The Gunn Oracle volume 58, issue 3
The Gunn Oracle
11 | in the Room where it happens Recent criticism of PAUSD’s decisionmaking process speaks to the need for effective communication when managing a crisis.
19 | the mental health pandemic Reopening school campuses presents the challenge of weighing students’ mental health needs against their physical health needs.
the oracle 2020-2021 editorial board
staff
Editor-in-chief Joshua Yang
business/circulation sophia stern
managing editors madison nguyen nikki suzani
copy editor kate mallery
news editors julianna chang catherine chu forum editors jessica wang jessica zang features editors dori filppu mia knezevic
oracle/sec liaison annika bereny graphics artists Sarah chang madeleine chen ella koehler clair koo mihika sane chinyoung shao zora zhang
centerfold editors annika bereny katie shih
reporters paul garofalo hila livneh raphael semeria
sports editors calvin cai devon lee
adviser kristy blackburn
lifestyle editors haley pflasterer arjun shah online editor genna bishop photo editor mia knezevic graphics editor sophie fan
contact us 780 arastradero road pal0 alto, ca 94306 (650) 354-8238 gunnoracle.com in this issue cover graphic: zora zhang cover design: Jessica Wang
Table of contents 11 | in the room where it happens Recent criticism of PAUSD’s decision-making process speaks to the need for effective communication when managing a crisis.
19 | The mental health pandemic Reopening school campuses presents the challenge of weighing students’ mental health needs against their physical health needs.
04
07
08
news flash: this month’s news in brief
sports suspended due to coronavirus restrictions
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16
entrepreneur yara samad becomes finalist in national design contest with app mockup
humor: reasons why my camera is off
stuck at home? check out these bay area getaways
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get your workout in: fitness youtuber review
new learning challenges: handson electives adapt to virtual format
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how to celebrate the holidays at home
2020 recap: so what really happened this year?
4 | NEWS
california votes on propositions This year, California had 12 propositions on the ballot. These measures covered issues ranging from property taxes to voting rights and affirmative action. Out of the 12, only five passed. Proposition 19, a passed measure regarding property taxes, will likely have an impact on the Bay Area, as it will increase property taxes on homes inherited from family members. Additionally, Proposition 22, which classifies app-based ride share drivers as independent contractors, will likely change the pricing and benefits of drivers for the popular Bay Area apps Uber and Lyft. This year’s slate of ballot measures demonstrated how California leans liberal on some issues, but not on others. Progressive measures such as Proposition 17, which gives former felons the right to vote, passed. Yet Proposition 21, which would have given cities the ability to expand rent control, failed. Social studies teacher Laurel Howard believes this is an example of the fiscal conservatism of the California electorate. “I think [Proposition 21] really highlights how big California is,” she said. “In terms of issues outside of just Democrat versus Republican, there’s a lot more diversity in there. So there’s a lot of ways in which you might consider yourself progressive socially, but not economically.”
news
The success of a measure ultimately depends on how effectively groups can get their message out to voters. Voters do not necessarily spend hours researching each issue, so their knowledge often comes down to what they see in the media. Proposition 22’s victory, for example, could be credited to the $200 million Uber and Lyft spent on it. “If I saw advertising about Prop 22, it was almost always in favor of Prop 22,” Howard said. High spending on ad campaigns may become more frequent in the coming years, which some argue could become dangerous if a measure’s success comes down to how much money there is to spread a message. Howard believes that it shows flooding the market with advertisements works and expects to see other companies try that strategy in the future. Proposition 15, which aimed to increase property taxes to fund schools and local government, was not as popular, demonstrating the unpopularity of tax increases. “A lot of California is very wealthy,” Howard said. “And those areas that are wealthy do tend to swing more fiscally conservative.”
–Written by Sophia Stern
prop 14
prop 17
prop 20
prop 23
Authorizes $5.5 billion for stem cell and other medical research. Passed with 51% of the vote.
Restores voting rights for felons upon completion of prison term. Passed with 59% of the vote.
E x pands list of v iolent crimes, requires DNA collection for certain misdemeanors. Failed with only 38% of the vote.
Adds more requirements to chronic dialysis clinics; clinics may not discriminate against patients based on how they pay. Failed with only 36% of the vote.
prop 15
prop 18
prop 21
prop 14
Increases property taxes on commercial properties to fund local governments and schools. Failed with 48% of the vote.
Permits 17-year-olds to vote in primary and special elections. Failed with only 44% of the vote.
Allows local governments to establish rent control on residential properties over 15 years old. Failed with only 40% of the vote.
Expands and strengthens consumer pr ivacy laws. Passed with 56% of the vote.
prop 16
prop 19
prop 22
prop 25
Repeals a constitutional provision that banned affirmative action. Failed with only 44% of the vote.
Allows some homeowners to transfer their house’s tax base to a replacement residence; establishes fire protection services fund. Passed with 51% of the vote.
Classifies app-based drivers as independent contractors and not employees. Passed with 60% of the vote.
Eliminates cash bail. Failed with only 44% of the vote.
–Compiled by Sophia Stern
fla h
News | 5
This month’s news in brief
new cabinet creates speculation over education secretary On Nov. 7, Joe Biden was announced as the winner of the 2020 election. Before his inauguration, Biden has planned to nominate a new cabinet, including a new Secretary of Education to replace current Secretary Betsy Devos, who is known for her support of charter schools. Social Studies teacher Jeff Patrick is unsure of how much of an impact the new appointment will have on students. “In this area, the charter school movement isn’t as strong as it is in some other parts of the country,” he said. “So I don’t think we’ll see much of an impact here. We didn’t see much of an impact with Betsy DeVos here in this area, and I don’t think it will impact students as much moving forward.” DeVos has previously been criticized for placing too much emphasis on private and charter schools. Under DeVos, the federal government allocated $65 million to fund charter schools, some of which have religious affiliations. Earlier this year, DeVos expressed her support in response to a Supreme Court ruling that allowed taxpayer money to go to religious charter schools. “Prohibiting religiously affiliated public charter schools is unconstitutional,” DeVos said. “The Department of Education in the Charter School Program will not discriminate and will allow for and welcome religiously affiliated applicants.” DeVos has been supportive of school choice, which allows students and their families to opt-out of going to the school that is closest to where they live and instead attend charter schools. Many students who choose
to go to charter schools live in areas where public schools are underfunded, and, because of federal sponsorship, they can apply for grants or scholarships to attend nearby charter schools. The main problem that arises with charter schools is that they are allowed to disciminate when selecting students because they are private institutions. Susan Shaw, a professor of women, gender and sexuality studies at Oregon State University, argued in a Huffington Post article that because these schools and universities are publicly funded, they must comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. “Demanding that institutions that receive federal funding meet anti-discrimination laws is not trampling on religious freedom,” she said. “These same institutions are free to reject federal funding and then discriminate in line with their religious beliefs.” Patrick believes that a Biden-appointed Secretary will put less emphasis on private schools, and be more supportive of teachers than Devos. “From a teacher perspective, and someone who’s in a teacher’s union, people that are being rumored or mentioned for the job definitely would take a more supportive role of teachers and teacher’s unions than Betsy DeVos,” he said. “And actually more so than I would say, than perhaps any previous Secretary of Education.” –Written by Arjun Shah
palo alto School board welcomes new, returning members Following a hectic election season, the Palo Alto Unified School Board will welcome back two previous board members and welcome in one new member. Incumbents Jennifer DiBrienza and Todd Collins were re-elected, along with newcomer Jesse Ladomirak. As a newcomer, Ladormirak will have to acquaint herself with the traditions of the school board while expressing her own opinions. Ladomirak campaigned on improving the district’s handling of budgeting, mental health and educational equity. Given Santa Clara County’s recent re-entry into the purple tier, the issue of school reopening will continue to be a major agenda item. Superintendent Don Austin noted that the virus will push back reopening to next school year. “My head shifted to reopening in the summer and fall,” he said. “So to the degree that people felt that they wish they would have had more of a say in how we were going to reopen this year, it’s not over.”
This extension of the reopening timeline may mean Ladomirak, sworn in on Dec. 15, will be able to somewhat voice her own opinion on reopening plans. But community support for a plan, according to Ladomirak, is not as cut-and-dry as board meetings make it seem. “Generally, if you’re happy with it, you sort of don’t say anything,” she said. “And so I feel like to do my job, I need to go get that metric of community input. So I need to reach out to all these already existing organizations to try to talk to people, and then just figure out my own system by making myself available as somebody that people will talk to.” During her first term, Ladomirak hopes to reach out to underrepresented members of the community. “The job of the district is not [to satisfy] any one individual kid.” she said. “The job of the district is [to do] what is best for students as a whole.” –Written by Annika Bereny
6 | Advertisement
Sports | 7
Sports suspended due to coronavirus restrictions As a result of the recent changes in Santa Clara County’s COVID-19 watchlist status moving from red tier to purple tier, all organized sports have been suspended; teams are unable to meet or practice in-person until further notice. This change has altered season plans for all student athletes at Gunn. For varsity football player senior Cory Hallada, the news has been disappointing. “I don’t like it at all, but things like this can happen,” he said. “It’s been incredibly frustrating just because we are going into this year thinking, ‘Oh, we’re going to go to Hawaii, we’re going to play Paly.’ So we were expecting a lot.” Despite the restrictions, the football team has managed to stay in touch and exercise weekly. “We definitely talk in our group chats about things we can do if we can’t go to practice,” Hallada said. “We’re definitely just in coordination on things we can do outside of practice, whether that’s conditioning, or maybe even down the line, we can get together and do stuff again.” The virus has also taken a toll on the social aspect of sports. The cheer team has felt the restrictions to in-person practices. “Being unable to practice in-person has taken away a huge aspect of the community we’ve always had on the cheer team,” senior Ellie Gleyzer said. “Getting to practice in-person for such a limited time has made it way harder to get to know one another and create a strong bond as a whole, cohesive unit.” Changes to routines have caused difficulties communicating and coordinating over Zoom.
Senior Emily Zhao, who is a member of the cheer team, says that her house doesn’t have enough space to be able to truly dance. “In my house, I’m knocking stuff over when I’m trying to dance,” she said. “It’s hard to go full out when you’re dancing. Also, if people are teaching you choreography, it’s rather difficult to see their whole body and actually get the rhythm down.” Another aspect that has been affected by the restrictions is competing, although the cheer team will be able to compete virtually. “Competition season is also going to start very soon, so we are going to do virtual competitions, and hopefully, if we win, we will be getting to go to nationals in-person this year,” Cheer Team Captain senior Amelie Solis said. For athletes in hopes of using their senior year to increase chances of recruitment, that opportunity has become much slimmer. Hallada feels as if he has missed an opportunity. “There are a lot of schools, that maybe if I have a good year, I could get interest from them, but that’s out of the realm of possibility at this point,” he said “I’m not going to be able to use senior film, which is, a lot of the time, a huge part of what gets people recruited.” In spite of all of the restrictions to sports this season, Gleyzer remains optimistic. “Even with the million uncertainties surrounding our season, the whole team is working extremely hard to go with the flow and maintain a positive attitude,” she said. —Written by Devon Lee
Mihika Sane
8 | FEATURES
Entrepreneur Yara Samad becomes finalist in national design contest with app mock-up Junior Yara Samad has always had a passion for designing products that will positively impact the world. From the young age of six, Samad has been fascinated with building and creating whatever she can get her hands on. In the past few years, this interest has manifested into a hobby of creating startups and engaging in entrepreneurship; most recently, Samad was a finalist in the National High School Design Competition along with her partner for designing a prototype of her “NoFace” app, a tool intended to level the playing field in the workplace through an anonymous hiring process. After starting Gunn’s Design and Entrepreneurship Club during her sophomore year, Samad researched design competitions in which she could present her projects. She was especially drawn to the National High School Design Competition, a contest sponsored by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, due to its prestigious reputation and progressive culture emphasizing diversity. Indeed, the primary question Samad considered in her contest entry was how to promote inclusivity through design. Samad chose to accordingly address racial and gender injustices in the workplace. After reading “Freakonomics,” Samad was shocked to learn people of color often don’t make it to the interviewing phase of a job solely because of their name. “[Upon seeing the application of a person of color], a recruiter might read their name and see that it sounded Black, and not even take them to the interview,” she said. Samad also learned that people who “whitened” their resumes through using more white-sounding names would be two times more likely to receive interview callbacks. Her biggest influence for the project, however, came from her mom’s experiences. “Something happened to my mom—she was actually being paid less than the men who reported to her at her work,” Samad said. With her innate drive for problem-solving and interest in social entrepreneurship, Samad began her project with a partner from the Design and Entrepreneurship Club (Samad’s Photo Courtesy of Yara Samad
Features | 9 partner declined to be interviewed for this article). After creating next year, where they will see Target’s headquarters. a business plan and revenue model, Samad then compared her While the NoFace App is Samad’s most recent project, it is plan to that of pre-existing companies, drafted marketing plans only one of her many startups and passion projects. Currently, and eventually constructed the prototype for her app. Samad is working on a project called DREW, which markets a Samad’s final result, the NoFace app, has three main features teddy bear designed to help children with autism foster emothat shift the focus of a job application tional intelligence and social skills. from one’s identity to just their skills. “The way that DREW came about was The first feature is anonymous proI was going to a bunch of different Desamad was shocked to files with auto-generated usernames sign Thinking conferences, and I met and no pictures. The second feature this woman who started a program learn people of color showcases resumes and credentials for young entrepreneurs interested o f te n d o n ’ t mak e it without including one’s identity, in an in product design and engineering effort to avoid initial and implicit bias. and combining those two [areas],” to t h e i n t e rv i e w i n g Finally, a faceless interview with a Samad said. gender-neutral voice filter and witness Before the lockdown, Samad hostphase of a job solely protection filter technology maintains ed meetings at her house every Friday because of their name. anonymity. with a group of friends to brainstorm The project took roughly one-andproject ideas and conduct user rea-half months to complete, with the search; eventually, the group came majority of work done over the course of two weekends. “It was up with a concept for DREW. Although DREW has since been kind of like short bursts of working on [the project], instead modified in the past year, Samad’s initial idea granted the project of consistently working on it,” Samad said. “It was an iterative $1000 in funding through a Google award. process.” Samad is also working on the prototype for an app that helps Samad also emphasized that the team’s final entry into the users track how much they’re recycling. Users receive points design contest was more of a concept sketch. “[The NoFace app for recycling; points can then be put towards shopping for ecois] definitely far from a final product that could actually be made,” friendly brands and riding public transport at discounted prices. she said. “However, this is something I can really take to market The goal for the recycling app, according to Samad, was to gain and make an actual product of, so that’s my main goal.” experience rather than create an actual product. “Even though To Samad, the greatest takeaway from the project is the con- this wasn’t something that I ever planned on actually taking to nections she’s made; Samad has built relationships with high- the next level, I think it was really good just to have something profile figures and hopes these connections will open the doors where I could learn the mindset of entrepreneurship,” she said. to new opportunities. “We presented to the [Chief Technology “It was something where I wanted to learn along the way and Officer] of Target, which was get feedback and also make really insane and incredible,” connections with people using she said. “I think having him as that idea.” a connection is really going to Samad’s designs have won help me and my other projects numerous awards, including move forward, as well as just the Gen She Entrepreneurall the incredible designers and ship Makeathon Award at Lyft mentors who really helped us.” and a Jacobsen Institute third Samad and her partner have place award. She also shares also been invited to go on a virher entrepreneurial journey tual tour with the CEO of Target on a podcast and blog, Designpreneurz. Above all, Samad empha“[NoFace sized the ability to create any thing with design and app is] definitely far entrepreneurship. “You can from a final product. make any kind of product However, this is something imaginable,” Samad said. I can really take to market “Whether it’s digital, physiand make an actual cal, whether you’re taking that product of, so that’s my into architecture or just any form of creating things, [it’s main goal.” possible].”
Mihika Sane
—Written by Mia Knezevic
10 | Humor
Humor: Reasons why my camera is off
Now that we’re learning from home, my parents like to see what I’m doing so they keep coming behind me: When in doubt, blame it on someone else. With this excuse, teachers will have no choice but to let you keep your camera off because parents could be distracting for the whole class, and it’s not like they’re going to call your parents to make them stop.
I just got some teeth pulled out and I look like a chipmunk—also I can’t talk: Yes! Two for one! Not only can you not turn on your camera, but your teacher will also probably let you stay on mute the whole class. This is also perfect because your teacher, once again, can’t do anything about it. Of course, you’ll have to remember to talk like you’ve shoved food into your mouth if they do happen to call on you.
I haven’t cleaned my room in days—there are clothes all over the floor: One of the many disadvantages of Zooming to class is that we’re all in our own houses. It’s pretty embarrassing to have an unsightly background for everyone to see. But, as the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” If teachers really think about it, this cluttered room could be a distraction for the rest of the students in class.
My WiFi is really sluggish at the moment and everything freezes when I turn on my camera: This one is a classic that I’m sure many people already use. We all know that half the people who claim they have bad WiFi don’t really. Nevertheless, it works, and turning off your camera can really help your connection. Everyone’s had the experience of bad WiFi at one point or another, so this is an easy one for teachers to resonate with.
My hair is a mess and it looks like a rat’s nest: This is also a classic excuse. Whether you just got out of the shower, or just rolled out of bed, everyone’s had a bad hair day—so this excuse is pretty relatable. Hopefully your teacher has been in this situation and will allow you to keep your video off. I mean, the last thing teachers want is a hairy situation (ha... ha...).
The lighting is terrible in this room: There’s no point in making someone turn on their camera if you can barely see them anyways! Depending on the light in the room, dark or bright, you could either look like you’re lurking in the shadows or have an angel’s halo. Lighting issues can sometimes be somewhat unavoidable, making it a perfect excuse to turn off your video during class.
—Compiled by Katie Shih
Chinyoung Shao
Forum | 11
In the room where it happens recent criti cis m aro u n d paus d’ s decision-making process speaks to the need for effective communication when managing a public health crisis. by Jessica Zang
Zora Zhang
12 | District Transparency
Transparency questioned
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saw as a clear-cut decision. “It was clear to me that the board was going to support the reopening plan,” Dauber said in a Nov. 18 interview. “There was no real suspense about how [the decision] was going to turn out. It was just a question of timing. And at that point, it was just delayed for no good purpose.” Despite the motion being subsequently denied by three other members, such an action accompanies others by the school board that have increasingly come under fire. In recent days, many parents, students and staff have begun to rally for clearer communication and transparency from both the school board and the district, especially when it comes to pandemic-related decisions. While previously approved reopening plans for high schools are unlikely to proceed given Santa Clara County’s recent move into the purple tier of coronavirus precautionary measures, the question of transparency still stands as the district plans for future reopenings.
or weeks, virtual classrooms buzzed with both worry and excitement about reopening elementary schools for inperson learning. On Sept. 29, hordes of students, parents and teachers alike powered on their Zoom applications to tune into a virtual Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) school board meeting, patiently waiting to hear the board’s discussion around the reopening plan for elementary schools. During the open forum session—a designated time for community members to freely share opinions—voice after voice pleaded with the five school board members to delay their decision until a better plan had been set. Yet after an hour of speeches, the school board members unanimously voted to reopen elementary schools, leaving many attendees confused, outraged and upset. The controversial decision followed the previous board Communication during a crisis meeting just seven days earlier, on Sept. 22. Throughout the meeting, which was scheduled from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., the school board assured the public that they would not decide on elementary school reopenings that night, allowing community n Feb. 28, during a campaign rally in South Carolina, members to voice their worries without the pressure of an imPresident Donald Trump labelled the Democratic Party’s mediate decision. At 11 p.m., however, and following an extension criticism of how he had handled the coronavirus as the of the meeting, board member Ken Dauber called to vote on the party's “new hoax.” Buying into the now-twisted idea that the reopening plan immediately, virus itself is a hoax—and throwing a move decried—among othcaution to the wind over the viers—by an editorial written by rus—has proved deadly: the United With the Trump members of The Oracle staff States currently leads the world in (the independent opinions of COVID-19 cases and deaths, with administration failing to the writers are kept separate over 12 million cases and 250,000 respond to COVID-19 as a from The Oracle’s news covdeaths, as of late November. erage). In the digital age of the 21st cenlegitimate threat, the Dauber, in a later intertury, it comes as no surprise that view, defended his motion for to manage a public health crisis pandemic has become an immediate vote because he means to simultaneously also manpolitical in nature. didn’t want the community to age a public information crisis. The unnecessarily wait for what he World Health Organization (WHO) cites communication as “the most important available tool in managing a risk” such as the current pandemic, especially in providing advice and guidance for the people who may be affected. One primary example of failure to manage a health crisis was during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemic in 2003, when authorities’ delayed acknowledgment of the outbreak’s severity led to the rapid global spread of the SARS virus. According to WHO, the eventual containment of the disease was only made possible due to “public awareness, community surveillance and behavior modification—all of which was directly supported by a massive international public health information effort.” Throughout the pandemic’s activity in America, however, the Trump administration has been accused by experts of downplaying both the severity of the virus and its impact on the infected. With the Trump administration failing to respond to COVID-19 as a legitimate threat, the pandemic has become political in Joshua Yang nature, making it difficult for national and international health
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district transparency | 13 organizations such as the CDC and the WHO to effectively adIN november, The district sent out vise on necessary precautions. In turn, the burden of public health has fallen onto the survey to staff, surveys to shoulders of state and county officials. Santa Clara County, instructors students, parents for example, was one of the first counties in the nation to issue a shelter-in-place order in Surveys were open for 24 hours. March, and Santa Clara Public —Compiled by Jessica Zang Health Director Sara Cody has been awarded Momentum Health’s 2020 Shining Stars Award of Excellence for the Santa Clara team’s quick response Such communication measures are only part of the district’s and subsequent information releases. responsibility to provide transparent information to the commuThe decisions made at the county level trickle down to the city nity. Dauber believes that the school board has an obligation to school board level. In October, with elementary schools under communicate to its constituents, especially during a time when staggered reopening plans, PAUSD shifted attention to reopening plans can change within days. “The board has an obligation to middle and high schools for the second semester. The iterations be transparent in terms of ensuring that the board meetings are of reopening plans, however, have been complex and erratic. open, that the public has a clear understanding about why the The possibility of livestreaming was suggested, then pulled off board makes their decisions [and] that there’s an opportunity the table. In the very earliest stages of planning, all seven of a for the public to participate in the decision-making process,” student’s classes could be held in-person, while later plans called Dauber said. “I think during the coronavirus [pandemic], a lot is for only English and social studies classes to return on campus. changing in how students are getting their education, so I think Such a series of changes left many families unsure and unready that it’s even more important to double-down on opportunities to make a binding decision—and speak to the importance of for participation and communication.” communication and transparency, even at the local level. English teacher Kate Zavack described her ideal of transparent communication as timely, accurate and being done in good faith. “The goal is to tell the truth,” she said. “Of course, there are things that are sensitive material that can’t be fully disclosed. transparency at pausd But to the extent that it can be, that it is and that things aren’t mischaracterized and misrepresented, especially on purpose.” According to board policy, the district’s standard procedure he district, for its part, has put measures in place to com- for decision-making, first and foremost, requires identifying municate information to the people. Superintendent Don a problem. Following this, the Superintendent or a designated Austin sends informational emails to parents every Friday. board member researches and collects data on the problem, as Many updates have also been posted to the district page, as well well as possible solutions. The board then allows community as Austin’s Twitter account. The school board members check members to give their input on the issue during public meettheir emails often, and a running list of coronavirus cases from ings. Finally, the policy is drafted and presented at a subsequent elementary schools is available online. meeting, after which it is voted on by the board.
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How does the school board create policies?
1. Identify the need for a new policy or a revision of an existing policy
2. Gather data and related district policies to fully inform the board
3. discuss any potential outcomes of the proposed policy
4. request that legal counsel review the drafted policy as needed.
5. present the draft for an initial reading at a public board meeting
Sarah Chang
14 | District transparency
Reopening controversy
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n Nov. 10, the school board unanimously agreed to reopen secondary schools despite an hours-long open forum with students, parents and staff strongly cautioning against it, leading to a whirlwind of reactions. While some applauded the board for allowing struggling students to return in-person, many others were upset by the outcome of the meeting. Out of over 50 people who spoke at the board meeting’s open forum, only two supported the reopening plan. Regardless, given the current purple tier, reopening is unlikely to occur. As both a parent and a biology teacher, Maria Powell felt that the board and the district has not listened to her perspective over the years. “I was dismissed at every opportunity,” she said. “I’ve spoken at board meetings. I’ve spoken to superintendents. I’ve spoken with the principals. As a parent, I was treated like what I had to say was wrong. I was just totally dismissed.” School Board Representative senior Thomas Li believes that much of the conflict could be resolved if the board could effectively communicate their rationale for reopening to the public. “Taking the time to directly address and respond to the concerns that the committee has brought up, or explaining the rationale behind their vote would be a good step for transparency for the board in terms of helping the public understand why they’re making these decisions,” Li said. Part of the outrage also stems from the district’s portrayal of the many negotiations that often happen behind closed doors. “I think one thing that’s been routinely frustrating for teachers is the way negotiations have been characterized between the [teacher’s] union and the district,” Zavack said. “Teachers’
involvement and planning have also been mischaracterized, regarding when people have been consulted or not.” During the Nov. 10 board meeting, Board Member Melissa Baten Caswell proposed an amendment that would require district staff to actively incorporate feedback from teachers into their reopening plan, which was rejected by Dauber and Board President Todd Collins. To Dauber, this amendment created an unnecessary obstacle to the reopening plan. “While I think it’s really important for teachers to have a chance to give feedback, I don’t think it’s necessary for us for the district to reach an agreement with teachers about how schools are going to reopen,” Dauber said. “There’s a whole range of things that the district is required to reach an agreement with teachers about, but this isn’t one of them.” A later proposed amendment, giving teachers an opportunity to provide input for consideration, was unanimously agreed upon by the board, including Dauber and Collins. Unlike the first proposed amendment, which promised action, this amendment promised listening. “That was perfectly fine,” Dauber said. “I think that’s what we should be doing. I just wanted to make sure that we weren’t putting ourselves in a position where there had to be some outcome of that feedback, because I think that was just going to create more of a burden than we needed.” Though the district is not required to reach a consensus with teachers regarding reopening, many teachers had concerns about the feedback survey provided instead. According to Powell, the survey was administered around 6 p.m. and open for 24 hours, while the following board meeting was scheduled for 3 p.m. the next day. “Many teachers have back-to-back classes,” Powell said. “When are we supposed to collect our thoughts about the survey when we didn’t get it until six o’clock at night? It looks like transparency; it looks like the board has gotten input from
Faces in the Crowd: What are your thoughts on district commUnication regarding reopening?
“I believe the district didn’t give the teachers or students much of a say in the reopening plan. I wish my fellow students could’ve had their voices heard.”
“I think that the fact that the school board didn’t really listen to anyone’s concerns is disappointing.”
“The only time I can remember the district initiating contact with [students] was with the polls...they don’t want meaningful input from us.”
“There was a failure of communication between district administrators and site staff, and that’s why we saw things like the letter signed by dozens of Gunn teachers.”
—Marcello Chang, 9
—Alicia Wu, 10
—Tenzin Chang, 11
—Henry Poole, 12
—Compiled by Julianna Chang
district transparency | 15
teachers. But it’s not an effective system.” Li has assured community members that the board harbors good intentions, contrary to how many people perceive their actions. “To a lot of people, it looks like the board kind of just brushed these concerns aside and approved the plan anyway,” Li said. “But I know that the board isn’t nefariously ignoring people. Some of the board members mentioned that they’ve gotten emails from families who thanked them for voting for the reopening plan. They probably know students who are struggling with distance learning. So there are two sides to the story.” School board representatives also meet with the superintendent before every board meeting to briefly discuss agenda items, which helps with communication as school board representatives can more easily relay that information to the students. “I meet with both of them before every board meeting, so I have my own personal meetings with them,” Austin said. “They send me emails on the side and between meetings as well.” The representatives, according to Li, rarely receive email replies. “We’re not included too much in district decisions,” Li said. “Over the summer, [Palo Alto High School Board Representative Mehta Atla] and I sent an email to the district asking how we can be involved in the school reopening discussion, and we never got a reply; I sent them an email a couple of days ago, asking about school reopening, and they also never got back to me.”
Open letters and open forums
S
hortly after the school board meeting on Nov. 10, an open letter urging the board to reconsider reopening plans was written and signed by the majority of the English, social studies and special education departments from Gunn, indicating the widespread backlash the district and board received from the community. Paly students also wrote an open letter, gaining almost 700 signatures from students, parents, staff, community members and alumni. Austin likened the staff response, including the open letter, to that of the elementary school teachers, both acknowledging the letter and raising a question as to how long its contents would hold true. “I am not dismissing that teachers wrote the
letter and that they did that in unity,” Austin said. “However, we had almost exactly the same thing with elementary. And with a full staff, we’re back with 2,100 students and the teachers are overwhelmingly happy to stick with their students and do a great job with it.” Open letters are one of many ways to be heard by the district and board, along with sending emails to board members and speaking out during the open forum. However, Dauber uses more than just the voices from open forums to shape his view on policies. “The emails that we receive, staff recommendations—it’s Joshua Yang all part of the mix [of] how I’m understanding a situation,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that I’m going to decide to vote with the majority of the people in an open forum. I also understand that it’s not representative of the community.” Austin also challenged whether opinions shared in the open forum represented the entire community. “Nobody speaks at a board meeting because they’re happy with the decision that you’re getting ready to make,” he said. “They’re silent; they might send you a text message or an email to just you, but they don’t come and speak. The only people that ever speak in board meetings are overwhelmingly in opposition to whatever it is you’re proposing. In context, we have 66,000 residents. We have 20,000 parents and we have 2,000 employees. So, while 50 speakers might sound like everybody’s against something, that’s only 50 speakers.”
Looking ahead
M
oving forward, Li believes that the district can improve in the way they administer their surveys, both in question wording and publicizing the survey itself. “I think that some of the questions were worded with some sort of bias within them,” Li said. “They can improve publicity for it to get more responses so they can get a larger sample size. That’s another thing with transparency.” Despite recent controversy, Palo Alto Educators Association President Teri Baldwin holds that there has always been a strong, healthy relationship between the district and the union. “Disagreements are part of a natural working process, rather than being an item of contention,” she said. “I continue to meet with the Superintendent monthly, and with both the Deputy Superintendent and Director of Human Resources weekly. We keep the lines of communication open, and we try to solve issues before they become big problems.” Powell sees recent events not only as a frustrating ordeal, but also a time for growth. “I understand why [communication] is not happening as quickly as I’d like,” she said. “But I’m hopeful that, moving forward, the district can focus on fixing their communication structure, regardless of what the changing circumstances are.”
16 | bay area getaways
stuck at home? check out camping in santa cruz For those who want to get away from Palo Alto for a fun-filled weekend, Santa Cruz has several camping areas. One of the most unique parts of Santa Cruz is the numerous terrains that you can experience within a short time. From the forests to the beach, there are a multitude of ways to explore the sur-
rounding area while experiencing a refreshing weekend away from technology. There are dozens of campgrounds around Santa Cruz depending on what type of experience you’re looking for. Throughout Santa Cruz, there are many different trails and beaches, which make Santa Cruz an ideal getaway destination.
san francisco mosaic stairway All around San Francisco, there are several mosaic stairways for visitors to find beautiful views of the city. The most popular one is on 16th Ave., where you can travel up 163 steps to a view looking over the entirety of the city. The steps were originally created in 2003 as a project for the neighborhood to beautify
the area. Since then, the steps have been a popular destination for both local residents and tourists to get some exercise and see a beautiful view. The Mosaic Stairway can be visited as part of a day trip to the city. Though it is a minor destination, the Stairways could be a destination along your next trip to San Francisco.
lake berryessa Lake Berryessa, located two hours north of Palo Alto, in Napa, is a great place to go for aquatic activities, as the lake is one of the largest bodies of freshwater in California. The lake is great for both families and friends to visit for a day trip and has several different areas to explore. There are places along the lake to fish, swim and boat;
surrounding the lake, you can also hike, bird-watch and bike. For an overnight trip, there are also camping areas as well as hotels nearby where you can spend the night before going outside and exploring the next day. Not too far from Palo Alto, Lake Berryessa makes for the perfect lakeside getaway after a week of homework and Zoom classes.
off the grid food trucks Off the Grid Food Trucks has one major difference when compared to other getaway destinations—it doesn’t have a destination. The Off the Grid food organization travels around the Bay Area, serving incredible diverse local food. Within the organization, over 320 mobile food creators prepare cui-
sines from around the world on a daily basis. The unique foods are served throughout the day. Many of the lunch markets serve local workers, while night markets often have live musical performances. To find future Off the Grid appearances, offthegrid.com lists markets weeks in advance.
bay area getaways | 17
these bay area getaways byxbee park By xbee Park is located alongside the Baylands Nature Preserve, another popular location for nature lovers. Built on top of an unused landfill, Byxbee park has been made into a beautiful park and hiking destination for those who need somewhere to visit for a daytrip. The park has many trails, including the
five-and-a-half-mile-long Adobe Creek Loop and one-mile-long Marsh Front Trail. On the trail, hikers are greeted with scenic views of the Bay. However, it is best known for its artwork along the park, where many local artists have created sculptures and other projects for visitors to view along their hikes.
monte bello preserve Off the edge of Palo Alto, Monte Bello Open Space Preserve is a perfect destination for nature lovers to explore. The area has all types of terrains from forests to mountains to grasslands. There are several hiking trails as well as vista points overlooking the rest of the Bay Area. Within the preserve, Black Mountain’s peak provides an excellent view span-
Graphics by Madeleine Chen and Clair Koo
stanford theater Located in the heart of downtown Palo Alto, the Stanford Theatre is one of the oldest movie theatres in the area. It was opened in 1925 and was one of the most popular destinations for movie lovers in the 20th century. Before the pandemic, the Stanford Theatre played classic movies daily. Even without the option to see
movies in person, the beautiful retro cinema signs and lights stand out in the night, creating a rustic and energetic atmosphere. On your next trip down University Avenue, take some time to check out the longstanding antique theatre.
ning across the Santa Clara Valley to Mount Hamilton. The hiking trails are also open to biking and horseback riding for those seeking other forms of exercise. While walking, it is easy to mantain social distancing with other hikers, making the Preserve a safe getaway. The Preserve can be reached by driving down Page Mill five miles past Foothills Park.
stanford dish trail Named after the radio telescope that it is near, the Stanford Dish trail is the perfect destination to get some exercise and fresh air. The trail is 3.5 miles long and offers a beautiful view of the nearby hills. Visitors of the trail have the option to walk or run; however, biking is foridden. Initially closed earlier in the year due to concerns over the
coronavirus pandemic, the trail has since adapted. In order to encourge social distancing, the Dish trail now only allows visitors to walk in one direction around the circular trail. With stunning views of the sky and hills, the Stanford Dish trail offers a safe way to escape the mundanity of life during the coronavirus pandemic. —ÂCompiled by Calvin Cai
18 | Sports
Get your Workout in: FITNESS YOUTUBER REVIEW Chloe Ting Chloe Ting is an Australian fitness YouTuber best known for her “Two Week Shred Challenge.” Her channel has exploded over the past few months, amassing 16.2 million subscribers. Ting’s workouts are mainly cardio with an emphasis on abs. Many people enjoy her workouts because they are quick and structured. Her most popular video,
“Get Abs in 2 Weeks,” is only a 10 minute workout. Personally, I found her workouts very challenging. However, watching the same videos dayin and day-out became tedious, and I lost interest. Additionally, although she has many different videos, most feature the same exercises.
Maddie Lymburner Maddie Lymburner is a Canadian YouTuber who gained popularity through her fitness channel, titled Madfit; her channel now has almost 5 million subscribers. Madfit features quick and easy at home workouts—perfect for quarantine. The channel is best known for
its dance workout videos, where Lymburner tailors the exercises to fit the beat of the songs. These are a personal favorite of mine because I feel like I can have fun and dance to the music, while getting a good workout in. However, if you are up for a tough challenge, this might not be the channel for you.
Kelli and Daniel Segars Fitness Blender is a website and YouTube channel that provides free, full-length workout videos and routines, as well as healthy recipes. The channel was created by Kelli and Daniel Segars. Fitness Blender has a wide variety of videos: these range from 10 minute cardio videos to 45 minute total body weight workouts. This channel is a great option for those who want to build muscle, as opposed to
just losing weight through quick cardio workouts. In my experience, some of the workouts can be a bit boring and slow, but I really enjoyed their variety and their strength workouts. The Segars also do an amazing job demonstrating the techniques for difficult and weighted exercises.
Pamela Reif Pamela Reif is a German fitness YouTuber who has gained over 5.22 million subscribers. She is best known for her “10-minute Six Pack Workout” as well has her “10-minute Booty Workout.” Most of Reif’s videos are apartment friendly and require no equipment. Her style
is fairly different from other fitness YouTubers that I have tried. Reif’s workouts are extremely intense and have no breaks. The music helped me stay more engaged compared to the other types of music I hear on different channels. Additionally, I found some of her exercises a bit tricky, but overall it was a great workout.
—Compiled by Kate Mallery Graphics by Sarah Chang and Chinyoung Shao
Mental Health | 19
THE MENTAL HEALTH PANDEMIC
Jenna Han
Reopening middle and high School campuses amidst a rise in Covid-19 cases presents the unique challenge of weighing students’ mental health needs against their physical health needs.
by Catherine Chu and Haley Pflasterer
20 | Mental Health
A
lmost nine months after schools shut down in March, the Mental Health and Wellness Coordinator Genavae Dixon COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of noted a similar trend, citing the fact that there have been more teenagers’ lives. Education and day-to-day life have been students reaching out for support. “We definitely have more relegated to the virtual sidelines while opportunities for face-to- students reporting about depressive-like symptoms than we have face socialization with friends have plummeted after the issuance had before,” Dixon said. “Especially for students having these of shelter-in-place orders. The reasoning behind such changes situations happen for the first time, [I hear them saying] ‘wow, is clear: after all, to reduce the spread and transmission of the it’s really hard for me to get out of bed, it’s really hard for me to coronavirus, adhering to strict social distancing guidelines and have some level of motivation and to finish my schoolwork, or to wearing a mask is an absolute must. even interact with my family or text my friends back.’” Yet, at the same time, physical safety has come at the cost of Teacher-student relationships have also felt more distanced. mental wellbeing, as child psychologist Dr. Wendy Froehlich According to Leftwich, it’s considerably more challenging for recognizes. “I’d love to say that safety is the top priority, but you adults to detect when a student is struggling in a virtual schooling can break safety down to include physical safety and mental format. “[Counselors] get a lot of our referrals through teachers,” health safety,” Froehlich said. “And we have competing interests right now within those two areas.” “I know a lot of students that are doing Froehlich’s words point at the deeper issue of maintaining a careful balancing act absolutely fine academically, but some are between mental health and physical health depressed or are just disengaged. There amidst the pandemic. According to a recent are some kids that we know of who are Harvard study, strict lockdowns and curfews struggling with isolation. I think that there’s have led to widespread feelings of isolation, causing children to experience symptoms a disappointment of not being able to open in of depression, anxiety and misbehavior. January [given the] real academic concerns Similarly, the Journal of the American and mental health concerns.” Medical Association reported significantly — School board member jennifer dibrienza higher levels of depression and anxiety in students who had been quarantined for 30 days due to COVID-19. In short, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a he said. “In the classroom, they can look out over the class and far more invisible mental health pandemic, especially amongst they can see when a student has their head down. But online, adolescents and teens. “Without a doubt, the pandemic has been students just have their camera off, so it wouldn’t be a red flag hard for a large majority of individuals I work with,” Froehlich for that teacher.” said. “From a general social perspective, [since] high school Even when students meet with counselors, it has become teenagers are at such a transitional period in life, it’s been really, really difficult to live through this pandemic.” Do you feel mentally supported by Gunn?
New challenges
Feel rarely supported
A
t Gunn, things are no different. According to counselor David Lef tw ich, since Gunn shif ted to virtual learning, there have been an increased number of meetings arranged for students requiring interventions to support them academically. Leftwich noted that student anxiety has been an underlying theme in all of these meetings. “I think that those meetings have anxiety underneath them, where [students are] saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do this, I need some help. I’m worried about getting through all this. It feels so different. It feels so scary,’” Leftwich said.
Feel somewhat supported
32.1%
don’t feel supported
16%
38.3%
13.6%
Feel fully supported
Data collected from an Instagram poll with 81 students surveyed. Chinyoung Shao
mental health | 21
Wellness Center formal referrals have decreased by
60%
since the last school year. There were 45 referrals from Aug.-Oct. of 2019. There were 27 referrals in the same period of this year.
Wellness Center therapy sessions have decreased by
42.3%
since the last school year.
There were 194 therapy sessions from Aug.-Oct. of 2019. There were 82 therapy sessions in the same period of this year.
Data collected from the Wellness Center presentation from the Oct. 27 school board meeting.
harder for counselors to fully understand a student’s mental state. “On campus, it’s easier to get a feel for a student,” Leftwich said. “When I talk to a student, I’m reading their body language in a different way than I do when I do a Zoom meeting with them. I can hear their voice differently, or they speak differently to me in my office than they do when they’re in their living room. Understanding the mental health challenges of students on campus is easier when you’re on campus and meeting with students face to face.” For its part, Gunn has recognized the need to take steps in supporting the mental wellbeing of students inside and outside the classroom. Since on-campus support is no longer available, new virtual support systems are being developed and offered to students. The Wellness Center staff, for instance, has been coming up with different online initiatives to provide support for students in a variety of different ways. There is now a Bitmoji classroom where students can drop in 24 hours a day to get different types of resources. Students can also receive direct assistance during school hours from wellness professionals (These resources can be accessed at tinyurl.com/gwellness). These new resources have helped some students adjust to online learning; according to Reach Out, Care, Know (ROCK) President Kate Williams, who is a senior, school-led activities have helped her feel more comfortable in the online environment. “I think Gunn has really helped us by using the Gunn Together times and the SELF times to really talk about mental health,” she said. “I feel so supported, especially by [Wellness Outreach Worker Rossana Castil], who is really helping by posting things on Schoology—ways that you can continue to work on your mental health.”
A reason to reopen
G
iven the challenges distance learning poses to maintaining wellness, it’s no surprise students’ mental health has been cited as a reason for reopening schools to resume in-person instruction. The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) school board has strongly encouraged reopening and unanimously approved reopening plans for both elementary and secondary schools. Chief among the reasons for reopening, according to PAUSD
Superintendent Dr. Don Austin, is mental health. “Students have been isolated for nine months, and are starting to have issues,” he said. “When you get to be around people that you know care about you, your mental health improves naturally, and that’s my belief system. I think the board is, as a whole, pretty aligned with that.” School Board Member Jennifer DiBrienza echoed Austin. “I know a lot of students that are doing absolutely fine academically, but some are depressed or are just disengaged,” DiBrienza said. “There are some kids that we know of who are struggling with isolation. I think that there’s a disappointment of not being able to open in January [given the] real academic concerns and mental health concerns.” Under the PAUSD reopening plan, students would only return in-person for their English and social studies classes, leading Dixon to voice uncertainty on whether the plan would effectively support students. “I think that for our students that truly need the structure of school to be able to get their work done, that it would be helpful,” she said. “But, overall, it would still be that most of your classes would still be in distance, so there still would be some discrepancies and some issues around that.” While PAUSD’s secondary school plan has been shelved due to the county’s spiking COVID-19 case count, if students do go back to school in the near-future, Dixon worries about potentially new forms of student anxiety. “I think it does add or it brings in a level of health anxiety,” she said. “‘Now I’m coming to school, is everybody taking their precautions? Is everyone wearing their masks? How do I interact?’ My colleagues that I work with in other [reopened] schools say that has been a big point of stress for students.” At the end of the day, there’s no right answer in what to prioritize when reopening schools, according to Froehlich. “I don’t know that there’s a way to say that there’s just one most important variable to be looked at [in reopening],” she said. “I think there are a multitude of variables that have to be weighed, and the challenging part is they’re probably different for each individual and each family. That’s where this creates such a challenging situation, because there is no great one-size-fits-all.” In looking toward the future, regardless of how reopenings will look, Dixon emphasized reaching out for support. “Reach out to Wellness [staff]—we are here to support you,” she said. “We want to be here to support you with those things and talk through strategies and be really individualized with our support for our students.”
22 | features
new Learning challenges: hands-on electives adapt to virtual format Ceramics Ceramics teacher Jordan King has completely altered his instruction methods to account for the obstacles presented by distance learning. King wants to ensure all his students have the basic materials for remote learning. At the beginning of the year, he sent each student a ball of plasticine clay and tools to sculpt the clay with. “[The materials given] are enough, but it would still be great if we could have all the materials we could use in school,” sophomore Adele Davis, a Ceramics 1 student, said. In the future, King hopes to supply the s t ude nt s w it h more materials. “What I would like to do second
semester is actually send home some physical clay, just to give the kids that experience with the ceramic medium,” King said. “But that is going to require pickups and drop offs, so we’ll see.” In the past, many hands-on classes acted as a period during which students could take a break from academics. “I think that such a huge reason why a lot of the kids sign up for ceramics is because of the space, the atmosphere [and] the energy that everyone brings into it,” King said. King has tried to restore that sense of community by creating a place where students don’t feel lectured. “I’ve provided some ways to request a breakout room, so that [the students] can work together and be social,” King
said. “That is one of the reasons that make the class more engaging for them at this time.” For now, the students are still going to continue with hand sculpting, with the added benefit of modified social interaction over Zoom. “We are doing the best we can and we are, again, unique in the fact that we’re asking kids to work with their hands and take a break from their screens,” King said. “I think it’s especially important right now, given the circumstances.” —Written by Raphael Semeria
TitaN Broadcast Network difficult. So we moved to an on-demand announcements program.”
Titan Broadcast Network (TBN) has been working to keep students briefed on Gunn news while using class time effectively. According to TBN advisor Edward Corpuz, TBN has had to find new ways to produce their show while working together online. “When the year started, we thought we would try to do what we did last year and produce a live show every day, or at least a segment we could produce every day,” Corpuz said. “But we thought that producing a live program wouldn’t be the most effective use of the students’ time, and expecting everyone to watch a live program about announcements sounded really
“[online learning] is sometimes an uncomfortable way to do it, but I think that’s a positive—that we can reach out to others virtually.”
— TBN Advisor Edward Corpuz
TBN also has a challenge this year because Executive Producer junior Ingrid Lee is the team’s only returning member. “It’s really exciting because I went through the exact same experience that they’re going through, actually, when I was in middle school,” she said. “I really love
being able to be a part of these people’s journeys and teach them what I love doing most, which is broadcast journalism. It also allows me to work with people that I’ve never met before.” Corpuz looks on the bright side of distance learning. “We can talk on Zoom, so I think that opened up a lot more for our class,” he said. “Obviously, there’s still some technical issues. And sometimes this is an uncomfortable way to do it, but I think that’s a positive—that we can reach out to others virtually.” Lee also believes that students should look past the negatives during this time. “Despite the fact that we don’t have all our equipment, we’re still working with what we have and producing some of the best shots that we’ve ever done in a while,” she said. —Written by Katie Shih
Features | 23
AutoMotive tech The curriculum for Automotive TechSenior Evan Cole, a fellow nology, also known as Auto, where stu- Auto 2 student, described dents learn how to work with, fix and build some of the hardships of being cars, was mainly built on the idea that online. “It’s hard to not be able to do anypeople would be in the classroom, work- thing physical like actually work on cars,” trying to recreate a similar atmosphere ing freely and asking questions. while remaining online, it’s hard However, despite being online, for some students. “When we the class is working to create were in Auto 1, we were learning “I miss having that handssimilar experiences. how everything works and how Sophomore Beanie Jose, who we would apply [that knowledge], on experience and actually is taking Auto 2, explained some but we can’t [anymore],” Jose of the new methods Auto teacher working on cars. You can’t said. “I miss having that handsMike Camicia is trying out. “He on experience and actually workreally do that at home.” tries to get us to make models out ing on cars, [because] you can’t of stuff you can find around your really do that at home, especially — Sophomore Beanie Jose house,” Jose said. “To figure out without having the tools.” different problems with cars and While the return date to stuff, he asks us to make models in-person school is unknown, out of things like cotton balls, string, rub- Cole said. “We have to do more writing classes such as Auto are simulating the inber bands, stuff like that to mimic what and stuff like that; before, [the class] was person experience as best they can. “Mr. the car part would do.” working in the shop and a few worksheets, Camicia is a really good teacher; even in but now we have to write a lot more class, it was pretty easy and he never gave stuff down, and it’s a bit more dif- too much work,” Jose said. “Even now, ficult.” it’s like that and he finds ways to make it Jose, along with Cole, misses really fun.” in-person classes. Although Auto is —Written by Hila Livneh
Choir
For choir, moving online has had its fair share of difficulties and adjustments. The most notable change to the curriculum is the lack of events and performances, according to senior Maddy Soh. “We definitely don’t get to do fun singing events anymore,” she said. “We usually have concerts, we’ll do the staff choir show and we’ll go on trips and compete against other choir groups.” As a result of online classes, Choir has shifted its lesson plans. “We’ll get started with warmups and everyone would just be on mute, and we’ll just be singing in our own rooms,” Soh said. “It’s kind of weird to see people’s lips moving with no sound
coming out.” Another aspect of the class that has been affected is one-onone communication with the teacher. “Every time [choir teachers] Mr. Liberatore and Ms. Fitzhugh can’t just hear us because we’re all on mute while we’re singing during rehearsals, they can’t give us immediate feedback,” Soh said. “It’s hard with 80 people going through 80 recordings one by one; it’s tedious.” Liberatore believes that the sense of community has been affected by distance learning. “The biggest challenge has been trying to keep the sense of community,” he said. “When you sing together as a group, and you do all the kinds of activities and field trips and traveling and stuff that the choir does, everybody becomes very well acquainted, and it’s very social and it’s very family-like.”
Despite the transition, Liberatore believes the class has operated smoothly. “It was a lot of adjustments, but I think it’s gone pretty well,” he said. However, Soh misses being able to sing alongside her friends. “I definitely miss hearing different parts of the choir,” she said. “I’m a soprano and we usually have the melody, but I would like to hear the harmony sometimes.” Choir members remain hopeful and look forward to the Gunn Staff Choir Musical. “Everybody will be rehearsing their songs and dances from home and we’ll be putting it all together in a kind of an amazing display of music and acting in dancing online,” Liberatore said. “We’re really excited to try and keep the tradition alive.” —Written by Devon Lee
Sarah Chang
24 | holidays
traditional dishes bring back memories of past holidays
Arjun Shah In previous years, a day like Thanksgiving would be filled with the chaotic movement of relatives within our kitchen. However, i n t he midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this Thanksgiving will be spent with only my immediate family. As my Mom peels the potatoes, occasionally barking orders toward me, I find myself listening to the song that’s playing on the speaker in our kitchen. It’s an old Hindi song, one I’ve heard dozens of times, yet the words slip to my brain in bits. Although I was once a somewhat f luent speaker, my scarce use of Hindi has caused my understanding of the language to shrink. I turn my attention back to the front of the kitchen, where my mom has finished peeling the potatoes and now submerges them in boiling water. She is making “aloo sabzi,” which translates to “potato vegetables.” After they’re done cooking, she’ll put them in a pan and toss in a myriad of spices. As they simmer, I naturally gravitate towards the pan
and smell the vegetables cooking in the spices. Unconsciously, my head inches closer and closer to the pan, but before I can get too close, my Mom yells and orders me to empty the dishwasher. Delaying my duty to abide to her wishes, I turn to my brother, who now stirs a large pot of “Rajma Chaval,” which is an Indian dish that consists of Rajma beans and rice. As I stand next to him, we talk about NBA trade rumors and whether or not the Warriors can make the playoffs next season. Occasionally, he takes a break from stirring and opens his phone to change the song that’s playing. He flips through a few songs, listening for a few moments before going to the next song in his playlist. At last, he settles on “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson. As Johnson’s soft-rock ambiance fills the room, my brother continues to stir until out of instinct, he turns the stove off. As we eat, I start to think more about the Hindi song that was playing earlier; I recall how certain words came to me while others went past me. At that moment, I begin to fear that the first seven years of my life I spent in India will go past me–just like the words in the songs did. Memories begin to f lood my brain: I see myself climbing a large tree, eating a mango, and then I see myself lying on my driveway with blood pouring from my skull. Yet I am then snapped out of this moment by the laughter of my family and I push the thoughts that I had far from me. Those years have played a large part in who I am, yet I am thankful to be here in the present. I am thankful to be here with my family.
—Shah, a sophomore, is a Lifestyle Editor.
Holidays How to celebrate the
Baking: Baking has been a long-
loved holiday tradition for years now. Baking has become more popular with the loads of free time that has accompanied quarantine. It’s the perfect time to get creative and explore new recipes to help you get into the holiday spirit. Just the smell of freshly baked cookies is enough to bring anyone into good spirits this holiday season.
Decorating:
With the holidays around the corner, it’s always a great sight to see places filled with colorful lights and trees. For a no-contact way to show your spirit, decorating your house is a great alternative. Additionally, another activity to keep you in the holiday spirit is to drive around your neighborhood or to a local drive-through parade to admire the holiday decorations all around.
at home
holidays | 25
gathering on zoom helps familes stay connected
holidays at home Jessica Wang
Holiday Movies: Although we may
not be able to physically be together this year, many streaming platforms, such as Netflix and Hulu, have web extensions that allow you and your friends to watch your favorite holiday movies together. These platforms have a wide variety of classics and new holiday movies–whichever you prefer. They are perfect for holiday spirited movie marathons and are a great pasttime for everyday activities.
Sending Gifts:
Giving and receiving gifts is a pretty monumental aspect of the holidays. The excitement of opening presents and seeing someone open your gift during the holidays is unmatched. Gift-giving games such as “Secret Santa” or “White Elephant” have always been a tradition to look forward to. This year, you can still participate in these activities by mailing or delivering presents to your friends’ houses, just like Santa himself.
—Compiled by Genna Bishop Graphics by Sophie Fan and Madeleine Chen
Every other Thanksgiving, the doors of my house open to more than twenty relatives and family friends: lounging at the extended dining room table, perching on chairs and folding tables and commenting on the delicious cream puffs. For one brief night, the house swells with the music of conversation and the aroma of hot chocolate. By the evening, the games come out, and we settle comfortably near the fireplace and catch up on a year of news. Not only is it our off year, but it’s 2020. It’s no secret that family gatherings are hardly viable. As the holidays approach, we’ll have to settle for celebrations like we do school: isolated and through our screens. As awkward as virtual family gatherings can be, it’s important to value time with relatives; it’s all we’ll get during the pandemic. My extended family began regular Zoom calls at the start of shelter-in-place. Every other week at 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, my three-headed family Zooms in from the living room to interface with three generations of relatives from all of the way across town, state and country. As an introvert, I can testify that virtual family reunions are incredibly awkward. It begins with the stilted greetings and progresses to interrogation-style updates on people’s past few weeks. The cousins pass the spotlight like a hot potato: some freely elaborating, others saying as little as possible. I spend half of the meetings dreading my turn and the other half listening as the conversation swerves from job applications to my aunt’s paralyzed pet bird to how to brew the best liquor. It’s patchy at best. Some of my cousins are in college;
some are past college. Some of them are older than me by five years; some surpass me by fifteen. Some attended the same school as me, but more had their childhoods before I came into existence. Under normal circumstances, I’d only see them once a year for a single glowing evening of laughter and light— and even then, I might on l y e xc h a nge a few words with them. Yet somehow, despite the pandemic, I’m seeing them more than I typically would. We’r e a mot le y c r e w, a n d o n l y a handful of people carry the conversation. Still, without these family Zooms every weekend, I wouldn’t have known that one relative got engaged, another won a songwriting contest and another asked a girl on a date for the first time. While virtual gat her i ng s c a n’t hold a candle to the crackling fireplace of a Thanksgiving evening, they’re the best we can do (and, for the record, they’re far more amusing). Given our circumstances, I’ll settle with that.
—Wang, a junior, is a Forum Editor.
26 | 2020 recap
So what what really really So Happened this this year? year? happened From a raging pandemic to protests for racial equality, wildfires and a presidential election, 2020 has definitely been a year for the history books. Somehow, this year has felt never ending, even though March seems like it was two months ago. In case anyone has forgotten how insane 2020 has been—although it would be hard to—here’s a recap of the first eleven months.
January 16: Trump’s impeachment trial begins. Trump claims it is a “hoax.”
March 19: Governor Gavin Newsom issues a statewide shelterin-place mandate for California to slow the spread of COVID-19.
January 26: Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others die in a helicopter crash.
February 29: The first death in the United States from COVID-19 is reported.
April 28: The U.S. tops 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19.
March 13: Santa Clara County closes all schools to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
May 2: In true 2020 fashion, murder hornets arrive in the United States.
January 20: The first U.S. case of COVID-19 is reported in Washington state.
January
20
February
February 5: President Trump is acquitted of obstruction of Congress and abuse of power by the U.S. Senate in his trial.
March
March 15: Shelves in the grocery store are barren as people rush to stock up on supplies.
May 27: Protests across the nation emerge in response to George Floyd’s death; protestors call for racial justice and an end to police brutality.
April May 25: George Floyd is killed by police officers in Minneapolis.
May
20 June 1: Trump is briefly taken to an underground bunker after protests erupt near the White House.
August 13: President Trump holds out on funding the Postal Service, claiming they are not equipped to handle mail-in voting for the entire country.
October 21: Congresswomen Alexandria Osacio Cortez and Ilhan Omar team up with Twitch streamers for a live game of “Among Us” to encourage Americans to get out the vote. It racks in 400,000 viewers.
October 2: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump test positive for COVID-19; they later make a full recovery.
August 16: Multiple wildfires rage t hroug hout California.
June 6: Joe Biden becomes the Democratic National Committee’s nominee for president.
June
2020 recap | 27
November 3: Election Day is finally here and anxiety is at an all-time high.
September 9: Orange skies dawn over the Bay Area due to the wildfires.
July
July 17: Por tland protesters are taken in unmarked vans, presumably by federal officers.
July 30: Spor t s ret u r n! The NBA resumes their season in a bubble in Orlando, Florida.
June 10: Ben & Jerry’s, TikTok, Nordstrom and other corporations announce they stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
August
September
September 18: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at age 87.
September 26: A my Coney Bar ret t is announced as President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court. On Oct. 27, she is confirmed by the Senate and sworn in the day after.
October
November
November 20: Pharmaceutical company Pfizer submits a request for emergency authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
November 7: The presidential race is called for Joe Biden. Americans flood into the streets across the country to celebrate or protest the results. —Compiled by Sophia Stern Photos by Annika Bereny and Mia Knezevic Graphics by Madeleine Chen and Ella Koehler
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