Zero waste with Zanny Zellers

Javin Pombra and Jocelyn Maeyama
August 15, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue 0

Standing waist deep in a dumpster long after sunset may seem like a night gone wrong, but for senior Zanny Zellers, it’s exactly where she wants to be. After hearing the news two weeks ago that the recreation center where she works would be demolished, Zanny spent her days at work watching her c...

Mountain View’s Home for the Homeless

Danny Vesurai and Noelle Hanson
August 15, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue 0

Come this November, 50 people, mostly families and single women, will find a respite from the winter at a cold weather homeless shelter at Trinity United Methodist Church in Mountain View. The church, which lies on the corner of Hope and Mercy Street, has long served the community. Hope’s Corner ...

High school to higher education

Emily Aronovitz, Photographer
August 15, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue 0

UDPS and beyond: poetry at Los Altos

Tinomuda Tugwete, Madison Woo, and Emily Aronovitz
July 6, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-8

In the following interviews, edited for clarity, The Talon features two poets on the Los Altos Slam Team and their experiences and journeys with poetry. The team took home second place at the Youth Speaks Unified District Poetry Slam (UDPS) finals on April 26, an amazing feat after competing against...

Inside MVLA’s championship debate team

Emily Aoki, Editor-In-Chief
July 5, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-8

Ten years ago, the Mountain View-Los Altos (MVLA) Parliamentary Debate team didn’t exist. This year, the team is almost 30 strong and didn’t just send one-sixth of its team to the national Tournament of Champions (TOC) — they “closed it out,” meaning the two teams in the final round of the...

Margarita Navarro tackles inequality in schools

Danny Vesurai, Staff Writer
July 5, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-8

From spearheading programs like AVID to teaching her peers in high school and college as a tutor and teacher’s aide, new Associate Superintendent Margarita Navarro has searched for ways to assist others throughout her life. Navarro’s dreams of becoming a teacher began when she was a 9-year-old in th...

Main Street Singers Take European Tour

Adrienne Mitchel, Staff Writer
June 2, 2017
Filed under Features, Web Exclusive

In a picturesque German town, a group of American high schoolers mill around in an outdoor market before their director ushers them into formation for an impromptu choir performance. A small group of Germans, toting their shopping bags, stop to listen to their songs. As the students continue, a massiv...

Iranian Student Union’s Mission: Cultural Understanding

Jaclyn Saik, Staff Writer
March 29, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-6, Showcase

On Sunday, February 12, students from ISU joined over 150 marchers from across the Bay Area in front of Sunnyvale City Hall. Organized predominantly by Sean and Homestead High School senior Yasaman Hakami, the protest was focused on cultivating an environment of cultural understanding among the diverse...

CSU Channel Islands: Diverse and Accessible

Alex Luna, Staff Writer
March 29, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-6

When thinking of colleges in California, the big names usually come to mind: Stanford, UCLA, Cal and other well-known UCs and CSUs. When making the big decision on which college to attend, the lesser-known CSU Channel Islands presents an interesting option for a wide selection of students. For those...

Zimbabwe Run Brings the Joy of Africa to Los Altos

Emma Kwan, Staff Writer
March 29, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-6

Inspired by a 1997 trip to see her son’s volunteer work in Africa, Los Altos resident Ellen Clark began the Zimbabwe Run in 2000 to support AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe. Three years later, Clark also created the Sustainable Living Foundation, a nonprofit focused on organizing the Zimbabwe Run and other...

Mahita Bobba: Turning Poetry into Action

Priya Dixit and Yolanda Spura
March 29, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-5, Issue-6

“Worth” — something freshman Mahita Bobba has struggled to feel throughout her life, and the name of the slam poem that she performed at the Freshman Poetry Slam in February, in which she won first place. “The basis of my poem was feminism ,” Mahita said. “[A woman] doesn’t need a male...

Artist Spread: Max Drummond

Adrienne Mitchel, Staff Writer
March 29, 2017
Filed under Features, Issue-5

Senior Max Drummond is a master showman — from singing in Main Street, to acting in Broken Box, to participating in musical theater, he thrives on the stage. While he has many talents, his one true passion is acting. “[Acting] is the one thing that for me really clicks,” Max said. “I really...