Oracle September 2017

NON-PROFIT ORG

Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306

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PG. 14 FEATURES

THEORACLE Henry M. Gunn High School

http://gunnoracle.com/

Gunn launches new SELF program Ayala Tzadikario Oracle-TBN Liasion This year, the bell schedule changed for the third year in a row, this time to implement the new state-mandated social-emotional learning (SEL) program, known at Gunn as Social Emotional Literacy and Functionality (SELF). SELF is a program designed for high school students that aims to help students with self awareness, social management, relationship skills and decision training. The program focuses on connections, both within and outside of the student body.

The purpose of SELF is to connect teachers and students and build relationships by using conversation and reflection skills that have not only been proven effective, but are also relevant to student life.

SELF is mandated by the Collaborating States Initiative (CSI), which works with states and school districts to ensure that K-12 students are all receiving social-emotional learning. According to their official website, the CSI works with states to develop plans that incorporate social-emotional learning into school curriculum. Additionally, the California Department of Education (CDE) is committed to working with CSI to help educators learn more about SEL and how to make it a part of every child’s school experi-

“I think that SELF is a great way to connect from a different direction. It is a great program that teaches students how to interact with the world, and I’m hoping that it will help us with empathy, resilience and managing our own emotions.”

— Kathie Laurence, Principal

ence. Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) decided to implement SEL in February 2017 for the upcoming 20172018 school year because it is legally required for students in California to take a certain amount of Social Emotional Learning curriculum.

SELF students currently meet once a week to discuss topics that target emotional well-being. School-Connect, founded in Austin, Texas, is one of the biggest contributors to the SELF program and is currently implemented in all 50 states in a variety of courses. Many of the SELF lesson plans are drawn from the School-Connect curriculum. So far, students have participated in a Creating First Impressions lesson, built a Social Contract, learned about what skills are needed in the workplace and learned how to disagree without being disagreeable.

Before SELF, Gunn had a similar program—TitanConnect—that met roughly once a month and talked about the similar topics of student connection. “I think that SELF is a great way to connect from a different direction,” Principal Kathie Laurence said. “It is a great program that teaches students how to interact with the world, and I am hoping that it will help us with empathy, resilience and managing our own emotions.”

TitanConnect and other previous programs were traditionally only for freshmen as a way to help them integrate themselves into high school life. Currently only implemented for freshmen and is a four-year program, so SELF

students will remain in class with the same teacher and classmates all throughout high school. From here on out, the class of 2022 and all following classes will be required to participate in SELF. “I am looking forward to being with students for such a long time in their high school careers, that just sounds really really exciting, already in the first month of school, you can see how much they’ve grown,” SELF teacher Marcus Jamison said.

For SELF Teachers on Special Assignment (TOSA) Tara Firenzi and Courtney Carlomagno, it is important that students are able to learn skills that they can use in and out of Gu nn. “ T he goa l of the program is to help students work on their social emotional learning skills and relationships, so basically being able to build their relationships with peers and trusted adults” Firenzi said.

Since SELF classes meet once a week, students have the opportunity to really get to know each other a nd bu i ld con nect ion s a m on g e a c h other. According to Jamison, meeting frequently is beneficial, especially because of the topics discussed. “[Meeting] ever y week is really nice because we get to check in with students, and I think that meeting once a month will not be enough to make those connections and encourage students to feel safe to speak freely about the topics we talk about,” Jamison said. “Even with only meeting once a week, it feels like ‘Oh man, I have seen my other students three times, and my SEL students only once.’”

Freshman SELF student Anshika Agarwal agrees that SELF is more impactful because it meets once a week instead of once a month. “I really like that we get to meet every week because I feel that it gives me the opportunity to make connections with people that I probably would not have have any other classes together,” Agarwal said. “It has become one of those rare classroom environments where I actually feel like I know everyone’s names and personality, which is not always a given in such a big school.”

SELF—p.3

Friday, September 15, 2017

Volume 55, Issue 1

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

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News

Photos by Max Wang

Left: Assistant Principal Mike Heffner prepares for his first year in the Palo Alto Unified School District. Center: Heffner and Assistant P r i n c i p a l P i e r A n g e l i L a P l a c e co nve r se t o g e t h e r . R i g h t : L a P l a c e , f o r m e r T e r m a n M i d d l e S c h o o l P r i n c i p a l , s e t t l e s i n t o h e r n e w o f f i c e .

New assistant principals aim to open up conversation in school community Liza Kolbasov Copy Editor

Mike Heffner

One of two new assistant principals joining the administrative team this year is Mike Heffner, former chief academic officer of Carmel Unified School District.

Heffner came to Gunn in hopes of working more closely with students and staff than he did previously. “As much as I loved the job I had in Carmel, I was not on a school site working with students and teachers in the same kind of way that I can do here,” Heffner said.

Heffner’s main responsibilities include managing the master schedule as well as the counselling and wellness programs.

However, he added that the administration works together on a lot of different issues, and communication between departments is key. “[It’s important to] think about how I work as part of this team, and how I work on the things I'm responsible for to take us to the next level,” he said.

In his first year, Heffner is looking for-

ward to getting to know the school and the people in it. “I think it's about building connections and establishing relationships with students, families, and staff,” Heffner said.

“I think first and foremost is really learning about our school and our culture and our community.” According to Heffner, once he knows the context of what is currently happening, he will be better able to make educated decisions about what to do next.

Heffner plans to familiarize himself with the school by getting to know the opinions of students, staff and parents. “I've been pretty intentional in starting to reach out to parents and community members to start to understand [the school] from different perspectives,” he said. He calls this a “360 evaluation,” and says that he is working on opening many opportunities for feedback from different groups on campus.

Heffner’s background of working with people in leadership roles at various schools will help him adapt to different situations, such as working with students in counseling and developing the schedule.

Pier Angeli La Place

Joy Huang Reporter

New Assistant Principal Pier Angeli La Place was hired this year to oversee athletics, attendance, diversity, equity and discipline.

La Place has worked in Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) for 26 years: she began teaching at Duveneck Elementary School, then worked as a social studies and English teacher at Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School (JLS). Her first administrative position was as assistant principal at JLS before becoming principal of Terman Middle School.

Her past positions in both middle schools means La Place has seen some familiar faces on campus this year. “Certainly I don’t know everybody, but I know a lot of students, and it’s been very wonderful,” La Place said. “I would say [my goal] is to deepen relationships with students that I do know, and get to know the students that I don’t know.” One of her methods is to go around the campus and talk to students. She has also attended Student Executive Council (SEC) meetings and plans to be

a regular presence there.

In addition to strengthening connections with students, La Place plans to improve student voice, engagement and support. “I need to learn what is already working from the students’ perspective and what the students’ ideas are of how we can better engage them as well,” she said.

One way for her to provide student support is through discipline, which she manages with Assistant Principal Tara Keith. “I don’t actually like to use that term because I don’t consider ‘discipline’ to be what we are trying to do with students,” La Place said. “Let’s just say behavioural support or restorative justice, which are much more in alignment with how I see things.” Part of her responsibility is to evaluate underlying causes behind student behavior in order to offer the appropriate support and solutions.

“Having conversations with students about choices...that's another way of trying to help students using restorative justice rather than having a punitive system of interacting with students,” she said.

Read the full stories at gunnoracle.com/new-assistant-principals-aim-to-open-up-conversation-in-school-community.

District partners with grief non-profit Kara to hold parent meetings Stephy Jackson Centerfold Editor

Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) partnered with Kara, a Palo Alto-based non-profit that deals with grief support for children, teens and families, to coordinate

meetings for parents in Palo Alto. When the Palo Alto community goes through a time of grief, PAUSD relies on Kara to provide support for teachers, staff and adults.

These lecture-based meetings took place on Aug. 24 and 31 at the Cubberley Community Center; Kara leaders facilitated discussion about how parents can understand their children's grief and how they can support them through it.

Kara was created 40 years ago as an outlet of support for parents during difficult times.

PAUSD has previously partnered with Kara to provide support in the aftermath of suicide clusters in Palo Alto. Executive Director of Kara Jim Santucci believes in the importance of grief support. "[The goal of Kara is] to support the school district and to provide care, compassion, connection and community when the school, district, parents [and] teachers go through loss,” he said. "[We hope] to be able to provide a support system to help them navigate these losses along the way and developing a trusting relationship where we're a trusted partner that they can call on.”

The recent Kara meetings were a joint effort between Kara and Gunn’s Wellness Center. They were taught by Kara Director of Community Outreach Jaymie Byron. In these meetings, Kara members talked about specific examples from their own lives related to some of the things parents or students might be going through. Kara presenters welcomed parents to share their thoughts and feelings

regarding what they should be doing to help. Byron focused on clarifying any questions that parents had about their children and guiding parents through grief. “I think one of the most important things to know about grief is that grief is unique to the individual,” Byron said. “There is no right way to grieve, there is no wrong way to grieve and it's specific to you.”

In addition to talking to parents, Kara mentors have been working with the teachers at Gunn in a similar way.

During the two meetings, Byron spoke about how teachers are affected by grief just as students are, and she mentioned that teachers tend to prioritize caring for their students before caring for themselves. "[Teachers] put themselves aside, and they focus solely on the students, which is beautiful and great because that is how community is built, but it’s also really hard for their self care,” Byron said.

Through holding parent meetings and collaborating with school teachers, Kara is working towards supporting the Gunn community. The members of Kara, along with staff members in the Wellness Center, are focused on supporting teachers, staff members and parents of the Gunn community. "When [the teachers and parents] hear your stories and they hear the emotion in it, they are impacted too, and so they need somewhere to offload and feel like they get seen and heard,” Byron said.

Finally, Byron stressed that students, staff, parents and teachers should all be aware of their own support systems.

"One thing that I would love people to walk away knowing is [that] the grief process is something you go through at your own pace and when you're ready,” Byron said. “Being a great support to your friends is important, but don't forget to be a great support for yourself."

News

Friday, September 15, 2017

THEORACLE

SELF

According to Carlomagno, having students really know other students in the school was one of their main goals. “We are a pretty large campus, so we would love for students to have a class where they are comfortable,” Carlomagno said. “We want their time in the classroom to be meaningful and impactful and give students a class that is not so academic but about wellness.”

Carlomagno hopes that SELF will be able to make Gunn a better space for students by giving them a trusted adult or teacher that they can talk to and get to know in a nonacademic setting. “A major priority of SELF is that every student will be connected to a trusted adult on campus and a larger sense of community,” Carlomagno said. “Being able to check in with the same peers all 4 years will be really powerful, especially in a school with thousands of students.”

According to Jamison, the reason why SELF is a great class for students is because the material is not only used in class. “It is a class where we can keep it kind of real,” Jamison said. “We do have things that we need to talk about, but it is applicable, everything we are doing is applicable to what you are doing every day.”

Laurence agrees that one of the reasons SELF has the potential to really impact students is because they can use it outside of the classroom.

“School is not really about what is in school, it is about teaching students how to live in the world and I think that that is something SELF does really well,” Laurence said. “I am not

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

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Deiana Hristov Managing Editors Grace Ding Janet Wang News Sohini Ashoke Carolyn Kuimelis Amanda Lee Forum Caroline Ro Kaya van der Horst Kristen Yee Features Emma Chiao Chelsie Park Grace Tramack Centerfold Stephy Jackson Aleks Tycz Sports Paulo Frank Bridgette Gong Jack Mallery Lifestyle Megan Li Yael Livneh Katie Zhang Changing the Narrative Joanna Huang Photo Editor Richard Yu Graphics Editor Sherry Chen

The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor and Comments. Comments are generally shorter responses, while Letters are longer pieces of writing.

Staff Assistant Business/Circulation Ryan Manesh Copy Editors Laurel Comiter Jennifer Gao Liza Kolbasov Oracle/TBN Liaison Ayala Tzadikario

Photographers Justin Hong Sofia Sierra-Garcia Max Wang Reporters Joy Huang Tech Editors Julia Cheunkarndee Andrew Zhao Adviser Kristy Blackburn

SELF is about giving students the opportunity to learn how to connect with themselves and others.

SELF has the potential to really impact students because they can use it outside of the classroom.

Letters and Comments may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Letters to the Editor, Comments and ideas for coverage may be sent to oraclegunn@gmail.com or posted on our Facebook page. These letters need not be from current students.

Letter from the Editor

Business/Circulation Eric Epstein

Graphics Artists Catherine Chen Tiffany Chen Mina Kim Grace Liu Jeffrey Yao Isabella Yu

saying that students won’t have trials and tribulations or bad times and good times, but hopefully they will be easier to handle because students were taught the skills they need.”

According to Jamison, at the end of the day, SELF is about giving students the opportunity to learn how to connect with themselves and others. It is about building the Gunn community by starting with the ones who shape it which are students and future students who will all have this program.

“Overall, SELF is going to help them be a better citizen of Gunn, of Palo Alto, of the Bay Area and of the world.”

INBOX Please include your name, grade and contact information should you choose to write one.

Oracle/SEC Liaison Kaya van der Horst

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Dear Gunn Titans, I am delighted to present to you The Oracle’s first issue of the 2017-18 school year. Our goal is always to showcase the diversity of backgrounds and talents in our wonderful Gunn community, and we on staff are looking forward to a great year of reporting ahead.

A new year means new goals for our paper. Our first priority is always to publish content that is relevant to Gunn students and to uphold the reputation of our paper as a professional and credible news source. This year, we have a specific goal of featuring as much of the student body as possible. From dynamic photo layouts to large investigative stories, we hope to go past the surface of basic reporting and bring the student body crucial and relevant information. We hope to expand our online presence as well, by be releasing new and dynamic content. Be on the lookout for photo galleries featuring student artwork, online-exclusive stories and frequent updates on events happening around campus.

We also plan to work with other organizations on campus, such as Sources of Strength, to publish content concerning wellness and resiliency. Currently, we are doing a weekly series during Sept. featuring different outlets on campus for students in crisis or distress. We will also be continuing our "Changing the Narrative" series, releasing

periodically online stories about students and staff and how they have overcome challenges in their lives.

The best part of being on staff is listening to students’ stories. From interviewing twins about how they bypassed airport security with only one passport to getting perspectives about Advanced Placement test retakes, the diversity of voices and opinions is something we strive to accurately represent in our issues. Overall, the backbone of our paper—what makes our paper interesting and vibrant—are the stories on the students and staff we feature.

There is a reason that journalism alone, among other types of writing, has a code of ethics. At The Oracle, we embrace the hard questions and difficult topics because we believe in the power of truth and transparency. As students, you deserve to be informed about what decisions are being made and how they will affect you. That being said, we will always strive to cover all sides of the story. Credibility is important to us, and we strive to be factual and objective in all our reporting.

At The Oracle, we are proud of the fact that we are a paper published by students, for students. Your opinions, comments, criticisms and concerns matter to us: when we create dialogue and discussion, we have reached our goal as a paper. Never hesitate to reach out to me or any staffer.

Over the course of this past week, staffers have been hard at work— laying out pages, editing stories and eating questionable amounts of Costco pizza—to put together the paper in your hands. Seeing students in the hallway perusing the issue, reading about the latest policies or fall trends makes it all worth it, and I hope you enjoy reading our paper as much as we enjoyed producing it for you.

Sincerely, Deiana Hristov EIC 17'-18'

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News OCR Climate Culture Survey results released to public Kaya van der Horst Forum Editor

Three months after it was concluded, the Climate Culture Survey was released on Aug. 1 with unsettling results—of the 10 percent of Palo Alto Unified high school students who have been subject to sexual harassment at least once within the past year, only 12 percent chose to report it.

The survey was conducted last May in response to two mishandled sexual harassment cases at Gunn and Palo Alto High School (Paly) in 2013 and 2014. In both cases, the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) opened a directed investigation on the premise that the district did not provide a “prompt and equitable response to notice of peer sexual harassment.” According to the OCR’s case processing manual, a directed investigation may result in a resolution agreement that will ensure recipients come into compliance with civil rights laws requirements.

As part of a resolution agreement reached between the OCR and the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), the survey required students to answer questions about sexual harassment.

A total of 2,549 students at Gunn and Paly, 67 percent of enrolled high school students, took the survey, and although 243 indicated that they had been sexually harassed at school within the past year, 88 percent did not report it. Similarly, almost 18 percent of the total respondents had witnessed sexual harassment in the school setting, but only 15 percent chose to notify someone.

This problematic trend of non-reporting raises questions as to why most cases of sexual harassment go unreported.

Superintendent Dr. Max McGee believes students stray away from informing school officials about such incidents for two reasons: the fear of not being taken seriously and misconceptions about what constitutes sexual harassment. According to the OCR, sexual harassment is “any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature” which may include pantsing, the spreading of sexual rumors or stalking based on gender.

“I think some people think the joking around is okay or normal, but it’s not,” McGee sa id. “Some people treat it as ‘Okay, this is how kids are,’ but that’s not the way it should be if that’s the way kids are.”

According to McGee, most adults on campus must report incidents within 24 hours by order of the California Education Department: however, school counselors and psychologists have special circumstances. “If you tell a counselor, it can remain confidential as the counselor will then work with the individual to decide the best course of action,” McGee said.

According to the survey, 45 percent of students indicated the student handbook as their primary source of information regarding the school’s sexual harassment policy, while 16 percent were notified through the principal—22 percent marked “Other.”

McGee believes that the district hasn’t done its best in communication. “We’ve relied more on word-of-mouth, advisory systems or through bulletins instead of doing the kind of outreach that really needs to be done,” he said.

In order to ease the process of reporting, the district is seeking

87 percent of survey participants who were sexually harassed did not report the incident to anyone at school.

new, effective ways to communicate each school’s policy regarding sexual harassment, as well as the reporting of it. “We’ve implemented an anonymous online reporting system now, which can be found on the PAUSD website,” McGee said. Upon completion, the information will be received confidentially by the district’s interim Title IX coordinator, John DiPaolo. As part of efforts to ease the process of reporting, the district is in the midst of hiring a fulltime compliance officer.

Dr. McGee strongly urges students to report incidents of sexual harassment and compares them with the “Broken Windows Theory”—a criminological theory of the norm-setting and signaling effect the acceptance of crime has on society.

"I believe it with all my heart," he said. "If you let one of these sexual harassment incidents go unreported and thus unacted upon, you are just giving tacit permission to others that sexual harassment is OK. Acceptance then becomes part of the culture and that is not OK, because it will beget more sexual misconduct and eventually more serious incidents."

82 percent of survey participants reported that they had never witnessed sexual harassment at school.

As part of a multi-cycle story, The Oracle will continue to cover PAUSD's Title IX compliance and OCR investigations following recent events. The full story will be published in our October issue.

Survey results can be found at the school board's Board Docs website.

School board drafts goals for upcoming year Caroline Ro Forum Editor

The Board of Education’s Aug. 8 special meeting included a discussion of a draft of Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)’s goals for the 2017-18 school year. The goals themselves are fairly theoretical: their passing would bring them up for further discussion in order to eventually spell out their details and enact them. The draft lists potential goals under three main sections: high quality teaching and learning, equity and access and wellness and safety. While the meeting brought to attention many ways the draft could be amended before the final vote, many of the goals that could have a direct impact on Gunn were discussed and cemented.

The first set of goals for high quality teaching and learning includes plans to change the curriculum and learning experiences for PAUSD students, as well as work towards developments in tracking the progress and efficacy of such changes. Curriculum changes that would directly affect students on campus include the combination of the Algebra 1 and 1A lanes (at Gunn exclusively) and the launching of a new computer science curriculum for K-12 students in the fall of 2019. This curriculum would also open up discussion on whether or not computer science courses should be listed as a graduation requirement in the future. Another major project discussed at the meeting was the development of a new set of cross-disciplinary, inquiry-driven programs and classes by the district’s high school learning design team. Very little about this project, however, has been decided upon among the board members and is still regarded with a degree of caution, considering how time-consuming such a project would be.

Several members also spoke in favor of developing a plan to address the recommendations gathered from the Special Education Program Review Report. This plan would ideally help accommodate students who do not have 504 or Individualized Education Program, programs that provide accommodations and modifications for students with learning and attention issues so that they can participate in general education curriculum. It creates a transparent and prompt identification process for these students to receive the help they need. In order to measure the effects of these new additions, the Board has proposed adopting California’s new Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) online dashboard, which uses data to rate schools on their performance on specific goals, such as chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, graduation rates and college preparedness for different demographics. The ratings go from red (the lowest) to orange, yellow, green and blue; as of now, several of PAUSD’s ratings stand in the yellow and orange region. At the Aug. 8 meeting, several board members proposed to focus on bringing all measured areas on the LCAP dashboard to either green or blue status this year, all the while customizing certain sections to reflect the local, PAUSD-specific areas of improvement based off of data from the California Healthy Kids Survey.

In terms of equity and access, the board’s draft of goals focuses primarily on providing more academic resources for historically underrepresented (HUR) students and families, along with working to build a more diverse staff. Although the Board decided last year to begin putting together a district-wide project to close the

achievement gap between HUR students and their peers, this Equity Plan has yet to be completed and enacted, as the Board is still in the process of identifying the roots of this issue. This is perhaps due to the fact that the Board has yet to lay a “foundation of both data and research to roll out a plan that [they] can feel

importantly, having a more diverse staff would allow students to relate more closely to adult role models at school. It would also help students to feel more connected on campus, “especially HURs who have HUR staff members, for example… it would be a good thing to see,” School Board Representative senior Advait Arun said.

The third and last section of the board’s draft focused on wellness and safety, especially on alleviating student stress and implementing feedback on staff wellness. On Aug. 8, the board expressed that they would likely continue expanding upon the development and implementation of the Social-Emotional Learning curriculum throughout the school year. They hope that the implementation of this data would result in improved metrics student surveys on how connected they felt at school or whether or not they had identified a caring adult on campus they could trust.

In order to reduce student stress levels and ensure that assigned homework was productive, a test and project stacking monitoring system was suggested so that teachers could contextualize the workloads that they were giving to their students.

The wellness and safety section, however, did not solely focus on students. To ensure the wellness of staff members as well, the board hopes to implement changes in the staff climate and culture through recommendations and data collected in the 2016-17 staff wellness survey. As mentioned in the equity and access section, many of these recommendations had to do with housing issues and elder care, which board members expressed a need to address this year.

Sherry Chen confident will have the impact that [they] all want it to have,” Board Member Todd Collins said at the Aug. 8 Board meeting.

As of now, some developments being considered by the minority and talent development Advisory Committee (MATD) and the board include increasing the number and involvement of parent liaisons, providing expert tutoring through the district and its partners, professional training for staff on serving HUR students and families as well as providing more “response to intervention” support and monitoring, which aims to counter academic and behavioral failure through frequent monitoring and early intervention. Other than the equity plan, the equity and access section of the board goals suggests encouraging the involvement of HUR families in their student’s academic successes through methods such as shadowing or student meetings.

The final clause of this section aims to build a staff of high quality, diverse teachers by making it easier for different people to work in the district. Factors such as particularly high housing prices or child and elder care can make it more difficult for many staff members to continue working in PAUSD, and the implementation of this plan would seek to ease the burden of housing costs and the difficulty of finding child and elder care. Steps like these would not only help the teachers throughout the district, but benefit students as well by building a more representative—and possibly more culturally-sensitive—workforce of teachers. Most

Jeffrey Yao

Forum

Friday, September 15, 2017

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Photo Illustration by Richard Yu and Tiffany Chen

Polarized politics necessitate teacher neutrality Stephy Jackson Over the course of the last few months, discussions about politics have become increasingly polarized. The 2016 presidential election sparked political tension across the nation in the form of rallies, protests and campaigns. These tensions have been unavoidable, even in the classrooms at Gunn, raising questions about whether teachers should remain politically neutral in the classroom. Teachers at Gunn should remain politically neutral in the classroom to promote an inclusive and accepting environment on campus.

In 1996, the Governing Board of the San Diego School District banned teachers from wearing political buttons in the classroom, sparking outrage from teachers arguing that the ban violated their freedom of speech. However, the Supreme Court of San Diego ruled in favor of the Governing Board. The reasoning behind this case can be applied to the political climate at Gunn—teachers may be expressing their freedom of speech at the cost of others. In Palo Alto specifically, students who do not affiliate with the majority can feel extremely isolated when their teachers do not acknowledge their political views. According to Home Facts’ most recent poll during the 2016 election cycle, 69.7 percent of registered voters in Palo Alto are Democrats, 28.2 percent are Republican and the rest are independent.

Due to the population divide between political parties in Palo Alto, those affiliated with the political minority often feel isolated from the rest of the community.

Following the election of President Donald Trump, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU) published a document of guidelines for teachers in the Freedom of Speech in the Classroom. On the topic of the First Amendment, the ACLU published that, “What you say or communicate inside the classroom is considered speech on behalf of the school district and therefore will not be entitled to much protection.” In other words, when

Gunn teachers are in the classroom, they are representing the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Therefore, when teachers choose to express their personal, non-neutral views on politics, they are actually speaking on behalf of PAUSD and overstepping their boundaries.

Teachers who do not remain politically neutral in the classroom are not only potentially suppressing the freedom of speech of others but are also abusing their position of authority. The role of teachers is to teach students how to think, not what to think. A crucial skill that students should learn is how to form their own political views based on their own morals and perspectives on politics. Instead of using their position of authority to promote a political bias, teachers should use their authority to promote political awareness from a neutral standpoint and encourage tolerance of all political views. In order to achieve this objective, teachers cannot impose their political agenda on students. Teachers do not have to avoid politics altogether: they should just remain neutral if talking about politics during instructional hours.

An important method of teaching politics is to understand difference between ignorance and neutrality. Ignoring politics can lead to political apathy or unawareness. Furthermore, when teachers promote a biased environment in the classroom, students who do not agree with the majority could be singled out or judged by both their classmates and teachers. Remaining neutral means that teachers teach politics in a way that incorporates all perspectives into the lesson and facilitate an inclusive environment to all political views so that no student feels isolated in the classroom. For example, if the topic of gun control is brought up during class, teachers should not make any references to their own political views; rather, they should make an effort to incorporate all facts and perspectives regarding gun control in the U.S. It is important however, to address the perspective of teachers who are facing this conflict between political neutrality and personal beliefs in the classroom. Many teachers across the nation have protested political neutrality

in the classroom, specifically after the election of Donald Trump. In Oct. 2016, 10 Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) teachers of the year published a letter to the public regarding politics in the classroom. The letter stated, “We are supposed to remain politically neutral...

But there are times when a moral imperative outweighs traditional social norms. There are times when silence is the voice of complicity. This year’s presidential election is one such time.” It is understandable that teachers feel that their freedom of speech is violated when they cannot express their own views in their classroom. Sometimes, when talking about moral or ethical issues, topics can turn into political discussions very easily. Teachers should be aware of this change when it occurs and make sure all perspectives are included into those discussions. Remaining politically neutral specifically means that teachers should refrain from explicitly expressing support for a political party, political candidate or piece of legislation. Additionally, teachers should not be making casual references during instructional hours to their own political views.

The point of this article is not to impede teachers’ freedom of speech: it is to make sure that teachers are aware of the importance of political neutrality in the classroom. Politics are only going to get more and more polarized as time goes on unless we do something about it. Unless we can teach ourselves and teach others to have productive and professional conversations about politics without isolating others. No one is asking teachers to be silent. Teachers do not need to be silent, they need to be neutral. Neutrality is not equivalent to complete ignorance.

28.2 percent of registered voters in Palo Alto are republican

—Jackson, a junior, is a Centerfold Editor.

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Forum

Tech's Questionable Effect on our Culture: PALO ALTO SHOULD PUNISH T E X T I N G W H I L E WA L K I N G One out of three pedestrians use their mobile phones while crossing busy streets

A teen is injured or killed by an automobile every hour in the U.S.

Eric Epstein On July 27, Honolulu, Hawaii approved a law that prohibits pedestrians from using their electronic devices while crossing the street. Offenders of this law will be fined $15 to $35 for their first violation, and the fines increase with each successive offense, according to CNN. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said that the law should encourage citizens to think about their safety. “People [should] use common sense as they walk around this beautiful city, [and] so they don’t become another statistic,” Caldwell said.

The law will not go into effect until Oct. 25, but it has generated significant media attention since being approved. Despite the law’s admitted pettiness, it effectively addresses the growing problem of the safety of distracted pedestrians. Palo Alto should impose a law similar to Honolulu’s that would ban pedestrians’ use of cell phones and other electronic devices while crossing the street.

Pedestrians distracted by cell phones cause an excessive number of accidents in the United States. The “Age of Information” has brought the world to our fingertips, and it has never been more influential than it is right now; as of 2017, 95 percent of Americans own a cell phone, according to Pew Research Center.

Every day, all of those cell phones provide their users with countless distractions. Unsurprisingly, these distractions work their way into many different activities and times in a cell phone user’s day, including time spent walking. According to Reuters, from 2000 to 2011 more than 11,000 injuries in the U.S. resulted from phone-related distractions while people were walking. Teens are especially susceptible to this phenomenon. A teen is injured or killed by being hit by an automobile every hour in the U.S.. 47 percent of the teens who have reported being hit or nearly hit while walking said that they were listening to music, 18 percent said they were texting and 20 percent said that they were talking on their phones, according to Safe Kids Worldwide. Another demographic that is disproportionately affected by traffic accidents is

senior citizens. “More pedestrians [are] hit in crosswalks [in Honolulu], particularly our seniors, than almost any other city in the county,” Caldwell told CNN. Although not all of the accidents involving seniors are a result of inappropriate cell phone use, the increased susceptibility of senior citizens warrant additional safety precautions. Clearly, distracted pedestrians are a huge issue that cannot be ignored.

A law outlawing texting and crossing would decrease the number of traffic accidents as well as enforce responsible habits. The law would minimize the number of distracted pedestrians needlessly stumbling into accidents. Fewer distracted pedestrians equates to safer streets. Another positive effect of the law would be that it teaches good habits regarding cell phone use. The average American touches his or her phone an astounding 2,617 times per day, according to Business Insider. However, the bigger underlying issue is that many cell phone users do not know when it is appropriate to use their cell phone and when it is not. According to the CBS, about one out of three pedestrians use their mobile phones while crossing busy streets. Because many cell phone users do not know when and when not to use their devices, a law preventing them from using them in a potentially dangerous situation would help users develop responsible habits like waiting until its safe for them to check their phones.

Although some may say that it is not worth the police’s time to enforce this law, the enforcement of this law is trivial. In order to receive a citation, the perpetrator merely has to be spotted texting and crossing by any officer. This would not require any special shifts or posts—the officers would simply go about their usual routines. This law would not at all restrict the ability of the police to fight other crime, as they would not have to spend any extra time patrolling for illegal cell phone users.

The law has not been enforced yet, so Honolulu residents have a few more weeks of freedom to roam recklessly across crosswalks while staring at their screens. However, once the law is in effect, it will serve as a useful guinea pig test for the rest of the nation. If the law works as it was intentioned, Palo Alto should not hesitate to adopt a similar act.

—Epstein, a junior, is Business Manager.

Graphics by Sherry Chen

Forum

Friday, September 15, 2017

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Are we walking into an age of ignorance?

TECh IS DUMBING FUTURE G E N E R AT I O N S D O W N Only 2 percent of people can successfully multitask

Students check their devices in class more than 11 times per day

87 percent of people suffer from digital Amnesia

Graphics by Sherry Chen

Carolyn Kuimelis It is undeniable that technological advancements have revolutionized the way we communicate, connect and learn: news articles can be shared with the click of a button, and diplomas can be earned entirely online. Although technology has proven to be a useful tool in educating and sharing information, our growing reliance on personal electronic devices like phones and computers for daily tasks interferes with long-term memories, productivity and concentration and our sleep patterns.

Before the age of smartphones, it was necessary to have things like phone numbers, addresses and directions memorized. Now, with a universe of information at the touch of our fingertips, we are memorizing less and relying more on technology to act as an extension of our brains. According to a study done by The Kaspersky Lab, a Russian cybersecurity company, 87 percent of people suffer from digital amnesia, the experience of purposefully forgetting information that can be stored and found in a digital device.

The researchers found that 71 percent of digitally-connected consumers in the United Kingdom could not recall their own child’s current phone number, whereas 47 percent could recall their home phone numbers from 30 years ago. The memorization of small bits of information may seem trivial, but this reliance is changing the way we learn, think and remember. According to University of Birmingham psychology lecturer Dr. Maria Wimber, memories are created by actively recalling information, so by passively looking up information on a phone, one gives their brain less training in solidifying long-term memories and forming complex ideas based

on these memories.

Reliance on our devices for constant stimulation is interfering with our ability to focus.

It is not uncommon for students to use their phones while doing schoolwork. In fact, regularly checking social media while studying has become so common that most students do not realize how much of a distraction it is. A study published in the Journal of Media Education found that students check their devices in class more than 11 times per day, and people check their phones approximately 85 times per day. According to Director of the Applied Cognition Lab at the University of Utah David Strayer, only 2 percent of people can successfully multitask; that means when most of us try to focus on more than one task at a time, performance fails. The Kaspersky Lab performed an experiment to see whether the presence or absence of participants’ phones would alter their performances on a concentration test. They found that the presence alone of a participant’s phone altered their ability to concentrate: performance increased up to 26 percent when the device was removed from the room.

Lastly, constant smartphone usage interferes with our natural sleep patterns. A study conducted by University of California, San Francisco cardiologist Dr. Gregory Marcus found that longer average screen time per month was associated with shorter sleep duration and worse sleep efficiency. Although the study itself cannot prove a cause and effect relationship between screen time and sleep quality, research shows that the blue light that smartphones emit tricks the brain into thinking it’s daytime. This suppresses the body’s release of melatonin, a hormone that should increase as the body prepares for sleep.

The benefits of technology are undeniable, but the reliance we have on our phones is hurting our ability to maintain focus and form long-term memories.

—Kuimelis, a senior, is a News Editor.

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Forum flawed affirmative action system hurts asian-americans

Sohini Ashoke The heated discussion around affirmative action has recently increased due to the Justice Department’s plan to protect white applicants from discrimination during college admissions. Although affirmative action was created for all historically oppressed groups, it has mostly been discussed in terms of race, specifically for AfricanAmerican and Hispanic students. The implementation of affirmative action started in the early 1960s under the Kennedy administration through Executive Order 10925.

The purpose was to give minorities and historically excluded groups government-sanctioned opportunities and programs to rectify their disadvantages. It was an explicit step towards equality by helping those who have faced systemic oppression.

Today, affirmative action is most commonly discussed in the context of university admissions. Unfortunately, discrimination faced by Asian-American students is rarely acknowledged. Considering that 44 percent of Gunn students are Asian-American, how colleges handle affirmative action has a direct impact on Gunn students.

Affirmative action is moving away from its original intent provide equal opportunities to oppressed groups of people, shown by the way many colleges handle AsianAmerican applicants and hold them to a significantly higher standard than other races—even ones with more systemic privilege. This is a perfect example of how modern day affirmative action works counterintuitively to its original purpose by discriminating against highachieving minorities and disregarding the injustices they face.

The policies on affirmative action in many colleges go against the original purpose of affirmative action and hold statistically high achieving minorities, like Asian-Americans, at an unfair disadvantage. In fact, a study conducted at Princeton University found that in the United States, the average white college applicant holds a 140 point advantage in the SAT over the average Asian-American student. In other words, the average white applicant can have a standardized testing score 140 points below an Asian-American applicant and still be chosen over the Asian-American. Because Asian-Americans have faced years of systemic oppression, this is a clear violation of the original principle of affirmative action. The evidence of injustice against Asian-Americans dates back to the 1850s, when the first Chinese-Americans immigrated to the United States. The United States has a tainted past in terms of Asian-American discrimination. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned any Chinese immigrants from entering the United States, and the Japanese internment camps in World War II and the “Yellow Peril” prove that xenophobic persecution of ChineseAmericans is not a first in America. Even in 2017, there is research and evidence proving how Asian-Americans continue to face racism and disadvantages. A study conducted by the National Women’s Law Center found that the average AsianAmerican woman earns 85 cents to a white man’s dollar. A study done by the Administrative Science Journal found that Asian-Americans who “whitened” their names on job resumes had a 10 percent higher callback rate than Asian-Americans who kept their original names. Given the extensive historic and modern day oppression that Asian-Americans face, the fact that they are held to a higher standard and punished

for their merit is truly another form of discrimination.

Another flaw of the blanket approach of generalizing all Asians during college admissions is that it doesn’t account for Cambodian, Vietnamese, Laotian and other Asian-American groups who have lower standardized test scores. By applying the 140 point disadvantage to all Asian-Americans, colleges are problematically using a blanket statistic to represent all Asian-Americans. To correct the flawed system of affirmative action, universities need to approach Asian-American students as they are—a discriminated minority that needs to be compensated just like other minorities and not punished for their high work.

By ending the forced stereotypes and looking at the history of Asian-Americans in America, colleges can make a significant change in bettering the system.

One of the main reasons why AsianAmerican applicants are at a disadvantage during college applications is because of the rising policy adopted by colleges to promote diversity on campus. Even with the disadvantages Asian-Americans face on campus, they still are a significantly high racial percentage of many colleges. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is 23.5 percent Asian, while the University of California, Berkeley is 35 percent. In order to create a more diverse environment, colleges have adopted a problematic policy. Their prioritization of non-Asian races during college applications has created the significant and unjustified disadvantage that Asians face during college applications. Creating racial quotas and trying to diversify a campus is most definitely not a step towards equality, and it is not a way to counteract racism. American colleges have now changed their narrative to promote a more diverse environment rather than fight discrimination—evident in their treatment of Asian-American students.

A common argument that supports the notion that Asian-American success is indeed a form of privilege states that the cultural upbringing of many Asian-American students—one that values education and learning—is a form of privilege because it fosters an environment that caters to success. However, being part of a culture that values education is a mere generalization of all the different types of Asian-Americans, and even if it were true for all, is again not a direct form of privilege. Privilege, by definition, is an advantage exclusive to a group of people and one that cannot be controlled. For example, a white American lives with the privileges of being part of the historically dominant race. These are forms of privilege because they are not subjective and can’t be controlled. No matter how a white American lives, all of these things will still be true. However, when it comes to living in an environment that values education, this can not be considered a privilege as it very clearly can vary among all Asian-Americans and is therefore subjective.

When it comes to striving for equality and erasing the oppression that the United States has forced on minorities, we must look back at the original intent of affirmative action and look at the historical evidence of bigotry against all races in America. It is crucial to stop allowing race to overshadow personal merit or achievement when it comes to determining who the future college students of this country are.

44 percent of gunn students are asianamerican

Asian-Americans who “whitened” their names on job resumes had a 10 percent higher callback rate

—Ashoke, a junior, is a News Editor.

Photo illustration by Tiffany Chen and Richard Yu

Features

Richard Yu

Friday, September 15, 2017

Richard Yu

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Richard Yu

Left: Sophomore Alexander Wang shows off his months of hard work on a science fair display board. Middle: Wang reflects on his attempt to gain more screen time from his parents using his survey results as evidence. Right: Wang carried the poster board on his back for multiple weeks for everyone at school to see.

Sophomore shares personal survey results in unconventional way Amanda Lee News Editor

At the beginning of the school year, sophomore Alexander Wang could be seen around campus carrying a large poster board on his backpack that drew curious students and teachers to approach and study it.

The poster, a typical science fair display board with three panels, featured Wang’s graphs of data he gathered from a survey he administered last school year.

Scattered throughout the array of graphs were printed comics on statistics he likes from the webcomic xkcd.com meant to enrich the content of the poster.

Last year, Wang conducted a survey to research the relationship between the number of hours students spent on their electronic devices and the classes they took at Gunn. He gathered this information to prove to his parents that he could spend more time on the computer and still do well academically. “I was hoping that if I could show there was no correlation between grades and screen time then my parents would give me more computer time,” Wang said.

Wang gathered his data by setting up a table between the senior quad and the Bat Cave. “I would

bring some surveys and pencils and chocolates and a sign that said ‘take survey for free chocolate’ and people would come and take my survey,” he said. “On the survey, I asked for all of their classes and grades and how much screen time they got each week.” In total, he says more than 200 students took the survey.

As he hypothesized, he found there was no correlation between screen time and grades in most classes. “For the average chemistry student, one hour of screen time per week increases the grade by 2 percent,” Wang said.

Unfortunately for Wang, his parents still did not agree to give him more computer time while he was in school. “[My parents] said screen time might affect some stuff that I can’t measure, so I still have to be careful,” he said. He did, however, enjoy more computer time during the summer.

Wang put together the sign this year to show other students who had limited computer time that screen time is not related to a drop in grades. Wang says students were interested in his poster project and wanted to learn more. “There were a bunch of students who thought it was kind of cool and a few of them who wanted to know what my parents said to me,” he said. “And there were some students who kept asking me how long I was going to carry it.”

His teachers had mixed reactions. “Some of my teachers were impressed, some of [them] were annoyed that I would have to bring it to their class every day,” he said. “One of my teachers said it was a garbage study because I didn’t control it enough and the sample wasn’t fair enough.”

Wang’s parents were concerned about his safety since his poster is huge and hard to carry. “Since I bike to school and back home, they [were] worried that I might hit something while I’m on my bike,” Wang said. “So I made this [part of the poster] fold really easily, so if I hit something I [won’t] fall off my bike.”

At the time of this interview, Wang said he would stop displaying the poster soon. “I’m probably not going to bring it to school anymore,” he said. “I think two weeks is long enough.” Since then, he has stopped bringing the poster to school.

Wang says he does not have other survey plans at the moment, but he does want to publish a paper on his findings. “For that particular survey, I might want to write an article in APA format or something like that and try to publish it in an actual student journal,” he said. “And I might do more surveys in the future if I find something that annoys me a lot.”

Freshmen Faces in the Crowd What about Gunn has surprised you the most so far?

“I never anticipated it, but everybody is so friendly here.”

Anna Deka

“It was surprising how many people here seem a lot older than I am.”

Dev Ghai

“This is a larger community compared to middle school, so it’s more difficult to get to know everyone.”

Felix Fonrobert

“I was surprised by how many people I could connect with in such a short period of time.”

Ana Hom

“There’s a lot more freedom— more time to just be you and do what you want.”

Malik Funes

“The free use of phones and computers during school hours.”

Roland Liu

—Compiled by Megan Li Photos by Max Wang

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Cente

THIS IS Gunn High School:

“The Gunn community is a place that offers students a chance to explore who they are.”

—Guidance Counselor Cora Ross

“It is very inclusive and everyone feels at home.”

—sophomore Shriya Kagolanu

Yael Li lifestyle

Gunn is spirit, strength and community. Gunn is screaming pass out. It’s new experiences, challenging classes and Facebo ing to your favorite club meetings at lunch and running the m knowing you have a second family to fall back on, no matter to be resilient.

Many times, Gunn’s community has been forced to deal wi of five protesters from the notoriously anti-gay and anti-semit Gunn, planted signs reading “God hates you” and chanted th Bible-ignorant rebels.” Hundreds of Gunn students and staff nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hop carried the aptly dubbed “love-fest” into campus and a rally h Sometimes the conflicts came from inside the district. On were shocked to discover Gunn had been vandalized overnigh about Gunn’s football team and class of 2014 seniors. Reaction neled into determination: students rallied, grabbing poster p graffiti had been completely masked by words of love and enco and almost instantly, the incident became another piece of Gu Gunn reacts by coming together as one, supporting each o the tragic events during the 2009-10 school year the peer supp sure a student would not feel alone again. Clubs like ROCK, that we are loved. YCS-Interact gives us a chance to give back Gunn is. Each student, event and club adds something unique a hand towards strengthing our community.

Although many of the local events at Gunn have a purpose, week, incredibly executed TEDxGunn events and the famous buzz on campus as students rev up to eat, learn and have a rad miles just to get some free mashed potatoes the week before Th campus together to eat pumpkin pie served on paper plates. G bratwurst and German desserts, and International Week hosts Students come together to try new and old traditions alike—s Gunn has long been a whirlpool of academic excellence, cr often forget the most important things Gunn stands for. At t crimination and against hate. We are strong in the face of adve about just getting through the worst—Gunn is about becomin sexual orientation or religion, we’re all in this together.

Junior Meghna Singh promotes

Julia Cheun repor

“A community pushing each other to be the best that they can be” —senior Avital Rutenberg

When junior Meghna Singh decided to work in mental hea efited one person out of the whole school, or even the whole to Commissioner and co-president of Reach Out Care Know (RO In tackling mental wellness at Gunn, Singh is trying to rais for help. In the past, she has led projects for Not in Our Schoo it to represent Gunn’s unity. Singh is also a member of Paths fr from Palo Alto alumni to redefine success.

Singh hopes to introduce training sessions this year to teach certain situations. One of these sessions will include informa “[We] give all this information to the students… because we kn with an adult,” Singh said. “We respect that, because I’m the s Through mental health education, Singh aims to foster a com mental health. She aims to spread awareness about the impor less you have your mental health and physical health, then yo to focus more on themselves...when it comes to it, you need to Singh draws inspiration from and finds uniqueness in Gun the classroom, you can always find people who care. “There rea if you say ‘can I talk to you for a second?’ they will, and people said. “I think that’s something that not many people know abo

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erfold

Friday, September 15, 2017

GUNN a resilient community

“We can really bond with each other, learn more from each other, and help each other out.”—Junior

ivneh e editor

g “G-U-N-N” during yell competitions so loudly that you almost ook meme pages. It’s #bleedingblackandred at sports rallies, gomile on the red-hot track even when you really don’t want to. It’s what happens. Gunn’s campus has proven time and time again

ith challenges no high school should. In January of 2010, a group tic Westboro Baptist Church set up camp across the street from hat the cluster of Gunn student suicides were because of “cursed ff flooded to the scene, sporting long banners reading “There is pe and its endurance. Love will never come to an end.” Students hosted at lunchtime. a cold morning in May 2014, zero period students and teachers ht. Streaks of spray paint screamed obscenities and targeted slurs ns ranged from anger to sadness to distress but were soon chanpaper, blue tape and markers, and within a matter of hours the ouragement. The halls were covered in chalk messages of support unn’s history; a story of resilience to be followed by many more. other and finding ways to communicate and connect. Following port group Reach Out Care Know (ROCK) was formed to make Sources of Strength and the Chalk Art Club seek to remind us k, and Humans of Gunn showcases the multi-faceted jewel that e to the big picture on campus and encourages each of us to lend

some are just for fun. Gunn prides itself on its busy homecoming annual Turkey Feast. Events like these create an almost tangible dical time. Only at Gunn will you see 2000 students lining up for Thanksgiving. Turkey Feast pulls almost every single student on German Club throws an alcohol-free Oktoberfest, complete with s a multitude of differents customs from many different cultures. showcasing the love and community that is Gunn. reativity and innovation. In our path towards achievement, we the heart of our school, we unite against violence, against disersity, and passionate about the things we care about. Gunn isn’t ng stronger, hand in hand. Because no matter what race, gender,

“It’s lovely to see students connecting over things they enjoy that are not academic.”— English Teacher Jordan Wells

s mental health awareness

nkarndee rter

alth wellness, she made a deal with herself: if her efforts benown, then it would be worth it. Now, as the current Wellness OCK), Singh’s promise still stands true to this day. se awareness, reduce stigma and encourage others to reach out ols Week, such as making a poster with student handprints on rom Palo Alto, an online site that shares life and career stories

h students about mental wellness and how to approach during ation on talking to friends that are experiencing tough times. now that people are more likely to talk with their friends than same way.” mmunity where students are more comfortable with discussing rtance of staying both physically and mentally healthy. “Unou can’t really proceed in life,” she said. “I think people need o be in a good mindset in order for you to do all those things.” nn’s sense of community. From spirit activities to working in ally are a lot of people here who, even if you don’t know them, will reach out to one another and check on each other,” Singh out Gunn—that we are a really big family.”

“The Gunn Community for me is really inviting and accepting”­­—Junior Eric Kwon

Photos by Max Wang and Richard Yu

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Features

New staff members on campus Gabriela Balas

Haley Perkins

World Languages

Social Studies

• I was born in Argentina.

• I am the mother of two Gunn graduates.

• I was a research scientist before becoming a Spanish teacher.

• I went to Gunn for high school.

• This summer I moved back to Palo Alto from Nashville and drove across country in my Prius towing a U-Haul trailer.

Kate Zavack Katherine Ja

Paulette Sato

English

English

• I studied abroad in Vietnam through a program at De Anza College.

• I was a three-sport athlete in high school.

• I have eight pairs of sneakers, four pairs of heels, six pairs of boots and two sandals.

• I am half Japanese and half Italian.

• I love yoga.

• I lived in England and studied at University of Oxford for six months.

Laura Heslop Science

—Compiled by Paulo Frank, Jenny Gao, Jack Mallery, Aleks Tycz and Andrew Zhao.

Graphics by Grace Liu Photos by Justin Hong, Sofia Sierra-Garcia, Max Wang and Richard Yu

English

• I lived in Oahu for two years.

• I am an Army spouse, so I have now lived in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Hawaii.

• I received my scuba diving certification last spring.

• I have a rescue dog who is smaller than my cat.

• I am learning how to bake bread.

• I am officiating a wedding for the first time in October.

Joshua Little Science

• I used to work for Walt Disney World.

• I went into management first for four years before deciding it wasn’t for me.

• I just started training for a half marathon in May.

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Features

Friday, September 15, 2017

share interesting personal facts John Christiansen Counseling

• I was born and raised in Colorado, and went to University of Colorado Boulder.

• My favorite music genres are Hip-Hop and EDM. • I have a grey cat named Ghostface.

• I have completed nine Spartan races.

• I swim like a fish.

• I’m adventurous and enjoy traveling.

Science

• My favorite National Park is Glacier National Park.

• I run on coffee.

• I hate sand.

• My favorite food is french fries.

• I used to be a wedding singer.

• My favorite TV show is “Game of Thrones.”

• I love fantasy football; my team name is Stairway to Evans.

• I took a United States wrestling world team to Chile this summer, and we won all gold.

Kathryn Catalano

Science

Psychology

Physical Education

Counseling

Sarah Borgen

Michael Galviz

Braumon Creighton

Adrian Hernandez

• I am the oldest of six.

• I’m the biggest Harry Potter fan I know.

• I just moved here with my husband from Wylie, TX.

Joanne Marie Garlejo Health

• My birthday is on Christmas.

• I got married in Maui last year.

• I wake up at 4:30 every morning to go to the gym.

Lauren Rocha Wellness

• I am Portuguese.

• The town I grew up in has a higher population of cows than people.

• I enjoy going to country music concerts.

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Features

Therapy dogs offer stress relief on campus

Katie Zhang Lifestyle Editor

During the past few weeks, service puppies from Canine Companions for Independence came on campus to put smiles on students’ faces. The puppies came to the Batcave during lunch, and students came to sit down and play with the dogs.

Senior Romi Miller has a Golden Retriever-Labrador mix service puppy-in-training that visits every Thursday. To train her puppy, Miller “raises her with canine companions and has a book for commands and training tips,” she said. Miller believes that the service dogs impact both her and the Gunn community positively.

“I actually started organizing this after the second day of school [when] something tragic happened to our students on campus, [and] it impacted me a lot,” Miller said. “It’s like a perfect way to forget about things for a little bit and focus on a cute puppy that wants to love you.”

For Miller, having the service dogs is fun and enjoyable. “For some people, they look forward to it every week, so I think it’s really important and really great to just have that kind of outlet,” she said.

Wellness Coordinator Lauren Rocha says that having service dogs on campus is a great idea for the Gunn community and provides students with an alternative form of therapy. “I think therapy dogs specifically allow students this opportunity to feel warmth and energy and happiness and not feel like they have to necessarily talk to anyone about anything that’s going on,” Rocha said.

When they first arrived on campus, the dogs brought a welcome break. “The first day that they were here, we all kind of took a little break and went outside to see them,” Rocha said. “It’s hard to explain, but they just give you a good energy and kind of make you feel rejuvenated. It’s a good way to get out of

the office, and have some love in your life.”

Sophomore Daria Heydari believes that the service dogs brighten her day when she feels worried or upset. “I personally love that they just go around and allow students to pet them because it allows you to take your mind off of all the school work, and it calms you down,” Heydari said. “It’s just such a nice break to take in the middle of the day to get your mind off some school if you feel stressed or have anxiety.”

Due to the excitement of having the service dogs on campus, Heydari feels they should come more often. “I really enjoy having them on the campus because they are super friendly and fun to play with,” Heydari said. “I feel like it’s a really good thing especially at Gunn where we know the community is pretty stressed and a lot of people have anxiety with some tough school work.”

Graphics by Sherry Chen and Mina Kim Photos by Justin Hong and Max Wang

Sports

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Friday, September 15, 2017

Fall season welcomes new coaches to sports Cheer Ryan Manesh

Assistant Business Manager

Richard Yu

Cheer coach Jazmyn Turner directs stretching in the gym.

Graphics by Sherry Chen

Volleyball Kaya Van Der Horst

Forum Editor Nicole Christie’s youthful age has led to awkward situations in which referees mistook her for a player rather than a coach. Such humorous encounters will continue as Christie joins the Gunn volleyball team this fall from Palo Alto Volleyball Club Volleyball has always been an integral element of Christie’s life: she has coached for the past five years and played since elementary school. “I started playing volleyball when I was in fifth grade because my older sister was on the middle school volleyball team,” she said. “I thought it was super awesome to go to her games and she’d always used to practice with me.” Christie continued to play at Foothill College, where her team consistently went to the California Community College State Championships, before earning a scholarship to play volleyball for Notre Dame de Namur University—a NCAA Division II school.

Christie recognizes the importance of keeping a healthy balance between seriousness and fun. “My number one goal is to always have fun while remaining intense and focusing on doing better,” she said. “I like to incorporate a lot of hustle and I really believe that

New cheer coach Jazmyn Turner is ready to guide the team to many victories and prove that cheer is not just a show sport. In the past, however, Turner has had a love-hate relationship with the sport.

She originally tried dance and cheer, and only tried out for her school team because her friend urged her to. “I actually did not like cheerleaders while I was in school,” she said. “I just did it because a friend begged me to go try out with her, and I ended up making varsity and I became kind of popular, so I started doing it and kind of fell in love with it.”

Turner had a sudden end to her cheerleading career when she had suffered a bad injury, but the unfortunate accident inspired her to coach the intense sport. “I started cheer when I was in eighth grade and I loved it,” she said. “I sprained my spine

you can hustle through your passion of the game.”

Christie values how everyone is a “volleyball nerd” within the volleyball community. “When you go to tournaments, everyone speaks this volleyball ‘lingo’ and it’s super fun that we can all nerd out together,” she said.

Christie hopes to carry this feeling of community over to the Gunn team through team-bonding spa nights as well as through her coaching style.

“In practice, I incorporate a lot of partner exercises and I split up partners by grade-level or by position so everyone always has the opportunity to be working with someone different,” she said. “I think that helps them get to know each other, not only as players, but also as individuals.”

As passionate as she is about volleyball, Christie also loves her job at SoulCycle. “I love working out and work for SoulCycle during the mornings and on the weekends when I’m not coaching,” she said.

In addition to her devotion to exercise, Christie has a knack for culinary adventures. “I love exploring the city and finding trendy food places [to] try out and blog on Instagram with my friend,” she said. “I recently tried that rolled-ice cream place called ‘Icicles’ and it was like the best experience of my life—eating Fruity Pebbles in ice cream form.”

Richard Yu

Volleyball coach Nicole Christie surveys a team practice.

Boys’ Water Polo Chelsie Park

Features Editor

Photo courtesy of Butch Garcia

Boys’ water polo caoch Peter Olsen observes a home game.

and I wasn’t able to do cheerleading anymore, but I love cheerleading and the sport.”

Many people find it easy to overlook the athletic aspect of cheer. One of Turner’s goals is to emphasize the athleticism of cheerleaders. “I think currently cheerleading is looked at more as a show sport, but it’s really athletic and demanding so my goals are to make all the girls more athletic and acquire better skills in flexibility as well as turning them into a competition team,” she said.

Tuner believes cheerleaders want to succeed but have to demonstrate willingness to learn and the ability to push themselves to do so. “I look for qualities like the willingness to learn and their own self-effort because I can only push them so far,” she said.

Turner’s favorite part of cheerleading is learning about her own personality; she hopes that her cheerleaders will have the same experience. “My favorite part of cheerleading, I would say, was learning about myself,” she said. “The girls have to learn to push themselves because whatever you want in life you’re only going to get so far with others pushing you along the way—you need to decide your fate.”

Previously junior varsity water polo coach and assistant varsity coach, Peter Olsen is starting his first year as the head coach for boys’ varsity water polo.

Swimming has been an important aspect of Olsen’s life since his childhood, and water polo added a more interesting and strategic element to just swimming laps. “I swam all my life; I was in a pool when I was probably three years old, swimming,” he said. “But I started water polo when I was 12, so I started playing before I was in high school. I got bored of swimming because, going back and forth, you can only do so many times.”

With swimming and water polo both integral parts of his life, Olsen started coaching right after college. “I went and played at St. Francis High School. I played division one at Loyola Marymount

Graphics by Catherine Chen

[University] in Los Angeles for four years and came back and started coaching right away,” Olsen said.

“I coached the junior varsity team here at Gunn and assisted varsity for the last two years.”

One of the reasons Olsen wanted to take over the position of head coach was because of the team atmosphere at Gunn. “We have a great group of seniors who provide a lot of leadership and have a lot of experience,” he said. “We have some sophomores who’ll be contributing right away, and who’ve been working hard all offseason and everything, [so] I’m definitely looking forward to a good season with those guys.”

In terms of future goals for the team, Olsen is planning on maintaining their winning streak. “I think it’s realistic to say that our main goal is winning league,” he said. “Our water polo team at this point has built a culture of success. We have won our league for the last five years, so going for the sixth consecutive year of winning our league [would] be a pretty big accomplishment with these guys.”

16

Sports

No

Yes

Should athletes be exempt from Physical Education?

Grace Tramack

Laurel Comiter

Exercising over six hours per day sounds insane, and it is even more ridiculous that this is a reality for some students. Currently, to meet the requirements of an Independent Study (a self directed class in which a student creates a project), a student must play a sport outside of school to get out of Physical Education (P.E). This, however, excludes athletes who play club sports year round .These additional sports sometimes have even more demanding schedules and practice times. Even if their sport is offered at Gunn, year-round athletes should not be forced to take P.E. their freshman and sophomore year as they already get plenty of exercise and could use the prep to manage their time better and lead a more balanced lifestyle.

Student athletes already exercise more than the recommended adolescent amount. According to a KidsHealth article, teens ages 13 to 18 should engage in roughly one hour of physical activity per day. Many athletes practice two or three hours after school every day, and some even practice for an hour and a half before school as well. Suggesting that these athletes need to exercise more than they already do is ridiculous, and the only thing athletes are getting out of P.E. is even more exhaustion.

In addition, the main purpose of P.E. is to allow students to discover which kinds of exercise they enjoy and which kinds they don’t and to teach them how to fuel their bodies properly. However, student athletes who practice for up to or more than 20 hours each week clearly already have an exercise plan that works for them. Therefore, these students are not benefitting from the information they are receiving—it’s as if the student is taking an introductory course in a language that they are already fluent in. Most athletes agree that nutrition and hydration are some of the most important factors in their sport. Coaches typically will either talk to their athletes about properly fueling their bodies for their particular sport or ask a sports nutritionist to talk to their athletes. This way, athletes are getting tips specific to teenage athletes, or maybe even to athletes of their sport, instead of a generalized nutrition talk. P.E. teaches students that they should be consuming roughly 2,000 calories each day. However, according to an Eatright article, teenage athletes need up to 4,000 calories each day. Knowing that student athletes are hearing that 2,000 calories is the number to strive for is frightening, especially if they count their calories and realize that they consume almost twice that amount. Teenagers who play a sport year round have nothing to gain from these nutrition talks aimed at students whose only exercise is their four hours of P.E. every week. Therefore, P.E. teaches student athletes nothing: they clearly already know how to create their own exercise plan and cannot relate to nutrition-based talks given for non-athlete students.

Year-round student athletes already exercise more than the recommended amount each week and have no need for general health lectures and therefore should not be required to attend P.E. Some may argue that not taking P.E. would mean that these students would just take an extra class, which would stress them out even more. This problem is easily resolved by granting these students Independent Study if they meet all of the requirements— regardless if the sport is offered at Gunn or not— ­and having them simply take a prep. Allowing athletes to get out of P.E. would be more beneficial to their mental and physical health and would give them time to relax. After all, their schedules are crazy enough.

—Tramack, a junior, is a Features Editor.

Students who participate in athletics outside of school have busier schedules than the average student. They have to balance school, homework, social life and sports—everything the average student must manage and more. However, this should not be a reason to be excused from participating in Physical Education (P.E.) classes. P.E. is a required class for everyone because it teaches more than just sports: the class covers how to keep a healthy and active lifestyle and how to maintain good interpersonal relationships. If out-of-school student athletes are excused from P.E., they miss out on a chance for positive stress relief between periods as well as the opportunity to learn the proper way to exercise, important leadership skills and how to live a healthy lifestyle.

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education believes that policies allowing exemptions are not beneficial to students because participating in one sport does not expose students to many of the other activities and standards that are taught in P.E. According to the Gunn course description of the 10th grade P.E. class, “an effort is made to develop an interest and appreciation of an active and healthy fitness level for the future,” something that is not focused on in club sports. P.E. prepares students for the future by requiring discipline and promoting goods sportsmanship. Just like core classes, the goal of P.E. is to provide a well-rounded education in various sports, skills and activities that may be useful later on.

Although out-of-school athletes participate in sports and therefore maintain a healthy fitness level, they miss out on key life skills taught in P.E. classes such as keeping a healthy diet and leadership skills. Many out-of-school sports focus on one thing only: winning championships. However, P.E. games and activities often work on team-building and teach students how to work with people of all different skill levels and maintain a positive attitude. This growth in comradery can be more beneficial than winning. Club sports, selective as they are, do not expose athletes to working with others of various skill levels, thus preventing a sense of leadership from developing as a result of mentoring those below their skill level. In P.E., however, there are plenty of opportunities for people to gain exposure in playing a sport with people of a variety of levels different than just their own.

Finally, P.E. is a perfect stress reliever in the midst of a busy, stressful school day. School isn’t always a fun and inviting place, and one of the original purposes of P.E. is to create a class where kids’ minds have a release. Out-of-school student athletes would miss out on having a set time durGraphics by Sherry Chen ing the day to take a mental break, have fun playing games with friends and not worry about being graded based on Graphics by Sherry Chen skill. Students who are required to take P.E. also have the opportunity to participate in the universal high school tradition of turning what could seem like a pointless class into one where countless memories are made. This class is a new opportunity to create friendships through teamwork and physical activity.

Students who participate in athletics outside of school should still be required to participate in P.E. to ensure that they become well-rounded students with regards to sports, a healthy lifestyle and stress relief. If these students are excused from P.E., they will miss out on important high school experiences as well as key information and skills they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

—Comiter, a junior, is a Copy Editor.

Faces in the Crowd

Should out-of-school atheletes get out of P.E.?

“My friend plays soccer every day after school for three hours, and I think she doesn’t have to do P.E. because she already exercises.”

Christine Lang (9)

“I think anyone who plays approximately two hours a day of sports, whether it be inside or outside of school, should have a prep.”

Joseph Diaz (10)

“Yeah, someone could be working just as hard and not receiving the same benefits; that’s unfair to those who put in the hours.”

Kelly Lim (11)

“Yes, because oustide sports provide excercise and are a time commitment as well. A prep is helpful for athletes to get their work done.”

Becca Chapman (12) —Compiled by Caroline Ro

Sports

Friday, September 15, 2017

17

Essential nutrients provide benefits for athletes Emma Chiao Features Editor

Fats

English muffins, bagels, crackers and pasta for high-carb and low-fat pre-exercise snacks,” PeEating healthy foods before exercising can ters wrote. “Avoid high-fat proteins like cheese Fat serves as fuel for your improve your workout, with the timing and omelets and hamburgers because of the length body during long amounts specific supplements being important factors. of time they take to empty from the stomach.” of low-intensity exercise.

The optimal nutrient intake before and after After a workout, the main goal of the athlete exercise can maximize its benefits and speed should be to regain the fluid lost through sweat. up the muscle recovery process.

Beverages such as juice supply not only water, According to Sports Nutrition teacher but also carbs, vitamins and potassium. Even watery Cindy Peters, the types of food to eat or avoid foods such as watermelon, grapes and soup can provide depend on factors such as age, stress levels, exthe necessary fluids. A carbohydrate-heavy postercise intensity and the specific sport. As a genworkout meal can also supply beneficial nutrients eral rule, however, it is best to avoid anything for recovery. “Consume carb-rich foods and spicy or with a high fat or sugar content right beverages within 15 minutes after workout to Your hard working muscles before exercising. Sugary foods such as soft optimize muscle glycogen replenishment,” she drinks, maple syrup, potatoes, corn flakes wrote. “Protein and carbs stimulate the action of need the glucose within or white rice can result in a glycemic effect insulin, a hormone that transports glucose from carbohydrates for fuel where foods either release their glucose into the blood into the muscles.” It is recommended to the blood quickly after consumption or proeat protein along with carbohydrates such as milk duce a gradual rise in blood glucose levels. and cereal, turkey on a bagel, spaghetti with meat Though high blood sugar can be harmful, sugar sauce or an energy bar with six grams of protein. is still necessary for the body to function, and Peters also stressed the importance of shunProtein leads to benefits such balance is essential. “A drop in blood sugar can ning fad diets or diet myths. A common misas improved strength, lean body leave the athlete tired, lightheaded and fatigued,” conception is that a lot of protein is required mass and muscle performance.

Peters wrote in an email. when exercising; in actuality, balance is key.

It is best to opt for foods that are easier Recent discoveries show that certain vegetables, to digest and contain high levels of carbosuch as carrots and parsnips, should be avoided hydrates for energy and refueling. As for before exercising due to higher glycemic levels. As the timing, there are a little less restrictions for beverages, water is always the best option, just with what your body is capable of digesting. not ice water. This is because of the shock that a “Snacks eaten within an hour before exercise body can experience when its recently-warmed-up or an event maintain blood sugar and make sure innards are exposed to ice water. However, sports you aren’t hungry,” Peters wrote. “Slowly didrinks in moderation can also help replenish gested carbohydrates with a moderate to low electrolytes and speed up recovery. glycemic effect work best.” Some of the best Having the essential nutrients for exercise Magnesium, sodium, calcium examples include yogurt, bananas, oatmeal, starts with basic foods and intuitive eating. and potassium are electrolytes bean soup, lentils and apples.

“Carbohydrate-rich grains, fruits and vegetables that maintain fluid balance.

Additionally, the length of your workout are the best foundation for every type of training should impact your food intake. “If you are program,” Peters wrote. “Know your body and its Graphics by Jeffrey Yao reactions to food.” exercising for less than an hour, try bread,

Carbs

Protein

Electrolytes

Lifestyle

18

Brand battle: name brands beat competition Oreos vs. Tuxedos

We’ve all been there: you’re walking down the grocery aisle looking for your go-to Cocoa Puffs when you find yourself reaching for the deceiving, similarly-colored box of “Cocoa Peanut Butter Spheres.” Despite the lower price and the almost-identical ingredient list, you choose the namebrand item over the generic one because you have your morals (I mean, come on, cocoa peanut butter spheres? Disgusting). But although it hurts to admit, knockoffs and store-brand products are cheaper—and sometimes tastier—alternatives to name-brand favorites. But is saving a few dollars really worth betraying your favorite brand? Do knock-offs live up to their name-brand competitors?

I decided to put these questions to the test and settle the dispute once and for all.

I compared the Oreo, the trusty American favorite, with Tuxedos. You’ve probably never heard of Tuxedos, but basically just imagine an Oreo—that’s about it. The cookies looked identical in size, shape and design, so much so that I couldn’t tell the difference after the Lifestyle Editors kindly scratched out the names indented on the cookies. Packaging-wise, the Oreo cookies won. The simplicity of the giant cookie splashing into milk is iconic, and the Tuxedo cookies used a gross font on their package that I just couldn't get over. They do have a cute little penguin mascot, though. I really did think the Oreos would taste better, but there wasn’t a difference. The cookies were almost identical in taste, and the cream was equally sweet. The only difference was that the Oreo cookies were slightly crunchier, and the Tuxedos were more on the crumbly side, which I liked.

All in all, you get a better bang for your buck when you buy the Tuxedo cookies. Oreos do have fewer calories and grams of sugar per cookie, but let’s be honest: there’s no healthy option when it comes to eating cookies. You’re already committing to eating a cookie, so you may as well choose the cheap, almost identical alternative to Oreos. That is, if you can live with yourself after betraying Milk’s Favorite Cookie.

Winner: Generic brand (Tuxedos) —Written by Carolyn Kuimelis

Cheez-It vs. Safeway Select Cheese Bites Although generic food brands may be cheaper, they aren’t necessarily worth the price.

I decided to test out the popular snack for all ages: Cheez-It crackers. At Safeway, a box goes for $5.99 while Safeway Select’s Cheese Bites sell for $2.50.

The exterior packaging of each present them as nearly identical crackers– the signature square with grooved edges. However, don’t be fooled by the advertisement; in actuality, the original Cheez-It has a much more appealing orange glow compared to the dull and pasty Safeway Select cheese crackers. In terms of flavor, these two are vastly different. The original Cheez-It is crisp and tangy—the strong cheese flavor is well balanced with the salt, creating a harmony that makes Cheez-Its especially addicting. Once a bowl of Cheez-Its has been poured, it’s guaranteed to be empty within five minutes.

Safeway Select Cheese Bites, on the other hand, are much less appealing. They are moist and slightly stale, there is no satisfying crunch and the cheese flavor is washed out by hints of cardboard and raw flour. Additionally, the Safeway Select Cheese Bites lose out to Cheez-it in caloric value: 150 calories versus 140 calories for 25 crackers.

If the Safeway Select Cheese Bites are your choice snack, no judgment; there’s no denying that paying less for food is always a plus factor. But be warned: once you try the original Cheez-Its, there is no going back to the knock-off brands.

Winner: Name brand (Cheez-It) —Written by Emma Chiao

Coca Cola vs. Safeway Brand Cola

So it’s a hot day and you’re thirsty for some soda. That iconic red-bannered, white-labeled bottle of Coke is calling your name, but as you reach to grab it, your hand brushes past something else that catches your attention. It is a clear, red-labeled bottle containing a fizzy dark brown liquid. Hmm… looks suspiciously familiar. It appears you’ve come to a fork in the road: grab the same bottle of Coke that has been present in your fridge, barbeques and parties throughout your life, or be a little bold and give that Safeway-branded “Cola” a shot. What’s the difference anyway?

These days, original companies of everything - from food to clothes - are getting their most popular ideas ripped off by other companies that make minor changes to the product and then sell it for a cheaper price. That is why the phrase “cheaper is better” is actually not necessarily true.

Today I drank both generic and name-brand soda and came to the conclusion that while the two tasted very similar, the original brand Coke won the competition. Both appeared the same from the outside. Originally, I was skeptical that there would be much of a difference in flavor, but that assumption was incorrect. While several brands of food (for example, Coke and “Cola” or Oreos and Trader Joe's “JoJo’s”) may advertise themselves very similarly, noticeable inconsistencies do exist. The slight difference of ingredients did result in a not-so-slight difference of taste: the Safeway brand of “Cola” had a more sour and slightly bitter flavor that preceded the familiar sweetness of soda. The saying “stick to what you know” holds true when it comes down to brands of soda.

Winner: Name brand (Coca Cola) Graphics by Sherry Chen Photos by Richard Yu

—Written by Bridgette Gong

19

Lifestyle

Friday, September 15, 2017

IT'S FALL, Y'ALL: colder weather brings warmer festivities Recounting memorable autumns on the East Coast

Grace Tramack After living in California for almost four years now, I can honestly say that one of the things I miss most about New Hampshire is fall. Not the 70-degree, barely cool enough for jeans and still-lookslike summer kind of fall that Palo Alto has. Sure my friends on the East Coast are jealous of our beautiful year-round weather, but to me, nothing beats the crisp sweater weather of New England.

First of all, no season that Palo Alto has experienced can compare to the beauty of a New England fall—right around the beginning of October, the leaves yellow, then orange, and finally a deep red.

They are so beautiful and important to a New England fall that when my grandparents heard that the trees don’t really change color in Palo Alto, they sent us a bag of New Hampshire leaves (true story).

Also, it’s cool enough to wear big, comfy sweaters and fuzzy socks without getting too hot at any part of the day. Sure, it’s chilly in the morning but by noon it’s the perfect temperature for your favorite soft clothes.

Weather and leaves aside, where in Palo Alto can you go to participate in real fall activities?

My first fall in California, I remember missing apple-picking with my family, fields of sunflowers and piles of pumpkins. Maybe people who have never enjoyed fall as much as I do think that this all seems boring and a little (okay, a lot) cheesy, but to me it is one of the greatest traditions at a place I call home.

One of my absolute favorite things about fall is the amazing food. As much as pumpkin spice flavored products are popular in California, they are a fall necessity in New Hampshire. Pumpkin muffins from Dunkin Donuts are my personal favorites.

Fall is also the season for apple cider with fresh maple sugar. I can honestly say that nothing beats the feeling of coming inside after a chilly day to a cup of hot apple cider and snuggling into a blanket by the fire. My dad used to do “Soup Sundays,” too, when we would make different kinds of soup, watch the Patriots game and have family dinner.

So many of my memories from fall are spending time with friends and family, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Okay, so maybe I’m a bit of a romanticist when it comes to fall in New England. And it’s not that I don’t love fall in California too, but my sentiment for both have been established for very different reasons. A Palo Alto fall may not have brilliantly colored trees or fields of apples and sunflowers, but at least it’s not followed by a blizzard-filled winter.

Nevertheless, I miss brightly colored trees, apple picking and the distinct fall smell. I miss pumpkin muffins, cozy sweaters every day and apple cider.

Most of all, I miss the times I spent with friends and family, enjoying the beautiful fall days in New England.

—Tramack, a junior, is a Features Editor.

New Hampshire

Graphic by Mina Kim

Celebrating different cultural takes on fall traditions

SEPTEMBER 2017 Oktoberfest: Germany, Sept. 16 to Oct. 3 Oktoberfest is a festival that originated in Munich, Germany and has been celebrated since 1810.

The main event in Munich has an average of six million visitors each year. People eat food such as pretzels, sausages and pork, and around 1.5 million gallons of beer are consumed. It is celebrated all around the world. The German club hosts the festival at Gunn with traditional foods and activities

OCTOBER 2017 Mid-Autumn festival: China, Oct. 4 This festival is celebrated in China by lighting lanterns, having family reunion dinners and admiring the full moon. People share mooncakes, a round pastry that symbolizes unity of families. Its origin came from ancient emperors who worshiped and offered sacrifices to the moon in autumn.

The holiday is on the 15th day of the eighth month by the Lunar calendar.

OCTOBER 2017 Diwali: India, Oct. 19 Diwali, also known as “festival of lights,” is a Hindu festival that celebrates the return of deities Rama and Sita to Ayodhya after their exile. People celebrate by setting colorful fireworks, lighting up candles and giving gifts such as clay oil lamps. They also perform a puja, a prayer ritual, to the Goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The festival symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and of good over evil.

—Compiled by Joy Huang Graphic by Jeffrey Yao

20

Falling into an autumnal LifeSTYLE

Preppy (Feminine)

- Sweater: Kohls - Shirt: Forever 21 - Necklace: Target - Skirt: Forever 21 - Tights: Target - Boots: Nordstrom Rack

Preppy (Masculine)

- Jacket: Patagonia - Shirt: Timberland - Pants: Nautica - Shoes: Adidas Stan Smiths

Rustic Chic (Feminine)

- Cardigan: Urban Outfitters - Shirt: Forever 21 - Pants: Target - Shoes: Nordstrom Rack - Scarf: Macy’s - Belt: Target

Rustic Chic (Masculine)

- Flannel: All Saints - Shirt: All Saints - Pants: Vans - Shoes: Adidas NMD

—Compiled by Carolyn Kuimelis and Aleks Tycz Photos by Richard Yu

KAYA’S PICKS: Best Sweaters for the New Season Sweater Dress

Why I love it: Who ever said dress-season stops after summer? Sweater dresses are a perfect way to cozy up this fall while still showing some leg—something you rarely get to do in chilly autumn. They’re also a perfect option for these Indian summers when you wake up to a cloudy sky and are later greeted by a heat wave during lunch—layer and take your cardigan off after!

What to wear it with: On a cooler day, combine this fall essential with tights and over-the-knee boots for a chic and stylish look. Never hesitate to accessorize by adding a belt or necklaces to spice up your look.

Cable-Knit Turtleneck

Why I love it: Although you’ll probably never see me without a scarf in the fall (one of my absolute favorite accessories), turtlenecks are the best substitute. And it gets even better: cable-knit turtlenecks. They scream “cozy,” and the bigger the better. Oversized sweaters look great paired with jeans, skinny pants (leggings aren’t pants) or mini skirts.

What to wear it with: Widely regarded as a staple for the preppy wardrobe, cable-knit sweaters can be layered over of a white button-up shirt that just peeks out at the bottom.

Try pairing that with a pair of distressed jeans for a more modern look to contrast the neatness on top—balance is key.

—Written by Kaya van der Horst

Photos by Justin Hong and Richard Yu