The Oracle (March 2011)

[News] Developmental

Assets survey released pg. 5 [Centerfold] The Oracle investigates reactions to bullying. pgs. 16-17

[Sports] Two Gunn wrestlers win Central Coast Sections pg. 25

[Entertainment] Kiss Me Kate showcases community talent

THEORACLE

pgs. 30-31

Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306 NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. Postage

PA I D

Permit #44 Palo Alto, Calif.

Henry M. Gunn High School

http://gunn3.pausd.org/oracle

Monday, March 21, 2011 Volume 47, Issue 6

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Risky business: Students use fake IDs Tiffany Hu & Annie Shuey

entertainment editor & managing editor

Lou Allen stands in a dimly lit corner liquor store. He saunters up to the counter carrying two sixpacks of Coors Light and places them on the counter. He nervously bites his lip as he pulls an identification (ID) card out from the back of his wallet and hands it to the cashier. Thoughts race through his mind as the cashier studies the card, and then his face. “Is it going to work? Will he know? Do I look suspicious?”

His thoughts are interrupted when the cashier abruptly says “$13.19.” Allen forks over the cash, grabs the bagged six-packs

and does not look back.

In the beginning

Allen, a student whose name has been changed in order to maintain anonymity, is one of several students in the Gunn community who owns a fake ID. In October, he found a 22-year-old’s state-issued identification card, and his friends pointed out the picture’s resemblance to his own face. Though Allen had never seriously considered getting a fake ID before he found the card, he has since used the ID to purchase alcohol for himself and his friends about twice a week.

Gunn alumnus Stephen Williams, whose name has also been changed, obtained his first fake ID during the fall of his junior year. “I

got tired of asking other people to buy booze for me and my friends,” he said. According to Williams, it was his friend who first had a fake ID and “hooked [him] up.” “The first ID I got was $70 and a piece of [junk],” he said. “It looked like it was a photocopy laminated but it worked for a few months.” Williams’ current fake cost him $200.

“It’s a good one—it black lights and scans,” he said. “I still think I got ripped off a bit, but I was young and buying it from some adult.”

Both Allen and Williams were initially nervous about purchasing alcohol with a fake ID, and tried to maintain a low profile. “We found [the ID card] and then we were like, ‘Oh, we could probably use this,’” Allen said. “We started with the

little markets to see if they cared and then started to go to bigger stores.”

Williams said he was “usually pretty scared” the first time he bought alcohol from a store. “Especially with my first ID, sometimes people would question it but I got pretty good at lying about how it

went through the wash or something like that to explain why it didn’t look real,” he said. At the beginning, he, like Allen, shied away from chain stores such as Safeway and Beverages & More in favor of “sketchy liquor stores” with more relaxed clerks.

ID—p.4

Graphic by George Hwang and photo by Henry Liu

Alumni reflect upon impact of parenting philosophy Linda Yu

Editor-in-Chief

On one extreme, there is the parental philosophy of an overbearing, forceful Tiger Parent. On the other, there is the approach of a head-buriedin-the-sand, do-little Ostrich Dad. Following a recently ignited controversy regarding parenting styles and characteristics of “successful” parenting, The Oracle set out to find some answers through the experiences of numerous Gunn alumni. Time away from home has given them the ability to more easily look past inflamed emotional vicissitudes within the context of high school and more objectively evaluate the influences of their parents. How does the Gunn environment affect parental relationships? Is there a correlation between having a healthy, open relationship, and a parent’s level of strictness?

Where is the threshold when parental guidance becomes too restricting or forceful? How much say should parents have in their children’s decisions?

And how should parents strike a balance in students’ lives as high school presents the challenge of juggling more freedom and more responsibility?

PARENTING—p.18

Japanese earthquakes affect Gunn Divya Shiv & Lydia Zhang News Editor & Features editor

On March 11, the eastern coast of Honshu, Japan was hit by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, triggering a tsunami that swept through the surrounding area. This earthquake was the first and largest of many that have struck Japan in the last week. Due to this, Japan has experienced severely limited communication within and out of the country, as well as an increase in the likelihood of nuclear meltdowns in many of Japan’s power plants.

Gunn alumna Miyabi Ishihara is one of the many Japanese residents who have been affected by these earthquakes. “Telegraph poles, trees and cars were all shaking pretty hard so we had to make sure that nothing fell off on us,” Ishihara wrote in an e-mail. Although Ishihara lives in Kumagaya, a city that is 330 miles away from the site of the 8.9

earthquake, she and Kumagaya’s other residents have still experienced the power outages and reductions in food, fuel and water that are common in many other cities in Japan. “Many stores are closed and almost all of the gasoline stands are closed, until some time in the unknown future,” Gunn alumnus Taimu Yamauchi wrote in an e-mail. “Also, it is said that there is going to be another big earthquake coming sometime soon, so we will, as individuals, need to be ready and be prepared so we can survive.”

According to BBC News, these earthquakes have also caused blackouts in many parts of Japan, including the capital city of Tokyo and parts of Saitama, the region where Kumagaya is situated.

“All of Japan is going to have a planned blackout at certain times, for example where I live there is going to be a planned blackout from 9 a.m. to noon, and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m,” Yamauchi wrote.

“This planned blackout is supposedly going to last at least a couple months, and in other places like

JAPAN—p.5

2

News

THEORACLE

Whooping cough shot required for students

Air conditioning to be installed for next school year

NEWS BITES The administration plans to install air conditioning and Cool Roof solar paneling for the upcoming school year, which will cost a total of $2,128,320. According to Assistant Principal of Facilities Tom Jacoubowsky, classrooms such as L-1 and L-3 have no cross-ventilation.

The main concern with installing air conditioning on campus is the continual maintenance cost.

Prompted by Jacoubowsky, teachers took L-wing temperature readings in the summer months when school was still in session and reported that some classrooms had 88 degree temperatures. On average, 15 to 18 days out of the school year have unbearably hot temperatures.

“Teachers have said effective learning takes a vacation on those days of the year,” Jacoubowsky said. “Neither teachers nor students can concentrate in the heat.”

However, a central air conditioning unit has potential problems. Though the current electric power is enough to maintain the air conditioning, it would use a substantial amount of energy, and Jacoubowsky wants to prioritize environmental efficiency. “Green efficiency has always been a goal of mine,” Jacoubowsky said. “We are definitely trying to be as green as possible with this project.”

In addition, central air conditioning can sometimes lead to some rooms being drastically colder and others being too hot.

Air conditioning will be more efficient in the new buildings because they will be built with better ventilation and insulation. However, the older buildings will require modification to accommodate air conditioning, as they were not built for it.

Issues set aside, Gunn should be cooler in the hotter months for students and teachers in the 2011-2012 school year.

Last September, the state of California issued legislation requiring students to take preventative measures against whooping cough before the start of the 2011-2012 school year. The law, which goes into effect this July, mandates that students entering seventh through 12th grade include proof of their immunization as part of their registration paperwork. Specifically, students are required to take the Tdap shot, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough in adolescents.

The new requirement is a response to increased reports of whooping cough, or pertussis, a contagious disease that can last for months, causing severe coughing fits, sore throat and runny nose. According to a statement issued by the California Department of Public Health, outbreaks have been increasing in the U.S., and in 2010 the disease was categorized as “widespread” in California.

School nurse Lisa Rodgers believes Tdap will play an important role in prevention. “It’s really important and necessary to stay up-to-date on immunizations,” she said. “[The new policy] is promoting the health and safety of students at school.” Incoming seventh through 12th graders must submit proper medical documents as proof of their immunization.

Students with questions regarding the policy are encouraged to come by the health office, where according to Rodgers, they will have access to “resources, including a list of clinics where students can get the Tdap booster and information for

Kimberly Han

Henry Liu

Next year, the bike racks will be removed from the parking lot and placed next to Spangenberg Theater.

Bike cages moved with new changes Amrita Moitra Reporter

Next year, the bike cages will be moved from the current location by the music building to the space between the student parking lot and Spangenberg Theater in order to create more parking spaces.

New bike cages will also be put up next to the Village construction site due to the increase of bikers at Gunn. “The bike population at Gunn has more than doubled,” Assistant Principal of Facilities Tom Jacoubowsky said. “We’re trying to accommodate the bikers by creating more bike areas that will be closer to classrooms.”

Because of the ongoing construction of the Village, staff parking will be moved back to the main parking lot. The strip of parking spaces that are currently used by students and teachers will be exclusively for teachers in the next

school year. The administration will also be implementing other changes, such as creating more parking spaces by eliminating the bike path that runs through the parking lot.

The changes will have some impact on bike traffic. The administration predicts that there will be some congestion coming into the parking lot from the Georgia Avenue bike route. Because the divider in the parking lot will be changed into parking spaces, the new path will go along the portables and the gym to lead to the bike cages. “In a perfect world, all the bikers would come into Gunn through Georgia,” Jacoubowsky said. “Going from that entrance to the new bike cages will be a lot safer than coming in from the front entrance of the school and weaving through the traffic.”

Some students are concerned about how moving the bike cages

will affect their morning routines.

“This will make the walk to class much farther,” junior Sierra Leder said. “It might affect travel time, especially if we have to find a safe path around the parking lot.”

Several student drivers are looking forward to this change, but they are worried about congestion of bikers in the walkways. “I would be able to park a little closer to school, meaning that I could get to classes a little faster,” junior Brian Chu said.

“But this might be detrimental to bikers. When I’m walking to class in the morning I already see how most bikers have to swerve to avoid people walking, and this may have them bike even further through areas where people are walking.”

Jacoubowsky states that this will not be a significant change to student and bike traffic. “If anything, bikers will be [annoyed] at being closer to the ‘Freshman Quad,’” he said.

MATH CLASS STATISTICS

—Compiled by Eden Lauffer and Melia Dunbar

A total of 1685 students are currently enrolled in a core math class.

More than half of those students take a middle lane math class.

SEC SCOOP Upcoming events: International Week (week of 3/21) Food Days (3/24-25) Not in Our Schools Week (week of 3/28) Prom 2011 (4/2)

Honors: Geo/Alg 2 H, Trig/Analytic Geo H, Analsyis H, BC Calc AP

Reminders: Be sure to buy prom tickets in the SAC before March 28 ASB election applications are due March 30 Spring break starts April 11

Advanced: Algebra 1, Geo A, Alg2/Trig A, Intro to Analysis & Calc, AB Calc AP

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

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

Regular: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calc

Utkash Dubey

News

Monday, March 21, 2011

3

What’s New In The Library?

Q&A with Librarian Meg Omainsky The library is hosting documentary viewing sessions due to its collaboration with Mobilize.org, a national program that encourages young adults to start social welfare programs in their schools and communities.

Food Inc, an exposé about the horrors of the food industry and its effects on health, the environment, workers’ rights and the economy, was shown on March 3.

“At the [Mobilize.org] meeting, we talked about environmental issues and I wanted to start the viewings around that,” senior student coordinator Cynthia Hua said.

There are also plans for future viewings on other issues. Future films will most likely be selected the same way through a library board

Librarian Meg Omainsky has organized a conference based on the Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) talks that will be held on May 26 in the library or the Little Theater.

TEDx is an independent conference based on the original TED talks that allows members of the community to share ideas about technology, science, business and entertainment through talks and presentations.

Last year, TED talks were held in the library on Tuesdays.

“I decided to hold TED Talk Tuesdays during the winter since this was a great way for students to learn more about innovation,” Omainsky said.

vote. Hua has some other ideas in mind about other films that she hopes to show. “My goal is to present an educational experience that would be great for the Gunn community to come together,” Hua said.

In addition to the documentaries, Hua is also interested in contacting professionals who know about a particular issue to come and speak before a viewing.

According to librarian Meg Omainsky, the viewings are also an opportunity to expand the activities that occur in the library. “The library is a place of not just books and computers,” Omainsky said.

“It’s a place for the sharing of ideas and building of community awareness.”

—Elsa Chu

Currently Omainsky is working with a student group to prepare for the event by looking for speakers and spreading publicity. Senior Yona Ran joined the student group after visiting a TEDx event at Castelleja. “I liked the event and wanted to bring it to Gunn so the students could also enjoy it,” Ran said.

“We want to present an exciting interesting variety of ideas in business, technology and entertainment through TEDx.” If the pilot run is successful, Omainsky hopes to make the event an annual tradition.

Students can still sign up to be a part of the student group to help put on the TEDx event by e-mailing or speaking with —Elise Lee

After the release of the iPad 2 on March 11, the library ordered 15 iPads to be made available to teachers and students in April.

“It just seems like the next logical step,” librarian Meg Omainsky said.

Omainsky also plans to create a multimedia classroom space in the current non-fiction section of the library. This will allow classes to use iPads in the reserved space.

“We’re continuing to make changes to serve needs and provide the best services possible,” Omainsky said.

The money for these iPads comes from the district, which allocates a certain amount of its budget to technology. “This type of technology will replace textbooks for kids in the future,” Assistant Principal of Facilities Tom Jacoubowsky said.

Meg Omainsky The Oracle: What are a few changes that you have already implemented at the Gunn library?

Meg Omainsky: One of the first changes I made in the library was barcoding laptops so that students could check them out. Before, students could only use laptops if they were with a teacher, but now students can check them out for two hours. We also opened group study rooms, which used to be storage rooms that held textbooks until we relocated the textbooks. Now these rooms are used by students doing group work, tutors and the Interscholastic Gaming League, who use one of these rooms to play games such as Guitar Hero during lunch.

TO: What are some of the changes that you plan to implement at the Gunn library?

MO: I recently bought 15 iPad 2’s for student and teacher use. Once we get the iPads, we’ll barcode them and use the same system for them that we do for laptops. We have also set up a Library Advisory Board (LAB) group, where students meet once a month to talk about any future changes that they want to make about the library. For example, LAB is trying to set up a yearly Gunn scholarship for one of its members who shows leadership skills. To do this, we plan on having a staff fashion show called Project Gunn Way, where teachers will model clothes for quirky categories where students could feature their designs.

The school also distributed iPads to students in the Small Learning Community to pilot the iPad system. English teacher Kristen Owen said. “We’re still figuring out cool ways to use the iPad as an educational tool.” Owen plans to use the iPads in her English classes to help with the poetry unit.

Because Gunn is one of the few high schools trying to use iPads in a group classroom setting, the process has been more drawn out than expected. “Apple doesn’t really have the infrastructure for iPads to be used in enterprise,” Systems Administrator Brett Demetris said. “It’s difficult to adapt, but we’ve tested it with a few students and we’ve gotten good feedback about what applications students want on them.”

—Yilin Liang

Kimberly Han

TO: What is the reason behind these changes?

MO: I believe that the library should provide customer service, which is why I allow students to print however much they need to print. I hope that the changes that I’ve made will speak to my overarching vision of making the library a comfortable, enjoyable place while also giving students all the tools that they need.

TO: How has the administration reacted to these proposed changes?

MO: The administration has been nothing but supportive. They love the changes and they love that students are able to focus on their work in the library.

TO: How has the student body reacted to these changes?

MO: I think students like the changes that we’ve implemented, which is evidenced by the increase of students in the library. I think that students like that the library is more focused on what they can do, instead of what they can’t do.

—Compiled by Divya Shiv

4

News

THEORACLE

THEORACLE

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

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

Staff Reporters Boot Bullwinkle, Colin Chen, Elsa Chu, Utkash Dubey, Melia Dunbar, Josephine Jen, Jesse Klein, Elise Lee, Charles Liu, Amrita Moitra, Lucy Oyer, Song Park, Eileen Qian, Anna Qin, Jennie Robinson, Rani Shiao, Leon Sung, Felix Tran, Jean Wang, Zoe Weisner, May Wu, Steve Yang, Emily Yao, Kevin Zhang, Kyle Zhu Business/Circulation Managers Elaine Liu Annie Tran Photographers Alan Phan Wendy Qiu Melissa Sun Jonathan Yong Graphics Artists Bonnie Cardillo, George Hwang, Lisa Wu, Alvina Yau Adviser Kristy Blackburn The Oracle is published by and for the students of Henry M. Gunn Senior High School. The unsigned editorials that appear in this publication represent the majority opinion of the editorial staff and The Oracle's commitment to promoting students' rights. The Oracle strongly encourages and prints signed Letters to the Editor. Please include your name, grade and contact information should you choose to write one. Letters may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

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

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

Students, alumni share experiences with fake IDs n IDS from pg. 1

Risks and consequences

my real ID, so when they were taking out my ongoing problems.” real ID they saw my fake behind it.”

According to an employee at an unnamed However, the police were lenient and liquor store in Mountain View, everyone who Montieth saw no consequences. “All they did purchases alcohol is supposed to be carded, was confiscate it, they didn’t call my parents or but the employee acknowledged that there is anything; they let me drive home and I never room for leniency and each clerk’s personal heard anything else about it,” she said. “The judgment. “We card if they look young,” he cop said something like, “Oh, yeah, you and said. “In groups, we card who pays. Whoever is everyone else in Palo Alto has a fake.’ paying has responsibility. We ask them to take Like Williams, Montieth took care to make the card out of the wallet so we can make sure sure that her fake ID had her correct name its not a photocopy and we make sure the nose and address so she wouldn’t and the eyes are they same.” be charged with identity Frequent customers theft if caught. “Honestly, I however, are not carded. think I just got lucky with “We k now most of ou r the whole situation,” she customers that come a lot “If I caught one of said. “I also hadn’t been and we don’t bother them my teenage kids drinking that night; I was just once we k now they a re in a bad position picking up over 21,” the employee said. with a fake ID, I’d some friends who had been He added that the presence come down on drinking.” of the California Department of A lc ohol ic Beve r a ge them like a ton of Control, which tests liquor The role of supplier bricks. But I don’t stores by sending minors Most Gunn students do not without IDs to purchase get to come down own fake ID cards, which has alcohol, strongly discourages placed additional pressure on most kids in the store’s sale of alcohol to on Williams and Allen to Palo Alto like a ton minors. Should clerks fail provide alcohol not just for the test, they jeopardize the their close friends but for of bricks.” store’s alcohol license and other students as well. Both — Palo Alto Detective both the clerk and the store expressed frustration with are subject to fines. “We got Nanelle Newbom this role. “The downsides checked so many times,” the [of having a fake ID] are employee said. “You don’t plentiful,” Williams said. want to sell to a minor by law; you get trouble.”

“Sometimes people would get upset if I At the store where the anonymous employee couldn’t get them something. A lot of times, works, there are numerous reminders for I’d end up losing money. [There were] a lot both the clerks and the purchasers that IDs of arguments with my friends about who paid are required.

“Nobody wants to sell alcohol for beer last.” to minors,” he said.

“It’s just that whoever Allen has only used a fake ID for about six months, but has, at times, been inundated with is selling it is distracted, that they are on the requests. He tries to accommodate requests phone or something. We always remind our from his friends, but prefers not to purchase employees to not be on the phone because they might forget to check IDs.” for people with whom he is unfamiliar.

At the newly opened Ansh Market in According to Williams, a perk of being Mountain View, owner Abhi Kumar thinks one of the main alcohol suppliers is having that experience is vital when deciding who to freedom and access to events. “It felt good card.

“When you look at a person, you read to buy anything without artificial limits,” them through experience,” Kumar said. “I’ve Williams said. “I got invited to a lot of parties. been in the hotel and banking business for some I felt cool.” Allen agrees. “They’re definitely time so I usually know.

I make the judgment.” worth it to have a good time. You pretty much Even beyond the law, Kumar is firmly need to have one, or know someone who does, against selling alcohol to minors.

“I’m a father; if you want to have fun,” he said.

I have a son,” he had. “If we sell it to minors, it’s like we’re promoting it. It’s a business; I The employees’ perspective Williams believes that liquor store clerks want to make money off of you. But I won’t. and owners turned a blind eye to clues that It’s my instinct.”

Employees and managers of two other he was not of the legal liquor stores in Palo Alto and Mountain View alcohol-purchasing age. declined to comment on their carding policies.

“I used [my fake ID] at

Allen and Williams are both vaguely aware of the consequences involved should they be caught with a fake ID. “I’ve looked the [laws] up online,” Allen said. “I think it’s fine as long as I don’t get caught. There’s no direct proof of me ever having [the fake ID].” Williams has never researched the laws regarding fake IDs, but has hypothetically asked police officers what would happen if one were caught with a fake. “What I got from it was that it was just a misdemeanor offense for altering a government document, as long as all the info on it was legitimate except the birthday,” he said. “But if you had a fake name, it was then felony identity theft. A lot just depended on the officer that caught you and how they wanted to write you up.”

According to Detective Nanelle Newbom, Palo Alto Police Department’s School Resource Officer, holding a fake ID is a misdemeanor offense. Contrary to what Williams and most people believe, possessing a fake ID with the wrong name or address would not result in an identity theft charge.

I n Newb om’s exp e r ienc e, t he va st majority of fake ID citations are the result of confiscation by security personel at bars or restaurants, who then turn the IDs over to the police department. “We don’t really do much proactive enforcement other than if it happens to be that we’re arresting a kid and we happen to check through that wallet and we find a fake ID, but that would be kind of random,” Newbom said. “It’s not what we’re looking for most of the time. As law enforcement officers, especially when we’re dealing with kids, we’re not always going to write every portion of the ticket. It’s not unlikely that no specific action on that portion of the arrest would be taken. Most officers will follow up on something like that.

It all depends on the circumstances.”

Palo Alto Police Officers Dave Flohr and Brad Kilpatrick agree that course of action is contingent on the circumstances. “It all depends on what they are trying to do with [the ID],” Kilpatrick said.

According to Flohr, minors can be subject to harsher consequences if they try to buy alcohol and the ID can be held as evidence. Both believe that parents should hold disciplinary responsibility. “In my experience, parents are more affective in terms of consequences,” Flohr said.

Allen has had some close calls of his own. “I’ve cut it pretty close,” he said. “Well, I thought I did because the dude was like, ‘Oh, I see your ID here, that’s the same places over and very nice.’ And sometimes “All [the police] did was over and they got to know people ask me other stuff, confiscate [my fake ID], me,” he said. “I feel like like, ‘Oh, what colleges they knew I wasn’t 21 but are you going to?’ I’m they didn’t call my parbecause I was breaking like, ‘Oh, yeah, uh that ents or anything; they the law by having an one over there.’” One time, ID they weren’t worried he was not allowed to let me drive home and about me ratting on them make a purchase due to I never heard anything for selling to a minor. a malfunction with the else about it...Honestly, Either that or I actually card. “They just said, ‘Oh look 21.” you can’t use this.’ I was I think i just got lucky In Williams’ opinion, pretty surprised because with the whole situafake IDs actually cut I was chill with the guy down on liquor store and I’d tal ked to him tion.” theft. “It’s not that kids before and one day he — Anonymous Gunn Student don’t want to pay [for carded me all of a sudden.” alcohol],” he said. “They Allen is equipped with just aren’t allowed to, and a back-up plan, should he be apprehended. “It’s risky every time, they would if they could.”

He has also though felt guilty about but if things get bad, I can just run,” he said.

Ella Montieth, a Gunn student whose name purchasing alcohol. “I felt like the people has also been changed, used to use a fake ID working at the store weren’t paid enough until the police searched her wallet and found to care how old I was or that their store the ID. “People were drinking around my car was sustained by selling booze to kids.”

Newbom described the liquor stores selling at a school and the cops rolled up and saw the alcohol around my car,” she said. “They to minors as “very, very unethical. I think that searched my car to see if there was more ethics is even more important than the law,” alcohol or whatever inside and they didn’t find she said. “If a person that owns a liquor store any but they needed more information so they knowingly sells to a minor, he’s knowingly found my wallet, which had my fake behind putting that minor at risk for all kinds of

Beyond high school

When he was in high school, Williams used his fake ID at least once a week. Now a freshman in college, Williams finds himself using it less. “College towns know that lots of kids have fake IDs so they are super strict when checking them,” he said. “I had heard lots of stories about people getting IDs taken so I don’t risk it and just drive to a town a few miles away—I’ve never had an issue there.” Williams also noted that “there are lots of legitimate 21-year-olds to buy booze for parties [in college]” so the need for a fake ID is not as great.

Kumar says that teenagers should wait.

“You’ll have time to drink and smoke when you’re 21,” he said. “You can do whatever you want when you’re 21.”

Newbom stressed ethics over legal rules.

“The important angle is not really the law, not whether they’re going to get caught, but what they’re doing to their own lives, messing up like that,” she said. “I know if I caught one of my teenage kids with a fake ID, I’d come down on them like a ton of bricks. But I don’t get to come down on most kids in Palo Alto like a ton of bricks. The important thing is what you’re doing to yourself, not that’s going to happen to you. And alcohol really is a horrible drug. It’s not something to be taken lightly.”

News

Monday, March 21, 2011

5

Japanese tsunami disaster impacts Gunn community

Gunn staff and alumni share experiences overseas after earthquake, tsunami n JAPAN from pg. 1

Tokyo, it is going to last maybe a year, so I will have to change my lifestyle according to the times when the planned blackouts happen.”

Japan has also experienced shortages of food, fuel and water, and many people in Japan have become homeless due to the earthquakes. “We had to survive off of a little amount of water provided by the school, and a small piece of bread for dinner,” Yamauchi wrote. “And without electricity, water or heater, people were starving, cold and scared. The scene was somewhat a living hell.”

In addition, there have also been problems with communication in Japan due to damaged cables. “For two days, phone calls in Kanto region was not even an option and I couldn’t get through to my relatives in Chiba Prefecture,” Ishihara wrote. “Telephone service in Tohoku region is still dead so there is no way I can contact my other relatives in Sendai and Akita.”

Japanese teacher Yukie Hikida has also experienced communication problems due to the earthquakes, although thankfully she was able to make contact with her mother to ensure her safety. “I was lucky enough to talk with three people just after the quake to make sure that everyone, especially my mother, was safe,” Hikida wrote in an e-mail.

These continuous earthquakes and aftershocks have also created another issue: radiation escaping from nearby power plants. According to the BBC, Japan, whose nuclear energy accounts for nearly 30 percent of its electric power, has had several of its nuclear power plants damaged by the earthquakes and tsunami. Japan’s nuclear reactors have also lost power on multiple occasions, which has caused overheating in the reactors and the possibility that the nuclear material contained in the buildings will melt though the protective barriers and contaminate the surrounding environment with radiation.

Courtesy of Miyabi Ishihara

Empty shelves are common in supermarkets after the earthquake caused food, water and fuel shortages.

Because of these earthquakes, there has been a worldwide effort to send aid to Japan. According to CNN, many associations such as Red Cross, Save the Children, and Mercy Corps, are sending money to Japan and are opening evacuation centers in an effort to help people who are seeking refuge from the earthquakes and tsunami.

In addition, Gunn is also playing its part in helping Japan. On March 25, the Parent Teacher Student Association is hosting the annual International Potluck. All of the proceeds from this event will go to the disaster relief efforts in Japan.

Results for the 41 Developmental Assets survey to be announced

Last September, a group of community members and organizations called Project Safety Net created a community-based mental health plan. They decided to promote the 41 Developmental Assets, the essential components in successful and thriving youths’ lives, and held a survey in which 3422 students participated to find out the number of students’ developmental assets. “The more assets that a child has in their life, the more resilient they will be when faced with adversity and the more likely they will be to avoid negative risky behaviors,” Project Cornerstone Executive Director Anne Ehresman said. According to Ehresman, the countywide data of a survey will be released on March 24. Below is a sneak peak of the data.

Number of Development Assets that High School Students Have

Difference in Number of Assets in Elementary and High School Students Elementary School

High School

10% 6%

10% 6% 41% 43% At Risk: 0-10 Assets 41% 43% Vulnerable: Assets At Risk: 0-1011-20 Assets Adequate 21-30 Assets

Vulnerable: 11-20 Assets Optimal: 31-40 Assets

Adequate 21-30 Assets

At Risk: 0-10 Assets Vulnerable: 11-20 Assets At Risk: 0-10 Assets Adequate 21-30 Assets Vulnerable: 11-20 Assets Optimal: 31-40 Assets Adequateby21-30 Assets —Compiled Ashley Ngu and Emily Zheng

Optimal: 31-40 Assets

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THEORACLE

News

Forum

Monday, March 21, 2011

7

EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The Oracle

Proposed late start on school days shown to improve learning

P

rincipal Katya Villalobos is currently circulating the idea of instituting a later school start time on certain days of the week. It is too early to tell if, how or when the proposal will be implemented, but if a later start time were introduced at Gunn, it would no doubt yield the same benefits as at other schools who have made similar changes to their schedules. Such benefits include less fatigue in students, higher class attendance, less depression and an overall improved learning environment.

An example of such results can be seen in a study published in the July 2009 issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. St. George’s School, a private Rhode Island high school, pushed the daily school start time back by half an hour to 8:30 a.m. In a survey conducted after the switch at the school year’s end, it was discovered that the number of students getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night had dropped by 80 percent. Students reported less tiredness during the school day and an overall improvement in attitude and motivation toward academics and school-related activities. Absences during the first period of the day decreased.

And students were not the only ones at St. George’s who benefited from the change— an administrator described the teachers as “less frantic” and more alert. All of these improvements were so noticeable that at the end of the experimental period, the school established 8:30 a.m. as the official

school start time.

St. George’s results were not atypical.

Another example of the positive results of a later school start time can be seen in the Minneapolis Public School District in Minnesota, which has about 12,000 high school students. High schools there changed their start times to 8:40 a.m., and students saw anecdotal health benefits translate into concrete improvements. Students were involved in fewer car accidents and SAT scores rose. University of Minnesota educational researcher Kyla Wahlstrom also found a decrease in students who dropped out or switched schools. Encouraged by positive results such as these, more than 80 school districts nationwide have followed suit and changed their start times.

A half hour is a small adjustment, but the results such a change yields, as demonstrated by the Rhode Island and Minneapolis schools, are immense. This can be attributed to the fundamental differences in the adolescent mind from that of children and adults. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers should get anywhere between 8.5 and 9.5 hours of sleep per night. Because teenagers tend to stay up late at night due to biological circadian rhythms, having to wake up earlier than the body naturally does results in daily sleep deprivation. Lack of the recommended hours of sleep can result in a reduced ability to concentrate at school, a negative mood and overall poor academic performance.

Continued deprivation may lead to more

Music sampling ruins music Boot Bullwinkle After flipping on the radio inside my friend’s car, my head starts to rock back and forth to Lupe Fiasco’s addicting, new single, “The Show Goes On.” The melody sounds oddly familiar, but it’s hard to trace. Wait, isn’t this song... Yes, the introduction is in fact the exact same riff from the Modest Mouse’s, “Float On.” Currently, music sampling is now rampant in the music industry. With so much pressure to put out music quickly, artists have resorted to implementing parts from previous songs to cover over their own lack of originality.

Artists are now relying on the sounds of the past to help them make some dough in the present. Long gone are the days where musicians would spend years on end developing the perfect progression, the quintessential rhyme scheme. In fact, it is widely know that Lady Gaga spent a mere ten minutes writing her song, “Born This Way.” Musical excellence takes ingenuity, imagination, and patience. Sampling encourages none of these vital attritubutes for quality music. It’s time for a shake up of the music industry.

One of the most disgraceful cases of sampling music was when Vanilla Ice took the baseline of the song “Under Pressure”

by Queen and David Bowie and incorpo-

rated it into his song, “Ice Ice Baby.” On top of “Under Pressure” being considered as one of the untouchables of classical rock, Vanilla Ice gave no credit or royalties to neither Bowie nor Queen. Vanilla Ice gave the predictable excuse that the two melodies were different because he intentionally added an extra note. Not only is this an unacceptable defense for stealing a rock classic, but “Ice Ice Baby” was the first hip-hip song to top the charts, adding salt into the wounds of die-heard Queen fans. It was only years later after that when Vanilla Ice did pay Queen and Bowie and give them songwriting credit, but the damage had already been done.

Eminem is one modern day artist who has called out the pathetic way musicians have attempted to increase their sales. Recently, he called out the malicious use of sampling by artists today in the pop industry in one of his verses in “Syllables.”

“We don’t know a word to a verse/All we know is the chorus/Because the chorus repeats the same four words for us.” This song illustrates how ridiculous music sampling is; it’s not just troublesome, it’s simply not art.

Music is an artistic expression of the complex human mind. It’s crazy, disorganized, but yet somehow beauty is able to creep its way out. If original music is not given the chance to grow and develop into something creative, a popular medium of art will be lost. This generation will be held responsible for the decay of the musician’s innovative spirit. ­—Bullwinkle, a sophomore, is a reporter.

George Hwang

severe health problems such as chronic fatigue, depression and a compromised immune system. With the research pertaining to adolescents’ biological sleep requirements available, school districts should respond accordingly and adjust school start times to give adolescents the rest they need to function properly on a daily basis, both at school and otherwise.

Changing the time at which school starts might raise questions about the impact the change would have on traffic patterns, athletics and other after-school activites. However, pushing the day back by around a half hour is no significant alteration to one’s daily schedule. It is a

simple matter of becoming accustomed to the adjustment.

Locally, several high-achieving high schools have adopted schedules that allow students to sleep later at least once per week. These include Palo Alto High School, Castilleja School, Mountain View High School and Woodside Priory School. With so much research backing the concept of a later start time, Gunn would do well to experiment with a late start as well.

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff (assenting: 35; dissenting: 10)

EDITORIAL CARTOON

A British ice cream shop features a new flavor: Would you like that freshly squeezed?

Alvina Yau

8

Forum

THEORACLE

Is too much media exposure Teen show raises controversy

Monica Cai The norms and taboos of society are constantly changing, subject to the mercurialness of public opinion. The rules determining indecency, for example, have grown less severe over the decades, as the line between what is appropriate and what is inappropriate becomes less stark. With the recent debut of Skins by Music Television Network (MTV), the question of propriety is once again raised. Many believe that the show is too racy and concerns that the show contains child pornography have been raised. Although the show does deal with mature content, it is a show intended for a mature audience and is only depicting the harsher realities of teenage life.

The Skins broadcasted in America is based off of a British teen drama written by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain. Although the American show features different actors and writers, the storylines are nearly identical to those of the British show. Britain’s Skins, however, has been subject to far less controversy, receiving positive reviews and several television awards. Considering the amount of freedom America provides its citizens, one would expect far smaller backlash than what the show received upon its airing in January this year. The casual portrayal of sex and drug abuse has been criticized by many parents, and the Parents Television Council (PTC) filed a letter to the Department of Justice asking to charge the show with child pornography. The scandal caused several companies like Taco Bell, General Motors and H&R Block to pull their advertising from the show.

The charge the PTC brings against Skins has little basis. Although the cast does consist of some underage actors (three are seventeen and one is fifteen), there is no footage of them being racy enough to be declared child pornography. According to Bob Tarantino, an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, it is extremely unlikely that Skins would be found to constitute child pornography under Canadian criminal law, as the show was filmed in Ontario. There are no shots with full frontal nudity and although the actors are shown in compromising positions, the scenes are no more sexual than what is shown on series like Gossip Girl. The true promiscuity of the show lies in the implications of what is not shown to viewers, something that has made many adults uncomfortable. However, the show only addresses real life issues that teenagers deal with everyday. Alcohol and drug abuse are no mysteries to adolescents and while the characters may view both as casual, fun experiences, the show’s bluntness in dealing with these issues can teach teenagers valuable life lessons.

Kimberly Han

The show also goes beyond these issues, and although only a few episodes have been aired, Skins has already managed to deal with problems like sexuality, divorce, depression, anxiety, cheating and academic pressure. The show has been mislabeled as a series based on alcohol and drugs, but Skins actually digs a lot deeper, exploring the unique dynamic of every character’s family and personal issues each character is struggling with. For example, Daisy, one of the show’s characters, is struggling to support her family and herself. Her father, a single parent, works long hours for little money and Daisy is forced to take a parttime job to help pay the rent. Daisy also aspires to be a professional trumpet player, a career her father condemns. The difficulties Daisy faces in juggling school, music and her job and in pursuing her dream are common problems teens everywhere deal with. Another character, Tea, struggles with her homosexuality, and eventually decides to enter a relationship with a girl. Her story could help a viewer who is questioning her own sexuality. The show also demonstrates the extremely damaging effects of drug abuse, as Cadie, another main character, overdoses on pills twice and is sent to a clinic to rehabilitation. While the show is admittedly dark, the manner in which it faces so many issues head on is admirable.

By watching Skins, teenagers can see the consequences of impulsive decisions and watch others deal with issues they may be too afraid to ask questions about.

There is no denying that Skins deals with mature content. MTV has already given the show an MA rating, indicating the series is only for viewers above the age of 17 to watch. Still, the fact remains that the content Skins deals with is content teenagers deal with in real life. A television show can be censored but life can’t be. It’s better for young adults to be able to talk about, watch and learn about the dangers life will present them than to be excessively sheltered and later overwhelmed.

The uproar caused by Skins has not only raised the question of what is going too far, but has also pointed out the dramatic differences between generations. The older generation is either in denial or sadly unaware of what the lives of many teenagers are really like. It is understandable to want to protect children but there is a point where one must realize when they can no longer be protected. Skins may deal with things like alcohol and drugs in an overly casual way, but the show still tries to educate teenagers. The chance of keeping teenagers unaware of the issues Skins deals with has already been dashed; current society has made sure of that. Parents’ efforts to get rid of a show like Skins are futile, as the purpose behind it has no successful outcome. It’s time to buck up and face the truth—the world out there is dark and twisted and Skins can help teenagers survive it.

—Monica Cai, a junior, is a Sports Editor.

Skimpy dresses don’t impress Anna Qin Nowadays, six-year old girls strutting around in mini-skirts and makeup are hardly anomalies. In fact, many people think seeing little girls dress up as their favorite television idols is cute, and the generic Disney princess seems out of fashion nowadays. Dress-up has evolved to extremely risqué levels, and an increasing number of young girls are beginning to incorporate makeup and more revealing outfits into their everyday style. This trend should be strongly discouraged because young girls are not ready for the maturity level of the attire or the sexual implications they are expressing.

While crowns, fairy wings and tiaras have long been associated with little girls during Halloween innocently frequenting doors for candy, this image has vastly changed. Traditional Halloween costumes now carry labels such as “hot” and “sexy.”

Prepubescent girls are parading around in fishnets, short skirts and high heels. These costumes and attire should be reserved for older kids or even adults. Seeing girls reveal so much of themselves should be a huge turn-off for retailers and parents, but instead this trend is being encouraged with the more conservative outfits being modified every year, pushing kids towards choosing revealing options. Pre-teenage girls neither realize the implications of strutting around at night in Playboy bunny costumes nor is it likely that they understand what a “Playboy bunny” actually is.

But wearing the costume ultimately means representing these inappropriate images. The sexual associations of the attire should not be relevant to girls in their age group. Exposing kids to these mature and potentially harmful influences is damaging to their young consciences.

More problematic, though, is that kids tend to push themselves to grow up faster in order to bypass their parents’ control and to become more independent. Due to influences from the media and television, young girls are given the misconception that dressing in a more revealing way to represent an older age group is equal to being more mature and independent.

From makeup kits to 3.5 inch platform heels, large retail chains are beginning to tailor adult products to fit the desires of young girls, allowing them to incorporate such attire into their everyday dress.

Apart from the fact that kids should not lose their innocence to represent an oversexualized image in order to “grow up,” maturity ultimately comes with more difficult decisions that six-year old girls not should not be expected to make or understand. Exposing kids too early normally leads to them hurting their futures through bad choices before they have to chance to properly take control of their lives.

Allowing pre-teenage girls to dress in a sexualized manner can only be damaging. Adults who realize the implications of their child’s dressing should prevent and educate them, keeping in mind that whether in dress-up or everyday life, pre-teenage girls are ultimately not ready for the sexualized image that they are representing.

—Qin, a sophomore, is a reporter.

Popularity of inappropriate song content raises concerns

Hannah Plank-Schwartz The lyrics “Girl go and take it off/Just take that ass to the floor/Shake ya tail feather,” can be attributed to Nelly’s “Shake Ya Tail Feather.” Like in many of Nelly’s and other top ten artists’ songs, X-rated content is often overlooked. It’s not that youth support the disrespectful and often sexist lyrics, but rather that they flock to the catchy beats for dancing. His g-string, ass-shaking videos are restricted on YouTube so that only those over eighteen can view them. Perhaps that is not the type of music parents want their 10-year-olds listening to, but the over whelming popularity of this type of music seems to have drowned out the voices of concerned parents and teachers. These hip-hop songs have reached number one on iTunes, equivalent to more than 10 million buyers.

Nelly is far from the only “inappropriate” artist. Enrique Iglesias’s “Tonight I’m (expletive) you” has also reached the top ten list, available to children worldwide, featuring lyrics like, “You know my motivation/Given my reputation/Please excuse I don’t mean to be rude, but tonight I’m (expletive) you.” He doesn’t mean to be rude? What does it say to

any guy if they constantly hear artists sing about having sex with anyone any time? If you hear it enough times, it will move toward the realm of possibility. Guys develop the idea that girls should have sex with them whenever they want. But they don’t mean to be rude.

“I like the cocky bow legged ones/Like Whites and Dominicans, Hispanics and Asians/Shake it for Nelly son,” also appears in the previously-mentioned Nelly song.

Starting as early as four years old, kids hear lyrics objectifying women, a definite step backward for women’s respect in society.

At dances, freaking is a new trend, where teen girls grind against guys, suiting the tone of the music that is playing. This begins as early as sixth grade at many schools in the Palo Alto district. The music idealizes sexual behavior, and making women “shake their asses” probably is not the best way to promote women’s rights.

Other top popular songs like Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” are alternatives on the opposite end of the spectrum: “I’m beautiful in my way ‘cause God makes no mistakes…

Don’t hide yourself in regret/Just love yourself and you’re set.” It is up to this generation of women to determine their boundaries of self-respect. They must choose what to support and where to draw the line.

—Plank-Schwartz, a senior, is an Entertainment Editor.

Forum

Monday, April 25, 2011

9

Severe peanut allergy burdens public School clubs: schools with safety responsibilities make it meaningful Melia Dunbar

PRO

George Hwang

Elaine Liu

CON

In Edgewater, Florida a six-year-old girl is being kicked out of her elementary school by the parents of her own classmates. Born with a severe peanut allergy that prevents her from coming into contact with even nut particles in the air, she and her family have asked the school to take special measures for protection including having students wash their hands and mouths before entering classrooms, regularly wiping down desks, and a ban on all peanut products. Infuriated by the new requirements, parents repeatedly ask, “what’s next?”

Since the first peanut allergy was reported in 1920, the statistics for children born with this affliction have continued to escalate. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), the incidence rate tripled between the years 1997 and 2007, leaving over three million people allergic to members of the tree nut family. With such numbers, schools are required by law to accommodate these students. However, other parents are less than willing to go along.

But the life of a six-year-old should not be up for debate. Taking a child out of elementary school because she has a food allergy and singling her out for a condition

Joseph Lin Imagine trying to walk across a high school, changing classes every hour, all with the risk of being exposed to peanuts. Before every class, students and teachers alike will be expected to wash their hands and rinse out their mouths before going to class. While students and teachers at a high school might be willing to take the extra step for prevention, what about in college? Assume a classroom of 600 or more people. Is it reasonable to ask every one of these students to do the same? The fact is that they are unable to deal with the presence of a peanut, and, regardless of their social abilities, these students should consider moving toward a safer environment such as home schooling, smaller colleges or a more private class. In doing so, they will not only access their right to study and to live life freely, but also allow others to have the peace of mind to eat and interact.

Public schools have been struggling with the proper reaction towards sensitively protecting kids with peanut allergies. The ones schools are worried about more are not your typical “get a rash, grab an Epipen” allergies.

These extreme allergies make anyone a potential killer.

Even the slightest exposure could end up in a hospital visit. While many preventive measures can be instated in light of this issue, parents should still actively consider

she has no control over becomes dangerously close to the type of prejudice that society is fighting so hard against.

What sort of lesson are parents teaching their children if they cannot accept the special needs of someone their own age? The life lesson of accepting each other is something schools try to teach from the youngest of ages.

“Love your neighbor” and “treat others the way you want to be treated” are mantras spoken repeatedly in elementary schools. Telling a child he is no longer welcome is a direct contradiction to the lessons parents so desperately want to ingrain among their own kids’ minds.

Having a condition like this forces parents to do anything in order to protect the life of their child, a feeling no one can argue against. When the school at Edgewater banned all peanut products, they were not overstepping their bounds. Waiting to give a child his peanut butter sandwich after school can hardly qualify as an extreme measure when the difference can mean a trip to the emergency room for someone else. Similarly, the request for students to wash their hands and rinse their mouths after recess and lunch seems to be more of a health benefit than a cumbersome request. It is beneficial to instill habits of cleanliness in elementary school students, and the practice of washing up and keeping clean is something parents should want, not discourage, their children to develop.

Although the policies for peanut allergy protection appear extreme, no child should be denied a welcome learning environment. No child should have to bear the emotions of being asked to leave.

—Liu, a senior, is a Business Manager. taking an affected child out of public schools and into home schooling or, at the very least, a private school.

Colleges with excessively large class sizes should be allowed to omit a student on the basis of this potentially lethal allergy. Home schools, private schools and smaller colleges provide an environment of safety and convenience for a student with allergies, and also allows a peace of mind for other students and teachers alike.

Students with the allergy must think twice about getting engaged in highly public situations.

People may compare this treatment to the Plessy v.

Ferguson case and the debate of “separate, but equal,” but this is certainly not the case. The school is not separating these students because of social perception or intolerance. Although it may appear the school is building borders, in reality, the school is only ensuring the safety of this student. Peanut allergies are not simply a characteristic, but also a disability that most be appropriately addressed. What we have here is not a moral issue; it is a safety issue. We may feel better in allowing these students in, but what the students need is protection, not an ideal world without the constant threat of peanuts.

While peanut-free zones and active decontamination are somewhat adequate, the possibility of accidentally causing another person’s death should not be forced on anybody. Being wary and attentive is a good idea, but, in a large group environment, becomes impractical and inefficient. Parents and schools should carefully consider placing a student with such severe allergies in an environment where a student can have the peace of mind to live freely and comfortably.

—Lin, a senior, is a Forum Editor.

For such a rigorous school, Gunn has surprisingly lenient club policies. It’s sort of a mixed blessing: on one hand, you get a rich variety of student organizations, increased participation in local events and a greater sense of community.

On the other hand, you get the Bocce Ball and Italian Meats Club. Okay, this one never fails to crack me up, so here it is again: the Bocce Ball and Italian Meats Club. Actually, when I first heard the name, I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it was some kind of cross-cultural phenomenon—yes, it had to be an up-and-coming international sport, a charity for underprivileged children or a progressive organization promoting globalization in the 21st century.

Au contraire. Turns out, it’s exactly as bad as it sounds.

Here’s the story: a student wanted a club. He liked to eat at the deli. One of his friends played bocce ball. He signed a few papers, doodled his way through a constitution, tracked down a teacher with a lunch break, signed a few more papers and voila, he got a nice big slice of extracurricular recognition. I have to admit, the guy knew what he was doing.

With the snap of his fingers, he was living the Gunn dream, with both a boost to his college applications and a hangout spot for his friends. He got all the perks of creating a club without any of the work of maintaining it.

Unfortunately, this practice is all too common. Though the members of the Bocce Ball and Italian Meats Club have long since graduated (and, I’m sorry to say, their organization has subsequently disbanded—please don’t bother searching for it), their story repeats itself year after year as many clubs fail to take an active role in the community.

You can actually prove this phenomenon from the comfort of your very own home. Just open the Gunn website and find the spreadsheet. Now scroll down…and down…and down. Out of the 93 clubs listed, I’m willing to bet 46 of them are just as productive as the Bocce Ball and Italian Meats Club—which is to say, not at all. I’m being pretty generous, actually, assuming half the student-run organizations at this school are extant and functional. While we are lucky to have a plethora of amazing clubs, Gunn policies make it just as easy for cliquish cheaters to pass under the radar. Other schools have beefed up their restrictions to combat this problem—Mountain View High School, for example, requires students to turn in a form indicating they performed at least one act of community service per year— but Gunn has yet to follow suit.

Even if Gunn can’t change its policies, we students can change our attitudes. The first step is realizing that life doesn’t stop after we turn in our transcripts. To pretend otherwise is both childish and delusional. As young adults, we should take advantage of any opportunity to pursue our interests and enrich our community. Why not make the most of the Gunn club experience? With such a diverse and creative student body, we can all learn from each other and discover what makes us tick. Like it or not, there is a world beyond this mad scramble to impress colleges, and sooner or later we’ll find ourselves without mommy, daddy, grades and transcripts to determine our fate. What we become at this point is entirely in our hands. As for me, I have more respect for students who choose to promote a productive, well-informed, caring community than those who selfishly believe they can brave life’s storms atop artificially bloated college applications.

So, here’s my challenge to you: restart the Bocce Ball and Italian Meats Club next year. I’m dead serious. Challenge yourself to make it the best you possibly can. Don’t do it for credit. Don’t do it for recognition. Do it to prove to yourself that it is both possible and rewarding to get involved in your community. How can you change the Bocce Ball and Italian Meats Club from a loose gang of slackers to a functional, productive organization? That’s up to you to decide. I challenge you to take it in a new direction. Make it a charity, make it a sports team, make it an outlet for modern art—I don’t care what you do. What matters is that you care about what you do. ­—Dunbar, a junior, is a reporter.

10

Forum

THEORACLE

Nicola Park There is magic in rummaging through books on the shelves of a library and flipping through the pages of a book. There is a timeless charm in judging a book by its cover (or rather, being an open-minded arbiter) and sitting in the perfect spot on the sofa next to a rainy window.

The Internet has revolutionized free news. Watching the interwebs from all across Earth express solidarity for Japan minutes after an 8.9 earthquake rocked the country is beautiful, and Libyans brazenly demanding political change and expressing their hopes for the future without the reins of the government is electrifying to witness.

But the Internet is also a far less secure and accountable source of information. Although access to such a massive pool of information empowers the common people, our ability to recognize the truth is often hampered by exposure to the Internet’s exaggerations.

Not only is using the Internet dangerous for the mind, it can be perilous to free news. A nation’s government and other figures can block sites they deem inappropriate, cutting off access and distorting the truth to fit their own ends. Assuming that books for Kindles and eBooks are acquired from the Internet, modern book-burning only takes a click.

But, as humankind increasingly expresses its love for and dependence on screens and keyboards, it still needs print because print, like eBooks, is a unique medium of communication. Originating from the

Guttentag press, it’s seen the birth of of its younger siblings: the radio, television, the computer and the iGeneration. Just as the Internet has exposed us to a worldy and uncertain beauty, print has an old-time beauty of its own.

Reading is for the most part a solitary endeavor. Words in print invoke imagery in our heads that allow us to momentarily live what we are seeing, our minds undisturbed by distraction. An electronic medium, corrupts this singularly meditative state. It’s uncommon for people to only read news without checking their e-mail or Facebook. Reading news online has become more difficult to do because external links with luring headlines surround each article. And as novels become more connected to the Internet, readers loses their independence and people begin to judge books from other reviews.

From an aesthetic perspective, while a Kindle can run out of battery, books just turn a little ragged at the edges, but other than that, they are timeless.

In fact, there is something intrinsically valuable in tangibility.

One of my favorite English teachers once said, “You don’t look up words on the computer, just like you wouldn’t keep your stuffed animal on a computer.” If we started using computers all the time, what will happen to handwriting? What would people do if one day the Internet (like Tumblr) starts crashing all the time?

We would always be waiting.

Maybe it’s materialism, or maybe it’s just cranky conservatism, but the universe’s novels and news should remain yellowing, clunky and real.

Also, the new book smell would be gone, and that’s just uncalled for.

—Park, a senior, is a Features Editor.

CON

PRO

Print versus eReader Jean Wang If the recent rise of eReaders and iPads is any indication, the age of print media is long over. Newspapers and books are increasingly out of place in today’s fast, modern world.

Under these conditions, the switch to digital media makes sense.

As society becomes increasingly technological, it only makes sense to move our news to technology as well.

Online news is more convenient for the consumer. For example, in place of a bulky newspaper, an iPhone can be used to read the major headlines.

Digital media is also more accessible than print. Online news sources can be accessed from almost anywhere with an Internet connection. With the rise of smart phones, many people have access to the news all the time, allowing them to stay interconnected to the world events.

Digital news sources can be updated considerably faster than print sources, as writers can immediately access articles to make edits or publish new stories. However, newspapers are limited by how often they are published, which, at best, is once a day.

For example, when the disasters in Haiti occurred last year, online news sources provided updates about the events in real time, something that the newspapers could only report on after the fact. From these updates, Americans quickly mobilized to help Haiti, with outpourings of donations and support for the victims. These results were only rendered possible by digital media.

Financially, it makes sense to switch to digital media. Because printing and delivery costs are eliminated, online news is often free. In addition, eReaders are cheaper, as they do not require students to purchase new

textbooks. Instead, they can use the same eReader and merely download a different textbook, which has a considerably lower price tag. Digital media is also more environmentally friendly, as trees don’t need to be cut to make millions of newspapers that will ultimately become trash. In the same vein, the reusable aspect of eReaders are a more ecofriendly alternative to paper books. As most people already have the technology needed to access digital media, there won’t be a need to create anything physical and waste more resources.

Many of those who support print claim that digital media doesn’t give them the same sense of satisfaction as flipping a physical book or newspaper and that eReaders are uncomfortable to read. Yet, these are only superficial complaints that result from habit. As technology improves and digital media becomes increasingly ubiquitous, these complaints will become obsolete as consumers become accustomed to digital media. For example, eReaders have actually eliminated the glare usually associated with LCD screens, making them easier to read.

Ultimately, this arbitrary physical sensation pales in comparison to the advantages offered by digital media.

Others also argue the practicality of digital media, as many people don’t have access to the Internet and electricity. However, in the same way that libraries provide books and newspapers for those who can’t afford it, libraries also have computers, which can be used to access digital media. In addition, with technology constantly improving, these electronics would become more affordable in the future, allowing more people to access digital media.

Although alarming to some diehard print advocates, digital media makes sense in today’s society. It not only benefits the consumer, but also the world as a whole, rendering print an obsolete relic of the past.

—Wang, a junior, is a reporter.

Quelling fear of public speaking advantageous for students Charles Liu Most people shudder at the prospect of having to speak in front of an audience. In fact, public speaking consistently ranks at the top of surveys of people’s greatest fears, above fear of snakes and death. This fear of speaking constantly drives students to make their best efforts to evade giving speeches. Although many students take every opportunity they can to avoid public speaking, students should learn to become effective speakers due to the many benefits speaking skills will provide.

Public speaking skills have been shown to build confidence among students. A study from the North Carolina 4-H program, a youth development program, showed that

students aged nine to 18 who learned public speaking were able to build their confidence, as well as learn a variety of other skills. As a result, students implicitly learn to improve their social interactions by expressing a more authoritative presence while expressing their ideas more effectively and eloquently. Also, learning effective speaking skills will help students overcome any existing fears of public speaking, turning once-frightening speeches into confident talks.

In addition to building confidence, the ability to speak well helps students gain visibility. Any efforts to advocate ideas will be greatly eased by communication skills, which will allow the message to reach a wider variety of people with more impact. A message delivered without powerful speaking skills will likely gain the interest of few people and have little effect.

Although many people don’t feel the need to prioritize learning speaking skills, public speaking is necessary in almost every profession. Speaking skills are applicable to a wide variety of situations, including giving presentations, leading groups and everyday communication.

Deanna Sellnow’s Confident Public Speaking identifies the ability to communicate well as the most sought after skill by employers. People who can more effectively communicate with peers and advocate for themselves at school or in the workplace will become more successful.

Avoiding speaking opportunities breeds increasing amounts of fear for public speaking, while addressing speaking difficulties can help defeat fear. Students can learn public speaking skills by attending speaking classes, as well as taking more opportunities to speak in front of audiences, which will help eliminate all fears of public speaking. Gunn’s Speech and Debate team also offers meetings where students can develop their public speaking skills in a relaxed environment.

Learning public speaking will provide incredible benefits in social interaction and allow students to reshape their view of public speaking. The ability to turn a nervous and shaky discourse into a passionate and captivating speech will benefit students for the rest of their lives.

—Liu, a freshman, is a reporter.

Forum

Survey explores class selection motivation C

lass registration marks a significant time of the year for students, as each must plan ahead and take into consideration his academic interests and nonacademic responsibilities for the upcoming year. Gunn students are known for taking their academics seriously.

Rising concerns about academic stress have made external and internal motivations a constantly debated issue within this community. This past month, The

Oracle administered an online survey to bring to light which courses students spend most time on, which classes they value most and why they are motivated to take the courses they take. Students ranked college acceptances over selfmotivation when choosing classes and prioritized science and math classes in terms of interest for and time spent on, according to the survey. While a number of students reported feeling pressured as an upper-

classmen to take Advanced Placement (AP) classes, the majority of students expressed satisfaction with their AP experiences. Extrinsic motivations seem to drive the majority of students surveyed slightly more than intrinsic ones in challenging itself academically, and the combined high influence of college, peer pressure and parental pressure indicates the community must change how college acceptance is viewed in order to address

Survey Pool: 258 students

A globalized world

Freshmen: 27 students Sophomores: 72 students Juniors: 85 students Seniors: 74 students

stress levels.

—Compiled by Regina Ahn and Elsa Chu

Which factors influence your class selection the most?

Please rank how successful you feel your course schedule has been in meeting your interests and needs.

3.9 %

40.7 %

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Monday, March 21, 2011

55.4 %

Answered Question: 258 Skipped Question: 2

Graphics by Regina Ahn, George Hwang and Alvina Yau

Sarah-Jean Zubair In this increasingly globalized world, it is more important than ever to keep updated about the world around us. But oftentimes discussions about international happenings, politics and even domestic news are interrupted by that peevish inquiry, “Why should I care?” Although countries like Libya and Bahrain seem distant and disconnected from Americans’ everyday lives, nothing could be farther from the truth.

From revolutions in the Middle East to the nuclear crisis in Japan, the fact is that each member of the global community has an impact on its neighbors and beyond. As the world evolves, the United States evolves. Things are changing, and quickly, too. If the American people do not intend to be left in the dust, a working knowledge of the world we live in is a necessity.

Globalization has brought the furthest reaches of the world to our doorstep. Take the United States’ demographics, for example. It is a hub of every ethnic, religious and cultural group imaginable, and the rate of this demographic evolution is only increasing. However, there is still a spectrum of racist beliefs and stereotypes deeply embedded in this nation’s fabric. Harboring prejudice and remaining willfully ignorant of the truth, in this day and age, is perhaps the worst thing one can do for oneself and one’s community. Rather than clinging to the ignorance of eras past, people need to inform themselves about those around them and eliminate any misconceptions to which they might still cling. Such outdated mindsets are divisive on a personal as well as international level, which are, whether one likes it or not, culturally diverse.

The world’s shrinking size not only means cultural diffusion at home, but also closer political and economic ties with other countries. These ties mean that other nations are a part of your nation’s existence, and therefore, a part of your own as well.

Thus, it is important to know basic facts about the nature of these relationships and what is at stake in them. Take, for example, the rise in gasoline prices.

If you’ve looked at your receipt from the gas station lately, you might be alarmed. Rather than believing colorful yet invalid scapegoat theories like President Barack Obama having a sadistic love for gorging on people’s money, you could learn the recent unrest in the Middle East has resulted in investors driving up the oil prices because of their apprehension about future crude oil production in the region. For anyone who does not think conflicts in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and other countries pertain to them, think again. A global economy means you pay for global occurrences. Keeping the facts straight can save you a good deal of uncertainty throughout your own life.

Because of all the legitimate news and information outlets available today, no person has an excuse not to stay informed about domestic and international goings-on. It is for the betterment of society that people educate themselves about the ever-changing world. Not taking the initiative to understand the modern world and those who inhabit it breeds ignorance, which opens a Pandora’s box of problems, particularly the proliferation of misconceptions and stereotypes. It is this type of misinformation that acts as a dividing agent between people and nations.

A mind uninformed is one laid bare to those who seek to exploit ignorance in order to carry out their own agenda, namely politicians and biased, unprofessional pundits. Seek out information, confirm the repute of its origin and use it to your advantage in your everyday life. Never before has the world been so small. And in such a world, knowledge is indeed power.

—Zubair, a senior, is a Managing Editor.

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THEORACLE

Features

Living with synesthesia Jennie Robinson Does this sentence have a color? When you listen to Beethoven, can you taste chocolate? When you think of the months of the year, are they arranged in a circle around you? Do your letters and numbers have personalities? I don’t know about you, but to two of those questions, I can answer yes.

To be specific, I have grapheme-color synesthesia and a little bit of ordinal linguistic personification. That means that numbers and letters have colors to me, and select numbers and letters have personalities. I can go through every number and word in the English language and tell you what colors they have.

Words are different. Since each individual letter has a color, words have overarching colors as well. Take my name, “Jennie.” The “j” is pink, the “e’s” are blue, the “n’s” are orange and the “i” is green or yellow. But, altogether, my name is dark purple and pink. Usually, the meaning of the word also has a certain connotation in my mind. For example, a word like “anteater” is red and angry because the anteater eats helpless ants. A name like “Annie” is also red, but, instead of being angry, it is assertive. Some of the Annie’s I have met are definitely not assertive, so I frequently am surprised when the color and personality of someone’s name do not match his or her actual personality.

In general, sentences don’t have colors, but they have color tones. When something reads as a somber sentence, it has a black tone. When it’s happy, it has a yellow or orange tone. For the most part though, I see the color of sentences and words based on the first letter of the sentence.

My experience with synesthesia is not annoying or distracting as some suppose it to be. It is actually a very pleasurable thing to be able to experience written words and letters in such detail and richness. It makes me happy to see the familiar colors that go along with the words and letters that I read every day. Synesthesia has also played a major part in making literature a huge part of my life. Because I associate words with colors, I am able to remember books more easily. Synesthesia is also a big reason why I plan to major in English in college. On the other hand, I have a lot of trouble with math. There are no words to help me remember important things in math class. While numbers have colors as well, they are not as easy to pick out. Think about how many numbers you can make from the numbers one to nine! Sometimes it is frustrating to see numbers rearranged so quickly because their colors cannot stay the same. Another thing that frustrates me is when people write words in color (street signs, titles on presentations, even graffiti), and they don’t correspond to what I see in my mind, like “Why is that ‘k’ red when ‘k’ is so completely yellow?”

Synesthesia is pretty rare, so I’ve come upon a lot of misconceptions about it. First of all, it’s not always about seeing colors. There are many kinds of synesthesia, and I just happen to have the most common kind. The colors also don’t always jump out at me and, over time, have become less and less apparent and immediate when I look at letters or words. This is normal though, as many synesthetes gradually lose perception as they get older.

Another misunderstanding is that colors appear in my mind instantaneously. However, it is only after I have read, say, a street sign, do the colors then appear. Another misconception is that all synesthetes perceive the same colors and letters. While most of us perceive certain colors the same (“A” is usually red), each person’s perception is different.

People continually ask me about synesthesia. To me, it is nothing more than a quirky personal attribute. I don’t see in rainbows, and I don’t have colors dancing in my head all day. To state it simply, I am thankful for my synesthesia. With it my world is a little more colorful each day.

—Robinson, a senior, is a reporter.

The Oracle staff explores the nature of synesthesia Annie Tran Business/Circulation Manager

Imagine having the ability to crossconnect two or more senses in your brain, like biting into a juicy hamburger and seeing streaks of deep purple flashes in front of your eyes or hearing Kanye West’s new rap and feeling it tickle the back of your neck.

This joint perception of senses is known as a neurological condition called synesthesia which involves an intermingling of senses or a different perception of symbols, such as letters, shapes or numbers, with the use of your senses.

This can include, but is not limited to tasting colors, person if ying numbers, or e v e n hearing tastes. Traditionally, each synesthete experiences his or her own different combination of senses. Any combination of the senses is possible, though it is extremely rare to possess synesthesia involving three or more senses at the same time. There are currently over 61 different forms of synesthesia on record.

Junior Sierra Fan experiences sound-to-sight synesthesia, allowing her to associate musical notes with colors. “Each note of the scale is a distinct color,” she said. “For me, C is off white, G is bright yellow and B is a shade of green depending on the octave.” An advantage that she has gained as a synesthete is being able to play flute in perfect pitch as well as visualize piano keys better by being able to interpret musical pieces based on the colors she sees when she plays it.

However, rather than seeing this condition as an advantage, Fan says it is just something that has always been with her. “I generally thought everyone else had it as well until the summer of 2008,” said Fan. “Some of my friends were taking a psych class and told me that they were learning about this thing called synesthesia. That’s how I finally found out that what I had wasn’t as common as I thought.”

Junior Melia Dunbar, another synesthete, experiences a different form of this condition called grapheme-color synesthesia, one of the most common forms among synesthetes. Instead of seeing colors when hearing music, she see colors projected onto letters and numbers, in which each letter or number has a different color - even if

the letter is literally black and white on paper. In her mind’s eye, the letter Z will always be green and the letter M will always be blue.

“I didn’t really discover I had synesthesia,” Dunbar wrote in an e-mail. “I discovered other people didn’t. Sometime in middle school, my friend and I were talking about our favorite colors, and I said mine was yellow. She asked, ‘Why? What things do you like that are yellow?’ to which I responded, ‘I don’t know...daffodils, lemonade...the letter A.’ [After telling my friend this] she looked really c o n -

untrue among all of the people that he has tested in his studies, since most of them are actually normal high functioning adults.

There have been several in-depth studies of this condition over the years that have mainly focused on who has it and what causes it. Scientists have generalized that at least one in 1000 to 100,000 people have synesthesia. The ranges of these statistics differ between researchers simply because there may be several forms of synesthesia that are unaccounted for since many people don’t realize they have this condition and just see it as a way of life. “[Synesthesia] may add a new d i m en sion to how I perceive t h i ngs, but it do esn’t really make a big difference in my life,” Fan said. “I can’t really explain what it’d be like to not fused, and at that have it, since it’s always been with me.” point I realized she didn’t see letters in Among the few that have this colors like me. I asked my mom about condition, researchers have noticed it, and she said I must have smashed that the majority of synesthetes are my head and damaged my brain when women, left-handed and aren’t visI was a baby. [But] three years later, ibly affected by synesthesia. Recent when I entered high school, I learned U.S. studies have brought to light that that other people had the same condi- over three times as many women as tion, and that it was called synesthesia.” men are synesthetes and that most of According to Witthoft, most syn- these synesthetes are more likely to esthetes don’t realize that they’re “dif- be left handed when compared to the ferent” because their condition has so general population; however both Fan little impact on their everyday lives and and Dunbar are right-handed. interactions with others. Most don’t Other possible theories on causes even realize that their perception of of synesthesia that are currently under the world is different from everyone speculation are disinhibited feedback else’s until their mid to late teens. and genetic origin. The theory paints This realization of differ- a n idea of reduced blockage along ence tends to happen the feedback pathways in the when a brain, which causes a greater sensory experience.

It is also suspected that synesthesia is caused by a dominant trait on the X-chromosome. “My sister has a form of synesthesia where she sees a number and she corresponds it with gender and personalities, like nine is a nice and pretty female and three and four are apparently in a very serious relationship,” Dunbar said. u “Each separate number up to 30 is Ya na i v different to her, like the numbers two l A by and three are entirely different from s hic synes- the number 23. ” This common form of ap r G thete gets synesthesia is called ordinal linguistic i nto a n a rg u- personification. ment over different Several synesthetes have even used views on how people per- this condition to further their career ceive things with their senses, such in some aspects, such as musician as Dunbar’s conversation with her John Mayer, who has sound-to-sight friend. “Someone without synesthesia synesthesia and the mathematician, wouldn’t know or understand what the Pythagoras, who had ordinal linguistic synesthete is talking about,” he said. personification.

According to Dr. Nathan Witthoft, “When people ask me about it and a Stanford researcher who specializes mention it, I usually think it is flatin psychology, most people associ- tering but not that big of a deal,” Fan ate synesthesia with mental function said. “But it’s kind of cool to know that when first hearing about the disease. I have something in common with so However, he has found that this is many high achieving people.”

13

Features

Monday, March 21, 2011

Photos courtesy of Susan Nitta

The robotics team spends quality time together by assembling the final touches to their robot and working hard as a team during the competition in New Jersey.

Robotics Team reaches semifinals, sets goals for future Utkash Dubey Reporter

On March 2 the Gunn Robotics Team (GRT) left for New Jersey to attend a regional robotics tournament in hopes of qualifying for the state level competition and in preparation for two other upcoming robotics tournaments this year. Unfortunately, the team lost in the semifinals of the competition against the fifth seeded team (GRT was seeded seventh). Despite the disappointing loss, GRT looks forward to placing at its next few regional tournaments as it im-

proves and polishes its robot. “The [robot] only has a few problems here and there, and we’ll work it out by the time our next regional comes up,” junior GRT member Gregg Ratanaphanyarat said.

As for build season, GRT had a lot of new personalities to work with. Although GRT lost many upperclassmen from the previous years, several newcomers joined the team this season to make up for the loss. Ratanaphanyarat feels that “[GRT] has a lot of enthusiastic rookies this year, so we’ll have a strong team in future years too.” However, not everything is as easy as it seems. GRT mentor Bill Dunbar em-

phasizes the team has to put more effort to rank high in competitions due to several setbacks. “The Gunn Robotics Team is always among the top competitors, but there are always teams that have more funding and more professional involvement than we do,” he said. “That means that we have to work very hard to be competitive.”

GRT leader Neil Sood urged that despite the hardships, he felt extremely proud of build season this year. “We have 40 rookies this year and only 18 veterans, and together, as a team we made a robot that was able to bring us to the semifinals of our first competition,” Sood said. “I am sure our determi-

nation will carry us further in our next two competitions.”

The specific game played by robots this year for all regional tournaments requires robots to move inflated tubes of different shapes and hang them on a rack to earn points. Extra points are awarded for tubes higher on the rack and sequences that depict the competition’s official logo. Once all the tubes are put on the rack, a mini-robot will be deployed and climb up a 10-foot pole for up to 30 bonus points. The game is played for all the robotics competitions this year.

GRT attended another robotics competition on March 16 in Seattle with high hopes.

used to help an alien race, the “Iiko,” in rebuilding their world for a better future.

After finalizing a specific idea for the storyline, each member pitched in his own ideas for scene shots, character designs and object designs like the bridge, robots and the rocket ship. Individual objects were constructed using animation softwares such as programs like Autodesk Maya and 3DS Max. The six students then began working on the actual animation, creating key frames and having the computer software generate intermediate frames in order to produce the smooth movement seen in the animation.

Since all of last year’s animation members graduated, the six members started off the season with a clean slate and little experience working with each other. “We’re all rookies, which helps because no one is able to dominate the group,” sophomore Yuka Sakazaki said. “When making decisions,

we used simple democracy; everyone was equal.”

Junior Tony Yin joined the animation team mid-season after he discovered that GRT had added an animation division. “I’ve always dreamed to be a video game designer, so I had been learning how to use Autodesk Maya for two years by myself before joining,” Yin said. “I also really enjoy making sculptures, which is very similar to computer 3-D modeling.”

Junior Lisa Wu became interested in animation from watching childhood cartoons and Pixar films. “I’ve always loved storytelling of all forms like writing and movies; animation is one of those forms,” she said.

“It allows you to be fully flexible in creating your own world. You can basically create whatever the mind can imagine.”

Dunbar has found that the animation team likes to be independent instead of relying on

mentors’ help. “Usually the people on animation like to be autonomous,” he said. “I’m always ready to intervene when I think the students are in trouble. But this year, they came up with their own great ideas, worked together well and were on schedule, so I just left them alone. They didn’t need me hovering.”

Sakazaki agreed, citing the team’s trial and error method. “We looked up tutorials online and experimented,” she said. “We probably would have finished faster if we had prior experience, but even if you make a whole bunch of mistakes the first few times, you’ll never forget how to do that particular task once you get it right.”

GRT’s animation will be peer-judged against other teams’ animations at the Silicon Valley Regionals in late March and at the National FIRST Championship held in April.

GRT Animation creates aliens for upcoming competitions Ashley Ngu

News Editor

Away from the metal chips and loud machines of the rest of the Gunn Robotics Team (GRT) is a less prominent group of six students that make up GRT’s Animation Team.

This year, those six members cranked out a 30-second animation stuffed with aliens, rocket ships and robots. “The people at For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) added an animation component to give students a venue to dream and be creative,” GRT mentor Bill Dunbar said. “With this year’s prompt they literally aren’t grounded on earth.”

Entitled “Bridging the Gap,” the team’s animation was a product of five weeks of brainstorming, decision-making and creating. This year’s prompt asked for teams to produce a storyline where technology was

“Iiko” overcomes separation

After an earthquake, two members of the “Iiko” alien race are separated by a huge chasm. Using robotic technology provided by humans, a bridge is built spanning the gap, reconnecting the two aliens.

Bridging the Gap can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=nnQTi3Hri-s

Lisa Wu

Gunn Animation Team’s “Iiko”, the alien race, is depicted here in its many stages of creation, from the initial drawings, to the molding and finally to the 3-D modeling stage.

14

Features

THEORACLE

Clubs bring top talents to multiple competitions Science Olympiad, Math Circles, Model UN and Chess Club bring awards back to campus Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad placed third in the Bay Area Regional Competition and is now on its way to participate in the Northern California State Competition held in Fresno.

The Olympiad is a series of competitions that tests students’ knowledge in highly organized events relating to science. There are five main events with 23 sub-topics that students can choose to enter. The five main events are “Life, Personal & Social Science,” “Earth & Space Science,” “Physical Science & Chemistry,” “Technology & Engineering,” and “Inquiry & Nature of Science.”

Each school can have up to 15 members on the team and up to two teams. “[Each] team competes in these events by sending

two or three members to each event, either to take a test, answer questions in a lab setting, or show off their pre-built engineering feat,” senior Science Olympiad president Coline Devin said.

To prepare, the students rigorously study for individual topics, such as optics and forensics. Each student participates in multiple events and therefore must have a extensive understanding of several different topics.

Along with tests there are also lab-based and engineering events in this competition.

“One-fourth of these events are special engineering events, where a specific device, such as a balsa wood tower or Sumo robot, must be built prior to competition,” junior Jeffrey Sun said.

Math Tournament in Boston, placing ninth out of the over one hundred teams that included some international competitors.

“We were all very surprised since this was our first time going,” senior Math Circles co-president Brian Zhang said.

“Gunn was one of the Courtesy of Brian Zhang only teams with stuThe Math Circles team gathers by the MIT main building. dents from just one Math Circles school, so in terms of Eight members of the Math Circles team schools, we placed fourth [in the nation].” recently competed in the Harvard-MasThe Harvard tournament consists of an sachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) individual test, a team test and a guts round

Model United Nations

For this past school year, the Gunn Model United Nations (MUN) Club has been reaping the rewards of several years of hard work and preparation for the many conferences that they have attended. After several recent conferences, such as the Santa Clara Valley MUN, Stanford MUN Conference, Berkeley MUN and, one of its most recent conferences, North American Invitational MUN (NAIMUN), the Gunn MUN Club has been put even more so into the spotlight. According to senior club president Max Lipscomb, Gunn is not only one of the strongest MUN clubs in Northern California but, with its most recent wins at NAIMUN, one of the highest performing MUN programs in North America.

“Gunn has gained a fearsome reputation and performed better this year than any other Model UN program in Northern California,” Lipscomb said. “Our win at Berkeley’s conference places us as the top student MUN club in California as a whole and our award

at NAIMUN places us as one of the top 10 MUN programs in the entirety of the North American Continent.”

According to junior Laura Zalles, the club’s extensive preparation prior to each conference is a key factor in doing well for any of the conferences that they attend.

“Before pretty much every conference, you have to write a position paper, which requires a lot of research,” she said. “You also have to do research outside of your paper if you want to perform well at the conference.”

Senior club secretary of delegate training Howon Lee noted that experience and practice are also facets of the club’s recent successes. “Every single conference is a learning experience,” he said. “Being put in a room with anywhere from five to 200 other human beings really forces you to learn to adapt and think on your feet. I also like to watch how other delegates debate, and I take bits and pieces from my peers to improve my own skill set.”

The club meets on Fridays at lunch in

Wendy Qiu

Senior Derek O’Connor thinks carefully before making a move with his knight.

Chess Club

The Chess Club, led by seniors Derek O’Connor and Jeffrey Ma, has been picking up steam in its first full year of competing against other schools as a team. The squad has quickly become a powerhouse in the Bay Area, competing in the Santa Clara

Valley Chess League. The team finished 6-2 overall in league play and third in the league tournament, with the two losses coming from Leigh High School and Harker. In addition to Leigh and Harker, the league consists of Monta Vista, Saratoga, Lynbrook, Palo Alto and Menlo High Schools.

Courtesy of Coline Devin

The Science Olympiad team poses after finishing third in the Bay Area Regionals.

This year, Gunn’s third place finish out of 30 teams qualifies the team for the state competition. “Currently we are preparing for the state competition, and although Mission in which teams are given three problems at a time to solve as quickly as possible. The team met just twice to practice for the Harvard competition. “No one really prepares; it is very relaxed,” freshman Sandra Herchen said. “Everyone is there to have fun, but it is great that we can also win.” Math Circles meets twice a week during lunch on Wednesdays, when a club member usually presents a problem set, and after school on Thursdays, when the club practices old test questions or participates in competitions.

While Math Circles has also been successful in previous years, this year in particular has shown a significant growth in club participants and leadership. “Every year is different, and people have slightly different interests,” Math Circles advisor Peter Herreshoff said. “More people have

San Jose placed second in the regionals, we hope to beat them at states,” Devin said.

—Colin Chen

been taking charge this year than in the past. More people are active at an organizational level. I do as much as I need to because I prefer that the students have the experience of taking charge. They are pretty competent.”

In addition to participating in the competition, club members also toured the Harvard and MIT campuses and had the opportunity to spend a night in the college dorms. “[We] ran into some Gunn alumni completely by chance while we were touring Harvard and MIT,” Zhang said. “It was exciting to catch up with them and hear about their college experiences.” The club welcomes new members and anyone who is interested should get involved.

—Lucy Oyer

Courtesy of Sara Ameri

The Model UN Club has been widely recognized at several distinguished conferences. room V-13. Although many of the current members are seniors, the club hopes to continue its streak of accomplishments not only at its next conference, Davis MUN (DMUN), but also next year. “[We plan] to secure the Best Delegation Award at DMUN in mid-May,” Lipscomb wrote in Chess Club has been around for many years at Gunn. “Freshmen year, we had a well-organized club,” O’Connor said. “The last two years, we lacked organization. I’m very happy with the job Jeff has done this year.”

During standard chess matches between schools, teams rank their members from one to seven. The seven compete against each other and the school that wins the majority of boards wins the match. Teams are prohibited from “stacking,” or inappropriately ranking your players so they play weaker opponents.

Even though the team has little experience competing on such a consistent basis, it pulled off some phenomenal wins against two powerhouses, Saratoga and Monta Vista High Schools, winning both matches 4-3. “Competing is fun and we have a lot of fun playing chess in the [Academic Center

an e-mail. “We are incessantly proud of our accomplishments and look forward to Gunn MUN’s future as a host of shining stars plan to take up the club’s mantle in the wake of the departing seniors.”

—Sweta Bhattacharya (AC)] after school,” Ma said.

The club meets in the AC after school every weekday. A variety of different modes of chess are seen. “Bug house,” when players work in a pair and take on another pair, is a popular mode. “New members are always welcome,” O’Connor said. “We’ve found a lot of students who didn’t think they were very good, but after practice, became people who were definitely legitimate contributors to our team.”

The club will be losing many seniors after this year and is looking for younger players to take over for future. “We have had a lot of momentum after this year with a great squad filled with enthusiastic upperclassmen,” O’Connor said. “I’m very confident about our future, and I would love to see more new members take over.

—Kevin Zhang

15

Features

Monday, March 21, 2011

Courtesy of Michael Underwood

Left: Jennifer Koepnick listens intently as Underwood reads her nomination letter. Middle: Joanie Schug (right) hugs Underwood as she receives her commendations. Top right: The audience that attended the Sweetheart Awards were at times moved to tears. Bottom right: Christine Wachs accepts her carnation and letter with a huge smile.

Devoted student aides commended at Sweetheart Awards Eugenah Chou

Forum Editor

The Sweetheart Awards, an annual event put on by the city’s Community Advisory Committee for Special Education (CAC), brought all sorts of people across the community together who shared a simple yet meaningful opportunity: the chance to say thank you.

Parent Tina Underwood was inspired to coordinate the event by a friend from Massachusetts involved in an organization similar to CAC. After hearing about its appreciation night, she decided that Palo Alto could use a similar event. “Most people do not realize how a simple act of kindness, friendship or acceptance can make such a big difference for someone with special needs,” Underwood said.

Underwood hosted the hour-long event, which was held on Feb. 28. She read each letter of nomination out loud for the audience.

All those who were nominated for the Sweetheart awards received a carnation as well as a copy of their letter. “The Sweetheart Awards are heart-warming and inspiring; it’s a joyful and fun evening–my favorite of the year,” Underwood wrote in an e-mail. “Recipients are often touched and humbled; nominated families are grateful and thankful.”

An eight-year-old girl was nominated by her parents simply for being a loving big sister. Gunn student Keith Kingston, a multihandicapped student who cannot speak or walk, was nominated for showing kindness to a new student. Nominees included anyone from a welcoming crossing guard or the helpful staff of Piazza’s to a Stanford affiliate researching autism or simply a caring fellow

Q&A with

student. It was a night filled of compassion and a series of uninterrupted applause that on occasion brought tears to the audience members’ eyes. The evening was a celebration of gratitude, and the smallest of acts pulled those attending together.

Janet Fox, the current head of the Gunn Special Education department, has been nominated every year the Awards have run.

After receiving her double nomination this year, she received a standing ovation for her more than thirty years of work in the field.“I’ve known I wanted to work with Special Ed since I was twelve years old,” Fox said of her experience then volunteering with students with orthopedic impairments at Garland Elementary. “I think sometimes, working with students with disabilities brings out the better sides in people.” “It makes them appreciate things more.”

Chandra Campbell was nominated by the parents of Gunn student Angelica Valezquez for going beyond the call of duty as their daughter’s aide. Campbell earned their gratitude for her everyday acts of thoughtfulness.

“I noticed Angelica would get excited whenever she saw what other girls were wearing,” Campbell said. In response, Campbell began bringing her small gifts, like hair clips, nail polish and body glitter. “I brought her stuff that would make her feel like a normal teenager,” she said.

“I was just doing my job,” said Campbell who was surprised by her nomination. Her kindness shows that it can be the smallest of acts that mean everything.

“Simply put, people do not say or hear the words ‘thank you’ enough,” Underwood said. “It’s wonderful for folks to know that they are noticed and appreciated.”

Artist of the Month: Belicia Ding

The Oracle: When did you first begin art?

Belicia Ding: When I could first hold a pencil, I started to doodle. Doodling helped me get into art. I started taking art classes in 5th grade until 10th grade.

TO: What styles of art did you learn in these classes?

BD: I had class once a week and mainly practiced still-life sketching.

TO: What kind of art do you draw?

BD: I mainly do drawing and painting. I am currently working on watercolor and some acrylic.

TO: What are your favorite mediums?

BD: I like using pencils and colored pencils. Right now I am currently enjoying watercolors though.

TO: What role does art play in your life?

BD: Art is everywhere in my life. When I am stressed I draw and art is my stress reliever. Art helps me relax and is something I enjoy.

TO: Will art be part of your future?

BD: I can possibly see art as a second major, minor or just a fun activity. Even if I do not study art, it will always be a part of my life.

TO: How would you promote art for Gunn students?

BD: I would tell students to take some art classes at Gunn. If you want to explore art, it’s good to take Art Spectrum because you do everything from making sculptures to drawing and painting.

TO: What are your goals in art?

Victor Kwok

Senior Belicia Ding presents her artistic piece, “Beauty and the Beast.”

BD: I want to encourage others to take art. Even if you are not going to major in art, you could still have fun. Art is an extracurricular activity that is fun. I want to inspire people through art in a different perspective.

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TO: What are you currently working on?

BD: My main focus this year is on animals and nature. Many people focus on humans, but I wanted to do something different and decided to do art from the perspective of animals. By my art I can also raise awareness of the extinction of many animals. It’s not just extinct animals but animals that are many times undervalued, for example, the wild boar.

People don’t care for them as much because they are not extinct, but I want to show people that they also have their own spirits. Before I do each piece, I research about the animal before I start.

— Elise Lee

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THEORACLE

Caught on Camera: Wh

In honor of Not In Our Schools Week, The Oracle decided to find out ho formed a scene around campus five times to answer the question: are we Bullying, whether in the form of verbal attcks, physical abuse or cyber-bullying, is becoming an increased problem among teens in the nation. It has often led to negative repercussions that teens carry with them into their adult years. On campus, verbal bullying is a rarity and physical bullying is almost unheard of. “In my four years, I can’t account for a time when I actually overheard or witnessed someone being bullied,” senior Vanessa Xia said. “We’re pretty accepting here, so it doesn’t really surprise me.”

Thus, in honor of Not In Our Schools Week, The Oracle set up a scenario in the style of the popular NBC show, “What Would You Do?” which puts unknowing people into situations where they are confronted by social issues. The scenes took place in five different locations: Quad, Student Activities Center (SAC), Spangenberg, Amphitheatre and the Academic Center (AC). Actors were given a loose script to follow and told to dress according to their character–the victim dressed down and pretended to read a book, while the bullies were free to wear whatever they chose. All actors were asked to keep physical contact to a minimum and avoid usage of profanity. When the

experiment began, there was an expection to see our fellow students stand up for each other. However, it was shocking to see just how many students in this “accepting community” simply ignored the bullying.

While junior Samantha Donat and her co-bully began to harass senior Eugenah Chou about her looks, wits and general personality, most people seemed to do a double-take, but continued walking past the scene. Some admitted to not noticing the bullying, while others believed that the bullies were “just joking around.”

For sophomore Kirsten Baird, this scenario felt quite familiar.

“Having been bullied when I was younger, I felt as if I could relate to the victim,” she said. Baird was one of four people who stepped in during the fifth trial of the social experiment in the AC. Sitting at a nearby table, she overheard the two bullies and at first believed it was an experiment for psychology. Glancing up, she turned to one of our photographers to ask if he knew what was going on. After confirming he also had no idea what was happening, she decided to step in. “You really shouldn’t talk to her like that,” Baird said to Donat. “It’s unacceptable to

talk to anyone that way.”

Junior Jeremy Neff was another student who d in. However, his take on the situation was slightly Baird’s. “I kind of knew Eugenah and Samantha I felt [it was] slightly fishy when I saw Samantha because I knew she wasn’t like that.”

Nevertheless, when Neff began to realize the s was playing out before him, he stopped doing hi see what the commotion was about. Gawking at fi to step in after the bullies stated that Chou wou date to prom. “That’s an opinion, not a fact,” Ne It was a couple minutes after this encounter t working at the Academic Center also decided to how she could “help the two ladies.”

Yet, the most confrontational reaction came fro Farhat. Within a few minutes of overhearing the Farhat glanced in disbelief at his friends. “I asked were just joking around or being serious,” he sa long before he spoke up to our bullies. “You guy shut up. That’s inappropriate,” Farhat said. Whe

Bullying victim surprised by lack of intervention Eugenah Chou At first their insults were almost laughable. I knew these people; they were my friends. But as I sank into my role, all I wanted was to just blend in and disappear; head down, hat pulled low. And as each stranger walked by, the stinging words cut in deeper, and the distinction between real and acting started to fade. Doubt began to cloud my mind.

If I could be so easily ignored, what did that say about me? What did that say about the truth of their words? My confidence wavered. I began to think–if the tables had been turned, if I were a bystander safely uninvolved, would I, too, simply ignore it?

Our experiment involved seven adults on campus as well. As each approached, I felt a spark of hope that they might prove me wrong. But without so much as a backward glance, seven adults passed me by. The ease with which they turned their backs to me remains trapped in my mind, a true disappointment. I slowly convinced myself that there was no chance that anyone would go out of their way to stand up for me.

The next day we attempted our experiment in the AC, and I started

off with little optimism for anything new. So, when a stranger stood up for me, it felt like nothing short of a miracle.

The goal of this experiment was to reveal how the average student would react to bullying. However, it also brought about an unexpected reflection on my own self-confidence. As the victim, it was part of my role to act passively, to absorb their harsh words and wait for someone else to be my hero. Although in the end a few kind souls ended up stepping in, this experiment made clear the necessity for confidence, and the ability to speak up for yourself. Waiting around isn’t always rewarded by someone else’s good deed. Some unfortunate people try to make themselves feel important by putting down others.

Fear. It keeps us from being the person we think we are or hope to one day become. If a person gets in his head that he can’t do anything to change the situation, then there’s truly nothing he can do. If he convinces himself that it’s the way things are and fails to take any action, then he renders any thoughts of remorse completely insignificant. He has made a choice to be a bystander. You have a choice to stand out and be someone different, to say no to injustice and to demand better of yourself and classmates.

–Chou, a senior, is a Forum Editor.

Graphic by Bonnie Cardillo Photos by Victor Kwok, Henry Liu, Alan Phan and Melissa Sun

In order from left to right: senior Eugenah Chou sits alone on a quad bench awaiting to be victimized. Bullies, junior Samantha Donat and senior Josephine Jen physically harass Chou in the Academic Center.

Junior Jeremy Neff glances back in surprise when he realizes what was taking place. Sophomore Kirsten Baird looks up in response to Donat’s bullying. Senior John Farhat looks over to his friends in shock of what he was hearing. Groups of strangers walk by as the bullying scene occurs.

erfold

?

hat Would YOU Do

ow students would act in the face of bullying. Our actors pere truly as accepting as we claim to be?

decided to step y different from a,” he said. “So, being so mean

situation which is homework to first, he decided uld never get a eff said. that a volunteer o step in asking

om senior John e conversation, d myself if they aid. It wasn’t ys should en our

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Monday, March 21, 2011

bullies reciprocated, commenting and questioning if Chou would get into Stanford because of the Stanford sweatshirt she was wearing, Farhat replied promptly. “Yes, definitely,” he said. For Farhat, his reaction was a subconscious decision. “I didn’t really choose to react, because it was a reaction,” he said. “It automatically came to me.”

Our simple experiments throughout the week were only able to show a portion of the big picture. So, now we wonder, what exactly would you do?

–Sophia Jiang

Bully ratches up insults to provoke bystander action Samantha Donat When I at first agreed to be a part of this social experiment, I had thought I would be executing a rather simple task: being a bully. It sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. What I had thought would be a simple exchange of a few slanderous words turned into an experience that I will, honestly, probably carry with me for the rest of my life.

My biggest obstacle at first appeared to be formulating how I would respond to a confrontation. I don’t consider myself to be a particularly mean person, so dealing with a one-on-one confrontation sounded absolutely terrifying to me. As we began the first trial of the experiment and the hateful words began to roll off my tongue, I found myself praying that no one would say anything, hoping that I wouldn’t have to talk back to anyone who questioned my actions. As the minutes of bullying wore on and I began to run out of mean things to say, I found myself looking around, almost confused. Not one of the (at least) fifteen people who had overheard my bullying had even blinked an eye. Were all of these people seriously going to let me get away with this? In a last-ditch attempt at provoking someone, I loudly

and clearly said, “You’re a pathetic excuse for a human being,” as an adult walked by. He looked straight at me, his footsteps slowing for a fraction of a second. He then sped up again and continued on his way.

The next two experiments went similarly—I was loud, I was mean and I was positive that people were hearing the nasty things I was saying. And no one retaliated in any way, shape or form. But finally, during, the fourth trial of the experiment, I heard a group of students in the AC whispering and looking at me. Hoping that someone would react, I kept up my string of insults, and suddenly someone called out my name. “Sam, what do you think you’re doing?” I immediately froze and felt all the blood in my body rush to my face. I attempted to continue on with my act, trying to remain in character, but after hearing the student call me out, my “confidence” in my bullying was smashed, and all I really wanted to do was hug her in gratitude for not letting me get away with it for any longer.

The fifth trial proved to be just as successful, and although the confrontation was just as uncomfortable for me, it was even more of a relief to see that another person was going to stop my behavior. I like to tell myself that all of the people who heard my bullying and didn’t stand up really did just think it was a “joke,” but even then, I was astonished at the number of people who decided to let the bullying run its course.

—Donat, a junior, is an Entertainment Editor.

Faces in the Crowd: Why do you think bullying happens?

“A child with abusive or neglective parents may seek attention or feel the need to hurt others as well.”

Clark Wu (9)

“Bullying, in my opinion, has its roots in insecurity. ” Marissa Kanemoto (10)

“Bullying occurs in part by the effects people’s insecurities have on them. ” Alex Barthelemy (11)

“I think bullying starts with gossip.”

Kelly Catlin (12) –Compiled by Elise Lee

18

Features

THEORACLE

Gunn alumni reflect on parental philosophies, n PARENTING from p.1

Degree of autonomy

Many alumni pointed out the importance of having some level of independence in high school in order to facilitate the transition to life away from home. Class of 2010 alumnus John Dawson appreciated the freedoms he was given, and was careful not to abuse them. “My mom couldn’t be there to ‘crack the whip’ after school as she was always busy working,” he wrote in an e-mail. “As a result I had to develop a moderate degree of independence for studying, a habit from which I have benefited greatly. I was never told to do my homework. I simply did the work, showed her the report card and she was pleased.”

However, he does admit that there have been times when he wished his parents could have pushed him more. “It’s peculiar: my entire family emphasized the importance of academic success, but while there was always praise for good grades, there was never punishment for mediocre grades, or even bad grades (or at least bad by Gunn’s standards),” he wrote. “My mother would be concerned, but she never punished me. This meant I often had no incentive to go the extra mile and apply myself. In retrospect, having pressure would’ve made me capable of much more.” Dawson references his parents’ pushing him to practice music as a time when parental pressure was beneficial. “I could never bring myself to practice,” he wrote. “I loathed it. My mom actually forced me to practice, and I complied and reached the point where I could practice out of enjoyment. Leniency may feel great, but the sense of accomplishment from being good at something is much more rewarding.”

While Dawson feels his parents could have motivated him more, he cautions the limits of parental force. “Gunn’s environment scares me in retrospect,” he wrote. “The teachers are passionate about teaching, but the students aren’t passionate about learning, only achieving. Students care about scores, grades, and schools, not about what they’re learning or why. Parents are responsible for reinforcing this drive. My parents didn’t believe in this philosophy, so they let me pursue activities I enjoyed. I appreciate what they did for me. They didn’t make me into a mindless work zombie. Being able to laugh and enjoy life without stress is as much as a skill as being able to sit down and play piano for three hours straight. I used to envy my peers who were driven to be over-achievers. Now I nearly pity those achievers whose parents sculpted their children to make them successful, as they never got to define success for themselves.”

The amount of freedom parents give their children is also largely related to trust, the value that class of 2010 alumnus Corey Breier says his relationship with his parents is based upon. “They trust my judgment, for the most part, and I trust that they will be reasonable with the demands and rules they set,” he wrote. “I definitely was better off with a long leash, but the only way this approach can work is if the kid himself is motivated.”

Breier’s parents also looked toward inspiring motivation, rather than using pressure. “There is a difference between pushing a child to a greater potential and dragging him there,” he wrote. “Dad in particular was always trying to find something new the kids had to do to occupy the time. Whether it was some project based on networking neighbors or a daily workout regimen, he was a fan of putting incentives in front or behind us in order to make us do more than we wanted to. If the grades did falter, then there

would be small rewards for bringing them back benefits. “At some point, it changed from up, and theoretically all of us were on the ‘A external motivation to an internal motivaplan’ at all times, which had more stringent stick tion, and then things weren’t so stressful and carrot values. My parents motivated me as anymore.” role models and with expectations, and they indiAccording to Yang, the best parectly motivated rental approach lies in the me to motivate middle ground. “If parents myself. T hey are too lax, setting reason“If parents are too lax, instilled a high able goals becomes more degree of selfdifficult and the kid may setting reasonable goals confidence, and not necessarily reach his becomes more difficult I took that and or her full potential,” he used it to comsaid. “On the flip side, and the kid may not necplete whatever overly demanding paressarily reach his or her it was I was doents can inadvertently full potential. On the flip ing.” replace or subvert Class of innate motivation. side, overly demanding 2010 alumnus It’s far easier to parents can inadvertently K e v i n Ya n g procrastinate in says his pa rcollege, and the replace or subvert innate ents gave him parent-driven motivation.” the flexibility kids tend to and room to decrash hard —2010 alumnus Kevin Yang velop his own until they intrinsic drive. lea r n to Growing up, he make dewas “expected to do his best and get straight A’s cisions for themin school,” but Yang gradually imposed high goals selves.” upon himself. “Up until seventh grade, my parents were a huge driving force, and I basically did what Educational they told me to,” he said. However, after coming philosophy close to making the national team in the MathClass Counts competition in sixth grade, Yang realized of 2010 he wanted to do more, and began taking a more ac- alumna tive role in making his own decisions. “My parents’ Allegra philosophy was that if I wanted to do something, Mayer they would provide the resources and the support, says but I had to do it myself,” he said. “They found her every single MathCounts problem for me and were very patient by telling me what I did wrong.

I placed first in California my eighth grade year, and a lot of it was because they provided the materials.” As his parents shifted from being a primary m o t iva t i o n a l s ou r c e t o a source of guidance, he felt substantial

mother had strong opinions about how she should handle the strong opinions about how she should handle the “high pressure system at Gunn.” “She tried to convince me not to take AP classes,” Mayer said. “It wasn’t that she just thought it would take a lot of time, and she wanted me to enjoy life more without stress, especially since I had almost no free time with my extracurriculars.

Though I succumbed and took AP classes, having her tell me these things made me value my classes more, and I placed a greater emphasis on learning the material itself.”

Class of 2010 alumna Brittany Cheng notes the emphasis her parents placed on effort. “My parents believed that if we tried our best, that was enough,” Cheng said. “They expected a lot and school was still a priority, but they didn’t push like crazy. Their parenting didn’t get in the way of hanging out and having fun. They thought that even if a person didn’t do well in school, he could still do well in life.” Class of 2010 alumnus Kaan Badir’s parents also valued encouragement.

“If I got a C, my mom would tell me to not worry about it and try harder next time, and she gave me advice on how to do better,” he said. “My dad was stricter and would tell me to try for the B, but they were never like, ‘We expected you to do better.’ Rather than pressuring me, they gave positive feedback and a lot of support.”

Other parents had differing views regarding academic achievement.

Class of 2009 alumna Ellen Su admits she was partially motivated by not wanting to disappoint her parents, who expected nothing less than A’s. “‘Asian’ parents have a lot of faith in their children, and they think their kids can do anything,” she said. “It sounds harsh as ‘Why can’t you do this?’ but at the same time, it’s also their way of saying ‘I believe you can do this. You have the potential.’ There was an unspoken agreement that I would do well—if I had gotten a B in a class, my parents would have flipped out. They had this expectation that I would go to a good college, and it didn’t occur to them that anything else would happen.”

For class of 2009 alumna Carolyn Kato, her parents’ influences were dichotomous.

While she appreciates that they pushed her in school and her musical studies—both areas she now greatly enjoys—she says they were not supportive of some of her personal decisions that were not college-oriented. “I am happy with a lot of the things that they did, but I thought it was too rigid,” she said. One such area of friction arose in Kato’s decision to take a gap year after high school, which was something she had always wanted to do.

“My parents were completely uninvolved,” she said.

Childhood

Adolescence

Adulthood Kimberly Han

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Features

Monday, March 21, 2011

share impacts of upbringing after high school

“They didn’t want me to go, didn’t want to do anything about it, were unwilling to fund it, and were emotionally unsupportive. They found no point in some things. On the contrary, with violin, they were willing to put in0 an unlimited amount for lessons.” In the end, Kato ended up taking a gap year in India, but these differences eventually led her to distance herself from them. “We don’t talk much now, and we’re not necessarily that close,” she said. “I currently go to school in the United Kingdom, and though it’s been a very long process, we’ve learned how to deal with each other. We’ve figured out that they need to at least financially support me and I visit them every year, but I don’t seek emotional support from them. I think it’s better this way.”

Kato believes this narrow-mindedness is common in Palo Alto. “Palo Alto tends to attract people who are intense on academics because the schools are good and Stanford has a prestigious reputation, but it doesn’t foster creativity,” she said. “There are a lot of creative students, but parents are telling their kids to be like everyone else. It was hard for my parents—they wanted to mold me into a certain type of person, but they sort of gave up. I value creativity, choices, lifestyle and individuality, and as for the kind of parents who are very strict, they could have done it with a little more character, could have been a little more supportive.”

Emotional relationships

While Su is grateful her parents’ high expectations carried on to high expectations within herself, she wishes she could have been on a more even level with her parents.

“It was a hierarchical relationship,” she said.

“They offered unsolicited advice every time I

said something, and talked to me as if I were be proud of,” she said. “Being emotional a kid. I’m not very close to them, so even means being vulnerable, and I don’t want my though I call them every few days, I don’t parents to see me as having vulnerabilities—I really confide in them. I prefer not being at want them to see the strong woman they’ve home.” raised. We engage intellectually and in a As a result of her experiences, Su believes business matter in terms of what needs to be that the emotional connection between par- done; we’re on the same page when it comes ent and child is determined by the balance of to education and expectations of family time how much authority the parents have. “If par- and school time, but on an emotional level, I ents expect obedience, there will be a lesser don’t think it was all there. With my dad, he emotional connection, would sit us down and because if you share have a discussion with emotional things with us to express his disthem, the advice will appointment if he felt “My parents cannot be be detached, rather like we had fell short separated from the dethan understanding,” of a goal, and hearing she said. “Parents that made me feel like velopment of my goals. need to make an efI had somehow failed fort to talk to their to honor the Fourth —2010 alumnus Ben Bendor children as equals, Commandment. With especially since teenmy mom, it was agers hate being talkagenda-based—it was ed down to. Stricter parents are too used to more functional than emotional. I think this is telling their kids to do things and expecting common in Palo Alto—the emphasis on outthem to do it. With more open parents, the put and results. I’m not sure why, but I don’t emotional bond would be stronger, though mind it.” you may not be able to get your kid to do as According to Class of 2010 alumnus Ben much—of course, at the same time, there’s a Bendor, his relationship with his parents is lot of variation.” a close one, as it is largely characterized by Class of 2009 alumna Monica Alcazar open communication during both decisionlargely attributes the style of her upbringing making processes and conflicts. “My parents to her parents’ Catholic faith. Though her par- cannot be separated from the development of ents’ conservative perspectives regarding her my goals,” he said. “They were open to my curfew, attire and the events she could attend ideas, and we worked together. Sometimes it helped her develop healthy habits, the reli- did feel like they were pushing me too much gious influence has also hindered the devel- or getting too involved—my mom was on opment of a close emotional relationship with the overprotective side, micromanaging with her parents. “The Fourth Commandment says college apps and high school, and there were to ‘honor thy mother and father,’ and I have a lot of disagreements between us. Between created a version of myself that they would theater and soccer, it was sometimes impos-

sible to get work done, and at one point my mom wanted me to drop out of one of the plays. However, the reason why there was arguing was because it was a close relationship.”

Class of 2010 alumna Jessie Schroeder also attributes the openness with her parents as a main factor in their emotional relationship. “I’ve had a couple spats with my mom—two strong-willed, smart women who always think they’re right are bound to, especially since my mom respects me enough to expect me to speak my mind,” she said.

“However, my mom is one of my best friends and we talk all the time; if I ever need any help or advice, she’s who I go to.”

Class of 2010 alumna Jackie Hwang, who is also close to her parents, is especially appreciative of their support for her choices.

“They keep their values—that the goal of life is to be happy—in mind with everything they do,” she said. “They didn’t push me to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer because they didn’t think that having those occupations would be necessary to happiness. I’ve given my unconditional trust and love toward my parents, and they’ve done the same, so that’s how our relationship has developed. I’ve never felt the need hide anything from them, because they understand me and take what I say seriously and into consideration. I think it’s actually because of all of this freedom and trust that I have never feel like I have to ‘rebel.’”

Overall, these alumni perspectives represent many different parental relationships, offering insight into the variability and influence of philosophy, situation and personality, and ultimately reflecting the diversity within the Gunn community.

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20 Sports Spring sports start off with a bang, entering THEORACLE

1

4

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Melissa Sun

Victor Kwok

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Henry Liu

Diving:

The diving team started the season with a big splash, crowned by a victorious showing against Saratoga High for the first meet of the season. The team is coached by Shana Karp, a stand-out diver from Stanford who is seen as enthusiastic and encouraging by her team.

“She’s really passionate, and an awesome coach,” sophomore Miko Mallari said. Since swimming and diving scores are tallied up together to determine meet ranking, the strength of the diving team will affect the performance of the whole aquatics program. The diving program is solid this year and has a lot of competitive strength. New members of the team have shown substantial improvement and are expected to take the reins, according to junior Emily Igler. “Since the beginning of the season, all the new people have gotten significantly better,” Igler said. The team hopes to have a successful season, with some Central Coast Section (CCS) titles tossed into the mix.

Baseball:

The baseball team is looking forward to a successful season. “The team’s expectations are to finish in the top two in our division and make it into the playoffs this year,” senior Travis Cottle said. “We have a pretty good team and I think we should be able to make playoffs this year.”

Senior Miles Sturken has only praise for the coach, Troy DiVicentis. “What he’s doing is working since we’re winning,” Sturken said. The team has an overall record of 4-3-1 and a league record of 2-0. Sturken believes the team has a good chance of making CCS. “All of us are working together well,” Sturken said. “[We are] hitting really well and our pitching is good.”

The team’s next home game is on March 24 against Santa Clara at 3:30 p.m.

3

Alan Phan

Swimming:

Victor Kwok

Badminton:

With the addition of a new pool and several returning athletes, the swimming team is looking forward to a successful 2011 season. With head coach Mark Hernandez at the helm, the swim team has its sights locked on numerous CCS title. Competing in the De Anza League this year, the competition will be tough, according to sophomore Tommy Tai. “There are some fast teams, such as Saratoga and Palo Alto High School, in our league,” Tai said. Tai believes that the team has not suffered from a significant loss of seniors last year, and that the incoming freshmen will step up and fill the gap.

Leading girls’ team are standouts such as junior Christine Prior and senior Emily Watkins. On the male side are skilled swimmers such as junior Gavin Kerr and senior Benjamin Hendricks. The team is focused, no matter the turnout of the season. “All we can do is be the best we can be,” Tai said.

Intense pre-season training and conditioning has prepared the badminton team to start the season strong and take the league by storm. “We finished as CCS champions last year and all we can hope to do is finish number one once again,” senior Nick Talbott said.

While the team will not take any matches for granted and will work for every single win, the cross-town rivalry match holds a higher level of anticipation for the players. “We have competitive matches with teams in the area but we always look forward to crushing [Palo Alto],” Talbott said.

There are a fair number of experienced players that graduated last year, but the team is confident in the influx of young players. “We did lose some strong senior players, but we do have some prosperous young freshman and sophomores,” Talbott said.

Softball:

The gymnastics team is starting the new season with a few changes. After finishing fourth in CCS last season despite multiple injuries to star players, the team hopes to perform just as well, if not better, this year in the De Anza League.

Although the team has only a few upperclassmen, the team’s hard work and new arrivals to the junior varsity team make Gunn a force to be reckoned with. “Although we only have one senior on varsity, [we’ve] all matured since last year and [are] ready to give it our all to take leagues and CCS,” junior Chrystal Chern said.

However, Chern is quick to stress that rankings are not everything and creating a strong team dynamic is the team’s highest priority. “No matter what, our biggest goal is to bond together as a team and just grow in our gymnastics,” Chern said.

The softball team will look to continue last year’s trend of victory and to keep growing as a team this season. “Our expectations for this year are definitely going to be built off of the success from last year,” sophomore Laura Tao said. “We’d like to definitely win our league, but also get further in CCS. We feel like we have the pieces to go really far.”

The team tied for first last year in the El Camino League and expects to continue its trend of success.“I’m expecting for us to go really far in CCS and just do really well,” junior Carly Fisher said. “We have a great team dynamic and work really well together.” The team is also cognizant of the fact it has a young group of players. “We only have one senior this year,” assistant coach Maria Powell said.

The team will play Saratoga on March 23 at 4:00 p.m. So far, they have a league record of 1-0.

Gymnastics:

21 league competition after strong preseason

Sports

Monday, March 21, 2011

6

7

Jonathan Yong

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Melissa Sun

Jonathan Yong

Boys’ Lacrosse:

This year’s boys’ lacrosse team starts off the season in the El Camino League with new objectives. “We have some new coaches and I think that we’ll improve quickly,” sophomore defensive player David Van Gelder said. After losing nine seniors, the team consists of players who are, for the most part, at different skill levels. “Players like [seniors] Marcus Cassidy, Ethan Katznelson and Eddie Meyer are more experienced while [senior] Josh Jackson, [junior] Spencer Keenan, [sophomore] Harrison Waschura and many more are natural athletes who are improving fast,” head coach Jim Blocho said.

With only three games played so far and a record of 2-1, the team still has a long way to go. “The goal is to raise everybody’s [playing] level,” Blocho said. “We have a disadvantage since we have no club feeders, but when we put the already skilled guys with up-and-coming athletes, we have a potentially good season.” With this powerful combination, the team is looking forward to a successful and enjoyable season.

Girls’ Lacrosse:

The girls’ lacrosse team begins the season with new head coach Doug Arakawa after the recent resignation of the former head coach. “The goal is to have a better season than last year and for the girls to have fun,” Arakawa said. “If they have fun, the wins will come.” Although the season has just started, the players have already managed to bond with one another. “We are already improving,” Arakawa said. “Last year there was more individual playing but this year the girls are working together as a team.”

The Lady Titans will have to work hard to compete against the competitive teams in the El Camino League.

“Other teams [in the league] include St. Francis, Los Gatos

Victor Kwok

1. Junior Louise McGregor dives into the pool with grace during a practice session while her teammate stands and watches from behind. 2. Senior Paulo Mehech comes up for a quick breath of air during a butterfly race. 3. Sophomore Claire Klausner winds up for an underhand pitch against the opposing batter. 4. Senior Boshiaw Hsu jumps in the air to smash the birdie. 5. Senior Matt Mertz swings for the ball in an attempt to hit it out of the park. 6. Senior Marcus Cassidy tries to sneak past the opposing defenders. 7. Junior Clifton Wollack practices his backhand swing on the courts. 8. Senior Sam Dawson goes for a practice run around the track. 9.

Junior Stephen Wong prepares to chip the golf ball over the sand pit and towards the hole.

and Palo Alto,” sophomore goalie Helen Carefoot said. “I have complete confidence in our team and I know we will play well in league.”

This season’s group of girls will also have to deal with a loss of graduating seniors. “Our team lost eight seniors last year,” junior attacker Natasha Allen said. “But we have gained a lot of really good players from [the junior varsity team].”

Boys’ Tennis:

After losing in the CCS quarterfinals for the second comsecutive year last season, the boys’ tennis team is eager for another shot at qualifying for the playoffs and making a deep run in the tournament. Though the team faces tough matches in the De Anza League, head coach Jim Gorman is determined to do his best. “We’re in an extremely tough league so we’re hoping to finish in the top four,” he said. The team will play important matches against teams such as Saratoga and Menlo, who are, according to sophomore doubles player Ameya Rao, respectively ranked as the first and second teams in the nation.

The team started off the season with a strong showing at the recent Fresno tournament, winning the backdrop to place ninth out of a total of 80 schools. With such an auspicious start, the group of young men can rightfully look for more success in the rest of the season.

Track:

With over 185 athletes participating in a myriad of events, the track and field season is already in full swing. “Even though we did lose some talented members last year, a lot of freshmen look promising,” sophomore hurdler Anna Jaffe said. “In addition, even this early in the season, [there has] been improvement from returning members. Hopefully [we

will] perform to our full potential.”

This year, head coach Matthew Thompkins looks to rally his group behind the concept of team unity through encouraged commitment and team support amongst a set of other ideas. “[We are] trying to get different groups to support each other at meets,” he said. “A big goal [of ours] is to do well at the dual meets, where the entire team needs to come together to win.” Jaffe encourages her fellow students to come out and support the team at as many track meets as possible.

The next home meet will be against Lynbrook on March 24 beginning at 3:15 p.m.

Golf:

The golf team has been working hard in the offseason and players are looking to make this upcoming season a great one. “This year, I expect that our teams will be able to win the league we are in and qualify and compete against other golf teams at CCS [playoffs],” sophomore Avi Sharma said.

The players have even been putting in work during the offseason to make this a reality. “During the offseason, most people on the Gunn golf team practiced in order to get better,” Sharma said.

The Titans are clear on their goals for the season. “Last year, the Gunn golf team was strong overall, placing third in league,” Sharma said. “This year, with the incoming freshman and the returning players, the team is looking to win league and improve on our previous ranking.” Right now, the team’s hopes are high as they prepare for the long season ahead.

—Compiled by Krishan Allen, Song Park, Eileen Qian, Rani Shiao and Steve Yang

22

Sports

THEORACLE

Central Coast Section Recap

Wrestling:

Girls’ wrestling produced a Central Coast Section (CCS) champion in freshman Cadence Lee (105 pounds), and boys’ wrestling produced another champion in senior Stefan Weidemann (152 pounds).

Weidemann went on to the state championships in Bakersfield and finished 13th with a 9-0 dual meet record and a 28-3 overall record.

Boys’ Soccer:

The boys’ soccer team ended the season with an overall record of 4-10-6 but did not make CCS playoffs.

Girls’ Soccer:

The girls’ soccer team hosted the first round of CCS Division I playoffs and pulled off a win against Carlmont High School. Junior Alyssa Perreault scored the winning goal in the second 10 minute overtime period, ending the game with a score of 1-0. In the quarterfinals, the team lost to the number one seed St. Francis and finished its season with a record of 10-7-5.

Boys’ Basketball:

After a first-round bye, the Titans hosted Watsonville High School for the CCS playoff game. Gunn started out with a large lead and the game looked promising for the Titans. However, Watsonville picked up its game in the second quarter, and by the end of the first half had gained the lead. Watsonville came out with a win, ending the game with the close score of 64-61. The Titans ended their season with a record of 15-9.

Girls’ Basketball:

The Lady Titans earned a bye for the first two rounds of CCS and started the competition with a game against San Benito High School on Feb. 26 at Hartnell College in Salinas. The team played stellar defense throughout the game and maintained a lead in the game from start to finish. The game ended with a score of 50-26.

Against its next rival, Gilroy, the team had a tougher time and the score stayed tight the entire time. In the last minute of the game, junior Julia Maggioncalda and sophomore Nora Shevick both scored important points for the team, sealing their place in NorCals and the CCS Finals with a 43-40 victory.

For the CCS Championship, Gunn was pitted against cross-town rival Palo Alto High School (Paly). With two losses to the Vikings already, Gunn was more than ready to fight hard for a win. Unfortunately, the Lady Titans lost 54-44, as Paly controlled the ball for most of the game, using rebounds to rack up points.

Gunn was still guaranteed a spot in NorCals and on March 8 hosted Armijo High School. Gunn started out with the lead, but Armijo managed to gain some momentum and ended up leading 46-36 with five minutes left in the quarter. Although Gunn managed to close up the score, Armijo sealed the deal with two free throws in the last 30 seconds of the game. The final score was 50-49. The Lady Titans finished their successful season with a record of 19-7.

Boys’ Basketball

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Jack Hannan (12) Most Improved Player (MIP): Eamon Barkhordarian (11) Coach’s Award (CA): Eddie Zhou (11)

Girls’ Basketball

MVP: Cat Perez (11) MIP: Julia Maggioncalda (11) MIP: Emily Redfield (10)

Girls’ Soccer

Boys’ Soccer

Wrestling

MVP: Holly McKenna (12) MIP: Jesse Klein (12) CA: Alyssa Perreault (11)

MVP: Paul Blanchette (11) MIP: Kevin Wachs (12) CA: Andrew Wohl (12)

MVP: Stefan Weidemann (12) MIP: Julian Calderon (11) CA: Chris Jin (11)

—Compiled by Monica Cai

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Sports

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Don’t be scared. You just have to go for the hurdle and not overthink it.

2

Pump your arms fast. They make your legs move faster and give you a better jump.

3

Keep your trail leg parallel to the ground and your knee at a 90 degree angle.

4

Your lead leg should be straight over the hurdle.

5

Don’t jump too high. Keep your head level so you can keep running after you land.

–Compiled by Jesse Klein Info provided by senior Kiana Choroski

Melissa Sun

24

Sports

THEORACLE

A late start at the barre

Tara Golshan You could say that I am an obsessive person.

I go through phases, hold on to certain ideas and have a wild imagination. Now don’t get me wrong—these little infatuations do not create a neurosis in my life, nor do they tend to stay in my mind. They come and go, bringing me some enjoyment before they leave. However, the ones that do linger stay for good and become my passions. Now this is no place for psychoanalysis, for I intend to write this column on a sport which I just happened to start because of an obsession.

I’m 17 years old, a senior in high school and college bound and two months ago I started ballet. I think the signs all started when I was little. My best friend was a ballerina, my favorite movie was titled “Ballet Shoes” and I have a distinct memory of tiptoeing around my house pretending I was an internationally acclaimed dancer. I suppose now that I think about it, my interest in the dance was fostered through a chain of films: Center Stage, Billy Elliot and Dancing Across Borders—all are wonderful productions and glamorous stories. However, to me, the last was the most important. Dancing Across Borders is a documentary about Sy Sar, a Cambodian boy with no knowledge of the dance form who was pulled out of his home country at age 16 and made into an international ballet sensation by his 20s. If he could start from square one then why couldn’t I? He inspired me and I decided to sign up for my own ballet adventure.

Now, every Tuesday and Thursday, I spend my evenings in room three of the Menlo Park Dance Academy. The instructor screams patterns to a backdrop of classical music and the class follows: arms in second position, left hand on the bar, feet in first and plie, tondue, ronde de jombe, pass through first and finish.

My class, Beginning Teen and Adult Ballet, is held on Tuesdays, which is more geared toward adults, and on Thursdays, which is geared towards teens. I stand among 60 year olds and 13 year olds, all of whom have a common interest: ballet.

It is one of those sports that people start as a kid. Gunn’s own junior, Tina Hidai, began at age two and even I remember my first tap and ballet class at the age of four. However, my classes promptly ended at age five and the interest only fully formed 13 years later—13 years too late. Even I thought it was ridiculous that just as I was going to pick up, pack up and move away for university, I was at a store trying to find ballet shoes, tights and a leotard. But alas, I did it and quite frankly, it was one of the best decisions I have made. For once, I was not doing something to be great at it. It is not for my college application or my resume, it is not to win a race or get a medal—it is purely for me.

And as for ballet, I’m not going to lie, sometimes I stand at the barre thinking I will be the next Billy Elliot or Sy Sar or hoping that the teacher will pull me aside and tell me how graceful I am. But no such things have happened and nor will they ever happen, but I don’t mind.

I come away from my little endeavor wishing I had done more things like this throughout my high school career. Maybe I would have joined the swim team or tried out for soccer. As long as I enjoy it, it doesn’t even have to be on my college application as not everything does. My little obsession carried me a long way this time around—a lot longer than some of the other ones at least.

—Golshan, a senior, is a Copy Editor.

Courtesy of George Green

Left: School psychologist George Green concentrates on aiming and putting the ball during a preliminary practice round. Bottom: Green checks his round’s starting time for the 2003 U.S. Senior Open competition in Toledo, Ohio.

School psychologist pursues life on the links

George Green juggles both work and life as a professional golfer Linda Yu Editor-in-Chief

School psychologist George Green says he still has the drive—no pun intended.

Outside of his primary job working with students on campus, Green balances a second career on the golf course as a professional athlete. “Growing up, I was the captain of the team in high school and I played competitively in the amateur level after that, so the idea of going pro was in the back of my mind,” he said.

When Green saw that he needed to be a professional player in order to qualify for a number of golf tours, he turned pro at the age of 50.

Since then, he has played in some of the most prestigious and competitive tournaments in the sport, including the U.S Senior Open in 2003 and 2004 and the qualifying rounds of the European Senior Tour in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

“He’s a very, very good player,” coach Chris Redfield, who has played with Green, said. “He’s been playing at a high

level for a long time, and he’s good at all aspects. If we had a Clash of the Titans for golf, Mr. Green would be hard to beat.”

Also impressive is the fact that Green was self-taught. “I played baseball in grade school, and I liked batting—it was more fun to just hit balls,” he said. “I found some golf clubs lying around in the garage, and started golf courses in middle school.” Green took his first formal lessons in college, and has since trained through filming himself with a camcorder and working with a swing coach.

Nowadays, finding time to practice for tours is difficult, but Green emphasizes that his psychology career dominates about 90 percent of his time. “There have been many tournaments I haven’t played in,” he said. “It’s like a catch-22—it takes a lot of time to be a successful golfer, but in order to be successful, you need to give up your job.” Because of the demands from both ends, Green remains realistic about his athletic career. “It is unusual to have two careers and make tours because of the time commitment,” he said. “Competition is also really tough at the national

and international levels, and golf is such a skill set to work at.” Green is therefore considering the possibility of returning to an amateur status in the future. “Because there are relatively few tournaments for senior professionals unless you are on one of the major tours, getting my amateur status back would mean that I could play in amateur tournaments again,” he said.

Due to such stiff competition, Green stresses that students considering the possibility of pursuing athletic careers should keep their options open. “It’s a healthy ambition, but it’s good to have a plan B educationally,” he said. “It’s really a fraction of people who make it. Young athletes need to be careful it doesn’t consume their lives.”

When the focus is shifted away from rising in the ranks, Green notes plenty of other benefits from his golfing career.

“Even with all the frustration, I still have a great interest in it,” he said. “I’ve travelled a lot, met a lot of people with similar ambitions and the competition is fun. I think golf has also helped me perform in this job. It’s a good outlet.”

Local marathons motivate students to train Mia Howard

Copy Editor

Marathon: a 26-mile race, associated with the words “training”, “formidable” and “survival.” Every year, hundreds of marathons are run whether for charity, exercise or entertainment.

Senior Zack Yanofsky, who ran the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon in the Golden Gate Park, knows what it’s like to train hard for a marathon. “I had trained for three or four months beforehand,” he said. “I would definitely recommend people to start training a lot beforehand and work hard.”

Senior Sarah Fleischmann recently ran the Nike’s Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco. The Nike’s Women’s Marathon, otherwise known as the Half Marathon, took place on Oct. 17, 2010.

The course was designed so every mile had entertainment to keep runners motivated. Entertainment included a choir, parkour acrobats, dance crews, drum lines and cheer stations. Aid stations were set up throughout the miles and provided hydration and substantial food bars. There are also cheer stations throughout the race to help encourage participants to finish strong. At the finish line were San Francisco firefighters dressed formally with a necklace for those who finished the race.

Fleischmann admits that this became a large part of motivation. “My mom and I thought it would be a good goal to work up to, like get in shape to run a half marathon, but really my motivation was the San Francisco firefighters in tuxes at the end handing you a Tiffany’s necklace,” Fleischmann said.

She reflects back on this marathon as difficult because of San Francisco’s geography. “The hills were the worst, especially this one hill that is straight up for a mile from sea level to the golden gate bridge,” Fleischmann said. “It was really difficult after already running for over an hour.”

Yanofsky agrees with Fleischann and describes the hardest part of a marathon is running the marathon itself. “Once you pass the fourth mile, it gets pretty tough,” he said.

Ac c ord i ng t o F leischmann, it is best to wear clothes that one doesn’t mind throwing away. The race starts early in the morning with people wearing layers, but as they run throughout the day and it becomes sunnier, the layers are thrown on the ground and left behind by runners.

The clothes are then donated to various organizations to give to those in need.

Information on the Nike’s Women’s Marathon can be found on its official website. The website includes the event, what the entertainment will be, information about what the runner should do and training tips. The website has many different ways for runners to track their training. It also offers professional trainer’s tips and a program to run one’s favorite routes and see one’s success throughout the training program.

There are various ma rathons a nd races throughout the year in the Bay Area. Every year, Palo Alto holds the Juana Run and Woodside holds the Pacific Coast Trail Runs on March 26.

There are several races in San Francisco, one of which is the Bay Trail on March 27.

George Hwang

Sports

Monday, March 21, 2011

25

Wrestlers dominate competition in CCS Kevin Zhang Reporter

Although only a freshman, Cadence Lee has already made history. In the 102 pound weight class, Cadence was the first Central Coast Section (CCS) champion of the 2010-2011 year and placed seventh at the state championships.

Lee is the first CCS Champion since class of 2009 alumnus Zach Blumenfeld’s victory in 2009. In addition, Lee is also the first female wrestler in Gunn history to get first place in CCS. “It was definitely a great season,� Lee said. “I had some great coaching from Coach Chris Horpel

Annie Shuey Managing Editor

Senior wrestler Stefan Weidemann was recently crowned the CCS wrestling champion. Coming into his season, Weidemann’s overarching goal was to be the best he could be. “I worked as hard as I could every day, didn’t waste time, and just wrestled my hardest every time.�

He broke his season down and set small goals for each practice and meet. “I looked at small goals the entire season, like, ‘I have a competition this weekend. How am I going to do the best in this next match?� Weidemann said. “I went one step at a time.�

and my dad. Horpel is one of the best coaches in the country and it has been a pleasure to learn from him.�

Hon Lee, Cadence’s father, wrestled in high school in New York and has been an instrumental influence for Cadence. With Horpel and her father, Cadence says she has improved considerably over the last few years.

In addition to the top-notch coaches on the Gunn wrestling staff, Lee also has other resources at home. Her brother, Blaze Lee, is a sophomore wrestler. “We often practice moves at home,� Blaze Lee said. “It helps both of us develop as wrestlers. Cadence is just a natu-

ral fighter and we feed off of each other.�

Blaze and Cadence began wrestling at Terman Middle School as sixth graders and have grown more and more attached to the sport as they have progressed. “Our dad encouraged us to start at first and we didn’t like it to begin with,� Cadence said. “However, the harder we worked and the more we put in, the more exciting it became.�

During the state tournament, Cadence lost a match near the beginning of the competition. However, she managed to climb her way through the losers bracket placing seventh, her record 3-2.

Cadence went 23-7 in the regu-

Chris Horpel, who has coached Weidemann since the beginning of his wrestling career in the eighth grade, said that the key to Weidemann’s victories this season is his work ethic. “He sought out every workout, every coach and every camp available to him to make him better,� Horpel wrote in an e-mail. “He became good because he took advantage of our off-season training and all the wrestling opportunities that exist in the Bay Area.�

Over the previous offseason, Weidemann attended many wrestling camps at Stanford and practiced daily with the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club based at Gunn. “I woke up every day and said, ‘Today I’m going to do something to

make me better at wrestling.’� he said. “By this time, I knew that hard work equals success in wrestling. There’s no doubt about it.

Every day is another grind, just raising the bar. No day should be a wasted training day.�

Horpel described Weidemann as “arguably the best wrestler in Gunn history,� aided by what Horpel called the “three D’s�—dedication, determination and discipline. “He was once a typical Palo Alto kid and now he is like a rock, both mentally and physically,� Horpel said. “He accomplished what he did through sheer will and determination. Not many people are willing to work as hard as he did to achieve success in their sport.�

Courtesy of Cadence Lee

Freshman Cadence Lee locks her opponent in an armbar hold at the CCS championships where she placed first in her weight class. lar season competing against boys.

Cadence Lee finished fourth in the

Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) tournament.

Courtesy of Justin Jue

Senior Stefan Weidemann anticipates his opponent’s next move.

Weidemann, even with many injuries, went on to place 13th in the state tournament. He plans to

continue wrestling in college next year and will likely walk on to a Division I squad.

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26

Sports

THEORACLE

Choose Your Workout Place

24 Hour Fitness From its indoor pool to its numerous treadmills, 24 Hour Fitness gives its members a solid workout. A few years ago, the 24 Hour Fitness in San Antonio Shopping Center opened a new location next to its preexisting one. This new location is a 24 Hour Fitness Sport, meaning it has a full basketball cour t in addition to its other facilities.

T he new g ym’s s e t u p c o n si s t s of one long room containing all of the workout equipment.

Members can start in the back on machines such as ellipticals, treadmills and bikes.

Toward the far end of the gym are rowing and pec fly machines. In the front of the room are the free weights. This layout categorizes machines into specific sections so the gym has a sense of organization. Classes are taught by 24 Hour Fitness instructors in rooms on the side.

The gym also offers a wide variety of classes that appeal to different abilities, interests and age ranges. Classes include water aerobics, Zumba and cycling.

Some classes such as Boot Camp and Athletic Training are similar to P.E. classes, in that they work out all parts of the body. 24 Hour Fitness also offers instructional courses that focus on the mind and body such as different types of yoga and pilates. 24 Hour Fitness even gives its members a free seven-

day pass to sample a class before making a commitment to pay for and take the course.

As far as the other facilites go in the 24 Hour Fitness Sport location, the pool area also includes a large hot tub, sauna and steam room for members’ use.

The personal trainers are another resource for members at 24 Hour Fitness.

Those who are interested can arrange when to meet, what they want to work on and how long each session will be. More information can be found about specific trainers online or by calling 24 Hour Fitness.

Those concerned about leaving children or younger siblings at home while they are at the gym have the option of using the gym’s specially designed child ca re room. T his room includes a supervised play area and plenty of games to keep children entertained.

—Eden Lauffer 24 Hour Fitness 550 Showers Drive Mountain View, CA (650) 941-2269 Open 24/7 Rates starting from $35.99 a month.

JCC The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (JCC) is a relatively new gym in Palo Alto. Due to its recent opening, the facilities are much more advanced than other workout places in the area. The center is generally cleaner, more technologically savvy than other gyms and has all the latest machines.

The JCC itself contains locker rooms on the first floor. The rooms, which are provided for both sexes and families, are equipped with electronic keypads. Members can memorize a quick four number combination instead of bringing their own locks. The locker rooms also include showers for all, stocked with bath products and a sauna and steam room for members over the age of 18.

The second level of the JCC houses the workout spaces.

It includes many different exercise machines, as well as weights, a basketball court and several rooms for exercise classes. Although exercise room machines are typically found in a gym, these are in better shape than those found in other facilities. The second floor also has a lounge area with two pingpong tables. Many Gunn students can be found practicing pingpong during a break from exercise.

The facilities also feature two large pools, one outdoor and one indoor. The outdoor pool, designed for lap swimming, is a great place for exercise. Pool parties are popular because of the indoor water slide

YMCA

“It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor,” philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero said. This is a quote some Gunn students keep in mind when they go to the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) on to exercise.

Through the years, t h e Y MCA h a s d e veloped new facilities, including the Wellness Center and the gymnasium that features a variety of classes.

M a ny r eg u l a rly go to the Wellness Center, which features cardio equipment wit h persona l televisions, a weight t r a i n i ng a r ea a nd a complete set of strength training machines. It also consists of qualified wellness coaches who help members reach their fitness goals.

If one wants more motivation, a computerized exercise tracking system called Fitlinxx can be helpful. It keeps track of the exercises one does, records weight loss and amount of burned calories, helps design a personalized workout, gives directions on how to use specific machines and allows one to access his or her workout information online.

Equinox and children’s play zone. Private and group swim lessons are also offered to members and the community center hosts a swim team and holds pre-triathlon training.

In addtion, the JCC offers a variety of group fitness classes in its professional dance, yoga and spin studios. Class schedules can be found inside the club or on the JCC website.

Special workshops are offered throughout the month for members interested in nutrition, exercise and wellness. The work shops a l low members to learn how to maintain healthy diets and enhance their athletic abilities.

The JCC also has deals that include spa benefits, childcare benefits and personal training sessions.

In addition, it offers several different kinds of memberships, ranging from those for customers under 18 to those with special access benefits.

—Mia Howard JCC 3921 Fabian Way Palo Alto, CA (650) 223-8700 Call for hours and rates.

Equinox Fitness is considered the number one gym in the United States by Fitness Magazine. It offers a variety of classes throughout the week, a full-service spa, daycare, personal training and a concierge service. The club houses a spacious cardio room, an atmospher ic yoga room, a cycling room and an outdoor pool.

The exercise floor includes typical machines like ellipticals, treadmills and stationary bikes. At the end of the floor are personal trainers to answer any questions members might have. Water fountains and cooled hand towels infused with eucalyptus are available in mini fridges.

Pump up music is played throughout the gym.

Equinox offers pilates, boxing, cycling and yoga at all different skill levels. Several fitness instructors incorporate cardio with modern dance and music. Popular classes such as “Sculpt” combine weights, cardio and energy to give a person the desired healthy body.

The spa at Equinox is a sanctuary for those who need a break. A fully staffed spa

While many are doing their daily exercise routines at the Wellness Center, various group classes are going on in the gymnasium, where the energetic instructors and class environment create an enjoyable experience. There are relaxing classes like Tai Chi and Gentle Yoga, as well as more intense classes, like BODYPUMP, Fitness Condition and Zumba.

In addition, the YMCA offers educational programs for teenagers to promote healthier lifestyles. Programs like Project Cornerstone and Youth and Government help teenagers gain confidence and explore their passions. Through these leadership and academic enrichment programs, young adults are given an opportunity to play a part in making the community stronger.

There are many different YMCA locations throughout the Bay Area.

The nearby ones include the Page Mill Branch, the Palo Alto Branch and the El Camino Branch. During the weekdays, the branches are bustling in the mornings and nights, while on weekends, the branches are busiest during afternoons.

—Emily Yao YMCA-Palo Alto 3412 Ross Rd. Palo Alto, CA (650) 856-9622 Open 5 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on weekdays, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekends.

Photo illustrations by Kimberly Han

offers several different kinds of massages and facials, all geared towards the goal of relaxation. The spa often has special deals and is open to non-members as well.

Equinox recently made a deal with Kiehl’s, a premium skin, hair and body care product retailer. Kiehl’s products have been incorporated into locker rooms so members can pamper themselves.

The locker rooms are filled with soft, relaxing music to allow members to change in peace.

At the front of Equinox is The Shop and Fuel cafe. The Shop is filled with clothing, including exercising outfits and lounging outfits, and also showcases swimming gear, Kiehl’s products and bags. The clothing is often from high-end boutiques. Fuel cafe offers healthy alternatives to normal cafes with homemade salads and soups, smoothies made with Red Mango yogurt and sandwiches and paninis made with freshly baked bread.

—Josephine Jen Equinox Fitness 440 Portage Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 319-1700 Call for hours and rates.

Entertainment

Monday, March 21, 2011

27

BREAK IT DOWN NOW, Y’ALL* 33.4% of students

priority

41.1%

now

Clu

2.3%

= approximately 15%

Number of clubs

Love & other drugs

)

ratio of single students to would rather date someone number of students in a from Gunn

81.9% don’t drink alcohol in an average month

relationship

Graphics by Kimberly Han and George Hwang

10.4%

drink alcohol 1-2 times in an average month

5.4%

drink alcohol 3-5 times in an average month

92.4%

never use drugs in a typical month

(2.0% use more than 15 times per month)

40.9%

)

Approximate

would rather date someone from

Paly

41.2%

would rather date someone from

48.3%

3:1

28.8%

6.3%

bp art ici pa tio n: 17.2%

34.8%

25.2%

2 Hours

4 Hours or more

dents consider getting into a top college their top

15.6%

1 Hour

3 Hours

37.8% of stu-

5.0%

0 Hours

20.9%

on Facebook per day

of students don’t have a job

Number of students

Over one-half of students spend between 1 and 2 hours

Hrs. of exercise in a typical day:

girls spend $0$25 on clothes a month

guys play 1-2 hours of video games every day

Do you like attending Gunn?

80.5%

Gunn

prefer exclusive relationships over hook-ups

)

42.3% of

42.9% of

School

spend an average of 3 hours doing homework

3.0%

Outside of School

)

7.2% of students have

lost their virginity

Most important characteristic when looking for a relationship: :

s oy

t n a

30.3%

w

B

Humor

:

G

i

s rl

w

t an

32.8%

0.0%

20.2%

22.2%

27.3%

Intelligence Kindness Popularity Attractiveness 0.5%

10.4%

7.0%

49.3%

*Data from 306 students who took The Oracle’s online survey

28

THEORACLE

The importance of eating carefully

Entertainment

Fast Food Awareness

The Oracle takes a look at the popular food joints around Palo Alto

Kevin Gao Microwave a Hot Pocket to eat on the way to school, heat up a TV dinner in the Academic Center for lunch, gorge on pot roast and creamed vegetables at my job for dinner and down a sugar-free Redbull to make it through the wee hours of the morning. Repeat. That’s what my typical daily food intake looks like and I’m sure most teenagers can relate.

Let’s face it. In this day and age, eating healthily has become something that takes effort now, especially if you choose to eat out. What kind of non-vegetarian will order a garden salad with low-fat dressing when they can opt out for an order of animal fries? Eating on a diet is all about having self control, something teens just can’t really follow through with.

Although I’ve been blessed with a high metabolism, I know I should look into improving my diet and nutritional values.

At a time as important as adolescence, it is key that students receive proper servings of different food groups and enough nutrients for a body to grow and thrive later on in life.

After conducting some research, it seems almost impossible to match up with the recommended number of servings for teenage boys. Although teenage girls vary by one or two in number of servings to number of servings for teenage boys, the recommended values are as follows: ten to eleven servings of breads and starches, four to five servings of vegetables, three to four servings of fruit, three servings of dairy products and two to three servings of protein.

Well, I say forget the food group pyramid and don’t restrict yourself to counting servings. If you want to stay nutritious, just keep some overused but simple tips and guidelines in mind. Drink plenty of water each and every day. Try to make your plate one third starchy foods, one third vegetables and one third meat. Fruit makes a wonderful dessert. Got milk? Opt for sugar-free and low-fat when you can. Don’t snack for fun.

Watch how much you eat. I apologize for sounding like your mother, but the list goes on and on.

But most importantly, you just need to know how much food to put in your system.

Instead of counting how many bites and nibbles you take, just take your time eating and stop eating once you feel content. It takes your brain anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes to give you the feeling of being full. Avoid mindless or bored eating and try to sit down and enjoy no matter what you’re eating.

Sooner or later, you’ll start developing a feeling for just how much you need to eat for each meal.

I chose to endorse these nutritional guidelines because of my almost intimate relationship with food. I can go a day without my car, music, Internet or even my friends, but I can’t go a day without good food.

Eating is one of two primitive urges, the other being sex. While sex is not always readily available, food is. So it makes sense for you to indulge just a little every now and then to satisfy yourself. As long as you eat in moderation and keep in mind actual nutritional guidelines, you’ll be just fine. But in case you feel weak, queasy or just plain unhealthy, you should then look into more specific nutrition for your system. Oh, and don’t eat out too much because sometimes the best meal is a home cooked meal.

Victor Kwok

Top left: The proximity of Taco Bell makes it a popular student location. Bottom left: In-N-Out is full of nutritional dangers. Right: McDonald’s is a classic fast-food joint, but serves calorie-filled food.

Sweta Bhattacharya Copy Editor

The average Gunn student frequents In-N-Out fairly often throughout the school year, sometimes even making weekly visits to the fast food joint. But are you aware of how many calories are in that cheeseburger you’re holding?

The typical In-N-Out cheeseburger with onions and the works churns out 480 calories, nearly a fourth of the supposed average person’s daily calorie intake.

And how about that delicious chocolate milkshake? A 15 oz. In-N-Out milkshake rounds out to around 690 calories. The list of outrageously bad food choices

goes on. The infamous In-N-Out Double Double rounds out to a whopping 670 calories. An average order of french fries clocks in at 400 calories. Even though In-N-Out has a tempting and delicious menu with a variety of classical American fast food, when weighing out the calorie counts for their most frequently ordered items, it may be a healthier and smarter choice to eat out at this joint sparingly.

One of the most visited fast food restaurants for the typical Gunn student is Taco Bell. It has many positives: it’s nearby, it’s cheap and many find its food flat-out heavenly. But, while eating that burrito, maybe you should keep in mind that you are pigging out on over a fourth

of your ideal calorie intake—2000 per day—with that one burrito, which adds up to around 560 calories. Even Taco Bell’s bean burritos, which don’t seem like they would put that big of a dent into your daily calorie intake, add up to 300 calories. Other favorites like the chicken fajita wrap and the Double Decker Taco Supreme add up to 460 and 380 calories, respectively. This go-to fast food restaurant may serve up cheap and yummy food, but its items stock up with calories and should not be eaten on a daily basis if one wishes to uphold a healthy diet.

So the next time you go out to grab a quick bite, take a look at the nutrition menu.

You might be shocked at what you see.

or a grilled chicken wrap, order the wrap.

Grilled chicken has significantly less fat than fried chicken.

Chipotle burritos may be a craving, but give their burrito bowls a whirl. While having all the ingredients in their burrito, including lettuce, rice, meat, and corn, they lack the tortilla wrap. This, in turn, results in fewer carbohydrates.

Subway advertises its healthier sandwiches all the time and offers five dollar Footlongs. A popular choice is the Meatball Marinara—six inches of this sandwich contains 580 calories. A Footlong Oven Roasted Chicken sandwich is 640 calories, allowing a larger consumption with roughly the same number of calories.

Starbucks is a lifesaver for many tired and stressed-out students, but many of

its delicious and creamy beverages are fattening and calorie-filled. Topping drinks with whipped cream is tempting, especially when Starbucks does it with no extra charge, but forgo the whipped cream. Your arteries will catch a break and you end up with more drink in your cup. Instead of buying a Frappuccino on a hot day, try their lemonade iced teas that come in different flavors. They are just as cooling, but have half the amount of calories contained in a Frappuccino and are about $2 cheaper.

These alternatives contribute to a healthier diet and require no extra effort.

Though giving up your favorite sandwich may be difficult at first, the results of these changes will be worth it. It’s all about realizing the great expanse of options available.

Eat healthfully, one food choice at a time Josephine Jen Reporter

While healthful eating is neither a lifestyle nor pressingly urgent to many teenagers, the consequences of eating whatever and whenever eventually present themselves. Many students find it convenient to dine at unhealthy places and this habit is hard to alter. However, there are healthier alternatives, even at fast food restaurants. Though these alternative choices may not be the healthiest foods and beverages, they beat what food might otherwise enter our mouths.

A popular lunchtime destination, McDonald’s, is known for its high-calorie menu, so when making a decision at the drive-thru between Chicken McNuggets

Rate your nutrition from 1-5 (bad to Faces in the Crowd:healthy).

Why do you place yourself there?

“3—I eat cookies for breakfast.”

Christian Meldrum (9)

“2.5—I eat a lot of microwaveable food and try to make up for it later in the day.”

“2—I try not to eat meat so I end up eating a lot of sugar.”

Cory Gaytan (10)

April Healy (12) —Compiled by Jennie Robinson

29

Entertainment

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Oracle shares a few embarrassing stories contributed by anonymous, unfortunate victims Over the summer I was biking around Los Altos Hills just for fun. It was sunny and warm; I didn’t have a care in the world. I hadn’t seen any cars or people around for a while so I began to sing at the top of my lungs. I think I was singing Britney Spears or Paramore. Either way I was pretty much yelling. Just then, I saw a guy from my class jogging on the other side of the street in my direction. He was laughing so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes. I stopped singing.

—Secret Singer There was this boy I had been crushing on at the gym for a couple weeks. We were always there at the same time, but we were never really in the same area. He seemed to always be lifting weights, and I would always be on my treadmill. Finally, he was on the treadmill next to me, and I was ready to make my move. I got the courage to ask him for his number, and, mid-number, I tumbled off the treadmill backwards. Mortified and slightly bruised, I stumbled away and never saw him a g a i n . ­—Fallen For My Crush

Graphic by George Hwang

Once I was at a Warriors game with my friend. Oracle Arena can be a pretty confusing places; we found ourselves walking in circles looking for our section, 220, after halftime. We found what we thought was 220 and were surprised to see that a group of guys had taken over our row. My friend and I were absolutely furious and gave them the dirtiest looks we could muster. We settled in the empty row five rows behind them.

When we could finally focus on the game, we realized that everything was flipped. Before, we had been sitting in the Radman’s Rascals’ section, but this time we were facing the section we had been sitting in before. Before we knew it, a big group of rowdy guys were headed our way looking ready to shoo us out of their seats. We scurried away as fast as possible. It was pretty embarrassing, but, hey, at least it was a good game!

—Which Seat Should I Take?

Last year my whole sports team was really excited to dress up for a game (or maybe it was just me). I asked on our private Facebook wall what w e decided to wear and one of my teammates responded “old people.” We kind of had an inside joke about old people, so I got super pumped and spent so long finding the perfect outfit. The next day I came to school fully decked out in my high-waisted khaki pants, button shirt, cardigan, suspenders, cane, high socks, glasses, ugly shoes, golfing hat—you name it. I saw another girl on my team, and she was wearing jeans and her jersey. My heart skipped a beat, literally. Right then I knew I had been pranked. She gasped and turned, eyeing my whole outfit. “Ooooh my gosh, you’ve just been Punked!! Can I take a picture?” They had been sending messages behind my back to

lie to me about what to wear. One girl even told me she would bring a walker. I ran away into the bathroom and changed my shirt and called my friend to bring me shorts. The end.

—Clothestastrophe Recently I was hanging out with three teammates downtown after our Paly game. We came to the crosswalk and stood there, waiting to cross the street. This white car drove by and these two guys were hollering out the windows to us. We crossed the street and next thing I know, I hear a really loud gunshot sound.

It turns out that the two morons were so busy trying to get our attention that they crashed into another car in front of them...

We started laughing hysterically. Awwkkkwarrrddd!

—Miss Driving Distraction I was taking my driving test for the first time. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. When the test ended, I pulled up into the DMV lot. My instructor looked over her clipboard and made some marks on it with her pencil. “Well I’m sorry but it looks like you failed—” “UGH, YOU #$%^&*(!” I swore to the steering wheel. She stared at me for a moment and then consulted her clipboard again.

“Well,” she said, “I was kidding. You actually passed your test, but because you said that I’m going to fail you. Better luck next time.”

—Angry Driver When I was 10, I was an altar server—one of those people that helps out the priest during church. One Sunday I was scheduled to help out, but I wasn’t feeling too well. My mom said that we would get chocolate cake if we went to church, so I pretended I was all better, ate my cake and went into mass.

During the middle of church, I puked all over the priest and the altar while he was reading a prayer in front of EVERYBODY— like 200 people. I ran outside, and I just sat there and prayed.

—Pray It Doesn’t Happen Again

30

Entertainment

THEORACLE

Behind the Scenes: 1

2

Kiss Me, Kate Paint head sophomore Ivy Sanders has a lot on her hands working on the musical Kiss Me, Kate, literally. “For the show we are working on four different backdrops and that takes a lot of work,” Sanders said. “Since the show is a musical there are a lot of sets and many set changes and each one takes time to paint.”

According to Sanders, the paint crew’s work is a necessary part of the play and performance itself. “The backdrops help the play feel more real,” Sanders said. Throughout the development of the show, the paint crew works extensively with construction to build the back drops and sometimes props that need to be painted.

Paint

The actor looks up, squinting at the fluorescent lights above, and then quickly refocuses his gaze towards the audience. Who commands this fiery machine? It’s majestic, magnificent, and so darn…hot. Senior Raul Kerur, head of the lighting crew, has been working with lights since the first production freshmen year. “Someone said that they need a lights guy,” Kerur said.

“I volunteered because I was interested in electricity and wiring even though I had never had any theatre experience before.”

The lights crew help design the lighting that will be used in Spangenberg and figure out the spotlights that need to be determined

for the show. Every angle of the stage should have light shone on it, so the crew must focus and point the lights to make sure there are no dark spots. Determining how the special areas are going to be lit is no simple task. Lights is responsible for directing the light to the right spot where the actor stands during a monologue.

Most importantly, it’s up to the lights crew to make sure none of the actors are injured.

The crew has been meeting every day since Valentine’s Day, as the work increases when show time creeps up.

Lights has been working with shop on electricity or figuring out the mike checks. “If there is something that needs to be done, we as techies figure out a way to get it done,” Kerur said. “When it comes to show time we know exactly what to do.”

Lighting

A sonorous cascade of musical phrases boom from below the stage.

Band director Todd Summers whips his baton in the air with astonishing dexterity, directing the students in time and tempo.

Suddenly, the light, delicate tones of the piccolo consume the air followed by the pounding chords on the harpsichord.

Music swarms around the amphitheater, penetrating the ears of the audience members. In a musical type show, the orchestra pit is at the heart.

As senior Kelly Catlin put it, “Kiss Me, Kate is a musical, and without us it wouldn’t be a very musical musical.”

Junior Nitsan Shai describes pit as “fun, hilarious, hysterical, relaxed, awesome and too darn hot.” It’s a social atmosphere down in the musical underworld where friendships are inevitable. “It’s fun just to bond with everybody, and when we’re all squished down there—it’s tough not to get to know the person next to you,” Catlin said. In addition, “the actors are a group of incredibly talented thespians and working with them is an absolute pleasure,” Shai said. The music and the cast work together throughout the show, creating a combination of two arts. “The music sets the tone for most of the scenes,” Shai said. “Each actor has his or her own theme, whether it’s cute, serious, funny, somber, or pompous, and identifying what the scene is about is a lot easier with the mood of the music.”

The pit also has the benefit of playing a part in the humor in Kiss Me, Kate. “I really like it when the pit successfully does a scene with the actors that’s supposed to be funny,” said Catlin. “The timing on those moments is imperative, so it’s fun when we pull them off.”

Orchestra Pit

3

Photos by Jonathan Yong

4

31

Entertainment

Monday, March 21, 2011

Jonathan Yong

Creating props relies on improvisation, according to junior props head Jessy Cherry.

“There’s really complicated stuff to make,” Cherry said. “Our task is to find all of the props—we borrow from theater companies and we also make a lot of them.” For Kiss Me, Kate, the crew had to take on the task of creating props that pertained to the 1940s and the Shakespearean era. One prop that Cherry had

to complete was a flying bird for which she made a pulley system, acquired a sock, filled it with beads, hot-glued feathers on and made beaks out of chopsticks. “And we made it actor proof, which means it can’t break,” junior Allie Uz added. “I learned to contact people in a professional way, like when dealing with a theater company,” she said.

Senior costume head Shany Albalak, drew her inspiration from the script of the musical.

“I’ll watch a couple rehearsals, and research the period and the show,” she said. The process starts with “pulling and measuring, that sort of thing, then more detailed stuff as time goes on.” For Kiss Me, Kate, Albalak faced the challenge of clothing an exceptionally large cast.

“Nobody was cut from the show,” Albalak said.

“It’s the first time [drama teacher Jim Shelby’s] ever done that.” Although Albalak has had a lot of freedom in the direction she wants the clothing to take, it is still “a really big group effort .”

Props

Costumes

Sound Senior Sound Head Lukas Schleuniger is excited to be able to work with new sounds equipment for the show. “We have been able to work with Countryman, field-testing top grade mikes from a lab in Menlo Park,” Schleuniger said. “It is definitely not something you see everyday in a high school theater, not even in some college ones.” As a musical, the show poses some difficulties for sound.

“There is lots of singing in the show and lots of dancing and that has been

sure we’re doing Romeo and Juliet next year just so we can re-use it.” This year, structures were styled according to either 1950s Baltimore or Shakespearean Padua architecture. “The most challenging thing about this show are the double doors, which constantly need adjustments, as well as the struggle of running out of wood,” Sorensen said. “This is the largest show we’ve done in years.”

Construction

Construction works on the structures, buildings and setting of a production. The head of this huge undertaking, junior Nikolaj Sorensen, manages the people who build all of the sets. “Mostly we do flats, which are standing walls that are light and movable,” Sorensen said.

The construction tasks for Kiss Me, Kate include making rolling stairs, a church front and finally an intricate balcony.

“The last one is my baby,” Sorensen said. “I’m going to make

Publicity head sophomore Andrea Allen is in charge of, in her own words, “getting the word of the show out to as many people as possible.” She is in charge of the poster, video advertisement, and other forms of publicizing the production. “I want to make [them] as interesting as possible,” she said. “Since this is a huge show, it’s really expensive,

and the more [who] come, the better.” Allen also picked the poster for Kiss Me, Kate, from a group of posters made by the Graphic Design class. “Publicity is more like a job to get done rather than centered on team effort like other crews,” Allen said. “I like being able to see the product of what I do—it’s an important job to get done so that everyone else’s hard work is recognized.”

There are the weeks of preparation, and then there’s opening night. “On opening night, you can see everything you did for the show all at once,” Albalak said, an opinion other crews seems to share. In terms of the work environment: “everyone is really nice, it’s hard not to be happy here,” Sorensen said. “There’s a great deal of mobility too—a lot of people will be a part of multiple crews.”

Rehearsals are demanding, for the days leading up to the opening play, the members of the play had to be present at Spangenburg from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the

weekends and until late after school during weekdays.

The musical is set be a gem, so don’t miss out. Shai captures it candidly. “There’s something in it for everyone,” he said. “It’s too good to miss, truthfully.”

Opening night is when the show comes alive and all the months of intense preparation finally pay off. Like all memorable productions, Kiss Me, Kate has the flair to captivate the audience and the heart to move it. Prepare to be entertained.

challenging for mike placements.” Curious about what goes on in the booth in Spangenberg? This is where the sound crew operates. “There is a sound board in the booth

with pitch, frequency, and equalizer settings which we use to set sound levels and correct audio sounds,” Schleuniger said.

5

Melissa Sun

6

Publicity

Opening Night

—Compiled by Sam Hayward and Nicola Park

Kiss Me, Kate opened Friday, March 18. If you missed opening night, you can still see the matinee Wednesday, March 23 at 3:30 p.m., and March 24 through March 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the matinee are $5; all other nights are $8 for students and $12 for adults.

Melissa Sun

Top photos: Scenes from the musical and of the back stage crew. 1. A student helps out backstage with painting parts of the set. 2. Another backstage helper works with some of the musical’s props. 3. Orchestra teacher Todd Summers practices with the pit. 4. Orchestra students prep for the musical. 5. Senior Raul Kerur concentrates while he manages the lightting boooth.

He will work opening night. 6. Stage-tech students spent numerous hours helping design, create and construct set pieces for the musical.

Entertainment

THEORACLE

“Character, Personality, Creativity”

pa Street Art

32

Elaine Liu Business Manager

If you have ever walked by downtown Palo Alto, you surely have noticed a plethora of murals spread out along business walls. Giant prisms of color on California Avenue, the inner life of teenagers painted along CVS Pharmacy in Midtown and a field of poppies on the eastern wall of Country Sun Natural Foods on California Avenue are just a fraction of the street art spread throughout the city.

Palo Alto has created a group of seven members to specifically work in purchasing and commissioning art pieces like these.

“The Palo Alto Public Art Commission (PAPAC) advises the City Council on matters pertaining to art in public places,” staff liaison Elise DeMarzo said. “They are all volunteers with backgrounds in the arts, design, architecture or other related visual fields.” DeMarzo also described that “murals have a long history in Palo Alto [and] are an excellent and cost effective way to combat graffiti.” Commissioning a wall to be painted over is a considerably smaller expense than cleaning up graffiti tags.

Thus, DeMarzo says that Palo Alto turned to street art as a way to enhance the community spirit. “They create a sense of place, giving a neighborhood a visual personality and character,” she said.

Many of the murals are located where residents can drive by and admire them.

The most popular spot is California Avenue, which showcases PAPAC-commissioned artists such as Chris Johanson, Joey Piziali and David Huffman. These muralists also worked in partnerships with local businesses such as the Country Sun, The Nut House and Village Stationers to decorate walls facing parking lots and walkways between neighboring buildings. “Each of these individual murals reflects the neighborhood and the businesses of California Avenue,” DeMarzo said. PAPAC hopes to continue to expand its collection of murals and street art by creating projects in new areas such as the upcoming Mitchell Park Library and Community Center.

Because the commission process for Palo Alto’s street art is so open and straightforward, many artists have been enlisted to decorate walls throughout the city. In 1975, the first mural in Palo Alto was done

by English teacher Justin Brown’s father, Greg Brown. Starting with little experience,

Brown has since become a private muralist and worked for lots of different firms and families. “I didn’t have any mural experience before that,” he said. “In fact, I fibbed to get the job. I said in my application that I had done some work in London and I knew for sure they wouldn’t fly out to check up on that.” Brown started by designing an almost life-size man that he painted on various building walls. Nicknamed the “C.I.A agent” and the “creep”, he began to realize how intrigued pedestrians walking on the street were by the hidden person. This soon became a series of murals that showcased nine different human-like characters with their own unique personalities and characteristics.

From there, Brown went on to become a renowned muralist, starting a one-man company known as Whitney Hopter Graphics and sticking with his personal commissions rather than working for a studio.

“When I paint for people or companies, I try to incorporate specific characteristics into their mural,” Brown said. “It becomes more personal that way.” Many of his intricate murals, all in acrylics, are spread throughout downtown Palo Alto and have their own signature characteristics attributed to the. “Brown is known for his humorous trompeloeil, or ‘trick the eye’ paintings located on buildings,” DeMarzo said. Brown has gone on to work throughout California and in other countries. “Tons of people see those walls I painted every day,” he said. “That first job launched my career because even though I was only paid around $4.65 an hour, it turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done.”

The murals that can be seen around Palo Alto have the ability to make up a vibrant street art community. For local artists, it becomes a method to express their creativity and just have fun, as Brown puts it. When the eminent topic of retiring comes up, he jokingly describes his predicament. “I tell myself that you don’t want to be the 65 year-old man climbing on thirteen-storyhigh buildings,” Brown laughed. “But every time I come close to walking into a gallery and working for one, I change my mind. I think I will continue to paint murals for a long time.”

All murals pictured are on California Avenue.

Photos by Alan Phan