Empty Spaces:

A look at underenrolled
classes at Paly A6-7

The Campanile
Palo Alto Senior High School Palo Alto High School
50 Embarcadero Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94301

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Vol. XC, No. 6 http://voice.paly.net Wednesday, February 20, 2008

NEWS

JSA MOCK ELECTION

Staff considers new schedules Governor
Administration proposes four bell schedules that
may decrease
RESULTS ARE IN
Find out who won Paly’s would change Paly’s start and end times, block days funding for
mock election. PAGE A2
state schools
By Nolan Wong
Staff Writer

The Palo Alto Unified School District may

experience some cuts in state-funded programs
due to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pro-
Stacy Levichev/The Campanile posal made in January to make across-the-board
budget cuts for the 2008-09 fiscal year.
California’s $14.5 billion state budget
OPINION shortfall this year will account for the statewide
budget cuts.
WEIGHT ROOM Schwarzenegger’s proposal would reduce
state funding by ten percent in all sectors of the
HEALTH HAZARD California government and suspend Proposition
98, which guarantees a certain percentage of
Paly weight room maintains state funding for education.
Morgan Pichinson/The Campanile PAUSD will face a $890,000 general state
unsanitary conditions, which
may breed diseases. PAGE A8 funding reduction under Schwarzenegger’s
proposal. However, the state funding reduction

SPORTS Later School Start Time: 8:15 may not have an extremely harsh impact on
the district, PAUSD Interim Chief Business
Official Cathy Mak said.
Pros:
SWIMMER SPRINTS
“PAUSD receives most of its income from

• Less sleep deprivation

property tax revenues, not the state,” Mak said.
“So this cut will not be a dramatic impact to
TOWARDS OLYMPICS • Better school performance Palo Alto [schools].”
The district receives 12 percent of its
Paly student to compete funding from the state, compared to 67 percent
in sprint events at Olympic Cons: from property taxes. The proposed state reduc-
PAGE A12
• Athletes miss more class time
Trials in Florida. tion would account for only 0.6 percent of the
PAUSD total annual budget of approximately
• Less time for after school $145 million. State-funded programs will ex-

extracurricular activities
perience the largest impacts from the proposed
budget cuts to PAUSD.
According to Mak, Paly would lose about
$15,000 in cuts, a seven percent reduction from
Julia Benton/The Campanile Julia Benton/The Campanile
the 2007-08 state funding of about $211,000.
Option #1 Option #2 Option #3 Option #4 Programs that will receive reductions include
Michela Fossati-Bellani/The Campanile the School and Library Improvement Grant,
Start Time 8:15 8:15 8:15 8:15 the Instructional Materials Fund Block Grant,
LIFESTYLES End Times 2:35-3:20 2:25-3:20 2:35-3:05 1:45-3:30 See BUDGET, Page A3
Block Days 2 block days 2 block days 4 block days 4 block days
WELCOME TO THE 7th blocked 7th blocked Foothill College
VLOGOSPHERE By Auster Chen
Staff Writer
“The new proposed schedules are all aim-
ing at a later start time of 8:15 every single
but starts earlier and ends later. The second
proposal adds a seventh period 90-minute block to use Cubberley
Paly students share their day, which would give students more room in on Wednesdays.
thoughts and experiences
through vlogging. PAGE B1
Palo Alto High School’s bell schedule
might be revised to one of four proposed
the mornings,” Mullins said. “Of the proposed
schedules, number three and number four,
The third option proposes a four-day block
schedule common at many schools; Friday
Center facilities
schedules (see chart above), which would in- which propose block schedules, can also give would be the only non-block day and seventh By Julia Shapiro
clude later starting times and potentially have students more time to focus on fewer classes period the only non-blocked period. School Senior Staff Writer
FEATURES four block days per week, Director of Student as opposed to many.” would still end at 3:05 p.m. on Wednesday,
Activities Allye Mullins said. Paly teachers received the proposed but end earlier on Monday, Tuesday, Thurs- The Palo Alto City Council held a meeting
FACE YOUR FEARS: See which schedule proposal
schedules along with pros and cons of each
one. All schedules begin at 8:15 a.m. The first
day and Friday at 2:55 p.m., 2:50 p.m., 2:35 on Jan. 22 to discuss the possibility of selling
or leasing part of the Cubberley Community
FACEBOOK BULLYING The Campanile supports, Page A4 proposal is similar to Paly’s current schedule, See SCHEDULE, Page A3 Center to the Foothill-De Anza Community
College District.
More than 3,200 Foothill-De Anza students

Living Skills 2 to be offered next fall

Cyberbullying becomes
currently take classes at Cubberley, which the
prevalent as students post
district has rented for more than 20 years.
abusive comments. PAGE B2
However, the Foothill-De Anza District
is hoping to buy up to 100,000 square feet of
TOO YOUNG TO By Anna Waldron
Staff Writer the eight acres owned by the city in order to
build a permanent educational center for its
VOTE? Living Skills 2, also known as
Myth, Media, Popular Culture and
Middlefield students.
The additional space would help accom-
Paly students volunteer for Social Change, is a new class that modate the predicted enrollment growth over
Obama and Clinton during the students will be able to take next the next 50 years, while providing students with
presidential race. PAGE B3 fall for a semester of elective credit. modern educational equipment and facilities.
The class will further investigate “Having a modern educational center on the
the concepts presented in Living Mid-peninsula, with space designed to support
A&E Skills 1, currently the only Living high-demand, high-skill career, certificate and
Skills course. degree programs, would benefit future Foothill
REGGAE RETURNS In addition to personal identity
development, students will study
College students,” coordinator of Communica-
tions and Public Affairs for the Foothill-De

TO THE CITY the influence of the media and

Largest reggae festival in
America will be held in San
Francisco. PAGE B7
INDEX
News...........................A1-A3
Opinion.................A4-A5, A8
Spotlight.....................A6-A7
Sports.......................A9-A12
Lifestyles...........................B1
,
Features.......................B2-B6
A&E...........................B7-B12
how people can take little steps to
invoke changes in society.
Letitia Burton, one of the Liv-
ing Skills teachers, came up with
the idea for the extended version
of Living Skills because she felt
that the current curriculum does not
have enough time to cover all the
topics she feels that are necessary
for the course.
“I always feel like I run out
of time because there is so much
that needs to be taught,” Burton
said. “There are many topics that I
would like to teach, but don’t have
the time to and I would like to go
into greater depth.”
Anza District Becky Bartindale said.
A new center at Cubberley could also of-
fer Gunn and Paly students more educational
opportunities.
“It would provide more options for stu-
dents who want to get a jumpstart on college
Allie Bollella/The Campanile or explore possible career opportunities by at-
A Living Skills 1 class, taught by Letitia Burton, discusses societal issues. Paly will include a tending Foothill classes while in high school,”
Living Skills 2 class next fall, which will expand upon concepts covered in Living Skills 1. Bartindale said. “It also could inspire greater
collaboration between the college and the
Myth, Media, Popular Culture identity and learn how individu- mythology in shaping society and school district.”
and Social Change, also called als define themselves, a topic that people’s lives and how people can
If the Palo Alto City Council decides to
“Living Skills AP” by some stu- is covered in less depth in the create change in their community support the plan, most of the old Cubberley
dents despite the fact that they will required Living Skills class. The by making small adjustments to buildings owned by the city would be rebuilt
not receive Advanced Placement new concepts that are not currently the way they go about living their to avoid renovation costs, and a new education
credit, will cover exactly what taught in Living Skills, but which life. center with classrooms, dance and exercise
its name describes. Students will will be major themes in the new
delve deeper into the meaning of class, are the importance of human See BURTON, Page A3 See CENTER, Page A3
A2 • February 20, 2008 News The Campanile

NEWSBRIEFS New librarian brings new resources

Student Council prepares for “Per-
Kellerman introduces new library-specific Web page, open space reading room
By Nanor Balbanian
fect Match” Sadie Hawkins, Prom Staff Writer

Palo Alto High School’s Student Council is focusing its at-
tention on the upcoming Sadie Hawkins Dance and Prom.
The Sadie Hawkins Dance, or “Sadies,” is scheduled for
Mar. 1 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in the Paly gym. The theme
is “Perfect Match” and couples are encouraged to match outfits.
The dance, for which the girls ask the boys to be their dates, is a
tradition at many other high schools.
This year’s Prom will be held on Apr. 5 at San Francisco’s
City Hall.
“A group of eight Student Council members went up to San
Francisco with a decorator and we planned stuff out,” Associated
Student Body president Mohammed Abid said.
The theme will be “I Left my Heart in San Francisco.”
“We haven’t determined ticket prices yet, but ASB is trying
to keep them as low as possible,” Witte said. “We’re students too,
and we also have to pay to attend.”
One of the major additions by ASB this year is the imple-
mentation of an online store which lets students purchase dance
tickets.
“We’re working on the Web store,” Abid said. “When it’s
done, students will be able to purchase AP exam tickets, Prom and
other dance tickets, Paly apparel and many other cool things.”
—DJ Hsueh
Staff Writer
Accreditation program used to self-
evaluate Paly’s curriculum, purpose
This year, Palo Alto High School began a year and a half long
process of self-evaluation and outside affirmation with the West-
ern Association of Schools and Colleges (WARC). This process
ensures that Paly’s credits are transferable to both college and to
any other high school, should any student need to move.
The process begins with a year-long period of self-evaluation
that each school must undergo in order to become accredited.
They evaluate the areas of curriculum and instruction, vision and
purpose, leadership and staff, governance, support services and
accountability. and resources for their “Local Expert
“The accreditation process is a great way to look at where
you are, where you have come from and where you hope to end
up as a school,” Paly Principal Jacqueline McEvoy said.
Some of the goals that Paly has made over the years regard
closing the achievement gap between groups of students and
relieving student stress. Paly plans to evaluate in the forthcoming
months how well it has met these goals.
“During this time of self-evaluation, we are able to step
back from the day-to-day and look at the long term goals of our
efforts,” McEvoy said.
In the spring, a board of professionals from WARC will
determine whether or not the school’s self-evaluation holds true
to the reality.
“These reports are useful because they validate what you
think should be worked on,” McEvoy said.
The highest accreditation that a school can get is six years,
although all course credits are validated if the school is accred-
ited at all.
“I have served on these accreditation boards many times
and I am somewhat of an expert in accrediting new schools,”
McEvoy said. “I have also visited and reviewed private and
religious schools.”
—Chris Gallagher
Staff Writer
Administration sets dates for out-
side student shadowing program
Although shadowing at Palo Alto High School has been dis-
couraged this year after a council meeting of all the Instructional
Supervisors cited safety issues and non-equal opportunities for
student visitors, shadowing will be allowed on Feb. 26, Mar. 4
and Mar. 11.
“There are potential risks, such as medical issues, when we
have visitors on our campus who we do not have any background
information or emergency contact info,” Assistant Principal
Kimberly Diorio said. “Most importantly, the amount of time
spent coordinating the shadowing days is time spent away from
serving our current students.”
Shadowing is when a visitor, usually a student, visits a school
and follows around another student to all of his or her classes for
a day. This year the number of days of shadowing will be reduced
from six days to three days.
Despite some beliefs that shadowing distracts students from
necessary learning, others think that introducing visiting students
to Paly can be beneficial.
On campus, various other programs will exist to help students
and visitors get used to the overall atmosphere, the geography of
the campus and the different courses offered here.
“During the spring, Paly will offer various conferences,
meetings and presentations for students who would like to know
Paly better,” Diorio said.
Under new librarian Rachel Keller-
man’s leadership, the Palo Alto High
School library has recently added new
resources, a comfortable reading area
and an expanded magazine room for
students.
Kellerman, who took over after
former librarian Veronica Breur retired,
purchased eight new online databases in-
cluding ProQuest Platinum, JSTOR, Ox-
ford English Dictionary and eRefrence.
The databases can help students find
periodicals, newspapers, journals and
reference books for research projects.
“My job is to help students deal with
the assignment rather than spend so much
time doing the research,” Kellerman said.
“With the databases, students now have
a 24-hour library available to them.”
According to Kellerman, who used
the library’s state money to purchase Julia Benton/The Campanile
JSTOR, databases are necessary for Students read and socialize in the library’s new magazine and reading room. Paly’s new librarian Rachel
high school libraries because they Kellerman made a special Web site for the Paly library and also purchased the online database JSTOR.
help students prepare for college-level
academics. After the improvement of the online Recently, Kellerman began the Part- Kellerman, however, still believes that
“Over the summer I tried to figure
out what I wanted to do with the library,”
library, Kellerman raised money to cre-
ate a reading area in the north wing of
nership with Kepler’s program at Paly.
Through the liaison with Kepler’s Book
the library lacks financial resources to
improve book collections.
she said. “When I saw that other high the library. Store, ten percent of purchased books by “I would like to buy new books and
schools and colleges use online data- The reading area has eight couches, Paly students goes to the school’s general double the amount that we have now,”
bases, I thought we would need them four magazine stands and a new fiction fund. In addition, the partnership allows Kellereman said. “I will do my best to
too.” collection area. Kepler’s to notify the Paly library about fund raise more to get donations and
The library Web site also provides “The reading area brings people author visits in Palo Alto. book money.”
a useful tool for many students and together to relax and read,” Kellerman During the past two months, two Challenges face Kellerman everyday
teachers, offering research links for each said. “We don’t really have a good student prominent authors visited Paly through as she tries to improve the condition of
department and passwords to pre-paid center, so the library provides a good the partnership program with Kepler’s. the library. One of the big problems that
databases. reading environment.” Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups Kellerman deals with is the lack of space
Recently, Economics classes used To make more room in the library, of Tea and Jay Asher, author of Thirteen in the library building, which was last
the library’s new Web site to find links Kellerman decided to get rid of hundreds Reasons Why, visited Paly students to renovated in 1970.
of old magazines that are already avail- present their books and talk about their The Palo Alto Unified School District
Poster” project. The project requires able online. experiences. Board of Education is currently review-
students to research third-world coun- The magazine room was then turned “I am a big believer in authors ing a bond that includes renovations to
tries, find an area of need and create into a silent study room with new chairs coming to school,” Kellerman said. the library.
or endorse a program to improve their and tables, providing a comfortable study “There is nothing better that the con- “We need more space in the library,”
economy. area for students. nection between the writer, student and Kellerman said. “I go to every board
Senior Susan Haynes, who was The room also contains a rich histori- community.” meeting to get the bond passed.”
looking for information about Haiti, cal collection of Paly’s periodicals and With Kellerman’s successful fund Kellerman hopes that the renovations
was surprised to find useful links and publications, including Paly yearbooks raising efforts, the school library received and the financial donations to the library
databases on the library Web site. that date back to 1905. free book donations and extra money to will allow her to further improve the on-
“I thought the library Web site was “Mrs. Kellerman has done a lot buy new books. line databases, provide new resources for
very helpful for my economics project,” of work for the library, especially with Through several parent book do- the and add new books to the library.
Haynes said. “I never knew that our how she organized all of the magazines nations, the library has created a new “Our kids deserve the very best,”
library provided these helpful online in the magazine room,” senior Emily “Free Book” section where students can Kellerman said. “I’m going to do every-
resources.” Brody said. either borrow or own the free books. thing to get that for them.”
Obama wins JSA mock election in landslide
By Yvonne Lin “As parents, teachers and students who are 18 Other factors, such as candidates’ personal charac-
Staff Writer or above go to vote, the rest of the Paly student body teristics, played a large part in students’ decisions.
can express their opinions as well,” JSA Chief of Staff Junior Emma Rappaport said she believes Obama
Palo Alto High School’s Junior States of America Jonathan Shan said. is the more electable candidate in the Democratic
Club hosted a mock presidential primary election on the The voting booths were set up by JSA members Party.
quad on Feb. 5 to provide students with an opportunity on the quad at brunch and lunch. The mock election “It’s about the candidate,” said Rappaport. “Obama
to participate in the political process. drew much attention and attracted about 350 students is sort of a different leader. Obama’s speeches are very
“We want to give everyone a chance to participate, to vote. inspiring.”
even though they might not necessarily be able to vote,” Students who came to vote generally had positive Rappaport’s mother is a strong supporter of Obama
JSA President Rajan Narang said. feedback about the mock and has volunteered to orga-
The final results of the mock primary at Paly elections on campus. “We want to give everyone a chance to nize for Obama’s campaign
indicated strong support for Senator Barack Obama, “I like the whole idea of participate, even though they might not in the Silicon Valley.
who garnered votes from 75 percent of students who voting — this is such a great However, Rappaport
voted Democrat. opportunity, especially when be able to vote.” feels that her parents’ political
Meanwhile, Senator John McCain won with a 41.7 you are underage,” said preferences would not have
percent vote among young Republican supporters. sophomore David Loftus, Rajan Narang influenced her decision to
Democrat Hillary Clinton received only 25 per- who voted for McCain. “I am
JSA Club President vote for Obama.
cent of student Democrat votes, which was a devia- also curious to find out what “My mom and I did not
tion from the actual results of California’s primary in the result will be; I want to know who to vote for at first,”
which Clinton had 42 percent and defeated Obama by know who Paly students voted for.” Rappaport said. “So we researched the issues and both
a margin of ten percent. Most students voted based on candidates’ stance agreed that Obama was the better candidate.”
Republican Ron Paul was a popular candidate for on issues. With a low voter turnout rate that permeates the
students as he obtained 27.2 percent of Republican “Obama and Clinton have very similar policies,” United States’ presidential election record, Narang
votes and had a significant lead before lunch. said senior Brian Hsueh, who voted for Obama. “How- hopes to raise political awareness among students by
“Students are attracted to Paul predominantly ever I think that Obama’s universal health care plan hosting the mock election.
because they are attracted to his stance on limited is more feasible.” “People don’t really see how it [elections] can af-
government and his belief that the federal govern- Sophomore Jamie Blake also voted for the can- fect their daily lives,” Narang said. “It is too abstract
ment is not completely competent,” junior George didate who best aligns with his political beliefs after for them.”
Kadifa said. careful evaluations on each candidates’ position on History teacher Adam Yonkers, the club advisor for
The date of Paly’s mock primary coincided with issues. JSA, applauds the club members’ effort for organizing
2008’s “Super Tuesday,” on which 24 states hosted “I believe that the role of the government is not to the mock election.
primary elections or caucuses to select delegates to tell people what they can and cannot do, but to rather “Every election, I’ve witnessed pundits always
the Republican and Democrat national conventions, protect our rights as human beings,” Blake said. “Since say that the youth vote is going to be the key to every
where each party’s presidential candidates are of- this is basically the stance of libertarianism, I support election cycle,” said Yonkers. “This year I think they
ficially selected. the libertarian candidate, Ron Paul.” are finally right.”

—Auster Chen
Staff Writer Cal Ave. undergoes $35 million station renovation
By Chris Gallagher
Staff Writer
The $35 million renovation project at the
California Avenue train station and other sites
will provide an improved boarding platform,
• March 1: School Dance a new passenger underpass and dual boarding.
At a Sadie Hawkins-style dance, students are
However, due to Caltrain traffic, construction
is possible only during the night, resulting in
encouraged to dress to the theme “Perfect complaints from various local residents.
Match.” “It’s nice that they’re trying to make the sta-
tion more accessible,” nearby resident Diana Lee
• March 11-12: Exit Exams said. “But the construction is very noisy.
The construction will result in a new un-
High school exit exams will be administered derpass, allowing passengers to board safely
to sophomores and upperclassmen who have from both sides of the newly reconstructed train
tracks.
not previously passed. “Caltrain understands the peace within
• March 20: End of Quarter homes and we don’t wish to infringe upon any-
one,” Caltrain Public Information Officer Jonah
Third quarter grades are sent home and
Stacy Levichev/The Campanile
Weinberg said.
The new underpass, along with other new installments,
Spring Break begins. is being built to allow passengers to more easily board.
Although the noise is not produced every
night, the controversial construction will not be
finished for another year, which could mean many
more sleepless nights for the nearby residents.
“When the police told me it would go un-
til 7 a.m., we went to a friend’s house for the
weekend,” said Lee. “The noise kept me up two
nights in a row.”
In addition to a new underpass, the construc-
tion will permit two trains to stop at the station,
allowing more riders to board.
“We are trying to do the construction over
the weekends so that residents don’t have to go
to work the next day and also to work in com-
pressed periods of time so that it is less invasive,”
Weinberg said.
However, many are unsure as to whether
the remodeling is even worth the money and
trouble that it is causing. California Avenue sta-
tion receives very few customers compared to
the station at University Street.
“It isn’t just a boarding issue,” said Weinberg.
“By allowing two trains to board at the same time,
neither train will have to slow down or stop for
the other.”
The Campanile News February 20, 2008 • A3

Model Citizen Club hosts spring runway

New club to raise money for water PlayPumps in indigent villages
By Amy Stringer
Features Editor
The Model Citizen Club at Palo Alto High
School plans to host a student fashion show
in May to help fundraise for the construction
of a PlayPump in Africa.
The fashion show will feature student-
designed clothing fitted for student models
and will most likely be held on the Paly Quad.
Club President Arianna Governatori is still in
the process of recruiting designers, models,
and confirming the date, time and location for
the show with the Paly administration.
The Model Citizen Club formed during
the fall of this year as a means of raising
money for charity through unconventional
approaches.
“Over the summer I decided that it would
be really cool to start a club that would raise
money for charity but that didn’t involve bor-
ing events like car washes and garage sales,”
Governatori said.
Thus far, the club has designed shirts,
which are currently on sale for anyone in-
terested in buying them. While the club is
hosting a fashion show as one of its events,
it is not solely devoted to fashion, but instead
was founded in order to fundraise for charity
through “interesting and innovative” means,
Governatori said.
The money from the fashion show will be
used to purchase a PlayPump, a play structure
often placed in small developing villages that
do not have readily accessible clean water.
Elizabeth Petit/The Campanile According to the Web site www.playpump.
Junior Yuko Kanai and senior Margaret Powell meet with club president junior Arianna Governatori to plan and org, more than one billion people throughout
design the runway to take place in May in order to fundraise for and donate PlayPumps to indigent villages in Africa. the world do not have readily available clean
water and are more vulnerable to diseases
related to drinking unsanitary water, the lead-
ing cause of death today. Unsanitary water
is responsible for about 6,000 deaths a day,
and is also accountable for 80 percent of the
world’s diseases.
Additionally, approximately 40 billion
hours a year are lost to hauling water, which
is a task predominantly carried out by women
and children. Doubling as a water pump and a
merry-go-round for children, the PlayPumps
are installed most often near schools.
While children spin on the PlayPump,
clean water is pumped from an underground
reservoir into a large tank built above the
ground, and a tap allows people to draw water
easily and efficiently. The way the pump is
designed makes it effective and easy to use,
with minimum costs and maintenance.
According to the Web site, the PlayPump
“can provide easy access to clean drink-
ing water, bring joy to children and lead to
improvements in health, education, gender
equality and economic development.”
The water pump is also one of the only
methods of reaching rural communities who
do not have clean water available, which can
potentially save the lives of thousands, said
the Web site.
Through the fashion show, Governatori
hopes to feature her and other students’ cloth-
ing designs, and anticipates a wide variety of
different styles of clothing.
“I’m pretty sure they will be different
depending on who the designer is,” Gover-
natori said. “But I think it’s safe to say that
it won’t be stereotypical clothing found at a
department store.”

Cubberley may cater to Second Living Skills class may be implemented

more Foothill students
Cubberley may be sold or leased to the Foothill-De Anza
District upon city Palo Alto City councilmen decision.
CENTER, Continued from A1
studios, art rooms, offices and
public spaces would be recon-
structed. The new center would
also eliminate maintenance
problems caused by the old
buildings.
The Foothill-De Anza Dis-
trict plans on paying for the
buildings with the money it
received from Measure C, a
$490.8 million bond measure
that Foothill-De Anza voters ap-
proved in June 2006. However,
the money cannot be used to
build an education center unless
the district owns or has a long-
term lease on the land.
Some question whether
the city should lease or sell the
Cubberley property. According
Morgan Pichinson/The Campanile
to Palo Alto City Councilwoman
Yoriko Kishimoto, most city
council members seem sup-
portive of working with the
Foothill-De Anza District but
are hesitant to sell the city’s
land. Kishimoto supports a new
education center; however, she
prefers leasing Foothill.
“It will be critical to keep
Cubberley open and available
for the many community uses
it hosts today,” Kishimoto said.
“But, Foothill-De Anza offers
many great services to Palo Alto
residents, too.”
The city council still has
not come to a final agreement,
and will hold a meeting in the
future in order to decide its of-
ficial action.
Certain students seem to concur with
BURTON, Continued from A1
Burton.
“As a teacher I want to do something “I took Living Skills last semester and
different and cover more of what interests I really enjoyed it,” Madeline Saal said. “I
me,” Burton said. “In the class, we’ll talk thought the curriculum was really interest-
about mythology in terms of cultural stories, ing and we learned a good amount about
how people live their lives and in what ways everything we covered. I think another
the myths of our society show up and inform version of Living Skills is a great idea and
our lives. As for the social change aspect, I know a lot of people would be interested
we’ll talk about the little things people can in taking it.”
do to change the opinions or prejudices of Junior Hannah Miller said that the
others.” new class is a great addition to the cur-
The class will be more creativity- riculum, especially for students who liked
based than the current Living Skills class the required class.
and students will learn through writing and “I think it’s good that Ms. Burton
projects, Burton said. created another class for people wanting to
“I think it will be more fun since it’s go the next step,” Miller said. “The course
more focused on creativity,” Burton said. “I sounds like you’ll learn a lot about yourself
would like to have students do an indepen- and society. I think it’s cool that it has a lot
dent research project for them to learn about of aspects that are similar to sociology.”
a topic that really interests them.” However, this second installment
Most schools do not even offer the of Living Skills will have to compete for
equivalent of Living Skills 1 and few have students’ choice among the other elective
the extended version of the course. Henry courses.
M. Gunn High School, for example, only Junior Haley Dwight said she thinks
recently made Living Skills 1 a required that there will be difficulty in finding people
class. At Gunn, before the creation of a who want to take Living Skills 2.
designated class that teaches drug and sex “I wouldn’t be interested in taking the
education, mental health, diet, CPR and first class,” Dwight said. “I took Living Skills
aid, these topics were covered in physical because it was required. There are so many
education and science. great options to chose from for elective
“I believe Gunn created Living Skills credit that Living Skills 2 would not be one
because they felt their students weren’t get- of my choices.”
ting enough of the information that is taught Mythology, Popular Culture and Social
in Living Skills since it was divided across Change may debut next fall if there are
other classes,” Burton said. enough people enrolled in the class. Burton
In order to take Living Skills 2, students said she is excited to teach the new class
must first pass Living Skills. Burton said that and hopes there will be enough demand for
having Living Skills as a prerequisite to take it to get off the ground.
the class will make more students interested “All the heads of the departments
in and better prepared to take it. thought the class was a good idea,” Burton
Allie Bollela/The Campanile
“I think the students who enjoyed Liv- said. “I hope enough students sign up be-
ing Skills will want to take the new class to cause the topics we’ll cover are so interesting Living Skills 2 will focus on features of adult life from Living Skills
further their learning,” Burton said. and they’ll learn valuable knowledge.” and will demonstrate a creative, fun and independent approach.

State reduces funding for district budget

BUDGET, Continued from A1
Gifted and Talented Education, the Perkins Vocational
Grant and the Pupil Retention Grant.The PAUSD Board
of Education has not yet discussed specifically where to
cut the district budget to offset the state budget cuts.
“Every time we’ve had to make cuts before, we have
tried to keep them away from classrooms,” school board
member Melissa Baten Caswell said. “We’ll try to do
this again.”
Community fundraisers such as Partners in Educa-
tion and the PTA may or may not be able to raise enough
donations to offset the proposed cuts. Other higher Cali-
fornia educational institutions, such as the University of
California school system, which relies heavily on state
funding will be hit more severely.
While Schwarzenegger will increase funding under
a compact made with the UC system earlier this year, the
proposal will then reduce the fund by $332 million, leaving
the UC system with a net reduction of $109 million. The
UC system would receive $417 million dollars less than
the UC Board of Regents’ proposed budget for 2008-09.
The Board of Regents will continue to discuss op-
tions in future meetings, but some options may include
no enrollment growth, a student fee increase of at least
ten percent and elimination of proposed salary increases,
among many other alternatives.
Meanwhile, the Education Coalition and the California
School Boards Association have spoken out against the
governor’s proposal. The Education Coalition is com-
prised of nine major statewide education organizations,
such as the California Teachers Association and the PTA.
The California School Boards Association has developed
“Schools: An investment we can’t afford to cut,” which is
a statewide campaign opposing the proposed cuts.
“To sacrifice the gains we’ve made in student achieve-
ment and turn back the clock on education funding would
be a terrible mistake,” California State PTA President
Pam Brady said.
PAUSD is also joining the fight against the budget
cut proposal.
“We’re going to push back on the governor about the
proposal to suspend Proposition 98,” Caswell said. “It’s
very troubling to have a proposition that funds education
that has been suspended twice in less than five years.”
PAUSD board president Dana Tom and vice-president
Barbara Mitchell also recently drafted a letter to the state
legislature protesting the cuts and asking legislators not
to suspend Proposition 98. Suspension of the proposition
could lead to deep statewide layoffs of teachers.
In the meantime, state legislators discuss and negotiate
the budget proposal until Feb. 24, when the legislation must
respond to the proposal and the governor may revise the
proposed budget. Then, the California State Legislature will
continue to negotiate until the legislators pass the budget,
which would normally occur during the summertime.
Because of the potential for changes in the budget,
the governor may alleviate some of the education budget
cuts. However, education cuts remain almost certain to
occur. For this reason, school boards will have to prepare
accordingly.
“We don’t know what the final budget picture will
be, but we know that the economy is not good, so we’re
bound to have reductions somewhere,” Mak said. “We
really don’t know yet; it’s too early to tell.”
ASB considers different schedule
Schedule
might be changed for upcoming year
SCHEDULE, Continued from A1
p.m. and 2:50 p.m. respectively. The
fourth schedule also uses a four-
block schedule, but seventh period is
blocked.
Students would be dismissed
early on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. and on
Thursday at 1:45 p.m., while school
would end at 3:30 p.m. on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday.
“Many students have concerns
about their homework load, and
schedules three and four can help them
lessen the load,” Mullins said. “Many
teachers also prefer their periods be
longer so that they can spend more
time with students at a time.”
Another issue that led to the
proposition of the possible schedules
was the high stress-level that students
experience.
Eighty-two percent of the stu-
dents prefer that school start later,
according to Susan Shultz, the Guid-
ance Counselor.
“These schedules were proposed
after stress-related issues were cited
from the stressed-out survey Paly stu-
dents took last year,” Mullins said.
The late school start, which
pushes back the start time 25 min-
utes, received positive feedback from
students.
“I like this idea of starting school
later because it gives you more time to
sleep in the mornings and more sleep
is better,” junior Justin Hsi said.
However, others said the late start
would only cause them to stay up later
to do homework.
“Starting school later wouldn’t
really make a difference, because we’d
still have the same amount of work
to do, so people would probably just
end up staying up later and getting the
same amount of sleep,” junior Sasha
Targ said.
The later start and end times
would not affect athletes too much,
an area of concern for both students
and teachers.
“School ends only slightly later,
which will not affect athletes too
much, though they should consider
having seventh prep if the fourth
schedule is chosen,” Mullins said.
When the new schedules were
proposed, they were first presented
to individuals within the Athletic and
Transportations Departments. Both
of the departments and athletes had
some positive feedback with regard
to the various versions of proposed
schedules.
“Starting school earlier would
give me more time to rest in the morn-
ings, and it probably won’t affect me
that much since it could only end 20
minutes or so later,” said senior Felipe
Winsberg, who plays Varsity soccer.
There are many meetings in
February in Paly that will implement
one of these schedules.
The staff met to discuss propos-
als on Feb. 7, and students met on
Feb. 14. Both students and staff plan
to meet on Feb. 21 to continue their
discussions.
The SOS plans to collaborate on
Feb. 25 after school and the Educa-
tion Counsel will meet on Feb. 26,
when the Instructional Supervisors
of each department can debate the
proposals.
According to Mullins, the final
vote will be done by either the staff
alone or by the staff and student com-
munity, with results coming out in
March or April.
A4 February 20, 2008

Opinion The Campanile

Letters to the editors

All letters were written in response to Danielle
Kim’s article, published Jan. 28, “Student vandals
plague Paly.”
Vandalism story gives
it, then I can’t be expected to know that as your reader.
If you didn’t confirm your source, then you’re in a bind:
Editorials The Opinion of The Campanile
he says he “did not commit the felony,” which, logically,
seems to mean he wasn’t there. Would any journalism
school or textbook say that you should report what you

Paly flood control

balanced perspective
I want to thank The Campanile for presenting a
balanced story on the vandalism in the library over the
Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend. Every teacher and
hear from an unconfirmed source who wasn’t directly
involved in an event? Of course, it’s possible that he
was involved and lied to you. Did you take any steps
to confirm that he wasn’t involved?
I think the Campanile would be a much better paper

staff member at Paly wants to spend education dollars
on students and until every student feels the same way I
fear we will continue to spend precious education funds
on security and other things that do not directly contribute
to our mission to educate students. I personally would
like to remember this senior class for building up our
community not tearing it down, so I’d like to ask every
Paly senior a favor. Next time you hear about someone
wants to vandalize Paly think about your younger sib-
lings and the neighborhood kids who live on your block
and ask them what is so fun about taking educational
opportunities away from little kids?
–– Rachel Kellerman, Paly Librarian
Make sure the sources
are reliable, accurate
Your publication has a long sad history of overreli-
ance on anonymous sources. This one claims he wasn’t
part of the crime. If that’s true, he wasn’t in there, so he’s
an anonymous source of hearsay, (unless you confirmed
his account with someone who was there but left that
confirmation out of your reporting). If it’s not hearsay,
then he was there, he’s lying to you and you’ve used a
felon as the source for reporting on his own crime. The
fact that editors either missed those issues or decided
to run the story anyway is part of the problem and then,
combined with the use of the photo, I think you open
yourselves up to these impressions. If you had reported
on the facts as available from reliable named sources and
used photos other than those provided through a suspect,
I think you’d be on much more solid ground ethically, not
having given the perpetrators any potential satisfaction
or publicity and not having missed any aspects of the
story that your readers need to know.
I’m sure you’re right that the situation was not so
black and white while you were dealing with it in your
discussions. However, the final outcome is actually pretty
“black and white” –– I’m simply dealing with your text.
If you confirmed the source in some way but didn’t report
overall if there weren’t so many anonymous sources.
This was the one that tipped the balance for me as a
reader, to the point I felt I needed to speak up. Thanks
for listening.
–– David Cohen, Paly English teacher
Editor’s response
The Campanile did, in fact, think through the
“negative” impacts of placing the vandalism story on
the front page. It is the role of a newspaper to clarify
the facts of a situation and provide information about
incidents that impact the readers and that is exactly
what the article did.
The article in no way condones the acts of the
vandals. As the reporter, I tried to write a balanced
article that included more than just a description of the
vandalism. The article clearly states the consequences
the vandals would face if caught as well as the ways in
which the vandalism negatively impacted the school as
a whole. The article quoted Principal Dr. Jacqueline
McEvoy, Dean of Students Jerry Berkson, Librarian
Rachel Kellerman as well as two Paly students. There
is no reason to suggest that The Campanile condoned
the acts in any way. In fact, the article made it clear
that the vandalism hurt the whole student body. Our
source was a credible student who obtained the photos
from someone who knew the vandals. Our purpose was
to set the record straight for our readers. The descrip-
tion of the vandalism was based on those photos, only
one of which was printed.
The question we asked ourselves is if we were a
community newspaper and there were an act of van-
dalism in the city, would we fail to publish a picture
obtained from a credible source if the reporter did not
know the identity of the photographer? I am sure the
newspaper would publish the photo so their readers
would be informed.
–– Danielle Kim, Editor in Chief
inadequate
Although school attempts to curb flooding,
more could be done to reduce water levels
During every winter season,
as heavy rains pass through the
San Francisco Bay Area and over
the Palo Alto High School campus,
students are forced to deal with the
ever-present flooding all across the
school grounds.
The staff of The Campanile
strongly believes that the current
drainage system and flood control
plan that our school employs are not
acceptable for an active campus.
After about a few hours of mod-
est rain, students are forced to walk
through large puddles spread out
across campus.
Since these puddles pervade
Paly’s campus and are present on
nearly every major walkway, it is
virtually impossible for students
walking from one class to another to
avoid them.
Walking in these ankle-high wa-
ters soaks students’ shoes and pants,
causing discomfort in class.
Students hopping around, try-
ing to avoid landing in a puddle and
crowded lines trying to cross from one
overhang to another without getting
one’s feet soaked, disturbs student
traffic to and from classes.
gic positions around flooded areas
for students to walk on, but believes
that those pallets are not a long term
solution.
Not only are these pallets easily
broken, but despite the valiant efforts
of Paly’s custodial staff, it still takes
hours to put pallets on every student
crossing that needs one.
Each pallet needs to be tediously
carted out a couple at a time and
slowly and carefully set down on the
ground.
Aside from the pallets, there are
few, if any, policies that the adminis-
tration is implementing to alleviate
this flooding problem.
There are both short term and
long term solutions that can easily
solve the problem.
The Campanile believes that
money allocated to campus beauti-
fication should be spent to clean out
drains, which are currently inefficient
and overflow constantly.
The drains fill up extremely
quickly after a storm, which dramati-
cally increases the number of puddles
and the amount of flooding found on
campus.
By doing this, the school can
However, this solution will only
decrease the amount of flooding, not
prevent it.
Therefore, Paly must have long-
term solutions in order to curb exces-
sive flooding.
The most effective solution would
be to restructure the walkways on
campus so that water does not collect
in specific areas.
If the middle of walkways were
the highest point so that water flowed
down to the sides of the road (like with
city streets) and the numerous depres-
sions in the walkway, where water
can gather, were smoothed out, the
number of puddles on campus would
dramatically decrease.
Funding for such construction
could possibly come from the Palo
Alto Unified School District Capital
Improvement Bond, a bond proposed
by PAUSD to renovate Palo Alto
school campuses.
Repaving and resurfacing the
campus grounds are a worthwhile
investment for the school, as it would
help prevent flooding throughout the
school.
Paly students and faculty would
benefit from a better flood and drainage

The Campanile
The Campanile recognizes that cut down on the amount of standing system, which would help decrease
Paly does try to quell the situation water found throughout the school on student traffic flow and make the
by placing wooden pallets in strate- a rainy day. campus more accessible.

Editors in Chief
Tyler Blake • Danielle Kim • Peter Lee
Ryan Pfleiderer • Mia Pond • Tomer Schwartz
News Editor Lifestyles Editor Opinion Editor

Paly should adopt

Rebecca Allen Kairen Wong Chris­Clayton

Features Editors A & E Editors Sports Editors

Henry Becker Sara Reihani Alexi Dagan
Amy Stringer

Photo Manager
Austin Smith

Spotlight Editor
Sam Jones
four-block schedule
Hannah McGovern Sarah Stringer

Business Managers
Geng Wang
Nanor Balabanian
Catherine Benson
Yelly Bitton
Becky Byler
Hannah Bystritsky
Alan Chen
Auster Chen
Alan Chu
Allison Coleman
Zal Dordi
Michela Fossati-Bellani • Stacy Levichev • Elizabeth Petit
Corrections
Significant corrections will be
noted in the upcoming edition. Please
send any corrections requests to
theeds08@googlegroups.com.
Letters to the Editors
E-mail all letters to editors to
theeds08@googlegroups.com. The
Campanile welcomes and prints
Advertising Manager In creating a new schedule, PAUSD should implement
Debbie Zhang Erik Krasner-Karpen
schedule giving 8:15 start, four block-schedule days
Staff Writers
Recently, the Palo Alto Unified A 90-minute block period is much By keeping seventh unblocked,
Rye Druzin Laura Kurtz Annie Vought School District issued four potential more useful for teachers when plan- Paly student athletes can continue to
Christian Gallagher Yvonne Lin Anna Waldron new schedules that may be imple- ning lessons because it allows teachers plan their schedules around this one
Alex Greene Jillian Liu Crystal Wang mented at Palo Alto High School for more flexibility, allowing them to do period, minimizing conflicts between
the 2008-2009 school year. different and more activities with their their sports and their academic stud-
Chris Gonnerman Josh Lo Cassie Wedemeyer All of the new schedules feature students in one class period. ies.
Gabrielle Hadley Ryan McLeod Allison Whitson a later start time of 8:15 a.m., rather Some activities that are impos- In addition, many of the journal-
Michael Hamada Mira Parekh Eliot Wilson than the current 7:50 a.m., and an sible to accomplish in two 50-minute ism programs at Paly, including The
Zach Harris Jonathan Shan Nolan Wong alternating combination of blocked periods become feasible when given Campanile and Verde, depend on the
and unblocked schedules. an hour and a half. consistency of having seventh period
Kevin Harvey Julia Shapiro Lindsay Yang The staff of The Campanile would Additionally, the four blocks every day to plan their production
DJ Hsueh Kelley Shin Gloria Yu like to commend the administration takes pressure off of students by allow- cycles.
Mikaela Kenrick Pauline Slakey Kelly Zhou for the creation and consideration of ing them to concentrate on homework Making a blocked seventh period
these new schedules, all of which al- for only four classes a night, rather and having it alternate every other day
low students to sleep for an extra 25 than seven. would make it much more difficult for
Photographers minutes in the morning. The extra two block days al- publications to collect and return drafts
Julia Benton • Allie Bollella Given the rampant stress and lows students to be more rested (and on a reasonable schedule.
sleep deprivation that are currently a therefore less stressed) and gives The blocked seventh period also
reality at Paly, anything that can be teachers more flexibility in their les- creates wild inconsistencies in the
done to give students more time to son plans. student’s schedule — something that
Graphics Editor sleep is a step in the right direction The Campanile believes that ideally should be avoided.
Erik Krasner-Karpen for the health and well-being of all having four days of block periods and For these reasons, The Campanile
of Paly’s students. Additionally, The one day of unblocked periods would advises that the PAUSD keep the
Adviser Campanile would like to recommend be very beneficial, both for teachers seventh period unblocked, as it is in
Esther Wojcicki the third schedule option as being the and students. the current schedule.
most conducive to student needs. However, one period that should All of the four schedules currently
The third suggestion, which fea- remain unblocked is seventh, for a being debated by the PAUSD have
letters to the editors on a space- tures a later start, four blocked periods number of reasons. benefits and drawbacks, but all are a
available basis. For more information, contact per week (instead of the current two) The primary reason is because of significant improvement that will help
The Campanile reserves the Campanile Business Managers by but keeps the currently unblocked athletics and students who must miss reduce stress among Paly students and
right to edit submissions for length. e-mail at campanile.ads@gmail. seventh period, has a number of dis- the last hour of some days in order to give teachers more options in planning
Please note that The Campanile com. tinct advantages that make it the most compete. and executing their lessons.
only publishes signed letters. beneficial for students. Many two- and three-sport ath- The Campanile would like to
Printing The first and most important letes try to get seventh period preps strongly encourage the PAUSD to
Advertisements The Campanile is printed every advantage of this schedule is the in order to avoid creating academic support the third option, as it has the
Ads with The Campanile are three weeks by Fricke-Parks Press in change from two block periods to conflicts with sports games and prac- most benefits for Paly students and
printed with signed contracts. Union City, Calif. four blocks. tices. teachers with the least drawbacks.
The Campanile Opinion February 20, 2008 • A5

Haymarket renovation raises dispute Learning it

twice
New theater would provide space, but money could be spent elsewhere
By Lindsay Yang capacity for audience, seating about 500-1000 By Yelly Bitton A project to build a new theater would cost
Staff Writer people, and the stage area would be drastically Staff Writer the district an estimated $10-12 million.
increased with additional backstage room. This cost is extremely exorbitant consider-
The full Palo Alto High School orchestra If the first part of the bond passes, designingPalo Alto residents will vote in June on a ing the fact that Paly already possesses its own

PRO CON
barely fits onto the Haymarket Theater stage. bond to decide whether or not a new theater theater and remembering also that Gunn holds
the structure of the new theater would take place
Instruments, music stands and performers are during the summer of 2008, construction would should be built for Palo Alto High School, in its own modern theater available for the com-
jammed together. Plays held in the Haymarket begin within the next year and it would open addition to renovations for the current theater, munity as well.
have similar problems; students even stand the Haymarket Theater, that will be discussed
during the next two years. However, if only the This money could be much better spent
outside because of the crowded backstage area. second part of the bond passes, any changes onin ten years. The degree of the renovations of in a number of different ways, possibly on
Lacking basic facilities and encumbered by out- the Haymarket will not be considered seriouslythe Haymarket Theater will be decided when the new resources that the school district does not Gabrielle Hadley
dated technology, the Haymarket Theater needs for the following ten years. discussion takes place ten years from now. already own.
renovations and a new auditorium to create a Additionally, if Paly students do not use the The passing of a bond for a new theater for Along with the basic cost of creating this As I sat in the park looking at
suitable instructional setting for students. new theater, it can be lent to other programs.the Paly campus would only be detrimental to new building, a new theater would require new, the various people who passed me,
The recent Palo Alto Unified School District Proceeding money could then be spent on main- the school and its surrounding community. costly supplies and equipment. I thought about what a diverse com-
bond project consists of one part that proposes tenance of the building. A new theater, or simply A new theater for the Paly community would Funding an entire theater is not easy. In munity Palo Alto is. Living in the
building a new theater that will cost approxi- a renovated Haymarket, would be an enormous be superfluous. Currently, the Haymarket acts order to supply one well, many different tools and Bay Area has allowed me to realize
mately $10-12 million and a second part that contribution to the community because Span- as a respectable and acceptable environment for materials are necessary. Without these supplies, the many different perspectives that
offers basic maintenance on the Haymarket. genberg Theater is not sufficient. the school’s theater department. a theater can not function and would therefore one gains from being part of such a
The new theater would serve as a per- Those opposing the bond argue histori- All of the theater classes carry on well and be null and pointless. diverse community.
formance venue for arts at Paly and for com- many students enjoy them. Theater produc-
cal value will be lost through the renovations. The Haymarket Theater is a special, historic Palo Alto, the city at the center
munity presentations. If both bonds pass, the Although the cultural worth is important to tions are almost always successful and highly building. Creating a new theater would detract of this ever-changing area, boasts
new theater would also provide an educational maintain, basic maintenance is necessary for praised. from the honor and prestige of this significant not only several different ethnici-
setting for theater classes historical monument. ties, but also a countless number of
during the renovation of the To simply renovate the languages.
Haymarket. current theater would main- Personally, I only speak one lan-
The new theater would tain a unique part of the guage fluently, though I used to never
primarily resolve the current school’s history and avoid feel hindered by this fact. This was
lack of space. Even with cer- the issues of an entire new until I realized just how many people
tain casts of only 20 students, theater. around me spoke other languages.
plays are hard to perform be- Aside from the issues of Everyday I hear a variety of lan-
cause the backstage contains whether the City should build guages such as Spanish and Chinese
such little space. There is a new theater at all, physical spoken around me. According to the
also only one dressing room problems arise from campus 2000 Census Bureau for the state of
for both sexes and no room constraints. California, 39.5 percent of Americans
for a pit orchestra. Although Certain questions must speak another language other than
the theater is workable for be asked before such a theater English. In California alone, over 12.5
classroom use, it limits the can be built. Where would million citizens are bilingual.
possibilities for productions. Paly find the space to place There are many opportunities
Paly’s projected expan- the new building? A new the- for nearly everyone to learn a second
sion further questions the use ater would occupy a sizeable language and relatively very few rea-
of the Haymarket as a learning amount of space that would sons not to. After taking Japanese for
environment. Because the dis- be difficult to find on the Paly three years at Paly, I decided to drop
trict requires a year of Visual campus. the class because I didn’t have enough
and Performing Arts credits After the Science build- time to focus on it.
for graduation at Paly, about ing was rebuilt in a new At the time I didn’t feel par-
half of those courses will be location a number of years ticularly affected by this change,
affected. The bands, orchestra ago, extending the quad, the but I recently realized that a second
and choir often perform off- campus lacks a location for a language is not only beneficial for
campus due to lack of space in new building as immense as our generation, but rather necessary
the existing theater. Because a new theater. to be a part in today’s world, if one
the Haymarket cannot even The theater would need ever plans to live outside of the United
adequately serve the current to be located near a parking States of America.
number of students, let alone lot as well, making the deter- Even if one does decide to spend
the growing needs of the Paly mination of its location even their entire life in the United States,
campus, a new auditorium more difficult. future generations need to learn an-
should be constructed to ef- One might consider plac- other language. According to the 2000
fectively provide a complete ing a new theater on one Census Bureau, 31.1 million U.S.
experience in required per- of the current sports fields; residents are foreign-born.
forming arts classes. however, the fields are all The majority of these individuals
Updated technology, Elizabeth Petit/The Campanile completely necessary to the are from Latin America and Asia. This
especially in the almost 100- Although the Haymarket Theater lacks basic facilities, new technology and sufficient space, building a new theater Paly community and are al- minority population has increased
year-old Haymarket Theater, at Paly raises many disputes because of the lack of space on campus and massive cost of over 10 million dollars. ready constantly full. by more than half between 1990 and
would also enhance the educa- Taking even one of the 2000 according to the 2000 Census
tion of students, particularly for the Stage and safety and to ensure that the Haymarket does The value of the courses will simply remain fields away would cause huge problems for the Bureau. Though California may boast
Technology classes. Technological additions not fall beyond the point of repair. A new build- the same with the addition of a new theater. athletics department. of more languages than many other
would ensure safety, improve acoustic effects, ing would still allow the Haymarket to retain Nothing new will be gained. To construct a new theater would include states, it is clear that all of the United
change rigging for scenery changes and allow its historical value, while also adding a more Additionally, whenever a specific event somehow creating space somewhere on campus States is moving toward a multilingual
for better lighting. functional location for teaching, which is the requires a space larger than the Haymarket that simply is not available. This would be a society.
Although the general building dimensions primary goal of a high school. theater event, the district already owns a large, huge project. Today’s generation is constantly
of the existing theater will remain unchanged, Another argument against a new theater commendable theater, Spangenberg Theater at The school has undergone tremendous told how beneficial it is to know two
basic facilities can be added or improved. The is that the campus cannot fit another building. Henry M. Gunn High School. amounts of construction in its recent history. or more languages in order to be
Haymarket, which has a full audience capacity However, the field next to the tower building and Gunn’s theater is often used for events from More construction is not what students and successful in today’s global society.
of 500, has only two bathroom stalls for the other areas near parking lots can be used. different schools in the district and Paly should staff need at this point. It is common to find other language
general public. Thus, despite the costs of funding the con- be no exception. The residents of Palo Alto should not pass offerings in a middle school and even
Other features of the Haymarket that cannot struction of a new theater and renovations for Instead of creating a new theater, Paly the bond to create a new theater for Palo Alto more rare to not find these classes in
be easily corrected, such as the long, narrow the Haymarket, both the Palo Alto community should simply find the best way to use the High School as this would serve no necessary, high schools.
seating area, can be fixed by adding a new audito- and Paly students would benefit immensely from resources, including Spangenberg, it already valuable purpose and would simply be a strain In particular, immersion pro-
rium. The new theater would provide for a larger both parts of the bond. possesses. on the entire community. grams take advantage of introduc-
ing young students to two different

English department should incorporate variety of novels
By Chris Clayton
Opinion Editor
Palo Alto High School’s English
Department deserves commendation
for incorporating novels, from differ-
ent genres and literary periods and that
focus on different literary themes, into
its reading curriculum. Students cur-
rently benefit from exposure to a vari-
ety of novels, ranging from Dickens’s
Great Expectations to Fitzgerald’s
The Great Gatsby. However, there
are more authors whom the English
Department should consider including
and further emphasizing.
The department should include
authors for three reasons: influence
upon or importance in a genre of lit-
erature; influence upon or importance
in a period of literature; or incorpora-
tion of a significant theme, concept,
or theory. Of course, works that fulfill
multiple of these requirements must
generally receive priority over ones
that only meet one criterion.
As to the actual authors whom
the English Department should con-
sider incorporating into or further
emphasizing in its curriculum, there
are many. Among these authors are
Ernest Hemmingway, Edgar Allan
Poe, Bram Stoker, Truman Capote,
Homer and others.
Admittedly, students, at least in
some English classes, already read
Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man
and the Sea. However, other novels of
Hemingway are equally, if not more,
renowned. Among these novels is For
Whom the Bell Tolls, the story of a
young American who aids a guerilla
group during the Spanish Civil War.
This novel explores many important
themes, including death, suicide and
sacrificing oneself for one’s cause.
Hemingway also discusses these
themes through a relatively unique and
interesting writing style, which influ-
enced later fiction writers. Thus, the
English Department should consider
incorporating more or further empha-
sizing Hemingway for his influential
and important literary works.
Although a few Paly English
teachers require students to read a few
of Poe’s works, many do not, includ-
ing Advanced Placement English, a
course that requires students to read
and analyze a poem almost every
night. Poe discussed important themes
and motifs, including death, mental
illness and mourning in his poems and
short stories, prominent among which
are “The Raven” and “The Fall of the
House of Usher.” He influenced the
Gothic genre, the detective/mystery
genre (his character of C. Auguste
Dupin later influenced Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle in creating Sherlock
Homes), the science fiction genre
and others. The English Department
should strongly consider incorporat-
ing more Poe into its curriculum.
Bram Stoker is most famous for
his novel Dracula, an epistolary novel
which details the efforts of a group of
people to kill a vampire. Stoker covers
many important themes, including
women’s roles during the Victorian
period and sexuality. Stoker also
greatly influenced the Gothic and
horror genres of literature, in part by
emphasizing the notion of the vampire,
an imaginary creature utilized more
commonly following the publication
of Dracula. The English Department
should consider including Dracula
in its curriculum, due to its literary
influence and importance.
Truman Capote, a more-modern
writer who wrote during the mid-20th
century, is renowned for his In Cold
Blood, which explores the murder
of a family and the experiences and
thoughts of two murderers. As if this
were insufficient, as very few books
actually employ a stream of conscious-
ness of a murderer, Capote’s novel also
explores the psychological interaction
between these two murderers in a man-
ner largely unprecedented by other
novels of this type (most of which rely
on the suspense of ascertaining the
identity of the murderer). The English
Department should consider requiring
this interesting and important literary
work in its curriculum.
The department would have one
of two options in redesigning its cur-
riculum. The department could main-
tain its curriculum as heretofore, with
respect to novels currently in place,
and additionally incorporate other
novels. The merit of this approach
would broaden students’ exposure
to important literary works, while
upload.wikimedia.org, emiliogrossi.com, draculas.info
Paly’s English Department should include the works of authors such
as Poe, Capote and Stoker (clockwise from left) in its curriculum.
the problem would be the increase in
students’ course load.
However, adding an extra book,
per each semester or average eight
in total during students’ Paly career,
would not unduly increase students’
workload as an additional 400-page-
long book would only add approxi-
mately 4.5 pages of reading per school
day. The benefit of this would clearly
outweigh the “burden” of an additional
five minutes of reading per night.
The second option would be to al-
ter the curriculum by replacing certain
novels with others. If the department
were to assume this option, it could
attempt to replace novels that cover
themes or genres that other novels
already have.
The merit of this option is that
it facilitates a broader exploration of
literary periods, themes, and genres;
the problem is that it weakens in-depth
study and analysis of periods, themes,
and genres.
The English Department should
consider including these authors into
its curriculum, in order to allow stu-
dents to further explore genres, literary
periods, and important themes and to
provide students with a broader view
of English literature.
languages, with programs starting as
early as the first grade.
However it is not only immersion
programs that urge children to pick
up a second language. Annick De
Houwer, at the University of Antwerp
and Science Foundation of Flanders
in Belgium, argues that learning two
languages in early childhood is not
because of choice, but rather out of
necessity.
“Young children growing up bi-
lingually are for the most part doing
so because there is no way that they
can grow up monolingually,” she said.
“Imposing changes in these conven-
tions so that all bilingual speakers in
the child’s social world would limit
themselves to one and the same lan-
guage in all circumstances is not only
impossible but also ethically dubious,
because it would infringe on individu-
als’ linguistic rights.”
Though many parents do force
their children into immersion pro-
grams and other multilingual pro-
grams, children are not the only ones
joining this trend.
As the world continues to be-
come a united community, the skill
set associated with being bilingual
is becoming more and more useful
to today’s major corporations and
businesses.
As becoming bilingual or even
multilingual becomes a necessary
tool in everyday life, it can only help
to advance the tolerance and respect
people have for each other. Hope-
fully, this behavior will only grow
and can unite the different societies
of the world.
A6 • February 20, 2008
By Erik Krasner-Karpen
Design Editor
It’s the second day of class, and
the awkwardness is palpable. Around
half a dozen students – half the class
– sit and talk in the center of the room
while the rest take notes. They have
been assigned to discuss their experi-
ences with race at Paly and, this being
a diverse group, each walks on tiptoes
trying not to offend the others. Slowly,
though, they begin to open up and tell
their stories.
This is the “Socratic Seminar,”
the first project. Students lay bare their
thoughts and feelings about race, the
issue they will study over the course
of the semester. According to teacher
Jeanne Loh, it is the one touchy-feely
element in an otherwise fairly conven-
tional English class.
“I tell students, ‘I’m not going
to teach you to love each other,’”
Loh said. “That’s not the goal of this
By Kairen Wong
Lifestyles Editor
Fine arts elective Advanced
Placement Studio Art requires students
to complete a 24-piece portfolio of
artwork that the College Board evalu-
ates as the AP exam. Students create
either a drawing, a 2-D or a 3-D Design
portfolio.
The class is significantly under-
enrolled, sharing the studio with 2-D
Design and 3-D Design classes, says
AP Studio Art teacher Anna Eng.
“AP Studio Art may be under-
enrolled possibly because many
students don’t know about it or pos-
sibly because of the amount of work
required to complete 24 pieces of art
by Spring Break,” Eng said. “I don’t
know if enrollment will increase.”
For senior Angela Hsieh, AP
Studio Art was a way to strengthen
By Josh Lo
Staff Writer
As students bustle to their science
classes, only a few know of a new sci-
ence course offered at Palo Alto High
School: Biotechnology Practice and
Theory. This class offers a new look
at biology, different from the regular
freshman Biology and Advanced
Placement Biology classes. Biotech-
nology is an advanced biology course
that is uniquely laboratory focused.
The class covers topics through lab
research of bacterial genomes, recom-
binant DNA and protein expressions,
and discusses the social and moral
issues inherent to biotechnology.
Paly currently offers one period
of Biotech, taught by Ron Pruzan.
Students taking the course, like ju-
nior Hrishi Srinagesh, have found
that it has sparked their interest in
biotechnology.
“We get to do really interesting
labs,” Srinagesh said. “It is a small
class, so we get a lot of attention as
well.”
Different from a regular biology
class, the biotech class is less textbook
oriented. Sophomore Ivan Zhou has
found the class to be more difficult than
Spotlight The Campanile
class. I try to show students what life
Paly offers a range of electives,
Here is a sample of little-known
is like for people of color, how they
interact in their communities, so they
can empathize.”
In American Writers of Color,
Loh presents the issue of race in
So many classes,
America from a variety of viewpoints
and helps students look at American
current events through a “racialized
lens.” Students read works by Latino,
African-American, Native American
and Asian-American writers, includ-
ing Black Boy by Richard Wright and
Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong
Kingston. To put the readings in con-
text, students also read selected articles
about current racial issues.
“We’re trying to represent writers
who have been historically excluded
from the English canon,” Loh said.
The class has only 15 students this
semester. Since there were 30 students
last semester, the under-enrollment
was caused by scheduling constraints,
said Loh.
her art experience, since art is one of
her major passions.
“I took it because it’s the highest
level in art they have here, even though
you don’t get credit at a lot of colleges
Ethnic
unless you get a score of five [on the
AP exam],” Hsieh said.
Studies
Eng is also aware of the art-career
slant that most of the students in the
class have.
“Some students who take it are
those who are planning to enroll in
art schools and need to send in an art
portfolio as an entrance requirement,”
Eng said. “Others take it because they
want to work on art pieces of their own
choice of media and design.”
Both Hsiesh and Eng reflect upon
the freedom of the class, since there
are no specific projects.
“Students have more freedom
to select media and designs of their
choice to use,” Eng said.
his freshman biology class because the
class is heavily laboratory-focused.
“Instead of learning about the
basics of biology and building up [in
American
freshman biology], we start halfway
built already and use what we know
Writers of
to perform labs,” Zhou said.
Students taking the course em-
phasize that the class work and labs
provides challenges to students rather Color
than tests and quizzes.
“We do some very difficult labs,
so you really have to know what is go-
ing on to keep up,” Srinagesh said.
Although the course may sound
rigorous, students find it to be surpris-
ingly relaxing.
“It is a pretty laid back environ-
ment, so we don’t have too much
work,” Srinagesh said. “All we have
Ap studio
to do is keep a lab notebook, but we
still learn a lot.”
art
This semester-long class prepares
and focuses students by developing
Palo Alto
skills useful later in the biotechnol-
ogy industry and is highly recom-
mended by students currently taking
the class.
“It is one of these really cool,
cutting-edge fields,” Srinagesh said.
“And having an opportunity at Paly to
explore biotechnology is amazing.”
The Campanile Spotlight
many of which are under-enrolled. By Jonathan Shan
classes in the Paly course catalog.
Staff Writer
With the introduction of AP Mac-
roeconomics next school year, Palo
Alto High School’s Ethnic Studies
so little time...
class may be in jeopardy. Accord-
ing to Social Studies Department
Instructional Supervisor and current
Ethnic Studies teacher Eric Bloom,
the new economics course may shift
interest away from the semester-long
Ethnic Studies course, and without
sufficient enrollment, the class may
be canceled.
“You never know from year to
year,” Bloom said. “At the beginning
of this year we barely made it, but [the
class] was filled second semester.”
The course did not have enough
sign-ups for the first semester.
The Paly course syllabus explains
Ethnic Studies as “an investigation of
the history and culture of various eth-
nic groups and how current issues have
been formed by past events.” Students
look at various historical events from
multiple perspectives and explore the
issues and challenges of diversity in
America’s past and present.
“This is a survey course for stu-
dents to gain their own perspective and
ask questions such as ‘why are East
Palo Alto and Palo Alto so racially
GENDER
different?’” Bloom said.
So far, Bloom has been working
STUDIES
to strike a balance with the difficulty
(Yet to be established)
By Kelley Shin
Staff Writer
Viewing a film and evaluating
characters based on their masculinity
and femininity or researching men and
women’s roles in politics are typical
assignments in the semester–long
Gender Studies class which looks
to broaden students’ awareness of
gender differences. Unfortunately,
low enrollment has prevented Gender
Studies from being a class this year,
although it was offered each year for
the past four years.
For a class to be available, approx-
imately 24 students must sign up for
the class, Assistant Principal Kimberly
Diorio said. However, lack of student
interest has prevented Gender Studies
from becoming a class as it did not
reach the specified minimum.
“I would imagine that because
we offer so many electives in Eng-
lish, social science, career vocational
education and science, only so many
kids will sign up for Gender Studies,”
Diorio said. “It’s hard to draw numbers
for a lot of these electives.”
In 2007, only five students had
signed up for Gender Studies by
April.
“I would be interested in the class,
but I already have too many other
classes I want to take,” junior Russell
Langston said.
Another reason for low enroll-
biotech
ment is that students are unaware of
the course.
“I have never heard of Gender
Studies, but I would consider it if I
High School
knew more,” junior Camille Wiesner
said.
“It’s hard for a class to run when
nobody knows about it,” Social
Studies Instructional Supervisor Eric
Bloom said. “Most students think
Gender Studies is similar to Women
Writers, when in fact it isn’t.”
February 20, 2008 • A7
Mika Ben-Shaul/The Campanile
and make the class engaging for all
the students taking it.
“Some people think it’s too hard
or it’s too easy,” Bloom said. “The
class is taught in a different style, and
is much more open ended: define the
problem, investigate the issue and
explain it. A certain type of student
thrives, while it drives others crazy.”
Senior Amy Xu explained that
she joined the course to explore the
nature of racial identity.
“I’ve seen racial prejudices in my
family life and I wanted to gain a great-
er perspective,” Xu said.” In class, we
hear speakers, read articles and watch
documentaries about race.”
Ethnic Studies is an un-laned
course, so Xu finds herself in a di-
verse class.
“There are people in this class
who I have never had classes with and
who I never would have had classes
with if not for this class,” Xu said.
On one occasion, Xu brought a
cultural comfort food for the class to
share as part of a project.
“I got to try foods from Kenya,
the Philippines, Mexico and China,”
Xu said. “I learned about personal
experiences and the memories that
made each food a comfort food.”
Xu looks forward to the rest of
the course, and hopes it continues to
be offered.
“It would be a shame if we lost
the course,” Xu said.
Langston, who is currently tak-
ing Women Writers, agrees that most
students are unable to distinguish
the Gender Studies course from the
Women Writers course.
“I’ve heard of the class, but only
because I was looking at my course
catalog the other day,” said Langston.
“Students probably just throw Gender
Studies and Women Writers into the
same category and don’t bother to
learn more.”
Jaclyn Edwards, who had been
the Gender Studies teacher in the past,
explains that many students have a
misconception about the focus of the
Gender Studies class.
“Students misconstrue that it
focuses on feminism and women
studies when it is actually about both
masculinity and femininity and how
gender is encompassed in art, literature
and science,” Edwards said. “We have
even discussed changing the course
name to make it more enticing.”
Gender Studies focuses on a wide
range of social, economic, political and
global topics within gender relations.
The course helps students to better
understand women and men’s roles
in human culture and society through
reading, writing, class discussions
and watching videos. Gender Studies
goes into depth about a wide range of
issues from women and men’s experi-
ences in art and music to discussions
regarding political trends of men and
women as well as women and men’s
roles in marriage and family. Gender
Studies fulfills the social science credit
requirement.
Although most students have not
shown interest in Gender Studies, the
class will continue to be offered in the
course catalog and seniors will be of-
fered first priority.
“If we get 20 kids who are inter-
ested, I would consider making it an
official class,” Bloom said.
A8 • February 20, 2008 Opinion The Campanile

Weight room a potential hazard for Paly students

By Michael Hamada
Staff Writer
The Palo Alto High School
weight room is an off-season train-
ing necessity for multiple school
sports, as well as part of a required
unit for sophomore Physical Educa-
tion classes. Yet the P.E. Department
and Paly administration does little to
make sure the equipment is sanitized
on a daily basis to prevent an out-
break of disease and infection.
According to a study conducted
by the University of Maryland,
athletic facilities including weight
rooms, rehabilitation equipment and
other tables must be cleaned every-
day with a disinfectant to prevent
a possible outbreak of Methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(staph), also known as MRSA.
In a recent article entitled,
“Staph Infections Reported at
Schools Across the Country,” the
New York Times reports that more
than 19,000 people died in the
United States in 2005 after acquiring
an MRSA infection. The article also
mentions a Virginia high school, at
which  four students contracted a
staph infection and the district was
forced to close the school’s weight
room. There are numerous cases
at high schools across the country
where students have been infected
and entire student bodies were
forced to evacuate campus until
the weight room and all classrooms
could be disinfected.
The first problem  with the
weight room lies in the manner in
which it is cleaned.  infection in a place like a gym smear on their hands that can only
“Sometimes we clean every day, or weight room is to wash your be washed off after multiple rinses
sometimes every other day,” Paly hands and cover up little cuts,” Al with soap.  That by itself should be
custodian Greg Berela said. “I’ll go Galvez, a licensed vocational nurse a sign of unsanitary conditions and
in and mop the floors, but nowadays at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation unhygienic management.
there’s weights all over the place and said.  “Ideally what you want is to   Most regular weight room
it’s impossible to clean. There’s no disinfect weight equipment after users don’t complain about the
supervisor and there are students in every person because if they hap- facilities because they simply don’t
there till six o’clock.” pen to have some kind of infection care, but this potentially danger-
While the irresponsible clutter and you could also get infected.” ous situation  is a problem for all
is understandably annoying to a If the weight room is disinfected students. A single case of MRSA at
custodian, mopping the floor does once a year, that leaves Paly students Paly could result in an outbreak that
little to prevent infection on the sur- at a very high risk of infection. would require the hospitalization of
face of the weight equipment. This, “At worst, the equipment many and school-wide cleaning. 
however, is not the fault of the cus- should be cleaned once a day,” Students need to realize that MRSA
todial staff, but Galvez said. can be fatal.
rather the fault Accord- When the science department
of the district
“Ideally what you want is to ing to Paly was contacted to try to obtain a
and administra- disinfect weight equipment after trainer Stacey bacteria testing kit, the depart-
tion  that does every single person.” Kofman, there ment refused to participate in what
not set a cleaning are cases of could possibly be a self-demeaning
standard for the ring worm investigation into their own admin-
weight room. 
Al Galvez (a skin fun- istration.
“We only PAMF Nurse gal disease) The simple solution is to have
clean the floor,” among wres- the weight room wiped down with
Berela said. “We tlers at Paly, disinfectant at least at the end of
go in and disinfect the equipment and which could potentially infect every day to avoid possible bacterial
the walls and everything once a year.” surfaces where heavy skin contact contamination. 
Assistant Principle Chuck Mer- occurs. Students who use the weight
ritt, who coordinates the custodial Several students have stopped room should also remember to clean
staff, did not even know if there were using the Paly weight room for up after themselves and put weights
sanitation codes for weight rooms. these various reasons and have back in their proper places so that
Students can come and go as joined health clubs and gyms in the janitorial staff can effectively
they please throughout the day the area, where the gym personnel do their job. 
until the doors are closed around 6 disinfect the equpment multiple This should act as a reminder
p.m. The weight equipment comes times a day.  for students to keep themselves
into contact with sweat, dirt and oth- “It’s pretty disgusting in there,” clean and at the least wash their
er fluids regularly, leaving the room a Paly junior Ahna Rao said. “I was in hands after every weight room work-
prime place for bacteria and disease. there the other day and I didn’t want out. With the number of athletes who  
Any athlete who uses the equip- to touch a single thing,” come into the weight room each
ment with an open wound or even Recent weight room users will day, already sweaty and dirty from
a small cut can be easily infected.  notice that using the dumbbells or team practices, it is surprising that Julia Benton/The Campanile
“The best way to avoid a skin barbells leaves a brown, rust-like Paly has not had a situation under The weight room equipment is disinfected only once a year, leaving it in
the current weight room conditions. an unsanitary state in which athletes can easily contract skin infections.

Students should not be dependent on computers for school

By Alex Greene
Staff Writer
In the Silicon Valley, the epicenter
of the computer industry, it makes
sense that teachers would widely ac-
cept and use the computer as a power-
ful learning tool. Although computers
have many benefits, their overuse has
drawbacks that leave some students at
a technological disadvantage.
Computers and the Internet are
used in most classes at Palo Alto High
School. For students, the degree of use
varies from occasionally typing up
papers, to receiving all assignments
over the Internet. Most students use
computers multiple times a week for
classwork, too.
The major concern with comput-
ers and any technology is whether or
not the school should require the use
of such expensive devices.
Although almost all Paly students
do own a computer, students should
not be required to buy a thousand-
dollar device when education should
be free. In the United States, equality
is highly valued. The right to an educa-
tion is seen as the great equalizer, as
education is usually linked to financial
and social success. Therefore, com-
puters should not be at all required
in classrooms but rather seen as an
optional alternative to handwriting
papers.
In addition to the financial set-
back of buying a computer, paying
for Internet connection and buying
ink for the printer, students are not
computer technicians. Work can be
deleted accidentally, e-mails often
bounce, printers break and computers
frequently freeze or get viruses. In
these situations, it can take hours to
fix a problem which could have been
avoided by not using the computer in
the first place.
Often, computers are implement-
ed in the classroom unnecessarily.
Time is often wasted on needless ac-
tivities for which the material could be
easily learned without computers.
In some science classes, when
starting a new unit, the laptops will be
handed out and the teacher will instruct
the class to go to Google or YouTube
to learn what they can about the topic.
This is a waste, as few students stay
on task and the content on many Web
sites is of poor quality.
For those who cannot afford to
buy a computer, just going to the li-
brary is not always a realistic option.
The Paly library is only open until 4
p.m. If a student plays a sport, has a
tutor, works or simply cannot finish
all of his or her computer-related
work within the hour after school,
then going to the Paly library is not a
viable option.
The next place one would go to
find a computer would be the city
libraries. Some of the public libraries
are open until 9 p.m, but in many cases,
the number of computers is limited,
as is the amount of time allowed on
them. Printing also carries a fee.
Students are expected to be able
to check their email and InClass ac-
counts daily. Other than homework
and projects assigned in class, it is un-
fair to require students to do anything
else on the Web. A student without
a computer would have to go to the
library just to check their e-mail. If a
teacher needs to tell the class some
information it should be stated in class.
E-mailing information should never
replace classroom instruction because
it puts some students at an incredibly
unfair disadvantage.
If teachers and students continue
to assign, collect and do work on the
Web, then one day students may find
themselves in a situation in which
going to school is obsolete and ev-
erything is done over the Web. Until
the technology is reliable and cheaper,
teachers should stick to paper assign-
ments and the classroom should not
spill over onto computers.

Library needs more funding to provide students with better resources

conducive to the needs of students. Even the
library’s structure is detrimental to its cause.
The high ceiling was originally intended for
a second story, but now merely hinders quiet
study with echoes and makes the heating
system inefficient.
Desks and ceilings are just the surface,
however: the library’s soul is rotting as its
collection of books becomes more and more
outdated with each passing year. Many books
in the non-fiction section serve little use save
as humorous relics of the past. That in itself
would not be so wrong; a little humor is ap-
preciated. It is when these books are ignored,
and worse, never replaced or augmented with
updated texts that the troubles begin. The
purpose of a library is to provide informa-
tion, and that purpose can only be served if
the information is updated frequently. Unless
Paly decides to switch to a costly all-digital
resource selection, it needs to provide more
Julia Benton/The Campanile current books to replace outdated volumes, a
Despite recent acts of vandalism and a collection of outdated books, Paly librarians have worked hard to provide students feat that would appear to be out of the library
with decent study materials. To better serve the school, the library requires more funding to buy brand-new resources. budget’s reach.
Clearly, the Paly librarians are doing all
By Ryan McLeod resources –– and indoor seats –– are in con- to notice that, due to a lack of funding, the they can to keep the library facilities current.
Staff Writer stant demand, as evidenced by the droves of library simply fails to meet the standards of In recent years, the library has seen upgrades
students that swarm into the hangar-like hall a quality school library. to student computer terminals, a new reading
If last month’s vandals had been think- during brunch, lunch, and passing periods, Despite the best efforts of the hardwork- area, and access to information databases
ing straight, they would have picked a better yet the library generally remains in a poor ing librarians, the Paly library has become a such as JSTOR. These additions are much
place to trash than the Palo Alto High School condition and is subject to extreme acts of decrepit, outdated facility. The library’s age appreciated, but essential items, such as
Library, an under appreciated institution that disrespect. The library is so much taken for is clearly reflected in the worn, broken and research books, need to come first, and the
takes enough abuse as it is. The library’s granted as a part of Paly life that students fail vandalized study carrels, which are hardly library simply does not have enough cash to
buy both. In fact, the annual library funding
is only $1,200, or 71 cents per student. In
an affluent community such as Palo Alto, a
proper school library is evidently worth less
per year than a month’s pay at minimum wage
for one person.
Fortunately, there is hope for the future of
the library. New librarian Rachel Kellerman
evidently plans to file a formal request for
$300 more in funding. That is enough to buy
about 20 paperbacks at Borders, or perhaps
replace one broken study carrel each year. It
is not a large sum, but every little bit helps.
Hopefully, this one request will draw attention
to the plight of the library.
One such hope is the $350 million bond
measure set to be voted on in June. Even a
small fraction of the money allotted to Paly
would allow the library to purchase much-
needed essentials. The second-story proposal
could even be revisited, which would provide
extra offices and classroom space to offset
overcrowding or even replace the aging tower
building facilities.
If the bond passes in June, the future of
the Paly library will look brighter. Although
the library staff has done an excellent job
with the limited resources available to them
in the past, it is far more productive to think
of what they could do with adequate funding.
Ironically, the issue of the Paly library’s sorry
state is perhaps the only one that can be solved
by just throwing money at it.

Overheard on the Quadd

“The “I only did it for
circumference “I can’t do
the Cheesecake
was like three
Factory.” anything about
feet!”
it. I was born
“You’re playing with that way.”
“You have a sister? me man — that cheese
...Is she hot?” tasted like crap!”
The Campanile

Sports February 20, 2008 A9

Student discovers the art of building skis

Lifelong skier Sam Rudy exercises his creativity, creating his own skis for his Humanities project
By Cassie Wedemeyer be the only person in the world who had that
Staff Writer pair of skis, and also that I would be able to
make any ski I wanted,” Rudy said.
When Palo Alto High School English Rudy’s final product was a success. On
teacher Kindel Launer’s second period Hu- his first run on the skis, he found that they
manities class presented their final projects, no were more usable on some types of snow
one was prepared for what junior Sam Rudy then others.
had to show. Each student had been required “They are a little softer than I wanted,”
to work on a creative project over the course Rudy said. “If I go on hard snow then they
of the semester, document their progress and don’t really work, but in powder they are
then present the final product to the class. great. I ended up landing on my side on a
Rudy saw the Humanities project as the rock though and kind of messed up the skis’
perfect opportunity to try building skis. tail a bit. It started to delaminate, but now
“It was  amazing how much time and I’m holding that together with duct tape, so
effort he put into his project,” junior Alyssa I’m all good.”
Burton said. Even though it was a long process, Rudy
“I’ve wanted to [build skis] since elemen- is convinced this isn’t a one-time project and
tary school,” Rudy said. “And so when I found considers building and riding his own skis as
out how, I just did.” part of his lifestyle.
Rudy has been skiing at Lake Tahoe since “I’m already working on my next pair,
he was two years old. He is a competitive skier which is an improved version of the first,”
on the Squaw Valley Ski Team, and travels Rudy said. “I also intend to make a mogul
with his team for competitions. ski that I can compete on.”
His project was a challenge, but Rudy had Although Rudy’s skis are successful for
decided that building his skis was going to him, he does not plan to make them for many
become a hobby and didn’t other people and
mind the extra effort and
time he ended up putting
“One thing that really made me want is not consider-
ing turning his
into making them. to make my own skis it was the idea hobby into a
“It was a ton of work that I would be the only person in the business.
and it cost a lot,” Rudy world who had that pair of skis.” “I might
said. “The good part is make a few pairs
the second pair will be for my friends
less work and much less Sam Rudy who I ski with
money.” junior and my family,
To make his skis, but other than
Rudy had to use a variety that I probably
of supplies to secure them. These included won’t make too many,” Rudy said.
polyethylene for the base, steel for the edges, After the process of building the press and
rubber and fiberglass for the outside and bam- his first pair of skis, Rudy found that although
boo for the core, all glued together with epoxy the project had been more expensive and
glue and heated to 170° F to cure. difficult than he had anticipated, he wanted
In addition to making the skis, Rudy also to continue building skis. He now has plans
made the necessary production equipment to use different materials and try new things
as well. with future pairs of skis.
As many juniors and seniors know, the “One thing I’m planning on using in my
final project for Paly’s Humanities class has future skis is carbon fiber — which is similar
lenient requirements and holds many possibili- to the fiberglass — but about five times as
ties, but still needs to show effort. Rudy’s class strong for its weight different types of wood
is convinced he succeeded in having both a for the core, and maybe a more durable plastic
creative idea and proving he did the work. then UHMW-PE (polyethylene) for the top
“Everyone in my class made an original sheet,” Rudy said.
project and we knew that he was making his Rudy may have spent more time and
own skis but we had no idea how much work money on his project than most of his class-
it took,” junior Sarah Nordman said. “He had mates, but he is pleased with his work.
to build a whole additional machine just to “It was for sure worth the work I put in,”
make them. His whole project was incredible. Rudy said. “It’s just cool to be able to say that
It did not look homemade at all.” I made my own skis and actually use them,
Rudy was satisfied as well. and that they work. I also like how no one Courtesy of Sam Rudy
“One thing that really made me want to else will ever have a pair of skis exactly like Junior Sam Rudy made his own skis for his Humanities project using bamboo for the core, polyethylene for the base
make my own skis was the idea that I would the ones I made.” and steel for the edges. Rudy has been skiing since he was two years old and is on Squaw Valley’s competitive ski team.

Girls’ soccer advances to CCS quarterfinals

By Zal Dordi
Staff Writer
The girls’ Varsity soccer team
recovered from their late season
struggles to earn a spot in the Central
Coast Section tournament quarterfi-
nals as of Friday, Feb. 15.
The team’s struggles began a few
weeks ago after suffering their worst
loss of the season, a 2-6  beating at
the hands of Los Gatos High School,
running the girls’ losing streak to
three games.
However, on Feb. 1, shortly after
the boys’ Varsity soccer team left the
Mayfield Soccer Complex with a
disappointing 1-0 loss to Henry M.
Gunn High School, the girls gave Palo
Alto High School fans something to
cheer for with a 6-0 victory over their
cross-town rivals.
It was not a challenging game
for the Vikings as they cruised with
ease over Gunn (4-15-1, 0-7-0) illus-
trating the true power of the Viking
offense. To begin the second half, Jenks
Though the league title is out of
the question, the Gunn victory was a
step in the right direction as the girls
attempt to salvage their league season
with a third place finish and Central
Coast Section Tournament  berth
behind frontrunners Los Altos and
Monta Vista High Schools.
On Feb. 4, the girls brought
their league record above the .500
mark with their second straight win,
this time defeating Homestead High
School by a final score of 3-2, mov-
ing to 5-4-1 in league play (13-4-1
overall).  standings with a win over Monta Vista.
The victory over Homestead was
not just three points in league. With
star midfielder captain Teresa Noyo-
la out due to illness, the girls proved
Sophomore Sophie Cain looks for a cross in a game held at Santa Clara High School against Cupertino High School. Despite the absence
of star player Teresa Noyola, Paly came out with a win, taking them to the CCS quarterfinals against Archbishop Mitty High School.
their ability to perform without their
international superstar.
After back-to-back victories
following a disappointing three-loss
streak, the girls put themselves back
on track to face second-place Monta
Vista at the Mayfield Soccer Complex
two days later.
The Vikings still had a chance
to climb back up near the top of the
A victory over the Matadors would
put the girls one point behind the
second-place Matadors and provide
the Vikings with momentum for their
game against Mountain View High
School and a guaranteed CCS berth.
The girls entered the Monta Vista
game down three important players.
Not only was Noyola unavailable due
to illness; but sophomores Kelly Jenks
and Maeve Stewart were also absent
as they were taking part in a Super-Y
Olympic Development Program.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, the
team could only muster a 1-1 tie at the
Mayfield Soccer Complex.
After 35 minutes in the first half,
senior captain Leah Gaeta finished a
shot giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
However, this small spark was
not enough to keep the girls up. The
Matadors maintained strong pres-
sure on Paly’s defense throughout
the match and eventually equalized
with a last minute strike, assuring the
Vikings would not snatch a second
place league finish.
“We played pretty well,” Head
Coach Ernesto Cruz said. “I thought
we had the game.”
With the draw, the Vikings re-
mained five points behind Monta Vista
and seven points behind league- leader
Los Altos.
Hannah McGovern/The Campanile
In an unfortunate way to close out
the regular season, the Vikings could
not find the net in their final match
against Mountain View.
The girls never could establish
themselves early on in the match.
Freshman goalkeeper Alex Ker-
shner mishandled a shot that led to
Mountain View’s first goal.
The Vikings could never recover,
turning out more than a subpar effort
in their final game of the season.
The poor performance not only
prompted Cruz to label the game as the
“worst game I have seen this season,”
but it also led to more questions for
the Viking squad as they struggled
without the midfield presence of their
captain Noyola.
The 1-0 loss dropped the Vikings
to a 5-5-2 record and fourth place in
league.
Due to their perfect preseason, the
girls were able to gain an “at-large”
berth to the CCS playoffs and face
Cupertino High School.
The Vikings traveled to Santa
Clara High School for their first game
of the postseason.
After a sluggish performance in
the season finale, the girls came out
strong with a solid performance on
both offense and defense. Junior Jessie
Duller got the Viking offense rolling
with the first strike to give Paly a lead
they would never relinquish.
Jenks, who started as the center
midfielder in place of Noyola, fol-
lowed suit by dribbling through the
Cupertino defense to put the Vikings
ahead 2-0 at the end of the first half.
scored yet again via the dribble making
it 3-0 Vikings.
Sophomore Caitlin Patterson
capped the scoring off with a driven
follow past the keeper, giving the Vi-
kings a 4-0 victory over Cupertino and
a berth into the CCS quarterfinals.
Girls’ Soccer
Scores
Mountain View H.S. @ Paly
Feb. 8, 0-1 L
Paly v. Cupertino H.S.
@ Santa Clara H.S.
Feb. 12, 4-0 W
A10 • February 20, 2008 Sports The Campanile

Boys’ basketball battles through injuries

Vikings remain resilient throughout the season, winning games without their star player
By Austin Smith
A&E Editor
In what was undoubtedly the turning point
of the season as the Palo Alto High School
boys’ Varsity basketball team lost 29-47 to
first place Cupertino High School, squander-
ing its chance to gain a share of the De Anza
League lead.
Since then, the team record has dropped
to 15-8 (6-4 in league) and the team currently
sits in third place behind Cupertino and rival
Henry M. Gunn High School.
The loss not only greatly jeopardized the
Vikings’ chances at winning a fifth straight
league title, but it was also the team’s first loss
at home since their first-round exit in the 2003
Central Coast Section playoffs.
“One thing about Cupertino is that they
gave it their absolute best,” senior guard Mike
Scott said. “They fought for loose balls, they
out-hustled us, but we definitely didn’t give
up. It seemed like they wanted it more than
we did.”
Cupertino proved to be troublesome for
Paly, serving up two of their three league losses.
In their first meeting with the Pioneers on Jan.
9, Paly suffered an embarrassing 29-35 loss
as their offense failed to score double digits
in any one quarter.
“Well I think [Cupertino] matches up
well,” Head Coach Peter Diepenbrock said.
“They have a good inside pressure on Dom
[Powell] and good ball handling. They’re able
to make it a half court game. They handled
our pressure well.”
During the same game, star guard and
team leader Scott suffered a sprained ankle in
the second quarter. The story for the Vikings
this season is how the team has coped with
an absent, or ailing, Scott.
“After my ankle injury our team felt like a
big something was missing,” Scott said. “That
big something was me sitting on the bench
with my shoes off and my ankle wrapped up
in an ice wrap.”
The Vikings struggled without Scott’s
leadership and aggressive play for the rest
of the Cupertino game. This season he aver-
ages 10.2 points, 2.6 assists and 3.1 steals
per game.
The injury also disrupted the Viking’s
offensive rhythm, allowing Cupertino to shut
Senior center Dom Powell evades three Los Gatos High School defenders and scores an uncontested layup in the Los
Gatos front court during a Paly victory. The Vikings found success this season despite an often inconsistent offense.
down the production of Paly’s offensive an-
chor, senior center Dom Powell, who averages
15.9 points per game.
However, the Vikings proved themselves
resilient. Even without Scott, the Vikings
proved their depth in victories over Milpitas
High School on Jan. 11 and Los Gatos High
School on Jan. 16.
Sophomore guard Joseph Lin and junior
guard Nick Robinson stepped up to fill in
Scott’s absence, calling attention to the team’s
up-and-coming talent. The Vikings know that
they have to utilize the depth on their bench to
be successful looking to the postseason.
“We lost a great player,” Lin said. “It was
definitely hard to play without him, but we
played surprisingly well against Los Gatos.
I think he would agree with that.”
Though Paly’s hopes of capturing the
league title dimmed, the team is optimistic
about the rest of the season and upcoming
playoffs. Unfortunately, Scott’s ailing ankle
may still keep him off the court and away
from helping the team in the playoffs. He
Elizabeth Petit/The Campanile
was still hobbling on the court against Los
Gatos and continues to suffer from slightly
limited mobility.
“The rehab is going okay,” Scott said.
“I work everyday doing exercises to make it
stronger. I’m dealing with a bad case of plantar
fasciitis, I think it will be a couple weeks until
I’m back to 100 percent.”
Plantsr fasciitis is the inflammation of the
underside of the heel that causes an abnormal
pronation of the foot. The Vikings are looking
to reverse their negative momentum as they
head towards the end of the season and into
the playoffs. Coming off the devastating loss
to Cupertino, the Vikings lost a hard fought
contest to Milpitas High School on Feb. 1.
Powell scored a season-high 23 points in the
game, but the team faded late and came up on
the short end of a 45-42 final score.Losing close
games is a problem for the team this season
for the Vikings. Their eight losses come at an
average gap of eight points, but half of them
are typically decided by five points or less.
“We don’t close out games too well,”
Lin said. “It has cost us a number of games
this season.”
The momentum seems to be turning
around now after a 48-37 triumph over Los
Gatos High School on Feb. 6. The players
pulled together in the absence of Scott, who
was dealing with a second bout of pain in
his ankle, and rallied around Powell’s 20
points.
“We have a strong inside game with
[Powell] and a good full court defense, so
we can create lots of turnovers for the other
teams,” Lin said.
The Vikings close out the regular season
on Feb. 15 when they host cross-town rival
Gunn High School. In the teams’ first meet-
ing, Paly celebrated a 45-35 victory over
the Titans. Powell moved easily through the
Gunn defense, contributing 17 points and six
rebounds in a performance that he looks to
repeat in the season finale.
“It’s time for me to dominate,” Powell
said. “I have to be a leader.”
Even at the end of the season, the Vikings
have a lot of work to do if they expect success
in the playoffs.
“We need to put a lot of attention on getting
better at our pressure defense and half-court
offense,” Diepenbrock said. “Next time we
face a top team, hopefully we will be better
at those two things.”
Scott does not worry about his team
though. He is confident that things will turn
around for just in time for the CCS playoffs.
“I think based on overall performance,
we’ve had a successful season so far,” Scott
said. “We have our downs from time to time,
but we always have our ups that bring us back
into the competition.”
Additional reporting done by Cassie Prioleau.

Girls’ basketball has persevered all through the season

By Allison Whitson
Staff Writer
The Palo Alto High School Var-
sity girls’ basketball team captured
their ninth victory of the season with
an important win over Fremont High
School on Feb. 12, winning 55-37.
The Vikings, who are 6-5 in league
and 9-12 overall going into the game
against Henry M. Gunn High School
on Feb. 15, needed to defeat Fremont
in order to even be considered for the
Central Coast Section playoffs, which
begin on Feb. 20.
This is the Vikings’ second win
in a row, as they defeated Los Gatos
High School 48-41 on Feb. 6 on their
home court, after losing to the Wildcats
just two weeks before.
Senior Liz Slater, with help from
junior point guard Olivia Garcia,
led the Vikings offense, scoring 23
points
“The game with Los Gatos was a
good win for the team,” Head Coach
Scott Peters said. “We did a great job
of executing our offense and I was
pleased with how we took care of
the ball.”
The Vikings have been successful
lately, winning four out of their last
five games.
On Jan. 29, the girls defeated
visiting Mountain View High School
47-41. Slater carried the team in the
second half, scoring 15 points and
grabbing personal best 16 rebounds.
Sophomore Mariah Philips con-
tributed 11 points as well.
“We slowed the game down and
made good passes,” Peters said. “Our
offense was much better and we made
good decisions.”
Paly carried the momentum from
this win into their next game against
Milpitas High School on Feb. 1, where
the team posted a respectable 53-43
victory. Slater led the Vikings with
a career-high 26 points, and crucial
contributions from Garcia helped the
Vikings secure the win.
Paly’s two-game winning streak
ended when the Vikings fell to cross-
town rival Gunn on Feb. 4.
The visiting Vikings stayed
close to the Titans who are currently
in second place in the league behind
Wilcox High School. Unfortunately,
they could not keep up in the second
half and ended up losing 43-19, despite
holding Gunn star Jasmine Evans to
only 11 points.
“We didn’t handle the pressure
well,” Peters said. “Gunn had the
momentum for most of the game.”
On a positive note, senior Nicole
Behr, who had ACL surgery last Sep-
tember and had been out for the season,
was cleared to play on Feb. 4.
“The team is excited to have Ni-
cole [Behr] practicing with them for
the first time this year,” Scott said.
“I’ll probably be playing next
week,” Behr said. “Hopefully for the
Fremont game.”
Peters is making Behr’s safety
and health a top priority.
“There is a chance she will play
in the Gunn game, which is Senior
Night,” Peters said before the con-
test.
Peters did not keep his word,
though. Behr played for the first
time this season in Paly’s game at
Fremont High School. She played a
crucial part in the Vikings’ offense,
scoring 8 points, helping the team
earn a CCS berth. Seniors Behr and
Slater were honored last Friday on
Senior Night.
Both girls have plans to play next
year as well. Slater is hoping to go to
Sonoma State University, where she
will focus on academics and hope-
fully walk onto their basketball team.
Behr is not sure what she is going to
do next year, but she will most likely
play as well.
As the season comes to a close,
Peters is proud of accomplishing one
of the goals his team set at the begin-
ning of the season.
“One of the main goals that the
team set for themselves at the begin-
ning of the season was to grow together
as a team,” Peters said. “I think we
have accomplished that goal.”
Overall, the season has been a
success.
“The journey of our season has
been fun one,” Peters said. “It is enjoy- Elizabeth Petit/The Campanile
able to be a part of a team that improves Freshman forward Katerina Peterson pulls up for a running 15-foot jump shot at the free throw line.
over the course of the season.” Despite losing three starters last year, the Vikings have achieved several of their goals this season.

Despite poor league finish, wrestlers strive for state meet

By Zach Harris
Staff Writer
Disappointing losses to Henry M. Gunn
and Milpitas High Schools and an injury suf-
fered by senior captain Cooper Newby have
left the Palo alto High School wrestling team
on a low note heading into the Central Cost
Section championships.
However, with an eighth place team fin-
ish at the league finals and a dual meet win
against Los Altos High School, Paly has set
its sights on the CCS championship, and for
some wrestlers, the state meet.
“Gunn was a tough loss and Cooper’s
[Newby] injury has really hindered us, but
right now we just need to focus on CCS,
hopefully we can do well there and then
send some wrestlers to state,” captain Patrick
Sheehan said.
Sheehan finished third in the 145 pound
weight class at the league finals and won
his matches against Gunn, Milpitas and Los
Altos.
He now has his sights set on the state final
at the end of the month.
Sheehan and seniors Ryan Drebin, Kevin
Hall and Cooper Newby, all have hopes of
placing high enough in CCS to qualify for
the state meet.
“They should all make the state meet,”
Head Coach David Duran said. “If Cooper is
back from his injury we should have a good
showing at state.”
Newby, who recently injured his knee,
missed the league finals but is hoping to be back
for the CCS and state meets. If he is able to
wrestle, Newby will wrestle a hardship match
to qualify for CCS. If he wins that match he
will then be added to the CCS finals rankings,
and have a shot to win and qualify for state. hair. All members of the team decided to This includes a first place finish from
In his absence the team has been motivated bleach their hair as they entered the post season Drebin, which is his second league champion-
to work even harder to because they wanted ship in two years. If Newby is able to wrestle
show support for their “[Bleaching our hair] really was a unifying factor that and wins his hardship match, he would be
teammate. would set them apart the eighth. The eighth place finish was not as
a bonding experience. We wanted
“Newby’s absence from other teams and high as most members of the team would have
has not really affected something that would distinguish the rest of the Paly liked, but they are now moving their focus to
our chemistry, it has us and now everyone on campus community. the upcoming CCS finals.
just made us realize knows who the wrestling team is. “It was really “It wasn’t exactly what we wanted, but
that we have to work a bonding experi- due to our injury situation it wasn’t horrible,”
even harder to do well
It really brought us together as a ence,” Sheehan said. senior Eliot Wilson said. “We expect to do
as a team,” junior Noah team.” “We wanted some- much better at CCS and state and finish the
Feldstien said. “He’s thing that would dis- season on a high note.”
definitely one of our best Patrick Sheehan tinguish us and now With the CCS and state meets rapidly
wrestlers, and knowing
he isn’t there makes us
junior everyone on campus
knows who the wres-
approaching, Feb. 22-23 and Feb. 29-Mar.
1 respectively, Paly wrestling does not have
all want to work a lot tling team is. It really very much time to prepare. Fortunately, quick
harder.” brought us together as a team.” recoveries from injuries and dedication are
The majority of Paly’s wrestlers will enter Paly had eight wrestlers place at the league looking to make a successful end of the year
the CCS finals with newly-bleached blonde finals and seven qualify for the CCS finals. run a reality for the wrestling team.
The Campanile
Paly athletes in good hands with Kofman
Physical therapist Stacy Kofman treats, consoles injured athletes by offering exercises for recovery
By Alan Chen
Staff Writer
Palo Alto High School is known for hav-
ing an outstanding athletics program. Last
fall, Paly took home league championships
in cross country, girls’ tennis and football.
But when one of the many star players at Paly
is injured, they go to see the only person on
campus who can help them: athletic trainer
Stacy Kofman.
Kofman is the school physical therapist
and trainer for Paly athletes. She helps injured
athletes recover and get back to playing their
sport as soon as possible.
“Basically, I evaluate the injury and then
offer some exercises that can help the athlete’s
recovery process,” Kofman said.
One of the many athletes that Kofman
has treated is senior Ariel Wagner. Diagnosed
with bursitis, inflammation of the bursa in
the shoulder, in her sophomore year, Wagner
decided to visit Kofman during swim season
last spring.
Contrary to the doctor that diagnosed
Wagner, Kofman identified her shoulder pains
as being simply muscle pain, saying that
bursitis was not commonly found in people
of Wagner’s age.
“She constantly told me that I didn’t
have bursitis,” Wagner said. “She told me
that bursitis was only found in elderly people,
and that someone of my age and health would
have hardly any chance of being diagnosed
with it. To help correct my shoulder pains,
she gave me some strengthening exercises to
do. They seemed to work, but they made my
arms very tired.”
On a separate occasion, Wagner visited
Kofman when she popped her shoulder out
of its socket.
“Unlike other people I’ve gone to, she
directly popped it back into place and gave
me some ice to reduce the swelling,” Wagner
said. “She did it really quickly and I felt better
afterwards.”
Kofman has also treated freshman tennis
player Janet Liu. Liu, who was experiencing
leg pains, turned to Kofman for advice as
well.
Kofman explained to Liu that her soring
leg pain was only a minor injury and wrapped
her leg to prevent further damage. In addi-
tion, Kofman explained to Liu what exactly
PALY SPORTS COVERAGE WILL
NEVER BE THE SAME
Athletic trainer Stacy Kofman helps to stretch out senior baseball player Tyger Pederson before a practice. Kofman spends
most of her time either stretching or caring for sore and injured athletes as well as teaching her sports medicine class.
the problem was to prevent future injuries
and taught her how to keep her leg in good,
healthy condition.
Liu recalls her experience with Kofman
as being straightforward and simple.
“When I went to visit Kofman, I basically
pointed to where my leg hurt and she took care
of it,” Liu said. “When she wrapped my leg,
I was still able to play my matches with little
to no irritation. Plus, her explanations of my
leg pains really helped me to keep it in good
condition. ”
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Sports
While Kofman has treated many athletes
for injuries, she has also received her fair share
of physical therapy.
In high school she was an avid athlete,
playing soccer, water polo, basketball and
softball for her school.
But due to chronic knee pain, which
she said was due to how her body grew, she
needed constant physical therapy to correct
her growth pattern. During these sessions,
she learned exercises that would help her
heal her knee. As she attended more physical
New! From Palo Alto Online
Stacy Levichev/The Campanile
therapy classes, she realized how interesting
and helpful they were.
“I actually liked my physical therapy,”
Kofman said. “It was able to help my knee
condition, allowing me to continue playing
in sports. After a while, I decided to turn my
interest to helping other injured people get
better.”
Her experiences in physical therapy
convinced her to become a physical therapist
and help other athletes that are out of com-
mission.
February 20, 2008 • A11
But in order to become a certified physi-
cal therapist, people who intend to go into
the career need to take the pre-med courses,
Kofman said.
Kofman took an intense internship-based
program, which required over 1800 hours of
personal experience, along with other required
classes.
In addition, she took other courses such
as Kinesiology (the study of the mechanics of
movement in the human body) and anatomy
to help further her knowledge of the human
body, without which she would not be able
to correctly understand each individual’s
injuries.
Once Kofman took the necessary courses,
she worked for a company at Stanford Uni-
versity called Healthself, which is an outreach
program that helps injured athletes in the
local area.
Through the program, Kofman was sent
to work at Paly to help the injured student
athletes.
“Through Healthself, I would come to
Paly, usually in the morning, and help out
the students a couple times a week,” Kof-
man said.
As she frequented Paly more and more,
she decided that she wanted to teach her own
Sports Medicine class at Paly to teach students
about the importance of healthy exercising and
asked the Palo Alto Unified School District
Board of Education to approve her class.
Eventually, the school board approved
her request to teach Sports Medicine and she
soon became a teacher at Paly.
Although her primary interest was still
physical therapy, she did not need to wait long
before a job opened. When Kofman was of-
fered the job as the school physical therapist,
she took it.
Currently, Kofman works as the campus
physical therapist and the Sports Medicine
and Physical Education teacher. However,
her highest priority is to help the athletes that
need rehabilitation.
Though she said her job is rewarding,
there are certain aspects of it that she favors
over others.
“My favorite part of the job is being able
to see athletes recover from their injuries and
get back in their sport,” Kofman said, “while
my least favorite is seeing athletes that think
their injuries will simply go away.”
A12 • February 20, 2008 Sports The Campanile

Boys’ soccer aims to finish the season strong

Team takes second in league, goes into CCS with eighth place seeding
By Sam Jones Senior Scott Ostrau gave an exceptional that the Vikings are in the CCS tournament,
Sports Editor performance, scoring in the seventh minute penalty kicks could end up deciding a game.
and adding another goal early in the second “There have already been five ties this
The Palo Alto High School boys’ Varsity half. Freshman Ricky Minno and sophomore season, so games could quite possible go
soccer team continues to succeed despite Jenner Fox also contributed goals in a 4-1 down to PK’s [penalty kicks],” said Wilson.
inconsistencies this season, and is looking to dismantling that secured a second place league “If that somehow happens, we’re confident
secure a berth in the Central Coast Section finish for the Vikings. that we will come out on top.”
tournament with a 12-4-5 overall record. The Vikings feel a strong sense of pride The squad entered postseason with a lot
The Vikings are 7-4-2 in league play and for their successful but inconsistent regular of momentum, thanks to two huge wins to
finished the regular season, capturing a second season. close out the season.
place finish in the De Anza Division of the “Even though we would have liked to “The team is pretty poised and ready to
Santa Clara Athletic Valley League. contend with Los Gatos for the league title, start the tournament,” Kelly said. “We know
“We are pretty happy finishing the regular the guys feel proud about what we’ve done that we are one of the best teams in the area,
season in this position,” senior Max Wilson so far this year,” Kelly said. “We placed so we’re looking forward to playing some
said. “Finishing second in the league and go- second in one of the hardest leagues in the really competitive games.”
ing undefeated in the preseason made this a Central Coast Section, so we have nothing to The Vikings opened the CCS tournament
great season so far.” complain about.” with a dramatic night game at Sequoia with
The Vikings faced off against cross-town Despite the squad’s frequent offensive the team’s season on the line. The opposing
rival Henry M. Gunn High School on Feb. woes, the defensive line of the Vikings Cherokees controlled the pace at the outset
1. The match with Gunn was crucial for the demonstrated defensive mastery in the past of the game, frustrating the Paly squad with
Vikings to stay in contention for the SCVAL few games. The squad believes in the mantra their quickness and ball control.
title. “defense wins championships,” and contin- “We were getting beat up at first,” Wilson
The match was a brutal and physical ues to improve upon their strong play during said. “For the first ten minutes or so we made
contest with plenty of fouls on both sides of each game. a lot of mental mistakes that could have cost
the field. “We are a really strong defensive team,” us big.”
The Titans racked up four yellow-cards Kelly said. “The lock-down play has always However, the Vikings battled back and
and a red-card, but been a lifeblood of the began to assert their hard-nosed style of play.
their bruising play program.” The Paly mid-game surge was capped off by a
controlled the pace
“Even though we would have liked The Paly offense tap in by Ostrau off of a Zernik cross, giving the
of the game. to contend with Los Gatos for the was inconsistent at the Vikings a 1-0 lead with a half left to play.
Gunn punched league title, the guys feel proud end of the regular sea- The second half was a dead-even contest.
the ball past junior about what we’ve done so far this son, which prompted The Vikings played defensively while Sequoia
goalie Peter Johnson them to try out new pushed to even the score, but the Vikings’ stel-
in the 36th minute,
year.” combinations of play- lar midfield and defensive lines held strong.
and did not relinquish ers on the front line. The game ended with a 1-0 score, a
the lead for the rest of Ian Kelly “We like to rotate hallmark victory for the defensive-minded
the game, leading to senior players on the of- Paly team.
a disappointing 0-1 fensive front,” Kelly “Our midfielders and defenders played
loss for the Vikings. said. “That way, we outstanding defensively,” Kelly said. “They
The loss against Gunn was Paly’s first can always try different combinations if we really won the game for us.”
since 2003, and a major let down for a previ- aren’t scoring.” Despite their huge win, the players still
Michela Fossati-Bellani/The Campanile
ously successful Viking squad that entered the The Vikings entered the CCS tournament see need for improvement in their game.
game with a great deal of momentum. as the eighth seed, slotted to play against Se- “The team played a bit sloppy today Paly junior Michael Hanabusa stiff arms an opponent in a match against Los
It also dropped the Vikings out of the race quoia High School on Feb. 13. Paly already and we had a few breakdowns,” Wilson said. Altos. The Vikings’ vigorous defense earned them second place in their league.
for the SCVAL league title, forcing the team defeated Sequoia once this year in preseason “Fortunately, we were able to capitalize on one
to play well in order to secure a berth in the play. big play and hold strong defensively.” to the next round and playing this Saturday
CCS tournament. “We were definitely feeling confident
Badly needing a win to reclaim some about our chances against Sequoia because
The offense was held in check for the
most part, and the players know that this must
[Feb. 16].”
The Vikings faced off on Feb. 16 against
Boys’ Soccer
of its earlier momentum, the Viking defense we beat them earlier without one of out best be addressed to have a chance at winning the first seed South San Francisco High School.
came up big against Santa Clara High School players, Kevin Ashworth,” Kelly said. “It CCS crown. South San Francisco is currently 19-1 and is the Scores
on Feb. 4. should be a great game, as both our team “We had a lot of dead balls on offense, league champion for the PAL-Ocean division. Saratoga @ Home
Junior Kevin Ashworth scored a header and their team have really improved over the and that needs to change,” Kelly said. “We The Warriors will provide tough competition February 6, 4-1 W
off of a kick by junior Adam Zernik at the course of the season.” found a way to score, but the guys know that for the Vikings in the next round. Sequoia @ Sequoia
30-minute mark. Sequoia plays with a unique trapping our offense needs to produce if we want to The Vikings are confident and poised to
February 13, 0-1 W
The Vikings’ back line played spec- defense, so the Vikings practiced various continue on.” continue their run in the CCS tournament.
tacularly throughout the entire game, holding tactics to counter this. Nevertheless, the squad feels great about “Obviously there’s a lot of luck in-
onto the lead on course to an important 1-0 “We practiced a lot of transition strategies its first round win, and looks forward to the volved, but we definitely have the talent and Upcoming games
victory. to catch them off guard,” Wilson said. next game, which should prove an even stiffer the chemistry to go all the way this year,” CCS Quarter Finals
The Vikings had a successful close to Another focus in practices is making challenge. Wilson said. “The team has big expectations South San Francisco @ Burlingame
their season against Saratoga High School penalty kicks, which was a factor in the rest “We earned this victory, without a doubt,” for this postseason, and we’re ready to play February 16, 12:00 noon
on Feb. 6. of the season due to constant ties. But now Kelly said. “We’re psyched about moving on with anyone.”

Determined senior swimmer races to Olympic Trials

By Alexi Dagan
Sports Editor
While most high school seniors
see second semester as a time to
relax, Palo Alto High School senior
Liv Jensen is doing just the opposite.
This spring, Jensen will race in the
National Club Swimming Associa-
tion’s junior nationals in Orlando, Fl,
in an attempt to qualify for the Olym-
pic Trials in the 100- and 200-meter
freestyle events.
Jensen already qualified for
the Olympic trials in the 50-meter
freestyle event with a time of 26.17
seconds last summer at the USA swim-
ming nationals in Indianapolis, IN.
She now hopes to make the cut
in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle
events.
“Now that I have made the cut [in
the 50-meter free], I am more deter-
mined to achieve my fullest potential,”
Jensen said. “I am able to see more
clearly where everything going.”
Jensen first became inspired to
start swimming when she watched the
1996 Summer Olympics on television.
After watching the Olympic swim-
mers, she insisted that her mom sign
her up for swim lessons.
She began swimming for her
local swim club, PASC (Palo Alto
Swim Club), now called PASA (Palo
Alto Stanford Aquatics), at the age
of seven.
“At first, I mostly swam IM
[individual medley], but I developed
into more of a sprinter as I got taller,”
the 6’2” Jensen said.
Some of Jensen’s greatest accom-
plishments on her road to the Olympic
Trials include winning the 400-meter
relay at senior nationals last summer
and tying the 50-yard freestyle Central
Coast Section record time at the CCS
championships last year.
“Whenever I would win a race
when I was younger I would always
be like ‘wow, now I’m really fast,’”
Top Right and Bottom Left: Courtesy of Liv Jensen, Top Left and Bottom Right: Michela Fossati-Bellani/The Campanile
Jensesn said. “Now I feel like it’s
Palo Alto High School senior Liv Jensen, who swims for PASA and Paly, will compete in the junior much more of a continuous develop-
nationals this spring. Jensen hopes to reach the Olympic Trials in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter free. ing process.”
Jensen’s coaches also recognize phasis on the team as a whole,” Jensen
her talent and appreciate her contribu- said. “During the Paly season there
tion to her swim teams. is much more of a team atmosphere,
“Liv has been a positive influence everyone cheers for their teammates.
to our team,” PASA Head Coach Tony We’re like one big family.”
Batis said. “She has been with us since Jensen’s teammates were also
she was eight and has grown into one there for her this summer in Indianapo-
of the top high school swimmers in lis when she made the Olympic trials
the country.” cut in the 50-meter freestyle.
She was also a part of the 200- “I had been there for a previous
meter medley relay that broke the meet when she just barely missed the
national record last year, and then cut, and we were all nervous for her,”
re-set it after it was broken by another Fotsch said. “There was no question
team. in my mind that she could get it, and
The record-breaking relay also when she did we were all so happy for
included Paly senior and fellow team- her, it actually felt like I had gotten
mate Colleen Fotsch. it myself.”
“Liv really gives a positive atmo- Batis believes that her immense
sphere to any team, and helps people success is due to her dedication, goals
to realize their potential,” Fotsch and positive attitude about her swim-
said. “Before talking to her I never ming and about others.
would have “While
even thought she has quali-
about trying
“Liv has been a positive influence fied for Olym-
to qualify for to our team. She has been with us pic Trials, she
the Olympic since she was eight and has grown has a big upside
trials. The into one of the top high school for many other
second time positive things
we swam the
swimmers in the country.” to happen in
relay the air her career,”
quality was Tony Batis Batis said.
really bad and PASA Head Coach Her goals
everyone, in- for the Paly
cluding Liv, season this
was getting sick, but she really took the year include breaking the 50- and
leadership initiative and encouraged 100-yard freestyle records in CCS.
everyone to do their best.” Next year, whether she makes
As Jensen looks forward to junior the Olympic team or not, Jensen will
nationals this spring and the Olympic attend the University of California at
Trials in Omaha, NE. at the end of Berkeley, where she was recruited for
June, she has not forgotten her com- swimming.
mitment to the Paly swim team. “If I did make the team, I think it
“On the Paly team Liv is a captain, would show me how far my abilities
and even though she doesn’t have can take me, and I would be able to use
that official title on PASA, everyone it as a learning tool,” Jensen said.
recognizes her great leadership abili- Jensen says that optimism has
ties,” Fotsch said. contributed greatly to her success.
While both of Jensen’s swim “I’ve gotten this far on hard work
teams are very different from one and not limiting myself,” Jensen said.
another, she said that she does not “That’s a major component of how I
prefer one over the other. swim. I know there’s not a big pos-
“My club team, PASA, is more sibility for me to make the Olympic
focused on improving oneself, while team, but I’m not letting that stop me
on the Paly team, there is more em- from trying.”
The Campanile
Life styles
Where’s the
compromise?
Chris Clayton
Politics these days is largely
characterized by extreme partisan-
ship. Although we occasionally see
Republicans and Democrats unite to
pass bipartisan legislations, more often
has George Bush’s presidency been
characterized by a type of “my way
or the highway,” as evident from his
constant veto threats and fear tactics
to force legislation he desires. Unfor-
tunately, this type of policy allows for
no compromise whatsoever, leaving
the Democrats and Republicans in
Congress essentially attempting to
gain majority votes in order to pass
legislation over Mr. Bush’s veto. This
partisanship is further exacerbated by
the control by the opposite parties of
Congress and the White House. Mr.
Bush simply refuses to accept any of
the Democratic legislation, nor will
the they accept legislation that Mr.
Bush proposes.
The result of this partisanship is
the lack of activity in Washington,
which means, the lack of construc-
tive activity. And, when Mr. Bush
and Congress finally accept a piece of
legislation, it is inevitably some form
of compromise between Democratic
and Republican principles.
That compromise facilitates con-
structive legislation and its passing is
a fact that Mr. Bush, in his ideological
adamancy, appears to have forgotten.
Apparently, he, during his presidency,
has forgotten the history of progress
in the United States, and of how
much of this progress was founded
upon compromise. Our Constitution
would not exist as it is now had the
Federalists and Anti-Federalists, or at
least their equivalents at the time, not
incorporated numerous compromises
into the Constitution, including the
inclusion of a bicameral legislature.
As Advanced Placement United States
History teacher Jack Bungarden so
aptly states, our country was founded
on three things: compromise, compro-
mise and compromise.
This is not to say that Mr. Bush
and other politicians should “compro-
mise away” their beliefs continuously.
However, they should be willing to
sacrifice, to an extent, their absolute
ideals to ensure practical legislation
that will not only uphold the ideals of
the respective politicians, but also to
actually pass the legislation. Political
values are useless if they remain in a
committee, or are vetoed immediately
by the president, and so both parties
must accept compromise in order to
actually pass legislation.
2008 is an important year for the
United States, as it signifies a change
in presidency, from George Bush
to whomever the general populace
elects. Currently, Barack Obama, Mike
Huckabee, John McCain and Hillary
Clinton are the frontrunners, and for
the most part each promises some
type of change. For the most part,
however, these four candidates offer
changes in policy from that of Mr.
Bush, rather than change in the actual
political system. However, the primary
focus of each of these four candidates
should be not simply altering policy,
but altering the way politicians interact
G e l - i c i o u s day by the bay:
with one another.
Regardless of whom the general
populace elects, whether Democrat
or Republican, that person, as presi-
dent, will accomplish substantially
less as president if he or she fails to
compromise, regardless of whether
the Congressional majority belongs to
that candidate or not. I recognize that
not all political ideals can be compro-
mised. However, the extent to which
compromise has been absent during
Mr. Bush’s presidency is absurd.
Most people consider it so im-
portant that a candidate representing
their political party be elected. What
they forget is the equal importance of
electing a candidate who is willing to
compromise when necessary, so as
to produce actual accomplishments
during the four or eight years of that
candidate’s presidency.
Features • A&E • People Wednesday, February 20, 2008
http://honesttoblog.blogspot.com/
My Blog
HONEST TO BLOG
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Like those of many other vloggers, Hahn’s audience consists
By Gloria Yu
Staff Writer of random groups of people.
“It always surprises me when I see who is watching,” Hahn
Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, Palo Alto and its resi- said. “Sometimes there are people I know in real life that watch,
dents are surrounded by an inevitable atmosphere of technology and I had no idea that username was them. And of course, I have
that supports new forms of entertainment and expedient ways of some creepers. That’s not surprising.”
communication. Technology has gone so far as to sweep through Hahn, who uses Apple’s iMovie and Final Cut Express, makes
the Palo Alto High School campus with its most recent trend, Web vlogs concerning a variety of topics including religion, politics and
logging (blogging) and video logging (vlogging).
Blogging is the art of a personalized Web page, much in the
HOW DO YOU RECORD YOUR “It always surprises me when I see who is
THOUGHTS? form of an online journal, with frequent entry posts. Similarly,
vlogging is when a user blogs, but articulates his or her ideas
watching ... And of course, I have some
through videos instead of text. Both have become Internet phe- creepers. That’s not surprising.”
nomena and are popular searches on YouTube and Facebook.
Paly junior Tess Bellomo began vlogging two years ago Evan Hahn, sophomore
and became interested in the hobby of vlogging through ex-
perimentation. By simply carrying a camera with her and taking subjects of peer interest, such as his recent video entitled “Check
short, random video clips of friends and family, and later putting Out Ma Grillz,” in which he raps about his new braces. Hahn also
those clips together and editing them, Bellomo entered the world takes requests from users who submit comments on his videos.
of video logs. “Some people tell me to do random stuff like eat a bag of
“My brother and I used to constantly make movies with our- chips,” Hahn said. “The feedback I receive is usually positive, but
BLOG ARCHIVE selves or our toys as the actors,” Bellomo said. “Then we’d add a the negative stuff is much more worthwhile to read.”
soundtrack, edit it and show it to our parents.” As well as making videos addressing specific, usually random
Vlogging gives Bellomo a sense of pride because she creates a issues, Hahn also performs as the star in music videos. Hahn cur-
masterpiece out of something as ordinary as home videos. rently has 225 uploaded videos on his most active account, www.
“I love always being able to have memories on film,” Bellomo youtube.com/wheresthebrain, 80 uploaded videos on his own Web
said. “It makes me feel very safe. I like the idea that one day in 30 site and 16 on another Web page. All these videos not only serve as
years I will be able to watch some video of my friends being crazy a way to consume his free time, but are also used as encouragement
Sites to blog and dancing around and get joy out of that.” for others to enter the world of vlogging.
- facebook
“I know I’ve inspired a few people to make [their own] videos,”
- myspace
- blogger “I like the idea that one day in 30 years I will Hahn said. “But for the most part, it’s inspired the masses to waste
- xanga
be able to watch some video of my friends even more time in front of their computers, which is something I’m
- Yahoo!
- livejournal glad to have done. That makes world domination so much easier.”
- wordpress being crazy and get joy out of that.”
Paly class of 2009 student Jessica Cruz, who now attends
Sites to vlog
Foothill Middle College, was influenced to vlog by watching other
- FreeVlog Tess Bellomo, junior
- Youtube people’s videos. She began vlogging in early Jan. 2008 after putting
- facebook
up random clips of her friends on Facebook. Cruz later went on to
- on your own website!
Bellomo sees vlogging as a way to explore and expand the voice her own opinions in self-starring vlogs.
creative mind. While Bellomo creates vlogs for her creative self, “I started watching people on YouTube who were vlogging and
VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE
sophomore Evan Hahn vlogs and blogs for his own enjoyment. I thought that they were really entertaining, even if they were just
According to Hahn, he originally began vlogging for fame. He rambling about absolutely nothing,” Cruz said. “They were just fun
Subscribers started vlogging two years ago and hopes to obtain a job in the film to watch, so I decided to start vlogging too.”
industry when he is older, even though he said vlogging is just a Cruz sees vlogging as an outlet to express her feelings. Cruz
Jessica Cruz
vlogger
hobby. While vlogging may come more naturally for others, vloggers said she simply has too much on her mind and has a tendency to
like Hahn sometimes have to make a few adjustments to become speak her opinions whether or not people listen to them. For this,
accustomed with the process of vlogging when first starting out. she is thankful to have her vlog.
“My videos were mostly improvised,” Hahn said. “I usually plan “It’s just straight out fun, and if there’s random stuff on my mind,
Ashley Lamb
blogger what I’m going to talk about, but I don’t really know exactly what I can let it out and have a lot of people hear me,” Cruz said.
I’m going to say. I turn on the camera and talk a bit, and then I do The Internet is a very resourceful place for vloggers like Cruz
it again after I’ve figured out more exactly what I’m going to say. I to post their videos. With many avid viewers and opinionated com-
usually have several takes before I get exactly what I want.” mentary to her videos, vlogging helped Cruz become more confident
Hahn’s interest in video production set off a spark of interest in front of the camera and more comfortable with expressing her
that has today become his vlogging obsession. opinions.
“I make videos to get better at it so that 10 years from now, I “It’s a really fulfilling experience because you get to let people
might be making something that’s actually worth watching,” Hahn from all around the world know what’s going on in your head by
said. “At the moment, most of my videos are a waste of time.” just one click,” Cruz said. “Hopefully I’ll still be vlogging when
Hahn, who vlogs under the alias “Wheresthebrain,” hopes to I’m older. It would be nice to see the progress I’ve made because
inform and entertain his audience with his vlogs. He posts videos right now its awkward talking to a camera since I’m so new at it.
on Youtube and Facebook, and even has his own Web site, www. But in the near future I can definitely see myself vlogging, maybe
wheresthebrain.com. even about a specific topic that I suddenly feel strongly about. You
“Usually, I won’t talk about my personal life in my vlogs, be- never know.”
cause I think that’s boring,” Hahn said. “It’ll be me singing dumb
songs and making farting noises.” See VBLOGS, Page B5
A&E A&E FEATURES
developing
arresters
B11
By Julia Benton
best hangout spots
By
Pauline
in san francisco B3
Slakey By Jillian Liu B10
B2 February 20, 2008
Features
Avoiding the
robocracy
Zach Harris
In the Internet-based, social
network-connected, high-speed
world in which our generation lives,
Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s word
choice just isn’t cutting it. The Web site
www.urbandictionary.com, an online
dictionary of slang compiled by people
around the world complete with parts
of speech and example sentences,
has come to comprise a surprising
amount of the teenage vocabulary.
Urban Dictionary’s word of the day
page has all but replaced that “word of
the day calendar” you got from Mom
last Christmas.
While it may not be useful in
sixth period Humanities or third period
AP English, Urban Dictionary has
certainly improved the quality and
variety of quad discussions over my
three years at Paly. Because of Urban
Dictionary’s easy accessibility, there
is a lot clutter. This is most notable on
pages for ambiguous first names, usu-
ally overrun with definitions made by
bitter ex-girl/boyfriends mocking their
one-time suitors or friends playing a
joke that only they will understand.
Despite these hindrances, it is usually
not hard to find the definition of “that
word they said on Rob and Big [an
MTV television show].”
With the presidential elections
looming, Urban Dictionary has also
become a place for political slang.
Some recent additions to the urban
dictionary database include:
“BaracKool:” The principal
whereby whatever a cool person
does becomes the way to appear
cool for non-cool people. This refers
to Democratic presidential hopeful
Barack Obama whose “cool” policies
have often been adopted by other
candidates.
“Hilldog:” A nickname for Demo-
cratic presidential candidate Hillary
Rodham Clinton, used in questions
such as “Hilldog, what’s your stance
on the Iraq war?”
Not surprisingly, Barack Obama
has cornered the market on positive
urban dictionary entries, a reflection
of his success with youth voters.
Without Urban Dictionary, I’m
afraid that conversation at Paly would
strictly consist of the words “hella,”
“awesome,” “tight” and various ho-
mophobic slurs. And while the word
“hella” is to the Bay Area as “wicked”
is to Boston, it is time to expand our
slang glossary.
I strongly urge every single Paly
student to read Urban Dictionary’s
“Word of the Day” everyday and use
the words in everyday social circum-
stances (and in class if appropriate).
This would hopefully create a high
school community with the largest
collective slang lexicon the world
has ever seen.
Some of my favorite Urban Dic-
tionary entries include:
“Googleganger,” similar to a dop-
pelganger, is another individual with
the same name as you, whose records
and/or stories are mixed in with your
own when you Google yourself.
In other words, “Hey, I just
Googled my name and found that I
have three Googlegangers!”
Another favorite is “robocracy,”
or government run by robots. They
will be able to lie and have scandals
more efficiently than humans.
For example, “Vote Candidatebot
4000 in 2008 or be processed for
organs.”
“Hobosexual,” adjective. The
opposite of metrosexual; one who
cares little for one’s own appearance.
Picture people like Michael Moore
and Peter Jackson.
To make this school-wide slang
vocabulary a reality, everyone must
do their part.
Take a minute before leaving for
school and look up the Urban Diction-
ary “Word of the Day,” sign up for
the word of the day phone updates or
finally put those library computers
to good use and fill your daily slang
subscription during your prep.
If we can actually make this plan
a reality, hopefully we can avoid the
inevitable robocracy.
The Campanile
Facebook cyberbullying offends Paly students
Students use online applications to anonymously insult others with harsh comments
hatebook
By Miki Kenrick didn’t understand what I ever did to
Staff Writer girls to make them hate me so much. I
got a two page comment on Compare
Many teens use the Internet to Some Facebook People that said the meanest things I
instant message, share pictures and have ever read. I found out later that it
applications have
even to work together on homework, was from my supposed best friend.”
become venues for
but thanks to Facebook and other new Some students feel that a clear
cyberbullying at Paly.
online applications, teens are using the way to avoid the issue of bullying on-
Internet as a means to bully others. line is to not go online whatsoever.
“People started leaving some Honesty Box “I don’t use Facebook because it’s
mean messages and I thought it would Through Honesty Boxes, an unnecessary waste of time,” Paly
be over and that they would leave me students privately and senior “Josh” said. “It does nothing
alone but the messages kept coming anonymously voice their but create drama. It’s disgusting how
in,” said Palo Alto High School student true opinions of each other. so many people’s lives revolve around
“Jake,” who, like all the sources in this such an insignificant thing as the crap
story, wishes to remain anonymous.
Recently, Facebook has given Compare People that they put up on Facebook.”
According to the Pew Internet
users the ability to add applications Students rank each other in and American Life Project Report on
to their profiles that include arcade categories like attractiveness Teens, 55 percent of teens nationwide
games and virtual gifts. While most and intelligence and
who have access to the Internet are on
applications seem harmless, others are comment anonymously on
MySpace or Facebook.
their rankings.
causing a stir among Paly students. However, in an affluent com-
“Honesty Box” is one Facebook munity such as Palo Alto where the
application through which people can majority of teens have access to the
anonymously post anything they want Hot or Not Internet and computers of their own,
about the person. Students rate each other’s this percentage is suspected to be
Because of this anonymity, many “hotness” anonymously on much higher.
teens have used this application to a scale of 1 to 10 and look Linda said it is frustrating that
leave mean and abusive comments in at each other’s statistics. online bullies rarely see consequences
their peers’ Honesty Boxes. for their grave actions.
Since so many Paly students have Photo courtesy of jupiterimages.com “When my dad went to the Fa-
access to Facebook, cyberbullying has themselves feel superior, but they’re There are other students, how- “Someone on Compare People cebook Office [in Palo Alto] to find
become more prevalent in the Paly just making themselves look more ever, who feel that the blame lies with voted me as prettiest face and I got out who wrote the two page letter
student community. pathetic.” the bullies themselves. some really mean comments on to me, they said that they were not
Before he cancelled the applica- While many people may blame “The application was created them like ‘ew’ and ‘that’s disgust- authorized to give that information
tion, Jake’s peers left him anonymous Facebook for the damages that these with the intention of being nice and ing,’” Mary said. “It just made me out,” Linda said. “No matter how
bullying comments, such as “U R A applications have incurred, Jake feels supporting your friends, but as always, feel really horrible about myself for horrible the comment was, unless it
FAG....switch schools,” and “gay fag, differently. teenagers seem to take them too far no reason.” says something like ‘I’m going to kill
no life, ugly girlfriend.” “I don’t think it’s Facebook that sometimes,” Paly senior “Mark” said. The most aggravating part of the you’ or ‘I’m going to punch you,’ they
Many students who use Facebook is to blame for this,” Jake said. “It’s “People should be mature enough to Compare People application is that cannot reveal who wrote it. He went
to bully each other do not leave nega- merely a host for the applications, not attack people personally in their Facebook users can be nominated to the police station next and they said
tive comments directly on each other’s but I do think that it is the application Honesty Box.” for a poll even if they do not have the the same thing. The comment was so
profiles because their identities would developer’s fault. Their applications In addition to the Honesty Box, application, Mary said. horrible that the more I read it, the
be made public. do more harm than good. Facebook other applications such as “Compare “It was annoying that I saw my more I believed it was true and the
In anonymous Honesty Box com- is trying to keep a policy of neutral- People” allow them to bully their picture on some of my friends’ pages more upset I got.”
ments though, students are not afraid ity.” peers. In Compare People, photos of and I don’t even have the application,” Facebook should force the ap-
to go all out, holding nothing back. Henry M. Gunn High School two random students are presented Mary said. “I feel like the people that plication to reveal the name of the
“I have gotten everything from senior “Mary” believes otherwise. with a question and a third peer votes say mean things about their peers do person accountable for leaving such
‘slit your wrists until you bleed to “Facebook shouldn’t allow appli- on which friend fits the question more. it simply to feel better about them- hurtful comments, Linda said.
death’ and ‘put a gun to your head cations such as Honesty Box on their Anyone who has the application can selves.” “If someone said ‘I’ll trip you at
and pull the trigger,’ to ‘you will never Web site,” she said. “It is extremely vote their peers superlatives like It is likely that the students school,’ their name can be revealed
be loved,’” freshman “Linda” said. harmful and encourages bullying. It’s “Most popular” and “Hottest.” who leave bullying comments for by the police,” Linda said. “But ‘put
“People who get hurtful comments in a cowardly way to tell people things Under an individual’s results, their peers see this as a joke and do a gun to your head and pull the trig-
their Honesty Box need to realize that that they don’t have the guts to say certain things such as how many not realize how much hurt they are ger’ isn’t enough for them, because
these people truthfully have nothing to their face and most of the time people voted for them for a variety of inflicting. it isn’t a direct threat. It’s not okay,
better to do than write mean things whatever they are saying is stupid questions can be seen and commented “For a while these comments the harmful comments really need to
about other people in order to make and abusive.” on by other Facebook friends. bothered me so much,” Linda said. “I be stopped.”
Students graduate early to explore outside interests
By Kelly Zhou After Vericat graduated, he was able to
Staff Writer fulfill his goals.
“For half a year, I worked on a major docu-
While many juniors have yet to begin think- mentary, a few television shows and various
ing about senior year or their post-high school projects for one of the largest television pro-
plans, junior Anastasia Nicolaou has already duction companies of Spain,” Vericat said. “I
applied to college and is preparing to gradu- didn’t have to take classes that wouldn’t help
ate Paly with the class of 2008. A student who me, I got to work and do the things that I wanted
is opting to finish high school in three years, to do in life.”
Nicolaou decided during the second semester Students cite this newfound freedom as a
of her sophomore year that she wanted to go to major benefit of graduating early.
college a year early. “You get to go to college earlier, which
“When we were signing up for classes for I’m really excited about because you get to
junior year, I added up the credits that I had,” focus on what you really enjoy,” Nicolaou said.
Nicolaou said. “I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I have “You don’t have to deal with high school for
all my credits. I just have to add certain classes.’ another year.”
So I figured that if I could get out of high school Despite the numerous benefits of gradu-
in three years, I might as well.” ating early, these students also recognize the
In order to graduate early, students have to disadvantages of missing their senior year of
talk to their teacher advisor, fill out a special ap- high school.
plication form and discuss their post-graduation “You don’t get to graduate with the people Elizabeth Petit/The Campanile
plans with guidance counselor Susan Shultz. you’ve been friends with for three years,” Ni-
At the end of this school year, Paly junior Anastasia Nicolaou, technically a senior,
“I first talked to my teacher advisor and then colaou said. “Also, my dad was worried that I
to Ms. Shultz,” Nicolaou said. “I had to fill out wouldn’t be having a ‘senior year’ and that I will graduate with the class of 2008 to attend college early to achieve her interests.
a form and then [the administration] changed would miss out on a big part of high school. But treated like a toddler. Why do we do homework? Others entered high school with the aim of
my status from junior to senior.” I’m basically doing everything with the seniors, There is no focus on actually learning.” graduating early, only to find that the limitations
To meet graduation requirements, Nicolaou I get to walk down the aisle at graduation, go Setel dislikes the high school system and of the three-year course schedule were frustrating
is taking senior social studies to grad night, prom and all plans to dedicate more time to his computer and unrewarding.
courses Economics and Psy- “You get to go to college of those other traditionally science projects and robotics work once he From freshman year, junior Michael Bloch
chology and four semesters of senior events.” graduates. planned out his classes so that he would be eli-
English this year along with
earlier, which I’m really
While most students who Just as there are a few students who end gible to graduate in three years, including taking
the rest of her typical junior excited about.” graduate early fulfill all of up graduating a year early, there are also a few senior course AP English as a junior.
courses. the Paly graduation require- students who make the decision, only to change “I wanted to challenge myself and go
Once she graduates, Ni- Anastasia Nicolaou ments, some students have their minds later. through high school as fast as possible,” Bloch
colaou wants to go to a four-
year college.
junior chosen different methods of Junior Julia Singleton, who moved back said.
leaving high school. home to Palo Alto right before the start of second However, Bloch decided right before the
“I applied to a few col- Junior Ben Setel is plan- semester this year, was expecting to leave high beginning of junior year to stay for his senior
leges so hopefully I’ll get into one,” Nicolaou ning to leave Paly at the end of this school year school at the end of junior year. year.
said. “I applied to Wellesley, Smith, Whittier, by taking the California High School Proficiency “I was really excited about going to college “I just wanted to stay for my senior year,
Simmons and a bunch of University of California Examination. If Setel passes, he will receive a at a younger age and getting to experience all which everybody says is so great,” Bloch said.
schools.” Certificate of Proficiency, the legal equivalent of that,” Singleton said. “I felt like I was finally “Also, I tried to take too many classes that didn’t
Other students have chosen to skip their of a general high school diploma, instead of a getting to decide the direction of my life.” fit with the graduation requirements, which
senior year of high school for a variety of Paly diploma. However, Singleton recently decided didn’t work. If you want to graduate early, you
reasons. Peter Vericat, who graduated last year “It would be possible for me to graduate against leaving high school early because of really can’t take anything other than what the
but was supposed to graduate with the current following Paly requirements, but then I would the environment at Paly. credits require.”
senior class, changed his plans because he had have to take more courses [than I want to],” “I didn’t want to miss my senior year at Paly However, to those who do make the effort to
other goals and interests. Setel said. because it seems like a lot of fun,” Singleton fulfill all of the course requirements and gradu-
“At that point in my life, high school wasn’t Dissatisfied with his education at Paly, Setel said. “You only get to go to high school once. ate Paly in advance, the benefits are potentially
preparing me for what I wanted to do in life,” wants to leave early and hopes to go to Union Also, during registration, I realized that there worthwhile.
Vericat said. “I wanted to fulfill my aspirations as College in New York next fall. were so many classes that I wanted to take, “I got to taste reality, not just high school,”
a filmmaker and move to Barcelona to embrace “I want to get out of Paly,” Setel said. “At which I couldn’t take if I graduated early, so I Vericat said. “It brought me a small step closer
my cultural roots.” Paly, you’re not treated like a human, you’re decided not to.” to my dreams.”
The Campanile Features February 20, 2008 • B3

Junior walks 40 miles for project

Josh Horen travels for three days during a journey to San Francisco
By Mira Parekh
Staff Writer
Climbing up a huge hill, Josh Horen would
have to walk for four more hours to reach his
destination, one he had been walking towards
for the past two days. Once he finally walked
across the Golden Gate Bridge he would be
able to rest from walking a total of 37 miles
from Palo Alto to the Golden Gate Bridge in
two and a half days.
A junior at Palo Alto High School, Horen
decided that he would walk from Palo Alto to
the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge for
his creative project. A creative project is the
final project assigned to students participat-
ing in Humanities, a semester-long English
elective at Paly. The project can be one for
which a student achieves a previously unac-
complished goal or unfulfilled desire, or learns
something new.
Horen, who found the idea of a long walk
appealing, decided that it would be ideal for
his creative project.
“I’ve always wanted to walk to the beach,
or do something like a pilgrimage,” Horen
said. “The creative project simply gave me a
reason. Although I would have liked to walk
to the beach, I decided it would be better to
walk to San Francisco than hike along some
obscure trail.”
Horen said his parents did not object to
his plan to walk to San Francisco, a feat that
took close to three days and was recorded in
a journal to be turned in to the teacher at the
end of the trip. Horen decided to sleep with
friends in different cities during the different
nights, which was one of the reasons he decided
to walk to San Francisco instead of going to
the beach. To avoid highways, Horen took a
route that runs through the hills along highway
280 until he reached Burlingame. Once in
Burlingame he stayed at a cousin’s house for
the night. From there, Horen continued on El
Camino all the way to San Francisco. On the
second day of his journey, Horen stopped in
San Francisco for the night at a friend’s house
and from there he went on to cross the Golden
Gate bridge.
Walking all the way to San Francisco was
a new experience for Horen, who had never
walked a great distance before.
“I think the longest I have ever had to
walk was around four miles,” Horen said.
“For training I just walked to Addison and
back, which is about three miles.”
However, in the three days he walked to
San Francisco, each day Horen had to walk
until he reached the places he was going to stay
at before the sun went down. Horen packed
lightly for the trip as well, taking only a little
money for additional food, since he would be
eating at the houses he would be staying in.
Wearing just jeans, a sweatshirt and his
school backpack, Horen took with him two
large water bottles, his journal, and his iPod.
Horen also took his cellphone, though he didn’t
use it to call anyone.
“I was content by myself so I didn’t re-
ally ever feel lonely or feel the need to call
anybody while walking,” Horen said. “The
whole point of [the walk] was to be almost
like a meditative process to relax and stop
worrying and thinking of everything.”
For Horen the trip went quite smoothly,
aside from being stopped by a park ranger who
was patrolling around the area near a trail he
was walking and crossing the freeway.
“He had this big dog in the back of his car
and drove up to me and asked me what I was
doing,” Horen said. “I had to tell him I was
walking to San Francisco. I also had to run
across the freeway which was kind of scary,
because I almost got hit.”
However, according to Horen, walking
through the city was probably the most event-
ful part of the journey. Julia Benton/The Campanile
“I also saw a lot of weird people and
Paly junior Josh Horen completed a 40-mile long journey from Palo Alto to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge.
things while I was walking through the city,”
Horen said. “I thought I saw a dead homeless The trip was the focus for Horen’s English project. He recorded the two and a half day journey in a journal for the class.
man, so I walked to him to investigate to see you aren’t close enough to see your goal, but “It did occur to me once to cheat when “It was tough, especially on the last day,”
if he was okay, which was kind of scary and you’re hurting badly all over and really tired,” I came across one of the first Bart stations,” Horen said. “The worst part was when I was
strange.” Horen said. “You just feel like stopping and Horen said. “I was so tempted to just hop onto close enough to see the Golden Gate Bridge,
For Horen, the biggest difficulties were giving up.” a train. However, there weren’t many other but I had a huge hill in my way.”
the exhaustion that he experienced from Apart from the tiredness, another bad opportunities to really cheat.” Ultimately, Horen felt proud of his ex-
walking. experience was the blisters. Despite the dif- Despite the pain and difficulties, Horen perience.
“The hardest part of the trip was each ficulty, Horen never cheated and walked the said that he enjoyed the experience and has “In the end I realized it was something
day, there would always be a point where whole way. gained new appreciation for San Francisco. that I would do again,” Horen said.

Student Police Academy trains hopeful cadets

to the fundamentals of law enforce-
ment and police organization.
Cadets act as part-time officers
and receive training and experience
in law enforcement.
While there have been other
programs similar to that of the Stu-
dent Police Academy, the program
was created just last year thanks to
a generous gift from the family of a
slain police officer.
With additional donations, the
PAPD hopes to hold two academy
sessions per year.
“We hope to keep this program
running as long as possible, in order
to help the students and the com-
munity,” PAPD detective Marianna
Villaescusa said in an interview with
the Paly Voice.
The second Student Police
Academy began on Jan. 23, with the
swearing in of eight police cadets by
Julia Benton/The Campanile Police Chief Lynne Johnson. The
The Palo Alto Police Academy has a program in which student cadets program is held every Wednesday
act as part-time officers and receive law enforcement experience. from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and graduation
is scheduled for May 27. All classes
By Julia Benton the real-life procedures involving are taught by police officers and law
Staff Writer law enforcement through Palo Alto’s enforcement personnel.
Student Police Academy. The program is directed by Vil-
While millions of Americans stay The Student Police Academy is laescusa. enforcement.
home to watch police dramas like an 18-week program presented by the “We want to teach these kids how
Crime Scene Investigation or Cold Palo Alto Police Department. The pro- to take care of their own community,”
Case, a few Palo Alto students learn gram’s purpose is to introduce students Citizens Police Academy coordinator
Susie Ord said. “We’re very excited
about the program.”
All high school students are
eligible for the academy as long as
they have not had any felony or mis-
demeanor convictions within one year
of applying for the program. Candi-
dates are also subject to a background
check. Other application requirements
include a minimum 2.0 grade point
average, a letter of recommendation
and parental consent. The academy
looks for students who are interested
in the possibility of a future career in
law enforcement and who are willing
to serve their community.
Paly junior Katie Jensen, who
hopes to become a police officer,
is currently enrolled in the Student
Police Academy.
“I signed up for the academy
because we do the same exact same
stuff police officers do,” Jensen said.
“I will have a foot in the door because
I already know a lot about how the
police department works.”
Through the program, students
learn about police procedures, traf-
fic enforcement, investigations and
how to prepare for a career in law
Students help improve the safety
and quality of Palo Alto neighbor-
hoods and schools by assisting officers
during special events and activities.
During a typical session, students
participate in hands-on activities that
range from investigations and traffic
enforcement to forensics and crime
scene investigation. Students take
classes in investigations, officer safety,
defense tactics and other subjects.
“My favorite class is physical
training,” Jensen said. “It pushes me
to work my hardest.”
The cadets’ activities are similar
to those in which the PAPD officers
take part. Students wear uniforms,
spend time doing march drills and
learn discipline, Ord said.
The academy is also a great way
to recruit new officers for the PAPD,
as many participants are interested
in pursuing careers in law enforce-
ment.
The program will help students
make valuable connections with the
PAPD and other police offices, which
will help make finding jobs in law
enforcement easier.
“If you want to be a police of-
ficer, I would recommend joining the
academy,” Jensen said. “It is a lot of
fun and it definitely prepares you for
life as a police officer.”
Though the Student Police Acad-
emy has already started, there are other
options offered by the PAPD for teens
and adults interested in learning more
about law enforcement. The Citizens
Police Academy, which meets on
Wednesday evenings from 6 p.m. to
9 p.m., is open to all members of the
Palo Alto community ages 16 and
up. This academy will emphasize the
basic elements of law enforcement
and will introduce participants to the
Palo Alto police organization in a
classroom setting.
Participants will choose from
classes in topics such as communi-
cations, criminal investigations and
officer safety.
Palo Alto residents ages 18 and up
also have the option of volunteering
for the PAPD.
Participants in the Volunteers in
Policing program will help with traffic
adjudication, patrol car maintenance,
bicycle licensing and a range of other
simple police tasks.
The PAPD is currently accepting
applications from students interested
in enrolling in the next Student Police
Academy session, which will begin
in September.
They are also reviewing applica-
tions for the Citizens Police Academy,
which will take place from Mar. 12
to Apr. 30.
Applications can be downloaded
at http://www.papd.org.

Students volunteer in local campaign offices for Clinton, Obama

Teenagers find a way to become involved in politics in order to be part of an America that creates change
By Cat Benson
Staff Writer
Weekends are a typical teenager’s time for sleep
and relaxation, yet a growing number of Palo Alto High
School students find themselves in an office teeming
with enthusiasm and energy, packed with other students,
young professionals, middle-aged parents and the elderly,
all united with a passion for politics.
Obama for America opened its fifth California of-
fice in Palo Alto on Jan. 13, following Senator Barack
Obama’s unexpected victory in the Iowa caucuses. Sena-
tor Hillary Clinton’s campaign followed suit, opening
an office in Palo Alto the next week.
The local campaign offices of the presidential hope-
fuls give students new opportunities to be involved in
the fate of the country. Senior Rajan Narang, Director
of Paly’s Students for Obama chapter, volunteers at the
Obama office on El Camino Real, phonebanking target
voters to sway their votes toward Obama.
“I volunteer for Obama because I believe in his
message of change and his policies that will cause that
change,” Narang said. “I believe that is what motivates all
of our volunteers, who are of every possible background
and demographic.”
Although Narang makes most of the phone calls
independently, he has worked roughly 10 hours in the
Obama office with other volunteers.
“Our office isn’t as busy now that the California
primary is over, but we will still be calling voters in up-
coming states,” Narang said. “I definitely plan to be part
of that effort, as do the several other Paly students who
volunteer at the office.”
Junior Ahna Rao has a similar experience volunteer-
ing at Senator Hillary Clinton’s office in Palo Alto, which
is based in the office of her mother, Amy Rao, on San
Antonio Road.
“At the office everyone is motivated and energized,”
Rao said. “It is a great environment to work in and makes
you feel like you make a difference. It creates a much
bigger picture than just Hillary Clinton. You are helping
people vote and their voices be heard.”
Rao’s support for Senator Clinton comes from Clin-
ton’s experience with politics and inspiring message.
“I volunteer because I think that Hillary Clinton
would make a great president because she is inspirational
and motivated,” Rao said. “As much as I respect Barack
Obama and his efforts, I think that Clinton will be able to
build from experience.”
A political discussion with her family led senior
Kelly McPharlin into the fray of politics, igniting her
zeal for Barack Obama and the change he vows to bring
to America.
“I first heard about Obama from my family and then
saw one his speeches,” McPharlin said. “I felt inspired
about the message of his candidacy. As I learned more
about each of the Democratic candidates, I started to
admire Obama for his policies. I believe he can unite the
country, so I decided to volunteer my time to support his
campaign.”
McPharlin attended an informational meeting at the
Palo Alto Obama office and then became co-captain of
an online precinct.
“Every volunteer has a place at the office,” McPharlin
said. “The atmosphere is inspiring and helpful, because so
many people are united behind a common passion.”
McPharlin and Narang will continue to volunteer at
the Obama office through the senator’s campaign, despite
Clinton’s victory in the California Presidential Primary.
The office will continue to organize phonebank calls to
states with upcoming primaries, reminding the undecided
and independent voters of the candidates.
Although Paly volunteers do not all agree on their
choices for the Democratic candidate, they are united by
a newly found craze for politics that will continue into
their futures.
“It is important for students to not assume the same
politics as their parents,” McPharlin said. “The youth
makes up a huge constituency of voters, and need to be
informed and educated about the voting process.”
Rao agrees that it is time for the youth to stand up and
take accountability for the country’s future.
“I think that the youth sees that America needs
change and wants to be a part of the future,” Rao said.
“It is important that we get involved because we have the
resources to influence people and to learn. Students have a
voice and we are fighting for a better future for ourselves,
not just our parents.”
B4 • February 20, 2008 Features The Campanile

The Laramie Project tells a tale of love, hope

By Laura Kurtz
Senior Staff Writer
The evening began with a candle and
a story. The small flame in the seemingly
infinite darkness represents the bright but
delicate voice of the gay community and
it burns brightly as Palo Alto High School
senior Alex Rose-Henig begins to tell his
story, the first in a panel discussion attended
by cast members of Paly’s production of The
Laramie Project.
During the panel discussion, Rose-Henig
shares his extremely personal experiences as
a gay teen, meant to teach the cast members
of The Laramie Project what it is like to be
gay.
The Laramie Project began as a documen-
tary-style play created by college students in
response to the murder of Matthew Shepard
in Laramie, Wyoming, and was composed
from the over 200 interviews conducted by
the Techtonic Theater Company shortly after
the incident occurred. The story was turned
into a movie in 2002.
The Paly production of the play will show
on March 7, 8, 13 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. and costs
$7 for students and $10 for adults.
Paly drama teacher Kathleen Woods
said that the Paly Gay Straight Alliance is
cosponsoring the production and members of
the GSA also held an open panel discussion in
which they discussed their lives as gay teens
and answer any questions the cast had.
“The purpose was to help students in-
volved in the production understand, at least
to some degree, the challenges that Matthew
Shepard, as a gay young man, faced on a
regular basis,” Woods said. “The purpose
was also to educate the students involved in
the production that these problems are still
present today; to help increase their sensitiv-
ity to the experience of young people who are
not at liberty, often, to just be themselves...
It served to give them a larger sense of the
importance of the play, and to help impress
on them even more deeply the significance of
the issues raised in the play.”
There were several factors that led Woods
to put on The Laramie Project.
“I aim to choose plays the will offer some-
thing special to the high school campus and
the wider community,” Woods said. “Because
we had done a classic comedy in the fall, I felt
a more serious contemporary show would be
the right choice.”
Although the murder is not a scene in
the play, that incident is central to the plot.
Shortly after midnight on Oct. 7, 1998 Mat-
The cast rehearses a scene in which everyone mourns after the brutal murder of Michael Shepherd. The play portrays
the numerous reactions of Laramie town citizens on how Shepherd was beaten and killed for his homosexual orientation.
thew Shepard was seen leaving a bar with
two men. The next morning a local biker,
Aaron Kreifels, found Shepard nearly beaten
to death and tied to a fence.Shepard was then
transported to the hospital and remained in a
coma for several days until he died on Oct. 12.
Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were
both found guilty of murder and kidnapping
and sentenced to life in prison.
The story follows many different residents
of Laramie and tells how they dealt with this
horrific crime committed by two young men
raised in their own community.
The residents dealt with national atten-
tion and heavy media coverage while they
themselves questioned how something like
this had happened right in their town.
Woods sees many benefits to putting on
the play.
“The Laramie Project offers the cast,
crew and the wider Palo Alto community an
opportunity to stop and take a look at, discuss,
and hopefully, re-examine ongoing, destruc-
tive cultural prejudices that continue to create
divisions among people and still regularly
lead to violence,” Woods said. “I hope that
our production of the show is one more step
toward the realization that every human being
deserves to be treated with respect and to live
without fear.”
Rose-Henig agrees that the play can ben-
efit a variety of people in the community.
“The play is trying to send a message of
love and acceptance, it is not geared toward a
gay audience, that is to say it does not really
promote any exclusively gay issues, other than
homophobia,” Rose-Henig said. “But it tries to
open people’s eyes to the violence and injustice
that the LGBTQ [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender and Queer] community faces on
a day to day basis, and shows the world that it
is not okay to hate any person, race, gender,
religion or sexual orientation.”
As a gay teen at Paly, president of the GSA
and member of the Laramie cast, Rose-Henig
was the perfect candidate to lead the panel
discussion with the Laramie cast. Overall,
he felt that the reaction to the panel was a
positive one.
“The cast reacted to the panel in much
the same way that most people react to it,”
Rose-Henig said. “Many of them are surprised
by some of the stories, and many people are
intimidated at first to ask questions, but I know
Stacy Levichev/The Campanile
that for some people it was their first experi-
ence with openly gay people and for others it
was a chance to explore their own questions
about sexuality.”
Although the cast reacted positively to
the panel, Rose-Henig does not believe that
the rest of the entire Paly community will be
as accepting of the play.
“I think that the play will be controver-
sial,” Rose-Henig said. “I think that there
are many, many homophobic people at Paly
and I think that it is mostly due to a lack of
education or exposure. I know that the story
of Laramie will touch the hearts of many of
the people at Paly and open their eyes to the
acts of injustice being committed every day
against my community, the LGBTQ commu-
nity. That is a very good thing, but there are
many people who will remain intolerant and
choose to react angrily to Laramie, or choose
to ignore it.”
The message The Laramie Project con-
veys is universal; the play explores the impact
of a hatred that was so strong that it changed
countless lives forever. Throughout the play,
characters ask over and over again, “How
could people like McKinney and Henderson
actually exist?” The majority of the residents
of Laramie attempt to separate themselves
from the crime and try to redefine the town
of Laramie despite the media’s portrayal of
Laramie, as a homophobic and intolerant
community.
However, one resident, Zubaida Ula,
stands out in her conviction that Laramie needs
to take responsibility for the murder. She says
that as much as the other residents try to deny
it, the perpetrators will always be connected
to the community. This raises the fundamental
question of whether a community is respon-
sible for one of its citizen’s actions.
It is because questions like these that
many believe The Laramie Project is a time-
less story from which people will learn from
far many generations to come.
Rose-Henig said that it is imperative that
people realize that Palo Alto is not as toler-
ant as many people want it to be and assume
it is. Although the homophobia at Paly does
not equal that of the town of Laramie, Rose-
Henig maintains that he feels the presence of
it every day.
“There are a lot of intolerant people here
[at Paly] and every day there are reminders
that I am different, if not incidents of outright
discrimination which occur frequently,” Rose-
Henig said. “Most people assume that Paly
is a good place, a tolerant place, but really
when it comes down to it, they have never
been a gay teen, and they have never been a
gay teen at Paly.”
Rose-Henig acknowledges local inci-
dents of hate and hopes the play will raise
awareness.
“I don’t think that all the people who call
me a fag everyday will stop just because of
this play, but it is a step, a leap in the direction
that we need to turn as a school and a country,
as a people and the only way to really produce
that change is to confront the people that are
homophobic to show them the ill effects of
their hate,” Rose-Henig said. “Hopefully by
showing them these things and by exposing
them to new people and life styles and environ-
ments, we will bring about this change.”
It is not likely that the production of the
play will cause a major stir in Palo Alto, but
Rose-Henig hopes it will make people think
about the power of hate and in just planting
that seed, The Laramie Project will have driven
its message across.
“I see another reason for putting on this
play,” Rose-Henig said. “I think it is especially
important at Paly because there is a lot of
homophobia that is overlooked and it needs
to be accounted for and righted.”

High school students choose unique science projects

By Alan Chu
Senior Staff Writer
Riffs, butterflies and video
games: all of these seemingly un-
related subjects share one thing in
common — they are all topics that
Palo Alto High School students chose
to investigate as part of the Science
Research Program.
The program is directed by sci-
ence teacher Carolyn Csongradi and
requires students to choose a topic or
project to research from a provided
list.
“The list of available mentors
and related projects vary from year to
year,” Csongradi said. “This program
is dependent on the community’s
generosity, since all of the choices
come from willing participants and
mentors.”
The student has to search for a
mentor or researcher related to the
project before October. Research for
the project involves hours upon hours
of commitment to a specific area of
science.
Students have an entire school
year to research and develop their
ideas. At the end of the year, the
students present their findings via a
Power Point presentation. Along with
the presentation, the students must
submit a technical paper, describing
all of their experiments and how their
results compare to previous findings.
Senior Daniel Furlong discovered
an atypical topic not on the list of
potential projects.
“I started to research musical
riffs, or certain sequences of notes
and rhythms in music, that are re-
peated throughout the same genre,”
Furlong said. “[My project mentor]
Nick Janklow’s and my theory is that
riffs can be studied to help people play
an instrument.”
A family friend introduced Fur-
long to the idea of studying musical
riffs.
Through this contact, Furlong
met professional musician Janklow,
who has spent several decades play-
ing music.
Without Janklow’s wealth of
experience, Furlong said he would
have never been able to determine
all of the riffs.
“With an ear for riffs, people can
play in tune with a song, even without
hearing the beat before,” Furlong said.
“[Our] hypothesis is that for every
100 riffs, there are 1000 songs that
match up.”
Even though the musician deter-
mines what riffs are present, Furlong
listens to a song and creates a bare
bones version of the song, excluding ing patterns with riffs is a relatively Connolly, the game generally received Argentine ants and Lycaenid butter-
verses and choruses. Furlong then untouched subject. positive feedback. flies,” Zhang said. “More specifically,
gives the song’s skeleton to Janklow Unlike Furlong, junior Sara Con- “Re-Mission is a way to look at we want to know how effective the ants
to fill in the chords. nolly chose her project from the list the attitudes towards cancer before are at protecting the butterfly larvae,
“We chose about 30 songs, in a given by Csongradi. and after game play,” Connolly said. compared to native ants.”
variety of genres, to listen and ana- “I heard of Science Research Proj- “HopeLab is also involved with other Zhang found the project among
lyze,” Furlong said. ect last year and became interested in games that deal with obesity and other the list of various projects provided
With most of the research com- it,” Connolly said. “At the time I was life issues.” by Csongradi. Zhang said she found
plete, Furlong has already started the very interested in psychology.” Connolly’s project is focused the study of butterflies to be the most
next phase of his research. Collabo- Connolly learned of HopeLab on the psychology of cancer, rather interesting project on the list.
rating with a programmer, Furlong through Csongradi. After a successful than the biological aspect. More spe- “We attached butterfly eggs to
plans to create an easily accessible interview, Connolly became involved cifically, she records the reactions of plants in native ant sites and in Argen-
user interface to with collect- both cancer and non-cancer patients tine ant sites,” Zhang said. “We made
teach the riffs to ing data from to the game. barriers around half of the plants to
.anyone inter- “The program is the perfect a video game “So far I have been preparing prevent ants from interacting with the
ested. chance for anyone to get to apply that HopeLab to take and analyze data from non- larvae so we could compare the results
“If a musi- science in the real world.” had already cancer patients, like learning statistics with the other half that had no barrier.
cian learns about developed. and researching about cancer itself,” We discovered that the Argentine ants
riffs, everything Connol- Connolly said. “We will start giving were much more effective.”
about learning Siming Zhang ly’s mentor a chance for students to play ‘Re- According to Zhang, the ants have
how to play will Paly senior wasVeroni- Mission’ for about 30 minutes at a a symbiotic relationship. The larvae
become relative- ca Marin- time.” secrete a sugary liquid which the ants
ly easier,” Fur- Bowling, the Before and after the time the eat in exchange for protection.
long said. “Our plan is to eventually Research and Project director for student plays the game, Connolly dis- Zhang has yet to find out why the
complete [our research along with] HopeLab. tributes a questionnaire with multiple Argentine ants are so effective, but
the program and probably market it “I am helping HopeLab decon- questions about his or her opinion with a little more time and patience,
for money. However, that is pretty far struct, or improve, a video game about of cancer. The data collected will be the answer may become clear.
away, since we are still developing a cancer,” Connolly said. “Basically [in compared and contrasted. Despite the broad range of re-
prototype of the program.” the game] you are a little robot and you Senior Siming Zhang focused on search topics, Zhang believes that all
Currently, Furlong is still learning shrink down to the size of a cell and the field of biology rather than psy- participating students share a unique
about how to program on his own. start to destroy cancer cells.” chology. Zhang chose a project related opportunity.
For the technical paper, Furlong will HopeLab first gave the video to entomology, the study of bugs. “The program is the perfect
submit a paper about Janklow and his game, called Re-Mission, to adoles- “My mentor Jessica Shors and I, chance for anyone to get to apply sci-
hardships and findings, since study- cent cancer patients. According to are studying the relationship between ence in the real world,” she said.

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The Campanile Features February 20, 2008 • B5

Megachurches inspire religious fervor

Massive churches catering to diverse religious audiences draw crowds from across the Bay Area
By Michael Hamada
Staff Writer
The idea of going to church on Sundays
is much different for Christians who attend
megachurches, the often non-denominational
congregations that seat thousands of parish-
ioners per service.
According to the Hartford Institute for
Religious Research, the 21 megachurches in
the Bay Area preach to approximately 90,000
Christians each week. A megachurch is de-
fined as a church that has an average weekly
attendance of 3,500 people or more.
Recent movies and documentaries such
as Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for
Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
and Jesus Camp have portrayed megachurches
as being places for die-hard conservative
Christians to worship, showing clips of pa-
rishioners yelling and rolling on the ground
trying to repel sin from themselves.
However, at local megachurches, such
as Mountain View’s Abundant Life Christian
Fellowship, that is far from the case. In the past
12 years, the church has grown from about 300
to 5000 members of various different ethnic
and economic backgrounds.
According to church staff member Evie
Clark-Smith, what sets ALCF apart is its sense
of community and the number of support
groups that are run through the church.
A walk through the facility shows that
besides the main sanctuary, there are multiple
rooms for all uses. Children are encouraged to
take classes or play foosball while watching
the service on a giant video projection screen.
ALCF also boasts 15 support ministries.
“We try to make it so everyone can find
a place within the church no matter how old
they are or where they are from,” Clark-Smith
said.
However, this unique sense of community
and togetherness is not the popular image
portrayed in the media.
“After seeing Jesus Camp I was pretty
shocked,” Palo Alto High School sophomore
Josh Horen said. “It’s sad to think some people
are so close-minded.”
In Jesus Camp, a camp counselor is
filmed damning Harry Potter to hell because
“[Potter] is a warlock, and not one of God’s
children.”
Yet, other megachurches, such as San
Jose’s Jubilee Christian Center, welcome into
their congregation anybody who wishes to
share in their celebration of Jesus Christ.
“At some of those other churches you
have to dress in a certain way and follow strict
rules, but here it’s just about having faith,”
Jubilee pastor Adam Bernal said in a recent
sermon at the church. “If you’ve been in jail,
God still loves you. If you’re going through a
divorce, God still loves you. If you’re having
strange sexual tendencies, it’s okay; God still
loves you. No matter what happens, God still
loves you, so have faith.”
According to the Hartford Institute, most
megachurches are built in new neighborhoods
to reach as many people as possible.
“We [Christians] have all been to boring
or out-of-touch services in our past but the
Gospel is anything but boring or out-of-touch,”
Bernal said. “It is a message that is vibrantly
exciting and relevant today for living a suc-
cessful life and we try to convey this at the
Jubilee Christian Center.”
Even though California is home to more
megachurches than any state in the country,
many Paly students find it surprising that there
are so many congregations in or around their Hannah McGovern/The Campanile
hometown. Visitors to the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church find services accompanied by multimedia presentations on multiple
“Megachurches seem really intense,” screens, a common element of megachurches; other megachurches offer services including coffee shops and bookstores.
Paly sophomore Daniella Florant said. “They
seem a little out of place around here because week. Jubilee’s multi-purpose room also serves possible to anyone that is interested in the According to the Hartford Institute,
we’re so liberal.” food so that churchgoers can watch the sermon Christian faith. According to Clark-Smith, megachurches try to preach beliefs that can
Besides the number of people that attend on a large screen while eating breakfast. church is all about communication, connection be applied to every day situations, resulting
the services, the main differences between a On top of all of that, Jubilee streams and community, and megachurches are able in their wide-scale appeal.
regular church and a megachurch lie in the all of their masses online, where they have to finance these various programs. According to Forbes.com, megachurches
forms of multimedia the latter uses to spread viewers from around the world. The center “At our church in Menlo Park [the Menlo in the United States also have an average annual
their message. also broadcasts their sermons a on local Bay Park Presbyterian Church, which has an aver- net income of almost five million dollars.
Most megachurches use large multimedia Area radio station. age weekly attendance of over 2000 at each Megachurch sermons are typically more
screens, televisions and numerous speakers The main stage where the sermon takes of its five services], the biggest advantage is lively and straightforward than those at regular
for better sight and hearing of the services. place has two giant screens on either side that that there are lots of programs for all sorts of churches, often times telling the parishioners
Megachurches also contain a multitude of display pictures and passages from the Bible people,” Paly juniors Hannah Miller and Sarah exactly what to believe. However, Bernal said
other accommodations for its members. For throughout the sermon. Haydock said. “It is very socialized and draws that he doesn’t preach about political issues.
example, Jubilee has its own coffee shop Jubilee also has door-greeters to greet from all around the Bay Area. Our church at- “I don’t care who the next President of
and bookstore, which sells everything from all churchgoers and sign-language experts to tracts really great pastors and staff that in turn America is,” Bernal said. “Whoever it may
Christian self-help guides to Bible story interpret the service for the deaf. make the church what it is.” be I will pray for them and that will be that.
comic books. What Jubilee has done, like many other Megachurches have stressed the impor- Hilary, Rudy, tooty, fruity, I don’t care be-
Jubilee is the largest megachurch in the megachurches around the world, is take their tance of spreading their beliefs to as many cause Jesus Christ is my real leader and he
Bay Area with over 10,000 parishioners each sermons and make them as accessible as people as possible. always will be.”

Tech-savvy students find blogging an addictive habit

VBLOGS, Continued from B1
While vlogging is becoming more popular, bloggers
are still active and opinionated. Junior Ashley Lamb began
blogging last year and feels that it overrides vlogging be-
cause of the notorious Lonelygirl15, an acclaimed home
schooled 16-year-old girl named Bree, and the scam she
caused last year “sucked,” Lamb said.
The videos created by Lonelygirl15 were part of a
project conducted by three people in Los Angeles who
were merely intrigued by the blossoming online commu-
nity of video blogging. The group’s interest in the online
community inspired them to create the fictional teenager
Bree just to see what would happen.
Scams like this are only part of the reason why Lamb
chooses to blog. Lamb blogs using the Facebook Notes ap-
plication, which allows users to tag their audience; namely,
specific friends who she thinks should read the blog.
Lamb first began by reading other peoples’ blogs, saw
their therapeutic value and thought to try it out for herself.
Much like vlogging became an outlet for Cruz, blogging
developed into a form of expression for Lamb.
“Blogging really helps me vent, although I do disclaim
that not all of the things I write about are non-fictional,”
Lamb said.
In her blog, Lamb writes mainly about love in the form
of poetry and monologue. Her blogs touch on the serene,
discreet, blindly beautiful aspects of the teenage years.
“I talk about the insecurity and the stress that comes
with liking or loving someone,” Lamb said. “Everyone
else writes about politics and the environment, so I need
to find a new track.”
Even though blogging currently serves as a passive
outlet for Lamb, she aspires to continue writing blogs.
“I sort of want to go somewhere with my writing
but I have to prioritize,” Lamb said. “I just wished more
people would comment on them.”
Hahn argues that vlogging surpasses blogging on
many levels. One of which is that vlogging creates a visual
for the viewer. According to Hahn, it is a combination of
all subtleties; pictures, acting, writing, music and editing
are all needed.
“If you screw up any of those, the whole video is shot,”
Hahn said. “But if you do it well, it’s more impressive and
amazing than any other kinds of art. In short, you can’t
hear farting noises with just words.”
Many people blog and vlog back and forth, throw-
ing positive and negative comments at each other. While
technology takes reign on people of all ages, blogging and
vlogging are popular trends with adolescents and will only
continue to spread. Even Paly’s Student Council has a blog,
which can be found at http://palyasb.blogspot.com.
“It’s addictive,” Hahn said. “I remember there was
an article awhile back in the The Campanile about drug
dealing, but what you should be much more worried about
is video blogging,” Hahn said.

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B6 • February 20, 2008
Mushroom gathering attracts local families
Students find ways to connect to nature through wild mushroom picking, foraging
By Hannah Bystritsky
Staff Writer
There are over 200 different
varieties of mushrooms growing all
over the United States. A multitude
of them can be found growing in
the many forests in and around the
Bay Area.
There are various societies
dedicated to mushroom-enthusiasts,
individuals who devote their time
to discovering the many different
types of fungi that grow in the forest.
These societies promote the use of
mushrooms for countless foods like
soups, salads, hot dishes, sandwiches,
omelets and in medicines.
“I like to connect with nature,
so my aunt and I went into the forest
and spent hours searching for mush-
rooms,” junior Alexandra Souverneva
said. “It was quite an adventure.
There are hundreds of them growing
everywhere and we gathered a lot. I
think anyone would love mushroom
picking.”
In California, collecting mush-
rooms is restricted on many public
grounds due to the need to preserve
nature. However, a handful of parks
allow and even greatly encourage
mushroom picking.
One place that is not far from San
Francisco that allows people to come
gather mushrooms is Salt Point State
Park in Sonoma County.
“I went mushroom hunting with
my family a while back,” sophomore
Anton Kanza said. “It was a pretty
cool experience. We went to the for-
est and found many different types
of mushrooms growing in the area
we went to.”
There are multiple dangers that
confront mushroom gatherers. Many
hunts for mushrooms in the forest can
end tragically for individuals who lack
knowledge regarding various types of
mushrooms.
If people are unaware of what
kind of mushrooms they have col-
lected, they can experience dangerous
side effects such as falling violently
ill from food poisoning.
Although mushroom gathering can be a fun pastime, it is also hazardous if the gatherer does not have adequate knowledge of fungi
species. The Sonoma Country Mycological Association urges mushroom gatherers to be cautious when gathering and eating fungi.
There are over 50 different spe-
cies of local indigenous poisonous
mushrooms that, if ingested, can
lead to serious food poisoning and
even death.
The Sonoma County Mycologi-
cal Association is very persistent in
urging mushroom gatherers to be
extremely cautious before and after
eating the mushrooms that they have
recently collected.
The association encourages and
advises people to refrain from con-
Features
suming mushrooms that they have
gathered if they are not entirely
sure of the specific species they
are about to consume.
“We do not eat the colorful
mushrooms,” Souverneva said.
“Usually in nature, the brighter the
color the mushroom has, the more
dangerous and possibly fatal the
mushroom is to consume.”
Many mushrooms can contain
contaminants or other types of bac-
teria from miscellaneous sources.
The Campanile
portant for gatherers to inspect each
individual fungus by breaking it down
the middle and checking for holes or
tiny dark dots.
There are species of worms
and other insects that release toxins
into the mushrooms which could
also lead to an extreme case of food
poisoning.
For some individuals, mushroom
gathering can be a spiritual, relaxing,
educational and entertaining experi-
ence.
Bonding with nature, even in such
a simple way as mushroom picking,
offers an opportunity for people to
experience the natural phenomena
that the universe has to offer.
Mushroom gathering is a sig-
nificant part of many cultures as well.
For instance, mushroom hunting is a
pastime that many Russian children
participate in with their family and
friends.
This activity has been around for
many generations and is practiced
by some, especially in eastern and
northern Europe.
There are many opportunities for
mushroom gathering in the Bay Area.
For those who do not like to go out into
nature and experience the outdoors,
there are mycological societies that
hold fungus fairs.
Fungi fairs are often hosted all
over San Francisco and Berkeley. The
fairs do not take place in the forest,
but are rather held in buildings or on a
Julia Benton/The Campanile designated street. People from all over
Northern California come to these
festivals to share their knowledge of
mushrooms
It is always a good idea to consult an expert ing a mushroom that is spoiled. Experts often give slide shows
on different types of fungi before pro- Other wildlife in the forest also enjoy and lectures to interested gatherers
ceeding to eat mushrooms as well, on the different ways of forging,
the collected “I would recommend mushroom and will forage for cooking and cultivating the multitude
mushrooms. hunting for everyone. It’s a great mushrooms and of fungi.
“Smaller experience.” eat them partially. The cold and wet seasons in
mushrooms This can make the California are the most opportune
are the yum- mushrooms dan- times to venture out into the forest on
miest,” Sou-
Alex Souverneva gerous for human a mushroom picking expedition with
verneva said. junior consumption. friends or family.
Another Wo r m s a n d “I would recommend mushroom
common danger when hunting for spiders often build nests inside a hunting for everyone,” Souverneva
mushrooms is the possibility of find- mushroom, so it is especially im- said. “It’s a great experience.”
The Campanile

A&E February 20, 2008 B7

Chu On This:
Ragga Muffins line-up hosts reggae legends Curry 101

Bay Area reggae fans celebrate diversity of music at 23rd annual festival in San Francisco

Reggae artists Alpha Blondy and Anthony B are two of seven artists set to play at the 23rd Ragga Muffins Reggae Festival in San Francisco. The festival, which will
take place at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Feb. 23, is a dynamic concert that will incorporate the work of many different classic reggae legends and styles.
By Chris Gonnerman
Senior Staff Writer
The Ragga Muffins Reggae Festival will return once again
to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on Feb.
23, bringing the Bay Area what is recognized as the largest reg-
gae festival in the United States.
This year will be the 23rd year that the festival has taken
place. It was created to honor the art of reggae music and reggae
legends such as Barrington Levy and Anthony B. The festival
hosts shows in Long Beach, Santa Cruz and San Francisco.
The San Francisco show is a full day with plenty of reggae
throughout the show. Anyone who loves reggae or even slightly
enjoys the bouncy guitar riffs, upbeat piano, complex drum pat-
terns or steady bass notes characteristic of reggae music should
come indulge in this show.
The line-up has seven performances with artists from all
over the world offering their own unique style. The tickets are
$39.50 if bought in advance or $45 at the door. The concert goes
from 3 p.m. until midnight.
Alpha Blondy comes all the way from the Ivory Coast,
bringing with him a powerful roots reggae sound. The sound is a
standard reggae groove that flows nicely and is easy to dance to.
On his recorded tracks the guitar upbeat is very sharp and clean,
which adds energy. His songs are multilingual, incorporating
French, English and Dioula dialects. Alpha Blondy’s lyrics are
political and he speaks out against unjust authority and injustice
in an often humorous way. In addition, many of his songs have
to do with unity, a common reggae topic.
At 43-years-old, Barrington Levy holds the record as the
most-requested vocalist in reggae music history and is still going
strong. He is a favorite in Jamaica and throughout the world. Levy
has had songs at the top the reggae charts worldwide. He has a
very forceful voice with an energetic band to match and his lyrics
range from exposing the truth about being trapped in poverty to
songs describing the beauty of Jamaica and the culture.
Anthony B propelled himself to the forefront of reggae
music with his first album Predator and Prey in 1996. Anthony
B converted to Rastafarianism when he was in high school and
became a member of the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafarian
movement. Bobo Ashanti members are known for wearing long
robes and turbans. Anthony B is no exception.
Anthony B became interested in recording his own music in
the late 80s when the most popular reggae songs were focused
mainly on women. He did not believe in degrading women,
so he decided to create music about politics and social change
instead.
The musician was inspired by his favorite artists, Bob
Marley and Peter Tosh. His music reflects the sound of many of
Jamaica’s reggae legends. He is also known for his fiery, high-
energy live performances.
Midnite, a roots reggae band that hails from the U.S. Virgin
Islands of St. Croix, involves moving bass lines and melodic
melodies in their songs. Midnite’s songs use a chant-and-call
style, which sounds as if the lead singer is preaching through the
music. Their lyrics often touch on the struggle of the oppressed
and how politicians refuse to give the poor voices or respect.
Midnite’s songs also talk about the economic and social settings
of different people, the value of education and the redemption
that human kind can make for themselves.
German-born Gentleman brings with him a rock and roll
sound fused with standard roots reggae style. He also has some
Alan Chu
Curry. The word used to send
shivers down my spine. Imagine
experiencing curry for the first time
at the tender age of 15. But when I
rediscovered curry in the recent years,
I couldn’t believe what I was missing.
All the flavors of curry flowed around
my tongue like a sea of deliciousness.
I could not stop eating it. Then an
idea popped into my head. Why not
go beyond taste and find out more
about curry? So off I went to the
Internet’s library: Wikipedia. What
I found there shocked and awed me
into silence. Well, as silent as I could
get with a spoon in my mouth and a
bowl on my lap.
Contrary to popular belief, curry
is just not a dish from India. Curry is
any sauce that comes from India. It is
eaten with rice, bread or just chugged
down like Red Bull. India is the place
to go for curry. Another misconception
www.earthcultureroots.com/artist_anthony.html is that curries are spicy, I’m talking
about burn-your-tongue-off spicy,
reduce-a-veteran-rugby-player-to-
tears spicy.
songs with hip-hop sounds, during which he raps more than he For the most part, Indian curries
sings and veers slightly from standard roots upbeats.
are a mix of spiciness and flavor. So
In concert, the musician plays with a great enthusiasm, it is not always tears-of-pain hot,
often requesting that the crowd jump along to his songs. He but relative to everything else, they
sings mostly in Patois, a Jamaican-Creole English. Although are spicy. Of course, in India, curry
he is European, Gentleman is quite popular in Jamaica, which is just to make meals a tad tastier.
he considers an honor. It goes without saying that any is
Gregory Isaacs represents the older generation of reggae almost like what Worchester sauce
music at age 58. He emerged in the early 1970s along with Lee is to hamburgers.
Perry, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, With all these misconceptions
where some of the best reggae is created and recorded, Isaacs floating around, it is not surprising that
has become one of the most popular reggae artists in the world. people tend to overlook curries from
Isaacs continues to appeal to the old and young fans of reggae different civilizations. As mentioned
music, because he constantly experiments with his sound. Isaacs’ before, India is Curry Central. It is
most popular works are love songs with a mellow and relaxed the place where it was first invented
reggae sound. and then promptly eaten.
Representing the United States is local Santa Cruz group One society that later accepted
Soul Majestic. Soul Majestic consists of seven co-ed members curry is China. Chinese curry, in
with a women and man as the lead singers. They started their general, is a milder form and comes
band in the late 1990s and is one of the driving forces in the in several different colors. There
development of California reggae. They fuse jazz, rock and always is the option to eat it without
hip-hop into there unique sound and have original lyrics about rice, but then again there is always
topics ranging from the environment to family to social and the option of listening to pop-reggae-
economic worries. funk-opera fusion. It may seem like a
In 2004 Soul Majestic recorded their second album Un- great idea at the time, but in several
til That Day in Bob Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong studio in seconds, pain and regret will come. If
Kingston, Jamaica. you cannot handle Indian spiciness,
This concert is a great day out for any reggae lover. The or are not willing to find any milder
show is full of talent and positive energy, with seven artists all Indian curry, than Chinese curry is
with their own matchless styles and informative and inspira- the dish for you.
tional lyrics. Going slightly east of China, we
find the Japanese version of curry. The

Palo Alto’s “Third Wave” inspires German filmmaker
By Sarah Stringer
Spotlight Editor
In 1967, Ron Jones, a teacher at Cubberley
High School, began a five-day experiment aimed
at teaching students about the rise of fascism.
The results: an unexpected rise in student par-
ticipation and support of the movement, called
the “Third Wave” and stories of the process that
continues an impact to this day.
The reputation of the experiment stretched
internationally, evidenced by the new German
movie Die Welle, or The Wave, which recently
premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
The film, which takes place in a German high
school instead of Palo Alto, was nominated for
the Grand Jury Prize, the highest award given
at Sundance.
Die Welle joins a series of other media
reproductions of the experiment, including The
Wave, a book written by Todd Strasser under the
pen name Morton Rhue, and a short televised
movie with the same title.
One of the reasons these tales of the Third
Wave test still makes an impression on audi-
ences is the psychological basis of the students’
reactions.
While one student told Jones during a
lesson about Nazi Germany that “it couldn’t
happen here,” according to the Palo Alto Centen-
nial, the involvement of students in his lesson
demonstrate one method through which fascist
leaders gained staunch support of their regimes
during World War II and how this mindset made
anything possible.
Jones was an experimental teacher, who
had just graduated from the Stanford Teacher
Education Program and interested in teaching
students in unique, engaging ways.
He wanted his students to not only under-
stand, but to truly grasp the lessons conveyed
in his sophomore World History class.
On the first day of the experiment, which
was intended to be only one day, Jones an-
nounced the creation of a new youth organization
called the Third Wave.
Jones, acting as the leader, insisted on
perfect, uniform behavior, including straight
posture, quick and formal answers to his ques-
tions and efficient entering and exiting of school
buildings.
According to The Catamount, the Cubberly
High School newspaper, Jones told his students
that the Third Wave was a national movement
aimed at eradicating democracy.
According to an 1967 interview with the
school newspaper, Jones said “[democracy]
has many unnatural aspects since the emphasis
is on the individual instead of a disciplined and
involved community.”
Soon Jones began noticing that students not
only obeyed his orders, but began improving in
class and adopting new responsibilities. Jones
noted that it became easier to teach students now
that they were more organized and committed
to the idea represented by their motto, “Strength
through Discipline.”
Yet there was also opposition. After learn-
ing about the experiment and the way students
became extremely involved and dedicated to
the Third Wave, a group of students organized
“The Breakers,” an opposition group to other
students.
They put up posters and made fliers counter-
ing the messages of the Third Wave. In the five
days the experiment ran, the group of participat-
ing students grew from just a few members of
his sophomore class to 200 members, as more
and more students requested to join.
The movement spread outside the class-
room, as students undertook jobs as Jones’
bodyguards and spies, telling him about students’
transgressions such as poor saluting and plots
of revolution.
When informed of an offense, Jones would
decide whether or not to act and had a list of
a various punishments for students who broke
rules. Towards the end of the movement, students
German director Dennis Gansel draws inspiration for his film, Die Welle, from the
historic 1967 “Third Wave” experiment that occurred at Cubberley High School.
were deeply loyal to their cause and skeptics
were generally banished and ostracized.
Three students, who were critical of the
movement, were threatened by participating
students on the last day and Jones had to per-
sonally escort them to the school library to keep
them safe. On Friday, Jones called an assembly
of all members of the Third Wave to announce
the end of the project.
Students were surprised to learn that they
were part of an experiment and not really join-
ing a national organization called the Third
Wave. Some had emotional reactions, crying
at the news.
Then, to connect back to the subject matter,
Jones showed a video about Nazi Germany to
finish the lesson. Some students have not said
http://www.welle.info/
they made connections between the experiment
and the lesson Jones was trying to teach.
Mark Hancock, one of the students involved
in the experiment, mentions that grades, and not
history, were motivating the behavior.
“It wasn’t Nazi German life that mat-
tered,” Hancock said in 1991. “It was Palo
Alto grades.”
In any case, the project has fueled psy-
chological inquiries, social experiments and
public interest for years, the latest result being
“Die Welle.”
Jones’ internationally publicized experi-
ment shows that even in a quiet suburban town,
the right conditions can influence a group of
people to echo basic fascist practices of fallen
regimes.
colors of Japanese curries seem to try
to imitate a palette for paint. Ranging
from black to red, it is surprising that it
can be considered curry. If not for the
chili powder ever present, some of the
curries may even be eaten as a dessert.
There are pieces of fruit mixed into
some of them. They even put sugar
into the sauce and serve it as if it is a
meal. This is slightly unorthodox to
say the least. Then they go and decide
to follow the rules and serve the curry
with rice, probably to appear normal.
I am still trying to figure out their cur-
ries. But if off-beat flavors and colors
tickle your fancy, Japanese curry is
right up your alley.
Then there are the misnomers,
like vegetarian curries. These are alien
enough to be called a culture. Instead
of using meat as the main attraction,
it is replaced with a variety of veg-
etables, the usual minority of the dish.
It is like shouting out the answers in
the middle of taking a test; it just does
not make any sense.
If being masochistic is your thing,
then eating this variation of curry
will be number two on your list of
fun things to do, right after watching
daytime television for several hours.
Of course there are people out there
who will disagree, but do not listen
to them. Anyone who disagrees has
already completed the first objective
on the list, and can now be considered
a human vegetable.
Of course, there are more styles
of curries than what is described
here. I am merely giving uninformed
people a spring board to discover the
magical quality of curry. If anyone
disagrees over the taste of curry, then
it is like saying they dislike attaining
enlightenment. While they are eating
slop, you can ascend and experience
the bliss known as curry.
The Campanile A&E February 20, 2008 • B9

Sophomore ensemble produces unique jazz tunes

Jazz band members strengthen their friendship, develop musical talent by creating their own original music
By Crystal Wang who has played saxophone for six years and
Staff Writer bass guitar for three years.
Furthermore, the band members have
For three hours every Sunday, members realized that they need strong communication
of Late Notice, a jazz band comprised of seven since the group is relatively large.
Paly sophomore boys, meet to learn new songs “It takes a lot of cooperation to get seven
and practice for upcoming gigs. people together,” Audet said. “We definitely
The band consists of Matt Segall on had some troubles with gigs and organizing
tenor and baritone saxophone, Evan Gitter- in the past, but we worked through it.”
man on alto saxophone and bass guitar, Elliot In the beginning, the members had trouble
Sanborn on tenor saxophone, Grant Audet on staying together and playing the melody in uni-
trumpet, Julian Pitt on drums, Ben Sklaroff on son with all four horns, according to Gitterman.
keyboard and Chris Tang Throughout the years
on guitar.
The boys formed the
“People always say that they’re of practice, however,
they have learned more
jazz group during the sum- very surprised that we’re so about playing in syn-
mer of 2005. good for being so young. I think chronization with each
“I got a call from Matt they only take us seriously once other and have strongly
one day and he said he and developed the right
a few others were forming
they’ve heard us play.” rhythm, accompani-
a band,” said Audet, who ment and harmony.
has been playing trumpet Grant Audet Ever since they
for almost six years. “It sophomore joined the band, many
was pretty informal. At of the members feel
first, we just got together that it has helped push
to start playing but it developed into a little their musical talent forward.
more and now we’re playing some gigs.” “Musically speaking, everyone’s getting
The band was officially named Late No- better individually,” Gitterman said. “But
tice for a last-minute talent show performance we’re also getting better as a group.”
at Jordan Middle School during the boys’ The band has generally played jazz stan-
eighth grade year. dards, or well-known jazz tunes, at gigs, but
“They asked us to play for the talent show recently they have been starting to write their
two days before the show,” said Segall, who own music, Sklaroff said.
has played saxophone since sixth grade. “They One person usually starts a song alone
needed someone else, so that’s how we got the and then the rest learn and improve the piece
name Late Notice.” by giving feedback.
According to the boys, each of them shares “It is hard for us to brainstorm together
a strong passion for jazz music. because we all have different opinions on
“There are no boundaries in jazz,” Segall how songs should sound in the beginning,”
said. “It’s very broad. There’s a lot of freedom Sklaroff said. Courtesy of Evan Gitterman
to express.” For Sklaroff, who did not know jazz music Paly sophomores (left to right) Elliot Sanborn, Grant Audet and Matt Segall, along with other members of the local jazz band
Improvisation is a crucial aspect of jazz prior to joining the band two years ago, the Late Notice, share a strong passion for composing, learning and performing jazz music at a variety of local events and parties.
music and is the element which allows the composing process starts with fabricating the
freedom the boys admire so much in their melody and then the chords around it. Oth- Late Notice has played at many private we’re in high school. I think they only take us which has strengthened their friendship and
compositions. ers write the chord progression first and then events including block parties, school fund seriously once they’ve heard us play.” camaraderie.
“Jazz is all based on improvisation,” said create the melody. raisers, wine-tasting events, Bar Mitzvahs Not only does the band play for a wide “The best part is that we can communicate
Sanborn, who took up tenor saxophone in Gitterman said, a typical Sunday practice and the Palo Alto Farmer’s Market. They have variety of events, but it also performs for a well with each other and we’re all very com-
seventh grade. “It’s really different each time. for the band members begins with going over also been booked at a couple of clubs and vast range of age groups. Sanborn said their fortable playing with each other,” Gitterman
You just make stuff up and it’s fun. You can new pieces and learning new songs that the restaurants including Café Fino in Palo Alto elderly audience typically find their music said. “That’s pretty important in jazz.”
be more creative.” members themselves composed. and the Agenda Lounge in San Jose. soothing and like that such young kids play After three years of practicing together
Jazz music requires a lot of communica- “We’ve been trying to write music for The boys have said that their audience their favorite jazz pieces. at Pitt’s house every Sunday from 5 p.m. to
tion between the players since it contains so a while,” Gitterman said. “We finally have usually has positive reactions to their band “Then when we played at an elementary 8 p.m., the band has established an impres-
much improvisation, but the boys especially several original pieces that are actually good and their music. school for a fund-raiser, there were all these sive repertoire as well as a strong sense of
enjoy that aspect of jazz. enough to play. The song-writing process is “People always say that they’re very sur- kids dancing,” Sanborn said. brotherhood.
“Improvising while basing your ideas off going a lot better so we will probably be able prised that we’re so good for being so young,” Since middle school, the boys have “The best thing is just having these guys
other people is kind of neat,” said Gitterman, to play some new songs at gigs now.” Audet said. “They’re always surprised that shared many experiences with each other to play with every week,” Segall said.

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B8 • February 20, 2007
Track Boiz release new album Mondo Booty
Paly senior rap group debuts with risqué rhymes, catchy beats
By Becky Byler
Staff Writer
“Go Vagina.” “Jigglerz.” “Tryin’ to See.”
“Geesin’.” The list of songs may be short, but a
group of Palo Alto High School seniors, known
as the Track Boiz, offers an endless amount
of promise, as well as a good laugh.
The Track Boiz were friends long before
the group was named over the summer of 2005.
Initially a much larger group, the Track Boiz
now has just seven members, as many of the
original members have since graduated.
Currently, the group is made up of seniors
James McCollough, Kevin Johnson, Mike
Scott, Nigel Hawkins, Jordan Jefferson, Don-
nie Salas and Brandon Boyd.
The Track Boiz first gained Paly’s atten-
tion in October 2005, when the group was
falsely accused of being a gang by the admin-
istration. Since then, the talented athletes and
students have gained popularity and influenced
the Paly culture.
“You can find the Track Boiz’s sign [three
fingers up on both hands like an “okay” sign]
at least once in every Paly student’s Facebook
pictures,” junior Cat Chiang said.
Recently, however, the group’s musical
abilities have made an impression on the
student body.
Mondo Booty, the Track Boiz debut rap
album, will not go platinum, but the songs
are certainly amusing enough to prompt
widespread appeal among students.
“I had been messing around with [Garage-
Band] since I was 12, but it wasn’t until [Study
Skills teacher Elizabeth] Mueller got a new
computer with GarageBand that we decided to
actually do something,” Hawkins said.
The Track Boiz said they have been to-
gether since freshman year, with McCollough
and Hawkins as the main music producers.
Hawkins initiated the interest in rapping,
but now the entire group is involved in the
process.
“We all do something,” Salas said. “We
do everything ourselves.”
In addition, Jefferson said that “James gets
the beats and Nigel has the rhymes.”
The Track Boiz’s latest work, Mondo
Booty, especially reflects this idea of a shared
effort. Each member contributes to the album
in a different way to create the final result. All
four songs on the album feature a wide range
of vocals from almost every group member.
The Track Boiz, a group of seven Paly seniors, created a rap album called Mondo Booty. The Track Boiz have been rapping
together since their freshman year but only recently have recorded an album after being introduced to GarageBand.
“[Mondo Booty] is pretty much dance
songs,” Hawkins said. “It’s about [women]
because we definitely love the females. We
want them to have fun and to reveal them-
selves at parties.”
The group said that they intended “Jig-
glerz,” the group’s first song on Mondo Booty,
to be for everyone, but it specifically goes out
to “all those girls with big jigglers.”
“Jigglerz” is a transparent title, since the
song is indeed completely about “big-ass tit-
ties” and “where the titties at.”
It does not highlight the group’s rapping
ability, but with the descriptive lyrics and the
multiple synonyms the group came up with for
“jigglers,” the song has a beauty of its own.
“‘Jigglerz was the first song,” McCol-
lough said. “It has a lot of memories. A lot
of memories.”
“Tryin’ to See,” the last song on Mondo
Booty, also has the potential to be the next
music phenomenon. The rhythmic lyrics and
backbeat create another strong sound and
sparks the urge to dance.
A&E
“Tryin’ to See” is about the search to “see
some ass” and the desire for a “big-assed girl”
to “shake it hard.” The repeat of “I’m just tryin’
to see some ass” creates an entertaining and
captivating core to the song.
“[‘Tryin’ to See’] is my favorite song
because ‘I’m just tryin’ to see some ass,’”
Scott said.
While almost all the members cite “Tryin’
to See” as their favorite song so far, Jefferson
said that his favorite is “Go Vagina.”
“It gets me really pumped up,” Jefferson
said. “Sometimes we listen to it in the locker
room before games.”
“Go Vagina,” the second single on Mondo
Booty, is a very catchy song. The song’s lyrics
are perfectly complemented by an infectious
backbeat and while the song is a rap, its almost
techno-like sound will make listeners want
to put it on constant repeat. The addition of a
variety of interesting sounds makes this song
a real gem.
McCollough, who wrote the song, said
that his inspiration for the lyrics came from
Michela Fossati-Bellani/The Campanile
the “Go, Go Power Rangers” lyrics in the
Power Rangers theme song.
“I was chilling at my house one day watch-
ing Power Rangers, when I though to myself
that the theme song had a really catchy tune,”
McCollough said. “Then I went and watched
some [skin flicks] and it just came to me.”
According to McCollough, the song was
first played to the Paly wrestling team and all
the players really enjoyed it. McCollough said
that he believes the real hook of the song is the
repetition of “Go vagina/go go vagina.”
“We wanted to target all kinds of guys with
these songs,” Salas said. “Every guy can be
like ‘I love ‘Go Vagina!’ or ‘Jigglerz!’”
The final song on Mondo Booty,
“Geesin,’” which means “clownin’” or “mak-
ing fun of” according to UrbanDictionary.com,
debuted on Feb. 4 on an InFocus segment.
“We didn’t really have much success
with that one,” Salas said. “But it doesn’t
really matter.”
“Geesin” is definitely not the best example
of the Track Boiz’ abilities. It seems lackluster
The Campanile
compared to the previous singles on Mondo
Booty and could be better if more polished.
While the change of topic is laudable, the
song lacks the same amount of passion and
enthusiasm found in their other songs.
“It was a bad music video since we didn’t
get to edit it ourselves,” McCollough said of
the InFocus segment. “If we had made it, it
would have been a lot better.”
Though the Track Boiz may be labeled as
having the potential of being the next Soulja
Boy-like artist, the members of the group take
a different position.
“We’re already better than Soulja Boy, ”
Johnson said. “He sucks. I have a dance step
too and it’s amazing.”
Nevertheless, despite the support of a
number of people, only Hawkins has produced
any solo raps.
Hawkins said that he had never thought
about rapping until he was in an argument
with a friend and posted a rap about it on
MySpace. As his friends and other artists left
favorable comments, Hawkins said that he
began to think that rapping was something
he could really do.
“I think I am damn near what a rapper
is,” Hawkins said. “If I get out there I won’t
stop. I want the Bay Area to know me, ya
feel me?”
So far, Hawkins produces his own songs
using Apple’s GarageBand. However, Hawk-
ins said that he has “connections at the studios”
and that he asks “nearly everyday for the Track
Boiz to record some more music.
“It would be nice to get out there so I can
get the cash,” Hawkins said. “But I’m still
not sure if I want it to be my career or just
something on the side.”
Right now, the group as a whole is content
at where they are currently.
“We do it [rap] because we love it and
we can’t stop making beats and rhymes,”
Hawkins said.
Jefferson, the Track Boiz publicist, said
the group will perform soon.
“They do it all,” Jefferson said. “They’re
pretty amazing.”
Mondo Booty
Artist: Track Boiz
Record Label: Self-produced
Running Time: 7 min.
B10 • February 20, 2008 A&E The Campanile

Classic burgers satisfy at Dutch Goose

Pool, arcade games, sports create entertaining atmosphere for dining
By Henry Becker
Features Editor
The Dutch Goose in Menlo Park
delivers a certain special and some-
what indefinable something.
It happens when one enters the
restaurant and the staff is friendly and
plays pool better than the clientele. It
happens when one sees deviled eggs
are on the menu. It could be due to
the hardwood floors and ceilings, the
heavily weathered back rooms, the
“Menlo Women’s Wrestling” graffiti
— or it could just be the flood of mayo
on every sandwich and burger.
Then it hits you. Everyone has
been to the Dutch Goose, whether in
the movies of the 1950s or for their
post-game dinner parties.
For the honky-tonk diner, this is
the place to be. All the essentials are
there, be it the guacamole, bacon burg-
ers, grilled hamburgers ($5.50-$6.75)
or the plethora of side dishes. Dutch
Goose speaks to the red, white and
blue in everyone.
The burgers are well cooked and
the toppings are always just right, just
as Uncle Sam would have wanted
them to be.
The bacon on the bacon burger is
cooked to perfection and the guaca-
mole fairly neutralizes the overflow
of white mayonnaise on the bun. It’s
tasty and wholesome.
Take the spiced deviled eggs
($1.25). The deliciously messy egg
stuffings are thicker than concrete and
the paprika spice adds a rich flavoring
atypical of the usually bland dish. No
matter how big of an appetite one has,
there’s enough in a single plate to serve
an army of friends.
Other sides range from $3 to $8
and include an average chili, fruit
bowls, garlic breads, steamed clams,
fries and caesar salad.
The sides are reminiscent of
frat-house food and the type eaten
on evenings while watching football.
The general atmosphere makes for an
easygoing tone.
The sandwiches are unfortunately
the weakest part of Goose, simply
because of the amount of mayo on
them. Mayonnaise may belong on a
full-blooded hamburger, but not on
an Italian Pastrami sandwich. The
smoked ham, turkey breast, roasted
beef and smoked brisket all contain
egregious amounts of artery-clogging
mayonnaise, overdoing a potentially
good thing.
But Dutch Goose overcomes its
imperfections by delivering where
it counts: games. Pool is 75 cents a
game and among the multiple arcade
outfits are The Fast and the Furious
racing game and the age-old classic,
Duck Hunting. It’s a perfect way to top
off a meal and they truly cap off the
overall experience excellently.
In addition, Dutch Goose caters
to all kinds of social functions and has
hosted everything from after-practice
dinners to weddings.
However, what makes the Dutch
Goose unforgettable are the memo-
ries.
The dinners held after sports
events, the big games on the seven
plasma screens and the reunions held
in the battered wooden benches.
There is enough history in the
Dutch Goose’s 40-plus years of
service that comes out in the peanut
shells on the floor and the autographed
pictures hanging on the walls.
Plenty of Stanford students and
celebrities, including Tiger Woods and
John Elway, have added to the historic
feel of Dutch Goose.
Owner Greg Stern is two years
into his current position, but he
knows enough that his chief concern
is keeping the venerable establishment
relatively the same.
His only major action was adding
the widescreen televisions. Previous
owner Tom Moroney passed on his
decades-long mantle on Oct. 1, 2005
to the relatively young Stern, a man
who knew a good way to bring in
more business was to serve fries as
a side dish.
Today, the Dutch Goose stands
for friendly service and consistent
food. But most of all the Dutch Goose
stands for its atmosphere, its past and
its promise to remain the same. Hope-
fully it will serve the same hamburg-
ers and deviled eggs for generations
to come.
Dutch Goose
Location: 3567 Alameda de las
Pulgas, Menlo Park
Hours: Sun.-Tues. 11-12
a.m., Wed.-Sat. Elizabeth Petit/The Campanile
11-2 a.m. The Dutch Goose offers classic burgers and its famous deviled eggs in a welcoming atmosphere filled
Prices: $1.25-$16.75
with plasma TVs for sports fans as well as cheap pool games and many distinguished arcade outfits.

Numerous attractions along historic Strange Wilderness fails

Embarcadero boast beautiful views audience with few laughs
Cupid’s Span, an enormous bow and arrow sculpture that juts out of the ground,
stands in the “heart” of Rincon Park, one of the many sights along the Embarcadero.
By Jillian Liu
Staff Writer
Across San Francisco’s waterfront
stretches the Embarcadero, a lively street of
serene strolls, superb shopping and scrump-
tious snacks. Originally a thriving transpor-
tation hub of ports and streetcars, this center
for trade was cut off by the construction of a
highway. However, even after it collapsed
in 1992, the Embarcadero remained blighted
for years. In the past decade, the city has
redesigned the Embarcadero into a beautiful
atmosphere filled with vibrancy and activities
that everybody, from tourists to native San
Franciscans, can enjoy.
Rincon Park
One disinterested in shopping can stroll
down the miles-long sidewalk on the Em-
Julia Benton/The Campanile
barcadero and take in the view of the harbor,
where boats and ships float by the dock. As
one enjoys the salt air and open skies, one
reaches Rincon Park, a large expanse of green
by the bay which overlooks the magnificent
San Francisco Bay Bridge. At the center stands
Cupid’s Span, an enormous bow and arrow
shot into the ground. Designed and constructed
by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen,
Cupid’s Span is supposed to symbolize where
Tony Bennett, the singer of “I Left My Heart
in San Francisco,” left his heart.
The Ferry Building
First built as a transit center, the Ferry
Building has evolved into a marketplace and
clock tower. With its many ethnic restaurants
such as the Vietnamese-fusion The Slanted
Door and a variety of specialty stores like
the Stonehouse California Olive Oil, the
Ferry Building brings all who yearn for the
experience of the essence of San Francisco:
diversity. In addition, the marketplace also
hosts the Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market on
Tuesdays and Saturdays. Overlooking the bay,
the farmers’ market allows visitors to enjoy the
tranquility and beauty of the waterfront while
at the same time shopping for fresh organic
fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Fisherman’s Wharf
The Wharf is home to generations of
fishing fleets and visitors can watch fisher-
men pull up Dungeness crabs during season
and carry out their ocean-oriented business.
Meanwhile, off shore, vintage cable cars and
trolleys ring by to transport people to their
destinations.
Pier 39
San Francisco’s most renowned attrac-
tion is not only visited by tourists, but also by
locals. After enjoying the many stores around
the pier, including plaza entertainment from
street performers, candy shops, an arcade and
abundant restaurants, pedestrians can enjoy
the beautiful landscape of the bay or simply
watch the hundreds of sea lions sleeping,
barking or swimming.
Embarcadero Center
A mixed-use complex, the Embarca-
dero Center is filled with plenty of shops,
entertainment and business facilities. The
center is set in a prime location, the middle
of San Francisco’s commercial district, within
close reach of many other locations on San
Francisco’s historic waterfront, such as Pier
39, the Ferry Building and Alcatraz. The
Embarcadero Center consists of hundreds of
retail shops and restaurants, including its own
cinema. The center also hosts a collection of
unique public art that tours throughout the
entire building.
By Eliot Wilson
Senior Staff Writer
Strange Wilderness is an adventure into
the jumbled and impulsive minds of former
Saturday Night Live writers Fred Wolf and
Peter Gaulke. Throughout the movie, each
scene attempts to bring more laughs than the
one before it. The result is a series of clips
more suited for SNL than a movie.
The story follows Fred Wolf (Allen
Covert) and Peter Gaulke (Steve Zaughn) —
apparently, the writers couldn’t find better
names than their own — and a team of misfits
who are trying to keep a failing wildlife show
afloat after the death of Gaulke’s father, a
legend in the TV show business. A network
producer informs the gang that they have two
weeks until their show is cancelled, unless
they come up with a miracle. Then a friend
of Gaulke’s shows him a map to find Bigfoot,
and the gang sets off on a half-hearted quest
to save the show by being the first crew to
capture Bigfoot on TV.
The trip is full of drugs and misfortune,
including many untimely deaths that are re-
corded and edited into the show.
The funniest parts of the film are the
voice-overs recorded by Gaulke over nature
footage. Some of the recordings are genuinely
hilarious, but these short bursts of laughter
are all that stop moviegoers from leaving
the theater.
The plot is largely ignored throughout the
entire film in favor of jokes about disfigured
genitalia and Mexican immigrant workers.
In one uncomfortable and unfunny scene,
a government turkey grabs onto Gaulke’s
genitalia with his mouth and doesn’t let go.
Jokes like these do not entertain even the
crudest of minds.
The cast, composed of many up-and-
coming actors, keeps the film afloat. Jonah
Hill (Superbad) plays Cooker and seems to
have no purpose in the movie. Hill is known
for his hilarious antics, but in Wilderness he
just seems cruel and unnecessary.
Fresh off a starring role in Live Free
or Die Hard, Justin Long joins the cast as a
stoner who runs camera equipment. In one
particularly funny scene, we find that Long
has tattooed eyes to his eyelids to make it
seem as though he were awake when he is
sleeping. Long, however, seems lost in many
scenes and this movie is a step backward for
him from previous films.
Fred Wolf, played by Allen Covert, saves
the movie. Although never given the chance to
shine on screen, Covert has some of the funni-
est scenes in the film. As the wingman to Peter
Gaulke, Wolf plays a dumb yet compassionate
character who obeys orders, but always inter-
jects a hilarious comment into every situation.
A regular with Happy Madison Productions,
the production team led by Adam Sandler,
Covert outshines the rest of the cast.
Steve Zaughn is disappointing as Peter
Gaulke, a well-meaning slacker with ambition
for success, but does not have the smarts. The
audience never feels emotionally connected
to Gaulke and often times throughout the film
he seems heartless or cruel. For example, in
one sad scene, Gaulke attempts to imitate a
Mexican accent, but his attempt is more racist
than funny.
Strange Wilderness fits the prototype of a
guy movie without a true plot driving the jokes.
The film would be better as a series of jokes
on Mad TV or SNL. For cheap laughs, Harold
and Kumar Go to White Castle or Half-Baked
are better choices than this movie.
Strange Wilderness
Director: Fred Wolf
Cast: Steve Zahn, Jonah Hill,
Justin Long, Allen Covert
Running Time: 1hr. 27 min.
Rating: R

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The Campanile
Warm atmosphere houses icy desserts
Gelayo Gusto serves wide variety of exquisite food in modern, relaxing atmosphere
By Pauline Slakey
Staff Writer
Gelayo Gusto, a new gelato and frozen
yogurt restaurant on El Camino Ave. in
Mountain View, is an ideal gelato restaurant
that embodies a convenient, modern and
comfortable atmosphere. Since its opening
in December, Gelayo Gusto has become a
very popular fresh gelato and frozen yogurt
restaurant that attracts both students and
families.
According to owner Paul Choi, Gelayo
Gusto is a word scramble between gelato and
yogurt. However, Gelayo Gusto offers a wide
variety of foods other than gelato and frozen
yogurt, including coffee, shaved ice bowls,
dessert waffles, sandwiches, salads and soups.
Its seating capacity is only 25 people and the
restaurant becomes crowded at night.
“When my wife [Gayelle Choi] and I first
started thinking about creating the restaurant
a year ago we wanted a place that would offer
a diversified dessert menu,” Choi said. “It
would give more options to our customers
and perhaps encourage them to keep com-
ing back.”
The brightly-lit room with modern music
playing in the background makes for a calm,
relaxed atmosphere. Blue sparkly lights give
the room a soft subtle blue lighting while a
large open window on the back wall, dressed
with clear oval-patterned curtains, gives an
added brightness. The walls are white and
adorned with large white tiles.
“My wife designed most of the place,”
Choi said. “We wanted to create a modern,
fun and warm feel. The hardwood floors
were to create a more homey feel and the
chairs and other furniture were to add a more
contemporary aspect to the place.”
When customers enter through the
door, a display case of pastries and array
of gelato flavors, including banana walnut,
Tony Spumoni, dulce de leche, butter pecan,
blueberry cabernet sorbet, blood orange
sorbet and mango sorbet, is the first thing
that meets the eye.
Press “play” on creatively humorous Be Kind Rewind
Jack Black, Mos Def bring authentic comedic performances to Michel Gondry’s new film
When Jerry (Jack Black, left) accidentally erases all the videos in a New Jersey video store where he
works, he and his co-worker Mike (Mos Def, right) attempt to re-record all the movies themselves.
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Gelayo Gusto’s very own Italian gelato
maker creates the gelato. A small bowl of
gelato is comprised of three flavors ($3.50),
while a medium ($4.75) combines four
flavors. There is an added $0.50 charge for
placing the gelato in a small waffle cone.
According to Choi, gelato has more
flavors than regular ice cream because it has
less air added into the cream, giving each bite
more intense flavors.
The gelato is indeed very rich and full of
flavor. The banana walnut has a sweet and
creamy banana taste and a crunch texture from
the crushed walnuts in it. The Tony Spumoni
consists of chocolate, almonds and pistachio.
It has a creamy, rich chocolate taste with a
slight marzipan aftertaste.
The pistachio gives it an added crunch.
Dulce de leche and butter pecan are two of
the thickest and creamiest of the gelatos.
They both taste like sweet caramel though the
butter pecan has a bit of a stronger creamy
taste with the added pecan bite.
All of the sorbets are very refreshing
and sweet. The blueberry cabernet sorbet
is a dark purple color and has a cool, sour
taste. On the other hand, the blood orange
and mango sorbets are very sweet and taste
like freshly squeezed fruit juice. The mango
is especially good and each spoonful feels
like a bite of fresh chilled mango.
A large menu on the wall displays a
large range of coffee drinks ranging from
house coffee ($1.50) to the chai latte ($2.50).
A sandwich menu is also displayed and in-
cludes a Ham and Brie sandwich ($6.75) and
a Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella sandwich
($6.50) perfect for vegetarians.
The Ham and Brie sandwich is made
with a whole wheat baguette, melted brie
cheese and black forest ham. The dish is
served with two delicate slices of mango
and kiwi. The sandwich has a very warm
and crunchy texture and the ham gives it a
somewhat sweet aftertaste.
The pastries made by the restaurant’s
pastry chef are absolutely delicious. The
cream puff ($2.75) has a creamy cold interior
Stationery • Office/School Supplies
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299 S. California Ave. 310 California Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94306 Palo Alto, California 94306
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A&E February 20, 2008 • B11
Elizabeth Petit/The Campanile
Gelayo Gusto in Mountain View offers a variety of delicious desserts since its opening in December. Gelayo’s serves
many different desserts, including the yogurt shaved ice bowl (right) and the triangle-shaped waffle thin (bottom left).
wrapped around a light puffy bread. The fruit and a choice of frozen yogurt or gelato. The With gelato, frozen yogurt, coffee, exqui-
tart ($2.75) has raspberries, blueberries, kiwis small yogurt shaved ice bowl ($5) is very site sandwiches, delicious pastries and shaved
and strawberries placed delicately on top well presented and tastes excellent. Each ice bowls, Gelayo Gusto has it all. Its comfy
of a beige pastry bread that crumbles and spoonful consists of sweet, sour, crunchy and modern setting, convenient and free ac-
melts into the mouth. The bite that results and smooth creating an overall refreshing, cess to wireless Internet, and long hours (open
is one that incorporates crunchy, sweet and satisfying dish. until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) make
creamy with a tiny bit of zesty sourness. The “Our inspiration came from the dessert Gelayo Gusto the perfect place to relax and
fruit chocolate cup ($2.75) is an extremely places in Korea,” Choi said. “My wife, who cool off with fresh gelato or pastry.
appealing looking pastry. With its cute dark just came back from Korea about five months
chocolate mug filled with sweet cream and ago, didn’t really see many dessert places that
blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, it offered shaved iced bowls here in the U.S. Gelayo Gusto
makes for a refreshing, delicious dessert. She and I wanted to create a place that offered Location: 856 W. El Camino Real #A
Another impressive option displayed on them at reasonable prices in a nice comfortable     Mountain View
the menu are “shaved ice bowls,” a Korean environment.” Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.
dessert consisting of shaved ice, fresh fruit Gelayo’s location also makes it the place  Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
(kiwis, strawberries, raspberries, pineapples to go after dining a block away on Castro Prices:      $1.50 - $8.25
and mangoes), sweet red beans, granola Street.
By Sara Reihani       Be Kind is, very deliberately, a movie with a mes-
A&E Editor sage. In Gondry’s world, customers clamor for sweded
films. They love seeing their friends in the work and
Jack Black, despite his best attempts is not a versatile don’t question the obviously terrible special effects. In-
actor. He has a tendency to seem ridiculous when attempt- stead of passively accepting prepackaged entertainment,
ing gravity or, for that matter, comedy (think King Kong they discover the joy of making their own.
and Nacho Libre, respectively). The optimism of Gondry’s vision is enhanced by its
Black is at his best when playing the schlubby, de- palpable honesty: most of the extras are real Passaic resi-
lusional loser and his role in Be Kind Rewind, the new dents and every movie shown being sweded was actually
comedy from French director Michel Gondry, plays to remade by the cast.
his strengths. The movie’s themes of community effort and creative
Jerry (Jack Black) and Mike (Mos Def), employees process make it an amalgamation of Gondry’s last two mov-
at a New Jersey video store, are left in dire straits after ies: Dave Chappelle’s Block Party and The Science of Sleep. 
an accident magnetizes As a whole, the film lacks
Jerry’s brain and erases all resolution. The romance
the videotapes.
By implementing idealistic optimism, the movie between Mike and Alma
Desperate for a solu- comes dangerously close to being cheesy; ironi- (Melonie Diaz) extends
tion, the two create their cally, it escapes cliche by embracing it whole- no further than vague hints
own versions of the miss- heartedly. and the central conflict of
ing movies to appease the movie — whether the
customers. The homemade aging, decrepit video store
versions are unexpectedly popular and the entire neighbor- will be demolished — is never fully resolved.
hood soon becomes involved in their creation.      But the main purpose of the movie is the message, not
The process of reproducing the movies, which the the simple plot. The film is an appeal to make something
characters call “sweding,” is shown in brilliant detail; set of one’s own, to reject conventionalities and become a
pieces, props, costumes and low-tech special effects are producer.
all revealed. By implementing such naked idealism, Be Kind Re-
Unlike the self-conscious “doodle” aesthetic of high- wind comes dangerously close to being cheesy; ironically,
profile indies like Juno and Napoleon Dynamite, there is it escapes cliché by embracing it wholeheartedly.
not a trace of irony in Gondry’s amateurism; only the barest
tinge of self-awareness and a sincere appeal to suspend
disbelief in the interest of the cinematic experience. Be Kind Rewind
Like Gondry’s last film, The Science of Sleep, the
dialogue in Be Kind is unsophisticated and often seems Director: Michel Gondry
www.firstshowing.net heavily improvised. Ad-libbing aside, it fits the inno- Cast:    Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover
cence of the characters, some of whom are childlike to Run Time: 101 min.
the point of vague lunacy. Rating:    
PG-13
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B12 • February 20, 2008
Lupe Fiasco keeps his cool
Fiasco’s latest hip-hop album The Cool strikes a big hit
By Zach Harris
Staff Writer
After his arrival on the hip-hop scene with his 2006
debut album Food and Liquor, Muslim rapper Lupe Fiasco
continues his success with The Cool, a socially conscious,
radio-friendly album that bridges the gap between inde-
pendent and mainstream hip-hop.
The album opens with an introduction of spoken
word poetry by Iesha Jaco that points out the flaws in
society’s definition of “cool.” Fiasco then jumps in with
the fast-paced, violin-backed “Go Go Gadget Flow,” an
ode to his hometown of Chicago. The rapid-fire lyrics
draw a comparison to fellow Midwest native Twista’s
Guinness Book of World Records fastest flow. While one
of the better songs on the album, “Go Go Gadget Flow”
sets a false tone for the rest of the CD, which is decidedly
less accelerated.
Unlike many of today’s radio and ringtone rappers,
Fiasco chose to stick with a single producer, Soundtrakk,
for over half of the album. An in-house producer for
Fiasco’s own record label and production company 1st
and 15th, Soundtrakk brings fresh sounds to the album,
using a variety of different instruments that complement
Fiasco’s complex flow and enticing lyrics.
By far the best song on the album, “Little Weapon”
is Fiasco’s account of the struggles of a third-world child
soldier. Backed by a military style drum cadence, Fiasco
rhymes about the hardships of children, who are often as
young as ten years old and forced into fighting for op-
pressive governments.
Fiasco is able to give voice to a subject that is often
left out of the public eye with lyrics like “About half the
size of the flags they wave/in camouflage suits made to
fit youths/cuz the ones of the dead soldiers hang a little
loose/with AK-47’s that they shootin’ into heaven like
they tryin’ to kill the Jetsons/the struggle’s little recruits.”
With a strong guest verse from relatively unknown rapper
Bishop G about video game violence and a soulful chorus
sung by Nikki Jean, “Little Weapon” is one the best hip-
hop songs in a while.
Like his mentor and close friend Kanye West, Fiasco
spends a good amount of the record telling listeners about
his favorite exclusive Japanese clothing brands, most
memorably on “Gold Watch” in which he, in true Sound
of Music fashion, simply lists his favorite things. These
include, but are not limited to, Gucci belts, green Now-
N-Laters and Max Roach drum solos.
While this may add more to the overall dynamic of
the album, what makes The Cool so successful is its bal-
ance of frivolous topics and substantive songs, something
Kanye has yet to master.
In a blatant shot at the current hip-hop industry, “Dumb
it Down” is a bass heavy account of metaphorical sensory
loss. The song is often interrupted by a stereotypical record
executive and mainstream rapper telling Fiasco to make
his songs more publicly acceptable with lyrics like “You
goin’ over ni**as’ heads Lu (Dumb it down)/They tellin’
me that they don’t feel you (Dumb it down)/We ain’t
graduate from school ni**a (Dumb it down)/Them big
words ain’t cool ni**a (Dumb it down).”
“Dumb it Down” is an accurate depiction of the current
rut that hip-hop is in, and it may take a rapper like Fiasco,
A&E
Lupe Fiasco is a hip-hop artist who raps in his recent album The Cool about social issues such as
child soldiers and drug dealing. His use of a diverse range of instruments adds to the album’s color.
who can relate to both the underground listeners and casual
radio listeners, to break through the current barriers.
Other strong tracks include “High Definition” (feat.
Snoop Dogg), “Gotta Eat” and “Hip-Hop Saved My Life.”
“High Definition” is a melodious song about nothing in
particular that still ends up sounding great (like most of
Snoop Dogg’s work). On “Gotta Eat,” Fiasco takes the
persona of drug dealer in the form of a hamburger, using
as many food metaphors as possible.
“Hip-Hop Saved My Life” is a fictional tale of Houston
rapper Michael Young History, in which Fiasco tells the
story of History’s small-time drug dealing endeavours and
eventual rise to rap super-stardom.
While few and far between, the only disappointing
songs are “Go Baby” and “Put You on Game.” “Go Baby”
has an annoying swing beat and is extremely repetitive,
U TC: Do you like to burrow?
By Julia Benton
Paly students
spread the love on
Feb. 14 as Valentine’s
Day celebrants had us
all seeing red.
Be Mine.
1
www.giantmag.com
saying the title over and over again. “Put You on Game”
is the opposite, and although it contains good lyrics, the
beat is too slow and makes the song seem too long.
After bursting onto the charts in 2006 with “Kick,
Push,” an urban skateboarding anthem off of Food and
Liquor, it was unclear whether or not Fiasco was in the
music industry for the long haul or just another rapper
with a good single. The Cool proves that Fiasco is here
to stay, hopefully long enough to put an end to hip-hop’s
recent downswing.
The Cool
Artist: Lupe Fiasco
Label: 1st and 15th
Run Time: 71 min.
The Campanile
in
1700
Stacy Levichev/The Campanile
This edition featuring
Greg Jones
with The Campanile’s own
Sara Reihani and Annie Vought
The Campanile: Why did you go to boarding school
last year?
Greg Jones: So I could become an educated person... in a,
uh, far-off land. I think I am a more educated person than
I was before I left for boarding school, so I exceeded —
oh, hah, succeeded — in that, yeah, I mean, sure. Yeah,
it was not that fun.
TC: Is Paly better than boarding school?
GJ: Yeah, dude, for real. I like how.... the student body
is sooooo accepting... of everybody. I don’t know; it’s
warmer, and you don’t have to live here.
TC: What was your childhood dream?
I had a few. For a while I wanted to climb Mount Everest;
for a while I wanted to cure the Ebola virus. I don’t know.
Am I still a child?
TC: What is your worst nightmare?
GJ: My worst nightmares are usually dreams that aren’t
anything scary when you actually think about it, in like
conscious thought, but at the time are incredibly terrifying.
I could see, like, a colorful butterfly in one of my dreams
and it would freak me out. My worst nightmare might have
been about something happy and I just felt weird. I dunno.
I guess I’m scared of... I dunno. Gettin’ killed.
TC: What are you scared of getting killed by?
GJ: Death? I dunno, guys, I’m sorry. (giggles)
TC: Have you ever caught on fire?
GJ: I’ve definitely burned my hair, once or twice.
TC: What kind of candidate do you support for the
upcoming election?
GJ: I would support a fascist or a hippie, but it would have
to be someone who dresses hella strange. I would support
the silliest candidate.
TC: If you ran for president, what would your slogan
be? What would it say on the side of your tour bus?
On the side of my tour bus... probably, it would have some
windows... so it’d kinda look like it says “OOOOOO.”
TC: Describe the perfect girl for you.
GJ: Probably someone with connections and money who
I have no real attachment to.
TC:How about the perfect date?
GJ: The perfect date would be... free money!
TC:: What do you wanna be when you grow up?
GJ: When I grow up? I don’t know, dude, like...
professionally, I guess... I would like to be... I wanna
make a difference. Okay? I wanna make a difference in
the world. I want to give back, okay? I want to give back.
I just wanna like... really make a difference... in the lives
of those less fortunate... and raise money for Africa...
TC: What’s your favorite word?
GJ: I say “word” a lot, but my favorite word is probably...
nugget?
TC: What’s your power animal?
GJ: My power animal? What does that mean?
TC: The animal you think of when you need help...
and guidance...
GJ: Well... my inner animal is um... a beastie.
TC: A liger?
GJ: Yeah, sure, a liger... liger... chimp-liger... I’m just saying
whatever you guys say. My... spirit animal is totally... gah.
(slumps down on table) I don’t know, like... a gopher.
Go-fer, it. Like “go for it,” dude.
GJ: Do I like to burrow? Well... yeah, I burrow, all the
time, don’t you? (singing) Burrow every day, burrow
every day.
TC: What do you think of Valentine’s Day?
GJ: I don’t think much about it... ever.
TC: Do you think it’s stupid?
GJ: Do you think it’s stupid?
TC: Yeah.
GJ: Yeah, dude. It’s totally stupid. I just believe whatever the
people around me believe. So yeah, it’s totally stupid.
TC: Who’s your favorite band?
GJ: Maybe GG Allen. He’s this guy who used to be, like,
a punk singer in the seventies and would s**t onstage
and cut himself and bleed on the audience members... he
was a crackup.
TC: What are your plans for college?
I don’t know. I like California, as a state. I used to live
on the East Coast every summer, but except for boarding
school, I’ve always lived here.
TC: How’s the contrast between the East and West
Coasts?
GJ: People wear more polo shirts on the East Coast.
TC: What is your worst quality?
GJ: My worst quality... is my lack of quality.
TC: What is your best quality?
GJ: My best quality... is um... is, uh... my best quality is
um, my... my uh.... shoes?
TC: Any last words for the Paly community?
GJ: “Hey, Paly. ‘Sup.”