The Oracle (Sept. 2012)

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Administration changes class scheduling process Anna Qin

Managing Editor

Starting spring semester of last year, the Guidance Department made significant changes to the course selection and schedule-changing processes.

Changes to the overall system include releasing schedules online, a zero period and G-prep request form and a yellow final course confirmation form at the end of the preceding school year. The confirmation form is the last opportunity for students to verify the courses they have selected and to make any changes after discussion with their counselors.

The “Schedule-O-Rama” that was part of the system in past years has been eliminated, and instead, students are to fix any issues concerning missing courses before school starts. No period transfers will be made afterwards unless under special circumstances.

The main reasons for the change are a reduced budget decreasing the number of possible sections and improved efficiency, according to Assistant Principal of Guidance Tom Jacoubowsky. “We were able to offer the Schedule-O-Rama before because we were able to offer more class sections,” Jacoubowsky said. “But what we found the last couple of years was that students were using [the process] to switch into classes with their friends or with certain teachers. We were getting a lot of unnecessary changes that prevented us from working with students who had changes that actually needed to be addressed.”

Jacoubowsky adds that the new process is much more streamlined, and class sections have been able to be finalized much earlier than in previous years.

SCHEDULING—p.3

Michael Wu

A group of juniors threw eggs at freshmen on Aug. 17, prompting the administration to suspend three students.

Administration disciplines student hazers Boot Bullwinkle

Managing editor

On Aug. 17, five Gunn students threw eggs at a group of freshmen while driving through a parking lot outside a Jamba Juice on the corner of Los Robles Ave. and El Camino Real.

All of the students involved in this incident requested that they remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue and since they are minors. According to one of the students who threw eggs, he and his classmates planned the attack against the freshmen. Even though the hazers had a total of 24 eggs, only seven to nine eggs were actually thrown at the freshmen. According to those involved, no one was hit by the eggs.

After the incident, two male juniors and one female junior were suspended for two days each, while the administration decided not to punish the two other female junior passengers. According to one of the hazers, those students

Gunn Figures

»

492

were not involved in the egg throwing.

According to Dean of Students James Lubbe, the administration was obligated to punish the students, regardless of the context of the situation. “If it’s targeting a group of Gunn students, then it falls under that category of bullying or hazing,” Lubbe said.

The threatened freshmen said that they knew the group of juniors but they were not aware that the juniors would throw eggs at them. At least one of the freshmen thought the suspensions were too severe. “I don’t think it was fair, because I think [the egg throwing] wasn’t to hurt us,” one of the freshman said. “It was just [for] fun, so I think it was a little extreme [to suspend the students].”

The incident was reported to an adult who in turn relayed the information to the school that night. The administration spent the next school day discussing and investigating the incident with those involved and eventually came to the conclusion that the students should be

Number of students in the Class of 2016

HAZING—p.5

661

Number of planners sold

Charleston construction delays cause safety and travel concerns p.4

664

Number of attendees at Welcome Back Dance

2

News

THEORACLE

NEWS BITES

Safe Ride cancellation considered

Due to the lack of funding and volunteers in the recent years, Safe Ride may be discontinued.

The American Red Cross, which has funded Safe Ride for the past 27 years, announced that starting from Sept. 5, it will no longer sponsor the program because it wishes to stay focused on its main goal of providing disaster relief.

In 1984, after a tragic drunk-driving accident in Palo Alto, Gunn and Palo Alto High School students started the program, which aims to prevent teenagers from driving under the influence. Since then, Safe Ride has been adopted by many other schools in the Silicon Valley, including Castilleja School, Los Altos High School, Menlo School, Mountain View High School, Sacred Heart Preparatory and Menlo-Atherton High School. In the program, volunteers from across the Bay Area operate every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. to offer free rides for intoxicated teens and to make sure that they get home safely.

Gunn Safe Ride coordinator Wonhee Park still values the importance of the program, despite its potential cancellation. “We know that teens will inevitably drink and party,” Park said. “Safe Ride has the potential to save lives.” Park admits however that there have been many difficulties in coordinating Safe Ride event in past years. “The hardest part is getting consistent volunteers and reaching out to the students about this service that is readily available to them,” she said.

Although Safe Ride coordinators have potential hosts in mind, the future of the program, at this point, remains uncertain.

Eileen Qian

Board plans for fourth middle school Due to an enrollment surge, the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) began preliminary searches on Aug. 31 for viable locations to house a new middle school in a few years.

So far, the District Board has suggested Cubberly Community Center as a candidate for the new middle school. Superintendent Kevin Skelly stated that the plans to develop a new middle school are very recent and district officials have just begun to discuss them. “If the Cubberly lease is renewed in 2014, it will come up for renewal in 2019,” Superintendent Kevin Skelly said, “At that time, the District will have a much better idea whether the site is needed for a middle school and, if so, [will] be prepared to begin construction on the site.”

According to District Board President Camille Townsend, Cubberly provides a seven million dollar annual income to the city; changing it to a middle school would affect the areas the money funds. About 80 percent of this seven million dollar annual income goes towards the operating budget, which lays out the funds used for staffing and other options.

“The future of Cubberly is important to the school district and the city,” Townsend said.“Right now, we are looking for different locations other than Cubberly.”

Head of enrollment growth in Palo Alto Ann Dunkin confirmed that due to increase in enrollment, a new middle school may be necessary by 2019. “As soon as the renewal for Cubberly starts in 2019, we will know by then whether a new middle school will be needed or not,” Dunkin said.

Alex Man

Stephanie Kim

Left: A sign encourages students to avoid wasting food by placing their unwanted food in the share basket. Right: Oranges and a tray of potatoes are donated to the cafeteria’s share basket.

Cafeteria implements healthier choices Eileen Qian

Centerfold Editor

For the 2012-13 school year, the district cafeteria system will implement the requirements stated under the Healthy, HungerFree Kids Act (HH-FKA), a plan advocated by First Lady Michelle Obama. Under HH-FKA, schools nationwide will make improvements to their lunch system for the first time in over a decade. The goal is to encourage a healthier diet and to ensure that the food served at school is just as healthy as food at home.

One of the main components of HH-FKA is a “full lunch,” requiring students to take at least three out of the five food items now offered during lunch, which include fruits, vegetables, milk, grain and protein; a fruit or vegetable must be one of the three items taken.

The cafeteria has also begun to use whole grain and wheat. “Even though we are not required to start using whole grain yet, we decided to do it anyway because it’s better to introduce it to the students now so that they won’t be surprised when all the food becomes whole grain next year,” Field Director Veronica Arias said.

In addition, there is a limit to the number of calories that can be served to students in one meal through the regulation of sodium, sugar and fat levels. While in the past there was only a minimum

requirement of 750 Calories per meal, there is now a limit of 850 Calories in each meal. “It’s hard to find the right balance of nutrition values and amount of food that will satisfy the students, especially with the already high prices,” Nutrition Services Director Alva Spence said. To accommodate for the higher food costs of lunches, the government will reimburse the school for each full lunch sold.

Over the past year, the cafeteria has made many additions to the lunch menus, like self-made sandwiches. This year, various soups will be added. The cafeteria has experimented with various styles, such as Mediterranean, minestrone, tomato, basil bisque and lentil.

Arias hopes to add more variety to the menu, with Thai curry, sweet potato, sushi, lettuce wraps, breakfast burritos and parfaits.

To prevent students from wasting the food they are required by law to take, Gunn has also instituted the system of a “Share Basket” where lunch-buyers can put their extra food for other students to take for free. “We know that it’s inevitable that some students, especially when forced to take food, will end up not eating it,” Arias said. “So we thought it would be better to just have them leave it for others rather than have good food go to waste.” Many students enjoy the convenience that the Share Basket brings. “I really like being able to get free chocolate

milk or fruit without having to buy a whole lunch or wait in the long line,” senior Cassie Chen said.

In addition to adopting the HH-FKA, the Gunn cafeteria has extended its hours. The cafeteria is now open all day and the snack bar will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., offering foods such as fruits, milk and cookies, and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., with salads and sandwiches. This change came about through a recommendation from district parent group Ripe for Change, with the hopes that with longer hours, students who have prep periods will be able to get their lunches earlier and prevent line congestion at lunch time.

Another change that Ripe for Change made is the placement of vending machines around campus to benefit students who have to stay after school. “High school kids get hungry fast, even more when they are exercising,” Spence said. “We thought adding vending machines around campus was a good way to make sure students are not starving after school.”

Some of the newly implemented changes are still subject to alterations. There will be monthly meetings to discuss current and potential improvements. “It’s impossible to satisfy everyone with the new food system, but we’re trying our best to accommodate for the different appetites,” Spence said. “Everything is trial and error at this point.”

Administrators improve school website Rebecca Alger

Features Editor

Gunn revealed its revamped website on Aug. 13. The new site was designed to incorporate various improvements and make information upload easier for students and teachers.

According to Chief Technology Officer Ann Dunkin, while Gunn’s previous website did not necessarily have any problems, the officials involved wanted to make it better. “Sometimes nothing is really ‘wrong’ with something other than [that] it is older and we can make something better and more functional,” she said.

“The website needed to be more transparent and more robust,” Principal Katya Villalobos added.

“We wanted a backbone that could grow with us.” District webmaster Isidro Pimentel worked with the technology department from Gunn and an outside vendor to design and implement the site. He also had help from Gunn and Palo Alto High School (Paly) students over the summer.

In the spring of 2011, the Gunn administration was looking for a dynamic website solution. When the district technology department became aware of the interest, they informed the school that the district was working on a standardized solution for all schools. “The Gunn website solution is our first version of the district’s content management system for school websites,” Pimentel said. “We will continue to develop and build features on an ongoing basis. However, each site using this solution will enable features as they see fit.”

“Our main purpose is to create a dynamic site, rather than a static one,” Computer Support Specialist Brett Demetris said. While the old website could only be managed by one webmaster, with the new content management-style site, essentially anybody can be a webmaster, making the site much more community-based.

“The previous site was difficult to manage because it required staff to have a working knowledge of a web-programming language,” Pimentel said. The new dynamically

driven site is easier to maintain by allowing over-the-browser edits.

In the future, the site will be completely personalized for each user. “Eventually students will log in and see everything relevant to a student. A parent will see what’s relevant to them, and the same applies to teachers,” Demetris said.

Isidro also designed and applied different themes and built the infrastructure to make the site work with other district services. Demetris worked on content updating and design tweaks. He is also involved in setting up permissions and training users.

The change in website systems was initiated by the district office in spring 2011. After a year, Demetris got his hands on the new project and the new management site, Tomall. From that point, it took approximately two months to learn the system and then another three months to deliver the website.

Paly’s site is right behind Gunn’s in the implementation process.

This design will also be used for the district website. The site will be completed in the spring.

News

Monday, September 17, 2012

3

Guidance Department updates class scheduling process SCHEDULING—p.1

“According to teachers, this year had the smoothest start yet,” he said. “We were able to look at our numbers and add sections after the second day, and once we hit day three we had all the class sections set.”

In the past, schedule changes are usually made the 11th week of school. According to math teacher Rachel Congress, while the transition was difficult and many students were being switched around in their class sections, the earlier change is for the better.

“Some teachers had huge classes of 36-38

students,” she said. “It was better to move the students earlier on than later.”

Response to the new system in Guidance has also been positive. According to Guidance counselor Jovi Johnston, the system’s efficiency has allowed the counselors to be more organized and prepared. “One of the really big advantages was that students settled in faster,” she said. “Because everything was so much more streamlined, we were able to clean up and organize our files before seeing the seniors for their senior conferences.”

Next year, no major plans for change have

been confirmed, and the structure of the process will remain similar to the format this year. However, rather than in May, course requests will be finalized in April in order to finalize the master schedule (the complete list of all courses and all class sections offered at Gunn) as soon as possible.

For zero period and G-prep students, the application process will be kept the same.

According to Jacoubowsky, new course or section additions to zero period are unlikely.

“Ten percent of our students are already in zero period,” he said. “We’re hitting the

point where we have enough class sections.

Departments such as Math already have the maximum number of sections.” For students who have issues with their zero period or Gpreps due to high demand for the sections, Johnston stresses the necessity for communications with counselors and Jacoubowsky in order to meet their needs.

“Students should let their counselors know if they have issues with their classes or any important reasons why they need a zero period class or a G-prep,” she said. “We will do our best to accommodate for them.”

District installs academic networking service Schoology Alvin Wang

tech editor

The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) implemented Schoology at the start of this year. Instead of having teachers set up several different websites, Schoology allows teachers to post assignments all on the same site.

Many teachers agree about the benefits of Schoology. “If I wanted to post an announcement or something important, I would post it on Schoology because I find students check it more often than they check my website,” history teacher Ariane Tuomy said. “[Schoology] is a very cool website,” junior Nabeel Chollampat said. “It was annoying to forget an assignment because I forgot to look on my teacher’s website. It’s a lot more convenient to have everything in one place so I can browse through all my classes and see what’s due for every class on the same

website.”

Schoology is modeled after Facebook in an effort to help new users find their way around the site. “It is very user-friendly.

Students who are new to the site are able to find everything easily,” Computer Support Specialist Brett Demetris said. “It is very user-friendly. People seem to know exactly where everything is just because it is so much like Facebook.”

Schoology displays all the due dates of assignments from different classes also on the same interface. “One of the neat things about Schoology is how I can view a student’s workload,” Tuomy said. “I can check if the student has multiple assignments or projects due on a certain day. This may influence my decision to make my assignments or projects due on different days.”

The status update feature allows teachers to post announcements for their class. These announcements are seen on the first page of

SEC sets goals for new year Anuva Ganapathi Reporter

As students start to readjust to school life after two months of summer vacation, the Student Executive Council (SEC) has already been working for weeks to set up events and goals for the upcoming school year.

The SEC team attended a retreat during the summer where they began planning new objectives and ideas. The main job of the SEC is to provide a voice for the students, put on events for the school, monitor the budget for the student body and solicit information and opinions from the students.

Student spirit is a large part of all school events. To that end, SEC is always trying to get more students involved. “As a student body, Gunn generally has awesome school spirit,” senior Student Body Vice President Laura Tao said. “We always want more people at events though, and the biggest factor in increasing attendance at school events is effective publicity.”

SEC has hired a new dance DJ, and it seems like a successful move so far, as the first dance had an increase of 200 students compared to last year’s first dance, accord-

“We are implementing a new eventbased team system, whereby each specific event has a team built around it, with the relevant team leader.”

—senior Student Body President Harrison Waschura

ing to Tao. Tao is also working on a freshman tailgate for before football games. “It will hopefully be a fun way to get freshmen pumped for football,” Tao said. “Our Special Events Commissioner Eileen Xu is looking forward to creating some engaging monthly events,” senior Student Body President Harrison Waschura said.

In order to be more efficient, SEC is restructuring its ways of planning events.

“Instead of forming many committees, as has been done in the past, we are implementing a new event-based team system, whereby each specific event has a team built around it, with the relevant team leader,” Waschura said.

“We hope this will be a more efficient way of organizing and will cater to the specific needs of events.”

Another area SEC hopes to make some changes to is Link Crew. “My biggest goal for Link Crew this year is to have all the leaders keep in touch with their freshmen throughout the year,” Tao, who is in charge of Link Crew, said. “The Link leaders will be meeting with the freshmen more often this year, so I hope to foster more communication through Titan 101 meetings. ” SEC also values communication with the student body and its members are constantly trying to improve means of communication.

“Students can bring up any ideas; we have a Facebook page, a Formspring account, and people can always e-mail in suggestions to any SEC member,” Tao said.

All class presidents have also made Facebook groups that they use to communicate with their class. “ We have a very strong class council that helps spread the word about what I am doing as president and such,” Senior Class President Nitika Johri said.

“Otherwise, most communication—surveys, feedback, polls, info, etc.—is via our class group on Facebook.”

In addition, members of SEC have their own personal goals that they would like to work towards, such as bring their class together. “One of my main goals is to unify our grade, and to allow everyone to be a participant of the class,” Junior Class President Sara Ameri said. “In the past, people have expressed that they felt left out from activities.” SEC leaders to gain greater influence amongst students by fulfilling these goals.

Schoology once logged in, making it easy for students to see. Announcements from all different classes are on the same page for the student’s navigation convenience.

Some teachers prefer using their own website. “Schoology is rather slow,” French teacher Anne Jensen said. “I already have all the materials posted on my own website so I don’t see any reason to move everything from my website. Whenever I do use Schoology, I just link to the assignments on my own website.”

Jensen feels that many of the features on Schoology are unnecessary for class purposes. “I don’t see a reason to post all the due dates for assignments on Schoology,” Jensen said. “I already have a calendar that I hand out in class that has all the due dates on it.

Reposting everything on Schoology is an extra step for me.” Jensen also believes that her personal class website includes many features that Schoology lacks. “When students

want to look at a past file on Schoology, they have to find the day it was uploaded,” Jensen said. “When I post the work on my website, students have a much easier time finding it because it is ordered by theme, something I can’t do as yet on Schoology.”

Jensen does not want to have all the time she spent on the website be wasted by switching to another website. “I’m really only using Schoology to make it more convenient for my students,” Jensen said. “I still find my own website better.”

Middle schools such as JLS have also implemented Schoology. “Since the middle schools are using Schoology, they will be used to it by the time they reach high school,” Demetris said. “It will ease the transition to high school because the students have been using it throughout middle school.”

Schoology has been confirmed to stay for next year and may be a permanent due to the positive feedback.

4

News

THEORACLE

Anthony Tran

Left: Charleston construction workers make progress. Middle: A sign informs drivers of a bend in the road ahead. Right: Cars maneuver the barriers set up near the work.

PG&E construction at Charleston extends, affects students Cooper Aspegren News editor

Students and parents received a message through Infinite Campus on Aug. 15 informing them of the delay of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) construction on Charleston Road. According to the Utilities Advisory Commission’s website, groundwater issues and pipeline deviations prevented the replacement of a section of Gas Transmission Line #109 from being completed on time.

According to city government officials, PG&E contacted all neighborhood groups, residents and businesses along Charleston Road to inform them of the impending construction. The City Utilities Department also sent notices to every school in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) through Parent Teacher Administration (PTA) newsletters. Officials originally expected the construction to have a minimal impact on PAUSD schools because the project was scheduled to be finished before the start of school.

Upon learning that the project would run several weeks past the start of school, members of the City Utilities Department sent an update to all local neighborhood groups and schools through PTA newsletters. Neither

PG&E nor the city government contacted the Gunn administration directly about the Charleston project, however, because Gunn is not located in the primary area of impact between Middlefield and Alma Roads. The absence of direct communication by PG&E and the city government until extremely late in the process irked campus administrators.

“I have to say we were perturbed,” Assistant Principal of Facilities Kimberley Cowell said. “If I’m finding out the week that school starts or the day before that there is a delay and Charleston is still a mess, then I should be getting information directly from the city or from PG&E, not from the neighborhood association, which is basically where I got that information.”

The Charleston construction delays affected not only Gunn, but also nearby schools Terman Middle School, Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School (JLS), Juana Briones Elementary School and Hoover Elementary School. Gunn administrators contacted the administrations of other schools in the district on the last day of summer to inform them of the delay. “I made sure that that information got to all the principals and their assistant principals, so they have it, so we can all alert families for the first day of school that there was going to be a major

traffic mess,” Cowell said. “But I did not hear that from PG&E, and I did not hear directly from the city.”

Gunn administrators’ advice for avoiding any adverse traffic conditions is simple.

“Come early,” Cowell said. “I would plan on leaving twenty minutes earlier. That way we can spread traffic out some so it’s not so terrible.”

However, safety on the roads remains the top priority and concern of the Gunn administration in this matter. “If people see something that alarms them considering safety, they should report it because it’s a serious matter,” Cowell said.

The city government stationed staff along Charleston Road to assist students traveling towards Gunn during the first days of school. City government officials also worked to establish cooperation within the community that would help mitigate the effects of the construction and ensure the safety of commuters. “Everybody kind of cooperated,” Utilities Communications Manager Debra Katz said. “It was a bit of pain for people who had to be delayed a little bit, but because everybody cooperated and pitched in, things went smoothly.” City officials also credit environmentally friendly transportation practices as a key factor in the safety effort’s overarching success. “If we didn’t have

THEORACLE 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.

Editorial Editor-in-Chief Utkash Dubey

Managing Editors Boot Bullwinkle Anna Qin

News Cooper Aspegren Zoe Weisner Catalina Zhao

Features Rebecca Alger Wayland Fong Chaewon Lee

Sports Ben Atlas Mitch Donat Emily Yao

Entertainment Misheel Enkhbat Ellen Lee Lucy Oyer

Forum Leon Cheong Rani Shiao

Centerfold Eileen Qian Stephanie Zhang

Photo Michael Wu

Graphics George Hwang

Staff

Copy Lawrence Chen Klaire Tan Graphics Artist Jasmine Garnett

Business/Circulation Erica Lee Shireen Ahsan (Asst.)

Regina Tran (Asst.)

Photographers Stephanie Kim Audey Shen Anthony Tran

For more information on the Charleston construction, see the Palo Alto Utilities Advisory Commission website at http://www.cityofpaloalto.org

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Tech Alvin Wang

the high percentages of students who walk and bike and carpool to school, the traffic issues that would come up with construction would be magnified,” Assistant Safe Routes to School Coordinator Sylvia Star-Lack said.

“We would have a much worse problem.”

Gunn administrators remain committed to ensuring the success of the PG&E operation, even if it requires traffic delays. “It would be lovely if the construction wouldn’t have happened,” Principal Katya Villalobos said. “But do we want PG&E to repair the pipeline? Of course we do.”

Most traffic barriers were removed from Charleston by the end of August. Even though construction workers repaved and re-striped the road, traffic congestion on Charleston still exists because of remaining barriers near Alma and Middlefield. Construction workers will remove these barriers and restore the curbs and sidewalks soon after construction workers connect the new line to PG&E’s active gas line system, around Sept. 28.

Reporters Samantha Acker, Anuva Ganapathi, Noa Livneh, Alex Man, Roy Shadmon, Henry Siu, Tim Wang Katherine Zu Adviser Kristy Blackburn

The Oracle is published by and for the students of Henry M. Gunn Senior High School. The unsigned editorials that appear in this publication represent the majority opinion of the editorial staff and The Oracle’s commitment to promoting student rights.

The Oracle publishes nine issues annually. Subscriptions are $45/year.

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

As the Editor-In-Chief of The Oracle, I am proud to present the first full issue of the 2012-13 school year. For those of you unfamiliar with this award-winning publication, The Oracle is a student-led organization with 39 students on staff that produces 10 issues per year, including the first-day issue and the senior issue.

Featuring six diverse sections, with creative graphics and photos, The Oracle strives to provide a variety of articles that students and staff will enjoy reading.

If you missed out on the eggthrowing incident, start at pg. 1 and make your way to pg. 5 to read about the most recent hazing hap-

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 and 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.

pening. Next, flip to page 6 for the staff ’s opinion on whether or not the goals of the Student Executive Council are realistic.

Continue through the Features section, where you will learn more about the personal lives of the new teachers (pg. 10, pg. 11 and pg.

14) and their goals for the school year. Don’t forget to check out the sports updates (pg. 16) to get an inside scoop of Gunn’s fall teams.

Finish your reading with restaurant reviews (pg. 22) in the Palo Alto area.

Please share your feedback with the staff at oraclegunn@gmail.com or on our Facebook page.

—Utkash Dubey, EIC 2012-13

News

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

5

Administration responds to freshmen hazing incident HAZING—p.1

suspended. “I thought that [the suspension] was exactly the right move, and if anything I would have been a little harsher,” Assistant Principal of Facilities Tom Jacoubowsky said.

Jacoubowsky noted that this was in retaliation for an incident that happened to the hazers two years ago. “We found out that this incident happened two years ago, and we never heard about that,” Jacoubowsky said. “I don’t think it’s a rising up of hazing, but we’ll be sure to follow up.”

No students were hurt in the

more recent hazing incident, but Principal Katya Villalobos plans to work to make sure that hazing doesn’t become a problem. “We’ll probably send a message to parents and students with a particular emphasis on Titan 101,” Villalobos said. “I did talk with Ms. Klein, and the number one thing we talked about was reporting [hazing incidents]. We want students to be comfortable asking a trusted adult for help whether it’s a counselor, teacher or administrator.”

The administration is working to prevent future occurrences of hazing and bullying on and off

campus. “I plan on meeting with the freshmen sometime soon so that I can let them know that we took action, and also let them know that they shouldn’t retaliate because we’ll have to take action again,” Lubbe said. “We have to make sure that we take a firm stance against bullying.”

Even though the incident occurred off campus, the administration was still legally obligated to take action. “Whether they’re going to school, at school or leaving school, students are legally under our supervision,” Villalobos said.

“We can invoke our rules under

that period, so we decided to take action.”

According to Villalobos, hazing is a very rare and unexpected occurrence at Gunn. “This is a real outlier, [as] there have been very few incidents of hazing at our school,” Villalobos said. Lubbe added, “In my time here at Gunn, I can count all the hazing incidents on one hand.”

Even though one of the hazers felt the repercussions of the suspension, he or she still believes it could happen again. “The thing that sucks the most, is that the suspension will severely affect my col-

lege applications next year,” one of the hazers said. “Honestly though, I would probably do it again if I knew I wasn’t going to get caught.”

As of now, talks have begun and future actions may be soon to follow. According to a few freshmen, this may not be the preferable option. “I think the school should keep this event low profile and make sure the offenders are punished and the victims are safe,” one of the freshmen who was hazed said. “I am not scared of any future hazing by upperclassmen, because if they attempt anything they will be disciplined.”

District allows freshmen preps during first semester Klaire Tan

copy editor

Starting this year, freshmen athletes participating in fall or winter sports will be eligible for a prep for their first semester.

The district Physical Education (P.E.) steering committee decided last spring to reinstate first-semester preps for Gunn freshmen in order to standardize the P.E. requirements for Gunn and Palo Alto High School (Paly), which has always offered physical education waivers (preps) to freshmen athletes.

According to P.E. instructional supervisor Don Briggs, Gunn eliminated first semester preps for freshman athletes back in 2005 after a review by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges determined that Paly and Gunn were not in compliance with the California Education code, as not all fresh-

men were taking P.E. for at least a semester.

In order to comply with the code, Gunn began to require all freshmen to take P.E. first semester, regardless of participation in after-school athletics.

However, Paly continued to offer preps to freshmen athletes during their first semesters, which led to a feeling of unfairness in the Gunn community, according to Briggs.

“The Gunn Athletic department, Gunn P.E. department and freshman parents felt the playing field was inequitable between Gunn and Paly,” Briggs said. “Both the Gunn P.E. and Athletic departments felt Gunn freshmen were not playing fall sports at the same rate as Paly. In addition, the athletic department said parents were apparently considering Paly over Gunn.”

While the steering committee aimed to standardize requirements of Paly and Gunn,

the committee did not originally specify which P.E. program was to be adopted for both high schools. However, because the Paly P.E. department had previously stated that there would be a lack of support from administrators, parents and students if they adopted Gunn’s system, Gunn administrators felt that it would be more realistic for Gunn to drop its requirement instead. “It was just easier for us to adopt Paly’s program than for them to adopt ours,” Briggs said.

However, the return of freshman preps could have detrimental effects on studen athletes. Having taught at Gunn when freshman preps were offered first semester, P.E. teacher Steve Ames found that the free period often instilled in students a tendency to not take P.E. and attendance seriously. Freshmen with sports preps would sometimes cut classes or fail to attend P.E. after their season was

over. In rare scenarios, athletes who decided to drop their sports after a few days would continue to take a sports prep. “It just got out of hand,” Ames said. “It became common for me to give F’s to kids in P.E. Almost all the F’s were received by athletes. There were a lot compared to after the change when athletes didn’t get preps first semester.”

Administrators will take steps to carefully monitor the correlation between cutting classes and free periods. “If we look around and see hordes of freshmen running around, we’ll definitely have a talk with the freshmen about what attendance really means,” Principal Katya Villalobos said. However, exactly how the return of freshman preps will affect student attendance is still unknown.

“There has definitely been a cultural shift,” Villalobos said. “We’re a different group of students from 2000.”

6

Forum

EDITORIAL: The Opinion of The Oracle

SEC has set concrete goals, could still improve student communication

During the summer, members of the Student Executive Council (SEC) went on a one-day retreat to brainstorm and discuss action points for the upcoming school year. Goals that the SEC has set include putting on better events for the school, providing a voice for the students, monitoring the student government’s budget and soliciting information and opinions from the students.

While these goals are feasible, the SEC may not be reaching its full potential in terms of the impact it has on the school and the student body.

However, through better communication, increased publicity and mandatory prerequisites, the SEC can create more opportunities for positive change within the school.

Communication is a major goal for the SEC this year. According to Student Activities Director Lisa Hall, communication is the key to understanding the viability of the SEC as a resource for students and student organizations at school. In recent years, the SEC has reached out to students through social media outlets such as Formspring, Facebook, and Twitter with some success, and it hopes to continue using these outlets and potentially others to

communicate with students. According to Hall, the SEC is now considering using Infinite Campus and Schoology to communicate with students who do not use Facebook.

In order to fully capture the ideas and opinions of students, the SEC should

input from the students. The SEC can communicate directly with students by conducting annual surveys in the classroom on ways to improve, asking for feedback from teachers and students in Titan 101 and communicating with clubs and organizations at Gunn. This way, the aspects of school that the SEC influences most will have the opportunity to contribute to the system that governs them.

Another major goal of the SEC goals this year is to set up better dances, rallies and other spirit oriented events.

The SEC has already imGeo proved from rge H wan previous years g with 200 more people in attendance for this year’s Back to School dance. This can be accredited to the diftake ferent atmosphere of the SEC this year. more initiative to According to Hall, while the student ask for feedback. As government has been perceived as more of now, members of the SEC participate exclusive in the past years, it was a great in focus groups within the organization mix of students from a variety of backfor ideas and goal-setting. In order to grounds this year. This way, a wider array improve communication with the entire of ideas and opinions can be incorporated community, the SEC should ask for direct to accurately reflect the student body.

One way to guarantee that students in the SEC are passionate about being a part of student government is to create a prerequisite for the class. Students should be required to participate in the SEC for a semester as part of the class council first to get a better understanding of the class before becoming eligible for running for office. Middle schools may also offer this prerequisite class for incoming freshmen interested in running for student council positions. This way, students who run for elected office will understand what they are getting into and will be more likely to run because they are passionate about being a part of student government.

By reaching out to the entire student body, the SEC can not only fulfill its proposed goals, but also increase interest in the SEC for years to come. The SEC should continue to find ways to better communicate with the Gunn community both through social media outlets and on campus. Although the members in the SEC may change each year, the stronger framework will guarantee that the SEC will become a more influential force in school.

—Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the staff (assenting: 33; dissenting: 1; abstaining: 1)

Boot Bullwinkle After completing 16 laps around the sun, teenagers finally become eligible to get behind the wheels of a car and put the pedal to the metal. It’s in every teenager’s best interest to take advantage of every opportunity to drive because it gives them increased responsibility and freedom.

With a car, getting from Point A to Point B couldn’t be easier. For about $65, the average car can go between 400 to 500 miles, and a fuelefficient car could travel 600 miles for the same price. Instead of relying on parents or a bike, a person could get their homework before the next class, pick up lunch with some friends and avoid the California-style freezing mornings, scorching afternoons and rainy days.

It’s not cheap to go to a party without the escort of parental figures—gas, maintenance and food prices can dwindle a wallet rather expeditiously. Owning a car teaches a person to make sacrifices because they are responsible for the upkeep of a multi-thousand dollar luxury item. According to Laurence Steinburg, Ph.D., for Edmunds.com, when a teenager gets a car, he takes on many responsibilities similar to those of adults. It’s a valuable lesson to learn, and the resulting freedom of driving with the windows down and music playing is oh-so-enthralling.

Many people would say that having a car as a teenager is dangerous; there is no denying that. With different variables and distractions plaguing the driver from their at-

tention to the road, it is no wonder that six percent of 16 year olds are involved in car crashes each year. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, this is a figure that is 3.7 times greater than that of other age groups.

However, the other 94 percent of teenagers with cars who didn’t get into accidents are proof that teenagers do have the capability to be responsible young adults. Upon passing the driving test, teenagers earn the privilege to drive in trust that they won’t make reckless decisions like

disobeying traffic laws, texting while driving and driving under the influence. Most are responsible enough to be trusted with a two-ton automobile, and they should take advantage of this privilege.

Having a car opens up an enormous amount of opportunity for a teenager to grow and experience personal freedom and responsibility. Any teenager with access to a car should take full advantage of this privilege.

—Bullwinkle, a senior, is a Managing Editor.

CON

PRO

Owning a car during high school is beneficial for teenagers Catalina Zhao Many teenagers eagerly await their 16th birthday, when they reach eligibility to earn the coveted driver’s license.

The exhilarating feeling of freedom that comes with a new Toyota Corolla, music blasting out of

wang George H

open windows and jingling keys on a new lanyard are only some of the many appeals that bring teens to desire for their very own car. However, having a car as a teen has numerous downsides that outweigh its allure.

With the current economic struggles, many families try to spend less to cope with the nation’s financial situation. A teen who owns a car does not do the average American family’s budget any favors.

Teens have to pay for expensive gasoline,

maintenance and insurance, parking car fees and permits and the actual vehicle. A study by the American Automobile Association shows that the average yearly cost to own and operate a sedan or minivan is $9,000 while an SUV is more than $11,000.

Teenagers with cars have to worry about these hefty numbers, and even if one’s parents cover the costs, the expenses are still unreasonably steep for the family. No family wants to pay thousands of dollars for the costs associated with a teen car.

Apart from the financial burdens, having a car as a teen is dangerous. Driving inexperience, distractions and recklessness cause teens to break traffic laws and regulations designed for their safety, often resulting in fatal accidents. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, 16- to 19-year-old drivers “have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age group.” The National Vital Statistics System also revealed that motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of teenage death. No matter how safe a teenage driver is, he or she is in potential danger of hurting others or being hurt by other drivers.

Although advocates of teen ownership may argue that having a car helps teens become more responsible, there are multiple other venues for teens to take on responsibility. Teens can become more accountable and mature through less risky activities such as taking a job, starting a club or organizing a community event.

They do not have to start driving a car at such a young age for more responsibility.

Teenagers should not jump to wanting a car as soon as they receive their license.

Before taking the new car for a drive, a teen should first consider the financial and safety drawbacks that come with the car.

—Zhao, a junior, is a News Editor.

Monday, September 17, 2012

7

Hasty Facebook posts hurt others

The Editorial Cartoon

Chaewon Lee

George Hwang

Schoology deserves stamp of approval Ben Atlas While the networking system for student-teacher interaction has been in relative turmoil over the last few years, Schoology provides a ray of hope with its unprecedented simplicity.

Implemented this current school year, Schoology is a Learning Management System (LMS) used to provide access to grades, announcements, calendars, assignments and a host of other tools for students, teachers and parents. The system’s simple interface, impressive track record and low cost make it superior to other systems used in the past.

Founded in 2009, Schoology fused the concept of social networking with online interaction. Schoology’s defining feature is its Facebook-esque layout.

Modeled after the hugely popular Internet giant, its intended audience will find it easier to use than its precursors at Gunn, such as Blackboard Academic Suite (InClass). Schoology has a messaging service nearly identical to that of Facebook’s, a similar notification system and a profile page for each course and teacher. Each course’s profile page gives the student some rudimentary information about the course and more importantly, hosts any number of documents the teacher posts online. Teachers are

also able to alert students of any updates through Schoology’s own notification system. The teacher’s profile page also provides basic personal information as well as contact info. These features make it more appealing to students who are much more likely to use a more recognized layout. Regardless of the content, a website that is ultimately not used due to its lack of visual appeal or ease of ac-

cess is of less worth than one of mediocre content but extensive appeal and extensive usage.

Schoology’s track record and content are certainly at or above the standard past systems have set. Already encompassing nearly one million users over about 18,000 schools in three years, it has grown by an average of a third of a million each year, illustrating its grow-

ing popularity. This is similar to Infinite Campus, which boasts a growth rate of 330,000 new users per year. While Schoology’s effectiveness at Gunn is yet to be proven, its extensive track record seems prescient of success. Schoology’s growing popularity shows that it is meeting more educator’s standards than what an LMS normally entails.

On InClass, users often experienced a deficiency of teacher-student interaction.

Teachers almost never made personalized messages to a student or group of students. On Schoology, such action is the norm. A calendar is made out so that each assignment a teacher adds will be added to his or her students’ calendars. Students can even add comments on assignments, which can help to clarify any uncertainties about a piece of homework or other document.

Since Schoology is significantly newer than other systems, it comes at a cheaper price. It costs only $500 to brand the LMS to a school district, which is nothing compared to InClass’ costs which exceeded ng $10,000. a w ge H Given Schoology’s Geor ease of use, proven track record, interactive nature and low cost, the budding company is a good investment for Gunn. It is able to simplify and almost sugarcoat concepts present in Infinite Campus and InClass through its cutting-edge interface. As a combination of social networking and learning management, Schoology integrates enjoyment and education into a single medium for student use.

—Atlas, a junior, is a Sports Editor.

I’m fairly certain that when Mark Zuckerberg created the social media network Facebook, he didn’t mean for it to become what it is for many teens now: a battlefield for popularity. During a time heavily influenced by technology, teens are constantly on Facebook checking their News Feeds and updating their statuses to make sure they make their mark on online history. Consequently, they spend a lot of time pruning their online-selves to appear as perfect as possible.

However, what they do carelessly on the website may instead hurt others or even themselves. The two major Facebook follies? Recklessly posting everything in the heat of the moment and being insulting while trying to be funny.

Teenagers are often so confident in the delete and edit buttons that they post embarrassing or harmful words online without really thinking.

They forget that even five minutes of exposure is enough time for hundreds of people to see their post. Students who reveal information carelessly usually do so in the heat of their anger, happiness, sadness, or other strong emotions. For example, people caught up in anger against each other often have degrading verbal fights on Facebook that are completely open for outside parties to see. Accusations bounce back and forth in full view of the online public, and by the next day, everyone at school knows who dumped whom, who pranked whom, etc. Not only is such lack of privacy potentially embarrassing, it becomes fodder for juicy gossip. To avoid such situations, it’s important to stay off of Facebook when not in full control of our emotions.

The obsession with being popular on the social media site has also led to a lot of cyber bullying, intentional or otherwise. Because being funny is seen as the golden ticket to achieving popularity, many students take advantage of Facebook to increase the audience for their witty jokes or sarcastic comments. However, there’s a fine line between being funny and hurtful, and it’s hard to stay on the funny side. Because talking online is physically detached, it’s impossible to see how one’s words affect others. Teasing between friends especially, can become hostile on the Internet.

I experienced this firsthand when one of my friends thought that it would be funny to spread an embarrassing video of me on Facebook. The video was of an unsuspecting me failing miserably at dancing to Kpop at a karaoke party. Of course the video, titled with the caption, “This is what Chaewon does when she skips church,” was sent to all my close friends and recorded completely without my knowledge. When I found out about this not-so-funny joke a few days after the party, I was powerless to take it down because I didn’t post it; untagging myself didn’t help at all either because the video was still viewable by my friends. Needless to say, I didn’t talk to the videographer for quite awhile, and she learned that seconds of online funniness are not worth two months of the silent treatment.

At the end of the day, popularity on the internet is not worth hurting others or ourselves.

And contrary to what many teenagers believe, popularity isn’t worth everything. What people really care about when they make friends are traits like niceness, friendliness, and honesty among many others.

Facebook doesn’t need to leave a sour taste in its young users’ mouths; all people need to do is think before they post.

—Lee, a junior, is a Features Editor.

George Hwang

8

Forum

Celebrity lives too over hyped

Open education supplements classes Ben Atlas

Mitch Donat The popular culture of actors, musicians, politicians and more has exploded in the 21st century. It seems anyone can act in a film or spit an insulting comment and find themselves on the cover of People Magazine the next day. These numerous celebrities undoubtedly have a greater and greater influence on society and on especially teenagers, than ever before. I’m embarrassed when a friend mentions something Lil’ Wayne did at the VMAs that I’m completely unaware of. But on the other hand, I’m quite proud of my ignorance, because I’m not spending my time absorbing what the media thinks about popular people.

The way people in society, especially teenagers, model themselves after the next TV star disappoints me. Fanboys and fangirls everywhere should stop dreaming about celebrities because it is a waste of time, a negative influence on our community as a whole and a burden on our generation.

Frankly, these hardcore followers of celebrities are wasting precious hours of their time absorbing pointless information. They are wasting hours every day watching celebrities on TV and reading about them in magazines rather than engaging in productive activities.

Spending hours stalking a favorite celebrity is a blatant waste of the time that is so valuable to high-schoolers. According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) administered in 2012, Americans spend around 2.8 hours a day watching TV, accounting for half of the leisurely time available for those 15 years and older. In the same survey, the BLS found that Americans spend on average seven minutes a day reading. These statistics about what modern Americans do for leisure are sickening.

Teenagers idolizing celebrities is seriously detrimental to society. Role models are great—they provide as guides for how one wants to see themselves later on in life.

Of course, countless celebrities would make great role models for our generation—many are intelligent, clean and moral people, from singers such as Taylor Swift to figures like Barack Obama. However, this is besides the point—I’m not seeing people in our generation idolizing themselves after people like these.

We aren’t dressing like them, acting as mature as them, or making beautiful music like them.

Our generation needs to be more picky when choosing its role models. Simply put, it makes us look bad. When our elders see us screaming down the streets fist-pumping and yelling “YOLO” because we saw Drake and Snooki do it, we look like poorly educated children, brainwashed by the media. Celebrity hypebeasts are absorbing this negative influence, often at much younger ages, which makes each generation look worse than the previous.

People everywhere need to turn off the television, put down the magazine and stop obsessing over the latest celebrity news and gossip. These are our teenage years—I don’t want to look back when I’m 26 and say I spent my days obsessing over boy bands. Teenagers obsessing over celebrities and what they wear or how they act will never help an individual conquer insecurities and problems or guide him through his teenage years—it will do just the opposite.

—Donat, a junior, is a Sports Editor.

New standards of convenience created by the Internet have brought about a new style of teaching: open education. A free, Internet-based means of teaching, open education provides a way for students to learn, practice and review concepts they have been taught in class. It is a useful tool because it greatly supplements the knowledge of students who are struggling as well as those excelling.

Organizations such as Khan Academy and edX have enormous potent ia l to a id conventional teaching processes.

Students of all academic levels commonly struggle with one concept or another.

A teacher’s explanation is often inadequate for some students, and time to clarify concepts that are unclear is limited.

Open education’s wide range of quickly accessible information can stabilize a student’s shaky or missing knowledge.

It can also help compensate for missed lectures and especially challenging material by providing an alternative source with similar, or sometimes more in-depth instruction.

Open education’s usefulness is not only

I am a shameless teacher shopper. I consider it a badge of pride to have fought for a better schedule every year of high school. Sometimes I am unsuccessful, but when I am, it makes all the difference. A great teacher turned a subject I thought I hated into my intended major in college. A bad teacher made a class I was excited about, concerning a subject I love, unbearable.

Of course, it is rarely so black and white.

Freshman year, I was told that if I “worked hard, and played by the rules,” I could be anything I wanted to be. I imagined Gunn as a land of interesting class discussions, with peers as intellectually curious as I am. But I was quickly discouraged. For the

for students who are struggling or falling behind in their classes; Those who excel have the opportunity to move beyond course materials to be challenged by new ones and confront a higher education.

Open education is a tool that can remove a teacher’s burden of lecturing rudimentary information. One of its eventual goals is to replace the baseline textbook lectures with videos that can be viewed on the students’ own time before or after coming to class.

The teacher can then provide individual mentorship and guidance to each individual at his or

her own pace rather than giving a rough median level of instruction to the group.

Opponents of open education often warn of Internet-based teaching becoming a crutch for educator, and replacing the human element of teaching. This can be easily avoided as long as videos are used as a supplement, replacing baseline lectures rather than personalized instruction. Thus, the human element of teaching is expanded upon since time is freed up to deal with students individually, rather

most part, my teachers were great, but I felt my classes did not reach my expectations. I learned through trial-anderror and adapted my Gunn experience to fit me. One of the many ways I did so was through teacher shopping.

Gunn students are told from a young age that the world is their oyster. We are told we can do anything we set our minds to, and we intend to do so. We work hard to maximize our academic success, beyond homework and studying. We ask older students for their advice, we use Facebook groups, and we constantly exchange information about classes. And, we teacher shop.

We know which teachers are better than others. To

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. Your name and grade may be selected for printing.

than instructing multiple levels of knowledge at once.

This novel form of education is not limited to elementary and secondary grade levels. Rather, it is primarily used on college campuses. Top universities, including Harvard, University of California at Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have begun to post lectures and course material online in video format. These videos are available to any student or Internet user in a coalition called edX. edX’s system provides a means to upload materials in a format that gives an entire classroom experience online. While these lectures are not yet mainstream enough to make complete virtual collegiate instruction a reality, the technology shows promise in coming years.

Through the accessibility provided by the Internet, it is possible for virtual learning to become a useful tool in schooling from earlier grades to higher education. Considering the benefits to both a student’s comprehension and the effectiveness of inst r uction, teachers George Hwang should be encouraged to include forms of open education in their classes. While there are educators at Gunn who post notes and lectures online, those that do so in video format remain a minority. To encourage the usage of online-based education at Gunn, the administration should continue to provide the means and structure for teachers to shift materials to the Internet.

Open education has enormous untapped potential to ability to transform the way curriculum is delivered.

—Atlas, a junior, is a Sports Editor.

pretend we do not know the difference is insulting to a system that strives for excellence. To attempt to prevent students from trying their hardest to improve t heir education is demeaning. The effects of a bad teacher on your future classes, sanity level and unfortunately, GPA, make it all too important to be in the right classes. To expect us to hunker down without a fight in a dysfunctional class is unrealistic.

Gunn students are simply too ambitious to put up with a temperamental, irresponsible or unorganized teacher.

Great teachers show a respect for their course and displaya a contagious, intellectual vitality. Don’t put us down when we’re willing to maxi-

mize our potential.

We are applauded for the work we put in to get to the best college, where we will study under the best professors and receive the best education. Why should high school be any different? We are applauded for taking the most challenging course load but chided for finding the best teachers from whom to learn that content. Why do we believe that content is more important than passion and style? I believe they go hand in hand and that one without the other is useless.

What is the best preparation for life after high school? A passion for learning, I say.

—Submitted by senior Sarah Dukes-Schlossberg.

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 and Comments and ideas for coverage may be sent to gunnoracle@yahoo.com or posted on our Facebook page. These letters need not be from current students.

Features

Monday, September 17, 2012

9

Courtesy of Blaze Lee

From left to right: Lee concentrates while playing the basson, Lee and Chen perform , Aiken plays the french horn during a symphony wide practice, Sinha watches the conductor practices percussion and plays the triangle, Chen and Lee in deep thought while working on a piece for the concert.

Gunn musicians perform in New Zealand for CYS Anna Qin managing editor

Playing music is no easy task, especially when traveling halfway around the world to do it. With luggage in one hand and instrument in the other, seniors Tim Aiken, Blaze Lee, Curran Sinha, junior Isabella Costanza, sophomore Lawrence Chen and alumnus ’12 Kabir Gill traveled to New Zealand along with 106 members of the California Youth Symphony (CYS) this summer, performing a total of five concerts.

For Sinha, the trip was a chance to test out perfoming and traveling as a professional. “We had to deal with carrying all the equipment and having a concert every other day,” he said.

A grueling 13-hour flight led the musical group to Auckland, New Zealand, where they put on their first performance just two days after arrival. Even though the trip was mandatory for all CYS musicians, many were ex-

cited nonetheless at the prospect of exploring and performing music in another country. “I was excited to go to New Zealand, because of its beautiful scenery and for the chance to play for a foreign audience,” Lee said.

And perform for the New Zealand audiences they did, but not without showing some American flare first. To celebrate the Fourth of July, CYS welcomed the United States Ambassador to New Zealand with a concert, creating some of the musicians’ favorite memories. “My favorite musical memory was basically sight-reading Stars and Stripes for our July 4th concert,” Sinha said.

In addition to the patriotic repertoire, CYS also performed works by Ravel, Copland, Tchaïkowsky and Strauss.

The most important aspect of the trip, was the music exchange at the end. From Auckland to Rotorua, and then to Christchurch City, CYS had the opportunity to perform music with local, indigenous cultures such as

the Maori and also with local youth orchestras and music groups.

“One thing that I really loved about playing with the [music groups] was seeing all the things we had in common,” Lee said. “It’s easy for us to point out the differences in our cultures, but inside, we’re all just young people discovering ourselves through music.”

While, according to Sinha, there were difficulties in communication and in practice, he feels that the different orchestras were able to overcome their differences and put together a solid performance.

“The New Zealand group was much smaller,” he said. “The performances were a little [difficult] because [there were] just so many people playing at once, but overall it went well. Music is universal, so it wasn’t too hard to play together.”

Playing with the various different groups left similar impressions on other musicians, including Costanza. She described the experi-

ance of playing with the quotation, “music is the universal language of mankind.”

“Music really ties us all together, as cheesy as that sounds,” she said, remarking at the cliché. “But it was amazing for me how I could relate to people I had never met before through the simple act of playing my violin.

Even though we did not always understand each other when we were having conversations, whenever we rehearsed, there was never any misunderstanding about where to start or what people’s musical ideas were.”

That’s not to say though that the musicians didn’t indulge in activities outside of music. From Nintendo DS gaming sessions to swimming, to hanging out with friends and even experiencing a mini-earthquake, the trip was a chance to relax and create new, strong friendships for many. “I made a lot of friendships and connections that I hope will last as I continue being a musician,” Costanza said.

Artist of the Month: senior Ivy Sanders-Schneider

The Oracle: Why did you start painting?

Ivy Sanders-Schneider: I’ve been drawing since I would hold a Crayola marker. When I was younger, my attention span was much shorter, and I would get frustrated with my art easily, so I never finished anything and didn’t really improve. When I was around 13 or 14, I started to work through trouble spots in my paintings and keep going even if it wasn’t turning out how I planned. I started making finished pieces and actually liking them, which motivated me to keep painting and improving.

TO: What is your proudest piece?

ISS: My proudest piece is a ceramic bust of a minotaur I made this summer. It was a challenge because I hadn’t done much construction with clay before, and I had a relatively short amount of time to work on it. But in the end, it turned out well. The pieces that I’m most proud of were always a struggle to create.

TO: Would you consider pursuing painting as a career?

ISS: I wouldn’t pursuer a career as a gallery artist, but I hope to work in design and illustration. Whatever I do, I want a job that is artistic and creative.

TO: What do you like most about painting?

ISS: I like everything about painting. I get really into planning and conceptualizing pieces, but my favorite part is that once I have an idea, and I have the basic composition down, I can just paint and zone out. It’s very calming and therapeutic.

TO: What is most difficult about painting?

ISS: Finishing a painting. I don’t think that art is ever ‘done,’ so eventually I just have to make the choice to stop working. If I don’t make myself back off, I’ll reach a certain point where every little correction I make starts messing up larger areas of the work.On the other hand, sometimes it’s good to keep going and experiment, which is why it’s hard to decide when to quit.

TO: How has painting affected you?

ISS: I think of everything in terms of art. I’ll see some kids sitting on a bench and think what a nice composition it is and how I wish I had my sketchbook, so I could remember it for later. I think that painting has made me a better worker. It has improved my focus, my attention to detail and my ability to stick with a project even if it’s not going the way I want.

It has also taught me to experiment and take risks.

TO: What types of things do you like to paint?

ISS: I love drawing people becuase the human body offers so much information that I can really take advantage of as an artist. I can examine a person’s face and do a full portrait or detailed studies of hands and feet or do quick gesture sketches to capture movement or a painting focusing on how light and shadow interact with the body. When it comes to drawing and painting people, there are infinite options. Plus, you can always find a person to draw. I also enjoy drawing animals because you can distort them, do a caricature or alter their colors, but as long as you have the basic structure down, they will continue to be recognizable.

TO: What has painting taught you?

ISS: Painting made me become more observant and less judgmental when it comes to deciding what is beautiful. I do life drawing, which can be either be drawing or painting from a live model. When doing that, you have to be able to see what the model really looks like and put away any preconceived notions about beauty, so that you can render the models as they are, not how they should be.

—Compiled by Eileen Qian

Features

THEORACLE

SCIENCE

Eleventh-year teacher Vashti Srinivas has big plans and expectations for her first year as a new Biology 1 and Biology 1A teacher.

Srinivas has found that there is a large spectrum of academic capabilities, even in one class. “Some students in my classes have special needs so [my job] is challenging, but ultimately, it is rewarding,” she said.

As a teacher, Srinivas feels that she is firm, but still caring and understanding. “I try to be open and flexible because I want to give students the most opportunities to be successful,” she said. “Being rigid is not my style.”

This year, Srinivas wants to focus on opening up the world of science to all her students and letting them connect to their unique environment.

“There is so much exciting science happening here in Silicon Valley,” she said. “I want [the students] to embrace the privilege of living here and be inspired to explore careers in high tech.”

Kenneth Perotti

New special education teacher Trista Loewen’s decision to teach came as a result of a rare life changing experience. After being diagnosed with a series of medical issues, she underwent three brain surgeries and learned to walk again using a walker. “[The experience] made me realize that I needed to stop being so selfish and help others,” she said.

Being thought of as “different” majorly inf luenced her subject choice. “I wanted to help others who felt they were labeled as different because I have the rare perspective of being able to relate and know what it truly feels like to have that label,” Loewen said.

“Making my kids learn is the goal,” she said. “I’d like to make a difference in people’s lives. Whether it’s one kid or 25 kids, as long as I can make a positive difference, then I’m good.”

Special education teacher Kenneth Perrotti found his love for teaching after substituting for high school classes to pay off bills. “I really enjoyed working with young people, teaching kids, specifically in Special Ed,” he said. “I was a Special Ed student myself so I feel like I can really identify with a lot of the kids that I teach.”

According to Perrotti, his school years were very difficult for him.

“I [was] the kid who had to take classes in the other room where ‘those kids’ went for their classes,” he said. “We are all very lucky that the way in which we deliver Special Ed services has changed drastically since the late 80s and early 90s when I was a student in elementary school and junior high.”

Perotti is also an assistant football coach on campus. “Coaching is my hobby and consumes most of my free time,” he said.

H

IS GL

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Vashti Srinivas

Trista Loewen

SPECIAL EDUCATION

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H

IS GL

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Karen Vanuska

Kathryn Pomilia

A mother of three and an avid traveler, English teacher Karen Vanduska easily passes as the average American. However, first impressions can be deceiving. Previously, Vanuska was an intelligence analyst for the National Security Agency.

Vanuska monitored Soviet submarine movements as part of the Cold War, and eventually moved on to code breaking and ciphers during the first Iraq and Kuwait war. “Whenever you watch spy movies, you always see the people in offices scrambling to get information,” Vanuska said.

“I was one of those people.” However, Vanuska has had a few spy-worthy moments of her own, including being approached by the KGB with a subtle offer to become a double agent.

After realizing the full extent of the war’s damages, Vanuska decided to put her life as a spy behind her and pursue her passion for teaching. “There were people truly frightened for their lives,” she said. “It felt like we were playing with people. We had all this technology, but we weren’t making lives any better, so I decided to go on and try to do something that would make a difference.”

To English teacher Kathryn Pomilia, literature is so much more than just English; it’s her “partner for life.” According to the Californian native, literature gives people the ability to observe and analyze life on a deeper level. “[English] gives you the tools to analyze not only the characters of literature but also the characters of the world around you,” she said. “[It] is essential to understanding the world around us.”

In addition to teaching her students to view literature differently, Pomilia hopes to instill in them a sincere appreciation for the art of writing.

“Writing evokes emotion in us that other art forms (I don’t think) can,” she said. “The way words fit together and make us feel is so profound.”

However, Pomilia believes that she won’t be the only one teaching in her English classes. “At Gunn, there is such an elevated spirit of inquiry and enthusiasm for learning. Every class has a different personality and something new to teach me,” she said. “I’m so excited to not only teach my students but to also learn from them. I couldn’t be happier to be in their company every day.”

Features

Monday, September 17, 2012

Allison Berry

New special education teacher Teryn Allen recently moved to Palo Alto after leaving a teaching post in Southern California. “I was really excited to live in Palo Alto,” Allen said. “I really like the energy, I like the kids, and I like being a teacher.”

As Allen previously taught at a school with a very different environment, coming here was a huge change for her. “I was a high school teacher but at an all boy’s school,” Allen said. “It’s a nice change to see kids in their normal, boy-girl setting.” She is very enthusiastic about the more integrated community and is enjoying the Gunn experience so far.

When she is not teaching, Allen enjoys playing sports and watching basketball, especially college basketball. Overall, she loves being outdoors and active. “I love to run, and hike and be outdoors,” Allen said. “I also like to read.”

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Teryn Allen

The school’s first academic communication teacher Allison Berry moved here to experience something new. “Basically what [academic communication] is, is how to be successful in the classroom,” she said. “But it is often the things that aren’t taught, for example how to work in a pair, how to work in a group, or how to be a good listener.”

The campus’s size was one of the biggest changes for Berry. “I am really impressed with Gunn so far,” she said. “It is a really big campus but people have been really friendly so far so it doesn’t feel as big as it actually is.”

When Berry is not teaching, she enjoys many different outdoor and indoor activities. “I love taking my chihuahua on walks,” Berry said. “I like to journal, I like to write things down. I like to listen to music and go to concerts. I also like to go to museums and look at art.”

Bryan Miguel New face Bryan Miguel teaches U.S. Government and World History. Miguel’s first thoughts of the school altogether were positive.

“I thought the campus was huge, and I was really impressed with the resources and the materials available to students and staff,” he said. After a few weeks on campus, his opinion has improved even more. “Gunn’s great, I really like all the teachers, especially the ones in the history department.”

Miguel was previously a business major before changing his career course. “I love history, and in high school the teachers weren’t really stoking that fire, so I felt like I could do it a lot better,” he said.

According to Miguel, he enjoys activites like kayaking and hiking and is a fan of the San Francisco Giants. “I love anything to do with outdoors or sports,” he said. “I can see myself coaching baseball, maybe not this year, but definitely in the future.”

WORLD LANGUAGE

Kristina Granlund New Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) teacher and Gunn Robotics Team (GRT) teacher Kristina Granlund received news of her hiring just two days before school started.

Thus, she faced her first challenge of the year: preparing for class on short notice.

According to Granlund, her new job came on to her radar after a friend of hers whose child was on GRT mentioned to her that the team needed a supervisor. The school’s strong reputation and a visit to a GRT summer training program convinced her that Team 192 was the right place for her. “I was watching [GRT] working, and I thought, ‘Wow, this is totally awesome!’” she said.

As a new teacher, Granlund aims to focus most on adapting to changes. “There definitely will be a big learning curve for me this year,” she said.

Regardless of the career paths students want to take, Granlund believes that the subjects math, engineering and science can be valuable to everyone. “[The subjects] can help you in organizing ideas and decision making,” she said.

“They help form life skills.”

Chinese teacher Li Yuan He is teaching Chinese I this year. Just last year, He began teaching at Palo Alto High School. The new teacher currently works at both Paly and Gunn, but neither her busy schedule nor the schools’ rivalry prevent her from pursuing her goals in education. “I heard about an avposition at Gunn, and I wanted to teach [at Gunn] because I want to comLi Yuan ailable bine the two Chinese programs,” He said.

He She aims to encourage her students to communicate in real life Chinesespeaking contexts. “I consider students’ multiple learning styles and design activities that meet their individual need,” she said.

He developed her teaching style while tutoring Chinese in college, when she noticed the effectiveness of communicating ideas in a foreign language. Students responded positively to her techniques, sparking He’s desire to spread her knowledge to others.

MATH “Math was not always my favorite subject,” new math teacher Megan Stauffer admits.

However, after high school, she went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from St. Mary’s College, and a master’s degree in secondary mathematics education from Towson Megan University.

Stauffer Previously, Stauffer was involved in developing geometry curriculum and helping other teachers incorporate it into their lessons at Dundalk High School in Baltimore, Maryland.

“Within the realm of math, geometry is my passion,” she said. “It is a really fun math subject to teach because there are a lot of hands-on activities involved.”

Stauffer currently teaches Algebra 1 and Geometry A, and has enjoyed her first few weeks in the new environment. She loves that Gunn has many female math teachers. “It’s important that young women see that women are good at math and that you can do anything you set your mind to,” Stauffer said.

In her free time, Stauffer enjoys being active and outdoors, doing activities like biking, hiking and sailing.

She also grew up dancing, leading to her developing interest in yoga.

-Compiled by Lawrence Chen, Misheel Enkhbat, Chaewon Lee, Henry Siu, Klaire Tan, Regina Tran, Zoe Weisner, Emily Yao and Stephanie Zhang

Graphics by Jasmine Garnett and George Hwang

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12

Cente

Former adviser reflects on change

Carol Kuiper As a former The Oracle adviser, I have enjoyed following the changes the current staff has made expanding coverage and updating design while staying constant to its purpose of being the voice of Gunn students.

This same mission grounded the amazing editorsin-chief and their staffs of the past. Sivan and Tanya, Margaret Wong and Nicholas Kaestner; Amy Wong, Sarah Naimark, Krysia Zajonc, Jenny Blake, John Taylor, Selene and Cindy, Stephanie Zhou devoted their talent, hearts and souls to The Oracle during their year at the helm. Among scarcely 1,000 editors-in-chief nationwide each year, these gifted student leaders acquired the skills, raised the standards, provided the vision and built the teams needed to produce a vital student newspaper.

The purpose of the paper remains; producing the paper has changed. Then The Oracle was composed on computers shared with the Math Department in Mrs. Cooper’s MacLab. It ran from 12 to 16 pages designed and pasted up by hand. Stories were printed in columns and laboriously laid out on poster-sized sheets of paper with blue grid lines. Light boards—bulky boxes lighted from below—allowed editors to see grid lines and margins, as they cut and pasted with hot glue. Always the clock was ticking. Would their camera-ready pages be out the door and delivered to the printer in San Jose by midnight deadlines?

With grants from the Site Council, staffs transformed the paper to a digitally designed and electronically published paper. To improve content and design, the staff attended National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) conventions and entered competitions. News, editorial, feature, sports writing, design and lay-out, photo and political cartoon competitions and the newspaper as a whole were judged—most years winning ribbons and Honorable Mentions. With support from the Student Council and Student Activities Director Mr. Nik, the Oracle published its first color spreads.

I have many treasured memories of the years spent with The Oracle staff as we grappled with the trivial and the momentous. One unforgettable incident was the staff’s response to 9/11. This national tragedy struck the morning of our last day of production. Setting aside their own shock and dismay, the staff assembled that afternoon of a single mind: tear up the paper, redesign the front page and report what 9/11 meant to Gunn students.

The tragedy 3,000 miles away gained immediacy and poignancy as the staff learned that Gunn High School had been touched in personal ways: A Gunn teacher’s mother living so close to the chaos that her apartment was filled with the dust from pulverized debris; a student in Gunn’s first graduating class lost in the collapsing towers. Through the long night, the staff worked to interpret 9/11’s meaning for our community and put a human face on the news that had shaken our nation.

The Oracle will continue to change and reinvent itself. Amid the change, the constant will be that the paper will write the stories that the Gunn community needs and wants to read. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

—Kuiper, a retired teacher, is a past adviser.

Welcom e to the 50th Vo The Ora

cle revisits past staff to reminisce

“What I liked most about The Oracle was the opportunity to connect and work with all kinds of people - to get their voices out there not only to inform, but also to inspire and incite.”

“Being on staff taught me patience, continual self-reflection, teamwork and the incredible value people can create when they care.”

“I promise I didn’t play favorites as an editor, but as a writer, I enjoyed Features most.”

“Production was always super fun. We had a big orange monkey, and people would put hats on him.

Stuffed animals were a great Oracle tradition.”

“Oracle taught me how to speak in front of a group, how to lead people, and how to get people to communicate effectively with each other.”

“ b b a p p g w

Jon Proctor, EIC 2009-2010

Gea Kang, EIC 2006-2007

The Histor

The Oracle’s first issue was circulated on Gunn’s opening day, Sept. 14, 1964 and was only four pages long.

In 1965, if a reporter misspelled a student’s name, the wronged student could file a complaint, and the responsible reporter would be obliged to buy the student a 10 cent food item, beverage or school supply.

The Oracle began publishing daily on May 9, 1965, becoming the mid-Peninsula’s only noncollegiate morning daily newspaper.

erfold

Monday, September 17, 2012

e l c a r O e h Volume of T

per a p s w e n e y of th e about t he histor

“Being The Oracle adviser is like being a coach. Just like coaching baseball, score is being kept and after two weeks, there is a tangible product. It was a thrill to have 70 plus young people all pulling together on a Thursday afternoon to win the game.”

Tim Farrell, Adviser 1981-1989

“I was most proud of a special issue we did called “Youth ‘79”. We had a bunch of different articles about different issues facing young people, and we got professional help in laying out and producing the paper so it looked very sharp. The day we published that issue I heard that some teachers were making it required reading for their classes—The Oracle became someone’s homework! That made me proud, because I figured it must be pretty good!”

“From my experience at The Oracle, I learned how fun it could be to work hard and produce something you can be proud of. We put a lot of hours into the Oracle, and I loved walking around the campus the day we’d publish an issue and see people reading it.”

Alan Eagle, EIC 1979-1980

ry of

The Daily Oracle’s last issue was on May 19, 1965, canceled only ten days after its conception.

For April fools in 1982, The Oracle circulated the “Crapanile”, after Paly’s own newspaper Campanile, on Paly’s Campus.

Former reporter Jessica Yu won an academy award for a documentary called “Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien” and received an Oscar for “The Conductor” and “Sour Death Balls”.

—Compiled by Klaire Tan

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Current EIC inspired by legacy

Utkash Dubey Every parent likes to emphasize that first-world commodities like clean water, electricity and a stable home are privileges. These privileges are the results of invaluable ingenuity and hard labor, but getting that feeling first hand that many things were established before me is an incredible yet daunting experience. This was my thought process as I flipped through the pages of the very first issues of the best student publication in the whole wide world: The Oracle.

As Editor-In-Chief (EIC) of The Oracle, it’s at least a bit important that I know how our paper and the organization has changed over the last few years. Sure, I know a thing or two about the last few EICs: it seems the majority of them were academically inclined girls, there’s this notorious Stanford streak that didn’t seem to end and, most importantly, they each added something new to the publication. Case in point, The Oracle logo on the front page was once a dated, chunky, pixelated mess. Linda Yu, the 2010-2011 EIC had that changed for the better.

But when I explored the archives in the back of the library—temperature and light controlled room full of mystery—the feeling of “how lucky you have it” sunk in and suddenly almost 50 years of history felt like a totally different era. This publication changes so much, both structurally and visibly over the years. The contributions and hours and hours of work put into establishing a staple source of news shone through the delicate yellow pages of the very first 1964 issue, when The Oracle was just a short newsletter compared to the professional approach I see today.

It’s clear that I am no big-shot when it comes to this paper. The hundreds—maybe thousands—of past writers, photographers, graphic designers, advisers and editors puts me in a situation where I doubt that I have even done anything “real” for The Oracle yet. For example, the paper used to come out on a biweekly basis. Every two weeks, sets of eight pages would come fresh from an old-fashioned printing press and be handed to students. Structurally, staff at one point was a combination of a few general editors, a sports editor, photographers and graphic artist who drew by hand and of course, reporters. Now The Oracle is a monthly issue spanning from 24 to 32 pages in length, and there are multiple editors for each of The Oracle’s six sections. The bottom line is a lot of work was put into creating and improving this paper in the past—but now it’s my turn to give it my all and see what I can contribute.

I had a strong feeling of history when I was done perusing the old issues; in retrospect, I really have contributed close to nothing compared to past editors and staff members (so far). For you math geeks, think of a progress over time graph as being f(x) = ln(x) + 10—I feel like I’m around x = 100. I felt connected to every staff member The Oracle was privileged to have, as if I was just a descendant in the grand scheme of things and I was discovering my ancestry. It’s a strange metaphor, yes, but suddenly I felt as if I was a part of an enormous and very rich family history.

I’m aware it’s incredibly cliche for me to say so, but this was an eye-opener. With this experience in mind, I feel all the more driven to pursue perfection with the staff and really contribute to a great paper. Oh, and if you do decide to check out the old issues, do handle them with care, “the binding is fragile.”

—Dubey, a senior, is Editor-inChief.

Graphics by Jasmine Garnett

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Features

THEORACLE

New Staff on Campus Erin Keplinger

Mental health therapist Erin Keplinger provides more than just typical counseling services to the students. While working at schools in San Mateo and Foster City, the Palo Alto native has gained the trust of many teenagers under her guidance.

She maintains her success as a therapist by attempting to empathize with her students. Her focus is on being as accommodating as possible when she works.

“In this profession I feel that I can help people find solutions to their problems,” Keplinger said.

Keplinger teaches various methods of coping in the Therapeutic Elective Component (TEC) class, an elective course which aids students in changing the way they view unpleasant situations in their lives. “Since students learn in many different ways I try to make my teaching as interactive as possible,” Keplinger said. “Just like learning anything else, practice is key.”

According to Keplinger, skills taught in the course include help students focus on regulating their emotions, improving communication skills and change destructive behavior.

Brien Arakaki

Xin Yue Gong

New library assistant Xin Yue Gong’s journey from China to the United States eventually led her to this campus. However, throughout her travels, one constant she had in her life was her love for the library.

Gong grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Beijing, China. When she was fifteen, her family moved to Canada where she grew up as an only child. In school, Gong focused her studies on computer science and math. “High school was a blur for me,” Gong said. “But I remember that I always enjoyed our Library very much.”

To Gong, the library is an enjoyable tight communal area. “Seeing everyone in a library and be a part of a big connected group is really rewarding,” Gong said.

She is now using her love of the library for her career.

Gong has interned at many libraries including the East Palo Alto Library and Stanford Education library. According to Gong, however, she enjoys being at Gunn the most. “I just love to see this place being filled up,” Gong said. “It does not matter what you’re here to do, but the library just becomes a very lively place and a community living room for Gunn students.”

Jessica Oei

Most people may know Assistant Athletic Director Brien Arakaki as the diving coach or athletic trainer, but Arakaki has taken on many new responsibilities in his latest role this year.

“I help the current athletic director (AD)/admin be the medium between athletes and coaches,” he said. “I work hand-in-hand with Sarah [Stapp] to make sure all sports run smoothly. We make sure each team get the requested facilities, proper coverage and most of the time, schedule the best officials.”

Arakaki’s other jobs have helped prepare him for his new job. “The roles of athletic trainer and Athletic Director actually follow along [a] very similar [path] in administrative work,” he said. “The paperwork is the same so everything that I already have to do is already there.”

Regardless of his daunting schedule, Arakaki is determined make positive changes. “My biggest goal this year is to not only to assist with the current AD, Sarah Stapp, and the administrative staff, but also help build the Gunn High School Athletic Program, as well as to keep the current coaches and stu dent-athletes happy,” he said.

Ever since she was in high school, guidance counselor Jessica Oei knew that she wanted to dedicate her life to helping students. After graduating with an English major from the University of Southern California, Oei decided to pursue her love for student-teacher interaction in Hungary, where she taught for two years.

Later, she returned to Los Angeles, where she taught English.

Through teaching, Oei rekindled her love for aiding students. Oei, however, ultimately decided to leave teaching behind to pursue counseling full time.

Although the counseling process seems arduous, for Oei, the results of her hard work make it worth it. “Helping my students, making them feel comfortable and supporting them while they navigate through school is definitely one of the most rewarding factors of counseling,” she said. Oei also enjoyes helping the foreign exchange students here, “It’s fun to see new students from around the world come into our school and be accepted, and to see them make friends,” Oei said.

So far, Oei is enjoying her time in her new environment. “There’s a lot of energy in high school, especially here,” she said. “Students are very motivated and want to get a good education.”

Kim Hales

Laila Adle

This year, the school is welcoming Speech Therapist Kim Hales as a new member of the staff. Hales, however, is no newcomer to dealing with students. “I have worked with small children before, but I haven’t worked with high school students before and I thought it would be fun,” Hales said.

As speech therapist, Hales helps students who have language problems and works on campus Mondays and Fridays. Hales lived in New York and has worked throughout the Palo Alto Unified School District for a few years before accepting a job on campus. As far as first impressions go, Hale’s first impression was a good one. “I love Gunn,” Hales said. “All the teachers have been really nice and the students are great.”

When she’s not working, Hales enjoys traveling and being outdoors. “I like to travel around the world, go scuba diving, hiking and just [seeing] the world,” Hales said. So far, Hales is enjoying her time at Gunn and is excited for the rest of the year. “I love how everybody has a lot of spirit and gets so excited while having fun all at the same time,” Hales said.

Therapist for the Visually Impaired Laila Adle experienced a sense of déjà vu when she became a part of the school’s staff. For the Gunn alumnus, the school felt foreign but familiar at the same time. “Parking in the staff parking lot is weird for me,” she said jokingly.

According to Adle, her original plans of becoming an art therapist completely changed when she was assigned to teach art to a preschool classroom with visually impaired and blind students. She not only overcame the challenging nature of her job, but learned to love it. “It was really fun and I wanted to spend the whole day with [the students],” she said.

Now, Adle works closely with students who are visually impaired to ensure that they have access to the resources they need. “For some students, I make sure they have large-print books or technology that allows them to access the board,” she said. “For other kids, I teach them more specific skills, like reading Braille.”

Adle’s goals for the school year are making sure she knows all 20 of her students and addressing all of their needs. “I hope that by the time school ends, my students will feel like they had a successful school year,” she said.

—Compiled by Misheel Enkhbat, Henry Siu, Zoe Weisner, Emily Yao and Stephanie Zhang

Features

Faces in the Crowd What was your biggest fear coming into Gunn?

Monday, September 17, 2012

Senior embraces inner freshman Wayland Fong

“At first, I thought there would be a lot of homework, but I haven’t been overwhelmed yet.”

“I thought the first day of school senior quad decorations would be there for the entire year.”

Kush Dubey (9)

Austin Traver (10)

“I thought that I would be teased by seniors.”

“I was worried about hazing, but luckily that doesn’t happen here.”

Madi Stanley (11)

Brandon Yao (12) —Compiled by Rani Shiao

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Entering high school is one of the toughest challenges to face. Being a freshman automatically pushes you to the bottom of the food chain.

Say goodbye to those days in eighth grade when as the top dog on campus. No longer can you walk with a head held high pretending as though you own the place. I know, because I recently spent a week on campus during my senior year pretending to be a freshman.

At first, I was not completely confident that I could pull off being a freshman. During that week, I wore basketball shorts, graphic T-shirts and loaded my backpack up with materials that I didn’t need. I could not attend any freshman classes, but I spent every brunch and lunch sitting with them and trying to fit in.

The first day was miserable for me. I suddenly realized that I had forgotten how to make new friends. The freshmen sat in groups, and I felt uncomfortable with just barging into one and asking if I could sit with them. I felt the same fear that I had my freshman year: the fear of rejection.

In retrospect, it was a silly feeling because I was a senior pretending to be a freshman.It made me think back to how I spent my first week sitting by myself before finding a group of my own. Some freshmen are facing the same dilemma.

The next day my friend’s little brother in-

troduced me to his friends. They mostly talked about video games, grades and girls.

The boys also enjoyed throwing bits of food at one another and daring one another to drink mystery concoctions they had made in Gatorade bottles. I thought back to my own freshman year and realized that as immature as all of this sounds to me now, it was the coolest thing to do before.

They had a refreshing naivety towards everything. One day, a couple of the boys approached a group of girls and took turns pushing one another forward to say “hi”. If the girl giggled or even said “hi” back, then the endeavor was a success. When the boys came back to report, they hyped up their stories and received a rousing round of applause. It was completely normal to talk about girls instead of talking to them.

I cannot remember the exact thoughts that ran through my mind when I first came to high school. My only concern at the time was probably just finding my next class. The question in the back of my mind throughout my freshman year was: Is high school really what it is made out to be?

As a freshman, I thought seniors were worlds apart from me. But after going back and re-living a week as a freshman, I realized that freshmen and seniors are not so different after all. We have more life experiences, but inside every blooming senior was once a tiny freshman.

Although seniors have been thrust into a world of responsibilities and individuality, we really have not changed. While freshmen are trying to make it through high school, seniors are just trying to find their places in the real world.

— Fong, a senior, is a Features Editor.

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Sports

THEORACLE

Monday, September 17, 2012

Fall sports projected to improve records in new season Girl’s’ Volleyball

After two disappointing seasons with only one league win, the girls’ volleyball team wants to prove that they belong in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic De Anza League. Head coach Kevin Hwang believes that the team is ready to face their competition. “Every night brings a tough challenge with good athletes and coaches on the other side of the net,” Hwang said. “[Our strength is] having a lot of girls who can hit the ball hard.”

During Labor Day weekend, the team competed in the Spikefest tournament at Milpitas, beating Burlingame in three sets to win their bracket. “With how we played at Spikefest, our performance in league looks promising,” senior captain Mika Munch said.

The team’s opening league game is on Sept. 18 against Palo Alto High School. “I’m expecting that we will surprise a few people,” Hwang said.

1

Girls’ Tennis

The girls’ tennis team is swinging into their season with one goal: to defeat its opponents in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL). The team lost many seniors from last year, but senior varsity captain Alice Li has high hopes for this season. “The incoming sophomores and juniors are good,” Li said. “I’m sure that we will play [well at tournaments].”

The team began their season with a scrimmage against Menlo Atherton High School. “We got to play against really good opponents, and the fact that it was a scrimmage took away some pressure of winning versus losing,” Li said.

The team used the scrimmage to prepare for the 2012 California High School Tennis Classic in Fresno on Sept. 7 and 8. The girls participated in a round robin tournament consisting of three matches on Sept. 7 and two on Sept. 8. The team won two of its five matches.

“We had a great time in Fresno, and the team played some of their best tennis,” senior Devyani Bhadkamkar said. “The tournament was a good way to start off the season.” The team’s next match is on Sept. 18 against Santa Clara High School.

Girls’ Golf

As a result of growing female interest in a new golf team, athletics director Sarah Stapp and head coach Chris Redfield have created a girls’ golf team for the upcoming fall season. “There were several girls playing on the boys’ golf team who were doing very well,” Stapp said. “We finally had enough people to meet the league quota for starting a new team this year, and acted on it since there seemed to be considerable interest.”

Though the team is new, it boasts returning team members who hold Central Coast Sectionals (CCS) titles. Both junior team captain Jayshree Sarathy and sophomore Anna Zhou were regular starters on the boys’ varsity team.

If the opening game against Sacred Heart Prep is any indication, the team is on its way to a strong season. “At first, we didn’t really know whether we could compete with the other teams in our league,” Sarathy said. “But our team won by over 20 points.”

All in all, Redfield is glad that the new team has taken off so successfully. “We have a nice, dedicated group of eight players, and with some hard work, we’ll be able to have a really competitive high school team with five or six solid players,” Redfield said.

2

1 & 2. Anthony Tran

3

4

3. Audey Shen 4. Stephanie Kim

5

6

5. Michael Wu 4. Audey Shen

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Boys’ Cross Country

As fall sports kick into full swing, no group hits the ground running faster than the boys’ cross country team. While the team lost of a number of talented seniors—six out of seven members of last year’s varsity team graduated in the spring—the athletes are hoping to have a successful season. “Although we lost a lot of good seniors this past year, we have a promising group of underclassmen,” junior Drew Bent said. “Unfortunately, with the lack of experienced runners, it will be a challenge for the boys to qualify to CCS this year.”

In their first meet on Aug. 30, the boys took home a disappointing third place behind Palo Alto High School and Saint Francis High School. A few bright spots in their performance included sophomore David Lee-Heidenreich’s impressive second place finish with a time of 11 minutes and 42 seconds on the 2.18 mile course and junior Ian Malone’s twelfth place finish with a time of 12 minutes and 24 seconds.

7 & 8. Courtesy of Anand Joshi

1. Senior Nitika Johri sets the volleyball. 2. Junior Drew Brownlee prepares to pass. 3. Junior Anjali Herekar hits a topspin forehand. 4. Senior Andre Guzman drops back to pass.

5. Sima Biondi lines up for a putt. 7. Junior Joseph Nicolls runs during practice. 8. Junior Gillian Meeks jogs a warmup lap.

Boys’ Water Polo

After finishing with a 16-11 record last year, the boys’ water polo team is ready for the new season.

New head coach Tim Kates is feeling good about the upcoming season as there are many athletes trying out. “In fact, there are too many athletes, so there’s a lot of competition [to play for the team],” he said.

Despite the competition during tryouts, the team is closely knit. According to sophomore Ari Wayne, the team’s leadership and chemistry will help the boys accomplish their goals this new year. “We’re hoping that we beat Paly, make it to CCS and do well in the Santa tournament at the end of the year,” Wayne said.

While striving to reach these goals, Kates also hopes to make the athletes challenge themselves. “It doesn’t matter what the wins and losses are,” he said.

“My goal is to have the kids try their hardest every day and to open their minds.”

The team’s next game is on Sept. 18 at Homestead High School.

Football

After placing third in the El Camino Division with a 4-2 league record last year, the football team expects to improve its performance in the upcoming season.

Although last season’s team had to adapt to a new coach, head coach Dan Navarro believes that the team is now ready to take on its competition.

“We have good quarterbacks and some very skilled players,” Navarro said. “The whole team is very enthused, and we all very much want to be successful.”

The team’s primary goal will be to win the SCVAL championships. While this is a daunting task, assistant coach Mark Weisman is positive that the team’s strong passing game and returning starters will result in victory. “We’re primarily shooting for winning the El Camino division title,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll also see some individual team improvement that can then factor into the team’s success.”

The team’s next match will be an away game against Palo Alto High School on Friday, Sept. 21.

Girls’ Water Polo

After an impressive finish last season with the SCVAL title, semifinals in CCS and a 22–7 record, the girls’ water polo team hopes to defend its title and go further in CCS. “We have a good returning group; young players, a cohesive team, and lots of game experience,” head coach Mark Hernandez said.

Regardless, the team will be hurt by the loss of seniors. “I think that a lot of the players who will be starters have not had enough experience to feel completely confident in themselves,” senior Maggie Sockness said. “Most of the starters last year were seniors.”

The team still has many strengths. “We already have a good team and with the new players, we have potential,” Sockness said. However, according to Hernandez with lots of scoring ability, the girls’ water polo team needs to work on its defense. “Scoring goals is easy. We’re always scoring, but defense is the key to our success,” he said.

Girls’ Cross Country

The girls’ team is gearing up for some tough competition this year. With an entirely brand new coaching staff, they have gotten off to a rough start. A newly focused training regimen, however, has got the team looking forward to a successful season. “This year we are going to focus more on hill workouts on unpaved paths which reflect racing conditions and help prevent injuries,” senior Ally Reister said. The team’s roster features four seniors and a number of underclassmen.

The team took off to a promising start, winning first place over Paly and Saint Francis at the Gunn Alumni Meet on Aug. 30, their first competition of the season.

Junior Sarah Robinson took first place in the girl’s event with a time of 11 minutes and 57 seconds, over a minute ahead of the second place finish, and freshman Gillian Meek finished third with an impressive 13 minutes and 31 seconds. In addition junior Eliana Ribbe and sophomore Catherine Kim finished fifth and tenth.

—Compiled by Chaewon Lee, Roy Shadmon, Rani Shiao, and Henry Siu

Sports

Monday, September 17, 2012

17

It’s somewhat disappointing that The Olympics, one of the most memorable sporting events in history, left the Sports Section of The Oracle snoring at certain events. Being one of the most important events in history, shouldn’t every competition be spectacular? If Gunn hosted the 2016 Olympic Games, here are the four sports athletes would compete in:

1

1) The 200 meter race-with-your-backpackon: Whoever gets to class the fastest with a heavy load of binders and homemade sandwiches on their back is the winner.

2

2) The juniors/seniors second day of school textbook lifting: There are two sides to this competition. One: your strength. Two: how many Advanced Placement Classes you’re taking. A clean squat lift will determine the winner.

3

4) Quidditch: Harry Potter is a little out of date. But flying around Gunn’s football field at a blistering pace, smacking bludgers at your best friend is perfect for the Olympics.

3) Golf Cart Drag Racing: It’s not a sport. But how many times have you thought about racing on the infamous golf cart? It would be more exciting than many Olympic games.

-Compiled by Mitch Donat

4

Photo illustrations by George Hwang, and Michael Wu

George Hwang

Francesca Macrae

This summer, sophomore Francesca Macrae visited England with the initial intentions of visiting family. However, once the Olympics started, her family got caught up in the Olympic spirit. “Everyone was so happy and everyone seemed to be on one team and it brought people closer together,” Macrae said.

They ended up going to numerous events to cheer on Great Britain. “I went to the equestrian final and also saw the hockey and women’s basketball final,” Macrae said. “We watched team Great Britain win [the equestrian final] and the crowd went crazy.” According to Macrae, there is a significant difference between watching the Olympics at home and actually seeing them in person. “The atmosphere in the stadium is just indescribable,” she said.

—Lawrence Chen

Monica Kibler

Junior Monica Kibler was a spectator at the 2012 U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials in San Jose, an experience she will never forget. “The excitement in the arena was incredible,” she said. “Everyone showed support for all the athletes, even those who did not meet their goals.” She particularly loved watching the men’s high bar and the women’s uneven bars at the trials. “The girls performing difficult tricks flew through the air so smoothly,” Kibler said. “It was an experience you definitely had to see in person.”

During the event, Kibler continued to root for Gabrielle Douglas and John Orozco because she wanted them to qualify for Olympics. “Although Orozco did not place in the Olympics, he did really well during trials,” she said. “Gymnasts do say the Olympic trials are a lot harder to compete in than the Olympics itself.”

—Emily Yao

Monica Boerger

Freshman Monica Boerger did not go to London, England herself, but instead watched the Olympic trials for gymnastics. The trials took place at the San Jose HP Pavilion from June 28 to July 1. Although she wasn’t a part of the events in London, the trials were just as intense. “It was really exciting and the crowd was packed with people,” Boerger said.

“The crowd would get very quiet as the gymnasts performed, and when they stuck their routines, the crowd would applaud and cheer a lot.”

Boerger did not go solely for the thrill of watching the trials, she also went to learn from certain gymnasts. Some gymnasts included Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, and Aly Raisman. “I enjoyed being able to see what higher level gymnastics competitions are like and it was amazing watching them perform because [being a gymnast myself,] I understood the hard work that they put in to get to this point,” Boerger said. “It was also exciting to meet the gymnasts in person and see that they are all wonderful people.”

—Lawrence Chen

Facts About the 2016 Summer Olympics: • The 2016 Summer Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

• Windsurfing will be removed and replaced by kite surfing.

• Golf and rugby were reinstated for the 2016 Games by the International Olympic Committee.

—Compiled by Emily Yao

18

Sports

THEORACLE

Match each teacher with the sport he or she is active in or has coached in the past

Which teacher coached springboard diving at both Gunn and Palo Alto High Schools?

Which teacher ran his or her first marathon in the exact time (four hours and one minute) as Paul Ryan?

Which teacher played ice hockey for more than 25 years?

Which teacher was named Most Valuable Player of the Freshman Soccer Team at the University of California, Berkeley?

Which teacher practices boxing three times a week?

Mark Gleason Visual Arts

Marcel Losier French

Graphics by George Hwang

—Compiled by Emily Yao

Chris Karas Math

Phil Lyons Social Studies

Laurie Pennington Science

Answers: diving - Pennington; hockey - Losier; soccer - Karas; marathon - Dunlap; boxing - Gleason; pole vaulting - Lyons

Paul Dunlap English

Which teacher taught pole vaulting for 11 years?

Sports

5

Monday, September 17, 2012

19

Steps To Spiking a Volleyball with junior Erica Johnston

1 2 3 4

Start at the net. Run 15 to 20 feet away from it to make room for an approach—the footwork sequence to get in the best position to spike the ball.

Call for the setter to set the ball to you. Do the approach sequence: right foot first, then left, right, left.

Your first two steps should be slow and big, while your last two steps should be fast.

Swing your arms back at the same time for extra momentum.

Jump off the ground and look across the net to see if there are any open spots where there are no defenders.

5

Hit the ball as hard as you can in the open spot and cheer because you just got a kill. —Compiled by Emily Yao Photo by Audey Shen

Entertainment

20

Ellen Lee and Lucy Oyer

Left: Pasta Q was the location of the double blind date. Right: Juniors Eli Dawson, Roy Shadmon and Jenny Yoon, and sophomore Samantha Acker pose.

The Oracle staffers set up double blind date experiment

Roy’s tip: Channel your inner conversationalist Sam’s tip: Be chivalrous and put in effort

Roy Shadmon It was awkward. There isn’t a better way to put it but — awkward. The whole night started off at around 6:45 p.m. when I picked up Sam Acker, also going on our double blind date, to go to “Pasta Q”. My mom gave us the classic pre-date lecture: to go open-mindedly and to have fun. After the embarrassing advice my mom gave us, we finally reached “Pasta Q”. Sam and I were both excited but also tremendously nervous: we were both hoping that our dates would be able to keep the conversation going and that it wouldn’t be a complete disaster.

Walking back to “Pasta Q”, I saw a pretty girl who looked familiar. I approached her and asked her if she was here for the blind date, as she was standing alone outside of the restaurant. She said yes shyly, and I introduced myself only realizing after that we had a class together freshman year. Her name was Jenny Yoon, and I completely forgot that, which made things super awkward. Bam! I killed it before we even sat down. While waiting for Eli Dawson, Sam’s blind date, to come, I had nothing to say, especially after I forgot her name. It was an awkward five minutes when Sam tried to make conversation. Tip one: talk to your date, you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

Judging by what everyone was wearing, I knew we were in for an interesting night.

Eli dressed like he just came back from the gym: wearing basketball shorts, a t-shirt that he got from the eighth grade Washington D.C. trip and my personal favorite, a beat-up tourist hat.

Jenny and Sam both wore usual nice clothing that girls wear to school, and I wore khaki jeans with a t-shirt. Obviously, we can conclude that Eli “dressed to impress” Tip two: dress appropriately. Don’t be the one to underdress because it looks like you don’t care about your date. Therefore, it’s always better to overdress than to underdress.

While we were eating, we didn’t have much to talk about. Eli brought up Sam’s exboyfriend every other sentence, which was an inadequate choice on his part, making conversation awkward and uncomfortable.

When we weren’t talking about Sam’s ex, there was dead silence, so I tried to stir the hollow conversation with something else by asking Jenny about her weekend and tennis.

She gave me vague answers making it nearly impossible to keep our lame conversation going, and with that, our dinner date ended on a very quiet and awkward note. Tip three: do not mention your date’s ex, even if he or she is your friend. It makes conversation awkward, and it doesn’t make your date want to talk to you.

We all quietly walked down University Avenue to Yogurtland where Eli left before we could even attempt to get another conversation going and when we finished eating, Jenny left. Sam and I both agreed that it was incredibly awkward.

Then the awkward feeling finally evaporated. It was probably the most relaxing part of the evening. Tip four: make conversation; don’t be awkward and not talk at all, it takes more than one person to hold a conversation — or at least most of the time.

In retrospect, it wasn’t the best night of my life, but it also wasn’t the worst. I would also like to personally thank Jenny Yoon and Eli Dawson for agreeing to take part of The Oracle’s blind date and Sam Acker for giving me a ride home.

—Shadmon, a junior, is a reporter.

Samantha Acker Chivalry is dead. I had really hoped it wasn’t, but I’m sad to say that due to my recent experience on the double blind date, I have no choice but to conclude that it is.

In my grandparents’ day, men were courteous and gallant. However, nowadays, such inclinations appear to be gone.

Before the blind date, I was nervous but hopeful. I was prepared to have a good time and see what would happen. When Eli, my blind date, walked up, let’s just say we were both, well, not so excited. I recognized him as one of my ex’s friends and prayed that he wouldn’t bring it up. Unfortunately, my prayers were not answered.

The worst thing you can probably do on a date is to bring up the others person’s ex. My date, however, did exactly that, and it wasn’t even just a passing remark. I felt like I was on the hot seat the entire time. I spent most of the date staring down at my mediocre Bolognese hoping that he would stop pestering me with rude and personal questions.

Guys, a word of advice so you ensure that the date is successful: it’s polite to take off your hat when you are at dinner. It’s also a common courtesy to sit up straight in your seat and make eye contact when you are talking to someone. A good idea is to sit across from your date rather than diagonally or next to. If you agree to go on a date, I’m sure whatever game is on can wait. Not to turn this into a rant, but I’d also like to point out that in my opinion, it’s also okay to leave your basketball shorts at home. A pair of khakis and a nice polo always makes a good

impression. Dressing well shows your date that you care.

The sole positive moment of the night was when we received free lemonade. I’m pretty sure they just felt bad for the extremely awkward group of teenagers struggling to make conversation. That, and we were guzzling glass after glass of water during the frequent awkward silences, so they must have thought we were extremely thirsty.

At least Roy was making a huge effort to ask his date, Jenny, questions. She was really nice, but they did have a hard time keeping up the dialogue. I just sat there, trying not to stab my pasta too hard as I ignored Eli’s endless pestering about my ex. Luckily, Roy and Jenny made it more enjoyable.

A helpful tip is to stay throughout the whole date. An even better one is to refrain from using your phone at any time (unless its an emergency). At least the yogurt was delicious. After Eli left, I was relieved that it was over. That was one of the most awkward experiences of my life, and it had only lasted a few hours. If you’re going to agree to go on a blind date, it would be nice to go with an open mind, like Mrs. Shadmon (Roy’s mother) advised us on the way to the restaurant. You never know what could happen if you give it a try and be happy to be there (or at least pretend to be).

If you’re in it for the free food, it’s not worth it to waste another person’s time.

Even if you don’t like who the person is or you have an opinion about them, at least be gracious and civil. No girl wants to leave a date wondering what she did wrong or why she even bothered.

Needless to say, I won’t be going on a blind date again anytime soon. Although, looking on the bright side, I am optimistic that if you are reading this, you will not make the same mistakes that my date made.

—Acker, a sophomore, is a reporter.

Q&A with Jenny Yoon and Eli Dawson

Jenny Yoon

TO: What was awkward about the date?

JY: It was kind of awkward because Eli wouldn’t stop talking about Sam’s ex. Also, the conversation kept flowing and stopping because any conversation not between friends tends to flow and stop.

The Oracle: Overall how would you say the date went? Why? Jenny Yoon: [Laughter] I guess it was kind of awkward, but it was fun in the end.

TO: Would you want to go out again with your date?

JY: Sorry but no, because I believe he is taken, even if that girl doesn’t love him back.

TO: What went well?

JY: Sam and Roy were very nice, and they did their best to make it a nice atmosphere.

Also, I enjoyed the free food.

TO: Would you ever want to go on a blind date again?

JY: Sure, maybe. Not soon, but perhaps later on in life. I think in the end it was kind of awkward but also a fun experience.

TO: What was awkward about the date?

ED: The fact that it was my homie’s ex-girl.

Eli Dawson The Oracle: Overall how would you say the date went? Why? Eli Dawson: It was pretty crappy because the other people were not very talkative. They weren’t saying anything so I went for the “Hail Mary” and started to talk about Sam’s ex and trying to get them back together.

TO: What went well?

ED: I guess I got a free meal, that’s good right. I gained invaluable experience in the realm of dating.

TO: Would you want to go out again with your date?

ED: I think I’ll take a rain check.

TO: Would you ever want to go on a blind date again?

ED: It would be fine. It just didn’t work out this time, but I’d try it again. ­—Compiled by Lucy Oyer

Entertainment

Monday, September 17, 2012

21

FALL FASHION: StapleItems

George Hwang

The Oracle staffers seniors Boot Bullwinkle and Ellen Lee model different fashion trends for this coming season.

Semi-formal is

The equestrian

In preparation for

Printed denim,

the new black, with

look debuts this

the chilly Palo Alto

oversized sweat-

skinny ties, thin

season with ffiitted

weather, wool pea-

ers and tall leather

leather belts and

blazers, chiffon

coats, dark denim

boots are perfect

khaki pants making

shirts and ankle

and canvas shoes

for the change in

an appearance.

booties. fi

are necessities.

temperature.

—Compiled by Ellen Lee

Faces in the Crowd

Which fall trend are you most looking forward to wear this season?

“I’m actually really looking forward to wearing jeans, just to kind of change it up from shorts.”

Riley Fossum (9)

“Yoga pants.”

Ravi Levens (10)

“I don’t really know like a specific trend, but I’m planning on wearing chunky sweaters and layering.”

Clara Kim (11)

“Sweater weather is better weather. Always.

Therefore, sweaters... more specifically, dope sweaters.”

Arjun Narayen (12) —Compiled by Ellen Lee

22 Spice Kit

Restaurant Reviews LYFE Kitchen

Entertainment

La Boulange

Catalina Zhao

Stephanie Zhang

Spice Kit is a small restaurant on California Ave. that sells Asian street food for affordable prices. Even though they may not have an abundance of different selections to choose from, all their choices are fantastic.

Spice Kit allows their customers to create their own dishes. One sign starts off with what kind of dish the customer would like. They offer Ssam wraps, sandwiches, salads and bowls. Next, the customer selects the type of meat they want to add onto their dish, and then moves on to side dishes and drinks.

I chose the Ssam with roasted pork, a side dish of lotus chips and a Calamansi Lime-ade. The Ssam is a wrap.

The pork was moist and fattier, while most pork dishes are usually dry and lean. The lotus chips were salty and crunchy, and much healthier than regular potato chips.

The meat is so perfectly cooked and tender that you will be drooling for more. They also have a vegetarian option for every meal, and every ingredient used to create their dishes is natural and fresh, so the food is guaranteed to be nutritious.

They have a simple, modern look but toned it down with a large wooden block acting as a wall. This is not the sit down and be served type of place as it tries to resemble a street vendor, Spice Kit is the place to go if you want to tour through Asian cuisine and enjoy the savory meats and vegetables.

Located on Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto, LYFE Kitchen is a unique, environmentally friendly restaurant that offers a variety of wholesome dishes.

When I entered the glass doors, I noticed the garden display of herbs and grasses in the middle of the restaurant.

Feel-good quotes and photos of nature decorated the walls.

LYFE Kitchen offers regular, vegan and gluten-free options. I tasted the quinoa crunch wrap ($9.99) and the risotto peas and carrots with grilled shrimp ($12.49).

My first dish came in the form of fresh vegetables, avocado, edamame hummus, forbidden rice and adzuki beans wrapped in a wheat tortilla. The vegetables added crunch to the otherwise finely cooked quinoa, while the hummus’s acidity balanced out the dish’s smoothness. The price was reasonable considering the high quality of the ingredients.

I also tasted a creamy risotto. The farro and steel-cut oats gave the dish the signature risotto texture, while the fresh peas, carrots and shrimp added color and flavor.

Both dishes were delicious and the healthy aspect of the food left me comfortable. Throughout my experience, the service was great, starting from the cashier to the efficient waiter.

I recommend LYFE Kitchen to anyone looking for healthy and flavorful food offered in a comfortable, contemporary setting. After all, LYFE is an acronym for “Love Your Food Everyday,” and the restaurant helps diners do just that.

La Boulange is a petite French-esque cafe set on University Avenue and High street. The ambiance of this restaurant brings customers back to 1980’s France, with its glass outdoor pavilion and impressive display of macaroons.

When we first walked into the cafe, I was a little overwhelmed by all the delicious choices on their seemingly endless menu. At first, I couldn’t decide between the toasted sandwiches, open flatbreads or their salads. Finally, I opted for a choice that I knew: the La Boulange sandwich. We chose to sit in their glass gazebo where we enjoyed a perfect view of all the crowdedness of University St. without actually having to hear the annoying sound of cars.

Although the food took a little long to arrive, it was definitely worth the wait. Our dishes were impressive because of the little details they added to the presentation. My sandwich consisted of just the right amount of bacon to not overwhelm the turkey and the avocado seemed to be the creamiest that I had ever tasted. Although it’s not usually the case, I thought the bread was the best part of my sandwich. It was just the right temperature with a mild seasoning that upped the dish to perfection. While enjoying my sandwich, I looked over to see my friends enjoy their dishes, too.

Although their menu is a little pricey, the quality of their food and atmosphere make up for it. This cafe is the ideal place to grab brunch with friends; every dish seems to be a candid food-stagram, and the food is nothing short of perfection.

340 South California Ave

167 North Hamilton

151 University Ave

Erica Lee

(650) 326-1698

650-325-LYFE(5933)

(650) 323-3332

Lawless

John Hillcoat’s “Lawless”, based upon Matt Bondurant’s novel “The Wettest County in the World” marks a return for Hollywood to the award-winning gangster film. This flick’s story concerns Bondurant’s grandfather, Jack (Shia LaBeouf, in what might be his best performance), and his efforts to win the respect of his violent bootlegging older brothers (Tom Hardy and Jason Clarke, both terrific) while federal officials start to crack down on their illegal ventures at the zenith of Prohibition. Even if it cannot reach the same visceral heights as the first two “Godfather” films and “Goodfellas,” “Lawless” dazzles with its excellent production value, acting and storytelling.

The Possession

Despite the best efforts of its actors, Ole Bornedal’s “The Possession” devolves into the same clichés and overused cinematic devices that plague similar contemporary horror films. Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars as a divorced high school basketball coach whose youngest daughter (Natasha Calis) obtains a Dybbuk box, a small wine cabinet inhabited by an evil spirit. This somewhat intriguing idea is squandered over the course of the film by irritatingly dim lighting, rash editing and unsuccessfully ominous piano tones. The actors demonstrate a clear commitment to realism, but the script does not provide them enough support. In the end, “The Possession” fails to fulfill a single purpose, even that of scaring its audience.

Premium Rush

David Koepp’s “Premium Rush” benefits from the frenetic drive of its action sequences and the charisma of its lead actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In “Premium Rush,” a New York City bicycle messenger, Wilee (Gordon-Levitt), finds himself entangled in one chase after another. When a corrupt cop (Michael Shannon, General Zod in the upcoming “Man of Steel”) pursues the cargo Wilee has been assigned to deliver, the tension and thrills reach an extremely high magnitude. Director Koepp and co-writer John Kamps’ use of non-linear storytelling structure may confuse the viewer with its more convoluted than necessary execution.

Nevertheless, the sheer excitement of “Premium Rush” warrants it a solid recommendation.

—Compiled by Cooper Aspegren

Entertainment

Drive-Thru Surprise!

What happens when you ask the server at a drive thru restaurant to surprise you with anything on the menu? The Oracle finds out.

Monday, September 17, 2012

23

Making decisions is hard but...

Lucy Oyer

STARBUCKS

What we got: 1 Grande Tazo® Shaken Iced Passion Tea Lemonade

McDonald’s

What we got: 1 Big Mac Meal (Includes french fries and milkshake)

Long John Silver’s

What we got: 1 Two-Piece Filet Meal (includes french fries, hush puppies and soft drink)

Drive-Thru Open 24/7

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

What we got: 1 jelly-filled doughnut, 1 cream filled doughnut, 1 chocolate glazed

Taco Bell

What we got: 3 Doritos® Locos Tacos and a soft drink

The Oracle Staffers junior Lucy Oyer and senior Ellen Lee show off their drive-thru meals and drinks.

–Compiled by Lucy Oyer Jasmine Garnett

Just a short week ago, I sat in a parking lot in the middle of nowhere holding two “Doritos locos” tacos, a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts with questionable fillings, a pair of “hushpuppies,” a box of fried fish and half of a Big Mac, none of which I particularly wanted to eat, and all of which I had paid for.

Now, backtrack just a couple hours and I will share with you how I got myself into such a predicament.

You see, for me, few challenges match the daunting task of choosing what to order off a menu full of enticing options. It seems no matter where I go, there are always at least two items that sound equally delectable, and picking just one can be difficult. Regardless of what I end up ordering, I am unfailingly consumed by regret as I can’t help but wonder if I would have had a more enjoyable meal had I ordered one of the other options.

I began to ponder whether it would just be easier to let someone else make these decisions for me. And of course, being the inquisitive soul that I am, I soon set out to solve this burning question.

After much planning and thought, I arrived at the conclusion that the best way to test this would be to visit a number of local drive-thru restaurants and ask them to surprise me with any item off the menu. If I enjoyed their choices, it would be settled, I’d never have to make up my mind about what to order again. Armed with the photographic and chauffeuring services of two lovely assistants, I was ready to set off into the suburban wilderness to test my decisionmaking once and for all.

Our parched throats made the Starbucks drive-through an obvious choice for the first stop. After quite an extensive period of confusion on the server’s end, he finally understood our unique request and served up a cup of “passion” iced tea. Though certainly not something I would ever have chosen, it was actually quite enjoyable.

Next up was McDonald’s where the server chose a Big Mac meal with a strawberry milkshake. That was not quite as successful.

Having recently watched the documentary “Supersize Me,” the two grease-fried patties with a total of three buns did not exactly scream “delicious and nutritious,” However, not wanting to make assumptions, I decided to try this American staple. It was not good.

Moving along from that failure, we visited Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s in quick succession. The three “Doritos Locos” tacos we received were not quite as appetizing as they appeared in the ubiquitous ads aired by Taco Bell, and I still don’t even know what the “hushpuppy” that accompanied the bland fried fish and soggy French fries from Long John Silver’s was made of. (Note: A Google search revealed that a “hushpuppy” is a deepfried cornmeal ball. Yum...) We also got two large soft drinks, a waste since none of us actually drank the soda. I topped off my meal with three Krispy Kreme doughnuts, two of which seemed to be defective (they were supposed to have jelly and cream inside, but none was present).

So, my friends, that is how I ended up in a parking lot with four meals worth of bad food I had no intention of eating. Indeed the results of my little experiment indicate that I will have to continue to make decisions for myself. Even though I dislike making decisions about small things like food, it’s even worse when someone who doesn’t know your taste, and probably doesn’t care anyways, makes them for you. The success rate for those decisions is much, much lower. ­—Oyer, a junior, is an Entertainment Editor.

24

Entertainment

Make-Up: Clash of the Genders

The common use of make-up among women today is undeniable. This cycle The Oracle surveyed students to see if there are contrasting opinions of cosmetics application between genders.

of males prefer simple

of females prefer long

and thin eyeliner. 59.1%

and defined eyelashes.

of females also prefer

57.7% of males prefer no

simple and thin eyeliner.

mascara.

of males notice when a

of females prefer lip stick

female wears make-up.

or gloss. 44.2% of males

98.5% of females notice.

prefer no lipstick or gloss.

Beauty is only skin deep Make up is a form of art Leon Cheong

The arrival of a date, dance or party is coupled with the mad dash that girls make to prepare cosmetics and attire. On the other hand, guys generally care very little about their appearance other than throwing on a button-down, rustling their hair and splashing on some Axe. These procedures reflect what’s ultimately a spectrum with two extremes: on one side, the under dressed, and on the other, the overdressed.

The question: is it appropriate for girls to put on makeup? At times, women tend to overdo it, and this is what upsets me.

I understand that in a society that is still undergoing renovations to the demented ideal that a woman’s worth directly correlates to their sex appeal, girls may have to take further measures to improve how they look through makeup. However, when it gets to the point where girls are using each other’s faces as Van Gogh might use a canvas, someone has to draw the line.

Too many times, I have seen girls walking around looking like clowns fresh out

of the circus studio, and I recall many a time when a girl I knew had such a thick mask of makeup on that I couldn’t even recognize her. While this sort of case is rare, the majority of girls aren’t too far off.

Walk around campus, and you will find a sea of adorned eyes and painted lips.

All of this embellishing is simply unnecessary. Girls, if you spend the entire day working on your face, don’t be surprised the next time a boy mutters “ew” under his breath. Instead, note that the preference of the majority prefers makeup in moderation. A helpful test: try washing half of your face; if you end up looking like Harvey Dent, take that as a sign that you’re trying too hard.

It’s true. Today’s society raises girls to ignore the fact that beauty is only skin deep. But girls who walk around with excessive makeup are simply giving in to the very system that keeps them below water. Since the beginning of organized civilization, womankind has been regarded as the object of man’s desire but nothing more than an object. Recent changes to the society’s view of females have increased the role and appreciation of women in society, but the sexism lingers in the media, causing society to view women as good for nothing but their sex appeal.

—Cheong, a junior, is a Forum Editor.

Noa Livneh

What is too much? Too little? The right amount? Many girls wonder how much makeup to apply when in school or going out. There are a few key things to remember when applying makeup: Don’t forget that beauty is on the inside—highlight your best features and use makeup as a way to express yourself.

As a young girl, I loved to experiment with colors by messing around with markers on my face or using the real stuff. Now, I love using makeup to enhance my better features, and to look nicer and more put together. Girls look better when they use makeup to accentuate their finest qualities.

I believe makeup gives an outfit a complete look. It makes me feel organized and ready for the day ahead. To girls who love fashion, makeup goes hand in hand with clothes. Makeup accessorizes the outfit just like a bracelet or earrings can, and the colors bring out what you have on.

I’m not the first to admit that makeup gives me more confidence when I walk

out the door. Makeup does not serve as a wall to hide behind, but simply boosts selfconfidence the right amount. This doesn’t mean I never leave the house without it, but a touch of mascara makes a big difference. We need to remember, however that beauty starts on the inside and progresses outwards. Once you are confident with who are you on the inside, being beautiful on the outside is a piece of cake.

A big mistake that girls make with makeup is over-applyling, which hides natural beauty. Highlighting the best aspects on your face will give you a more natural looking complexion. Neutrals help contour the face and give more depth without making it overbearing, so I recommend going to a makeup counter to find the right shades that match your skin tone.

Makeup is another form of art, and you’re the artist, so express yourself.

Adding a touch of your taste to your makeup will give a unique kick to your look. Winged eyeliner and shimmery eye shadow are examples of some of the many ways to express your taste.

There is nothing worse than a cakey face and creasing eye shadow. Girls, makeup should be about bringing out your natural beauty. Just remember, understatement is the best kind of statement.

—Livneh, a sophomore, is a reporter.

184 students were surveyed Graphics by Jasmine Garnett