Verde Magazine

Verde Magazine Palo Alto High School's news and features magazine.

Following a district board meeting last week which addressed a proposal meant to highlight student achievement, student ...
10/26/2025

Following a district board meeting last week which addressed a proposal meant to highlight student achievement, student leaders are reacting with approval to the superintendent’s cancellation of the proposal.

The tentatively titled “Advanced Diploma”, first proposed in June, went through various iterations that could have required students to take four Advanced Placement courses and score a three or higher on each course’s test. On top of that, students would have needed to complete an internship, participate in a speaker series and meet a minimum ACT or SAT score, which was not specified.

At last week’s meeting, Palo Alto Unified School District Superintendent Don Austin confirmed that the “Advanced Diploma” proposal would not move forward.

“I’d like to announce that the plans for the ‘Advanced Diploma’ are finalized,” Austin said. “It’s gone. There’s no support from the students. … [They] told me loud and clear that this is not something that they really wanted to go with.”

Palo Alto High School senior Amalia Tormala, a member of the Superintendent Student Advisory Council, disapproved of the diploma. She said that if it passed there would be barriers for the majority of students to accomplish some of its requirements.

“What was most negative about it for me was that it was an added level between students that would differentiate them,” Tormala said. “I think not all students have the same opportunity to achieve things like internships.”

Paly Student Board Representative Dylan Chen supported Austin’s decision to cancel the proposal.

“The ‘Advanced Diploma’ is just one failed attempt, and the students don’t think it’s the right way to do it,” Chen said. “I applaud the district’s decision in that matter where they listen to the student voice and table the idea.”

Photo: Shaurya Thummalapalli

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“Good work!” Coach Tim Mulcahy calls from the pool deck to the water polo players treading for their usual warmup.From p...
10/26/2025

“Good work!” Coach Tim Mulcahy calls from the pool deck to the water polo players treading for their usual warmup.

From playing at University of  California, Berkeley in college to beginning his coaching career at the Jane Lathrop Stanford pool, Palo Alto High School Girls Varsity Water Polo Coach Tim Mulcahy knew from an early age that his life would revolve around the sport.

After playing water polo throughout college, Mulcahy took on the role of coaching Paly water polo athletes in 1983. By 1994, he had joined the USA Masters Water Polo team, a nonprofit corporation that provides training for elite athletes to compete at the national level.

Although Mulcahy is now coaching at Paly and competing for a top team, he faced an unexpected setback. Last year, he was forced to step away from the pool after being diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system.

“My family was so supportive and allowed me to not think, ‘maybe it [treatment] won’t work,’” Mulcahy said. “They said, ‘it’s going to work.’”

With words of encouragement and superfood dishes, Mulcahy’s family played a crucial role in his journey to recovery.

“My wife was spectacular,” Mulcahy said. “We ate all sorts of cancer-fighting soups and meals. I mean, everything was a soup that had all sorts of incredible vegetables and good products.”

Photos: Lilia Kuzmicheva

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Warm orange light pours through the entrance as the sounds of casual conversations and background music fill the room. D...
10/22/2025

Warm orange light pours through the entrance as the sounds of casual conversations and background music fill the room. Decorative wood pillars line the space, and a wall of textured golden panels sections the doorway from sleek furniture. With floor-to-ceiling windows blanketing the diner in natural light, Horsefeather is the newest addition to Town & Country Village’s diverse and esteemed lineup of restaurants.

Horsefeather opened its first location in San Francisco in 2016 and recently launched its Palo Alto branch on June 27. The team has lofty goals for the upcoming years, including outdoor seating, an expanded menu and a new lunch program for Paly students.

“We’re working on a kind of grab-and-go situation for Palo Alto High School [students],” General Manager Dzu Nguyen said. “Foods that you see on the menu are going to be rapid fire for you guys.”

Nguyen said the inspiration for the restaurant’s cuisine originated from a fusion of cultures.

“We like to term it as ‘Pan Californian,’ with a focus on Latin and Asian influence,” Nguyen said. “Our chef Johanna is Yucatanian and Mexican. By birth, I’m Vietnamese. Our owners are Chinese. [We look for] the middle ground in between those flavor profiles.”

The story behind the restaurant’s name refers to the term “horsefeathers,” which means nonsense or something ridiculous, contrasting its put together exterior.

“Essentially, [the name is] a joke; it kind of falls into the ethos of our restaurant,” Nguyen said. “We present ourselves in the best way possible, with great service and high quality, but at the same time, we’re still always going to have that sort of neighborhood-style energy, that kind of devil-may-care attitude.”

Photos: Shaurya Thummalapalli

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With construction completed over the summer and departments beginning to move into the facility, Palo Alto’s new public ...
10/17/2025

With construction completed over the summer and departments beginning to move into the facility, Palo Alto’s new public safety building will officially open later this year.

Located on 250 Sherman Ave., next to California Avenue, the new three-story building began construction in 2021.

It will encompass many agencies including the city’s police department, which is relocating from its old Downtown location.

Project architect Colette Chew said the old police station’s limitations were a reason for relocation.

“The existing police station was built in the early 70s, and it doesn’t meet the current code for an essential service building,” Chew said.

An essential service building must be able to withstand disasters and emergencies — a standard that the new police station will be able to meet, according to Chew.

Lieutenant Nicolas Martinez from the Palo Alto Police Department noted the convenience of having several divisions of the department under the same roof.

“The new public safety building houses the police department, fire administration and the office of emergency services,” Martinez wrote in an email. “This allows the department heads to meet in one place, which in turn allows decisions to be made in a timely manner.”

As teams work to move into their new site, the old police station location is currently being evaluated for a future project.

“We hired a consultant to do studies on what to do,” Chew said. “We don’t have any decisions yet, but we are surveying the space.”

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Michael Stieren joined the Palo Alto High School Administration team this year, and says he is excited to get to know th...
10/17/2025

Michael Stieren joined the Palo Alto High School Administration team this year, and says he is excited to get to know the student body.

The new assistant principal aims to collaborate with faculty and oversee student services such as the Advanced Placement Capstone program, the Speech and Debate Team, the Robotics Team and others.

While this is Stieren’s first year working at Paly, he’s no stranger to the Bay Area. Stieren was the vice principal at Adrian Wilcox High School in Santa Clara for four years, and grew up in the Bay Area. In an interview with Verde, Stieren even recalled playing a baseball game against Paly in 1997.

When Stieren is not engaging with his new colleagues, he says he loves walking around the school, receiving movie and music recommendations from students.

One thing that stood out to Stieren in his first few weeks is the energy radiating from students.

“No two days are really the same, but it is a lot of fun to just engage with different kids who are interested in different things, and hear their stories and what they’re hoping to achieve,” Stieren said.

In the future, Stieren is focused on learning about Paly’s identity.

“It’s important to just get to know the culture of the school, get to know the students, get to know the staff, the faculty, and sort of embed yourself into it,” Stieren said. “I’m not here to upend things and make changes. I’m here to be a good partner in the really good work that’s already happening.”

Photo: Tessa Berney

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The City of East Palo Alto has announced the opening of a pedestrian overcrossing to the public at University Avenue and...
10/15/2025

The City of East Palo Alto has announced the opening of a pedestrian overcrossing to the public at University Avenue and Highway 101, aiming to prevent collisions. 

The project aims to improve safety after 26 bike collisions occurred within one block of University Avenue and Donohoe Street between Jan. 1, 2024, and June 18, 2025. The City of East Palo Alto raised $15 million to fund the project in December 2022. 

According to East Palo Alto City Engineer Anwar Mirza, even though construction is still occurring nearby, the pedestrian walkway is safe and available to the public for use. Mirza estimates the entire project to be complete by the end of September.

Access to the overpass from Woodland Avenue is on the Four Seasons Hotel side, and the entrance on the Donohoe Street side is across from Ikea. 

Members of the community feel much safer traveling across University Avenue.

Sofia Zamora, a student at St. Elizabeth Seton School in Palo Alto, recalls her experience trying to cross from Donohoe Street to Woodland Avenue before the overpass was built. Prior to the structure, pedestrians used a narrow sidewalk with no guardrails to protect them from cars. 

“I’ve only walked this [overpass] once,” Zamora said. “Before, we had to try to stay on the line that [separates the cars and the wall]; You just stay there and go fast.”

Photo: Tessa Berney

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On the cover of Volume 27 Issue 1, Palo Alto High School senior Juli Spreckelmeyer holds an energy drink in an edited ph...
10/09/2025

On the cover of Volume 27 Issue 1, Palo Alto High School senior Juli Spreckelmeyer holds an energy drink in an edited photo taken by Editor-in-Chief Kensie Pao.

Illustrations of pink lighting bolts and blue detail, drawn by Art Director Ethan Bradley, shine out from the Red Bull, representing the high energy in this issue’s stories.

Find the full PDF of the print magazine on Issuu.

More than 5,000 protesters marched from Town and Country to Rinconada Park on Saturday afternoon, joining a nationwide “...
06/15/2025

More than 5,000 protesters marched from Town and Country to Rinconada Park on Saturday afternoon, joining a nationwide “No Kings” movement to defend democracy and human rights.

The march ended with a Democracy Fair featuring music, speakers, workshops and performances.

Rising Palo Alto High School senior Izzy Grodnitzky said she attended both the march and fair because of her concerns regarding recent government actions toward immigration policy.

“It’s really horrifying that the government is helping kidnap innocent people off the streets,” Grodnitzky said. “They’re bringing in the National Guard and the Marines — people who know how to kill people — against their own citizens.”

Santa Clara resident Martin Bell, who wore a chicken costume as a form of protest, said humor is a powerful political tool.

“Mockery is the most effective weapon against this particular enemy, to get under his skin,” Bell said. “That’s my goal: poke the authority.”

Bell also stressed the importance of mutual respect with growing political division.

“Human dignity is so rare that it’s not even on the table in terms of the conversation,” Bell said. “We all matter. I won’t dehumanize my enemies; they’re all worthy of human dignity.”

Musician and activist Joan Baez, who also spoke at the event, told the crowd that building community and finding spaces to celebrate is important.

“All of this is resistance,” Baez said. “It’s lovely — it’s music, it’s caring, it’s beauty, it’s art. It’s all of the things that are bringing us out of what they want us to be. They want us to be submissive, downtrodden and miserable.”

Stanford professor of political science Larry Diamond, who spoke at the event, urged the community to stay focused amid political instability.

“We owe it to everything we believe in,” Diamond said. “We will not allow them to turn our democracy into an autocracy.”

This story is a joint effort between The Campanile and Verde Magazine.

Reporting by Elise Andrade. Photos by Kensie Pao.

On the cover of Volume 26 Issue 5, a protester holds up a sign displaying "Defend our Constitution" at a protest in fron...
05/29/2025

On the cover of Volume 26 Issue 5, a protester holds up a sign displaying "Defend our Constitution" at a protest in front if the Palo Alto Tesla dealership, organized by the activist group, Invisible Palo Alto Plus.

This photo, taken by Editor-in-Chief Kensie Pao, encapsulates just one of the ways our local community is responding to the changes our nation is facing under the Trump Administration.

Palo Alto High School’s Artificial Intelligence board is making changes to the AI cheating policy, where a student would...
04/18/2025

Palo Alto High School’s Artificial Intelligence board is making changes to the AI cheating policy, where a student would be assigned to an informational PRIME session if caught cheating.

Assistant principal Michelle Steingart, a member of the AI board, says that an official rollout of these changes is expected in the near future.

“The goal is to provide a learning opportunity for students focused on the ethical use of technology,” Steingart said.

The general AI policy can be located in the academic integrity section on the school’s website. 

It mentions that students should never input personal or sensitive information into  AI databases, including information related to college applications or essays. 

The policy also mentions that students  should talk to teachers about what amount of AI usage is allowed in the class, and cite generative AI in either MLA or APA styles when used. However, computer science teacher and AI board member Christopher Bell states that AI should never be used to replace learning. 

Bell says that the board has been working with teachers in all departments since the beginning of the year with the goal of streamlining AI course guide policies. 

Bell also mentioned that individual assignments and classes may have more flexibility regarding AI use depending on the curriculum. Bell also said that the addition of Gemini in Schoology would allow teachers to do more activities using AI. 

“We can now do activities in the classroom with AI and so you’ll see more assignments that give you some indication what they can use it for,” Bell said. “It’ll be different per assignment per class.” 

Bell recommends each department offer clear guidelines for students on the repercussions for cheating.

“These are really powerful tools, and parts of it can be used to amplify the learning instead of replacing,” Bell said. “This [AI] is going to be a tool that people are going to use in their professional lives once they graduate, so hopefully we can start to prepare them for that future.”

Photo: Cate Graney

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On the cover of Volume 26 Issue 4, a gloved hand crumples a news reporters’ notepad in a photo taken by Managing Editor ...
04/15/2025

On the cover of Volume 26 Issue 4, a gloved hand crumples a news reporters’ notepad in a photo taken by Managing Editor Cate Graney.

This cover is a representation of the pressure and indirect censorship that has afflicted journalists nationwide as a result of the Trump administration’s recent rhetoric and policies, such as limiting the Associated Press’ access to the presidential press pool.

Find the full PDF of the print magazine on Issuu.

Too many three-pointers. Poor referee decisions. Soft players. Although individuals may have different reasons for their...
03/13/2025

Too many three-pointers. Poor referee decisions. Soft players. Although individuals may have different reasons for their opinions, there is one thing most basketball fans can agree on: The NBA is declining.

As a result, we believe many of the complaints regarding the league’s decline in viewership include a lack of defensive effort and an excess number of player absences, on top of the significant emphasis on three-point shooting.

These grievances are valid, as the number of three-point attempts per game has increased from 22.4 shots per game during the 2014-2015 season to 37.4 shots today, according to StatMuse.

And while it’s reasonable to blame these issues for the NBA’s decline, we do not believe they are the root of the problem as the quality of play has not significantly declined. NBA icons Stephen Curry and LeBron James, who drew in millions of fans throughout the years, are getting older. The main issue is that fans are too fixated on the past and unwilling to accept the new generation of the NBA.

Art: Polina Van Hulsen

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