iOS club app help students assimilate to new schedule
Gunn students participate in various cultural sports
PG. 9 FEATURES
PG. 17 SPORTS
NON-PROFIT ORG
Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306
U.S. Postage
PA I D
Permit #44 Palo Alto, Calif.
THEORACLE Henry M. Gunn High School
http://gunnoracle.com/
Friday, September 9, 2016
Volume 54, Issue 1
780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
PAUSD encounters $3.3 million budget shortfall Grace Ding Sports Editor
The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) plans to resolve its current budget shortfall of $3.3 million over two years, keeping cuts as far away from the classroom as possible. The deficit was caused by the difference between the projected and received property tax revenue growth for July. The growth as of June 1 was 8.62 percent, and past trend data indicated that July’s numbers are usually higher than June’s, so the district used a projected growth of 8.67 percent for July to create its budget. However, due to a total of $1.2 million in tax exemptions, primarily from Stanford Hospital, the received property tax revenue growth for July was 5.34 percent.
revenue growth projections, uses information from the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office, other school districts and the City of Palo Alto to help project revenue growth. Although increased communication would help, according to Mak, simply knowing an exemption does not guarantee a perfect projection. “Because there are so many factors and so many details that get into the property tax projection, it’s very difficult to project precisely what that number will be for the following year,” Mak said.
Possible budget cuts and impact on students
Cause of shortfall
Superintendent Dr. Max McGee explained that the difference primarily comes from the unexpected increase in Stanford Hospital’s exemption. “The year before, there was a $1.4 million exemption, and so we had assumed that there would not be another one of that magnitude,” McGee said. “But it was about $1.1 million [this year] and I thought it would be somewhat less than that.” The reason that the exemption was inaccurately accounted for in the projection comes down to timing. “This information typically doesn’t become available until early July, but by then our budget had already been approved in June,” PAUSD Communications Coordinator Jorge Quintana said. “That’s what caused the shortfall.” In order to prevent something similar from happening in the future, McGee plans to set up more face-to-face meetings with the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office, which is in charge of valuing property. “We can’t just rely on monthly written reports to make projections,” he said. “Also, we have already met with Stanford representatives regarding their timing for filing for exemptions.” PAUSD Chief Budget Officer Cathy Mak, who is in charge of
Tiffany Chen
So far, the school board has held three out of five scheduled meetings to discuss plans to manage the shortfall for future years. “We will make a recommendation to the board on solutions for the current year and bring in specific proposals during the next meeting [on Sept. 13],” Mak said. “We anticipate the board to approve them in the second meeting of September, [Sept. 27].” Gunn will receive its final budget for the 2016-17 school year at the end of September, but according to McGee, there should be no noticeable effect on the schools. “We want to keep the class sizes where they are; we want to continue to have the level of support for our special education students,” McGee said. “We are going to continue to move forward with our minority achievement and talent development work.” Quintana also emphasizes that the district is being careful to avoid making cuts that would strongly impact students. “All the adjustments that will be presented or have been presented to the board keep all students in mind and stay as far away as possible from programs that benefit students,” he said. I n s t e a d , t he d i s t r ic t w i l l b e fo c u si n g more on the operational aspect of its budget. BUDGET—p.4
Computer science suggested as graduation requirement Clara Kieschnick-Llamas Copy Editor
Due to the increase of lines of work involving computer science, there has been a recent movement to make computer science a graduation requirement at Gunn. Last year, eight administrators and teachers met regularly and had a meeting with the district office about the possibility of making it a mandatory course.
Support
Besides Chicago, no other city in the United States requires a course in computer science to graduate. Computer science teacher Josh Paley, however, believes that computer science should be a requirement and has heavily pushed this campaign. “Computing is fun, and I like to focus on that,” he said. “But there’s also the reality that to be a well-educated adult maybe you need to know a little something about computing, even if that’s not something you
choose to do in life.” Students such as AP Computer Science student junior Carmel Baharav also see computer science as a practical skill that could be beneficial to students if it were added as a graduation requirement. “It’s a very relevant skill set in general, because it’s looking at a problem that’s bigger than you and coming up with how to approach it,” Baharav said. Baharav thinks that a required class would change many misconceptions about computer science. “A lot of times, people think it’s all about the languages, and they get turned away,” she said. “Even in Silicon Valley, people still associate computer science with something kind of nerdy and inaccessible, so I think it would [make it accessible] to a lot of people.”
and be an unnecessary addition to the list of graduation requirements that currently exists. “It’s not that I don’t think it’s valuable,” she said. “I’d rather see [students] get to pick whichever combination of courses you want that are interesting to you and will prepare you.” College and Career Counselor Linda Kirsch also noted that colleges only value computer science on a student’s transcript if he or she is majoring in a related subject. “We should be respecting the right that kids have the ability to be able to come on strongly to the places they want to go with the kinds of topics they want,” Kirsch said. “If you’re an artist, they are not looking for computer science. Engineering, sure, they would love to see that. It shouldn’t be demanded—it should be there and available.” Kirsch argues that many students would Concerns struggle to fill this new demand, and would Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann is not in find it difficult to graduate. “The whole support of this initiative, however, because idea that you could be cutting people out she believes it would limit students’ options of getting a diploma is very unsavory to
me,” she said. AP Computer Science student junior Shivansh Rustagi also believes that making computer science a graduation requirement would add more stress to students. “When I think of coding camps I think of elementary schoolers and middle schoolers, and it’s not high stakes,” he said. “But the [problem] is when you make it a class that counts for your GPA. There’ll be people who think, ‘Oh, man, I have a CS [Computer Science] midterm. I don’t get computer science, I don’t get Java. What am I doing in this class?’ and they have to take it to graduate.” An additional worry, according to Rustagi, is that the requirement would add to the heavy Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) focus at Gunn. “We have good classes, so if we’re really going to push for change, maybe there are other places where we can change, rather than focusing on STEM, STEM, STEM,” Rustagi said. COMPSCI—p.4
Graphic by Cheryl Kao
2
News
Palo Alto Mayor Patrick Burt poses with the Recall Aaron Persky organizer, Michele Dauber, after speaking at the rally.
Protestors gather in front of the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice with signs and body paint protesting Judge A. Persky.
Photos courtesy of Jenna Marvet
Event organizer Michele Dauber prepares for her CNN interview with anchor Ashleigh Banfield in front of protestors.
Recall Aaron Persky rally highlights Palo Alto activists Janet Wang and Sohini Ashoke Forum Editor and Reporter
On Sept. 2, the Committee to Recall Judge Persky organized a rally at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose to recall Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky for his ruling in the Brock Turner case. The date marked Turner’s release from county jail after serving three months of his six month sentence for assault with intent to rape and sexually penetrating an intoxicated and unconscious person with a foreign object. Turner, a former swimmer at Stanford University, was found guilty of his crimes in March. Turner and the anonymous female victim, “Emily Doe, ” were at a Kappa Alpha fraternity party, where he was spotted assaulting her unconscious body near two cyclists passing by. Persky gave Turner what many view as a lenient six month sentence, while prosecutors suggested six years, but he was released after three months due to “good behavior” according to Persky. In light of the Turner ruling, Stanford Law School Professor Michele Dauber founded the Committee to Recall Judge Persky. Dauber believes that the rally showed the community how unreasonable Turner’s sentence was. “The short sentence Brock Turner received shows just how biased Aaron Persky is and how just because Brock Turner is a white, privileged and elite athlete at Stanford, that the rules didn't apply to him and he could receive special treatment,” she said. Dauber says that this rally holds a special place for the members of the Palo Alto community considering the victim’s connection to the area. “The victim is a [PAUSD] alumna, and a member of our community,” she said. “She
is no different than anyone you went to school with. I have known her since she was in elementary school—she is an intelligent and overall amazing person. This is an absolute outrage, and she could be any of your friends.” The Oracle senior News Editor Jenna Marvet attended the rally and believes that the cause is relevant to high school students. “Anyone who is in school, college or high school, should be aware of sentencing relating to campus sexual assault, especially with this assault happening so close to home,” Marvet said. “It is pertinent that students are aware so they can take action to prevent stories like this one in the future.” Palo Alto Mayor Patrick Burt, who heard about the rally from the leaders of the Recall Aaron Persky movement, was a speaker at the event. Burt discussed the importance of judges refraining from bias in their cases—something that Persky is accused of having. Persky has previously given lenient sentences to white male defendants involved in sex crimes, such as in People v. James Chain in which he gave a four-day sentence to a man who possessed a video of sexual violation of an infant and other pornographic videos of minors, even though the District Attorney suggested two years in prison. In a 2007 trial concerning a gang rape by De Anza college baseball players, preceded by Persky, he ruled photos of the victim in “revealing” clothing at a party as relevant evidence. “It’s become increasingly apparent that Judge Persky has a whole pattern of unusual leniency in different sorts of sex crime cases depending on the background of the defendants,” Burt said. “I think that if [the Brock Turner] case were an
anomaly within that pattern of the rulings that Judge Persky has, I would probably not be supportive of the recall.” According to Burt, the Turner case and the recall is especially relevant to the high school and college age group. “These are the sorts of situations people in their late teens and early twenties in college may be encountering, so we’re going to protect people from this and we’re going to hold perpetrators responsible,” he said. Stanford Association of Student Sexual Assault Prevention co-founder Stephanie Pham also spoke at the event. By bringing together advocates and people who support survivors of sexual assault, Pham says that the rally will allow everyone to channel their emotions towards issues of how the legal system handles sex crimes and Persky’s decisions. Pham says that high school students should be aware of sexual assault violence and rape culture. “This normalization of violence against women begins very early on,” she said. “Students are coming into college with an array of ideas in regard to women, in regard to sex and sexual violence, and it’s time that this conversation starts before college—before students step onto their university campus.” For Pham, a successful recall of Judge Persky does not finish the work in preventing lenient rulings in sexual assault cases. “Judge Persky’s decisions have really just continued violence against women and further silences survivors and discourages reporting,” Pham said. “He's only one example of a judge, of one man, who doesn't think that sexual assault is a violent offense. It's going to take so much more energy and effort in order to eradicate rape and sexual violence in all communities.”
English electives adapt to inclusionary co-teaching model Anyi Cheng
Education Instructional Supervisor (IS) Teri Lee said. In the past years, classes in Math, English, Science and Social This school year, two English elective classes, Escape Studies have been co-taught. Literature and Film Literature, will be co-taught in an effort In a co-taught class, two teachers are present during class to diversify instructional perspective. “The goals would be time and both aid student instruction in different ways. to ensure that the students are able to access the curriculum “One has a content area expertise and the other teacher has in their English classes, including in their electives,” Special expertise with the learning strategies and skills that allow them to access the curriculum,” Teacher on Special Assignment of Inclusion Lynn Tabuchi said. “It’s a blending of strengths that they bring to the table.” According to English Department IS Kristy Blackburn, co-teaching helps with designing curriculum that allows all students to successfully access the content. “It’s a way to help with the inclusiveness of students and have them learn in the least restricted environment,” she said. While he enjoys working with his coteacher, Escape Literature teacher Marc Igler, feels that the co-teaching model does have its Max Wang English teacher Justin Brown and Teacher on Special Assignment Lynn Ta- disadvantages. “However, co-taught classes buchi teach their students a lesson on a movie in their Film Literature class. are saturated with students in special-ed and students with 504s and other learning issues. It is not the ‘least restrictive environment,’” Igler said. He also worries about the lessonplanning aspect, which he calls “very timeconsuming, and at the moment, it comes at the expense of a teacher’s other classes.” Escape Literature is co-taught by Igler and Tabuchi; Film Literature is co-taught by English teacher Justin Brown and Tabuchi. According to Blackburn, these classes were the two that had the most student interest, which was why they were chosen to be the first English electives to be co-taught. Forum Editor
According to Tabuchi, having two teachers assigned to one classroom allows for more individualized learning. “Having two people teaming together doubles the amount of resources,” Tabuchi said. “It’s beneficial to all students, not just students that are in Special Education.” The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) commissioned a report from Harvard University, which was shared at the special school board meeting on June 13. The report expresses reservations about co-teaching, stating that “while co-teaching is a model that is a significant improvement from segregated classrooms for students with disabilities, the model has significant limitations.” It lists several key disadvantages to co-teaching, including the threat of perpetuating a stigma that co-taught classes are “remedial” or “low-lane” classes because of the Special Ed integration. As an alternative, the report suggests a different strategy called Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a recentlydeveloped classroom structure designed to integrate all student participation. Some students in the co-taught English electives this year feel that the co-teaching structure is not yet running efficiently. “In my class so far, if it didn’t say I had two teachers on my schedule, I probably would’ve never realized they were co-teaching,” senior Lucy Lamb said of her Escape Literature class. “Right now one teacher has been doing all the lecturing while the other watches from the back.” Nevertheless, Lamb feels that there is potential in the co-taught English classes. “I think it will be helpful for teachers to give each other feedback on each lesson since they will always get to see what the other does each day,” she said. “Also, since everyone has different teaching styles, it may be helpful to learn new teaching techniques from each other.” Lee harbors high hopes for the co-taught elective English courses. “I anticipate that it will be very effective and good for all students,” she said.
News THEORACLE 780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238 www.gunnoracle.com
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Shagun Khare Managing Editors Matthew Hamilton Lena Ye News Jenna Marvet Helen Nguyen Samuel Tse Forum Anyi Cheng Deiana Hristov Janet Wang Features Stina Chang Prachi Kale Ariel Pan Centerfold Emma Chiao Mikaela Wayne Sports Grace Ding Paulo Frank Tim Sun Lifestyle Sabrina Chen Kaya van de Horst Tone Lee Changing the Narrative Cassie Bond Photo Editor Richard Yu Graphics Editor Elizabeth Zu
Staff Business/Circulation Matthew Oh Assistant Business/Circulation Jack Mallery
Friday, September 9, 2016
Interim Wellness Center offers students new ways to relieve stress Evalyn Li and Grace Tramack
needs. “A wellness center is only as successful as the student’s access to it and utilization of it,” Stevenson said. Navjeevan echoed the sentiment that moving forward with the deThe Wellness Center has opened this year on campus to offer different velopment of the center, constant adaptation and adherence to student resources for students, promote mental health and create a comfortable feedback is essential and necessary for its success. “I think student environment in which students can go for help or destress. voice is one of the most important voices in the room because if we Some of the resources at the new center include a lounge area with have student voice in the things that are made for the students by the couches, coloring books, stress balls and Approved Clinical Supervisor students for the students, students will feel more comfortable using (ACS) counselors, but according to Wellness Outreach Worker Myrna it,” she said. “If you have an idea, a complaint or comment, come in Zendejas, that is not all that is planned. “I think it’s important to see the and just say it so we can work to make it better because [the people in center as a place to re-energize, but it’s also not just about mental health, but the center] are a lot more open tha you think.” about students’ whole wellness,” When Principal Dr. DeZendejas said. “That’s physical nise Herrmann first arrived and mental and everything, so as at Gunn, she realized that a part of that, we want to incorcreating a space on campus porate other types of wellness in dedicated to student wellthe center such as zumba or yoga ness was possible. She began classes, as well as meditation or working with a committee mindfulness practices.” of staff members to redeWhile Assistant Principal sign the proposed two story Miriam Stevenson arrived after —Assistant Principal Miriam Stevenson building to replace the SAC the wellness center plans were to include the center. “We created, she has worked with a diverse group of board members, staff, tried to make the space as flexible as possible because who knows what parents and students to visit other districts’ wellness centers in efforts to services students might need in five years,” she said. inform the creation of Gunn’s own center. “You can’t just drop a different One of Herrmann’s hopes for the future center is that it will inf luapproach into a community,” Stevenson said. “You have to see what other ence the overall tone of well-being and health at Gunn for both teachers people have done, but [you] also have to think about how Palo Alto is and students. “When we first came together to work on our school unique and consider what kinds of things work for us that may not work improvement plan it wasn’t just about this wellness idea… but also elsewhere.” that was in a bigger context of our overall school culture,” she said. According to Student Executive Council Wellness Commissioner junior “If there are any parts of our climate and culture that maybe in the Vidhu Navjeevan, another important factor in making the Wellness Center past have contributed to excessive stress, a competitive environment a comfortable space is the confidentiality it offers. “You might be there for or students feeling confined, like there is only one way to have success therapy, but you also may be grabbing tea,” she said. here, then those are things we have to challenge.” One of the main goals of the Wellness Center is to create a comfortable space for students and staff to relax and re-energize. “[The Wellness Center] is really just for any time you feel that you need that break,” Zendejas said. “One of our rules in here is that we don’t have electronics, we don’t have laptops, we disconnect from homework—it’s really a place where you can just focus on you and focus on feeling better.” The other main goal, according to Stevenson, is to connect all of the general wellness services at Gunn. “The challenge becomes how do we make sure that the people involved in the sources of strength are working together to help the student while maintaining the privacy the student deserves,” she said. “The idea of wellness is that there is easy access to supports for people to practice self care and to better coordinate services so that it’s not an under-service or a duplication of service.” Stevenson says that even with this interim wellness center in lieu Photo by Vibha Arun of the one that will be constructed in two years, the administration is Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator Joanne Michels (left) and working with students to establish a feedback loop to meet students’ Zendejas (right) prepare the Wellness Center for students to use. Reporters
“The idea of wellness is that there is easy access to supports for people to practice self care and to better coordinate services so that it’s not an under service or a duplication of service.”
INBOX
Copy Editors Clara Kieschnick-Llamas Carolyn Kuimelis
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.
Oracle/TBN Liaison Elizabeth Chung
Please include your name, grade and contact information should you choose to write one.
Oracle/SEC Liaison Shannon Yang Graphics Artists Sherry Chen Tiffany Chen Cheryl Kao Jackie Lou Jeffrey Yao Photographers Vibha Arun Samantha Carlos Max Wang Reporters Sohini Ashoke, Bridgette Gong, Joanna Huang, Evalyn Li, Yael Livneh, Maya Rapoport, Seungik Shin, Grace Tramack, Katie Zhang Tech Editors Akansha Gupta Amanda Lee Adviser Kristy Blackburn
3
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 —
Dear Titans and Titan families, Welcome to The Oracle’s first issue of the year. We are excited to uphold the tradition of excellence at The Oracle as we begin the year as a new staff, as well as introduce developments to diversify our platform. Last year marked the first major utilization of our online platforms, as we established several different initiatives to expand our digital readership and accessibility. This year we plan to continue this digital transition to make our online presence even more robust, starting with more onlineexclusive and multimedia content on our website, gunnoracle.com. This will involve more interactive layouts on our online stories, as well as more photo- and video-journalism in collaboration with Titan Broadcast Network (TBN). We will also be continuing our Changing the Narrative series, with our first online installment coming out next Monday. Part of our push for more digital content will include further exposure and reader interaction through our social media platforms. We will be posting stories more frequently on Facebook and Twitter, and will begin
live-tweeting school board meetings and sports games as the year progresses to keep our digital readers up-to-date with relevant, important news in the most timely manner possible. Since one of The Oracle’s main priorities has always been to both respect and push the boundaries of journalism, we are constantly looking for ways to make our coverage more comprehensive, honest and timely. Therefore, we will start to incorporate breaking news to our routine, allowing for some of the most important and relevant news to be readily available on a more frequent basis. Additionally, we will be focusing on investigative content, such as the story on school budget cuts in this issue, to address the most pressing issues on campus. Our final goal involves, you, our readers. We will be putting out an online survey on our Facebook page starting tonight for readers to submit feedback on our monthly issues. As always, letters to the editor are welcome for feedback as well. We hope to increase interaction with our Photo of the Day series as well, so use #titanpod to have your pictures of Gunn and its activities shared on our Instagram and Facebook. The Oracle starts and ends with our readers, so thank you on behalf of all of us here at The Oracle for your readership and support. Here’s to another year of great journalism. Sincerely, Shagun Khare EIC ‘16-’17
4
News
PAUSD school board to reassess future budget plans BUDGET
“We intend to cut our operations cost for this year by about employing what she calls a healthy and balanced approach. “Our website to provide the public with accurate facts and keep them $300,000,” McGee said. “By operations, I mean nothing to do district is fortunate to have really good support from our com- up to date on how the school district is leading the community with personnel; it’s about the costs of running the system in terms munity; through Measure A and other things, our community through the process of managing the shortfall. of supplies, materials, utilities, but not teachers or staff members.” has really invested in our schools. And so when we have budget McGee has also set up town halls and webinars, the first of Another major deadline the district needs to meet is next April, setbacks like this, the nice thing about our school district is that which was held on Sept. 7. There will be another one in Septemwhen the budget for the 2017-18 school year will be set and more it has set aside money for cash reserves for [unexpected short- ber and a few more in October. “People can attend in person or cuts will likely be made. “We’re going to have to cut back on some falls],” she said. “This is the time when it’s okay for some of our participate online,” he said. “It’s a real-time webinar, so people staffing that’s not related to teaching, so we’ll probably have to difference to come out of that fund balance, sort of our savings can send in their questions and we’ll answer them right there.” do some reassignments through the district offices and look at account, and some of it to come from our existing expenditures.” McGee hopes to hold town-hall style meetings at both Paly and some more extensive operational cost savings,” McGee said. Herrmann also emphasized that the district reserves and Gunn as well. The board will continue to discuss possible areas of budget the proposal to address the deficit over two years is a thoughtful Through these events, Quintana hopes that community reductions for the 2017-18 year at the Sept. 13 members can add their voices to the disGraphic by Jackie Lou meeting and beyond. “We’ll have commucussion. “All these efforts are out there to nity forums to get feedback; we’ll meet with engage everyone because it’s important to 2015-2016 stakeholder groups like our teachers’ unions, the school district that the community, $3.3 million 2016 non-teacher unions, leadership teams, PTA and including students, are part of this process,” over budget PIE to get their feedback,” Mak said. “We also Quintana said. $1.2 million have two study sessions planned, and our plan is McGee also assures the community that to bring a recommendation [for the next school tax exemption the district will be thoughtful, deliberative year] to the board in February.” and inclusive in their approach. “[Students] due to low should be assured that we’re not going to property 2017 Proposals to use district reserves impact teaching or learning and that they’re tax revenue Currently, the district has been able to cover welcome to participate as we plan to make $1.2 million the shortfall from some of its own savings and our budget assignments,” he said. “If they growth possible bonds. At the Aug. 23 board meeting, there have ideas for how we can save some money were several solutions proposed for this school withdrawal from over the next few years, we’d love to hear it.” year that would address approximately half the district reserves Positives and best-case scenarios shortfall, leaving the rest to be addressed during the 2017-18 year. Ultimately, McGee recognizes this The first proposal uses a savings of approxchallenge as an opportunity for the district imately $375,000. “Because our elementary to learn and improve. “I’ve already met enrollment growth did not come in as high as projected, we approach that takes students into consideration. “This group of with a consultant who gave me some leads on how to do some actually did not hire three elementary school teachers, so we students we’re serving over the next few years shouldn’t have restructuring on some of our processes so we’ll be both more can capture that savings,” Mak said. to take a large part of the responsibility of the burden of that efficient and more effective,” he said. Another recommendation is to use the $1.2 million in bond shortfall. It allows us to spread it out so no isolated group of Herrmann also sees this budget shortfall as a way to identify funds intended for replacing outdated technology equipment. students is impacted too greatly,” she said. the most important resources and programs and making cuts in According to McGee, the same thing was done during a previous areas that might not be as impactful. “Challenging times force budget deficit in 2008. Public education and community involvement innovation and force you to let go of practices and things that, Another major priority for the district is to educate the although maybe are not beneficial, would’ve continued without Effect on Gunn public on the issue, and make sure to include and encourage question had you had enough resources,” Herrmann said. “IdeAlthough Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann is not directly in- participation from all stakeholder groups and the community. ally the small cuts we might have to make are things that in the volved with managing the shortfall, she is happy that the board is According to Quintana, the district created a webpage on its future would’ve been good decisions anyhow.”
Chromebook Program aids, enhances student learning Joanna Huang Reporter
Gunn is further expanding the Chromebook program started last year, issuing Chromebooks to current sophomores and juniors to provide students with equal access to technology. Next year, students in all grades will have Chromebooks. Between 1000 to 1200 Chromebooks have been issued so far, with their price ranging from $325 to $400 each. The Chromebook program began through a Google grant two years ago. While the money could have been used to purchase more laptop carts, the Gunn Technology Advisory Committee, consisting of a team of teacher representatives from all departments, met during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years and decided that students should be trusted with their own laptop to take home. Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann is proud of how well the students have been taking care of these laptops. The laptops are meant to last four years, according to Technology Integration Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Chris Bell, who has been overseeing the program. The brand of laptop has been selected based on price, according to Bell. Not only are Chromebooks relatively inexpensive, but all Chromebooks are currently being sponsored by Google, keeping the program unaffected by the district budget shortfalls. Also known as the 1:1 program, representing one laptop for every one student, the Chromebook program gives students equal access to technology so that teachers are unrestrained by laptop cart and computer lab availability. “We’re excited that
we’re finally moving into a place where no matter your circumstances at home every student will have access to what they need,” Bell said. “It just makes it easier for teachers to integrate what they feel is appropriate technology in the classrooms.” Math teacher Michael Bautista, along with teachers of sophomores and juniors in all academic departments, has been using the Chromebooks in class.
Je
ey ffr
o Ya
The Chromebook program led to the requirement that an online math homework website called MathXL be used in all Algebra 2/Trigonometry classes. According to Bautista, this requirement was set by the overall math department. Other math classes have been using MathXL as well. Bautista is aware of the frustration some students have with MathXL, but he wants to
make sure its advantages are recognized. “We still want students to write down the problems that they do and keep a notebook of their homework, but the nice thing is if a student gets a problem wrong, MathXL will either give hints or generate additional practice problems for students to do,” Bautista said. “Getting that instant feedback on homework is really valuable versus just having a book problem and being stuck and having nowhere to go.” In addition to increased homework support, the Chromebooks may get students to do more research. “I think in several years down the road there might be some evidence to show that our students are much better at research,” Herrmann said. Bautista believes using technology to learn may also help prepare for college and future jobs, especially in Silicon Valley. Students being issued their own device is a district-wide change. According to Herrmann, Palo Alto High School has began to issue technology as well, after the addition of laptop carts proved unsuccessful. The local middle schools have been adding them in one grade at a time. Other schools throughout the Bay Area and nation have already implemented the 1:1 program. Herrmann said most schools will continue with programs that issue technology to students. She expects Gunn will as well. “Once students get used to always having a laptop and being able to pull it out and take notes or look something up or use it as a learning support...once you start it, it’s difficult to not use it that way anymore,” Herrmann said. Bell believes great benefits will arise from the Chromebook program. “Technology will be a part of lessons and classes in a way that it has never been before, and students will have access whenever they need it,” Bell said.
Possibility of computer science classes merged with math classCOMPSCI
A possible alternative to Paley’s proposed graduation requirement is incorporating computer science into math classes. Although it would be difficult to have math teachers learn computer science after many years on the job, Herrmann said, co-teaching computer science congruently with another related subject could serve as an alternative solution. “It would be hard to have a person who is an expert in, let’s say, chemistry and computer science,” she said. “But what if we put those two things together?”
Paley, on the other hand, is not convinced. He believes that incorporating computer science into a math class may not be enough. In his opinion, a class solely aimed at teaching computer science will be imperative to learn the necessary material. He also emphasizes that the class would not be an advanced course. “What I’m talking about doesn’t mean it’s a hard-core thing,” he said. “We have a class called Computer Science Principles, where you can have no background in computing, you can hate math—we don’t care. You’ll still have fun. That’s the idea.”
Forum
Friday, September 9, 2016
5
'Freshman freak' fosters harassment is not uncommon. As freshmen interact with upperclassman for what may be the first time, many of these students may feel a pressure to consent to something they are not comfortable with. Some have not been informed that consent is necessary in that type of situation. Mikaela Wayne On the other side of this issue is the pressure that seniors may feel to initiate this type of dancing with freshmen. While the dance may be known for its provocative There are many unofficial traditions at Gunn, from style, many seniors still come to enjoy the dance with first day senior dress-up to silly school photos. One tra- no intention of contributing to its unofficial tradition. dition in particular that is more edgy and controversial However, because there is such a strong class aspect to is the annual back-to-school dance, commonly known these school-wide events, seniors not participating may as the “freshman freak dance.” This dance—a feel excluded from the class and may feel the need school-organized event on the first Friday to partake in the freshman freak anyway. This of the school year—has become less of kind of pressure contributes to a toxic culture a fun welcome back event and more of non-consensual dancing, in which the The of an excuse to potentially traumafocus of the dance shifts from simply dance tize freshmen. There is a common enjoying the dance on one’s owns terms expectation in the Gunn comto enjoying the dance based on the has become munity that seniors should seek precedent set by the majority. an excuse to out members of the freshman Although the “ freshman freak ” class and dance provocatively dance has been an unofficial tradition potentially with them at the dance. This for many years, it has more negative eftraumatize tradition is a moral dilemma that fects than may be immediately apparent. can intimidate freshmen, pressure Eliminating this dance altogether would freshmen. seniors and create an unwelcoming harm morale and take away a fun dance environment for all attendees. that students look forward to at the beginning Entering high school is overwhelming of every school year. So, rather than removing the enough as it is, but with the added pressure of such a dance in its entirety, the student body and administrasexualized school event, this transition can become even tion should work together to maintain a comfortable more difficult. Freshmen have just started high school environment for all attendees. Prior to future dances and the back-to-school dance is a first impression of there should be a formal recap of the district's sexual Gunn for many of them. For the previous three years of assault policies and a reminder that students must ask middle school, freshmen have been getting used to the before initiating one-on-one dancing. It is also important innocent jumping up and down and are unprepared for that resources are made available that allow students the “freshman freak” culture that is so prevalent at the to come forward about any discomforts they may have dance. With such a drastic change, freshmen can easily felt during the dance. Lastly, there should be an effort misinterpret Gunn’s culture—which tries to promote from students and teachers alike to remove the widely a message of inclusivity, acceptance and respect—and accepted nickname for this dance—“the freshman freak mistake it for representing values such as harassment dance”—from conversation on campus. With resources and intimidation that go completely against that. available and precautions taken, the back-to-school can This misinterpretation stems from the fact that, too once again be truly welcoming to all. often, the freshman freak tradition results in a lack of consent. In freaking culture, unwarranted sexual contact —Wayne, a senior, is a Centerfold Editor.
Students' dance choices should be respected Tone Lee Jumping up and down and screaming to the lyrics of One Direction basically summarized each middle school dance. I thought all dances were going to be like middle school, but my expectations quickly transformed upon arriving at Gunn four years ago. As I began to make new friends throughout the first week of freshman year, all everyone could talk about was the back-to-school dance. I had gone to every dance in middle school, and to be completely honest, I enjoyed them. As many freshmen do, I made the mistake of arriving at the dance promptly at 7:30 p.m., and there were fewer than 20 people there. At 8:30, the quad began to fill up. Whooping and hollering over the loud music, students swarmed the senior quad. I decided to join in on the action, and I made it to the middle of the dance floor. After dancing for awhile, I tried to force my way out, but it was to no avail. "Are you a freshman?” I turned around to find myself looking at a group of girls. An aura of confidence surrounded them—clearly, they were seniors. Before the words even came out my mouth, one of them turned around, grabbed my hands and put them on her waist. Although I was having a good time, I looked around at my other freshmen friends—girls in particular—and they looked miserable. Older boys had forced themselves on, without even asking if it was okay. Many girls looked uncomfortable and tried to walk away or slow down to get the boy off, but nothing worked. What should have been a fun and exhilarating time ended up turning into a terrible night. I talked with a few of my underclassmen friends after, and they told me how disappointed they were. Even when they said no, the upperclassmen would still dance with them. Looking back now as a senior, the first dance is supposed to be fun. The back-to-school dance should be a night where students can let loose and get excited for school. However, everyone has a different level of comfort with dancing and students should always keep that in mind. Non-consensual dancing is never okay, and it is important to look for signs of discomfort and disapproval. If someone is ducking away and looks uncomfortable, he or she probably doesn't want to dance. A student’s choice should always be treated with respect. —Lee, a senior, is a Lifestyle Editor.
Sherry Chen
Faces in the Crowd What did you think of the first quad dance?
“At first I thought it was going to be this sort of really overtly sexual thing, but I mean it’s like not that bad.”
"I think that once you got [to the dance] it wasn’t as big of a deal. Everyone was freaking so it wasn’t that weird."
“If people want to freak, they should get a room and not do it in public. Quite frankly, it is really disturbing–save that for college.”
“I felt like it was sort of inappropriate compared to the other dances. Every year, seniors go crazy and freshman huddle in the corner.”
Jonathan Moran (9)
Carla Kong (10)
Jenny Gao (11)
Kosei Tanka (12) —Complied by Janet Shea
6
Forum
New cellphone cubby policy beneficial to students, teachers Jack Mallery
According to TIME Magazine, the average person checks their phone 46 times a day or more. Students don’t even recognize that they have their phone out because it has become such a routine part of their lives. The temptation to check the news, social media or talk to friends is always available right in a student’s pocket. Thus, the social studies department felt that it was time to experiment with a change so that those distractions no longer detract from students’ learning. To combat this problem, the department has implemented a system of cubbies. Students are assigned a number, which corresponds to a pouch that they will be required to place their phone in before class starts. The system that has been introduced will increase students’ attention in class and help break the cycle of addiction students have with their phones. Teachers hope that this will increase students’ attention to the task at hand and foster collaboration to solve problems. It is all too easy to whip out a smartphone and search an answer, and teachers feel that the better course of action is to learn by interacting and engaging with classmates. The idea behind the cubbies is simple and easy to understand. They are there to keep phones out of the hands of students so that the temptation isn’t even there. Teachers notice that many students are not actively engaged in class because they are fascinated by the constant notifications and flashing screens of their phones. This newly implemented system will therefore increase class participation and attention by creating an environment in which students are more likely to pay attention to their peers and teachers in an effort to engage in learning as opposed to their devices.
Graphics by Elizabeth Zu
Students are absorbed in a cycle of addiction to technology around them. Even if students are using their phones during class downtime to work on assignments for other classes, they are not focusing on learning the material presented to them at that moment. According to “Psychology Today,” only two percent of all people can successfully multitask. To many students, it may seem like they can focus on two things at once—the class at hand and their phones—but in reality their brains cannot effectively handle this. When someone attempts to work on a task on the side, their brain loses about 40 percent productivity in the main task. Taking away the secondary task for students— using their phones—will increase their attention and promote better work habits during class time. Along with this preliminary preventative measure by the social studies department, however, students will need to learn self-control and self-monitoring habits themselves for later on in life. It can feel like the cubbies are “babying” students—after all, in the professional world, students will have to resist the temptation to use their technology at inappropriate times by themselves. The social studies de-
partment, however, feels that this will not be a problem. Classes are only 70-80 minutes, three times a week, which is not much time to spend off of phones. Students have all of their remaining classes and free time to exercise selfcontrol over their technology, and three or so hours of “babying” is a good trade for an interruption-free class period. Therefore, the benefits of these cubbies far outweigh the possible harm that they could do. By introducing cubbies for phones, the social studies department has taken a step to ensure that all student maximize their performance. Phones diminish student performance in class and distract them from the task at hand. Multitasking does not work for most people, and every day students lose valuable class time staring at a screen instead of the whiteboards, projectors and smartboards in front of them. Eliminating phones from the equation may seem like it discourages self-control, but student learning is far more important. —Mallery, a junior, is Assistant Business Manager.
Faces in the Crowd How do you feel about the new cubby policy?
“I think it’s probably a good idea. This is an easier way to implement the no phones rule instead of just saying ‘no phones.’”
“I think the pouches are okay; it’s really not that bad. I don’t use my phone during classes anyway.”
“I like the new system: once my phone’s away and it’s not even in my vision I can forget about it and absorb the information that my teacher’s saying.”
Isobel Taylor (9)
Ilaisaane Taufalele (10)
Avital Rutenberg (11)
“The current rule says that if you do something wrong, you get your phone taken away, which I think is fair. What this is doing is punishing everyone before they prove they can do it correctly.” Sawyer Lythcott-Haims (12) —Compiled by Grace Tamarack
Forum
Friday, September 9, 2016
Should computer science be a graduation requirement? PRO ./Documents
Akansha Gupta
Computers today play a much larger role in careers than they did five or ten years ago. As computers become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, so does the demand for coding literacy. The new push to make computer science a graduation requirement will provide greater opportunities to Gunn students by giving them vital skills which will help them be more competitive in their professional careers and will also help reduce the gender and race gap in computer science. Computing jobs are the largest source of new wages in the country, according to Code.org: 71 percent of all new jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are in computing. Even jobs in areas which are not traditionally associated with computer science like biology and design could prefer programming experience. Coding skills automate busywork and eliminate trivial tasks so that workers can spend more time in their area of specialization. Individuals who cannot program are therefore at a disadvantage. Burning Glass, a job market analysis company, goes as far as to say roughly half of the jobs in the top income quartile—those paying $57,000 or more per year—are in occupations that commonly require applicants to have at least some computer coding knowledge. However, computer science is a field dominated by non-minority men. Long-standing stereotypes about who does well in science and math have detrimented women and minority races for
decades. College Board statistics show that of the 30,000 students who took the AP Computer Science test in 2013, fewer than 20 percent were female. Just eight percent were Hispanic and only three percent were African-American. Making computer science mandatory will therefore give minority groups the exposure they require to realize that they can be good at it. In fact, computer science Education Week says women who try AP Computer Science in high school are 10 times more likely to major in it in college than those who don’t. Similarly, African-American and Hispanic students who take the class are seven times as likely to major in the subject. The decision to add a new graduation requirement will probably be unpopular among the first few grade levels which will have to take a mandatory computer science class. Schedules are already tight and computer science has the unfair reputation of being difficult. Students who are certain their interest lies in the humanities will argue they don’t need computer science. Yet, a basic programming class focused on exposing students to the applications of coding would be eye-opening for many. For this reason, the district should make computer science a graduation requirement. Besides teaching students how computers affect them on a daily basis, computer science fine-tunes skills which are highly applicable in the classroom. According to the Association of Computing Machinery, “Computing develops capabilities in solving deep, multidimensional problems requiring imagination and sensitivity to a variety of concerns.” Students learn logic and problem solving which are useful even in non-STEM fields like English. Thus, students who learn computer science today will be positioned to maximise the opportunities available to them tomorrow. —Gupta, a senior, is a Tech Editor.
CON ./Documents and computers today play a much larger role than they did five or 10 years ago. As computers become increasingly integrated into our
The world is quickly evolving
Jenna Marvet Making computer science a graduation requirement would be detrimental to the already undervalued, humanities-focused students and limit the flexibility high school students have to explore career options before college. According to Forbes, the Bay Area is the number one place to find tech job opportunities so many professionals are involved in the tech industry. In reality, there are a plethora of careers that do not require coding and computer mechanics. Still, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers are the most visible and celebrated in Silicon Valley, even in the name of the region itself. Thus, it is understandable why local teachers are discussing making computer science a high school graduation requirement. The notion is tacked on to a distorted community belief that success in STEM is paramount, highlighted by Gunn students and alumni in the “Atlantic,” “Vice” and “San Francisco Gate” articles covering Gunn. As a result, many students feel the need to participate in many rigorous STEM courses; Gunn was ranked number five U.S. News Best STEM High Schools in 2014. The school offers eight different AP STEM classes, more than two times the social studies and English AP classes offered. Students at Gunn who want to challenge themselves by taking college level humanities courses have limited chances. By making computer science a graduation requirement, these students will be further limited in their ability to invest time in more difficult classes that relate directly to their strengths and career path. While teachers contemplate an additional science requirement,
they are ignoring the fact that many students have lost humanitiesrelated skills. In a 2013 NBC article entitled “Why Johnny can’t write,” employers said that job candidates lacking in writing and communication skills were unlikely to be hired. The article attributed this influx of less qualified candidates to a national focus on STEM in high schools that began during the Cold War. Top university STEM professors received extra funding while English and other humanities were left in STEM courses’ dust. We can still see the effects of this today: according to “The National Report Card” published by the United States Department of Education in 2012, only 27 percent of twelfth graders were proficient in writing. Humanities classes teach these integral skills that students are lacking, but they are often ignored for not being as important as STEM classes, especially in Silicon Valley. It is true that computers are important in a variety of jobs and in daily life, but that does not mean that all students need to learn computer science. The basic computer skills—such as knowledge of programs like Excel and Powerpoint—that are integral in our daily lives and future careers should be a graduation requirement instead. These skills should be added to required curricula in Living Skills, which is already a graduation requirement for students. By doing this, it would not limit students’ abilities to explore other career education and electives classes that would be hindered by adding yet another graduation requirement to complete by the end of senior year. Although some students may choose to pursue a computer science education, it should not be made a graduation requirement. Gunn needs to reevaluate the weight of importance it puts on STEM studies over humanities, to make sure that all students can be enriched in their studies, explore career options and learn the skills pertinent to being a competent adult. —Marvet, a senior, is a News Editor. Graphic by Cheryl Kao
7
8
Forum
Social media portrays over-edited “reality” sabrina.chen
Social media hurts personal relationships
How many times did you take a selfie today? Go on Facebook? Double tap on Instagram? Social media has exploded in popularity in recent years, and it is definitely not for the better. Social media has made people less social instead of improving communication, as evidenced by the constant addiction to checking phones, only to witness a false representation of people’s real lives. Social media is harmful to interpersonal relationships. A study recently released by TIME magazine revealed that the average person looks at his or her phone 46 times every day. Rather than talking with those around them, many people resort to checking Facebook or posting heavily-edited pictures of themselves on Instagram instead. There are many situations in which an entire group of friends is on their phones while sitting together. Sometimes, they are Snapchatting each other from literally two inches away. Communication is becoming more and more digital, which has started to become a substitute for the real, personal interactions that occur face-to-face. These real interactions are critical as they allow people to communicate through natural means, improving relationships through organic exchanges. Social media also gives an illusion that everyone has perfect, happy lives. No one is going to post a picture of themselves crying or being angry. Instead, there are Lo-Fi filtered pictures of groups of friends at the beach or carefully planned Instagram pictures to maintain a “theme.” In a recent survey conducted by the Girl Scouts, nearly 74 percent of girls agreed that other girls tried to make themselves look “cooler than they are” on social networking sites. This mindset leads to a domino effect, in which teens see others being “cool” and therefore also post pictures that inflate the reality
of their situation. According to the Pew Research center, 71 percent of teens in 2015 reported using more than one social network site. There are no words to describe the amount of effort it takes to maintain 20 Snapchat streaks, keep up with 1,000 friends on Facebook and wait to post at exactly 9 p.m. on Instagram. Social media feeds into popularity, in which the people with the most “likes” or comments are at the top of the social hierarchy. This phenomenon leads to panic and worry over the amount of likes one receives on a social media post, as people start to associate their value or self-worth with the attention they receive online. Of course, social media does connect people who don’t see each other often. There is the best friend from camp from another country, or a relative in another state. Facebook has allowed one to keep in touch with people thousands of miles away. But social media is turning away from that as its sole purpose; social media is becoming an addiction. People should limit their social media usage when around their friends, and check Facebook only when they are alone to keep in touch with an old friend, instead of using it every hour of the day. Even at Gunn, changes can be made. For example, students might choose to restrict their phone usage during class, choosing instead to spend their free time during class chatting amongst each other. This way, personal relationships will improve, and people will be able to experience real life, instead of the virtual world. —Chen, a senior, is a Lifestyle Editor.
52 likes
View all 23 comments 47 MINUTES AGO
anyi.cheng
“finstas” encourage free, genuine expression
I remember downloading Instagram for the first time in middle school at the insistence of my friends and feeling only a vague sense of disappointment. At that time, Instagram was really nothing more than a cute photo-editing app, with its grunge, stark filters and iconic hashtags. Thinking the app’s vogue was just a passing craze, I forgot all about it for a while. Five years later, Instagram’s popularity hasn’t petered out—it’s erupted. Encapsulating everything from multimillion-follower meme accounts to personal user accounts, Instagram has become one of the necessities of modern-day media. And so, it’s not surprising when one person might allow up to hundreds or even thousands of people into insights of their personal lives as captured and displayed in a feed. When you try to visually summarize your entire life into squares on a phone screen, you can’t help but edit, or “cultivate,” as some might call the tendency. You’re never going to see anything but the bright side of the moon when you stalk that one new girl’s profile. With the rise of “finstas,” however, this sense of false cultivation is beginning to change. An abbreviated amalgam of the words “fake” and “Instagram,” finstas are anything but fake. In fact, they are ironically far more genuine than the alleged “rinstas,” or “real Instagrams.” Urban Dictionary defines finstas as accounts people make because “they often care too much about what they post on their real Instagram that they feel the need to have a second, less public one.” True to the definition, finstas in practice are Instagram accounts set to “Private” so that only select followers can see the pictures. For most, access to finstas is shared with only a small selection of one’s friends; follower
counts often only hit the dozens. Finstas are the liberators or people who feel restricted by the need to keep their rinsta feeds pristine and glamorous. A finsta account lets people abandon the traditional edits and filters. Accepting only exclusive followers the user is comfortable with allows people to share the raw, unedited snapshots of their lives. Whether that snapshot be an ugly triple-chinned selfie or a screenshot of a hilarious text conversation, the existence of finstas allows people to be vulnerable, even if only to select number of people. Suddenly, you can become a real and complete person. Your life is not all paradisiacal poolsides and neon raves and sunlit afternoons spent in meadows. Here is an outlet where you are free to complain about math homework, laugh at cringeworthy flirting attempts, rant unrestricted about your sorrows and what’s more, to have other people see and laugh and lament along with you. Some might see finstas as redundant and unnecessary. True, it’s ironic that most finsta owners also have their main account set to “private”—where is the need, after all, for two private accounts? As for unnecessary, the jury is still out on the subject. If a day ever comes when people are capable of relaxing their grip on the perfection of a beautiful feed, perhaps then finstas will have lost their need. But for now, finstas allow people to show their followers a glimpse of their real lives rather than the filtercoated rinsta version. —Cheng, a senior, is a Forum Editor.
54 likes
View all 21 comments 1 HOUR AGO
Graphics by Cheryl Kao
Features
Friday, September 9, 2016
9
Senior develops technology to combat sexual harassment Shannon Yang oracle/sec liason
Senior Aditya Ganapathi, the founder of personal safety company Notifica, created a product to help combat sexual assault in India. He designed a wearable device called the nGUARD, which connects to the Notifica Android app via Bluetooth technology. The nGUARD, which can attach to a bracelet, necklace or waistline, is designed to make it easier for those under assault to get help. “If she’s ever attacked, rather than having to reach into a purse or a school bag for a phone, which the perpetrator may not allow, she simply has to press the button, and it communicates with the app,” Ganapathi said. The app would then send a text message to all the victim’s contacts with their GPS location, allowing the victim to be found and brought to safety more quickly. While Ganapathi acknowledges that Notifica can’t address every single scenario, he hopes to give victims more options for escape. “Right now, people have access to emergency help lines,” he said. “We wanted to extend that accessibility to help a little further. We want to give them an extra option, basically. Obviously, if the person takes the smartphone, breaks it before they press the button, if something like that happens, we can’t do anything about it, but we’ll eventually get there. I want to start with something.” Though the issue of sexual assault isn’t his primary focus, Ganapathi decided to use his love of electronics and technology
to combat it. “I’m more passionate about developing technology; I’m an electronics enthusiast,” he said. “This idea was more of a result of that passion. ” Ganapathi's idea was formed during his first two years of high school; with the help of senior David Hou, he fleshed it out further by competing in Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), a business club at Gunn. DECA required them to create a business plan, create presentations and think about other key elements of the business. “That kind of pushed some deadlines, [and I] worked on it more, and from there, it kind of took off,” he said. “It became more than DECA from there, so I decided to build it and all and see how it’d do if I put it in the market.” Ganapathi took a trip to India this summer to work on the product because of the coun-
try's high rate of sexual assault—the Noticfica website states there are an average of 92 incidents of sexual assault or rape every day. “I wanted to use India as a test market
Cheryl Kao
The Gunn App provides campus info
Carolyn Kuimelis copy editor
Have you ever sat in class and wondered what the weekly schedule is? Now there’s an app for that. Designed by students, for students, the iOS App Development club’s The Gunn App serves as a portal for all things Gunn-related and provides an easy way for students to keep track of activities and events. The club members wanted to create an app that would be relevant to a large demographic, and they noticed that there was no simple place to find basic information about Gunn. The idea for a Gunn app was pitched at the end of second semester last year, and the project took the entire summer to complete. The app allowed members to put the skills they learned throughout the year to practice. “One of the best ways to learn programming is to find a project and try to implement that project, and as you go and discover you didn’t know enough, you learn more,” senior Matthew Pauly said. Although The Gunn App benefits the whole student body, the team thought it would be especially helpful for freshmen and new students. Senior Sam Lysaght, who designed the different features of the app, recalled how difficult it was to find information on Gunn’s homepage
as a new student. “[The app is] just so much more convenient,” he said. “I remember when I was a freshman going to the Gunn homepage, there are so many things on there and it’s hard to find what you’re looking for without it taking a while.” Through the app, users can view the schedule, upcoming events, the campus map, the staff directory and they can access the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) portal. The app also shows how many minutes are left in a period. Users can even send emails to teachers directly from the app. The app is far from finished, however; the creators are working on making improvements and adding features like a FlexTime barcode scanner and a GPS which would show one’s location on the map. Seniors Xavi Loinaz and Divakar Saini saw the app as a way to share their passion for programming with fellow students through their club. “We wanted to grow as programmers,” Loinaz said. “We thought that by starting a club, we would be able to have lots of other people who are interested in iOS development to also be there, and we could learn from each other.” From design to publicity, there is more that goes into the process of creating an app than programming, and the club is open to everyone. “For anybody who’s interested in joining the club, we try to open it up to everybody so that no matter people’s programming skill levels, they can always contribute in some way,” Loinaz said. The club meets in room J-5 on Fridays.
because I think the issue of sexual assault has always been prevalent, but the profile of the issue has been raised,” he said. “It has limited resources in comparison to the U.S. or in most places in Europe.”
According to Ganapathi, with official government support from several states, he has launched the application in India and has a small team based there who work on business management and app maintenance. Selling the device for a one-time fee of 1000 rupees or about $15, Ganapathi focused on making his product accessible to anyone who may need it. “I wanted to create something that’s low-cost and extremely affordable, because obviously, the average income there is much lower in comparison to here,” he said. “So I wanted to create something that everyone can have, whether in a rural area or urban area.” Ganapathi plans to use feedback from his pilot program to update the nGUARD. The second-generation version will have a longer battery life and be less detectable. “We’re really trying to make the device smaller, more discreet so it’s not necessarily something that can be seen on you,” he
said. “It can be under clothing or hidden within jewelry.” In addition, Ganapathi wants to crowdsource safety. “We’re trying to work with telecommunications companies in India, so that when [the user] presses the button, not only does it send a notification to her emergency contacts, but it’ll find all cellular users in a two-mile radius, and send them a message, like an Amber Alert, almost, that someone’s being attacked within 100 feet of you, or within a mile of you, someone’s being assaulted,” he said. “With this crowd-safety thing in terms of locating all cellular users within a two-mile radius, no one else is doing that right now.” Since Notifica is a personal safety company, Ganapathi wants to add onto that brand with an affordable in-home safety product. “Most people can’t afford ADT or BayAlarm for securing their home because there’re monthly costs; it’s
Graphics by Elizabeth Zu
extremely expensive,” he said. “I want to create something that’s a one-time cost for people to buy, install it themselves [at] no additional cost, so we can bring these kind of safety products to the lower end of the market.”
10
Cente
A BALANCING ACT n o s
Tip
ing
find
Use a planner to keep track of homework, upcoming events and deadlines
yo u
Don’t carry things you don’t need in your backpack
Fin
a d d
Drink water in class when you’re getting tired or distracted
piness in the lit p a h tl e ily
thi
rb ala nc e: Try to stay off social media while studying
ng
s
Kaya van der Horst
Only three weeks into school and my life has already become swamped with work. Every hour seems to be filled with an important task, and the relaxation of summer appears to have vanished. The former peace and quiet at 7 a.m. is now filled with my ringing alarm clock, while sessions of binge-watching Netflix are replaced with late-night homework. This risk of having week after week speed by in a blur is why I go out of my way to switch up my routine and create new sources of daily happiness. One of the things I do is make an effort to spend time outdoors and connect with nature. Instead of quickly driving to Sigona’s Farmers Market when I need some fruit, I go on a 30-minute stroll along the creek by my house to get there. I could drive because it’s faster and doesn’t waste “precious time” that could be spent studying, but being outdoors and feeling in sync with nature has an irreplaceable power of tranquility for me. Another example is my daily commute to school. Although I now have my driver’s license, I still try to bike as much as possible. While I will say that on some days the comfort of driving is just too tempting, the satisfaction that biking and exercise give me makes it all worth it. It isn’t necessarily biking that I so greatly enjoy, but rather the sense of absolute freedom that comes along with it. I’ll take scenic bike rides over traffic any day. Aside from switching up my mode of transportation, I began to incorporate new activities into my lifestyle such as yoga and daily journaling. Yoga began when my friend asked me to try a class with her, and we turned it into a weekly tradition. Of course, the goal of weekly attendance didn’t last too long, but the thrill of trying something new combined with sharing the experience with a friend made me very happy. Yoga gave me a reason to look forward to Thursdays and served as a new outlet of relaxation and mindfulness. The idea of a daily blog stemmed from occasions when I had forgotten what I had done in the past days. The days seemed to fly by so quickly, blending into one big blur. When teachers would ask, “What did you do this weekend?” I needed a serious period of reflection. That was why I decided to start a short daily record of my activities. My mom created a beautiful calendar for the summer where my brother and I could document our highlights. The days accumulated and now, I can confirm that the summer of 2016 was truly a memorable time of happiness. Overall, my approach to acquiring my doses of happiness is trying to slow down the fast-paced tempo of the life we live in Silicon Valley. I reject the mindset of working hard now to enjoy life later by making room for the enjoyments of life in the present. The cycle of “saving happiness for later” should be avoided at all costs, and one should learn to live in the present, instead of constantly planning their next move. Although some of the traditions I’ve adopted over the past year may seem to be a bit quirky, I encourage everyone to find their own sources of happiness and fight the comfort of routine. Take your happiness into your own hands by pursuing the little things that make you happy every day. —van der Horst, a junior, is a Lifestyle Editor.
erfold
Friday, September 9, 2016
P
11
ess over s n i p p a h ucc e z i es it r o s ri
Cassie Bond
It is 1 a.m., and you are still working on the English paper that’s due the next day. We are all familiar with this dreadful feeling of a seemingly endless stream of schoolwork and late nights. We sacrifice a lot to be proud of our grades and academics, but our success in school cannot measure up to our happiness. In a study of high-performing California students by Challenge Success, 70 percent of students feel stressed from schoolwork. At such a high percentage, it is easy to wonder whether we focus too much on our grades. When our grades seem to define our youth and future, it is easy to justify sacrificing our happiness for straight A’s, but our determination and desire to succeed drives us to trade-off of some of the happiness we need. Although it seems like the only way to be happy in the future is to succeed academically now, it is more important to find happiness in the present. The stress of academics can hold back the enjoyment of life. When these worries affect our well-being it is hard to feel content with the other aspects of our lives. The moments that we treasure in the long-run are the ones of happiness and laughter with friends and family, as opposed to the hours spent finishing a math worksheet. On the other hand, the outcome of good grades seems like an easy way to rationalize the sacrifice of our well-beings. As we succeed academically, the reasoning goes, we will succeed later on in life and then be happy. According to Pew Research Center in 2014, 86 percent of adults ages 25 to 32 who have bachelor’s degrees are currently employed. The basic road to a successful career, as society dictates, is through a four-year college, and entrance into that is partially based on high school grades. With that pressure in mind, it is easy to forget about our health when academics seem to play such an important role in our futures. However, schoolwork does not always have to be something negative—sometimes, school can also be a source of happiness. For example, there are classes and clubs offered at Gunn that help to promote emotional wellness. Classes such as Positive Psychology help students learn about the different ways to increase their happiness in daily life. There are also programs offered such as yoga that can aid in relaxation throughout the day. We should also find ways to include activities that make us happy in our day to attain academic success that we desire. Although academics seem like the be all end all, they should never compromise our mental happiness. When we are not feeling our best, it is harder to perform our best, so to have that academic success we desire, we have to put our happiness first. Our emotional well-being should always come before everything else. Whether or not academics is what makes us happy, it is important to find a balance that can help us feel our happiest. Have —Bond, a senior, is a Reporter.
Find the time of day you are most productive
Have a consistent sleep schedule
Express your emotions instead of keeping them to yourself
Di ng
an exercise routine
—
p C om
il e d
G by
rac
e
Graphics by Elizabeth Zu
12
Features
Face the facts: New teachers share details about #1: Guidance I like to binge watch shows on Netflix. My favorite shows are Game of Thrones and Walking Dead. My favorite quote is, “Be you, love you, all ways, always.”
A
Tara Firenzi
F
#6: Guidance I love to ski and have been skiing for 15 years. I skied in Tahoe, Australia and New Zealand. I worked at jails and prisons with clients who were incarcerated and battling addiction, and I helped them reintegrate into society after they are released from prison. I have a Miniature Australian Shepherd named Wembley.
Marjorie Paronable
G
B
#7: Science I like all kinds of music, especially rock and roll. I love Jack Johnson; I have seen him twice, once in the Berkeley Greek Theater and once at the Fox theater in Oakland.
#2: Guidance I have been to every major league baseball park in America and have seen all 32 teams play. I have two sons, age four and two. I love to bike and explore the area.
Emily Pinkston Grace Ho
H
C #3: Social Studies I went on a high school choir trip to Estonia. I got taken across campus in a wheelchair after spraining my ankle before a Law Mock Trial. I listen to a lot of Disney songs.
#8: Science I was a naval officer and served in the Navy for five years before deciding to become a teacher. I was a division officer for the Main Propulsion division for a little more than a year; my nickname was “Turbo,” short for “turbine officer” due to the gas turbine engines on the ship.
Andrew Hedge
Carlos Martinez
I
D #4: Math I come from a family of educators, starting from my great-grandmother. I have been up close and personal with a shark, when I swam in a shark cage in South Africa. I have eaten rattlesnake before and it tastes like chicken.
#9: Math I have been a teacher for 11 years. I once ate live squid. I went on a 11-month trip around the world.
Anna Ward
Sandra Conklin
E
J #10: Social Studies I enjoy playing video games and sports with my two kids. I like to listen to metal and gangster rap; my favorite artist is Tupac. I owned three muscle cars: a Dodge Challenger SRT and two Mustang GT 5.0s.
#5: Special Education I caught a 22-inch fish once on a fishing trip. I used to box. I have gone skydiving before.
Photo by Richard Yu, Samantha Carlos, Vibha Arun and Max Wang Graphics by Elizabeth Zu and Jackie Luo
Daissy Tabares
Karen Saxena
Features
themselves in mix-and-match quiz for students #11: English I used to write fanfictions. I read the first “Twilight” book in eight hours. I wanted to be a journalist before becoming a teacher.
K
Joel Cordero
Q
#16: World Languages I am really into the World Cup and watched almost every single game of the World Cup last year. I was going to be a graphic designer before I got into teaching.
David Bisbee
L
R #17: Social Studies I went to law school before I decided to teach history. I have an 18-month-old daughter. I enjoy watching old musicals and trashy TV shows.
#12: English I used to play the Rubix Cube. I love fantasy series—anything with dragons and castles. I want to write a fantasy novel.
Marcus Jamison #13: Math I once ate grilled grasshoppers and they tasted very cheesy and salty. I once stood a foot away from Miley Cyrus and didn’t recognize her. I like to do yoga, swim and rock climb in his spare time.
13
Friday, September 9, 2016
Takeshi Kaneko
M
S #18: Visual and Performing Arts I learned how to develop video games through YouTube tutorials and other internet resources over the summer. I was part of a ska band in college that opened for Streetlight Manifesto.
Laurel Howard
Cathy Cohn
O
T
#14: Special Education I was born in Japan and lived there for six months. I wakeboard and paddleboard. I like to use almond milk for anything that would need milk.
Jon Fidani
P
Mark Grieb
U
#19: Math I studied abroad in Buenos Aires. I fenced growing up. I know how to swing dance.
#20: Social Studies I won a car on “The Price is Right” when I was 18. I choreograph musicals . I do improv tap-dancing with jazz bands.
#15: Math I tried an Ironman triathlon (swim 24 miles, bike 112 miles, 26.2 mile run marathon). I coached cross country, basketball and track at Terman Middle School. I compete internationally in duathlons with my husband.
Shannon Flaskerud
Answers: 1. P 2. O 3. M 4. L 5. K 6. U 7. T 8. S 9. R 10. Q 11. F 12. G 13. H 14. I 15. J 16. E 17. D 18. C 19. B 20. A
Joel-Nicole Reid
Sports
14
NEW COACHES AND ATHLETES FOOTBALL
BOYS’ WATER POLO
New Coach Tony Kelly
Coming off of an 11-1 league record and league championship, boys’ water polo started their season strong with a win over Wilcox on Tuesday. The Titans return with much of last year’s squad; seniors Patrick Zhao and Quinn Hamilton lead the way and senior goalie Jackson Waschura anchors a formidable defense that held opponents seven goals per game last year. Hamilton believes that the team carries a mental edge into games. “[Our] strongest aspect is definitely our ability to grind and put in work,” he said. As the season gets under way, there are some growing pains, but Zhao is looking forward to watching his team develop. “We are still in the process of finding our identity—like play style and chemistry—but we have very solid guys all around,” he said. “I am excited to see us grow and get stronger, faster and smarter.” Next Tuesday, the boys will face off against Paly at 3:30 p.m. in the Courtesy of Butch Garcia Gunn pool to avenge their only Senior Patrick Zhao winds up to take a shot. league defeat of last year.
It’s a busy afternoon at the Gunn football field. Cheerleaders, joggers and football players flank the field, all training for their own events. At the center of it all is head coach Tony Kelly and the football team, attempting to resurrect a struggling program and bring football back to the center of attention of Gunn athletics. Kelly brings a wealth of coaching experience, previously coaching at Menlo-Atherton High School, Palo Alto High School (Paly) and Foothill College. In 2010, while serving as the receivers coach for Paly, he coached now-NFL wide receiver Davante Adams and helped lead Paly to an undefeated season and a state championship. While he has experience at winning programs, Kelly understands the challenge he faces in turning around a program where being blown out has become the norm. “I can hear them making fun of the team,” Kelly said. “But people are going to make fun of something that Richard Yu is not successful.” As soon as he was named head coach in February, Kelly put an emphasis on recruiting and trying to build enthusiasm for football on campus. “To change the culture, you have to be out in the forefront,” Kelly said. “I always drive around, I always try to recruit guys.” His efforts have paid off, leading to the most participation in the program in five years. “We’ve got 30-something on the frosh-soph team and 30-plus on the varsity team,” Kelly said. “Everyone says it’s unheard of, but this is what I expected from the beginning. This is how I do it.” Kelly also lauds the support that Athletic Director Curtis Johansen has given the football program. “We got a tunnel, we got smoke coming in; [Johansen] is putting money in the right places,” Kelly said. “We got an end-zone camera to film the games, a big sky cam with a monitor; he’s improved it by giving us an opportunity to be successful, buying us the best equipment, buying us Nike jerseys.” Even in a loss, the team demonstrated vast improvement in their opening game against El Camino, and proved that they have the players to be competitive over the course of the season. “[We want] to be competitive, to able to line up and know our assignments,” Kelly said. “If we just line up in our formations and … know what our assignment is, we’ll be successful. That’s just the nature of anything you do in life.”
“I was a freshman, and I was calling out the play in practice. I was screaming ‘huddle up!” but I had a voice crack so it came out high and squeaky. So I had a really bad voice crack and everyone teased me about it for the rest of the season.” —senior Cory Carlson After a promising showing in their season opener, the football team is looking to reverse a recent trend of losing and have a positive year. “It’s definitely a huge improvement,” senior two-way lineman Cory Carlson said. “It’s the best I’ve ever played, and as a team that’s the best we’ve ever played as a team.” After the Titans let a second half lead slip away, Carlson acknowledged that depth and fatigue is a problem Gunn needs to overcome. “We had that game in the bag, but we need to learn how to pull it together and finish,” Carlson said. “In the fourth quarter, the fatigue started to hit me. I feel like if we got everyone up to speed and sub in more guys, we will be able to dominate the fourth quarter too.”
GIRLS’ WATER POLO Following a strong season last year, girls’ water polo coach Mark Hernandez looks to grow as a team and build upon past success. “We’re working with a very young team; over the past two seasons we’ve lost 17 seniors,” Hernandez said. “We were as inexperienced as ever, but still competed and beat many of the best teams.” With most of the girls returning to play again this season, along with some new faces, Hernandez is ready to work the team towards more championship titles. “We’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year,” Herna ndez sa id. “Some Richard Yu teams, when they rebuild, they start again from the bot- Seniors Sylvia Illouz and Mikaela Wayne and sophtom. We stayed near the top.” omore Laurel Comiter prepare to enter the game.
“I had an inside joke with another girl on the team that involved a lot of winking and sticking out my tongue at her. Anyway, my coach saw my actions and must have thought I was having a seizure because he stopped practice to ask if I was ok.” —junior Elizabeth Miksztal
“I was supposed to lead the cheer off by yelling ‘Gunn on 3, team on 3,’ but instead I yelled ‘Gunn, 1 2 3,’ and it sounded horrible. It was very embarrassing.” —senior Patrick Zhao
CHEER AND DANCE New Coach Trent Rodgers The cheer and dance team is hoping to build off of its success from last year, in which the teams placed second and first place respectively at regionals. Their progress over the years has kept them strong and enthusiastic. Matching the enthusiasm of the teams is new head coach Trent Rodgers. After a break from coaching, Rodgers, who has five years of coaching experience, is excited to get back into the studio. “I kind of just got a little itch to start teaching again,” Rodgers said. “I just found [the position] Courtesy of Trent Rodgers on Facebook, and they were looking for a coach, and so everything just fell into place afterward.” Rodgers enjoys the opportunity to be both a role model and advisor of the cheer and dance team. Rodgers not only wishes to be a coach to cheerleader and dancers, but also hopes to be a mentor to them. “I enjoy the fact that I get to meet new people and I get to mentor young ladies and gentlemen and pretty much guide them to the path of success,” Rodgers said. For this season, Rodgers’ greatest desire is to find a balance between having a unified team and being successful at what each individual can do. Rodgers hopes to build up a tight and close team and foster a sense of sportsmanship. “I just hope they become a unit and a family,” Rodgers said. “I just hope we become a sisterhood, brotherhood.” Rodgers places high emphasis on team unity, and hopes to create a tight-knit community where every member of the team feels included and passionate about being on the team. Senior Jenny Kram feels that the coaches care about all the team members and will always listen to suggestions. “[Our coaches] are amazing,” she said. “They’re all about communication, so I really like that and they’re able to help us to grow as athletes and as people.”
“I was walking back inside and we have mats that we roll out and they’re so long that it curls, and I was talking to them, and I just tripped on the mat.” —coach Trent Rodgers
The successes of the cheer and dance team during the past few years are boosting up the cheerleaders’ and dancers’ enthusiasm and passion toward doing what each individual does best. Senior dance team captain Miranda Lin believes that dance has an enthusiastic team put together this year. “I’m definitely excited for night rally,” Lin said. “We have a really awesome team this year, and I’m really excited to perform with everyone there and show the school how spirited we are.” Kram is also ready for the season to start. “I’m really excited on building a solid team,” Kram said. “We can have good platforms for the following years because this year, we not only have varsity, we also have added on a JV and so I’m really excited to see how everyone develops in it.”
Friday, September 9, 2016
15
SH A RE SE A SON ’ S E X PEC TAT IONS VOLLEYBALL
GIRLS’ TENNIS
New Coach Praneet Nanda For the 2016-17 school year, Gunn welcomed a new volleyball coach. Coach Praneet Nanda has been coaching in the Bay Area for the past four years. “I started coaching at Santa Teresa High School’s JV program in 2010, and after two years, I moved up to the varsity program and coached there for two years,” Nanda said. “I decided to coach at Gunn because I am very familiar with the competition in our league and within the Peninsula.” Nanda doesn’t have a lot of new plans but wants to make sure that things are done the way he likes them. “Tradition is a big part of the program and I don’t want to break any,” Nanda said. “For the most part, I want to focus on being competitive at all three levels while trying to create parity amongst the program.” Nanda has big expectations for this season, but he doesn’t want to give too much hope before the results come out. “From a coaching standpoint, I like to underpromise and overdeliver,” Nanda said. “We do have some goals of winning our leagues this year, because it will promote us back into the upper division next year. The most important part is staying competitive.” As a coach, Nanda believes that he has a big role, and if the teams follow his lead, they Tim Sun will be successful. “Winning comes along with teaching,” Nanda said. “As long as you focus on the value of teaching, then I think we’ll be successful. Winning makes things easier, but it’s all about teaching and teaching the process up to that point.” Although winning is an important factor of the games, Nanda doesn’t want the students to focus too much on victory. “Games are won or lost in practice,” Nanda said. “You don’t win or lose within the match itself. As long as you are practicing correctly and being hard on yourself during practice, there is no need to worry about winning or losing during the games. One thing I like to emphasize with all of my players is that perfect practice makes perfect.”
“Every single moment in volleyball is embarrassing or funny.” — senior Marya Li
Gunn’s volleyball team had a hard season last year, winning only two games in the whole season. This year, the team is ready for a new start with a new coach. The team has already won their first game against Hillsdale High School. Senior Iris Huang looks forward to having a great year as it is her last. “This year I am looking forward to playing as a more cohesive team, have fun and hopefully win more games,” Huang said.
GIRLS’ GOLF With the new season of fall sports having arrived, the girls’ golf team is poised for a strong run. Junior Lydia Tsai is certain that the hard work they put in over the summer will produce successful results. “It’s normal for athletes to have ups and downs, especially toward the beginning of the season, but everyone’s worked hard over the summer, and I’m confident it will pay off,” Tsai said. Tsai believes that each team member brings individual asset to the team, leading the team to be strong this year. “Many of the teams we play have one strong player and mediocre players down the line,” Tsai said. “I’m so proud of our team for being strong down to our very last player.” Tsai is also looking forward to another season of spending time and bonding with her team.
Max Wang
Junior Julia Pham prepares her forehand in a game against Palo Alto High School. This year, the girls’ tennis varsity team moves up a league in their division. Senior Kelly Poon hopes that the team will continue to do well this year. “[It] would be nice to get in some wins for this season,” Poon said. Varsity coach Jim Gordon echoes Poon’s outlook on this season. “We’re in one of the toughest leagues in the nation,” Gordon said. “We’ll either place really high or really low [in the league]. All matches will be really tough. Our hardest match last year will be our easiest match this year.” Despite the challenges that face the teams, however, having each others’ company keeps the team’s spirits high.
“Quinn got hit by Emma’s [a current graduate] serves. We bring it up every now and then. It’s a good laugh.” —senior Kelly Poon
CROSS COUNTRY New Coach Curtis Liang Curtis Liang is the coach for the 2016 cross country season and is also a Gunn graduate. “When I graduated ten years ago, I had a good impression of this school,” Liang said. “Gunn had a really nice environment and there was a lot of teamwork all around so I liked that too.” Due to the positive impact Gunn had left on him, Curtis wanted to return to this school as a coach. “The coaches I had when I was here were really helpful and great to me, and this created an enjoyable memory as I remember so I thought I would give back in the same way by coaching.” Liang has quite a bit of experience with coaching cross country at Gunn as well. “I’ve coached here for the past five years,” Liang said. “My experience with cross country as a sport is actually fairly minimal.” Liang’s favorite thing about coaching the cross country team at Gunn is being a source of guidance for the kids on the team. “ I coach for the kids, that all, it’s really what I do,” he said. Richard Yu
“I remember once I was running and keeping a really good pace during a meet. I was getting really into it, and out of nowhere I tripped over my shoes and fell. I screamed really loudly which was the most embarrassing part.” —sophomore Hamsa Jambulapati
Photos courtesy of Margaret Redfield
Left: Junior Kaelyn McFarlane-Connelly eyes the ball as she prepares to swing. Right: Senior Lucy Lamb finishes her swing and follows the flight of the ball.
“Practices, van rides and matches are so much fun—being with the team never fails to make me smile.” —junior Lydia Tsai
Sophomore Hamsa Jambulapati enjoys all the opportunities that come from being on cross country. “I think it’s going to be a really great year,” she said. “A year ago when I was on the team I was just getting into the hang of things but now I get so many chances to just push myself and be the best I can be.” Hamsa is very excited for the rest of the upcoming season. “We have a meet against Paly next week,” she said. “Doing my best during that meet is really important to me and I can’t wait.” According to sophomore Lily Jose, this sport has had a positive impact on her life in several ways. “One of my favorites things about cross country is that it really motivates me to get fit, build my endurance and keep going on even when it feels like I am just about to give up,” she said. “And it’s that kind of mindset that also helps me achieve other things in my life.” —Compiled by Elizabeth Chung, Paulo Frank, Bridgette Gong, Helen Nguyen, Matt Oh, Janet Shea, Tim Sun and Katie Zhang
16
Sports
Olympic Spotlight
Amy Watt set to compete for USA in Rio Paralympics Prachi Kale Features Editor
Gunn alumna Amy Watt will be participating in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. Watt will compete in the long jump, 100- and 400-meter events from Sept. 8 to Sept. 14. “It’s an amazing accomplishment and I am very happy for her and proud of her,” coach PattiSue Plumer said. Watt began her sports career by playing soccer; she initially started track in seventh grade as she thought it would help with soccer and be a good way to connect with friends, but soon realized her passion for the sport. “After a point, after I started doing a few events, I realized that it was something that I really enjoyed doing and so I just continued doing track for school from there on out,” Watt said. “In high school, the track team was definitely a lot more serious than in middle school.” According to Watt, one of her favorite aspects about track is the camaraderie. “When I joined the high school team in ninth grade, I just really enjoyed running as a team,” she said. “Track is technically an individual sport, but you do so much training with the team and you spend so much time
with the people there; it’s just really fun.” Watt became interested in the Paralympics after first learning about it in 2014. She took part in the Paralympic track and field trials earlier this year. “[We] had Paralympic trials at the same time as the Olympic trials, but they were in Charlotte, North Carolina, not Oregon, where the Olympic trials were,” she said. “You go to the meet after meeting the qualifying standards to compete, and then you run the event that you would like to be considered for the Paralympics. Based on your performance there, they select a team to go.” It wasn’t smooth sailing all the way, however—there were some complications during the selection process for the Paralympic trials. According to the standard selection procedure, athletes must be eighteen when they participate in the trials, while Watt entered at seventeen. “They can only choose two athletes that are not based off that procedure, and they chose two athletes that are ranked top three in the world,” she said. “For a while, I was first alternate. That was the most nerve-wracking part because I couldn’t go, but I had to train, and I had to train
Faces in the Crowd
knowing that I might never make it to Rio.” Watt’s training and perseverance paid off. “The director of the track and field called me a month or two after Nationals,” she said. “I had continued training because I knew I was first alternate, and an athlete had gotten injured, which opened up a spot for me to go.” Overall, Watt believes she is ready for the upcoming Paralympics. “I’m really excited. I’ve already gotten my competition gear, and there’s so many really exciting things in there, in itself,” she said. Plumer agrees, and believes that Watt’s mindset was a large factor in Watt’s success. “I think the biggest thing for her was realizing that she had the talent, fitness and work ethic to make the team,” she said. “[Amy is] a stealth bomber. She is so quiet Courtesy of and looks so unimposing, but MacMillan then the gun goes off and she Photography takes no prisoners.”
How have Olympic performances influenced you? “Michael Phelps is really inspiring because he is winning medals after competing for so long.” —Naveen Ram (11)
“Su Bingtian from China got under 10 seconds [in the 100 meters] and broke the standard that Asians couldn’t run. He gave me hope.” —Darien Chung (9)
“Usain Bolt because he works so hard and perseveres through all his injuries. I want to be even a fraction as good as he is.” —Ronak Patel (12)
“Aly Raisman because she came back at age 22 to help USA Gymnastics win another Olympic gold.” —Margaret Redfield (12)
“Rickie Fowler learns from his bad rounds and perseveres until the 18th putt goes in, which inspires me to never give up no matter how bad my score is on the previous holes.” —Isha Mohan (10)
Photos by Max Wang and Richard Yu
—Compiled by Sabrina Chen
Q&A: Former Olympian PattiSue Plumer The Oracle: What was it like training for the Olympics? PattiSue Plumer: It’s hard work, but it’s easy when you have an important goal that you care a lot about. For me, training has always been easier when I’ve had a reason to train as opposed to training to just get fit or get better. I like having solid goals, and there’s really no better goal than the Olympic team. TO: Can you tell me a story or anecdote from your experience in the Olympics? PP: Athletes spend a lot of time in the training room and that’s where you meet some of the most interesting people. I thought it was really funny when Charles Barkley—who was part of U.S. basketball team, and is funnier in person than he is on TV—spent a lot of time in the training room at the same time as the women’s gymnastic team. Charles Barkley is so huge and the girls were so little and they’d be sitting next to each other getting treated, it was so hilarious to watch. It was hard to comprehend that both these body types were Olympians. TO: How did your experience in the Olympics affect you? PP: To have a dream your whole life and to work really hard and have it come true gives you a lot of confidence in other parts of your life. And competing at the Olympics was an incredibly memorable, truly international experience, that’s unlike anything else. The downside is that it takes up years and years of your life and requires significant sacrifice. I also never won an Olympic medal, and that was really hard for me. Not getting a gold when you work that hard is difficult.
TO: What inspired you to put in so much effort into running? PP: Well, I like to win! It’s really a blessing to be really good at something and be passionate about it. I had a year of my life where I was the number one athlete in the world, and not many people can say that. TO: What did you learn from your career? PP: I spent a lot of time traveling around the world and had the opportunity to meet people that had dramatically different experiences than I did. I would spend weeks and weeks traveling with these individuals. One of my good friends was a woman from Kenya who at that time was the richest woman in Kenya by money she made from running. She was only 25, but people were criticizing her because she hadn’t gotten married or had children yet. I was friends with people from the old Soviet Union and Eastern Germany and it was crazy watching that part of the world change when communism fell and how that transformed them and their lives. TO: What advice would you give to Gunn athletes hoping to compete in a sport in the future? PP: If you work hard and show up every day and do your best, you’ll be successful. Those life skills are applicable for no matter what you’re doing. Really hard work and consistency pays off over time. Success is not linear and almost everybody deals with difficulties and disappointments. Setbacks are the norm, that’s just part of life. Photo courtesy of PattiSue Plumer
—Compiled by Maya Rapoport
Sports
Friday, September 9, 2016
17
Titans connect with cultures through sports Traditional Russian Dance
Cricket
Ariel Pan Features Editor
Stina Chang Features Editor
Bright colors dance across the stage as junior Masha Kruglikov and the rest of the Firebird Dance Ensemble perform on the last day of the Russian Center of San Francisco’s annual Russian Festival. An appreciative audience claps and whistles as the dancers jump, kneeling and straightening; smiles are everywhere. “Performing Russian traditional dance on stage brings me joy because when the audience sees us, they see something different than other dance forms like contemporary or ballet,” Kruglikov said. “It’s not something you see that often.” Kruglikov has danced at the Firebird Dance Studio in Mountain View for almost eleven years, learning a variety of dance forms from Russian traditional dance to ballroom and contemporary, to traditional dances from other countries such as Ireland and Moldova. However, Russian folk dance is closest to home for Kruglikov. “It shows me how Russian people danced and it brings me closer to my culture,” she said. For Kruglikov, a major difference between Russian traditional dance and contemporary dance is the costumes. Russian costumes use brighter colors and often have vibrant designs, such as flowers, on their shirts and skirts. The costumes sometimes include hats; the studio provides and creates the costumes. The dances and vivid costumes combined create an energetic atmosphere. “There’s just a lot more movement and smiles [in Russian dance],” Kruglikov said. Another difference she finds is the music. “Orchestra music can be quiet and loud and it has all these different fortes and pianos, but [Russian] dancing music tends to be on the same [dynamic] level,” Kruglikov said. “Even though it has different beats and sounds, it isn’t as dramatic.” Music also affects the routine’s difficulty. “Sometimes there is really fast-paced music so you have to learn lots of small movements and do them quickly,” Kruglikov said. Kruglikov originally had three lessons per week, but plans to change to only two lessons per week, due to a busier schedule. However, Kruglikov has many reasons to keep dancing. “I enjoy dancing because it’s a way for me to communicate with others without using words, just using gestures,” she said. “Another reason I enjoy Courtesy of Masha Kruglikov going to the dance studio is because my best friends dance there as well, so it’s also a time to socialize Junior Masha Kruglikov dances in a traditional Russian costume. with them since I don’t see them as often.”
It’s the last pitch, last run and last chance to win the game. Sophomore Akhil Kumar stands nervously on the field as he watches the batter launch the ball straight into the air, flying towards him. Kumar stretch his hands out towards the ball and catches it, securing the team’s victory and place in the semifinals. This was one of Kumar’s most memorable moments playing cricket. “I was a little scared [at that moment],” Kumar said. “I was afraid everyone would get really mad if I didn’t catch it. [After I caught it], everyone was really happy at the end. That felt really good.” Kumar has been playing cricket, the main sport in India, for four years now. After watching his father play the sport, Kumar decided to try it out for himself. “My dad used to play it growing up,” he said. Kumar currently plays for the California Cricket Academy in Cupertino. Although similar to baseball, cricket fosters a more strategic playing style. In both baseball and cricket, there is a “pitcher”— in cricket it’s called a bowler— and a batter. However, the role of the position is completely different. In cricket the batter’s priority is to prevent the bowler from knocking down the wicket—three wooden sticks hammered to the ground behind the batsman. A game of cricket can last for hours, but Kumar still enjoys playing because being with his teammates is one of his favorite aspects of playing the sport. “You’re with your friends and [we] encourage each other to do well,” he said. Although Kumar is not as committed to the sport as he used to be, he still tries to find time out of his busy schedule to participate in the practices and games. “Games take up pretty much half of the day during the weekends, so you don’t have any time to do anything else [afterRichard Yu wards],” he said. He added that he hopes to return playing the sport full time when he find himself Sophomore Akhil Kumar strikes less busy with school. a pose holding his cricket bat.
Jiu Jitsu Emma Chiao Centerfold Editor To ceramics teacher Jordan King, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a way for him to relieve stress while maintaining his fitness. King was first introduced to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu eight years ago and continues to participate in the sport. The training process for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is familiar; it revolves around learning and practicing like any other sport. A normal class begins with a 30-minute warm-up, followed by new techniques and practice for an hour. The workout closes with a 40-minute live sparring session. However, according to King, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is different in other areas. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is more of a solo sport in which competitors try to gain points. “You start on your feet, and then it basically goes to the ground and you try to submit your opponent,” King said. In addition to being unique technically, the cultural aspect of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu plays a major role in how competitors actually view the sport and themselves. “I was back in the gym for lifting weights, and it’s definitely a different cultural experience,” he said. “In the Jiu Jitsu gym, there’s not a lot of ego because everyone has to submit to get better. Everyone has to tap out and give up. In order to get to a high level you have to be okay with that.” For King, it is not as difficult to let go of his ego as it is to keep a strong mentality. “The hardest part and biggest benefit is just knowing not how to panic and not relying on speed and power,” he said. “That’s what makes it unique; Jiu Jitsu is based on technique and not power, and it’s based on leverage.” Aside from the tough parts, the Jiu Jitsu matches have helped him find his favorite part about the sport. “It comes when I’m in match and I’m rolling with a partner and it’s kind of like meditation and you’re in the moment and you’re not thinking about anything else,” he said. “It’s this beauty in movement where your person is trying to get out of a position, and you’re responding effortlessly because you’ve done them so many times.” Over the years, King has learned to keep going even though it has felt like a roller coaster ride at times. “There are times where you feel like you plateau and then shortly after when you’re learning, there are these peaks and plateaus,” he said. “It’s really just staying disciplined and continuing to go back and learn.” King hopes to continue with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for as long as he can. For him, the learning never stops. “The beautiful thing about this sport is that you can spend your entire lifetime learning about his sport and you still won’t learn everything Courtesy of Jordan King Ceramics teacher Jordan King about it,” he said. “That, to me, is what makes shows off his Jiu Jitsu uniform. this sport so exciting.”
Lifestyle 18 Fall Club Flowchart: Find your perfect club STEM Or Humanities?
STEM
Humanities
Tired of all the apps you have?
Do you think school is too hard?
NOT ALL OF THEM
YES
IT'S DIFFICULT
NO
MATH
If you have to choose between math or science, which would you choose?
NO
YES
Do you want to express your feelings?
NO
SCIENCE
Want to learn more about Ebola? Do you want to share your passion?
YES
YES
NO Do you want to volunteer?
YES
Join the STEM club
Make a club
Students spread awareness for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
People might want to share their passion and by making a club, and that can certainly happen.
Join the iOS Development club
Jo i n t h e M a t h Circle club
In this club, members use Swift, a programming language, to make an app as a group by the end of they year.
The club discusses advanced topics, invites guest speakers and participates in outside competitions.
Join the YCS Interact club This club is all about community service, with events such as Service Day and Relay for Life.
NO
Join the Investigative Medicine club
Members raise awareness about medical related issues and analyze patterns. Join one of the language clubs: German, Japanese, French, Chinese, and Spanish. Members will learn the different cultures of each language.
Join the Creative Writing club In the creative writing club, ideas come to life. Writing could also be a space to reflect.
—Compiled by Seungik Shin
Graphics by Jeffrey Yao and Cheryl Kao
Lifestyle
Friday, September 9, 2016
Students sport their
Fall Outfits
19
Stuck in Summer Mode
A look into Titan Fashion Senior Anushka Joshi
Junior Mitchell Mertz
"This jacket is so cute and goes with everything! Jackets automatically add something else to any outfit."
Jacket from Grailed
Yael Livneh Jacket from Topshop
Shirt from Supreme Shirt from Nasty Gal
Pants from Macy's Yoga pants from Alo Yoga "The shoes I bought on Grailed as well, and I got them because they are made by the fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto."
Shoes from Urban Outfitters
—Compiled by Emma Chiao
Prep Period Ideas TA for a teacher Sleep in We all know that sleep deprivation is a very real issue in high school. If you have a prep period at the beginning of a day, use the time to catch up on sleep.
Play games, read, meditate, walk: A prep period is a good time to relax and take the stress out of the day. The Acorn Lounge and the library are always open for students.
Learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of a class. Volunteer hours or class credits are some of the perks of the position.
Go
get
food
Re-energize yourself by going to Starbucks or Baja Fresh during your prep time. If you don’t have transportation off-campus, you could Doordash PMT.
Make up work, visit teachers: It can be hard to catch up after missing school for whatever reason; use preps to sit in on a class you missed or to finish class activities. —Compiled by Ariel Pan
OK, so, apparently school started? It’s been maybe a month now and the 2016-2017 academic year has me whipped. Getting into the classic school routine is the hardest thing I’ve ever encountered. I’m 100% still in summer mode and I’m frantically trying to work that lifestyle into the new school year (PSA: not a good idea). Not sleeping on the weekdays and pretending like I don’t have homework is not sustainable, I need to dip out of this mindset as soon as possible. Even though I have to get over it, summer was breathtaking. Every night I’d get picked up by a friend and we’d go out until 2 a.m. Although it was the most fun I’ve had in months, I would not recommend hanging out to the extent that I did. Yes, turning up the bass all the way in a Subaru and listening to trap music for hours is incredible, but having to wake up the next morning at 7 because your parents “want you to get into the rhythm of school” is not. So now school has started. If you haven’t already guessed, studying isn’t my strongest suit. But I have ways of streamlining the process. If at any point you were to glance at my music, you’d catch something like 15 playlists all labeled ‘studying’. Make one, slam it on, and you can envision yourself in a summer festival as you calculate functions. Using a variety of these tricks I'm slowly shifting into a study-based, school-oriented mentality. Of course, I’m still not anywhere near outside of summer mode. As of now I’m getting pretty good grades and I can kind of run those two laps in PE, so where’s the harm in going out for boba one more time? —Livneh, a sophomore, is a Reporter
20 Backpage food fights: Staffers deba te best foods Mikaela Wayne Centerfold Editor Its buttery crust melts in your mouth, and as you get further into your bite the berries, apples, peaches or whatever else is inside its crust explodes into your tastebuds. You think about the perfection that is pie with its different elements, shapes and varieties. Cake is just not the same. Pies are a delectable food with many unique qualities, one of which is diversity. One of the most interesting aspects of pie is its correlation with seasons and festive times. Different types of pies can signify Thanksgiving, spring, summer and countless other events, while cakes only come around once a year on your birthday. Another area in which pies are superior to cakes is in their aesthetic. Cakes are generally square and look dull. Pies on the other hand, frequently have an elegant pattern laced on top and use the natural color of the fruits inside to achieve their beauty. Pies also provide a homey feeling that may remind you of your favorite holidays or a family member’s cooking. Pies look much more appealing than cakes do. Possibly the most superior aspect of pie to cake is its holistic build. Often times with cake, the frosting-to-cake ratio
is never quite right, causing an overload of artificial sweetness. On the other hand, the filling-tocrust ratio with pies is nearly always impeccable. The buttery, salty crust contrasts perfectly with the sweet, fruity filling, allowing a combination that will overload your senses with delight. To put it simply, pie is superior to cake. The different
PIE VS.
elements of pie are not only tasty, but also have the capability to stimulate positivity. This dish triumphs.
CAKE
Samuel Tse News Editor Today, the cake is threatened by the pie, a lower deity whose only place is a stepping stone for the advancement of the prodigious cake, who cakelovers must support in this time of need. First off, a cake is a versatile dessert. There are many different forms this pastry can take such as layered cake, cheesecake, ice cream cake and even more. Cakes also often have an elaborate design on top and around the cake, the aesthetic look that pies don’t have. Many cakes have something that pies do not—frosting. Imagine biting into a soft, fluffy cloud, the sweet
Deiana Hristov Forum Editor Call me “Eggotistical”, but in the breakfast world, waffles triumph. Compared to the waffle, the flaccid, weak pancake crumbles into a soggy mess. Why? Well, for one, it’s a texture thing. Think of a waffle, which consists of a perfect marriage between a soft, pillowy inside and a crispy outer layer— no pancake will give you the satisfaction of that duality of textures. Next, the shape. Waffles are riddled with square indentations, perfect for catching and holding toppings for a mouth-watering surprise. Think of the feeling when you spoon Nutella over a warm waffle and watch it pool into puddles in the little square dips, giving you a gooey burst of warm chocolate when you bite into it. Any topping placed on a waffle will stay on top, perfectly secured, because unlike pancakes, waffles actually love you. In addition, waffles provide a whole different aesthetic than pancakes. Pancakes are a tired, forced brunch at Denny’s with your annoying relatives, while waffles bring about images of waking up in a log cabin, snow swirling around you as you heat yourself up by enjoying a fresh-off-the-press Belgian waffle. Like the crepe is the European version of a pancake, Belgian waffles are the Euro-
WAFFLES Evalyn Li Reporter pean version of waffles. Sounds similar, right? Except that on the waffles side of things, you get a thicker, fluffier, tastier waffle for your Euro, while in the pancake field you get pancake’s sicklier, pallid cousin. Finally, waffle sandwiches? Chicken and waffles? Waffles, with their toppingcatching supremacy and crispy/ soft texture combo, can bring any meal to the next level. When’s the last time you’ve seen a pancake be anything else but a pancake. Waffles are always the way to go. Accept waffles into your heart and change your life for the better.
VS.
The pancake is superior to the waffle not only because it is a compound word but also due to the myriad of possibilities you find w h en you select t his appe-
PANCAKES
touch blessing your tongue with buckets full of sugar. In addition, cakes have the moist sponge section that leaves you craving for more. While cake may pack quite a few calories, there is a simple solution to your problem— make cupcakes, the mini form of cakes! Any cake can be shrunk down in size into a cupcake. You could eat four of them back-to-back and feel zero guilt, while having the experience of eating a slice of cake. The final reason that cakes are superior is that cakes are used for special occasions. Birthday cakes and weddings cakes are a staple to their respective events and honestly, anyone would rather see the multi-layer four-foot tower of sugary goodness than see a depressing, flat pie at a wedding. I would also like to point out that Boston Cream Pie, one of my favorite desserts, is a cake. Cake conspiracy? I think not. It just comes to show that even pies want to become cakes, once again proving cake’s superiority. Cakes truly reign supreme.
tizing breakfast item. Days of routine actions have ended: fold them, season them or stack them, pancakes are versatile in any area. At its zenith, a pancake is capable of passing the lines of savory and sweet. With a pinch of salt and thinning of the batter, transform a pancake into a crepe. No matter how you enjoy a pancake, you will be left with utter satisfaction. Of the two items, pancakes consistently have better texture. Browned on the outside and pillowy on the inside, pancakes soak up syrup much better than waffles. Also, the danger of making a dry or burnt waffle is high. For the sake of smoke detectors, waffles should be avoided. At the end of the day, however, the top priority is the democratization of food. Pancakes meet this criterion well, easy even on the jaws of the elderly, as they can be readily devoured by people of all ages. Pancakes are the food of the common individual. Making pancakes are extremely simple, not requiring any fancy kitchenware. With its versatility, textural wonder and accessibility, it’s no wonder every country has its own version of it. With the promise of pancake diplomacy, the future appears to be more delicious than ever. Graphics by Elizabeth Zu