The Oracle (Dec. 10)

Staffers show off winter fashion trends

The Oracle goes ice skating

Students win top prizes at Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology

PG. 15 SPORTS

THEORACLE

PG. 17 ENTERTAINMENT

Staffers share guilty pleasures

PG. 8 FEATURES

PG. 3 NEWS

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Monday, December 10, 2012

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Buena Vista trailer homes face possible demolition Zoe Weisner and Catalina Zhao News Editors

$59.1 billion

spent nationwide over Black Friday weekend

33 million

Real Christmas trees sold in the US each year

Photo by Audey Shen

125 students and their families, totaling 375 people, would be forced to relocate should Prometheus decide to purchase the land the trailer park occupies. “It’s disheartening,” Principal Katya Villalobos said. “Parents work really hard to be here, and they want to send their children to good schools.”

District officials’ primary concern is to help ease the transition for students and minimize any disruption to their education that Prometheus’ decision might cause. “Our real issue is, how can we support families that will be uprooted by this, and if they would like to continue to go to our schools, how will they do that?” Superintendent Kevin Skelly said. “Moving is disruptive to students anyway, but moving when you’re forced to leave your home is another thing.”

Because this issue is the city’s responsibility, the district can only manage the outcome of Prometheus’s final agreement. “Our interest is in the kids who are there because they’re part of the district community,” Skelly said. “The district doesn’t generally get involved too much with Palo Alto land issues because the developer is responsible for working with the city about what they want to do with the land.”

The district’s elementary schools have taken extra precautionary measures in the process, as most of the students in the park are still K-5. Children who live in Buena Vista Mobile Home Park compose approximately 12 percent of Barron Park Elementary School’s student population.

“Adults are worried and children are scared, and it’s not very compatible with the kinds of things

kids need to do while they’re in school, which is to listen and learn and have fun,” Barron Park Elementary School Principal Magdalena Fittoria said. “That doesn’t happen when you’re worried about where you’re going to live and what your parents are going to do.”

As such, schools such as Barron Park have directed students who have been exposed to the abrupt change to counseling services. These students are also offered free breakfast and lunch through the school’s reduced lunch programs, and some receive donations from school fundraisers. “These are some of the poorest families in our communities,” Fittoria said. “We’re trying to connect families to other resources, especially during the holiday season.”

BUENA VISTA—p.4

Movies to be released over winter break bring much promise

With finals before winter break, students will have plenty of opportunities to view films in their homes and in theaters. New theatrical releases will enlighten and captivate cinephiles over break, just in time for the award season that culminates with the Academy Awards in February.

First on this Christmas list, a holdover from pre-finals weekend

preparations, is Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, the film constitutes the first part of a trilogy similar to the director’s “The Lord of the Rings” series.

Students can also look forward to Judd Apatow’s “This is 40,” a semisequel to “Knocked Up.” Based on its trailer, the film will likely blend hilarious comedy with Apatow’s recently revealed penchant for drama and seriousness.

Christmas Day will be met with the release of the two films regarded as arguably the most anticipated releases of the holiday season, Tom Hooper’s “Les Misérables” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Un-

By the Numbers

~Holidays~

Buenas Vistas Mobile Home Park has found itself in jeopardy as Prometheus, a real estate management and development firm, has considered purchasing the five acres of land the park occupies. Even without knowing if the transaction will occur and what will happen to the land, many Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) students in the mobile park could be affected.

Cooper Aspegren

Volume 50, Issue 4

chained.” Based on the theatrical classic, the former distinguishes itself as a mostly sung-through cinematic musical that boasts live recordings of the actors singing on set. In contrast, “Unchained” will likely be considered the most controversial film of the year and one certainly not for the faint of heart.

The Antebellum-set plot concerns itself with a slave, Django (Jamie Foxx), recruited and freed by a bounty hunter (Chrisoph Waltz), who together work to free Django’s wife (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of a nefarious plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). The film has already earned comparisons to the director’s similarly con-

troversial and historically related “Inglourious Basterds;” one entering the theater for “Unchained” should expect a similar treatment to the Civil War as “Basterd”’s portrayal of World War II. Along with holiday and Christmas related films on OnDemand, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, these new releases will almost certainly grant students plenty of options to enjoy over the upcoming winter break.

See Entertainment pg. 18 for Cooper’s movie reviews on holiday favorites.

Average Growing time for a Christmas tree

7 years

1.5 billion

Hallmark Christmas cards sent in 2011

36%

of holiday shoppers say they won’t make a purchase without free shipping

18%

of 2011 holiday gift purchases were gift cards

2

News

THEORACLE

Enforced game policy sparks controversy

NEWS BITES

Anuva Ganapathi

NCTE recognizes superior writers

Seniors Amy Creasey and Roya Huang were announced as winners of the 2012 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Award in Writing.

Established in 1957, the award aims “to encourage high school students in their writing and to recognize publicly some of the best student writers in the nation,” according to the NCTE website. Every year, each high school nominates a certain number of juniors to enroll in the competition, based on the total enrollment of sophomores, juniors and seniors in the school. According to English Instructional Supervisor Ellen Feigenbaum, Gunn typically nominates three juniors.

Nominees are decided by each school’s English Department, and the process begins each December with English teachers nominating students they personally believe to be outstanding writers. The list is cut short through successive votes by the department until three students remain, who are decided as the school’s nominees.

The students then have until February to submit two works; one which represents their best work, and another written according to an annual theme that is decided each year by the NCTE. According to Feigenbaum, Gunn has a history of nominating students who have been successful in the contest. Last year, all three nominees were awarded. “I really do feel the level of writing and critical thinking at this school is very high,” Feigenbaum said.

“The students we nominate already come from a pool of excellent writers.”

Klaire Tan

Bands perform well at jazz concert

On Nov. 29 the music department held a Fall Jazz Concert in Spangenberg Theatre. Unlike previous Jazz Concerts, bands from Terman Middle School and Jane Lathrop Stanford (JLS) Middle School were invited to perform their respective setlists between the performances of Gunn’s Big Band Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Band II. “What I enjoyed about [Terman and JLS playing at our concert was] that it gives the audience the opportunity to hear the growth of the musicians from middle to high school” Band Director Todd Summers said. “It also let the middle school students hear what the potential is when they go to high school.”

The concert, the first student Jazz Concert of the 2012-13 school year, was highly regarded by both participants and audience members. “It was a huge success,” Summers said. “We had a huge audience, and all the bands played well.” Among the audience’s favorites was “Fat Mama,” a funk tune written by Herbie Hancock in 1969 that received a standing ovation. Performers who won applause for their soloing included seniors Jackson Burris, Tucker Gibbons, Benjy Steinberg, junior Ben Sorensen and freshman Nikhil Ghosh.

The next Gunn Jazz Concert will be a Guest Artist Concert on Feb. 8.

Erica Lee

SEC SCOOP Upcoming Events: • Hanukkah (12/8-12/16) • Finals Review (12/17-12/18) • Final Exams (12/19-12/21) • Winter Break (12/24-1/4) • Christmas Day (12/25) • Kwanzaa (12/26) • First Day of Second Semester (1/7) • First Semester Grades Due (1/15) • Martin Luther King Jr. Day (1/21) If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact us!

Or ask us a question at www.formspring.me/GunnSEC

Reporter

The Academic Center (AC) started enforcing a new rule that prohibits gaming on its computers, effective Nov. 4, in response to the gaming policy introduced by administration. According to librarian Meg Omainksy, this new rule is a school-wide policy, covering computers in the AC, library and the Student Activities Center.

The policy was instituted after students who tried to work were not able to utilize computers when others played games on them.

Some students who use the AC are indifferent towards the rule. “I don’t really care that much because most people who play games can play them at home,” senior Brandon Yao said. With no games to distract him, Yao has more time to work on his schoolwork. “I study a bit more than I would have if I had games to play.”

Other students find the policy too stringent. “They should have enforced the policy that academic activity

takes precedence over gaming, rather than banning gaming completely,” junior Warren Zhu said.

Although computer gaming has been banned, students can still watch Internet videos. “We can still watch videos of people gaming, but we can’t actually game,” sophomore George Lee said. “That’s not solving the problem.” Lee offers an alternate solution. “It might be a good idea to have certain times when people can use the computers for gaming, so that that there are computers available for students who want to use them for academic purposes.”

Although the rule has only been in effect for about three weeks, AC administrator Pam Steward has noticed improvement. If students are caught gamDave Zhu ing, they are given a warning, and if they continue to game, a disciplinary referral will be issued. “We thought it would take several weeks to enforce [the rule], but it has been really good since day one,” Steward said. “I think it works because there are consequences.”

District forms new Calendar Committee Cooper Aspegren News Editor

Palo Alto Unified School District executives formed a Calendar Advisory Committee consisting of students, parents, teachers and administrators who will evaluate and recommend possible improvements to the school calendar that came into effect this school year.

The committee held its first meeting on Nov. 28.

Assistant Principal Trinity Klein, physics teacher Laurie Pennington, senior Sarah Dukes-Schlossberg, and juniors Justice Tention and Neel Guha represent Gunn in the committee. “Our job is to collect data about what Palo Alto wants for the calendar,” DukesSchlossberg said.

The new calendar, which has finals before winter break, has been a source of controversy since its adoption by the district school board in May 2011 for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. Proponents of the changes argue that with placing finals before winter break, students can enjoy a stress and homework-free two week break. In contrast, opponents of the measure criticized the new calendar’s manner of ending summer two weeks earlier than usual and increasing the difficulty for seniors of finishing college applications on time. “When we adopted the last calendar, there was a lot of concern expressed by the community, some by students, a lot by parents, about the shift in the earlier time and [having] finals before winter break.” Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Scott Bowers said.

The committee aims to administer a survey to students, staff members and parents in late January to gather feedback on the stakeholders’ expereince with the calendar. The committee began discussing what questions the survey should pose. According to Tention, the comittee considered readministering a survey from the 2011-2012 school year. “That will be a great benchmark to see what people thought of the new calendar versus what they actually think of the new calendar,” Tention said.

Committee members remain open to recommendations inferred from future survey data. “There’s no preset vision of what the next calendar is going to look like,” Klein said. “It’s not focused on the product right now. It’s really focused on the process.” Student representatives from Gunn endorse the current calendar. “I think there could be improvements, but relative to the old calendar, it is better,” Dukes-Schlossberg said.

While not entirely certain of the calendar’s popularity given the lack of up-to-date survey data so far, representatives believe the new calendar has strong support from the student body. “Just from my opinion, I think the vast majority of students are really enjoying it,” Tention said. “I think it’s going to be great to go into winter break and really have nothing to worry about.”

The committee also includes representatives from Palo Alto High School and elementary and middle schools across the district; participants noted the wide range of competing interests within the committee. “I think what the district is really focused on is a process that allows as many voices as possible to be heard,” Klein said.

Gunn earns high national STEM rank Rebecca Alger

Features Editor

Gunn was recently ranked the fourth best Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) public high school in the country by “U.S. News and World Report.” It first had to be listed as a gold medal winner in the “U.S. News” Best High Schools rankings as of May 2012. It was then ranked on a STEM index out of 100 possible points. The index is based on the percentage of twelfth graders Advanced Placement (AP) test takers who passed an AP math or science exam.

The STEM Science Achievement Index is derived from the percentage of 2010 graduates who were AP test takers and took at least one AP STEM course during high school. The percentage of students who took an AP science class was weighted 25 percent.

The percentage of 2010 graduates who passed an AP science test was weighted 75 percent. The STEM math Achievement Index is calculated the same way but with AP math courses. The two scores were then averaged together to create the school’s overall score.

According to science Instructional Supervisor Laurie Pennington, the ranking simply indicates Gunn students’ ability to perform well during AP exams. “To me, the ranking means the students at our school are very good at taking tests,” she said. “I also think that the AP teachers at our school run rigorous courses specifically designed to make students successful on AP exams.”

Gunn’s success is often attributed to not only the number of available opportunities, but also to the work of students, parents and teachers. “I think Gunn’s success comes from a combination of hard working students who are interested in science and technology, supportive parents and excellent teachers,” math Instructional Supervisor Kathy Hawes said.

Principal Katya Villalobos stresses that STEM’s success is equally important to the success of the humanities and that all programs connect to one another.

“STEM for me is not just about the four areas, but all of the curriculum and how we support that,” she said. “I think it’s wonderful, but I think that the ranking in and of itself is a product of all the things we do at Gunn.”

News

Monday, September 17, 2012

3

Students reach semi-finals in Siemen’s national science competition Senior Anne Zeng Eileen Qian Centerfold Editor

On Oct. 19, senior Anne Zeng became a regional semifinalist in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology.

The Siemens Foundation rewards high-achieving high school students who pursue math and science by giving those who proceed to the finalist stage of its competition $10,000 to $100,000 scholarships, as well as national recognition. Zeng, who interns at the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, was encouraged by others in her laboratory to submit her project on Alzheimer’s disease to the competition. She was shocked by the results. “I didn’t know I was a semi-finalist until other people started congratulating me during school,” Zeng said.

“I was initially confused and then surprised because I didn’t think I would make it so far.”

Since the summer of 2011, Zeng worked closely with her mother Tao Yang, who is a research scientist of Neurology at Stanford, to determine how chemical compounds can mitigate the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. For seven weeks she worked five days a week and seven hours a day. Through the implementation of her

Juniors Catherine Nitta & Jenny Yoon

project, Zeng found that two chemical compounds, C2 and C75, could prevent events that correlate to the development and severity of Alzheimer’s such as Tau missorting and Tau phosphorylation. During these events, the protein Tau, which is usually found in a neuron’s axon, moves to another location and causes the neurons to lose their function.

During the first summer, she learned the techniques and procedures necessary to perform experiments and analyze reliable data. This summer, Zeng continued her research by examining data from the previous year and performing additional trials to further support and confirm her earlier findings.

Zeng became interested in Alzheimer’s disease through her interactions with Yang.

“My mom would come home and talk about the latest developments in neurodegenerative diseases and things they did in the lab,” Zeng said. Yang encouraged Zeng to pursue her interest by submitting a proposal for the project to Dr. Frank Longo, Chair of the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford, who eventually approved her plans.

Although the project took a significant amount of time and required an intensive level

of training, Zeng enjoyed the experience. “It’s rewarding to know people, other than those in my lab and me, appreciated the work I did,” Zeng said.

Yang found Zeng to be a pleasure to work with due to her efficiency and ability to focus. “I have worked with a few students­: high school students, undergraduate students, and graduate students in the past,” Yang said. “But working with Anne was easier than with most others not because I’m her mom, as sometimes this can make things more complicated and difficult, but rather because Anne really understood the project and was well prepared in both skills and mentality.” She believes that Zeng has acquired a much deeper understanding of neurology. “She certainly became more interested in science, neuroscience in particular,” she said. “She can now converse comfortably with people in the lab on subjects of neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Due to the intellectual growth Zeng felt as a result of this experience, she has considered pursuing the subject as a career. “I’m not exactly sure what I want to do in the future, but [neurology] is a very interesting field,” Zeng said. “It could be something I go into in the future.”

Rani Shiao & Katherine Zhu Reporter & Sports Editor

Juniors Catherine Nitta and Jenny Yoon were awarded the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology semi-finalist prize on Oct. 19.

Their project was a computer model for bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a condition that causes a person to exhibit abnormal manic and depressed states—the manic state is characterized by an overexpression of the neurotransmitter dopamine, and the depressed side is characterized by an underexpression of dopamine.

The computer model is theoretically capable of encouraging those with bipolar disorder to exhibit the manic side more than the depression side, through positive reinforcement of the manic side and negative reinforcement of the depression side. According to Yoon, the computer model simulates the levels of dopamine in the human brain to find a connection between the dopamine’s effect on a person with bipolarity.

Nitta investigated bipolar disorder because of her passion for the brain.

“I have always been interested in the brain,” Nitta said. The computer model is based on a similar project about epilepsy she did over the summer by herself.

Nitta and Yoon occasionally consulted Dr. C. Anthony Hunt of University of California San Francisco (UCSF) over email for advice. “I just contacted professors at UCSF and Stanford,” Nitta said. “The Stanford

THEORACLE The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor and Comments. Comments are generally shorter responses, while Letters are longer pieces of writing.

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Managing Editors Boot Bullwinkle Anna Qin

News Cooper Aspegren Zoe Weisner Catalina Zhao

Features Rebecca Alger Chaewon Lee

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Forum Ben Atlas Leon Cheong

Centerfold Eileen Qian Stephanie Zhang

Photo Michael Wu

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

Copy Lawrence Chen Klaire Tan Graphics Artist Jasmine Garnett

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The Oracle is published by and for the students of Henry M. Gunn Senior High School. The unsigned editorials that appear in this publication represent the majority opinion of the editorial staff and The Oracle’s commitment to promoting student rights.

The Oracle publishes nine issues annually. Subscriptions are $45/year.

Letters to the Editor and Comments and ideas for coverage may be sent to oraclegunn@gmail.com or posted on our Facebook page. These letters need not be from current students.

Justice Tention, 11

Business/Circulation Erica Lee Shireen Ahsan (Asst.)

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Photographers Stephanie Kim Audey Shen Anthony Tran

Letters and Comments may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

The greatest attention grabber were the graphics. The bright red and blue color made this issue much more inviting than usual. Beyond that, I was especially a fan of the pro-Romney articles because I feel that our school can become too Obama/ liberal-centric.

Staff Reporters Samantha Acker, Wayland Fong, Anuva Ganapathi, Noa Livneh, Alex Man, Roy Shadmon, Henry Siu, Tim Wang, Katherine Zu

Sophomore Joy Jin was honored as a runner-up Siemen’s Competition national finalist. She won $10,000 dollars at the time of publication for presenting her project in Washington D.C. Her project will be featured in the Jan. issue.

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Tech Alvin Wang

professors didn’t respond but some UCSF professors were helpful.” The computer model they used was made on Net Logo, a modeling program that can be used for multiple purposes. “[Dr. Hunt] taught us how to use it for biological purposes,” Nitta said.

Nitta taught Yoon how to use the NetLogo software. “The work was split pretty evenly,” Nitta said. “I worked on the computer model more.

When we wrote the report, Jenny wrote more.”

The two were able to conduct much of their research on their own with little outside assistance. “We didn’t receive any direct help on our project from universities or professors, but Mrs. Moser helped with paperwork and technicalities as our mentor,” Yoon said. “She was a great help, and really cleared up some things for us.”

All in all, the project was a challenging but enjoyable experience.

“My favorite part was gathering the background information and studying the nature of bipolarity and neurotransmitters,” Yoon said. “On the other hand, my least favorite part was probably completing and gathering all the paperwork to enter the competition.”

November 5, 2012

It would be neat to feature Gunn students more. I know you guys do that already, but I wish the paper were more personal so students can get to know their school.

I liked the stuff about school and the school district as well as stuff from around the country. I’d like to see crosswords in The Oracle. The story I remember reading was the one about student’s political views.

Rohil Bhansali, 12

There were some stories that had nothing to do with the election. I think it’d be better to either only have election related stories or have a wider range of stories.

I didn’t like how it was so focused on the election. I wish social issues like abortion and birth control were addressed because they are very pertinent to women.

It’s very nice. The elections are about to finish and it shows that students are becoming more politically aware.

Maytal Abramson, 11

Stephanie Lee, 12

Molly McAdam, 12

Yaqing Wang, parent

4

News

THEORACLE

Community members support Buena Vista BUENA VISTA—p.1

Since much about Prometheus’ project is currently unknown, the district is working to gather information to help its students. “Right now, it’s a lot of trying to help the students get their questions answered and trying to get as much information about the timelines and what is being planned,” Villalobos said.

“The district is spearheading the information-gathering.”

Compared to other types of real estate, mobile homes are governed by entirely different laws, which is why outside developers can purchase the park.

“There are specific laws regarding mobile homes, and the city has its own zoning laws,” Skelly said. “Issues of density are also controlled by the city. Those are issues that come into play here too.”

Not only are the schools and Buena Vista residents concerned, but also other members of the Palo Alto community, especially those of Barron Park, feel strongly about the situation. Barron Park resident Winter Dellenbach has been heavily involved with the entire process and formed the support group Friends of Buena Vista for the Buena Vista community. According to Dellenbach, the community faces two major issues—the first relates to the fate of the Buena Vista residents should they have to move.

“I personally hope that I’m not

living in a community where 375 ic and ethnic diversity. It would men, women and children are be Palo Alto’s detriment to lose somewhat disposable because these people.” that’s not right,” Dellenbach said.

The Buena Vista residents The second concern is the is- themselves have also acted by sesue of affordable housing in Palo lecting leaders and having meetAlto. “[The Buena Vista resi- ings. They are worried about dents] are living in what the city Prometheus’ potential purchase realizes as ‘an essential resource of the land they live on and the of affordable housing,’” Dellen- effects of this transaction on their bach said. “Since Palo Alto realiz- lives. “I’ve lived at the park for es the value of eight years, alhaving affordthough I techable housing nically live in and people in a house next this town work to the manvery hard to ager’s office,” create more afsenior Shazer fordable housChaudhry ing, losing 125 said.“The units of affordo w n e r, T i m , able housing has been runwould set back ning the place all the work for 28 years of the last deand wants to cade.”

The —Barron Park resident retire.

Supporters Winter Dellenbach whole thing of the Buena kind of came Vista families hope the residents out of nowhere and at first we stay in Palo Alto’s viable hous- started freaking out. A lot of kids ing. They see the residents, which are probably going to leave beinclude people of lower-income, cause there isn’t a lot of room left, disabled citizens and elderly citi- especially for cheap housing.” zens as important contributors Since proposing its idea to the to the city. “There’s a wonderful President of the Barron Park Asmixture of people and a lot of dif- sociation in June, Prometheus ferent ethnicities that live there,” has not announced a timeline of Dellenbach said. “They are a very its work. It plans to meet with diverse group, which is a valuable City Council in Jan. or Feb. of thing for Palo Alto. They repre- next year to discuss further plans sent a nice chunk of our econom- about the future of the park.

“I personally hope that I’m not living in a community where 375 men, women and children are somewhat disposable because that’s not right.”

Audey Shen

Anthony Tran

Anthony Tran

Top: Trailer homes line a street in the Buena Vistas Mobile Park. Middle: A sign welcomes residents and guests. Bottom: A trailer home occupies the land that Prometheus may purchase.

Forum

Monday, December 10, 2012

5

EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The Oracle

Gaming policy needs to be adjusted in the interest of fairness and effectiveness In November, the administration announced its plans to enforce a policy that prohibits gaming on all school computers in order to increase their accessibility for educational use. While its aims are commendable, this gaming policy does not address several significant issues in both implementation and enforcement. The policy is flawed because it unfairly targets only a specific medium of entertainment and it relies on a vague and inconsistent system of enforcement. The administration should implement a betterdefined policy that clearly determines which activities qualify as games that detract from student education, and should take specific measures to ensure efficacy and objectivity.

According to Principal Katya Villalobos, the administration’s main goal in enforcing this policy is to ensure that community-funded technology is used only for its intended educational purposes. By eliminating gaming, the administration believes that computers will become more accessible for academic and school-related use. However, while well-intended, the policy’s approach only addresses part of the problem. While gaming can be a distraction and can take away from academic use of computers, it is not the only type of media students use for entertainment. In and outside of the classroom, social media and online video sites similarly attract students’ attention. By prohibiting only the specific practice of gaming, the policy fails to truly solve the problem of inaccessibility due to non-educational usage of computers.

The policy does not recognize that inappropriate use of other outlets of entertainment, such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube have the same impact on education that gaming does.

Thus, eliminating gaming does not eliminate the whole problem. Students who previously

occupied their time with gaming will naturally move to fill that time with other forms of unproductive entertainment, and join the ranks of students who clog computers with movies, television shows and YouTube videos. Students who wish to use the computers for schoolwork will still be obstructed, even with the prohibition, because the policy fails to address the other unproductive activities that take place on school computers.

Furthermore, the label “gaming” falls in a gray area. The policy specifically prohibits “playing games or online gaming.” While there are some games such as “World of Warcraft” and “Halo” that are obviously unproductive, the policy does not clearly distinguish what qualifies as a game. For some students and teachers, games such as “Sporcle” can constitute educational practice and even test preparation. There is no clear specification within the policy for the somewhat educational activities that can ultimately be beneficial to student education. This makes enforcement subjective and potentially rules out games that may be positive academic influences.

Additionally, the enforcement system for the gaming policy is unclear. Consequences for misconduct are ambiguous, and the policy lacks a clear, methodical enforcement process. According to Villalobos, there is no definite set of rules for penalizing repeat of-

fenders. The administration does not use the traditional, concrete route of a step-by-step disciplinary procedure, which is present in policies such as the tardy and absence policy.

Instead, the policy uses a hazy enforcement system that subjectively gauges the severity of the punishment to the magnitude of the infringement. For example, Villalobos cited

that the most likely scenario would entail a student being given a warning after being caught gaming. Should a student passively refuse the command of the enforcer, that student could be asked to leave. Punishment would include official filing of a referral only in the case when a student acts in direct defiance and verbally or physically refuses to leave the premises. Apart from that hypothetical, enforcement is fairly ineffective. A student could come back to the Academic Center or library every day to play games on computers and conceivably never receive any punishment beyond warnings. The disciplinary portion of the policy is simply not

strict enough to prevent students from gaming. The negligible consequence of possibly being asked to stop is not harsh enough to stop a student from violating the policy. It lacks a specific agenda with punitive measures for each type of offense that other policies, such as those against tardiness, include.

Ultimately, the newly enforced gaming policy is flawed, and does not efficiently reinforce its well-intentioned purpose.

It fails to consider the interests of everyone—gamers and non-gamers alike. It is not a comprehensive solution, since ending gaming is not the sole solution to the problem of accessibility the policy tries to tackle. To resolve this, the administration should reform the gaming policy to accommodate all non-educational forms of entertainment, including websites such as Hulu George Hwang and Netflix. Furthermore, the school’s definition of gaming should be made clear to students and enforcers, and highlight specific guidelines as to which activities are permitted and which are not. The administration should also lay out a step-bystep plan to effectively enforce and guarantee compliance to the reformed policy. The administration should find a more comprehensive and effective means of ensuring ways to keep on-campus computer usage limited to academics, for the benefit of the students.

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff (assenting: 34; dissenting: 2; abstaining: 3)

Excessive political correctness can do more harm than good Ben Atlas While racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice can still be found in modern society, a new societal norm intended to combat these mindsets has created a problem of its own: political correctness. Political correctness is an attempt to make certain phrases, actions and events inclusive of every race, gender, religion and other majority and minority groups. Although this is certainly a noble goal, it is important to recognize when it has been carried too far. Political correctness has grown out of hand and needs to be reigned in; not only does it fail to eliminate prejudice, but it also makes such problems worse than they were in the first place.

Years ago, the term “Christmas break” was changed to “winter break.” This year in Rhode Island, a tree covered with lights and ornaments erected in a town hall was officially called a “holiday tree”—the very term “Christmas tree” was considered offensive. Earlier this month, candy grams were delivered with promised “nondenomination-

al” holiday songs. It has become a taboo for teachers to wish their students a “merry Christmas,” for fear that catering to the majority could exclude the minority of students who do not celebrate Christmas.

All of these events are evidence that political correctness has run amok.

Political correctness has and will fail to prevent offensive comments.

A teacher’s casual “Merry Christmas” is not necessarily going to offend many people, if any, who do not celebrate that specific holiday.

As long as it is not intended to exclude or offend, the vast majority of students who are not Christian will not perceive it as such. The fear is that the word “Christmas” creates happy and friendly feelings among people who celebrate it, and negative sentiments among those who do not. By the same logic, nearly every sentence could be construed as prejudiced in some way. The supposedly secular “happy holidays” ignores those who celebrate no holidays during the wintry months. A simple “I hope you all enjoy winter break” excludes pupils in schools who do not have winter break.

What level then, has censorship and fear of being accused of prejudice reached? Today, the word “Christmas” has acquired a negative connotation. Next, it will be the word “holiday,” or perhaps “winter

break.” The fear of certain phrases and rhetoric being received negatively has reached a bizarre extent.

No athiestic student will suddenly suffer an emotional breakdown upon receiving a well-intended “Merry Christmas.” Similarly, there would be no Christian who would suffer mental damage from a wellintended “Happy Hanukkah.” Thus, such minutia within rhetoric becomes irrelevant in terms of social inclusivity, and should not be censored as such.

Political correctness can also perpetuate the mindset it seeks to diminish. When Rhode Island named the tree in its city hall a “holiday tree,” it immediately called attention to the fact that certain groups are not included within a “Christmas tree.”

The requirement that the candy grams’ musical accompaniment be nondenominational only highlights the supposed need to avoid Christian or Jewish holiday songs. Both instances make any students not included in mainstream or common ethnic or religious groups feel more excluded than any Christmas song might. To alter the usual holiday sayings to more vague alternatives is to subtly state that those who are not Christian cannot share in the joy of anything called a Christmas tree, and must be specially accommodated as such.

To clarify, the forces of prejudice are still perhaps stronger than the forces of political correctness. However, an attempt to inject universal design into every phrase remotely associated with winter holidays is misguided, because it simply cannot solve any of the problems it claims to. It creates a logic that indicts a great deal of benign terms and sentences as offensive. Perhaps worst

of all, political correctness propagates the problems that it seeks to correct. Political correctness is born from guilt of potentially excluding people who are ethnically or religiously different than oneself. It is not the solution to lack of acceptance that lingers in the modern world.

—Atlas, a junior, is a Forum Editor.

George Hwang

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Forum Homework gets SAT is unfair for disadvantaged students us back to work THEORACLE

Cooper Aspegren

Utkash Dubey As an outspoken conservative that has stressed the importance of presidential policy in the past, I think it’s important to understand that America’s fiscal future isn’t merely a compilation of the commander-in-chief ’s political pursuits. Even after the 2012 Presidential elections, I have heard “America is the next Greece” coupled with the sarcastic “too big to fail” so many times that it seems there’s a mentality that economic failure is inevitable.

The more important but often overlooked indication of a promising financial future is a strong domestic work ethic across the board.

The fact that some American citizens still consider the “9 to 5” workweek a burden worries me, as it jeopardizes our economic prospects as a country. Laziness would be a demeaning quality to attribute to these people, but I think it’s important to stress that the expectation is we’re all making an effort in some way, shape or form to further our individual and therefore national economic circumstances, and that these people are generally not meeting the expectation.

I’m a proponent of homework because it encapsulates the “we’re all working” sentiment with the forced practice some students actually need while we’re still young. The concept of homework also builds around a very social academic environment through collaboration (but not copying!), which I believe is important because it sets the tone for the approach to a healthy working life in the future. For the sake of America’s economic future, the emphasis of a consistent cycle of work that homework provides can successfully get us, as President Obama would say, “back to work” at an earlier age.

I’ll be honest. I hate doing homework. I’d be surprised if anyone really enjoys it. But regardless, homework forces me to spend my time and energy to work on assignments I (more likely than not) deem unhelpful. That is where I think the take-home message really lies—the fact that I’m using my “free” time to get work done for tomorrow (or sometimes yesterday) communicates that this is OK for the future. It sets the psychological precedent that this is indeed the norm for the rest of my life and that I should almost expect to stay up late, constantly working hard during my future jobs.

Issuing homework assignments also effectively serves to foster social interaction within the academic spectrum. When I stumble upon a problem or question I may not be able to answer with confidence, my first reaction (after consulting the books) is to head to those totally tubular Facebook groups and consult my peers online, or to talk to classmates during school itself about my questions. The whole, “How did u do #4?” conversation initiator allows homework to be a basis for social interaction.

Ultimately, this leads to hard work, because doing well is something to be proud of and it starts conversations. Why else would they throw those formal physics parties, anyways?

Because our financial future as a nation is on the line, homework instills a mentality that our lives semi-revolve around our work and that being work conscious is an acceptable thing to be. While it may sound sickening, a life around work is what the most successful people in the world abide by, because our work only goes as far as we force it to.

—Dubey, a senior, is an Editor-in-Chief.

test takers to equate an “oarsman” with a “runner” and a “regatta” with a “marathon.” Even after the removal of the analogy section, research from the Harvard University Educational Review and other academic media still found 200 to 300 point discrepancies in the performances of advantaged and disadvantaged students, on the critical reading and writing sections in particular. These studies serve as clear links to the test’s inherent socioeconomic bias.

Socioeconomically disadvantaged test-takers simply cannot

Performance on the SAT is one of the most significant factors in a college’s decision to admit or deny a student from enrollment. Because organizations like U.S. News and World Report rank universities based on the distribution of freshmen SAT scores, colleges seek to admit students who perform highly on the SAT as a means of increasing their prestige. This approach, however, excludes too many students with lower socioeconomic status (SES) from standing a chance at earning an acceptance letter. The format and competition involved in SAT test taking significantly and undeservedly inhibits the ability of socioeconomically disadvantaged students to successfully enroll in the college of their choice.

A student’s SES has long been linked to his or her performance on the SAT. Cumulative findings even pushed the College Board, the comGeo pany that finances and operrge H wang ates the SAT, to eliminate the analogy portion which involved comparisons of two different sets of words, from afford the benefits of SAT preparation the critical reading section in 2003. Crit- services in the form of private tutors or ics beforehand had complained that only classes that cost thousands of dollars. wealthy students could correctly answer Without outside help to prepare for the a question involving crew, a sport typi- test, socioeconomically disadvantaged cally pursued by higher-class members of students cannot enjoy the same increase society. The particular question required in score as can their more privileged con-

temporaries. Many socioeconomically disadvantaged students therefore cannot reach the interquartile SAT score range of the school of their choice; as a result, they are unfairly forced to dial down on their college aspirations. Researchers have also noticed that a higher income leads students to a far greater breadth and depth of personal and academic experience independent of test tutoring, ultimately equating with a higher SAT score. Without this level of experience and opportunity, socioeconomically underprivileged students face an unjust disadvantage.

The College Board’s defense of its administration of the SAT lies in evidence that the test accurately indicates a student’s performance at the college level. However, Princeton University researchers have found that other academic factors, such as class rank, serve as more precise predictors.

The fact that the SAT bars so many students with potential on the basis of socioeconomic status makes its ultimate importance and usefulness far from certain. Recently, universities have started to take notice. Some schools, such as Sarah Lawrence College, have completely abolished SAT scores as a factor into admissions decisions. Another option some colleges have turned to is to consider denoting SAT score submission as non-required. Schools like Bowdoin College, American University, College of the Holy Cross and Pitzer College have already taken this route, while the UC system and even Harvard University are considering to do so in the future. Without eliminating its inherent bias, the SAT will continue to lose what is left of its relevance.

—Aspegren, a junior, is a News Editor.

High school ranking process should be fixed Tim Wang In this world, every sort of product and institution is ranked and judged. People want to eat at the world’s best restaurants and read the world’s best books. High schools are no exception.

However, the high school ranking system is flawed and in need of revision. Rankings of high schools do not accurately reflect each school’s quality of instruction or how well the school prepares its students for college and other aspects of post-high school life.

The American Institute of Research, which provides a respected ranking of high schools, ranks using three steps. The first step compares a school’s math and reading levels to the state average. The second compares the school’s disadvantaged students to the state’s average for disadvantaged students, and the third looks at a school’s col-

lege readiness performance.

Though the methods in which schools are ranked seem thorough, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the education delivered at a institution or how prepared students are for post-high school life.

Though the ranking system takes demographics into account and compares them to

Just looking at a school’s AP participation rate without looking at its success rate puts a lot of schools that don’t require students to take AP courses at a disadvantage. those of other schools around the nation, the ranking system itself is heavily biased towards schools that offer more college prep courses. For example, according to usnews.com, only one of the top 50 high schools in the nation has an AP participation rating lower than 90 percent. This means that among those 49 schools, at least 90 percent of the student population took at least one AP exam. Thus, schools that do not offer AP courses will

be rated significantly lower than those that do whether or not they perform better in standard academics or performs better in extracurriculars, which biases the results of the ranking. Extracurricular activities can be even more important than academics, let alone AP courses, in determining the worth of a school; they provide outlets for students to find their interests and explore career paths.

In addition, for step three, the percent of AP classes taken also outweighs the tests actually passed. While the number one school in the country requires all of its students to take AP courses, only 66 percent of their tests were passing scores, meaning those students received a score of three or higher.

Gunn, which is ranked 112, has a AP participation rating of 71 percent, which means 71 percent of Gunn students have taken at least one AP exam. Gunn does not have as many students taking such classes, but its pass rate for AP tests is 95 percent. If Gunn forced all its students to take AP classes, it is almost guaranteed a spot in the top 10. Just looking at a school’s

AP participation rate without looking at its success rate puts a lot of schools without these requirements at a disadvantage.

Also, only four out of the top 25 high schools have student populations of over 1,000, and only two in the top 10 in California are public schools. Half of the top 10 are charter or magnet schools; schools that require applications for students to gain admission. This creates a system where only the top applicants get in, which heavily skews the demographics of the school and improves its rating.

Currently, high school rankings are heavily biased and are inaccurate. They should be revised, either by removing magnet schools from the equation, or by taking other awards and achievements a school has, such as those in sports, art or engineering into account. The current ranking system does not accurately portray how well a school will prepare a student to be successful in the future.

—Wang, a junior, is a reporter.

Features

Monday, December 10, 2012

7

Photos by Audey Shen

Left: A second-grader gets excited about his bingo win. Middle: Students review math facts with playing cards. Right: A girl searches her bingo card for the correct number.

Student tutors open math doors for elementary students Ben Atlas

Forum Editor

As an eighth grader, junior Neel Guha founded Buddies4Math, a program for high school students to tutor elementary school students. Buddies4Math encompasses a few high schools, but is mostly made up of Gunn students. They tutor second and third grade students at Castro Elementary School in Mountain View. In 2009, the tutoring group consisted of eight tutors and 14 second graders. Its numbers have since swelled to 35 tutors and 50 elementary students over the second, third and fourth grades.

“At Castro, we noticed that there were programs to help kids struggling with their reading and writing skills. There was, however, no equivalent for math. We decided to change this. Thus, Buddies4Math was born.”

The organization’s tutors are all student

volunteers, unlike most contemporary tutoring companies. “This allows them to connect with our elementary kids on a different level.

The elementary students don’t see the tutors as adults, but as buddies and friends,” Guha said.

To maintain the program, Guha spends his time publicizing the program and recruiting tutors. He also oversees every session, coordinating between the three levels.

Buddies4Math also emphasizes games as a means of teaching material. “Our classrooms have a lively atmosphere with enthusiastic kids trying to outdo each other, as well as their tutors, in winning games,” Guha said.

Since Buddies4Math teaches three different grade levels, each grade has designated tutors as “leaders.” Junior Drew Bent, a “Fourth Grade Classroom Lead,” works mostly with fourth grade students. “I par-

ticipate in Buddies4Math for two reasons: I love it, and I think it’s a service that everyone should try at least once,” Bent wrote in an email. Helping out others is a gratifying experience with tangible results.” On a work day at Castro Elementary, tutors arrive at 4:00 p.m. “Tutoring will start and each tutor will be assigned one or two students,” Bent said. “They will then have a little under an hour to play a set of math games that focuses on a specific skill set. For example, one week students might be focusing on fractions, so we’ll play Fraction Bingo with them. Another week students might be working on multiplication, so we’ll play a variant on the card game War that incorporates multiplication concepts.”

Castro principal Dr. Judy Crates serves as an administrative link between Buddies4Math and Castro Elementary. “Buddies4Math offers at-risk students the opportunity

to experience math as a recreational activity, not just a class at school,” Crates writes on the organization’s website. “Our students look forward to the session and it’s amazing to see how excited and engaged they are in math.”

Buddies4Math’s engaging teaching style has paid off. Students have shown significant improvement in math after going through the program. The state of California presents several standards in standardized testing in math: basic, proficient, and advanced.

Buddies4Math took 50 second graders who tested below basic, and raised half of them to basic, and the other half to proficient and advanced. n recognition of the club’s achievements, the Tutor Corps Foundation awarded it the Susan Lindquist Community Service Grant in spring of 2012. Awarded twice a year, the grant of $500 is intended to provide support for community service projects run by students to serve their communities.

InvenTeam students aim to modernize egg hatching with $10,000 MIT grant Catalina Zhou

are a lot of other benefits for the students. Statistics show that the egg hatching process can really Inventing is something many benefit a community.” kids dream of. For a certain group The team identified areas in of dedicated and creative students, Uganda and China it would like to this dream is a reality. aid. To acheive this goal, Wang and The InvenTeam, comprised of other members of the InvenTeam 11 students and led by captain ju- constructed a proposal this sumnior Emily Wang, created the Cluck mer to apply for the Lemelson-MIT Bucket, a solar-powered egg incu- InvenTeam Initiative Grant. Her bator designed team was sefor developlected as one ing nations. “We’re getting to experience of the top fifThe group is the inventing process and teen finalists currently dein the nationveloping a pro- how you go about document- wide competitotype of their ing your work. Wer’re learning tion and was product, which how to take different teenag- later granted they will pres$10,000 to ent next June at ers and make smething out of help build the the Lemelson- their work.”

Cluck BuckMassachusetts — junior Drew Bent et. “We were Institute of very fortunate Technology (MIT) conference, the and happy to be chosen out of so Eurekafest. many teams,” Wang said.

Through brainstorming and Wang organized three subresearch, Wang came up with the teams, each responsible for develidea of inventing a solar-powered oping one part of the Cluck Bucket. egg incubator. Since developing na- The general incubator team is in tions do not have easily accessible charge of computer-aided design, electricity, international organiza- the egg rotator, moisture control tions donate chicken eggs to these and insulation. Some other students off-the-grid communities to help are working on perfecting the solar them make a living. Wang realized water heater. The third group, the that an incubator would optimize microcontroller programming the hatching process for these areas. team, will write the code and make The Cluck Bucket will have the wiring necessary in order to other benefits. “It will be donated control the different tasks throughto schools as an actual utensil for out the incubation period. education, such as for clean energy The team also has help from incurriculum,” Wang said. “Apart ventors and egg incubator compafrom money and nutrition, there nies to develop their new prototype.

News Editor

“We’re trying to find the balance between being innovative and having a working product,” junior Drew Bent, leader of the microcontroller programming team, said.

Through their work, the members are learning a lot about inventing and communication. “It’s fun, and it’s a really good experience,” Bent said. “We’re getting to experience the inventing process and how you go about documenting your work. We’re learning how to take different teenagers and make something out of their work. The team dynamic is a big part of it.”

Although the Cluck Bucket is still in its preliminary design stages, the team already has high hopes for it. “We feel we can make a positive difference,” Wang said. “We want to follow through with our ideas and monitor progress in the developing nations where the solar incubator is in use.”

Congress is optimistic about the invention’s future too. “I think it’s a good design, and if it’s produced cheaply enough, it can actually be used in third world countries and change a lot of people’s lives,” she said.

The InvenTeam is part of the Research and Science Invention club, which Wang founded in her sophomore year to give students the opportunity to develop their ideas about science and invention.

“Our goal is to provide more kids at our school with an opportunity to bring their ideas to the and design inventions or products,” Wang said.

Photos courtesy of Emily Wang

Top: Junior Emily Wang explores engineering design with student helper. Bottom: The group of creative juniors smiles for the camera with their advisors Rachel Congress, Danny Hahn, and Elana Zizmor.

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Features

THEORACLE

Yes, I watch girly Japanese cartoons

Guilty Pleasures The Oracle Staffers share their strange and (sometimes embarrassing) quirks OSSIP

G CELEBRITY

Junior Lucy Oyer Leon Cheong During the lazy summer mornings, I found myself being a couch potato, flipping through the channels of trashy American television.

Jersey Shore. Honey Boo-Boo Child. The XFactor. I could feel my stomach churning; I had the urge to purge. Disgusted by the modern state of American entertainment, I shut off the tube to go online. Feeling nostalgic, I hit YouTube to catch up with some old Japanese anime I used to watch. As I settled in to watch an episode of “Death Note,” I noticed a video in the “Related Videos” bar. It was the pilot to an anime I had never heard of before. Of course, seeing how I’ve only ever watched a few anime series, that was not surprising. Still, something about it, perhaps its strange name, or maybe the thumbnail, intrigued me. “Death Note” could wait. A new series was beckoning me. I clicked the video.

In the first few seconds, I facepalmed. I had come across “shoujo,” or anime directed at the female demographic, comparable to American shows like “Gossip Girl,” which teenage girls find entertaining, almost exclusively. Tempted to click away, I reached for the mouse, ready to click the “back” button. But something told me to keep an open mind and see the episode to the end. I thought the sun was frying my brain; I couldn’t believe I was giving shoujo a chance.

But I sat back, relaxed and watched. Maybe I could get a laugh out of how bad it was.

Seven hours later, I could not peel my bloodshot eyes away from the screen. By some freak chance, the anime that I had thought would be full of corny subplots and unoriginal characters was the most entertaining thing I had seen in awhile. It had everything from good television that I missed: unique and exaggerated personalities, quick and intense character development, funny running-gags and easily identifiable settings. The artful composition of conventional dialogue and fresh characters initiated a passionate lust that could not be quenched. Most of all, the anime force-fed my hungry desire with repeating moments of intimate emotion that triggered the overwhelming feeling of empathy. It’s an unexplainable phenomenon.

Shoujo is undoubtedly cliche, and there’s a point in every episode when the female protagonist finally realizes and professes her true feelings. In any other case, I would have punched a hole through my computer monitor.

I could literally see the cheesy mushiness oozing out of my speakers. But something about the cheesiness touched me. I reluctantly admit that upon seeing this, I could feel my chest pounding. It was a moment I had never experienced before. Watching this tear-invoking scene nearly had me in shambles. Seeing my soft side for the first time, I felt embarrassed. I could barely hold on to the last shred of dignity I had left. But I told myself that what’s done is done. Sadly, it was over in a blink. Like most animes, it consisted of only 25 episodes. But I wasn’t satisfied. I was hungry for more.

Now, finding value in shoujo anime is never something a guy is willing to openly admit.

But every laugh, every smile and every heart f lutter makes the embarrassment worth it.

More than anything, I felt as though luck had been bestowed upon me to lead me to find this pinnacle of slice-of-life stories, even if it meant compromising a part of my personal sense of masculinity. ­—Cheong, a junior, is a Forum Editor.

I’m a celebrity gossip addict and proud of it.

After all, if I didn’t read “People” magazine, how would I know that Channing Tatum is the Sexiest Man Alive in 2012? And that Reese Witherspoon just took her wrinkly, old-looking newborn son Tennessee James (sorry, Reese, someone had to say it) on an errand run in Los Angeles. I mean, I can’t just be left in the dark about these important things.

Many can’t comprehend what on earth would compel a person to spend over $100 a year on the world’s finest celebrity gossip publication. Sure, I don’t know any of the people personally and most likely never will (except Selena Gomez, I will meet and befriend her if it kills me), but somehow, I am fascinated by their personal lives.

I’m no psychologist, but if I were to analyze myself, I’d say the most likely cause for my interest in celebrity gossip is a severe lack of any sort of personal life of my own. But that’s kind of depressing, so let’s say for argument’s sake that that is not the case, and explore some of the other

possible reasons for my addiction: Attractiveness—that’s a great one. What’s not to love about looking at reading about fine men such as Ryan Gosling and (my personal favorite) Kellan Lutz? Plus, it’s nice to look at beautiful, successful women, even if it makes your own self-esteem plummet into a bottomless ditch.

Inspiration—some stars are actually amazing people who do many good deeds while managing an incredibly stressful and high-profile career.

You can’t argue with the fact that Angelina Jolie has done good in the world, dedicating a huge portion of her fortune and time to humanitarian causes. And my personal idol, Selena Gomez, is the youngest UNICEF ambassador ever.

All that aside, I just HAVE to know what Pippa Middleton’s favorite sticky toffee pudding recipe is. I mean, don’t be ridiculous; I can’t possibly live my life without this important information.

George Hwang

Senior Emily Yao PURPLE It’s not unusual to catch me in a monochromatic outfit.

When I strut across the quad in my purple Converse shoes, plum-colored Celebrity Pink jeans, imperial purple American Apparel hoodie and fuchsia Wayfarer sunglasses, people often ask me how it is possible to own so many purple items.

I actually only started having an obsession for purple when I entered high school. After buying a purple American Apparel hoodie from Key Club, I instantly dubbed it my favorite article of clothing. Soon after, I couldn’t get enough of purple. Over the years, I’ve acquired a cache of purple attire, from two purple scarves to a purple onesie to purple suspenders and a sparkly purple Homecoming dress.

But that’s only the beginning. While most people don’t care about their e-mail’s background color, I have taken the time to change my Gmail background to a solid purple. Even my everyday items, like my scissors, iPhone case, mechanical pencil and lanyard keychain must be purple.

If I become an author in the future, my book will be called “50 Shades of Purple” and, of course, be more ageappropriate. Maybe I will become a pop star and compose a song called “Purple” (a reference to a Taylor Swift song, in case you didn’t get it). But for now, I will follow the purple brick road. My last piece of advice: keep a ng calm and love purple.

Hw rge G eo

Senior Zoe Weisner

RE-GIFTING

It’s that time of year again. Come Dec. 25, people will rush to the stores in an attempt to find the perfect gift for their loved ones. It’s a tedious and laborious process which puts an enormous amount of pressure on both parties.

What if he or she doesn’t like my present? Am I spending too much money? Too little? However, I hardly spend longer than five minutes when I decide what I am getting for each person, because I love to regift gifts.

During a close friend’s birthday, I tried finding the perfect gift at the very last minute; much to my dismay, I couldn’t find anything suitable despite combing through every store at the mall. I hung my head in shame when I came home, but in the corner of my eye I spotted a neon colored necklace lying on my desk. I did not like one aspect about that necklace. Another friend had given it to me before on my previous birthday. Because I had no other options, I grabbed the necklace, stuffed it into a bag, and prepared myself for the worst. Unexpectedly, my friend adored the necklace. It was a strange moment, and I felt a small amount of pride and joy. She truly liked the gift, even though I didn’t. It suddenly occurred to me that regifting was quite enjoyable. One man’s trash is truly another man’s treasure.

Jasmine Garnett

Features

Monday, December 10, 2012

9

Junior’s emergency prep efforts nationally recognized Alvin Wang

Tech editor

At the beginning of this year, junior Divya Saini was nominated by the city’s director of Emergency Services and selected to serve on Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) first federal National Youth Preparedness Council. Saini is one of 13 teens across the nation serving on the board. She represents Region 9 of the United States, which includes California, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam and American Samoa.

Saini spent $200 on launching an educational campaign to bring awareness to the community—especially to teens. A majority of this money was used during the Youth Community Service Day “Curbside Painting” event that she led where Saini instructed teens on how to react to an emergency situation. Afterwards, volunteers repainted the numbers outside houses in a number of local neighborhoods. This helps firefighters because when they come for an emergency, they need to be able to see the numbers very clearly.“The

Photos courtesy of Divya Saini

Clockwise from top left: The American Red Cross Mobile Kitchen sets up shop at Quakeville. Students simulate an emergency. Youth get into character as victims. Volunteers paint house numbers on the street.

event was a huge success, with a huge turnout,” Saini said. “Another great success was Quakeville. We painted injuries on volunteers and practiced a role-playing rescue drill.”

Saini is looking for additional funding to launch a certification program, which will teach teens a step-by-step way they can prepare themselves, their families and their communities for a disaster.

She visualizes giving a token incentive to teens willing to invest in fulfilling a set of preparedness criterion. In addition, important figures in the city will recognize and give certificates to teens as a reward for their contribution and help.

According to Saini, a majority of emergency preparedness is getting people to understand the true dangers that disasters can bring. “The Bay Area is one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world, yet we still have the most people,” Saini said. “Palo Altans are grossly underprepared for a disaster.”

Emergency preparedness can be broken down into physical, social and emotional components. It also covers four topics: be informed, make a family plan, build and emergency kit and get involved in joint community action.

Saini’s role is to help teens become aware of the importance of investing in emergency preparedness. Saini feels that teens in particular do not prepare for disasters because they believe that emergencies will never happen to them, and she created the club to make teens aware and help them get prepared.

Most preparedness programs target adults whereas Saini is focusing on taking the message to teens. On goal is getting teens to realize that disasters can strike anywhere at anytime. “Emergency preparedness gives teens a lifelong skill which may help save lives and injuries,” Saini said. “Additionally, teens are influential in their households and can help gather the attention of adults on this topic.

Saini hopes that her involvement in the community will improve emergency situations for everyone. “Prepared teens are more confident and resilient in an actual situation than their counterparts,” Saini said. “Since children represent 25 percent of our population, getting them involved means ensuring a future generation of preparedness aware adults.”

Saini’s favorite part about preparing teens for emergencies is knowingthat she has made a posive impact on their lives. “The most rewarding part is the feeling that you are making a difference and people may benefit through the course of their lives,” Saini said.

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Cente

THEORACLE

The Oracle staff reminisce about various holiday traditions of their childhood and recreate those activities to reflect on how the experiences arouse nostalgic memories.

Home

Gingerbr

Stephanie Zhang

As a kid, Christmas was always my favorite holiday. Compared to all the holiday traditions we had, decorating gingerbread houses was by far my favorite.

Materials: Tree (real or fake) Tree stand Tree skirt Ornaments (bows, stockings, baubles, glass ornaments, balls, etc.)

Garland Tree lights Tree topper (angel or star) Gifts (to put under the tree)

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Catalina Zhao

family and I would sit in silenc ized by the glittering, colorful tre feel extremely proud of my acc ment and look at the tree with a my face.

Now that I am older, dec the Christmas tree means so different to me. Don’t get me still feel the thrill of embelli tree with trinkets and bathe in beauty. However, this event sig unity and love much more for m brother, parents and I always dec together. There is also the feelin and innocence; memories of m lay in that “X-mas” box. So even passes and another comes, I kn on decorating the Christmas tr with my family and cherish my

After recovering from Thanksgiving’s turkeyinduced food coma, decorating the Christmas tree is next on the holiday to-do list. The first order of business: getting the tree. For as long as I can remember, my family has used the same fake tree.

When I was younger, my dad would lug ­—Zhao, a junior, out the box labeled “X-mas” from the dusty Instructions: garage shelves two weeks before Christmas.

After securing the tree trunk in its stand, 1. Secure the tree in the tree stand. my brother and I would place the color 2. Cover the stand with the tree skirt. coded branches in their positions. My 3. Decorate the tree with the ornaments, preoccupation with trying not to scratch garland and topper. myself with the spiky leaves morphed into 4. Be sure to vary and space the decoraexcitement as the tree took shape. tions evenly over the tree.

Once we attached the tree top, I would 5. String the lights on the tree. hardly be able to contain my delight 6. Arrange the presents under the tree. because decorating it was my favorite part. In elementary school, my class would make ornaments, and I would Regina Tra proudly adorn the tree with my masterpiece. I was like a kid in Willy Wonka’s chocolate facIt was 10:00 p.m. on Chr tory, picking with glee which and my aunt called to ever ornaments I wanted on the the kids, parents and our gr When you were young, what did tree. I would contemplate how — telling us it was time to dist you want for the holidays? to place them to maximize ents. We dispersed into the li the overall aesthetic of dreading what was to come next the tree.

Even before I was born, my au Then came the tablished a rule that if we wanted ou time to string we would have to sing in front of the t he l ig ht s .

Although it wasn’t a set requirement After turning sang Christmas songs such as: “Last C “I wanted a rolly them on, my “Jingle Bells”, “12 Days of Christmas” backpack because I the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the list goes “I really wanted an thought it would be However, in order to make things more Airhogs RC plane bereally cool to roll it “I wanted a dog we weren’t allowed to repeat songs. cause all the cool kids on “A Gameboy because on the ground.” because they’re reLuckily, there weren’t any restrictions on the block had them.”

I wanted to play ally cute and they’re we sang, or how we sang it. We could sing it Pokemon and all of Asha Bacon (9) good companions.” pairs, individually, or play an instrument. So Justin MacMillian (12) my friends played it.” all those who were shy about singing in front Katie Arca (11) Jay Choi (10) ­—Compiled by Eileen Qian

Carol

11

erfold

Monday, December 10, 2012

Holidays

read Houses Decorating these houses as a kid, I only had one priority in mind: squish as much candy onto the house as I could. At the supermarket, I would stuff our cart with the candy I liked, and not what would actually look good on my house. I knew that most of the candy would be gone before making it on the house. I remember thinking how baking shows made piping royal frosting look so easy.

However, when I went to try it I would always manage to get it all over my face (around my mouth especially), and hands. Either way, it was great. I was less concerned about how it actually turned out and just had fun doing it.

With all the stress of my classes, I decided to revisit my childhood days and decorate a house again. This time, I found myself picking out candies that I thought would look good. I laboriously set different candies together to see which colors would look best on my house. Without realizing it, the years had turned me into somewhat of a perfectionist, so I wanted this house to look perfect.

As I went to pipe frosting onto the cookies, I met with the same defeat. But this time instead of shrugging it off and eating all the frosting, I became very frustrated. More than once, I had to scrape frosting off of the roof and start all over

again. I found myself grunting much more than a normal person should when simply placing sugar on a cookie.

After three hours of meticulous decorating, I was somewhat satisfied with my results and realized that my cookies could not take another scraping. Although I found my stress level growing exponentially as time went on, decorating this house made me nostalgic. It was a bittersweet feeling knowing that I once found such joy in such a simple tradition. ­—Zhang, a junior, is a Centerfold Editor.

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Holiday Cookies

ce, mesmeree. I would complisha grin on

Instructions:

corating omething wrong; I shing the n the tree’s gnifies family me because my corate the tree ng of nostalgia my childhood n when one year now I can count ree to spend time y childhood.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F 2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl 3. Beat: butter, sugar, brown sugar, and va nilla extract in large bowl until creamy 4. Add eggs in one at a time, beat well after each addition

5. Gradually add in flour mix 6. Stir in chocolate 7. Drop rounded table spoon onto ungreased baking sheets 8. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown

9. Cool for 2 minutes 10. Enjoy!

Ingredie nts:

2 1/4 cup 1 tsp ba k s flour 1 cup bu ing soda 12 ouncetter 3/4 cup s chocolate chips 3/4 cup bugar 1 tsp van rown sugar 2 large egilla extract gs

r, is a News Editor.

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ristmas Eve, ryone — all randparents ribute presiving room, t. unt had esur presents, family first. t, we always Christmas”, ”, “Rudolph s on and on. interesting,

n what song t in groups, o naturally, of a crowd

grouped together. The younger kids who weren’t embarrassed by singing off-key notes performed individually and those who just wanted to receive their presents grouped together and performed with each other.

Once, all the kids sat around in a circle and sang “12 Days of Christmas”. My aunt thought it would be a great idea to have us sing into microphones with speakers and everything, so we took turns singing a line and passed the microphone down the circle.

Needless to say, it sounded terrible. The older kids just wanted to get it over with so instead of singing, it sounded like they were just reciting the lyrics. Many of us didn’t even know all the lyrics.

Meanwhile, the younger kids sang happily and loudly even when they sang out of tune. To them, it didn’t matter since we were with family, and it was Christmas.

I have a feeling that this Christmas will not be any different than the rest — it will be as fun and silly as all those times in the past. As much as I don’t enjoy singing in public, I do enjoy this annual family tradition and I’m excited to sing some Christmas songs with my family. ­—Tran, a junior, is an Assistant Business Manager.

Erica Lee When I was younger, I loved the warm chocolate as I took the freshly baked cookies out of the oven. The warmth engulfed me as I placed them onto a plate for Santa. I would grab a glass of milk and the plate of cookies and set them on a table in front of the Christmas tree. Afterwards, I would strut off to bed, happy with my accomplishment.

I remember how fun it was to place cookies in front of the tree and come back the next day amazed that Santa actually ate all of them. I later realized that my dad would eat them, instead of Santa. When I found out, I remember being really angry that he stole those cookies from Santa, so I would place myself in front of the tree guarding

them from my dad. I never lasted through the night, and I would find myself back in bed by the morning.

When I was still a little girl, I would bake the cookies with my mom, and make them into fancy shapes with colorful decorations. Now I’m a big girl and can use the oven all by myself. Over the years I started baking cookies for myself instead of Santa, and on occasion had to fight off the hungry father. Looking back, I wish I could go back to that time when I still believed in Santa because it was such a simple time. Back then, I became happy just thinking of giving Santa a gift, and thinking that my cookies with the crooked smiles would make Santa’s night.

As time passed, I figured out that Santa never existed. Santa was just an embodiment of the holiday spirit to entertain children. Just like before I get excited about the holidays, and I still smell the delicious chocolate fresh from baking, but now I can enjoy my hard work too. ­—Lee, a junior, is a Business Manager.

Graphics by George Hwang and Jasmine Garnett

12

Features

THEORACLE

Junior takes first place in HEARD Alliance contest for graphic design Lawrence Chen Copy editor

Last year, the program Health Care Alliance for Response to Adolescent Depression (HEARD) Alliance, organized by Dr. Meg Durbin of Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF), held a logo competition for its new website, heardalliance.org. The competition was opened to high school students in Palo Alto.

After much review from the organizers at PAMF, ju n ior C a roly n Zhou’s design was chosen as prizewinning graphic.

She was given $1,000 as a cash reward.

Zhou will now also design a new banner to go along with HEARD Alliance’s website.

Z hou’s i ntere s t i n graphic design began four years ago, when it stemmed from her passion for other arts. “Before [doing graphic design], I took various design and art classes outside of [Jane Lanthrop Stanford] Middle School,” she said.

However, Zhou started really getting into graphic design fairly recently. “I’ve been interested in design as far back as seventh grade, I remember,” Zhou said. “I started Graphic Design [last year] when I took the class, and I am now taking Advanced Graphic Design.”

Though the competition was initiated last year, Zhou did not know about it until early this year when graphic design teacher Mark Gleason told her about it. Upon

hearing about the competition, Zhou was interested immediately. “I was driven to make the design mostly because I am really interested in logo design and such, and this was an opportunity to see my work actually being displayed and used,” Zhou said. “The best part about designing is seeing your design be put to use.”

In the process of making the logo for HEARD Alliance, Zhou chose to make a clever play on words. Mainly, she incorporated the fact that the organization’s name is “HEARD.” “I looked up some logos t h at h ad ears integrated in the design, and I took bits and pieces from what I found and combined it with my own thoughts,” Zhou said.

While working on her design, Zhou encountered some minor discouragements. “It was a bit of a challenge working in a classroom where others were working on the same project, and you could see theirs and think, ‘wow that’s really good,’” Zhou said.

“I mean, you could get discouraged, but sometimes, it also influences your ideas so everyone and their neighbors end up having about the same design. But in the end, you have to look at your own work and think of ways to make it stand out from the others.”

Ultimately, Zhou’s final product took about two months to finalize as she and HEARD Alliance organizers at PAMF emailed each other back and forth, the organizers giving their input and Zhou making tweaks to her design.

Choir students ready to perform at the upcoming Winter Concert Stephanie Zhang

Centerfold editor

On Dec 13. at 7 p.m. in Spangenberg theatre, students, family and staff will have the chance to watch their peers sing for the annual Winter Choir Concert. The choir students have been working hard for several weeks to put together a concert that viewers won’t be able to easily forget. “This is going to be very exciting,” Choir Director Bill Liberatore said. “I definitely encourage people to check this out.”

All the compositions that will be performed this year have been composed by Gunn students, something that is significantly different from past years. The pieces all vary in theme and styles. “You can expect a great range of variety and a lot of creativity,” Liberatore said. “We have pieces that are written in a pop style, modern art music and even indie rock.”

The invitation to compose a piece was sent to all students and staff, which resulted in a wide variety of compositions by several talented writers. “[Senior] Andrea Allen composed a choral piece called ‘Dream Song,’ and [senior] Thomas Macaulay wrote

a poem based on a Spanish piece called ‘Sueno Despierto,’ and it’s really modern, haunting and beautiful,” Liberatore said.

Both treble, concert and chamber choirs have been practicing four hours a week or more. “The whole choir has been extremely supportive toward all the composers, and they’re always very enthusiastic,” Liberatore said, “Many times the class will have to make up a harmony, and it’s amazing to see what we can come up with.”

Although practice is tiring, the choir students believe that it is worth the benefits that come with it. “Putting together this concert is really rewarding,” junior Paul Kang said. “You get to bond with a lot of your fellow members, and it’s great to see what we produce after putting so much sweat into it.”

Many students are expressing enthusiasm and high expectations for watching their peers perform live. “The singing at the choir concerts are always very good, and it’s definitely a possibility that I will go again this year,” junior Victor Liu said.

“I’m really looking forward to getting into the Christmas spirit with some modern twists on the traditional carols.”

Stephanie Kim

The female sopranoes practice one of the songs for the upcoming winter concert.

Artist of the Month: senior Sam Chen The Oracle: How did you first become interested in art?

Sam Chen: I started going to child art classes in kindergarten, but it was my parents’ choice, not mine. I always liked to doodle when I had the time. Art was a big part of my childhood.

When I was in fourth grade I started taking more formal classes in a private studio. At that time I also made some small comic books with my friend and we attempted to sell them to our classmates. Although I have loved art since I was a little kid, I never realized how important art and creativity was to me until I came to America in the ninth grade. I had a fun time doing art at the Fang Art Studio in Cupertino, and it was there where I finally realized that I was dedicated to art.

TO: What intrigues you about art?

SC: I like art because it is interesting in many different ways. Everyone’s pieces are unique and individual. It can show one’s personality and ideas. Art is the thing that is really your own, and you can do whatever you want with it.

TO: What has art taught you?

SC: Two things art has taught me is to always follow the belief inside my mind and to stay creative. I believe that these things are what keep drawing and everything else interesting and enjoyable.

Audey Shen

TO: What is most difficult about painting?

SC: Earlier this year, I learned about charcoal drawing and print making with mixed media, and they have since become my favorite form of art. They are perfect for representing emotions and senses of movement, and there is a lot of freedom in their styles and compositions.

TO: From where do you draw your inspiration for your art?

SC: Usually I get ideas from things of everyday life. The source can be a film I like, a book I’ve read a while ago, some articles in a magazine, or some African sculptures I saw in the museum.

Everything that touches my mind can be my subject on the papers.

TO: What is your proudest piece?

SC: I always want my next piece to be better than the one before, so I haven’t created my proudest piece yet.

TO: Are you considering a career in art?

SC: I am looking forward to becoming a designer—someone who can make imaginations into reality, and share ideas with everyone.

TO: What part of art is most difficult for you?

SC: I would say learning a new technique is the hardest part for me in art, but it is nonetheless a fun challenge.

TO: Is there a message that you are trying to relay though your art?

SC: Actually, there is not really a special idea I want to present in every drawing. I usually just put whatever I am thinking in my mind into my drawings. Right now, I am trying to create a set of drawings about the relationship between society.

TO: How has art given you a different outlook on life?

SC: that life is full of cycles of new things and old ones. There are always new events, ideas, styles, and movements coming up just like art, and one day they will eventually fade away. Art has taught me that I should always move forward and keep a open mind about things around me, so that I won’t be left over in the past.

TO: What is the process you go through when you draw?

SC: I usually came up with simple concepts first, and most of the time they were just random thoughts I had. Sometimes I did sketches and drafts just to see the compositions, but I usually changed them on the actual drawings. I liked to complete my ideas during the drawing process, because there were always unique, crazy, and fresh thoughts popping out when I was drawing.

—Compiled by Stephanie Zhang

Sports

Monday, December 10, 2012

13

Q&A: Fall sports captains recount end-of-season performances

Cross Country:

“We only had one boy, sophomore David Lee-Heidenreich, go to CCS this year at Toro Park. He recieved 270th place out of 503 boys. Varsity girls received seventh place out of 17 schools for CCS Girls Division one.”

—senior Ally Reister

Girls’ Golf:

“At CCS we played really well. We shot 403 as a team and finished second to Valley Christian. At NorCals the next week, we fought hard, despite the tough course and hot weather, to finish ninth in Northern California.”

—junior Jayshree Sarathy

Boys’ Water Polo:

“Our season was a transitional one. We had our two coaches leave to take care of family, and Tim Kates stepped up after to coach the team. The season was disappointing because we missed some great opportunities.”

—senior Michael Znidarsic

Football:

“We didn’t get the bid in CCS, but we did great during the regular season. We cotied for first place [in the league] but had a sluggish game against Fremont.We played with pride the whole way.”

—senior Andre Guzman

Girls’ Water Polo:

“We went into CCS with a De Anza league championship title and a 19-7 overall record (13-1 in league), where we won our first CCS game 21-3 against Carlmont High School. It was a great team effort with professionalism, grace and intensity.” ­—senior Lauren Lesyna

Volleyball:

“We did pretty well this season and made it to CCS. In the first round, we played Sequoia High School, and we lost to them in four games. I think our team had the potential to beat them, but we definitely didn’t show up.”

—senior Nitika Johri

Girls’ Tennis:

“We lost in the first round of CCS 11-7 to Santa Catalina, but I thought that we all played well against our opponents. Our doubles played solid, and singles played impressively as well.”

—senior Alice Li

Graphics by George Hwang

Fall Sports Awards Volleyball

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Lena Latour (12), Erica Johnston (11) Coach’s Award (CA): Nitika Johri (12)

Girls’ Tennis

MVP: Alice Li (12) Most Improved Player (MIP): Laurie Perng (10) CA: Devyani Bhadkamkar (12)

Girls’ Golf

MVP: Jayshree Sarathy (11), Anna Zhou (10)

Cross Country

MVP: David Lee-Heidenreich (10), Gillian Meeks (9) MIP: Dillon Hu (11), Catherine Kim (10) CA: Justice Tention (11), Ally Reister (12)

Boys’ Water Polo

MVP: Harrison Waschura (12) MIP: Justin Cooper (10) CA: Spencer Miner (12)

Girls’ Water Polo

MVP: Lauren Lesyna (12) MIP: Kara Hahn (12) CA: Maggie Sockness (12)

Football

MVP: Sean Lydster (11) Offensive MVP: Andre Guzman (12) Defensive MVP: Mike Jorgensen (12) CA: Aryeh Furman (12) —Compiled by Rani Shiao

Fall Sports By the Numbers: 1,100 plus —The number of yards rushed by junior Sean Lydster 68—Sophomore Anna Zhou’s score in Norcal for golf Fifth­—The girls’ water polo seed number going into CCS —Compiled by Lawrence Chen

14

THEORACLE

Sports

5

Steps To Doing a Single Flip Jump with senior Emily Yao

1 2 3 4

Skate backwards to gain momentum, and then step with your right foot so you are skating in a forward direction. Put your left foot in front to prepare for the “three turn”—a 180-degree turn from front to back.

Bring your left foot back and push off the ice to perform the “three turn” on your right foot. You should now be facing backwards with your left foot behind you, your right arm in front and your left arm to the side.

While your right knee is bent, reach your left leg as far back as you can and place your left toe into the ice.

Push off with your left toe.

Once you are in the air, cross your arms while bringing them into your chest and cross your right leg over your left.

5

As you return to the ice, land on a bent left leg. Uncross your arms by punching them out to the sides. Extend your right leg back for a finishing pose.

—Compiled by Emily Yao Photo by Michael Wu

Sports

Monday, December 10, 2012

15

Ice is enchanting once more

Conquering embarrassment is just a stumble Klaire Tan

I may not be a super-athlete, but I regard myself as being in decent, tolerable shape. I can manage a pushup or two. I can touch my toes and if needed, I can run a mile.

To be honest, however, I have never been able to skate a lap around the ice rink to save my life. Since I was young, the idea of stepping onto ice and gliding with the help of nothing but two slats of metal seemed insane. In fact, I personally believe ice skating to be pure witchcraft— just like how a muggle can’t wave a wand to Stupefy his or her annoying sibling, I can’t ice skate at all.

I’ve tried ice skating multiple times.

In fact, when I was just a wee little lass, my mother thought it’d be a good idea to sign me up for ice skating lessons. After my 30th fall, I finally realized that I didn’t like ice skating, and as I walked off the rink with cramped feet and a sore bum, I swore to join the defeated crowd of ice skating celibates.

Yet, just a few Saturdays ago, armed with the thickest sweater I could find and my lucky socks, I reluctantly—let me stress, reluctantly—made my way onto the ice again after over a decade of keeping off the rink.

There were a couple of reasons why I

was so hesitant—the main two being peer up and too embarrassed to keep skating. pressure and that global warming might He was the guy who caught everyone’s mean no skating at all one day. Looking attention. back, none of these reasons seem to justify Now, this realization that we shouldn’t jumping off the wagon to join the band care so much about how we look to othof crazy ice skating hippies, but I still ers may appear to be neither grand nor found myself at the Winter Lodge early life transforming. But, I guarantee that November to give ice skating another try. if anyone just tries to step out and do Let me just abate any fears and in- something she’s afraid to do, she’ll find form you that there that there aren’t many was no terrible, perthings to be afraid of. manent trauma. I Since I was young, the Admittedly, should went in with four idea of stepping onto ice I ever be asked to go ice limbs and came out skating again in the fuand gliding with the help ture, I won’t be quick to with just as many (though there was a of nothing but two slats dismiss such a ridiculous great deal of concern of metal seemed insane. idea anymore. I’ll give it that I had lost a few a second thought. And toes to frostbite along the way). However, if I do decide to go visit the rink again, over the course of my attempt to ice skate I won’t just be warming the bench. I’ll once again, which, by the way, was in fact actually be skating. I may find myself very painful and humiliating, I learned spending more time on my bum than my one very important life lesson: ice is slip- feet, but the point is that I’ll be out there, pery, and everyone messes up. attempting to skate.

To rephrase my words to express a After all, everyone falls and looks more profound and deep point, every- stupid some time in their life, on or off one looks stupid. It doesn’t really matter the ice. if a person slips and find him or herself pathetically clawing at the walls to get up —Tan, a sophomore, is a Copy Editor. and completely humiliated. Things only matter if you let them matter. The power is in your hands.

I saw about a dozen kids fall and slide halfway across the ice. All of them sniffled a few times and got right back up for another go around the rink. Nobody gave falling more than half a thought.

However, I still recall the man who found himself sprawled on the ice, unable to get

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Michael Wu

4 Michael Wu

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Michael Wu

Michael Wu

1. Seniors Eileen Qian, George Hwang and Utkash Dubey ham it up in front of the camera. 2. A few members of The Oracle come together for a relaxing ice skating break. 3. Sophomore Klaire Tan gets advice on a few skating moves from senior Emily Yao. 4. Adviser Kristy Blackburn smiles as she glides around the rink.

Emily Yao

The moment was magical. As I stepped onto the ice for the first time in two years, my fear of losing the ability to skate evaporated. While doing backwards edge pulls, twizzles, forward cross rolls and swizzles, I felt I had used Hermione Granger’s Time Turner and was taken back to the past when all I did was eat, sleep and ice skate. The nostalgia was comforting, and after only a few minutes of being on the ice, it was like everything fell into place.

I will admit that the days, hours and minutes leading up to my reunion with the rink were both nerve-wracking and exciting, but mostly the former. Worried that my skates wouldn’t fit anymore, I slipped them on a few days before and was relieved that I could still balance on the two thin blades. The nervousness and emotions got to my head so much that I even cried while talking to the Editor-in-Chief about organizing the skating get-together.

Going into my reunion with the sport, I knew my expectations would not match reality.

Even though I continuously dream of landing a triple salchow again, I sadly accepted that my long hiatus and lack of training have severely brought down my skating skills. As I put on my skating pants that fortunately still fit my body and strapped on my custom-made Harlick skates, all I wanted was to have a good time, even if the possibility of performing most of my old skating tricks was beyond my reach.

Even though old injuries began creeping up and additional blisters started forming on my feet, skating with my fellow staff members was one of my happiest times on the ice. Being a former competitive skater, I never found the time during my training to just relax and share my passion for the sport with friends.

One of my favorite moments was teaching Klaire to skate. I’m not a certified instructor, but I tried my best to describe and demonstrate the motions to her. Thankfully Klaire is a fast learner, and she was skating on her own in the blink of an eye. Helping Klaire brought back warm memories of my time as a volunteer instructor at the Ice Oasis rink, where I taught children how to ice skate.

Another great moment was attempting my old figure skating moves. I knew the back scratch spin would be no problem for me, and dare I say, I performed it quite effortlessly. However, the catch-foot layback spin was another story.

While trying the spin, which requires a lot more flexibility than the simple back scratch, I felt a shot of pain in my back and had to stop after only three or four revolutions. I still got a few cheers and applauses from the crowd, but deep down I knew it wasn’t my best. The greatest part was jumping, my favorite part of skating. Just doing a waltz jump and single flip jump made me extremely happy, and the feeling of flying again was amazing.

Since my last skating competition during the summer of freshman year, many people have encouraged me to return to the sport that I love.

But I rejected every single invitation in the last few years, making up excuses involving school work, parents and laziness. Even though I don’t go skating every morning at 5 a.m. anymore, I began to re-appreciate my passion and dedication towards the sport after my most recent encounter a few Saturdays ago. I realized that losing my connection with the ice would be devastating, and though I consider ice skating to be a hobby now rather than a competition, the rink will always be my home.

—Yao, a senior, is a Sports Editor.

16

Sports

THEORACLE

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Anthony Tran Anthony Tran

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Stephanie Kim

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Stephanie Kim

Stephanie Kim

1. Senior Eric Cramer holds fellow senior Danny Papp in a headlock. 2. Juniors Lauren Johnson and Jessie Hall dribble the soccer ball. 3. Senior Isabel Juang puts up a floater on her way to the basket. 4. Sophomore Stefan Jensen dribbles around a defender. 5. During a practice game, the boys’ basketball team reaches for the ball.

Athletes take down competition as winter sports begin

Girls’ Soccer:

Boys’ Basketball:

Boys’ Soccer:

Girls’ Basketball:

Ending last season with an overall record of 4-8-6, the girls’ soccer team is hoping to adjust to a new coaching system to remain in the De Anza Division.

New head coach Juan Mayora’s main goals for the team are to improve on last season’s results and make it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships. “I’m working with the girls to improve on their soccer skills, soccer smarts and fitness,” he said. “Most of all, I want the players to understand my coaching philosophy.”

Though the girls lost strong seniors from last year, they are still an ambitious team, according to stopper senior Catie Chun. “The number of underclassmen on varsity is astounding and they’re incredibly talented to boot,” she said. “The new blood is just what we need.” Chun sees immense potential in the underclassmen and is positive that the girls can fill the void.

The girls began their season with a 8-0 scrimmage win against Everest Public Charter School, and in the regular season, the team has captured a 2-1 win against King’s Academy.

The girls encourage everyone to attend their next home game on Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. against San Mateo.

The boys’ soccer team is ready to make a comeback from their disappointing 2-8 record last season. Though it’s still early in the season, the team already has several clear goals in mind. “We hope to be in the running for a CCS berth as we head into the closing weeks of the season and a lot of that will depend on success early on,” center back senior Ben Sampson said. “If we can click as a team and produce some key goals and wins, we’ll be successful.”

According to Sampson, the team members have bonded together well and have already begun to work as a cohesive group. “We have 15 new members, but the team is really coming together in terms of camaraderie,” Sampson said.

A typical practice often involves a mix of vigorous warmups before team members break out to practice individual skills. “Most practices start with a mile or so of jogging and dribbling, then we go into drills for awhile,” Sampson said.

“Each day we focus on a specific skill and build from the ground up. If we have time we’ll go into a short scrimmage before everyone’s favorite part: fitness.”

The boys’ next game will be the Homestead Tournament on Dec. 15.

The boys’ basketball team is eager to return to the court and improve on last season’s 8-15 record.

“It’s a new group of guys for me to work with and it’s my second year with the team,” head coach Michael Ferolino said. “We’re trying to develop a culture that [focuses] on work ethic, working hard and playing hard on defense.”

To help the team get back into shape, Ferolino began condition earlier. “I wanted to give the players an opportunity to come during the summer and play more basketball,” he said.

According to shooting guard senior Chris Rea, the team is small but dedicated. “We have fewer players than other schools in the league, but we have a lot of depth on the bench,” Rea said. “We have a good basketball prowess and experience overall, and we’re all very athletic.”

This year, the team is primarily focused on finishing in the top three in the league. “We also want to qualify for CCS and continue to improve on both sides of the ball, defense and offense,” Ferolino said.

Rea urges fans to come out and support the team in their next home game against San Mateo on Dec. 13.

After making history by defeating Palo Alto High School to win the school’s first CCS championships last season, the Lady Titans are hoping repeat last year’s accomplishments.

“It won’t be easy, especially after losing key players, but we would like to win league again and defend our CCS title,” senior Claire Klausner said.

Because the departure of last year’s seniors came with a loss in post positions, head coach Sarah Stapp is looking forward to seeing who will step up in the post.

“The seniors left us big shoes to fill, but our main goal is to do it collectively,” Stapp said. “We want to make up for points and rebounds as a whole unit rather than relying on one person.”

The girls are known for their solid defense, so one of their goals this season is to focus on scoring offensively. “We have to work on having everyone contribute to scoring, instead of relying mostly on one or two people,” Klausner said.

The girls began the season with a 45-32 loss against Lynbrook High School, but they still have many opportunities to win. Their next game will take place at home on Dec. 11 against San Mateo.

Wrestling:

The wrestling team is practicing hard to follow up their last season’s overall record of 8-1. The team has lost valuable seniors Marco Lopez-Mendoza, Julian Calderon and Chris Jin. Despite this loss, coach Chris Horpel is looking forward to a great season because of the influx of 10 freshmen wrestlers. “Some may end up as starters but it is still too early to tell,” he said.

Horpel is also looking to the results of the trainings of many of his top wrestlers from last year. “We also have one of the top female wrestlers in the country: Cadence Lee,” Horpel said. “Lee will start at 106 lbs for us and has won two CCS titles and finished 2nd and 7th in state. She then won two national titles last spring and summer.”

Horpel laid out a challenging training regime before and during the season for the wrestlers to keep in shape.

He also has a year-round club before the season for anyone interested. “It is very technique-oriented. Then, one month before the season we do pre-season conditioning which is a lot of strength training and different kinds of cardio,” Horpel said. “During the season we try to maintain our strength and increase our cardio, but we do it in the wrestling room as opposed the weight room or the track.”

Many are hoping to improve their records from last year. “I have been training really hard since last year,” junior Cadence Lee said. “ I attended all the pre-season practices as well as club practices at Gunn to prepare for the season. During season, I’ve been attending practices every day and I have also been participating in soccer which is great cross-training.”

While some have concrete goals set for themselves this season, others are just looking forward to the thrill of the game.

“I enjoy takedowns more than anything in wrestling,” senior James Perng said. “The feeling of slicking a wrestler and taking his feet from underneath him is euphoric. My goals for this season are to get three takedowns each and every match I wrestle. I know what I want and I’m hungry.”

The team’s next game will be the Lynn Dyche Classic on Dec. 15 at James Lick High School in San Jose.

—Compiled by Rani Shiao, Alvin Wang and Emily Yao

Entertainment

Monday, December 10, 2012

17

WINTER FASHION: Staple Items

George

Hwang and Mic ha

el Wu

The Oracle staffers seniors Boot Bullwinkle and Ellen Lee model different fashion trends for the winter season/.

Leather is the new

Peplum tops

;Cardigans,

Animal print is

fad of the season.

make an everyday

scarves and canvas

best worn with a

Pair a leather jacket

outffiit fashion-

loafers are a great

black denim jacket,

with a cotton tee

able, and the lace-

way to layer, keep

velvet leggings and

to spice up a simple

leather combo this

warm and stay

a pair of combat

outffiit.

season is a must.

comfortable.

boots.

—Compiled by Ellen Lee

What’s your holiday sweater story?

“I got my sweater from my auntie when she came back from China. There are reindeers on it, and they are my friends.

I wear the sweater at family gatherings because my sister and I always match.”

Khoa Nguyen (9)

“Last Christmas, I really wanted a holiday sweater so I put it on my list, but Santa didn’t get it for me. The next week, I saw this sweater on the sale rack so I bought it for myself.”

Erica Watkins (10)

“My grandma made it for me a while back and I never really wore it, but it means a lot because she put all her love into it. It has a snowman with a red scarf, and it’s snowing.”

Antonio Puglisis (11)

“I got the sweater as a Christmas gift a year ago. One of my good friends bought me the sweater and the kitties on the sweater make me all warm and fuzzy inside just like Christmas.”

Cory Gaytan (12) —Compiled by Wayland Fong

18

Entertainment

THEORACLE

Video Game Reviews In the newest installment of the “Assassin’s Creed” series, the game’s setting is entirely different. Instead of being immersed in crowded, bustling medieval cities, the player travels overseas to pre-Revolution America. The player can ride horses in the country, explore nature, and sail the seas.

“Assassin’s Creed 3” incorporates strong ties to history, sometimes even letting the player witness significant historical events. Though there is a strict storyline, the game is fairly open for the player to do what he or she wants. Along with the usual parkour offered in the environment, the player can also hunt, fight redcoats, and pickpocket commoners.

The game follows the life of the vengeful main character Connor, a half-Native American, halfBritish man whose real name is Ratonhnhaké:ton, starting before he is born.

Overall, the gameplay is very similar to the previous installments: players must climb buildings and assassinate people, and each assassination is unique. The gameplay does have some slight differences such as the ability to dual wield weaponry, the changing seasons and the chance to hunt animals. An appealing twist Ubisoft added is that every character Connor kills is an actual historical person who died. The graphics are appealing but unfortunately the game has some minor glitches like non-moving mouths when characters are talking during cut scenes. “Assassin’s Creed 3” is an interesting game but is repetitive and feels like an appropriate place to end the series.

Another November, another “Call of Duty”. “Call of Duty: Black Ops 2” was released on Nov. 13 as the next installment of the franchise gaming series that has dominated this generation of console video games.

The Treyarch-developed, Activision-produced firstperson shooter is the ninth game of the “Call of Duty” franchise that takes place in a world dominated by high technology and terrorism.

The campaign is now irrelevant due to its awful reputation. With the appeal of multiplayer and the return of Zombies (a survival mode in which the player fights off waves of relentless zombies), few “Call of Duty” players venture to explore the new direction that multiplayer takes. Instead of a linear fixed story line, the player’s success or failures in certain missions determine the output of the game. That may seem nice, but the dialogue remains dry and corny. It’s not worth it to explore this random attempt of reviving the atrocity that is the campaign.

The multiplayer, admittedly, is very solid. The weapons and maps are much more balanced, while League Play now allows players to be pitted against players of equal skill.

Also, the killstreaks are fantastically fun to use, with all the futuristic comuper techonology the game has to offer.

Hitting the shelves a week after “Halo 4”, another mammoth first-person shooter, sales dropped by 2 million sold copies for Activision’s flagship franchise since last year.

Year after year, the same engine and the same concept is copied and pasted onto a new disk with a few edges polished off. There haven’t been any significant changes to keep the series relevant in a shrinking industry of console gaming, and the game makers will have to find away to keep the franchise alive if they want to continue their record-breaking sales.

It has been four years since the Halo Event and Master Chief has now awakened from his cryosleep, a process of preserving human bodies in freezing temperatures to prevent aging. He enters the world of “Halo 4”. Building off of Bungie’s trilogy, 343 Industries took over the game and decided to continue the storyline and game series.

As for the single player campaign, visually it is better all around. Also with new, re-textured weapons, vehicles and scenery, “Halo 4” looks great. In addition, “Halo 4” gives the storyline a whole differnt spin.

“Halo 4” gives the previous “Halo” storyline a whole different spin. Master Chief is still the walking tank that he has been for the past “Halo” games but now players are also in an emotional battle with themselves as the Master Chief is in love with a dying Artificial Intelligence (AI). Master Chief’s emotions are revealed he worries and feels concern for his beloved AI, Cortana.

Also, the “Halo 4” multiplayer takes a turn for the better.

The armor abilities are more balanced than what they were when first introduced in “Halo: Reach”.

Furthermore, the fact that players can now respawn instantly after death is definitely a welcoming change. But one of the most radical changes made was the game mode “Infection,” which has been renamed “Flood.” The overall game concept is the same, but now the infected players do not get a simple armor color change, they get a whole different character model and a completely different weapon that has not been used in any other “Halo” game.

Overall, “Halo 4” is an improvement from previous versions. With a new campaign and a smoother, newly mastered multiplayer, “Halo 4” is definitely the best of the series so far.

—Compiled by Boot Bullwinkle, Lawrence Chen and Henry Siu

“Die Hard”

John McTiernan’s “Die Hard” stands as one of the most riveting Christmas-related action flicks as well as the first and most prominent indicator of Bruce Willis’ future stardom. Willis plays John McClane, a New York City police officer who combats the group of terrorists that attacks his estranged wife’s corporate Christmas party in Los Angeles. Suspense builds not only through McClane’s skirmishes with the enemy, but also through his tense and potently scripted negotiations with terrorist leader Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman). Due to its strong cultural status, “Die Hard” is one of the best-regarded actioners to come out of the 80’s era—as well as a heavily underrated Christmas diversion.

“Elf”

Jon Favreau’s “Elf ” benefits from its refined script and superb performances from Will Ferrell and James Caan. The finished product is a fresh and endearing treat in an overcrowded genre. The plot concerns a human (Ferrell) who, having been adopted by elves as newborn child, must return to his biological father (James Caan), a children’s book firm executive who has long occupied a position on Santa’s naughty list. Standouts among the cast also include a pre-“Game of Thrones” Peter Dinklage, whose brief performance is too memorable to spoil in any way, shape or form. Ultimately, “Elf” is too hilarious and delightful to forget, affirming the optimism and good cheer of the Christmas spirit.

“Miracle on 34th Street”

George Seaton’s “Miracle on 34th Street” serves as a highly regarded and widely celebrated Christmas classic, that can charm even the most hardened and disillusioned teenager. The film’s plot concerns the self-proclaimed Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwynn), a man abruptly hired off the street to replace an intoxicated “Santa” set to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. After successfully performing the additional duties of a department store Santa for a prolonged period of time, he is unjustly confined to a mental hospital because he believes himself to be the real Santa. Despite its intrinsic and regrettable association with commercialism, “Miracle on 34th Street” counteracts any cynicism the viewer may have.

—Compiled by Cooper Aspegren

Entertainment

Monday, December 10, 2012

19

Which store is right for you?

Are you buying a gift for a...

Fashion conscious

boy How would they describe themselves?

Which Style?

Skater

Girly- Girl

Girl How would they describe themselves?

Budget?

Hipster

Video Game Lover

Tomboy Choose either

Budget?

No

Yes

Yes

NO

—Compiled by Misheel Enkhbat

Graphics by George Hwang

New year, new you: best New Year’s resolutions for 2013 1) Eat healthier

Most of us have an eating problem whether we want it or not. Our eating habits include In-N-Out, Krispy Kreme and let’s not forget the very dear Panda Express. Switching these foods choices to healthy alternatives will benefit us in more ways than we can imagine. Sticking to a diet that doesn’t take away the good stuff will help maintain the resolution.

2) Exercise Making time for the gym is a drag and actually going to the gym is basically impossible. It’s important to keep in shape and the only way to do it is through incentive. Find something that’s important to you. For example, whole wheat burgers or frozen yogurt are a great way to incentivize you to start exercising.

3) De-stress

5) Save Money

Tests are torture. Sometimes it can take up to five hours studying just to get a B. Studying 20 minutes a day will help distribute the time spent studying so you don’t have to cram all the information at 11 p.m.

The most important thing is to give yourself an hour or two a day to just relax with friends or watch TV—it’ll help your stress level tremendously.

We’ve all been there. At the start of the week we’re at 50 bucks and at the end we’re at about 70 cents. Saving money is so important, even as a teenager. Divide the money up into categories: allowance and savings. Distributing it into sections will help you save up in the long run. Keep 50 percent of it to spend and save the other 50. That way, you always have extra money when you really need it, and you’re never running out. Another way to have your money last the whole week is to divide it into days. Each day has a specific limit to the amount you are allowed to spend.

4) Clean your room A messy environment will distract you. Maintaining a clean room is much easier than constantly cleaning it. It’s very important when keeping a clean room to put things away as soon as you’re done using them so that they don’t build up to become a huge mess. The only hard step is to first clean your room—the rest is a piece of cake.

—Compiled by Noa Livneh

20

Entertainment

THEORACLE

Apocalypse now?

I am prepared.

On Dec. 21 the last cycle of an ancient Mayan calendar will come to many people predict that along with the calendar, the world will In preparation for the “upcoming” apocalypse, The Oracle asked what they would do if they knew that the world was going to end

end, and end too. students that day: Mitchell Donat

Graphics by Dave Zhu

“I would tell everyone I love that I love them, and tell everyone I hate that I hate them.”

–freshman Katherine Shark

“I would travel to Europe and visit Paris.”

–sophomore Kanika Sood

“Shopping. All day.” –senior Aaron Payne

“I’d eat candy all day. But not in the morning, because then I’d feel sick all day.”–junior Caroline Anderson

“I would spend the day getting dressed up nicely so I’d look pretty when I died.” – junior Lena Bacon

“I would go to the McClaren dealer, steal a car and then crash it into the Statue of Liberty.” –freshman Sean Shin

“I would go surfing in Hawaii until the sun goes down and the moon comes up. I love to surf.” –sophomore Alex Matthys

12.21.12 NASA and the United States Government recently released statements saying that citizens need not be concerned about the impending apocalypse. Enjoy the holidays!

–Compiled by Lucy Oyer

The original intent of this article was to tell readers the best ways to live it up on the last day of the world, Dec. 21. But after a moment’s thought, it’s pretty obvious. People should spend time with their families, go out and have fun with their significant other and hang out with their best friends.

There’s not much to ruminate on.

Instead, there are a few notable things to avoid on the last day of the world which, of course, is 100 percent confirmed. As an experienced survivor of doomsdays and human extinction, I present the four things to avoid on the last day of the world: 1) Skydiving. Frequently, when an individual is asked what they would do at the brink of extermination, this is the first thing that pops into their head. Why would you do something everyone else is already planning to do? For one, the lines will be long and boring, and you won’t feel as special when countless others are already falling out of the sky. Granted, skydiving is undoubtedly thrilling, but it would be better to try skydiving a couple days before when the demand isn’t through the roof. On Dec. 21, avoid the skies and stick to other things.

2) Drugs. This isn’t going to be another preaching along the lines of “don’t do drugs and stay in school.”

But really, there are more important things to do on the last day of the world than participate in harmful activities in a downtown alleyway. Spending your last hours in a police car or jailhouse doesn’t sound very fun either.

Instead, on doomsday you should face the destruction clean and sober.

3) Sleep. It’s best to hold your head high and die, rather than drool on a mattress complaining about how you definitely just failed that economics final and be unfortunately swept away.

Take a couple energy shots, get outside, and live a little. Not to mention, you don’t want to miss out on the epic tsunami or earthquake at your door step.

4) Chores. Obviously, you’re a perfect student who does all the chores their parents ask of you. But maybe, just for once in your life, you could be a little rebellious and avoid taking out the trash. “We won’t be alive tomorrow” sounds like a good excuse to tell your parents. It’s the last day of the semester and the world, so avoid strenuous activities like chores and other obligations. There’s no point in folding laundry that won’t be used tomorrow.

Whatever the plans are for the last day of the world, it’s best to make sure to live it up in such a way that they’ll be satisfied in their final minutes. Although it’s okay to show a rebellious side, everyone should stay clean. If I’m wrong, and the world doesn’t end, then at least everyone will be able to look back on their celebrations with fond memories.

—Donat, a junior, is a Sports Editor.