The Mark Winter 2023 Vol. XIV Issue I

The Mark

Volume XIV Issue I Winter 2023

Food + Fun

Bear Bites

Small Things, Big Joys

Chronicle Ad & Games

Campus + Culture

Pet Peeves of a Hard-of-Hearing Student

What My Culture Means to Me

Scam on the ‘Gram

A Note from the Editors...

This year, with nearly double the staff and more than 200 articles already published, our journalism program has expanded its coverage to amplify a broader collection of student perspectives. From celebrating the passions of current and former students to highlighting areas where our school can do better, we continue to use our website and magazine to responsibly inform the community. We are grateful that so many students, teachers, and administrators support our publication by sharing their stories.

by Evelyn Hsy

Bears in the Wild

Style Watch

Bears Doing Big Things

Faces of M-A

By the Numbers

Ravenswood on the Rise

Research Behind Detracking “Detracked” Freshman English

Sports + Schedule

Earlier Start Times

Sports Superstitions

Sports Recap

Editorial + Opinion

Editorial: Legacy Admissions Menstrual Products, Period BYU Promotes Homophobia

The Mark, a feature magazine published by the students in M-A’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 students at no cost. The staff welcomes letters to the editor, but reserves the rights to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy, and obscenity.

Submissions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all M-A students or the staff of The Mark. Send all submissions to submittothemark@gmail.com. To contact us directly, email us at themachronicle@gmail. com.

Ella Bohmann Farrell

Emily Buck

Sheryl Chen

Katie Doran

Natalie Fishman

Sonia Freedman

Cleo Rehkopf

Sarah Weintraut

Chase Trigg

Ron Freeman

Olivia Hom

Evelyn Hsy

Megan Lam

Dylan Lanier

Alizée Marquardt

Isabel Norman

Caroline Pecore

Devon Schindler

John McBlair

Staff 2022-2023

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief

Managing Editor

Managing Editor

Managing Editor

Managing Editor

Sports Editor

Webmaster

Design Lead

Design Lead

Copy Editor

Copy Editor

Copy Editor

Copy Editor

Copy Editor

Copy Editor

Journalism Advisor

Ella Ahn

Melanie Anderson

Emma Buck

Ada Cai

Celine Chien

Jolene Chu

Jayna Chua

Adrian Deutscher-Bishop

Tessa Ellingson

Angeleah Fayette

Collin Goel

Kira Jones

Ayla Karadogan

Tiffany Karp

Margaret Koenig

Sam Leslie

Eileen Liu

Sidney Loftman

Arden Margulis

Ishy Mishra

Ameya Nori

Finn Papenfus

Alex Parikh-Briggs

Lindsay Park

Amala Raj

Michael Roman

Natalie Shannon

Ben Siegel

Shakira Spencer

Varsha Sripadham

Pamela Torres-Villalon

Malika Vahobova

Helena Warner

Aidan Wescott

Celeste Zucker

written by Aidan Wescott illustrated by Helena Warner

In the heart of downtown Menlo Park, a new Indian restaurant, Tilak, has appeared on the scene. Senior Gigi Edwards said Tilak was her new “go-to restaurant when I’m craving Indian food.” Sitting on Santa Cruz Avenue between Starbucks and Walgreens, the restaurant is identifiable by its large blue and silver sign.

Tilak’s first location in San Francisco opened in 2017, and its new Menlo Park location is a delicious addition to Santa Cruz Avenue.

Upon arrival, the staff greeted me and my three friends warmly and seated us quickly. The kitchen was super accommodating and the Tilak staff was happy to halve our portions and prices so we could try as many dishes as possible. Edwards added that when she went, “Everyone was super nice, the service was good, and my food came quickly.”

Chef Biswajit Lahon explained that his

inspiration for his dishes comes from his cooking experience.

“I worked as a personal chef in Europe and I enjoy adding creativeness in the dishes and working on my skills.”

We ordered one Mango Lassi ($3) for our drink, which was creamy and fresh with a strong cardamom flavor. For appetizers, we ordered Aloo Tikka Chaat Bites ($8) and Vegetable Samosas ($8).

perfectly cooked and seasoned.

The Tikka Chaat Bites were warm and crunchy potato patties served with

tamarind, and mint chutney, which tied all the flavors together nicely. The samosas had a perfectly-baked pastry with delicious spicy potato and pea filling, along with tamarind and mint chutneys for dipping.

As for entrées, table favorites included the Butter Chicken ($20), followed by the Vegetable Biryani ($14). All dishes had varying hot-to-mild spice levels. We ordered Chicken Tikka Masala ($20)— Lahon’s personal favorite—Paneer Tikka Masala ($18), and, to balance out the spice, Saffron Rice ($3) and the Bread Basket ($9).

The Chicken and Paneer Tikka Masalas (both ordered with medium spice) had rich spices and great texture. The biryani was very

“My favorite dish to make is definitely the Chicken Tikka Masala which is also our most popular dish,” chef Lahon explained. The Bread Basket came with three different types of fresh bread: plain naan, garlic naan, and roti. The bread was warm and complemented the powerful flavors of the Tikka Masalas perfectly. Along with the bread, our side of Saffron Rice helped balance out the flavors of our entrees. To end the meal, we each had a handful of mukhwas, a mix of spices used as a breath freshener.

We ordered medium spice for all of our entrees except the Butter Chicken, which was mild. However, if you enjoy spicy food, I recommend hot for more kick.

Overall, Tilak is a great find that has many amazing dishes, accommodating staff, and a serene atmosphere. If you are looking for a fun new restaurant with bright flavors and decent pricing, give Tilak a try.

written by Ella Ahn designed by Ella Bohmann Farrell

you will pass an emerald green awning plastered with four red Chinese characters and the words “Hong Kong Restaurant” printed in white. This 22-year-old establishment fills up on weekends but struggled during the pandemic and closed for two months. The owner, Jimmy Chow, said it was stressful not knowing how to pay rent and keep the restaurant going. “I was happiest when old customers came in to buy to-go orders. They kept me alive,” he said.

Hong Kong Restaurant, which specializes in home-style Cantonese and Chinese cuisine, is more than just a place to find a quick, cheap, and delicious meal—it also serves as a special gathering place for families, including mine. Elderly couples sit by the window, picking at their bowls of rice and stir-fry, while servers dressed in black vests and white shirts hustle around, arms full of steaming bowls of wonton noodle soup. Hopefully, eating these foods will bring you the same joy and comfort I experience with my family.

crunchy bamboo shoots, juicy cabbage, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and pork served with mu shu wrappers—thin, crepelike pancakes. I like to spread a thin layer of the duck sauce onto the wrapper and spoon a heap of the filling in the middle. Then, fold one end into the center, and roll to create a wrap. When you bite into the wrap, the filling bursts with a savory broth, mixing with the sweet, smoky duck sauce.

Peking duck and gua bao:

$18.50 (half), $36.00 (whole)

topped with bits of garlic, jalapeño peppers, and spring onion. I remember eating the ribs with my brother by the dinner table, laughing, our fingers covered in grease and crumbs around the corners of our mouths. It’s fried perfectly, crispy and light, and the ribs are tender. Although it is slightly oily, the peppery, umami flavor and crunchy texture make this dish a must-order for my family.

Seafood and tofu clay pot: $13.95

Roast duck is one of Hong Kong Restaurant’s signature dishes—when cooked perfectly, it’s fatty and tastes both sweet and savory.

This dish is made by spreading a sweet glaze over the duck and roasting it in a wood-fired oven until the skin becomes thin and crispy while the meat inside remains juicy and tender.

I suggest eating the crispy skin with the bun and enjoying the rest of the meat separately. The combination of textures from the chewy bun and crispy skin, and the refreshing notes of green onion, sweet sauce, and crispy skin, create a delicious harmony of flavors and textures.

Salt-and-pepper pork

ribs $11.95

My dad’s favorite dish is the salt-andpepper pork ribs, which are thinly cut deepfried pork ribs tossed in salt and pepper and

These clay pots arrive hot and bubbling, filled to the brim with battered fish, fried silken tofu, and whole shiitake mushrooms. When the waiters bring the pot to the table, my cousin’s eyes light up. I love eating the silken tofu, which has a delicate chew on the outside and bursts with a soft inside.

The food and service quality are always consistent, and it’s a great place to eat with friends and family!

written

by Celine

Chien

designed by Ella Bohmann Farrell

Style Watch

written by Ben Siegel and Celeste Zucker designed by Jolene Chu

Over the course of the first semester, students drew outfit inspiration from new trends to Y2K throwbacks, from head-to-toe Nike tracksuits to thrifted jeans and vintage sweaters. As the weather grew colder and seasons changed, skirts became jeans and T-shirts became The North Face puffers.

Freshman Eboni Freeman wore a mostly thrifted outfit, plus tights from Walmart and ankle muffs from Amazon. “I wear my leg warmers for both style and warmth,” explained Freeman, who also said, “I get most of my style inspiration from TikTok and Pinterest.”

“Comfort is key,” junior Maria Jakovljevic explained. Her outfit consisted of Adidas shoes, a T-shirt from a small business on Etsy, and pants thrifted from Savers.

“It was cold outside, so I wore thick pants,” said junior Luca Higgins, who was sporting Brandy Melville cargos. He topped off his outfit with a Pacsun graphic tee and jacket from TJ Maxx, and explained, “I dress to be warm, but not too hot.”

Seniors Faith Cropper and Toni Olivero matched in black Lululemon leggings, white shoes, and neutral-toned hoodies. Cropper layered a thrifted Columbia vest on top, and Olivero added a puffer jacket from The North Face. Olivero explained, “I like layering, so winter is my favorite season to dress for.” Cropper agreed and said, “I like dressing for winter, but not when it’s too cold.”

Senior Diego Resendiz was spotted in plaid pajama pants, a cozy trend found across campus. Resendiz explained that he wore pajamas because he’s “lazy and it’s comfortable in classes.” He also said he wore an M-A hoodie from his freshman year, because “I have a lot of school spirit, and this hoodie is comfy.”

Junior Leehan Kim wore a sweater, top, and skirt, all from YesStyle, with shoes from the vegan brand Koi Footwear. “My entire closet is black, gray, and white,” said Kim, who described her style as “dark casual street fashion from Japan and Korea.”

Sophomore Teagan Murphy wore a blue patterned sweater, jeans from H&M, and a DIY necklace that she made using a

Senior Jack Scarborough was a walking advertisement for Nike, sporting a green Nike Tech jacket and sweatpants set and completing the look with Nike sneakers. Scarborough enthusiastically explained his choice to show up to school on Fridays in full Nike Tech fits and said, “It’s full-TechFriday! I encourage everyone to wear your Nike Techs on full-Tech-Friday.”

Wearing a denim mini-skirt and white crop top, sophomore Mattea Harris described her style as “very Y2K.” She accessorized with oversized wrap-around shades, which are her “favorite clothing item to style.”

Junior Katherine De Saram wore Nike tennis shoes, Urban Outfitters jeans, and a lace top from when her mom was younger. She explained, “I really like lace, and I don’t have a lot of lace clothing, so I stole this from my mom.”

In a Ratatouille shirt from Goodwill and beige corduroys from a thrift store in Vancouver, junior Derrick Kennedy loves to buy secondhand clothing: “We’re getting those recycled products—I’m in APES, so I love the environment.”

Most M-A students woke up to an earlier start time this year after the California Senate passed Senate Bill 328 (SB-328), a law designed to protect high school students’ sleep.

SB-328 requires all non-rural high schools in California to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and all non-rural middle schools to start no earlier than 8:00 a.m. After years of community lobbying, this is the first legislation in the country that conforms to the recommendation for school start times from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a leading authority for adolescent medicine in the U.S.

With average high school start times across California moving nearly half an hour later, SB-328 benefited most high school students. However, an M-A Chronicle survey of start times across the state revealed that, in the legislature’s rush to reform high schools, elementary and middle schools were left behind.

The scientific consensus is that later start times benefit high school students. Dr. Rafael Pelayo, a clinical professor of sleep medicine at Stanford, wrote, “When schools start later, teens get more and better sleep, and they are happier, healthier and safer. They do better in school and in life.”

Although SB-328 generally benefited high school students, its broad mandate leaves schools like M-A in a dilemma. SB-328 doesn’t exempt zero periods, which forced M-A to move zero period to the end of the day as a seventh period to comply, which ironically left the majority of M-A students with an earlier start time.

Perhaps the largest impact of SB-328, however, is an unexpected one: elementary and middle school students. While most experts agree that later start times benefit

high schoolers, it’s still unclear what they mean for younger students.

The M-A Chronicle surveyed over 200 elementary and middle schools across California—leveraging digital archives, meeting transcripts, and public databases— to analyze start times before and after the passage of SB-328. We found that, following the passage of SB-328, 31% of the schools moved to earlier start times. Of those schools, 37% of elementary schools moved their start times before 8:00 a.m. Though no recommendation exists for elementary schoolers, the AAP recommends that middle schools start no earlier than 8:00 a.m.

Difficulty with transportation logistics was one of the reasons these schools moved to earlier start times. California’s Poway Unified School District spokesperson Christine Paik said, “We only have so many buses, so we have three tiers of busing schedules and that’s why when we’re changing middle and high school times, elementary times are being affected as well.”

As for the impact on younger students and their sleep, the jury is still out. A Boston University study of elementary school students found, “School start time changes did not decrease total amount of sleep.” However, a study published in an American Psychological Association (APA) trade journal found that, for elementary schoolers, “Every additional minute later in the school start time increased retention rates by 0.2%. Earlier start times were related to poorer test scores, lower school rank, and more student absences.”

It may seem like younger students have few sleep problems. However, in the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America Poll, researchers found that 59% of

According to a National Sleep Foundation poll,

In a study of schools across three different states that moved to later start times,

more students slept over eight hours after the change.

of high school students reported falling asleep in school at least one a week.

written by Ron Freeman designed by Ayla Karadogan

SB-328 Timeline

The AAP publishes a policy statement, recommending 8:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. start times for high schools and middle schools respectively.

Start School Later, a national late school start times advocacy group founded in 2011 forms a California chapter, which has been one of the main organizations involved in advocating for SB328.

Academy of Pediatrics Releases School Start Time Guidelines

% Middle and Elementary School Start Time Change in 2022

SB-328 Passes for the First Time in the Senate

SB-328 is introduced for the first time to the California State Senate by Senator Portantino. The bill passes in both houses but is vetoed by former Governor Jerry Brown.

Senator Portantino introduces SB-328 for a second time.

SB-328 passes in the California State Senate at 10 a.m. and is passed to Governor Newsom who signs the bill into law on 10/13/19. This legally sets in motion the statewide shift in school start times.

SB-328 Passes in Senate for the Second Time

middle school students slept less than what was recommended for their age group—less than the 87% of high schoolers who said the same, but still a significant portion. Though there is less available data on elementary schoolers’ sleep, the CDC states that sleep deprivation for their age group has many developmental consequences, increasing later risk of “obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and injuries.”

Once the M-A Chronicle began to analyze the breakdown of start times, a clear trend emerged. Following the passage of SB-328,

middle and elementary schoolers, SB-328 unintentionally exacerbated sleep problems.

While most middle schools are required to start after 8:00 a.m.,

M-A’s schedule shifts 25 minutes earlier for most students, moving from an 8:55 a.m. start time to an 8:30 a.m. start time in order to comply with SB328.

School start times didn’t universally move later, and many schools that already had concerningly early start times before SB-328 moved even earlier. For many

SB-328 was successful in pushing high school start times later for the majority of the state. However, in doing so, SB-328’s broad mandate had unexpected effects: some high schools, like M-A, were forced to move earlier, and many elementary and middle schools followed suit, albeit for different reasons. The consequences of these changes are not fully understood.

For SB-328’s benefits to extend past high schools, the law’s good intentions and broad mandates may prove insufficient. After surveying research on the impact of school start times, a group of Harvard and Brown researchers concluded, “Healthy school start times are likely necessary but not sufficient to reduce chronic sleep loss in adolescents. This observation should not be surprising. Ultimately, the results should remind us that simply advocating for school start time changes may not be enough.”

rAVEN SWOOD ON THE $E:

written by Isabel Norman designed by Ada Cai

Between the middle school districts which make up M-A’s diverse campus, there are severe inequalities. Though M-A’s main feeder districts, Las Lomitas Elementary School District (LLESD), Menlo Park City School District (MPCSD), and Ravenswood City School District (RCSD), neighbor each other, they have stark differences in achievement levels, and, until recently, resources. Last year, RCSD received increased funding, which has improved facilities, learning opportunities, and teacher pay. Particularly innovative is a brand-new teacher salary program where teachers get paid by performance. While La Entrada Middle School (LLESD) and Hillview Middle School (MPCSD) are ranked #86 and #41 in the state, Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School (RCSD) is ranked #2639, out of 2715 public California middle schools. This ranking is primarily based on test scores: while 90% of La Entrada students and 85% of Hillview students meet Smarter Balanced language arts/literacy standards, only 17% of Cesar Chavez students do. This disparity is present in math as well: 85% of La Entrada students and 82% of Hillview students meet math standards, whereas just 7% of Cesar Chavez students do. Unfortunately, these statistics closely mirror those of five years ago, demonstrating that little has changed achievement-wise.

As students from these schools feed into M-A and are sorted by preparedness, they are divided along socioeconomic and racial lines.

For years, underfunding has been a primary explanation for the achievement difference, but now

RCSD has more resources than ever before. In the 2021-2022 school year, the district received record-high funding due to a COVID-19 stimulus fund, donations from Ravenswood Education Foundation (REF), new state grants, and leases of districtowned buildings. Overall, this $29,500 per pupil places them in the top 20% of neighboring schools for funding, above

both Hillview and La Entrada. However, 89% of students at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School have free or reduced lunch and 43% are homeless or housing insecure. This means that the average Cesar Chavez student needs more from school-based resources than the average La Entrada or Hillview student. Executive director of the REF Jenna Pronovost explained, “When I taught in Palo Alto, I learned that if a student had a need, for example, if they needed a little extra help in math or they wanted to learn to play the cello, their families could help address those needs with outside private tutors or classes. That is not the reality at Ravenswood.”

To address this need, RCSD has increased learning opportunities, like “strengthening the summer school program, extending school days, and hiring more literacy and math intervention teachers,” according to Pronovost. After adjusting for pupil need, RCSD has just 2/3 the funding per student of MPCSD and roughly 1/2 the funding of LLESD (see graph).

Closing the achievement gap is a community effort. Many locals donate their time to Ravenswood Classroom Partners (RCP), a nonprofit that uses oneon-one tutoring to improve literacy. This is crucial because almost 55% of Ravenswood students

are English Language Learners. RCP’s executive director, Angie Holman, explained that the organization has “almost 200 volunteers that come into the school every week.” Other community members donate to the REF to support the schools. Pronovost said, “a lot of families understand that giving to REF is one way they can leverage their own privilege and support a more equitable Bay Area. Our donor community is very generous and they believe that we should not be a literal mile or two miles apart and have such different educational opportunities.”

Ravenswood has also introduced a new approach to teacher salaries: the Teacher Talent Initiative. Traditionally, teachers are paid by years of experience and educational level. Now, RCSD teachers will get reviewed, and high-performing teachers will make more money. “This is groundbreaking!” said Holman. Although it is only the first year of this approach, the effects are already apparent: Pronovost said it is the first time “we’re able to start the year fully staffed.” Teachers are eager to work at a school where they can continue to increase their salary through performance. Alex Quezada,

RCSD students,

98% of whom are students of color, are tracked into lower class levels.

Honors and AP classes are filled with LLESD and MPCSD kids, who are 72% white or Asian.

principal of Los Robles Ronald McNair Academy, said, “We’ve been able to not only retain our teachers, but also hire for several hard-to-fill positions.” Over the next few years, the Teacher Talent Initiative will hopefully continue to increase teacher quality and retention rates by providing a significant incentive for teachers to work in RCSD schools. They have help from up the road too: Pronovost said RCSD will work with researchers at Stanford’s John W. Gardner Center to evaluate the impact of this new program.

Ravenswood also used their new funding to close the teacher pay gap with other

Closing The Funding Gap

districts, raising pay for teachers by 17.5% over the last four years. While this does not begin to solve the housing issues that teachers from all districts face in the competitive Bay Area housing market, it at least puts RCSD teachers on par with neighboring districts and will increase teacher retention rates.

Moreover, RCSD’s new funds have also improved facilities. In March 2022, RCSD began a 50 million dollar construction project at Cesar Chavez Middle School, which will provide a much-needed replacement for their 30-year-old portables. Two months later, RCSD’s school board passed Measure I, approving a further $110 million for facility renovations.

Unfortunately, these new funds still don’t cover the amount needed for all updates: in their 2015 facilities master plan, RCSD calculated that they need over $300 million dollars for facility updates. Some of that facility work includes “updating all of the classrooms, modernizing them, and adding solar panels,” said Pronovost.

Despite all these improvements—more learning opportunities, better teacher pay, and facility updates—student scores have dropped, not risen, over the last two years. The obvious culprit is COVID-19. RCSD suffered severely in distance learning, especially compared to LLESD and MPCSD. Throughout 2020 and 2021, cases in East Palo Alto were consistently higher than in West Menlo Park and Atherton. This prevented Ravenswood from returning in person until spring 2021, whereas both

La Entrada and Hillview returned in fall 2020. Holman explained, “Not only did it impact them being at home longer and doing school from home, but they also had more WiFi issues. They didn’t have quiet spaces for studying and doing school. Many of the families live in multigenerational households. Many of the adults are working in essential worker roles. In lower-income communities, the impact was much greater.” Pronovost agreed. “It’s a very different challenge for Ravenswood kids than kids in Menlo Park or Palo Alto.”

“Given the circumstances, the District did a wonderful job,” said Holman. They “gave laptops, iPads, and wireless hotspots to every single student.” Even further, Ravenswood went above and beyond by addressing family financial needs. Pronovost said that REF “provided gift cards for families to purchase groceries and other household items and connected them with agencies for rent relief.”

Now that RCSD has fully returned from COVID-19, administrators and teachers are hopeful that this new funding will drastically improve high school readiness. Now, RCSD kids “are not under-resourced,” said Holman. As a next step to close the achievement gap, some have proposed merging Ravenswood and Menlo Park schools. Yet when asked if Ravenswood should merge with nearby school districts, Holman was decidedly opposed. “One of the beautiful things about Ravenswood is they are very true to the cultural background of their student population—that is really celebrated in the district. If they merged, Ravenswood might lose some of their unique cultural traditions. I’m a huge proponent of keeping them separate.”

Instead, RCSD’s next step for increasing achievement levels is simple: time. Improvement will likely be slow: “It’s a trickleup effect,” said Holman. “It hasn’t shown results in terms of test scores, but it will.”

According to teachers and administrators, there’s palpable hope for progress.

ACCOMPLISHED ALUMNI SHARE BEARS DOI NG then &

Ruth Porat ‘75

made the twice daily trek from her house in Ladera to school on her bike, which she remembered was “great exercise, because I lived way up a steep hill.” Porat’s favorite class in high school was math. She explained, “I viewed math then— and now—as a fun puzzle with logical patterns.”

Ted Minnis ‘88

dropped out of M-A senior year after his son was born. A few years later, M-A P.E. teacher Pamela Wimberly hired Minnis to coach the Water Polo team. “I owe her the world,” he said. While coaching at M-A, Minnis woke up at 2:00 a.m. every day to work a morning shift driving a meat truck.

Scan this QR code for more alumni profiles!

written and designed by Caroline

Pecore

Porat is now one of the most powerful women in the world: Chief Financial Officer at Google and its parent company, Alphabet. In her free time, she enjoys “anything and everything with my family: travel, hiking, biking, and board games (currently Rummikub, Codenames, and Ticket to Ride). I can’t cook outside of breakfast for dinner, which we have way too often.”

Minnis is the current Harvard Water Polo head coach. “My favorite part of my job is the student-athletes,” he said. “I want them to know that I care just as much, if not more, about them outside the pool as I care about them in the pool.” “Coach Minnis is the reason a lot of guys are here,” men’s co-captain Joey Colton told the Harvard Magazine in 2017.

THEIR STORIES BIG THINGS

Ann Carmen ‘68

was a member of the Pom-Pom Girls (cheer team), the Literary Magazine Club, and was really into biology. She remembered showing up to get her photo taken for the National Merit Scholarship: “They were like, ‘What are you doing here? Pom-Pom girl picture day is down the hall!’”

Carmen is the current director of the International Indian Treaty Council, the only Native American rights group with general consultative status at the UN. She is a member of the Yaqui Nation, a tribe located on the border between Arizona and Mexico. Her grandmother was born in Northern Mexico and survived a massacre by the Mexican army when she was twelve years old.

Rhett Butler ‘96

wrote a book about tropical freshwater Fish during his senior year at M-A. He explained, “I just got really into freshwater fish, especially where they came from in nature. I wrote it because I was trying to learn more and couldn’t find much good information out there. I compiled everything I found, in case anyone else was curious.”

Butler is the founder and CEO of Mongabay, a global nonprofit environmental science and conservation news platform which is a regular information source in mainstream media, including National Geographic, Bloomberg, and The Economist. He lives in Menlo Park with his wife and two young children: a four-year-old and a new baby who just turned one.

Linda Hubbard ‘66

was the assistant editor of Bear Tracks, M-A’s previous print newspaper. The 1966 yearbook awarded her a “Golden Paw” award with the caption: “Linda deserved the award. She never failed her responsibilities producing her pages in the paper. As Assistant Editor, she could be found anytime you needed her, sitting in the back room of H-8, eating her tuna fish sandwiches.”

Hubbard is the co-founder and editor of InMenlo, a local newspaper which showcases the stories of people, places, and events in Menlo Park, Atherton, and surrounding communities.

“InMenlo has turned out to be a terrific gift,” Hubbard said, “because when you’re doing community journalism, people are so earnest and really trying to make a difference.”

Pet Peeves of a Hardof-Hearing Student

At M-A, a school with over 2,000 students and only a few like me, it initially felt daunting to have to explain what “those things in my ears” were to every new person I met.

Even after I tried to simplify my explanation, people still didn’t understand what having hearing loss meant.

I’d tell people, “I can’t hear as well as you.”

“I might not hear what you say the first time.”

But all to very little avail.

Of course, every deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) student views their hearing loss differently, but here are a few of my own biggest pet peeves:

01. “Never mind”

“Never mind” is my least favorite phrase. Hearing “never mind” left and right when I ask people to repeat themselves is dismissive and makes it seem like they don’t need my input. Maybe they think I’m not really listening, but it’s actually because I can’t hear them.

Carlmont High School senior Gabe Golomb, who is DHH, said, “I hate when people say something and I’m like, ‘Oh, can you repeat it one more time please?’ and they say, ‘Never mind.’ This pisses me off all the time because I want to know what they said.”

Instead of appearing annoyed when we ask for something to be repeated, non-DHH peers can speak up, slow down, or repeat their comment in shorter phrases. Rephrasing helps because we often mishear one part of a conversation and end up misunderstanding it all.

to listen to people facing away from us is challenging.

District Hearing Specialist Pam Musladin serves a handful of DHH students at M-A. A common complaint from her students, she said, is that “high schoolers might either mumble from the back or everybody talks over each other at the same time.”

She said, “Peers can do a lot. They can say, ‘Hey, it’s really loud here, let’s go over and talk over here where it’s quieter,’ look at DHH people when speaking, and make sure they’re not covering their mouth. Just being a really patient friend and being aware—like ‘Oh, your hearing is better on that side, I’m going to move’—is helpful.”

03.

“They’re fine, they have good grades!”

Teachers and peers have told me that I’m “doing so well for someone with hearing loss” more times than I can count. When I first tell people I’m hard of hearing, I brace myself for the “but you’re so smart!” response. Assuming DHH people are “doing fine” simply because they have good grades or can hear “well enough” dismisses their struggles with hearing loss. People often don’t realize that I’ve probably missed a lot of the conversation going on around me. Because I rely heavily on lip-reading and masks made that nearly impossible, returning to school in person my junior year was harder for me.

Musladin said, “A lot of my students know what someone’s talking about from context, but they’re working hard to do it. I’ll have teachers who assume that, because they’re getting a good grade or because they’re a good student, all is well, and they don’t check in with them.”

even more aware that I’m not like them and can make me feel less human because I don’t experience the world the same way they do.

Sophomore Faith Schubin, a Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), said, “Growing up, I got a lot of comments from other people not understanding or knowing I’m a CODA. Sometimes people would say, ‘That’s really sad,’ which is kind of a weird thing to say.”

Rather than feeling sorry for DHH people, Schubin says we should celebrate and raise awareness for the DHH community. She created M-A’s new Deaf Culture Club with the goal of educating people about the community and uplifting DHH people. She said, “Another big goal for me this year is to raise money for charities and schools for deaf children.”

05. Judging Devices and Accommodations

Hearing aids and cochlear implants are just as crucial to DHH people as glasses and contact lenses are to people who need them, yet I still get stares from people I’ve just met. Some people also assume that hearing devices can “cure someone’s deafness,” when in reality these devices only amplify sound. The sound I hear through my hearing aids is more robotic than normal sound, and my hearing aids don’t get rid of my hearing loss. Furthermore, accommodations like front-row seating, closed captioning, and access to quiet areas for group work are important to some DHH students. Feeling like everyone’s eyes are on me when asking for my accommodations has caused me to sit through classes without speaking up for years.

Normalizing accommodations, then, would make us feel more connected to our peers. Acceptance from those around me makes voicing my own needs so much easier.

Respecting DHH people doesn’t need to be a difficult endeavor: take our needs into consideration, acknowledge the challenges we face, and be patient when we need an extra moment to understand.

02. Turning Away Mid-Conversation

It’s common for DHH people to rely on lip-reading or facial expressions to better understand people around them, so having

04. Taking Pity

I’m always confused when people seem sad for me when I say I’m hard of hearing. Sure, my hearing loss is permanent, but it’s not something that deserves awkward pity. Having people feel sad for me makes me

Golomb said, “I just want everybody to know that you sometimes have to be accommodating. Make sure that we can hear you and be okay with having to repeat what you said. Because we’re not trying to ignore you. We just can’t hear you.”

written and designed by Megan Lam illustrated by Evelyn Hsy

What the Research Tells Us About Detracking

M-A’s motto is “Strength in Diversity.”

However, a glance at any Advanced Standing (AS) class on campus tells a different story. Courses are significantly segregated based on race, class, and feeder school. In an effort to combat this, M-A has “detracked” several freshman and sophomore subjects, including Chemistry, freshman English, and Biology by getting rid of their advanced tracks. This is in line with a vast body of research critical of tracking.

“Tracking” is the practice of separating students into different classes based on their academic abilities. Initially, it took the form of multi-subject grouping following teachers’ recommendation. Now, most schools, including M-A, let students choose different levels in individual subjects, regardless of test scores or grades. This system might seem great at first. Students can choose the rigor of the classes they take based on their interests, and teachers can tailor their instruction to their class’ abilities. However, about 80 years ago, researchers began to argue that this system perpetuated inequalities and denied the most vulnerable students an equal education.

In a tracked system, higher tracks are often disproportionately composed of higherincome students with access to better-funded primary schools, giving them a sizable advantage. In contrast, lower tracks are disproportionately composed of low-income students.

When schools noticed this trend, many responded by letting students have the final say over whether they enroll in advanced courses. However, according to an article published in the American Research Journal, “Choice failed as a mechanism to create [diverse] heterogeneous classes. It left intact the school’s tracked structures and the identities and social relationships that students formed in response to track placements.” The article identified patterns that explain the failure of choice-based systems to promote equality in schools.

One pattern was “tracked aspirations.” Wealthier students were more likely to take honors classes, whereas low-income students often aimed to just graduate. The authors hypothesized that less wealthy families were less likely to trust that trying hard in school would be rewarded.

Another was “choosing respect.” Even if a low-income student could take an honors

class, they would likely feel isolated from their peers. Racial dynamics only worsen this divide. Black and Latinx students who take honors classes are oftentimes the only nonwhite and non-Asian people in their class. As the article explained, “These formerly lowtrack students of color carried into honors classes the double burden of justifying both their own capability and the capability of their race.”

The article also stated, “Black and Latino students shunned honors courses because they were reluctant to give up the supportive peer networks they had developed among their lower track peers… It requires that students in lower tracks be willing to abandon [their] peer group.”

The lack of diversity in tracked classes is harmful in and of itself. According to the Century Foundation, diverse classrooms “promote creativity, motivation, deeper learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.” Students from different backgrounds have vastly different perspectives, ideas, and outlooks. Learning about these can help them become more complete, intelligent people and, as the American Psychological Association said, “Students learn most from those who have very different life experiences.”

Some argue that, although tracking hasn’t been implemented perfectly, the concept has some merit and we should resolve its issues rather than do away with it.

A study from the Journal of Labor Economics analyzed the impact that a student’s peers can have on their learning, and found that low-achieving students learned better with average-achieving peers, not high-achieving ones. Both average and high-achieving students learned best with high-achieving students. As a result, the authors said, “Some degree of tracking by ability—such as splitting students into two tracks—should be preferred to policies in which all classrooms contain a broad mix of students.”

An international University of WisconsinMadison study on detracking stated, “Most studies of tracking have found that highachieving students tend to perform better when assigned to high-level groups than when taught in mixed-ability settings.”

Evidence that students perform best when grouped with similarly achieving peers has led some researchers to argue that tracking

written by Collin Goel designed by Cleo Rehkopf

offers benefits, and that rather than ending it, we should reform it to improve diversity. However, other studies suggest that tracking has inherent pitfalls, and that the very act of placing a student in a lower track sets them up to put in less effort and engage more superficially with the material.

A paper published in the Educational Psychology Review argued, “Curricular tracking might create systemic differences in three areas of adolescents’ social-cognitive development: self-perceptions, goals, and beliefs.” Students in the lower track may consider themselves to be less intelligent, capable, or important than those in the higher track.

“Detracking” doesn’t necessarily mean taking away higher tracks and forcing all students into a slower-paced curriculum. For some, it means pushing all students to a high standard. Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center at University of Colorado Boulder, advocates for what he calls “universal acceleration” where all students experience homogenous, fast-paced classes. Students who fall behind should receive early interventions to make sure they stay on track. In accordance with this approach, when M-A detracked freshman English starting in the 2021-2022 school year, teachers based the new class on AS material while offering support classes for struggling students.

A University of Pennsylvania meta-analysis that covered over four decades of research strongly encouraged detracking. It said, “The findings suggest that the detracking reform had appreciable effects on low-ability student achievement and no effects on average and high-ability student achievement. Therefore, detracking should be encouraged.”

The consensus among many researchers is, when schools detrack properly, it benefits the underserved, though some academics debate how it impacts the privileged.

A Harvard paper that analyzed the impact of diversity on education said, “Students who learn in a desegregated way lead desegregated lives. Their multiracial experience had a large impact on their ability to move successfully across racial lines in professional positions as adults.” By implementing a policy that contributes to segregation, “tracking,” schools may be depriving their students of crucial lessons of what students can teach one another.

Two Years Less Divided: Where Is “Detracked” English Now?

written by Ella Bohmann Farrell and Sam Leslie designed by Ella Bohmann Farrell

At a Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) School Board candidates forum leading up to the midterm election, one parent asked the Board candidates, “Are you for or against AS English come August 2023? Let’s assume the data is inconclusive. You don’t have that as an out: For or against AS English come August 2023. That’s what I came here tonight to find out.”

At the forum, Area D candidate Sathvik Nori, a recent M-A graduate and former Board Student Trustee, said, “I feel that some people at the District believe that equity means bringing those at the top down, rather than bringing everyone up to the same level of excellence. I was surprised I was the only one [as Student Trustee] in opposition who raised the concern that detracking may not be the best approach to achieve equity.” The 19-year-old Nori won by a landslide 14% margin.

For years, M-A has chosen not to offer some advanced courses in order to create more diverse classes and reduce student stress. For example, unlike most nearby high schools, M-A doesn’t offer AP Government or an AP Economics course. In the 2021-2022 school year, M-A both got rid of Advanced Standing (AS) Chemistry for sophomores and combined AS English I and English I into a single Multicultural Literature and Voice (MCLV) class for freshmen, though M-A still has two other levels of freshman English for students who need more support. Removing honors and non-honors “tracks” is called “detracking.”

and we’ve been pushing for it for years. And then, partially due to some pressure from the District, we’ve made some pretty dramatic changes over the last five years.”

Still, the detracked MCLV class is drawing attention from parents. According to Principal Karl Losekoot, “We’ve done some detracking in biology also, and I haven’t seen the pushback anywhere near what I felt around MCLV.”

We polled over 200 sophomores in AS English II and English II on how their MCLV experiences last year compare to their current English class, and spoke with three

5 Years)

But if they’re in a completely different room with a different curriculum, they never see that.”

Former AS English I and current MCLV teacher Rachel Wan said, “Students are learning from each other. It’s the way people are laughing together, asking questions, helping each other, and being comfortable to share their experiences. That is the value of being in a class where everyone is together.”

However, some current sophomores who took the class last year didn’t feel the same about MCLV. In an anonymous survey, one AS English II student said, “I do enjoy the concept of MCLV, but, in my opinion, it’s not working out the way it could be. It just seems like a class that forces people to be in the same room, with not much incentive to work together, connect, and collaborate.”

Just two months into the school year, some surveyed AS English II and English II

current MCLV teachers to better understand the effects of the change.

Many teachers support detracking, claiming that a tracked school is a segregated one and that students in honors courses are predominantly from wealthier middle schools. Science Department Chair Lance Powell said, “The idea was that some of these kids coming from other districts could do the same level of work, but at M-A there is this track where students self-segregate.”

He continued, “We wanted to get away from that old-school thinking approach,

Former AS English I and current MCLV teacher Lara Gill said, “My students [in MCLV] started sharing in their groups as they got more comfortable with students on both sides of the 101. They talked about how their families came to California or how they came to Menlo Park specifically, which was really powerful. They connected with Enrique’s Journey, relating to coming here and reinventing yourself. They also resonated with this element of sacrifice that parents always make for their children.”

students reported feeling slightly more connected to their current tracked class than they did to their MCLV class last year. This trend might be related to the fact that most sophomores are now in more homogenous classes: their classmates are more likely to share their background.

According to Powell, “The goal and thing teachers like about detracked classes is that students are all scrambled up and ‘heterogeneous’ or diverse, and kids are learning from each other.”

Some proponents of detracking have argued that it would lead to more diverse honors and AP classes. Research suggests that detracked classes with students from all levels together encourages more students to take rigorous classes down the line.

Powell said that when students with differing academic skills are separated, they lose the opportunity to learn from one another. He said, “One person might be doing the bare minimum and see what’s going on with students at the highest ceiling and notice what’s available and think, ‘Oh, that’s really interesting. I could do that too.’

However, AS English II sign ups have grown in number but not diversity. Data from a Freedom of Information Act request reveal only slight shifts in enrollment in AS English II and English II since the change.

The portion of white sophomores enrolled

English II by Feeder Middle School (Over

AS English II by Feeder Middle School (Over 5 Years)

in AS English II has consistently increased in the last five years, from 65% in the 20182019 to 72% this year. Students from the predominantly white and Asian middle schools, La Entrada and Hillview, have also enrolled in AS English II at a higher rate. Among Hispanic students, numbers have been relatively stagnant, as has enrollment by socioeconomically disadvantaged students.

Trends among students defined by the District as “all other races,” including Black, Pacific Islander, Indigenous, and mixed race students are difficult to track given their overall low enrollment at M-A. Privacy laws prevent the District from disclosing data on small student racial group demographics.

Decreasing enrollment from middle schools in Ravenswood City School District—a 55% drop in five years—could reduce detracked classes’ ability to create a diverse environment. All of our classes are becoming increasingly white, even detracked

English II by Race/Ethnicity (Over 5 Years)

ones. One English II student said, “I wish MCLV was more inclusive to people of color. I felt no real connection to my peers since most of them were white.”

Distance learning had a disproportionate effect on socioeconomically disadvantaged students nationally, lowering test scores and school attendance, which could have also affected current sophomore course enrollments. Ravenswood middle school students, many of whom are current sophomores, were in distance learning for roughly six months more than Hillview and La Entrada students.

Critics of detracking claim that non-AS classes would be less substantive. Walsh said, “In some ways, we are teaching MCLV at an AS level and even including more texts with more diverse authors, just with additional academic support.” MCLV continues to teach many of the texts that AS English I has taught for years, including Night, Enrique’s Journey, and Romeo & Juliet with the

addition of more Asian authors and more passages overall.

An English II student said, “I liked that [MCLV] had more of a wider range of what we were reading.”

83% of AS English II students reported that their current class is harder. In contrast, the majority of English II students polled reported that their class is of similar difficulty or slightly easier than MCLV. Walsh said, “I don’t think ‘rigor’ always means more ‘work’ in the traditional sense. To really dig into a text—to close-read, analyze, and then reflect on that analysis— takes a lot of time, and is also incredibly rigorous. Sometimes, interacting with a novel or piece of literature with that level of rigor requires slowing things down.”

However, an AS English II student said, “I think it was a fun class, but was sometimes too boring or easy.” An English II student echoed, “It was easy, which I liked, but that’s

AS English II by Race/Ethnicity (Over 5 Years)

not the point of school.” Researchers such as Kevin Welner, an education professor and Director of the National Education Policy Center argue that the most effective way to detrack is by creating a universal standard of high expectations, providing support to struggling students. MCLV teachers used this model in developing the class.

Walsh added, “I will almost always provide sentence frames, graphic organizers, and other supporting materials to help students complete assignments, but these are always optional. Including these supports in one universal assignment allows everyone to access and interact with the content with confidence.”

Early in the year, rumors circulated that there was an unusually large amount of AS English II drops, potentially showing that MCLV had underprepared students for the rigor of an AS course. However, Losekoot said in a presentation to the Board, “Last year, six students dropped from AS English II. This year, the number is 11. Pre-

pandemic, there were usually six to 12 drops in an AS English I class. You are looking at around the same numbers that would try an AS class, and drop an AS class.”

Beyond diversifying classes, lowering student stress was a fundamental goal when implementing MCLV.

According to Gill, “In terms of stress, we are mindful of the steps that kids need to take to complete the classwork. We also really want kids to do the homework that we assign and not stay up until two in the morning reading 40 pages for over an hour.”

The new curriculum in MCLV offers a new class structure where students get less reading homework per night so they can focus on better reading comprehension. On average across current AS English II and English II 60% of students reported having an average of 0-30 minutes of homework, and 39% of students had 30+ minutes of homework per night.

Gill added, “It still feels really rigorous. It feels like they’re constantly reading, and they’re constantly writing. But, as always, the intention is not to create stress for kids, but to prepare them for the thematic complexity of what they’re going to see in their later English classes.”

504 plans, or special accommodations like extended time on tests, are one indicator of student stress levels. At an October School Board meeting, Principal Karl Losekoot said, “Roughly 50% fewer students came in without 504 plans and requested one as freshmen compared to the prior year.” While 504s measure more than stress, this metric suggests that students as a whole may be less stressed.

To this end, there is also a limited number of AP courses available to underclassmen, to prevent students from overwhelming workloads early on.

Powell said, “I have a student right now who’s in five AP classes, and she got sick and missed a week of school, and it’s a really big deal. Her academic demands of her week are way more than I’ve experienced as a college student or grad student. That’s what’s happening at M-A. We have high level course offerings available, and while we want to keep them available, we don’t want students to be completely stressed out.”

Losekoot added, “If we can attain the same level of excellence in a detracked course and have a healthier, stronger, and more connected community, that’s a program I want to support.”

A Legacy of Privilege: The College Admissions Scandal Hidden In Plain Sight

In 2019, a federal investigation known as “Operation Varsity Blues” exposed massive fraud and bribery in college admissions. The shockwaves of the investigation rippled through American high schools. Many pleaded guilty to accusations, including celebrities like actress Lori Laughlin and even a few M-A families.

The public was outraged that rich applicants could directly take spots away from more deserving students because of their connections and money. Yet, the college admissions process is plagued with an even more pervasive injustice that’s been public knowledge for a century: legacy admissions.

acceptance rates, these schools are also the most selective.

It’s difficult to measure the boost legacy gives to applicants. Certainly, students whose parents attended Harvard or Stanford still need stellar grades to be accepted. But, higher-education analyst Michael Hurwitz found students with legacy have a 45% higher chance of admission compared to equally qualified applicants at 30 elite institutions.

For many people, college is the single best investment they can make, opening up new financial opportunities through quality education and substantial networking.

using it strategically in their application process, especially as admissions to top universities become increasingly competitive. Change must come from the institutions responsible for the policy.

Former M-A student and current math teacher Kristen Bryan said, “It was frustrating to see other students whose parents worked at Stanford or whose siblings attended Stanford get admitted when I did not. I believed I was at least equally, if not more, qualified. It felt very inequitable.”

Legacy traces its origins to antisemitism in the 1920s. According to Business Insider, the most prestigious schools in the nation created it primarily to prevent an influx of Jewish students as a result of mass immigration from Eastern Europe. Despite current efforts to diversify their student body, the preference given to legacy students perpetuates inequalities.

Nationwide, students from underrepresented groups are the least likely to have legacy. For example, white students make up 70% of Harvard legacies, according to NBC News. At M-A, in a survey of 182 students, 28% of white students reported having legacy at an Ivy, Stanford, Northwestern, Duke, or the University of Chicago. 27% of Asian students and only 5% of Black and Latinx students reported having legacy at these schools.

M-A has a unique connection to some of these elite institutions because Silicon Valley attracts many of their graduates. M-A is also walking distance from Stanford University, and many alumni and faculty members choose to live in the surrounding area, so their children end up at high schools like M-A. 15% of surveyed students reported that one or more of their parents went to an Ivy, Duke, Northwestern, UChicago, or Stanford, the latter leading the group at 8.2% of students. Additionally, a staggering 14.3% reported one or more of their parents is a current Stanford employee. These connections have seemingly

support to their alma mater. That financial support is essential to Harvard’s position as a leading institution of higher learning…

The committee is concerned that eliminating [legacy preference] would diminish this vital sense of engagement and support.”

On the value of alumni donations and their impact on legacy admissions, Weiner said, “I see the universities’ perspectives. They don’t want to lose a lot of donations from alumni by not admitting their kids.”

Senior Mark McGuire said, “They’re private institutions. I think they should be allowed to choose the criteria they use to

operating budget. Princeton could accept no donations, charge zero dollars for tuition, and still make well over a billion dollars in profits from investments. Princeton is perfectly capable of surviving without alumni donations, so the argument that legacy preference helps keep the school running is absurd.

Similarly, other elite schools are well on their way to creating self-sustaining endowments of their own. Last year, Forbes reported Harvard’s endowment at $53.2 billion, Yale’s at $42.3 billion, and the University of Pennsylvania’s at $20.5 billion. Stanford reports its endowment at $36.3

written by The Editorial Board designed by Emily Buck illustrated by Evelyn Hsy

For senior Vianca Lopez, coming home from school to a steaming plate of enchiladas michoacanas is the definition of comfort. “I’m not sure how to fully describe it,” Lopez said. “It’s a wet tortilla, filled with onions and fresh cheese—queso fresco. And then we put the toppings on it—sour cream, lettuce, salsa. On the side, it always comes with fried potatoes, carrots, and chicken wings.”

Lopez’s mother is from Guatemala, and her father is from Sinaloa, Mexico. “My mom went to my dad’s culture and brought something out of it,” Lopez said. “It’s like a stepping stone because it brings my siblings and me into the same happiness my dad has when he is eating the dish.”

P A C

s the lead singer of his band, Los Hermanos de Oro, junior Angel Lombera takes great pride in his music. He and his band play a lot of Mexican regional style, have performed several times at M-A, and even won Battle of the Bands last year. “That’s the way I like to express myself, my culture, and the way I was raised,” Lombera said.

Through his music, Lombera feels closer to his grandfather, who plays the violin. “He and I are the only people in our whole family who play music,” Lombera said. “I have a lot of love for my grandpa because he’s taught me a lot of things.”

“I like his style,” Lombera said. “I feel like what motivates me is to be like my grandpa, if not better.” Lombera often plays at house parties with his band, and sometimes his grandfather is there.

“He’s really, really old, so when he sings, it’s nice to see that he still has it in him,” Lombera said. “We sang a song together in front of a lot of people once, and it just felt really nice.”

ara Vianca Lopez, estudiante de último año, volver a casa de la escuela a un plato de enchiladas michoacanas es la definición de comodidad. “No estoy cierta cómo describirlo,” dijo Lopez. “Es una tortilla mojado llena con cebollas y queso fresco. Después, ponemos crema agria, lechuga, y salsa encima. En el lado, siempre viene con papas fritas, zanahorias, y alitas de pollo.”

La madre de Lopez es de Guatemala, y su padre es de

Sinaloa, Mexico. “Mi madre fue a la cultura de mi padre y volvió con algo,” dijo Lopez. “Mi madre aún hace las enchiladas aunque ella no es parte de esa cultura. Es como un escalón porque trae a mi y mis hermanos la misma felicidad mi padre tiene cuando come

omo cantante principal de su banda, Los Hermanos de Oro, el estudiante de tercer año Angel Lombera se enorgullece de su música. Él y su banda tocan mucho el estilo regional mexicano, se han presentado varias veces en M-A e incluso ganaron Battle of the Bands el año pasado. “Esa es la forma en que me gusta expresarme, mi cultura y la forma en que me criaron,” dijo Lombera.

“A través de su música, Lombera se siente más cerca de su abuelo. Él y yo somos las únicas personas en toda nuestra familia que

tocan música,” dijo Lombera. Su abuelo toca el violín. “Tengo mucho amor por mi abuelo porque me ha enseñado muchas cosas”.

“Me gusta su estilo,” dijo Lombera. “Siento que lo que me motiva es ser como mi abuelo, si no mejor.” Lombera suele tocar en fiestas caseras con su banda y, a veces, su abuelo está allí. “Es muy, muy viejo, así que cuando canta, es bueno ver que todavía lo tiene,” dijo Lombera. “Una vez cantamos una canción juntos frente a mucha gente, y se sintió muy bien.”

written and designed by Celine Chien translated by Pamela Torres-Villalon and Ada Cai illustrations by Julianna Maldonado photographed by Jorge Sanchez

During the winter of 2020, senior Jorge Sanchez traveled to Sinaloa, Mexico to visit his family and focus on himself.

Sanchez’s experience in Sinaloa was almost like an awakening. “It was the first time I felt like I was part of a majority, but even though I understood everything, I still felt completely alien.”

“As a Mexican-American, you don’t really feel like you completely belong to either side,” Sanchez said. “And I still don’t feel fully Mexican or American, but going back, I felt a lot more connected. I really got to understand my roots and why my family is the way it is.”

Durante el invierno de 2020, el estudiante de último año Jorge Sanchez viajó de regreso a Sinaloa, México para visitar a sus parientes, y concentrarse en sí mismo. Para Sanchez, su viaje a Sinaloa fue casi como un despertar. “Fue la primera vez que sentí que era parte de una mayoría,” dijo. “Pero a pesar de que entendía todo, todavía me sentía completamente extraño.”

“Como mexicano-estadounidense, realmente no sientes que perteneces completamente a ningún lado. Y todavía no me siento completamente mexicano o estadounidense, pero al regresar, me sentí mucho más conectado. Realmente llegué a entender mis raíces y la razón en que mi familia es como es.”

“Ven Porque Te Necesito,” a romantic 1996 Mexican ballad, is just one of the many songs that bring sophomore Samira Menjivar back to her childhood.

To Menjivar, these songs are more than just timeless memories, but also reminders of the beauty of the Spanish language and her Salvadorian-Mexican culture. “It’s just the songs that you hear around the house,” Menjivar said. “Your parents know them because your parents played it when they were little, and it’s something

Sanchez was in charge of taking care of his baby cousin whenever he was home. Sanchez estaba a cargo de cuidar a su primo cuando estaba en la casa. “V

“The language that comes with the songs is also passed down through generations. Our language is what ties us to our culture.”

“El lenguaje que viene con las canciones también se transmite de generación en generación. Nuestro idioma es lo que nos une a nuestra cultura.”

that gets passed down from generation to generation.”

“The language that comes with the songs is also passed down through generations,” she said. “Our language is what ties us to our culture.”

en Porque Te Necesito,” una balada romántica mexicana de 1996, es una de las muchas canciones que traen a la estudiante de segundo año Samira Menjivar a su infancia.

Para Menjivar, estas canciones son

más que recuerdos atemporales, sino también recordatorios de la belleza del idioma español y su cultura salvadoreñamexicana. “Son solo las canciones que escuchas en la casa,” dijo Menjivar. “Tus padres los conocen porque sus padres los tocaron cuando eran pequeños, y es algo que se transmite de generación en generación.”

“El lenguaje que viene con las canciones también se transmite de generación en generación,” dijo. “Nuestro idioma es lo que nos une a nuestra cultura.”

Opinion: M-A Needs to Provide

Read a Spanish translation of this article here:

M-A is violating state law by failing to provide free menstrual products, which are basic necessities for half our student body. This is not the first time students have called for free period products—the wrote an editorial on this issue last year—but the school

Over the summer, M-A quietly relabeled the metal period product dispensers in the girls’ restrooms to indicate that the products are now free. Under the California Menstrual Equity for All Act, signed into law in October 2021 and effective starting this school year, all public schools

Menstrual products are a medical necessity. Having accessible period products at M-A protects students’ health when they’re at school without the products they need, whether that’s because they are having an irregular period, forgot products at home, or aren’t able to afford them. A survey by PERIOD., a menstrual equity advocacy organization, found that 51% of menstruating students have used a single product longer than recommended, which can cause infection or skin irritation. Others have made makeshift products out of things like toilet paper or rags, which are

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young girls that struggle with their period on a monthly basis, affecting their schooling, morale, and health.”

De’Anna Miller, the Advocacy Manager for the Alliance for Girls, a gender equity organization that sponsored the law, said, “Period product access is a public health issue, an education access issue, and an economic participation issue. The folks who are most likely not to have access to menstrual products are those who don’t have the funds to cover the cost.”

The Alliance for Period Supplies reports that two out of five people who menstruate

people who menstruate have struggled to afford products at some point in their life.

of 5 menstruating teens have missed class time because they didn’t have period products.

ineffective, feel uncomfortable, and may cause infection.

In bathrooms with dispensers, Oliver said, “Dispensers are checked and re-stocked each night if needed. The District follows the law and has made sure we’re in compliance.”

However, even before school or early in the day, these dispensers are often empty. During two weeks of checking the girls’ restrooms before school and during brunch, rarely did more than one bathroom have a stocked dispenser. Often, none of the unlocked bathrooms had products available at all.

Junior and President of M-A’s Women’s Union Anna Gady Moguilnitskaia said, “I definitely don’t think menstrual products are consistently stocked. Regarding the dispensers, I’ve never used them myself, heard of a friend using them, or seen anyone use them. It seems like they’re always empty.”

California Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, who introduced and championed the Menstrual Equity for All Act, said, “It is important we recognize not having access to these products impacts a young girl’s education. I’ve heard stories from many

have struggled to afford period products at some point in their life. Across the U.S., one out of four menstruating teens have even missed class time because they didn’t have products.

Moguilnitskaia added, “M-A has students that come from many different backgrounds. Menstrual products can be really hard to come by for a lot of women, and that’s why this is important. Schools should provide these products, especially for young women, some of whom are dealing with this for the first time ever.”

Accessible period products not only address a practical need of our students, but also play an important role in destigmatizing periods. Kat Keigher, a teacher who keeps menstrual products for students in her classroom, said, “My goal was to destigmatize menstruation. I very openly encourage my students to take products as needed, and I keep the products out in the open. I think that’s really important for destigmatizing something that approximately 50% of people do. I consider menstrual products just like paper towels, tissues, band

Menstrual Products, Period.

written,

illustrated, and designed

by Katie Doran

aids, and toilet paper. Having that available at no cost is an acknowledgment of the humanity of our students.”

PERIOD. found that 76% of menstruating students feel that there’s a stigma around periods as being “gross” and “unsanitary,” while 70% of them said that the school environment in particular makes them “especially self-conscious of their periods.” There is nothing shameful about needing a pad or tampon, and keeping them openly available to students is a reminder that these products do not need to be hidden and that menstruation should not be stigmatized.

Menstruation is also not just a girls’ issue. Transgender boys, nonbinary people, and gender-nonconforming people who use the boys’ or all-gender restrooms can also menstruate, and have the same need for period products. These students may face additional stigma regarding menstruation, as it’s too often discussed as a solely female experience. Making period products available to them is an important step in recognizing their experiences and normalizing periods for genderqueer people. As Miller said, “Gender does not decide who menstruates and who doesn’t.” Providing period products in the all-gender restroom and at least one boys’ restroom is not only legally required, but also a move towards inclusivity and empathy for all students.

As the Menstrual Equity for All Act says, “California has an interest in promoting gender equity, not only for women and girls, but also for transgender men, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people who may also menstruate and experience inequities resulting from lack of access to menstrual products.”

Oliver said that there are barriers to keeping dispensers stocked in the bathrooms that have them. He said, “Some students remove more than they need, wet the sanitary napkins, and throw them on the ceiling and walls.”

Keigher, speaking about her own classroom, said, “When I first posted on social media about providing menstrual products for my students, people said, ‘Aren’t teenagers just gonna take advantage of that? Aren’t they just gonna take big handfuls?’ And I thought, ‘Maybe, but

maybe they need handfuls of them. I don’t know. That’s not my job to regulate.’ Since I started keeping menstrual products in my classroom, no one has abused the process. I’ve had my own students take products, and I’ve even had students I don’t know walk in and be like, ‘I heard you have tampons.’ It’s never been an issue.”

Like with any free school service, students might abuse or waste free period products, especially when they’re provided in unsupervised restrooms rather than a classroom. Still, the bathrooms with dispensers consistently lack period products so early in the school day that it’s unlikely students are emptying the dispensers early and often enough to account for the missing products. Additionally, if disrespectful student behavior is at fault, it’ll likely become less of an issue as the novelty wears off. Regardless, the school still has a legal obligation to provide period products.

Even if the school is truly refilling the dispensers diligently and irresponsible students are the ones to blame for the lack

“I think it’s quite ironic and a bit hypocritical that M-A is not providing these free menstrual products, because M-A is a school that seems to really care about its students. We have things like free lunch and financial aid opportunities, yet this is one thing that’s lacking.”

of products, there aren’t any dispensers at all in one of the girls’ restrooms, the all-gender restroom, and all of the boys’ restrooms. So long as these bathrooms lack dispensers, M-A cannot plausibly claim that we’re in compliance.

The law declares, “California recognizes that access to menstrual products is a basic human right and is vital for ensuring the health, dignity, and full participation of

consistently stocking menstrual products for their students—to schools like M-A— Miller said, “Understand the nuance of the population who we’re talking about that doesn’t have access to these products. The folks who really are impacted the most are going to be those who exist at the margins of our society: they’re going to be our lowest-income individuals, gender-expansive communities, individuals with marginalized sexualities, and people of color. It’s crucial that we use all of the avenues that we have, including school, to make sure all of our communities have access to these essential health resources.”

SP RTS SUPERSTI TIONS

Junior Aria Sokol: Volleyball

“I always say ‘all day Miss Ryan’ in my head when my teammate, Anna Ryan, serves. I also have a very specific serving routine that I have to do every time. I will actually miss it if I mess up the routine. My pre-serve routine is to double-bounce the ball three times and then spin and bounce it twice. I have to start it over if the ref messes me up.”

written

by Emily Buck designed and illustrated by Olivia Hom

Whether it’s a pair of lucky socks or a special meal before each game, many M-A athletes have specific rituals and superstitions to help them play their best...

Sophomore Casey Watkins: Water Polo

“I have a stretching routine I like to do, which I have done before every sporting event since I first learned it in sixth grade. I have a few lucky speedos, one of which is a handme-down for the third generation. Also, I always tie my teammate

Sophomore Devin Hyde: Football

“I always have to hit the left door with my hand when we’re coming out of our locker room. It started last year because everyone always hits the top of the door frame, but for some reason I just liked hitting the door. Consistency and habits are what keeps you motivated.”

Senior Johno Price: Football “Before every game, I eat Welch’s fruit snacks. I think they help me play better.”

Senior Kam Hawkins: Football

“I eat Skittles during every game. I just like them because they’re tasty. I put them into part of my sock by my knee and then open them and eat them on the sideline throughout the game or during warmups.”

that. Clean, though—obviously —but the same shirt.”

Dekshenieks:

different colored shoe laces. After I’ve put my shoes on, I have to untie and retie the shoe with

written by Ishy Mishra

Fall Sports Recap

Football

Varsity Football faced tough competition all season but kept their heads held high, working hard and winning important games early in the season. They finished the season 5-6. Despite some team struggles, they tied for second in the PAL and qualified for Division II CCS as the fourth seed.

Senior Jacob Wilcox said, “It was a great season with lots of ups and downs. Ultimately it didn’t go the way we planned, which sucked, but it happens and we just gotta learn and rebuild.”

Girls’ Tennis

Girls’ Tennis had a spectacular season with an overall record of 16-5 and going undefeated in PAL. The team had players in both the singles and double championships. Senior Natalie Tantisira said, “As a doubles player, communication is probably the most important thing. I think when my partner and I are on the same page everything goes a lot smoother and we can problem solve together.”

Cross Country

Both Cross Country teams were hardworking and successful. The varsity girls’ team placed first in Division I of CCS and the boys placed third. Junior and CCS champion Tatum Olesen said, “We worked together to stay consistent with our training and motivated each other to push ourselves towards our goals.”

Girls’ Water Polo

Girls’ Volleyball

Girls’ Volleyball brought a crowd to their games as they went to the CCS Championships twice in a row, with an overall record of 20-14. They won second in Division I CCS and went to regional semifinals.

Captain and senior Becca Schulman said, “We put a lot of effort into this season and always gave the games all we could.”

Girls’ Water Polo had a tough schedule and unexpected hardships, but they persevered and came out second in their league. Sophomore goalkeeper Lexi Nelson said, “The highlight of the season was beating Woodside because we had lost to them previously. I’ve never seen the team so motivated to win, and it showed through all four quarters.”

and united. Senior captain Bela Duffy said, “We had a lot of fun; we brought a lot of humor and hard work. Despite our losses,

photos by Bob Dahlberg, Bernice Van Der Meer, John Hale, Jenny Freiermuth, Noah Eisner

designed by Melanie Anderson

Opinion: Promoting BYU Independent Study Promotes Homophobia

written and designed by Sarah Weintraut

This past summer alone, M-A students who participated in an accelerated AP Calculus A program paid over $10,000 to Brigham Young University (BYU), a college infamous for their homophobic policies. Why BYU? Because M-A advertises it as the sole online independent study option for students looking to accelerate in math.

Before the pandemic, M-A offered an in-person accelerated program funded by donations from participating families. Khoa Dao, who taught the in-person program and now coordinates the online program, said, “We chose pretty hastily in 2020 when the pandemic hit. I didn’t fully understand the extent of the homophobia at BYU at the time. The decision to use BYU was born out of the fact that it ‘checked all the boxes’ and that it was a convenient option. There weren’t a lot of great options for doing summer calculus at the time.”

Principal Karl Losekoot said, “There are a number of reasons why we advertise BYU as the primary option for AP Calculus A: BYU is cheaper, if all students go through BYU it makes it easier for us to provide support via tutoring, and we know how the course content lines up with our own program.”

In addition to BYU, M-A accepts the acceleration of students through any WASC [Western Association of Schools and Colleges] accredited school. Despite this, the vast majority of M-A students take the BYU summer calculus course.

This is because the way M-A presents the material clearly funnels students into the BYU program. Counselors provide step-bystep instructions on how to register for the accelerated math course, the first sentence of which states, “With ongoing safety and health concerns, our summer calculus program will shift to online through BYU.”

Junior Iris Stevenson said, “Even though they didn’t explicitly say that we had to go to BYU, that seemed to be the only option in the already limited information I was given about the course.”

Dao clarified that BYU’s calculus curriculum isn’t any better than the alternatives—if students want to use another program, they can. He said, “The point is that calculus is calculus.”

The actual content of BYU’s calculus course is not homophobic. However, supporting BYU monetarily makes M-A a cog in a system that has been homophobic since its founding.

BYU’s Honor Code states that their students must be “consistent with the ideals and principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” BYU has used this policy, sometimes referred to as the Ecclesiastical Loophole, throughout its history to disguise its homophobia as religion. Even with the removal of the blatantly homophobic Homosexuality Clause from its Honor Code in 2020, BYU can use the Ecclesiastical Loophole to justify the suspension and expulsion of any students who are or advocate for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as “same-sex romantic behavior cannot lead to eternal marriage and is therefore not compatible with the principles in the honor code.”

The actual content of BYU’s calculus course is not homophobic. However, supporting BYU monetarily makes M-A a cog in a system that has been homophobic since its founding.

Furthermore, BYU’s policies are catastrophic for the mental well-being of their students. A study done by BYU’s own Psychology Department found that LGBTQIA+ students at BYU were two times more likely to commit suicide than their straight peers. In an interview in their student newspaper, The Daily Universe, former BYU student Dillon Harker, who is gay, said, “I have gone to the hospital in the past year two different times to visit LGBT BYU students who had attempted suicide.”

The school’s only counseling services are in alignment with church principles. BYU psychology professor Dee Higley said, “[students] hear every day that [they] don’t fit, that if [they] just read [their] scriptures more, if [they] prayed more, [they’d] overcome [their] same-sex attraction,” and that students “begin to believe ‘there must be something wrong with me.’”

In Title IX of its Board Policy, SUHSD states, “The Board shall promote programs which ensure that discriminatory practices are eliminated in all district activities.”

I look at the past, I’m not surprised when I see lot of things connected to a homophobic institution, but seeing it with my own school in Menlo Park—such an inclusive school— it’s really odd.”

M-A directs students to BYU for P.E., Government, and Economics credits as well. When Fitzhugh was looking to get her P.E. credits outside of school, her counselor recommended BYU. She said, “When I was looking for P.E. courses, I hadn’t even heard of alternatives to BYU.”

Yet there are other online options M-A will accept. However, these programs are rarely—if ever—presented to students. Several are similar in price to BYU, though most of them are notably more expensive. They can be found under the Concurrent Enrollment FAQs on mabears.org. The list includes a free alternative: community colleges in California allow high school students to take classes at any community college for free, including during the summer, if the course is less than six units. AP Calculus A is five units.

If M-A wants to make AP Calculus A accessible to everyone, why don’t we direct students to free classes instead of a homophobic college that offers a $289 class?

So the question remains: Why are we still using BYU’s course? It’s not the cheapest option, its curriculum is not unique, and it financially supports a homophobic institution.

Instructional Vice Principal Emily Rigotti said, “Examining how we partner with institutions like BYU is important and helps a community or an organization grow and evolve in hopefully a positive way. The more you can reflect and look at things in this way, the better. This feedback is great.”

Losekoot said, “We will definitely review our messaging, support, and options for completing summer calculus for next summer. I agree BYU should not be the only option we present.”

Fitzhugh said “After this is brought so closely to the school’s attention, if they do nothing to change it, it would feel intentional.”

Junior Mia Fitzhugh, a member of M-A’s Genders and Sexualities Alliance, said, “If

As we are now in our second year of fully in-person learning, M-A needs to revive its in-person summer program or start promoting other acceleration programs if they want to support their LGBTQIA+ students. To continue to support BYU is to continue to support homophobia.

Senior Samuel Castelein opened Instagram to find a Direct Message (DM) promising a prize of $1000 if he guessed a

Scam on the ‘Gram

“Some friends and I decided to answer it as a joke and continued to message with the account until I received a link. The scammer told me I would ‘collect my reward’ by clicking it.”

Despite his misgivings, Castelein clicked it, hoping to have more fun at the scammer’s expense.

“After that,” he said, “I simply lost access to my account because the scammer changed the email and password associated with it.”

Instagram’s direct messaging feature allows users to send messages to anyone on the app. Scammers can use DMs as a tool to gain personal information or even take over accounts.

As Castelein’s story demonstrates, all a scammer needs to acquire your account are the associated email address and password, which they can access through a simple link. Curious how this works? According to an article by Sectigo, a digital security company, here’s how it probably happened:

The link Castelein clicked routed him to a website with an “exploit kit” attached, which is a piece of embedded code that scans a device remotely, finds its vulnerabilities, and downloads malware onto it. In Castelein’s case, the kit downloaded malware that gathered his Instagram account information.

said they needed help with a new business they were creating and needed promotion. Naturally, I decided to help out. They asked me to send screenshots of a link to their ‘website,’ so I clicked it. Then they used that link to reset my password and take over the account.” Like Castelein, shortly after sending the screenshot, Harris was kicked out of her own account.

According to CTV News, scammers often manipulate Instagram into sending a user an official link for a password reset customized to their account. However, the link is only available in the receiver’s inbox. So when Harris sent a screenshot of the link, they were able to change her account’s password and lock her out.

It might be hard to turn down a friend asking for a favor, but as Harris said:

Unfortunately, both Castelein and Harris were unable to regain control of their accounts. Instagram’s help site states, “If you can’t access the email account you registered with and didn’t link your Instagram and Facebook accounts, we’re unable to give you access to the account.”

“Looking back now, I feel silly,” Harris said.

Senior Kilikiano Lee lost his account as well:

“If you have reason to believe you’re being messaged with malicious intent, trust your gut and stop replying. It’s always better to be overly cautious and send an apology at a later date than to get scammed.”

“When some scammers are trying to steal your account, they will try logging in. As a precaution, Instagram will send a verification code to your phone. From those numbers, they are able to access your account. I was trying to troll the scammer by giving them the wrong code, but I misread which text was the most current and accidentally sent the right one.”

However, unlike Harris and Castelein, Lee was able to recover access to his account. “I was fortunate enough to gain it back after a day or so through Instagram’s facial recognition,” he said.

Facial recognition can be an effective way to regain control of your account. Essentially, a user sends a selfie to Instagram

Besides losing their accounts, the students interviewed haven’t faced any serious consequences. However, scammers could have posted inappropriate or embarrassing content on stolen accounts, misrepresenting the original user to their followers.

Lee stated, “If you lose your account, it’s best that you have a plan for what to change before the scammer has time to react and you lose control again.”

For instance, you could change your account’s associated email address and password. One quick way to tell if your account has been accessed by someone else is to check the “login activity” tab in your account settings. It will give you a full list of locations from which devices have accessed your account. If anything seems out of the ordinary, act quickly and change your information.

Of course, it’s better to be cautious to avoid getting scammed at all. In hindsight, Lee said, “I shouldn’t have been trying to entertain the scammer from the start.”

written by Dylan Lanier designed by Sidney Loftman

Kilikiano Lee

Samuel Castelein

Nicole Harris

Faces of M-A

designed and illustrated by Helena Warner

Small Things,

Big Joys

written, illustrated, and designed by Evelyn Hsy

Every year as exams roll around, I involuntarily slip into autopilot, sleepwalking through the world rather than living in it. In willful defiance of routine, I’ve set out in search of small bits of wonder. This is for readers looking, as I am, for the tiny joys that are just too good to ignore.

Fried Rice

In my quest for all things good, I stumbled upon a stranger by the name of Colin Smith who championed “the greatest thing ever”: fried rice. First day on the lookout for joy, and I’ve met someone who unknowingly shares my favorite food. Smith, a junior, said, “My mom thinks I’m really weird for liking it because it’s literally just made of leftovers, but I think fried rice is the greatest thing ever. It’s economical, it’s delicious, it’s the first thing I learned to cook—it just gives me that sense of home.”

Smith’s favorite part of the dish, rightfully, is all the “crispy bits you find at the bottom of the pan,” and that “fried rice helps me connect with my Chinese culture.” Smith adds green onions, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and whatever leftover meat his family has at home, whether spam, pork, or beef, to his base of eggs and rice. Leftovers truly are a joy, and I agree wholeheartedly with Smith: fried rice is the best way to use them.

02.

03.

Late Night Escapes

There’s something special about nighttime that amplifies quiet joy. I met two freshman students, JJ Balderes and Jazzy Perdomo, whose delights centered around the night. Balderes, sitting beside fellow freshman Joy Short—whose name is undeniably appropriate—said, “A small thing that makes me happy is late night walks with my friends.” Short added they “will go anywhere,” although they usually walk around East Palo Alto.

Music & Mundanity

Sophomore Leslie Mandujano, sitting by a friend that was casually eating ice cubes, shared her joy and a song to add to my playlist. Mandujano said, “Something that really makes my day is to listen to music, like what I have in my Spanish playlist. If I listen to something with an upbeat tempo during passing period, it really motivates me to get through classes with a good attitude, in a good mood.”

When I spoke to her, her favorite song was “The Shade” by Rex Orange County, whose title, unexpectedly, refers to a shade of paint, of color—a band of light rather than a lack of it—which for some reason makes me really happy. While “The Shade” has its fair share of indie pop lightness, in its essence, it’s a list of mundane tasks, like closing the blinds or opening the door, that are still “enough to keep us occupied” with the right person. A celebration of beautiful banality.

Perdomo, whom I interrupted by the Green after school, said, “I like to go to the beach—it’s really relaxing and I can free my mind. If I’m with friends then I like the daytime, but if I want to be more alone, I’d say the nighttime because it’s quiet.” Clearly a fellow lover of quiet predawn.

04.

Mini Compliments

I found junior Jesus Chavez outside the PAC theater with his earbuds in, the universal signal for “do not disturb,” so, like any good journalist, I interrupted him to ask what makes him happy. I’m glad I did, because Chavez said, “A small thing that makes me happy is a small compliment, like ‘Oh, your clothes look nice today,’ or ‘You have great shoes.’”

Recently a friend had told him, ‘You have really nice hands,’ and Chavez said, “I know it might sound weird, but it made my day.” Cheers to friends and sudden, sweet compliments.

There are an infinite number of joys to have, and for each of us they shine differently. I think there’s a richness to subjective human experience—a wonder to the fact that as we navigate through the same world, we all notice vastly, delightfully different, remarkable things. What we devote ourselves to, whom we devote our time to, become our lives. So here’s hoping for wonder in clear skies ahead, and willfully embracing the joys that I too often let pass me by.

designed by Eileen Liu

quiz by Dylan Lanier and Sonia Freedman