THEHIGHLANDER

Carlmont High School — Belmont, California February 2016 Vol VII Issue V www.scotscoop.com twitter: @scotscoopnews

Students take stock in their futures- Page 3

Obsessing over brand names to fit in- Page 7

A fan’s perspective of sports events- Page 14

Virtual reality takes tech by storm- Page 17

Privilege fades into the backgroundSophie Haddad

“The main point of today is that, at least in this area, racism doesn’t really look like someone shouting the ‘n’ word at a black person anymore. It’s just very subtle.”

Ogden Asmar- Sophomore

“Sometimes it’s good to step in the shoes of minorities and see how things can be different if there aren’t as many people who look like you. But I think the school does a good job by trying to spread awareness on cul-ture and the privilege that people can have and the privilege people don’t have.”

Theo Chatman- Senior

Continued on page 16

“Even though I know that there’s no racism here, of course, everyone who’s black feels it. There are certain people who give you that vibe. They can say, ‘Oh, I’m not racist,’ but you know they are by the way they treat you, the way they talk to you.”

Camille Duvalsaint- Senior

Revealing Carlmont’s celebrities behind the screensEstella Lippi

You pass by a quiet student whose only focus in the world is their smartphone.

You’ve never heard them speak much, but behind their screens, they’re wildly popular.

They might sing, dance, rant, or create, but in one glance you never would have assumed that they had thou-sands of followers on social media who looked up to them or even worshiped them.

Some of these Internet-famous teens attend Carlmont High School and are just living life day to day without ever mentioning the fact that they have a huge following. Continued on page 5

One of these students, junior Elanna Vital, has more than 146,000 followers on her fan account on Instagram (due to inappropriate language, Vital’s username is not be-ing printed).

“I make funny edits that are different and weird. My edit’s are short 14 second video of clips of One Direction that I put together. Usually I make fun of them, but I think the reason I have so many followers is because I go past boundaries and try to make comedy out of everything,” Vital said.

Vital doesn’t like to advertise her account to her fellow students.

“I don’t tell people that I have a big account. I only tell the closest people around me and I generally try and avoid

it. If someone asks, I’m not ashamed of my account and I won’t lie, but I never brag around,” she adds.

Another student, freshman Marlon Fu, makes funny skits and short films on YouTube. He posts on his account @trimite. One of his videos, “Paper Warfare: Cheese,” has more than 227,000 views.

“It all started winter break, two years ago, when my sis-ter and I were really bored. We made fun little videos for our family to watch and somewhere along the road, I got a school project that involved making a video and I was like, how perfect, we’re already pretty experienced, let’s do it,” Fu said.

April 1, 1983. Amidst a tribal genocide in South Africa, a woman fled for her safe-ty. Only six months pregnant, she went into early labor and was rushed to a hospital. She gave birth to a boy who, by all laws of science and reason, should not have sur-vived.

The next day, the boy’s grandmother came to the hospital, and she immediately understood the boy’s eagerness to escape the womb. The boy was running towards something. And the grandmother knew exactly what that something was. Having spent her whole life in times of war, she hoped for better for her grandson. So she named him Freedom.

Today, Freedom Cheteni, or “Mr. Free,” as his students call him, teaches math at Carlmont High School. He has dark, choc-olate-colored skin and a round face. His black hair is cut short and his face is clean-shaven.

In the United States, Cheteni realized that even the country that champions its “freedom” can still house inequities. He came in contact with many racial stigmas that are a part of American society. There was a social expectation for him to prove himself, whereas white people were re-spected automatically.

He said, “It almost seems like I have to work much harder than a similarly quali-

fied individual because of that privilege.”When Cheteni attended graduate school

at New Mexico State University in 2007, he took a test that he thought he did well on. He got it back to find he received a C.

Looking at the answers of his class-mates, Cheteni realized that they were the same, even though his classmates got high-er grades. He asked his professor if there was an error or if she could help him figure out his mistakes.

She told him that she didn’t have to, that she went to West Africa to study the den-gue virus and when she got blood samples from the residents, she paid them in sugar. She told him that he should be happy he was actually passing.

Cheteni said, “People have stereotypes. If you’re not white, more often than not, you are not given the benefit of the doubt. But even in that situation of not being giv-en the benefit of the doubt, even if you’ve done everything correctly, you are also not given a fair shake on whatever it is, it could be the work that you’ve done. Somebody could just look at it and just say, ‘Okay, that’s a black person so they’re not getting this treatment or this opportunity or this grade.’”

Cheteni contended that the situation is not always so lucid to white people.

“I don’t think [white people] notice it as much, because it’s always been there. It’s not something to work on. It’s not some-

thing to achieve. You’ve always had it. And so noticing something that’s always been there is like a fish trying to notice water,” he said.

Math teacher Andy Ramroth explained that, as a white person, he never thought that he was given a certain treatment be-cause of his race.

He said, “I know that I’ve never had to think about how my race influences an interaction with somebody else. If I had a good interaction with a person, I’ve never thought that it happened because of my race.”

Even though the Bay Area boasts a more accepting view of minorities, Cheteni still faced racial prejudices when he moved there.

“When I first moved here, I was followed by cops all the way to my house. Sometimes they’ll drive all the way, stop by my drive-way, and then drive away,” said Cheteni.

After being pulled over so many times, Cheteni wondered if his car was the prob-lem. He went to a Nissan dealership where he noticed a car he liked. The salesperson reminded Cheteni that the car he was inter-ested in was expensive. The seller asked if Cheteni would rather look at a smaller car or even a used car.

MINH HAN VU

February 2016FINANCEThe Highlander

Page 2

The job search is not just for adultsConnor Lin

The brand new iPhone is finally out, after a year of an-ticipation.

You turn to your parents, hoping that by some miracle they will buy it for you.

No response.But when you reach into your pocket, all you find is a

crinkled dollar bill. As your hope dissipates, you wonder why you never

seem to have enough money. Though the thought of working an official job can be

intimidating, there are plenty of other ways for minors to make money.

Official jobs and “off-the-books” jobs are both common for teenagers. Official jobs can be beneficial to teenagers who enjoy the regularity of work. On the other hand, off-the-books jobs are ways that teenagers can make money

without sticking to regular work hours and conditions.Freshman Kimi Eng said, “I mainly prefer off-the-books

jobs because I don’t want to pay taxes. It’s good for teenag-ers to have jobs because they can make their own money, which makes us less dependent on our parents.”

Everyone begins their working career somewhere, and many teenagers find their high school years to be the right time to gain work experience for future jobs.

Sarah Wong is an employee at The Reading Bug, a local bookstore that is interested in hiring teenagers.

Wong said, “I hire high school students at The Reading Bug who possess the following qualities: conscientious-ness, positivity, energy, and the ability to think on their feet. I also appreciate it when candidates email me back in a timely manner.”

For teenagers who are overwhelmed with school work, summer

jobs are a great way to make money. During their time off from school, teenagers can focus on summer jobs without worrying about balancing work with school.

Sophomore Katie Gray said, “Having a summer job would be ideal because it would give me something to do, and I would be able to make money in the process.”

Making money as a teenager is not a fantasy. Dedication and the desire to have an income of their own will provide the motivation for many teenagers to begin or continue working.

Gray said, “Teenagers should have jobs so that they have a small taste of what it’s like to be independent from their parents. Having a job at this age also helps to prepare teenagers for the world after high school.”

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“Please swipe your card,” a store clerk says, as if a broken record. This request is usually the last thing heard during a suc-cessful trip to the store, but the shopper unzipping their wallet often isn’t an adult. Now, it is common to see an 11-year-old peek over the tall checking table to slide their very own card through the machine.

Whether the purchases are gas or Christmas gifts, credit and debit cards have allowed students the opportunity to bud-get their own finances,

“I think it’s made me more conscien-tious about spending,” said sophomore Tessa Bagby. “Now I keep cash on me, but I don’t let it build up like I used to. I keep my checking [account] full enough with a little more than what I know I’ll need within the coming month (phone bill, gas, presents for people) and put the rest in savings.”

Debit and credit cards have become the trial run for learining personal responsibil-ity with money.

Credit and debit cards have transformed the way students are given spending money from parents.

Junior Julia Talgo said, “[The credit card gives me] independence to get something if there was an emergency.”

This easy and acces-sible way to receive mon-ey allows students to learn inde-p e n d e n c e and budget-ing. How-ever, while there are benefits that occur with owning a credit or debit card,

Todd Lepique, a vice president busi-ness development manager for the Bank of America, said, “[Using a credit card

can] establish a credit history, learn how to manage finances in addition to having a checkings and savings account, get rewards and points toward cash back or points.”

“If you misuse it, you will start a poor credit histo-ry. [It] can be easy to forget how much you are spend-ing because you are not having to pay with cash. Not paying the balance in full each month will force you to

pay interest as high rate.”According to Investopedia, credit his-

tory is the “record of a consumer’s ability to repay debts and demonstrated respon-

sibility in repaying debts. A consumer’s credit history consists of information such as: number and types of credit accounts, how long each account has been open, amounts owed, amount of available credit used, whether bills are paid on time, and number of recent credit inquiries. It also contains information regarding whether the consumer has any bankruptcies, liens, judgments or collections.”

Despite not having a card, senior Per-cival McDaniel finds the lack of one more beneficial. McDaniel said, “I prefer to have my money where I can physically see it, so I won’t overspend or go on an online shop-ping spree. It also makes it easier to sort out priorities money-wise.”

Having money has always been a re-sponsibility. While students are given dif-ferent means to learn and experience the good and bad consequences of using mon-ey, cards always come in handy. Bagby said, “Having the savings or the card in general is good, because it’s getting me used to sav-ing and using money wisely.”

Teens swipe right for responsibility

FINANCEThe Highlander

Page 3

“It’s fine, I can buy it. It’s my parent’s money, after all.”

Money, whether gained through an al-lowance or earned through hard work, should be treated with value. Financial habits developed in high school are carried into college, when students are often cut free of any training wheels provided by their parents or guard-ians.

Senior Naomi Asrir said, “Before I began work-ing at Bay Club, I was re-ceiving weekly allowance. I believe the entire process of working to earn your own pay makes it all the more rewarding. Some students can learn how to effectively manage their money through allowance, but in general, I feel like allowance leads to a sense of entitlement among stu-dents. If you are guaranteed twenty dollars every Sunday, you may begin to expect the money regardless of whether you finished your chores or not.”

Managing money beyond piggy banksTaran Sun Forming an appreciation for money as

well as the knowledge of how to use a set budget are crucial to success in life beyond school. Managing limited funds can come into play when paying for transportation, meals, and other such things that are often taken for granted in high school.

Senior Thomas Chin, who previously operated a duct tape wallet business, said, “I know how much work it takes to earn money, so it means more to me if I make it myself. But money is money, and my par-ents give me a steady allow-ance to distribute between clothes, food, entertainment, and gas. I am forced to bud-get myself, which is a skill I’ve had to learn.”

Many believe there is something to be said for rev-enue earned through person-al work rather than acquired through allowance or pres-ents. The value is the same, although the treatment of the

money can vary based on how it was ac-quired.

Senior Jacob Segal said, “I work at Foot-Locker. From a monetary standpoint, I

would actually be more willing to spend on something with my own money as opposed to using money given to me by someone else. Since I control my own in-come, I budget myself, and I can decide what I want beyond just the necessities.”

While high school does an effective job of educating on top-ics related to econom-ics, it doesn’t deal with managing personal finances.

Junior Kirsten Clark said, “It’s defi-nitely important to learn to manage mon-ey before getting out of highschool. I think that some sort of class that would touch on fi-nancial aspects of life would be extremely helpful for students. It’s a stressful topic to think about.”

Although learning to make and man-age money are important skills to pos-sess, some students are highly active out-side of their studies, and have little time

to work. Because of this, they are dependent on other sources for income.

Junior Kyle Jung said, “I get money from my parents. They think that it’s more impor-tant for me to keep in in school than to make my own money for now. I’m busy with extracurriculars like drumline and orches-tra. I actually think I would value the money more if I made it my-self.”

Others are more self-reliant and work to pay for all of their own clothes, outings, and entertainment. From jobs to self-run businesses, students find different ways to finance their activities

and needs.Asrir said, “Earning my own money has

made me a more resourceful person when it comes to finances. My advice to students would be to find a job that you enjoy and begin gaining real-world work experience to prepare for the future.”

Students take stock in their futuresHannah Young

Many students can recall a time when they would drop coins into a piggy bank just to count and recount them the next day. But unlike investments, un-less they had a steady income of coins, most piggy banks re-mained static.

After investing, money can grow like those plastic expand-in-water toys.

Making investments early in life is a great way to make extra money, have savings for the fu-ture, and learn lifelong finance skills.

Music teacher and personal finance enthusiast Lieven Smart started investing in his future by means of a Roth IRA in his senior year of high school. Roth IRAs and IRAs are investment plans for the future.

“The earlier you start invest-ing, even if it’s just $20 a month at first, the more it’s going to pay off in the future,” said Smart.

The earlier one begins to in-vest, the more time the money has to grow. This explains why someone who invested

$5,000 at the age of 25 will make more money by the age of 65 than someone who invested the same amount of money at the age of 35 in a mutual fund, as ex-plained by Business Insider.

Although retirement plans may not be the num-

ber one priority on a

high school student’s mind, mak-ing money -- or at least not losing money -- is important. For this reason, senior Alex Hunsader, president of the former Coin Club, recommends investing in

Carl invests $5,000 at age 25

By age 65, Carl has made $200,000

Monty invests $5,000 at age 35

By age 65, Monty has made $150,000

Monetary Benefits of Investing

Gro

wth

of

Inve

stm

ents

stocks rather than keeping money in a bank account.

“In a bank account, you’d ac-tually be losing money because nowadays the inflation rates are more than the interest rates. So a better bet would be placing your money in stocks, because even if it’s a small amount the investment

will grow your money,” said Hun-sader.

In fifty years, the money in that piggy bank will be worth less than it was initially, just because of the inflation of the dollar. How-ever, in fifty years, the money that was invested into either stocks or other investment plans will not only keep its value, but potentially increase.

“The stock market has histori-cally always gone up in the long run. You’re going to have crashes and recessions’ of course, but if you invest long term, overall your investments should grow,” said Smart.

By making investments in companies interacted with on a daily basis, students “grow intel-lectually and better understand the economics of these compa-nies,” said Hunsader. Students who invest get an opportunity to witness firsthand how certain factors can influence the ups and downs of the stock market.

There’s even a correlation be-tween college graduates and in-vestors: 73 percent of graduates in 2011 invest in the stock market, according to the Daily News.

One doesn’t have to be an economist to play the stock mar-ket. Anyone, even high school students, can make investments.

HANNAH YOUNG

Benefits of Investing Early

February 2016

CAMPUSThe Highlander

Page 4

College is hitting students harder, earlier Mona Murhamer

It’s three in the morning. Sophomore Jade Sebti wakes with a start. She rubs her bleary eyes to find her bed covered in chemistry notes and flashcards.

She panics, worrying about how much she has left to study and how she’s going to do on her test tomorrow.

She’s not the only one.Every year, the list of stressed-

out students gets longer and lon-ger as more Advanced Placement (AP) classes are added to the list and college admissions become more competitive. More and more students are feeling this col-lege pressure prematurely in their 9th and 10th grade years, as op-posed to the usual 11th and 12th grades.

It has become an epidemic: an issue deeper than straight-A’s that can’t be fixed by just taking easier classes.

For Sebti, the pressure began early.

“I started thinking about col-lege when my older brother started thinking about college, so I was a freshman. I thought about the pressure he was going through and how one day that would be me. It made me want to push myself harder academically,” said Sebti.

In most cases, junior year brings a flood of emotions and pressure because many colleges and universities tend to focus on 11th grade report cards most.

“College pressure became real to me in junior year because a lot of my close friends were going through the college application

ISABEL MITCHELL

Sophomore Alyn Seymour stresses over her heavy workload and worries about her highschool transcript.

process. It made me start think-ing about my future and what I was going to do when it was my turn to worry about it,” said senior Thomas Chin.

The thought of college can weigh heavily on students.

“It starts with some placement tests in 8th grade and escalates to taking AP classes because you want to get into a good college. A good college means a success-ful future, and that’s what people strive for,” said Sebti.

In recent years, the pressure to get into a prestigious college has been coupled with the competi-tion among students. According to Peterson’s, an organization de-signed to answer any and all ques-tions about the college application process, over the next few years, high school graduation rates are projected to rise by 10 percent. This means a significant increase in high school students applying to colleges.

Collegedata.com’s College Admissions Tracker shows that the ratio between applicants and those accepted has changed dras-tically over an eight-year period. The University of California, Berkeley’s class of 2010 boasted high acceptance rates in compari-son to the number of applicants, while the class of 2018 showed a drop in acceptances and a rise in applicants.

According to high school crisis counselor Shelley Bustamante, the pressure of getting into a highly-ranked four-year college or well-known university is sometimes brought on by adults with high expectations.

“Some parents want their chil-

dren to accomplish more than they did, so they tend to live through them. This leads to the parent pushing the kid too far in order to make sure the end goal is achieved,” said Bustamante.

For senior Claire Wheeler, the pressure comes from a different place.

“I want to make my parents proud, so I set high expecta-tions for myself. It’s not always about pleasing other people,” said Wheeler.

According to Sebti, the pres-sure she feels is personal, as well.

“My parents pushed me when I was younger. Now, I push my-self harder than they ever have. I think I have higher expectations for myself than they do for me,” said Sebti.

But what happens when the

pressure becomes too much to handle?

“If there’s a moderate amount of pressure, it can be good and push us to do our best, but a lot of the time, there’s too much pres-sure,” said Wheeler.

According to Bustamante, stu-dents react differently in response to pressure.

“Students tend to isolate them-selves and start to react similarly to how one would react to a trau-matic event. These reactions in-clude changes in sleep schedules, eating habits, and behavior that lead to anxiety and depression,” said Bustamante.

What is the answer, and what needs to change?

“Don’t take more difficult classes than you can handle,” said Bustamante.

However, knowing this can be difficult for students driven by the thought of prestigious colleges, Bustamante added that, in case of an overload of difficult classes, a support system is necessary.

“Sometimes, parents are too involved in a student’s life to take into consideration their mental or physical health and feelings. Having an objective third-party can help a student manage their classes, college admissions, and health,” said Bustamante

In any case, the struggle to control all aspects of the college admissions process is one that worries many students.

According to Wheeler, “It’s common for students to put school above their own health, and that’s when it becomes too difficult to handle.”

February 2016

CAMPUSThe Highlander

Page 5

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What if time stopped for 5 seconds?

Behind the screens with Carlmont studentsContinued from page 1

Bullying that follows students homeA mean comment. A rude text. A picture making fun of someone. Simple things, but also, examples of cyberbullying.According to the U.S. legal definition of cyberbullying,

“Cyberbullying refers to any harassment that occurs via the internet, cell phones or other devices. Cyberbullying could be limited to posting rumors or gossips about a per-son in the internet bringing about hatred in other’s minds; or it may go to the extent of personally identifying victims and publishing materials severely defaming and humiliat-ing them.”

Thirty-four percent of students say they have been cy-berbullied in 2015, according to research done by the Cy-berbullying Research Center.

To put that into perspective, that’s approximately 10 people out of a 30-person class.

Cyberbullying has become much more widespread due to the new age of technology, and especially that of social media.

Shelley Bustamante, Carlmont’s Crisis Counselor and the head of Students Offering Support (SOS), said that she sees people about cyberbullying-related issues at least ev-ery other day.

“The trend that I see lately [with cyberbullying] is Snapchat and texting. People do ridiculous things and think that it’ll be gone in 24 hours, and people screenshot it and even send it to the [Assistant Vice Principals],” said Bustamante.

With regard to suicide, cyberbullying has been a prom-inent national issue in this age of technology.

Rachel Borshchenko

ISABEL MITCHELL

Technology and social media constantly expose teens to cyberbullying.

Cases such as that of Tyler Clementi in 2010, who jumped off the George Washington Bridge after a video of him kissing another man was released, are more and more frequently shown in the news.

Bustamante said, “People who have been cyberbul-lied basically go through all the same stages as someone with post-traumatic stress disorder would. They feel like a victim, and a lot of the times they can’t sleep, they can’t concentrate, they’re angry, and they think that everybody knows about the issue, so they just fall into this depres-sion.”

Many find it hard to identify symptoms in someone that has been affected because of how the symptoms present themselves. They are mostly mental and emotional, unlike most kinds of physical illnesses.

Because of this, cyberbullying can affect someone in hidden ways.

According to Dr. Jennifer Caudle, a physician and pro-

fessor, “Even though there might not be physical injuries, cyberbullying leaves deep emotional scars on the victim.”

These are scars that may be left with a person for the rest of their lives.

Senior Siena Rigatuso said she has seen cyberbullying happening all throughout high school, especially as an un-derclassman.

“I remember in freshman and sophomore year, people used Ask.fm to send anonymous hate to others. It happens a lot more than people think. People do it because it’s just easy to get away with,” said Rigatuso.

Many people in the Carlmont community have seen someone being cyberbullied or have even been cyberbul-lied themselves.

Sophomore Jordan Greene, who has been personally involved in a situation with cyberbullying, explained that bullying over the internet can be very different than bully-ing in person.

Greene said, “I believe the fact that this whole occur-rence was pursued over text made it greatly worse. First off, identifying people’s tones over text is just hard. I could never tell if what the person said was actually true or was just said as a joke. With that said, I also know that what I had texted may had come off in a completely different manner than I expected.”

But for those who have been cyberbullied, there still is hope in preventing and recovering from cyberbullying. The national non-profit STOMP Out Bullying includes re-sources on their website on how to prevent cyberbullying and what to do if it happens.

“When you speak, words go away, but when it’s in writ-ten form, they’re there to sting you everytime you look at it,” said Bustamante.

February 2016

Eventually Fu began to use his video making skills outside of school.

“We found out it was really fun so we started trying it out and posting them on YouTube to share with friends, and it be-came a hobby.”

Many of these popular accounts gain their followers organically and with hard work gain a following and maintain it.

However, there are also accounts who gain followers artificially. On websites like Instagramfollowers.org or Socialgrand.com, people can purchase followers for dif-ferent social media outlets. On Instagram Followers a person can buy 500 followers for $5.00 or 100,000 for $349.99.

Another way of getting followers, con-sidered by Vital, includes purchasing, or being given, an account that already has thousands of followers.

Vital said, “I actually tried to get ac-

counts that were already famous because I was obsessed with social media, but instead I made an account for One Direction be-cause I love them so much, and I love to make people laugh. I just started getting a bunch of followers. I never did shoutouts or bought followers, people just thought my edits were funny, and it traveled around social media. It still amazes me; I don’t know how I got so many.”

The massive amounts of followers that can be bought may seem enticing, but a negative of buying followers is potentially losing your credibility to your voluntary followers.

This credibility loss is due to people be-lieving that, by buying followers, the owner of the account isn’t truthful and is using shortcuts to get undeserved fame.

Vital doesn’t believe in buying followers because, “It’s stupid. It’s not like a business for me, it’s just social media, it’s just to have fun. I would never buy followers because

I find it weird and they would be inactive anyway.”

The argument for buying followers is that the best way to gain followers is to have followers; people will want to follow you if they see that thousands of others do as well.

Fu said, “In the beginning I did [think about buying followers], but I’d rather earn them than cheat my way to the top.”

Essena O’Neil, a famous Instagramer who deleted her social media presence in November because of the stress it put on her, said, “Social media, especially how I used it, isn’t real. It’s contrived images and edited clips ranked against each other. It’s a system based on social approval, likes, validation in views, success in followers. It’s perfectly orchestrated, self-absorbed judgement.”

Vital said, “So many times, I’ve had to deactivate my account because I was get-ting stressed out. People would say, ‘You need to post more,’ ‘Where are you?’ But

there’s other stuff I need to do like focus-ing on college, homework, and friends. My Instagram isn’t so much for me anymore though, it’s for my followers to laugh and to smile, so if I ever did decide to leave social media, I would just leave my account alone and not delete it so people could still look back at it and laugh.”

Social media isn’t a critical aspect aspect in Vital’s and Fu’s lives. Just because they have a large social media presence, they don’t let it control their lives.

Fu said, “People expect [me to continu-ously post], but it’s not a profession. I could stop now and it wouldn’t affect me.”

Vital said, “Social media is a second life on your phone, but there’s life outside. People need to realize that. It really annoys me when I interact with other big accounts who complain about how many likes they get because it doesn’t matter. You have oth-er stuff to worry about in real life other than social media.”

February 2016LIFESTYLEThe Highlander

Page 6

People overcome body size stigmaHolly Chen

You’re fat.These words elicit many feel-

ings, from rage to rejection. But of all the emotions felt, it is almost never pride and happiness.

According to the National In-stitute of Health, one in every three American adults is over-weight. And being overweight comes with its negative traits, such as a higher risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Junior Sonia Mahajan said, “Not only is being overweight unhealthy, but it also has nega-tive connotations from society, such as being lazy or unattractive. Magazines and society are always telling women to lose weight with weight loss tips and advice.”

Bigger women are also con-strained by outfit choices. In a reader Q&A, Oprah Magazine said, “If (and only if!) you have a flat stomach, feel free to try a [crop top.]”

Yet, the owner of Oprah Maga-

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Horoscopes are a blend of art and science Mackenzie O’Connell

In William Shakespeare’s play of star-crossed lovers, Romeo navigates his fate with the help of the stars above.

Today, students read of Romeo and his quest for Juliet and think he is crazy to let the stars define his relationships and fate.

In reality, millions of people around the world peep into the horoscope section of a magazine or newspaper and read their sign with a little hope that these words told will take place within their future.

Horoscopes are written in many phone apps, newspapers and magazines as the signs follow their daily and yearly horo-scope messages.

Although they are regularly published, it remains a mystery as to who the creators of these predicted days, months and years really are.

Sophomore Julia Walsh said, “I believe in my horoscope. It's a lot like my person-ality, so I base myself off of that. I think people like thinking there's a higher power

that knows something about them.” According to The Huffington Post’s

studies, one third of American women check their horoscope at least once every month. Like Romeo, women put their re-lationships, health and traits to the test as they see if it matches their fate.

Little do they know many of these pub-lished horoscopes are created by astrologers who have developed their own business or are hired to write in popular magazines and newspapers.

Professional astrologer Nikki Harper said, “Magazines and websites look for an astrology writer in the same way as they might look for any other article or freelance writer: sometimes through online job sites, sometimes through word of mouth. Astro-logical writing requires a decent standard of English and a knack for engaging or en-tertaining an audience.”

Hundreds of individual factors con-tribute to the creation of horoscopes. The sun sign is significant as it represents the astrology sign of the Zodiac that the sun

was in during the time of your birth. They are mostly determined with strong aspects like the shapes made between the different planets as they move.

Harper said, “Horoscopes are used to provide a general forecast of astrological energy to a particular sign.”

These general forecasts of energy pub-lished in newspapers and articles influence the actions of people throughout their day.

Sophomore Kaylin Roberts said, “I be-lieve in my sign because my sign hasn't been wrong about how I act and am. I can see why people wouldn't be into horo-scopes because they’re similar to religion in that there is no scientific proof or knowl-edge about them. It just like there's an older lady behind a computer writing your horo-scope and telling you what will happen.”

People around the world take their horoscopes literally by thinking that the exact things predicted will happen in their day.

Harper explained horoscopes different-ly by saying that they are vibes and energies

given to the signs. They are not to depict your fate; they simply give you energy and what you do with that energy decides your fate.

Harper said, “The movement of the planets does not mean to us that you will do such and such, or that something will happen to you -- it just means that the en-ergy is more or less conducive or helpful to you in a particular regard, and that there-fore it would be easier, harder or more or less advisable for you to try such and such right now or in the future.”

As Harper exposes the details of horo-scope writing, she describes it as a process always changing as people evaluate the way their energies have contributed to their lives.

Junior Alex Broussard said, “Horo-scopes give you hope throughout the day and something to look forward too. Even if people don't believe it, there's still hope that it might be true.”

Or, as Shakespeare said, “It’s not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

zine, Oprah Winfrey, is no stranger to weight strug-gles. She told People Maga-zine in 2005 that “I had lit-erally starved myself for four months – not a morsel of food [in order to fit in a pair of size 10 Calvin Klein jeans on national televi-sion.]”

Senior Me-lika Nejad said, “When I was younger, I wanted to buy jeans. My mom al-ways took my sister shopping, so when I asked her to take me too, she said, ‘Sweetie, I’m sorry. Jeans won’t look good on you for some-one your size.’ By saying that I couldn’t wear something because

I would not look good in it based on my size, she created a barrier for me.”

GabiFresh, the creator of the fatkini, is a movement that en-courages young ladies to wear bi-kinis, regardless of weight.

GabiFresh said, “When I look

back at my journey with the fatkini, I couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come as a community and how many women are now joining [fatki-ni.]”

Overweight women are constrained by societal expec-tations, and of-tentimes they succumb to this pressure.

M a h a j a n said, “Many of my relatives are

overweight, but I noticed for my female relatives, the pressure to lose weight is extremely strong. They are always trying to diet, be-cause being pretty is being thin. I don’t like this. For me, weight should not identify someone.”

New role models for woman are advocating for self-love and acceptance.

Tess Holliday, the largest plus-sized model to be signed by a modeling agency, told Paper Magazine that “I think that some of the biggest surprises I’ve had early on, actually to this day, are all the misconceptions about my body and my health. There are so many people who think that be-ing a plus-size model, that there’s something wrong with it, or that I must be unhealthy or that I’m promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. But there people who look like me, and feel like me, who feel like they don’t have a voice, and that encouraged me to keep going.”

Fat or not, such words cannot be used to judge a person’s char-acter or self-worth.

Nejad said, “I don’t mind being called fat, because it doesn’t define me. Fat doesn’t let people know that I like Panic at the Disco, or I love to sing. Fat is not a good defi-nition. Fat isn’t me.”

ISABEL MTCHELL

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February 2016LIFESTYLEThe Highlander

Page 7

Sophomore James Houston walks through the mall, phone in hand.

The new Supreme box logo crewneck drops in two minutes, and he wants to buy one before they sell out.

He passes by racks of clothing marked on sale without so much as a glance.

The $300 sweatshirt glows on his pocket-sized screen and takes up his entire field of vision.

Three… two… one…Before he can even process

clicking the button, the sweatshirt has vanished.

SOLD OUT.According to Business Insider,

teens spend about 21 percent of their money on clothes.

Most of this money is spent on clothes from high-end brands or popular teenage trends, such as New York-based Supreme, or Vancouver-based Lululemon.

Teenage consumers’ occupa-tion with the brand’s name more than its quality gives clothing

Clothes: it’s all about the price tagMona Murhamer brands with high publicity and

prices attention in the fashion in-dustry.

However, even with the rise of more affordable brands, such as Target and TJ Maxx, high-end stores seem to be even competi-tors.

“Paying for more expensive brands, such as Lululemon yoga pants, is paying for better quality. For example, Lululemon leggings last longer than Target leggings because they are better quality,” said sophomore Kiana Philip.

Lululemon leggings reach prices of $300 with claims of bet-ter fit and “sensation.”

But maybe that’s all they are - advertisements.

According to Media Smarts, a “media literacy” website, “Corpo-rations capitalize on the age-old insecurities and self-doubts of teens by making them believe that to be truly cool, you need their product.”

Along with the struggles of fitting into social groups, balanc-ing challenging classes, and after-school commitments, students

are also juggling what clothes to wear and how to keep up with popular trends.

“Brand names are a big deal to students because they face a lot of peer pressure and want to fit in. They’re willing to pay more for quality, fit, and whatever’s on trend,” English teacher Kristen Fewins said.

Well-known brands contribute to students’ self-esteems as well.

According to the American Psychological Association, young people are prone to compulsory buys that ensure a “quick fix.” Ad-vertisements target younger audi-ences because they become easy prey to industries that capitalize body image, weight concerns, and beauty ideals.

With companies aiming to lower teens’ confidence levels, students believe their clothes will be their ticket “in.”

“People see you wearing ‘cool’ clothes and compliment you on it. It gives you a self-esteem boost,” said Houston.

Because of the confidence stu-dents get from wearing certain

clothes, trends catch fire quickly in younger audiences.

“Teenagers want to fit in and have what everyone else has. If one person starts wearing some-thing, everyone’s going to want to buy whatever that person bought. This is because they all want to fit into the same group,” said Philip.

However, not all marketing is spread through high school hall-ways. Many products rely on ce-lebrity endorsements.

“Anything [music icon] Kanye

West puts on the shelves instantly sells out. His clothes aren’t nec-essarily the best quality, but they sell because he’s Kanye West,” said Houston.

In any case, with most trends being spread by word-of-mouth and social media outlets, teenag-ers are falling victim to unhealthy ideals.

“Wearing ‘cool’ clothes gets a reaction out of others, and that’s what students want: to be able to fit in,” said Houston.

Supreme crewnecks can be resold for upwards of $200. However, generic crewnecks can be purchased for $20.

The street: home to the caravan of succulent aromas.The options, many, the smells many more, and the fla-

vors to the mouth.As a result of food trucks’ booming popularity, many

more have appeared on the street selling foods to the hun-gry masses who don’t desire the waiting of a restaraunt. Food trucks offer the opportunity for a larger and louder hangout than what people would expect or find at a resta-raunt.

Sophomore Andrew Joo said, “I really enjoy food trucks. It really feels much more friendly and open than a restaurant. The food is not always restaurant quality, but still tastes quite good.”

Food trucks have gained significance because they al-low aspiring and established chefs to sell food without the need to rent out a space to build a restaraunt. Furthermore, small businesses require a word of mouth to grow, so many of them treat customers better.

Restaurants are stereotypically a much more formal experience, with a varying atmospheres, ambiences, and noise levels.

On the contrary, food trucks feel more like a communi-ty gathering, almost like a picnic in the park except instead of sandwiches people are buying something deep fried, covered in cheese, or some sort of burger.

According to Ibis World, food trucks over the past five

years have gained a 46.5 percent growth and supply over 14,000 jobs to U.S. residents.

Another reason that gave rise to the food truck craze is that they deliver a high quality food.

“I really love food trucks. Even though it’s really just fast food, it tastes so good,” said sophomore Casey Felton. “Eating healthy is good, but fast food just tastes so much better. Fats, oils, cheeses, and meats piled as high as the eye can see -- it’s just so satisfying.”

Another obvious benefit is that food trucks deliver food quickly to the hungry customers at a place they need it.

“Food trucks are really convenient if I want to get a quick bite to eat,” said sophomore Rhea Subramanian. “I can easily go and get something to eat. Generally, the lines aren’t long and the food is cooked quickly.”

Food trucks are stationed typically in crowded places or near schools. These ideal locations let them cater to more people, and they are easier to access for people needing a quick bite to eat.

Food trucks have been growing in number over the years because of what they offer. Their convenience, taste and atmosphere are some of the reasons people adore food trucks.

The street: the final frontier for food

ISABEL MITCHELL

Jackson Monge

ISABEL MITCHELL

A man orders food at an Off the Grid food truck.

February 2016LIFESTYLEThe Highlander

Page 8

Generational stereotypes plague all ages

Brooke ChangThe skeptics, the workaholics, and the

texters. Otherwise known as baby boomers, Generation X, and millennials.

With each generation comes its own set of stereotypes and judgements.

What often goes unnoticed is the way that these stereotypical behaviors are formed and the impact that these stereo-types can have on the lives of individuals in a generation.

Due to a difference in time periods, each generation develops their own culture and way of life.

“Each generation has a different attitude because the world is constantly changing and shaping our lives,” said sophomore Jake Stulbarg.

For instance, Generation X, people born between 1965 and 1980, tend to live a focused lifestyle and are stereotyped as constantly working. Meanwhile, millenni-als, people born after 1980, tend to live a

more laid back and relaxed lifestyle. These new cultures and attitudes are of-

ten created as a response to the issues that many see around them.

“Older generations create the world that the next generation grows up in and as they grow up, that generation sees problems in their society and tries to fix them,” said Stul-barg.

According to the American Psychologi-cal Association, Generation X showed an overall lack of passion in their lives. Many millennials responded to this lack of pas-sion by staying in their more sheltered life-styles and depending on their parents until they are able to find a career that allows them to embrace their true interests.

This popular choice led to the stereo-type of lazy millennials who benefit from the work of their elders while distracting themselves with social media.

This stereotype has been analyzed by Jeffrey Arnett, a psychology professor with a Ph.D in emerging adulthood.

According to the American Psychologi-cal Association, Arnett said, “There is such a negative view in our society of this age group. People think that they don’t work hard. Yet, there is no evidence of it whatso-ever. What is true is that they expect work to be more than just bringing home a pay-check. They are looking for identity-based work, something that they enjoy.”

Many young adults feel that they are los-ing work and school opportunities because of negative views that are placed on their generation by stereotypes.

Senior Annie Klups commented on the stereotypes of her generation and said, “The stereotype of laziness in particular is sad because although some millennials are lazy, it leaves those who are hardworking to be overlooked and often passed up for lead-ership positions.”

Carlmont teacher Kristen Fewins, who is part of the millennial generation, has been affected by the stereotypes in a more minor way.

Overwhelming sense of urgency smothers teensAnya Meredith

Go to school. Get good grades. Graduate high school. Get a good job. Have a family. And do these things with no breaks in between.

This generation seems to have a sense of urgency of one expecta-tion after the next.

Some believe that having a sense of urgency in your life makes a person more productive, and thus more successful.

The website Enterprise Project said, “People who make things happen in this world value and share a similar sense of urgency.”

However, not all feel this way. “It seems very real to me that

kids nowadays are asked to do more and more at a younger and younger age. One example is the fact that homework now starts in kindergarten! To people in my gen-eration, that's shocking, if not crim-inal,” said ASB teacher Jim Kelly.

Students often feel this sense urgency in their daily life.

Junior Jason Jung said, “I feel the sense of urgency to do well in school because someday I want to be able to get a good job to make money so I can buy nice things.”

Lane said, “I do feel a sense of urgency, but it’s not put on me by parents to get me to go to college and make money to start a fam-ily. Instead, it’s a pressure I put on myself to plan for a career.”

This feeling of urgency is not only present in school life. For many students, it is present in ex-tracurriculars too.

“My club lacrosse team makes the players sign a contract saying that we will make 90 percent of practices and not miss any of the tournaments. Since I signed this contract, I’ve had to miss out on other things that I wanted to go to,” said junior Caroline Concila.

Extracurriculars can be just

another stressor for teenagers. “A huge area to consider is the

concept of club sports and the pressure that puts on children. Many teenagers have probably witnessed the pressure of having to commit so much time to one sport. And, if you take any time off, you realize that someone else will take your place. Right or wrong, that creates a sense of ur-gency,” said Kelly.

People tend do what they think they should be doing, but these days, people seem to be living this on fast forward.

In a Ted Talk given by Julie Lychott-Haims, a former Stanford University freshman class dean, she said, “Through the years, I no-ticed that the incoming freshman could easily tell me a list of their accomplishments, but couldn’t tell me anything about who they were as people.”

Haims went on to discuss

something she called the “‘check-list of childhood.’”

“This checklist is a list of things that a teen feels the need to accom-plish to please parents or colleges before college, that are necessary to get into college. But before long, everybody got this list, and the list got longer and longer. Childhood has become this time of school, school, school, and homework, homework, homework, activities, sports, clubs. Don’t just be in a club, start a club. Don’t just join a club, lead a club,” said Haims.

The rush seems faster than ever to graduate high school, go to college, and get a good job in preparation for either a family or just to live comfortably.

Whether or not people can thrive off of this sense of urgency, it has certainly become a factor in lives of many teens today.

Has life always been this way for high school students?

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While the world was getting introduced to tech-nology, we were getting introduced to the world. We rely a lot on technology as a generation. It’s good because we are open to more possibilities.

“People like to make jokes based on the stereotypes, but those are just jokes. I’ve never been seriously affected by stereotyp-ing, but it is very sad that some people lose important opportunities because of a few individuals in their generation,” said Fe-wins.

The effects of stereotypes on the indi-vidual members of a generation can vary widely, but many hope to minimize those effects in the future to allow for equal edu-cation and employment opportunities be-tween all generations.

“Like most stereotypes, these assump-tions are based off of the actions of a few members of each generation, leaving all others to suffer from the judgement,” said Klups. “However, I am hopeful that people will change their view of my generation or at least give a person the chance to prove the stereotypes wrong before overlooking them for an important opportunity.”

Counselor Kristin Vernon said, “There have always been many students who feel that sense of urgency. There have also al-ways been some students that don't share that same sense of ur-gency. What I think has changed the most, though, is that each year the colleges become increas-ingly more competitive, so there-fore those students that are driven with that urgency tend to feel even more pressure each year.”

Is this urgency a bad thing? It depends on the student, and how well they can handle it.

“If you can handle feeling a sense of urgency in your life, then I don’t consider it a bad thing. For some people, a sense of urgency helps motivate them to get things done. If you can’t handle a sense of urgency, and it just causes you stress, I don’t think it’s a good thing. It depends on the person,” said junior Kimberly Lane.

I think our generation is more dependent on tech-nology and in a sense, this connects us more. We constantly interact with one another and technol-ogy lets us influence each other socially.

Shanil PatelSenior

Spencer EnriquezJunior

Linda GarveyHistory TeacherAs a generation, millenials seem to be more empathetic and creative, especially in their use of technology. The downside of this generation however, is that people are often too dependent on technology.

February 2016FEATURESThe Highlander

Page 9

The ups and downs of attempting to live up to a siblingHanalei Pham

“Why can’t you be like your sister?”It is easy to compare yourself to others, whether they are

friends, coworkers, strangers, or especially, siblings. For many, siblings are an endless source of comparison.

Sophomore Joshua Vendrow said, “Edward and I are twins, so we are naturally close to each other, but that also means there is a lot of competition between us. We often compare our grades with each other. It drives us to do bet-ter in our classes. My older brother, David, is a figure for me to follow. It is an expectation in my family that I be as good as my brothers.”

For many younger siblings, there is pressure to perform as well as their older sibling, just as sophomore Anna Sing-er has with her older sister, senior Alex Singer.

The younger Singer said, “I want to live up to her. I try to do as well as she did [in school]. I’m not the most vocal person in class, and she is. With teachers who know her but don’t know me that well, I feel like I’m not what the teachers expect after having her.”

Often, older siblings feel the need to set the standards and stay ahead of their younger siblings in school.

Sophomore Laura McGann said, “If your younger sib-ling beats you at something, you feel like you have to outdo them again to establish your superiority.”

In addition to “establishing their superiority,” many older siblings serve as a guide for their younger siblings through school, trying out classes and providing insight.

Sophomore Justin Lee said, “Brandon, as the older brother, was the guinea pig for school classes and activi-ties. Based on his experience and workload when he was in my grade, my parents and I decided on the classes that I should take.”

Older siblings also set the example in extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs.

Anna Singer said, “I do Mock Trial because of my sister. I did sports like she did. I followed her in softball, gym-nastics, and soccer. I always ended up stopping around the same place she did.”

Sibling dynamics vary in every case. Some siblings are really similar, while others are polar opposites, some sib-ling are extremely close while others can’t stand each oth-er’s presence.

Sophomore Risako Nozaki, who has a twin at the school, said, “Natsuko and I have always been together. We don’t talk over each other, and that is really good. I’ve always had

a really good relationship with her.”However, even close sibling don’t always get along.

Sometimes, there are disagreements and arguments over things both big and small.

Anna Singer said, “My sister and I have a love-hate re-lationship of sorts. Sometimes we are really close but other times we get into fights, but I guess all siblings do that.”

No matter the relationship, siblings can motivate each other to reach higher and achieve more.

The younger Lee said, “I feel that competition is in our nature as brothers. I would like to match his quality of work. His achievements have set expectations for me. I want a leadership position in Key Club like he has.”

Though competition is tough and being compared to others is never a pleasant feeling. Sibling often help each other acknowledge their strengths and find their interests.

Risako Nozaki said, “She's a lot better at math and sci-ence, but I’m better at languages. Competition is definitely hard, but it is a friendly, helpful competition. Siblings push you in a nice way. She knows what I am capable of and pushes me to do more. It is supportive. We expect more out of each other, and we work towards that. We recognize each other’s strengths.”

A way of living in which noanimal products and animal byproducts are consumed.

fast food Most fast food chains have veggie burgers.

If there are no veggie burgers, order fries

and salad.

seafood or steak

Most steakhouses offer salads.

Ask for pasta with olive oil and vegetables.

Resturaunts often have a hidden vegetarian menu.

Ask for it.

Indian, Mexican, and Thai cuisines offer a lot of vegan options.

the basics

VEGANISM

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If you’re thinking about being vegan and something is blocking your way, whether it’s taste or money, weigh the fact that you’ll be healthier, the planet will be better off, and you’ll be saving animals. Being vegan isn’t expensive.

I’ve gotten into fights with my friends because they give me a hard time and tease me. Animals are treated horribly so there’s no reason for me to be the victim when I’m helping the Earth.

It was hard to quit pizza, becuase piz-za is delicious. It’s not hard anymore. If you’re trying to become vegan, don’t be discouraged even if you mess up one thousand times.

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February 2016FEATURESThe Highlander

Page 12

Feminazis: they’re hurting their own causeWe all know her. She is passionate, confident, and willing

to fight for her cause.But nobody hears her message, because

she is also pushy, easily offended, and her outspokenness often borders on rude.

She is what’s known as a feminazi.Feminazi is a derogatory term for radi-

cal feminists. Award-winning feminist author Chi-

mamanda Ngozi Adichie said, “[the word] Feminist is so heavy with baggage, nega-tive baggage: you hate men, you hate bras, [...] you think women should always be in charge, you don’t wear make-up, you don’t shave, you’re always angry, you don’t have a sense of humour, you don’t use deodorant.”

This stigma behind feminism comes from this small percentage of feminists who go too far.

“A feminazi is someone who uses femi-nism as justification for hating men, some-one who gets overly offended and goes out of their way to push their message on people who aren’t necessarily even against it,” said sophomore Soren Hawkins.

“They’re trying to get equality and more rights for women, but really they’re just hurting their cause,” Hawkins added.

This term may be calling attention to some activists that are going too far, but still equates peacefully fighting for gender equality to genocide.

Sophmore Ogden Asmar supports her cause for women’s rights.

a common misunderstanding,” said senior Sam Levy.

Feminazis who utilize misandry, the hatred of men, give feminists a bad repu-tation for oppressing in response to being oppressed.

“What feminists really hate is the pa-triarchy—the web of institutions that sys-tematically oppress women. And to tear it down, we need as many allies as we can get. Telling half the population that we hate them, even in jest, is not the way to do that,” said Sarah Begley from TIME Magazine.

Radical feminists do exist, and it is

ISABEL MITCHELL

questionable whether they are doing much good for their cause. It can also be brought into question if they are actually doing any harm.

Asmar said, “We have grown up in a so-ciety that puts men first, just because femi-nists refuse to think that way does does not mean we despise men, and even if we did is it so wrong for a group to hate its oppres-sors? Women have been oppressed by men since the beginning of time, so I’m sure that one girl saying she hates men won’t destroy the world.”

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What it really means to be desensitized to violenceSophie Penn

Sophomore Ogden Asmar said, “I would say comparing feminists to Nazis just because we are reclaiming our bodies and saying no to oppression is horrible.”

Senior Annie Klups identifies as a femi-nist and said, “It’s hard to relate to those kind of [radical] feminists, who believe that women should inherently have power over men, they’re frustrating in their ideals.”

“They mean well when they try to go re-ally full force with it, but I think it backfires for the feminist cause. It gives the general public the wrong idea about what feminism is,” said Klups.

In his book “Unapologetically You,” be-havioral scientist Steve Maraboli empha-sized the idea that the volume of one’s voice does not increase their authority.

The reality is that a majority of feminists do not hate men, and do simply wish for equality; the spotlight, though, is drawn to the feminazis because their voices are loud.

There are even groups called “women against feminism” who claim to accept the genders differences and how things are now. This group also targets feminists call-ing them “man-haters.”

Feminism is plagued by stereotypes.“The one that you hear a lot is that they

don’t want equality, they think that they’re entitled to more, which I don’t think is true. I think that that is what a lot of people feel though, in regards to this radical feminism. It’s like, oh they don’t want equality they just think that they’re better, which is just

In today’s society, violence is every-where.

It’s in the news, video games, the latest action and horror movies, books, and in the everyday discussions about what’s go-ing on in the world. Children run around with plastic guns and pretend to stab their playmates with foam swords.

There is a common belief that the cur-rent adolescent generation has been desen-sitized to violence.

To desensitize is defined as to “make [someone] less likely to feel shock or dis-tress at scenes of cruelty, violence, or suf-fering by overexposure to such images.”

It is believed this has occurred through violent video games, toys, and movies that are popular in today’s society.

Along with this belief is the assump-tion that with this desensitization comes a

proneness to violent acts. Junior Michael Morris said, “Despite

what they see in media, I think most people still understand the consequences of vio-lent acts, and are unlikely to commit them.”

There is a particular concern about the effects of violent video games. According to Healthday News, violence in video games is more engaging than on TV, because users are actively aggressive.

In an experiment conducted by Game-politics.com, it was concluded that this fac-tor does not increase proneness to violence.

Leading the study was Psychology doc-tor, Holly Bowen, who said, “The findings indicate that long-term emotional memory is not affected by chronic exposure to vio-lent video games.”

Sophomore Alec Tung said, “I play vid-eo games almost every day and I’m not a violent person.”

Despite this evidence, there are still

concerns about violence in media and en-tertainment.

History teacher Greg Schoenstein be-lieves that the current generation is more desensitized to violence.

“There’s always been horror movies, and TV has become more violent. Start-ing in the 90’s, there was more graphically violent media and games available. In to-day’s world, it’s easier for young people to get access to that stuff that other genera-tions didn’t have access to, and are a little bit more desensitized. Media in the past self-regulated more, but those standards change,” said Schoenstein.

Students who play violent video games and are regularly exposed to violence through media have mixed opinions on this evaluation.

Junior Kian Mozayani disagreed that exposure to violence causes desensitiza-tion. He believes most individuals can

distinguish the difference between shoot-ing someone in a virtual game and killing someone in real life. Therefore the two are unrelated.

“If you grow up in a family that shows you the difference between real life and a game then I don’t think video games and TV desensitize you,” said Mozayani.

According to Pew Research Center, approximately 72 percent of teenagers in America play video games.

“I think in being repeatedly exposed to the violence in media and entertainment, the shock value is reduced, and you be-come more comfortable and tolerant of the violent nature,” said Schoenstein.

Currently there is no clear conclusion of whether or not media actually desensitizes viewers to violence.

It has been statistically proven by Paedi-atrics and Child Health that the amount of violence shown is increasing.

to improve

February 2016FEATURESThe Highlander

Page 13

Students take alternate approach to success Sarah Schisla

Sometimes the American education sys-tem seems geared toward pushing students to follow a traditional “higher” education path, but it’s time to accept that college isn’t the best option for everyone.

Senior Denis Yudin said, “Teachers don’t say ‘if ’ you go to college, but ‘when,’ as if the option of starting a business or pursuing an artistic career, where time and real-life experience are of the essence, is somehow morally or socially questionable.”

For some, a four-year university educa-tion and degree may be exactly what’s nec-essary to get ahead in life.

However, some high school graduates follow alternative paths to success.

Carlmont alumnus Peter Ravenelle (Class of 2013) decided to pursue a career in tailoring and menswear. While his plan includes some further education, Rav-enelle is not relying on a degree to make his dream come to life.

“Right now, I’m focusing on the busi-

ness aspect and taking some preliminary business classes. Since my goal is to open up a small shop of my own, I’ll need some basic business know-how. The sewing as-pect will come through an apprenticeship in San Francisco,” said Ravenelle.

Taking a few college courses is always an option, even if it doesn’t mean pursuing a four-year degree.

Although having a degree is a legitimate requirement in many fields, there are oth-ers that value experience over a diploma.

According to The Washington Post, only 62.1 percent of college graduates had a job that required a college degree in 2010. Meanwhile, only 23.7 percent of graduates had a job related to their degree.

Ravenelle said, “There’s a big miscon-ception that all you need to do is enroll in 4 to 6 years of college, get the degree, and then find a job. I think that college can be used for success in the future, but being out in the workforce and getting an intern-ship in your field are going to be a big plus. Without getting your feet wet beforehand,

[beginning work] can be a pretty daunting experience.”

Senior Ethan Pike has always been fas-cinated by movies. From a young age, Pike knew that he wanted to make a living by doing what he loved -- directing and pro-ducing films.

Pike said, “In terms of film, college isn’t a necessity by any means. A week on set is just as valuable as, if not better than, a year in film school. After high school, I plan to intern a lot, but I ultimately want to direct some big-budget movies. The end goal is what matters.”

Not everyone’s career path involves entre-preneurship or working toward a big break.

Carlmont alumnus Jacob Ansara (Class of 2014) said, “I joined the army. I thought that since this country gives us so many privileges, I should pay it back. At first, I wanted to go to college, but I felt like I should serve. I went to a recruiter, he gave me options, and I chose my job.”

After serving his term, Ansara plans on going to college in Canada. Although he

wants to become a teacher someday, An-sara decided that his teaching career can wait for a few years.

“I thought that serving was more im-portant, given what’s currently going on in the world,” Ansara said.

Today, Ansara knows that he made the right decision when he enlisted.

“The army has treated me well. I get help if I need it, and I get good pay... not to mention all the support I get from random people, which makes me feel good,” Ansara said.

Many reach their goals without getting a degree.

“With tuition soaring, college is simply not a fiscally realistic option for anyone below the upper-middle-class persuasion, even with [most] scholarships. Not [every-one] can go to college, and not all people want to,” Yudin said.

Whether attending college full-time seems too costly, too time-consuming, or just unnecessary given one’s ambitions, there are many viable alternatives to this path.

Presidential elections to affect U.S. status worldwideJustin Som

Many Americans think of the election only as a popularity contest--a stage to watch presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and Donald Trump fight over who is really better at satisfying a rowdy audience. But it is much more than a reality TV show.

Because it has become common for “carpet bombs in Syria” and promises of a “wall in Mexico” to thunder down from presidential candidates, the United States 2016 election will have some of the most impactful results on society ever.

This year, what candidates say will matter, and their decisions and prompted policies will change how the United States is viewed by the world and its nations. Whatever candidates say, no matter how small the remark, will be monitored by the world for its true weight.

Americans must choose whom they will stand behind in the long run to control America’s national and domestic affairs -- those who would go to the extremes to protect the nation or those who would accomplish what is simply necessary.

“People don’t know who to vote for since there are so many issues,” said sophomore Christian Licudine. “One candidate might promise something, but another could say something better.”

Arguing that America must stay open to all people whether they be Mexican, Muslim, Asian or white, the currently leading Democrat in polls, Hillary Clinton, elaborated on her plan to beat ISIS during her campaign.

“The world’s great democracies can’t sacrifice our values or turn our backs on those in need,” said Clinton at a Council of Foreign Relations in Nov. 2015. “We must choose resolve. And (the U.S.) must lead the world to meet this threat.”

The only thing for certain is that most if not all presidential candidates and nations agree that the threat of ISIS must be dealt with, and quickly.

In fact, to combat a threat of this magnitude, “at least a dozen military operations were carried out” against the terrorist organization in January by the U.S. and its allies, according to the New York Times.

Yet, this current coalition of nations is threatened by the presidential election. With already growing tensions between the U.S. and Russia due to Russia’s refusal to join the initial alliance of France, Britain, America, and the other allied nations against ISIS, the election may worsen conditions.

In the past presidential debates for the 2016 election, leading Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz promised that they would take the fight directly to known ISIS cities and bases. However, they also said that harsh systems must be implemented into the U.S. for its own security.

Cruz described his own plans for the usage of US troops in nations surrounding Russia in an interview with CNN.

Arguing that the U.S. needs to arm Ukrainians despite the protests of Russian and German government officials, Cruz said, “What we’re seeing is, when America doesn’t lead, Europe can’t be expected to step into the breach. What is missing from this is the president of the U.S.. I’m part of a large bipartisan congressional delegation…(that is)united

on the need for us to provide defensive arms to Ukraine.”However, in preparation, other nations have already

announced their intentions towards the policies of presidential candidates.

Upon being presented with 500,000 signatures for a petition banning Donald Trump from entering Britain due to “hate speech” in 2015, British prime minister, David Cameron, announced his thoughts on the billionaire to Parliament, calling Trump’s presidential policies of the halting of Muslims from entering America, “divisive, stupid and wrong.”

“ I believe (Trump’s plan) would cause significant long-term problems for the United States,” said Carlmont U.S. History teacher Marcello Di Cicco. “If the U.S. shuts its doors to other races, it will be completely contradictory. America would still go to other countries as it pleases, but other races wouldn’t be allowed to enter the U.S.. Other nations won’t be happy with the U.S..”

Former Prime Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, also criticized Trump.

“If Donald Trump turns off people in Scotland, then he’s likely to turn off Scots-Americans as well,” said Salmond after Trump’s court appeal for the removal of British wind mills near his golf course was repealed.

“If someone is elected and enforces radical policies, I think other countries will be forced to intervene,” said sophomore Amaury Avat of his thoughts on the election. “(Other countries) want to make sure nothing bad happens since the U.S. is a large power. Only the U.S. interferes with other countries. It’s rarely the other way around.”

February 2016SPORTSThe Highlander

Page 14

Kian KaramdashtiIn a game played with 11 members on

the field, the Seattle Seahawks brag about their “12th man.” No, the “12th man” is not a person, but it is the moniker given to the rambunctious and passionate fan base present at every home game. Describing them as loud may be an understatement, as they are the owners of the second loudest audio recording in the world, which they acquired when they created 137.6 decibels of sound (an eardrum ruptures around 150 decibels) during a playoff game in 2013.

“Oh, my gosh, it has become the hall-mark of Seattle,” said Paul Johns, assistant director of fan development for the Se-ahawks. “It’s just beautiful, the fan enthu-siasm.”

Obviously, the fans have a big influence on the Seahawks, and the same is true for different sports all over the world. In the recently finished NFL Season, home teams held a 58 percent winning percentage. In the 2015-2016 NBA season, through the end of January, the home team holds a 57 percent winning percentage. In the 2015 MLB season, the home team held a 54 per-cent winning percentage

While surely air or road miles travelled and performances in unfamiliar environ-

ments play some sort of factor in the per-centage, studies reveal that fans have a large part to do with the home team’s success.

A 2003 study by neuroscientists Nick Neave and Sandy Wolfson from the U.K.’s Northumbria University found that sali-vary testosterone levels in British profes-sional soccer players were significantly higher before a home game than an away game.

In the same study, it was found that 4-time NBA MVP LeBron James statisti-cally plays worse on the road. His field goal percentage when away (.542), is worse than when he is at home (.592), as well as his free throws (.714 vs. 785). He also tends to make slightly more turnovers (3.3 away vs. 2.7 at home).

What is it about opposing team’s stadi-ums that make players play at a lower level?

In a 2010 study, University of Rochester social psychologist Jeremy Jamieson said to discovery.com, “It’s not just the distractions of playing in an unfamiliar environment, but the crowds jeering when they make a mistake. Negative feedback can raise a player’s stress level and cause a player to try to compensate by concentrating on specific parts of his baseball swing or his basketball jump shot. When players do that rather than simply performing the entire skill as

practiced, it’s a recipe for disaster.” Carlmont athletes witness these claims

firsthand in their own respective sports.“I think we have seen it this season for

sure,” said varsity soccer goalkeeper Cam-ron Dennler, a senior. “So far, all but one of our regular season losses have come on the road, and I personally don’t feel we come out with the same urgency and fearlessness that we play with at home. All the teams we play have the same turf fields in the same local area, so you can’t really blame it on an unfamiliar environment. I’m not sure if it’s a mental thing we have to overcome, but I think it’s fair to say that we are more mo-tivated when we have more support from the stands.”

The same can be said for players who feel anxiety playing in front of a home crowd. If too nervous about committing an action that will evoke a negative emotional response from a crowd, a player may take a more conservative approach.

Now that we better understand how fans can affect the outcome of a sporting event, let’s dive deeper into why fans follow their sports so closely.

“Not everyone can play a sport they en-joy at a professional level,” said junior Paul Bastaki. “By following sports teams closely, it almost feels like you are going along for

part of the ride.”For many fans, sports represent an es-

cape from the realities of the world each day. By investing their time and money into a sports team, fans are able to experience a connection they otherwise couldn’t feel.

“Identifying with your sports teams is one of the ways you can vicariously expe-rience success, and in real life, success is hard,” said Ronald F. Levant, a psychology professor at the University of Akron, in a Cantonrep.com article. “We have ups and downs, a lot of things don’t always go our way, especially in this economy.”

Many fans even see the team and players as an extension of themselves.

“It is not an obnoxious affectation when a devotee uses the word ‘we.’ It’s a literal confusion in the brain about what is “me” and what is the team,” said Eric Simons, au-thor of ‘The Secret Lives of Sports fans: the Science of sports obsession.’ “In all kinds of unconscious ways, a fan mirrors the feel-ings, actions and even hormones of the players. Self-esteem rides on the outcome of the game and the image of the franchise.”

“I’ve definitely experienced that,” said Bastaki. “If my team loses it could affect my mood for the rest of the day.”

It’s safe to say as long as sports continue to thrive, so will the support behind them.

The life and mind of the fan

“We come to the home games and watch our daughter cheer at halftime. The games are so ex-

citing and we love watching the basketball players.”

Genie and John Kim

“I go to sporting events because I get to watch my friends play and support

my school. I love being around the Screamin’ Scots because it is a loud

and fun environment to be in.”Jessie Sanders

“I love watching sporting events and the environment

that Screamin’ Scots makes. It gives me the opportunity to be

loud and to be myself.”Brett Fitzpatrick

ALYSSA FAGEL

February 2016SPORTSThe Highlander

Page 15

Spring Preview

“We have a few experi-enced players looking to lead the team. With a bit of practice, our

team will be able to do really well this season.”

Chris DingJunior

Softball

Getting benched by your bodyAria Frangos

You want to play. It’s your sport; it’s what you do. This is your game.

But it’s also your body, and you only get one of those to last you your whole life.

Getting sidelined by injuries in-volves a struggle between the athlete’s desire to get on back into the game as quickly as possible and the knowledge that going back too soon is an easy path toward worsening the injury and not being able to play for even longer.

“I’d say that, personally, being benched for an injury, whether it’s in a game or practice, makes me feel almost anxious. It’s like I’m letting myself down or my team just because I’m missing time on the field or in the weight room,” said varsity football player senior Jake Kumamoto. “It also motivates me to work harder, like do-ing rehab or stretching to get back to 100 percent.”

Returning to play isn’t just about being physically ready. Many athletes experience anxiety and fear about re-turning to play -- they may be worried about having lost their previous states of fitness and ability or re-injuring themselves, both of which are fears that can be detrimental to their per-formance and safety.

“I know that in games when I had

injuries, I would subconsciously try to avoid using whichever body part is hurt, which affected my ability,” said Kumamoto.

Every athlete who has dealt with injury can relate to this dilemma. The goal is to get cleared to play, which does not necessarily mean the athlete is completely healed.

“When it comes to injury rehabili-tation, it’s really impossible to separate what’s going on in the athlete’s brain from what happens in the rest of the body,” said Douglas D. Glazer, assis-tant professor of sports science at En-dicott College in Massachusetts. “If an athlete’s psychological readiness be-fore competition is low, waiting a little longer before returning to the playing field may be the most safe course of action.”

Freshman Kaylee Leong was in-jured on Jan. 14 during a girls JV soccer game versus Woodside High School. She was kicked in the knee by an opposing defender, and test results later showed that she had torn her ACL.

Despite the severity of the damage, Leong maintains a positive outlook on her injury.

“I wouldn’t call it being benched; it’s more that you’re on the disabled list. Being injured is hard to deal with because you aren’t able to train and

play with your team in the game you love, but there is also another side to it,” said Leong. “It lets you watch your team play and be able to see what you can do to help your team excel from a different point of view and cheer on your team.”

Good, well-rounded fitness is a significant factor in avoiding injury in the first place, and can also help lessen the severity of injury and accel-erate recovery. Prompt treatment and dedicated rehabilitation are key in re-sponding to an injury so that an ath-lete can get back in the game as soon as possible.

Sitting on the bench while an ath-lete heals can be frustrating, but it is a necessary process in getting back to their sport. High school students in particular often have a hard time weighing the pros and cons of push-ing an injury too quickly due to the impatience to get back on the field. However, high school sports only last four years, and an athlete’s body has to last a whole lifetime.

“It was really hard to go from play-ing a sport every day to not being able to do anything, and I was very bored,” said senior Lauren McDonnell, who was kept off the field by a serious con-cussion. “People need to keep their spirits up and realize that they can heal and get back to the game soon.”

“I think we are going to do well this year.

We have a ton of really fast freshmen and a lot more runners this year

than we used to.”Mitchell Netto

Senior

“Our team has a lot of promise. We have new players who can help

contribute to our over-all performance this upcoming season.”

Alex LaySenior

“We did well last year and we didn’t lose too

many seniors so I think we will do even better than last year if people

kept improving.”Kevin Hutchaleelaha

Senior

“We have our sights set on an undefeated sea-son. We did lose some seniors, but I am con-fident that we will step

up to the challenge.”Lukas Kelly

Senior

“It’s really amazing how much the program has grown in the three years I have been here, and I think this season

will turn out great.”Caroline Concilla

Junior

“We’re going to be a younger team this year,

but once we get into the groove of things, I think we are going to

do pretty well.”Jacey Phipps

Senior

“The loss of so many seniors has a significant

impact on our team, but it means that there is room for new players

to become leaders.”Connor Loucks

Senior

Swimming

Tennis

Track

Editor-in-ChiefZoe Wildman

The Highlander is a newspaper dedicated to providing Carlmont students, staff, and the community with high-quality news, features, and opinion articles. We want to keep our readers informed on im-portant issues ranging from events at Carlmont to international news, and want to engage them with unique stories and images. The Highlander is a publication completely run by the students of the jour-nalism classes at Carlmont High School. Story ideas are generated by the students and the published

content is up to the discretion of the editorial staff.

Lily BakourChesirae Barbano

Rachel BorschchenkoBrooke Chang

Holly ChenNicole del Cardayre

Aria FrangosKaren Gao

Nate Godwin

Kelly Song

Managing EditorAlyssa Fagel

Art DirectorMinh-Han Vu

Faculty AdviserJustin Raisner

Scot Scoop Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Schisla

ScotCenter Editor-in-Chief

Elena Mateus

Staff Writers

EditorsAvery Adams Kimiko Okumura Adriana Ramirez

Mona Murhamer

THE HIGHLANDER

Jill AlbertsonSarah TocatlianJordan Hanlon

Connor Lin

Josef GonzalezSophie HaddadArtie Hazelton

Leea IvanelKian Karamdashti

Bijan KhaliliEstella Lippi

Anya MeredithSeiya Mirande

Ally SteinTaran SunMegan TaoJiselle Vigil

Skylar WeissCeline Yang

Hannah YoungJason Zheng

Isabel MitchellJackson Monge

Ivy NguyenMackenzie O’Connell

Kiera Pendleton-White

Sophie PennHanalei Pham

Justin Som

Badminton

Lacrosse

Baseball

VolleyballALYSSA FAGEL

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February 2016NEWS The Highlander

Page 16

Corporations pursue renewable energy sourcesSkylar Weiss

2015 was one of the warmest years on record.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the global average surface temperature increased by one degree Cel-sius due to global warming and El Niño.

Global warming and air pollution have had a massive impact on the world. Accord-ing to NASA, glaciers are shrinking and sea levels are rising. The National Wildlife Federation also stated that climate change is is triggering more extreme weather con-ditions; lands are being parched during droughts and flooded during major storms.

“People aren’t taking [climate change] seriously enough,” said freshman Manon Llorach, “I think many people will only start to make significant changes once our environment starts to show more huge ef-fects from global warming.”

As a result of this, renewable energy is one of the many industrial accomplish-ments undergoing change.

In the Bay Area and worldwide, these recent negative impacts on our planet have been brought to our attention through the media and live protests. Changes are being made by different eco-friendly organiza-tions to restore the health of Earth without slowing down our fast-pace world, specifi-cally the way we produce electricity.

For example, Germany is undergoing a transformation to provide energy and elec-tricity by the use of solar power.

Continued from page 1

According to Triple Pundit, Germany broke a national record, supplying over half of its electricity with solar power in June of 2014. Although solar power does not sup-port half of the country’s electrical needs on a regular basis, Germany now typically produces 31 percent of its electricity using renewable energy. Five and seven tenths of a percent of the renewable energy in Ger-many is solar powered.

In the U.S., citizens are provided with electricity that is 13 percent renewable en-ergy, and 0.4 percent from solar power.

“I would think there is a lot more energy to be yielded from solar sources than 0.4 percent. My house is primarily powered by our solar panels, and I’m surprised they’re not used more nationwide,” said sopho-more Timmy Palthe.

The U.S. has, however, increased its amount of solar panels within the last few years.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the number of homes using so-lar power increased by 1,000 percent from 2006 to 2013. The Solar Energy Industries Association also stated that over 784 thou-sand homes and businesses had solar pan-els installed during the first half of 2015, which is enough to install a new solar proj-ect every two minutes.

Solar power is one of the many ways to obtain renewable energy. Companies such as Renewable Energy Systems Americas are working to provide construction for indus-tries installing solar panels, windmills, and forms of energy storage across Canada, the

Americas, and Chile.“I think that it’s a good idea that people

are using renewable energy because it will help save and protect the environment in the long run, but I think it’s unrealistic at the moment to try to switch entirely to renewable energy because I don’t think society is ready for that,” said sophomore Tyrese Lopez. “In the future, if we could switch fully [to renewable energy], it would be great.”

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Manage-ment is developing another more natural way to utilize energy -- from the power of ocean currents in Florida.

This new idea could be particularly ef-fective, as ocean currents are much more consistent and reliable than the amount of sun or wind an area receives day to day.

The process somewhat resembles that of windmills. As ocean currents pass through turbines, they are rotated, generating a sig-nificant amount of power. The plans are in their early stages, but they require the tur-bines to be anchored to the ocean floor.

If the turbines are successful, captur-ing one thousandth of the available energy from the Gulf Stream would supply Florida with 35 percent of its electrical needs, ac-cording to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Improvements are still being made to the design of these turbines, including safe ways to generate electricity underwater.

“I think it’s potentially a great idea, but we’ve already put so much into the ocean that’s not supposed to be there that I won-

der if [turbines] would hurt underwater ecosystems at all. However, if the turbines worked, it’s a great way to use our resources to produce energy in a presumably cleaner way,” said freshman Talia Fine.

Andrea Copping, a hydrokinetic en-ergy researcher at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Labo-ratories in Washington, told Live Science that the turbines would be around 300 feet underwater, and animals that swim at this depth have sensory systems that are strong enough to detect the turbines and swim away from them.

As time goes on and climate change continues, the perpetual development of these projects could be vital to the health of our planet in the future.

Nothing is certain, but our world may operate in various different ways to replace fossil fuels and energy starting in the near future.

According to the Young People’s Trust for the Environment, 83 percent of the world’s energy use was made up of fossil fuels, including coal, oil, and gas. If our use of renewable energy increases, the amount of fossil fuels will decrease.

Junior Kyle Jung remains hopeful for the future of renewable energy.

Jung said, “If everyone tries to make a change, we could make a big difference. But if each individual thinks that the amount of fossil fuel he or she uses is insignificant, nothing will change.”

Cheteni said, “It was an experience that was also trou-blesome, that I had to explain myself just to get a test drive, because there was an assumption already that, well, you can’t do that. Had I been a white male, he would’ve said, ‘Oh great let’s just try it out,’ and perhaps even given other options like well ‘Maybe you can try the Lexus there, it’s a hybrid,’ or something. It’s a privilege that just comes with the mere fact of being white.”

As the only black male teacher at Carlmont, Cheteni noticed that minorities are often underrepresented.

Carlmont is going to stop busing kids from East Palo Alto (EPA), which will tip the ratio of black students to white students even more.

Senior Camille Duvalsaint expressed a concern for the future at Carlmont.

She said, “Another problem that’s going to start for other incoming freshmen that are African American is how they’re stopping the EPA buses from coming here and they’re stopping all of those programs. That’s going to make more people feel uncomfortable because then it’s just more white kids coming here and not any other race. So they’re going to feel like they can’t talk to anyone who genuinely feels what they feel every day.”

In San Carlos, 79.2 percent of residents are white (in Belmont this figure is 67.6 percent), according to the Unit-ed States Census Bureau.

Despite racial disadvantages, Cheteni remains optimis-tic. Cheteni’s responses to prejudice were shaped by his in-teractions with Nelson Mandela. Cheteni became a Nelson Mandela scholar at the age of 15, providing him with op-portunities to learn from Mandela in person.

“What I learned from Nelson Mandela is that integrity is all that you need for a world to work, and by integrity he meant being able to recognize that other person as another human being [who] is going through whatever they are going through. And just being in that space allowed him to be able to forgive. I mean, considering 27 years impris-

onment, the world would think that there would be anger there, but I got from him what it meant to be a human be-ing,” said Cheteni.

Mandela’s focus on teaching inspired Cheteni to envi-sion a more accepting world.

“My fondest memory of Nelson Mandela was his com-mitment to this planet,” he said. “And his commitment had a foundation on education and young people. That was the key in creating world peace.”

Senior Colley Loum, who is interracial, explained that racial mixing is another way to change ideas about race.

He said, “It’s just multiple cultures coming together and being able to accept one another, and that enacts more change.”

Cheteni agreed that interracial kids are a way of reduc-ing racial prejudice.

He said, “I think interracial kids sort of challenge the whole idea of race and race-making. Now the question is really, ‘What is race?’ It’s like this made-up phenomenon that was created by human beings. And if humans create that, then humans can also destroy that.”

White priviledge

February 2016TECHNOLOGYThe Highlander

Page 17

Celine Yang

Virtual reality takes tech by storm“They have that now?”This was the reaction of sophomore

Vivian Yip once she heard about virtual reality.

Virtual reality (VR) is the newest tech hype that has reeled in people with the promise of new lives, perspectives, and experiences. VR makes it possible to experience things not possible in this world by simply slipping on a headset.

“VR makes it feel as if you’re there,” said sophomore Justin Lee, who has heard of this upcoming trend. “You’re not just staring at one place. You’re looking around, and it feels real.”

When a user puts on that headset, they can be anyone, anything, or an outsider yet an insider on a world of dreams. From a giant egg in outer space breaking out of its shell, riding along with a racer shooting across the sand dunes, or an airplane dodging precarious spikes until the inevitable crash, users can be in other’s shoes and see through other’s eyes while

still staying as themselves. These opportunities are possible through

a computer-simulated environment.To meet the public’s demand

and deliver what they want before they knew they wanted it, startups are experimenting with new mediums in which to experience virtual reality. With its endless algorithm of worlds, VR is setting up to be the next hype, even debuting through movies at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

A c c o r d i n g to MIT

Technology Review, countless startups are working on improving VR and its capability to immerse users, from a

company dedicated to building eye-tracking technology to

another building suits that will enable users to

feel the environment as well.

A c c o r d i n g to Smithsonian, journalist Nick

Greene was able to try one of these suits,

known as the Teslasuit. He later said, “When he presses the shoulder on my little avatar, I feel a

pulsing, like someone tapping me

on the shoulder.”

A n d

countless other companies are dedicated to creating games. According to Tech Radar, one of the best VR games is Eve: Valkyrie, which is a multi-player game in which users are involved in “squad-based dogfighting in deep space.”

With the investment of many of Silicon Valley’s biggest names in tech combined with startups aiming to push VR into the present, many insiders on the industry are awaiting the development of VR.

Oculus, arguably the most well-known pioneer VR company, raised nearly $2.5 million in 2012 through a crowdfunding campaign to produce their Rift models, and was purchased by Facebook for $2 billion. According to Oculus, The Rift is currently available for preorder and comes at $599 with headsets rolling out in March 2016. Other companies including Google and Playstation, are releasing or have released VR headset models, with prices ranging from $20 to $3,000.

So while the industry still has a ways to go, many anticipate the experiences that VR has to offer.

ISABEL MITCHELL

Social media impacts communicationNicole del Cardayre

As a girl sits on her couch with her nose buried in her phone, she is in the process of meeting her best friend.

Because of the easy accessibility to the media, peoples’ relationships begin to become solely based off of the in-ternet.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vine are all domains dominating the spare time of people’s lives. They have a constant flow of new content which absorbs the minds of the users and sucks them into the world of social media.

“I have made a lot of friends through Twitter that have eventually become some of my best friends,” said sopho-more Kiana Philip.

Twitter allows its users to share what is on their minds within 140 characters or less. This permits Twitter’s users to stay in touch with their friends and acquaintances.

Philip uses Twitter as a key communication device between her friends to share funny videos and relatable tweets. Because of the quick and easy way to share tweets, people are constantly sharing and talking about the latest gossip and news on Twitter.

In an interview given to Social Work Today, Nicholas David Bowman Ph.D, said that social media networks have begun to overtake dinner tables and conversation topics. He said that, because the Internet is so easy to access, it is hard to pull away from.

Bowman also stated that because of the online relation-

ships forming between people, interpersonal communica-tion skills have begun to deteriorate.

Paul Booth, Ph.D, said In another interview given to Social Work Today, “We may rely on the weak connections we’re making on social media more than on the strong con-nections we might have when we’re meeting face-to-face.”

With it being the 21st century, people use their tech-nological devices to an excessive amount. Sometimes the amount on of time on their device can be more, rather than interacting with their friends and family.

“Social media has had a huge impact on family time be-cause of kids focusing and valuing what their friends are doing more than what their family is doing,” said junior Gia Stavros.

In a college study at Elon University conducted by stu-dent Emily Drago, 100 students were polled about the use of their smartphones and tablets.

Sixty percent of the respondents said that they use their phone for more than four hours a day. Another 18 percent of these respondents said that they use their smartphones or tablets for more than eight hours a day.

“It makes me uncomfortable that people spend that much time on their technological devices because there are so many more important things to be doing. However it’s also aggravating that so many school projects are based on technology so that our time spent using devices is in-creased,” said sophomore Cate Armstrong

According to Drago, almost all students bring their lap-

tops, smartphones, or tablets with themselves whenever they leave their home.

This obsessive use of technology and social media has led people’s face to face communication skills to decrease. As people begin to spend more time on their technological devices, the time available for them to interact with their friends in person decreases.

In another study conducted by pewinternet.org, nine in 10 teens say that they spend time with their friends on social media. Almost 30 percent of those nine in 10 teens who say they spend time with their friends on social media as well say they do it every day.

Because of the amount of time spent on social media with friends, some say they feel better connected to their peers because of the relatable conversation matter.

“Although social media is a waste of my time, it definite-ly does benefit my friendships. Social media allows me to connect with my friends through common interests,” said sophomore Zane VanArsdel.

Regarding the future of social media and how it will im-pact our interpersonal communication, Social Work Today quoted Bowman’s belief in the possibility of social media eventually over ruling people’s daily lives.

“They will continue to increase the volume of the hu-man communication process, and we will continue to learn how to use them for good and for bad,” says Bowman.

February 2016OPINIONThe Highlander

Page 18

The Tao of Megan Megan Tao

“The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and

afflict the comfortable.”-Finley Peter Dunne

STEM outgrows communication

“I’m not very interested in math or science.” My response to people asking me what I want to do with

my life is met with a cringe and then confusion. “What are you going to do then?” they ask with great

concern. The idea that no one can be successful, which today is

synonymous with being rich, from majoring in anything not related to STEM -- science, technology, engineering, and mathematics -- has created a stigma towards liberal arts majors.

According to Huffington Post, too many Americans are turning away from the liberal arts under the false pretense that they are a poor career option.

This “false pretense” is based on the smaller paycheck liberal arts majors seem to get compared to STEM majors.

Yes, it is true in most cases people with jobs in the tech-nology field do make more money than people with jobs in the humanities field. And because jobs involving strictly the liberal arts don’t usually result in big salaries, they seem less important.

More money has become equivalent to greater success and greater purpose; if the job doesn’t bring in grand sums of money, then it’s not seen as a valuable job.

However, the skills learned in the liberal arts field are important because they can be implemented in almost any field.

In almost every job, one has to be able to communicate efficiently and have basic writing skills to be remotely suc-cessful at what one does.

In a technology-based society, communication is vital, and being able to write and communicate well are both skills that can only be taught and enhanced through the liberal arts.

Some of the most successful technology companies, including Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook, wouldn’t be as successful as they were without an efficient communica-tion system.

What most people don’t realize is that there are more to these “tech giants” than just the technology it produces, and that the people who do work at these companies are not all only computer geniuses.

With all the high end technology that these products have, one would think that the product can sell themselves, but that is certainly not the case. According to CBS News, Apple spent $1.2 billion on advertisements in 2014.

For example, when Apple launches a new product they usually make an announcement in the form of a presenta-tion. This presentation is critical to popularity and success of the product because it is the first time potential buy-ers will judge, critique, and wonder if the product is worth buying. Therefore, the effectiveness and quality in which the product is presented and showcased comes down to the words used to convey what the product actually is and why we need it.

Essentially, the products of Apple and the website Face-book strive to find a more creative and efficient way to communicate. These companies wouldn’t be able to reach this goal without having an efficient communication sys-tem within the company itself.

According to The Washington Post, it’s better if STEM majors also have training in liberal arts because it helps them be able to communicate their findings professionally.

Most people would find the idea of liberal arts and STEM together as absurd. Why would a computer pro-gramer need to know how to write proficiently in English when they’re fluent in Java?

It all leads back to the importance of communication. Without being able to communicate efficiently, the shy computer genius who creates with a different language wouldn’t be able to share their innovation with the world.

EDITORIALSchool system impedes emotion

At first glance, there is a place on campus that bears a striking resemblance to a kindergarten classroom - kids are bouncing on jumbo exercise balls, in a room filled with neon-colored posters and paint strewn across the carpet.

This isn’t kindergarten, however, it is the ASB room. And while not all the work that goes on revolves around arts and crafts, it indeed is much like kindergarten in one fundamental way -- the emphasis on emotional intelli-gence.

Now, what is emotional intelligence? It is a “skill in per-ceiving, understanding, and managing emotions and feel-ings,” according to Dictionary.com.

However, if you ask a student at random to define the term, it might be easier for them to recite the quadratic equation. Herein lies the problem.

The problem is that high schoolers, essentially young adults about to enter the real world, are not typically taught or exposed to critical social skills that will be needed re-gardless of one’s career choice.

Take a moment to think about your favorite teacher. Remember how they made you feel. They probably made you laugh, or made you feel comfortable enough to ask questions. They probably looked you in the eyes when they spoke to you, and they may have even had open hours at lunch for help.

This teacher most likely exhibits high emotional intel-ligence- it’s what separates a mediocre teacher whose lec-tures drone on forever, from the admirable, memorable ones.

Kindergarteners are taught how to share, engage with one another, and make friends. At 5 years old, we begin to utilize and master communication -- an integral piece to emotional intelligence that enables collaboration, and transcends social class, race, and occupation.

But the lessons that foster emotional intelligence quick-ly dissipate after those first couple years of learning.

The education system today places an emphasis on logi-cal, knowledge-based information. It’s no secret that tradi-tional schooling tends to drill equations and facts into the minds of its pupils. It seems shocking that an entire year’s course, like AP statistics for example, has curriculum based largely on calculations that are presently computed by modern technology in seconds.

Though this is not to say that the work that goes on in most typical classrooms today is useless nor a waste of time, the school system can, and should, shift some focus on skills that will be needed for any student, regardless of career choice. And put in most plain and simple words, these are “people skills.”

In fact, this phenomenon continues outside of the class-room, into every aspect of the real world.

Take Google, for example, undoubtedly one of the most successful companies today-- in an interview with the New York Times, Lazlo Bock, the senior vice president of operations said that the company has decided that “GPA’s are worthless as a criteria for hiring, and test scores are worthless,” he said, “We found that they don’t predict any-thing.”

Instead, Bock said, “The number one thing we look for is general cognitive ability, and it’s not I.Q. It’s learning ability. It’s the ability to process on the fly. What we care about is, when faced with a problem and you’re a member of a team, do you, at the appropriate time, step in and lead. And just as critically, do you step back and stop leading, do you let someone else?”

In an age of quickly-progressing technology, emotional intelligence is one of the few abilities humans can still per-form better than computers, yet it isn’t taught it in school. It’s a mystery why some people are naturally emotionally intelligent while others need explicit instruction, but such intelligence is increasingly important in a workforce where knowledge-based jobs are disappearing.

Teamwork, reading emotions, and understanding one’s own emotional state may seem like trivial skills. How-ever, in ASB, class often starts with a lesson that pertains to aspects of emotional intelligence; activities director and teacher Jim Kelly often delves into topics that revolve around group dynamics, identifying and interpreting both simple and compound feelings, and how to navigate one’s emotions as well as that of others.

But for many others, emotional intelligence is never fully developed.

So next time someone cuts you in the lunch line, re-member it is best to play fair; after all, that’d be the emo-tionally intelligent thing to do.

According to Jedi Master Yoda, fear is the path to the dark side. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. And hate, leads to suffering.”

In George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise, the Sith are fa-mous for their manipulation skills and capabilities of spreading hate.

In fact, the high master of the Sith, Darth Sidious, was such an expert of these techniques that he successfully converted some of the strongest Jedi ever to join his ter-rible cause.

And this was all done by planting only a tiny bit of fear into the heads of these Jedi.

Well, in the 21st century, Donald Trump is a prime ex-ample of a politician who uses this skill.

However, unlike the numerous politicians and Sith lords who attempted to hide their biased views, Donald Trump has exposed his views to the public.

As a student who supports the Democratic Party my-self, I personally find it easy to ignore the rants that equal Trump’s agenda.

On the other hand, it’s quite the opposite for many GOP supporters.

At a time where conflicts such as ISIS and terrorism are so common, it is hard for some voters not to listen to the relentless voice that is Trump as he condemns other races.

Claiming that either the US will be full of immigrants, or that it will be devoid of them, Trump’s argument implies that there are only two choices, one being all bad and the other all good.

But as Obi-Wan Kenobi said during Episode III, “Only a Sith deals in absolutes.”

Trump is a Sith LordJustin Som And Donald Trump is the Sith of America.

He has already led Americans to fear other races. He has also announced numerous times during his

campaign rallies that he was angry at illegal immigrants, and declared that he wanted to block Muslims from enter-ing the United States.

Even when he first announced his campaign in June 2015, it was evident that he hated Mexicans when he type-casted them as “rapists.”

As a high school sophomore, I have heard these argu-ments before from many different voices in media and throughout history.

Yet no one seems to have had as much success in the US as Trump.

It is the duty of Americans to block out the hate speech and temptation that is Trump.

Certainly, the limitation or complete ban of immigrants from entering the U.S. would help lessen the threat of ter-rorism, but such a measure is too absolute.

Donald Trump abuses fear in order to advance his own campaign and gain votes.

He knows that he can take advantage of the bottled-up anger and fear that have been slowly building inside voters as a result of terror attacks.

Despite Trump’s attempts to rile up voters, Americans must not succumb to his rhetoric.

At the end of the day, after the ISIS conflict is finished, after fear, anger, and hate, there is only one thing that comes with the dark side — suffering.

And this suffering will be felt by all American citizens alike, colored or white.

Originally published on Scot Scoop.

This editorial was written by Elena Mateus

February 2016OPINIONThe Highlander

Page 19

Any issue can be deemed offensive in America

Believe, retweet, repeat: not always helpful

It’s the middle of the night and something is moving under the bed.

Is it a mon-ster? Maybe a ghost? One of those creepy dolls from a horror mov-ie?

Oh, no. It’s something much worse.

Your face is appalled as a Christmas-decked Starbucks cup emerges from the shadows.

It screams evil. It’s very pres-ence horrid. You don’t even want to look.

Oh, the misery. Welcome to America, land of

the free and home of the people offended by everything.

Because while the world is lit-erally dying from global warming and radical leaders are trying to gain control, you’re slowly back-ing away from bulk-made coffee cups, your heart pounding and your hands over your face in ag-ony.

That color, that … It can’t be. Is it just red, and nothing else?

Kelly Song

Nathan Godwin

Appalling.Clearly an attack on religion. But horror isn’t just in cups; it’s

everywhere.There are girls who actually

show their shoulders in class.C a n

you be-lieve it?

Ac t u a l r e a l - l i v e flesh, or as some call it (lowers voice to a barely-a u d i b l e whisper),

the epider-mis.

Repeat that ten times fast and you have yourself a horror story.

Some days I sit in class and I’m suddenly blinded. Right there in front of me is a female showing a few inches of leg past “fingertip length.”

How can I possibly concen-trate now?

Someone call an ambulance because I’m hyperventilating.

I don’t think I can take it any-more. I can’t write numbers any-more, I can’t bubble in my scant-ron for this test.

The flesh is too distracting. Everyone should be fully cov-

ered from head to toe every min-

ute of every day. You’re walking

down the street? Cov-er up.

You’re in the show-er? You’re not even safe there.

We talk about equality, and then we let males go shirt-less while females are called scandalous for showing a sliver of calf.

It makes total sense; it really does.

And don’t even get me started on the re-cently released Star-bucks cookies.

There are these cute polar bears (sure-ly, you must know where this is going) that have red scarves.

These scarves are placed in such a way around the throat that someone might say it looks like their throats are being cut.

So essentially, Starbucks is murdering polar bears by making cookies.

Clearly an attack on Christ-mas.

Nevermind the fact that Star-bucks has no incentive to bother

“Actions speak louder than words” has always been true.

However, the meaning is slow-ly being forgotten.

Now people are turning to the Internet to call for change.

Now people post, tweet, like, and hashtag instead of giving their time.

The Internet empowers people to voice their opinions about any current events and issues.

When people solely use the In-ternet as their medium to call for change but do no physical work, it is called slacktivism.

Slacktivism is defined by Mer-riam-Webster dictionary as ac-tions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but are regarded as requir-ing little time or involvement.

Today it seems a common be-lief has appeared that posting on-line is starting real change.

Well, it’s not.If someone is passionate about

a cause then they should support it in every way they can online and offline.

The problem is people con-stantly posting to appear involved when they haven’t even put down their phone.

With a few clicks someone can

put a filter over their profile photo on Facebook, or join a group or share a post.

Someone doesn’t become a slacktivist because they’re lazy.

The peer pressure to retweet or like something is unwavering.

People don’t want to appear as

the innocent civilian by display-ing an array of murder scenes among their pastries.

What’s next, animal crackers?Of course, there are the insig-

nificant issues of multi-billion dollar companies exploiting workers or the destruction of the environment.

if they don’t care about a cause so they go online to show support.

In 2013, Facebook’s own re-search showed that someone was more likely to change their pro-file photo if they saw their friend adopt a photo to support a move-ment.

The ease at which we can ap-pear to care about so many move-ments devalues online support.

Activism becomes a token activity that doesn’t require real work, making the slacktivist feel proud.

The solution to reducing slack-

Or there are power-hungry leaders or gender wage gaps.

Or discrimination of races and poverty in third-world countries.

No biggie.While we’re all completely out-

raged over the color of a cup, there are no greater issues at hand.

ISABEL MITCHELL

ISABEL MITCHELL

Young female finds Starbucks Christmas coffee cups offensive and repugnant.

Slactivism doesn’t solve all the problems in the world

Young male attempts to “make a change” by tweeting about a current world problem.

tivism is being more selective in what we support.

We should find what we are passionate about and work to help that cause or movement.

Show real opinions and con-cerns about issues. Share experi-ences and lessons to help create real change. Filtering and being selective will bring more credibil-ity to what someone really cares about.

Kirk Kristofferson’s study that was published in the Oxford Jour-nal found that people who sup-port a cause in a more private way are more likely to have a stronger involvement later.

In other words, someone who writes their congressman voicing their opinion or gives charitably to a cause instead of posting or retweeting, will get more involved because they are more commit-ted.

It’s now time to stop posting about every cause that we see on the internet.

Instead let’s put down our phones, get up from our couches and find the causes we truly care about and start working to sup-port them.

In doing so we can enact real change.

While the world is literally dying from global warming and radical leaders are try-ing to gain control, you’re slowly backing away from

bulk-made coffee cups.

Hidden gems around Carlmont

The College of San Mateo (CSM) welcomes the community monthly to observe the moon, the rings of Saturn, and more astronomical objects through CSM’s telescopes locat-ed in the rooftop observatory in Building 36. The college’s radio station, KCSM, plays jazz music during this event.

With 2 million geocaches hidden worldwide, this large-scale scavenger hunt is suited for all ages as geocaches vary in size, shape, and difficulty. By creating a free account, scavengers can find treasures in the nooks and crannies of Belmont, San Carlos, and beyond.

Witness one of the highest views in the area at the top of Vista Park on Crestview Avenue, San Carlos. Whether taking a break from a day hike along the local trails or tak-ing in the city lights below at sunset, this view is known to locals as the “Top of the World” for its stunning lookout.

A free alternative to the gym, the exercise loop encircling Oracle’s campus in Redwood Shores provides a track to run, walk, or bike along, as well as exercise contraptions interspersed along the track. Each station hosts a sign of-fering instructions for the recommended exercise.

Kayak tours are offered to anyone looking to explore the winding channels throughout Bair Island Ecological Reserve and Corkscrew Slough. The contrasting wildlife of this tour is perfect for anyone looking to have an adventure right in their backyard, located at the Redwood City Port.

Behind Carlmont lies a mountain biking course open to all riders. A small parking lot off of Hastings Drive, Belmont provides a space to unload bikes for the trails. This biking course hosts jumps, turns, and ruts, along with an outlook on the valley below, including Carlmont’s buildings.

ISABEL MITCHELL

Oracle Parkway Loop

Jaz z Under the Stars

Geocaching

Mountain Biking Trails Top of the World

Kayaking Tours

PHOTOS AND LAYOUT BY AVERY ADAMS