May 2016

Gunn Boys’ Swim Team wins CCS

School events promote positive atmosphere

PG. 13 SPORTS

PG. 17 LIFESTYLE

AP tests invalidated due to irregularities Deiana Hristov Forum Editor

On Tuesday, May 17, Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann announced that students will have to retake several of the Advanced Placement (AP) tests within the next two weeks because of irregularities in the seating and protocol errors that occurred during the testing periods.

All students are required to retake the AP Biology exam, 56 of 111 students will have to retake the AP Calculus BC exam and the number of students affected is still under investigation for AP Environmental Science, AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism. AP Chemistry, Computer Science A, Spanish Language and Culture, Physics 1, English Literature and Composition and Psychology exams are currently under review by the College Board for possible invalidation as well. Retakes are currently scheduled to begin this Thursday and continue next week.

According to Herrmann, the testing irregularity was first brought to attention by a mix-up in testing distribution during the AP BC Calculus exam. Students were seated next to each other and were supposed to be given either version Q or R of the exam so that no two students seated together had the same version.

However, due to logistical errors, some students seated together were given the same version of the exam. “As soon as we discovered that the proctors had distributed the tests in a way that would put a Q and a Q together, we knew ethically we would have to self-report that [and] we knew that College Board would also have to receive those materials as soon as they saw the seating chart,” Herrmann said. “It was also something that they would have caught later on, and it would be much more difficult for students to make it up over the summer, so we wanted to report it.”

This irregularity prompted a request from the College Board for more information about Gunn’s testing environment. The administration was asked to send detailed information about the setup of the testing environment, which revealed that students who were seated two per table were sitting too close together.

AP TESTS—p.2

Creative Commons License

ONLINE: Editorial on AP test invalidation

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

NON-PROFIT ORG

Protected birds endangered by campus construction Shannon Yang

Oracle/SEC Liaison

Every year, custodian Steve Kelly notices nesting cliff swallows hanging along eaves of the buildings on the south end of campus. This year, however, he did not spot the birds in their normal location, as they were late to settle on campus. Rather, they came to the north end of campus, nest i ng mainly on the eaves on t h e M (A r t) building and the field house by the track.

“There’s a pond right on the other side of the New (N) building, behind the fence, and [the birds] just swoop down and they grab a beakful of mud, and then they come in and they assemble t he nest s by just sticking the stuf f together,” Kelly said. “If you stick around here during the day, you can hear them, or you can see them flying over the N building.”

Usually, Kelly is not too worried about the birds’ habitats, but with new campus construction projects planned for next year—which includes the Central Building Project and the repainting of 17 buildings— these swallows could be in danger of losing

their habitat. The paint project, which will be executed over the summer during the swallows’ nesting season, poses a threat.

“What I was really worried about, frankly, was that people who come here to do work on the buildings and don’t know [about the nests] or weren’t paying attention— they might go and powerwash the whole building and knock

Graphic by Jackie Lou

the nest down without knowing it,” Kelly said. These nesting swallows, which are found on various areas of Gunn’s campus, are migratory birds that are protected by the state of California and the federal government. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the California Fish and Game Code, the swallows’ active nests cannot be disturbed or destroyed during their nesting season, which lasts from February to August. Over the past few months, both staff and administration

members have been working to ensure that these swallows stay protected.

Environmental Effects According to both Kelly and Advanced Placement Environmental Science teacher Eric Ledgerwood, Gunn’s campus is an important nesting location for the swallows because of their seasonal migratory pat- terns. “Once they’re born in a nest, they tend to take off and then come back to maybe not exactly the same spot on the same building, but they would come back to the same place that they were born usually,” Kelly said. “So there’s a cont i nu it y t here from generation to generation.

They ensure that year after year after year, there’ll be more swallows that stop by and spend a couple of months while they nest and I think that’s a cool thing and important.”

According to Ledgerwood, the swallows are a native species and a healthy part of the local ecosystem. Therefore, he believes it is important for the district and school to take precautions when going forth with the new construction projects to ensure the safety of both the swallows BIRDS—p.4

Palo Alto adopts greenhouse gas reduction goals Evalyn Li

Reporter

On April 18 the Palo Alto City Council adopted the goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as a part of its Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.

Mayor Patrick Burt said that further details of the plan will be discussed in future City Council meetings. As for progress, the city has currently reached 36 percent greenhouse gas reduction from 1990, an accepted point of reference.

The city started updating the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan two years ago. Burt says the plan is a set of dynamic documents that need to be constantly adapted and refined.

“The criticality of taking strong action towards climate protection actions is becoming greater and greater,” he said.

“The reason for Palo Alto to take these actions is because many cities around the world look toward the few cities who have adopted aggressive plans and made strong achievements in fulfilling those plans.”

Palo Alto schools are also making a stronger commitment

to the ongoing goal of sustainability. District Energy Specialist Rebecca Navarro works on all school sites to help reduce the district’s overall consumption of the three main utilities: electricity, natural gas and water.

Navarro works on a mostly no capital investment program. “We’re not spending money to save money, we’re just trying to find places where we can cut out waste or change our behaviors around usage of utilities,” she said.

As one of Palo Alto’s largest utilities consumers, the district works closely with the city and maintains frequent communication with them. “They [the city] are really good about having Elizabeth Zu a lot of rebates and incentives to CLIMATE—p.2

2

News

AP tests invalidated after incident report from administration AP TESTS

According to Herrmann, Gunn has been using the same testing tables, seating arrangements and testing protocols for the past several years. However, this was the first year that the issue was brought to their attention. Therefore, she believes the problem stems from the administration not questioning the testing methods that have been used for the past 12 years. “The culture at Gunn reinforces doing things the same way that we’ve always done them,” she said.

This incident has evoked a myriad of student responses and backlash about administrative processes. “[On] one hand I do feel a little upset that the administration did not catch this beforehand, but on the other side we’ve been testing this way for so many years and for [the administration] to finally have the courage to tell College Board that we’ve been doing it wrong is admirable,” junior Isha Gupta said.

Student Body Vice President Cole McFaul had a similar response. “I think a lot of people are angry with good reason because we’ve reached this peak and now we have to recover,” he said. “That pressure has really been felt by the student body, and we’re going to feel it as the AP retakes are coming in.”

A petition created by senior Emily Cao is circulating around social media calling for the annulment of all endof-the-year AP classwork and projects so as to minimize the added stress students will face. “I feel it would be in [the administration’s] best responsibility to give us time during class for studying and preparing for the test that they were incompetent of proctoring,” Cao said.

However, some students feel that establishing a schoolwide policy is unrealistic. According to junior Elise Ep-

stein, the varying paces of different classes makes it hard to implement a school-wide policy. “I think the key is flexibility, I definitely see how the petitions are trying to make it less stressful for the students, so what I think can be done is have the AP teachers be more flexible as a whole and just

Jackie Lou

have each teacher do their part of what they can to make it less stressful,” Epstein said.

Gupta mirrors Epstein’s view that overly extreme measures are not needed. “I think it’s normal for students to be upset and angry and disappointed, [and] I definitely think that accommodations are needed to reduce stress,” she said. “However, I don’t think a petition to cancel all final assessments is the right way to go. I think it’s a bit over-reactionary.”

Epstein believes that overall, the administration is trying their best to cope with the problem. “I think, so far,

they are doing a good job with handling the situation,” Epstein said. “It’s not the administration’s fault, and I think it’s good that they’re calling all of the teachers together, that they are getting student’s opinions,”.

Other students, however, feel that their voices are not being heard. The Palo Alto Student Union is planning a sit-in during the next school board meeting on Tuesday, May 24, to bring awareness of the issue to the district and encourage the administration to give leniency to affected students on final projects and tests.

The administration is working to ensure that retakes go off without problems. According to Herrmann, students will not have to pay to retake the tests and students who choose not to retake the test will receive a full refund. In addition, the administration will take care of redistributing and reissuing any student booklets.

One of the biggest issues that students and staff are facing right now is how students will study for the additional AP exams along with other tests and projects. “What I feel is the most important thing that we should be focusing on is supporting the students as we go through the retesting process,” Herrmann said.

“I know from receiving some emails from parents and students that that’s what they want, too.” In a meeting with the Student Executive Council (SEC), Herrmann stated that a list of all affected students would be released to teachers. Teachers were open to being flexible and working with students impacted by the AP retakes on a case-by-case basis. Herrmann has complete faith in the teachers and their ability to manage the situation. “I believe in the good spirit of our teachers, and that they together are going to be able to figure out a way that students feel that we are taking into account that we want them to be academically successful, but also [maintain] their well-being,” she said.

Next year’s bell schedule altered to benefit students Grace Ding

Sports Editor

Principal Dr. Denise Herrmann officially

shared the new bell schedule for the 2016-2017 school year on April 17. Although no major changes were made, the two most noticeable

tweaks include shortening Friday by 10 minutes and mirroring Monday and Tuesday’s rotation of classes with four day week schedules.

Read the full story on http://gunnoracle.com

Palo Alto Mayor approves greenhouse gas reduction goal Northern California Director of the Cool City Challenge Sandra Slater, who was a Palo Alto parent around the time when the Safety Routes to School program was founded, has seen first-hand how students have made the transition from driving to biking and walking to school. “Imagine if we were doing that on a lot of different levels,” she said.

The Cool City Challenge is a city-endorsed

les and San Francisco. Slater says Palo Alto is included because it is on the forefront of environmental innovation and has complete carbon neutral utilities.

Slater says the best way to change behavior is by modeling behavior. “A lot of what the Cool City Challenge [is] is not only about carbon reduction, it’s about being able to connect with your neighbors on your block in a more meaningful and effective way so you can start sharing and lending things such as an electrical drill,” she said. “I used mine probably once in the last 10 years—so do I really need to own it?”

The Cool City Challenge program also educates residents on disaster preparation in times of emergency. “What we’re trying to do is connect people on their blocks with their neighbors so that they can feel safer and more resilient,” Slater said.

Slater says there needs to be a whole system approach to the problem. “[The citizens] are the choice-makers,” she said.

“When you have a citizenry that is engaged and understands the severity of the problem and knows their part in being able to help the solution, you become in partnership with government, in partnership with technology and in partnership with busimetric tons metric tons CO2 CO2 ness.”

Co2 Reduction With the adoption of a goal that is ambitious compared to the state-wide goal which calls for the same amount of reduction 20 years Statistics from City of Palo Alto later than Palo Alto’s city-wide goal, Burt attributes Graphic by Jackie Lou the 2015 Climate Change Conference (COP21) in program that aims for a minimum of 25 percent carbon re- Paris to adding to the momentum in Palo Alto. “The moveduction with at least 25 percent resident participation. Af- ment of local governments that we were already taking a ter a few years of preparation, the first training event, called part in was part of what made the agreement at COP21 hapCool Block Pilot, took place on May 14. The pilot started pen. “We were part of a feedback loop that is now inspirwith around 10 people who would go back to their own ing our community to continue our aggressive goal of 80 neighborhoods to form teams of five to eight households percent greenhouse gas reductions by 2030,” he said. “Makthat work together to reduce their carbon footprint. ing our commitment is the beginning, not the end. We now The Cool City Challenge is between Palo Alto, Los Ange- need to act.”

GOAL

25%+

2015

500,000

1990

750,000+

CLIMATE

offer us in terms of things we use that are actually capital investments like shifting from the lights we have now to LED lights,” she said.

Improvement and reduction of energy waste for the school district also stems from partnerships with external resources. “Cenergistic is a consulting group that we entered a partnership with five years ago and they gave tons of support,” Navarro said. “We paid them for four years for their consulting with the savings we generated from the avoided utility spending and now we have their services for free for life as long as we do a few basic stipulations.”

For high schools, athletic fields and swimming pools require a large amount of water and natural gas to maintain. Navarro says that in many cases, students should take ownership of situations such as the facilities they use and even the common areas where they eat lunch, which are locations that often produce the most waste.

In light of the adoption of the 80 percent greenhouse gas reduction by 2030, Navarro foresees not only the use of no capital investment methods to reduce waste of utilities but also the identification of the efficiencies in areas of capital investment. So far, the schools have made efforts toward energy efficiency, water conservation and are now looking toward increasing use of solar power.

One change in school life from 10 to 15 years ago is the number of students who walk, bike and carpool to school.

“One of the most significant programs for schools is the Safe Routes to School program started 15 to 20 years ago by the city and community volunteers,” Burt said. “A drastic difference from 15 years ago is that now 45 percent of middle and high schoolers bike and another 10 percent walk to school.”

Safe Routes to School teaches students to take safety precautions when they are going to school and establishes safe routes for biking and walking in Palo Alto. According to Burt, the program reduces 6,000 automobile rides daily and one million annually.

News THEORACLE

Friday, May 20, 2016

Students petition for vote on school board decisions Michael Chen

hasn’t happened in the past. We are usually prompted to take a look at our Board policies Student Board Representative junior Ankit when there is updated legislation from the Ranjan and junior Sawyer Lythcott-Haims State of California,” she wrote. Emberling recently initiated an effort to further the wrote that these updates come to the Board cause of student voice in the Palo Alto Unified several times a year as a proposed policy School District (PAUSD). The two obtained change through their partnership with the more than 400 signatures on a petition that California School Boards Association. “This grants the student body a preferential policy has not come before the Board vote in board decisions. Ranjan says since I was elected in 2012, but I certhis is a clear step forward in the stutainly look forward to discussing it dent body’s endeavor to ensure student soon,” Emberling wrote. opinions are implemented in district Ranjan, however, attributes the policy-making, an issue that arose last lack of progress to reluctance on the year after the discontinuation of zero part of the school board. “I think a lot period. of the reason we’ve seen a dearth of According to Ranjan, a preferential student voice in PAUSD is because of vote does not carry the same weight as the relative conservatism in the coma normal vote. However, it does allow munity regarding education,” Ranjan students to provide their suggestions said. “Although Palo Alto is extraorand opinions on the subject matter. “A dinarily liberal in most regards, preferential vote on board issues goes in there’s the predominant philosophy the minutes, but is not included in the of conservatism in education. This actual vote count,” Ranjan said. “Three likely stems from the huge investment Photo by Richard Yu parents make in getting their kids full votes beats two full votes and two preferential votes. However, this vote Junior Ankit Ranjan directs junior Alan Chen to sign the petition. in this district. After you just spent allows us to make a definite stand on two million dollars on a house, you board issues. This hinders people from abus- upon Education Code 35012, which outlines really don’t want the district messing things ing student statements to promote a stance the role of student representatives on the local up.” Ranjan said this conservatism has so far without our honest support.” In short, while boards of education. A petition was drafted in limited student voice, but believes that things the preferential vote will not allow students the hour, and then it was just a race to get the are gradually improving. to directly contribute to decisions, it will signatures.” A preferential vote is not a new Regardless of the past and current situaincrease the presence of student voice in the concept in other districts. According to Ran- tion, both Ranjan and Lythcott-Haims believe decision-making process. jan, many of PAUSD’s neighboring districts the preferential vote is an important step The next step is to give the stuforward in advancing student dent body a full vote on the Board. opinion on the school board However, according to Lythcottand they are optimistic that “There may be submitted to the governing board of a school Haims, this is easier said than done. this policy indicates the School district maintaining one or more high schools a pupil petition “As far as we know right now, there's Board’s willingness to listen to requesting the governing board to appoint one or more nonnothing in the education codes that students’ feedback. voting pupil members to the board pursuant to this section.” says anything about a full vote being Emberling agrees that almandatory if a certain number of lowing students to contribute — Education Code Section 35012 (d) signatures are obtained,” Lythcottis valuable to the district as a Haims said. “For the students to get whole. “Student voice is para full vote, we'd need to convince the Board and numerous districts around the country ticularly important because students are to give it to us, and I don't know how easy already have such a system implemented. directly affected by board decisions every day that will be.”

School Board President Heidi Emberling in their classrooms and on school campuses,” Regardless, Ranjan says that the prefer- wrote in an email that she did not know about Emberling wrote. “We would do better as a ential vote is progress, as it would show that the preferential vote simply because it was district if we involve all the stakeholders in the Board is actively taking student opinion never brought to her attention. “I’m not sure our decisions—students, teachers, parents into account. why [the addition of the preferential vote] and the larger community.”

Reporter

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

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

Assistant Business/Circulation Jack Mallery

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

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

Copy Editors Clara Kieschnick-Llamas Carolyn Kuimelis

Oracle/SEC Liaison Shannon Yang Graphics Artists Sherry Chen Cheryl Kao Jackie Lou

Tech Editors Akansha Gupta Amanda Lee Adviser Kristy Blackburn

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

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

The Oracle usually has one or two articles about some social issue that is relevant to Gunn, but this issue is particularly outstanding in how it tackled not only the struggles of low-income students, but also of the recent court cases involving PAUSD and the coming out stories of LGBTQ students at Gunn.

—Chris Jackson, 12

Oracle/TBN Liaison Elizabeth Chung

Reporters Michael Chen Evalyn Li

According to Ranjan, he and LythcottHaims originally came up with the idea to obtain the preferential vote while looking over district education codes and bylaws. “My good friend Sawyer and I decided, in true Gunn fashion, to spend one Saturday night digging through Board policies and bylaws,” Ranjan said. “Somewhere around 1 a.m., we stumbled

INBOX

Staff Business/Circulation Matthew Oh

3

I want to see something about fun things to do when you are bored over the summer that are actually affordable.

April 15, 2016 I really liked the graphics this time, especially the superheroes because they really added to the stories.

—Gloria Pan, 12 I like the personal stories about people I know.

—Zoe Holtz, 10

I would like to see more articles on things happening in Palo Alto, not directly associated with the Gunn community.

—Rashmi Sharma, 11 It is a great way to keep me updated with all the school activities and actual, real-life social events.

—Megan Hsia, 11

—Maddie Steinberg , 11 I really liked the layout of the colored sections, and that they touched on important issues that we don’t typically talk about in high school such as income inequality.

—Vidhu Navjeevan, 10

The Oracle is a 2014 NSPA Pacemaker Award finalist.

4

News

Nesting cliff swallows endangered by painting, construction BIRDS

and their surrounding ecosystem.

“It would be a shame to not continue providing habitat if we have a choice to do so,” Ledgerwood said. “[The birds] are clearly participating in an ecosystem which is probably keeping the insect population in check [and are] supporting a lot of other organisms higher up the food chain as well.”

Ledgerwood believes that in order to protect this vital system, simple changes in the logistics of the construction need to be made to fully preserve the local environment. “I think the priority would be if we could minimize impact [on] them and still get done what we need to,” Ledgerwood said. “So if it’s just a matter of waiting until their nesting period is over before construction, that seems like an easy fix. I think we owe it to the local community of wildlife to try to minimize those impacts.”

Though the paint project may be affected, Assistant Principal Miriam Stevenson, like Kelly and Ledgerwood, prioritizes the wellbeing of the birds as well as the concerns of students and staff. She cites the Prime Directive from Star Trek. “You leave no trace,” she said. “You leave things the way that you find them, if not better. So let’s do no harm. This is an important thing to take into consideration.”

Administrative Action Kelly was one of the first to notice the birds on campus this year, bringing it to the attention of the administration. He believed it was important for administrators to advocate for and be aware of the swallows. “My goal personally was and is to protect the nesting swallows and also do it in a way that doesn’t stop or interfere

or impede the progress, and I’m confident that we have swallows on campus so that that construction people, painting people, they weren’t accidentally or maliciously or admin people, students and staff can work inadvertently knocked down,” Kelly said. together so that we can have birds and we “We don’t actually care if nesting season can have painting,” Kelly said. is over and they knock [the nests] down In order to protect the nests, Kelly made to paint, but [if it were] before the nesting a map of swallow nest locations around season is over, that would be problematic campus as well as signs in both English and for me and for people who care.”

Spanish to be posted around nesting areas Stevenson is less concerned about the so that students and staff are aware of their construction than the paint project, since presence. He brought this idea to Steven- construction plans are awaiting approval son, who supported the actions. “She was and will not start until the fall. However, very receptive,” Kelly said. “[The district the paint project will start as soon as school is] aware of it, gets out and and I’m under m ay a f fe c t t he i mpresthe swallow sion that they nests on the are planning eaves of the to deal with buildings. it and do the The adminisright thing as tration wants far as I know.” to pla n t he The nestwork so that i ng s e a s o n, the paint does which is from not happ en Febr ua r y to where there August, is a re act ive the most imnests. “T he portant time paint job is for prot e ctexpected to ing the birds. sta r t in the “There’ll be a summer and Graphic by Jackie Lou lot of activity go throughPhoto by Richard Yu here and a lot out the sumof outsiders mer, and dedoing work so p end i ng on that’s why I the swallow thought it was situation, really importthat timeline ant to point might be out the fact Cliff swallows live in mud nests on the M building. extended as

they adapt to the swallow nesting,” she said.

Stevenson believes the situation is a positive lesson in adaptability. “The important thing is [identifying] and keeping [up-todate] where there’s activity and making sure that it’s posted so that we’re doing our best to protect their nesting,” she said. “It’s kind of going to be a game of ‘do the work as we can.’”

Stevenson researched the constraints and spoke with the district office as well as the people who manage the painting project and the building project. So far, the timeline for the paint project has not been impacted, but an ornithologist conducted a study to make recommendations around the work.

“They’ve had previous experiences with situations like this where wildlife might be impacted and we need to take our due diligence to protect them,” Stevenson said.

“The study that [the ornithologist] does will determine any long-term actions to the timeline.”

The district hired H.T. Harvey & Associates Ecological Consultants. On May 10, Ornithologist Craig Fosdick, M.S., conducted a survey of the nests in the vicinity of the 17 buildings to be painted this summer.

According to the May 12 report by Associate Wildlife Ecologist/Project Manager Ginger M. Bolen, two active nests, defined as those with eggs or young, were identified.

In addition to a cliff swallow nest by M-5, a house finch nest on the G building was also reported, as well as 44 inactive nests, which can become active anytime. The report recommended the implementation of buffer areas around the nests.

The protection of these birds and their homes is a victory for Kelly. “Watching them build their nests is pretty cool,” he said.

Forum

Friday, May 20, 2016

5

WHITEWASHING IN HOLLYWOOD HARMS YOUTH Jack Mallery In 2015, the drama and romance film “Aloha” sparked outrage for its casting choices, raising questions about equality for acting jobs in Hollywood. Emma Stone, a white actress, was cast as the Asian-Hawaiian character Allison Ng. Originally from the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Ng is a fighter pilot from Hawaiian, Swedish and Asian backgrounds. Many critics felt that casting Emma Stone was wrong, and that an actress with similar heritage to the character should have been chosen. This phenomenon, known as whitewashing, is when a white actor is cast to play a character of a different ethnicity. It is an issue that has recently been brought to the eyes of the world. However, this is nothing new to the world of cinema. In 1956, “The Conqueror” was released. Based on the 12th century mongol leader Genghis Khan, many would assume this infamous leader would be played by an actor of Asian descent. Instead, John Wayne, a Caucasian actor born in Iowa, was cast to play the part. Whitewashing is an important issue that is often overlooked in our society today. It has only been recognized in light of recent white-dominated Academy Awards. This phenomenon has a major effect on many children who grow up in the shadow of a white cinema, deters actors of non-caucasian descent from pursuing a career in acting and sets up unrealistic expectations of how stars should look according to Hollywood’s casting choices.

At Gunn, the Theatre department has a wide variety of roles played by different ethnicities. However, some students still feel pressure to stop acting or taking roles in drama due to the issue of whitewashing. According to sophomore Zoe McKeown, whitewashing discouraged her from a young age and hampered her drive to pursue her acting dreams because of the people she saw in the media. Like many other half-Asians, McKeown’s culture is underrepresented in the entertainment industry. Over half of hundreds of film content studied

by USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism did not feature any speaking roles from Asian actors. This negatively affects what non-Caucasian actors feel that they are capable of doing in entertainment. It is caused by witnessing actors of cultures other than theirs’ play roles meant for them.

In the past year, there were no minority actors nominated for an Academy Award. As the Academy Awards are given to the best actors and actresses in the year’s film, for not even one minority to be nominated demonstrates how one-sided Hollywood has become. Since whitewashing discourages children from acting from the moment they turn on a television, it is a problem that should be discussed by actors and producers around the globe.

Drawing young actors to Hollywood and developing their talent is essential to the continued success of movie and TV busi-

It sets up unrealistic expecations of looks needed for stars created by Hollywood’s casting choices.

ness because it keeps the studios alive with fresh and young talent. Unfortunately, due to an overwhelming majority of young white actors, many non-white actors can be deterred from pursuing a career in media. According to Annenberg, only 28.3 percent of characters in TV are from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. When junior Kiana Fong auditioned for the Disney Show “Wizards of Waverly Place” in sixth grade, she realized how different she looked from most actors her age. During her one-day audition, Fong was the only girl who was not white and blond auditioning for the part, an observance that caused her to doubt her chances and not perform her best. Because of cases like this, Asian-Americans like McKeown and Fong feel discouraged from acting at a young age. Out of 407 movie and TV directors studied

by Annenberg, 87 perThis system cent of them are white, discourages which is bound to influence their casting and disheartchoices. However, this ens non-white can be an opportunity to actors from make things right. People like McKeown want going into to stand up to the system acting. set in place, and hope to have an influence on young actors and actresses in the future. McKeown would be right: a system has been set in place.

This system discourages and disheartens non-white actors from going into acting. Whitewashing has affected the acting careers of many young people of a non-white heritage trying to make a name for themselves in the film industry, and it will continue to be a problem until something is done about it.

In Hollywood, there are thousands of actors and actresses, all of whom are hoping to land a job in a new show or movie. Sometimes it might seem that whitewashing isn’t as big a problem as it is portrayed to be by the media in recent months. Others argue that sometimes the media goes after whitewashing because they are pandering to people who feel sensitive and offended. This is not the case. According to Annenberg, 52 percent of the time, Asian-Americans like McKeown and Fong do not have even one speaking or named character in movies and television. Asian roles consistently do not appear in shows and movies, giving Asian actors no chance to have a role from the start. The same study revealed that 22 percent of all movies and television shows did not depict one AfricanAmerican speaking character. This will change one day, but it will be a long and difficult path until equality is reached.

Thanks to recent media attention, whitewashing has had a new light cast upon it. It discourages people from pursuing careers and damages their chances of landing jobs in acting. This has been around since the dawn of cinema, and many Gunn students have had their own lives affected or influenced by this modern-day problem. Denied by many as a relevant issue, directors and actors need to realize that whitewashing is a very present problem, and will continue to discourage young non-white actors from pursuing their dreams until it is recognized as an unjust system and steps are made to combat it.

It discourages people from pursuing careers.

Cheryl Kao

—Mallery, a sophomore, is Assistant Business Manager.

BY THE NUMBERS: How Whitewashing Stacks Up

28%

Percent of film directors who are of a minority racial group.

Percent of televion show characters who represent minority racial groups.

13%

0

Number of minority Oscar Award nominees in the past two years.

Graphics by Jackie Lou

6

FORUM

a r e S Q U A D S o n c a m p u s B E N E F I C I A L? squad (n.): an exclusive group of friends with a common identity

PRO

Squads open the possibility of doing things that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. For example, friend circles can have Secret Santa gift exchanges, wear matching outfits and take group pictures. Every member of the squad feels included and has a sense of belonging. Having a group of close friends that one can share “Cliques are anything with and hang out dr amatized with elevates the experience and negatively of hanging out. stereotyped.”

Opponents of squads believe that people get left out. While this may be true, friends in a squad can still hangout with others.

Furthermore, squads are not permanent: members can leave and other students can join.

Although portrayed as aggressive, mean and hurtful, cliques enrich the high school experience and create a positive impact on one’s self-worth. According to Huffington Post writer Andrew Smiler, almost every American middle and high school has squads. It is important to recognize the risks of squads, but it is also important to acknowledge the benefits that cliques provide.

—Chen, a junior, is a Lifestyle Editor.

# b SQ U OR AD NA GO H? AL fbd S ffff ... fff

In almost every portrayal of high school, whether in books or movies, social cliques are a major part of the social structure. Cliques are dramatized and negatively stereotyped, making them seem exclusive and harmful. In reality, the effects of squads are positive—they provide stability, support groups and a sense of belonging.

Squads provide the comfort of knowing where to sit at lunch and which group to hangout with. Birthday parties and group hangouts are much easier, as everyone is friends with each other. Group chats provide an easier way of telling information— instead of messaging individuals about the same problem or topic, friends in squads can message each other in one spot and the entire group will know. Instead of having one-on-one talks with different friends, friend groups allow everyone to share their thoughts collectively.

Cheryl Kao

“Mean Girls,” “High School Musical,” “Clueless”—what do these movies all have in common? All of them display a culture of cliques on high school campuses, something that kids today call “squads.” Distinctive friend groups have become extremely prevalent as kids move on from middle school to high school.

Squads, or cliques, promote exclusivity, lack of individuality, labeling and social ranking. Therefore, it is important that our school address the problems associated with clique mentality and discourage its presence on campus.

Staff in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) emphasize the importance of developing an inclusive learning environ“Students who ment on campus. But how can are excluded we achieve this goal if the first from a clique can start to feel thing we see when we step on unsupported.” campus is a dispersed student body?

Although a clique can provide a stable friend group, it limits the chance to socialize with people outside of the group. The comfort that develops from being in a clique or squad promotes exclusivity and rejects the introduction of new members or changes. Eventually students who are excluded from a clique start to feel unsupported. This exclusion defeats the purpose of the school-wide events Gunn holds to promote inclusiveness, such as Not In Our Schools Week. Thus, the concept of cliques itself contradicts these events.

According to psychiatrist Marie Hartwell-Walker, many teens associated with cliques lack self-confidence and esteem.

These teens rely on cliques to determine their identity and listen to their peers for advice rather than their own scruples.

Because of this, it is very easy to take away one’s individuality.

CON

To feel like part of a clique, students inside the clique tend to dress alike, have the same interest and have similar backgrounds. Because of a lack of freedom to be oneself, members are easily affected by peer pressure.

Just like Cady in “Mean Girls,” students may feel pressure to uphold an image with the a certain group which can result in negative consequences.

Just like in movies, the brainiacs, jocks and drama geeks that we see on screen are often mirrored in high schools. At Gunn, a group of Asians may be labeled as “nerds.” However, a group of Caucasians may be labeled the “popular” kids without any real justification.

This stereotyping divides the student body into cliques. The solution here is not to limit student’s freedom on campus, but rather to limit the expansion of possible clique culture.

The issue of cliques in schools should be addressed seriously.

The encouragement of exclusivity on school campus should not be tolerated because it is unhealthy for students and can create stereotypes.

—Chang, a junior, is a Features Editor.

Staffer struggles to fit in with cliques Mikaela Wayne Entering high school, I was well aware of the clique culture that existed on campus. My oldest brother’s squad won biggest bromance in the 2014 yearbook pop polls, and he let me know of the unavoidable obstacle that is squad mentality at Gunn. Through my observations, I noticed clique mentality progressed and changed from year to year. Freshman year, it was fairly easy to navigate life at Gunn without being confined to a specific group of people. Sophomore year, cliques became more prevalent; however, with people growing and understanding more about themselves, friend groups were always changing and shifting. It was not until junior year that the squads became seemingly impenetrable. Unfortunately, this event took place without me.

The second semester of my sophomore year, I left to go abroad for five months and study in Israel. There, cliques were essentially non-existent because I was surrounded by 45 people. I had forgotten what it was like to be on a campus with such a strong clique mentality.

It had never occurred to me that I would come back to something as scary as what I faced: named squads. These groups had been friends for some time, however, now the difference was that they could not be changed. I had missed the vital time when these squads were formed, and so I was left without one. However it wasn’t only the names. Along with these tight groups came many other challenges including group chats and squad drama. While these things seem trivial, I saw them as a form of exclusivity.

Coming back to this from Israel was overwhelming to say the least. With cliques being so tight, it was almost as if without one I had no idea what to do with myself. I did not know who to stand with on the quad and I never felt I had much to do on the weekends. I formed a habit of sitting at home and seeing people hanging out without me. The fear of missing out was real.

Not having a group chat felt like one of the most difficult parts of not being part of a squad. I felt that not being a part of a group chat inhibited me from ever being invited to anything because these cliques would make plans in their group chats and not reach out to others. At first, I was partly angry at these people for excluding me and partly angry at myself. Because I was not part of a squad, I felt I was not cool or popular enough. I could not help but think how much easier my life would be if I could turn back time and slip into one of these squads while I still had the chance.

To my surprise, as the year went on, I noticed the dynamic of these squads shifting. I saw more people interacting with others outside of their squads. Cliques were dispersing and becoming more open and welcoming. Through this, I came to understand that these squads were not trying to do anything to exclude me.

It was not anyone’s fault that I was not part of a squad; it was just unlucky that they were formed in my absence.

Clique culture on campus is very present and continues to be an issue for me. It makes it difficult to get invites to events or feel included on campus. Regardless, I have come to realize that many students are not so confined to their cliques to the point that I could not befriend or become close to them. In my experience, being a “clique-less” student is a huge challenge. However, by being open-minded and reaching out to people, it became easier to be comfortable with the friends I have, without a need for a clique.

—Wayne, a junior, is a Centerfold Editor.

FORUM

Friday, May 20, 2016

New bell schedule benefits Gunn community Post

Last month, the Creative Scheduling Committee released the new bell schedule for the upcoming school year. Instead of a complete overhaul like last year, the new schedule closely resembles the current one, maintaining the same core structure of three meetings for every class period each week. One of the few changes is F period on Monday and D period on Tuesday. The swap of the two periods has no net effect on timing since students and teachers will now have D period on consecutive days instead of F period. However, each day now ends with either F or G period, which will help students with afternoon preps who have after-school activities like sports or work.

E period will be taken out of the Tuesday morning slot. This results in a different morning class everyday, which was a feature of the schedule in years past. The rotating first period class structure will help reduce the number of E period tardies and absences, which is a positive change for both students and teachers. E period students and teachers will also benefit from having less morning class time, when tardiness and sleepiness undermine learning. Reverting back to the rotating schedule is a beneficial change that will increase consistency among class periods and improve the learning environment for E period classes.

The Creative Scheduling Committee aimed to address the problems of inconsistencies and period rotations, while keeping Flex Time and Tutorial. It did address the most glaring problem of two morning E periods, as well as the irregular period lengths, but it also created a few other changes which have their pros and cons. Wednesdays now consist of four 80-minute periods, which makes for a later lunch time and dismissal time, this might make Wednesday a larger obstacle to get over.

The overall class period order for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday has stayed the same in the updated schedule. The only change on Thursday involves class period lengths, and results in an earlier dismissal time. This allows students more time for tutorial if they choose to attend, or for extracurricular activities. Overall, the new bell schedule is a minor improvement upon this year’s. Although it is not perfect, for the sanity of teachers, students and even parents, hopefully it remains permanent.

Period lengths were adjusted due to concerns regarding late Friday dismissals and a discrepancy in period lengths during the week. The new schedule features a 75-minute, 80-minute, 70-minute pattern for the first, second and third meeting days of each class every week. This will solve problems concerning unequal amounts of time for different class periods while taking tests and will also help teachers stay at the same pace for all of their class periods. However, this change produces a different lunch start every day of the week, an inconsistency that may lead to confusion and take time for students to get acclimated to. Despite this, the period length revision is an improvement since different class periods can have the same amount of time for tests and lessons.

—Written by Tim Sun Graphics by Cheryl Kao

Faces in the Crowd

Do you think the changes of the bell schedule are necessary?

“I really liked the short days. Now that it’s more even and everyday is the same, I don’t really like it.”

“I don’t think there are many changes made. I like how Friday is 10 minutes shorter.”

“I think that the changes are pretty small and the benefits coming from it will be equally small.”

“I don’t have an opinion on the bell schedule yet because I don’t know my schedule for next year.”

Claire Seneria (9)

Ryan Dinh (10)

Sawyer Lythcott-Haims (11)

Janet Shea (11) –Complied by Elizabeth Chung

7

Features

8

Departing teachers describe future plans, reflect on Gunn Physics teacher Lettie Weinmann will be traveling to Jordan with her husband to teach physics at the American Community School of Amman, Jordan.

Having previously taught in Nepal for two years, Weinmann is looking forward to teaching overseas again.

Weinmann has taught at Gunn since 1989 and remembers when she decided to dress up for Homecoming week at the beginning of her time at Gunn. “I just happened to have a princess dress, so I put on the princess dress with the hoop skirts and the crown,” Weinmann said. However, her lesson did not work as planned, so Weinmann reverted to show-

Lettie Weinmann

ing a demo on the acceleration of gravity which required her to stand on a desk, hoop skirt and all. “I’m ready to jump onto the ground from the desk, with my accelerometer in hand, and in walks the principal with the superintendent,” Weinmann said. “He was giving a tour of the school.”

Although embarrassing m om e nt s like these are times that Weinmann will never forget, she learned some valuable life lessons as well. “Over the past years it has been amazing for me to watch the kids take care of each other,” Weinmann said. “It has transformed from

a culture where students were afraid to share things with grown-ups, to a culture where students realize there is something bigger—that we are all in this together.”

Weinmann plans on stayRichard Yu ing connected with the science department; she will still write recommendation letters and collaborate with teachers on the physics curriculum. For now, however, she is looking forward to her time abroad. “I am going to go teach in a different part of the world and be a part of the international community again, which I really enjoy,” Weinmann said.

—Written by Cassandra Bond

Instructional supervisor and math teacher Kathy Hawes is taking a leave of absence next year to travel the world. Her desire to explore new places and her husband’s recent career change prompted the decision.

“It seems like a good time to do some of the things we’ve Courtesy of Gunn always dreamed about,” she said.

Hawes is most excited to fulfill a lifelong dream of hers: to see the ancient

Egyptian Pyramids. “[Traveling to Egypt] has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, when I studied the Egypt unit in school,” she said.

Hawes has been a teacher at Gunn since 1991, and has seen the campus become a more loving and supportive environment. The student body has impressed her with their ability to create initiatives like ROCK Club and “A Titan is...”

Although Hawes plans to return for the 2017-2018 school year, she admits that she will miss the Gunn staff and students during her time away. “I think it’s really the people that I miss, but knowing that I’ll be back in a year, it’s just going to be like a long summer vacation,” she said. “I’m excited to be gone, but I know I’m going to be excited to come back.”

—Written by Carolyn Kuimelis

Social studies teacher Chris Saunders is leaving Gunn to take a teaching and coaching position at Saint Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. “I live in San Francisco and have been coaching football there for the last two years,” Saunders wrote in an email. “I was not looking for the position but it happened upon me and through much careful deliberation I decided to do it.”

One of the driving forces behind his shift to a San

Francisco school is a shorter commute. “Honestly, less driving is on the top of [what I’m looking forward to],” he wrote.

“Commuting back and forth for the last couple years has added up, literally and figuratively.”

Though he is excited to begin the next chapter in his teaching career, Saunders believes that Gunn has had a tremendous impact on his life. “I feel blessed and honored to have been a member of this fantastic communi-

ty,” he wrote. “My career as an educator began at Gunn and has forever shaped my teaching practice.”

According to Saunders, teaching at Gunn was an important start to his career.

“The students, staff and parCourtesy of Gunn ents have been amazing ever since I have been here,” he wrote. “For me, Gunn will probably always serve as the model for what an ideal classroom and greater community should be like. Sure, no place is perfect, but Gunn has gotten a lot closer than many other places could ever dream of.”

Kathy Hawes

English teacher Ethan Halter’s passion for teaching Shakespeare is evident to any of his students.

Next year, he will change roles Courtesy of Gunn and become a student in the Masters in Shakespeare Program at Kings College in collaboration with the Globe Theatre in London, England during a year off from teaching.

The program consists of two classes per semester—one at the college and one

Ethan Halter

at the theatre—and ends with a thesis on a topic chosen by the student. “I am hoping to bring back an expertise in Shakespeare and to think about the role that Shakespeare’s stories play in adolescent character development,” Halter said.

“We can use Shakespeare to help adolescents discover themselves.”

Many factors contributed to Halter’s decision to partake

Special education teacher and football coach Neil Chai is leaving Gunn after two years of teaching here due to the growing cost of living in the Palo Alto area. Chai plans to work in the same position in a different district where the housing is more affordable.

Chai, who has a wife and two kids, would like to buy a house and raise his family, but does not find it feasible in the Peninsula. “As much as I love it here, I can’t afford to live in the area,” he said. “I think it’s too bad that

Chris Saunders

—Written by Prachi Kale

in the program, but the most prominent reason was the chance to have a new perspective on the world. “I have been

Palo Alto is an area where if you don’t make six figures or over six figures, you’re going to have a really hard time being able to support a family.”

Chai’s relationships with students have played a large part in shaping who he is now by teaching him to find a balance between compassion and accountability. “I’ve learned that [students] are going to have their ups and downs, and that as

living in the Bay Area for a while and basically have had a teaching job since I graduated college,” Halter said. “Ten years is a long time to do that, and I think that having a break will allow me reflection and growth.”

Still, while Halter is 5,362 miles away from Palo Alto, he will miss Gunn. “I will definitely miss the students the most— seeing them learn is one of my favorite things. Adults are harder to see change and grow and learn and grapple with ideas,” Halter said. “The youthful innocence and hope in young people [and] teenagers, I will miss.”

—Written by Jenna Marvet

adults and trusted figures, the thing we have to learn is to be compassionate toward their feelings but also at the same time hold them accountable as well,” he said.

The transition is bittersweet for Chai; however, he is hopeful for the future. “I’ve had a good Richard Yu two-year run,” he said. “Part of me doesn’t want to leave Gunn, but a part of me also is excited for the new challenges in my life.”

Neil chai

—Written by Shannon Yang Graphics by Cheryl Kao

Friday, May 20, 2016 Features Behind the Scenes: the work that goes into One Acts

Costumes and makeup

Lighting and sound

Student directors

Paint and construction

Costumes and makeup are both crucial parts of a theater production. According to costume co-head sophomore Jessie Argumedo, costumes can help show relationships between characters and display details that are not mentioned in the play. “[Costumes] show the character’s personality through ways that maybe the actor couldn’t necessarily show," she said.

According to head of makeup senior Jessy McKeown, makeup is used to bring out the actors’ features. “Because of all the crazy, intense lighting we use on the stage, it washes your face out and makes you look really flat, so you have to define all your features and make it look like you have cheekbones, a nose and eyes,” she said.

Being part of the crew requires creativity and ingenuity, but each challenge brings them closer together. “The stage tech community is a lot of fun and it’s a great way to be a part of theater without all the pressure of memorizing lines and going on stage,” Argumedo said.

—Written by Amanda Lee

Senior Merrill Peterson is a part of the lighting crew, which helps shine light on the actors on stage and change the mood of scenes. Lighting features various types of equipment to help put the show together. “There is a front wash and a down wash that help focus the lights and cover the lights so that they match what the directors want,” Peterson said. “We also use gels, which are little plastic colored strips that we put in the lights to change colors.”

Sound is another key part of a show's production.

Sophomore Advait Arun is currently part of the sound crew, which chooses and controls all of the songs and effects heard in shows. “Sound handles all [communications],” Arun said. “All the people that do all the moving of the furniture on and off stage—they all wear headsets so they can communicate, and that's what we set up.”

—Written by Cassie Bond

Eight individual mini-shows means eight individuals take on the role of student director and lead the One Acts actors to a great performance. This year, the student directors for One Acts are seniors Jessy McKeown, Emily Liberatore, Alyssa See-tho, Grace Berger, Eva Stoneburner, Ben Lee and junior Nick Borbolla.

Each student orchestrates the production of a separate act. “I have to be in charge of rehearsal, I have to be in charge of a schedule [and] I have to make artistic and budget choices,” Liberatore said.

According to Liberatore, one of the hardest parts of being a student director is taking on the leadership role. “You spend all this time with all these people because it’s such a close-knit community, and then suddenly you’re not the peer anymore. You have to be in charge of them,” Liberatore said.

However, the hard work pays off at the end. “Watching the people that I chose become close and love each other and become part of our product is so satisfying,” Liberatore said.

—Written by Deiana Hristov

One Acts’ paint and construction crews are planning a very simple stage due to the frequent changes in scenery and the general nature of the selected plays being performed. “For One Acts ,all we really have to do is pull some furniture in addition to building a couple door frames for one of the shows,” construction head sophomore Shep Dick said.

The simplicity of the plays puts less pressure on the paint and construction crews and they plan on reusing materials from previous plays. “I feel like this year there was less work and [fewer] long hours compared to last year just because of the nature of the plays we did,” paint head junior Hannah Zinn said.

For both crews, their deadlines are cue-to-cue, which means that the actors, lights and sound go through everything step by step. “Usually we have the stuff done around [cue-to-cue],” Zinn said. “[But] we [do] a few touch-ups up until the day before opening.”

—Written by Clara Kieschnick Graphics by Jackie Lou

9

10

CENTE

Outdoor venues create own sub-culture Janet Wang Forum Editor

With the sun gleaming, music blaring and crowd swaying to the beat, the vibe of music festivals has captivated today’s youth. These festivals serve as music, fashion and pop culture inspiration for teens across the country.

According to Billboard magazine, 32 million people go to at least one United States music festival every year. Some of the most popular festivals in California include Coachella in the Palm Desert and Outside Lands in San Francisco.

Music festivals in the United States date back to the 1960s, when the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held at a New York dairy farm over four days in 1969. 32 artists including The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin performed, and the event is still considered one of the biggest rock festivals in history. Woodstock served as a turning point in the music industry and has shaped and influenced the festival culture ever since.

The music festival fad is still popular with teens today. Sophomore Helene Barbier went to Outside Lands in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park last summer and enjoyed the festival’s activities. “There’s food everywhere and there’s also a lot of art,” she said.

“My friend and I went on the day our favorite artists were going and we saw G-Eazy and Kendrick Lamar.”

Barbier was surprised by the friendly atmosphere. “People’s mindsets kind of change at concerts,” she said. “It was scary

being with such a big group of people but you can talk to anyone and they are usually really nice.”

Barbier says that the live music was one of the most memorable parts. “Usually, the artists make a pretty big entrance to get people hyped, and toward the middle is when everyone is singing, dancing and swaying back and forth, and they get really into it,” she said. “Live music is just so much different than listening to something like Spotify at home.”

Junior Lucy Lamb attended Coachella and highlighted the performance by James Bay, as her favorite part. “He is on the radio a lot, so he is famous, but they put him in one of the smaller tents, so it made it more of an intimate experience,” she said. “It was also cool that there were different types of music that you could learn and experience.”

For junior Emilia Boultbee, attending Coachella allowed her to see things from a different perspective. “They had really cool artwork and it kind of made your problems seem small because the artwork was really big,” she said. “There were these giant yellow chairs that were huge—these things were like 50 feet tall—and it gave the illusion that everything is going to be fine and that there are bigger things than just what you’re doing.”

Lamb recommends that students attend music festivals to destress and take a break.

“Although it’s a stressful time of the year to get your grades done, it’s still a fun experience,” she said. “It’s a good way to relax and explore your taste in music as a teenager."

Festival Must-Haves Jorts: These jean shorts

are popular among both men and women. For men, straight knee-length shorts are the most common. For women, the trend is high-waisted daisy dukes. On both genders, the distressed denim look is popular.

Flash Tattoos: For those looking

to make a fashion statement, fake tattoos are a prominent trend. Most popular are shiny, metallic tattoos in gold or silver depicting animals, arrows or bands. One or two small tattoos add a hint of shine and contribute to the festival vibe.

The M festival e

A Look into Festival Vib

Watermelon: Coach-

ella is located in the Californian desert, so staying hydrated is important.

What better way to do that than with a big, juicy slice of watermelon? One of the most popular foods at Coachella, watermelon is healthy and delicious, and it is not uncommon to see pictures of people and celebrities with a big chunk of watermelon in hand.

Flower Crowns: Worn around

the head, flower crowns can be adorned with any type of flower, from bunches of sunflowers, bigpetaled red and pink flowers or small lines of daisies. Although these are often storebought, you can make your own with real flowers.

—Compiled by Deiana Hristov

Upcoming Concert Bottlerock: May 27 Napa, CA

LIVE 105’s BFD: June 4 Mountain View, CA

Rascal Flatts: July 7 Shoreline Amphitheater

ERFOLD

11

Friday, May 20, 2016

Music experience

be, Culture and Trends

Festival experience leaves positive impression back and pleasant tone for the rest of the afternoon. As their act came to a close, excitement flared and people began rushing downhill to try to get a spot as close to the stage as they could.

Electronic pop duo AlunaGeorge was next—the duo transitioned from the alterHelen Nguyen native vibe of Siberian Front to the electronic and dance-centric mood that continued I kept jumping from foot to foot—I for the rest of the festival. There was a sense couldn’t help myself as I stood in line for of euphoria and unity as the crowd became a the Frost Music Festival. AlunaGeorge, Kay- collective body of smiles that swayed in sync tranada and Flume were going to perform to the duo’s performance. I loved being so later that day. Flume is one of my favorite close to the stage. It was as if I was able to get artists, and it was all I could do to not excit- up-close and personal with AlunaGeorge edly jump up and down, impatiently wait- and jam out with them. ing my turn to be granted admission into Once AlunaGeorge wrapped up their set, the festival. The people surrounding me the crowd couldn’t wait for the next perwere all decked out in crop tops, bro-tanks former, DJ Kaytranada, to continue the fesand shorts—all giving off happy vibes and tival with his ambient beats. easy smiles. There was excited talk among My heart began to race as I proceeded to the crowd about the headliner, Flume, and fast-walk faster and faster as I recognized how the festival-goers couldn’t believe he Flume’s hit, “Sleepless,” blaring through the was here in Stanford. air. I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears–I was As I approached the front of the line, I got seeing Flume live! It was obvious that the a closer view of what lay beyond the tall crowd around me was very excited to see metal gate. Pink flags fluttered in the warm Flume as well. When his remix of “You & Me” and early summer air. White, yellow, or- played, the crowd went wild and it almost ange, pink and baby blue bed sheets gave seemed as if the audience held their breath off a warm welcome as they billowed from until the first big drop. I could feel the eleca wire. Once the security guard scanned my tricity that reverberated through the crowd, ticket, I walked through the gate’s entrance touching each person as each beat was hit. and ascended the winding asphalt path. I I was in awe and fell in love with the scene was then met by a and the mustring of lanterns sic. Flume and bursts of colcaptivated ”The people surrounding me were all decked ors as the path the crowd, opened up to the masterfully out in cropped tops, bro-tanks and shorts— top of Frost Amplaying hit all giving off happy vibes and easy smiles.” phitheatre. after hit, Frost Amphithetastefully atre was hidden hitting all and tucked away in a thick growth of trees. the favorites. People sat on others’ shoulders The only reminder that I was still in Palo and swayed along with the crowd to his muAlto was the Hoover Tower looming in the sic, enjoying their time in the air. distance. The amphitheatre was comprised Flume closed off the night with his remix of tiers of grass, creating a gentle slope of Lorde’s “Tennis Court”—I didn’t want to forming a bowl shape surrounding the stage think about it, but I knew those five minutes at the bottom of the field. The incorporation would be the last that I was going to be able of student art pieces and Frost Music Festi- to enjoy the Frost Music Festival scene beval decoration provided a contrasting pal- fore having to wait another year. His perforette of color amongst the green scene. mance brought together the whole festival, As time passed, the venue filled with peo- and topped off the scene like whipped cream ple who filed in and sat down to watch the with a cherry on top. performance. When the opening act, Sibe- As I shuffled out with the crowd, I couldn’t rian Front—an alternative and indie rock help but feel a little bit of sorrow. I knew band comprised of Stanford students—be- that I enjoyed every single second that I was gan performing, the excited buzz quieted there, but I felt nostalgic about it already. down as the audience enjoyed the energetic With the help of the performers, attendees, set complete with the happy music of guitars atmosphere and music, Frost Music Festival and smooth vocals. I was caught in the was transformed into a dreamlike refuge of moment, and all I could think about was the sun and sound that I will never forget. music and the people around me.

Siberian Front’s performance set a laid—Nguyen, a junior, is a News Editor

ts in the Bay Area G-Eazy & Logic: July 8 Shoreline Amphitheater

Outside Lands: August 5-7 Adele: August 2 San Francisco, CA Oracle Arena, Oakland Graphics by Elizabeth Zu

12

Advertisement

Sports

Friday, May 20, 2016

13

Boys’ swimming breaks Bellarmine streak for first CCS championship Matthew Hamilton and Lena Ye Managing Editors

The varsity boys’ swimming team won their first ever Central Coast Section (CCS) title on Saturday, May 14, ending Bellarmine College Prep’s 31-year win streak. The meet came down to the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, in which Gunn had to beat Bellarmine to secure the title. The relay team of senior Trent Tosky, senior Daichi Matsuda, senior Joao Ama and junior Michael Lincoln won by .02 seconds and solidified Gunn’s final point total of 242 over Bellarmine’s total of 231.

Gunn also benefitted from strong individual showings. Ama took third in the 50 freestyle, Matsuda placed third in the 100 butterfly, Lincoln finished third in the 500 freestyle and junior Max Pokutta came in third in the 100 breaststroke.

The boys faced a multitude of difficulties during the competition. According to coach Mark Hernandez, Tosky was disqualified in his Friday race and was not allowed to compete the following day. Tosky’s disqualification allowed a Bellarmine swimmer to move into eighth place. Hernandez tried to fight the disqualification, but was unable to get the decision overturned resulting in a 17-point swing in Bellarmine’s favor.

Gunn also lost the 200 freestyle relay by .18 seconds to Bellarmine. Before the meet, Gunn felt they had to win the 200 freestyle relay to win CCS, but the team was not discouraged by the setback. They stayed positive and continued to try their hardest. “I told everyone to forget about it and race and we finished strong,” Lincoln said.

The team did not let the adversity stop them. Hernandez emphasized that this year’s team was accustomed to overcoming difficulties and that the team’s experience helped them secure Gunn’s first ever CCS title. “We have a veteran crew,” Hernandez said. “They’ve been through the trenches and battles before, and they know how Bellarmine operates. They knew they had to match their heart and they were used to swimming in high pressure situations.”

As the meet progressed, it became clear that Gunn had a chance to end Bellarmine’s historic streak. Hernandez described the atmosphere of the final relay as electric. “It was the best theater and the best venue in CCS,” Hernandez said. “There was the Bellarmine fanbase and the Gunn fanbase, but everyone else was also cheering for Gunn. The coaches from other schools were screaming ‘Go Gunn.’” Lincoln added that swimmers from other teams would even wish them luck against Bellarmine.

Lincoln swam third in the deciding relay and the gravity

of the moment was not lost on him.“I was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my entire life,” Lincoln said. “Before the race I warmed up three times more than I normally do and I did not talk to anybody because I was so nervous. We gave each other a pat on the back and said ‘Go kill it.”

Bellarmine had won the previous 31 CCS titles and they were not shy about their history. According to Hernandez and Lincoln, members of the Bellarmine swim team were seen walking around the pool deck in t-shirts listing all of the years they had won a CCS title including 2016, covered with a piece of tape.

The shirts also had the number 32—the number of CCS titles Bellarmine would have if they had beat Gunn—on the sleeve, also covered in tape.

“I’m glad the shirts are now collectors items and relics,” Hernandez said. “Bellarmine deserves some swag, but I’m glad they never got to take the tape off.”

Lincoln saw the shirts before the meet and used it as motivation. “I saw the shirts before the meet and it fired me up thinking about breaking that streak and seeing their faces as they realize those shirts are worthless,” Lincoln said.

Lincoln also believes that the demeanor of the Bellarmine team was why Gunn had such resounding support from other schools. “People have always hated how Bellarmine have always put next year’s win streak on the shirt,” Lincoln said. “People have always hated that arrogance and they also wanted to see history.”

Now that Gunn has had its first taste of victory, the team is already looking forward to being on the other side of the title; however, it can be a disadvantage. As the winners of CCS, Gunn is now the team to beat. “It’s a lot easier to be the hunter than the hunted,” Hernandez said. “The CCS title is a target on our backs.”

Regardless of how hard it will be to defend next year, the title establishes Gunn boys’ swimming as a legitimate contender for

Photos courtesy of Keith Peters

Top: The boys’ swimming team poses and celebrates in the pool after capturing the CCS championship.

Bottom: Coach Mark Hernandez raises his arms in joy. years to come. “The title puts us on a good path because four years ago were ninth in CCS, then seventh three years ago, second last year and now we are first,” Pokutta said.

Junior competes in triathlons as USA All-American Emma Chiao

Centerfold Editor

When junior Illi Gardner competed in her first triathlon at eight years old, she did it for fun. Now, as a USA triathlon All-American and currently ranked third in the nation for her age group, Gardner participates in triathlons every few weeks.

While Gardner was in second grade, her parents decided to enter her in the Silicon Valley Kid’s Triathlon because they wanted her to try something new. To their surprise, Gardner exhibited a natural ability for triathlons and finished in third.

However, Gardner did not begin official training until she was in middle school, which was when she began to take them seriously. Although they were challenging at first, triathlons soon became easier once Gardner got the basics down. “I swam full-time on a swim team, and I did track and cross country for school, so I thought, ‘why not?’” she said.

Triathlons are not usually grouped together with typical

high school sports, but they are fairly popular among students. According to Gardner’s coach, Seth Davis, triathlons are a way for people to participate in multiple sports that they enjoy. “If you think about it, kids love to run, kids love to ride bikes and kids love to swim,” he said. “It’s a combination of all those fun things and now it’s a race. That’s why I think that at its heart, it’s such a fun sport.”

There are many different types of triathlons for different levels of athleticism. The official distances for Olympic triathlons are a one-mile swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10-kilometer run. Currently, Gardner participates in sprint triathlons which are made up of half a mile of swimming, 20 kilometers of biking and five kilometers of running.

Training for triathlons requires significant time and commitment. In addition to training on the school track and field and cross country teams, Gardner trains outside of school. “The running part I can get from track and cross country practices,” Gardner said. “I also swim on a team

Photos Courtesy of Illi Gardner

Left: Junior Illi Gardner finishes swimming and gets out the water. Middle: Gardner bikes through the second leg of a sprint marathon. Right: Gardner sprints to finish the final leg of a sprint triathlon.

a few times a week and I bike every day. It’s really just a bunch of different workouts.”

Davis praised Gardner for not only being a natural athlete but always willing to put in 100 percent effort at practice. “Illi is completely self-motivated and driven and she continues to improve in all areas,” he said. “She’s one of those athletes that has all the things you want in an athlete: work ethic, effort, energy, attitude, passion, being coachable, going the extra mile [and] being prepared.” Davis also noted that Gardner is getting faster by not just training but also learning about race tactics and strategy. “She’s so talented, but all those things don’t require talent, but hard work, and she does all those and has talent,” he said. “That’s the best type of athlete.”

Gardner’s parents note that although they help her in any way they can, Gardner is the one who pushes herself to succeed. “We support her by feeding her, taking her where she needs to be, providing her with the necessary equipment and cheering her on,” Gardner’s mother, Rhiannon Wallace said.

“But she always manages her own training schedule.”

Gardner is rewarded for her time and effort with race results and records. According to Davis, Gardner’s major improvements have allowed her to compete at collegiate levels. “I was incredibly impressed with her race at Stanford in the rain,” he said. “She raced in the college race, took second overall behind last year’s collegiate champion and won her age group. She beat the entire UC [Berkeley] triathlon team.”

For Gardner, competing and training has always been interesting. “Every race is different, so it’s always new and exciting,” she said. “Training also doesn’t get boring either, although it can be difficult at times.”

While winning and doing her best is always one of Gardner’s goals, what’s most important to her is the lessons she’s learned throughout the years. Not only has she become a better athlete, but she has also learned the importance of being mentally strong. “Don’t give up,” she said. “That’s really the only thing I can say and that’s been most important for me.”

14

Sports

Lakers fan reflects Cavaliers healthy, ready to win finals on Kobe’s legacy Tone Lee

— McFaul, a senior, is a Guest Columnist.

9-0 in playoffs

NBA Finals Predictions

tion is to match the Warriors and play smallball with James, Irving, Smith, Love and either Thompson or shooting guard Iman Shumpert. Either way, the Cavaliers need to find a way to stop the heart of the operation, Draymond Green. If they put a big defender on him, Green can use his speed and blow by his defender. If they use a smaller defender, Green can use his strength and post up. The best solution is to use James. James has incredible strength and speed and will be able to match up on Green well. By shutting down Green, they will do the unthinkable: beat the “Death Squad.”

The Cavs certainly have motivation: Lebron’s contract only lasts for another year and if the Cavs don’t win, Lebron might opt to sign with another team to try to chase down another ring. The Cavs are playing for more than just their first banner: they’re playing for the future of their titleless franchise. Although the Warriors are coming off the best season in NBA history, this is the most ideal situation for Cleveland. With Curry coming off an injury and the Cavs playing some of their best basketball in the playoffs, this is the chance that the Cavs have been looking for.

Prediction: Cavaliers 4-2 — Lee, a junior, is a Lifestyle Editor.

73-9

in regular season

Warriors

Maybe it was the bright purple and gold jerseys, or perhaps it was because they won the National Basketball Association (NBA) championship every year during the impressionable ages of two to five, but at some point in my early childhood, I decided that I would be a citizen of Laker Nation. I’ll admit, Shaq’s giant stature that matched his equally substantial personality made O’Neal my favorite player for a while, but after he left for Miami, I fell in love with Kobe Bryant.

Kobe has been a role model for me throughout my life. He is someone I have looked up to and strived to be like. His killer instinct, competitive edge and incomparable work ethic have inspired me to be better, whether I was playing on the court or studying for school. It might sound weird, but every fourth quarter fadeaway jump shot motivated me to be better and Kobe helped reinforce the lessons my parents had taught me about hard work and winning—there is a positive correlation between the two.

I lived on the East Coast when I was younger, so I didn’t watch Kobe night in and night out because the Lakers were always playing past my bedtime. So when I did get to watch him, it was like watching a mythical character.

I have always been a complete believer in Kobe Bryant. All my friends would make fun of his tendency to shoot with four people draped all over him, and while I knew the mathematical percentages of those shots were low, when Kobe would hoist up an outlandish corner fadeaway three, I was convinced that the ball would somehow end up at the bottom of the net. I came to expect the unexpected from him.

Kobe seemed to shake off every missed shot with ease. Sometimes this amnesia would lose the game for the Lakers, especially in his final season, but so many times, it brought incredible moments, like his 81 point outburst against Toronto, nine consecutive games of 40 or more points, magical playoff runs throughout his career or most recently, his 60-point outpouring in his final career game. It felt like the NBA’s tagline of “where amazing happens” wasn’t about the NBA as a whole, but about wherever Kobe was. He made the amazing routine; he made the impossible standard.

I’ll miss watching Kobe for his playing skills, but more than that, I’ll miss Kobe for his attitude toward the game of basketball.

Today’s NBA consists of a lot of three-point shooting teams that rely on the trust of their teammates to win games. Lebron James will pass up a final shot if he sees Kevin Love open, and while I love watching Steph and the Warriors drop bombs from 35 feet out, no player in the NBA is able to replicate Kobe’s utter faith in himself. Kobe always had a mentality of “me versus the world,” and his win-or-die outlook is not seen in today’s NBA. Players are definitely competitive on the court, but Kobe didn’t have an off switch. Even on a 2161 team, Kobe called his own teammates “soft like Charmin.” He berated Swaggy P and Co. for celebrating too much after a win against a mediocre team.

Kobe didn’t seem to love anything except the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and that’s why I loved him. You were one of the last of a dying breed of basketball players, and I’ll miss you, Kobe.

Led by future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James, the recharged Cavaliers are out for revenge. The Cavaliers have had a strong showing so far in the postseason. The Cavs swept the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks and are facing the struggling secondseeded Toronto Raptors in the conference finals, whose superstar backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan is not performing well under the limelight. On top of that, one of the Raptors’ key players, center Jonas Valanciunas, sprained his ankle and is out for the rest of the playoffs.

In last year’s postseason matchup, the Cavaliers took the Warriors to six games even without the help of superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love due to injury. Prospects, however, are very different now. Their team is healthy and the trifecta of Irving, Love and James is putting up more than 65 points a game on 45 percent shooting.

In addition to the dominating perfor-

Cavaliers

Cole McFaul

mance of their big three, the role players that the Cavaliers desperately needed to make a title run have finally arrived. Shooter J.R. Smith and point guard Matthew Dellavedova are contributing 14 and six points per game respectively, and Tristan Thompson is a monster in the key, snagging 8.3 rebounds per game. The Cavs’ biggest role player, however, has become the acquisition from Orlando Channing Frye. Frye is putting up around eight points per game and is shooting a ludicrous 57.1 percent from three-point land.

The Warriors, on the other hand, are suffering from many detrimental factors.

Two-time reigning MVP and Golden State’s deadliest threat Stephen Curry is coming off consecutive injuries. Coming back from his first injury, a sprained ankle, he looked like a shadow of his former self. He played for 19 minutes before he was injured again and shot a dismal two for nine from the field with a season low of six points and five turnovers.

With a healthy roster, Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue can respond with two options. The first is to take up the same strategy he did last year. Lue can throw in big-man Timofey Mozgov along with Thompson, Love, Irving and James. Although they lost last year with that lineup, this year they will have a healthy Irving and Love. The other op-

Graphics by Sherry Chen

Warriors look to repeat as champions Samuel Tse After coming off a historic 73-9 regular season record, the Golden State Warriors have high expectations to win another championship. They haven’t disappointed so far after over two playoff rounds against the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

As the unanimous Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league, Stephen Curry is the heart and soul of the Warriors. This season, he broke the regular season record of three pointers with 402. Curry has also dominated other aspects in the game. He led the league in free-throw percentage and steals and ranked tenth in assists. After returning from his injury, Curry managed to score 40 points in Game Four against the Blazers, singlehandedly giving the Warriors a crucial win with a record-setting 17 overtime points.

Even without Curry, the Warriors have continued to claim victories, going 4-1 against

the Rockets and 4-1 against the Blazers largely without him. Shooting guard Klay Thompson has scored 27 points or more points per game since Curry was injured, with a high of 35 points against the Blazers in Game Three.

During the regular season, Thompson made 276 three-pointers, ranking him second in the league behind Curry. Thompson has stepped up his game in the playoffs, helping the Warriors win games in the absence of Curry.

Forward Draymond Green has been a force to be reckoned with both on and off the court. Averaging 14 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game, Green has the ability to help everywhere on the court despite being undersized. He also impacts the team off the court as a team leader with his outspokenness and desire to win, which motivates the team as a whole. With his skills on the court and his leadership in the locker room, he brings energy to the entire team.

Center Andrew Bogut has been a consistent player under the net for the Warriors throughout the season as well. Although Bogut isn’t as big of a name as some other players on the team, the Warriors play more efficiently with his rebound abilities, which allows them to gain possessions.

Even the bench is teeming with talent.

With Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa, Festus Ezeli, Mo Speights and more, the Warriors have a supporting unit that can take over for the starting lineup without much drop-off in production.

If all goes as planned for the Warriors, they should be able to dispatch the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals to move on to the NBA Finals. They will most likely be facing a rematch against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Warriors will need to tighten up on defending the three-point arc. The Cavaliers are, hot from three-point line, setting a playoff record with 25 threes in Game Two against the Atlanta Hawks, so the Warriors will need to keep their shooters in check. In addition, the Warriors will need to slow down Lebron James as much as they can to effectively stop the Cavaliers’ offense. As long as Curry is in good shape, the Warriors stay hot shooting the ball and play good defense around the three-point line, they have a great chance to repeat as NBA champions.

Prediction: Warriors 4-2 — Tse, a junior, is a News Editor.

Sports

Friday, May 20, 2016

15

Athletic ideas encourage staying fit in summer Frisbee

beach volleyball

Ultimate Frisbee is an excellent way to get your body in shape while being socially present. The goal is to work your way down the field by passing a Frisbee disc back and forth to teammates, trying to score in the end zone. The quick turns, pivots, throws and jumps work to increase agility and require players to be quick on their feet. But beware—ultimate Frisbee requires lots of sprinting and endurance running, so be prepared to quickly be out of breath. The Bay Area Disc Association offers many camp opportunities for youth during the summer, such as the Nike Ultimate Camp in Hayward.

Beach volleyball is not only a fantastic way to take advantage of the summer sun and California’s beautiful beaches, but also requires a serious workout. Harvard Medical School reports that a 125-pound person can burn 240 calories during a 30-minute game. The instability of the sand calls for players to fully utilize their agility and coordination, which improves aerobic ability.

Players are required to set, squat, hit, serve, block and dig the ball during the course of play, which also builds muscular strength.

Aside from toning muscles, beach volleyball is a fun, interactive team sport that can further hone a player’s interpersonal skills.

Yoga

Indoor biking

73 days of summer is plenty of time to unwind, and find a new outlet of relaxation like yoga. You will see huge improvements in flexibility and balance after only a few classes thanks to the physically demanding poses such as the warrior and tree pose. Yoga encourages you to relax, slow your breath and focus on the present, shifting the concentration from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic system.

It can also prevent cartilage and joint breakdown because yoga takes them through their full range of motion. Aside from the multitude of health benefits, the many different yoga styles such as Jivamukti and Bikram offer a style for everyone. Palo Alto has plenty of yoga studios such as Yoga Source in Downtown and Avalon located on California Avenue.

Those who prefer to stay indoors but still value exercise should consider taking up indoor biking. This fitness phenomenon began over 20 years ago in a garage in California and now is one of the most popular group classes in fitness studios and gyms nationwide. Local studios such as SoulCycle, located in the Stanford Shopping Center, or Equinox on El Camino, combine candles and Electronic Dance Music with a 45-minute vigorous workout to create a meditative yet party-like atmosphere. Cycling is one of the best all-around activities for improving health while lowering stress levels. It is also a great low impact activity, straining minimal impact on the hip, knee or ankle joints.

—Written by Kaya van der Horst Graphics by Sherry Chen

Summer Sporting Events San Jose Spiders vs. San Francisco Flamethrowers

When: June 18, 7 p.m.

Where: Foothill College Teams from the West Division of the American Ultimate Disc League face off in a Bay Area frisbee rivalry. The Flamethrowers are currently in first place in the West Division. Tickets are $10.

California Clasico: SJ Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy When: June 25, 7 p.m.

Where: Stanford Stadium Soccer’s premier west coast rivalry, the California Clasico, continues in Palo Alto at Stanford Stadium as the San Jose Earthquakes take on the Los Angeles Galaxy. Tickets are available for as low as $20.

first Annual Flag Football Charity Event When: July 16, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Fort Mason Park in San Francisco This is a great way to play flag football while contributing to an important cause. The friendly, co-ed tournament takes place at Fort Mason Park, which is right on the coast of the San Francisco Bay with a breathtaking backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge. Tickets are $15 and the funds are donated to the American Cancer Society.

—Compiled by Matt Oh Graphics by Sherry Chen

16

Advertisement

Lifestyle

Friday, May 20, 2016

17

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE School YEAR:

School-organized Events promote bold spirit Homecoming

Gunn-Paly Dance

The biggest spirit event of the year was an exciting week in October. The theme was “The Happiest Week on Earth” and all of the dress-up themes were based on Disney movies. Gunn’s Student Executive Council (SEC) changed Homecoming Court by abolishing the titles of Homecoming King and Queen and encouraging staff and students to nominate students who represent Gunn values.

The first cross-town dance between the two Palo Alto high schools in a decade was a casual winter dance held at the Mitchell Park Community Center in February. Approximately 500 students from both schools attended. The theme was “Highlight the Night,” so attendees dressed up in white clothes. The dance planners provided air hockey, pool and foosball as alternate activities.

Courtesy of Gunn SEC

Maze Runner

This lunch event in September pitted the freshmen and juniors against the sophomores and seniors. The freshmen and juniors all wore black, while the sophomores and seniors wore red.

Students linked hands to create a giant human maze, and students from each grade had to find their way through it.

The sophomores and seniors won, and by the end everyone got free pizza.

Alexandra Ting

Courtesy of Cooper Lu

—Compiled by Amanda Lee

Photo by Alexandra Ting

Photo by Cooper Lu

18 Red means stop, green means go and yellow is supposed to mean slow down, but we all know it means speed up. You’ll never get caught running a red light. Am I right, or am I right?

Te e

Keys to Getting Your License

t i H s n

Driver’s Ed is pretty intuitive. I mean, everyone knows that dotted and solid lines on the road actually mean different things. It’s common knowledge.

Make a special DMV playlist that includes songs like Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Wanna Wait” and Guns N Roses’ “Patience.” You’ll find it comes in handy when waiting in line or on the phone. Complete lifesavers.

If your proctor won’t let you pass your driver’s test, scream at him or her and bang on the car horn. It will show them that you are really mature, and they will definitely let you get your license.

There are moments when other cars may get mad at your shaky lane-changing or maximum 25 mph highway speed, but as long as you have your “Student Driver” sticker, you can get out of any situation. Even the police will understand why you ran the stop sign, although the reason may be something other than, “I couldn’t find the brake.”

Remember, you’re never at fault regardless what happens. You are a teen driver. Everybody else has had his or her license for a lot longer than you.

If you are ever in an accident, it is undoubtedly the other person’s fault since they are more experienced. Use your youth and experience to your advantage.

Faces in the Crowd

—Compiled by Ariel Pan

What is your dream vehicle?

“2016 Camaro. It’s just a hot car and I’ve always liked it. As years have gone by I’ve still wanted a Camaro.”

Cy Frazier (9)

“Honda Civic. I heard they go as fast as Corvettes.”

Andy Zhou (10)

“Jeep Wrangler. I like them because I can take them anywhere! It’s very versatile and looks really cool.”

“An old Jeep Grand Cherokee.

My grandfather had one before he passed and he would always drive me around in it.”

Eliana Kaplan (11) Wallach —Compiled by Jenna MarvetDonovan and Naina Murthy(12)

—Compiled by Tim Sun

The Ro

Friday, May 20, 2016

19

Top Songs for Driving Junior despairs

ad

“Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts

lack of license, independence

“Younger” by Kygo Remix “Intro” by The xx “I Get Around” by The Beach Boys

“Love on Top” by Beyoncé

“Leave the Night On” by Sam Hunt

“Something About You” by Hayden James

—Compiled by Mikaela Wayne

Essentials to Keep in Your Car Aux Cord: The only thing worse than driving on 101 is driving on 101 while listening to radio commercials.

Phone charger: Why you always dyin’?

Shopping Bag: You know you can’t spare those 10 cents at Safeway.

Sunglasses: In case it’s sunny or you don’t want to make eye contact when you have road rage.

Blanket: You know how cold it gets in California!

Money: With all that freedom, your spur-of-the-moment food cravings will be within reach (for better or worse).

Towel: To clean your car in the most minimal way possible.

—Compiled by Jenna Marvet Graphics by Sherry Chen, Cheryl Kao and Elizabeth Zu

Anyi Cheng

“Can I catch a ride?” It’s just a question. To me, however, it’s mortifying to ask. I’ve been 16 years old for nearly nine months now and I still don’t have my license. Worse, I haven’t even started the online course you’re supposed to take before testing for your permit.

When people ask me why I haven’t started the process I dismiss the question and blame it on schoolwork or overbearing parents. In reality, though, I’m just lazy.

Getting permitted is a lot of work! 30 hours of online coursework? I have neither the motivation nor the patience for that. First of all, I don’t need a car. However lame biking to school is, every time I pedal by the long, sluggish queue of cars down Maybell Ave, I feel a little more blessed to not be driving to school.

Yes, it’s embarrassing to have to ask friends for a ride whenever I need to get somewhere that’s more than one mile away. However, it’s probably in my better interest to not have my own license. Biking to school is the only exercise I get all year; at least I retain some semblance of staying healthy. What’s more, biking to school saves the environment. I don’t take AP Environmental Science, but we all know about how cars emit carbon and contribute to pollution. Perhaps it’s for the best that I stick to biking instead of driving.

I’m not alone in procrastinating getting a license, either. According to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, I’m only one of millions of teens following a trend: in 1996, 85 percent of high school seniors had a license, but in 2010 that percentage dropped to 73 percent. Part of what contributes to this national decrease in driving proportions is cost alone. Cars are expensive. Even musty used cars cost thousands of dollars. And despite our country’s current abundance of crude oil resources, gasoline refills still add up quickly. Finally, insurance rates for student drivers are ridiculously high, and while there is sound reasoning behind those prices, it definitely feels nice to not have to pay them.

Still, I wish I had started my endeavor to get my own license sooner. When my friends peel out of the student parking lot (with me in the back seat, because I always forget to call shotgun), it’s hard to imagine being the one behind the wheel. I justify my lack of motivation to learn to drive through small assurances, and while they hold a certain amount of truth, I can’t deny that my life would be a lot cooler if I had a license—or a car).

Without a license, I lack independence. I can’t go out to lunch or drive out to spontaneously see friends in another city. It’s weird sitting in the front seat and having friends ask for directions to somewhere because nine times out of 10, I’ll know where the destination is, but not how to get there. In other words, I have absolutely no sense of direction.

My friends all tell me that one day when I get licensed, I’ll develop that mysterious mental map the rest of them all possess, but until that day, I can stay useless when it comes to directions.

Instead, I spend my free time browsing car catalogs and dreaming about the day when I, too, can also cruise down Arastradero. Well, maybe not cruise. I’ll be fine with a very slow crawl.

—Cheng, a junior, is a Forum Editor.

20

V a c a t i o n R e a dy:

Tips to improve the travel experience

“HISTORY Here” This app provides interesting trivia on historical events that have occurred at your travel spot. This will allow you to learn about the local history of many sites in the area, and you will feel more invested and interested in where you are going.

6 useful phra se s f or tra v e l i ng

4. ‘Thank you/ 1. “Do you speak English?”

Please”

5. “Where is the bathroom?”

6. “One,” “two,” “three,” etc.

2. “Hello/Good Morning” 3. “Goodbye/ Good night” —Compiled by Akansha Gupta

5 hacks for efficient packing 1. Roll, don’t fold

Rolling your clothes prevents wrinkles and saves suitcase space. You will be able to pack more. It also prevents you from having to dig to reach that one shirt you packed at the bottom of your suitcase.

“Peek Tours and Activities” This app comes up with fun recreational activities suited for your trip by having you take a simple quiz. Using t his, you can learn about different organizations and plan fun, unique activities t hat cater to your vacation needs.

2. Repurpose shower caps

You may deny it, but you most likely have shower caps somewhere in your house. For suitcases with no shoe compartment, shower caps can be attached to soles, creating a barrier between your dirty shoes and your clean suitcase.

3. Pack only what you need

This trip is not the time to try a new look.

Pack essentials and reward yourself by leaving some room to bring things home.

4. Use every gap

Top 5 travel a p p “Airbnb” This app makes traveling easier by providing hundreds of thousands of lodging options to travellers around the world. Bookings can be done straight from the app, and it’s a great way to get lastminute lodgings. Airbnb is different from hotel services because all lodging is offered by local hosts in their homes or properties, leading to more varied and cultural locations to stay, whether it be at a seaside villa or a quaint, country farm.

“Facet”

This app allows people to view 15-second clips submitted by users from around the world. Using this app, you can get ideas of places you want to go and pin them to your board in the app for all your friends and family to see.

Shoes are natural places for sock storage and other small items.

s

5. Binder clip hack

Binder clips can protect razor blades and be used to wind earbuds around. Make sure to remember how many binder clips you bring as a way to make sure you don’t leave behind your smaller items.

—Compiled by Evalyn Li

“Hitlist” This app uses your trip preferences and lets you know the best prices for hotels and airfare. The app also has a function where you can plan and pay for trips with your family and/ or friends, making organizing the logistics of a vacation simpler and more coordinated.

—Compiled by Paulo Frank Graphics by Cheryl Kao, Jackie Lou and Elizabeth Zu