The Oracle (Dec. 2010)

[News] Out-of-district

[Sports] The Oracle

students bend rules by crossing districts pg. 5

[Features] Students

staff members fly high with Muggle Quidditch pg. 17

find convenient transportation with Vespas pg. 15

THEORACLE

[Centerfold] Reflecting on the decade at Gunn pg. 12

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

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Henry M. Gunn High School

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Monday, December 13, 2010 Volume 47, Issue 4

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Gunn student nominated for Peace Prize Nicola Park & Lydia Zhang Features Editors

She started an organization called “Spread the Words,” which helps others start libraries. She has collected thousands of books from the community and stands as a role model for a generation that aspires to be more literate and educated.

Sophomore Tatiana Grossman is the first adolescent from the United States to be named a finalist for the International Children’s Peace Prize.

The peace prize nominates four finalists each year and is, according to Grossman, like a version of the Nobel Peace Prize that specifically rewards young people for the charity that they do. Chris Bradshaw, the founder of African Library Project (AFP), nominated Grossman for the renowned prize. “When Tatiana did her book drive, she started more libraries than any other individual book drive organizers that we have ever had,” Bradshaw said. “This included adults, and she was only 12 at the time.

We thought that was pretty amazing.”

Her involvement started in middle school, when Grossman had begun to donate books as a part of her Bat Mitzvah. “I was really shy in seventh grade and I didn’t have many friends, so it was a big step out of my comfort zone to ask people for Melissa Sun

Courtesy of Audey Shen

Melissa Sun

Left: Students and staff are encouraged to bike to school and are rewarded by the Pedal for Prizes Program. Middle: New landscaping has added a variety of plant life to campus scenery. Right: Gunn promotes recycling and composting programs.

Gunn aims for zero waste Emily Zheng

News Editor

When it comes to going green in Bay Area schools, Gunn, with the rest of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), is stepping up and leading the way. If current environmental programs continue, the district will avoid more than $19,247 in monthly waste costs from now until Oct. 2011. Gunn on its own will avoid over $3,000 in monthly waste costs. “One of the many reasons why Palo Alto schools are so strong is because the district started its environmental programs fairly early,” Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) Green Schools Associate Paige Miller said. “Gunn was one of four pilot schools to first start a Green Team in Palo Alto, and it launched with a very enthusiastic team.”

SEI, the nonprofit organization hired by the City of Palo Alto to help facilitate the launching of city Green Teams, has been working with the district for three years.

When the City of Palo Alto first created the Green Team model, they created the Established Process, a series of five meetings that a team has to set goals, get organized and gather community support. Throughout the past two years and this year, SEI has attended and helped facilitate these meetings. “That’s when we saw that Gunn was unique,” Miller said. “The Green Team on campus has a lot of student involvement, and that is one of the reasons why Gunn has been so successful. It’s great that schools have the opportunity to implement programs that teach young people about environmental stewardship. It shows the youth that they can truly make a difference.”

Gunn’s Green Team has selected various projects to focus on, and by completing these projects every year, Student Executive Council (SEC) Environmental Commissioner senior Cynthia Hua hopes that Gunn will become a model green school.

Current projects include promoting outdoor recreation, negotiating greener lunches and encouraging more environmental service activities. A large emphasis this year is placed on the Zero Waste system, which promotes full use of composting and recycling on campus. “We set up the programs last year, and worked out all the logistics,” she said. “This year, the focus is on raising awareness and helping people distinguish between composting and recycling. If we do it right, almost nothing has to go into the trash.” To implement and promote the Zero GREEN GUNN— p.2

NOMINATION— p.9

UC tuition raise unfair to students Sarah-Jean Zubair University of California (UC) students have long protested any more tuition increases for an undergraduate education. But on Nov. 18, the UC Board of Regents voted 15-5 for the eight percent increase, which would be instated for the 2011-2012 school year.

According to the Los Angeles Times, that brings the tuition alone to approximately $12,150 per year, and with living and book expenses included, a

UC TUITION— p.8

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News

THEORACLE

SEC plans to host Winter Dance in January

For the first time at Gunn in five years, the Student Executive Council (SEC) is hosting a Winter Dance, which will take place on Jan. 7 in the gym.

“From what I understand, Gunn has always talked about getting a winter dance,” senior Dance Commissioner Patrick Kim said. “This year we are [going] to follow through on it.”

Senior Special Events Commissioner Matteo Lieb agreed. “[We] felt that students had the desire [to have a dance],” Lieb said. “So we proposed it to SEC and wrote a proposal to Ms. Villalobos, which was approved.”

The dance will be held in the gym on the first Friday after winter break because it is the first available time due to the break and athletic events. “The dance could act like a stress release, since finals will be coming up,” Kim said.

SEC has not confirmed the details of the dance and are still in the decision process. However, the dance will not require a formal dress code. “It will not be a [Winter] Formal,” Lieb said. “[That is] because it’s halfway between the Homecoming Dance and Sadie’s.”

For the dance, SEC is hiring DJ RQ, a local DJ who frequents Club Illusions and many East Bay clubs. Students may suggest songs for the DJ to play. To do this, Lieb asks that students contact him. “I will forward the selections to the DJ, and he can then approve the songs,” Lieb said.

“The only restriction for choosing songs is that there is no swearing.”

The winter dance will not allow guests, in order to allow more Gunn students to attend. Ticket prices have yet to be finalized.

Robotics team hosts political comedy group

NEWS BITES

The Gunn Robotics Team (GRT) held a fundraiser on Dec. 12 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Spangenberg Theater.

Tickets cost $20 and all the money was used to help GRT fund its program. At the fundraiser, a comedy group called The Capitol Steps came from Washington D.C. to perform two shows, each consisting of a musical number that makes fun of politicians and certain current events.

“Capitol Steps is essentially a group of politicians from D.C. who got really tired of working for the major politicians, so they decided to make fun of them instead,” junior Rachel Talis said. “It makes the performance hilarious.”

Because GRT does not receive funding from the school or the district, the Capitol Steps fundraiser is an important source of income for the team’s finances since it allows them to have enough money to operate its robotics program. According to GRT advisor Bill Dunbar, the fundraiser also provides a good amount of public exposure for GRT. “There are a lot of people who are attracted to the show for the comedy and when they get there, they find out about the Gunn Robotics Team, which is always nice,” he said.

In addition, junior Gregg Ratanaphanyarat feels that this fundraiser was an opportunity to have team bonding. “We all go out and pass out flyers to random people,” Ratanphanyarat said. “It’s fun talking to someone random and asking them to see the show, and it really brings the team together.”

—Compiled by Jennie Robinson and Divya Shiv

SEC SCOOP Here are some recent updates from SEC: Sixth Man shirts and rally rags are now available in the SAC Winter Candy grams are available for $1 Winter Break is from Dec. 20 to 31. Relax!

SEC will be providing donuts on Finals Week The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly will be held on Jan. 25 Spring Club Charters are due on Jan. 26 We would like to receive student input for discussion in focus groups. This is your chance to give input on topics such as alumni, stress levels, food quality, new lunch events, perception of SEC, Spring Fling, and local connections.

If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact us!

Email: sec.gunn@gmail.com Facebook: “Updates from Gunn SEC” Or ask us a question at www.formspring.me/GunnSEC

Photos by Melissa Sun

Courtesy of Zea Luce

Top: Gunn’s recycling program is part of Palo Alto’s commitment to become a Zero Waste community.

Bottom: The new compost program requires reminding students of what can and cannot be composted.

Green Team pushes for zero waste only one parent, teacher or student Waste system, Gunn and other leads the team currently but cannot schools partner with Palo Alto continue with the team next year, it Greenwaste, a privately owned is helpful to have multi-stakeholder company that provides services for support so someone else on the team Palo Alto. “By implementing the can take the lead. The greater the composting and recycling program, support, the stronger the team is.” we’ve been able to significantly re- Currently, several teams are strugduce the garbage costs per month for gling to achieve this level of supthe schools involved,” Greenwaste port. “It’s a huge challenge,” Miller Environmental Outreach Coordina- said. Schools also receive support tor Zea Luce said. “But it’s impor- from the Sustainable Schools Comtant to remember that composting mittee, a network of stakeholders and recycling don’t just happen by from the school community crethemselves, and ated to support it takes a lot of the different educating and Green Teams “This year, the focus is reminding for in Palo Alto. the program to In the past on raising awareness be successful.” th ree yea rs, and helping people Ac cord i ng SEI has helped to Luce, this established 19 distinguish between year’s goal is Green Teams. composting and recyto attain more As of now, five cling. If we do it right, administraschools are in t ive s up p o r t t he pro c ess almost nothing has to for the school of launchgo into the trash.“ programs. “We ing their want compost—Student Executive ow n G r e e n ing and recyCouncil Enviromental Teams. “The cling to become next step is to Commissioner senior part of the way help schools Cynthia Hua maintain and the schools run,” she said. strengthen “Though the schools certainly have what they’ve created,” SEI Probeen successful, there is a lot more gram Director Sandy Wallenstein that can be done.” said. “That means increasing multiAn important factor in the suc- stakeholder support and getting the cess of a Green Team is its multi- whole community involved in the stakeholder support, in which a green efforts on campus. Active Green Team has active involvement Green Teams are also working on from various members of the school creating a stronger communication community, such as students, teach- network between the school Green ers, parents, staff and the principal. Teams.”

“This level of support is important The new school recycling and for Green Teams so that they can composting program is part of be strong and continue into the fu- PAUSD’s larger sustainability efture,” Miller said. “For example, if forts. The new program correlates n GREEN from pg. 1

not only with the Palo Alto community’s goal to become a Zero Waste community by 2021, but also with its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When PAUSD first created the five pilot Green Teams in 2006 to 2007, Zero Waste Coordinator Wendy Hediger enthusiastically supported the idea. She further solidified the City’s support by hiring a contractor to facilitate additional school Green Teams when PAUSD did not have funding to continue the project. “Zero Waste is a community effort, and to reach our goal, we all need to play an active role,” she said. “Zero Waste changes how we as individuals, but also as a community, do things.

It’s a fundamental change in our production system from design of products, to their utilization and finally to end-of-life product management. We wanted to help foster the Green Teams to help build these community efforts.”

Greenwaste helps the district achieve this goal by working with schools, as well as restaurants, companies, fire stations and other organizations to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills by diverting recyclable and compostable materials. The Zero Waste Program also strives to educate producers and manufacturers to think about what happens at the end of a product’s life, and to design its products accordingly. “What we’re trying to do is shift people’s mindsets to think about things not as just garbage, but as resources that have value cycles,” Luce said. “What we’re doing is actually extending past just Palo Alto. The Bay Area is on the cutting edge of instituting these programs. We’re really leading the nation.”

News

Monday, December 13, 2010

3

Academic Center hires coordinators, reforms policy Hansen Sekona, Pam Steward selected as new Academic Center advisors, gaming restrictions enforced Tara Golshan Copy Editor

After a little less than two months from the resignation of the previous Academic Center (AC) coordinator, Hansen Sekona and Pam Steward were selected as Gunn’s new AC coordinators and are currently working on campus.

The search for a new AC advisor began with posts on the Palo Alto Unified School District’s Human Resources website as well as various other sites including Craigslist. Assistant Principal Kimberley Cowell believes that the interview process progressed quite well. “I think there were a lot of qualified people that were hard to narrow down,” Cowell said.

The position has been split into two shifts due to the long hours it requires.

Since former AC coordinator Alexander Lira’s resignation, the administration has sought to im-

prove upon the direction and vision of the center. According to Cowell, the AC is designed for students to work together, while having access to resources they need. Senior Willa Akey agrees. “[The AC] should be somewhere students can hang out and do work but still maintain a nice environment that they want to be in,” he said.

During the hiring process, the administration was looking for people with certain social, technological and business skills.

According to Cowell, specific personal traits are key to becoming a potential AC advisor. “The job requires two people that are organized and personable to interact with the business folk and test prep companies, have tech skills and can tolerate movement and noise,” she said. “[The advisors should also have] mental flexibility and most importantly, they should be able to understand and

relate well with the students while having realistic expectations.”

With these qualities in mind, Cowell hopes that certain aspects of the AC will be improved. The tutoring service, for example, is a program that Cowell would like to see revamped. “We want the tutoring service up and going to serve more students,” she said. In addition, Cowell wishes to encourage more communication between the AC advisor and the school’s departments. “[The AC advisors] should work closely with the librarian, Meg Omainsky, the tech department and the guidance counselors,” Cowell said. “That wasn’t happening before. If a guidance counselor recommends a student for tutoring, it should be set up and improved upon.” In addition, Cowell also hopes that teachers will be able to send their students back to the AC for test taking, a resource that was lost due to the high noise levels.

pervisor of Special Education Judy Buttrill said. According to Buttrill, IDEA focuses not only on providing disabled students with individualized resources, but also on incorporating students into the general education system. “Under the IDEA, parents have the right to be involved first-hand in the development of their child’s IEP, as well as ask for additional IEP meetings at any point through the year,” Buttrill said.

Special Education provides academic support for students who are in general education classes as well as specialized core academic instruction for students who may not be ready for general education classes.

Students in the Special Care Program (SCP) generally spend more of their day in Special Education classrooms learning core curriculum than do Resource Special Program (RSP) students.

“Students in the specialized core program need a little more help, maybe a different way of delivering instructions,” Villalobos said.

“The reason we call it core is because we teach part of the core curriculum for English, social studies and math classes. Students in general education class need additional help depending on their IEP and what specifically they need to fulfill curriculum requirements.”

Physically impaired students who are either multihandicapped, visually-impaired or hearing-impaired, can be either RSP or SCP students depending on their needs.

Students with learning disabilities or emotional or behavioral issues who require additional support services are often part of the RSP,

The Special Education program makes sure that students are constantly developing and improving in their classes. “Every year an IEP meeting is held,” said Buttrill.

“Everyone from teachers, administrators, parents and advocates for the student gets together and we talk about where the student is, what goals should be for the following year and their placement in classes.”

There are approximately 40 instructional aides who help the students. Student aides generally attend classes with the students. It depends upon the students’ needs as specified in the student’s IEP. Gunn is continuing to work with the District and the Physical Education (P.E.) Department on the best way to provide adaptive P.E. specifically designed for students with special needs. “We are trying to figure out how it is going to work considering staffing,” Villalobos said. “We want to make sure that we do it right and support the kids as best as we can.”

Gaming has also been an issue of discussion for the administration. Although Cowell does believe that gaming should be allowed during students’ free time, it is against the law for students to play certain M-rated games, such as Halo. According to Student Activites Director Lisa Hall, both she and Cowell would like to see gaming as a whole moved to the Student Activities Center (SAC). According to Steward, students won’t be kicked out of the AC for gaming until the administration makes computers available in the SAC. The administration believes that the AC is meant to be more of an academic environment whereas the SAC should be the recreational location on campus. Though she believes some crossover is inevitable, Cowell hopes to see a clear line between these two drawn. “It is the Academic Center after all,” Cowell said. “It should support the students’ academics.” Hall agreed

but also acknowledged that the AC should have a social aspect in terms of group projects and other situations alike.

In an effort to further differentiate the two centers, Cowell is working closely with Hall. Together, they hope to make the SAC a more welcoming place for students to socialize. The recent addition of the ping pong tables and hot beverages in the SAC were efforts to add to this leisurely atmosphere, and Cowell believes the response has been positive. As the year goes on, they hope to work with the technology department as well, in order to bring more computers to the SAC. “A lot of different groups have opinions on what the AC should be, and they don’t necessarily agree,” Hall said. However, the administration hopes that with the new visions for the AC and the newly hired coordinators, a happy medium will be reached.

With IDEA, Special Education program aids students Sam Hayward

Forum Editor

This year commemorates the 35th anniversary of the passage of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in Congress.

According to educators, this was a remarkable step forward for kids with disabilities seeking a quality education. “It used to be that kids with disabilities were banned from attending school mostly because of fear,” Principal Katya Villalobos said. “It was something so new. Now, we have a culture that has been developed and cultivated.” The Special Education program provides a range of services including evaluating students with disabilities, identifying students in need of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and supporting those students. “[Special Education] provides services that allow us to work the same academic rigor as the other students,” senior Max Bazan, who is in the deaf and hard-of-hearing program, said. “We tend to be at a disadvantage, and [Gunn] is quite a unique school with these different programs.”

Special and general education teachers have worked together for many years to ensure that all students can learn and progress.

Around 10 percent of Gunn students receive Special Education services, with the majority of those due to a learning disability.

Today nearly three million students nationwide receive Special Education services, according to the Learning Disabilities Association of America.

The law requires that students with an identified disability whose needs cannot be met through general education interventions have an IEP that includes services like a classroom aide. “There are a number of issues to look at when determining what that is for each student, such as social and emotional factors,” Instructional Su-

Photos by Alan Phan

Top: Special Education students work with their class aides.

Below: Senior Amber Levine-Mickel gestures in conversation.

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News

THEORACLE

THEORACLE

780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238 http://gunn3.pausd.org/oracle

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Linda Yu Managing Editors Annie Shuey Sarah-Jean Zubair News Ashley Ngu Divya Shiv Emily Zheng Forum Regina Ahn Eugenah Chou Sam Hayward Features Kevin Gao Nicola Park Lydia Zhang Centerfold Sophia Jiang Yilin Liang Entertainment Samantha Donat Tiffany Hu Hannah Plank-Schwartz Sports Krishan Allen Monica Cai Copy Editors Sweta Bhattacharya Tara Golshan Mia Howard Eden Lauffer Photo Victor Kwok Henry Liu Graphics/Web Kimberly Han Tech Colin Chen Webmaster Charles Chen

Staff Reporters Boot Bullwinkle, Colin Chen, Utkash Dubey, Josephine Jen, Jesse Klein, Elise Lee, Song Park, Jennie Robinson, Leon Sung, Felix Tran, Zoe Weisner, May Wu, Kevin Zhang Business/Circulation Managers Elaine Liu Annie Tran Photographers Alan Phan Wendy Qiu Melissa Sun Jonathan Yong Graphics Artists George Hwang Andrew Lee Lisa Wu

School Board approves rollover district calendar Utkash Dubey Reporter

On Dec. 7 the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) board voted on the calendar proposal. At the meeting, the board ratified a rollover calendar 5-0 unopposed. The approval of this proposal would mean that in 2011-2012, the district calendar will remain the same.

During the comment period, the majority of the parents present called for a later start date of late August or early September and also wanted finals to be a few weeks after they currently are, due to worries over the loss of family time and including stress-relieving break. Many of these people were parents of seniors attending Gunn and Palo Alto High School, whose main concern was the stress factor regarding college applications.

Parents were also concerned that students would have to study or work on projects over

winter break. Although the calendar committee addressed this issue by moving finals before winter break, many opposed to the change pointed out that finals after winter break would give students the time they require to rest up and prepare for getting back into an academic mindset for finals.

In response to the parents and other members of the community, three Gunn teachers—math teacher Diane Gleason and science teachers Charles Castleman and Laurie Pennington— gave public comments in favor of finals before winter break and an earlier start date, saying that the change would keep material fresh in students’ minds and would best suit a workfree break.

During the meeting, board president Barbara Klausner stated that she supports a calendar that places the finals before winter break and starts school a few weeks earlier in order to ensure the prevention of an uncomfortable semester

end date on Dec. 22. Board members Dana Tom, Melissa Caswell and Barb Mitchell, along with Superintendent Kevin Skelly, have also shown support toward similar calendars, but the lack of significant data about the impact on pre-break finals led the vote to be unanimous in rolling over the calendar. Board member Camille Townsend voiced her opinion in favor of the parents of stressed students.

According to Klausner, a common misconception is what the calendar’s purpose is.

Although the academic calendar will affect students, families and the community, the committee’s proposal is a negotiated item between district employees and the district. The calendar committee takes a variety of factors, including academic concerns, into consideration and proposes their best solution for a calendar.

The current calendar will be reused for the next year, and the start date and end dates will remain at their current status.

San Francisco considers entry and exit charges Annie Tran

Business/Circulation Manager

The San Francisco Transportation Authority (SFTA) is currently considering a proposal that will charge drivers $3 for entry into the city between 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and another $3 to leave the city between 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. The revenue from these tolls would be spent on the city’s infrastructure and daily maintenance.

If the proposal was approved by SFTA, the construction and actual implementation will start in 2015 and a virtual toll plaza would be placed on the border between San Mateo County and the city itself. In virtual tolls, the money is collected electronically through cameras that keep track of drivers and FasTrak, which is an electronic toll collection system that allows drivers to pay without stopping at toll booths.

This

use of technology would be the first “congestion pricing” system in the United States.

The system will most likely start out as a pilot program, which will only last up to 12 months.

After this time period, the toll may become permanent if it is successful. According to a statement given

by SFTA, the pilot program will take place either at the southern border or the northeast part of the city.

San Francisco will have to spend $60 million to $100 million to implement this system. This is because the city will have to adjust the transition system to make local transit improvements.

Some people expressed opposition to the toll proposal. “I don’t believe that the toll is the right way to create revenue for the city,” video production teacher Edward Corpuz said. “I’m sure there are other creative and more lucrative alternatives to this. Plus, if San Francisco can do this, it means that any other Bay Area city can do this, which would obviously not have a positive effect on our area.”

Corpuz also believes that the toll will ultimately backfire on the city because it will discourage tourists traveling to and from the Bay Area.

Junior Madison Sabbag, a former resident of San Francisco, holds a different view. “Of course there are always better alternatives but I think this is good for San Francisco right now,” Sabbag said. “Three dollars isn’t really that much to ask of people, especially since most of the Bay Area residents are pretty wealthy. And I’m sure that tourists aren’t going to be driven away because of a $3 toll, since there are other alternatives for getting in and out of the city, like the CalTrain.” However, Sabbag does believe that there should be an option for San Franciscans to opt out of paying the toll.

There would be some exceptions to this toll, such as taxis and emergency vehicles. Other exceptions, including low-income residents who will have trouble paying the toll and drivers who cross the toll bridge numerous times during the day, may be eligible for a small discount.

In addition, there are a few residential streets that cross the border, but the city does not plan to charge any tolls there. According to a statement released by a deputy director of SFTA Tilly Chang, the tolls will reduce traffic at the city’s southern border and decrease the amount of traffic by 20 percent during commute times. “That type of logic doesn’t make sense,” Corpuz said. “It won’t alleviate traffic at all and will probably just end

up clogging the local streets with people who are trying to avoid paying the toll.”

Not only will the proposal need to be decided by the authority’s board, the San Francisco supervisors will also need to endorse the finished plan. In addition, the state will also have to pass some sort of legislation on it, which means that the toll may become an issue for the voters later on.

According to English teacher Justin Brown, who is a San Francisco resident, a fair amount of voters will most likely think about how the toll affects themselves rather than how it would affect the city. “This is going to create hardships for people. It’s hard to recommend it enthusiastically when it will inconvenience so many, myself included,” he said.

“However if this issue is portrayed in a light where people can see the overall picture and if the proposal does actually generate jobs, then I think it would go over positively with citizens.”

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 students' rights. The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor. Please include your name, grade and contact information should you choose to write one. Letters may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Letters to the editor and ideas for coverage may be sent to gunnoracle@yahoo.com.

These letters and ideas need not be from current students. The Oracle publishes 9 issues annually. Subscriptions are $42/year.

Andrew Lee

News

Monday, December 13, 2010

5

Students cross PAUSD boundaries

Out-of-district students find ways to attend Palo Alto schools Tiffany Hu & Annie Shuey

Entertainment Editor & Managing Editor

Every morning, Joey Riggins leaves his house by 7 a.m. and commutes nearly an hour to arrive at school on time. Riggins, whose name has been changed to maintain anonymity, is one of the many students who attends a Palo Alto school despite living outside of the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) boundaries. This is Riggins’ daily routine, one that he has been following since he enrolled in kindergarten at a PAUSD elementary school.

According to Central Attendance Officer Margie Mitchell, the rules of PAUSD attendance eligibility are simple. The student must reside full-time within the PAUSD attendance boundaries. In the instances of divorced parents, the primary parent must reside within the boundaries and the student must live with the parent for a minimum of 90 school days. The exceptions are the students who are with the voluntary student district transfer program and the children

Consequences However, living far away from school has its drawbacks. Riggins’ commute to school every day is lengthy, and before he obtained his drivers’ license, his mother dropped him off at school and picked him up. “I have definitely lost some sleep,” he said. “I wake up earlier than most people everyday. Before I had my license, it was inconvenient for my parents.”

Socializing with friends was also an issue for Williams. “My mom would pick me up right away after school so we could skip rush

Procedure Most violations are discovered when school-to-home mail bounces back to the school, and when that happens Villalobos alerts the central attendance staff and residency officer, who then investigates.

This is when

ang Hw rge

“It has a good reputation. My parents just wanted me to have a better education.”

Williams agrees. “My dad was always hearing about Palo Alto schools and he wanted to give [my sibling and me] m o r e o p p o rtunities,” he said. “ T h e schools from my old neighborhood were not renowned and they did not have the same programs. I am thankful that the learning environment is better here.”

hour,” he said.

Senior Miles Sturken has friends who live outside the PAUSD district boundaries, including a senior who he has known since elementary school. “We hung out a lot, but it was always at my house,” he said. “Then one day in fifth grade or something I was like ‘Oh, let’s hang out at your house because I’ve never been there.’ He was like, ‘Okay, don’t tell anyone but I live outside the district.’ I’ve kept it a secret.”

Geo

of fullt i m e PAUSD employees who have an approved InterDistrict Transfer from the school district in which they reside.

PAUSD is funded almost entirely by property tax revenues rather than the number of students who attend class. “The money is all in one pot, [and] more students means the pot has to stretch,” Principal Katya Villalobos said.

According to Co-Chief Budget Officer Cathy Mak, it costs about $13,000 to educate each student in the district.

Riggins has relatives in Palo Alto and uses their address for PAUSD mailings and proof-ofresidency. His father pays for the relatives’ property taxes.

Another student, Byron Williams, whose name has also been changed, shared a property in Palo Alto with relatives. Both his and his aunt’s family had their names on the lease, but Williams lived in San Jose, while his aunt stayed in the house. “I don’t think it is wrong,” he said. “We were still paying property taxes, we just weren’t there physically. Williams’ family purchased a house in Palo Alto two years ago and he now attends Gunn legally.

According to Villalobos, parents pull a variety of tricks in order for their children to attend Palo Alto schools. Most commonly, a Palo Alto resident allows a family or student to use his or her

address, such as in Riggins’ case.

Villalobos has also seen students rent a room inside a house and use business addresses or private mailboxes. Mitchell added that the most extreme attempt she has seen was on Craigslist, where a person was willing to pay for the use of a Palo Alto address.

The district administration understands why parents undertake such efforts to send their children to PAUSD schools. “PAUSD is a highly desirable district that parents want their children to attend due to the quality of the education, test scores and a highly-desirable area to raise families, just to name a few,” Mitchell said.

Riggins’ parents decided to enroll him and an older sibling in PAUSD schools for these reasons.

“I think it’s worth it,” Riggins said.

He listed the competitive curriculum and highly effective teachers as PAUSD’s strengths compared to the school district in his hometown. “When colleges see Gunn on my [college applications], they’ll know I go to a good school,” he said.

the district discovers most out-of-district students.

“Once a residency violation has been investigated and verified, the parents receive notification of the investigation results and are informed of the student’s last day of enrollment,” Mitchell said. According to her, the residency officer receives, reviews, investigates and verifies residency violations and also does random on-site residency investigations.

Villalobos has had to inform out-of-district students that they are no longer enrolled in PAUSD. “I’ve had to do it a couple of times and it sucks,” she said. “Most of the time, children can’t control what their parents do. A kindergartner has zero control over their parents’ actions.”

At the same time, Villalobos supports district procedures.

“Families move into this community by buying property or renting.

We are entrusted by these people

that all of our students do the same,” she said.

While living outside district boundaries is illegal under California Education Code Section 48200, according to Mitchell, PAUSD has not sought legal action. “However, there are Civil, Family and Penal Codes that would allow the district to recover damages incurred as a result of the parent or guardian providing false residency information,” she said.

This year alone, PAUSD has evicted 30 students. “The 30 students are either attending private schools or attending schools in the district which they reside in,” Mitchell said. However, according to Mak, the students do take available resources away from students who live in Palo Alto. “To the extent that we can, we want to stop these students from enrolling in our

“But the thing was that not only did I have to deal with moving, but at the same time I also had to find a temporary living place in Palo Alto so I could remain in the school district. I was actually sent a notice saying that I would be removed from Gunn at the end of the semester on the Monday of finals,” she said. “I ended up making a split-second decision and moved the same night back to Palo Alto to a small extension of a house.”

Because she is now a senior and meets district requirements, including maintaining respectable grades and avoiding tardies, Taylor qualifies for Senior Privilege.

“Senior privilege is something you can request from the district,” Taylor said. “If they believe that you meet their conditions, they will permit you

schools,” she said.

Mitchell notes that potential residence violations can be reported anonymously by members of the public, parents and the district’s Residency Hotline. “I totally support these ongoing residency investigations,” Mitchell said, “Any students who do not reside in PAUSD attendance area means less funding for all those students who physically reside in PAUSD.”

to live o u t s i d e of the school district. Senior Privilege is ultimately a privilege and they can revoke it at any time.” Taylor believes that Senior Privilege is fair. “No one wants to have their last year of high school somewhere foreign,” she said.

“After spending three years here, you might as well finish it up.”

Taylor understands the district’s point of view. “Since we are living outside of the Palo Alto district, we aren’t paying taxes to Palo Alto and by going to Gunn, we’re kind of ‘robbing’ the school district,” she said.

Riggins agrees, but attending PAUSD schools is important to him. “You could say it’s morally wrong, but you gotta do what you gotta do,” he said. While he makes an effort to maintain a low profile, he is aware of the potential repercussions if the district w e r e to find o u t .

“They would probably force me out,” he said. “That’s why my parents want me to keep a low profile.

They’ve always been a little sensitive about it.”

While Riggins knows that the education he has received as a PAUSD student is superior to what he would have received in his hometown school district, he doesn’t see himself choosing the same path for his future children.

“When buying a house, I’d take factors such as good schools into account, rather than move to once place and have them go to school in another place,” he said.

Senior Privilege An exemption for out-of-district students is Senior Privilege. According to Mitchell, PAUSD Board Policy states that the District does not have to approve InterDistrict Transfer requests based upon Senior Privilege. According to Mitchell, the decision by administrations as to whether to approve the request depends on the case. In previous years, PAUSD has denied some Senior Privilege requests.”

Layla Taylor, whose name has also been changed, has Senior Privilege. During junior year, her parents bought a house outside Palo Alto. “At first I was like, ‘I can deal with this,’” she said.

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Forum

THEORACLE

EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The Oracle Student apathy toward CAHSEE and STAR tests needs reform

S

ome tests are difficult to take seriously despite the consequences. It is just a fact that to many the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Test will never amount to an Advanced Placement (AP) test. The California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) may never be more then a waste of a morning, especially when the first question is something akin to “What is the square root of 49?” Still, however trivial these tests may seem, the CAHSEE and STAR tests do serve an important purpose and students must understand their true value.

All of these spring-administered examinations go further than the individual.

Although the CAHSEE is required for all students to graduate high school, the scores are also factored into a national ranking for the school. The national high school rank, calculated by the US News and World Report, is a public ranking determined through a three-step process. The first step, which is based on these state high school exit exams, is a prerequisite for high schools to be considered for the national ranking system.

Math and reading scores are factored in with the percentages of economically disadvantaged students in order to find where the schools place within state expectations. The second step, also a qualifying requirement, focuses solely on minority students, namely African-American and Hispanic students, and compares their testing results across the state. The final step, the ranking itself, takes a look at college readiness through two categories known as the College Readi-

ness Index (CRI). It takes the number of AP tests taken by the senior class by the time of graduation and divides it by the class size. If scored above a CRI index of 20, the school is eligible for a gold standard, the highest level of ranking. However, if the first step, based on state tests including the CAHSEE, is neglected, schools can’t even qualify to be part of the ranking. Students who choose to take these tests nonchalantly or choose to put in the bare minimum affect Gunn’s chances of even participating in this public national ranking.

To uninformed eyes, poor national rankings mean major faults within aspects of the school, mainly students and faculty.

Although these reports may not indicate a high school’s capability and are calculated through an incomprehesive method, apathy towards a test like the CAHSEE can lead to a bad school reputation. It is not that the students are becoming stupider or that the teachers are getting worse at teaching, it is that fewer people are caring and that must be changed.

The same goes with the STAR test. The STAR test is not mandatory like the CAHSEE and by law students are not required to take it in order to graduate. In fact, the STAR test does not have any effect on the individual student. However, student results on the STAR test have a direct impact on the Academic Performance Index (API), which is a measurement of academic progress in California’s public schools.

A major problem in the Gunn community is STAR test participation, a problem

that proved to be a wakeup call last year. The lack of students partaking in the STAR test has put the school at risk for being labeled a Program Improvement (PI) institution. The state requires a 95 percent participation rate on the STAR test and with the numbers released last year, Gunn’s participation has become dangerously close to dropping under this percentage. In 2010, the junior class had a participation rate of under 94 percent, though this number was evened out by the other classes’ participation. Gunn students perform exceptionally well on the STAR examination, but the lack of importance the students placed on the test left the school at risk for a government intervention, which can only hinder Gunn’s progress as a top-ranked high school.

The STAR test does matter, maybe not to the individual student, but to the school itself and for these teachers who work at Gunn.

Gunn students have to start caring, not only for the AP tests that go on their college applications, but also for the tests that

Andrew Lee

make Gunn as amazing as it is. Skipping a test, not showing up or being apathetic to its content will only have negative effects on the school in the long run. It doesn’t take any extra studying, it just takes the effort to take these seemingly trivial examinations seriously, even if the first question asks for the square root of 49.

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff (assenting: 32; dissenting: 2)

TSA full-body scans reveal government irresponsibility Linda Yu With the holiday traveling season right around the corner, the airport security debate is flying high. Fueled by privacy concerns, full body scans and pat-downs have recently been in the limelight of the hype. However, greater attention needs to be drawn to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the governing agency behind these two controversial measures. Having exhibited numerous flaws in the methods it has implemented, the TSA must reform its approach to airport security.

The TSA’s decision to rollout full body scanners is irresponsible.

According to the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), the TSA has not conducted extensive testing to determine the efficacy of these scanners, and “it remains unclear whether the AIT [Advanced Imaging Technology] would have detected the weapon used in the December 25 attempted attack” by Umar Farouk Abdulmatallab, the “Underwear Bomber.”

Though the scanners are accurate in detecting high-density items such as metal knives and guns, there is no solid proof indicating the same results for low-density items like liquids and chemicals,

which includes the explosives Abdulmatallab had hidden. In fact, experiments conducted by scientists at the British Department for Transport and the Home Office showed that plastics, chemicals and liquids simply went undetected. Given this doubt regarding the machines’ capabilities, it is inconclusive as to whether the fullbody scanners surpass the usual metal detectors in efficiency. The TSA must conduct comprehensive testing of its security procedures before using them on a wide-scale basis.

From an econom ic st a ndpoint, the TSA is using billions of dollars on this inadequately tested technology. Each scanner costs approximately $170,000, which amounts to $300 million needed for 1,800 scanners to cover 60 percent of the security checkpoints in the U.S. With three people needed to run each scanner, the GAO estimates the TSA will be spending another $2.4 billion to staff the machines over the next eight years. Furthermore, the TSA has a history of unsuccessful security procedures, namely its

Explosive Trace Portals, machines that led to sky-high costs to maintain and were eventually given the boot. TSA’s repeated lack of sufficient testing is leading it down an illogical, unnecessary and costly trial-and-error path. The funds spent on repairs and recalls after the fact should instead be spent on a thorough cost-benefit analysis before implementation.

The TSA has also

Kimberly Han

presented inaccurate information to the American public in order to appease concerns and offer reassurance. When faced with concerns regarding the storage capabilities of the full body scanners, the TSA claimed that the machines “cannot store, print, transmit or save the image, and [that] the image is automatically deleted from the system after it is cleared.” However, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) found otherwise when it requested the relea se of TSA’s Procurement and Specifications Document, which states that the scanners do have the aforementioned abilities. This contradiction is an unsettling breach of public trust.

Until it comes forward and reveals the truth behind its methods, the TSA will suffer a strained relationship with the public. The American people have the right to be informed about the procedures exercised upon them and what these measures entail for their personal privacy.

Though most of the controversy concerning

the TSA’s security procedures has involved physical scans, there are other methods the TSA can look into. Israel’s Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport places a heavy emphasis on investigating passenger behavior, in which trained security personnel interact with passengers while observing for any suspicious answers or actions. While this technique has its limitations, the TSA can explore the possibility of incorporating a combination of physical and psychological security layers in airports. Additionally, it is important to remember that airport security is the last barrier facing terrorists’ intentions on taking action in airplanes. More money should be spent on investigation and intelligence forces to prevent terrorists from reaching airports in the first place.

The TSA has exhibited carelessness in its security procedures, but its mistakes are straightforward.

Conducting testing to demonstrate the efficacy of its measures, remaining honest with the public, and dedicating efforts to explore additional modes of security will help the government construct a security system that is both flexible and adaptable. Though a foolproof security system may be a difficult reality, a more realistic goal exists: building a system that would deter a potential terrorist by convincing him that the chances of getting through are just too slim to take.

—Yu, a senior, is Editor-inChief.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Marsh pest used in “guilt-free” fur Eugenah Chou At the beginning of this year a group of avant-garde designers gathered to present a fur fashion show in southern Louisiana. But instead of fighting off the usual group of paint-slinging animal lovers typically a s sociated with events like these, the organization Righteous Fur proposes the idea of fur as an eco-friendly art form.

The unexpected star of the evening was the nutria, a chubby, beaver-like rodent that’s gained notoriety everywhere East of the Mississippi as the wetland’s resident pest.

The fundamental argument is that because thousands of the animals are being killed off regardless, why not take advantage of an otherwise negative situation in this creative sense. These designers are not alone in their efforts to spread this unusual, and initially repulsing, concept of “guilt-free” fur. In fact, the event itself was sponsored by the Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program,

a nonprofit environmentalist group working to preserve the wetlands. Luxury designers like Michael Kors are also incorporating nutria furlining into their garments.

Designer Billy Reid even goes so far as to refers to nutria as “bad-ass fur”.

Before judging too harshly, one must consider the unique circumstances surrounding the animal. Indigenous to South America, the nutria was first shipped to American fur traders in the 1930s. Since then, the multiplying population has destroyed more than 100,000 acres of land in Louisiana a l o n e through rampant

consumption of native plant life. As distressing as it may be to regard the nutria’s life as valueless to the wetlands, it is vital that the invasive population is controlled. The state’s government responded a few years back by offering a bounty of $5 per nutria tail. Over 400,000 nutria were killed, and their bodies were burned and thrown away.

More than just a night of fashion, Nutria-palooza, as it was so-called, was a celebration of creativity and the value of individual inspirations.

The debut of Righteous Fur represents an unexpected art, one that grows from something as ugly as tragedy of an animal’s death.

Ultimately, the theory behind eco-friendly fur originates from the same driving force behind any artistic movement: imagination.

—Chou, a senior, is a Forum Editor.

George Hwang

Don’t be a Grinch this holiday season Sophia Jiang Let’s face it. We’re all guilty of this sinful action. Regifting. When Christmas rolls around and you discover that Uncle Joe has given you yet another pair of ugly brown stockings, you smile out of politeness, but inside, seeth at those 100 percent cotton artifacts. So, you do the next best thing and pass these unfortunate gifts to the next person for his birthday. The idea is, if someone’s in a rush and does not have enough time to buy a present, isn’t it better to give them some junk around the house rather than nothing at all? The answer, actually, is no.

The idea of giving a present is simple. It’s an act of thought, kindness and

appreciation. Now, not to be rude or insensitive towards those lovely mudcolored stockings, regifting Uncle Joe’s Christmas gift isn’t exactly an act of thoughtfulness. Instead, it’s a result of laziness. Plus, the recipient of those brown stockings will probably have the same reaction as any other person would have felt upon first sight. During times of giving, it is the opportunity to show just how much a person means. It can be as simple as a handmade card and other times as extravagant as a shiny new car.

All that is asked for is that the gift is thoughtful.

Imagine regifting some unwanted present and spotting glimpses of disappointment within the recipients’ eyes.

After seeing that, pangs of regret and guilt would undoubtedly seem to fill most of our minds. Those are some of the worst feelings a person can endure.

To see people you care deeply about disappointed because of personal laziness makes me stop and wonder: was it worth

it? Those who matter—friends, family, and loved ones—are and should be valued at more than some cheap unwanted present. The gift might as well be a gum wrapper; at least the gum wrapper would’ve been funny.

When it is someone’s special day, it is his day to celebrate and feel the appreciation from those around them. So, whether it be their birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah or Mothers’ Day, put thought into your gift and make it meaningful for your loved ones. The joy and satisfaction a person feels when seeing that smile on the recipient’s face when they open a present that was on top of their “most wanted” list is indescribable.

So, as the holiday season quickly approaches, think twice before giving your best friend that awful present from Uncle Joe. It’s worth it.

—Jiang, a senior, is a Centerfold Editor.

SF toll does more harm than good for the city

Zoe Weisner In an effort to reduce traffic and raise revenue, the San Mateo board has proposed adding congestion pricing, or a new toll for entry into San Francisco.

However, this toll will tax more than it will benefit, and should not be implemented.

Firstly, although tourism may not be affected drastically, this new toll is essentially an extra bill for the hefty amount of local residents who live and commute around the southern half of San Francisco. Since San Francisco has

the largest population of commuters within the Bay Area, many of these people who go in and out of the city daily will have to pay about a thousand dollars a year. In an online survey conducted by the San Jose Mercury News, 92 percent of the 745 users surveyed stated that this new toll would prevent them from entering the city. When London approved congestion pricing, it took an additional 30 million dollars to educate, or convince the public about the toll’s overall benefit. In this economy, people are already burdened with paying as many taxes and bills as they can afford.

One can avoid the toll by taking side roads or using public transportation, such as Caltrain. However with these alternatives, one will be faced with congesting residential roads or paying for public transportation, which is usually

more expensive anyway. It’s a lose-lose situation.

Another negative factor is the amount of money spent merely on the construction. San Francisco is planning to spend at least 60 million dollars to create the new toll, a cost the city doesn’t need to add onto its debt.

Furthermore, the revenue is slated to fund city maintenance and public transportation upgrades, which wouldn’t benefit San Francisco as much as minimizing the city’s budget deficit would.

If the city desires to decrease traffic and pay for city maintenance, perhaps it’s time for it to reflect on its top priorities and focus on rebuilding the economy.

—Weisner, a sophomore, is a reporter.

7

Gamer girl Ashley Ngu Google the phrase “fun games for girls” and you’ll find a multitude of pink-themed web sites including game titles such as “Smokey Eyes Makeover,” “Cute Baby Nursery” and “Breakfast Sandwich Shop.” I don’t know about you guys, but I have zero interest in brushing Fifi the purple pony’s coat or giving a virtual makeover to my own personalized Barbie doll. Instead, hand me a semiautomatic assault rifle with a scope and a couple of frag grenades and I will be one very happy camper.

Growing up with an older brother has had its perks. When he received the latest consoles or games, I was also there to share in the spoils.

I’ve tried pretty much every single genre on almost every platform out there: action, shooter, role-playing, adventure, simulation, strategy, you name it. Personally, I prefer time intensive first person shooters and role-playing games, such as “Fable,” “Dragon Age Origins,” “Mass Effect 2” and “Halo.” Given my history of video gaming, I find it incredibly frustrating whenever a guy claims that girls are incapable of playing video games and then gives me that disbelieving look when I say that I can and do play them.

We all know that the clichéd description of a video game enthusiast is that of a nerdy, skinny teenage boy or a middle-aged man with a large gut who still lives in his mother’s basement. I’m not denying that these types exist, but it should be acknowledged that gaming demographics have evolved from past decades to reflect a growing consumer niche of female gamers. In fact, according to the Entertainment Software Association, 40 percent of all gamers are women.

From the numerical standpoint, it is true that males outnumber females more in time intensive gaming. According to the Nielsen Company, women make up 37 percent of time intensive role-playing games and only 25 percent of time intensive shooter games. However, that is not to say that females are incapable of playing serious games or if they do play, are incapable of performing well. It’s sexist to write off women as having slow reflexes, impaired dexterity or a poor ability to strategize.

In fact, there are several female professional gamers who have had success in traditionally male-dominated tournaments. One such woman is 21-year-old Katherine Gunn, who is considered one of the top dozen players of “Halo” in the country and recently won World Cyber Game (WCG) Ultimate Gamer 2. WCG officials estimate that 20 percent of all professional gamers are women.

One of the reasons I believe women aren’t as enthusiastic about gaming is that the industry has been and still is dominated by men. The male majority of the market has few qualms about the lack of female main characters. Although “Fable” was an enjoyable game, it irritated me that there was no option for a female character. And even when that option is made available, the proportions often aren’t right and the outfits provided are often skimpy and sometimes downright illogical (four-inch heels and skin-tight “body armor” just don’t seem like they would be helpful in dangerous, shrapnel-filled situations).

Ultimately, the purpose of the video game industry is to allow people to instantly escape the mundane activities of daily life by assuming the virtual lives of separate characters. We’re all playing to have fun, so why should it matter if a girl can own a boy at “Call of Duty” or vice versa? Just like some people enjoy jogs in the park, others would rather enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and a book. And then there are those, boy or girl, who just happen to like sniping off the head of an enemy with an M-21 sniper rifle or running a werewolf through with a mythical and very shiny broadsword.

— Ngu, a junior, is a News Editor.

Forum

THEORACLE

Aim for constructive criticism

Mia Howard Self-esteem in school has been called to attention recently, especially with the release of the movie Waiting For Superman, a documentary that analyzes the failures of American public education. The documentary touches upon a study that involved students around the globe who took a test and were required to rate themselves on how well they think they did.

Surprisingly, the American students had rated themselves to be above their actual scores, overestimating their abilities as well as voting themselves to be the ones who would score highest. This one study out of many suggests that self-esteem is falsely inflated in classrooms. The best way to improve students’ self-esteem is to set high goals and then reach them with the help of their teachers. Schools should focus on raising academic standards to help children raise selfesteem by being good to others and doing good work.

Self-esteem building programs promote self-absorption which runs the risk of promoting narcissism.

Such programs depend on exercises that deluge empty praises on children. According to Bettie B. Youngs, a critically acclaimed author, empty praises have been part of the “feelgood” movement that was started in the 1980s as a means to combat teenage violence, delinquency and other teenage problems. The forerunner of the movement, Robert Reasoner, had the goal of keeping kids out of trouble such as unwanted pregnancies, dropping out and truancy. However, the “feel-good” movement caused artificial self-esteem to inflate actual self-esteem.

In 1989, a California group dedicated to improving self-esteem advocated what they considered a vaccine

to prevent academic failure and social ills. The program sought to positively reinforce students to make good choices rather than complimenting students. Although the data collected within the year did not reflect a correlation between raising self-esteem and academic success, it revealed an increase in the students’ willingness to undertake new tasks, share ideas and establish goals.

For decades, teachers have embraced promoting artificial self-esteem, a tactic that protects children’s feelings by minimizing individual effort. Instead of being praised for the reality of their “accomplishments,” students are rewarded solely on the basis of good effort. Self-esteem building programs have been implemented in public schools across the country and have been criticized as ineffective and harmful. Surprisingly, the “feel-good” movement has been extended to affect those as young as elementary school students.

As children, students coveted the stamps that graced papers that said “Awesome Job” or “Nice Work.” Now, for the papers that don’t deserve the “Awesome Job” stickers, there are “Creative Spelling” stamps.

By false praise, a student may get the message that the teacher doesn’t expect much from them. Rather than teaching intrinsic motivation, teachers will teach overconfidence, and students will not strive to use their fullest potential. Students will be tempted to take their schoolwork less seriously.

As a solution to this misplaced reality of self-esteem, students need to raise goals and have help to reach them. They need to feel accomplished about their achievements and realize that it was because of their hard work.

Teenagers need to maintain certain levels of self-esteem, but they need to be raised realistically. To achieve this, standards must be set for self-esteem by researching the benefits of high self-esteem further.

–Howard, a senior, is a Copy Editor.

‘Hipsters’ just gonna be ‘hipsters’ Sweta Bhattacharya The term “hipster” appears to be thrown around quite a bit nowadays, whether as a form of praise or as an insult. Simply put, a hipster is one who lives on the hip edge of life, defined by the music one listens to, the clothes one wears, the books one reads or even the films one watches. Just as with any sort of lifestyle, there are the hipster bashers and hipster epitomizers.

Still, part of what seems to be missing from all of this is that regardless of how different, cutting edge or obscure “hipsters” deem themselves to be, a lot of the lifestyle is like any other label.

The hipster is just another word to tag people with, and another mold that some people will and do try to fit into.

Probably the biggest irony with the stereotypical hipster is the extreme lack of originality.

For a stereotype that breeds on individualism and uniqueness, there is an overwhelming dearth of genuine difference between one hipster to the next. The last I checked, wearing the same American Apparel skinny slacks and the same Urban Outfitters silkscreen printed shirt that every other supposedly cultured and diverse hipster is wearing is not at all original in even the slightest sense.

However, the main problem is not with the actual clothing itself but with the pretentious and haughty attitude that many hipsters present themselves with. Honestly, wearing the same clothes that every other “special and unique” hipster is wearing does not make you different and it definitely does not make you better. There is nothing wrong with having a liking for a certain style of clothing. Yet, by almost ruthlessly asserting to yourself and those around you that you have an individualistic style that no one else has is illusory and flat-out obnoxious.

Another outstanding contradiction with the entire hipster culture, or should I say, rehashing and reemergence of, is that it is just a recalled movement of something that has already happened. The actual term of “hipster” originated in the 1940s in reference to a subculture of people who lived a generally relaxed, risqué and creative lifestyle. The 40s hipster movement bled into the Beat Generation, or beatnik

culture, of the 1950s and 60s that based itself off of nonconformity, liberality and artistry.

This current tag of hipster, although it attempts to revitalize the past meaning of the hipster lifestyle, simply commercializes the core values of the 40s hipster movement and the later Beat Generation. The 2000s hipster culture reaps the authenticity of the original seeds of where the word “hipster” actually came from and has molded itself into a commercialized model of conformity at its best. Unless these presentday hipsters have some sort of time traveling mechanism that can transport them from the 40s and 50s to the 21st century, they are just as unoriginal, uncreative and unimaginative as any other clichéd stereotype derived from a cultural movement.

It is almost comical in a way that these so-called “hipsters” deem themselves to be so different and so cultured than everyone else. They are, i n t he si mplest terms, just another conglomerate of people associating t hemselves wit h a label. They are just like the other subcultures that they sneer at—a product as the group that they link themselves to has churned out.

And once one attaches a label to themselves as “ b e i ng d i fferent,” they are no different from anyone else either under that label or anyone trying to follow the latest trend. How fittingly ironic it truly is.

Kimberly Han

8

—Bhattacharya, a senior, is a Copy Editor.

UC tuition hike deters potential students State’s continued increases in tuition limit student access to affordable higher education n UC TUITION from pg. 1

student’s university education is projected to cost about $16,000 per year. A fee hike like this in the current economic climate is the last thing that cash-strapped students and their families need. Rather than forcing a greater monetary burden on students, California’s government needs to take care of its obligation to students by allotting the public higher education system a greater amount of funding.

Public universities are just that—public. They are funded by state money and supposed to offer in-state students an affordable option for a higher education. But California is clearly not placing a high enough priority on its public education system, and current attempts to alter this state of affairs are not adequate. Just in October, $305 million of state funding cuts made in 2009 was restored to the UC’s yearly allotment of state funds. While this may seem like

a large quantity of state money, only $199 million of this amount actually came from California’s general fund, the rest coming from President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Additionally, the state is only giving back money that was taken away. With chronic problems like overcrowding and shrinking faculties, it is clear that a new approach needs to be taken in approach to keeping public higher education affordable.

In examining the ever-increasing tuition figures from various universities, it is easy to lose perspective of how much tuition actually is.

While the UC’s $12,150 might look small in comparison to the $38,700 price tag on a year at Stanford (not including room and board), it still is a large sum of money. Consider this year’s tuition at the University of Toronto, one of Canada’s best universities: $5,216 ($5,190 USD).

That is less than half the price of a UC education. Why such a dif-

ference? Canada’s provincial and federal governments allocate vast sums of tax dollars to its universities. For example, Ontario’s provincial government alone provides $93 million (approximately $92 million USD) for its 18 universities. This, coupled with the option of federal grants or loans, makes for a higher education system intended to give its citizens an affordable education rather than suck revenue from their struggling families. The Canadian government makes it possible for any student with the desire for an education to attend university.

In contrast, American society is plagued on all levels by a one-sided game of tug-of-war between the human interests of the people and the monetary interests of entities like waywardly spending state governments. In order to obtain a solution that will serve student interests, the former must take the forefront of the government’s priorities.

Education is the basis upon which societies are built. Therefore,

making it less accessible to more people makes it such that more are unable to make wise decisions for society in general. While the UC financial aid program has been expanded to make it such that some students from families of $80,000 yearly income or lower might qualify for a tuition-free education, many middle-class students still do not qualify due to their familial assets. Raising the yearly tuition only makes their schooling an encumbrance to their families.

This is unacceptable in any developed country let alone a state with a world-class intellectual haven like the Silicon Valley. Here more than many other places, people recognize the importance of a higher education. A survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 74 percent of Californians believed that the state was not allocating enough money for education.

According to the same survey, 51 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 are “very worried”

about how they will pay for college.

The government needs to take the priorities of the people into account and stop making cuts to programs as fundamental as education.

In any state or country, the people are the greatest resource.

If a government is going to invest in anything, its priority should be the people. Education is one such investment. Unlike natural resources and companies, it cannot be depleted or go bankrupt. Education is forever, and once a person has it, he is an immutable asset to his community, state and country.

From educated people come innovations and ideas to improve the world. California cannot excel unless its people are given ample opportunities to become educated individuals. In time of political and economic volatility, they’re one of the few assets worth devoting monetary resources to.

–Zubair, a senior, is a Managing Editor.

Features

Monday, December 13, 2010

9

Student nominated for peace award

Sophomore Tatiana Grossman becomes first U.S. teen to be considered for Children’s Peace Prize n NOMINATION from pg. 1

help,” Grossman said. Grossman, despite her shyness, set up a book stand for people to donate books, and then collected and shipped all of the books received. “Right now I go to the Friends of Palo Alto Library Book Sale,” Grossman said. “They have a lot of books for really cheap so I go and come out with bags of books.”

Since then, Grossman has collected books to make libraries in Africa, and has been inspiring others to do so as well. “For the past three years, her room has been full of books headed to Africa,” Bradshaw said.

She has been working with the AFP, which partners prospective organizers with specific libraries and deals with sending the books to the partners in other countries.

After contributing enough books to serve two libraries in Botswana and one in Lesotho, Grossman was welcomed by the children who visited the libraries often. “I went to Africa in eighth grade to go visit the libraries that I helped make, and they were both in schools, and they were really happy to see me and they were using their books every day and going to the library after school,” Grossman said. “I saw that in some of their classrooms they didn’t have any books except for the ones that I had shipped. I actually recognized some of the books that I have

shipped.” Grossman’s work inspired others, who created more libraries that are spread over different countries. “During the course of her book drive, she inspired a lot of others to start their own book drives,” Bradshaw said. “She got a lot of press.”

While in Africa, Grossman also spoke at the International Literacy Conference to emphasize the importance of literacy in a country’s growth and success. During her speech, she moved much of the audience.

“She almost brought them to tears,” Bradshaw said.

Her passion for collecting books sprouts from her own love of reading. Grossman believes that it changes countries for the better. “I know how important it is to everyone, but without literacy there is no education and there are no jobs,” Grossman said. “Because of my efforts, maybe some of the kids will be able to graduate and get good jobs, whereas they couldn’t have before.”

Grossman hopes to expand her efforts even further. “I can see myself continuing to collect books for libraries and maybe continue even more work in other

Q&A with

Artist of the Month: Audey Shen

TO: What made you choose to enter the Gunn Green Arts competition?

AS: I wanted to be a part of the Gunn community and see what Gunn has to offer to its students.

TO: What piece did you enter in the Gunn Green Arts competition?

AS: I entered a drawing, which I made with colored pencils and flowers and boxes thoughtfully placed throughout the page.

Courtesy of Audey Shen

The Oracle: How did you become interested in doing art?

Audey Shen: My parents noticed me drawing when I was little and I had a talent. They signed me up for an art class in sixth grade.

TO: Why do you think art is important?

AS: Art gives you many different ways of looking at things because there is not only one correct way.

TO: What are your favorite art mediums when doing art?

AS: My favorite tools are oil painting then color pencils.

TO: What inspires your art?

AS: Well, I go on the Internet all the time and I saw pictures that were created using programs like Photoshop. I thought it was really cool, so I decided that I wanted to try creating pictures, too.

TO: What do you think about the art program that Gunn provides for its students?

AV: Sometimes I go to art shows and museums on the weekends and I take notes on what I like. Other times, I have really crazy dreams and maybe a scene or two from the dream will spark an idea.

Photos Courtesy of the African Library Project

Top left: A group of children read stories in a school library. Top right: Tatiana Grossman smiles for the camera with an armful of books. Bottom: Students help carry boxes of books to a nearby high school. areas,” she said. “I’m not quite sure but I’m definitely going to have this as a part of my future.”

Grossman encourages others to create an impact on the world for the better, believing that even students can make a difference in their communities and elsewhere. “I encourage people to do whatever they can for the world,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be about literacy, just whatever you feel strongly about that affects the world in a good way.” Bradshaw agrees.

“Most kids

have no clue how powerful their voices are when they’re working on behalf on others,” she said. “But Tatiana’s work is tremendously touching.”

People that would like to help out can talk to Grossman or visit http:// spreadthewords. us/Home.html.

Choir makes winter holiday CD

eratore’s own arrangements, which is necessary to avoid paying royalties. “It was a Reporter lot of hard work,” Liberatore said. “But I’m For those who love Gunn’s choir con- very proud of it.”

To produce the CD, each recording incerts and musicals, it is now possible to volves multiple takes. According to Libbring some of the music home. The choir is eratore, even with the repetitive nature of making a holiday CD to fundraise for its trip producing a CD, the students have been to Italy this spring. The CD is called Carols: supportive of each other. When a soloist Old and New because of the variety of songs was forgetting her words and the students on the album. “We sing a lot of familiar carhad been standing for three hours straight, ols,” senior Mira Bertsch said. These inthey were still very encouraging. “It’s really clude “Good King Wenceslas,” “Masters in hard,” Liberatore said.

“It takes a lot of conthis Hall” and “The Holly and the Ivy.” The centration.”

CD will also feature songs written by Gunn Even though producing the CD is a lot students, alumni and teachers. “My favorite of hard work, the students are happy to do is one called ‘The Elf Next Door’ written it. “[It’s very difficult] but it will be worth

by Mr. Deggeller,” senior Matteo Lieb said. it because the product will be great,” Lieb Bertsch says that her favorite is one written said.

Liberatore hopes that the CD benefits

by Gunn alum, Noel Carey, called “Snow the students as well.

“I hope they got a lot Song.” “I think it’s gorgeous,” Bertsch said. out of learning the recording process as well The choir has done CDs in the past but as learning how to create their own arrangethis one includes new carols. “This is the ments,” Liberatore said.

Carols: Old and third one we have done,” choir teacher Bill New is currently being sold in the Students Liberatore said. “The last one in 2005 was Activity Center for $10. mostly gospel music.” All the songs are LibJesse Klein

TO: How do you see it playing into your future?

AS: I would like to become an architect one day so I will definitely use some of my art skills for that.

—Compiled by Elise Lee

Wendy Qiu

The choir records “Carols: Old And New” on the stage in the Spangenberg Theater.

Features 10 Student raises alpacas in her own backyard THEORACLE

Elise Lee Reporter

Instead of sticking with the conventional idea of a pet, senior Casey Farrand unexpectedly chose to raise alpacas.

Farrand first became interested in raising alpacas after watching an Animal Planet show called That’s My Baby, which follows pregnant animals in the days leading to the birth. The show intrigued Farrand and led her to research more about the animals. “They are unique animals in the sense that you can’t hug or pet them like dogs but they love to be around people and have an incredible maternal instinct,�

Farrand said.

Farrand raises four alpacas as pets, which are allowed to roam free in the backyard and indoors.

Farrand got her first two alpacas, Lulu and Chuckie, in sixth grade.

Her alpaca Lulu then had two babies, Lyra and Finny.

Each of the alpacas has a distinctive personality. Lulu is the mother who is very protective of her babies, and she dislikes strangers. Chuckie is the male alpaca who is very curious. Chuckie enjoys being hugged which is unusual for an alpaca.

Lyra, the baby, is very sweet and gentle.

Farrand found that raising alpacas could be an investment. “We had two acres of land and I presented the idea to my parents

and tried to make an investment,� she said. Farrand made a deal with her parents to pay back all of the money her parents would use to purchase these alpacas by breeding the animals.

An alpaca usually costs around $10,000. According to Farrand, owners complete extensive research to find a compatible match in order to have the desired genes in the offspring. “I researched the history of my alpacas and tried to learn about their genetics because I wanted to have a black colored alpaca offspring since they are rare,� Farrand said. Farrand did manage to breed a black alpaca and currently takes care of four in her backyard. “Alpacas are extremely easy animals

to take care of and they are easier to take care of than all of my other pets,� Farrand said. To take care of alpacas, the owner only needs high quality hay and water.

People often assume that alpacas are cuddly but spit a lot, but in reality they fall far from these stereotypes. Alpacas do not spit at all, although they do have wool coats. People also are inclined to mistake alpacas for llamas due to their similar appearance.

Their origins can be traced to the Incan times, when only royalty was allowed to keep alpacas while commoners used llamas as pack animals.

Alpacas have ancestry in different parts of the world but Farrand’s

alpacas originate from Peru. Since importing and exporting of alpacas has been illegal since the 1980s, Farrand bought her alpacas in the state. People can buy alpacas as pets inside the United States through alpaca farms.

Farrand’s alpacas participate in agility competitions and conformation classes. Conformation classes are events in which the alpacas are compared to standards to find the perfect alpacas. They look at the fiber (fur) and physical conformations including teeth, back and length of muzzle. Farrand’s alpacas have won championships in the 2008 Monterey Alpaca Pronk for agility and third place for conformation.

Victor Kwok

Left: Senior Casey Farrand embraces her alpaca in her yard. Middle: Finny, Lyra and Lulu feed next to the fence. Right: An alpaca eyes the camera while munching on its hay.

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Update: Siemens Competition

Senior Andrew Liu went to Washington, D.C., from Dec. 2 to 6 as a national finalist and came home with a $20,000 scholarship. He placed fifth out of six individuals.

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It was exciting and everyone was really into his or her project. The projects spanned a lot of fields—there was math, biochemistry, astrophysics— and everyone was really interested in everyone else’s projects. People would ask me questions about my project and I would ask them about theirs. There were some rea l ly good people, not just in terms of science.

Siemens treated us to a lot of events: we ate in the Capitol Building, met the director of the Environmental Protection Agency and also listened to a keynote speaker, who was the host of a Discovery Channel show.

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I proposed a disease model for transplant rejection, an explanation on how rejection happens on the molecular level, and that was all done through bioinformatics and analyzing data. I’m going to test this model

in vivo in mice soon. Bioinformatics is really useful because you can apply it to biology and medicine, and it’s helpful in research and human advancement.

What got you into Computer Science?: I’ve been into math for a very long time, and then my first venture into Compsci was a geography game called Geoquest, which taught students about United States Geography. Computers are really powerful; a typical PC can do 100 million operations per second. Even though humans are intellectually advanced, having a computer to do some of the operations and letting humans carry out the higherorder thinking makes computer science so powerful. —Compiled by Nicola Park Photo Illustration by Kimberly Han and Victor Kwok

11

Features

Monday, December 13, 2010

Alumni work together to pursue musical endeavors Two class of 2005 graduates stay connected in New York and collaborate on album projects

Courtesy of Matt Simons

Matt Simons Music goes a while back in alumna Matt Simons’s life. At around the age of three or four, he began singing in choirs and musicals. At the end of elementary school, he wrote his first song. “Ever since then, it has been a huge part of my life,” Simons said.

With the support of his parents and under the tutelage of his godmother, Karen Salveson, Simons’s musical career took off. “Many of his friends and family members are extremely supportive of Matt’s career,” friend and fellow singer Morgan Holland said. “People are always looking forward to the new things he is working on and putting out for the world to hear.”

Besides composing songs, Simons is also experienced in a variety of styles.

“On top of his self-produced, solo career, Matt plays saxophone in a bunch of New York bands, has been playing piano and organ in my band since January and also gets a lot of work as a studio musician,” musician and producer Chris Ayer said. “He kind of does it all.” His music has been influenced by personal experiences and he generally writes music consisting of piano-based pop and rock songs with a heavy undertone of jazz.

Simons released his second small album, or EP, Living Proof, which can be bought via iTunes or on a CD with his first EP, Fall in Line. Living Proof, which is named after one of his songs, proves to be the opposite of his first EP due to its somberness. “The song [Living Proof] is written specifically about tragedy and how it affects people,” Simons said.

“I made it the title track because I felt like even though it’s not a positive tone for the EP, it’s consistent with the other songs which are about hardship, anger and confusion. I had more fun, positive tunes on my last release Fall in Line.”

As of now, Simons thrives off his livelihood as a singer and has been seen through “starving artist” moments by Holland. “For now, comfortably supporting myself is a short-term goal,” he said. “Playing shows for 250 plus people consistently all around the world where everyone knows the words to my songs is a loftier goal.”

Courtesy of Morgan Holland

Morgan Holland Gunn alumna Morgan Holland recently released her first small album or EP, Old New. It reached the top 30 on iTunes’ chart for Singer/Songwriters completely through word-of-mouth publicity within a day of its release.

“She’s always been supremely talented,” collaborator, friend and fellow singer Matt Simons said. “It was huge for her to release an EP and begin promoting herself as someone who writes songs as more than a hobby. It’s tough for an artist to let something as personal as her original songs out into the world.”

Holland has only just begun to showcase her amazing talent with her new EP. “She’s gotten better at feeling comfortable sharing her music with other people,” musician and producer Chris Ayer said. “I’m not sure she really realized how good it was for a while, so I’m glad that she is sharing it with the world.”

It all began as just a minor hobby, something Holland did to entertain herself and spend time on. She began with small performances throughout high school and college but was exposed to the actual business during her time spent with Ayer. “It wasn’t until she began singing his backup vocals that she began to actually consider producing and promoting her own album,” friend Leah Reitz said.

After Holland decided to pursue her music, she realized that her music connected to others on a greater scale.

“Her music connects with a pretty wide variety of people,” Ayer said. “It really seems like all ages and backgrounds are responding to her songs.”

Currently, Holland has chosen to not to fully depend on singing to survive financially. “Being a musician, unfortunately isn’t always the easiest profession for making a living financially,” Holland said. “I also have another job right now, and whatever I end up doing for my profession, I will make sure music remains in my life.”

—Compiled by May Wu

Junior embraces her Indian roots through Odissi dance Elaine Liu

Business/Circulation Manager

As other students plan after school runs for food and weekend trips to watch movies, junior Amrita Moitra finds herself often having to tell her friends, “Sorry, I can’t. I have dance.”

Moitra participates in Odissi, one of eight classical forms of Indian dancing that dates back to second century B.C. Moitra started dance at the age of eight. “I had a friend who performed Odissi and when I saw one of her performances, I asked to try it out,” she said.

Since then, Moitra has practiced Odissi with her Guru (the respectful Hindi term for a teacher), Sima Chakraborty, at the Nataraj School of Dance.

The teaching style of the dance school is casual and students are offered a large range of learning that encompasses basic theory or more intricate and complicated dances. In the mornings, classes are held for younger students, and as the day progresses, older women and high school students come out to practice. “The class atmosphere is always really fun and helpful,” Moitra said. “I’ve taught a woman who was a few years younger than my mother, while a girl two years younger than me has helped me out. We all look out for one another.”

Dancing has given Moitra a way of expressing herself. Odissi dance, originally designed to

pay homage to the spiritual stories of the gods and characterized by its beautiful storytelling, requires a student to master the ability to convey emotions through the eyes. “The ability to unite the dancer with the audience members, no matter the different backgrounds they come from, is what I like the most,” Moitra said. “It is one of the few performing arts where you can become in sync with the viewers.” Through her years of dance practices and both individual and group performances, Odissi has also taught her skills to use in life. “Through dance, I’ve been able to get out of my comfort zone and do silly things, and as much as dance is a solo thing, in my eight years of dancing, I have found that dancing with a group and achieving the perfection and coordination is so much more rewarding than doing so on your own,” she said.

However, she admits that juggling her love of dance with school has proven challenging.

During seasons when dance shows and religious festivals increase (October through November, February through April, and June through July), Moitra has found herself struggling to do both. “At those times, it is really hard to balance homework and other activities,” Moitra said. “I have to really straighten out my priorities and sometimes I don’t have any contact with the world outside dance and school.”

In preparation for her Ranga-

Courtesy of Amrita Moitra

Left: Junior Amrita Moitra performs Pavari, a dance which uses fast movements. Right: On the far left, Moitra performs a fusion dance to the Bollywood song “Mere Dholna” at a cultural Bay Area show. pravesh, a graduation for dancers in a solo debut, she drove down to Union City for four hours of practice every night.

Lasting for two hours and including up to eight dances, Moitra celebrated her Rangapravesh last Thanksgiving at the Cubberley Center and says that it was the most pivotal performance of her dance career. “It is when the Guru presents her pupil’s mastering of Odissi to the world,” she said.

Ever since starting, dance has continued to play a large role in Moitra’s life. “Dance has connected me to so many people and given me lifelong friends,” she said. Culturally, it has also opened a door for her to India. As a first generation Indian-American, Moitra be-

lieves dance helps her increase her involvement with her heritage. “I think that since Odissi is circled around Hinduism and Indian culture, I’ve been able to connect with my roots on a more personal level,” Moitra said. She has performed in Bay Area Indian community events including a dance at the 2009 North American Bengali Conference with one of the most renowned Indian dancers, Tanusree Shankar, who is famous for merging contemporary Indian dance with traditional forms, in the opening ceremony. “Even now, my parents are shocked that I know the stories behind the Hindu gods,” Moitra jokes. “Actually, I think if someone asked me to tell the story of the god Shiv, I would probably choose

to tell it with choreography.”

Moitra plans to continue incorporating dance into her life through high school and past college. For now, she is working on developing choreography skills with her Guru and fellow dancers at the Nataraj School of Dance. In college, Moitra expects to branch out and focus on other styles including Bhangra, Bollywood and fusion, as well as placing a heavier emphasis on choreographing. “Hopefully I will keep dancing for my lifetime,” she said. “I think that teaching dance is definitely an option in the future because there are kids like me, who know very little about their culture, and dance is the easiest way to open that door. I would love to be the person who can give that.”

12

Cente

THEORACLE

back

g n i k o o L

c a t n e d u St y r l a v i r y l a P n n Gu

F

the number of students w of alcohol, which has been a positiv the changes that affect dance attendees mos stern rules regarding freaking. The school TBN and at the entrances of dances to inf inappropriate dancing. In addition to thes to separate a dancing couple deemed too second warning they are removed from th student body…about what is considered app down the more outrageous types of freak who may have otherwise opted out of going about attending,” Hall said.

Though for many students these new me they have not curbed the number of studen has been a steady increase in attendees and out for the last three years. “My observatio continue to be about dancing and socializin Students this year will also witness anothe Dance, which had been scheduled in the p cancelled because of the low attendance due Class President] Ori and I have made the b the Winter Dance back on the schedule thi

o r the most part, student activities at Gunn, especially dances, have been met with relatively few changes over the last decade, according to Student Activities Director Lisa Hall. “Honestly, the dances were not very different six years ago compared to now,” Hall said. Senior Student Events Commissioner Matteo Lieb agrees. “Each year things are only slightly different due to the different people in SEC,” he said.

Some changes to dances have been necessary. “General student behavior at dances has always been good overall,” Hall said, however, “continued concern for student safety on the part of the administration, staff and the parent community relating to under aged drinking and an increase in freak dancing,” prompted the enforcement of new rules and res.trictions.

Breathalyzers were introduced to dance admissions three years ago, followed by the required student ID at the door one year later.

“I would say breathalyzers h e have caused a derivalry becrease in tween Gunn and Palo Alto High School (Paly) is a thing of legends. The Paly basketball game always sells out and the football game packs the stands, but the rivalry is part of all aspects of Gunn life.

Over the past 10 years the rivalry has mellowed out. “In the early Zhang said.

90s there was a brawl [over a football game],” Assistant Principal of The rivalry has Facilities Tom Jacoubowsky said. “But we are lucky to not have had not been without its conseone since.” However, the rivalry is not always present. In 2008, Palo Alto quences. The worst case was during Online reported that the Gunn and Paly robotics teams teamed up in the the 2008 basketball season when the 6th Man 2008 non-profit robotics competition.

Club created P.U.C.K. F.A.L.Y. shirts in response to This mutual respect has intertwined itself into all the athletics. “There the Paly shirts the previous year, which featured a Paly student is a lot of camaraderie and respect among the aquatics, cross country and peeing on a Gunn student. “[The shirts] were just some students being track and field teams on both sides,” Jacoubowsky said. “The best part is creative, but we don’t condone it,” Jacoubowsky said. we get to bring people together.”

Even with this, Jacoubowsky still approves of the commitment the The rivalry is nowhere near dead. “One of my favorite memories was in schools have to the rivalry. “There has never been an ugly moment,” he said.

2006 during the Gunn-Paly basketball game,” Jacoubowsky said. In 2006, “It never stays with students for more than five minutes after the game.” the Paly team was lead by Jeremy Lin who eventually took the team to Jacoubowsky summed up the negative part of the rivalry by saying, “It is state and then went on to play at Harvard and is now on the Golden State a lot of verbal trash talking that never goes any further.”

Warriors. “The crowd was electric,” Jacoubowsky said. “We sold out [the A lot of this has to do with the administration keeping an eye on students gym] with pre-sale tickets.” who don’t toe the line. All the administration, from both schools, attend Players are affected by the rivalry as well as the fans. “The rivalry makes every Paly-Gunn football and basketball game and at least one or two will the sports seasons more intense and memorable,” senior Sports Commission- stop by the rival games in the other sports such as swimming, water polo, er Kevin Zhang said. According to Zhang, having an important game to win lacrosse and soccer. “We are proactive,” Jacoubowsky said. “At other creates a tangible goal that is important to all the teammates. “The rivalry is schools the administration turns a blind eye, but not here.” a huge motivational factor and it makes both [Paly and Gunn] teams better,” Usually, along with a rivalry comes practical jokes, but Gunn and Paly

T

have had ver y few over the years. “In 2006 some kids put a G on the Paly field,” Jacoubowsky said have been a lot worse.”

This rivalry is just ano tory and tradition. “Ther one between Gunn and P

erfold

Monday, December 13, 2010

13

k at the decade At the closing of 2010, The Oracle explores how Gunn has changed over the past ten years.

s e i t i v i t c

who show up under the influence ve change,” Hall said. However, st frequently are the increasingly l has been displaying videos on form students of appropriate and se measures, flashlights are used o unsuitable and often upon the he dance. “Actively informing the propriate dancing has helped tone dancing, and has helped students g to a dance feel more comfortable

asures may have been inconvenient, nts that attend dances. Rather, there d the largest dances have been selling on is that our dances have been and ng,” Hall said. er change with the return of the Winter past for December, but was eventually e to the holiday season. “I think [senior biggest impact this year with us putting is year,” Lieb said.

I

Personnel changes

n the past decade teachers like English teacher Jenny Munro retired after more than a decade of teaching at Gunn, while new staff members have come in to fill the gap. Munro, who taught Escape Literature and Intermediate Composition before her retirement, played a key role in Special Education during her career as well.

“It’s important to have the right teacher [in those classes],” English Instructional Supervisor Paul Dunlap said. “Her retirement was a real loss.”

There have been trends in staff numbers through the years. “More teachers had previously been hired because of the increasing student population,” Secretary Martha Elderon said. “But as of right now, that’s slowed down because of the hiring cap.” The hiring cap controls the staff hiring, meaning that usually the district will only replace those who have left, and will not hire new employees.

There have also been many retirements in the last couple of years, which, because of the decrease in hiring, has led to a plateau in the staff population. “The recession has affected Gunn because of education cutbacks,” Elderon said. “Some teachers retired before it became more problematic.”

Still, Elderon believes that Gunn has been relatively fortunate in the recent decade and that the teachers that do stay are truly grateful for the environment Gunn provides. “Everyone’s always friendly,” she said. Principal Katya Villalobos agrees. “We’re very

fortunate that we attract really great teachers,” she said. “It’s something we don’t take for granted.” Villalobos also says that with a new decade coming, she believes that new types of teachers will show up in the hiring pool. “A whole different generation is moving into the teaching field,” she said. “And of course, when you have new people coming in, you are creating a new culture as well.”

One of the biggest alterations at Gunn was the change in principal, when Principal Noreen Likins informed the school that she would be retiring after six years as principal, and Villalobos was chosen as the school’s next principal. “I’m very excited to start a new decade,” she said.

“I’m in between two! I’m looking forward to seeing the changes around Gunn.”

football d “But it could

other part of Gunn’s unique hisre is no rivalry in CCS as intense as the Paly,” Zhang said.

—Compiled by Josephine Jen, Jesse Klein and Lydia Zhang Photo by Henry Liu

14

Features

THEORACLE

Junior starts up homemade shea butter business Annie Tran

Business/circulation Editor

Time to lather up, boys and girls. A new student-made shea butter business has come to town.

Junior Monisha White has recently jump-started a company by taking over a portion of her mother’s company and creating her own product called Monisha™ shea butter. “My mom, Esther Gokhale, created the Gokhale method, and I have always looked up to her for having [her own] business,” White wrote in

an e-mail. “I enjoyed watching my mother prepare shea butter for her health center. She was busy with many other aspects of her company, and was not able to devote a significant amount of time on [shea butter]. Intrigued by the idea of starting my own company and by shea butter itself, I offered to adopt the operation.”

And thus, White’s company was born. She will be selling the Monisha™ shea butter for $22.95 at www.egwellness.com/shea-butter.

Each tin contains eight fluid ounces of shea butter.

White has used shea butter for many years and has experienced its healing attributes firsthand. “I have observed my mother preparing batches of shea butter,” White wrote. “So I knew the basics on how to prepare it myself and researched it myself as well.” Through her research, White learned that shea butter is made mainly in Africa through an arduous process that takes over 20 hours. According to White, the process starts out with women in Africa collecting nuts from a particular tree that exclusively grows in Africa called

the karite tree. They then have to extract the kernels and go through a difficult procedure involving cooking, drying, grinding and kneading them into a thick paste-like butter.

This viscous material is then melted down and left to solidify into shea butter. “Since most of this [process] happens in Africa and not carried out in the United States, I order shea butter in bulk and melt it down myself,” White wrote. “I have had to experiment with my process and perfect my method so that the butter solidifies evenly and is ready to be sold.”

Photos by Wendy Qiu

Left: Junior Monisha White shows off her container of shea butter.

Above: Each Monisha™ shea butter jar holds eight fluid ounces.

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There are many benefits to White’s product. “Shea butter has a lot of natural vitamins and healing aspects that are extremely beneficial to your skin,” she wrote. “It’s a great remedy for dry or irritated skin, chapped lips, scars, burns, etc. The shea butter I sell is all 100 percent natural and unrefined, so there are no chemicals and it’s rich in vitamins.” Many shea butter products in the U.S. are heavily processed and full of chemicals, which rids the butter of its innate vitamins and healing abilities that purely derived shea butter retains.

“It’s a really good moisturizer, much better than store brands,” junior Kieran Gallagher said.

White advertises her company through a PR firm and has had websites such as About.com and several other teen fashion websites contact her about her product. Responses to her product have been positive.

“My family is very supportive of my business, and my mom’s especially thrilled with my taking up this project,” White wrote. “Most of my friends are really excited and intrigued by the idea of it. Right now, I mostly sell my product to my friends and family who are interested. Eventually, I will try to sell it through local health food stores such as Trader Joe’s, Mollie Stone’s or even Whole Foods.”

Q&A with

Tech Guy Brett Demetris

Brett Demetris The Oracle: What do you do?

Brett Demetris: I support the campus with its technological needs, help out with the servers that host the fall storage and student accounts and I also have to make sure that all the computers on campus stay working for both students and teachers.

TO: What are you currently doing to improve the AC? BD: The new AC supervisors have wanted to provide a safer and cleaner environment for students. They have requested to tie down the dangling network cables and have a more efficient printing system. The new printing system will have a load balance system that would automatically decide which printer your computer would print from. This will prevent printer jams and make things more efficient. We are also trying to move gaming into the Student Activities Center to keep the Academic Center a more education-oriented place.

TO: If there were something you could tell students relating to the Gunn computers what would it be?

BD: They should respect the network use policy, or at least read that. Gaming is against the network policy but I am okay with it as long as it is not spilling stuff and breaking the computers.

TO: What is one thing you would do to improve Gunn’s technology?

BD: I would love to institute Cloud Computing, which would give each student his own virtual desktop that would sync with all of the systems we currently have in place for students such as InClass and Infinite Campus, and integrate them onto your desktop as “Apps” much like apps on, say, an iPhone but in a desktop environment. This virtual machine would follow students from as early as elementary school, all the way to their graduation of high school. I would suggest any student interested in the future of computing look into cloud computing.

TO: What kind of projects do you do?

BD: Usually the projects are teacher requests in a lab and I will usually help set it up. The last big one was when the district bought new HP printers and I had to set up the local network for the printers. I spent quite a lot of time to set up all the computers to be able to print. While the HP printing rollout was our biggest project, most of the credit for the actual setup goes to my coworker Maurad [Stewart] who is part of our district office support team.

TO: What is your favorite piece of technology on campus?

BD: The Apply X server which I helped set up for TBN allows the broadcast to be streamed live on the Gunn website. I mainly use the X-Serve to set up small teacher file shares and directories, mostly for our art program. Next semester I am actually working on moving our photo program to a more reliable method of file storage. I’m actually really excited to roll this out, and possibly set a new standard for lab management at Gunn. ­—Compiled by Colin Chen

15

Features

Monday, December 13, 2010

Student biker chooses Vespa as alternative form of transport Sweta Bhattacharya Copy Editor

Although they are not a new invention by any means, the increase of Vespa scooters sightings have increased not only at Gunn but also around Palo Alto. The Vespa, the Italian-originated vehicle, was initially meant to transport troops.

Now, having gained many fans internationally, the Vespa has become the first globally successful personal scooter and is a household name in the scooter business. One of those fans is senior Sam Rusoff, who has a Vespa of his very own that he uses on a daily basis.

Rusoff’s awareness of Vespas was first sparked by his father. According to Rusoff, his father, who had been riding motorcycles for 12 years, decided to buy a Vespa after taking a break from riding motorcycles. “It wasn’t until I rode ‘shotgun’ on [the Vespa] that I realized just how fun they are,” Rusoff said. Since obtaining his motorcycle permit in his junior year, he has been riding and using his Vespa since.

According to Rusoff, the best part about being a Vespa owner is simply the fun that one can have when riding his scooter. “It’s immensely enjoyable to ride,” he said. “There really is nothing like cruising the curvy roads in the hills around skyline and feeling the wind as you ride by sky-scraping redwoods only to emerge at a clearing to watch the golden sun set over Silicon Valley. It’s something that should be on everyone’s bucket list.” For Rusoff, a Vespa is a great way to easily get around Palo Alto without much effort or hassle. “It is very easy to find parking for a Vespa, it doesn’t guzzle gas, and since it doesn’t do particularly well on freeways or highways, it’s geared towards being great for zipping around locally,” he said.

Another plus to owning a Vespa is the gas mileage the scooter gets compared to the average car. “They get about 80 miles to the gallon so I rarely fill up the 1.6-gallon tank more than once a month, and when I do, it never costs more than four dollars,” Rusoff said. Additionally, according to Rusoff, the Vespa is much easier to maneuver around traffic jammed roads.

“Vespas also accelerate much faster than cars because of their small size, and that helps them be especially immune to traffic,” he said.

Sales manager Carolyn Krchmar at the Calmoto Vespa store in Mountain View agrees with Rusoff that the enjoyment one gets from riding a Vespa is the best part about the going to school on a scooter.

“Riding a scooter is first and foremost, the most fun way to get from point A to point B,” she said. “You will be grinning every time you go for a ride.” Krchmar also mirrors Rusoff’s enthusiasm regarding the high gas mileage of Vespas, noting the 75 miles per gallon rate as “fantastic!”

On a more technical standpoint, Krchmar also noted that the architectural integrity of the Vespa

makes it unique to other scooters or motorcycles. “The build quality of a Vespa is something you will notice if you look at other brands,” she said. “The motor is solid, the frame is sturdy; the lighting and controls are designed for visibility and your safety.” The Vespa also ranges in price, from the more basic models up to the higher end designs. “Vespas start at $4199 and go up to $6899,” Krchmar said.

“Considering the fact that 30 and 40-year-old Vespas are still being ridden, that’s quite reasonable.”

However, one of the downsides to a Vespa according to Rusoff is the dearth of storage. “The Vespa has room under the seat and a box that can be attached on the back, which allows for more storage than most people expect, but if you really need to bring a lot with you, a Vespa isn’t for you,” he said. Another con is the cap on the possible speed of the scooter. “Vespas are on the bottom of motorcycle enginesize spectrum (150cc or 250cc) which means that they max out at around 65 or 70 mph,” he said.

Rusoff also noted that he personally would rather have a motorcycle, as he has been using his Vespa for some time now and feels that

Photos by Henry Liu

Left: Senior Sam Rusoff cuts and winds through the street on his Vespa. Right: Rusoff can be seen riding to school every morning. he might be ready for an upgrade.

Still, he recommends a Vespa as a good starting scooter. “A motorcycle requires shifting like a stickshift car, and a Vespa is automatic so riding a Vespa first to get the gist of being on two wheels before committing to the coordination of a motorcycle isn’t a bad idea,” he said.

According to Krchmar, Vespas are a popular brand of scooters amongst teenagers. However, as to whether or not they are able to handle the responsibility of owning a Vespa is another question. For example, weekly maintenance, up-

keep and checkups are needed for a Vespa. “All new scooters should be serviced every 2,000 miles or so,” Krchmar said. “As a rider, you must also be in the habit of checking your oil, tire pressure, horn and functionality of headlight, brake and turn signals.” Additionally, a Vespa rider must be well versed in the rules of scooter and motorcycle automation before they can even consider getting behind the wheel of one of these popular vehicles.

“Every new rider should get proper safety training and put it into practice every time they turn the ignition key,” Krchmar said.

Students write 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo competition Annie Tran

Business/Circulation Manager

There are no bounds and there are no limits, one only knows the challenge: write 50,000 words in one month. A competition called the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) invited individuals around the world to write in complete literary abandon in the name of their love for creative writing during the month of November.

NaNoWriMo is by no means limited to any certain age group, nation, or language.

Several students have taken it upon themselves over the year to participate over the years, and many have even succeeded and fulfilled the requirements to “win,” or to finish.

“I’m always excited to write something,” senior Claire Mahany wrote in a e-mail. “I

was so into it that I sometimes forgot to breathe. I stayed up late often or forgot to even sleep. I couldn’t leave my computer to get food or eat dinner sometimes so I would get really hungry by the end of the night. But overall, I don’t regret it. It was a truly rewarding experience.” She spent over three hours a day writing her novel.

The challenge started on Nov. 1 and ended accordingly o n N o v. 3 0 .

Participants had to start their “novel” from scratch.

According to the rules posted on the Web site, the reasoning behind starting from scratch is simply because N a N o Wr i M o e n c o u r a g e s spontaneous fun writing with speed. Ordinarily, quality over quantity is preferable, but the point of NaNoWriMo is to challenge the participant, no matter what the Lisa Wu

skill level of the participant is.

Novels should have one sole author.

According to NaNoWriMo’s Web site, 99 percent of people, if left to our their own devices, would never make the time to write a novel simply because it’s outside of people’s normal lives that it slips down to the bottom of most people’s to-do lists. “I heard about this contest through a friend who saw it on a writing forum,” sophomore Christina Hu said. “I decided to participate as a test. I love writing, but I’m notoriously slow at it. It was kind of an exercise to keep a better balance of production and quality. I wanted to churn out decent writing, but I didn’t want to go on and on about it forever. Plus, I wanted to see if I could even do it.”

On Nov. 29, Mahany submitted her story “Butter than Brown” at 11:47 p.m. “It’s been awhile since I’ve won something, and now I feel accomplished,” she said. “I worked hard and improved my concentration and analysis skills. After writing so much in the past month, I don’t get stressed when someone asks me to write a 1000 word essay anymore. It’s

not actually that much when you think about it.” Participants who complete this process are given a winner’s certificate. They will also have their novel uploaded to a Word Count Validator to make the NaNoWriMo victory official.

This would then be posted on the NaNoWriMo winner list. According to NaNoWriMo, writing a novel in a month is both exhilarating and stupid, and we would all do well to invite a little more spontaneous stupidity into our lives.

16

Sports

THEORACLE

Winter season begins, Titans look to bring in wins 1

3

2

4

Photos by Henry Liu and Jonathan Yong

1. Freshman Sarah Robinson maneuvers past the other team en route to the goal. 2. Junior Cat Perez jumps to take a shot underneath the basket. 3. Senior Taylor Perricone jumps and prepares to shoot over a Menlo guard. 4. Senior Yotam Kasznik sprints ahead of an opposing defender with the ball.

Boys’ Soccer:

After losing 12 seniors from last year, the boys’ soccer team is expecting a season of growth and learning. Led by former junior varsity coach Dave Lovercheck, the team of mostly juniors and seniors is already stepping up to the challenge.

“We have a group of seniors this year that have impressed me a lot,” Lovercheck said. “I feel that our leadership is solid.”

With several returning players, the team has already managed to establish good team chemistry. “Most of us have played together on club teams on junior varsity or varsity,” senior defender Andrew Wohl said. “I think that’s a very big part of what our success can be, if we have good team chemistry and work together as a unit.”

A member of the more competitive Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) De Anza Division, the Titans face opponents including Mountain View High School and Palo Alto High School. “We will definitely contend with the best teams in our leagues, as long as our players stay healthy and play consistently,” Wohl said. Lovercheck was very clear about what the team plans to accomplish this season. “Our goal is to win league title and to make a Central Coast Section (CCS) playoff run,” Lovercheck said. The team currently has a record of 1-1-1.

Girls’ Basketball:

Under coach Sarah Stapp, the girls’ basketball team players point to experience gathered from past seasons as a reason why they can be successful this season. “I think that we’re much more confident this year,” sophomore guard Claire Klausner said. “Last year we were very young and we really didn’t have many players with varsity experience, which meant that at times we weren’t as sure of ourselves as we could’ve been.” Sophomore guard Karissa Ogawa also believes that this season will see a much improved squad. “Our team is improving by being smart out on the court, cleaning up the plays and giving it all we got with the passion we all have to play ball,” she said.

The team has also added energy in the form of younger players. “New players, such as [freshman] Zoe Zwerling and [sophomore] Emily Redfield and myself have our own set of skills, and a lot to offer,” Ogawa said.

The Titans feel they are ready to make a big run this season. “This year we know how good we can be and we know that we can compete with anyone, but we also know how much hard work we have to put in,” Klausner said.

Boys’ Basketball:

The boys’ basketball team is working hard in preparation for the upcoming season. The Titans are looking to improve off of last season’s CCS run and feel like they are ready to be competitive under coach Chris Redfield, who is returning to the head coach position after a year spent as assistant coach. Senior forward Cody Carefoot says the coaching swap will contribute to a change in the team’s style of play. “We plan to do a lot of running and shoot [fewer] three pointers than last year,” he said.

A big reason for the team’s confidence is the size advantage that they present. “As a team we are much bigger than last year,” senior forward Jack Hannan said. Junior guard Nick Kao agreed that their size will help them play better as a team, and will set their strategic approach to games. “This year we have a lot of height and we can get a lot of easy baskets inside due to that,” he said.

The team also stressed the importance of the physical condition they plan to maintain throughout the season. “We are doing a lot of conditioning and we’re getting in great shape,” Kao said. “The ability to push hard even late in games is a massive advantage that we will have over other teams.” Hannan sees even more benefits of a well-conditioned team. “We are continually getting in better shape and working to run our plays more smoothly and effectively,” he said. So far, the team is 2-1 and plans to build on its winning record.

Girls’ Soccer:

After battling last year’s challenges of a new division, new coach and multiple injuries, the Lady Titans are more than ready to compete this year. “Our team has a lot of depth,” coach Damien Cohen said. “We have a greater infusion of youth and greater senior leadership.” With numerous returning players and a loss of only two seniors, this year’s team clearly has the advantage on the field. “We are a strong defensive team and will be able to possess the ball through the midfield,” Cohen said.

“On the other hand, last year we had difficulty putting the ball into the back of the net. This year, people will need to step up.”

While skills are an essential part of the game, the mindsets of the players are equally as important, and the Titans believe they have the right mindsets. “One of our strengths is that we have good team chemistry,” junior co-captain Alyssa Perreault said. “Usually it doesn’t just appear, so we’re really lucky to have that.” According to Cohen, good team chemistry, among other things, is essential in a high school setting. “I think that the

players will need to learn how to win,” Cohen said. “Practicing five days a week, in our league, at the high school level where people are coming from all different experiences, is different.

One must learn how to win in this environment.” According to Cohen, the team is set on making CCS, something that has rarely been achieved by girls’ soccer in the De Anza League.

The team currently has a record of 3-1-0.

Wrestling:

Wrestling season has finally started and the Titans have been working hard toward a successful season. Pre-season began in October while the official season began in November. The team now finds itself in the El Camino Division after dropping down from the De Anza Division after last season. “Because we had so many seniors on last year’s team, even though we won the Junior Varsity De Anza Division, we were put down to the El Camino division of the SCVAL,” coach Chris Horpel said. The team had been in the De Anza Division for the past five years and never placed lower than third. The team is also working with an influx of younger players after a number of senior players graduated last year. “We are starting a little farther behind with a younger team, requiring us to cover lots of basic techniques, which is important also to sharpen our veterans,” senior captain Stefan Weidemann said.

Last year, the team was third in the league, 21st in CCS and qualified for the state championships for the sixth year in a row. “We have hovered in the top twenty of the CCS for the past six years and our highest place has been seventh during my previous six years coaching wrestling,” Horpel said. With these past stats the Gunn wrestling team hopes to improve and do well during their season.

The team is practicing for their first meet: the Quad meet against Watsonville, Serra and Homestead. “To prepare for the meets we are currently working on techniques during practice, conditioning and working out to fit in our weight class,” Weidemann said. The team’s goals for this season include winning league, placing in the top 20 in CCS, going to state and producing a state placer.

—Compiled by Krishan Allen, Monica Cai, Elise Lee and Song Park

17

Sports

Monday, December 13, 2010

On a chilly Wednesday afternoon, volunteers from The Oracle staff assembled to play Muggle Quidditch, an altered version of the game for those unable to fly, at Juana Briones Park. Two teams, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, were dressed in their respective colors of red and blue. On opposite ends of the field stood sets of three goals, constructed of hula hoops heavily taped to plastic pipes jammed into holes dug into the grass. Three Chasers on each team tried to score using a deflated volleyball, which represented the Quaffle, worth 10 points.

A Keeper defended these hoops while Beaters used dodgeballs, or Bludgers, to bludgeon the opposing team’s Chasers to force them to drop the Quaffle. Meanwhile, a Seeker from each team chased the Snitch, worth 100 points, which was a small ball in a sock attached to a swift runner. All players had their own brooms, which had to be positioned between the legs with one hand on the broom at all times.

Quidditch is essentially two games occurring simultaneously: as two Seekers purse the Snitch, the Chasers, Beater and Keepers score and block goals. However, as soon as the Snitch is captured, the game is over and the winning team is the one with the most points. The following members of the Gryffindor team share their experiences.

–Josephine Jen

Seeker:

In the Harry Potter series, the Seeker is described as the most important player on the team. All I cared about was catching the Snitch, senior Leon Sung, who was worth 100 points in our game. But as it turns out, chasing after a cross-country runner with a broomstick between your legs is one of the more difficult things in life. Every time I tried to extend my strides to catch up to Leon, the handle would bang against my thighs and the bristly sticks poked and scratched my skin. I found myself walking and just following Leon until he tired out, before sprinting and trying to catch him at his weak moments. At one point, Leon slipped and I dived down after him in a tackle, but only to have him roll and slip out from my grasp. Then, at the final moments of the game, the Ravenclaw Seeker snatched the Snitch right out from under my nose. As the blue and silver team roared at the victory, I sighed, knowing that somewhere Harry Potter was frowning with disapproval. Still, despite the disappointing end to the game, I had so much fun trying out the sport. Playing Quidditch made me feel like the game was real. For a while, I was just a Seeker chasing a Snitch. ­–Elaine Liu

Kimberly Han

Snitch:

I was the Snitch­­—the petite, walnut-shaped ball with fluttery wings. As the Snitch, nothing in the game mattered to me except evading the two broomstick-mounted Seekers. True to the Harry Potter novels, I was allowed to fly anywhere I wanted and show up on the field when I pleased. For this game, I felt like the “circling strategy” would be best, which involves running around the Seekers in circles. Occasionally, a Seeker would break and make a sprint for me. Since I possess a higher cardiovascular capacity than the two seekers, evading them was no problem. Eventually, they got so tired and frustrated that they ended up walking in the direction that I was circling until they had enough energy for another three-second sprint.

I could have dragged the game out for hours, maybe even days. In the end, I decided the game was dragging on for too long and made the decision to only run backwards. Sensing that their prey was weakened, the two Seekers immediately pounced, clawing and mauling at the prized tennis ball. Ravenclaw’s Seeker, having more feral ferocity, emerged as the victor in what ended up as a mad melee for the snitch. ­–Leon Sung

Photos by Alan Phan

Top left: Senior Kevin Zhang holds on to the Quaffle despite defenders’ attempts to take it.

Bottom left: Senior Leon Sung sprints away from Seekers senior Elaine Liu and junior Samantha Donat. Top right: Gryffindor and Ravenclaw team members scuffle for the Quaffle.

Chaser:

As a Chaser, my main objective was to shoot the Quaffle (a volleyball) into one of the three mounted hoops in order to gain 10 points for our team. With three Chasers on each side, we had to work around the added rule of making sure each of us caught the ball at least once before we could score. If the ball was dropped, we had to start the count over again. While this was difficult, this was not even the toughest aspect of the game. It proved incredibly difficult and extremely uncomfortable to keep one hand holding a broom in between my legs while running. Still, our team worked together and managed to build up a 40-0 lead against Ravenclaw.

Our efforts seemed pointless when we lost the match after Ravenclaw’s Seeker caught the Snitch which ended the game and gave them 100 points. However, I still looked forward to playing this magical game another time in the future. ­–Krishan Allen

Beater:

As one of two Beaters, defense was my responsibility. I had to hit the Chasers with rubber Bludgers in order to turn over the Quaffle, the ball used to score points in Quidditch while adapting to the game’s non-magical modifications. As much as I would have liked to push off into the air to chase after the dodgeball Bludgers, I had to rely instead on my own determination to retrieve the balls. Never before have I been so annoyed with gravity. However, despite the woes of being stuck on the ground, my fellow Beater and I did Gryffindor proud, even though the Ravenclaw’s Seeker’s catch of the Snitch ended the game in their favor.

All in all, it was a pretty amazing experience to have acted out this game as a staff. The beauty of the game is in the freedom it gives us Muggles to pretend. There’s a simple satisfaction in becoming part of the wizarding world in this way, even on a cold day with broomsticks, hula hoops and friends. ­–Eugenah Chou

Keeper:

For an hour and a half I was Oliver Wood: flying through the air, defending Gryffindor hoops from enemy Ravenclaw Chasers, the whole deal. Then I had a reality check. I was standing on a frosty field on a Wednesday afternoon, an old broom in between my legs and with three almost-broken hoops standing behind me.

In terms of my job, I was supposed to keep the deflated volleyball, the Quaffle, out my team’s hoops. In a way, I was a goalie but with more rights. I could wrestle the ball from opposing Chasers’ hands, and use my broom to deflect the incoming Quaffles, a trick I found too difficult to master.

As I left the game that chilly afternoon, I walked off the field with a smile and a couple of scrapes. Maybe one day Gunn will play against Paly, red versus green, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Perhaps by then, I’ll have perfected Wood’s wicked moves. ­ –Tara Golshan

18

Sports

THEORACLE

Henry Liu

Courtesy of Allison Frykman

Top left: Senior Nick Talbott trains on the rowing machine in the gym when it rains to gain strength and avoid injuries when on the water. Talbott hopes to continue crew in college at a Division I school. Top right : Frykman’s rowing team lifts their paddles in unison, a move that requires great teamwork from the rowers.

Crew offers demanding workout, camaraderie for Gunn students Samanatha Donat

Entertainment Editor

If you combine the endurance needed in cross country, the strength required for shotput and the technique necessary for wrestling, what do you get? You’ll find a classic sport that’s rapidly gaining interest among high school students: rowing.

Many students have the misconception that rowing (also known as crew) is a strenuous sport only for preparatory school students who are extremely fit. However, this

Courtesy of Allison Frykman

Physics teacher Allison Frykman’s team works together, striving to pass the opposing team to win a sprint race.

impression is only partially true. Although the sport is indeed one of the most demanding sports out there, almost anyone can begin rowing crew, no matter his experience with the sport or his physical build. Physics teacher Allison Frykman, a head coach at the Northern California (NorCal) Crew Club, has been rowing since she was in high school and coaching for many years as well. According to Frykman, anyone can be a rower and can start at any age.

“There’s really no experience necessary to row,” Frykman said. “You’re taught everything you’ll need to know. We just look for anyone who is willing to row and work hard.”

There are many different levels at which one can row as well. In Frykman’s club’s program (which is considered the “junior level” for high school students), there are novice and varsity levels for both men and women, and there can be anywhere from 12 to 100 rowers in a program. In the Peninsula, there are three different rowing programs open to teens of all ages.

According to Frykman, there are significantly fewer high school crew programs than there are at the college level, and rowing crew can expand a student’s opportunities in the future. Senior Nick Talbott picked up rowing seven months ago, and since then has spent at least five days a week working to improve his rowing abilities with the hope of getting recruited by colleges.

Rowing involves several different types of races and boats that teams compete with. For example, sculling can have one, two or four rowers per boat with each rower using two oars. On the other hand, sweep rowing, which has

each rower using only one oar each, can have two, four or eight rowers per boat. Rowing is a year-round sport with two main seasons in the spring and fall. Teams typically practice six days a week for a varsity level team and five days a week at the novice level. There are usually four to five regattas (large races) between different clubs per season. Head racing in the fall involves a three-mile course with twists and turns. In the spring, races are 1.25 miles long and completely straight.

As Talbott has discovered, rowing is an incredibly demanding sport. The mental and physical discipline needed in order to be a successful rower can be difficult to maintain. However, Talbott has found a connection between this acquired discipline and his schoolwork. “Crew really does transfer over to academics,” he said. “You may be a bit more tired coming into class, but the discipline you achieve with crew gives you the focus you need to get your work done.”

During practices, which tend to last around three hours, the teams do everything from rowing out on the water, and weight lifting, to rowing on machines indoors. According to junior Christina Gandolfo, a beginner rower, practices are difficult, but they push one’s body to new limits. “I have been sleeping a lot better since I started rowing because I am so exhausted after practices,” Gandolfo said.

Gandolfo, Frykman and Talbott all agree that rowing crew is a sport of complete amity. The value of teamwork that it instills is hard to ignore. “There’s a lot of camaraderie,” Frykman said. “It’s the ultimate team sport.”

Seniors put passion for basketball, other sports into web blogs Annie Tran

Business manager

There’s something about the nature of sports that evokes strong emotions in a person, and often these feelings are so intense that they must be expressed in one way or another. Seniors Yotam Kasznik and Mason Naar have found a way to express their enthusiastic love for sports through a blog they created together last May. “Initially it was just a fun thing to do with a bunch of friends,” Kasznik said. “But then we actually started getting quite a few views and got a lot of feedback, which encouraged us to write even more. We then got seniors Anish Johri and Micah Brown to write on the blog too for more different perspectives.”

Kasznik and Naar were inspired by professional sports blogs, such as the “TrueHoop” blog on ESPN. com and “Ball Don’t Lie,” which is hosted by Yahoo! Sports. “Updating the blog and just writing whatever comes to mind and knowing it gives people a little enjoyment is one of the best things about this blog,” Kasznik said. “We’ve received a lot of great support from

our friends and I’d like to think I put in a lot of clever witty quips in there every so often.”

Another student-made sports blog named “Smoke Rafer” is popular among many avid basketball fans on campus. Senior Jordan Leung created the site with his friend Brian Siu before he transferred to Gunn sophomore year. “I used to write about basketball in my personal blog,” Leung said. “But then I decided to make a separate blog for basketball, so starting the blog itself was more of a ‘all right, let’s do it’ thing with my best friend.” Leung and Siu try to update their blog at least once a week.

Both blogs mostly cover basketball and focus on the Golden State Warriors, a team that all of the writers root for. “We follow them because they’re a local team, but in reality they haven’t been doing so hot for the past few years,” Kasznik said. “In fact, we named our blog Golden State D-Leaguers for a reason. We all kind of poke a little fun at them and give our input on what they should do to be better.”

Students at Gunn have taken advantage of the plethora of sports blogs online. “I really like reading

them either before or after a game,” junior Erika Cagampan said. “Most of them are really funny and it’s good to see different views, most of which are pretty extreme.”

Earlier this year, Kasznik and Naar tried to cover all of the Bay Area sports to garner a larger audience, but later returned to their main passion because of the great variety of sports that is constantly going on in the Bay Area. “We kind of took a hiatus when basketball season ended, especially when it coincided with summer and all.”

Kasznik said.

To advertise their blogs, the writers have posted links on Facebook for anyone who is interested in looking. According to Kasznik, “Golden State D-Leaguers” once reached an all-time high of over 100 views a day. Leung also posts links to “Smoke Rafer” on Web sites such as ESPN.com and Yahoo!

Sports. “Sometimes I get lucky, and a major Web site like that will post a link of my blog on their own blog,” Leung said. “I also post links to my blog on basketball message boards all over the Internet for people who have strong interests in basketball.” Leung describes

his followers as people who pay too much attention to basketball. “I think that if you know who Adam Morrison and Brian Scalabrine are and you like both of these players, then you are my target audience,” he said. He also took advertising “Smoke Rafer” a step farther and made T-shirts sporting his Web site’s URL on it.

According to the bloggers, the response to their blogs has been mostly positive. “The goal of the blog isn’t just telling people our views on whatever new shifts are happening in the NBA,” Kasznik said. “We want to present it to our audience in a comedic way and mix it up with a little bit of humor. We’re not really looking for

fame or anything. Publicity would be cool, but really the blog is made to provide people with something fun to read.”

Kasznik and Naar’s blog, “Golden State D-Leagers,” can be found at http://goldenstatedleaguers.wordpress. com. Leung and Siu’s blog can be found at smokerafer. com.

George Hwang

Sports

19

Monday, December 13, 2010

Q&A with Amy Bokker

Womens’ Lacrosse Coach at Stanford

Amy Bokker The Oracle: What do you look for in recruits?

Amy Bokker: We really look for overall athleticism. In our sport, lacrosse, we don’t look for specific positions for the field players because the best athletes can play anywhere. After the athletes get here, we coach them in a new way from the way they were coached in high school. We do recruit goalkeepers specifically though.

TO: What is the process of picking recruits?

AB: All collegiate coaches are required to take a recruiting test that [will] allow us to recruit students. Students can then write to us. High school coaches can also contact us and let us know about students. After that, we spend a lot of time on the road to look at different students. We also look at students that come to our camps, which are open to anyone who is interested. If we feel that someone is talented, it’s helpful for us during the recruitment process.

sports?

AB: Yes, the process is different for different sports from a timing standpoint in which each sport has a different recruiting calendar. Different schools also have different criteria for student athletes, and quite frankly each coach has different standards as well. The Admissions Office also plays a big part in the recruitment process because we must look at the students’ transcript as well as their athletic performance. In the end, we pick students based on evaluations that we do in the summer and the fall.

TO: How can students find and talk to you?

AB: Students can contact specific coaches and call us as much as they want. They can then meet with us on campus which is considered an unofficial visit. However, we are bound by NCAA rules and are not allowed to write or communicate back to the students before Sept. 1 of their junior year.

TO: What advice would you give to students who are looking to be recruited?

AB: It’s important to make yourself available to schools. Contact coaches via email and put yourself in positions where coaches would be able to see you. It also doesn’t hurt to send them your high school schedule so that they can see when you have games.

TO: Is the process different for different

—Compiled by Divya Shiv

Girls’ Cross Country

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Erin Robinson (12) Most Improved Player (MIP): Sarah Robinson (9), Melia Dunbar (11)

Boys’ Cross Country

MVP: Andrew Prior (11) MIP: Michael Underwood (11), Ian Wilkes (11)

Girls’ Water Polo

Boys’ Water Polo Girls’ Volleyball

Football Girls’ Tennis

MVP: Elizabeth Anderson (11), Shelby Newman (12) CA: Emily Watkins (12)

MVP: Benjamin Hendricks (12) MIP: Adam Tong (12) CA: Kevin Zhang (12)

CA: Audrey Waschura (12), Alyn Shen (11), Allison Doerpinghaus (11)

MVP: Matt Mertz (12) MIP: Miles Sturken (11) CA: Keenan Venuti (11)

MVP: Allana Booth (12) MIP: Andrea Gonzales (10) CA: Peying Lee (12) —Compiled by Monica Cai

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improved,  she  is  kept  on  track  for  completing  all  assignments,  and  best  of  all,  came  home  with  her  best  report  card  ever! She  receives  clear  structure  and  goals  from  her  tutor.  We  are  both  truly  grateful  for  his  work.

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20

Sports

THEORACLE

Ping-pong craze takes over SAC Sarah-Jean Zubair Managing Editor

Students entering the Student Activities Center (SAC) can expect to be greeted by the hollow sound of pingpong balls bouncing off of paddles, tables and floors.

Student Activities Coordinator Lisa Hall explained that after finding a ping-pong table in storage, she and the Student Executive Council thought it would be a good idea to set it up for students to use. “It’s really popular with students now,” Hall said.

Hall says that part of ping-pong’s popularity stems from the fact that it is a social game. “It’s interactive as well as relaxing,” Hall said. “It’s not just sitting in front of a computer screen; people can talk to one another while playing. It’s something different for students to do.”

Senior John Kingsley agrees. “I play ping-pong because it is a fun and interesting sport,” he said. “It is also a perfect way to burn off all of the stress of college applications, which can be somewhat daunting right now.”

According to Hall, the ping-pong table has not been in use for several years because the last time it was set up, a single group of students monopolized it. “No one else was getting a chance to play,” she said. “We decided to put it away because of that.” But as of now, students have been inclusive in their ping-pong matches. “They’ve been good about sharing so far,” Hall said.

Kingsley and senior Edoardo de Armas agree that ping-pong has transformed the SAC. “My freshman year, the SAC was super lame and nobody wanted to go there,” de Armas wrote in an e-mail. “Now the SAC is super fun; it’s a social place where most seniors hang out. The

ping pong table has added that to the SAC. Although the ping-pong tables are most popular with seniors, anyone can feel free to use them. Throughout the school day, students can be seen engaged in matches with their peers. Some, including Kingsley and de Armas, have made it a part of their daily routines to take time to play in varying degrees of frequency. “I probably play ping-pong for around 30 minutes a day, every day,” Kingsley said.

De Armas also spends much of his time in the SAC. “I play pretty often during C and G prep and sometimes during brunch and lunch,” de Armas wrote.

Students who want to be more organized about pingpong matches can use the sign-up sheet available in the SAC. But according to Hall, the current system, which is not particularly formal, works well. “They [students] are very cooperative about trading in players,” she said.

Some students have put forward the idea of a pingpong tournament. The tournament is in early stages of planning and no details have been finalized. As of now, it is to take place during the second semester and is intended to be a senior class fundraiser.

For now, students are content to while away their free time with their peers in relaxing pick-up games.

“I think the ping-pong table is a great addition to the SAC,” Kingsley said. “It’s a good way for students to burn off stress and relax, and overall, I think students have been much happier since the table came to Gunn.

More people seem to come to the SAC now, either to watch or play, and I think it has created a much friendlier atmosphere in the SAC.”

Victor Kwok

Melissa Sun

Melissa Sun

Top right: Junior Brian Yu reaches out to return a volley from senior Miles Sturken (not pictured). Bottom right: An intense rally takes place between seniors Brandon Quismorio and Miles Sturken. Bottom left: Senior Jack Hannan works on his backhand.

Growing danger of concussions affects high school athletes Hannah Plank-Schwartz Entertainment Editor

Every 21 seconds someone in the United States suffers a serious brain injury. The vast majority of these injuries are concussions, and as numbers grow at an alarming rate, it is becoming a topic of great concern. Football players are the primary victims and high schools are finding the number of concussions in athletes to increasing precipitately.

Many people are misled in thinking that a concussion is caused by a hard hit which bruises the brain. According to the New York Times, physical swelling or bleeding is rarely seen on radiological exams. Concussions usually occur when the head stops suddenly after moving quickly or when it is spinning rapidly. The intense shaking depolarizes brain cells, causing them to fire all their neurotransmitters at once.

This firing of neurotransmitters results in a harmful surge of chemicals that floods the brain and deadens receptors associated with learning and memory. Symptoms include confusion, blurred vision, memory loss, nausea and, in some cases, loss of consciousness. “You can’t really remember the hit, but after a few minutes your head starts to throb, almost like a migraine,” senior Jim Hinton said, who suffered his first concussion at a basketball practice. “Your head stays pretty sensitive for a few days.”

Another consequence of concussions is the increased chance of more concussions. Neurologists say that once a person suffers a concussion, he is four times more likely to get a second one. To make things worse, it takes a less

powerful hit for a concussion to happen again and requires a longer period of recovery.

Although these short-term effects can be frightening, the long-term effects being discovered are even more disturbing.

A study in 2000 surveyed 1,090 former National Football League (NFL) players and found that more than 60 percent had suffered at least one concussion in their careers and 26 percent had three or more. The survey found that those who had concussions reported more problems with memory, concentration, speech impediments, headaches and other neurological problems. In Sept. 2009, a study commissioned by the NFL reported that Alzheimer’s disease or similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league’s former players at an astounding 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49. Gunn football players who have had concussions have already discovered some adverse effects. “One lasting effect I’ve noticed myself develop is sometimes it’s hard for me to say a sentence that I’ve already thought up in my head,” Hinton said. “If the contact to my head is consistent then it probably will affect me in the future but hopefully not too badly.”

After studies conducted by the NFL and health programs have produced conclusive evidence of risks, the NFL responded with stricter regulations. High schools have also followed suit. On March 4, 2010, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee changed the concussion rule. Effective this year, any player who shows signs, symptoms or behaviors associated with a concussion must be removed from the game.

When asked if the thrill of sport is worth facing its dangers, Hinton did not hesitate. “Every sport you can possibly play is worth the risk,” Hinton said. “Each sport greatly helps you develop your character and that I feel is a big enough reward.”

Kimberly Han

Entertainment Scarves

Striped Cardigans

Monday, December 13, 2010

21

Riding Boots

Winter Fashion: Teacher Edition Kathryn Settle Science Teacher

Mark Gleason Art Teacher

Silver Earrings Banana Republic

Black Velvet Blazer Target

Black Cardigan Plaid Shirt Ben Sherman

J. Crew Green Scarf GAP

“My style is kind of preppy, kind of punky, with touches of vintage and textures.”

Polka-dot Blouse J. Crew

“My style is classic to preppy, with a touch of trend.”

Cuffed Dark Wash Jeans J. Crew Dark Wash Jeans J. Crew Lace-up Combat Boots

Black Boots Target

All Saints Photos by Wendy Qiu and Melissa Sun

Beaded Necklaces

Statement Bracelets

Intricate EarrINGS

22

Entertainment

THEORACLE

The Oracle features three of Gunn’s rappers

Sean Lee

Courtesy of Sean Lee

“The Producer”

Courtesy of Keaton Smith

Keaton Smith “The Pro”

Courtesy of Calvin Membreno

Calvin Membreno “The Rising Star”

Another rap artist known around Gunn is sophomore Sean Lee. Lee, who is more focused on the producing side of music, is better known for his works in collaboration with other upcoming artists. “I’m not just focused on a music side, but a business side as well for Top Strike Records,” Lee said. Top Strike Records is the name for the recording label that Lee started, and he releases his music through that name. Lee also helps other friends who are looking to venture into the music business.

He has named five other students to his label.

Lee has also been critically acclaimed for the lyrics that he lays on top of his beats and tracks.

He was self-motivated when he first began to make music. “I kept on making music in my head, and one day I got bored so I did the research, and I started making it myself.”

The most experienced of the three rappers is senior Keaton Smith who has been rapping for close to three years.

Smith has produced collaborations with his brother Taylor Smith, who is now in college. Their productions include the Ron Burgundy Mixtape and When in P.A. The Smith brothers work together constantly in the studio, and have a strong relationship through the talent that they share.

Under the artist name “In Theory,” Smith has produced a new album called Crop Circles. “You can get [the album] online, or you can buy [the album] from me for $1,” Smith said.

Smith was inspired by multiple people. “[I was] inspired by Shawn Corey ‘Jay-Z’ Carter,” Smith said. Jay-Z is a veteran rapper from Brooklyn, NY who is famous for his chart-topping songs, including “Empire State of Mind ft. Alicia Keys.”

Besides celebrity influences, Smith was inspired by some of his close friends. “I first started rapping in my sophomore year when I was challenged by my

It has been close to a year since Lee started rapping and he has come quite far since then. He is in the process of creating his fi rst studio album The Drama Lives On and he has already released t wo si ngles ava i lable for purchase from the iTunes store.

The album is on track to be released by year’s end.

friend,” Smith said. He has been rapping ever since.

For Smith, rapping is a way to inspire others and an outlet for his opinions and emotions. “It is just a great way to express yourself,” he said.

Smith frequently displays his talent by performing songs to the public for free, and rapping often at local events. One of his most recent performances was at Gunn’s Open Mic Night in the Little Theatre, where he was greeted by an applauding crowd.

For novice rappers, Smith suggests taking chances. “Haters are always going to hate so don’t listen to them,” he said.

—Compiled by Boot Bullwinkle Courtesy of Keaton Smith

Relatively new to the world of rap is sophomore scene for his album Food & Liquor, and his most reCalvin Membreno. Membreno discovered an interest cent single, The Show Goes On. “His lyrics changed in rapping over the past summer and has released me,” Membreno said. “His story just makes me want some of his songs to the public on to keep putting my stuff YouTube as a mix tape under the out there knowing what name Killi Cal Livin Mixtape. “I he went through.” was just inspired one day, and I Membreno raps be“I was just inspired one decided that I need to get this to the cause his music is an outday and I decided that I public,” Membreno said. let for expression. “With After two months, one of Memmusic, I can express needed to get this out to breno’s more popular songs, Purple myself and just write it the public.“ N Paid, has received a significant out,” he said. number of views on YouTube. “The Membreno plans on —sophomore Calvin most challenging part is making continuing with his rapMembreno sure the material is good enough ping career, and gaining for people to like,” he said. “People more popularity as he are hard to impress.” keeps making more and more songs.

Membreno’s inspiration to rap did not come Membreno has some words of advice for other randomly. Membreno’s main source of inspiration beginning rappers. “Keep practicing,” he said. “Keep is rapper Lupe Fiasco, who broke out in the rapping it real with yourself and other people.”

What they’re listening to: 1. “Only God Can Judge Me”—2pac 2. “The Show Goes On”—Lupe Fiasco 3. “Mr. R.I.P.”—Fabolous 4. “Last Night”—Diddy 5. “Show Me What You Got”—Jay-Z

6. “Amazing”—T.I. (feat. Pharrel) 7. “Short But Funky”—Too $hort 8. “The World is Yours”—Nas 9. “Tragedy”—RZA 10. “Monster”—Kanye West

Entertainment

Monday, December 13, 2010

23

Spreading holiday cheer Bringing in the New Year

Local Events: Embarcadero Firework Show: Watch a dazzling 15-minute display of fireworks to herald in the New Year in San Francisco. The best viewing location is along Embarcadero, between Mission and Folsom Street.

San Francisco Vampire Tour’s New Year’s Eve Tour: You might love this odd combination of fantasy and fact: Take a historical tour about San F r a n c i s c o ’s affluent Nob Hill neighborhood led by guides decked out in vampire costumes.

Japanese New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony: Visitors can line up for tickets at the Asian Art Museum to ring a giant, bronze temple bell, following a ritual and chant by a Buddhist priest. According to legend and custom, it is believed that each toll eliminates poor luck, bad memories and mistakes.

New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball with San Francisco Symphony: Hosted

by San Francisco Symphony, this popular masquerade ball on Davies Symphony Hall’s stage is sure to be an exciting event. Tickets are pricey, ranging from $80 to $190, but the event is well worth it.

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Things You Can Do Anywhere: Reflect and make New Year ’s Resolutions: Create small, achievable goals to improve yourself or your community.

Feasting: Whether it’s the finest cuisine in town or a pigfest of junk food from Walgreens, you can always count on enjoying some edibles with friends and family.

Foods commonly eaten to bring in good luck for the new year include black-eyed peas, pastries, grapes, fish, pork and noodles.

Watch the New York Times Square ball drop: This American tradition of watching the shiny globe descend 77 feet for one minute can be viewed live on television n e w s channels or online on sites such as Hulu.com or EarthCam.com.

With technology these days, you know that millions of others will be counting down to the new year with you.

Read a book: Maybe you’ve never been one to celebrate New Year’s with anyone, and that’s okay. You can be cozy and comfortable; curl up at home with a good read and hot cocoa.

Spend time with family and friends: Because honestly, what is better than bringing in the new year with loved ones?

Lisa Wu

New Year’s Eve is a great time to celebrate with friends and family. But suppose you don’t want to bother with planning a get-together this year, or maybe the thought of going to one again feels “eh.” Not to fear; there is a whole plethora of alternative festivities that you can partake in.

Best gifts to give and receive

—Compiled by Regina Ahn

Courtesy of fredflare.com

1. Petit Four Lip Balm Set, $18 These cupcake lip balms are both useful and adorable.

8. Smiley Ping Pong Paddle, $4.99 The ping-pong obsessed will love this quirky paddle.

2. Star Wars Mimobot USB Flash Drive, $36 Hold all your important files in these awesome 2G flash drives.

9. Rain Parade Mini Umbrellas, $32 Rainy days are no longer a problem when you have these little umbrellas that look like dolls.

3. Mini Foosball Table, $30 This miniature version of the beloved game is only 20” by 4” by 4”.

10. Fisheye 2 Camera, $75 These popular fisheye cameras will let you capture the coolest pictures.

4. Ultimate Geek Pen, $14 It’s not just a pen. This gadget includes a UV light, laser pointer and flashlight.

11. Holiday Snifty Pen Set, $12 Spread holiday cheer with holiday inspired scented pens.

5. Mini Panda Skillet, $26 People who love to cook will adore this unique cookwear.

2. Texting Gloves, $22 These fingerless gloves will keep your hands warm while you text on a chilly day.

6. “How to Speak Zombie” Book, $15.95 This gift may seem kooky now, but it also may be useful one day.

These gifts and many more can be found at fredflare.com to suit all of your holiday needs.

7. Rock Star Spatula, $14 Chefs will love this guitar-shaped spatula.

—Compiled by Yilin Liang

New take on traditional dish adds to holiday spirit, cheer

Green Bean Casserole Ingredients: • • •

1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 cup of two percent milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce

• • •

Dash ground black pepper 4 cups cooked cut green beans 1 1/3 cups French’s® French Fried Onions

Every Christmas Eve, my extended family has a huge dinner. The Robinsons really go all out, and at our large table there is always a variety of yummy dishes.

There is, however, one dish that my Aunt Sue always brings to our house: green bean casserole. Erase the pictures of lumpy corn, bread and meat casseroles from your mind and imagine this instead: steaming hot green beans and golden fried onion rings mixed together with a creamy, salty mushroom sauce, baked and topped with more delicious golden crunchy onions.

I have been given permission to let you in on our family secret recipe. So use this carefully because you might just fall in love with it.

Procedure: 1. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

2. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture.

3. Bake for five minutes or until the onions are golden brown 4. Eat and enjoy!

Courtesy of Jennie Robinson

—Compiled by Jennie Robinson

24

Entertainment

THEORACLE

iHave a Dream App The Oracle staffers share their favorite ideas for a dream application

iWaitNoLonger

iHypnotize

AvoidMe

iComeback

Magic Heat

Magic Tracker

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t hate waiting in lines? They are such a waste of time and they foster stress and impatience.

You can try to go really early or late, pick the line furthest from the door or buy under 10 items at the grocery store, but the best solution is iWait No Longer. This app quickly tells you how long a place’s lines are and can locate the shortest line no matter where you are. Anywhere from Costco to the movie theater to the restrooms, iWait No Longer is at your service. Never again will you have to waste time in a long line twiddling your thumbs.

Suppose you are not the witty type who’s quick on your feet. In a verbal showdown you may have issues keeping up with your sharp opponent. With the iComeback you no longer have to possess the natural ability to quickly recall humorous comebacks. Simply just press the record button when your opponent is speaking and voila, the app will give you a clever response on the screen. If it does not catch your opponent’s remark then you can type it into the app. Then all you have to do is read off your comeback and watch your opponent scramble to think of something wittier than what this clever app provided you with. You will never be the loser in a verbal battle again.

Do you really hate certain parts of life? Do you sometimes need to escape the stress? With the new app iHypnotize, it is possible to hypnotize and meditate in peace. Just stare into your iPhone and it will ensure you peace for any amount of time. Meditation is not the only thing that this app can do. If you cannot fall asleep, this app will aid in forcing you to sleep. Unlike sleeping pills it has no side effects or expiration date.

A special feature even can aid you with slow mornings. iHypnotize is the app that grants the you control over the more subtle parts of life. Inner peace can be found and iHypnotize is there to aid the process.

The microwave is possibly the best invention of all time. After all, this magical box gave food enthusiasts quick access to hot entrees and beverages. So why not have one right in your pocket? The Microwave App may not work technologically speaking, but it would be a top selling app if it were ever a working invention. Just whip out your iPhone and place it on top of your cold burger. Within seconds, it will be fresh and steaming. One may argue the medical precautions associated with microwaves in the open air, but the ends outweigh the means: hot food anytime, anywhere.

Uh-oh...you’re about to walk by your eccentric 7th grade science teacher. And there’s your ex-girlfriend’s mom! There are just some run-ins with people that you wish wouldn’t happen. Avoid the awkward tension of whether or not to say hi with AvoidMe. This app tags users and their phones and keeps tabs on them when they are less than a mile from you. The app will beep whenever you are close to an uncomfortable encounter, so you can make a quick escape. Never again will you suffer through an awkward run-in.

Introducing the Magic Tracker: the iPhone application that uses cutting edge GPS and Satellite technology to track down the position of leprechauns and their prospective gold. You can also take pictures of people and see if they are actually leprechauns. In addition, this app will enable you to get a fifty cent discount for Lucky Charms at Safeway and also help you find vampire and wizards. You will soon be able to tell if interesting people on the sidewalk are actually people!

ChanceMe!

Before trying anything new, the question of whether or not it’s worth the risk runs through every person’s mind. The new App, ChanceMe! takes care of that for you! All you have to do is type in your situation, and it’ll calculate your chance of success. For example, suppose you’re stuck choosing between colleges and aren’t sure which one would be best. ChanceMe! will tell you the chances of your succeeding at the college, meeting someone special there, having fun and any other questions on your mind. Decisions never have to be made blindly ever again; it’s like looking into the future.

Commentator

With all the amazing moments in life that we remember forever, there are many little things that go unnoticed.

To make every moment in life spectacular, check out Commentator, an app that would make remarks and sound effects to enhance the everyday activities.

Trying to unlock your door, but your key just won’t work? Commentator will help up your confidence as it whispers “Alohamora.” Is waking up an improbable task? Commentator will give you that final push out of bed by making you “feel like P. Diddy.” You can have Harry Potter cast spells in your ear wherever you go, or have a cartoon themed sound compilation. People at all ages can enjoy this heart-warming application.

iWaitNoLonger

iHypnotize

AvoidMe

iComeback

Magic Heat

Magic Tracker

ChanceMe!

Commentator

NoTalk

NoTalk

At a time when it seems as if our cell phones can do just about anything, it would be nice if NoTalk existed. NoTalk will prevent you from saying things that sound incredibly dense. For example, if you are called on by a teacher to answer a question in class that you don’t know the answer to and you are about to say something illogical or stupid, the iPhone will start emitting a loud, annoying beeping noise. This will prevent you from finishing whatever it was you were going to say and make everyone in the classroom, including the teacher, forget what you were saying. And if the teacher is against cell phones, as most are, there will be a vibrate mode that allows you to realize when you are sounding stupid without the teacher getting mad. This app will act like a filter, stopping people everywhere from sounding foolish ever again.

Photo illustration by George Hwang, Henry Liu and Lisa Wu

—Compiled by Boot Bullwinkle, Monica Cai, Colin Chen, Kevin Gao, Jesse Klein, Eden Lauffer, Divya Shiv and Kevin Zhang Graphics by George Hwang and Lisa Wu