Gunn through the fences: catching up with our campus
Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306
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district, teachers adapt to new distance learning plans Catherine Chu News Editor In the interest of prioritizing the safety of the students, teachers and staff of Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), Gunn will transition to full distance learning until further notice by the county or state. At the start of the fall semester, there will be a routine bell schedule with synchronous Zoom classes, each meeting three times a week. As the state of California has decreased the amount of daily instructional time from 360 to 240 minutes for the 2020-2021 school year, classes will now begin between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. every morning. In contrast to the PAUSD response last semester, there will be letter grades and Zoom attendance records. “We are going to remain conservative,” superintendent Don Austin said. “We are pretty confident that we can bring students back in small groups for things such as picking up books and computers, since people still need that.” However, according to Austin, there will be no oncampus meetings or assemblies, even though these gatherings were initially planned. From a student perspective, valuable direct instruction may be lost without on-campus meetings. “Any of the teaching tactics we used to take for granted will be impacted, such as 1-on-1 help from teachers, table group discussions, tests and labs,” School Board Representative Thomas Li said. According to the Gunn website, the new schedule has dedicated 90 minutes of office hours—30 minutes after school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday—each week for students to meet individually with teachers and receive extra support. Yet even upon considering such additional supports, Math Department Instructional Lead David Deggeller advises students to change studying habits. “Students are going to have to be more independent and proactive than ever,” Deggeller said. “They will have to reflect on their own learning and take advantage of all [accessible] support offered by teachers.” Deggeller also expressed concerns about student engagement. “The last thing I want to do is lecture for 75 minutes synchronously over Zoom,” Deggeller said. “I prefer to post introductory videos ahead of time for students to watch.” As Deggeller spent the past semester testing the effectiveness of asynchronous lecturing, he has crafted different ways to spend synchronous Zoom classes. “I would rather spend our synchronous time together doing problem solving discussion and other activities [than lecturing],” Deggeller said.
Student Activities Director Lisa Hall added that maintaining regular social communication between students is crucial, as campus interaction can be stimulating for many students. According to Hall, traditional schooling promotes peer-to-peer interaction and supports avid learners who understand that making personal connections is one of the best ways to learn. “We’re looking to provide greater support to clubs now that they’re online, which will be a great support to student life this year,” she said. Hall is also aware of changes to club meetings in the coming school year. “There will be other times outside of lunch hours for designated clubs to meet,” she said. “And we hope everyone will be accommodating and adjust a bit, so not every club will be meeting every week.” According to Hall, given the newfound emphasis clubs will have on student life, the Student Executive Council is looking to regularly send ambassadors to clubs to ensure that things are running smoothly and that new clubs are getting the support they need. “Our biggest challenge for students is asking them to be willing to try new things, even if it’s not something that we hoped,” Hall said. Teachers have been preparing themselves for a smooth transition into online learning as well. According to Science Department Instructional Lead Laurie Pennintgon,
at least 90% of teachers have signed up to partake in the district’s summer progressional development modern pedagogy, which has 11 modules that present online teaching strategies such as discussion boards, playlists, work ideas and Zoom groups. “These classes teach how to manage mishaps ahead of time, because from last semester we can see that Zoom isn’t always cooperative,” Pennington said. “There is still uncertainty, and I’m nervous for the semester to begin, but at least this way teachers are being prepared to improve things from last semester.” Beyond campus life and learning environment changes, teaching and grading will also differ from the norm. Initially, access to resources posed concerns about academic achievement. According to Pennington, the new grading system will be similar to standards based grading and will look at particular objectives. For example, in science classrooms, labs will be modified the most when it comes to online learning, since materials are hard to access. “For physics, it’s so concrete that being able to actually see things such as constant force affecting motion is very important, which is why we plan to implement labs in a more unique way this semester” Pennington said. District reopening—p.2
Sarah Chang
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First Week of School Issue
THEORACLE 780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238 www.gunnoracle.com
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Joshua Yang Managing Editors Madison Nguyen Nikki Suzani News Julianna Chang Catherine Chu Forum Jessica Wang Jessica Zang
munication. “Communication is really key in Austin, PAUSD will be working closely with Social studies teacher Laurel Howard also times like these, and getting with a trusted adult Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Saratoga expressed concern for group projects requiring can help you problem solve and find the right and Fremont school districts in observing the safety of the classroom environment between physical collaboration in the classroom, such as way to combat problems,” she said. Oct. 12 and the first week of November. posters and presentations. “A lot of the If schools do not return in-person during things that I love to do in the classroom are activities and simulations,” Howard “I want to acknowledge that it's a rough time, and there the first week of November, high schools said. “Those are going to be so much are disappointments, but I'm looking forward to a day will remain in distance learning until harder over Zoom. I’m trying to replicate with noisy hallways and a bunch of people greeting winter break. Austin also highlighted the importhat digitally, but the reality is that it’s just each other again. It's not going to be tomorrow, but it's going to happen.” tance of student and family input in not going to be the same.” —Superintendent Don Austin decision making. “We’re going to ask However, Howard remains optimistic high school students directly and send about online learning. “I think [online out questionnaires throughout each week learning is] possible if we use breakout to keep getting feedback to monitor how Currently, PAUSD plans to remain online rooms or Google Drive, and I will continue to work with the other history teachers to provide until Oct. 12. “We’ve already made a com- we’re doing as a school system, and where we mitment [to distance learning] until Oct. 12,” can make adjustments,” Austin said. support for students,” she said. There will be higher expectations than last Nevertheless, teaching in the fall will em- Austin said. “That allows teachers to get their phasize independence. “Knowing where your feet under them, and for students to not worry semester for the quality of learning. “I want to acknowledge that it’s a rough time, and there are strengths and challenges are is a really impor- about checking the watchlist everyday.” The purposes of this decision are twofold. disappointments, but I’m looking forward to a tant part of learning about yourself, which is what’s really going to help students in the future, Besides public health concerns, postponing day with noisy hallways and a bunch of people a physical reopening also ensures stability in greeting each other again,” Austin said. “It’s not especially in college,” Pennington said. Pennington stressed the importance of com- the transition to online learning. According to going to be tomorrow, but it’s going to happen.” District reopening
Features Dori Filppu Mia Knezevic Centerfold Annika Bereny Katie Shih Sports Calvin Cai Devon Lee Lifestyle Haley Pflasterer Arjun Shah Online Genna Bishop
Courtesy of Laurel Howard and Laurie Pennington
Left: Social studies teacher Laurel Howard describes her desk space as a glorified closet. Right: Science Department Instructional Lead Laurie Pennington sits at her desk at Gunn, preparing to use it for the upcoming school year.
INBOX
Photo Editor Mia Knezevic Graphics Editor Sophie Fan
Staff Business/Circulation Sophia Stern Graphics Artists Sarah Chang Madeleine Chen Ella Koehler Clair Koo Heidi Purnama Mihika Sane Zora Zhang Adviser Kristy Blackburn
The Oracle is a student publication and open forum published by and for the students of Henry M. Gunn High School. In a time when journalism at all levels has increasingly come under scrutiny and attack, the staff of The Oracle is committed to promoting students’ rights and delivering high quality, trustworthy and unbiased reporting. To that end, we will correct any significant error; corrections should be submitted to oraclegunn@gmail.com. The unsigned editorials that appear in this publication represent the majority opinion of the editorial staff.
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Letter from the Editor
Dear Titans, Welcome to the Gunn Oracle’s first week of school issue, and welcome to the 20202021 school year. To put it succinctly, life has changed in profound and unpredictable ways. These past few weeks and months, as The Oracle staff has circumvented and overcome numerous obstacles to create, produce and publish the issue you’re holding in your hands, we’ve often been reminded of that reality. From enduring glitchy Zoom meetings to putting finishing touches on page designs at 1 a.m., being an Oracle journalist has never been a more demanding, challenging and exhilarating endeavor. At this time, it feels appropriate to remind all of our readers what exactly this endeavor is driven by. Simply put, The Oracle is news written by the students, for the students. Throughout the course of what is undoubtedly going to be a tumultuous year, the ethos and principles of The Oracle will stay the same. We’re dedicated to providing timely, insightful and thought-provoking coverage; we’re dedicated to sparking much-needed
conversations and inspiring paradigm shifts. We’re dedicated to the truth. Conversely, what will change and will continue to change is how we’re best fulfilling those ideals. We’re rethinking how we best engage and interact with you, our readers. This past semester, we began revamping our social media feed as a way to directly involve you in our storytelling process, and we’re doubling down on those efforts this semester. (By the way: follow @gunnoracle on Instagram, if you haven’t already!) We’re ushering in new designs for our website, and we’re reevaluating the most important priorities to focus on while pushing the envelope. And, of course, we’re always looking to recruit new talent. If you’re even a little interested in writing, reporting, design or photography—or if you’re simply interested in telling impactful stories, working in a fast-paced newsroom and finding a vibrant community of like-minded peers, join us. We’d love to have you. That’s a quick summary of what we’re doing on our part. To our readers—and at the risk of sounding like an advertisement— one of the best methods to support us and our mission is through subscribing to The Oracle. This issue that we’ve mailed home to every single student is a preview of the interesting, diverse and nuanced content to come in the following weeks and months,
and we’d be thrilled to deliver future copies of The Oracle straight to your doorstep, especially since we won’t be able to distribute our issues on campus. To get started, visit the Gunn webstore. A closing thought: former Washington Post publisher Philip L. Graham once remarked that journalism serves as the first rough draft of history. At this point in our shared history, national news is dominating the airwaves and social media right now. We’re facing a near-unprecedented global pandemic, a national reckoning over racial equality and a deeply divisive presidential election with momentous ramifications—all at once. Yet, even in the turmoil that is 2020, I urge you to remember the news that impacts you the most—I urge you to invest in hyper-local, student-centric journalism. Follow along as The Oracle chronicles how the Gunn community navigates the difficult, daunting months ahead; witness The Oracle document a year unlike any other. Join in as The Oracle captures each controversial debate, each debilitating setback, each tenuous step forward. In the upcoming year, this is where the story of Gunn will be written. Readers, we can’t wait to get started. Sincerely, Joshua Yang, EIC 2020-2021
First Week of School Issue
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Week of August 17, 2020
Returning students share valuable tips, advice I still remember my first day at Gunn: I went to the wrong first period class, didn’t know anyone in my classes and had trouble getting used to the much larger campus and community of high school. Freshmen year is a time of transition: you’re back to being the youngest in the school and there are so many people from different middle schools. Although online learning means that you don’t have to worry about getting lost on campus, it can still be challenging to acclimate to your new peers and classes. Here are some tips to make freshman year less confusing and more enjoyable. First off, get to know new people. At the beginning of last year, I felt like I knew no one. I couldn’t find my friends and there were so many new faces. As a freshman, get to know new people! Having friends in all of your class will always make time go by faster. Even if you don’t like the class, you can always look forward to spending time with a friend.
Secondly, connect with your teachers. It’s a good idea to get to know your teachers and class structure. Your teachers are there to help you. Even though we’re starting this year online, they will still always be there to give you support and help. Creating a stronger relationship with your teacher will give you more confidence in the class. Also, each class will have its own structure and rules—for example, in terms of homework requirements and late work policies. It’s helpful to understand how each class functions early on to feel completely comfortable in the class. Last but not least, don’t procrastinate—before you know it, you could be knee-deep in work. Unlike middle school, teachers don’t schedule their tests and work around one another, so it’s possible to have a light load one week and a crushing load the next. Staying on top of your work is key to making your freshman year as the least stressful possible, especially when finals come around. With that in mind, unlike middle school, finals show
up in nearly every class. Don’t wait until the last week before finals to start studying. Also, remember that freshman year will probably be the easiest of all your years in high school, so don’t let bad habits follow you as you move onto the next grade level! Freshman year truly was different and confusing for me, but looking back now, I can also see that it was a year full of good memories and left me excited for my upcoming years at Gunn. Despite new faces and finals, freshman year is a unique and exciting episode of your life. Good luck, and welcome to Gunn!
Class of 2023—you made it through freshman year. You’re no longer the measly, clueless underdogs, and even though your freshman year was cut short, now’s your chance to make your mark. Sophomore year is when the speed picks up– your classes get harder, your activities become more demanding and suddenly you have no spare time whatsoever. This is where time management, your soon-to-be best friend, comes into play. As high school gets increasingly difficult, it’s important to find that balance between your schoolwork and personal life. Try to plan ahead when you can: it’s helpful to know what’s coming up so you can prioritize. We live in an area that’s known for its academic
rigor and environmental pressure to succeed, but your personal life matters too. Make time for yourself, your family and your friends whenever possible. At the end of the day, you’re going to remember the late-night adventures with your best friends and the exhilarating feeling of performing your airbands dance–not the endless hours spent studying. To achieve this balance, you might have to drop something: a class, sport, extracurricular activity or even a draining friend. Regardless, you should still challenge yourself; you can handle a lot more than you think. And if you procrastinate, try to procrastinate so hard that you do other things instead. Also, get involved. With a brand new year coming up and college applications on the horizon, this is your chance to join any club, activity or sport you find interesting. If you can, try to avoid joining clubs and organizations for the purpose of looking good on your college applications; if an activity truly interests you, you’re more likely to participate and have fun doing it! Speak up in class or during a Zoom call when you can; nobody cares if you’re wrong. Talk to the people at your table or
in your breakout room–this might end up being one of your only chances to interact with your peers, so use it. Remember, distance learning is new for everyone, especially your teachers, so try to be sympathetic. Even though it might be difficult to focus during your Zoom calls or understand the content at times, your teachers are always willing to help, so email them if you need it. Most importantly, take pride in what you do. Instead of comparing yourself to others, take a step back every once in a while and look at all that you’ve done. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished and where you’re going to go. Don’t stress too much about things that happened in the past. Instead, just focus on working harder or doing better the next time. When all is said and done, try not to make too much fun of the freshmen. Remember, you were just like them only three months ago, so please help them out if you can. Good luck, sophomores.
Ah, junior year. The Oracle has published these advice columns for a few years now, and, inevitably, given the reputation of junior year, this column begins with something along the lines of “take a deep breath.” “Don’t worry.” “Don’t stress.” Here’s the deal: we’ll start by covering everything that you should be mindful of—but definitely not scared of—as you enter your third year of high school. Then, at the end, we’ll take a deep breath together, okay? First things first. Classes will be harder and more hectic; more honors courses or Advanced Placement classes means more work. Depending on the extracurriculars you’re involved in, you might find your schedule filling up rapidly. And, of course, those pesky standardized tests will also be begging for your attention! The bottom line: you’ll find your free time shrinking and your list of obligations increasing as junior year ramps up. It’ll become harder to keep track of which tasks to prioritize and which commitments to drop for good. This year is all about independence, which is both
liberating and daunting; with optional homework policies and fewer classes, you’ll find yourself struggling to figure out what’s truly worth your time. There are no right answers, but you’ll never go wrong with doing less things but better. Focus on the activities and obligations you’re truly invested in, and you’ll find your frenzied schedule easier to stay on top of. Please take care of yourself; manage your time well and get enough sleep! I should address the elephant in the (Zoom) room here: with COVID-19, there will be changes to the Gunn experience. There’s no guarantee of being able to dress in all black during homecoming; no promise of prom in San Francisco. There’s no being able to flaunt a newlyearned driver’s license; there’s not even that sense of satisfying superiority gained by lazily strolling past underclassmen running the mile in P.E. For perhaps the first time in your lives, nobody has any of the answers anymore. Like the rest of your year, navigating this new reality will be equal parts daunting, liberating and educational.
However, even in this year that’s anything but normal, don’t forget to enjoy and appreciate those tiny, fleeting moments. The elation of finally getting through a difficult week of laborious assignments and tight deadlines. The late night study calls with friends spent commiserating over yet another essay. The knowledge that, with each and every challenging test, you’re one step closer to finishing the marathon that is junior year. So, to the class of 2022: let’s take a deep breath together. Ahead of you are 180 days full of highs, lows, surprises and just about everything in between. There’s no better advice I can give than to take it all in—junior year will be over before you know it.
Congratulations! You’ve finally reached senior year. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a first semester senior, as it is well known that second semester seniors forget how to read. There is no doubt that the Class of 2021 will have a year that’s substantially different than the ones that came before it. Gone will be the experience of winning homecoming, asking someone to a dance or seeing your best friends on campus before you leave them forever. Or maybe everything will turn out okay—I don’t know. No one has ever had a senior year like yours, so there’s a good chance that this advice will age like milk. Anyways, here it is. A lot of you are going to be working on college applications. Begin by making schedules, keeping track
of deadlines and doing research into the colleges you want to apply to. Not just degrees and rankings, but also tuition, housing costs, student groups and other factors that you might not have considered. When I started writing my essays, a teacher told me, “you are already done with most of the hard work. Now is a time to put everything together and be proud of yourself.” Don’t be afraid to brag, to write something different or show off some weird hobby, talent or quirk that you never thought people would be interested in. If the college pays attention, good for you. If they don’t pay attention, they weren’t good enough for you anyways. That’s another theme, especially for second semester: not paying attention. You’ll start feeling the urge to focus less on your homework, your extracurriculars and the “Lisa Hall Posted an Update on Schoology” emails that you once found so riveting. But, please pay attention where it counts. I’m not just talking about academics. Pay attention to the people who matter most. When your friends ask for you to hang out, do it (socially distanced, of course).
When a teacher cracks a joke or shows you a meme they made, laugh at it. I don’t care if it’s not funny. They wanted to bring some joy into your life, so it won’t kill you to bring some joy into theirs. In short, senior year is a time to connect with people. Make the most out of every day by talking with old friends and making new memories because inevitably, these moments will pass. With everything up in the air at the moment, your 180 days of reign over Gunn might not turn out to be what you imagined. Sure, senior ditch day might just be skipping a Zoom session, socially-distanced airbands might be difficult and prom might not even happen. But this school is not just made of airbands or proms or traditions—it’s made of people. And as long as there are people out there who care about you—which I promise there will be—your senior experience will be unforgettable. Good luck, 2021. You’re going to soar.
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
—Shih, a sophomore, is a Centerfold Editor.
—Chang, a junior, is a News Editor.
—Yang, a senior, is Editor-in-Chief.
—Li is a member of the Class of 2020.
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Campu
Gunn through the fences: catching up with our campus
Glorious: ripe tomatoes spil Gunn garden near the K Build garden’s plants and campus f to grow prolifically, showing
The Oracle examined the new changes Gunn’s campus has undergone in the months since lockdown. From new construction projects to fenced up buildings and artificial grass, this is Gunn in the 2020-2021 school year.
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1 10 Sunb athin g: decorated cla ssroom door mat s air out on rails nex t to the J Building; more can be found ly ing a round d if ferent spot s on c a mpus.
2 3 Chaotic Structures: an assortment of stacked chairs, tables, fans, carts, cabinets and stools balance against each other like an artistic arrangement in the hub of the H Building. Many of the surrounding spaces, including the World Languages office, were cleaned and disinfected in late July.
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Outweeded: new artificial turf covers the Senior Quad in front of the P Building. This area was previously paved with brick; before that, it was the site of a water fountain.
O ut of Shape: t w isted at t he base by a hard impact, a lamp post in the parking lot rests against a nearby signpost. The surrounding area is cordoned off by caution tape and orange cones.
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Map
Week of August 17, 2020
l over the fence of the ding. Left untamed, the foliage have continued their brilliant colors.
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9 Enlightened: an N Building math classroom lies empty under the light of the midday sun streaming in through the windows.
Re st r icted Ent ranc e s: the N Building lies behind metal bars and caution tape, waiting for the campus to reopen in the future.
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El Cavador: workers and machinery dig into the baseball f ield. A lthough a truck crashed into the baseball field fence last spring, the fence has since been repaired.
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Our New Sandbox: the football field has become a sandbox; its anticipated transformation into a newly turfed field is still in progress.
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Off Limits: caution tape festoons the metal gates that lead to the freshman quad, while nearby red plastic benches lie empty and unused.
—Compiled by Jessica Wang Graphics by Madeleine Chen and Grace Liu Photos by Jessica Wang
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First Week of School Issue
Unique Summer Experience reveals vital Life Lessons
Nikki Suzani “Sorry I’m late, I was busy driving into a curb,” I grin, telling the tale of my second time driving to the other members of the Wave Learning Festival (WLF) Public Relations team. Who thought it’d be a good idea to give me a permit? Apparently the DMV. We laugh for a bit, and then begin the meeting, a now-weekly occurrence in my life. There’s a familiar camaraderie as we plan out our next week of tasks for WLF, an education nonprofit we started just months before, making fun of each others’ blog posts and social media mishaps. I don’t stop smiling—and I don’t want to, surrounded by new friends. The summer of 2020 was a crazy one: it was the summer of COVID-19, of social distancing and of cancelled plans. But, for me, it was also the best summers of my life: one where I got to meet incredible people, participate in countless activities and find joy in the busyness of it all. Here’s what I learned this summer. First: Spyfall (a “guess the spy” game) is the best virtual bonding activity, Set (an online card game) is a close second and Avalon (a Mafia-like game) is very much at the bottom of the list. Virtual games were certainly a highlight of the summer: pretending to be confused when one of my middle-school debate mentees, who was clearly the spy, announced he didn’t know the location, doing reverse-reverse psychology to figure out which WLF member was playing Merlin and laughing when my friend destroyed me (by 15 sets) in Set. I started to realize how easy it is to make virtual connections, especially with people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Rather than being a hindrance, lack of in-person communication meant that I could spend hours with people across the nation, not just those surrounding Palo Alto. Second: it’s okay to quit things. Going into March, my original plan was to attend seven weeks of policy debate camp, spending upwards of 10 hours a day focused solely on debate. I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. Instead, I spent that time doing activities I was passionate about: working with the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office to increase transparency about COVID-19 infections in California jails, designing and teaching my own three-week course on modern journalism for WLF, writing a Los Altos Town Crier front-page magazine feature and taking on countless other projects. I was finally proud of what I was doing. I finally explored fields that I’d always wondered about, carving out new interests for myself. I had found happiness in pursuing what I wanted, rather than what was expected of me. Third: your best moments, not your worst, define your experiences. Months later, I’m not going to remember the frustration of calling fifteen different probation numbers to get the information I needed. I’m not going to think back upon the 7 a.m. prepping sessions for the national debate tournament, or the angry parents who hated their children’s WLF classes. No—I’m going to remember the memories I made. The opportunities I got to make serious change in worldwide communities. The new interests I developed and perspectives I gained. And, as cheesy as it sounds, the friends I made along the way. This summer was a wild ride, for sure, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. —Suzani, a senior, is a Managing Editor.
Road trip encourages family to explore outdoors, form bonds For some, a typical summer includes lots of travel, wheth- fast food restaurants or any restaurants in general; we just er it’s domestic or international. But the summer of 2020 brought our own food and then cooked it in the RV,” Rodden has undoubtedly been far from a typical said. “We also summer. had to socially Due to the coronavirus, families are distance with all finding different, safer methods of travof our family and el than airplanes. Thus, a new means of had to be careful transportation for extensive domestic at gas stations.” voyages has gained much popularity: While makthe RV. ing a wide array Junior Nate Rodden and his family of public health decided to try out an RV by embarking precautions necon a road trip. “We were [originally] essary, a signifiplanning to see our family [by flying] out cant upside to to the Midwest,” Rodden said. “That’s long road trips why we made the trip so that we could are passengers see them, and that instead of flying out, being able to we would drive out.” stop along their Unlike traveling by plane, the trip way and visit the gave Rodden and his family the chance to scope out the sur- many landmarks America has to offer. roundings of rural United States on the journey to their desRodden got to see a variety of sites on his road trip, which tination as they he observed to be one of the biggest highdrove through lights of his journey. “It was cool to see a locations they lot more of the country and see more of the would usually landscape on the way to where you are travfly over. “We eling,” he said. “My favorite part of the trip drove down to was seeing Yellowstone because I’ve never the Southwest been there before, and it’s just a very beau[and] saw the tiful national park.” Grand Canyon,” While the sites on a road trip may have Rodden said. been a refreshing experience, Rodden ex“Then, we startpressed a familiar concern. ed going north “I think my family would go on another to see my family road trip, but probably not such a long one, in the Midwest because it is hard to be with your family for and then headthat long in such a small vehicle,” Rodden ed back west to said. California and Be it during the times of COVID-19 or Photos courtesy of Nate Rodden went through not, the experiences of a summer road trip Minnesota. I got to see lots of family.” with family can bring many memories and wonders. Yet, with a pandemic still surging, there were precautions —Written by Haley Pflasterer Rodden and his family had to take. “We did not eat at any
Virtual entrepreneureurship venture alleviates lockdown-induced boredom This summer, despite unique circumstances brought on by COVID-19, junior Alan Guo managed to start a business within the confines of his digital desktop. Guo attended LaunchX, an entrepreneurship incubator sorting students from all around the world into small teams and setting them off to create a business. While originally intended to be an in-person program, LaunchX pivoted to a virtual setup, thus accommodating more students and extending its duration from four weeks to six weeks. The path to a successful startup is not easy. The extra work has helped Guo find a balance between assignments and relaxation. “LaunchX has us working three to six hours or more a day, and it’s really taught me how to manage my time and be organized,” he said. “Without this program, I’d probably be watching TV eight hours a day, so I’m glad that it has given me a way to be productive with my summer.” Guo and his team decided to tackle the lack of technological literacy among senior citizens, especially in e-commerce. Their startup, Bingo, helps non-tech-savvy older adults navigate online shopping websites, such as Instacart, to remove the need for family members to hover nearby. With their idea, the team creates pitches every week to present their current progress and future plans to instructors and other teams. While the program has its fair share of work, Guo has also been able to make meaningful connections with teammates and friends. “Through LaunchX, I’ve met an amazing group
of people,” Guo said. “We’ve become really close despite never having seen each other in person.” The experience has allowed Guo to experience a sliver of what it is like to be an entrepreneur in the real world. “LaunchX doesn’t just teach you entrepreneurship—it gives you hands-on experience of making a company,” he said. “Sure, not all companies made here will be successful, but it’s a great way to learn from your successes and failures.” Between pitches, projects and presentations, Guo has found time to get to know his teammates and create special bonds. The program organized contests for teams to compete against each other, including one for funniest team picture. “When we saw the finished product, we were laughing for at least five minutes,” he said. “It’s something that still puts a smile on my face when I think about it.” Outside of summer proPhoto courtesy of Alan Guo grams, Guo puts his focus into learning new skills to productively spend time to prevent having quarantine boredom. So far, he’s learned how to play the ukulele, speak a little French and program a computer. “It’s been a rinse and repeat cycle without much variation, but I haven’t really felt cabin fever at all,” Guo said. “Talking to my friends, learning new hobbies and having summer activities have made my summer fruitful enough to be happy.” Despite the abrupt changes to the summer of 2020, Guo has managed to stay positive. “Not everything will go according to plan,” he said. “Regardless of change, it’s important to push through and keep your head up.” —Written by Jessica Zang
First Week of School Issue
Week of August 17, 2020
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students adopt strategies for online learning Avoid distractions In an online learning environment, it can be especially difficult to avoid distractions. Despite the temptation to pick up a cell phone or switch on the TV, staying on task is essential to learning effectively online. One way to avoid getting distracted is to put your phone in another room. Doing this will make it much harder to start using your phone, thus mitigating the impulse to pick it up when it rings with a notification. It can also be difficult to avoid opening social me-
dia or video game applications while doing work on a computer. One way to ensure that you are on task while using a computer is to use a site-blocker. Using a site-blocker will help you avoid websites that hinder your productivity, allowing you to be more focused. Learning online will be challenging, but using strategies like these will help you manage your time and learn effectively. —Written by Arjun Shah
Communicate The start of this upcoming school year is no doubt intimidating, especially with a whole new set of teachers and peers, as well as increasingly difficult classes within the first week. While virtual icebreakers and breakout rooms are certainly not the same as physical interaction, don’t be afraid to reach out to fellow classmates and your teacher for help or just to chat. Communication is always key between students
and teachers, and that is especially true with remote learning. Schedule time outside of Zoom classes to either meet with your teacher in a small group or even 1-on-1, or just shoot them an email with any questions you may have. Remember, your teachers are here to help you and only wish for you to succeed. —Written by Madison Nguyen
Schedule effectively One of the most important things to keep in mind during online learning is the importance of maintaining a steady and healthy schedule. Staying consistent with everyday tasks can boost your mental health and lead to success in your classes. By maintaining a daily schedule, completing work during online learning and staying on task, you’ll be able to complete work more efficiently with less stress. One easy way to do this is by setting reminders on your phone at different times of the day to make
sure you wake up, do work and take breaks at healthy times. Throughout the day, receiving notifications from your phone can be a good reminder to put away the electronics, sleep or relax. However, if you want to be more traditional, keeping a notebook or whiteboard as a schedule can be very effective as well. The important thing is to be able to hold yourself accountable by whatever means necessary. —Written by Calvin Cai
Photos courtesy of Calvin Cai, Madison Nguyen and Arjun Shah
faces in the crowd: students’ advice for online learning
“It’s very helpful to use a calendar to keep track of things and to plan your day ahead of time. [That way] you can get work done more efficiently and be distracted less often.”
“Find a routine and stick with it. Form good work habits early on, and it will help you in the long run.”
“Keep a schedule on your phone and maybe even alarms.”
““Keep up with your assignments and do them as early as possible because they’ll pile up fast; it’s very easy to fall behind, especially with online learning.”
Alma Caselles, 10
Erik Cohen, 11
Aarush Banerjee, 11
Serena Li, 12 —Compiled by Annika Bereny
Photos courtesy of Aarush Banerjee, Alma Caselles, Erik Cohen and Serena Li
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First Week of School Issue
Students return to school with cozy, at-home style Returning to school will look entirely different this year, and fashion is no exception. While we learn at home, we’ll be swapping out jeans for more loose-fitting pants (I would not recommend wearing pajamas to class, however), and aiming for comfort over style. Easy ways to spice up your quarantine wardrobe include adding fun stickers to your laptop and investing in cool masks to wear outdoors. —Written by Mia Knezevic
Junior Annika Bereny showcases a stylish DIY highli ghted stripe from when she bleac hed and dyed her hair in May.
ble They’re more comforta r than they seem! Junio und Julianna Chang has fo in a ite or a new fashion fav ts. pair of old gym shor
corates Senior Joshua Yang de ra y of ar hi s la pt op wi th an m meaningful stickers fro d an es nc various experie activities.
Junior Mia Knezevic sports a hand-sewn mask from a family friend: a versatile must-have that adds color to any outfit.
T h is fl o w y, c o m fo rt a b le b lo u s e is a n e ff o rt le s s, lig htweig ht su mme r loo k for sophomo re Katie Shih .
Senior Nikki Suzani collects a themed selection of laptop stickers with accents of rosy pink. Junior Jessica Wang snuggles into a pair of crocheted indoor socks created during the lockdown.
hares a Yang s u h s o J r erSenio led shelt y t s y ll u his artf p ro d u c t c o if , a e c la rbe r p in nged ba lo o r p e of th drought. Photos courtesy of Annika Bereny, Julianna Chang, Mia Knezevic, Katie Shih, Nikki Suzani, Jessica Wang and Joshua Yang Graphics by Sophie Fan and Clair Koo
