The Drake Jolly Roger

The Mock Trial team is off to a promising start this year. They’ve got more members, a new advisor, and high hopes for the upcoming competition.

“Last year, we didn’t really do as well as we hoped,” said senior and second-year  Mock Trial member Will Gomez. “We did well. We just could have done a lot better.”

Senior Nicholas Carlson presents during last year's competition. (Courtesy of Eliot Zweig)

Spanish teacher Christine Garrabrant will be leading the team this year. Although she hasn’t led a Mock Trial team before, she does have experience in Forensics competitions (also known as debating).

“Mock Trial is so fascinating to me because it is complex and realistic,” Garrabrant wrote in an email. “My main goal for the team this year is to improve upon what we did last year.”

To start this year right, the team changed its recruiting process. Advisor Garrabrant brought members of the team together to think of new ways to bring in members. In addition to the usual posters, team members Gomez and Nick Carlson stood up and made a pitch for the team at the Homecoming rally. The idea seems to have worked—this year’s team is significantly larger than last year’s.

Gomez credits the rally announcement for the increased interest. “It wasn’t just the three or four kids that are really interested in doing something extra [who] found out about it,” he said.  “It was the whole student body.” Even some juniors and seniors joined the team for the first time

“As a coach, I am very pleased to see this mix of old and young, because it means we have a shot at having a great season with strong senior leadership,” Garrabrant wrote. “It means we can continue the trend next year, too.”

The competitions will be held in January and February, at the Marin Civic Center. Judges who have volunteered their time will preside over a  mock case, as students take on the roles of prosecutors, bailiffs, and every other participant in the case. Students will argue a hypothetical criminal case that includes a teen-relevant issue.

This year, the case is about a homicide. A young man is accused of murdering a childhood friend with a knife at a campsite in the desert. “Reading it, I feel like I’m watching a good episode of Law and Order,” Garrabrant wrote.

Garrabrant plans to change the way the team prepares for the competition. Instead of just two lawyer coaches practicing with the team, they’ll have three. In addition, a college student majoring in theater will be coming in to teach students to improvise and stay in character under pressure.

“We need to shift our focus from memorizing questions to memorizing information,” Garrabrant said. “You have to know your facts well enough to be able to change things at the drop of a hat.”

Garrabrant hopes that these strategy shifts will allow our school to finally challenge the dominant Tamalpais team.
“The team to beat is Tam,” said Gomez. “Tam has a phenomenal team; they’re doing practices every day; they have five or six lawyer coaches.” Last year, Tam extended its sixteen-year streak by winning the Marin County championship.

Despite this, Gomez isn’t intimidated. “They’re a great team, but I think we might have a shot this year,” he said.
Garrabrant agreed. “Our team is really talented… I think we’ll give Tam a run for their money,” she wrote.

Although the yearly competition is important, it’s equally important for the team to plan for the future. The team’s efforts this year have put them in a strong position for next year and beyond.

“There are a lot of kids who are really into it,” Gomez said of the team’s new members. “There are definitely people who are going to be there all four years and keep the team going.”

French Toast at Two Bird Cafe Lauren Antone | JR

The quaint Two Bird Café is the epitome of a home-style restaurant. Located in San Geronimo, this cozy eatery adjacent to The Valley Inn offers a wide array of dishes and a comfortable, at-home atmosphere for its guests, many of them locals.

Over the past 15 years, the restaurant has remained popular, keeping its menu fresh and changing. When I sat down for a Sunday morning breakfast, the Café was packed with families, couples and teens as the wait staff moved from one table to the next, presenting the day’s specials on a whiteboard. Unconventional as this method seemed, the guests didn’t seem to mind.

After sitting down in one of the café’s three small dining areas, an attentive and polite waiter was by my side offering me and my companion coffee and juice. The fresh squeezed orange juice (small $3.95, large $5.00) was deliciously sweet and thick with pulp, expensive but a definite for those who have not yet enjoyed it.

Our waiter returned immediately, bringing with him the large breakfast menu and the specials whiteboard. The breakfast prices on the menus ranged from $10.50 to $13.50, but were reasonable in terms of the large portion sizes and high quality of food. One of the waitresses told us much of the restaurant’s produce was grown on the property.

Seasonal dishes like Fresh Trout with a pumpkin seed crust ($12.95) or Miwok Pancakes ($10.50), a dish served with two fluffy pumpkin pancakes and pork-apricot sausage, were made with organic pumpkin and jumped off the specials board. But I was enticed by the French “French” Toast (10.50) with organic, fresh seasonal fruit.

Sitting near the glass doors in the sun-brightened dining room, time seemed to fly. The fireplace crackled and classical music hung in the air, but those sounds were mostly drowned out by the customers’ laughter. The wait staff was impeccable; my glass never went empty and my coffee was refilled twice.

The appeal of the restaurant was undeniable. As one group of customers left, another group filtered in, and everyone seemed to know one another.

Two Bird Café has all the intimate ambiance of an upscale restaurant, but without the longer wait you’d expect. The cook and wait staff had our food to us in less than 15 minutes, as quickly as a diner staff.

My beautiful plate of French toast was topped with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, powdered sugar and simple syrup. I didn’t add maple syrup because the flavor of the French toast was already so sweet. For those with a sweet-tooth, this is your dish. The French bread was crunchy but warm and had a lasting cinnamon taste.

My companion ordered the Eggs Benedict ($11.95) and claimed it was the best she had ever had. The hollandaise sauce was thick and creamy, draping over two poached eggs, two crunchy English muffins and two slices of Canadian bacon that were layered in between. It was served with scrumptious potatoes, perfectly seasoned, and a fruit salad of organic fruit, mostly melon.

“I love the food here,” said Two Bird Café employee and junior Mika Kakin. “The Eggs Benedict is one of my favorites.”

Two Bird Café is open not only for breakfast, but also for brunch, lunch and dinner. It has an extensive lunch and dinner menu, offering salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, chicken, fish-of-the-day and more.

According to Kakin, Two Bird Café is a great place to be Friday and Saturday nights because live musicians perform on the stage, located in the bar.

Even though I only sat down for breakfast, the great flavors of the food, coupled with the friendly staff and bright atmosphere, has convinced me to come back for most likely delicous dinner.

Senior Willa Murphy carries a sign near City Hall at Occupy San Francisco. (Courtesy of Justas Reskevicius)

Whether you’re with them or against them, you can’t ignore the Occupy Wall Street protesters. Beginning as just an idea on the internet, the Occupy movement has become a global phenomenon.

The Occupy protesters have no specific demands, but their main message is clear: they believe that corporate influence in governments and growing economic inequality is dangerous, unjust, and should be addressed by the government.

“Their message is relevant and powerful,” said senior and Politics Club president Willa Murphy. Along with other members of the Politics Club, she attended the Occupy San Francisco protest in October.

There have already been occupations in major cities of over 80 countries (see map below), and the movement shows no signs of slowing down.

Each bulls-eye on this map marks an Occupy protest. (Courtesy of Google Maps)

It’s been nearly six months since the Adbusters Media Foundation, a Canadian activist group, first proposed a non-violent occupation of Wall Street. According to the Vancouver Courier, Adbusters suggested the idea in one of its email newsletters, and internet activists quickly latched onto the notion. On September 17, the first group of protesters moved into Zucotti Park in lower Manhattan and set up camp.

Similarly structured Occupy protests quickly began springing up in cities across the United States. San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Washington D.C., and Houston all saw Occupy protests in late September or early October.
“I think it’s getting bigger and bigger, and more people are supporting it,” said Murphy.

Most of the U.S. protests have avoided violence, but there have been conflicts between some protesters and police. On October 25, members of the Oakland police force marched into the Occupy Oakland camp. Their stated intention was to remove protesters due to poor sanitation at the protest site, but a confrontation occurred and police officers began firing rubber bullets and tear gas.

Although the majority of the protesters escaped unharmed, ex-Marine and Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen, 24, was hit in the head by a police projectile. Videos of an Oakland police officer intentionally throwing a tear gas canister at the people trying to help Olsen, and of Olsen being carried from the plaza bleeding and unable to speak, quickly spread on the internet.

Olsen is currently hospitalized but expected to recover. Oakland’s mayor Jean Quan backed down on the evictions following this incident, but now Oakland police are again serving the protesters with eviction notices, raising fears of a second confrontation.

Senior Kiara Owens thinks that the violence in Oakland may be a preview of what’s to come if politicians don’t start paying attention. “The peaceful part of it is going to stop soon because they’re getting so little response,” she said. “I think Oakland is the forerunner of that trend.”

Despite the continually increasing size and spread of the Occupy protests, there has been no significant reaction yet from members of the U.S. government. Polls have shown that the U.S. public generally supports the movement, but no congressional actions have resulted from the demonstrations.

“It’s hard to believe that they’re going to get anything done because they’re not asking for anything specific,” said senior and Politics Club member Claire Asselstine. “They’re just angry. They have to say, ‘We want this to be passed.’”

Senior Justas Reskevicius, who attended Occupy San Francisco, thinks that the impact of the protests may not be felt immediately. “I think because of the protests, [economic inequality] will be a lot more relevant in the next election. It’ll come up a lot more. It’s being brought to the forefront of issues,” he said.

Murphy agreed that the movement could have a significant influence on next year’s  presidential and congressional elections. “It’s going to develop… My hope is to see Occupy candidates, just like the Tea Party had Tea Party candidates,” she said. “It’s good that this is happening.”

Liam Hunt smiles, conveying his optimistic attitude.

For Junior Liam Hunt, home and school were not the only priorities when his family decided to move halfway across the world from Australia this past June. Following his father’s legacy, he wanted to play basketball with the Pirates.

Hunt grew up hearing stories of his father winning the State Championships with the Pirates and wanted to follow in his footsteps as a basketball star. Hunt’s father attended Drake in the early 1980s and led the team to a state victory. His father’s jersey is hung in the gym and has remained a retired number since he graduated. Following high school, Mr. Hunt played professionally for over 20 years for the Western Australian National Team.

Although Liam Hunt has played for the Western Australian team over the past three years, playing for the Pirates was something he only dreamed about. Hunt’s main role model is his father and he aspires to be like him one day. “I have hopes of following in my father’s footsteps. I want to play professionally one day. Maybe not in Australia, but we’ll see,” said Hunt.

In mid-June, the Hunt family packed up their belongings and moved to San Anselmo. This 6’ 6’’ basketball champ now plays for the Pirates, whom have helped him through the transition from Australia. “The Drake team is very supportive,” said Hunt.

When he arrived in the Bay Area, he joined the Drake AAU summer club basketball team that traveled throughout California. “All the guys on the team were great; none of them are bad guys and they all treat me really awesome. That was a really big plus when I moved here, because it’s tough making such a big change in your life.”

As the summer came to a close, the Drake AAU team lost the championship game by 15 points. “We lost our mental strength,” said Hunt. Although they were defeated over the summer, this year’s basketball season started up on November 7 and Hunt expects a good season.

Just months before, Hunt was competing with his team nationally against the other Australian states, such as Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia. “[In Australia] we try to play smart, that is, mentally smart. I never really liked it. I’ve made three national teams and I enjoyed one, but I had some pretty tough coaches,” said Hunt.

At the conclusion of summer, Hunt joined another extremely competitive club basketball team named the NBBA Spiders. Seniors Joey Euphrat, Ryan Euphrat, and Kamran Rathod also play alongside Hunt for the Spiders. The team traveled throughout the state in addition to Reno, Nevada where they won the gold medal.”We beat Arkansas, Wisconsin, Hawaii and many other states. The whole team played hard, which was great,” stated Hunt.

Hunt has played basketball since he was nine-years-old and doesn’t expect his career will end when he graduates high school. “I would love to play in a division-1 college. If I could go anywhere it would be St. Mary’s. They have a load of good Australian kids,” said Hunt.

Hunt is looking forward to the Drake season and believes they’ll go far with the talented players and varsity Coach Doug Donnellan. “Hopefully Coach has everything planned out because we have a really good team this year,” said Hunt.

Following basketball season, Hunt is considering using his talents in another sport: volleyball. For Hunt, reaching the top of the net shouldn’t be a problem. “I can dunk pretty easily, but I don’t have many hops,” said Hunt jokingly referring to his inability to jump. We will have to wait and see what Hunt can bring in addition to his basketball skills.

Although the move halfway across the world wasn’t easy, and he still misses his Australian family, “Hunt seems to be fitting into to Drake just fine. He’s really funny and outgoing,” said senior Nicolina Higgins. He also has some adjusting to do, “Everything here is opposite; the toilets flush the opposite way and the cars are on the wrong side as well,” said Hunt.

The basketball season has commenced, and it is time to look for the new 6’6’’ Australian champion, Liam Hunt.

Some club members hang out and participate during a PALs meeting (Sydney Silver | JR).

It’s likely you know someone affected by the fastest growing developmental disability in America: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), commonly referred to as Autism.

The integration of autistic students into school setting has shifted stereotypes. Previously, stereotypes have been thrown around by the uninformed, depicting someone with Autism as “socially awkward” or “retarded.” However, the Autism spectrum is a wide one, so the difficulties for one autistic person may be very different for another.

Statistically Speaking

Six out of every 1,000 children has Autism, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). ASD is a range of neurodevelopment disorders that limit social and cognitive abilities. Those affected by Autism may engage in repeated behaviors such as rocking back and forth and hand flapping. A milder disorder on the Autism spectrum is Aspergers Syndrome.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the symptoms of ASD appear during the first three years of life. According to the NINDS, some early symptoms of the disorder are no babbling by age one, and loss of social interaction and responsiveness such as smiling or responding to one’s own name.

In older children the symptoms may include inability to make friends, initiate and sustain conversation, inflexible adherence to specific rituals/routines, and repetitive use of language. There are co-occurring conditions associated with Autism, including epilepsy, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

The difference between Autism and Aspergers is that those with Aspergers generally have good language and cognitive abilities, whereas those affected by Autism have compromised cognitive ability [according to the Autistic Society]. Additionally, those afflicted by Aspergers do not have any speech delay.

Those with Aspergers, have difficulty with social interaction, like those with Autism. Most will not be able to detect voice inflection that suggests humor or irony. These factors make the give-and-take nature of conversations difficult for many people with Aspergers Syndrome.

Oak Hill students have fun using instruments in order to expand their learning experiences (oakhillschool.org).

Public School Programs and Specialty Schools

While there is no cure for Autism, a common treatment is educational and behavioral interaction, which uses training sessions to help children learn social and language skills.

In our own school, the Special Education program provides these interventions to the 10-15 students who are currently in the program.

Not all Autistic students are in Special Education. “Most identified autistic kids have Special Education, but not all. I know of several right now that probably have Aspergers Syndrome who do not get Special [Education] Services,” said Special Education teacher Alison Waters.

Each student in Special Education has an Independent Education Plan (IEP) that specifies the needs of the child, accomodations, or differences in learning, that all teachers must follow.

The academic environment ranges from students needing extra help with homework to needing to be in a Special Education day class outside of the general curriculum. Waters thinks this flexibility is what’s so great about the program, “That’s the nice thing about Special Ed.; it’s geared toward helping kids as they need it.”

The goal of the Special Education class is to, “Help the students understand what they’re struggling with, teach them compensatory strategies and how to cope with what they have. Work around it and work through it, instead of giving up,” said Waters. The primary goal is to mainstream the kids in Special Education as much as possible. “Drake does a really good job of that and is very inclusive, so we’re lucky,” she said.

An example of this mainstreaming is Partners at Lunch, also known as P.A.L.s club. An Autistic student (who will be named Jane for this article) says she enjoys going to school here and being a member of P.A.L.s, “Well, I like to see all kinds of pals, freshman, sophomores, juniors, seniors. And every month we always celebrate the birthdays [of club members].”

For Autistic students like Jane, there is the option to go to a general high school and be part of a special day class or go to a specialized school that focuses on Autistic education solely.

The Oak Hill School in San Anselmo near Red Hill Field is one of those specialized schools. One of the school’s teachers, Lori Calzaretta, believes that the only real disadvantage of going to a specialized school such as The Oak Hill School is the fact that the students don’t get typical peer interaction. “That is really the only disadvantage I see,” she stated.

Similar to the Special Education class at Drake, the education at The Oak Hill School is individualized. Calzaretta’s class is made up of five students that range from ages thirteen to twenty-one. Since each class is comprised of students with similar difficulties, her class is able to focus on the skills that are needed by her particular group of students. “We do a lot of money math and shopping out in the community… We’re just teaching our kids how to function and deal with themselves in society and the community,” Calzaretta said.

The needs of each Autistic student vary greatly. “We truly have a spectrum here,” Calzaretta said, “Some of them have difficulty with words and communicating, some have difficulty with repetitive behavior, some have difficulty interacting socially. There’s not one kid who’s the same as the rest.”

Calzaretta thinks that the advantage of going to Oak Hill is the 3 to 5 teacher-to-student ratio, since it allows the teachers to focus on the needs of all the kids in a specific manner.

Students at the Oak Hill School pose during one outdoor adventure on campus (oakhillschool.org).

There’s Something About the iPad

Calzaretta noted that the recent breakthrough of iPad learning for Autistic children has been very beneficial for students at The Oak Hill School. Students at the school are able to work on their math and writing skills on the iPad. “There are kids that have a really hard time communicating and they use the iPad to communicate. It’s pretty fascinating,” said Calzaretta.

This discovery of iPads revolutionizing the lives of many Autistic children has been covered in many different new sources; particularly the CBS 60 Minutes segment which reported on The Beverly School in Toronto, Canada where the first studies of Autism education with the iPad are underway. So far, the studies have indicated that the iPad is improving the abilities of students by helping them interact/socialize and enhancing attention spans.

Calzaretta is in just as much awe as the teachers at The Beverly School; “We’ve had computer programs for years, but there’s something about the iPad that makes it work.”

Be A Friend

Senior Lauren Silver has volunteered at Oak Hill over the past two summers and has found it a highly rewarding experience. “One thing that really moved me is that [the students] still have this very human desire to connect. Sometimes it was very sad because they don’t have the means to interact in some ways,” said Silver. She said that the students found their own ways to communicate with her. One student would just hold hands with Silver, and she describes the experience of showing her that “there are a lot of different ways to connect with people.” The Oak Hill School welcomes high school students to volunteer.

Calzaretta comments that Autism has become the new “in” thing to research, but she wants to remind people, “The biggest thing is to open yourself up to someone that’s Autistic. There are friendships there to be made… Open yourself up, be a friend.”