BiRacial couples at Paly

16

CTheCampanileA&EMagazine

Letter from the Editors Editors-in-ChiefOlivia Vort

Maggie Zheng

Business Managers & Creative Directors

Carmelle Bareket-ShavitKallee Bareket-Shavit

TEXT EDITORFrida Schaefer Bastian

Maya Benatar

Design EditorClara de Martel

PHOTO EDITOREmma Low

STAFF WRITERSClara Chiu

Katie DoutyReilly Filter

Ahana GangulyMaya KandellTara Madhav

Larkin McDermottChelsea McIntosh

Huda NavaidRima ParekhEmma ScottKatya Sigal

Charlee StefanskiTeddie StewartAlex WeinsteinJenny Zhuge

ADVISOREsther Wojcicki

Dear Readers,

We are very proud to bring you the fifth edition of C Magazine! We have worked very hard to bring you this edition and we are extremely thankful that you, our readers, keep reading and enjoying C Magazine. On this welcoming note, we would like to introduce our newest members of the crew: Ahana Ganguly, Tara Madhav, Chelsea McIntosh, Reilly Filter, Rima Parekh, and Jenny Zhuge.

Looking around campus, we see many teenagers linking arms, embracing and kissing. Of course, these are normal occurrences among hormonally-raging and swooning teenagers who’re eager to give love a chance and a toss in their high school years. But a closer look reveals that while some cou-ples share the same racial background and cultural upbringing, others couldn’t be more contrasting. In this edition, we delve into the topic of biracial couples at Palo Alto High School. Years ago, Verde magazine had already covered this aspect, but we’d like to reintroduce it with a modern and current update; compared to a few years ago, the number of biracial and multiethnic couples has dramatically increased. C Magazine was fortunate enough to interview some of these lovebirds at Paly and write about how their races and cultural backgrounds affect their relationship. Readers will also get some inside scoop on a few of Palo Alto’s best weekend study cafe’s and an April fools guide to some tricky treats.

We hope you enjoy this edition of C Magazine and a relaxing spring break!

Maggie Zheng & Olivia VortEditors-in-Chief

Corrections:

On Page 2, in the letter from the editors, Theodosia Stewart’s name is incor-rectly spelled as Theodocia.

On Page 9, “to” is accidently omitted from the lyrics that junior Russell Star-Lack composed. The lyrics should be “This is only supposed to take a semester [...]” instead of “This is only supposed take a semester [...]”

On Page 13, IVSN is incorrectly spelled as ISVN.

On Page 19, Teddie Stewart’s name is incorrectly spelled as Teddy Stewart.

On Page 25, boba store T4 is incorrectly spelled as Tea4.

Get in touch with C Magazine by following us on Facebook. Simply scan the QR code below.

Letters to the EditorsC Magazine welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and the staff reserves the right to edit submissions. Send letters to: magazine2014@googlegroups dot com.

21March Playlist: Don’t be fooled by the title, because this does not remotely have anything to do with marching bands,

mariachi bands, or the sort.

5April Fools Food: This April1st, ditch the old toilet and saran wrap trick and adopt new methods of pranking your friends

and enemies. . . using food!

4Sunday Homework Café: Come explore the different coffee shops and foodie niches around the area. Who knows, maybe

you’ll find a new favorite!

7In God Some of Us Trust: Ahana Ganguly raises a well-founded argument in this piece, where she fights for equality on the

American penny.

14-15Drinking Age in Different Countries: How does the age that people can legally drink in the

United States compare to those of other countries? The statistics are presented and the findings are interesting.

10Random Acts of Kindness: A kind reminder that the expression and action of being caring to others is crucial to

human interaction.

8-9POM: Sophia Adeyemo: Sophomore Sophia Adeyemo is unbelievably talented in photography, and she has a

story to tell.

Food

Culture

Arts & Entertainment

11 Feminism: Girls stalking their exes and shaming the guys’ new girlfriends are natural and highly common occurenc-

es, but why do we do this? And why is it wrong? Teddie Stewart explains.

12-13 Conservative Paly: As a politically blue sea of waving rainbow flags and hipster liberals,

California’s Bay Area is undoutedly democratic. But what about denizens of the other end of the spectrum?

16-18Biracial Couples: This edition’s cover story focuses on the multiethnical relationships between Paly

students coming from different racial backgrounds and cultural upbringings.

20Community Gardens in Palo Alto: Ever knew you could rent a plot of public land and proceed to grow whatever you want-

ed (except cannabis) on it? Now you do.

22How to Pack for Coachella: Katie Douty’s sense of humor is blaring loud and funny in this piece, where she shares exclu-

sive tips on preparing and surviving Coachella.

6The Feminine Innuendo: Have you ever wondered why certain everyday necessities are associated with different genders?

Clara Chiu came to an epiphany when she saw that guys rarely sport the unisex Hunters rainboots during the wet season.

237 Chakras: If you feel off or low in energy your problem might be that your chakras are unaligned. Learn more about

what you can do.

24Creative Ways to Ask People to Prom: Don’t be boring (and rude!) and ask with a text. Step up your promposal game!

25Workout Places in Palo Alto: Workout buffs can refer to this piece to see which place gets the best review from fitness

veteran Chelsea McIntosh.

26Jon Stewart: Political intellectuals will forever miss our favor-ite politics broadcaster (aside from the already gone Stephen

Colbert.)

27Which Kardashian are You? Are you sexy Kim K? Or perhaps petite and tolerant Kourtney? Or, maybe, you are the doppel-

ganger of the youngest and most rambunctious Khloe?

Table of ContentsC Magazine

A garden can be rented and cultivated at the Midtown Community Organic Gardens, shown here. (Photo: Emma Low)

PampelmousseSoy Latte ($3.45)Cappucino ($2.80)Coffee Cake Muffin ($2.65)House Granola and Yogurt ($5.95)Trendy and stylish breakfast cafe with French inspired pastries and breakfast. 2401 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063Hours: Monday-Saturday 7:00am- 6:00pmSunday : 8:00am – 5:00pm

Cafe AlanaCinnamon Apples ($2.95)A cozy Victorian style house with a garden and patio. 1020 Main St, Redwood City, CA 94063 Hours: Monday- Friday: 7:00am-2:00pmSaturday-Sunday: 8:00am-2:00pm

Bean SceneNutella Banana Crepe ($5.45)Contemporary spot for a cup of hot chocolate and a delicious crepe. Bean Scene is the perfect spot to do some homework on a sunny day!500 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:00am-6:00pmSaturday: 8:30am-4:30pmSunday: 9:00am-4:00pm

Dana Street CafeBanana mocha with mexican chocolate ($3.35)A relaxed cafe with specialty and housemade blends along with light eats. There is also free wifi and live jazz. 744 W Dana St, Mountain View, CA 94041Hours: Monday-Thursday: 6:30am-10:00pmFriday: 6:30am-11:00pmSaturday: 8:00am-11:00pmSunday: 8:00am-5:00pm

La PanotiQOpera Cake ($5.00)Family-owned bakery and cafe serving French style pastries and drinks. 331 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041Hours: Monday-Sunday: 7am-10pm

Red Rock Coffee Company The red walls set a hip atmosphere for where art and live music are served with coffee and snacks. 201 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041Hours: Monday-Thursday: 7:00am-10:00pmFriday: 7:00am-11:00pmSaturday: 8:00am-11:00pmSunday: 8:00am-8:00pm

Text by Olivia Vort and Frida Schaefer-BastianDesign by Olivia Vort and Carmelle Bareket-Sahvit

One of the pastry glasses at PampelmousseFood

food4

Sunday Homework Cafes

April Fool’s FoodHamburger cookies

(makes 24 burgers)Ingredients:

24 green “Rips” candies 24 red “Rips” candies (red and green come

in the same package)½ teaspoon water48 vanilla wafers

24 york mint patties1 tablespoon sesame seeds

24 orange starburstDirections:

1. Place 24 wafers on a large plate face up and place a peppermint patty on each one.

2. Add one green “Rips” on top3. Chop starburst in half the long way

(so you have two thin squares) and flatten them with the back of the spoon (cheese).

4. Place starburst pieces on top of “Rips”.5. Paint the top of the remaining wafers

with a little bit of water and sprinkling on sesame seeds.

6. Place finished “top buns” on top of starburst cheese and serve.

The orignal toothpaste OreosIngrdients:

OreosTube of toothpaste

Directions:1. Open the oreas and use a knife to

scrape out the filling2. replace the filling with toothpaste3. Put the oreo cookies back to make

them Look like regular oreos4. Good as “new”!

For Friends:

For Foes:

Jello drinkIngredients:

(3 ounce) box red Jell-O2 clear plastic cups (10 oz. size or larger)

2 flexible plastic strawsDirections:

1. Prepare the the Jell-O following direc-tions on the box; pour the liquid into the cups.

2. Stick a straw in each cup, and place cups in refrigerator to set overnight.

Text and design by Maya Benatar and Jennifer Zhuge

Chicken not-pieIngredients:

1 (4 1/2 inch ) aluminum foil potpie tin1 refrigerated pie crust

Aluminum foil 1 egg

2 tablespoons water1 (3-4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding1 yellow and 2 orange Starburst candies

1 green chewy Jolly Rancher1 banana

1-2 dried apple ringsDirections:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pie crust and pie top in pie tin. Crimp the dough with the fork and poke a few holes in the crust.

2. Beat the egg with the water and brush the mixture over the dough.

3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes and cool completely.

4. Prepare pudding according package instructions and refrigerate.

5. Cut Starburst and Jolly Ranchers into quarters. Cut apple rings into 1/2 inch wide pieces. Peel and slice bananas into 1/4 inch thick pieces.

6. Spoon 2/3 cup of pudding in to pie crust.

7. Add the filling elements and piecrust top. Serve!

For friends

For foes

For friends

For foes

For friends

Food 5

Deviled eggs with mustard Ingredients:

Hard-boiled eggMustard

SugarButter

Chili powderChives

Directions: 1. In a bowl, mix mustard, sugar, and

butter To the consistency of normal deviled egg filling

2. Split the egg in half 3. Scoop out the yolk with a spoon4. Fill in your batter in the hole5. Top with chives and chili powder

This one goes out to all you guys out there. As girls, we admit that we may see things from a dif-ferent perspective than you, but

nevertheless, we wish to share what we’ve observed about guys not wearing, using, or doing something practical or fun simply be-cause of a social stigma that stands behind it. Have you ever noticed that there are many products, events, and concessions that boys have strayed away from because of the feminine connotation that these things have obtained over time? First we asked ourselves the question: Why is it that almost no guys wear rain boots on rainy days at school? The best explanation we could come up with is that rain boots have been labeled as “feminine,” making them less appealing in the eyes of males. This label has impacted their reputation for boys because, in gener-al, boys don’t wish to be associated with the words “feminine” and “girly.” When a girl does something that is considered masculine, guys often think that it’s cool because it allows them to relate to that girl more easily. Meanwhile, if a guy does something “girly” they are often made fun of by their male peers for being immas-culine. Aside from the rainboots dilemma, we’ve also noticed this assignment of gender roles in other places. Like many other girls, we

love Starbucks, and sometimes when we go (which is quite frequently), we bring our guy friends. They usually order a black coffee or an iced tea, while we love the chai latte. One time, we had just received our drinks and were sipping them with great enjoyment. The guys then moved in to “try” our chais and ended up drinking the rest. When we asked them why they didn’t just order one for themselves, they responded by saying, “It’s just not a manly drink.” Lastly, we’ve noticed that it is completely acceptable for a group of girls to go to a stereotypically masculine event, like a sports game together, but it is not particularly socially acceptable for a group of boys to go to a stereotypically female event like a play, musical, or an art exhibit together. Why has our culture created the stigma that certain forms of arts and entertain-ment are reserved for girls? (Like joining C Mag— cough, cough.) Everyone enjoys watching a play and following an interest-ing storyline, so why give them a specific gender affiliation? We finally realized the problem. Things that should be gender neutral only became gender-affiliated when we as a community made them that way. Coming to this realiza-tion, however, is not enough. Once made aware of these stigmas, we must be careful not to perpetuate them ourselves (not even with this article). Now here’s the part that will blow your

mind. Because we, as a community, created these stigmas, we have the power to reverse them with our attitude and behavior. We have a hard time believing that the creator of rain boots said, “Only girls should keep their feet dry, so only girls can wear this product.” Rain boots are for anyone with feet and anyone who doesn’t want them to get wet. Same goes for the inventors of chai lattes and writers of musicals. Let’s be clear. This story is not meant to be yet another cliché wear-whatever-ex-presses-you-and-be-yourself-and-confi-dent-with-what-you-wear story. It’s much larger than that. It’s about breaking the gender stereotypes that go along with ev-eryday objects that serve practical purposes or events that can be enjoyable for either gender. Guys and girls should notice how our society has put restrictions on both genders, and realize that we are the generation that can break these gender barriers and wear, drink, and enjoy whatever we want. Al-though it may be easier to just go along with the status quo, question what it is that you’re doing, and, if you don’t like it, change it. It is with our whole hearts that we en-courage all of you to take action. If you’re a girl, take your best guy friend to Starbucks and encourage him to order the chai he so badly wants but is too afraid to get. Go to a musical, guys, and while you’re at it, wear those new rain boots. C

Text and design by Clara Chiu and Frida Schaefer BastianIllustration by Maggie Zheng

Culture6

boots and bros

culture

Atheists do not believe in the

existence of a god or gods.

Polytheists believe in the existence of

multiple gods.

Our country prides itself on free-dom of religion, yet our national motto is “In God We Trust”. This motto should be removed

from our currency; it discriminates against atheists, agnostics, and polytheists, it is un-constitutional, and it projects an inaccurate message about American culture. According to the United States De-partment of the Treasury, the slogan was originally instituted in 1864 because of the increased religious enthusiasm during the Civil War, and has been in place ever since. The slogan “In God We Trust” was in-stituted as the nation’s motto 150 years ago. Now, nonbelievers and religiously unaffil-iated individuals make up about a third of the population of the United States (according to a 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center), and the “we” in the motto is as noninclusive as ever. In effect, millions of citizens are given the message that they are considered outsiders every time they use money. Clearly, citing a specific religion on our currency would be considered inap-propriate; for example, if the motto read “In Jesus We Trust,” the outcry would be overwhelming. Why, then, is it acceptable to exclude a huge chunk of our population in the same manner? Currency is a medium of trade, and through trade with countless different indi-viduals, organizations, and even countries, a country’s currency comes to represent its culture and people. The motto “In God We Trust” is misrepresenting a large number of

United States citizens — many don’t believe in a god. This message of inequality is not one we would like to convey. Instead, we should convey a message of equality and freedom, a principle that has been funda-mental to the United States since day one. The motto is unconstitutional, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation agrees; Co-President Dan Barker makes the point that our government is prohibited from en-dorsing religion over nonreligion, and that the motto violates this principle. It is made clear in the Constitution that the United States is a secular nation and that church and state should be kept separate, but with “In God We Trust” emblazoned on our currency, we contradict ourselves.

Some say that it would hurt believ-ers and religious people if the motto was removed, but this is untrue. Be-lievers can contin-ue their practices without it being announced on our currency, and atheists, agnostics

and polytheists can use money without feeling excluded or victimized. Others say the motto should be kept because the United States was founded on Christian principles and with God in mind, but times have changed: a significant part of the population is not religious, and not all Americans agree with Christian principles. “In God We Trust” should be removed and perhaps replaced with the original, more inclusive “E Pluribus Unum,” meaning “out of many, one.” America should promote equality, not an outdated message that mis-represents a large portion of the population.

We should convey a message of equality and freedom, a principle that

has been fundamental to the United States

since day one.

Agnostics believe that the existence of a greater power

cannot be proved or disproved.

culture 7

Text and Design by Ahana GangulyArt by Maya Kandell

In today’s society, social media has the power to highlight talented artists. The number of followers and likes an artist has and receives can determine their

popularity, and for Palo Alto High School (Paly) sophomore Sophia Adeyemo, social media is a clear indicator of her success as a photographer. She is known as “16seconds” on her In-stagram and website, where she receives ac-clamation for her artistry. What began as a creative interest has evolved into a passion for conceptual portrait photography (a type of photography staged to represent an idea). Adeyemo’s love for photography has flour-ished, along with her skills with the camera. “I love photographing humans and find them to be fascinating and full of character. I also love capturing the beauty of people and making them have an appreciation for them-selves,” Adeyemo said. Adeyemo was inspired to take pictures by a close friend who had developed an inter-est in photography. Adeyemo has been well supported and encouraged by her family and several friends. Her family has helped with

expenses and the launch of a website in order for her to gain more popularity and recog-nition. “I started taking pictures with my iPhone, and then I hinted to my family that I real-ly wanted a camera. So my grandparents saved up and bought me a Nikon D3200 for Christmas when I was 14,” Adeyemo said. With the help of her mother, Adeyemo created her website called www.16seconds.com. The website displays a variety of pho-toshoots she’s had with clients, as well as the prices for some of the different packages she has to offer. Her current clients consist of students at Palo Alto High School and Gunn High School. “My models are my peers. Sometimes kids contact me, some are close friends and some-times I ask someone whom I think would be interesting to photograph, ” Adeyemo said. Sophomore model Maggie Renteria has had a positive experience and truly enjoyed working with Adeyemo. “I think that she is incredibly talented and that she doesn’t give herself enough credit for what she does,” Renteria said. “She is re-

ally creative and always comes up with these cool themes and styles that turn out looking super cool.” When shooting, Adeyemo tends to work with an idea based off of one of her favorite magazines or photographers. When taking both conceptual and traditional pictures, she edits the original images using Photoshop Cs4. Adeyemo shares photos on her photog-raphy Instagram account, as well as on her recently launched website. As of March 2015, Adeyemo has around 8,000 followers on Instagram, several of whom have repost-ed her artwork for their followers to view. After receiving recognition from a number of Instagram users, her popularity has only increased. In addition to photos of her models, she also posts self portraits. In order to photo-graph herself, Adeyemo sets her camera on

Person of the month:

Text by Reilly FilterDesign by Charlee StefanskiPhotos by Sophia Adeyemo

culture8

a tripod and uses a wireless camera re-mote to take the shot. Her skillfulness and creativity play a large role in her success. “My inspiration honestly comes from my personal experiences,” Adeyemo said. “I also like to track many fashion and portrait photographers, as well as mixed media photographers.” One of Adeyemo’s favorite artists is Chris Schoonover, an American fash-ion and portrait photographer based in New York. He has inspired much of her artistry and has influenced her photo-graphic trends. Adeyemo likes to take conceptual portraits, several of which are inspired by photography posted on Tumblr, fashion blogs and magazines.

“Portrait photography is fascinating to me, I think because people them-selves are so fascinating,” Adeyemo said. “What came through a person’s eyes in one second is now perma-nent. You set up a moment where your connection with your subject creates something that’s kind of unpredictable. You’re going in a certain direction but there’s always this element of surprise.” Adeyemo has been invited to partic-ipate in a charity gallery at Gunn High School, where students from the Gunn photography club will be auctioning prints of their photos to benefit blind children in Tibet. Her popularity as a photographer is rapidly increasing, and the gallery is further validation that her artwork has become truly ap-

preciable. Besides photography, Adeyemo oc-casionally paints and draws. She is currently enrolled in the painting and drawing course at Paly, where she is constantly motivated to become a bet-ter artist by her classmates’ talent. Al-though she enjoys several art forms, she remains most dedicated to photog-raphy. Fortunately for Adeyemo, what be-gan as a creative interest evolved into a potential career. The unique photos on Instagram have led several individuals to become interested in working with her. Adeyemo’s career in photography is only just beginning, and the Paly community can expect great things from her. C

Go to Sophia Ad-eyemo’s website 16seconds.com!

culture 9

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

I n a community, such as Palo Alto, filled with intelli-gent and high-achieving individuals, it is easy for high schoolers to feel incompetent compared to their peers, causing many to lose confidence in themselves and

resulting in lower self-esteem. However, it is important to remember that attending a top college and being successful is not the only way to gain fulfillment and happiness. By performing random acts of kindness, everyone can help lighten the mood at Palo Alto High School (Paly) in order to create a warm atmosphere in where students are happy with themselves and the people around them. Though it may sound cliché, any small gestures in life are the parts that really matter. Sophomore Elena Willow believes in the importance of listening to others and acknowledging others’ feelings. “When I notice that someone actually listens to me and acknowledges what I’m saying, it makes my day so much better because we often spend countless hours on our phones

Spruce up someone’s day and your community by doing something simple yet kind for others by spreading positive feelings.

[or] staring into some device, and we mindlessly talk about ourselves 24/7 that we forget how important it is to listen to people around us. Personally, when someone takes the time to listen and think about what I’m saying, it makes me happy inside to know that somebody actually cares,” Willow said. Sophomore Lindsay Chen also shares how someone has made her feel special. One night after hanging out with a group of friends, “it was dark and I was going to go home and everyone biked, but I had to walk but [one of my friends] stayed behind and walked with me for two miles which really made my day,” Chen said. Junior Diana Cowie aprreciates when someone just smiles. “It’s not so much about materialistic things. I think most people agree that a smile can make your day.” C Magazine suggests that everyone tries to complete at least one of the random acts of kindness below in order to make our school community an even more accepting and loving place.

Often times people will notice things they like about oth-ers but will never come around to saying them. Try to go out of your way to say something nice to at least one person every day. It’s important to make sure that whatever you say is true. It is obvious when someone says something authentic ver-sus something that is forced. Even better, try to compliment someone on their personality or actions rather than on their physical features.

GIVE GENUINE COMPLIMENTS We all have that friend who, when asked to share their cookie, will give you a measly crumb. At first, sharing your favorite food or lending your good pencil to someone may be hard, but when you do so, you’ll be surprised how rewarding it is. Doing something good for others is therapeutic, and knowing that you did something kind to someone else will make you and others happy, guaranteed. Remember, sharing is caring.

SHARE

Text by Rima Parekh Design by Maya Kandell

culture10

In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives we forget to reach out to people who matter to us. If a friend or family member-has been on your mind lately, call them! Even something as a simple as a text saying “I am thinking about you. Would love to catch up!” is enough to show someone you care. No one has ever been unappreciative of a good friend who checks up on how you feel.

ASK SOMEONE ABOUT THEIR DAY Although very simple, a smile can go a long way. By smil-ing you can acknowledge people in the halls and between classes, whether you know them or not. At first it may seem awkward and uncomfortable to just smile at random people, but it’s a great way to spread good vibes and positive energy.Similar to laughing, smiling is contagious; if you smile, others will follow suit!

SMILE

I have a friend who calls herself a feminist. She believes in equality among all genders and generally all feminist ideas. But, when she found out her ex was dating someone new, she instantly turned into a Regina George. When girls hear about their exes new girl, the first thing the majority of us think to do is find her on social media, and thor-oughly analyze a picture of her to reassure themselves that their ex has down-graded. Social media is the perfect resource for one person to stalk another and learn about them while developing biased opinions with nothing to prove oth-erwise. Girls will search for the worse picture of their “ex’s new girl” on any form of social media and laugh, for example, about how her eyebrows are unfortunate. Facebook, Instagram, Twit-ter, SnapChat, even Spotify (for those of us them the other the most, by simply thinking about what hurts them the most. This cruelty is a never ending cycle. So, why would you hate on a girl you don’t really know just because they are dating your ex-bae? Why is our first instinct to hate on the girl; what about the guy? We can get caught up in our girl hate, that we forget that this all starts with the guy. I’m not saying you should now turn on all boys because its really their fault, but girls... we have to stick together! If we are the first person to judge, than the cycle will continue infinitely. This is a hard concept to grasp but just because you weren’t right for someone and they found someone else, doesn’t take anything away from you. We focus on trying to figure out what makes this person better, when in real-ity they are not better; they are just different than you, and maybe your ex needed her kind of different. “You can’t expect to be someones only person, because no one person can fill every relationship that is needed in someones life. People need different relationships

I have a friend who calls her-self a feminist. She believes in equality among all gen-ders and generally all fem-

inist ideas. But, when she found out her ex was dating someone new, she instantly turned into a Regina George. When we, as girls, hear about our ex’s new girlfriend, the first thing the majority of us think to do is find the new chick on social media, and thoroughly analyze a picture of her to reassure our-selves that our ex has not upgrad-ed. Social media is the perfect resource for us to stalk another and learn about them while developing biased opinions with nothing to prove them true. Girls will search for the worst picture of their “ex’s new girl” on any form of social media and laugh, for example, about how her eyebrows are unfortunate. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, even Spotify (for those of us who care about peoples music taste, which everyone should) gives us the opportunity

to sit around a computer and look through posts, pictures, music and likes to try and justify our replacement. Some girls are ded-icated enough to scroll through their replacement’s Facebook page and snicker at the stupidity of her posts all the way back in 2009. Why do girls hate each other? Think about that for a second. We as girls can seek out other girls’ insecurities by simply thinking of our own, because chances are they are all the same. This gives us all an advantage towards sabotage of the new chica. This cruelty is a never ending cycle. So, why would you hate on a girl you don’t really know just because she is dating your ex-bae? Why is our first instinct to hate on the girl; what about the ex? We can all get caught up in our girl hatred, and forget that this all starts with the guy. I’m not saying you should now turn on all boys because everything is their fault, but girls...we have to stick togeth-er! If we judge the girls first, then

the cycle will continue infinitely. This is a hard concept to grasp but just because you weren’t right for someone and they found someone else, does not make her the bad guy. We focus on comparing our-selves to them, when in reality they aren’t you and you aren’t them; they are different from you, and maybe your ex needed her kind of different. So, don’t put other girls down to rationalize why he broke up with you. Every moment you take stalking your ex’s new relation-ship on Facebook, is a moment wasted. When you do this you are only prolonging negative energy and promoting girl hatred. When you find yourself in a mix of all an consuming stalk session, take a step back and re-member that she is just a person, and your ex is just a person. Let it go and release yourself from the worries that come with feeling in-ferior and remember to move on because, honestly, life is too short to be hung up on some guy. C

Have you ever stalked your ex’s new boyfriend/girlfriend via social media?

Do you think social media is a valid way to find out about someone?

Text & Design by Teddie Stewart Your Ex’s New Girl Email or Phone Password

Log In

culture 11

I don't know

No

Yes

I don’t know

No

Yes

During the 2012 presidential elec-tions, Palo Alto High School (Paly) senior Kate Bredenberg came face-to-face with Paly’s

liberal bias: She had put a Republican Party elephant sticker on the back of her car, and for several weeks in a row, her car was de-faced with vulgar insults attacking her po-litical views and challenging her freedom of expression. Bredenberg’s experience with discrimina-tion is extreme, yet some other conservative students at Paly have felt a similar marginal-ization. Some even go so far as to claim that certain teachers do not hide their own liber-

al beliefs, criticizing the opinions of students who express conservative views and perpet-uating anti-Republican sentiments. Howev-er, other conservative students believe that Paly is a generally inclusive environment for political expression of any sort. According to a Santa Clara County gov-ernment website, as of last June, 15 percent of Palo Alto’s registered voters were Repub-lican compared to 52 percent Democratic. Although the vast majority of Paly students are not eligible to vote, they are exposed to the political views of their parents at home, which may explain why Paly’s environment reflects the community’s liberal mindset.

The president of the Paly Democrats club, senior Emma Chiu, feels that “Paly is defi-nitely a liberal school, especially when it comes to social liberalism.” Before the 2012 election, The Paly Voice published an edito-rial endorsing incumbent President Barack Obama over challenger Mitt Romney. Surrounded by adults with certain polit-ical views and beliefs, high school students are susceptible to falling in line with the opinions of these influential individuals — their teachers and particularly their parents. Bredenberg and fellow senior Jack Stephen-son both say that their parents’ conservativ-ism shaped their political views. Paly junior

Being Conservative at Palo Alto High SchoolText and Design by Clara de Martel and Kallee Bareket-ShavitIllustration by Maya Kandell

culture12

Owen Dulik, on the other hand, took a dif-ferent path than his parents. “I started out as a Democrat as a little kid because that’s what my parents were. But I didn’t know what it meant or why I identi-fied as such,” Dulik said. Dulik was exposed to conservative ideals through his older brother and has developed his own opinions by watching political shows and engaging in debates with other students. Although the six conservative students in-terviewed by C Magazine for this article said that they had been criticized at Paly for their political convictions, most of them felt that the criticism was mostly due to ignorance of

other students or that it was justified as it was within the context of political arguments. Senior Danielle Williams has been crit-icized in the past but claims that “it [was] usually just rude comments, or stupid im-mature insults on social media.” Stephenson feels his conservatism has led people to make prejudiced judgements and comments about him. “I’ve had rumors spread about me being

a racist [and] misogynist based on my polit-ical views, however anybody that knows me knows that I feel very strongly for the disen-franchised and often speak up for feminism and racial equality,” Stephenson said. Dulik, however, believes that his politi-cal views are accepted in Paly’s environment. “Everybody that I’ve talked to has been very respectful and kind regardless of their politi-cal ideologies,” Dulik said. Nevertheless, Bredenberg’s personal ex-periences with intolerance towards Republi-cans reveals that Paly may not be a complete-ly accepting environment. Aside from her car being vandalized, Bredenberg has also been verbally attacked on Facebook multiple times. “People [told] me I was racist and an idiot for supporting Romney instead of Obama,” Bredenberg said. Additionally, during her sophomore year, Bredenberg was promoting the Republican club that she had created with a few friends when another student came by and made disrespectful comments while throwing Skittles at them. According to some conservative students, they have not only encountered the respons-es of biased peers, but also from some of their teachers. A Paly junior who wanted to remain anonymous feels he has been dis-criminated against by teachers. “In 9th and 10th grade I would write es-says reflecting my conservative beliefs … I would always receive incomparable grades. I strongly suspect the reason for that was my [political] views, not the quality of my writ-ing,” the student said. “That kind of forced me to censor myself; now I rarely write es-says reflective of my true values.” Similarly, Stephenson said, “I have never shied from sharing my personal views but

“I’ve had rumors spread about me being a racist [and] misogynist based on my political views,” - Jack Stephenson, senior

have felt discouragement from teachers in the past, mainly in middle school.” Junior Alfredo Gonzalez said he called out one of his teachers for preaching social-ism to her students because he believes it is “inappropriate and unprofessional for her to tell a class of impressionable kids her politi-cal views.” This isn’t a universal view. Dulik, for his part, said that “overall, the Paly faculty has

been very respectful.” Mr. Bloom, economics teacher, said teach-ers “are not allowed to campaign... [but] our free speech rights don’t end at the school gates.” It’s acceptable, he said, for teachers to make their views known. He recommends that students who may feel alienated by their teachers approach them and explain their point of view. Senior Lexi Livingston, a liberal student at Paly, was surprised that students may face discrimination for their beliefs. “Everyone has a right to their political views, whether I agree with them or not,” Livingston said. Despite their experiences with nar-row-mindedness, all of the students inter-viewed ultimately feel that they can share their views and stand up for their political beliefs around their peers. “I am proud of what I believe...if someone doesn’t stand for what they believe, then it doesn’t really matter,” Gonzalez said. C

NPP & Other

Democrat

Republican

Parties of Palo Alto’s registered voters as of last June according to Santa Clara County government website.

culture 13

USA21

16

France

Spain

18

18

18

United Kingdom

IrelandC

anada

18/19

Brazil

18

Mex

ico

18

18

Arg

entin

a

Italy

18

Mor

occo

None

21

Egyp

t

Take a Turn(t) Around the World

“I think it’s silly because in Germany you see way less binge drinking and

drinking of people in college be-cause they have been exposed to it their whole life and they don’t use it

as a tool to become wasted.” -Thorin Haussecker, sophomore

Drinking in a bar is the most expensive way to drink, causing most sensible people to drink less

because they cannot afford to spend money on large amounts of expensive alcohol. But people under the age of 21 cannot buy this expensive alcohol in bars

due to being underage. This makes them buy the cheapest alcohol and drink it in bulk so there is no

evidence to be found later, because the act is techni-cally forbidden. This leads to more accidents and a

stupider drinking habits for teens. -Kristen Carey, senior

TEXT BY LARKIN MCDERMOTT AND KATYA SIGALDESIGN BY LARKIN MCDERMOTT AND KATYA SIGAL AND ALEX WEINSTEINILLUSTRATIONS BY MAGGIE ZHENG AND MAYA KANDELL

culture14

Explore drinking ages around the world and hear what some Paly

students had to say about the Unit-ed States drinking age.

Germ

any

France 18

Russ

ia

18

Australia

18

China18

Turkey

18South Africa

18

18

Iraq

Israel21

Cambodia

None

Illegal

Afghanistan

“I think it’s good to have [the drink-ing age] because it makes sure that when you are drinking you are fully

responsible” -Anonymous freshmen

“I think [the drinking age] is way too old. It doesn’t make sense that we can drive, vote, and even go to war before we can

drink. I get that its safer for kids not to be drinking, but most kids end up drinking

before they’re 21 anyway, and it’s cer-tainly more dangerous for people to be

sneaking around to drink” -Paul Mewes, senior

“Underage drinking accounts for 17.5% of con-sumer spending for alcohol, so the 21 year old

drinking age hasn’t done all too much to prevent underage consumption. Some might argue its

medically irresponsible to allow 18 year olds to drink, and like I said before, an 18 year old is much less developed, however, I believe the

choice should lie with the individual”-Kevin Bowers, junior

Nearly 9 million youths, ages 12 to 20, in the U.S. report they have consumed

alcohol in the past 30 days.-The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol

Responsibility

culture 15

“America definitely has a higher drinking age than other countries, which I personally don’t think is a good thing. There is the common argument that its ludicrous that

one can die for their country in war, but can’t drink a beer.”-Aiva Petriceks, junior

cover16

Interracial Relationships: Love is Love, No Matter the Color

As I walk towards seniors Tira Oskoui and her boyfriend Alex Hwang, I notice that the af-ternoon sunlight hits the pair

spectacularly. It dances across Oskoui’s im-peccably smooth blonde hair and twinkles in Hwang’s eyes. I am taken aback by how utterly picture-perfect the couple in front of me seems. One thing about this couple that stands out is that they comprise an interra-cial relationship. Oskoui’s mother is Irani and her father is caucasian and Hwang has Chinese parents. They are one of many in-terracial couples that can be found on Palo Alto High School’s (Paly) campus. C-Maga-zine set out to discover how a romantic re-lationship is affected by a difference in race between two partners, and how these cou-ples feel they are being received by the Paly community.

“I don’t think it influences us on the daily but we have cool stories that we can tell each other about our families,” Oskoui said. “I guess because we come from different back-grounds it makes things more interesting.” “Yeah I agree,” Hwang said. “It just makes things more interesting to talk about. I es-pecially like to hear about Tira’s Persian background. It’s exciting how much she likes talking about it.” The experience of today’s interracial cou-ples on campus marks a change from seven years ago, when Verde published an article about a similar topic. According to that ar-ticle, not many interracial couples openly existed across campus, and those who did, dealt with difficulties due to their differences in race. Now, interviews and a voluntary survey by C-Magazine distributed to Paly sophomores,

juniors and seniors via Facebook, found that most interracial couples who responded said that race doesn’t affect their relationship in any way, especially in Asian-Caucasian cou-ples. Those who did feel an impact tended to be Latino and Caucasian. At the same time, some students whose parents are of differ-ent races said they did observe an impact in their families. Interracial couples at Paly are part of a rapidly growing nationwide trend, and some experts predict that by 2050 most Americans will be of mixed race. Senior couple Kylie Wilson and Andrew Wilson (not related) are one of many interra-cial couples on campus. Kylie, who is of Chi-nese descent, and her Caucasian boyfriend Andrew have been dating for two and a half years. The two are happy together and are not affected by their difference in race. “I don’t even notice that we’re different races,” Andrew said. “I don’t notice anything. I just see us as [she’s] Kylie and I’m Andrew.” Chinese senior Anna Zhang and her Cauca-sian college boyfriend Dashiel Grutsky share similar sentiments about whether the differ-ence in cultures between them has been dif-ficult to navigate. “I don’t think it influences our relationship at all,” said Zhang in a Facebook chat. “Other than that he gets to eat Chinese food more than he used to.” “Yeah,” Grutsky replied. “But I don’t think

coverstory

Lucy Fox (‘15) and Anthony Liu (‘15)

Text by Huda NavaidPhotos by Emma Low

Design by Maggie Zheng, Clara de Martel, and Olivia Vort

cover 17

that is a downside.”Neither couple reported having been stared at or commented on for their interracial rela-tionship. In this way, they are like the dozens of interracial couples at Paly who say race is no big deal in their relationship. In the C-Magazine survey, 54 out of the 79 respon-dents stated that they were currently in an interracial relationship. Of those 54 respon-dents, 49 said that being interracial did not affect their relationship in a significant way, and 40 respondents said that their relation-ship would not be significantly affected had both partners been of the same race. The general sentiments from Asian-Cau-casian couples that their relationships are not impacted by their difference in race, do not always carry over to Latino-Caucasian couples. Senior Ricardo Huerta, who is Co-lombian, and junior Talya Furman, who is Caucasian, have had a different experience when it comes to things like people staring at them because they are interracial.“It happens,” Furman said. “All the time. Ev-erywhere we go when we’re walking in Palo Alto.” Huerta agreed. “I feel like it’s a lot less common [to have Hispanic-Caucasian cou-ples]” he said. “Culturally in Palo Alto, it’s a lot more common to see Asian and White [couples] because we live in a large Asian population.”

The Asian-Caucasian couples that C-Mag-azine interviewed all said that the parents on both sides never commented on the differ-ence in race. Huerta and Furman, however, have found that their parents do react to the fact that they are of different races. Huerta said his mother thinks “it’s funny” that Fur-man is white. Furman said her parents take note of their different races and sometimes describe Huerto as “exotic.” “Both my parents are very European so I guess they’re not used to the idea that he’s Colombian,” Furman said. “In a way, it im-pacts them more than it impacts me.” Still, the two find that, although people may occasionally make ignorant comments regarding their difference of race, nobody has ever been scathingly mean towards them for it. While most students interviewed don’t feel any impact of race in their own romantic relationships, some students whose parents are of different races do say it affects their own identity. Junior Sylvia Targ, who is half Taiwanese and half European, said, “Both of my parents have unique cultures that are different, and so I feel like I get exposed to a larger vari-

ety of traditions and customs than someone with homogeneously race parents might.” Senior Harry Halsted, whose mother immigrated from Mexico and whose father is Caucasian, said the experience of having interracial parents has had a positive impact on his life. “It’s pretty sick, not gonna lie,” he grinned. “As a kid, I noticed that my parents were dif-ferent in looks, but the older I got, the fewer things I noticed.”Targ and Halsted both have had experiences, however, where people have responded neg-atively and ignorantly towards their mixed race. “Once someone told me I was a mistake,” Targ said.Halsted described a memorable experience from years ago. “Looking back on it, it’s funny, but now not so much,” he said. “I went to preschool and I appeared white, and my mom was there and they thought my mom was the babysitter.”

“One day down the road, more than half of our population will become biracial.”- Emma Chiu, senior

Kylie Wilson (‘15) and Andrew Wilson(‘15)

Lucy Fox (‘15) and Alex Hwang (‘15)

Targ, however, believes that the perks of being interracial definitely outweigh any downsides. “I have two parents who tell me totally dif-ferent things to do in terms of customs [and] decisions,” Targ said. “So, I’m left completely on my own to make my own decisions be-cause [they] kind of cancel out.” One of the most common positive impacts of race that students describe is on food. Targ said her family eats “a lot of interesting fusion food.” Huerta, whose girlfriend is Jewish, said he gets to eat a lot more Jewish food now. An-other couple, juniors Charlie Badger, who is Caucasian, and Esmé Ablaza, who is Filipino and Latina, described Badger’s first experi-ence eating a quesadilla. “I hadn’t eaten a quesadilla before...” Bad-ger began. “And my mom made him a quesadilla,” Ablaza broke in. Badger grinned and said, “It was good.” Paly’s interracial couples are a microcosm of a trend sweeping across America. According to a 2012 PEW Research Center study on the rise of interracial marriages within the Unit-ed States, about 15% of all new marriages in the U.S. in 2010 were interracial. Mean-while, the Census Bureau reported that in 2010, San Francisco ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in its proportion of Asian-Caucasian mar-ried couples. And, a 2014 study conducted by National Geographic, predicted that by 2050 the average American will be of “mixed race.”

Senior Emma Chiu, who is half-Chinese and half-Caucasian, echos this prediction for the future of interracial marriages. “I definitely think that the rate of interra-cial marriages in the U.S. will increase,” Chiu said. “One day down the road, more than half of our population will become biracial.”For Tira and Alex, the news could not be bet-ter. “I know that in the past, not even so long ago, being in a biracial relationship was a

radical concept,” Oskoui said. “Now, at least, in our community and from my experience, it seems like it’s hardly noticed. I hope that in the future, the whole world will realize and really internalize that love is love, no matter skin color, religion, or sexuality.” And from the looks of it, couples, like Tira and Alex, will most certainly have their fair share of happily-ever-afters both today and in the future. C

Esmé Ablaza (‘16) and Charlie Badger (‘16) giggle together.

culture 18

Talya Furman (‘16) and Ricardo Huerta (‘15)

Team BanquetsFull and Half-Size Catering Trays--

Lasagnas Baked Ziti Chicken Marbella Southwest Chicken Casserole Italian Potato Pie (many more)

Box LunchesEarly Evening Meals

Individual -Sized Assortment of Quiche, Calzones, Frittatas

Large Assortment of Fresh Salads and Sandwiches

For inquiries, or to arrange tastings, or to see our full menu, contact us at danmarchant@msn.com (650) 967-3680 or (650) 799-2074

Go Vikings!!!!!

Blaine '07 Pierce '09 Graham '11

Marchant Ki chenst

t is mid-winter in sunny Palo Alto and the weather forecast reads 74° F. For some, the unlikelihood of snow I

Community gardens

days may come as a disappointment, but for others, this weather brings the opportunity to utilize the various community gardens located throughout town. Community gardens are just what their names suggest: plots of land set aside for neighbors to create gardens together. Perhaps their own backyards are shaded by trees and don’t receive adequate lighting, or maybe they seek company of fellow green-thumbs in their cultivating — either way, these gardens provide a place for people of all backgrounds to meet fellow Palo Altans while growing what they please. The City of Palo Alto has three public community gardens: The Main Garden, the Eleanor Pardee Garden and the John-son Park Garden (see right for locations). Depending on the size of the plot one wishes to maintain, costs range from $50-600 a year with a refundable initial deposit of $100. The gardens run on a waitlist system, and due to increasing popularity the status of available space is limited. In addition to public gardens, there are also private, non-profit and neighborhood gardens in various locations around the city. The benefits of these organizations are nu-merous; they allow a person to have access to local and organic crops without going to the grocery store. People involved with these gardens also are able to meet others they may not have anything in common with, besides their shared love for gardening. At the Almost Eden community garden (on the corner of East Meadow and Middle-field), the Urban Ministries church partners with the homeless and underprivileged and contributes to food banks. This organization sets itself apart from other public gardens with its inspiring missions that draws the community together. The collaboration and

In Palo AltoText and Design By Emma Low

thoughtfulness seen at this location is a common thread throughout all community gardens.

Main Garden

Eleanor Pardee GardenChanning Ave. & Centter Dr.

Johnson Park GardenCorner of Hawthorne & Kipling

Ventura Community Garden

Midtown Community Organic Garden

Almost EdenCorner of East Meadow & Middlefield

Behind Baskin Robbins, Midtown Shop-ping Center parking lot near Middlefield

Locations

At Ventura Community Center, directely behind Keys Middle School near El Camino & East Meadow

Behind the main library, near Newell & Hopkins

A & E

culture20

w

MorningOne to Another - The Charlatans

All the Rage Back Home - Interpol

Shuffle - Bombay Bi-cycle Club

Trojans - Atlas Genius

Angel (RAC Remix) - Mr. Little Jeans

I Would Do Anything For You - Foster the People

AfternoonCombat Baby - Metric

After the Disco - Broken Bells

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear

Sleep Alone (Live from the Artists Den: 2012) - Two Door Cinema Club

Drop the Game - Flume and Chet Faker

Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

NightEchoes - The Rapture

Standing In The Way of Control - Gossip

Riot Rhythm - Sleigh Bells

Only You - Ellie Gould-ing

Bad Habit - The Kooks

Fever - The Black Keys

Marching Through(A playlist intended to get everyone through the month)

Text by Tara Madhad and Emma Scott

Design by Kallee Bareket-Shavit and Photo by Emma Low

Entertainment 21

How To Prepare For

COACHELLA

My motto for music festival fashion is: the bigger the flower crown, the better the experience. In order to be Coachella royalty, weave 1

2 Everyone knows that water-melon is a delicacy to hungry “Coachillers,” which is why maintaining a steady diet of

3 In order to reassure your parents of your good judgment, practice saying no to drugs by performing a skit with them. Re-

4

The torturous heat of Palm Springs will be painful to endure without experience, so preheat your room to 105 degrees fahren-5

6

A picture is worth a thousand words, so you will definitely want to take as many photos as possi-ble while you’re there. However, it

7

Coachella is the time to really show off your hipster side, but you can’t do that without know-ing every fact about each artist

8

For all you heavy lifters (read: hot male hunks), be prepared for people (read: screaming

9

As soon as the sun sets, the light shows will begin, meaning hazardous, vision-impairing, colorful strobe lights. Prior to the

10

This April, I will be embarking on a magical journey to Coachella, one of the most famous music festivals in the world. This will be my first time attending this event and I am admittedly oblivious to what lies ahead. Knowing that there are many others struggling with the daunting prospect of attending this highly anticipated affair, I am here to share my plans of how I will mentally and phys-

ically brace myself for this adventure of a lifetime. As this is such a legendary festival, it is crucial that one knows the proper “Coachillin” wwwetiquette. By following these simple tips, I can guarantee that you will appear a veteran of the worshipped expedition that is Coachella.

Make sure everybody knows you are at Coachella from the moment you leave until the mo-ment you drag your neon pink,

together the most exotic and ostentatious flowers to create a headpiece that surpasses your everyday hipster’s dollar store daisy headband.

watermelon for breakfast, lunch and dinner is essential towards the preparation of your digestive system.

fuzzy leg warmers home. I recommend Snapchat stories, Instagram posts and a new profile picture on Facebook. If you’re flying as a means of transportation, posting a picture of the wing of the plane will be a helpful update to others.

heit and sway in it for three hours in order to understand what it will really be like. It will also help to wear a bikini top or lace bralette rather than an actual shirt, the for-mer being one of the popular fashion trends at the festival.

Because thousands of people travel from all over the world to attend this event, you will have to swim through crowds in order to

keep up with your friends or get to the front of the stage. This will be much easier if you complete drills such as weaving through the swarms of anxious teens at Cheese House during lunch. Unless you want to get tram-pled, don’t be afraid to pull some hair and use your elbows.

won’t be easy to look your best after dancing for hours on end, so practice working your fiercest poses in sweaty conditions by run-ning five miles then having a photoshoot with your friends directly afterwards. In order to get the best results, you’ll want to have a ready list of flaw concealing Insta-gram effects.

on the lineup. In order to ensure that you will be able to answer any question asked by a fellow hipster, make Quizlet flashcards and a Spotify playlist for each artist. If you don’t know facts such as “each of the ACDC members’ favorite classic novels” or the “number of hairs on Drake’s head,” you will be shunned.

festival, stare into a strobe light for 30 min-utes without blinking. Note that eye vessels may erupt and your cornea may melt, but this is normal so don’t be alarmed.

member to be confident with your choices at an event like Coachella–hipsters can smell fear.

and skimpily-dressed white girls) to ask to sit on your shoulders so they can get the best view of the stage as possible. This can quickly become exhausting and even painful, so build up your strength by having your middle-aged dad sit on your shoulders for 45 minutes without either party showing any signs of discomfort.

Top photo by Cairo KimBottom left photo by Clara ChiuBottom right photo by Katie Douty

Text & Design by Katie DoutyIllustrations by Maggie Zheng

Entertainment22

Do you ever feel that your life is out of balance? Maybe your chakras are the

problem. Webster Dictionary defines chakras are each of the centers of spiritual power in the human body. Chakras are intangible; they are feelings and connections your body makes within itself in order to become aligned. Chakras, which are Sanskrit for wheel or disk, are used in yoga, meditation, and religion. Try to visualize a spinning wheel that connects matter and consciousness within your body. Chakras refer to this wheel of energy, which aligns the base of your spine to the crown of your head. If your chakras are blocked it can stunt the flow of positive energy throughout your body, which can lead to illness and unrest. Fortunately, it is pos-sible to realign your chakras. The most important thing to understand about chakras is what each one represents. The first chakra, known as “the root,” represents the hu-man feeling of being grounded and is located at the base of the spine, at the end of the tail bone. If you are highly depen-dent on external circumstances, have an eating/bone/immune disorder, or believe money equals security, then your root chakra may be blocked. If you want to open your root chakra, there are a series of yoga poses that you can perform such as: Pavanamuktasana (knee to chest pose), Janu Sirsasana (head to knee Pose), Padmasana (lotus flexion), and Malasana (squat-ting pose). The original way to realign your chakra is to place a red crystal (like garnet, red

jasper, black tourmaline, or bloodstone) at the base of your spine.Then, lay down and focus on that specific part of your body in deep meditation. The second chakra is the Sacral, which emphasizes your ability to hold meaningful rela-tionships and connects to your self-confidence. It is located two inches below your navel. You can tell that this chakra is closed if you are having problems with your sense of sexuality or well being. To fix this try pelvic thrusts or cobra yoga pose. You can also place a gemstone, such

as Carnelian Agate or Tigers Eye, below your navel. Solar Plexus is the third chakra and it possesses the abili-ty to make you confident and in-control. It is located on the upper half of your stomach. If clogging of this chakra occurs, it could lead to struggles with self-esteem, and depression. Helpful remedies are Kundalini yoga (boat pose) and dancing. When you dance and allow the music to enter you, it releases all self doubt. In order to meditate your way to self-confidence,

place Citrine, or Yellow Calcite stones on your stomach. The fourth chakra, the heart, allows you to give and receive love, as well as to connect your body and mind with your spirit. This chakra is located behind the breastbone. Feelings of paranoia, fear or unworthi-ness occur when this chakra is out of balance. There are also physical effects such as insom-nia, high blood pressure, and heart attacks. Open your heart chakra by doing bikram yoga or allowing yourself to love. Placing Rose Quartz, Kunzite, or Watermelon tourmaline in the middle of your breast plates to relax. The fifth chakra, the throat,

source of your communication. It holds your ability for self expression and truth. When your Throat chakra is mis-aligned, you may feel timid, or inexpressive. When you are able to center this chakra, your artistic inspiration and public speaking skills will develop. In order to get to this point, you can try shoulder stands, singing, chanting or placing a gemstone, such as Aquamarine or Azurite, on the V collarbone of your lower neck. The most famous chakra is

the sixth chakra, known as the Third Eye. With this chakra, you are able to see beyond your own perspective and into that of others around you. This helps to connect you with the spiritual world as well as with your past lives. If this chakra is out of bal-ance, you may feel unassertive, or receive headaches, dizziness, blindness or eye strain. With the centering of this chakra comes the honor of being your own master. It will decrease any fears of death and attachment to ma-terialistic things. The movement of bending forward, such as in childs pose will help strength-en your Third Eye chakra. A method of seeing past your own world is to place an Amethyst

on your forehead. Last but not least, is the seventh chakra: the Crown. This is the center for spiritu-ality, enlightenment, thought and energy. In this chakra, life animates the physical body, allowing you to create a stronger connection with God. Your soul comes through the Crown chakra when you are born and leaves this chakra when you die. When it is unbalanced, you may feel frustrated or destructive. The realignment requires simple exercises such as meditation, and cardio. To feel a sense of spirituality within yourself, you can place a Clear Quartz Crystal, or Amethyst stone right above the center of your

head. To get your chakras profes-sionally realigned, you can visit these therapeutic clinics in San Francisco: -399 Arguello Blvd, San Francis-co, CA 94118 a Naturopathic/Holistic shop: Vibrant Reiki-1069 York St San Francisco, CA 94110 a Naturopathic/Holistic shop: Tanya Corona - Ascension Reiki and Crystal Therapy-1801 Bush St Ste 207 San Fran-cisco, CA 94109 a Naturopathic/Holistic/Counseling and Mental Health shop: Margaretta Vonw.

ChakrasText by Teddie Stewart Illustrations by Maya Kandell

culture 23

Ideas for the Perfect Promposal

RomanticLooking for a great way to ask someone to prom this year? Check out this list of amazing promposals that will certainly score you a date for the big night!

Funny

• Arrange a flash mob.• Make a height indicator taller than them:

“You must be this tall to say no to prom with me.”

• Use a donkey (stuffed or real): “Lemme take yo ‘ass’ to prom.”

• Hold sports balls with a sign reading “I finally grew some balls to ask you to Prom.”

• Use a Vineyard Vines logo/present: “‘Whale’ you go to prom with me?”

Original

• Write a songw• Make a scavenger hunt• Create a puzzle with a photo of you hold-

ing a sign that reads “Prom?”• Fill a room with balloons• Create a sign with a pun from your favor-

ite movie

Food

• Pizza: “I know this is cheesy but… Prom?”• Wings: “I’ve never asked someone to

Prom before so I’m just gonna ‘wing’ it… Prom?”

• Donuts: “I ‘donut’ wanna go with anyone else to Prom.”

• Baked goods that say “P-R-O-M-?”• Tacos: “Lets ‘taco’ bout Prom.”

• Go into a photo booth with your bae, hold up a sign in the 2nd photo and catch the reac-tion!

• Put a message in a bottle with a loving note• Wrap yourself in strings of light and ask

them to “light up prom” with you.• Spell “Prom?” in candles or rose petals, etc.• Give them jewelry with a sweet note.

Text and dwesign by Alex Weinstein and Larkin McDermottIllustrations by Maggie Zheng

Entertainment24

Workout StudiosText and photos by Chelsea McIntosh

Behind every corner in Palo Alto, there always seems to be another workout studio offering new ways to maintain both a healthy body and soul. Navigating this scene can be a daunting task. No need to fear; these four workout studios are C Magazine’s top picks.

Palo Alto

CoreStudioLocated in Midtown, Core Studio offers a targeted workout similar to pilates called Core SPX and indoor cycling. During Core SPX a Megaformer is used to perform the individual exercises that constitute a full body workout. A strong core pro-motes a healthy back, good posture and balance. Each class usually consists of 11 people, and you can make reservations for classes online. Pricing packages include monthly passes that offer 1-4 classes ranging from $79-$199. Monthly unlimit-ed classes cost $299. Visit corestudiospx.com for more information.

TheBarMethodLocated in Town & Country Village, the Bar Method utilizes a combination of disciplines, such as ballet, yoga and pilates, to help tone and strengthen various muscle groups. Hour-long classes are offered ten times a day, between 6am to 7pm. Barre can be modified to many different levels of intensity and are suitable for any skill level. Students drawn to TheBarMethod can take advantage of the discounted $145 monthly mem-bership compared to the usual $275 payment. Classes can also be purchased in packages of 5 ($125) or 10 ($230). Visit barmethod.com for more information.

SoulCycleSoulCycle, an indoor cycling studio at Stanford Shopping Center, offers a vigorous, 45 minute full body workout on a stationary bike. The studio provides shoes specifically designed for spinning and a locker where you can store your belongings. Hand weights are placed by each seat, for 10 min-utes of arm toning. SoulCycle creates a welcom-ing and positive ambiance through the motivat-ing music. The first ride costs $20; some of the packages include 5 classes for $145, 10 classes for $280, and 20 classes for $540. Check out www.soul-cycle.com to sign up for your first class!

YogaSourceOnly a 12 minute drive from Palo Alto High School, YogaSource offers a wide range of practice. The classes promote self-confidence and a strong body and mind .The most ad-vanced classes include Bikram, Power Yoga, Hour of Power, and Hot Pilates. Each session-costs $18 for drop-ins; other pricing options include $75 for 5 classes, $140 for 10 classes, and $180 for monthly unlimited access. Visit yogasource.com for more information.

Entertainment 25

JON STEWART: AMERICA’S NEWS ANCHOR

The sharp, gray haired, native New Jerseyan Jon Stewart, is one of the most influential figures in American politics and has made a career critiquing and questioning huge-name politicians.

With his pitch-perfect Jersey accent and the infamous “ahh-yup” of his deep-throated Mitch McConnell impression Stewart has been giving the American people their daily dosage of news through com-edy on The Daily Show for 16 years. For those who do not watch his show or lack knowledge of his influence, Stewart is a biting, witty, politically aware, mainly liberal, touching yet tough “reporter,” re-porting on everything he finds wrong with America. On Feb. 10, Stewart announced that he would step down from his post before the end of 2015. Immediately, news outlets such as the New York Times published reflections on his work, predictions on who might replace him, and what a monumental task that would be to take on. Why do people care so much about his departure? When Stewart took over The Daily Show from Craig Kilborn in 1999, the genre of political comedy was new: The Daily Show and Politically Incorrect — hosted by the sardonic Bill Maher — were the only shows of their type on television and they both ran on Comedy Central. Today, on screen political satirists are much more common: Larry Wilmore (The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore), John Oliver (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver), Maher (Real Time with Bill Maher) and, formerly, Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report) all host — or hosted — their own comedic news programs. Three of these “anchors” started as correspondents on the Daily Show. One could argue that Stewart planted the seeds for one of the most popular forms of television entertainment today. “...[Stewart] sort of pioneered political satire, and he is prob-ably the best at what he does,” said sophomore Madhumita Gupta. “People know him more than they know Colbert or Bill Maher.” But more importantly, Stewart is a distinct voice in American political discourse. Even though his views may err on the liberal side, Stewart is not afraid to take pot shots at ei-ther party. That is important, espe-cially in a time when it seems that America could not be more split concerning government issues. The Pew Research Center released a report last June titled “Politi-cal Polarization in the American Public”, which found that Amer-icans are extremely divided along party lines. For example, according to the report, 27% of Democrats see the Grand Old Party (GOP) as “a threat to the nation’s well-being” and 36% of Republicans see Democrats as “a

threat to the nation’s well-being.” This signifies a true crisis for the future of political cooperation, and it can come down to comedi-ans like Stewart, who are not afraid to express their honest opinions. Stewart covers everything from the corrupt Bob McDonnell to the “freedom-loving” Ted Cruz, and while he may seem more blue than red politically, nobody can escape his all-seeing eyes. Stewart provides an alternative to other news sources like Fox News or CNN, whose news segments may be too long, too irrele-vant or too uninteresting for a busy high school student. Sophomore Mary McNamara agrees that Stewart offers an easily digestible, ac-cessible and intellectual program for youth to learn from.

“Jon Stewart, as well as other political comedians such as Stephen Colbert and John Oliver, have found a way to encourage politically active and informed youth,” McNamara said. “One can almost be completely up to date on current events through watching political

comedies.” At Palo Alto High School, Stewart especially resonates

with people because of the liberal tendencies of many students. Senior Emma Chiu, president of the Dem-ocrats club (Paly Democrats), agrees that for her and other youth, Stewart has been an informative and en-tertaining source.

“Stewart made learning about news and politics en-joyable. This has been especially true for young people,

including myself and fellow members of the Paly Demo-crats Club,” Chiu said. “Although he has influenced political

discourse between conservatives and liberals, I think one of the most important aspects of his work was to

expose just how flawed our current political system is.” Stewart has offered more to the American entertainment industry than many of his more serious fellow newsmen on television. As he prepares to leave, questions are arising

as to who will succeed him and what he will do next. Most likely, Stewart will not completely leave the realm of television and movies — the movie he directed this past year, Rosewater, was moderately successful and one can only hope it will lead to more ventures and projects. But

one thing among all this uncertainty is without question: There will not be another

Jon Stewart for a long time. “I’m sad to see him go, because I feel like he was actually the best at what he did,” Gupta said. C

The politial commentator intends to retire before the end of 2015 after 16 years, leaving behind a distinguished and varied career in the world of politics, television and quick-witted satire

Text and Design by Tara Madhav

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Photo from Creative Commons (Peabody Awards, Albert Ferreira)

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“Stewart made learning about news and politics enjoyable.”- Emma Chiu, senior

Jon Stewart at the 2004 Peabody awards, with The Daily Show’s award for their coverage of the 2004 election cycle.

more of a “fling” or relat-ionship type of person?

Are you...

live in Miami or L.A.? Would you rather...

Is Kris Jenner...

your idol/BFF or your #1nemisis?

Would you rather...spend your friday nighttaking cute selfies or hitten’the club?

Are you...easy going or easily offended?

Do you...start trends or followthem?

You are loud and proud! You care less about what people think of you and more about where the party is. Boys do NOT run your world and you have very high standards. If they don’t treat you like a princess they’re not your man. Your priorities are sis-ters, friends, and partying and no one comes between you and what you want.

Are you...making the jokes or laughing at them?

Do you like...calling the shots in your relationships?

Which Kardashian are you?

Kim KhloeYou’re the more rational friend in your group and the one who usually says “maybe this isn’t such a good idea.” You’re not the loudest of the bunch, but you’re incredibly sassy on the inside. You always look out for your friends and tell them the truth even if it’s not what they want to hear. Bad boys are your kryptonite and once you’re in, you’re in deep.

You are a lord in a world of peasants. You don’t follow trends, you set them. Once you have your eye on someone you won’t stop for anything (including their mother) un-til they’re yours, but once you have them it’s tough for you to settle down. Partying is your number one talent but is one that often gets you into trouble. Life should be lived to fullest and you do just that.

You love being the center of attention and are a mommy’s girl. You would rather be in front of the camera than be-hind it and do NOT appreci-ate being joked about. You are irresistible to boys and have very high standards. Family is the most important thing to you but your career comes in as a close second.

Scott

relationship! fling

making!

laughing Miami

I wear the pants! Nope!

easily offended

easy going

L.A. baby!

BFF

Clubbing

follow them

#1 Nemesis

Text by Maya Benatar and Emma ScottDesign by Emma ScottIllustrations by Jenny Zhuge

Kourtney

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