Oracle December 2014

Fall sports finish strong in CCS Championships

Palo Alto not as great as it is known to be

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THEORACLE Henry M. Gunn High School

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Friday, December 5, 2014

Volume 52, Issue 4

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

External pressures contribute to stress in the student body

Shawna Chen and Klaire Tan Forum and Managing Editors

Thirty two days ago, concerns over student mental health peaked when the Palo Alto community learned that junior Cameron Lee committed suicide. Lee’s death came three weeks after the suicide of Gunn alumnus Quinn Gens. While the most immediate question was, “Why?” a larger concern hung in the air. Was there something with Gunn? Parents flocked to meetings, online forums and even the comment sections of the Palo Alto Weekly trying to find an answer.

What the community must remember, however, is that mental health is an extremely complicated issue. According to Dr. Meg Durbin, M.D., there is rarely a clear underlying cause for student stress and depression. “When somebody is depressed or even gets to the point of actually taking their life, the reasons are virtually always multifactorial. There are so many factors that go into it,” she said. “What events actually push someone over the edge? Hard to say. It’s different for each person. We all would love to have a simple explanation and a single explanation when this happens, and that’s just usually not the case.”

The Gap Between Appearance and Reality With the community still reeling, Durbin encourages everyone to “be more honest, more inquiring and more supportive.” Understanding the mental state of Gunn students, however, can be more difficult than some may think.

Site Council member Jyothi Sahdev, the mother of a Gunn junior, believes that the community is well informed on how Gunn students are doing. “There are lots of surveys which are done to examine how our children are doing,” Sahdev said. “I think the community feels that it is unusual for a student to reach such a low point. I also feel that the majority of students at Gunn do not reach such low points.”

Yet, many students have, in fact, hit low points in their lives, according to junior Grace Park.

“Not everyone shows that they’re upset or depressed,” she said. “Some pretend to be all right when they aren’t and noticing that difference is hard—at school or at all.”

This idea of facades can be true for many students, who conceal their true emotions when surrounded by peers. In truth, some have experienced desolation to the point of considering extreme measures. In a California Healthy Kids Survey conducted in the school year 2011-2012, 10 percent of juniors and 9 percent of freshmen answered “Yes” to planning methods of attempting suicide

in the last 12 months.

According to Durbin, it is common for teenagers in particular to hide their true feelings because they seek acceptance from their peers and are particularly well-attuned to social behavior. “People can have a thick veneer that can look happy even when they’re not. You don’t really know somebody just because you’ve glanced at them,” Durbin said. “Kids in particular, I’d say, are so careful about being accepted and part of a crowd, so it’s really hard to let down your guard and admit when there’s something wrong.”

Gunn’s Academic Culture Since November, concerns over academic stress have arisen, Community members have

STRESS—p.3 Photo illustration by Anthony Tran and Dave Zhu

2

News

THEORACLE

Turkey Feast

Lisa Cheong

SNAPSHOTS

Tree Planting

“The best part—besides the pie, of course—is the anticipation, and how it’s something that the whole school looks forward to and participates in together.”

—Emma Bers, 11 “I liked the Turkey Feast because it was like two Thanksgivings, the food was good, and I had fun with friends.”

—Catherine Novick, 9

Alexandra Ting

Alexandra Ting

Alexandra Ting

Alexandra Ting

“I was actually surprised by the turnout of the volunteers and how hard we all worked. We were able to finish planting close to 20 trees in a span of about two hours.”

—Kevin Liu, 12

—Compiled by Ariel Pan and Lena Ye

WASC sets three objectives Esther Kozakevich Forum Editor

A committee of Gunn students, parents, teachers and administration is currently in a school self-study process to create an action plan for the Western Association of Schools and Conferences (WASC) that will improve the school. The action plan will be submitted to the WASC visiting committee by the end of Jan. and reviewed before the WASC visit in March.

According to WASC coordinator Meg Omainsky, there are three main goals. “What we want to improve on is closing the achievement gap, redefining success and improving data collection,” Omainsky said. The main focus of closing the achievement gap is to provide all students with the support they need. In addition, Omainsky believes that collecting information on education resources in the current system is vital in shaping future policy.

Redefining success, WASC’s second main goal, also uses data to figure out how the school can most effec-

tively help students. According to Omainsky, the main focus of redefining success is to build an emotionally and academically successful student body. “We want to make sure that we’re presenting a well-rounded view of learning, and not just focusing on grades and test scores exclusively,” Omainsky said.

The final goal of improving data collection plays a part in the other two goals as well, since that will help Gunn see where it needs to improve moving forward.

“We as a school have not been doing a good enough job monitoring the success of our programs. Particularly in monitoring local data, we don’t have enough information,” Omainsky said. “If you’re not tracking you don’t know where the gaps are, and then we can’t make improvements.”

One brainstorm idea that has generated controversy is enacting an AP limit, but the school will not take action on ideas until there has been community-wide discussion. “The fact that people are open to new ideas to help regulate rigor and openly discussing mental health is a very good thing,” Principal Dr. Denise Hermann said.

Photos by Lisa Cheong

Spanish Tostada Sale

TAB takes up Toys for Kids program Michael Chen Reporter

The Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is running Toys for Kids, a toy drive that collects toys for underprivileged children, from Dec. 1 to Dec. 15. The mission of the toy drive is to provide underprivileged children in small, local organizations with gifts for the holidays. TAB has placed multiple donation bins around Palo Alto, including locations around Gunn and Palo Alto High School, where students and adults will be able to place their donations.

According to TAB co-president Aren Raisinghani, the board is also reaching out to numerous local schools, organizations and businesses for donations in order to expand the program’s success. “The Teen Advisory Board plans to take up the responsibility of the program by reaching out to schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District, the Palo Alto Police and Fire Departments, as well as local organizations and businesses to request donations for the drive,” Raisinghani said.

In the past, teenagers have had little to no knowledge about the program, and Raisinghani says that the board is implementing new methods of promoting the drive in order to get more teenagers involved. “We plan to use social media, posters, flyers, and word of mouth so that many people become aware of the drive and we obtain numerous donations,” Raisinghani said. “This

will be helpful for teen awareness and will help maximize our donations, as teens can donate and influence peers and adults to donate.”

The program was founded in the Bay Area 30 years ago by a former City of Palo Alto employee Rob Steele, who just last year passed responsibility of the program to TAB. According to Raisinghani, Steele has confidence that TAB will continue to grow the program. “He feels that TAB is a good organization to pick up the cause and to help further expand the program and its success,” Raisinghani said.

To y s f o r Kids is similar to the Toys for Tots prog ra m founded by the United States Marine Corps, which also collects toys for underprivileged children. However, Toys for Kids focuses more on children in local, less recognized organizations.

Dave Zhu “Mr. Steele felt that the donations from the Toys for Tots drives mainly go to underprivileged children part of larger, more recognized organizations and do not benefit children in smaller organizations,” Raisinghani said. “Hence, he founded Toys for Kids to give children in smaller, local organizations gifts for the holiday season.”

Friday, December 5, 2014 3 News Multiple pressures affect stress Brand-new Mitchell Park STRESS—p.1

offered proposals that include restrictions on AP classes and tighter regulations during the class-selection process. However, Park believes that academic stress is not necessarily caused by the number of classes one takes; instead, she attributes it to a culture of unhealthy competition. “The problem is that you walk into a class after a test and the first thing you hear is: ‘How did you do on the test?’ or people bragging about their scores or people just genuinely being competitive to the point where they put [other] people down,” Park said. “It ultimately comes down to how the students decide to change the way they treat their peers.”

During his years at Gunn, Assistant Principal Tom Jacoubowsky has noticed that this environment leads to a fear of being seen as inadequate or slow. Because of this, students choose not to speak up in class or ask questions even when they struggle with the material.

“Even if the majority of the class wants the teacher to go over the problem again or give another example, students [say], ‘We’re good,’ because they don’t want to be perceived as weak,” Jacoubowsky said. “So the teacher goes, ‘I guess everybody gets it,’ and moves along. We literally have academic peer pressure.”

This pressure affects the number of classes students take. “When you see this kid taking a number of classes, you think, ‘I can take it, too,’” Jacoubowsky said. “And then the kids who should only be taking take two or three AP’s end up trying to take five because they want to keep up with their peers.”

On the other side of the spectrum, high-achieving students experience pressure of a different kind.

“When everyone builds you up to be perfect, it’s even harder to go to someone for help,” Park said. “When you’re in that position at the top of your class, or the top of whatever you’re doing, it becomes so much harder to ask for help and so much harder to fail, and you can feel you’re worthless no matter how many people say you’re perfect, how many straight A’s you get.”

Flaws Within The System Counseling and other student services play a critical role in understanding student concerns, ranging from course selection to stress. As much of an emphasis the staff places on being supportive of students, alumnus Rebecca Alger felt her condition of depression was not properly taken care of.

When Alger was diagnosed with depression after her mother’s death, the then sophomore “didn’t know how to [approach]” teachers. She asked her guidance counselor to send her teachers an email with a doctor’s note explaining her condition. However, though her counselor welcomed her with “open arms,” Alger only had one teacher even bring up the fact that her guidance counselor had emailed them. “I was scared of going back to school junior year because I felt that the teachers didn’t care,” she said.

One way Alger believes Gunn can improve its response to student need is to develop guidance instruction and training programs for teachers because often, teachers’ reactions, or lack of reactions, can exacerbate circumstances. “It’s things like that, small situations like that, that can be like snowballs going down a mountain,” she said. “They keep getting bigger and bigger and the situation just continues to get worse.”

Finding Help Pulling strength from multiple sources is crucial to managing stress or depression. Park encourages students to find communities within their activities and surroundings. Personally, Park found friends who understand her concerns through activities such as Model U.N., SEC and speech and debate. “We underestimate how much friends and family and extracurriculars can affect us, and at the same time, we underestimate how much they can help us,” Park said.

“You have to actively search out people who you care about you, and sometimes it takes courage.”

In addition, Durbin and Sahdev recommend students to always consider guidance counselors as a potential outlet. “I understand that students may not really know their counselor, but they are very welltrained to help students with personal problems,” Sahdev said. “Students tend to use counselors for college guidance only, but even [when] students feel as if they don’t have a relationship with their counselors, they should seek a counselor or even a teacher they feel close to who can in turn help them get the appropriate help.”

Jacoubowsky believes that allowing oneself to be happy and enjoy the little things will help students lead a balanced life. “We keep delaying being happy and happiness isn’t always necessarily money, not necessarily having material possessions, but just enjoying the moment you’re in,” Jacoubowsky said.

Library schedules opening Kathleen Xue

Forum Editor

Saturday, Dec. 6 will mark the official opening of the new Mitchell Park Library and Community Center. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. After four years of construction, the library will finally move from its Cubberly location back to the renovated building at the original 4050 Middlefield Road address.

The opening ceremony on Saturday will feature several music groups such as the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra string quartet and the Gunn Choir, as well as other organizations such as Palo Alto’s Children’s Theatre, Junior Museum and Zoo, Dance Connection and MakeX. There will also be periodic tours of the various facilities in the new library as well as workshops on arts such as dance, drawing comics and improvisation. The main goal of this ceremony, however, is to display the library’s new features and to encourage community members to reg ister for library cards.

Freshman A kash Thaker looks forward to the ceremony. “I think it will be lots of fun and rebrand the old library into something new and hip,” he said.

A couple of new feat u res ma ke t he new librar y different from the previous one. The new building Josh Spain has two stories with The outside of the new Mitchell Park Library’s patios on both levels, Kid’s Place can be seen from Middlefield Road.

THEORACLE

INBOX

780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238 www.gunnoracle.com

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 conveying a point of view.

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Danielle Yacobson News Lawrence Chen Kush Dubey Forum Shawna Chen Esther Kozakevich Kathleen Xue

Managing Editors Pooja Belur Klaire Tan

Features Lisa Hao Yuki KlotzBurwell Ryeri Lim

Lifestyle Sam Acker Noa Livneh Justin Wenig

Centerfold Emily Kvitko Naina Murthy

Sports Hayley Krolik Arjun Sahdev

Photo Anthony Tran

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

Photo Lisa Cheong, Josh Spain Alexandra Ting Copy Elinor Aspegren Prachi Kale

Graphics Anton Oyung Elizabeth Zu

Business Matt Niksa

Business Matt Hamilton (Assistant) Tech Aayush Dubey Oracle/TBN Liaison Isaac Wang Adviser Kristy Blackburn

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 cost $45 per year to receive all nine issues.

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

Letters to the Editor 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.

I love all the pictures that are put into The Oracle because I’m not a wordy person and the pictures give me a sense of what’s going to be told in the story.

—Daniel Liu, 11

Graphics Dave Zhu

Staff Reporters Stina Chang, Michael Chen, Sabrina Chen, Lucy Fan, Ariel Pan, Wendy Shi, Erica Watkins, Lena Ye

as well as new study rooms and workspaces the previous library did not accommodate. There is also an Ada’s Cafe shop in the Community Center selling pastries and beverages. According to librarian Christina Grove, however, the most exciting part about Mitchell Park are the new study and technology assets. “All the technology that we have here is really exciting,” Grove said. “Not only do we have more computers, but we have new computers that are all equipped with great [applications] like Photoshop.”

With all the new resources offered at the library, Grove wants to make sure community members are aware of what is available to them. “We have so much to offer, so we want to make sure everyone knows about it,” Grove said.

Thaker has high expectations of the new library. “I used to go to the old library every Tuesday because of the nice courtyards,” he said. “Now that the new library is done, I can’t wait to go back.”

November 14, 2014 I liked the Centerfold article as well as the clever presentation of the article on the front page.

—Abraham Ryzhik, 10 I liked that there was news around the district.

—Lauren Tan, 10

There are many articles on politics and society, and while that is important and should be included, I would still like to see more on what’s happening behind the scenes at our school.

—Kadar He, 11 This issue didn’t stand out. There weren’t specific articles people were talking about.

—Kellin Liu, 11

The backpage was super colorful and attention grabbing, and the stories on it were informative. I liked the Giants column in sports.

—Sydney Bird, 12 I would like to see a how-to segment that teaches practical life skills.

—Randy Wu, 10

The Oracle is a 2014 NSPA Pacemaker Award finalist.

4 Forum EDITORIAL: The opinion of The Oracle

“Save the 2008” plan ineffective in addressing true stress The recent suicides involving Gunn students have incited the “Save the 2008” plan, a grassroots effort that was presented to the school board in November 2014. The plan makes several proposals, including a private forum specifically for homework and the prohibition of mobile phones on campus. The purpose of this plan is to decrease student stress and possibly assuage student mental health. However, the plan—which misperceived the causes for student stress as purely academic—will ultimately be ineffective.

Student stress is not solely caused by academic factors, and this plan suggests many academic stress-decreasing ideas, but fails to propose changes that address the mental health issues that cause suicide.

The six points of the “Save the 2008” plan are to downsize classes, rightsize homework, rightsize course loads, prohibit mobile phones, decrease grading and rightsize academic fraud. However, the district is moving to take measures to improve the mental health of the student body, with discussions of reform taking place among administration.

Regarding the private homework forum aspect of the plan, student stress is not simply caused by handling too heavy a workload; in fact, according to National Alliance on Mental Illness the leading causes for teenage suicide are due to emotional and mental issues such as a breakup, a subst a nce-related d isorder, or fa m i ly t u r moi l— cha l lenging academics may add onto the original troubles but they are not the fountainhead themselves. According to a study done by Assistant Professor of Economics Benjamin Hansen of University of Oregon, suicide rates skyrocket during school months since high schools are too densely packed with students and as a result teens feel isolated with no strong friendship bonds. Therefore, instead of decreasing the academic load which helps students retain knowledge they learn, it would be much more effective to reform the counseling program by increasing the number of ACS counselors and making more mental health resources available to foster a closer and more supportive community.

Moreover, though the plan of abolishing usage of mobile phones on campus during the school day seems sound on paper, it does not actually alleviate any student stress related to mental health. According to Savethe2008.com, the reason this clause exists in the plan is that “no serious student should have to sit in class with her cell in her bag or his cell in his pocket, and be anxious when it glows or it vibrates” and that “texting is addictive” which does not seem to be directly correlated to students’ emotional well-being and instead seems almost intrusive on students’ individual freedoms. This can instead add onto student stress instead of take away from it, because many students use mobile devices as a means to communicate thoughts and feelings with peers.

The fifth clause of the plan advocates de-

creasing the number of progress reports sent home per year from 12 to 4 because “it is a Law of Nature that young people will never like or respect a teacher who sends grades home every 3 weeks.” However, this seems counterintuitive because decreasing the number of progress reports decreases transparency between the staff and the students; a decreased frequency of communication would then increase student stress. Not only is it f lawed on the surface level, but this operative does not address the issue of student mental and emotional health either as this is another—failed— attempt at reforming academia, not the core of the issue which is social-emotional support.

Some aspects of the “Save the 2008” plan do have some merit, such as its suggestions of rightsizing course loads. This proposal would require students to discuss course schedules in a parent-counselor meeting.

Students retain autonomy but still are aware of the potential costs of overloading on APs.

This suggestion—in addition to ways to decrease academic fraud—helps promote a better academic environment for stressed students. However, these proposals aren’t directly relevant to the students’ mental health. A much more pertinent plan would be to increase the number of resources available to students struggling with issues outside of school, and form a permanent active network of students and staff solely for the purpose of the campus’ emotional health.

Gunn has already moved to make things less academically stressful than in previous years. It did not seem to prevent the unfortunate suicide in November. The main issue to combat stress in the student body therefore is not to focus on the academic stresses students face, but rather to increase communications within the campus and improve mental and emotional health by opening up outlets for students to share their burdens with others, as from past studies social circumstances have been the main cause for intense stress. When faced w it h a n issue, the most effective way to combat t he issue is by killing its cause; focusing on decreasing academic stress as the main way to exterminate this concern will only prove useless.

According to Teen Suicide Statistics, the most common causes of teen suicide are: • Divorce of parents • Violence at home • Feelings of worthlessness • Rejection by friends and peers

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff (assenting: 36; dissenting: 0; abstaining: 1)

ew dr An

en Sh

“Save the 2008” Plan

Forum

Friday, December 5, 2014

5

Amnesty should be granted to illegal immigrants

PRO

On Nov. 20, President Barack Obama announced an order giving a two-year deferral to 5 million undocumented persons in the United States. The country is currently in debate over whether this is truly amnesty, which is defined as a government pardon, in this case for illegal immigrants. In response, The Oracle looks at amnesty’s pros and cons.

Elinor Aspegren

CON

Many believe that illegal immigration is a right and not a privilege; others think that amnesty is unfair to those who immigrated legally. A policy of granting amnesty to law abiding immigrants will help the United States more than hurt it.

First, granting amnesty helps keep families together. Families often are torn apart by deportation.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, there are 3.71 million undocumented immigrants with children who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. In addition, the executive order will extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to young people who came to this country before turning 16 years old and have been present since January 1, 2010, which will allow nearly 205,000 children to gain protection. This means that the United States will reduce the loss that many fam-

ilies feel when they are torn apart.

Moreover the economic benefits of fixing the broken system are visible. Amnesty will increase tax revenue by $4.5 billion or more over three years and increase gross domestic product by $1.5 trillion over 10 years. This will happen as the productivity of the American workforce will increase because undocumented workers will be able to find jobs that better match their skills and potential. Domestic product will also increase because roughly two-thirds of all illegal immigrants do not pay their taxes for fear of deportation. A higher GDP means better living conditions for all Americans, not just immigrants. Furthermore, this act could offset the predicted drop in the U.S. workforce’s growth rate.

According to Matt McDonald, an adviser to Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, the growth rate is expected to drop from the current percent to 0.5 percent in the next five years, the lowest in decades. An influx of workers could not only counteract those losses but also help contribute to a greater work-

Kush Dubey In the United States, amnesty is an emotionally charged term that dominates a polarized debate over whether the federal government should offer permanent legal status for 11 million undocumented immigrants already in the country. When the implications of illegal immigration range from drug trafficking and human trafficking to trillions of dollars in economic loss, it is reasonable for the United States to take immediate action that reduces the influx of illegal immigrants. While mass deportation certainly is not the solution, a policy that grants universal amnesty to undocumented immigrants only worsens the situation of the status quo by actually increasing illegal immigration and furthering welfare costs in a myriad of ways.

One reason for preventing amnesty is that amnesty endorses an open borders policy, which allows anyone, despite his qualifications, to become a citizen. In 2014 it is not warranted to provide amnesty for over 11 million people when there are only 3.4 million unfilled jobs. The mentality that people who break the law by entering the United States illegally are eligible to stay only endorses illegal behavior and makes it unfair for an individual who truly makes the effort to come to the United States legally.

The premise that 11 million people want “permanent residency” or a “pathway to citizenship” (both of which amnesty grants) is flawed. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that more than half of all Mexican nationals (both legal and illegal) intended a relatively short stay in employment sectors in the United States. Most immigrants leave their families at home, seek employment and income through the United States

force in future generations, as the amnesty impact will reach their children. In fact, amnesty is projected to create 1.4 million new jobs in the next few decades.

On the other hand, according to the Center for American Progress (CAP), deporting all immigrants add up to $239 billion in total.

Still, many are worried about the potential drawbacks of amnesty, namely a spike in crime. However, criminals that do get in the United States are not making a crime wave. Fourteen percent of federal inmates are illegal immigrants, but they are largely there for immigration violations. Fewer than five percent of state inmates are illegal immigrants. This number will only decrease as we grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants. Stanford economist Scott R. Baker calculated in 2012 that amnesty could lead to a nationwide drop in crime—as many as 50,000 fewer a year. He drew comparisons from the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which was a one-time event that resulted in amnesty for 2.5 million undocumented workers. The 1986 Act led to the legalization of 2.5 million of the estimated 3.1 million illegal immigrants in the country at the time. Legalizing one percent of the population, according to Baker, led to a two percent decrease

and return home to tend to the needs of their families. That means unequivocally granting permanent residency to a populace that does not actually want such a status. One of the most important factors of an immigration policy should be whether or not the policy caters towards the conditions of the immigrants, which amnesty clearly does not do.

Moreover, amnesty is an empirically failed policy that only increases illegal immigration. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan passed an extension of the Simpson-Mazzoli Act, known as the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which granted amnesty to 2.5 million illegal immigrants. The intention of the IRCA was to decrease illegal immigration, but instead it increased the number of illegal immigrants from 2.5 million to 11.2 million. Streamlined pathways to legal status for any immigrant encourages more immigrants to cross into the United States illegally because they know they’ll get amnesty. The same conclusion can be drawn from historical experimentation in Europe. The only success came when strictly temporary work permits for non-felons were provided to 700,000 immigrants in Spain, reducing illegal immigration from 1.3 million to 200,000 over the course of four years. These instances prove that uniformly granting amnesty is not the approach the United States should take.

The most compelling case for rejecting mass immigration in the United States can be made when looking at the monetary costs and benefits immigrants provide. The argument that legalizing immigrants results in greater tax revenues does not hold weight because most of these immigrants take up low-wage jobs that rank low on the income tax bracket. Legalizing immigrants doesn’t provide any major tax benefit as almost anyone falling within the average immigrant wage won’t

in crime. Legal immigrants are more likely to cooperate with the police during investigations, and family men are less prone to criminal behavior.

There are several precedents supporting policies of amnesty. Former President George H. W. Bush, for example, used executive power to permit 1.5 million undocumented spouses and children of people shielded from deportation by a previous law to also stay in the United States, which accounted for 40 percent of illegal immigrants in the country at the time.

And, of course, Reagan enacted the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. Illegal immigration immediately dropped after Congress enacted the 1986 amnesty and only exploded again after new immigration restrictions were enacted in 1996.

Given the high number of illegal immigrants already in the United States, we have little choice but to embrace amnesty. Deportation not only leads to excessive costs but also tears apart families.

Furthermore, there would be dire consequences for the U.S. economy if millions left the labor pool. It is time for us to accept amnesty as the solution to the immigration problem after years of deliberation.

—Aspegren, a junior, is a Copy Editor.

Dave

Zhu

qualify for the income tax, though they will qualify for welfare, education and other entitlements. The incomes of migrants working in the informal economy are generally less than $13,000 per year, according a recent UCLA study. Thus, most workers would ultimately be exempt from paying income taxes or have extremely low tax liability even if they did file and claim cash income. To put this claim in a large-scale context, an exhaustive study by the Heritage Foundation found that after amnesty, current unlawful immigrants would receive $9.4 trillion in government benefits and services and pay more than $3 trillion in taxes over their lifetimes. That leaves a net fiscal deficit of around $6.3 trillion. That deficit would only fall on the expense of every U.S. taxpayer.

The narrative of amnesty sounds morally appealing, but the reality of such a policy isn’t nearly as effective.

Through extensive research of immigration policy in the United States and Spain, an open-borders proposal would only pose more harm than good. Perhaps the United States should provide temporary legal status through a guest workers program that sets quotas based on the needs of businesses in order to alleviate illegal immigration and the slight labor deficit the United States faces today.

—Dubey, a junior, is a News Editor.

6

Forum

THEORACLE

Seasonal depression should be taken seriously

Palo Alto is overrated, over valued Lawrence Chen

Lisa Hao For most people, winter means gifts, ski trips, hot chocolate, carols, the holidays and a nice, relaxing break from school. When finals end, the mood seems to change from stressed to relaxed.

For me and many others with seasonal affective disorder, however, winter rarely feels like holiday season. Instead, it usually involves occasional, random crying fits, a loss of interest, a desire to sleep forever and an inability to stay motivated.

Most people might hear about seasonal depression and cast it off as winter blues, but as someone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder, I know it should be taken seriously.

Since people with seasonal affective disorder show all the same symptoms as people with regular depression, the “lows” are just as intense and severe. For me, the months between November and February often bring physical and mental exhaustion. I spend an overwhelming amount of time sleeping and lose all desire to go out or work. I grow tired of everything: school, piano, work, sports, friends and life. I cry out of the blue for no reason other than the fact that my heart feels unbelievably heavy and sad.

The lack of daylight and vitamin D in winter can unbalance melatonin and serotonin levels in the brain. Melatonin plays a role in one’s sleep patterns and moods whereas serotonin is a neurotransmitter associated with depression.

Seasonal affective disorder, like many mood disorders, is hard to spot because there are no tangible symptoms. However, dismissing this disorder will only discourage people from understanding it and getting the help they need.

When I first suspected that something wasn’t mentally right, I was in my first year of middle school. It was so easy to blame my oversleeping and constant sadness on teenage hormones.

I didn’t want to worry anyone and the others seemed more than ready to accept that as a suitable answer. It wasn’t until last year, after one of my best friends attempted to commit suicide, that I realized that mental health should be taken seriously. I experienced the lowest I’ve ever felt and finally decided to reach out to my parents. I began seeing a therapist and although she wasn’t extremely useful, she did manage to finally give me both clarity on my situation and a name for what it was called. Finding out that there are others who also experience depression during the wintertime made me feel less like an overly dramatic teenager and helped validate what I feel.

If other people and I had continually dismissed my problems as insignificant, I think I would still feel like something was wrong with me or that I am just extremely dramatic. I probably would not have reached out for help or developed the coping mechanisms I have today.

I still struggle to stay motivated during the winter months. Throughout the years, however, I’ve learned to cope better as well as pay attention to what I need in order to feel better. I’m fortunate to have such a loving support system and such a caring community. Although it took me a while before I decided to get help, I’m glad I did. It’s okay to doubt your existence and to feel hopeless or helpless sometimes. However, please remember that you and your problems are never a burden. People would rather listen and be there for you than find out something was going on later.

Mental well-being is just as, if not more, important than physical well-being. Treat yourself kindly and reach out when you need to. Whether you feel it or not, you are important and you are cared for.

—Hao, a junior, is a Features Editor.

Palo Alto is always flaunted as an amazing place to live, hitting top five lists on sites such as Livability.com and TravelSkills. com. The weather is nice year round, and it is located in the center of Silicon Valley.

However, there are bigger complications that make Palo Alto undeserving of a top five city to live in, in regards to the whole country.

First of all, students in Palo Alto learn to develop an unhealthy competitive mindset in regards to school. School is defined

by Google as “an institute for educating children.” However, more often than not, as students walk out of the classrooms, they aren’t discussing what they’re learn-

ing. Instead, the topics of conversation are tests scores and points earned or lost. It is blatantly obvious that learning is not the first priority and that letter grades and a few numbers become the definers of success and human worth among the student body. This creates a hostile environment that stifles many students’ potentials while promoting unfair play at the same time.

Along with this competition comes a certain social blindness unique to places like Palo Alto. The wealth, success and safety of Palo Alto creates a metaphorical shell around its habitants, shielding them and preventing exposure to concepts such as social injustices, poverty or discrimination. However, at the same time, the people around here pride themselves and flaunt the fact that they are more accepting and educated than those surrounding them. In reality, a combination of the two aforementioned environments fosters an ignorance that festers in the people afflicted the longer they live here. Palo Altans constantly remind themselves that they are good people and because of that, the actual issues at hand become more lighthearted in their minds, and they become blind to the real problems. For example, countless

Palo Alto numbers

posts or pictures in social media regarding Asians contain captions such as, “There are no eyes in this picture,” or “Where are our eyes?” As a result of the mindsets and actions regarding issues such as that, offensive stereotypes and racial slurs are thrown around left and right without any second thought; in essence, an illusion is created that only good, caring people live here when in reality, there is much to improve on in relation to the social maturity of this area.

Finally, the high achieving schools in the area paired with the nice living conditions increase the housing price. According to Zip Realty, two houses in similar areas are generally commensurate in price. However, a house in Palo Alto that contains 790 square feet of living space costs $2.2 million, while a house in Mountain View that contains 2,700 square feet costs $2 million.

At the end of the day, a facade of success is put up by Palo Altans and it is that facade that earned it an undeserved spot in the top five. To help better this city, people can start by taking a look at the big picture and stop being so narrow-minded; people can start learning and educating themselves about the social issues that occur in our community. At the same time, people can stop repeating and blindly accepting the messages that praise this city for what it isn’t and take a step back to realize how ignorant everyone really is, students and adults alike.

66,642 P o p u l a t i o n 20 PAUSD schools 1379 Startups

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Josh Spain

Issuu

—Chen, a senior, is a News Editor.

Lisa Cheong

$1,998,000 Median Home Price 28 Notable Places

Stanford Shopping Center

Stanford University

Museum of American Heritage

Stanford Theatre

Statistics from PAUSD.org, Zillow.com, USA Today, U.S. Census Bureau, Angel List, PaloAltoCI.com

Hoover Tower

Photos by Anthony Tran

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Features

Friday, December 5, 2014

Teachers reflect on their risky high school experiences Ms. pomilia

Every Friday, English teacher Kathryn Pomilia reminds her students to “be safe, have fun and make good decisions,” because she believes that during the teenage years, rebellion is only natural. When Pomilia was a teenager, she was a bit of a rebel herself—she would often sneak out of her house. Like most parents, Pomilia’s set a curfew and rules. “Parties were not something I was allowed to go to in high school,” she said. “I really felt like that was unfair and an injustice.”

Like many teenagers, Pomilia chose to disobey her parents. “The first time I snuck out, I was supposedly in bed and sleeping,” Pomilia said. “I’ll never forget that feeling of rebellion. I was so excited by the adrenaline of sneaking out, but I was so terrified. What if my dad sees me going down the driveway? What’s going to happen?”

After getting away unscathed the first time, Pomilia continued to sneak out. “I think once I got away with it, I felt like, ‘Oh, I didn’t get caught, I can do it again,’” she said. “For me, the excitement of being at a party with friends and creating new relationships was clearly a more powerful, important feeling than the fear of being caught.”

However, her luck eventually ran out. “In high school, my dad was the baseball coach,” Pomilia said. “I was with a friend who was on the baseball team and he got a phone call. I was talking really loud, only to find out that on the other line was my dad.” Pomilia’s friend was unaware that she was

not allowed to be out, and she was immediately busted.

“I will never forget the terrifying anticipation of just sitting there, at this home, waiting for my dad to come pick me up,” Pomilia said. “It was brutal. It was so brutal.”

After Pomilia was caught, her parents banned her from going to parties and denied her the privilege of using her cellphone on weekends. “I couldn’t have any contact with friends unless it went through the house phone so that it could be screened by my parents,” Pomilia said. “It was horrible, because I had my phone for a little bit of time junior year and that was so exciting because everyone was just starting to get phones. But then, I ruined it because [for] the rest of my high school career, I didn’t get it unless I was out of town.”

In retrospect, Pomilia regrets not being straightforward with her parents. “I actually think that, had I asked my parents or said, ‘Here’s what I’m planning to do,’ it would’ve been a lot better than what actually happened when I got caught,” she said. “I realize that consequences are actually worse than being told no or having to compromise.”

However, Pomilia realizes that rebellion is a normal part of growing up.

“If you are going to decide to sneak out, go to a party where you feel safe and people are going to make good decisions,” she said. “As long as that rebellion is with people who are good influences, I think it’s okay.” Reflective of her cheerful weekly warnings, Pomilia’s last bit of advice is this: “Rebel safely.”

—Written by Lisa Hao

Mr. o’Connell Science teacher Casey O’Connell remembers himself as a good high school student who rarely broke the rules. However, he does regret an activity that occurred in a popular party spot around a bridge spanning over the Hudson River. “I didn’t drink or do drugs, but I did do reckless stunts like cliff jumping into the gorge,” O’Connell said. “This was one way of being macho and being independent.”

He grew up in a small town in New York with nothing much to do, so people his age turned to cliff-diving as a way to have fun. “I remember a collective feeling of restlessness that I [and others] generally had,” O’Connell said. “My choice of experimentation was to do wild stuff, just because I saw other people doing it and getting a rush out of it. The rush I got was indescribable. It was terrifying. It was exciting.”

Teens usually came by around the party spot bringing boomboxes, coolers and picnic baskets, in what O’Connell describes as “a big social hangout.” He said there would be a few teens jumping off of the high cliffs into the waters of the river, but occasionally someone would jump from the bridge higher than the cliffs to get attention. “It was a daredevil, showy thing to do,” O’Connell said. “People who would land the wrong way hurt their knee or ankle, or [had] a sore back for a few weeks, but at that age, you think you’re invincible and that nothing worse could happen.”

There was little official intervention for the party spot because of the bridge’s location: it divided the two main counties in a way that only

Mr. Lyons As economics teacher Phillip Lyons has been heard to say, white collar crime pays. As a high school student with no curfew, no rules and a fake ID, he had free reign to do whatever he wanted. “I [could] come and go whenever I wanted to,” Lyons said.

Parents often set specific rules for their kids to follow, and at first, Lyons’ parents were no different. “[My brother] broke those rules,” he said. “[My mom] would always have to fight him for all these things. By the time he graduated, she didn’t feel like having the same fights with me.”

After his brother left for college, his mom was too exhausted to enforce strict curfews and regulations for Lyons. “I could stay out as late as three or four in the morning,” he said, “It’s hard to get into trouble when there are no rules [anymore].”

During his junior and senior year, his older friends introduced him to the thrills of having a fake ID. While some teenagers were limited in activities to do on the weekends, Lyons and his friends would spend their nights clubbing without any problems. “We [would] go to clubs and bars to drink and dance,” Lyons said, “We were living a life like an adult rather than a teenager.”

Lyons did get caught eventually when he attempted to replace his

state police could take action. Adults were not in favor of this party spot, especially O’Connell’s mother who warned him about taking such drastic risks. “By default, I did it in spite of her and of any disagreeing opinion,” O’Connell said. “I think adults frowned on it just the same way they frown on everything else that teenagers do that they’re not supposed to do. I dismissed her opinion as just another example of her being worried; that’s where I went wrong.”

Eventually, one student jumped at a point where he got caught in the undertow of the river and drowned; O’Connell remembers being shocked when hearing about it from his friends. “I never [went jumping] again; I never even hung out there anymore,” O’Connell said. “It was very sobering to imagine myself in that situation and to imagine how some of the worst-case scenarios would have impacted my mother.

When I look back, I was shocked at how willing I was to take such a risk. Whenever I pass over that bridge span, I can’t even believe I had the nerve.”

Through his experience, O’Connell realized some important lessons for himself and hopefully for others. “Our bodies and our lives are fragile and finite. Naturally as you get older, you become a lot more cautious, guarded and safe about what you do,” O’Connell said. “I understand why teens take some of the risks they do, but my understanding does not translate to anything rational or logical. Maybe I needed to prove myself or define myself. Adults continue having those needs but became more prudent about the choices they make.”

—Written by Aayush Dubey

lost ID at the DMV. “I filled out the form [at the DMV] and gave it to them, but I left the middle name blank,” he said. “The person said ‘you left the middle name blank, what’s the middle name’ and I said ‘I [didn’t] have one.’ They looked it up and it was John. They knew I was lying.”

Since Lyons never got into any fights with his parents, he never felt guilty about what he did. “To be honest, I don’t want to say there was nothing going on in my head,” Lyons said. “At that age I was just thinking of the benefits.”

Although Lyons disregarded his parents’ rules when he was younger, his teenage habits impacted how he raises his own kids. “Both my parents were just very hands-off,” Lyons said. “But with my kids, I would try to do something with them, so they won’t have five to ten hours of free time to do anything they wanted. For my own kids, I would just provide them with a little more structure, so they won’t make the mistakes I made.”

Looking back at his teenage years, Lyons has no desire to step into clubs again and says students shouldn’t be tempted to follow his lead.

“There will be plenty of time to go to bars and clubs,” he said. “It can get old. There will be a time and place for it. You don’t need to rush into that stage.”

—Written by Stina Chang Graphics by Elizabeth Zu

8

Cente

'Tis The Season...

...To celebrate holidays with family, make New Year’s resolutions and reflect on the past year.

The magic of Santa Claus revealed Arjun Sahdev Santa’s round belly, joyous, booming laugh and fluffy beard easily make him the most magical being to kids everywhere.

So magical that, for awhile, people believe he is real. But there comes a time in everyone’s life where they begin to realize Jolly Saint Nick is just a figment of their imagination. Unfortunately though, my discovery was rather abrupt and easy to discern.

Christmas Eve, also known as the longest night ever, heightened my desire of catching Santa. Restlessly rolling around in bed, all I could think about was the old man taking my cookies and the presents he would bring me as compensation. I carefully researched and crafted a list, determined to make this Christmas legendary. Would he get me the Thomas the Tank Engine train set that I had been highly anticipating? Unfortunately, I had great plans to catch Santa, sleepiness eventually settled in.

That Christmas morning I ran through the house at 6:00 a.m, jumping up and down and screaming out of pure elation at the arrival of the presents. Looking back at my overwhelming exhilaration, I now feel so bad for my family who had to deal with my uncontrollable excitement so early in the morning, but to me, Santa was

real and this was proof.

Nearly three hours later, my mom and two older sisters unwillingly trudged towards the tree, lined with glistening ornaments, flashing lights and topped off with a grand star. I could not wait to savagely rip the wrapping paper from my gifts. As I stacked my gifts in their own sanctioned off pile, I realized my dad wasn’t with us. My mom had her camera out even though she could barely even use it, which mean something big was about to happen.

Bells jingled and stomps echoed. Santa gallivanted through the halls into the present room with a cheery “ho, ho, ho!” But there was something off about this Santa.

I could see black stubble underneath the lopsided white beard. His skin was brown with patches of unnatural white that looked like sunblock.

“Dad?” “Silly boy, this is Santa! Now open your presents!”

Instead of obeying the large man I decided to grab his beard and run. The jolly smile immediately turned into a scowl.

And that was the last time brown Santa ever thought of intruding. To this day, I still don’t have any evidence proving Santa is nonexistent, but I do know one doesn’t need to have rosy red cheeks and an army of reindeer to be the most magical man on earth. Sometimes, the most magical people are right next to you, making you smile everyday, and you don’t even know it. Thanks, Dad.

Yearly tradition provides reflection Danielle Yacobson Every year, on Jan. 1, I have this fantastic idea that I’ll keep a daily journal. Pulling out a fresh notebook, I enthusiastically detail my winter break of Netflix binging while shamelessly finishing off holiday leftovers.

Inevitably though, my motivation starts to dwindle after a few days of non-eventful entries, and I’m left with yet another slightly doodled-on composition notebook.

After years of failed attempts I had a stroke of genius and came up with a simple solution: write an entry on December 31st that summarized the main highlights of the previous year. So, the annual letter to my future self came to be, detailing everything from my favorite foods to teenage melodramatics.

I’m embarrassed to say that the letter usually starts off with a saga of high school love triangles and failed relationships. Then, I include a thorough, well-thought-

out list of my accomplishments and goals (I need to keep myself in check!). Attempting to be humorous and smarter than my teenage years would suggest, I undoubtedly throw in a handful of impressive SAT words and rattle off a few cliche life lessons that my “struggles” have taught me. But, no matter how mature I think I am at the time, I find myself cringing at my adolescent writing. Then, I spend some time reassuring myself that I am now a full year wiser and truly an adult.

Last year’s letter has been sitting at my desk untouched for almost a year now, and I honestly can’t remember what I wrote. That’s the best part though! Its exciting to read about what I accomplished that year and what kind of high school drama I was consumed with.

Opening the letter every December 31st is my favorite holiday tradition because, although small, it has taught me one of my most valuable life lessons. No matter how life-changing I think my current problems and worries are, they are fleeting. A year later, the sting from failing a math test is gone, and the fight I had with my parents is forgotten. It’s a new year, filled with promise of even more embarrassing stories and screw-ups. But I welcome them and hope that I’ll smile at my memories as I open my tiny, personal time-capsule.

erfold

Friday, December 5, 2014

9

Top Seven New Year’s Resolutions

1. Get off your couch, and join a local gym! Make a resolution to run a little bit more every day, and if you’re feeling audacious, pick up some weights.

2. Instead of spending all day on YouTube spend time on Vice. It is a video site that talks about world issues. No more useless videos.

3. Develop better sleeping patterns. Give yourself an exact time to go to bed every night to streamline your homework and improve your focus.

4. Improve your grades. Mundane things can make a difference if you spend a little more time studying.

5. Clean your room, car or backpack. You won’t have to wear gloves while picking things up anymore.

6. Love yourself and those around you. Looking at things positively can go a long way.

7. Write a blank check to The Oracle. We want to invest in strobe lights, a disco ball, a full time jazz pianist and puppies to raise morale.

—Compiled by Justin Wenig

Graphics by Anton Oyung and Elizabeth Zu

10 Campus members celebrate myriad of THEORACLE

Hinduism

Dating back to 2000 BCE, Hinduism has touched the lives of millions. It is considered more of a combination of religious, philosophical, and cultural ideas and practices rather than only a religion.

Sophomore Isha Gupta believes following this way of life has helped her strive to be a better person and to do good for others. “Hinduism has helped me keep perspective on the challenges that life has to offer,” she said. “Its teachings provide guidelines on how to respect myself, my peers and the world around me.”

O ne a s p e c t of H i ndu i sm t h at h a s strengthened Gupta as a person is the idea Isha Gupta of karma. “When I conduct myself in a positive manner and do the right thing, I find that I feel better and my outlook on life is more positive,” she said. “When I don’t do the right thing, there are negative consequences. [Those consequences] motivate me to be the best person I truly can be.”

Junior Aaditya Divekar believes that the morals from Hindu stories have greatly influenced his everyday life and the way he views the world. “I take much of what I consider to be Hinduism from its mythology and the stories my parents and grandpa told me,” he said. “In these stories, there were heroes and their villains. I take both sides into consideration—I try to understand the villain and the lessons I should learn to avoid his mistakes, as much as the reasoning to overcome [the villain].”

For Gupta, the best part of Hinduism is the different holidays and traditions. “There is Diwali, the festival of lights, in which firecrackers are lighted and people wear new clothes,” she said. “There is Holi, the festival of color, where ever yone throws colored powder and water at each ot her. The joy and laughter and food that comes with the numerous Hindu holidays are truly some of my favorite things Aaditya Divekar in the whole world.”

According to Divekar, his favorite part of Hinduism is the tolerance and peace that is taught and the principles that were later encouraged by Gandhi. “Hinduism is a simple and thoughtful way to think and live life,” he said.

Gupta believes that Hinduism as a whole has helped keep her centered, though she may not know all of its facets. “Religion is usually something hard to describe in concrete terms,” she said. “While I may not know all the principles and scriptures of Hinduism by heart, the idea of spiritual beings and the ideas of karma and rebirth help keep me focused and grounded.”

Judaism Even after 5,767 years, Judaism is still going strong. The religion focuses on the teachings of the Old Testament. Although Jews make up less than 0.2 percent of the world ’s population, senior Sa ma nt ha Alvarez attributes her connection Samantha to Judaism to its tight-knit comAlvarez munity. “Judaism has a community unlike any other religion.

If you meet someone who’s Jewish, there’s a 95 percent chance that you will find someone you know in common who is Jewish,” Alvarez said.

Participating in her youth group, BBYO, has further exposed her to the community and helped her develop a stronger Jewish identity. “I’m really glad I discovered what it meant to be Jewish,” Alvarez said. “It’s defiAsa Kohrman nitely impacted me in the last four years of my life. I learned more of the prayers and the teachings and learned how to be connected.”

Sophomore Asa Kohrman agrees that Judaism gives her community and a dif-

ferent sense of identity than her friends.

She describes herself as more of a cultural Jew than a religious Jew. “It usually just means that on some weekends I’ll have to go to services instead of hanging out with my friends,” Kohrman

said. “I feel like I have a different identity than some of my friends.”

Junior Ben Yehuda identifies as an Orthodox Jew and leads a more religious lifestyle. “Judaism is a big part of my life because I do daily prayers and have dietary restrictions because I keep kosher,” Yehuda said. “It’s my lifestyle.” He practices Judaism by wearing special garments—straps around

Buddhism

To its disciples, Buddhism is considered more than a religion; it’s a way of thinking, according to sophomore Kinley Wangchuk. The Buddhist path has three main principles: to lead a moral life, to be mindful and aware of one’s thoughts and actions, and to develop wisdom and understanding.

The founder of this lifestyle, Siddhartha Guatama, taught that enlightenment and true happiness can be achieved through the Four Noble Truths: life is suffering; suffering is caused by craving and aversion; suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; and the Eightfold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

Kinley Wangchuk believes that for him, the Wangchuk most important takeaway from Buddhist principles is the idea of compassion. “I feel that Buddhism has helped me be more kind to others and be more understanding of people,” he said. “[Buddhism] also taught me that all things living are sentient beings and they must all be treated equally.”

According to Western Association of Schools and Colleges Coordinator Meg Omainsky, switching over to Buddhism has improved her life. She believes that the teachings and practices have helped her stay peaceful. “[I] started getting interested in Buddhism about six years ago because I started attending a guided mediation session each week in a Buddhist Temple in San Francisco,” Omainsky said. “The teachings resonated with me and I became a happier person.”

Wangchuk also believes that Buddhist teachings have served as more of a guideline than a limitation. “My religion is a way of thinking for me,” he said. “It’s not a rule or a restriction but more of how I could live my life.”

According to Omainsky, Buddhism is also more of Meg Omainsky a road. “My religion is the simplest, clearest path to internal and external happiness,” she said.

Buddhism helps Wangchuk stay present. “The best part of my religion has to be the fact that [Buddhists] live in the moment, and we don’t think too hard about the future,” he said.

Omainsky’s favorite component of Buddhism is overcoming the desire for materials. “The best part of Buddhism is the simple teachings such as non-attachment; being a cork on water and loving everyone as if they were your own child,” she said. ­—Written by Prachi Kale his arms called tefillin—during morning prayers. On Saturdays, Yehuda spends the holy day of rest, Shabbat, taking a break from electronics and from any work. He instead attends synagogue and studies with a rabbi

and his father.

Yehuda has turned to the communal aspect of Judaism for help in finding his own identity. “There are a lot of times in my life where I feel like I’m never doing quite as much as everyone else,” he said. “After my bar mitzvah, I started to realize I could be doing this as part of my accomplishments so that I could feel more fulfilled. I decided to do more work

regarding the prayer services as a way to express myself.”

Freshman Yuval Steinhart also keeps kosher and does not work on Shabbat. He has found a less tangible meaning within his religion. “I think that it has given me morals and shown me t here are people like me,” Steinhart said. “I like the holidays because t he y a re go o d times to rest, be Ben Yehuda with family and reflect.”

Judaism offers a variety of ways to explore religion and has followers across the spectrum. Some pay strict attention to laws such as keeping kosher while others find a cultural or moral connection to Judaism, or even something in the middle. However, as Alvarez and Kohrman attest, most agree that the community within Judaism is undeniable. “My favorite part is the community so that you belong somewhere Yuval Steinhart a nd you have people there for you who can identify with you even if they’re a 1000 miles away,” Kohrman said.

-Written by Hayley Krolik

11 faiths, religions during holiday season Friday, December 5, 2014

Islam

Although Islam is the world’s second most practiced religion and makes up 23 percent of the world’s population, only a small percentage of Gunn’s diverse student body practice the religion. For junior Ridhaa Sachidanandan, Islam has had a large and positive impact on her life.

From instilling a strong sense of community, to inf luencing her passions and future career interest, Islam has changed Ridhaa Sachidanandan’s life and Sachidanandan shaped her values and relations with her family.

Sachidanandan’s appreciation and love for the Muslim culture comes from her family. “When I go to India to visit my Muslim side of the family, I’m always amazed at their incredibly positive way of looking at life,” she said.

According to Sachidanandan, the belief that “God is on our side and the although things may not be going too well, everything is going to be okay” is deeply ingrained in Muslim culture. Because of this idea, Sachidanandan’s family is always extremely accepting and supportive when she comes to visit them, something she deeply admires and appreciates both of her family and the Muslim faith.

One of the most important lessons Sachidanandan has learned from being a part of the Muslim community is the idea of giving back. “In Muslim culture, even if you’re not well off, if you have anything to give back to those

less fortunate you do it.” Sachidanandan said.

The importance of charity has inspired Sachidanandan to give back in her own way, by volunteering at her uncle’s hospital for disabled children every summer in In-

Christianity

dia. “I definitely want to find a way to incorporate giving back in my career, and I know this is largely because of my faith, and the support from my Muslim side of the family for my passion for volunteer work.”

Although Sachidanandan has gained lots of positive reinforcement and valuable lessons from the Muslim community, she has also experienced negativity and opposition due to her faith. At airports especially, Sachidanandan notices that her and her mother’s Arabic names attract negative, unnecessary attention. “One time on the way back from India, my mom and I had to go through another line in security,” she said. “Everyone in that line was either wearing a burka, had an Arabic name or had an Arabic passport, and all of us had to wait in that line for an extra two hours. It was ridiculous.”

Because of her mixed race (Sachidanandan is half Muslim, half Hindu), Sachidanandan has been told that perhaps it’d be easier if she just identified as Hindu. But according to her, “you can’t blame an entire group for the mistakes of the few and close-minded. Terrorists who commit heinous crimes in the name of Islam do not represent what our faith was built off of.” And on the bright side, experiencing judgement due to her faith has opened her to eyes and made her a more accepting person as a whole. “I get this sense that being judged based on stereotypes is a fairly common adversity that many people face. My experience has made me able to relate more and support others who have been unfairly stereotyped.” ­—Written by Esther Kozakevich

Catholicism

Senior Bailey Chen grew up in a Christian home, but she wasn’t always a believer. Though she had attended church every Sunday with her Christian parents, it wasn’t until middle school that she began a personal relationship with God. “God really became true for me, [and] not just my parents, during eighth grade when I said, ‘God, I want to see what you can do for me, and what I can do for you,’” she said.

As an eight h grader, Chen had experienced doubts and questioned the existence of a higher power. “I didn’t think I needed God,” she said. “I started thinking of him as a philosophy.”

According to Chen, many of her friends and Bailey Chen family have been transformed by God. However, Chen, herself, did not feel God’s presence until high school. In the face of a n x ie t y, she sudden ly felt a strange state of peace inside of her. “It just popped up, and I felt really serene,” she said. “I knew that everything was going to be okay, despite what lay ahead.”

Chen’s renewal in Christianity has given her new perspectives on frustration or confusion. “When things don’t go well, I ask him for patience,” she said. “When I talk to people, it’s easy to pick out imperfections, but I try to avoid bitterly thinking of others.”

While struggling through her classes in junior year, however, Chen was tested in her faith. She felt inadequate and hopeless when her many hours of studying weren’t ref lected in the scores that she got back. “I wasn’t doing as well as I wanted but I remember thinking [this],” Chen said. “Even if I didn’t measure up to others’ or even my own standards, I know I measure up to God’s standards and that he loves me no matter what.”

Chen recognizes that high school is hard, but she f inds relief in spending time with God. “I just pray and lay my heart bare,” she said. “I tell God [everything] as it is, and he continually reminds me that high school is in his hands.”

For Chen, religion is not an isolated aspect of her life but rather a mindset in approaching the world. “It’s not like having family and academics in one hand and religion in another; it’s more of a matter of integration,” she said. “It is easy to forget about God, but he’s helped me realize that [my faith] is more of a mental state and an attitude [than a disparate object].”

Some days, Chen takes long, lingering walks around the neighborhood and observes her surroundings. To her, the world is something created

by God, and every aspect of nature serves as an indication of how good her God is. “It’s nice to be outside and appreciate everything out there, that shade of red, the shape of the bees, the sound of stepping on leaves,” she said. “It’s nice to come out of that polarizing environment [of stress] and enjoy life and enjoy God in a nonconventional way.”

Since being baptized as an one-year-old, junior Jocelyn Liu has been a dedicated part of the Roman Catholic church. “Every Sunday, I get to spend time with God when normally I’m too preoccupied,” she said.

According to Liu, Catholicism has a uniquely fluid approach to religion that is often overlooked. “Our faith is constantly evolving,” she said. “As science and the times change, the Catholic leaders meet and lead us in new directions.”

Yet for Liu, personal devotion to God is the most rewarding—and challenging—part of her religion. “Sometimes I question why God allows tragedy to happen to us,” she said, “but Catholicism is so much of a comfort that I’m willing to take that step of faith.”

Jocelyn Liu Liu sees God as her unfailingly dependable friend. “He’s my friend in the high place,” she laughed. ­—Written by Ryeri Lim

—Written by Shawna Chen

—Written by Matt Niksa

Mormonism For junior Brandon Jacobsen and senior Sierra Harisay, the Mormon religion has always been a huge part of their lives. “I was born into the Church, but you choose to become a member of the Church at age eight,” Harisay said. Both Jacobsen and Harisay have grown to understand the religion and use Mormonism as inspiration to become better students and role models.

For Harisay, every week is filled with activities related to the Mormon faith. She attends seminary every morning as well as service every Sunday. Harisay believes the religion has helped her stay positive, as well as become a more charitable person. “We [Mormons] definitely focus on trying to be positive as well as find ways to bring happiness in our lives, and I feel it has definitely made Brandon Sierra Harisay me a happier person than I feel Jacobsen like I could’ve been if I wasn’t [Mormon]. It’s definitely easier to get through hard times because members of my church will help if anyone needs it.”

For Jacobsen, the Mormon religion has positively affected his life and has made him a more mature person. “I feel like I have more freedom than most people, mostly because a lot of people drink or do other drugs,” he said. “One of our major beliefs is that none of that [drugs, alcohol] is OK. I am able to say ‘no’ to that stuff right away, instead of saying ‘uh, maybe.’”

To Jacobsen, Mormonism has given him great freedom and great responsibility to go along with it. “I do feel I have a responsibility to be the best person I can be, and not make my religion look bad by not doing dumb things. I try to be as a good a follower as I can, in order to be a good example for others,” he said.

12

Sports

THEORACLE

Girls Water Polo

Courtesy Butch Garcia

Senior goalie Sam Acker dives for one of many saves at Independence High School.

The girls’ water polo team blasted through the season with an undefeated record in league games for the second time in school history, according to coach Mark Hernandez.

They made it to Central Coast Sectionals (CCS) finals in a close 9-7 game.

“In our minds it was a one point game because we purposely let them take their final shot undefended in an attempt to get a last-minute counter,” senior co-captain Bianca Batista said. “We were trying to run this play right at the end but it didn’t work. It was a lot better than we did last year. We played really well as a team.”

Senior Nia Gardner attributed the improvement from last year’s loss of 9-2 to the greater diversity among shooters. “Last year we relied a lot on one player to score our goals and she would often have two or three people on her,” Gardner said. “This year the goals were scored by more people—if one player was heavily marked, there were five others that could step in to shoot.”

The team goal for the game was good awareness. “It means making sure that you know where the ball is at all times,” Batista said. “It means not losing sight of it, not letting the other team get that many counters, and having really strong passing. It makes a big difference because it gets everyone thinking about how we’re going to work, not only as individuals, but as a whole.”

Hernandez is pleased with what the girls have accomplished.“It was a great game,” he said.

Girls Cross Country The girls’ cross country team ended with third place at CCS, and individuals junior Gillian Meeks and senior Emily Aiken moved on to states with their first and sixth place finishes, respectively.

Meeks had a solid performance with a time of 17:59 for three miles.

Aiken noted that the support of her teammates helped her perform her best. “We had awesome support during our race from our coaches, the boys’ team and some of our amazing teammates who made the trip down to Salinas to watch us race despite not racing themselves,” Aiken said.

“Of course, the atmosphere was pretty high-pressure and intense, but it was great to have so many people cheering us on!”

The team had just fallen short of qualifying for states as only the top two advanced. “The experience overall was bittersweet—sweet because Gillian and I qualified for state as individuals, and bitter because the team ran really well but we just missed qualifying for the state meet as a team.”

Aiken said. “We came very, very close to second place, and I’m extremely proud of the girls who ran.”

Both Meeks and Aiken had strategies to reach their goals. “My strategy was to stick with the leader for the first mile, then push on the hill, and hopefully extend my lead from there.” Meeks said.

Aiken’s goal was slightly different from Meeks. “I knew that Gillian and Caroline from Cupertino would go out hard up front, and behind them would be a pack of five or six girls of about the same speed as me,” Aiken said. “My plan was to keep pace with them for the first 2.5 miles of the race and to kick past them in the last 800 meters if possible.”

Courtesy Malcolm Slaney

Senior Emily Aiken sprints through the course to earn a sixth place finish.

Boys Water Polo

Courtesy Butch Garcia

Senior Ari Wayne rises from the water to score one of Gunn’s 7 goals against St. Francis.

CCS championship

Fall sports dominate

The boys’ water polo team wrapped up their season on Nov. 22 after receiving second in the championship game in the Central Coast Section (CCS). They lost a hard-fought game against St. Francis with a score of 11-7. The team’s season was more successful than past years, with an overall record of 18-12. They also made it to the last round of CCS for the first time since 2004, when Gunn lost to Bellarmine in the finals.

Gunn came back from a three goal deficit in the first quarter to match St. Francis with back-to-back goals from Ari Wayne in the second quarter. Both teams had even scoring in the second and fourth quarters, which kept it a close game. Coach Matthew Johnson had a positive outlook on the game and was proud of the team’s performance. “We didn’t start very well, and they definitely had more energy in the beginning, but we kept with it and battled back two or three times, which shows our resilience,” Johnson said.

Gunn’s top scorer in the game was senior Ari Wayne with four goals, including three shots that hit the bar before entering the cage. The offensive effort was also assisted by sophomore Quinn Hamilton with 3 goals and junior Christian Znidarsic with one goal.

The defensive aspect of the game was challenging and required preparation. “We worked on defense the last two weeks to prepare for this game.”Johnson said. All in all the boys were proud with the best season in Gunn history since 2004.

Girls Golf The girls’ golf team worked hard at the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament, getting second in the tournament and making it to the NorCal State championship. Although St. Francis High School won first in the tournament, coach Chris Redfield is still proud of the team. “St. Francis won but we still had no regrets. We played well. St. Francis just played better,” Redfield said. “I’m really proud of our team. They played up to their expectation and potential. I couldn’t ask any more of them.”

Although the team is fairly new, according to Redfield it has always been strong, placing within the top three high school teams in CCS and advancing to NorCal each year. Captain Anna Zhou individually placed eighth in CCS and eighth in NorCal, and gives credit to the rest of the team for their own mental improvement. “Overall, our main improvement has been working on all parts of our game,” Zhou said. “Working out our physical and mental game helped a lot.”

At CCS, junior Tiffany Yang’s main strategy was to be calm. Additionally, she believes it was key for her to watch over herself and play her best. “In terms of nervousness, junior year for me was the worst, and unfortunately I still felt it,” Yang said. “However, I still remembered to take deep breaths as people around were watching me.”

—Compiled by Sam Acker, Sabrina Chen, Aayush Dubey and Lena Ye

Courtesy Tiffany Yang

The girls’ golf team poses together with their second place trophy on the CCS course.

Sports

Friday, December 5, 2014

13

Ultimate frisbee club focuses on competing, team building Yuki Klotz-Burwell Features Editor

This year, seniors Victor Kao and Lucas Munro set up the Gunn Ultimate Frisbee club with the goal of instilling a sense of community among players. “There wasn’t a set club on campus, so we just got together and decided to start a club because we all like frisbee and it’s something that connects us,” Kao said.

The club meetings take place every other Tuesday and focus on discussing logistics of tournaments and strategies rather than practicing. Members plan games and organize teams. “During the meetings, we talk about the tournaments and playing competitively,” Kao said. “We haven’t really done that much in the meetings; it’s mostly organizational and planning strategy.”

The members hope to improve their skills and advance into higher-level competitions. “Our goal is to make a real team to get to nationals this summer and just train, work out and have fun,” junior Ken Noh said. According to Noh, the

team is comprised of new players who are hard-working and strive to do the best for the club.

Outside of the club, some members participate in pickup games that allow them to gain experience and improve their teamwork. The games started this summer and have increased in frequency and team size. Anyone is free to join both the games and the club, as there are both ambitious and recreational aspects. “None of us really have cleats or anything. We just play for fun,” Noh said. “Now we’re transitioning to become competitive. If you’re just looking to have fun and not compete, we have that option, too.”

Although many players are new to ultimate frisbee, practicing has often helped them move forward to play in the official games, such as the Fogburn Youth Tournament (FYT), a frisbee tournament held in San Francisco by the Bay Area Disc Association. In FYT, Gunn Frisbee placed fifth out of 10 and had 13 participants. “It was a really new experience for all of us,” Noh said. “The first game was really nervewracking, and we were all really nervous, but the more we played as a team, it got much more competitive and intense.”

However, the players recognize that the main part about ultimate is the camaraderie, not the competition. “Sportsmanship is definitely the biggest part of frisbee,” Kao said.

“There are no refs during the game, so it’s all self-reffed, which is a huge part. It’s all about calling your own fouls and doing everything yourself, which is what I like a lot.”

According to Kao, the club aims to spread awareness and experience of frisbee at school. “Gunn Ultimate Frisbee brought us together, so we could play at a more competitive level,” Kao said. “That was our goal: make one group of frisbee enthusiasts and spread frisbee to the rest of the school.”

Noh hopes prospective players find the Gunn Ultimate Frisbee Facebook page and view the posted information.

“It’s a public group, so feel free to join,” Noh said. “We post when the meetings are and when the practices are.” No prior ultimate knowledge or skills are required, so beginners and people with advanced skill levels can attend both the practices and club meetings. “It may sound really official, but just come out and see what we’re doing,” Noh said. “We’re all really new, so you shouldn’t feel left out.”

Courtesy of Victor Kao

Left: Seniors Adam Liu and Victor Kao position themselves to jump for a frisbee during a scrimmage on the Gunn football field. Center: The Gunn Ultimate Frisbee Club poses for a photo after a tournament in San Fransisco. Right: Kao and junior Ken Noh jump to reach the frisbee during another scrimage on the Gunn football field.

14

THEORACLE

Ski bus provides comfortable get away

Lucy Fan There are a number of ways to get to ski resorts across the state. Many people are used to hopping into a car and driving a couple hours to their destination. Though many people tend to depend on more conventional methods of transportation, it never hurts to try anything new: like, a ski bus, for example.

Few people have actually heard of it, but I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the ski bus. The concept is pretty simple: there’s a bus that takes a number of people from a group of nearby cities to a ski resort and back for a small fee. It’s roughly $150, and the package also includes a lift ticket.

It’s one of the better options, despite the fact that we had to wake up at an ungodly hour in order to catch the bus. Other than that, it was pretty nice, having all the comforts of an airplane ride while matching the gas prices for the mountainous road trip. In my opinion, that’s a pretty good deal.

The trip to the ski resort was fairly uneventful.

I was actually able to get some sleep for once. My family and I are avid skiers, and we’re used to the long, uncomfortable ride to far-away ski resorts.

Trying to get sleep in a cramped car is impossible, especially while my little sister is complaining about her sore feet and the edges of multiple skis are digging into my thigh.

But in the ski bus, there was plenty of space to relax. They had provided a tour bus, so the seats were comfy, as well as spacious, which was just how I like it. Plus, since we didn’t have too many people on our trip, I could sit in one of the many open seats in the back, as far away from my little sister and her complaints as possible. It’s safe to say that I got lots of undisturbed sleep that morning.

Space and comfort wasn’t the only thing I enjoyed. During the ride there, the only time I was awake was when they started serving breakfast, which was included in the $150. There were a lot of different options, including bagels, yogurt and cinnamon rolls, and an assortment of beverages such as orange juice, milk and coffee. I picked a few and ate them, so I had a pretty full stomach when we arrived at Tahoe. Normally, my ski-trip breakfast consists of the same store-bought bread that I have every morning, so it was definitely an improvement.

Although the ski day itself was not enhanced by the ski bus transportation, we did manage to befriend fellow bus riders, something that I had never been able to experience before. The extra sleep enabled me to actually communicate with my newfound friends too, a privilege which couldn’t have been possible if we hadn’t taken the ski bus.

Even with all that, I think the best part about the trip was the after-party. After a long and arduous day of skiing, my family and I headed back down to the warm and cozy lodge, where the ski bus company’s employees provided food ranging from hot dogs to hot chocolate. It was a pretty fun and relaxing way to unwind after all the exercise I had gotten, and food is always the way to get my heart.

The ride back was also very comfortable. I was a bit wiped out from the day’s adventures, so I drifted to sleep for parts of the ride. The company also put on a comedy for us to watch in the tiny television screens attached to the roofs every few seats, which made everyone on the bus laugh.

All in all, I think I had a pretty enjoyable experience. If you like skiing, it is definitely worth a try. Trust me, with the right company, you’ll have a blast.

—Fan, a sophomore, is a reporter.

How to plan a lake Tahoe trip Northstar Northstar Ski Resort in North Lake Tahoe is the ideal mountain for those looking to try a little bit of everything. Northstar offers 97 trails, most of which are for intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Northstar also has the highest amount of beginner trails of any major resort, making it the best for those trying out skiing for the first time or for those with younger kids. It also has tree skiing off the main trails available for experts. One aspect that distinguishes Northstar from other resorts is its snow-making system. It has the largest artificial snow system in North Lake Tahoe so the mountain often stays open longer than other resorts, even though it receives only 350 inches a year on average. Northstar also has a legendary terrain park with jumps and a half pipe that was used by Shaun White to train for the Winter Olympics. Teen lift tickets are around $100 a day depending on the season.

Courtesy of Vail Resorts

Squaw Valley Squaw Valley is also located in North Lake Tahoe and is geared more towards advanced skiers and snowboarders. Squaw Valley has over 170 trails and 16 bowls which are ungroomed terrain with no trees. The terrain is more favorable for advanced skiers. Squaw Valley hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics and has Olympic-level runs available throughout the ski season. Squaw Valley boasts one of the largest total snowfalls a year in the Lake Tahoe Area with 400 inches a year and can also make snow on 11 of its 29 lifts. Night skiing is offered every Saturday from Jan. to March. Squaw has floodlights on some major runs, and on Saturday nights you can ski down the slopes under the stars. Teen tickets are around $100 a day. Squaw offers snowshoeing, cross country skiing and snow tubing in addition to skiing. Squaw also has a village located next to the mountain with lodging and shopping.

Courtesy of Squaw Valley

Kirkwood Kirkwood is an hour south of Lake Tahoe and is the perfect resort for someone searching for a skiing experience that lake resorts cannot offer.

The distance from the rest of Lake Tahoe breeds a different skiing culture at Kirkwood. Because of its location, Kirkwood receives 600 inches of snow a year, almost double that of other resorts. With double the amount of snow, Kirkwood has lots of opportunities for what is known as powder skiing where the snow is not packed down. Kirkwood has the most advanced terrain of any mountain, even more than Squaw Valley. Almost 70 percent of its 87 trails are for advanced or expert skiers. Tickets for teens are around $70 a day. Although Kirkwood offers lodging, the options are not as extensive as the resorts near the lake. Kirkwood is ideal for expert skiers looking forward to a more challenging experience than the typical lake resort. It will be worth the extra miles traveled.

ACTIVITIES FOR NON-SKIERS

Courtesy of Vail Resorts

Snowmobiling: Travel over 100 miles of Lake Tahoe on snowmobiling tours through the National Forest. It offers the best views of Lake Tahoe from an elevation of 8,200 feet on the top of Mt. Watson. See views of the major Ski Resorts: Northstar, Squaw Valley and Alpine. A two hour tour is $150 for a single rider or $180 for a double rider.

Sleigh Rides: Try an old-fashioned sleigh ride in one of several antique sleighs at Borges Carriage Rides. Your adventure will take you over a meadow, through the woods to grandmother’s house, overlooking some of Lake Tahoe’s Kodak views. 30-minute group rides are $25 and 60-minute private rides are $50.

Ice Fishing: Caples Lake, which is located on Highway 88 on the south side of Tahoe, is the ideal spot for ice fishing. The lake has a resort open during the winter and will give you tips on the best bait and lures for the lake’s beautiful rainbow trout.

Dog Sledding: Explore the magnificent Sierra Nevada mountains as a team of huskies take you on a great adventure.

Wilderness Dog Adventures offers you an experience of excitement by touring some amazing views.

The weekday rate starts at $110 and the weekend rate starts at $125. Enjoy a day of dog sledding under the reins of an experienced musher.

—Compiled by Naina Murthy and Matthew Hamilton

Elizabeth Zu

Lifestyle

Friday, December 5, 2014

15

Affordable, local holiday outings perfect for winter

Courtesy of Noa Livneh

Dave Zhu

3.Fulton street

1.Netflix marathon A perfect rainy day activity is to have a movie marathon night with your friends. Pick a movie on Netflix and start cuddling on the couch.

Elizabeth Zu

2.The Nutcracker

Drive down Fulton street and enjoy the holiday decorations put up by locals. This street, known as Christman Tree Lane, is a major attraction in Palo Alto during the holiday season.

Go to see a play or a ballet. There are many seasonal performances such as The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol.

El i z

abet

h Zu

6.Ice Skating

Courtesy of Justin Wenig

4.JCC sauna

Dave Zhu

5.Baking cookies

The Jewish Community Center has a sauna and steam room that is perfect for relaxing. If you are a member visit with your friends. Non-members can pay a fee of ten dollars to use the gym’s amenities.

Bake cookies with your friends.

There is nothing better than a sweet snack while relaxing.

Winter holiday gift ideas: Gloves

Philz mug

Teddy bear

Portable speaker

Book of bad jokes

New holiday sweater

Camelbak water bottles

Humans of New York book

SpongeBob Squarepants jorts

The “Home Alone” movie series

Unique starter pack for the gift-getter

Big set of various colored fake mustaches

Little Trees scented car freshener in leather Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

—Compiled by Yuki Klotz-Burwell

Go skating with your friends and family.

The Palo Alto Winter Lodge is open for free skate for $10. There are also lessons for those who want learn how to skate.

—Compiled by Sam Acker Snowflakes by Dave Zhu

16

Backpage

FIND THE PERFECT COLORS FOR YOUR APPEARANCE

The Oracle staffers demonstrate which seasonal colors match their complexions

WINTER

clear, deep, cool Skin: Cool or olive undertones. Sharp contrast between hair, eye and skin color.

Hair: Brown to brown/black.

Eyes: Ashy, medium to dark brown. Cool undertones.

,

SPRING

clear, light, warm Skin: Clear and/or warm undertones. Naturally light skin and peachy color on cheeks when blushing.

Hair: Medium brown or blonde with golden reddish undertones.

Eyes: Clear blue, green or hazel.

SUMMER

soft, light, cool Skin: Cool undertones. Little difference between hair and skin color.

Hair: Blonde to light brown with ashy undertones.

Eyes: Blue or cool green.

AUTUMN

soft, deep, warm Skin: Warm and golden undertones. Little contrast between hair and skin color.

Hair: Dark brown, black and deep red.

Eyes: Hazel, medium to dark brown, olive/warm green.

Photos by Anthony Tran

Background Photos: http://pivotcon.com/winter-is-coming/, http://stylonica.com/spring-wallpapers/, http://nunyons-bibliotheca.wikia.com/wiki/File:Sunny-Summer-Day.jpg, http://www.bhmpics.com/view-beautiful_autumn_trees-wide.html