. Cowboys were an easy choice to represent American values because they’re relatable and humble. “It’s about being an ordinary guy, drinking an ordinary beer… and trying to make an honest living,” Stanford Film and Media Studies professor Scott Bukatman said.

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To portray yourself as a cowboy is to inherit those attributes, to portray yourself as a real American.

This appeal made the cowboy image sought after in pop culture. It seeped into everything from 1800s magazines to Louis Vuitton collections to yes, country music.

“It might be a stereotype, but I would definitely think of cowboys and country as kind of the same thing,” senior Evie Filipek said.

Country music has adopted the aesthetic of the cowboy. It’s hard to imagine Garth Brooks without a cowboy hat or Morgan Wallen as anything but a rugged individualist. When Beyoncé made a country album, she named it Cowboy Carter. Spotify’s Country’s Greatest Hits playlist includes The Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away,” Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” and Glen Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy.”

Country superstars Luke Combs, Zach Bryan, and Jon Pardi have tracks likening themselves to cowboys.

It’s easy to understand why country music would use this image. It allows them to project themselves as relatable, honorable, and above all else, American. “I mean, you’re not going to listen to Drake on the Fourth of July,” Filipek said. “You got to be listening to Kenny Chesney.”

So it’s clear that country music connects to a deeper sense of American nationalism.

But country music is also stable. Other popular genres shift their sounds, aesthetics, and identity all the time. Country music doesn’t.

“Country music…always has this tension between navigating change…and then also holding onto things that seem sturdy,” Senior Music Editor for Nashville Public Radio Jewly Hight said. “Even though it’s a constantly evolving pop form it also kind of holds its sense of identity.”

Blogger, podcaster, and cowboy expert Chip Schweiger says the same is true about cowboys. “As a nation, we’ve been through some pretty complicated political battles…

things have been in upheaval, and I think what the cowboy as an iconic figure brings is a sense of stability,” he said.

And won’t we be more likely to turn to something sound in times of turmoil?

I think now’s as good a time as any to address the elephant in the room. Popular culture doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and, in the case of country music, once you recognize that, you’re dealing with a bigger political issue. Mainstream country music is very conservative.

Now, I would like to clarify a couple of things. Liking country music and having conservative viewpoints are not necessarily connected. People can, and probably should, consume media from all across the political spectrum.

But it’s important to recognize when political bias overwhelms a cultural medium.

Seeing the way the Right controls a cultural center can tell us a lot about the things they value.

The adoption of the cowboy into country music is part of an older trend. One which Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson calls the Right’s adoption of “cowboy individualism.”

Dating back to the ’60s, the values associated with the cowboy struck a chord with rural Americans navigating globalization.

Former Western actor Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He championed “cowboy individualism.”

If the cowboy is the archetype of the American hero, being able to attach that image to your political beliefs becomes a powerful tool. It allows you to redefine what values are American.

Opinion:

The Left Can Still Control the Cowboy C

owboys have been a foundational part of films since their very start.

They have played a crucial role in shaping America’s Western genre since the early 1900s.

Westerns are an extremely important cultural artform. They lay a serious claim to the cowboy. They’re probably the most responsible for bringing the archetype to the mainstream.

Today, liberals are attempting to reclaim the cowboy from its conservative connotations. With the Western, liberals hope to provide progressive alternatives to the central values of Republican ideology.

“The Western is the mythic history of the United States. It’s telling the story of how the country came to be. And depending on what period the Western is being made in, it can tell a very different story about the nature of America” Bukatman said.

Westerns are iconic pieces of Americana. But historically, Westerns feel tightly bound to conservatism. John Wayne’s real life conservative stances serve as a premier reminder of that. So does Reagan, who used his days as an actor in Westerns to draw up support from the Republican Party.

However, Westerns have had a resurgence in the last couple decades. These “neo-Westerns” feature progressive subject matter, come from auteur filmmakers, and use traditional tropes to emphasize modern messages.

“They’re trying to put in what they see most Westerns as having left out. Gay cowboys, Black cowboys, women cowboys, etc.,” Bukatman said.

Neo-Westerns reshape the cowboy into an archetype that empowers groups other than straight white men. They apply the cowboy values to minorities excluded from representing mainstream American society.

In trying to reframe the way we think about the Western and cowboys, liberal America may find a way to counter conservative America’s control over the cowboy.

Now, with the emergence of neo-Westerns, liberals don’t need to stage a takeover of country music. They just need to reframe the Western.

The traditional tropes are there: Shane and High Noon feature cowboys as protectors of the oppressed. The Searchers and 3:10 to Yuma critique bigoted actions toward the vulnerable. There’s a way for the genre’s traditional values and liberal’s current ideology to coexist.

Then plug in today’s politics. Center new Westerns around honor, First Amendment freedoms, generosity, and sacrifice.

Doing so would let liberals tie their ideals to the cowboy image through Hollywood—just as conservatives have done in Nashville.

There are a couple issues: this movement feels inauthentic, and it’s reaching the wrong people.

Authenticity, Schweiger thinks, is the reason people are drawn to cowboy figures at all. “With all the complications in life, with all of the things where people may feel like they aren’t getting the full story, people crave authenticity…people associate that with the cowboy life,” he said.

This means that anything that uses cowboys has to feel authentic too. And neo-Western’s don’t.

“These are all art films…They’re so damn proud of themselves,” Bukatman said.

They’re not targeted at mass audiences who enjoyed the golden age of the genre.

Instead, they’re mostly angled towards film bros and Oscars voters.

The second issue with the neo-Western is that it’s reaching the wrong people.

“I see nothing that indicates that they want to go talk to Joe Rogan about their movies,” Bukatman said. “They’re like, ‘They’re gay cowboys. Deal with it.’”

“Deal with it” isn’t encouraging critical thinking or discourse. If the Left really wants to reinterpret the cowboy into a beacon for progressive America, they’ll need to go where the cowboy is important.

All hope isn’t lost. Westerns are still important in current society. Schweiger and Bukatman mentioned the TV show Yellowstone. Yellowstone is an important part of this picture. It shows that Hollywood’s power over the cowboy isn’t totally gone.

The idea that the neo-Western is the Left’s chance to reinterpret the cowboy image is sound. But they’ve been making the wrong movies—and for the wrong people.

Changing that could give liberals the ability to truly control the cowboy—to create their own images to counter those long associated with conservative politics.

They just need to get back in the saddle.

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Bears Doing Big Things “I

by Alisha Parikh-Briggs

Laila Thompson-Wainer

think football has always been in my blood,” Laila Thompson-Wainer ’20, the first girl to ever kick for M-A’s varsity football team, said.

In her junior year, Thompson-Wainer met with the varsity coach and suggested trying out for the team. Although she anticipated hesitation, the coach was unopposed. After weeks of practice, tryouts, and relentless training, Thompson-Wainer made history as the first girl to join the team.

Aside from athletics, Thompson-Wainer participated in M-A’s Leadership class and founded a nonprofit called The Playdate, providing free art, dance, and mindfulness classes to foster children.

After graduating from M-A, Thompson-Wainer attended the University of Washington, majoring in communications, business, and diversity. A fellow M-A alum and friend, Semaijah Ix-Siu, introduced her to an athletics internship through UW. Following college, Thompson-Wainer landed a marketing internship with the Seattle Seahawks, leading fan-focused campaigns and coordinating community events. She also served as a game entertainment intern, creating in-game segments, and coordinating talent for live performances.

Currently, Thompson-Wainer works as a community operations coordinator for the Seahawks, playing a key role in community outreach, fan engagement, and game-day operations. “Working in a male-dominated job, sometimes my coworkers will just assume I’m the least knowledgeable about football, even though I’m the only person who’s actually played,” Thompson-Wainer said.

Thompson-Wainer’s advice to current M-A students: “Take risks when you are young. It’s time to do it, and you never know what you could be missing if you don’t put yourself out there.”

F

by Siboney Lynch

Kevin Conrad 20

rom running Division 1 cross country to building new software while studying for the LSAT, Kevin Conrad ’16 has always been driven and resourceful.

At M-A, Conrad ran on the cross country and track teams, competed in speech and debate, and served as treasurer of the Donut Club, raising funds for Second Harvest Food Bank. After graduating, Conrad ran Division 1 cross country at Colgate University, where he majored in philosophy and computer science.

The summer before graduating from Colgate, Conrad worked as a clerk at Jorgenson, Siegel, McClure & Flegel LLP (JSMF) while studying for the LSAT. “The most important thing I learned was how to be a self starter. Look at your job and try to figure out improvements that can help you go from being someone who just focuses on the day to day, to someone who thinks about their job holistically and figures out what aspects of their job that they can improve every day,” Conrad said.

In 2021, following his time at JSMF, Conrad began law school at UCLA. After three summers at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP and passing the bar exam, Conrad became an Associate Attorney practicing patent prosecution law.

Conrad’s advice to current M-A students: “Don’t be too forward-focused. There’s going to be a lot of time to study for standardized tests and prepare for future career paths and get your college applications squared away—I don’t remember any of that. What I do remember is the time I spent with my friends.

Take it a year at a time. Get involved. You don’t necessarily need to be so ruthlessly forward-focused.”

DECEMBER 2025

M

Accomplished alumni share their stories.

“L

by Louisa King

Eduard Cornew

earning about yourself and what you want to do is really valuable, and you’re always going to develop yourself, even if you take a wrong turn,” Eduard Cornew ’14 said. Cornew is the co-founder and president of Mwamba, a gold mining company that strives to eliminate the use of mercury for small-scale mining operations and provide alternatives.

At M-A, Cornew played lacrosse and football. “I found good mentors and role models in the football coach and in [Steven] Kryger at the lacrosse team,” he said. “It was a great way to meet new friends and expand my network.”

After graduating, Cornew attended Dartmouth College, where he double-majored in economics and psychology. At the start of their senior year, Cornew and his brother were approached by their classmate Samwel Bahebe with the idea of exporting gold and were informed about the challenges faced by small-scale miners in Tanzania.

In 2018, Cornew launched Mwamba, a Tanzania-based gold mining company that partners with gold miners to provide them with technologies and equipment so they can maximize profits while replacing dangerous mercury processing methods. “[Tanzanians are] sitting on this huge opportunity, these mineral resources with the potential to fund their well-being, income, education, and lift these communities out of poverty,” Cornew said. “Seeing that felt like a compelling thing to devote myself to. I fell in love with the people and the potential for impact and meaning.”

Cornew’s advice to current M-A students: “I would advise others to follow their passion and try lots of different things. Trust the process—there’s value in every opportunity.”

K

by Rose Chane

Kemi Ingram The Mark

emi Ingram ’91 began her journey at M-A, launching several businesses, including a Cajun and Creole food brand and a handmade cosmetic cream.

Following M-A, Ingram attended the University of Southern California, where she majored in public policy, management, and planning.

After college, Ingram launched a wellness brand called Tranquility. “At the time, I was working really long hours and constantly exhausted, so I created a company for people in corporate who couldn’t get away,” she said. “We had a whole line of products focused on wellness and rest—like a vacation in a box.”

Ingram became a mom while living in the UK and created #MomsandBrands—a Twitter channel centered on issues affecting women and children—that she ran until 2015. “My job is to find ways for parents to be involved in making the world a better place,” she said.

“Companies approached me to start talking about their products aimed at moms and children.”

Currently, Ingram’s focuses on education advocacy. “I’m working on policy and creating opportunities for parents to be fully engaged in their kids’ education,” she said. “I give information to parents and educators about the best way to help children become literate, critical thinkers.”

Ingram’s advice to current M-A students: “Find out what actually motivates you. What drives you, and explore what that might look like down the road. Be creative with whatever it is that you’ve been gifted with.” designed by Sarah Coolican photos courtesy of Kevin Conrad, Eduard Cornew, Kemi Ingram, and Laila Thompson-Wainer

21

Sketch titled ‘Huntington/Sheraton/Pasadena, Calif’ from nameless sketchbook found in art storage room.

W

The Oddities of M-A’s Past

by Gabriella Jansen-Olliges designed by Emerson Edwards photos courtesy of Gabriella Jansen-Olliges

22

ith more than 70 years of history, it’s no surprise that M-A’s campus holds a few relics of the past. From a real human skull to 1970s sketchbooks, artifacts fill the halls and decorate M-A’s classrooms. Here are a few of the most fascinating finds on campus today.

Biology teacher Patrick Roisen began teaching at M-A in the late ’90s, but long before him came the disarticulated human skull waiting for him in classroom E-2.

On the bottom of the skull lies a green plaque labeled Carolina Supply Company, a supplier of science educational materials founded in 1927. Skulls such as this were often used in the 20th century for medical and dental students in need of specimens, and having one in the classroom was commonplace.

According to The Chicago Tribune, these human bones were largely sourced from India in the 20th century, when the government paid companies to pick up the remains of people who had died on the streets. The practice was banned in India in 1985, contributing to the decline of the market. Today, the skull isn’t actively DECEMBER 2025

M

used for teaching, and instead sits tucked away on a shelf in Roisen’s classroom—a quiet reminder of an older era of science education.

But scientific artifacts aren’t only found in the biology classroom—upon arriving at M-A, Stagecraft teacher Danette Bathauer Grinstead was greeted with a life-sized representation of fetal development tucked within an unassuming blue briefcase.

A quiet reminder of an older era of science education.

The kit features audio presentation and a physical model of the development of a fetus.

It also contains a teacher’s guide to ‘Life Before Birth,’ dated 1972. Although not used for its original purpose or as a prop in the school play, the kit serves as a fun game of ‘What’s in the Box?’ for Bathauer and her students.

While scientific artifacts reveal curiosities about M-A’s classrooms, the art storage room holds its own relics.

Among the dozens of charcoal pencils and dust-draped art boards are some decade-old sketchbooks, one of which may have belonged to Alice Brock: American artist, author, restaurateur, and inspiration behind Arlo Guthrie’s iconic 1967 song “Alice’s Restaurant.”

The inside cover of the sketchbook signed ‘Alice Brock’ looks remarkably similar to the artist’s legitimate signature, provided to the M-A Chronicle by her longtime friend, Dini Lamont.

The Mark

The book contains various sketches of landscapes and portraits, as well as handwritten notes dated Jan. 21, 1978.

Alongside Brock’s, another sketchbook dating back to the 1960s chronicles its owner’s travels through Asia and Europe, capturing the journey in both drawings and journal entries.

The 24-page sketchbook begins with pen drawings of the Huntington Museum and the Sheraton Hotel in Pasadena, California.

This is followed by journal entries and drawings depicting the author’s time dining at the International Hotel in Los Angeles.

The book continues with a detailed account of the author’s journey, from a pendrawn landscape of the Hong Kong Airport, to an in-depth narrative of their time at the Hertz Hotel in Germany.

Although it’s hard to say how these relics got here, they serve as a reminder of just how expansive M-A’s history truly is.

The disarticulated skull, located in Roisen’s classroom.

The following sketch labeled ‘International Hotel/Los Angeles’ in sketchbook from art storage room.

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EDITORIAL:

SANDY HOOK PROMISE’S DECEPTIVE MARKETING DISCREDITS ITS CAUSE 24

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it prevented a school shooting, we need to believe it. Right now, we can’t.

The organization, dedicated to preventing gun violence in schools, falsely claims it averted a tragedy at M-A on Sept. 10.

Two months later, its website and social media still describe this occurrence as the 19th “verified” school shooting it has prevented.

However, the press releases on its website only describe 12 “tragedies prevented,” with eight including identifying information. Many of the identifiable press releases either overstate Sandy Hook Promise’s (SHP) involvement or the severity of the threat.

SHP’S MISSION IS undoubtedly important. This year alone, gun violence has killed 29 people on school grounds, and firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. However, by publishing sensationalized press releases for self-promotional purposes, SHP perpetuates fear among those it is dedicated to protecting.

On Sept. 22, numerous national news outlets reported that M-A was placed under Secure Campus due to a credible, planned threat of gun violence.

Those stories relied on an SHP press release claiming its Say Something tip line, used by M-A for anonymous reporting, helped “prevent a school shooting” and spared the community “unimaginable heartbreak.”

Shortly after, SHP Co-Founder and CEO Nicole Hockley, whose son was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, posted on Instagram that “a tragedy was stopped” as a “direct result of Sandy Hook Promise’s programs.”

In the video, she stated both the District and police confirmed a student posted “images of firearms, ammunition, and a plan for attack.”

This contradicted a statement from the Atherton Police Department, which investigated the threat. The Department said there were “no firearms depicted” in the post and no firearms recovered, emphasizing that “at no time has there been an ongoing threat to the public.”

The inaccuracies, published in outlets such as ABC7 News, Good Morning America, and NBC News—all citing SHP’s press release—sparked shock and confusion.

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“I immediately got calls and emails from staff members, from community members that said, ‘Hey, you’re not being transparent. What’s going on?’” Principal Karl Losekoot said.

“You create a sense of mass hysteria, and that’s also bad, because now you’re putting fear into somebody’s mind that didn’t have fear before,” Student Resource Officer Dimitri Andruha said.

“Yes, this was a serious threat, but the news stories made it feel like it was an immediate situation that was right outside the walls of M-A, and that was not the case. It was not immediate. It was not in action. It was not being acted upon,” Losekoot said.

“I was pissed,” he said. “I felt like misinformation was put out there that was used to sensationalize an event at our expense.”

Following the media attention, Leach released a statement clarifying the situation. “Last evening ABC7 News did a story on the Secure Campus, prompted by a release of information from Sandy Hook Promise that we were not informed about, and, unfortunately, ABC’s story included incorrect and incomplete information,” Leach wrote.

“I understand wanting to celebrate successes of the program, but without the context of the whole event, [it was done] a little bit at our expense,” Losekoot added.

Two days after publishing the press release on Sept. 24, SHP’s Chief Program Officer Crystal Brown-Garrant reached out to District Superintendent Crystal Leach to apologize to the District for issuing the press release without informing them in advance and that the discussion ended on a “positive note.”

The same day, SHP updated its statement to include a note at the bottom: “Access to a weapon was confirmed by officials. Our original statement stated that law enforcement ‘recovered weapons from their home,’ which was incorrect.”

However, this update still contradicts the Atherton Police Department’s statement that the student did not have access to a weapon and none were recovered. The M-A Chronicle alerted SHP of the inaccuracies in its original statement on Sept. 26 and Sept. 30 and has not received a response. Over two months later, the organization has neither removed Hockley’s Instagram post nor corrected the errors in its press release.

IT IS SHP’S responsibility to correct its mistakes. Failing to take down misinformation—especially after being alerted to it— is blatantly irresponsible.

When news outlets pick up false information from SHP’s press releases, there is no guarantee they will publish retractions. But more importantly, they should ensure they get it right the first time. Many outlets often do not alert readers to the release of false information. Rather, they edit the stories to correct inaccuracies, which few readers see.

I was pissed. I felt like misinformation was put out there that was used to sensationalize an event at our expense.

- Principal Karl Losekoot

SHP’S DRAMATIZATION OF our Secure Campus is not an isolated incident. A pattern of exaggeration, and sometimes false information, is present in many of SHP’s press releases that include identifying details. Furthermore, in its four most recent “tragedies averted,” SHP has omitted any and all identifying details.

After a 15-year-old was arrested for making threats in Pinellas County, Fla. in 2022, SHP published a press release titled “Sandy Hook Promise Program Helped Prevent Florida School Shooting.”

However, SHP linked to a local news source that stated the teenager had no access to weapons, a fact later confirmed by the sheriff’s office.

The student arrested in that case claimed the messages were a “joke.”

While flippant threats—especially in schools—are never acceptable, they are common. An active, credible threat is something else entirely. When SHP conflates the two, it damages its reputation and dilutes the urgency and horror of actual gun violence.

AFTER THE SANDY Hook tragedy, conspiracy theorists falsely claimed the shooting was a hoax and the victims’ families were “crisis actors.” In 2022, the families of eight victims won a $965 million judgment from podcaster Alex Jones, a leading source of those lies, in addition to $473 million from his company, Infowars.

The claim that gun violence is exaggerated, often used as an argument against regulation, is unfortunately mainstream. Because SHP plays a pivotal role in the gun control movement, publishing false information risks more than its own reputation, but the trustworthiness of the broader effort.

Repeated exaggeration of threats can cause a phenomenon known as “alarm fatigue.” When people are exposed to frequent warnings, especially when many prove false, they become more susceptible to desensitization. The more threats SHP announces, the less seriously each one may be taken.

On their website, SHP claims they use “strict criteria” to evaluate whether they prevented an attack— assessing initial information, law enforcement investigations confirming the threat is credible, and access to a weapon and or plan.

However, the student involved in M-A’s incident did not have access to a weapon. Losekoot and Andruha both emphasized that the threat was not in immediate action.

Potential threats that merit investigation are entirely different from school shootings set to actually happen. To ignore this distinction is to say that M-A has had four “tragedies prevented” in the past seven years. In 2018, a misunderstood social media post involving a BB gun sent the campus into lockdown for hours. After M-A began using SHP’s tip line in 2022, firearms were recovered from students on campus thanks to anonymous tips in two separate incidents, but neither student had a plan to use them. While September’s post and these three incidents all deserve to be taken very seriously, it would have been misleading to imply that a school shooting was moments away in any of them.

“In our two years of working with them, they’d never put out

Because SHP plays a pivotal role in the gun control movement, publishing false information risks more than its own reputation, but the trustworthiness of the broader effort.

IF A STUDENT is debating whether to submit a tip about concerning behavior, the possibility of their decision being blown out of proportion may deter them from speaking up.

In a 2022 incident in Portland, Ind., several tips about a student who threatened to bring a gun to school were submitted to SHP’s reporting system. SHP’s own press release states “the tip was found not to be credible,” yet, filed under the “Tragedies Prevented” section of its website, the release is titled “Say Something Anonymous Reporting System Saves Lives in Indiana.”

Though parts of SHP’s releases acknowledge that some threats were not credible, the organization still uses these incidents for promotion.

While SHP did not directly contradict law enforcement in all cases, inaccurate titles and exaggerated risks perpetuate unnecessary fear. Beyond misleading the schools it serves, this practice undermines the credibility of an already contentious gun control movement.

27

a statement on prior tips before. And so I wasn’t aware that that was something they would do, and then ABC News ran it,” Losekoot said.

As the first step in an investigation, the tips SHP fields are always going to be based on incomplete information and prone to mistakes.

Law enforcement and school districts typically limit the information they release in order to protect minors’ privacy and prevent misinformation and speculation. But SHP is primarily funded through donations, incentivizing them to release information obtained through their tipline.

On a Bay Area Reddit thread discussing SHP’s claims about M-A, one user wrote, “Now THIS makes me want to donate to Sandy Hook Promise. Not unskippable YouTube ads…”

releasing sensationalized information for marketing purposes.

Our district, and over 14,000 other schools, relies on SHP to deliver crucial information to keep us safe. The organization’s embellishment comes at the expense of the trust of the communities it serves—and potentially a student’s willingness to speak out.

SHP did not respond to the M-A Chronicle’s multiple requests for comment.

Gaby Foster and Becca Koenig were the lead authors of this article.

February 2023

Press Release : SHP repor ed that their Crisis Cente tr received tips th at a gun on ca a student had m weapons and pus. Access to a plan to br the gun back in to school was g er confirmed latby police. *No identifying information av able ail-

SHP’S TIP LINE fills a gaping hole in the government’s pro-

tection of schools from gun violence. Before SHP’s founding, it was largely up to individual schools to create their own reporting systems.

Until 2022, M-A provided a Google Form for students to submit anonymous tips. However, students were told not to expect responses after 11 p.m. and to contact the police directly in the case of an emergency.

“While I don’t love Sandy Hook’s press release, the system that we use and the system that they support was helpful,” Losekoot said. “It’s a good thing that we have Sandy Hook here.”

SHP’s Say Something tipline is by far the largest anonymous reporting system that exclusively serves schools around the clock across the nation. Its Know the Signs programs were some of the first of their kind to educate students, teachers, and administrators on how to notice potential signs of violence.

But we don’t need to exaggerate gun violence to be horrified. The Sandy Hook Shooting in 2012—and countless school shootings since—proved that.

Solving this issue exceeds SHP’s or any private organization’s reach. A responsible government would offer these services, but as long as SHP fills this role, it must act ethically and avoid

February 2023

Press releas received mu e: SHP wrote that they ltip “violent plan” le tips about a student’s to do harm schools. All at multiple sch the day to in ools were shut down fo r ve was arrested stigate, and the studen t . They clai m threat was late ed that the r the student h deemed credible and that ad access to a weapon an a plan. They d rep prevented sch orted this was their 14th ool shooting. *No identifyin g information available

28

March 2019

n returning to rmation: Upo rted directly Outside info repo day, students e school on Mon istrators that a student mad e in th m er ad ov ol es ho smat to sc at staff and clas uthreats directed lice quickly arrested said st po ed weekend. The y. The school was not lock da ly e ed m rt sa po e re th iff nt de and the sher d, te e ua Th ac .” ev danger down or in immediate rintendent as w e on o “n supe said, and assistant in superintendent were any of our students e ly m ti nt ce no re t e had said, “a Hook Promis ething” prey nd Sa .” er dang y Som Something Sa hosted a “See sentation.

January 2022

January 2022

sters Outside information: Tip ial soc to s tor stra ini adm alerted Jay h wit d media threats associate ool. The County Jr.-Sr. High Sch ty Sherun Co Jay the said t distric threat the ted iff’s Office investiga ation situ the d ine and determ the ed pen was “resolved” and reo 15 NE WA to school, according News.

Press Rele ed that th ase: SHP reporte tip line hel Say Something ped save li ves after multiple ti p dent’s thre s detailed a stuat campus. A to bring a gun on u the studen thorities located t, found to n and the tip was ot be credib le.

Sandy Hook Promise’s “Tragedies Prevented” November 2015

claimed that Press release: SHP e Say Someth in a student trained orted threats thing program rep The police . or to a school counsel t, and the rea th e th investigated the threats was student who made zation claims ni ga arrested. The or g instructional its Say Somethin op a planned programs helped “st g.” school shootin

May 2023

November 2015

Outside inform at ported overhearin ion: A student reg threats of viol en to a school coun selor, and the stu ce dent who made the th reats was charged wi inducing panic.

“Students were no th t in danger, and ther e was no live or active threat to stude nts, and investi gation showed there wa s no plan to harm an one in the build ing,” School Reso yurce Officer Dean Doe rflein said, accord to The Enquirer. ing

March 2019

Press release: SH P wrote that students notic ed disconcertin g behavior from one of their pe ers, which they th en reported to a trusted adult, helping “avert potential violence .” SHP noted th at this came just w eeks after studen ts had participated in SHP’s annual Say Something Week.

February 20

23 Press student release: SHP threaten with a history claimed a e himself. d to kill othe of bullying rs and Accordin th the stud ent sent g to submitted en and pla t “ ips, im a g es n thorities s of violence” t of weapons o and the deemed the thr peers. Aus e dy and tudent was take ats credible charged n into c ustowith a fe *No iden lony. tifying in formatio n availa ble

SHP claimed Press Release: th “credible 15 it prevented its Tips fielded by school attack.” ent, who had ud SHP said the st n, intended to po ea w a to ss ce ac the school. do mass harm to information *No identifying available

February

February 2020

imed that Press release: SHP cla ed Sandy because students receiv s prior, nth mo e Hook training nin their advisor they knew to turn to who exhiband report a student d bragged an fts ited behavioral shi e student Th ” ns. pla is about “h -15, amAR was found with an school, the of p ma munition, a and a list of targets.

2020 Outsi dent m de informati a o student de a threat to n: A stus at sc shoot o ple oth ther hool, a e teacher r students rep nd multis police f after overhe orted it to ound a aring. a hand -drawn rifle, ammunit The and a map of ion, li count m st of targets. the school, N entione d SHP. either ac-

April 2022

April 2022 Outside information: On the way to school, a teen with a plan to shoot someone at school got into an altercation with another student on the bus. The teen pulled out a gun, and a different bystander student grabbed the magazine from the gun and took it to the bus driver. Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger applauded the student’s “instinctive” action.

SHP claimed Press release: r gu a n in anothe a student saw to ay w e ck on th student’s backpa emented what pl im d an school, e Say Something th in d ne ar le he ivting the bus dr program by aler d ammunition un er. Authorities fo d the student an n, po ea w a d an ll ey planned to ki th at th confessed . ol someone at scho

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Board Meeting Recap

M-A Chronicle Recognition

“T

here have been at least two times that [the California School Boards Association] has posted a link to an M-A Chronicle article,” Superintendent Crystal Leach said.

“I don’t think that they understand that it is a student journalism paper, so it’s pretty special.”

M-A Principal Karl Losekoot acknowledged the M-A Chronicle’s growth—from offering only one section three years ago to currently offering three. He praised the program’s recently won National Scholastic Press Association Online Pacemaker Award, and recognized improvements in layouts and photography that contributed to the honor.

District Finances Assistant Superintendent Christine Gong reviewed the District’s unaudited actuals, a financial report detailing expenditures and revenues, revealing strong revenues, but persistently high spending.

Gong noted underwhelming increases in property tax income, around 4% instead of 5%. Although this decreased the District budget by almost $280,000, the $2.349 million increase in federal, state, and local revenues easily compensated. The District also saw lower than expected spending on salaries, benefits, and “carryover supplies.”

However, Gong explained that expenditures remain very high, which is expected.

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One million dollars set aside for a settlement with biotechnology company Genentech, is predicted to contribute to a $7.8 million deficit.

District Policy Changes In the June Supreme Court case Mahmoud v. Taylor, the Supreme Court handed down a ruling that prohibits school districts from including LGBTQ+ content in their curriculum without informing parents first, therefore updating Board Policy 6141.2. Now, parents can opt their children out of instructional content that contradicts their religious beliefs, customs, or practices, and annual parent notifications need to include curriculum announcements.

Trustee Amy Koo likened this updated policy to allowing students to adjust their P.E. attire to accommodate religious garments, and assured the Board that this policy will not result in any major changes in the classroom.

Board Postpones Ethnic Studies Requirement Vote While the Board chose not to vote on the status of Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement, they agreed to research the limitations of single-credit dual enrollment and the required content taught in Life Skills. These items could give students more flexibility in their schedules, addressing a large push by community members.

DECEMBER 2025

The District has faced significant contention over its Ethnic Studies curriculum revision process, leading many to request it be optional or have its curriculum further revised.

In previous meetings, the Board claimed they would discuss the status of the class as a graduation requirement this fall. However, during the study session, they agreed that no new information had arisen and decided not to add Ethnic Studies to the future agenda.

“I know in the past, there’s been an argument that, ‘Hey, Ethnic Studies is not needed because that content is incorporated into U.S. History.’ But I would have to understand how well it’s actually incorporated into U.S. History. Otherwise, there are still gaps in what is being taught. So, to have that discussion [on whether Ethnic Studies remains a graduation requirement], I would want to know what is in U.S. History versus Ethnic Studies and do that comparison,” Koo said.

Leach and Trustee Mary Beth Thompson discussed issues about Life Skills, the quarter-long class paired with Ethnic Studies that has been a district graduation requirement since the freshman class of 2022. While the class itself is not mandated by the state, nor an A-G requirement, it contains curriculum material that the state requires schools to teach. While some of the District’s “peers” offered semester-long classes, similar to Life Skills, the District has Life Skills as just a quarter-long class, distributing the rest of the needed material among P.E. and Biology.

“If you removed the Life Skills requirement, is there room for those things that at one time we thought were important to teach our students, to fit into a different class? I mean, we wouldn’t know unless we looked,” Leach said.

by Nico Espinosa, Isabel Habibi, Alessandra Hartwig, Vesta Kassayan, Siboney Lynch, and Grant Maletis designed by Gaby Foster and Siboney Lynch photo courtesy of Vesta Kassayan

M

W

e tried five restaurants this year and have tasted a wide assortment of unique dishes. From Turkish cuisine to Texas barbecue, we’ve compiled the most notable dishes. Here are the best Bear Bites we recommend, rated on flavor, value, and presentation.

Best Bear Bites Horsefeather’s Cream Sherry Braised Beef Roast ($36) The beef roast is a must-try when visiting Horsefeather. The dish includes slow-roasted braised beef immersed in rich sherry sauce and creamy mashed potatoes, with a spring mix salad side. The mashed potatoes are buttery and smooth, and pair just right with the sauce drizzled on top. The beef is cooked perfectly, and the sauce is rich but not too heavy. The salad is topped with Dijon vinaigrette, which creates a refreshing bite after the beef and potatoes.

Every aspect comes together to make this plate excellent.

Capelo’s Barbecue’s Pork Ribs ($13) These ribs might appear unremarkable, but beneath their bland exterior lies a rich flavor profile. Served on a silver tray lined with parchment paper—an unmistakable hallmark of a BBQ joint—the dish feels authentically crafted. The lean meat is moist and tender.

The outside is slathered in sweet barbecue sauce, adding a nice contrast to the pork’s smoky, salty flavor. The dish only comes with three ribs, so while it might not be enough for a full meal, it makes for a solid appetizer.

Haven Wine & Cheese Bar’s Bruschetta ($15) With a classy and neat presentation, the bruschetta is just as good as it looks. Served with three pieces of sourdough topped with pears, prosciutto, chili crunch, Gorgonzola cheese, and a drizzle of honey, the dish’s flavors blend perfectly together to create a sweet and crispy sensation. The plate is a clear work of precision, and it all comes together nicely. However, the Gorgonzola has quite a prominent flavor, which dominates the rest of the bruschetta’s sweet and savory flavors.

Sultana’s Grilled Octopus ($15) Described as a “meze,” or small dish, Sultana’s three tentacles of grilled octopus come well-cooked, lying on a dense bed of arugula, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, radishes, and sliced oranges. The fruits and vegetables make the dish fantastically light and bright, providing the perfect amount of tang and sweetness. Unfortunately, the octopus tastes bland, with the only ounce of flavor coming from the chimichurri drizzled on top.

by Sarah Coolican, Saachi Dhillon, Sosi Noravian, and Vesta Kassayan designed by Lilia Wilkiewicz photos courtesy of Sarah Coolican, Saachi Dhillon, Sosi Noravian, and Vesta Kassayan

The Mark

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The Church That

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Why Nativity’s doors have remained open around the clock since 1996.

____________

by Vesta Kassayan designed by Amari Witt

Never Sleeps 33

IT’S 9:53 P. M . W H E N I ROLL INTO THE CHURCH of the Nativity’s dimly lit parking lot. Besides a couple of bright lampposts, the only other light source is the glow from a trio of blue-and-red stained glass windows on the front of the Neo-Gothic church tower. From the outside, it looks deserted. Inside, however, at any hour of the day, you’ll find parishioners deep in prayer, faced up toward a sun-shaped object at the front of the main hall.

Constructed over 150 years ago, Nativity was originally built a few blocks away from its current spot on Oak Grove Avenue. Due to a change in land ownership as a result of a declining Menlo Park logging industry, Nativity was relocated in 1879. The church was raised onto a set of logs and wheeled several blocks over to its current location.

More recently, Nativity has become known for its practice of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Put simply, churchgoers can come at any time of day—whether that be 5 p.m. in the afternoon or 3 a.m. in the morning—to pray. During prayer, they look toward a sun-shaped object, known as a “monstrance.” Inside its central compartment lies a “consecrated host,” a piece of bread, which, according to Catholic belief, is the Body of Christ. Nativity’s bread is whole-wheat, and acquired across the street at Corpus Christi Monastery every month.

In keeping with Catholic law, the monstrance is staffed overnight by parishioners, who volunteer for hour-long shifts.

“It’s a way for people to deepen their relationship with God,” Mary Ellen Peloso, who helped start the practice at Nativity in 1996, said. “We used to be the only ones in our diocese, which goes from here all the way through Marin […] and now there’s more.”

The primary purpose of Eucharistic Adoration is to provide an opportunity for parishioners to foster a closer, more individual relationship with God. However, Dominick Peloso, Nativity’s deacon, notes that Eucharistic Adoration also allows for “Eucharistic miracles” to occur. During these events, the consecrated host— bread—inside the monstrance is thought to transform into a living piece of Jesus Christ, living up to the Bible’s scripture. “It happens every once in a while, just to keep us going and remind us,” D. Peloso said. “We’ve probably had several hun-

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dreds of these over the last several thousands of years.”

Although D. Peloso is open to the scientific skepticism that something so seemingly outlandish couldn’t happen, he doesn’t take the doubt to heart. “Science looks at this stuff and says, ‘What the heck is this?’

And they say it’s heart tissue from a human,” he said.

One of the most well-known Eucharistic miracles occurred in Buenos Aires in 1996.

There, a young Pope Francis—a bishop at the time—oversaw an event in which the consecrated host transformed into what seemed like a beating piece of heart tissue. He quickly obtained samples and sent them to scientific labs worldwide. Dr. Ricardo Castañón Gómez, an atheist clinical psychologist from Bolivia, was sent a sample of the tissue with no given information about its origin. After sending out samples to labs all over the world, Castañón Gómez received word that the sample he had received was of human heart tissue. When informed of the sample’s origin, Castañón Gómez reportedly remained in shock for several minutes. In the following months, the lifelong atheist converted to Catholicism.

The stories of such Eucharistic miracles have sparked no shortage of scientific debate. Articles in the Journal of Forensic Science and Research and a 2021 book by Dr. Stacy Trasancos and Fr. George Elliott critiqued Castañón’s experiments and suggested foul play. Finding the truth is difficult given the lack of forensic evidence and even greater lack of clarity about what happened the day of the miracle.

Regardless of whether the miracles are true, the Pelosos maintain that Eucharistic Adoration, especially at nighttime, fosters a closer connection with God and holds transformative power. In one story, D. Peloso recalled how a devoted Nativity parishioner prayed for her son to get the job he’d been interviewing for. After the first interview, he got rejected. Then again, for the second interview. Just as the parishioner was ready to give up, her son got the job at his third interview.

“About two weeks later, 9/11 happened.

Her son has a job a couple of blocks away, and watched people jumping off the World Trade Center, where he would have been working for the first two job interviews,” D. Peloso added.

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BEARS

Before They Were

Rachel Richards From Nerd to Rebel

B

efore she became a science teacher at M-A, Dr. Rachel Richards was a teenager navigating a move across the country, three vastly different high schools, and the ups and downs of growing up.

Richards began at Saratoga High School, a school she remembers as both demanding and creative. “Saratoga was a very academic high school where everyone was encouraged to do the best that they could, but they gave us a lot of freedom to be creative and come up with our own ideas,” she said.

At Saratoga, Richards felt at home in her circle of academically driven friends.

“That was my natural self, definitely more of a nerdy, very academic kid, and all my friends were very serious about academics, so we proudly called ourselves nerds,” she said.

During the first semester of her soph-

Richards' sophomore year photo.

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omore year, Richards’ family moved to the Virginia-Tennessee border, and she transferred to Abingdon High School. “I felt like it was a lot about rules,” Richards said. “I would always be tardy because I would go to my locker to change out my books. So I was kind of a rebel because I didn’t understand why there were rules that didn’t make sense.”

At Abingdon, Richards experimented with a different persona. “When I moved to Virginia, I pretended I was rebellious and I was goth,” she said.

For Richards, her year at Abingdon remains one of her toughest chapters. “It was really hard to move when I was 16 away from the friends I’d made growing up and not knowing anybody, and then be in a town where I felt like an outcast,” Richards said. “[It was] one of the hardest things in my life, because I didn’t really have anybody to help me.”

After a year in Virginia, Richards’ family moved again, this time to Asheville, North Carolina, where she finished high school.

Asheville School is a private school that came with its own set of challenges. “It was a very small school, only 200 people, and so definitely felt like being in a fishbowl,” Richards said. “There were a lot of rules, but if you followed them, you got privileges, and if you made good grades, you got privileges.”

Despite the strict atmosphere, Asheville provided Richards with some of the happiest memories from her teenage years. “We’d have snow days, and they would cancel classes, and then we would get in these big snowball fights, and go sledding,” Richards said. “We did senior pranks as well.

I remember that really fondly—sneaking out in the middle of the night and going DECEMBER 2025

around campus.”

She also enjoyed the outdoor activities the school offered. “We also would do a lot of camping, whitewater rafting, mountaineering, and horseback riding,” she said.

Now, Richards brings those experiences into her classroom. “I feel like I can relate to a large variety of students,” she said.

“I’ve had experience at three different high schools, and I’ve played around with being a rule follower and studying really hard and getting good grades, but I’ve also played around with being rebellious and finding out what happens when I break the rules.”

Her advice to her high school self—and her students today—is: “Even though it feels like you’re alone, others have gone through these experiences before, and there is help out there for you. Tomorrow’s another day. Just wait it out when the going gets tough.”

by Ilaria Cline designed by Caleigh Jones photos courtesy of Ilaria Cline and Rachel Richards

M

“ I hope to make

other people feel they have just as much of a space here as everybody else.

Michael Mueller

”

Self Acceptance and Pride

B

efore Michael Mueller became a Spanish teacher, he was a teen searching for self-acceptance as he came to understand his sexuality.

Mueller attended Manteca High School in the Central Valley. Despite not being drawn to sports or club activities, he enjoyed attending the small-town football games with friends. “I didn’t really pay attention to the game, but I knew a few of the players, and if they scored, we would feel proud to cheer for them,” he said.

As Mueller grew up, he increasingly felt a stigma around expressing himself authentically. “I couldn’t help myself, but it was just my personality, my way of carrying myself, that was what more conservative people would describe as effeminate,” Mueller said. “That way of speaking, that way of moving my hands, that way of dressing, was not 100% acceptable, especially in the early ’90s. From certain groups, I would get a lot of crap that I did not like.”

Through these struggles, Mueller had supportive friends, some of whom had even come out as LGBTQ+. “Originally, I start-

ed hanging out with similar, like-minded people without intentionally searching them out—we just kind of naturally came together,” he said.

It took Mueller a year or two to feel comfortable identifying as gay and sharing that with friends. “Eventually, I found the courage and the trust in them to share, ‘Hey, I think I might be like you guys.’ And so it gave me a chance to share thoughts and feelings and compare those to other people and realize, ‘Hey, I’m okay. There’s nothing wrong with me. I am a little bit like these guys. We’re all a little different, but we’ve got some stuff in common,’” Mueller said.

His journey was not without significant speed bumps. Mueller’s parents took 10 years to accept him after he came out, and even then, he was encouraged not to share his sexuality with extended family. As a teacher in the early 2000s, he was petrified of not being accepted. He remarked that the administration at his old school would acknowledge that they had a gay employee, but they subtly messaged him to tone it down. “How do you censor the way you

speak, the way you move your head? It’s just—it’s so hard,” Mueller said.

Mueller is blown away by the progress for gay rights since his childhood. “Part of the reason I eventually chose to be a teacher was to be a beacon of hope for other students who were like me, but the joke’s on me, because the world changes and it evolves. And by the time I became a teacher, students in the early 2000s had it so much better,” he said. “I wish I was a teenager in the 2020s. I would have felt so accepted, so much more safe, so much more a part of my high school community.”

He now feels comfortable being out and joyfully talks about his husband, Alberto, hoping to show that the world is full of all kinds of people. “I hope to make other people feel they have just as much of a space here as everybody else, if not more,” he said.

To students struggling to express themselves, Mueller encourages self-acceptance and openness. “Try to be honest, but understand that sometimes being honest may not get you the result that you’re hoping for. And you have to be okay with that too, because eventually, [people will] come around if it’s meant to be. What matters is how you feel about yourself, and if you feel better walking out of the house with a fabulous, awesome shirt that sparkles and glitters, that’s what you need to do.”

by Eliza Crowe designed by Gracie Bullard photos courtesy of Eliza Crowe and Michael Mueller

Mueller (far left) with high school friends in 1996.

The Mark

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Faces

38

of M-A 39

SEMESTER L

RECAP

eadership hosted its annual Homecoming dance in Ayers Gym on Oct. 18. Still energized from Friday’s Homecoming football game, students filled the dance floor in an assortment of suits and dresses. The theme for this year’s Homecoming dance was the Garden of Greece, brought to life by floral overhangs, flashing lights, and popular music.

by Lawrence Chao designed by Hailey Hintze photo courtesy of Lawrence Chao

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Class Clash is a new spirit week introduced by Leadership with exciting and competitive games between grade levels. Students competed with their grades to win various competitions hosted in the Performing Arts Center. Each day of the week, students showed up in spirited attire and cheered on peers as they fought to win contests.

by Yimeng Cai and Hana Suzuki photo courtesy of Yimeng Cai

Students clinched an 8-7 win over staff in the Students vs. Staff Inner Tube Water Polo game on Oct. 9 during lunch. Leadership created the game as a way to bond students and staff with fun and competitive spirit, and it’s making its return for the first time in several years.

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by Alexa Djafari and Johanna Key photo courtesy of Alexa Djafari

Flashing lights lit up the Green as students gathered for Leadership’s Welcome Back Dance on Aug. 23. With upbeat music, delicious food, and a lively crowd, the event set the tone for the exciting school year. Students dressed in their best island-inspired attire, with vibrant flower necklaces and Aloha shirts.

by Colin Lee photo courtesy of Colin Lee

The Bears all gathered in the gym for this year’s Homecoming Rally on Friday. Students showed up in their best camo attire for the final day of Homecoming spirit week. The event featured games, teacher dances, performances from the Pacific Islander Club, and high spirits from the dance and cheer team. The rally was in Ayers Gym for the first time since 2018, moving inside from Coach Parks Field.

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by Alex Sanchez Jara photo courtesy of Alex Sanchez Jara

The senior class of 2026 defeated the junior class of 2027 by a score of 13-0 in Leadership’s fourth annual Powderpuff game on Coach Parks Field during lunch on Oct. 10. The annual game isn’t just about class pride, it also raises funds for the Bay Area Young Survivors (BAYS) Foundation, which supports young people impacted by breast cancer. From custom jerseys to pink face paint, the details serve as a reminder of the cause behind the competition.

by Eliana Clapp and Remko Cuellar photo courtesy of Eliana Clapp

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TTUURRNNIINNGGPPOOIINNTTUUSSAA

Visits UC Berkeley Amid Fiery Protest

by Nico Espinosa and Vesta Kassayan designed by Becca Koenig photo courtesy of Nico Espinosa

*The name of this interviewee is a pseudonym to protect their confidentiality.

C

harlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA, a national student

conservative advocacy group, finished its nationwide tour at UC Berkeley on Monday evening.

The sold-out event came exactly two months after the death of Turning Point USA’s founder, conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Although the event sought to bring “non-partisan debate, dialogue, and discussion,” violence soon broke out across Berkeley as demonstrators protested in front of dozens of police officers.

Turning Point USA originally selected Kirk to headline the event as a part of his “American Comeback” tour, launched to spread conservative values to U.S. universities. However, after Kirk’s death, comedian Rob Schneider and Christian author Frank Turek took his place leading the tour.

The night of Q&A and speeches drew an unusual mix of nearly 900 attendees, including supporters of Kirk as well as skeptical Berkeley students. At least six arrests were made throughout the afternoon and evening as clashes broke out around the venue. Since then, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a probe into Berkeley’s security preparations and law-enforcement response.

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t

tp Schneider opened the program by mockingly thanking the muffled protesters outside. “I’d like to thank the Antifa for the welcoming that they gave me tonight. It was beautiful. They didn’t have to bring fireworks, but I appreciate it,” Schneider said, referencing Antifa, the leftist anti-facist political movement.

Schneider described Berkeley’s political situation as an “intolerant blip” in its history. He warned of a more systemic problem, where college campuses were being “infiltrated by goons” intent on shutting down dissenting views.

British novelist and guest Andrew Doyle expressed similar pessimism about the trajectory of college campuses. “UC Berkeley [used to be] this bastion of free speech back in 1964. And then I get here and there’s tear gas and fireworks and people in riot gear. Something has gone slightly wrong,” he said.

Campus officials disputed portions of that characterization. UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof said no tear gas had been used.

The event also featured a Q&A as homage to Charlie Kirk’s trademark

one-on-one debating.

Questions ranged from personal inquiries about Schneider’s comedy career to political ones about free speech.

“Last month you tweeted that children didn’t get sick when you were a kid, so there weren’t children’s hospitals,” one attendee said, during the Q&A portion. “My question is: does your wife firewall block Google, or are you just unfathomably r*tarded?”

Despite tense exchanges between speakers and attendees, Schneider ended optimistically. “It is this campus, more than any other campus in the United States, that has the foundational principle of free speech,” he said.

Schneider and his colleagues left amid loud cheers and scattered boos. Police held the perimeter as they filed out.

Outside the event, however, over 150 protesters crowded against the barrier between Headlands Brewing and the Cal Student Store, blocking the entrance to the plaza in front of Zellerbach Hall and heckling attendees for the duration of the event. Several rows of

armed police stood behind the barrier as protesters yelled insults, and more were stationed at entrances.

The crowd maintained its ferocity for the full event with a variety of chants targeting Turning Point USA, President Donald Trump, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“It’s gonna take all of us changing our lives and changing our priorities, making ‘Trump must go down’ our number one priority, not capitulating, not backing down, not letting any of these institutions bow down to Trump,” Michael* said.

Other chants included “in the name of humanity, we refuse to accept a fascist America,” “no ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA,” and “Charlie Kirk is going to hell.”

“People shouldn’t be surprised at his [Charlie Kirk’s] death. I don’t think people should be necessarily sad because he advocated for this,” Michael* said. “I don’t think people should be dying, but it’s kind of like depressingly poetic justice.”

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MENLO PARK’S AMBITIOUS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS

Design concept for Parkline commons/landscape.

Proposed design for the Parkline site.

Laurel Street pedestrian connection with residential units (left) and townhomes (right).

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DECEMBER 2025

Design concept for Parkline commons/landscape.

M

C

alifornia’s housing mandate took effect in 2023, requiring Menlo Park to issue building permits for nearly 3,000 new homes by February 2031. Of those, nearly 1,662 will be affordable, below-market-rate (BMR) homes.

BMR units are typically cheaper than the area median and must be sold or rented to people with income levels below a certain percentage of the region’s median income.

Since that announcement, Menlo Park has moved rapidly to add to its currently insufficient 584 approved units across the city.

The city currently has three prominent affordable housing initiatives in the works: 251 BMR units at Parkline, 41 at 888 El Camino Real, and 345 in downtown.

Why Does Menlo Park Need Affordable housing?

Menlo Park does not need to finish construction on its affordable housing units by 2031—it only needs to issue sufficient building permits before the deadline. Per California Housing Element Law, failure to complete plans for the state-mandated threshold of 1,662 units could result in fines of anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 each month after the deadline.

Additionally, Menlo Park may lose its ability to veto future qualified housing proposals in a process known as Builder’s Remedy, where developers can move forward with housing proposals even if they violate zoning laws, meaning the city may lose power in building decisions.

Parkline Of the 800 possible housing units as a part of the Parkline proposal, 251 will be BMR, the highest of any affordable housing proposal in Menlo Park thus far.

On Sept. 30, 2025, the City Council unanimously approved Lane Partners LLC’s Parkline plan. The project intends to replace parts of SRI International’s headquarters and The First Church of Christ, Scientist with up to 800 new residential units. Initially, 600 rental apartments and 46 townhomes will be built, while the remaining 154 rental apartments are to be developed in the future. The proposal also includes green spaces, bike paths, and other public amenities.

In order to preserve much of SRI’s campus, a significant portion of Parkline will be spent on office space, the majority of which will be occupied by SRI. A smaller portion of the office space will be for commercial use. Parkline will also be climate-friendly, including electric vehicle charging spaces, drought-tolerant landscaping improveThe Mark

ments, a replacement program for heritage trees, fully electric and carbon-free building designs, and an emergency water storage reservoir. The project also promotes community engagement through 20 acres of open space, 2.5 miles of bike trails, and a 2.7-acre outdoor recreational park.

There’s been significant community input on the development of Parkline, totaling 12 community meetings, 1,005 survey responses, and 45 tours of the site.

Based on feedback, Parkline has adapted to include additional parking garages. “After hours, we will absolutely have on-site security 24/7 to make sure people within Parkline and around Parkline feel safe,” Lane Partners Principal Mark Murray said on the topic of safety.

For M-A students who commute along Ravenswood Avenue to get to school, an increased number of residents in the area could potentially worsen traffic, especially during peak commute hours.

888 El Camino Real Jeffrey’s Hamburgers has been in Menlo Park for almost twenty years—that soon might change. A proposal was recently submitted for a seven-story, multifamily residential building to replace Jeffrey’s at its current address. The project leverages a state density bonus that allows developers to place more units on a single piece of land than the city would typically allow. At 80 feet tall, it would be the second-tallest building in the downtown area, after the Menlo Towers. The plan includes 41 total units, with five set aside as BMR. The proposal also includes provisions for 38 dedicated parking spaces.

On Sept. 18, 2025, Menlo Park moved to review the proposal to determine whether it is consistent with city standards. If the proposal is approved, Jeffrey’s will be demolished and replaced within the next three to five years, when construction begins. This doesn’t mean Jeffrey’s is gone for good—owner Serge Karanov has already announced plans to settle down in a nearby location if he’s forced to move out.

Downtown Lots 1, 2, and 3 Menlo Park has targeted three parking lots in the downtown area for redevelopment, all right off of Santa Cruz Avenue.

The proposal seeks to add around 345 units of affordable housing by 2027. The choice to replace specifically downtown lots with housing is based largely on acquisition costs—because the city already owns the land, they won’t have to pay for it. Further, the units will also be close to schools,

jobs, transit, and more, easily fulfilling the basic state recommendations for affordable housing unit placement.

In order to offset the nearly 600 parking spots lost as a result of construction, the city is pursuing the development of expanded parking garages in the city, pledging to replace nearly all parking spots lost as a result of the proposal.

After announcing the plan to seek developers for the lots in late January 2025, the city submitted a formal Request for Proposals in August 2025. At this rate, the city will move to select a proposal to pursue in a few months.

Community Response Menlo Park’s efforts to pursue affordable housing have been met with strong support as well as strong backlash. This is especially true in the case of the proposal to develop downtown.

Almost immediately after the details of the development were released, a local group named Save Downtown Menlo was formed. The group vehemently opposes the development, arguing that downtown will become too difficult to access as a result, hurting local businesses.

Another major concern for the organization is parking. Since Save Downtown Menlo’s inception, they’ve filed a lawsuit against the city—though later “paused” the suit, because it was clarified that the city never took final action on the lots—raised $130,000, and gathered signatures on a petition that would force the city to require Menlo Park voters to directly approve any proposal to repurpose public parking plazas. The group submitted its petition on Oct. 10, 2025. With 2,000 verified signatures, City Council is required to respond to the petition. The Council could place the ordinance on a ballot, adopt the measure outright, or decline to do either.

In response to growing anti-affordable-housing rhetoric, a community group called Menlo Together—on the opposite side of the issue—emerged shortly after.

Menlo Together explicitly supports affordable housing, especially downtown. The group regularly holds events promoting affordable housing, such as its “Making Affordable Homes Happen in Menlo Park” event at Cafe Zoe & Neighborhood Pizza Guy in May.

by Nico Espinosa and Vesta Kassayan designed by D'Anjou Paul Libunao photos courtesy of City of Menlo Park and Lane Partners

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FALL SPORTS photos courtesy of Oliver Bain, Anna Dearing, Alexa Djafari, Joseph Grass, and Alex Sanchez Jara

designed by Becca Koenig

Season

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SNAPSHOTS

Dacey dodges tackles for a run against Mitty.

Senior TEDDY DACEY

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Senior ACACIA YOON

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Yoon slams the ball with her racket againt Paly.

Freshman SOPHIA NGUYEN

Nguyen swings in a match against Carlmont.

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Alvarado looks to throw in M-A's dominant 33-0 victory over Jefferson.

Senior ALEX ALVARADO

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Lee winds up to shoot against Homestead.

Trujillo blocks a shot against Sequoia.

Senior BREA TRUJILLO

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Junior KANOA LEE

Ravenswood Avenue crossing, Menlo Park.

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he City of Menlo Park announced plans to adopt a quiet zone within the city following a study by engineering consultants from Kimley-Horn and Associates. In a quiet zone, the operator of the train is instructed to sound the horns only when approaching the station or if there is a safety concern. When implemented, Caltrain will no longer blow its horns at crossings in Menlo Park, creating a quieter atmosphere for residents. This requires upgrading two of Menlo Park’s train crossings to quadrant gate systems, meaning complete blockage of the tracks for all lanes of traffic. Menlo Park completed the planning phase for these renovations in 2023 and is expected to start construction in spring 2026 and finish that fall.

This upgrade will involve installing two additional gates at the Oak Grove Avenue and Ravenswood Avenue train crossings to make them quadrant gates. Once completed, the city will check with the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine whether these improvements meet the requirements for a citywide quiet zone.

The rough estimated cost for this project is $4.2 million.

The decision to upgrade Oak Grove Avenue and Ravenswood Avenue crossings came from the city’s Quiet Zone Implementation Plan. This study serves as a recommendation to the city on what should be done.

Menlo Park Introduces Caltrain Quiet Zone

by Julianne Hanson designed by Karen Chen photos courtesy of Julianne Hanson

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The city’s Quiet Zone Implementation Plan presents traffic volumes at all four of Menlo Park’s train crossings. It concludes that Ravenswood Avenue and Oak Grove Avenue have the highest pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle count overall.

Kimley-Horn and Associates conducted a study suggesting upgrading two of the four crossings.

“For the four crossings in the City of Menlo Park, Kimley-Horn recommends upgrading Oak Grove Avenue and Ravenswood Avenue. This determination is twofold: not only does this alternative have the lowest cost implication, at roughly $4.2 million, it also has the greatest risk reduction for these four crossings,” the study said.

Community members hold varying viewpoints on Menlo Park’s decision to turn the city into a quiet zone.

Jenny Michel was one of multiple community members who replied to the M-A Chronicle’s Nextdoor post asking the community for their thoughts on the city’s quiet zone decision. She explained that for her son, the train horns are not disruptive but instead desired. “Our son, who attends Hillview, is hearing impaired, and the train audibles are a source of comfort and happiness. He grew up hearing the train horns because his dad, my husband, worked in S.F. and commuted via Caltrain for many years. For a long time, our son could not hear anything, so the old F40s [older diesel Caltrain models] were a sign that dad was coming home,” Michel wrote.

She also added that the train horns are a big part of her day-to-day accessibility. “I’m a disabled worker and must take transit over a vehicle to get

“For a long time, our son could not hear anything, so the old F40’s [older diesel Caltrain models] were a sign that dad was coming home.”

- Jenny Michel

around. The horn of the train is important for me to know when the train is arriving and leaving.

Many times I’ve missed my train due to the bus being late and don’t always have a visual of the train,” Michel wrote.

In contrast, senior Stephen Cheung explained that his elderly neighbors find the train horns irritating. “My neighborhood has a lot of elderly people, and they do complain about the noise, and it causes a lot of vibrations that can wake you up in the middle of the night,” he said.

Many Menlo Park residents have attended city council meetings to share their opinion on the need for a city-wide quiet zone. Cheung’s neighbors strongly advocated for this change. “One of my neighbors is 90, and his wife passed away a few years ago. I think she was pretty big on trying to get the trains to be more quiet, and she advocated for that,” Cheung said.

Bruce Smith, M-A’s swim team head coach, said that he’s gotten used to the noise—though it still affects him. He wasn’t sleeping well and decided to purchase an Oura Ring to track his sleep behavior.

“I found out that there is a freight train that goes through every day at 2 a.m. because my Oura Ring was showing that I was waking up,” Smith said.

He has tried multiple ways to block out the horn’s blow, such as earplugs and white noise.

Residents near the tracks have experienced disturbances for years, making quiet zones an increasingly popular solution. This initiative hopes to address residents’ complaints and improve the quality of life in the area.

Oak Grove Avenue crossing, Menlo Park.

The Mark

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Menlo Park Farmers Market Enters Its 34th Year of Community Building and Service E very Sunday morning, the parking lot behind downtown Menlo Park transforms into a lively community center as people flock to purchase fresh produce and groceries for the week. Since the Menlo Park Farmers Market opened in 1992, it has become a staple weekend activity for local residents. The peaceful rhythm of live music creates a relaxing atmosphere as customers and vendors enjoy the market’s unique offerings each week.

The market offers local farmers an opportunity to sell their products to a loyal clientele. Michael Jason Mora is the fifth generation in his family to inherit Mora Family Farm, an apple farm based in Watsonville that sells apples, jams, eggs, and fresh produce. “We’ve had customers here for the last 20 years that just keep coming and coming,” he said. “From big companies, 56

you’re not going to get the flavor or the freshness that you get at a farmers market.”

“It’s a way for people to vote with their dollars to support small businesses,” David Winsberg, the owner of Happy Quail Farms, a pepper farm based in East Palo Alto, said. “It’s not easy sometimes,” Mora added. “But we get by how we’ve always done it.”

Since most grocery store products are not locally sourced due to cost-effectiveness and seasonal availability, farmers markets are an opportunity to buy sustainable produce from local vendors.

Produce at the farmers market is often more flavorful and ripe than at grocery stores, since it doesn’t need to be transported long distances. “It’s the flavors you cannot compete with,” Market Manager Lori Hennings said.

DECEMBER 2025

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Pietro Parravano and his wife Joan Parravano have been selling products from their fishery, F/V Anne B, at the market for 34 years. He joined the market to establish a more direct connection between the fisherman and their customers. “The best thing about the farmers market is that people understand where their food comes from. They understand the nutritional values, and they have a chance to socialize when they buy their groceries,” he said.

The farmers market attracts many families who want their children to see where their food comes from, as well as community members who want to socialize while shopping. “Whenever I come down here, I feel very safe, and half the time I see several people I know,” customer Molly Clough, who has been coming to the market every year since it opened, said.

The market was founded by a group of women who wanted to establish a gathering point for shoppers and walkers in Menlo Park. Hennings connected the women with the Live Oak Lions, a faction of Lions Clubs International, the largest service club in the world. “There’s no other Lions Club that sponsors [the farmers market] like we do,” Lions Club Secretary Jim Bigelow said. “If it’s raining, pouring, windy, every Sunday we’re here.”

The market continues the Lions Clubs' mission of service by encouraging donations of eyeglasses and hearing aids for the Lions Hearing Foundation and Lions Eye Foundation, which are recycled and donated.

As customers dwindle, volunteers head to the market to load

the unsold produce that will be delivered to charities like St. Vincent de Paul and St. Anthony’s. Many of these volunteers are students and parents from M-A and local middle schools. Junior Amelia Letsinger is in her fourth year volunteering at the market. “The most rewarding thing is knowing that the food goes to people in need and it’s actually good produce that’s good for their health,” she said.

“There’s such a need for food right now,” Parravano said. “The best way to do it is just to bring it back to the community so they can benefit from us.” The Lions Club has collected and donated around 1,120,000 pounds of food and $1,182,000 in vendor fees since the market first opened, supporting thousands of people in the local community.

“This almost doesn’t feel like a job because it’s so enjoyable,” Hennings said. “This is the longest I’ve ever done anything, because it’s such a good group of people. If I’m feeling down, I come here.”

The Menlo Park Farmers Market is the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning and make connections in the community while getting quality produce right from the people who grow it. “Come to the market,” Mora said. “We could use everyone’s

by Lia Nadav photos courtesy of Lia Nadav designed by Lia Nadav

Live music plays at the market.

Parravano shows off a wild king salmon.

Customers can recycle eyeglasses to be donated.

Mora (right) serves a customer.

The Mark

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MARK’S INFERNO

by Vesta Kassayan

Warning: This crossword puzzle starts off easy, but gets devilishly hard as you descend. Finishing it all is not for the faint of heart...

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1 Synonym for ocean 4 Word after pen 7 To make better 9 Six days after Wednesday?

10 The only size you can’t put ‘extra’ before 11 Abbreviation for ‘this,’ apparently 12 Me, myself, and _ 13 Padres city?

15 Go over with a fine-tooth comb 20 80’s speak for ‘vibed’; or, a small divot in the past tense 21 Compact Honda crossover model 22 World, Java, Calc AB 24 7th most populous city within city limits in Europe 27 ___ Days; summer 29 Common reaction after realizing one’s mistake 30 Violinist’s tool of choice 31 Hill-residing insect that can lift 50 times its own weight 33 On the side of caution?

34 Be in the red, maybe 35 Pittsburgh’s baseball team’s favorite letter 36 A single mountain from Europe’s favorite range 39 Multiple technical knockouts, without the ‘O’ 41 ___ De Janiero 42 What’s due tomorrow, briefly 43 Rosé and Bruno’s favorite phrase, probably 44 Estimated annual costs 46 Buzzword, literally 47 Big mountain go boom, Sicily 48 Bhutan, Electronic Arts, Zoo Parking 50 Crank that boy!

51 Brexiter, briefly 52 What provides the right to bare arms 57 “This ____!” In reference to a good or bad vacuum 58 30% of a “politician” 59 End of debt?!

60 Creedence Clearwater: Have you ever seen it?

63 Mellville partner in fashion

1 Not standing 2 Plural; Limu ___ & Doug 3 Gorilla or chimp, for instance 4 __-pom; sparkly cheer item 5 Avenue, briefly 6 Guided 8 Rating for mature films 13 Compromise utensil 14 To split up 16 International Relations, for short 17 Start-of-book list, briefly 18 After before common era 19 Durant?

22 Parent of Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator, without the ‘O’ 23 Word to express pity 25 The most self-centered letter 26 Presidential determiners 28 E.g.: “most T-shirts folded in under a minute” (31!)

31 College application reader 32 Top-left of a compass rose 36 ____ian Nights 37 Gets the red stick, frequently 38 Flower holder 39 ___ Mahal, with an article before; or, Greek for angle, indexed

by J 40 African harvest festival, without the extra ‘A’ 45 Blue hat emoji, colloquially 47 Electric creature 48 Caffeinated pearls 49 Up the volume, dude!

50 Drill giver, for short 53 Hard thing you find on the ground, backwards 54 Tacos Keep Landing At Noon 55 Windows, for short 56 G-13?

59 Patriot MVP; or, infectious disease, for short 61 Bouncer’s request; or, prerequisite to 63 Across 62 Bigger Apple 64 Letter Bostonians forget

The Mark

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@machronicle

@themachronicle