Teachers reflect on athletic careers
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Palo Alto Unified School District Henry M. Gunn High School 780 Arastradero Rd Palo Alto, CA 94306
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THEORACLE Henry M. Gunn High School
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District required to implement later school start times by 2022 Nikki Suzani Features Editor
are the best they can be. “All of the secondary schools will be looking at their current bell schedules and eventually, I suspect next year, we’ll have a district-wide group that On Oct. 11, 2019, a bill that mandated high schools will be working on bell schedules,” Principal Kathleen to start at 8:30 a.m. or later and middle schools to start Laurence said. “We’ll put out a survey, probably after the at 8:00 a.m. or later was signed into law by governor first of the year, to see what people like about the current Gavin Newsom. Although Palo Alto Unified School bell schedule, what they think could be better, what are District (PAUSD) middle schools are in compliance with the things they think are important. Then that’ll go into this new law, Gunn’s schedule must be the big pot that goes for the district wide shifted back by five minutes, and community.” Palo Alto High School’s (Paly) The board will probably not schedule must be shifted start weighing in on the isback ten minutes. The time sue until at least the next frame for this issue is not school year, if not later. immediate, as schools Dibr ienza added do not have to comply that the proposed until the fall of 2022. changes are curThe district has rently tabled, but de c ide d to u se board conversat h i s m a nd ate d tions will most change to evalulikely continue ate overall issues in the 2020 with the second2021 school ary schools’ bell year. PAUSD will schedules, as then begin to dewell as take steps cide on the new toward standardbell schedule in izing them. “Since order to prepare we’re doing this, for more concrete w e t hou g ht t h at alterations for the it makes sense to 2021-2022 school ex plore schedules year. that could allow for Austin added that Jocelyn Wang some movement back both student and staff and forth,” Superintendent feedback would be important Don Austin said. “So maybe a in this process. According to class is offered at one school that Austin, students and teachers will isn’t offered at the other, and a student be consulted when the board begins Jocelyn Wang could attend both schools for a little bit or a staff to form a new schedule. “The only thing member could teach between two of the schools.” He we’re doing a little differently is that we may provide added that there are only two things that are mandated: some parameters,” he said. “The board can select start ensuring schools have the proper number of instructimes for the schools, so that might not be something tional minutes and pushing start times back to 8:30 a.m. that’s up for discussion. What the actual bell schedules Standardizing schedules and allowing teachers look like, whether they use or don’t use block schedules to move between campuses or modified blocks or could save money for t he tradit iona l scheduldistrict as a whole. When ing, that’s all open for “We’ll put out a survey, probably after the first of School Board President Jendiscussion, and I would the year, to see what people like about the current bell schedule, what they think could be better, what nifer DiBrienza first joined expect that the schools are the things they think are important. Then that’ll the board, a conversation would reach out to the go into the big pot that goes for the district wide surrounding budget cuts that students for sure as part community.” she had was that there were of the process.” two periods of a class at one DiBrienza added that —Gunn Principal Kathleen Laurence school and one period at anthe role of students will other. Since the district had be particularly impora teacher at each school, they tant, as they are the ones thought about why one teacher couldn’t do both. “They that will be the most affected by the changes. Because of said the schedules are totally different so you just can’t. this, the board is reliant on student feedback when making That’s not necessarily a reason to change the schedule, decisions. “I do wonder if there’s feedback on which one but it’s the kinds of things you think about when you’re works better,” she said. “A couple years ago, Gunn had an organizing a district,” DiBrienza said. “When there do event where school board members and administrators have to be budget cuts, one of the most expensive things came and talked to students in small groups. I had menthat we have, 85% or so of our budget, is our staff, our tioned, as a teacher because that’s what I do professionally, employees.” I love the idea of a block schedule because it gives you time Since the schedule changes are not immediate, to delve into ideas. schools have time to ensure that the schedule changes Schedule—p.3
Friday, December 6, 2019 Volume 57, Issue 4
780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306
Athletes express concerns over cross country team tensions Joshua Yang Forum Editor Following the end of a tumultuous cross country season—in which frequent disputes between coaches were increasingly brought to the attention of athletes—some team members have called for administrative oversight and intervention into the cross country program. Tensions have arisen from coaches giving conflicting instructions. According to senior George, whose name has been changed to maintain anonymity, when head coach Michael Granville and former assistant coach Curtis Liang diverged on workouts, each urged athletes to participate in their respective version. “Curtis talked a lot about how he thought he had more experience than Granville and was more qualified to plan workouts,” George said. “I didn’t want to completely ignore Granville either. It’s hard for me to know who I should listen to when they’re both giving me different workouts.” A number of athletes have also pointed to the conduct of Granville and assistant coach Wendy Smith as contributing to this hostile environment, citing stressful incidents such as when Granville has lost his temper at students. As a result, the past few months have been filled with emotional strain for some members of the cross country team. “One time, when we were about to get on the bus to go to one of our meets, I started crying when I heard Granville’s voice because I was just so stressed,” junior Moyu Shimada said. Administration learned of the situation in early October, when they arranged a meeting on Oct. 2 between the athletic director, the athletic trainer, Granville, Liang and select athletes; later, administrators held individual meetings with some students. According to multiple sources, Granville ceased shouting at athletes after this meeting, but many students still voiced their frustration that not enough was being done to resolve tensions. “The students had a meeting with coach Granville and with the administration to discuss their grievances,” team captain Taylor, whose name has been changed for anonymity, said. “Afterwards, nothing changed, if at all. If we’re looking at the higher ups and telling them something’s not right and they’re not doing anything, then what are we supposed to do?” Laurence was unable to comment on the specifics of the cross country situation, citing personnel issues, but acknowledged students’ voices and emphasized that administrators were taking action. “Just because this isn’t going in the direction you want doesn’t mean that you weren’t heard,” she said. Laurence also affirmed that Granville continues to uphold the principles of the InSideOut program, an athletics initiative that focuses on educational, growth-centered sports activities beyond just a team’s competitive success. Yet junior Safa Farooqui can point to instances when the administration’s handling of the situation took a toll on her. “[My friend and I] were just so tired of cross country,” she said. “We’re juniors. We’re already stressed out as it is; this is just extra stress. The way things have been handled and the way we’ve felt through all of it—I feel like [the administrators] don’t care about that. They only care about like, ‘oh, has [Granville] yelled at you?’”
Cross Country—p.4
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News
monthly highlights: pingpong Tournament “It’s incredibly fun to watch all of the games and see my friends at the pingpong tournament.”
“I’m competing in the tournament this year, which is really fun because it’s fast and everyone is a good sport.” —Frederic Lemmonier (12)
—Arlene Chu (11)
Senior Ezra Kohrman keeps score as freshman Matthew Mao plays.
Senior Frederic Lemmonier loses a point to senior Peyton Lee.
“I love the annual pingpong tournament because of all of the hype.”
—Xuanyi Wang (12)
“I didn’t come Monday and Tuesday, but it’s actually really entertaining.” —Sophie Fan (10)
Sophomore Jishnu Steffen aims for the ping-pong ball.
“The tourney’s a really cool event, and I didn’t expect high schools to have events for pingpong.” —Juno Kim (9)
“It was really engaging and fun to see my friends at the tournament.”
—Naama Bejerano (12)
Senior Peyton Lee focuses on serving the pingpong ball.
Photos by Melissa Ding
—Compiled by Grace Liu
News THEORACLE 780 Arastradero Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 354-8238
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Friday, December 6, 2019
District, board to gather feedback on late start bell schedule options Schedule—p.1
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Liza Kolbasov Managing Editors Jennifer Gao Ryan Li News Elisa Moraes-Liu Angela Wong Forum Jessica Wang Joshua Yang Features Madison Nguyen Nikki Suzani Centerfold Annika Bereny Calvin Cai Sports Devon Lee Ryan Manesh Lifestyle Charlie Bush Genna Bishop Online Sophia Stern Photo Editor Melissa Ding Graphics Editor Grace Liu
the purpose of the law.” tive effects. To mitigate this issue, since other However, several students said it was too Laurence believes that the law may have det- schools’ start times are pushed back as well, hard to pay attention for 90 minutes. It doesn’t rimental effects on students’ lives, as it pushes meets will likely start later, allowing students mean you don’t all scheduled to miss less class. “Statewide, if everyone has do it, but it’s an atheltic events to start later, theoretically everyone will end adjustment for b a c k . “ T h e later,” DiBrienza said. “We’re hoping that’ll students so that’s later we start, be less of an issue because when we were the “The later we start, the later we get out. That impacts another thing you other things like athletics, or the extracurriculars t he later we ones starting and ending later, we’d ask the want to consider. activities. It just means everything starts later.” get out. That schools to start meets later and they’d say no. It’s important to impacts other I’m hopeful that at least the law is going to push f ind out what ’s —Principal Kathleen Laurence things like ath- everyone to later and that’ll be less of an issue.” working for you let ic s, ot her Austin is excited to hear school feedback and what’s not working for them.” extracurricular activities. It just means ev- on the bell schedules, and adds that he has no One of the important considerations in this erything starts later,” she said. “How does that set idea for what the revised schedule will look process will likely be the addition of zero peri- impact students? It’s just interesting to me how like at this time. “I have zero predetermined ods, as the law allows for a limited number of the sleep is pushing it one way, but all it does ideas on start times or bell schedules,” Austin these early-morning classes. “The board can is shift it. That’s great for some kids who are said. “I have no agenda on this other than makdefinitely weigh in on zero period, because in not morning people, ing it a real the new law, zero periods are allowed in a lim- and it’s not great for robust and ited number, but the board will definitely have kids who are mornaut hent ic a say in that,” Austin said. “The board could not ing people. There are “Given that the purpose of the law is to prioritize process. The authorize zero periods if they chose. I have no people who do like to sleep, I would be surprised if the district moved back only thing I idea what their stance will be on that, but that get up and get going to giving a bunch of zero periods because it kind of would defiundos the purpose of the law.” is definitely what’s in their purview.” and be done.” nitely ask is DiBrienza sees both sides of the argument It will be importhat we look —School Board President Jennifer DiBrienza at how we for zero period, but says the discussion has not tant to consider how yet come up for the board. “There’s an argu- these schedule shifts can make ment to be made to just have no zero period will affect after-school sports. These changes the schools line up better if possible.” and starting later doesn’t fit everybody,” she will shift school five minutes later for Gunn DiBrienza characterized the board’s overall said. “The question for the board will be, do you and ten minutes later for other schools, in- role as a final check before the new schedules make accommodations because this doesn’t cluding Paly. “The question becomes whether are implemented. According to DiBrienza, fit for everybody? Or do you say that this is we start having meets later,” Laurence said. in order to perform such a final check, the what’s best for “My guess is it will district staff is working behind the scenes to t he major it y have to be. Where gather information and look at other districts of people and that comes into to make schedule change recommendations. the research is “I have no agenda on this other than making it a play is that there “[The board] always asks questions and then clear, so we’re real, robust, and authentic process. The only thing are some schools maybe pushes back on some things. But we sorr y. I can’t I would definitely ask is that we look at how we can in [Santa Clara tend to, at least as a starting point, go with their predict where make the schools line up better.” Valley Athletic recommendations, and then if there’s reasons the board will League], who do to go beyond that, we go beyond that. They’re —Superintendent Don Austin not have lights, putting so much work in to get there that we’re go w it h t hat. Certainly, I see so they may not generally operating from the assumption that both arguments, but given that the purpose be able to start their games later when we’re whatever they’re presenting to us is the best of the law is to prioritize sleep, I would be there, which means kids will be out of school alternative given all options.” surprised if the district moved back to giving a a little bit more.” bunch of zero periods because it kind of undoes However, the time change may have posi-
INBOX
Staff Business/Circulation Ryan Manesh Copy Editor Kate Mallery Graphics Artists Melissa D Ella Koehler Shannon Lin Audrey Tseng Jamie Wang Jocelyn Wang Photographers Mia Knezevic Sophia Lu Wendy Xiong Reporter Shannon Lin
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.
I liked the Halloween part when I read the article on Halloween. I also found the part about cell phones being banned in the classrooms interesting because mose classes at Gunn allow the student to have their phone with them during class.
—Eileen Fang (9) I would like to see more local or even national or international news similar to how CNN Student gets kids up to date on things or like a rundown for understanding the impeachment inquiry.
—Niki Ebrahimnejad (12)
Adviser Kristy Blackburn
I noticed that there was a heavy preponderance of seniors featured in the issue: 13/20 of the students interviewed (that I counted) were seniors. I would like to see diverse representation: for example, the Titan Tales article could have used one random student from each grade rather than four completely random students. I would also like to see more of the colorful graphics of previous issues on the front page. —Nov. 1, 2019—
—Ryan Wang (12)
Letters and Comments may be edited to meet space requirements and the writer is solely responsible for the accuracy of the content. Letters to the Editor, comments and ideas for coverage may be sent to oraclegunn@gmail.com or posted on our Facebook page. These letters need not be from current students.
I liked how they had student opinions and it revolves a lot around student life
—Claire Anttila (11) I really enjoyed reading the forum section debate topics and would like to see less rants for stories. I thought the paper was really well-organized and put together, and I enjoyed seeing the graphics in every section.
—Sachait Arun (11) I would like to see more meme-related articles. I feel that memes play a big part of Gunn culture, and I think it would be cool to see that culture represented in The Oracle. Personally, I think it would entice my friends and I to read it more.
—Stephan Huang (12)
The Oracle won eighth place in Best of Show at the 2019 National Scholastic Press Association Conference on Nov. 21-23
News 4 City cracks down on single-use plastics
Madison Nguyen Features Editor
Palo Alto City Council voted on a single-use plastic ban that will affect the entire city, including the Palo Alto Unified School District which will go into effect at Gunn starting Jan. 1, 2020. This will mostly affect the cafeteria, where all of the plastic that is currently used for a variety of things such as containers and lids will now have to be compostable. Starting Earth Day 2020, there will be a soft runout of reusable silverware kits given to each student. According to senior Swati Goel, the president of the Green Team since her sophomore year, single-use plastics have a very damaging effect on the environment. Wildlife consumes it and will either die or become severely ill. Plastic can take thousands of years to biodegrade, depending on the type of plastic, and some plastics break down into microplastics that sit at the bottom of the ocean floor which makes them nearly impossible to remove from our oceans. Thus, single-use plastic harms our ecosystem, especially marine life that is constantly surrounded by waste. Goel has been trying to raise awareness about the harms of single-use plastic since first joining green team. “For the past two years, we’ve had different events at Turkey Feast so people know to bring their own utensils or sustainable utensils, and we do raffles and things like that,” she said. “Our main involvement in the single-use plastic ban is trying to gain student support and awareness, and also talking to the school board about how we can make this happen.” In previous years, there have also been more ad-
vancements in trying to replace the plastic in the cafeteria with a more sustainable material. “Chloe Schraeger, who graduated last year, was able to get the lunch containers in the cafeteria replaced to something more sustainable in regards to plastic usage,” Goel said. “It might be a small thing, but I do think it’s really important that people start to make these small changes in their lives because ultimately, that’s what needs to happen.” Students at Gunn began raising awareness for plastic pollution through Green Team, but also through classes such as Marine Biology and Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science. “We got involved at Gunn predomi-
nantly because of the atrocities that have been occurring in the environment with regards to single-use plastic and plastic pollution in general,” AP Environmental Science teacher Eric Ledgerwood said. “It was really [marine biology teacher Neeti Schworetsky] and myself who were working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium for three years in a row in their ocean plastic pollution summit, which was trying to get schools engaged with trying to reduce single-use plastics. As a school, that was how we started getting students involved in Marine Biology and [Advanced Placement] Environmental Science.” Goel says that though converting from plastic to more eco-friendly materi-
al might not seem significant, student efforts would have been worth it if they save even one animal. Goel pushes this idea and also hopes that students understand that their actions do matter. “It’s really important that students learn about this because throughout your lifetime, you can have a measurable impact,” she said. “If you just think about the amount of plastic and visualize how much plastic or waste you could save it’s a pretty significant amount. It’s really important for students to be aware of the changes that are happening in the community, and then try to implement those into the place they head off to after high school.” On the other hand, Ledgerwood also hopes students will consider how much society depends on oil taken from the Earth to make into plastic that fuels our everyday habits. Students around campus often are given plastic straws or forks to use and throw away right after they eat, which is the opposite of what should be happening, according to Ledgerwood. “I’m hoping that students will really think critically about their use of material items, and really to question constantly the authorities that give them something that isn’t sustainable, reusable or somehow benefit the planet in someway,” he said. “I want them to really think about why someone is giving them something they’re just going to throw away after they use it barely once, like a plastic bag you get at the store; it doesn’t make sense anymore.” In the future, Ledgerwood suggests Grace Liu students work to create their own reusable utensil kits, which would include reusable forks, spoons and straws, and incorporate them into their daily habits. That way, students could effectively avoid reliance on plastic utensils. Senior Kyle Matthys believes that Gunn will start to implement more environmentally friendly policies. “I’m excited to see future changes towards the lunch lines and trying to push for solar panels at the school,” he said. “I think this is the first step in changing Gunn to be very environmental. If every kid had their own reusable kit that would have a very positive effect on the environment.” The Green Team is working to get more trash bins around campus due to the fact that there is mostly compost and recycle, but students should know exactly where their waste is supposed to go. With such a small change happening to Gunn, there’s hope that this will translate from school to student’s homes and eventually become habit. “Small changes multiplied over a lot of people makes a big difference,” Goel said.
Coaching disputes, conflicts
impact team environment Cross Country—p.1 Indeed, the divisiveness in t he team only worsened when assistant coach Dillon Hu and Liang— both of whom had
spoken out against Granville—were released from their coaching duties. Following Hu’s departure, some students felt negatively impacted. “It was very hard for me,” Shimada said. “Dillon has always been there for me, so him getting fired was really hard.” A s a result of what sources have described as “emotional stress” and “toxicity,” many athletes have declined to fully come forward, fearing retribution. “There’s a reason so many people don’t want to go public—many people are getting grilled and we are risking our future with the sport,” Taylor said. Opinion on Gran-
ville’s conduct has been sharply div ided w ithin the team; while many athletes blamed Granville for perpetrating an unhealthy team culture, others have argued the coach’s methods were justified. “I think he has done a lot for this team and he is doing his best,” senior captain Sophie Alexis said. “Every coach gets angry sometimes.” Ju n ior A n na G er sh urged her fellow teammates to empathize with Granville. “We have to be understanding of what he’s going through,” she said. “He had a knee surgery and he has a baby, so that might be difficult for him. At the same time, I wish he would make changes [based off criticism] sometimes and listen to people more.” Granville and Smith both declined to comment on the situation, stating
that they would instead like to focus on the cross country girls team’s recent success in qualifying for state championships. While no concrete solutions have been proposed for future seasons, some athletes—junior Henr y Moshfeghi included—believe the first step forward is to heal the rift in the team. “There needs to be a level of understanding between all students and coaches that there is not right now,” he said. “Ultimately, this is about the cross country team and about the students. This team is about making people running at the highest possible running ability that they have, or as high as they want to go for. I feel like throughout the season this has not always been the main focus.”
Forum
Friday, December 6, 2019
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NO
YES
Should Palo Alto ban all single-use plastics? Devon Lee
Calvin Cai With the City of Palo Alto implementing a ban of single-use plastics, the community is heading in the right direction to save the environment. The use of plastic in disposable products such as straws, utensils and bottles has led to harmful long-term consequences for our environment, such as drastically reducing wildlife populations. Fortunately, more environmentally-friendly alternatives exist. The Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) should focus on more sustainable alternatives to plastics such as biodegradable plastic, metal and cotton since plastics have shown to be an unnecessary waste of materials and a burden on the environment. Though convenient, the usage of single-use plastics has led to repercussions for the environment, namely for sea animals and other wildlife that reside on beaches. According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, materials such as plastic and plastic foam take thousands of years to decompose, polluting the soil and water around them in the process while posing as an ingestion, choking and entanglement hazard for wildlife. In fact, researchers have estimated that over 8.3 million tons of plastic have been produced since 1950, 60% of which has ended up in landfills or littered in the environment. Since then, the danger of plastic has increased exponentially. Between 2000 and 2010, more plastic was produced than in all of history before 2000. In other words, we’re at a watershed moment: an ever-increasing amount of plastic being circulated in our world has had a dire effect on our flora and fauna. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, fish in the North Pacific ingest 12,000 to 14,000 tons of plastic each year. This is even more dangerous considering that plastics move through the food chain. Predators feeding on fish that have ingested plastic also receive adverse consequences to their health. Additionally, improperly disposed of plastics are detrimental to seabirds. It’s predicted that up to two-thirds of birds have eaten plastic, with the number rising to a predicted 99% by 2050. Plastics can cause birds to puncture organs or fill stomach space, leaving less space for actual food. Seeing that the rate of contact between wildlife and plastic is increasing rapidly, changes have to be made to regulations for single-use plastics. Although plastic serves many uses, it is not the only option. There are many eco-friendly alternatives to these harmful materials. One example of this is compostable plastic straws. The waste from these straws can be put to good use, degrading into mulch over time. In place of plastic cups, reusable water bottles and compostable cups are both environmentally safe options. There are many things that corporations and stores can do to prevent the use of disposable plastics, but consumers can help this cause as well. Bringing reusable items such as metal straws, water bottles or reusable bags to stores can help to reduce waste from hazardous plastics. Single-use plastic materials are increasing in usage, despite their deleterious ramifications for the environment. With numerous alternatives that provide safer ecological effects, PAUSD and other organizations should continue to support bans of single-use plastics.
Ever since a video that shows a turtle struggling with a straw stuck up its nose went viral, environmentalist groups such as Stop Sucking and the Ocean Conservancy, as well as many online activists, have advocated for a ban on plastic straws. This has sparked a trend to move towards the removal of all single-use plastics. As a result, many large corporations, such as Disney, Starbucks, Hilton and American Airlines, have jumped on the plastic straw ban bandwagon. According to the City of Palo Alto website, the City has adopted the Disposable Foodware Items and Other Disposable Products Ordinance as part of the Disposable Foodware Packaging Reduction Plan in an effort to protect the environment. On Jan. 1, 2020, all plastic straws, plastic utensils, plastic stirrers, plastic beverage plugs and plastic produce bags will no longer be allowed in Palo Alto. This new policy raises concerns about the legitimacy of simply eliminating single-use plastics from daily life. Although the policy may seem foolproof, the consequences and purpose of the ordinance could be indicative of a larger, more concerning issue about removing plastics. Single-use plastics should not be banned because most alternatives do not effectively better the environment and some plastic products are necessary for people with disabilities. The most concerning issue with banning all single-use plastics or plastic straws is that the net environmental impact of using alternatives is greater than that of single-use plastics. According to the World Resources Institute, paper, cotton and reusable plastic bag manufacturing requires more land, water and other resources to produce than singleuse plastic bags. While reusable plastic bags are considered to be more friendly to the environment, they are not yet proven to be an effective alternative to what is commonly used today. Another issue with banning plastic straws is that there is no alternative to single-use plastics that can serve the needs of the disabled community. According to Maria Godoy of Vox News, flimsy alternatives such as paper straws can fall apart or be bitten through easily. Silicon and metal straws pose problems for those with mobility issues because of their stiffness. Reusable straws can also be difficult to clean. Essentially, none of these so-called alternatives can truly replace the function of a plastic straw: to be an accessible utensil for everyone, regardless of ability. Another concern of removing plastic straws and singleuse plastics is that it is simply a luxury many businesses cannot afford. According to National Geographic, the cost of a paper straw is about 1 cent more than a plastic straw. This information is concerning; for smaller businesses, paying more money is simply not an option. Instead of coming up with solutions that do little to improve the environment and come with many adverse side effects, preservationists should think of new ways to protect the environment that can tackle the issue in a more practical sense. It seems as if people have gotten attached to the idea of saving the environment and are more focused on superficial answers rather than looking for real, practical solutions to today's issues. –Lee, a junior, is a Sports Editor.
–Cai, a junior, is a Centerfold Editor.
Researchers have estimated that over 8.3 million tons of plastic have been produced since 1950.
Shannon Lin
According to the World Resources Institute, paper, cotton and reusable plastic bag production requires more resources such as land, water and CO2 than single-use plastic bags. It’s predicted that up to two-thirds of birds have eaten plastic, with the number rising to a predicted 99% by 2050.
According to National Geographic, the cost of a paper straw is about one cent more than a plastic straw.
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Forum Math curriculum changes essential to student learning, equality
Edith Cohen
Allyson Rosen
This opinion piece on our middle school mathematics program is written by two PAUSD parents, Edith Cohen and Allyson Rosen. Superintendent Dr. Don Austin recently initiated a revisit of our middle school mathematics program amid concerns with our program’s effectiveness in supporting the diverse needs of Palo Alto students. We welcome this initiative. Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) students in the same grade have an extreme range of levels and abilities but face a rigid and limited program that has been essentially unchanged for decades (“cast in stone” in Dr. Austin’s words). Our socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) students experience very limited growth whereas over one third of our students are systematically misplaced to repeat material in which they are already proficient. Course placement alone has been highly contentious. Many misplaced students sustain growth by studying outside of school what peers at neighboring districts learn in school. Even students who are correctly placed have their learning and mindset negatively impacted by the misplacement of so many. Overall, PAUSD students entering high school are on average half a year of accelerated curriculum behind peers at neighboring districts and thus at a disadvantage. In sum, the current system is unsuitable for an overwhelming number of our students. We find these outcomes concerning. Sustained growth in math for all our students, at an appropriate level and pacing, is developmentally important. Research suggests that math learning during childhood and adolescence engages the brain differently than in adults and therefore stymied growth early on may not be effectively compensated for in later years. Studies establish that the opportunity to advance when ready carries significant short and long term benefits. Finally, the middle school years, when grades carry little consequences and overall workload is small, are a rare opportunity to build foundations, take on challenges that may push one’s limits, and focus on learning (rather than on building a portfolio). Our high schools are fast-paced and many of our students struggle to find the time to balance extracurricular activities with challenging academics. Students who start high school more prepared, proficient and confident are better positioned to set and achieve appropriate goals while experiencing less stress. These disappointing results come despite our built-in advantages of higher funding, more educated families and many excellent teachers, and we believe they can be vastly improved by redesigned pathways and placement. Indeed, during the last decade, neighboring districts (including Menlo Park City, Los Altos, Mountain View Whisman, Cupertino and Saratoga) implemented pathways to both eighth grade geometry and algebra with pacing that is balanced through the three middle school years. These pathways serve the vast majority of students. The particulars vary, but all these other
districts provide opportunities to cover more content equate review material, examples, or even syllabus and during sixth grade and use modern assessment tools that is intentionally designed not to be passable by the to inform planning, placement and inter vention. vast majority of students that successfully completed Learning algebra by eighth grade is broadly considered the corresponding PAUSD course. Finally, the middle a critical stepping stone for a STEM career. The PAUSD al- school Geometry Honors courses are deeper and broader gebra pathway is imbalanced, with an unchallenging sixth than our respective high school courses and at the same grade and a fast-paced, intense eighth grade, when time are graded more harshly with students many families hire tutors to keep up. Families required to maintain an average of 80% choose between an algebra pathway and or 90% (varies between schools) or a “grade level” pathway at the end of else drop back as much as a full Gunn students, sixth grade based on an internal rubric year. Our middle school geometry particularly those who whose effectiveness as a predictor of courses have wider gender gaps success has never been established than neighboring districts, which experienced the entire publicly and which often seems to we attribute to the unnecessary PAUSD program, can discourage and mislead potentially requirement of external learning provide important algebra-ready students. A balanced and the emphasis on competition insights and should and better supported algebra pathway math skills: these PAUSD courses (such as in Saratoga, Menlo Park City are only 22% female versus nearly make their voices and Mountain View) would benefit all gender balanced courses at other heard. our students and particularly our less-redistricts. The gap carries on, with sourced students that in the current program PAUSD BC calculus takers being only get disproportionately discouraged and derailed. 38% female, even below the national average Middle school geometry at PAUSD can only be reached of 41%. Moreover, only 24% of our BC Calculus takers by what is colloquially known as “skipping,” which re- do so before senior year versus 35% nationally. We advoquires external learning of a year of accelerated content cate that PAUSD implement a balanced inclusive geometry and navigating unusual and biased placement pathway (such as the one found in Saratoga, Menlo Park requirements. Skipping carries signifi- City, Mountain View, Cupertino and Los Altos). Similar cant academic and social benefits: districts have over 40% of their middle schoolers in geomthe 6% of our students that navi- etry and we can expect the same once our pathway is imgate the process are challenged, proved. “Skipping” and external learning of content should inspire each other, enter high be necessary only for the much smaller fraction of our school more confident and students that need pacing beyond the geometry pathway. proficient, can take AP calGunn students, particularly those who experienced culus by junior year and the entire PAUSD program, can provide important inare better equipped to pur- sights and should make their voices heard. Mathematics sue extracurricular STEM development at a suitable level and pacing is critically passions while in high important for all students and even more so for those school. But the high stakes whose interest is in STEM. A revision of our pathways process to gain “admission” and placement can help us convert PAUSD’s inherent induces anxiety (often artifi- advantages to better experiences and outcomes for our cially created by ill-designed students. As our district is considering revisions, we urge procedures) and excludes many the district to avoid undue reliance on existing practices, students who could excel in mid- inertia or personal biases. We ask for transparency and dle school geometry. Students are involvement of all stakeholders, and for decisions that excluded by not being in the are based on critical assessments of research, analysis of know about a poorly publicized data including standardized nationally normed assessprocess, by not having resources or after ment tools and the vast experience of similar districts. school time, by getting disqualified by miss–Cohen, a computer scientist and ing a single rubric point on class-based metRosen, a clincal neuropsychologist, rics and (in recent years) by not successare guest columnists. Their children fully completing a small set of attend PAUSD middle and high competition-style math schools. problem s re qu i re d even to take the placement test. If allowed to take the placement test, students need to score 85% on a one-shot, timepressured test that is provided with no ad-
Skipping carries significant academic and social benefits: the 6% of our students that navigate the process are challenged, inspire each other, enter high school more confident and proficient.
For the full version of this article with more research and statistics, visit the link in the QR code. Audrey Tseng
Forum
Friday, December 6, 2019
In light of Superintendent Don Austin proposing a “reboot” of the middle school math program during an October school board meeting, The Oracle is examining the impact of math curriculum in high school laning systems and bridge programs.
Math lane bridge program presents benefits for students of all skill levels
Elisa Moraes-Liu Starting in freshman year, students are given a certain math-course pathway to follow for the rest of their high school careers. This pathway, however, might not be the right fit for every student. Different factors might contribute to a student’s desire for a challenge or further exploration of a subject. Skipping math lanes allows students to academically challenge themselves by learning at a pace that suits them while giving them academic freedom to explore their passions. I began high school in Algebra 1. Since I had spent middle school in Brazil, I was placed into the lower math lane upon my arrival. The summer after freshman year, I took the Geometry Advanced summer bridge at Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) summer school, which allowed me to move into Algebra 2/Trigonometry Advanced during my sophomore year. I decided to take this course in order to challenge myself and end up with calculus during my senior year. Several other students in this class had decided to take the class for similar reasons. We hoped to challenge ourselves to a faster-paced math course than the one we had experienced in the previous years. At the high school level, students are offered a variety of pathways to advance their math standing. One way is to skip Algebra 2/Trigonometry since the knowledge of the subject can be reinforced in future courses,
such as calculus. Students are not able to skip geometry since it is a graduation requirement. Another way in which students can skip courses is through a summer bridge program through PAUSD, which is what I completed. Students can also simultaneously enroll in Intro to Calculus and Analysis and AP Calculus during their senior year. While there are a variety of options, only a handful of students chose to skip each year. The variety of pathways allows students to make the most of their education and figure out what works for them. Since math lanes are created early on during middle school, many students have not figured out if they are passionate about the subject yet. If they decide they are interested in math, and had chosen a lower lane during seventh grade, they should be given the opportunity to advance. Reducing the opportunity to skip math courses prevents students from pursuing what they are passionate about. If a student wants to study math in college, complete calculus, or complete a math elective such as AP Statistics earlier in their high school career, advanced math lanes allow them to do so. High school serves to help prepare students for college. It is important that students have academic freedom and flexibility to pursue what they are passionate about. Students who wish to advance their math skills should be able to do so. Schools should not be the ones dictating what is too much pressure for a student, and students should be given independence and trust to balance their own course load. –Moraes-Liu, a senior, is a News Editor.
Ella Koehler and Jessica Wang Statistics courtesy of PAUSD 2018 CAASPP, Cupertino Unified School District, Los Altos School District
7
Skipping grade in math provides opportunities, invaluable experiences
Nikki Suzani In first grade, my dad bought my sister and me a math book. I would hole up beneath the covers with a reading light and work on problems until the sun rose. I used to sit on my mother’s lap and tell her about how my aptitude for Venn Diagram problems would qualify me for the International Math Olympiad. Clearly, that didn’t happen. Still, math always remained an epicenter that my life revolved around. Not math as in numbers, but as in the critical thinking and reasoning that math is packaged with. I liked to create my own little problems to solve, anything from the algorithm for how to create a name whose numbers added to a perfect square, or simply how to think in the second dimension. I memorized all of the powers of two up to 20 and I would recite them and keep adding to them, multiplying each one over and over again until it was ingrained into my head. I have a vivid memory of learning how to read clocks in second grade. I knew how to do it, but the teacher called on another boy. It was 2:45, and he was struggling, finally coming up with the answer of 2:35. I yelled that it wasn’t right, and got sent to the office for shouting out. That bothered me; it wasn’t my fault that he didn’t get it. Everyone else felt so behind. I’ll always be grateful to the teacher who recommended I get to skip to Alg 2/Trig Honors at Gunn, even though I got a 52% on the geometry alignment test. I’m not trying to say that the class wasn’t hard—it was practically impossible at first. But that was the fun of it. Getting better and better at it and catching myself up was the most exhilarating experience. I remember I got my first C on a logarithms quiz. I spent hours on Russian logs after that, working with my mom, and when I got my test score back for that test, I felt such a sense of pride and accomplishment in myself. I had pushed myself, I’d overcome the obstacle and I was so happy in what I’d been able to receive. Getting to take Analysis Honors as a sophomore was a treat I’m so lucky to enjoy. The class grappled with concepts about the pure essence of math: the reasoning, the thinking and the real-life applications of it. Everything was just so interesting to wrap my brain around, and each problem presented a challenge that I was beyond ready to tackle. Taking it as a sophomore was key too, because I had few other difficult classes and didn’t have the stress of the SATs on me, so I really was able to focus on the class and give it my maximum effort. I loved the fast pace, moving from topic to topic, and I felt like I’d found a class where my mind and my love for math belonged. I was surrounded by peers who were just as in love with the content as I was, and so happy for it. Beyond that, being in a higher lane gave me the opportunity to make friends in a higher grade, friends I could look to for guidance, for advice about my year and people I would never have met otherwise. I’ve met some of my closest friends in math class, and I’m so lucky to get to have that experience. Even today, being in AP Calculus BC gives me the opportunity to also take AP Physics C. That means that not only can I challenge myself in math, but I’m able to push myself in science too and have doors of opportunities opened to me that would be closed otherwise. I know more about science that I would have, simply because I was given the opportunity to skip. I’m so thankful for the ability to skip a grade in math. I’m thankful for all the friends I’ve made, the opportunities I’ve received and the ability I’ve had to challenge myself. I don’t know where I’d be without it and I’m eternally grateful for the person who decided to give me a chance and let me skip. As the school district begins to think about limiting these opportunities, I’d like them to take a look at my story. One of the best things that happened to me was getting the opportunity to skip a grade in math and that option should be opened to more students, not closed on high-achieving students who are more than ready to learn more. –Suzani, a junior, is a Features Editor.
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Features
Doggie days: Students reflect on their emotional relationships with their dogs
Senior Abby Walker and Armani
If you’ve seen a green-vested labrador walking around campus within the past two years, you’ve likely met Armani, a guide dog who recently graduated from puppy training. “He had kind of a presence [at Gunn],” senior Abigail Walker said. “Everybody knows me as the girl with the dog. He dressed up for homecoming. People knew his name better than mine. And he’s just a happy, happy dude.” Walker is a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a nonprofit organization that raises and trains guide dogs for visually impaired individuals. Walker receives puppies at eight weeks of age and raises them for another year and a half. Afterwards, the puppies are given harnesses and a formal trainer, and later work with their designated handler. Prior to Armani, Walker had raised other dogs, with one who will be graduating soon from formal training. Walker received Armani at a guide dog banquet fundraiser, and recalls her meeting with fond adoration. “[It was a Christmas fundraiser; they had us guess the names and they gave me the letter ‘A’,” Walker said. “They didn’t give me any clues and they’re like, ‘Oh, he makes suits.’ And I was like, ‘Oh Armani!’ Then I turned around, and this woman’s carrying this big sack of yellow, furry fat with a big bow on and I started crying—[he] was just so stinking cute.” During her time with Armani, Walker took the dog to all of her daily activities, including classes, choir performances, Youth and Government, clientele meetings, tutoring and parties. “I took him to as many things as I possibly could,” Walker said. “[I]n the event that he does graduate with a visually impaired handler, they can take him anywhere.” Walker also pointed out that school was one of the most beneficial environments for Armani’s training. “It’s 2,000 teenagers screaming and trying to pet him and loud noises and big things,” she said. “Like in physics, things were shooting off and Armani’s just having to sit there through the whole thing.” Walker commented on the balance needed to manage Armani’s needs and her own. “[I]t’s funny [when I was] a junior in high school, wanting to go out and do fun things with my friends and being like, ‘Oh, dang, I have to take this puppy to the bathroom every tournament,’” she said. On campus, Walker and Armani received their fair share of student interactions, which were often amusing. “I’ve gotten people asking me, ‘Are you blind?’ ‘Is the dog blind?’ ‘Does the dog poop?’ ‘Does he help them drive?’” she said. Walker often answered these questions in the moment and laughed it off afterwards. “If I hadn’t had the experience that I’ve had in this [guide dog] community, I would not have known either.” Still, the experience of having Armani grow alongside Walker was gratifying beyond comparison, and Walker pointed out the positives of his training. “When you start to see the gears turn in a dog’s head when they start to connect kibble with action—it is so fascinating,” she said. She also discussed the level of emotional comfort Armani provided. “Just kind of keeping that positive mindset, and having him with me through everything I think kind of pulled me up by my bootstraps,” Walker said. Walker explained the merit of being a puppy trainer, and how it helped her see through a different lens. While undergoing each puppy’s training, she came to experience the situations a visually impaired individual could potentially come to face and the frustrations that follow. As a result, she gained greater empathy and understanding, all while working with other knowledgeable peers in the organization and compassionate animals. Being a puppy trainer also helped Walker notice current issues surrounding the service animal community. For example, Walker explained that many Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are mislabeled and cause disruptions to the public. As a result, service animals—including guide dogs—are given a bad reputation, and guide dogs are often turned away from public areas. “It’s frustrating to have a fully trained animal that’s certified, and then [have] people not understand that it’s the ESAs that don’t have stronger public access rights,” Walker said. “That’s something that I don’t think I would have thought about unless I had a dog with me all the time.” Despite this, Walker hopes that her services will ensure that her dogs are properly trained for the right careers. “I go into all of my puppy raising with the mindset of ‘I’m going to bring them as far as I can in terms of general treatment behavior [and] getting them ready to work,’” she said. “You can tell if a dog likes to work or if they want to pursue another career. I’d love it if they worked and if they really were able to help someone in the world, but I think they do just as much good as a loving pet for someone that really needs them, or for a diabetic person or wherever they wind up. That’s my hope.” Walker cherished her time with Armani, like all previous puppies before him. However, that doesn’t make it any easier to give him up. “I’m still a bit of a mess,” she said. “Junior and senior year [are] tumultuous time[s] in a teenager’s life. And so having him with me through all of that definitely made that bond stronger. And he was one of the smartest, happiest dogs I’ve ever had the joy of working with.” Walker says with full confidence that Armani will be successful in his future formal training, and wishes the best for his endeavors. Photos courtesy of Abigail Walker
—Written by Shannon Lin
Left: Puppies-in-Training Ollie and Armani strike a pose at the Stanford Cactus Gardens. Middle: Walker and Armani sit at Guide Dogs for the Blind Fun day in July, the celebration of the guide dog puppy raising community. Right: Walker sits with Meridian and Tamiko, two other guide dogs, sit at the canine hero gala fundraiser.
Features
Friday, December 6, 2019
Junior Hannah Schendel and Monkey
9
Junior Hannah Schendel shares a very special bond with her dog, Monkey, a 3-year-old mini labradoodle. Schendel and her dog spend lots of time together cuddling, taking pictures and making videos on TikTok. Schendel first got Monkey in the spring of her eighth-grade year. “I wanted a dog for the longest time, but my mom never let us get one,” she said. “But my grandma died of cancer and we were all really sad so my mom gave in.” Schendel loves to hang out and cuddle with Monkey but admits that her parents do most of the work. “My parents mostly take care of him because I’m really busy but I walk him when I can,” she said. Schendel finds time to bond with her mom and her dog on some weekends when they teach Monkey how to read. In their most popular videos on TikTok, Monkey hits a card with his paw. The card has the same word as the song or the answer to the question she asks, and Monkey has to correctly identify each card. Many people in the comment section call Schendel out for simply holding a treat behind the sign with the correct word, but this is not the case. Schendel works very hard training Monkey by saying each word and having him guess until he hits the correct sign. After some practice, Monkey is able to recognize the sign by Schendel’s command. As of today, Schendel has posted 34 videos on her TikTok with four separate videos of Monkey following commands and hitting the proper signs. Her TikTok account has amassed 32.2k followers and 1 million likes. Schendel loves her dog dearly and doesn’t know what she would do without him. “He is honestly my best friend and he never fails to brighten my day,” she said. “Sometimes when I am doing homework and he wants attention, he will scratch on the door and it always puts me in a good mood.” She recommends that people urge their parents to get a dog. Her advice to people who want a dog is to be persistent. “Just keep bugging your parents until they say yes,” she said. —Written by Kate Mallery
Photos courtesy of Hannah Schendel
Junior Vedha Mahesh and Waffles
In 2013, junior Vedha Mahesh and her family adopted her dog, Waffles, from KenMar Rescue Center in LaCanada, California. Ever since then, they have had an amazing, unbreakable bond. Pets have a great impact on people’s lives and can even change them for the better. “Although I adopted Waffles when I was only 10, it helped me become more responsible because I had to help out,” Mahesh said. “I think it’s a great idea for families to adopt a pet while their kids are young, so they can start learning important life lessons earlier.” Ever since day one, their love for each other has been booming. Mahesh recalls her favorite memory with her furry friend. “After coming back from a week in North Carolina, my dad picked me up from the airport and brought Waffles and he was very excited to see me,” she said. “Seeing him made me so happy because he reciprocated the love and joy I had for him.” Waffles doesn’t always follow the rules. “Our old house had a doggie door that led to to the backyard from our house so waffles could use it to go out whenever he wanted to. So once when he went outside he dug up the dirt under the back door and crawled out and basically left and started exploring and we didn’t notice” she said. Then we heard barking outside of our door and realized that he was at our front door waiting to be let in and we realized what he had done.” A usual day in their life starts off with a morning walk followed by breakfast. While the family is away at school and work, Waffles usually spends his day barking at squirrels outside the house or taking long naps. Once someone returns home, they go for another walk then spend some time together. Sometimes, they even go to dog parks such as Mitchell Park and Ramos Park for good exercise. As a crucial member of the Mahesh family household, Waffles comes with them to visit family in San Diego. In fact, he even enjoys the long car rides. Sometimes, he even rides the plane with them and always manages to make many new friends at the airport. —Written by Genna Bishop
Photo courtesy of Vedha Mahesh
Canine Profiles: Titans share Dog Photos on Instagram @Sammy.The.Sheepadoodle
@Rudy_The_terrier Name: Rudy
Name: Sammy
Owner: Junior Sachait Arun and alumni Advait
Owner: Senior Cynthia Dharmawan
Arun
Age: 8 months old
Age: 7 years old
”Since he’s such a fluffy puppy, he tends to
“It would take 15 minutes to convince Rudy to
seek cold places to cool off. He’s learned
fit inside the dog backpack, and then we would
that when he hears a specific whir, he rsits
bike around for hours with him inside.”
right on top of the air conditioner.”
@Chili.Pom
@Bodie.The.Good.Boy Name: Bodie
Name: Chili
Owner: Sophomore McKenna Englehardt and
Owner: Sophomore Erin Shaotran and
senior Addison Englehardt
senior Ethan Shaotran
Age: 4 months old
Age: 3 or 4 years old
”Whenever we leave the door open, Bodie
”Chili did not get along with other dogs, so
sprints under the living room couch. This hap-
one day when she was outside she met
pens upwards of six times a day and he only
another dog. That dog scratched her eye
comes out if you have food.”
out, and now she looks like she is always blinking.”
Photos courtesy of Sachait Arun, Cynthia Dharmawan, McKenna Englehardt and Erin Shaotran
Grace Liu
10
Cente
Entertainment
DECADE IN
The Oracle looks back at the d
“Gangnam Style” (2012):
Before BTS, Gangnam Style was the world’s first introduction to K-pop. This catchy song was everywhere in 2012, including the dance that goes along with it.
“It” (2017):
“It” was dubbed one of the “scariest films of all time,” but has since been the subject of many internet memes and discussion because of lovable characters like the Losers Club and Pennywise the clown.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015): “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018): The original Star Wars series is a canonized classic beloved by many. “The Force Awakens” introduced a new generation to the Skywalker family and continued the stories of older characters.
As the first major Hollywood movie starring a majority Asian cast and Asian-American lead since 1993, Crazy Rich Asians joined the movement for minority representation in the film industry, following other blockbusters such as Black Panther.
“Despacito” (2017):
“Avengers: Endgame” (2019):
The viral success of Despacito was thanks to the power of YouTube. In the 2010s, the website emerged as a medium that spread music around the world, with Despacito being a prime example.
“Avengers: Endgame” ended the thrilling saga of the Marvel heroes that movie viewers had grown to love over the past decade. The movie’s release was one of the biggest events of 2018.
“Old Town Road” (2019):
What started as a TikTok song quickly became a global phenomenon that climbed to the top of the Billboard charts. Old Town Road dominated 2019 and hearing it was unavoidable.
—Compiled by Sophia Stern
Sports
Fash
Warriors dynasty (2015, 2017, 2018):
After drafting Stephen Curry with the 7th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the Warriors steadily built a dynasty and solidified their place in the pantheon of great teams when they acquired Kevin Durant in 2016.
U.S. women’s soccer winning the World Cup (2015,2019):
Undeniably the most dominant women’s soccer team in the world, the U.S. women’s team clinched a World Cup victory with goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle in 2019.
Cubs World series (2016):
The curse of the Billy Goat tortured Chicago Cubs fans for 75 years until in 2016 when the Cubs came back down from their 3-1 record in the World Series and defeated the Cleveland Indians, ending their 107 year long pennant drought.
Colin Kaepernick kneeling (2016):
In the wake of police brutality against racial minorities, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel during the national anthem, with many athletes following him. This raised awareness over the treatment of minorities and showed that athletes can use their platform to advocate for social action.
Usain Bolt setting Track records (2016):
Being taken 199th in the 2000 NFL Draft, no one thought that Tom Brady would become the most decorated football player of all time but he did just that, winning his 6th Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII. —Compiled by Devon Lee
Neon Colors (early
terns and bright colors were everything. Th with some form of cargo, or sporty shorts.
Swag (early to mid 2010s
like snapbacks, baggy tank tops, harem pants, and cra of the word “swag” not as something that could be gaine
Vintage (late 2010s):
Usain Bolt, possibly the greatest runner of all time, transcended the sport of track and field when he notched his 18th gold medal by winning the 100 meter dash in the 2016 Olympics
Tom Brady winning 6th ring (2019):
Sparkles (ea
early 2010s, fashion pieces like tops paired with a sparkly headb every little girl’s dream outfit.
90’s fashion sta mini skirts, high- waisted jeans, slip dresses, cardigans and muc the fashion industry.
Shoe Game (late 2010s):
Sneakerheads and a pr to own many pairs of shoes or sneakers and pride themselves in their collect
E-Boy/Girl (late 2010s):
dance of chains and accessories.
TikTok’s E-boy and E-girl fashio
11
erfold
Friday, December 6, 2019
N REVIEW
News
defining moments of the 2010s
Xi Jinping Elected President of China (2012): Solar Eclipse (2017): A total solar eclipse stretched from Oregon Xi Jinping, the son of a revolutionary veteran, was appointed to the Communist Party’s top post as president of China.
Pope Benedict Resigns (2013):
Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope to resign since Gregory XII almost 600 years ago. He was replaced by Pope Francis, who was the first Pope to say that homosexuality was “not a sin”.
Cathedral Fire (2019):
An accidental fire broke out beneath the roof of Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in France, which led to a destroyed spire and damaged ceilings. —Compiled by Angela Wong
Ebola virus outbreak (2014):
The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa became the most widespread and severe outbreak of the disease in history and caused 11,000 deaths.
Same-sex Marriage Legalized (2015):
The Supreme Court of the U.S. ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges.
Trump Elected (2016):
Donald John Trump of the Republican party was elected as the 45th president of the United States, with 304 electoral votes, compared to 227 votes for democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Coming in as a long-shot candidate, Trump rose through the Republican party ranks.
hion
arly 2010s):
TEchnology Motion-sensored consoles (2010):
The Xbox Kinect and the PlayStation Move were two of the biggest gaming consoles of the decade, both released worldwide in late 2010. Following suit of the Wii in 2006, motion-sensored consoles have become a household item. Countless of games have swept the nation, including dance and sporting games.
In the e capris and cropped shirts over tank band from Justice and Gymboree were
y 2010s):
iPad (2010):
Tablets with larger screens than phones flooded the technology market this decade, with the first edition of the popular iPad being released in 2010. With new accessories being released each year, including attachable keyboards and 2015’s Apple Pencil, tablets—and the iPad in particular—are becoming ever more modern and used for an even wider variety of activities.
This was a time where pathe popular style for boys was a crowded graphic tee
s):
to South Carolina and was the first to cross the U.S. since 1918.
Uber/Lyft (2010):
Almost everyone these days has one of two applications on their smart phones: Uber or Lyft. A beta launch of the former occurred in early 2010, with Lyft being founded in 2012. These two tools for everyday transportation have changed the way people get around.
Swag fashion was a highlight of the decade. Things azy colored high tops made up the style. That with the pairing ed, but as something inherent, defined the trend.
Siri (2011):
Apple announced their iPhone 4S, the first phone with Siri, a virtual assistant. Following Apple’s lead, other companies such as Google and Microsoft crafted their own respective versions, Google Assistant and Cortana.
Airpods (2016):
arted to regain its popularity. Pieces like chokers, crop tops, plaid, ch more started to spike, and especially recently have been dominating in
Bluetooth technology has grown and developed, and subsequently wireless earbuds are becoming increasingly more popular. With Apple hopping on the trend in late 2016, the company just further pushed along the popularity of these devices.
VR (2016):
rioritization of “shoe game” became mainstream. It is not uncommon for people tions. Nowadays some popular shoes are Jordans, Air Force Ones and Yeezys.
The mainstream release of virtual reality quite literally brought about a new, and unexplored world to Internet users. Two of the biggest VR headsets—the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive—were released in March 2016 and in June 2016, respectively. Hundreds of new games flooded the market with new digital worlds for users to dive into.
on have recently been widely dominating. The trend includes dark clothing and an abun—Compiled by Genna Bishop
—Compiled by Charlie Bush Graphics by Grace Liu, Shannon Lin and Jamie Wang and Jocelyn Wang
12
Features
Building online relationships requires caution
Audrey Tseng
Online impersonators exploit teenage insecurities For many, dating apps can induce a tainty is frightening, especially as a teenboost to their self-esteem. Being in a ager,” they said. “There are a lot of weird “match” means that two people think the people out there and some people have other is attractive, a step forward in bold- fake profiles.” Tinder’s terms of service are ness compared to the stress over mutual nothing but words which can be ignored or attraction found in many high schools. followed by choice. “Middle schoolers can Tinder’s current terms of service require end up talking to 20-year-olds because of users to be over the age of 18 years old to a quick lie about age and honestly, it’s not use the app. Many teenagers, however, still only untruthful but it’s also very sexualfind themselves on dating apps, whether izing,” the anonymous source said. they’re craving validation or just looking Sophomore Reva Shah has had her for a way to pass the time. some experience with catfishing. “I got catCatfishing, which often happens on the fished one time when I was in ninth grade,” internet, is the act of deceiving someone by she said. “It was a really bad experience pretending to be a person who you aren’t. It is most prevalent on dating apps “I think she thought [that] playing with my heart would be and social media. fun, but it wasn’t [fun] for me.” One sophomore, who —Sophomore Reva Shah was granted anonymity due to being legally underage for and it’s sad because it was a close friend of using dating apps, said that they use Tinmine who did it to me.” der. “It generally has younger people and Shah recounted her run-in with catfishless old creepy people,” they said via text. ing. “I get this Instagram story reply from They decided to download it out of bore[someone] I thought was this girl’s brother dom. “I wasn’t seeking anything out of it,” and the person messaged me saying, ‘I they said. “All my older cousins had Tinder like your story, you’re so pretty and you and I would always help them choose and should come to my house to meet me,’” message people, so I think that’s where I she said. Shah was wary but still apprecigot the overall idea.” They went on to say ated the compliment. For many people, a that their intentions were less than serious. compliment can feel like such a boost in “I pranked a lot of people,” they said. “I confidence that they ignore the suspicious think the main reason I did it was because circumstances that surrounded it. I was really bored.” Her friend did finally come clean to her Although the sophomore doesn’t advise about the whole ordeal, but Shah didn’t find teenagers to join dating apps, they prefaced it as funny as her friend might have. “It was their warning by saying that when people really uncomfortable,” she said. “I think get older, dating apps aren’t a bad option to she thought [that] playing with my heart find love. “Honestly, I know a lot of people would be fun, but it wasn’t [fun] for me.” who have been in great relationships with There are plenty of reasons why somepeople that they have met on the internet,” one may make a fake account, but the they said. “If you’re of age, go ahead, but I majority of them boil down to one single don’t think there is any point in being on reason: insecurity. “People are insecure an app such as Tinder if you’re not looking sometimes,” Shah said. “There’s just like an for a relationship of any kind.” alter ego to them. So if their life is failing, Despite their choice to use Tinder, they they can rely on that to feel better.” still warn others about the dangers of online dating. “The whole aspect of uncer—Written by Annika Bereny
13
Features
Friday, December 6, 2019
Winter holidays focus on connecting with family, faith Junior Julia Segal: Hanukkah The Jewish community has always been an integral part of junior Julia Segal’s life. She is currently the president of the Jewnion club at Gunn and has been celebrating Hanukkah and many other Jewish holidays for as long as she can remember. For Segal, Hanukkah is about more than just having fun and getting presents: it’s a time to bond with family and remember the hardships her ancestors had gone through. “I feel like my perception of Hanukkah has really evolved over time,” she said. “When I was little I just liked it because my parents gave me presents and I got to light candles. Now, I have learned more of the history behind it and it makes me feel a lot more connected to my religion and culture.” Hanukkah dates back to the second century B.C. when a group of Jews in Jerusalem were being persecuted for their beliefs by Antiochus, the King of Syria. The hero Judah Macabee and others formed an army to fight King Antiochus, reclaiming the temple of Jerusalem. When they entered the temple, they found only a small container of oil that should have lasted one night. However, the Menorah that they lit burned through eight nights and that is why Jews everywhere light eight candles on their Menorahs. Segal still enjoys lighting the candles, but she now has a better understanding of the holiday as a whole. Hanukkah is also a time where families come together. “High school is really busy and Hanukkah is just a fun time to relax, bond with my sister and exchange gifts,” Segal said. “No matter what my family is doing for winter break, we always come together to celebrate it.” Segal enjoys exchanging gifts with her family. When she was younger, her parents gave her a karaoke set and that later inspired her passion for singing. “Singing is such a big part of my life and I don’t know if I would have the same level of passion for it if my parents hadn’t given me that karaoke set,” she said. Segal likes to give special gifts to her family members to see the joy that it brings them.
Photos courtesy of Yonatan Maor
—Written by Kate Mallery Top: Senior Yonatan Maor poses for a picture with his family after a night of Hanukkah celebrations. Middle: Maor and sophomore Daniella Maor celebrate Hanukkah with family friends. Bottom: Junior Noa Shoval shares a snapshot of celebrating Hanukkah with her friends and family, decorating desserts with frosting and jellybeans while drinking juice.
Photo courtesy of Noa Shoval
Senior Joshua Mei: Christmas
Photos courtesy of Joshua Mei
Top: Adults participating in the Christmas Mass reenactment of the birth of Jesus Christ pose for a picture. Bottom: The choir of the Home of Christ Church performs at mass.
When most Americans think of Christmas, they associate it with gift-giving and characters like Santa Claus or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but for senior Joshua Mei, the true essence of Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s life. Mei does not celebrate Christmas in the consumerist sense, but instead, has more ties to the religious aspects of the holiday. “We used to do decorations and stuff, but then we’ve gotten lazy the last couple years,” Mei said. “[At church] we make dumplings and it’s pretty fun, it’s a good community thing.” Although decorations are a good way to get into the holiday spirit, Mei believes that they are not necessary to celebrate the holiday. “I think that the essence of Christmas is more than just decorations, so we just skip that part of it,” he said. Christmas has an important impact on America from a consumerist standpoint, but Mei wants people to think about it as more than just a holiday about gift-giving and receiving. “Christmas clearly has a big impact on American culture, but especially to me, from a religious standpoint, it’s a lot more than that,” Mei said. “It’s a celebration of Christianity and is a part of our faith,” he said. While Mei mostly celebrates Christmas from a religious perspective, he does appreciate the other aspects of it. “I think it’s cool that it has become so ingrained in the culture,” he said. “It has deviated so far from what Christmas actually is so that now it’s kind of just a part of our consumer society.” Despite this, he still finds joy in Christmas traditions like exchanging gifts. “I like giving and getting presents but it’s important to keep in mind the actual root of Christmas,” Mei said. —Written by Sophia Stern
Ella Koehler
14
Sports
Gunn sports teams achieve historic success Girls volleyball wins ccs for first time in 43 years The Gunn girls volleyball team recently took home their first Central Coast Section (CCS) title in 43 years in an upset win over Los Gatos High School. Scoring 20 points to Los Gatos’s 18, Gunn won its first CCS title since 1976. Additionally, Gunn was the section runner-up in 1980 and went on to win a regional crown that season, but has not come close to the title until now. The program has had its ups and downs, bouncing between the upper and lower leagues. Last year, they hired a new coach, Baiba McGibben, who played on the Latvian national team started coaching at Gunn. “Baiba is the best!” Senior Odeya Russo said. “Although she is tough, she does it out of love to make us the best we can be.” In 2018, they came first in the El Camino league. This year, they were moved up to the tougher De Anza division and played against teams like Palo Alto High School and Los Gatos High School. Senior Livia Bednarz admitted that she knew this season would be tougher, but was excited for the new competition. “We lost some fantastic players from the 2018 season, but we have a really strong program with a lot of solid, tough athletes.” Bednarz said. I think the whole team was excited to see what we could do against some of the more tenacious teams in the league.” The Titans fought hard throughout league play to finish with a 5-7 record. Although the record might not show it, the team has kept up with the best teams in the league, losing many very close games. This season was different from most because many players had to play positions that they had never played before. “We all became very diverse players and were able to step up in any position if needed,” senior Rachel Grant said. Due to their record, the Titans received the sixth seed, but they did not let this faze them. In the semifinal game they beat Mountain View, coming from behind to win in two sets, making the final for the first time since 1980. For the CCS finals, the Titans matched up against the Los Gatos Wildcats, who they had previously had a close loss to. “I think we had a new motivation and energy going into the final game,” senior Odeya Russo said. “Gunn volleyball hadn’t won a title in so long and that just made us want to win even more.” Grant noticed a change of energy between league and post season play. “We started to be a lot more positive and we learned how to play a lot better as a team,” She said. During the final game in Titan Gym, the team felt overwhelming support from Gunn fans. Seniors Paul Zhao and Vishnu Srinivnas led big chants. According to Bednarz, the support from the fans “made all the difference.” “Each player individually really stepped up and played their best game. We took advantage of our incredible outside, Rachel Grant and Odeya Russo, constantly.” Bednarz said. “Our team is shorter than last year, so good defense and staying strong on the service line was essential.” The Titans defeated the Wildcats in just three sets. According to Bednarz, during timeouts, the Titans would come together in a huddle and point up to the CCS banner above. They would say, “guys, 10 more points until our year is up there!” When the gym erupted with cheers, all of Titans ran onto the court. In the final game, the team was able to put the ball down and finish when they were ahead, which made an enormous difference. Many key seniors are graduating this year and the titans are sad to have the season come to a close. “I’m going to miss hanging with my teammates everyday practice because we got so close,” Grant said. —Written by Kate Mallery
Girls water polo team smiles upon winning Division I CCS
Photo Courtesy of Michael Granville
Girls Water Polo takes home first-ever division I win For the first time in Gunn history, the girls water polo team has won Division I Central Coast Section (CCS), defeating Santa Clara 13-8 in the championship match. After winning CCS, the Titans advanced to the Norcal Regional Tournament, where they lost to Rio Americano 13-12 by sudden death in the quarterfinal round. They were led by junior Kate Mallery’s six goals and five assists, and senior captain Cooper McKenna’s three goals and three assists. The team’s success did not come without hard work. The Titans held two-hour practices for up to six days a week. “Practice has definitely paid off,” senior Maya Schell said. “We do a lot of scrimmaging in practice and it’s similar to gameplay, so it’s helped this year.” Staying consistent in practices has also helped the team in the long run. “We conditioned a lot and I think that paid off toward the end of the season in those really close games to not get tired,” McKenna said. The team faced no shortage of obstacles throughout the season, making their win all the more remarkable. “Three quarters through the season, almost half our team got sick, so we had two or three starters out for quite a few games,” junior Molly Wilkinson said. Regardless, the team continued to persevere and finished with an impressive record of 20 wins and six losses, despite a tough schedule. “We entered in a lot of tournaments where we played a lot of hard teams which helped us prepare for CCS,” Wilkinson said. Moreover, the team exceeded expectations after facing many changes. The Titans finished second in the league last year and graduated four senior starters, but the remaining players were able to step up. “We had a pretty young this team this year,” McKenna said. “This is also our first season with a new coach and no one really knew what to expect, but we were able to figure out how we all work together.” Down the road, the girls water polo team has a bright future. Having a young team with standout underclassmen, such as freshman Kenza Ashworth, the team’s third leading scorer, the team will inevitably build on this year’s success. —Written by Calvin Cai
Girls volleyball players pose with CCS trophy Photo Courtesy of Butch Garcia
Titans huddle up to discuss game plans Photo Courtesy of Butch Garcia
Girls cross country members reach state championships On Nov. 30, the Gunn girls cross country team competed at the California Interscholastic League State Championships meet in Woodward Park, Fresno. Gunn, a Division 1 team, finished in 20th place out of 21 teams. This year marks the ninth time in ten years that members of the cross country team have qualified for the states meet. Both girls and boys teams competed at Central Coast Section (CCS) championships the previous week, with the Gunn girls winning second place. As a result, seven members of the girls team moved on to state championships. Senior and team captain Sophie Alexis, who was among the state qualifiers, described the event as a surprise. “Not to flex, but I think we did really well,” she said. Alexis says she is grateful for the recent success despite the challenges that the team faced throughout the season. In the past year, two coaches have left Gunn cross country. “[It] was kind of unexpected and we did our best there, even though the season was really chaotic,” she said. To Alexis, making it to the state championships was already an incredible honor. “I wasn’t nervous because we knew that we were mostly there to have a good time,” she said. Junior Moyu Shimada describes her experience at Woodward differently. Shimada, who also qualified for the meet, says that competing at state championships was extremely stress-inducing. “The atmosphere was very tense compared to all the other meets we’ve had this season,” she said. “I was nervous before the race, and a part of me didn’t want to race, but when I got to the starting line, I was just proud that we made it to states.” Junior Izy Armstrong agrees, citing the dedication of this year’s varsity team. “There was a slim chance of us making it, but everyone stepped up their game helping us pull second place in CCS,” she said. Armstrong says that because of this experience, she looks forward to competing again next season. “We can definitely qualify again and possibly score even better,” she said. “As we keep on recruiting more runners, we will be able to maintain our strong team.” —Written by Ryan Li
Girls cross country runners pose at the CIF State Championships Photo Courtesy of Michael Granville
15
Sports
Friday, December 6, 2019
Teachers reminisce over collegiate sports history Assistant Principal Harvey Newland: Water Polo Assistant Principal Harvey Newland smiles as he reminisces about his water polo career, from a small boy first picking up the ball to a collegiate athlete. Playing the sport ran in Newland’s family: in the 1980s, his father played in college and for the United States National Team where he and his two brothers won silver twice for former Yugoslavia. His grandfather had been coaching college water polo since the 1950s. With this background, Newland started playing at a young age. Newland’s high school experience playing water polo was quite unique: according to Newland, his team had great swimmers but lacked in coaching skills. Still, he made some fond memories. “In senior year, our pool broke down so we had to go play at Cal Poly, and the pool was 95 degrees, indoors and just gross, especially in the summer,” he said. “Our coach would spray us with a hose to keep us cool and our workouts were swim sets and running up the hill behind Cal Poly. My senior year was really strange in terms of how everything ran, because we didn’t quite have access to a pool like we do here at Gunn.” Despite all of the challenges he faced, Newland was able to form connections and bonds with other players, particularly his future spouse. “[Water polo] is how my wife and I got together,” he said. “She played water polo at San Luis Obispo High School and we somehow made that connection; we had AP Art History together, we knew that we both played water polo and we’d known each other for a long time, so that’s basically how we started dating. She played at Princeton and I played at Irvine, and we continued to stay together. Now, we’re married, have a child and live in Saratoga, and this was a huge thing that came from water polo.” After high school, Newland went on to play water polo for University of California, Irvine, with two of his cousins and both of his brothers. His grandfather was the coach. According to Newland, the team was among the top five in the nation each year he played. Being one of the best, the practices were absolutely grueling and one of the
hardest things Newland has ever had to endure. “I can’t even explain just the daily things that we had to do just to be on the team,” he said. “We started with 15 guys my freshman year, and by the time I was a senior, there were three of us. My grandfather was a really tough coach and he expected a lot from his players. Every day, we used to get to the weight room at 4:30 in the morning and practiced for a long time, and then we’d have afternoon practices.” His experience in the pool might have been grueling, but to this day, Newland still has the highest regard for the dedication his grandfather had for the team. “He would be there everyday, even on Christmas, so that if you wanted an opportunity to practice and get better, he was always there,” he said. “That’s what was special about him, which is amazing. We had a different coach my senior year, and it was different to have somebody that wasn’t like that, who wasn’t there at every single moment. [My grandfather] had a crazy dedication and was an interesting guy to play for.” Apart from being in the pool and weight room, Newland was able to juggle keeping up with his academics along with spending time with his fellow teammates. In fact, playing such a time-consuming sport in college allowed him to improve his work ethic. “In terms of academics, it actually did a lot more for me—it made me focus more and have to take the time to do things,” he said. “I knew that I only had a certain amount of time to do stuff and I couldn’t just put it off for the afternoon or do it in the morning; I really had to figure that out, which was helpful. I actually did better in college than I did in high school, and I think part of the reason was from the discipline of being on that team.” Spending hours every day in the pool and weight room caused the whole team to have similar schedules, which allowed Newland, in all the hours he spent with his teammates, to form long lasting bonds with them. “There were two twins on the team from Gunn who were a grade below me and they always talked about Gunn, which was kind of funny,” he said. “They repped NorCal like it was nobody’s business: fifty-first state, the San Jose Sharks and the Giants, just everything. Coming from Southern California, we always gave them a hard time because they were just so NorCal through and through. I still keep in touch with them, I was just in a wedding with one of the guys I graduated with who’s the head girls water polo coach at Sacred Heart and I still keep in touch with the head coach at Bellarmine who was two grades above me. We all have that common bond of going through that grueling process, which is unique. My college experience was very unique.” Playing such a difficult sport might have been time-consuming and physically exhausting, but the benefits of going through this made it all worth it at the end for Newland. “It’s a unique opportunity to do something that not a lot of people get to do in college, especially if it’s a division one sport,” he said. “It’s painful and sucks sometimes, but if you go through it, it’s almost like a more powerful tool coming out of college than just sitting in courses and learning that stuff. It’s hard to have your stereotypical idea of college while you do something that requires that much from you. But, I’m glad I did what I did, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” —Written by Madison Nguyen
History Teacher Mark Weisman: Football History teacher and former football coach Mark Weisman found his love for football early on during his life. Weisman played tackle football throughout high school and college and has filled a variety of roles throughout his athletic career “In high school I played multiple positions,” he said. “When I got to the University of California, Los Angeles, I walked on as a linebacker, and then from there, I learned how to snap a ball and became a special teams player.” Weisman reflects positively on his experience. “It was beneficial in more ways than one,” he said. “Besides athletic benefits of [playing a sport] at that level, you also you also have the academic support. So like at UCLA, you have access to things like athletic tutors and stuff like that. Or it can help you through the process of the academics at the institution, which can be fairly useful.” His favorite part, however, was the experience of being with his teammates. “One of the aspects of sports is being able to interact with others right on your side,” Weisman said. “The best part of UCLA was being with my teammates, whether it workouts, in class or on the playing field.” Through football, Weisman was also able to meet his wife. “My wife was a student trainer at UCLA,” he said. “So that’s how we met.” Weisman was able to give back to football after graduation by coaching. “I coached for 19 years,” said Weisman. “I coached for seven years at my old high school in Long Beach and then I came up here in 2006.” Weisman no longer coaches high school sports in order to help with his kids’ teams. “My schedule is basically revolving around their schedule,” he said. “ I have a six-year-old, a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old. So usually most days are from practice to practice or game to practice. I coach my oldest son in baseball and flag football, coach my daughter in softball and I coach my youngest son in baseball.” Coaching has been a rewarding experience for Weisman. His favorite part is watching his athletes constantly improve. “Kids getting bigger, faster, stronger and doing well on the field and off the field,” Weisman said. “I had a former football player fly over the Bay Area, he’s in the Navy now as a pilot, you know, to fly see these positive contributors in society is probably the best thing about it.” —Written by Elisa Moraes-Liu
Photo Illustration by Grace Liu and Melissa Ding
16
Lifestyle
Shannon Lin
TAKE OUR TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE Let’s be honest: before the age of iPhones, Netflix and TikTok, we were all about toys. We obsessed over the dinky little collect-them-alls, crafty DIY’s, corny trading games and so much more. The ubiquitous Silly Bandz taught us the art of diplomatic trading and lucrative deals. Countless bands were wrapped around wrists, likely causing a permanent stoppage in blood circulaJamie Wang tion. And there most definitely was a ranking: tie-dyes and glow-in-the-darks were universally considered top tier. Pillow pets were a staple in all of our elementary school slumber parties. What was better than a stuffed animal to pass out on? We brought them to play dates, road trips and airports. Easy-Bake Ovens were the classic birthday present and the go-to example of gender stereotypes in our childhood stories. Stereotypes aside, everyone wanted one. Who could blame us? We had free reign on what we got to make and eat. Beyblades, the customizable spinning top peaked in popularity once they manufactured the metal outer layer versions. From there, it all delved into battle anarchy. Honestly, whoever decided to market these to kids did not expect us to swap out the tips for staples and other dangerous objects. But hey, innovation and a little adrenaline rush built character. And we loved it.
The Rainbow Looms era felt like a Silly Bandz 2.0, and everyone was back to wrapping rubber bands around their wrists. Of course, only after watching hundreds of tutorial videos on their online website, buying colorful bands and painstakingly recreating the video on your own loom. Friendship bracelets were horrendously out of style by then. Legend has it that if you replay the website’s tutorial video music, it’ll bring back repressed memories. And of course, the coveted Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards. Did anyone know how to actually play them? Probably not—we just liked the art. Whether you merely stuffed them in your pockets or carefully slid them in laminated folders, everyone can admit to having at least one, or two, or a couple hundred of those cards. Chances are, your toys have been donated, cards have been turned into bookmarks and Easy-Bake Ovens have been left in the garage to collect dust. Nevertheless, there are always fond childhood memories to look back on, and while our parents’ money may have gone down the drain, our nostalgic joy is still goLin non ing strong. Shan —Written by Shannon Lin
Being raised in the early 20th century has given us a variety of great TV shows and while many of them have been outgrown, looking back on these brings nostalgia to many. Most early 2000s babies’ television channel rotations were made up of three key stations: Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. These channels offered brilliant shows that were often in the foreground of many teenager’s childhoods. Nickelodeon offered unique cartoons such as Jamie Wang “Spongebob Squarepants” and “Fairly OddParents.” Spongebob has had a historical run in the TV industry with over 280 episodes. The show has also had two movies based on its iconic characters and with another movie scheduled to come out in 2020, the show seems to have no clear end in sight. Spongebob's success can only be credited to the long list of writers the show has and the comically convenient characters that offer relatable yet imaginative stories. Disney Channel was also at the forefront of many childhoods. The famous network offered iconic shows in both animation and live-action TV. Shows such as “Wizards of Waverly Place” gave the world their first glimpse of the future super-stardom of Selena Gomez, while “Suite life of Zack and Cody” created two of the most exemplary child actors of the 21st century, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, who have both gone on to have suc-
cessful careers. These shows both proved to be so successful that they were given their own movie adaptations. Both shows offered light-hearted comedy and humor while often having deeper moral stories that viewers could pick up on. Both of these shows grew into phenomenons because they provided creative and engaging plot lines while giving viewers an escape from reality. Cartoon Network was always a place to find extremely well-produced animation with imaginative ideas. Shows like “Johnny Test” and “Ben 10” had great plotlines which would often catch viewers off guard due to the lack of a consistent theme. Instead, the creators of the shows took advantage of the animation and invented the most bizarre ideas, such as a watch that can morph you into an alien or a teenage boy that can create a wide variety of eye-catching inventions ranging from fish spray to a hypokinetic tanning spray. Jamie Wang —Written by Ryan Manesh
EDM is blasting out of your radio and you suddenly hear the words: “Everyday I’m shuffling.” The iconic song instantly boosts your spirits and you can’t help but “shuffle” along with the LMFAO hit, “Party Rock Anthem.” Released in 2011, this is one of many songs that will take students back to the “Good Old Days,” as Ke$ha and Macklemore sang. Since the beginning of humanity music has been a staple in society. Along with its importance to the community, music also bears memories to individuals. Many of the songs you've listened to since childhood can bring a sense of nostalgia. There were dozens of iconic bands during the 2000s, but none more so than One Direction. Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Jam ie W ang Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik captured the hearts of teenagers across the country with dozens of hits, such as “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life.” Another popular band was Coldplay. Coldplay had some of the biggest hits of the past decades, including “Yellow” and “Viva La Vida.” Alongside popular boy bands, there were also many solo pop artists who created nonstop hits during this time. A few of the biggest hits were “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, “Toxic” by Britney Spears and “Crazy in Love” by Beyoncé. Besides
these singers, other popular artists were Taylor Swift, Ke$ha, Justin Bieber, Avril Lavigne, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Sadly, since these singers’ era, this genre of music has become much less common. Before we had Travis Scott, Drake and J. Cole, we had earlier rappers such as Flo Rida, Usher and Jay-Z. These artists released some of the most popular rap hits, from “Yeah!” to “Low,” songs that we still hear at every school dance. Lastly, Kidz Bop united youth worldwide. These were albums of popular songs remade by kids. Many of the songs mentioned above also have their own Kidz Bop versions. Most students have listened to Kidz Bop at some point during their childhood, due to its clean lyrics and specially chosen songs directed toward kids. Next time you go on a trip with your family, go to school or even just do your homework, make sure to turn up some of these nostalgic songs. Jocelyn Wang —Written by Calvin Cai
17
Lifestyle
Friday, December 6, 2019
In today’s technological era, it is impossible to escape the attraction of video games and video game culture. Most people have played them at one point, and many have played video games throughout their entire lives. Let’s take a trip to the past and remember the video games that made us who we are today. When you think of video games you are probably imagining an Xbox or Playstation; however, let’s not forget the console that started it all: the Nintendo Wii. The Wii was released in November of 2006 and saw immediate success, selling over 100 million devices over the course of its lifespan. Ranging from classics like New “Super Mario Bros Wii” to “Wii Sports,” the Wii had it all, housing a fantastic collection of Jamie Wang Nintendo games that anyone could enjoy. People of all ages, shapes and sizes could pick up a Wii and start playing, which is why the Nintendo Wii will always be remembered as a true classic. Another hugely popular device emerging around this time was the smart phone. Today, it is impossible to find a teenager or even a middle schooler who doesn’t own a smartphone. And to be quite honest, the only use of a cell phone as a kid for many was to play games. Mobile games, while not colloquially acknowledged as video games, fall under the same umbrella. Whether you’d like to admit it or not, at one point in time, you have played a mobile game. Nowadays, games such as “Pubg” mobile and “Pokemon Go” dominate the market, but before there were battle royales on your mobile device,
games such as “Angry Birds,” “Cut the Rope” and “Jetpack Joyride” pioneered the genre of mobile games. Loved for their unique and addictive elements, these apps remind us of what mobile games used to be and the hours upon hours we spent playing them. Their simplicity harkens back to a better time, when we were satisfied with playing unsophisticated mobile games in our free time. Last but not least, it is impossible to talk about old video games without mentioning the Xbox 360. Truly the zeitgeist of the early and mid 2000s, the Xbox was the staple of a true gamer’s home. Games like “Halo 3,” “Call of Duty 2,” “NBA 2k 14” and “Battlefield 1” launched franchises and we still play them today 0n the next generation of consoles. Next time you pick up your phone or your PS4 controller, take a moment to remember how you got here and all the amazing games you played up to this moment, because sooner or later, you’re going to be looking back on these times and feeling that same sense of nostalgia.
It’s 12 p.m. on a Wednesday. You pull out your lunch surrounded by your fourth grade class. Today is special: your mom didn’t have time to cook in the morning so you stopped at Safeway to get some food. That’s right—it’s Lunchable time. Audible gasps can be heard around the table. Everyone scrambles to pull out their prime trading material as the teacher looks the other way. The food dealing has begun. Lunchables are the quintessential nostalgia food. Specifically, the pizza Jamie Wang variant. That memory of pulling out the sauce, the crust and the cheese to sprinkle made us all admittedly feel like Gordon Ramsey. They were cheap and we all begged our mothers to take us to the store and buy them for us, even though they were supposedly “unhealthy.” Best of all was the feeling of looking up and down the aisles for the prime pizza lunchable—the one that came with Oreos and Capri Sun. This brings us to the next item: Capri Sun. No one given the choice between Kool-Aid and Capri Sun picked Kool-Aid, and that’s just a fact. The different Capri Sun flavors tasted the same but we all had a favorite. That sense of accomplishment we got when we were able to push the straw into the hole on the first try is satisfying and unforgettable. I’d even go as far as to speculate that the reason boba is so popular is because pushing
the straw through the seal reminds us all of our old Capri Sun days. Of course, SunnyD was a close second. Remember that? Convincing our moms that it was just regular orange juice and that it was healthy when in reality we all knew it was filled to the brim with sugar. The mini caps on the SunnyD made it easy to share by pouring it in to them instead of getting someone else’s germs on your drink. SunnyD was easily a staple of elementary school life. Last but not least, this list would be incomplete if I didn’t mention Gushers. They were so colorful and pretty and they’d just paint your tongue with arrays of color. Wikipedia calls them “made primarily of sugar and fruit juice, with small amounts of other ingredients,” but that didn’t stop us from eating them like they were the last food on earth. Overall, food can hold a lot of memories. It can remind us of happier times as small children and send us to the past that’s complete with tons of sugar. Maybe I’ll go get some Lunchables now, just to remember how easy life used to be.
—Written by Devon Lee
—Written by Nikki Suzani
—Compiled by Sophia Stern Melissa Ding
Audrey Tseng
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Lifestyle
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DOES THE HOLIDAY SEASON BRING CHEER? Madison Nguyen
Nikki Suzani
A warm, fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies is taken out of the oven as that smell of happiness floods the kitchen. The jingle bells from a Hallmark holiday movie can be heard from miles away as you snuggle up into a fleece blanket and take a big gulp of some hot chocolate. Suddenly, this odd, foreign feeling rushes over you, but what is it? It’s what comes with the start of December: happiness, self-care and relaxation. No matter how much rain or wind comes our way, the feeling of snuggling up in the comfort of your own home with a family member or a friend is like no other. Everything that comes with winter is magical: the cheesy romance movies, a warm cup of coffee, shopping, spending time with family and friends and so much more. This is why winter in all its beauty, despite all the backlash and hate, is one of the best seasons. With only three weeks of school left after a weeklong break for Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect time to catch up on your favorite Netflix show, some shopping or spending time with your loved ones. Winter can really get people in their feels, but it’s one of the only times throughout the year where you have a lot of time to yourself. I’m sure these past four months of school have been quite hectic and it’s been difficult to really do anything for yourself. So, cuddle up with a blanket and eat some yummy decorated cookies or maybe even watch some television and hang out with friends. The infamous unrealistic Hallmark movies, no matter how cheesy they are, are classics that depict a perfect season filled with love. Even if you’re not the movie type, you can still treat yourself with some shopping. Starting with Black Friday, the sales are incredible and will continue to New Year’s. While it may be dangerous for your bank account, after all, it is the season of giving, so don’t forget to give something to yourself as well. Additionally, spending time with your family and friends is one of the most heartwarming things to do during this time. Hearing laughter around the dinner table as all of the lights are lit in the house, surrounded by a plethora of food and baked goods is a holiday must-have. Connecting back with your family or your friends can just be so refreshing, especially after a time when you’re not with them all that often. With winter break being the longest break of the school year, why not take advantage of all the time you have? With winter comes the start of a new year, this one marking the beginning of a new decade. Along with that comes the stereotypical saying, “New year, new me,” which, in all honesty, isn’t a bad thing to say. There isn’t any reason not to make resolutions or at least try to challenge yourself. A new year is a fresh start and provides a chance for many people to reflect on the past year and see how this upcoming one can be different. Plus, starting off a new semester with a new mindset might not be a bad idea. With the second half of winter on its way, some may feel that Valentine’s Day brings a lot of stress and pressure, but it doesn’t need to. With the inevitable myriad of couples everywhere with their public display of affection, instead of letting it get to you, spend some time with your friends or with what makes you happy. This season in particular can bring some not too fond memories up, but it’s ultimately your choice whether to let them get to you or not. Winter, like every other season, has its downsides and upsides. Instead of ridiculing winter for its lousy weather and unrealistic romantic expectations, approach it with a different mindset. There’s so many positive aspects such as no school and personal time that can really outweigh the negatives. Winter may have its flaws, but the magical beauty of it is like no other. —Nguyen, a junior, is a Features Editor.
You can sense the change in the air as December begins to arrive. It starts to get dark around 4 p.m. and the biting cold air seeps into your room. It’s the beginning of winter. Some try to reconcile themselves with it and pretend to be happy about the coming of the holiday season, but on the inside we all know the cold weather will set in. Due to the loneliness of the holiday season, the bare trees and the flu that spreads like wildfire, I hereby declare myself a Grinch and affirm the idea that winter is easily the worst season. Not only is winter inherently capitalist, “cuffing season” can negatively impact people’s lifestyle. It’s the season of seeing happy couples on Instagram together in front of a fire wearing fur coats and sipping hot tea. We get that it’s “cuffing season,” but some of us are sad and alone. If I’m sitting in front of a fire, it’s because my parents are having a toast about the holidays in another room and I’m monitoring a bunch of small children, the oldest of which is seven but who are apparently “my age.” Some might argue that winter does the opposite and promotes relationships and family bonding time, but winter is not the season of relationships, it’s the season of capitalism. Don’t believe me? Consumer culture was literally invented by the holiday shopping season. Coca-Cola popularized our image of modern day Santa Claus in order to sell soda. Why do we give presents on Christmas instead of hugging our relatives and sharing love? Why is the day after Thanksgiving a day where people trample on others by rushing into malls to buy cheap stuff? Capitalism, that’s why. Don’t even get me started on Thanksgiving, which was started off of the backs of indigenous people and is a celebration of settler colonialism. Winter is capitalist, lonely and sad. Further, the natural conditions that come with winter, like the complete lack of leaves to crunch and the constant rain, make everything so much harder. Fall is wholesome. You can step on crunchy leaves, the trees turn pretty colors and you’re invigorated by the beauty of the landscape. Winter, however, is the complete opposite. The trees are barren, the landscape is desolate, and then there is constant rain. No one ever goes out in winter and says, “Wow, look at this tree with no leaves, how pretty!” Plus, daylight savings means that the sunset comes way earlier and it gets too dark to see those trees anyways. The first day of winter, Dec. 21, has a sunset of 4:54 p.m. For those of us with curfews at sunset, it means we literally get out of school and then have to go home, which isn’t fun. Some people might love the landscape because of the evergreen trees that stay green all year, but they still lack a certain color that makes fall and spring so beautiful. There’s no vibrancy in the air, just green. Winter has sad trees and is ruining my hopes of ever having a social life. Worst of all, the cold of winter chaps lips, freezes people until they have no hope of comfort and lets the world have the joy of constant runny noses that no one asked for. We might be in California, but that doesn’t preclude us from cold temperatures. Imagine having a fever during finals season—that’s winter’s fault. Some people might be excited to ski, but it doesn’t even snow here, so you have to drive for seven hours to Lake Tahoe. Winter is cold, makes me sick and we don’t even get snow days, so what’s the point? To close, winter doesn’t deserve the hype. It can make people sad, lonely and cold—three things no one enjoys. I’m tired of spending all my money on winter coats. I’m tired of being alone on holiday season. Winter is coming. Just like “Game of Thrones,” the show that motto is from, it’s going to be horrible. —Suzani, a junior, is a Features Editor. Holiday graphics by Jocelyn Wang and snowflake graphics by Melissa Ding
FACES IN THE CROWD: DO YOU LIKE WINTER?
“I like winter because the air is less polluted, and since California is just too warm.”
“I don’t like winter because it’s cold and rainy and we spend it all cooped up inside.”
Quentin Swindells (11)
Talise Baker-Matsuoka (9)
Snowmen graphics by Audrey Tseng Photos by Mia Knezevic
“I like winter because you can wear all your cozy clothes and there’s a lot of good food to eat during the holidays.” Kenny Wu (12)
“I don’t like winter because it’s always really cold, and you rarely see a nice blue sky.” Hetva Joshi (10) —Compiled by Angela Wong
Lifestyle
Friday, December 6, 2019
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How to enjoy your Palo Alto winter For many, the word “winter” conjures up romantic images of swirling snowflakes, frosty windows, laughter over lopsided snowmen, attacking siblings with snowballs and the exhilaration of skiing down a hill. Yet, Palo Alto’s conspicuous lack of snow renders many of these traditional activities impossible. At first glance, winter in Palo Alto comes off as dreary, devoid of the entertainments that make it a season of universal cheer. Look a little closer, however, and you’re met with a bursting list of pastimes to try out that will make a Palo Alto winter just as appealing as a traditional snow-filled wonderland. Although Palo Alto lacks snow, there is no shortage of winter rains, creating a seasonal atmosphere. Curling up in a nest of fuzzy blankets with a large mug of hot chocolate or spiced apple cider while the rain pitter-patters on the roof outside will instantly provide a much-needed dose of winter coziness. To finish off your relaxing ensemble, find the perfect winter movie to watch: from “Last Christmas” to “Let it Snow,” there’s no shortage of new seasonal movies to explore. And you can always go back to a winter classic, such as “Love Actually” or “Home Alone.” Many holiday-themed movies play at the Stanford Movie Theater as well. On Christmas Eve, the theater shows “It’s a Wonderful Life,” an annual tradition. Come out with your friends or family and enjoy the sentimental blast from the past. On a clear night, call up a couple of friends and enjoy a fun-filled evening of ice skating at Winter Lodge. Palo Alto is one of the few spots in the Bay Area with an outdoor skating rink, and nothing screams winter like sliding around the ice for a couple of hours and racing your friends. Plus, if you squint, the “soap snow” that
comes down in the middle of evening skating sessions almost looks real. If you don’t feel like venturing outdoors, invite some friends over for a holiday baking spree. Whether you opt for traditional gingerbread men, snickerdoodles and sugar cookies or for something more unusual, you’re sure to end up with a stash of goodies to enjoy with a glass of milk or give out as gifts. For more holiday cheer, create a winter wonderland in your kitchen by decorating a gingerbread house. For more fun, organize a secret Santa or white elephant event. It’s always fun to pick out gifts for loved ones, and nothing beats the excitement of unwrapping a thoughtful present. Plus, a day of gift-giving is a great opportunity to use some of those delicious treats you’ve whipped up. Venturing a little farther out, you can explore one of the many holiday fairs and events that pop up around the Bay Area. San Jose’s Christmas in the Park is a local tradition, filled with glittering Christman trees as well as carnival rides, entertainment events and treats. For Shannon Lin something a little less traditional, check out the SJMade holiday craft fair, held the weekend of Dec. 14 and 15, where artists and makers come to show off their creations. This is the perfect place to buy some presents and support small businesses. Even if the most festive thing you have planned this season is studying for finals, pull on a cozy sweater, grab a mug of your favorite hot drink and remind yourself why this season is so universally beloved. After all, snow or no snow, whether sledding or studying, there’s always a way to make your winter days feel just a little warmer and cozier. —Written by Liza Kolbasov
Parents should not lie about Santa Jessica Wang At last, we can look forward to the holidays, bringing with them twinkling strung-up lights, cookies warm from the oven, festive garlands twined around every pole and, for some reason, old fat men with fake white beards. Every year, some parents will go to extreme measures to keep their child’s faith in Santa Claus alive, from taking pictures with faux Santas at the mall to responding to letters addressed to the North Pole. Although the Santa sham is meant to bring magic to kids’ holidays, parents should not lie to their children about Santa because it improperly incentivizes good behavior while ensuring disappointment and broken trust upon discovery. From the start, the belief in Santa Claus incorrectly establishes the desire to behave in young children. Supposedly, Santa gives “nice” children presents and “naughty” children coal. While this might seem like a sweet deal to keep children in line, it causes kids to play the role of dutiful children only for the sake of presents. According to a Psychology Today article, using a reward system, or operant conditioning, limits development of intrinsic motivation. In this case, the belief in Santa Claus prevents children from voluntarily behaving. This also creates
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problems when children find out that Santa Claus is fictitious. How will parents maintain order without the leverage of Santa’s judgement? The belief in an omniscient authority causes children to behave to impress Santa, not their parents, with the end goal of presents rather than mutual respect. Furthermore, veracity in parent-child relationships is key, and instilling a blatant lie in a child’s most treasured beliefs is a recipe for disaster. At a young age, children build a strong foundational trust in their guardian figure. Keeping up the ruse of Santa Claus forces these trusted authorities to lie to their child every year, and the discovery of this deception can easily undermine the credibility of parents. In addition, it negatively affects the child’s perception of truthfulness. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology showed that children who experience lying from their parents have tendencies to lie later in life. Unbeknownst to parents, the Santa Claus charade may very well be detrimental to childrens’ emotional development. Kids will inevitably uncover Santa Claus’s falsehood. This poses the final issue, the elephant in the room: what do parents do when their children find out? Some kids may be deeply distressed to have their childhood belief debunked. The unpleasant discovery may even occur in a humiliating public situation. After finding out that their beloved idol never existed, kids will be inclined to remember each moment of joy with a grain of salt. Every time they eagerly anticipated Santa’s arrival, their parents were only playing along. The discovery of the Santa Claus fallacy not only shatters childrens’
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confidence in their parents, but it also makes for an upsetting letdown. On the other hand, some parents may believe that Santa Claus is necessary to bring magic to every Christmas. After all, Santa accomplishes the inhuman feat of squeezing down millions of chimneys to deliver every child’s presents in one night, riding in a flying sleigh led by reindeer. It’s no wonder that he’s an inspiring figure for children’s imaginations. However, the true magic of Christmas lies not in a quantity of presents or a mythical figure, but rather in its simple joys, such as generosity and family time. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, empathy and positive interactions make a lasting impression on children by building resilience and a sense of security. Ultimately, the spirit of Christmas is created by these memorable connections. In short, Santa Claus is a fabrication that does more harm than good. It teaches children that being nice should be solely motivated by reward, and the deception ruins the holiday and the parents’ trustworthiness when the charade is up. The honest truth is that each present comes from a loved one who devoted time, consideration and care into giving it. Parents should encourage their children to cherish these invaluable gifts rather than materialistic presents from a fabled figurehead of Christmas. —Wang, a sophomore, is a Forum Editor.
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Sports
Skateboarders find creative outlet in skating Overcoming many common stereotypes, junior Nikhil Shah pursues his favorite pass time: skateboarding around with his friends. Skating has been growing in popularity around campus. It is not uncommon to see people bringing their boards to school and showing off tricks after school has ended. Like many sports, skating culture and the skaters themselves are heavily impacted by the way they are seen. “A lot of people have a vision of skaters [as] people who don’t care about anything and are really inconsiderate, but I think skaters are actually the opposite,” Shah said. “We get kicked out of probably 50% of the places we skate at and we don’t even do anything bad.” Oftentimes, many people hesitate to start skating because of the fear of being called a “poser;” however, Shah explains how his experience was not like this at all. “I think the skating community is a really positive environment and it’s really easy to tell when someone is a skater or not,” he said. “I think some people use skating culture to their advantage for attention in some circumstances, but at the end of the day, that’s their choice and they’re the ones who end up looking bad.” One of the biggest fears about skating is falling. Numerous videos of “epic wipeouts” have been circulating the internet for years now. This has a strong effect on deterring people from starting. However, Shah explains that falling should not be something to be too worried about. “It’s okay to take a fall because that’s part of the process. And the most important thing is to just send it, because there’s no way to learn anything if you don’t ever just put all your worries to the side and just do it,” he said. After lots of practice, Shah was able to go from an “ollie,” where the rider and board leap into the air without the use of the rider’s hands, to a “pop shuv it,” where the rider makes the board spin 180 degrees without the tail of the board hitting the ground. Learning new tricks is often difficult and fairly dangerous but definitely worth it. One of the best parts of skating is mastering new tricks, and learning them is the fun part. “I want to work on my flat ground tricks right now and also get better at doing tricks off stairs,” Shah said. “I’d also like to improve my bowl skating.” Skating is great because it breaks away from many societal norms and is a really amazing community to be a part of. It brings people together to engage in an activity they all enjoy. “Almost every person I’ve met through skating has been so nice, positive and supportive,” Shah said. A common misconception about skaters is that they are “trouble-makers” looking to deface property; however, this is simply not true. They are usually just looking for a new place to try out tricks outside of the skate park. —Written by Genna Bishop
Junior Nikhil Shah
Photo Courtesy of Nikhil Shah
Freshman Aaron Alpan
Freshman Aaron Alpan is the kid who is always making a racket outside. A few days a week, like clockwork, he’s on the street riding up and down his ramp, attempting tricks and flips of all sorts. While it’s a nuisance to his neighbors, it’s a passion to him, albeit a noisy one: skateboarding. In sports culture, skateboarding has held a fluctuating rank. Since its first spike in popularity as a sidewalk alternative for surfing when the ocean was too calm, skateboarding has taken off as an industry and a competitive sport, with a few bumps along the way. “A lot of people have accepted it and now a lot of people do it,” Alpan said. “So it’s just become popular.” Over the years, however, a stereotypical image of a skateboarder has emerged: the thrill-seeking teenager with the most daring trick moves. Two years ago, his friends first made him interested enough to pick up the old skateboard lying around his house and try it out. It was under their tutelage that he mastered the incredible ability to ride effortlessly across the ground on four wheels. Since then, Alpan has enjoyed every part of the hobby, especially the freedom of it. Now, as a more experienced skateboarder, Alpan mainly practices on his own, visiting the local skateboarding parks in Sunnyvale and Menlo Park. To learn new tricks, he has a simple process: think of something to do and try it. “It feels nice landing a trick,” Alpan said. “It just feels satisfying.” At a skatepark, there are plenty of observable subjects to draw inspiration from, and with a little creativity and perseverance, Alpan can master a new move. One that he most vividly remembers perfecting is the kickflip. “I was really proud when I first learned that,” Alpan said. “That was just trying it a bunch and seeing other people do it and trying to copy what they were doing.” Sidewalk surfers of all ages are brought together at skateboarding parks. In a school setting, however, the culture is more buried; Alpan practices skateboarding as a side hobby but always bikes to school. Nonetheless, he says the skateboarding community still exists, and he has connected with a number of new friends through the common interest. One downside of skateboarding is its negative connotations; in some places, skateboarding is prohibited for public safety reasons, making the pastime a crime. But although skateboarding might be a raucous annoyance to some, Alpan doesn’t mind. He enjoys it, and his family supports it. As for his non-skateboarding friends? “They think it’s cool,” he said. As long as his neighborhood doesn’t kick him out, that’s good enough for him to roll with. —Written by Jessica Wang
Photo Courtesy of Aaron Alpan
Many people can often be led to their passions through friends or family, and for skateboarder Lara Botto, it was no different. “In middle school, my best friend got super obsessed with skateboarding,” she said. “And every day after school, he’d go to downtown Los Altos and skate around and hang out at Skate Works.” Botto found herself quickly assimilating into the skater culture and learning its ins and outs. “Soon enough, I got my own board and started skating with him.” Things have only gone up from there. “Over the summer, I got sponsored by Skate Works, which is my local skate shop,” said Botto. “I love them so much. Obviously, everyone on there are full-grown men that have been skating for really long. But, they added me to the team and it’s super awesome.” Skating is a daily occurrence in her life at this point. “I skate every day,” Botto said. “And every couple of months, there’s another new skate jam or event that I go to, but every now and then there are little sessions, which are always fun.” She currently rides a Powell Peralta Flight Deck “It’s the Charlie Blair pro model, which Charlie Blair actually gave to me for free when I went to his skate camp in Fresno,” she said. “He sat down with me and we were talking. It was super sick because I was one of the only ones that got a board from him.” Botto recently attended a skate jam hosted by the West Coast nonprofit, Skate Like a Girl. “I signed up for this showcase where it was non-competitive, so you can just skate,” she said. “I was too scared to sign up for the advanced jam, but then everyone there was super friendly and it sounded really fun.” Botto ended up signing up for the advanced jam, and says she doesn’t regret it a bit. “I basically competed against all these girls, who I’ve followed and idolized on Instagram,” she said. “The reason why that was super special is because I don’t really skate with any other girls.” She advises those new to skateboarding, especially girls, to be confident. “It’s intimidating at first, especially as a girl when you show up to a giant skate park with all these really good skater boys,” Botto said. “But I promise, if you keep at it, you’ll get really good.” Over time, skateboarding has become a vital aspect in Botto’s life. “I literally spend all my free time skating,” she said. “Because I love it. And I really hope that I can do something with it in the future. Because I know that it’s what I want to do. It makes me feel super happy so I definitely want to keep doing it and see how far I can get.”
Sophomore Lara botto
—Written by Annika Bereny Background photo by Wendy Xiong
Photo Courtesy of Lara Botto