The Campanile, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA (2025)

09/29/2025

Choir attended a master class hosted by vocal producer, director and coach Deke Sharon in the Performing Arts Center on Sept. 25. Sharon played an influential role in popularizing contemporary a capella and is widely known for his work on the three “Pitch Perfect” films.

Sharon said his visit to Paly was part of his lifelong mission to make music more accessible.

“This is my life’s work, to spread harmony and get more people singing,” Sharon said. “I’m invited to coach all around the world, but rarely in the Bay Area. So I called Michael, because it’s such a great program down here.”

Choir teacher Michael Najar said it was valuable for students to get lessons from Sharon.

“He is without a question the father of contemporary acapella,” Najar said. “(Sharon) started it sort of in the early ‘90s, and it’s become one of the biggest forms of American popular singing. Having him here is a top experience.”

Sharon stressed emotion should be a guide for every choir performance.

“The most important thing is that music is emotional communication, and you’ve got to make that your North Star,” Sharon said. “Everything else, dynamics and phrasing and moving—will come from that.”

Junior Riddhi Bansal said the biggest thing they took away from the experience was the importance of being comfortable in yourself.

“The lesson I’m gonna keep in my heart from this is to not make myself small for anyone anymore,” Bansal said. “Deke let me go to my full potential, and (taught me) to recognize myself and my talents and live up to that.”

Sharon said he was impressed by the groups that sang.

“The quality of the education in Palo Alto, these phenomenal teachers, (and) this great program are really world class,” Sharon said. “What impressed me the most is how good (the choir) are already in September—they had no business being this good this early.”

Ultimately, Najar said he was grateful for the opportunity to work with Sharon.

“(He taught) the joy and love of singing music and the passion that is required to communicate,” Najar said. “Deke puts passion (in a capella), and he has more energy than all of us combined.”

Photos and reporting by Philip Shen and Alex Isayama

08/22/2025

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08/22/2025

Receive volunteer hours and other benefits as a freelance artist or writer.

We provide the opportunity for artists and writers to gain practical experience and exposure to new subject matter. Freelancing for The Campanile is one of the best ways to get your work published regularly online and in print.

Apply to become one of our artists or writers at the link in our bio.

08/20/2025

Dozens of community members, city officials and climate advocates gathered to hear from public policy and emergency preparedness experts at the Extreme Heat Summit, held at the Cooley Landing Learning Center in East Palo Alto on Sunday.

The event marked the launch of the Cool Cities Coalition, an organization dedicated to combating extreme heat, the deadliest weather hazard in the US.

Presenters emphasized the importance of recognizing warning signs of heat stroke and knowing the location of cooling centers around the city, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly or those without air conditioning.

Julia Zeitlin, an incoming sophomore at Stanford and one of the event’s organizers, said the site — a natural cooling center due to the Bay’s breeze — symbolized the organization’s priority of collaboration.

“We’re trying to build bridges across city borders to bring together residents from Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park and beyond,” Zeitlin said.

Nueva senior Skye Calegari-Buster said he attended the event to learn about various cooling solutions, including increased tree coverage, green spaces and cooler reflective roofs on new buildings.

“Urban planning is essential to how a city functions,” Calegari-Buster said. “A lot of the infrastructure isn’t meant to accommodate climate change.”

But with limited federal support behind climate-forward policies, Zeitlin said local communities and schools are essential to enacting change.

“Students have a really great opportunity to push for climate solutions when other leaders and adults in the community and across governments are not taking action,” Zeitlin said.

Similarly, East Palo Alto Mayor Martha Barragan said events like the summit give youth a platform to join the climate movement.

Despite the challenges, Zeitlin said positivity is imperative.

“Start talking about these issues with your friends and family and start looking for people who are excited to take action,” Zeitlin said. “When you take action in a way that you can see the impact, that can overcome a lot of these feelings of helplessness.”

Photos and reporting by Ethan Chan. Read more at the link in our bio.

06/08/2025

Review the best of Campanile’s 2024-25 season, featuring top stories from each section. Find these stories at the link in bio to our website.

News: Seniors Strike Gold by Annika Chu and Isabella Bian
Opinion: The overlooked genius behind those who make us laugh by Zoya Prabhakar
Editorial: Chiu should apologize, not resign by the Editors-in-Chief
Sports: Head start or hurt head? by Elise Andrade
Lifestyle: Lockdown by Dalia Saal and Mirai Matsuzawa
Spotlight: Exposed to the Blur by Holden Lee, Kate Xia, and Heather Song
Science & Tech: Beyond the screen by Naveen Narayanaswami

06/07/2025

On Thursday, the Class of 2025 marked the end of their high school journey with a commencement ceremony celebrating 4 years of dedication, growth and achievement. The event featured heartfelt speeches and musical performances from students and staff.

Principal Brent Kline reflected on the graduating class’s hard work throughout the years.

“Today we gather as a community to celebrate not just the culmination of your high school experience, but the incredible journey you have taken to reach this moment,” Kline said.

Senior Kashi Tuteja recounted memories, sharing an anecdote of how bananas and a friend’s encouragement helped him succeed in high school.

“‘Potassium,’ (my friend) said seriously, ‘energizes your brain,’” Tuteja said. “I ate it and got a pretty good grade (on my history test)… Soon, I was eating bananas before every test.”

But Tuteja said the most important part of his time at Paly was the relationships that made it special.

“It was never really about the bananas,” Tuteja said. “It was about the people.”

Junior Harrison Lan said he appreciated Tuteja’s speech due to its humor and perspective.

“(It) was really funny, and I think he did a really good job making everything feel light-hearted – not sad that everything’s over, but instead, a new beginning,” Lan said.

Seniors Ella Hwang and Riya Kini performed Adele’s “When We Were Young”, accompanied by senior Emma Yang on the piano.

Senior Eunice Wong said that the ceremony was a meaningful celebration, though parting with close friends made the day emotional.

“It’s bittersweet for me,” Wong said. “I’m excited that I’m moving on to the next chapter of my life… but at the same time, I’m leaving a lot of my friends for a very long time.”

Kline closed the ceremony by encouraging the class to stay true to themselves as they go out into the world.

“Honor the growth you’ve achieved, and the lessons you’ll carry forward. And always, always keep learning, keep connecting, keep leading with compassion,” Kline said.

Reporting by Amaya Bharadwaj.
Photos by Amaya Bharadwaj and Luca Vostrejs.

06/02/2025

Cheers and papers filled the air on Friday as the Class of 2025 marked the end of their high school journey during the annual Senior Celebration. The event featured student performances, heartfelt speeches and the most eagerly awaited tradition — the paper toss.

Senior Kyndall Abraham said the paper toss was a powerful symbol of letting go after years of hard work.

“It’s great seeing all these seniors come out and do what they love to do: singing, performing and having fun,” Abraham said. “The paper toss is the best part every year.”

Campus Supervisor Carl Hubenthal, who spoke at the event, reflected on his experiences with the class.

“Over the past four years, I have looked out for you,” Hubenthal said. “And I looked for you. You rascals made me wear out two bikes and 24 pairs of shoes, and ride about 250 miles per week on my bike.”

But Hubenthal also said getting to know the seniors and watching their growth was especially meaningful.

“I found you in the incredible effort and passion you put into everything this place has to offer,” Hubenthal said. “I found you in your triumphs, and your tenacious rise, and the challenges and your overcoming of all the obstacles that you have.”

Senior Héloïse Boeuf said the event was an inspiring and joyful way to end the year.

“I’m feeling really excited, really hopeful for the future,” Boeuf said. “I’m not too sad yet, which is good. Everyone’s so happy, and it’s so empowering and uplifting.”

As the graduating class continues beyond high school, Hubenthal said he urges them to recognize the importance of compassion.

“Choose to be kind to everybody,” Hubenthal said. “It’s one of the few things that’s free, but it will cost you if you don’t do it. If this job has taught me anything, (it’s that) you never know what kind of day the other person is having. Being kind is the true seed to creating community — and it also makes life more fun to have allies on your journey.”

Photos and reporting by Elise Andrade.

05/30/2025

Boys Golf made its first ever appearance at the Northern California golf championship, finishing third overall and qualifying for states.

The event was held at the Berkeley Country Club in El Cerrito on Tuesday, with the Viking’s overall score of 370 placing them third in a field of 12, four strokes behind first place De La Salle, and two strokes behind second place Stevenson. Sophomore Brian Yu was Paly’s medalist, with a score of 71, boosting Paly’s bid for states.

Senior Ryan Chang said this is a huge milestone for the team.

“This step was huge for our program to know that we have what it takes to compete at the highest level in highschool golf,” Chang said. “It almost felt like an invisible wall we had to break to be the first ever Paly boys golf team to make it to states.”

Senior Justun Kim said being new to the stage allowed for an aggressive strategy.

“I played aggressively, mostly because I didn’t see us qualifying for states unless we all played incredibly well,” Kim said. “However, we all have competitive experience which allows all of us to manage our stress. It was our ability to stay mentally composed that allowed all of us to post good scores.”

Chang said the team overcame many obstacles on the day of the tournament.

“The setup definitely wasn’t in our favor since no one on our team had played the course before,” Chang said. “Conditions were windy, and limited warmup space made us deviate from our routines. We definitely knew we had what it took to qualify, but weren’t as confident because it was our first time at Norcals. Trusting ourselves was what helped us win.”

The state championship is on June 3 at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach. Kim said this course presents a great opportunity for the team.

“We have scheduled a few practice rounds at Poppy Hills, (and) most of us have already played that course and enjoy playing it, so we are pretty excited for this opportunity,” Kim said. “I’m feeling excited, but I want to approach this tournament without any expectations, making sure that I can keep a good mentality throughout the competition.”

Reporting by Rohan Bhatia.

Photos by Albert Chang.

05/19/2025

Boys baseball captured a 9-4 victory against Mountain View during senior night on May 16. Early in the game, the two teams traded blows, keeping the score close, but in the end Paly came away with the win.

Senior Coco Vonderhaar said a crucial part of the victory was the team’s strong offense.

“Overall, we just kind of took advantage of getting people on base,” Vonderhaar said. “We really did good on driving in runs when there were people in scoring positions.”

Coach Pete Fukuhara said teamwork was also key to the team’s success.

“The team played together,” Fukuhara said. “Everybody was on the same page and played really unselfishly.”

Fukuhara said the team needs some fine-tuning to improve for the rest of the season but is looking strong.

“I think we just need some more practice, some more reps,” Fukuhara said. “The guys are in a really good place right now, and I just think we’ve got to stay together.”

Ultimately, Vonderhaar said his last season in highschool baseball has been bittersweet.

Vonderhaar said, “It was fun playing with these guys for the past four years, but it’s a little bit sad too, to leave.”

Photos and reporting by Naveen Narayanaswami

05/19/2025

Boys baseball captured a 9-4 victory against Mountain View during senior night on May 16. Early in the game, the two teams traded blows, keeping the score close, but in the end Paly came away with the win.

Senior Coco Vonderhaar said a crucial part of the victory was the team’s strong offense.

“Overall, we just kind of took advantage of getting people on base,” Vonderhaar said. “We really did good on driving in runs when there were people in scoring positions.”

Coach Pete Fukuhara said teamwork was also key to the team’s success.

“The team played together,” Fukuhara said. “Everybody was on the same page and played really unselfishly.”

Fukuhara said the team needs some fine-tuning to improve for the rest of the season but is looking strong.

“I think we just need some more practice, some more reps,” Fukuhara said. “The guys are in a really good place right now, and I just think we’ve got to stay together.”

Ultimately, Vonderhaar said his last season in highschool baseball has been bittersweet.

Vonderhaar said, “It was fun playing with these guys for the past four years, but it’s a little bit sad too, to leave.”

Photos and reporting by Naveen Narayanaswami

05/15/2025

On May 10, Paly hosted its fourth Mind Matters 5K, a running event designed to raise mental health awareness.

Senior Kristine Lin, who helped organize the event, said it featured the largest turnout documented in the run’s history.

“We started two years back, but this one is probably our biggest one by far,” Lin said. “A lot of students, teachers and community members came and showed up. I think it’s really important for them just to be here to learn about mental health resources and support people who may be struggling.”

Science teacher Elizabeth Brimhall, who is part of Together Everyone Achieves More,said she was inspired to bring this event to Paly due to her experience with previous mental health events.

“Several years ago, several teachers from the district and I did a walk called the Overnight Walk for Su***de Awareness in San Francisco,” Brimhall said. “I thought I would love to bring something like this at a smaller scale to Paly, and post-pandemic, I started thinking about it more. (I) was working with my TEAM kids and other students in my Bio-Med class, and we thought hey, let’s do this.”

Brimhall said the 5k also promotes mental health through exercise.

“We’re just trying to get people out,” Brimhall said. “Exercise is good for mental health and we know that being out in beautiful nature (does the same). So you’re hitting a lot of boxes by being here, and it’s just a fun way to do that.”

Lin said the team’s hard work paid off during the event.

“It’s definitely still a lot of work to organize, but it’s just great to see everyone smiling, having fun, getting physical exercises through the walk, and just coming together as a community,” Lin said.

After the success of this event, Lin said she encourages everyone in the community to participate in next year’s Mind Matters 5k.

“I think our next one would be either in October, or May and people should show up because it’s definitely worth it,” Lin said. “And you also get a lot of information on mental health resources.”

Photos and reporting by Isabelle Carlsen

04/22/2025

Over 100 students and community members gathered to rally for Earth Day in front of the Palo Alto City Hall on Friday, waving signs demanding bold climate action and government reform.

Youth leaders from the Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition (PASCC) led the crowd in chants and local politicians including Rep. Sam Liccardo and East Palo Alto City Council Member Carlos Romero also spoke at the event.

PASCC Projects Lead Brendan Giang, a Paly junior and event MC, said he hopes to encourage the community to use their voice.

“There is so much uncertainty with what is going to happen on the national level,” Giang said. “The best thing that we can do is advocate within our communities. Everyone here has a voice, and we want to use that.”

In addition, Giang said one of the main goals of the rally is to urge California’s state government to pass SB 684, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act, which would identify and penalize the largest polluters.

“We’re (asking) the organizations, companies and people that are really polluting our planet right now to pay for the damage that they have caused,” Giang said.

Another member of PASCC, Paly sophomore Aiden Miao, said the event brought people from all different backgrounds together.

“It’s fun to see a lot of the Palo Alto community come out,” Miao said. “We have youth, we have older people here, and it’s just awesome to see the support.”

Meanwhile, onstage, an activist group called the Raging Grannies danced to live music played by the Climate Strikers.

Ruth Robertson, a member of the Raging Grannies, said she was there to educate students about Tesla’s chemical spill into Matadero Creek last October.

“What a lot of people don’t know is that Palo Alto, finally, just now in April, fined Tesla $750,” Robertson said. “(That’s) a ridiculously small sum.”

Giang said recognizing every action makes a difference is key to getting everyone to contribute to a solution.

“It can feel like such an insurmountable problem, but there are eight billion of us on this planet,” Giang said. “If we all work together, the amount that we can achieve is mind-blowing.”

Photos and reporting by Ethan Chan.

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