MARK
555 Middlefield Road, Atherton, CA Volume vi, Issue IIi FEBRUARY 2016
Menlo-Atherton High School
e MarkFebruary
Editor-in-Chief
Molly Kearnan
Copy Editor
Kate Flanagan
Layout Editors
Lauren Bruce
Joanna Vollrath
Features and Input Editor
Katie Moffitt
News and Op-Ed Editor
Caraline Albro
Social Media Manager
Sofia Bergmann
Staff Writers
Leyla Arabian
Reid Diamond
Brooke Faulkner
Rachel Frost
Elley Goldberg
Selim Karahan
Lara Karadogan
Sofia Karadogan
Leah Marcus
Taylor Shantz
Bradley Stillman
Olivia Tai
Advisor: Susie Choe
The Mark, a feature magazine published by the students in Menlo-Atherton High School’s journalism class, is an open forum for student expression and the discussion of issues of concern to its readership. The Mark is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy, and obscenity. Submissions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all M-A students or the staff of The Mark. Send all submissions to submittothemark@gmail.com.
Doing the Math on AP Exams
Recently, my English teacher handed out the AP Bulletin with the logistics of AP exams. In fine print, underneath the “Fees” section, was the price of each exam: $92. My English class, which largely consists of upper-class students whose parents will begrudgingly write hefty checks for the exams, let out groans of frustration - mostly for the fast-approaching tests, but also for the accompanying cost. My parents will also be one of those begrudging ATMs, doling out a check for nearly $300 to cover the cost of my three AP exams. I can already see the annoyance on their faces. While most students assume that the exam money pays for testing materials and proctors, the majority of it actually goes towards airfare, hotel, and food for thousands of test graders that volunteer to sit in a room for hours grading the messy writing of students across the country. So, yeah, this makes me feel a little bit better about where my money is going. But wait, let’s think about this for a second. According to the College Board, around 13,000 teachers and college faculty participated in the 2015 AP Reading. Just over 2.3 million students took AP exams in 2014, according to the most recent data that the College Board shares publicly. With 2.3 million students taking AP exams, paying $92 for each, the College Board rakes in approximately $215,512,576. Stay with me here, because this is when it gets strange. If this money is distributed evenly to each grader, one grader would receive $16,577.89 to cover airfare, accommodations, food and a stipend!
So, let’s try to calculate this and figure out how much an average AP grader might actually need. Unfortunately, the College Board does not give out information regarding AP Reading expenses, so we’ll have to go on our own judgment here (along with some insight from Ms. Strub, who participated in the 2009 AP English Literature Reading). Some readers have claimed to collect $1,500 as an AP reading stipend. Okay, so that’s not unreasonable for teachers leaving their homes to grade hundreds of tests out of pure goodness of heart. As for transportation, this all depends on the hometown of the reader and the location of the AP reading. For our purposes, let’s estimate that each grader needs $200 for roundtrip transportation. Then there’s food costs. Three meals a day for eight days, that’s 24 meals each costing around $12.75. In total, that’s $306 for eight days worth of food. Lastly, there are hotel expenses. The average U.S. hotel price is about $137 per night, although for a shared room, only $69. For an eight-night stay, that’s $552. So, the average estimated grand total cost for one AP Reader to grade hundreds of tests over an eight-day period is … $2,588. For 13,000 readers, the total cost is approximately $33,644,000. Of course, exam materials also contribute to fees. Although I have no idea how much testing materials might cost, I’m estimating $1 per student. If each exam requires a testing booklet, a scantron, and some stickers, this might result in around $2 million for the students taking exams. That leaves approximately $180,868,576 going straight to the Col-
lege Board. For a company that considers themselves a nonprofit, they are surely profiting. And this is what makes me realize that there’s a bigger problem here. While the price of AP exams is a major issue, the College Board is perpetuating an underlying problem: test culture. Test culture argues that students are numbers on a piece of paper, lone statistics subject to the cruel hand of college admissions officers. Test culture denies the idea that students are people with personalities and character and lives. It tells us to pay hundreds of dollars for a test and focus all of our energy on that test, rather than pursuing our passions, goals, and creativity. And the sad part is that we go along with it. We actively hand over hundreds of dollars to the College Board so that we can take a test that might slightly improve our chances to get into some dream school. Although parental and student pressure is the major cause of test culture, the College Board contributes to test culture by encouraging it and, in turn, capitalizing off of it, making millions because most colleges value test scores more than a personality. Unfortunately, we have no concrete justification for the apparent corruption and monopoly of the College Board, despite my persistent emails to their AP department. But if you’re as frustrated as I am with the College Board, then you might be hesitant to take the exams. However, if you’re also as cowardly as I am, then you will probably still take them.
by the Editorial Board
high mark//low mark
From low to high (L-R), The Mark staff ranks recent events.
“The Martian”
Iwatched this science-fiction film on a plane to pass the time, and it left me feeling absolutely ecstatic. Directed by Ridley Scott, “The Martian” tells the story of Mark Watney (Matt Damon), an astronaut abandoned on Mars after his crew assumes his death. Abandoned on the planet after a severe dust storm, Watney is forced to find complex methods of survival, all the while figuring out how to contact NASA and get back home. In my opinion, the movie is most enjoyable because it interjects humor in the midst of a pressing life-or-death situation. While “The Martian” is certainly a film to please science fiction lovers, it was also recognized in this year’s Golden Globe Awards for best comedy/musical. Overall, this movie is one that can please anyone and that inspires people to never give up.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
Being named Leah and having a dog named Chewie, I was obviously raised in a “Star Wars”-loving household. J.J. Abrams, director of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” really made the pre-release hype worth it. In the 30 years since “Return of the Jedi,” Luke Skywalker has disappeared, and the main galactic powers are rebranded as the Resistance and First Order. With this change, we meet a new set of characters: Rey and Finn. The Resistance, the “good guys,” are battling the First Order in order to save the galaxy. We also find the return of legendary characters like Han Solo and Chewbacca, who are wonderfully recaptured with three decades worth of galactic years and a couple more wrinkles. The overall plot of the movie was entertaining and visually pleasing to watch – old references and romantic chemistry between old characters also appealed to those “Star Wars” fans who have been watching for years.
___2015_Movie_Review___
by Leah Marcus
“I
“Inside Out” “Sisters”
nside Out” is a movie about the personification of emotions that live in 12-year-old Riley and her family’s head; who wouldn’t be interested in watching that? Little characters exist inside Riley’s head as emotions: Fear, Anger, Disgust, Sadness, and Joy. Riley is nearly always happy, until her family decides to move from the Midwest to a cramped San Francisco apartment for her Dad’s new job. Riley begins feeling depressed and missing her old life back in the Midwest. Joy used to be commander-in-chief of Riley’s little brain until they moved, and now Fear, Anger and Disgust have taken control. This movie serves best as instruction on how the mind works in a simplistic and charming way so that kids can understand it. It shows that you need the dark to appreciate the light. Overall this movie releases both tears of joy and happiness, the best way a movie could ever affect you.
“Sisters” is an all-night raging party movie that would most likely appeal to those who enjoy the “party life” and who have snappy humor. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler portray sisters with an inseparable bond. Poehler plays the responsible younger sister Maura, who is a divorced nurse living in Atlanta, while Fey plays Kate, a hairdresser and single mom who selfishly puts all the attention on her intelligence and sex appeal. When they find out their parents are selling their childhood home in Florida, they decide to throw one last amazing party in it. It ends up being a hot mess, truly making the movie hilarious. Although this movie really brought lots of laughter, it didn’t evoke any deep emotions or thought. I would finally say that this movie is a perfect one to watch with your friends on a Saturday night, but not one that your parents would approve of.
Beyond the Woods
Menlo-Atherton’s upcoming spring musical, “Into the Woods,” takes you on an adventure through a mix of classic fairy tales with some dramatic twists. In order to put together such a large production, many different people have to work together in a variety of jobs. From teachers to students to parent volunteers, all are working hard to make this show great. Olivia Tai, a member of the “Into the Woods” cast, explains the acting and singing aspects of the production during her first M-A show experience.
“We have been preparing in that everyone has to learn their lines, learn their songs, then their blocking and how to act and develop their character.”
Every actor has a multitude of different jobs they need to master, including after-school rehearsals, some of which can go as late as nine o’clock each night before production. The drama teacher and director, Ms. Sundstrom, helps actors with blocking and stage positioning and controls all aspects of the show. This musical also has four stage managers,
which is more than usual, to help direct and keep things in order.
Tai goes on to explain the vocal preparations: “We’ve spent a month simply working on the singing because [‘Into the Woods’] is really technically difficult.” Students spend time working with Mr. Maier, the chorus and guitar teacher, and even have an outside singing coach, Dr. Kleinerman, who comes to M-A to help. The orchestra and singers rehearse together, led by Mr. Kurrus. These students must put in time, perfecting the music for production night.
The stagecraft class has been hard at work as well, helping behind the scenes, working the lights, doing cast makeup and generally striving to make the musical as magical as possible. There have been all-cast building days where pieces of the set are constructed and then “flown” or lifted high up above the stage, a task which calls for a large group.
“We really want it to be the best it can be and that takes a lot of time,” Tai says, speaking for the entire “Into the Woods” community. A talented group of
people are working to give the audience a memorable musical. So go support your friends in the M-A musical, “Into the Woods”!
by Rachel Frost
DateS: Feb. 26-27 Mar. 3-5 Time: 7:30 p.m.
PLACE: M-A PAC Students: $10 Adults: $14
To Love or Not to Love
by Brooke Faulkner
Valentine’s Day. A day full of roses, chocolate and high expectations. To celebrate this holiday I went around Menlo-Atherton asking our esteemed faculty about the funniest and most embarrassing dates they have had, and what they think about students dating. Here is their advice on how to date.
“In school, we teach all subjects, but we don’t teach how to deal with relationships. I understand that this should be taught at home, but many times we see these kids more than their parents and we may be the only outlet.” -Mr. Bowler
Mr.Williams
Did you date in high school?
“No, my parents did not let me because we were super religious.”
What’s your funniest dating memory?
“Nothing appropriate for high school comes to mind.”
Any dating advice for students?
“It’s high school, so do not take it too seriously because you have the rest of your life to be serious.”
Can teens love?
“Of course they can! They are people and people love.”
Photography Lauren Bruce
Mrs. Otsuka
Did you date in high school? “Yes.”
What’s your funniest dating memory? “I dated this one guy who kept checking himself out in my sunglasses, it was pretty awkward.”
Any dating advice for students? “Date a literary warrior!”
Can teens love? “Yes I see it all the time, especially in the C-Wing!”
Mr. Bowler
Did you date in high school?
“Yes.”
What’s your funniest dating memory?
“I dated [a girl] and her dad was ‘Godfather of Comedy,’ Paul Mooney, so we got to see him perform in San Francisco one night.”
Any dating advice for students?
“Be nice and respectful. Treat your partner as you would want to be treated.”
Should teenagers date?
“I think teenagers should experience dating. It helps them develop social etiquette and responsibility.”
Do you believe in love at rst sight?
“Not sure about love at first sight, after the initial attraction wears off, there is much more in a relationship that needs to make it work than just looks.”
Ms.Choe
Did you date in high school?
“No.”
What’s your funniest dating memory?
“I went out with a guy one time that just showed me his work schedule for fun and bragged about his meetings.”
Any dating advice for students?
“Dating sucks. Get over it.”
Can teens love?
“They are not necessarily ready for the full commitment love takes, but they can feel strong emotions for one another.”
RED Flair
Whether genetically inherited or dyed bright as fire, eye-catching jolts of red hair are spread around MenloAtherton’s campus.
It’s a color that you can’t turn away from. As you walk through the halls or down the street, your eye catches shades of red that jump out of the crowd. Some schools don’t allow students to dye their hair colors that are out of the ordinary, as part of their dress code. However, M-A, having relaxed guidelines on hair, allows for students to choose the color they want. Some students, like Monique Hill, have chosen to add a little red to their hair to express their individuality.
“I just really like the color red,” she smiled, “especially burgundy. I feel like it fits me well.”
Other students like Aliza Katzman were born with the red gene. “I honestly don’t know where my hair comes from and my parents don’t seem to know either,” she jokes. “My parents can’t seem to come to a consensus, they both think that my hair color came from their side of the family.”
Whether natural or not, red hair symbolizes individuality and should be admired.
by Lauren Bruce
what is the U.S. doing to help the refugee crisis?
As of mid-2015, there were more than 60 million refugees worldwide. Over the past several months, this number has continued to grow. In their home countries, these refugees face religious and political persecution from violent terrorist groups and radical civil wars. A multitude of nations around the world are attempting to provide safe havens for refugees fleeing from their turbulent home countries.
To the right is a bowl containing 225 gumballs, each one representing approximately 267,222 refugees, adding up to a total of over 60 million worldwide. The gumball in the middle of this page represents the current refugee population of the United States: a mere 267,222. That’s only 0.08 percent of the total population U.S. These numbers are a far cry compared to that of other countries, such as Lebanon, whose current refugees makes up 18.96 percent of their population. In comparison, the United States does not seem to be doing much.
According to data published by the Immigration Policy, the U.S. has admitted about 70,000 refugees on average per year since 2013 under the Obama administration. As of the week of Feb. 8, only three out of the current 15 presidential candidates support allowing Syrian refugees, regardless of religion, into the U.S. Two more only approve of Christian Syrian refugees being allowed in the U.S., bringing us to a grand total of five out of the current 15 presidential candidates in
support of accepting refugees.
Senator Bernie Sanders supports the U.S.’s current stance on immigration policy, stating that he “think[s] the United States should take full responsibility in helping [refugees].”
Other candidates oppose Sander’s perspective. In an interview for ABC’s “This Week,” Donald Trump said, “We don’t know where they’re coming from. We don’t know who they are. They could be ISIS. It could be the great Trojan horse.”
Following November’s terrorist attacks in Paris, President Obama spoke in the Philippines, mocking presidential candidates’ rejection of Syrian refugees be- cause of possible rela- tionships with Islamic extremists. He stated that “they are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America. At first, they were too scared of the press being too tough on them in the debates. Now they are scared of 3-year-old orphans. That doesn’t seem so tough to me.”
A Bloomberg Politics poll of American’s view on the Syrian refugee crisis showed that U.S. citizens’ opinions on the immigration crisis coincide with those of politicians. Thirty-three percent of 2016 presidential candidates supported letting Syrian refugees into the United States (including those who only supported Christian refugees). Among the 628
adults polled, 39 percent agreed that, in some fashion, Syrian refugees should be let into the U.S.
Although relocating those in danger provides a short term solution for the Syrian refugee crisis, long-term solutions involve helping to change the dangers refugees are escaping from. In Obama’s opinion, the terrorist attacks following 9/11 to the present have only proved that before taking action against terrorist groups, the U.S. needs to form a plan. Obama hopes to work with other countries in hopes that rather than having U.S. troops being sent to the Middle East, countries closer to the conflict can utilise their resources to combat terrorism.
Leaders in the United States, as well as worldwide, continue to look for a solution to the overwhelming Middle Eastern refugee crisis. U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power provides an optimistic outlook on the refugee crisis in Syria. Speaking to the U.N. Security Council in December 2015, Power said that “there has to be hope, and for hope, you have both a political process and people’s lives have to improve, and they have to stop living in this terror-laden environment.”
*Statistics provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees by Elley Goldberg and Selim Karahan
FACes of M-A
Over the past few years, Menlo-Atherton’s student body has been rapidly growing. As often as each month, or even each week, new faces appear in the halls. Some of these new arrivals are coming as transfers from within the district or regional area, while others have come from much further away.
M-A is not the only community receiving new people; America as a whole is also growing. This means that some of M-A’s new students are not only new to M-A, but also to America. Many of these new students do not speak English and take part in the program ELD (English Language Development), designed to help students learn English and prepare them for classes without language support. There are several different communities of students on campus, and in this mix we have the chance, if we choose to take advantage of it, to interact with people from all over the world. M-A students don’t need to travel to distant places to learn about different cultures or histories; we can interact daily with people from all over, just by taking an interest, sharing a smile, and saying, “Hello”. We encourage you to thoughtfully pursue these features and glance into the stories of students whom you may not hear about every day and get to know better the diverse world that is M-A.
We would like to give a big thank you to the many people who made this project possible, including Mr. Nelson, Ms. Asanuma, Ms. Choe, Mr. Chin-Sell, Ms. Frivold and Ms. Quinonez for their wonderful guidance. We would also like to thank Sofia and Lara Karadogan, Nubia Cazares, Sofia Bergmann and Lilian Landaverde for their help and patience with translation. If you want to meet some new people including some of those involved in the project, we encourage you to come to Intercambio at lunch on Thursdays in D-17 or Tuesdays in P-2.
by Joanna Vollrath, Reid Diamond, Katie Moffitt and Rachel Frost
Lauren Bruce and Joanna Vollrath
Photography
Two months ago, Douglas arrived at M-A after walking from El Salvador to America with his uncle.
“I didn’t bring anything but clothes [...] there were rafts that we used to travel across the Rio Grande. The boats sometimes got holes, and that was the scariest part.”
After crossing the border, Douglas was separated from his uncle by immigration police because he was a minor. His uncle was sent back to El Salvador, but Douglas was sent to New York and then to California. “I got lost in the airport coming here because I couldn’t read the signs.”
When he got to M-A, Douglas explained how he “didn’t know anyone here. Many people helped me with my English, which is my favorite subject, and I want to learn English but it is very hard. All my teachers helped me a lot.”
When we asked what he would bring here from EL Salvador if he could, Douglas answered, “My mom! She can cook!”
Takeshi Douglas
Despite being born and raised in Japan, Takeshi quickly became proficient in English upon arriving in America. He has been in the American school system for three years, explaining, “I learned most of my English here. When I was going to La Entrada, I was in a separate class, ELD, and then I went to a normal class like a normal student, but it was hard.”
For Takeshi, the students and faculty at La Entrada and at M-A have made the transition easier. “My classmates helped me so I could get along with them, but I felt that I couldn’t speak English very well and I couldn’t talk that much with my friends.”
Originally from Yokohama, a city near Tokyo, Takeshi has experienced two very different schooling systems. According to him, “School here is less restricted than school in Japan. In Japan, people cannot bring phones [to
Hace dos meses, Douglas Contreras Crisosto llegó a M-A después de haber caminado desde El Salvador con su tio. “No traje mucho. Nada más que ropa… había botes que usamos para cruzar el Río Grande. A veces los botes tenían agujeros; eso fue lo que me dio más miedo.”
Después de cruzar la frontera, Douglas se separó de su tío por Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) porque él era menor. A su tío le mandaron de vuelta a El Salvador y a Douglas le llevaron a Nueva York, y después aqui en California, donde vive su familia. “Me perdí en el aeropuerto llegando aquí porque no pude leer los carteles.”
Cuando, llegó al M-A, Douglas explicaba, “No conocía a nadie aquí. Mucha gente me ayudaron con el inglés, que ahora es mi clase preferida, y quiero aprender el inglés pero es muy difícil. Todos mis maestros me ayudan mucho.”
Cuando le preguntamos a Douglas lo que quisiera traer de El Salvador si tuvo la oportunidad, él dijo, “Mi madre! Ella cocina bien!”
school], also you cannot bring snacks. Students wear uniforms. People have to talk in formal language to [their] teachers. [...] My teacher in Japan was kind of scary. When one of my classmates was being rude, my teacher criticized him.” Takeshi plans to return to his family and friends next year to study for the Japanese high school entrance exam and continue his high school career.
Kandy
“We were looking around to see if there was someone around us, but nobody was there so we decided to climb the tree and cross the U.S. border without anyone’s help, just my brother and I [...] Once we got to the other side, we started to run and run. We kept running and almost got to the set of houses, but suddenly there were two immigration vans. We lay down, my brother and I were shaking and it was hard to breathe. Immigration eventually captured us and took us 22 days locked up until they let us go with my mom. When the officer called her, she cried and she didn’t believe that we were in the United States.”
Only one week after arriving in East Palo Alto, Kandy began school at M-A. “I didn’t know any English. I felt lost and a little embarrassed. When people can’t talk to you it is very hard to communicate. People talked to me and I would just say ‘yes.’ I didn’t like the food, I still don’t like the food, and the weather, and the language. I didn’t have any friends [...] It was really hard because after school I got home and then I cried every single day for six months, [...] I actually really wanted to go back to Guatemala, but my mom said ‘you don’t have to give up.’ I was so afraid, and didn’t want to be here [...] When I got here, I didn’t know what to do, teachers helped me a lot. I don’t know what I would have done without Ms. Kane or Ms. Cardona […] And oh my god, Mr. Chin-Sell. He is so patient and kind, and also Ms. Lee [...] M-A was the best choice that could have been made.”
After over two years of living in America and attending M-A, Kandy feels that other immigrants can persevere just as she has. “I just read a book that said that if you came out of your country and came into another country, then you can do anything. You can speak English, you can do anything. Don’t give up.”
“To this day, I still cannot get used to the lifestyle of the United States, nor to the food and the language. But I’m here, with my mom, and getting better opportunities and that’s what keeps me fighting obstacles.”
To close this article, Kandy wanted to recognize her home country: “I miss Guatemala, the country of the eternal spring.”
“Miramos a ver si alguien venía, pero no encontramos a nadie. Entonces nos subimos a un árbol y cruzamos. Sin la ayuda de nadie, mi hermano y yo nos ayudamos a uno otro cruzar. Cuando llegamos al otro lado, empezamos a correr. Corrimos hasta que vimos muchas casas pero repente vimos a los carros de migración. Nos quedamos aplastados al suelo hasta que estaban temblando y era difícil respirar. Después de un rato, uno de los policías nos llamó. No quería ir, pero mi hermano me agarró. Nos llevaron y nos quedamos encarcelados para 22 días hasta que nos dejaron reunir con nuestra madre. Cuando le llamó la policía, no podía creer que estábamos en los estados unidos. “ “No sabía nada de Ingles. Me sentí solo y un poco vergonzoso. Cuando las personas no te pueden hablar, es muy difícil comunicarse. La gente me hablaba y sólo respondía “Sí” [...] no me gustaba la comida, todavía no me gusta la comida, el tiempo que hace y el lenguaje. No tenía amigos [...] Era muy difícil [...] Yo de verdad quería volver a Guatemala pero mi mamá dijo que no tengo que rendir. Tenía tanto miedo y no quería estar aquí. [...] cuando llegué, no sabía lo que tenía que hacer pero mis profesores me ayudaron mucho. No sé lo que haría sin Ms. Kane
o Ms. Cardona [...] y dios mío, Mr. ChinSell. El es tan paciente y cariñoso, también Ms. Lee [...] M-A era el mejor decisión que ocurrió.
“Yo leí un libro que dice que si tu saliste de tu país y viniste a otro país desconocido, y si tu hiciste eso, puedes hacer lo que quieras. Puedes hablar Inglés, puedes hacer lo que quieras.”
“Hasta este día, no me puedo acostumbrar a la vida estadounidense, ni la comida o el lenguaje. Pero estoy aquí, con mi mamá, y tengo mejores oportunidades y eso es lo que me hace luchar contra todos los obstáculos.”
Para terminar este artículo, Kandy quería que reconocer su país de origen: “Extraño Guatemala, el país de la eterna primavera”
“Ihave quite a lot of stories [...] I left so many memories back there. We used to do stupid stuff,” explained Lilian before embarking on many stories of her childhood in El Salvador. The life Lilian left behind in El Salvador was one of adventure and independence. Hidden by mango trees and fields of lorocos in the Salvadoran countryside, Lilian spent her youth bull-riding, snake-wrangling, tree-climbing, and ruckus-causing.
“My family and our little countryside wasn’t even on the map. You have to go with someone that knows where that stuff is or you’re going to get lost in the wild. Our school was far from my house [so] I used to ride my horse to school. [...] I had two different ones but the one I normally rode to school was the white one which was Mariposa, which means butterfly. The other one, the taller one, which
Lilian
was more for horse racing, I rode for festive stuff. We had carreras de cintas (ribbon horse racing). I used to ride that one and I used to be una dama, kinda like a pageant, and I would have a little [sash] and I would have a flower or a gift for the men that got the hoop [in the festival]. When I was done giving my gift, I would just get behind with the guys and ride.”
Other sources of adrenaline and childlike foolery included rodeos and bull-riding, a popular pastime in the countryside in El Salvador. “There was a big soccer field [at the school] but it didn’t have grass because we used to do rodeos there. I was in the rodeos riding bulls. I stopped after my friend [got trampled] and he couldn’t make it to the hospital. It was my friend’s brother and he was 14, and the bull started letting it’s anger out. He was not going to make it to the
hospital because we lived an hour away. He didn’t make it even halfway. He was spitting out blood and it was bad. That’s a job that you’re risking your life every time, every day. The person that was running the rodeo was my older brother’s godfather. [My parents didn’t know] because it was at school and I was like, ‘I’m helping at school.’ They still don’t know.”
This almost reclusive type of living, more than an hour and a half from the nearest city, could sometimes prove to be dangerous. “The reason why I came here wasn’t just because we wanted a better future or because my dad was here, it was something totally different. We were in danger of someone trying to kill us. When my dad’s little brother was five, one of my dad’s workers decided to rape him. My dad made the right decision and put [the worker] in prison. He had 30 years but they cut it [to] eight years because of the police and money. We started hearing noises a week after we found out he got out. We heard noises outside our home like knocking on the door and stuff like that. My mom was the only adult at the house because my brother was out late [...] with his friends and it was just me and my little brother and her. My mom finally said, ‘No, we need to leave.’ First, she sent me to visit [America] for about six weeks. A couple months later, we moved here indefinitely. When asked about what she misses most, Lilian describes the communal and secluded feeling of the town in which she was raised and where her extended family currently lives as, “Everybody knows each other. If they say, ‘Oh, that person that lives over there that you know in la cuadra, that corner over there,’ you know exactly who they are talking about. [In the village] if you see a person you don’t know, it’s because they are not from there.”
“Tengo bastantes historias [...] me dejó muchos recuerdos de El Salvador. Solíamos hacer cosas estúpidas,” explicó Lilian antes de embarcarse en la historia de su niñez. La vida Lilian dejó atrás en El Salvador fue uno de aventura e independencia. Oculta por árboles de mango y campos de lorocos en el campo salvadoreño, Lilian pasó su juventud montando caballos, matando culebras, trepar árboles, y el alboroto que causaba.
“Mi familia y nuestro pequeño campo ni siquiera estaba en el mapa. Tienes que ir con alguien que sabe dónde está o si no te vas a perder en la naturaleza de los campos. Nuestra escuela estaba muy lejos de mi casa [entonces] solía montar mi caballo a la escuela. [...] Que tenía dos diferentes pero la que normalmente viajaba a la escuela era el único blanco que tenía puntitos negros se llamaba Mariposa, la yegua significaba bastante para mi. El otro, el más alto, lo que era más para las carreras de caballos, que montó para las carreras de cintas. Tuvimos carreras de cintas, y no puedo recordar lo que se llama exactamente.
Solía montar que uno y yo solía ser una dama, un poco como un desfile, y me gustaría tener un poco [hoja] y tendría una flor o un regalo para los hombres que consiguieron el aro [en el festival]. Cuando terminé dando mi regalo, me acaba de llegar detrás con los chicos y paseo.”
Otras fuentes de la adrenalina y la tontería infantil incluyen rodeos y corridas de montar a caballo, un pasatiempo popular en el campo en El Salvador. “No era un campo de fútbol grande [en la escuela] pero no tienen hierba porque solíamos hacer rodeos allí. Yo estaba en los rodeos que montan toros. Me detuve después de mi amigo [lo atropella] y él no podía hacerlo al hospital. Por lo tanto, era el hermano de mi amigo y él tenía 14 años, y el toro comenzó a dejar que la ira. Él no iba a llegar al hospital porque vivimos una hora de distancia. Él no llegó ni a la mitad. Estaba escupiendo sangre y que era malo. Eso es un trabajo que está arriesgando su vida cada vez, todos los días. La persona que se estaba ejecutando el rodeo era el padrino de mi hermano mayor. [Mis padres no sabían] porque estaba en la escuela y yo estaba como, ‘Estoy ayudando en la escuela. “Todavía no lo sé.”
Este tipo casi solitario de vida, más de una hora y media de la ciudad más cercana, a veces puede llegar a ser peligroso. “La razón por la que vine aquí no era sólo porque queríamos un futuro
mejor o porque mi padre estaba aquí, era algo totalmente diferente. Estábamos en peligro de alguien que trataba de matarnos. Cuando el hermano menor de mi padre tenía cinco años, uno de los trabajadores de mi padre decidió violarlo. Mi padre tomó la decisión correcta, y metió [el trabajador] a la cárcel. Tenía 30 años, pero lo cortó tan corto, solo lo sentenciaron [a] ocho años de prisión a causa de la policía y dinero. Empezamos a escuchar ruidos de una semana después de que nos dimos cuenta de que salió. Oímos ruidos fuera de nuestra casa, empezaron a tocar las puertas y cosas por el estilo. Mi madre era la único adulta en la casa porque mi hermano estaba fuera tarde [...] con sus amigos y que era sólo yo y mi hermano pequeño y ella. Mi madre finalmente dijo, “No, tenemos que ir a otro lugar.” En primer lugar, ella me envió a visitar durante seis semanas. Un par de meses después, nos trasladamos aquí indefinidamente.” Cuando se le preguntó acerca de lo que más echa de menos, Lilian describe el sentido comunitario y aislado en la localidad en la que se crió y su familia extendida actualmente vive como, “Todo el mundo se conoce. Si dicen, ‘Oh, esa persona que vive por allí que sabes en la cuadra, esa esquina de allá,’ usted sabe exactamente con quién están hablando. [En el pueblo] si ves a una persona que no sabe, es porque no son de allí.”
Ileft my whole life behind. My house, my friends, my things. I didn’t speak any English starting off. It was very hard and sad.
When I was 14 there was an event for my cousin and someone called my mom saying that we needed to go and we couldn’t stay here. We went to the gym [for my cousin’s event] like they told us and my father found the gym closed. Father received a call from someone to give what [money] we could or they would take [my brother].
Another time, someone robbed our house and we called the police to help us and they said that we should stop looking for help and that we should stop asking questions.
It was very ugly to be there [...] some of my brothers’ friends were found dead, killed by the cartel.
The last months I lived with my mom alone [my father had gone to America], and I was very scared, especially after six o’clock at night.
My new life is much better than my old life in Mexico. The teachers are good and kind.
Erika
Dejé toda mi vida atrás. Mi casa, mis amigos, mis cosas. Yo no sabía hablar inglés, tuve que empezar desde cero. Fue muy difícil y triste. Era muy feo estar allá, en México. Cuando tenía catorce años había un evento para mi primo. Le llamaron a mi mamá y nos tuvimos que ir porque no podíamos quedarnos allí. Salimos corriendo y cuando llegamos al gimnasio estaba cerrado. Mi papá recibió una llamada de alguien, y le dijeron que tenía que darles dinero si no secuestrarían a mi hermano. En otra ocasión, alguien nos robó y cuando le pedimos ayuda a la policía ellos nos dijeron que no debimos buscar ayuda. Era muy feo estar allá. Encontraron amigos de mi hermano muertos, los asesinos eran parte de los carteles. Los últimos meses viví con mi mamá sola en México (mi papá estaba en América), y yo tenía mucho miedo, espe-
Bryan
Bryan left his home in Mexicali and came to the United States when he was sixteen years old. “I wanted to have a better life here, and maybe have more opportunities. Before me, my cousins and my uncles and aunts [came]. They were here for the same, because they wanted a better life and they wanted to know what it was like here.” Though Bryan left his home a year and a half ago, he says, “ I will always have many memories with my sister and my dad when we were in Mexico.”
Bryan remembers his time in school and recalls, “ In Mexicali, the [teachers] taught well and they cared about the students. The difference is that here they speak english and it is more complicated. Before [I came] I didn’t know that I had to learn english so fast.” Bryan drove ten to twelve hours with his parents until he finally arrived to the bay area on a student visa. Bryan hopes that he can live here later in life but he is not sure if he is able to once his visa ends.
Bryan closed the interview saying, “I advise all immigrants to pursue their dreams and learn English quickly, not battle it.”
cialmente después de la 6 PM porque no podíamos salir, ya que era muy peligroso. Mi vida es mejor de la que era en México. Los maestros en esta escuela son muy buenos y amables.
Bryan dejó su casa en Mexicali, México, y vino a los Estados Unidos con 16 años. “Quería una vida mejor, y alamejor más oportunidad. Antes que llegue, fueron mis tios y tias. Fueron por el mismo motivo, porque querían una vida mejor y quieren saber como era Estados Unidos.” Aunque Bryan dejó su casa hace un año y medio, dice que, “Siempre tendré memorias con mi hermana y mi madre de cuando estábamos en México.”
Bryan se recuerda su escuela y dice, “En Mexicali, nos enseñaron bien y les importaba los estudiantes. La diferencia es que aqui hablan en ingles y es más complicado. Antes no sabia que tenia que aprender el inglés tan rápido.” Bryan tuvo que estar en carro entre 10 y 12 horas con sus padres hasta que pudo llegar a Bay Area con una visa de estudiante. Bryan espera que podrá vivir aquí toda su vida, pero no sabe si lo va a conseguir si se acaba su visa. Bryan acaba la entrevista diciendo, “Aconsejo que los inmigrantes persiguen sus sueños y que aprenden el inglés rápido en lugar de tener problemas con el idioma.”
Marvin has not seen his father since he left for Los Angeles when he was five. In spite of this, he does not feel obligated to reconnect, and explains, “I feel that he made the decision to abandon us.” Though Marvin’s father is aware that both he and his sister are in the United States, he has yet to make an effort to reach out to them. Since his mother left for work when he was 10, Marvin had lived with his grandmother, his sister and his extended family in Santa Ana, El Salvador until he left for the United States.
After a series of gang conflicts, the police forced the gang, Mara Salvatrucha, out of Santa Ana. The power vacuum was then filled by another gang, Barrio 18. “If you refuse [them], they are going to kill your family, your friends, and you.” After two violent encounters with Barrio 18, Marvin decided it was too dangerous to stay.
“I left because I was scared something would happen to my sister. I left out of fear.” About three weeks after Marvin’s friend was murdered by Barrio 18, Marvin and his older sister began to notify their teachers of their situation and tie up loose ends at school in preparation to leave, an occurrence that his teachers were used to.
“To prepare mentally I knew that I had to face something for the sake of my sister and I,” Marvin explains. Although his mother left for the United States, she financially supported their journey
Desde que su padre se fue a Los Ángeles cuando él tenía cinco años, Marvin no lo ha visto. Marvin no siente la carga de reconectarse con su papá, “Yo siento que él tomó la decisión de abandonarnos.” Su papá está consciente que Marvin y su hermana están en los estados unidos pero no ha hecho el esfuerzo de comunicarse con ellos. Su madre le dejó cuando tenía diez años y como resultado, el vivió con su abuelo, su hermana y su familia extendida en Santa Ana, El Salvador hasta que salió para los Estados Unidos. Mara Salvatrucha, una pandilla que dominaba Santa Ana en años pasados, fue forzado a irse por la policía, dejando un campo poderoso que después lo tomó Barrio 18. Marvin explica, “Si te opones, van a matar a tu familia, tus amigos, y a ti,” y después de dos encuentros violentos con la pandilla, él decidió que era muy peligroso quedarse.
“Me fui porque temía que algo le podría pasar a mi hermana. Me fui por miedo.” Como tres semanas después
MArvin
by bus from El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico to the Texas border.
“I didn’t like [the trip] because in Mexico, sometimes we needed to travel 12 hours on a bus and we needed to sleep on the bus, eat on the bus and everything. I didn’t like it because we always had
que un amigo de Marvin fue asesinado por Barrio 18, Marvin y su hermana mayor empezaron a notificar a sus maestros de sus situaciones y empezar a preparar su ida de la escuela. “Los maestros están acostumbrados a esto.”
“Para prepararme mentalmente sabía que tenía que enfrentar algo por el bien de mi hermana y mio” Marvin explica. Aunque su madre se fue para trabajar en los estados unidos, ella los apoyaba económicamente en su viaje en camión de la frontera de México a Texas.
“No me gustó [el viaje] porque en México, a veces necesitábamos viajar 12 horas en camión y teníamos que dormir en el camión, comer en el camión, y todo. No me gustó porque siempre nos teníamos que mover constantemente y uno siempre tiene miedo que algo vaya pasar.”
En la frontera de Texas, Marvin describe, “Cruzamos el río, y empezamos a caminar, y después había un helicóptero sobre nosotros. (Caminaron por 5 minutos antes de que llegara el
to keep moving constantly and I was always afraid that something will happen.”
Once at the border of Texas, Marvin explains, “We crossed the river, and we began walking, and then there was a helicopter overhead. [They walked for five minutes before the helicopter came]. Then an immigration car came and told us to stop. The car took us to another location where there were more people. We were told to put our things in a bag and we got into another van. We were taken to three different places in three different days. We were crowded with other people.” At the detainment center, Marvin was separated from his sister, but were reunited after they were both sent to a community shelter in Sacramento after contacting their mother.
To Marvin, reconnecting with his mother “was great because it had been six years since I saw her last.” Now, a year and a half later, Marvin describes the struggles of learning a new language and adjusting to a new country. Possibly the most difficult part of the transition is knowing what is happening back in El Salvador and not being able to return. “Since [...] I cannot return to El Salvador, I cannot fly. Some part of it is bad because I have more family in El Salvador and I cannot see them but I think staying in the United States is better for me and my safety.”
helicóptero). Después un coche de inmigración llegó y nos dijo que paráramos. El coche nos llevó a otra ubicación donde había más gente. Nos dijeron que pusiéramos nuestras cosas en una bolsa y nos subimos a otro coche. Nos llevaron a tres diferentes lugares en tres días. Estábamos rodeados con otra gente.” En el centro de detención, Marvin fue separado de su hermana pero los dos fueron enviados a un refugio comunitario en Sacramento después de contactar a su mama. Para Marvin, reconectar con su madre era, “Muy bueno porque eran seis años desde que le ví.” Ahora, después de un año y medio, Marvin todavía tiene problemas con la ajustación a su país nuevo. El parte más difícil de su transición es que sabe lo que está pasando en El Salvador pero no puede regresar. Marvin es un refugiado de El Salvador y como ya no puede volver, el dice que “ya no puedo volar”. También piensa que “en parte es malo porque tengo más familia allí, pero estar aquí es mejor para mi y mi seguridad.”
Fear of the Unknown
America has a history of xenophobia. Since (rather tactlessly) claiming this land as our own, we have forgotten time and time again our history as immigrants. Though not the first example of American trepidation concerning immigration, the U.S.’s reaction to accepting Jewish immigrants is perhaps the most poignant. In the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, as many as two-thirds of the American population were opposed to amending the immigration limit in order to accept Jews fleeing Nazi terror. At the time, Americans claimed they were wary of accidentally accepting German spies or Bolsheviks, glossing over underlying anti-Semitism that was influencing immigration policies. Between 1933 and 1945, the United States accepted only 132,000 Jewish immigrants (10 percent of the legal quota), with 52 percent of Americans agreeing with the statement: “Jews are different and should be restricted” (Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History). It was not until word of of the extreme horrors the Jews were facing arrived in the U.S. that Americans began to shift their mindsets.
The Cold War’s tight grip on American politics throughout the latter half of the 20th century heavily affected the U.S.’s selective application of immigration policies. These ad hoc policies allowed for extreme exceptions to be made for refugees fleeing communist regimes, as well as blatant refusal of refugees fleeing countries that were backed by the United States. Following the Vietnam War, many Americans clung to the anti-Asian immigration movement in an effort to rebuke Southeast Asian immigrants. These Americans argued that new immigrants would fail to assimilate into American culture and that they would be a drain on economic resources. In reality, these Americans were driven by a fear of the unknown.
In 21st century America, this “fear of the unknown” has far from disappeared. One of the most common ar-
guments against accepting Syrian refugees is that the United States it too “removed” from the crisis to be under any sort of obligation to help. This argument, however, is both morally and factually faulty. Despite the time we have had to grow and expand our awareness of other cultures since our founding, the simple truth remains that a significant part of the American populace is more comfortable with accepting immigrants from countries with whom we have the most in common. So it is out of convenience and self-comfort that we choose not to emotionally involve ourselves. To say that the U.S. is not physically or historically involved in the crisis is to ignore our long and complicated history of involvement and entanglement with the Middle East. Over the past half-century, the United States has been involved both militarily and diplomatically in the region, whether in pursuit of oil or in the name of anti-communism and anti-terrorism. This partial blindness, whether conscious or not, has permeated our culture and made a significant impact on our current immigration policies. With 31 states refusing to accept refugees, governors are directly opposing constitutional law, which asserts that the decision ultimately falls to the federal government. Though these states’ positions can have no direct legal impact, they can impede the process by refusing to cooperate - specifically, by cutting funds for resettling refugees. When these governors claim that they are “protecting” the American people and values, they forget the history of said people and values: our history as immigrants, as settlers, as men and women who left their home countries in hope of better lives. When we deny refugees, men and women seeking not only better lives, but survival for themselves and their children, we deny ourselves. The stance against accepting immigrants reveals not only an ignorance of the outside world, but an ignorance of the world within our borders as well.
by Molly Kearnan
immigrants and refugees
How to Help: 2
SPREAD AWARENESS by discussing the refugee crisis with your friends and family. This website is asking for donations, but it also provides some great statistics about the basics of the refu-
ASSIST instructors in a computer literacy class at Building Skills Partnership for immigrants who are not accustomed to the technology available in America.
VOLUNTEER to teach English to immigrants and refugees. This QR code takes to you a large organization that you can help out with, but you can also tutor students at M-A and neighboring schools.
HELP teach a citizenship class at Building Skills Partnership for immigrants preparing for their citizenship
DONATE money to any prominent relief organization. This website rates charities and provides a description of their missions, so you can pick the one that coincides most with your own beliefs.
PUSH for immigration reform by signing online petitions or writing letters to Congress. This code will take you a website that has hundreds of petitions anyone can sign.
by Kate Flanagan
Nicholas Scopazzi
“My American dream is a house … my parents have a good house and they’ve raised enough money for me to go to college and I’m very grateful for that.”
Olliver Pelayo
“My American dream is to get through life, to find out what I want to do and do it. But I don’t really agree with the American dream as being a set thing, because it can be so many things. The things it was built upon factor into the institutionalized oppression that still exists today ... Our country has always been really diverse, and even more so today, so obviously [the American dream] is going to change with the culture.”
Jacob Glindo
“[The American dream] is too much to handle, to be honest. But I think it’s accomplishable or reachable if anybody is open to it. It’s finding success through your own struggle or strategy or whatever, and following a path of education and then career.”
AMERICAN Dream? What is the AMERICAN Dream?
by Olivia Tai
Casey Morris
“Coming to the U.S. with hopes for a better future.”
Are you living the American dream?
“I would say life is pretty good right now, so sure!”
Susie Choe
“The American dream is propaganda … it’s propaganda to make everyone outside of America feel inferior, like they have to be American. It’s in the movies, it’s in everything that we send out there, it’s in a can of Coke ... Do I believe in the American dream that anybody here has an opportunity to succeed? No, absolutely not. However, America has a lot of resources…”
Alex Adami
“I haven’t really thought about the American dream very much.”
“In Europe, everybody wants to go there, to America. In America, it’s just do it and have fun - you will not regret it. The freedom is true, in Germany you can’t do as much as you want. It’s the freedom and how open the people are here, I love that.”
Jennifer Campos
“Everyone has an equal chance to succeed in life, like instead of other countries where you can be born into the caste system. You’re not defined by where your family comes from and you can make your own future.”
Nathalie Camens
“I think it’s having the opportunity to do whatever you want to make yourself happy and successful.”
Kate Zanolli
Italy’sBurdenHeavy
Refugees and immigrants have been fleeing to Italy as well as other Mediterranean countries for many years. But the recent crisis has left thousands of people desperate for safety in Europe, posing a problem for European governments to find a solution.
In October of 2013, the Italian left-wing government ordered the navy to conduct search and rescue procedures on all incoming boats along the coast of Italy. This operation lasted until October of last year and was successful in rescuing about 190,000 people. In addition, the Italian government decided to decriminalize all illegal immigrants and take them to the “Centri di Accoglienza” (welcome centers), where they create identifications and in theory, claim political asylum. Those who are granted political asylum are able to remain in the country they arrived in. If they are denied political asylum (or decide not to claim it), they remain illegally or venture on to other countries.
The issue lies in whose responsibility it is to house all the refugees. The countries along the Mediterranean, like Italy and Greece, are calling to the EU for assistance, claiming that it is a European issue as a whole.
Having family and friends that live in Italy, I have heard an array of contrasting opinions. My uncle Gianandrea Gaiani, a political journalist, shares his opinions in an article about the refugee crisis called “After Paris, We Continue to Hurt Ourselves.” He explains that, “We [Europeans] are continuing to threaten our own safety with the farce of illegal immigrants that are welcomed in Europe. But they are almost all African Sahel of West Africa; ‘economic migrants’ that have
nothing to do with the crisis in Syria.”
My other uncle, Alessandro Gaiani is also against allowing all refugees into Europe, but believes that, “It’s harder for Italy [to stop immigrants] than other countries because the coast impedes us from blocking them.” Italy has no choice but to let them in, unless it wants to leave thousands of people to die.
When considering the younger, more liberal European population, my friend Silvia Morisi (23), is “not opposed to letting refugees in because they are escaping from a dangerous situation,” but strongly believes in implementing a better system of integration for these refugees.
With regard to terrorist activities in Europe, Gianandrea strongly claims that because many terrorist groups from the Middle East are funded by the trafficking of immigrants, “It would be a step forward if we begin to impede terrorists and cease to fund them using military vessels.”
Alessandro, on the other hand, believes that “there is no correlation; the terrorist attacks of Paris are just like those that happen all over the world.”
But Morisi also states that, “The refugees are only escaping war and poverty”; those involved with terrorist activities “have been here for many years and go back to Syria (or places nearby), undergo ‘terrorist training,’ and are able to come back to Europe without a problem because they have already integrated.”
Nonetheless, according to Alessandro, a big problem that Italians as well as French and Greeks face, is that, “Many of these immigrants don’t want to integrate and instead, they create their own country here.” For example, if someone from Europe were to go a
North African or a Middle Eastern country, they would be expected to follow the laws like covering one’s legs and shoulders, and to suffer the consequences for disobeying. However, when the roles are flipped, Europeans are concerned with the fact that those coming from North African and Middle Eastern countries, where practices like polygamy and female genital mutilation are common, will continue to practice them even though they are illegal in Europe. Many are living in Europe and “creating their own country,” as my uncle says, without considering the laws. There needs to be a middle ground where both cultures can coexist; this cannot be achieved if a portion of the refugees refuse to follow the law for the sake of maintaining some cultural traditions. Everyone has to adapt to a certain extent in order to ensure peaceful integration. In addition to the difficult merging of cultural practices, much anger coming from Europeans is fueled by the refugees who are acting out all over Europe, often leading violent riots and showing aggression towards European police officers and civilians. This problem affects the peaceful refugees that are being undermined by those (often Muslim) that, according to Alessandro, “don’t agree with the values of the Occidental world” and therefore completely reject European society and show disrespect, leaving many Europeans reluctant towards the open-door policy. On the other hand, one must also remember that many refugee families are escaping life-threatening situations and have come to Europe to start a new life. They are put in refugee camps or often left homeless, waiting to be processed by the government
to obtain legal identification that will allow them to find work and a home. Their outrage and violent behavior may spur from the fact that many have been waiting in these camps for several months, even years, for the government to help them; they act violently out of frustration and impatience. This is why European governments are struggling to find an efficient way to house all of these immigrants without harming them in the process. In addition to finding sufficient housing, many immigrants are in search of an income to sustain their families.
But because Europe is experiencing a financial crisis, it is not only difficult for refugees to find jobs, but even Europeans are scrambling for work. “The high unemployment in Italy is augmenting the tensions even more between the Italians and the immigrants who are all competing for jobs,” comments Alessandro. As far as a solution goes, Alessandro thinks it is important for Europe “to be able to help these people in their home country and prevent them from becoming ‘stragglers’ that are often hidden in Europe as undocumented.”
This predicament that Europe
Reaching the Breaking Point
Germany’s policy regarding refugees has recently become a major topic of discussion. Germany allows those coming from political persecution or other dangerous situations and guarantees those individuals the right to seek political asylum. In other words, immigrants coming to Germany to seek refuge from harmful living conditions can apply for asylum without being considered illegal immigrants. Given this policy, many are starting to question its morality after approximately 1,000 seemingly North African or Arabic men sexually assaulted women all across Germany on New Year’s Eve. The cases came primarily from Cologne, Germany, as more women throughout the country started reporting cases of rape, groping and robbery. Large crowds of men allegedly surrounded women and violently harassed them in the midst of the New Year’s Eve chaos. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has publicly announced the efforts German authorities are making to find the guilty perpetrators
has experienced over the years does not have a right or wrong solution, simply because of the complexity and diversity of the situation. The European governments vary in their policies and political standings on the issue. Whether it be war, starvation, poverty, corruption etc., all refugees are coming from a background and culture unfamiliar to many Westerners. Europe is undergoing an enormous clash of cultures, and it is essential to find a system that will address this large migration as well as the ones yet to come.
by Sofia Bergmann
by Sofia Bergmann
regardless of where they come from. With the recent wave of immigrants that has rushed over Germany, the challenge to assimilate these cultures has become even greater for the German government. In addition to this challenge, many German citizens are now blaming Merkel and her open-door policy for this horrific incident, simply because the alleged perpetrators were of Arab and North African origin. These incidents have fueled an increasingly enraged response by German citizens who want to ban all immigrants seeking refuge in Germany. It has produced an enormous anti-immigrant movement that is sweeping all across Germany. Neo-Nazi groups are rising, conducting violent riots in protest of asylum-seeking refugees. However, the incidents on New Year’s Eve and the subsequent negative connotations associated with immigrants in Germany are not entirely representative of everyone. My cousin Sören Bergmann (21) shares a more liberal, or rather, less radical view of
this crisis. He does admit that, “There are many things Germany could have done better with the open-door policy, but in comparison to the rest of the EU, the German government has done well and taken on a big challenge.”
Apropos of the attacks on New Year’s Eve, he shares that, “Yes, most of the attacks were committed by North African refugees. However, North African refugees only make about 1 percent of all refugees in Germany.” Contrary to all the anti-immigrant rioters, it is essentially illogical to exile all refugees from Germany. He adds that “it is of course unfortunate because now all the refugees no matter where they come from, must take the fall for this.”
The tension in Germany regarding the influx of immigrants is similar to that of many other European countries. Nevertheless, the assaults on New Year’s Eve served as a coup de grâce for many Europeans growing frustrated about this issue.
Bowl In The Bay
Since its origins, the Super Bowl has been one of the most anticipated sporting events in the United States. Many families and friends gather to watch the action-packed game, the entertaining commercials, and the captivating halftime show while enjoying their favorite snacks. It is the most important day for the sport of football. This year, the Bay Area’s own Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers, hosted the 50th Super Bowl.
On Feb. 7, the Denver Broncos competed against the Carolina Panthers in what was an anticipated matchup. The Panthers are a relatively new team, founded in 1995 and achieved a spot in the Super Bowl for the second time in their history. The Broncos, however, are an accomplished squad with eight trips to the Super Bowl since they were established in 1959.
It was projected that 1 million people would congregate in the Bay Area for the big game. “It’s going to be crowded. There is going to be traffic, and there are going to be streets closed,” Charlotte Shultz, a member of the Advisory Group for the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee explained to SF Gate. With so many fans expected to descend, years of preparation were needed in order to ensure a successful and safe Super Bowl 50.
Many celebrations transpired all the way from the city to San Jose, with one of the most highly publicized being “Super Bowl City” in San Francisco. As described by CNBC, “‘Super Bowl City,’ is a free fan center on the Embarcadero that will offer family-friendly activities, entertainment and exhibits from Jan. 30 to Feb. 7.” This nine-day event hosted festivities that included over 35 concerts featuring some of the most acclaimed bands such as One Republic and Alicia Keys, as well as Super Bowl related activities. With all the commotion during Super Bowl Week, streets surrounding
“Super Bowl City” and Levi’s Stadium were required to close. In effect, both residents and visitors experienced increased traffic throughout the Bay Area. Ella Missan, a sophomore at Menlo-Atherton, who attended the Super Bowl, recognized the heavy traffic in advance. “There is definitely going to be crazy traffic so we are going to try and take public transportation and buy our train tickets ahead of time.”
An event of this magnitude requires the transportation of an influx of people. The Bay Area airports, both large and small, experienced additional commercial and private planes that transported Super Bowl attendees. The public transportation agencies that operate the buses, trains, and light rail systems to Levi’s Stadium adjusted their schedules to maximize the number of people that could utilize public transportation to get to the Super Bowl events.
An increased number of people who flocked towards the Bay Area provided an opportunity for hotels to inflate their rates. According to CNBC, “Priceline found some two-star hotels with rooms between $65 and $746, three-star hotels with rate $145 to $899 a night and four-star hotels asking between $979 and $1,249 a night.”
While some people searched for hotel rooms, the city of San Francisco worked diligently to provide additional housing for the homeless population during Super Bowl Week, costing the city five million dollars. In addition to the 1,233 beds already available for the homeless, San Francisco added around 500 temporary beds to help with the relocation. Pier 80 was converted into a shelter containing 150 beds. Many people were agitated by this substantial movement of the homeless. Numerous protests took place in San Francisco to combat the treatment of the homeless population. “They want to decrease the physical presence and
reminder of poverty and create an illusion that poverty does not exist by removing poor people from the vicinity of the Super Bowl Party,” Jennifer Friedenbach of the San Francisco-based Coalition on Homelessness explains in an article by Russian Times. In the end, Super Bowl 50 was a tremendous success on many levels. Years of planning and preparation contributed to a memorable week with an exciting game to conclude it. In the last six years, the Bay Area has been fortunate to host a variety of sporting events including America’s Cup, three World Series, an NBA championship, and now an iconic Super Bowl.
by Bradley Stillman
Menlo Spark
The journey to a carbon neutral Menlo Park
Menlo Spark, a web-based company, aims to turn Menlo Park totally carbon neutral by 2020. Being carbon neutral means that schools, businesses, organizations and individuals take action to remove just as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they put into it. Menlo Spark is distributing their goal into five sectors: clean power, energy efficiency, alternative transportations, sustainable living and low carbon vehicles.
They are also working to educate the community and to get companies to start using renewable energy sources like solar power and to use better sources of transportation. By getting electric charging stations and safer bike lanes around town, Menlo Spark hopes to encourage more people to use renewable resources. A big part of Menlo Spark’s plan is getting the community actively involved when they see something that is not environmentally up to the best standards.
For example, if someone sees a trash can filled with plastic cups in front of a Starbucks where there should be a recycling bin, Menlo Spark encourages them to get in contact with the shop. It’s important to get involved and bring
6 ways to lower your carbon footprint
Sort your trash and think before you add to landfill. Buy products with less packaging, and recycle all plastic and aluminum cans. Forty-two percent of materials thrown away are recyclable!
Drive an electric car. Mercedes, Fiat, BMW and most other brands all carry electric cars. Convince your family to switch and get better mileage.
Change out your light bulbs to LED and incandescent. Most of the time they last a lot longer than regular bulbs. Take the quiz on Menlo Sparks’ website that initiates in the next month or so to calculate how you can lower your own consumption in your own lifestyle.
up situations like these to companies, schools and franchises to have a more environmentally conscious community.
Towns like Marin, San Jose and Palo Alto have already signed and started the petition for clean energy. As of 2015, Menlo Park has started one as well. To help reach their goal of carbon neutrality by 2020, the company encourages people to install better housing insulation, to stop using heaters and air conditioners and to use a fan or plug-in heater instead. Also, electric kitchen appliances are a good alternative to gas stoves and other carbon emitting products.
The Nest, a programmable self-learning thermostat that runs on Wi-Fi will lower your monthly bills and keeps your house at an environmentally friendly temperature, depending on the time of the year. Find out if your house is applicable for solar power and get involved with public places that would benefit from solar. Hopefully, by using these skills, educating youth and taking initiative, we can combat global warming starting with Menlo Park.
Go onto PG&E’s website to see where and how much energy your family uses. Find out where and what time of day you use energy the most. Try to lower your family’s monthly PG&E bill and ask for the money they save (e.g. turning off the lights, turning down the heat or air, using less water).
Walk or bike instead of driving. If this is too difficult, make a goal to go without a car at least once a week. Carpooling and taking public transportation are also great alternatives (e.g. the bus or train).
Compost and help out your local bugs! Rotting food makes landfills worse because of the way it decomposes along with other wastes and emits a large amount of carbon. Compost is a natural fertilizer. Forty percent of the waste in landfills are completely compostable.
by Taylor Shantz
tress. It affects everyone daily. While stress has been viewed as a public health enemy, recent studies suggest that stress is only harmful when one perceives it to be. Viewed as a negative response that our body has in moments under pressure, stress often drains our energy and causes anxiety. A study asked 30,000 Americans if they felt high levels of stress in the past year, and whether or not they believed stress was healthy. By using public health records to see who had died, researchers noted that people who had experienced high levels of stress in the last year faced a 43 percent higher chance of death. However, these results were only true for the people that believed stress was unhealthy. So, it is not the amount of stress that we experience that harms us; it is our outlook on it. This means that many negative effects of stress can be avoided. We are taught ways to combat stress, but stress does not need to be fought. It needs to be channeled. Stress is necessary for our bodies because it is a healthy response that occurs when facing a problem. In order for stress to be beneficial, it needs to be viewed as a signal that our body is energized and prepared to meet a challenge. It is a response that tells us we are ready to face pressure
and tension. Having an optimistic view on stress can have a life or death impact on our bodies. Optimism cuts the risk of coronary heart failure in half. The Harvard University Department of Psychology conducted a social experiment in 2012 to find out whether seeing stress in a positive mindset affected performance. Researchers took participants into stressful situations and observed the physical reactions between people who had been told to rethink stress as helpful and those who continued to view it negatively. In typical stressful situations, heart rate increases and as a result, blood vessels constrict. This is the reason that stress is associated with heart risks. The people in the study who had been told to view stress as helpful still had pounding hearts, but their blood vessels remained relaxed. Stress is a mind and body response. If we tell ourselves to rethink and embrace stress, our bodies will believe it. A pounding heart, faster breathing rate and sweat on our forehead are not negative reactions. A beating heart prepares us for action and an increased breath brings more oxygen to our brain. Our ability to rise to challenges and our confidence depends on our ability to make stress our friend.
*Information obtained from TED Talk “How To Make Stress Your Friend” by Kelly McGonigal
by Lara and Sofia Karadogan
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