The Mark May 2014 Vol. IV Issue IV

The Mark

Menlo-Atherton High School

555 Middlefield Road, Atherton, CA

Volume IV, Issue IV

MAY 2014

Photography Blanca Viña

This issue brings the 4th volume of our publication to a close. This staff strives to extend further than past years, widening our coverage of events and issues. As we say goodbye to our outgoing seniors, we hope the MArk staff will grow and develop the magazine and continue to discuss topical issues in upcoming years.

In this issue, our focal point revolves around an ongoing issue, cheating. As high school becomes more competitive, students feel pressure to earn high grades at any cost. Moreover, the new online resources such as Facebook groups and Schoology are designed to extend aid to students outside of the classroom, but these can also provide a means of connecting students and enabling them to more easily share answers and cheat. The road on the cover running parallel to the vast landscape reminds us that everyone has the opportunity to choose their road, some more desirable and fulfilling than others.

-The MArk Staff

STAFF

EDITORIAL BOARD

Incoming EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Gabe Cohen

Francesca Gilles

Sara Solomon

Outgoing Editorial STaff

JOANNE CHO

Megan Kilduff

LINDY LAPLANTe

BRETT MORIARTY

CAYLA STILLMAN

WRITING STAFF

Sami Andrew

Alex Argente

Sofia Bergmann

Sarah Dairiki

Matt DeTrempe

LisSette EspinoZa

Tara Fahimi

Marta Fatica

Alexa Finn

Eliza Fitz

Elena Fox

Nina Fox

Jonah Guenther-Schmidt

Amir Heidari

Ben Hickman

Molly Kearnan

Amirteymour Moazami

Ivana Petani

Nico Plume

Sarah Reichow

Ian Robinson-Lambert

Liz Sommer

Sabina Vitale

Kristen Walsh

Katie Webb

Katie Weiner

Adviser: Betsy snow

Cte Change 7

Robotics Face Nationals 6

Bursting the Bubble 10

MEasure A: Bonds for future 14 bears

NEWS ON NEWS 15

Will Your Summer 20 Look Like ? Summer 2014 Activities 21 Hotter than hell 28

ways to survive the 32 drought Emoji sing-along 33 The tumblr generation 34 goodbye: from the m-a seniors 41

An Award-Winning Orchestra

A LOOK Back: Maria Ikonomou

M-A Artists

they’ve got cheer Opinion

Shame on you 17 Bisexuality 19

Hotter than hell 28 current events or history? 30 do you even lift bro? 43

photo submission

Integrity Beyond The Classroom

In recent news, controversy regarding homosexuality surrounds two Christian organizations in our area, namely, Woodside Priory and the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC). Regarding Woodside Priory, an article on an unaffiliated website calls out the Chair of the Department of religious studies as unfit, due to his sexual orientation. The website views Matthew Nelson’s position at the school as a direct hindrance to his ability to teach children about the Christian faith. Also, the MPPC recently voted to leave the The Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA)allegedly over the PCUSA’s recent lift on its ban of gay clergy, despite an $8 million dollar fee. Both of these stories are eliciting public reaction especially from students. After discovering the article, Woodside Priory students took to social media, defending their teacher. Facebook posts noting how irrelevant Nelson’s sexuality was

to his ability to be a passionate teacher of the religion surfaced, calling out the website which published the story. In regards to the Church, tensions are running high, as it appears such clear homophobia is being openly defended in the area. Issues such as this raise the question: is our area really as liberal and progressive as we think? While Nelson’s students vehemently defend their teacher, fellow Californians attack the religion Department Chair solely based on his sexuality. Moreover, while the surrounding nonmember population of the MPPC is wary of their decision to leave the PCUSA because of what appears to be homophobia, 93% of the active members who participated in the vote opted to leave, even despite the $8 million dollar fee. Although at M-A we are an accepting community, situations such as these highlight the fact that not everyone in our vicinity is quite as open minded. The M-A student body should support our neighbors.

by The Editorial Board

High Mark-Low Mark

ROBOTICS FACES NATIONALS

by Amir Heidari

The basketball and football teams accomplished remarkable feats this year. However so did another school team: robotics. The team recorded their highest finish at the nationals, otherwise known as the USFIRST Robotics Tournament and held in St. Louis, since 2005. The team came in 38th out of a division of a 100 teams but was unable to proceed to the playoffs.

The road to nationals began in late March when the team competed in a regional tournament, staged at UC Davis. Along with two other teams, the Bears came out ahead and qualified for nationals. Once the teams arrived in St. Louis, they were randomly divided into four divisions of 100 teams. However, the Bears got unlucky during the drawing process as neither Bellarmine High School nor Mountain View High School were in the same division. The two teams are robotics powerhouses from the Bay Area and an M-A ally during regional tournaments. The four divisions were called Galileo,

“WE CAN

ACCOMPLISH A LOT.”

Newton, Curie and Archimedes. The Bears were placed into the Galileo division, where they barely knew any other teams, which made the alliance-making process more difficult. As the alliance-making process is an integral part of this year’s game, the Bears, unable to make the alliances they wanted, had a mountain to climb.

Over the course of 3 days, the Bears went 6-4. After their results, the Bears were ranked too low and were not picked up by one of the top eight teams. Those teams choose three other teams to bring along to the playoffs. Junior Tommy Yu remarks, “ I think if we had won two more matches, we would have probably gotten picked off by another team and gone to the playoffs .” Furthermore Yu believes, “If we were placed in another division, we would have probably gone way further but we were unlucky in the early drawing process.” However, their results this year were exceptionally better than recent years but were left to wonder about their missed chances.

For the four seniors, club president Ryan Mostafi and other valuable team members such as Connor Foody, Nicky Ivy and Patrick Tam, this was their last opportunity at glory. However, their departure will not be as damaging as the departure of last year’s seniors Yu explains, “Last year we had 13 seniors leave and although all of this years seniors were very important to the team, the loss is considerably less.” With the scouting efforts of Kyle Dixon and Thatcher Freemen, the club is on a rise and can reach and even surpass this season’s performance next year. Running for the presidency of the team, Yu says, “ With a bit of luck we can accomplish a lot next year. Why not us?”

Photography Tommy Yu

CTEClassesAreanecessity forallM-Astudentshopingto graduate--thatis,theywere.

CTE Change CTE Change

Asudden change in relation to the Career Technical Education requirements evoked a spread of emotions throughout M-A’s student population, bringing both shock, uncertainty, and even a “thank God” feeling. On Feb. 26, district administrators decided to invoke a new rule which states that students can fulfill their CTE credits if they were in a foreign language of level three or higher, making it so that they do not have to enroll in a CTE class. Students were informed of the change via letters home, and it quickly became the topic of conversation for the days that followed.

by Sarah Dairiki

“A few years ago, maybe five or six, there was a big push in the state to impose CTE course requirements, and new standards were written for courses to qualify as CTE,” states Instructional Vice Principal Mr. Lippi. With this statement problems arose for M-A, as there were specific expectations that had to be met in order for a class to be qualified as a CTE class. When asked about the effects this past “push” had on M-A, Mr. Lippi claimed that “[M-A] had only a few courses that satisfied this requirement,” which gave rise to tension in relation to the fulfillment of CTE credits. Fortunately, this issue was taken into consideration and fixed, as now the Sequoia Board states that by taking a level three language or higher, students can transfer their credits to the CTE category. “[The change] will probably help free up one or two more periods for students to take classes they really want to take,” says junior

Jacob Feiler. Some students currently struggle to fit all the necessary classes into their schedule, and they see this change as a way to both lessen the number of classes in their schedule and fulfill their required credits for graduation. With this change, the majority of students are cheering and jumping with joy. But for the CTE teachers, this change has forced them to consider the popularity of their classes before and after the change. Mr. Giambruno, the video production teacher, believes that “with the CTE graduation requirement in place, the M-A elective program is very strong and most sections of CTE have a diverse range of students.” But with this change, Giambruno and several other CTE teachers are worried that the number of students enrolling in their classes will decrease. Giambruno believes the change is “very convenient for some students” but it will “dramatically hurt [the teacher’s] programs.” Although this is true, not all students are in the same situation. Sure, maybe the sizes of the CTE classes will decrease, but there will always be students who want to be exposed to possible career options and enroll in classes that allow them to have a break from pure academics. Giambruno and the other CTE teachers want students to enroll in their classes based on interest in the subject, and it is highly likely they will continue to have a steady number of students walking into their class on the first day of school in each new year that comes. Both teachers and students do not need to worry; the benefits of the CTE change outweigh the negative, and there will still be a large number of people enrolling in CTE classes in the years that follow.

AN AWARD-WINNING ORCHESTRA

For a high school music program, M-A’s Orchestra is young, but it is remarkably accomplished for its age.

After placing first at the Anaheim Music Festival last year, the three year-old program, founded in 2011 by M-A’s music director, Kent Kurrus, earned invitation to compete at the Chicago Festival of Gold. The group continued to win gold again at the Illinois festival in March, for their three-piece performance including Brandenburg Concerto, Aboriginal Rituals, and Minuetto.

When Mr. Kurrus created the program, the group consisted of only 14 members. Through “word of mouth,” Mr. Kurrus explains, the group more than doubled in the last few years. Today, 32 musicians playing string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. They practice during fifth period and perform at all school concerts, including the annual Big Band Dance and, most recently, the Spring Concert, and additional competitions such as the Chicago Festival of Gold.

The Orchestra spent four days in March at the Chicago Festival of Gold. The group played in Chicago Symphony Concert Hall and competed against other award-winning school bands from the across the nation and Canada.

tively qualifying Orchestra for another elite competition next year. Junior Ryan Jacquemet describes the festival as “a tuly amazing experience that [he] will remember for a long time.” He describes the honor of playing in Chicago Symphony Concert Hall as “mind blowing and a dream come true.”

The group members’ dedication appears to be the key to their success. A former member, junior Caroline Hodes praises the maturity and hard work of the members, explaining that “[the orchestra’s] level of respect and determination to do well is higher than anything [she has] seen in any other school band.” Mr. Kurrus also highlights the students commitment to the orchestra, saying, “This particular group really wants to excell; they treat the class equal to any other [academic class.]”

“PLAYING IN [THE HALL] WAS... A DREAM COME TRUE.”

As previously stated, the group took home the gold medal for its three-piece performance, effec-

The musicians exhibit a similar respect for their instructor. Senior Saniya Bonde explains that in such “a big group, it is important to feel comfortable” and praises Mr. Kurrus for his ability to nurture such “a variety of talents and ages.”

Mr. Kurrus hopes to bring the group to play in a competition at Carnegie Hall next year. The event is especially elite, and Orchestra will have to audition via tape.

The orchestra and all of M-A’s student bands will perform next at senior graduation at 4 p.m. on June 5 at Coach Parks Field. by Megan Kilduff and Ivana Petani

Digital Photo Review

Students in digital photography complete a range of assignments including double exposures, surreal collages, photo hunts, studio lighting assignments and emulation of iconic images. Included here are highlights from a prolific year in the digital arts.

1. Theresa Siri reincarnates the Breakfast Club 2. Ryan Cole turns M-A into a planet 3. Kindle Van Linge, Gillian Ferrer and Gabe Schacter-Brodie recreate their favorite album covers 4. Do these students look older? Michelle Tu, Jonah Guenther-Schmidt, Jackie Lopez and Jesus Ortega age themselves using Photoshop; 5. Hayley Fryling multiplies her puppy 6. Cayla Stillman’s color wheel stuns visually 7. Elana Schulman’s surreal collage ‘captures’ Zoe Hafter-Manza

Two M-A students won awards for photography in the Redwood City Art Show in mid-May. Lauren Bruce (pictured above) and Elana Schulman, whose photo is number 7, left) each earned multiple ribbons for their work. The free show was co-sponsored by the Redwood City Parks and Recreation Department, and was open to students in grades 6-12. 9

Photography Nina Fox

Bursting The Bubble

At M-A, most students are abundantly familiar with division: academic, social, and economic divergences prevent the diverse population of M-A from becoming homogenized. Issue One of the MArk in the Fall discussed the apparent divide that exists between students of different races who have come from different upbringings. However, is it really that simple? Does the divide really come down to color? The answer to this question is no. As stated before, a divide exists between people of different backgrounds; the fact that this is related to skin color is mere statistics, not bigotry. Despite this small bright spot, a more serious problem exists on the M-A campus, one that cannot be rectified simply by banal overtures of “celebrating our diversity.” Socio-economic differences exist that start with geography and end with the division of the student body, and the gentrification of East Palo Alto and East Menlo Park over the last 10 years have only pushed some students further from the reach of unity. The tech boom caused rent prices in East Palo Alto to soar, forcing many lowincome workers, whose students attend M-A, deeper into EPA and thus farther away from campus. Where did this start?

One explanation is the tech boom. In the heart of Silicon Valley, companies like Google, Facebook, and Tesla have bred

dozens of millionaires and even billionaires that now populate the highly desirable Menlo Park, Atherton, and Palo Alto areas. Real estate prices in these areas have skyrocketed over the past decade and a half--the median price for a home in Menlo Park has more than doubled since 2000-- and property is becoming more and more scarce as Menlo Park and Palo Alto schools seem more desirable for young families hoping to cash in on the high API scores that elementary schools such as Oak Knoll, Encinal, and Los Lomitas boast. Mandy Safka, a Menlo Park Real Estate Agent with Alain Pinel Realtors, confirms that “Menlo Park home prices have seen double-digit increases this year over last year. Much of the increase can be attributed to a lack of inventory and, at the same time, rising demand to live in Menlo Park. The demand is driven by our great public schools, as well as convenient access to some of the most elite companies in the world.” Meanwhile, schools labeled less desirable such as Chavez Academy and Ronald McNair school, both located in East Palo Alto, are left with less funding, less direct parental involvement, and an overall disadvantage when it comes time to mingle with the affluent, coddled students from Menlo Park and Atherton. A bubble has come to exist, one that excludes highly motivated students from East

Palo Alto simply because of their background. The effects are disastrous. Amika Guillaume, the principal of Chavez Academy, concurs: “Some of my students earn perfect scores on STAR tests. I tell them that they are destined for great things later on in life-- they have the intelligence down, but the voice isn’t there. Many of them are worried about speaking out and fighting for their opinions at M-A. I try to encourage them to find their voice and fight for what they believe in, but even some of the most outspoken students take about three to four months to settle into life at M-A, and even then they don’t feel comfortable enough to take an active role in their futures. The most outspoken, ‘successful’ Chavez alumni, I find, graduate from private schools.” Is this what we want to hear? Of course not. Despite parental involvement at schools like Chavez, which Guillaume says is “Definitely present, just not the Pollyanna ideal we see from parents at West Side schools,” the highly motivated, highly intelligent students that graduate from East Palo Alto lower schools either attend private school, or are stifled by an overwhelming sense of inferiority at Menlo-Atherton. One M-A parent who tutors ELD (English Language Development), commented that one of her students, who graduated from a non-Menlo Park feeder school, felt as

though school activities such as dances were not meant for her people-- that is, students who graduated from somewhere other than a Menlo Park school. Getting pushed further away from M-A, out of safe, rent-controlled housing and deep into East Palo Alto, not only forces a geographic divide, but also a social one. So what is the solution? More events like Challenge Day that force integration through fits of manufactured tears? Or reform in the school systems, so that schools like Chavez Academy get the funding they deserve. We are not on a level playing field; while the Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation raises upwards of 200,000 dollars during a single event, funds that go towards Smart Boards and iPads in elementary classrooms, East Palo Alto and Redwood City schools are saddled with old classrooms, antiqued technology, and lack the incredible advantages of students coming from schools in Menlo Park and Atherton. It is no wonder why M-A’s population is so stratified along socio-economic lines; the tech boom’s effect on East Palo Alto housing prices, coupled with lacking parental support as a result of limited funding, have become the catalysts to division, and what keeps it in motion.

by Francesca Gilles

A Look Back: Maria Ikonomou

Past Art Editor of the MArk, Maria Ikonomou, played a huge role in the visual aspect of the magazine. She shared her artwork in every issue, contributing to the appeal of several layouts. She is now a sophomore at UC Santa Cruz, where she continues to draw, and updates her tumblr regularly to publicize her work. Ikonomou has been drawing “for as long as [she] can remember.” She remembers as a little kid always having access to arts and crafts because her mother is a painter. As an artist, Ikonomou pulls inspiration for her drawings from everywhere. She explains, “my desktop, cupboards, and drawers are all filled with pictures, stories, and photographs… a dream, a lyric from a song, a friendly face.” Her artwork resembles twisted elements in her daily life that she feels inspired to express on paper. Ikonomou loves to share her artwork on Tumblr as a way to fully express herself. She receives a lot of positive feedback, which is encouraging, because she loves to know that “[her] work has touched mere strangers.” Her artwork has a unique style, and she hopes that her drawings “can inspire [her followers], as much of the hard work on Tumblr has helped inspire [her] own work.” Ikonomou has been active on Tumblr for years, and she hopes to continue drawing for the rest of her life. She reflects, “Drawing is my church; it keeps me sane.” Although she has no intention to study art in school, she will always draw for fun, as a hobby. She expresses that it is her sense of control, an escape from tension and stress.

M - A A r t i s t s

Sophia Kivelson

Sophia has always been around art as her mother is an artist; however, she did not begin truly making art until sophomore year when she was put into the M-A Studio Art class. Sophia says that “There are some undeniably aweinspiring things in nature” that often inspire her, particularly observing changes in light. She comments that although her artistic training has been fairly loosely constructed, she still has not “had a lot of time to explore” artistic inspiration. Although she enjoys drawing with charcoal and soft pencils, her favorite medium is oil paint. Sophia thinks that she will continue making art during and after college; however, she does not see herself in an artistic career.

Jeff Conway

Jeff was raised in an artistic family, beginning his artistic career at a very young age, largely as an imitation of his brothers’, work and later developing a more individual style. Jeff comments that his “inspiration comes directly from [his] thoughts,” using a pen or pencil as his tool for communication. “Art is my way of manifesting the aesthetic tastes and social ideas I’ve accumulated,” Jeff states. This year is the first time Jeff has had formal art training. Although “the creative process will always have a place in [his] life,” Jeff is not planning to focus on an artistic career after High School.

Emily SYKES

Emily has been painting since first grade when she was taught to paint watercolors from a woman who lived in the rural town that she grew up in. Generally, Emily makes paintings as gifts for people, using the person she is making the painting for as the inspiration for the artwork. Emily has only ever been instructed on how to use watercolor, so that is the medium she is most comfortable with, although she also loves making collages. Emily would like to incorporate her passion for art into her career by becoming an art therapist in order to “aid people mentally and emotionally”.

by Sabina Vitale

by Megan Kilduff and Ivana Petani

T: BONDS FOR FUTURE BEARS AMeasure

he Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) hopes that Christmas will come in June this year; it sent out a wish list to voters in March— a wish list valuing up to $265 million.

In a meeting in February, SUHSD announced that over 64 percent of 800 polled San Mateo County voters supported a measure that would allow the district to issue up to $265 million in bonds. The measure calls for a $15.90 per $100,000 property tax, which would allow the district to pay off the proposed 25-year and 40-year bonds, and requires a 55 percent majority to pass. Revenue would go toward accommodating an impending enrollment increase.

The district expects enrollment to rise nearly 20 percent by the 2020-2021 school year—the year current second graders would be high school freshmen. SUHSD and voters appear to agree that high schools in the area do not have the resources necessary to accommodate the expected extra 1,500 students. The bonds would additionally assist schools in adjusting to the boundary changes, changes also made to accommodate for the influx of students.

The board voted unanimously in support of the measure in a meeting on March 5, putting the measure— now totaled at $265 million— on the June 3 ballot. Specifically, the measure, Measure A, would help fund the creation of two small high schools, as proposed during discussions of the changing district boundaries, and would add 22 classrooms to our own campus.

The day of the vote, Statewide Direct Primary Election Day, will occur on the Tuesday of finals week, June 3, and will be the first opportunity for some seniors and other 18 year-old students to vote. Mark Evans, a senior, explains, “With the increase in class sizes, I think the measure is long overdue, especially if student population is to increase in the next few years.” Evans adds that he “hope[s] they can push up construction to provide new, smaller learning environments to students sooner.”

But the proposal is unlikely to earn concrete support of registered M-A students, as many voting-eligible students polled on campus are unlikely to turn out to vote. Kendall Peters, a senior of voting age, explained that “[She] didn’t even know there was a voting day in June.”

Another senior and registered voter, Luis Laguna, 19, admitted to knowing about the upcoming primary election but added that he “hadn’t heard much about the measure” and, therefore, “wouldn’t know to vote for it.”

Some residents, too, may seem hesitant to vote for additional tax, as the district already received additional funding from five different property tax increases in the last decade, most significantly in 2008. Still, it seems that the measure has the support of much of the community. An M-A parent and Menlo Park resident, who wishes to remain anonymous but plans to vote in favor of Measure A, explains her support of the bonds. “The district is changing. Nothing is more important than the education of our children, and we should do everything we can to accomodate those changes.”

As society becomes increasingly consumed by the digital age, no aspect of our culture has been left untouched. From tasks as simple as making a to-do list to more complicated things such as coordinating events, almost every aspect of people’s lives today involves computers, social media, or at least a smartphone. Keeping up with current events is no exception; people no longer flip through the sports page, but rather scroll through a twitter feed. Headlines emblazoned across newsstands do not grab people’s attention, but witty late-night show hosts’ report the news and inform others of trending events. However, even with the easy access everyone now has to news, with catastrophes and celebrations broadcasted almost instantaneously across the globe, many teenagers these days place little emphasis on current events, instead letting their personal lives and school work take precedence.

When talking to various high schoolers, it almost immediately became clear that keeping up with current events was not a high priority. “Normally I only check the news when my teachers say I have to for points,” shared Junior Misato Muraoka. Others echoed this sentiment saying simply “No,” they do not keep up with current events or “Only when [they] have to.” The few that did actually pay attention to current events did so by watching YouTube or the satirical The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, both of which allow their viewers to easily switch to other sources of entertainment with just a click of a button. In their limited free time, teenagers would rather focus on their friends and the lives of their peers, not on the crisis in the Ukraine or diplomacy with China. As a result, the only current events that get any of their attention come in the form of 30-second videos clips that provide links to funny cat videos at the same time.

by Katie Webb

students adults News on News

Adults spend a significant amount more time keeping up with current events, but very few rely on newspapers or even magazines anymore. Instead, they turn to their tablets and iPhones, their apps and TV shows, to get the information considered relevant for the day. Every adult surveyed responded that they did keep up with current events, but only one said that he actually read the newspaper. All the others said they relied on an online news source, such as Google News or the New York Times website.

In this new digital society, it’s becoming increasingly easy to find out what’s happening across the globe, yet people are spending less time learning about what’s happening outside of their neighborhood. Kids only pay attention to the news when their teachers require it, while even adults are using the internet to quickly scan headlines and most-read lists rather than sit and read a newspaper.

Painting Cathrine Petersen

Photography Anna Mcdermott

Photography Jackie Lopez

Photography Katrina Wijaya

Shame On You

Here’s a little story about something that may or may not have happened on campus:

I was walking down Pride Hall and I hear someone near me say, “Laura is such a slut.” I stop dead in my tracks, turn around and punch that person in the face. Okay so maybe that last part didn’t happen, but the first part definitely has.

In today’s day and age, it is no longer scandalous for a woman to show her ankles, but what about having sexual freedom? Very controversial. The culture of slut shaming is widely spread, even here at M-A. Why does it make me so infuriated, you might ask? Because terms like “slut” and “whore” are oppressing womankind (or should I say womynkind).

While this may seem like an extreme accusation, when looking at the origins of these terms, it makes perfect sense. The discrepancy between society’s view of men, and its view of women is appalling, and it is based on deeply-rooted sexism. From a young age, girls are taught that men should be dominant, and women

should be submissive. We are taught that men “can’t control themselves” and that we need to dress modestly so as to not distract these ravenous beasts. We women are also taught that since sex is a dominant and powerful act, respectable women should not be promiscuous or want to have sex. Men, however, are taught that sex is a part of their nature, and is something to strive towards. If a man has sex often and with multiple partners, he is praised for his “game.” If a woman has sex in the same manner, she is shamed for not being ladylike, or proper. From these concepts, society shames women who wear revealing clothing for broadcasting their desire to be sexual.

Are these assertions about women true? No.

Is it fair that antiquated stereotypes are still affecting women’s lives? Hell no.

Are society’s values based on the Puritan era? Apparently.

At M-A, I have heard multiple people, multiple times, call girls sluts for wearing short-shorts or low-cut shirts. The bottom line is that it’s not okay to judge women on their sex life based on what they wear. Furthermore, it is not okay to judge women for having sex if they personally decide to sleep with whoever they want. When you call a girl a slut for wanting to have sex, it is a complete double standard. No matter how much people try to argue it, there is simply no male equivalent for the word whore, ho, slut, or skank. Using the word slut upholds stereotypes against women who are comfortable with their sexuality. The words “skank”, “slut”, and “whore” are not appropriate to use at any time. When you say these words, you are not only offending the person you say them to, but the entire population of women. This language prevents healthy female expression and perpetuates female inferiority.

by Nina Fox

Photography Blanca Viña

Bisexuality

by Marta Fatica

Ihave always been boy crazy, changing my crushes like I change my clothes. I, like most people, just assumed I was straight, that I was an ally, not part of community itself. Then I met Jane*. We had bonded over mutual interests, and before I knew it, I started feeling as if I had a crush on her. Being a freshman with no other resources, I turned to Google. One of the first suggestions it gave me was “Bisexuality isn’t real.” That, coupled with the first person I told about my feelings telling me it was “just a phase,” led me to think that maybe I was just confused. I told myself I couldn’t possibly be bisexual, I would have known earlier. But the crush stuck. Even once I became secure in my new found sexuality, I was too afraid to tell anyone. What if people didn’t believe me? What if they wrote it off as “just a phase” or dismissed my feelings because I was so young?

The last day of school, I accidently came out to my best friend, who looked at me with surprise and said “So, who’s your type?” A series of accidental outings followed; thinking about it, I don’t think any of my outings have been planned. After almost all of my friends knew, I thought maybe it was time to come out to my family. I had planned the whole thing: I was going to bake a cake that said “I’m not straight” on it. However, just as previous times, I ended up coming out accidently at the dinner table with jazz hands, with my mom smirking into her lasagna and my brother having to look up bisexuality on Google.

I’m not going to lie, I have had it much easier than most youth in the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, and Questioning community; I live in a liberal area with liberal parents who voted against Proposition Eight, and raised

me to support the LGBTQ+ community. But regardless of that, I have still had to deal with many misconceptions about bisexuality. Being a teenager, I am always worried about getting the dreaded “Well, aren’t you a little young to have figured that out” or worse, “Don’t worry, you’ll get over this phase.” As a community, we are told we are confused, that people are either gay or straight, that there is no in between. As LGBTQ+ rights become noted, most of the representation goes to the monosexualities, and although I appreciate the community as a whole becoming accepted, I wish that bisexuality would at least get mentioned. Even some of my friends, as open minded as they might be, still don’t really get it. Media representation probably makes up most of the problems we as a community face. Bisexuality is either absent, or oversexualized through the media. Bisexual characters tend to be attractive females, because apparently bisexual guys don’t exist, right? The characters’ sexuality are joked about and used as an attractive characteristic for male characters (think Thirteen from “House”). This sentiment is echoed in real life as well, with guys asking if they can watch us make out with other girls or saying “it’s so hot” that the females of our community are bisexual. Not only is this extremely degrading, we happen to be more than our sexualities, but the fact that any guy thinks my sexuality is there to please him is a sense of entitlement I will never understand. These stereotypes also play into the misconception that bisexuals are more promiscuous or more likely to cheat than monosexuals because we have “more options.” First of all, to think anyone is going to cheat based on their sexuality is ex-

tremely offensive and untrue. Secondly, we are no more likely to cheat than a heterosexual person is. Overall , I just wish that the representation in the media was more accurate and less based on our sexuality being a sexual attribute. Another problem that I feel the bisexual community faces is a lack of education. People are misinformed about our sexuality, leading to the furthering of misconceptions. For example, most people think that bisexuality is being attracted to both men and women. However, the bisexual community, for the most part, has agreed that bisexuality is the attraction to the same and different genders. This is because there are more than two genders. However, because many people do not know this, people who are aware of the gender binary accuse bisexuals of being binarist, or abiding by the gender binary. I have had an educator at an LBGTQ+ event tell a group of us that bisexuality is bad because it doesn’t include people outside the binary or people who are transgender. The fact that an educator within the community told me that my sexuality was worse than another is not ok. Also, the myth that bisexuals are confused is wrong. Yes, there are people who say they are bisexuals but then realize otherwise, but all sexualities are fluid and bisexuality cannot be invalidated because of the fluidity of sexuality as a whole. Bisexuality is real. Furthermore, bisexuals are not confused nor are we indecisive. I have had a much easier time with my sexuality than most people; my friends and family are supportive and we live in a liberal area. But I still wish that their was further education on my sexuality so that the misconceptions about us would end.

Stroll & Sandwiches

On a beautiful sunday afternoon, pack a picnic basket and go on a hike with friends or family. When you find the perfect scenic spot, break out your basket, and enjoy!

Friends & Films

Have you ever thought about having the best of both worlds: a warm summer night and a movie with friends? Sounds like a plan to me!

wHAT WILL YOUR LOOK Like?

Summer

S’mores & Stars

Gather your friends and head out to the beach at sunset. Enjoy a wonderful night with a bonfire, stories, and s’mores.

Swim & Sizzle

On a hot summer day, what is better than taking a refreshing dip in the pool while eating a delicious burger? Fire up a grill with family and friends and enjoy the hot day!

Popcorn & Party Frisbee & Fun

Pop up some popcorn, set up some boardgames, invite your friends and have a partay! Whether it is Life, Monopoly, or Cards Against Humanity, you will not be saying Sorry! when you dominate the board.

Head out to the park with a group of friends and take up Frisbee Golf! Who knows, you might meet a professional on the course.

by Jonah Guenther-Schmidt, Ellie Frye, and Kristen Walsh

June

Smokey Robinson, Patti Austin (22nd) Stern Grove FREE

JuLY

Summer 2014 Activities

By Ellie Frye, Kristen Walsh, & Jonah Guenter-Shmidt

Looking for something fun to do this summer? We searched for events all over the Bay Area for YOU guys to look foward to for this summer!

BFD (1st) Shoreline Amphitheatre $45

One Republic and The Script (6th) Shoreline Amphitheater $45

KMEL Summer Jam:

Kendrick Lamar, Kid Ink, T-Pain, Sage the Gemini, YG (8th) Oracle Arena $54

Queen, Adam Lambert(1st) SAP Center $40

KISS, Def Leppard (2nd) Concord Pavillion $36 and up

Justin Timberlake (11th) SAP Center $60

AUGUST

Haight-Ashbury Street Festival (8th) 11 a.m. at Haight-Ashbury in SF FREE

Lady Antebellum (15th) SAP Center $50

Pink Martini, S.F. Symphony (2nd) Davies Symphony Hall $25

Fillmore Jazz Festival (6th) Fillmore Street in SF FREE

Matt Nathanson, Gavin DeGraw, Mary Lambert (20th) The Greek Theater@ UCBerkeley $40

Saturday Night Soul Party (3rd Saturday of every month: 21st) Elbow Room in SF $10, $5 in formal attire

Santana (27th) Shoreline Amphitheatre $30

Word of Mouth Reunion Tour: Jurassic 5, Blackalicious, Dilated Peoples and more (11th) Greek Theater @ UC Berkeley $45

Saturday Night Soul Party (16th) (3rd Saturday of every month)

Rebelution, Iration, The Green, Stick Figure (16th) The Greek Theater @UC Berkeley $40

Future, Rico Love, Que (30th) The Regency Ballroom $30

Arcade Fire (30th) Shoreline Amphitheatre $30

Journey, Steve Miller Band, Tower of Power (29th) Concord Pavilion $40 and up

Dave Mathews Band (22nd and 23rd and 24th) The Greek Theater @ UC Berkelely $75

Fall Out Boy, Paramore, New Politics (17th) Concord Pavilion $30

Saturday Night Soul Party (3rd Saturday of every month)

Jack Johnson and Michael Kiwanuka (26th) The Greek Theater @ UC Berkeley

Nine Inch Nails, Sound Garden, Death Grips(24th) Shoreline Amphitheatre $30

Panic! At The Disco, Walk the Moon, Youngblood Hawke(28th) SJSU Event Center $35

Show us what you plan to do this summer! Post a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #TheMAmark !

CHEATING TO GET AHEAD

Fsocial media groups at m-a:

Peer interaction vs. possiblity of cheating

by Ian Robinson-Lambert

or better or for worse, social media has come to the forefront of almost all high schools in the United States. Social sites like Facebook and Instagram had skyrocketed in popularity in just the last few years, becoming tools that virtually all high schoolers use. As with anything, this popularity has come with inherent controversy. Every few months, a fresh horror story about the negative aspects of social media comes out - a student who is denied acceptance to college because of an inappropriate Instagram photo, a teacher who is fired over an offensive Facebook post, an employee whose job is put in jeopardy because they ranted about it on Twitter. One of the most popular platforms for social media in high schools, specifically at M-A, is the social media group. Facebook groups are usually the most used, although sites such as Schoology are becoming more popular as well. People are often divided over the effectiveness of these groups, and how to weigh the collaborative benefits against the possibility of cheating.

Let’s start with the positives, because there are many beneficial aspects of social media groups. They have a bit of a bad reputation because of sensationalized stories about cheating that surface in the news once in a while, but in practice they are often found to be useful tools that encourage collaboration and allow for a forum in which students can ask questions and get help. Social media groups often make communication between students, whether for a project or a study group or something along those lines, much easier than the pre-Facebook days where they had to struggle with scheduling or other issues. Before collaboration tools like Facebook, Schoology, and Google Drive, it was obviously more cumbersome for students to get in touch with each other and work together on group assignments. Social media has also improved

communication between students and teachers, which is an enormous benefit in terms of getting help and better understanding material. In the days before social media, a student would have to schedule an appointment, stay late after school, or search wildly for a teacher the day before an assignment was due. Now, they can get help from the comfort of their own home by sending an email or posting to a class webpage. In a perfect world, social media would be the ideal form of collaboration and communication used in schools.

“The reality is, people’s preception of ‘true’ education is changing. It always has been.”

But, unfortunately, this is not a perfect world. Not all schools share the ideology that social media improves relations between students and teachers, just as not all students use social media in school for assistance on homework assignments. According to an article in the Huffington Post*, the state of Missouri banned all Facebook communication between students and teachers in 2011. The bill was later altered to the point where it was essentially repealed, but the message it sent stays the same: many people believe social media is a volatile tool that does more harm than good in terms of academics. There are two major factors that this fear is attributed to. First, some schools believe that social media devalues “true” education, and that it takes away from what they believe to be the essentials of learning. In other words, many teachers in the United States favor more traditional forms of

teaching because they believe in the “tried and true” ideology. Second, there is the very real possibility of cheating, although this risk has been somewhat inflated by stories in the media. Social media groups provide an unfortunately convenient forum for students to post more than just homework help. There have been several large stories covering this over the past few years, but many protest that they were sensationalized and could not really be considered cheating. Whether or not the stories are actually true is largely inconsequential - the taboo is there either way. The idea that social media groups could lead to cheating is enough to cause many teachers to ban it in their classrooms. But what are the consequences of this? For teachers who believe that social media devalues the idea of proper schooling, there are none. But the reality is, people’s perception of “true” education is changing. It always has been. Education methods in the 1920s were obsolete in the 1950s, methods in the 1950s were obsolete by the 1990s, and so on. There is no one way to teach, no one way to ensure success. Maybe social media, with all of its collaborative benefits and opportunities to get help, is the next wave of true education. Maybe some radical new method of teaching will come along in 30 years and people will be in a frenzy over it, wistfully remembering the days where social media was the dominant presence in the classroom instead of whatever new fad is taking its place. This is all very extreme, of course, and the presence of social media at M-A is obviously not going to fundamentally change education. But the system, with its Facebook groups and its Schoology sites and its Google Docs, seems to work. For now, at least.

* “Social Media in Classrooms: A Case for Why It Belongs” by Jason Falls, 2011

CHEATING FACT SHEET

“SOMETIMES I WISH I GOT CAUGHT.”

“I ONCE HID NOTES IN A DICTIONARY.”

“I PERSONALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW COPYING HOMEWORK IS CHEATING.”

73% of Test Takers Cheat at some point

80% of the country s best students cheated to get to the top of their class

20% of college students admitted to cheating in high school in 1940, 75-98% of college students today report having cheated in high school

Fewer college officials (35%) believe that cheating is a problem than do members in the public (41%)

There is increased temptation to cheat because there is more emphasis on grades, and more pressure to do well

Reported influences include: 1. others doing it 2. Faculty doesn t care 3. Heavy workload

“I COPY HOMEWORK FOR EACH CLASS IN THE PERIOD BEFORE.”

Information as reported by Glass Castle

“I AM NOT ASHAMED. IT’S JUST TOO EASY.”

“I SAW SOMEONE GET CAUGHT COPYING MATH HOMEWORK ONCE. IT LOOKED BRUTAL.”

“I HATE SEEING OTHER PEOPLE CHEAT WHEN I ACTUALLY DO MY WORK; IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A FOOL.”

Cheating at M-A

As high school continually becomes more and more competitive, students appear to be more interested in earning a certain grade over actually learning and internalizing the material. Consequently, in order to gain an edge on fellow students, it has become common practice for some to cheat. Just as with professional athletes in recent news abusing performance-enhancing substances, even though a smart kid may do well on an assignment without cheating, the student can feel as if they have no choice, held in a competitive environment. Instead of taking challenging courses because of genuine interest in a certain field, students feel the urge to take as many AP’s as possible, stressing them out, and ultimately driving increasing amounts to violate their academic integrity and cheat.

M-A, a highly completive institution, is far from exempt of this problem. Junior Alex Garcia comments that “the level of difficulty in [his] classes have really picked up this year,” and when asked if he is aware of any cheating among his fellow classmates, Garcia answers, “absolutely. While I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m aware of any major scandal-type activities occurring, it’s fairly obvious that kids are copying homework

and using cheat sheets on tests in quizzes in certain classes.”

Nerves are without a doubt running high throughout M-A. Sophomore Beverly Shane explains that “while [she] [does] not in any way participate in violations of the honor code, [she] can completely see how building stress could lead someone else to do so.”

As students appear to be more prone to cheating, when caught, students verify that responses vary teacher to teacher. While some teachers follow the written policy word for word, others are more lenient, and give the guilty students a warning instead of submitting the incident to the administration and following exact protocol. While each student is required to sign the Academic Integrity Contract, which explicitly outlines a three-strike policy regarding cheating, just as it is clear that some students break their agreement, some teachers use their own judgment when dealing with consequent punishment. However, when dealt with as dictated in the Academic Integrity Contract, it is clear that the administration is cracking down. After a first offense, the administration, guidance counselor and parents of the student will be notified, while they also receive an F on the assignment

in question. On a second offense, all of the first offense penalties are applied, as well as now the student has become subject to a meeting with an administrator and the their parents, as well as having private colleges notified of their violation, and receiving a one day suspension. On the third and final offense, a student receives all the penalties from the first two offenses, as well as receiving a three day suspension.

With Universities becoming harder and harder to get into each year, students are pushed to take the most difficult classes and achieve the highest grades possible. However, only a very select group of kids have the capabilities to succeed with such a rigorous schedule, leading others to do everything in their power to stay at the top, resulting in some people cheating. Even the select group of gifted students who have the ability to thrive in their classes normally are now feeling pressure to cheat in order to maintain their edge. Although we oftentimes classify cheaters as underachieving, low-effort students, around the country and at M-A, this stereotype is evolving to include the intense, hard working students, nervous about staying ahead of the competition.

by Gabe Cohen

Photography Jackie Lopez

Photography Evan Reed

Photography Blanca Viña

that I had to wait at M-A, lying wasted on the green for three hours before I could drive home without crashing within the first ten seconds of driving. For Danny the side effects were much more direct, when he got home, he immediately threw up and passed out for two hours.

The next hot sauce we tried was Dave’s Gourmet Ghost Pepper Hot Sauce, rating at 800,000 scoville. In all honesty the pain of this hot sauce paled in comparison to the Collector’s Edition Mad Dog, which caused me to die a little on the inside. The immediate effects of this hot sauce were short bursts of pain that faded quickly. Because we are stupid Danny and I decided that meant we should just keep upping the dose again and again to try and get the same results as last time, this meant that by the end of our hot sauce taste testing we had eaten about a quarter of the entire bottle of hot sauce between us over the span of two hours. Now, while the immediate pain was not as bad the lasting effects of this new hot sauce were one thousand times worse. We predicted these side effects and tried to counteract the amount of hot sauce with increased consumption of Tums, which we figured would help. By the end of the day we had eaten 1 and half entire bottles of Tums in an attempt to stop our suffering . The tums did nothing because that night the only thing I could do was lay on my bed and be as still as possible because every time i stood up and moved it felt as though my stomach was digesting itself. The next day I woke up and and tried to get out of bed, when I tried to stand up I realized how bad a decision we had made; the pain had only developed and I was forced to stay home because of suspicion that I had an ulcer, a literal hole in my stomach. The pain gradually got better as the day went on, proving that the hot sauce did not actually burn a hole through my stomach, and that I was not actually going to have to go to the hospital for a journalism article.

Now to review these two hot sauces is impossible, the only difference is whether or not you would prefer immediate and soul shaking pain that ruins your day, or a lasting pain that puts the fear of God into you for weeks to come. by Ben Hickman

Lemon Bars

Originally, this recipe makes several small tartes (French pastries with a filling), but this rendition makes 20 or so tart, tasty cookies. As simple as they are to make, they look and taste sophisticated and enticing.

For the Crust:

½ poundunsalted butter at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixture on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough and press it into a 9 X 13 X 2 inch baking sheet, building up a ½ inch edge. Chill in a refrigerator.

Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on. For the Filling, whisk together eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature before cutting! Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

This recipe is for the cookies, but if you’d like to put a fancy spin on it, instead of flattening the dough into a baking pan, flatten into small, individual tarte dishes and cook for 5-10 minutes less.

Inspired by Ina Garten

Dessert for dummies: summer Edition

by Eliza Fitz

This recipe, while it produces a Silver Spoon-worthy blueberry pie, is the easiest pie recipe: it has only three steps. This particular rendition makes two small pies, but to make a whole pie, double the recipe.

For the Crust:

4 tbsp room temperature butter (½ stick)

½ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

1/8 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/8 cup granola or oats (optional)

For the Filling:

2 cups blueberries

Juice from ½ a lemon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

For the crust, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and other optional ingredients with hands.

In a lightly greased pie dish, add the blueberries and lemon juice. Slightly flattening with hands, layer the pie crust over the berries.

Bake for around 16 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

The pie in the photo was made with frozen blueberries. Fresh blueberries will hold up the crust more if you do not want it to sink in as shown.

One Pie fitz all: Blueberry Pie

Current Events or History?

by Sofia Bergmann

Late night study sessions of memorizing history terms and specific dates is something every M-A student is familiar with. History class plays a substantial role in every student’s school career and of course, stress level. Sophomores may be experts on Joseph Stalin and his reign of terror, but how many of us can say that we are experts on the crisis in the Ukraine? Despite knowing everything about Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal Policy, does every US History student know the issues of the next presidential election? Is learning about the current issues more important than drowning oneself in history homework putting all the focus on learning about the past? It can be said that learning history is a very crucial aspect of one’s education because it allows students to learn from past mistakes and have an understanding of how the world we live in came to be. Being educated about the past can help us understand the current issues, but all the stress put on memorizing history may take away from what the students could be learning; the joy and fascination of history is easily taken away with one too many scantrons successively filled out during a block period. The weight that is put on students to memorize lecture notes arguably replaces interest with with fatigue, and takes away from the learning experience. The ultimate question always lies upon the current education system and its efficiency in helping students truly become avid thinkers. Lauren Nathan, a former United States History student says that, “US history was a hard class, and came with a lot of stress, but it was fun and I learned a lot. One thing I would say is that a lot of the studying I did was just for the grade and not because I was genuinely interested, which made me forget a lot that I learned. But in the end after taking the class, I really learned a lot and thought it was really interesting, but it definitely made my junior year very

stressful.” That said, what about the current events? Students could decide if they are willing to apply all their knowledge from school and go out of their way to pay attention to the news. When AP Euro student Zoe Ford was asked about her engagement in learning about current events she admitted, “I don’t really know too much about what is going on, especially since I have way too much Euro studying to think about. I’d like to learn more since all my studies are focused on Europe so it would be interesting to understand what actually is happening now and how it relates to all my reading about the history, but it just doesn’t fit into the schedule.” If the school doesn’t assign watching the news or reading articles, chances are the students won’t do it. Maybe the solution would be perhaps if we paid less attention to obsessing over every single detail relating to the past and tied how it evolved to become what it is now. It may make the next generations better thinkers. If we learned about the history of Russia in a way that would allow students to understand how the crisis with Ukraine came to be, it could spark inspiration in the students and maybe make a difference in the world. But of course this system does not guarantee to create the next Mother Teresa and where do teachers find the time to focus on so many aspects all at once? Since the news is constantly changing, how will these classes follow the academic system while simultaneously concentrating on the news? Maybe there is no real solution to the problem. There is no question that students should be more engaged in current events, but history is an essential part of an education. Yet the fact that students might be too swamped to absorb what they are learning is a sound concern. Questioning M-A’s education system as a whole would be extreme, but it is an issue well open for discussion that can easily affect the future generations.

The New SAT

Old SAT example:

What is the definition of ‘arrears’?

a. an unpaid, overdue debt

b. an overwhelming debt

c. a debt that causes unhappiness

d. debts owed to multiple people

e. the state of being in debt

The SAT has historically been a key factor in college admission; it provides a universal measurement of a student’s education that does not differ based on different grading scales. The SAT used at the present consists of writing, reading, and math sections that, when weighted, add up to a score out of 2400. However, this past year, the College Board has announced that they will introduce a new SAT beginning in 2016, one that is “more focused and useful than ever before.” The major changes of this new SAT include an optional, 50 minute essay, which will return the SAT to a 1600-point scale; no penalty for wrong answers; replacement of the obscure vocab words with definitions in context; and the elimination of one possible option in the multiple choice, which will provide only four options instead of five. The College Board hopes to reform the test to provide a more comprehensive assessment of a student’s education, testing students

New SAT example:

“She was happy and joyful.” What does ‘happy’ mean?

a. angry

b. upset

c. joyful

d. mean

on the skills that they will need “to be better prepared for college and jobs.” Furthermore, the test questions will be more subject-specific, similar to the ACT.

“ More focused and useful than ever before.

”

For example, passages pertaining to the sciences will ask about hypotheses and data; literary passages will ask about mood and theme. The reading section

will, as usual, be based on passages and the student’s capability to analyze them. Questions about vocabulary will ask the student to define the word in context and analyze the effect of choosing specific words. The math section will be focused on what the College Board refers to as the “Heart of Algebra:” linear equations and functions. Also, the writing portion of the test, soon optional, will be an analysis essay, testing writing, reading, and analytical skills instead of the pure writing portion in practice currently.

The College Board hopes to craft an “assessment that makes it clear that the road to success is not lastminute tricks or cramming but the learning students do over years each day,” as President David Coleman told NPR. The new SAT is based on new educational research that supports the introduced changes. The College Board hopes to make the SAT an adequate assessment of a student’s education and so the changes being made will aim at accomplishing that goal.

by Nico Plume

10 ways to survive the drought

by Liz Sommer

As California is the worst drought in centuries and Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency, many M-A students have begun to panic, wondering how to survive till the next rainy season, or even until the next day. Please do not panic. There is no need to fear! Just refer to this handy little guide and you’ll survive the drought like a real pro.

1. Water your lawn with soup.

Use expired cans of soup that you have laying around in your cupboard. Since it’s liquid,the soup will hydrate your plants. The chicken and noodles will give your lawn some nice nutrients too.

2. Wash your hands with beer.

As water becomes more scarce, beer, wine, cleaning products, mouthwash, etc. may be the only liquid you can get your hands on. If you want to be able to keep those phalanges spic and span without wasting precious water, just run some beer over them and you’ll be squeaky clean.

3. Don’t cook your pasta.

Since it takes water to boil your pasta, you’d be much better off just eating those noodles right out of the box. They may be a bit crunchy, but it’s better than dying of thirst, right?

4. Make your own “camel back.”

If you have a pet camel, and you don’t know what to do with all those humps, there’s no need to worry any longer. Camels store liquid in their humps so all you have to do is cut one off, strap it to your back, attach a straw, and drink that good ole hump juice. Check it out.

5. Make a “camel back,” but use a cactus (which is full of water) as the hump. This is a great vegeterian alternative to the camel back.

6. Drink your own pee.

This may gross you out at first, but try not to be totally prejudiced. Urine can be a delicious and nutritious substitute to water. If you have trouble adjusting to the taste, just throw in a couple of packs of Crystal Light and you won’t even notice the difference. An added bonus is that if you drink your pee, you won’t have to use water to flush it down the toilet. Yay!!!

7. Drink your pool water. Just do what #6 says but use the water from your pool instead of pee.

8. Home desalination.

Convert ocean water to drinking water in your own home. Just go to the beach, collect some water, bring it home, figure out how desalination works, desalinate the water, and drink it.

9. Don’t drink water.

10. Move out of California.

by Joanne Cho and Cayla Stillman

by Sarah Reichow and Katie Weiner

tumblrthe generation

source: TheMArk

“The end of your social life” is how Urban Dictionary defines the trendy website, Tumblr. For those who do not know what Tumblr is, it is a very addicting social media site where users can reblog posts that they see on other peoples blogs. Tumblr has made blogging much easier and more accessible. One of the websites appeals is that an individual can customize the look of their blog. While the more popular blogs often stick to one theme, the typical teenage blog consists of random post from others popular blogs. The posts are often about happiness, sadness, love, hate, drugs, drinking, food, sunshine, pretty clothes, and any other random picture (or videos?) imaginable. Before setting up a tumblr account, it is important to keep in mind that Tumblr is unavoidably addictive. Scrolling through post after post, it is seemingly impossible to stop staring at all of the images that in some way seem to relate to exactly what you are going through. Say you are that person who is obsessed with fashion, you can find a tumblr page that continually provides new outfit ideas. Or, if you are depressed and lonely, when you go on tumblr, some posts are there to remind you you’re not alone. If you’re hopelessly in love, Tumblr provides a platform where you can view tons of pictures that describe every part of being in love. Although Tumblr has been around for five years, it is only within the last two years that the site has gained much of its cultish following. Every day, about 120,000 new users sign up for Tumblr. Twenty one percent of teens in America have a Tumblr account, and sixty one percent of teenagers say Tumblr is their favorite social media site. Clearly, teens are latching onto the free-flowing format that Tumblr provides.

While scrolling through any tumblr dashboard, being greeted with black-and-white pictures of slit wrists or long text posts discussing depression and the hardships of daily life is inevitable. Depression is one of the most common themes among tumblr blogs, and while some find tumblr to be a place where they can express these thoughts, the venue can also promote the glorification of self harm, suicide, and eating disorders. Reading things like “Suicidal people are angels who just want to go home,” “I cut to see if I can still feel,” and “Keep calm and the hunger will go away” is not uncommon while browsing your dashboard on tumblr, and while some find solace in the freedom of posting their problems under an artsy URL, portraying these very serious afflictions as beautiful is problematic. Especially because tumblr appeals to a relatively young and impressionable audience, it is important that tumblr users a avoid portraying depression, selfharm, or eating disorders as desirable. It is obviously important not to keep quiet if you are someone who is struggling with these issues, but to describe them as beautiful is just as problematic. Tumblr culture often misrepresents self-harm and depression, making them seem glamorous when in reality they are far from it. As tumblr grows in popularity, the issue of the glorification of depression becomes more and more relevant. It’s not that tumblr is inherently problematic, but too often tumblr users create a culture which encourages the belief that sadness is beautiful or that suicide is somehow noble. And it’s not just a problem on the website, as tumblr represents the feelings and thoughts of our generation. It’s imperative that we as a school and a society remember that suicide, self-harm, depression, and eating disorders are not glamorous or beautiful but serious mental health issues which require treatment and help, help which you won’t get by crying out through tumblr.

Tumb-ling: The act of wasting one’s time on Tumblr

Dash/Dashboard: Where all your reblogs end up. Basically your page

Rebloging: Re-posting someone else post and letting it show up on your dashboard

Fandom: A group of tumblr accounts that are interested in the same idea, person, group etc.

Fangirl: Girls who use tumblr to obsess over a certain band/singer/actor

Nightblogging: Rebloging so late at night that nothing really makes sense anymore

tumblr dictionary

Notes: A unit of measuring the popularity of posts on tumblr, which can use likes, reblogs, and comments

Key Smash: Beating up your keyboard or phone screen because of a strong emotional response to a tumblr post

GIF(Graphics Interchange Format): An animated image made from a running series of pictures put together at a fast speed

Anon: Anyone who is anonymous on Tumblr

Ask: A question sent to anyone on tumblr which can range from being very negative to very sweet

Tumblr Crush: A crush or obsession with a certain tumblr dashboard

19,872 notes

1. 2. 3.

What’s your Decade?

Favorite drink?

(a) Coca Cola

(b) organic green tea

(c) Pepsi

(d) Mountain Dew

You are most likely heard saying:

(a) “Gee, that’s swell!”

(b) “Far out man!”

(c ) “That’s so gnarly!”

(d) “What’s the 4-1-1?”

Your iTunes library consists mostly of...

(a) Elvis Presley

(b) the Beatles

(c )Queen

(d) Nirvana, grunge all the way

4.

On a daily basis you are most likely caught wearing…

(a) polka dot everything

(b) tye-dye and flip flops

(c ) neon crop tops and leggings

(d) flannel and Doc Martens

If you answered mostly a’s you’re a swinging dolly or stud who lives to enjoy the simple things in life: the shared milkshakes or first dances that make life cool. You’re a 50s dolly!

Hey man if you answered mostly b’s, you have a free soul that belongs at all those groovy music festivals where you can let your spirit unwind. Far out man! You’re a natually born hippie from the 60s.

Fox

You always wished your high school experience was like...

(a) Grease

(b) Hairspray

(c ) Fast Times at Ridgemont High

(d) Saved By the Bell

You can’t leave the house without your…

(a) red lipstick

(b) flower crown

(c ) checkered slip-on Vans

(d) walkman

Your Friday nights consist of…

(a) hanging at the popular diner with friends

(b) tripping on acid

(c )chilling at mall

(d) jamming out at a grunge concert

Your dream car is…

(a) Ford Thunderbird

(b) Volkswagen Beetle

(c )Mercedes R107 SL

5. 6. 7. 8. by Elena

(d) Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

Dude you answered mostly c’s! You live for the party whether it be at a gnarly rock concert or you’re jamming out to your record player at home. You’re fun and fresh personality makes everyone dig you! You totally belong in the 80s.

Sup brah, if you answered mostly d’s, you are so from the 90s! You are always stylin’ as you walk down the halls of M-A with a sweet smile on your face. People love your chill attitude and how you are “livin’ it large”! You’re da bomb!

by Nina Fox

by Lindy LaPlante

Is the Class of 2014 really legendary, or did the name, “Class of Legends” just stick one day as inordinate pride? Although statistics show that we are essentially level with past classes regarding test scores and college acceptances, the Class of 2014 has restored spirit at M-A. Not only were the teams incredible this year, but energetic spirit squads also brought new life and excitement to the games during all seasons. The leaders of these clubs hoped to reenergize the student body at M-A, and the seniors have really pushed to focus on revamping spirit at M-A.

The great 12th man inspired the class of legends. 12th Man leaders Nikhil Goyle and Jordan Long brought hype to the games by designing shirts and organizing tailgates. There was also access to food at the snack shack, which appealed to students and even families at M-A. Club leaders posted pictures and event updates on Facebook, which drove all grade levels to the games. At the football games, people in the stands would dress up in M-A pride wear and shout chants to bring energy onto the field. Long remembers, “People used to just go to football games as social events and just talk, but this year they were actually into the games.”

As the bears made it to CCS Semifinals, the spirit at football games in the beginning of the year marked a change in the culture at M-A. Seniors brought the student body together to support our team and energize the players on the field. It simply would not be the same if we did not have driven leaders in the senior class to encourage everyone to come to support the bears and make a difference at the school.

M-A’s hype about sports continued during basketball season, when Sixth Man Co-Presidents Grant Johnson and Thomas Johnson and other group members encouraged all stu-

Persian Life Class of Legends

Persian lifestyle consists of gold chains, white BMWs, unbuttoned white shirts, and most importantly, parties. As a guy, my experience differs slightly from that of a girl’s. My pre-party rituals start with finding the proper white shirt for the evening. I then proceed to spray enough cologne on my clothing until I can’t breathe anymore. Furthermore, I find the correct pair of sunglasses to complete my attire, even though this is a night party. My family and I then proceed to arrive two hours late as it is considered rude and insensible to arrive on time to a Persian party. For the next hour or so, I spend time greeting all the guest who have already arrived. During these early conversations, other Persians note how surprising it is that I have changed since the last time we saw each other, around

dents to support the team. They created events on Facebook with themes for each game, and organized carpools for away games. Johnson reflected that, “The 6th man was rowdier than it’s been in years and it’s simply due to this senior class. These legends have raised the bar that much higher.” When the basketball team made it to CCS finals, Mark Gerhart recalls, “It did not matter if you were a senior or a freshmen, lived in East Palo Alto or Menlo Park, all what mattered was that you went to M-A and you thrived off being loud, crazy teens with everyone around you. In short, we made high school fun again and that is why we are legends.” Gerhart’s routine fourth quarter speech became a huge hit, where he led an M-A (you know) chant and got spirits running high in the last few minutes of the game. He also shouted motivational analogies, such as “This is war. We are legends. And legends don’t lose war.” With that motivation, everyone in the stands went crazy, screaming and cheering for the win. M-A’s spirit has reached an all-time high this year, and it has continued through the spring sports, especially lacrosse and baseball. When asked about the effect of the people in the stands on the players, senior lacrosse player Jake Barry responded, “It brought more energy to the players and more intensity throughout the game.” I think most players would agree that the chanting and support in the stands really triggers a difference in the outcome of the game. The Class of 2014 has really pushed for this change in spirit on campus. Caring about sports teams and watching them succeed truly enhances the student experience at M-A, and I’m sure it will never stop. When we graduate in a few weeks, I hope that the pride in being a bear continues, because there ain’t no party like an M-A party!

10 years ago. As the evening progresses, other guests start talking to me about my future and career plans. These conversations usually start off with, “I can definitely see you becoming an engineer, none of that humanities crap” to which I explain how I plan to major in Political Science. Awkwardness ensues. Then comes dinner, the only part of the evening that I have looked forward to and frankly the only reason I came to this. As the alcohol level of the majority of the guests starts to go above .08 percent, they start to tune up the music and dance. Feeling like I have nothing lose, I begin to show off my dance moves. Finally the party ends, or at least thats what I thought. There is still saying good bye to everyone, which usually takes about another two hours.

by Amir Heidari

Freshman

Self-Esteem

At this point, both genders are suffering through the end of puberty with awkward growth spurts, unwanted acne, and an inability to talk to the opposite sex. You consider it a good day when you make solid eye contact twice with the most attractive kid in your class. Of course, you can not help but worry that he or she is looking at you because a stray piece of food has decided to hitch a ride in your teeth. It is safe to say that self-esteem is not at an all time high during your freshman year.

Sophomore

by Molly Kearnan

As the academic level begins to increase, the need to look attractive decreases. Selfesteem issues are born more from academic competitiveness than concern over appearances. On the bright side, you are more comfortable with opposite gender interaction and you feel inclined to give yourself a well deserved high five after successfully asking your cute table mate if you could borrow a pencil. However, you do spend the rest of the day fretting that he or she only gave you a pencil to be polite and that he or she may secretly hate you because of that one thing you said in seventh grade that may or may not have offended said person.

Junior

Once the intense workload of junior year hits, there is no time for self-esteem issues. It is an all out war between you and your homework and you could not care less if people judge you when you arrive at school in a onesie with a pillow taped to your head. If you interact with anyone at all, it is merely a grunt to indicate how many hours of sleep you got last night. If anything, you feel self-conscious about taking less advanced classes than your peers or not performing as well academically.

Senior

Self-esteem issues resurface senior year with the arrival of college acceptances. Feelings of inferiority can’t help but appear when your fellow peers are gloating about their acceptances to various Ivy Leagues. After the dust has settled, however, worrying about what your classmates think of you is replaced by reminiscing over the past four years of your high school career. You find that you spend less time getting ready in the morning and more time writing essaylong notes in your friends’ yearbooks. You find it vital that you remind that guy you talked to once in freshman year about that one time

*The Evolution of Romance*

by Tara Fahimi

Preschool and Kindergarten romances start with holding hands on the playground and quickly escalate into sharing treats and slipping each other cute notes! Listen up ladies-if a little boy teases you in elementary school, it isn’t because he’s mean; it’s because he likes you (or they’re just mean, but hey, we can’t get ‘em all). Another way to grab your crush’s attention is by slipping your valentine candy in their valentine’s box. Next thing you know, you’re swinging at the same pace on the playground (and we all know this means you’re married).

Middle school love is fake and dramatic. Let’s be honest, most of our relationships began out of a thirst for popularity and acceptance in a new environment. Sixth grade starts with getting your crush’s number and texting them constantly. Next, you make your best friend talk to your crush, and see if they like you back. Finally, you’re ready for the long-anticipated first date: a romantic, Friday afternoon walk to the nearest Starbucks with

your significant other for a frap and some mild PDA. Where it really gets crazy is at the dances: sixth grade dances consist of awkward, hands-on-shoulders slow dancing and, if you’re looking for a party, freaking. From sixth to seventh grade, only a few things change. For example, walking downtown with a group of friends, including your crush, becomes the norm. Freaking and slow dancing becomes lame and hackneyed, and going to the movies in a group happens regularly. The awkward parental supervision during the carpool to Redwood City gives way to bubbling excitement as you eagerly anticipate not only the PG-13 movie, but also the flirting that awaits inside the theater. Next, eighth grade starts a maturity transformation: new privileges include going to the movies alone, co-ed parties, and even beach days with friends. Dating starts to take place for more than just a few days and Club Starz becomes packed with desperate teens in spandex. You begin to have your crush over and your mom barges in to bring snacks (and make sure

the clothes stay firmly in place). She makes you keep the door open, which is why you might only get to first base ( some cuddling or even *gasp* kissing!) Finally, there’s High School, where it starts to get real. Freshman year begins with meeting new guys and girls and actually dating for more than a month. The first formal dances take place and you get a glimpse of adulthood. Then, in tenth grade, the door to your room closes and some lucky winners get to second or third base. People start getting their drivers licenses, and dates can take place at the movies, the beach, and the house--all without parental supervision. As tenth grade ends and eleventh starts, rowdy parties with drinking and drugs often lead to emotionless hookups that are often the topic of discussion on Monday mornings. There are always those few couples who have been dating for a while, whose Prom proposals and pictures dominate Facebook for the month of April; but for the most part Senior year is composed of freedom and all that comes with it *winky face.*

GOODBYE: From the MArk Seniors

I will miss being a part of a team.

-Amir H.

I will miss the teachers.

-Kristen

I will miss the parking lot traffic.

-Joanne

I will miss going to the sporting events.

-Lindy

by Cayla Stillman

I will miss the paper towels in the bathroom...oh wait..

-Liz

As spring sports and the school year come to an end, motivating yourself to rise early to exercise becomes increasingly difficult. This might not be a problem for those on club sports teams, but for the most part, taking time out of the day for an activity is a daily chore. Yes, some may voluntarily wake up at 6 a.m. for a 6:30 practice, but the majority do not rise until long after 9:00. There are so many ways to stay fit during the summer, but it seems much harder for some to hold themselves accountable when exercise is an individual undertaking, not a mandatory sports practice. Summer is the perfect time to improve upon your club sport, or explore new activities that you may have never thought about. For many, transitioning from school to summer sports and then back again is a daunting task. Sophomore Jaya Blanchard says that the “School year [is easier] because practice is daily and I have less time to sit around and do nothing.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least sixty minutes of physical activity per day for an adolescent. Luckily for most, club practices are usually sixty minutes or longer. For some, the number of practices generally increases during the summer because more time is available. They are harder, but with more time to recover between practices. During the school year, every practice is extremely important because a teenager only has so much time in his or her day. Emma Kaufman, a sophomore and club swimmer, states that “I do the same sport all year, and during the summer the practices increase and there are more per week.” She added that “during the summer, practices are not only harder, but I also want to sleep and spend time with my friends, so it’s more difficult to motivate myself.”

Summer should be a time for students to explore their options for those who do not play a sport during the school year. Just because a person is not on a sports team, does not by any means mean that they are not fit, they have

just decided that they do not want to team sport. They may not have time to commit hours a day, every day a week for the entire year to a single sport, they may want to focus on music, homework or another activity. Although Sophie Frank, a sophomore at M-A, does not play a year-round sport, she stays fit in other ways. “I stay fit by going to the gym or I go to SoulCycle with a friend.”

For people such as myself, having a sport all year round makes staying fit easy, but wanting to do something new for exercise is a common feeling. There are so many activity options, so finding one should not be hard. As a club swimmer practices and homework are very hard to juggle throughout the school year. I find it easier to swim in the summer when I do not have hours upon hours of homework to worry about every night. When adding hours of homework, not getting home until 8:30 p.m., and having to still eat dinner, I do not usually get into bed before midnight. In the summer, I have the time to swim in the morning and afternoon with a few hours in the middle of the day to hang out with friends. Getting up early does get hard during the summer months because my team has been swimming since the previous August with no break. Unfortunately, long breaks are not allowed because our most important meets are during mid-July moving through to the first of week of August. By the end of summer, I can not wait for the few weeks off in August, but I am also proud of what I had accomplished and am looking forward to the next season.

There are so many options for sports that finding one that you like should not be an issue. In the summer, many people gravitate towards water sports. Although some do water activities, others hike, bike or go to the gym. Some of the most popular summer activities are surfing, swimming, and hiking. There are so many ways to stay fit even if you do not have a club practice to go to. What will you do this summer?

Top 10 Summer Workout Ideas

1. Go to the gym and workout and make sure to listen to J. Cole’s “Work Out.”

2. Waterslides.

3. Play Wii.

4. Go to the beach and run with some friends!

by Alexa Finn

Do you even lift, bro?

By Sami Andrew

As a girl, I guess I just don’t understand the mentality behind the idea of having to “get huge” and bulk up all the time like guys do. A study from Live Science showed that 35 percent of boys in high school across America use protein shakes or protein powder to increase muscle mass. This is evident at M-A where I see all my fellow classmates walk around with their protein shakes and protein bars that are supposed to increase their muscle mass and therefore improve their performance.

I see my friends in the weight room bench pressing and talking about how many reps they did last week as if it is a constant competition. Maybe my bewilderment has to do with the fact that as girls the goal is always to become smaller and not “get swole”, but somehow I feel like there are similarities between the two contrasting ideologies. 60 percent of girls in America will say that they are trying to lose weight when

asked about their physical appearance, while guys on the other hand feel scrawny and binge on food to gain weight. I guess I understand the idea of getting big in order to play a sport and get stronger, but then there is a point where you just become so huge that you cannot stop yourself from trying to get bigger. I decided to look deeper into this subject because I have grown up around cousins and a father who played football in college and spent their high school and college days eating the entire pantry.

I will use my cousin Andy as an example: last year his goal was to gain 10 pounds during the month of June in order to get prepared for his football season in the fall. The number seemed astronomical. I mean, how can you gain 10 pounds in four weeks? My doubts were soon quelled as about five weeks later he had succeeded. Most people couldn’t even do that if they tried super hard. And of course, his only re-

sponse to me when I asked him how he did it was something along the lines of “I just worked out a lot and ate whatever I wanted” and “it’s a guy thing.”

Yet after gaining 10 pounds of muscle he was still working out to get even bigger. I have finally concluded that boys suffer from a certain neurosis where they constantly feel a large “lack of gains”. No matter how many times they look in the mirror they cannot get over how small their traps and calves are, or their constant obsession with “curls for the girls.” Body image problems are not only common among teenage girls.

I would just like to tell the boys of America that not everything has to do with how swole you are and that you should be happy regardless of how big you are. But, if you want to work on your muscles for beach days and tanktop days at school, well then I’m not going to complain.

TheY’vE Got CheER!

While the 12th Man Club, 6th Man Club, 7th Woman Club, and other supporters have shown more interest and enthusiasm in recent years, the Cheerleading Team has always been a loyal and constant source of support for our sports teams. Now, with the increased passion and zeal for our teams, the cheerleading team has become more important than ever in fostering school spirit Cheerleader captain Liviera Leebong notes, however, that “I think people recognize us on campus as cheerleaders, but they don’t really understand exactly what it is that we do.” Leebong believes that “the main thing is that our image has shifted a lot. I used to feel like the cheer team seemed like a bit of a joke to people at school, but we’ve had a lot of hard working team members who are determined to make sure we look good when we go out and perform.”

A significant part of the cheerleading team’s revamped image results directly from the coaching and input of

Coach Keigher. “I think Coach Keigher has improved our image because she’s so positive and enthusiastic about our team”remarked Leebong. Coach Keigher is proud of the progress of the cheerleading team under her supervision. She believes that “The team has grown incredibly and changed a lot since [she] first took over in the summer of 2012.”

Many students do not fully comprehend the large amount of effort the cheerleaders put into perfecting their routines since they only see the final fruits of the cheerleader’s efforts. Practices are three days a week, each lasting 90 minutes. The cheerleaders typically begin with a warm-up and stretch, then work on various techniques ranging from cheers to dance routines to stunt sequences. Practices usually close with cool-down exercises and reminders about upcoming events. The choreography, while seemingly effortless by game-time, requires an extended process. First, an appropriate song is selected, then the formations are creat-

ed, and finally, much effort and practice goes into perfecting the performance. The choreographic process can take as long as one month to fine-tune for each selection. The cheerleaders endure hours of hard work and dedication to guarantee the best results at the many sporting events at which they perform.

The Cheerleading Team puts in the time and effort into their routines to help continue the rising spirit and support for all of M-A’s sports teams, and is an integral part of the excitement and atmosphere that have become prevalent at all of our athletic contests. Although the cheerleading program always is at work to advance and improve, Keigher is extremely “pleased and proud of what the program is today.” Keigher hopes to build on the success that she has witnessed in her two years of coaching thus far, and to continue in “improving the level of skill, athleticism, and professionalism” within the team.

by Joanne Cho and Sara Solomon

Photography

Photography Evan Reed

Photography Blanca Viña

The MArk, a feature magazine published by the students in MenloAtherton High School 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. The contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all M-A students or the staff of The MArk. Send all submissions to submittothemark@gmail.com

Photography Joselinne Cruz

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