The Oracle August 2023

Check out Oracle staffers’ grade-specific advice, including how to manage time and make connections

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Learn how students and staff spent their summers — in the Bay Area, U.S. and abroad

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Affirmative action overturn prompts reexamination of college application strategies, raises equity concerns

Annabel Honigstein Forum Editor

On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ended affirmative action in college admissions, preventing universities from using race as a factor in acceptances. In a 6-3 vote, the court’s conservative-leaning majority overturned precedent in its ruling on Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina. The rulings go into effect this year, meaning that current high school seniors will be the first impacted class.

Affirmative action is defined as an active effort to improve employment or educational opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. While approaches can vary — some address race, while others address socioeconomic status, ability and gender — the Supreme Court specifically overruled race-conscious admissions,

policies that use race as a factor in deciding which qualified applicants will be admitted to universities. Although Gunn’s counselors don’t plan on making large-scale changes in response to the ruling, they will

“Opportunities continue to exist in the application to express who you are. Use these opportunities to represent your identity and what makes you unique as a person.”

— College advisor Jonathan Fidani

encourage students to capture a holistic view of their identity in applications, according to Gunn college advisor Jonathan Fidani. “I really want to stress to

the students that opportunities continue to exist in the application to express who you are,” he said. “Use these opportunities to represent your identity and what makes you unique as a person — whether that be race, background, experiences, things of that nature.”

Some universities have already facilitated this approach through changing their supplemental essay prompts for the upcoming admissions cycle. Stanford University, for example, changed a prompt asking students what was meaningful to them to one telling them to “describe what aspects of (their) life experiences, interests and character” make them good candidates for the university.

Fidani also believes that many institutions will still strive to establish diverse, inclusive communities. “The Supreme Court made a law, and colleges must respectfully abide by this. I’m encouraged by the

Affirmative action—p.2

Construction continues on administration, food-services buildings

Chris Lee Managing Editor

The A- and B-building construction project remained in full swing during the summer, expedited by the limited number of students and staff on campus. With demolition complete, crews are working on ensuring that both buildings meet modern safety standards: They have replaced utilities pipes containing asbestos, a carcinogen; removed concrete columns to make space for shear walls that resist lateral forces such as wind; and reinforced foundations with more rebar and concrete.

Started in fall 2022, the modernization effort includes a new administration office with a more prominent entrance and a food-services complex. The latter will

house indoor and outdoor eating spaces and culinary arts classrooms alongside traditional food-services facilities. Both buildings are on track to be completed before the start of the 2024-25 school year.

Senior Construction Manager Mohammed Sedqi explained that contractors lost 1 ½ months’ worth of work time due to last winter’s unusually heavy rains. Consequently, they had to work more intensely toward the end of the school year. “When March started and we had no rain, we were pushing for more people, more crews, more labor,” he said. “You had a team taking down the columns, (another) taking down the foundation. That overlap of so many activities made all that noise.”

As construction continues throughout

Construction—p.2

Henry M. Gunn High School

A construction worker pours cement onto rebar for the foundation of the new administration building.

Photo courtesy of Mohammed Sedqi

Sophia Hwangbo and Chris Lee

780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238

www.gunnoracle.com

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Amann Mahajan

Managing Editors

Chris Lee

Irene Tsen

News

Victor Dang

Michelle Koo

Charlotte Qian

Forum

Anne Dong

Annabel Honigstein

Jeffrey Kang

Features

Diya Bose-Malakar

Kaylee Cheng

Safina Syed

Centerfold

Maddie Cheung

Lise Desveaux

In-Depth

Dan Honigstein

Becca Wu

Sports

Katie LaWer

Vivian Studdert

Kelvin Xu

Lifestyle

Kaitlyn Chen

Vivien Chen

Bryan Xiao

Online

Yueun Hong

Sophia Hwangbo

Fiona Xiong

Social Media

Zoe Leontis

Ya-An Xue

Ellie Yuan

Photo Editor Chinyoung Shao

Graphics Editor

Irene Hong

Staff

Business/Circulation

Nicholas Weng

Bryan Xiao

Oracle-SEC Liaison

Safina Syed

Graphics Artists

Emma Cao

Elise Hu

Michelle Koo

Aarushi Kumar

Natalie Lam

Chaewon Lee

Jenny Lee

Aeron Man

Sophie Rong

Sarah Xie

Photographers

Grace Gao

Nishi Goyal

Sophia Hwangbo

Owen Koehler

Benjamin Qian

Naomi Wang

Adviser

Kristy Blackburn

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Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling impacts students

Affirmative action—p.1

language coming from colleges, which affirms their commitment to finding ways, within the context of the ruling, to continue to build campus communities that represent students from a wide range of backgrounds and identities.”

Still, the ruling has been jarring for students such as senior Amrit Joshi, who feels it exacerbates an already inequitable admissions process. “It goes to show what and who the system is supposed to help,” he said. “It’s not meant to help people of color, underprivileged people, minorities.”

Some point to the continued existence of legacy preferences as an example of this bias. The cases’ plaintiffs argued that Asian Americans lost out to less-qualified Black and Latino applicants. Yet many private universities continue to offer advantages to students whose parents attended or donated money to their institutions — students who are usually white and wealthy. One study based on Harvard University data found that 70% of legacy and donor-related applicants are white.

Several groups filed a complaint based on these statistics following the Supreme Court decision, and the Department of Education has since launched a civil rights investigation into legacy admissions.

“It goes to show what and who the system is supposed to help. It’s not meant to help people of color, underprivileged people, minorities.”

Senior Amrit Joshi

Moving forward, Fidani thinks that colleges and universities may begin to look to how the University of California schools — which have not used race-conscious admissions since 1996 — admit students. Although the number of Black and Latino students decreased following the ban, the UCs still have a relatively diverse student body: In 2022, 22.5% of enrollees were Latino, 4.5% were Black and 32.2% were Asian.

PAUSD boosts behavioral-intervention resources to address student issues

Vivien Chen Lifestyle Editor

In an effort to bolster behavioralsupport services, the Palo Alto Unified School District has hired 12 new behavioral intervention coaches to be stationed at all elementary and secondary schools. The district is investing $2 million to hire the BICs, as well as implement new staff training, create a second middle school therapeutic-services program and conduct a third-party investigation at Jane Lanthrop Stanford Middle School.

These changes follow a May altercation at JLS in which a student injured two teachers, leading to increased community concern over behavioral support for students with social-emotional and physical learning impairments. At the May 23 school board meeting, Director of Special Education Amanda Boyce noted rising concerns surrounding elementary student behavioral dysregulation in the past few years, especially after a return from remote learning.

Teachers present at the school board meeting said they had received inadequate district support on managing dysregulated behaviors when they faced similar situations in past years. Parent Steven Davis also voiced skepticism about the resources students and staff received to follow behavior plans such as individualized educational plans and 504 plans, which provide learning accommodations for students with disabilities. “When 10% of our kids are students with disabilities, yet they are 50% of our suspensions, something is basically broken,” he said at the meeting.

To address these concerns, the district launched a third-party investigation at JLS to analyze the district’s current behavioralsupport measures and find areas of improvement. PAUSD also hired additional BICs to fill the shortage in behavior staff and established the district’s second middle school therapeutic-services program, which will provide additional specialized support and counseling for students

$2M

who require it according to their IEPs. This therapeutic-services program will be established at Fletcher Middle School, on top of existing programs at Greene Middle School, Duveneck Elementary School and Palo Alto High School.

According to Behavioral Support Services Manager Nestor Ramos, BICs serve to provide proper behavioral support and management to deescalate crisis situations, such as physical or mental breakdowns. “For example, if the student ran out of the classroom or they’re targeting another peer, the BIC would step in,” Ramos said. “If they’re familiar with the student, they would implement (specific behavioral) interventions for that student. If not, they would move the student to a private place, clear the area, or whatever measures are best. They are the first line of defense, coordinating everything as needed.”

BICs collect data to help create behavior-intervention plans, specific actions and goals staff can take to improve dysregulated behavior in students. “We look at possible functions for maladaptive behaviors and the reasons the behaviors are happening,” Ramos said. BICs can also teach staff how to implement behavioral strategies in classrooms.

The district is looking into creating ad hoc committees of teachers and parents for more input on implementing behavior-support measures that will meet students’ needs. According to Boyce, they are also exploring partnerships with local organizations to further inform parents whose families need behavioral support.

Currently, the district is creating new training curricula to teach staff preventative measures and deescalation techniques. On Aug. 21, they will host a district-wide training for all staff. “All staff — secretaries, teachers, custodians — can step in,” Ramos said. “We want to make sure they’re aware how they can be supportive of students in these scenarios and maybe prevent some situations.”

For senior Sophia Tilghman, this knowledge has made the Supreme Court decision less frightening. “The Supreme Court decision really does not impact me because I am intending to apply to the UCs and Cal State schools, which don’t use affirmative action,” she said.

As applicants navigate an altered landscape, they are seeking proactive approaches to come to terms with the ruling and ensure successful admissions. “I would talk to college admissions counselors and officers and ask them what they are looking for, and look around at what your peers are doing and find encouragement from others,” Joshi said.

Fidani also recommends exploring all resources the Gunn counseling team provides during the application process, including parent nights, PRIME offerings and individual meetings. “We want to encourage students to step into those and to ask questions,” he said. “It’s a big process, and there is so much unknown, so please, share thoughts and opinions. Let’s talk and try to work them out together.”

Crews continue construction on new A- and B-buildings

Construction—p.1

this year, Sedqi hopes that the work will be less disruptive. The asphalt between the quad and E-building has been replaced with concrete, and fences will be pushed closer to the construction site, opening a corridor for students to walk to the southeastern portion of campus without cutting through the quad.

“It could be a learning opportunity for a lot of different classes — one where they could take tours or learn more about the construction process.”

Student Body President senior Nathan Levy

Looking ahead, Principal Wendy Stratton is working with new Assistant Principal Mycal Hixon, who will be overseeing construction, and Associated Student Body President Nathan Levy to make the process more transparent and accessible. Stratton believes student involvement is key, since students are important beneficiaries and the project was funded through taxpayer dollars. On his part, Levy has formed a new Student Executive Council committee that will attend construction meetings and share relevant updates in a new monthly newsletter.

Levy hopes that classes can take advantage of the ongoing work. “It could be a learning opportunity for a lot of different classes — one where they could take tours or learn more about the construction process,” he said. As an example, Levy pointed to how students in Advanced Placement Environmental Science classes could focus on the steps construction crews are taking to minimize damage to the environment and create greener buildings.

Source: May 26 Superintendent Update

Sedqi also expressed a desire to work with students who are interested in architecture, construction or engineering. “I’ll be more than happy to get them involved in this — just to see the progress, how we are doing the work, what’s happening,” he said.

Wood planks used to wrap concrete pillars are stored on metal racks until they are added to the buildings.

Photo courtesy of Mohammed Sedqi

WILL BE SPENT BY THE DISTRICT ON BEHAVIORALINTERVENTION COACHES, RESOuRCES AND TRAiNiNgS

THE ORACLE STAFFERS OFFER ADVICE FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL

Dear Class of 2027, Dear Class of 2026,

Welcome to Gunn! I know you are probably excited and nervous — last year, I felt a jumbled combination of all of these emotions. High school brings the baggage of new peers, a new campus, new classes and a whole new social structure, so I know how daunting the change may seem. After navigating through this same period of uncertainty, I’ve accumulated advice to mitigate your anxiety and guide you through this monumental transition.

The first thing you should be mindful of is that first impressions do matter. From the moment you walk into your first class, teachers and classmates alike are going to start assessing you. Because of this, you want to make sure you are being attentive, curious and kind right off the bat. You also want to take note of and demonstrate the qualities a teacher values in their classroom, whether it’s honesty, curiosity or diligence. Starting off on the right foot will make future communication and connection much easier.

It’s also essential to participate in Homecoming Week. Spirit weeks in high school are drastically different from those in middle school, as almost everybody participates in them. In fact, teachers usually lighten the workload during the festivities, which often become students’ fondest memories of high school. Dress up and go to the lunch games — trust me, no one will judge you for it.

You’ve probably had some experience with lunch clubs in the past, but it’s important to realize just how big a part club culture plays at Gunn and to get involved as soon as you can. Clubs aren’t just places you go to at lunch or after school — they are communities you can find camaraderie and seek advice in. A wide variety of clubs with varying commitment levels means there is definitely a place for you, whatever your hobbies or schedule. Try your hand at different clubs until you find the ones that feel right to you.

Lastly, expect a heavier workload than you had in middle school, which means work can pile up and get overwhelming if you don’t have an adequate organizational system. You can use a physical planner, digital planning tools or whatever else seems sustainable to you. The simple act of jotting down due dates and events is bound to boost your performance and confidence in class.

Hopefully, this advice calms your nerves, and — more importantly — makes you feel more confident about coming to Gunn. Lean on your peers, teachers and family while you settle into high school. I have no doubt that you will do incredibly well here, and I can’t wait to meet you all.

Sincerely,

Kaylee Cheng

Congratulations! Making it through freshman year is an achievement in and of itself. Although transitioning from freshman to sophomore year is not as difficult as transitioning from middle to high school, you will face a heftier academic and extracurricular workload. Sophomore year may seem to be a boring “sandwich” year in your high school journey, but you can take full advantage of it by doing truly enjoyable activities, maintaining effective time management and building meaningful connections with peers and teachers.

As the year begins, you’ll have a variety of activities inside and outside of school to choose from. Whether you’re joining a club or a sports team, it is important to do so for the right reasons. Your involvement should stem from genuine interest, rather than external pressure from parents or friends. These engagements don’t have to be purely academic, either: Doing activities that feel relaxing, rather than stressful, will create a good balance between work and fun. Going to local community events or volunteering at an animal shelter will help spruce up the “sleep, eat, work” rhythm.

Effective time management is just as, if not more, important in sophomore year as it is in freshman year. Being on top of assignments and studying alleviates stress and helps you convey confidence. While many claim that effective time management means being able to do everything and achieve all of your goals, this method often leads to burnout. Instead, you should approach your time as you do your money. Financial budgeting involves prioritizing what is most important: For example, instead of buying that fancy hand soap, you might get the plain bottle instead to save up for a new keyboard. The same principle can be applied to time management: To complete the most important tasks, you’ll need to make compromises.

Lastly, build meaningful relationships with teachers and peers, and listen to other people’s stories. Their different backgrounds and unique experiences can lead to meaningful discussions, and inspire you to be the best version of yourself. In my experience, fostering closer relationships with my peers provided me with opportunities to make new friends and helped me strengthen my collaborative skills.

Sophomore year is an exciting time to make improvements and build positive relationships. Good luck, Class of 2026!

Sincerely,

Charlotte Qian

Dear Class of 2025, Dear Class of 2024,

Welcome back to Gunn! Junior year can be intimidating at first, but once you get into the groove of things, it’s not so bad. To make the upperclassman transition smoother, here’s advice for the upcoming year.

It’s easy to get caught up in the grind, so much so that you find yourself too busy to hang out with friends. The demands of academic, extracurricular and other commitments can quickly accumulate and consume a lot of your time. At the same time, it’s just as easy to spend too much time with your friends and start taking school less seriously. Striking a healthy balance is difficult. However, finding a sweet spot where you both have fun and stay focused is well worth the effort.

Good time management is key to achieving this balance: It’s important to plan out your schedule. You probably won’t be able to get away with procrastinating, as I found out pretty early on in my junior year. At one point, I actually forgot about a physics exam because I was too swamped with other classes. I thought my friends were pranking me when they mentioned the upcoming test in the morning.

To avoid experiences like that, I recommend using a calendar app or a planner to keep track of deadlines. Portioning out time for certain assignments each day can also help you break larger tasks down into manageable chunks. Trust me, it’ll save you a lot of stress and late nights.

Finally, don’t be afraid to participate in Student Executive Council and club activities. In your first two years of high school, it’s easy to be intimidated. For my first in-person homecoming, in sophomore year, I convinced myself that the event was not worth the trouble and that I would “do it next year,” a decision I ended up sorely regretting.

As upperclassmen, it is your duty to show the underclassmen the joy of schoolwide events and get them to buy into the concept of school spirit. The magic of such an uniting experience is truly unforgettable, even if you’re surrounded by people you might not know well.

Go to dances. Dress up for homecoming. Most of all, have fun with your classmates. You won’t regret it. Remember, junior year is as hard as you make it. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Kang

Consider this one of many congratulations you will receive this year for making it to the pinnacle of your K-12 education experience. Soon, you will be walking away from the familiar Gunn community and heading toward the unfamiliar territory of post-secondary-education life. Still, you have a whole year ahead of you: one that will prove challenging yet memorable in many ways.

The first semester of senior year is even more stressful and difficult to get through than junior year (sorry). Balancing harder classes, college applications, extracurricular activities and a social life will prove a struggle — expect to invest more time in applications and academics first semester. During this time, it’s crucial to not burn out. Take breaks, get your emotions out, talk to trusted individuals and don’t let things boil out of proportion. Your pursuit of academic success should not come at the cost of your mental health.

Building strong work habits is key during senior year. Spend time understanding how and where you work best to overcome daunting to-do lists (and senioritis) during college application season. Establishing a work ethic also helps you finish college applications as soon as you can without sacrificing quality. Starting early and allocating time throughout the semester to work on applications allowed me to have spare time for recharging senior year.

Regarding college decisions: First of all, don’t make an acceptance your entire personality. Similarly, don’t view a rejection as a reflection of your self-worth. You are more than your college decisions. I got rejected by all of the University of California schools I applied to and most of my “safeties.” But because I still got into pretty selective schools, I can attest that college admissions are weird and unpredictable. That’s just something you’ll have to come to terms with this year. College decisions are really not that deep. Life will go on.

Lastly, don’t forget that senior year is what you make it, and that you are never going to have another high school experience. Work hard, but don’t sacrifice having fun at the beginning of the year believing that you will make it up the following semester. Before you leave, do the things you will otherwise regret not doing. Make the most out of your senior year by participating in senior events and being a proactive member of the community. Support and celebrate yourself and your peers. Work hard, play hard, be authentic and go all out for homecoming. You got this.

Sincerely,

Raphael Semeria

Stamp graphics by Irene Hong, letter graphics by Natalie Lam

Ollieland

Explor E Gunn’s campus with Vanished Vestibules

Workout Wonderland

starlit stage

art atelier

electiVe enclaVe

n-buildinG spanGEnbErG thEatEr

This two-story building is an academic (and to some extent, social) hub. You’ll find most English and math classes here — English on the bottom story, math on the top — as well as the two departments’ respective offices. The building’s gray steps offer a great place to stop and chat with a friend, or sit and soak in the sunshine.

This oft-misspelled theater is the site of most Gunn performances, from band concerts to plays. It’s also where many a Study Hall assembly is held, and where Gunn’s annual TEDx conference takes place. If you’re in any of Gunn’s music programs, it’s a spot to take note of, as it has several adjoining rooms where student musicians rehearse.

wEllnEss cEntEr

Located on the upper story of the P-building, the Wellness Center is an accessible, quiet space that’s perfect for any student who might need a quick break. Beyond providing counseling and mental health resources, the center allows students to take breathers on soft sofas and chairs. As a bonus, it also offers snacks and drinks.

studEnt a

If you have activities, from Council events, is the place to bring purchase parking tickets to Gunn also buy some Webstore if you’re

Ollieland with

The Oracle ’s m ascot

constructionscape

library of legends

ctivitiEs officE

any queries about student clubs to Student Executive the Student Activities Office bring them. You’ll be able to parking permits, Gunn apparel and dances here (though you can of these items on the Titan you’re feeling lazy).

central command

science sanctuary

main officE

Temporarily located in the E-building, the main office is where you’ll go to find administrators, from our four assistant principals to Principal Wendy Stratton. Secretaries Carole Main, Janet Owen and Alli Wong will be able to point you to whomever you need. This is where you’ll check in about attendance, if needed.

library

From comics to classics, the library has pretty much any text you’ll require. It includes private study rooms and comfortable chairs where you can read, chat or work. Librarians Daljeet Gill and Megan Garcia are always ready to help you out, and if you ask nicely, they might even let you into a (not-so-) secret back room with newspapers dating back to the 1940s.

llie is the mascot of The Oracle, gunn’s official student neWspaper. The Oracle coVers topics releVant to the gunn community, publishing neWs, feature, opinion, sports and inVestigatiVe stories. print issues are distributed to students and sent to subscribing families, and all stories may be found online at gunnoracle.com.

—Compiled by Amann Mahajan

Aeron Man

Jenny Lee

polyglot palace

Ollie graphics by Irene Hong and Chris Lee

Students, staff travel worldwide during summer

Sophomore Natalie Chan in London and Paris

“I loved seeing the beautiful and intricate architecture in London and Paris.”

“My mom and I were big fans of Monet’s and Renoir’s art growing up, so it was amazing to see their original pieces in person.”

Sophomore Roy Lao in Beaverton, Oregon

Lao went to Oregon for a diving competition with the Santa Clara Diving Club.

“(The Tillamook Cheese Factory) was really cool ... there were these big windows where you could see them making cheese.”

“We went to a big rose garden. It was huge and just all color. It smelled nice and there were really fat squirrels. They were not scared (of us) — they just sat there eating, (which was) really funny.”

Science teacher Mark Brassey in Costa Rica

“We went to one place called Nosara, which is on the Pacific coast. It was about 100 kilometers from the airport, but it took us four hours to drive there (because) the roads were pretty bad. We had to cross rivers in the Jeep we had and we were in (a) four-wheel drive a lot of the time, so it was a pretty remote (area). But when we got there, it had a really distinct local culture.”

“(There was a) very slow lifestyle. No one was in a hurry to do anything, so it was very calming.”

Senior Chania Rene-Corail in New Haven, Connecticut

“(The highlight) was definitely being able to live on campus. The school is really gorgeous. I didn’t expect it to be that nice.”

“I was in a specific program about international relations, and we had some group projects where we tried to solve one main global challenge. Other than that, we also had something called ‘family time,’ which was meant to help us meet more people in the program.”

Junior Olivia Lu in Japan and Korea

“I went to this deer park in Nara, Japan, and we got to feed them. I also went to a mountain where you would climb all the way to the top. There was a monkey park there too, so I got to play with the monkeys. There were a lot of cute animals everywhere.”

“Japan was one of my favorite trips, but something I would have liked to do more is going to more smaller towns and explore the culture there instead of going shopping.”

P.EteacherAmyAndersoninSt.Lucia

knowadifferentculture.”

“Alotofpeopleontheislandcouldnot swim…Andsothewomenthatworked (atthevilla)broughttheirchildrenand grandchildren,andoneofthewomen actuallygotinthepoolwithustoo.We taughther,hertwogirlsandacoupleofthe otherfamilymembersofoneoftheother women(toswimandbewater-safe).”

“This(vacation)wasveryrestorative.My bodyfeltgoodbecauseweweresoactive andmyheartfeltfullbecauseIwaswith myfriends.Mymindfeltveryclearand verypresent,anditwaswonderfultogetto

Rene-Corail participated in the Young Global Scholars program at Yale University.

Sophomore Roy Lao visits a rose garden.

Senior Chania Rene-Corail sits in her Yale dorm room.

Science teacher Mark Brassey and his son walk along a beach in Nosara.

Sophomore Natalie Chan poses at Arc de Triomphe.

Junior Olivia Lu feeds deer in a local deer park.

P.E. teacher Amy Anderson teaches localstoswiminthepool.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Chan

Photo courtesy of Mark Brassey

Photo courtesy of Roy Lao

Photo courtesy of Chania Rene-Corail

Photo courtesy of Olivia Lu

Sarah Xie

SarahXie

Sarah Xie

Sophia Hwangbo

summer provides OPPORTUNITIES for engagement in local activities

Brandon Seow: Engineering classes

A Taser alarm: It may sound slightly odd, but it’s what sophomore Brandon Seow spent six weeks of his summer on.

Following a weeklong family vacation to French Polynesia, Seow took two engineering classes in hopes of creating a portfolio before applying to the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science, or COSMOS, next summer. It was in his first class, a six-week course on engineering fundamentals at West Valley College, that he and his groupmates decided to create an alarm that stunned its user prior to going off.

The proposal was initially a joke, according to Seow. “It was right in the beginning (of the course) when we were supposed to shout out ideas to the group,” he said. “One of my peers shouted out ‘Taser alarm,’ which sounded funny at first, but somehow the teacher accepted it.”

During the class, Seow and his groupmates created a design, ordered the necessary parts — including electrode patches and wires to hook to phones — and then assembled the contraption. Though Seow’s work mainly involved writing code, he also aided with the physical engineering.

With limited supplies and an unavailable teammate, alongside a slew

Rishay Jain: Astrophysics internship

of bugs typical of an engineering project, Seow’s group faced its fair share of troubles. “We waited for a while longer than we should have to start building (the alarm) in real life — putting the parts together — because we had to do a lot of prior research,” he said. “Our project was one of the harder ones out of all the groups’.”

Still, the team was able to troubleshoot and ended up finishing on time. Beyond engineering skills, Seow also gained friendships from the course. “It’s fun because I get to meet students of all ages,” he said. “I have friends there who are in college, past college and going to be a junior (in high school) next year. So being able to talk with them and relate to them is nice.”

Overall, Seow appreciated the versatility of the class, which always kept him interested: From circuit building to coding Arduino, there was always something new to learn. “Every day is just a little different,” he said.

—Written by Amann Mahajan

Senior Rishay Jain’s work touched the stars at his Lockheed Martin internship this summer, where he studied solar flares: explosions of electromagnetic radiation or plasma from the sun that can travel up to 3,000 kilometers a second.

“If, by chance, this plume of material hits the Earth, and is able to penetrate Earth’s protective magnetic field, we could be severely impacted,” he wrote in an interview follow-up note. “Astronauts would be in extreme danger, air force/ military operations could be interrupted, and civilians could experience power and communications blackouts.”

Through working in the Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center, Jain is developing an application that helps scientists track solar flares and their evolution. His tool analyzes photos of the sun’s surface to detect where, when and how often flares occur, with the goal of predicting them more accurately.

Jain’s application builds on the work of previous Gunn interns at Lockheed Martin. They, like him, were part of the decadeslong joint program that sends a few rising seniors from Gunn to intern at the company during their junior- to senior-year summer. “While I’ve learned a lot of new concepts for my projects

PhotocourtesyofBrandonSeow PhotocourtesyofRishayJain

Beverly Lamis: Circus camp counselor and lifeguard

Junior Beverly Lamis juggled the demands of two jobs and walked the tightrope of responsibility this past summer. A counselor at 888 Monkeys Circus Camp and a lifeguard at Greenmeadow Pool and Community Center, Lamis both taught and supervised children, learning new skills along the way.

Lamis and her twin brother, Jack Lamis, made a lastminute decision to become counselors at the camp after hearing about the opportunity from stage tech teacher Jennifer Ellington, who is also one of the directors of the camp. At the camp, the twins taught circus arts — trapeze, juggling, acrobatics, stilts and more — to kids aged 5 to 14.

As a counselor, Lamis ran stations that students rotated through, each focusing on a different skill. “We’re teaching the kids how to do it and pushing them further

than what they think they can do,” she said. “For the (skills that require balance), it’s a lot of just spotting the kids because they’re pretty young.”

At performances, Lamis got to see her teaching and the students’ hard work pay off. “By the end of the week, most kids are able to do whichever (skills) they really tried hard at,” she said. “Usually, at the end of the week, we show all of the skills that they learned to the parents.”

The stories her boss told and the specialists the camp brought in gave Lamis a newfound understanding of circus life. “It’s been a surreal experience,” she said. “My boss, he’s part of the circus, so it’s opened my eyes to a whole different volume of life living (as) part of the circus and having to be on the go all the time.”

Apart from her full-day job as a camp counselor, Lamis set aside time to complete summer homework in

at Lockheed, I have to apply nearly everything I’ve learned in the rigorous math, science and engineering courses I’ve taken at Gunn, using everything from vector math from Analysis to electromagnetic waves from chemistry and physics, and even computer-vision/programming techniques from GRT (Gunn Robotics Team),” Jain wrote.

At networking events, Jain has been able to learn from the people who work at Lockheed. During the 10-yearanniversary celebration of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, a NASA sun imager, he heard about the project’s challenges and highlights firsthand. “There’s more than just engineering,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that go into these projects, and there’s a lot of collaboration and teamwork spirit.”

Jain will continue to add more features to his application to analyze different types of data over the next eight months of his internship. “There are real-world impacts to the kind of work that happens over there,” he said.

—Written by Irene Tsen

preparation for classes, go to the gym and work at the Greenmeadow Community Center, where she watched over swimmers as a lifeguard and did maintenance work around the pool and bathrooms.

Despite younger students’ temper tantrums and unruliness, Lamis loved working with them. “It’s really fun to teach them how to do something and then watch them succeed and build on it,” she said. “They always just love to show you the littlest things, and it’s so fulfilling seeing the joy on their faces after they’ll get one trick, and they’ll start to get it over and over again.”

—Written by Irene Tsen

Left: Junior Beverly Lamis spots one of the 888 Monkeys Circus Camp participants as they practice balancing on the rolla bolla.

Photos courtesy of Beverly Lamis

Sophomore Brandon Seow and his team members employed their software and hardware engineering skills to construct a Taser alarm.

Senior Rishay Jain stands in front of one of the original Advanced Technology Center buildings, where he is developing a tool to track solar flares.

Right: Lamis spots a camper walking along the tightwire during the circus camp.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL CROSSWORD

Across

3.

4.

Name of a friendly face that pops up at spirit events such as the Freshman Orientation Assembly

Gunn’s student government (abbr.)

5. Building with skulls, Bunsen burners and emergency showers

7.

The project A- and B-buildings are currently under

Location of Gunn Theater productions, school assemblies and spirit events 10.

11.

13.

Teacher who advises Gunn’s student government

Student publication this crossword is printed in

Place where you can enjoy snacks, right outside the library

Student group with dyed red hair during build season

Assistant principal who leads Gunn’s student equity committee

Outdoor location where many school events, including homecoming, are held

Down

Location students walk to during a fire (drill)

Gunn’s principal

6. Location where theater classes and other productions, such as Broadway workshops, take place

Building where students make up tests (abbr.)

Location where sunflowers, tomatoes and other plants grow

Class that usually takes place at the end of the week for all students (abbr.)

Assistant principal who assists with Advanced Placement testing

Location for many sports games and other events, such as the Dodgeball Tournament and Winter Semi-Formal

FINISHED? Stop by Room P-115 during 5th period or lunch next week with the completed puzzle for a prize!

Humor: How to handle the disappointment of being forced back to school

Ah, summer break. A time for sleeping in, enjoying warm weather, sipping cool drinks and forgetting the concept of homework entirely. A time that, unfortunately, ended several hours ago. For many, the return to campus is an agonizing, grueling experience filled with disappointment and sorrow. But for the few who are aware of the following techniques, the beginning of the school year is (slightly) more bearable. One way that students can get a head start on the semester is to firmly ground themselves in their new reality.

Many tend to fall into a state of denial that their beloved summer break has ended. Common symptoms of this mentality include oversleeping, since students’ bodies have been conditioned over the last several months to sleep in until noon; an inability to track the days of the week; and severely decreased attention spans. This state of being, however, is counterproductive to academic success. Thus, accepting that summer is over is crit-

ical. A student could host a funeral to mourn the passing of summer break and invite all of their friends and family to come pay their respects. Or perhaps they might seclude themself in a room with a speaker that repeatedly shouts “SUMMER BREAK IS OVER.” Whatever the method, both a conscious and subconscious understanding of the current existence of school in daily life must be reached.

Another way one may be able to quickly readjust to life with school is to practice several lost skills. While it’s true that there wasn’t a good reason to log into Schoology or Infinite Campus for the majority of summer besides checking new schedules, that’s no excuse to become rusty with them. Spending time practicing tasks in Schoology such as submitting assignments or checking grades can save time

race to see who can navigate certain tasks — opening a new Google Doc or logging in to the Palo Alto Unified School District ID portal — faster.

As intimidating as it may seem, connecting with teachers can also help with readjustment to the school climate. Chances are that they’re just as disappointed as you, if not more, about the disappearance of summer. This mutual loss serves as excellent common ground upon which one can comfortably engage teachers in conversation. After all, teachers are people too — not just seasonal phenomena.

—Written by Victor Dang

Graphics by Chinyoung Shao

Photos by Victor Dang