The Oracle September 2021

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

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Students express frustration over parking lot construction Sophia Stern and Safina Syed online editor and sports editor Since June, Gunn’s main parking lot has been under construction in order to create a bike path, add additional parking spaces and improve the flow of traffic. Because construction has continued into the beginning of the school year, parking permits have been restricted to staff and visitors only.

The main goal of the construction is to improve the flow of traffic and make it easier for bikers to commute to school, according to project supervisor Assistant Principal Leonel Argumedo. “The bike path from Arastradero to the Village will be paved with gravel, so it should be a lot smoother of a ride for those riding bikes on campus,” he said.

The project was originally predicted to be completed by the beginning of September, but that date has since been pushed back to the first week of October,

according to Argumedo. “Initially, the contractors told completed before classes resumed so that the Gunn parkus Sept. 1, and then that got pushed to Sept. 18,” he said. ing lot would have open access. Senior Catherine Hsieh “Now they’re telling us the first week of October. By the expressed frustration regarding the parking lot compleend of September, we should have a better indication of tion dates. “They should have done it during the summer what the completion date is when none of us were at school,” actually going to be.” she said.

The unexpected extension Senior Max LaWer is also “If you do get a ticket, there’s nothing Gunn of the construction project can do about it, because it is through PAPD disappointed with the fact that has caused issues for students parking enforcement.” ­­ construction is happening durdriving to school. Parking ing the school year. “They had —Assistant Principal Leonel Argumedo all of the pandemic to do it, but permits are only being issued selectively to students, and they chose to do it now,” he said. those without a permit may To alleviate serious issues, not park in the parking lot. As a result, more students are some students have been given permission to park in the parking in the surrounding neighborhoods and streets, parking lot by the Gunn administration due to special such as Georgia. The Palo Alto Police (PAPD), however, circumstances. “We are issuing temporary permits for has been ticketing both students and staff who park in students who might have some hardships, but we do have the incorrect areas of those streets. “If you do get a ticket, limited spacing,” Argumedo said. there’s nothing Gunn can do about it, because it is through Junior Pooja Bucklin had been parking on Willmar PAPD parking enforcement,” Arugumedo said. “As far as Drive, just off Georgia, before receiving a permit to park parking on Georgia [Avenue], I would just say that you in the Gunn parking lot due to a foot injury. “I live three should follow the signs, because I understand there are miles away from Gunn, so I have to leave 30 to 40 minutes some restrictions.” Students and staff without their permit before school to get to school on time,” she said. Bucklin visible on their car can receive a ticket if they parked in also mentioned how her commute is made slower due to the parking lot. not only the construction, but also traffic and crowds of Students had hoped that the construction would be PARKING—p.3

Sophie Fan

Delta variant presence within district sparks concerns James Huang and Becca Wu REPORTER AND CENTERFOLD EDITOR The Delta variant is a highly infectious strain of COVID-19 that has continued to new levels of uncertainty among Palo Alto Unified School district (PAUSD) students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), rising cases have largely been attributed to the variant, with over 100,000 Americans hospitalized in August. This strain is over two times more contagious than previous variants and is the predominant variant of the virus in the United States.

Consequently, the PAUSD administration has closely followed Santa Clara County guidelines to prevent a surge of cases in the district. On July 27, 2021, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a recommendation for unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals in high-risk areas to wear masks in public and indoors due to the Delta variant.

COVID-19 protocol California Department of Public Health (CDPH)

guidelines for the COVID-19 response in public schools can be found on the PAUSD website’s “Responding to COVID-19” module. When a student tests positive for COVID-19, those in close contact with them will be notified and given a required Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. They are expected to return paperwork and swabs to the office the next school day. A close contact is defined as someone who spent 15 minutes or more within six feet of someone who tested positive. Since calculating close contacts in a classroom can be difficult, the school usually sends a notice everyone who shares a class with the student who tested positive. Students who were not in close contact with the positive carrier will receive an email stating that they were not exposed.

Assistant Principal Leonel Argumedo, Gunn’s COVID-19 response expert, clarified the protocol for students who receive a positive test result. “Whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated, you have to quarantine for ten days,” Argumedo said.

Those who initially test positive but later test negative within the ten-day quarantine window must follow the same instructions. PCR test results can generally be expected within 48 hours, though some students and

staff have reported waiting longer than that. Junior Maanasa Viswanath received a close contact notification from the school and had to wait four days for her results.

“I dropped my kit off on Wednesday morning, and I got my results back Saturday night,” Viswanath said.

Quarantine Process Close contacts must take a test five days post-exposure and ten days post-exposure. However, the quarantine process for close contacts varies depending on the student’s vaccination status, symptoms and test results.

If close contacts are vaccinated and asymptomatic, they will not be required to quarantine. If the student is unvaccinated, depending on whether both parties were wearing masks or not, they may continue in-person instruction after immediately taking a PCR test.

If neither the close contacts nor the positive case were masked at the time of exposure, all parties must quarantine for ten days. However, if the close contact tests negative five days post-exposure, they may return to school on the eighth day. “When there is a confirmed positive case, that is when we are required to send out COVID—p.2

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News

Chinyoung Shao

Left: A long line of students waits for their free school lunch provided by a new state program. Right: A bean and cheese burrito lunch provided by the free lunch program.

New state-wide program offers free lunch for all students Chris Lee REPORTER Along with other schools across the state of California, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) has begun to provide free meals for all students for the 2021-22 school year due to new national and state policies.

Free school lunches were initially offered by the federal government as part of COVID-19 pandemic relief. While this program was initially meant to be temporary, the United States Department of Agriculture has committed to providing free lunches through the 2021-22 school year due to hardships that many families still face. In California, the state plans on continuing the universal lunch program as part of a $123.9 billion education package in hopes to combat youth food insecurity.

Despite the implementation of free lunches, new guidelines have restricted the meal options that schools were once able to provide, according to Acting Lunch Supervisor Normalyn Bato. While choices like pasta and baked potato bars were offered in the past, current lunches in the district usually consist of a prepackaged main entrée such as a chicken drumstick or a veggie burger along with a few sides such as fruits, vegetables or a bag of chips. “Before [the pandemic], we could make a lot of choices, but now we are limited,” Bato said.

According to Principal Wendy Stratton, the district has had to modify its traditional meal options to comply with new requirements. “It’s not something we have much control over,” she said. “The district has to follow very strict guidelines on what they can offer, and it’s more limited than it has been in the past.”

Even with the limitations around free meals, the district has been working on offering a more diverse array of options. Before the school year began, Assistant Principal Courtney Carlomagno and other administrators experimented with providing pho as a potential free meal option.

“As we all get settled in, the district is working hard and putting their culinary knowledge forward to bring more offerings based on the current situation,” she said.

An area of concern shared by administrators and student including sophomore Stella Manning is the small

“The district is working hard and putting their culinary knowledge forward to bring more offerings based on the current situation.”­­ —Principal Wendy Stratton portion sizes of the free lunch. “The portion sizes of the main meals are way too small,” she said. “The added vegetables and snacks aren’t filling, so I end up still feeling hungry when I finish eating.”

Stratton shared similar thoughts on the free meals.

“It’s not a lot of food for an athlete or somebody going to after-school sports,” she said. “It’s just to get you through the day. A lot of times, you have to supplement that with something else.”

A logistical issue the district is facing regarding the free lunches is determining the number of meals to order in advance. Since nearly 500 students take advantage of the free lunch, there are not always enough entrées for

everyone, leaving some like sophomore Sean Li without a hot meal. “If you’re at the end of the line, a lot of the good food is gone, and they just have to give you a small protein box,” he said.

Compared to a main entrée, these protein boxes provide significantly less food for students, consisting of fruit, sunflower seeds and other snacks. Protein boxes are distributed once the initial stock of prepackaged meals has been depleted. “We really don’t have choices anymore, so that is all we can provide,” Bato said.

District staff are in the process of solving this issue. “We have been adjusting the amount of what we are ordering and what we’re bringing in because more students wanted free lunch than we anticipated,” Stratton said.

According to Stratton, school administrators have listened to student feedback and have already adapted the lunch process. During the first few weeks of school, the lunch line often stretched around different buildings due to challenges with scanning student IDs. While administrators had temporarily lifted the ID requirement to search for a more efficient mechanism, they have since returned to requiring students to show their ID. While the lunch program has its limitations, but students have had a generally positive reaction to the free meals. “Free lunch is probably the best thing the district could have done since it allows everyone to just get lunch,” Li said.

Junior Ethan Liang echoed Li’s outlook on the future of free lunches at Gunn. “The best people to give feedback on such a thing are the people who are experiencing it,” he said. “If the process can be improved over time steadily with student feedback, it’ll get better and better.”

Gunn’s response, procedure to positive COVID-19 cases COVID

these letters to any close contacts and to the community,” Argumedo said. “Letters are sent to every single parent— close contacts and non-close contacts.” Currently, parents receive a weekly email from the administration about whether campus is COVID-free or not.

Symptoms and Test Results Students who show symptoms must take a PCR test immediately and stay at home until they receive test results, after which they are required to immediately share the response with the school. Test kits are available on campus. If they test negative, they may return to school 24 hours after receiving the negative result, with reduced symptoms and a doctor’s note explaining that those symptoms are unrelated to COVID-19. If they test positive, the cycle begins again, with the mandatory ten-day quarantine and close contact notifications.

Flaws in the Procedure The process for close contacts has raised worries about attending in-person classes. Viswanath, who is fully vaccinated, was not required to quarantine in accordance with the protocol of the Responding to COVID-19 module.

Regardless, she still took cautions in the classroom. “I know I sat at the back of the room instead because I was a little bit scared for a week,” Viswanath said.

Senior Clarine Kim stayed at home due to food poisoning but was required to continue quarantining until she received a negative test result due to symptoms similar to COVID-19. While this was in accordance with county guidelines, Kim points out a few flaws in the process.

Kim concerns include that the admin have no reliable way of ascertaining whether students that miss school are COVID-free or just asymptomatic. Conversely, if a student at school is asymptomatic, the administration has no

method of enforcing the mandated quarantine unless they tested positive or notified as a close contact per the district guidelines. Essentially, asymptomatic students who wish to be on campus will always be on campus. “There’s no easy way to regulate who comes to the school and who stays at home, and it’s especially more frustrating when students are making the conscious decision to come to school and to expose others to being sick,” Kim said.

Similarly, it is difficult to determine whether students

GMAIL Dear Parent/Guardian: We understand that your child was identified as a close contact to a confirmed COVID-19 case...

GMAIL What to do if your child is a close contact: 1) Get a PCR test.

2) Share results.

3) Isolate if needed.

For more information, visit: https://www.pausd.org/return-tocampus/responding-to-covid

who feel sick are symptomatic carriers or have another ailment. When students show possible COVID-19 symptoms, the district nurse determines whether the student is sick with COVID-19 or not. “The district nurse makes the determination after the school nurse assesses the student,” Argumedo said.

Making Up Missed Assignments According to Principal Wendy Stratton, once students return from quarantine, there is no distinct arrangement for making up missed assignments. “You’re just going to have to interact with your teacher just like a normal sick day,” Stratton said. “Teachers are pretty flexible about that because they understand the conditions.”

Missing ten days of school, however, is quite different from a normal sick day. Kim describes the lack of accommodations made for students in enforced quarantine. “It’s just frustrating because you’re at home, and there’s nothing for you to do,” Kim said. “There are no Zoom calls. It’s not like online schooling. You’re just at home doing nothing, and class passes by really fast. You have to keep up.”

Moving Forward There may be no perfect plan that covers all corners as to what schools should do in response to the virus.

However, as circumstances change and more research is published on the Delta variant and COVID-19, Gunn will continue to adapt its protocol. The Gunn administration plans to continuously update the close contact notification process as the situation progresses. COVID-19 testing sites are available on campus once a week for students and staff.

“We have on-site weekly testing happening on Fridays in B-P01 [the trailer next to the main office],” Argumedo said.

“Students and staff are welcome to get tested.”

News

Friday, September 17, 2021

THEORACLE

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780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238 www.gunnoracle.com Editor-in-Chief Jessica Wang Managing Editors Julianna Chang Catherine Chu News Haley Pflasterer Raphael Semeria Forum Lise Desveaux Mia Knezevic Features Carly Liao Jessica Zang Centerfold Katie Shih Becca Wu Sports Hila Livneh Safina Syed Lifestyle Annika Bereny Arjun Shah Online Paul Garofalo Sophia Stern Photo Editor Mia Knezevic Graphics Editor Sophie Fan

Staff Business/Circulation Sophia Stern Jessica Zang Copy Editors James Huang Kenneth Soh Sophia Stern The Oracle/SEC liaison Mia Knezevic Graphics Artists Madeleine Chen Irene Hong Ella Koehler Clair Koo Michelle Koo Mihika Sane Chinyoung Shao Photographers Chinyoung Shao Reporters Cole Ford James Huang Katie LaWer Chris Lee Kenneth Soh

Mia Knezevic and Chinyoung Shao

Left: Parking lot construction includes removing cement and wires. Middle: People who park in restricted areas on Georgia Ave are prone to tickets. Right: Construction worker paves new cement. Parking lot construction is expected to be completed by the first week of October.

Construction brings new bike lane from Arastradero, parking Parking lot

bikers. “It has definitely made my commute way longer, and its become a lot more crowded everywhere,” Bucklin said.

Senior Sawyer McKenna received a parking permit because she does not live within walking or biking distance from school. “I live in San Mateo half of the time, so I emailed Mr. Arugmedo and told him I need to be able to drive to school,” McKenna said.

Despite some special parking permits being issued, most seniors still have limited access to the parking lot. Seniors have expressed frustration about the impact the construction has had on their daily commutes to school. Hsieh lives about three miles away from school and drives every day, but parks far from campus and has to walk the rest of the way to school. “I have to park at a friend's house far from school and then walk, which means I have to leave my house earlier to have time to walk to school,” Hsieh said. “So sometimes I’m late to school.”

LaWer echoed Hsieh’s sentiments. “It’s really annoying to not be able to park in the parking lot,” he said. “You have to park on Georgia [Avenue] and walk ten minutes, and I’m late to classes sometimes. It’s really a pain.”

As a result of the volume of students parking their cars on Georgia Avenue, traffic has

greatly increased, in addition to the typical bike and pedestrian traffic. “Some of the cars in front of me wait behind the bikers instead

“ Once the parking lot is completed, the

SEC will be able to sell parking permits, with seniors being the first priority.” ­­—Assistant Principal Leonel Argumedo

of going around, which holds back the entire line,” Hsieh said. Georgia Avenue doesn’t have a consistent dedicated bike lane, so bikers bike freely on the road.

Despite having a parking permit, McKenna still feels like the construction has affected her. “The construction definitely has impacted me because now I feel like I need to drive more people to school since I have a [parking] permit and they don’t,” McKenna said. “It’s also hard to make plans with people after school because they’re parked far away.

I either have to wait for them or drive them to their cars.”

Even with a hectic first few days of school, staff members haven’t run into many problems with navigating through the construc-

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tion and finding parking. English teacher Ethan Halter has been satisfied with how Gunn has addressed the parking concerns for staff. “We are blessed to have the funding to maintain such quality infrastructure here,” Halter said.

Students without special circumstances who would like to get a parking permit must wait until the construction is finished to purchase one. “Once the parking lot is completed, the SEC will be able to sell parking permits, with seniors being the first priority,” Argumedo said.

Argumedo is also looking to work with the district to reserve a set number of spots for electric vehicles to charge on the Miranda Avenue side of campus. “As of now, all staff are allowed to park back there [on Miranda Avenue] even if they don’t have an electric vehicle,” he said. “So what we’re trying to do is set some parameters around who can park out there.”

Campus Supervisor Jorge Sanchez, who directs the traffic in the parking lot, says that despite construction, drop-offs and pickups from school are running smoothly. “All I can ask is for drivers to be a little slower and careful,” Sanchez said. “Be aware of your surroundings [and] for students and cyclists.”

Dear Gunn community, It’s good to be back.

Last month, The Oracle staff handed out its first newspaper on campus after over a year at home. Watching students flip through the issue, read the latest stories and puzzle over the Gunn trivia crossword reminded me of just how much I love connecting with the community as part of The Oracle. Every month, we have the honor of telling your stories, inspiring your conversations and representing your opinions.

What you’ll see in our upcoming issues is a combination of our typical newspaper elements and aspects we’ve picked up from the past year doing news magazines. Keep an eye out for our new interactive page in the Lifestyle section of each issue for humor stories, crosswords, quizzes and more. We’ll be experimenting with more fluid layouts, longer stories, a stronger online presence, and—I hope—more creativity. Overall, my goal is to uphold the quality of the paper while the staff ventures into new territory and relearns how to work in the newsroom. (By the way, if writing articles, designing pages, taking photos, drawing graphics or drinking boba at

5 p.m. sounds like fun to you, join us! We would love to have you as a staffer or a freelancer.)

That said, one of our top priorities this year is to stay connected to you. Beyond tapping into the campus buzz, we’ll highlight your voices in “Faces in the Crowd” segments, interviews and the odd podcast episode. Last year, students had the opportunity to share their opinions through surveys on everything from dating to sports representation. This year, I hope to continue that tradition.

Ultimately, our purpose is to serve our readers. We would not thrive without you to read our stories and send us ideas. I encourage you to get involved with The Oracle. Follow our Instagram or Facebook @gunnoracle for regular updates on school news. Flip through past volumes of newspapers at issuu.com/gunnoracle. Or send us feedback through the Oracle feedback form (see the QR code) and the “Share your ideas!” form on our website. If you see a survey from us on Schoology, take a minute to fill it out; you’ll be rewarded with a fascinating infographic in our next issue.

And—this goes to the parents out there—if you’d like to be a superstar and support our staff, please subscribe. Take every brilliant page of this issue as a testament to our hard work and creativity. We rely on you to keep our newspaper alive. As a perk, you’ll receive every one of our upcoming issues delivered right to your mailbox.

Now, I proudly present our second issue of the year. We’re just getting started.

Sincerely, Jessica Wang, EIC 2021-2022

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Forum

Friday, September 17, 2021

Popular TV show relationship portrayals set toxic, unrealistic standards for high school audiences tionships. Beyond the illegal age gap, the power dynamic of a student and a teacher is completely inappropriate in the context of a relationship. A teacher, as an adult of authority, holds far too much influence over a young student for the relationship to be considered consensual.

These shows do not address or criticize the lasting effects of this grooming. In fact, in “Pretty Little Liars” (Aria Jessica Zang and Ezra) and “Dawson’s Creek” (Pacey and Tamara), the relationships continue as if there’s nothing wrong—Aria and Some of the most popular television shows, such as “Eu- Ezra even go on to have children together. Fans of “Pretty phoria,” “Riverdale” and “Never Have I Ever,” along with Little Liars” have even nicknamed the couple Ezria, reflectolder classics “Pretty Little Liars” and “Dawson’s Creek,” ing the show’s failure to address the imbalanced power have mastered the art of capturing teen melodrama. We’ve dynamic as anything less than inappropriate and unacceptseen the same clichés again and again, but it seems like able. Essentially, creators of the show have framed a couple they’ll never get old. The popular jock meets a shy nerd founded on child grooming as the pinnacle of romance. and falls in love. The invisible girl takes off her glasses, gets Beyond the classic TV tropes, the actors who play teenInvisalign and instantly becomes the hottest girl at school. agers are both incredibly attractive and well beyond their While many shows that dominate the teenage television teenage years, some even 30 to 40 years old. Sometimes, the genre today seem innocent, they portray harmful relation- two actors in an on screen couple are casted with gaping age ship dynamics without addressing where these relation- differences. For example, in “Never Have I Ever,” the main ships go wrong. In a genre that caters couple Paxton Hall-Yoshida and to impressionable young people, this Devi Vishwakumar, are played by representation lays the foundation actors aged 30 and 19. The castfor abusive and toxic behavior, both ing of actors with such a wide age Good-looking adults in high school romance and beyond. gap is problematic. Furthermore, cannot accurately portray the “Euphoria” is lauded as one of the when directors cast adults to play awkward and clumsy nature of most real, authentic and accurate porteens, it makes filming more scanteen romance, and the beauty in trayals of teen melodrama that caught dalous scenes more acceptable teenagehood lies in the mainstream attention. However, it and natural.

Young people in their butterflies, awkwardness and portrays the inacurate relationship first relationships shouldn’t feel firsts—why should it be dynamic that everyone deserves a pressured to follow the pace of the otherwise? second chance. Nate Jacobs, a star mature romances they see on TV quarterback, and Maddy Perez, a shows, nor should they feel presformer beauty pageant queen, break sured to look and dress like the up many times throughout the show, but always get back “teens” on screen. Good-looking adults cannot accurately together. Throughout their relationship, Maddy creates a portray the awkward and clumsy nature of teen romance, new, inauthentic version of herself that’s attractive to Nate, and the beauty in teenagehood lies in the butterflies, awkwhile he takes his aggression and insecurity out on her, wardness and firsts—why should it be otherwise? becoming physically violent and at one point bruising her More often than not, the teen entertainment genre inneck. Despite this, Maddy makes excuses for Nate, siding volves high schoolers in unrealistically advanced relationwith him unrelentingly. She even reveals that she will love ships. For example, in the movie “Blockers,” three friends him no matter what he does. make a pact to lose their virginities at prom, with the context Nate and Maddy are a perfect example of toxic masculin- that many people their age have already lost theirs. Plots ity and relentless-to-a-fault optimism—as a combination, such as the one displayed in “Blockers” imply that all teens they’re the textbook example of an abusive relationship. have to have reached a certain level of sexual experience by Still, neither the characters on screen nor the show’s fanbase the time they graduate, but young people should be able to seems to recognize the severity of the characters’ situation. define their own timelines based on what they’re comfortIn the show, characters envision the two getting married able with, not what mainstream media suggests. and living a happy life. Online, fans idolize Nate and forgive Young people are impressionable. When the entertainhis actions. In this way, “Euphoria” has failed its audience ment industry condones portrayals of unhealthy relationby making an abusive character seem redeemable and ship dynamics in media specifically catered to teens, they forgivable. If younger viewers begin to believe that the normalize these abusive behaviors, and in some cases, even character’s romantic moments outweigh extended romanticize them. These toxic tropes infiltrate our idea of a periods of abuse, we may grow into a genera- normal relationship, making it difficult to recognize when tion that fails to recognize and escape toxic something is majorly inappropriate. By not portraying unrelationships. healthy relationships as dangerous, teenage television fails Other shows like “Riverdale,” its viewers and puts them at risk of entering one themselves; “Pretty Little Liars” and the the hordes of Nate/Maddy and Aria/Ezra shippers online 1998 drama “Dawson’s only confirm this notion. A brighter future in teen-targeted Creek” idealize the media still awaits, where healthy portrayals of teen romance trope of student- are commonplace, and any worrisome couples are broken teacher rela- up by the season’s end.

—Zang, a senior, is a Features Editor.

Mic

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juniors, seniors have difficulty adjusting to upperclassmen role

Raphael Semeria On Wednesday, August 11, along with all of the other Gunn students I set foot on campus feeling like being in-person was unusual and “normal” at the same time. Despite the multitude of events that had occurred since the last time I had really been at Gunn, the crowded halls, blistering sun during fire drills and seagulls progressively returning to campus felt vaguely familiar. Seeing admin zoom through our campus on golf carts and electric scooters were experiences that I remember from my freshman year and am now reliving as a junior.

After the implementation of the stay-athome order last year, being stuck at home for so long ultimately blurred my perception of time. One day I was going home for a long break, and the next day I was back again.

Since returning on campus, I’ve constantly found myself forgetting that I am no longer a freshman. Now my friends and I are upperclassmen, getting our drivers licenses, taking the SAT and attending prom. But what exactly happened during that time in between?

While a lot of time passed during quarantine, the exciting early days of lockdown became monotonous and repetitive. In the middle of the pandemic, days quickly took on the same pattern: attending Zoom meetings, doing homework and sitting on my phone.

Quarantined life made me fall into a routine, making time spent during the pandemic less memorable. In many ways, having a constant routine affects our perception of time since repetitive events are less significant and harder to remember. Conversely, important events are more memorable and seem to slow down time. Even outside of the pandemic, remembering what had happened on a relatively recent weekday was more difficult than recalling what had occurred during the weekend was much easier. Many, including myself, have still not completely wrapped our heads around this “time jump” and the amount of time that has in fact passed by.

Compared to my freshman year, where I did not participate in homecoming events.

I hope to compensate for the lost time by partaking in future events, though the events this year remain uncertain. Gunn has a multitude of ways to get involved and show school spirit, and everyone should take advantage by participating in opportunities that they may have previously opted out of.

Since the future of the pandemic is still uncertain, we must not let this school year become as monotonous and repetitive as the last. Especially as homecoming is just around the corner, I hope to engage in more school activities and break the repetitive cycle that I found myself in last year. By attending the abundance of activities surrounding homecoming week at Gunn, such as Airbands, float making, the homecoming dance and others, we can create high school memories and make up for the time we’ve lost.

—Semeria, a junior, is a News Editor.

Jessica Wang

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6 Face-to-Face education changes social dynamics

Forum return to in-person learning allows students to practice perseverance through social interactions

Cole Ford

Haley Pflasterer

At the start of quarantine, I had a lot of extra time. Schoolwork had shrunk, and all of the extracurriculars, events and programs that I had been looking forward to my sophomore year had been canceled or reduced. With no activities to keep me busy, I found myself with extra time from a lack of school and social relationships. To fill the time, I turned to technology, which soon warped my ability to engage in social relationships.

With extra time, my family and I started watching every major movie franchise we could think of. For the first three months of quarantine, we watched movie after movie for hours at a time. That time amounted to almost 120 hours of TV and movies, not counting random TV shows, watching YouTube or time spent surfing the web. I would have never watched anywhere near that much if not for the pandemic, but with the extra time, I thought, “Why not?”

While TV, social media and the internet can be entertaining pastimes, they can be extremely addicting and counterproductive.

The effect of constant technology and media exposure during quarantine made transitioning back to in-person school a lot harder.

When school started on campus again, my approach to free time had to change significantly. Since I didn’t have face-to-face interactions during quarantine, I wasn’t used to chatting spontaneously or engaging with people who I had not seen in a while.

Once again, I turned to technology as an avoidance mechanism. I started hiding behind my phone during the passing periods and before classes, sheltering myself from socially uncomfortable situations. I had grown unaccustomed to the social pressures of school and allowed technology to save me from dealing with the social anxiety that once plagued me.

However, taking the “easy,” non-interactive road became increasingly difficult as I started to do more things with my peers, like extracurricular activities. If I acted distantly, that would affect the way others viewed me and worked with me, subsequently affecting the way I worked.

With this in mind, I made an effort to change how I acted. I started to initiate conversations, hang out with friends after school and work more closely with those around me.

At first, it was torture. As an introvert, I had never been outgoing or socially confident. However, just being engaged made my relationships with my peers a lot less stressful and a lot more meaningful. With time, I began to feel more comfortable and slowly, I started to undo the effects of constant media consumption during quarantine.

In retrospect, it’s obvious that quarantine limited my interactions and relationships. For a short time, media could only somewhat fill the space left by the lack of relationships and social interaction.

However, once I was reintroduced to inperson school and face-to-face interactions, those same screens that once helped me became a hindrance and an obstacle. By committing to changing harmful habits, anyone can have flourishing relationships again.

After more than a year of online learning, the majority of Gunn’s student population has fully returned to campus for in-person learning. However, what seems like a return back to “normal” also requires a social adjustment. Students are now returning to face-to-face interactions with no more breakout rooms or lunches at home. Although social interactions may seem intimidating at first, persevering will allow students to develop their resilience through practice, initiative and routine.

Even the most extroverted students could have found the first day of school daunting. Big social gatherings have been limited since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with just around 2000 students back on campus, every day can seem strange and unpredictable. On top of that, for half of the student body, this was their first time attending high school with full in-person classes.

However, these circumstances are an opportunity for teenagers to adapt.

In-person schooling has forced students to pull out their rusty social skills. Ca-

—Ford, a senior, is a reporter.

sual conversations have become more Although students may have made awkward, and there are unquestionable new friends in breakout rooms, there is difficulties in relearning eye contact and nothing like shoulder partner conversahow to stand during peer interactions. tions and group projects in person. BeStill, high school is made up of awkward ing back in the classroom has brought interactions, and communication tends back the opportunity to form even closer to improve the more students interact. friendships with classmates. Whether With practice, the walk across camit’s a pass in the hallway asking about a pus will become less overwhelming. quiz that day or small talk before class After getting used to the bell schedule has started, in-person learning has and finalization of classes, brought back random interschool will become rouactions with classmates, tine, relieving some allowing high schoolof the an xiet y Whether it’s a pass ers to expand out of that comes with their usual friend t he constant in the hallway asking about a quiz group. changes. that day or small talk before class Social interA nother challenge for actions are the has started, in-person learning has returning basis of human in person brought back random interactions relationships. is speaking Social relationwith classmates, allowing high up in class. ships are cruThere are no cial to the growth schoolers to expand their buttons to raise and development usual friend group. your hand, and of students’ identino chat box to put ties. Although it takes your questions in a time for students to get classroom. There is only accustomed to in-person converthe physical motion of lifting your sations and interactions, they ultimately arm above your head. Something that allow students to become resilient and might seem simple is another action adapt to their new circumstances. These with a new type of hyperawareness. connections are all essential parts of the When students participate in the classroom, they learn to have courage and high school experience, and the skills initiative as they volunteer their ideas. students learn or relearn will help them As different as it is, hearing their voices in their future endeavors. out loud is key to boosting student —Pflasterer, a senior, is a News Editor. confidence.

Ella Koehler

FACES IN THE CROWD: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IN-PERSON SCHOOL?

“I like being able to see my friends again and be in the classroom and have teachers help me better.” ­—Jonah Weinsten, 9

“It’s a transition, but it’s nice to be social as opposed to not being social at home.” ­—Theo Waltuch, 10

“I really like it. I’m glad that masks are enforced in class, and I’m really glad to see my friends again.”

“I definitely appreciate going back to school.

It’s a big change from last year.”

­—Silvia Arjona, 11

­—Justin Lin, 12

—Compiled by Haley Pflasterer

Features

Friday, September 17, 2021

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new on campus: counselors lorenzo gomez, davina santos join community Coming back to school has meant a slew of new rules and regulations. Administration has implemented masks and changed activities due to COVID-19 protocols, and some staff members have transitioned into retirement. Amid that change, staff member Lorenzo Gomez has joined the counseling department.

Prior to Gunn, Gomez was the Menlo-Atherton High School registrar and spent five years there while studying to become a counselor through his university’s education graduate program. “I knew what I wanted to do and what Lorenzo my passion was, and that’s what made me become a counGomez selor,” he said.

Gomez’s experience as a former registrar has helped him transition into the role of a counselor and better support students in all aspects of their high school careers. “I understand the fast-paced environment here at Gunn, which has allowed me to transition smoothly,” he said.

With the introduction of new counselors, some of the pre-existing counselors have shifted some of their senior students to Gomez, many of whom do not know Gomez personally. As a result, it may be difficult for Gomez to write a quality recommendation letter or support with college applications. However, Gomez believes that he can still form strong relationships with seniors, regardless of time. “I’m looking forward to helping students achieve what they want to achieve and being able to reach out to those around me,” he said.

After working in a few different districts, new counselor Davina Santos has finally found a home with Gunn’s counseling program.

Santos was intrigued by the amount of counseling and resources available to students, which encouraged her to choose to work at Gunn. “I’ve been in a few different districts and I’ve never seen this level [of student resources],” she said. “I was really curious to see how that benefited students and what that felt like as an employee.”

Her path to becoming a counselor, however, was not Davina easy. “I was told that counseling is not a very stable career Santos because of funding,” she said. “We tend to get laid off.”

While Santos first started out as a teacher, she found herself supporting students in the same way a counselor would. “While I was teaching, I found myself not only teaching all of the standards but also supporting students in [the personal] realm,” she said. “Therefore, I decided to take a chance and go back to school and do counseling.”

Santos knows that the transition to Gunn can be challenging for both herself and the students who are changing counselors, but her plan is to provide as much support and guidance as needed. “This is a very meaningful and rewarding profession for me, so I want to do anything that I can to make students shine,” she said. “That’s why I want to set them up to have the best opportunity. That’s my entire goal and purpose for being here.”

—Written by Cole Ford

—Written by Lise Desveaux

Madeleine Chen

new on campus: school psychologist abbie reynolds anticipates assisting students School psychologist Abbie Reynolds knew from a young age that she wanted to dedicate her life to helping others.

However, she wasn’t always sure what career path would best help her accomplish this goal. “My dad died of cancer when I was 9, and I knew that I always wanted to help kids that were going through struggles in their life,” she said.

“When I was a college undergrad, I majored in psychology, but I didn’t exactly know what avenue I was going to go down. Then, my junior year, I learned about school psychology, and I was like, ‘That’s it. That’s the one for me!’”

Abbie Previously, Reynolds worked primarily with younger stuReynolds dents. Since August, though, Reynolds has enjoyed the transition to working with older students. “It’s nice to be able to work with students that have more autonomy over their decisions and their life,” she said.

Reynolds also noted how teaching styles differ between different age groups.

“Teachers at the high school level approach concerns very differently than elementary school teachers do,” she said.

A Louisiana native, Reynolds quickly realized the differences between schools in Louisiana and California. “Each state’s school system has their own strengths and weaknesses,” she said. “There are some things that I think Louisiana does better, and there are some things that I think California does better.”

Despite the differences between her home state and Gunn, Reynolds has enjoyed being a part of the Gunn community. “My favorite part of working at Gunn so far has been the sense of community,” she said. “It’s fun to see the different events like pep rallies and the first day of school.”

Reynolds’ work is divided across a multitude of areas. “I basically participate on multidisciplinary teams, whether they are teams that are trying to implement schoolwide change or teams that are trying to problem-solve to support individual students,” she said.

Looking into the future, Reynolds hopes to forge meaningful relationships with the student body. She acknowledges the variety of challenges that students face and aims to help them navigate this stage in their lives. “At the end of the day, my number one

priority is to do what’s best for the students,” Reynolds said. “I’m always going to be in their corner. If you ever need anything, just come on by.”

—Written by Paul Garofalo and Arjun Shah Photos courtesy of Lorenzo Gomez, Davina Santos and Abbie Reynolds

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Cente

B o o k n o s t a l g i a : Staffers look bac k fo

The Ramona Quimby Series The first book I read from Beverly Cleary’s eightbook series was “Beezus and Ramona.” My mom and I began the series when I was four, when Ramona was about my age. In “Beezus and Ramona,” Ramona is introduced as an annoying younger sister who pulls tricks such as taking a bite out of every apple in a box just for fun. Throughout the series, Ramona is portrayed as a mischievous, creative elementary school girl with a vibrant personality, which leads to both adventures and trouble in the books “Ramona the Pest” and “Ramona the Brave.”

For young readers, it is easy to relate to a charac-

The Percy Jackson Series When I look back on elementary school and all of the books that I read, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” by Rick Riordan clearly stands out.

The series follows protagonist Percy Jackson, who learns that he is a son of the Greek god, Poseidon and therefore a demigod. Percy and his best friends Annabeth Chase, another demigod, and Grover Underwood, a satyr (a mix between a man and a goat), embark on adventures fighting mythical monsters and completing quests

The Magic Tree House Series Most people can name one book series from elementary school that helped shape their childhood forever. For me, that book series was “Magic Tree House” by Mary Pope Osborne, which follows siblings Jack and Annie through their adventures with a time-traveling tree house. In every book, the tree house transports the siblings—and the reader—to a different time and place throughout history with the iconic words, “The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then,

ter such as Ramona. Her adventures tell them what to expect as they enter each subsequent grade, and they can even extrapolate advice from Ramona’s stories. Ramona poses as a friend who is fun to laugh at, and she never gets the reader in trouble because she is fictional.

Later on in the series, the author shifts the focus to Ramona’s family life with the books “Ramona and Her Father” and “Ramona and Her Mother.”

Through Ramona, I was able to understand sibling relationships since I never had that experience personally. The last few books in the series, “Ramona Quimby, Age 8,” “Ramona Forever” and “Ramona’s World,” allowed me to fully experience growing

up with R elementa including Throu with Ram while sim consider h series wit end of th The “Ram to readin

assigned by the gods. In the first book, “The Lightning Thief,” twelve-year-old Percy is accused of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt. The three main characters embark on their first quest to recover it and clear his name. Along the way, they run into Greek monsters such as Medusa, the Furies and gods like Ares and Hades.

The book series includes fun characters and brave adventures set in the context of the Greek myths and legends. Annabeth Chase, in particular, is one of the first strong female characters I identified with. She is brave, intelligent and respected, while Percy is the loveable dork and

Grover is Out o is the fin pian.” I l is truly e by choos with his Olympia makes u could sec save the

everything was still. Absolutely still.”

To me, those words signified the start of another great journey, filled with historical tidbits and magical mysteries. In my childhood, I traveled with Jack and Annie to Ancient Greece, outer space and the time of the dinosaurs. It felt like I rode gondolas through Venice and sailed on the Titanic, all from the comfort of my bedroom. My love for the book series got to the point where I begged my dad to let me build my own magic tree house in our backyard, despite knowing that I couldn’t even put together a chair from IKEA.

As time added to th magical la apprentice series mat one thing whenever childhood books and house. To faster, unt

erfold

Friday, September 17, 2021

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ondly on elementary sc hool favorit es Th e O ra c l e St affe r Pic k s: Fa vo rit e E n g l i s h c l a s s b o o k s

Ramona as she embarked on the rest of ary school and took on new challenges, g the addition of a baby sister. ughout reading the series, it felt like I grew mona. I was entertained by her mischief multaneously comforted by her—in fact, I her to be my first friend. While I began the th my mom reading out loud to me, by the he eight books, I was reading on my own. mona Quimby” series was my introduction ng, and it fostered my love for it.

—Written by Mia Knezevic

s the funny, wholesome best friend. of the series of five books, my favorite nal book in the series, “The Last Olymlove it because the battle of New York epic, and Percy stays true to his nature sing to give up his immortality to stay best friends. “Percy Jackson and the ans” makes its readers feel special. It us believe just a little bit that all of us cretly be demigods with the ability to world.

“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare

“The Things we Carried” by tim o’brien

Ah yes, a classic. This is the play that made most underclassmen say, “Wait, Shakespeare is funny?” Forever ingrained in my mind is the full length of the “Do you bite your thumb at me sir?” exchange, complete with all of the “I do bite my thumb sir, but I do not bite my thumb at you, sir’s” that followed. It has some of the best movie adaptations you may ever see—take your pick of a Romeo who looks like Zac Efron or one who actually is Leonardo DiCaprio. For those of you who may not know the story, it revolves around two teenagers from rival families who fall in love and then promptly die. (It’s not a spoiler if it’s on the front page!) With great lines, it’s a good play to know and an all-around classic. What’s not to love?

I hated this book while we were reading it.

(Sorry, Mr. Brown!) For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why we were reading it while everyone else was reading “Cyrano de Bergerac.” However, it was when I was going on rants about the author and his unreliable narrator that I realized that I had a real emotional connection to this book. When I found myself tilting my head back during class to keep in the tears when I read a chapter that really resonated, only to find out it had all been a lie, I knew it was over. The novel goes in depth about the horrors, futility and aftermath of the Vietnam War through the eyes of veterans, chronicling the trauma they faced during their service, as well as the trauma they were forced to live with following it. As much as I hate to admit it, “The Things We Carried” an incredibly well-written book.

“ The Great Gatsby” by f. scott fitzgerald

“The Outsiders” by s.e. hinton

Religion, colors, a critique of capitalism, oh my! This book has everything. A heartwarming story about the failures of capitalism, the dow nfall of the A merican dream and, occasionally, eugenics, this is an English class certified classic. Fans of symbolism will find the pages rife with it, making it an easy book to read and an even easier one to analyze. It chronicles the fall of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire living in New York, and all of the events that precede it. If you’ve ever wanted to really look into color symbolism, this is the book for you.

It was in the good old days of seventh grade when this book captivated us all. The speed at which I became attached to all of the Greasers in this book has to this day been unmatched. When Johnny and Ponyboy were forced to f lee their tow n af ter an unfor tunate knif ing at the fountain, I was on the edge of my seat. As they all ran to stop Dally from doing something rash, my eyes were open w ide. This was the f irst book I ever read ahead for, unable to put it down as I devoured page after page of family, friends and the Fif ties.

—Compiled by Annika Bereny

Eng lis h Te a c h e rs: W h at is y o u r le a st fa vo rit e boo k t o t e a c h?

—Written by Katie LaWer

e passed, more fantastical elements were he “Magic Tree House” series, from the and of Camelot to the beloved sorcerer’s es Teddy and Kathleen. Even as the tured and the boWoks grew in length, remained the same. On a rainy day, or I’m just particularly craving the joy of d, I can always pick up one of Osborne’s d join Jack and Annie in their magic tree ogether, we’ll start to spin, faster and til everything goes still. Absolutely still.

—Written by Carly Liao

Source: Survey sent out to English teachers with 12 responses.

Graphics by Irene Hong, Clair Koo and Chinyoung Shao

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Features

Homecoming: Behind THe Scenes Seniors Since their freshman year, seniors Kel-Li Chen and McKenna Englhardt have enjoyed choreographing Airbands for their class, as it has enabled them to work alongside various groups of people that they wouldn’t necessarily interact with otherwise.

Chen’s motivation for using her talents to choreograph Airbands stems from a desire to connect with her classmates.“I wanted to be involved in a really large class spirit event, bond with people in our class, and utilize the dance experience that I have,” she said. “We’re ending high school. It’s sad, but at least we can engage with the people that we’ve grown up with one more time at Night Rally and have a lot of fun.”

Over time, Englhardt has learned how to face the daunting task of teaching her peers how to replicate specific dance movements. “It’s strange and a little intimidating when they’re your peers, but you also have to be the one to teach them and hold them accountable,” she said. “[Over the years,] we’ve gotten a lot better at figuring out how to do it and make it work.”

This year, Englhardt is especially excited for Night Rally, as over 100 students plan to participate in this year’s senior Airbands—a sharp increase in signups than in previous years.

“I really like how Airbands brings so many different people from your grade together,” she said. “It’s more about the experience of being together and creating something really fun that you’ll never really do with any other activity at Gunn.”

In addition to Airbands, the senior class is also creating a float—another important component in the festivities surrounding homecoming week. Senior Sofia Little is responsible for organizing the senior float this year and has been doing so for the entirety of her time in high school alongside senior Emma Grant-Bier. When she first participated in floats during her freshman year, Little did not anticipate being responsible for organizing floats for the rest of her time in high school. Despite that, she has thoroughly enjoyed working alongside Grant-Bier to create impressive designs year after year.

Little is especially excited about this year’s float, as many seniors have also shown increased interest. “People are excited to come back,” she said. “They missed a whole year of homecoming, and now students want to go out and do stuff that they couldn’t do last year or the years before.”

Over time, Grant-Bier and Little’s floats have become increasingly more intricate. “Each year, we try to create slightly more complicated things,” Grant-Bier said. “We want to push the boundaries, but stay in the realm of what is feasible.”

Now, Grant-Bier is excited for homecoming and the possibility to once again create new float designs alongside her peers. “It’s a great way to interact with your class in a way that you don’t usually get to,” she said. “You get to make something really nice together.”

—Written by Raphael Semeria

Juniors This year, juniors are very excited to participate in homecoming activities to redeem themselves after their last-place finish in freshman year. Juniors Mylie Rodrigo, Madison Yue and Yongwon Choi have worked for months to prepare the Airbands choreography. “We started at the beginning of summer, so now we have the mix and the main logistic parts of the dance down,” she said.

After not being able to experience these fun events last year, both organizers and participants are excited to experience them once again. “Since we missed out on sophomore year, we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, we have to do well this year,’” Rodrigo said.

During their freshman year, not many people signed up, but this year, more people came out. “Freshman year, there were only like 20 people signed up,” Yue said. “But now we have around 50 signups, which is really exciting. Everyone’s really excited about it.”

The choreographers had their first meeting with the participants on Aug. 29, and have been holding weekly Airbands rehearsals since then. “During Airbands rehearsals, we teach the dance,” Choi said. “After we finish, we have snacks together and socialize.”

Overall, they saw a lot more excitement and willingness from the participants at rehearsal than in past years. “Everyone knew how to control their bodies and how to listen,” Rodrigo said. “We got a lot done.”

Along with Airbands, juniors are also preparing floats. Junior Ethan Liang, a coordinator for the junior homecoming activities, has been setting up meetings to talk about possible float ideas. “We’re still brainstorming, and we’ve got some really cool ideas,” he said. “We’re thinking about the traditional themes and also mixing in some new ideas.”

Junior homecoming activities are open to everyone, and students still have time to join the festivities. “It is a very unique experience that you will only ever get in high school, so we strongly urge people to join us,” Choi said.

—Written by Lise Desveaux

Mihika Sane and Madeleine Chen

Features

Friday, September 17, 2021

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Of most spirited week ON CAMPUS Sophomores According to the organizers, sophomore Airbands and float preparations have been coming together nicely.

Although their homecoming organizers are excited to show off their talent and hard work, this year’s sophomores have the added challenge of not getting to experience homecoming in person last year.

Airbands choreographer sophomore Madelyn Everett says that even though this is technically the sophomores’ first homecoming week, she and the other choreographers are still incredibly excited for the dance’s debut. “I’m really just trying to make this an exciting thing for everyone else,” she said. “I’m just doing what I think is the best for everyone, even though I don’t really know how other grades Ware going about it. They get a bit of a head start because they all have gotten a homecoming before. But I’m excited for everyone to really come together.”

Everett emphasizes that the best part of Airbands is the teamwork and friendship building that happens during practice. “My favorite part is seeing how things really mesh together and, of course, seeing how much fun everyone is having together,” she said.

As for float preparation, sophomore Emma Korchenderfer joined the float building team as a fun way to support her class. “I was interested in building floats because I wanted to be involved in school events,” she said. “Homecoming is a big part of high school, so I thought that it would be fun to be part of making it happen, especially since it’s been so long since students were able to participate in events like this.”

For Korchenderfer, the transition from online to in person was exciting in many ways, especially pertaining to homecoming week. “Honestly, I don’t know what to expect at all [for homecoming],” she said. “It’s been very strange, since this is technically my second year of high school but my first year on campus. I think it’ll be interesting to see what happens!”

Everett is excited for her class to see the dance that she and her co-choreographers have been working on.

“My message for the other sophomores would have to be: ‘Get ready! We won’t let you guys down,’” she said.

—Written by Katie Shih

Freshmen Homecoming is a time-honored tradition that freshmen will be experiencing for the first time this year. With a new roster of freshmen class officials, Airbands preparations for homecoming are underway. In fact, Freshman Class President Angela Liu says that their homecoming plans are ahead of schedule.

While the freshmen class doesn’t have an Airbands organizer, freshmen Student Executive Council and dance team members are picking up the slack by choreographing their own routine. “I think we’re ahead of some of the other grades, like the juniors, for example,” Liu said. “We definitely think preparations are going to be done on time.”

The freshmen, however, have yet to start their float, giving other classes a chance to catch up. “We first have to find a place to build the float, preferably somewhere spacious,” Liu said.

“And we don’t know about the theme yet, but we are going to come up with that soon.”

Nevertheless, the freshman class is looking forward to participating in the annual homecoming traditions. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are extremely excited because this is a Gunn tradition,” Liu said. “This has been going on for such a long time, and we’re super excited to be able to carry this on.”

—Written by Becca Wu

Faces in the Crowd: what ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO DURING Homecoming?

“I’m most looking forward to the football game because I really enjoy watching football, and I have friends on the team that I’d love to cheer on.”

“I’m most looking forward to dressing up for spirit days and having fun with my friends! I only know about homecoming week through Instagram posts, so I’m excited to see what it’s like firsthand.”

“This year, I’m excited to compete against other classes and to bond more with my class. This’ll be our first full year in high school, despite being upperclassmen.”

“I’m most excited for the Airbands performances at Night Rally. I’ve never done Airbands before this year, but I thought I’d try it out because it’s our last year.”

—Sahil Saksena, 9

—Sophia Yen, 10

—Sabrina Fong, 11

—Alexander Gu, 12 —Compiled by Jessica Zang

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Lifestyle

Ice cream joints in Palo Alto cater to different tastes

SCOOP microcreamery

Scoop Microcreamery, located in downtown Palo Alto, is a local mom-and-pop business that features a variety of classic, seasonal and vegan flavors for ice cream lovers.

Whether it’s classic Vanilla or the intriguing Black Sesame, each flavor is executed perfectly. The shop uses liquid nitrogen and makes their ice cream in small batches, imprinting each scoop with a texture that is both creamy and thick. An all-time favorite flavor is Brown Sugar Banana, which has a fresh buttery banana taste. A close second would be the Peach and Mango Sorbet, which has a taste reminiscent of fruity summer days.

In addition to making incredible ice cream, Scoop Microcreamery is also environmentally friendly with compostable

As you walk down University Avenue, you are bound to get a whiff of the wafting smell of freshly made ice cream cones as you pass by Salt and Straw. Attracted to the enticing sights and smells that Salt and Straw provides, customers form a huge line in front of the ice cream shop just a few minutes after it opens.

Originating from Portland, Oregon, Salt and Straw is arguably the most popular ice cream store in Palo Alto, and it now has multiple locations nationwide from Miami to San Diego.

Salt and Straw’s ice cream is locally sourced, as the signs on the walls specify that each ingredient comes from local farms in or near the Bay Area. While there are no classic flavors such as chocolate or vanilla, Salt and Straw carries

Tin pot

spoons, cups and napkins. Their generous opening hours are another reason to select this ice cream place, as it is open until 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on weekends. It will definitely fulfill your sweet cravings, and it will be a cold and refreshing snack for hot days.

Small businesses like Scoop Microcreamery make our big town feel like a small town because of its homey atmosphere and friendly employees. The next time you are in the area, support the local business by getting a scoop of whatever flavor catches your eye on the menu, or get the tried-andtrue favorite: Brown Sugar Banana. The choice is up to you.

unique flavors like Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam Cheese and Jam. It also rotates a seasonal batch of flavors, including a campfire theme, a cereal theme and a childrens’ book series theme, which featured flavors like Goosebumps.

Although Salt and Straw costs $5.50 for a Split Single— their signature option for two flavors in one large scoop—it is worth every penny. From their homemade waffle cones to the dedication of their servers, each order is crafted with care.

For years, Palo Alto never had one go-to ice cream place.

Since 2018, though, Salt and Straw has boasted the town’s most quality ice cream. If you need proof, just look at the line.

—Written by Mia Knezevic

Founded in 2012, Tin Pot Creamery is a local ice cream chain that has locations ranging from Town and Country Village in Palo Alto to the Chase Center in San Francisco.

According to the creamery’s website, the name “Tin Pot” actually comes from one of the first ice cream recipes to appear in an English cookbook. The recipe owner, Becky Sunseri, recalls using six “tin ice-pots” and filling them with cream before freezing them using salt and ice. Becky confirms that she liked the idea of the tin pot representing homemade ice cream.

This creamery offers a variety of flavors such as Blue Jasmine Tea and Lemon Blackberry Crumble. However, if you’re someone who likes to keep it simple or just prefers timeless flavors, they have classic flavors like Snicker-

—Written by Haley Pflasterer

Salt & Straw

doodle Cookie. Tin Pot also makes sure to be inclusive of everyone by adding vegan options like Brownie Batter or Strawberry Lemonade sorbet.

If you are a fan of any flavors with cookie dough or their ice cream cookie “sandos,” they sell all their cookie dough flavors in pints, so you can enjoy it straight from the container. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of baking your own ice cream sandwich, you can buy a kit which includes the cookies and two separate ice cream flavors.

Tin Pot is perfect for a refreshing and delicious treat on a hot summer day or for a post-game celebration with your team or family.

—Written by Hila Livneh

creamery CREAM, an ice cream shop located on University Avenue in Palo Alto, began with the Shamieh brothers’ childhood ice cream made by their mother. Today, it is a well known family-run ice cream shop with multiple locations across the Bay Area.

They have many locations across California and are famous for their handcrafted ice cream sandwiches.

CREAM also serves ice cream and other desserts in a variety of ways, including sundaes, cakes, tacos and milkshakes. If you’re looking for a warm treat, CREAM also provides many flavors of freshly baked cookies.

Some flavors at CREAM are paired with whimsical and humorous names such as Chocoholic and Very Berry Strawberry. CREAM also provides vegan friendly

and gluten-free options.

CREAM’s ice cream lives up to its name: it is fluffy, soft and creamy without being too sweet. One popular flavor is the classic chocolate, which is rich and creamy without being sickeningly sweet. Another highly rated combination is their ice cream taco with three scoops of Cookies and Cream, which comes in a crunchy tacoshaped waffle cone that tastes fresh, is crispy and does not get soggy.

Next time you’re around University Avenue, take a look inside a little ice cream shop called CREAM, and you might be surprised with the delightful treats you find.

—Written by Safina Syed

CREAM Photos by Mia Knezevic, Hila Livneh, Haley Pflasterer and Safina Syed Graphics by Ella Koehler

Lifestyle

The oracle Unearths Gunn's Hidden Gems THE GARDEN

One of the best spots to hide away at Gunn is the garden, located right outside the K-2 classroom.

The garden has benches and chairs and is enclosed with large sunflowers, making it the perfect spot to spend a prep period or get some work done.

The garden is maintained by the Organic Garden Club, which meets on Wednesday and is advised by Spanish teacher Liz Matchett. Additionally, Living Skills and Culinary Arts teacher Cindy Peters helps manage the garden and uses some of the crops as ingredients for dishes such as fresh salsa.

The main attraction of the garden, though, is by far the sunflowers, which tower over the rest of the plants. According to Peters, the sunflowers were planted over the summer and have grown into giants since then. Originally, the Organic Garden

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Friday, September 17, 2021

Club was apprehensive about planting sunflowers due to concerns that animals would eat them, but they decided to do it anyway and are pleased with the results.

The garden provides a haven for peace and quiet. It’s rarely crowded, so it’s a perfect spot if you want to get away from other students and spend some time by yourself.

If you’re looking for a new place on campus to hide out or get some work done, be sure to check out this gem. It’s secluded, and the surroundings of sunflowers and other plants will definitely provide tranquility. ­­­­­­ —Written by Sophia Stern

Sophia Stern

In a school of around 2,000 students, finding a peaceful and work-conducive environment on campus is challenging. The Math Office is one of Gunn’s hidden gems and a part of campus that many students overlook as a studying space.

Located on the second floor of the N-Building, the office offers work stations with power outlets in addition to beanbags for studying comfortably. Students can also get math help on large whiteboards that make hard concepts easy to map out. Additionally, due to the ample space available, students have fewer limitations when working on group projects and are free to work more creatively.

The Math Office also serves as an alternative location to the Academic Center for arranging

tutoring sessions. Since most students are not aware that the office is an option, it remains significantly less busy and is much quieter than the Academic Center located on the opposite end of campus.

Although no one is permanently stationed at the Math Office, it is pretty common to see math teachers in the room throughout the day. They can offer quick conversations, funny jokes or occasional help with math concepts you might be struggling with.

If you are looking for a quiet place to study and do work during the day, the Math Office is definitely a worthy location.

The Math Office

­­­­­­ ­—Written by Chris Lee Chris Lee

The Grassy haven This hidden gem at Gunn is an area that is peaceful, comforting and quiet. Take two lefts after exiting the library to find a grassy area in the shade. Three buildings block most of the pandemonium from the lunch line and four cheerfully shaggy and verdant trees loom above the grass, shading a perfect atmosphere to savor a scrumptious lunch or to concentrate on a vigorous study session.

On any given day during lunch, there are several groups of students that hang out in the area. One group of seniors discovered this area in their freshmen year and have never left it since. Some enjoy lunch sitting on the grass; some in the bushes; some

Paul Garofalo

on the wood chips and some on the bench.

However, lunch is not the only time that students are there. Occasionally, one can find students studying or alleviating stress there after school, though it is usually more than thirty minutes after the last period is dismissed, as it becomes highly congested with the incoming traffic on Arastradero Road.

Overall, this area is an underappreciated hidden gem. If you are looking for a new place for leisure or a first-rate study area, give this place a chance and it might suit you well. ­­­­­­ ­—Written by Paul Garofalo

Chinyoung Shao

14

Lifestyle

Humor: entertaining activities to do during PRIME Personal The P in PRIME stands for personal, so go ahead and take some time for yourself! School is exhausting enough as is, so use this period to have a nice relaxing spa day. Bring a clay mask that you can apply to your forehead, and if you’re feeling like it, take some cucumber slices from home to put over your eyes.

Turn on some relaxing music and let yourself rest.

If a teacher asks why you are doing this, say it’s for personal reasons.

Intervention

reteaching

The I is for intervention. If you ever feel like your class is too boring or quiet, bust out your speaker and have a dance party. Play some funky music that will get everyone up on their feet, do some cool dance moves like the Irish Jig or even organize a flash mob with your friends. Intervene in class and make it more interesting. Add some spice to your and your fellow classmates’ day.

R is for reteaching, so use this time to teach yourself a cool new skill, like shoe-making.

Learning the lost art of cobblery can help you get ready for the holiday season, since shoes make great gifts for your family or your teachers. Even your goldfish would enjoy a fresh pair of handmade kicks. Pull up a YouTube video from one of the greats or consult one of the many famous Palo Alto cobblers guidance.

enrichment

Mentorship M is for mentorship. For PRIME, you should become your own mentor and teach yourself about Gunn culture, by going to Bol Park. During class, say you need to use the restroom and go to the park. Right next to the N building, there’s a little path that takes you directly to the donkeys. One of Gunn’s best features is its proximity to Bol Park and the donkeys, so use your time wisely and take a nice refreshing walk to visit our furry friends. ­— Compiled by Hila Livneh

E is for enrichment, and after a long hard day of advanced classes, you deserve to be able to use this class to take a fat nap. Enrich yourself with a wonderful hour of sleep so that when you get home, you can get started on your mountain of homework or go to practice feeling well-rested. I’d recommend bringing a hoodie or jacket so you can use it as a pillow or an eye mask to block out the light.

Mia Knezevic

2. Think French Revolution, lookalikes (abbr.)

4. Series of vignettes by Sandra Cisneros (abbr.)

6. Heartbeat under the floorboards 10. “Twelve Angry ___’’ 12. Kino, Juana, Coyotito 14. Greasers and Socs 15. Huckleberry

1. Star-crossed lovers 3. Enormous nose and white plumes 5. “Out, damned spot’’

A

7. Pig’s head on a stick (abbr.)

8. Contrary to title, it’s about Finches (abbr.)

9. Pig uprising; George Orwell 11. “To be, or not to be, that is the question...’’

13. “Flowers for ________”

Katie Shih

the circled letters.

Finished? Stop by Room P-115 during fifth period the week of Sept. 20 with the completed crossword puzzle for a prize!

—Compiled by Katie Shih

Sports

Friday, September 17, 2021

15

Students participate In Uncommon sports outside of School Kimi Sato: Rock Climbing Junior Kimi Sato has been an avid rock climber at Planet Granite in Sunnyvale since she was nine.

Although it started as a hobby, rock climbing has grown into a genuine passion. “Rock climbing was really just a quick activity,” she said. “Later on, I got more serious about it, so I joined a team and started going to practice a lot more.”

Rock climbing has allowed Sato to become a part of a strong community. “I love the community,” she said. “It’s really supportive and welcoming for beginners. They will support you. They’ll help you out if you’re stuck on the wall. Everyone’s just really nice.”

According to Sato, there are four main types of climbing competitions: speed climbing, bouldering, rope climbing and lead climbing. Speed climbing is when the fastest climber wins, while bouldering and

Kaia Chan: Ice Skating Most of us think of football, basketball or swimming as traditional sports. However, Gunn also has many student athletes who participate and excel in more uncommon sports.

Sophomore Kaia Chan, a competitive ice skater, is one of these students. Chan has been ice skating for eight years, and before the COVID-19 pandemic, Chan was skating five to six days per week. However, due to state and county health restrictions, she now skates four days a week.

Chan regularly competes in both individual and team theater on-ice competitions. According to Chan, ice skating competitions are divided into levels, and skaters compete against others in their level. “You have a program, which is your own routine when you’re skating to music with jumps and spins,” she said. “You get points for jumps and spins and deductions for falls and other

rope climbing are about completing progressively harder climbs. While bouldering does not involve a rope, rope climbing uses one that is fixed to the top.

Lastly, lead climbing involves the climber bringing the rope with them as they ascend.

For Sato, climbing is both mentally and physically challenging. “I am personally scared of heights, so when I look down, it pushes me to get to the top so I don’t fall,” she said. “I use it as motivation and not as an excuse.”

Even with fears and challenges in mind, Sato encourages people to try out rock climbing. “It’s really fun,” she said. “It’s great to challenge and focus on yourself. It’s not a team sport; it’s mainly you trying to get better as a climber.”

mistakes.”

Chan enjoys meeting people through ice skating. “I get to meet a lot of new people and also make new friends,” she said. “I also like that it’s challenging but also fun at the same time. [It’s cool] when I learn a new skill, and get to go show my friends.”

Although ice skaters perform many challenging tricks, Chan’s favorite is the double lutz, which is a toe jump that requires the skater to take off from the back outside edge of one skate and land on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.

Chan emphasized that ice skating is not an easy sport, highlighting the mental challenges and importance of self motivation in skating. “Being able to mentally push yourself is hard because it can be frustrating if you don’t get something on the first try,” she said. “But it’s important to be able to continue to motivate yourself.”

—Written by Katie LaWer

Kaley Yang: Rowing When thinking about water sports, waterpolo and swimming immediately come to mind. However, one water sport that usually flies under the radar is rowing.

Despite its unconventionality, rowing is junior Kaley Yang’s favorite sport. “I got into rowing in eighth grade when my family friend introduced me to the sport,” she said.

Yang explains that while rowing seems simple, competitions feature much more complicated events. “In every competition, there are different events,” Yang said. “Sometimes, they have time trials, where they time you first and you’re basically racing against yourself. Then, you get put into different heats—A, B or C—depending on how fast your time trial was.”

Phoebe Li: Fencing If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Princess Bride,” you are definitely familiar with fencing.

Contrary to the movies however, fencing isn’t just exhilarating sword fights, according to junior fencer Phoebe Li. There are three types of traditional fencing weapons: épée, sabre and foil. Li has been a foil fencer for eight years, which means she fences with the lightest weapon and has the smallest target area.

Li’s favorite thing about fencing is how the sport differs with every opponent. “It’s not just something that you prepare a routine for and if you practice enough times, you can get it right,” she said.

“Your opponent is constantly changing, so you have to change with them and try to figure out ways to overcome their strategy.”

Fencing has given Li the opportunity to have many memorable experiences. “My coolest moment was getting to fence [Olympic gold medalist]

—Written by James Huang

Yang participates in around ten competitions a year. “When I compete, I don’t really feel nervous or anything like that,” she said. “I just feel really focused and locked in before every competition.”

In order for Yang to prepare for these competitions, she goes to long and frequent practices; she practices five days a week for two to three hours a day, often in the morning. “I love the early morning practices and being able to go in the water and watching the sun rise,” she said.

Another important factor of why she loves rowing is the teamwork aspect of the sport. “I also really like the team dynamic,” she said. “Everyone’s really close.”

Although Yang says that rowing has physical and mental challenges, she loves the sport and wishes to continue in college.

—Written by Kenneth Soh

Lee Kiefer,” Li said.

In addition to fencing world-class athletes, Li has also achieved personal growth through the sport. “In Palo Alto, you kind of grow up with the same sort of people,” she said. “With fencing, you have to travel around the country, sometimes internationally, so you meet all these new people. It’s really interesting to talk to them. I’m not the most social person, so it does shove me out of my comfort zone.”

Finally, for those considering fencing, Li has a few pieces of advice. “Know what you want out of the sport,” she said. “There are some people who just fence for fun, and that is a great decision to make. Competing for enjoyment takes all the pressure out of it, and it is a really fun sport. But if you want to compete and expect to do well, don’t set unrealistic expectations. So just know what you want out of it.”

—Written by Carly Liao Photo illustrations by Madeleine Chen Photos courtesy of Kaia Chan, Phoebe Li, Kimi Sato and Kaley Yang

16

Sports

alumna Lauren Lesyana swims North Channel trail

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lesyana

Alumna Lauren Lesyana holds a clam shell while enjoying a day at the beach before embarking on her journey in Northern Ireland.

On July 1, Gunn alumni Lauren Lesyana swam the icy waters of Northern Ireland, following along the North Channel Swim. Spanning a total of 21.4 miles from Northern Ireland to the cliffs of Southen Scotland, the North Channel Swim is regarded as the most difficult open-water swim in the world.

Throughout the route, Lesyana faced many difficulties, notably the water temperature. “The North Channel, in particular, is challenging because it’s really, really cold water,” she said.

Lesyana also had to adjust her route because of changing tidal currents, adding even more miles to the swim. “You are hitting northern and southern tides, so your track is going to be in a curve shape, kind of like an S,” she said.

In addition to the tides, Lesyana also struggled to avoid jellyfish. “The worst part is the lion’s mane jellyfish,” she said. “They obviously sting, and it’s pretty painful. People have been sent to the hospital and weren’t able to finish the swim because they got stung so much.”

Lesyana is now one of a small number of people to have successfully completed the North Channel Swim.

“It is pretty cool to say that you’re the 82nd person to ever do this random crazy thing,” she said. “I don’t swim for the notability of it, though. It’s really more of a personal accomplishment of ‘I am scared to do this thing, and I know it’s gonna be a lot of hard work.’ It’s that feeling of personal accomplishment. After completing it, [it’s] kind of surprising to realize [that you] can do these random crazy things.”

In addition to open-water swimming, Lesyana works as a biology teacher and waterpolo coach for Menlo-Atherton High School. In order to fulfill both her teaching and training obligations, Lesyana has had to carefully manage her time. “It’s really difficult, and I think a lot of it has to do with planning out your time and planning out your week,” she said. “On Sundays, I am figuring out how I’m going to get my yardage in for my swims. I try to stick with a consistent schedule, but things pop up. Sometimes grading takes longer than it

was supposed to.”

Though her training schedule can be grueling at times, the tranquil feeling of being in the water drives Lesyana to continue swimming. “I enjoy swimming because it can be really meditative,” she said. “It’s almost like sensory deprivation a little bit. You can’t hear a lot. All you can hear is the splashing of the water. It’s really just a time to be in your own head.” ­—Written by Arjun Shah

Photo courtesy of Lauren Lesyana

Lauren Lesyana swims the North Channel in North Ireland. She was the 82nd person to complete 21.4 mile route, overcoming shifting currents and freezing waters.

mEMBERS of girls waterpolo COMPETE in summer tournaments For most athletes, their season ends when the high school season finishes. But for a select few, the season extends to national competitions during the summer.

This past summer, girls waterpolo players junior Kenza Ashworth and sophomore Nina Albers played together on the Mayfield 650 16A team and competed at two national events.

The first competition was the Futures competition, a new girls’ waterpolo tournament that was held from June 18 to June 20 in Utah. The competition was invitation-only and had 14 teams. Mayfield was one of just a handful of teams across the nation that were invited.

Despite starting as the 12th seed, Mayfield was able to overcome many challenges, finishing sixth overall.

Ashworth explains how difficult it was playing in Utah in comparison to California. “The elevation is a lot higher, and it was a lot harder for my team to get used to it,” Ashworth said. “Also, we had to play in indoor pools because they have a limited amount of outdoor space. So it was a lot harder for us to breathe because the ventilation in most of those places was awful.”

The second competition Mayfield competed in was the Junior Olympics (JOs). JOs, a nationwide tournament, is the main waterpolo competition during the summer season. This summer, it ran from July 22 to July 25 in Irving, California. Mayfield got into the tournament through a series of qualifiers against both in-state and out-of-state teams. Although Mayfield started off strong, they ran into some tough competition in the following games and placed 24th, good enough for the platinum division.

Despite Ashworth’s and Albers’ previous experience in national events, the crowds of people watching made it stressful for the players. Albers, a five-year veteran at nationwide events, felt the pressure during the competitions. “It’s always a little stressful because there are a bunch of college coaches there,” she said. “There’s a lot of people watching you, and you’re at these really big pools. But it’s also really fun because you get to see teams from all over the nation and all over your state.

For each age group, there are 60 to 80 teams, so it’s

really cool to meet all of these new people.”

While the games were harder due to the high-level competition, Ashworth enjoyed it. “Personally, I like club level competition a lot more than high school competition,” she said. “In club [waterpolo], everyone wants to be there. People are a lot more dedicated because you have six to seven practices a week, and you’re training as hard as you can. You also have coaches who specifically put all their time and effort into it.”

For both Ashworth and Albers, this will not be the last time they compete. Both plan to compete until their senior years and love the traveling and the thrill of competition at both JOs and Futures. ­—Written by Kenneth Soh

Come out and support your waterpolo teams Girls upcoming games: Sept. 21: Palo Alto at Gunn Sept. 23: Gunn at Homestead Sept. 28: Los Altos at Gunn Sept. 30: Castilleja at Gunn Oct. 1: Gunn at Menlo-Atherton Boys upcoming games: Sept. 21: Palo Alto at Gunn Sept. 23: Gunn at Homestead Sept. 28: Los Altos at Gunn Oct. 5: Gunn at Harker Oct. 7: Los Altos at Gunn

Photo courtesy of Kenza Ashworth Sophomore Nina Albers (#13) practices before the Mayfield 650 16A’s Junior Olympics (JOs) and Futures competition.

They made it into the sixth seed in the invitation-only Futures competition and reached the platinum division in the JOs.