Senior Issue 2022

The Oracle 2021-2022 presents

Çømïñg øf ågë

Thë sëñïør ïssüë

Tåblë øf çøñtëñts 4

Senior Staff

6-9

Staff Profiles

10-15

Staff Columns

17-23

Senior Features

24-27

Athletes

28-30

Alternate Paths

32-34

Advice

35

Staff Appreciation

36-38

College Map

39

Congrats

may 27, 2022

2021-2022 sëñïør ståff Annika Bereny Julianna Chang Catherine Chu Sophie Fan Cole Ford James Huang Mia Knezevic Clair Koo Haley Pflasterer Mihika Sane Sophia Stern Jessica Wang Jessica Zang

ådvïsër Kristy Blackburn (KGB)

Lëttër frøm thë ëdïtør Dear Class of 2022, For many of us, our final year was both a finishing lap and a struggle to begin again. I’ve seen our class fight through the growing pains of reopening, the wild ride of college applications and the eventual arrival at our second semester as seniors—at last.

This year, we were the generation that remembered enough to be able to carry things on. In and out of the classroom, we taught old traditions to three generations of wide-eyed students, pulling on our hazy memories of freshman and sophomore year. We lost some things, but ultimately we reshaped the community we once knew.

Through the process we also gained something immeasurably precious: the experience of rebuilding our world into something better and stronger than be-

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fore. We know what it feels like to make change. With the future at our fingertips, we can do it again.

Take a moment to appreciate the people around you. Many of us have known each other for years. Our class includes the last generation of Terman Tigers.

Our sophomore year, we beat the juniors at Airbands. We’ve lived through four bell schedules and enjoyed the complete saga of Flex, Gunn Together and PRIME. These shared memories—from the official opening of the P Building to the day the main water line broke to the first official prom since 2019—tell the stories of our coming of age in an eventful time in history. I hope that this issue reminds you of everything we discovered and everything yet to come.

—Jessica Wang, EIC ‘21-’22

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Thë Øråçlë Sëñïør Ståff 2021-2022 Jëssïçå Wåñg // Ëdïtør-ïñ-Çhïëf // 3.5 ÿëårs

ha s ne ve r written a first draft unde r the re quire d word co unt

Jülïåññå Çhåñg // Måñågïñg ëdïtør // 2.5 ÿëårs

will wa it until 9 p.m. to brea k out a British acce nt for an hour

çåthërïñë çhü // Måñågïñg ëd ïtør //

unironically uses the word ‘sus’ on the da ily

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2.5 ÿëårs

mïå kñëzëvïç // Førüm åñd phøtø Ëd ïtør, SËÇ Lïåïsøñ // 2.5 ÿëårs

ha s a ne w ha ircut ev ery month

Jåmës hüåñg // rëpørtër // 1 ÿëår

pla ys guita r (yes, we all know)

Çlåïr Køø // Gråphïçs årtïst// 2.5 ÿë

års

alwa ys snea ks koalas int o he r gra phics

Mïhïkå såñë // gråphïçs årtïst // 2 ÿëårs

is heterozygous for blue eyes

may 27, 2022

Søphïå Stërñ // øñlïñë ëdïtør, çø-büsïñëss måñågër // 3.5 ÿëårs

has been on staff since freshma n year and still doesn’t know how to use InDesign

Åññïkå Bërëñÿ // Lïfëstÿlë ëdïtør // 3.5 ÿëårs

will wea r merch for every school except the one she’s going to

r// 2.5 ÿëårs gë ñå må s ës ïñ üs -b çø r, ïtø ëd ës Jëssïçå zåñg // Fëåtür

will get struck by lightning before she comes to

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class on time

Hålëÿ pflå stërër // Ñëws Ëdïtør //

2.5 ÿëårs

will skip a song yo u re queste d a fter 10 se conds if she doesn’t like it

Çølë Førd // rëpørtër // 1 ÿëår

shows up to production at exactly 5:59 p.m. every month

Søphïë fåñ // Gråphïçs ëdïtør // 2.5 ÿëårs

has a new favorite word to call you every month

Krïstÿ Blåçkbürñ // Ådvïsër // 18 ÿëårs

seriously irked by the Oxford comma

may 27, 2022

Jëssïçå Wåñg on tuning in to the world

O

n Sept. 9, 2020, the sky turned orange. California wildfires had thrown ash into the air, polluting the sky and painting the horizon with fiery sunsets. Lost in the monotony of online school, we attended class after class through our screens, straining to find sunlight at 10 a.m. It seemed like an ordinary day during the pandemic—only slightly more apocalyptic. We peered out the window, sighed and wondered what the world had become.

Look it up. “California 2020 wildfires” has its own Wikipedia page, its own fact box and an entire army of headlines. Words like “record-breaking,” “unprecedented” and “history” pop out of the webpage, accompanied by that undeniable term: climate change. California, known for its pretty beaches and lovely weather, turned into a wildfire hell—but only for a few weeks. This was history outside of our windows, evidenced by the grit on our windowsills and the color of the sky. Still, our tough-as-nails resilient population lived on inside of our houses, sheltered in spheres of electric light.

It’s easy to turn a blind eye to these things. It’s just the backdrop of our lives. As high schoolers, our next goal is a test, a project, a grade or a competition. But when you put it into perspective, these events become so much scarier.

This is the world, tapping on the glass of the bubble we live in. The California 2020 wildfires may not have burned down our homes, but they whispered at the edge of our sense of normal, like the hush before a storm. As we mature and venture out into the unknown, it’s important that we stay attuned to and informed about the world

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around us.

In 2020, I learned how to drive. After my driving test, the car sat parked outside my house for weeks, gathering ash from disuse from my shelter-in-place lifestyle. I shrugged. I moved on. I lived with blinders on, because that was the easy thing to do at the time: keep on going.

But also, during the pandemic, I activated a subscription to The New York Times for free via my school email. It took only a click to send daily breaking news updates to my inbox. And through that, I learned about the presidential election in November 2020, the aftermath of the Capitol Hill riots in January 2021, former president Donald Trump’s second impeachment in January 2021, the Florida condominium collapse in June 2021 and the Delta variant in August 2021. It wasn’t everything happening in the world, but it was a start. I gained awareness of global issues; I became a more informed citizen. The news was everything from horrifying to inspiring—but it was real.

Many people say Palo Alto is a “bubble.” We’re protected in a small sphere of diversity, democracy and privilege in a lovely suburban neighborhood.

Looking into the future, our lives may also be similarly isolated: immersed in the work-study mindset, we might forget to look out the window. Nevertheless, we are the next generation to get out in the world and make change—and to be involved, we need to be informed.

To the class of 2022: Not everyone has the kind of high school experience that we had. In a brief span of four years, we lived through so many incredible historic events. As we leave this bubble, the world will be there, up-close and terrifying. It might be scary; it might be easy to mind your own business; but this is our only chance to see and change the place we live in. Open your eyes to the world outside of your window.

çåthërïñë çhü on pushing physical and academic boundaries

B

urning out. The tale is truly as old as time: students, overwhelmed with difficult courses, extracurriculars and activities, lose the oxygen required to sustain their flame. The chronic fatigue and hopelessness that comes with it can really suck. But “burning out” can also mean something more positive: putting out a raging fire and being able to enjoy the tranquility that comes after.

Finals season is one of the prime times when students need to work hard and cram all of the information they need into their brains before they can enjoy a nice break. And while it’s true—as popular culture says—that grades aren’t everything and that more often than not, literally no one will look at our high school transcripts after high school, there are other reasons to push ourselves to our limits besides the sparkly 4.0 GPA on a piece of paper. In my experience, pushing myself has been an opportunity not only to learn and discover things about the world and society, but also to learn about my own interests, values and opinions. Meanwhile, I’ve been able to bask in the comfort that, after a week or two of exhaustion, I can finally embrace the calmness, festivities and fun that come with winter or summer break.

Working hard isn’t easy—it’s quite literally the opposite—and it’s especially unappealing when compared to grabbing dinner with friends or attending that party I bought a dress for. My resentment only builds when I realize that I am, in fact, drying my eyeballs out, a byproduct of having stared at my computer screen for a prolonged duration to study. But rather than wishing that there was less work or that studying could be easier, I’ve learned to stop being afraid of being exhausted, struggling or having less fun than those around me. (Honestly, who knows? Maybe that party that I missed sucked.)

However, being chronically stressed and tired wasn’t my only fear in high school. I was more afraid of putting 100% of my energy into something I loved only to be faced with the disappointment of

not accomplishing my goal. It certainly didn’t help that I relished—no, I craved—constantly trying and exploring new ideas and disciplines, even though I would inevitably be terrible at all of them in the beginning. When I joined the badminton team the second semester of my senior year, I was still awful even after putting my full effort into it. And while I had spent most of high school being scared of trying my best, only to fail, I embraced the spirit of falling, tripping and missing the birdie during my short-lived badminton career. It took me a while to get over being embarrassed for trying so hard in anything, but at least I improved from losing 1-21 in badminton (yes, the one point was my opponent accidentally serving into the net).

The takeaway I hope to share isn’t that you need to always be ultra-intense and burn yourself out. Instead, you should stop looking for excuses to cop-out and stop being afraid to burn out. You should become okay with putting your all into something and still failing. I promise you that your work doesn’t go to waste or evaporate even if you don’t reach your goal. Of course, balance is important, and putting 100% into your studies should be done alongside having fun when you choose to do so. Ultimately, you gain knowledge and experience through trying new things. As long as you know you are trying your best, that is the best. And soon, after slipping and falling a couple of times and working so hard it’s like you’re gasping for breath, you will feel proud of yourself because your best is honestly pretty impressive.

may 27, 2022

Jëssïçå zåñg on embracing individuality

M

y middle school New Year’s Resolutions were all the same: “Put yourself out there!” “Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable!” “Be yourself!” Inside, I wished to become someone who could unabashedly carve out a sense of identity to show the world, but as much as I wanted to exist by those principles, I mainly lived inside my mind.

I didn’t do this because I was deeply ashamed of who I was, but simply because I didn’t want to take up too much space. If I called too much attention to myself, who knew what people could say about me? I wasn’t naive. I’d seen “Mean Girls,” so I knew exactly how to stay afloat and avoid teenage drama: by blending in. I didn’t wear anything out of the ordinary, and I raised my hand a perfectly below average number of times. I don’t even think I had a favorite subject.

Sooner or later, though, I realized that going with everyone else’s flow 24/7 wasn’t going to cut it for me. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t see much of myself anymore. Gone was my childish fervor for dressing up, and gone was that competitive spirit I had so much of as a kid. I had to admit to myself that in my pursuit of living on my own terms, I had actually abandoned them.

I promised myself that in high school, things would be different.

I’d be myself, even if that meant I had to quit some things and fail at others. I’d try to live outside of my mind rather than within it, even if that meant I made a few mistakes along the way.

To be really honest, things aren’t all that different now. I’m not the center of attention, nor the topic of any day’s hot gossip, but I’m right where I want to be in all

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of the places that matter to me. I have a group of friends that make me lose my breath from laughter, a set of hobbies that I can confidently call my own and a favorite class I find myself looking forward to at the end of every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

These days, even though my voice shakes and my ears burn bright red when I share out in class, I still raise my hand when I have something to say.

Despite getting nervous every time I wear a new statement piece to school, I’ve come to adore the freedom that clothing gives me to express myself.

And through writing articles for The Oracle and blogs for Palo Alto Online, I’ve become unafraid to share my opinions with strangers, especially on topics I care about. I even relish in the difficult conversations sparked by those who disagree with me.

Letting go of my inhibitions has allowed me to experience high school with fewer regrets and a more concrete sense of identity. As someone who thinks everything under the sun is embarrassing (including squeaky shoes and walking uphill), I know how easy it is to focus on the things you shouldn’t do rather than the things you should. But as cheesy as it sounds, life is too short to live as anyone but yourself. High school is the perfect time to experiment; you have four years to try things out, abandon them and start all over again. If things don’t work out, you’ll be off to college or someplace else soon enough; you’ll never have to see any of these people again. Go out, collect memories and have fun. Don’t compromise your own happiness just to be another face in the crowd.

Even now, things aren’t perfect—in many ways, I still am a people pleaser. I can never say no to things when people ask nicely. I’d rather drink an incorrect coffee order than ask the barista about it, and I will definitely apologize first if someone bumps into me in the hallway. But I know that middle school me would be proud of how far I’ve come. Because now, when I look in the mirror, I see myself smiling back.

mïå kñëzëvïç on realizing true passions

I

n sophomore year, I decided that I wanted to become a surgeon. I was on the sixth season of “Grey’s Anatomy,” and by then, I had witnessed the triumphant smile of a surgeon who had just saved a life, not to mention the adrenaline rush of the operating room. I wanted to be in that room, to feel that rush and pride. But, frankly, the main thing that drew me to being a surgeon was the idea of making lots of money in a very prestigious field.

The only problem was, I didn’t really like science.

And I struggled with it. By sophomore year, I had— against the advice of every single adult and older student I’d talked to—signed up for two honors classes my freshman year and one my sophomore year, all in subjects I wasn’t particularly fond of. Of course, I only signed up to prove to myself (and to everyone else) that I could do it, and because I was convinced that I had to excel in every single thing I did. Instead, I ended up failing tests and crying in the bathroom on multiple occasions.

By February of sophomore year, you’d think I’d have learned my lesson. I didn’t. When course selection for junior year rolled around, I was still debating whether to take a combination of Advanced Placement (AP) Biology and AP Chemistry or AP Biology and AP Physics 1. I was thankfully talked out of doubling up on science classes this time.

I was also still in Chemistry Honors and dreaded coming to school on the days I had the class. Then, out of nowhere, quarantine hit. Assignments would take a maximum of two hours a day, which left me approximately 12 hours to fill.

Magically, I began to discover my passions. I can’t even describe how it happened, but all of a sudden, I began writing again. I had not written a creative piece since elementary school, but there I was, doing it again. I also began to journal and started blogging. In April, I had to navigate my first cycle as a section editor for The Oracle, which included writing creative pieces as well as learning how to use Adobe InDesign. Meanwhile, I began focusing

on service through a project to support essential workers and through tutoring a sixth-grade Spanish-speaking student whom I spent up to seven hours working with on Zoom. I also delved further into my Model United Nations (Model U.N) career and began teaching younger kids about it.

As all of these new opportunities came together, my aspiration of being a surgeon slipped away, and I didn’t miss it one bit. Given the time and space to explore what truly interested me, I discovered that my passion wasn’t what would, in the end, produce the most “success”—however you define that—or money. Instead, I pursued the things that fulfilled me and made me feel like I was making a small difference in my community. Every day, I was excited to wake up and do it again.

Now, at the end of my senior year, I can proudly say that my priority is no longer taking as many hard classes as I can. Instead, it’s pursuing the things I’m passionate about—journalism, service and international affairs—even if I’m not the best at all of them. In college, I plan on majoring in International Relations, a decision shaped by my love of Model U.N. and a great experience with the U.S. Foreign Policy elective junior year. Had I continued to invest my time so heavily in the challenging science, technology, engineering and math courses that I didn’t enjoy, I wouldn’t have been able to explore either.

To conclude, a little bit of life advice: life is all about doing the things that make you happy.

may 27, 2022

søphïå stërñ on empathizing with yourself

A

t the start of high school, I seemed to lack some perspective. In a letter that freshman me wrote to my senior self, I listed out my goals: get good grades, excel in lacrosse and find a perfect group of friends.

Reading it back, I see someone who was too caught up in the unrealistic goals of a Silicon Valley high schooler to see what was really going on around me.

Freshman year, I hoped that by senior year, everything would be perfect. Although I feel good about where I am and where I’m headed, my life is nowhere near what I wished it would be. That’s okay, though, because my goals were just not realistic.

A common thing that a lot of high schoolers struggle with—myself included—is that we can’t imagine what life looks like beyond Gunn, beyond high school and beyond Palo Alto. This makes the small things that happen in life, like a fight with a friend or a bad test, seem astronomical; it seems like things will never get better and like high school will never end. Although every student—myself included—hates hearing this, high school is actually really short. It’s just four years out of the 80 or more that we’ll hopefully live.

This is why I say I lacked perspective my freshman year.

I didn’t really get it until I was ready to leave. In hindsight, every single failure I experienced in these four years wasn’t the end of the world. I think I’ve told myself a million times that “I hate Gunn,” “everything sucks” or “nothing will ever go my way,” when none of these things are true. Gunn is tough, but it’s what you make of it. Attitude is every-

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thing, and when I’m at my lowest, it’s easy for me to sink into the sunken place and say that I’ll just suffer. However, I now realize that there are always steps I can take to find things and people I love.

In the end, it just takes time to make things right.

The main thing I’ll take with me to college is the knowledge I’ve gained on how to make a place my home and how to not spiral over the smallest things.

I know now that I am adaptable, and I know how to build myself back up. As a freshman, I hoped that I would be happy with who I was, and I am proud of where I am. Still, I am fully a work in progress. My goals were idealistic, because I thought I would feel much older than I do now and I expected to have my life completely together.

If I could tell my freshman self anything now, I would tell myself to remember to have empathy. I’ve learned to do this through making difficult decisions to prioritize myself like deciding to quit lacrosse.

That decision made me feel like I wasn’t strong for not being able to continue, even though I knew quitting would make me happier. I’ve also learned to accept rejection through the college admissions progress. Now, I understand that rejection is just another way of redirecting me to someplace else. I know that nothing is the end of the world, because I have the resources and people to come out better on the other side.

Upon this reflection, in college, I will try to remind myself that it’s only four years, and I will live a much longer life. I look forward to traveling to many more places and meeting many more people after college. Altogether, I’ve learned that it’s important to live in the moment and to not dwell on every small detail too much, because life is much longer than what I see right now.

åññïkå bërëñÿ on stopping to smell the roses

A

s a freshman, being late terrified me. I can distinctly remember being stuck in traffic on Georgia Ave., feeling tears creeping up in my eyes. I seriously considered jumping out of the car and just running the rest of the way to school despite the fact that I abhor running and wasn’t even that late.

Back then, I freaked out over the smallest bad grade. One 70 percent on a quiz had me convinced that I wouldn’t get into a good college and that my life would be ruined. I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but I carried this attitude up until senior year. I would keep my head down and devote myself to my schoolwork, to studying until my eyes began to shut of their own accord. Any fragrant flowers or cool plants would go unnoticed as I hurried to class. All of it, I had convinced myself, would pay off when I got into a name-brand college and could parade around a fancy degree for the rest of my life.

Up until senior year, I didn’t know anything about these schools upon which I had based my self-worth, except that they were prestigious. So, the plan was to work and work until it paid off.

The problem is, it didn’t. All of these schools that I had envisioned myself at, places where I would be pretentious about Shakespeare with the great great grandkids of oil barons, began to interest me less. Unfortunately for me, that lack of interest went both ways.

Something that no one tells you about senior year is that the version of you that exists in second semester of senior year is a far different person than who you were when you were applying to colleges.

You might fall back in love with reading for pleasure, taking walks in nature or watching sports. You finally have time to slow down, take a deep breath, even smell some roses on occasion.

I really hope that senior me is a more laid back person than I was as a freshman. This past semester, my motto has been to prioritize a leisurely walk to

class over being on time. And now, I truly do enjoy my morning walks to class. I’ll have my earbuds in and play a nice song as I stroll to class. Sometimes, I’ll stop and take a picture of a tree that looks nice or a particularly pretty cloud formation. When you keep your head down and just focus on getting to class or on academics, you miss a lot of the nice things that life and Gunn have to offer. I’ve only just discovered that the view from the balcony outside of the Wellness Center is gorgeous, the foothills and their greenery contrast perfectly with the blue of a sunny sky. It’s a sight that I’m beginning to realize that I will miss dearly and a sight that I sometimes wish I had spent longer taking in in the past four years.

When I walk around my neighborhood, I genuinely stop and smell the roses. It’s important to take time to appreciate the little things that make life worth living. Too often, Gunn students view high school—some of the most transformative years of your life—as simply a means to an end.

So, here’s my advice as a wise senior who’s seen horrors beyond the comprehension of other classes: go lie on the turf wherever the sun hits it. Prop yourself up on your backpack, turn on some music and close your eyes. Let the sun warm you and enjoy the moment. Then get up, walk slowly to class, admire the clouds and, please, stop and smell any roses you come across.

may 27, 2022

r ø ï sëñ s ë r ü t å fë

Çårÿ Låï ÑRØTÇ

From a young age, Max LaWer has been passionate about transportation—specifically, aviation. In hopes of becoming a commercial pilot, LaWer will be attending the University of North Dakota (UND) to complete a four year bachelor’s degree in aeronautics.

Though LaWer has always been fascinated by aviation, he didn’t decide to pursue it until recently. “Up until my senior year, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” LaWer said. “I always loved aviation, but I was kind of considering going into law. Then, I met up with my friend [who works for] Southwest, and she told me about the lifestyle and what you do [as a pilot]. I fell in love with it.”

As part of the aeronautics program, LaWer will split his time between taking classes on the ground and flying planes in the air. “I’m still taking a lot of normal classes like math and English,” he said. “But a lot of my classes are about aviation,

Throughout his time in high school, Cary Lai has had his sights set on joining the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC).

The program consists of navy military training intertwined with immersive education experience, something which was incredibly appealing to Lai as he scoped out his path towards the future. “I thought it would be a good experience for me,” he said. “[It’s] something that would give me a new perspective, have me learn applicable skills and allow me to get out into the world.”

Prospective students wishing to join the ROTC program must apply as incoming freshmen, whereupon those accepted would then apply to different national universities under the program. ROTC supports its students’ pathways into college by providing a monthly stipend as well as money for books and other materials.

Lai, who will be joining the NROTC program at the University of Washington, Seattle next year, emphasized

flight science, safety, airline management and [more]. We fly three to four days a week on top of [these courses].”

In order to graduate and become a pilot, LaWer must first obtain numerous licenses through accumulating hours of practice both at UND and after. Once he is completely licensed, however, LaWer wants to become a commercial pilot for major airlines.

“As a career, I’d love to help people get where they need to go and [have] the responsibility of carrying everybody,” he said.

In addition to attending sports games and meeting fun, new people, LaWer is most excited for the flying opportunities. “[I’m excited to] fly every day, work towards my career and do something that I [love] because it’s always going to be so fun,” he said.

“I’m going to work to fly airplanes, which is a really fun thing to do.”

his desire for novel experiences and a position in the Navy that would allow him to grow as a person. “After college, [being in the military is] going to be a high stress and high-demand position,” he said. “And since you’re an officer, you’re responsible for leading about 20 to 30 people under you.”

A huge benefit to the program, according to Lai, is that it allows individuals to test out different professions at a young age while attending college. “I think ROTC is a great way to get my feet wet in the military,” he said. “But I think it’s more of a, ‘you won’t know what you’re getting into until you’re there’ situation.”

Regardless, Lai wishes the best to others looking at similar paths while adding a word of advice. “[NROTC] is a program that you might not like because you’re gonna end up doing some things that you don’t want to do,” he said. “You shouldn’t be in it for any reason besides yourself.”

—Written by Cole Ford

Måx LåWër ÅVïÅtïØÑ

—Written by Julianna Chang

may 27, 2022

ÑåtålÏë Çhï bådmïñtøñ plåÿër

Ever since eighth grade, Lara Botto has had a lot of fun improving and learning more about skateboarding.

Botto was first introduced to skateboarding through a friend who worked at Skateworks, a local skate shop in downtown Los Altos. “I started hanging out there, and they let me skate their ramp,” she said. “I was having a lot of fun watching them skate and then skating myself.”

Botto has come a long way since her first day in the skate shop. Her favorite trick, the front-side Smith grind, encapsulates the challenges and rewards she’s experienced throughout her journey. “That’s a trick that I always wanted to learn when I first started out, and I thought I never could learn it,” she said.

“Now, I can do it, and it feels good to prove it to myself.”

As she improves day after day, Botto has immersed herself more in the skating community. Recently, she was able to meet and skate with one of her long-time inspirations: Lizzie

By training 15 hours per week during the school year and 25 hours per week during the summer, Natalie Chi has balanced a professional badminton career alongside a rigorous academic course load since eighth grade. “Playing badminton has helped with my time management,” Chi said. “I’m used to balancing [badminton and school] since I’ve never had another lifestyle. I don’t procrastinate, and I normally get homework done on the day [it’s assigned] so I can sleep on time.”

Next year, Chi plans to study electrical engineering and computer science at University of California, Berkeley, which is also close to her training center at Bay Badminton Center in Milpitas, California. Despite the heavy training, Chi stresses the importance of exploring interests and meeting people outside of badminton. “I don’t want people to know me just because I play badminton,” she said. “I’m a student-athlete, and all student-athletes aren’t just ath-

Armanto, a professional skateboarder who has won numerous awards and represented Finland in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “[Armanto] is, in my opinion, one of the best female skateboarders ever,” Botto said. “It was really amazing because I definitely watched her [stunts] when I could barely skate and was really impressed and inspired by her.”

Beginning this fall, Botto plans to take a gap year to gain some work experience at a local non-profit and then attend the University of San Francisco in the fall of the following year. At the end of the day, Botto plans to continue her passion and improve her craft. “My goals are to just keep learning tricks that I think that I can’t do to prove myself wrong,” she said. “There’s not really something to achieve besides having fun, being happy about tricks that you learn and skating with your friends.”

page 18 | senior features

—Written by Sophie Fan

letes or students. They’re both.”

Throughout almost 10 years of playing, Chi has mainly been a women’s single-player. She has been a part of the U.S. national badminton team for five years and has won the Junior Pan American Games five times in different age divisions.

With success, Chi has risen to fame, especially among younger players.

“There are lots of people that ask me to take pictures [with them] during tournaments, and that’s honestly a lot of pressure for me,” Chi said. “It’s cool that people [recognize me], but really, I started off the same way that they did.”

While Chi has not decided whether she will pursue badminton full-time after her college graduation, she remains happy about her growth since she first started playing. “I’ve learned to trust the process and enjoy playing even if [the game] is not going the way [I] want it to go.”

—Written by Catherine Chu

Lårå bøttø

skåtëbøårdër

ÇlåïRË WÅÑG PïÅÑïST

Although twins Mick and Pavel Dobrov have never spent more than a month apart since birth, they will be living in two separate countries for the next four years: Mick will attend the University of British Columbia in Canada, while Pavel will attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Mick acknowledged that going to school without his twin will definitely be an adjustment for the two of them.

“It’s just kind of weird because we’re always there,” he said. “I’m so used to seeing Pavel walk around.”

Though Pavel agreed with Mick that the transition will be difficult, Pavel is also excited about the independence that college life offers.

“I think [college] will allow me to become a separate person as well,” he said. “When you have a twin, you are often seen as the same person, so being able to branch out will be healthy.”

Similarly, Mick is also looking forward to having more control over his lifestyle. “You’re in control of every-

Claire Wang began playing piano for the same reason that many kids do: her parents made her. Unlike kids who abandoned the instrument for a new hobby, Wang found a passion for piano in middle school. Since then, piano performance has become an integral part of Wang’s life.

Currently, Wang spends about 14 hours per week—or one to two hours a day—practicing piano. She is a Pre-College student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), which has a full day of classes every Saturday. “At [SFCM], we play piano, take music classes and have lots of chances to perform,” she said. “[SFCM] is a really good environment for me and for other musicians. We get to perform what we want when we want.”

As an intended piano performance major in college, Wang’s application included performances of five pieces from the four major time periods in classical music, either as a recording or a live audition. Following that,

thing [in college], and no one’s telling you what to do,” he said. “There are no parents, and even with the teachers, it’s all up to you.”

Both Mick and Pavel noted that they’ve made some of their best high school memories together by going on trips—specifically, to their cabin.

“We have a cabin in the mountains where I snowboard and [Mick] skis,” Pavel said. “So I’d say we’ve definitely made some of our best memories during that time together.”

The two plan on staying close to each other by communicating online and visiting each other during the year. The twins also plan to take more trips together during their breaks.

“I’ll visit [Pavel] and probably go to some good football games,” Mick said. “There are plenty of breaks, and our breaks line up, so that’ll be cool.”

Wang had two trial lessons with Inna Faliks, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles to find her college match.

This summer, Wang will be joining her future professor to study piano performance at the 12-day Amalfi Coast Piano Festival in Italy. “It’s where a lot of student musicians play, and there’s a huge faculty of piano professors there from different colleges,” she said. “We [will] practice, take lessons, master classes and then perform at the end of the camp.”

Wang envisions a future of pursuing her passion for piano while sharing it with others. “My goal is to become a piano teacher,” she said.

“I feel like a lot of my teachers in the past, not only piano but teachers in my life, have made a really big impact on who I am as a person. I want to become someone like that, to be able to help someone.”

—Written by Mia Knezevic

Mïçk & Påvël Døbrøv twïñs sëpåråtïñg

—Written by Sophia Stern

may 27, 2022

Åmår Srïvåståvå MüsïÇïåñ

Ingrid Lee’s journey with journalism began in a wayward fashion but quickly bloomed into a passion. “I took the broadcast journalism class at my middle school,” she said. “I didn’t really think at the time that that was going to be what I wanted to do.

Then I went into high school and saw the whole journalism program, and I was like, ‘Wow. This is really cool.’”

Lee, who will attend Chapman University in the fall as a Broadcast Journalism and Documentary major, finds the storytelling nature of journalism the most compelling. “Everyone deserves a chance to share what they have,” she said. “I always follow that message, and it always has helped me find the story.”

Beyond working on Gunn’s Titan Broadcast Network for two years, Lee has explored journalism through the local Midpen Media Center and on the school yearbook staff. With this experience, Lee believes that Chapman University’s resources and connections to the media industry

Students who came out to the quad to watch Gunn’s Battle of the Bands or Gunnside Lands events this year have witnessed Amar Srivastava perform with his metal band, The Purple Hearts Club. As the high school chapter of his life nears its end, Srivastava plans to bring his love of making music with him to the next chapter.

When deciding what he wanted to pursue in college, Srivastava noticed that his relationship with music was an important constant in the last couple of years of his life. “I’m the kind of person who switches my interests every year or so,” he said.

“But music is something I haven’t really phased out of, and it’s something where I get more interested in it the longer I immerse myself in it.”

Looking forward, Srivastava is excited to surround himself with what he loves and with people who think similarly. “Music is my outlet for everything in my life, and being able to further express myself through my

will best support her dreams of a career in media. “[The university programs] set you up for success,” she said. “Right when you start living on campus, freshmen are allowed to intern right away, and they get handson experience.”

Coming from the STEM-oriented region of Silicon Valley, she looks forward to adapting to a new environment. “[I’m] leaving what [I’ve] known for [my] entire life and going to somewhere where it’s a complete 180 degrees,” she said. “That’s something that I’m a little worried about, but I think it’ll also be a good experience to learn how to adjust to something that is a huge change.”

Ultimately, Lee advises others to take control of their futures. “Do what you want to do,” she said.

“Know that if you have the support network to do it, it’s just you taking the first step that’s the most important.”

page 20 | senior features

—Written by Jessica Wang

music is something that I’ve always found really important,” he said.

“Going to study music is also about being in an environment with people who are like-minded and also very creative. Just overall, [this allows] me to do something that I love.”

Srivastava advises students to follow their interests and passions and see where it leads them, despite the common belief that all of the jobs are in STEM fields. “I would say that if you’re certain about something you enjoy and want to [do,] really go for it,” he said. “This school kind of limits your thoughts of exploring other careers, but you don’t have to just look at STEM; you can have a career in music.”

Srivastava is planning on attending the Columbia College of Chicago to double major in music and business.

—Written by Annika Bereny

Ïñgrïd LËË Brøådçåst Jøürñålïst

DÅÑïËLLË VÅHDÅT ËQÜËSTRïÅÑ

For the past two years, Clark Soderberg has been pursuing his passion for music through the creation of a 13-track album, a tribute to his experiences throughout high school and the responsibilities that will come with his pursuit of music.

Soderberg began creating music that centered around Electronic Dance Music (EDM), but recently, he has incorporated acoustic and traditional instrumental elements into his repertoire. “When I decided to start focusing on acoustic work, I was able to expand into a whole new genre by combining EDM with stuff like acoustic guitars, electric guitars, piano and violin.”

During the pandemic, Soderberg took advantage of the situation and began to develop his voice and character as a musician. “I just decided to make music. I put all of my emotions into my music, and any time I felt a certain way or felt inspired, I just opened my computer and started working.”

While most young girls have only dreamed about riding a pony, Danielle Vahdat brought that dream to life, putting her on a path to win the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Junior National Championships in Las Vegas last year. “A lot of kids ask for a pony when they’re really little, and I did the same thing,” Vahdat said.

“But my mom was really familiar with horses, so when I asked, she was like, ‘Yeah, no problem!’”

As someone who has raced horses since she was four years old, Vahdat is no stranger to competition. “I started competitive show jumping when I was nine. I did equitation and pivoted to jumpers, which is speed-based.”

While equitation riding is primarily judged based on the posture and style of the horse, jumper competitions hinge on a rider’s ability to clear a course within a given amount of time.

In spite of winning a national competition, Vahdat doesn’t find the heat of competition to be horseback

Once his album is complete, Soderberg hopes to perform at local venues in San Francisco and later, in Chicago, where he plans to continue his education at Columbia College in Chicago. “I have distributed some of my music onto SoundCloud [@clark soderberg],” he said. “One day, I would like to play my own music at clubs. Being able to perform my own music live is such a cool thing.”

For students looking to pursue their passion for music or the arts, Soderberg has one key piece of advice concerning motivation. “The biggest thing for me is to not focus on its technical side or whether your production and performance are perfect,” he said. “The thing that makes my best songs is how much emotion was put into them. There have been a couple of songs that were made in a really vulnerable time, and they turned into some of my best work.”

riding’s main appeal. “Competition has never been the draw of riding for me,” she said. “I honestly enjoy what we call ‘hacking,’ which is time you spend with the horse to make sure they get out of the ring and the competitive mindset.”

Although she intends to continue horseback riding on her own time, Vahdat ultimately isn’t interested in competing as a Division 1 (D1) athlete at the University of Washington, Seattle because of her riding style.

In horseback riding, there are two primary styles: western and English, which involves a smaller saddle and a different range of events from western. “In English [riding], which is what I’m doing now, the only way you can go D1 is through equitation,” Vahdat said. “I’ve been competing in jumpers for three years now, and it’s much more fitted to what I’m doing with my horses. With the training I have now, D1 just isn’t what I’m going for.”

—Written by James Huang

Çlårk sødërbërg MüsïÇïÅÑ

—Written by Cole Ford

may 27, 2022

Jåçøb Lïåø åñt åfïçïøñådø

Building a bookshelf, motorizing a tricycle and laser-cutting designs onto leather jackets: these are the projects Sofia Little has been able to complete or advise as a mentor at MakeX, Palo Alto’s public makerspace.

Little first stumbled upon MakeX as a freshman when she was strolling around the Cubberley Community Center on a Friday night. “I looked around, and I fell in love with the space,” she said. “Then, I started [going to Cubberly] on Saturdays, and I started to get to know the mentors, learn how to use the tools and meet community members.”

In the summer before her sophomore year, Little became a mentor: a person responsible for helping others with their projects. “[People] can come in at any time and do whatever they want, and [mentors] just supervise and guide them through their projects,” she said.

Little chose to become a mentor because of the help she could

Since eighth grade, Jacob Liao has been enchanted by one small but special insect: ants.

Liao’s fascination initially began as an inexpensive and alternate way to get involved in studying biology.

“Ever since I was really young, I’ve always been interested in biology and animals,” he said. “I didn’t really have access to the medical field, so I turned to my backyard. In eighth grade, I started keeping ants and raising colonies.”

As Liao grew familiar with the inner workings of ant colony societies, however, his interests deepened beyond simply raising specimens. “To me, the idea of raising a colony was appealing because you could create a community,” he said. “It all starts from one queen, which can develop the colony and grow it. This kind of community model is really cool because it models a lot of biological processes that we see in real life, like kin altruism or the way cancer cells multiply.”

provide to others like her. “When I first came, I had that really cool ‘Oh my gosh, I fell in love’ moment,” she said. “I really like when [people] first see the space and say, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool.’ I love seeing that moment—it’s very intimate, and I get to be a part of that.”

For Little, MakeX is not only a place to create—it’s also built for making friends. “What I enjoy most is just meeting people from very different backgrounds,” she said. “[I love] not only the [mentors] but also members of the community that I never would have thought I would have a conversation with.”

Although Little will soon be attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, she hopes to find another makerspace to make home in college. “I don’t think I’ll ever find something as unique and special as MakeX, but I’m definitely going to try,” Little said.

—Written by Julianna Chang

page 22 | senior features

Liao’s scientific pursuits have led him to work with many notable researchers and entomologists. This past summer, Liao worked in the California Academy of Sciences with Dr. Brian Fisher, leading a team to create an identification system for carpenter ants. “Since California is such a young state, it contains probably one of the most biodiverse yet unexplored ant inhabitants in the United States,” he said. “Different ants require different care, so the identification system we’re creating is especially important.”

While his passion might never go extinct, Liao is antsy to explore different aspects of biology during his next few years at Yale University. “I still definitely want to do evolutionary biology, but in college I’ll have the resources to set up a lab and culture microbes,” he said. “I’m still really thankful that I grew so involved in ants, though, as I’ve learned a lot.”

—Written by Jessica Zang

Søfïå Lïttlë MåkëX Mëñtør

Jüstïñ Søñg Gråphïç Dësïgñër

Hosting one of the four major fashion weeks every year, New York City is one of the most well-known cities in the United States for its fashion scene.

With an interest in fashion design and clothing creation, Samhita Jayanth plans on pursuing her future in the fashion world at the Parsons School of Design college at The New School in New York City. “I am going to Parsons, and I’m majoring in fashion design and minoring in psychology,” she said. “My goal is to study body image and sizing in terms of codes and sustainability.”

Her interest in fashion design comes from crafting. “I have always been into making stuff with knitting and sewing, things like that,” she said. “Then, in sophomore year, I got a sewing machine, and I was able to start making clothes.”

Out of the pieces she has made so far, Jayanth has two she is most proud of. “My favorite piece would be my senior homecoming dress, or

Although Justin Song hopes to pursue a communications design major at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) School of Design, that’s not all he plans to do. Through his experience in Gunn’s Social Justice pathway, Song hopes to connect his talents in graphic design to his passion for mental health advocacy through college and beyond.

While Song has explored various creative media such as painting and drawing, it was only in the first semester of senior year that he finally knew that design was the area of art he wanted to pursue. “I really got interested in graphic design around eighth grade,” Song said. “The decision was really last minute: for a while, I wasn’t sure, but I realized in September that design was something that I really enjoyed and wanted to learn more about.”

In his Advanced Authentic Research Social Justice class, Song’s work has largely been connected to issues on sexual abuse and sexual as-

a Harry Styles cardigan I made for my friends.”

Jayanth finds inspiration from brands that are eco-friendly and work to reduce their carbon footprint. “I like a lot of sustainable brands like Levi’s,” she said. “They’re pretty cool because they re-work jeans and they make use of recyclable centers.”

After attending Gunn, a considerably less art-focused school, Jayanth is intrigued to study a different type of curriculum. “I haven’t had the opportunity to be in a class specifically for fashion design before,” she said.

“I really want to know what they teach about it. Most of the classes at Gunn are not particularly artoriented, so I’m excited to learn more about that.”

sault. “In September 2021, we started this project called the Teal Butterfly,” Song said. “Our project focuses on educating teens to be better peer listeners to friends. The meaning is that teal is the sexual assault awareness color and the butterfly is a sign of growth. Then we thought, ‘It’s not only sexual abuse—everyone struggles,’ which is why we changed it to peer listening for broader mental health issues. Friends are usually the number one source of support that people have.”

Song is looking forward to attending the CMU School of Design because of its commitment to social justice alongside design. “I’ve been taking the social justice pathway, so I just appreciated how CMU emphasizes social justice, bettering the world and helping students,” he said.

—Written by James Huang

Såmhïtå Jåÿåñth Fåshïøñ dësïgñër

—Written by Haley Pflasterer

may 27, 2022

Åï Süzükï søççër: MïLLSÅPS ÇØLLËGË STATS: Most Improved Player “Playing at Gunn allowed me to play with teammates and coaches I don’t normally play with. I learned a lot of new things from them.”

ÅÑÅ SÇHRËMP Søççër: ÇØLGÅTË ÜÑÏVËRSÏTÝ STATS: First Team All-League, league MVP, leading goal scorer in league “I’m playing college soccer because my parents were college athletes, and they inspired me to keep playing soccer in the future.”

Ëlïñå SÅÅB-SÜÑDËñ søççër: WËLLËSLËÝ çøllëgë STATS: First Team All-League, varsity captain, Best Offensive Player “My favorite thing about soccer is that you can bring a soccer ball anywhere in the world and find people to play with.”

page 24 | athletes

Ñåtålïë Smïth søççër: Jøhñs Høpkïñs Üñïvërsïtÿ STATS: MVP, First Team All-League “Soccer is a good way to build relationships and just have a good time.”

JØSHÜÅ GËHRïÑg TRÅÇK & Fïëld: Pïtzër Çøllëgë STATS: Cross country captain, Most Valuable Player “I think the amount of work you put in is directly proportional to the times you run, and it’s just really fun to compete in a really pure atmosphere.”

shårøñå sçhwåb Tråçk & Fïëld: Üñïvërsïtÿ øf Çhïçågø STATS: 2nd in Central Coast Section for 300m hurdles, top 20 hurdler in California “I think Gunn has such a unique track team. Everyone is always super high energy and just looking to have fun. When we’re not running, we’re just sitting around laughing together.”

may 27, 2022

ÅÜBRËÝ ÇÅÑTRËLL Swïmmïñg: WËLLËSLËÝ ÇØLLËGË STATS: Future Championships qualifier, Central Coast Section (CCS) finals qualifier “My favorite thing about swimming is the friends you make and the bonds you create.”

LÜLÜ SÇHLØSS Swïmmïñg: üç dåvïs STATS: Top 16 at Futures Championships “I like how I can just zone out and listen to the water. It’s really peaceful.”

Sïlvïå Fåråbøsçhï SWïmmïñg: ÜÇ SÅÑTÅ BÅRBÅRÅ

STATS: CCS qualifier, ranked 49th in California out of recruiting class “I love swimming because of my teammates. They push me to be a better person and a better swimmer.”

page 26 | athletes

Åññëlïsë Småbÿ gÿmñåstïçs: håmlïñë ÜÑÏVËRSÏTÝ STATS: NorCal State Championships qualifier “The thing that I really like about gymnastics is that there’s always a new skill to learn. It’s not easy to get bored with it.”

Jåÿdëñ Krått wåtër pølø: MÅÇÅLËSTËR Çøllëgë STATS: Defensive Most Valuable Player “I’ll miss the team. I love my teammates so much, and I was so grateful to have a fun-filled four seasons with them.”

Kÿlïë Lïü

SØFTBÅLL: PØMØÑÅ ÇØLLËGË STATS: Most Valuable Player, club nationals champion “My favorite things about softball are the competitive nature of the sport, the opportunity to meet different people, and the camaraderie of a group working toward the same goal.”

Shåüñtël Lïm

DÏVÏÑG: ÑØRTHWËSTËRÑ ÜÑÏVËRSÏTÝ STATS: Two time individual Jr. National Champion “The best thing about diving is the immense gratification after doing something physically and psychologically challenging, especially with the adrenaline rush.”

may 27, 2022

Ådï Mïttål: Üñïvërsïtÿ øf Øxførd Adi Mittal didn’t consider attending college internationally until a week before the application deadline.

After deciding to apply on a whim, however, Mittal will be studying math and philosophy through St. Hugh’s College at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom for the next three years.

Oxford and other international universities use a different application process from American universities; In order to be admitted, Mittal had to draft an essay similar to the Common Application personal statement, take notoriously difficult exams in both math and philosophy and attend interviews by the departments for Mittal’s majors. The interviews require solving problems and proposing arguments on the spot. “[In the interviews,] they want to see how you think in real time,” he

said. “Then, finally, after all the interviews, the colleges that interviewed you will decide whether they have space for you and if they like you enough to accept you. That’s the final decision process.”

The main difference between international and American schools, according to Mittal, is the curriculum. While most American schools possess a core curriculum of required general education classes, Oxford is completely major-focused with no core requirements. “[Oxford is] looking for a very specific subset of people for their own subject alone,” Mittal said. “So it’s good in the sense that people are getting a very specialized education.”

Although Mittal will be over 5,000 miles from his friends and family, he’s most looking forward to immersing himself in a new environment. “I’m just ready to see a new culture because I’m going to be completely disconnected from where I’ve been for the past 18 years,” Mittal said. “[I’ll have a] completely new friend group and culture.”

—Written by Julianna Chang

Årïs Ësfåhåñï: Gåp ÿëår With over 14 million players worldwide, “Valorant” has been dubbed the most popular and competitive FirstPerson Shooter game in 2022. Aris Esfahani has climbed the ranks in the fast-paced game, reaching a personal record of being in the top 400 in the nation and reaching the “radiant” rank in just two years.

However, Esfahani feels like he has yet to reach his full potential. “The biggest limitation for me is time,” Esfahani said. “I get home at 5 p.m., and I scrimmage and practice with my team until 9 p.m. That only leaves three hours to play ranked alone.”

To improve his game, Esfahani plans to take time to pursue “Valorant” professionally. “My plan is to take a gap year since there is a huge difference between professionals and me right now,” he said. “In ‘Valorant’, even if you’re ‘radiant,’ or top 500,

page 28 | alternate paths

that does not mean you can go professional. It’s a completely different game, and if you want to play competitively you need to keep your Elo, [the points you gain from winning a match], which is a lot of time.”

With more time, Esfahani plans to practice playing professional “Valorant” games.

While ranked matches are individual games, professional “Valorant” games are where teams of five spend hours practicing to play different roles and support each other against other teams of five. Esfahani plays the role of the duelist, the main shooter. “It’s ‘All aim, no brain,’” he said.

“The duelist is the best player mechanically, and I just shoot other people before they can shoot me. [Being] the duelist means having faith in myself and my teammates to bring home money in the next [competition]. [Ultimately], we’re really good friends who enjoy playing together.”

Altogether, Esfahani is eager to play with his team professionally. “This is my passion and my goal, and taking a gap year is the best way to pursue it,” he said.

—Written by Catherine Chu

Dåñå Søütër: Gåp ÿëår After 13 years in the Palo Alto Unified School District, many seniors are in need of a breather. However, Dana Souter plans to take more than a summer off from school, with the goal to gain work experience and discover the passions she wants to pursue in college.

Currently, Souter is enrolled at the University of Southern California, but she plans to defer her enrollment for a year. “One of the things that I want to do this next year is to take a break from school, see the ‘real world’ and recover from burnout,” she said. “Ideally, I’d like to travel, but also, I would love to volunteer at a local medical clinic or gain some other type of work experience. I think that can be really valuable when continuing my education, and it will give me a greater sense of purpose.”

For Souter, a gap year has always felt like the right thing to gain perspective and spark new interests and passions.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and I’m still figuring it out,” she said. “But for a long time, I’ve known that I didn’t want to go straight into school. I wanted to have

some time to figure out what I wanted to do and make my time at college more enjoyable and purposeful.” Doing this, Souter says, will also prevent any possible time added by having to change majors. Spending a year finding out what she really wants to do will allow her to feel content with her subject of choice.

While a lot of student feel swept up in a constant compulsion to work these days, Souter believes that it’s important to take time for yourself and discover interests. “It doesn’t matter exactly what your path is, because no matter what you do, that’ll be valuable time spent,” Souter said.

“As long as you’re having fun and working towards your goals at this age, it’s a good use of your time.”

—Written by Annika Bereny

Måÿå Glåzër: Ïsråëlï DëFëñsë Førçë At of the end of high school, Maya Glazer plans to join the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) for a two-year service period in the hopes of gaining unique experiences that will grant her a multitude of applicable skills.

Glazer, who has received a majority of her education in the U.S., is intent on pursuing a position in cyber security in the military. After her service period, she plans to move on to a university in Israel.

Entry to the IDF entails a testing period to see which jobs are most applicable to Glazer’s skill set. “I’m most likely going to be in cyber [security] because of my background in computer science,” she said. “Also, because I’m coming from America and my parents aren’t living in Israel, I’m considered something called an ‘Alone Soldier.’

This means that they’re a little more lenient in letting me choose, which is really nice.”

Additionally, Glazer’s motivation for joining the IDF comes from multiple family members who also joined the IDF. She hopes to benefit from the same experience that was given to all her family members. “My parents both

went to the military, as well as my three older brothers who followed the same path,” she said. “I see how it has helped them mature. They seem more serious about learning and studying. I feel inexperienced right now at 18 and not necessarily ready to dive into really heavy studies.”

As the final act of her senior year wraps up, Glazer wishes to provide some useful advice to anyone considering travel after school. “I think going abroad—just in general, not necessarily for military service—is a really good experience,” she said.

“When is it better to travel around Europe, the Middle East or Asia other than when you’re 18? What’s the harm in going out of the country and seeing something you won’t see on a daily basis?”

—Written by Cole Ford

may 27, 2022

Ñøëllë Tåkågï: ïñtërñåtïøñål çøllëgë Born in the United States, Noelle Takagi has always dreamed of living in Japan. While seeing her favorite J-pop group—called Arashi—isn’t her only motivation for attending international school, the group initially sparked her interest in Japanese culture. “When I was four, I went to a concert with my parents,” she said. “My parents said, ‘Let’s go.’ So we went, and it was really fun. [The concert] is actually the rea- son why I started to learn Japanese more, because I wanted to understand what [the singers] were saying.”

Now, Takagi considers herself fluent in both Japanese and English.

In Japan, she hopes to use her skills to explore potential career paths, including news reporting or being a translator.

To prepare, she is looking for off-campus housing with

her mother, who is moving to Japan with her. Proximity to more of her extended family in Japan also has its perks. “My grandparents live really close to Shibuya,” she said. “I really love that place. There are many elements of Japanese culture there. It’s really fun to go to have fun and feel Japan’s vibe.”

As for the transition, her biggest worry is being apart from her father—who is staying in America—and experiencing the varied weather. “In America, it’s not that vibrant or drastic with the weather,” she said. “But in Japan, in the winter, it’s very cold and in the summer, it’s very hot.”

Other than weathering the weather, her goals are to immerse herself in the food and culture of Japan—including, of course, a much-anticipated visit to a J-pop concert.

—Written by Jessica Wang

Røgåñ Gïbbøñs: Thë Wïñçhëñdøñ Sçhøøl Rogan Gibbons has a different course planned for himself after graduating high school: more high school. To prime up his basketball skills and master his game, Gibbons plans on heading out to the East Coast next fall for one more year of high school. “I plan to attend the fifth year of high school at a school called Winchendon in Massachusetts,” he said.

“I’ll be playing basketball there and the goal for that is to then move on and play basketball in college.”

Gibbon’s plans to attend The Winchendon School originated from the time he lost from playing basketball when the global pandemic hit. With junior year online and restrictions around sports, his most important year for recruiting became even more difficult. “Over the past few years with COVID-19, I had a lot of struggles with recruiting, and I took a lot of time off basketball,” he said.

“So I was playing catch-up with recruiting, and I didn’t get the offers I wanted.”

With another year of high school, Gibbons hopes to

page 30 | alternate paths

improve his play and have more time for the recruitment process. “I think this fifth year is going to help me reset,” he said. “Now that I’m taking this fifth year, I can do college camps over the summer. It will open up a lot more opportunities.”

As for attending a new school, Gibbons looks forward to moving out east. “I’m really looking forward to living in a new place and playing basketball at another level,” he said. “The school that I’m going to is going to be in a division that sends a lot of guys to Division 1 colleges and Division 3 colleges, so I’m looking forward to that.”

—Written by Haley Pflasterer

ë ü g ø l ï p Ë

wørds øf wïsdøm før Rïsïñg sëñïørs Start early on college apps and set aside time for self care! Also, be sure to really apply to colleges you’d actually go to—it’ll make decision season so much more rewarding and stress free :) CHILL. IT WILL BE OKAY. Also, essay writing will be 100x easier if you just write about YOU. Not what the colleges want, just what YOU want.

Don’t slack off second semester (senioritis is real though!) because bad habits can be built and continued into college.

You’re a senior! Be proud of yourself :) Go do something fun and explore new things. I went to Safeway with a friend, and we split an entire fried chicken and ate it with bubble tea and guacamole right outside the store. It was great. Do something like that. Who cares if someone looks at you weirdly? You’re a senior!

Try to enjoy your last year of high school—it goes by so quickly!

Be empathetic (and self-aware!) to yourself and to others about college decisions; we see people’s decisions but not their options and all of the factors that play into it.

This is a little bit cliché, but really enjoy your last year of high school. Go to the party/event you’re on the fence about and spend time with your friends, even if it means giving up a day of studying. The memories from the year are ultimately what you’re going to remember more than any test score.

øür bïggëst rëgrëts frøm hïgh sçhøøl Not tr yin out for g spor t ora joining c lubs

Getting way too little sleep Caring about the wrong people

Not reaching out to people in lockdown Wearing my goggles in chem too tight and spending the rest of the school day with goggle marks.

Saying “n too mucho”

I wish I focused on friendships more and stressed less about academic s.

Taking seven classes senior year

page 32 | advice

Getting in a fight over a bench

Not getting to know my teachers more Not t Living aSking in summ kills contin er or with Phuing oto

The Happy Donuts incident

Not socializing e nou g h

Øür fåvørïtë Güññ Mëmørïës - Gøïñg üñdëfëåtëd åt sëñïør høçø!

- Wåtër Pïpë dåÿ!

- Ñïght rållÿ søphømørë ÿëår (bëåtïñg thë Jüñïørs)

- thë båskëtbåll gåmë thïs ÿëår whërë Güññ bëåt Pålÿ ëvëñ thøügh thëÿ wërë å whølë lëågüë åbøvë üs

- Spëñdïñg låtë ñïghts Wïth Güññ Røbøtïçs Tëåm

- Gøïñg øñ å wålk tø bøl pårk wïth frïëñds dürïñg å prëp

- ëåtïñg wïth åll mÿ frïëñds åñd Mr. Düñlåp åt Türkëÿ fëåst

- Wåtçhïñg Güññ føøtbåll gåmës wïth frïëñds åñd drïvïñg åçrøss tøwñ løøkïñg før thïñgs tø dø åftër

-ëvërÿ dåÿ Ï spëñt wïth mÿ frïëñds

- Prøm!!

- Swïñg dåñçë. Wås sürprïsïñglÿ tøñs øf füñ!

ådvïçë før fütürë frëshmëñ Academics are not as important as your social life.

Don’t use the K Building or N Building first floor bathrooms. Also, the bathrooms on the far side of the track are great to skip P.E. running if you time it right.

Whenever you have a doctor or dentist appointment, make it on Friday so it cuts through SELF. Don’t be afraid to find a new friend group—you may come into Gunn with a middle school friend group, but branch out and find new people from other middle schools.

Join a community! Whether that’s The Oracle ;), a sport, or literally anything else, find a community of people who are doing something you love. These people will become your family, and it’ll feel more like a hobby than an extracurricular.

It’s the best way to make friends and have an impact on campus.

Actually use the Wellness Center. It’s not cringe; it’s amazing.

Listen to people when they tell you to switch classes when you get certain teachers.

Talk to as many people as possible, and take classes you genuinely find interesting.

These next four years will push you to become a better student, leader and individual overall. Remember to be open to change, to stay genuine and to be kind to everyone you meet. But most of all, try to be balanced—it’ll be hard, but I promise it’ll make your high school experience all the better.

Leave our bathrooms alone!

may 27, 2022

whåt wë’ll mïss møst The people.

Homecoming week and dances!

Living a block away from school.

There will be some people that I’ll never see again after I graduate from Gunn, so I’ll miss those people, whoever they are.

My friends...a lot a lot a lot. I will miss them so much.

CALIFORNIA WEATHER!!!

Everything. sleepover!

øür güññ çøñfëssïøñs I never did my “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” scene in Theatre 1, and Mr. Shelby didn’t notice :D Almost every time I said I had to go to the bathroom during class, I went to one on the other side of the school.

I still don’t know any of the building names (besides the N Building).

I never took a single state test.

I never actually read any of my English books until I took Visual Storytelling, where I was forced to accept that you can’t Sparknotes “The Ultimate Spiderman.”

I was the one who clamped Mr. Gill so hard that his shoe broke during Clash of the Titans.

I pretended like my computer glitched and I couldn’t record my French assignment when in reality I just didn’t know how to speak French. This was in AP :/ As much as I’ve said something along the lines of “I hate Gunn,” I’ve actually enjoyed my experience here a lot.

Bëst ëxçüsë wë’vë gïvëñ tø å tëåçhër tø gët øüt øf sømëthïñg a Faked y. r e surg Told M Linsdells. felt sick, I so I we nt o 30 -minu n a te walk.

Hit my head on a pole.

“My dma fell gran and d ow n g e t can’t She up!”(fine.) wa s

page 34 | advice

“My WIFI is down.”

“My dog ate my homework” He actually did.

“Pre -D ali celebraiw tions”

“I got COVID...”

ther “My brhois e brok ulling arm p pants” up his ory.)

(True st

In P.E., I said my foot was broken weeks after it healed.

“Sorry, my mic isn’t working.”

I NEVER GET OUT OF ANYTHING!

Çlåss øf ‘22 wøüld lïkë tø thåñk...

Mr. Ames, who “needs to start an ASMR channel.”

Mr. Gordon, for “signing my prom form at 12 a.m.”

Mr. Kitada, for “his genuine love of English.”

Ms. Peters, for “hooking us up with the best recipes!”

Ms. Anderson, for “her lovely office/safe space.”

Ms. Gramegna, who is “a mood.”

Ms. Kompella, for “her fire fits” and “quirk.”

Mr. Redfield, for “his great advice and guidance.”

Ms. Arteaga, for “being here for me.”

Ms. Granlund, who “inspired my dream of becoming an engineer.”

Ms. Teri Lee, for “supporting me, always.”

Ms. Renazco, for “never giving up on me.”

Ms. Lewis, “for making Orchestra a community.”

Ms. Ross, for “meeting with me even when I come into her office unannounced.”

Mr. Bautista, for “always being so optimistic!”

Ms. Blackburn, for “always keeping me on my toes!”

Mr. Briggs, for “always pushing me to try my best.”

Mr. Hahn, who “is literally the coolest person ever.”

Ms. Hall, “who is just generally the GOAT.”

Ms. Limburg, for her “toptier math jokes.”

Mr. Hall, for “juggling.”

Mr. Little, for his “persistent encouragement.”

Mr. Brown, “the teacher who made me love English.”

Mr. Halter, for “his often scary love for English.”

Ms. Lizundia, for “being a great French Club advisor!”

Mr. Camicia, for “genuinely caring for his students.”

Mr. Hernandez, who’s “passionate about his craft and it really shows.”

Ms. Lo, for “putting so much into our productions.”

Ms. Catalano, “who inspired me to go into biology!”

Mr. Collier, for “making AP Psych my favorite class.”

Ms. Congress, for her “daybrightening enthusiasm.”

Mr. Corpuz, for “engaging every student in a truly meaningful way.”

Mr. Deggeller for “his genuine passion,” “upbeat attitude” and for “getting me into crosswords.”

Ms. Dellaporta, for “being my supportive mentor!”

Mr. Dunlap, for being “the ‘cool uncle’ for all of his students” and for “pushing me out of my shell.”

Ms. Ellington for “her great work with Gunn Theater.”

Ms. Florea, for “the best Geo H class freshman year.”

Ms. Garcia, for “always talking to me in the library!”

Mr. Gill, for “his obvious love for Gunn students, books and shoes.”

Ms. Hexsel, who “makes sure we’re happy and has made a big impact on me.”

Ms. Holdener, for her “perpetual cheer!”

Ms. Holmes, for “being a goddess and having the best stories.”

Ms. Howard, “for inspiring my love for social sciences!”

Ms. Huynh, who is “why I’m studying marine biology.”

Ms. Ichikawa, “for her hilarious stories that leave me in stitches.”

Mr. Igler, for coaching golf and “letting me write dad jokes on his Puzzler board!”

Ms. Ja, “for always believing in me and sparking my passion for reading!”

Mr. Jamison, for “teaching me how to work hard.”

Mr. Johnson, for “loving APUSH so contagiously.”

Mr. King, for “creating a fun and relaxing environment.”

Mr. Losier, for “being awesome (and sponsoring French Club).”

Mr. Lyons, who “has perfected teaching.”

Mr. Miller, for “motivating the football team.”

Ms. Munger, for “her support in my English learning journey.”

Ms. Sabbag, for “her awesome dog and better personality!”

Sanchez, for “his life stories!”

Travis, who is “my slime.”

Ms. Schroeppel, “for making German fun and interactive.”

Mr. Shelby, for his “kooky love for theater!”

Mr. Summers, for “his dad jokes.”

Ms. Tabares, for “her major role in my four years here.”

Ms. Tabuchi, for “making me feel at home at Gunn.”

Mr. Newland, for “letting me call him Harvey.”

Ms. Tantod, who “makes me smile every day.”

Mr. O’Connell, whose “speeches have inspired me for life.”

Ms. Vrudny, “for teaching me Chinese.”

Ms. Ou-Ponticelli, for “helping me grow as a musician and person.”

Ms. Owen, who’s “the coolest!”

Mr. Patrick, for being “really funny.”

Ms. Pena, who is “one of the reasons I continue to strive to succeed.”

Ms. Perkins, “for making me love psychology.”

Ms. Wells, for “the best class (philosophy) and her lovely, upbeat attitude!”

Ms. Weymouth, for “having the best online class.”

Ms. Wilson, who’s “truly an angel on Earth.”

Ms. Whichard, for “her Ham-tastic teaching!”

Mrs. Yun, for “being the best Gunn Biz advisor ever.”

Ms. Zizmor, “my favorite.”

(Source: Survey sent out to Gunn seniors with 135 responses.)

may 27, 2022

GRËËTÏÑGS GONZAGA (1) UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND (1) UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (2)

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON (3)

ARIZONA STATE (1) UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (1)

RICE (1)

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, MANOA (1)

ÏÑTËRÑÅTïØÑÅL OXFORD (1) UNIVERSITY OF GRONINGEN (1)

page 36 | college map

FRØM...

BOSTON UNIVERSITY (4) HAMLINE (1)

MIDDLEBURY (1)

MACALESTER COLLEGE (1)

WELLESLEY (2)

CORNELL (1)

WILLIAMS (2)

NYU (2) SYRACUSE (1) UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (2) COLUMBIA COLLEGE OF CHICAGO (2) NORTHWESTERN (1) UCHICAGO (1)

OBERLIN (2)

UIUC (1)

TUFTS (3) UMASS AMHERST (1)

COLGATE (2) UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON (1)

NORTHEASTERN (2)

YALE (1)

BROWN (6)

CARNEGIE MELLON (5) HAVERFORD (1)

PRINCETON (1)

PENN STATE (1)

STEVENS INSTITUTE OF

UPENN (2)

TECHNOLOGY (1)

JOHNS HOPKINS (2) INDIANA UNIVERSITY BLOOMINGTON (1)

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK (1)

PURDUE (2)

GEORGE WASHINGTON (1) VIRGINIA TECH (1)

GEORGETOWN (1)

135 SENIORS RESPONDED

may 27, 2022

UC DAVIS (7) UC BERKELEY (7) DE ANZA (1) FOOTHILL (1) SAN JOSE STATE (1) SANTA CLARA (1) STANFORD (5)

UC MERCED (1) FRESNO STATE (1)

UC SANTA CRUZ (2)

CAL POLY SLO (4)

UC SANTA BARBARA (1) CHAPMAN (3) PITZER (1) UCLA (2) USC (3) UC IRVINE (1) SAN DIEGO STATE (1) UC SAN DIEGO (4)

page 38 | college map

Çøñgråts, Çlåss øf 2022!

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