The Oracle- Early March 2017

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

Teachers share past athletic and sport experiences

NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. Postage

PA I D Permit #44 Palo Alto, Calif.

PG. 22 SPORTS

THEORACLE Henry M. Gunn High School

http://gunnoracle.com/

Friday, March 3, 2017 Volume 54, Issue 6

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

AB 165: STATE ASSEMBLY BILL PROPOSES WARRANTLESS SEARCHES OF STUDENTS Evalyn Li and Andrew Zhao Reporters Proposed by Assistant Majority Leader Jim Cooper of District 9, California State Assembly Bill 165 (AB 165) would exempt local educational agencies from the two-year-old California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (CalECPA).

CalECPA says government entities must have a search warrant to access information from electronic devices. AB 165 would allow school districts to access students’ electronics without search warrants; the school could tap into a student’s phone calls and web browsing without warning.

According to Palo Alto Unified School District’s (PAUSD) Communications and Community Engagement Officer Jorge Quintana, the school district adheres to state law and also protects the privacy of its students, parents and employees. “The school district would exercise the power under this law for the safety of its students,” Quintana wrote in an email. “PAUSD administrators can and will search an electronic device during an investigation when there is reasonable belief that a student is not safe in cases such as bullying, cyberbullying, inappropriate content, harassment, etc.”

Gunn’s School Resource Officer Brad Young believes that this legislation is meant to protect students from threats such as cyberbullying. “Admin search[es] students and their property to prevent incidents,” he said. Young also noted that without ability to intercept a student’s communications, perpetrators of these threats can slip away undetected. “If we can’t stop them now, there’s nothing that prevents them from starting all over again,” he said. To facilitate this change, Young suggests that people ask questions and have open discussion about these proposed rules.

Cooper’s legislative aide Tempestt Edward framed AB 165 as a return to the time before the CalECPA in which teachers and administers could more easily discipline students without involving law enforcement. “Before CalECPA, if there

was some issue going on at school, say, cyberbullying, if a teacher had reasonable suspicion, they were able to take the phone to see what was going on,” she said. “Since CalECPA was passed into law two years ago, it [became] unclear if schools are able to obtain a student’s phone for discipline purposes.”

Edward says teachers and administrators act in loco parentis, or in the place of the parent on school grounds. “Teachers can’t get search warrants so that’s why they’d have the reasonable suspicion standard in order to take the phone,” she said. “There are instances in which the crimes are not criminal, like school cheating.”

The bill was proposed in January, and its expected time in the legislative process, including going through the Committee of Privacy and Consumer Protection, will last until September 2017. “There’s still talks about amendments,” Edward said. “We haven’t decided anything yet, but that has been raised and we’ll definitely get into that to make it clear what school administrators can and can’t do.”

Assembly Member Marc Berman of District 24, which includes Palo Alto, says that due to over 1,000 bills having been introduced in the last three weeks, he has yet to carefully look into AB 165, but has read the fact sheet provided by Cooper’s office. “I don’t jump to conclusions quickly about a lot of these bills because a lot of the times there needs to be conversation, and the details are not necessarily all available up front about what is the

BILL—p.5

Graphics by Cheryl Kao and Elizabeth Zu

Santa Clara County sues federal government over funding Grace Ding and Jennifer Gao Sports Editor and Reporter

On Friday, Feb. 3, Santa Clara County filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration for his executive order that withholds funding from “sanctuary jurisdictions” that fail to comply with the deportation of immigrants. According to Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors member Joe Simitian, the county could lose anywhere from $300 million to $1.5 billion in federal funds, depending on how the order is implemented.

Executive Order 13768, “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior United States,” was released on Jan. 25 and requires states, cities, counties and local governments to cooperate with the administration, federal security agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials or

otherwise be stripped of all federal funds.

On Jan. 31, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to bring suit against the administration. The lawsuit is consequently being filed by the Office of the County Counsel with pro-bono help from the law firm Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP located in San Francisco.

According to County Counsel James Williams, one of the grounds of the challenge is an improper assertion of presidential power. “The issue which threatens to strip all federal funding from local governments is an improper attempt by the president to use Congress spending authority,” Williams said. “Under the U.S. Constitution, even Congress can’t withhold all federal funding to try and coerce local governments to sign up for certain federal programs.

Certainly the president, who doesn’t even have spending power, most definitely doesn’t have that authority.”

The county asserts that it is illegal for the federal government to withhold funds to which residents are entitled to. “The question is whether or not it’s appropriate for the Trump administration to withhold federal funds as a way to punish individual counties or cities for declining to cooperate with the administration on immigration matters,” Simitian wrote in an email. “Our position is that the withholding of federal funds, which are taxpayer dollars, in wholly unrelated areas, is not permitted by law.”

Another cause of action, according to Williams, relates to the vagueness of the order and the lack of clarity surrounding the definition of sanctuary jurisdictions; it is unclear how they would be recognized and how federal funds would be revoked. “The executive order doesn’t follow any of the normal protocols related to administrative FUNDING—p.2

2

News

CDC releases full Santa Clara County youth suicide report Shannon Yang

student surveys, including the California Healthy Kids Survey and Project Cornerstone, which showed that 15 to 19 percent The Center for Disease Control and Preof students reported suicidal ideation over vention (CDC) and Substance Abuse and the past 12 months. An analysis of the data Mental Health Services Administration revealed that there were noticeable protec(SAMHSA) have just released their Epi-Aid tive factors, including but not limited to Investigation report today at 8:30 a.m. The high self-esteem/perception of self, positive report, which focused on relationships with parents/family, 10-to 24-year-old residents positive relationships with school of Santa Clara County, is “I’m looking forward to the power of the data and reveal- and community, caring relationa product of two years of ing things to our school that we weren’t able to see because ship with teacher/adult in school, research and field work. high school connectedness and sometimes you’re just so close to it you don’t recognize it.”’ academic motivation. Conversely, The preliminary report came out in July. The new risk factors included drug, to— Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann bacco and alcohol use, being the report’s key findings will include statistics about victim or perpetrator of violence, deaths, emergency department visits, hosThe CDC report identified common fac- feeling sad or hopeless, having other mental pital discharges and student surveys, as well tors that youth who died by suicide within health problems, delinquent behaviors, bulas findings about media coverage. In addi- the scope of their study exhibited. Ninety- lying at school/community and self-identition, the report will set forth guidelines and two percent of them had some known cir- fying as lesbian, gay or bisexual. recommendations on how to prevent suicide. cumstances that led to the suicide, including These connections are highlighted in the Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann hopes to a recent crisis, current mental health prob- 2015-16 California Healthy Kids Survey, use the report to guide the school’s wellness lem, history of treatment for mental health in which 23 percent of Gunn freshmen initiatives moving forward. “I’m looking problems and history of suicidal thoughts and 28 percent of Gunn juniors reported forward to the power of the data and maybe or ideation. chronic sad or hopeless feelings in the past 12 revealing some things to me and to our The report also included data from months. Fourteen percent of freshmen and Oracle/SEC Liaison

school that we weren’t able to see because sometimes you’re just so close to it you don’t recognize it,” she said.

Suicide is a public health issue; according to the report, the City of Palo Alto had 14.1 per 100,000 suicides in 10- to 24-year-olds from 2003-2014—the highest suicide rate for this age group.

15 percent of juniors seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months.

Though Herrmann anticipates the CDC Epi-Aid Report to be in the statewide spotlight, she hopes to showcase the positive wellness efforts and investments. “I want to make sure that although we’ve had significant crisis, that people know that we’ve responded in really positive ways to that, and that we are going to continue to do great work here,” she said.

If a student, you or someone you know, is in need of immediate support at school, reach out to a trusted adult, visit the Counseling Office or Wellness Center. If you are in crisis outside of school, the Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Text "Connect" to 741741 to text with a trained Crisis Counselor.

Check out the rest of the story online at gunnoracle.com

Santa Clara issues lawsuit to block federal executive order FUNDING

procedures, and so it violates the process,” Williams said.

Although the Palo Alto City Council is not involved with the lawsuit, council member Cory Wolbach personally supports the county for challenging the Trump administration. “I think this new administration in Washington D.C. has demonstrated that there is no low they won’t stoop to impose a radical reactionary and anti-immigrant, racist and misogynistic agenda on America,” he said. “I think it’s important for us to use every tool at our disposal to fight that, because they are clearly not afraid to use every tool at their disposal, legal or illegal.”

According to Williams, the main objective of the lawsuit is to block the executive order. “It’s to ensure that the president doesn’t strip funding from cities like our county with whom he has a policy disagreement,” Williams said.

If the order were to be upheld, however, many services provided by the county would be heavily impacted, including medical services, food and nutrition needs, foster care, highway planning and construction and public security. “In absence of other funding, those are services that will simply be lost to county residents, including healthcare and welfare services that are particularly important to people of modest means,” Simitian wrote.

The order’s effect on funding in California would affect school districts as well, according to Santa Clara County Board of Education member Grace Mah. “We get a lot of state funding for special education, so if the state gets cut in funding, then the special education funding will definitely get cut,” she said.

However, Mah emphasizes that efforts will be made to ensure continued equal access for all students. “We would not allow immigration to affect any opportunities that

undocumented students may have because all campuses should be a safe and secure location,” she said.

Another priority is to protect students and prevent disruptions to campuses. “We would not allow ICE agents to come onto campus, find students or ask for our databases or addresses,” Mah said. “We would also provide access to low-cost legal counsel, community-based legal services and resources for inadequate families.”

Due to the diverse makeup of Palo Alto and Santa Clara county’s residents, Wolbach believes that the implications of Trump’s executive order are particularly relevant a nd must be addressed.

“I t hink if t here’s a nyone who understands the benefits of having a diverse commun it y w it h i m m i grants, it ’s Si l i-

Elizabeth Zu

con Valley,” he said. “It’s by allowing people from other places to come here and be part of our community and pursue the American dream that made our whole region ver y succe s sf u l . On that level, it’s important for us to take a strong stand.”

Williams sees the issue as larger than immigration, having broader implications on the power of the presidential office. “The entire constitutional framework is designed to not give the president the ability to unilaterally use federal funding as a weapon,” Williams said. “I think people are a little narrowly focused on this as an immigration issue, when it is a much more fundamental governmental issue around whether the president can withhold all federal funds against state and local governments to implement policy direction.”

Mah agrees with Williams and hopes that a success in this lawsuit could translate to a message to the administration. “I think it’s a good precedent if we end up overturning some of [Trump’s executive orders],” she said. “It lets [Trump] know that in the population, there’s a very outspoken and strong majority of constituents who don’t agree with him and [will] exercise all their rights to express that opinion and do everything they can to turn things around.”

According to Williams, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has held a number of public forums on the issue. “It’s important for people to be aware of what’s going on, understand it and then provide feedback to the representatives,” he said.

Wolbach strongly encourages community members, whether they be students or adults, to speak to representatives and get their voices heard. “If you are in favor of taking strong, even controversial actions to stand up for protecting people in our community, it helps give us confidence to continue down that path when we hear that,” he said.

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

Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Shagun Khare Managing Editors Matthew Hamilton Lena Ye News Jenna Marvet Helen Nguyen Samuel Tse Forum Anyi Cheng Deiana Hristov Janet Wang Features Stina Chang Prachi Kale Ariel Pan Centerfold Emma Chiao Mikaela Wayne Sports Grace Ding Paulo Frank Tim Sun Lifestyle Sabrina Chen Tone Lee Kaya van der Horst Changing the Narrative Cassie Bond Photo Editor Richard Yu Graphics Editor Elizabeth Zu

Staff Business/Circulation Matthew Oh

Friday, March 3, 2017

Gunn lacking instructional time for school year Maya Rapoport and Janet Shea

mandatory,” Augustine said. “This Herrmann said. means it counts as instructional Next week, students and staff minutes.” will be able to see the four opA few weeks ago, Principal Dr. In addition to changing Tuto- tions and fill out a survey to show Denise Herrmann found a 23-hour rial to Flex Time, more chang- their preference. "That's the data instructione s m ay b e that we will use to see how close al deficit in m a d e t o to consensus [students and staff educational “We do not run our bell schedule exactly as it is supposed to be; next year’s are]," Herrmann said. minutes in schedule.

Similarly to Gunn, Pa ly is we have all these special schedules, and for very important rea- “Just mov- also working on developing a t h is yea r’s s c h e d u l e sons. The one that's the biggest draw on our time is final exams." ing tutorial new schedule to eliminate their when ca li n b a r e l y instructional deficit. "They have culating the gets us un- a creative schedule committee — Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann der the wire working also. I believe they have hours for a potential of what we it down to three schedule modschedule next year. “We figured it minutes of instruction. “Now that need, so I think there will be a els," Herrmann said. out when we were looking to make we know it, we’re obligated to do few other potential [changes],” According to Augustine, no sure that any new schedule we were our due diligence and make sure Herrmann said. extra school days will be added brainstorming for next year would that going forward, our schedule On March 1, Herrmann pre- this year. “We have the correct be compatible with minutes of in- has plenty of instructional min- sented four potential schedules number of instructional days, struction,” Herrmann said. utes,” she said. for next year to the staff during since there are certain days that When previously calculating According to CSC member the weekly meeting. "The [staff] may not have counted in the the total hours of instructional junior Advait Arun, the schedule generated lists for each of the past,but do count this year beminutes, the Creative Bell Sched- committee is working on chang- four options of pros and cons," cause all grades were required ule Committee (CSC) did not take ing next year’s schedule. “For the to be there, [like] the day of the into account the days with special schedule next year, we are going PSAT,” Augustine said. schedules, such as school spirit to eliminate [the] 23-hour deficit According to Arun, days with extended lunch, or the [and] we want to find a place for t he s t at e re v i e we d finals week schedules. The regular Social Emotional Learning,” Arun G u n n ’s c u r r e n t schedule for four- and five-day said. schedule and exweeks shows that Gunn has 64,800 Herrmann announced the inpects the school minutes of instructional time; how- structional deficit to the Student to cha nge so ever, this does not account for the Executive Council on Feb. 6. Senior it i s i n comchanges made throughout the year Lucy Augustine says that the CSC pl ia nce w it h to accommodate different events. is planning on turning Tutorial state law next “We do not run our bell schedule into a Flex Time to make up for s c h o o l y e a r. exactly as it is supposed to be; we the missing hours. “Since we don’t “A s l o n g a s have all these special schedules, want to lose the events we changed the state knows and for very important reasons,” the schedule for, such as the Clash Deficit of 23 that we are goHerrmann said. “The one that’s of the Titans and the Turkey Feast, ing to cha nge the biggest draw on our time is a few changes to the schedule that instructional hours somet hing and final exams, because for three days were hypothetical before are now make it work, they in a row, you really only come for definitely going to happen, like are fine with us [keepthree hours.” moving Tutorial on Thursday to i ng ] t he [s a me] s c he dJackie Lou Herrmann explained that they the middle of the day and making it u le t h i s ye a r,” he s a id .

Reporters

only realized the instructional deficit a few weeks ago because the school funding is not based on attendance, and there was less emphasis on carefully counting the

INBOX

Assistant Business/Circulation Jack Mallery Copy Editors Clara Kieschnick-Llamas Carolyn Kuimelis Oracle/TBN Liaison Elizabeth Chung Oracle/SEC Liaison Shannon Yang

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

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

Graphics Artists Sherry Chen Tiffany Chen Cheryl Kao Jackie Lou Jeffrey Yao Photographers Vibha Arun Max Wang Reporters Sohini Ashoke, Julia Cheunkarndee, Laurel Comiter, Eric Epstein, Jennifer Gao, Danielle Gee, Bridgette Gong, Joanna Huang, Joy Huang, Stephy Jackson, Liza Kolbasov, Evalyn Li, Megan Li, Yael Livneh, Ryan Manesh, Chelsie Park, Maya Rapoport, Caroline Ro, Janet Shea, Seungik Shin, Grace Tramack, Aleks Tycz, Ayala Tzadikario, Kristen Yee, Katie Zhang, Andrew Zhao Tech Editors Akansha Gupta Amanda Lee Adviser Kristy Blackburn

3

February 3, 2017 I valued the continued coverage of the plight of the VTA buses, an issue that deeply concerns me. I was also intrigued to learn more about Buena Vista and the implementation of the Securly program. The Valentine’s Day coverage was also funny.

—Lauren Yu, 11

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

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

I liked the Valentine’s Day theme of February. It’s cool how there were articles about love and relationships. I thought the various stories were super interesting and were written in a relatable manner. Although I am a huge fan of the color pages in The Oracle, I didn't like the picture on the cover. I thought it was too dark.

—Carla Kong, 10

I like that this issue of The Oracle balances pieces about both issues that concern us as students and pieces that help us better understand the larger events that are going on.

There was a little bit of everything and a pretty good balance of writing across various topics.

I liked how the Sports page really covered a lot and the Features were fun to read.

—Michelle Fang, 10

This issue, specifically, was a lot more fun to read because of all the more personal articles. I find reading about fellow students, or even teachers, to be more interesting. The meme page-owner story stuck with me because some of my friends and I follow him, and we didn't know he went to Gunn.

—Larraine Vasquez, 9

The new issue was engaging and I found it very thought-provoking.

—Zara Zhang, 11

The helicopter parents article was really interesting and helps you understand how some of the kids in this area have to operate.

—Ashley Stahmer, 10

The Oracle is the second place Best of Show winner for the 2016 Fall JEA/NSPA Convention.

4

News

Palo Alto government representatives share perspectives District 13 State Senator Jerry Hill

Photo courtesy of Jerry Hill

The Oracle (TO): Do you have any new legislation that will affect public schools and their students?

Jerry Hill (JH): Yes, I have two bills that directly affect education and students.

[The first bill is] SB 769, the Community College Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program Expansion. For a lot of students in Palo Alto, college is essential. It’s the key to your future life and earnings, after all.

And it’s no secret that college is expensive.

Community colleges offer the best tuition prices around for two-year degrees. What if they could offer four-year baccalaureate degrees? In 2014, we started a pilot program for 15 community colleges to offer a bachelor’s degree. Foothill College’s dental hygiene program is one of them.

Now, I’d like to expand that experiment to 30 schools. I believe that this will make college more affordable for students who are interested in one of these new degree programs. A college degree will be within reach for many more people.

[The other bill is] SB 751: (School district reserve cap). All school districts need to plan for unexpected expenses—money set aside for a “rainy day.” School districts, like families, sometimes get surprised by expenses they didn’t plan on, like unpredicted flooding we’ve seen in San Jose.

Schools get their money from either the state, based on student attendance, or directly from their communities’ taxes that property owners pay. In all cases, the state restricts the amount of money that school districts can hold for such rainy day expenses. That restriction is known as the school reserve cap, because it caps money at a

certain level. If passed, SB 751 would allow school district governing boards to have more reserve money—up to 17 percent of the budget—if certain requirements were met. Small school districts and districts like Palo Alto Unified School District that rely on only property tax for their funding, would be exempt from any cap at all.

TO: If it is important for high school students to be involved in and knowledgeable about government, how can they get involved?

JH: Your power is not limited by age. This is a good time to be involved, and you are not alone. I read recently that teachers around the Bay Area have noticed that students are more engaged in what is happening in government since the presidential election. Government affects so much of your life, from the school board that decides the policy on homework, to the State Legislature that qualified California for the National Popular Vote. Find a civics website or a class, and start understanding how the levers of democracy work.

Information is powerful. Most importantly, start with your passions and your desire to make things better. Is it about “Dreamers” in your town, at your school? Is it environmental protection?

There is a lot of energy out there right now. There are people who are as passionate as you are about the things that you love. Find them. Find groups or organizations working for those things and educate yourself. From there, you can learn how to make change in that area together. Because we are stronger together.

District 24 Assemblymember Marc Berman

Photo courtesy of Marc Berman

The Oracle (TO): Are you looking to pass legislation regarding education?

Marc Berman (MB): I’ve asked the Speaker of the Assembly to create a select committee on the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education. It is a document that was created 57 years ago that set out the goals and responsibilities for the University of California system, the California State University system, and our community colleges. It is almost six decades later—the economy has changed, the makeup of our students has changed and our population has grown. Yet we still have this document from 57 years ago. We need to rewrite the Master Plan for Higher Education and create a 2020 Plan for Higher Education or the 2024 Plan. I hope that the speaker will approve that select committee and approve of me being the chair so I can start bringing people together to start talking about what kind of system of higher education we should have in California.

Computer science and increasing access to computer science and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education for high school students, but also K-12, is important to me. I want to make sure that there’s funding to evaluate how we can better integrate computer science curriculum into public education in California and increase access to computer science education.

TO: In a San Jose Mercury News article, you focused a lot on climate change. Why is this issue important to you?

MB: It’s the future—it’s my future, and it’s your future. We need to do everything we

Palo Alto Mayor Greg Scharff

can to combat climate change and reduce pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions as aggressively as possible because we can’t continue to go down the same path that we’ve been going on for decades. One of the first bills I introduced addressed sea level rise. Palo Altans live on the Bay, and my district includes five communities living on the Bay. We can’t wait until our levies are failing and our towns are flooding.

TO: What are some issues that you hope to address during your time in office?

MB: A big one that I will be addressing in addition to education and climate change are housing—increasing the supply of housing in the Bay Area and across the state. We have an incredible housing crisis that’s impacting younger generations who can’t afford to buy a home or rent a home or apartments that they grew up in. The cost of housing is impacting the socio-economic diversity in Palo Alto and many other communities in the 24th Assembly District. Another big issue is transportation—both transportation infrastructure and public transit.

TO: Why is it important for high school students to be knowledgeable about government?

MB: The decisions we make today are going to impact you five years from now, a decade from now, even two decades from now. Almost 50 percent of the general fund budget goes toward education, which goes to you.

If we don’t hear from our youth, we will assume that we know what’s best and often times that won’t be what you think is best.

Contact your Palo Alto Representatives:

Palo Alto Mayor Greg Scharff: greg.scharff@cityofpaloalto.org State Assembly District 24 Assemblymember Marc Berman: a24.asmdc.org

Photo courtesy of Greg Scharff

The Oracle (TO): What have you accomplished so far on the city council? In addition, what are your plans for the next two-year term?

Greg Scharff (GS): I think we have made huge strides on infrastructure and we’re actually going to build a public safety building, and people have been talking about doing that since the late 1980s. I think widening the California Avenue street in that unification process was really a positive thing. I’m really happy that the golf course could reopen and that we’re going to have an extra ten acres that we can use for athletic fields and things like that. I’m glad we’ve got our infrastructure under control and we’re going to build some new fire stations and parking garages. So, I am pretty pleased with where things are going.

TO: What programs are you working on implementing in Palo Alto right now?

GS: I want to complete our infrastructure programs like I was talking about earlier, like our parking garages and safety building built, because they aren’t actually built. I think it’s important that we get more housing in Palo Alto, more affordable housing in Palo Alto. I think we need to continue to work on trying to make the traffic situation in Palo Alto better.

TO: How do high schoolers and their opinions affect your work?

GS: Once in a while, teens have advocated for bicycle paths in certain areas in terms of getting to high school and that sort of thing. In the past, teens have talked about wanting more entertainment type options in Palo Alto. Teens have asked to

keep the Mitchell Park Library open later, which I believe we’re doing, but we could probably keep it open even later because people wanted that. Those are the kinds of things I remember teens asking for.

State Senate District 13 Sen. Jerry Hill: sd13.senate.ca.gov

TO: How do high schoolers get their voice heard by City Council?

GS: I think [teens getting involved in the Palo Alto City Council is] very important, and I think if you get used to getting involved, you can enjoy seeing change in your community, and you can change things the way you think it should be changed. But also it’s an education process at the same time and you start to understand why things are the way they are, and that changes a person’s opinion. So you change also and you change the system at the same time, so it’s positive for everyone.

U.S. House of Reps.

District 18 Rep. Anna Eshoo: eshoo.house.gov U.S. Senate California Sen. Kamala Harris: harris.senate.gov Sen. Dianne Feinstein: feinstein.senate.gov

—Compiled by Sohini Ashoke, Deiana Hristov and Janet Wang

News

Friday, March 3, 2017

5

Confirmation of DeVos may have consequences for PAUSD Helen Nguyen and Ayala Tzadikario

News Editor and Reporter

Betsy DeVos’ confirmation as Secretary of Education on Feb. 7 has been met with opposition by many teachers and parents across the United States due to her lack of experience working in public education.

Concerns also reside in Palo Alto because of DeVos’ voucher program for private schools and ambiguity about disability and Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights.

Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Superintendent Dr. Max McGee believes that it would be valuable for DeVos to understand how public education is a foundational component of our democratic society. “I think she’s already learned that she has a lot to learn,” McGee said. “If she takes some time, she can understand programs, services and our best practices that should be replicated around the country.

She’s not going to learn it by reading about it. She needs to get out and about and really immerse herself in public schools the first year or two on the job.”

Palo Alto Educators Association president Teri Baldwin believes that the appointment of Betsy DeVos is harmful to public schools. “She is someone who has advocated and funded initiatives for privately-managed charter schools and vouchers to private schools, both of which drain funds from public schools,” Baldwin said. Baldwin states that private and charter schools are not held to the same high standards as public schools, and that oversight is often lacking.

“Teachers are not protected in those schools, so they are very fearful to advocate for their students because they are in fear of losing their jobs,” Baldwin said.

The school voucher program DeVos is advocating for is a major government program that provides low-income families, the elderly and the disabled with opportunities for better education. The voucher allows parents to use public funds to pay for their child’s private school tuition. According to the California Teachers Association (CTA), the school voucher program harms students at public schools because it takes money from public education funds. By taking money out of public school systems to let a few students attend private school, only a few benefit while most are disadvantaged because of the program.

Baldwin states that research indicates that results for charter schools are often mixed, with many performing worse than public schools. “In many cases [charter schools] have failed students, but continue to make money for their investors and CEOs,”

Baldwin said. “The people who run these originally from Michigan and taught there. for laws such as the Individuals with Discharter schools are in business to make DeVos advocated for laws that hindered abilities Education Act that ensures that money off of education—these are business teacher unions from protecting teachers’ students with special needs or disabilities people who are often not educators.” rights, cut teachers’ benefits and salaries, have the opportunity to receive a free McGee believes that if DeVos’ goal is to increased class sizes and even closed under- appropriate education. She later rectified have a more privatized schooling system, performing schools. “[DeVos’ push to de- that mistake in a letter she sent to Senator she will not be successful. “It’s a waste of stroy public education] really demoralized Isakson, a member of the Senate Education time and money, because what matters is teachers in Michigan,” Satterthwaite said. Committee. The Chair of the Palo Alto what happens inside schools,” he said.

“It brought my wife and I to the point where Community Advisory Committee for SpeBaldwin is wary of DeVos’ lack of we realized either we have to find something cial Education Kimberly Eng Lee trusts that knowledge and bias towards people with else to do or to start teaching elsewhere.” people who need special education will be disabilities and the LGBT community, and Baldwin is hopeful that DeVos’ ap- cared for here in California. “Because of her stance on gun control. “Having someone pointment will not affect students in Palo strong state-level leadership in California’s in this important role who doesn't have any Alto. She believes that PAUSD schools are education, if control is more localized, I dealings with any kind of diversity outside exceptional and that many in the commu- am not as worried and we should always be her realm of the wealthy vigilant about protecting students’ white perspective and has rights for a quality education,” Lee no experience with public said. education should concern With the help of thoughtful everyone who values these efforts to seek first to understand experiences in our public and then develop solutions for edschools,” Baldwin said. ucation, McGee believes that the Principal Dr. Denise Secretary of Education can have Herrmann also believes a positive impact on a large scale. that DeVos does not truly “I think she’d be well advised to realize what schools need spend some time with some of her to help students. According predecessors, and maybe carry on to Herrmann, education is some of the good work that they very different from busistarted,” McGee said. “DeVos can nesses since it is not about ideally use the federal Department manufacturing something; of Education as an opportunity Creative Commons to replicate what works best in rather it is about supporting students and learning. “It’s Betsy DeVos speaks at the 2017 Conservative Political Ac- education to facilitate and fund 10 times more complicated tion Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland. the best practices to make them than people realize when accessible to all districts in our they’re on the outside looking in,” Herr- nity value the quality of the education. “I country.” McGee thinks that public policy mann said. “She has a misunderstanding do not believe that the community would should have long-reaching and positive about all the factors that contribute to a push for charter schools that will take impacts, and if DeVos wants to make student doing better in school.” resources away from our public schools a difference, she should work on a few McGee believes that the Trump adminis- to fund them,” Baldwin said. “We have major policies that are informed by both tration needs to think more deeply about the extremely innovative programs, talented research and education’s best practices. value and importance of freedom of speech. teachers and our students excel.” However, The federal government possesses the “Diversity enriches our understanding and in other areas—especially more impover- power to greatly impact education through enhances creativity,” McGee said. “I hope ished areas—Baldwin believes that DeVos' policy, and McGee hopes that it uses this someone in the federal government steps decisions can devastate schools. “Charters power to create a positive impact. “I hope up to advocate for opportunity and access and voucher programs have been proven to it plays an important role in providing for all students and embracing diversity, help the wealthy and disenfranchise poor, funding and support for replicating sucbecause I think that will strengthen our middle class, minority and special needs cessful programs, and not just trying to be public schools and society.” students,” Baldwin said. a compliant organization,” McGee said.

Herrmann believes public education is As of now, McGee does not believe that “The Title I and IX policies—providing very important because it gives every stu- DeVos will have an impact on PAUSD un- funding for low income families and dedent the opportunity to become a better and less there is a major policy switch. “It really segregating public schools—were a great more educated person. DeVos’ disregard of depends on her policies, but I don’t think our contribution by the federal government.” public schools worries Herrmann. “I am teachers, parents and students are going to Public policy is going to have a high cautious in my prediction of what may be feel it,” McGee said. According to McGee, impact even beyond our campus and some of her actions; her past track record states are responsible for education and school district orders, and McGee emphadefinitely is in support of diverting public PAUSD doesn’t receive much funding from sizes the importance and need for students funds to private institutions,” Herrmann the federal government. “Local control is a to be advocates for public education. “It’s said. “I believe that is against what our powerful principle,” McGee said. “Federal very easy sometimes for us to focus on a country was founded on.” government can’t have a great impact other local issue, whether it’s the Securly sysDeVos has impacted Michigan the most, than through policy.” tem on our Chromebooks or the weighted but not in a way that some teachers appreDeVos’ focus on special education was grading,” McGee said. “I think the student ciated, according to Palo Alto High School questioned during her confirmation in voice ought to have more of a place in state (Paly) teacher Rodney Satterthwaite, who is which she showed a lack of understanding and federal policy.”

Assembly bill to permit search of student electronics BILL

impact of the legislation and I do think it’s appropriate,” Berman said.

Berman hopes that through the legislation process, many questions of specificity will be addressed and answered. “Who would have this increased authority and what process would they need to go through to prove that their reasonable suspicion is valid,” he said.

According to the Student Press Law Center (SPLC), in a recent article titled “California legislation aims to allow schools to search personal electronic devices,” the ability to search cellphones without warrant surpasses backpack searches into a new territory of finding private details unrelated to the alleged school violation.

SPLC raises the concern that AB 165 could threaten student journalists who inherently need to be in a role of being critical and questioning school authority. “While AB 165 cannot overturn the federal protection, there are concerns that it could cause school or campus police to believe that there is no longer such protection, since there has never been an explicit ruling about how this applies to student journalists,” SPLC stated.

Junior Advait Arun, who is part of the Student Advisory Board to Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, believes that a warrant is required if the school wants to search a person’s phone. “There should be a warrant only because staff shouldn’t just get into other people’s personal property,” he said.

Arun distinguishes between taking phones away and searching phones. “Teachers don’t need warrants to take away your phone and put it in a corner just to keep order in the classroom. But to search the contents of your phone, your backpack or anything like that without any reason whatsoever, I don’t think that’s right seeing it’s your personal property.”

But if there is a need to investigate, the school should quickly get a search warrant according to Arun. “If there is reasonable suspicion for a dangerous device being brought on campus, there should be a lot of cooperation and coordination with law enforcement and school authorities to make that warrant happen.”

Arun also encourages communication between assemblymen and students about AB 165. “I’d urge any assemblymen voting on this bill to actually ask and talk to

students about this because we’re smarter than you think.”

Gunn’s technology supervisor Chris Bell says that in most cases, student privacy will not be breached. “As long as students and staff use the network in a way where they are not harming themselves, harming others or accessing content the district is legally required to filter, their privacy is respected and protected.”

The Electronic Communications Privacy Act prohibits access to electronic communication device information without a search warrant.

[Bill AB-165] would end the application of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to a local educational agency.

–Assembly Bill AB-165

6

News

New White House environment policies to affect locals Samuel Tse and Maya Rapoport News Editor and Reporter

After the election of President Donald Trump, there has been increased concern over the current White House administration’s stance and policies regarding the environment, as well as the position of the United States on climate change at a global level.

According to whitehouse.gov, the administration’s America First Energy Plan would be “committed to eliminating harmful and unnecessary policies such as the Climate Action Plan and the Waters of the U.S. rule” as well as “take advantage of the estimated $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil and natural gas reserves,” specifically referring to federal lands across the country.

Concerns over policies Various motions made by the White House have been directed at environmental issues. On Jan. 24, Trump signed a memorandum to expedite the approval of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines, two pipelines which were heavily disputed during former president Barack Obama’s administration. This prompted critics to condemn the pipelines, saying that they would put air and water quality at risk.

According to Stanford Professor of Earth Systems Science Noah Diffenbaugh, if Trump does what he said he would do during the campaign, it will increase air pollution and water pollution. “I think the clearest indication that we have is what President Trump said during the campaign, [which] includes increasing fossil fuel extractions on the order of $50 trillion and restricting regulations,” Diffenbaugh said. “There is no way to do both those things without increasing air pollution and water pollution.”

During his presidential campaign, Trump also announced his plan to withdraw from the Paris Agreements, alarming the 195 nations involved in the agreement. “Withdrawing from [the] Paris Agreements and eliminating the clean power plan would also roll back environmental protection,” Diffenbaugh said.

Diffenbaugh worries about Trump’s new appointed officials as well. “[Trump] is appointing people to cabinet positions who are antagonistic to agencies and departments that are important for the environment,” he said. For instance, Scott Pruitt’s

nomination for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator was approved on Feb. 17, despite Pruitt suing the EPA multiple times and working to eliminate policies geared toward preserving the environment.

Chief Sustainability Officer Gil Friend, who has been working on developing a sustainability strategy in Palo Alto, condemns the federal government’s plan to roll back environmental protection policies, such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. “We’ve made enormous progress in this country on air quality and water quality and energy efficiency and renewable energy, and, over these past decades, most Americans did not want to see those rolled back,” Friend said.

According to Friend, Trump’s executive order signed on Feb. 2, which removes restrictions on dumping coal mining waste into water, is detrimental to aquatic health and people who use those specific waterways.

Taking Action Despite the threat of regulations Jackie Lou being rolled back, Friend says California will continue leading the nation in environmental protection. “The governor was very explicit about that a few weeks ago in a very strong speech where he said California has a very successful strategy and will continue to pursue it regardless of what Washington does,” Friend said.

According to Friend, current environmental programs have very clear benefits for the people of Palo Alto. “They improve environmental quality, they improve quality of life and they contribute to the economy and prosperity.”

Although the city does not have the legal authority to override any federal restriction, it can implement environmental projects at a local scale. Among other programs, the city plans to continue focusing on climate change, renewable energy and waste plants. “We are certainly not going to stop because of what

is being said in Washington,” Friend said.

Gunn’s Zero Waste Champion and biology teacher Neeti Schworetzky also believes federal regulations will not change how the school and the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) will approach environmental programs. “What we are hearing at the federal level is a lot of change is going to happen,” Schworetzky said. “But that doesn’t take away our power as citizens at the basic level.”

Schworetzky mentions that many environmental programs at Gunn have been inspired by students. “The three bin [system] came out because the students said this is really what we need and the signs came about because again that is what the students thought we really needed,” Schworetzky said. “I have [ideas] that I think would be great to do, and I’m going to keep pushing for them, but my biggest source of ideas is the students. If we give students time and resources, kids can do almost anything.”

To help the environment, Friend advises students to walk or bike to school and avoid buying a car. “Road travel is a very big part of the environmental footprint in Palo Alto,” he said. He also recommends that students pay attention to their diet. “Go organic or range-fed, or consider reducing meat in your diet,” Friend said.

In addition, Friend encourages students to always think about what they are purchasing, in terms of food, clothing and other items. “As consumers, making smart choices about what we buy is a very powerful way to influence things,” Friend says. “Every time you drop a dollar on a counter for electronics or food or clothing, you are voting for a future. You are saying, ‘I want the world to go in this direction or that direction.’”

Schworetzky emphasizes that each and every person can make a difference. “I know that I can still, through my purchasing power and through my everyday actions, have a lot of the same impact,” Schworetzky said. “I’m going keep it local and I’m going to do what I can here and encourage others to do similar things. Government is always going to change, presidents are always going to change, administrations change, but we can control our own behaviors.”

PAUSD to balance new budget Eric Epstein and Grace Tramack Reporters

On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss a Budget Balancing Plan for the 2017-18 year.

During the 2016-17 year, the property tax growth was less than originally anticipated, equating to around a $4.2 million shortfall.

Although cutting positions from the district office will be the first priority, according to a presentation from the Feb. 14 meeting, other possible areas of reduction could be the elementary school music department, clerical positions at high schools and a review and restructuring of the Instructional Supervisor model and school psychologist assignments.

Communications a nd Communit y Engagement Director Jorge Quintana says that the Board adheres to the principles established in 2009 when PAUSD encountered a similar budget issue. These principles include being transparent and open about the finances of the district, establishing long-term fiscal health and maintaining academic excellence along with an exceptional school environment. “The goal of the school district is to minimize the impact on its students and employees,” Quintana wrote in an email. “That said, PAUSD is making an effort to focus on operations costs staying away as far as possible from the classroom.”

PAUSD Board of Education President Terry Godfrey agrees that the priority should be to limit the effect of these budget cuts on students. “We have also made some commitments to other areas of interest that we also do not want to cut, things like closing the achievement gap or ensuring the safety and wellness of students,” Godfrey said.

Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann concurs with the Board’s approach to the budget

cuts. “I definitely agree with the fact that the budget cuts should be as far away from the learning and teaching as possible,” she said.

However, Herrmann cautions that all cuts are likely to affect the classroom in some way. “There are not a lot of frivolous costs involved at schools, as it all revolves around the teaching and learning,” she said. “It’s all on a continuum. If you are looking at three different cuts, you look at the parameters that would interfere with the classroom the least.”

The property tax payments made to PAUSD by Palo Alto citizens fluctuate annually, and 2016-17 has seen a $6.2 million decrease in property tax revenue, according to the board meeting minutes. According to Godfrey, the cause of the shortfall was a result of a slowed property tax growth and some mistakes in the revenue forecast.

“There’s one part that we have no control over—how fast property tax grows—but one thing we’re doing is we’re taking the forecast [of how much PAUSD will receive from property tax] and assuming we’re not going to get all of that,” Godfrey said. “That gives us a safety net.”

However, the budget forecast for this school year did not overestimate the actual budget that the district received. “At the end of the last school year, [PAUSD Chief Budget Officer] Cathy Mak had in her forecast model an assumption that was too high, so we had to go back and decide what to cut,” Godfrey said. “It was a result of some mistakes in the forecast and the property tax growth is just starting to slow down. The property tax, and thus our revenue, is still increasing each year. It's just not increasing as much as in the recent past.”

The budget plan the board decides to execute will not just be a temporary solution. “The final decision made by the Board of Education this spring will be a long-term plan,” Quintana wrote.

Forum

Friday, March 3, 2017

7

Editorial: The Opinion of The Oracle

Negative reactions to social emotional learning changes hypocritical Vi a bh A ru n

When the administration announced it on social-emotional learning and was thinking of redesigning the schedule to creating spaces for students to form accommodate more time for social-emotion- a “family” of sorts. Still, many stual learning (SEL), students instantly erupted dents are understandably frustrated into a series of frenzied discussions and with yet another change in scheddebates. The new SEL curriculum primarily ules—in fact, next year's seniors will have involves the addition of a four-year long SEL gone through four different bell schedules program, which emphasizes learning how to in their four years on campus. understand emotions and develop positive Although the SEL Curriculum Commitrelationships. To accommodate time for tee (SCC) was formed with the inclusion of this program, the bell schedule will have student representatives in June 2016, other Healthy Kids Surto change for the third year in a row. outreach to students and community vey results, 23 percent The administration again failed to members was virtually non-existent of surveyed freshmen said appropriately gauge student and until the decision was already that they felt constant sadcommunity opinions before made to introduce SEL in ness or hopelessness over the deciding to implement It is the 2017-18 school year. past year; 29 percent of the surveyed juniors the program and adjust evident that Had the administration felt the same way. Twelve percent of freshthe schedule. Howthere is a need for obtained and consid- men and 15 percent of juniors also said they ever, students have long-term wellness ered student feed- have considered committing suicide over the long been vocally initiatives back through surveys past year. It is evident that there is a need supportive of improvat Gunn. and forums before offi- for long-term wellness initiatives at Gunn, ing wellness resources at cially deciding to introduce so why not do everything in our power to Gunn, which is exactly the the four-year SEL curriculum, improve the emotional health of students? purpose of the new SEL proit could have designed a program Although many are wary of the idea of a gram. Thus, while the process of that was holistically and funda- four-year long SEL program, it is important introducing SEL was poorly conceived, mentally improved due to a basic fact: to remember that TitanConnect is not just an it is hypocritical to chastise the program SEL would have been better catered to extension of Titan 101, which has proved itself since it is ultimately beneficial to the students’ wants and needs. Thus, as to be largely unpopular. Rather, the wellness of students.

SEL and other major programs SEL program will serve as a supAccording to the proposed schedule continue to be developed, the port group and social-emotional Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann presented administration must reThe education for students. It also to parents at a recent Parent Town Hall, member to seek counsel benefits of has a proven track record each grade will meet in their SEL groups from students; after SEL far outweigh of working. According during one of two weekly Flex periods ev- all, it is students the inconvenience to a meta-analysis of ery other week. Many students currently who undergo these of a minor change 213 studies exambelieve TitanConnect is an extension changes, and students in the bell ined by the Collaboraof the Titan 101 program; however, are more likely to be schedule. tive for Academic, Social the focus of the program has conducive to change if they and Emotional Learning, changed substantially. While know they had some say in it. students participating in SEL Titan 101 focused more on That being said, although the programs showed an increased transitioning to high process of implementing SEL has ability to manage stress and depresschool and Gunn been lackluster, the actual curriculum sion and had better attitudes about student life, Ti- will likely be a positive addition to Gunn. themselves and others. Additionally, act a nC on nec t While many students are aggravated by the cording to the National Commission on Sois focused prospect of having a new schedule next year, cial, Emotional and Academic Development, the benefits of SEL far outweigh the inconve- high social and emotional competency in nience of a minor change in the bell schedule. high school decreases mental health probIt is hypocritical to attack the bell schedule lems. Given that many Gunn students are change prompted by SEL while supporting likely to struggle to maintain their emotional mental health initiatives. Criticisms of the health in high school, SEL could be a major lack of student input are warranted, but asset for students. students should be more supportive Ever since the cluster of suicides of the change, especially since the during the 2014-15 school year, the administration is fulfilling its administration has vowed to crepromise to improve overall ate more wellness resources student well-being. for students. Some of the F u r t h e r m o r e , administration’s inia c c o r d i n g t o tiatives have been t h e 2 0 1 5 -16 successful, like C a l i for n i a the new Well-

ness Center across from the main office.

But others, like the YES! program, have been less popular.

The immediate mindset for freshmen and sophomores as they enter the YES! program is to dismiss the program for teaching seemingly useless skills. However, according to national surveys, the YES! program is actually extremely effective, with 78 percent of the participants believing that the program reduced stress and frustration, and 76 percent of the participants having improved sleep after the program. Thus, there is reason to believe that the new SEL curriculum could have similar results.

There is a clear need for an effective SEL curriculum at Gunn. Students should find a balance between academics, extracurriculars and social-emotional health. The administration has strived to create a solution in order to find this balance—one that will meet all of the state’s requirements and still satisfy students. In turn, students must respond in a similar fashion and consider SEL with an open mind.

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff (assenting: 26; dissenting: 4; abstaining: 7).

8

Forum

EFFECTS OF SOCIETAL BODY STANDARDS Acceptance of diverse body t ypes should not justify skinny-shaming Kaya van der Horst 2016 seemed to be the year for body positivity. The diversity in body types seen on magazine covers, such as curvy model Ashley Graham’s notable cover shoot for Sports Illustrated and advertisements such as Dove’s empowering #mybeautymysay campaign, showed us that women were refusing to conform to a single standard of a beautiful body. Even the iconic Barbie doll released three new body types beyond its original stick-thin body frame: petite, tall and curvy.

However, in efforts to accept and normalize curves, society has resorted to condoning skinniness through skinny-shaming. In light of messages such as “real women have curves,” women with slender body frames are finding it increasingly difficult to partake in the body positivity movement.

On a daily basis, people comment on the appearance of others, whether it be their outfits, hairstyles or body types.

Most people are aware of the insensitivity of fat-shaming and would never dare comment on an increase in someone’s weight. When slender people embrace their figure, they are proclaimed to be distasteful because they are “promoting” eating disorders. So, why must slender people endure snarky comments made about their body when fat-shaming remains blatantly offensive? The body positive movement has begun to put skinny bodies down in order to accept larger figures, which is, while well-intentioned, totally misguided. In today’s society, skinnyshaming is a prevalent problem that needs to be taken just as seriously as fat-shaming.

Although women tend to dominate the conversation about body image, skinny shaming also affects men who are confronted with impossible expectations of being lean with lots of muscles. Muscle dysmorphia disorder (MDD), also known as “bigorexia,” is an obsessive-compulsive disorder in which people obsess about being too small and underdeveloped. According to Rob Wilson, chair of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, at least 10 percent of men in gyms are believed to suffer from muscle dysmorphia in the United Kingdom. Common characterizations of MDD include excessive weight-lifting to increase muscle mass, disordered eating with extra protein supplements or steroid abuse. Pop culture has set unrealistic ideals in men through Halloween costumes, which often contain built-in padded muscles. This makes people with smaller figures, who don’t conform to that ideal, feel self-conscious and puts them at risk for developing MDD. Normalized comments that

critique people’s bodies no matter what body type they are was publicly insulted for being skinny and accused of having contribute to body image issues and insecurities. Abrasive an eating disorder after her appearance at the Kids’ Choice remarks such as “Wow, your legs are so skinny” or “Why Awards in 2016. Carelessly throwing around terms such as don’t you eat something?” casually fly under society’s radar “anorexia” or “diet” in context with slender people does no while leaving negative impacts on one’s emotional well- justice to the term itself and only further stigmatizes eating being. A paper published by the “Journal of Child Psychol- disorders. No one should have to justify their body shape. So ogy and Psychiatry” in 2015 found that the combination of much goes on behind the curtain of one’s public front, and genetics, personality traits and environmental factors, such society should not jump to hasty conclusions. Just as some as having to endure constant comments about one’s body, people are genetically predisposed to have a larger frame, all contribute to developing eating disorders. The the same exists for smaller figures. Factors such National Eating Disorders Association also as genetics, metabolism and lifestyle all play states that narrow definitions of beauty pivotal roles in physical looks. Athletes strongly correlate with eating disorand dancers also often have fit figures, ALL ders. Bashing one body type in order but these people should never be conIN ALL, NO to promote another is not productive demned for their appearance. in fostering a healthy environment in Overall, skinny-shaming normalONE SHOULD which all shapes and sizes can flourizes body shaming, making it acceptHAVE TO JUSTIFY ish. Instead, it fuels a hostile atmoable for people to dictate what others sphere in which no body is deemed should and should not look like. AlTHEIR BODY good enough. According to the Body though it is important to achieve acDysmorphic Disorder Foundation, ceptance of all figures, no body should SHAPE. one in 50 people suffer from body dysbe celebrated at the expense of anothmorphic disorder, a body-image disorder er—acceptance of larger figures should characterized by persistent preoccupations never be built on the premise of skinnyby one’s perceived flaws. shaming.

This struggle with body dissatisfaction is Instead, the media and society should work on truly only further amplified by the hypocrisy sur- embracing all body frames. People need to practice ignoring rounding society’s “ideal” body shape. the perceived issues of their body and learn to embrace every On one hand, people are insulted bit. But equally as important is to refrain from commenting for being too fat, but on the other, on other people’s bodies—it’s rude and inappropriate. people profess that “real women —van der Horst, a junior, is a Lifestyle Editor. have curves.” These contradictory expectations create an outlet where skinny-shaming serves as a relief for frustration. Some may even go so far to state that being slender is synonymous with “thin-privilege.” The idea that being slender is a “privilege” and therefore justifies the acceptance of skinny-shaming is troubling. A common rejection of the existence of skinnyshaming is rooted in the belief that skinny people have no problems because society adores them. However, whether you think someone is perfect or not, everyone has their personal insecurities. While it is true that slender figures retain “privilege” in regard to conforming to societal standards and therefore not being ridiculed to the same extent as larger ones, no body should be judged or scorned. Body shaming remains hurtful experience for all body types. Unless you are their doctor, another person and their body are none of your business.

Slender body frames can often be subject to comments such as “Wow you’re so thin” or large breasts and “You must be on a good diet.” Pop large butt star Zendaya

“

”

“Skinny shaming is a prevalent problem that needs to be taken just as seriously as fat shaming.”

Ancient Egypt 1292-1069 B.C.

narrow shoulders

United States 2000-today

Victorian England 1837-1901

hourglass figure

HIGH WAIST

style reflecting social class

SYMMETRICAL FACE

long hair

United States 1920’s

flat stomach skinny figure

androgynous clothing flapper girls

curveless, boyish body

WHAT WAS CONSIDERED BEAUTIFUL THROUGHOUT HISTORY?

Statistics from The Huffington Post

Forum

Friday, March 3, 2017

ON SELF ESTEEM, SELF IMAGE Body trends negatively affect how teens view their bodies Mikaela Wayne Body trends have become very prominent and increasingly unavoidable over the past few years.

With trends that promote unrealistic expectations for the way we should look, it is difficult to avoid the misconception that we are meant to appear a certain way. While many of these trends are specific to body image, viral internet trends have extended to facial appearance and other body features. Body trends not only foster unrealistic expectations for how young people should perceive themselves, but can also lead to unhealthy habits and obsessions in trying to achieve these expectations.

A trend that is often overlooked as being a source of pressure is the viral trend eyebrows “on fleek.” This trend came into existence through a viral Vine of a woman who was confident with her eyebrows. While eyebrows seem like a trivial aspect of one’s appearance, this trend set an expectation for people everywhere to obtain very prominent, well-shaped eyebrows. Since the early stages of this Vine becoming a viral trend, young people everywhere have paid more attention to shaping and perfecting the appearance of their eyebrows—this practice often borders to a point of obsession. Many spend an unnecessary and unhealthy amount of time trying to achieve the perfect eyebrow and can struggle to leave the house without having fulfilled this practice. The power of the internet in this situation took a physical feature that was not necessarily an area of concern and turned it into something else to be insecure about.

Body trends also often exist in music. Specifically, ideal proportions and body types are celebrated while others are ignored. In Sir MixA-Lot’s famous single, “Baby Got Back,” he references 36-24-36. The number 36 represents the ideal bust and hip size on women while the number 24 represents the ideal waist. Another song in which similar proportions are mentioned are in Fetty Wap’s song “Jimmy Choo.” A line in the song mentions the term slim-thick—a term frequently used on the internet and in rap music—describing the ideal body of a woman to be extremely thin, aside from her breasts and buttocks. Other words such as thick and BBW (big beautiful women) describe a similar body type. For the most part, a body type with these proportions are extremely difficult to achieve.

36-24-36 is especially dangerous because it provides young women with exact measurements to achieve, often leading to an unhealthy obsession. Music is especially dangerous because any young person can hear it, whether they intend to or not. While internet trends can be detrimental, trends that are originate in music can prove to be more dangerous, as their creators are more influential.

Perhaps the most dangerous trend of all is the viral hashtag #bodygoals.

Often used to comment on pictures of celebrities or models on various social media platforms, #bodygoals idealizes specific body types and implies that others should aspire to a similar goal. When a picture or video is posted to the internet—especially by a popular figure or celebrity—comments will often refer to the person’s body as #bodygoals. This leads to the inevitable comparison of oneself to the person who is #bodygoals. Comments implying that a specific person’s body is a goal directly influences other to aspire to reach that goal.

Because the “goal” is so specific, it is completely unattainable and therefore harmful towards the person trying to obtain it. Additionally, photos of celebrities and models are frequently photoshopped, setting unrealistic and unhealthy expectations for social media users. This trend sets expectations for what the “goal” body type looks like, directly allowing for comparison and negatively influencing self-perception. It is essential that setting fitness goals remains an internal practice derived from one’s own values.

Body trends can range from body size and shape to facial features. In any case, they can have a detrimental impact on young people who are susceptible to the influences of the media. While these trends often begin lightheartedly, they are ultimately judgemental and can foster unhealthy habits.

To combat these effects, it is essential that all body types and appearances are celebrated. On Gunn’s campus, the avoidance of playing songs similar to those mentioned earlier at dances and school events could help educate the impact of body ideals. Being conscious of using vague words could make a huge difference in the way we, and those around us, view the ideal appearance.

“body trends have become very prominent and increasingly unavoidable.”

—Wayne, a senior, is a Centerfold Editor.

9

B ody i ma g e expectations a re ha r mf u l Elizabeth Chung Growing up in Korea, ideal beauty was determined by numbers—weight, bust, waist size and more. The “golden number” was 120. If your height (cm) minus weight (kg) equaled 120, you were the girl with the perfect body. That was what my friends and I believed in middle school because during that time, Miss Korea models actually fit this standard.

When I was younger, I didn’t care about my body shape. Once I went to middle school, everything changed. People started judging me by my looks, and I became uncomfortable. My mom always told me that the beauty inside the heart was what mattered, not the beauty of my body.

Never did I never knew that the craving for beauty would be infectious.

My friends started to be jealous of my skinniness and, somehow, it felt nice. I felt like I had something special that they didn’t have. I decided to borrow a tightened uniform from a friend and wear it for a day. I was sure that I would be viewed differently. It turned out to be true, but in the exact opposite way I wanted. As I walked across the hallway, I could hear some snicker about me being too skinny; never have I never thought it was possible to someone to be “too” skinny.

As a part of society, I wanted to be accepted and embraced. I thought being skinny would make me presentable but it did not. I was kicked out of the box of “beautiful” people and I was desperate to get back into that box.

The solution I came up with was to gain weight. It was ironic and yet, if I was “too” skinny, I had to be “less” skinny to look better. I constantly ate to gain weight and wore oversized clothes to cover the suddenly expanded body. I started dreading the numbers that glared at me on the scale, and my mindset changed. I wanted food but did not dare eat for I was afraid I would gain more weight. When I couldn’t abstain from eating any longer, I would binge-eat to satisfied my appetite and throw up after.

After a few months of my eating disorder, I realized and decided that I really needed to get better. I started to work out everyday. My mom helped me take care of my menu and the amount of exercise I should do. I took baby steps and I got frustrated at how slow my progress was, but my mom was there to coax and support me.

Turns out, wanting to look pretty wasn’t the problem. The fact that I wanted to look pretty to others was what caused me to trip and fall. People expected me to look skinny, but when I looked skinny, they shunned me away, saying it wasn’t what they wanted. It is impossible to meet everyone’s standard, and it is meaningless to try to do so. Now I understand that I should be the one setting the standards, not the people around me.

—Chung, a senior, is the Oracle-TBN liaison.

Graphics by Jackie Lou and Elizabeth Zu

10

Forum

Implicit racism continues to result in Unconscious biases inequality, hurdles throughout society can result in racism minority hurt by implicit racism. customers with suspicion and even Stereoty pes cementing Asians as unfounded accusations of shoplifting quiet and nerdy and Latinos as gang- instead of the helpfulness one might members are reinforced over and over expect as a customer. Although the by music, books, TV shows and movies accusations may come from wellAkansha Gupta and Stephy Jackson where non-Caucasian characters are intentioned employees trying to curb cast in supporting roles. Asian and crime, their overreaction is a result of Hispanic characters especially are used implicit racism, which has conditioned people to believe that black Over the past few decades, anti- as unimportant sidekicks or villains that need to customers are more racism activism has taken great strides. be defeated.

W hen suspicious. Additionally, It’s gotten to the point where it’s hard "Americans editors, directors these accusations also to believe that fewer than 65 years ago, need to and scriptwriters cont r ibute to how segregation was legal in the United focus on the t r y t o a m u s e societ y negat ively States. Most people today believe one thing that their audience by views black people. that racism is valiantly being fought the country’s fa l l i ng back on Some people who against, if they don’t already consider always prided old stereotypes, it do not consider these it a non-issue. This sentiment is evident itself on— can be debilitating incidents important in statements which point proudly inclusivity." t o c h i l d r e n a n d are quick to proclaim toward our last president, an extremely t e e n a g e r s f r o m themselves "color-blind" qualified black man. However, even when it comes to race. An the most optimistic have to admit that mi norit y g roups. For example, when magazines like article by "Psychology Today" systematic racism has left behind a "Seventeen" and "Covergirl," which help describes color-blindness as a racial legacy of implicit racism. shape beauty standards for women and ideology which suggests the best way Systematic racism and implicit teenage girls, feature famous women of to end discrimination is by treating racism are often confused because they color like Beyonce or Jennifer Lopez on individuals equally irrespective of race, are so intertwined with each other. magazine covers, they are whitewashed culture or ethnicity.

It goes on to say Systematic racism oppresses minority and often appear with fairer skin and that most of the people who espouse races by means of legislation and policy, while implicit racism is usually subtler colored contacts. This is bad for the self- this theory are part of a cultural, and often unintentional. Pop culture, image of women of color because pop religious and racial majority; they don’t news outlets and individuals all play a culture bombards them with the idea notice that the negatives outweigh the that they need to look white to positives for minority groups. Color role in reinforcing it. be beautiful. blindness creates a society that not This implicit racism Compared to their only denies minorities' negative racial perpetuates systematic "Stores white counterparts, experiences, but also rejects their like racism and creates young adults from cultural heritage. America is diverse Versace, CVS a v icious c ycle of A s i a n , b l a c k , because its citizens are not just of Apple and Best minority races Buy have appeared H i s p a n i c a n d different races, but of different religions being told they are in the news for Native American and cultures as well. Ignoring race— not good enough. treating Minority backgrounds have an important part of most people’s One place t his is customers with t o p u t i n m o r e identity—is not a viable solution. Doing illustrated is in the suspicion." effort to find funny, so will lead to diversity being ignored job market. According intelligent, beautiful which will once again feed into the to a field study by the and inspiring characters cycle of racism.

National Bureau of who look and sound like To fix the problems that are caused Economic Research (NBER), them in pop culture.

Though it is by implicit racism and implicit racism given that two candidates for a job have not the only thing which discourages itself, Americans need to focus on the the same resume, the candidate with minorities from higher education one thing that the country has always the “white name” is more likely to get and certain fields of education, lack of prided itself on—inclusivity.

Members the job than an identical candidate with viable role-models in pop culture might of the community should make an a “black name.” In fact, job applicants contribute to the lower percentage of effort to learn and interact more with African-American names needed minorities who go to college and seek with those who come from different to send about one-and-a-half more resumes to get the same callbacks as jobs that can put them in the highest backgrounds.

It will take a concentrated effort those with white names. Although the income brackets. To change this, artists, script-writers, authors and from private individuals and popular employers probably did not intend to directors have an obligation to create culture to change the way people think act upon subconscious biases, implicit realistic characters who can inspire about racial minorities, but if it can racism caused them to discriminate people from minority groups. end the cycle of implicit racism, it will against candidates with “black names.”

Incidents where stereotypes and be worth it.

Implicit racism is not just a hurdle for black Americans to overcome when implicit racism insulted and hurt people ­—Gupta, a senior, is a Tech Editor it comes to employment; it exists in from minority races appear regularly in the news.

Stores like Versace, CVS, and Jackson, a sophomore, is a reporter. pop culture as well. Furthermore, Apple and Best Buy have appeared black Americans are not the only in the news for treating minority

Ariel Pan A few years ago, on a plane to Dallas, Texas, I happened to sit next to a Caucasian woman. Following take-off, she introduced herself and told me that she was visiting relatives in her hometown of Amarillo, Texas after spending two years in Taiwan as a Christian missionary with her husband and three children. Excited to find something in common, I told her that my parents were immigrants from Taiwan, but I lived all my life in the United States, a native of Cleveland, Ohio for seven years before moving to California. For the rest of the four-hour flight, we connected over Taipei night markets and harvest fairs with hayrides. When the plane landed, she helped me take my baggage from the overhead bin.

But before she walked down the aisle, she turned to me and said, “You speak really good English.”

It was not the first time someone has said that to me.

In a variation of that phrase, some people compliment me on my “barely-there accent.” I have also had people just speak to me very slowly, obviously praying I understand English. And on her part, the woman on the plane probably thought she was giving me a compliment.

I get that. But as someone who uses English as a primary language, whose Chinese is tainted with an American accent rather than the other way around, I cannot help wondering if there is something that makes these people think I am a non-native speaker.

When Amy Chua’s The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother came out in 2011, it made headlines. People lambasted her for her ideas on child-raising, likening it to child-abuse. In the middle of a sixth grade science lab, one of my classmates asked me if my parents were like Amy Chua. At the time, I just laughed it off, but I was uncomfortable with the implication that my parents were “child abusers.” My parents are actually quite relaxed in their rules for my sister and me. That said, I won’t deny that some parents try to control every aspect of their children’s lives, but the point is not all Asian parents are like that.

I have also been asked more than once why I choose to take more than the recommended two Advanced Placement (AP) classes. There is always an implicit insinuation that I take AP classes purely to get into college, or because my parents pressured me to.

Personally, I take AP classes to challenge myself and prepare myself to work hard in the future. My parents never pressured me to take certain classes. But for some people, they see me and my race, and automatically make assumptions about my attitude toward an AP class.

Implicit racism is defined as using unconscious biases when making judgments about people from different racial and ethnic groups. Unfortunately, implicit racism is much harder to fight than overt racism, since people often do not know that what they are saying is offensive. Sometimes, even people of the same race argue about which statements they feel are offensive. For example, some people might have been unaffected by the demonization of the so-called “Chinese parenting.”

However, I also do not advocate extreme sensitivity because although we should think about our words, we should not have to stress about every sentence we say.

Still, there are some changes that can be made to reduce the risk of saying implicitly racist statements. One tip is to avoid sentence structures like, "You’re really good at speaking English, for a Chinese person." Sentences like that, in essence, put down my entire race to lift me up, since, according to them, every other Chinese person is not that great at speaking English. Just compliment people for their abilities as a single entity. In the end, implicit racism is still built on the same stereotypes that overt racism is, but it is very possible that the people guilty of implicit racism do not count themselves as racists. It is hard to be purely objective, and I admit that I have biases as well. But the goal is always to work toward a day we can judge others for their abilities, not their race.

—Pan, a senior, is a Features Editor.

Jeffrey Yao

Friday, March 3, 2017

is PRIVATE COLLEGE COUNSELing beneficial?

Many students, especially in the Bay Area, employ the use of private college counselors to aid them in the collegeapplication process. These counselors provide services, varying from aiding in compiling a list of colleges to editing

NO

YES

application essays. Counselors are often hired as early as freshman year and can rack up costs in the thousands.

Cassie Bond

Seungik Shin

With seniors eagerly waiting to hear back from the colleges they have applied to, college applications, SATs and essays are a common topic of discussion. Some students choose to use a private college counselor, while others work independently. Although private college counselors can have a negative connotation as being excessive or unnecessary, their overall aid and support is necessary for certain students. Private college counselors are beneficial because they help organize the college process into an easier-to-grasp effort, ease the stress of college applications and are useful to students looking to study specific programs or majors. The college application process is difficult and strenuous, so seeking and receiving help should be an acceptable option for all students.

One of the major benefits of a college counselor is the help in organizing and deciding on a plan for college applications and where to apply. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there are over 4,000 colleges in the U.S. With so many options, private college counselors can greatly help students narrow down their lists of schools and pinpoint schools that would best fit their personality and goals. The NCES also attests that from 1980 to 2012, the number of college applicants ages 18 to 24 increased from 26 percent to 41 percent. This substantial increase in college applicants makes applications more competitive. To stay ahead in a system where the odds are seemingly stacked against students, a college counselor can be necessary. Organizing a list of schools that fit the student well, picking essay topics and talking through confusing scholarships or honors programs are all key benefits to having a college counselor. Although some are able to figure out and organize their college process on their own, plenty of students who need the added guidance. Just as one might need a tutor for a difficult math class, one might also need a college counselor for the difficult college process.

Along with organizing and making decisions, college counselors can also help ease the stress of an already demanding time of the school year. The common stresses of high school are already an issue, and with the added stress of applications, having a “partner-in-crime” can help take away some of the anxiety involved in the process. Since mental health is one of the most important aspects of a highschooler’s life, receiving help is essential to keeping a level head. Although there are plenty of resources on campus for college assistance, a private college counselor who knows the ins and outs of all of a student’s choices might be more beneficial. A private counselor also provides more oneon-one attention, giving him or her the chance to know their students well and help them to the best of their abilities.

A common criticism of private college counselors is pricing and the amount of involvement in the process. While money can be a concern, pricing of sessions and time with counselors all depends on what the student is looking for. Some counselors only specialize in helping with essays, while others will help form a list of schools. If finding a full-time counselor is not in a family’s budget, one of those options may be better. But, if a student is struggling and needs the extra support, sometimes budgeting for a private counselor could be worth it.

Another concern with college counselors is credibility and the amount of genuine work put into students’ essays and applications. Although some people do choose to have college counselors put in more work for their personal applications than should be acceptable, most counselors only provide the support that can get students engaged in the college process. Just beginning the process can be complicated, so families finding someone to nudge their students in the right direction is one of the main purposes of college counselors. Instead of private college counselors being associated with wealthy families paying to have the work completed by the counselor, it should be thought of as a resource that is there for students who need an extra push of support.

According to a former Ivy League admissions officer, the college consulting business has grown by 300 percent over the last five years. A quick search uncovers many websites that promise huge improvements in SAT or ACT scores and admission into elite schools. Increasingly propelled by greed, the industry preys on the fear of families, especially immigrant and first-generation college students, which are usually the families who can least afford the service. The college application process is already under fire because wealthier students have more advantages— more money means tutors for standardized tests, better schools and more—and the consulting business only exacerbates this gap.

A 2014 study conducted by the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) found that in recent years, colleges have adopted an increasingly holistic process for evaluating applicants; instead of looking only at grades and scores, admissions officers are also heavily considering essay quality and extracurriculars. Feeding off the sky-high anxiety that swirls around crafting a perfect portfolio that incorporates all of these factors, the private college counselor industry is increasing in size exponentially. Hourly rates in the Bay Area can be as high as $400 an hour, and comprehensive packages with regular meetings throughout high school can add up to several thousand dollars.

The private counseling business has been booming and largely unregulated for a decade now. Thousands of such counselors exist, ranging from solo practitioners to large companies that offer packages in which students are advised and coached beginning as early as freshman year. Everything in a student’s life, from their classes to their extracurriculars, can be influenced by such counselors. College counselling companies often boast inside knowledge from the admissions offices, where many private counselors used to work. According to CNBC, one such counseling service in New York starts off with a 90-minute consultation which is followed by a six-hour boot camp in which a counselor reviews the student’s essays and application. This alone costs $10,000. These high costs give rich students an unfair advantage when it comes to the application process. Meanwhile, students who can’t afford a private counselor must compete with their peers for just a few minutes of attention with their high school guidance counselor.

Another concern about private counselors is that the growing number of consultants appear to have little or no working experience in the college admissions field. Due to the unregulated nature of the industry, a so-called “professional” could just be a young graduate student looking to make some extra money by providing advice.

Some private consultants boast that they are college application readers and can help with application writing. In most cases, this means that they are temporary “external readers” hired for application season, not that they are admissions officers. During every reading period from December to February, larger universities hire temporary readers to help sort through the great pile of applications. These consultants do not actually have insider knowledge in these universities, making them an untrustworthy choice and a waste of money.

What had long been a collection of local, relatively low-cost, home-based businesses is morphing into an expensive and debilitating industry that caters only to the privileged. No doubt, private counselors can still play a crucial role in educating families and provide them with guidance on making the best choices in a high schooler’s academic journey. However, with the burst in popularity of college counseling, the game of admission processes becomes rigged so that only the rich and powerful are able to win and spread their influence by getting an advantage into elite schools. Private counselors only increase the educational opportunity gap between those who can afford such a luxury and those who can’t. Therefore, before endorsing the use of such services, communities should carefully consider the ethical and communal consequences.

­—Bond, a senior, is the Changing the Narrative Editor.

—Shin, a sophomore, is a reporter.

11

12

Features

E X T R A-ordinar y: S T U D E N T S S H A R E U N IQU E TA L E N T S & A BI L I T I E S Junior Dhir Desai: Contortions Talent shows featuring body contortions have captivated people around the world for decades.

Junior Dhir Desai is no stranger to those looks of amazement given his very own talent for performing contortions. “Random people would come up to me and tell me how cool [my contortions] are,” he said.

Desai first realized that he was flexible in second grade. “I didn’t know I was flexible until other people couldn’t do [the same things I could do],” he said. “I thought I was normal.”

In seventh grade, Desai found that he could also twist, turn and stretch his tongue far more than the average individual. “We were trying stuff with dominant genes in biology to see if we had those genes, and I found that I could flip my tongue,” he said.

Desai can perform a wide variety of tricks with just one part of his body. “I can flip my tongue 180 degrees. I can touch my nose with my tongue,” he said.

For Desai, twisting his fingers and arms is an effortless task. “I’m double- joint- ed in all

of my fingers,” Desai said. “I can twist my arm 180 degrees. I can bend my fingers back three to four centimeters more than others.”

Other parts of Desai’s body have just as unique characteristics as his tongue and arms. “I used to be able to do the splits, but I haven’t stretched in a while,” he said. “I can do a bridge sitting down or standing up; it doesn’t matter the position. I can [also] touch my toes [without stretching first].”

Through martial arts, Desai was able to develop his flexibility further. “When I did kung fu, we stretched and did the splits a lot,” he said.

“I was pretty flexible then, and I learned how to do the bridge, too.”

Playing sports is an important part of Desai’s life, and his flexibility allows him to avoid being easily injured. “In badminton, if I misstep, it doesn’t affect me as much as others,” he said. “If someone else missteps, they [could] injure their body, but I’m flexible enough where it doesn’t really matter.”

—Written by Janet Shea

Photos by Max Wang and Vibha Arun

Senior Ze ’ ev Yehuda: Yo-yo For senior Ze’ev Yehuda, yo-yos aren’t just a toy—they are a way to meet new people. The inspiration to start yo-yoing came from an unexpected source after Yehuda moved to California. “I started doing my own laundry at around the same age. That’s probably how I got good,” Yehuda said.

“The presence of spinning clothes inspire[d] me.”

According to Yehuda, yo-yos are available for everyone to enjoy, even for first timers. “There are yo-yoers all over the plac e ,” he said.

“Here, there, in trees, under rocks. You can’t hide

from us.”

His favorite part of yo-yos, however, isn’t the toy itself, but the people who come with picking up this skill.

“I get to be a part of such a colorful international community,” Yehuda said.

“I have friends and co-workers from places I can spell, places I can’t spell and places that can’t be spelled. Our incredibly strong fingers unite us.”

Although Yehuda initially started small, he has gained recognition for his talent locally. “I practiced on the corner of Pomona every day after school, during middle school,” he said.

“I’ve been approached by at least 10 people every year since who ask me if I’m the yo-yo guy.”

In addition to the local fame, Yehuda has had the chance to partner with multiple companies to create yo-yos at an international level. “I design yo-yos for China to produce, Germany to profit off of and Japan to win competitions with,” he said. The prototypes of those designs were first selected by the companies and then tweaked to eventua lly produce a real product. Some of Yehuda’s best designs, the iYoYo FiRROX Bi-Metal Yo-Yo and the iYoYo HiDRA, are currently available on sites like YoYoSam and YoYoExpert.

Yehuda doesn’t currently have future plans for yo-yoing, but he hopes to continue with it as a hobby. “I came for the yo-yos, but I stayed for the people,” Yehuda said. “It has its ups and downs, but altogether it’s a great way to fill empty moments.”

—Written by Emma Chiao

Junior Tejas DeBolle: parkour Unique talents can be found in all shapes and sizes, ranging from athleticism to illusions. For junior Tejas DeBolle, his talent is a mix of the two. “I do parkour,” DeBolle said. “Parkour is basically about moving between two places as efficiently as possible, mostly by climbing over obstacles and by jumping and running.”

DeBolle’s interest in parkour piqued at a young age while playing an open-world, free-running video game. “I was playing ‘Assassins Creed Two,’ and thought it was really cool that the character could climb buildings to get places faster,” DeBolle said. “I thought I could probably do some of those moves in real life, so I looked up some YouTube tutorials and just practiced.”

As with any task involving quick movements, DeBolle believes that balance and control are basic necessities for parkour; both are traits he is familiar with. “I do martial arts, so I’ve always had decent coordination and balance,” DeBolle said.

“I would say I had a slight advantage coming in, but the main thing overall is persistence.”

Throughout his time practicing parkour, DeBolle has found his favorite move, though it carries some risks. “It’s called a

Kong—it’s when you dive over something with some support from your hands,” DeBolle said. “It’s kind of dangerous because if you mess up, you’ll land on your face.”

DeBolle continues to do parkour, not for the convenience of following a straight line between points A and B, but rather for its unrestricting nature. “It really gives me a sense of freedom, knowing that I can get around places in ways that other people wouldn’t think is possible,” DeBolle said. “It opens up a whole new realm of possibility.”

Although there are countless parkour videos on the internet and even a national parkour championship, the skill is still rarely pursued. “Generally, athletic people are able to do the basics,” DeBolle said. “It’s rare to see people [who] can do the more complicated moves that I can do, though.”

DeBolle feels that anybody can become a parkourist if they are willing to give it a shot. “It’s easy to be intimidated with the videos of people doing crazy things like jumping off roofs,” DeBolle said. “But if you just start out with the basics and build on that, you can do your own crazy stuff that other people would never even think of.”

—Written by Paulo Frank

13

Features

Friday, March 3, 2017

Junior Advait Arun shares political opinions through blog Clara Kieschnick-Llamas Copy Editor

Junior Advait Arun began his online blog “Fruminous” in November 2016, and it has since gained popularity in the local community.

Arun chose the word “Fruminous” from the nonsense poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll. On the website, it is described as “Advait Arun’s opinions on everything [political], domestic and global.” Arun has touched upon a range of topics, from his widely debated article about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Gunn—an article that reached over 1,000 views in six hours—to pieces on immigration and globalization.

During the election season, Arun posted debriefs of the presidential candidate debates on Facebook. However, he found that Facebook wasn’t the best medium for his writing. “I decided a blog would be a better way to get my word out to more people,” he said. “It’s a way easier way to convey my t houg hts as opposed to just putting it all on one Facebook post, [and] A D V A I T A R U N there’s much more you can do in a blog in terms of length and photos and media.”

Most of the blog’s followers are Gunn students and others in the Palo Alto area. It does, however, draw some views across the world. “I do get a few international views from a few friends I have across the globe, and my dad regularly shares my articles with all of his friends in India and Asia,” Arun said. According to Arun, each post gets 200 views on average.

Collaborating with other people is something that Arun has been considering for a while. “I have a few friends who I do want to do joint articles [with] because I feel like that would be a whole lot more power-

ful than just one person writing,” he s a id . “It ’s a team ef fort and I feel like it has a w ider audience, too.”

Arun’s debates w it h his polit ical friends help him decide what to write about. “I have pretty conservative friends who I try to talk with a lot,” Arun said. “When there’s a disagreement between me and them that I feel really passionate about, I write Junior Advait Arun updates the about that.”

Arun has been pleasantly surprised with the reactions to his articles, especially one on Martin Luther King, Jr. “It felt really good to be the catalyst for conversation, and even if it wasn’t in the best way—even if people really hated my article—at least it got them talking, which I find the most important thing,” he said.

Arun draws inspiration from many modern-day politicians. “I find [Barack Obama’s and Bernie Sanders’] voices really powerful, and I want to be able to emulate that,” he said. “That’s sort of what inspires me to be powerful in my writing.”

Arun plans on maintaining his blog for the time being and will probably continue to be involved in world affairs. “I definitely do want to get into politics

main page for his political blog on a weekly basis. and humanities,” he said. “I want to use the tools I have to further what I believe in and to get my opinions out there.”

Arun is happy with his decision to go off of Facebook and create “Fruminous,” especially with the feedback he has been receiving. “I’m really glad that people are reading my blog and talking about it because it makes me glad to know that I have an audience who cares,” Arun said.

Visit Arun’s bl og, Frumin ous, at https://fr u m i n ous.wordpress.com

14

Cente Staffer reduces food waste for a week

Bridgette Gong Food waste is considered to be any food that is discarded or left uneaten, and it is a pressing environmental issue across the U.S. and the rest of the world. Levels of global food waste fall between one-third and one-half of all food produced. The causes are plentiful, and can occur during stages of production, processing, retailing and consumption. When these foods begin to spoil, they contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and can become harmful to natural resources.

Zero food waste is an approach to reducing food waste in daily life to protect the environment. By following just a couple easy methods and tips, I tried to reduce my food waste to zero for one week.

I started with my own refrigerator. I made a list of foods before heading out to the grocery store and tried not to deviate far from it. Performing a quick check-up on my fridge ensured that I didn’t buy any extra food, lessening the chance of producing waste. I was also particularly conscious of buying in bulk. For example, I replaced the gallon packages of milk with individual cartons from Safeway.

I got into the habit of rearranging my fridge every couple of days, moving the older items from the back where they remained hidden to the front, to follow the “first in, first out” rule. Paying more attention to food labels was also helpful in making me more conscious of expiration dates. I found that two ways to slow the deterioration process of produce, fruits and veggies are to store them separately and also to keep them dry. Freezing foods, donating unwanted food and incorporating more ingredients into dinner recipes also helped me achieve a week of zero waste. Getting creative with recipes was a great way to use up the spare foods in my fridge. Freezing food also bought me several weeks and even months of having to buy extra food items. In addition, when eating out, I made sure to not over-order and took home any leftovers.

Instead of buying individual bottles of water or drinks, I carried a metal water bottle and refilled it a couple of times throughout the day. When packing lunches, I used thermoses and reusable containers because they are eco-friendly and also reusable.

A different approach to zero waste is reducing the amount of trash from food packaging. The buildup of trash from wrappers and boxes is damaging to the Earth’s ecosystems.

Additionally, it is responsible for the formation of things such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a large and continuous patch of marine debris.

In my experience, living a zero-waste life took some effort. However, incorporating these small adjustments and changes into my daily life reduced my family’s food waste significantly, and it was not difficult to get used to. Therefore, with a little extra planning and awareness, it shouldn’t be difficult for the average consumer to limit their food waste and help protect the environment day by day. Remember, any contribution is always better than nothing at all.

Impac

th

Enviro

—Gong, a sophomore, is a reporter.

Science classes partici

Tim S Sports

Science teachers Navneet Schworetzky and Eric Ledgerwood are partnering with the Monterey Bay Aquarium to give students the opportunity to fight plastic pollution on campus in the aquarium’s Ocean Plastics Pollution Summit.

Students will design projects to combat the use of plastics in our community, and a number of them will present their findings during the summit.

The process started for Schworetzky and Ledgerwood in October, when they traveled to the aquarium for an information session regarding the initiative.

The teachers then informed the students about the project, and since December students have been surveying various waste bins on campus and collecting data. “[It’s] literally hands-on, and sometimes dirty hands-on when you’re talking about dumpster diving and recycle bins,” Ledgerwood said.

The project will be entirely student-run, as they will be researching, detecting a problem and then working to find a solution. “They’re generating data, they’re analyzing data, and then from that data, they’re creating projects that will allow them to monitor if they were able to reduce a particular type of plastic on campus,” Ledgerwood said.

Last week, students started analyzing their data, and they have started to gravitate toward areas of interest. Junior Ember Lin-Sperry noticed a large number of plastic straws from stores like Teaspoon, and is looking to pursue a project to eliminate the use of these straws. “I was considering talking to some of the local shops to see if they could implement more sustainable straws for the boba,” Lin-Sperry said.

erfold

Friday, March 3, 2017

Tips on reducing ca rbon footprint

cting

he

nment

15

The apparel industry accounts for 10 percent of carbon emissions. Try shopping at secondhand clothing stores like Goodwill or buying secondhand clothing online at thredup.com.

A n example of a way that students can reduce carbon emissions is by submitting projects and homework online, and taking notes digitally instead of on paper whenever possible.

Rewear your clothes. If you wash your clothes once a week, that could total to about 275 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

Finally, use reusable bags and cups instead of paper or plastic ones.

—Compiled by Kristen Yee

pate in plastics project

Graphic by Sherry Chen

Sun Editor

The culmination of this year’s project will be a lunchtime event on the quad during Earth Week in April. Students will display their work in booths, and a catwalk will feature a trash-fashion, or “trashion” show, in which students will wear clothing made from various plastics. Lin-Sperry hopes to use this opportunity to show the school the negative effects of boba straws. “I’m going to make boba straws into an outfit because there’s a lot wasted in the Palo Alto community,” she said.

Ledgerwood believes that the open nature of the project gives students the freedom to do original work. “Some people will do art projects, some people will make public service announcements to go on TBN and some might work with creating Facebook pages or groups for awareness to extend into the com-

munity as much as possible,” he said.

Both Schworetzky and Ledgerwood have implemented this project into their curriculum, giving relevant lectures and setting aside work periods for the project. “We are also teaching the students about how you make plastics, how you sort them and how they affect the environment,” Schworetzky said. “We’re trying to get them to see that what we do here on land actually can tie back into the oceans as well.”

In the end, Schworetzky encourages the entire student body to get involved.

“It is a class project for us, but the problem and the solution is actually [involving] everybody,” she said. “It really is one of those 'we are all in this together' things, so you don’t have to just be in the class to make a difference.”

16

Features

senior remembers parents' sacrifices

Matthew Oh

second-generation citizen: someone who was born in the U.S., but whose parents are immigrants

For the sake of complete transparency, I’ll admit that I am hesitant to declare myself a true second-generation immigrant. My mom came to America as a young child, and my dad was actually born in America. Yet, I feel empowered by my family history. Being the descendent of immigrants gives me a sense of purpose and direction unsurpassable by any other force. In fact, being marginally removed from the original immigrants of my family has not dampened my connection to my family’s history in the slightest.

My mom was born in Saigon in the middle of the Vietnam War. At 9-years-old, she was crammed into a tiny fishing boat with her two older brothers, parents and about a hundred other refugees. After battling storms and starvation, they finally landed in Malaysia and were thrown into a refugee camp. The refugee camps provided basic shelter and not much else, and they fished for most of their food in the Pacific Ocean.

Eventually, my mom and her family were picked up by an American naval boat. Luckily, they had a relative living in Los Angeles and were able to be sponsored into the United States. My mom finally landed in San Francisco’s Chinatown, where she, her two brothers and parents crammed into a tiny apartment above a liquor store. My grandfather and grandmother found work as a janitor and waitress. Before coming to the U.S., my grandfather was the manager of a ramen company in Vietnam, but he fully embraced his new career and constantly bragged about how his job kept him in good physical shape. My mom, at 12 years old, was working in a Chinatown sweatshop sewing collars for five cents a piece.

On the other side of my family, my paternal grandfather came to America as one of the first Koreans to ever get a Ph.D at an American university. Due to the immigrant laws at the time, he was not able to bring his two daughters to America, so they stayed in Korea. It was only when the law changed that he was able to bring his family to the U.S. While he was getting his Ph.D at Harvard, my father was born. Later, my grandfather became a chemistry professor at Baylor University and moved his family to Houston.

In Texas, my dad had a strikingly American upbringing—he loved fishing, the Dallas Cowboys and playing the board game Risk. Soon, however, my grandfather quit his job as a professor after a thesis of his was disproven.

When my grandfather lost the financial stability he once had, my father was forced at a young age to work every day after school in a series of my grandfather’s failed businesses—a gas station, bookstore and grocery store.

My dad worked incredibly hard to help his immigrant parents.

Both of my parents, through the grace of America, were rewarded for their hard work. They both went to college, and through grit and grind were able to become successful enough to live in Palo Alto and take care of their parents financially.

It’s my duty never to forget the arduous journey my parents took on their path to stability. I can’t, in good conscience, frivolously spend money when, at my age, my parents were working to help their own parents keep the lights on.

My mom and her family risked their lives so that future generations—myself included—could have the opportunities that they didn’t have. I don’t know what our family heritage might mean to my children, but I’m determined to make certain that my parents’ work ethic isn’t lost. Even though I don’t have the pressures of being a first-generation immigrant, it is my responsibility to not forget the sacrifices of previous generations, and take advantage of the opportunities they created.

—Oh, a senior, is Business Manager.

17

Features

Friday, March 3, 2017

Second-generation students speak about multicultural experiences Sohini Ashoke and Joanna Huang Reporters It’s a daunting task to start a new life in a foreign country, let alone learn a new language and adapt to a new culture. But for many students in Palo Alto, their parents have done just that. Whether they came for education or in search of better jobs, these parents have affected how their children see the world. As second-generation citizens, or the children of immigrants, these students have grown up in a multicultural environment, a different American experience.

Work Ethic For junior Andrew Dong, whose parents immigrated from China, remembering the stories of his parents whenever he feels unmotivated helps him have a greater work ethic. “I feel it’s an injustice or unfairness to my parents if they worked incredibly hard to let me have a good life or better opportunities than they have and if I just turn around and squander that; that’s definitely not fair to them,” Dong said. “I would feel betrayed if I were them.”

Growing up, junior Avital Rutenburg remembers witnessing the large workload her mother, who immigrated from Russia, completed on a daily basis. “My mom would drop all three of us [siblings] off [at school], go to law school, go to a bunch of jobs after and come home after and read to us and make sure we felt loved. She was young while [doing] all of that, only 25,” Rutenburg said.

Rutenburg learned of the importance of ambition and hard work through her mother’s example. “My mom still has that hard work sentiment and she always tells us that no matter where we start, we have to work hard and compensate with whatever we have.

And we cannot let our situation stop us and rather use our situation to help us out,” Rutenburg said. “Even though she started out Clockwise starting from top with absolutely nothing left: Andrew Dong (11), Avital when she came here, Rutenburg (11), Minna Munot knowing English, ghal (11), Keshav Nand (12) and Libbey Castleman (10) she didn’t settle and didn’t let it stop her from achiev ing t he American dream.”

Expanding Perspectives According to junior Minna Mughal, immigrant parents not only bring a great work ethic to America, but also an international perspective. Mughal, whose parents immigrated from Pakistan, recalls an upbringing different from that of her friends. “Growing up, I always just thought [how my family raised me] was the norm. I didn’t think my family operated differently, but now I realize that it’s honestly not how it is,” Mughal said. “I feel like sometimes I put expectations that [my parents] can’t meet because

they parent a certain way but I’m trying to be parented good place and have a good spot to start my life, so that like my friends are, which my parents don’t always agree definitely motivates me to work on my passions,” he said. with. It’s a bit of a struggle sometimes when I’m just trying When he does not agree with his parents on political to be like a regular American teenager when my parents or moral issues, Dong resolves disagreements with his are like Pakistani people.” parents by recognizing the generation gap and cultural Rutenburg also recalls a childhood immersed in a dif- differences. He acknowledges their efforts to avoid the ferent culture. “Growing up with my immigrant parents mindset encouraged by the rigorous and competitive acawas very different from American families because grow- demic atmosphere of China in order to adapt to America’s ing up, I was basically in Russia,” Rutenburg said. “I would free-form atmosphere. “They’re kind of liberal for Chinese listen to Russian music, watch Russian movies, eat Russian parents anyway; normally a lot of parents are heavily food, speak Russian and I went to Russian schools.” focused on STEM [science, technology, engineering and According to Dong, besides differences in parenting styles, math] and want you to go to an engineering career, but having immigrant parents offers a new perspective on politics my parents are pretty lax with the specific direction that and world issues. “I’ve seen I’m going in,” a lot more political views Dong said. firsthand from China and Sophomore “ I feel like sometimes I put e xpec tations the U.S., which are seen as Libbey Castlethat [my parents] can’t meet because they political opposites,” Dong man’s mother parent a cer tain way but I’m tr ying to be p a re nte d l i ke my f ri e n ds a re , w hi ch my said. “Even though a lot of is from Eritrea, parents don’t always agree with. It ’s a bit people might say it’s like and moved to of a struggle sometimes when I’m just trya communist country or t he United ing to be like a regular American teenager things are really bad there, States because when my parents are like Pakistani people.” there is a special place in of the opportu—junior Minna Mughal my heart for it.” nity to achieve For sen ior Ke shav her dreams.

Nand, whose parents are from India, having immigrant “The idea of the American dream and being able to do parents helps him be more respectful of other cultures in anything in the United States was really inspiring to her, general. “One thing might seem completely meaningless and there was a lot she wanted to see in this country,” to someone, but to another person it could be so impor- Castleman said. Having one immigrant parent and one tant,” he said. “[Learning about different cultural values] non-immigrant parent caused challenges in her childkind of helps me understand that people have their reasons hood, especially in how she identified herself. “My mom for doing things, so I learned to respect them for it.” is from Africa and my dad is from here, and they are complete polar opposites,” Castleman said. “I never looked like them so I thought it was really weird. I was set apart from other kids, and I got asked if I was adopted a lot.”

Castleman has also faced discrimination from others because of her identity. “I’ve had people say names to my face, say names behind my back, racial slurs to me or my mother or to anyone who is dark colored in my family,” Castleman said. “Even though I am not as dark as my mother, I know I will never be a white person, but it’s not something I want to be, because I am happy with who I am and the race I am.”

Stigma With the unique cultures of immigrant parents can come stigmatization. Pop culture often portrays Asian parents to be unemotional or strict, but Dong finds his parents are actually very supportive and friendly. “They’re really active in reminding me to do things I want to do, to pursue those interests,” Dong said. “I think that’s a really good thing to have.” Dong’s parents had to suppress their passions for sociology and art in order become engineers and make money in America. “They put a ton of effort into their whole lives just so that I could be born in a

Positivity Despite the host of disadvantageous and possible prejudices that come with being a child of immigrants, Castleman still views her identity in a positive light. “[Having immigrant parents] definitely sets you apart, but it’s something that you should embrace and take advantage of and feel grateful for,” Castleman said. “I think it really helps shape you as a person and it’s something that is so great to be a part of.”

However, according to Dong, cultural exploration is not limited to second-generation immigrants; even children of non-immigrant parents can benefit from analyzing their background and identity. “I think spending the time to recognize your own history and who you are as a person is really beneficial to helping your own development,” he said.

“...My dad is from a country whose language is very rarely spoken in the U.S., so we can communicate without anyone else knowing what we are saying.

Because of that, it is also very cool when we find someone else from Greece, because there are so few people here from there. I met someone in the beginning of the year who is also Greek, and that gave us a really big commonality.”

“As an individual, I don’t feel any more or less of [an American] citizen. I stay more informed about my parents’ country of origin and feel more concern for people around the world.

I fully support open borders so people like my parents can be safe and productive.”

Second-Generation Experience Survey responses

—Michael Nisenzon (12), Ukraine “My mom gave up her dream of being a lawyer in China to come to the U.S. Both my parents struggled with language, and they still do, especially my mom. My sister and I sometimes laugh at them for pronouncing a word incorrectly, but both of us feel bad about it later, because we know that they sacrificed a lot for us. ” —Cindy Guo (11), China

“I honestly feel very out of the loop sometimes. I didn’t read the normal [American] childhood books—instead I was reading Israeli ones in Hebrew. And the culture is just so different, and I’m being raised like an Israeli, but I’m living here.

It’s a weird mix that sometimes is nice and sometimes overwhelming.”

—Sophie Alexis (9), Greece

—Noam Tadelis (12), Israel Graphics by Jackie Lou Photos by Vibha Arun and Richard Yu

18

Features

Freshman competes, performs with Theater on Ice Julia Cheunkarndee Reporter

Freshman Shannon Lin placed second at Nationals for Theater on Ice in June last year, qualifying for the upcoming Nation’s Cup to be held from April 20 to April 23. The competition, which will take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan, features top teams from several countries. All teams will compete in a form of figure skating known as Theater on Ice, which combines competitive figure skating with theater and dance to act out a certain story or emotion.

Lin began skating at 5 or 6 after she attended a birthday party at Winter Lodge. As time went on, she began to appreciate the sport and the distinction it gave her. “Since there’s not a lot of figure skaters within my friends, it was more unique and I thought it would be more fun if I tried it out,” Lin said.

Lin’s first introduction to Theater on Ice came through a family friend who recommended that Lin try skating on the novice team. The sport has its differences from regular figure skating, as it is composed primarily of teams—rather than solos or duos—that compete together using choreography, music and costumes. “It’s a really team-collaborative event,” Lin said. “You don’t necessarily have to be good at figure skating to join, because as long as you just communicate with each other and make sure that you’re all doing your part, then it goes really well.”

Competition season usually begins in the spring. Nation’s Cup for Theater on Ice will be Lin’s first competition this year. Practicing and preparing for events such as these means that Lin spends about 13 hours on the ice per week. She skates almost every day, for one-and-a-half to

Q &A

two-and-a-half hours on average.

To maintain this level of dedication, Lin has worked out a routine.

“Since sessions are really finicky, I sometimes skate public sessions, which are really annoying because you don’t want to run over a ton of little kids,” she said. “You have to make sure that you can make it to the freestyle sessions, which is why I usually wake up really early in the mornings—like 5:00—to go skate in the morning, and afterwards we go drive back to school.”

As she prepares for the upcoming national competition, Lin can still recall her previous insecurities for the sport. As a 10-yearold, she knew none of the other skaters and had little knowledge of the sport’s requ i rements. “I didn’t know if I was good enough, since Courtesy of Shannon Lin I’d never done TheFr e s h m a n S h a n n o n L i n s ta n d s w i t h ater on Ice before,” her team after a successful performance. she said. “Once you continue on, it gets more easy and fun, and you enjoy it more.”

A similar pattern of growth can be found in Lin’s most appreciated piece of advice. “If you really like the sport, continue with it, because figure skating requires a lot of hard work and perseverance,” she said.

“If you only skate halfway through and don’t really try during the sessions, you can’t improve very fast, and you won’t learn to enjoy it.”

According to her coach Laura Lipetsky, Lin’s hardworking personality and positive attitude have aided her throughout the years as she takes on harder jumps, spins, elements and test levels. In one case, Lin’s perseverance allowed her to finally pass a test that she had already attempted several times. “She has a determination to be the best that she can be,” Lipetsky wrote in an email. “And most importantly, Shannon does it all with a great attitude, which sets her apart from most kids—she is definitely someone to look up to.”

Graphic by Elizabeth Zu

Artist of the Month: junior Clarissa Daniel

The Oracle: How did you get into sculpting?

Clarissa Daniel: I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. My parents took me to a lot of museums, so I got started there. I still go to art museums to get inspiration. Seeing master artists’ work is always a great way for me to come up with ideas. My mother also used to do pottery with the Potter’s Guild, and she’s also a good two-dimensional artist. I’ve been in ceramics for two years, and at the end of last year I started sculpting. I had been mostly doing pottery and decided that I wanted to branch out a little bit and try something new.

My art teacher, [Jordan] King, was really supportive so I was able to continue sculpting throughout this year. I think sculpture really clicked for me. I also try to paint if I get the chance.

TO: Who or what inspires you?

CD: My favorite sculptor is Gian Lorenzo Bernini. I really love the way he makes marble look lighter than air. He has this delicacy in his work and captures both motion and form. I very much admire his work and one day I hope to be half as good as him. I am also definitely inf luenced by the classics, especially Greco-Roman culture. I also like looking at Hellenistic sculptures— ancient Greek sculpture where people’s faces are often idealized. I hope that shows through in the way I make portraits. And I also think sea creatures are pretty interesting. They’re familiar but just remote enough that it makes you think a little bit when you see a sculpture based on them. Mr. King is a really great artist and he is very caring and encouraging. He challenges you with different projects. He’s always happy to let you make what you’re inspired to make, and he’s always there to help you with that.

TO: What is your favorite aspect of ceramics?

CD: I love working with my hands. It’s super rewarding to create something, especially when it turns out just the way I want it to. It’s a great experience when you feel that you’ve made something and it’s beautiful and it makes you happy to see it.

TO: What are your favorite and least favorite media?

CD: For sculpture, I’ve only used clay, but I look forward to expanding and maybe doing some work in wax or wood or stone, if I have a chance. One day, I hope to work with bronze. Since I’ve only worked with clay, I don’t really have a medium I dislike. It must be hard to work with stone and/or wood because you can’t correct your mistakes. Like, if you break off the nose then you have no nose. With clay, the medium itself is forgiving; you can easily fix things. You can add and you can take off things pretty much until the end.

TO: What are your future plans with art?

CD: I definitely want to keep sculpting and drawing.

Next year, I’m planning to take AP 3-D Studio Art, and I’m really looking forward to that. I also have clay and tools at home, so I’ll keep working there.

I’m not planning to go to art school. Although I like ceramics and sculpture, I also like math, science, english, engineering and the classics [the literature of ancient Greece and Rome]. I hope to attend a liberal arts school so that I can have the opportunity to study those subjects, too. That said, I intend to take art classes in college and to continue drawing and sculpting.

—Compiled by Chelsie Park

Photo by Vibha Arun

Sports

Friday, March 3, 2017

19

Seniors, teachers prepare for Clash of the Titans game Joanna Huang Reporter Clash of the Titans, Gunn’s annual, highly-anticipated basketball game between seniors and staff, will be held on March 8 in the Titan Gym. One change has been made to the format of the event: the addition of a half-time performance from the dance team.

Since basketball is a popular sport in the Gunn community, Sports Commissioner senior Fred Reitman sees Clash of the Titans as a way for students and staff to come together for a high-energy, fun event. “It’s a great way for staff and students both to bond and for the whole school to meet and bond over one thing,” he said.

In Clash of the Titans, seniors without competi-

Max Wang

Teachers practice for Clash of the Titans on the basketball courts outside Titan Gym.

tive basketball experience are coached by students on Gunn’s basketball team, and then compete in a game against the teachers. Senior Sahib Gill is a coach this year. “I just love basketball and the game and can’t wait to coach my friends who don’t play and have a good time,” he said.

Senior Anushka Joshi, who will play on the student team, has anticipated the moment when she would be able to play since the first time she watched Clash of the Titans. “Ever since I was a freshman, I had been going and seeing the seniors play every year,” Joshi said. “And I was like ‘Wow, I can’t want to be able to do that’...I was excited by the tradition and to be able to be a part of it.”

Even with only two practices, Gill is confident of the team’s ability. “I think we’ll definitely be ready by the time the game comes,” he said.

Although Clash of Titans certainly requires athleticism and a certain amount of aggression, chemistry teacher Elana Zizmor appreciates that the event is not overly competitive. “In general, the experience has always been a lot of fun,” she said.

“There’s a lot of energy and a lot of camaraderie, and I just really kind of enjoy the atmosphere, and that’s probably one of the reasons I keep coming back to play.”

Reitman believes the audience will be impressed by the teams, even if none of the students or teachers play competitively. “I think if everyone has fun and everyone plays well, people will get wowed by some of the skills of teachers and seniors alike,” he said.

He hopes that people in the stands cheer loudly for the students and teachers.

As the event approaches, Joshi’s excitement comes from the opportunity to be in the spotlight.

“I think it would just be cool to have all those people watching you and playing against the teachers,” Joshi said. “I know I won’t be good, but it’s still a fun adrenaline experience.”

“I’m excited for Clash this year because I think watching the games has always been really fun and I like seeing a side of teachers that you don’t often get to see. Plus, I tend to be pretty competitive so that part is fun too.”

—Lucy Augustine, 12

“As it turns out, [teachers] aren’t preparing. Very few people turn out to practices.

Most mornings I’m the only one there playing against the machine. Most people seem extremely busy. I think it’ll probably be a very close game.

We’ll see.”

—Chris Karas, math teacher

Photos by Vibha Arun

sabby Sabby's Tips:

Strategies for making successful March Madness picks

1. Pick the highest seeds. They will win since they are the best. It absolutely cannot get more obvious than that. Obviously!

5. Look at free-throw p ercenta ge s . A lso, if they chew their mouthguards, it’s a huge plus.

2. Measure muscle mass.

Imagine those beautiful and ripped muscles running around on the court. The bigger, the better.

6. Look online for expert advice. Try searching on unknown browsers so that no one discovers the ultimate secret to picking the winning bracket.

3. Look for hotties on the team. No comment necessary.

4. Create an algorithm using Java and C++ and run it. Technology is failure-proof. Just close your eyes and let the numbers work out.

Graphics by Cheryl Kao and Jeffrey Yao

7. Use the team mascot as your sole criteria for picking perfect teams.

You know you love that big and hungry bulldog.

8. Ask your tall friends what they think. After all, they must play basketball.

—Written by Sabrina Chen

To compete in The Oracle’s March Madness competition, create a bracket from March 13-15 at tinyurl.com/OracleBracket2017. The winner will receive a $50 Poki Bowl gift card.

20

Sports

athletes Balance Three sports with school Sophomore Jackie Lu: basketball, swim, water polo Sophomore Jacqueline Lu’s interest in sports began long before high school. As a child, she played tennis, figure-skated, learned ballet and made an effort to remain active whenever she could. Most of her time, however, Lu dedicated to competitive swimming, which she began when she was 9-yearsold.

This year, Lu is participating in one sport in each season. She was part of the junior varsity girls’ water polo team in the fall, the junior varsity girls’ basketball team in the winter and is on the varsity swim team this spring.

Last year, Lu was placed on the varsity swim team as a freshman. Her involvement in competitive swimming allowed her to be convinced by her friends to try out for water polo, which she ended up enjoying and continuing.

Joining the basketball team this year wasn’t a completely voluntary decision either, as she admits to having joined the team because of pressure from friends. However, Lu gradually developed a genuine interest for every one of

the sports she participates in, which has allowed sports and exercise to become a form of relieving stress from academics.

Despite the responsibility that comes with mandatory practices and meets, Lu says that maintaining a balance between her commitment to sports and her schoolwork isn’t particularly difficult. “It doesn’t make school more stressful because it’s time to relax and do stuff that I enjoy,” Lu said.

Sports, however, have served as much more than stress-relief in Lu’s life. She believes that the opportunity to compete with a group of supportive teammates has helped her confidence grow. “It’s really empowering,” Lu said.

She also cites experiences such as waking up before dawn to attend early-morning practices and team meets as lessons in selfdiscipline and character-building. Despite how difficult training and competing can sometimes be, Lu views her athletic journey as a “good life experience.”

—Written by Caroline Ro

Sophomore Jake Humble: basketball, football, golf Not many students participate in three school sports a year. Sophomore Jake Humble is one of these out liers—he has played footba l l, basketball and golf this year. Humble decided to do three sports after his friend convinced him to play football. “One of my friends joined football and originally it was just goi ng to b e ba s ke tba l l a nd gol f because basketball is my favorite sport and golf is something I have always been good at [but] my friend convinced me to play football, so I went out and joined the team,” Humble said.

Humble really enjoys all three of his sports, especially basketball.

“My favorite sport was basketball because I grew up here with all my teammates,” he said. “They’re like

my brothers, and it’s just fun to see them everyday and play with them.”

Since Humble must juggle three sports, he isn't left with much free time to spend on academics. Fortunately, Humble's P.E. prep has been helpf u l for ma k i ng up for some of that lost time. “The prep really helps out because sometimes I can go eat or get homework done at the library,” he said. “Practice doesn’t normally start until later times so there is always time after school for me to get stuff done.”

Along with all the fun that comes with three sports, there are also a lot of difficulties. Humble finds it easy to become out of practice after one of his sport's season ends. “One difficulty is getting back into the sport after you finished one of them,” he

said. “I was very rusty when I got back into basketball and now [the] same thing is happening with golf.”

Humble’s favorite part of playing three sports is the exposure to new people, and the feeling of being part of a community. “Being on a team a nd meet i ng new people a re big parts,” he said. “I also love the prep; it gives me time during the school day to relax or get some work done.”

The key to a triple sport athlete's success is to possess great time management. Ba la ncing t he consta nt practices, games and schoolwork can be a dif f icult feat that many don't at tempt. Humble, however, continues to enjoy t he cha l lenge for the camaraderie, friends, and athleticism it provides him.

—Written by Ryan Manesh

Senior Andy Maltz: football, track, wrestling Playing a sport is a difficult task: the combination of physical exertion and time consumption can be a major commitment in the life of a student. However, some accomplish the incredible feat of participating in a sport for all three seasons during the school year. Senior Andy Maltz is one such example—he plays football, wrestles and throws for track and field at Gunn for all three athletic seasons.

While it can be difficult to balance sports and school, Maltz is grateful that he has multiple extracurricular activities going on at all times. “When it comes down to it, there’s no rest for the weary,” Maltz said. “It really helps with my time management because there’s all sorts of things you have to juggle.” With the combination of football, wrestling and throwing taking up a majority of his time, Maltz has adapted his life to accommodate for his athletic time commitments.

Playing three sports would seem like it causes unwanted stress, but for Maltz it is just the opposite. After a long day of school, there’s nothing he enjoys more than throwing someone on the wrestling mat

or making a tackle at football practice. “It’s almost relaxing to [do] the sports,” Maltz said. “At the end of school, you’ve gotten out of eight and a half hours of working, and it’s a chance to take a break.” In addition to loving the exercise, Maltz dedicates his time and effort to athletics for the camaraderie it fosters. “I have made a lot of my greatest friends at practice, and they are athletes as well, so we all enjoy being there,” Maltz said.

For athletes such as Maltz, sports play a significant role in their lives. Many athletes only need to plan around practices for one season a year. However, Maltz has learned valuable life skills due to the fact that he has three seasons of athletic work. For instance, Maltz believes that he owes his time management skills to his athletic ventures. Each day presents new challenges, but by balancing his time, Maltz thrives.

Maltz attends at least two hours of practice a day and still remains a dedicated student. Although playing three sports isn’t easy, Maltz believes that every day, he comes out stronger. Part of the reward for him is knowing that every time he is competing, he is improving. “It’s exquisite pressure, and under pressure you are able to do great things,” Maltz said. “Pressure forces you to balance all of this together at the same time.”

—Written by Jack Mallery Photos by Richard Yu Graphics by Jeffrey Yao and Elizabeth Zu

Friday, March 3, 2017 21 Sports Women's sports deserve equal media attention

Anyi Cheng and Megan Li Even in modern times, at the country’s apex of equality and acceptance, the gender gap persists. The disparity between media attention dedicated to men’s sports and women's sports is no exception. This particular gender imbalance is painfully prominent—beyond the Williams twins and maybe Katie Ledecky, how many national female athletes can the average American name? The lack of attention that televised, print and social media grant to women in sports leads to a vicious cycle that exacerbates gender inequality and sexism. By rendering it difficult for women to receive the recognition they deserve, the current lack of attention women receive in media is discouraging to every female athlete ranging from those who are established athletes to those aspiring to become professionals. This creates a cycle where female athletes are unable to gain recognition for their accomplishments due to a lack of airtime, and as a result, young and aspiring female athletes are discouraged from pursuing professional careers in athletics.

The difference between the broadcasting of men's and women's athletics mostly stems from an ingrained unfavorable view of female sports. A 2015 study conducted

by YouGov, an international market research company, found that 38 percent of Americans believed that men’s sports have greater tradition than women’s and that 23 percent felt that women’s sports have lower-quality play.

Beyond that, 19 percent of Americans pointed to outright sexism from both viewers and from journalistic and broadcasting editors as the reason why women’s sports are swept to the side. This blatant sexism is very real; for many female athletes, the media judges their performance with a double standard. Women in sports are often ranked or

praised based not on their talent or physical ability, but on their physical attractiveness. As ridiculous as it sounds, the media has shown time and time again that a female athlete's beauty can take her further than her athletic prowess. Tennis player and model Anna Kournikova is among the most prominent examples of this double standard: in the sports media world, she is commonly placed in the top rankings of female athletes, despite having never won a single professional tennis tournament. Then there’s Maria Sharapova, another tennis player who Forbes ranked as their 2010 top-earning female

sport; on the other hand, 61 percent follow at least one men’s sport. To illustrate this shocking viewer gap between the two genders: the most popular women’s sport, tennis, receives about the same amount of attention and airtime as the least popular men’s sport, tennis.

To further expedite the progress that women have been making, more media across all platforms should broadcast and discuss female athletes strictly based on skill and ability just as their male counterparts are. Articles about women shouldn’t only be written when a championship happens or if some scandal has occurred. More matches need to be televised on channels easily accessible to the general public to allow for increased exposure and greater chances for female athletes to gain the recognition that they deserve for dedicating so much work to their careers. If quality of play is an issue for the media higher-ups and the sport-loving masses, giving women more attention would most likely push them to play even better since their games would be under closer scrutiny and have larger fan bases to avoid disappointing.

All of this is not to say that women deserve more of the limelight than men do, or that men don’t spend just as much time and effort. And, although media coverage of women’s athletics has been increasing over the years—the finals of the 2015 Fédération Internationale de Football Association Women’s World Cup were the most-watched soccer match in American history—it still isn’t enough. It remains evident Sherry Chen that there currently still exists an enormous gap athlete but who can’t make a televised appearance without between how the media treats women and men when it reporters making remarks about her attractiveness. Ath- comes to athletics. Such difference in treatment can lead letes understand this double standard, too, and exploit it: to extraordinarily detrimental effects that not only bolster Amy Acuff, high-jumper in the 2000 Olympics, who was sexism and inequality, but also psychological and emotional the most-photographed female athlete in American media effects on female athletes at all levels. If the United States leading up to the Olympics—but did not take home any truly desires to be a paradigm of support for gender equality, medals—made a public statement claiming her goal was to this part of American lives must be changed. be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Fans of female athletes are in such a shortage that only —Cheng, a senior, is a Forum Editor about 17 percent of Americans follow any sort of women’s and Li, a sophomore, is a reporter.

22

Sports

Teachers share high school, college sports stories Social Studies Teacher MARK Weisman: FOOTBALL

Before becoming a coach at Gunn, social studies teacher Mark Weisman played football in high school and college.

After playing linebacker at Long Beach Millikan High School, Weisman continued his love for the sport on the football team at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Weisman was exposed to the sport at an early age, going to football games on weekends with his mother and watching his brothers play in the Pop Warner youth football league. “I’m the youngest of five brothers,” Weisman said. “They all played football, but I was the first one to actually play in high school.”

According to Weisman, football helped develop his worldview and represented his childhood surroundings. “One of my beliefs is that sports is a microcosm of what’s going on around us in society; I was able to understand that at a pretty early age and I wanted to take part in that,” he said.

Weisman believes his experience with high school and college football were very different. “One of the biggest differences is just the talent level,” he said. “I was one of the

best in the [Long Beach] area, an All-Star, but then I get to UCLA and I’m a walk-on. Out of a hundred guys, I’m probably the hundred-and-fifth best guy on the team. The talent was incredible. Speed, size, everything.”

According to Weisman, the camaraderie is his favorite aspect of football. “On my high school team we had 75 freshmen on the freshman team, 65 [junior varsity] players and somewhere around 70 varsity players,” he said. “If we look at that particular aspect of it, suddenly I have 200 new brothers.

The coaches were father figures to me; my father left when I was three, so having a male role model was pretty significant.”

In addition to gaining new brothers, Weisman also met his wife over a shared love for football. “My wife, who’s a physical therapist at Lucille Packard, was a trainer at UCLA when I was playing—that’s actually how we met,” he said.

“She enjoys the sport as well. My kids all enjoy the sport, even though they haven’t played tackle football yet. In that way, there’s lots of things in our lives that kind of revolve

around the sport.”

Weisman believes that the most important lesson he has learned from football is commitment. “It’s hard working out four or five times a week, January through August so you can have 10 games to show off and perform. It’s not for everybody, that’s for sure,” he said. “Whether it’s school or a relationship or a musical instrument, whatever it is you do, [you should be] committed to what you do.”

According to Weisman, football has carried over into his everyday life and helped him grow as a person. “I think there might be different opinions on this one, but I want to feel that it’s made me a better person and that in my relationships, I’m committed,” Weisman said. “I think that over half the students here at Gunn play some sport, and athletics is a great part of life that helps us. When I was at UCLA, the athlete population of UCLA had a higher graduation percentage than the regular population. It translates in so many different ways, and I think it’s good to keep that in mind.”

Photos courtesy of Daisy Renazco, Mark Weisman and Carlos Martinez

Left: Math teacher Daisy Renazco is pursued by a defender down the soccer field while playing for Saint Mary’s. Middle: Social studies teacher Mark Weisman (#67) poses with fellow football teammates. Right: Math teacher Carlos Martinez launches off the diving board at the start of a race.

Math Teacher Daisy Renazco: Soccer

Math Teacher Carlos Martinez: Swimming

Math teacher Daisy Renazco, who was 5 when she started playing soccer, had a different start to her soccer career than most girls. “Back then, they didn’t have girls’ teams so I played with the boys and was the only girl on a boys’ team,” she said.

Renazco played on the boys’ team until she was 8-years-old, when a girls’ club team was created. Renazco had to overcome many difficulties as the only female teammate. “Boys won’t pass to you, and they will not think that you are good enough so you have to prove yourself, which is frustrating,” she said. “I think since I was a strong player, the boys realized pretty early on that I was one of them in terms of skill level.” Through her resilience, Renazco realized that she could overcome any obstacles thrown her way.

As Renazco continued playing soccer throughout high school, she started to love the camaraderie of the sport. “I enjoyed the team element that soccer creates and it gave me an outlet to go and focus on other than my education,” she said. “It gave me friends that were different from school.”

Although Renazco does not talk to her former teammates as often now, she refers to them as her “group of sisters.” Whenever she gets together with them, it is like nothing has changed and they pick up where they left off.

Renazco played all through high school and then Division I soccer at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California. During Renazco’s freshman year, Saint Mary’s made it to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament. Her team beat its rival Santa Clara, which allowed them to proceed to the Sweet 16, but lost to the University of Portland. She still looks back on that experience as a memory she will never forget. Despite a busier schedule, today Renazco tries to make time to play in the alumni game at Saint Mary’s ever year. “Since having my daughter it has been hard to get out and play, but I go watch the Saint Mary’s versus Stanford game every year,” she said.

When math teacher Carlos Martinez was in high school, he found his second home in the water.

Martinez first started swimming as a freshman at Valley High School in southern California, and stayed on a swim team through his freshman year at University of California (UC) Irvine.

When Martinez started swimming competitively in high school, it was mostly because his parents forced him to. “My parents wanted me to do a sport, and they said that if I didn’t pick one, then I had to do swimming and water polo all four years,” he said.

However, he soon started to enjoy swimming for its own worth. Swimming provided an opportunity to work out and constantly push himself to do better. “Even though we do compete against other schools and other swimmers, it was mostly competing against myself and the clock,” Martinez said.

Being on a swim team provided Martinez with many skills he applies to his daily life. Through swimming, he learned how to overcome difficulties to reach his goals. “It taught me how to continue to persevere and endure, and [that], with effort, I can accomplish what I’m trying to achieve,” he said.

Martinez still treasures several memories from his time in high school swimming. He remembers loving spring break practices when all the other students were on break and the swim team’s daily practices. Usually, the team would play a fun game at the end of practice. Martinez recalls racing to pick up a five-pound black brick off the bottom of the pool. “The first team to pick it up, take it out of the water and place it on the pool deck would win, he said.

Swimming also provided him with the chance to meet people who changed his life. He met both friends and mentors to look up to through the sport. “A lot of the people that I met in swimming became my good high school friends,” he said. “I had an awesome coach who knew a lot about swimming and was passionate and was a good role model.”

Martinez still keeps in touch with some of his friends from swimming. One teammate remains his best friend, and has even become a close with Martinez’s family “He shows up to all my Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas Eves and days, and New Year’s,” he said.

—Written by Danielle Gee, Prachi Kale and Liza Kolbasov

Lifestyle

Eight strugg les that onl y curlyhaired peop le can unde rstand 1.

Pe op l e al ways ask why you don't just brush it. But we all know that a lion's mane will follow.

ing to wash your hair. Your whole schedule always revolves around it.

on your hair. You buy special shampoos, conditioners, gels... and haircuts are always going to be 10,000 times more expensive for you.

find bobby pins and all 3. "Can I touch it?” No. 6. You other random stuff in it all the time. Copy Editor Carolyn Kuimelis once found a dead spider in her hair.

7.

Haircuts are a nightmare, especially if you're going to a new salon. And you know it's going downhill if they decide to straighten it before they cut it.

8.

Rain is your enemy. If you forget your umbrella, you're late to every class because you have to walk through the covered areas no matter what.

—Compiled by Maya Rapoport and Clara Kieschnick-Llamas

23

Curly hair should be embraced, not shunned

have to plan your week 4. You around the day you're go-

No one can comprehend the have to take way 2. You 5. amount of money you spend more time than everyone else in the morning to style it. You have to plan your week around the day you're going to wash your hair.

Friday, March 3, 2017

Carolyn Kuimelis I’ve always been the curly-haired exception in my family. When I was younger, my relatives oohed and ahhed at my curls, and my grandma would tell me how jealous she was of my hair. I, however, found my unruly locks to be more of a curse than a blessing. My mom had straight hair all of her life, so she took care of my hair the only way she knew how to. Every morning before school it was a battle between my hair and that evil bristle-toothed brush. My mother would force the brush through my curls, despite my pleas against the torture.

Growing up, I envied my classmates with silky, smooth hair. My hair was a frizzy mess most of the time, and I gave up on trying to find an alternative method of hair care. I resorted to crossing my fingers and hoping that one day, my hair would turn straight.

In middle school, I was introduced to a magical tool: the flat iron. It amazed me that straightening my hair could transform the way I looked, and having straight hair made me feel confident. For over a year, I wore my hair straight every day. It became weird to look in the mirror and see my hair when it wasn’t straightened; I felt insecure with my natural hair.

The illusion was shattered in freshman year, however, when the swim unit rolled around.

Although my worries were irrational, I was incredibly nervous for people to see what my hair looked like in all of its frizzy glory. Thankfully, walking out of P.E. on that first day of the swim unit with my natural hair gave me a much-needed reality check: I cared far more about how my hair looked than anyone else did. In fact, for the first time ever, I kind of liked the way my curls looked when they had time to dry without being fried to a crisp with my straightener.

This new-found realization motivated me to figure out how to take care of my hair—something I’d never given much thought to before.

I spent hours scouring curly hair care websites and watching YouTube videos on hair techniques.

Finally, I stuffed my flat iron in the back of my closet and learned to embrace my crazy curls.

It was empowering to discover a community of people who shared my hair-care woes and trials and tribulations, and what I had before seen as a frizzy nuisance soon became my favorite feature.

—Kuimelis, a junior, is a Copy Editor.

Faces in the Crowd

Elizabeth Zu

What's your favorite part about having curly hair?

“It gives me personality and a reason to talk to other people with curly hair. It’s really nice to bond with people over this unique trait."

Elizabeth Stewart (9)

"My favorite part about having curly hair is that it sets me apart from others, especially since it’s a pretty rare trait for East Asians.

Kathy Liu (10)

"My favorite part about my hair is how cool it looks when I dab, and that it makes me look like my idol Corbin Bleu from High School Musical.

Kyle Vasquez (11)

"I love having curly hair because it always looks easy going. My hair looks pretty shambolic no matter what I do."

Samuel Rothstein (12) —Compiled by Jennifer Gao

24

Lifestyle

A tri p down m emo ry lan e: Sillybandz Almost all of us remember Silly Bandz—whether it was trading them or showing off your new shapes, Silly Bandz were a staple on most middle schoolers’ wrists. Not only were Silly Bandz a popular fashion accessory, but they created social interactions through the process of trading.

Silly Bandz also formed a social hierarchy. The coolest kids had the coolest Silly Bandz and were usually up to date with the other trends of the time. For some reason, they also always had the coolest lunch foods. The middle school world basically came to a halt when sparkly Silly Bandz came out. Those with sparkly bands became the most popular kids in school overnight, and attempts to trade for them were useless.

However, regardless of who you were, you more than likely had a Silly Band on your wrist at one point or another.

While the Silly Bandz trend was short-lived d ue to their tendency to spread viruses, they will always hold a special place in the hearts of many.

Webkinz When we were younger, there was always an excuse to add another Webkinz to our collection, whether it was a birthday, holiday or even just saving up allowance money. Created in 2005, Webkinz seemed like any other stuffed animal, yet it was so much more. Attached to every plush animal was a tag with the code that brought this little toy to life right in front of our eyes. No one can deny that they entered in random codes in the hopes of unlocking a Webkinz.

Webkinz peaked in 2007 because of its addicting arcade games, interior design opportunities and so much more. From the Wheel of Wow and Wishing Well to playdates in the Webkinz Clubhouse and designing a dream home, Webkinz was a vital part of the childhood experience.

Faces in the Crowd What was your favorite obsession as a child?

Hannah Lee

9th

“My favorite obsession as a kid was playing the OG Pokémon DS games! I remember it being so entertaining and fun.”

Elizabeth Salwitz

10th

“My favorite childhood obsession was Legos! I loved making space ships and having battles between alien Legos and regular Legos.”

Alex Viveros

11th

“My favorite childhood obsession was probably reading Marvel comic books. Spider Man was my favorite of course.”

Tim Chau

12th

“I used to be obsessed with the game Maplestory! I really liked the game because it allowed for characters to level up and chat together.”

Graphics by Cheryl Kao

Lifestyle

Friday, March 3, 2017

25

childhood Obsessions we all had Bionicles We all loved Legos as a kid, but the bionicles were next-level Legos. Bionics were basically Lego figures, but bigger and better in every way. When Bionics were introduced for the first time, building it immediately fueled an obsession—you could change its face and give it a big gun, sword or whatever you could create. Kids would stay inside and disassemble and assemble their Bionic for hours, creating new and weirder creations as time went by. The impact of the Bionics was tremendous, as it urged kids to buy more and more and to create their own unique creation. Bionicles was a valuable toy and will always be a cherished toy.

Pokémon

Yugioh Cards

Last summer, a new application took the world by storm: Pokémon Go. The application enabled users to catch Pokémon by walking around town. But Pokémon has been around for much longer. The anime, the video games and the Pokémon cards, while nearly impossible to play due to the multitude of rules, were sources of joy for many people. The cards allowed Pokémon fans to bring fiction into reality. Pokémon cards were a strong motivator; people would often do chores so that they could receive more Pokémon cards for their collection.

After people obtained the cards, they would attempt to play with them, but most attempts ended with disaster. Because some cards were considered “better than others,” people would trade Pokémon cards with other people to get rid of unwanted Pokémon. Even though those trading days are long gone, those cards still lie in the rooms of many, waiting one day to be played with again.

“It’s time to d-d-d-d-duel!” If you don’t recognize the catch-phrase, then you missed out on the best manga ever invented, after Pokemon and Naruto of course.

Yugioh is a Japanese gaming manga written

by Kazuki Takahashi. The story follows a boy named Yugi Mutou who lives in a world that revolves around duel monster cards. He possesses an ancient Egyptian alter-ego who helps solve conflicts in each game. An anime adaptation was released Apr. 1998 and became popular in the early 2000s.

This anime reached audiences all around Asia, such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

O b s e s s e d c h i l d re n c o l l e c te d o ve r 10 0 game cards, bought the anime series on DVD and even had the toy game gadgets li ke i n the ani me.

—Compiled by Stina Chang, Laurel Comiter, Joy Huang, Seungik Shin, Mikaela Wayne and Andrew Zhao.

Photos by Vibha Arun and Max Wang

26

Lifestyle

Juice Cleanse Experiment leaves staffer hungry

Senior Anyi Cheng embarks on a one-day juice cleanse to test the theory of detoxification When I was a kid, I was told to stay away from juice. I knew that if I drank too much juice, my teeth would fall apart and I would suffer extreme organ damage—at least, that’s how my teachers and parents made it sound. But then juice cleanses came along. As part of a new wave of crazy—sometimes mindboggling fad diets—the trend of eating nothing and drinking juices for an extended period of time took the health-nut world by storm with its seemingly overnight results.

Now, I took AP Biology and therefore consider myself a reasonably educated girl; it was pretty hard for me to believe that juice cleanses were the miracle they were touted to be.

But health bloggers raved about the almost-instantaneous results, how they felt invigorated and that the abundant “toxins” in their bodies had been flushed out. To achieve this

bodily nirvana, all I had to do was drink juice? Count me in.

Of course, we weren’t talking about drinking a gallon of orange or cranberry juice in one day. Turns out, the juices I needed were full of green leafy things with big names like “spirulina” and “kale.” Well, so be it. Beauty is pain! I headed to the grocery store, loaded up on Odwalla bottles and prepared myself for a day of eating nothing and drinking juice.

By noon, I felt like I was starving. I was in a bad mood, I felt unbearably hollow and I was having the biggest cravings for non-juice things, like pumpkin pie and chicken alfredo.

Suddenly, I was counting my lucky stars that I had planned to only do one day of the cleanse. It sure didn’t feel like toxins were flushing out of my body, even though I was hitting the bathroom a lot more frequently than I usually did. How was

Senior Anyi Cheng goes to Safeway to make a The Odwalla Red Rhapsody was used as one of choice on what drinks she wants to consume. the five juice bottles during Cheng’s juice cleanse.

I going to make it to dinner—excuse me, I meant my evening bottle of apple-flavored spinach puree—without giving up?

Well, I’ll spare you the gory details, but I made it through the rest of the day without breaking down, and I consider that a testament to my iron-hard will. The next morning I woke up groggy and as far from refreshed as possible. If anything, I felt normal, albeit very hungry. I didn’t feel like I had been purged of any toxins at all.

As they say, all mistakes are learning experiences, and trying just one day of a juice cleanse was definitely a mistake.

Not only had I drained (literally) half my cat-sitting income, I also lost out on an entire day of food-induced bliss. Lesson learned: don’t skip out on solid food!

—Written by Anyi Cheng

Photos by Richard Yu

Cheng is all smiles as she prepares to begin her juice cleanse with her Odwalla juice bottles.

SOURCES OF STRENGTH: Advice Column Question: My family doesn’t respect the sport that I do. They expect me to quit to catch up on my schoolwork, but I really don’t want to quit the thing I love. What should I do?

It is very difficult when you feel your parents don’t value the same things you do. You might try to talk with your parents about how to come to a compromise. At a non-stressful time when everyone is calm, try to tell your parents how you feel. It may help if you can demonstrate how the sport is important in your life, how it makes you happy and how it does help with your performance in school in different ways. You can emphasize how exercise and activities outside of school are important for your wellness and mental health. The goal should be to create a healthy balance of both wellness and academics in your life.

If they see that you’re trying to have a respectful and mature conversation with them, your parents may be more likely to listen to you and how you feel. They may acknowledge and appreciate that you are growing up and are becoming even more capable of handling things on your own. If so, they may be more likely to compromise with you and be able to talk about what the next steps could be.

When talking to your parents, make sure that you choose a time and a space where both parties are calm in order to have a productive conversation. Talk about how important your sport is to your wellness. If possible, acknowledge that your grades are not where you want them to be and discuss the plan you have for how to improve them. Ask your parents for ideas to come up with one that compromises what both you and your parents want. Use “I” statements like “I feel that sports help with with my well being…” instead of “you aren’t respecting…” to prevent the conversation from becoming accusatory. Coming up with a plan together may make everyone feel appreciated and supported. Thinking of some ideas ahead of time will help your parents realize that you are on the same page and that you may need some help, but that you also need to be doing something that makes you feel happy, which may be that sport. Many parents love to be asked for their help and advice.

A healthy, two-way relationship with your parents is important for your success and happiness. Try to explain why you love this sport and share this part of your life with them. This may make them understand your side better and be more supportive of you in the future.

Hopefully this will allow all to strengthen your relationship and make it one of mutual support. If you feel this conversation may be too difficult, you can also talk to a trusted adult or your counselor to strategize ways to have the conversation beforehand.

We wish you good luck!

The Sources of Strength column is a joint effort between the The Oracle, Gunn Advice Sources, Stanford child psychiatrist Moira Kessler and Gunn school counselor Cora Ross. Kessler and Ross are offering feedback to students based on their professional expertise. However, they are not providing any clinical services.

If a student, you or someone you know is in need of immediate support at school, reach out to a trusted adult, visit the Counseling Office or Wellness Center. If you are in crisis outside of school, the Crisis Text Line is a free, 24/7 support service. Text "Connect" 741741 to text with a trained Crisis Counselor.

If you are interested in submitting a non-urgent question for a future column, please fill out a form in the Wellness Center or Counseling Office, or use the following link: http://tinyurl. com/gunnadvice.

Lifestyle

Friday, March 3, 2017

27

Staffers explore unique spots to get sweets in the Bay Area

CALIFORNIA MOCHI Jenna Marvet California Mochi in Mountain View is a small shop that offers three categories of mochi: classic, ice cream and fresh fruit-filled. When I visited after school, the shop was quiet and tidy. It resembles an ice cream store, with one freezer display for the ice cream and another for the unfrozen treats. While the ambiance seemed relatively good, there was only one table with two benches in the store.

I decided to try a white bean mochi, two ice cream mochis and a fresh pineapple-filled mochi. Unfortunately, it seemed that the time of day we had arrived, the store was not fully stocked.

While the ice cream stock seemed complete, many of the classic flavors were missing, like red bean. The white bean mochi was tasty, but a bit bland. The ice cream mochi was delicious

CREATEaVE CAFE Shannon Yang Tucked within a San Jose plaza, CreaTEAve Cafe, also known as Hello Desserts, is an affordable option for Pearl Milk Tea (PMT) enthusiasts. Its specialty is the customizable, self-serve nature.

When I walked in, there was no line and the employees were friendly. CreaTEAve Cafe offers two sizes: small, at $2.95, and regular, at $3.95. While other PMT shops usually charge extra for toppings, CreaTEAve Cafe charges a flat rate for the cup, so I spooned in a bit of every topping including jellies, puddings, popping boba and, of course, pearls. The honey boba was soft and sweet, but not so much that it distracted from the tea. I could notice the jellies’ colors weren’t just due to food coloring: strawberry jelly tasted like strawberry and green apple jelly tasted like green apple. The variety made every sip I took feel fresh and interesting. I could also try uncommon toppings, such as basil seeds, red bean and taro pudding, which didn’t

—Marvet, a senior, is a News Editor.

seem tasty, but ended up complementing the PMT. Since CreaTEAve Cafe offers sampling cups, I tried all their teas. They were high-quality, and didn’t taste diluted. I bought two cups, both with milk: blue-eyes fruit infusion, reminiscent of the Starbucks pink and purple drinks, and lychee green tea. Another favorite was the jasmine rose green tea. Though mixing is allowed, the selection was unimpressive. There were only a couple fruity teas; the rest were traditional teas like oolong, assam, earl grey and jasmine.

The store has a peaceful, family-friendly ambiance, with modern wall décor and small circular tables. The store also offers snacks, paninis and desserts. I tried the mango tofu pudding. Though creamy, light and decently-sized, the tofu made it taste less like dessert. It didn’t feel worth the $5.45, so next time I’d stick to tea.

All in all, I’d recommend CreaTEAve Cafe.

The workers are nice, and it’’s well-priced and flavorful. The quality is comparable with that of other popular PMT shops like Teaspoon. It doesn’t necessarily warrant the commute, but if you’re going to the San Jose area anyway, it’s worth a detour.

—Yang, a senior, is the Oracle-SEC liaison.

ICICLES Tim Sun The hype surrounding rolled ice cream has burgeoned, and Snapchat stories of it have caused much salivation. But is rolled ice cream truly superior, or is this just another fleeting fad?

Icicles is located in a small downtown area in San Jose. The store is located right off of the highway, and parking is easy to find. The setting is charming: a few small tables fill the outdoor patio, and lights are draped from a canopy to provide a pleasant ambiance.

There are a variety of exotic flavors to choose from, including Bravocado and Gotcha Matcha. A short time after ordering, your name is called by one of the workers, who then creates the ice cream from scratch in front of you. They pour Graphics by Sherry Chen

and refreshing. The ice cream was the best deal as well, coming in at $4.30 for two mochis of your choice. I decided on one passion fruit and one vanilla chocolate chip. The passion fruit stood out—tasted fresh and fruity and was not heavy. While they were smaller than the room temperature desserts, one was enough for me and I was able to share the second with a friend.

I was most excited to try the fresh fruit mochi, which seemed like a healthier dessert option than the other offerings and was unique to California Mochi. I chose the pineapple mochi, which included fresh pineapple, sweet chocolate and a white bean mix. However, the pineapplefilled mochi was just too messy to be delicious. The large piece of stringy pineapple made it hard to take a clean bite and juice from the fruit moistened the rice flour casing, making it unappetizing. While both mochi and fresh fruit are delicious on their own, the combination did not work for me.

Overall, California Mochi offers some yummy choices while not breaking the bank. Their desserts are fresh and are a good alternative to heavier, sweeter and generally less healthy treats. Their ice cream selection is particularly delicious, and their classic flavors do the job when you’re craving a particular mochi. The problem is that their more unique offering and claim to fame, fresh fruit filled mochi, does not meet expectations.

milk over some initial ingredients, then blend and chop the mixture as it freezes. When the ice cream is thick enough, it is spread out into a thin surface and scraped into rolls that are placed in a cup. This process is supposedly the highlight of the experience, but I found it a bit underwhelming. It was over in less than a minute and was no more exciting than watching ice cream getting scooped from a large cylindrical container. The only interesting aspect was the novelty, but watching one time was already enough for me.

After the rolling, you get a choice of unique toppings, from strawberries to boba, as well as the classic sprinkles and Oreo crumbs. The flavor of the ice cream was tasty, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. When you start to eat, the toppings cover the rolls, so the experience is essentially identical to having ordinary ice cream.

Perhaps my experience was distorted by the 20 minute wait time to simply enter the store, followed by the realization upon entering that each cup was $7. Maybe my astonishment at how a dessert could cost as much as a Chipotle burrito got in the way of my enjoyment of the experience and the taste. Still, I don’t think the rolled ice cream is worth the price.

In the end, a long trip to Icicles (and perhaps an even longer wait) for expensive ice cream is a one-time experience.

After watching once and getting a solid Snapchat story in, another visit would be a waste of time and money.

—Sun, a senior, is a Sports Editor.

28

Space Jam

The Blind Side

Rocky

Over 20 years after its original 1996 release, “Space Jam” proves to be as entertaining and enjoyable as ever. The star of the movie is Michael Jordan, whose popularity instantly made the film a must-see for many. Jordan cranked out a satisfactory acting performance, especially compared to the god-awful acting jobs of his NBA cohorts.

The world of “Looney Tunes” collides with the real world to create an augmented reality where real actors and animated characters share the screen. The classic “Looney Tunes” cast starring Bugs Bunny, Tweety Bird and Daffy Duck provides quirky humor and entertainment that 6-year-olds and 60-year-olds alike are sure to enjoy. The unlikely combination of Michael Jordan and the “Looney Tunes” succeeds in joining forces for a film that is sure to entertain diehard basketball fans, cartoon fans and everyone in between.

Adapted from a novel of the same title, “The Blind Side” achieved a depth often not found in athletically-themed films. Under the direction of John Lee Hancock, a star-studded cast including Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw created a movie that garnered critical acclaim. Bullock went on to win an Academy Award for her role in the film, and the film also earned a nomination in the Best Picture category.

“The Blind Side” offers a heartwarming depiction of Michael Oher’s (Quinton Aaron) journey from impoverished teen to NFL offensive lineman. With the resources and guidance of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy (Bullock and McGraw), Oher ascends to football greatness, overcoming discrimination and doubt to find success. The journey from underdog to success story is what makes this movie so powerful.

What differentiates “Rocky” from other sports movies is how seamlessly it blends sports, romance and personal growth. “Rocky” may be most famous for its underdog story, training montages and jingoism. Yet, the romance between Rocky and his girlfriend, Adrian, makes the story special. Rocky is able to save Adrian from her status as a wallflower. If not for Rocky, she would die alone and afraid, confined to taking care of her brother. Adrian breaks out of her shell by opening up to Rocky, giving him the support of a faithful woman and inspiration to fight.

As much as everyone loves and admires the iconic moments Rocky gave us—drinking raw eggs from a glass, using cow carcasses as a punching bag and jogging through the streets of Philadelphia—Rocky and Adrian’s relationship and their subsequent growth are what make “Rocky” one of the greatest sports movies of all time.

—Written by Eric Epstein, Matthew Oh and Aleks Tycz Graphics by Cheryl Kao and Elizabeth Zu