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Teachers, students adjust to delay in new technology Chris Lee Reporter Math teacher Daniel Hahn tries his best to work around the limitations of his broken SMART Board. “My [SMART] board does not write,” he said. “I can’t use the pens, and the projection image is very blurry. I only use one of the lights in my room, along with larger fonts, so that the board is a little easier to see.” As the lifespan of SMART Boards installed throughout campus comes to an end, many teachers have experienced similar difficulties with their classroom technology. According to Educational Technology Coordinator Jackie Smith, SMART Boards were first installed at Gunn in 2012. “SMART Boards only last about six or seven years,” she said. “We then start to see a lot of them fail with issues like we’re experiencing now. The more you interact with a display, the more likely it is to break.” Plans to replace the aging technology began to take shape in 2019. “A project was started, and there was a pilot of new classroom instructional technology,” Smith said. “A few teachers piloted new technology and came up with recommended replacements.” These recommendations included 85-inch non-interactive displays, iPads and wireless document cameras. Although the initial timeline called for these recommendations to be installed over the course of two years, COVID-19 delayed the upgrades, exacerbating existing classroom technology issues. “[During distance learning], the projectors sat unused and probably collected a lot of dust,” Smith said. “We didn’t necessarily know the state of some of the projectors until teachers came back in August and really started using them.” In response, the district ordered 100 new displays, which were slated to arrive in Dec. 2021. However, the delivery of key components such as the sound system was delayed, limiting the number of units that could actually be installed. “We can’t finish 71 classrooms until we get the components for the sound system,” Smith said. “We are at the mercy of the global supply chain issues that everybody is facing.” As of now, three classrooms have been fitted with the new technology, with more slated to be installed in the spring and fall of 2022. During this delayed transition, site technology technicians have been limited in terms of the solutions they can provide. “If the device itself is fine and we just need to do something like change the bulb, Tech shortage—p.2 Yoochan An
Math tutor arrest sheds light on power imbalance in relationships Annika Bereny Lifestyle Editor This story contains discussion of topics that may be triggering, such as sexual assault and harassment. On Aug. 25, 2020, former math tutor and Palo Alto resident Mark Hodes was arrested by the Palo Alto Police Department after two girls that he had tutored came forward with accounts that he had molested them. Since then, Hodes has been charged with 55 counts of lewd and lascivious acts with children, and a total of 17 girls have come forward to share their experiences. Although he will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars, the lasting effect of his actions will linger in Palo Alto for years to come. One survivor of Hodes, a senior who has asked to remain unidentified, recounts going to Hodes for help during their sophomore year and experiencing inappropriate behavior. “I noticed little things that he did that made me feel weird and uncomfortable,” they said. “They were so subtle that I thought maybe he was just a touchy person
or didn’t understand personal space. He was in his 70s, and lots of old guys who mean no harm do weird things sometimes.”
“In relationships with a significant age difference, such as between a kid and an adult, it’s easy for there to be an imbalance of power because of the respect that is supposed to come with being older than someone else.”
—Senior Dana Souter
Encouraged by the improvement in their academics, the student continued going to the sessions until they became distressing. “During the short period that had already passed, my math grade improved because of his help,” they said. “[My family and I] decided that I should keep getting help from him. Every session became progressively more uncomfortable, though, and he did things that were clearly inappropriate, so I quit.” The senior’s story, though, isn’t uncommon; in reality, it’s emblematic of the larger issue of abuse of power dy-
namics in society—a topic that has recently gravitated into the mainstream with frequent conversations on grooming, or creating predatory relationships with children that leave them vulnerable to exploitation and sexual abuse. Title IX Club co-president senior Dana Souter focuses the club’s lessons on topics like these during their bimonthly meetings. These meetings aim to teach students how to create policies to protect survivors of sexual harassment and violence. “In relationships with a significant age difference, such as between a kid and an adult, it’s easy for there to be an imbalance of power because of the respect that is supposed to come with being older than someone else,” Souter said. According to Souter, the academic pressure in Palo Alto can often make students feel as if they are stuck in uncomfortable situations. “Especially with the area we live in, there’s so much pressure to get these amazing grades,” she said. “If something can negatively impact your ability to succeed academically, you want to do everything you can to avoid that.” Every year, Gunn staff must go through a series of training courses on subjects such as mandated reporting, Abuse of power—p.2
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News
Monthly highlights: Love Week and Spring Spirit Week “I loved the dance team’s performance. In general, this week has been really fun and entertaining.” —Ila Petrovic, 11
“I’m really liking Spring Spirit Week so far since the dress up themes are very versatile, and it’s not like homecoming week where the themes are super loud.” —Kathleen Summers, 12
The dance team performs the choreography for the fight song during Spring Spirit Week.
Seniors Freja Hansen and Anna Toksvig wear matching sports jerseys on Twin Day during Spring Spirit Week.
“Newlywed” students pose for photos during the Love Week marriage ceremony event.
Senior Dana Souter and freshman Olivia Souter participate in the three-legged race during Love Week at lunch. —Compiled by Hila Livneh
Photos by Mia Knezevic, John Li, Hila Livneh and Naira Younas
Community arrest sparks conversations surrounding adults’ abuse of power Abuse of power—p.1
pathogens and suicide prevention. This year, staff saw an addition to their mandated reporter training. The addition was on the topic of grooming. All teachers are mandated reporters, or people who are legally obligated to report any suspected child abuse to the proper law enforcement. The new course was intended to train teachers to spot the signs of grooming. Assistant Principal Courtney Carlomagno, who handles Title IX cases and reporting at Gunn, encourages students to contact teachers and staff for support or assistance when in need. “Whether it’s in our jurisdiction or not, the administration will provide you the support and steps that you need to navigate what to do,” she said. “So even if there’s nothing we can follow up here, we can get you connected to those who can help you—whether that’s the Palo Alto Police Department or someone else.” Additionally, the foundation “OneLove,” whose mission is to educate young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, will be holding two training sessions for all students in May on identifying and avoiding abuse. “One will be all about healthy relationships, ranging from personal relationships with peers to navigating those types of relationships with adults,” Carlomagno said. “The second one is going to be about how to report or bring forward
anything that occurs because we are still finding that there are gaps in a student’s knowledge of how to bring something forward.”
“When you engage with anyone, you should assume positive intent so that you can create relationships. But, a lot of the times when a relationship is off, we definitely feel it inside our gut.” —Assistant Principal Courtney Carlomagno When approaching new situations, Carlomagno advises students not to be afraid to make new relationships, but to stay aware of potential red flags. “When you engage with anyone, you should assume positive intent so that you can create relationships,” she said. “But a lot of the times when a relationship is off, we definitely feel it inside our gut.” The anonymous senior echoed Carlomagno’s sentiment and encouraged students in similar positions to take direct action and trust their instincts. “In my experience, if I had listened to my gut feeling at the start, I would not have been hurt the way I was,” they said. “If someone makes you uncomfortable in the slightest way, listen to
yourself, remove yourself from that situation if you can and tell someone you trust. It shouldn’t be our job to take precautions because other people’s wrongdoings are not our responsibility.” Speaking up about assaults is certainly a daunting task, but the senior hopes that talking about what happened to them can help others in the same situation. “I was walking around campus while thinking about this experience and realized that it had never occurred to me that someone on this campus may have had the exact same tutor I did and may be walking around with a similar traumatic experience,” they said. “And if not the same abuser, then they may have the same experience with a different perpetrator.” Further eduction to students and staff about abuse and reporting is important to implement every year. “We need to have the information out there continuously about how to report,” Carlomagno said. “You could hear something as a freshman, but then have something happen junior year, and that information is needed again.” For more resources, call the National Sexual Assault hotline at (800) 656-4673 or visit rainn.org.
Lack of technology replacements compels teachers to adapt lesson plans Tech shortage—p.1
then that will be done,” Smith said. However, more complex repairs—such as restoring the touch functionality—are not a viable option. “It’s hard to get contractors right now, and we want to try to minimize the costs since we’re just going to replace [the projectors] in two months,” Smith said. As a transitory remedy to faltering SMART Boards, classrooms with malfunctioning boards have been fitted with portable projectors, eliciting mixed reviews. Some, like English teacher Shaina Holdener, have found the new projectors to be a significant improvement over the current ones mounted on the SMART Board. “[The portable projector] is a lot crisper in terms of the image and clarity,” she said. “I’m happy because now people can actually read the board and watch videos on the screen.” Others, like English teacher Mark Hernandez, have found the replacement projectors to hinder the delivery of the course material—especially in a class like Film Literature, which depends on SMART Board audio and video. “It’s hard to get the movie scaled from the [portable] projector onto the screen,” he said. “The colors, definition and brightness aren’t as good. For [Film Literature,] it [was] a subpar experience.”
In order to provide the best instruction for his classes, Hernandez has collaborated with other English teachers to borrow their rooms with working projectors. Before this decision, junior Shira Goldhaber-Gordon observed
“Our site technicians are trying to keep things running to the best of their abilities, and they really haven’t had a break.” —District Technology Coordinator Jackie Smith student disengagement in Hernandez’s class. “During [the first few days of class,] everything had to be on our own screens,” she said. “I noticed a lot of students just playing video games. Now that we are in Mr. Igler’s classroom, it’s pretty normal since there is a working projector.” When it comes to replacing technology, both teachers and technicians have been appreciative of each other’s patience. “Especially coming back after a year of online learning, the tech [situation] has got to be a mess,” Hernandez said. “I definitely wouldn’t want the emails and complaints that [the technicians] get. While this isn’t
ideal, I’ve been able to make it work through the help of my colleagues. I don’t blame anybody.” Smith echoed Hernandez’s appreciation and understanding. “We appreciate our teachers and students for having to put up with the technology,” she said. “Our site technicians are trying to keep things running to the best of their abilities, and they really haven’t had a break.” Although the transition has been turbulent, Smith—a former teacher—noted the extensive benefits of the future displays. “It gives teachers a lot more flexibility in where they teach, since they can wirelessly cast from their laptops,” she said. “If I’m working with a group of students at the back of the room but I have another group that I want to be doing something that’s displayed at the front, I would now have the freedom to change what’s up on the display without having to run back up there.” Hahn also looks forward to the possibilities that the new technology entails. “Having a better picture will remove a lot of subconscious barriers that currently hinder student engagement,” he said. “I don’t think my lessons will change overnight, but I do think that I’ll be able to leverage little things like having more information on a slide and using different colors as I get accustomed to the functionality.”
News THEORACLE 780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238 www.gunnoracle.com
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Jessica Wang Managing Editors Julianna Chang Catherine Chu News Haley Pflasterer Raphael Semeria Forum Lise Desveaux Mia Knezevic Features Carly Liao Jessica Zang Centerfold Katie Shih Rebecca Wu Sports Hila Livneh Safina Syed Lifestyle Annika Bereny Arjun Shah Online Paul Garofalo Sophia Stern Photo Editor Mia Knezevic Graphics Editor Sophie Fan
Staff Business/Circulation Sophia Stern Jessica Zang Copy Editors Cole Ford James Huang Kenneth Soh Sophia Stern
Friday, March 4, 2022
Empty vending machines, limited snacks affect students Katie LaWer Reporter Since returning to school in August, students have encountered significant changes in available food options. Although the new state law allows Gunn to provide free lunches and brunches, the previous brunch line—which contained snack options for purchase—disappeared, and the vending machines around campus are no longer operational. According to Assistant Principal Leonel Argumedo, the vending machines on campus, have been empty since the start of the school year. The person responsible for restocking them has not yet done so. The issue, according to Argumedo, comes from the company responsible for managing the machines. “We have to find out who manages them, who’s the one in charge of getting them stocked and where the money [Gunn students pay the ma-
Photographers Yoochan An Gracie Easton Nishi Goyal Chinyoung Shao Naomi Wang Brandon Woo Reporters Kaitlyn Chen Cole Ford James Huang Michelle Koo Katie LaWer Chris Lee John Li Amann Mahajan Charlotte Qian Kenneth Soh Vivian Studdert Irene Tsen Anriya Wang Kelvin Xu Ellie Yuan Madison Yue Michael Zhang
Irene Tsen Reporter During the schoolwide Jeopardy game at lunch on Feb. 23 in Bow Gym, the senior team won with 5200 points, followed by the juniors (3200 points), the sophomores (-600 points) and the freshmen (-2400 points). The winning seniors—Madeleine Chen, Quincy Rosenzweig, Saman de Silva, Griffin Teller and team captain Scott Hwang—received donuts, and all teams received candy as a participation prize. The event was hosted by the Student Executive Council (SEC), who first started planning the event last semester. An SEC team led by Junior Class Vice President Juno Kim first sent out a form to gauge student interest in a Jeopardy game and potential categories. Then, they drafted the game rules and created questions and answers based on the responses. “We planned everything out during the first semester, and [last week we executed] the things we planned out,” Kim said. In the competition, teams of five from each grade raced to buzz in and answer questions to rack up the maximum amount of points. Gunn’s Jeopardy game mirrors the classic
“When COVID-19 hit, we were not allowed to open up the brunch lines. The district had to follow county health guidelines, so it’s been like that ever since.”
—Assistant Principal Leonel Argumedo nothing to do with them. I checked with SEC and Ms. Hall, [and both said] they don’t manage them. I checked with [the athletics department] to see if they maybe have any connection, [but] they don’t.” The brunch line has also faced changes in
the last two years. Previously, it was a snack line located in the Bat Cave. Junior Maddy Yueng remembers buying snacks in her freshman year. “There were different kinds of food you could buy like chips and gummies,” Yeung said. “I think they had cheese bread too, on certain days. Some days they sold regular cheese bread, and some days they sold garlic cheese bread.” Argumedo noted the difficulty of reimplementing the old options. “Because the lunches and brunches are free, there is limited choice as to the type of lunch or brunch students can get,” he said. According to Argumedo, the district initially changed the format of the brunch lines because of COVID-19 protocol. “When COVID-19 hit, we were not allowed to open up the brunch lines,” he said. “The district had to follow county health guidelines, so it’s been like that ever since.”
Jeopardy format, where participants are presented cues and must format their responses as questions. One team chooses a category and point value, and the first team to buzz in gets to answer. If a team answers correctly, those points get added to their total. If they answer incorrectly, the points are deducted and the team that buzzed in next has the chance to earn those points. The six different categories were Gunn Facts, Music Facts, Guess the Logo/Slogan, Celebrities/Pop Culture, Sports Facts and Geography. Each category had clues worth different point values ranging from 200 to 1000 in increments of 200 based on difficulty. “I’m proud of my team for both the preparation and knowledge we had. There was no stepping on each other’s feet or arguing over answers.”
—Senior Griffin Teller Teller believes that his team’s performance surpassed his expectations. His team prepared before the tournament by researching Gunn
trivia, memorizing country capitals and discussing a strategy. “I’m proud of my team for both the preparation and knowledge we had,” he said. “There was no stepping on each other’s feet or arguing over answers. The fact that we’re all friends and have known each other for a long time helped.” Sophomore Sophia Yen enjoyed the passion throughout the Jeopardy game. “It was exciting to see people wanting to be the first ones to answer,” she said. “Teams were smacking their tables. It was [fun] to see the buzzers fall off the tables.” SEC’s school-wide events aim to promote class spirit and pride. “We mainly want the school to get into an atmosphere of class spirit because Spring Spirit Week is [happening now],” Kim said. “The other events we’re planning also revolve around trying to increase class spirit.” Teller added that schoolwide events create a safer and more inviting environment. “That sense of cohesiveness is so important—it contributes greatly to our [sense of] belonging at school and our enjoyment of school,” he said. “Without that, school wouldn’t be nearly as fun, memorable or important.”
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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. These letters do not need to be from current students. “I enjoyed reading about the course offerings and how they’re more STEM-centered instead of humanities. I thought it was really interesting, and I enjoyed it because I have always thought about that.”
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chines] goes.” Argumedo acknowledges that the issue is being investigated. “I’ve been trying to find out who actually manages them,” he said. “I checked in with food services and they had
Senior class representatives win first SEC Jeopardy game
Oracle/SEC Liaison Mia Knezevic Graphics Artists Irene Hong Clair Koo Michelle Koo Natalie Lam Mihika Sane Chinyoung Shao
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—Sophie Hahn, 10
—Feb. 4, 2022—
Go to gunnoracle.com to read social studies teacher Jason Miller’s Letter to the Editor, Reporter John Li’s article about Gunn Math Circle and Lifestyle Editor Arjun Shah’s feature on Olympian and Gunn alumna Joanne Reid.
4
Forum
TEXTS IN Humanities classes overplay WHITE narrative updated over numerous editions, the text still contains a improve the situation. According to English Department number of problematic passages, most notably about the Instructional Lead Paul Dunlap, teachers have been treatment of Native Americans. On page 22, the book says working to expand the pantheon of authors and place an that though “Spanish invaders did indeed kill, enslave and emphasis on discussing issues about race in recent years. infect countless natives,” they also “grafted their culture, This has been especially true in the wake of the resurgence laws, religion and language onto a wide array of native of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. Social StudAmann Mahajan societies, laying the foundations for a score of Spanish- ies Department Instructional Lead Jeff Patrick noted that speaking nations.” It then goes on to say that “[The] the history department also has conversations about the Reporter Spanish paid the Native Americans the high compliment topics and curriculum at meetings, with the goal to apThough student schedules may vary considerably of fusing with them through marriage and incorporat- proach racial issues in a way that promotes understanding throughout high school, history and English are two ing indigenous culture into their own.” Throughout the of the motives behind actions without justifying the accourses that typical Gunn students take all four years. textbook, Kennedy and Cohen use the term “Indians” to tions themselves. The Racial Equity Committee at Gunn is These classes rely heavily on novels, articles or text- refer to Native Americans, rather involved in discussions about books. In fact, a primary learning target in these classes than “American Indians,” “Natextbooks and curriculum as is interpreting and analyzing writing. Thus, the books tive Americans” or “indigenous well. Flexibility in both departLearning about society used in these classes should include a variety of cultures peoples.” This is a single page ments makes supplementing to represent history accurately and faithfully including of the book, yet it manages to the problematic textbooks and through literature means acknowledgment of oppression. However, a number of mislabel an entire culture, saying novels easier. Right now, the learning about a variety of texts used in the history and English curricula include that the slaughter of said people perspective for both history different racial groups from outdated and racist ideas and writings. was excusable for the pursuit of and English isn’t to remove, A prime example of this issue is in the textbook “World empire and imply that this group but to augment. a variety History” by William J. Duiker and Jackson J. Spielvogel, was lesser than the Spaniards. This augmentation, howof perspectives. which is used in the yearlong World History course for It’s easy to see why this text is ever, comes with its disadvanfreshmen and the semester-long Contemporary World appalling, especially considering tages. Giving teachers more History course for sophomores. The text covers events how dependent AP U.S. History freedom with which texts are from prehistory to after the Cold War, including worldwide students are on textbook readused or how rigorously they imperialism and colonial rule in Africa, India and South- ings; “The American Pageant” is a staple of the curriculum. are used could cause students’ experiences in history and east Asia. On page 634 in the textbook, at the conclusion The same issue holds with the English curriculum. The English to vary considerably depending on what instructor of the imperialism unit, Duiker and Spielvogel contend classics students read throughout high school are often they have. One teacher might choose to teach more texts that “neither extreme position [of arguing for or against revered for their vivid characterization or complex themes, with authors of color, while another might opt for less colonialism] is justified.” They argue that one can weigh though many are written by white authors and have racist diverse books; one teacher could rely heavily on the World the oppression and murder of millions against the “cross- elements in them. Take, for example, “To Kill a Mocking- History textbook, while another might not. The lack of cultural encounters” or “global bird,” a foundational text about standardization, while beneficial in some respects, means economic development.” Such race in the Jim Crow South. While that some students might go through their English courses an argument grossly understates it has been taught for its good with less exposure to writers and characters of color. the vicious nature of imperialpoints for generations, it perpetuSo what’s the solution? It’s important to acknowledge There’s a difference ism and justifies the cruelty ates the “white savior” narrative that there is currently a nationwide discussion on this between presenting inflicted upon those in colonized through one of its principal charac- topic. While some are electing to remove texts that concountries. Granted, textbooks ters, Atticus Finch. Throughout the tain offensive material from libraries, others are banning motivations and are meant to be objective and novel, he’s presented as “saving” teaching critical race theory. It’s necessary, then, to apinclude a variety of perspectives. justifying actions. the black man Tom Robinson, who proach the matter carefully. This isn’t a call for all probHowever, there is a difference has been wrongly convicted of rap- lematic textbooks to be thrown out the window. Rather, between presenting motivations ing a white woman. There are much the goal is to bring attention to the issues that are present, and justifying actions. There is more relevant books written by a in the hopes that students and teachers can spend more no justification for killing or forcdiverse array of authors that dis- time discussing this inside and outside the classroom. ibly removing people from their homes. To add insult to cuss the same topics—Angie Thomas’s “The Hate U Give,” Conversations and academic discourse foster greater curinjury, the passage cites a series of white men, neglecting for one, or Bryan Stevenson’s “Just Mercy.” Learning about riculum changes and broad education. After all, the texts to include the perspectives of prominent historians of color society through literature means learning about a variety societies use and how they use them reflect their values or even female historians. of different racial groups from a variety of perspectives. and ideals as a whole. Haven’t people always said the pen This problem extends to the text for the AP U.S. His- How else is one to have a holistic view? is mightier than the sword? tory, in “The American Pageant, AP Edition” by David M. This isn’t to say that there hasn’t been progress. Both Kennedy and Lizabeth Cohen. Although the book has been the English and history departments have taken steps to
FACES IN THE CROWD: How do you think our current english and history curricula deal with racial issues?
“I haven’t noticed [racial issues] touched on much in my English curriculum so far, but I think the history curriculum has done a good job.”
“In English, a lot of the books that we read don’t include people from different backgrounds. [In history,] I feel like sometimes some of the information is a bit outdated and people don’t really know the real story.”
—Lionel Humphreys, 9
—Andrea Esparza, 10
“Our school has resources to feature the most liberal and inclusive works [in history], and yet that effort is not made. For me, English has been totally fine.”
“[In English,] there has been a focus on AfricanAmericans, like ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ but it still has predominantly that white, male stereotypical [curriculum]. For World History, we had a slightly better balance.”
—Helena Surwillo, 11
—Vasuda Dokiparthi, 12
Michelle Koo
Friday, March 4, 2022 5 Forum Incorporating modern poetry into the English curriculum offers alternative perspective to students National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman re- thered from the constraints of written words on a page. cited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Digital poetry, which uses computer features such as aniBiden’s inauguration. The poem spoke to Gorman’s mation and coding to interact with the text, allows for a experiences as a Black woman in America and com- multimedia poetry experience without taking away from mented on recent political upheaval, calling for unity. the work’s true purpose: to communicate. Incorporating Modern poets Ada Limón and Audre Lorde the creative mindset of modern poetry into the Carly Liao have also discussed issues such as misogyny, English curriculum can show students that racism and inequality in their works. For poetry is more than a strict set of rules, Features Editor example, in her poem “Wife,” Limón a definitive rhyme scheme or a certain Older poetry In a typical English class at Gunn, the poetry stud- challenges the patriarchal mindnumber of stanzas; rather, poetry ied is often written centuries ago. Students find them- set of marriage and confronts her can be dynamic, fun and engaging provided us with a selves deconstructing Shakespeare’s sonnets, pars- own complicated relationship without losing any of its meaning. ing out Whitman and learning the styles and devices with the term “wife.” In her poem starting point, but only Granted, there is value in of old poetry. Modern poetry, which is broadly defined “Power,” Lorde examines police learning traditional poetry writmodern poetry can as poems written in the 21st century, covers current brutality, the injustices of the ten by the likes of Shakespeare viewpoints. Although older poetry is critical to dem- criminal justice system and her and Whitman. Older poetry laid demonstrate how these onstrate the fundamentals of poetry such as meter and own rage in response to the murthe foundation for centuries of structure, expanding the English curriculum to include der of a 10-year-old Black boy by poetic innovation and remains principles are relevant modern poetry would expose students to diverse pera white police officer. Introducing vital in providing key insight into spectives and new styles of storytelling. more modern perspechistorical perspectives. The problem to us today. Poetry can make even the most muntives into the English arises when these historical perspecdane events seem extraordinary and curriculum would altives are the only ones taught in English Modern poets often illuminates human experiences low students to broadclasses, at the expense of modern ideas that in a way that people rarely consider en their worldviews. may be more relevant to today’s world. The Engare breaking traditional in their daily lives. However, exPoetry is diverse, and so are lish curriculum should not exclude older poetry, but rathclusively covering classical poetthe people who write it. er expand to include newer viewpoints along with the old. boundaries to shape new ry often means western-centric, Additionally, reading modern To quote Robin Williams’s character from the movie literary mediums, including male focused idealizations and poetry can expose students to Dead Poets Society, “We do not read and write poetry viewpoints are overrepresented. new forms of expression. Mod- because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we spoken word and digital The overwhelmingly white, male ern poets are breaking traditional are members of the human race.” As the human race is poets of the past cannot speak boundaries to shape new literary constantly evolving, so too must our poetry. Social oppoetry. These creative new on the experiences that women, mediums, including spoken word portunities in our current age have led to an influx of styles can inspire racial minorities and other marand digital poetry. These new and modern poets who do not fit the mold of historical poginalized groups face today. Escreative styles can inspire students ets; the advancements of innovation and technology students as well. sentially, modern poetry provides as well. In her 2011 Ted Talk, spoken have called for newer mediums to display poets’ work. valuable insight into experiences that word poet Sarah Kay discussed how spo- Yet the crux of poetry remains: to place the best words have rarely been highlighted in the past. ken word poetry was not made to remain still in the best order and to present an uncommon look at Due to changing times and mindsets, more on paper. It demands to be heard out loud and a common experience. Older poetry provided us with and more members of these marginalized groups have witnessed in person. Spoken word poetry can carry deep a starting point, but only modern poetry can demonrisen to prominence as modern poets. Most notably, emotional weight with intonation and movement, unte- strate how these principles are relevant to us today.
Sophie Fan, Michelle Koo and Chinyoung Shao
Forum 6 should students pursue the middle college pathway? MIDDLE COLLEGE from the high school atmosphere. Those attending Middle College can take both high school and college level courses. Middle College attendees are still technically enrolled at Gunn, meaning that they can participate in Gunn activities such as sports or clubs. The flexibility students have is quite similar to actual college. Middle Colleges require an application and, in some cases, a student interview. For Foothill Middle College, the application includes a personal statement, two recommendation letters and a Google Form with a couple of personal questions. With its unique structure and approach to education, Middle College can be an alternative for those who find high school learning unsuitable for them. —Written by Kenneth Soh
CON
PRO
For some people, high school is an opportunity to learn important life skills such as time management, teamwork and leadership. However, for others, high school brings about an unmanageable amount of stress that leaves them uncomfortable and unhappy. For students who feel that they do not benefit from the traditional high school experience, an alternative educational experience known as Middle College may be a good fit. Middle College is an option offered to high school juniors and seniors who feel that high school isn’t suitable for them. It is also a good fit for those who want to challenge themselves. According to the Foothill Middle College website, Middle College is intended for high school students who feel like they aren’t performing up to their full potential or for those who simply want a change
Michael Zhang
Sophia Stern
Reporter
Business and online Editor
The Middle College pathway is an invaluable opportunity that all Gunn students should consider. It presents a unique approach to learning with advantages such as flexibility, acceleration and independence over traditional schooling. Middle College students are grouped in cohorts of about twenty students of the same grade—similar to small learning communities (SLCs) in secondary schools—who take required courses as one group. This creates a tight-knit community where individuals can feel supported. Having the same teachers with the same group of students also makes it easier to build strong relationships with instructors and peers. Although many students thrive in smaller learning environments, few openly discuss Middle College as an option, as it can often feel taboo to talk about nontraditional academic pathways. This leads some students to perceive Middle College as a place for people who dislike Gunn. In reality, Middle College is suitable for a broad demographic. By no means do applicants necessarily hate Gunn; rather, they often apply because they can learn better in a different environment. The flexibility of Middle College is an appealing factor for students. While the core classes of English and social studies are taken in an SLC-like environment, other electives are up to choice. Middle College students are prepared for college by having freedom in their course scheduling. While the typical high school process is seen as college preparation, Middle College is an authentic college experience, where students not only have more freedom in selecting courses, but can also continue participating in Gunn events. Middle College also provides an opportunity to accelerate along a chosen academic or career pathway at a rate significantly faster than at Gunn. At Foothill, students can choose many electives in the same subject area if they want to focus on one particular field, as opposed to the “breadth over depth” approach that Gunn offers. For students who have a clear idea of what they want to pursue after receiving their diploma, Middle College can jumpstart the process of higher education in a given field. In addition to its strong elective focus, Middle College gives students a chance to acquire college credits early. Foothill College credits acquired through Middle College can be transferred to state schools like the UCs through the Transfer Admission Guarantee system. This allows students to earn their high school diploma while having several quarters worth of accumulated college credit, giving them a head start in college. Those who are more skeptical about Middle College posit that students on the pathway are more isolated and have difficulty finding a tribe in the intimidating college environment. However, the cohorts provide students with a steady stream of peer-to-peer interaction. It is also essential to note that Middle College members are still technically students at Gunn, meaning that they can attend Gunn events and play sports for Gunn as well. Staying well-informed about Middle College and the benefits it provides is advantageous to any Gunn student, especially those who are considering an advanced and personalized education experience. The pervasive stigma surrounding this path detracts from the very real and worthwhile choice it can be for Gunn students who want an alternative approach to learning.
The Middle College program is often seen as a viable option for students who have struggled in Gunn’s environment or want to pursue college credits in order to get a head start before attending university. However, Middle College is not a one-size-fits-all fix for students who want to pursue an alternative path in high school, and it should be carefully researched before students decide to make the switch. The main perks of Middle College are the flexible options it provides. Students can attend college classes in a hybrid or online format and take classes at an accelerated pace while still participating in Gunn athletics, extracurriculars and school events. These flexible options can be appealing for students who have not found success in Gunn’s competitive academic environment or have faced difficulties connecting with peers. It can also provide the opportunity to gain credits to transfer to a University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU). Despite these benefits, some students may still experience difficulties when transitioning to this new pathway. Middle College is a mostly independent experience, which can be hard for students who prefer academic support or peer collaboration. Furthermore, the commute to Middle College decreases students’ access to one-on-one time with Gunn teachers. Due to the increased freedom that comes with Middle College, students who lack the motivation to do their work won’t find success. Additionally, college classes at Foothill are much less forgiving than classes at Gunn, where there are multiple assignments, assessments and projects that can provide a cushion for grades or help bring a low grade up. In college-level classes, grades are based on fewer assignments that are worth more, and one assignment can make or break your grade. This type of system can create more stress for students who might feel like an assessment or project is their only opportunity to get a good grade. Another drawback is that not all college classes are available to Middle College students. For instance, college classes that are held at the same time as classes required for high school students are not accessible to students in Middle College. This takes away opportunities from students who might have wanted to take specific electives or explore other courses. The limited offering of college courses can be a drawback, especially since students are also missing out on the opportunity to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes that are offered at Gunn. Last but not least, Middle College can become an isolating experience. Although Middle College students are able to participate in Gunn-sponsored activities, they miss out on cherished Gunn traditions such as Homecoming Week and lunch events like Clash of Titans and Love Week because they spend significantly less time on campus. Even though Middle College students are still Gunn students, they might feel disconnected from their peers because they aren’t spending time with them every day. Additionally, since students at Middle College are placed into cohorts, it is often difficult to find friends outside of the cohort. If students struggle to get along with members of their cohorts, they have no other groups to turn to. While Middle College is for independent learners, the drawbacks of the experience should be considered before a student decides to make a switch, because it could lead to an isolating, more challenging high school experience.
HIGH SCHOOL
COLLEGE
Sophie Fan and Michelle Koo
7 EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The Oracle
Forum
Friday, March 4, 2022
Student involvement, extracurriculars should be determined by passion, not college prospects Given the highly competitive nature of schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) as well as others in the Bay Area, conversations surrounding GPAs, test scores and extracurricular endeavors are always present. In turn, many students feel the urge to go above and beyond in order to secure a spot at top colleges. In 2019, 59% of all Gunn students reported college and their future as a source of stress—the third most common stressor, according to the Challenge Success survey administrated by the district. Additionally, 43% reported being constantly worried about getting into the college of their choice. For many, getting into impressive colleges is a top priority; as a consequence, they feel compelled to not only succeed academically, but also participate in a variety of prestigious extracurricular activities. Rather than pursuing copious extracurriculars, internships, programs and leadership positions that cater to colleges, students should instead participate in activities they are genuinely interested in because it relieves academic stress and equips them with relevant skills for the future. It’s important to acknowledge the overlap between doing prestigious activities and activities that students enjoy. There’s nothing wrong with a student pursuing genuinely enjoyable activities that also come with a certain level of prestige, such as signing up for a summer program on an interesting subject or a leadership position in a club they’ve been a part of for multiple years. Still, it’s important for students to be aware of their wellbeing and establish a healthy and distinguishable balance between academics and leisure. At Gunn, students should actively work to minimize the stress induced from the often toxic nature of such an academically-oriented community. For years, PAUSD students have reported high levels of stress; as a result, the district has recently taken a more comprehensive approach to this issue by implementing a variety of solutions, including the SELF program and a new wellness center. Despite these measures, high expectations and peer pressure remain. According to the study “Privileged but Pressured? A Study of Affluent Youth” by Suniya S. Luthar and Bronwyn E. Becker, suburban students who set excessively high standards for their personal accomplishments are more likely to experience high levels of stress. According to the Kaiser Permanente website, one of the
main methods of reducing said stress is participating in tions and exclusive programs may look good on paper or interests you enjoy. Participating in activities students may improve a student’s likelihood of getting accepted are interested in can help students divert their attention into prestigious schools. Still, students should take into away from stressors and engage with their community. account their own aspirations and goals in life following On top of relieving stress, doing activities purely post-secondary education. A student’s pasfor pleasure helps students in the college adsions and interests shouldn’t end once missions process. One common misconthey get admitted into college; inception when it comes to seeking out stead, post-secondary education potential extracurricular activities is a way to continue pursuing is to participate in activities that them. By trying a variety of look good on paper because they new activities, students significantly increase a student’s can discover areas of inprobability of getting into highterest and thus better ly selective colleges. While this position themselves tois an understandable mindset, wards a path in life that it is not a guaranteed method they find interesting. and can lead to the sacrifice of All in all, the inenjoyment. According to Colclination for students lege Board, a “prestigious” acto pursue more chaltivity list is not always as favored lenging and prestigious in college admissions. Instead, extracurricular activithey value insight into candidate’s ties isn’t just an issue preslives via their passions and how ent at an individual level. In they reflect on them. “Holding a sumPalo Alto, it speaks to our commer job at a fast-food restaurant can munity as a whole. In our current build as much character as attending microcosm, individual intelligence and a prestigious summer learning program,” one’s probability to get into a better college is detertheir website reads. “It’s all about what mined purely by GPA, standardized test scores, extracuryou’ve gained, what you’ve learned ricular endeavors and overall academic success. Unfortuand how you communicate that.” nately, this culture teaches students to mold themselves Furthermore, essays give candiinto the seemingly ideal college candidates the opportunity to describe date, rather than pursuing their own their passions. When students interests or acquiring life skills. The don’t have a genuine interest admission process is currently beor connection to their activities, ing re-evaluated due to Covid-19, essays will likely reflect that. opening the critical opportunity In Palo Alto, some students to reverse the trend of students have gravitated toward several participating in extracurriculars specific extracurricular activities for the sole purpose of appealdue to their perceived high level ing to colleges. In the meanof prestige. During 2020, an time, changing students’ internship opportunity for Rimindset surrounding shi Kumar’s 2020 congressional college admissions may campaign attracted many Gunn stualleviate stress with dents. Looking back, many regret spendregards to choosing ing countless hours making phone calls extracurricular acNumber of and supporting a candidate whose ideals did tivities and allowing surveyed students not appeal to them. Similarly, many students students to pursue who participate in join clubs like YCS for volunteer hour opportutheir true passions. extracurriculars nities. While spending time supporting the com—Unsigned editorials munity as well as involving oneself in other extraSchool sports: 54 represent the majority curricular opportunities isn’t inherently bad, doing opinion of the staff so purely for college over genuine interest defeats (assenting: 32; the purpose of meaningful community contribution. Club sports: 35 dissenting: 0; abstaining: 5) Activities such as internships, leadership posi-
A student’s passions and interests shouldn’t end once they get admitted into college; instead, post-secondary education is a way to continue pursuing them.
On top of relieving stress, doing activities purely for pleasure helps students in the college admissions process.
School music group: 42
Number of Students
How your
much has choice of
impressing colleges determined high school extracurriculars?
60
45
40 20 0
Music outside of school: 34
16 1
23
Community service: 74
30 10
2
3
Nonfactor
Source: Survey sent out to Gunn students with 124 responses.
4
5 Sole Reason
Internships: 27 Job: 28 Club leadership: 49 Research: 23 Michelle Koo
Source: Survey sent out to Gunn students with 116 responses.
8
Features
Teachers, staff sprinkle their personal Social Studies Teacher Jeff Patrick
For some people, getting dressed everyday is solely about fashion. For history and economics teacher Jeff Patrick, however, it’s about changing into a teaching mindset before going to work. Patrick is known for his classic combination of colored shirts and ties, which are central to setting his professional attitude for the day. “Part of changing into a shirt and tie is changing my mindset and getting ready to teach,” he said. “Even on the days I bike to school, I bring a change of clothes with me. It’s not a requirement—I could teach in my biking gear if I wanted, but it is more for my benefit of getting into that mental mindset and being ready.” Some of Patrick’s ties also hold sentimental value to him, especially if they were gifts from students. “I still have the tie gifted from the class that I did my student teaching for,” he said. “It is around 20 years old at this point.” Depending on the weather outside, Patrick may also change up the style of his outfits. “It kind of goes by season in the beginning of the school year,” he said. “In August and September, I’m usually wearing shirts and ties, and in the winter, I’ll often transition to sweaters.” —Written by Katie LaWer
Math Teacher Kathy Hawes Thankfully for math teacher and fashion lover Kathy Hawes, the math department does not have a dress code, meaning that teachers are able to choose their day-to-day outfits based on personal preference. Hawes takes much joy in this freedom because of her love of fashion. “I find getting dressed to be joyful,” Hawes said. “It just gives me pleasure.” Hawes used to view fashion as complicated. After meeting with stylist Stacy London by coincidence, however, Hawes found dressing fashionably much more accessible. “[The consultant] opened my eyes and made me realize I have more options than I thought,” Hawes said. “I always thought, ‘Oh, I can’t wear that,’ but I actually can.” Occasionally, Hawes tends to base her outfit on her surroundings. “Sometimes, I just base it around the weather,” she said. “During the summer I typically wear a lot of dresses, but in the winter, it makes me sad because I can’t wear them.” Though Hawes has many methods for choosing her everyday outfit, one of her favorites is to challenge herself and style a piece she doesn’t normally wear. “A lot of times, I look at my closet and say, ‘I haven’t worn this in a long time,’ she said. “Then, I try to put an outfit together around it.” —Written by Hila Livneh
English Teacher Kate Weymouth English teacher Kate Weymouth believes that clothing style is a reflection of somebody’s personality and interests. “Your taste [in clothing] is the culmination of everything you’ve seen over the course of your life,” she said. “You’re picking up these little pieces along the way and exploring all of these different tastes [to find out] the style that truly suits you the best.” While she has a realm of fashion she is most comfortable with, Weymouth also enjoys finding pieces that push her past her typical tastes. “I think it’s just about finding a balance between comfort and going a little bit out of your comfort zone,” she said. Although Weymouth Wprefers dresses with softer colors, she also enjoys experimenting with contrasting elements to make things more interesting. “I sometimes stray away from what feels most natural,” Weymouth said. “I like to play around with proportions, patterns and colors.” According to Weymouth , the key to developing a clothing style is to find something that fits the wearer and the kind of person they are. “When you put everything [together] in your wardrobe, it should feel like one coherent wardrobe, because a wardrobe should ultimately be an expression of who you are,” she said. —Written by Kelvin Xu
English Teacher Terence Kitada When English teacher Terence Kitada first came to Gunn in 2013, he was appreciative of the English department’s pseudo-dress code. “I heard from other English teachers that [semi-formal attire] is what you have to wear,” he said. “For me, that was great because I came from teaching in Japan, where the look is more formal.” To pick an outfit, Kitada rotates between his collection of dress shirts, ties, slacks, belts and business shoes. “I won’t wear a shirt again until I’ve worn all the other shirts in my closet,” he said. “Also, my belt and shoes have to match. If I wear a brown belt, my shoes also have to be brown.” Kitada’s style has several influences, including work attire he saw in childhood. “My dad’s a lawyer, and I remember him going off to work in the 1980s and 1990s with a three-piece suit and a briefcase,” he said. Due to the fact that he used to be mistaken for a student when he first began to work at Gunn, Kitada dresses professionally in an attempt to reflect his age. “I remember one time, I was going into the Student Activity Center to pick something up, and the woman working thought I was a student,” Kitada said. “When I wear clothes like this, fewer people on campus think I’m a student.” —Written by Becca Wu
Features
Friday, March 4, 2022
9
senses of style into everyday ensembles Principal Wendy Stratton
Pantsuits, boots and—on special occasions—dresses are Principal Wendy Stratton’s staples. Starting with a blazer, Stratton aims to strike a balance between professional and casual in each outfit she builds, embellishing with a few versatile, minimalist accessories—often gold hoops and a gold necklace. Stratton’s primary focus when choosing her everyday outfits, however, is to wear pieces that reflect her state of mind. “What I’m wearing impacts how I feel about myself,” she said. “I’ll look through my closet and see what I can put together. If I can’t put up with a bright red outfit or if that’s too much for me, I’ll want to go with something more subdued.” Even while she’s on the job, Stratton is always paying attention to fashion, often seeking new inspiration for her outfits from the students themselves. She enjoys observing students’ experimentation with clothing styles, and occasionally implements their fashion choices into her own wardrobe. “I don’t really do scarves, but I notice people who do and think, ‘Oh, I should do more scarves,’” she said. Stratton believes that clothing can define a person. “I’m thoughtful about finding things that are fun, sometimes creative and appropriate,” she said. —Written by Mia Knezevic
English Teacher Paul Dunlap To demonstrate his passion for classical literature or simply the desire to look debonair, English teacher and Instructional Lead Paul Dunlap’s wardrobe displays a diverse combination of funky colors and unique patterns. From eccentric ties to quirky socks, Dunlap’s choices in fashion have been nothing if not eye-catching, colorful and immersive. Dunlap’s outfit planning begins the night before bed with a quick decision. “I’m not a morning person, so the night before I choose what I’m going to wear,” he said. “I just look if the pieces coordinate well. More recently, I’ve complicated things by adding in the matching sock feature.” Dunlap often uses colorful ties to accentuate the other colors of his clothing. “I always want there to be something interesting,” he said. “A tie is one of my favorite ways to do that. I’ll try to have a tie that picks up on the colors and tells a story.” Dunlap also believes there is more to just clothing than a simple visual pop. “I think that if you take an extra moment to put yourself together in a way that you feel confident, it’ll help you actually feel confident in the day,” he said. “It encourages you to match style with substance.” —Written by Cole Ford
English Teacher Mark Hernandez On Valentine’s Day, instead of the typical red and pink color palette, English teacher Mark Hernandez opted for a black double-breasted suit and a gray and gold tie. The classic and traditional outfit was perfect for Hernandez’s Shakespeare class that day, where he was playing Claudius in “Hamlet.” While Hernandez has a rule against layering patterns in multiple pieces of clothing, he makes sure to include something creative in every ensemble. “The one rule I know is that you have to match your shoes and your belt,” he said. “From there, it’s principles. Fashion is both risk-avoidance and a willingness to gamble.” Hernandez wears a suit Monday through Thursday, but prefers a collared shirt and slacks or jeans on Friday. He dresses creatively yet professionally to reflect his attitude towards work. “I like to think that when students see me, they see someone who takes the job seriously but doesn’t take himself too seriously,” he said. Statement suits are a clothing staple that perfectly encapsulate what Hernandez says is true about teaching: it’s hard work, but it should also be fun. “I have some rigid rules, principles and frameworks,” he said. “But within those frameworks, I want to have some fun.” —Written by Irene Tsen
Science Teacher Jacintha Kompella For physics teacher Jacintha Kompella, fashion goes beyond just looks. Since she was young, clothing has played a defining role in her life. Now, it follows her into the workplace. Kompella’s fascination with clothing stems from her early desire to become a teacher. “Even though I trained to be an engineer, my heart always wanted to teach,” she said. “When I was in school, I would see what [my female teachers] were wearing.” The responsibility of being a teacher has had a big impact on deciding what to wear each morning. “Clothes add to the profession.” Kompella said. “So when I choose something, it has to be fun. It also has to be functional because I do all kinds of things.” Over the years, Kompella’s fashion has evolved from her cultural roots. “I grew up in India,” she said. “My signature look used to be fully Indian clothing. I came here in my late 20s, and suddenly, I was transplanted into a different culture, so I had to learn from my co-workers.” Kompella’s style boils down to her love for teaching and her enthusiasm to make her classes engaging. “People think that physics teachers are boring, and I don’t want to be like that,” she said. “I want to embrace the fact that I enjoy doing things that are not physics-related. I like designing and putting outfits together that look good.” —Written by Katie Shih Graphics by Chinyoung Shao Photos by Naomi Wang
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Features
Vivian Studdert
Freshman Noah Murase, junior Matt Herrema, junior Chloe Lee and sophomore Nina Rajwar rehearse with fight choreographer Brian Herndon for “The Comedy of Errors.”
Gunn Theatre brings Berlin spin to ‘The Comedy of Errors’ Twenty-four hours to be reunited. Two sets of longlost twins. Four fates intertwined. All the wonderful misunderstandings that come from such an outlandish premise. Mistaken identities and misconceptions are at the heart of both the laughter and the emotions of Gunn Theater’s spring production, ‘‘The Comedy of Errors.’’ The story follows Antipholus of Syracuse, a man separated at birth from his twin brother, as he sets off to find his family. He is accompanied by his servant, Dromio. Unfortunately for everybody in the play, their counterparts in the city of Ephesus are also named Antipholus and Dromio. Because they are identical in face and name, nobody is able to distinguish one twin from another. “It drives everybody [in the play] absolutely crazy,” director
Kristen Lo said. “They think either they’re going mad, or the person they’re talking to is going mad, because everything is happening in double.” “The Comedy of Errors” will be set in East and West Berlin at the time of the Berlin Wall’s fall, as opposed to the original cities in Ancient Greece. According to stage technician senior Quincy Rosenzweig, the dreary settings of the play contrast its cheery content. “It has a downcast, dark theme to it for a very light and comical presentation,” Rosenzweig said. Junior Matt Herrema, who plays Antipholus of Ephesus, notes that the lighthearted elements of ‘‘The Comedy of Errors’’ are what drive the plot and spirit of the play. “It’s a very accurate title,” Herrema said. “It’s really fun because we get to do a lot of audience interaction. We’re
actually weaving in and out of the pallets [on the quad].” Serving as both the stage and the seating area of the play, the quad will be the unique location for this year’s Shakespeare play. Although COVID-19 restrictions have forced this decision, Lo has been able to work it into the theater experience. “It’s going to be very immersive, with audience interaction and connection,” she said. “Shakespearean comedies ask for that, and we’ve put ourselves in a position where we can do that.” Tickets to watch “The Comedy of Errors” can be purchased at gunntheatre.org. The opening night gala is on March 18, and the show will run until March 26. —Written by Michael Zhang
Elimination planners reintroduce month-long school-wide strategy game March has arrived, meaning the excitement of the new year has worn off and the stress of Advanced Placement (AP) exams and future plans is starting to surface. At Gunn, however, March also marks the beginning of Elimination, a game open to all students to help lighten up spirits and foster new connections. At the start of the game, each player is given a stuffed animal and randomly assigned a student to target. The objective is to tag your target when they’re in a compromised position—or, any time when they’re not visibly holding their stuffed animal. This counts as a “kill” and eliminates them, making their target your new target. The rules become harder as the month progresses. For instance, you might have to hold the stuffed animal above your head to avoid being killed. At the end of the month, the last player remaining with the most kills wins. Targets, kills and the leaderboard can be tracked on the Gunn Elimination website, Gunn.One or Disadus.App, which were developed by juniors Saumya Singhal, Kevin Yu and John Li, who is a reporter for The Oracle. According to Yu, this involves using an open-source website development framework called Next.JS, as well as a great amount of teamwork, which has come with challenges. “It’s been a little busy because the deadline is pretty soon,” Yu said. “We all need to play important roles or everyone will fall behind.” Nonetheless, Singhal values the team’s collaboration. “We’re using a computer framework that I haven’t worked with before, so I’m learning a lot from both of them,” she said. “Up until now, the three of us were competing forces, and this has really shown me that when we work together, we are more powerful.”
Student Executive Council (SEC) Special Events Commissioner senior Sofia Little also plays an important role in developing and overseeing the game. “I’ve ordered the stuffed animals,” she said. “I’m creating the calendar, posting the rules and doing graphics soon for publicizing the event.” Elimination aims to bring excitement and a sense of community to the student body. “It really forces you to talk to people that you don’t know, find people that you don’t know and find out more about them,” Singhal said. According to Singhal, there are two possible ways to win the game: the “lay low” method, where a player conceals their location as often as possible and only starts killing when a few players are remaining, or the “assassin” method, where a player tries to kill everyone one by one. Singhal and Yu both enjoy that Elimination encourages conversations among students. “I remember that in freshman year, it was a lot about asking your friends about a person, and then your friends asking their friends if they knew that person,” Yu said. “It’s sort of like a web.” Besides talking to other people, Little advises players to look through yearbooks and stay alert. “The Student Activities Office has a bunch of free yearbooks,” Little said. “Go through yearbooks, and always keep one eye open because you never know who has you [as their target].”
Rules: — The plushie MUST be visible at all times. — You cannot throw the plushie in order to tag someone; you must tap the other person lightly. — After you eliminate someone, enter the target’s pin number into the site to receive your next target. — You cannot be eliminated during a class period when you are marked present to that class and the bell has rung. — No breaking the law.
—Written by Kaitlyn Chen
Sophie Fan
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Advertisement
Friday, March 4, 2022
Earthwise Productions Spring Jazz Series Earthwise Productions is hosting a series of jazz concerts in Palo Alto this spring. 1. Or Barekat Quartet is performing a free concert at Lytton Plaza on Monday, April 18, 2022 at 6 p.m. 2. Ben Goldberg, Scott Amedola and Todd Sicafoose are performing as a trio on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at Mitchell Park Community Center at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase for $20 on eventbrite.com.* 3. Wayne Horvitz and Sara Schoenbeck are playing as a duo on Friday, May 13, 2022 at Mitchell Park Community Center at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at eventbrite.com.*
Or Barekat: April 18
Todd Sicafoose: April 28
Scott Amedola: April 28
*Present this ad at the door for free entry. Wayne Horvitz: May 13
12
Cente
BODY NEGATIVITY PERVADES Y SOCIAL MEDIA EXACERBATES BODY IMAGE ISSUES IN YOUNG WOMEN In the age of Instagram models and Pinterest inf luencers, social media users are constantly bombarded with images of the “perfect” girl. She’s confident, naturally beautiful and posts colorful photos of fruit bowls and yoga sessions on her stunningly curated feed. When adolescent girls see these heavily photoshopped pictures online, they often feel pressure to achieve the unrealistically “perfect” physical appearance. Today, young teenagers are constantly comparing their bodies to celebrities’, which negatively impacts their body image. In response to an anonymous poll conducted by The Oracle, a student explained how social media affects their self-perception. “With the number of societal beauty standards that I see on a daily basis through social media, I subconsciously compare myself constantly,” they said. Junior Savannah Erickson described how the portrayal of women in the media has a detrimental impact on how women see themselves. “Everyone wants to be liked,” she said. “If you think that men want a certain body type, it’s very easy to fall into that trap. Unrealistic standards have very negatively affected me and made me view myself as unworthy of attention.” Social media isn’t the only factor that influences self-image. As an athlete, sophomore McKayla Mar has noticed the unreasonable expectation to fit into athletic and societal beauty standards. “For both cheer and gymnastics, there’s the expectation to build muscle and look a certain way, like having bigger shoulders or thighs or arms,” Mar said. “I know a lot of my friends don’t like that image or the way they look, and they want to have muscle but don’t want to look big.” It’s difficult for girls—who may have been told from a young age to place self-worth on appearance—to unlearn that mindset of appealing to those around them. “It’s hard to look at girls with flat stomachs and believe it to be what men want,” another student poll answer said. “It’s very difficult to unlearn those thoughts and stop thinking of yourself as imperfect if you don’t appeal to the male audience.” The never-ending shift in the standards for feminine body image shows how women’s bodies are treated like a fashion trend, modified to fit others’ expectations, when body image should only be based on personal health and happiness. Not only that, but these ever-changing societal standards for women’s appearances can be harmful. Body dysmorphia, for example, is a mental disorder that causes people to fixate or be overly critical of perceived flaws in their ap-
pearance. Erickson’s dysmorphia impacted her personal life. “Body dysmorphia had affected my relationships with my parents and significant others,” she said. “It’s hard to see myself as who I am, and I usually would buy clothes in bigger sizes because that’s how I perceived myself.” For teenagers, the influence of social media plays a huge role in creating the pressure to attain the perfect body, and it can amplif y dysmorphic feelings. It’s important to keep in mind that images found on social media can be enhanced and edited, and this most likely happens because even influencers feel the same pressure to look perfect. It’s not always easy to train out of that mindset when one is constantly exposed to unrealistic standards, but it’s not impossible. Taking a break from social media can help users stop comparing themselves to these glittering and glamorous models. Most importantly, being aware of the personal impacts of these standards and shifting focus towards well-being and confidence will help develop contentment with not just appearance, but identity.
Can’t lose w
Try a keto
—Written by Safina Syed
ONLY
7.4% of female students surveyed feel extremely comfortable with their body.
NONBINARY STUDENTS DESCRIBE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES Gender dysphoria, different from body dysmorphia, is what the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) defines as “discomfort, pain and unhappiness that is experienced by many transgender people in relationship to the commonly gendered parts of their body.” Sophomore Jordan Minion, who is nonbinary, has faced challenges in accepting the physical and mental aspects of their gender identity. For Minion, accepting their appearance was most challenging in middle school, when they were first discovering their identity. “When I was younger, I definitely experienced a lot of gender dysphoria,” Minion said. “At 11 or 12, I didn’t feel like a girl or a boy at all, but I didn’t even know what being nonbinary was or that it was even an option. I went back and forth between different pronouns, and I didn’t really know what was missing.” However, Minion found both mental and physical reassurance upon realizing that they were nonbinary. “Having a label helps,” Minion said. “It kind of gives
you that safety net of ‘this is who I am.’ Of course, it’s subjective—not everyone wants a label. But, it was really helpful for me to have an answer.” As they grew more confident in their gender, Minion began to emphasize their internal identity over their outward appearance. “When I first [recognized myself as] nonbinary, it was a reflection of how I saw myself physically,” Minion said. “But as I found out more about my gender identity, it’s become more of a mental reflection. Now, even if I look feminine or masculine on any given day, I still feel the same way.” Even so, Minion has faced obstacles in self-acceptance. For them, media messaging and expectations have placed harmful standards on nonbinary and transgender individuals. “There’s a lot of pressure to look how you feel, especially on TikTok and Instagram,” Minion said. “For example, if a trans man doesn’t cut his hair, go on testosterone, get surgery or wear a binder, they don’t fit into these societal expectations for what a man is. That’s very similar
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erfold
Friday, March 4, 2022
YOUTH IN AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MEN’S BODY STANDARDS PROMPT U N H E A LT H Y WO R KO U T H A B I T S
weight?
o diet!
get abs in two weeks!
Becca Wu
To trace the evolution of the male body standard from years past, we only need to look at Superman. Since his creation in 1938, the iconic superhero has represented t he idea l A mer ic a n ma n for much of the late 1900s— strong, handsome and selfless. In the “Superman” movies from 1978 to 1987, the hero was played by Christopher Reeves, a man with an athletic but not crazily muscular build. In 2013 to 2016, however, Henry Cavill replaced Reeves as Superman, making Reeves’ Superman seem almost puny in contrast to Cavill’s incredibly buff superhero. Superman’s body type mirrors that of the fluctuating American beauty standards. The ideal male body has roughly remained lean, athletic and muscular in recent years—physical traits that reflect the social standard for male behavior as strong, confident and infallible. In order to feel like a man, society believes that one must look like a man. In a study on adolescent male body dissatisfaction published to the National Institutes of Health, researcher Jessica H. Baker and her team found that the two main factors that govern a teenage boy’s satisfaction with his body are height and muscle. In the study, 67% of the boys reported low dissatisfaction with their height, while 79.3% reported intermediate to severe dissatisfaction with their muscle mass. Due to coexisting desires to improve his mental state and transform his body, senior Darshan Dullabh found himself gravitating towards weightlifting. “I was overweight and borderline obese, and I saw weightlifting as an opportunity to change myself for the better, both mentally and physically,” he said. “This was and is my motivation for weightlifting: the ability to transform my body into what I want. It became an addictive feeling that fueled and motivated me to get up and make a change.” Many recent gym practices are targeted to build more muscle, a determination partly fueled by the desire to conform to the ideal male standard. This includes bulking, a procedure where a skinnier person looking to build muscle will consume calories far exceeding their typical intake in an effort to gain weight. Eventually, the intention is to turn that added weight into muscle through an intense workout and lifting routine called “cutting.” While the bulking and cutting procedure is a practice aimed at achieving positive
results in the long run, such erratic diets and fitness regimens can cause lasting damage to the body. According to Healthline, side effects include increased risk of injury, sluggishness and elevated blood cholesterol and sugar levels. While bulking may have its physical benefits, it can also negatively impact people mentally. “Due to the bulking process [that] adds more fat on an individual’s body, specifically in the midsection and face, athletes may oftentimes form minor negative feelings toward themselves and their self-image,” Dullabh said. According to senior Amar Srivastava, his idea of the ideal male body is also shaped by the media he consumes online. “I think the media in general, whether it be social media, television or movies, has had the biggest negative effect on my body image,” he said. “I’ve realized that I’m not a ‘conventionally attractive’ man. I see the men that are regarded as being attractive, and I look nothing like them.” While observing picture-perfect models in modern media can be disheartening for the everyday viewer, Srivastava’s eventual path to self-confidence gives him hope that others can feel the same. “I used to abhor the way I looked because I didn’t feel represented in the media as an ‘ideal’ male, even in my ethnicity,” he said. “But I feel as though I’ve made great strides. I actually love the way I look now. I like that I look unique. It’s important to remember that [ideal body types] aren’t representative of true beauty. At the risk of sounding cliché, everyone is beautiful, and looking different makes you beautiful.” —Written by Jessica Zang
only
17.6% of male students surveyed feel extremely comfortable with their body.
WITH GENDER DYSPHORIA, ITS EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH to being nonbinary. It’s just important to remember that you don’t owe anyone androgyny.” Androgyny is defined as possessing both masculine and feminine characteristics simultaneously. Minion’s experiences were echoed by other nonbinary students in an anonymous poll from The Oracle. One student described their discomfort with societal expectations. “I would like to present myself as feminine or masculine sometimes, but society says I can’t if I’m nonbinary,” they said. “Plus, the standard for gender non-conforming people is skinny, white and perfectly gender neutral, which puts harmful restrictions on how we can present ourselves.” Ultimately, Minion believes that dysphoria has a primarily mental basis. “Honestly, I don’t think there’s a way to [mitigate dysphoria],” Minion said. “You can’t really fix the issues that you’re uncomfortable with—that’s usually a mental issue, not a physical issue. It’s really just finding yourself.”
80.0% of nonbinary students surveyed struggle with some form of gender dysphoria.
—Written by James Huang Source: Data collected from survey sent out to Gunn students with 131 responses.
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Features
students stay in tune with their Sophomore Mariam Kubursi: Songwriter
Carly Liao
Sophie Fan
Singer-songwriter sophomore Mariam Kubursi began singing when she was three years old. She quickly found a passion for it and started writing her own lyrics during the early stages of the pandemic. On most occasions, the lyrics come randomly to Kubursi while washing the dishes or even in the middle of chemistry class. “When random lyrics pop into my head while I’m in class, I write them on my notebook,” she said. “Then, once I’m free, I record it on my phone.” Her love for sharing her music stemmed from her father, who inspired her to pursue a music career. “[My father] used to sing a lot to me when I was little, and he taught me how to play the piano and other instruments,” Kubursi said. “It was from there that I realized that I really liked to sing.” She grew up doing voice lessons and soon began participating in singing competitions and performances around the Bay Area. “I hope that one day, I’ll be able to perform my own songs,” she said. Her newfound love for songwriting grew after one of her friends moved away in April 2020. “I wanted to put how I felt into something meaningful to me, and I picked my youth as a theme,” she said. “The words just started flowing.” From there, she continued writing as a way to express what she couldn’t with speech. “Writing lyrics is what got me through most of lockdown,” she said. “I just started writing what I felt, and that is what music is for.” The songs Kubursi writes are mixtures of both true and imaginary stories. She carries a notebook almost everywhere she goes to be able to note any melody or lyric that comes to her mind at any time. “I like to make up a lot of stories
when writing, so a lot of the time, [my songs] are about things that I make up in my head,” she said. “But other than that, I write on my experiences, and I add on to it to make it more appealing.” So far, she has written around 20 songs and hopes to release an album by the end of this year. Kubursi enjoys how writing songs usually comes instinctively. “My favorite part [of songwriting] is the fact that song lyrics and melodies come naturally, and I don’t really have to think about them for too long,” she said. Although Kubursi notes that songwriting is an outlet for her emotions, it isn’t always easy. If she works on a song for a long time, she starts to lose the meaning behind it. “If I’m not really feeling what I’m writing anymore, the words don’t flow naturally and it’s way harder to write,” Kubursi said. In order to solve this problem, Kubursi has decided not to dwell on one song idea for too long. “You can’t think about [song ideas] too hard because if a song starts and it’s not really finishing, just let it go for some time and come back to it later,” she said. Through trial and error, Kubursi has developed her songwriting skills and decided to share her tips and tricks with the student body. In January, she founded Gunn’s Songwriting Club, which meets every Wednesday at lunch, to offer more insight on lyric writing. “I really want to share with other people how to put their emotions into song form,” she said. Kubursi believes that everyone is capable of writing song lyrics—they may just need help getting started. “Once you have something that really means a lot to you, it’s very easy to write about it,” she said. “It can make a catchy tune for other people to listen to.” —Written by Lise Desveaux
Senior Saman de Silva: CLASSICAL Singer
Photo courtesy of Tom Disher
In middle school, senior Saman de Silva never thought of himself as an artist. Instead, de Silva identified more with his academic interests. That all changed when he discovered classical singing in the summer after eighth grade. Classical singing encompasses both art song and opera. De Silva explained the differences between the two subgenres. “Think of it as the difference between Dua Lipa and musical theater,” he said. “Dua Lipa writes these one-off songs that don’t necessarily have a narrative that binds them together, whereas musical theater is more like opera.” De Silva participates in art song because, as a teenager, his vocal cords are not mature enough to sing opera safely. One of de Silva’s most significant experiences singing classical music happened on Nov. 30, 2020, when he participated in a radio program called “From the Top.” As a part of the program, de Silva was given the opportunity to sing two pieces for patients at the Colorado Children’s Hospital via Zoom. “It’s really for the children who are there year-round or as longterm patients,” he said. Looking back, de Silva is grateful that he got the opportunity to use his singing to help other people. “The kids loved the music,” he said. “It was calming during what was a very hectic time for them. I think that was the first time I’d ever seen music that comes from me contributing to the welfare of society.” All of the hours spent rehearsing and fine-tuning his voice have allowed de Silva to gain a more nuanced appreciation of classical singing. This new eye for detail within the music has made de Silva’s work more rewarding. “I know the craft that goes into it,” he said. “I know what it looks like to collaborate with other artists and musicians. It
is so nonlinear compared to math and what [math teacher David] Deggeller teaches us in calculus. I think I have so much more respect now for how [music] works.” Despite all of the respect and admiration that de Silva has for classical singing, he is also cognizant of its flaws. The most prominent among these are classical singing’s failures to adequately convey the stories of people of color (POC). De Silva was particularly angered over an opera called “The Professor’s” by George V. Ze, which depicted Sri Lankan people as primitive. “It was so problematic seeing that,” he said. “My eyes went wide when I realized, ‘Oh, my god, is this really how my art form thinks of me?’ I just never had any personal experience with that until after seeing that opera.” To help address the lack of diversity in classical singing, de Silva spoke at TEDx Gunn last year, where he delivered a speech championing the importance of diversity in performance arts. Looking into the future, de Silva remains hopeful that classical singing will become more diverse. “There’s more consumption of new works that tell different stories of POC and will thus feature POC,” he said. De Silva is still unsure of whether he will fully continue singing classical music in the future. “I am going out to auditions for two conservatories in the month of March,” he said. “But, I don’t actually think that I’m necessarily going to go to a music school.” Instead, de Silva hopes to pursue both music and his academic interests. “What I find highly likely is [that] I’m going to go into an [undergraduate school] for an academic subject, but then study music at a local conservatory and get as close as I can to getting a bachelor’s degree in music,” he said. —Written by Arjun Shah
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Features
Friday, March 4, 2022
artistic expression through music Junior Hannah qiu: guzheng player Before she starts playing the guzheng, junior Hannah Qiu closes her eyes to encompass herself in the mindset of the composer. For Qiu, playing the guzheng—a 21-stringed traditional Chinese instrument—isn’t solely about mastering the technique, but about connecting with her Chinese culture and understanding the story behind the music. Qiu believes that the tradition and stories make the guzheng unique. “The instrument carries the story of Chinese history and how Chinese culture has evolved,” she said. Qiu is fortunate to have the opportunity to play the guzheng, but as a second-generation Chinese American, she thinks she experiences some disadvantages compared to other
native Chinese players who are more exposed to Chinese culture. Since the guzheng is more popular in China, Qiu has found it difficult to find a community for Chinese music and a sense of belonging here in America. “[When] living here, it’s a little bit difficult to get other opportunities to learn more about Chinese culture,” she said. The hardest part about mastering this instrument, according to Qiu, is being able to comprehend the story or emotions that the composer is trying to convey. Many of the songs that Qiu plays are traditional pieces based on Chinese idioms, landscapes and stories. “Every time I learn a piece, I really have to understand the story behind it,” she said. “Oftentimes, I’ll spend hours with a teacher trying to go over the meaning and the emotions behind a piece.” Qiu notes that it can often be easy to accidentally convey a different meaning by adding an American twist. Qiu’s dedication to learning about Chinese culture and practicing her instrument for several hours a week finally paid off when she earned third place in an international competition against some of the best guzheng players in the world. “It took a lot of work to win because as a Chinese American, I’ve undergone very different training compared to some people who go to professional music schools in China,” she said. Although connecting to the story is a challenge, the guzheng has bridged the gap between Qiu and her Chinese heritage. She has come to a better understanding of what each Chinese tradition means, and her instrument has helped her feel closer to older generations. Qiu will often send videos of her playing the guzheng to her relatives in China to connect with them during the holidays. In the future, Qiu plans to continue to improve, compete and perform as much as she can to share her culture with the world. “Music is a conduit for my emotions and a way to express myself,” she said. “No matter what happens in the future, I can always rely on the guzheng.” —Written by Madison Yue
Photo courtesy of Hannah Qiu
Clair Koo
senior ankitha raman: music producer
Naomi Wang
Sophie Fan
Since she was young, playing and creating music have come naturally to senior Ankitha Raman. As her love for the art has grown, she has developed her skills and formed a new way of expressing her passion for music: writing her own songs. Thanks to her father, Raman’s love for playing instruments started early. “My dad is a big fan of music, and he plays guitar,” she said. “When I was seven, he put me in piano lessons, and I continued playing piano for a really long time. Then, through middle school, I did choir and band. I taught myself guitar and ukulele, and I continued playing piano.” Raman owns a variety of instruments, including an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukelele and baby grand piano. The piano is her favorite instrument to play. “I [have] played piano for the longest, and sometimes I still play classical songs for fun,” she said. With her knowledge of how to play multiple instruments, Raman started to create her own songs inspired by her favorite artists. “A lot of the musicians that I listen to are singer-songwriters,” she said. “I was inspired by the fact that they write their own songs. I picked up on that, and I started to write my own songs.” Raman’s songs reflect the music she listens to, especially the artists that create her favorite songs and albums. “My music is like [a] pop, singer-songwriter type of music,” she said. “I listen mainly to Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde and Lana Del Rey. They all write their music, so my music is inspired by that.” The music artist that she takes
most of her inspiration from is Taylor Swift, who she has grown up listening to. “I listen to Taylor Swift, and I’ve probably been a fan since I was five,” she said. “She’s very inspiring because she writes a lot of her music, and one of her albums is completely self-written. I also like that she changes genres so she’s not really confined by any one genre with anything that she does.” After the writing process, Raman enjoys recording her songs and adds her musical instrument talents to the song as well. “I record some of my songs as demos, [meaning] not with full production,” she said. “I plug in my guitar through an amp, and I have microphones and headsets. After recording, my dad helps me with using the music software and putting the pieces all together.” To Raman, music is more than writing and recording; she also finds peace in the art itself. “Music is a big stress reliever for me,” she said. “I’ll pick up my guitar or I’ll go to the piano that I have in my house, and I play songs. A lot of the time, it’ll just be covers of songs that I’m into at the moment, and I’ll sing them.” After many years of playing and writing music, Raman has found that repetition and experience make the best work. “By continuously practicing and continuing to write, you hone in on your craft,” she said. “All of the singers and artists that you listen to have probably written thousands of songs and do lots of edits of one song. A lot of times, the best songs aren’t the ones that come quickly.” —Written by Haley Pflasterer
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Sports
Friday, March 4, 2022
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Siblings bond through playing the same sports For many, their sports teammates are acquaintances, classmates or even strangers. But for some, their teammates are their very own siblings. Senior Mollie Kuelker and freshman Vallory Kuelker are just one of these sibling pairs. These sisters have grown up together on the basketball court and now play for the girls varsity basketball team. Mollie Kuelker, for one, has played basketball since she was seven years old. “My older sister Maila played basketball, so I was always watching basketball from a young age,” Mollie Kuelker said. Her younger sister Vallory Kuelker has played basketball for over eight years. “I got into basketball because of watching my older sisters play,” she said. “I would always play in my sisters’ practices, just for fun.” The Kuelkers are not the only sibling athletes at Gunn. Senior Jonathan Hardan and junior Jude Hardan, his brother, have been playing soccer together for the past 14 years. They are now teammates on the boys varsity soccer team. “My dad plays soccer, so he got us interested in the sport,” Jonathan Hardan said. “We felt a little bit obligated at first, but once we started liking it, it was completely our choice.” The Kuelkers and Hardans have each trained with their siblings outside of school for years, but less so now that they are busier and on the same team at Gunn. Still, the Kuelkers enjoy the time that they spend practicing on campus. “During practices, Vallory and I were always the ones singing and dancing the most when we played music, and that was always super fun,” Mollie Kuelker said. “We’d just be embarrassing ourselves, but it was okay because we were doing it together.” According to Vallory Kuelker, playing the same sport has benefited her and her sister. “I share some gear with Mollie and have gotten a lot of clothes handed down to me,” she said. “We’ve also been able to bond through playing since we can talk and hang out together more.” Jude Hardan agreed that sports have helped him
bond with his brother. “I’m pretty lucky to have someone around the same age with the same interest,” he said. “[We] can spend a lot more time with each other.” Although the siblings share similar interests, they often get compared to each other. The Kuelkers are unbothered by this, though. “Other parents used to say a lot of things,” Mollie Kuelker said. “My mom would always tell them that we can’t be compared because we’re different players and positions. It has never made Vallory and me competitive on the court.” The Hardan brothers also get compared to each other, yet they handle it just as well. “Our friends ask all the time,” Jude Hardan said. “Everyone’s like, ‘Who’s better?’” According to Jonathan, the answer is clear. “It’s always me,” Hardan said. “I’m always better.” Though the Hardans now play for the same team, they were once opponents in club soccer. “We were on different teams based on our ages,” Jonathan Hardan said. “But one time we got the chance to scrimmage, so I was playing against [Jude]. I remember putting in a pretty nasty tackle on him. It’s something funny that we always tell people.” Since the Hardans now both play for Gunn, they take it as an opportunity to support each other. “We watch pretty much all of each other’s games, and we know each other’s coaches,” Jonathan Hardan said. “So we can sit on the bench with them and be with the team, and at halftime or during the game, we’ll yell instructions if they need help.” The Kuelkers echoed this sentiment. Because they are on the same team, they assist each other in games. “Vallory and I work really well together on the court,” Mollie Kuelker said. “We know each other’s playing style, and it’s really easy to trust each other. We always know that someone has our back when we play together.” —Written by Anriya Wang
Photo courtesy of Jude Hardan
Photo courtesy of Sunny Jefferson
Top: Junior Jude Hardan passes the ball to a teammate during a varsity boys soccer game. Bottom: Senior Mollie Kuelker dribbles the ball up the court during the girls varsity basketball game against University Prep Academy on Feb. 5.
Coaches reflect on preventing student athlete injuries In sports, injuries often hinder the athlete’s ability to perform, whether it is physically or mentally. Though minor injuries may result in a few days off, more serious injuries leave long recovery that may mean sitting out for a portion of the season. Whether it is cheerleading, basketball or another sport, injuries happen, and the coach’s opinion is crucial in assessing the situation and deciding on how to proceed. Athletic trainer Gagan Cheema helps injured athletes recover and emphasizes the importance of not only full rehabilitation and recovery, but also preventative measures. “There are some coaches who ask for preventative-type strength programs that they give to
Photo courtesy of Julianna Chang
their athletes,” Cheema says. “A lot of [Gunn] coaches have experience in a variety of strength training, plyometric training or conditioning to certain degrees. It’s really nice when those coaches can implement that in their preseason and spend time with their athletes to make sure that they are ready before the season begins.” Gunn offers many high intensity sports like basketball, which consists of running and contact that makes athletes more prone to injury. “I cover all sports here at Gunn, and I would say the most common [injury] that I [treat] is probably ankle-related,” Cheema said. According to girls basketball coach Daniel Wentling, the junior varsity team suffered from various finger and ankle injuries throughout the past season. Although training and experience can help prevent injury, Wentling views some injuries as unprevent-
“A lot of [Gunn] coaches have experience in a variety of strength training, plyometric training or conditioning to certain degrees. It’s nice when those coaches can implement that in their preseason and spend time with the athletes to make sure that they are ready before the season begins.” —Athletic Trainer Gagan Cheema
Photo courtesy of Sunny Jefferson
Top: The cheer team poses with coaches Arianna Denson and Tiana Sweat at the JAMZ Nationals in Las Vegas on Feb.11. Bottom: The girls junior varsity basketball team poses with coach Daniel Wentling.
able. Basketball, he noted, is an injury-prone activity in itself. “Part of it comes with the [sport],” Wentling said. The injuries not only affect the individual player, but the team as well. The injured players get substituted, shifting the team’s strategy and collaboration. “It is obviously disappointing to the team when a teammate is unable to play,” Wentling said. “[However,] the next player needs to be ready to go.” Gunn’s cheer team also suffers from various injuries through the season due to the intensity of the sport. Their routines often contain elements that
can be very dangerous if executed incorrectly. Gunn alumni and current cheer coach Arianna Denson has seen her share of injuries out on the cheer mat. “I’ve seen quite a few [accidents] that really stick out,” she said. “Ambulances are called way too often. I’ve seen someone get hit and bite through their bottom lip to a point where there is a hole you could look through. I’ve seen plenty of broken bones where the limb looks like jello, and that leads to surgeries. I’ve [also] seen piercings get ripped out, teeth knocked out and, of course, really bad concussions.” Concussions, according to Denson, are one of the most common injuries among cheerleaders. “Lifting and throwing people is very dangerous,” Denson said. “Oftentimes [it] isn’t perfect, [resulting in] a weird catch, an elbow to the head or even falling. On my team, we teach you to catch your flier no matter what. [Fliers] are coming from 10 to 20 feet in the air sometimes, so for them to hit the floor is never good.” In cheer, one injured person means adjustments for the team. “If someone is out for an injury, their group can’t do anything because you need every piece of your stunt group to make it work,” Denson said. “[Injuries] can make others nervous and lack confidence because we have to change routines up [at] the last second.” Like any Gunn sports team, coaches must ensure that their athletes are fully recovered before they can return to practice or competitions, and the emotional trauma can often be harder to treat than the actual physical injury. “[There is] always the mental aspect that comes with it, which can affect your success,” Denson said. “If someone gets dropped, they lose trust in the people who didn’t catch them and become scared to try anything again.” Athletic trainers like Cheema make sure that injured athletes slowly build up intensity in rehabilitation to prepare them for going back into their sport. “Psychologically, they feel that along with their strength training, they’ve already done some of those movements,” Cheema said. “That way, when they are cleared, they don’t feel like that’s the first time they’re doing it.”
—Written by Charlotte Qian
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Sports
Upcoming spring sports season BOYS LACROSSE
Team captain junior Alex Farrington, a midfielder, is looking forward to the lacrosse season with many new players joining the team. “We are hoping to get a better record than [that of] previous years and win more games,” Farrington said. “It’s a fairly new team, so I’m excited to see what we can do. We have good players and a lot of athletes.” Farrington also looks forward to progressing both individually and as a team. “I want to have fun while playing, improve overall as an athlete and hopefully get some good stats,” he said. “I want to get the team close and playing well together.”
Stats Current record: 0-0 Current ranking: N/A Next home game: Mar. 9 at 7 p.m.
Gracie Easton
GIRLS LACROSSE
Sophomore Julia Eide, an attacker and midfielder, explained what her goals are for the upcoming lacrosse season. “I’m expecting [our team] to put their all into every game required so that we can go to the Central Coast Section [CCS] Championships,” she said. Eide also noted the importance of strengthening team bonds. “As a team, getting to know how we each play individually will help us work better together,” she said.
Stats Current record: 1-0 Current ranking: First in Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) Next home game: Mar. 7 at 7 p.m.
Gracie Easton
BOYS TENNIS
Team captain junior Raghav Jangabahadur plays singles for the tennis team and is excited for the upcoming season after last season’s irregularity due to COVID-19. “We are going to do a lot better than last year since [last] season was rushed and there weren’t many practices before matches started,” Jangabahadur said. “This year’s team is very solid, and we can go far in our league and CCS.” Because Jangabahadur plays in national-level tournaments as a solo athlete, he welcomes the differences that came with playing as part of a team. “I really enjoy the tennis season,” he said. “It’s very different for me than competing individually.”
Stats Current record: 2-0 Current ranking: Third in SCVAL De Anza Division Next home game: Mar. 15 at 4 p.m.
Yoochan An
BADMINTON
Mixed doubles player junior Ashley Siu reflects on past badminton seasons. “My expectations are pretty low given that I was the only girl on the team last season, so we had to forfeit most of our matches,” Siu said. However, she is ready for a fresh start this season. “I’m really excited about the [season] since last year didn’t really count and freshman year got taken away from me [because of the pandemic],” she said. “As a team, we are looking forward to improve on conditioning and badminton skills. Personally, I’m looking forward to improve on how I work with people and the team.”
Stats Current record: 0-0 Current ranking: N/A Next home game: Mar. 8 at 3:45 p.m.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Yoochan An
Team captain senior Sebastian Caldera, a setter, reflected on changes to the team’s roster. “A lot of starting players graduated last season, and I was sad to see them go,” he said. “However, I’m hopeful this season because I see a lot of talent and height among the new players, and they have a lot of potential. I’m really excited for the rest of the season, and I’m looking forward to playing Palo Alto High School [Paly] again.” Looking ahead, Caldera sees room for improvement after their first win. “We were a little uncoordinated on teamwork,” he said. “Things weren’t going exactly how I wanted to, but we still came out with the win. I’m really proud of our team.” Gracie Easton
Stats Current record: 1-0 Current ranking: First in SCVAL El Camino Division Next home game: Mar. 9 at 5 p.m.
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Sports
Friday, March 4 2022
provides diverse opportunities BOYS GOLF
Team captain senior Rishi Valluru is optimistic about the upcoming season. “I hope that we are able to stay in the upper league and finish in the top six so that we can qualify for the league championships,” Valluru said. “We want to have more focused practices but also have fun playing together as a team.” Valluru is also eager to form connections with underclassmen. “I want to be a leader and help everyone by guiding and showing them around,” he said.
Stats Current record: 0-0 Current ranking: N/A Next meet: Mar. 7 at 3:30 p.m. against Saratoga
Senior Aditya Mittal, who jumps and runs sprints, is looking forward to the new talent on the team and both personal and team progress. “I’m expecting a lot of growth this season just because none of us have been able to run for the past year and a half,” he said. “I’m really excited to see the freshmen or sophomores come out and just try events.” Mittal is also excited for competitions they missed out on last year. “The Paly versus Gunn dual meet is always really fun,” he said. “I’m excited for invitationals like Firebird [Relays] and the St. Francis Invitational.”
Stats Current record: 0-1 Varsity; 1-0 JV/FroshSoph Current ranking: N/A Next home meet: Mar. 8 at 3:30 p.m.
Chinyoung Shao
Freshman Riley Hill specializes in butterfly and is excited to join the varsity swim team this year. “It’s my first year on the team, and everyone has been nice,” Hill said. “I also got to know some upperclassmen.” Hill looks forward to getting to know her teammates.“[COVID-19] set everyone back, so I’m not expecting too much,” she said. “I want to swim for all of high school, and it would be nice to get to know the team better. I haven’t done a high school meet yet, but I’m excited for the social aspect.”
SWIMMING
TRACK AND FIELD
Photo courtesy of Rishi Valluru
Stats Current record: 0-0 Current ranking: N/A Next home meet: Mar. 11 at 4 p.m.
Mia Knezevic
SOFTBALL
Sophomore Ruth Jaquette, a pitcher and outfielder, hopes to go undefeated and win the league championship this year. “I think we’ll do well because we have a similar team [as last year],” she said. “We have a lot of seniors, and we won league last year. I’m really looking forward to league and out-of-league play, and I’m excited to see how we do against other leagues.” She also hopes to bond with her teammates. “As a team, we’re really looking forward to not having COVID-19 as a big issue,” she said. “Also, we want to get closer as a team.”
Stats Current record: 2-2 Current ranking: First in CCS El Camino Division Next home game: Mar. 8 at 3:30 p.m.
Chinyoung Shao
BASEBALL
Junior Jonathan Xu, a catcher, hopes to build off of and improve from last year. “I hope that our team will be able to make CCS because we were really close last year,” Xu said. “We have a lot of returning players and also some new talent, so I think we’re looking good this year. For this season, I think we should work on our communication since in a team sport, communication is vital to success on the field. I’m really looking forward to the progress we’re going to make this season since we all trained really hard during preseason.” —Compiled by Kenneth Soh and Ellie Yuan Chinyoung Shao
Stats Current record: 1-3 Current record: First in CCS El Camino Division Next home game: Mar. 4 at 3:30 p.m.
Sophie Fan
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Lifestyle
THE ORACLE provides tips to become a wordle wonder what is wordlE?
Tip #1: Use “S” In the first word
Tip #2: Use placeholders
Wordle is a word game created by Josh Wardle, a software developer based in Brooklyn, New York. He published it to the internet in October 2021, when around 100 people played daily. Now, over 300,000 people play Wordle daily. This sharp rise in popularity due to social media led the New York Times to purchase Wordle for over $1 million. Now, there are many variations of the game including Dordle, Quordle and Octordle.
As a general rule, the first word should always have the letter “s.” According to letter frequency tables, “s” is the most common letter in five-letter words. It is also important to note that the frequencies of letters vary across the five positions: the first letter is most often a consonant, and “s” is the most popular first and last letter. “A,” however, is usually the second or third letter, while “u” occurs very infrequently in five-letter words.
Another useful tip is to use placeholders for letters that you are not sure about. For example, if you are sure the word ends in -ter, you can type in “xxter” to help you visualize what the word might be. In this case, the word might be “enter.” Also, remember to use consonant blends like the bl- in “blend” or th- in “thank.” This is most useful when you are on the last few guesses and have the letters narrowed down.
tip #3: don’t use “adieu” The word “adieu” is a very popular starting word because it contains the most vowels for a five-letter word. In truth, however, having a lot of vowels is not ideal when trying to solve the Wordle in the fewest attempts. Vowels are very common in the english language, and thus when you place a vowel in the correct place, it actually doesn’t do a great job of narrowing the possibilities. Instead, it is more advantageous to use words with a greater number of consonants.
gunn students’ most popular starting words
Tip #4: use “tares” Wordle pulls its words from a bank of 2315 commonly used words, so the goal of the first word is to gain as much bits of information as possible. Some of the best Words like “tares” and “crane” only have around a 7% chance of not having any letters in the word at all, while at the same time providing six bits of information. Meanwhile, a word like “fuzzy,” is one of the worst and only gains around one bit of information. Overall, “tares” is the best starting word to solve the puzzle in the fewest number of attempts. —Compiled by Paul Garofolo
Natalie Lam
Source: Survey sent out to Gunn students with 131 responses.
online book spaces provide community, exposure In the digital age, many may believe that the joys felt at Gunn. Librarian Daljeet Gill says that books a clear shift in the diversity of the book community, of classical literature have been lost among iPhones combined with social media is always a positive power. thanks to social media. [The] ‘young adult’ (YA) genre and social media. Still, reality disproves this assump- “TikTok has really been a driving force in terms of stu- has tended to be dominated by white women, but now tion since nothing screams “books” like social media in dents coming in and checking out books,” he said. you can see non-binary people, people of color and a 2022. Since Gill began working at Gunn seven years ago, more of a diverse crowd of authors and protagonists A niche community of book lovers has established he has noticed that young adult books have always alike,” Gill said. itself on several social media platforms—one of the been popular among students. However, he recognized E. Lockheart’s “We Were Liars,” released in 2014, largest and most influential is is another book that owes its revival to Book#BookTok, a corner of TikTok Tok. The novel follows a girl from an affluent that discusses and reviews popufamily as she explores the dark secrets and lar books. BookTok gained populies that hide behind pretty faces and money. lar attention in March 2020, right After an initial sales spike upon release, folSource: Survey sent out to as the COVID-19 pandemic began lowed by years of modest interest, the book Gunn students with 131 responses. and stay-at-home orders were isreached the best-seller list last summer, sursued across America. Since then, prising both author and publisher. BookTok’s popularity has been With the marketing power of BookTok growing exponentially, racking now well-known, authors and publishers are up a total of 36 billion views on all adapting. Twenty-three year old author Chloe videos as of Feb. 3, 2022. Gong began sharing news of her debut novel, The widespread popularity of “These Violent Delights,” several months beBookTok has substantially infore its release on Nov. 17, 2020. The novel, a creased book sales in the young retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” adult genre. For example, Madiset in the 1920s in Shanghai, became an inson Miller’s “The Song of Achilstant sensation, hitting the number one spot les,” a retelling of Homer’s “The on the bestseller list by November. The Gunn Iliad” was released in late 2011. library has a copy of the book, along with its The book received considerable newly-released sequel, “Our Violent Ends.” praise, winning the Orange Prize As of late February, all books mentioned are for Fiction in 2012. In early 2021, available in the Gunn Library. however, the novel enjoyed a reSimply put, physical literature is not going surgence, suddenly rising to the away anytime soon. While social media and top of the “New York Times” besttechnology may garner the spotlight, books seller list. Miller and her puband novels have carved out their own niche in lisher were ecstatic as they were the online world and continue to lend enterconfused by this surge in populartainment to current and future generations. Other Fantasy Realistic Sci-Fi Romance N o n ity—but the mystery was solved fiction Fiction —Written by Vivian Studdert when they discovered that the book had gone viral on BookTok. Book Genres Sophie Fan BookTok’s influence has been
gunn students’ favorite book genres
Lifestyle
Friday, March 4, 2022
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1. French film following a young boy living in a clock 2. 2018 Oscars host Jimmy ______ 3. “Red pill or blue pill?” 5. The 2022 ______ Awards 7. 2021 Best Picture winner, about a woman living in her van 9. Home of the superhero Black Panther 11. “I’ll be back” 12. 2022 Oscar nominee starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya 13. Place to hang out and watch movies
1. Area of Los Angeles famous for its massive sign 3. Movie that won Best Picture after an envelope mix-up 4. 1997 film about a sinking ship 6. Highest grossing movie of all time about a planet called Pandora inhabited by blue humanoid aliens 8. First foreign language film to win Best Picture Clair Koo
10. Country with the highest number of foreign language film nominations; think baguettes —Compiled by John Li
Finished? Stop by room P-115 during 5th period or lunch the week of March 7 with the completed crossword puzzle for a treat!
22
Lifestyle
Staffer reviews 2022 Oscar nominations Becca Wu Centerfold Editor The 94th Academy Awards, airing on Sunday, March 27, will be the first normal, full capacity awards show since 2019. Does anybody remember anything that happened in last year’s Oscars? What even was “Nomadland?” The last and only thing I remember is Timothèe Chalamet walking the red carpet in a bomber jacket two years ago and the internet absolutely eating it up. The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are awards given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for artistic and technical merit. The Awards are split into a variety of categories. Notable ones include Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Animated Feature Film and Best Costume Design, just to name a few. Iconic films such as “Chicago,” “Parasite,” “Lord of the Rings” and “Slumdog Millionaire” have won multiple awards each and are still remembered as some of the best films of all time. The question is: can we say the same about this year’s nominees? Spoiler alert: I can’t. There are 10 nominations for Best Picture this year, including “Don’t Look Up” (Adam McKay), “Dune” (Denis Villaneuve) and “West Side Story” (Steven Spielberg). I judge movies based on how much I personally enjoyed them: did I want to slam my laptop shut at any point during the film and just take a nap? Or, did I
livetweet threads upon threads of barely coherent analysis to my 20 Twitter followers? Based on this criteria, “Don’t Look Up,” “Dune” and “Licorice Pizza” are out of the running. My issue with “Don’t Look Up” is that, frankly, it’s annoying and pretentious. I don’t care that it is commentary on systemic inaction towards climate change; the whole thing was high-fructose, hyperglycemic levels of corny. “Dune ” is out because I thought it was boring, and I was disappointed at how little screentime Zendaya got. “Licorice Pizza” is out because the premise is ridiculously uncomfortable. A 10-year age-gap? I thought we learned our lesson from “Call Me by Your Name.” All this is to say, my pick for Best Picture is “Drive My Car” (Ryusuke Hamaguchi), a film based on
Iconic films tiple awards remembered best films of tion is: can about this
have won muleach and are still as some of the all time. The queswe say the same year’s nominees? Irene Hong
Haruki Murakami’s short story of the same name. A New York Times article comments, “In this quiet masterpiece, Hamaguchi considers grief, love, work and the soul-sustaining, life-shaping power of art.” It’s, for lack of a better word, sweet. There were no relationships with suspiciously large age gaps and no pretentious messages. It was a simple story about heartfelt friendship and camaraderie. Nominated for Best Leading Actor are Andrew Garfield for “tick, tick…BOOM!,” Will Smith for “King Richard,” Benedict Cumberbatch for “Power of the Dog,” Javier Bardem for “Being the Ricardos” and Denzel Washington for “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” I’m rooting for Garfield. During the 2017 Oscars, while everyone was freaking out about the “La La Land”/“Moonlight” Best Picture mixup, I was more disappointed that Garfield
didn’t win Best Actor for his role in “Hacksaw Ridge.” Let’s also keep in mind that Garfield had to learn to sing for “tick, tick…BOOM!” Do I think this movie utilized the very depths of his acting capabilities? No. I just love that man and think he deserves an Oscar. For Best Leading Actress, the nominees are Jessica Chastain for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Olivia Colman for “The Lost Daughter,” Kristen Stewart for “Spencer,” Nicole Kidman for “Being the Ricardos” and Penélope Cruz for “Parallel Mothers.” First of all, Kidman has an Oscar already, and in my opinion, the movie had better be soul-shatteringly good if she were to win another one. The same goes for Olivia Colman and Penélope Cruz. That said, Chastain delivers an iconic performance; As Rolling Stone comments, “She’s the only reason to see this biopic of the disgraced televangelist and LGBTQ icon—but it’s a blessed enough reason to see it.” She’s also been passed up for multiple Academy Awards over the years, and it’s about time she receives one. As for Kristen Stewart? I’m sorry, but I can’t get over “Twilight.” Nominated for Best Costume Design are “Cruella,” “Cyrano,” “Dune,” “Nightmare Alley” and “West Side Story.” I hate this roster with a burning passion. I was hoping to see costumes reminiscent of Alexander McQueen or Vivienne Westwood’s 1993 Fall/Winter runway collection to fit Cruella’s extravagant, edgy personality. Instead, we got outfits from Jacquemus’ 2018 fabric scraps bin. I’m also sick of period pieces winning Oscars, and again, I hate that “Dune” brought the subversive basics trend out of the abyss it belongs in. None of these deserve Oscars, but “Cyrano” is the best of the bunch in my eyes. The filmmaking industry has definitely taken a hit since the pandemic began—I would love to see a list of Oscars nominees similar to that of 2017, where you didn’t care who won because you knew they were all good. While that may not be the case this year, some of the nominees are definitely more deserving than others. Let’s just hope the Academy feels the same.
Faces in the Crowd: What do you enjoy most about the Oscars?
“My favorite part of the Oscars is watching the nominations for visual effects. I really like the visual effects in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” It’s amazing what they can do.” —Keegan Greene, 9
“I enjoy seeing all of the nice attire and listening to the speeches. I find them very inspiring.”
“I really enjoy getting the chance to see my favorite actors and movies receive the recognition that they deserve.”
—Stephanie Castillo Baltazar, 10
—Zachary Mayor, 11
“I enjoy seeing the material the hosts create. I am especially excited to see what Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes come up with this year. I think it will be an entertaining show this year that will make us laugh a lot.” —Anika Mittal, 12 —Compiled by Madison Yue
Lifestyle
Friday, March 4, 2022
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THE ORACLE'S picks for the Academy Awards Best Actress
Best Actor Andrew Garfield is nominated for Best Leading Actor in the musical biopic “tick, tick…BOOM!” of Jonathan Larson, a down-on-his-luck aspiring theater director. Based on a true story, the film follows Larson as he works at a diner and attempts to actualize his dreams of putting his musical on Broadway before turning 30.
Jessica Chastain is nominated for Best Leading Actress in the biopic “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” The film follows Chastain as Tamara Faye Lavalley, documenting her rise and eventual fall as a pioneer of the televangelist movement in the 1980s.
Costume Design
Best Picture
Nominated this year for Best Costume Design are Massimo Cantini Parrini and Jacqueline Durran for “Cyrano,” an adaptation of the classic play. The movie stars Peter Dinklage as the titular character. The film, set in 17th century Paris, incorporates the fashion of the era with grand gowns and detailed coats that bring the movie to life.
“Drive My Car” is a 2021 Best Picture nominee directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Based on the short story by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami, the film follows a theater director by the name of Yūsuke Kafuku as he discusses his relationship with his wife Oto, a screenwriter, during a long car ride. —Compiled by Arjun Shah
Irene Hong
To watch the 94th Academy Awards, tune in to ABC on March 27 at 5 p.m. PST. Each of the hosts—Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall—will separately host for an hour of the three-hour show.
controversial oscar nominations elicit anger At the annual Academy Awards, industry professionals and filmmakers come together to celebrate the best movies made that year. Simultaneously, viewers at home anxiously hope for their favorite films to win while praying that that one popular film—the award show villain—doesn’t. The award show villain is the one film that the Academy loves, typically in the Best Picture category, though the general consensus online is that everyone hates it. Examples of this in recent years include “Green Book,” the Best Picture winner in 2019, and “La La Land,” the 2016 Best Picture nominee. The term “awards show villain” was created to describe the movie that critics loved
but audiences did not. Reasons that audiences may dislike these films often stem from controversies regarding the film’s story, production or contributors. Regardless of the specific reason behind it, the term creates a culture of people collectively rooting against a movie’s success. This year, the two most likely candidates for the award show villain are “Don’t Look Up,” a satirical comedy about the impending end of the world from an asteroid, and “Being The Ricardos,” a biographical film about the relationship between actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Though many claim that the two films posess Oscar nomination-worthy traits, some of the main reasons the films have become villains are because of behind-thescenes controversies. In the case of “Don’t Look Up,” director Adam McKay faced backlash for saying that viewers who criticized his movie didn’t care about climate change. “Being The Ricardos,” on the other hand, faced backlash for casting a Spanish actor
in the role of Desi Arnaz, who was Cuban. According to projections, these two movies are likely to win awards at this year’s ceremony, much to the dismay of some movie fans. However, the award show villain should be at least somewhat appreciated, because it accomplishes the goal of movies: bringing people together through both love and loathing. —Written by Sophia Stern
Irene Hong
Sophie Fan
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Sports
Multi-season athletes find balance between school, sports
Every winter, sophomore Celine Safa puts away her volleyball shoes in exchange for her soccer cleats. When the soccer season is over, Safa then trades her soccer cleats for running shoes in preparation for the upcoming track and field season. Safa is just one of Gunn’s multi-season athletes. These athletes often have practice consistently before and after school during the entire school year, occupying a significant portion of their time. Despite the major time commitment, however, many of these athletes find the sports to be unique and fun communities. For Safa, her love for each sport is what motivates her to keep up with them throughout the year. “I love being on a team and being a part of sports at school,” she said. Senior Sawyer McKenna, who plays water polo in the fall and soccer in the winter, also participates in multiple sports because of her love for playing. “I wanted to try out water polo because soccer was becoming too competitive, and I wanted to play something new,” she said. “I really enjoyed it and stayed with it for all four years.” Many multi-season athletes play an additional sport to stay in shape for their primary sport throughout the school year. Junior Finlee Montes, who plays football in the fall and baseball in the spring, is a student who uses this method. “I first started playing football to stay in shape for baseball, which is my main
many ways, however, making time management both difficult and exhausting. Montes, for example, has practices in both the morning and evening. “On a normal day with no games, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. to go to morning football practice at 7:30 a.m.,” he said. “After school, I have baseball practice from 3:50 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.” McKenna said that she had some days where she did not arrive at home until the late evening. “I had overlap in club soccer and water polo, and I wouldn’t get home until 9 p.m.,” she said. Safa has also struggled to manage her time during busy seasons. “I get really busy, and it gets hard to manage everything sometimes,” she said.
“On a normal day with no games, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. to go to morning football practice at 7:30 a.m. After school, I have baseball practice from 3:50 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.” —Junior Finlee Montes sport,” he said. Similarly, freshman Ethan Hong plays basketball during his off season, while his main sport is baseball. He began playing basketball to have fun with his friends. “I started playing baseball when I was five,” he said. “That’s why I kept on doing it and following through. On the other hand, a lot of my friends played basketball, and that’s how I started and never stopped.” Participating in multiple sports can be challenging in
“It can be a lot physically and mentally.” These student-athletes, however, have found ways to
“I get really busy, and it gets hard to manage everything sometimes. It can be a lot physically and mentally.” —Sophomore Celine Safa work around their busy schedules in order to keep their academic and athletic lives balanced. Safa, for one, has learned to pace her work and allocate time for herself. “I try to spread out all of my work throughout the week and take some time to relax to help me focus on myself and to get through my schedule,” she said. For McKenna, participating in multiple sports actually helped her to become more productive and efficient with time. “Sports force good time management,” she said. Montes has learned to use his class time in order to minimize his workload after school. “I balance my school assignments and sports by trying to complete my homework assignments in class so I don’t have to do it later at night,” he said. Participating in multiple sports does not always cause problems with time management, though, depending on the athlete’s sports and workload. Hong said that he has not had much difficulty with time management in the past semester. “It wasn’t too difficult to finish homework, and [playing multiple sports] didn’t make anything too difficult for me,” he said. Safa also noted that she found participating in several sports to be less difficult than most people believe it to be. “People don’t understand how I’m able to fit everything into my schedule,” she said. “I manage to work it out with a good balance.” Despite the challenges, multi-season athletes enjoy participating in their sports. “It’s an experience that I wanted to have for a long time,” Safa said. —Written by Michelle Koo
Irene Hong and Michelle Koo
Humor: What to do in a Student Section 1. Do your research Opposition research is key. It’s time to get into your “Art of War” era and know thy enemy. MaxPreps and Instagram are going to be your best friends as you painstakingly memorize the life stories of every player on the opposing team. Don’t stop at their season stats. You need birthplace, mother’s maiden name and the street they grew up on. Once you have that knowledge down, you can even hire a private investigator to dig up more dirt. Share that information with your peers and make sure to yell it while they play. Anything to make the other team lose focus!
3. learn the rules of the game A good rule of thumb when going to a game is to have a vague understanding of what’s going on. Knowing which sport it is will be helpful. This saves you from clapping at the wrong times, and allows you to complain about a biased referee when the time inevitably comes. Here are a few tips: in football, you’re going to want to cheer whenever a Gunn student runs into the guy on the other team who has the ball. In basketball, if anyone even lays a hand on someone from Gunn, you’re going to enter a fit of outrage. If all else fails, just follow the other spectators’ lead.
Sophie Fan and Irene Hong
2. Have a cup of tea If it’s a good game, then, your voice will very likely be gone by the next day. Every time you try and speak, you will be reminded of the amount of yelling you did the night before and your voice will crack, transporting you back into the good old days of middle school. To best alleviate that upcoming discomfort, invest in some cough drops or a throat-soothing tea. It’s best to make sure that by the time your next day of classes come around, you won’t be humiliated if a teacher decides to call on you.
4. Bring hygiene products The best student sections will be packed like sardines. It’s not ideal, especially in a pandemic, but the best way to feel connected to your fellow Gunn students is to be up close with them, literally. Pregaming is an integral part of every “big game,” and you can spend that time applying several layers of deodorant. This is an important preliminary measure to prevent sweating through whatever shirt you’re wearing, which is inevitable when jumping around for an hour or two. But hey, at least you’re getting your 60 minutes of cardio in for the day!
—Compiled by Annika Bereny