2015 – Page 3 – Teen Observer Archive

August 8, 2015August 8, 2015

Chez Panisse: more than just a restaurant

Employees always hand-pick the best produce to ensure that it is fresh. Photo by Makena Huey — Pastry chefs begin sorting fresh fruit to use in desserts and sauces hours before the restaurant opens. Photo by Makena Huey

This month marks the 44th anniversary of Chez Panisse. General Manager Jennifer Sherman recently gave a behind-the-scenes tour of the restaurant to the staff of the Teen Observer.

When creating Chez Panisse in 1971, Alice Waters was inspired to have her customers feel as if they were going to a “dinner party” where “generosity and attention to detail” would radiate.

Waters has a strong “passion for food and bringing people together,” Sherman said.

And for almost 44 years, her goal has been to provide people with a “Slow Food” experience, which emphasizes the importance of fresh, organic food as well as bonding with friends and family.

“It’s really important to Alice that when you come in, you have a feeling that everything is made by hand,” she said. This not only includes the food, but also the interior and exterior features of the building that make Chez Panisse so much more than just a restaurant. “All of her passions are about food, but it’s really about connecting people,” she said.

The restaurant, which serves about 500 people per day, was the first of its kind to have a visible fireplace and an open-floor plan, so diners can see the chefs doing what they love from their tables. This concept is ideal for small, intimate groups of people. Sherman said one table seats 10 but they recommend that no more than eight eat together.

The menu changes daily based on what is fresh and looks best at the markets, and the restaurant maintains a strong relationship with many local farmers to ensure that only the best and most seasonal foods are served. “We go look at the things and decide what’s really best,” Sherman said.

“We would not be who we are without farmers who are beyond organic,” Sherman said. When Waters first opened the restaurant in 1971, a three-course dinner was $6.25 including a bottle of wine. Today, the average price for a four-course meal is $100, not including wine.

Waters decided to take out the wall separating the two areas after a kitchen fire 30 years ago.
Photo by Makena Huey

The staff is a very tight-knit community, which is unique considering there are over 115 employees. Sherman describes the restaurant as a collaborative work environment where “everybody’s opinion matters.” When hiring people, she said she looks for individuals who are hard-working, reliable, interesting, diverse, skilled and most importantly, passionate. This passion for the art of cooking and connecting people is what makes Chez Panisse have such a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Not only does this restaurant provide a five star dining experience, but it also features live music several times per year including jazz bands, accordion and piano players, as well as a French group called the Baguette Quartet. Up-and-coming cookbook authors often have their book signings at their cafe, while locals and tourists alike come together to celebrate special occasions.

On Aug. 28, the restaurant will be celebrate its 44th anniversary. There will be live music and delicious food fresh from the farmer’s hands. For more information, click here.

August 8, 2015

Your dogs have their shots, but do your kids?

Illustration by Sarah Kaiser. Uploaded November 12, 2014 by Juhan Sonin

This opinion piece does not express the opinions of the Teen Observer as a whole, only those of the authors.

BERKELEY, Calif. — August 2015, and kids are grudgingly readying themselves for the return of the school year. For most it means school supplies and last-minute, summer-homework cram sessions. For others, it’s accepting the anxiety of “will this be year?” The year for vaccinations.

An outbreak of measles in Disneyland brought state vaccination laws to the forefront of social and political dialogue. Nineteen were infected on what were intended to be fun trips to the amusement park. Outbreaks like these occur when “herd immunity” is lacking, meaning that enough people refused vaccinations to allow a disease to spread.

Yet, the Bay Area sees intense anti-vaccination action. In the 2013-2014 school year alone, 17,000 children went to school unvaccinated for philosophical exemption, while only 1,000 were exempted for medical reasons.

To prevent a local epidemic, a new law passed in California requires all students from pre-school to kindergarten to receive vaccinations with the exception of the medically compromised. These children rely on herd immunity to stay healthy, so a parent’s religion or beliefs are no longer grounds for exemption.

This law was not passed without opposition. Many parents have opted to homeschool children in order to avoid vaccines. These drastic measures were spurned by a now retracted investigation published by the British Medical Journal in 1998. The study by Andrew Wakefield has since been disproved in the face of opposition by the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Any reasoning parents could use against vaccines is invalid in the eyes of not the only U.S. government but also the United Nations.

But for some parents, it seems the protection of their children and others still comes second to a personal philosophy rooted in ignorance and false information. Like drunk drivers, the perpetrators put themselves and those around them at risk. Refusing to vaccinate not only endangers that child but those around him or her who rely on herd immunity to stay safe.

Feature image: Amanda Mills, USCDCP, Public Domain 2015.

August 7, 2015

A’s play strong, but fall in 10 to Astros

OAKLAND, Calif. — On Aug. 8 in front of a crowd of about 16,000, AL West rivals the Oakland Athletics and the Houston Astros squared off in a game that would take an extra innings to solve. In a 10-inning game — which saw everything from home runs to exceptional defense — the Houston Astros ultimately came out as the victors, 5-4.

The scoring started off early, as the Astros tallied a run in the first inning off of a Jed Lowrie sacrifice fly that advanced Carlos Gomez from third, giving them a 1-0 lead.

The A’s would quickly answer back, though, in the second inning with catcher Stephen Vogt hitting a solo home run, his 15th of the season, tying the game at 1. The scoring would resume in the fifth inning, with A’s third baseman Brett Lawrie hitting a solo home run of his own, his 10th total home run of the season, giving the A’s a 2-1 lead.

The Astros, however, bounced back in a huge way in the eighth inning, as rookie shortstop Carlos Correa hit a two-run home run, followed by a Colby Rasmus single and an error by the Athletics that would allow Lowrie to score from second base. After a three-run eighth inning, the Astros were on top, 4-2.

The A’s staged a ninth-inning rally, scoring twice on an Ike Davis RBI single and a Billy Burns fielder’s choice groundout.

The game went into the 10th inning, during which the Astros wasted no time getting the run they needed to take the advantage. The Astros scored on a Lowrie double, which would score Jose Altuve, giving them a 5-4 lead.

Reliever Will Harris came in for the Astros in the 10th inning and finished the job, picking up his first career MLB save in the process, as the Astros held on for a 5-4 victory over their divisional foes.

August 7, 2015August 7, 2015

Berkeley market builds close relationships

BERKELEY, Calif. — The weekly farmers’ market downtown here, held every Saturday year-round, continues to provide locals and tourists with fresh goods and new relationships. The market, founded in 1987 by the Ecology Center, is a friendly and open area where California farmers spend five hours selling their organic and locally grown products to the community.

Fruits and vegetables at the farmers' market. — Fruits and vegetables are some of the many items sold at the downtown Berkeley farmers’ market, which is held every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dante Kaleo, an employee for the Ecology Center, said that the farmers’ market sends “a very live vibe.” Kaleo also said that the farmers’ market is important to him because “I’m giving back to my community. This is my community, my people.”

Each week the farmers’ market will attract both old and new customers alike. Kristen Sidell, an architect living in Berkeley, visited the Saturday event with her children for the first time recently despite going to the Thursday and Sunday farmers’ markets many times before, and she said they had a fantastic experience. “It’s great,” she said.

The variety of the offerings of the 65 vendors is one reason that about 1,200 customers show up each week.

The vendors at the farmers’ market also add to the friendly atmosphere by being kind and chatting with everyone. Lupe Sanchez, a farmer from Aromas, has been selling herbs and spices for the past nine years. “You meet new people, build relationships, and talk freely,” Sanchez said.

Katie Coffman, a vendor here for two years, said, “I love coming to the farmers’ market because there’s a beautiful connection between the farmers and consumers. You’re seeing a product coming directly from the farm to the consumers.”

August 7, 2015

Chez Panisse: Front runner of slow-food movement

Fresh bell peppers sit near the pizza oven in the cafe upstairs. Photo by Jessi Carman

BERKELEY, Calif. — In 1971, after a trip to France, Alice Waters was enamored with the taste of good food, shopped for each day and prepared with what looked best at the market. She and a group of friends started a restaurant here not far from the University of California’s campus.

In 2015, as the owner of Chez Panisse, she and her restaurant remain the standard-bearers for eating local food in season.

The old house turned comfortable dinner destination is open six days a week nearly every week of the year, and follows a unique menu— one that changes daily in both the cafe and the dining room.

Hilde Coucke was visiting the restaurant from Belgium as a member of Slow Food International to see for herself the restaurant that has moved many to embrace and aim for connecting over food, supporting small farms and eating with their health in mind.

Coucke is a manager of an organic farm, “but farmers don’t make a good living,” she says. She said Europe has a better relationship with food than the United States, but that slow food is still a necessary organization, as Europe is at a crossroads in which fast foods and slow foods are battling for dominance. Chez Panisse, like many European restaurants, buys vegetables, fruits and meats from local organic farmers, only purchasing what’s ripe and never freezing or preserving out-of-season foods to use as a constant staple of the menu.

From this healthy relationship with nature, the restaurant has developed a great appreciation for agriculture. General Manager Jennifer Sherman said, “We would absolutely not be who and where we are with out the farmers.” She added that the restaurant’s biggest achievements are supporting small farms and bringing people together. “All of her passions are about food, but it’s really about connecting people,” Sherman said.

Slow Food International, started in 1986 in Italy by Carlo Petrini after a campaign against the opening of a new McDonald’s. Alice Waters is its vice president. The organization now has an American chapter known as Slow Food USA, founded by Richard McCarthy in 2000, and a youth outreach program that teaches young people about the slow food message.

The Slow Food movement is a revolution which aims to support farming and agriculture and provide clean eating to people everywhere. It reminds the public that traditionally meals were meant as a time to come around the table to talk, joke and be with one another. Enriching food culture is a mission that is often combated by traditional fast food and the growing sentiment that food is merely to be eaten, not always enjoyed and truly tasted.

In the United States following the slow food philosophy is not only difficult, but expensive. In 1971 the cost of a three- course meal, including a carafe of wine, was $6.25 at Chez Panisse. Today the number is upward of $100 per person for a four-course meal – excluding wine. “It’s just very expensive,” says Sherman.

Chez Panisse does its best to provide employees with livable pay, despite the high cost of operation and the high cost of living in Northern California. Sherman said the restaurant set an internal minimum wage of $15, higher than the national average of $7.75. Even then, it’s still difficult to support employees, and the restaurant essentially runs as a nonprofit, she said. They also offer health benefits, paid vacation leave and sick days.

Numerous alumni have left and started restaurants of their own that follow the same ethical and moral principles—supporting slow food, farmers and employees. Coucke described an ideal of good eating that permeates European culture and continues to spread worldwide.

August 7, 2015

From barely talking to Bear Talking

Rising sophomore David Straub, assistant director of sports, in the KALX studio sitting at the microphone by Chelsea Siegal — Rising sophomore David Straub, assistant director of sports, in the KALX studio shows off the studio where he works.
Photo by Chelsea Siegal

BERKELEY, Calif. — The University of California, Berkeley is widely known for many things: amazing academic programs, a picturesque campus and award-winning sports.

Situated in the basement of a building in the middle of the campus is a place that may not be as well-known: KALX, 90.7 FM, the campus’ broadcasting radio station.

The radio station provides students and Berkeley locals with up-to-date information regarding Golden Bears football, basketball and baseball teams through its sports talk-show, Bear Talk.

David Straub, the assistant director of sports, is a sophomore economics major who discovered that the radio programs allowed him to pursue a new passion: sports radio broadcasting. As Straub said, “It’s never too late to get into something like sports broadcasting… as long as you have a passion for it.”

Straub started listening to KALX soon after arriving on campus. He went to a recruiting session to learn more about volunteer opportunities and discovered that those on air for music program were far more knowledgeable than he was.

But when Sports Editor Glenn Borok talked sports opportunities, including a chance to travel with the Cal teams, Straub was hooked. “I like sports. I like seeing sports. I like new places. So that’s all it really took for me to be on board,” Straub said.

Straub was a big hockey fan but not involved in sports in high school and admitted that he sometimes “would root for the wrong team by accident.”

During his first appearance on Bear Talk in the fall of 2014, when the station offered for others to go on during an “open mic” night, Straub gave it shot, but said he felt awkward and uncomfortable being in a room full of sports aficionados making references to three decades of Bay Area sports — which he couldn’t keep up with. “I said two words in the entire half-hour,” he said.

After the broadcast ended, he was sure his radio career was over. Much to his surprise, though, the station called him back the next week and asked if he return for another show. Straub quickly brushed up on Golden Bears athletics.

Straub said that the Sports Department consists of 10-15 students but many members of the community also help on- and off-air, including other Cal alums. During the program, he works with an engineer, a play-by-play reporter, a spotter who assists the reporter, a color commentator and a rotating host. He recently asked to take over hosting and was given the slot. He said he wants to “build on my ability to create story lines.”

A panel of contributors consisting of current students, Cal alumni, Berkeley City College students, and other Berkeley residents participate in the sports programs.

Straub said, “People want a simplified package” and want one of his strengths is “being able to understand patterns.”

He added listeners “want to be able to hear from people who can tie it together with a pretty bow.”

August 7, 2015August 11, 2015

Column: A’s fall in tough home loss to Astros

OAKLAND, Calif.- Due to late defensive mistakes, the Houston Astros handed the Oakland Athletics their whopping 62nd loss of the season, bringing them 14 games under .500 and keeping them dead last in the AL West, 5 games behind the Mariners.

In pre-game interviews, Marcus Semien, Oakland’s inconsistent, yet talented No. 1 shortstop, told the Teen Observer staff that his team was looking to “defend their home turf” and “make some necessary adjustments” following a rough series against the Orioles. At first, it seemed as if the A’s would do just that, coming back from being down by one in the first inning with two solo home runs in the second and fifth. Though Oakland’s defense was shaky against the top team in their division, they kept the Astros at bay for a good portion of the game.

Things got interesting around the top of the eighth inning, when hits by Carlos Correa and Colby Rasmus of Houston put the Astros up 4-2.

The painful part about the latest of many losses for the A’s was that the late rally by their opponents was countered by a last-minute comeback at the bottom of the ninth, with Stephen Vogt and Brett Lawrie both making their way around the bases to tie the ballgame. To shake things up even further, the Lawrie run was a result of a single by Bobby Burns who reached the plate a split second before the Astros’ first baseman caught the ball. The call on the field that Burns was safe stood after a brief review by the MLB and several minutes of nail biting for A’s fans in the stands. After eight innings of stagnant baseball, the mellow crowd at O.co Coliseum had a game to watch.

The excitement, however, was short-lived, as Houston’s Jed Lowrie smashed a 93 MPH fastball into left field, buying just enough time for Jose Altuve on second base to score for the win in the 10th inning.

The outcome of this contest is a prime example of why the A’s have had such a disappointing season thus far. On paper, Oakland has some excellent, young pitchers and a strong core of consistent batters, but their lack of cohesion on defense yields amateur mistakes that override any offensive success they may be capable of.

Though many argue that the A’s deserve to be higher in the standings, there is simply no excuse for the rookie mistakes that they make on the field. There are miscommunications that happen in the Athletics’ outfield on a regular basis that have no place in major league baseball. At this point in the schedule, Oakland needs to focus on patching up the basic holes in their game in preparation for next season.

Though Dog Day at O.co Coliseum is over, the dog days for the A’s are certainly not over.

August 7, 2015August 13, 2015

Column: Marcus Semien in a change of atmosphere

OAKLAND, Calif.—Welcome to California, where people cheer louder when it rains than when Brett Lawrie hits a 447-foot bomb. An unimpressive season for the A’s thus far, sitting at the bottom of the AL table, things need to change. I sat down with Marcus Semien yesterday to talk to him about the tough season and what he has in store for the rest of the season and for the rest of his career. Despite the fact that the A’s are shot for a playoff spot, Semien, a Cal grad, mentioned that it was important for him and the team to continue to put in the effort throughout. That positive attitude shone through when he was talking about a three-run shot he hit against the Orioles on Tuesday, saying “Every time I go up to the plate, I want to do something to help the team win.”

Semien, who has now staked out his spot as a full-time big leaguer, is not only settling in to the Bay Area, where he grew up, but also is now settling in to his natural position at short. On the White Sox, where he played third and second because Alexei Ramirez had the starting job at short, he wasn’t comfortable. After moving to the A’s and settling in at short, he has come in to his element and seized what he called “a big opportunity” to stake out a starting role at short. Only a newly found big league talent, he was very clear in describing the difference of the atmosphere in the minors and the big leagues.

“It’s different” Semien said. “There’s nothing like it.”

Semien’s optimism and humility came through again when asked what part of his game he needed to focus on most by replying “I really look at every part of my game,” and that he is working to become a more consistent player.

Semien, batting a meager .249 with 10 homers and 26 RBIs, has been picking up steam recently over the last six games, hitting a more impressive .277 with two dingers, including a three-run moon shot on a hanging curveball that brought the A’s to a 5-0 lead on Tuesday night.

Semien’s future looks promising, and if his recent performance is any indication of what is to come, then the A’s are lucky to have such a promising prospect rounding out the infield at short over the next couple years. Providing defensive prowess, occasional power at the plate, and a sense of optimism, Semien’s future with the A’s and the big leagues looks promising.

July 9, 2015July 9, 2015

Transgender movement gathers awareness and supporters

Washington D.C. residents and students expressed varying viewpoints about the transgender movement, which has gathered momentum in the last couple of years in the wake of several high-profile celebrity advocates and television shows.

This week in Tenleytown, a half dozen interviewees leaned toward a more accepting and liberal standpoint of transgender icons, people and the movement in general.

Michelle Nowak, 19, is involved in the Human Rights Campaign, which fights for LGBTQ equality in the workplace. She identifies as “liberal” from a social standpoint but conservative from an economic perspective.

Nowak supports the transgender movement wholeheartedly. She was especially concerned with allowing not just transgender people–but any person–to enjoy the life they live and to be comfortable.

“If that’s how they find happiness, then I’m not going to get in the way of that,” Nowak said.

Alison Jones, 20, an American University student, includes transgender friends in her group and openly supports LGBTQ rights and the community.

Jones said the experience of her transgender friends is predominantly negative and says they sometimes face discrimination from others even in places often identified as liberal.

“It’s a process of talking to them about their experience,” Jones said. She added, “It’s definitely eye-opening.”

Photo by Lenny Ignelzi, Associated Press.

Transgender icons impact their community as well as the general LGBTQ community. Laverne Cox, a transgender woman famous for her role in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, advocates for stronger acceptance.

The award-winning Amazon series Transparent won big at the Golden Globes this year. It features a transgender woman as its protagonist.

Caitlyn Jenner, too, brought the issue to the public’s attention with her cover story in Vanity Fair, and an interview with Diane Sawyer earlier this year.

Bryan Bauer, 19, said he didn’t have a strong opinion regarding the transgender community and didn’t think he was personally affected by it.

On the topic of Jenner, Bauer said that Jenner “was a good athlete at some point, but made his own decision, and it’s his decision, not mine.”

The issue of transgender people in the media has received attention from major advocacy groups like GLAAD, which has a media reference guide on transgender issues. Even though Bauer referred to Jenner with the male pronoun, GLAAD’s guidelines favor that the media use the transgender person’s preferred pronoun.

Emma Jackson, 31, mentioned that while she could not speak on behalf of the transgender community, she did approve of the fact that transgender icons such as Cox raised awareness, however she added that there were both upsides and downfalls.

“By opening themselves up to conversation, they allow that conversation to take place,” said Jackson, regarding transgender icons representing their community through the media.

Lee Martin, a college junior at Christopher Newport University and a liberal, believes that Cox is “awesome” and a strong figure of the LGBTQ and transgender community.

“She’s doing a great job at portraying the transgender community and that they aren’t something weird or unnatural,” said Martin, who is a teaching assistant this summer for a high school program at American University.

This week at Washington D.C.’s National Mall, interviewees were primarily indifferent toward topics relating to the transgender community but said advocacy is making its way through social media.

Emily Brown, 19, mentioned that social media in particular informed her view of the transgender community, and she stayed informed through the news, Facebook and Tumblr.

“Through the media coverage I’ve learned more of like, how to address transgender people,” said Brown, on the topic of transgender celebrities in the media.

July 9, 2015July 9, 2015

Smithsonian’s newest museum to celebrate black culture

Tourists on the National Mall on Monday acknowledged the potential for the National Museum of African American History and Culture to broaden understanding of black culture as the building nears completion, but many were unaware of the museum’s construction before they arrived.

When asked about the site, reaction to the building and its future was overwhelmingly positive.

The museum will “help us understand what people of color have gone through,” said Michael Wolf, 51, a white man from Minnesota. It will educate us “so that we don’t repeat stupid things like slavery.”

Construction began in 2012 and is expected to be completed in 2016 according to the Smithsonian website.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture under construction at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue on the National Mall.

Although the reaction to the museum was overwhelmingly positive, many white tourists were uncomfortable talking about the museum in the wake of a year in which racial tensions have flared. Many who agreed to be interviewed declined to comment once told the subject of the story.

Those who did share their opinions agreed the museum would help people appreciate the role blacks have played in American history.

The museum will highlight African American “achievements and accomplishments that have made the United States great,” said Wolf, who was touring the World War II memorial.

Stacey Jones, 46, a black woman from Houston, Texas said the museum will “help people see the contributions that African Americans have made to our society.”

The construction of the museum is a milestone for African Americans, and President Barack Obama weighed in on that significance during a groundbreaking ceremony in 2012.

“I want visitors to appreciate this museum not just as a record of tragedy, but as a celebration of life,” Obama said according to a transcript of the groundbreaking ceremony posted to the White House website.

On the Mall this week, tourists said they hope the museum will provide education and connect races.

“A better outlook at the other people,” said Marco Middleton, 25, a black man from Georgia about his hope for the museum.

It will “help us not compete against one another,” Middleton said.

The museum’s website reflects Middleton’s opinion, describing the museum as “a place that transcends the boundaries of race and culture that divide us.”

“It is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, art, history, and culture,” according to the Smithsonian website.

Different ethnicities will be able to understand black culture, Jones said.

“People will see things from our point of view,” Jones continued. “History textbooks are from a white perspective.”

Exhibits will focus on slavery, Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement, among others, according to the museum’s website. The collection is being formed.

Some people are blind to real history, said Pamela Clerk, 51, who is black.She hopes it will help younger generations learn.

The museum will have student workshops to offer that perspective that Jones said cannot be found in schools.

Student workshops at the museum “are a resource for youth (ages 10-18) in which themes in American history are illuminated through the lens of African American experiences,” according to the museum’s website.

That’s good news to Clerk.

“We have a great history and we’re great people,” Clerk said.