The Oracle December 2018

Transgender rights should be validated.

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Friday, December 7, 2018 Volume 56, Issue 4

780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306

Illicit Adderall usage raises ethical concerns

Sofia S

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arcia

Joshua Yang Forum Editor The misuse of Adderall, a stimulant primarily intended to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is known to be an illicit way through which students try to succeed academically. Adderall is normally reserved to increase focus and attention in those with ADHD, and it is not an over-the-counter drug. However, the trend of students without ADHD using Adderall has been on the rise.

Adderall is a Schedule 2 amphetamine strictly regulated by the government: the drug greatly increases focus, allowing users to improve concentration and perform better during tests. However, it also can be addictive and hosts dangerous side effects.

Taking Adderall to boost academic performance originated on college campuses and has gained traction in student circles: the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found 123,000 high school-aged students had misused prescription stimulant drugs in the past month, a sharp increase from 92,000 students in 2016.

In fact, the California Healthy Kids Survey found that fewer than one percent of Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) high schoolers had used amphetamines more than twice in 2014. However, the same statistic rose to two percent in 2016.

Given all the potential dangers of Adderall, some still use it. Wellness Coordinator Lauren Rocha cited stress and testing as a primary reason. “I think in general when we talk about Adderall with young people—I worked at a university before this and it was a huge issue there too—the

trends around testing are something that impacts student usage,” she said. “When it comes to finals or when tests increase, we tend to hear students increasing inappropriate coping behaviors in a variety of ways, whether that be Adderall or other drugs or alcohol.”

One Adderall seller (two sources have been granted anonymity for the purposes of this article, as the activities they describe are illegal) categorized users into two groups. “It’s usually two different kinds of people,” they said. “Either people who are unmotivated and want to get high because they are behind in classes, or people who do really well in school and are stressed out and are looking for something to help them on their stressful path.”

The unprescribed use of Adderall has elicited controversy over whether it should be considered a form of cheating. One Adderall user without ADHD acknowledged that taking the drug before tests is a kind of academic dishonesty. “I think that everyone taking a test should be on a level playing field,” they said.

The user justified their own usage of Adderall on tests such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) with the fact that the advantages of their Adderall routine were negligible. “[Adderall] didn’t really help me so I guess that’s kind of okay,” they said.

Assistant Principal Michalis Gordon hesitated to call Adderall misuse cheating, but does see the existence of an advantage. “In sports, [athletes] might use performanceenhancing drugs to help them do well,” he said. “[Adderall users may] approach it that way. You’re using a drug to help you perform better versus getting the answer from someone else or knowing the answer. There would be a

semantic issue with saying it’s cheating in the sense of being dishonest.”

According to the user, they started using Adderall last year after obtaining a friend’s prescribed dose. “When I started, I took one 20-milligram instant-release capsule, and I did not feel that at all,” they said. “So, I started taking two, and I could actually notice a difference in my brain.”

Throughout the process, the user was careful to manage their dosage. “I don’t have a dependency,” they said. “I can just stop cold turkey; I don’t feel any worse for wear. If you start doing it too much—I have a few friends who will take like three or four pills at a time—that is not good for you.”

Conversely, the seller has an Adderall prescription, which they use illicitly. “In the beginning, I didn’t take my own Adderall that I’m prescribed; I didn’t really need it,” they said. “But now when I sell it, it’s because I’m so broke. I don’t have a job and spend a lot of money on stuff.”

The seller has been profiting off Adderall for a while, and has a set procedure in place. “Someone will usually text me asking for it and I’ll text them my price for $7 a pill,” they said. “I’ll ask them where I can meet them or we arrange a location. It’s kind of person-to-person.”

Adderall usage comes with disciplinary consequences, as non-prescribed use is illegal. According to the California Health and Safety Code, possession of a Schedule 2 drug, such as Adderall, is a misdemeanor; intent to sell is a felony.

Gordon also addressed the consequences of an act like selling Adderall. “As far as selling a drug, it’s a different type of discipline problem that we would have to pursue depending on the amount,” he said. “There would probably Adderall—p.2

2 Snapshots: Ping-Pong Tournament “I had a lot of friends competing in the tournament and I was excited to see the competitive fire they brought to the table.”

“The Ping-Pong tournament seemed interesting and I wanted to see some totally awesome Ping-Pong plays.”

—Connor Missett (10)

—Jack Hakeman (9)

“My friends were participating and I wanted to see and support them.”

—Anand Sekar (10)

“I enjoy being with my friends and watching my classmates play.”

—Aidan Everett (11)

—Compiled by Peter Oh Photos by Melissa Ding and Sophia Lu

Support systems present for academic-related drug use Adderall

be some kind of suspension, and we probably The plan in place to help Adderall users is would have to inform the School Resource to offer therapy and off-campus counseling Officer.” support. “[Any issue concerning Adderall] However, Gordon emphasized the fact that would be addressed with a therapist that incidents would be dealt with on a case-by- they would work with here,” Rocha said. “In case basis. terms of resources, if a student is like, ‘Ahh, The user was unfazed by any punishment I’m increasing my usage, and I want to stop, they might face. “When I’m taking it, I’m but I don’t know how to study without this; either at home, or [in the case of] the SAT it’s a part of my life,’ we have programs that exam, I took it while driving over there,” they we refer students to, and we would help with said. “Unless they start drug testing students, that off-campus.” which is not going to happen, it’s not [a risk].”

Unfortunately, this rise in popularity has The seller was more cautious. “I pretty only increased the frequency of dangerous much stopped selling it this year, which side effects. These effects can encompass is why I sold once this year and stopped everything from weight loss to an abnormal talking about it,” heart rhythm. they said. “I didn’t The user has think it was worth not felt these ef“We may offer some kind of drug counthe consequences of fects, but has seen seling or something like that through some selling it.” others who have. county organization, or have them take Gordon wou ld “[Some users] do classes, but we want to look at it proactively.” rather rehabilitate too much at once, —Assistant Principal Michalis Gordon and offer support to and it’ll overstimAdderall users than ulate them,” they neglect the problem. said. “They’re like, “We need to address [the usage] and maybe ‘Oh my God, I did not like that. That was so get help,” he said. “We may offer some kind horrible.’” of drug counseling or something like that The seller acknowledges their addiction through some county organization, or have to Adderall, and has symptoms of the side them take classes, but we want to look at it effects and withdrawal. “I’m pretty addicted proactively. How are we going to help the to it, so I understand why people need it,” student rather than give a consequence?” they said. “When I take Adderall, I can get One such place for Adderall users to re- anxious or my heart starts beating really fast. ceive help is the Wellness Center, according Usually, I get the bad effects when I don’t take to Rocha. “We do provide support if students it. When I don’t take it for a while, I feel really are going through something that’s related to unmotivated.” academics in general,” she said. “Of course, When the user was asked if they regretthat could be the study drugs, especially if ted taking Adderall, they warned against its there’s something going on in terms of mental misuse. “I don’t think it’s really worth the health, stress or anxiety that is causing the hype,” they said. “It really should probably students to use a substance not prescribed only be used for the people it’s actually preto them." scribed for.”

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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Caroline Ro Managing Editors Megan Li Kristen Yee News Sohini Ashoke Ryan Li Tejpal Virdi Forum Jennifer Gao Liza Kolbasov Joshua Yang Features Julia Cheunkarndee Joy Huang Grace Tramack

Friday, December 7, 2018

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Spangenberg Theater construction reaches completion Eric Epstein Sports Editor As the on-campus construction nears its conclusion, the plans for moving students, staff and equipment into the new facilities are becoming more concrete. The project, which broke ground in early 2017, includes a remodeled Spangenberg Theater attached to a brand-new Performing Arts Center as well as a separate two-story central building.

The Performing Arts Center will be the new home to the band, orchestra and choir programs, according to Student Activities Director Lisa Hall.

Although the initial plans were to move the music programs into their new facilities earlier in the semester, safety precautions and problems such as sewer line issues have impeded the move-in.

“That building is behind schedule and we’re kind of going week-by-week, hoping that the building will open before this semester ends," Hall said. “For the music department, we’re just waiting on the final boxes to be checked before they’re ready to move in.”

Band and orchestra teacher Sandra Lewis has seen the projected move-in date slide further back throughout the semester. “Last year, we were told that we would be ready to go in to the [Performing Arts Center] on Aug. 17,” Lewis said. “Our [current] date to move in is supposed to be Dec. 10.”

Lewis is happy with the say that the music department has in the construction plans. “We did get some input on the design of the remodel,” Lewis said. “Through this whole project, there have been many different liaisons between the school and the construction company, and there have been a couple different construction managers. Through it all, myself, [band director Todd] Summers and [choir director Bill] Liberatore have all been able to put our two cents into the project, so that has been really nice.”

The central two-story building will be the location of a new Wellness Center, the counselors’ offices, media arts classes, flexible classroom spaces, a student activities classroom, a student activities lounge and possibly some social studies classes according to Hall. “There is going to be a

[student activities] lounge like we used to have, except that it will be a little bit smaller,” she said.

“And we will have a retractable separator so we can open it up for larger events.”

In addition, Hall is hopeful that the Student Executive Council (SEC) will move into the building early into the second semester. “From what I understand, we are still on track to move in mid-January,” Hall said. “That’s the anticipated time that the building will be ready for people to be in it,” Assistant Principal of Facilities Margaret Reynolds confirmed that the scheduled move-in date for SEC and student activities is next semester on Jan. 14.

Senior Class President Michael Panitchpakdi, who is also a choir member, is looking forward to the amenities that the new facilities will provide.

“I heard that there’s a microwave in the new SEC building and I’m very excited because now I can heat up my lunches,” Panitchpakdi said. “I’m really excited to sing in a better [choir] room with really nice acoustics. I would love to move in as soon as possible.”

Centerfold Yael Livneh Chelsie Park Sports Eric Epstein Bridgette Gong Elisa Moraes-Liu Lifestyle Laurel Comiter Noa Rapoport Katie Zhang Online Stephanie Jackson Andrew Zhao Changing the Narrative Grace Williams Photo Editor Sofia Sierra-Garcia Graphics Editor Mina Kim

Staff Business/Circulation Ryan Manesh Assistant Business/Circulation Peter Oh Copy Editors Calvin Cai Madison Nguyen Nikki Suzani Oracle/SEC Liaison Bridgette Gong

Photos courtesy of Kristy Blackburn

Lef t: Construc tion workers make pro gress on the new Student Ac tivities Center. Middle: The new Per forming A r ts Center cour t ya r d offers a ga thering space. R ight: La ndsca ping outside the new building rema ins in pro gress.

Alarm systems to be updated across campus Natalie McCurdy Tech Editor In the coming weeks, a new alarm system will be installed, replacing the current system that uses products from Simco Security. The school will be upgrading to the Honeywell Silent Knight alarm, and the upgrade will include the addition of new heat, smoke and beam detectors.

The smoke detectors will pick up anything from smoke to vapor to steam, while heat detectors are programmed to only go off after a certain rise in temperature within the space regardless of the cause. Beam detectors, which are triggered when light from the beam is obstructed by smoke, will also be installed in open spaces,

Photographers Melissa Ding Sophia Lu Tech Editors Natalie McCurdy Devon Lee

of newer technology is expected to curb maintenance issues and allow the detectors to work more accurately and with fewer complications.

In addition, Principal Kathleen Laurence believes that this update has taken time because of its complexity. “It’s way more sophisticated than what we had before, and for all I know the one we had before was there when I went to school,” Laurence said.

While the new detectors will recognize ecigarette vapor, Golton states that the district’s choice to update the system was independent of the topic of teen vaping. The goal was simply to install safer and more up-to-date fire detection technology.

INBOX

Oracle/TBN Liaison Collin Jaeger Graphics Artists Nicole Lee Grace Liu Jocelyn Wang

such as the gym.

After the Palo Alto Unified School District gained approval from the State Architect and the local and state fire marshals to begin, the installation was met with some complications that involved wiring and software. Following the completion of the new alarms at Gunn, Palo Alto High School will undergo the same upgrades.

District bond program manager Robert Golton explained that the outdated technology has impaired the current system’s effectiveness, justifying the $800,000 renovation. “This was done because the hardware was old, would go out of order more frequently and replacement parts are hard to find,” Golton said. The installation

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Government must respect, uphold rights of transgender individuals Sohini Ashoke On Oct. 21, 2018, the Trump administration issued a memo stating that it is considering defining gender as a biological, unchangeable condition determined by genitalia at birth. This follows several other moves by the administration that sought to restrict the rights of transgender (trans) individuals. In February 2017, for example, Trump signed a directive that instructed the Departments of Justice and Education to remove protections that allowed trans students to use bathrooms correlating with their gender identity. Since that day, dozens of federal protections for trans people have been abolished or attacked.

Earlier this year, Trump ordered that trans individuals be banned from serving in the military. As of June 2018, there were no federal anti-discrimination laws on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Given this trend, more protections are likely to be removed. This constant, blatant disrespect for the safety and identity of trans people demonstrated by the actions of the Trump administration is wholly unacceptable. The United States (U.S.) government should instead recognize the validity of the existence of trans people and add federal protections for trans Americans.

Many Americans do not support transgender rights due to the common misconception that gender cannot be malleable or that being transgender is one’s personal choice and that it is a mental illness. All of these assumptions, however, could not be further from the truth: a trans person is simply an individual whose biological sex at birth and gender identity are different. While many people believe that gender identity is directly correlated with sex and cannot be changed, there have been numerous scientific studies proving otherwise. A study published in Nature showed that trans people’s brains operated more similarly to their gender identity than their biological sex.

According to the World Health Organization, being transgender is not a mental illness, and not all trans people necessarily suffer from gender dysphoria, which is defined as serious stress and anxiety resulting from conflict between one’s sex and one’s gender identity.

Given the overwhelming scientific evidence that transgenderism is real and valid, there is no reason for the U.S. government to not support the rights of trans people.

The government’s refusal to acknowledge the validity of transgenderism also means that many logistical parts of daily life for trans people are challenging. For example, government identification methods only recognize sex, and in many states gender identity is

not recognized for bathroom access.

As a result of such misconceptions and prejudices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that anti-transgender violence spiked up 17 percent between 2016 and 2017. According to a survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality, one in four trans people has been assaulted because of Currently, their gender identity. These statistics 18 states are emblematic of a trend showing have clear laws how transphobia is unfortunately in place protecting still prevalent in the U.S., and inditransgender cate that trans people still need propeople. tection from the government, whether it be through anti-hate crime legislation or through granting them the basic human right of using whichever bathroom they prefer regardless of their assigned gender at birth. It is the government’s job to protect its people, so why are they taking away protections from one of the most at-risk groups in our country?

Currently, the status of transgender rights varies drastically across the country, as 32 states have no anti-discrimination laws on the basis of gender identity. The government should re-establish the protections that were removed under this administration, as well as implement federal protections for trans people regarding healthcare, housing access and workplace discrimination. Seeing as discrimination based on race, sex and socio-economic status are illegal under federal law, gender In the United identity should be not the exception; it should States, at not determine the outcome of someone’s life least 1.4 million or the opportunities and rights they have. adults identify as Politics aside, protections and rights for transgender. trans people should not be something up for debate. This is not an issue of whether our country believes in being transgender or not—this is an issue of giving a marginalized group of people their basic human rights. Even if people don’t believe in or understand what it’s like to be transgender, the right of trans people to have their existence respected and to not have to fear hate crimes should be a nonpartisan issue. The issue of transgender rights is not one that should be in political debates and should not differ among parties—these human rights should be recognized by everyone. Whether liberal or conservative, we as Americans need to come together to demand that our administration re-implement these protections and recognize that transgender rights are human rights. ­—Ashoke, a senior, is a News Editor.­

In 2017, the FBI reported that anti-transgender violence spiked up 17 percent from 2016.

LGBTQ rights activists protested the October 2018 memo with the hashtag #WontBeErased.

Photos from the San Francisco Pride Parade courtesy of Sarah Chang, Sophia Lu and Natalie McCurdy

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Friday, December 7, 2018

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Setting New Year’s resolutions proves unconducive to personal growth, progress Joy Huang “New year, new me!” is a common phrase thrown around on Jan. 1. People reflect upon the past year (including the New Year’s resolutions they failed to keep last year) and devise a checklist filled with goals they want to achieve in the year ahead. Some want to start going to the gym every day, while others want to have better time management. These plans might go swimmingly at first, but they all eventually fall apart.

According to a U.S. News and World Report survey, 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February. “New year, new me” slowly turns into “Maybe next year.” This begs the question: Why are New Year’s resolutions so ineffective?

One reason is that the goals do not offer immediate results. A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin discussed the role of rewards in maintaining long-term goals. The study, led by Kaitlin Woolley from Cornell University and Ayelet Fishbach from the University of Chicago, found that “the presence of immediate rewards is a stronger predictor of persistence in goal-related activities than the presence of delayed rewards.” In other words, people are more likely to continue working towards fulfilling their goals when they can quickly see results. Unfortunately, most New Year’s resolutions, such as losing weight or attaining higher grades, do not offer immediate returns. For example, a person needs to work out for months in order to see results in weight loss or muscle gain. A student trying to raise his or her grade has to work diligently for weeks or months to see a change in the grade book. When tangible changes are not imminent, people are more likely to lose their original visions and stop putting in the effort needed to achieve those goals.

People may also experience the “false hope syndrome,” or the tendency to have unrealistic beliefs about what is required to change habits. The term was coined by University of Toronto professors Janet Polivy and C. Peter Herman, whose research showed that people frequently underestimate the effort and time they need to meet their self-improvement goals. The study further explained that people tend to expect an unrealistic payoff from achieving a goal. Overconfidence leads to higher expectations of success, so people are more likely to be discouraged when they see that they have to put in way more effort than they initially anticipated. For example, some students choose to drop out of classes when the curriculum difficulty and the time demanded are beyond their expectations. Failing to realize that changing

even one habit can already be extremely difficult, some people make a checklist of items. They fail to dedicate the energy and discipline required for all of them, so they become discouraged and give up on all their goals.

Additionally, bad habits that are already formed are difficult to alter. Dr. Russell Poldrack, a neurobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, explained in an article from News in Health how routines are hardwired into the brain. He stated that the brain releases the chemical dopamine when people are doing enjoyable behaviors. When they are not doing the behavior, a lack of dopamine makes them crave doing again. Many resolutions involve breaking some type of a bad habit, such as giving up binge-watching Netflix shows for better time management and earlier bedtimes.

Some people also lack the accountability needed to persevere through their goals. It is comparable to how some students do not do the homework when they hear that the teacher does not check it, even if they are aware that the homework will help them learn. One way to find accountability is to ask a friend or family member to track progress; by forcing themselves to report to someone else, people are more likely to be motivated to get things done.

Habits are difficult to change, and each new year doesn’t change that fact. Even though there are many psychological reasons why New Year’s resolutions are difficult to maintain, the right strategies and mindset will help people persevere. Be realistic. Start small. Grab partners. Take steady steps, and the result will follow. ­—Huang, a senior, is a Features Editor.­

Photo Illustration by Nicole Lee and Sofia Sierra-Garcia

Faces in the Crowd Are New Year’s resolutions beneficial or harmful?

“I don’t think New Year’s resolutions are very helpful, because no one follows through with them.”

Justin Lin (9)

“I feel like at one point or another, everyone breaks their New Year’s resolution.”

“I think New Year’s resolutions is a good thing, because if you set yourself a goal, you always have something to look up to. ”

“It’s good to have the initiative to start a New Year’s resolution and it’s a great way for people to set a basis for themselves.”

Aubrey Fife (10)

Alia Leena (11)

Kaveh Esfahani (12) ­—Compiled by Calvin Cai

Photos by Sofia Sierra-Garcia

6

likely that students will study to pass the exam and soon forget everything afterwards. Also, finals are taken at the end of the semester, so students do not typically return to see what they’ve gotten wrong and can improve on. As a result, Grace Tramack finals push students to frantically memorize as much A superficial information as Finals season is, admitbetter possible in order to pass tedly, most students’ least alternative the test, but they ultifavorite part of the semesto a traditional mately fail to retain that ter or year. After all, infinal would be a information. A better formation that was only project that requires alternative to such a covered once in August students to apply finals policy would be is fair game for test questhe knowledge they’ve learned a project that requires tions, and multiple tests throughout students to apply the over the course of three the year. knowledge they’ve learned days can be exhausting and throughout the year. A final stressful. However, cumulative project, as opposed to a test, will exams have benefits as well and also help students in the future. As are an inevitable part of the modern adults, we will more likely face dilemmas education system. Finals policies should that require problem-solving skills, not be more lenient because they help not be pressed to exhibit the students solidify information ability to memorize as learned throughout the Finals much information as semester, foster techpossible and regurginiques students can present an tate it on a test. use in later life and Fi na l e x a m s help prepare for oppor tunity for are a source of college and beincredible stress yond. student s to exhibit that adversely Finals are a affects student way to ensure everything learned over health and are that informathe course of a semester, a redu nda nt tion sticks betway to measure ter in a student’s but they can be a major students’ knowlmind. Too often, edge. Instead, people take tests source of stress. more lenient finals and automatically policies will prepare forget the informastudents better for realtion the second they world applications of inwalk out of the room. While formation and problem-solving not all knowledge learned in skills, reduce stress and increase school is essential for everyday tasks, health and academic engagemany topics are beneficial to ment. Unfortunately, such remember, such as applied finals policies are yet to math problems or how the According be adopted by the mahuman body functions. to a study by jority of teachers; so, Also, most subjects build Psychology Today, to all the students who off previous units, so it final exams utilize have finals to face soon, is helpful to know the the “spacing effect” godspeed. material from previous to help students tests. By having to study retain informa—Park, a senior, is a the same information at tion.

Centerfold Editor. least twice—once for the

NO

YES

Forum Should finals policies, procedures be more lenient?

Chelsie Park The end of the semester is rapidly approaching, and finals are looming upon us. We have all, at some point, frantically rummaged through class notes in an attempt to recover faded knowledge of some chapter learned in September, calculated on RogerHub the minimum percentage needed for survival and prayed late at night to a nonexistent study god. With students already juggling the challenges of school work, grades and social relationships, finals only serve to exacerbate these stresses.

Additionally, finals don’t necessarily aid students’ academic success in the future.

Finals policies should instead be reformed to become more lenient in order to reduce stress and make room for more beneficial uses of time and energy.

The resulting stress from finals is unnecessary and negatively affects students’ health and academic performance. A study conducted by New York University found that many high schoolers experience levels of chronic stress so high that it may impede their abilities to succeed academically.

Such chronic stress is also often followed by a multitude of health concerns, including sleep difficulties, anxiety and depression.

Students already feel an incredible amount of academic pressure, and final exams only perpetuate this. Having a more lenient finals policy takes away the additional stress of finals and allows students to happily end the semester.

Although it is true that finals can be viewed as an opportunity to exhibit everything a student has learned in a course over a semester, tests and quizzes taken throughout the year already thoroughly assess students’ understanding of the material. Therefore, a cumulative exam on overly specific, unnecessary details from each unit does not reveal anything new and only serves as an added source of stress. A lenient policy of optional finals would give students who want to raise their grade an opportunity to do so.

Another option would be to have an exam that has little weight on students’ grades.

As a result, students’ progress and efforts over the whole year would carry increased importance, lessening the pressure and rendering finals more useful.

Additionally, the stress of finals doesn’t facilitate a student’s abilities to learn and apply the material; it is more than

unit test and once for the final—students are more likely to remember the information, even after the semester or year is over.

According to a study by Psychology Today, final exams utilize the “spacing effect” to help students retain information in the long run. Studying something a couple of months after one has already learned it makes it easier to remember later in life. Therefore, students will be able to remember more of the information learned through studying for a final exam than if they only studied for a unit test.

Most college courses have a final at the end of the semester or quarter, so getting used to taking finals in high school is beneficial for post-graduation. If students never took finals or had more lenient policies toward them in high school, they would never know how to properly handle finals season in college. Cumulative exams in high school allow students to explore which study techniques work for them, as well as learn how far in advance they need to start studying in order to do well on the final. This way, students are more prepared for longer and more difficult tasks later in life. It is significantly more difficult to learn this about oneself later on in life, especially when course material typically gets harder in college and there are fewer resources to help students study.

While finals are a lot of stress, they’re still beneficial as long as the teacher makes sure an exam fairly represents what they have taught throughout the semester. If a student is doing well in a class all the way up until the final, it is highly unlikely that their grade will be botched by the final—as long as it is a reasonable test. The only finals that students who study well have to worry about are those that are unfairly difficult. This is why it is the teacher’s job to challenge their students in a fair way without causing students to stress unhealthily about the class.

Finals that are good representations of the material learned throughout a semester are still beneficial for students.

Policies for cumulative exams at the end of each semester should remain as they are.

Students are more likely to retain information in the long run by studying the material a second time and gain a better sense of their own study habits in order to prepare themselves for college and later life in general. While most students agree that finals are one of the most stressful parts of the semester, all students must experience it at some point in their lives—it’s better to gain this exposure sooner than later.

—Tramack, a senior, is a Features Editor.

Jocelyn Wang

Features

Friday, December 7, 2018

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AIRBORNE: AIRBORNE: second album in trilogy due to release in 2019

Tejpal Virdi News Editor On Jan. 9, 2019, over 50 student musicians will release “Airborne,” the second part of the Gunn album trilogy. Senior Sean Yu is the album’s director and envisions a theme of a hero’s journey through conflict and responsibility.

The Gunn album series started last year with “Liftoff,” which features 30 students and has amassed over 18,000 streams on SoundCloud across its ten songs. Even though many of the organizers of “Liftoff” graduated last year, they have still remained actively involved in producing and leading “Airborne.” “Keeping in touch with the album is their way of leaving their legacy on Gunn but also still remaining connected as friends,” Yu said. For him, the Gunn album is a way to promote collaboration in music. “I’ve connected with a ton of people that I wouldn’t have otherwise talked to.”

This year, Yu aims to improve the quality of music, as he believes last year’s project was a little rushed. According to senior Michael Zheng, who is the lead producer, the team has put in more hours for the second album, and he has noticed a difference in the music as a direct result. “I believe Seniors Christian Foley, Peter Li, Sean Yu and Michael we have improved a lot Zheng finalize a song that will be on “Airborne.” since ‘Liftoff,’” he said.

“Now, we have a stable core team that has a vision, and this one will be higher quality.” Although he has found the producing process to be running smoothly, he noted that there are times when people have conflicting visions. “A track can go through a lot of versions,” Zheng said. “There have been some tracks that have gone through a ton of changes and been around [since the production of ‘Liftoff’].”

Yu started making music over two years ago when he would record himself singing miscellaneous songs and post them to SoundCloud, an audio distribution platform. He hopes “Airborne” can help others find a path in music as well and raise awareness for the musical talent on campus. “Because of all the attention the album gets, it legitimizes music for a lot of people,” he said. “The album gives aspiring musicians a platform to distribute their music and the message they want to send.” Yu also aims to keep the focus of the music on underclassmen and increase the number of people featured on the album.

For lead rapper and senior Peter Li, the album serves to promote a culture of music-making. “We definitely try to seek out people who have an interest and encourage them and cultivate that interest,” he said. “Hopefully they can carry on the tradition of making music at Gunn.”

Li sees this type of collaboration as a way for students to leave a legacy. “Because we’re being so inclusive, we’re trying to get a lot of diverse perspectives,” he said. “The album truly is for the Gunn community, and [it exists] so that everyone can be proud to have something that represents where they come from.”

Sophomore Sarah Sanders, who created the cover art, believes the albums are a great platform for people to share their experiences, and she looks forward to creating music for others. “I think that when I get to senior year, if the album is still going, it would be cool to take a bigger part in it,” she said. Sanders also finds it important to focus on spreading advice and knowledge to underclassmen. “I think it’s better with juniors and seniors, because they have more experience with the Gunn community and making music,” she said.

Although this trilogy is set to finish next year, Yu hopes that someone will carry on the tradition of senior-led albums. “I can’t say that I will be directly involved in two years, but I really hope that people will take the initiative and recognize how much importance the album has to the school,” he said.

“Airborne” Quick Facts • The album is co-led by director Sean Yu and producer Michael Zheng, both seniors.

• There are 15 tracks on the album.

• The first album in the trilogy, “Liftoff,” has a more inspirational and happy theme, while “Airborne” is darker in tone.

• One goal for the “Airborne” album has been to feature more people.

• Production for “Airborne” started immediately after “Liftoff ” was released a year ago.

• Fifty people are working on the album altogether.

Photos by Sofia Sierra-Garcia

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Centerfold

Friday, December 7, 2018

PERSONAL WELLNESS ELEVATES DAILY LIFE

Grace Williams

FINDING BALANCE BEGINS WITH SELF-CARE

Although I practice self-care today, that has not always been the case.

During my earlier years of high school, I had no idea what self-care was. Though I was stressed and overwhelmed at times, I thought that these were normal feelings that I was supposed to push through on my own. Most often, situations that did not go according to my plan caused me to become stressed, and I became unable to cope with my feelings. The stress would render me unable to focus on the tasks I needed to complete.

I was first introduced to self-care in my sophomore year. During finals week, my mom prepared little treats for me after I finished studying every day that week; Monday was a peppermint bubble bath, Tuesday was my favorite chocolate, Wednesday was candy apple lotion and Thursday was peppermint hot chocolate. Though I do not think these little tokens directly affected my academic performance, they did ease my stress and calm my nerves. I then started enjoying moments of relaxation during the day, such as painting my nails, dancing to my favorite song, searching for silly videos of llamas and reading for pleasure. Although these were small actions, they allowed me to feel calm.

After that year, I became more attuned to my mental health, and now one of my favorite ways to practice self-care is to either go on a run or play lacrosse. Both activities have not only proven to reduce stress, but they also increase body positivity. Running is something that I have always loved, especially when I am not in a good mood or have had a rough day. The feeling of my feet hitting the pavement and the air circulating through my lungs is unlike anything else. While running, I feel stronger and more in control, which also helps relieve my stress. Running makes me feel in control because I am able to control how far I run and how hard I push myself.

After running, I always feel more relaxed and better equipped to take on any challenges that may come my way. I’ve found that these tactics work to improve my own mental health and are my personal forms of self-care, but they may not work for everybody. It is important that you find what works for you so that you know how to take care of yourself when life does not go according to plan.

Being mindful of my wellness has had a significant impact on my dayto-day life. When I prioritize my mental health, I find that I am more focused during school and when completing tasks. I have also found that I am able to enjoy spending time with my friends and family more because I am not as stressed about school or extracurriculars. Also, I am not as moody throughout the day and am able to sleep better at night.

Though watching silly llama videos may not be your de-stresser of choice, finding a way to implement self-care into your life is important and can benefit you greatly.

—Williams, a senior, is the Changing the Narrative Editor.

Photo illustrations by Catherine Chen, Megan Li, Yael Livneh, Sofia Sierra-Garcia and Jocelyn Wang

Dress up in your fanciest outfit, even if you have nowhere to go.

Put on something special, do your hair and makeup and make yourself feel fancy. Being dressed up will make you feel more put-together than lounging around in pajamas, and it might even motivate you to get more work done.

mini self-care tips: Listen to some of your favorite music. Some cheerful tunes can be an instant pick-me-up and a great distraction from stressful work. Plus, dancing along to some music can serve as good exercise when you don’t have time to get to the gym.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, try stepping away from your work for a bit and tidy up your room or workspace.

Toss out stray papers, take those dirty mugs out of your room and hang up the laundry that’s been lying around for a week.

It will make you feel productive while letting you take a break from studying.

Plus, you’ll have a more organized environment to come back to, which will help you feel less stressed.

Treat yourself to something you’ve been wanting for a while. Whether it’s taking a trip to the movies, baking some delicious cookies or buying yourself a new notebook, giving yourself a reward for all of your hard work can help make you feel happier and less stressed out. You deserve to take a break and enjoy yourself, even during the most stressful times of the year.

—Compiled by Liza Kolbasov

For more supp or t , visit the Wellness Center by the Main Office or call the 24/7 Teen Crisis Hotline at 888-247-7717.

Take a short walk outside.

Fresh air and a change of pace can be refreshing and help clear your head before getting back to studying. Walking can also be good exercise and help you get blood pumping in your body. Pop in your earbuds and walk around the block for a quick study break, and you’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Bring nature into your study space by keeping a plant on your desk. Even if you don’t have the opportunity to go outside, keeping a plant in your room can make you feel more relaxed. Plants will bring oxygen and water into the air, purify it, and generally de-stress you by tying you back to nature. Also, try opening your window to let some light and fresh air into your space.

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Features

Club of Clubs wows audiences with magic card tricks Bridgette Gong Sports Editor The Club of Clubs is a club for students to perform magic tricks and discuss further magical madness. Sophomore co-founders Arunim Agarwal and Jun Kim had the idea for the club when the two of them wanted to make something more out of the silly, lighthearted magic they performed when they would bring their cards to school and show each other tricks between classes.

According to club member junior William Chung, his favorite part of the club is connecting with other Gunn magicians.

“I like seeing what other magicians have to show,” he said. “My favorite part is hanging out with people with similar interests.”

Agarwal hopes that the Club of Clubs can provide a similar purpose for its members, serving as not just a recreational club, but an educational one as well. “I hope this club becomes a space for people who are interested in sleight to learn from or teach their peers,” he said.

In terms of close-up magic or card magic, the term “sleight of hand” refers to fine motor skills used by performing artists to entertain or manipulate lightheartedly.

Sleight is challenging and mastering it can prove to be difficult. Despite this, it is one of Agarwal’s favorite aspects of performing magic tricks. “Sleight of hand is really interesting because it often can involve misdirection,” he said. “It takes a while to get certain moves down, but eventually you get it.”

The members of the club primarily focus on card tricks, but also practice coin magic and mentalism (mind-reading) in their repertoire. Like any hobby or talent, performing flawless magic takes lots of

practice and can prove difficult at times.

“For hard tricks I often sit for half an hour to an hour just repetitively going through the trick over and over until it clicks,” Agarwal said.

Agarwal finds his fellow club members to be both a source of help and inspiration.

“The easiest way for me to learn is to ask my friends to show me how they do tricks, and then I try to replicate their motions,” he said.

Despite the difficulties of mastering the card tricks themselves, Chung finds that performing the tricks poses the greatest challenge to him. “Magic is not hard to learn,” he said. “Performing it is the hard part, because people will sometimes get nervous and mess up.”

Obstacles aside, magic tricks can be especially fun and rewarding. “There are a lot of really great magicians out there, but I’m most impressed by young people who can do some amazing things with just a regular deck,” Agarwal said. “For example, students that I know like Jun or William can do amazing things that inspire me.”

Similarly, Chung also finds performances for audiences to be incredibly rewarding.

“My favorite thing about performing magic would be the reactions that [we] get after the big reveal,” he said.

The final results of producing a visual anomaly after hours of dedication and practice are well worth it. “When you mess up a trick, it becomes hard to recover,” Agarwal said. “But that’s the challenge and it’s more than worth it if you are able to confuse someone with a trick.”

The Club of Clubs welcomes all aspiring magicians on Wednesdays at lunch in N-103. “I think anyone can be a magician as long as you practice,” Agarwal said.

Photos by Sofia Sierra-Garcia

B e c om i n g a

magician: a b eg i n ner 's

of seven cards. Then, let another person pick one of those cards without telling you can determine their card and make it be the 11th card when the 21 cards are stacked.

Step 3: Ask someone to pick one of the cards and memorize it, then put it back.

Make sure they don’t tell you what the card is. Tell them that you can predict where their card will end up.

Step 2: Arrange them face-up into three rows of seven cards. Make sure to lay out the cards by row, not column; the trick will not work otherwise.

your deck and arrange them in three rows

what it is. Through some clever magic, you

card trick Step 1: Pick out 21 cards from a card deck. Make sure all of the cards are unique.

The 21 card trick: Pick 21 cards out of

Step 4: Have them point at the row that the card is in.

Step 5: Make piles with each of the rows of cards so the cards closest to you are on the top, and the ones farthest from you end up on the bottom.

Step 6: Gather the cards together, and make sure the row containing the card that the person chose goes between the other rows.

Step 7: Repeat steps two, four, five, six and seven two more times.

Step 8: Tell them that the card they picked is 11th in your card stack. Have them verify. If the trick was performed correctly, the person’s card will be there. Magic!

—Compiled by Andrew Zhao Grace Liu

Sports

Friday, December 7, 2018

11

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH: Freshman Mollie Keulker, Varsity Basketball

The Oracle: What position do you play on the basketball team?

Mollie Keulker: I play point guard. It’s challenging because you have to run the f loor, and you have to think about what’s best for your team and get the whole team involved in the plays.

TO: What has your experience on the Gunn team been like so far?

MK: My experience with Gunn basketball has been really good. The upperclassmen have been really nice to us underclassmen and they have welcomed us. It has been so much fun getting to hang out with them and getting to know new people who I maybe wouldn’t have met otherwise.

TO: What’s your favorite part about basketball?

MK: My favorite part is being part of the team and having a big friendship, but it is also more than a friendship.

TO: What’s your all-time favorite basketball memory?

MK: I really love hanging out with my teammates outside of basketball, not only as teammates but as friends. Team sleepovers are always super fun, and any chance to bond with them is super great.

TO: What are you most looking forward to in the season?

MK: I’m looking forward to bonding and becoming closer with my teammates.

TO: Do you have any pregame rituals?

MK: Every pregame we all get in a huddle and we all talk about what we want to do well. We always ride in one big car together to games and just talk about what’s happening, and we get to know each other really well and personally.

TO: What made you want to start playing basketball?

MK: I wanted to play basketball mostly because my older sister played, but also because of my friends that I had back in third grade. I have always looked up to players that my older sister played with, and they made me want to play.

TO: What’s the biggest life lesson you have learned from basketball?

MK: I have learned to just keep on going through your mistakes. Mistakes will happen, but you just have to blow them off and move on. The more you let your mistakes affect you, the more mistakes you’ll continue to make.

TO: Do you have a basketball idol that inspired how you play?

MK: I remember watching Zoe Zwerling, [who graduated from Gunn in 2014], when I was very young. I remember always looking up to her and wanting to play and be like her.

TO: Do you have any future plans for basketball?

MK: I want to play in college, and then after that, I want to go into coaching.

—Compiled by Noa Rappaport

Sofia Sierra-Garcia

SPORTS BOOSTERS AIMS TO MAXIMIZE ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE tages as other well-funded programs. “Our focus is really making sure that the experience the student-athlete has is similar in the sports realm to what it would be in the Gunn Sports Boosters, a nonprofit organization academic realm, theater realm or music realm,” Missett formed collaboratively by parents, coaches and commu- said. “We just want it to be an outstanding experience nity members, provides much of the financial support all the way around.” for Gunn Athletics. Throughout the course of each year, One such program that has benefitted from the orSports Boosters handles hundreds of thousands of dol- ganization is water polo. Girls water polo coach Mark lars. “The amount of money that is raised by the Sports Hernandez acknowledged the assistance provided by Boosters has been in the $100,000 to $200,000 range an- Sports Boosters. “Sports Boosters has been great for us,” nually,” Sports Boosters co-president Brian Missett said. he said. “We have had a lot of contributions, and they “And then that is roughly the same amount of money have been very kind to us with supporting our facility that is distributed to the athletic and equipment requests. We ask programs every year.” for help, and they give it to us.”

OUR FOCUS IS REAlLY The nonprofit’s main purHowever, there are some calls pose is to provide much-needed M A K I N G S U R E T H A T for Gunn Sports Boosters to do financial support for Gunn Ath- T H E E X P E R IE N C E T H E more. For example, Hernandez letics, but it also strives to make STUDENT-ATHLETE HAS mentioned his desire for more attending sports events fun for IS SIMILAR IN THE SPORTS funding for certain aspects of the all. “We think it’s something that REALM TO WHAT IT WOULD water polo program. “We’d like should be a good time,” Missett B E I N T H E A C A D E M I C more money to buy more equipsaid. “We’re looking forward to REALM, THEATER REALM, ment more often,” he said. “Our . program is trying to be efficient trying to organize not only a lot O R M U SIC R E A L M of fundraisers, but a lot of what with resources. We tried to be could best be described as pizza and donut parties to reasonable and tried to be decently frugal because we rally folks around the cause and get people out there to are aware of the pressures that are at play for our school support each other as you guys compete.” and our district.”

Ideally, Missett wants athletes to have the same advanHernandez also wishes that his current budget would Jennifer Gao and Joshua Yang Forum Editors

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allow him to easily manage all aspects of the team. “It does get to be a lot when you’re trying to come up with practice plans and game plans and also run all the finances,” he said. According to Hernandez, having the funding to hire additional coaches or managers would solve this issue.

The issue extends beyond water polo; several members from cross country have voiced their concerns over a lack of funding. “Cross-country uniforms were tight last year,” cross country captain Justin Chiao said. “We borrow uniforms now, but we buy everything else—including running shoes, racing shoes and fancy socks—ourselves.”

According to Chiao, at one point, some members of the boys cross country team had to wear old jerseys from the girls team.

Missett maintains that Sports Boosters is as fair as possible with the allocation of donations. “Part of our responsibility is to balance the money that we’re giving both over time and on a needs-based basis,” he said.

“We’re ensuring equality across the sports as opposed to creating an unequal distribution.”

Missett suggests a lack of funding could have impacted athletic departments at Gunn across the board. “I’m aware of times when students have needed to purchase parts of their own uniforms—things along those lines,” he said.

“It’s because Sports Boosters has not been as successful at fundraising as we would like, which is one of the things we’re working to change. But when you are short on funds, you still try to spread the remaining funds.”

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Sports

Gymshark is a popular online site for athleisure. There are, however, some pros and cons that should be taken into consideration before clicking that “Confirm Purchase” button. Let’s start by reviewing the pros: pricing, customer service and style.

Gymshark leggings, their most popular product, are generally cheaper than Nike and Lululemon (Lulu) leggings (they are all priced from $20 to $50 where as Lulu and Nike retail for around $100). Additionally, Gymshark sale prices tend to drop much lower than other athletic sites. Gymshark also has really good customer service and a low-maintenance return policy. The leggings are comfortable enough, but the material can be a bit tight, making it flattering but somewhat restricting. Overall, Gymshark has a large variety of bold textures and colors for their apparel that create a unique and affordable style.

A downside is that Gymshark is an online-only platform, with pop-ups only in Toronto and Los Angeles. This means that you cannot try products on before you purchase them. However, the site is very user-friendly, clean and easy to navigate and also includes plenty of pictures for inspiration to help you style your new gym merchandise. There is also a large range of feedback and online ratings for each product, so when considering a purchase, check those out.

Another thing to watch out for is sizing, because their sizes usually run small, as mentioned by a large pool of their reviews. If you’re on a budget and looking for a new pair of leggings to wear to the gym or to just wear on the daily, Gymshark could have the perfect pair for you.

—Written by Bridgette Gong

Lululemon has become synonymous with athleisure because of the company’s focus on using their clothing to shape a lifestyle, rather than just being a component of your wardrobe. With its small, minimalist logo, Lululemon has risen to the top of the activewear world. While paying $100 for a pair of pants or $50 for a shirt may seem ridiculous, Lululemon’s prices are not much higher than those of Nike and Adidas products. Even with the slightly higher price, the quality is far superior to that of other brands.

The brand has over 100 different legging options—not even including color variations. All of the different types are suited for athletic activities, but some are better equipped to withstand copious amounts of movement.

Certain fabrics—like the Luon—are designed for a low-impact workout like yoga, while others—like the Luxtreme or Everlux—are made to withstand long runs or CrossFit. In addition to the unmatched quality of their fabrics, Lululemon clothing has many other perks. Their shorts, for example, have moisture-wicking fabric, along with ventilation to keep your body cool while working up a sweat. Their pants also have pockets ranging in size so that the wearer can fit anything from their keys to their phone or wallet in them comfortably.

Lulu's wide range of apparel can pass for either casual wear or workout gear. The versatility of their clothes makes them wearable in just about any situation, ensuring that you'll get your money’s worth. The clothing from Lululemon is worth the price because of the quality of their materials and its trendy aesthetic.

—Written by Laurel Comiter Cour

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Find your fit: reviewing the most popular athleisure brands

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Graphics by Grace Liu

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Nike’s net worth sits at over $28 billion, nearly double that of its biggest competitor, Adidas. However, this successful company came from humble beginnings, starting as a small shoe brand created

by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman. Later, in the 1970s and 80s, the company rose to stardom backed by the new and fresh “Just Do It” advertisement campaign.

Nike’s sports products offer some of the best clothing, equipment, shoes and accessories on the market. Arguably the most popular product ever created by Nike is the Air Jordans. These shoes have become legendary in the world of basketball and in pop culture, as they were once worn by His Airness, Michael Jordan.

In addition to shoes, Nike has a large selection of hoodies, t-shirts, pants and much more that are sleek, sporty and wearable for all ages. Nike makes products that fit all the needs of customers, specializing in products for specific sports like basketball while also providing for the casual consumer. This flexibility makes it the quintessential athleisure sports brand.

Not only does Nike produce the world’s highest quality sports products, but they are also preferred by a plethora of superstar athletes. Nike has a knack for sponsoring a different level of sports legends like Lebron James, Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Ronaldinho, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods.

These athletes are far superior to the athletes that endorse Adidas because they sell more products and are vastly more successful. Nike’s superior lineup of shoes and clothing has influenced our sports culture like no other brand. The name alone is reason enough to buy your workout gear from Nike.

—Written by Devon Lee So fia Sie rr

rr Sie fia So

Adidas was founded in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1949 by Adolf Dassler who began by producing shoes.

Nowadays, Adidas is a widely worn brand, known for its athletic and casual wear, and its lines have become popular among people of all ages. Some of its best-selling items include the Yeezy Boost shoes (which were designed as part of a collaboration between rapper Kanye West and Adidas), NMD sneakers, Ultraboost running shoes and Tiro training jackets and sweatpants. Their products come in much variance, with many different colors and a relatively wide price range. Their Adidas Originals shoes range from $40 to over $400.

The NMD sneakers are arguably their most popular product. These shoes have a stylish fabric on the outside, with plenty of air circulation and boost technology for comfort and performance.

The Tiro 17 training pants are another one of Adidas’ top products. Meant for training, these pants come with Climacool technology, keeping customers cool and dry even while they’re active. Additionally, its mesh insert below the back waist offers breathability and comfort. The pockets all have zippers, which is convenient for storage.

In addition to producing top-tier athletic wear, Adidas also sponsors several professional athletes and sports teams such as soccer powerhouses Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester United. Sponsored athletes consist of a plethora of the world’s most skilled and well-known athletes, such as basketball stars James Harden and John Wall, and tennis player Andy Murray.

Adidas products are made with comfortable material, innovative technology and are sold at affordable prices.

—Written by Calvin Cai

rel C

Lifestyle Self-love fosters confidence, strengthens bonds The term “self-love” has recently been gaining traction with the sharpening focus on mental health, but many people rarely stop to think about it or realize its importance. As teenagers, we often criticize ourselves for things that shouldn’t matter in the long run, such as beating ourselves up when we receive a sub-par grade and worrying about what others think of us. If we talked to people the same way we talked to ourselves, and if we criticized others as often we criticized ourselves, how would that reflect on us? Practicing the concept of self-love brings us on a path to acceptance and push us to develop of not only a stronger relationship with ourselves but with others as well.

Self-love begins with the ability to accept our flaws. Everyone has something—from our physical appearance to our personality—that makes them feel insecure. If we accept and love ourselves, however, we can reap so many benefits. With a newfound level of self-regard, there’s a part of our brain that begins to better understand our needs and how to cope with different situations.

Listening to music, exercising, spending time with family and friends and participating in other healthy activities aid in ensuring our mental well-being; they create a space with the freedom to be ourselves without wondering about how others may perceive our true identity. We often fail to recognize who we are until we accept ourselves. Our perception of identity is clouded by who we think we want to be. This fog tends to persist, as it largely goes ignored and unspoken of. The importance of self-love is not just to accept ourselves, but to gain valuable knowledge about who we really are and how to move on from all the negativity.

As we learn to spend more time with ourselves, we begin to trust ourselves and our instincts more; we become someone we can easily depend on. Many often seek love and affection from others without even being cognizant of this search. However, finding validation in the words and actions of others is no way to live. We must be able to rely on and cultivate our own ability to find happiness within in order to be our best selves. As our intrapersonal relationships grow stronger, the notion that we make ourselves happier than any other person could becomes all the more valid.

That’s what many don’t realize: we’re capable of being satisfied and happy in a relationship with just ourselves.

Without self-love, it’s difficult to navigate relationships with other people. If we don’t know how to love who we are, how do we expect someone else to do it for us? Some struggle with believing they are worth more than what their negative thoughts tell them, but we all deserve to be the happiest we can. This happiness comes with being aware of our boundaries and what we want in all of our relationships, from those with a significant other to ones we have with family. Sometimes, there’s so much toxicity around and within us that we continue to put up with because we don’t know our self-worth. Caring for ourselves helps us find the courage to throw away the things that don’t make us happy and bring in the things that do, which is extremely important in well-functioning relationships. The more we strengthen our bond with ourselves, the more we’re able to strengthen our connection with the people around us.

There is all this talk about the importance of accepting your flaws, but with self-love, there also needs to be a stress on recognizing the qualities we love about ourselves. Currently, there isn’t enough light shone on the importance of developing a strong, confident relationship with ourselves to help us navigate a relationship with others. Loving ourselves has never been the norm, and it’s time that we learn to change that.

—Written by Madison Nguyen

Toxic friendships distract from healthy relationships “I’m addicted to you. Don’t you know that you’re toxic?” When talking about toxic friendships, Britney Spears’ lyrics also ring true; being involved in a toxic friendship feels like a drug that you’re addicted to, taking a toll on your mental health and making you hurt even more each time.

A toxic friendship is defined as a friendship where you feel that the other person isn’t putting as much effort into the relationship as you are. This can occur when boundaries aren’t respected, or when you do nice things for another person and they don’t reciprocate in the same way. If a friendship makes you feel unwanted, unloved or uncomfortable, it is toxic.

When attempting to find the difference between a toxic relationship and one that just needs patching, reflect on how you feel with the person. Do they make you happier, or are you more stressed about passing yourself off as perfect to them?

If you feel judged by them or think that you have to keep up an illusion of a different person to be happy with them, it’s time to move on.

But how can you cut off someone who’s been a big part of your life for a long time?

Step one: Realize that your own self-care will always trump anyone else’s feelings. They might be hurt

that you’re ending the friendship, so try to cut contact with them as peacefully as you can. Some people might cry or get mad at you, blaming you for the problems in your relationship, but try to keep a cool head and realize that they’re manipulating your sense of kindness and empathy. Think about yourself first and don’t give in.

Step two: Find a new friend, or, if necessary, a whole new group of friends.

Of course, if you have a lot of close friends, you can rely on the others for support through this time. However, not everyone is lucky enough to know a lot of people, and it’s always important to have a group of people that you can trust.

Finding new friends can be a daunting task at first, but keep at it. Find someone in one of your classes and ask to sit with them at lunch, confide in someone trustworthy and have patience. We’re in a welcoming environment

where it won’t be nearly as difficult as you expect. Regardless, it is far better to be lonely for a week or two than to be with people who distort your perception of yourself.

Step three: Work on keeping your current and any future relationships healthy. Understand that you don’t have to be friends with everyone. Learn to be picky with relationships and put yourself first. Surround yourself with people who give off positive vibes, are supportive and have your best interests at heart. Find the kind of people who say, “Great job!” rather than responding to every success in your life with their better grade, score or experience. Friends that truly support you in everything you do and refrain from teasing you too often are the best ones to have.

Learn to love yourself, and others will follow suit. Be willing to go through the cycle of repairing yourself after someone has torn you down to nothing at all. Realize that your light is so bright no one can snuff it out unless you let them, and find people who only ignite it more, not dim it. It might take time, but you will grow and figure out how to be happy.

—Written by Nikki Suzani Graphics by Jocelyn Wang

Friday, December 7, 2018

13

Sisters maintain healthy connection despite distance

Laurel Comiter

My sister Jacqueline is three years older than me but four grades above in school. We shared absolutely everything, from clothes to the responsibility of cleaning the fish tank, and even a room for a little while. Growing up, I assumed she would always be just right on the other side of the wall, there whenever I needed her. She has always been my best friend, and, as cliché as it sounds, I didn’t realize what I lost in having my sister around until she was gone.

When she got into UC Berkeley, I was beyond thrilled. Having her only an hour away would make it feel like she was practically home. I thought we would still be able to share clothes, go out to lunch together and tell each other about our days. But I soon came to realize how different things were going to be.

Before she left, when I wasn’t hanging out with friends, I had Jacqueline there to keep me company. I had never been without someone, but now I was alone. I used to take our Netflix binge-watching time together for granted, but now when she comes home, I treasure the opportunity to sit and snack with her while watching our new favorite show. Additionally, while not nearly as important, my closet shrunk in size by about half when she left, and I miss the wider selection a lot.

Since being apart, my sister and I have figured out several ways to keep in contact despite being on completely separate schedules. First, whenever we are going to buy something, we send each other pictures, and if one of us doesn’t respond fast enough, we call each other until we get the other’s approval. Even though we no longer live together, I can’t let Jacqueline buy something I wouldn’t even want to steal. We also call and text each other throughout the day; whether it’s a life update or just a new phrase we’ve started saying, we are constantly keeping each other informed. Occasionally, we even get the chance to FaceTime, which is a little bit difficult to do because we are very rarely free at the same time.

FaceTime, though, is my favorite form of communication; being face to face with my sister is something I never really appreciated until she was gone, and video chatting almost makes it feel like we are together. I have also gotten the chance to visit her a few times. For example, I went up once for the weekend, and we went to a Jack Johnson concert together.

Jacqueline is moving to Boston after she graduates in the spring. Once she moves, our relationship will only be harder to maintain from there. Not only will we not be living together, but we will be in completely different time zones. I am not quite sure what part of the country I will be in for college, but I do know that there is a very slim chance it will be close to her. We only have a few more months of living near each other before we become completely separated, but I know that our relationship can handle it.

Plus, we have the entire summer to get tired of each other.

—Comiter, a senior, is a Lifestyle Editor.

14

Lifestyle

Holiday marketing tactics explained When thinking of the holidays, we usually think of festivities, happiness and relaxation. However, many businesses interpret this time of the year as an opportunity to rake in cash. In fact, many companies plan around the holidays, employing various tactics to convince you to cough up your money. To illustrate the importance of seasonal sales, e-commerce corporation Alibaba made a recordbreaking $30.8 billion on 2018 Singles Day, capitalizing on a Chinese holiday to make profits.

The first step companies take is to remind you of the arrival of the holiday season. They dress up storefronts and interiors with colors traditionally associated with holidays, such as red and green for Christmas, or with baubles, string lights and other festive decorations.

Stores will also play holiday music through their speakers, and they might even use several familiar scents to announce the beginning of gift-giving and weeks full of spending. Unfortunately, the combination of all these sensations will commonly cause people to let their guard down, leading to a shopping spree justified by the holidays.

And this says nothing about how prices are manipulated during the last two months of the year. For example, stores see Black Friday as a day of profit, even though prices are

traditionally cheaper during that day. Consider a television that normally sells for a high price of $3,000. If the store lowers its price to $1,000, consumers will quickly buy out the televisions since they believe they are getting a fantastic deal. Since so many more people are buying the product, profits are greater even though the prices have been slashed. The reduction of the prices is almost always accompanied by advertisements; ‘LIMITED SALE 50% OFF’ might be plastered in bold letters on department store windows and hung from ceilings. To customers, these kinds of ads create the illusion of a temporary and tempting deal, persuading them to buy products and goods that they otherwise wouldn't think to buy. Otherwise, the customers think that they will regret it when the deal is gone.

Stores can also squeeze additional profits out of shoppers by playing psychological tricks. Ever noticed how most of the stores have prices that end in 99 cents? It turns out that customers often round down when looking at the product’s price: a product that costs $1.99 is considered to be $1.00 in the consumer’s eyes. Another classic trick involves putting an obscenely expensive item next to several similar items. Of course, the store does not expect you to buy that $300 wine. Rather, by putting it near wines labelled $100, they want you to believe that you are getting away with a great deal. The wine may be expensive, but at least it’s not $300 expensive.

Finally, holiday checkout lines are long, which allows the store to extract out even more of a profit. While waiting for the 20 other people in front of you, you might be tempted to buy a candy bar or a pack of mints from the checkout counter next to the slow-moving queue. At this point, stores know that your guard is fully let down, so why not get you to spend a little bit more?

Stores exist to make a profit, and they will try any trick in the book to maximize their profits. Of course, the holidays are a time of merrymaking, so feel free to indulge yourself if you are usually a penny-pincher. But make sure to distinguish between whether you truly want an item or whether you were persuaded to buy the item, or you might end up with $1,000 worth of goodies that you have no idea what to do with.

—Written by Andrew Zhao

Non-tangible gifts more thoughtful, caring With the holidays coming up, it can be difficult to figure out what to get your family members, friends or that special someone as a gift. Stores like Macy’s and Bed Bath & Beyond will present you with tempting deals for run-of-the-mill presents such as a “Special Christmas Bubble Bath Kit” or “Christmas-scented candles.” However, to make your holiday gifts more meaningful, your choices should not be limited to the special holiday discount section or to things that can be bought with the swipe of a card. Instead, why not try giving non-tangible gifts?

Some of the best and longest lasting presents come in the form of memories and adventures you can cherish

forever. These can include something simple, like a drive to Foothill Park for a picnic or a trip to the beach. With so many distractions in our daily lives, it is hard to find time to set aside for the people you love. The holidays are a time for reflection and appreciation, and there is no better way to show how much you care than slowing your busy life down to experience both the novel and familiar. Sure, that “Classic Christmas Gift Box” from Harry and David filled with mediocre chocolate and raspberryfilled tree-cutout shortbread cookies might seem like an easy option to turn to when buying a gift, but chances are, it will be forgotten by the following week.

—Written by Elisa Moraes-Liu

Faces in the Crowd

What is the most meaningful gift you have ever been given?

“My dog from my parents because I just love my dog, kind of like another family member, so that was a pretty cool gift.”

Jelena Hertzler (9)

“My dad bought me a basketball hoop when I was a kid and I practiced a lot on it.”

Ethan Huang (10)

“The most meaningful gift I’ve ever received was a bike because it showed me that my parents had trust in my independence and it was also really convenient.”

Chris Liao (11)

“The most meaningful gift I’ve ever been given is the opportunities that I have been given in this area. I’m very fortunate.”

Dash Lee (12)

­ Compiled by Devon Lee — Photos by Devon Lee and Sofia Sierra-Garcia

Graphics by Mina Kim

15

Lifestyle

Friday, December 7, 2018

In-N-Out, Shake Shack find success after humble beginnings

As one of the West Coast’s favorite burger chains, In-N-Out’s brand is easily recognizable: an angled yellow arrow and red graphics of swaying palm trees beyond calm ocean waves. Less well-known, however, is In-N-Out’s unique history, which is a tale contrary to that of most fast food chains.

In 1948, Harry Snyder founded In-N-Out with his wife Esther in a Los Angeles suburb. He was inspired by the short and straightforward menu of a steakhouse restaurant near his home and wanted to use the same simplistic methods for his own burger joint.

Burger lovers who frequent In-N-Out can probably vouch for the impact of Snyder’s dream; the chain is famous for its minimalistic menu, with only three types of burgers—the hamburger, cheeseburger and double double—as well as fries and three flavors of milkshakes.

Snyder’s style of running a fast food chain contrasts sharply with traditional methods.

While chains frequently update their menu over the years, In-N-Out’s has not changed since its establishment, providing the same options to its customers now as it did seventy years ago. However, customers in-the-know may have heard of In-N-Out’s “secret menu,” which has items that vary from the chain’s original menu and range from animal fries (which are cooked with mustard and come topped with cheese and grilled onions) to the protein-style burger (which is a beef patty wrapped in lettuce instead of buns).

In-N-Out also promotes its use of only fresh ingredients rather than frozen products that most fast food restaurants buy to cut their costs and production time. Slices of fries are crispy cut from potatoes, the burger patties are made from fresh beef and milkshakes use real dairy products. The same care goes into In-N-Out’s treatment of its employees, who are paid more than the usual fast food rate and have the lowest employee turnover rate in the industry.

In-N-Out remains in the Snyders’ ownership with CEO Lynsi Snyder, who is Harry and Esther’s granddaughter, at the helm. The couple’s small burger joint in Los Angeles has expanded to 334 restaurants in six states. The growing popularity of In-N-Out can be attributed to the heart and care that is put into the food—a standard of quality that customers can taste.

Most well-known for their burgers and, of course, milkshakes, Shake Shack is one of the most popular fast food chains in the United States. However, their burgers have not always been the star entrée on their menu.

Shake Shack was originally a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park.

As a part of the area's redevelopment, restaurateur Denny Meyer wanted a hot dog cart in a section of the park, which was opened by his Director of Operations Randy Garutti in 2001. The cart remained open for three years until it became part of a new system of kiosk-style restaurants that the city began in the park in 2004. During this transition to a full stand in Madison Square Park, the menu moved away from just hot dogs and toward the likes of hamburgers, french fries and milkshakes that have made the restaurant so popular to this day. The chain’s first location outside of New York City was opened in June 2010 at the Lincoln Road Mall in Miami, Florida. Additionally, in July of the same year, a restaurant was opened in the Theatre District and Upper East Side of New York City, which assisted in reviving a deteriorating urban shopping district.

While originally founded on the East Coast, Shake Shack has expanded to 27 states, including western states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington.

The chain has also opened locations in 12 other countries besides the United States. By October 2017, 136 international restaurants had opened.

Shake Shack has expanded its menus and selections as well. Since starting as a hot dog cart, menu items now include various types of burgers, french fries, milkshakes, chicken sandwiches, frozen custards, drinks, alcoholic beverages and even food for dogs.

The chain has also widened their market in terms of merchandise. People can now buy Shack Swag, items with the company logo on them, which include t-shirts, sweatshirts and sunglasses. On their website, fans of the food can also purchase the new cookbook, “Shake Shack: Recipes and Stories ” written by Garutti and Culinary Director Mike Rosati.

As one of the fastest growing and highest valued fast food chains in the world, Shake Shack has now opened over 160 locations in the United States and is still growing. Now, Bay Area locals can finally get a taste of the East Coast and join the Shake Shack craze at the new location in Stanford Shopping Center set to open at the end of 2018.

—Written by Julia Cheunkarndee

—Written by Grace Tramack

Fast food franchises face off: In-N-Out versus Shake Shack Fries: Known for using fresh potatoes and less oil than most fast-food chains, In-N-Out fries are a familiarity to me. Their lightly crisp exterior paired with a mushy interior makes them melt in your mouth. On the other hand, Shake Shack’s salty fries have little ridges that are fun to take bites out of. However, the flavor of the fries don’t hold a candle to In-N-Out; they taste as if they were frozen and then dipped in oil, and although they might be prettier, taste is the most important aspect. Thus, In-N-Out easily wins this category.

Burgers: The In-N-Out cheeseburger isn’t a special one. All it’s made up of is lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cheese and a patty sandwiched between two pieces of bread with a little touch of their “secret sauce,” which has a Thousand Island dressing kind of taste. Overall, though, the burger is satisfying and worth the $2.40. Although the In-NOut burger has its merits, the ShackBurger decimates it in overall quality. Its patty is the stuff of legends; with a perfect amount of salt and a crust on top, the ShackBurger is made perfectly to create a fantastic flavor experience.

Shake Shack’s secret sauce is also just a little fuller than In-N-Out’s, so Shake Shack takes the cake.

Shakes: As they are literally called Shake Shack, this category’s winner shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Shake Shack’s shakes have a full range of flavors from vanilla to coffee, and as the franchise’s signature menu item, they taste absolutely divine. They have a perfect amount of sweetness and make you feel like you’re on cloud nine. To be fair, In-N-Out’s shakes certainly aren’t bad; they’re made with real ice cream and are definitely a nice, cool shake to have on a warm day. The only flavors are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and a mix of vanilla and chocolate, but what more do you expect from a fast-food joint? Although Shake Shack’s milkshakes win on taste and presentation, if you’re looking for true, cheap, classic shakes, In-N-Out is the place to go.

—Compiled by Nikki Suzani Graphics by Mina Kim

16

Features

Palo Alto community bonds over Bol Park donkeys Jennifer Gao Forum Editor

Along the winding bike path leading out from campus and past the baseball fields, the Veterans Hospital and the old wooden bridge, there lies a one-acre pasture that houses two Palo Altan icons: the Bol Park donkeys. Perry and Jenny, along with their caretakers, have become an integral part of the Barron Park community.

Perry, the older and more famous of the two, is a miniature Jerusalem donkey who arrived at the Bol Park enclosure in 1997 and is currently 24 years old.

Sporting long, velvety ears, a muddy grey-brown coat, a couple of missing teeth and a feisty nature, this alpha male served as the inspiration for the character Donkey in DreamWorks’ “Shrek” franchise.

One of the primary caretakers, Jenny Kiratli, shares her name with the most recent addition to the donkey pasture: a standard donkey who arrived on Nov. 15, 2016.

According to Kiratli, Jenny the donkey lived in Southern California for 15 years, but her exact age is unknown.

“When they take them out of the Mojave desert, it’s just like a dog adoption,” Kiratli said. “They give you an estimate, but if they’re adults, they can’t always tell.”

Jenny’s most notable characteristics include her long, luxurious eyelashes, her smarts and her gentle yet headstrong nature. “She’s the one who figured out how to open the shed door—broke the handle clean off. That’s why we have three handles on the lock and a latch there to keep them in,” Kiratli said.

While at first the handlers were hesitant to put the two donkeys together, they since have established a unique relationship. “When she arrived, we originally had sort of a fence in the middle because we just weren’t quite sure how Perry would do and didn’t know anything about [Jenny's] temperament, but he made it clear that he was in charge and the alpha male, and now she does a funny thing: she just sort of follows him around,” Kiratli said.

The Bol Park donkeys found their fame from the “Shrek” movies. Niner, who passed in September 2016, had originally been chosen to model the character of Donkey, but he displayed a clear lack of interest in interacting with the crew members. “He wouldn’t come up and at some point, he came to the gate and was chewing on the director’s boots,” Kiratli said. “He did not make a good impression.”

Perry was cast as the second choice, and Kiratli believes his personality made all the difference. “And meanwhile here’s little Perry, who’s probably four or five at the time, and he was just sort of bouncing around like, ‘Me, me, me,’ so they used him instead of Niner,” she said.

Even today, Kiratli can fondly recall watching the movie and noticing the exact mannerisms and feisty nature displayed by Donkey that she sees in Perry. “Donkey

Photo courtesy of Jenny Kiratli

does things like tossing his head and rolling his eyes and stamping, and all of those behaviors came straight from Perry,” she said.

As the Director of Clinical Research and Spinal Cord Injury at the Veterans Affairs Hospital, Kiratli believes the expertise she has derived from the medical field has directly translated to her ability to care for the donkeys and serve as the head of the Barron Park Donkey Organization.

The efforts of Kiratli and other volunteers have contributed to the donkeys becoming an essential facet of the community. Kiratli believes that the donkeys are a way for kids to reconnect with nature and Barron Park’s rural past. “You know, kids grow up here thinking that it is not abnormal to have a donkey in your backyard,” Kiratli said. “It is a very calm place to be.

They are gentle, and I think a lot of people come here just to sit and relax. I really do like that it's not mechanized; there’s no technology—there are donkeys, and it’s very natural.’’

Unfortunately, there have been reports of students treating the donkeys poorly, a behavior Kiratli hopes will stop with support from the community. “It is not fun to do damage to the donkeys, and so we have to trust the community to help us take care of them,” Kiratli said. “I would really like everyone to be vigilant and look out for misbehavior.”

In addition, despite signs, people still continue to feed Perry and Jenny, which can lead to serious consequences.

“That’s really a problem because when somebody feeds them and then somebody doesn't, they get nippy with the people who don’t, which is dangerous for the community,” Kiratli said. “Perry’s also missing a lot of teeth so he can’t chew very well, and if people feed him big hunks of food or big handfuls of grass or hay, it could actually get caught in his esophagus, and it can be very dangerous.”

This is not to say the community has not given back to the donkeys. The pasture is primarily supported by donations, and the organization is always looking for more to help out with the care and well-being of Perry and Jenny.

Jenny

Perry and Jenny

Photos by Sofia Sierra-Garcia “It’s all community donations, and we lease the property from the owner,” Kiratli said. “We want to engage the community, and we want people to donate too.”

Both Perry and Jenny are brought to Bol Park every Sunday morning from 10 to 11 a.m. where people can come up to them. The donkeys are also known to participate in a number of traditional Barron Park activities. “The Sunday evening feeder feeds them at the gate, [tells] stories and has kids help at 4 p.m.,” Kiratli said.

“They routinely go to Barron Park [Elementary School] on Earth Day, and they always come out to the May Fête parade and movie night, so they’re always involved in the community.”