The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News
The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News
The student news site of Carlmont High School in Belmont, California.

Scot Scoop News
Nisha Marino

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief

Nisha Marino is a senior at Carlmont High School. This is her third year on the journalism staff and she is Editor-in-Chief of the Carlmont’s Highlander newsmagazine. She enjoys reading, playing water polo, and baking in her free time. To check out her portfolio, click here.

Twitter: @nmarino07

All content by Nisha Marino
The Sequoia Union High School District’s homepage announces the switch to distance learning. However, the grading during this time period is still uncertain.

Opinion: Grades must go

Nisha Marino and Emma Romanowsky • April 7, 2020

Superintendent Mary Streshly said it best; COVID-19 is not a hurricane. In the school board meeting held on Zoom on April 6, the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic was described as a different kind of natural...

Students need to take a page out of this snail's book and slow down before finals.

Opinion: We need to slow down before finals

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • December 12, 2019

For six semesters, I've found the first few days of break after finals incredibly difficult. It took me a while to figure out why, but I've finally got it: the way the week is structured makes it hard...

Carlmont students expressed appreciation for one another through ASB's candy corn–filled pumpkins and creating hand turkeys in class, as pictured.

Opinion: Don’t force gratitude

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • November 28, 2019

Our Thanksgiving gratitude is a lie to our families. We spend Thanksgiving saying we're grateful for the people we're around, such as the family we may only see once a year. Maybe we only remember to...

What makes us adults? Turning 18 and graduating high school may seem like the obvious answers, but true maturity does not come at one single event.

Opinion: Maturity is an illusion

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • October 13, 2019

When you turn 18, a switch flips. Congratulations! Society has labeled you an adult, granting you the title every child dreams of. But what's the cost of that switch? Being mature means being responsible....

At a 2009 United Nations Security Council meeting, the ratio of women to men is drastically different. (Pete Souza / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain).

Opinion: More women, please

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • September 19, 2019

Women and men are not equal. We may have the same legal rights in America, and even those are on thin ice, but we are not equal. Equality begins with a mindset. Believing in our fundamental equality...

Many teachers require students to use extra credit points to go to the bathroom.

[Photo] Opinion: Bathroom passes shouldn’t cost a grade

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • September 8, 2019

Many teachers require students to use extra credit points to go to the bathroom.

Abortion rights have been up for debate since abortion became a medical practice. The March for Life is a protest of the rights granted after Roe v. Wade, which some pro-choicers attend to advocate the protection of these rights.

Opinion: Abortion rights are necessary

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • May 14, 2019

The murder rate in Georgia is about to go up. At least as far as the law is concerned. Last week, Georgia passed a bill that will go into effect in January 2020 banning abortions after a heartbeat is...

Amariyanna "Mari" Copeny, who is known by the nickname "Little Miss Flint," shows the future of youth activism.

Opinion: Little Miss Flint is the future

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • April 25, 2019

In 2016, Amariyanna "Mari" Copeny was eight years old. Two years into the Flint water crisis, Copeny wrote a letter to President Obama asking him to come to Flint to discuss the future of clean water....

Khloé Kardashian cries about the Tristan Thompson cheating scandal in new reality TV trailer: "It just sucks it has to be so public."

Opinion: Stop talking about Jordyn Woods

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • April 1, 2019

Tristan Thompson cheated on Khloé Kardashian. This is not the most surprising piece of celebrity news. The beginnings of the relationship are a bit dubious – Thompson allegedly cheated on his ex-girlfriend...

Recognizing one's privilege is extremely important to understanding other people.

Opinion: Know your privilege

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • March 4, 2019

People will tell you to check your privilege all the time. Before you laugh it off as a “snowflake statement,” think about the parts of your identity that allow you to dismiss the issue. If you’ve...

Global warming is making the polar ice caps melt, which hurts polar bears and other arctic creatures.

Opinion: Don’t worry about climate change

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • February 5, 2019

As usual, no one has said it better than President Trump: Global warming, or "waming," as President Trump referred to it, has been discussed for well over a century. But scientists have discussed...

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Vice President Mike Pence, meets with Republican and Democratic legislative leadership members Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019, in the Situation Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead).

Opinion: Have you tried turning it off and then on again?

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • January 14, 2019

We’re nearly halfway through the Trump presidency, and we’ve started the year with no government. To say we had one in 2017 or 2018 would be a stretch, as the Trump administration seemed to hold...

Women's rooms tend to have longer lines because of the female anatomy and the amount of space toilet stalls take up.

Opinion: Women’s bathrooms take too long

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • November 26, 2018

One minute. Five minutes. Ten minutes... and you’re still in line, you can’t see the end, and you’re going to pee your pants. But time has run out. According to Women's Health, the average...

Sex education helps prevent long-term issues including teen pregnancy, STIs, and unhealthy relationships.

Opinion: Abstinence is (not) the solution

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • October 29, 2018

For centuries, humans have searched for a solution to unwanted pregnancies. From coitus interruptus to condoms to the infamous Pill, nothing has worked better than good old-fashioned abstinence. According...

While "coloring outside the lines," people often tell Nisha: "You're Mexican," "You're Native American," and "I'm confused."

Opinion: Asking someone’s race is simple

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • October 10, 2018

As the U.S. grows, so does its diversity. Interracial marriage became legal in all 50 states in 1967, but mixed-race kids have been running around for longer than that. I’m 16 years old, and shockingly...

Food is not the only product at Bay Meadows – Green Oaks Creek's wildflowers add an extra splash of color to the market.

New Bay Area farmers’ market’s popularity grows

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • September 28, 2018

Fresh, local produce is becoming an important part of daily life in the Bay Area. Many people now prefer organic fruits and vegetables. Because of this, farmers’ markets are growing in popularity around...

Teresa Faasolo's dog, Nico, waits quietly in line at the East Palo Alto clinic.

Mobile spay and neuter clinic reaches out to pet owners

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • September 16, 2018

According to the Humane Society of the U.S., 23 million pets live in underserved communities in the nation. Of that number, 87 percent are not spayed or neutered, and 77 percent have never seen a veterinarian. Spaying...

Attendees were able to hold this Jaguar Carpet Python while it looked for a forever home.

Reptile Show slithers into San Jose

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • August 31, 2018

People of all ages joined together last weekend to interact with reptiles. The San Jose Reptile Show is an annual exhibition held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds Expo Hall. Local vendors bring...

Along with their mother, Hazel, eight baby bunnies were brought to the Bunnies and Boba event for visitors to hold, pet, and feed.

Animal rights activists connect through ‘Bunnies and Boba’

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • May 14, 2018

Vegetarianism is a widely understood concept. Knowledge about veganism, which takes animal rights to another level, is less widespread. Vegans of the Bay is just one group trying to change that. Vegans...

Visitors pet Zen, whose owner is a member of the Shiba Inu Fanciers of Northern California. The group brings their dogs to the festival every year.

Cupertino experiences Japanese culture

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • April 30, 2018

Toyokawa, Japan is 5,312 miles away from Cupertino, Calif. But from April 28 to April 29 of this year, Cupertino had the opportunity to experience the culture of its sister city. Cupertino has several...

Kathryn Wiszowaty reads a book in English, then Jocelyne Concordel reads the same book in Spanish.

Bilingual storytimes expand children’s minds

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • April 16, 2018

As the world grows, more parents and schools attempt to involve their children in multiple languages. The San Mateo County Libraries (SMCL) are no different. Nearly every day of the week, SMCL holds...

Robin Gadient, the SJSA creative director, embroiders a piece for a student. He wanted graffiti-style letters that said, "share the wealth."

Social Justice Sewing Academy pieces together the future

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • March 26, 2018

People are angry. People are demanding social and political change. The Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA) provides a platform for people to express their emotions through art. According to its...

A mother and child share a moment as they celebrate Holi in Foster City on March 10. As revelers throwed and smeared brightly colored powder onto each other, they commemorated the beginning of spring, the harvest, and the triumph of good versus evil.

Holi celebrates spring with people of all colors

Nisha Marino and Kimberly Mitchell • March 14, 2018

The Aquarium's concave observation windows allow kids to get close to the marine life.

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Viva Baja exhibit connects kids to the world around them

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • February 28, 2018

“Excuse me, why did people want the whales to die?” Curiosity may have killed the cat, but at the Monterey Bay Aquarium it could save the future of the planet. According to its website, “the...

Teens spend 49 percent of their time texting on their phone and 20 percent of their time on social media, according to Pew Research Center.

‘Friending’ leads to real friendship

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • February 7, 2018

“When I was your age, we only had one phone in the house.” “When I was your age, we spent time with our families.” “When I was your age, we didn’t text in class.” Every kid has heard...

Visitor Charlie Baker uses the telephone located at the back of the Filoli house.

Filoli Gardens unlocks its gates for a longer season

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • February 5, 2018

California does not have a winter season, and neither does Filoli. This was the first year that Filoli Gardens, a California Historical Landmark, opened its gates to the public during the winter. Filoli...

Many producers offered free samples, which gave consumers a taste of what they could buy.

Good Food Awards brings together fans of sustainable food

Nisha Marino, Highlander Editor-in-Chief • January 22, 2018

The eighth annual Good Food Awards, held at Fort Mason (in San Francisco), collected a large crowd to celebrate sustainable food from around the country. The Good Food Awards assemble American producers...

Load More Stories