The Oracle March 2020

Music provides outlet for creativity

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

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THEORACLE

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Henry M. Gunn High School

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Thursday, March 5, 2020 Volume 57, Issue 6

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Jocelyn Wang

Coronavirus outbreak affects community

Jessica Wang and Joshua Yang Forum Editors

In light of the increasingly global reach of the COVID-19 disease, also known as coronavirus, individuals within the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) have faced a variety of effects stemming from caution and fear of the spreading disease. The proliferation of the coronavirus has sparked concerns over the safety of residents in Santa Clara County, especially given that as of March 3, 11 out of the 106 total coronavirus cases in the United States are in this county.

As such, students and families are preparing for an increase in community coronavirus cases after a Feb. 28 district email sent to parents reported that two PAUSD students—one Palo Alto High School student and one Jane Lathrop Stanford student—had been sent home due to possible exposure to the virus. In an update on March 4, the superintendent stated that these actions were based on minimal information about secondary exposure to the virus, which in reality does not signify higher risk. “Had we known that information, I am not sure we would have acted differently in the moment,” he wrote. He also noted that there are currently no plans to close schools in the county.

According to district nurse Rosemarie Dowell, methods of avoiding infection include washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching the face with unwashed hands, remaining at home when sick and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. Dowell also reiterated that the district would work closely with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD).

Yet many students have already been impacted by the virus: in a district-wide message on Feb. 3, superintendent Don Austin urged students in contact with individuals returning from China to quarantine themselves for 14 days.

Sophomore Alanna Lee was one such student; shortly after her father returned home from Beijing in early February, her entire family followed outlined district policies and voluntarily self-quarantined for two weeks.

Lee recalls the period as a trying ordeal; she had to keep up with classwork from home, and her mother couldn’t go to work. “There was a lot of tension in our house before [the quarantine was formally announced],” Lee said. “My mom was super stressed out because she didn’t want it to affect me, and I think I was kind of affected by her stress. It was building up over time, and when the [self-quarantine] policy was released it was not a great day.”

Within the household, Lee’s father was quarantined on a separate floor of the home to reduce risk of infection. Lee found the limited contact and communication challenging.

“It was weird to FaceTime my dad to talk to him when he was just upstairs,” she said. “I couldn’t talk to him in per-

son, and he was right there.”

Many students also have relatives living in China who are impacted by the disease. Freshman Christine Wang’s grandparents are currently quarantined within their apartment building in Taiyuan. “[My grandparents] live in an apartment building inside a series of apartment buildings,” Wang said. “And the entire place they live in has essentially shut itself off. Apartments are huge—there’s a lot of people in them. If one person gets affected, it’s not going to be pretty.”

Since she lives in America, Wang feels that there’s not much she can do to directly help her grandparents; instead, she has devoted her time to researching the virus and staying aware of new developments.

Although masks don’t directly prevent the coronavirus, shipping face masks overseas has become a method of helping relatives in China. As soon as junior Ben Chen’s parents heard of the coronavirus outbreak, they immediately took action. “The only thing that we could help [with] was to buy masks,” Chen said. “My parents, after they get off work, just go to every CVS or Walgreens that they can find or they pass by. They go in and ask if there are masks or not.”

Chen’s parents then send the masks to China for his rel-

Jocelyn Wang

atives to use. According to Chen, his family has already sent around 2,000 masks to China. “[My parents] care about this thing very, very much,” he said. “We would call our relatives back in China every day to check in on them to see how they’re doing. I know some of the masks already got to my relatives, so that was good.”

Due to the virus’ origin in China, it has also sparked incidents of racism against individuals of Chinese descent.

Wang described an incident in which others specifically avoided her friends while they were wearing masks in public. “My friends went to the movies a while ago,” Wang said.

“They were in a group, and they were all wearing masks because they were afraid of coronavirus. The line [for tickets] was empty by the time they got to it. The people did not want to be near Chinese people who were wearing masks.”

For junior Michael Xu, the association of the coronavirus with China has resulted in his aunt’s business losing customers. “I have an aunt who runs a Chinese medicine store locally,” he said. “Her business has been suffering because now people associate Chinese people with coronavirus, so people are hesitant to go to her place because of the fear that they might catch the coronavirus.”

Similarly, junior Madeline Siu, who works at Teaspoon, has also witnessed the impact of the racism brought on by the coronavirus. “Teaspoon has had a sign on their door asking people who have been to China in the past 14 days to refrain from entering the building,” she said. “I’ve always felt uncomfortable with the sign because I feel that it discriminates against Chinese customers, but the other day I had a customer personally ask me if I had [the coronavirus] after she gestured at the sign.”

Yet reactions and fears about virus contagion may also be exacerbated by extensive media coverage and stories spreading across the internet. In reality, the MERS-CoV and the SARS-CoV viruses, which are related to the coronavirus, have both had higher mortality rates; according to current data, the fatality rate of infected individuals from the novel coronavirus disease is only 2.3%.

As such, Wang believes fears over the coronavirus are exaggerated, especially for those who are younger. “The thing with the coronavirus is there could be people who have the coronavirus, but they’re young—[in their] 20s or 30s—and they’re fine,” Wang said. “They could have a bit of a severe flu for a while, but they stay at home and [the virus] passes.”

Conversely, after the report of a third case of infection in the Bay Area, SCCPHD health officer and director Sara Cody called for increased community caution. “I do understand that this whole situation may feel overwhelming,” she said. “But we do need everyone to start thinking about what actions they can take now so we can be prepared for the possibility of further spread of the virus in our community.”

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News

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

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Liza Kolbasov Managing Editors Jennifer Gao Ryan Li News Elisa Moraes-Liu Angela Wong Forum Jessica Wang Joshua Yang Features Madison Nguyen Nikki Suzani Centerfold Annika Bereny Calvin Cai Sports Devon Lee Ryan Manesh Lifestyle Genna Bishop Charlie Bush

Mental health awareness week promotes well-being, builds community Shannon Lin Reporter and Graphics artist

On Feb. 24-28, student organizations Reach Out Care Know (ROCK) and Bring Change to Mind collaborated with the Wellness Center and multiple mental health organizations to host the first Mental Health Awareness Week.

The week consisted of activities during lunch at the senior quad, as well as a movie night after school and a charity walk over the weekend.

ROCK is a student club that works toward destigmatizing mental health in the community. After months of discussion during the fall, ROCK co-presidents seniors Gwen Dunlap and Abigail Sullivan joined forces with Bring Change to Mind president senior Phebe Cox, whose organization also advocates for mental health and works toward greater education on the topic. Together, they communicated with the Wellness Center, Student Activities Director Lisa Hall and schools that hosted similar weeks to establish a solid plan for the event.

Although Gunn has hosted several wellness activities, this year marked the first official Mental Health Awareness Week. “The difference was that in the past, they had tried to do it solely run by staff and SEC,” Sullivan said.

“This time, we kind of took initiative; it was a lot more student-led.”

The Wellness Center staff also points out the difference in having a student-run event.

“The most important thing about these types of events [is] that it comes from people that you can relate to,” wellness outreach worker Rosie Castillo said. “If adults are doing it all the time, then nobody’s going to want to take part in it.

Nobody’s going to think that it’s important because adults are telling you that it’s important.”

Some events included small, hands-on

activities such as Stop the Stigma, where students wrote their thoughts on mental health stigmatization on post-it notes, or the hanging posters that symbolized solidarity.

Other events consisted of more far-reaching activities, such as Wednesday’s wellness fair.

The event hosted stands for various organizations around the Bay Area advocating for mental health, wellness and civic engagement.

Roya Mason, a representative from the youth mental health clinic Bay Area Clinical Associates, pointed out that the level of student engagement often differed with some activities.

“I find that it’s hard to engage students with just tabling,” Mason said. “I would definitely want to figure out [how to be] more casual in some ways with my students and talk to them and not be so weird. You know, make it human.”

Because of this, some of the most beneficial events were ones that encouraged more laidback engagement. According to Sullivan and Cox, one of the most impactful events was the student panel on Thursday during Social and Emotional Literacy and Functionality classes.

During that time, a variety of representatives visited to answer student questions, including professional psychiatrists and therapists, members from the Wellness Center, counseling, Support Services for Youth and psychology teacher Haley Perkins. In addition, several members of Project Oyster, a student-run podcast emphasizing teenage struggles and mental health, were present during the event.

“We had a good group of panelists,” Sullivan said. “It was a really good way to bring everything together and showcase all the things we have, but also really allow for students to get answers to basic questions and relate to people on a more personal level.” Cox elaborated on this sentiment. “[The panel] covered a lot of serious

topics that could be triggering for students,” Cox said. “So I think I think it was important to kind of get all of those people there.”

Student favorites were the chalk drawing activity and the movie night showing “The Pursuit of Happyness” on Friday, Feb. 28, as well as the third Reaching Out Saves Lives walk and fundraiser on Saturday, Feb. 29. The mental health walk consisted of a five kilometer round trip from Gunn’s track to Bol Park, and all proceeds raised during the fundraiser were donated to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

The community event also had food booths, confetti and stands for various organizations.

Club members and Wellness Center staff hope Mental Health Awareness Week can become a regular event. “I think overall, it was really good for the first one,” Cox said. “I definitely want a lot more discussion; maybe small groups or something to talk about it afterwards.” Castillo hopes that more student-driven wellness activities will encourage outreach. “If it comes from students that are open about sharing their own experiences and why this type of work is important to them, it has a much bigger impact,” Castillo said. “When you look at little pockets of people here and there, and you see that there’s more people who are using our job and services, I think little changes like that really do show that there is some sort of impact.”

Sullivan also points out that while Mental Health Awareness Week is not targeted toward everyone, it still serves as a foundation for a supportive community. “There are quite few people who [were] probably like, ‘Oh, this week isn’t for me.’ And that’s important because not everyone needs a mental health professional,” she said. “It may not make a huge difference, but small things can make the campus a happier place, even if you don’t notice it at first.”

Online Sophia Stern Photo Editor Melissa Ding Graphics Editor Grace Liu

Staff Business/Circulation Ryan Manesh

Melissa Ding Senior Phebe Cox draws with chalk for a ROCK activity. Students create stress balls during a lunch event.

INBOX

Copy Editor Julianna Chang Mia Knezevic Kate Mallery Oracle/SEC Liaison Grace Liu

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.

Graphics Artists Sophie Fan Ella Koehler Shannon Lin Audrey Tseng Jamie Wang Jocelyn Wang

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

Photographers Mia Knezevic Sophia Lu Wendy Xiong

“I enjoyed Mark Hernandez’s article about the similarities between this instance of the Oscars and the infamous ‘Driving Mrs. Daisy ’ incident.”

“The Oracle is well-balanced, and I also enjoy looking at the drawings and photos. It really annoys me when I see so many papers in the trash, so maybe just place the printed newspapers in different parts of the school.

Then, people who want to read it can take one.”

—Koharu Masuda (9)

Reporters Catherine Chu Dori Filppu Shannon Lin Haley Pflasterer Arjun Shah Katie Shih Jessica Zang Adviser Kristy Blackburn

—Evan Alexis (12)

—Feb. 7, 2020—

“I enjoy the topics that The Oracle writes about and the well-done layout. Also, the side columns are always interesting.”

—Zara Wang (9)

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.

“I would love to see more about politics and sports. I understand how politics can be controversial, but just reporting on current political events and providing information would keep people up to date. Especially now, when there is an election coming up, it would be nice to include more politics.”

—Isabella Yang (10)

The Oracle won eighth place in Best of Show at the 2019 National Scholastic Press Association Conference on Nov. 21-24.

Forum

Hard-to-attain fashion standards foster body image, self-esteem issues Julianna Chang and Jessica Zang “One size fits all.” This phrase, used by stores to bypass making sizes inclusive for different body types, represents the negative impact that modern fashion has on teenagers around the world. While the phrase is not seen everywhere, it stills engenders body image problems for many. Clothing stores such as Brandy Melville force people to perceive only one body type as acceptable, leading to repercussions such as body shaming, insecurities and sometimes even eating disorders and mental illnesses.

The fashion industry has long been flaunting exclusively taller, slimmer body types by creating clothes that solely fit that appearance. For example, Brandy Melville has received a lot of backlash for only producing clothing items for skinny girls. The store is said to be targeted toward teenagers, and has been harshly criticized for providing clothes that only fit in the small range. For instance, the popular Cara Skirt has a circumference of 24 inches around the waist, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the national average as 32 inches for teenage girls ages 14 to 18. This large disparity makes it obvious that these clothes are marketed to a very select group of people. In fact, according to the distribution of waist sizes, only 5% or so of U.S. teenagers would fit a 24-inch skirt. Unrealistic ideals like these spark insecurities in young women, creating the harmful idea that a so-called beautiful body type is one that fits into Brandy Melville’s small-size-fits-all clothing.

The limited sizes that popular clothing stores stock can prove detrimental to a teenager’s perception of themselves. When only provided tiny sizes, teenagers will perceive those sizes as the

only acceptable ones. Indeed, in a survey of over 300 young women conducted by Glamour Magazine, it was found that 97% of women struggle with a negative body image. These body image problems can lead to severe effects, including eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia, body dysmorphia and lowered self-esteem and confidence.

Victoria’s Secret, a popular lingerie store targeted toward young women, used to host annual fashion shows that showcased the Victoria’s Secret Angels, models wearing their newest styles. This show created standards and beauty goals that the public aspired to reach, yet Victoria’s Secret received significant backlash regarding the diversity of their models. According to a study performed by retail store and blog Simply Be, the average Angel is 5 feet 10 inches tall whereas the national average is 5 feet 4 inches, according to the CDC. It is unreasonable for girls to expect to look the same as these professional supermodels, yet the media constantly presents teenage girls with images of “what they should look like.”

One can argue that it’s always been a characteristic of society to have an ideal body type.

Throughout the past century, many different bodies have been “in fashion,” including broad shoulders, robust curves, an hourglass figure and a thin physique, depending on the needs and values of society. Even though ideal body types have been a trend in society throughout history, the current trend is far from acceptable. The way society stresses the “perfect body” forces girls to obsess over their body types, pointing out flaws so minuscule only they can see them. These social norms not only lead to eating disorders and mental illness, but they also reduce a girl’s perception of herself and her appearance.

With all of the negativity and rigid social norms regarding the ideal body type in the modern fashion industry, it’s important to keep in mind that people are so much more than their looks. Ultimately, students should try to see past the shallow facade of appearance. After all, it’s up to us to encourage confidence affirmed by ourselves, not others.

–Chang, a sophomore, is a Copy Editor and Zang, a sophomore, is a reporter.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

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Social comparisons result in unhealthy beauty expectations

Dori Filppu Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok and countless other social media platforms all display similar images: flawless skin and tiny waists. Yet what was initially considered to be the world of the internet has now broadened into the world of you and me. I see it here at school, within myself and among my classmates: the temptation to compare ourselves to these impossible standards.

Body shaming and the toxicity associated with it has always existed, and despite efforts for reform, it seems as though there will always be an ideal body type. From Barbie’s long legs to Kim Kardashian’s hourglass figure, our culture continues to promote unrealistic body types. As a result, my experience with body image has been subject to constant change.

From an early age, I remember always comparing my body to some outside figure. When I was in elementary school, I idealized the girls in the American Girl Doll magazines. Then, after lining up by height in fourth grade and discovering I was very close to shortest, I longed to be among the tall girls in class who towered over me. In middle school, the comparison shifted from being seemingly harmless to manifesting itself in my life. I began to notice the qualities of the people around me more acutely. I felt the need to mimic the girl next to me, or the latest celebrity. I obsessed over what store someone’s sweater was from and the price of the leggings I soon begged my mom to buy.

I remember one of the first days my thoughts transitioned from being oriented around fashion to being oriented around my body. I was in eighth grade and browsing YouTube when I came across an ABC News video titled, “Thigh Gap Surfaces as Teenage Girls’ New Image Obsession.”

I watched the two-minute clip in fascination, learning about the supposed “thigh gap” that was so idolized by high schoolers. I immediately stood up, put my knees together, and checked if my 13-year-old self fit the mold. There it was, a slight gap between my legs where my thighs did not touch, and to this day, I remember the absolute joy I felt upon this discovery.

It makes me sad, frustrated and confused that I was subject to this unhealthy mindset at such a young age. Eighth grade marked a pivotal moment in my journey with my body, yet it did not stop there.

When I entered high school, I watched juniors in the halls who I thought were stunning. As a junior now, I’ll visit the profiles of girls on Instagram who look flawless, scrolling through their pictures, then looking in the mirror. I wonder why my legs aren’t as long as that bikini model’s, or why my skin isn’t as clear as that makeup artist’s.

From the idea of a thigh gap I was exposed to at 13 to some clothing stores’ unrealistic expectations, our culture encourages unrealistic standards. I have been, and in some senses still am, a victim to them, and I’m sure many others are too. Yet, I feel that we cannot continue to accept this toxicity as normal. It is not fair to us, our minds and bodies, or to the middle schoolers that just want to fit in.

–Filppu, a junior, is a reporter.

Graphics by Sophie Fan and Grace Liu

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Forum

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS ADDRESSED:

individuals, community must embrace spectrum of mental health struggles Devon Lee and Angela Wong Mental health encompasses a wide spectrum of conditions, yet at times it still continues to be seen by students and administrators as a one-dimensional issue. In this case, suicidal ideation is seen as the “deciding factor” of whether a student struggles with mental health or not.

Such dangerous generalizations that stem from blackand-white perspectives of mental health undermine the challenges that students face. These challenges include diagnosed mental health conditions as well as stress and burnout from academics and relationships.

Moving forward, high schoolers and staff must adopt a growth mindset in order to recognize the complexity of mental health and the difficulties that come with diagnosing mental health conditions. This can allow for a more inclusive, sensitive treatment of mental health that can extend to the entire student body, not just those in crisis. In other words, staff and students alike must hone their energy and resources toward extending preventive measures that tackle mental illness on a broader scale on top of existing measures, such as mandatory Social and Emotional Literacy and Functionality (SELF) classes.

A black-and-white view of mental health hampers Gunn’s efforts toward awareness. It is important to note that suicidal thoughts are not, and should not be considered a root cause of overall “unwellness.” Rather, suicide is the consequence of certain “risk factors,” including mental illnesses. Ultimately, while suicide prevention is an undeniably important aspect of mental health efforts, an all-or-nothing mentality reduces mental health awareness and undermines the perceived severity of mental health conditions.

Considering that mental health occurs on a spectrum and is not black and white, one of the biggest challenges of maintaining support systems is reaching students. So far, Gunn’s community has made several advances to help those who are struggling with mental health, particularly those who are proactive in seeking

help. For example, programs like Sources of Strength taken for granted. and SELF have helped people who are willing to engage Likewise, the Wellness Center, another great “safe with them. space” for students to discuss mental health, may prove In the future, such efforts at Gunn must make it their more beneficial with increased transparency. That is, priority to extend help to the people that are not neces- many students on campus have questions and concerns sarily struggling with depression, but still could benefit regarding the Wellness Center—ranging anyfrom mental health support systems. where from what to expect on their first There is no single solution to improving visit to what times are available for mental health at Gunn, but reactive and visits—and the answers may be Considering that preventive approaches are currently the difficult to find. For greater overmost common. Reactive measures help all clarification, and to invite mental health occurs those who are already suffering from students who are hesitant but mental health problems or pose a may benefit from its services, on a spectrum that is threat to themselves or others. Prethe Wellness Center should not black and white, ventive mental health covers a wider provide more information range of people on the spectrum and about how it functions to one of the biggest is more effective at reducing mental ease hesitant students’ conhealth issues. cerns and encourage greater challenges is reaching For example, the campus has iminvolvement. students. plemented the SELF program, which Awareness groups such as the reaches all students not only because it is Reach Out, Care, Know (ROCK) mandatory but because its process can help club, Sources of Strength and the all students on the mental health spectrum.

Project Oyster podcast have also made On the other hand, resources like the Wellgreat strides in raising mental health awareness Center are reactive measures and ness. These programs inspire honest conversations, are mainly beneficial to those who giving students and community members a platform to are battling depression or anxiety. share their stories. While ROCK and similar initiatives This is not to say that the Wellness greatly demonstrate students’ desire to make mental Center is not beneficial to stu- health awareness on campus commonplace, there are dents but rather that programs still students struggling with mental health who are not like SELF provide more for stu- heard and may feel uncomfortable reaching out. dents than what is commonly These efforts, though, are not exclusive to Gunn-sponutilized by students as a reac- sored activities; there are countless ways to support peers tive program. Essentially, SELF on a daily basis, such as checking in on friends, making not only can help those who are time for non-school related conversations and offering in need of reactive programs, it to listen. Small acts of kindness such as these can help also touches upon subjects and promote a supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere in activities that can help prevent stu- which students may feel more comfortable sharing their dents from experiencing issues in the experiences or seeking help. future.

In the near future, as the administration and students Despite the improvements made by the alike move further away from a one-dimensional mindstaff, there is still more to be done. The solution now lies set, Gunn can begin to shed light on the complexity of in the hands of the students. In order for certain mental mental health and the myriad approaches toward imhealth initiatives like SELF to flourish, students have a proving overall wellbeing. Both reactive and preventive responsibility to play an active role in the weekly classes measures are necessary to ensure such wellbeing; howand apply themselves to the activities and conversations ever, the entire student body will benefit that are put forth by the administration. Students may if our peers can find the courage to parfeel vulnerable while speaking about mental health expeticipate in wellness initiatives and take riences among peers, but SELF advocates for the incluthem seriously. sion of the entire student body in imperative discussions –Lee, a junior, is a Sport Editor and of student wellbeing—an opportunity that should not be Wong, a junior, is a News Editor.

Moving forward, high schoolers and staff must adopt a growth mindset in order to recognize the complexity of mental health.

Last week, The Oracle sent out a survey soliciting anonymous descriptions of experiences with the spectrum of mental health.

The four sets of quotes on this page come from this survey.

Audrey Tseng, Jamie Wang and Jocelyn Wang

Forum

Thursday, March 5, 2020

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‘Duck syndrome’ mindset prompts stigmatization of mental health

Shana Ebrahimnejad

If you are worried about yourself or a friend, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255, the Wellness Center, suicidepreventionlifeline.org, a therapist, a doctor or a school counselor. If the threat is immediate, call 911.

Black and white are not the only colors. Black, white and all the different gradients of grey are also not the only colors. Colors are represented by the color spectrum, the spectrum being named so because, well, it is a spectrum; a series of values on a continuum.

And just as color is not made up of a few defined states, neither is mental health. There aren’t two or 10 states that define a mental illness or disorder, and life with one isn’t one of two extreme states. Having depression, for example, does not equate to constant suicidal thoughts or actions. Some days or months will be harder than others, and some will be better, especially when therapy or medication comes into play.

Another important aspect of mental illness is that those living with it don’t always exhibit symptoms. They don’t always seem depressed or anxious or psychotic or whatever others feel defines what they have. This occurs not only because treatments are available to manage mental illness, but because not all symptoms are experienced or visibly shown. Individuals living with mental illness might act as if they’re fine, when they’re actually far from it.

A common analogy is the “duck syndrome.” The “duck syndrome” represents a situation in which you see a duck in the water, and it looks like it is swimming placidly and without much effort. Underwater, however, the duck is paddling furiously to keep itself afloat. When applied to humans, it signifies that someone may be struggling while seeming like they’re not.

Anyone can exhibit the “duck syndrome,” regardless of if they do or do not have a mental illness. When the pressure in your life gets too heavy and you put on a calm face, you’ve just experienced the “duck syndrome.” This is not harmless. The “duck syndrome” is an incredibly unhealthy way of dealing with emotions; bottling up emotions not only means that you’re hiding the problem rather than resolving it, but it can affect mental and physical health, even getting to the point that it could lead to autoimmune disorders, heart disease, anxiety and depression, according to psychotherapist Hilary Jacobs Hendel.

If you feel that you strongly identify with the “duck syndrome,” it’s important to try and cut down the pressures in your life. If that’s not possible, finding someone to talk to in order to make sure that you aren’t dealing with these burdens on your own is an important step to take. This someone can be anyone: the Wellness Center staff, your counselors, your friends or your family. Sources of Strength (SOS) is an additional resource you can contact—it’s a group of peer leaders that I am a part of whose purpose is to spread support throughout the community and eliminate the stigma of asking for help when you are struggling. We’ve hosted events such as the Buddy Class Challenge and the Teacher Trick-or-Treat. We also have resources on our website and social media; for example, we have examples of healthy coping mechanisms and dealing with anxiety. Our goal is to reach out to as many people as possible through projects and events. The SOS group at Gunn can be contacted through Rosie Castillo from the Wellness Center or English teacher Paul Dunlap.

You might believe that you don’t need help, or that talking about it will do little, if anything, to help. If that’s the case, I understand completely. I used to hold the same mentality. When I was younger, my response to most things was crying, and I hated that about myself. What I hated even more was that whenever people would ask me why I was upset, I would remember the incident, and just start crying again. In my mind, “talking about it” was stupid, never helping and never making me feel better. So the solution I came up with instead was repressing my emotions and not talking about anything that upset me, even if there was a genuine reason to be upset. If I’m being honest, the years where I held that mentality were some of the most miserable I’ve experienced so far. There wasn’t a sudden realization I had that led me to start talking more.

It occurred slowly, starting in eighth grade and continuing today. And communicating actually helps, even if it’s not always done verbally. I just wish it didn’t take me so long to realize this.

Life can be incredibly difficult to deal with at times.

It only gets harder when you deal with it on your own.

–Ebrahimnejad, a sophomore, is a Sources of Strength member and guest columnist.

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7 Gunn After hours: Sports, Clubs explore passions, Host Events After Classes let out

Features

1. Track & Field Practice

Thursday, March 5, 2020

4:00 P.M. Seniors Quinn Arbolante and Melissa Zhang change out a tool on their computer numerical control mill, named Fluffy, during worktime.

2. Gunn Robotics Worktime

Freshman Stanley Zhong pulls ahead of the rest of the track team during daily warmups. The team practices every day after school for two hours.

There are many sports teams that practice after school hours on campus. On the field, for example, students can expect to see many of their peers running and practicing a variety of physical activities for the track and field team. Senior track athlete Justin Chiao touched on the distance section of the track team, which ventures further than just the field on campus. “We run every day,” Chiao said. “Sometimes we go off campus and run anywhere from four to 10 miles, and other days we have interval workouts on the track.” The sport can be intense at times, but Chiao believes it’s worth the effort. “[Practice is] a lot of work but it pays off when we race,” he said.

6:00 P.M.

Now that “build season,” when the robot is built, has come to an end, the Gunn Robotics Team’s (GRT) after-school meetings end at 6 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. Students are now working toward their next goal: getting ready for competition season.“We’ve started dying hair,” business lead senior Ruhi Mistry said. “We’re preparing for our first competition in Wisconsin.” GRT students can be found utilizing their passion for engineering in the L-building after school.

3. Film Club MOvie NIght

7:00 P.M.

Controls member senior Audrey Xie and drive train members juniors Johnathon Lu and Chris Mo work together cohesively in order to make the robot.

4. The Oracle production

Attendees of film club’s Movie Night relax while watching “The Pursuit of Happyness” on the bleachers adorned by lights in the Bow Gym. Student-run clubs host a variety of events after school. If you made your way over to the Titan Gym last Friday, Feb. 28, you would have noticed a few dozen students sitting in the bleachers watching “The Pursuit of Happyness.” The event, publicized on Titan Broadcast Network (TBN) alongside other club-hosted events, served as a part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

At the end of every cycle, The Oracle has a week-long production process in which students work on designing and producing the paper. After a long day of endless typing and struggling with InDesign, the staff parts ways at 9 p.m.

Staffers collaborate and stay late to meet their deadlines in order to successfully distribute to the student body at the end of the week. Once a month, students can find their peers hard at work in the new P-building until late at night.

9:00 P.M.

Graphics Editor senior Grace Liu and Managing Editor senior Jennifer Gao work together.

The opening seconds of “The Pursuit of Happyness” are projected during film club’s movie night, part of a school-wide effort to promote wellness.

—Compiled by Charlie Bush

Graphics by Audrey Tseng Photos by Melissa Ding

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Cente

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Super fans have been around for decades, but in the age of social media, a new term has arisen to describe the people who dedicate their lives to supporting different celebrities: stans.

Since its rise, the internet has cultivated a culture in which teens are free to speak their minds and be themselves. Those who might not feel comfortable sharing their interests with people in real life can have a place to talk with others with whom they have things in common.

Stan culture creates a space for those who feel like they might not be able to express themselves in real life and one where they can meet others who they would not otherwise be able to.

The most important aspect of fandom is the community it forms. Millions of people from all over the world band together over their shared love of one thing. The bonds formed through this space are free of judgement based on any physical characteristics, class or social status.

Through screens, people can express their opinions and show sides of themselves that they wouldn’t be able to in real life.

The community formed through shared love for idols and culture can give teens a place where they feel comfortable and at home, despite what might be going on outside in their life.

The friendships formed through fandom can be incredibly pure as a result of the ignorance of the person’s real life persona. Outside of the internet, the first impression of a person is based on appearance or status. Online, these aspects are

not always shown a person can be s be formed over c Critic an a k

The bonds formed through this space are free of judgement based on any physical characteristics, class or social status.

give them a b people whom the negative aspects

The Oracle Retweeted

Stan culture encoura @AnnikaBereny

“I’m not sure about that new BTS song,” you decide to tweet one fateful morning. Within minutes, there are hundreds of comments on that tweet from BTS fans, spamming fancams of dancing BTS members. Somehow, they’ve also found out where you go to school and emailed the principal. Also, #yournameisoverparty is trending on Twitter. It’s not just K-pop fans who do this; obsessive fans, or “stans,” of Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj and pretty much every celebrity you can think of have a worrying amount of toxicity in their groups.

It’s fine for stans to uplift their idol, but when they begin to drag others down, it goes too far. When Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson broke up in 2019, her fans rushed to social media and sent Davidson countless messages urging suicide or threatening him. When rapper XXXTentacion’s ex-girlfriend started a GoFundMe to pay for her surgery after he abused her, his fans bullied her off the internet just for trying to pay her medical bills. When stans ignore their idols’ wrongdoings in favor of eliminating opposing viewpoints, it creates a culture of silencing people who dare to speak out against those with more influence than them. In the future, fear of stan retaliation would discourage people from calling out celebrities who do something wrong.

Other key problems with stan culture include continued harassment and failure to recognize when it’s appropriate to make a joke. Many times when a notable celebrity dies, you will see stans, usually K-pop stans, commenting that “maybe if they stanned ____”, they would still be alive. Making a joke out of death, usually not even a day after someone has died, is disrespectful and should be discouraged in fanbases.

The mob mentality that is commonly found in these fan bases also calls for concern.

Stans flock to attack or “cancel” anyone that speaks against their idol, similarly to mobs rushing to hang witches in Salem. Criticism isn’t allowed anymore, which only ends up absolving celebrities from responsibility for their actions. They know they can count on their fans to label it as slander.

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n. When all external judgements are taken away, shown for who they are and unlikely bonds can common interests. cs of stan culture say that it can be toxic, and the idea that artist can do no wrong is unhealthy. Some stans have been known to launch into abusive attacks on anyone who criticizes their favorite celebrity. While parts of stan culture can be like this, most stans just want a place to express their love for someone whom they admire or who has helped them through tough times.

The mentality of stan culture can be mob-like. For stans, there is no right or wrong, there is only what they believe is right. Their community thinks as one, and no arguments can be made to prove them otherwise. Although this can cause conflict between people with differing opinions, stans are harmless, and are mostly young people who have found a place where they feel like they belong.

It’s easy to write off stan culture as toxic when stories of fans ganging up on anyone whom they disagree with come up.

While every group of stans can have problems and people who bad name, most stans just want a place to express their love for the ey idolize. In any fandom, there are good and bad people, but if the of stan culture are ignored, it can be something to be celebrated.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

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What is a Stan?

Stan. It’s a term created in the early 2000s that means an obsessive or overzealous fan of a celebrity. Unknown to many until recently, the colloquial word holds a negative connotation, representing the die-hard fans that would do anything for a celebrity; it is thought to be a combination of the words “stalker” and “fan.” But stan culture, or the culture surrounding these committed celebrity fans, has been spread through an increase in media accessibility and communication.

The use of the word is credited to Eminem’s song “Stan”that was released in 2000. It follows a fictional, obsessed fan named Stanley (Stan) Mitchell who writes the famous singer, growing angrier with each unanswered letter. He eventually kills himself and his girlfriend out of spite. When the song was first released, it gave the stan population the undesirable reputation of compulsive fanatics.

But when Twitter, a platform used to communicate and share one’s thoughts with the online world, rose in popularity after its creation in 2006, the definition of the word changed.

Twitter provided a place for fans to voice their opinions and love for certain celebrities and find users that share the same or opposite views. Through this increased connection, the idea of fandoms was born. Often known by a name similar to that of the specific celebrity, the fandoms allowed stan culture to surge. With fandoms such as the “Directioners” of One Direction, the BTS “ARMY” and those in the “Beyhive” of Beyoncé, the level of dedication of the stans varies immensely. On one end, there are super fans, like “Stan” in Eminem’s song, who write the celebrity constantly, acting publicly and, occasionally, irrationally, to do anything to gain attention and acknowledgment from their beloved celebrity. On the other end, there are the relaxed yet dedicated fans that follow the celebrity in a quieter, more observant fashion. These stans often continue to speak out for their celebrity, sometimes causing conflict between fandoms. The varied levels of dedication in these fandoms create a strong fanbase for each of these celebrities and have allowed for the rise of stan culture.

But with the rise of stan culture comes cancel culture. Cancel culture revolves around “cancelling” celebrities from social media platforms, often shaming them, reporting their accounts and ruining their reputation. In 2019, James Charles, a popular beauty influencer, was “cancelled” after a fight with fellow beauty influencer Tati Westbrook where information regarding possible sexual harassment allegations was released. Charles, who was the first “CoverBoy,” lost the respect of other celebrities and millions of followers. He was shamed by former fans on multiple social media platforms and videos showing his makeup palettes being destroyed were released.

The recent arrival of stan and cancel culture have brought out many of the most passionate fans, resulting in both online bonding and conflict.

–Written by Julianna Chang

–Stern, a sophomore, is the Online Editor.

ages cyberbullying

unbelievable that in this day and age, you can’t criticize a celebrity anymore their stans rushing to dig up dirt on you. Because of stan culture, many music vie critics are afraid to publish their work due to the backlash they may get from iticism comes from admiration and wanting to help an artist better their craft. If ever improves, then pop culture will live at a standstill for the foreseeable future. culture is even worse in the way that it has been applied to politics. Supportpolitician are now considered their “fanbase,” and there are separate cliques of eople who rush to defend their politicians of choice at every move, even when they might be wrong. Politicians work for us, but here we are doing their dirty work and working for them.

And the problem just gets worse when stan culture absolves these politicians from responsibility. For every tweet about how cool it was that Nancy Pelosi ripped up the State of the Union, somene overlooks the fact that she still voted to renew the Patriot Act. For every tweet about how Barack Obama was the best president ever, someone overlooks how he authorized multiple drone strikes that killed defenseless people in the Middle East.

Stan culture turns politics into something that prioritizes the spectacle over the stance. Stans are constantly waiting for the next gif-able action or viral moment that will help their icon trend on Twitter.

But stan culture doesn’t have to be bad. It can help foster long-term, worldwide friendships. From planning Skype calls for when you’re all awake to looking back on the memes you still have saved on your phone om the group chat, you can meet so many people with diverse backgrounds and wn story to tell. But stans need to realize that people are allowed to have opinions ffer from theirs and that relying on strength in numbers to terrorize critics is not t thing to do. culture is not an objectively bad thing, but when it turns into stans harassing nline just because of differing opinions, it turns harmful. Fanbases should just to being places where friendships are cultivated and where people can focus e positive things.

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Timeline of Cancel Culture Fall 2014

Bill Cosby received numerous sexual assault allegations. Networks associated with Cosby quickly pulled out.

DEc, 2014

A cast member of the show “Love and Hip Hop” uttered the line “you’re canceled” without context and the term was born.

Oct, 2017

The New York Times released an article documenting allegations of decades of sexual assault and harassment by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Since then, Weinstein has been stripped of numerous awards and titles, facing up to 25 years in prison.

Dec, 2017

Logan Paul released a video to YouTube featuring a dead corpse.

The video received severe backlash and YouTube removed many premium advertisers from his channel.

Dec, 2018

Kevin Hart was selected to host the Oscars, but hours later, Twitter users resurfaced old homophobic tweets, which ultimately led him to step down and apologize.

Jan, 2019

“Leaving Neverland” first aired on HBO, documenting the sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson.

March, 2019

Jussie Smollet told Chicago police that he was assaulted by two people yelling racial and homophobic slurs. Weeks later evidence showed that the attack was staged and Smollet was cut from his deal with the show “Empire.”

May, 2019

Social media star James Charles began a feud with Tati Westbrook and lost nearly three million followers in two days.

–Compiled by Devon Lee

–Bereny, a sophomore, is a Centerfold Editor.

Graphics by Shannon Lin

10

Features

A Day in The Life: Staff enjoy Adjacent to the library is the Academic Center, run by Pam Steward in the afternoons and Lisa Collart in the mornings. Steward has been at Palo Alto Unified School District for 15 years, beginning as an instructional aide at Juana Briones Elementary School. Since then, she has been at Gunn, transforming the Academic Center from a “social center,” where people played board and video games, to a center for peer tutoring and academic help.

Steward acknowledges that it can be difficult for students to seek help at the Academic Center, an issue she actively works on addressing. “We’d like to reach students who don’t normally come in,” she said. “I wish that the stigma of tutoring would go away. Some people just feel ashamed about asking for help.”

Collart, who worked as a tutor before coming to Gunn, has been tutoring students in math during their prep since she started working in the center a year and a half ago. She provides help to students who are struggling in the subject, especially after they have missed class due to illness or a conflicting sport. “The people who come in here asking for help want

help and are motivated, so [my job] is very rewarding,” Collart said.

Collart hopes to help students in whatever way she can. “If I can make high school life a little bit less stressful, I’m really happy,” she said.

Together, Steward and Collart work together to make Gunn a less stressful environment. They both love interacting with students, and will continue to encourage them to sign up for tutoring or to tutor by reaching out to teachers and continuing to advertise the Academic Center. “You learn more from teaching than you do even by sitting there and trying to learn it,” Steward said. “When you have to articulate it, that’s when you really know the subject. I wish more students understood that by teaching you will learn more.”

For students interested in becoming a part of peer tutoring, fill out a written form in the Academic Center or sign up on Tutorbook, an online app that matches students and tutors.

—Written by Mia Knezevic

Pam Stewart and Lisa Collart: Academic Center

Daljeet Gill: Librarian Recliners line the entrance to the library, where the sound of students time include the traditional literary aspect of a library.” quietly chatting floods the room. Sitting behind the large front desk is liYet, Gill also stresses that the technology resources the library offers brarian Daljeet Gill, who sports a red cardigan, khakis and don’t have to be strictly used for academics, brightly colored Air Jordans. and that they can also provide creative outlets Despite the dependence his job has on literary materials, Gill for students. “In terms of equipment, we have “I try to help incorporate techdidn’t always love books. “I was not really a voracious reader,” nology but at the same time a lot of technology here, things like a photograhe said. “When I was younger, I was into comics and then later include the traditional literary phy and film studio that kids don’t use as much,” manga.’’ he said. “I think the misconception is that kids aspect of a library.”

To get to where he is today, Gill worked his way through the using the media room have to be using it for an college system. “I did okay in high school and graduated, but I —Librarian Daljeet Gill academic purpose when it’s really just space for didn’t really get into any of the places I wanted to go,’’ he said. students to be creative.”

Yet, as a would-be first-generation college student, Gill’s parWith all of the resources that the library ofent’s still wanted him to try to go to college. “I ended up going up to a com- fers, Gill is always looking to improve the student experience at the library. munity college, and then later transfered to Berkeley where I found some “We made a lot of changes in the past five years,” he said. “There are always professors and classes that really impacted me.” things that we are researching and I always look for technology that can One of Gill’s primary obligations is the implementation of technology re- help students and not only in terms of a specific assignment but technology sources that students can use. “It is definitely different from being an Eng- that will help support their learning as a whole.’’ lish teacher,” he said. “I try to help incorporate technology but at the same —Written by Arjun Shah

Features

Thursday, March 5. 2020

11

interactions with students The Student Activities Office, a campus staple, holds a constant stream of visitors on the daily. But behind every transaction, purchase and student inquiry sits Leslie Kousnetz: a woman with endless patience, empathy and accounting knowledge.

On a typical day, Kousnetz handles apparel purchases, ticket sales, ID distributions and reimbursements for clubs. Behind the scenes, Kousnetz discusses the logistics for fundraisers, balances budgets and participates in multiple district accounting meetings.

Any student-body-related financial information is exclusive to Kousnetz.

“I have to go protect it [from] everybody. Even the principal,” she said.

“You have to get student approval… [the district] is not supposed to mix [student] money with site money.”

During her 13 years at Gunn, Kouznetz witnessed the SAO undergo major renovations and relocations. “The [first] building wasn’t healthy, everything was unhealthy,” she said. She described infestations of spiders and rats, which lead to a temporary relocation for two years. “It was so dusty that even one night, the rats would actually [leave] footprints,” Kousnetz said. “Oh boy… it’s been a great improvement since I’ve gotten here.”

One popular improvement is the availability of tea and snacks. “We

said, ‘How can we make the SAC more fun to come [to]?’” Koutsnetz said. This led to the SAO providing hot chocolate, which expanded to tea, snacks and even ramen. Kousnetz explained that this change brought a unique feature to the SAO, distinguishing it from other student spaces like the library and Wellness Center.

This idea reflects on Kousnetz as a person as well. “Over time I have been there enough where kids see me as a confidant,” she said. “After 13 years, you get to know kids like they’re your own.”

One of the most difficult challenges is maintaining the workload while being short-staffed. The lack of staff members and volunteers has pushed the morning opening hours to the afternoon, while yearly events such as prom congest the SAO activity tenfold.

Nevertheless, it’s Kousnetz’ flexibility and kindness that perseveres.

“It’s not about the paycheck. It is that I help someone today,” she said.

“Maybe I help someone get inspired to go to college, or not quit school, or get involved in government or maybe want to be an accountant.”

—Written by Shannon Lin

Leslie Kousnetz: SAO Joanne Garlejo: Nurse Unpredictable. Every morning, Joanne group of students] changes every year but not Garlejo comes into work not knowing what to every day. I get to meet different students and expect. Her job? The school nurse. at the same time use my nursing skills as well.”

Garlejo became a school nurse because she Garlejo has students come in for numerous wanted to pursue a career that allowed her to reasons. One reason is because they are not use her medical experience while still work- feeling well, and the other is that they injured ing for the Palo Alto Unified School District. themselves coming to or at school. “[Gunn] was the school that I was assigned Garlejo also has other tasks that keep her to when I applied for a nursing position,” she occupied throughout the day. “I do have work said. that I put aside to work on every day,” she Garlejo’s work said. “There’s exexperience diftra work that I’ve fers from that of been given to do many others. “I like field trips, “The best part of my job is getting to know the don’t really have getting doctors students. You get to know and meet the students a typical day,” notes and followthat are here.” she said. “I come ing up on them.” and don’t know Garlejo has ad—School Nurse Joanne Garlejo what to expect.” vice for students The number of who feel that they students she sees need the health each day differs. office. “Don’t be “I don’t know how many kids will be walking in afraid to come in,” she said. “I feel like some that day,” she said. “It could be two students, students are afraid to come in here. I know it sometimes it’s 20 students. It just depends on looks like it’s closed but there are reasons why the type of day and season.”

I keep the door closed. If there’s a student in Her favorite part of being the school nurse here, I try to keep the environment as comis meeting a diverse group of students every fortable as possible.” year. “The best part of my job is getting to —Written by Katie Shih know the students,” she said. “You get to know and meet the students that are here. [The

Graphics by Grace Liu Photos by Mia Knezevic

12

Sports

Varsity Soccer TEams Win League Championships Both ending with a league title, the boys and girls varsity soccer teams have had an unprecedented winter season.

Gunn’s soccer program had not won a division title for the past eight seasons. Girls varsity player and sophomore Catherine Hsieh is thrilled about her team’s achievement. “Winning leagues felt good to be honest because I know that for the past few years, Gunn has not been as successful,” Hsieh said. “I’m not sure if Gunn even has ever won leagues before and if they did, was a long time ago. So it felt good to win.”

Both teams had very committed players that came to practice ready to work. The focused and arduous practices the teams had this season may be to credit for all their successes.

Co-captain of boys soccer Alexis Bromberg credits the effort players put into achieving their goals for their wins. “Winning league was a great feeling,” Bromberg said. According to Bromberg competing with teammates all season for a common goal gives off a great sense of pride and accomplishment. “Nothing beats the feeling of hearing the final whistle and knowing that we won the league game,” he said.

To be able to

MVP Ana Schremp (10)

achieve such accomplishments as a team requires many different factors. Sophomore Dane Jefferson has been on the boys varsity team for two seasons and believes the chemistry with the players on the team is one of those factors.

“This year, we have the same players, but I think we’re more connected as a team, and I feel like because of that, we were able to win,” Jefferson said.

Girls soccer captain Penny Alioshin is one of the only two seniors on the girls team. Alioshin views the way the players on the team handled having more lower-classmen as something that helped their team become successful this season. “We have a super young team,” Alioshin said. “And I think the way that a lot of the juniors stepped up to take leadership roles and the way that everyone welcomed new players was super important for our team dynamic.”

Even though the season has come to an end, its accomplishments will hopefully be long lasting. “Gunn sports, in general, has a stigma of not being great, and I feel like recently, especially this year for boys soccer and girls soccer, we did much better,” Jefferson said. “I feel like that our wins are going to attract more people to come out to watch the games or to join Gunn sports teams, and it’ll be a boost for the whole sports program.”

–Written by Haley Pflasterer Shannon Lin

MVP Jimmy Hahn (12)

Photos by Devon Lee Graphics by Grace Liu

Photo Courtesy of Ana Schremp Seniors Nicole Smith and Penny Alioshin celebrate senior night with the team.

Photo Courtesy of Sunny Jefferson

Boys varsity soccer poses with their medals after winning the CCS Division II tournament.

Student Athletes share experience with balancing sports, academics For many, balancing school, sports and a social life seems almost impossible. Schools expect students to get at least eight hours of sleep while still having time to excel academically and have a social life. But where do sports fit in? Senior Justin Chiao and junior Molly Wilkinson expand on their experiences as multisport athletes. Chiao participates in track and cross country and Wilkinson does water polo, swim and, previously, soccer. Both have to deal with extra long days all year round. Unlike athletes who participate solely in one sport, multisport athletes like Chiao and Wilkinson have to stay in shape for every season.

Chiao expands on his vigorous training schedule. “I train year-round with a one week break in between seasons,” he said. In fact, each practice takes anywhere from one to three hours each day. All of these days out of the school year definitely add up.

Doing sports take up a lot of time and effort. Student athletes especially have to manage their schedules well because they already have less free time in their day, according to Wilkinson. “A normal day would be going to school and heading to the pool right after,” she said. “I eat a small snack, then have about two hours of practice.

Ella Koehler and Shannon Lin

After that, I go home, shower, eat dinner and hopefully start homework by 7 p.m.” Because of the minimized hours they are faced with, time management is key. Starting work late after a long day of academics and athletics is not easy.

Aside from doing sports, schoolwork and extracurriculars, finding time for other activities can be a struggle. “[Sports] makes it a lot harder to have time to be social and even if I have the time, sometimes I’m tired and just want to rest,” Wilkinson said. She does, however, bring up the great point that with each sport, you get the great opportunity to meet new friends and grow new relationships. “If you have good teammates, being at practice can become social time and you can still make time for other people. It’s just harder,” she said.

On the other hand, balancing academics is a simi“I’ve learned that no matter how hard it is, lar but different struggle. or how much it hurts, you will feel good Multisport athletes have a lot to sacrifice. But what’s after and the reward will almost always the point of all of this anybe worth it.” ways? Why spend so much free time doing sports?

—Junior Molly Wilkinson Sports can also teach important life lessons. They allow people to experience real- world problems and give athletes an incentive to do better. Both Chiao and Wilkinson find their athletic endeavors extremely rewarding.

According to Chiao, the competitive aspects of track and cross country have helped him grow, “I learned that no matter how hard you train, there’s always gonna be someone faster than you, so you always have to give it your best,” he said.

Wilkinson agrees. “I’ve learned that no matter how hard it is, or how much it hurts, you will feel good after and the reward will almost always be worth it,” she said.

–Written by Genna Bishop

Sports

13 March Madness unpredictability Results in high viewership levels Thursday, March 5, 2020

Grace Liu Building brackets to predict the results of the 64 team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s Division I basketball tournament, nicknamed March Madness, has become a tradition across the country. With the tournament just around the corner, another contest of surprises and “madness” is prepared to capture the attention of fans.

March Madness is a unique event. One of the elements that makes the tournament so beloved is the bracket and gambling aspect. With 64 Division I basketball teams, the possibilities are endless and unpredictable. Fans get to see matchups between top tier programs and “Cinderella” teams, who are generally extreme underdogs competing for shots at glory. In this tournament, seeds don’t matter, and every team does anything they can to bring the trophy back to their school. With such an unpredictable bracket, building brackets has become a national tradition. Competing with friends, coworkers or even entering contests has become popular, even for many non-basketball fans.

Another reason why fans enjoy the NCAA tournament is the unlikely breakout stars that emerge. Players such as Stephen Curry, Steve Nash and C.J. McCollum made their

Photo courtesy of Sarah Snyder

2019 Alumn Sarah Snyder checks her time after completing her swim.

Alumni Shares division I experience Sarah Snyder graduated from Gunn in 2019 and recently began her Division I college swimming journey at Duke. In her first season, Snyder made enormous strides, qualifying for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on three relays. “Making the NCAA team my freshman year is something I never expected to be able to do,” Snyder said.

As a kid, Snyder participated in multiple sports, including equestrianism and ballet, but eventually committed to swimming in eighth grade. “I joined a summer league team which my older brother was already on, and when he quit, I kept going,” she said. Snyder stuck with swimming because of the challenge and reward. “Seeing all of your hard work and dedication pay off to the sport that you love the most has to be the best thing about being an athlete and a swimmer,” she said.

Snyder put a lot of time into swimming throughout high school, swimming nearly 20 hours per week, but it was still a big jump to college swimming. “We have two two-hour doubles on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and a fourhour workout on Saturday,” Snyder said.

Another big change from high school to college swimming has been the mindset of the team. Snyder feels

that high school swimming was very individualized. “It would make me put lots of pressure on myself to drop times because I was swimming for myself and for my own personal times,” she said. In college, however, everything is a lot more team-based. “This makes college swimming super exciting, where everyone is screaming their hearts out to watch your teammates,” she said.

Although balancing swimming and school can be difficult, Snyder has learned how to manage her time well.

Snyder feels that Gunn academics have helped her succeed at Duke. “While Gunn academics are really challenging and it sucks while you’re doing it, it really does prepare you well for college,” she said.

“Even at a prestigious college like Duke, it was not hard to acclimate to the academic rigor of the school.”

Although swimming in college can be difficult at times, Snyder wouldn’t trade her experience for anything. “I really don’t think I would ever want a normal college experience because I feel like I would get so bored,” she said. “Also, all [non-athletic regular people] do is school, so it would be pretty awful.”

—Written by Kate Mallery

names known to National Basketball Association (NBA) scouts by leading their team to upsets in the tournament. Many unknown players find their time to shine during the tournament as a last chance to become noticed and receive a chance at playing in the NBA. One more major characteristic that makes March Madness so exciting is the abundance of parity. In the NBA, powerful dynasties such as the ’60s Boston Celtics, ’80s Los Angeles Lakers, ’90s Chicago Bulls and 2010s Golden State Warriors have dominated the NBA landscape. In the NCAA, however, players can only compete for a maximum of four years, and with the best players usually playing for just one year, there are fresh faces every season. While there are teams that are good every year, such as the Kentucky Wildcats or Duke Blue Devils, with every tournament we see new stars emerging on the teams.

The March Madness’ big brackets and unpredictability make it a must-watch this coming March. Making brackets and watching the top college players in the nation go at it to bring home the glory is an amazing annual spectacle.

–Written by Calvin Cai

14

Lifestyle

Music brightens students’ daily lives Shannon Lin

Music increases health, well-being Music, a universal language, can be understood by virtually anyone and everyone. For performers or composers, music can enhance their minds to think differently and open up a whole new world of expression and physical coordination. For listeners, music provides an escape into an alternative universe, which is exceptionally beneficial when stress becomes overwhelming. According to the Peterson Family Foundation, music has been proven to build self-esteem and be therapeutic, contributing to the musical therapy spike in these past few years. For high school students, this is significant, as suicide.org reports that 20% of teens experience depression. With depression becoming prevalent in teens, a way to escape becomes crucial. According to the National Center for Biotechnology, 26 of the 28 studies conducted on the subject demonstrated a significant reduction in depression levels of people under the age of 35 over time, just from listening to music.

Chancellor of the University of California at San Francisco Sam Hawgood writes that musical therapy is a cognitive-behavioral model of therapy that posits new thoughts, feelings and body states, helping replace dysfunctional patterns and calming patients. According to Time magazine, for high school students who are stressed and anxious, listening to music can lower stress levels, ease pain and regulate a student's body state. Music can also enhance concentration, and thus is a common tool for students to utilize while studying for tests or doing homework. Despite the misconception that music is distracting, Time magazine reports that a student’s concentration level rises when listening to music, which has been shown to increase academic performance.

Music can also be a form of selfexpression. The wide spectrum of abstract compositions, which range from classical to hip-hop, provide freedom for students to express themselves, even if they are not composing themselves.

On top of that, students with similar tastes in music can connect and bond with one another. According to Doctor of Psychology Jill Suttie, when two people have similar tastes in music, the release of dopamine around the other person is higher, which makes them feel connected to each other. For this reason, music has also been proven to build lasting social relationships.

Ultimately, for performers and composers, music opens the door to a boundless world of creativity and expression. For high school students, listening to music not only improves overall mental health but creates a healthy environment in which one can perform well academically. Finally, music gives students the ability to communicate and connect with each other, building healthy and long-lasting relationships.

—Written by Catherine Chu

Student musicians use performing, composing as form of self-expression As two lifelong friends listened to recordings of their band’s music, they noticed the striking realism of their songs and its almost daydream-like quality. This is how the band ultimately came up with the perfect word to capture the essence of their style of music: reverie, a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts; a daydream.

Ever since she was a little kid, lead singer of Reverie junior Julia Segal has taken an interest in listening to and creating music. She first discussed the possibility of forming a band with her friend, percussionist junior Brindha Jaeger. After attending Paradox, a teen arts council event, Segal met bassist junior Greg Kochnev and the band was formed. Since then, Reverie has performed for numerous gigs across Palo Alto, including weekly performances at the Backyard Brew cafe, and has since added electric guitarist junior Nick Ferguson and singer junior Maddy Draker to their lineup.

One unique aspect of the band is its blend of musical genres. “Often, I tell people it’s like pop and jazz,” Segal said. “We have solos and improvisation and we’ll have Greg or Nick play a bass or a guitar solo in the middle of some songs which may have jazzy chords and elements.”

As student artists, one of the biggest challenges Reverie’s members face is finding time to practice together, when they are all available. Despite this, the group makes sure to find time to jam out and bond over music. “Everyone always looks forward to practice and the chemistry in the group is really positive,” Segal said.

For Jaeger, music is not only a form of entertainment: it can also bring people closer together. “Playing music and listening to music definitely connects people, because if you find someone who listens to the same genre or plays the same instrument, you kind of have this connection because you can just immediately start talking,” she said.

In the future, the band hopes to continue to inspire others and produce new music. “At least this year and next year we’re going to keep playing live performances, doing competitions and hopefully we’ll be releasing an EP [recording] or an album or single soon on Spotify,” Jaeger said.

—Written by Devon Lee

Members of Reverie rehearse at a band member’s house.

Clashing cymbals, booming drums, a squeaking horn and a voice with an exaggerated drawl: it was all music to his ears. Of all the performances in the classic movie “Mary Poppins,” it was Dick van Dyke’s impressive one-man band that convinced senior Aidan Roessig that music could, in fact, be cool.

Shortly after, he began drum and guitar lessons. Now, Roessig has grown as a musician to both perform and compose, yet he considers himself to be a relatively unknown artist due to his distinct style of music. “It’s instrumental,” he said. “It’s not just metal. It’s not just jazz. It’s a big mix of different styles I listen to. I don’t really set boundarie s for myself.”

A c c ompanying him through his studies are his mentors, both inside and outside of school. “My drum teacher Brad Kaiser pushes me to learn different styles of music,” Roessig said. “That way, I’m versatile and can play for different people.”

As a musician at Gunn, he participates in the jazz “big” band. There, Roessig has drawn inspiration from band teacher Todd Summers. “He’s got a super, super good work ethic,” Roessig said.

“He’s a great guy and he makes me actually enjoy doing music at school.”

Music, however, has a demanding schedule.

“It’s a big time commitment,” he said. “I know a lot of people think that if you go into music, you’re getting money and not doing much work for it, but it really takes quite a bit of work. Instead of doing two hours of homework, I have to do two hours of practice.” For drums, vigorous playing can even lead to sore arms.

Regardless, he always looks forward to the sessions with just him, his instruments and a world of silence to fill. “It makes everything more enjoyable,” he said. “I’m less stressed because I Senior Aidan Rosseig practices the drums in the band room. have something I can go home and do every day.

It’s also really rewarding to see myself get better every time I practice.”

Roessig aspires to continue his musical career in college and beyond. Piece by piece, he hopes to encourage others to appreciate all types of music, just as Dick van Dyke’s haphazard symphony did for him.

—Written by Jessica Wang Artist titles by Grace Liu, photo illustrations by Sophia Lu, Jocelyn Wang and Wendy Xiong

15

Lifestyle

Thursday, March 5, 2020

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES VIE FOR STAFF FAVORITE Cookie season offers strong fundraising opportunity For over a hundred years, Girl Scouts have been selling cookies to fundraise for their troops. According to Vox, over one million Girl Scouts sell approximately 200 million boxes every year.

The Girl Scouts of Northern California sell eight different varieties of cookies, with six of them currently selling for $5 and the other two types for $6. They also offer Care to Share, a program where customers give money to help Girl Scouts donate boxes of cookies to military organizations or local food banks.

Girl Scout Cookies are made by two different manufacturers in the United States. Because of this, some cookies go by different names or have slightly different ingredients.

Yet, in all regions, chocolatey Thin Mints claim the crown for most popular Girl Scout Cookie, according to

People magazine. Second to the Thin Mint is the chocolate-caramel-coconut Samoas, otherwise known as Caramel Delights.

The cookie varieties sold in Northern California include two types of peanut butter cookies, a lemon-flavored cookie, a shortbread cookie, a S’mores cookie and a relatively new gluten-free toffee cookie.

Most of the money earned from the cookie purchases, $3.75 per $5 box, goes directly to Girl Scouts with up to 90 cents staying local, helping Girl Scout Troops pay for future activities and community service projects.

The Girl Scout Cookie has without a doubt cemented itself as a quintessential American staple. However, the question must be asked, which type is the best?

The answer is the Tagalong, an unjustifiably overlooked cookie, but one that provides immense flavor and satisfaction. The Tagalong has three basic components: chocolate, biscuit and peanut butter. The chocolate exterior is smooth and rich—similar to the far inferior Thin Mint cookie—and it provides the perfect introduction to the biscuit and peanut butter. Secondly, the biscuit is buttery and flakey, combining with the chocolate to create a delicious bite. These two components alone create a good cookie, but what makes the Tagalong great lies with the third ingredient: the peanut butter. The peanut butter binds the biscuit to the chocolate. It distributes to all regions of the cookie, flowing its silky peanut goodness into every crevice of the consumer’s mouth. The three components combine to create a masterful display of baking ingenuity, for $5 a piece, make sure to buy as many Tagalong boxes as you can—it’s worth it.

—Written by Arjun Shah

Since the 1950 s, there has al ways been a debate over which Gir l Scout Cookie is the best. Although other cookies are m ore popular ac cording to sales, the pu blic is definitely missing out on the su perior cookie: th —Written by Haley Pflasterer e Samoa. Samoas pr ovide a unique flavor that cannot be matched. The ca ramel, chocolate, and coconut blend perfectly together, crea ting a flavor th at cannot be found an ywhere else. All three of these are la yered on a cr unchy shortbread co okie, which ad ds an element of crun ch to an othe rwise creamy snack.

For all coconu t haters out there, Samoas do no t have a strong, overwhe lming coconut flavor.

Instead, they off er a perfect ba lance of flavors and a texture that is unlike any other Girl Sc out Cookie out there.

—Written by K ate Mallery

29 The Oracle staffers polled.

lackluster if it ason would be se ie ok Co t ou Girl Sc vor in the Thin unchy blast of fla cr , ty in m e th r wasn’t fo d cookie is chocolate-covere Mint cookie. The rent ffe di r of the seven the most popula y wh e se it’s clear to cookie types, and ie ok co e bite. Th after taking one is first bomth ou m consumer’s refreshing minty barded with a ly fades into a de flavor that quick itaste that is ne licious chocolatey nor too subtle. g, in ther overwhelm ers an extremely The cookie also off sa The outside show unique texture. bite, a ng ki ta en l; wh hard brittle shel flaky surto experience a th. you are blessed elts in your mou y which simpl m e s sid as in gl e a th th wi on prise tacular pair the cookie a spec in es Th ak e m th of so t al ai is Th active tr less, the most attr snack of milk. Nonethe e craving a cold os Th . ty ili at rs ve its be er where the Mint has to Mints in the freez in Th e th t pu refreshing masare able to creating a cool, , es ez is fre l oi t in pepperm y, the Thin Mint e buds. Put simpl st ta ur yo r fo . ce terpie out Cookie any other Girl Sc miles ahead than an Manesh —Written by Ry

Graphics by Jamie Wang

16

Lifestyle

SPRING's Arrival SPARKS NEW DEVELOPMENTS New season initiates fresh fashion trends Feminine­—florals: Spring is time for flowers, so dress your outfit up in florals for a feminine look. Play with different textures and layer with a light sweater.

Masculine—accessorize: Spring is the time to step up your game. Spice up your outfit with a pop of color or a belt.

Casual—t-shirts and shorts: A look you can wear to school. It’s heating up, so might as well wear a pair of light shorts to cool off.

Seasons—warm day or cold temperatures: Palo Alto-type spring is cold in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Layer up in the morning with a turtleneck or light sweater with a sleeveless top underneath.

Accessories—headbands and hair scarves: Make your outfit more unique with headbands, hair scarves and even layered jewelry. Make your outfit more unique with any accessories. Not sure where to find them? Thrift stores all over the Bay Area are crawling with them, or you can even make your own with some fabric, thread and a needle.

Versatile outfit—dress with sandals: A look for any occasion. Dress it down with a light sweater and some sandals for the perfect picnic vibe, or go full out with a pair of platform sandals and leave it bare.

Importance of solid shoes: Some people say shoes make the look, and those people are right. The right pair of shoes can completely transform an outfit, and the wrong one can make it all go down the drain. Invest in a good pair of sneakers or a nice pair of sandals that you’ll wear no matter the season, no matter the outfit. For the amount you’ll be wearing them, it’s worth it.

Where to shop: Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you shop–what matters is the pieces you choose and how you style them together. That white camisole from Urban Outfitters for $30 can easily be thrifted for $5 or found at the local Target. Don’t worry about name brands; just find pieces you know you’ll be wearing throughout many springtimes.

—Compiled by Madison Nguyen and Jessica Zang Melissa Ding

How to stay safe from spring caterpillars Keep your backpack fully zipped! Caterpillars like to climb inside backpacks and clothes that are left behind.

‘Senioritis’ allows seniors to enjoy end of high school

Be wary of standing under any trees; caterpillars can fall from them. The trees in the amphitheater and the parking lot have the most caterpillars.

Ryan Li

The N-Building, amphitheater and Bow Gym are danger zones. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t touch any walls or railings without checking first.

Keep you r sock s above your ankles. Caterpillars are often in the mud, so many caterpillar rashes will appear around the foot.

Watch out for rashes on your skin. These rashes can be treated by removing any caterpillar hairs and washing the area thoroughly.

Audrey Tseng

—Compiled by Calvin Cai

Before we begin, there is a layer of irony that I would like to address.

I started writing this column at 11 p.m. the night that it was due. The cause of my untimeliness is also the subject of this article. In case you didn’t read the headline, that subject is “senioritis”—something that Webster’s dictionary defines as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance. A quick Google search for “senioritis” solicits dozens of finger-wagging articles telling horror stories of complacency and of college candidates getting rescinded for slumping grades.

But Google and Webster’s both misrepresent a fundamental point about senioritis: they assume it’s a disease. Symptoms include jadedness, excessive absence, an avoidance of homework and a drop in academic performance. I think I exhibit at least two or three of these symptoms, and I have never been happier.

My last semester of high school

has been awesome since I stopped caring so much.

With college applications out of the way, I have more time to relax, reconnect with friends and just enjoy being a teenager with near-zero responsibilities before I’m shipped off to wherever I’ll end up next year.

Instead of long nights stressing over grades and extracurriculars, my time at Gunn is now characterized by midnight McDonald’s runs, unannounced trips to malls in San Mateo and getting Chick-Fil-A for lunch on school days. Wardrobewise, I now cycle through the same four flannels and four pairs of sweatpants every week. Why wouldn’t I? All the haters will be out of my life in three months anyway. Senioritis also allows me to start honing in on the things I actually want to do: reading 800-page books about World War II, watching ungodly amounts of Hulu and taking up new hobbies like playing the ukulele horribly.

But most importantly, the second semester of senior year is a time to connect with people. I try to make the most out of every day by talking with old friends, making new ones and squeezing memories out of every moment I have left at Gunn because inevitably, these moments will pass.

Senioritis is a lot of things, but “supposed affliction” is not one of them. It’s a mindset a student adopts when they know there isn’t much time left in high school and when they know they have a moment to catch a breath before they run off to jump through another set of hoops. Far in the future, when everyone at this school has inevitably found success of some kind, we’ll look back and see that senioritis has, in fact, led to some of the best experiences we’ve ever had.

—Li, a senior, is a Managing Editor.